Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

This is the face of a happy Maximus Miles on Christmas morning! He had a late night last night. Our Christmas Eve/Christmas church service started at 10:00 PM, and we didn't get home until 2:00 AM! Although Miles was asleep when we arrived at church, he didn't stay asleep long . . . and he didn't go back to sleep until the car ride home! Thankfully, he slept until 9:30 or so this morning. He is taking a long nap right now as well. While he was awake this morning, he got his first taste of Christmas gifts. He caught on quick! Enjoy these photos - I'm sure we'll have more to post before the day is over since there are still more gifts to be opened. Thanks to everyone who sent Miles (and us) something this year. We are so incredibly blessed. Merry Christmas to all!

Maximus Miles' very own Picasa Web Album

Thanks to "Uncle Steve" (Godmama Debbie's huband), Maximus Miles now has his very own Picasa web album, complete with Kellar commentary. We encourage you to check it out at http://picasaweb.google.com/st4526ke/MaximusMiles

When you look at the pictures, you'll see that Miles went to his very first ballet, which was a local production of The Nutcracker in which all five Kellar girls (Sarah, Ruth, Shelby, Mary, and Claire) performed. As you'll see in the pictures, Miles found it to be a riveting performance! :) His take on the show certainly doesn't do it justice. All five of the Kellar girls were outstanding!

Thanks for creating this web album, Uncle Steve.

Laughing

Many of you have commented how much you like the photos of Miles laughing. He is quite hilarious when he lets out his "gut laugh." We have not been able to catch him doing this on camera quite yet (he tends to get shy when the camera comes out); however, here is a video of him giggling with Brian. Enjoy!

Swinging with Miles

Miles has always loved his swing. You may remember seeing photos of him in his swing when he was just a little guy, such as:

To give you some perspective on how much he has grown, here are two pictures of him in his swing last night. He is cuddling the doggie that he received from Godmama Debbie for St. Nicholas Day:

Lastly, here is a video I took of Miles this afternoon when he was in his "I need a nap" mode. (Just so you know, he went down for a nap right after I took this video clip):

Miles and his new tricks

Miles has really been stepping it up in the past few weeks. I've noticed that he has become bored with his normal daily play routine of swing, gym mat, bouncy chair, floor, bed. (I've heard that boredom is a sign of advanced intelligence in young children, but I'll let you be the judge). Therefore, we've introduced some new ways to play (thanks to hand-me-down toys from Aunt Carina), and Miles is feeling challenged again . . . for now at least.

Exhibit A:

That's right, folks! Our four-month-old is walking! I know that the photo makes it looks as though he needs the help of that cloth seat and tray suspended from the doorway, but clearly his legs are holding his weight and keeping him balanced. Clearly. He's even working on his sprinter's lean.

Exhibit B:



Here Miles is showcasing his strong neck and grip. We like to refer to his hands as "meat hooks." Do you see how he is crushing that stuffed animal with his left hand in the first two pictures? He's really living up to his rough-and-tumble Hunter and Smotone heritage!

Speaking of which . . . this week Miles had what you might call his first date. (See where boredom leads?) The little lady is Miles' friend, Rebekah. She and her parents came over for dinner this week, and apparently Miles and Rebekah now think they are in love:



It's scandalous, we know. Holding hands on the first date! Luckily, we have a few years to try to straighten this young man out before he starts thinking seriously about finding his special lady.

For now, we want to let all the ladies know that Miles has more than one similarity to George Costanza from Seinfeld. Not only is he bald, but . . .

Cousins and Miles' 1st Thanksgiving!

My cousin, Gretchen (Meyer) Wildman, and her husband and boys stopped for a visit in Chicago on their way to Wisconsin for Thanksgiving. She is pregnant with a baby girl, but she and Tony already have two sons named Dylan and Danny. It was a fun, kid-filled evening! Here we are trying to get a good picture of all the kids on the couch.



Isn't it obvious why we left Miles in his car seat for the picture? The couch was a dangerous place that night, my friends!

Moving on to Thanksgiving Day, Miles had a terrific first Thanksgiving! Uncle Seth and Aunt Carina's house hosted all of my family, as well as Seth's family. It was a large crowd and a lot of fun. (Per standard Thanksgiving Day procedure, people of all ages took naps throughout the day).



Miles' cousin Norah turned one on November 21st, so we had a special celebration for her as well.

This last photo shows Miles learning some tricks of the trade from cousin Jake. Oh, the things you can do once you graduate from the strapped-in recliner seat!

The Mean Kitty Song

This doesn't have anything to do with our family, but it is hilarious! Especially if you have a cat, you'll appreciate this music video.

Video of Miles!

Miles is excited because I finally figured out how to download the video clips from my digital camera (we've only had the camera for 2 years, after all). You know what this means?! Real-life videos of the action at our house! I'm going to start with the video below of Miles, which I took tonight. It's kind of long, so I hope it doesn't overload anyone's computer. If you have trouble viewing it, please let me know. As you'll see in the video, this kid likes to move (we refer to it as "girating"); he also likes to suck on his hand (and drool). Enjoy!!

4 Month Update

That's right! Miles hit the big four month mark on the 17th. He went to the doctor today for his checkup (and his shots - boo). Any guesses on how big he's gotten? Here is a recent photo to help you determine his weight and height (note: this was the first time he wore shoes!):


I won't keep you in suspense any longer. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, Miles thought he would compete with the turkeys by weighing a whopping 16 pounds!! On top of that, he jumped from 21.5 inches at his 2 month appointment to 26 inches in length!! No wonder he sleeps so well! We're proud of our little (big) guy!

Here are some photos of Miles with his playgroup buddies, Oliver and Noah. Little Rebekah is also a playgroup buddy, but she was sleeping when these photos were taken. They're a fun crowd!

Funny (S)Miles!

Miles is becoming more and more jovial with each new day! I use the word "jovial" on purpose because he is, well, you might say . . . jolly . . . with his extra chin and plump belly. Whatever the case, he is DARN CUTE. Brian and I just can't get over him! I mean, take a look at this guy:

Yeah, yeah, I can hear you now: "He's a sumo wrestler!" "He's the Michelin Man!" Well, you laugh now, but you just wait until he's a middle linebacker or - leader of the free world! Who'll be laughing then?!

He's not all brawn, folks. He's got brains too. Here he was spotted reading about the History of Western Civilization:


It's a lot for a little guy to take in . . .


But he seems to like it!


If he's anything like I was, he would just sleep through his history lessons . . .


Does it say anything in that history book about cloning? I mean, really . . .



Lastly, I want to share with you some more photos from Miles' baptism, compliments of "Uncle Steve" and Katie G. The Lord bless and keep you, Maximus Miles!

Baptism of Maximus Miles Hunter

Maximus Miles was baptized and chrismated (annointed) on Sunday, November 4, 2007 at All Saints Orthodox Church in Chicago. As part of the service, Maximus was completely dunked under water three times (which he did not particularly care for, but it wasn't anything that a cuddle from his Godmother couldn't fix). James Bond (yes, that is his real name!) and Debbie Kellar are the proud Godparents. Our priest, Father Patrick Henry Reardon, presided over the service. My parents, my sister, and our friend Ian were our guests. It was a wonderful day! Miles wore a family baptismal gown. It belonged either to his great-grandmother or great-grandfather (my dad's parents). If it was his great-grandfather's, then it belonged to the original Miles (Malcolm Miles Meyer)! Enjoy these pictures (compliments of my Mom):