Basketball Jones

For the last few months, Makai has been OBSESSED with balls--especially basketballs. "Bah" (ball) was his first word. While March Madness was going on, he would just stare at the TV during the games. Then he would go get his basketball and start shooting hoops like the players on TV. We have borrowed Jared's old basketball hoop he had when he was Mak's age, and it's his favorite thing to do. Although now that he has found our outdoor hoop, he loves dunking it out there. Dan is the only one that can lift him high enough to dunk it. He would do it over and over all day if he could. His two favorite people to play ball with are his daddy and his Uncle J. As soon as Dan gets home from work, he runs up to him, gives him a hug, and immediately grabs his ball so they can play. Whenever he sees Jared, he grabs his ball and says, "Bah?" like, "Do you want to play?" Whenever he sees kids playing with a ball, he heads straight for them. Myt dad does this thing where he throws balls up in the air and catches them. Whenever Makee sees him do it, he tries so hard to copy him. For some reason, he thinks every ball on the planet is rightfully his. He has recently started bending his knees while he takes a shot. He has also found some old Air Jordan high tops of Jared's that he insists on wearing morning and night. And they're too small for him! He discovered Dan's basketball shoes, and he walks around the house in his enormous shoes with his basketball. He literally walks around the house all day holding his basketball. I cannot believe how much this little boy loves basketball. I don't know if it's a phase, or something that will stick, but it sure is fun to watch him find things he loves!

Other updates on the Mak...He loves being outside. He'll grab my hand, grab his jacket, and lead me to the door and beg until he can go outside and play. He loves being outside to "help" Daddy with the yard work. While Dan sweeps, he lets Makee sweep with our window scraper that has a brush on the end. My parents got him his own lawnmower that he has already spent countless hours playing with. He spent all last Saturday "helping" my dad and Jared mow the lawn. I don't know how much they got done, but he sure had fun! He loves going to Daniel's parents because they have slide that Daniel's great-grandpa made. Pappy will take him down it over and over. The other day we went to the park with his Aunt Jenna and his cousin Drake, and it was so fun. He likes going to the park or the school to play on the playground equipment with his cousins. It's so fun to have Whit and Pete and Belly live close because we can walk to Whit's house, and she can walk to ours so the kids can play outside.

Makee is talking more and more every day. Some of my new faves that he says are:
"Doddie" (doggie)--He says it with this little squeak in his voice every time, and it's so cute! He thinks every animal is a doggie, although lately he's started calling birds "pish" (fish), which brings me to the next word:"Pish" (fish) We went to the homeshow, and there were a bunch of feeder fish in a model pond. The dude there asked if we wanted a fish. I said, "No thanks," but Dan said, "Sure!" So here we are a month and a half later with this little feeder fish that Makee loves to look at.
"Bye" For a while, he was saying, "Buh-Bye!" He would hold out the bye in his soft little voice, but now it's just a "Bye!"
"Goo" (good) If you ask him how he is doing, or how something tastes, he'll say, "Goo!"
"Cookie"--The only word he says perfectly!
"Heppy" (help)
"Ot, ot, ot!) (which means cold, hot, or sometimes he says it when he knows he shouldn't touch something
"Boo" (book)
"Uh-uh" (which sometimes means "Yes" and sometimes literally means "Uh-uh")
"Yeah" (yeah)

Makee has become quite the master of the stairs lately, which means we can FINALLY take down our baby gates. It still makes me nervous to have him go up and down the stairs, but he does pretty well on his tummy. Right now the Mak loves dancing and jumping up and down to music. He thinks he is pretty funny when he dances. Lately if he thinks something is funny, he throws himself on the floor, throws his head back, and does this totally fake laugh. If we change the station on the radio from a song he likes, he has a fit until we change it back! It's hilarious. Mak also loves helping in the kitchen right now. He insists on sitting on the counter and helping stir, flip, cook, whatever we are doing. Spatulas are his favorite toys next to balls. I think my favorite thing Makee is doing right now is sometimes he hears our house make a weird noise. He says, "Da?" like, "Dad, is that you?" He gets so excited when Dan gets home from work. The second he hears him, he runs for the door and gives his daddy a huge hug. Oh, how we love our little man!