7 months and growing fast

hey there little man - happy belated 7 month birthday! each month seems to go by faster and faster, before we know it you'll be one year old. during the past month you have mastered the fine art of sitting up - started doing it early in September but we still had to keep some pillows nearby, now we can just sit you down anywhere and you rarely topple over.

happy 7 month birthday!

You've also started to practice crawling by getting up on all fours and rocking. Unfortunately, most of your practice takes place when you are supposed to be sleeping...speaking of sleeping, you are the best nighttime sleeper (knock on wood). You go to bed at 6:45 and rarely do we hear from you until 7A the next morning - keep it up, mommy and daddy love getting the extra ZZZZZZZs. And when you do wake up you are all smiles and giggles - it's great!

here's some daytime crawling practice...you didn't get very far, but decent effort. (blogger's note - i apologize for the length of this video, haven't edited it down yet)




Over the past month you've become quite a babbling baby - one of your favorites is "dadadadada..." we now need to work on "mamamamama..." Uncle Josh, Aunt Maureen and Stanley came to visit you in September and we spent time with the Murphy's at Donna's engagement party and Megan's birthday party.

hello Stanley

Our new favorite activity is to stop off at daddy's office on the way home at night. You get so excited and start laughing and smiling when we get there. I know it makes his day (and mine too to see you so happy). You're mastering the fine are of finger foods, picking up your cheerios and puffs with ease, but don't really like to eat them yet as once they get in your mouth you usually spit them out. You are a cookie monster though! Even putting the cookie on your head, silly boy.

cookie monster!

and i know i've said it before, but your laugh is totally infectious, just check out this video to see what i mean...


I can't believe it's been more than half a year since you were born - sometimes it feels like only yesterday that you were the tiny little 7 lb 10 oz peanut we brought home all snuggly and wearing hats in the house (it was cold!) - then i look at how big your getting, your awesome personality, the time we spend "talking" and realize just how long it's been and how fast the time has gone. fortunately for me, though they are fewer and farther between, some nights after your bedtime bottle you still like to cuddle into my shoulder and fall asleep. we always spend a little extra time rocking on those very special nights.

so tiny...2 days old

soooo big! - 7 months old

happy 7 month birthday little boy.

love,
mommy

sleeping baby...

so we go out, buy you a nice big crib, plenty of room to spread out and you choose to scooch all the way to one end to sleep - silly baby.



and lately we've had to wake you up in the morning to start your day - no complaints on our end though! keep up the good sleeping.

good morning!

love,
mommy

back to school (again)

hey little man - well, you have fully recovered from your ear infection and are just as happy as can be and really fun to be around - we love it when you get a good squealing laugh going. you mostly can sit-up by yourself and we started eating yogurt this week, which you love! you also started a new school this past week and so far it's been great - your teachers are very nice and caring and you're always happy when i pick you up (you were rarely happy at your old school) and it's been wonderful having you in the car with us on the way to work. sometimes after school we stop at daddy's office to say hi, which i know makes his day. here's some pictures of your past week, first day of school, a visit to franklin square and a swing ride and watching mommy and daddy's football game.






love,
mommy

thank you!

thank you so much for the beautiful birthday flowers little buddy! they are sitting on my desk where i can look at them all day long. you get an A for effort and a D for execution (they were delivered yesterday, when daddy forgot i was home playing with you!), but i got them in water first thing this morning and they look great.

happy 1/2 birthday

i am officially dubbing august 2007 and the start of september "immunity building month" - my poor little buddy, you have come down with cold after ear infection after cold and now the stomach flu - all in the past month or so. i have been told that you are just building up your immunities and come kindergarten you'll be as healthy as can be, but it's still hard to see you so sick. - UPDATE - when i started this post you were still quite sick, but in the past few days have really started to turn a corner, eating much better and are back to your usual happy self - the picture below was taken on September 11, just two days before you were not eating and had us all quite worried that you were getting dehydrated. what a difference just a few days can make!


on to better thoughts though! august was another month of milestones, you figured out how to roll both from front to back and back to front - you have not figured out (or choose not to) use rolling as a mode of transportation yet - which is fine with me! daddy and i haven't quite baby-proofed (ok, we haven't done anything at all) the house yet, so your lack of mobility is just fine (for now).

you also now do all of your sleeping in your crib, both day and night and when you aren't sick are a great through the night sleeper, you go to bed by 7:30 and wake up sometime around 6, sometimes you'll wake up at 5 and have a bite to eat and then go back to sleep until around 7, we actually like these nights better!

aunt maureen and uncle josh's wedding was also in august, you looked quite handsome in your yellow suit and were a trooper coming down for pictures. again, you are a wonderful car traveler, sleeping most of the trip and just enjoying hanging out in your carseat when awake - makes visiting nana and pop-pop a lot easier!


you and daddy like to play the drums together (your drum being a bowl and wooden spoon - hey whatever works!) and you started eating in your highchair this past month. you are growing up very fast - on the verge of sitting unsupported - you'll sit for a short period of time but then fling yourself backwards or tip to the side, so we always have pillows or blankets nearby! before we know it you'll be crawling all over - then watch out!

you also find that rosie is quite funny when she's all wound up and barking (who knew?!) the following video shows just how funny you think she is.



for your half birthday daddy and i both want you to feel better soon, the next 6 months are going to be an exciting time for you full of learning new skills, your first holidays and so much more and we both just want you to be healthy and happy and enjoy every minute of it.

love,
mommy

More coming...stay tuned

I've heard cries for updates...check back Monday for a long post, in the meantime, enjoy some recent photos...

look mommy, a leaf!

jeesh, enough already....

hello!

Happy 5 month birthday!

ok, already a day late...sorry bud. has it already been another month?! i can't believe how fast you are growing, pretty soon you'll be crawling and then the real fun begins (i.e. chasing you around the house!). and now, for the recap - you started school (aka daycare) this month, and have learned to nap in the crib - hooray! we are currently looking for a new school for you so that you can be closer to mommy and daddy during the day, we found one we love, so hopefully there will be a spot open for you soon.

and now a list of your many firsts for the month of july! you went to your first phillies game on july 13 and had a wonderful time. nana and pop-pop were there too - you liked looking at all of the bright lights and didn't fuss at all. you really got into solid food this month, you now eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, so far you really like everything (you've had bananas, oatmeal, sweet potatoes and applesauce). you were baptized on july 22nd, you didn't particularly care for being in church and cried the whole time we were there, but did have fun later in grandma and grandpa's pool. another first this month was your first time spending the day at work with mommy, you weren't feeling well enough to go to daycare, so you came to work, smiled at all the pretty Alta ladies and then took a nap in the server room (lots of white noise!). you are sleeping through the night, though you do like to start your day on the early side (by 6A), we had to let you cry yourself back to sleep for a few nights for you to learn, but now you are great, you go to bed around 7-730P and wake up around 6A all smiles, sometimes i bring you into the bed with mommy and daddy for some cuddles, which we all love. you've also "discovered" rosie this month and are totally fascinated by her, she likes to lick your face, which you think is funny (mommy and daddy don't think so though and have to scold her), and you love just watching her every move - so much so, we have to put her outside when it's time for you to eat because you get so distracted!

hard at work

i'm constantly amazed at how one day you will be content to just sit in your bumbo chair and the next day be trying to climb out of it - you are so smart and inquisitive, i'm actually a little frightened that daddy and i won't be able to keep up with you! so, happy 5-month birthday little buddy, the wonderful journey continues - just don't grow up too fast. one of my favorite times of day with you is bedtime when you cuddle in for a snuggle after your bottle, i cherish it every night.

love,
mommy