7 Months Old!

Today Daniel is 7 months old. And a happy 7 month old he is! I had a hard time picking just one Mickey picture today...Ben says it's like going to the eye doctor the way I make him help me pick- this one or that one?! So I have two to share here with Mickey. I put the top one on the Picasa Mickey album, too. The bottom one of just his face is a zoomed-in picture of one of the many other Mickey pictures- it's here because if you click it and make it big, you can get a glimpse (our first photo glimpse!) of the tooth that's coming in!!!! You'll see a small white "dot" on the right side of his bottom gum as we look at it. It's been like that for a week...we'll keep you posted!

So Daniel's able to sit on his own very well now. Last week I mentioned that Daniel turned on his belly for the first time and he's done that many more times now, especially when he sees a toy he might want. The other day I watched as he was on his belly and reached & reached & reached for a toy that was just out of reach- it was just so cute to see him try and try again...and that's what will get him crawling (though we're in no hurry for that- he's cute as he is!). He didn't get frustrated either, which was good and he eventually moved on to a toy that he could get to. Daniel is still content to play on his back or roll over often, too, but he does like sitting. We're discovering new toys and it's been fun to watch him get stronger and play with new things.

Daniel enjoys his exersaucer a lot now. It has lots of things to play with and plays a lot of music too. I always said it was ten times bigger than he is and I'll never forget when we first put him in it! Now, he can reach most things and like everything else, tries to get it all in his mouth. He'll get mad at it if he can't get it in his mouth, though, so then he's done. Today he was trying to reach the dangling toys for the first time and it was so cute to see him try and he can just reach them, but again, he got frustrated so we took him out and my goodness he was just determined after that and kept looking at the dangling toys and reaching for them when he wasn't even near it! Anyway, I just love that he's making new discoveries and seeing all the new things he can do.

Daniel eats rice cereal now for dinner- we've been working on that for a couple weeks now. I wouldn't say he loves it, though some nights are better than others and he'll eat more. We gave him peaches for the first time Sunday night. That was hilarious! He got such a face- it was all scrunched up and he did this shuddering thing. Too funny! We kept trying...we still get funny faces. I can't even imagine what he's thinking about all this! We'll try bananas next! Perhaps he'll like those better. We'll see.

The other thing that's new lately are all the sounds Daniel makes now. And the way he's thinking and sighing as if he's getting ready to say something. It's too cute. He makes a great "bababababa" sound and a small "pa" and very occasionally a "ma." He moves his mouth a lot and you can see him trying to do new things with it and make new sounds. I think it's great fun to watch.

It's sure been fun to see him do new things this month. We survived his first cold, back in the first week of April. He handled the cold better than his mom and dad handled theirs- it really didn't seem to faze him much. Good. We're working on the food adventures and the naps in the crib. He still sleeps pretty well at night, too. And goes to bed early which is great! Bath time is a hoot now- he really kicks a lot and now since he can sit up, he splashes with his hands a lot, too. It's such fun to watch him. I'm often quite wet afterwards because he splashes so much! He likes to play with his pirate rubber ducky and his keys in the bath. After we're done washing him up, we let him just splash around and he has such fun!

My mother said the other day, he's closer to being one than he is to being a newborn, which was wild to think about...and though I miss the quiet early days with the teeny baby he was, I'm loving the adventuresome happy fun little boy he's becoming! We'll see how I feel about that when he's crawling...(though I am excited for that too!)

Well, that's it for now. Portraits are getting taken tomorrow- I can't wait!
Enjoy this month's Mickey pictures!

Adventures in Baby Sitting: Videos

Check out those arms going!




This time Daniel's playing with his keys!

These videos were taken last Friday, April 17th...Daniel's even stronger now! Enjoy!

Adventures in Baby Sitting!

Adventures in Baby Sitting

It's been a week now since Daniel first sat up...and he's sitting SO well now! It didn't take long and he got stronger each time. He can look up while sitting now, even turns his head, plays with toys and reaches for different toys. Daniel can sit for quite a while now, too. I'm still fairly close, and he does fall back or flop forward occasionally if I don't catch him in time and he survives though he doesn't like it much. His new thing (and I LOVE this!) is that when he's done with sitting and playing, he kind of reaches for me or flops in my lap. He just sort of turns toward me with his arms out...it's so sweet. Of course I pick him up and hug him and snuggle!

So he'd much rather sit now, though he still has time on back and tummy and rolling over and all. I've been getting out a few "sitting up" toys lately, too. Notice the bucket (it's a shape sorter- we're not quite doing that yet, but he loves the bucket) and the piano. It's been fun to watch Daniel get stronger each day and play with some new toys, too.

Another first for Daniel...today he rotated his body while on his tummy! He turns very well while on his back all the time and can even roll with a curve (though not yet with much of a purpose or actual goal), but today was the first time I'd seen him turn while on his belly. He actually went a full 180 by the time he was done and decided to roll over. It was such fun to see! I can just see the crawling...

Oh...and a tooth may be on the way. As first time parents, we have no idea what we're looking for BUT there is a small white spot on his lower gum. Hmm...could it be?? We kind of like his gummy smile, so we're okay with no teeth and in no hurry...but I know the first couple teeth will be just as cute! I'll keep you posted!

Daniel also went "exercising" with Mommy today. We started our "Salsa Babies" class. It was fun. It's exercise with a salsa/latin beat and similar steps to salsa dancing (which I'm familiar with because of doing Ballroom Dancing lessons with Ben for years). Anyway, he LOVED it. He was very chatty and excited and really kicking his legs. I've always said he likes music and he enjoys the baby bjorn and all the movement we do. 'Course he could have been chatty because he was in a class with all girl babies! Lucky guy!

Well, enjoy the pictures of my little guy sitting up!

Sitting Up!

We're getting there! Daniel's really getting stronger and better at sitting up on his own- really just the last two days. He's still very wobbly and can really mostly sit up if there's a toy there for him to lean on or play with. Of course I'm RIGHT THERE for now... Ben took this picture today while I was "spotting" Daniel. (I'm just off the edge of the picture- barely an inch away!) Daniel also still has to really focus on what he's doing to balance himself, so the toy helps with that too. He lasts about 5 seconds, then needs spotting and then can keep going. Ben called out to Daniel to get him to look at the camera while he was sitting up and Daniel fell over when he looked up (well, I caught him)- he's not that strong and good at it yet! Anyway, I'm the proud mama...just a week ago I was worried that he wasn't sitting this well just yet and here we are. It's such fun to see him making progress and getting stronger!

He sure has the wiggles lately and I just know he wants to be more independent with sitting and actually doing things and going places and he wants to be a part of everything- I keep saying it will be a long couple months till he can crawl because he's certainly raring to go. I'm sure he's going through so much, too, and trying to process it all...don't you just wonder what he's thinking?!

Thank You Grandma Cheryl for Ella the Elephant (the toy Daniel's playing with in the picture)! He sure likes it! :)

Happy Easter!

Daniel enjoys his new Easter goodies from Grandma Cheryl. Thank you, Grandma Cheryl!


Daniel checks out his Easter socks. Isn't this just the sweetest picture?!


Daniel poses for his first time with Grandma Mary Kay's annual Bunny Cake...and in his quest to grab and get everything in his mouth, even scored some frosting! (which Mommy promptly wiped off! Next year Daniel can have some!)


Daniel reaches for the Easter egg...


And he got it!! Check out that Happy Easter smile!


Happy Easter to all of you! Enjoy!
Love,
Allison, Ben, and Daniel

Daniel's Culinary Adventure

Daniel practices for his 1st meal!

Getting strapped in for the big adventure!

Daniel contemplates his new experience...

And decides to help Mommy!


We did it! After Daniel practiced this afternoon (merely playing with a spoon and the bowl and having a ball!), we decided to give it a go! The menu: rice cereal, the chef: Daddy, the server: Mommy. Daniel did pretty well and even helped Mommy with the spoon. He seemed to think it tasted fine...not too much spitting up, more just still drooling. And so we all survived! We'll do it again tomorrow! And of course, as we try other foods, we'll keep you posted!

Doctor Update

Here's a cute picture we took during Daniel's bath the other night. Daniel likes having toys to play with in the bath and will happily lay there and chomp them, even after we're all done! And when he drops them, boy is he determined to get it back!

Yesterday was Daniel's 6 month well-visit with the doctor. He's doing great! Daniel weighs 14 lbs 14 oz and he is 25 inches long. Just a little bigger than the last visit...but he looks great. The doctor is very pleased with how well he is doing size-wise and milestone-wise. Daniel did GREAT with his shots. Cried for about 30 seconds and that was it! That's my tough guy! Actually it was pretty funny- he was crying, I was hugging him, the nurses cleaned up and said good-bye to him on their way out the door and Daniel gave them a big smile and a half-laugh in the midst of his tears and then went back to crying for a few more seconds. It was pretty cute- he didn't know whether to laugh or cry! And last night he fell asleep around 7:30 and never needed Tylenol and then he slept through the night. He's just so great!

Up next...solid food! (which has us both nervous and excited!) We also have to really work on childproofing the house...we've kind of started, but we still have lots more to do!

Daniel is sleeping great in his crib at night now. We're thrilled! On the other hand, last Friday night I noticed that Daniel was quite congested and has a runny nose. He's drooling like CRAZY. But he's otherwise as happy as can be and has still been sleeping great. At first we thought he might have a cold, but he may be teething too- the doctor was not worried. No breaks in the gum yet...I'll keep you posted. But now Mommy and Daddy both have colds! (Ben NEVER gets sick and I haven't gotten a cold since I stopped teaching- so 6 months! So this has thrown us!) So here's hoping we all get better very soon!

We'll keep you posted on how the solids go!