Mommy, Daddy...or Both????

In my humble opinion...I would have to go with both!! Most people say that I have mommy's eyes...but the lower half of my face looks like daddy, only daddy's cheeks just cannot compare with mine. Again- I am going with the majority here...but it seems as though I looked EXACTLY like daddy when I was born and I have morphed slightly more into mommy since then. I do see a lot of me in the left hand pic of mommy- but in the right one, she just looks totally goofy and I cannot see me at all since I am not a goof! hahaha OK- mybe not quite as goofy as she is- but I guess I am a tad bit goofy!!!

Mommy said that she can totally see me looking like daddy when I am a toddler. What a cutie daddy was (is) and I would be lucky to look like him, I think!

Regardless of who I am more like in appearance- I am like BOTH of them in personality...stubborn and silly!!

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Sleep Update

Took two naps today...the first for 1hr 20 min (no crying) and the second for 1 hr 40 min (40 min crying) and then tonight, for bedtime...I sat in my crib for the first 5 minutes just looking around, then cried for 10 minutes. Mommy did not even have to check on me because just around the time she was going to do her first check in- I stopped crying so she never even made it up the stairs! She was in the downstairs hall, heard sudden quiet- and immediatey turned her self around the check the video monitor- only to see me PASSED OUT! YAY!! Maybe I have turned the corner and yesterday was just a fluke. Thanks for everyone's support. Your kind comments have really gotten my mommy through this tough time. You have been good to her, which has in turn made it easier for her to handle me!! So- I appreciate it!!!! I owe ya!

Regression

So- I had a bit if a hard time of it last night. I went to bed OK- after about a 30 min...but I sure made up for it in the middle of the night. Mommy had her alarm set so that she could feed me my "weeing feed" at 2:30 am. We were on our third night of weening- so she was allowed to feed me for 4 minutes. Well- I beat her to the punch and woke up at 1:10. The process that she needs to follow is if I wake up on my own- then she has to let me cry myself back to sleep and then once I have been asleep for 15 min, SHE can wake ME up and feed me. Well- I cried for 2 hrs 5 minutes before I fell asleep for my feeding. She fed me for the 4 minutes, placed me in my crib, and then I screamed for another 20 minutes before FINALLY going back to sleep. Mommy is chalking it up to me being excited about my daddy being home. But she did tell me, in a very stern voice...that a repeat tonight is just not permitted. I will try to nap well today for you, ma- to make up for me behavior last night!

Happy Homecoming

My daddy is home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He got home right after I had dinner and we played & goofed around so much that I puked quite a few times. It was so worth it, though!!!!!!! I had to go to bed pretty soon after he arrived- but those few minutes that we had together were gold. I did fairly OK going to bed tonight. Mommy expected that, though...knowing that I would still be jazzed from seeing my daddy. It took just under a half hour for me to reach my full slumber. I think with the excitement that I was feeling- that I did pretty well. I did nap for almost 2 hours this morning, with only 5 minutes of fussing...so that should make up for bedtime. Daddy has to go to work tomorrow, so I will not get any quality time until tomorrow night- but boy will I be ready to just eat daddy up!!!!! I love you & I missed you so much. So did mommy!!! We are glad that you are home and thanks for the cool Canada fleece! Now I can look just like you!

Half Year Birthday

Today was my half year birthday and I got to celebrate it with my mommy. She fixed me an extra special breakfast this morning of whole grain rice cereal and apples & blueberries. I really enjoyed it (as I always do with food, any food, just give me more food) and appreciated her trying to make me a special meal- given my food limitations at this stage of my life! We then proceeded to play a lot, both of us on the floor- rolling around and just goofing of together. I was so pooped after this activity that I was a good little boy and took an hour and a half nap (so did mommy.) After my wonderfully refreshing nap- we got in the car and went on an outing. Mommy bought me this silly birthday hat and a fun new toy. It is a plush car that plays 15 different songs and vibrates on the hardwood floor so it scooches along. I had fun chasing it- but still do not love crawling on those darned hardwood floors. They hurt my knees!!! After that- more playtime- then on to dinner, bath, and bed. I have to report that I rocked on tonight with my sleep training!!! Mommy was in total disbelief when I conked out ofter only 17 minutes of crying. (I did wake up momentarily about 21 minutes in- but was out again by 24 minutes!!!)

I just cannot believe that I have been here for 6 months already!! So much has happened and I have gotten so big!!!! Before I know it I will be in school, then dating, then driving, then off to college to take on the world!!! I know, I know...I am getting a bit ahead of myself- but it's gonna be neat to see what kind of person I become. I just see so many possibilities for my life and I can't wait!!

Check me out on my "birth" day...I was a little pip squeek with very small thighs, huh??

Great Grandmothers

Today I got to go see my Great Grandma "Nan" to help her celebrate her 91st birthday. (I am not even sure that I can fathom that age- when I am only working on 1/2 of a year!) There was a big party for her with food that looked yummy & cake that looked yummy- and I was not able to partake. Mommy sure did, though- and I was staring at her food so intently that Auntie Courtney had to take me away to go look at a ginormous fish tank instead. Nan is my daddy's grandma. She is one feisty little lady. She is so in shape that she is even able to hold my (estimated) 17 lb body!! I hung out with her for a while and she even fed me part of my bottle- even though (mother dear) I would have rather had the roast beef sandwich!! I guess it tasted a bit better since she fed it to me, though!! I had a fun time and can't wait to see her again. HAPPY BIRTHDAY NAN!!

The other reason today was special is that my Mommom's family participated in an Alzheimer's Walk in Memory of my Great Gram Williams. I never had the chance to meet her- but know that she was a great lady. Mommy and Mommom always tell stories about her and I know that I would have loved her tons!!!! She passed away from Alzheimer's a little over a year ago and I think it is pretty cool that the Williams' participated in this walk today. Way to go...I know Gram appreciates it!!

*************************************************************Also- just an update on the sleep training...I am a bugger for sure. It is the third night and I am fighting it with all my might. I have made progress, though- tonight it only took an hour as opposed to two the first night and an hour and a half the second. That is good news for mom. The good news for me is that there have been no trauma's tonight and I have figured out a way for mommy to take me out of my crib. About 20 minutes into the whole process, I go #2 in my diaper and then she HAS to change it- so I do indeed get a moment, albeit fleeting, of human contact and warmth from my mamma!!! I have done this every night and it has worked all three times!! AHH HAA...I do believe that I have circumvented the system!! I think both Great Grandma's mentioned in this post today would be proud of my inventiveness!!!! I am thinking "outside of the box"...or I guess I should say "thinking outside of the crib!!"

Battle Scar

This picture was taken today- before the incident!!!! So...that is where I will start. After my long night last night, I woke up quite happy and well rested. Mommy told me this would happen...but of course, as a stubborn child, I will never believe that what my parents say is actually true or could be good for me in any way. This will continue for most of my life- at the very least until I am out of my teens. Anywhooo...we had a fun morning playing and mommy gave me "Cado" my wonderful hand knit bear that CiCi made me even before I was born. Mommy and I agreed upon the name today- because of his green hue that is very similar to an avocado- a food that mommy enjoys immensely and one I hope to try soon. So- time for my first nap rolls around, and again- even thought mommy has told me I need it and I need to learn to soothe myself- I fight it for an hour and (as the sleep training book mommy is reading tells her) she is then able to release me from my imprisonment in crib cell block 4! (CCB4 for those of you in the know.) We play again and then have a fun outing to Babies R' Us to get a bumper so I do not hurt myself because when I am crying myself into a frenzy, I insist upon standing up and "pacing" the front of my crib. Even though I am getting good at standing while holding on to stationary objects, I often fall when I throw my head around in anger and flail my arms about- sometimes hitting the crib on the way down. So- the bumper was to protect me from this. Ironically- this is where the story takes a nasty turn. 7pm rolls around and we do our typical night time ritual. Sleep training begins. I am fine for a while- and about an hour in, mommy checks on me and I am ALL BLOODY!!! I have blood on my face as well as my brand new bumper and also the teething rail on my crib. Thank goodness I was wearing my black skeleton Halloween jammies- because then mommy was not able to see the blood on my shirt. Apparently the bumper did not do it's job of protecting me from harm!!!!! Mommy immediately whisked me out of the crib and tended to my wounds- crying a bit herself!!!! This is the part I cannot believe, though. She sets me in my exer-saucer and disappears for what feels like a long time. When she returns we head back upstairs and she puts me back in the crib...but this time something is different. She has lowered the mattress again- to it's lowest position so that I have no bars to hit on the way down. I would have thought that my war wound would have been good for some sympathy and would have gotten me out of sleep training for the night- but my mommy is one tough and determined cookie. JEEZ!!!!!! Well played, mamma!!! I guess I better learn who's boss sooner than later and just embrace these new sleeping arrangements, huh?? I do believe you might be more determined in getting me to sleep that I am at staying awake! Let's just hope I do not have a fat lip tomorrow morning.

Sleep Training- How About Sleep Torture???

I am gonna be totally blunt here- sleep training stinks!!! It is by far the worst torture that I have ever been put through. I do believe that it might even be worse than the whole birthing process. I have a vague recollection of mommy and daddy doing this to me a few months ago- but I was too young to be able to self sooth at that age...so they bagged it and decided to do it again at 6 months. So- I suppose my half year birthday is approaching because here we are again- me crying for what I feel to be no reason. I mean- come on...what is so wrong with being held and rocked to sleep??? I am only a little baby once, right?? Well- mommy and daddy have a different idea for me. I guess I can see their point of view- I mean I will really feel like a big boy when I can be put down in my crib awake and be able to send myself off to dreamland all by myself. That is not quite the case so far, though. It took me two hours and five minutes before I cried myself to sleep. In the process I threw-up and pooped so much that mommy had to change my jammies as well as my sheets. Kinda icky! I even had puke stuck to my head- matting down the little amount of hair that I do have. Mommy stuck to her guns, though. She wipe off my head with a wet washcloth and put me on the floor to change me & the sheets and then immediately put my back into my crib for me to resume my screaming. I thought she would have caved...guess I had her pegged as more of a softy!!! Silly me. I guess the only other problem is that I sorta feel like I was duped!!! Daddy went away with some of his guy friends (Antonella's daddy being one of them) on his yearly trip to Canada. I was sold this song and dance about what a fun time mommy and I were going to have bonding- just the two of us! What a load of poop!! She pulls this on me the first night after daddy leaves?? Not nice, mommy!! I guess it will be a cool present for daddy if I have made some progress by the time he gets home on Monday night, though. Keep your fingers crossed (for both me and my mamma) that this works in just a few days...or the next time you see us we could both be looking a bit haggard!

Check out the pics above. The timer is counting down from 15 minutes until mommy could go check on me. The picture of me crying is not visible on the monitor due to the camera flash- but the green light means things are kinda mellow- and the red light means we have reached DEFCOM 5. I definitely hit red!!!

Steps..No Prob!!

Well- I did it again...I freaked mommy out!! I know earlier today I mentioned in my post that I was scared of the step from the family room to the living room- well...I am not scared anymore. Mommy left me alone in the family room while she went to the back of the house for a moment (literally just a moment- because she knows how I have been exploring recently) and upon her return she found that I had done some climbin'. I scaled the Mt. Everest of steps and hiked my way right onto the "upper level" living room. Better child proof the house soon, parents!! Either that or do not leave me alone for a moment while I am roaming free, and apparently unconfined, on the floor. Your decision- which one will it be??

Hardwood Floor = Hard To Crawl

I know mommy and daddy think that the hardwood floors that they have in their house look nice- but I am not at all a fan!!!! Boy do they make crawling a chore! It is like a slippey slidey mess that I do not want to be a part of. Instead of putting my exersaucer away as she normally does each night- mommy was exhausted and left it in the living room. Once I spied it from my normal play area in the family room- I just had to get to it!! I started out my journey (all 11 feet of it) by having to scale a massive step up from the family room to the living room. I guess to you adults it is not at all massive- but to me I was a bit flabbergasted by it. Mommy decided to help me up so I would not crash down on my face and potentially hurt those invisible teeth that I seem to have been teething on for months now. Once up in the strange room that I had really neither noticed nor ventured into before, I attempted my crawling- with little to no results at first. What was this dark brown, hard, shiny surface that I was on??? Nothing at all like the plush tan speckled flooring that I am told is called carpet!! After quite some time, some laughter from mommy, and some backward movements- I was finally able to make it to my beloved exersaucer. I am not going to pretend- there were some scary moments where my face almost hit wood- but I persevered and reached my wonderful "negelct-o-matic" reward unscathed! I must admit- I was pretty proud of mommy too!! She vacillated in between wanting me to crawl on this hard surface and wanting to protect me from it if I decided to face plant. She let me do my thing and was not overprotective- but I know that it was hard for her to hold back just snatching me up and putting me in my toy right from the get go!! We are a good team, mom!! Thanks for letting me explore and for giving me the freedom to try these new tasks instead of keeping me your little baby forever (even though I KNOW that is what you would want!!) I promise that I will take it a bit slower and will not try to crawl on the ceramic tile just yet- saving you & daddy from a mild heart attack!!!

Standing Tall?

So- I just mastered crawling but that just does not seem to be good enough for me. Actually...even before I started crawling- I was doing this weird thing where I would half stand/half crawl...as shown above. Mommy and daddy thought this was just too funny- me sticking my cute little bum in the air all the time...until they realized the ramifications of this action. Standing...then Walking!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

Well- for the last few days they were so consumed with me crawling that they forgot that I was doing this other maneuver. They forgot, until...mommy looked at the video monitor while I was supposed to be napping and saw that I had pulled myself up to a standing position in my crib. Boy did she freak out!!! She took the stairs two by two and was in my room in record time to put me back down into a sitting position. Thank goodness she had just lowered my mattress last week so I was not actually putting myself in danger.

Then today- while she was on the phone with my Auntie KK, I pulled myself up to a standing position using my exersaucer. Mommy and daddy cannot believe that I am doing this so often and getting so adept at it. God help them...because now that I've had a taste of mobility, I'm raring to go!!!!!

No More Peas, Please!!

I gotta be honest- out of all the foods that I have eaten thus far- peas are by far my least favorite. Apples and pears seem to agree with my taste buds the most. So- although it seems as though I am partial to fruit- I did get to try green beans and I sure do like those. Mommy and daddy are hoping that I will like fruits as well as veggies and that I will have a well rounded palate. Even though I did not love my peas- I still ate a huge bowl full. Mommy just had to scoop a bit off my chin and re-insert!! I enjoyed the taste of my bib more than that green stuff!!! It seems as though I am not a gourmet but a gourmand!!!!!

Belly Laughs

I am not sure if any of you out there know this...but my mommy is a silly goofball!! We were listening to a fun song on my iPod called "Popcorn" and look at what she was doing. Can you believe her?? At first I was laughing at her silliness- but then I think I continued because of the fun song. I love it!!! It definitely is one of my favorites and has recently led to me giggling up a storm on numerous different occasions- even if mommy is not acting crazy. The fact that mommy was banging her head around like a loon does indeed add to my laughter, though! Any of you kiddies out there who want some good tunes- you had better talk your parents into buying or downloading "Snack Time" from the Bare Naked Ladies...it is a kid CD that I just adore and I know you will too. Just make sure that your mommies and daddies know that they need to sing and dance around like they do not have a care in the world for it to REALLY make you happy!!

Girlie Gabfest

Mommy had one of her very best friends come all the way from a place called North Carolina this weekend for a visit!! Mommy said that Aunt Allie came all this way to see her- but I have a sneaking suspicion that she only wanted to come & meet me. Aunt Allie has two little boys herself, named Peyton and Reed, so she knew just what to do with me!! I saw pictures of them and they are CUTE little boys. (Mommy sat down with her and they set up a blog for her little guys too...so check it out through my link below!!) Mommy got some great advice about baby boys since aunt Allie has been through it all.

I really like her! She and mommy sure do talk a lot, though. I guess that is what happens when it has been 2 years since two very talkative ladies have seen one another in person!! To be honest- I kinda felt left out since I am typically the center of attention! Good lesson or me, though- that the world does not ALWAYS revolve around me!

We got to go to Avalon & hang out. Aunt Allie has been to CiCi's beach house before and wanted to be able to go relax at the "shore." Seriously- no joking...mommy and Allison just sat & talked & talked & talked. That's OK with me though- I like it when mommy has her good girl friends around because it always brings a huge smile to her face. Since I pretty much require 100% of mommy's waking moments- I am glad that she got such a special visit from her wonderful friend. It just gave me a chance to show off my new crawling skills and impress a new person!

I know I am a small little guy- but mommy & Auntie Al...here is some advice- Don't let 2 years go by without seeing one another!! Plus- I wanna meet Peyton & Reed- so let's schedule a time for another visit soon...OK??

Overcoming Obstacles

I have indeed run into a few obstacles within my first 24 hours of crawling.

The first being my daddy's legs. I was trying to get my paci and his legs were in my way...so what did i do?? I certainly did not go around them. Instead I decided that I would use my new crawling skills and scale those shins!! It took me a while and mommy & daddy were sure that I was going to get frustrated and give up- but I persevered and did indeed retrieve my beloved paci!!

The second obstacle came in the form of crawling into nooks, crevices & corners of the house where I have never been before and then freaking out because 1.) I do not know where I am and 2.) I do not know how to get out. An example of this is when I was trying to get the channel changer that had fallen on the floor in between the couch , the ottoman, and the table. Mommy had walked out of the room for a minute, to go get a glass of soda, and I got myself all kindsa lost!!! She came back in- did not see me immediately- and had a minor heart attack!! I was there, though- just nicely tucked away and waiting patiently for her to save me. Once I saw her I shed some alligator tears, but quickly recovered.

I betcha mommy and daddy do not leave me alone in any room now that I am mobile and lovin' it!! You guys thought life changed when you had me...That was nothin'!!!

I'm Crawling!!!

FINALLY!!!! I DID IT!!!! I have been trying to crawl for over a month and a half now and I have finally put all the pieces together and accomplished this monumental milestone!! I started today out just like I do all of my days...some food, some activity, some very limited naps (UGH-- 25 minutes today...mommy did not even get to finish her shower before I was bellowing for her to come fetch me.) Even though I started out like any other day- I finished it with a bang!! CiCi stopped by today and she, mommy and I were playing in my room and I just crawled!! Outta nowhere!! CiCi just sat there stunned and mommy started crying!! I was totally surprised by that reaction. I expected silly faces, clapping hands and joyous yips of glee!! For the record- those did come later- but the tears came first and totally shocked me! (Maybe as much as me crawling shocked CiCi and mommy.) Mommy explained to me that her tears were tears of joy and she was just being emotional- because I, her little man, is growing up SO FAST, right in front of her eyes.

I did my wonderful trick again and again for mommy and CiCi and since I was still awake when daddy got home from work- I got to show him my new trick as well!! He is so proud of me...he cold not stop grinning and telling me how much he loves me.

Mommy is hoping that since I have now completed this developmental milestone- that I will resume my 8hour in a row sleeping habit as opposed to this getting up every 2-3 hours each night, like I have been doing for the last week and a half. Mommy is exhausted by it and now that I am crawling she is going to have to save her energy to catch me!! I'm fast, mommy...better dust off your running shoes!!

Bongo Boy

Mommy and daddy have given me some pretty cool toys recently and I wanted to introduce you to them!! They are my buddies!!!

First of all, there is my "Weeble" Penguin. Mommy has been singing that song "weebles wobble but they don't fall down" and it applies to my black and white friend! He laughs, sings & plays music, while leaning to and fro...without ever falling! I love it!! It has helped me in sitting up without toppling over. I am always trying to get at the balls in his belly (without ever actually being able to successfully get them because his belly is made out of a clear plastic.) What a tease!! Daddy said that I was banging my head against him the other day. I was under the impression I was doing what I was supposed to...then it became clear to me that mommy seemed to be having fun at my expense...pushing Mr. Penguin forward so that he would bounce off of my head!! Can you believe her??

My other fav new toy came to me the other day after a trip to Babies R' Us...BONGO DRUMS!! Not only are they drums, though- but once I start crawling- they will lock together in a different configuration and they are kinda like a barrel that I can roll along in front of me and chase! They are fun now- but I can't wait until I can use them for their other purpose too!!

Any other kiddies out there reading this blog- let me know of any cool toys that I need to add to my stash!! I am sure I can sucker mommy and daddy into buying me more if it promises a smile on my face...

L'il Cuz

I got to meet the newest little Ryan today!! Nobody told me just how small he was going to be!! I think I even have some toys bigger than Cousin Owen. He is just too cute. Lucky for him he did not come out quite as squished as, let's just say...ME!! All of his baby features are just prefect! I think he has Auntie Nina's nose- but other than that I cannot tell quite yet. Mommy did not want to take me to see him just yet since he is sooo small and a preemie- but since I am not a little kiddie of school or daycare age- Nina & Jeff felt comfy that I was not carrying any cold bugs- so I got to spend some good quality time bonding with the cool little dude. He is so funny...he makes funny faces and sticks his tongue out all the time. I could not take my eyes off of him. I wanted to touch his head- but mommy and daddy would not let me. Maybe when he gets just a little bit bigger. At one point he cried- and I have not heard another baby cry other than myself, so it startled me and I started crying. Mommy and Auntie Nina thought it was too cute! I guess I am going to have to start setting a good example for "small fry" as mommy calls him- but not quite yet. He still has some time before he will look up to me- and I want to try to torture mommy and daddy just a bit more with naughty behavior before I am a role model!!

Maryland Comes To Pennsylvania

Mommom and Poppy came to visit me this weekend!!!!! They came up to PA on Saturday and we spent a wonderful day together!!! I had tons of fun playing with the tickly hair on my Poppy's face. I think it is called a mustache. It is very different from the hair that my daddy gets on his face.

My daddy's usually only comes around on the weekends

and it is much scratchier!!

I also played with Mommom's "bling." She always wears cool sparkly jewelery (even more than mommy) and I like to look at it and touch it if she lets me!!

They brought mommy and daddy a lunch that mommy was SOOOOO excited for. Apparently Capriotti's turkey sub on one of mommy's favorite things in the whole world. She likes it so much that she wanted it as her first meal after I was born. Uncle Sammy brought that to the hospital and mommy was in heaven!! It sure did look good to me- but I am still restricted to foods that can fit through a straw- like peas, carrots, apples & sweet potatoes. One day soon I hope to taste the decadence of a Capriott's turkey sub (or maybe even a Bobbie or Cheesesteak- I have heard through the grapevine that they are awesome too!!) Mommom spoils me so- she knew that I could not partake in the hoagie- so she brought me some CUTE outfits. She keeps me looking pretty handsome!

What a fun day!! I love seeing my family! I can't wait until I can tell them how much I love them!!

Riverdance

I am finally jumping in my "jumper." Up until recently I was just sitting, playing with the lights & music, and spinning around. Mommy calls me "Jumpin' Jack Flash" when I jump for her. Daddy on the other hand thinks that I look like one of the tap dancers from the dance troupe "Riverdance." I have never seen this show- but when mommy heard daddy's opinion- she laughed pretty hard...so I guess she agrees with him. I think they were making fun of me- but I am not too sure since I have not quite picked up on the nuances of the English language yet...but they better watch out- I am a quick study! Until then, though...I will just keep on a jumpin'!!!!

A VERY Special Delivery!!

I have a new cousin, I have a new cousin, I have a new cousin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can you tell that I am soooo excited???? About 2:30pm today- Mommy started running around the house like a mad woman- and then before I knew it she left me!!!! What I did not understand at that time was that mommy was on her way to Bryn Mawr Hospital- the same hospital that I was born in a mere 5 1/2 months ago!! Mommy was lucky enough to get to help Auntie Nina and Uncle Jeff in the delivery room. She said that it was a phenomenal experience and will be forever grateful to Jeff & Nina for allowing her to share in their wonderful moment!!!!!! Nana was here with me while Mommy was gone- and CiCi showed up to take over watching me- all for my brand spankin' new cuz to join the world!!!

Owen Knox Ryan (NOT stolen from Brangelina...this is Auntie Nina's father's middle name) joined us at 9:02pm on September 10, 2008. He made his way to us 4 weeks & 2 days before his due date- but actually held in there longer than we all thought he would!! He was 5 lbs and 10.6 oz. Mommy left the hospital (to give the parents quality bonding time) before his length was measured- so I will report back on that one. Just look at him- what a good looking kid, huh???

Per Mommy- Auntie Nina kicked butt (excuse my language) throughout the delivery. About 7pm, she got an epidural and it DID NOT TAKE!!!!!! She had some major pain for about an hour and a half- and all of a sudden she was ready to have her little boy join her! She only pushed a few times and he was here. The doctor almost did not make it into the room- but luckily she did! Mommy said that she could not have been more proud of Nina. She was a trooper!

So- Welcome baby Owen! I am so happy to have you here and I sure do hope that we are life long buddies!! I can't wait to show you the ropes and teach you all those tricks on how to get your parents to do what YOU want them to do!!! We are gonna have so much fun!!! hehehe

I love you already, little buddy!!!!!

Big Boy Chair

After weeks of avoiding the highchair...mommy finally caved in and set it up. As of late- she has been freaking out about all the "kiddie stuff" plaguing our otherwise neat and tidy home. Even though mommy is not a spotless person when it comes to actual cleaning- she is pretty precise about the "order" of our home. Before she goes to bed at night- she puts all my toys away and does a sweep of the first floor to make sure that everything is in it's place, so that she can start the day off fresh & clean. Well- all of MY large & cumbersome "pieces of furniture" as I like to call them, which cannot be neatly stowed away- have been making mommy feel very disorderly & agitated. The jumpy seat hanging from the doorway, the exersaucer in the dining room, and the swing in the living room, were all seeming like too much for her. One room that was free & clear of baby clutter was the kitchen- until now!!!! I am very thankful to mommy for setting up my highchair...because I really do enjoy eating my rice cereal and the other solids that I am slowly being introduced to in it!! Thanks, mom!!! I appreciate the "clutter" sacrifice that you are making for me and my eating habits!! I promise- once I am old enough- I will help with the tidying...Is that a deal??

E...A...G...L...E...S...EAGLES!!!!!!

Daddy and I spent a fun-filled 3 days together this weekend, culminating with me donning my Eagles onesie and us watching them play football. Mommy had commitments on Friday, Saturday, AND Sunday- so daddy and I got some quality bonding time in. We did tons of fun stuff- like going to a mattress store, taking walks around the neighborhood, playing with my toys, visiting the neighbors, eating, and of course sleeping. One of daddy's favorite things to do on the weekend is to take as many naps as mommy will allow (which I gotta admit- since I have joined the picture- has not been a lot at all!!) I guess I wanted to be just like my dad- because I napped like a champ. Normally I just take small little cat naps for mom- but for daddy I pulled out all the stops and would sleep for 1hr 30 min- 2 hrs. Mommy told daddy that he has "the touch" and that he has to show her what to do- because obviously she has been doing something wrong all these months. Gotta break it to ya, ma...no tricks, nor anything special that he does. I am just copying him because I want to be just like him!!

I also follow his lead with this thing called football. I was not too sure about it at first- because I know mommy dislikes it- but I gave it a shot and I liked it a lot! I was so inspired that I started standing on my hands & feet just like the football guys do when they are starting out a play!! Check me out. I think I could play football one day. I am a little shorter- so have a good center of gravity- and would be able to just steamroll the opposing team team if they were trying to get past me. Also- I have my "thunder thighs" so I will be a force to be reckoned with when it comes to getting that ball down the field! That's all muscle in there, folks!!!

I can't wait for next Sunday! What a fun tradition daddy and I will have. We will kick mommy out of the house and it will be just us boys watching football!! Maybe he will even let me help him with his "fantasy" team!

Hut, Hut...Go Eagles!!

These Taters Are Sweet!!

Mamma and daddy finally decided to feed me a solid other than rice cereal...so today I tried sweet potatoes (with some rice cereal mixed in.) As you can tell- I am not a picky eater. The first bite or two kinda threw me for a loop- but after that I was fairly blase about the whole thing. I think Mommy was expecting bells & whistles and a huge sweet potato party or something- but I just wanted to keep the whole experience pretty mellow. I think I am a bit more like daddy this way. Mommy is more excitable, which is fine...but I think I might try to be like my wonderful father with his laid back demeanor. I will just follow in mommy's footsteps with making goofy faces, which I have almost perfected! So- a few more days of sweet potatoes to make sure I do not have an adverse reaction and then I shall move on to another fruit/veggie. Which one do you think I should try next???

Road Warrior

I was a tough little guy today. Mommy had tons of errands to run and I got to tag along. She went to Williams Sonoma, Anthropologie, Gymboree, (got something cool for me for Halloween-time, but that you will see in another blog) A.C. Moore, and her Real Estate office. She wanted to go to the hardware store as well- but figured that would just be too much for me. I was so good- I did not even cry once. Near the end of our journey I started to get tired & fussy- so boy was I relieved when I saw familiar surroundings. I fell asleep when I was only 3 minutes away from home. Mommy was able to successfully transfer me from car seat to pack n' play and I took an OK nap. I say just OK, because we all know that I am not a good sleeper. When I awoke- I was a mess, though. I guess it took all of my energy to be good for those errands. That is what we thought at first- but mommy realized later, that I was not just being a grouch. I was actually hot to the touch- so she took my temperature and I did indeed have a temp over 100 degrees. I am not too sure what is going on- but I do have a little rash on my back. I know mommy & daddy will watch me closely. Hopefully it is nothing- because daddy is watching me for the next 3 days while mommy has commitments- and I don't want to freak him out. Keep your fingers crossed for both daddy and I!!!!!

Scoochin'!!

I am trying SO HARD to crawl, but I am just not there. Mommy says that I "scooch" across the floor. Each day I am told that I have made great strides. I've learned how to add my hands into the mix- so that is progress!!! At least I am not face planting as much as I was last week when I was only using my legs. I have been rocking back and forth so much and so hard that mommy and daddy are afraid that I am going to give myself whiplash!! I just get so excited that this is how I show my exuberance. I do get frustrated, though. I have been working on this for over a month now- so I just feel as though I should be getting it. Mommy has tried to explain that this is indeed a process, and for me to not rush...but I just want to get to crawlin'! I'll keep you updated...maybe next week I will finally get the feet and hands working in tandem and start really tearing up the carpet!

Oh, and if you were wondering, yes- that is indeed a yoga mat!! Very easy on the knees...

8 Things You Might Not Know About Me!!

Why 8?? Well- because I can't think of 10- pure & simple. Another reason is that 8 is mommy's favorite number and she is helping me to organize my thoughts on this blog, so I thought I would make her happy!!

I must say that this blog idea is not a "Thunder" original...I ripped it off from Evie and Greta. I thought it was such a good idea that I wanted to do it too...Enjoy!!!

1. I love to be upside down. I just think it is so cool to look at people this way and it makes me happy. Daddy does not think that this could possibly be good for a little kid- but mommy likes to indulge me.

2. I really do enjoy "rough" play. I guess it is just the little boy in me. I love being rough & tumble and cannot wait to freak mommy and daddy out with scrapes & bruises- but hopefully no broken bones.

3. I am an awful sleeper. For a while there I was sleeping 8 hours through the night- but that was very short lived. I am not ready to get into a routine for my parents just yet- I wanna keep them on their toes so when I do decide to do it, they will really appreciate it!

4. I drool like a faucet. It even grosses me out!! Enough said...

5. I have crazy toes. My daddy's toes & feet to be exact!! There is a huge gap between my big toe and my second toe. Mommy thinks it is genetics gone wrong because my Nana, Aunt Court & Daddy all have similar feet and they can put the side of their foot into the gap in their toes. Sometimes daddy even places his achilles tendon area of his ankle in between his first two toes!! I can't so that yet- but am working on it. I think this toe talent gives me character.

6. I love to boogie...I am a dancin' fool!! Mommy and I often work up sweat (mostly mommy) while listening to various music. We frequently turn the TV to the music stations and just twirl around the family room- listening to anything from disco to latina and reggae music. I enjoy the quality time that mommy and I have while doing this. I giggle just looking at her trying to show me her dance moves, while at the same time I am trying to figure out my own!!!

7. I really enjoy standing up. Given the option to stand, sit, or lay- I will choose to stand every single time. Obviously- I need assistance to do this. I am a strong little boy- but not quite so strong as of yet that I can accomplish this feat on my own!!

8. I am crazy about music!! I could be crying and just all out of sorts and as soon as I hear a good beat or melody- I am one happy camper. For the most part I do enjoy adult music. One of my favorites at this point in time is (much to mommy and daddy's approval) The Beastie Boys. Some other goodies are Dave Matthew's, Radiohead, and lots of 80's & disco tunes. (Mommy's influence, much??) I do enjoy some kiddie music, though. One of my favs is the lullaby version of Bob Marley. Any little ones out there reading this blog- this CD really is a must!! I also enjoy the Bare Naked Ladies children's CD called Snack Time. Then- of course, there are the standard tunes of Itsy Bitsy Spider, Twinkle Twinkle and such. Basically- if it has a god beat- I am a listenin'! Guess I better talk the parents into getting me my own ipod and itunes account, huh??

So- that is where I stand at 5 months with "things you might not know about me." I have enjoyed writing this and hope that you have enjoyed reading!! I am sure that as my tastes, likes, and dislikes change- I will be ammending and adding to my list- but this was just to whet your whistle and get you hooked!! Stay tuned...Maybe like David Letterman I will start doing a Top 10 (or in my case Top 8) list!!

Labor Day on the Beach

First of all- I am glad "Labor Day" did not mean that my Auntie Nina went into "labor!!!" I want more than anything to meet the newest Ryan, but hang in there a few more days/weeks little guy!!

Now- moving on to what I actually did on Labor day...I got a special visit from Nana & George today. I thought I was lucky to see them last night in Cape May- but then they surprised me and came to Avalon today to see me too!!! I guess they just could not get enough of me last night and needed more "cheek" time!! (Don't get confused- with most people it is "face" time- but with me it is called "cheek" time!!) We spent some good quality time on the porch and then headed up to the beach where I showed them my sand playing skills. I have been good- still not into eating the sand, which makes everyone happy! Mamma put my feet in the ocean again- but I still DO NOT LIKE IT!!!!!! Too cold!! Maybe soon...

They had to leave to go back to their house after a few hours- but I had a great time! I just cannot tell you how lucky I am to have so many adoring grandparents who love me & who I love SO MUCH!!!

Watch Out, Michael Phelps!!!

Eight gold metals...that's nothin'!! Just wait until I can hone my swimmy skills a little more and I will give you a run for your money...here I come 2028 Olympics!

I had a fun day in Cape May swimming in a big boy pool. It was a heated pool and felt much like my bath water so I took to it like a little fishy!! Daddy spun me around, let me put my face (just a little bit) in the water, held me in an inner tube, and played motor boat with me around the pool. We even went in the deep end and I was not even scared!! So much warmer than the ocean...I am just not too sure how I feel about that. I guess I am more of a chlorine man than a salt water man at this point. My cuz Maggie even let me play with her toys and we had a fun time together. She is so sweet and so good at sharing! Pappa payed with me in the water too!! When I got out of the pool I was all shriveled up. I had more wrinkles on my hands & feet than I have ever seen before!

We ended the spectacular day with a yummy dinner made by Nana & George. Mommy and daddy had yummy clams- one of mommy's favorites. I CRASHED on the floor in the living room and slept during appetizers- but wanted to join the party for what smelled like a fabulous dinner. My parents would not let me partake in any of it yet- I guess they are still restricting me to rice cereal, darn it!!

6 Grandparents in one weekend- boy am I lucky!! Now we just gotta talk Mommom and Poppy into getting place at the Jersey Shore and we are set!!!