Sitting up like a BIG BOY!

I like to try to sit up like a big boy ("unassisted" my Mor says). Here I am in my buggy, sitting up. I'm wearing my "new" (big boy) New York Yankees pajamas with my matching Nike shoes!

Sleeping with the dogs!

I love to snuggle when I sleep... or at least have someone touching me, so that I know that they're still there! My Mor captured this picture of me sleeping while my dog Sable had her hand (I mean, paw) on my tummy and I had my hand on her shoulder. I was sound asleep!

I can sleep almost anywhere!

Here I am sleeping in my Mor's (Lisa's) lap, while she reads her email on the laptop! Usually, I like to "help" her type and send emails! But, I was very tired and fussy and when she was swaying me back and forth on her lap, and I just fell asleep. She had to hold my head in her hand, because I'm really too long (tall) for this sleeping position!

A visit with Santa and his Reindeer

We went to get Phoenix's picture taken today with Santa and his reindeer. It didn't exactly go as planned. He seemed okay with Santa at first, but then... lower lip jutting out, and then, TEARS! :( This is the only picture that I could take of Phoenix and Santa, his reindeer baby "Crispy" (who is 6 months old), and one of his elves. We got one taken by the photographer as well, but no smile. There were many reindeer in the field that we got photos of, too. Babies and adults. Phoenix enjoyed watching the reindeer, especially when they were rutting.

ALOHA!

Aloha, everyone! My Mommy's friends Dave and Jodi got me this cool t-shirt (the dark blue shirt) from their trip to Hawaii! It's for a 12 month old, but it already fits me! I will be 8 months old on Sunday (12/6) and I'm 6 months old (gestationally). So, I'm just growing like a weed (I heard someone say that... I don't really know what a weed grows like, yet)! My Mor (Lisa) was worried about my developmental milestones, but I'm doing what I should be doing for my adjusted age (6 months). I'm rolling around like crazy (back to front and front to back). I make it very difficult for anyone to change my diapers or change my clothes! I hold my head up very well, even if I'm being "flown" around like I'm an airplane! I'm not quite sitting up, unassisted and I don't crawl yet. But, I may just choose to go straight to walking (my doctor told my moms that sometimes happens). I love to stand up (holding someone's hands) and I love to bounce in my Johnny Jump Up. My Mor also decided to post some of my silly pictures. She just wanted to let people know that I don't exactly make it easy to get the "perfect shot". I like to shout and make silly noises and wave my arms and kick my legs. One of the photos is of me saying my new favorite word: "A". I like to shout it out like I'm trying to get someone's attention (like "HEY" without the "H")! Kind of like Rocky Balboa - note the Rocky look!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We went to Coos Bay to celebrate Thanksgiving with Phoenix's great-grandparents (Steph's Grandparents) and had a great time. All 3 dogs came with us, as well. Here is Phoenix in his Thanksgiving shirt ("Gobble 'til you wobble"). And, here is a photo of Phoenix sporting "new" olive green cordouroy overalls (this was our Black Friday shopping outfit!). Also, a photo of Phoenix sitting with his great-grandpa! How cool that he can spend time with his great-grandparents!

Aye-ya-ya!

This is our first attempt at posting a video clip. It was converted from my Blackberry phone (3GP) to Microsoft Windows Player (WMA). We'll see how this works! Phoenix is into gurgling his saliva while "singing", barking like a chihuahua ("yip, yip, yip"), and saying "aye-ya-ya". Here is a video clip of his "ay-ya-ya's" (with a little help from his Mor, shooting the video)!

More "new" outfits!

We've been learning to shop at consignment stores for clothes, bibs, and even some activity toys for Phoenix. We even try to wait / look for sales. We got some great deals at some local stores in Bend. They have some really nice clothes (Baby Gap, Gymboree, The Children's Place, Charlie Rocket, Petite Bateau, Zutano, Noppies, etc.). Here are a couple of the outfits we found. The bear outfit we bought at Walmart (new) but it was on sale and we plan on using it all Winter (as long as it fits Phoenix!). It just slips on over whatever clothes he has on. We chose it instead of a snow suit this year, since he can't walk or crawl yet (to be IN the snow). Next year we want to get Phoenix a red snow suit, just like Peter in one of his favorite books "The Snowy Day"!

BATH TIME and NEW STATS

Phoenix has a new bath tub shaped like a giant rubber ducky. If you squeeze his beak, he quacks! He loves to splash and kick and suck on the wet wash cloths! Phoenix just went to the pediatrician for his 6 month vaccinations (even though he's now 7 month's old!). Here are his new "stats": Weight: 16 lbs.5 oz. (15th percentile) Height: 27 1/2" (70th percentile) Head circumference: 43 cm (15th percentile) The percentiles are for his "unadjusted" age, so he is REALLY catching up FAST (especially his length)! His doctor said he is very social and flirtatious and quite a "pistol"! She said he's a beautiful baby with gorgeous eyelashes and eyebrows. And, if we didn't want to take him back home, she would gladly take him! Of course, we appreciated her compliments, but we're NOT giving him up!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Although we initially got a frog costume for Phoenix, we ended up choosing a monkey costume ("swedishmonkeybaby"!). And, after we went trick-or-treating in downtown Redmond shops and at the Redmond fire station, we changed Phoenix into this trick-or-treater-greeter outfit! The skeleton bones on his black shirt glow in the dark! It was warm enough to sit outside on the front porch to greet trick or treaters and give them their treat bags. We had over 100 trick or treaters, this year... maybe close to 200. Phoenix helped put together treat bags for all the kids. Everyone loved our "spooky" outside decorations and lights, and several parents even took pictures of their costumed kids, in front of our jack-o-lanterns and 6 foot furry, hanging tarantula on her extra large web.

New chair!

Here is Phoenix sitting in his new "hanging chair", playing us a tune on his piano. We have to roll blankets around him, to support him because he can not yet sit independently and the chair is still a little too big. This chair was a 6 month birthday gift from his Mormor and Morfar. He thinks it's pretty cool to be in the "mix" of things at the kitchen counter (where it is attached to an overhang).

Jack-o-lanterns!

Here are the jack-o-lanterns we carved for Halloween, this year. There is a dragon, a mummy (carved from a white pumpkin, with red glass inserted in the eyes), and a bear (for Phoenix)! The bear was going to be a monkey, but... it somehow turned into a bear! These designs were drawn free hand by Lisa and carved by Lisa and Steph.

More Pumpkin Patch Photos

Here are a few more "casual" pictures (not "portraits" from the "photo shoot"!)) from the Pumpkin Patch on Sauvie Island in Portland. It was a little chilly because it was windy. The "indoor" picture of Phoenix was taken in the farm animal barn.

Baby Gap outfit

Here is an outfit we got at Baby Gap with a gift certificate we got just after Phoenix was born! He just now fits into it. We actually purchased it when he was at Doernbecher's NICU in Portland. Check out that SMILE and those EYELASHES!

Pumpkin Patch!

We went on our annual trip to the Pumpkin Patch on Sauvie Island (in Portland). We trekked through the corn maze with the buggy -- thank goodness it was dry this year! We took Phoenix into the animal barn to look and listen to all the animals (roosters, ducks, sheep, a goat, a llama, and a calf). And, we took a hay ride to the pumpkin patch to pick out our jack-o-lantern pumpkins. We also did a little shopping in the market and got a snack to eat while we were there, too. We had a photo shoot in the pumpkin patch and nearby cabbage patch! We took tons of photos, but of course only a few turned out! Phoenix still can't sit up, unassisted, so it was a little difficult to get him to sit up AND look at the camera! But, he CAN roll over (front to back and back to front) now! He does hold his head up very well and we're practicing sitting up (unassisted)!

Update on Phoenix

Here are a couple of photos of one of Phoenix's "summer outfits". We tried to remember to take pictures of Phoenix in his outfits (as he grew into them) but of course, we kept forgetting! Lisa has made a new commitment to try to take (and POST) more pictures of our growing boy! Phoenix was just weighed and measured today, from a nurse who makes home visits to check on babies' progress. We are on the list because of Phoenix being premature and having medical complications after he was born. They follow his progress through preschool to make sure that he is on track for growth and development. Phoenix's new stats: 15 lbs. 8 oz. and 26 1/2". This puts him at the 90th and 95th percentile for his adjusted age (4 1/2 months) and at the 50th percentile for his unadjusted age (6 months). He's doing GREAT! He passed all of his developmental milestone checks. And, last month, he got a good check up from the ophthalmologist regarding his lazy eye issue. He will have a follow up check of his eyes when he is one year old. Phoenix is eating "solids" for every meal (except for his midnight meal) and still drinking his milk. His favorites are green beans and sweet potatoes. But, he also likes to eat yo-baby yogurt, peas, carrots, prunes, butternut squash, bananas, applesauce, and rice cereal. He does not care for baby food chicken or turkey. But, I have to say, they smell just awful! He'll probably enjoy them more when they are mixed with other more flavorful things (and maybe seasoned)!

New pics of Phoenix

It's been a while since our last post... Phoenix seems to gobble up nearly all of our time! But, Phoenix's Mormor (Lisa's mom) came down to care for Phoenix for 5 days, to allow Steph and Lisa to work on a few projects around the house. And, during her visit, she took several photos of Phoenix for us! Here are just a few...

Graduated to Solids!

On the advice of his pediatrician, Phoenix has "graduated" to eating solids. First, he tried rice cereal, made with pear juice and water. He did pretty good and, now we're trying stage 1 baby food (fruits and vegetables), one kind per week, to watch him for any negative reactions (allergies, etc.). This week, we're trying peaches! Phoenix had a "taste" of a peach at his Mormor's house in Seattle and seemed to really enjoy it. But, maybe canned (jarred) peaches don' taste quite as yummy as fresh! He's still getting milk / formula / rice cereal mixture for his regular meals, but two or three times a day, we supplement with a small serving of either rice cereal with juice or baby food.