First Word!

On Tuesday night Daniel started saying "da-da"! He was just playing at my mom's house and started saying it. Mia, Uncle Andrew and Mommy were there to hear it and see it! We all looked at each other and asked, "did he just say da-da"? Sure enough he started saying it over and over again. I had to call daddy to let him hear it over the phone! He is so proud!

Here is a little clip of Daniel saying his first word.

Wordless Wednesday

46 Weeks

How Old?  46 Weeks (10 months, 2 weeks, 5 days)
Weight? 17lbs 7oz
Clothing? 9 - 12 months
Sleep? Wonderful. I thought with him teething, we would not sleep as well but nope, we are good!
Toys? Chapstick containers, cups, balls, Daisy, brushes, fingernail clippers and anything else he is not supposed to have!
Eating?  Eats three 8 ounce bottles a day morning, afternoon and bedtime, 5-6 jars of baby food and some of whatever we have.
New discoveries? making the "wa-wa" sound on his own, he is getting his second tooth and his first one has broke through!
Things we did this week?  Had a play date with Alycia and Cael and Sarah, Will and Jack. Went to Erin's first birthday party.
What I am looking forward to? His birthday party in 6 weeks!
New Things/ Things to Watch For? Only a few weeks shy of his first birthday, your baby's no longer a helpless infant who can't do anything without you. He still needs plenty of care and support, but his growing independence — evident in his solo standing, stooping, and squatting — is becoming apparent. Your baby may walk while gripping your hand, and he'll hold out his arm or leg to help you dress him. At mealtimes, he may be able to grip a cup and drink from it independently (though some children may not do this for a few more months) and hand-feed himself an entire meal. Once your baby's able to drink from a cup by himself, you may need to start ducking, because he's just as likely to toss it when he's finished as to put it down gently. Your baby will also purposely drop objects for someone, probably you, to pick up. If you get tired of this dropping game, take away the object for a few minutes and try to distract your baby with something just as enticing, such as a fun game of peek-a-boo.

Time Warp Tuesday!

One Week Old

Only 6 Weeks

Our baby boy will be ONE, 6 weeks from Wednesday. It is very bittersweet. I love playing with him and seeing his personality now. I love watching him learn new things and show me how smart he is. At t he same time when I look at his newborn pictures and my pregnancy pictures it makes me tear up. He is mister independent! No more being held or carried, he can do it himself. Where has the time gone? Where is my baby that used to love to be held and rocked?!?

 Here he is...he wants to stand!

Life has sped up since Daniel arrived and I am assuming it will just get faster. This has been the most incredible 10 ½ months of my life. I love you baby boy!

Daniel Dancing

He started doing this about a week ago! He L-O-V-E-S music!

45 Weeks!

How Old?  45 Weeks (10 months, 1 week, 5 days)
Weight?  ? Not sure
Clothing?  9 months and some 12 months still size 3 diapers...they go up to 28 pounds so he will probably be in them until he is potty trained :-)
Sleep?  He is an awesome sleeper and has been for some time. No complaints here!
Toys? Cars, blocks, balls, balloons, cabinets, doors and much more.
Eating? He is down to 3 bottles a day. One when he wakes up, one in the afternoon and one at bedtime.
New discoveries? He has started "dancing" to music! He shakes and wiggles while he is sitting, standing or crawling. He is really showing us when he wants something and trying to talk all the time!
Things we did this week?  We found out Aunt Nicole and Uncle John are going to have a baby girl! Rachel Elizabeth! Daniel will have a girl cousin! We are so excited. We also celebrated mommy's birthday at Stone Mountain and watched the laser show. Daniel loved it! He is such a people watcher.
What I am looking forward to? Can"t wait until Daniel's first birthday! I am going to get the party supplies this week!
New Things/ Things to Watch For? Your baby's fingers are becoming more agile. By using his pincer grasp — which lets him pick up small objects between his thumb and forefinger — he may be able to pick up a piece of cereal or other small object without having to rest his wrist on a solid surface. (Now that your baby has graduated to solid food, expect plenty of cereal underfoot!) He's intrigued by tiny things and is still likely to taste-test them. This is fine as long as they're edible and not so small that he could choke on them. A good rule of thumb is to avoid letting your baby have anything that won't dissolve in water, like a raw carrot or a whole grape. Cooked veggie pieces, cheese, and peeled and cut-up fruit are great foods for little fingers.
Your baby will probably be able to crawl well on his hands and knees, with his trunk parallel to the floor. (Many babies try to crawl before, but master the skill only now. Some babies bypass crawling altogether and go from scooting to standing.) He may even be able to crawl up stairs. At this age, your baby can sit confidently and may even walk while holding onto furniture, possibly letting go momentarily and standing without support. He'll take steps when held in a walking position and may attempt to scoop up a toy while he's standing, too. Those magical first steps toward independence — and lots more exercise for you! — are just around the corner, if they haven't arrived already. Most babies take their first steps sometime between 9 and 12 months and are walking well by the time they're 14 or 15 months old.

Gender Dinner (finding out it's a girl)

Stone Mountain

Photo Fun!

Jessica, Chris and Logan gave us all of the Sevin's a gift certificate to Clix Portrait Studio for Christmas last year to get family pics. We waited until both of the boys could sit up well before having them done. We went on Saturday to have them done and I am so glad we waited! The boys were great! We got them matching outfits at Gymboree. Here are some of the pics...

The Sevin Family

Just Us

Cousins!

Mimi, Pops and...Tails?

And of Course Daniel!!

44 Weeks

How Old?  44 Weeks (10months, 5 days)
Weight?  17lbs
Clothing? Mainly 9 months and 12 months. Size 3 diapers
Sleep?  He gets himself to sleep now. He does not want to be held like a baby anymore : (
Toys? Cars, balls, balloons, paper and Daisy
Eating? I am weaning him off baby food and trying to get him to eat what we have. Last night he ate broccoli, Salmon and  a half of a banana!
New discoveries? The dishwasher, opening and closing doors, cabinets and crawling away when I am walking towards him!
Things we did this week? We had pictures made at Clix on Saturday with Aunt Jess, Uncle Chris, Logan, Mimi and Pops. Mia and I took Daniel to the doctor yesterday because we thought Daniel might be sick. He has had tummy troubles and has been really crabby for about 5 days. Turns out he is finally getting a tooth!! Time to party!
What I am looking forward to? Stone Mountain this weekend! 
New Things/ Things to Watch For? Your baby is just beginning to understand many simple words and phrases, so it's more important than ever to keep talking to him. Give your chatterbox a head start on good speech patterns by repeating his words back to him using adult language. If he asks for a "bah-bah," for example, gently reinforce the correct pronunciation by asking, "Do you want a bottle?" At this stage of the game, it's best to try to avoid the tendency to use baby talk — it's fun, but hearing the right words is better for your baby's development. Though it may sometimes feel silly, having conversations with your baby is a great way to encourage his language skills. When he rattles off a sentence of gibberish, respond with "Oh, really? How interesting." He'll probably smile and keep chattering away. Soon you may notice some words or gestures you actually understand, as well as other forms of communication, such as pointing and grunting. It's important to name the objects he points at — or point out objects of your own — to help him learn the names of things. Give your baby a play-by-play description of what you're doing — whether you're dicing onions for dinner or folding the laundry. As you put him in his stroller, say, "There you go, into your blue stroller. Now, let's buckle you in and get you comfortable. "Okay, we're off to the park." You can also sing nursery rhymes, demonstrate actions that go with words (saying "bye-bye" and waving, for instance), and play games, such as ring-around-the-rosy, so he learns to identify key words and phrases. He'll soon start to make the connections. Before long, he'll be clapping his hands together when you do and may begin to say "mama" when he's looking at Mom and "dada" when Dad comes into the room (though at this point he's still more likely to use the two words indiscriminately).

 

10 Months!!

Brand New!                          10 Months!

Wow! 10 months! Time sure has flown. I can't believe our little stinker will be having his first birthday party in less than 2 months!  This is the first month in a long time Daniel has not had to have a "check up". We were concerned for a while that he was not gaining much weight and spitting up so much. He had to be evaluated every month. I received a letter in the mail from the Gastroenterologist yesterday regarding his visit in June. It was a copy of the letter he sent to Daniel's pediatrician. It pretty much said that Daniel has been growing fine and he is not concerned. In fact we do not even have to return unless his reflux gets worse or does not improve by 12 months. He mentioned that he is growing proportionately and has been consistent on the growth chart. He is healthy just small in the 3rd-5th percentile. Since that visit, Daniel is no longer on any medications and is spitting up less!

So at ten months Daniel can crawl all over the place, pull up and cruise along anything, follow some commands, pick up and eat food, hold his own sippy cup, motion what he wants to do and more. He is not saying any real words yet but he understands some.

This is how he woke up this morning...Can you say bed head??

43 Weeks!

How Old?  43 Weeks (9 months, 4 weeks)
Weight?  17lbs +
Clothing? Mainly 9 months and 12 months. Size 3 diapers
Sleep?   He is an awesome sleeper at night but fights his naps during the day!
Toys? He loves cars, balls, blocks, books, paper, phones, remotes and many other things!
Eating? He has been a pig lately. He eats an 8 ounce bottle, a jar of fruit and some puff or yogurt bites in the morning, 6 ounce bottle at 11am, 2 jars of baby food plus bites of whatever we are eating at lunch, 4-6 ounces at 3 2 more jars at dinner plus whatever we are eating and 6 ounces at bedtime. He also has snacks at other times throughout the day.

New discoveries? He likes to hold his own sippy cup now and understands when you tell him to do certain things like, "go get the ball" or "come over here Daniel"
What I am looking forward to? him saying mama for the first time! I am sure Brian is waiting for dada too!
New Things/ Things to Watch For? This could be the month that your baby debuts her stand-up act, if she hasn't already. Many ten-month-olds progress from sitting and crawling to standing and cruising (walking while holding on to furniture) — quite an exciting development for all of you! This could mean her first independent steps are close at hand (though don't be surprised if she chooses instead to stick close to the sofa and table legs for a few months or longer). Remember, the normal, appropriate developmental window for walking is wide open (from about nine to 18 months), so if your baby isn't cruising yet — or isn't ready to walk solo — there's no reason to fret.
In addition to these large-motor skills, your 10-month-old baby may also be working on fine-motor tasks. She'll practice picking up small items (such as cubes of cheese or pieces of cereal) by gripping them between her thumb and forefinger (the pincer grasp, which she first tried a couple months ago). She may try to transfer her toys from one bucket to another. This is major moving, Mom!Your baby's language skills continue to develop quickly, too. She may point or use other meaningful gestures, such as sign language or waving bye-bye. She may be able to say — and really mean! — "Mama" or "Dada" now, and to understand simple instructions: "Show me your tummy" or "Pat the kitty gently." But she may also hear and comprehend — and then choose to ignore you! (Hey, this way you'll be ready when she does it as a teenager!) Keep in mind that she's not deliberately being naughty; she's just testing the waters, trying to determine where the limits are. And that means it's time to introduce some basic discipline into her life. She's now old enough to remember what you say and do (any earlier than this and your rules would be forgotten almost as soon as they left your lips). Experiment to see how firm a tone your baby needs and how best she responds: A gentle "No, no" followed by distraction with a toy or song? Or a more forceful "No, dangerous!" along with physical removal from the potted plant or electric outlet she's intent on exploring?
Consistency, follow-through, and the presence of some kind of limits are more important than the specific rules or methods you choose to use. (Again, that's true for teenagers too!) While your baby may seem young for discipline and structure, remember that you are helping her learn to stay safe, as well as laying the foundation for self-control, good manners, and an innate sense of right versus wrong. In other words, you're building a good little citizen! But remember that if your baby hears no too often, the word will become less effective. Save it for the most important battles; for lesser ones, allow your baby as much choice as you possibly can, and look for alternative ways to redirect her: "That's not safe for babies, but you can play with this instead."

Saving the World One Balloon at a Time

42 Weeks

How Old?  42 Weeks (9 months, 3 weeks)
Weight?  17lbs?
Clothing? Mainly 9 months and 12 months in onesies and shirts
Sleep?  We are down to 2 naps a day. One in the morning and one in the afternoon. He is getting himself to sleep pretty well. I thought that since he can pull up in his crib it was going to be harder but he is doing great.
Toys? Balls, door stoppers, balloons and anything that makes noise or he can pull up on.
Eating? He is starting to want what we are eating and not baby food. I give him some of whatever we eat at lunch and dinner. He loves green bean casserole.

New discoveries? He can walk around with push toys! He was almost running with one today!
What I am looking forward to? Still his first birthday party and finding out if his new cousin will be a boy or a girl! (I hope I get to buy pink)
New Things/ Things to Watch For? Physically, your baby can now sit with confidence and stand with support. He may even let go of the couch for a few seconds and stand, all by himself! He's also able to use a sippy cup, so if you haven't yet introduced the cup, it might be time to give it a whirl. When he's got the hang of it, try substituting the cup for a bottlefeeding. Go slowly—you want to make sure your baby is still getting proper nutrition—but be persistent. Most pediatricians advise no bottles after the age of one. Categorizing is big for your baby right now. Whether he's sorting his peas from his noodles at lunchtime or learning about animals, your baby is busy creating mental categories for everything, sorting objects by action and appearance. If you think about, that's a HUGE mental leap! Because your baby now has a category labeled, "animals" in his head, he can infer that strange animals (like a hippopotamus) move, eat and make noise, just like your cat. Amazing, huh?

Fourth of July!

The 4th of July was wonderful this year. We started the day with church, lunch and then went to Rob and Robin's new house. We relaxed at the pool and enjoyed the sun. We have the most wonderful baby! I don't think he really cried the entire time and he had no nap! He played in the pool and in his Pack n Play. He even sat in his stroller for a while just watching everything going on around him. He loves people, especially ones that play with him!

Daniel Showing Off in the Pool

Just Chillin' in the Stroller

Sitting in Daddy's Lap

 Playing with Brad (He is fun)

Just being Cute

Cracking Up

Why is it that it feels like you have never truly experienced holidays until you have a child to share it with? Everything is more important, magical and meaningful. It seems like life really began when Daniel entered this world. There is no more me...just us.

41 Weeks!

How Old?  41 Weeks (9 months, 2 weeks)
Weight?  16lbs 12oz
Clothing? 6-9 and 9 months
Sleep?  He sleeps GREAT once he gets to sleep. He has started realizing he can fight to stay awake!
Toys? He loves balls, bubbles, anything that spins,
Eating? He loves cheese, noodles, beans, rice and tries just about anything we give him. He likes to eat what we eat.
New discoveries? Pulls up and climbs on everything. He is crawling everywhere and loves rugs. He stops on every rug and plays.
What I am looking forward to? His first birthday party! Yes, I have already started planning it!
New Things/ Things to Watch For? The torrent of words your baby has been hearing since birth is beginning to work its magic, although his understanding of words far outpaces his ability to use them. His babbling has turned to jabber and is probably starting to sound more like real words, phrases, and sentences. Your baby thinks he's saying something, so respond as if he really is! Your baby still comprehends more from your tone than from your actual words, though. He can understand when he's pleased you, so offer specific praise, such as "You did a great job picking up the rattle." The more you talk to your baby — while preparing dinner, driving, or getting dressed — the more he learns about communication.Your baby's starting to understand the word "no," though he may not obey it just yet. For example, you can expect him to try to touch something even after you've said not to. It's best to use the word "no" sparingly, and when you do use it, follow it by removing him from the scene of the crime and introducing him to a new activity.