15 months -Tova

Tova's 15 month check up was yesterday.  This chick is tiny and is even smaller in weight than last time.  I'm calling it ok though because she still has rolls to spare.  She and I took this week off to hang out with deven at soccer camp.  Tova has been a trooper but the heat has been getting to us all per Tova's crazed look.  
Fun stuff since the last check up:
*signing (please, more, eat, milk, book),
*words (thank you, and more consistent use of mama and dada, that),
*pony tails using bands her school used because I keep forgetting to get some at target,
*high pitched screeching both in joy and anger,
*using utensils - she loves it loves it when I just let her feed herself. This week has been awesome because i don't have to worry about getting messy and having to change cloths again before work,
*ice - she loves to crunch it in her 8 teeth,
*waking up deven in the morning for school,
*strawberries - any time all the time...a hit,
*raspberry blanket - everywhere an instant calm comes over her,
*Books, but closes them 3 pages in and then wonders why you've stopped reading,
*hanging out with mama at 12am and/or 3am - still not out out these woods but so much better that this mama can hardly complain...hardly,
*sitting still is not on her list of priorities - she's a go getter, your Lord help you if you get in her way,
*being held all the time, this is nothing new but the fact that she's letting daddo share this job with mama (OCCASIONALLY) helps out.
Baby girl is not such a baby any more, which has meant we've gotten to be a lot more social without 6-wake-ups-a-night consequences.  We may be joining the land of the awake again just in time for summer!  Knock on wood...please.

6 month Checkup - Tova

Tova had her check up this week.  She is officially short and chubby, just the way I like 'em.

Tova's 4 month check up

Here are Tova's stats from this weeks check up.  She's gained two lbs in two months which I'm told is just what is expected.  Little sister had me worried as to whether nursing was going to work out this time because of a really stuffy nose for basically the whole last month but she pulled through it...we both cried a lot but Nick helped us keep it together.  We are officially on date five of sleeping well!  Cross fingers and toes please!!

So now to share a few things about Tova so I can remember 10 years from now. :)
Likes:

* the water...be it bath or the pool we visited last week this kid is happiest when she is splashing around.
* her bro...she just stares and stares at Deven.
* her thumb...thank goodness.  I'm all for whatever works but she just never caught on to the pacifier so thankfully she found her thumb and is currently using it to sooth HERSELF!!
* school...she laughs and giggles every time we get out of the car to go to school.
* raspberries...she talks and gurgles all the time especially when she's being thrown up in the air or dancing with daddo.

Dislikes:
* heat...let's just say she had a cold and it was 85 on her room.  No fun.
* being left alone while laying down...in a swing, a saucer or bouncy chair is acceptable for an unspecified period of time to be determined by Tova!
* sleeping...though this has started to change, for the first 4months of her life sleeping was just not a priority for this lady.
* swaddling her right hand...feet and left hand are acceptable.
* turning over...this could be in both groups but the screaming after she's gotten over because she doesn't know what to do next makes it go in the dislike category. 

So that's Tova is a nut shell so far.   She's finding her niche in our little family and I am excited to watch her grow!

Deven's three year stats

I am being super slow with blogs these days, it could have something to do with Tova teething and my lack of sleep...excuses excuses!

Well any way here are Deven's stats a month after his appt.  Nick is pretty sure that the scale was 32.6 not 36.2 which would make more sense compared to our scale but other than that he's lookin' good.  He's coming down in height but what can you expect with a shorty for a momma.  Doc says he's super smart (we knew that) and working on he coordination (next time he runs into a door I will remind myself he's super smart).

You really never know what this kid is going to say.  For instance, he let me know that he is going to love a girl in a pink sweater and then they will go to Paris and get married and air in the grass there.  But this was only after I had to explain to him that we couldn't get married because I'm married to daddo but that I would be his momma for ever!   Love him!!

Tova's 4 month check up is next week, stay tuned!

Two week check up

This week Tova had her two week check up.  The check up was basically to make sure she has gained all her weight back and remains healthy in her first days.  Done and done!  Doc says she has the cutest nose and is absolutely perfect.  We agree.

Tova's first wellness check up

She's looking good folks!  90th percentile in both height and weight but she has an itty bitty head at the 45th percentile. 

When we left the hospital she was 8.03lbs coming down from her birth weight of 8.12lbs.  'They' say that babies should gain their birth weight back within two weeks so being 3oz away on day five makes this momma happy...and obviously the little lady is happy too!

2.5 years!

I just realized that Deven is 2.5 exactly today!  So I thought it would be a good time to give a general update on all things Deven.
Height: just shy of 3 feet
Weight: about 29 lbs if I can get him to stand still long enough
Likes: order depends on the second of the day you ask him...
* hockey - with his hockey pants on (aka snow pants)
* guitar
* singing into the guitar stand while playing the guitar
* macaroni - any kind, but white cheese with crispy Parmesan on top seems to be an all time fav
* all things trains and to Nick's dismay Thomas Train makes the top of that list
* books - loves getting new ones both at the book store and at the library.  We find him reading by himself in his reading corner frequently.
* running - more like a fast paced walk but according to Deven he IS a runner!
Dislikes:
* listening with his listening ears
* losing choices when he doesn't listen with his listening ears
* using the potty when he is in the middle of a project (aka most of the time)
Deven is a fire cracker of a two and a half year old. He generally knows what he wants and how to get it (ask momma).   He has had a particular attachment to me lately, which is pretty cool most of the time but after a while it would be nice to share all the attention with Nick...specifically when his diaper needs to be changed.
Deven has a seriously vivid imagination and shares it with anyone who will listen.  Most days we all have a blast.  I would say its 80:20 on excellent verses difficult to remember why we thought it would be a good idea to have kids.  Who knows maybe it's just because I can't have my glass of recovery red after the bed time routine right now...but something tells me even those parents not night cap challenged have a rough go with a 2.5 year old at least some of the time.  Besides, Christmas frangos seem to be an excellent supplement!
I should have included making videos of himself as part of his likes, so in honor of that we've post his most recent debut in the next post!  Enjoy!!

2 year check up

Deven had his 2-year check up today and did great and shots didn't phase him!  Per the doc:

Weight - 45%
Height - 95%

I think he might have a small head though, I found a calculator that said 19 inches was about 37%...who knows.  Either way the doc says he is healthy and and I seem to be keeping him alive, all good things!!

Two year's and counting!

One, two!  I can't believe Deven is two tomorrow...wasn't I just wondering how in the heck I was going to take care of an almost 11lbs baby?  Deven wore his new super man shirt today.  You can't see it in these pics but he is!!  I think it is fitting because he and his daddo are my heros.  I want to be better, healthier and more successful because of them.  It's been a roller coaster ride as nick and I have been introduced to parenthood and really to Deven himself.  Everyday he tells us more about himself and who he is going to be.  I'm hoping we are and can continue to be a positive influence in his life because he is certainly one in ours.  Happy Birthday Deven!!

21 Months

Deven is asserting his Independence this month. It's a little difficult though because he isn't really sure what he wants and he is generally incapable of being...well...independant. The conflict has created some serious tantrums this month. Trying not to laugh out loud, Nick and I have held as firm as possible and we try to let him work it out on his own. Eventually he picks the boots or the tennis shoes and all is right with the world again. With this new attempt at Independence though has come some really fun conversations with our little guy. Truck and bus are still his favorite but he has added words/phrases like: momma jacket off, daddo sit table [for dinner], no Sammy out, good-night kiss, moose, Deven's turn, movie, Dora, Elmo, Thomas Train! Our favorite is still LUUUUUVVVEE YYYOOOOOOOUUUUU!!! We are swimming on Tuesdays, going to the Library on Thursdays and every once and a while (more than once in a while) we have a treat at Starbucks! Deven is getting taller and heavier every day. Books, flash cards, trucks, trains, music and hockey seems to be his favorite things. Here are some pictures we were able to catch this month.

20 months (or almost two)!!

A hockey stick and helmet his size may now be on the short list of the "what to get Deven for his 2nd birthday" list! We've been all over this month visiting good friends, museums, playing in the snow and reading a ton of books. Deven's favorite things this month include (not in any particular order) trucks, trains, air plains, boots, Sammy, blankets, thumbs, swimming, daddo, momma, cheese, coffee (steamed milk), bread (French specifically), and juice!
He's a tank around 27 or 28 lbs and he almost reaches the cutting board! He can already reach into drawers, we are wondering what new opportunities this will bring??
Love you Deven, you make life so fun and completely worth the more challenging moments of parenthood.

18 month check up!

It feels like its been forever since Deven went to the doctor, which is great news in my book.  Oddly enough Deven is turning out to be a pretty average fella.  Weight and height are around 50%. I guess he has a smallish head circumference but the doc said not to worry, he still seems to have all his brains! 

He was extra good for doctor Price and didn't seem to mind the shot one bit, which is unlike him but was much appreciated by Nick.
In fact Nick and D had such a good time Deven decided I should visit too.  The next day

Deven's leg swelled up, got rock hard and at bright red in the area of the shot.  Needless to say we took a little detour on our way home.  Turned out all is well though and it was just an "inflammatory reaction."  No medication needed!!  Next check up isn't until he is 2!  Crazy to even think about!!

9 Month Check-up

The Doc says Deven is in excellent shape. He drew some blood to check on his iron but given the amount of iron fortified cereal Deven eats each day, I am thinking he will pass with flying colors.

The Official Percentages are pretty strange given Deven's history but I guess his constant moving is starting to show in his weight gain or lack thereof! He is super tall though!!

Weight - 20.09 pounds, 37th percentile

Hight - 29.75 inches, 86th percentile

Head circumference - 17.5 inches, 21st percentile

9 Months

Deven turned 9 months this last week. His official check up is Thursday but I thought I would get in some pictures of one of his favorite activities, crawling.

Last month he was definitely getting around but it was more of an Army crawl of sorts. This is full fledged. He also continues to pull him self up onto everything and has started practicing "cruising." He doesn't quite realize just how far he could go around the coffee table but he does realize that if he leans along the table he will eventually land near the toy he has his eye on. We had a sick free few weeks until this week but thankfully it seems to have come and gone within just a couple of days and NO nebulizer (cross your fingers).

Hmmm, what else can I brag about??

He still says Momma and Dadda but I am still not convinced he actually associates Nick or myself with the words. Dadda seems like it will be his first word when it does happen though. This month Deven has tried a few more "real" foods...asparagus, spaghetti pasta, tai rice, potatoes, mini orange slices and a tiny piece of strawberry...nervous about this last one and his tummy didn't seem to appreciate it either...maybe in a few months when "they" say it is safer to give babies more citrus fruits.

Stats as far as we know (officials to come) are ~29 inches and ~21lbs. He has officially started into his 12 month cloths, thanks to everyone who got Deven outfits for a year out at his shower!!

6 Month Check up

Deven had his 6-month check up today and it was very successful. Deven had three shots...he pretty much hated that part but as soon as it was over and the nurse and I provided a little distraction in the form of baby babble he was all smiles again. The doctor says he is doing great and has told us to start thinking about baby proofing the house. I think we have some work to do as I look around our living room.

After a nap at home (for Deven, Sam and me) we headed out to meet my friends Shannon and Robin for lunch. Shannon had her daughter Hadley in-toe; Deven was very pleased. At one point they held hands while we all ooo'd and aaah'd. This of course distracted the love birds and we couldn't get a picture. I suspect we may have plenty of opportunities in the future!!

This was Deven's first time actually eating in a restaurant (food from home) and it was also the first time he used a high chair at a restaurant. I know it is a bit cheesy to mark these as accomplishments but it gave me the opportunity to eat with two hands again so I was very excited! Here he is just chillin' after his meal:

Deven and I had a great day together and I can't wait until I have another good excuse to hang out with our little man on a weekday!

Deven is 6 months old!!

He has his check up next weekday I thought I would give a summary today! As I'm sure all you mom's and dad's know kids grow up fast and Deven is no exception. Between his continuous smile, hilarious raspberries, and babbling dah dah dah nick and I can hardly keep up with our little man.

I will try my best to summarize though:

weight: ~18.08 (unofficial)
Height: see check up blog next week
Hair: it's finally growing and seems to be coming in very blond

Likes:
*rolling over back to front and front to back. He's attempting to sit up but has a long way to go there
*sitting (assisted)
*babbling dah dah dah and sometimes mah mah mah but with no relation to nick or me ; )
* sucking his toes...they must be good
*showing us that he can still sleep through the night but then for fun waking up a couple times the next night
*eating solid foods - blueberries, apples, pears, turkey, squash, peas... yum yum yum!
* Mr. Star on his Einstein chair continues to be his best buddy
* Santa because he brings lots of great presents like a xylophone and a munchkin music box.

Dislikes:
* bananas, these are gross and will be spit across the table if inserted in his mouth
* staying up past bed time - while it doesn't preclude him from waking later Deven is a 7pm kinda guy
*bugger sucker - school has given Deven many good opportunities for growth but has also given him a constant runny nose that occasionally has to be cleared for him to be able to sleep...not fun for anyone!

*sitting still - Deven is mentally on the move but just can't get his body to cooperate; we do a lot of the moving for him at this point.

Well that's it for his monthly up date, here is Deven celebrating his 1/2 b-day sucking an apple at Starbucks assisted by Nick!

Rice Cereal

We did some calculating and we figured out that our little guy has been eating from 30 to 40 oz a day. At Deven's last check up the doctor gave us the OK to start trying rice cereal if we wanted to but warned us that generally babies are not truly interested in this until around 6 months. Nick and had originally decided that we might as well just wait. Though after date-night Friday we decided that Deven was a great candidate for those early adopters!!


Here is Deven showing his interest!

We mixed a serving up for lunch and it actually went pretty well. He made a few funny faces and couldn't eat the whole serving but there was definitely some good eatin' involved. Another half serving for dinner went even better. Nick and I are excited for this milestone and really interested to see if it will help fill him up during the day and more importantly during the night. He had been so hungry this past month that he has fallen back into waking up several times a night which as made for some pretty tough days! Cross your fingers!

4 month check up

We have a big little boy on our hands...but I think we all knew that!!

Sent from my Windows Mobile phone

Four Months!

Deven turned four months old on Friday! We couldn't believe it!! Last time I weighed him, he was 16 lbs and 6oz; he varies from day to day but I am thinking he is officially over 16 lbs. This was a big month for Deven:


Likes

* All his teachers at school - he always has a big smile when we drop him off and when we pick him up.

* Thumb/hand/fingers - what ever part of the hand, you can generally find it in is mouth

* Feet - Deven found his feet this last week...it was fun to see, we sort of thought he might take after Nick and not be able to touch his toes!

* rattles - no one in particular, but he like to grab on and stick them in his mouth

* car seat toy - not the car seat so much but the fun exciting toy we attached to it makes it a hit most days.

* Talking to himself - we usually try to talk back to help him develop language but it is pretty funny to listen to him amuse himself on the way to and from school every day.

* Einstein Chair - we know the videos are suspect but the chair is awesome, so says Deven. Specifically this month the orange star...Deven talks to it, laughs at it, grabs it and chews on it...freakin' hilarious!

* Eating - Deven went through a growth spurt this last week and had his 4 mo "wakeful period" a little early. I am hoping that it is over, we were getting a little too used to him sleeping through the night.

* Drooling - nick and I haven't figured out if Deven is teething, doesn't have the ability to keep it in his mouth to swallow it or if he is just a drooling king but man alive this little man is a drool machine!

Dislikes

* Napping - still really hates napping...but we (nick and all his teachers) celebrate those hour long ones and make sure to keep this busy boy entertained!

* Colds - Deven had his first cold this month; it sucked but thankfully it was not the dreaded flu. Nick and I have gotten the regular flu shot but the H1N1 shot seems to be out of our reach.

* being away from Nick and me all day...ok this is our dislike, but I am sure if he could talk this is what he would say.

We have his 4 mo check up this next week full of official weighing, measuring and shots. We are hoping the shots go as well as last time which was minimal side effects. Wish us luck. Below are some recent pics from this month.

Two Week Checkup

We had our two week check up this week...Mom and Deven sans papa...a big win!! As you will notice the doctor confirmed that D has met and surpassed his birth weight. In addition, since he was born he has grown another 1/2 inch in length and another inch in head circumference. The doctor says Deven is right on track and he currently has no concerns so we went home happy and looking forward to the next two month check up!!

Sent from my Windows Mobile® phone.