6 Months!!

6 months...can you believe it??

I am officially a half a year old already, and looking back a lot has happened in 6 months of life!  I weigh in at 19lbs, and still growing like crazy!! I have to wear 9 month pants because I am so long now and I have already outgrew two pairs of shoes that are supposed to be for up to 12 months!

 

This month brought a lot of first for me!

1. Food: I tried more veggies this month, and so far I have not found a veggie I don't like! If anything I get really excited to eat them. To date, I have tried (and loved) sweet potatoes, carrots, peas and avocado! (Ok, Avocado is considered a fruit, but it is green, and a good way to introduce fruits I guess!) Next month I get to try fruits!

2. Toes: I found my toes and they are my new favorite thing to play with! I like to pull my socks off every chance I can get, just to grab my feet and stick them in my mouth! (Which now makes changing my diaper more of a challenge which is funny to me!!)

3. Not So INSIDE Voice: I have figured out how to be LOUD!! When I get excited I like to make a high pitch squeal that sometimes will make your ears hurt! I do this a lot when I see my dog near me. At first made my loud squeal would scare my dog, but she has come to realize that noise is just me excited and she just goes along with it!

4. Sippy Cup Time: I have a Sippy cup now, but really I just think it is something to play with....and I like it when I am able to get water out of it too! I might not have mastered how it works yet, but I sure to like to play with it and chew on the top!

5. Thanksgiving: My first Thanksgiving was fun...while everyone else ate turkey and all the fixings I got to eat carrots which I didn't mind, and they are my top favorite thing to eat so far. I was able to watch a little bit of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, but found myself being bored with it and decided to play with my feet instead!!

6. Christmas time is coming: I am already realizing that this whole Christmas time is a pretty cool deal! There are presents under the tree, and I love touching them and I am looking forward to playing with the wrapping paper as soon as I am able to actually open them up!

7. Santa: I visited Santa  and while I wasn't too sure if I would like him, it was fun! My cousins from Australia are home for the holiday so they hung out with me and Santa so I wouldn't be scared!

8. Sports: I am really liking sports already! I love watching the Viking's games and I recently went to a hockey game, which I really liked! I squeeled the whole time and everyone around us thought I was louder than the hockey whistle!

My dad and I like to watch rugby together too...but since they don't show it on regular TV channels, we have to live stream it on our tablet...but he always makes sure I get to see some of the game. (He is good at sharing!)

Well, that is all for this month...I am sure I will have a ton more to update next month once Christmas comes and I get to check out all the presents and play with the paper!!Until then, Happy Holidays and wishing you all a very happy New Year!!

Love, Donovan

5 Months!!

Five months and going strong!! I am so long now that I have to wear size 6 months clothes already! While the 3-6 months close fit me width wise, they are just not long enough. My pediatrician said if I keep growing like I have been, I am going to be one tall boy!

So, here is what has been going on in the fun world of me this past month:

WOW....why has no one told me that there is a special day when you get to dress up and get free candy!! (I think that needs to happen at least once a month!) Ok, so I didn't really get to eat any candy, but I did get to help hand it out to the Trick-or-Treaters that came to our house. I got all dressed up in this duck costume that was "Sooooo Cute", so I could go to a few of our neighbor's houses. Here is my costume...Quack Quack...Donovan the Duck!

Besides getting dressed up the night of Halloween, I also got to wear a special shirt to daycare that day, and a hat made just for me too in honor of the fun day! Check it out:

I got to try cereal and sweet potatoes for the first time! I was a little confused as to how this whole spoon thing works, but I quickly got the hang of it! My first meal was rice cereal, and since I had never eaten from a spoon before I think more cereal ended up on my bib and my face then it did in my mouth!! But, as time went on, I figured it out and get really excited when I see the spoon coming towards my mouth now.

My first meal of something with flavor was sweet potatoes, and boy were they delicious!! My mom made them, as she is making all of my baby food since she refuses to give me baby food from a jar. She has a whole list of food she is preparing and freezing for me to try and taste!!

Here is a video of me trying sweet potatoes for the first time...as you can see, I am not scared to try new things! 

Donovan - 1st time with Sweet Potatoes!

Oh, and I am such a big boy now that I even want to feed myself! Oh course it doesn't really work...come on, I am only 5 months old! But, I get to practice with the spoon after I am done eating!

I got my picture taken this past month and I was a good boy during the photo session too! The photographer would make me laugh and smile, but as soon as she pulled her camera up I would get super serious and would be too busy checking the camera out to smile! All of the lights she had on made me super sleeping because it was so warm and cozy, so she got a lot of me sleepy...and of course sucking my thumb. She did manage to get one of me with a half smile though!

4 Months Old!

Sorry for the delay...I know I am a few days behind, but I was waiting until my 4 month check-up until I posted. I went to visit my pediatrician yesterday, and once again I had to have shots. I am not diggin this whole pediatrician thing anymore! Sure when I get there they are all excited to see me and making funny faces at me which makes me get excited and smile, but then BAMM they pull out the needle. They say it is for my own good, and I will thank them for it later, but right now they are not on my good list!! I did show them how strong I was by taking the shots like a champ again though, and I think I should get an award if you ask me, because it sounds like all the other babies were crying about it.

I am 16 lbs (75th percentile) now and am 26 1/2 inches long (85 percentile)! Pretty good if you ask me for 4 months!

Now that I am 4 months, I consider myself a big boy because I can now play in my jumper...and I get really excited when I can move my legs and make myself go up and down! There are buttons on my jumper that play music, and I really like that. Some things never change, I still love my music!!

I am learning something new everyday, and boy do I get a reaction when I do! I can now blow raspberries with my mouth, and think it is funny when I end up doing it loud! I also LOVE to put my hands in my mouth and sometimes I try and get my whole fist in there! Sometimes I end up gagging myself, but I don't mind, it is my favorite thing to do right now! (Because of this, I am drooling like crazy, so I have to wear a bib everyday...some days I have to switch bibs because I soaked the first one!) I am also really good with my hands and like to put anything I can in my mouth!

Another thing I am good at is checking myself out in the mirror...I love talking to myself! (Well, I like talking in general as I have really become the talker and can babble on and on about anything and everything!) They say I am a little young to be learning this, but I think it is fun....Here I am kissing myself in the mirror! My mom kept saying "Oh Boy, I am going to be in trouble when he gets older!" but I am not sure why she said that, because it seems like her favorite thing to do is kiss me!

Another thing I did this past month was I got to hang out in the cockpit of a WW2 Bomber plane! I look grumpy in this picture, but trust me I had fun! The pilot that is holding me let me touch buttons and said I was his youngest co-pilot he has ever had! Hmmm, maybe I will have a career in aviation when I get older?

Those were some of the big moments of the month! I am going to be trying cereal in a few days, so stay tuned as I will post pictures and video of that soon! Until then, here are two more pictures of me....

(Hanging out with my mom watching my dad play rugby! I get REALLY excited watching him play too!)

Whaaaatt.....Halloween is coming up soon and they give you candy and you get to dress up? Wooo Hooo!!!!

3 Months!

3 months and going strong...and I do mean strong! I am now 15 lbs and am 25 inches long. I am growing like a weed I am told, and not afraid to use my voice when I want to! I am definitely the talker now, and I like to talk all the time, especially when there are people around to listen and give me their full attention (which seems to be all the time!). I am on the verge of giggling too, but I just can't seem to get it out, but it will happen soon!

On August 24th I was baptized into the church! There were about 15 people there to share in the event which took place after mass. I wore my dad's baptismal outfit during mass, and then I put on my mom's family baptismal gown for the baptism. (I was the 3rd generation to wear the gown, so it was kind of a big deal!)

Donovan in daddy's baptismal outfit.

Putting on the Gown - Donovan wasn't impressed!

I didn't even cry - the water was really warm!

Donovan with his Godparents, Tracy and Mau along with Deacon Dave.

After the baptism we went back to the house and had some food and cake to continue the celebration.

I found my thumb, and boy do I love it! Sometimes I try and get both of my thumbs in my mouth at the same time, but it doesn't really work so well. 

 

I also like to hang out with my dad while he is working on the computer. I think I already have the hang of how to code so my dad lets me help him out a lot!

Stayed tuned for next month's update, as I hear I get to experience cereal for the first time! 
Until then, here are two more pictures of me!

Still loving my Tummy Time!

My mustache pacifier always gets some good laughs!

2 Months Old!

Turning 2 months was hard, I had to go to the pediatrician for my check-up and ended up getting shots. Lucky for me, the nurse was great and held my hand and talked me though it!

I weigh in at 13lbs and 5ounces and am 24 inches long already! My pediatrician says I am in the 75th percentile for weight and the 90th percentile for height!

Here is my 2 month picture...as you can see I have changed a lot since my 1 month picture!

I started daycare on Aug. 5th...which I enjoy a lot and get so worried I might miss something I forget I need to sleep during the day! (But I make up for it by sleeping all night!) I am having fun, and am lucky because it is a small home daycare so there are not a ton of kids there. Some days it is just me and one other child there, so I get a lot of one-on-one time! The first morning of daycare I was so excited to go that I threw up all over myself, and my mom! Of course, she had me in a "cute little outfit" she had laid out for my first big day...which I had to change out of since I got formula spit-up all over. So, she changed and I changed and we all hit the road to daycare! I didn't stay a full day, as I was picked up by 2pm since someone had a hard time leaving me...mom! But, she got the hang of it and now it is a daily routine and I am enjoying being there with my new friends. My daycare lady likes me a lot, and didn't want to see me leave for the weekend, but I promised her I would be back after the weekend, and when I did she was so excited she met me on the front steps of her house and said "Oh, D I missed you soooo much!" (Yep, I think she loves me!)

I went to my first BBQ which was held at my house. All the high school and college players from my mom and dad's rugby teams they coach came over to have an end of the summer season BBQ. I of course was the star of the show, and they all loved me! Here are the two captains from the college team holding me. (They call themselves "The Godfathers" and say it in a cheesy Boston accent!)

Another baseball game....which was fun. I made it until the 7th inning before I fell asleep, but woke up for the Friday Night Fireworks, and I wasn't even scared of them! (Although, I fell asleep again shortly after they started, but I did see a few of them!) The brats smelled good, but I wasn't allowed to have any, maybe next summer I will get to try them.

I was the assistant coach at another rugby game! It was a quick game, so I was able to come and help out and I really enjoyed myself. Now that I am more alert, I was cooing and smiling during the whole game. I received a lot of attention from the high school girl's who were playing, and I am pretty sure they all love me because they couldn't stop looking at me and saying "he is soooooo cute!" ha-ha They even wanted me in their team picture!

My first Irish Festival was this past weekend, and it was well...very Irish! We listened to Irish music, walked around looking at all the merchandise and watched the Irish dancers. I was dressed in a little green shirt to really fit in with the occasion of the festival. We went right when it opened up at 9am, so there was not a huge crowd, and the weather was perfect out.

I have figured out how to smile (without it being a gassy smile!) and I like to "Cooo" now a lot! Some days I can really talk up a storm and I smile a lot when I play peek-a-boo, when my dog comes over by me, when my diaper is off, or when I am in the bathtub. Everyone makes a big deal about me smiling and cooing, so I keep doing it as I think it is funny when they get all excited over me! 

Click on the this link to see and hear me talking! Donovan Talking!

One Month Old!

I am officially one month old, and doing great! I am now 22" long and weigh in at almost 10 pounds! (See I told you I like to eat!)
Here is what has been happening so far since my last post:
TALKING: I am starting to find my voice! I squeak a lot, especially in my sleep and when I stretch. Also, I am starting to coo now, and seem to be more vocal when I am on my activity mat and am stimulated.
EYE MOVEMENT: I am tracking things more with my eyes now. I like to follow your face as you move from side to side and if you talk, I turn my head to where the noise is coming from.
MUSIC: I still love music, and I have some new tunes that I am listening to that are pretty cool!They are called ROCKabye Baby, and  it is rock music made baby-friendly and sounds like nursery music. There are no words, just the melody of the songs slowed down and they sounds so gentle. Yes, I did find Don't Stop Belivin' by Journey, and it is pretty good! I have a variaty of song from ROCKabye Baby like songs from the Beetles, Journey, Pink Floyd, KISS, U2, The Eagles...and many more!
BASEBALL: My first baseball game! I went to my first amateur baseball game over the 4th of July weekend, and had a blast! The weather held up so we headed to the ball park for some brats and baseball. I hear I get to attend my first Twin's game soon too, and if I am lucky I get to go and visit the dugout too!
RUGBY: I attended my first rugby game, and was lucky to be named the assistant coach too! My dad played and my mom coached, so I got to help out! She put me in my baby bjorn and I was happy and cozy and got to check out the game and I loved it! (I actually loved it so much I had a blow-out in my diaper! ha) My dad's team was so excited to meet me that they even got me in on their team picture and sung me a little tune to welcome me to their family.
SLEEPING:  I am getting better at sleeping, and I officially slept through the night last night! We will see how long that lasts, but it is a start! Maybe this whole being on a schedule thing really does help me out, as I am getting better and better at sleeping as the weeks go by!
PICTURES: My mom took my 1 month pictures, and I was a good boy for her while she did them, although I just slept right through them, so I made it easier for her! Check them out below, as I think they turned out really nice!

Well, that is about it for now...I am sure I will have plenty to update you all on as I am grow bigger and stronger in the coming weeks!
Until then...
Donovan

1 Month Old!

Check out my big feet!! 

Little Hands

Sleeping away!

Dreaming about Rugby!

My first two weeks...

Wow, a lot has happened in my first two weeks of being born! Here is the top ten things that have happened so far: (I sound like I should be on Letterman!)
1. I took my first flight, and I am happy to say that I did GREAT! The Delta flight attendant was so amazed that I slept the whole flight and didn't even make a sound the whole time! I received the title of "Best traveler" by the flight crew, and they can't wait to see me again.
2. I was greeted at the airport by family and mom's best friend, who I now call Uncle Jimmy! (I have been told he is a pretty big coach in the rugby world, and he mentioned that I will start my training soon! ha) Everyone cheered and was happy to finally meet me, there were a lot of tears over me! (I was told my Grandpa canceled his trip to Germany just to meet me!)
3. My first storm! There was a big storm, that produced 60 mile an hour winds and flash flooding, so we lost power for over 24 hours. But, I was safe and sound and slept right through the whole thing, although I hear it was hard to change my diaper with candle light and flashlights!The thunder didn't bother me one bit!
4. I had my first bath, and didn't cry until it was time to get out! I really like the water and am thinking I may have to get signed up for swimming lessons in the future.
5. I had my first pediatrician appointment in MN and met my new doctor. She was really nice, and said I must like to eat because I now weigh in at 8lbs, and 13oz! (Did I mention I like to eat??) I also grew in length too, I am getting close to 21" long already!
6. I have become a man...well, so I am told by the doctors! I went into the pediatrician again and got circumcised...NOT fun! But, I took it like a trooper and am doing good. I get a little fussy from time to time, but I am already starting to feel better.
7. I have become very picky!  I like to drink 3 ounces and an additional 3 gulps before I am satisfied. (I call it a 3&3!)
8. I am loving my tummy-time activity set that I use 2-3 times per day to stimulate my mind, and help strengthen my neck muscles. (I can hold my head up pretty well already, so my neck is getting stronger)
9. Sounds...I like the sound of running water when I am fussy, it helps me calm down right away! I also don't like when the house is quiet, as I get fussy so there is always music playing. Some of my favorites that I am listening to so far are Motzart, Bach, Beethoven, and the John Lennon! I am told that I will get to listen to some 80's power ballads soon though, and "Don't Stop Believin' by Journey is on the top of my list! (We are trying to find the nursery version of that song now.)
10. Friends, Friends and more Friends! Wow, you would think people here in MN have never seen a baby before! ha-ha! I was greeted by some high school girl's rugby players and their mom's that all offered to babysit me when the time is right! They held a special party in my honor, and I was the star of the show! I had a great time, and they all tell me I am the newest Super Fan for the team!

Well...there is my top ten for the first two weeks! I will be watching my first rugby game next week when my daddy plays, weather pending of course! Until next time - Donovan (AKA D-man)

My First Bath!

Lounging on my activity set!