Month 6: If I can grab it, I should taste it

It has taken me a a while to write my blog, but I pulled an all-nighter and did it!


The past month has been very busy. I turn 7 months tomorrow: in these last 7 months I have gained over 12 lbs, grown over 8 inches in height, learned to coo and babble, and figured out how to sit while I play.

I have also had non-stop colds - mostly because if I can grab something, I must taste it! After all, what is exploring the world without a taste test along the way?

Oh, and I like making little fart like noises - whether they come from my mouth or my bottom!

Of course, when there is nothing else to put in my mouth, my toes hit the spot!

Last weekend I went to Yosemite with my parents. I got to see the falls and go on lots of little hikes with my parents.




I even got a book at the general store: "Who Pooped in the Park" - now I know how to tell which animals have been nearby recently.

Oh, and I really, really want to learn how to stand and to walk.

And when my parents get tired, I play in my jumperoo!


Oh, and I am still eating like a champ - one solid meal a day! Once I develop my pincer grasp I can eat more - because then I can feed myself!!


Till next time,
Gabe

Month 5 week 3: Starting Real Solids - Mmm, mmm sweet potatoes

I have hit several developmental milestones: I can roll-over, I can sit-up for brief periods (very brief), and I can get my toes into my mouth!

Me sitting (my mom likes to spot me while I sit):

Me trying to get my toes in my mouth:

Well, my parents went wild and decided to start me on solids a couple weeks early. My mom has a trip the second week of March, and so she wants me eating well while I hang out with dad in the evening.

My parents got me a nice highchair so that I have a place to sit and eat. Now I am king of all that I see from this new throne!

I really enjoyed the sweet potatoes - mostly I liked trying to feed myself. My parents are going to get me a smaller spoon that I can use to feed myself (although, I may prefer my hands).

At first I was not sure what to make of the sweet potatoes:

But then I figured it out and decided that I liked to feed myself.

Well, until next time - Gabe.

Months 4 - 5.5: Starting school and learning lots

After returning home from our holiday trips out East, I got to start school. At first it was difficult - I missed my parents! But after a while I got to figure out that even though I miss my mom and dad, there are nice teachers and lots of new friends to make at school.

I am getting really big now and have done tons of fun things. On getting big - at 5 months old I weigh over 17 lbs!!!

I really enjoy the buggy rides at school - the buggies have seats for 6-8 of us little guys!! Sometimes I fall asleep, but mostly I stay awake and enjoy the ride around the play yard.

I have also become quite the artist - I colored my first picture a couple of weeks ago. The teachers were sooo brave - they let me use a marker - and I have the photos to prove it! At first I tried to eat the marker, but then once I realized I could draw, I did that instead.


My dad is brave too. He lets me ride leopards and polar bears (Christmas presents from my grandad in Illinois). I wonder if he did that when he was a little guy like me?

Oh, I got my first try at "solids" too.


No, not a leather chair - although I did try to taste it... My mom and dad made me a mommy's milk slushy. They went the make-it-at-home route instead of heading out to Quicky Mart and buying one from Apu - something about it being healthier, plus trying to help me avoid allergies . I really liked it. I think I like the feed myself option - especially when there is a spoon that I can chew on!




I love to play with my toys as well. At school they have lots of neat toys that I can play with:


And at home I have a huge selection of toys as well. I really like to grab things - be it toys, my parents hands or long hair!

Oh, and I am getting ready to crawl - just give me a couple of weeks more and I will figure it out. I see all the big kids in school doing it, so I am sure that I can figure it out too! Until next time,

Gabe

Holidays: Month 3

I took a break for the holidays. I traveled back east and saw some of my grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins! What a lot of family for me to meet.






I would like to point out that it is really cold where my relatives live. Back home in California, right before we left for our trip I could walk around in regular clothes in my Baby Bjorn - when we got out East, it was too cold to go walking most of the time!


My biggest goal personally this year is mobility: first to start crawling and then eventually start walking. In terms of crawling, I can push with my legs, but my arms and back are still trying to build up the strength to help me move along. I will be sure to let everyone know once I figure out this crawling thing.


Over the holidays I got to spend lots of time with my 'rents and just hang out. I really like just resting on my dad's lap and relaxing.

Well, let me detail my adventures as best I can.

I started out the holidays with my parents scrambling around me trying to pack. I did not understand why they did not just want to sleep like I was. We put all of our suitcases into the car and we drove to the airport. Once we got to the airport we had to check-in. Even though I did not have my own seat, I still got a ticket - how cool.

When we went through security everyone thought that I was sooo cute. We got on the airplane and I slept pretty much the whole way (well I ate and then went right back to sleep). We changed planes in Chicago, and while we waited for our next flight we got some breakfast. While my parents were hoping for a quick and easy layover, I decided to give them a little present : a huge dirty diaper that overflowed onto my clothes!!! My poor daddy got stuck with that dirty diaper.

Well we got into Rochester, and I got to meet my mom's side of the family - some for the first time and some for the second. My grandparents are really great - I think that they will spoil me tons over the coming years!

Oh, did I mention that I got to meet my big (1 year old) cousin Eva? She is really great and likes to play - just like me. I hope that I can get big just like her!


I also got to meet my great aunt Mary and my great uncle Matt. They stopped by with my cousins Michael and Jim and their dog Nomsa. What a big boxer dog!

We got to hang out with our Abuelitos and great grandparents - luckily for them my parents took care of the dirty diapers so they got all the fun and none of the dirty work.




There was a Christmas tree in Rochester and I got lots of presents!


I like toys and clothes and so it was perfect. I was a bit tired in the beginning, but I got a second wind and really enjoyed opening the presents.


We left Rochester and went to Philadelphia next. There I got to see my other grandmother again, and I got to meet my aunts and cousins for the first time! My cousins Evan and Hunter are REALLY big! I wonder how long it will take before I get to be as big as they are!

I got to spend time with Bobbie - I think she will be another great source of spoiling in the coming years!



Did I mention Chunk? Yeah - he is the second dog that I got to meet. He is a cute little pug who likes to play.

My aunt Lois was great with holding me and walking me around.

My aunt Jacqueline is really skilled - she could get me to sleep!



We also went into the city one night - I was not well behaved because I was tired, but I made it through the evening (and my parents survived as well).

I got to meet Elizabeth, my mom's best friend as a child and then we met some old friends of the family Violet and Willie. We also saw my great aunt Elaine, great uncle Mike and my cousin Mary Alice. Unfortunately, I cannot find pictures of that.


On our way back to California, we got bumped off our flight. Ugh... 8 hours in the airport.



Then when I got on the airplane it was really hot and my daddy was not sitting next to me. I started crying and kept that up for a good 45 minutes. The woman sitting next to me did not want to trade seats with my dad - what a stupid lady. Eventually between my shrieks and the flight attendant taking pity on my mom, the flight attendant made the lady switch (mind you she only switched from a middle to an aisle.

We made it home and I started day care - I'll post my new adventures soon. Hopefully now that the holidays are over I can get back into the groove of my blog.

Gabe