Gosh, I don't even know where to start!! At the end of February/beginning of March, Mommy, Daddy and I went to Breckenridge, Colorado, for a family ski trip! I wasn't quite ready to ski yet, but I still had a great time! Grammy Rae and Grampy Chuck were there, and so were Aunt Wendy and Uncle Jon, and Aunt Karen, Uncle Darren and Sam! Sam and I kept the grownups pretty busy, but they still found time to do some skiing - they just took turns hangin' out with us! I was much more interested in Sam than he was in me, but Mommy says that will change! When he gets older, he'll want to play and have fun with me!
My BIG NEWS from the trip is that I finally learned to *crawl*!!! Mommy was so happy that I learned while we were on vacation together, instead of while she was at work. She knows she'll probably miss a lot of my "firsts," but she was with me for that one! I was pretty slow and tentative about crawling at first, but you should see me now!! I crawl so fast, Mommy says by the time she blinks, I'm all the way across the room!
One day while we were in Breckenridge, Mommy's friend Pam, from her June Mommies email group, came to see us, with her husband, Steve, their son, Kyle, and their baby girl, Madison. They drove all the way from Colorado Springs to meet us - wasn't that nice?? We had a great time together. Mommy and Pam felt like old friends, even though they'd never met in real life before, and I loved playing with Kyle and Madison once the grownups finally let us play on the floor!
After the skiing part of our trip was over, Mommy and I stayed in Colorado for a couple more days. We went to Boulder to stay with "Aunt" Susan and "Uncle" Jack. Mommy and I both loved being with them. We wish they didn't live so far away. While we were in Boulder, we also got to see another one of the June Mommies, Sarah, and her sons Trent and baby William. William was much better at crawling than I was - Mommy and Sarah said it was because he has to try to keep up with his big brother. Mommy and Sarah had met once before, and they had a great time being together again! We also met another email friend of Mommy's, Kelli, and her daughter Taylor. We all piled into Sarah's minivan and went to lunch at the Olive Garden. You shoulda seen the mess on the floor when we were done!!
In more recent news, not only am I crawling so fast it's hard to keep up with me, I've also started pulling up on things to stand up! One of my favorite things to pull up on is Daddy's leg-hair, but Daddy doesn't like it too much when I do that!
I've been trying all kinds of different foods lately. Even if I end up liking something, I make a really funny face the first time I try something new. I still have a sweet tooth, and prefer fruit over just about anything else, but I'm starting to branch out! I also really like pasta with tomato sauce, macaroni and cheese, and of course CHEERIOS! I also still like to nurse, and drink bottles when Mommy's not with me. One of my favorite things is when Mommy nurses me to sleep, and it's one of her favorite things, too!
I still *LOVE* taking baths! I used to use a little bath seat, but now, Mommy lets me just sit in the tub by myself. I love to splash around, and sometimes I like to lie on my belly like I'm swimming. Mommy and Daddy can't wait till it's warm enough to take me in the pool, 'cause I love the water so much. Even though I have lots and lots of bath toys, my favorite thing to play with in the tub is the rubber bathtub stopper!! I like to pull it out and watch the water go down the drain! Mommy has to give me a bath with the washcloth in one hand, and the other hand holding the stopper in until it's time for me to get out of the tub! When I'm at my great-Grandma Marian's during the week, she sometimes gives me baths in the sink! I like that too - anywhere I can splash is fine with me!
I love to "vocalize," and make various sounds with my mouth, but I still haven't said any words yet. Everyone seems to think I'll start saying some words, soon, since I'm doing so much "experimenting." I'm not in any big hurry, though, since I'm able to get my point across just fine without talking!
Well, that's it for now, but please come back and visit again! Mommy's going to try to start updating more often, but between you and me - don't hold your breath! She's pretty busy!!
As you may remember from my last update, I have some other really big news, too! I have *THREE* brand new cousins! Uncle Darren and Aunt Karen welcomed my cousin Sam on January 9th. Then my Uncle Kris and Aunt Jen welcomed Karli Rose on the 24th, and Aunt Aimee and Uncle Mike welcomed Michael Devin on the 29th! Mommy and Daddy say that someday, we’ll all be able to play together, but I have to say, so far they don’t seem to *do* very much! When I met each of them, I *tried* to get them to play with me, but none of them seemed very interested. Oh well, that’s ok. I always seem to be able to find SOMEONE to play with me!
Remember when I said before that I didn’t need to learn to crawl, because I can roll anywhere I want to go? Well, I changed my mind! Rolling just doesn’t cut it anymore – I *really* want to crawl!! I’m working so hard at it, but I still can’t quite get it! Boy, is it ever frustrating!!
I’ve finally discovered how much fun it can be to take a bath! I never disliked taking baths before, but they never seemed to be all that much fun. Now, I just LOVE splashing around and playing with my ducks. Mommy says she bought me some new toys that squirt water, and I can’t wait to try them out! I’ll let you know what I think of them!
On a more serious note, yesterday (February 19) was my Grandpa Howie’s birthday. He would have been 54. My Mommy thinks about him a lot, and she tells me all about him. Sure wish I could have met him.
Speaking of rolling over, I am sure getting good at it! I haven't learned to crawl yet - who needs to? I can get anywhere I want to go by rolling there! The only problem is, sometimes I roll underneath things and have to wait for someone to rescue me! I also sat up for the first time on January 7th. I can only do it for about 30-45 seconds before I lose my balance, but it’s a start. I keep workin' on my stomach muscles - I do "crunches" every time somebody lays me down! Soon, I’ll be sitting up as well as I’m rolling!
At my six month pediatrician's appointment, I weighed 16 pounds, 2 ounces, and was 27.5 inches tall. I'm in the 50th percentile for weight, and the 75th for height. I had to get some shots, which made Mommy sad, but I didn't cry for very long before I was back to my normal, happy self.
Mommy and Daddy were surprised to discover recently that I *love* John Denver music! No matter how unhappy I might be in the car, if they put on the John Denver tape, I calm down right away. Mommy thinks it’s my Grandpa Howie’s influence. He loved John Denver, and “Annie’s Song,” which was one of his favorite songs, is now one of my favorites, too. It makes Mommy happy to see parts of my Grandpa in me. I never got to meet him, but Mommy says he would have loved me more than anything!
We listen to our John Denver tape so much, Mommy and Daddy can't get the songs out of their heads! Often, they'll be in the middle of doing something, and realize they've been humming "This Old Guitar" or "Sweet Surrender" without even knowing it! We need to get some new tapes or CDs!
That's about it for now! Be sure to check back again soon for a new update, and new pictures! Grandma Joyce and Grandpa John gave us a scanner for Christmas, so Mommy will be able to put new pictures here a lot more often!
EXCITING NEWS! PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING MY NEW COUSIN, SAMUEL MICHAEL MILLMAN!
Sam was born on January 9, 1999, weighing in at 9 pounds, 9.6 ounces! Mommy says this family grows some big babies! Sam, my Uncle Darren and Aunt Karen are all doing well!
Visit Sam's website!
I'm almost 6 months old now! My Mommy and Daddy can't believe I've been with them for almost half a year already! (Although in some ways, they can't remember what life was like without me.) I've still been going on lots of adventures with my Daddy. We went on the tour of the FBI Building a few weeks ago. Daddy thought it was so funny the way even the stern, serious guards suddenly became "teddy bears" when they saw me, hangin' out in my Baby Bjorn! Daddy and I have also visited several of the Smithsonian museums -- I'm a very cultured baby, "n'est-ce pas?" (I even speak French! Well, not really -- I don't talk *yet*!) I went on my second plane trip when Mommy, Daddy and I went to Cincinnati to spend Thanksgiving at Uncle Darren and Aunt Karen's house. As usual, I was very well-behaved on the plane -- I basically slept for the whole time! We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Aunt Karen and Uncle Darren have a beautiful house, and were terrific hosts. I also got to spend time with Grammy Rae and Grampy Chuck, and my Aunt Elisa, Uncle David, and one-year old cousin Seth. I was so impressed -- Seth can WALK! Aah, someday. . . While we were in Cincinnati, we went to the zoo, where we saw a baby elephant -- only a couple of months older than me! His name is "Ganesh," and needless to say, he's a lot bigger than I am, even though we're close in age!! I'm rolling over like a champ now. At first, I learned how to roll from back to front, but then had to cry until someone helped me flip back over. Now I can roll both ways all by myself! I also like to "vocalize" a lot. Mommy calls it my "singing," and she loves it! I haven't quite figured out how to sit up yet, but give me a little more time. I'm a pretty smart little guy -- I'll get it soon! According to Daddy, I laughed for the first time on Monday, October 12th. No-one else has heard me do it yet, so you'll just have to take his word for it. Even though Mommy's proud of me for reaching this milestone, it makes her sad that she wasn't there for this "first." Since Mommy's been back at work, Grammy Rae, Grandma Peggy, my Great-Aunt Nancy, and my Great-Grandma Marian have all taken turns watching me so Daddy can have some breaks. I'm lucky to have so many people who love me, aren't I? This weekend, we are going to Pennsylvania for an engagement party for Aunt Wendy and Uncle Jon. We're looking forward to meeting Uncle Jon's family, and can't wait to spend time with Aunt Wendy, Uncle Jon, Aunt Karen, Uncle Darren, Grammy Rae and Grampy Chuck! My Aunt Karen must be looking mighty pregnant these days! Aunt Wendy says she knows I'll be the center of attention, even though it's their party, but there's no-one she'd rather share the limelight with than me! Mommy and Daddy also took me to North Carolina to visit Grandpa John and Grandma Joyce. We drove there, and I was a very good boy in the car -- I basically slept the whole time. We got to meet some of Grandpa John and Grandma Joyce's friends at Grandpa John's birthday party, and I got to spend some time with my Aunt Aimee. She got some practice with me for her new baby, who's due in February! Speaking of new cousins, my Uncle Kris and Aunt Jen are also expecting one for me in January! I got to spend some time with them when we all went to the Baltimore Ravens' season opener at the beginning of September. I didn't see much of the game, though. It was too hot for me, so my Grandma Peg and Mommy took turns hanging out with me on the "concourse." I took my first plane ride in September, too! Mommy and I went to Boulder to visit my "Aunt" Susan Wadle, and had a wonderful time! Mommy tells me that the Wadles are some of our closest friends, so I was glad to get to spend some time with my Aunt Susan! Next time, hopefully Uncle Jack will be there, too! We used some of Grammy Rae's Companion Passes, and got to fly First Class on the way there! You should have seen the looks Mommy got when she walked into First Class with me! After a little bit of fussing before we took off, though, you would never have known I was there -- I slept for the whole flight! I was almost, but not quite, as perfect on the way home. I got a little fidgety and fussy, but maybe that's because we were in a middle seat in Coach for that flight, so I was a bit cramped. While we were in Boulder, we got to meet Sarah, one of Mommy's friends from her June Mommies Email list! I was fascinated with William, Sarah's baby, who's only eleven days older than me. I also got to meet Trent, William's four-year-old big brother. I know Mommy really enjoyed actually meeting one of her "cyber-friends" in person! Just this past weekend, Mommy and Daddy took me camping! We went to Rocky Gap State Park in Western Maryland with our friends Ben, Dena, and Emily Rooney. My dog, Romeo, even came with us! Mommy and Daddy weren't sure how I'd do with camping, but we all had a great time! See pictures of me at just a few days old!Read the Poem Mommy read at my Welcoming Ceremony!
EVEN MORE EXCITING NEWS!! I HAVE *TWO MORE* NEW COUSINS!
Aunt Jen and Uncle Kris welcomed Karli Rose the morning of January 24th, and Aunt Aimee and Uncle Mike welcomed Michael Devin the afternoon of January 29th! Their websites coming soon...