Happy Easter, nearly 11 months old!

Christopher on his first Easter, he loved playing with his Easter eggs. I filled the eggs with M&Ms and taped them shut and he shook and shook 'em and had a blast in the process. We put out his train blanket (which was a lovely gift and a very handy one too) in our backyard and let him play his Easter basket. It was a beautiful day!

At nearly 11 months old, Christopher is very specific as to what he wants and he lets you know. He points to an object and then when you get it for him or he grabs it then he talks about it. In baby talk of course but significant none the less. He has a lot to say. He can walk if you hold his arms/hands or should I say it's the beginning of walking, he puts one foot in front of the other moving forward. It's something to see really. I was so proud of him when I saw for the first time the other day. He turns 11 months this week on April 13th, I can hardly believe it. It is funny because many of the wonderful presents of clothes and shoes that Christopher received when he was born that seemed 'so big' are now perfect. We are most thankful to all of our friends and family who gave us those gifts, they have all come in useful.

10 months old!

March 31, 2010

Another month passes by and my baby Christopher is that much closer to his first birthday. Where has the time gone? He crawls now, everywhere and stands strong even to the point of standing solo maintaining his balance in one place for a couple of minutes. He will exclaim then with a squeal or giggle how proud he is of himself, flapping his arms and hands in pure delight! He talks much more and his sounds are getting more and more complex. He seems to understand when you speak to him, telling him ‘I love you’, or the classic ‘No’ or just even commenting on mundane things.

Every morning I open the curtain and we say good morning to our new garden, to the trees, birds, squirrels and plants. He looks forward to this moment every day. Each morning I hug and kiss Christopher and tell him how much he is loved, he is truly a joy in our lives. Now that I have my own baby, I find myself being more sensitive to anything having to do with children even in so far as the plight of children around the world. Where I was touched before, now it’s even more emphasized and it doesn’t take much to tug at the strings of my heart.

This past month Christopher has experienced many firsts - receiving his first balloon, his first ride in a swing, wearing shoes on a more regular basis instead of just socks, even going to the store with me and sitting in a shopping cart. We bought the first of the child proofing devices since our baby boy is a little explorer just as this blog title predicted. He is healthy and happy and laughs a lot. Yet he is no longer content staying in a confined area, he wants to venture beyond the blanket and into the next room like he could verbalize ‘What is in there, Mama? I want to see and I want to experience it for myself’

Since moving into the new house, we have been trying to get used to the neighborhood by going for walks, checking out the local parks, Farmers’ Market and nearby grocery stores. We really like the area and it seems a delightful place for Christopher to grow up. I close this blog entry with yet again saying that we are blessed beyond our imagination. More updates to come!

9 months old!

2/16/10 - Christopher now will hold onto the rail of his pack n’play with one hand, while leaning down to pick up a toy. He quickly sits down and gets up on his own with ease. He’s crawling more these days and is becoming more mobile every day! And we haven’t even baby proofed the house yet! Christopher is an absolute joy to watch. He is warm and sweet, curious and very outgoing. He does not want to sit still yet when he is tired loves to be cuddled and held. Christopher tried papaya for the first time this past weekend and loved it. He has also tried avocado and we began giving him the baby food with chicken this weekend as well. Many new tastes and flavors.

Christopher loves to look out to his new backyard every morning.

February 2010 - Update #2

February 11, 2010 - Our little explorer is at it again! For the first time last night, Christopher crawled the entire length of our sofa, at 8 months old and nearly 9! So I guess there is no stopping him now! He has been doing a backwards crawl and not moving forward but all of sudden it happened.

We have more big news, we just moved to a house! This is Christopher’s first house but certainly not his first ‘home’. One always remembers bringing your baby home from the hospital for the first time. I told Christopher, ‘this is your house, this is your room Christopher, we are home’. He was so little he will not remember but I will tell him all about it one day. In our new house, having more room will help him to develop his crawling and motor skills even more. Christopher has his own room now and a garden to play in, we are truly blessed.

His front two bottom teeth have broken through and now when you run your finger along the tops, it feels like teeth, no gums anymore. As a result of this teething, he has a wet chin and we are constantly trying to keep it dry. Put on bib right? Wrong! This child is developing a personality and quickly takes his own bib off. I am happy to say he still keeps a hat on but even that sometimes comes off. He lets you know when he doesn’t want something and will push you or the object away and let out a ‘No!’ although the ‘o’ sound is not completely audible but clear enough nevertheless.

February 2010 - 8 months old update

2/8/10 - Christopher is growing and ‘exploring’ by leaps and bounds! Hello to all of our friends and family missing those blog updates. All is well but it’s been very busy. Lots of changes are happening. As of today, Feb. 8^th, Christopher weighs 17 pounds, 9 ounces and is 28 inches tall! He makes lots of motor boat and sputter sounds and laughs all the time. He is quite the active, nearly 9 month old, cute-as-a-button baby of ours. Just this past week, he was with my mom at home and was looking at a magazine. When he saw one of those hair care ads with a young woman with flowing dark hair, he exclaimed ‘Mama!’ and proceeded to kiss the page, how cute is that??!! He said mama in the middle of the night this week too when he woke up, ‘Mama, mama!’ Of course I come running, Christopher says jump, I jump. It’s been a lot of fun lately to see his personality really coming out.

The last I wrote, Christopher had just begun eating solids and sitting in his high chair. What a difference between then and now. He gives kisses now too, not prompted or asked to do so. He’ll get up close to your cheek and his little mouth is open like a baby bird beak waiting for food and then he puts his lips against your check and nuzzles into your face for a few seconds. Is it slobbery sometimes, wet, but it doesn’t matter because it is so sweet.

He has some words now too. My best Christmas present ever, was when he said ‘mama!’ over Christmas break, Dec. 31^st to be exact. He was in the Pack n’play and stood there (yes standing up, believe it or not) and let it out, as clear, precise, and purposeful as he could, ‘Mama, mama!’ I’ll always remember that moment. Now back to the standing thing…Christopher is crawling backwards, not so much forwards but he can do that too. He stands strong and can pull himself up from laying down position to standing. Standing supported by the pack n’play railing, he puts one foot in front of the other and makes his way around. He likes to stand there, and be a part of whatever you are doing right next to him. Before long this one is going to be running! Other words include da-da (his papa), ta-ta (his grand dad Christopher), neh neh (his pacifier), ma-ma nah nah (his abuelita Lucia), the latter remains to be confirmed.

First Christmas

Merry Christmas! A family photo to share, baby's first Christmas and the best gift we've ever received!

7 months old

On December 13th, Christopher turned 7 months old. Happy Birthday Christopher Greig! Grandma and Grandpa Horton are visiting and it was Grandma's birthday too and mine was on the 11th so we all celebrated together!

First Foods

Well, my baby boy loves to eat, this is a very good thing, especially since he loves his veggies! We started him on sweet potatoes in November and we haven't looked back since. Christopher has also sampled yukon gold potatoes, yams, carrots, peas, and apples to name a few. He smiles, tries to hold his own spoon and is an eager eater. See for yourselves, a cute picture is attached. Did I mention he is a neat eater too?

Christopher is 6 months old!

My baby boy is changing constantly. It's amazing to watch and be a part of. Sometimes I look at him and forget where it all began because with a baby it's often 'here and now'. I went back and looked through Christopher's ultrasound photos when he was still in the womb and then I looked at his first born photos. What an incredible miracle Christopher is!

Christopher had his 6 month check up last Friday on his birthday - 11/13/09! How quickly the time flies! He weighed 14 pounds - 14 ounces and was 26 1/2 inches long. He did so well and by the end of the appointment was showing off to his pediatrician talking up a storm! And today he sat up by himself without any support! It was incredible, see the attached video.

Christopher's Snazzy Stroller

What more can I say about the Bob? It is the greatest stroller ever! It glides along so smoothly and it's always a treat to take young Christopher for a walk on my days off. We love our Bob stroller and so does Christopher!

Grandpa says that Christopher knows when it's time for his walk and he tells you too. He has his own way of communicating "take me for a walk Grandpa!" He gets excited and happy to go on a walk, it's a lot of fun and it's RED (my favorite color!).

5 months old

So many things to write about but since it's been a while since my last update, I'll just touch upon a few highlights. Christopher is such a good natured, happy and well behaved baby. I am not just saying that because I am his mother but he really is. I remember Dr. Tabsh telling me "Enjoy him" and we are. It is something very special to be a mother and to be Christopher's mother is truly a blessing. We are fortunate to have him in our lives.

He wakes up in the morning and loves to talk! He is also able to see something and make a conscious effort to go after it. Take his pacifier for example. He'll see it, go to pick it up and bring it to his mouth. Sometimes he doesn't get the angle quite right but this is just the beginning. Which brings me to the next thing he likes to do, TASTE! And nearly everything at that! Christopher is exploring the world through his sense of taste. His giraffe Sophie goes everywhere Christopher goes. He bends her, chews on her legs and horns, it's a very popular teething toy. Recently, you might have noticed an article in the LA Times about Sophie. Price and popularity aside, it's a great toy, and Christopher loves it!

Christopher's eyes are turning green or so it seems when the light hits them just right. He plays peek-a-boo and understands it. And oh how he laughs! His baby hair that he was born with has all but fallen out and new hair is growing in. My parents are in town now and really enjoying Christopher, he is the apple of his grandparents' eyes. Please see the pictures attached, you'll see Christopher in action (note the Puma romper, Christopher and Grandpa Christopher (his name's sake) at the library reading books and finally Christopher having a ball in his carseat.

Thanks to everyone for tuning in a keeping us all on track!