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!

4 Months Old!

It's been a while since I've posted an update but I am happy to report we are all well and baby Christopher is thriving and growing! On September 13th Christopher turned 4 months old. This month he weighed 13 pounds, 4 ounces and measured 25 inches long. In September, Christopher took his first airplane trip. Christopher and mama went to Oregon to visit Grandpa and Grandma. Christopher visited mom's home town of Eugene and met family and friends who had looked forward to meeting him for a while now. We enjoyed our visits with everyone! Christopher had the opportunity to play with other kids during a visit to a friend's home and he had a blast! The little girls that were playing with him also loved it. It was interesting to watch the children interact with each other. Now, I bet you are wondering how Christopher did with the airplane ride? He did very well with a couple fussy moments, overall I would give him an A-/B+. You are a trooper Christopher! On one flight Christopher even slept through the entire flight, take off and landing! Everyone around us remarked "What a great baby!" The trip was a great confidence builder for me (mom).

Christopher has discovered his thumb, in fact, he discovered his entire hand! He puts everything in his mouth, he loves to splash in his bath tub, he slept through the night and continues to do so here and there, sometimes for a day or two at a time (Christopher's parents LOVE this!). He has a delightful belly laugh and laughs so hard he gives himself the hiccups. He eyes an object and picks it up and puts it in his mouth, it could be his pacifier, or his giraffe Sophie, etc. It's truly something to behold as I watch the progression of his skills. Christopher holds his feet and legs and brings them into his chest. He coos and his making many vocal sounds, he has a lot to say! I read this one book to him in French and he squeals in delight when he sees the pictures. It's simply hilarious!

We are really enjoying him. At the end of September I returned to work which was hard but as a family we are managing well I would say. Many thanks to grandparents for all of their help and support. More updates to come again soon!

Aug. 13th - 3 months old!

Well, time is flying by. Our sweet baby Christopher turned 3 months old on August 13th. He weighed 11 pounds, 15 ounces and was 24 1/2 inches long. He is growing and is a healthy and happy baby. He is developing so nicely. On August 15th he grabbed a toy and held onto it. It was so exciting to watch him fix his gaze on the object that caught his eye and reach for it. He has been reaching for toys and objects, even my face or his papa's face but this was the first time I noticed that he grabbed something and held onto it. I was so proud of him!

He likes to flirt with his eyes too. When he breast feeds or even if I am just holding him in my arms, he'll look at me and then quickly bury his face into to my chest. He talks a lot too and it's so cute. I just melt each time he does this. See video attached - enjoy!

Air Guitar

7/24/09 - Christopher plays air guitar, pretty cool! Uncle Greig came over and was playing the guitar to soothe a fussy moment. Well, it worked and in fact it fascinated Christopher so much he didn't go to sleep! It was amazing to watch as you will see, notice Christopher moving his hands, legs, and feet to the music. His hands in particular seem to be making the motions of playing the guitar, copying Greig's motions as he plays. This went on for a while and just goes to show how much babies can absorb and learn even at such a young stage!

Bath Time

Christopher loves bath time. Well, most of the time. He loves it when I pour the warm water over his head when washing his hair. I remember when we first brought him home, we were both a little nervous about bathing this newborn baby of ours because he was so small and seemed so fragile. A few baths later we got the hang of it and since Christopher is getting bigger it's much easier too. It is fun to see him enjoy his bath time and his reactions to the water. So here is a photo of Christopher just out of his bath, his smile was so adorable I just couldn't resist!

First Walks

On July 6th, Christopher took his first walk in the neighborhood. Since then, we have been taking daily walks, sometimes with papa too. Christopher loves walks and the fresh air, he gets so relaxed the walk tends to make him fall asleep. When he's not sleeping he is looking around observing his new surroundings. Today (7/20) we took a walk with Christopher's friend Mya and her mom Jackie. Mya was born in March so she is 4 months old, just 2 months ahead of Christopher. I really liked the walk with a fellow mom and one of our close neighbors. Us moms look forward to getting together more often for walks and sharing thoughts and ideas on raising our kids.

Christopher's New Swing

July 20, 2009, 2 months and 1 week old - Christopher was enjoying his new swing today. The best part about this swing is that it is a high chair too! Here is a video of mom trying to make Christopher laugh and a photo of papa and Christopher. You'll notice that Christopher makes great eye contact with both mom and dad. He is a super happy baby!

Visit with Dr. Tabsh

Christopher and I stepped out on the town today, we went to visit Dr. Tabsh who delivered Christopher. Dr. Tabsh is wonderful and caring and not to mention an excellent doctor. This sweet photo was taken today of Dr. Tabsh, Christopher and I. This is only our second outing together but little by little I am building my confidence. I even figured out how to fold and unfold the stroller and I'm becoming a pro at taking the car seat out of the car, go figure!

Happy Birthday Christopher (2 months old)!

July 13, 2009 - Happy 2 month old birthday Christopher! Christopher weighs 10 pounds, 2 ounces and measures 23 inches long. Compare that to his birth weight and length which was 6 pounds, 11.5 ounces and 19.75 inches long. We can hardly believe that the time has flown by so quickly! Two months ago we were in the hospital having Christopher and here we are now. I remember being so nervous to bring him home, this fragile tiny person that was mine now. One of the NICU nurses told us upon leaving the hospital with Christopher on June 1st (the day he came home) that she gave us 2 weeks and after that we would know our baby better than anyone. Well, she was right and little by little we are gaining confidence as parents. We are totally sleep deprived but it's all worth it. Christopher is very alert and has begun tracking with his eyes. In his second month, his smiles became more purposeful and he began to smile even bigger! I'll be feeding him in the wee hours of the morning and be so tired near tears only to have this beautiful baby boy give me the biggest grin you've ever seen - I truly love these moments.

So this is my first blog and my first blog entry. Our first baby seemed the perfect opportunity to create a site where our friends and family could get periodic updates on our sweet baby boy.

We welcomed the newest addition to our family, Christopher Greig on May 13, 2009 with much love, excitement and anticipation. I was nervous about the birth process and a little scared I must admit but the minute I heard his cry, all of that really did not matter anymore. Derek and I were both filled with emotion and love for our baby, a feeling neither of us will ever forget. Christopher had beautiful coloring, blue eyes, a full head of dark hair, long arms, legs, fingers and toes - he was in a word 'perfect'. He was our little miracle.

During the pregnancy we found out that Christopher had a complication called an omphalocele. We had never heard of this before and we were scared at what might lie ahead. We wanted this baby more than anything and were determined to arm ourselves with as much information as possible. We had an amnio done and were followed very closely by a wonderful team of doctors. Christopher's omphalocele contained his liver and thankfully he had no other issues or complications associated with the 'O' as we call it. During the pregnancy, an online Yahoo group called Mothers of Omphaloceles was an invaluable support system. We cannot imagine what it would have been like to go through everything without the support of this group.

Christopher was expected to spend 4-6 weeks in the NICU but as miracles would have it, he had surgery the very next day after his birth and went home after only 18 days! He is a healthy and happy baby with a fully repaired omphalocele. We are most grateful to the all the doctors and nurses that took care of us and Christopher. Christopher was strong from the very beginning and he was born a fighter.

We affectionately named our blog Christopher the Explorer. Christopher was named after my father and his middle name after our dear friend Greig McRitchie. Christopher Toledo sounded like an explorer (think Christopher Columbus) and since Derek and I love to travel, it was the right name for such a beautiful baby boy. St. Christopher is the patron saint of all travelers so this again was yet another reason we liked the name Christopher. We hope to travel with Christopher, show him the world and give him an appreciation and love for other cultures and countries.

We hope you tune in to updates on Christopher. There will be many exciting adventures and things that Christopher will be discovering! Thanks to everyone for your love and support.

With Gratitude,

Virginia & Derek (proud mama and papa to baby Christopher)