(from Grandma P's visit to Spring 2009)
September 16th, 2008
One set of grandparents leaves and 26 hours later Grandma P showed up for her visit. It was a short 2 day visit, but she got to see Anthony in all his glory: laughing, crying, crawling, standing, playing, and pooping. We finally got some pics of Anthony on Grandma P's lap (see link below). ....now its back to the routine....sorta. Anthony is still not sleeping through the night. He gets up 2 to 3 times each night. The first time (between midnight and 3am) is due to his coughing. Poor little guy still has a heavy hack going on after lying down for so long. We have the vaporizer cranked, but don't see any real improvement. We have a doctor's appointment on 9/25, so we'll see how it goes until then. He doesn't have much snot dripping at the moment. ......but all that could change with going back to day care this week. Speaking of day care, we'll most likely be switching to a new day care provider soon. Mommy's work schedule has been made more flexible and day care also needs to be more flexible. The current place Anthony goes to now is good, but goes by a preset monthly schedule. We need flexibility weekly and/or daily. More info in the coming days. We'll see if I can maintain more updates more often. More pics PS- You might have noticed some web site changes. Just some adjustments to make it more family oriented. I'll post all the other historical photos of Angela and I from 2003 forward ...as soon as I locate that darned backup disc.(....doh)
September 17th, 2008
I found that back up disc with pictures from waaaayyy back in 2003, 4,& 5 when Angela and I were dating dating. Its not the full collection. Its just the stuff I took the time to convert onto the web. I uploaded them to this site and linked them in the photos section. Someday I'll get around to putting up more historical stuff. Just go to the photos section and scroll way down to see some old stuff....IF you've interested. Warning: navigation within those old photos is a bit different than current photo sets. OH.....and guess what? I'm not gunna tell ya in full, but here's a clue: ...all I want for Christmas is my two front.......
September 25th, 2008
I need to get back to doing this blog more often. Anthony is growing and learning at a fast pace. He just had a normal physical today and got flying colors yet again. Anthony is only 10.7 months old, but is standing (and nearly walking) on his own. He can stand freely for a few seconds easily, but hasn't stood up freely yet. He's using his walker toy he got as a gift from some kind friend or family member. (sorry, I forgot who bought it for him). He likes crawling and pushing it, and walking and pushing it. Doc says he's 40% ahead for his age bracket on dexterity and strength. Anthony weighed in at 21.4 pounds and is now 29.5 inches tall. He' been hovering around that 21 pound mark for a while, but doc says he's just fine. Anthony has got yet another cold. This time it's an ear infection. The doc prescribed an antibiotic for the next 5 days. Poor kid. You wouldn't know he's sick by how energetic he is. He can be a feisty one. He can also be cuddley and give you kisses and hugs. Anthony also got his flu and meningitis shots today. Angela said the doc had to have someone else come in to help hold him down for the shots. (That's my boy.) ....Anthony is also getting to be very independent, especially with his food. He is more and more happier feeding himself lately. We figure to phase out his jar foods over the next few days while slowly increasing the solids so he can feed himself. Stay tuned for those photos. He's saying Momma and Dada more often in context now, but not much else. He's got some new sounds he makes, and it certainly seems like he has something important to tell us, but he hasn't put all the conversational pieces together yet. One thing thats cool is watching him soak up what we've telling him when we help him understand how to use a new toy or when we're reading to him. ..........From baby sponge to teenage sieve .how? why? Oh well. No new pics at the moment.
October 7th, 2008
So it's been what? ...about 12 days? ..and so much has happened from Anthony's point of view. Anthony's growing in so many ways. He'll 11 months old and pushing 30 inches tall and about 22 pounds, and is one helluva strong kid. He can struggle out of your lap like a pro. And he does a hella job jumping on Daddy's belly. He's grown big enough now where we are replacing his car seats. We bought a booster that minimally fits him for Daddy's car. And we ordered a convertible seat for Mommy's car. Overall Anthony is feeling well. His cough and cold have diminished quite a bit enough that we may not use the vaporizer tonight (yeah). Anthony has been doing very well at dinner eating more and more solid foods himself..and protesting being fed, much to Mommy and Daddy's chagrin. He eats chicken, red meat, veggies, fruits, and breads. We haven't fed him anything with nuts yet or seafood, but that's coming soon. With all this food has come the wonderful development of Anthony's two top front teeth!! He now has another reason to smile ...and show off (as you can see in this installment... photos). We figure his front top and bottoms will be fully in by his birthday (just 4 weeks away). Other developments are even more dramatic: Anthony has begun standing up on his own ...and even taking a few steps. He's been pulling himself up to standing for a while now, but quite recently started to let go and balance on his own. That's lasted a couple of weeks until the last four days when he started balancing with more confidence while attempting to stand on his own. On Saturday (10/4) he surprised us all and popped himself up to standing. Of course, each attempt got him more and more excited. Check out the photos for a cool vid clip. And just three days later Daddy was able to hurriedly capture his first real steps. Glad to have the camera always nearby and set on movie mode. .....all this success and new developments has gone to Anthony's head some. With all the independent actions comes the bratty arrogance. He's starting to get mad when we stop him from touching something he shouldn't have, or when he doesn't want to be held. The other day we had a bunch of friends over and they brought their kids for a fun play date. It was really fun and the people are all so nice. Anthony, however, started getting a little frustrated with all the hubbub and his toys being used. Mommy brought him to his other play area for a little refocusing and everything was fine again. He even handed one of his toys to his little baby girl friend in kindness. So at least we know he can be a gentleman. .....Anthony started at a new day care center this past Monday. We had to take him out of the other center for the following reasons: unexplained bruises, clothes dirty without explanation, naps not being enforced, and the fact that they were cited by the county for violations. We can't help but wonder if that day care center was the reason he was so sick for so long. We reported our own issues, but the place had already been cited before we called. The new center is absolutely wonderful. They are more attentive to the children and a lot more respectful. Mommy and Daddy feel A LOT better now. Next up is Anthony's FIRST BIRTHDAY!!!! We'll be having a party the Saturday before his actual birthday with all of Anthony's friends. Glamma is flying in from NY for the celebration. We've sad to report that Poppies will have to work and won't be able to make the trip. We'll miss you, Poppies. .....Next update soon (I hope). Until then enjoy some photos of all that I just talked about.
October 31st, 2008 (HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!
Gosh this kid is growing up fast. We haven't weighed him in a while, but last count (plus his appetite) puts him at around 24 pounds and still about 25.5 inches or so. His health is doing well. Anthony has had a cold, head cold, sniffles and stuff for about three months now. Switching day care providers has reduced his symptoms to sorta non existent, but he's still a little snot nosed kid (affectionately, of course). Anthony has got his front two top and bottom teeth in already...and what looks like two molars coming in top and bottom. They're just breaking the surface in two small spots just behind where his lower left canine would be and his upper right side. His gums are really swollen. He's become quite the little irritated baby because of it. He's been throwing some classic temper tantrums when he doesn't get his way. We'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say that his teething is pushing him over the edge. His eating habits are also starting to change: he is becoming more and more difficult to feed with a spoon. Or should I say: impossible to feed with a spoon. This kid wants his friggin' independence...now! We're letting him feed himself more and more (sans spoon), but we need to step in from time to time to make sure he gets the bulk he needs. Oh....and Anthony is NOT a vegetarian. He loves meat, no doubt. Carrots were his first real food, and now, his most hated. Go figure. Anthony has started to walk like a pro. He started out just a little wobbly, but now can walk a complete circle around the house and only fall once or twice. And with new skills comes new bruises. Anthony has fallen a couple times while walking with a toy in his hands, which produced some bruises on his nose and/or forehead. He's fine within minutes and the bruises fade within a day or two. Typical first time walker stuff. His favorite is to walk around with a hunk of apple taking little nibbles off of it all day long. (So cute). Anthony started showing some promise on talking early with some cool sounds and enunciations, but recently seems to be using the word "Da" for everything. We're spending more time with him pointing at things and sounding out their names. He looks like he gets it, and even tries once or twice to say the right word, but falls back to "Da". I assume an explosion of speech is close at hand. Glamma from NY is coming today!!! She arrives late this evening and will be with Anthony when he wakes up in the morning. He likes Glamma and will be happy to see her again. Poppies was unable to get away from work. Anthony is going to miss his Poppies. And of course we need to talk about thee big event: Anthony's first birthday!! We have a small party planned for 11/1 with family and friends coming for food, cake and presents. Can't wait to see Anthony digging in to a full piece of chocolate cake. 11/3 is his actual birthday. We'll just be hanging out at home for that day taking it easy. It's been such a trying year on the three of us that his actual birthday is more a day of reflection and comfort. And more cake, of course. We didn't do much on Halloween with Anthony. It was raining pretty hard, so no trick or treating. He'll have plenty more Halloweens for that. We did buy him a pirate shirt that he wore at day care yesterday. Which brings us to Mommy and Daddy...... A lot of you have asked about how the two of us have been holding up this hole past year and now in these hard times. Well...so far things haven't changed much. Our jobs are doing ok (for the moment). Our health is ok (for the moment). Or cars are in working order (for the moment). Our house....well...yes, its below the mortgage value. Isn't yours? Didn't our wonderful President Bush and Republican congress do a great job in the recent past removing the last few plugs of safety on the economy and make your lives one big worry? Isn't the current philosophy in our government a very sound one for the collective that is America? Didn't they promise peace and prosperity? Didn't they swear to uphold the constitution and provide or the general welfare "uh-oh"I can feel it my fingers... I can feel it my toes ...here it comes some good old fashion throw open the window, stick your head out ranting and raving......"I'M MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!"Those lousy stinking muther-$#@ sons-a-#$@@, God#@% friggin' twitching ##$$@ dumb-##$!er piss pot scum-##$$@er! And to make matters worse...as criminal as this whole situation IS they'll all going to get away with it. And we get to pay them for making it happen. Anyone out there that voted republican last time around better change your tune real friggin fast. Drop your ideologies on abortion, gays, guns and religion NOW!....You gotta vote on the economy, period. One candidate will give you the same policies and the people that created this current mess. The other will give you people that have been warning about our current problem for years. YOU figure which one that is .and do the right thing.please.....for your kids sake. ..So sad, isn't it? Two wars, horrible management in times of crisis, criminal behavior, lying to the public, record spending, record deficits, conscious ignorance of the truth, and just plane old nasty. That's what we've had for 8 straight years. A kid who was 10 in 2000 is now 18 and only knows the BS that's been going on, and now...a bleak future. (sigh).....enough. I'll stop. I'm tired and scared like everyone else. Anthony's in bed. Mommy's watching TV....and I've gotta go pick up Glamma at the airport. Tons of pictures, but a little lazy in posting them. Stay tuned for a slew of them coming soon.
November 2nd, 2008
Anthony had his first birthday party on Saturday, 11/1, and it was a great time. It was quite rainy out and people braved the winds to see Anthony smear himself with chocolate cake. Thank you to everyone that showed and made the day wonderful. We bought a medium size cake and did the dragon-like thingy at the last minute. Anthony was a bit freaked out at all the people and attention, but was all smiles for the Happy Birthday song. I only wish we had captured more pictures and videos. We missed a lot of the smiles on film. Anthony had a great time opening his presents. He got lots of clothes and some way cool toys including a riding toy that eluded Mommy and Daddy's purchasing attempts. Thank you everyone. The official cake mashing went well. Anthony took to it slowly, but soon enjoyed a big hunk-o-cake. Afterwards we brought him (and the entire chair) into the shower for a quick hose down. Here are some pictures of the day. ....and speaking of pictures. I promised a slew of pics. Here are some from the days just prior to his party. Anthony didn't do much on Halloween. We thought about buying him an outfit, but our schedule didn't put us anywhere to wear it, and we only had handful of visitors. As Anthony grows I'm quite sure we'll all be in to Halloween big time. The day after Anthony's birthday party was mellow with Glamma taking time to play with him and even going to the ice cream parlor. Grandpa A came over in the evening to bum some computer work and to say hi to Anthony. We had a bit of an episode earlier in the day trying on the hat Poppies sent to Anthony, but it looked cuter in the end. Here are the pics of all the fun. Videos are available for the past couple weeks, but its late and I'll get those up soon. Enjoy the pics. Ciao.
December 1st, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!! Well, belated, anyway. This was Anthony's second Thanksgiving. The first one was a milk only menu, but this time around Anthony got to enjoy the entire dinner until he was stuffed. Well,.... he did enjoy the turkey n stuff, but we had to switch to his jarred food as feeding himself doesn't give him the bulk he needs. The jarred food we buy is made for toddlers and has some significantly sized chunks of food for Anthony to chew. (Daddy even sneaked one for himself as a snack once.) Anthony has been doing really well with eating in general, but that's recently. For the past few weeks Anthony has had some serious mouth pain with his new teeth coming in. He's got three (maybe four) teeth coming in around his front teeth. Poor kid. We all went through it. We give him a half dose of childrens Tylenol on the bad nights. For the past two days he's not been eating as much, not sleeping well, and acting very cranky. We've tried distracting him, but in those moods more distraction means more frustration for him. Our car and stroller rides are a bit shorter too. ... Health wise Anthony is doing very very well. He hasn't been sick since leaving the Magic Place Day Care. I think I mentioned before that they were cited by the county just days before we took Anthony out of there. His current day care is fantastic. There are 7 other kids there that Anthony plays with and has fun. He has so much fun that he sometimes doesn't want to leave. We pick him up and he wants us to stay, so he can show us all the toys and what he likes to do. Its given us some great xmas present ideas for him. Anthony's chest scar is getting better. If it wasn't for the second operation the scar would have been fully healed by now. But the second operation was a biggy, and he's got the scar to show for it. If you touch it you can feel the ridge of bone that's been created on his sternum from the bones refusing. And we think we can feel a bit of the metal wire used to hold his chest cavity together. Docs said that they will dissolve over time and we may be able to feel them from time to time. .....kinda creepy. It should smooth out more as he grows. (It's hard to believe what took place this entire past year.) Thanksgiving was originally for celebrating the harvest. Canadians do it closer to August (the real harvest month). But I'd like to just give thanks for having Anthony as healthy, happy and as strong as he is. He's started to give people hugs and kisses. He's so sweet. ...... Anthony is walking a great deal and keeps his balance very well. Inclines were difficult last week, but easy to navigate this week. In fact, when he gets going he can move pretty darn fast. .... I'm going to forego the height and weight checks in this update as Anthony has a full checkup coming late this week. He doesn't have a Cardiologist visit until his second birthday, and that should only be a quick visit given how well he's been doing. .... Anthony is jabbering quite a bit lately, and is on the verge of fully formed words. He can almost say the following: ball, dog, mommy, daddy, up, down, on, off, and apple. For other words he understands concept, but can't say the word like tree, leaf, etc. ..... Dexterity wise Anthony is also doing very well. He's putting less things in his mouth and exploring them with his hands. He's begun to understand the functionality of his toys, and knows how to entertain himself. He knows which buttons produce songs that he likes to dance to. He'll sometimes keep hitting them, dancing and looking for us to notice. Its so cute. How he plays with his toys and the focus he applies is our responsibility to create and foster. All these toys that we never had when we were kids very much resemble the technologies that older generations find hard to embrace/understand. And from that perspective, hence measurement, some find it hard to measure the affects of "smart toys". But Anthony will be a part of a technological world that will be more akin to these all in one toys. Its up to us as parents to guide him as to the proper use of these toys and how the rest of the world relates to them. Only through a parent's interaction can a child begin to truly see where contextual reality exists and where creativity can take over. Toys have gotten much better at teaching context. Its parents that have failed over the years to keep up with how these toys achieve context, and therefore fail to teach a child how best creativity can become a strong asset, or even HOW creativity can be an asset. Studies on both sides of this topic show both sides to have relevant opinions. Which means.....as I've already stated, that its up to the parents to show a child how toys get played with and how creativity can be used. If you let these toys be "babysitters" then you are not using them properly. If you play with them with your child you gain the benefit of teaching focus and creativity. Those that have actually raised children understand what I'm saying. .... And speaking of toys.... Anthony is busy creating his holiday wish list for Santa. And speaking of Santa.... Anthony will be meeting Santa for the first time on 12/13 at a company sponsored family party. Although, Daddy may dress up as Santa sooner to judge Anthony's reaction. (Yes, I have my own Santa suit.) Last year Christmas was just a blur to little 2 month old Anthony. But now....its a whole new ball game. Let the consumerism that is inborn to all humans across all cultures live on!!!!!! (seriously same one culture that didn't abide by supply & demand / barter & trade.).......Lots and lots of pictures have been piliing up. (lazy is as lazy does). Here's some shots from Glamma last couple days of visiting. Here's some random stuff. Here are Thanksgiving photos (although not many were taken). And lastly.here's Anthony in his first sports setting. Ciao.
December 22nd, 2008
Happy almost Christmas!!!! Tis the season for teething pain, head colds, sleepness nights and family visits. Let's start with teething. Anthony has been averaging one new tooth each week or so for the past 7 weeks or so. He's got his front four almost all the way in plus two molars. He's also got both canines starting as of this past week. The pain he's going through is ceratinly keeping him up at night, but there are other pains. I don't know if you all remember your growing pains, but I sure do. It feels kinda flu-like with achy joints and muscle stiffness. Very annoying feeling. Anthony's growth spurts are about two weeks apart-ish. Health wise Anthony is doing about average for a baby. He enjoyed a whole month without a cold before getting hit hard with a doozy of a cold that produced a ton of snot. Two nights ago was his first night without coughing fits. He's still got some sniffles, but is feeling much better. ...........Which brings me to sleepless nights. We've had a lot of them. Poor Anthony's nights are iffy. Lately he's had some trouble falling asleep. Middle of night wake ups are a little common as of late too. Tonight he seems to be doing alright. ...... Anthony has had some new family members pass through the house lately. First up was Anthony's Grand Uncle Dom (Granpa A's brother). Uncle Dom had a great time with Anthony goofing around and helping with dinner. Unfortunately it was only one night, but Anthony was missing him when he left anyway (see the pics via the link at the bottom of this update). That same day is when Uncle David showed up for a week long visit (Mommy's brother). David was going through a pretty extensive interview process and was busy most of the time, but he found a few moments to play with and get to know Anthony. Coming the week of 12/22 is even more family that Anthony gets to meet. He l see for the first time his Grand Aunt Bobbi and cousins Mark, Lucas, Melanie and Alec. There will be lots of pictures to be taken. ..... Talking is slowly progressing. Just this week Anthony began saying his L's with a bit more clarity. He tries really hard to understand and say words especially if you slow down and help him sound it out. But he can't really say the word. He's still not quite there, but with his intent soon will come audible progress. He really is doing great. He's started saying uh-oh whenever he drops something. How cute. Walking is becoming no big deal at this point. He's still a little wobbley, but catches his balance really well. Anthony had his first altercation a couple weeks back with his best friend at day care, Jameson. It was over a new toy and Jameson was using it and Anthony wanted it, so there in lies the conflict. No biggy, but Jameson was a little too rough and pushed Anthony in the face causing a nasty scratch that took a few days to heal. Jameson did say he was sorry (he's 2 yrs old), and things are fine now. The first of many such situations were quite sure. ...... Anthony had his first visit with Santa on 12/13. Daddys work hosted a childrens Christmas party with music, dance, face painting, free toys, and ....Santa. Unfortunately it was just a 2.5 hour event and Anthony wound up napping through the whole first half. But he got to sit on Santa's lap and got a cool toy from Santa too. Its a toy drum that is made of wooden blocks that can be taken apart and put back together. Anthony had fun and enjoyed meeting all the people. We're almost done with our xmas shopping. Today should be our last trip. Thank you to everyone that sent us xmas cards this year. We've been a bit busy to really get going with them. We'll be sending some out soon, but mainly to the immediate family. Our Christmas tree this year is a bunch shorter than years past. We didn't want too big of a tree due to Anthony's play areas getting crowded out. And we kept the bulbs to a minimum just in case. Anthony has gone for the tree and lights as expected, but he'll been pretty good about being gentle with it. That's it for this installment. Ill be posting a couple more times before the end of the year. Click here to see the pictures mentioned above plus some more.
December 28th, 2008
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! As our last couple picture updates have shown, Anthony is having a wonderful holiday. Lots of family visits and (of course) ....lots of presents. Face it folks.....you just can't stop kids from wanting toys, especially in the atmosphere of advertising that we live in. Again, I ask, name one culture anywhere at anytime in history that hasn't adhered to supply & demand and barter & trade. A consumer economy is what we are, 'nuff said. .......I've gotten some questions as to why Anthony isn't smiling as much in some of the photos. Well, two main reasons: 1) he's been a bit overwhelmed by all the new faces, and 2) he still doesn't quite understand all the fuss (trees, lights, food, people, music, dancing, etc). As the videos show......he's a bit stunned. BUT....rest assured that inbetween pictures Anthony is having a great time with his new toys and laughing a lot with silly Daddy and Mommy. (His chest scar is ticklish.) ....... This past saturday was a big day as we had Aunty Bobbi, cousins Mark and Melanie, Grandpa A and Mara and Roland on hand to help celebrate the holidays. ...... So far Anthony's favorite new toys are his drawing pad, his books, new trucks and guitar. He's drawing all the time. Something we really want to encourage. This week Anthony gets back to his routine somewhat. Tomorrow we're going to drop Anthony back to day care, so he can play with all his friends and be social with other kids. He's been hanging around us old fart adults for the past five days. Daddy will be taking the day off to handle a bunch of errands, while Mommy goes back to work. We have another long weekend next weekend, so Anthony will have to put up with us some more. :) Happy Holidays Everyone!!!! ...... Here's a link to more photos and vids of all the fun. And of course the photos from Xmas!
January 6th, 2009
Happy New Year!!!! .....and it starts with a cold. Anthony woke up News Years Day with a cough and sniffles. He had a low grade fever too, but doing well other wise. As of today its turned into a classic head cold. (poor kid) The night time vaporizor was retired for all of just one week. Oh well, that's the way the snot runs. This past new year's day we Amatos found ourselves sticking close to home. It was too cold outside for little Anthony, so we spent the day running around the house and reading books. Anthony loves to sit in our laps while we read him his books. Daddy especially has been waiting for Anthony to reach this stage. Too darned cute. Anthony is talking up a storm. Each time I whip out the video camera he shuts right up. Go figure. I'll snag him on tape one of these moments. Mommy and Daddy are so happy 2008 is over. For the three of us it was a really trying year. Anthony may or may not be affected from his hospital stays. No one can know for sure, but Mommy and Daddy sure do remember. It'll probably be on our minds for quite a bit longer. We are so grateful to have Anthony in our lives. To think that he was as close to death as he was still is a shuddering thought. As of today Anthony is back at day care and enjoying his friends. He's a very social baby with other kids, while being shy around adults. The sunny wreather is returning this week, so we'll get him outside to enjoy the fresh air. .......... Here's to hoping that 2009 will be a better year!!!!! No photos for this update, but they are building up for the next update. .... Didjya catch baby new year?
January 13th, 2009
Sick and Sickerer. That's us three right now. First Anthony got hit with a 101 temp second day of the year, now Mommy has a really bad sinus infection. Daddy had the same thing last week pretty bad, but didn't go to the Doctor like Mommy did, and now he's feeling worse. We figure another 5 days or so until we're all three healthy happy humans again. .......Meanwhile...... Didjya happen to notice the LiveCam link in the menu to the left? Daddy found a way to stream live video from both his and Mommy's phones. Let me preface that by saying that I bought myself and Angela new Blackberry phones and have been finding ways to link them in to almost every aspect of our lives. Not that we use them that way, but its kinda fun to get back to my geek roots and "play" with technology. I found a web site that offers video streaming for free and a method to hook it into our blog. Its one way only. So no conversations. Not sure how we're going to use it just yet, but I'm sure a need will crop up soon. When it does I will announce it here in the blog first with dates and times. So far, what you might see (if anything) is just playing around and testing. So stay tuned. ....Superbowl time is coming again. We'll be hosting our annual Superbowl party this year. This will be the 18th time we've hosted, and Anthony's second. Over the years we've had minimum to maximum turn out, but it's always lots of food and fun. This weekend though is a BIG game. Steelers vs Ravens. Daddy's Aunt Tish in Baltimore thinks the Ravens will win. We shall soon see. GO STEELERS!!!! In the meantime....here are some random photos from last year....and... some new ones from this year.
January 18th, 2009
Pittsburgh wins the AFC Championship!!!!!!!!!!!!........Go Steelers!!!
February 8th, 2009
How 'bout them Steelers, eh?!!!!!! Six superbowls. Being a big fan myself it was a great game to watch with suspense, excitement and exhileration. It was Anthony's second Superbowl and was completely different than his first. Anthony now knows what football is and can almost say it. He recognizes when football is on and points to the TV and says "ootbaa". He wore his Steeler jersey for every televised game, which was often enough that he would see any other game on TV and start tugging on his shirt while saying "ootbbaa". And he knows that his jersey matches the players on the screen. (Only his home jersey fits him now. Daddy needs to buy a new jersey for him.) The Superbowl party we threw was fun for him, being the ham that he can be. During that interception run back he was arm pumping and whooping with the rest of us. And when Bruce Springsteen was playing Anthony was hamming it up by dancing and doing some headbanging moves in front of the speakers. So very cute. ............. Anthony is doing very well lately. He had a bit of a lull in his eating habits, but is now eating bigger meals with more veggies. Grapes are another big thing lately. Also, we no longer feed him. He is quite content feeding himself. We don't mind at all. He's also started using a baby fork and spoon fairly well. Although, its still a bit of a toy after the first couple attempts. Anthony has also hit a bit of a lull in the growth area too, but has picked up speed on the teething with two molars half way in. Daddy brushes his teeth as part of his nightly shower. First Anthony uses his own little brush, then Daddy gets in there with a better baby brush. The toothpaste tastes like berries, banannas, and apples. ....... At last update all three of us were sick. As of today Anthony has some minor sniffles. Mommy has got the same. And Daddy is still sick with a cough and clogged up chest. The entire month of january was spent being sick for us. ........ Work life for Mommy and Daddy is about the same, but Daddy's job is starting to take up more time. (I fully believe spending time with Anthony is extremely important and I'm doing my best to make sure he has as much time as I can possibly give him.) ....... Anthony hasn't grown much. He's still about 25 pounds and about 26 inches. We expect a growth spurt any moment now based on his new appetite. Anthony is turning into a real social baby. He loves playing with other kids. Sometimes he pushes the envelope a bit too much and needs to be given a time out. He gets about two a day at day care for pushing, or other personal space issues. Its all in the normal range we're told and he adjusts well even hugging the other kids to say he's sorry. He really is a very affectionate little boy. At home he behaves very well. He occasionaly pushes the boundries, but listens well in the long run. He loves to help, which is good news for Daddy. Today we had to cut up boxes for recycling and Anthony helped pick up all the pieces on the ground, which gave Daddy's back a rest. We rewarded him by taking him to two different parks to play. ..... We're currently working on buying tickets to fly back east to visit Glamma, Poppies and the rest of the clan. For Anthony it will be an Alice in Wonderland trip. For Mommy and Daddy it will be something verrrrry different. ....... That's it for now. Here's some parting pics.
February 14th, 2009
Happy Valentine's Day!!! It's been rainy and cold all week long, and will continue for a while longer (good thing too, as we're getting close to a dought out here and need the rain). It cleared up just enough today to take Anthony out for some fresh air. We decided to head down to the water and give him a chance to see the ocean. ......well, the Bay anyway. He fell asleep in the car on the way there, but woke up in time to run around and have some fun. He stood and let the water lap at his shoes, played in the stoney beach, and ran around on the grass. Tonight Mommy and Daddy are cooking up some filet mignon's for dinner with some pudding and strawberry's for desert. We hope your Valentine's Day is turning out ok. There's a lot of bad news happening out there. Keep smiling all you can. ............ Here's some photos of the our day.
February 22nd, 2009
Happy Birthday, Mommy!!! This past week was Mommy's birthday. She wanted it low key and a day of relaxation. ...I think she got what she asked for: mani, pedi, hot bath, and lots of Anthony-hugs. ............ Beyond that things are back to normal again, that is: Daddy's sick again with an ear infection, Mommy's feeling better, and Anthony's got the sniffles and something new......pink eye. It showed up on Friday (2/20) morning and got worse as the day went on. Mommy brought him to the doctor and picked up some prescription eye drops. So, for the next five days (3x per day) we get to piss Anhtony off by holding him down and filling his eyes with fluid. Poor baby. Put after just a day and a half into it there's a big improvement. And Anthony is feeling much better. ............ Anthony's growing up fast. He's started using words and context. The cutest example is watching him eat something a little hot as he says "haut" and starts to blow on his food. Such a cutie. Here's some pics of the last few days.
March 2nd, 2009
Daddy's stressed. Waaayyy too much work going on, so taking time to update this site is something that probably could wait, but it makes me feel a whole lot better, .......because I get to look at lots of pictures of Anthony. :) ..........I also got to do something new for the site. I noticed that Anthony's art collection was getting large enough to need a storage place. So I began scanning them in to presere them electronicaly (just in case). Copying them to the site was a simple process from there. So, click on the 'Anthony's Museum' button in the menu and enjoy the many fine art works of Little Anthony. There's also some new pictures. Talk to ya later.
March 14th, 2009
Here we go again. Last Sunday Daddy woke up with a very bad flu: chills, 100 degree temp, and a headache. He wound up staying home from work for two days, while taking umpteen medications and still trying to work. He's doing better now, but still has a plugged ear and stuffed sinuses. Anthony got hit too. First off he's had fluid in his ear for a couple weeks now, and we've been treating it with baby-Motrin. The doc finally prescribed antibiotics that he has to take for the next 7 days. In the middle of that Anthony got a fever too. He was at 101 degrees just yesterday, but is down a full point today. Hopefully he doesn't have to experience what Daddy has, because it is not fun at all. On the other hand, Mommy is doing fine. She's holding both of us up right now. ......... Anthony had a regular doctor's visit over a week ago, which included his MMR vaccine shots. He weighed in at 23 pounds 11 ounces, and measured 32 1/2 inches with a head circumference of 18 1/4 inches. He's getting taller, but not putting on the pounds, which is about normal. He's still developing fine and starting to say words and phrases to the best of his ability. This morning he told Mommy "anch oouu", which can only be interpreted as a 'thank you'. He answers yes/no questions fairly well with either a head node or trying to say the words. Anthony felt well enough this afternoon to go out for a bit and try and fly his kite. Daddy and he tried last week, but the wind wasn't strong enough. Today was just about right. He had a ball. He laughed the entire time. There's plenty other stuff going on, but that will wait till next update. In the meantime....here's some new pics....and some art work. Ciao. March 29th, 2009
About a year ago we were all just starting in on Anthony's second hospital stay. Daddy and Mommy still can't shake it. In the meantime... Anthony has been doing very very well. Last month he had some fluid in his ears which were treated with baby Motrin and antibiotics. He seems to be fine now although we are still watching it. His appetite has gone through the roof lately. Could be another growth spurt, or the fact that he's playing outside more. Either way, he's a growing boy. He's also just starting to get his canine teeth in. His upper left is poking through, so naturally he's having some problems sleeping at night, but not too bad. .......He's becoming more interactive day by day. He's talking with us now in baby speak, but has no problem getting his message/point across. He's certainly the communicator. ......... A quick note about Mommy and Daddy: Mommy is doing well. Her job is going well and she's getting more sleep. If you're on Facebook at all, then you'd know more than I would on how she's doing. Once Anthony goes to bed she's sucked in to that site. Do me a favor and send a Facebook message to her to go and relax with her husband. ;) Speaking of which, Daddy has been doing about the same. His back is still hurting even though he does his physical therapy, takes pain pills and goes to the doctor. He's also had some fluid in his ears that only now seems to be clearing. Daddy's job is getting tougher as a career challenge, but going well. (about as well as Dilbert-Land could go.) ........ Grandpa-A bought Anthony a HotWheels set for his first Christmas. Daddy brought it out one day to see how Anthony would play with it. Anthony was scared at first as the set has a motorized unit to make the cars go. After a while Anthony got better with it, but then wound up getting his fingers smashed by the fast moving cars a bunch, followed by getting his fingers caught in the mechanisms. But he still had some fun. We'll reintroduce it to him again in the near future. ......... Anthony is having lots of fun lately playing outside. He loves the jungle gyms at the park, and is getting quite fast and agile in his play. He's also a climber. He climbs on everything: his high-chair, the couch, the futon, all chairs, etc etc....We're going to have to watch him even closer now. ........ Daddy's company held a children's picnic this past weekend where Anthony got to make crafts, have his picture taken with the Easter Bunny and participate in the Egg Hunt. He had a blast. Afterwards we came home and put his new BigWheel together. His cousins from Syracuse bought him a BigWheel last year. Now, he's still too small to reach the peddles, but big enough to scoot along Flintstones style. Here are some photos and video of the Egg Hunt and the BigWheel. ........Today Anthony went to see his friend Georgia enjoy her first birthday party. Anthony was more interested in the rest of the park, but he interacted with the other kids some. Here are some photos from the day. .........Lastly, for this update, here are some old photos sent to us from Anthony's day care center. There were a bunch, but we just posted the ones with Anthony in them, of course. .........Enjoy, until next time. Ciao.
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