Frenchin'

Tonight my friend Maria and her daughter Claire came over for a visit. Claire is 10 1/2 months old and very frisky. She was smitten with Donovan and spent much of the time trying to open-mouth kiss him. We of course encouraged it and took pictures for future embarrassment usage. Poor Donovan had a very slobbery face by the end of the make out session. Oh young love!

The perpetrator.

"Oooh, he looks cute."

"Hold still."

"I'm coming in"

"Maybe I'll take it slow, how about a kiss on the head."

"Ok, that went well, how about a cheek now."

"Let's cut the crap, it's frenchin' time!"

Laid back

Maxin' and relaxin' after a good meal.

Bath giggles

This is a video from tonight's bath when Tom got Donovan giggling. He loves his dada.

6 months old!

(This picture makes me laugh, it looks like we said "Ok Donovan, do your impression of an arrow")

Happy birthday to Dono, Happy birthday to Dono! Donovan was such a good 6 month old today, he slept though the night, from 9:15pm to 5:45am without even crying (which is unusual) and then slept again from 6:15am-9:15am after eating. Then when I went to go get him up he was just playing with his feet happy as could be. Here are the pictures I snapped of him this morning before I got my big 6 month old out of bed.

Our doctor's appointment is next week so we will have to wait for a few more days before we know all of Donovan's stats and how the doctor thinks he is doing but we think he is doing awesome! We are still working on the sitting. He is getting better but still needs spotting and still really has no interest in it, he would rather throw his body back so that he is laying so he can roll and reach his toys better. Oh well, he'll sit one of these days. He better do it soon though as his days in his little bath tub are numbered and we need him to sit to use the big one. He barely fits anymore but man does he still love it in there. Not much new to report. He is an expert roller, and still tries to put everything in his mouth. Recently he has decided that he wants to try to drink from mommy or daddy's cup. We have let him try some water from a plastic cup with minimal success but maximum fun/spillage. He swallows more air than water and his face looks scared the whole time, but he always goes back for more. I think we need to invest in some sippy cups and try those out. Donovan has now eaten, or at least tried, every stage 1 food they have on the market (all 10 of them). In a shocking turn of events tonight, we re-tried bananas and he likes them! Ate them all up without even one yucky face. So we are chalking the initial reaction to it being the first fruit or veggie that he tried and he was just not used to it. In other food news Donovan is proven once again that he is definitely my child as he has inherited by anti-peas DNA. Tom said yesterday he ate a few bites of them and then refused to even open his mouth. I love it. We have started giving him two meals a day and so far it seems to be working out. The doctor might have other ideas for us next week, but until then, we will continue with our 2 solid meals a day schedule.

Donovan is experimenting with different sounds that he can make with his mouth. He blows raspberries, blows out air when his mouth is on different things, and does one noise that I think could land him a roll in a horror film. He breathes in really slow like he is having trouble breathing or like something is strangling him but you look at him and he is fine, he is just listening to himself make a weird noise. Creepy really. He also has become really interested in trying to grab Petey, but Petey is having none of it. Petey mostly stays out of arms reach. Which means, if you see Petey near Donovan, Donovan has spit up and Petey is on clean up duty. Dogs are so gross.

Anyways here are some pictures we took tonight. Enjoy!

This is my usual view of Donovan during diaper changes now. Consequently, it is also how I get to put many of his diapers on. He likes to make every diaper change a physical challenge.



Tom and I decided to experiment with Donovan's fuzz and some hair gel. Here was the result. We will have to try again in a few months. Not much to play with.

Spikes!

Baby Mohawk.

Some naked baby mohawk picutures.



When Donovan takes a bath he crabs if you do not let him chew on the water bucket when we are done using it. It makes me laugh because it always looks like he is REALLY thirsty.




This has been the best half year of my life, thank you Donovan! I love you!

Pumpkin patch day

Today we took Donovan to his very first experience at the pumpkin patch. Tom and I have gone to Stuckmeyer's pumpkin patch for the last three years and could not wait to take Donovan there this year. Today was the last day of my dad's week vacation visiting us, and my sister tagged along for the festivities as well. It was a cold day, but I think we all had fun. We are already looking forward to next year!

Donovan and his Grandpa B. Thanks for hanging out with us this past week Grandpa B!


Standing in front of the wagon, a tradition.

Tom and I have both gotten our pictures taken in these character cut-outs so of course Donovan had to do it as well. He looks so silly.


Dono sitting like a big boy in the pumpkins.

Don't worry, this is what it looked like when you zoom out. He had two spotters.



Jenna and Donovan snuggled in a blanket while waiting for us to pack all our goodies up in the car. Too cute.


And last but not least, when this family does an out-take, we really do an out-take.

Technology baby

In these past few weeks it has become increasingly obvious that we have a lover of all things electronic in our little man. He loves cell phones and is enthralled every time you open one up around him. Talk on it, text on it, just hold it out really, he doesn't care what you do with it, he loves it all. He would prefer if you let him try to do it but since his texting really just consists of him licking the screen, it doesn't work out so well.

He also loves the laptop computer. He puts his little hands on the keyboard and mouse and just hits away. Today he managed to somehow change the background of our computer and typed "C" in the search field. I think he was trying to search for "Christmas gifts for mommy" but then realized he didn't want to spoil the surprise. His interest in the computer really comes in handy as I use it to help him practice his sitting since he really has no interest in it otherwise unless there is something that is distracting him. Unfortunately for me, the computer is also a distractor when I am using it while he is eating. I usually try to catch up on my interneting while he is eating, however recently he eats for a little while, then pops off and turns his head 180 degrees so that he can stare at the computer screen for a few seconds. Then when he tires of that he turns back over for a few more drinks, then back off and looking at the computer. This usually goes on until I either turn the computer off (at which time he usually watches the TV) or he gets his fill of the computer and begins to eat again. The funny thing is when he is looking at the computer, if I try to turn his head back to me and make him realize that we are in the middle of eating, he resists so strongly that I barely even budge his head at all. All I can do is giggle at him and his stubborn self.

Donovan also would like to eat/play with remote controls just to round out his technology obsession. Here is to hoping we are raising the next Bill Gates!

"Do you mind? I've got to get online and check my portfolio."

"Hmmm, what should I put for my status update?"

"To eat or email, that is the question."

Sleeping in my new hat

Yo ho ho and a bottle of milks

A few weeks ago I was perusing the dollar section at target and I ran across this pirate hat that I of course had to buy for Donovan. He wanted to wear it the other night with his Halloween jammies and his auntie Jenna. He is the cutest pirate any mom could wish for.

Well, we tried

The Cardinals played their third post-season game yesterday and since we were down 0-2 we thought that we needed to take matters into our own hands. Back in '06 when we won the world series, Tom had printed all of the head shots Cardinal's starting line up and cut them out and hung them on the wall around our tv. So this year after the first two losses, Jenna printed out the head shots again and brought them over so we could see if we could recreate the magic. Well anyone not living under a rock knows that it didn't work and yesterday we were eliminated from post-season. At least there is always next year. The faces are already taken down, but for a day, this is what it looked like.




Late in the game when we finally scored a run, we got a little hopeful and thought that maybe some rally caps might help. Again, we all know where that got us, but we had fun getting into the spirit anyways, even Donovan got into it!


P.S. You may notice that Tom is not in any of these pictures, he managed to acquire some tickets and was at the game.

Do you like seafood?

See food.

Greener Beaners and Prunes

Here are the pictures of Donovan eating green beans from the Chicago weekend, and some prunes from tonight. So far he has had bananas (hated them), green beans, apple sauce, pears, carrots and prunes. He likes everything other than the bananas and eats them all up like a good boy!

Ummm, Donovan, there seems to be a little something on your chin.

Gimme some more!

He likes to help us feed him sometimes. Like I said, such a good helper!



Happy prune eater.

Serious prune eater.

Daddy feeding time!