I’m back after a brief hiatus.  Mommy and Daddy took a much needed break from life and escaped up to Manchester/Bromley Vermont for some rest and relaxation while I was spoiled rotten by Grandma and Grandpa.  I honestly didn’t miss a beat with mom and dad gone but I did have big smiles for them when they returned.  While they were gone, I hit another big milestone….I turned 15 months old.  Monday afternoon, Mommy and I went to the doctor for my check up and things are going great although I didn’t want to be there in the slightest.  I cried from the moment I went into the examination room until I left.  Mom would like to think it was because it was close to nap time but I think I remembered being there weeks before when I was sick.  Either way, I was not a happy camper.  The nurse, however, was very patient as I wiggled all over the table while she tried to measure and weigh me.  In the end, she got what she needed.  I grew an inch since my last visit and am now 31 1/4 inches long and 22 lbs 8 oz.  Still on the lean side but all healthy and normal.  I’m not walking yet but I’m talking up a storm.  I have about 8 words now:  ma, da/daddy, pa, car, street (for Sesame Street), down, train, and ter ter (computer).  I am making strides towards walking but I’m not quite comfortable with it yet.  I’m starting to stand by myself without holding onto things so I’m confident a few steps will be happening in the coming weeks.  I am sure Mommy is tired of lugging me around all day and will welcome my ability to walk on my own.  I am however, going to make her wait just a little bit longer……

Saturday night was the start of the major ‘blizzard’.  Well…. for us in Westchester it was a lot of buzz about nothing.  We did get some snow but certainly not the one to two feet as predicted.  Mom and Dad were so excited for a big snowfall so I could crawl and flop in the white powdery stuff once daylight approached.  When it was all said and done, there was enough snow though for me to put on my new snowsuit, hat and gloves and check out the six inches of white powdery stuff that was on the lawn.  After being bundled up so snuggly, Dad sat me on a pile of snow.  I didn’t really know what to make of it.  I just sat there and sat there….and…sat there.  I couldn’t move.  I felt the cool wet snow beneath me but I didn’t know how to get up.  I didn’t even try to roll over or do much of anything.  I was actually quite stunned.  I was also extremely mystified by the whole situation but thought it was interesting.  I just looked all over and had a little smile on my face.  I was thinking…this is different.  I might actually like this!   And it’s a good thing I seemed to enjoy the cold air and the snow because I am venturing on my first trip to Vermont next month.  It should be pretty interesting to say the least but what a better place than Manchester to get the real feel of winter.  I am still a couple of years away from skiing, much to Daddy’s chagrin, but I can roll around in the white fluffy stuff and go sledding which looks like lots and lots of fun.  I’m too young for hot chocolate but I am sure Mommy will have two warm cups ready for her and Daddy when we all come back inside.  Let the winter begin….

Yesterday, I had my very first haircut.  I am attending Daddy’s office family holiday party on Thursday so after lunch and a nap, Mom and I headed over to Snip Its in Scarsdale to be sure I will be looking my very best for the party.  Considering this was my first experience, I have to admit it wasn’t that bad.  Snip Its is dedicated to servicing kids so they knew just what they were getting when we came in.  Fortunately I didn’t have to wait and the lady took me right away.  I sat on a big chair, watched videos and played with toys while she wet my hair and started cutting.  I had a pretty serious face on at the beginning but midway through my cut I was curious as to what was going on around me so I started checking out the place.  This of course made things a little more challenging for the hairdresser but she went with the flow.  I was actually kind of enjoying the experience until the very end.  After 20 minutes or so, I wanted out of the chair and didn’t want the buzz cutter around my ears and neck.  I made that portion very challenging to say the least and that is when I started to cry.  But other than that it went very well.  When it was all over, I got a little prize and a certificate commemorating my first haircut along with a portion of my hair for mom to save.   All in all, I don’t think I’ll mind when I have to get another cut.

Well, it is December and I realize I haven’t been writing much lately so I’m going to try to do a better job.  My little life has been quite hectic lately and I’ve been on the move so much I haven’t had any time to sit down and write.  But it is a dreary afternoon so I figured now would be a great time to pull out the laptop and start filling in my loyal readers on ‘life in David land’.  All has been going well since my birthday.  I’ve been playing with oodles of new toys and dressing in the hottest of fashions thanks to all of mom and dad’s fabulous friends and our family.  I am definitely a candidate for ‘best dressed’ in school.  I also have started standing and pulling myself up on everything and anything but I am very cautious and must make sure the surface is stable enough to hold me.  I usually give it a few pats with my hand and make my assessment off of that.  If I think its good, up I go and I will stand there for quite awhile.  I am also getting so comfortable that I’m climbing onto the fireplace and even attempting to open the doors and go inside.  That is not making my mom happy in the slightest and she keeps pulling me off.  One of these days she is going to turn her head and I’m going to win.  Either that or when daddy is around, I’ll outsmart him and he’ll find me sitting there with my gummy grin.

Aside from learning to stand, I’m climbing on stairs as well.  I am having so much fun going up the three little steps between our living room and dining room.  Trouble is, I don’t know how to get down so poor mom is always tagging right behind me.  Yesterday, I got so adventurous that I climbed up half the stairs from our main level to the bedroom level.  I was breathing pretty hard but was determined to make it as far as I could.  Daddy couldn’t believe this amazing feat of mine so he made me show him when he came home from work.  I think my little legs and stamina blew him away.

One other new detail in my life is I finally got a tooth on the top.  Nearly two months ago, my bottom two teeth came in and it has been silent ever since.  I’m guessing my other front tooth should appear in the next week or two.  This is all so exciting.  Now, maybe I will be interested in trying some new food although, meatballs seem to be my favorite so far.  I definitely get that from mommy!

It has been almost three weeks since I transitioned from formula to milk and it has been quite an interesting ride.  Mom was worried that I would have trouble giving up my formula and bottle in exchange for milk in a sippy cup but I love it!  In fact, I think I love milk more than my formula.  Surprising since Daddy is lactose intolerant and mom doesn’t like milk except for her coffee and cereal.   The reality is if I could, I would drink milk all day long.  Forget food, forget water, I want milk.  And that is just what has happened over the last couple of weeks.  I want my milk and I’m screaming loud and long until someone gives in to my habit.  I’ve given up real meals and will nosh only on occasion (not that I was ever a stellar eater). I will do whatever it takes to get my milk even if it means having a tantrum, throwing food on the floor (and at mom) and swinging wildly til the food on the spoon splatters me, my high chair or the floor.  Mom has been getting utterly frustrated and I detected a few tears in her eyes the last couple of days.  I overheard her talking to Grandma saying I’m becoming abusive and combative when I eat.  I don’t know what that means but I think it is a bad thing.

By the middle of last week Mom finally caught on that I’m not going to give up my milk but yesterday I think she had enough and both Mom & Dad started to plot against me.  They seem to be practicing some tough love to make me kick my milk habit and return it to healthy levels.  Yesterday I was only allowed to have milk twice, once in the morning and once at night.  I screamed bloody murder for 20 minutes but no milk appeared so I finally gave up.  I guess there is some method to their madness (but don’t tell them that) because my belly has been hungry and I’m starting to open my mouth for some food since there is no milk in sight.  I think they think they can beat me at my own game but we’ll see.  I’m still testing this whole thing out.  Stay tuned to see how this all unfolds….

On November 5th, I celebrated my first birthday and with that milestone, came my 12 month checkup to see how I’m progressing.  According to the doctor, I’m a long, lean, fighting machine.  Weighing in at a light 20 lbs, 1 oz and 30 1/4 inches long, I may be small but I’ve got power.  For a little guy, I impressed the doctor with my strength when I fought back as he tried to look in my throat.  I didn’t mind the exam but when he wanted to look in my mouth  I had enough.  After checking me over, the doctor said I was doing just fine.  I may not be walking yet but I’ve got the power in my legs and by the time I go back for my next check up in February I should be taking my first few steps.  Mom should thank me for this late milestone as she won’t have to chase after me just yet.  I’m still not the best eater but I love my milk and water.  Mom was so worried about my transition from formula to milk but I didn’t blink an eye when she switched it on me.  I’ve even given up my bottle in favor of the sippy cup so as of last week our house has been pacifier, formula and bottle free.   Just wait til I have a sibling one day, I bet he or she will cling to those things and not give them up so easily.  Anyway, things are going along great for me and over the next few months, I’ll have more teeth and start talking.  I’ve been quite the chatter box for months now but I think it’s just about time for some real words other than “mamma’ and ‘dada’ and my occasional ‘car’ and ‘baby’.  Until then……

Friday night we tucked David into his crib and Darren sat down to finish up some things from work while I curled up under the covers to read the December issue of Parents magazine that arrived earlier in the week.  I am a big fan of the magazine and love their articles.  This month’s issue had an article on “Fever Fears” addressing concerns when fever strikes and providing advice on what to do other than panic.  I read the article knowing that the winter months are coming and it is inevitable that David would eventually catch something.  No sooner than I finished the article, we started hearing David cry from his crib.  This is highly unusual for him as he is a wonderful sleeper.  We went in and the little guy was burning up.  His face was flushed, his body extra warm.  I quickly pulled out the thermometer to see what was going on.  I prefer the rectal thermometer because it is a much more accurate reading and with a little guy, knowing just what your dealing with is most important to us as parents.  Less than 10 seconds later, there it was, a fever of 102 staring us in the face and a sad, unhappy, and glum little patient.  We took turns cuddling him on the rocker throughout the night providing as much comfort as we could until the tylenol worked its magic.  Darren and I each reread the article from earlier to be sure we were doing everything we could since it was the middle of the night.  By morning however, David’s fever was back up and we whisked him to the doctor.  Thank goodness for weekend hours!  After an hour of examination – ears, throat, nose, and urine, everything were ruled out and the doctor diagnosed him with a viral infection that needed to burn itself out.   She recommended alternating doses of infant Tylenol and Motrin to bring down his temperature which spiked to 104.5 at one point.  That number certainly rattled me and Darren but David was a real trooper and took it all like a little champ.  By the time bedtime approached his fever was at a more comfortable level (for us anyway) and he went to sleep.  This morning things were much better and he seems to be on the mend.

Fever rattles all parents so if you are first time parents like we are, you would find this article helpful and comforting.   I tried to find the link online but haven’t been able to locate it.  But I’ve summarized some highlights from Leslie Gross Klaff’s article for anyone that is interested:

• First response based on age:  call the doctor for anything above 100.4 for a child less than 3 months old.  Between 3 and 6 months, call the doctor for a fever of 101 or higher.  And if your child is older than 6 months you can safely wait until fever reaches 103.  If you are like me though, that was too high to wait for and we called sooner.
• Fever is a sign that something is wrong.  The body is fighting off an infection whether it is bacterial or viral.  Low grad fever with sneezing or coughing is generally a common cold where higher fever can mean the flu or H1N1.  Flu often strikes out of the blue and hits you like a ton of bricks.
• All children who have fever should be fever free for 24 hours without using fever reducing medicine or else they should stay home.   In my opinion, too many parents do not do this and it is very frustrating for those of us trying to keep our kids healthy.
• A fever with pain associated such as a sore throat, ear or difficulty urinating should also warrant an immediate call to the doctor.  Antibiotics might be required.
• Rush to the ER if your child experiences shortness of breath, cries inconsolably has difficulty walking or develops a rash.
• Call 911 if your child is blue or has a stiff neck or severe abdominal pain.
• Tips for cooling your child off:  a luke warm bath, cool compress and Tylenol or Motrin (if your child is old enough).
• Keep your child hydrated – water, ice pops, jell-o, pedialyte.

Wow!  I turned one year old on Thursday.  I can’t believe it!  Last year at this time I was a ball of mush but now I’m a little person.  It is amazing how much I’ve grown and how much I’ve learned to do over the past 12 months…sitting up, eating solid food, crawling, playing with toys, getting a couple of teeth and even starting to babble.  Pretty incredible I must say!

My first birthday was fabulous although I’m not exactly sure what all the hoopla was for but I’m guessing birthdays are a big deal.  My day started off bright and early at 5am when I decided to wake mommy up for old time sake.  You see, last year I decided to start my journey into the world around the same time so it was only appropriate I mark the one year anniversary of my entrance with a similar wake up time.  Mommy greeted me with a smile and the first of many “Happy Birthdays”.  We spent the day together playing and Daddy came home nice and early to help me celebrate.  Towards evening the rest of my family came over for dinner, cupcakes and presents.  I tore open the paper on all my gifts and I must say, I made out really well.  When all the unwrapping was finished I added some great things to my toy collection including a radio flyer, a crawling tunnel, puzzles, activity tables and much much more.  After presents, everyone sang this new song to me “Happy Birthday” and I blew out my first candle on my cupcake.  While everyone else ate theirs, I happily sat in my highchair and made a mushy mess of which not a single morsel made it to my mouth.  Oh well.  Maybe when I turn two I’ll gobble it up.  It sure looked yummy but I thought playing with it was a much better idea.

I want to thank my mommy and daddy and my grandparents and great grandparents for all their love and more importantly, for all the time we have spent together.  I’ve loved every minute of my first year and I’m so excited to start my second year.   Goodbye baby, hello toddler!

Today is David’s first birthday.  Wow!  A whole year has gone by.  It is hard to believe that one year ago today I woke up at 5am with the first signs of labor pains and six hours later our little man was on the scene.  It has been an incredible year for all of us and nothing has given Darren and me more joy than watching David grow, laugh and learn.  His first of two celebrations began on Monday at school where his classmates wished him a happy, happy birthday with munchkins and music.  Today for his actual birthday we will be celebrating with our families.  We are probably one of very few parents that have opted not to have a big hoopla for the first birthday but we felt a smaller, more intimate celebration was best for all of us.  Tomorrow, David will be ‘blogging’ all about his first birthday so check back here for more….