The Napolitanos

Leo 18 months pics

2010-03-07T10:53:00.002-07:00

Moving out and up!

2010-03-07T10:42:00.003-07:00

We spent February getting our house ready to sell. It was a lot of hard work, but it paid off! We got a firm offer on our home in just five days and are now under contract.

We have to move out of our home by March 30, so we started looking for a new home right away. We've found a beautiful 4-bedroom, 3 bathroom home in Murray, a suburb just south of Salt Lake City. It is on a quiet, dead end street just three minutes' walk from a nature reserve with the Jordan river, parks, and trails. We put an offer in yesterday and have our fingers crossed that all goes well.

Leo's 18 mo checkup

2010-03-07T10:39:00.003-07:00

Leo's last checkup went very well. He is in the 50th percentile for height, the 50th for head size, and 7th for weight. He's up to 23 lbs. now and back in the healthy range.

Leo's had persistent ear infections/fluid in the ears since December. We are taking him to a specialist on March 18 to determine if he will need to get tubes. Leo's speech is a little bit on the low end of the scale, but it may be related to his ear issues.

Otherwise, Leo is right on target in terms of health and development. He is still a happy, sweet boy most of the time, though he has learned to cross his arms and look sullen when he doesn't get his way.

Leo's latest checkup

2009-12-07T10:00:00.003-07:00

Leo had his 15-month appointment last week (even though he's technically 16 months). His latest stats are:

Weight: 21 lbs (15th percentile and back in the "healthy" range)
Height: 31.5 inches (50th percentile)
Head: 18.5 inches (50th percentile)

The doctor is very pleased with his development overall. He's ahead of the curve on fine motor skills, is right on track with language, and is a little slow on gross motor skills like walking. She mentioned that its pretty common for laid-back, relaxed babies like Leo to be a little slow developing gross motor skills, since they are generally content to be where they are and don't feel the need to zip around.

There was a little fluid in Leo's ears that threatened to go full ear infection, so we got some antibiotics just in case. Leo got six shots on this appointment--the four usual vaccinations for 15 months plus his boosters for flu and H1N1. I was concerned about it being a lot of shots at once, but our doctor talked me through the risks, which were very minimal, and in the end we did all six. He recovered quickly from the shots and was a little cranky for a couple of days. We weren't totally sure if it was the ears or the vaccinations, so we gave him the antibiotic just to be safe. He's fully recovered now and doing well.

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-11-30T10:31:00.005-07:00

Thanksgiving dinner was at our house this year so Mom and Dad came down from Ogden.
Before dinner, Dad and Mike introduced Leo to "carrier landings". As you'll see in the video, it requires sliding along a table on one's belly. The original version that Dad did in the Air Force was a drunken slip n' slide which involved dress uniform (preferably whites), a table soaked in beer or red wine, and stopping without using your hands before you slid off the table (like on an aircraft carrier--hence the name). Our version was a lot less messy, but still got a lot of laughs from everyone.

Dinner, featuring Dad's amazing smoked turkey, was delicious. Leo ate a bit of everything, and loved the garlic and artichoke dip that was our appetizer. He is constantly surprising me by how many foods--even strongly-flavored dishes--he likes! We got some video of pre- and post-dinner with Leo (see below). Leo decided that gravy could do double duty as a styling product, which explains the state of his hair.

Swinging and Dancing

2009-11-23T13:18:00.009-07:00

Here's two new videos.

1) Leo learned how to dance a couple of weeks ago. His signature moves are swaying side to side and sometimes doing "happy feet" (a quick run in place move). He'll dance to any music, but especially loves the songs from the "radio" on his playhouse.
2) "Swing Time" is from our trip to the park this weekend and includes Leo's first time solo on the swings.

Leo's first haircut

2009-11-23T12:38:00.012-07:00

Leo was starting to look a bit shaggy (see the "before" pic at top) so it was time to get his first haircut. We went to a place that specializes in kids' haircuts, where he got to sit in a seat shaped like an airplane and watch an Elmo DVD (and the other kids in the salon). He took it in stride--no tears, no fuss--and now he looks even more handsome!

Walking (almost) and talking (nearly)

2009-09-18T10:48:00.006-06:00

Leo has developed so much in just the last couple of weeks. Here's a summary of what he's been up to.

Walking: Leo "walks" very well when he's holding onto a push toy or somone's hands. He's still not sure about pushing away from support and standing/walking on his own.
Talking: Leo's started to mimic sounds and has a few new words in his repertoire. Just yesterday he said "book" very clearly while pointing to one. I forgot to get my keys out before loading up with baby, bag, etc. and said out loud at the door, "Mommy was dumb and forgot her keys." Leo looked right at me and said, "Dumb, ma ma." :o)
Eating: Leo's developed some interesting new food "likes" (like chai) and some usual ones (hot dogs).
Dressing: Leo helps me when I dress him by putting up his hands, feet, etc. He also attempts to brush his hair.

Leo's latest checkup

2009-08-26T12:02:00.005-06:00

Leo had his 12-month well child checkup yesterday. He is now

30.75 inches long (75th percentile)
19 lbs 3 oz (5th percentile).
His head is 18.1 inches (25th percentile).

The doctor said that Leo's weight has slightly slipped off of the "curve" to maintain for optimal health. However, Mike was a skinny kid and so were both of our Dads, so it may be genetic. We were instructed to keep doing what we are doing: let him eat pretty much everything (except nuts, peanuts, and any seafood until age 2--due to my shellfish allergy) and lots of it.
Other than a little fluid in his ears that we'll need to watch, he is otherwise perfectly normal in health and development. The doctor noted his good-natured acceptance of her examination and he recovered very quickly from his three immunizations with the help of a graham cracker and a snuggle from Mom.

Three new posts today!

2009-08-23T15:59:00.001-06:00

I uploaded three posts with pictures today--scroll down to see them all!

Leo in the morning

2009-08-23T15:56:00.003-06:00

Mike caught these pics of Leo about a month ago.

Chicago, my kind of town!

2009-08-23T15:37:00.002-06:00

Earlier this month, Leo and I traveled with my Mom to Chicago for a visit. We had a lot of fun hanging out with our family: Great Grandma Gert (aka Triple G); Uncle Dave and Aunt Marianne Schiavone; Brett, cousin Sarah, and Kate Hampson; cousin Mark Schiavone; and cousin Paul Schiavone and his girlfriend Katie. We stayed in a guest apartment at Triple G's retirement community, which was wonderful and gave us plenty of room and a kitchen. Highlights included a visit to a wonderful family-run Italian restaurant, a fun street party, and an Italian beef dinner at Dave and Marianne's. Leo was a very good traveller and tried lots of new foods including rigatoni, sausage, and Italian beef.

Out and about (Leo ages 9-12 months)

2009-08-23T14:55:00.002-06:00

These are a bunch of pics that we took on my cell phone that I thought I should put together.

The first three pics were taken in Home Depot when Leo was about 9 months old. He grabbed that piece of pipe and we ended up taking it home with us. Who needs toys when there are 35-cent pieces of pipe to be had instead?

The next shots were taken in mid-July in the Blue Plate Diner. We were there with my parents and Uncle Gerry. We were pretty cramped in a booth, so Leo had plenty of chances to try to grab Gerry's roll. Gerry finally just gave the roll to Leo, who promptly started to chow down on it even though it was nearly as big as his head!

We encountered an unusually pretty pigeon in the duck park about a month ago and had to take her photo.

Finally, the last set of pics were from today. We had an hour to kill before the photo studio opened to get Leo's 12-month portraits taken, so we went to lunch at Dee's (a local diner). We had fun and Leo charmed all of the waitresses.

Future's so bright, I gotta wear shades

2009-07-20T11:27:00.005-06:00

Leo loves to grab for my sunglasses and Mike's glasses, so I got him a pair of his own from the dollar store. Combine the shades and his new high chair in black "leather' with red trim, and he's one cool baby. The food stains on face and clothes are his own "personal style", of course.

Applause!

2009-07-15T17:10:00.002-06:00

Leo clapped his hands for the first time yesterday and now does it often. Its so fun to see how pleased he is with himself. He's also learned to drink from a sippy cup and has a new high chair (the old one was off-kilter and he always sort of fell sideways).

New favorite foods this week: green beans, scrambled eggs, and well-watered-down juice (from a sippy cup, naturally). We tried chicken and potato, but neither were hits.

Burninating the countryside....

2009-07-08T21:02:00.005-06:00

Aunts Jill and Carrie from LA have waited almost a year for this....Baby Trogdor! Sorry its a fuzzy picture--he only held still for a moment before he crawled off to...burninate all the peoples and their thatched roof cottages!!!

(Thanks, Aunties--seeing Leo in this onesie made my day!)

Lost? Watch the video and read the lyrics--and thanks for indulging this bit of silliness:
http://www.stlyrics.com/songs/s/strongbad21993/trogdor567838.html

Morning play

2009-07-06T21:35:00.006-06:00

Leo took his morning lap around the pack n play, which Daddy managed to catch on film. He also got silly with Mommy.

Bonus: Leo' s current favorite toys are an empty Kleenex box and a bamboo back scratcher. His new favorite food is grapes.

Leo's new favorite things

2009-07-04T08:34:00.010-06:00

Leo hit two major milestones in the last few weeks--he can pull himself up and he can feed himself finger foods.

Leo pulls himself up to a full, upright standing position just about every chance he gets. He also "walks" around the edges of his pack n play, holding onto the edge as he goes. It is such a thrill to watch him push up with his legs and be so pleased with himself when he realizes he's standing up. This, of course, has opened up a whole new world for him and new levels of caution for us!

Leo entered the wonderful world of finger foods and there's no looking back! His favorite by far is cheese, with bread, peas, and diced fruit in close second. The surprising thing is that he seems to be OK with some strong flavors; I got a sample of sheep's milk cheese at Costco last weekend and offered him a bite. He loved it and ate the whole piece! He's still working on mastering the sippy cup, but he's slowly getting the hang of it.

Leo 10-month pics

2009-06-20T14:15:00.002-06:00

Recent photos of all three Napolitanos.

Growing fast!

2009-06-20T08:11:00.014-06:00

Leo's growing so fast now that its hard to keep up. His latest accomplishments include:

Last checkup earlier this month revealed that Leo is 29.75 inches long (89th percentile), 18 lbs 10 oz (12th percentile, but healthy), and has a head circumference of 45.5 inches (50th percentile). Other than his eczema, which we usually manage to keep under control, he's a perfectly healthy baby. The doctor noted that his skin was a bit yellow, but determined that it was due to Leo's love of sweet potatoes and squash and nothing to be worried about.
Is still "army crawling", but has started to pull himself up to a kneeling and standing position (which is more like downward-dog pose in yoga). We're in for it now!
Starting to feed himself some finger foods, but doesn't show a lot of enthusiasm for it yet.
Loves to play peek a boo and patty cake, but doesn't really seem to "get" the So Big game. He doesn't clap either, although he loves it when we clap for him.
Has learned how to hug--he throws his arms around my neck, squeezes, and I turn to mush. He also "kisses" occasionally, although its more like he's just putting his partially-open mouth against my cheek.
Chatters a lot, and uses some syllables and sounds repeatedly, but no discernable words are coming yet. He seems to use "da" interchangeably for both Mike and me. He also clicks, raspberries, and makes other "mouth noises" often.
Has both center bottom teeth, and we're expecting more soon since he appears to be teething like crazy right now.
Although we generally don't let Leo watch TV, he loves the Disney cartoon Phineas and Ferb (which is hysterically funny for grownups too).
Loves to be outside, especially when we go to the park to feed the ducks (and ducklings!).
Loves books and being read to. Pat the Bunny is a new favorite, but Goodnight Moon is still the best.

Who needs toys?

2009-06-20T07:56:00.015-06:00

Leo is proving the old adage that kids can turn any regular thing into a toy. Here's a list of some of his fun, favorite non-toy things:

Baby wipes packages: they crinkle and have a baby's picture on them
Wooden spoon: fun to gnaw and bang on things
"Jingle ball" cat toy: Leo stole it from the cats and won't give it up
Any strap, cord, or string: the drawstring on Daddy's pajama bottoms is a favorite.
Anything round (buttons, screws, etc.)
Our cats: Leo adores the cats and has a special squeal he uses when he spots them. He enjoys chasing, tackling, and giving "loves" by rubbing his face in their fur.
"Squishy" pillows (see pic at right): Leo tackles them and uses them as a "roller" under his belly to move faster when he crawls. I think they're also cat-capturing practice.
Any tiny object on the floor: There's no problem with Leo's eyesight--he can spot minuscule items on the floor from yards away and usually hustles himself over to whatever catches his eye.
Cardboard boxes: I got something in a Priority Mail box the other day and Leo immediately commandeered it.
Magazines: Leo loves to turn the pages--and eat them.

Candids

2009-05-24T13:41:00.003-06:00

These pics are from the last couple of months (7-9 months).

Easter with Rachel

2009-05-17T08:57:00.004-06:00

My sister Christina and niece Rachel came to visit for Easter. Here are the late-coming but still adorable pics.

Leo's 9-month portraits

2009-05-12T15:23:00.002-06:00

New stuff

2009-04-24T12:09:00.005-06:00

It seems like Leo's acquiring new skills and fascinations by the week. Here's a rundown of the latest:

Favorite new "toys" are his exersaucer (a circular baby seat with toys attached), his Laugh and Learn Puppy (see picture), and baby wipe packages (which make a "crunchy" noise and have a baby's picture on them, which is doubly awesome in his book).
Learned how to turn the pages of books while I'm reading to him, and usually waits until I say "turn the page" to do so.
Has mastered putting his binky into his mouth by himself. Has also started sucking his thumb when a binky isn't available.
Moved into his room and loves his new crib. He somehow manages to work his way across every inch of it during the night.
Mastered the "army crawl". He acquires a target (like a baby wipes package, or one of the cats) and scoots his way to it in record time.
Gets up on his hands and knees and rocks back and forth, sometimes scooting both knees forward. Might not be long until he figures out how to crawl.
Can sit up unassisted for a few minutes at at time.
Now that its spring, we re-introduced Leo to the outdoors. He loves playing in the grass.

On the health front:

Weight at the doctor's office this week was 17 lbs 5.5 oz.
Leo is getting his first tooth: the front left lower central incisor.
Had an abscess on the back of his head that lasted for a couple of weeks. It was quite a medical mystery to the doctors, and we ended up going to the pediatrician's office several times, but it resolved itself this week and he's back to normal.

At the Children's Museum

2009-04-22T13:31:00.003-06:00

We had a wonderful time over the Easter weekend with my sister Christina and our niece Rachel. One of the highlights was this visit to the Discovery Gateway, Salt Lake's children's museum.

Leo's "tricks"

2009-04-22T11:11:00.004-06:00

This video from when Leo was 6 months old contains many of his "tricks":

Happy hands: when Leo is happy or excited, he turns his wrists in circles
"Stevie Wonder": Leo's soothing/happy movement is to move his head in a figure-eight pattern (hence the name)
Glasses grab: Leo loves to grab Daddy's glasses.

Bouncing and babbling

2009-03-11T15:17:00.005-06:00

Here is a video from January. These days, Leo tends to babble more in "ba ba ba" sounds than the squeals he emits here. Enjoy!

Catching up

2009-03-10T12:37:00.008-06:00

I am finally getting my act together enough to post an update on the last couple of months with the Napolitano clan.

January:

It snowed. A lot.
Leo started daycare and absolutely loves it. He is the youngest child there and most days when I go to pick him up there are 2-3 new friends among the older kids hanging out and playing with him.
Leo turned 6 months old on January 28. Its so hard to believe that it's been only half a year since he came into our lives--we can't imagine life without him.

February:

Still snowing.
Leo started really "talking", offering babbled commentary on most of his activities during the day.
We went to visit our wonderful friends the Kelleys in Berkeley. Leo did very well on both flights and handled traveling and new surroundings like a champ. We got to see lots of our friends and Leo's "cousins" Eli, Yael, and Ari Kelley had a great time playing with him. Mike and I enjoyed having some downtime and seeing the color green on trees, grass, etc.
Everybody got sick: Leo got a cold, Daddy got the flu, and Mommy got pneumonia. Fun times.
Leo moved to formula and starter solid foods. He's generally open minded and will try almost anything once, although peas were his first (and so far, only) "instant reject" food. Fruits and oatmeal are favorites. Veggies other than carrots are less enthusiastically received.

March so far:

Still freaking snowing, after a taunting warm spell.
Leo had his 6-month checkup. He is now 16 lbs 5.5 oz (20th percentile) and 27.75 inches long (75th percentile). His head measurement is 17.25" (50th percentile). He is doing very well developmentally.
Leo got his first ear infections--both ears at once. They're clearing up now and he's mostly back to his normal self.
Leo has learned how to: stick out his tongue (and mimic others who are doing so); "sidewinder" crawl on his belly; and sit up very briefly on his own. "Peekaboo" and "This is the way the Lady/Gentleman/Farmer rides" are his favorite games.
We had one of our "hootenany" sessions at our friends, the Holts, home. Leo enjoyed singing along, in his own special way.

Leo's 6-month portraits

2009-03-10T12:32:00.002-06:00

I know I am a month late getting these posted--bad Mommy!

More Leo notes

2009-01-13T16:12:00.005-07:00

Leo is growing so fast that it seems like there are new little discoveries every day. Here's some examples:

Leo is starting to notice our cats. He watches them very closely when they are nearby and has reached out to touch and "pet" Bella several times. Bella is very patient with him.
Our house has turned into the Tower of Babble! Leo has gotten very vocal in the past few days. He is making a wide variety of sounds and it is delightful. (I'll post video if I can overcome the technical difficulties I had before).
Leo has outgrown many of his 3-6 month clothes.

Tarnation!

2009-01-10T14:19:00.001-07:00

I had a bunch of videos ready to load and something happened with my computer and they all appear to be deleted, both from the camera and my PC. I don't know if I did something or if it is a technical glitch, but its a bummer either way. :o( Sorry everyone.

Time flies when you're having fun!

2009-01-10T13:27:00.005-07:00

It's been a busy December and I apologize for the huge delay between posts. Hopefully this "mega-post" will catch everyone up on Leo's latest goings-on. I'll summarize the last few weeks here. Check out photos below.

We are in the process of converting the office into Leo's room. All of the furniture is on order, so he should be in his nursery by the end of January. Hooray! Leo had his second sleepover at Nona and Grampa Rocky's house so that we could get the work done to clear the room out.

We all had a lovely holiday season. Mom and Dad came to our house for Christmas Eve supper and we all enjoyed opening presents and watch Leo play with his favorite toy--curled gift-wrap ribbon. I unexpectedly got to take the week after Christmas off, so it was a great break and a chance to spend really good quality time as a family.

New Year's Eve was a quiet affair. We stayed home and had our friends Amber and Mark Anthony over for drinks and snacks. We watched Tropic Thunder, which was hysterical.

Leo started daycare (and Mike went back to work) on January 5th. Leo loves daycare--no crying or separation anxiety on his part, but I was a total mess the night before.

Here's some quick facts about Leo:

Leo's eyes are definitely brown, and his hair is turning blond.
Leo is eating formula regularly now, but we're still challenged with getting him to eat rice cereal (his first semi-solid food).
An unofficial weigh-in put Leo at over 15 lbs. last week. He's also getting much taller. It will be time to graduate to size 3 diapers and a new car seat soon!
He loves the "Jumping Jumperoo" horse that his daddy got for him. He stays in it for a half hour at a time just bouncing away!
Leo also enjoys watching television. (Not sure if this is a good thing.)
Leo hasn't quite mastered rolling from front to back yet, but he can roll from back to front like a champ.

First Thanksgiving

2008-12-10T17:41:00.005-07:00

We had a good time at Mom and Dad's sharing Leo's first Thanksgiving. Leo was a little cranky, but all it took was some time with Grandpa to make him happy again.

More giggles

2008-12-10T17:20:00.005-07:00

We captured more video of Leo giggling--enjoy!

Leo's four-month checkup

2008-12-10T17:10:00.004-07:00

Leo had his four-month checkup last week. Here are his latest stats:

Length: 25.75 inches (80th percentile)
Weight: 13 lbs 5.5 ounces (25th percentile)
Head: 16.25 inches (25th percentile)

The doctor wants Leo to get a little plumper, so we've started giving him formula at every feeding in addition to nursing. She also gave us the go-ahead to feed him rice cereal with a spoon. Otherwise, everything is going very well--Leo is in good health and a happy baby. The doctor advised us that he will be drooling a lot (check!) and putting everything in his mouth (yep!), so he's right on track. :o) She was surprised to hear that Leo is already rolling over and said that he is very strong. Leo got more immunizations and was a little out of sorts for a couple of days, but seems to be getting better.

Rollin', rollin', rollin'

2008-11-22T12:03:00.000-07:00

Leo hit another milestone yesterday--he rolled over from his back to his tummy! He is not quite able to get from his tummy to back yet but is getting close. Hopefully I'll be able to catch some video of a rollover soon and post it here!

Giggles

2008-11-20T11:09:00.005-07:00

I was finally able to capture video of Leo laughing (which is, to us, the best sound in the world). Our friend William Holt paid us a visit and Leo was very happy to see him.

Uncle Junior

2008-11-10T17:06:00.005-07:00

Grandpa and Grandma Napolitano sent these photos of Mike's Uncle Anthony "Junior" Napolitano. They think that Leo bears a resemblance to him, and I have to agree! These pics are Junior as a baby, at his first communion, and as a member of the NYPD, circa 1955. I think he was a handsome man and if Leo turns out looking like Junior he'll be quite a playboy!

Happy Birthday

2008-11-10T16:33:00.004-07:00

I'm celebrating my 36th birthday in style--a four-day weekend relaxing at home with my "boys" capped off with a mini spa day featuring a facial and pedicure. Yay! Also, Mike got me a wonderful Flip video digital camera for my b-day/Xmas, so look for videos here soon!

Leo and Leo, Week 13

2008-11-10T16:26:00.006-07:00

Here's the latest in the "Leo and Leo" installments (photo at right, compared with his 8-week photo) You can see that baby Leo is now able to look straight up at the camera. He's gotten much longer (his feet go off the edge of a receiving blanket) and developing muscle and getting heftier. He was 12.8 pounds as of last week, and as Aunt Christina says, he has pecs!

Leo's Third Month

2008-11-10T16:18:00.007-07:00

Leo's had an exciting couple of weeks. He was a very cute monkey for Halloween but he only Trick or Treated at two houses before he conked out. Developmentally, he's been going through some changes. He's found his hands and seems to always have them in his mouth. Leo loves playing the "stand up" game and will lock his little legs and stand up (with us holding his hands or body for support), giggling and smiling the whole time. Leo has also started to attempt to roll from his back to his front. He gets his legs up and over (always to the left) and spins in "donuts" on his play mat but it won't be long until he masters it. Leo has slept through the night a couple of times now, but it still isn't consistent. We are going to start him on rice cereal in the next day or two to see if that helps.

Sweet dreams

2008-10-29T06:40:00.008-06:00

Last night we hit a major milestone--Leo slept through the night, 10 hours total! Now that he's 12 weeks old (wow!), we decided it was time to start phasing out the 3 AM feeding. Three nights later, it paid off. I'd almost forgotten what it was like to go to sleep and have my alarm clock be the first thing to wake me. I had to get up to make sure I could hear him breathing. Once I was satisfied that he was okay, I did a little happy dance right there beside the bed. :o)

Busy October!

2008-10-23T22:28:00.009-06:00

Its been a busy month for the Napolitanos!

I went back to work on October 7th, which has been exciting and a little bit overwhelming. Mike's at home with Leo now for the rest of his family leave and is doing a great job as "Mr. Mom". I come home at lunch time to feed Leo, so I never go more than a few hours without seeing my two favorite fellas. That makes it a lot easier to enjoy being at work.

Earlier this month, Mike's folks (Mike Sr. and Sandy) drove in from Florida to meet Leo. It was wonderful to see them and they had a good time hanging out with our little guy. They brought Leo some great clothes and blankets from his Aunt Carol and Uncle Andy and then had a ball buying some more clothes for Leo while they were here. Leo is a clothes horse, which is a good thing because he seems to be getting bigger by the day and has outgrown many of his 0-3 month clothes.

Last week, we all took a trip. Mike went to Las Vegas to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his move to San Fransisco from New York. He had a fantastic time hanging out with the three buddies (Ian, Clark, and Austin) who made the original journey as well as his other good friends from Utah, New York, and California.

Leo and I went with my Mom to Chicago to celebrate Great Grandma Gert's (GGG) 93rd birthday. Leo is named after GGG's late husband, Leo Schiavone, so it was very special to see them together. Leo also got to hang out with his cousins Kate and Rachel and his Aunt Christina, and met the rest of our Chicago gang (Uncle Dave, Aunt Marianne, and my cousins Mark, Sarah, and Paul). We had a wonderful weekend and the capper was a great birthday party for GGG. Leo traveled like a champ (although I probably would have had a nervous breakdown if Mom wasn't there to help!) and had many admirers in the airports. We are not the only ones who think he's pretty dang cute!

Leo week 8 photos

2008-10-02T23:33:00.003-06:00

Here is the latest batch of photos, complete with Leo's best smile on film yet!

Happy First Anniversary!

2008-09-30T12:40:00.007-06:00

What a wonderful and crazy year it has been for us--married, honeymoon, pregnant, and baby all in 365 days! But we figure we started on this journey together later in our lives, so we had to get crackin'. :o)

Mike and I took an overnight trip this weekend to celebrate. We dropped Leo off at Nona and Grandpa Rocky's house on Saturday afternoon for his first sleepover. Then we went up the Ogden Canyon to have a good dinner at the Jackson Fork Inn and then went to our hotel, the Red Moose Lodge in Eden (photo at left). The autumn leaves are at their peak right now, and the stars shine brighter away from the city lights, so the setting was just beautiful. We had a lovely time relaxing and just enjoying being together alone for the first time in a couple of months.

Leo's two-month checkup

2008-09-30T12:32:00.007-06:00

Leo had his two-month checkup this morning. Here are his "stats":

Height: 24" (still in the 90th percentile)
Weight: 11 lbs 9 oz (in the 50th percentile but still healthy)
Head: 15.5 inches (also the 50th percentile)

Leo has a touch of eczema, which we will be able to treat by eliminating all dyes and fragrances from his soap, detergent, lotions, etc. and using steroid cream. Otherwise, he is in perfect health--the pediatrician said his head shape looks great, all organs operating normally, and he is a bit ahead of the curve in developmental things like grasping and sleep. To keep him healthy, Leo got his first set of vaccinations today. It was just two shots but he was quite upset for a few minutes. He's fine now; we're watching him for reactions (fever, crankiness) but he should pull through just fine.

Leo Week 7

2008-09-20T14:43:00.009-06:00

I was finally able to capture some photos of Leo's wonderful smile. Other developments this week include holding his head up for a full minute and almost sleeping through the night (which is nearly as thrilling as his smile!). Leo also experienced his first campfire and hootenany at our friends the Holts--we gather around their firepit and eat good food, play instruments, and sing songs.

For not yet being two months old, Leo sure gets a lot of mail! :o) Thanks to Mia and Jonathan for the cuddly snow suit, to the Wogomans for the care package of clothes for Leo (and delicious lotions/soap for me!) and to Aunt Christina for the very cute sleeper and pants. Thanks also to Leo's "California Aunties" Jill and Carrie for the adorable tie-dye onesie.

Photos of Leo at six weeks

2008-09-12T09:30:00.002-06:00

Leo and Leo, week 6

2008-09-12T08:54:00.008-06:00

Here are comparison photos of Leo with Leo the Lion. Leo is 6 weeks old in these new pictures (he is wearing the green and blue onesie). Compared to his three-week photo, you can really see some changes: his coloring is pink and healthy, he's much longer, he's filled out quite a bit, and his head is much bigger. He also has less hair. :o)

Our Italian Honeymoon

2008-09-11T22:08:00.004-06:00

Its hard to believe that our first anniversary is at the end of this month! We shared these photos when we got home from Rome, but wanted to put them here for those who haven't seen them yet. (Hover your mouse over a pic to see the caption.)

First smiles!

2008-09-07T12:38:00.007-06:00

This was a great week with Leo--he is starting to give us his first smiles! They are still somewhat erratic and we haven't caught one on camera yet, but we'll keep trying. Its so gratifying to see that smile and know that Leo is aware and happy.

Other fun stuff this week: Leo and I have started taking daily walks and/or errands to get out of the house and enjoy the very fine September weather we've been having. We went to a small neighborhood park on Friday where Leo encountered several firsts including a puppy, laying in the grass on a blanket, and staring up at a giant oak tree. These all brought smiles and lots of arm and leg waving.

Leo also received a very nice gift this week from our friends the Owens in California. They sent a very loveable first doll and the book Goodnight Gorilla, which is one of cousin Rachel's favorites. We are very happy to have our own copy for Leo to enjoy.

New photos soon!

More photos from week 4

2008-09-01T23:08:00.002-06:00

Parents in training

2008-08-30T20:53:00.020-06:00

It looks as though we have all survived Leo's first month. :o) Although we're still figuring some things out (like how to tell the "hungry" cry from the "tired" cry), we are getting a hang of the basics. And Leo is training us well--here are some of the things we've learned.

Leo likes: eating, bathing, staring at lights / the ceiling fan / black and white shapes, cuddles, swaddling, morning naps
Leo dislikes: napping between the hours of 6 and 8 PM (his fussy time), "Nuk" pacifiers, aspartame (goodbye Diet Pepsi), and caffeine

In other news, Leo is losing much of the hair from the front part of his head though it is still thick on the sides and back. We were looking at baby pictures of Mike today and noticed that Leo's hair pattern as a newborn (and his ears!) looks very similar to Mike's (Mike is under the yellow and white blanket, and the other photo is of Leo at three weeks). I am curious to see what it will be like when it grows back in.

Additionally, Leo skipped his 2 AM feeding twice this week. That's a good sign that he is moving toward eliminating that feeding by his second month, as the pediatrician recommends. It also makes me very happy because the difference between two or three hours' sleep and five hours of uninterrupted sleep is HUGE. I can't even imagine how luxurious sleeping through the whole night will feel!

Leo's a month old!

2008-08-26T09:24:00.003-06:00

Christina and Rachel visit

2008-08-26T09:03:00.008-06:00

My sister Christina came from Arizona with her daughter, Rachel, to visit Leo last week. They came directly to our house from the airport to meet Leo. Rachel immediately and accurately identified him as a baby. :o) On Friday, Leo and I went up to Ogden to visit with Nona, Grandpa, Christina and Rachel. The highlights for Leo were napping on Grandpa's lap on the balcony and getting a bottle from Nona. Highlights for me were getting some quality Zia (aunt) time with Rachel and visiting with Chris. On Sunday, we all visited the aquarium in Salt Lake City. Rachel had a wonderful time looking at all of the fish--she loved the octopus so much she kissed the glass of his tank. Leo, characteristically, napped the entire time.

Leo and Leo

2008-08-18T22:15:00.010-06:00

My cousin Sarah and her daughter Kate sent me this wonderful lion that belonged to our grandfather and Leo's namesake, Leo Schiavone. Grandpa kept Leo the Lion with him through his battle with cancer, it was my focus item during my labor, and it is now one of Leo's special treasures. Mom suggested that I take some pictures with Leo the Lion to mark Leo's growth. Here is the first in the series--Leo is exactly three weeks old in these photos.

Leo's 2-week checkup

2008-08-14T16:49:00.008-06:00

Leo had his two-week checkup today and is doing very well. Here are the statistics:

Weight: 9.0 lbs (75th percentile)
Length: 21.5 inches (90th percentile)
Head: 15 inches (75th percentile)

His jaundice is officially gone and all of his internal organs, eyes, throat, and ears are "perfect". The only upsetting part was the heel blood draw for the PKU test (a test required by Utah to screen for some birth defects)--Leo proved there's nothing wrong with his lungs! The pediatrician said, "Whatever you're doing, keep doing it because this is a happy and healthy baby." Those were wonderful words to hear, especially since I often feel like such a noob.

New Photos Added! Leo's second week

2008-08-12T14:55:00.002-06:00

Out and about

2008-08-09T07:37:00.007-06:00

Mike and I were both suffering from cabin fever this week, so we decided take Leo on his first social outings. On Wednesday, we went to our friends Andrea and John Maloufs' home. Andie cooked a wonderful meal for us and their son, JJ, was very excited to meet Leo at last. JJ gave Leo a very soft and lovable teddy bear and said that, because he is five now, he is pretty sure he could babysit Leo. :o) On Friday, I took Leo to see my friends John, Sutton, Amber, and Jim. Sutton made Leo an intricate and beautiful knit cap in gorgeous fall colors, but his noggin is still a bit too small--it should fit perfectly by the time the weather turns cool. Today we are taking our first trip to Nona and Grandpa Rocky's house, which is exciting. Leo loves riding in the car (puts him out like a light) and has been very happy and social on all of these visits. We are so glad that he makes getting out of the house easy!

Happy One Week Birthday, Leo!

2008-08-05T13:37:00.003-06:00

Leo turned one week old yesterday! Its been a busy week of learning how to take care of a newborn (diaper changing is deceptively difficult with a squirming boy). Leo is seemingly growing daily--he's back up to his birth weight of 8.5 lbs after dropping to 7 lbs 10 oz earlier in the week. His jaundice is clearing up rapidly and he is a happy baby for the most part.

Leo's first days

2008-08-01T22:12:00.002-06:00

Leo's home

2008-07-31T08:16:00.007-06:00

Leo arrived at 9:55 PM on 7/28, weighing in at a healthy 8.5 lbs and 20.5 inches! He has beautiful eyelashes and very long feet and toes!

We are so excited to have him home with us at last. He's generally a very mellow baby and is doing well with his feeding and sleeping (thank goodness!) so Mom and Dad are getting a little bit of rest too. He's got a touch of jaundice that we are treating but otherwise is in very good health. Pictures to come soon (technology is a bit beyond me at the moment, but I'm working on it), but right now its hard to tell who he resembles. Mike says he looks like Grandpa Rocky with the exception of his nose, which looks like Mike's.

Tomorrow's the day

2008-07-27T21:21:00.003-06:00

We are scheduled to go in for induction early Monday morning. We are excited and a little nervous, but can't wait to meet Leo and hold him. Keep us in your thoughts and we will post more news as soon as we have it!

Any day now, kid!

2008-07-24T16:26:00.005-06:00

No updates to speak of--looks like Leo is content to hang out with his room service, water bed, and free transportation, although he must be getting a little cramped in there! We are going to try some of the safe labor starting methods, such as accupressure and walking, and see what happens.

Now, we wait....

2008-07-20T23:52:00.005-06:00

Its hard to believe it, but our due date is finally here! Leo hasn't made any definite signs that he'll appear on schedule but that's ok with us. We're just so excited to meet him that every day we have to wait is getting harder and harder.