First Thanksgiving

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

We captured more video of Leo giggling--enjoy!

Leo's four-month checkup

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'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

Happy First Anniversary!

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

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

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

Leo and Leo, week 6

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

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!

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

Parents in training

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!

Christina and Rachel visit

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

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

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

Out and about

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!

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

Leo's home

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

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!

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....

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.