Two Months Old

Hi Everyone!
Well, we have made it for two whole months of me being here! We are doing pretty well. I have been being a little difficult at night, not wanting to go to sleep. There is just too much to do here. Mommy says I have my nights and days mixed up. I am doing better though now, but the last couple weeks were a bit trying for mommy and daddy both. This weekend, my Meema and Poppa are coming all the way from New York just to meet me! We will have so much fun when they are here. We are getting pictures made on Monday, a real family portrait! (Sounds like just a lot of flash bulbs going off to me).
Here are some other highlights of the last month ...
*I have a bank account set up, mommy says it's important to start saving early. She is also setting up a college fund - college?! I am still in diapers!
*I stayed the night in a hotel with mommy and daddy last weekend. Mommy thinks that I need to start learning how to travel since I will be hitting the road soon. It wasn't too bad, but you should have seen the stuff mommy had to pack for just one night and just for me.
*I had my eight-week check up at Dr. Cook's last Friday. I am growing well!
I weigh 11 pounds, 3 ounces (48% tile) and I am very tall, 24.25 inches (89% tile). We still are not sure where I get my height from. Grandma says I am filling out. She and Grandpap went to the Super Bowl and didn't see me for six whole days. They stayed with long-time family friends Mr. and Mrs. B.
Mommy says I am gaining so much weight, that she needs to start eating more salads. I had four shots this time, but I was a big boy and didn't cry too much (I think mommy cried though).
*My cousin Abbie has me over to play a couple times a week - it is lots of fun. Mommy really appreciates Auntie Rachel helping out and Auntie Rachel loves holding me.
*Mommy and me spent the night by ourselves last week for the first time.
Daddy had to go out of town for work and Grandma was gone too. Mommy and me had an "understanding" about my sleep schedule.
*We watched the Super Bowl and our team - the Steelers - won! Ever since I was born the Steelers have not lost a game. Grandma says I was the good luck charm (Daddy is hoping the luck carries through to his NY Mets). I had my Steeler outfit on for the game (thank you Susan!) last weekend. I watched in the hotel bar with a bunch of Daddy's work people. (Thanks Rob for inviting
me!)
*I can look right at you and smile and coo now. This is what melts my mommy and daddy's hearts. My head does not wobble as much and I sleep about 5.5 hours at night.
I want to brag about my daddy for a minute. His friend Ron Baker just wrote another book and my daddy got to review it. He has a quote on the back flap of the book! I am so proud of my daddy. I hope I am as smart as he is. The book is on amazon.com, if you are interested.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0471729809/ref=sib_dp_pop_bc/002-9340772-223
9229?%5Fencoding=UTF8&p=S0B8#reader-link

Well, mommy and daddy have a two-day event to go to starting tomorrow. This is what they call "work." All I know is that I am going to spend the night at Grandma's house! We will have so much fun, because you know ... "what happens at Grandma's, stays at Grandma's"

Mommy says to tell you that we are looking at April 23 for my Baptism, we are waiting for confirmation from the priest.
We hope you are all well and that we see you soon, Love, Sean Michael PS - Happy Valentine's Day!

Sean in his chair. April 2006

 

Let's Go Mets!

Sean in his NY Mets hat. April 2006.

Three-Months old

Hi Everyone!
Well, I have made it to a quarter of a year! I am officially three-months old today. I have been a busy boy the last month. First, let me tell you the best thing about being three months is that I did not have to go to the doctor for any shots this month! No shots aside, the last month has been lots of fun. I met my Meema and Papa, who came from NY just to see me. Meema was so happy. She fed me and I fell asleep on her shoulder. I think Papa was pretty impressed with me too. I smile all the time now and Meema and Papa got many big smiles. I hope they come and see me again soon.

Mommy, Daddy and me headed south to Austin a few weeks back to watch my Uncle Mike run his second marathon. He did great and I was there at the very end to cheer him on. It was a long car ride, but I didn’t mind. I slept the whole way down and back! We stayed in a hotel room and ate Indian food and yummy BBQ from the Salt Lick. Grandma, Grandpap and Aunt Beth were in Austin too!

Mommy is trying to work more frequently now. I wasn’t being very cooperative so now I go to Grandma’s house on Monday and Friday. Sometimes, Mommy even let’s me spend the night at Grandma’s. I am always extra good at Grandma’s house. I don’t know what Mommy and Daddy do when I am not there, me being the center of their universe and all. On Wednesdays I get to go to my cousin Abbie’s Auntie Louise’s house and she watches me. It is .3 miles from our home (Mommy measured it – she likes that I am so close by, just in case, whatever “just in case” means!). This past Wednesday, guess who showed up? You got it, my cousin Abbie. Abbie goes to school three days a week and she makes all kinds of pictures. Guess who they are all for?! That’s right, ME! All the teachers in the school know me already. I think Auntie Rachel and Uncle Rich are sad that they don’t get any pictures made for them. My Mommy has hung Abbie’s pictures all over both of our refrigerators.

My Mommy and Daddy are doing well. As I mentioned, Mommy is working a lot more now. Daddy is off traveling too. Thank goodness for Grandma and Grandpap! My Mommy is planning a big party for me at the end of April in Pittsburgh. I am going to be baptized in the church that Mommy, Grandma and Great-Grandpap were all baptized in. I am excited to meet all the family in Pittsburgh. My New York family is coming too as well as all my Texas family. I am not sure what the plane ride will be like, but I have something called a frequent flyer number – sounds like I should learn to like this method of transportation. Also, you know how I told you last time that my Daddy’s name was on the back of a book? Well, this month, I am proud to report that Daddy has written a chapter for our friend Ron Baker’s next book. He got to write about one of his favorite subjects – baseball. Somehow he relates it to key performance indicators in business. It will be published the end of this year, I will let you know when it is out.

I am doing well on my sleeping. As Mommy says we have some good nights and some confusing nights. I am getting much better though. I can go without food for close to eight hours, which is definitely a good sign. I love anything that makes music, especially my Daddy. He plays all sorts of good songs for me. One of my favorites is “Baa Baa Black Sheep.” It does suspiciously sound like “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” but I like it anyway. I love my Baby Einstein mat and I still love my hands.

Attached are some pictures Mommy thought you would like. Grandma says I look very handsome in my Irish hat. Daddy is looking for a little NY Mets hat for me.

My family hopes you are all well!
Happy (early) St. Patrick’s Day!

Love, Sean

Four Months Old

Hi Everyone!WOW – I am now 1/3 of a year old! I can hardly believe it. Actually, my parents can hardly believe it. I am really “getting with the program” as my mommy puts it. I have mastered the art of sleeping 10+ consecutive hours at night, which is a big plus in my column. The thing that we will be working on over the next quarter (it is on my PMP, I don’t know what that is, but daddy keeps talking about it) is napping, which I really don’t like doing. I am afraid I am going to miss out on something important.

This has been a real fun last month. Mommy signed me up for Gymboree classes. We have gone twice now. There are three other babies in my class – all girls! And when you add in the mommies who go, plus the instructor, well, it’s me and eight women! I am excited because next week my daddy is taking me to class. Mommy is going to Minneapolis to work. She will be gone for 34 hours. I think it is funny that she counts the hours she will be away from me! I know me and daddy will have a great time together.

We have had some special visitors the last month. Mommy and Daddy’s good friends, Brad and Britton, came to visit us last weekend. I met them first when I was just two weeks old (I don’t really remember much about that time!). We had a good time, they could not believe how much I have grown! Then, this weekend, daddy’s friend who writes the books, Ron Baker, came to visit. We had a wonderful day with him today! (Speaking of daddy’s friend Ron … Ron named daddy as a senior fellow of the Versage Institute! Click here for details. Both me and mommy are so proud of him!) Daddy was in NYC for a week last week and I got to meet my Aunt Kristin and Aunt Eileen on the web cam! I also got to meet daddy’s daughters and my half sisters, Cailin, Sionain and Eirinn! It was so fun to see them! We use a free program called Skype for our web cam. If you have a web cam and want to see me sometime, let me know. I bet my mommy would be glad to show me off!

In a couple of weeks I will go with my whole family to Pittsburgh PA for my Baptism. Mommy has been planning for awhile now the big event. I am the fourth generation baptized in this church. It is a very special weekend for all of us. Plus, it is the first time I will be on an airplane! I wonder how I will like that?

The other interesting thing I have discovered is my hair! Yes, I have this neat stuff on the top of my head. It is very soft and I like to rub it and play with it. I also love to be sung to. My daddy can even sing in another language! That is the best when I don’t want to fall asleep at night. Mommy, well, she needs a little work on the songs she knows how to sing. She does sing the “A, B, C” song very well. She knows all the “words.” She spends her time reading to me. We love the book, “Urban Babies Wear Black!” I like to play on my Einstein play mat and mommy and grandma are frantically searching for something called a Bumby chair. Speaking of Grandma … I get to see her all day Mondays and Fridays when she watches me. I get to see her a lot too of other times. I also enjoy spending time with Grandpap while he is at home. Although I have a feeling he is going to go back to work soon. He said something about taking me to my first Willie Nelson concert this 4th of July! That sounds like fun.

I started eating a little bit of real food – well, if you can call it real food! It is rice cereal with milk. I get a teaspoon a day. Mommy also is going to move me into my big boy crib this week! Currently, there is a colony of stuffed animals residing there. I weigh more than 14 pounds, but not sure how tall I am. I go to the doctor on Thursday for my well-baby visit. Mommy says I am going to get four more shots. That doesn’t sound all that great, but they will protect me from becoming sick.

I also went to see the Easter Bunny last week. That was interesting. I didn’t really feel much like smiling, but I didn’t cry. My big cousin Abbie came with me to make sure everything would be ok. I attached the picture from the session. I was happy to hear baseball season started! Daddy brought me my very first Mets cap. They are even off to a good start so far.

Well, I think that is about it. We hope to see you all very soon!
Have a very Happy Easter!
Love, Sean