Update: Nine-month check up

Hi everyone!

We just returned from my nine-month check up. I am20 pounds 4 ounces (41%) and 30.25 inches long (94%). I am developing wonderfully and the doctor was very impressed with the way I interacted with her. She said I am clearly advanced! (Mom and Dad's note: It’s nice to have a trained medical professional confirm that for us!! Ha ha ha!) I had just one shot today and they had to draw blood to check for anemia. I am happy to report that I am not anemic and even though I was stick with needles twice I barely shed a tear.

I am looking forward to the birth of my new twin cousins very soon!

Love, Sean

"Three-quarters"

Hi Everyone! I can hardly believe another month has gone by and I am ¾ of a year old. This month was a fun one. We started out visiting our friends Karen and David in California. We had a great visit and I loved their puppies – Gunner and Spike. I think they liked me too. Spike knew how the baby thing worked. He parked himself right by my chair hoping for whatever I dropped on the floor. It wasn’t too much, just a veggie puff or two, but he liked it anyway. We also went to a beautiful county fair amidst the tall redwood trees of Northern California. The weather was perfect and we enjoyed ourselves very much. Daddy told me to be extra good on the flight home because just Mommy and me were flying home together. Mommy said I was great! Especially for such a long flight.

It has finally cooled off here in Texas, dropping down to the low 90s. We had a lot of days of 100+ degree temperatures, which were not too much fun. Mommy took me to the splash park a few times and that was fun. We usually met some friends there. I have a new friend, Sawyer. He lives down the street and is already one-years old. He has been to my house to play and I have been over to his house to play. I am glad I have a friend who lives so close. Mommy has also joined some playgroups. This is where we go to people’s houses and play with other kids about my age. I am just getting to know some of the other kids, but it seems ok so far.

We finished up a long fun summer of Gymboree classes. Now we just go on Thursdays. I love spending time with my cousin Abbie. She is playing soccer this fall and we are going to go to her first soccer game later today! Her team name is the "Red Hots", so Mommy dressed me in a red shirt so I could support the team. Everyone else in my family is doing well. Mommy went out of town without me and Daddy this week for work. She went to Chicago and I got to spend the whole day with Daddy! We had lots of fun together. He read to me, we went to the park and I got to swing (I love to swing!) and we played ball. You should know that I am now officially mobile! I crawl everywhere and pull up on everything. My parents had the nerve to put up gates to keep me contained in one place! Mommy even puts me in the bath tub to keep her eye on me when she blow dries her hair. I also got another tooth! So that is a total of three, and I think the fourth one is well on its way. The crawling thing is pretty neat. I can go places my parents had no idea I could get to. Just today, I managed to get underneath a piece of furniture. My parents had no idea how I did it. They had to pull the furniture away from the wall to get me out! Along with the crawling are some new bumps and bruises, but it is all part of learning.

I am getting very excited because I will have two new cousins by the next time I write to you. My Aunt Kristin and Uncle Mark’s twin boys will be here soon! We are planning a trip to NY so I can visit them in October. My Aunt Eileen also has big news, she is going to have another cousin for me to play with too! How lucky for me that I will get to be a big cousin and I am not even a year old yet! Speaking of a year old, Mommy is planning a big party for me. Please mark your calendar for Saturday, December 9. You are all invited.

My Mom and Dad are doing well. Daddy traveled a lot throughout August. I saw a lot of Grandma and Grandpap’s house! My Mets are doing great! I have been able to watch some games with Daddy. The Steelers are back on, and once again I cheered them on to victory! They have not lost a game since I was born! I think I am the good luck charm. At least for now.
Well, that’s all from Texas!
We hope to see you all soon,
xoxo, Sean

Eight months old

Hi Everyone!

I hope you are having a great summer! It is hot here in Texas and dry, we have not had much rain so we don’t spend a lot of time outside. I like to play in my excer-saucer, which used to belong to cousin Abbie. I also love playing with my LeapFrog activity center. In mommy and daddy’s office there are all sorts of fun things to play with, including this huge pad of Post-It notes!! You should see my masterpiece.

I had a nice visit with my relatives from Pittsburgh. We had lots of fun. They took me to Southfork and bought me a cowboy hat. We went swimming in Grandma’s pool and did lots of playing.

Well, as you can imagine, I am growing like a weed. Grandma weighed me the other day and I was 18 pounds! I am still very long – 2 foot 5 inches. I love sitting up and pulling myself to a standing position. My parents ruined some fun I was having in my crib when they lowered the mattress. Hmmm, I will have to think of a good way to get back at them for doing that! I have also noticed some gate-like objects around the house lately. I wonder if we are getting a puppy?! I can’t imagine they will be used to fence me in or out! (Note from Mommy: gates are cheaper at pet stores than baby stores, and they are the same thing!).

As I mentioned, it sure is hot here in Texas. I have been doing several water activities to keep me cool. I finished four weeks of swimming lessons. Mommy knew we might have trouble at the first lesson when they told her to tell me to “blow bubbles in the water.” You see, I don’t understand that yet. Regardless, we made it to all four lessons and had a great time! Grandma and cousin Abbie came to my last lesson! They were very impressed with me. I also went out on a lake and took a tube ride! Our friends the Pabians invited us out for fun on the lake. We had a great time and I took to the water very well.

Mommy still takes me to Gymboree. Although I think that she may be a bit Gymboree obsessed. We go two, three and sometimes four times a week! Sometimes Daddy comes, sometimes Grandma takes me, sometimes we go to music class. Mommy likes the other mommies there. We all go out to eat after some of the classes. Next week she is doing something called a Moms Night Out (I think that means I am left out!) with the Gymboree mommies! I get to stay with Grandma as Daddy will be on a long trip all next week.

Speaking of a trip, I am headed out west again! We leave on Friday to visit mommy’s dear friend Karen. She has two puppies who I can’t wait to meet. Daddy has work in California all next week so we are tagging along for a few days. I think we are going to make a trip to upstate New York as my Aunt Eileen is going to get married this fall! We are so excited for her and George.

One new thing I learned about this month was gravity. It is this force that keeps us from floating all over the place. It is all the force that made me fall when I rolled off the couch! I sure didn’t like that. There was a lot of crying on my part (I think mommy may have cried too!). I have a new chair that I sit in when I eat. It clips to the side of a table. I think I kind of like it. I am getting used to it and I do like being near mommy and daddy at mealtime.

I had my first experience at the Bavarian Grill. Mommy and daddy had their rehearsal dinner there. There was an accordion player, lots of beer and singing! I sure liked the singing. It reminds me of all the special times that I get to spend with Daddy when he sings for me.

By now I am developing all sorts of personality traits. Some I develop on my own and others must be inherited. I have inherited my mom’s Law & Order gene. You may not have heard of this gene, but I can promise you I have it. Whenever I hear the L&O theme song, I have to stop what I am doing (including crying!) and watch the opening. I love it. I must have heard it a lot when I was in mommy’s tummy. Grandma is very concerned about this and is checking into L&O anonymous for babies. We will see how the predilection plays out.

Well, that is all for now. Wish my mommy luck as we will fly together for the first time just me and her on Monday! Thank goodness Grandma will be waiting at the airport for us!

Happy rest of the summer,
XOXO, Sean