Holiday Parties

This past week we have been to three parties. Last night was Andrew's department Holiday Party. It was at the Dartmouth Outing Club. David was on his best behavior, flirting with some grad students who sat by us. It was nice for Andrew to get away from work for a few hours. The food was fancy and we even chatted with his elusive advisor (who is gaagaa over our Baby David).

One of my friends whose husband is at the Tuck business school here at Dartmouth invited me to their holiday kids party earlier in the week. It was pretty deluxe, with lots of food and plenty of activities for the kids, including pictures with Santa. David was very interested in his beard, he even took a handful of it with him :)

We attended a one year old party last weekend where we attempted to take a picture of the whole crowd of kids. David is over in the left corner. Jasmine, the birthday girl is standing in her blue jumper and pink shirt on the right. As you can see it's not easy to settle them all down at the same time. The party was a nice time to have Andrew meet a few of David and my friends.

Our first video attempt, David eating

Here's our first attempt on video, hope it works:

First "solid" meal

David had his first meal of rice cereal, fairly thinned out with breast milk. He did great, first sucking right off the spoon, then opening up wide for more. Pictures will tell you the rest

Baby David at 6 months

Our Baby David is 6 months old! He is so much fun. I took him to his 6 month appointment last week and he did great. He now weighs 16 1/2 pounds and is 26 1/2 inches long. The doctor said he is healthy and thriving and ready for the next milestone, eating solids. We are planning to start this week, Andrew is building the high chair as I type.

David is enjoying life. He keeps me busy and company, as Andrew is pulling long days and nights so that he can take as much time off as possible when we are in CA and Hawaii. David loves exersaucing and his leapstart toy (see picture). He tries to chew on all of his toys, so everything is slobbery. During tummy time David loves to roll onto his back. If I distract him with toys he will stay on his tummy and wiggles around. I help him practice rolling over from back to tummy, he gets halfway over and then just gives up. He cracks us up. In the morning he wakes up chatty and makes all sorts of noises. When we go to pick him up he is super smiley and shows off his two little teeth. After his feedings he gives me the same content smile, but I still can't get a good picture. We'll try to capture the moment when it happens, more to follow.

Christmas Tree Lighting

Last Friday we attended the Dartmouth Christmas tree lighting. We braved the cold, rainy, windy weather and witnessed the beginning of the Christmas season at Dartmouth. They place a giant tree in the middle of their famous green. Everyone gathers around the tree and a Dartmouth choir sang. We all joined in on traditional carols. After about 15 minutes they move the festivities inside, a well catered community event with more music and plenty of food and drink. It was a great way to start the holiday season.

Visiting family and friends for Thanksgiving

This last week Andrew, Baby David and I flew back to California for Thanksgiving. It was so nice to visit with everyone and catch up with what is going on in your lives. I really enjoyed watching David interact with everyone. The best times were spent just relaxing and laughing at the guys playing Daniel's new Wii, everyone got into the action, it was hilarious to watch.


I also really enjoyed breaks from my little guy. My mom did a wonderful job with David, allowing me to relax physically and mentally.
I think I gained back all the weight I had lost, trying to get my fill of Mexican food, at home, at restaurants, and even at Blanca's (Mario's mom). Thank you to everyone for making our time at home so special. Baby David misses you all.

Thanksgiving church feast

 
Today we attended our church's thanksgiving feast. After church we all went to the community center and feasted. David was great, helping us meet new people and then he even took a nice nap while we all ate. We meet some very nice people and hope to continue to make more connections. I forgot the camera, but took a few shots of David in his Thanksgiving church outfit. Looking forward to seeing you all this week. 

Dartmouth wins, finally!

Last Saturday we went to the last Dartmouth home game. They finally won at home in overtime against Brown. We had a great time with nice weather, cold but no rain. The previous game against Harvard was very wet, so this was a welcome relief. David was awake during the whole game and enjoyed watching all the people as well as the game.

#1 Lakers Fan - David at 5 months

Our Baby David is already 5 months old! Wow, time is going fast with him. We really are enjoying our little chunky boy. Andrew's new nickname for him is "Fatty Lumpkin" from the Tolkien series. He sure lives up to the name, look at those chubby legs.

Now that the Dodger season is officially over (still in mourning :)we are excited about the Lakers again. We have the sling media catching all the games and occasionally we get a TNT or ESPN game on our TV. We dressed David up in all his Lakers gear and watched another "nailbiter" or for David "handbiter" game as Kobe returned to the team. We really had to crank the heat up for his little shorts outfit, since it was snowing that day.
David is working on rolling over from his back to his tummy, he gets halfway, then gives up. He really loves his exersaucer and now has a new toy to add to his rotation. Although his favorite is being left in the middle of the carpet to try out new tricks.

A little bit of snow!

Yesterday I looked out our side window and saw something falling from the sky. At first I thought our tree was losing more dead leaves, then I remembered that it had already lost all of them. I quickly went to our front window and realized it was snow. It wasn't cold enough for it to collect on the ground, but it was exciting.

Last night I noticed that it was colder than usual, I'm having to grow some thicker skin. I was right because when we woke up we had our first snow on the ground. I heard the novelty of this phenomenon wears off quickly, but as for now it is really cool!

Costume fun

While we were in Maryland, Jennifer and I dressed the kids up in their Halloween costumes. David is borrowing Danny's first costume. Annelise and David loved just looking at each other in their costumes as if they were alive stuffed animals. Danny is wearing Jen's costume from when she was little, a Suzanne Sellars original. Hooray, Halloween is fun again!

Hanging out in Maryland

This last week, David and I spent some time visiting the Ontiveros family in Maryland. We had a pleasant visit, spending most of the time just resting at home and watching the kids interact. Jen and I spent one afternoon with just the babies at a local mall while Danny was at preschool. It sure is nice to be around a big city with fast food and all the familiar stores. Baby David played with Annelise (7 months) and really watched all her moves. By the end of the week he was doing a little "scootch" of his own and clapping his little hand with mine. He absolutely adored Danny (3 years old). Danny is such an animated kid, full of energy, David just loved all the excitement. Ever since we have been back, he looks around for all the movement. It's really nice to catch up with old friends, we already miss you!

Ups and Downs

The past couple of weeks we have had several ups and downs with David. It all started a few days after his 4 month appointment, the first tooth reared it's painful head. David gets really fussy and upset, which is not like him, and only wants to be held. After 30 minutes or so, the tylenol fairy pays him a visit and this helps calm him down. It's very hard to see him so upset, but more often he is doing well. He enjoys smiling and laughing with us. Baby David keeps our lives interesting. 

David at 4 months

Last week we took Baby David to his 4 month appointment. Everything is going great with him, the Dr. was pleased to see. He was even a trooper through his exam, flashing his famous gummy grin as the Dr. checked him out. He now weighs 15 pounds and is 25 1/2 inches long. He didn't have any problems with the shots, with the exception of the initial prick, he took everything in stride.
This is such a fun age for David. He is sleeping less during the day, but more at night :) He wakes up in such a good mood, talking, laughing and smiling. David is quite the charmer, it is hard not to just pick him up when he's in that mood.
David enjoys attending the playgroups, looking at all the other babies that are mobile encourages him to start moving too. It was at a playgroup that he first rolled over from his tummy onto his back. He's now working on sitting up on his own, although his big head makes his balancing a little difficult. We are also enjoying our daily walks. The weather is quite chilly, but the scenery is incredible, everyday the colors are changing. We're trying to get out everyday, as the snow is coming soon!

New England in the Fall

This is the most beautiful fall I have ever seen! The weather is crisp, cold, and windy. Baby David and I bundle up for our walks and enjoy crunching all the leaves. I have never seen so many shades of orange in my whole life. We are taking advantage of this cool weather, as a neighbor has informed me today that snow is right around the corner. I am also including a picture of the campus at this time of year. If you could ever see it for yourself, it's a must see, come visit us!