Rollin' D!

Daniel first rolled from belly to back several weeks ago for my mom--- more of a loss of balance sort of thing, rather than a purposeful roll. He hasn't done it since... until today! He rolled over for me this afternoon. He was having tummy time and he pushed over with his legs to his side... I started cheering him on, saying "Come on! Good boy! You can do it!", at which point the dogs came in to add even more excitement. Louie did not understand that I was cheering Daniel on; rather, he thought that I need some Louie love right that second. After a few seconds, D rolled himself on over! Every time I placed him on his belly, he managed to roll himself right on over. Yeah! Luckily, Matt and his mom came home just a few minutes later and they were able to see D's newest trick for themselves.

Big Change

I just can't get over how quickly Daniel has changed over the past 4 months. I forgot I had these pictures of him in the hospital on my camera. He just looks so different, though I think I can still see a little bit of the newborn in D sometimes. I love how much personality D has now, but it's amazing how little time he actually was a "newborn".

Daniel's Baptism

D was baptised yesterday at First Moravian Church of Georgia (where Matt and I got married, and where there is a lot of Skelley/Hutchins history). D was great- no crying at all. Pastor Joe even said that Daniel was the smiling-est baby he'd ever baptised and smiled at all the right parts. What more could we ask for? Matt's sister, Fran, and my brother, Josh, are D's godparents.

First Bite of Carrots

Matt was very sweet to me and surprised me with a new video camera yesterday--- just in time to capture D's first bite of carrots! Bon appetit!

4 Month Check-Up and FOOD!

D went to his four month check-up today with Dr. Magill, whom I absolutely love. She is a wonderful doctor and always takes lots of time to answer my questions. D is now weighing in at 19 pounds, 9 ounces and 27 inches long. That puts him in the 95 percentile for both height and weight- a big, healthy boy! One of my final questions that I asked Dr. Magill was when should we start D on "real" food. She asked if he shows an interest in food when we eat--- well, he watches everything! He puts anything and everything into his mouth (apparently, we can look forward to teething in the next few months). So, after talking to the doctor, Daniel had his first rice cereal this evening! That picture of D with me feeding him is his actual first bite of food ever. He loved it! I sat on the floor with him in his bouncy chair, and he ate his cereal like a champ--- smiling and talking to me throughout his dinner. He got messy (check out the before and after photos), but by the end of it, he was doing a great job of opening his mouth and taking in the spoon- just got to watch out for those sneezes that spray the cereal everywhere! He's a great sleeper, but I think he may sleep even better tonight. Next week we may introduce him to a new veggie... he's not quite ready for the steak that he was eyeing tonight.

A Val-E-Gram for Grandma

Bailey's travel baseball team had a fundraiser on Valentine's Day- a Val-E-Gram that you could send to a loved one (in the local area). You had several options, but Mom received the deluxe Val-E-Gram that came complete with a stuffed animal, candy, and a huge balloon--- plus a choreographed dance to Barry White's classic "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" (or whatever the title is) by a quartet of ball playing cupids. I'm hoping some leprechauns will make the rounds in March...

Yeah!!!

I forgot to post this--- D rolled over from his tummy to his back on Friday. I wasn't around to see it (happened on my way home from school), but I got a full accounting from Mom. He was having his tummy time, and Mom was holding a toy above his head. He turned his head to look up at it, which turned his whole upper body. His legs took a little bit long for him to get around, and then YEAH! onto his back. It was more of a losing balance thing than an on-purpose turn, but I'm still a proud mommy!

Daniel's First Valentine's Day

D had a great Valentine's Day. He got a card and a few toys from Mommy and Daddy. Matt had the day off, so D got to spend the morning with Matt while I went and walked the Raegan with Mom and Casey.

Happy Boy!

SNOW MOUNTAIN

The day finally arrived--- Snow Mountain! This is where they take the hill you sit on to watch the laser show at Stone Mountain and cover it with snow. You get to ride up the hill on an electric sidewalk with your tube. You get to the top, and some worker pushes you down the hill--- whee! It's a very quick, fun ride. There were also some areas where you could throw snowballs, make a snowman, and sled with the little kids. I had a blast. It made me ready to see snow that is indigenous to the area-- like Colorado or Gatlinburg :-)

Smiling and Laughing

In the last few weeks, D has really come into his own personality. His smiles take up his whole face, and he's started to laugh. I tried to capture his laugh on camera. If you watch the clip, his laugh is the little cough a little bit into it. I don't know where he learned to laugh like that, but it's adorable! When he really laughs hard, it sounds like he's getting a cough-- it's several little coughs in a row. He laughs the most when he pretends to kick his daddy!

Napper Time for the Men

We usually have over my parents and Casey and Mikers for dinner once a week- we all bring something, and it's easier than having to cook a whole meal. Plus- great company! Apparently, this one meal did in most of the men (and baby man) at dinner. All three of my guys- Matt, my dad, and D- fell asleep on the couch. Mikers was feeling left out, so I suggested he jump in there.

Can You Spot the Imposter?

For some reason, I just think penguins are adorable. When I spotted a little penguin outfit in Crazy 8 on super sale (one of my favorite kid stores along with its sister store, Gymboree), I just couldn't pass it up. See if you can spot the penguin that is not quite a penguin... look close!