Adventures in Babymaking: Erik

Showing posts with label Erik. Show all posts

Gisela

Wow! I guess I disappeared off the face of the earth! That is what happens when life gets in the way, I suppose!

So, summer was wonderful. We spent a lot of time at Sesame Place, various playgrounds, the shore, and just having fun! September came, and Nicholas started his last year of preschool. He loves it, and I'm sure he'd be there every day if he could! We're fortunate to have a great program through the Rec Department and it makes it quite affordable as well. The kids learn a lot, have lots of fun field trips, and have a ton of in class activities.

In October Mr. Erik turned two! He had a Thomas the Tank celebration and we now own about a bazillion trains and tracks. Hey- it keeps two little boys happy and busy! Erik at his 2 year WCV was about 29 pounds and 36 inches...so a little above average, but a lot smaller than Nicholas was. Erik is now wearing clothes that Nicholas wore around 18 months of age.

November...well, we're still in November! Thanksgiving was wonderful. I love me some turkey! We put up our Christmas tree this past weekend as well and decorated outside. I should probably work on buying the kids some presents to put under that tree. Normally I've started at this point, but I think I only have 2 things so far! I'm slacking!

Well, hopefully I can keep up a little better. No promises, but I will try!

Labels: Erik, Nicholas, random 1 comments |

Erik's First Hair Cut

Gisela

I guess it was time. While at the mall yesterday someone called Erik a girl. It was then I decided I was going to cut his hair. Chop those pretty curls. Granted, it has been so dry lately that his hair hasn't been curling as much, but I could see them after his bath. And now they are gone and I know I probably won't ever see them again. Nicholas had curls, but after his first hair cut they were gone forever.

Anyway, Erik did VERY well. Sat and let the lady cut his hair. I need to figure out how to style it. I don't like how it is just laying there. After his nap I fixed it into a faux hawk. I'm liking it. He looks super cute. Ken will probably hate it.

Here are the After & Before pictures. Yes...I know it should be before & after. I decided to be a rebel. ;)

Labels: Erik, hair cut 3 comments |

House of Ill

Gisela

Who sent the germs to my house?!?! Well, please take them back- we've had enough!!!

Last Monday night I arrived home from my vacation to Texas. (I promise to post about that next week!) Tuesday was Erik's birthday, Wednesday was a day to just kinda catch up on everything, Thursday I had to take Nicholas to preschool and run Erik to the doctor for his 12 month WBV, and then Friday was Nicholas' Halloween party at school. Then since Halloween was on Saturday I took the boys to Sesame Place for some trick-or-treating and some special quality time with mommy. On the ride home both boys fell asleep, which wasn't too odd, but then Nicholas continued to lay on the couch once we were home. He said he was tired and didn't feel well. After a trip to get more Motrin and a new thermometer I come home and discover he's got a fever close to 103. After a nap he felt better and his temperature went back to normal, so he did get dressed for trick-or-treating. He only hit half the block before he was ready to come home. UH OH...you KNOW if a three year old tells you he doesn't want to ToT that something is up. Fast forward to Monday morning...a trip to the doctor revealed strep throat. After about 48 hours on the antibiotics he was feeling much better.

And then comes hit number two. Today right before lunch I was changing Erik's diaper and he felt warm. Slight fever and a rash all over his abdomen, chest, and back. He's had some loose stools for a few days, which didn't bother me, but now the fever and rash had be calling the doctor. No strep for him, just a virus. However tonight he woke up after about 2 hours sleep and was just crying. He layed down with Ken and then he vomited. I felt bad for Ken, but in a way I was glad it wasn't me...I don't deal well with puke!

So, in the past week I've been to the pediatrician three times. I think I've met my quota for the season. Tomorrow I will be investing in some more Lysol and disinfecting this house!!!

Labels: Erik, Nicholas, sick 0 comments |

Twelve Months aka- ONE YEAR!

Gisela

A year has come and gone, and how fast it has passed! A year ago today, at 5:10 PM I gave birth to Erik Joseph, via emergency cesarean section. At first look it seemed that Erik was a clone of his big brother, but today we see he has developed his own look, and personality!

Erik has been a great sleeper since day one. He slept through the night (seven hours) at one month old. Today he sleeps eleven or twelve hours at night and naps two or three times a day. He really enjoys his sleep!

Erik now has eight teeth- four on top, four on bottom. He uses those teeth to feed his growing appetite. While he is not a picky eater he certainly prefers meats over vegetables.

While pregnant with Erik his nickname was 'Pumpkin,' but now Chatterbox might be more appropriate. He has quite the impressive vocabulary- around 15 words. He even has 2, two-word phrases- "Hi, Dad!" and "Touch that." He babbles plenty still, and I love to listen to it!

Erik not only walks, but he runs and climbs! I have a feeling that he will be my escape artist! I guess it is because he has his big brother to catch up with! I really enjoy watching the two of them interact. You can already see the bond between them, and that they are the best of friends!

It has been an amazing year watching Erik grow and learn. I look forward to all the years ahead! Happy birthday, Erik! Mommy loves you!

Labels: birthday, Erik 2 comments |

Erik's Party and More!

Gisela

We celebrated Erik's first birthday party this past Saturday with family and friends! Despite some yucky weather (cold, rainy, & windy) we all had a good time! Erik was loving having everyone over (Nicholas was a bit overwhelmed at his first birthday party) and spent most of the day walking around and playing with the other kids. He did not make much a mess of his cake...mommy was a bit sad about that! He got some great gifts and has been enjoying his new toys quite a bit! Hopefully I can post pictures soon!

In other news, I'm headed to Texas on Wednesday! A much needed mommy vacation! I can't wait to hang out with friends, eat lots of good food, and maybe catch up on some sleep!

Labels: birthday, Erik, Texas, vacation 1 comments |

Eleven Months

Gisela

I can't believe how quickly the past eleven months have flown by. This past month Erik has just grown by leaps and bounds! He is now walking. Not 100% of the time, but he can easily walk across the room without assistance. He has six teeth now- three on top, three on bottom. His vocabulary is pretty impressive (to me at least)- he says mama, dada, cat, dog, glasses (as in sunglasses), up, yes, what, and 'lis' which is in reference to Nicholas. He definitely has a sense of humor and a devilish streak in his personality. Oh, and he has a head full of hair that is starting to curl at the end. Nicholas' did the same thing, but as soon as we cut it the curls never came back. Oh, Erik is also still an excellent sleeper. Twelve to thirteen hours at night and 2-3 naps a day! Some days he sleeps as much as a newborn!

Now we are preparing for his big birthday celebration in a few weeks. It has been an amazing eleven months so far!

Labels: Erik 1 comments |

Ten Months

Gisela

Well, ten months have come and passed! Erik is growing bigger every day! And I'm falling more and more in love with him every day!

As of his doctor's appointment last week he is 22 pounds 11 ounces and 30.25"- a BIG boy! In this past month he has gotten a new tooth (on Sunday the 23rd, his bottom right lateral incisor), he waves, he claps, will do SO BIG, and has a few times taken 1-2 steps. Despite these few steps he much rather crawl!

Erik is starting to enjoy more table foods and especially likes chicken and mixed vegetables. Oh, and courtesy of his older brother he has also sampled (and loved) french fries! He really likes almost every thing he's tried though, which is good...there are no picky eaters in this house!

Since I haven't shared any new pictures in awhile, here are a few of my cutie pie!

Labels: Erik 0 comments |

Erik's 9 Month Well Baby Visit & Other Ramblings

Gisela

I know...I'm SUCH a slacker! I'm trying NOT to give up on my 365 blog, but it is getting harder and harder to maintain. I'm hoping that I can get a few hours of time to catch up on the past 6 weeks. I don't know if I've even taken pictures every day, but if not...I will figure something out!

Today was Erik's 9 month well baby visit. He's now 22 pounds 11 ounces and 30 1/4" long. BIG BOY INDEED! His 9 months stats are bigger than Nicholas', but Nicholas didn't grow much from 6 months to 9 months, and then from 9 months to a year he gained 4 pounds! So who knows how Erik will grow. He seems to be just steady, although he is 95 percentile for height and 85 percentile for weight.

This weekend is a busy weekend for us. Tomorrow my nephew Michael turns ONE! I can't believe it has been a year already! Saturday is our annual block party. They're calling for rain and flooding (ACK...no FUN!) but I hope it holds off. And then Sunday is Michael's first birthday party. And next week we have friends coming into town from Wisconsin so it will be a busy weekend next weekend as well!

Hopefully once summer is done I can dedicate more time to updating everything!

Labels: Erik 0 comments |

Nine Months

Gisela

Can I PLEASE stop time? We are creeping FAR too close to the one year mark, and I don't want my little man to turn one!

Ok, I suppose it won't be THAT horrible, but it does make me a tad bit sad!

So, this month has been full of new adventures. I have myself a climber. Erik climbs on E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G! Really, he is TOO smart. He moves boxes and books and anything else he can find so he can climb to where he shouldn't be. And on several occasions he has given mommy quite a scare! Of course, he just smiles and laughs as if it is no big deal!

He is not walking yet, but crawls faster than the speed of light (ok, maybe not THAT fast, but he is quick) and cruises all along the furniture with ease. He will stand alone and it looks as if he is contemplating taking a step, but at this point we have nothing.

Erik has a few words- Mama, Dada, and something that sounds like a cross between Baba and Bop. Often you just hear him babbling or squealing with delight. He is still very much a happy, laid-back guy.

Erik is also enjoying some new foods. He loves eating bits of fruit and veggies and also small ditalini pasta. I still laugh every time he takes a first bite of food though, because he makes a face as if it is the most disgusting thing ever, and then he proceeds to gobble it all up!

Labels: Erik 2 comments |

Eight Months

Gisela

Wow, I guess I should have seen it coming, but Erik is ALL over the place now! Not only is he crawling (at top speeds, mind you) but he's also pulling up on furniture, cruising along furniture, and *gasp* STANDING ALONE! Yes, just last week his brother was holding him up, and in typical three year old fashion- LET GO, and voila...Erik was standing there. By himself. For about 5 seconds. It seemed like an eternity to me, since I was across the room and was certain he was going to face plant into the floor. Alas, he did not. I, however got rugburn on my knees trying to reach him, as he gracefully lowered himself to his knees, and then hands, and quietly crawled away. People tell me he will be walking by 9 months. I pretend that I don't hear them. He's my LITTLE GUY...he is not allowed to walk yet. I won't let him!

Two more teeth have also appeared. One last Saturday, and another yesterday. Both his top front teeth, so the total is at four. These top teeth were a bit rough on him. He was cranky and woke up in the middle of the night a few times. Hopefully the rest will come in smoothly.

Well, we will see if next month I have a walker on my hands. Doesn't he know that there is NO rush to grow up?!?!

Labels: Erik 3 comments |

Seven Months

Gisela

This has been a busy month for Erik! He is now MOBILE! At the beginning of the month he was just rolling all over the room, and that got him where he needed to be. Then about two weeks ago he started the army crawl. Now he is doing a combination of army crawl, inchworm, and then a little bit of regular crawling. And of course he is in to EVERYTHING! When we're in the basement he loves to crawl under my desk to try to get at the computer cords. He's bumped his head on the chair MANY times, and yet he still attacks! And now that he is on the move he does not want to sit in his Jumperoo or Exersaucer for long!

Now that Erik can move more I think Nicholas is enjoying having a little brother. The two of them will sit and play with toys, and I've been able to bring a few new toys out that have been in storage. I don't know that our house is big enough for all of this stuff! I do enjoy watching my boys play, and I can already see that they are going to be the best of friends!

Labels: Erik 1 comments |

Erik's 6 Month WBV

Gisela

So, Erik actually turned 6 months about three weeks ago, but we took him this morning for his 6 month WBV. Growing big and strong! He's 19 pounds 11 ounces and is 27 1/2" long. In the 90th percentile for height and weight, but not quite as big as his older brother was.

It was a pretty uneventful visit- in and out in under 30 minutes! He doesn't go back until August for his 9 month appointment.

Labels: doctor, Erik 1 comments |

Crazy Busy!

Gisela

I promise...I have not abandoned my blog! However, it is a crazy, busy time of year here! Nicholas turns three at the end of the month...birthday party planning is in FULL SWING! He's asked to have a 'Super Hero' party- aka, Spiderman, Wolverine, the Hulk, and all the other Marvel superheroes. So, invitations have been sent and we're working on the menu.

At the end of the month my aunt & uncle are coming out to visit from MN. They're flying into BWI to visit with my parents and I know at some point will come up to see us here. They haven't seen Nicholas since he was 14 months old and they will get to meet Erik for the first time. It will be nice to have them here for Nicholas' party and to celebrate Ken's birthday as well.

Erik is also on the move now. He's been rolling all over the place for a few weeks now and this morning he started to Army crawl. I'm sure within a few weeks he'll be all over the place and crawling on all hands and knees.

Our schedule is getting filled ever so quickly. Birthday parties, bridal showers, baptisms, weddings, concerts... We haven't even picked a week for vacation yet!

So, that's what's going on around here. I hope to keep this updated (as well as my 365 blog, which needs to be updated in a BIG way!)

Labels: birthday, Erik, Nicholas 1 comments |

Erik's First Phillies Game

Gisela

Last night was Erik's first Phillies game! Yes, we start the kids out early with sports in this family. Nicholas was 6 months when he went to his first Flyers game and 14 months when he went to his first Phillies game. Erik was just shy of 4 months for his first Flyers game and now 6 months for the Phillies. They both love to go to the games, so it is enjoyable for the whole family!

The day was pretty busy. The boys and I had spent the early afternoon at the zoo, and I got them to nap in the car while I took the scenic route home. (Ok, not so scenic...but I drove through the city where there are traffic lights every 5 feet!) We picked up Ken and then his Mom Mom and headed down to the stadium. Ken made the mistake of giving me the tickets to hold- I was busy loading the stroller up with everything we needed. Of course once we walked the few blocks to the stadium I remembered that I put the tickets down in the back of the truck. OOPS!

We love Citizens Bank Park. Everyone working there is genuinely so nice. The man outside the gates gave each of the boys a Phanatic figurine. Kids also get certificates for their first game. How cool is that?!?

One of the best family friendly features of the park is the Phanatic Phun Zone. It is a big play area for the kids to enjoy before the game. It is actually open until the 7th inning (I believe) but shhh, don't let Nicholas know. He wanted to go back and play and we told him it was closed! He was able to run out a good bit of energy before the game though!

We ended leaving around the 7th inning. Nicholas was tired, and well- the Phils weren't playing all that great. They ended losing to the Nationals 4-1. We had a good time though. Here are some pictures from our evening!

R.I.P. Harry Kalas

Labels: Erik, Ken, Nicholas, Phillies 1 comments |

Six Months

Gisela

I know I say it every month, but I can't believe it has been HALF a year since my little guy was born. I still remember it as if it were yesterday.

Erik has had quite an eventful month. He's got not ONE, but TWO teeth now! The first (his lower right) came through on Easter. I had NO idea he was even teething! On Good Friday he was a bit cranky and I felt that the tooth was close, and BAM...Sunday it was through! I can deal with that. And his second tooth broke through this past Friday, the 24th. No more gummy bear!

The day after his first tooth broke though *I* finally witnessed him roll from his back to his belly. He had been trying, and I think he had done it before, but I never saw it myself (so it doesn't count) until then. And the day after he rolled over, he said MAMA! Busy boy, I tell you!

We've also started experimenting with some foods. I wasn't planning on starting until 6 months, but when he grabbed the banana in my hand that I was peeling for his brother, I figured he was interested! So far he has enjoyed bananas, applesauce, pears, sweet potatoes, and he's sampled squash...but we need to try that one again because he wasn't too fond of it the first go round.

And I know last month I mentioned Erik had found his piggy toes and started playing with them. Well, this month they found their way to his mouth! He always is chewing on his toes right before he gets in the bath and right when he gets out. It is too cute!

Erik goes sometime in May for his six month well baby visit, so I will update with his latest stats at that point. I'm sure he's around 19 pounds or so, and he's definitely getting long!

Here is a picture of Erik taken today at exactly 5:10 PM, 6 months to the minute of the moment he was born. I can't wait to see how much he grows in the next six months!

Labels: Erik 3 comments |

Easter

Gisela

We went to Ocean City, NJ again for Easter this year. We were excited because we wanted to take Nicholas to the Easter Egg Hunt on the beach on Saturday. Well, Saturday brought rain, wind, and cold weather! So they just handed out some eggs on the music pier. Luckily the weather was nice on Sunday and they were able to hold it then. They put 50,000 eggs on the beach, and the kids are divided into ages. Nicholas was in the 1-2 group, although he will be three next month, and does NOT look 2. He had fun- filled his buckets and got candy, little trinkets, and a few cool prizes- a free game of Miniature Golf, tickets for rides at the amusement pier, and a stuffed bunny that had a prize for Mommy & Daddy- a $100 gift certificate to a Bed and Breakfast! WOOHOO! Good job, Nicholas!

Ready for the Hunt-

Checking out the loot with Daddy-

Sunday morning Nicholas did have a hunt for eggs in the house. Here are a few pictures of him seeing his Easter Basket and hunting.

And some family shots-

Labels: Erik, Ken, Nicholas, picture 0 comments |

Five Months

Gisela

And another month gone by! Erik is five months old now, and I find myself falling in love with him more and more as each day passes! In this past month Erik has discovered his piggy toes and he loves to grab and play with them. I can't wait until he can get them to his mouth- it always cracks me up to see babies chewing on their toes.

Erik is still just rolling from his belly to his back. He tries to go from his back to his belly (and he has twice, but only when he was propped on a pillow) but hasn't quite got it yet. I'm sure he will soon, and then he'll be rolling all over the place! He is able to sit up pretty well for a few seconds, but he sits in the 'tri-pod' position a lot. I'm sure in the next month he'll be sitting all on his own!

Let's see, Erik loves to give kisses, and if you're just out of reach he'll lean and grab your face to pull you in to lay a wet one on your cheek. He's definitely a smily, happy baby, and you can see that he adores his brother! We've also given him the nickname of Thumper. When he wakes up in his crib you rarely hear him cry, but you'll hear him coo, giggle, and THUMP! He raises both legs up above him and slams them down and makes this loud thumping noise that can be heard throughout the house.

So, that's one more month down. We're excited to see what the next month brings us!

Labels: Erik 1 comments |

Family Fun Day at the Zoo!

Gisela

Yesterday I was thinking that it had been awhile since we had done an outing as a family, and Erik has never been to the zoo...so off we went!

I must say, I love the Philadelphia Zoo. Did you know that it was America's First Zoo? I'm pretty sure it was the first zoo I went to, at least the first one I remember going to! Growing up in grade school we took many field trips there. And as an adult I still enjoy going and seeing all the animals. We have an annual membership (it pays for itself in two visits and is valid for a full year- TOTALLY worth it!) and since it is so close we get good use out of it.

So, in the morning Ken made us a picnic lunch (yup...gotta love when you can bring in your own food & drink...saves some money) and we stopped at WaWa for some drinks and chips and we were on our way. A gorgeous day...cool, but lots of sunshine which made it feel a lot warmer. On our way in I was asking Nicholas if he wanted to see monkeys, bears, lions, etc... He kept telling me, no- that they scared him. I have NO idea where that came from, because he's always loved animals. The only animals he said he wanted to see were hippos (my favorite!) and giraffes. Well, in the end he ended up wanting to see everything, and loved every minute of it. This was the first big outing where he walked pretty much the entire time and didn't ride in the stroller. Which, by the way, I had the HUGE double stroller and Nicholas was walking and I was wearing Erik in my Sleepy Wrap! I was pushing a stroller full of STUFF! I had one lady walk up to look in the stroller and said, "Oh, twin babies!" and then was shocked to see that there was just a coat, blanket, and some other random items. I had a nice laugh.

One special moment was getting to see the Wrold Series trophy that was on display. Ken did not want to wait in line, because he thought Nicholas would grow impatient and be miserable. Turns out Nicholas saw the white tent it was in, asked me what was in there (I told him the Phillies baseball trophy) and he told me he wanted to go see it! YEAH! So we waited in line (only 15-20 minutes) and got our picture taken. I was very excited! I will definitely be putting that picture in Erik's baby book since he was born the day of the last game (Part One!) when the Phillies won the World Series.