Over the Twelve Week Hump & Into the Holidays

Our yoga class holiday party was lots of fun!  What a way to get Mom & I out of our 12 week growth spurt funk.  I let Mommy get a lot of her yoga poses in before I interrupted her for a snack.  I snacked while she continued to work some poses in (man, she really is talented & strong to pose & breath while nursing me).  She & I finished the class out with a joint shivasana.  After class we joined up with the mamas & the babes for yummy treats that our teacher Randi prepared.  Here I am with our yoga instructor Randi: 

 Here are my yoga buddies Daniel & Mia with their moms:

Here is Jeffrey with his Mommy Christina:

 Here is Macy - She's the girl I mentioned in a previous blog post - I enjoy checking her out during class:

She made delicious egg salad sandwiches from the eggs her chickens hatched (we learned that she has 6 chickens at home - cool).  Dad told Mommy not to get any ideas - we are NOT getting chickens (I don't think Mom really wants to get chickens but it would be pretty cool to get fresh eggs daily). We also started solid foods - Mom made me carrots in our BabyCook.  I didn't hate them, but I didn't necessarily love them.  I smushed it around in my mouth a bit & then pushed it out of my mouth the first bite.  On the second try, I actually swallowed a bit.  Every day we're trying just one spoonful of carrots & every day I'm getting used to the spoon & the texture on my tongue.  Mom told me it's not about actually eating right now, but about getting used to sitting in my highchair & getting ready for food. Here's my first bite:

Check out how I'm progressing: 

On Wednesday, we worked out on the 3rd floor & then headed to mommy coffee at Cosmic Cafe on Kelly Drive.  Boy - what a chilly day!! The walk from the car to the cafe had Mom & I sprinting.  We intended to go for a walk on Kelly Drive afterwards, but decided it was too cold after we warmed up with our hot apple cider.  Today Mommy & I started our 26 Acts of Kindness.  Mom & I saw a special that NBC anchor, Ann Curry, started in the wake of the Newtown elementary shooting.  Basically, you do 26 acts of kindness to honor each of the victims of the shooting.  We started at Cosmic Cafe.  Mom paid for the next 5 patrons coffee purchase (or other @$2 drink).  We left little index cards asking those five patrons to "pay it forward" & commit to 26 acts of kindness on their own.  The barista was really inspired by our gesture & said it was a great idea that she'd consider doing.  When she brought us our hot apple cider, she even brought an extra to our mommy group.  On our way home from coffee, we did our next act of kindness & gave our neighborhood flower man (he's a little old man that sits on the corner of Bethlehem Pike & Stenton Ave selling $6 roses to drivers) six dollars & told him to keep the flowers & sell them to someone else this holiday season.  We gave him another index card asking him to "pay it forward."  Mom said he was grateful & wished us a "Happy Holidays" - we don't think he generally sells a lot of flowers.  We stopped at Target & picked up ingredients to make Dad's work group cookies for the drive up to NYC on Thursday - they were going up for a work outing & Mom thought they'd enjoy the treat (Dad said they were very appreciative & loved the cookies).  On Thursday, we journeyed out to King of Prussia mall to pick up a few last minute holiday items, but otherwise hung inside all day.  We're finally over the twelve week growth spurt & beginning to enjoy just hanging out again.  Mom's noticed that I'm much more attentive to my surroundings, working on grasping things with fluid arm movements & beginning to try to turn my hips in attempts at rolling over. We're both grateful that we came across the book "Wonder Weeks" - it's really helped Mom understand the developmental leaps I made and how they've been affecting my mood.  Here I am working in my office reading my book:

Here I am checking out the book attached to my jumperoo: 

 Our Baby Signs instructor package arrived & we did a lot of reading about how to start our new business.  Mom started studying at night & doing some background research on where we should offer our services and classes.  We have a good idea on which establishments we'll look into first.  Mom's beefed up her signing - even though she knows I'm just taking it all in at this point & won't respond back for a few months.  Friday was pretty uneventful, as we continued to get back into our routines.  I turned 3 months old on Friday & we survived the Mayan prediction that the world would end on 12/21/12.  Here are some cute photos from my 3 month old photo shoot (Mom just loves dressing me up & taking pictures - this time she's using her new Sony RX 100 camera **Dad said Santa came early & she's enjoying taking pictures of me with it):

     I'm pretty much back to my normal eating & sleeping schedule - Thank Goodness!!  I helped Mommy fold the laundry.  I got to touch all the different fabrics - what a sensory experience.  I love all my velour outfits best.  Check me out helping Mom - exhausting job folding clothes:

 Saturday was the big Assemblies Ball that Mom & Dad were going to.  Aunt Shana & Jessie were coming over for a sleep over, while Mom & Dad got to enjoy the night out & get dressed up. I got all dressed up in hopes that I could join them at the Assemblies, but Mom said I'll have to wait until I'm older.  Here I am in my version of "white tie": 

By 6PM, Mommy & Daddy were dressed in their white tie attire & heading out the door.  They both looked stunning & I knew they'd have a great night out - first at the Philadelphia Club dinner followed by dancing and the midnight buffet at the Assemblies Ball (fun fact - the Assemblies is the oldest ball in the United States & has been an annual tradition in Philly for over 200 years).  I had a great night with Aunt Shana & Jessie.  They gave me a bath, got me ready for bed & gave me my bedtime bottle.  I went to sleep without any problems.  Jessie invented a very special way of rocking me to sleep - very different from what Mom & Dad typically do, but hey it worked.  While the girls were putting me to sleep, bad boy Bolt stole my pacifier off the kitchen table and ate it!! Aunt Shana googled what to do & even called Grandma.  They decided they would just keep an eye on him.  Mom & Dad got home around 2AM (just in time to give me a late night bottle *still getting used to my normal routines plus I heard the cab pull up & shine it's headlights in my room). Here are some photos from the Assemblies:  

 Mommy was really nervous that Bolt was going to die in the middle of the night so she let him sleep upstairs (lucky for us all he survived the night & is doing fine).  Sunday we were busy preparing some sides & all the dessert for Christmas).  Dad worked on the potato gratin & butternut squash soup, while Mommy baked Santa brownies, red velvet cake cups & creme brulee. I helped Mommy prepare all the yummy desserts from my Ergo carrier.  We had so much fun in the kitchen.  Sunday, Mommy said a little prayer for Daniel Moyers.  One year ago Daniel passed away.  Daniel was the little boy to Dad's good friend Peter & Christine.  Mom sent Christine an email letting her know that Daniel & the entire Moyers family was in our thoughts.  I can't wait until I get to meet Peter, Christine & Eleanor in the future - Mom's told me so much about how amazing they are & Uncle Danny told me last week that Eleanor uses baby sign language (sweet - a friend to practice with soon).  On Christmas Eve, we cleaned the house before heading to New Jersey for dinner.  Mommy had to call the pediatrician because my stuffy nose & cough were getting worse (they started up on Sunday).  The nurse told Mom to give me saline drops in my nose, elevate my mattress & turn the humidifier up.  I wasn't feeling 100% & Mom was hoping that with enough rest & following doctors orders I'd be ready for Christmas day.  We stopped at Great-Nanny & Great-Pop's house before dinner.  I love getting to see Great-Pop.  He's 91 & makes me laugh.  They can't believe how big I've gotten since my last visit.  We headed to Andrea & Warren's for Christmas Eve dinner.  By the time we got there it was almost my bed time, so I said a quick hello & then headed to bed in Matthias' bedroom.  Mom & Dad had a lot of fun & we got home quite late.  Mommy put me in my Christmas PJ's & told me Santa was coming after midnight - I was so excited that I went right to bed so that I wouldn't go on the naughty list at the last second (even if I did stay awake - I know I'm always on the nice list according to Mommy). Here are some photos from Christmas Eve:  

  Christmas morning I let Mom & Dad get right to work preparing for our guests.  We were hosting 14 people for Christmas dinner & they would all be here by noon.  Mom's job was to finish cleaning & take care of me (feedings & naps), while Dad was hard at work prepping the brisket, pork loin, carrots & brussel sprouts.  Once the house was full, we all had a blast & Christmas dinner was  a smashing success.  I got to sit at the dining room table & was a perfect angel during dinner.  I was happily playing with Mom's napkin & checking out all the adults eating their dinner.  After dessert, I finally got to open my Christmas presents & boy were there lots of presents.  I finished with my cool new arm chair.  While everyone took pictures of me lounging in my new chair, I decided it was about time to let out a massive explosion.  Unfortunately, it went all over my Christmas outfit & all over my new armchair (thank goodness the slipcover is machine washable).  After getting all cleaned up, our guests departed & it was off to bed for me after a very stimulating day. Here are some pictures of Christmas Day:  

 The day after Christmas we spent the day in our pajamas in front of the fire & Dad put together all my new toys. Here I am playing with my new toys:

  Here I am hanging out with Daddy - his nose looked so tasty I couldn't resist: 

I absolutely love my new exersaucer - it kept me entertained for 45 min (which is a very long time in baby time).  My feet could touch the bottom which had piano keys & played music every time I tapped a key.  I even figured out how to play the music at my fingertips.  What fun!!  We all had a blast trying out my new toys.  I also really enjoyed my new crib aquarium.  It's like having a TV in my crib - I can watch the fish swim around, while Mozart plays in the background.  This ended up being a bit to stimulating for me at bedtime, but was perfect during naptime.  On Thursday, we headed to New Jersey.  We met up with Nichole, Lindsay & Tatum at Toast for lunch.  Mom's really into Toast - yummy, yummy food (that probably isn't the healthiest option - but tis the season).  We spent much of the afternoon at Grandma's house.  Uncle Mario & Aunt Ari brought me my Christmas present (Uncle Maz forgot it on Christmas) - baby Timberlands & cool new outfits.  Then they headed out to do some more wedding venue shopping.  We stopped at Great-Nanny & Great-Pop's house to say hello before heading home.  Great-Pop fell the other day & ended up spending the night in the hospital.  He had a really big cut on his head & hurt his arm pretty bad.  Mom's is amazed (and thankful) that he did not break anything.  Tomorrow I'm looking forward to a visit from Aunt Ashley - she'll be coming up from Washington, DC tomorrow to hang out with Mom & I.

Twelve week growth spurt

I've been a very hungry boy this week - must be due to my 12 week growth spurt. Poor Mom had a hard time getting anything done around the house this week. This must be a transitional time period because everything is changing - my nap patterns changed, I really don't love going for car rides as much as I enjoyed before & I had some serious major poop blowouts. Mom ordered a ton of cloth diapers online that we're waiting to arrive. In the meantime, we're cycling through the six cloth diapers we have on a daily basis & using disposables when the cloth ones are being washed. Mom really likes the cloth diapers & I have to admit that I love them as well (the fleece lining is so soft on my behind). This week I managed to figure out how to break free from my Miracle Blanket swaddle. Mom & Dad have been calling me Houdini when they find me like this in the morning.

Even though I spent most of the week eating ravenously, we did manage to experience a lot of new things. Every morning, Mom & I worked out on the 3rd floor. Mommy loves that I can sit in my big boy chair & attempt to play with the activity tray, while she gets her barre workouts in. We skipped Stroller Strides this week because the weather was a bit iffy & she didn't want to take me out in gross weather.

On Monday, we went to the Audi dealer to get our spoiler fixed. They gave us a loaner car to use so that we didn't have to wait for 3 hours at the dealership. Mom was really nervous strapping the car seat base into the car because there weren't any child seat clips. She was afraid the seat belt around the base was not holding my carseat in tight enough, but I was quite happy in the back & napped on the way home. Mom & I baked Red Velvet Cake Cups that we brought to our playgroup on Tuesday. Tuesday's playgroup was at Theo's house & all the mom's brought cookies for their holiday cookie exchange. Everyone's cookies were delicious (Mom & Dad snacked on them for two days before Mommy sent the remainder to work with Dad to share with his colleagues). We had a blast at Theo's house - 7 babies & no major meltdowns. Of course Mom held me because I can't crawl around yet like most of the other babies. I wanted to nurse for half the time & then took a 45 minute nap while Mommy held me (every time she attempted to put me down - I woke up un-happy). On our way home, we stopped at a toy store to get some of the toys that all the older babies seemed to love. Mom told me to close my eyes because they were getting wrapped & put under the Christmas tree. Guess I'll find out soon enough which toys she ended up telling Santa I wanted. On Wednesday, we had our first cultural experience at a museum. We met up with ten other moms & their babies at the Philadelphia Museum of Art for a lovely tour of the Johnson Collection entitled "Eat, Drink & Be Merry." Once we got into the museum, I didn't want to stay in my stroller so Mommy had to put me in the Ergo carrier which kept me calm for a little bit. Mommy must have looked like a crazy lady in the museum bouncing me around to keep me happy. I loved going to the museum. I was such a curious little boy checking out all the paintings, chandeliers & people. I'll definitely let Mom bring me back next month for the Mommy tour. On Thursday morning we met new moms from the Fairmount Moms group at a coffee shop in Philly. It seems like there are so many little boys born around my birthdate - I met a Conrad & Donovan and they were both equally as happy to be out & about with their moms. Friday Mommy & I spent most of the day hanging out home nursing. Mom is convinced that maybe she should start me on solid foods because all I do is eat, eat, eat. Friday morning a gunman killed 20 children, 6 adults and himself at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Mommy cried and cried a lot on Friday. We kept CNN on for most of the day, while Mom squeezed me tight and kissed me a lot. She told me that her heart was broken for the 20 first graders that died and told me that they and their teachers were with God. I don't like seeing Mommy cry and I'm not sure I understand what happened (and I know nobody understands why it did). She told me how much she loved me & how she will do everything in her power to keep me safe in this scary world we live in. She also told me she promises to teach me how to be a good citizen in our society, how to be empathetic & she's certain I will be a caring, loving little boy that grows up to be a very loving, independent member of society. On Saturday morning we left for New York City very early in the morning. I was so excited for my first outing in NYC - I asked Mom to dress me up in my new holiday onesie (very trendy with a holiday tie & vest attached). Mom was getting her hair cut at her favorite curly hair salon, Devachan. While she got her hair cut, I hung out with Daddy. He showed me around Soho & the Village. We even got to stop for a slice of pizza at Joe's. Unfortunately, I had a major blowout on the way up to the city, so I was forced to change my super cute holiday outfit & had to wear my spare outfit (Mom forgot to pack a cute change of clothes, so I was in a light blue onesie with matching pants - I looked like I belonged in an institution). After Mom got her hair done, we headed to Brooklyn to have lunch with Dad's friends (Bryan, Melanie, Danny & Catherine) and Mom's friend Chris at Ici Restaurant. It was my first time meeting them & they brought me really cute presents. Here's me meeting Danny:

I was really well behaved & definitely can't wait to try Mom's duck hash when I get bigger - it looked delicious. Lunch was great, but we had to head back to Philly right afterwards in order to make it to the Longwood Gardens Christmas display by 5:45. Mom was frantic that we were going to be late & hold up the twenty other Junior Leaguers waiting at the entrance. I was trying really hard to be patient with all the traveling, but six hours in the car would make anyone cranky. By the time we got to Longwood Gardens I was not a happy camper. We were already half an hour late meeting the Junior League group & Mom was getting frustrated that I wanted a snack before we went in. Unfortunately, my fussiness only escalated. I didn't want to nurse with her, but finally took the bottle from Dad. Once we got inside, I hung with Mom in the baby carrier, while Dad pushed the stroller just in case we needed it. Poor Mom & Dad barely got a chance to enjoy the beautiful light display.

I was fussy from the moment they got their hot chocolates, until we got back in the car. The worst part of the entire night was touring the decorated greenhouse. The line was so slow & I was getting really hot from the heat cranking & increasingly more hungry. I cried & cried. I desperately wanted Mom to get me outside, but the line kept snaking around the greenhouse. Finally, Dad was able to convince an employee to show us the secret way outside. The entire time in the greenhouse Mom lost her cool with me. She spoke pretty harshly to me & told me I was embarrassing her and Dad. I felt terrible, but couldn't help that I was tired (it was past my bedtime after all), cranky & hungry again. Mommy apologized when we got back to the car & I know she felt really bad about getting upset with me. She apologized to Dad for being short tempered with him too - I guess in hindsight she realized that she packed way to many things into day. When we got home, she nursed me to sleep while watching more Sandy Hook Elementary news. They had released the names & photos of the deceased. Mom cried and cried again - this time because she was upset with me today & felt horrible that those parents that lost their children in Connecticut would give anything to be with their children again while she was frustrated & upset with me. She hugged me even tighter before she put me to bed. I woke up in the middle of the night & needed a midnight snack. Mom took a deep breathe & settled in for the hour awake in the middle of the night. I know we are both sorry for frustrating each other & we took the time to snuggle and show each other that we love each other very much. I didn't really want to sleep in my crib & she gave in letting me sleep in bed with her & Dad (she told me not to get too used to this, but she was allowing it during this awful 12 week transition phase). Sunday we had a very lazy day nursing, while Daddy worked on his "honey do" list. Sunday Mommy played a game with me on my activity mat. She & I have been reading Baby Minds during the weekdays and she decided it was time to play a developmental game with me. She tie a ribbon to the butterfly dangling above my head & the other end to my left foot. It didn't take me long to figure out that when I moved my leg the butterfly would move. I had so much fun making the butterfly fly. She switched the ribbon to my opposite leg & then my arms. I'm a pretty smart boy because it took me no time at all to isolate which limb would make the butterfly move. I tried to isolate the limb but was getting so excited that I ended up flapping my arms & legs wild a lot & laughed at how fast the butterfly was going. We also practiced sitting in my big boy highchair at the kitchen table. We're practicing so that I can sit at the dining room table for Christmas dinner. Mom's really hoping she can teach me table manners at a young age like her Grammy taught her. We'll see how that works out for us. In the meantime, I'm really enjoying sitting up like a big boy.

Mom & Dad finally decorated our gingerbread house (took them long enough - Mom bought it 3 weeks ago). Next year I'm going to be in charge of decorating, but I think they did a fairly decent job:

Mom & I are both hoping this fussy phase ends this week - we're both getting tired of being frustrated & can't wait to get back to our normal routines. For now, we'll chalk it up to a learning experience and continue to show each other lots of love in the wake of the elementary school shootings. Looking forward to the holiday party after our yoga session tomorrow - hopefully we'll both be able to get centered again at yoga & breathe out our frustration.

Baby Signs, Cloth Diapers & Christmas Fun

Finally recovered from my vaccines! Last Sunday I was feeling much better & about 90% back to feeling like myself. We went over to Grandma & Grandpa Snyder's house to pick up some Christmas decorations for our house. The two Westies were so curious about me. Lily was trying to lick me while I sat in my Super Seat & Duncan definitely thought my toys were pretty cool. We came home with an SUV full of Christmas gear & a bird feeder for the backyard. We spent the rest of the afternoon figuring out where to put everything. Mom was in charge of hanging & placing everything, while I directed her what should go where from my Ergo carrier. On Monday we went to our Stroller Strides exercise class. Finley got her mom Alicia to come to class today too & it was a beautiful day to exercise (60 degrees & sunny). I was really excited to have a friend in class, even though we both snuzzed for most of the class while our moms chatted away. Thank goodness I didn't need a diaper change while we were exercising because Mommy thought my diapers were in the diaper bag, but oops they were left on the kitchen table by accident - catastrophe avoided because I held it until we got home. Mom & Alicia chatted briefly about cloth diapers. Here I am on my way to class:

Once we got home, Mom decided it was time that we segue from our disposable diapers to our cloth diapers. Right now we only have 6 cloth diapers, since we're just trying to make sure we both like how they feel & work (plus Dad's a bit skeptical about the cloth diapers & putting poop diapers in the washing machine). I really like the cloth diapers - they're nice and soft - lined with a soft fleece. Unfortunately for Mommy, I decided Monday afternoon would be a great time to test my poopy pipes & we blew through our 6 cloth diapers really fast (& left Mom with a big load of poopy diapers to deal with - gross!). Tuesday we had a substitute teacher at Mommy & Me Yoga. Libby was a great teacher. There was only one other Mom in class & her daughter, Macy and I got so much love & attention. It was my first yoga class where I really got into watching all the poses and was flirting with Macy (she's super cute & smiles and giggles the whole class). I didn't need Mommy to stop her yoga practice all hour - go Me!! Mom said she's so impressed with how mature I've gotten since our first yoga class when she only could get a few minutes of yoga in. Tuesday night we went to Dad's Christmas party at work. Mommy got all dressed up & put me in a very festive outfit. I love Mom's peep toe Louboutin's, but I'm not sure they were the best shoe option for walking through Philly with the stroller (especially since the elevator was out in the parking garage so we had to push the stroller up from two flights underground. What a great time we had at the party! Dad showed me off to all his work buddies (I was definitely the cutest baby around). I loved getting to see Daddy's office on the 46th floor of the Comcast building. He has a great big corner office that overlooks Philadelphia - very cool. There were tons of people at the party & pushing the stroller through crowds of people was a bit difficult. Can't wait for my next visit to Dad's office. Maybe he'll let me sit at his desk & play on his computer (he has 3 screens active, so I'm sure he can spare 1 for me to amuse myself). Wednesday morning we tried to get to Stroller Strides, but didn't make it to River Trail in time. We were packed up and ready to go at 8:50AM, when a strange woman walked up our front driveway. She told Mommy that she thought a package for her son was delivered to our house. Mom thought it was a neighbor she hadn't met yet & said no packages arrived and asked where she lived in case it arrived. It was at this point that the woman introduced herself as Joan (the owner of our house before the real estate flippers owned it last year). Strange - this woman hadn't lived in our house for well over a year, so why was her son having packages sent to our house. Our neighbors warned us that Joan sometimes wandered the neighborhood and that she was crazy. She was lurking in her car and staking our house out before she came up the driveway. She babbled away about the neighbors, things she had done to the house twenty years ago & asked a million questions that Mom wasn't comfortable answering. Mommy was a bit freaked out & Dad said to make sure we always set the alarm when we leave. Hopefully Joan doesn't pop over any more - I don't like to see Mommy worry. Needless to say - after Joan's babbling we got to our class ten minutes late & the class was already on the trail. Mom thought about catching up but it was pretty windy & chilly. When we got home, Mom decided to test our her new Fluidity bar & did her Seat and Thigh DVD on the third floor. She brought my Super Seat upstairs so I could get my ab & neck workout in while I watched her work out. Maybe I'll be a very athletic little boy - I just love to watch Mommy work out. I giggle & smile every time. We spent the afternoon looking into Baby Sign Language course in the Philadelphia area. No luck! Mom decided to look into the next best thing - getting herself certified to teach Baby Signs classes. We went back & forth via email with the representative from California & chatted with Dad that night about starting our own business. Perfect plan for Mommy - she gets to start her own business where she can bring me to play with other babies & work as much or little as she wants, while doing what she loves - teaching. Perfect first step to starting her larger business where she will be helping special education students with outside services after school. Mom was so excited about starting baby sign language with me that she started signing away. She said we'll start with the signs for milk, more & eat first & then build upon those once I begin signing back (at about 6 or 7 months old). On Thursday, we had a conference call with Michelle from Baby Signs to discuss the logistics of the certification process & how to start your own independent contractor business. In the afternoon we met up with Will & his mom Liz at the King of Prussia mall for our walk. Will & I napped away while our moms walked & chatted away - next thing you know it was two hours later. Mom & I stopped at the grocery store on the way home to pick all the ingredients we needed for our Christmas party on Saturday. I love grocery shopping!! I get to hang out in the Ergo carrier, check out all the people & help Mom pick out healthy treats. Friday it was too cold for Stroller Strides to be outside & the teacher was unable to move the class to her inside location, so she cancelled class. We were bummed that we couldn't hit the trail, so Mom hit the third floor work out room & tried out a new barre DVD. Here I am doing my own exercises during tummy time:

That evening Mom, Dad & I prepped all the recipes for Saturday's party. They're such good cooks & I love getting to help them. Saturday morning Dad quickly finished the prep work & by noon guests started arriving for our holiday luncheon. I had so much fun getting to see all our family together.

Mom was glad I got my naps in before guests arrived because I really didn't want to sleep with guests in the house - she says I'm just like her - afraid to miss something if I nap. I had a blast with Uncle Mario & every time I he held me I just laughed. He's a pretty funny guy & I'm glad he feels comfortable holding me now:

Grandma Smeriglio brought me a jumperoo - highlight of the party. I love this new apparatus!! I can touch the floor & reach for the hanging toys. What fun!! Here I am hanging in my new Baby Einstein jumperoo:

Check out my new Christmas stocking - it arrived in time for the Christmas party:

Sunday morning we hit a breakthrough - I decided it was time to let Mommy know that I can nurse without the shield. After my breakfast, Mommy had me sitting up tall and I leaned forward all the way letting her know that I wanted more. She let me lay on her belly and chest & I baby wiggled my way to more food & latched on like a champ. When I was finished, I wiggled my way to the other side for some more. Mom cracked up and thought my new skills were very cute. After going back and forth for a while, I napped on Mommy's belly. We had a lazy Sunday morning snuggling in bed together - I napped for 3 hours while snuggling with Mom. What a life!! Dad got a kick out of our lazy Sunday routine. Mom's been teaching me the "I Love You" sign & I definitely know what she's telling me. Every time she says the sign, she makes a kissy noise & as soon as she finished the routine I look into her eyes & smile. I love my Mommy too!! Hate to break it to Mom but I won't be ready to sign back to her until I'm about 6 or 7 months, but for now I'm thoroughly enjoying Mom making silly faces at me & showing me various signs.

1 Crazy Month!

Wow - It's been a while since I've written about my journey through life. My Mommy finally gave me some down time to get writing. Let me tell you that lady barely gives me a free moment - I mean do you expect me to blog in my sleep?!? She's constantly feeding me, changing me, teaching me how to hold on to my toys & hold my head up, etc... I don't know how she ever expects me to keep everyone updated when we're constantly moving & on the go. Ok so what have you all missed this past month? I'll go week by week & give you the highlights: Week of October 28th: I left off with preparing for Hurricane Sandy & sharing that Dad thought it was just going to be hype. Boy - was Daddy wrong about this storm. Hurricane Sandy was a crazy storm that caused unspeakable damage to Mommy's Jersey shore & parts of New York City. We were alright at our house. We only lost power for one hour. Philadelphia as a whole managed to escape a lot of the destruction, but many areas had lots of trees, telephone poles and wires down. SEPTA stayed closed for 2 days and Dad worked from home on Monday & Tuesday (crazy Comcast still holding meetings from home when the rest of the tri-state area was in a state of emergency). On Halloween our neighborhood encouraged everyone to get out & have a regular Halloween parade. Mom dressed me up in both of my Halloween costumes (during the day I was a froggy & at night I was a cute little pea in a pod). We joined the parade & met some new neighbors. During the week Mom & I brainstormed how we could help out with Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. We decided to set up an online food drive using YouGiveGoods.com. Our drive ran from November 1st through November & we raised 1,846 pounds of food ($3591 worth of food & for every $1 raised the Food Banks of Monmouth & Ocean Counties can feed 5 people). Grandma & Grandpa Smeriglio lost power for a week, but Pop brought a generator home so they could keep warm & have some electricity at night. New Jersey rationed gas & many grocery stores were sold out of food and water. On Friday, Mom & I brought Grandma Escarole & Bean soup, groceries & more candles. We also gathered up clothes to donate to the pop up shelters. I think Grandma appreciated my homemade fudge brownies the most!! Uncle Mario gave me a really cool present when I visited - a Woody onesie (too bad I didn't have it for Halloween). I love my Woody outfit, but got upset that he forgot to get me the matching cowboy boots. Saturday night was the first night I stayed home while Mom & Dad went out. Uncle Jon & Ann Marie babysat, while Mom & Dad went to a dinner ball at the Philadelphia Club. Mommy was a little huffy getting ready & kept complaining that none of her formal dresses fit anymore (Daddy reminded her that she just popped me out 7 weeks earlier & to give herself a break). I think she looked beautiful in her long, red dress & Dad looked very handsome in his tux. I was pretty good for Uncle Jon & Ann Marie, but they needed to change my diaper A LOT!! Here are some photos from the week: Hurricane Sandy photos

Halloween photos

My Woody outfit

My parents dressed up for their first night out

Week of November 4th: On Sunday we woke up at 6AM to do the Junior League of Philadelphia's Harvest Hustle (5k & 1 mile walk). Mom, Dad & I did the 1 mile walk because Mommy didn't think she could handle the run yet. Mom got a little competitive & made Dad smoke the other moms & their strollers. We won the 1 mile walk (but mostly because nobody else cared about winning the walk like the runners cared about winning). On Tuesday, Mom & I went to cast our vote for president. Don't ask who I voted for - I don't vote & tell!! Mommy got to bring me into the booth & the woman working the sign in books told Mom to make sure I didn't press the buttons Wednesday night Mom & Dad drove me to Grandma's in New Jersey - I was going to have my first sleep over while Mom & Dad went to Jamaica for Aunt Tatum's wedding. Wednesday was a pretty terrible storm - Winter Storm Athena!! On our drive to New Jersey the snow got worse and worse as we got further east on highway 195. We got their safely & Mom and Dad left to go pick up Nichole and get back to Philly so they could get a few hours of sleep before their early flight. On their way to pick Nichole up in Avon, Mom & Dad got in a mini accident on Route 18. A tree went down on Rt 18 & blocked all three lanes. Since it was a "white out" they didn't see the tree until they were practically on top of it. Dad swerved so they didn't hit it but went under a giant tree limb that scratched the top of the car. They made it back home safely & I had a great time at Grandma's. Mom & Dad had a blast in Jamaica, but we still got to do FaceTime daily. I missed them a lot & was a really good boy for Grandma & Grandpa - Pop even took me shopping because I was such a good boy. After the Dolphin game on Sunday, Grandma & Grandpa drove me home and we waited for Mom & Dad to get home from their trip. While Mom & Dad were away, Uncle Mario asked Arianna to marry him in Disney World. She said yes & I'm so excited for her to officially become my Aunt!! They were there for the Disney marathon & they both finished the race in pretty good time (Uncle Maz said he had to practically drag Ari across the finish line though - Mom was shocked because she thought Aunt Ari would smoke Uncle Mario in the race). Maybe Aunt Ari's beautiful ring was weighing her down during the run hehe. Here are some photos from the week: I voted

They're engaged!!

Hanging with Grandma during my 1st sleepover

Week of November 11th: I was so excited to see Mom & Dad on Sunday night. I got to show them all of the cute outfits Pop helped pick out at the mall. I'm ready for winter! Monday Mommy & I tried out a new Yoga Mama class at Belly Pilates. I was a little fussy, but Debbie the teacher rocked me while Mom got in her yoga. I didn't like that I was the only baby in class. All the other moms left their babies with sitters. I much prefer our Tuesday Mommy & Baby yoga where I get to socialize with 8 other babies. Monday night Dad & I hung out at Uncle Jon's while Mommy attended a seminar on Genomics & Autism at the Franklin Institute. Mom was pretty psyched to do something academic after all the baby cooing we do at home, but told Dad that the content wasn't all that interesting to her and it's relation to education. She did not like that the focus of the genomics research was to eventually create a pill for kids with Autism (Mommy doesn't like giving meds unless it's absolutely necessary). Tuesday we had a blast at yoga class. All the babies were cooing & Sophia started crawling around the room. Tuesday night I hung out with Daddy at home, while Mom went to her Junior League meeting in Philly. I love when I get to have Daddy time. On Wednesday, Mom & I met Liz & her baby Will (he's 2 weeks older than I am) at the King of Prussia mall for a brisk walk. Mom told me she's now a "mall walker," but she & Liz don't care. They can get in some exercise even though the weather is changing & getting too chilly to be outside. At night I went with Mom & Dad to a seminar on wills & trusts. We chatted on the way home about who my guardian would be if something terrible happened to Mom & Dad. I think I'd have a blast with my guardian & once Mom and Dad are ready to set up paperwork we will all have a serious conversation with my possible guardian. Thursday we hung out at the Audi dealer while Mommy's car was serviced. I was such a good boy for her. She was so nervous that I'd want to nurse while we were there. We were surrounded by men in a very small waiting room - thank goodness I waited to have my snack until we got home. On Friday night, Daddy's friends came over for dinner and we had take out from Iron Hill Brewery. I loved meeting Uncle Josh! He's a pretty cool guy. Bret, Caroline & Marlowe also came over. Marlowe was unimpressed with the lack of toys I have, but he did keep himself busy with Dad's Playstation. On Saturday we met Bret, Caroline, Marlowe, Uncle Jon & Ann Marie at White Dog for brunch, before we all headed to the Philadelphia Dog Show. I had a blast at the dog show & wonder if we'll be spotted on TV during the Thanksgiving airing. We got to see all types of dogs & Mommy was dying to adopt Daphne, a beautiful Siberian Husky. Mom claims we need another female in the house, since she's surrounded by all males. My favorite dogs were the giant Great Danes. They're like little ponies that I could ride when I get a little bigger. Maybe Mommy will get me one for Christmas (I've put puppy on my Christmas list & hope Santa brings one). Here are some photos from the week:

Week of November 18th: We went to New Jersey on Sunday. First we had brunch with Lindsay & Nichole at Toast. Man, the food there is delicious & is definitely going to put a little meat on Mom's hips (she's says it's oh so worth it). After brunch, we went to visit Great-Nanny & Great-Pop. Great-Pop got a kick out of me & I was a really good boy when he held me. Great-Pop is 92 & hard of hearing, but he heard my really, really loud "big boy" fart. Everyone thought it was hilarious that he could hear that. We went to dinner with Grandma, Pop, Aunt Shana, Uncle Mario, Aunt Ari & her family, to celebrate Uncle Mario & Aunt Ari's engagement. The bathroom at the restaurant didn't have a changing table, so Mom & Grandma had to change me on two chairs in the corner of the bathroom (with my changing pad spread out & Grandma making sure I wouldn't roll off). Mom said it should be mandatory that all restaurants in public places have a changing table - if they are required to have handicap bathrooms/stalls then they should accommodate families. Mommy laughed as she told me that these thoughts never crossed her mind before I was born, but now she's becoming aware of how facilities accommodate (or don't accommodate) for families. Twice on Sunday I had to be changed in the car, due to a lack of changing tables in public places. I much prefer the car, since it keeps me away from all the germs of the public bathrooms but it is very inconvenient to have to run to the car often. Mommy was very excited this week because we were going to be headed to New Jersey for Thanksgiving. Mom & I baked two cakes (a caramel apple cake & a pumpkin ganache cake). She also made a delicious cornbread stuffing & Dad made his famous brussel sprout hash. This week I started to notice many new things in my surroundings & have been craning my neck to check things out. I can see bold shapes & colors now & am so curious. I love staring at my mobiles & bright lights. I turned two months old on Wednesday & Mommy set up a photo shoot. Dad worked from home & I think he got a kick out of the set up Mommy created for my photos. She put me in a basket lined with blankets. I had such a blast posing for Mom. That afternoon we packed up and headed to Grandma's house. Mom & Dad planned to meet Lindsay & Nichole at Johnny Mac's for a couple of adult beverages on Thanksgiving Eve. Mom told Dad that this is the biggest night for people to go out, but Daddy doesn't really understand why. When we got to Grandma's, Grandma & Grandpa were out with Aunt Ari's parents, so Aunt Shana stepped up to the plate and babysat me so Mom could get the night off. Aunt Shana baked yummy cookies while I slept. When Uncle Mario came home, he opened the garage & almost let Bolt & Toshio run loose (he forgot Mommy told him to use the front door). Thanksgiving morning, we got to watch the Thanksgiving Day parade. Grandma was very excited that I got to watch my first Macy's parade. Mommy dressed me up in a cute Thanksgiving outfit with a cool bib (it said "Grandma's Little Gobbler" with a big turkey on it). Dinner & dessert were delicious & I was such a good boy most of he night. I got a little fussy at dinner time, but who wouldn't when everyone around you is eating delicious smelling food & you're just hanging out (Dad ended up feeding me a bottle at the table so I wouldn't be left out). I got to meet Vito (Mommy's cousin Rachel's son - he's 1), but I don't think he likes me because he smacked me in the face... twice! Maybe he just needs to get used to other babies hanging out around the house - I promised to share my toys so maybe next time we can play nicely. We headed back to Philadelphia at the end of the night, so that we could get our Christmas tree on Black Friday. Mommy wanted to avoid the crowds (although she did take advantage of some online deals), so we skipped the malls & hit Linvilla Orchard for our tree. We got to take a tractor ride out to the tree farm. Mom & Dad quickly spotted out a tall tree & Daddy got to work chopping it down. We dragged it to the trail & boarded the hayride back to the village. After a little shopping at the Christmas shop & farmer's market we headed home. Here are some photos from this week: Great-Pop & I

2 months old & checking out my surroundings (notice my big boy smile - all on my own)

Week of November 25th: On Sunday, we decorated the house & Christmas tree. Mom & Dad created a Christmas photo shoot for our annual Christmas card. They dressed me up in various outfits & posed me around the Christmas decorations. It was a lot of fun & I even got to borrow Santa's jacket. Monday Mommy & I tried to make the Stroller Stride exercise class, but we were a bit slow getting out of the house on time. We ended up getting there 15 minutes late & the class was already on the river trail. Mom decided to bundle me up anyway & go for her first jog. She kept me up on the "jog," as she groaned the whole time. I think Mom only jogged for 30 seconds on & 5 minutes off. She's pretty out of shape & kept complaining that her uterus was going to fall out (I think she got a little dramatic, but she claims she was going to die of a heart attack). On Tuesday it snowed & Mom and I were the only ones that showed up for yoga class. We got a private class with Randi & she had a blast playing with me while Mommy focused on strengthening her core. Wednesday we skipped our Belly Pilates class because I didn't sleep the night before. Mom & Dad ended up moving me to my crib from my bassinet in the middle of the night. I just got too big for my bassinet & kept waking myself up by bumping my head at the top. The switch to my big boy room took a little time to adjust for everyone. Mom told me in the morning that she stared at the baby monitor while I slept (we're both used to sleeping so close to each other & now we are on opposite sides of the house). I kept her up for 2 hours in the middle of the night, but finally fell back asleep until 4:30 when I made Dad get up and lull me back to sleep. The change in routine really put a crimp in our day on Wednesday. I only took one 30 minute nap all day & spent the rest of the day fussy & trying to tell Mom that I did not appreciate her kicking me out of her bedroom. I was really getting used to sleeping in close quarter with Mom & Dad (I even enjoyed being lulled to sleep by Dad's snores). On Thursday, we met up with Will & Finley at the King of Prussia mall. Mom, Liz & Alicia chatted away while we napped in our strollers, as they power walked through the mall. We all stopped for lunch at the food court before heading off in separate directions. Mom was really excited when the mail came because I got my first piece of mail. It was addressed to Winston Curtis Snyder. Inside was my Social Security Card. Mom said I am officially a real boy with a big boy social security number (what does she think - I was Pinocchio before) On Friday, Mom & I went to our first Stroller Strides exercise class. Mom was nervous for the class after her failed attempt at jogging on Monday. To our surprise the class was a blast. Mom got an awesome workout in (& even kept up with all the other mom's on the jogs and cardio blasts). We're signing ourselves up for the unlimited monthly membership & Mom is going to take on Carolyn's (the instructor) holiday challenge. 12 classes in the month of December from 12/1-12/22 - the mama's are getting their bodies in shape for the holidays. After class we headed to Dr. Berger's office for my 2 month check up. I'm growing like a champ. I weighed in at 12 pounds 8.4 ounces (I gained 2.75 pounds in a month) & was 23.25 inches (I grew over 3.5 inches). Dr. Berger gave me my 2 month vaccines (1 oral vaccine & 2 shots). I really enjoyed taking the oral vaccine - it tasted so yummy - and was shocked when the nurse jabbed a needle in my thigh. I screamed for about 30 seconds & then realized that the needle was gone. I looked up at the nurse & notice she was prepping my other thigh for the 2nd shot. I furrowed my brows at her & tried to convince her that this was a bad idea. She jabbed me anyway & said "this one's going to hurt." No kidding lady - it really, really hurt. I cried for a minute & Mommy calmed me down. Dr. Berger told Mom that I might be a little off from the vaccines & to be warned that I might have extra poopy diapers. Boy was he right - in the middle of the afternoon I let out a giant poop that sounded off for about a minute. Mom quickly attempted to change me, but there was more poop than ever before. It leaked out of my diaper, all over my undershirt & onto my brand new outfit (it even got inside my belly button). Mommy had to figure a way to get my clothes off of me without dragging poop all over my belly. I already had poop on my legs & even on my socks. We went straight to the bathtub so that she could clean me off. Thank goodness - I really didn't like all that mess on me - gross!! When Dad got home, I showed him what a big boy I was by sitting up nice & tall in my Super Seat. I love my big boy seat! I can sit & hold my neck up all by myself. Uncle Jon & Ann Marie came over Friday night & we all went to a special holiday event at the Morris Arboretum. We got to see the holiday railway. The little holiday village was set up to look like our neighborhood. We had hot chocolate and cookies & even got to listen to some carolers sing Christmas tunes. Afterwards, we all went to dinner at Avenida & I had a blast listening to grown up talk at the dinner table (Daddy gave me a bottle at the table so I wouldn't feel left out). I got to go to bed past my bedtime & fell right to sleep. Saturday Mommy & I had a tough day. I really didn't feel well - I think all those vaccines threw my body off. Mom gave me some children's Tylenol, but all I wanted to do was lay in her arms or on her belly. She nursed me all day long - I think it was my body's way of keeping hydrated. Dad was out running errands all day & Mom really wanted to get some Christmas present wrapped, but all I wanted to do was snuggle, so we basically spent the afternoon cuddling in bed. Here are some photos from this week: My Christmas card photo shoot

Look Mom I'm a real boy now!!

Big boy after his 2 month Dr. appointment (literally being taken as I let off the bomb that soiled my cute outfit - noticed the relaxed look on my face)

Big boy sitting in his Super Seat