to otto, our 9 month old cruiser!

and just like that, you are EVERYWHERE! it is amazing how mobile you are for not yet being able to walk. your pulling up has turned to cruising, and you are all over the place. you unintentionally are terrorizing your sister, because there are few places that her lego creations or baby dolls are safe anymore. you are cruising and you are also able to stand without support for a few seconds (until you realize you are standing by yourself and then you sort of panic). you also started trying to climb the stairs....the first time you did this you got to the 3rd step before we saw you.
you seem to think that "no" means to smile sweetly and then continue doing what you aren't supposed to be doing. like how you make a beeline for greta's monitor everytime we are in her room. you crawl towards it, and then before you grab the cord you turn around to smile at me and catch my eye. you are such a stinker.
you have learned the sign for "more" and "all done"....you have also started clapping your hands and you continue to wave bye bye. because your sign for "more" looks like a clap and your sign for "all done" looks like a wave, we are constantly trying to figure out what you are trying to tell us. but you know to clap when someone says "yay!" and you like to sign "more" when you are in your highchair, so i think we're beginning to get it sorted out. you say "bye" and "baa" (when we sing baa baa black sheep) and you also say "greta", which i find so endearing. you will look at her and say her name, but you will also say it if she's in another room and hear her voice. you will look around and say, "deh ta" and it melts my heart.
you have four teeth now (two top, two bottom) and you like to grind them together which is NOT so endearing. your toothy smile is, however, and so is your laugh. you like to be tickled and teased and you LOVE to dance. you will dance to anything that sounds remotely like music, and you will dance in any position. if you are sitting and a commerical jingle comes on, you rock back and forth. if greta and mama sing the ABCs while you are getting your diaper changed, you kick your legs to the beat.
you are looking at books more on your own and you can turn the pages. you like books with touchy feely parts and will very deliberately explore them, and you seem to like books with pictures of actual babies in them. you like to play with anything you can put in your mouth and chew....you spend a lot of time in the play kitchen and with greta's clock toy.
you have eaten a ton of foods and there doesn't seem to be anything you dislike yet. well, maybe pureed tofu, but who can blame you. you eat like it's your job. if we aren't feeding you fast enough, your little legs get going and you grip the tray and lean forward like you are trying to will the spoon closer to your mouth. you are getting pretty good at holding a sippy cup, and you are way too interested in everything going on around you to spend much time nursing or taking a bottle.
now that you are mobile you seem to be happier in the evenings, but as the day draws to a close sometimes you like to lay your head on mama's lap and suck your thumb for a few minutes. and sometimes at night after i nurse you but before i lay you in your crib, you will snuggle on my shoulder and let me rub your back and sing you songs.
people keep saying how much you are starting to look like greta, and it's hard for me to see it. mostly i just see a happy little guy.....you have your 9 month checkup tomorrow and i can't wait to see how you've grown!

to otto, our 8 month old swimmer!

so even though i wrote your last letter late (only two weeks ago or so), you have done so much in that short time! you can crawl now, though you prefer to do the army crawl most of the time. you can now pull yourself up! and you have perfected your technique at getting from a laying down position to sitting. all of these new moves plus your tenacity means you can basically get anywhere and everywhere!
your dance moves now include some arm waving, and you have been doing a lot of "roughhousing". you will knock your head into my head if i say "bonk!" and you sometimes like to dive at us, burying your head into our chests or shoulders while trying to bite at us! even though you can sometimes be a "mama's boy" you seem to like to play rough...you like to wrestle and be tossed around (in a playful way, of course!). you play peekaboo with burp cloths, hiding behind them and laughing and then forgetting to peek out so that we can see you.
you had your first swimming lesson this week and you loved it. when we sat waiting for our lesson, you were very quiet and still, staring at all the other moms and babies and looking all around. but as soon as you got in the water you were so excited. you were shrieking, laughing, and going crazy! you were kicking both of your legs at the same time, and kept trying to put your face in the water.
what a happy happy boy you are!

to otto, our 7 and a half month old army crawler....

so i missed the 7 month mark, so i thought i should post before you turn 8 months (in just over a week!). so much has happened since you turned 6 months. you got a haircut (and need another one already), you two bottom teeth have come in, and your two front, top teeth are visible through your gums. you have started eating solid foods...so far you have eaten rice cereal, oatmeal, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, zucchini, peas, green beans, bananas, and avocado. you enjoyed a biter biscuit at grandma and grandpas, and you like to sit and eat puffs while the rest of us enjoy our meal. it's hard to tell what foods you don't like....you seem to just like eating in general and open your mouth wide for each bite. you definitely don't like getting your face and hands wiped when you are finished,i know that for sure! you have had some formula in addition to breastmilk, much to mama's chagrin. mama and papa are getting ready to go to new orleans for a few days (go cats!)and you are going to have to have some formula along with the millions of bags of frozen milk mama has saved for while we're away. we thought we'd try formula before we left, and you gobbled it right up. thank goodness.
you are army crawling like crazy and have been for the past several weeks. you get up off your belly and rock back and forth, and then right before you start to move you plop back down on your belly. you are quite fast at army crawling! your right leg is in constant motion, always kicking and pushing to get you where you need to go. you also have figured out how to get from a laying down position to sitting, and you are almost pulling up to stand! you like to get up on your knees and then kneel up and just sort of look around. you also like to see what you can get into...you crawl towards any cord, wire, or electrical ANYTHING as soon as you see it in your sights. you also have figured out how to open drawers and like to pull up to look inside.
you are making all sorts of sounds,saying "mama" and making a kissy noise are your current favorites. you also like to make a raspberry sound and a "ffffttt" sound. and you are waving now too, which is hilarious. you stick your arm way up high and move your hand around in circles while wiggling your fingers. you like to pick up toys and wave them around, as if you are showing us what you are playing with.
you like to listen to music and will "dance" by jumping up and down and laughing. you will sit and listen to books but mostly you like to be on the move. we sing you "baa baa black sheep" at nap and bedtime, and you babble like you are singing along. you don't suck your thumb as much anymore, just when we lay you down to sleep and sometimes if you are tired you snuggle on mama and suck your thumb a bit.
you are definitely a mama's boy....when mama is out of sight you play happily, but as soon as you can see me you start whining and start army crawling towards me. if i am in the kitchen, sometimes you will crawl over and bite at my ankles and pants legs. :)
you love your bath and are really able to get some good splashin' going!! you don't like getting out of the bath at all....i think you don't like being cold. you are starting swimming lessons just after you turn 8 months, and i can't wait to see what you think of that!

to otto, our 6 month old big boy!

it's amazing how well you can sit now, all by yourself. you like to sit and watch yourself in the mirror, but mostly you like to sit where you can see greta. you still topple over sometimes, because you are often reaching and leaning. but you mostly have it mastered. we have also seen you on all fours (belly off the floor) a few times, which is scary to think about you crawling sometime soon! but you are definitely a mover....like today when you somehow turned over on your belly in the bouncy seat and wiggled your way out the bottom!! you continue to be hard to hold, because you are always moving around, trying to see what there is to touch or chew or look at.
you LOVE to be outside or even look outside....you will stare out the window at the leaves blowing in the trees. you like to look at books too, but while mama is trying to read them to you, you are constantly trying to grab them and pull them to your mouth. teething is your favorite pasttime lately...you will chew on ANYTHING. your two bottom, front teeth are visible under your gums, so it's just a matter of time.
you are starting to be a sort of mama's boy. you like to suck your thumb and snuggle on mama, even if only for a second before having to lift your head up and see what you might be missing out on. and in the evenings, you are grumpy if you can see mama and i'm not holding you.
you laugh and smile so easily, and when you do you sort of bury your head like you're sort of shy. you still will smile at anyone who will notice you, making you a very social little guy. you babble all the time, making "mama" and "dada" sounds in addition to other ones. sometimes when we sing or play music, you "talk" really loudly, almost as if you're singing.
you like being in your exersaucer lately, and seem to like that "fishy" toy on it the best. and we don't want to jinx it, but it seems like you are finally starting to spit up less. at least it doesn't seem like you're wearing a bib all hours of the day. and you LOVE bathtime, especially now that you can sit up. you slip and slide all over the place, though, because you are constantly trying to splash or reach toys. now that you're 6 months, we're ready to try baby food with you. i can't wait to see what you think of that!!

to otto, our 5 month old SLEEPER!

i feel like you are growing and changing all the time, but one thing that remains is that you are such a happy, happy boy. of course you let us know when you are hungry or tired, but mostly you just watch and laugh and babble and smile. you started sleeping through the night a few weeks ago, just all the sudden. i was dreading having to take away that middle of the night feeding, and then one night you slept through it and that was that. you go to sleep around 7:45 or so, and sleep til about 7:45 or so the next morning. you continue to love to suck your thumb, and you continue to move all over your crib. sometimes you get your arms and legs stuck in the bars....and sometimes when you are falling asleep you scratch the sheet with your fingers as you suck your thumb. so sweet.
you are starting to sit up for a few seconds at a time. and you are DYING to eat some food. only one more month or so, if you can wait that long. when we are eating, you grunt and strain to reach our food. and a few times you've managed to grab onto greta's spoon and we can barely get it out of your tight little grasp. when you see us eating your eyes get wide and you lean forward with your mouth open. i hope you like rice cereal!
you like to look at books with mama and you laugh and coo when we sing you songs. you seem to like the songs old macdonald and down by the station best. your papa discovered that your back is very very ticklish, and you also laugh when we tickle you in your armpits. you are so hard to hold anymore...you move and lean and are so curious about anything around you. nursing is getting tricky too....you don't take long to eat at all, but you want to look around and see what greta is doing, what you can see you the window, etc.
i hope you continue to love life like you do....it is so fun to watch you enjoy everything around you, with your silly hair that's longer on one side...those big blue eyes and those buckley ears and that sweet toothless smile. as greta says, we love our 'otto boy'....

to otto, our 4 month old roller baby

so now you can roll from your back to your belly as well. you accomplished this feat for the first time a few days ago, while mommy was on a shopping spree at target. i'm sorry i missed it, but you have been happy to do repeat performances. we knew it was coming, though. you found your feet about a week earlier, and we knew it was only a matter of time before you rolled all the way over. speaking of feet, you seem to want to suck on your feet and your thumb at the same time, which makes for quite a drool fest. as if your bibs weren't busy enough with all the spit up.
you push and drag yourself when you are on your belly, moving towards toys or towards greta. your legs are so strong...you managed to kick the toy bar off the bouncy seat at grandma and grandpas twice! you are mouthing toys like crazy, so i don't know if that means you are teething or what. you like that whoozit toy and that teething toy that looks like a bracelet. you are practicing sitting up on your own, but you often will straighten your legs, showing us you'd rather be standing.
you are so easygoing...and for the most part we seemed to have solved your car issues. it seems that the carseat bar and shade were blocking your view. now that you can see more than just what's in front of you, you like to watch greta in the car and also you love to look out the window! you tilt your head to the side and just stare and stare. you will smile and coo at just about anyone, and you are constantly trying to see what is going on around you. we call that "nosy", just like greta was at this age.
sleep is going better.....you are only waking up once a night to nurse, plus the occasional waking to have your hiney patted to get you back to sleep. you love when mama and greta sing songs....you smile and you look back and forth with your mouth open like you want to be singing too.
thanks for being such a chill little guy....i can't wait to take you to see dr. bird next week to show you off and see how much weight those chubby little legs and cheeks add up to...

to otto, our 3 month old busy body

you fell asleep sucking your thumb today....just more proof that you are your mother's son. (that plus the fact that i saw them pull you out of my belly with my own eyes. but i digress). you love to suck on your thumb, fingers, one hand, both hands...whatever you can get in your mouth. it would be great if you could use this as a calming mechanism for car rides, which you seem to HATE. and when i say hate, i mean it. sometimes the ride goes smoothly, but most often you are screaming and crying, and by the time we reach our destination you (and mama) are both hot and sweaty and just a plain mess. if you do manage to fall asleep in the car (not likely), you awake as soon as the speedometer goes below 45 mph or so.
other than your car woes, you continue to be one easygoing little dude. you were the hit of grandma katie's birthday party, amusing everyone with your goofy little smile and how well you hold your head up and look around. you smile so easily, and now you are laughing like crazy as well as squealing. you will smile and goo and coo at pretty much anyone....you are really pretty social. you still love to watch your sister, and you get so excited when she actually pays attention to you that you look like you are going to jump out of your skin with admiration.
you have rolled from your tummy to your back 6 times, and have started to roll onto your side when you are on your back. you love to move....your legs are always going and you often manage to sort of push yourself around.
you love your bath and have started really kicking in the bath too, which splashes water up the back of your neck, which startles you. you have taken an interest in your hands and your feet and like to watch them. but mostly you like to watch other people, which means you aren't as content as you once were to lay on your own. you want to be in the middle of all the action....basically if you can see greta you are content.
you continue to do a good job at nursing....and you also continue to do a good job of spitting up everywhere! i never knew one baby could go through so many bibs, burp cloths, and clothes in a single day. dr. bird calls you a "happy spitter", and he couldn't be more right!
now if we could just get you to sleep a little longer.....

to otto, our 2 month old talker

you are two months old now, and in those short 8 weeks you have truly gathered up a lot to tell us. you LOVE to talk, you will stare at us until we make eye contact. and as soon as we do, you start cooing and gooing, making all sorts of vowels sounds. you even take turns, turning all your sounds into a conversation. and smiles...oh man do you smile. you have several different smiles, but i think my favorite is when you smile with your mouth open all wide, all gummy and slobbery and just plain joyful.
you still move a TON, sometimes ending up perpendicular in your crib to the way we put you down in there. you kick and kick and kick....sometimes if we lay you on the boppy pillow on your belly it seems as if you might send yourself rocketing over it head first when you push with your feet!!
you love to watch greta and will smile at her when she talks to you. you like to lay and look at your butterfly mobile, and you LOVE to watch the spiders in the bouncy seat (thanks janet!). all your movement can really get that seat bouncing, which then sends the dangling spiders swinging around....and then you get startled by their movement.
you are a good eater. you are pretty quick with nursing, although you are still spitting up out your nose quite a bit. you seem to like being outside, and if you are crying sometimes it helps to take you outside and walk around with you. although, you don't really cry all that often. you cry when you are hungry or if you need a change of scenery (as in, "mama i am truly done looking at these dangly spiders, can you please get me out of this bouncy seat!").
and you love to be on your belly. giving you a bottle has proved to be a bit of a challenge until papa discovered to sort of lay you on your side (as close to being on your belly as possible) and it seems to be going more smoothly.
thank you for being such a mild, easygoing little guy. we would love you just the same no matter what, but you are truly happy and sweet and i can't wait to see what sorts of things you have to tell me about tomorrow.

to our one month old wiggle worm

one month ago today you were born. wow how time flies. so far in your one month of life you have shown us a few things that you like. you like to lay on your belly, that is FOR SURE. you like to look at the mobile in your room and stare up at the black and white pictures. you have done some of your first "talking" while looking at it. you seem to like bathtime....you were pretty calm even for that very first bath. and you like to eat. you eat mostly every 2 hours, which is very very often. at least you are an efficient eater and can finish a feeding in 15 minutes or so.
things you don't seem to like include sleeping. much to mommy's chagrin, you don't really sleep for any length of time, but prefer to take 30 minute catnaps, even in the overnight hours. you also don't seem to like riding in the car. the car was a miracle elixir for your sister, knocking her out as soon as the car started moving. you somehow often manage to stay awake, even for longer rides.
you are this adorable little guy, with big blue eyes and long legs that you like to stretch out, but that you also like to tuck underneath you when you lay on your belly. you have a funny habit of grabbing a handful of your own hair, and then instead of letting go you hold on supertight and cry because your hair is being pulled.
you are NOISY. you are constantly making all sorts of snorts, huffs, grunts, and even your breathing is loud. and you also have not yet mastered the art of spitting up. instead of spitting up out of your mouth, you often have it come out your nose. this is still very scary for mama and papa, just as it was in the hospital. we often had to call the nurse in to suction out your nose when this happened.
we feel so blessed to have you, our son. so far you seem like a pretty easy going guy. you cry when you are hungry and when you need a change of scenery, but that's pretty much it. you don't seem to mind too much when your sister and your cousins try to entertain you by getting right in your face or giving you a push in your swing. we love you and your crazy hair and your tiny chin and all the parts of you that we have already, in this short month, come to know and love.