First Birthday and First Snow

We're ONE! :)

It's been a crazy-busy month, with Keith's birthday, Noah's birthday, and the Christmas holiday. It has absolutely FLOWN but Noah is a year old! Since we had a big dedication party, we only had a small gathering for his birthday-- pizza and family at our house. He had a great time opening his gifts, and would get so excited about the gift that he would ignore the rest of the wrapping paper remaining and start to play through the package. He didn't take any interest in his cake but did suck the icing off his candle. In fairness, he didn't feel well that day, due to 3 more teeth breaking through. We'll have to try the cake thing again soon, while he's feeling well. I did take pictures both of Noah's party and Christmas, but haven't yet uploaded them. I figured I would blog before I forgot all the fun little details about how he has changed.

Every day, my little baby transitions into toddlerhood in some way. He's eating anything he can get his hands on (except veggies ofcourse), and doing so with only 4 teeth on top, and two on the bottom. Chicken is his favorite. In fact, on his actual birthday (on a wednesday) we took him to Chick-fil-a to have nuggets and play on the indoor playset. He had a BALL! He was double-fisting the nuggets and loving the apple juice. In fact, that was the night he first drank from a straw! He now can't get enough of straws, and will drink even if he isn't thirsty, if a straw is available. After dinner, he played on the playset, with the toys that he could reach, and even climbed a little on the slide. He would've gone up the stairs alone, if we'd let him, but we knew it couldn't support our weight, should he get stuck.

He's not walking yet, although he totally could. He flys on his hands and knees-- he's definitely mastered crawling. And he's becoming more independent and confident when it comes to cruising. He's been using furniture to get around much more than crawling, these days. And every day, the distance he's willing to stretch to get from piece to piece grows larger. He will even take tiny half-steps with hands on nothing, in transit to his next furniture destination. Yesterday he stood for a good 20/30 seconds on his own, until he realized he was standing. Then he fell to his knees. He also took one step to get to Ashley! His first step! The other first that happened yesterday was him saying "Pop Pop". He said it two or three times and then got distracted.

Noah's communication skills are rapidly growing! He now nods and shakes his head no in response to our questions. Sometimes I think he understands, sometimes I don't think he does, but he wants to communicate anyway. If there is something he wants to try to tell us, he will do so with fervent grunts, groans, sounds, and pointing. If we don't get it, he gets extremely frustrated and will not relent until he gets his point across. He says "Ma Ma" and "Da da" and "uh oh" quite regularly now. He's also been giving kisses. He makes the kissy noise with pursed lips, when we say "give me a kiss". But when he actually kisses you he plants his open mouth over yours, then pulls away. He gave me a hug and kiss one morning to wake me....it was so sweet! Right now, his hug is either pulling your face to his, really hard, or laying his head on your chest. He's such a tender heart, my boy! Hugs and kisses are given out all the time, and Keith and I can't get enough. :)

He's become quite the little adventurer in the bathtub as well! Now Noah LOVES to lay down in the tub. You have to keep an eye on him because without warning, he will thrust himself backwards to lay down. He isn't cautious about it-- he expects your hand to be there. And once lying, he'll stay until he feels like it, and then will turn over. It's so funny to watch!

Mimicking has been the latest thing. He mimicks so many of our actions: mom-mom picking lint off of the stairs, daddy putting his tools away, dance moves, sounds. The other day we were watching TV and my parents' and a hair loss commercial came on. It was an info-mercial so it was quite extensive. After the commercial Noah crawled down from my lap and onto Poppy's lap, ran a hand through his hair, and pointed to the TV. :) We all got a good laugh out of that one! My dad and Uncle Bill have been trying to teach Noah how to play with balls, and he gets SO excited when he 'throws' the ball (drops it over his shoulder after drawing his hand backward). He makes a big fuss and waits to do it again. And our little dancer is expanding his dance horizons! Any time there is even a hint of music on, he's moving. LOVES to dance, and LOVES music!!

Christmas was fun, too. He enjoyed opening the packages and playing with the toys before they were even fully unwrapped. Poppy got him a bouncing zebra toy that he has learned to climb onto and off of, by himself. He also got him a radio flyer trike, which we look forward to putting together this spring, when the weather is nice. The holidays were crazy because of being out every night...Noah was on no real schedule and up late each night. But looking back at my childhood, I have such special memories from holidays, being allowed to be up late and play with my cousins and whatnot. I'd hate to take that away from him.

My three cousins (Kristi, Lindsay, and Ashley) love to dote on Noah! If we go to a family party and they are there, he is almost instantly taken away and then passed between the three of them. He LOVES their attention, too. I always hear some kind of squeal or giggle from whatever room they are playing in. It's nice to have the break. I love being with Noah, so much, but he's a handfull! Especially now that he knows (and loves) climbing stairs (both up and down).

It's getting late- time to wrap this up. I will post pictures once they are uploaded. Noah's changing so quickly that I suspect I'll be blogging more frequently now! Love to all of you! Happy New Year!

Noah is 11 months and two weeks old! AAAAAAAAH! Thanksgiving is just around the corner…I remember being big and pregnant with him last Thanksgiving. I can’t believe we’re here again. I already have his Turkey Day PJ’s packed and ready to go (you better believe you’ll see pictures!) and his cute little sweaters for the weekend. We’re packing up and going to Grand Maman and Poppy’s house. Noah LOVES eating whatever we eat now, so he will enjoy the Thanksgiving feast!! I’m really looking forward to sharing the day with him!

Noah’s two teeth have turned into four (possibly five, I think). He’s been chewing solid food up without any problems, regardless! I didn’t get teeth until I was a year old, which may be why he is taking longer. My how he’s changed! His little personality is just blossoming…he tends to be really laid back like his daddy—not at all high strung. He likes to observe the action, if there are lots of other kids around. If it is just he and I, or he and one or two other people, he does get more vocal and more goofy. He is easily excited by seeing people he knows and loves. When Grand-maman, Poppy, and Daddy come into the room, it’s as though everything is right with the world, and his heart couldn’t be more content!

He loves to play with toys. His favorites are his touch-and-feel books, his push toys, and anything that plays music that he can dance to. He had his first fever about 3 weeks ago…had a virus. He was as sick as a dog, and even then, he danced while I held him. He had zero energy or spunk, but couldn’t resist the urge. His favorite game of late has been the “let’s crawl around on the floor together” game. He just laughs hysterically and squeals when you manage to catch up to him and make your most ferocious monster sounds!

Mimicking us has become more frequent, lately. He used to shake his head “no” as a dance move, but now he has correlated it with the word “no”…and also with the word “yes” because when he shakes his head, I’ve also tried to teach him to nod. When I cuddle with him, I hum to him and tell him I love him. He’s started to make the same humming noise whenever we hold him close, and also one occasion while he was enjoying a cookie which was apparently really good. He has mimicked words like “uh oh”, “da da”, and “woof”. He hasn’t caught on to waving yet. I’ve tried to hold his hand up to show him but he can’t be bothered. He loves to clap, but doesn’t try it himself…only when I’m clapping with him, holding his hands. We sing while we clap, so he realizes it’s a musical instrument.

We’re getting to the stage where he tests me. If he touches something he shouldn’t, I say “don’t touch that” or “touché pa” (French) and he usually draws back. But sometimes he only hesitates, looks at me to see if I’m serious, and then reaches again. At this point, he has his hand slapped, and yet another “touché pa”. If he tries for a third, he gets another slap, and is removed from the situation. His Aunt Dawn has been supportive of the bilingual instructions, and has been enforcing them with him, as well. She definitely loves him, that’s for sure!

Almost a year and he’s not quite walking. He totally could….he just seems to be content with his current modes of transportation! I’m sure one day his curiosity will get the best o him and he’ll take the leap. I’m not in any hurry. Either way he will be mobile, and when he walks, he’ll be taller and slightly more wreckless!

We’re FINALLY using the stinking sippie cup! I’ve had to train him in it. He loves his bottles but wanted nothing to do with the cup. Since we will be weaning at the one year mark, except for night bottles, I’ve been giving him his daytime bottles in the cup, and his night bottle in a bottle. So far, so good!

We’ve gone from hating baths in infancy to LOVING baths now. If I turn on the water, he will hold to the edge of the tub and help me to undress him….lift his legs for sock and pant removal, and pull out his arms from his sleeves. He then jumps up and down and eagerly hums until I finally put him in. He then plays with the water coming from the spout, tries to pull off the tub grips, plays with toys, and chases the bar of soap under water.

Oh, my time is up—Noah is awake. I will write more later. Prob. Much later. Quickly in summary, though, with the changing economy, Keith still has a job, and God has been faithfully providing for our needs. We are grateful and very, very blessed!
Pictures to follow!

Way behind!

Our 8th month flew and Noah is still growing and changing by leaps and bounds! The little crawler has now improved his speed and skill-- he's pulling himself up and using furniture to traverse the room. He is usually fixated on the electronics (tv, vcr, dvd)...but when he gets bored with them, will go to his toy box and attempt to pull it from the table. We have a new addition to the toy collection: Mr. Lion. He is a push-behind toy that gives Noah even MORE mobility! The lion's nose (in front of toy) plays music when pushed. Noah quickly discovered this, and will occasionally stop walking to go push the nose, so that it plays music again. He then proceeds upon his journey.

He has us both wrapped around his little finger, but it's most evident with Keith when Noah makes him be the horsey. Keith will hold Noah in his arms, and Noah will take hold of his thumb, and lift it high in the air. This makes the horsey "go". Keith then 'gallops' across the room (sound effects and everything), with an elated Noah in tow. He thinks it's the greatest thing ever, and tries to play horse whenever Keith will allow.

I absolutely love my Noah kisses. Every so often, Noah will grab my face, pull me close, and pull my face to his. Open mouth, drool, the whole nine yards. But it's so affectionate and precious! I hope he doesn't realize what he's doing too soon, and then want to stop. Nothing uplifts the heart like that does.

Standing in his crib is a regular occurrence now. And his poor mobile (which can be reached when he's standing) is getting the brunt of it. It's heartwarming when I go to get him in his room and he's standing in his crib waiting for me.

Solid foods are becoming more regular now-- bits of this and that. Bread, pasta, soft fruit...whatever we may be eating at the time. It's not the basis of his meals. More like a snack.

Noah was dedicated Sunday Sept 28th, at Calvary Chapel of Central Bucks. We had quite the crowd at church-- there were at least 20 of us! Pastor Hessler prayed over Noah, mentioning that God would use the meaning of Noah's name (comfort) in his life and in the lives of others. I was afraid Noah wouldn't go to him, so we had a trial run in the lobby. Everything went fine, despite the facial hair. He was fine on stage too, until I put my hand on his arm to pray over him, and he realized I was behind him. I had him for the end of the prayer. The party was at Dad and Mom's. It was supposed to be outside, but the sky opened up....bummer. But we made due and improvised ('crisis management', my dad called it). Everyone was indoors- all 50 of us. It was fun! The cleanup...not so much. We managed to snag some family pictures prior to the service at Dad and Mom's, outside. We knew rain was coming and wanted to do it while we could.

This ninth month is flying! It just keeps getting faster and faster...already October is approaching! Still, life is good. God continues to provide for our every need, and just in time! We have a lot of love under this roof, and for that I will always be thankful.

Month 8

Months 6 and 7 flew by...and so much changed! Sitting up independently came at the end of month 6! This is when we took some of these pictures.

Noah got his first tooth on August 3rd: The bottom right center. He stopped eating and sleeping for the day it took to break through but once it was over, he was his normal, happy self. Once the teeth started coming, we started weaning. It was getting to be time when he needed more than I could give him, and the timing was great-- I'd been thinking I was going to wean when he started getting teeth. I don't think I could handle the biting! Since he took bottles from the beginning, weaning was no biggie. It took about 2.5 weeks and now he is weaned fully! I think he's still in the process, though, because he seldom will take a bottle from anyone else. I hope he grows out of that soon.

7 months:

About a week and a half ago I was on the phone with a friend, watching Noah and Keith play on the floor when Noah started crawling!!! I was so excited I started screaming in her ear, poor thing. The crawling started slowly...just two steps the first day, and then five the next, and full speed ahead the next! Now Noah is fully mobile and loving the freedom. He's already discovered the dog's bowl, the VCR, and the albums under our coffee table.


Now that he can crawl, he doesn't want to be put into his exer-saucer anymore. He's figured out how to put his feet on the outside of the seat so I can't get him in. He's perfectly content to stand beside it and hold on to it, though. Since we've reached 8 months, he's figured out how to pull himself up on things, and is starting to figure out the whole furniture/people traveling thing. And what was really shocking to me....today he stood on his own! For a good minute! He didn't stand UP on his own, but he was holding me, and when Keith came toward him, he let go of me and balanced on his feet with his arms outstretched! I'm just amazed at all these new developments!

Every day is something new! Since he bumped his head falling off the bed last month, I've been trying to be extra cautious. I asked Keith to lower his mattress last night, so that he wouldn't pull himself up and topple over the edge.

Solids are the main course now...we've worked the schedule out for his three meals, and he still gets bottles in between. I'm supposed to give him bottles right after he eats, and I've tried, but he doesn't take them right after his meal. He can't handle all that at once. He's become a very picky eater! If he doesn't like it, he refuses to open his mouth! At first i thought he wasn't hungry, then I just tried feeding him other things, and realized he was hungry, just didn't favor his first option!

Noah's dedication and party are coming up at the end of September. Mom and Dad were kind enough to offer their backyard, so that should be nice. Mainly family- simple and casual. We're excited! I made photo invitations because I've been meaning to make prints for Keith's family (HUGE picture people) and just haven't gotten around to it. This way was cheaper and easier. They got the invite and the pictures at the same time.

Noah is still such a joy to us. He's just a happy kid. His smile comes so easily, and can light up a room. I'm enjoying him so much. It's bittersweet how quickly he's growing and changing but I'm so thankful I can be here to witness it firsthand, and I'm not hearing it from some daycare babysitter. God has been faithful to provide for our every need!

As for Keith and I, we're doing well. Keith still loves work-- he's diving headlong into the new position and is really good at it! I've been working hard to build my photography business. I have a new website now-- one that I can maintain myself. Check it out! : www.collierimages.com OR www.suzanneocllierphotography.com. My dad has been shooting weddings with me, which has been a lot more fun! My cousin, Ashley, has been assisting us. It's unbelievable the difference it makes to have help! I don' t know how I was doing it alone before! I'm working on rebuilding my corporate identity and branding. So far so good! Now if I could just get a few more referrals and find an effective way to advertise that wouldn't cost me an arm and leg.....

This summer is just flying by! To think that in 4 months Noah will be a year old! We're trying our best to enjoy the warmth while we can. We've been going to the shore a lot, and trying to spend time with friends. Most of my free weeknights have gone to editing wedding pictures, so breaking away to write the blog is rare. Mom has been great, coming over to watch Noah so I can work. It's such a big help! He likes attention, so I can't really bring him in the room with me and expect to work longer than 5 minutes. Before he was crawling, he was spinning and rolling to get where he wanted to go. During one of my editing sessions, I had him on the floor. He started to cry, and I looked up from my work to find him under the bed with only his head peeking out, and not very happy about it. :) Now that he's mobile, I can kiss the whole idea goodbye!

Well it's midnight, so I'm going to go kiss my sweeties and call it a night. Sweet dreams!

Who Are you and What Have You Done with my Son?

I didn’t write a five month entry. There were really no changes in Noah, except in his size- still growing like a weed! But as the sixth month approached, all these changeshave taken place and it’s like Noah
is a different baby! A week and a half of transition has brought my six-month-old’s personality out.

The biggest ‘milestone’ change has been Noah’s sitting up. He’s pretty good at sitting independently now, after many trial runs on mommy and daddy’s bed. His favorite part of the trial runs was getting himself balanced and sitting, and then throwing himself backward into the mound of cushy blankets, arms outstretched, beaming from ear-to-ear. Another move he practiced was getting himself from a sitting position to his belly; this involved launching himself sideways and catching himself on his belly. I was hoping he wouldn’t try these moves on a less friendly surface and hurt himself. Wouldn’t you know, he did. He tried the belly move on my aunt’s love seat patio chair, with iron armrests. I was standing right there beside him, and next thing I know, he launched and smacked his eyebrow on the armrest, getting his first boo boo. He was hysterical, and I was almost as bad…especially when I saw the blood! Now I understand why my dad used to say the infamous “this hurts me worse than it hurts you”. My heart just ached when I saw those little tears! Luckly, Keith was not there—I would’ve had my rear end handed to me. I did call and warn him so that he wouldn’t lose it when he saw Noah’s eye….which is now good-as-new, thank heavens!

Noah laughs all the time now! The more ridiculous you can be, the harder he laughs! I devote hours to the task, and then try to capture it on a cell phone video, which hardly does it justice. I need to buy a video camera. The next day, I can hardly move from all the jumping around I did, but it’s worth it! Speaking of which, I’m now 2 lbs less than my pre-pregnancy weight, which is drawing me near to my pre-accident weight! 3 pounds to go to reach that mark.

Another milestone is that we have finally started- and stayed on- solid foods. I tried to give him cereal at 4 months, but he just couldn’t be bothered, so I paused things and we’re back into it at 5.5 months. About a week into it, he started opening his mouth voluntarily in anticipation of the food, whereas before I had to coax him. He also kindof ‘chews’…to the extent that one can chew without teeth. I guess he just takes his time and tastes the food. His favorites are sweet potatoes and apples. He eats just about everything else, but hates string beans. He eats meat with a grimace on his face. He is nursing a little less because solids fill him up more. Two weeks ago he went on a nursing strike! After researching and racking my brain over why he just quit one day I concluded that it was after he nursed when I had the hiccoughs. Each hiccough would startle him. He would pull away, look up at me, and then start again. I guess it scared him because he stopped. So I had to pump to keep up the supply…all is back to normal now.

We have moved to only one feeding at night:4:00 AM! Nap times are more regular now: one at 9:30, and one at 3:00, each for about 1.5-2 hours. Not bad! It’s been a bit easier to get things done now. Since he is supporting his weight on his legs and has full head and neck support, I’ve been putting him into his exer-saucer a lot. He loves it, and he’s learning a lot from it. When he stands on my lap he rehearses turning his torso, and expects his waist/ legs/feet to automatically turn, like they do in the exer-saucer. I do my best to accommodate. He also rocks back and forth and jumps, but receives much different results from me. As an aside, saying “exer-saucer” always gets a laugh out of the Ciocis (Kristi, Lindsay, and Ash).

Memorial day weekend was a great time! The Ciocis came to the shore with us, and one morning after coffee and sticky buns, we ventured out to the store to find a baby pool and pool toys. We managed to find a really cute one, and they inflated it for us. Noah went for his first swim, all decked out in his sun gear. He loved it! Water is becoming more familiar…now he splashes in the bathtub, and really enjoys it! The next step was taking him in the Evitts’ pool. He wasn’t sure what to make of it at first, because it was cooler than he was used to, but once I eased him into the water, he seemed really relaxed. Relaxed enough to take a nap on Aunt Jos. J I still have to get the pictures from Lindsay of that day.

We just returned home from Noah’s first road trip. We went to Canada to see Dan & Meigan and their new baby, Liam. Noah did really well on the 7.5 hour car rides (both there and back). Slept quite a bit, and during his wakeful times, wasn’t hysterical. He did take 2 days to adjust to the new surroundings. He was a bit cranky and had a hard time napping. Unfortunately by the time he was adjusted, our vacation was half over! Next time we’ll have to make it longer. He thought Liam was the greatest! Tried to play with him once, making the poor boy bleed on his lip. That was the end of that- now we just admire from afar. We had a great time- Liam is a little cutie pie!

So that’s about all! If the rest of the month is anything like the past two weeks, with all the twists and surprises, I’m sure I’ll be writing more. Noah’s personality is coming out more and more- it’s so fun to see!

On the way to Cape May....

Noah went on his first trip to Ocean City this past weekend! We're so excited to be starting these traditions with him- we hope it's a place he grows to love. Saturday we went to dinner with a friend for his birthday, and my parents babysat Noah. My dad put him to sleep for the night-- a first! He is getting used to handling Noah. At first he was freaked out by Noah's crying or fussiness, but he seems to be getting past it, and tries to meet the need so he will stop, instead of passing him back. :) Noah's getting tons of nicknames from Grand-maman and Pop Pop: No-Jo, little Joe, medicine, dessert, treasure, and Ishcabibbles. Anyway, back to the shore story...It's not beach weather yet, but on Sunday we took a nice long walk in the pleasant 70 degree weather, to the marina where Pop Pop docks his boat (Noah wore his fisherman's hat for the occasion). Later that day we went to the boardwalk to have Mac n' Manco's, and just like that the weekend was over. They fly by anymore.

Noah is 4 months and two weeks old now. Unbelievable! He weighs in at 17.5 lbs, and 27 inches long! I asked the doctor if it's ok that he's so big. His response: "it's not only ok, it's great! I'll bet you never said you wanted to marry someone who is short, dark, and handsome!". We must be doing something right! He's in the 75th percentile for weight and height.

While his daddy has hopes of him being a linebacker, he's showing signs of being musically inclined. Whenever music plays, or someone sings or whistles to him, he is instantly soothed, and becomes very attentive! We're trying to feed him music as much as possible. He thinks it's hilarious when I attempt to beat box for him and make him dance.

Speaking of hilarious, HE GIGGLED the other day! Oh my goodness...it was the most precious sound I've ever heard! It was so much fun hearing him express his joy! I was singing "the wheels on the bus" and bouncing him around, and his squeals turned into giggles. He hasn't done it since, but I'm so looking forward to when it becomes regular. His laughter shoots straight to my heart!

Sitting up has been the goal of late. He makes quite the effort to raise himself into a seated position (but can't do it unassisted yet). He sits up when I prop him against pillows just fine, and I'm trying to teach him to balance himself by holding him loosely while he sits. He's also taken to 'standing' (while I hold him, of course). Loves it! He smiles so proudly when he stands.

We have CONQUERED bath time!!!! We no longer have to bathe with him. We have a new bathtub that he sits in by himself. It seems like he's enjoying his baths now! Instead of sitting, frozen, he will kick his feet and splash around a bit. It's definitely easier for us this way. Keith has also brings Noah in the shower with him when we're short on time. At first, the water in his face startled him, but he's warming up to the idea.

Noah loves playing with toys now. Everything goes straight to the mouth! I was able to shower the other day without Keith being home-- I put him in the door jumper and he entertained himself for a while. Towards the end he was fussy but he gave me just enough time to get ready. We're making progress!

He also had baby cereal for the first time last month (pictures to come). He spits out more than he swallows, though, so I decided to put it off for a bit. I'm going to try it again tomorrow, and if it goes well, make it a part of the routine. I have pictures of his first solid meal, but will have to post them later.

That's about all the updates I can think of for now. Time is flying by and Noah is getting big so quickly! Life is rich. I can't express how fulfilled I am when I wake up to that little boy's smile. I'm so blessed.

Oh PS, only 2 more lbs to go to hit pre-pregnancy weight!!!! YAY!