Zachary Walker's Archive Page

Archived Updates

12/8/03 Winter Wonderland

And it is just that as the entire east coast has been covered in a blanket of the fluffy white stuff. A beautiful 6 inches fell Friday and Saturday and while the roads are all clean the rest of the world is a beautiful white. This time around I am much more fond of the snow and have had a ball playing outside. Having a good pair of snow pants is a MUST.

In a effort to get you all caught up on my doings, I'll head back to where I left off. September was very quick and ushered nicely into October, time for pumpkins and Halloween. We took several trips to the pumpkin patch this fall, one with just Mommy & Daddy and one the whole family (grandma & grandpa, cousins, aunts / uncles, etc). We did lots of stuff on both trips. I got to ride a pony twice, play on the slides, and take a hayride. It was great! Later we picked pumpkins and cornstalks with which to decorate the house. We also got to spend our first Halloween in our new house. There were tons of ghosts, goblins, power rangers and or course, me -- the Cat in the Hat -- out trick or treating. During the afternoon there was a neighborhood Halloween party at the park, including treats, costume photos, a parade and a costume contest too!!! That was lots of fun, but we left before the haunted woods were opened, that might have been a little too scary.

In November I took my first vacation with out having to drag Mom & Dad along. I went to Nanni & Poppop's to play -- and had them all to myself, what fun!!!! Mommy & Daddy had to make alternate plans since they weren't invited, they went to St. Thomas or something. Sounds boring to me! But I had lots to do!! Nanni and I went to my very first movie, Brother Bear! I sat through 90 minutes, but because of previews, I melted down before the movie ended. We also went to Duffield's to see the animals! I was pretty tired most nights, they wore me out. After a week all to myself, Mommy & Daddy were invited too! I spent all of Thanksgiving week with Mommy (and Daddy too most of the time)! We had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration in New Jersey with all the extended family on Mommy's side! Hey, know what a turkey says? I DO!!! "GOBBLE! GOBBLE! GOBBLE!!!!!!" I learned that this week, complete with flapping wings. I also learn that when Christmas comes, a man in red named "TaDa" will come and he says "HO! HO! HO!" "

Recently I've also become quite the singer, finishing the verses to "Wheels on the Bus" whenever it is sung. "Round 'n Round, Beep Beep Beep, Wah Wah Wah, etc." I've also perfected the art of letting you know that I've accomplished something monumental, with each task I now proudly proclaim "I DID IT, Yeah!".

Speaking of Chirstmas... IT'S ALMOST HERE!!!!! We were able to get the tree up and decorated and I am especially fond of rearranging the ornaments on the lower branches. No outside lights yet though... playing in the snow took priority!

I will again promise to try and update more frequently, but I can't guarantee anything, I recently have found myself spending my computer time sorting bottle caps with Bert and catching laundry with Elmo on Sesamestreet.com, my new favorite website!!!!

See You Later,
Zach

8/27/03 Time is Flying by

First I must appologize for Mommy & Daddy's complete disregard for the interested public. I have been doing so much great stuff yet month after month with no update... As Mommy would say "Not Sat".

Anyways, here it is almost September, almost FOOTBALL season. Daddy got the NFL Season Ticket this year, so I know where we'll be Sundays. GO SAINTS / GO EAGLES!!!!

These past few months have been very exciting, as I have had the opportunity to do quite a bit of travelling. We took two vacations all in one trip, starting with a Family Reunion in Rockester, NY and then a week at Ocean City, NJ and then finished with 4th of July in Ship Bottom, NJ. I was great!!! I got to meet lots of great people at the reunion, I've got Cousins and Aunts and Uncles GALORE!!!! In the process I took my first airplane trip, we flew from Philly to Rochester via Detroit. The 1st leg was great but the 2nd was less than interesting too me, and I let Mommy, Daddy and everyone else on the plane know it.

Well, after the reunion we settled into a relaxing week at the beach. Well, that was until a day trip to Storybook Land. Wow! it had eveything, slides, the north pole, rides, goats in trees, it was so cool. I was exhausted when we left there. Back at the beach we walked the boardwalk almost every night, got pizza at Mack n Mankos, crab cakes and LOTS of junkfood!!!!. And by day we played in the sand for hours. I thought the sand was almost as tasty as the boardwalk food, but boy was it rough on the diapers :( As a side note... I don't think I'm quite ready for rollercoasters!)

We've also made some fun day trips from home. We went to the Aquarium in Baltimore for Shark Quest, they've got huge teeth, and a Prince William Cannons baseball game, and just this past weekend we went to Gettysburg to see the Boyd's Teddy Bear Factory. Talk about ALOT of bears. They had bears for every holiday, season, occasion and on top of that you could design and dress your own. I walked away with a furry country bear to go with my farm nursery.

These past few months have also included some less than monumental milestones too. I just recently had my first ear infections (yes, both ears at once). Not the end of the world but combined with pink eye(s) and a cold/cough/runny nose, I had a rough several weeks. Fortunately I'm all better now and back to my old self again!!!!

I'm gonna run along now and see what else I can get into. I'll try not to make the next update so far in the future!

Bye!
-Zach

6/5/03 What Fun I'm 1 !!!!!!!

So friends and family... a YEAR HAS PASSED!! No, no, no... not since the last website update, since I was BORN! I'm one and I tell anyone that will listen by holding up my one little finger! Big things first.....I had my first birthday party just a few weeks ago! Aside from having grabbed the flame on my one candle instead of blowing it out, it was magnificent! I know, I know, my mistake, but you act like I've ever had a birthday candle before! Our house was all decorated with construction theme stuff, my cake was unreal (a HUGE 3D dump truck!!!), and I got a lot of great presents! "Plastic Land" (aka, the dining room) is even better than ever!!!

So, other stuff... had my 12-month appointment and got a clean bill of
health! In fact, I'm the poster child for "Lean-Mean Machine!!"! I was in
the 95th percentile for height and 50th for weight... obviously a healthier balance than my old stats....FIREPLUG! I drink from sippy cups almost exclusively by day and love that nighttime bottle. What else... oh, while I'll always be a Walker at heart.....I'm really more of a RUNNER than anything else! You should see me dart around the place! Door bell rings... I'm there before Mommy! Oh, and it's only gotten better since our trip to Stride-Rite! Yep, one day I'm barefoot, next thing you know, I have my own shoe closet full of ergonomically-correct shoes!! Mommy got some great shots of me and my new ZIPS! Umm... oh, I can click, kiss, blink and raspberry on command... actually, you don't even need to demo for me... just tell me what you want, and I'll turn it around for you! I wave appropriately now and can even blow kisses. I love to read... in fact, I'll walk over every brightly colored plastic learning toy on the market to get to my books and pretend I'm reading! My diet is totally inclusive... only exception is nuts and honey. I've really taken to seafood too... steamed clams, Alaskan crab leg meat, and popcorn shrimp! Trips to the beach will never be the same! Oh, and last but not least... Gymboree is still one of my favorite weekend past times! We've met some really cool families and the stuff I can climb on and play with there is unreal! I love parachute time and I've even gotten my own Gymboree bubbles to play with at home!

OH! BIG NEWS! I go to "school" now! Well, sorta! As of May 28th, I now go to Miss Rita's (on Mondays and Wednesdays)! It's magnificent! There are 3 other children there for me to play with and learn from, I make crafts (can you believe that!?), I have circle and playground time, I go for walks, and I play in her big backyard! Daddy drives me there now because it's much closer to our house and on his way to work. I get a report card every day that tells Mommy and Daddy about my day and I just about cracked them up on my first day there! Going back, I had to get up very early that first day at Rita's...I had a big breakfast there, and played hard. Around 9:30am, I was pooped... so I waked over to my diaper bag that Daddy left me and pulled out my sippy cup and blanket and laid down on the floor! HOW INDEPENDENT AND BRILLIANT AM I!?!?!!? Acknowledged my exhaustion, recognized my own bag, took out the appropriate sleeping props, and initiated a nap for myself! All in all, it's been a fabulous transition!

My 2nd annual Mother's Day has passed and Mommy and I went on a road trip
together. Saw Nanni and Poppop and even popped in to see Mommy's friend
Jenn! I actually got to meet and play with Max!! Father's Day is fast
approaching and with the fishing pier in our neighborhood all built....I
think Daddy and I will have our hands full! I have a busy summer ahead of
me.....my first plane trip to NY for the family reunion, a week at the
beach, a trip to Storybook land, a visit to the aquarium and an O's game, a
Potomac Cannons game, Dominion Valley Day, golf and cigars....oh no,
nevermind, I'm getting ahead of myself! Until next time...

4/7/03 Having A BALL

I know, I know, I know, I told you I would be updating more regularly but ya know what, I'm doing things too fast for Mommy & Daddy to write about! For example, as of this past weekend I am completely MOBILE!! So much so that I prefer walking over crawling! I was tearing all over Nanni & Poppop's this past week and as we speak, I'm tearing all over Grandma & Grandpa's. Boy am I a handful !!!!!

So let's take a step back and I'll tell you a little about my past 2 months. February was pretty laid back, I had my 9 month check up and got my new stats, Height: 30 in; Weight: 21 lbs 8 oz. Comfortably into the 90th percentile, and growing nicely. I was getting really good at pulling myself up to things, but taking steps was at a premium -- no more than 3-4 at a time. Then I learned, "HEY! I don't need objects to pull up on. I can just stand up whenever I want to!" In my cribby, in the family room, WHILE BEING CHANGED... it doesn't matter! When I get the urge I just go for it and stand up! Unfortunately, steps were still at a premium so on most occasions once up, my only alternative was right back down on my bum. Oh, we had the 'storm of the century' this month too! I was all too pleased to see all that snow to help me break my falls!

Then came March, which was rolling along quietly as well, until we went on a big trip to Myrtle Beach. Now, you may recall, this wasn't my 1st trip to the beach. I went last summer to Kitty Hawk, but at only 2 1/2 months, I was hardly the motivated explorer that I am today! Now I play and am a HUGE fan of the sand. I love to pick it up with my fingers, squish it between my toes, dig in it and even roll in it... but I tell you what, it DOES NOT TASTE GOOD at all! YUCK!! That was a quick lesson to learn. oh, and I'm also now a big fan of seafood... a little crab and shrimp here and there go a long way to supplement the taste of baby food.

Back at home I have lots of excitement too! I got a pre-birthday present (Mommy & Daddy are such pushovers)!! Yeah, a giant inflatable ballroom!! Kinda like the ones at Chuck E Cheese but this one is the home version. I LOVE IT! I dive & climb in as fast as I can and then climb & dive right back out. I can do that for hours! And it's just the perfect size for company... my new friend Aiden came over to play one night and we had a blast. I also got a big kid buggy (told you they were pushovers!) so now I don't have to ride in the baby stroller when we go out. It's bright red with blue wheels and has a steering wheel so I can help drive! Walks in the summer will never be the same!

Speaking of walking I'm right back to where we started. So, its been a fabulous 2 months. And it only promises to be better cause I have a birthday coming up in 29 days (but who's counting)!! Mommy and Daddy keep whispering something about a construction theme!?! I sure hope Daddy can get the deck constructed by then or else we'll be partying in the driveway!! :)

Well, I'm about talked out so, that's all for now... see you soon!!

2/9/03 Getting Into Things

Hey folks!! 9 months old already! Can you believe how quickly I'm growing up? Well, this one will be pretty short... but that's not for any lack of things going on in my world! I crawl now...yep since January 15th (a little shy of 8 and half months), and that's the real reason for the brevity of this update! Mommy and Daddy don't get but 3 minutes without me getting into something I'm not supposed to! The fact is, I'm brilliant and they just can't keep up with my tricks! Yeah, and to further complicate things for them. I've learned to walk a bit too! Well, saying I walk is a bit of a stretch.. I pull myself up to a given inanimate object and as long as it doesn't move out from under me, I can guide my way to just about anywhere I want! Let's use the coffee table as an example. I will pull myself up to a standing position and then whistle around and around the coffee table until someone stops me! I don't get bored. but I think I'm wearing down our new carpet!

So, the baby proofing has begun! All of our outlets have little plastic things on them; the cabinets have these clips on them that I can't reach; I can't even get my hands on the Endust that I so enjoyed playing with a few days ago; and our horizontal surfaces have almost NOTHING on them � even the remotes have been hidden!

What else, what else..oh, of course with the 9 month mark comes a whole wealth of new portraits that you are welcome to peruse. Due to feedback from the last round of portraits, Mommy refrained from dressing me up as a cupid... KEEP THAT FEEDBACK COMING! There are a few shots of me standing. which appropriately capture my milestone du jour (3 months I was laying down, 6 months I was sitting up and the 9 month shots have me standing) -- no idea what's on tap for 12 months!

Aside from my mobility, the teeth are still coming -- I've got 8! I'm using them more effectively now too! I eat just about anything put in front of me. peas (REAL ONES!), crackers, noodles, soft pretzels, pancakes, fruit bars, real oatmeal, fresh bananas, kiwi, yogurt... the list goes on!

Other than that, we've had another snow storm, I've taken quite a few trips to the pool (I even go under!), I still stay with Kim and Skylar and Grandma 3 days during the week. although we've branched out a bit to include Sunday School and Kid Kare at the gym! Needless to say, my germ exposure is kicked up! I've got a doctor's appointment on the 11th, so I'll be sure to tell you how I weigh in afterwards, but other than that. life is grand!

1/6/03 Happy New Year!

I'm back already!! Mom and Dad are totally on top of this updating my website stuff now! With a few days to ourselves after the holidays, we've had a lot of time to do some neat family stuff! But first, let's review Christmas... I'm a HUGE fan! It all started with my trip to see Santa... a wonderful fella as far as I'm concerned. Then, as promised, he came to see me!!! Yep, here in my very own house... he found us! I got some great toys... two new Baby Einsteins, the music block, a mega blocks activity table, a riding horse that makes real horse sounds, my own workbench and hammer, a car, a train set. and some smooshy /colorful stacking rings!! Actually, it might be easier to go over the few things that I DIDN'T get! As you can see, I did a heck of a job tearing into gifts, but I have to admit, red plastic Christmas plates were one of my very favorite things to play with this season!

We got to see tons of family over the holidays which is always cool.....I spend precious little time on my own when we visit family! There's almost always someone to hold me! Oh, and while we were away, I quit sleeping! WOULDN'T YOU!?!?!? I mean, every single morning there was a whole new house full of people and a ton of presents to open... I'm no dummy! Just as things were settling down, we took a trip to Longwood Gardens with Nanni and Poppop... neat place, lots of lights and decorations!

Anywho, with the holidays behind us, we've taken a few days to get a normal routine under our belts again! For a couple of days I wasn't adjusting well to being left to entertain myself... and it took some time to get used to not waking up to so much excitement! Mommy and Daddy have done their best though to keep me from getting the post-holiday blahs! For example, we spent the day yesterday at our new gym! There's a pool there! Very, very cool... my first trip to a pool was a huge success! I'm not sure there is anything cooler in the world than a tubby that big!! Then, as if the pool weren't enough... my parents ordered up a snow day for me! Despite predictions for nothing more than a dusting, we got about 6 inches!! I got all bundled up and went out to play with Mommy and Daddy! Except for my face plant into the snow, I thought the whole thing was pretty magnificent!

Oh, and just so that you are staying on top of things in the developmental milestones arena.....I'm standing on my own AND I've got a 5th tooth already! I'm telling you... cranking out teeth isn't even a challenge for me anymore! Oh, back to the standing thing... I'm not just standing like, 'someone propped me up here and now I'm stuck'... I'M STANDING ON MY OWN! Yep, I'm pulling myself directly up and then, with the help of whatever I just used to pull myself up, I very carefully walk myself to where I want to be!!! Oh, and for the record, I've started drinking out of my new Christmas sippy cups too... I'm not sure that I've perfected it just yet, but 3 out of 4 ounces are definitely ending up in my tummy! The other ounce, however, typically ends up ON my tummy!

Well, that's all for now... I need to concentrate on resuming my routine and getting over this cough... talk to you all soon!!!!

PS -- I know I mentioned this last time, but here are some actual pictures of my Christening in December!

12/18/02 It's About Time

Well hello strangers! I can't apologize enough for my extended absence! Mommy and Daddy had some things going on...Halloween, packing, closing, moving, Thanksgiving, unpacking, decorating the house, decorating for Christmas, AND (perhaps most important) getting ready for the party in MY honor! Yes folks, I was baptized in our church this past weekend and tons of folks came to take part in the big event! It was a beautiful ceremony and a delightful party at our new house thereafter. I couldn't believe that so many people came from so far away to see little 'ole me!

But that's not all I've been up to kids! I've got new teeth! Yep...two more (on top)....had a really tough time pushing out those bad boys...even strayed from sleeping for 4 days in a row to concentrate on the effort! I've been back to the doctor again, and learned that I'm really streamlining this physique of mine....I'm now in the 100th percentile for height and 75th for weight. Of course, there were the token shots that they fired in my legs again...and I have to say, I'm getting pretty tired of that ordeal.

Well, I came to realize that with four teeth under my belt and the news of busting the 100th percentile, it was time to introduce some new skills! I sit up totally on my own now; I've learned to pull myself up with some help from anything around...in fact, all I do now is pull myself into a standing position! I'm still working on sitting back down...after about 15 minutes, I typically yell to someone for the assist; I talk like I've got REAL stories to tell and have totally nailed "gaga", "dada", and "goo"; I push myself into a crawling position and do a significant amount of rocking, but have decided that crawling is not civilized and have ruled it out of my repertoire for the time being!; I entertain myself for entire halves of hours now by playing with blocks, looking around my neat room, watching Baby Einstein, or by jumping in my jumpy seat...mom is totally digging THAT skill; and all in all, I'm simply delightful and one of the happiest babies around!

Let's see, what else, what else.....oh, in the fall mommy and daddy took me to a pumpkin patch! That was cool and there are no lack of pictures of that! Halloween has come and gone and I was a jester! Trick-o-treating at my age leaves a little to be desired, but one day I'll love it! I've taken a few more pictures with my bear. Of course, Mommy has dragged me out to the Picture People for my six month portraits...this time though, I think she may have gone too far! OH...and the new house!! Holy cow...it's WAY bigger than the other house we lived in and has WAY fewer stairs! My new room is huge and you should see my view! It's almost all painted....just needs a few more animals here and there...poor daddy is getting pooped with all there is to do in a new house!

AAAHHHHH!! How could I have forgotten!?!?! I MET SANTA!!!!

Man, that was unreal! Nanni, Poppop, Grandma, Grandpa, Mommy, and Daddy all took me to see him at the mall! I wasn't able to articulate everything I wanted, but I'm confident he'll do good by me! Note to my other baby friends.....don't be scared, and certainly don't cry....he's a good guy!

Well, that's all for now....I will be sure to get Mommy and Daddy on top of this in the coming months! Christmas is only a week away and I'm SURE we'll have a lot to cover after that!

10/7/02 Calling all Dentists

I'll tellin' you people... MUCH to share these days!! Of course a lot of you are probably thinking, "well, sure there is, it's been a month since the last update!!" and for that, Mommy and Daddy apologize! The fact is though folks, they haven't had a chance to update this thing because I've been keeping them so busy!! It all started with my 4 month doctor appointment... yeah, well, as it turns out, I've gotten so big and healthy that they've put me on the advanced track! Yeppers... AP eating for me kids! I started with rice cereal, then oatmeal, then a few weeks later some yellow veggies, then fruit (YEAH FRUIT!) and most recently, peas! It's a little slow to start because I'm only getting one flavor at a time for 5-7 days, but once I'm introduced, it's MINE!! So, in summary, I'm an EATER!!!

So, what's the best thing to do when you have to eat people food!?!? GROW YOURSELF SOME TEETH!!! So that's exactly what I did! On October 2nd (4 days shy of my 5th month might I add) I scored myself my first tooth!! But no... did I stop there!?!?! ABSOLUTELY NOT... nothing less than two teeth for me sports fans! Yeah, I decided that if one was cool, then two must be better, so on October 6th, I went ahead and forced out another one of those bad boys!

Gosh, well, if food and teeth aren't good enough for you...I've got more! Not only have I been to my first baseball game... but I've gone to a CAPS vs. FLYERS game already!! The whole gang piled into the car and off we went to the MCI center for the "greatest show on ice" as mommy says! The game was great but most importantly... Flyers won 4-1! Mom was delighted, Daddy seemed a little stressed out though!

What else, what else!?! Oh, back to the doctor's appointment... clean bill of health. I'm leveling out a bit... 75th percentile for both height and weight... can you believe that 25% of the babies out there are bigger than me!?!?!? Oh, and I did the 'shot cocktail' again... 4 shots, two in each leg... but this time I took it like a man... no Tylenol necessary thanks!

Have I mentioned yet that I PLAY?!?! Oh yeah... toys and books and props galore! Mommy bought me a jumper seat....quite possibly the greatest invention for infants EVER! The fun doesn't stop there either! Nope, Daddy put together my Discovery Barn, so I can pretty much rattle off every animal name and sound in the book!

Oh, finally met this Taylor that Mommy and Daddy have been talking about. She came over last weekend and we played a bit... she was all over me! What can I say, I'm a babe magnet!!

Well... muchto look forward to! Mommy and Daddy are planning my first sleep over at someoneelse's house! Yep, Nana and Poppop Ankrum are letting me crash at their placein about a month... I'll have to see what kind of tricks I can pull off forthem! Oh, and speaking of which... they just celebrated their \60th wedding anniversary, so we all went to Pennsylvania to share in the excitement... we got some wonderful photos there too!

Well, that's it for now... until next time!

9/4/02 Squeeky Clean.

Hello all! I have to be honest, there just isn't that much to report for this week. I've had a pretty stable routine lately and a bit of a vacation from vacationing! My evening routine is now perfected... I'm asleep after my tubby at 9:30pm and don't usually wake again until about 7:30 or 8am. I'm still working on regulating a nap though... that's much tougher. I pretty much fall asleep whenever I so choose, and everyone around me just has to deal with it! To be honest, there have even been days that I choose NOT to take a nappy at all... and then, everyone around me just has to deal with that too! Oh, and now that I'm less of a bobble head, Mommy plays "airplane" with me... check out the shots of that!

I went to a luncheon at Mommy's work the other day, that was cool. After the initial shock of so many new faces, I was able to settle into a nice nap. I shot a smile at a few folks, but purposefully didn't try to to overwhelm anyone!

I have a doctor's appointment this Friday... yep, my 4 monther! Can you believe it? I'm a third of a year already! I think Mommy and Daddy are torn between "gosh, the time sure goes by quickly" and "did we even have lives before Zachy?" I'll have a full report for you all after the appointment, but as a sneak preview... I was 15.9 pounds last week at my, "oh my god, he has a low-grade fever" appointment! Pretty funny story to go along with that too... my Uncle Brad got to take me because Mommy was tied up in a conference call at work (she mutters sometimes about "work-life balance")! Anyway, the nurse didn't seem too impressed with Brad's familiarity with my medical history, but I think he did great!

Other than that, it's football season now and that has caught my undivided attention... I've even learned to laugh in honor of the event! I mean it, real laughs... genuine noises from my belly! Gotta tell you, when you see those Redskins play...you have no choice but to learn to laugh!

Well, full report to come post doctor's visit... until then, you can take a look at the progress on my new house! We've been out there to visit it quite a bit lately. Now that the humidity has broken, we're really taking advantage of the cart paths on the unopened golf course! Until later...

8/14/02 A Day at the Beach!!!!

So, my first family vacation with Mommy and Daddy has come and gone! We spent a whole week in the outerbanks! I went with the Walker side of the family and had no lack of people to play with me and love me all up! Oh man... the ocean is something else! I spent quite a few hours on the beach... no worries though gang... I have a beach tent so I didn't get burned! Yep, I took three long naps on the beach under two umbrellas and my tent! I'm telling you though, I love my nursery at home, but Mommy and Daddy HAVE to get me my own ocean surf and sea breeze! Nothing helps me sleep better!

Speaking of sleep, I've got it! I mean I've got it down pat! I play with Mommy and Daddy for a few hours every night, then around 9:30ish I get my tubby, then either mom or dad read me a story... Dr. Seuss is still my favorite... and then I eat and go to sleep. If all works according to plan, I give my 'rents about 7-9 hours. I tried to pull a fast one on them by falling asleep at 7:30 with no bath and then waking up at 4... but I don't think that flew with them!

So, now that we're back from vacation I've had my first 2 weeks of babysitters. Last week I got to spend three whole days with Grandma, What fun!! For a Grandma she's got some en-er-gy! she wore me out playing. That first night I slept 8 hours straight!!!! Then, this week, I spent my first week with Kim, my next-door neighbor who's wonderful enough to watch little 'ole me twice a week! I have great fun there... and their house looks remarkably similar to ours! Oh, and on the topic of houses.. Mommy's lost her mind! Yeah, I've caught her a couple of times picking up lint from the floor! Something about our house being for sale!?!? I don't really understand, all I know is that out of no where I'm getting packed up and we're off on a walk... LIKE THREE TIMES A DAY... while strangers parade around our place. Anywho, back to Kim's... there's a little girl there, and she's CUTE!! I think she loves me... I'm going to marry her someday!

Developmentally, I'm a full time roller, a perfect 'head-lifter", I kick my feet like crazy in my tub, I've taken to spitting up a bit (but that's just so that Mommy and Daddy don't get to cocky), I stand up when helped appropriately, and I laugh and smile like I'm being paid to do so! Basically, I'm as happy as a clam... and since Mommy and Daddy just dropped another $100 on cutesy clothes for me in honor of football season, I'm looking pretty good too!

Oh, and before I go... take a look at my stint as a model...

7/26/02 >Yeah Baby...Hearing Tests are over!

Well folks, much to share!!! First, and perhaps the greatest news my parents have received since my birth... my hearing is PERFECT!!! Yep, after months of nervousness (ok, panic), we got the good word from Dr. Milmoe that my hearing is normal despite the fact that I refuse to pass any of the standard tests offered to people my age! Truth is, knowing that Mommy and Daddy would stop at nothing to be sure I saw the very best Drs... .I knew I'd be able to score a trip to Georgetown! Oh and I WILL be back one day... the party scene looked great! Long story short, sure enough, my little ear canals gave everyone a scare. Apparently, when all these technicians were pulling at my ears to get the probes in, they flattened my ear canals and sound was delayed in getting to my middle ear! You should have seen the delight in Mommy and Nanni's faces when the Dr. told them I didn't need to come back unless Mommy wanted me to! I think I may have even seen them cry a bit! Thanks to everyone for their thoughts, prayers, and well-wishes while we navigated the unknown of "otolaryntology"...cool word huh?

Well, with that nightmare behind us, let me tell you about what I've been up to... .First, I had to endure yet another horrific trip to the pediatrician. After learning that I'm in the 98th percentile for size, we moved on to the more serious business. To my fellow baby friends, if you hear the expression "two month check-up"... RUN SCREAMING!! Can you believe they gave me 4 shots at once!?! Good grief!

Another HUGE change in my world is that my Mommy has started going back to work! Yep, for the last two weeks, my Nanni has been staying with me and we've had a ball! It's like Mommy's never left... .we read, and sing, and play, and have tummy time, and nap, and eat...just like when Mommy's here. It's been a bit of an adjustment for us both, and we miss each other a lot, but things are going pretty smoothly thus far. Oh, and I've done a brilliant job of saving up all my cuteness for the hours of 5:30 - 10pm... .just before my tubby! I laugh and smile and talk like crazy as soon as Mommy and Daddy walk in the door... they're eating it all up... in fact, the other day, they squabbled over who got to hold me first!

Well, I need to get to bed because I've had a heck of a day today. I did some modeling this morning... .yeah, the three month gig (although I'm only 11 weeks!). Mom had to squeeze it in because we're leaving for vacation tomorrow. This will be my farthest trip yet... .I'm going to the Outerbanks!

7/8/02 OH MY, Where to Start!!!

This has been quite an incredible 2 weeks! Gone are the nice quiet lazy weekends, I'm a mover and a shaker now! Last week the theme was "hearing tests". Between technical problems with the machine, the probes falling out of my ears and the 'learning-on-the-job technician'... . lets just say comical would be and understatement. I wasn't pleased with this cutting into my lunch time either & I let everyone know! We have to meet someone called an ENT this week to sift through the results. I'm gonna go ahead and thank Daddy now for these TINY ear canals, SHEEESH!! ... What did they want from me I was only 8 WEEKS OLD!!!

This week and weekend were much more fun!!! I got to go and meet another Great Grandparent, Grandma Cale. She got to hold me and I showed her what a good screamer I am ;). I also spent some time with Grandma Walker at her house and played on her neat new screened-in porch while Mommy ran errands. Then, for the 4th of July, we went to Aunt Brenda & Uncle John's, where I got to meet Uncle Tim. We had lots of cool picnic food and then there were FIREWORKS. Have you seen these things!! Big explosions in the sky...talk about contrasting lights and darks for me to look at, OH YEAH! I think Mommy would really like me to be a pyrotechnician... don't you?

This weekend I got to go on another road trip to Nanni & Poppop Smith's for Uncle Brett's graduation party, he just finished college at Shippensburg. Well at this party were LOTS of new people for me to meet!!!!! All the Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and Great Aunts & Uncles from Mommy's family and ANOTHER Great Grandparent, Nana Smith, Wow, thats 4 Great Grandparents, Neato!!!!!! I got to spend a little time with everyone and tried to hold all of them.

6/25/02 Well, check "nap" off my list of things-to-do....

So another two weeks have come and gone and again, I have much to report. We've had a couple of nice quiet and lazy weekends at home lately (which has been a bit of a change to my hectic lifestyle thus far)! Last weekend I went out to Dominion Valley... that's gonna be my new neighborhood as of December. It was great fun because they were having a fair... Mommy got some great shots of Daddy and I eyeing the snowcones! We actually went there the other night too... to see how things were progressing and low and behold... my house has started!!!

Last week, my Nanni Smith came to visit again...but this time she brought my Nana and Poppop Ankrum with her! It was great... not for at least 10 hours had I been so fussed over! They even brought me a souvenir from their trip to South Carolina!

Well, on the "official development" front, I'm still growing like a weed! I went to the pediatrician today to get my ears cleaned in preparation for my hearing tests and they weighed me again... TWELVE POUNDS FOLKS!! Yep, it's 12 pounds 5 ounces to be precise, but who's counting! Did I mention that I'm not even wearing my size 1 diapers anymore!?!?! How about that I've outgrown almost ALL my 0-3 month clothes!?! Do you believe this? Mom was getting worried... thinking we should start saving for a dietician consultation or something, but my doctor says my growth is exceptionally healthy and that Mommy and Daddy should save for FOOD for my teens instead! There is a small price to pay for getting so big though... I can't roll over anymore! I mean, I still know how and still really want to, I just can't get my big tush over anymore... MOST FRUSTRATING!

I've started to do other neat things in place of rolling over though... I hold my head up like a champ now, I mimic mommy and daddy when they make faces at me, I'm sleeping in 5-6 hour stretches at night, I've scaled back my eating to every 3 or 4 hours, I 'coo' when spoken to, and I smile pretty nicely now too (if I do say so myself)!

Well, enough for now... I've got more clothes to grow out of!

6/11/02 Peaceful, Easy Feeling....

Here I am again.....but now I'm 5 weeks old!! OLDER THAN A MONTH...with a couple of cool things to report...

First, last weekend Mommy and Daddy took me to Great Falls Park! We had a blast...had a mini-picnic (ok, really just cookies and chips, but I'm getting to be a handful, so let's give mommy and break!), went on a hike, got some pictures of the falls, and then we all just relaxed on a blanket for a while.

Also, I've been keeping up on my sports....hockey playoffs and my first championship fight. Yep, I got to stay up and watch Lewis clobber Tyson (much to Mommy's dismay)!

Well, most interesting developmentally is that I'm 10 pounds 13 ounces as of today. Oh, and I've totally revamped my nice eating /sleeping schedule to keep my parents on their toes! I eat every 2 hours now as a result of a growth spurt (as if I need to grow anymore!) AND, to really shake things up....my days and nights are COMPLETELY backwards!!! Yeppers....I sleep angelically all afternoon (with an occaisional wail for no reason whatsoever, just to keep things interesting), and then not a blink all night! I think it's taking it's toll on Mom...she's even got Daddy staying up with me a bit some nights and HE HAS TO GO TO WORK IN THE MORNING!!! To add to the mayhem, when I'm crying at night, I insist on being danced around! That way, everyone is forced to be up and about and no one is likely to fall asleep on me. This is great fun for me now, though all good things must end, so I guess eventually I'll have to fall into line with the rest of the world and sleep when it's dark!

5/30/02 Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

So I'm tearing up on a month old now folks!!! I'm dangero usly close to being on a good routine now too...not bad for someone that was only supposed to be here yesterday!! I'm eating about every 4 hours like clockwork...I've decided after the surprise of my arrival, Mommy and Daddy needed a break! Apparently I don't need too much more than that either....I'm up to 8 pounds 11 ounces!!! Oh, and those newborn diapers are a thing of the past!! Yep, about a week ago Mom had to bag up the extras and pack 'em away with her maternity clothes! We're gonna save them for my little brother or sister someday!

Oh hey....some of you aren't gonna believe this, but... I ROLL OVER NOW!!! Yep, I'm serious...I've got witnesses!! First time was two Sundays ago... Nanni & Poppop Smith and Daddy saw me do it! Mommy missed it, so she thought it was a fluke. Having to prove her wrong, I did it again..TWICE..and this time I made sure folks saw it. Not only did Mommy and Daddy see me, but Nanni, Kim, Courtney, Brad, and Sara all got to watch!

Now that the weather is nice, we've been taking walks like crazy....although, I've slept through every single solitary one of them! Something about that stroller just puts me in a zone! Mommy and I were really putting some miles on that travel system, so Daddy bought me a jog stroller! It's pretty sweet...it's made for big kids and babies like me...so for now I face backwards, but when I"m bigger (not that I'm not a beef-cake now of course!) I'll get to see what's coming!

Oh, and I saw another holiday already!!! Yep, my first Memorial Day...celebrated perfectly with a BBQ at Grandma and Grandpa's place. I have to admit though, I slept through a lot of it!

Hey, and one more thing....I have a new friend!! Yep...Mommy's friend Jenn had a boy...MAXWELL JOSEPH!! Now that I officially 'play' with my new toys...I'm anxious to meet him and share! Until next week.....

5/20/02 Weighing In & Sticking it Out!

OK, I got tricked! Mommy loaded me up for what I thought was going to be another fun car trip, but boy was I wrong. We went back to the Doctor where they looked me over and weighed me again, business as usual...BUT THEN.... Doc pulls out this HUGE needle for my Hep B shot. That thing must have been 2 feet long. Thank gosh Daddy wasn't there, he doesn't like needles at all! Then....she got me with it, right in the leg. That Smarts!!!!! I am not a fan of those at all. After the sting went away the Doc wanted to see how my muscles were coming along. She held me up by the tummy and I did my best Superman pose for her....neck up, arms and legs out!!! She said I was REALLY strong, but I need some more tummy time so my arms will catch up with my legs, See, I rolled over the first time from my tummy to my back yesterday, mostly through leg leverage. Pretty soon I wanna start doing push-ups!!

I had another other first this week too, My first POWER OUTAGE! On Friday we had a big storm and suddenly the lights went out. Mommy & Daddy lit a bunch of candles and we sat around with the neighbors, Courtney and Skylar. Skylar is almost 2 and she wasn't scared...so neither was I!!!! That was a lot of fun!

I had a nice visit last week with my Aunt Kristin. She held me all day and all night...she thought everything I did was CUTE CUTE CUTE....of course, she's right! Oh, and we had another road trip over the weekend to see Uncle Brett's new apartment....the place is great, but he wasn't so exicted about Mommy changing me on his new bed! Nanni and Poppop Smith slept over that weekend too....they love me all up!

5/13/02 What a first week!

7 Down..... A stellar Doctors appt this morning capped off a most exciting week (my most exciting to date!!) I'm back up to 6lbs 2ozs (more than my birth weight!!!) and no trace of yellowing anymore. Doc says it usually takes 2 weeks to get back up to birth weight. Not me! I think I have my Mommy's sense of efficiency. Why take 2 when I can knock it out in 1...in fact, I think I'll do some particle physics later in the week. :)

Anyways, I've got a lot to talk about this week, My first Road Trip (to Shippensburg,Pa), my first Graduation (Uncle Brett graduated from College), tons more visitors, and my first Mother's Day (Mommy loved my present)!!!

Yep, after my clean bill of health from the pediatrician last week, we got the green light on going to graduation! Not only did I see Uncle Brett graduate, but I met my Great-Nana and Poppop Ankrum! They were delighted to see me...I surprised them...no one was expecting me to be up for a road trip so soon! Truth is, I slept through a lot, but woke up enough for everyone to snap a few pictures of me! After graduation, I was feeling so good that Mommy, Daddy and I even did some outlet shopping...I'm not sure how I feel about that...shopping may not be my gig...I mean, there are games to be watched on ESPN!

Sunday was Mother's Day....what a special day for Mommy and me! More visitors too!! I got to meet my Aunt Stephanie & Uncle Kevin along with all my cousins.....Amanda, Katie, and George. I got mommy a beautiful charm, a little boy's head, Just Like Me! Holidays are such fun, I can't wait for more.

Today was another first too! The first day that mommy and I got to play by ourselves, daddy had to go back to work. We played ALLLLL day. I can't wait to do it again tomorrow.

Also I got my name in the press already, I'm gonna have a big future!

5/8/02 Home at Last!!!!!!!

So after the requisite 48 hour slumber party, we packed up ship and headed home. The morning entertainment included a revolving door of doctor visits. Mom says they were prepping me for discharge, but I think they were just gonna miss me! Just about everything checked out, I've got a trace of Jaundice so we're heading to the Pediatrician tomorrow but other than that I'm a champ!!!! Mom's not doing too bad either....I think i heard her say that on a scale of 1 to 10, she had NO pain!! Good thing I wasn't a few weeks later -- it could have been a whole different story!

Following a brief drive in a WAY too tight carseat (fireman's orders), I got to see my new digs! The whole place is decorated....balloons, signs, streamers. and bows....even the inside has balloons and flowers on every level! Mom and Dad told me that there were a lot of people to love me, but this is incredible! Thanks everyone!!

The only thing I'm a little leary of are these three fuzzy guys that think they own the joint.....I don't think ANY of these flowers and gifts are from THEM!

Oh and my new room....IT RULES!!! You can take a look at the pictures, but there is plenty to keep me interested. For a while I'll be in my beautiful bassinet with mommy and daddy, but if i keep up this late-night crying schedule, I might be in there sooner than I think!!!

Looking foward to meeting more of you....and seeing some of the pictures you all have taken with me! Be sure to check out Dad's new touch to my site....the "Holding Me Hall of Fame!"

5/6/02 Well Hello There World

Well, I hit the 37 week mark and decided "Thats Enough, I Want Out!" I think Mom and Dad were only too happy to have me.

So Last night I start my final game of in utero hopscotch as Mom, Dad and I began our voyage to Labor & Delivery, It must have been those 4 fajitas Mom put back last night.

So after a short 12 hours and 52 minutes at 8:52 this morning, I made my grand entrance.

Sorry for such a quick intro but I've got tests to take, diapers to fill and all the other things newborn must do to acclimate his surroundings!!!!