chicago

daxton took his first major trip this past friday.  we packed our bags and headed to "the windy city".  we loaded up with diapers, bottles, passies, toys that did not make noise, and wishes for smooth flights.  dax did a great job getting through security and we waved to daddy as we made our way to the gate.  he got a little fussy once we heard lots of final calls and loud announcements, but with a quick bottle he was back to his chipper self.  we boarded our plane for cincinnati and my fears of an unpacified baby melted away as the plane picked up speed down the runway and daxy fell to sleep.  he slept all the way to cvg.  our layover was short and we had just enough time for a diaper and a bottle before it we were on our plane to chicago.  he was a little less concerned with napping on the second flight of the day, but the flight was short - and before we knew it - we were in chicago.

we picked up our carryon items and waited to be the last people off the plane, so i could gather everything from the overhead bin.  keeping your butt out in the aisle is the only way to pick up a baby and a diaper bag.  after we made our way off the plane we followed the signs to the baggage claim area.  once we reached the base of the escalator i heard my brother in law calling dax's name.  we were relieved to know we'd have help to lug a carseat and its base, a stroller, a suitcase, a diaper bag, and a baby on the el into the city.  chris got us safely to the car and played with dax while i installed the car seat base.  (husband had given me a lesson before dropping us off that morning.)  within 5 minutes, we were on our way. 

we made our way from the airport into the traffic.  everything was backlogged - even at 3pm - so chris took an exit and we headed into the city.  dax and i were in need of lunch and a bathroom break so chris found us a great thai restaurant to stop and kill some time.  we were waiting to be able to pick up lori (baby sister) when she got off work at 5pm.  i enjoyed my thai spicy lunch, dax enjoyed his bottle and a good stretch, and chris was glad we'd made it safely out of the traffic.

after picking up lori we made our way back to her condo and i got the grand tour.  dax was happy on the couch, but i needed to see where lori is when i talk to her on the phone.  do you ever have this desire?  i just really like to know where people are when i am talking to them.  strange?  maybe.  lori obliged and showed me around.  it was great to see all of the projects she'd worked on that we'd previously discussed over the past year.  her place was so cute i told her she'd have to come help me jazz mine up.  we settled into some comfortables and chris and lori started on dinner.  we opened up some wine and sat out on the patio while chris grilled strip steaks and lori steamed lobster tails!  it was such a treat!  we stayed up and chatted, sang, and danced on the patio until i literally started to fall asleep at the table.  tomorrow was another day.

saturday we got up early (thanks to my sweet baby) and we headed out for some breakfast.  we went to a really cute little place and dax enjoyed the wall street journal while we waited for our table.  i ordered for us and our delicious cappuccinos and versions of croque monsieurs were quickly delivered.  we sat and enjoyed the breakfast before a day of sightseeing and shopping.  dax was good in the stroller and as long as we were in motion, he had his passie, and the scenery was changing he was good.  we shopped until we dropped and daxy picked up a chicago ball cap, a counting book of city scenes, and some jingle beads for his little kicking feet.  we worked to construct these little "bracelets" for him to wear so he'd hear jingling bells every time he kicks, but he'd kick them right off every time!

sunday we headed into china town for a feast of dim sum.  we don't have dim sum cart service in raleigh, so lori found a place we could test it all out.  chris drove us to a restaurant called the phoenix.  we arrived early so we could be sure to get a table.  i waited all morning for bao buns.  every steamer basket that was presented was a bit of a dissappointment because it did not contain the bao.  we waited and waited until just when we were about stuffed to our eyeballs on baby octopus, squid, bean curd, and chicken wings - they finally brought the beloved bao.  we all took a bite and it was kind of like that moment when you hear the "whaa whaa" let down sound.  it was okay, but it was not worth all of this energy and a trip to chicago to have!

after our bellies were full we toured some more of the city and eventually ended up at lake michigan.  the water was crystal clear and the sun was hot, so i figured we'd get dax in for a little toe soak.  he did the same thing he did last time he was exposed to chilly water - tuck and cringe!  there woul be no wading in the water for daxy!  lori, chris, and i enjoyed the water and sat on the shore for a little bit to just soak in some sun.

monday's tour included a trip to millenium park to see "the bean", a tour of my favorite store "rudy's roundup" (we just love it for the name - the name rudy goes back to the days of the huxtables, and lori aka rudy aka conti - never goes by her real name), and a visit to big and little's for some ahi tacos.  dax was killer in his new sunglasses.  he kept them on pretty well, but on several occassions we found him flailing the $20 sunglasses around and i had to take them back.  silly daxy! 

dax slept really well in the pack-n-play that was formerly used for rocco (the chihuahua) after his spinal surgery last year.  i was surprised that he'd sleep so peacefully with all of the city noise and the lights pouring in through the windows.  afterall, his room is pitch black at night and where we live you can only hear crickets and frogs.  i think we wore him plum out.  he was just exhausted.  he was so tired he slept all day on wednesday.  poor fella.  one thing he did not do well while we were out of town was to eat his baby foods.  chris had gone to whole foods and purchased dax's disposable diapers, formula, and baby food.  he then lugged all of that up 4 flights of stairs - only for dax to stick his nose up at the baby food and not eat it.  it was strange, because to date the only thing he'd  never not eaten was a mixture of green beans, peas, and mint (even i thought that it smelled/tasted strange).  however, we tried to feed him in multiple places, with multiple foods, and multiple spoons, but he was just not having it.  could he really be that in love with his high chair?  i dunno.

he's a good traveling buddy.  there were 4 flights total to get us to chi town and back and daxy never cried on a single flight.  he was easily entertained with jumping, smacking me (its not as violent as it sounds), and silly faces whenever he was awake.  otherwise he slept and rested his sweet traveling noggin.  it probably won't be until 2013 when daxy flies again, but if he keeps up this sweet demeanor he'll be a world traveler before you know it.

it was great to spend so much time with lori and chris, but it always feels like it's just never enough.  we love our family and we're always missing them when they aren't with us.  until we see you again - love!

ptosis

we had an ophthalmology appointment for dax when he was just a few months old and today we had his follow up appointment.  we pretty much knew what the doctor was going to say before we got there, but we were still anxious to go just to make sure there was nothing else we could be doing.  dax was really good at the doctor today and despite a nap in the waiting room he was wide awake when it mattered.  last time he was there he was sleeping through the appointment and the doctor had to use some eye prying device to see his little eyes, which really creeped me out!

today the doctor reconfirmed congenital ptosis in his left eye and measured the eye opening to a 10 on the right, but only a 5 on the left.  the doctor did note his attempted compensation for the lack of opening in the lid and noted how he lifts his chin holding his head back or raises his eye brows.  we notice this when he's trying to look at something up close or when he gets too tired.  the doctor confirmed the corrective surgery will take place once he is 3 years old since the symptoms are only moderate and asked to see us back in two and a half years.

it's a good feeling to know he is able to see what he needs to see, the surgery when it does happen is fairly routine, and aside from a tiny scar on his upper lid - nobody will ever know the difference.  we're grateful we have medical insurance to cover the majority of this type of procedure and are happy that for right now he seems perfectly fine about all of it. 

another thing that i am so undeniably thankful for is my husband - daxy's daddy.  it's never a question to him if he "needs" to go to the appointment with me.  regardless of what it is, what it's for, what time it is, what it's in the middle of - he is right there.  we all go together in the same car (after the one time i got lost meeting him for daxy's urology appointment) and he drives us there and takes us back home before driving into work.  he's a sweet, loving, caring daddy and i am thankful he belongs to us.

7 months

it's been seven months since daxton was born.

it's been seven months since this sweet boy found his way into our lives.

it's been seven months since our hearts grew exponentially with a love we never knew.

time is flying. it seems like just yesterday we were bringing our sweet baby home from the hospital and now he is seven months old! daxton is growing so fast! it's just hard to keep control of time passing so quickly. before you know it he'll be crawling, walking, running, and off to college!

daxton is continuing to be an excellent eater. he's been given the green light to consume just about anything he can gum and we've been giving him 100% organics. he's a huge fan of a broccoli, pea, pear mix, a beet, blueberry, banana mix, peaches with brown rice, bananas with brown rice, and sweet potato. he is no longer in love with his beloved squash. i ordered a case and was so excited to see his face when we spooned it up - but, he stuck out his tongue and choked down every bite. it was no longer what he was craving. strangely enough broccoli has been the big thing of late.

eating times are becoming more entertaining. just this week dax learned how to grab hold of the spoon (full of food) and drive it right into his mouth. at first he landed it in his eye, then in his hair, and finally into his mouth. i ended up giving him a practice spoon (that was empty) so he could play with that one instead of the one full of purple carrots! one flick of the wrist sent carrots flying and i feared that the silk curtains' days might be numbered.

dax is exploring body parts. he has really discovered his feet. he'll curl up and tuck those legs in to get right at the feet. he will grab hold and pull up. he really admires them and thinks it's pretty amazing that they are attached to his body. he also learned that he has a tongue. for one, its really good to use it to press a ton of stored food out of your mouth and dribbling down your chin, bib, lap, and off of the high chair and on to the floor. secondly its really a unique tool to create the rolling "r" sound like he's from brazil. earlier this week, everything was babbled with a rolling "r". even daddy cannot do that! third, it's surely fun for making lots of racket. he knows how to make all sorts of sounds with the tongue - loud ones are his favorite. lastly, its certainly fun to never keep it in your mouth. just stick it out all the time - a little to the left, a little to the right, then straight down! he also loves to use his right hand to pet on things. he loves to stroke the back of his head, part of his pajamas with the snaps, or his blanket. it's so adorable to watch those little fingers work.

daxton has graduated from laying down all of the time to actually sitting once you get him into the position. sure, he will still end up falling over, but since it's never been on the hardwood floors he thinks it's pretty funny when he tumbles. we make a crashing sound and he just laughs and laughs. he really likes spending time in the bumbo seat now and will sit and play in there for a good long time. today he sat up in the yard on a blanket with no support at all! being upright is getting better for him each day!

dax loves music. he loves me singing "america house originals" (songs where i completely make up the words) while he eats, rests, and plays. he looks at me like - are you singing again? - and then he smiles, stares, and laughs. he has a "wiggle" song, a song entitled "it's everywhere", and a "tummy time" song. he also loves it when i play music for him on my phone. he likes to clap his hands, wiggle, and wave his arms up and down. he also likes soothing music that helps him rest, when he is just too tired to sleep. now he even likes to sing on his own. tonight we were at a restaurant with live music and dax made his own la-la right along to the music.

his favorite toy is still the jumperoo. he has two - one for work - and one for play. when i work he rotates through the toys, but he always winds up back in the jumperoo. lately he likes to take a book into the jumperoo, or a play ring, or some type of clip toy to play with while he jumps. i don't know how he can focus on all of that while jumping, but he does - and he gets such a big kick out of it. he also likes to play in his walker. he has no concept of moving forward, but he loves to take one foot (usually the left) and push himself backwards. we make the beep - beep - beep sound like a truck is backing up and he can sometimes get a pretty good momentum. hopefully one day he'll be moving the other direction.

dax is a happy baby. everyone who meets him comments on how sweet, how charming, how pleasant, how giggly, how talkative, how smart, and how happy he is. he's giggly and ticklish. he loves laughing - giant belly laughs - and they're contagious. you cannot see him laughing like that and not smile or chuckle yourself. he's content wherever he is.  it does not take much to make him happy.  he loves bright colorful rings and can sit and talk to them for hours.  he's can be calm, happy, giddy, perplexed, and a little demanding - but he is always a genuine pleasure - and our sweet - sweet baby.

it's been seven months of 1397 diaper changes.

it's been seven months of 1369 bottles for a total of 49.3 gallons.

it's been seven months of cuddling, rocking, and loving on our boy.

it's been seven months of the purest joy you'd ever know.