It's official ...

Nate started crawling on Thursday morning. His incentive: a truck. No more creeping, scooting, or sliding across the floor - it was a real crawl that went from one end of our rug to the other. And since then, he's crawled all over our living and dining rooms. He's discovering just how powerful this new little skill can be. In fact, his favorite new target is our fireplace, which has earned him the nickname "Danger Daley."

On the verge

I feel that we are days away from having a mobile Nate. He is getting quite agile going from sitting to all fours and back again, and he managed to crawl up our coffee table yesterday in order to destroy the magazines lying on top of it. Which makes me very happy that we chose a leather coffee table because I foresee many falls.

We've also been getting the sloppiest yet sweetest kisses ever from Nate. About a month ago, I started making a smoochie sound with my mouth. Nate would play coy for a while, looking from side to side, but he eventually smiled and pulled my hair and face toward his open mouth. I showed Chuck and he was jealous and tried to get Nate to kiss him, but Nate didn't seem to like his daddy's scruffy beard and avoided it altogether. Then, about a week ago, he started to reluctantly yank on Chuck's beard to get a scratchy kiss. It is so cute - you can tell he doesn't like how it feels, but he loves his daddy so much, it's totally worth it.

We spent Thanksgiving in Charleston with Charlie, Sue and the boys, which was a blast. Nate even had some potatoes, peas and carrots -- real ones, not pureed -- just like the Pilgrims did!

Chuck's version of an invoice ...

Fall in Carolina

The weather is getting cooler and the leaves are falling -- making it a perfect time for Nate to get out and play in the backyard with his favorite buddy, Wylie.



After spending the first seven months of his life without a single illness, Nate came down with a cold over the weekend. Actually, the whole family got sick, so we were all miserable together. But Nate got over it pretty quickly. Our happy baby is back and healthy again.

It only took a couple nights of crying it out before Nate learned that he can just sleep through the night. Of course, when he got sick, he woke up several times during the night, but we just picked him up and helped him cough, wiped his nose, and put him back to sleep. But for the long term, he is sleeping through the night without a feeding from about 7pm to 6am.

Happy Halloween!

Nate enjoyed his first Halloween and dressed up as a lobster, in honor of his Maine roots. Rather than going trick-or-treating, we went over to our friends Mike and Holly's, whose 18-month-old daughter Camille was dressed up as a butterfly. Nate was a trooper and wore his costume for a good hour, munching on his tentacles before getting completely annoyed with it. He loved playing with Camille, even though she is a much older woman.

Last night we finally let Nate cry it out, as our pediatrician told us to do. After six months, babies no longer need a middle-of-the-night feeding. If they still wake up, it's out of habit. Nate has slept through the night a handful of times, but he's still waking up sometime between 3-5 am to eat. He always went back to sleep, so it never really bothered us, but we realize it's time for him to break the habit. He's such a great baby going to bed at night. We put him down around 7:30 and he never cries or fusses - if anything, he'll just babble himself to sleep. I think this is because months ago, we let him cry for a while (never longer than five minutes) before going in to comfort him. So he learned to soothe himself. Now it's time for him to soothe himself during the night. Over the past several nights, we've been giving him less and less milk (from six ounces to four, then to two), and started just feeding him in his crib rather than taking him out to feed him.

One of the problems in doing this now is that his tooth is still coming in, and it seems to irritate him sometimes. So, he woke up at midnight. I popped his paci back in and he went to sleep. Then, he woke up at 2am. Again, gave him the paci and he went to sleep, only to wake up a half-hour later. This time, we let him cry. We shut our door, popped in earplugs, turned on the fan, and tried to sleep. I don't know how long it went on, but I remember looking at the clock at 3:15 and thinking that it's been 45 minutes. I'm pretty sure he fell asleep soon after that because I slept soundly until 4:45, when it started again. This time, it only lasted 15 minutes or so, and then Nate slept until 7:30, like usual. He was hungry when he woke up, but he was just as smiley and sweet as he always is - it was nice to know that he still loves me. We'll see how tonight goes ...

Pacifier tricks

Nate had his six-month pediatrician appointment this week and weighed in at 21 lbs. and is 27.5 inches long -- still in the 90-95th percentile and perfectly healthy. He also had his opthamologist appointment today and the doctor said that the spot on Nate's iris is completely harmless. In fact, it's genetic -- Mamma and Chuck also have a spot on their irises (which was news to Chuck). I think it'll just contribute to Nate's bad-ass look.

Last weekend, Nate spent the night at his Auntie Mary and Uncle Adam's house so we could co-host a baby shower. We were a little nervous that he might keep them up all night, but he was totally on schedule and had a great time. I thought I would really love having a night I could sleep through for the first time in more than six months -- and I definitely enjoyed sleeping in -- but we really missed our baby and were happy to have him home.

We have a tooth!

FINALLY, after three months of fist-gnawing and pools of drool, a tooth popped through Nate's lower gums. I don't know how long it will take to fully come in (please not another three months!) but it's nice to see some progress after months of pain and crankiness. You can barely see it, but you can definitely feel it -- like a razor when he chomps down on your finger. I'm hoping it will come in time to compliment his Halloween costume -- a lobster!



Mamma and Grampy Daley came to visit last weekend and Nate got lots of attention. He showed them how he can sit up by himself, eat yummy vegetables, and creep a little bit.

Blabawabaoyoywabadabamamablabladad

So, Nate officially said both "Mama" and "Dad" during his extensive babbling yesterday. Of course, he had no idea that those words had any connection to me or Chuck, but we think that if we praise him enough, he'll figure it out. When babbling, he looks much like a toothless, gummy old man -- it's pretty entertaining.

Raging with Joe and Rachel

Nate enjoyed having his Uncle Joe and Aunt Rachel in town last weekend. They came with us to the Great Grill Off VI, where Chuck tied for third place with his Anazasi "We're All Human Beans" Burgers. Yet again, Nate played the role of social butterfly, flirting with the ladies and giggling with his daddy. He seemed to adore Joe while he was visiting, which was really cute because I think that Nate looks a lot like Joe did as a baby.


At his five-month doctor's appointment, Nate's head is still in the 97th percentile, which is OK because it remained stable. Just as I suspected: giant brain = giant head, duh. However, we've been noticing a dark spot in Nate's iris since he was about a month old. We always assumed that it was simply because his eyes were turning from blue to brown, and that is likely the case, but our pediatrician said we should see a pediatric opthamologist just to confirm. His appointment isn't until the end of October, and we're not too concerned because as his eyes get browner, the spot is less noticeable.



Nate can pretty much sit up on his own now, though we have to watch him closely because he has no qualms about falling over. In fact, he thinks it's funny ... until he bonks his head.

My own personal comedian

Nate has really taken to his father's humor. In fact, all he has to do is look at Chuck and he starts to laugh. I suspect they just entertain each other all day long while I'm at work. Nate especially likes the songs we make up for him, and for some reason, he thinks that "So Long, Farewell" from The Sound of Music is the funniest thing he's ever heard. One day in the car I had to sing that eight times in a row to keep him from crying.



In the past few weeks, Nate has become a pro at solids. He's had rice cereal, oatmeal, peas, green beans, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash and bananas. We're trying to hold him off on fruit until he has a good variety of veggies so he doesn't get a sweet tooth. He likes everything except the carrots -- which prompted lots of funny faces and even a little bit of gagging -- but we'll keep trying! As fun as it's been, solids have begun to yield some pretty stinky poos.

We weighed Nate today and he is almost 20 lbs! That makes him the size of an average eight month old. It is amazing to think that he was just 8lb. 11oz. and 20.5 inches when he was born -- so tiny. Now I understand when mothers say they miss their little newborn babies when they grow up. But I must say, this little personality that is developing is so much fun. And I don't miss waking up every two hours. In fact, Nate has been a great sleeper over the past week, sleeping 7-8 hours for the first stretch almost every night.

He loves to stand up holding onto something and he can sit unsupported for a minute or more. And he's starting to creep -- he can squirm around enough to spin himself in a circle ... though there's been little forward progress. I heard they tend to go backwards before they go forwards, and I'm a little nervous to have my bold little man on the move anyway.

The happiest baby on the block

Me hungry!

Nate's four-month appointment was on Tuesday and he weighed in at 17lb. 12oz. and measured 26.5 inches long, again putting him in the 90th percentile for height and weight. However, his head measured in the 97th percentile, so our doctor wants us to come back in a month so that she can check it again and make sure everything is OK. We just think it's his giant brain that's growing so fast.

Because he's been taking in 40oz./day and has doubled his birth weight, our doctor said he was ready to start solid foods. Here is a video of Nate's first experience with rice cereal:



Nate's hair has grown back mostly along the center of his head, so he is now sporting a mohawk, making him the coolest baby on the block. This week, we bought him the Rainforest Jumperoo, an exersaucer that makes jungle noises every time he jumps.

Stand up! Stand up!

Nate turned four months on Tuesday and he's definitely starting to be a little boy more than a baby. He can sit up unsupported for almost a minute and can stand up very easily when we're holding his hands. When he does that, we sing, "Stand up, stand up, stand up and tell us you're Nate, you're Nate!" Just like Grandpa would sing.



His new favorite thing to do is to take his pacifier out of his mouth and chew on it. He thinks he's hilarious. That is, until he can't quite get it back in. He's still waking up twice in the middle of the night -- around 1 and then around 5:30 -- and we're exhausted. He's always very hungry when he awakes, so I guess we need to start feeding him more during the day. We'll see what the doctor says on Tuesday.

Swimming and rolling over!

At 3.5 months, Nate rolled over for the first time. It was a huge surprise because he didn't seem to be close at all, but I had him propped on his tummy and I could just tell by the way he was moving his legs that he was getting ready to roll onto his back. Since then, he hasn't done a true roll, but if he has one arm tucked, he can roll from his tummy to his back pretty easily. He also had his first swim last weekend when we went to the Harris YMCA. He really seemed to like it, though he really hates the sun in his eyes. I think we'll try the indoor pool next time.

Nate's sleep patterns are no longer rocking my world. We're not sure if it's due to teething, or just the fact that he's always hungry, but he's back to waking up every three hours during the night. Of course, he always goes back to sleep, but I really thought we were all set on sleeping through the night.

His four-month doctor's appointment is in two weeks. I weighed him this morning and he was 17lb. even. I think he'll still be in the 75-90th percentile for height and weight and I really think he's ready for solids. I wanted to wait until closer to six months but I don't think breastmilk is satisfying his appetite anymore. We'll see what they say. He'll also have his second round of shots, ugh!

My little virtuoso

In the past few weeks, when Nate would get really cranky, I would sit him on my lap and play piano for him. In the beginning, it was hard because he would squirm around and practically slam his head on the keys, but he was always fascinated with the sound. He could be screaming mad, but once we start playing, it's like a switch goes off and he starts kicking his feet and smiling and squealing. He really likes musicals, but his favorite is Ben Folds. About a week ago, he started singing. I think he recognized the song and all of a sudden we hear a long, drawn-out "Aaahhh..." So precious.

Nate's holding his head up really well now, though he doesn't seem to be close to rolling over. And that tooth I mentioned a couple weeks ago? It's definitely there, just waiting to pop through the skin. I started giving him Tylenol before bed and he is sleeping SOOOOO much better -- 7.5 hours Saturday night and 8.5 hours last night. It is rocking my world.


Nate and Herman

Almost three months!

After the two-week whirlwind of traveling, weddings, and a barrage of new faces, Nate is getting back to his old routine ... which, unfortunately, still involves getting up for a feeding in the middle of the night. But just in the past few weeks, he's changed so much -- he's smiling all the time and has even started grasping a rattle and the toys in his gym. He's lifting his head really well during tummy time, and it's only a matter of time before he'll be crawling all over.

Now that he's so interactive, we've been giving him "lessons" like a school day, but much, much shorter. He has Music (playing piano with mommy), P.E. (lifts, practice rolling over), Literature (reading "Goodnight Moon" and "Is Your Mama a Llama?") and Recess (playing in his activity gym). Now that he can see so well, he's also picked up a bad habit -- watching TV. It's weird because it seems like he couldn't see much past a foot or so for a while, and now he can see clear across the room. I also swear I feel the bud of a tooth, but that couldn't possibly be, could it? I must say, he is drooling a lot ...

Party time

Last week, Nate took his first plane trip to Minnesota to meet all his Vogel/Wissman relatives, including his big cousin Brody.
















Brody greeted Nate by grabbing him by the collar and sitting on him in his bouncy seat, but Nate didn't mind at all. In fact, he seemed fascinated by this older boy who looks a lot like him. It won't be long before Brody starts teaching Nate how to find all the dangerous objects in the house.

Nate also attended his first party -- Sarah Hively-Johnson's rehearsal dinner -- and met all his mommy's friends. We weren't sure how long his good mood would last, but he was smiling and alert for a good two hours.

This weekend, Nate got to meet all his Daley/Haltermann relatives at his Auntie Mary's rehearsal dinner and wedding. The consensus seems to be that Nate is looking like his mommy and maybe a little like his daddy. Also, because he's larger than most three-month-olds (and almost as big as this puny eight-month-old we met last night), he's acquired a new nickname -- Tank. It's amazing that this little man has grown so much almost entirely from mommy's milk!

Nate really likes taking showers with his daddy.

SuperNate!


All the Wissman great-grandkids -- Nate, Brody and Laura.

Nate scores a 90%!

Indeed, he broke 13 lbs and weighed in at a whopping 13lb. 8oz. on Friday, measuring 24 inches long, and his head circumference was 41.5cm. This puts him in the 90th percentile across the board - perfectly proportioned and very healthy. He also had his first round of shots, which made me well up a bit, but Nate is amazingly resistant to pain (much like his daddy, who hasn't cried since the third grade) and just slept the day away with nary a tear.

Happy 2-month birthday, Nate!

Somehow, two months have passed since Nate came into our lives and he celebrated by partying all night -- waking up at 1am and not going back to sleep until nearly 3am, then waking up again at 6am. Maybe that's why I feel hungover ... But overall, he's been a good sleeper, going 5-6 hours most nights and cluster feeding (eating every two hours) before and after.

You may have noticed that the thick mane that Nate was born with has receded since then, but it is starting to come back, just in time for wedding season. We're off to Minnesota next week, then will return for Auntie Mary's wedding at the end of the month.

Nate has definitely become a social butterfly, smiling at us when he's in a good mood, for his puppy Wylie, and even for the ladies at the park. And he certainly likes to talk (where does he get that from?) His babbling has evolved from "goo" to now include "boo," "broo," and "gee" -- a true linguistic genius. I also often hear "OK" and I think he even told me "I love you" today.

He has his first round of shots tomorrow, and stay tuned for his two-month stats. I suspect he may break 13 lbs....

Nate's first month

Our big boy

Nate's one-month appointment was this morning. I predicted that he would weigh in at 11 lb 2 oz and I was right! That makes him in the 90th percentile for his weight. He measured 22 inches long, which is the 75th percentile. He enjoyed having Mamma and Grampy Daley in town over the weekend and likes to smile and coo for us. He still hasn't slept more than four hours at a time, but we're looking forward to the morning we wake up and realize he slept the whole night through!

Nate likes to bounce

No matter how grumpy he is, Nate always enjoys bouncing on his daddy's knee ... and he is seriously two weeks old in this video.

Welcome, Nate!

Nathaniel Henry Daley was born at 2:16 a.m. on Saturday, April 12, 2008, weighing 8 lb. 11 oz. and measuring 20.5 inches long. This video was taken later that morning.