Three Months!

Today Daniel is 1/4 of a year old. I can not believe it. While Greg thinks it seems long ago that he was born, to me it really seems like a few weeks ago. I don't recall time flying by so quickly with the girls, but circumstances were very different, and I think I've blocked a lot of memories! It was an exciting month for the young man. He moved to his crib, and he stopped using the head rest in his car seat! Of course, both of these milestones were documented, and shall be scrapbooked in a year or two, if I'm lucky! He loves to talk, and occasionally give a little giggle. It melts my heart every time.

Emily has fulled embraced her status as the middle child. She sees even the most mundane events as tragic injustices in her life. While she loves Daniel dearly, she does not love being the middle child. Thankfully she doesn't blame him. She is a great big sister, eager to help any way she can. Sarah had some outpatient surgery yesterday. Mid-surgery, Duke came out and asked to do a little more than we had originally planned, so her recovery was not as smooth as we had hoped, but she's quite the trooper.

Daniel's Favorite Things

The window on the left- He likes the one on the right, but he loves the one on the left.

The TV- I try to keep him from staring, but he can't resist. He doesn't care what is on, he just likes to stare.

The bouncy chair- It is his favorite place to nap and stare at the window.

The bottle- If he's awake, he wants some food.

The cow- He likes to try and get the cow, but can not quite yet.

Sitting Around

Visiting Nanny

Yesterday, Sarah, Emily, Daniel, and I went with my mom to visit Nanny. She had only seen Daniel once, very briefly, on Christmas Eve. Once she saw him, her face lit up and she started wiping her hands. Moments before, she had been very unhappy about mom trying to wash her hands, but once she saw the baby, she knew she needed clean hands. I put him up on her tray, and she pulled him close, showering him with hugs and kisses. For a few minutes, we saw the Nanny we knew and loved.

How You Doin'?

I like to call this the Joey pose.

Sleeping Baby

I attempted to capture Daniel's cute little dolphin noises, but alas, this is what I got . . .

I had forgotten how tiring life with a newborn is, let alone a newborn with a cleft lip and palate. We have a rare treat this week with only one doctor's appointment! On Tuesday we saw Dr. Palmer and she added acrylic to his nasal stent. Dr. Palmer again stated that his nose would not be ready until May, making his first surgery later than I would like. One day I will actually call Dr. Hoy, his ENT, and see if that is too long to wait for tubes. He has failed two hearing tests, but this is not a shock, as virtually all children with cleft palates need tubes since the eustation tubes hook around your soft palate. Since the fluid can't properly drain, he can't hear. Once he has his tubes, his hearing should return to normal, thankfully.


Daniel was baptized on Saturday. It was a great time with family and friends. He wore the dress that has been worn by everyone except Andrea and me from Nanny (my maternal grandmother) on down the family tree. Andrea and I aren't bitter . . . really. Debbie, Scott, and 5 of the 6 kids were here, as well as Gayle and Nana B. Daniel was happy to have some quality snuggle time with everyone. My brother Jeff and Kathe, his wife, are his Godparents.