Posts Tagged ‘growing baby’
Stella and Suzy: One Month Old
Posted on: February 6, 2012
When Niko was a baby I dressed him for Halloween in my Build-a-Bear’s karate outfit. He was just over a month old, and this inspired a series of photos. Each month I took his photo beside the bear to document his baby growth. So in total a series of twelve photos were taken.
Well lo and behold a month of little Stella’s life had passed and I realized I had not yet started this for our newest little darling. Not wanting her to feel the “you-have-less-photos-of-me-than-the-first-born” drama, I nipped it in the bud and seized the closest item I could find to start documenting. I mean…after much thought and care I settled on Suzy to be the chosen the doll to document our precious girl’s growth. (Of course, her size growth portfolio wouldn’t be so haphazard as me just nabbing the closest item…).
Suzy, by the way, is my beloved Cabbage Patch doll from when I was a child. And charting her first month, here’s Stella and Suzy!
Note 1: These pics were taken around January 26th, even though they are just being posted now. So they do accurately reflect one month of growth. My tardiness at posting them is more a commentary on the time restraints of my current lifestyle. Two young kids and finding it hard to find time to blog. Who would have thunk?
Note 2: Niko is in daycare today.
Note 3: At Stella’s one month check up, her stats were as follows: weight – 10 lb 8 oz, height – 22 inches. (90th percentile for both).
11 Month Old vs. Karate Bear
Posted on: August 17, 2010
So here we are, just one month shy of Niko’s first birthday and I’ve almost got a year’s worth of monthly Niko vs. Karate Bear photos. Our little guy, who’s not so little anymore is almost one. Wow.
As you can see, he is celebrating this 11th monthiversary in style, by doing what I can only describe as his first fake smile. When I took these pics I rapidly snapped a series of about 20 or so and then narrowed it down to my fav three. When I started shooting, Niko made this silly smile and squinted his eyes tight each time I clicked the camera. Hello fake smile. But where would he have picked this up? Who can tell for sure? Although, now that I think of it, Niko was hanging out with his two-year-old pal Ruby last week and she often hams it up for the camera…
I particularly like the last pic below; he’s showing his ultimate domination over the bear: “Little black belt, you are no match for Sir Niko! Hiya. Take that! You’re pinned.”
Note: This is part of a series of blog entries that were inspired when Niko wore the bear’s mini karate gi as a Halloween costume. Since then I have used the bear and the costume to document his growth at three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, and now eleven months.
10 Month Old vs. Karate Bear
Posted on: July 17, 2010
10 month old Niko is certainly keeping us busy. Based on my observations over the last few weeks I thought for sure he would be crawling by now, but actually he is still just “almost” there. He’s getting pretty good at maneuvering from side to side and can inch his way backwards, as well as hold up his body in a crawling position, but for now he sort of just reaches around and moves about in about a two or three foot radius.
His sleep patterns are regular only in their irregularity. He will sleep through the night for a few weeks and then revert to waking up once or twice, which is his current trend: except for last night when he slept straight from 7:30 pm to 6:30 am. Keep it up, Baby!
The other day I went to check on him while he was sleeping and couldn’t get over how long his body appeared while he was just lying there in his crib. It’s crazy to think that he has almost quadrupled his body weight since he was born! That’s a whole lot of growing in just 10 months.
Note: This is part of a series of blog entries that were inspired when Niko wore the bear’s mini karate gi as a Halloween costume. Since then I have used the bear and the costume to document his growth at three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, and now eleven months.
9 Month Old vs. Karate Bear
Posted on: June 15, 2010
The Little Niko Man is 9 months old. It’s crazy to think that nine months ago, today, we headed to the hospital for the birth of our son. By the time we got there I was in active labour and Niko was already on his way. I specifically remember a conversation with the resident doctor, that went something like this.
Dr. (while examining me and with surprise): Whoa. You are 6 cm dilated!
Me (wide eyed): Really?
Dr.: Yes. So you will be having this baby today.
Me: What? Today? But I’m not due for four more weeks. (And then looking at Borys.) We’re having our baby today!!! Oh my gosh!
Borys: Oh my goodness!
Dr.: Yup. By they way you’re going to have this baby within half an hour!
Me: Oh my goodness!
So that was nine months ago, and now we have this little beauty who keeps delighting our hearts and bringing us joy on a daily basis.
Now that he’s nine months he’s clapping all the time (all the while displaying a proud and curious look to boot), he’s laughing a lot and contagiously, he’s getting closer and closer to crawling (I can just see him reaching his way forward, wanting to go, but not quite sure how to get going), and he’s got six teeth (that he won’t stop grinding – shiver…). What a precious little monkey!
Note: This is part of a series of blog entries that were inspired when Niko wore the bear’s mini karate gi as a Halloween costume. Since then I have used the bear and the costume to document his growth at three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, and now eleven months.
The End of An Era
Posted on: May 16, 2010
Times they are a changin’…
After countless get togethers, pizza lunches, walks, telephone counseling sessions, laughs, swim lessons, and milestones, we have come the end of an era. That’s right. My friend Traci, who’s been off on mat. leave with me, is going back to work tomorrow and her (not so) Little Eli is turning one in just a couple of weeks! Wow!
I used to be awestruck at the size of Eli: he’s three months older than Niko and in the life of a baby this makes a huge difference. But this week, as we had our last official mat. leave outing together (at least for this round of mat. leave), Traci and I were both surprised to see that Niko and Eli are almost the same size now! Amazing (to us), but not entirely surprising seeing as growth is the natural progression of life.
Note: Click the following links to see how much Niko and Eli have changed over the past few months: Beautiful November, Niko and Friends, The Nap Pack, His First Report Card.
8 Month Old vs. Karate Bear
Posted on: May 15, 2010
The (not so) Little Niko Man is eight months old today! And what did he get for his monthiversary? A new baby cousin! That’s right! Little Emiliana was born yesterday at 7pm weighing in at just under 8lbs and Ciocia Ola was a superstar trooper having her little monkey at home with her hubbie, midwife, doula, and two greyhounds, by her side!
Niko is so excited to meet his newest cousin and the first one on the Polish side. This also means Niko is no longer the “baby” in the family. I mean yes, he is still a baby, but just not the smallest one. Wow! We are so excited for Ciocia Ola and Uncle Bruce and can’t wait to see some pics of this newest family member!
And now that Niko’s eight months old, what can he do? Roll over like crazy, clap his hands, keep “da da” on repeat and of course he crawls deeper and deeper into our hearts with each passing day!
Note: This is part of a series of blog entries that were inspired when Niko wore the bear’s mini karate gi as a Halloween costume. Since then I have used the bear and the costume to document his growth at three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, and now eleven months.
7 Month Old vs. Karate Bear
Posted on: April 15, 2010
The Little N Man is seven months old today! So, to document his monthiversary I took what has become the obligatory pic with the karate build-a-bear. It’s hard to believe that he actually fit in that tiny karate costume just a few months ago!
Things Niko can do now that he is seven months old: sit by himself (even though there’s a pillow waiting behind him, just in case), chew (sort of) with his two bottom teeth, giggle a lot, say “Mama” and “Dada”?, and sleep most nights from 7:30 to 5 or 6 am!
Amendment (April 16): In the life of a baby “normal” doesn’t always last so long. Last night Niko recalled his life as a newborn and woke up hungry every two hours! Geesh. I’m tired…
Note: This is part of a series of blog entries that were inspired when Niko wore the bear’s mini karate gi as a Halloween costume. Since then I have used the bear and the costume to document his growth at three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, and now eleven months.
6 Month Old vs. Karate Bear
Posted on: March 15, 2010
Our little boy is six months old today. Still a baby? Yes. Still a newborn? No.
The other day Niko and I went out for lunch with my friend Charlotte and Niko’s newborn friend Jack. To see two week old Jack, all 7lbs of him, still scrunched up in the fetal position, really put into perspective how much Niko has grown since his 6lb NICU days. I mean I still think of little Niko, as well, LITTLE! And I guess he is. But “little” is all relative, and when compared to a newborn, little is not a word that comes to mind. Holding little Jackson it’s hard to remember that Niko was actually smaller than him, and I can’t even really remember him feeling so light in my arms.
Borys and I are both so happy that (not so little anymore) Niko is healthy and growing. Even though he was born a month early, and hooked up to machines and monitors for the first two weeks of his life, you would never know that by looking at him. He certainly has grown into a strong and healthy baby!
PS – In the last pic, in the series of pictures below, Niko’s facial expression is one of sheer grit (not tears) after he pulled a ninja move on the karate bear. And after such a move, we now refer to him as Sensei Niko.
Note: This is part of a series of blog entries that were inspired when Niko wore the bear’s mini karate gi as a Halloween costume. Since then I have used the bear and the costume to document his growth at three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, and now eleven months.
5 Month Old vs. Karate Bear
Posted on: February 17, 2010
Well folks it’s that time of the month again (no, not that time): but it is time for the monthly showdown between Niko and Beary (that’s Karate Build-a-Beary)! Niko seems to be gaining the advantage seeing as he can almost be classified as a heavyweight and Beary remains just a mid to light weight contender. It’s hard to believe that Niko is already five months old: but such is life, and I guess when you look back on things that is usually how time works. The time has gone fast though and Borys and I have been having a lot of fun getting to know our little man.
Note: This is part of a series of blog entries that were inspired when Niko wore the bear’s mini karate gi as a Halloween costume. Since then I have used the bear and the costume to document his growth at three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, and now eleven months.
Bye Bye Bassinet
Posted on: December 21, 2009
- In: Milestones | Sleep Time | The Niko Files
- 2 Comments
Growing, growing, growing this baby keeps on growing! And the time has come to say au revoir to his bassinet. It was good to him, and lasted him for over three months, but he has now outgrown it. And how do I know that he’s outgrown it? Well, when the tip of his head and the tips of his toes are just touching at either end, I think that’s a pretty clear sign. Also, at times his arms startle him in his sleep: I mean they flail and move about, but it has gotten to the point that when he does these jerky movements they hit the side of the bassinet and wake him up! And we don’t want a sleeping Niko woken up just because his arms don’t have room to flail about as they wish!
So the bassinet must go, and has actually officially been replaced (for now) by his Pack’n’Play. This little device has a built in bassinet, that is raised up, so it is still pretty easy to pick him up and lie him down. At some point – sooner than later – we want to move Niko into his crib. But before we do that, buying a crib mattress is sort of imperative! Also, we still like him sleeping right next to our bed, so we can keep a close eye on him, and also for the convenience of those middle of the night feedings, which yes, are still happening. But, Niko is growing steadily and is a healthy young boy, so all in all, I don’t really mind those middle of the night feedings, and he has actually become such an efficient feeder that they take way less time than they did when we first brought him home from the hospital.
Parenting 2.0 