8 months old

It was a shock to wake up this morning and realize that, 8 months ago today, we were snuggled up in bed at the birthing center adoring our brand new baby Dace. Oh how he has grown! Today he weighs in at 22.4 lbs and measures 29 inches tall. He has three teeth, his bottom front and his left upper eyetooth and his hair is growing in thicker and darker every day. He loves singing and saying dada, crawling from one end of the house to the next, chewing on his fingers or mama's slippers and simply adores cheerios, which he can successfully put in his mouth all by himself. He keeps his naps short and sweet because there is just too much to see and explore. He wins the hearts of everyone he meets, both friends and strangers. He loves giving snuggles, slobbery kisses that sometimes turn into an innocent nibble and bopping to the music. He is just such a happy, sweet little bubba. I love him more every minute I spend with him but at the same time, my heart breaks at how quickly he is growing up. We feel so blessed to have him in our lives and love being his parents.

SNORT! is a funny word

We spent 9 hours in the car yesterday. Dace did really good but the last hour was tough. I had to become a three-ring circus to keep him occupied and happy. I read him the book "Are you my mother?" and did different voices for different words. One of the words was Snort. He loved it so much and laughed so hard, I did it again and Dallin taped it.

Keeping warm on River street in Savannah

Eating at the Pirate House

On the move...

Dace's First Word!

Like clockwork, the little man woke up at 6:46 am on the dot. I dragged my sorry butt out of bed and stumbled to his crib, still having way too much melatonin in my system and desperately needing a few more hours of sleep. I heaved him out, fumbled to the kitchen and made a bottle and assumed the position on the couch. He dank it peacefully and was almost back asleep when he got a burst of energy and his eyes popped open. I sat him up and he quietly sat on my lap, looking out the window to the morning's first light. He started gibbering away and then- dada. WHAT?! I was instantly and totally awake. It came again but a little different- Dad-dee. He sat there, simply looking out the window and enjoying the new sound his mouth had discovered. I sat there with him for a few minutes, just enjoying the moment and listening to him repeat it over and over. Then I picked him up and took him to see the man of the hour. "Guess what Dace can say, Dallin?" Dallin was still in groggy mode but soon enough with a little coaxing, Dace called out dada and then went and gave him a snuggle.

Smorgasbord of Dace

Before you ask, Yes- I do wash my son's face. But he is always slobbery! His little mouth is like a leaking drool tap and his nose has been a bit of a snoz fountain this week. But on average, he is clean-faced. (Just wanted to state my defense about the pics before I go into the stories...)

Our little man has been fighting a cold this week but has stayed in good spirits despite feeling like poo. His top tooth is also trying to cut through. We could feel it Wednesday and then it was gone Friday so the little in and out dance has begun. In the mean time, Dace is loving chewing on frozen blueberry bagel halves (thanks for the tip, Char!) and as of today, ice cold celery sticks. We went to lunch at Wild Wing Cafe and he was joyfully chewing on them and even got a cleaned off chicken bone at the end of our meal. He loved looking around at all the TVs and ceiling fans and started dancing when a Pink song came on. He loves to dance these days and he amazingly can keep to the beat. He just bobs up and down in his chair and sways his head. It is so cute! He is trying desperately to talk. He says "hi" every now and then and I am sure that will be the first word that he gets down pat. We are trying to get "mama" or "dada" out of him and his M's are coming along slowly. He is smiling all the time and loves exploring the front room and dining table several times a day. For some reason, he likes to play with the shoes at the front door and sometimes chews on my slippers like a little puppy dog. I guess he is loving his new teeth and just wants to keep them sharp.

We are enjoying our time with Brittany visiting. She has been here a week and will fly home on Tuesday. Her and Dace hit it off instantly and love playing together. I am sure Dace loves a new play mate and a different face other than mine every day.

On the Boat on Jan.5

It was a balmy 79 degrees here today. Our friend Mark needed to take his boat out and we got to come along. Unfortunately, due to technical difficulties, we never left the dock. The guys were frustrated but Dace and I were totally content to just be sitting on the water for an hour. Dace had his afternoon bottle while lounging on the deck and I got a little bit of sun. Good enough for me!

Santa's Little Helper - the lost posting

Well my intention was to send these out with Christmas cards but I got too many blurry shots the first time I took them-a month ago. And then things got busy blah blah blah. So today while we packed up all the Christmas decor, I dressed him up and snapped away like a madman and got the shot.

Here's our little St. Nick...and his reindeer.

Grandma Dean - I'm starting early!

Dace loves to play the piano. Every time I pull him up on my lap, he gets a big grin on his face and starts smashing away at the keys. I found out today that his highchair is the perfect height for sitting on his own at the keyboard for practice time. Our little prodigy in the making.

Dean Family Christmas Photo

& A Happy New Year!

Wishing you all health, happiness, peace and prosperity in 2009. Set goals and make them happen. Live a beautiful life and remember- you create your own reality.