Dylan and the Fat Man

As you can see, Dylan got to meet someone special this past Thursday. It was quite a treat for him, and he seemed genuinely impressed. I tried to explain to Dylan that this was some very important networking for him to do, as he will want to get on the big guy's good side. It's not what you know, I told him, but WHO you know, and it's always good to know Santa.

I was quite pleased to see how nicely Dylan took to his visit with Santa. I've heard horror stories from other parents about how kids can be frightened by him, but I guess Dylan is still a bit young for that. He was quite comfortable on Santa's lap. He even made a grab at his beard. Santa was too quick, though. Better luck next year, I guess :)

In other news, Dylan continues to try to crawl, but alas, he continues to not quite get it yet. The effort is certainly there. He'll pump his legs and swing his arms and lift his head... And end up just tottering back and forth on his belly. Then, he gets upset and starts to yell. I guess he's getting frustrated because he can't get everything together yet. It looks like he gets the idea of it, so I'm sure he'll figure it out soon enough. He is starting to get the hang of rolling himself. He can't quite get himself over, but he rocks himself almost to the point of tipping over. I think once he grows and builds up a bit more strength, he'll be rolling all over.

Speaking of growing, Barbara and I were packing away some of the things that Dylan has outgrown. Maybe it's just us, but we surely didn't realize just how much this little guy has grown. Take a look at the following picture. It shows Dylan with the outfit he wore coming home from the NICU- and that was at two months old...

I can't get over just how much he has grown over the months. I know he is almost seven months old, but still... how did he get so big? I guess he eats well :)

And eat well he does. Just not neatly. We've been continuing the experiment with solid foods, and it really has been going well. Yesterday Dylan ate half of a jar of applesauce without any trouble at all. Then he seemed to lose interest and want his bottle. It's pretty exciting stuff- at least to Barbara and I it is :)

Anyway... That's about all I have for now. I'm sure Christmas will be a day full of excitement for Dylan and I'll post all about it soon after.

From Dylan, Barbara and myself

Merry Christmas To All!!!

'Tis the Season

Welcome back folks, to the newest installment of Dylan's Den.

Everything is going very well. His latest doctor's visit saw him weighing in at 19.8 lbs and measuring 27 inches long. His head growth continues to be normal and his umbilical hernia is completely closed with just a vestigial piece of skin remaining.

His development continues to amaze, amuse and impress Barbara and I both. He is now very vocal, laughing and giggling, shouting for attention, babbling to anyone and anything that attracts his attention. He has also discovered how to make a raspberry. He uses them to punctuate pretty much everything he "says". He is also very adept at manipulating his toys- passing them from hand to and, from mouth to hand or, like in the case of his mirror, just holding it outstretched in both hands so that he can coo at it and stare at it for long periods of time.

Dylan is also continuing to explore the concept of solid foods. We've experimented with a few new flavors and applesauce seems to be his favorite. He is now opening his mouth to welcome the applesauce- not pushing out his tongue to block it. We haven't really pushed the matter with him, but he is making what we think is good progress.

Speaking of progress, Dylan is also getting to spend more and more time on his belly, which is helping him develop the muscles he will need to use to crawl. He already holds his head up so that he can look around while on his belly, and works his arms and legs at times too, but not in enough coordination to actually get anywhere. All in due time, I guess. Of course, once he does start moving around the house it will make things very interesting. I can see us now, chasing after him as he chases after he cats and dogs. What fun we will have :)

A few folks have asked what Dylan needs for Christmas. Well, Barbara and I and Dylan's grandparents seem to have gone a bit overboard. He should have enough toys to last him through until at least Christmas '09. So I guess the best thing we could say to answer that question would be gift cards to Toys 'R Us or Babies 'R Us. He will be needing a new car seat set soon, as he is rapidly outgrowing his current one. Also, there is the question of sizes. Dylan is currently wearing 3-6 month and 6 month outfits. I'd say the best bet would be 9 months size or larger.

Anyway, that's about all there is to update about for now. If anything new comes up, I'll be sure to post about it here.