The Jumperoo

Our neighbors, Thom and Melissa, were nice enough to pass along some baby gear from their son, Jack, who is three months older than Dash. I must admit that I was a bit resistant to the idea of the "jumperoo" for a number of reasons: we have tried to keep the nonessential baby gear to a minimum (they grow out of a lot of things so quickly), and developmentally it isn't great to keep kids in it for long periods of time (the doctor says it is fine for 20 minutes a day).

But, of course, it has been a huge hit. Who needs a nanny or babysitter when you have one of these! Here is a short video.....

Christmas Morning

Dashiell's First Christmas was fun, although relatively easy since he isn't yet into Santa or presents. Kevin and I wrapped a couple of small gifts for him, and his Aunt got him a few things to open (they were more things for us....thank you!). Dash was more interested in putting his mouth on everything, including the wrapping paper, gifts bags, and gifts....and my feet! He did seem to enjoy the classic ring stacker toy. He isn't quite grasping the stacking concept, but did like putting all of the different rings in his mouth, as well as tossing then on the floor.

Grabbing his new tub toys

Happy Holidays!

Crazy Roscoe checking out the tree...

So we ended up deciding to get a Christmas tree at the last minute. It is the first live one we have had since Kevin and I have been together (10 years!). We were thinking we would skip it this year again, since we are going to be in Portland for the actual Christmas holiday. But, alas, we decided to get in the holiday spirit and start our own family tradition. We received several new ornaments this year that we wanted to use and display. Plus we are thinking that by next Christmas, Dash will probably be yanking the ornaments off of the tree. Kevin cut off the bottom half of the tree so it is a more manageable size. We didn't want anything super huge. We didn't get it decorated before Dash went to sleep. I will post some more photos once Dash has an opportunity to experience a completely decorated and lit tree.

December Update

I apologize for the length of time between posts. We have been busy on our end. Dash continues to grow and learn new things. As you could see from one of the videos I posted earlier, Dash has been rolling over. He first rolled over from front to back (I think that is easier) but now almost exclusively rolls over from back to front. He seems to like his tummy time more these days and gets less frustrated than he used to, especially now that he has good arm strength to push himself up. I swear every time i put him on his back he immediately flips over! Another new thing that he has started doing is sitting up (somewhat) by putting his hands on the floor to brace himself and to keep from rolling over.

So we have started doing some "sleep training" with Dashiell. He has been a pretty good sleeper since he was born, but he was sleeping in a cosleeper attached to our bed since he was born. (Honestly, he spent more time in our bed than the cosleeper because I would have to pick him up out of the cosleeper to nurse him....and it was just easier to have him right next to me). But with my having to return to work in January, and Dashiell getting huge, there are a number of reasons we decided to start getting him into the crib at night: concerns that he might never leave our bed, and a hope and a need that we would all sleep more and better.

Kevin has been gone for work but I started this "sleep training" last Monday. I had been dealing with a bad head cold and waited until I was feeling a little better. I am happy to report that Dashiell has taken to the crib pretty well. Some nights have certainly been better than others....there were two nights where he woke up every 1.5 hours and was pretty upset. Of course I don't think Kevin believed me when i told him that Dash was sleeping in the crib so I had to take some pics for proof!

First Rice Cereal Meal

I forgot to post pics from earlier this week of Dashiell having his first "solid" food a.k.a. rice cereal.

Dash Rolling Over

5 Months Old!

5 Months Old

Can't quite sit up on his own yet!

Dashiell is 5 months old today. I can hardly believe it as the time has gone by so quickly. Dash won't go back to the pediatrician until he is 6 months but were able to get an approximate weight while we were in CO. Dash is approximately a whopping 22 lbs!

Developmentally he seems to be right on target. He has even started rolling over both from stomach to back and back to stomach. He seemed to be a bit slow with this at the beginning, probably because of the extra girth. But over the last 10 days, he is moving around a ton. We will put him on the floor and within seconds, he will have either flipped over, or wiggled around 180 degrees.

We decided to celebrate the 5 month milestone with the start of solid foods. The pediatrician had said we could rice cereal around 5 months if Dash was showing interest in food. We have noticed that he has been interested in what we are drinking when we have cups in our hand more so than what we are eating.

Anyhow, Dash was all smiles during his first meal of "solid" food. We aren't sure how much made it in his stomach but we all had fun!

Thanksgiving in Colorado

Arriving at Denver Airport and waiting for Grandpa & Grandma Beck.

Grandpa teaching Dash bad habits!

Hanging with Aunt Kobi.

Bathtime (thanks Grandma for getting us a tub, even though Dash was a little too large for it!)

Dash with his oldest cousin, Amy, and her children.

Naptime on Thanksgiving Day!

Dash with Kevin's best friend Mike (Dash liked pulling his beard).

Kevin, Dashiell, and I returned on Saturday from a week in Colorado visiting Kevin's family. We had a very relaxing week staying with Kevin's parents, with the exception of some sleep difficulties with Dash (he woke up two mornings very early and proceeded to scream...this may have been related to some things his Grandpa was teaching him!). Dashiell got to meet two of his three uncles, his aunt, and many cousins and other extended Beck family. His Aunt Kobi hosted the Thanksgiving meal and there were a total of 28 people. Dash did great all day and enjoyed being passed around to different people. He even managed a quick power nap in the middle of the afternoon.

Photo Shoot

Pizza Party

We had a get together with the other parents and babies from our PEPS (Program for Early Parenting Support) group this afternoon. We joined PEPS shortly after Dash was born and met weekly for 12 weeks. The group concluded in early October but was a good way to meet other new parents in our area. We still try to meet as a large group on a monthly basis (there are seven couples). One couple in our group has a newly built pizza oven and kitchen in their backyard so they hosted a make your own pizza party.

The babies are all close in age, between 4 and 6 months old. Today was the first time where they were all really hanging out with each other (as much as is possible at this age).

Grandpa & Auntie Visit Over the Weekend

Here's a video clip of Dash enjoying a ride with Michele.

4 Months and 4 Days Old

Here' Dash chillin' on the couch before his doctor's appointment.

Here's a photo from Dashiell's weigh in at his 4 month well child exam today. I was unable to capture the photo while the nurse had the scale turned on showing his weight mostly because Dash took the opportunity to pee all over while on the scale (notice the tissues that the nurse through over his penis...didn't really help...and the puddle on the left corner)! Dash weighed in at 20 lbs, 3.5 oz! He continues to be in the 99th percentile for weight. He was measured at 27 inches in length/height, which is the 97% percentile. Needless to say, he is one big boy!

Dashiell's First Airplane Ride and Vacation

Here are some pics from Dashiell's first family vacation to Maui. We decided to take a last minute trip while Dash is still immobile, thinking it will be easier to travel with him now than when he is a toddler.

We left last Saturday morning at the crack of dawn. Kevin's parents were visiting for two days (Thursday and Friday) and they ended up going to the airport with us because they were flying over to Spokane for a wedding. It was a short, but welcomed visit! Grandpa Beck even taught Dash how to make some funny noises with his mouth. Dash was quite the imitator!

Dash did great on the plane. He slept on the flight from Seattle to Portland and then took a few catnaps on the way to Maui. He was a little grumpy here and there, but didn't have any major crying episodes (he was quieter than most of the kids on the plane). He turned out to be quite the little flirt. Apparently, he inherited that from the Beck men! The plane was packed and we had someone right next to us, but we were complimented on how quiet Dash was on the trip. It was a long day for all of us but we didn't waste any time when we arrived, and we all took a dip in the pool at the hotel (the kiddie pool for Dash) to cool off. Thanks to our neighbors, Thom and Melissa, Dash was looking cool in his lobster swim trunks (hand me downs from their 7 month old son).

Overall, the week was very relaxing. The heat seemed to slow Dash down just enough. He was mellow and we managed to avoid getting his first sunburn! He did continue to have some other "firsts" including his first time in a pool and in the ocean (oh, and on a surfboard). We couldn't resist all of the photo opportunities.

I have posted a few more photos on Facebook, if you are interested.

Happy Halloween

Tummy Time

Here are a few pics of Dash working hard during tummy time. He even cracked a smile, which isn't always the case. He sometimes gets quite frustrated and won't tolerate being on his stomach for very long. Kevin is better than I am about making sure he gets his push ups in!

You can also see all of his fat folds (even on his wrists)! His last weigh in was on October 1st, when he was officially 3 months old. At that time, he was a whopping 17 lbs, 12 oz. He has more than doubled his birth weight. The doctor has assured us he is a healthy baby and that he will even out soon enough. I have started having a pins and needles sensation in my right hand which undoubtedly is a result of carrying Dash around both in and out of his car seat.

First Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

Yesterday Dashiell took his first trip to a pumpkin patch. We went with our neighbors, Thom and Melissa, and their son, Jack, who is 7 months old. We picked out pumpkins and took the opportunity to have a photo shoot with the boys. Dashiell did not seem particularly amused although he eventually smiled!