Almost 22 Pounds....

I just had my 9-month check-up.....yes, I said that correctly, 9 months!! Where the heck is time going?!? I weighed in at 21 lbs 9 oz!! I am becoming such a BIG boy!! I am now taking steps around the coffee table quite a bit. I am also having spurts where I stand on my own!! My parents figured that I would be walking by Christmas, but that is probably not happening. Mommy doesn't mind, as she doesn't want me to grow up too quickly!! I am now eating pretty much anything and everything (except carrots) - Dr.Stapleton just approved for my parents to move on to table food - this should be an experience!!! I tried cornbread for the first time; it was quite yummy - I am looking forward to broadening my horizons!! I especially love cheerios, if you can't tell from the one picture above where I have one smack on my forehead!!!

I have officially experienced my first snow! It looked great from afar and even close up; I was a fan of that white stuff UNTIL I got it in my pants!! Then, I was ready to head in. Mommy and Daddy bundled me into my snowsuit - I was very snug and warm! The problem that my parents had was finding shoes to take me out in the snow with; all of my shoes are too small!!! My foot is HUGE - I now wear a 6 wide!!!! They managed to squeeze my foot into some shoes - just call me "crinkle toes"!!

My parents keep telling me that some man named Santa is coming into town in a couple of days!! Needless to say, we are all very excited about Christmas. Several weeks ago my parents and I went to the tree farm to cut our Christmas tree down! It was such a perfect day to do it....let me set the scene....snow on the ground, flurries in the air, Mommy had a hot cup of apple cider, Santa made an appearance at the tree farm, Daddy had no problems cutting the tree down and I was riding in the backpack!!! It was so perfect!! We decorated the tree and then my parents immediately pushed the couch close to the tree to block it in! I guess this is to block me from climbing into the tree? Or maybe pulling down all the precious ornaments? Or maybe from eating the tree? You pick!! Enjoy the new pictures!! We hope you all have an extra special Christmas!!! It will be the most special of all here at the Holt House...Merry Christmas!!! xoxoxo

Busy Little Boy

Yes, yes, yes.....Mommy is full of empty promises these days I know! She promised everyone to update more on the blog then there were many things that came up! Ok, enough with the excuses and on with the update...

In September I cut my first teeth - yes it is pleural - teeth! My 2 front bottom teeth came in - they are getting bigger and bigger. I am now crunching on my puffs when I put them in my mouth. By the way, puffs are my favorite food!! I would eat them for every meal if my parents would let me. My parents now believe that my top 2 front teeth are coming in - I am gumming everything and it feels so good!! Everything I can get my hands on goes straight to my mouth. I even tried to get Piper's tail in my mouth - of course, my Mommy freaked out about germs, so I never got to rub the tail against my gums!! When I smile real big you can see my beautiful teeth - I keep hearing that I need to take good care of them otherwise they will rot and fall out, so I have my parents brushing them often!

Another HUGE milestone....are you ready for this one?!? I have been crawling since October!! I was just over 7 months old when I ventured off on my knees!! I didn't realize how much I was missing, wow, it is a whole new world! My parents are having a hard time keeping me out of everything. I have even found the cabinets underneath the t.v. My parents thought that there would be stages - you know, I crawl, then a month later I begin to pull up, then a month after that I take a few steps hanging on - you get the drift. Well, I started crawling on October 16 and I pulled up/stood up hanging onto the coffee table on October 17! My parents were eating lunch and I remember looking at them while they were staring at each other in disbelief! They ran to the phone to call Nana & Papa to find out if this was "normal". In the meantime, I was taking steps around the table showing them what I could do. My parents just looked at each other and I think they said something to the effect of, "oh boy, we're in for it"! And are they ever....my parents think I will be walking by Christmas - we'll see how adventurous I want to be!!

Enjoy all the pictures/video - I'll make sure I remind Mommy each night about updating by banging real loud on the computer....she may get the drift if I bang hard enough...love you all!

Green Beans Please

So.....the approval was given to move forward with solids by Dr. Stapleton!!! That means that I get to have more than just milk!!! The very first food that Mommy and Daddy tried was green beans and what an experience that was for everyone involved!!

Let me set the scenario for you....my parents are running around all excited - they were either going to give me peas or green beans. Finally, they decided on the green beans. Then, they decided that they would put me in the Bumbo and place me on the table, of course, with a bib on. I guess they thought that I would just sit there like a robot opening and closing my mouth and enjoy the green beans like a Prince! Boy, were they mistaken!! For one, I wasn't quite sure what was going on, so I kept turning to my thumb for security then I kept trying to eat the beans off the bib, while smearing beans all over my face, in my eyes, hair, ears, and nose! What little I ended up getting was quite yummy!!

My parents are doing so much better feeding me and I am cooperating more. I am eating so many things now: cereal, green beans, bananas, applesauce, squash, sweet potatoes, peaches, mixed fruit, and pears! I love trying new foods, although, there is one item that I don't think I'll be having any time soon - carrots!! I broke out in hives when I had carrots - yep, I am banned from them for about a year then we'll try again! Persistence is a virtue, right? If you can't tell from the pictures, I don't miss a meal and by the way, I still think green beans come from my thumb, although my parents tell me differently.

Olan Mills Pictures

So, it has been over a month and Mommy is just getting around to updating. Please forgive her, as it has been a crazy month between all of us getting the stomach bug and everything else that I have brought home from daycare!! The summer came and went very quickly - my parents are still asking where it went!!

My parents took me for my first professional photo shoot - boy, was that an experience!! They took me Olan Mills in mid-June for my 3 month photos. First, it was like 95 degrees that day and second there wasn't AC in the little Olan Mills studio! I was all smiles for the first 5 minutes, then the heat started making me very uncomfortable!! None-the-less, we all thought that the pictures turned out fabulous...we'll let you be the judge.

There will be more updates to follow, as there has been exciting things that Mommy can't wait to share!! I promise to start giving her more time than 1 hour to herself a night...maybe! Anyhow, stay tuned for lots more updates....love you all!

Summer with my Nonna

**Check out the videos at the bottom!!**

This summer my Nonna offered to keep me while my parents were at work. This saved me from the dreaded Daycare, as well as really helped my parents! My Nonna would travel from Myrtle Beach on Sundays and stay with us until Friday evening then head back. It was a lot on driving and dedication on her part!! We are so thankful that she was able to make the sacrifice. I must admit that I got a lot closer to her over the summer and I know when the time came for her to leave that she would have rather stayed!

My Nonna and I have so many memories together - too many to share all of them. I do want to share some of the highlights with you. The most vivid and one that I'll never forget is that my Nonna sang to me in Italian each day! I would just stare at her and sometimes even dozed off. To this day, it puts a huge smile on my face! I'll also never forget how often she took me 'off the hill' (a.k.a. down the driveway) - we literally walked about 4-5 miles a day - no joke! When Nonna first started taking me down the hill, I would only look on one side, as I wasn't really able to move my head side-to-side. Right before my Nonna left, I looked on both sides of the driveway and like my Mommy says, my head is now on a swivel!

My Nonna stayed for almost 2 months. Like she said, the first week was rough because we hadn't 'clicked' yet, but soon after I always awaited her arrival on Sundays. I find myself still awaiting her arrival on Sundays, but am quickly reminded that she isn't coming. I have lots of stories to tell of my time with my Nonna; it was so special! Here are some pictures, as well as videos (Nonna introduced my parents to the FlipCam). The singing video is a lifesaver for my parents - if I am upset, it calms me. My parents played it for me over 10 times in one setting to keep me calm! Thank you Nonna for completing my summer - I miss you and love you so much!

1st Beach Trip

My first beach trip was to Myrtle Beach, SC! My Nonna and her family live down there, so of course, it had to be the first beach trip! I didn't actually see the beach this trip because my family and I were too busy running around to see the beach! Plus, it was a rather quick trip - down and back in a weekend! I finally got to meet the Italian side of my Mom's family and oh, what fun it was! My Great Aunt and Uncle have a pool and I fell in love. Mommy and I are trying to convince Daddy that we need one in the backyard. Yeah, we'll leave it at that...

The main reason for our beach trip was because my cousin, Bianca (a.k.a. Auntie B), received her Ph.D. in May and her parents threw a party at their restaurant. We couldn't be more proud of her; all of her hard work and dedication definitely paid off! We all had a great weekend...I can't wait to see all the family again! And if you see Daddy anytime soon, tell him how wonderful a pool would be...maybe he'll get the hint after awhile?!? Enjoy the pictures - it was a blast!

My Papaw & Great Grandma

The first week of June was spent with my Great Grandma Sadah and my Papaw. They kept me during the week while my Mommy and Daddy went to work. It was an eventful week for them, as they had to stick to a strict schedule with me and they had to feed me only what my parents told them was ok - despite Papaw wanting to give me mashed potatoes with gravy!! My cousin Rowan came up to visit with her parents half way thru the week. It was fun, we all went to eat at Red Lobster!

The week was quite an adventure for my Papaw and Great Grandma! The day that Rowan came to visit, my Great Grandma accidentally let Piper out. I watched my Papaw chase the doggy around and around the house without any luck of getting her in; it was very funny! Daddy finally had to come home to help aid in the chase - Piper came right in the house. It was a week! I had a great time with them and cannot thank them enough for keeping me while my parents were at work - it kept me out of Daycare for just alittle while longer!! I miss them dearly...heres a few pictures of their short week with me!

My Very First Relay for Life

Relay for Life means so much to my parents and I inherited the love for it! As you know Mommy works in the cancer field and Relay for Life touches our family dearly. Nana, Papa, Mommy, Daddy, and I attended the Relay for Life in Roanoke, VA. It was my first Relay and how special it was!! I met so many of my Mommy's colleagues and patients - I know how much they all mean to her. I can tell by the passion my parents have for Relay that this won't be the last one that I attend, that's for certain! Every single patient that battles cancer is such a courageous person...they are the strongest people that you'll ever meet! Promise.