Raffi and friends

This is Raffi and his baby friend Joey. The kiddles and the mommies got together for a mommies night out. Raffi's reserved personality really stood out set next to Joey's extroverted bubbly smiley self. Of course, both babies got lots of attention from just about anyone we ran into.

Raffi also appears to be coming our of his anxiety stage. When people come up to him at the grocery store or during our stroller hikes, he reacts much more positively than he used to. He will even give some smiles before he coyly turns his head.

On Thursday I took Raffi to the dr's office for an issue that turned out to be nothing and he is 18lbs. ! He is getting so big.

Swim lessons

Today was Raffi's first venture into the pool. His "lessons" were at the Y with a gaggle of other parents and children. Raffi overall did good. He did not like the cold rinse off shower, but the pool water was a good temperature. He seemed very indifferent to the situation like he was a film critic or something. I could here him thinking "Hmm. So this is water in a big pool...not very impressive. Why is that little child screaming he is messing up my chi!"

We didn't get any pics this time, but hopefully next Saturday we will have some good ones.

Blogging and 10 months old.

I've neglected my blog. It sat in the corner of the internet just replaying that video over and over for Grandma. But I have returned!

Things have happened, especially last week. Raffi saw a developmental specialist from the hospital and assessed him as an 8 month old, according to that assessment she rated him on a 7 month level. So for this little man and all he has gone through, I'm just fine with that. The specialist felt that his legs were a little stiff (which is a normal consequence of being born prematurely) and also mentioned that exer-saucers were evil (not necessarily her words, but I'm just summarizing for the laymom.) So out went the saucer and the coffee table and in went the blanket and toys, which is long over due anyway.

Raffi additionally had his blood taken two times last week and we have since learned he is slightly anemic so he has started some extra iron consumption. But overall our little man is just as healthy and happy as always. He is doing well with solid food twice a day and soon I will bump him up to 3 times a day.

All that news last week ended up messing with my mind, it was the mother mental roller coaster of various feelings, i.e. worry, worry, oh and worry. Overall I did pretty good in going to God first before I freaked out. I'm now learning to follow up that initial good response with trusting in Him to take care of everything after the initial crisis. That control freak in me just rages at times like these and ... many other times really.

After some time away for vacation and illnesses, Raffi and I have returned to our Yoga class and getting out for a stroller hikes. (Mama needs to walk off those caramels she bought.) Oh, and Raffi is 10 months old today. I can't believe he is just 2 months shy of his one year mark! Wow.

Video instead of words

Vacation and Teething

We just got back from a trip to visit family in Southern California. Overall it went well, there always seems to things that go awry but it was good to show off the little one and hang out. Raffi started getting his first teeth last week. I'm sure they were coming in before I noticed. He is doing pretty well for being a teething baby. Now the frequent night wakings start to make a little more sense.

Raffi's awareness has really increased in the last couple of weeks. It is just amazing. He is going to be a little boy before we know it.

I've posted a video of Raffi in his jumper his Great Grandma got him (thanks grandma!) I couldn't figure out how to rotate it so, sorry about the sideways video.

Doctor, Doctor Help Me

Raphael turned 9 months yesterday and had his 9 month doctor visit. He is approximately 16lbs 10ozs and is 27 inches long. I think he probably weighs more, he was crying while on the scale and it couldn't get an accurate weight. But he is doing good. He also received his last RSV shot. Thank yous and praises to God, that Raffi survived his first winter without any major illness such as RSV. Yeh!

After the doctor visit, we went to Doug's office to show him off. I was a little concerned that we would have a major implosion on our hands after a docs visit, shot and a bunch of strange people staring at him, but he did really well. He was a little apprehensive at first, especially when their was over six adoring fans staring at him at one time. I held him while we walked around and said hi and in a couple stops he was smiling and playing shy cuteness to all the ladies of the office. Then we went to the grocery store and I put him in the shopping cart seat for the first time. Really it would've been easier on me if I had bjorned him, I was so thinking about him the entire time we were shopping I could barely remember what I needed to get it. But he did great and I didn't need to worry at all. So it felt like a momentous step for me. He seemed to say "whatever mom!"

I personally did not have such a great day emotionally. I have not been getting really great sleep and last night my dreams were all stressful. So today I was grouchy, worried and felt sorry for myself. Amazing how quickly I can go from amazing spiritual clarity with the cake incident to weary dreary spiritual blindness. So I ate a whole piece of German Choc Cake from the grocery store. (hhhmmm, notice a cake theme.) Along with the cake, I prayed but really just kept feeling sorry for myself on a myriad of issues; raffi's development, my health, etc.

So tonight, I'm feeling more realistic. I can't seem to remember all that I was worrying about and some scripture has spoken to my soul:

Psalm 61:1-4

Psalm 40:1-3

Oh how fun. I just learned how to do a link. Such simple things amuse me. I hope it worked.

Time Change

This Daylight Savings time stuff is crap. When I was working it was nice to drive home and it would still be daylight. I'm glad for more daylight in the evening. But the change has been a little more off putting then usual with the baby. He seems fine either way, but I'm the one that is out of wack! I'm whining I know. We'll all get used to it and then it will be summer. Weird.

It is fun to watch Raffi play. I recently got him the plastic donuts stacked on the cone toy thing. He loves to eat on them, bang them on the ground and then "ooohh" he'll get enthralled with his toes. You can practically see the wheels turning.