First Halloween

This year we dressed up as characters from Dr. Seuss's Cat in the Hat. Miles was Thing One. 

Jesse was the Cat in the Hat. Miles was less than impressed with the blue hat we made him wear. 

I dressed up as Sally from the Cat in the Hat. Miles is contemplating the giant poo he just took. I was laughing about one of several diapers we had changed before finally heading out to our party. 

Two Months

Weight: 12 pounds 6 ounces (67th percentile)
Length: 23 1/4" (59th percentile)
Head: 15 3/4" (46th percentile)

Miles is two months today. He went in for his two month check-up yesterday afternoon and passed with flying colors. In fact the pediatrician was quite surprised by his "bag of tricks". The first surprise was when she came over to examine him. I stepped away from his view and he got the most amazing sad pouty face because I was gone. She said "Oh no! oh no! You're not supposed to do that for another two months." For the rest of the exam I stayed by his head so he could have constant eye contact. 

When she raised him up by the armpits to check his leg reflexes, she was quite shocked that he not only was letting his feet touch the ground, but was bearing a considerable amount of his own weight -- another trick that he's not supposed to do until 4ish months old. I think we might need to start baby-proofing at a slightly more rapid pace.

Fall Outfit

The weather has turned cool here in Portland and Miles needed a hat when we went out shopping on Sunday. He's grown so much that we don't need to roll over the band anymore. You can tell that he's thrilled about having something on his head. I can imagine he's thinking "Really mom? Dog ears? Is that the best you can do?" 

So bored with this outfit. 

Okay, fine. I'll flash a smile.

Moblie of Happiness

Jesse watched Miles yesterday afternoon while I drove out to pick up our CSA share. He decided to let Miles entertain himself for a few minutes with a mobile from our friends Darla & Torden. 

This photo perfectly captures his "concentration" face as he watches the colorful bugs swirl around.

And of course, this is the happy face that we love to see over and over again. 

Here's a quick clip of his arms and legs in action. We are going to be in serious trouble when he no longer wants to lie around on his back.

New Wheels

Since Miles has been holding his head up pretty well for the past couple of weeks, we decided to take his Baby Jogger stroller out for a spin. Doesn't he look fetching* in his new ride?

While he looks a little skeptical about the whole setup, he loved every minute. I think this gives him a much better vantage point than the infant carrier and snap 'n go base. His eyes were wide looking at all of the new sights (that is until he passed out on the way home). 

* color coordinated outfit was a mere coincidence

The Standing Game

A few days ago, Jesse and I started playing the "sit up" game with Miles. It consisted of us propping him at a 45º angle, having him grasp our fingers, and we'd pull him up to a sitting position. He quite enjoyed the game. It quickly morphed into him straightening his legs and going into a full on stand. Unfortunately, we've created a monster. Every time he lays down or sits in our lap, he lunges his head forward (like he's trying to do crunches) and shoots out his arms. Our infant practically demands to do the standing game all the time.

Here are two videos from last evening:

Miles learning to stand with the help of his dad.

Miles insisting on playing the standing game with his mom.

Emotions of a Timbers Fan in Training

The Portland Timbers had an up and down 2010 season -- their last as a minor league soccer team. Now begins the transition to MLS. Miles has mixed feelings. Let's hope he's psyched for spring 2011!

Perfecting Tummy Time

We've been neglecting tummy time for a while now since it really is not much fun for Miles. He always squawks and looks so helpless that one of us rushes in to intervene. We both know that it's recommended to build back and neck muscles, but he always seems to be pretty ahead of the curve in that department. Today for fun we rolled him on his stomach and he surprised us both with an impressive amount of head lifting. He'll be doing push-ups in no time.

Moist Towelette?

When Miles was born, the hospital provided cotton gauze in our room to wipe during diaper changes. Jesse would just run the cloth under warm water in the sink and had a far superior alternative to packaged baby wipes. So, when we came home and changed Miles' first diaper with a cold wipe from the package he howled. Diaper changing was not pleasant. From then on we decided to use water and a soft washcloth. Now, the diaper changing station is his favorite place. Seriously, sometimes I pull up a chair and let him play he's so happy.

The only problem with our system was having to walk to the kitchen with a sometimes sleepy/cranky baby during the day or the middle of the night to wet the cloths. Then entered Prince Lionheart (I'm not kidding) wipe warmer into our home. I know, I know. What a pampered baby right? Well, it's mostly for our convenience, but Miles definitely approves. It makes our lives a million times easier and really, who wouldn't want a spa treatment after every trip to the bathroom?

Personal Grooming II

We are trying alternate methods of taming the hair. I put a cap on him after his bath today. I'm pretty sure it didn't work....

New Toy, Old Tricks

Miles has been smiling now for a couple of weeks, but it seems as though every day he adds a few more to his daily routine. Today he took a break from his new toy (borrowed from Anna & Brian) to interact with his mom. He still loves having his head rubbed and thinks the lower lip game is pretty darn funny. 

Daddy Daycare

Miles hanging out with his dad on a particularly rough afternoon. 

Happy Face

Miles is usually very happy after eating. It melts our hearts to see him smile blissfully just at the sound of our voices.

We were playing around with one of the many features on our digital camera today and found a setting for high-speed snapshots. While goofing around we managed to capture a particularly cute moment. I put them all together on iMovie to create a sort of stop-motion short video.

First Happy Hour

Lauren & Ken were in town for the weekend and we stopped in at Bridgeport for a tasty brew after a nice long walk through the Pearl. After a quick feeding, Miles handled the busy atmosphere like a champ.