all in the eyes of a boy...

I have to write this as it is still fresh in my memory and my heart... Today was a great day. Sam brought Nathaniel to school for the Halloween Parade and Party. I dressed up as Winnie the Pooh and Nathaniel was, of course... my little Pot of Hunny. I'll post pics soon - he was absolutely adorable. (Would you expect anything less?) Anyway, after he had his final bottle this evening, we (Nate and Mommy) were sitting on the couch and Daddy was sitting on the couch next to us. Nate had been pretty quiet, watching TV with us, laughing and pulling my hair as usual... Then it happened. He turned his upper body to look at Sam, paused, and said "Da...da." Two syllables. Nothing more. My jaw dropped. I couldn't believe it! Sam jumped up and grabbed him out of my arms and gave him about a million kisses. Nathan had been experimenting with sounds for quite a few weeks now, but usually it's more like slurred sound- or barely a sound at all. This time, it was as clear as day. His little voice. His wide eyes staring as he spoke... on October 28, 2005... Nathaniel Jacob's first word was Dadda.

I am not a crazy Celine Dion fan, but every time I hear "A New Day Has Come", every emotion inside comes to the surface and my eyes well up... the words, so beautiful, paint the picture of all Nathaniel is to me...

Where it was dark now there’s light
Where there was pain now there’s joy
Where there was weakness, I found my strength
All in the eyes of a boy

My Dear Nathaniel Jacob,
I love you more than I could ever express, my little one.
You have my heart forever. (shh.. don't tell Dadda) :)

Chillin' at the park with Mom and Dad - check out my sunglasses! 

Sitting up steady is SERIOUS business... 

I love my Baby Einstein Movies... Turtle sure cracks me up! 

I never want to forget...

how you make a "baby bird" expression when you realize it's time to eat. Your "Superman" pose when you are lying on the floor. How you love to play peek-a-boo. How ticklish you are. Your "aa-aa-aa-aa" talking. How you love to play on your piano. How you love to stare at ceiling fans. How you love being chased around a room. How you tuck your hands under your body when you sleep.

I love you, my baby boy.

As the days go by...

our little Nathaniel continues to grow and change and amaze us. He's 7 1/2 months now and beginning to come into his own. As you will see in the pictures below, I broke down and took him to get his first haircut! The bangs were out of control and really bothering him... no amount of baby oil could keep them out of his eyes anymore! He did great - he didn't cry or fidget too much... Denise had a LOT of hair to cut! Now Nathan looks like a little boy... his expressive eyes as wide as ever! Looking back at the pictures I posted when he was 6 months I can really see the difference in his little face now! No more punk rock hair...

Nathaniel continues to grow by leaps and bounds - he wears 12 month clothes now and will probably outgrow them well before he's a year old! His personality is coming out more every day - he's as observant as ever, but he never shys away from getting attention! He's an incredibly easygoing baby - keeping his schedule consistent really works for both him AND me... and above all, he LOVES being with people! This past weekend we spent quite a bit of time with family, and he loved every minute of it, even to the point of delaying naps as long as he could! He's so much fun...

Well, I thought by now I could say "Check out the tooth!" but no... when are his teeth EVER going to make an appearance??? He chomps on everything he can get his hands on, and he even has a little rash now under his chin because of all the drooling! Hopefully soon...

Thanks for stopping by... enjoy the pics!

Nathaniel right before his haircut...  

My first haircut! ~ October 8, 2005 

Check out the new do! I can see again! 

All smiles for the camera!  

Our little boy...  

Check out my hat!  

I'm a growing boy!