Santa Socks

Teetee brought my Mommy a fancy pair of socks for Christmas. They were so colorful and one would say delicious. Well you can see for yourself. Love, V

Gift Gremlin

As promised friends, here's another video. This one was taken Christmas Eve morning. I had just discovered a bag Nannie had put under the tree for me. I decided that I would open it early. It was so tempting with all that crinkly tissue paper. Love, V

Food for Thought

Friends I have been trying so many new foods lately. I really want to eat all big people food. Here's a video of me mastering melon on December 23rd. I fed most of it to the dogs. If you listen closely you can hear my friend Millie talking in the background. She was settling in for a long winter's nap. Love, V

What a Week!

Friends last week was so busy. On Monday my Grandma came to visit. She hadn't seen me since I learned all my wild moves so it was really fun to get down on the floor and play with her. I even showed her my crazy dog wrestling skills. Please don't try this at home. Here's a picture to show off my technique. This dog doesn't move quite as much as my other dogs do when I try to wrestle them.

My week was jam packed with crawling, getting into stuff and getting kisses. My friend Millie came over for a playdate on Tuesday. We are sooo different. She is so sweet like a little girl and Mommy and Daddy call me Wild Thing because I have so much energy. Look at that devilish smirk. It tells you that I am up to no good. Tuesday night my Nannie and Poppie drove in from Louisiana. We all went out for BBQ and I spent my time checking out the hostess. What can I say, gentlemen do prefer blondes.

On Wednesday I went to meet up with my nemesis Santa Claus and this time he wasn't half as scary. I got to sit on his lap and be on CNN. My friend Millie was there too and she had a tv closeup. I also got to explore a new food on Wednesday morning, melon. It was so slimey that I could barely keep it in my hands. The jury is out on if I like it or not. But I sure do like playing with it.

My Grandpa, Teetee and Uncle Troy came to visit Wednesday afternoon but I'm going to fast forward through all that stuff because I know what you're waiting for... tales of Christmas present. Even though I was mean to Santa Claus, he brought me soooo many presents. Teetee was the Christmas elf and handed out all of the presents. She even let me help. Grandpa got me a sock monkey because I love anything to do with monkeys. I'm afraid it's a little too popular because my puppies seem to think it's their toy too.

I was all decked out for Christmas morning. I wore a sporty little Christmas outfit that made me look like a candy cane. But all that present opening was hard work so eventually I had to lose the pants. Besides, they were slippery and they were slowing me down from zooming across the room. Mommy calls me her little swiffer because whenever I crawl, I clean the floor too. Mommy also tries to not put me in pants that have feet because whenever I pull up to standing those slippery little footies swish out from under me.

My most interesting present was a talking Elmo doll from Mommy and Daddy. That guy never shuts up. I really like to tackle him and kiss his face while he's trying to talk. It's so funny. Mommy has put him on a high shelf for now because every time I knocked him over, he would say "Elmo fell down." Mommy said she could only hear it a hundred times a day before it started annoying her. Don't worry friends, I am pulling myself up on everything and as soon as I get to Elmo, I will have him talking again.

I have time to tell you about one more present before I have to go get ready for school. My Nannie and Poppie gave me a ride on dragon. It's like the coolest rocking horse ever. Thankfully it has a seatbelt because my balance isn't perfect just yet. I know what you're saying friends.... where's the video? Have no fear, I took dozens of videos in the past week. I will sort through them all and post some in the coming days. I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas or a Happy Hannukah.

Love, V

Hanging Around

Friends I'm just hanging around this weekend waiting for my family to come visit me. My Mommy is on vacation from work so we are having a blast playing and getting ready for Christmas. I'm so excited about the holiday that I can't stop talking about it and dancing with joy. Here's a video so you can see what that looks like. Love, V

Counting Down

Friends I am counting the days until all my family comes to visit me. Nannie says I should be counting down until Santa comes. Need I remind her of my distaste for that man? Tonight I bounced out some of my energy while Daddy made dinner and the dogs played with Mommy. Please excuse my very sloppy hair. It was a long day.

Love, V

Easy Like Sunday Morning

Even though the sky is gray and the weather is blustery, I'm having a very nice Sunday. I got up early and had a little breakfast before we went to run errands. Here's some video of me playing around in my highchair. It was still very early so the light's not very good in the video.


For brunch Mommy, Daddy and I went to Engine 11. It's a new bar owned by my friend Millie's Daddy. It was their first brunch ever and we were so proud to be their first customers. Mommy and Daddy let me eat some big people toast. I loved it! I had my first big person food on Saturday. It was pita bread and it took me a while to get the hang of mushing it with my gums.

Nothing could compare with our great morning so I decided to be fussy for the rest of the day. Come on admit it; you have those days too when you just want to be cranky!

Love, V

Stranger Danger!

Friends I met this very strange man yesterday. I don't mean to be harsh but he was fat and his hair was gray. He didn't have very good taste in clothes either; he was wearing all red. For some reason Mommy decided I should take some pictures with him. Usually I love an adoring crowd... but I didn't trust this guy. I put on my serious face to let him know I wasn't having any of his shenanigans. Mommy sat next to me and made sure that strange man didn't steal me. Oh Mr. Claus I have my eye on you! My friend Millie went to see the strange man too. She's much nicer than I am and smiled for him the whole time. I am posting some video of this man so you can stop him if you ever see him trying to play with my friend Millie again! I was so jealous I even tried to swat the camera away from getting pictures of it.

Love, V

TGIF

Here's a little video of me taken just moments ago. I hope it jump starts your day! Love, V

Community Cutie

Friends I tried a new food on Wednesday. It was applesauce and surprisingly I liked it. Maybe I'm getting over my hatred of fruit. Now if I can just master meat and chunks, I'll be in business. This picture has nothing to do with food, it's just a picture of me playing my piano.

I've figured out how to throw a ball instead of just drop it. Daddy bought me some plastic baseballs and I can throw them across the room. Watch out Braves, here I come.

Last night Mommy, Daddy and I went to our first neighborhood crime watch meeting. It was so great to meet everyone in the sudivision. Daddy signed up to be a block captain so we are going to be community crusaders. Maybe I can even do patrols in my stroller.

There are so many great movies out there, but they are just too scary for us babies.
So I thought, maybe I could remake a classic so that it's nice enough for babies. Here is my B (for baby) version of Jaws. Tell me if you like it.


Love, V

Mr. Independent

As every day goes by, I am learning to do more and more on my own. Last night I set out to show Mommy just how independent I am. She sat me in my crib while she ran my bath water. When she came back I surprised her and pulled myself to standing with the crib rail. I had been standing in my crib but had never tried to pull myself up. Thank goodness she had the camera in her pocket or she wouldn't have been able to get this picture. Please excuse the sweet potato smeared on my face... after all it was before my bath.

I am also trying my hand at French. Impossible you say... but last night all I kept saying was bebe. I mean clearly I know I'm a baby. I already know how to say Dada and Mama. I like to keep Mommy and Daddy guessing by sometimes calling them Mama and Dada and sometimes calling the dogs Mama and Dada. I know the difference but I'm just testing them. Mommy rewarded my linguistics by letting me wear a new pair of dino pjs.

I am such a big boy that I decided I would put myself to bed last night. Mommy was getting ready to give me a bottle and sing me a song when the dogs started barking. Mommy put down the bottle to go check on them and while she was gone I decided to pick it up, feed myself and fall asleep. Mommy thinks it's because I'm such a big boy I can put myself to bed. I don't have the heart to tell her it's because I just don't want to hear any more of her singing. She's not American Idol worthy.

Love, V

Trying to be Good

Friends I am in a rough spot right now. I want to be good because I know Santa is watching, but that lady the tooth fairy is playing games with my mouth. I don't have any teeth yet, but my gums sure hurt. Every once in a while I just have to howl and whine to let everyone in a three block area know that I am not happy.

I have doubled my crawling speed, but I can't even run away from this tooth pain. I have now figured out how to crawl down the hallway after Mommy if she walks away. One of these days I'm going to catch her. At school I chase my teachers around all day. I crawl fast and nap hard.

Mommy and Daddy keep trying to introduce new foods and I make sure to let them know I am not having any of it. I love my veggies but so far I am boycotting baby meat, pasta and fruit. The only fruit that doesn't make me scream in horror is bananas. I tried oatmeal for the first time on Sunday. It's o.k., but nothing to write home about.

Love, V

A Family Affair

I am having the best weekend ever friends. My Daddy has the whole weekend off so we are spending time as a family. I started off Saturday doing what I do every morning, talking to the baby who lives in the sliding glass door. That guy looks just like me.

We ran a bunch of errands and went to get lunch. My parents are so busy, just looking at them makes me tired. I fell asleep at lunch. Not even the load jukebox could keep me awake. But after my nap it was off to more adventures.

We had so much fun picking out our Christmas tree. My fun was a lot warmer than Mommy and Daddy's. I get to ride around in a little fleecey bag that keeps me toasty while we run errands outside. There were so many trees to choose from. We picked a small one with soft needles because Mommy said there's no way to keep my little fingers away from it.

Daddy and I decorated the whole tree while Mommy took pictures. She says she's doing that to make sure to capture all the memories, but I think she's just doing it to get out of doing the hard work! The family fun continues today with some football and a trip to the farmer's market. I hope your weekend was as wonderful as mine.

Love, V

Better Late Than Never

My Grandma celebrated her birthday this week. I wanted to post this video for her. Love, V

Looking Back (Halloween Edition)

Since I have my new computer I am now able to upload some of my old videos. Here's an oldie but goodie of me and my friend Millie on Halloween. In case you can't figure it out I'm a crawfish and she's a ballerina. Our parents think they are so funny... listen to them teasing us on the video. Love, V

Very Thankful

Friends last week was Thanksgiving and I have so much to be thankful for. Nannie and Poppie sent us a new computer so now I can blog more often. And I can even upload video now!!

Our Thanksgiving was super fun. We went to our friend Drew's house and he and Emmalee made us turkey dinner. I didn't really eat turkey, just sweet potatoes. I'm working up to this chewing thing but it's hard when you don't have any teeth. I did get to wear a shirt that had a turkey on it-- the height of fashion.

I have become quite the celebrity at school. The call me the crib inspector because all day I love to crawl around the room under all the cribs and toys looking at everything possible. Whenever they make me happy, I reward them by giving them a round of applause... with my feet of course. Here's a video of the first time I figured out how to clap my feet on November 18th.


Well I'm off to find new adventures for Mommy and Daddy to film. Love, V

Discovery Days

Friends today is my last day in Florida. I have learned so much down here. I've used my vacation time to perfect this whole sitting thing. I don't see what the big deal is. When you are sitting it means you have to be still and where's the fun in that?

Yesterday I learned how to do all kinds of things. Mommy was packing her suitcase to head home. I decided that I wanted to see what was inside and what do you know all of a sudden I was standing up!! I even got really brave and decided to stand on just one leg. It was fun while it lasted, but I had work to do. Undoing all of Mommmy's hard work would take time, but I was committed to taking everything out of the suitcase.

I worked up a sweat with all that unpacking so it was time for a bath. With my newfound pulling up skills I decided to liberate myself from the bathtub. I pulled myself out of the baby bathtub and into the big people's bathtub. This could lead to great things. I invision a future where I can escape the tub and take off like a streak of naked lightening. I hope my Mommy has her running shoes on!

Love, V

Fantastic Friday

Friends things are great here in Sunny Florida. Last night I got to dip my toes in the pool. I love swimming. I wonder if I could represent the American team and the Canadian team in the olympics? Mommy says people in our family have short legs so I may want to pick another sport.

I'm really enjoying hotel life. Nannie and Mommy let me roll around in the fluffy sheets on the big bed. I think I'm going to petition for a big bed like that when I get back home. It would be big enough for me, Mommy, Daddy and the puppy girls.

My Daddy is coming to visit us tonight. We are going to do so much fun stuff this weekend. We are going to eat Cuban food and go to the beach and do a little bit of shopping (that was Mommy's idea trust me). I'm going to show Daddy all the fun that Nannie and I have while Mommy is at work. I've figured out how to roll myself up in a blanket and move really quickly to whatever part of the room is least baby friendly. What can I say, I'm mischevious!

Love, V

Fall Fun

Here I am friends, back in the blogosphere. I have been having such a great fall that I have been too busy to blog. I got sick a couple of weeks ago but recovered just in time to celebrate Halloween. I threw a big party for my neighbors and baby friends. I couldn't wait to show off my crawfish costume.

My friend Millie was a ballerina. Her skirt was so fascinating that I kept trying to take it off. Mommy said that kind of behavior is going to get me in BIG trouble in high school. The good news is that Mommy and Daddy got a digital camcorder and have great video of the party. The bad news is that our computer is so ancient that they can't upload. But have no fear friends, a new computer is on the way.

The next big celebration after Halloween was election day. Daddy stayed home from work to vote and he dressed me in all red, white and blue. I was so excited about the election, but sadly being a baby I fell asleep before they announced the winner. I will get to vote for president for my first time when I'm 20 years old.

I am teething like crazy... but still no teeth at this point. Every couple of weeks I have all the symptoms and then no teeth appear. I will be sure to blog right away when the first one shows up. Until then I will just chew on everything in site including toys, clothes and my crib.

I continue to get closer and closer with my puppy dogs. They are especially interested in me since I have moved to a thicker style of baby food. I sometimes like to throw it on the floor and they are always ready to clean it up. I am on the cusp of crawling but I have figured out that I really don't need to crawl because I can roll around and pull myself around things. If Kayle and Lilith aren't looking I roll right over and try to play with their toys before Mommy snatches them away.

Right now I am on a business trip to Miami with my Mommy. I got to take my first plane flight. They are so much fun. You sit really, really close to strangers and you can just reach right out and touch them. And when you laugh it sounds very loud in such a tight space that it makes you laugh more. I didn't cry at all during my first flight. I'm a traveling man now... Europe here I come!

My Nannie is here to take care of me during the day. We are having so much fun going swimming and for stroller walks. She also plays with me on the floor and reads me books all day. It's funny but my Nannie seems soooo tired every night. I wonder what is making her so sleepy?

Well friends I'm off to have more adventures in the sunshine state. My Daddy is coming to visit me this weekend and we may go to the beach. The weather is warm, the breeze is nice and I have a cover to keep the sand out of my diaper... ahhh this is the life.

Love, V

A Growing Concern

I have so much news to report friends. I had my six month checkup on Tuesday. Mommy stayed home from work to take me to the doctor. I now weigh in at 16 pounds and 4 ounces. I'm 26 inches long and I am super healthy. I got three shots and I screamed at the doctor just to let her know that I do not like that at all. But the whole day wasn't a loss, I got to spend the afternoon with Mommy and she pulled out all the stops to make me laugh.

Yesterday I wasn't feeling so hot at school so they called Mommy at work to come get me. I think those shots finally caught up with me. I took a few naps at home and I'm feeling much, much better. Mommy gave me a teething ring to play with yesterday and I used my imagination to think of where else it could go. Mommy turned to get a spoonful of food for me and I slipped it on my leg. Oh I'm so silly!

I will soon have this crawling thing all figured out. I have mastered rolling across a room and creeping off my play mat. Watch out puppies I am headed your way. Mommy and Daddy give me plenty of time and room to practice. My doctor says I'm so active that I may skip crawling and just move right on to walking instead. Mommy started sweating right when the doctor said that. I wonder why? I'm not a handful am I?

I've outgrown my first bathtub and tonight I am going to move into a bathtub for bigger boys. I love to splash in the bath and now I'm so big that two splashes and I'm sitting in a mostly dry tub. My new tub will have much more room for my bath toys.

Love, V

Half Way There

Today is my half-versary! I am half way to my first birthday. I decided to celebrate by getting up at 3:30am and having a party in my crib. Daddy came to the party but he didn't seem to be in the mood to celebrate. I had a very nice weekend friends so I'm going to post some pictures for you.

Friday night Mommy and Daddy and I went to buy decorations for the big Halloween party that we are having. Thankfully I slept through the whole trip so I didn't see any of the scary things at the party store. Then we went out for dinner. Daddy even let me help him pick something off the menu.

Yesterday was such a great day. Daddy got off of work early and we walked to a restaurant in our neighborhood for dinner. I got to take a bath when we came home. Daddy said it was because I love the bathtub, Mommy said it was because I had a diaper blowout at the restaurant. While I was getting ready for bed, our brand new neighbors started moving in next door. We walked over to meet them and they are such a nice family.

Tomorrow I go for my six month checkup. I can't wait to show my doctor how I'm learning to hold cups and bottles. I think she'll be especially proud that I'm doing so well with baby food (even though I'm not the biggest fan of squash). Mommy says she can't wait to see how much I weigh. She says I felt like like a baby made of lead this weekend because I wanted to be carried around all the time.

Love, V

TGIF

Friends I'm getting ready for another fun weekend. The weather is nice and Mommy and I are going to run errands. Tonight we are going with Daddy to buy supplies for the Halloween party we are throwing later this month. While Daddy is at work this weekend Mommy and I are going to go to the farmers market and get fresh veggies to make some soups. Mommy says she hopes I grow up to be a chef so I can cook for her every day.

I am growing so fast and learning so many new tricks. I pick up something new every day. I realized the other night in the tub that when my toy floats out of reach, I can kick it back into my hand. I also found out that if Mommy is singing a song and I don't like it, I can just grab her lips and it makes her stop. She says living with me is worse than being on American Idol!

Love, V

Bad Hair Day

When I woke up this morning friends my hair was wild! Mommy thinks I was out partying all night to get this do. Thank goodness it's getting cooler and I can wear hats on bad hair days.
Last night Mommy, Daddy and I went for a walk in the neighborhood. It was so nice outside that the breeze put me to sleep. There are a lot of fun businesses and restaurants within walking distance of our house so Mommy says now that the temperatures are dropping we will be walking to a lot of our family outings.

Love, V

Hello October

Only 5 days until I hit the 6 month mark friends. I can't believe it's October already. Today Mommy dressed me in a little pants suit. Daddy did not like it at all! He said velour is for wussies. I wanted to sneak a few pictures of the outfit on my blog because I think that the suit may be mysteriously missing by the time Mommy gets home from work tonight.

There are so many things happening this month. I am getting my first set of school pictures taken in a couple of weeks and then at the end of the month we are having a super fun Halloween party complete with costumes. Even my puppies have costumes to wear. There are so many good things to look forward to.

Love, V

Yummy!

I am back on the food and it's going great friends. I love sweet potatoes and this time it's a mutual feeling. Today I am going to try carrots again. Here's a picture of me from last night. I was playing on my mat with Mommy while Daddy prepped my dinner.

Love, V

Weekend Wonders

Friends I hope you had a great weekend because I sure did. On Friday I wore my first pair of jeans. Mommy says they make me look like a little man. It's so much fun to scratch my nails on the fabric because it makes a funny sound. During the day Saturday Mommy, Daddy and I ran errands and had a lot of fun family time.

Saturday night was a big night for me. I wore pajamas for the first time and I had my first slumber party! We went over to our neighbor's house for dinner. My neighbor Sam is 16 months old and he's so cool. While Mommy and Daddy ate dinner I got to sleep in an extra crib in Sam's room. I was having so much fun that I gave Daddy a mean look when he took me home to finish sleeping the night away in my own crib.

My Saints played on Sunday. Mommy, Daddy and I met some other Who Dats at a sports pub to watch the game. I had so much fun because no one there cared when I cheered.... even if it was really, really loud. It was a lot of fun because there were other Saints fans there and no 49ers fans.

I was having a small growth spurt this weekend because during the game I wanted a bottle every single hour. What can I say, some guys like to drink when they watch football. Uncle Joe and Mommy's friend Ms. Belinda got in on the fun and helped me cheer during the game. I bet Uncle Joe that I could cheer louder than he could and trust me I won.

The best part of Sunday was when the Saints won! I was so happy that I gave Ms. Belinda a big smooch. What an exciting weekend!

Love, V