Getting an evening massage

Gabe gets a massage to prep him for bed.

Afternoon long walk

With great weather today, we all headed-out for a long walk. Gabe loved the front-facing baby carrier, and stayed awake and alert the entire hour walk. He looked sporty in his baseball cap.

Tummy Time

Building neck, shoulder, and arm strength with daily "tummy time." Gabe is now able to hold his head comfortably at a 45+ degree angle.

Mid-morning Nap

Just about to wake from a nice mid-morning nap.

Party at Blake's crib

Gabe parties in Blake Rosen's crib. These two have known each other since birth!

Another step forward

Last week Gabe discovered his hands (and put them in his mouth). We've been putting toys in his hand, and his reflex makes him hold the toy for a minute or so. Today he put the toy in his mouth and sucked on it. Another milestone.

Beautiful

Relaxed, happy, and smiling. We can't wait until these moments become more frequent.

Sporting a new outfit

Sporting a new outfit (matching top and pants), Gabe poses for a photo op. This is a 6-9 month outfit, so I did a small cuff of the pant-legs to make it fit better, though the onesie top fits well. In true form, Gabe spit-up some milk later that morning, requiring a change in his shirt. So much for dressing him up to spend some time with his new nanny today!

Wearing a Spring hoody

As the Spring weather has arrived, Gabe sports a nice hooded sweatshirt.

Hanging-out with Mommy

Gabe and Mommy enjoy a relaxing Saturday.

Gabe's friend

Gabe and his friend Blake Rosen have a play date. This is definitely the first of many.

2-month Appointment

Gabriel had his 2-month appointment yesterday, and all checked-out ok. He got his second set of shots, and did not enjoy getting jabbed 4 times in the leg. It was tough to see him cry so helplessly. On a more positive note, his growth and development were excellent. He's cooing, laughing, tracking movement, and actively batting at objects. From a growth perspective, he was middle of the road at birth, but has become quite long and filled-out over the past 2 months. He's 13 pounds 4 ounces, and 24 and 1/2 inches long. That pushes him to above 90 percentile in height and weight, which is surprising given his average birth size just 9 weeks ago. If you do the math, you'll see that he has gotten about 60% heavier and 20% longer in 9 weeks -- good thing that this slows down later in life. One other important note: Gabe is still lighter than his older brother Whiskey (Jack Russell Terrier mix), who tips the scales at a hair under 14 pounds. So for now, Whiskey is still the "big" brother.

Someone discovered his hands!

"Oh my goodness, I have hands!" He seems to have found his hands about 2-3 days ago. I assume he's going to love using these new found toys very regularly now.

Showing his big belly

Gabe loves to show-off his infant "beer gut" belly. Here he's sticking it out, ready for a sumo wrestle.

Preparing for a bath

Naked as a jaybird, about to get his bath.

Hanging with mommy

Gabe hangs-out with mommy, while wearing his "Mommy loves me" shirt.

Gabe the swinger

Finally Gabe loves his swing...we're getting a little worried he likes it too much. It puts him to sleep in an instant. For now, we'll take the peace and quiet it brings :)

Out for a walk

On a walk, using the Baby Bjorn carrier.

Nanny Interview Preparation

Gabriel prepares to interview another nanny candidate. He's a tough interviewer.

Nice stroller ride

Sunny day for a nice ride.

Afternoon playtime

Now that's a big smile!

Future UVA Wahoo

Morning playtime in his UVA onesie.

Putting on the pounds

Looks like he's really putting on those baby-growth pounds. What a chubby little face!

Nirvana

Dinner on the mostly completed deck, with Gabe relaxing in his bouncy chair and enjoying the 70 degree weather. Who could ask for more?

Very stylish baby

Gabriel deserves the credit for that stylish, trendy mohawk haircut. He did it on his own while mommy and daddy slept. Do we have a wild child on our hands?

Waking from a LONG nap

A fussy morning, followed by a 3hour nap, and now he wakes ready for a bottle for lunch.

Curve Ball

Look familiar? This isn't Gabe, it's mommy Claire's baby picture. I think there are some similarities!

Everyone Loves a Good Giggle

His spinning, musical mobile always elicits a few smiles and giggles during playtime.

Morning playtime after breakfast

Always a fun time, with sleep behind him and a fully belly from breakfast.

Daddy dressed me

You like the leg-warmer look?

Video: Playtime on the couch

With the camera phone never far away, we're able to catch Gabriel doing interesting things quickly. Here he shows his playtime smiles, which are now a daily ritual.

Playtime after a nice nap and nice meal

He looks a lot older here than 7 weeks, doesn't he? He looks a lot older here than he normally looks; it must be the camera angle, or the adult "shhhh" facial expression he's making. Who knows?

Let him sleep

After a car ride, he's still asleep in his car seat.

I love my mobile

Just gazing at the spinning, musical mobile overhead.

A riddle ... wrapped in an enigma

Here Gabe lays asleep in his swing. Most times, the swing is the enemy, and he hates it within about 2 minutes. However, Gabe the Riddler is always keeping us guessing, and in this case he had a nice nap in his swing.

Holding a toy?

Kinda holding a toy. We can put a rattle in his hand and he holds it for a few seconds. Also, he's now big enough and active enough to hit the hanging toys above his head on his playmat pretty firmly, though it's still clearly by chance.

Pacifer

Sometimes it just needs to be close-by.