7 Months

Aaron Adir has really changed a lot since the last posting, or at least that is the way it seems to us. He is interacting with us and his toys in more meaningful and purposeful ways. He now truly plays with toys, pushing buttons, inspecting, passing from one hand to the next, and dropping them intentionally. His babbling has gone to consonants with the ever present da da, and others like ba ba, ta ta, th th, and la la. A few pictures and several videos this time, some featuring recent presents from family and friends. He seems to like the phrase "uh oh". I guess that should make his parents wonder what's coming.

 

6 Months

So many changes for AA since last writing. Now eating some solids foods, ranging from rice cereal to peas to artichokes (he's very sophisticated). Continues to roll around and still working on sitting alone. As one colleague pointed out, perhaps he's not too motivated to sit, as unlike rolling, it doesn't really get him anywhere. I like that explanation. He's far more interactive now, frequently laughing and smiling at his parents, especially his mother. He's also found a favorite stuffed animal, an elephant given by one of our friends. In his most recent picture he had a different idea of what to do with the paper sign for his age, see below. 

                        

5 Months and Rolling

The biggest news is that AA has gone mobile. He rolls and rolls and rolls. Surprising that humans ever had to learn to walk given how effective he is at getting across a room in a flash. AA had several firsts over the past month including attending his first wedding, his 10th flight (crazy), and his first AAP (American Academy of Pediatric's) conference. At the conference in New Orleans, he was awarded his first position as "infant liaison" to COCIT (AAP's informatics group). Pictured below is the new "happiest baby on the block" with Dr. Karp and a video of rolling.

                          

4 Months

A lot of traveling and a bit delayed on posting. Major accomplishments of this month are head control and more rolling over. Thankfully AA mostly enjoys planes like his father, fast asleep. Thanks to the new head control, AA can hike facing forwards. Although not apparent from the pictures, AA is actually getting a bit more hair. The debate of who AA looks like is still raging, with few moderates and most staking a claim that sides with one parental extreme or the other. Who do you vote for?

3 Months

Last week AA hit another milestone, 3 months. Since last posting his exciting resume building activities include lots of cooing and making conversation, "rasberrying" (blowing bubbles and using his tongue to make spitting like sounds), and playing with toys more deliberately. Below is a picture of his first "hike" in a park near our home, playing with toys in the morning sunlight, and a video of his "talking".

2 Months and More

AA is 2 months old and has a picture to prove it. He is learning to play a lot more with toys and even an attempt to sit in a bumbo baby seat. Last night, Jen heard him laughing. A picture of his first swim below as well. Oh and he is sleeping 7 hours most nights!

More Smiles

More smiling pictures and even a smiling video. Need I say more? Aaron Adir is working on sleeping through the night, and the emphasis is on the "working" part. Up to 5 hour stretches now. On another note, based on very imprecise methods, we now believe him to be 10lbs. Apologies for the recent lapse in posting and hope to be back to an approximate weekly schedule now.

Smiling and More Faces

Last week, at age 5-weeks, AA began to smile (mostly when seeing or hearing Jen). Jen caught the best picture (top picture, wearing orange). While attempting to take more smiling pictures, we caught some funny facial expressions from suspiciousness to yawning to bewilderment to silliness. Enjoy AA's many faces:

   

Pidyon Haben

Below is the video of the Pidyon Haben. Highlights include (so you can skip around) my introduction, washing for bread, the ceremony itself, eating the meal, and speeches. Throughout are some comments by guests as well.

Going to Work, Weight up

Lots of updates, but unfortunately time is short:
1) AA went to work with Jen (just for a visit, still on maternity leave), and her co-worker took the amazing picture below
2) AA has now flipped over an additional 2 times, for a total of 3. Apparently his father (me) had climbed out of the crib by age 8-months, so we may be in for some appropriate retribution.
3) Weight as of today is 8lb 4.5oz, almost 1.5 pounds up from his birth weight just 4 weeks ago
4) Tradition at my work, Texas Children's Hospital, is that after a resident has a baby it is posted on the office door, see the posting here:

Swing Time

Hi - Its Jen - AA's Mom.  Aaron Adir and I are having a lot of fun spending time together while I'm on maternity leave.  We both like a lot of the same things -- eating, sleeping and listening to music... so were getting along great!  Here is a picture of Aaron Adir hanging out in the swing his Great Aunt Mindy got for him (thanks Aunt Mindy!) and the letter that came from social security today that makes him an official US citizen!

An early flipper

Perhaps the most impressive event of the past few days (holiday of Shavuot) is that on day 13 of life AA rolled over from his stomach to his back. According to me, his pediatrician-to-be father that's about 3-4 months ahead of schedule! No assist, no tricks, he really just did it. The rollover came when we were practicing the "tummy time" advocated now that we put children "back to sleep" to help reduce SIDS. Below is an updated picture with his increasing open-eyed time as he is getting older as well as a picture Jen took while I was working on this post.

Going to shul. AA went to our shul, that goes by its own initials, AY. He was a perfect angel and stared quietly into the distance until we reached the silent shemoneh esrei. Then the screaming began and of course ended as soon as that quiet portion was over. He got an official welcome from the minyan at the end as perhaps the youngest member ever to attend.

10 days old. Hard to imagine how much can happen in 10 days and yet it has been a roller coaster already. Here are some highlights below from day 1 until now.

Day 1: Like his parents, AA (short for Aaron Adir) tends to leave things to the last minute. What better way to start then procrastinating your own delivery. Nevertheless, here he is moments after birth:










Day 2: Grandpa Moshe admires:

Day 3: Posing for the Camera       

     

On his way home and lots of birthday celebrations to join.

Day 4: Meet the Raskas grandparents:

Day 5: Taking a bath at home               

            

               













Sarah, Lizzie, and Rachel admire their nephew

Everyone is almost exactly a decade older or younger than someone else. See if you can figure out the generations:

Friday night - AA's shalom zachar. Jen and I make a quick getaway after our speeches. . . 

Day 6: (no photos available, plus we were in the hospital again . . . )

Day 7: Isaac getting ready for his big Kvater role (or his next big airline announcement)

Pre-brit milah family huddle

Day 8: watch the brit milah recap here, thanks to all the cameramen who made this possible

Credit to Randy Barnes for the amazing photo below

Sandek for the naming, grandfather Moshe Rubin

Raskas men:

Day 9: A peak at AA's eyes:

Day 10: checkup with his own pediatricians and doing great. Weight nearly back to birth weight, now 6 lb 13.5 oz.