Tuesday, October 30, 2007

HaPpY HaLLoWeEn!

Alex's first Halloween...as a CHICK MAGNET!


Jumpsuit made by Grandma D

WoOf WoOf

Alex's second favorite dog:

Flying solo...

It was tough but we made it a night without our little tyke. Grandma and Grandpa Dampeer graciously babysat for Alex while mom and dad joined their good friends in Grand Rapids for a Halloween Party on Saturday (10/26). From the sounds of it, it was much harder on us then it was on Alex. According to the dotting grandparents Alex ate well, slept well, and smiled lots while we were gone.

The Dampeers:
Andy as "Joe Dirt" and Kristee as a GoGo Girl



The Kolzows:
Renee as "Cruella DeVille" and Andy as "Wendy"



The Carvers:
Kristy as an Aviator and Nate as "Reno 911"

Monday, October 29, 2007

BuZz BuZz

We can't BEE-lieve how much Alex loves the stuffed dancing honey bees above his bed. A special thanks to his great grammy for the adorable pasttime.

Alex likes the bees...


Alex really likes the bees...


Alex loves the bees!

Spoiled rotten

A very content Alex visits with both Grandmas...

Grandma Dampeer


Grandma Arklie

Two month Alex Update...

Now that Alex is 2 months old I thought I would bring you all up to speed on his new developments and fun facts.

RASH: Alex's rash is completely gone...the culprit: WALNUTS! Mom and dad were finally happy to have an answer to Alex's discomfort.
FOOD: Alex is still eating very well and still growing like a weed. His next doctor's appointment is next week. We are excited to see how much he weighs...but are not excited for him to get his shots.
SLEEP: Alex is sleeping very well...he will go 5-7 hours a night of straight sleep...woohoo for ma and pa. However, on some occasions, he will protest his beautiful crib and prefer to get his zzz's in his swing.
BATHTIME: We are not sure if Alex likes the warm water or being naked but he sure is a trooper when it comes to bathtime.
ALERT: Alex is loving his honeybee mobile above his crib, and also enjoys the barking dog on his bouncer. He will stare at each for a long time. He will look at books and toys but so far he is not interested in holding or touching them. It is fun to see his face light up when we talk to him.
SUPER POWERS: Alex started walking...kidding!...however he has some strong legs and will stand on mom and dads laps especially if he is angry. He continues to hold his neck up and look around the room.
ON THE MOVE: Alex is happy to go jogging or riding in the car with mom and dad. He enjoys any kind of rocking or noise...thank goodness.
Alex is smiling more and more...we can't wait to see what he learns next...



Friday, October 26, 2007

Another visit with Jackson!

"Our moms are at it again Jackson." -Alex


"I know, something tells me this is only the beginning." -Jackson

Guess who's who?

Are you ready for this??
After looking over mom and dad's baby photos...we found a fun discovery!
Alex is a spitting image of his daddy at his age. Take a look!

Andy at 1 month:



Alex at 1 month:



Another cute photo of Andy as a baby...



...and Alex looking just like his daddy!



Then there is mommy at 2 months old...maybe Alex the second will look like her...

Through the looking glass...

Mirror mirror on the floor, who's the cutest of them all?

Thursday, October 25, 2007

8 WEEKS OLD!!!

Still trying to catch up to the teddy bear...




Karate chop!...sort of...



Still not sure if he looks more like mom or dad...



Not sure if Alex is trying to crawl or do a push up now that he is a whopping 8 weeks old!

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Just Chillin'

Alex patiently waits for daddy to get home from work...



Guess his hands were cold!

Monday, October 22, 2007

Another journey to Irish Country...

The Dampeer family hit the road again this past weekend for another Irish football game. Who needs a win when you can spend time with good friends! Alex enjoyed his visit with mom and dad's friends Mike Cousino and Bridgett Frost.



I don't know who's enjoying the other more...Alex or Grandpa Dampeer?

Attack of the rash...

The poor little man has had a long week but thankfully, his rash is almost all gone! It started to clear up on Sunday (10/21), a week after mom started her no dairy and no walnut diet. Not sure of the exact culprit between the two, mom will slowly add milk products back into her diet. So far so good on that yummy piece of cheese mom thouroughly enjoyed yesterday! Not only did Alex have a bad case of the bumps last week, but his eyes also gave him a run for his money. He was back at the doctor's office on Wednesday (10/17) for nasty gooey eyes that he could barely see through. The doctor prescribed eyedrops that immediately did the trick. As advised by the doctor, we have made some other changes that have helped Alex's symptoms: we have placed a towel under his mattress so he can sleep on an angle at night, we massage his tear ducts a few times a day, and will soon purchase a humidifier for his bedroom (to help his stuffy nose). All in all, we are delighted that Alex is back to normal...kicking those feet, punching those hands, and smiling those lips!

Our little pum'kins!

Those Dampeer kids are so festive!


Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Sitting pretty

Prime and proper in his new seat. Alex's facial rash doesn't seem to be bothering him, nor does his festive cotton pumpkin hat made from Grandma D.



Not another picture mom!

Brrrrr....

Can you imagine what we will dress him in once it gets really cold....haha!



Alex went on his first hike this weekend in woods with his mommy, daddy, and doggie. The air was a bit chilly but Alex was dressed very snuggly and slept the whole time on daddy' chest.

The doctor weighs in...

Our little tyke has had a rough week...he has developed a bad rash that covers his entire face and reaches down to his chest and back. Not knowing the severity of the rash, Andy and I made a special trip to the doctor's office on this past Saturday (Oct.13). The doctor could not pinpoint the problem but was sure it was an allergy, most likely stemming from something in mom's diet! Yikes, mom was then advised to stop eating all dairy products as Alex may be allergic to cow's milk (common allergy for infants). Mom is now stuck being a dietitian for herself and searching for a substitute for her beloved ice cream! No problem for mom as long as her little tyke is ok, happy, and healthy.
The doctor's visit was Saturday and now it is Tuesday and we see that Alex's rash has gotten even worse. Mom has been dissecting her diet and thinks she may have a discovery. Mom has been staying away from milk products but the rash still prevails. Mom now thinks it may be WALNUTS as she has consumed those only over the last 2-3 weeks...same time as the rash appeared. We are not positive that this is the culprit, however, we are keeping a close check on our baby boy in hopes that we find an answer to this rash in the near future.
Much to Grandma Dampeer's dismay, the doctor also advised Alex to stay away from wool for 2 weeks as this could also be the cause of the nasty rash. We are all hoping this is not the case as Grandma's has spent hours and hours of her dear time making beautiful sweaters, hats, and more for her very appreciative (not to mention lucky) grandson.

ON A BRIGHTER NOTE:
Alex is in the double digits! As the photo shows below, a clothed Alex with a spur of the moment dirty diaper, weighed in at 10 pounds and 11 ounces. How's that for our good little eater?!


Lunchtime with Charlie

Although Alex wasn't able to enjoy the delicious peanut butter, he did however, enjoy meeting his cousin Charlie (daddy is first cousins with Charlie's mom Sarah). Alex can't wait to run around with his new buddy who also lives in Kalamazoo and is a little over 2 and a half years old.

Friday, October 12, 2007

Our cutie being cute:

I don't know about you but I think he's starting to pose for the camera...



He is really getting the hang of the smiling thing:



Here's lookin' at you!

Alex is now 6 weeks old. Although he has not been weighed lately, he is definitely growing up and out! He is almost out of his newborn clothes and on to his 0-3 month attire. Last week he graduated to #1 diapers (from newborns) but I'm sure he doesn't prefer I tell everyone about his underwear :)
Alex is getting better with his knowledge of days and nights. In fact, Alex slept a record of 7 hours straight last night...woohoo! He is eating very well, and always providing his parents with lots and lots of joy.
Oh yeah, and Sophee is patiently awaiting her new playmate. She occassionally brings Alex a toy but he hasn't quite got the hang of tossing it for a game of fetch yet. Sophee has adjusted very well to Alex but still misses all the attention on her...especially from her dad.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Alex's favorite pasttimes...

Alex has become very partial to a few activities over the past 6 weeks...

Swaying away in his swing...



...and boy does this boy like to bounce!



Can't forget naptime...



...or jogging with ma, pa, and sophee...in his very own jogging suit!



But best of all...spending time with friends...

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Say cheese!!

You can't look at these photos without smiling yourself!!
Mommy was finally able to catch the grinning on camera. Alex smiled his first big smile last Tuesday at 5 weeks old. He has done it only a couple times since then. We can't wait to see those dimples more often!



He must like daddy's jokes...