Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi everyone! I hope that you had as great of a Thanksgiving as I did. Mommy, Daddy, and I took a loooong car ride to a place called National Harbor, MD. Lots of our family members came from all over like NJ, FL, and MD. We had a great time hanging out! I got to eat so many new foods. Who knew what I was missing out on last year by hanging out in the NICU! I wish it could be Thanksgiving every day!!! But have no fear....I worked off all those extra calories by going on Cousin Andrew's tour of DC. I even got to ride on the Metro. We visited lots of great places such as this really good Greek restaurant (hey... a baby's got to eat!), the National Zoo, and the National Mall. I had such a great time. I can't wait until next year!

We also got to visit Chapel Hill. It was such a great experience. Everyone seemed pretty excited to meet me in person after watching my progress via Facebook. Mommy and Daddy took me to the football game where I got to see my Tar Heels beat Duke! What a night! Unfortunately they left me at the hotel during the basketball game. But don't worry.....Grandma Linda, Aunt LuLu, Uncle Don, and Cousin Khierston came over to keep me company. We also got to visit Aunt Toni and Uncle TJ who are expecting a little one of their own. So I gave them a crash course in baby-proofing.

While I enjoyed all the trips, I was happy to return to my puppy Stymie. Secretly, I know he missed me too. I hope you enjoy the pictures from my latest adventures.

Love, Mr. Miles

Bye Bye October

Hi everyone....remember me! I know I missed posting during the month of October. But it was a busy month for me. For starters I turned 1!!! It is pretty cool turning one. Mommy is finally starting to treat me like a big boy. She has started giving me all kinds of tasty treats. It started at my birthday cookout. Micah and Amara's mommy made me some pretty tasty cupcakes for my birthday. Mommy said they were vegan. I am not sure what that means. It must be code for Mmmmmm good! I ate the whole thing! I had a really good time at my party. But I can't wait until next year when I will be walking around with everybody else. Ever since my party, Mommy has been giving me all kinds of delectable goodies that I didn't even know existed! For the most part it has been bye-bye baby food and hello yogurt, bananas, toast, cheese, and too many more to name. I eat it all too....well except for the stuff that I drop down to Stymie every now and then.

Since I turned 1 Mommy finally convinced Daddy that I was ready for a big boy bath. Now I get to take a bath in my very own tub. I have some cool things in there to play with too. I have lots of froggie friends and a really cool basketball set that I got for my birthday. Mommy always uses the balls to squirt me which makes me laugh.

I also got to go to my 1st birthday party in October....well 2nd if you count mine. My friend Isabel from Mommy and Me invited me to her 2nd birthday party. I had a great time there too. Her folks sure know how to throw a party! Best of all, my best bud Ethan was there. So we got to hang out.


Last week Mommy and Grandma Val took me to Patterson Farms with the other Mocha Moms and Mocha babies. First we got to see a puppet show (which kind of scared me). Then we got to look at all kinds of animals that I had only seen in books! Then we took a hayride. After that we got to pick our very own pumpkin to bring home. I was lucky cause my grandma let me have hers too! We ended the day with some pumpkin ice-cream! I was so tired that I slept the whole way home.

I also went back to the Dr.'s office. They couldn't believe how big I had gotten. I now weigh 16lbs. 15oz. I am still a lightweight. But they said that was ok. Crawling around burns lots of calories!! I definitely got longer though...27 1/4 inches. So I am creeping along. The not so fun part was that I got 4 shots in addition to a finger prick. Mommy and Daddy felt so bad that they each got 2 also. Then Stymie got a few as well.

So as you can see October has been a busy month for me. I am looking forward to doing some fun things in November. Mommy and Daddy are going to be taking me to this Chapel Hill place that Mommy seems to love so much.



I finally got on Mommy about updating the pictures. So she updated lots of new ones. I hope you enjoy!





Love, Mr. Miles

Buzz-y Buzz-y Bee

Hi everyone! I know it has been awhile since you have heard from me. But I have been too busy to sit still long enough to let you know what has been going on with me! For starters, I have been racking up the road and frequent flier miles. In August Mommy and I took a trip down to Atlanta with Daddy. Mommy and I got to hang out at the aquarium almost every day. Then we took a trip to NJ. I got to see lots of Mommy's side of the family.

This month Mommy and I got to go with Daddy to Savannah, GA and Puerto Rico! Unfortunately Daddy had to work but Mommy and I did lots of hanging out. The flight to Puerto Rico, my 10th flight, was quite an experience. One of the flight attendants took a real liking to me. So she spent a lot of time hanging out with me on the flight. She even took me up to the cockpit so I could take a picture with the pilots. While in Puerto Rico I had lots of firsts....1st time taking a shower (I loved it), 1st time in the Atlantic Ocean (or any ocean for that matter), 1st time eating a tortilla, 1st time in a hammock, and 1st time sleeping through the night (Mommy loved that one the most). Our trip to Puerto Rico really inspired Mommy. So she has been speaking to me in Spanish every now and then. I don't know much of what she says. But my favorite is "Dame un beso". I never get tired of that one :-)

Even though we are back at home, I haven't slowed down one bit. I am now the proud owner of two front teeth (bottom center). And I am crawling everywhere that my knees will carry me. But just crawling isn't enough for me. I also pull up to standing every chance I get. Mommy and Daddy worked really hard to complete the Miles-proofing around the house. But everyday I show them one more thing that I am able to get into. Stymie just stays out of my way for the most part. But it won't be long until I am able to climb up on the couch and reach him.

And for those of you that don't know...I am turning 1 in just a few more weeks!! YAY!

Love, Mr. Miles

PS. Even though I have done my part by updating the blog Mommy has been too busy chasing me to upload any new pictures. So please be patient with her. ;-)

Boy how time flies....

Hi Everyone! I hadn't realized that it has been so long since my last post. But I have been super busy growing and learning new skills. I went for my 9-month appointment with Dr. Knutson last week. She and Nurse Tracy were really surprised how much I had changed since the last time they saw me. I was 15 lbs. 4 oz and 25 1/2 inches long. Although my height and weight are still below average for a 9 month old, Dr. Knutson assured my mommy and daddy that I cam catching up! My head circumference was a different matter. I am actually on the growth chart for a 9 month old in that category. Hey...big heads run in the family!

I also had my 6 month review for the CDSA program that I am in. This is the program that lets me have play therapy every week. The nurse hadn't seen me since I first came home from the hospital. She was pretty impressed with my progress as well. She asked my mommy a whole lot of questions. She gave me lots of crazy things to play with. Then she made lots of notes. The results were that I was somewhere around a 7-8 month old in terms of my progress. That is great considering that technically I could act like a 6 month old if I wanted to! My new goals are crawling and picking up things with my fingers.

I think I have this sitting up thing down. I also love to flip from front to back and back to front. I really am getting close to crawling. However, I like to roll to whatever it is I need. Much easier on the knees!! I also do this spin move on my belly like an old school break dancer. Stymie better watch out!!

Mommy has started giving me lots of new treats in addition to the yummy cereal, fruits, vegetables, and meats that I have been eating. I absolutely LOVE the teething biscuits. But Mommy does not like the fact that she usually has to give me a bath afterwards. The puffs are much cleaner. I am almost able to keep them in my mouth the whole time without Mommy's help. Of course Stymie also likes the teethig biscuits and puffs, as he usually gets to eat whatever pieces I drop.

I think that is all for now. I hope everyone is having a great week!

Love Mr. Miles

My first day of school

Hello! A couple of weeks ago I had my first day of school. It was all that I imagined and more. For some reason there weren't any other kids there. But there were lots of adults that wanted to hold me, talk to me, and play with me. I had a blast!! Mommy wasn't so fortunate though. She was in her old classroom cleaning and packing. Daddy and Mommy thought it was best that Mommy continue to stay at home with me. Bad news for all those other kids, but GREAT news for me. So Mommy and I will continue to get to hang out at cool places like Mommy and Me yoga, Mocha Moms, etc. Another benefit for me is all the cool stuff Mommy got to bring home. I can't wait to check out all the posters, toys, and new books that Mommy has. I think it is pretty cool that my Mommy was a teacher. She says how lucky she is to be able to teach me. I can't wait!!!

As if the first day of school wasn't exciting enough, my Uncle Kyle graduated from high school. We had lots of family members come into town. I got to meet aunts, uncles, and cousins for the first time. It was great!! Here is a picture with Uncle Kyle right after graduation. You will have to excuse me but it was a long weekend and I was tired and hot.

That's all for now! Stay cool! Love, Mr. Miles

We Are Family!

Over Memorial Day weekend, we packed up the car and headed to Goldsboro, NC for a family reunion. I can't tell you much about the trip because I was deep in meditation......ok ok I was asleep. Let's just say that I was saving up my energy for all of the excitement!
I got to see lots of my Daddy's side of the family. There were old favorites like Grandma Linda, Aunts LuLu, Tina, and Kristy, Uncles Don & Anthony, and Cousins Khierston & Taylor. I also got to meet my new baby cousin Kendall. It was exciting to meet someone who slept more than I did! I also got to see my Great-Grandma Dot. I haven't seen her since the time she came to visit me in the hospital.
Then there were a host of new cousins and aunts and uncles that I met. There were too many to name! I have never been passed around so much in my life!
We had a great time. I even got to see my Mommy get 2nd place in the hula-hoop contest. I can't wait until next year when I can run around with everyone else as well as eat some of that tasty-looking food.

I have to go for now. Mommy and I have some errands to run for Uncle Kyle's graduation this weekend. Mommy tells me that I will get to meet lots of family from her side! Who knew one little baby could have so many relatives?!?

Love, Mr. Miles

NICU reunion picnic

Hello again! Suprised to hear from me so soon?!? Things have slowed down a bit and I have a little more time on my hands. Plus I have an awful lot to tell you.

Right after we returned from our Dallas trip, we had a very special event to attend. We went to the annual CMC NICU reunion picnic. This event is for all the big boy and big girl graduates of the NICU. I was looking for some of my old suitemates but I didn't see them. I did get to see many of the doctors and nurses that helped take care of me during my stint at the NICU. I even got to see the doctor who took care of me right after I was born. I don't think she really remembered me though. I did get to see nurse Stephanie who was one of my favorites. Actually she is probably my #1 favorite because she is the one who helped me go home. And the biggest surprise of all is when Mommy and Daddy and I drove over to the hospital. We got to see Dr. Lessaris who was my FAVORITE doctor. (And I am not just saying that because she is probably going to read this post). Mommy was SO happy to see her and she was so happy to see me. She spent quite a bit of time talking to me and playing with me. I felt so special! Here is a picture of the 3 of us!

I can't wait until next year's picnic. There were so many things that I couldn't get into this year. But I will be ready next year!! I have to help Mommy *wink* load the NICU picnic pictures. Until the next post.....

Love, Mr. Miles