Duke is 2 Months Old!

So handsome at 2 months old

Mr. Big Shot - Always wanting to stand.

"Mom I am going to gag myself if you take one more picture of me!"

Duke had his 2 months check up today! He is just over 13 lbs and just shy of 2 feet tall!! Our big boy. He rolled over for the first time today too!! He was doing tummy time at the Dr.'s office and he rolled right over. He took his shots like a champ and is now taking a snooze. It was a busy morning.

Present from Gramma Beth

She made Duke a little buddy for Valentine's Day.

Mr. Sock Monkey

Happy Valentine's Day!

Thanks Hilary for the awesome onesies! We are wearing the "Heartbreaker" one tomorrow for family dinner.

There is an adorable picture of Jack and Duke sitting on the couch watching the Olympics but I was not aloud to post it. They look identical and it is extremely cute. Sorry.

STOOLLLLLIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!

I love, love, love my dogs but right now Stoli's name starts with an "s" for a reason. She's always at the top of the list! My husband is supposed to put her in "her room" when he leaves in the morning so she doesn't get into anything and believe me, she would and does get into EVERYTHING! So this morning I wake up, feed the baby, change the baby (twice), empty the diaper genie (so much fun), come downstairs to make coffee to see that one of the dogs busted through the baby gate, that has been put up for the dogs because baby cannot even walk yet and made a mess of our dining/family room. Our new rocking horse that was a gift for Duke had a much fluffier tail before Stoli had her way with him. And why do I blame Stoli if I didn't actually catch her in the act??? Because she was the one with the black hair hanging out of her mouth and laying in the family room where she is clearly not aloud to be - hence the baby gates.

Finally, I get to make coffee while Duke is actually just hanging out - he must of sensed my mood. Hearing the dogs drink out of their water bowls is a common sound in our house with 3 dogs. I didn't think anything of it until a couple minutes later I still hear the sloppy drinker. I am loading the dishwasher, making coffee, clearing off the counters and totally distracted but decide to see who is so parched that they are taking a 5 minute very loud drink. None other than Stoli is at the water bowl, not drinking at all but has both front paws in the dish pawing at the piece of black fuzz that was stuck in her mouth from chewing on the horse's tail that fell out into the water dish. A stream of water is now running through my kitchen floor. They actually needed cleaned anyway but not the point!!!

Then I happen to notice that when my husband (love him too) left this morning, he didn't completely close the deck door so it was open an inch and a tad colder than usual in my house.

What a morning!!! It is never - EVER a dull moment in this house.

I do partly blame Bubba for the busted baby gate because he has been known to do that and makes no secret of it. He'll do it right in front of us. I don't think Stoli got that gate down on her own. But what happened after the gate was down is totally and completely her work.

Blizzard 2010

This winter has turned out to be filled with SNOW! I remember hearing in November or December that this winter was going to be cold and snowy and it really has been. I love the snow but being stuck inside is really annoying. No sledding or snowman building with a 7 week old. We did manage to get him outside for a few photos. I had to get some shots for his album - it's his first snow storm! Don't worry, we only had him out there for very few minutes - probably only 90 seconds. He didn't get a drop of snow on his bare skin and then he was back inside all wrapped up and snoozing in no time flat.

I think that he is going to love the snow when he gets bigger and actually knows what it is. He didn't seem to mind it.

Jack was out for 21 straight hours doing snow removal out in the cold while Duke and I were nice and warm inside. I really wanted to go outside and play a bit - we usually don't get this much snow. The dogs couldn't even get outside - it was so deep. I don't even like the cold but being cooped up all day can make people want to do crazy things.


Our niece, Avah, made the cover of the local newspaper. She built an igloo with her mom and dad and uncle Dennis that was big enough for 6 adults. They sent the picture in to the paper and it was on the cover today!

Bubba couldn't get back inside fast enough.

First Road Trip to Clearfield

Duke's January Picture - he did not want to wake up and smile for the camera. Maybe I should have taken it at 3:00 am when he is wide awake! But I got his first "stink eye" picture.

Mommy and Duke!! I forgot how to do my hair so it is always pulled (slicked) back. Please no rude comments :-)

My handsome boys.

Duke with gram and pap Harper. They loved him up.

Duke made his first trip to western, PA this past weekend to meet his great grandparents, gram and pap Harper and to spend the weekend with grammy and pappy Wood. He slept the entire 3.5 hour trip both to and from! I was so glad because I was on my own with him and Rose. We left before we got all the snow on Friday and extended our weekend until Monday to maximize our visit. Duke got to meet lots of grammy and pappy's friends and spent time with Aunt Megan and Mark. It was nice to get home and it was better than spending the weekend all by ourselves at home with all the snow. I got lots of help with the baby and actually showered everyday.

Jack had a great time up in the mountains with all the guys watching the superbowl but they got no snow at all!! They were about the only ones wishing for some serious snow fall to ride the snow mobiles.

We are bracing ourselves for another big snowfall tonight into tomorrow and hoping we keep our electricity. I am finishing laundry and other chores in anticipation of the worst. I wish Duke was older so we could go outside and build a snowman!

Tummy time before the meltdown - he is still not a fan.

A big smile for the camera!

He already has his eyes on Rose. She is in big trouble when he starts motoring around. Payback is coming for all the licks she tries to sneak in.

Duke is 1 month old today!

Our little boy is growing up fast! I can't believe a whole month has gone by already. He is growing and developing new skills every day. He stares at us when we talk to him and makes funny faces when we make a strange noise or make goofy faces at him. We are starting to tell the difference in his cries so we know what he wants. He is starting to enjoy his tubbies too. It's crazy how fast it all goes by.

Visitors

Last weekend was spent hanging out with Aunt Annie and Uncle Doug. Duke finally got to meet his Aunt and Uncle from Pittsburgh! I got to get away for a little bit to go see The Lovely Bones at the theater with Annie and BJ. We had a nice relaxing weekend just hanging around the house and feeding the baby.


I must say that the little guy was quite the "profusser" over the weekend though. Some say it's his 3 week growth spurt that is making him want to eat around the clock. If I don't get the milk to him fast enough, I surely hear about it. He wants his milk when he is hungry and not a second later. Lately he has been eating pretty much nonstop - seriously. I am exhausted and have been quite worried that he is so hungry because I am not providing him with enough food. So off to the Dr.'s we went this morning to check his weight and to ask some questions. He gained 18 ounces since his last visit taking him up to 10 lbs 1 oz.!!! So he is definitely getting enough milk they said and gaining weight like a champ. I just hope that we can all agree on a better feeding schedule for me to have time to shower and nap and all that essential stuff that moms need to do every once in awhile.

Duke in his denim outfit and cowboy boots that his mom-mom Horgan got for him. He is getting so big that I was afraid it might not fit.

Two weeks old

Duke is just over two weeks now and we are all doing well. I am starting to feel good again minus the sleepiness and Duke is growing like a weed. Mom is still here helping out with cooking and spoiling her new grandson, which has helped a lot. I am staying well fed!

Dreaming of an Eagles win tonight!

Holding Daddy's finger.

Tummy time!

Duke's first week home

Today was a week that we have been home from the hospital with our little guy, Duke. Last Saturday I came home to a brand new life. It has been a pretty good week trying to recover and learn all about caring for an infant. At times it was overwhelming and emotional but mostly we have been adjusting just fine and taking on the challenges. The baby is great and very pleasant (unless you take his clothes off). I could take a million pictures of all the faces he makes. Enjoy :-)