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Keegan’s room (also our guest room) is getting close to be finished. It only took us 6 months, after all. We applied some cool decals to the wall and to the closet door. The art is by Keith Haring, and awesome artist who died way too young.

I guess we turned into those crazy baby-obsessed parents that think that everything their kid does is super cute…so feel free to skip this one.

Once again, our little guy came back from daycare with a cold. Maybe he never really got over the past ones, who knows? Hopefully, this time, he will not spread the glee: we can’t afford to get sick again. Anyway, we caught him in one of those embarassing, but also hilarious moments this morning. Warning: this may gross you out! With snot flowing out of his nose, he started laughing and a bubble formed from his nostril.

The picture also shows his eye color: still undefined. Gray with a light brown circle around his pupils. It would be kind of cure if they remain this color, but it is still too early to tell.

blackmail photo for when he starts dating

It has been suggested that our little guy looks a lot like Charlie Brown…well, they are both bald, with a round head, and ears sticking out. So maybe they got it right. This means we have already an Halloween costume picked out. What do you think?

Another exciting development: Keegan got his first taste of solid food…well, this is a little of an euphemism, as the consistence of the rice cereal is not much different from milk alone. Still, he had his first taste of eating with a spoon and in a chair. He took it very easily and he seemed to enjoy the experience. We mixed some rice cereal with formula, and we sat him in our new cool space saver booster chair. Tizi liked it because it saves space, has three reclining positions, turns into a toddler booster chair and most of all, it comes in her favorite, earthy tones and modern patterns. It also half the price or more than a regular high chair. Feeding time also allowed her to use all the cool accessories we bought: Boom utensils and plates and Bumkin bibs, which came really handy as it was hard to tell if there was more cereal inside Keegan or ON him…

prima pappa

check out the cool chair, bib and spoon (and they all match)

dad is a natural

Overall, he is doing really good with the eating part, but he still squirms a bit when he is sitting for more than a few minutes. Now, if we could only feed him while he is standing up, he would be happy. Talking of which, he is still enjoys standing quite a bit: he is now lifting himself up from lying down to a sitting position, and immediately after to a standing position. His legs are getting quite muscular and his calves are impressive: is he preparing to be a soccer superstar?

Since he needs to stand all the time, we bought him an exersaucer, hoping we could get a break: so far, no luck. He stays in it a few minutes, but then he still wants us to pick him up. Good thing we got a second hand model…we are not losing hope, though. Maybe he simply needs to get used to it.

trying out the new toy

May 11 was Tizi’s first Mother’s Day. It felt a little weird to be on the receiving end, but definitively it was very nice. Keegan brought home a nice hand-made (or should I say foot-made) “card” from daycare: his feet were dipped in blue paint and stamped on a cloth, as little flowers. Stems and a cute message were added. The cloth was folded inside a heart-shaped envelope, origami style. Mom was really touched (and finally understood why Keegan’s feet were metallic blue).

Tizi’s first Mother’s Day gift

The day was great: Matt made sure Tizi was pampered; he prepared a delicious breakfast, bought some pretty flowers, kept Keegan most of the day, so Tizi could get a break, and cooked an amazing dinner. He also got a nice gift, a pretty necklace. The only gift that was missing was sleep: Keegan didn’t realize it was Mother’s Day, and woke up pretty early.

All in all it was a great day: thank you Mattie for making it so special!

mother and son on mommie’s day

So, the Social Security statistics for 2007 came out, and we had to check it out and see how the name Keegan is stacking up.

Keegan is at number 222 of the most popular names in US in 2007 (up from 226 in 2006), which means that 1,676 baby boy got that name last year. This is equals 0.077 of the total boys.

Not bad at all. A lot of the other names that were on our list were at much higher place on the list. The statistics are quite interesting, and you can definitively see trends. One of those is that the name Sawyer appeared in the top 1000: lots of Lost fans out there.

You can see all those stats at the Social Security site.

One more month… We have been really busy in the past few weeks, and this explains the lack of updates: Tizi went back to work on April 9, and she had been spending every free moment prepping for the new class she was teaching. It went really well, but it was challenging trying to find the time to do everything. Matt has been a huge help, taking care of Keegan in the evening to give Tizi some computer time. Tizi enjoys going back to Platt college, and the adult conversation, and enjoys even more spending the afternoons with the little guy: it is the best of both worlds. We celebrated the 5 month occasion with a weight-in and nice walk on a warm, sunny San Diego weekend.

Keegan is doing well and growing steadily, if not rapidly. He is now 11.9 lb (5.4Kg) and 25 in (64 cm) long. He is still very active, and not a big sleeper. He still wants to stand on his own two feet. In fact, he even held himself up all without support one day. He is trying to roll over (back to belly) but so far he has only made it half way. We are trying to get him to sit down, but it is not easy. Our friend Jennifer lent us a Bumbo seat, and we put him in it a few times. He was at first perplexed, but now he likes it a little more…for a whole 5 minutes at a time. We are not giving up!

Keegan seems to enjoy daycare. He eats and sleeps quite a bit there, and he doesn’t drive everyone crazy (or so they say). We had to add some formula to his diet, which didn’t make Tizi very happy. However, a nasty stomach flue virus that wiped out both Matt and Tizi during a single weekend, in the middle of a heat wave didn’t leave us any choice. I guess this is the first real bug Keegan brought home from daycare (colds don’t count): he got it first, but he was not nearly as affected. Fortunately Keegan didn’t have any problems with the formula, and Mattie quite enjoys being able to do some of the feedings. In the next few weeks we will introduce some rice cereal, and we will see if he likes it.

getting his first formula bottle

Our little guy is 4 months old. It is hard to believe it has been so long since we took him home, and even harder if you consider that the Coming Home outfit still fits him…well, it was a little big then, but still. We had our standard check up and everything is well. The doctor commented on how strong and reactive he is, so we are happy. He is still following his grow curve, that places him on the 5 percentile for his weight, but someone has to be at the bottom end of the normal range, right? So these are the magic numbers:

weight: 5.1 Kg (11.4lb)
length: 61 cm (24 and 3/4 in)
head circumference: 40cm (15.7in)

He got his second round of immunization shots and again he reacted quite well: just a low grade fever in the evening. Everything else is great: Keegan is a very happy boy, who loves to smile. So much so it is hard for mom and dad to feel special, since he smiles to everyone.

He can now be carried facing forward in the baby Bjiorn, and he likes it quite a bit. He went on walks, at Costco and the grocery store: he always elicit compliments and smiles. He even fell asleep in it a couple of times. He still appreciates punk rock more than any other music. Talking of rock music, mom and dadare planning on attending a couple of cool shows coming up in the next months.We are interviewing babysitters, and so far we have found a couple of good ones. Keegan sees to like them.

What a handsome pair

On other news, Tizi went back to work on Wednesday. it was not easy to go back to “normal” life, and to leave the little guy, but she was also happy to get back to a job she loves and to the people she missed. Everyone has been very supportive and made her feel missed and appreciated. This eased the transition. Now it is just a question of finding a new routine and the time to prep for class everyday.Usually Matt drop keegan off at daycare and Tizi pick him up aroud lunch time, when she gets off work. This is a great schedule, because he can still spend quite a lot of time with mom in the afternoon. With the beautiful days we had been having, this often includes nice walks on the bay or at the beach, or hanging out at the park.

fun in Balboa Park with mom and dad

not that we need a bib to tell us who is really the boss…

We are quickly approaching the end of Keegan’s 4th month, and we have been observing many changes in our little guy. While I can’t say he is now suddenly huge — he kept a steady growth rate: last week he was 10.15 lb — he has achieved a few milestones.

• He has been sleeping in his own crib, by himself for a couple of weeks now (we will upload pictures of the nursery/guest room soon). Mom and Dad were happy to regain control of their bedroom.

I love my crib!

• He has been sleeping in longer intervals at night time, with a record 6 hours on march 20. yes it is early in the evening, from 8/9 pm. but it is still an improvement. It allows us to have nice grown-up dinners together, maybe watch some TV, and express some milk to stockpile.

• He is now paying a lot of attention to the toys around him. He is grabbing them and often bringing them to his mouth. He has been playing musician with the little chimes we hung for him.

Pulling on and playing with the little chimes : a budding musician?

I can grab things and I like to taste them too

• He still wants to stand most of the times. He is putting some weight on his own legs. And he is still very curious, checking everything that is happening around him.

• He is very social. He likes new people and is not shy: he smiles often even to people he never met before. Are we sure Keegan is Matt’s and Tiziana’s baby? He was happy to hang outwith Matt’s friend Tony, when he came to visit a few weeks ago. Tony, the brave soul, actually spent the night at Matt’s ad Tiziana’s…and he claims he got some rest.

Keegan and Tony

• He spent a few hours with two different babysitters. Tizi and Matt finally enjoyed some time together, and a couple of date nights. He was quite good, and slept peacefully.

• And the biggest milestone: he started daycare this past week. We started with three days a week, only mornings, and next week we will move to everyday. He will go to two different places for the first couple of months (the place we liked only had a spot part-time till June), but we think it will give us the chance to check both places out and see which one he likes the best. So far he has been really good: he ate well, and he even took two naps daily, in his own crib: Tizi is very jealous: howdid they manage to do that? At home he will not be put down in his crib during the daytime. He seems also to take more afternoon naps when he comes back home.

So, while he seems to be adjusting well to daycare, it has been harder for Mom and Dad. Tizi, especially, misses the little guy quite a bit in the mornings. However, she will go back to work on April 9, and so it was best to start him a few days early, just in case. Fortunately, she will maintain her schedule: she will teach in the mornings and then be “free” in the afternoons. She will pick Keegan up around 1pm, so hopefully this will make it easier.

So all is well, beside a nasty cold we are all passing to each other. Now is Matt’s and Keegan’s turn. We will celebrate Keegan’s 4th month on Thursday, so stay tuned for some new pictures.

Tizi and Keegan in matching clothes. Guess who picks Keegan’s outfits?

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I know we are not Irish, but Matt’s has some Irish blood in him, Keegan is a celtic name, after all. No green beer this year, but Tizi and Keegan celebrated by taking a nice walk on the beach, with Matt’s and Tizi’s friend Jennifer and her daughter Hannah. Keegan was stylish with an original Irish onesie: a gift from the grandparents coming straight from Dublin. Keegan got weighted as well: 10.10lb…he is growing, slowly but surely.

It is hard to believe, especially by looking at the little guy, but Keegan is already 3 months old. He definitively wanted to make the most of it, so he decided to skip most of his naps and stay up and enjoy the day…mom enjoyed it a little less. He received best wishes from Grandma and Grandpa, who miss him dearly, and from “aunt” Lori, and old friend of mom. The weather was magnificent, warm and sunny, just like the day he was born, so Tizi and Keegan went out for a couple of walks.

By now, Keegan can pretty much support his head by himself, he laughs out loud and gives us big smiles. He like to propel himself on his back, by using his feet as a lever, and he likes to stand, supported, all the time. He is more and more entertained by everything going on around him, and he spends more time on his own, looking at objects and toys. He is mesmerized by mirrors and he is vocalizing more and with more complex sounds. He discovered his hands, and enjoys sticking 2 or more fingers in his mouth.

Uhmmm, tasty!

He also enjoys flying around, and dad is more than happy to oblige. Maybe he took after his mom, and will become an adrenaline junkie…Matt can already imagine Tizi and Keegan, jumping together from an airplane!

Volare, oh oh…

And we finally found a swing he likes: Tiziana’s friend Daniele lent us his swing that moves side to side besides back and forth; Keegan really liked it and he even falls asleep in it, occasionally. This was a huge relief, as he still not sleeping in any of his beds, unless is night time. So, thank you Daniele!

a rare sight: Keegan sleeping during the day

The dreaded moment has arrived: Grandma Margherita and Grandpa Armando had to leave to go back to their life in Italy. They left on Saturday, and are already missed dearly by all of us. We are so grateful for all their help, wisdom, love and care. Their parenting experience really helped enormously. We appreciated their patience and their willingness to share without imposing and to respect pour choices even if they were sometimes different from theirs. They also gave us the gift of time, a scarce comodity among new parents: they kept Keegan to give us a few hours to get things done (or simply nap), sometimes they stayed the night to allows us to get a few uninterrupted hours of sleep, and allowed us to go out on dates, and to celebrate New Year’s Eve, Tizi’s birthday and Valentine’s day, beside the weekly weekend dinners. Last, but not least, we were able to feast on delicious, homemade Italian food everyday. Matt was happy to finally take a little break from the kitchen, as Tiziana, despite being Italian, can’t cook…

nonna margherita

nonno Armando

Tizi especially had the chance to enjoy their company, and their moral (and not) support, which was essential, particularly during the first few weeks. Keegan also enjoyed their undivided attention: he will miss the sweet melody of 60’s italian music from Grandma that was lulling him to sleep and all the games Grandpa was creating just for him.

Thank you for leaving all behind to spend two wonderful months with us. All the great memories will keep us company during the future months until we meet again. We can’t wait to see you again and we miss you so much.

sunset in Pacific Beach

A Presto! Come back soon

Babies’ smiles are really their saving grace…How can you stay mad at them, despite their crying, and lack of sleep they cause when they are flashing their beautiful, toothless smiles? You simply can’t. And now Keegan has started laughing out loud, and smiling when he recognizes us. We were able to get a couple of those fleeting moments on camera…Keegan is a pretty happy baby, but he is also fascinated by the camera, and he stares at it intently every time, so it is very difficult to capture him smiling or laughing.

keegan laughing

Keegan smiling with Happy the Dwarf (a gift from Aunt Desi)

The two months check up went well: the doctor noticed he is holding his head up at 45 degrees or more, and he is almost turning over when on his stomach. He has grown tall, but has not gained too much weight. He is now 58.5 cm in length and 9.1lb. A tall, slim fellow. The doctor was not worried, but she said to keep it in check. So Tizi and her parents went to weight him again, at Sharp Hospital, (to get a starting point) and she will try to go back and weight him every couple of weeks. Amazingly, Keegan didn’t mind getting naked and being put on the scale.

our little guy

He also got his first round of vaccinations. He reacted well: in fact, not only he didn’t have any side effects, but he slept better, longer and more peacefully. Too bad the next round is not for another two months.

Keegan is already two months old! It is unbelievable how quickly time goes by, and it has been great to watch him grow and change. He has already lost some of his new born attitudes and behaviors. He has been smiling more and more, and he started some laughing as well.

with mom, dad, grandma and grandpa

with mom and dad…who is getting all the Ferrero Roches?

Aunt Sue, uncle Dan and cousins Rachel and Hannah, came visit him during the weekend. We were very happy to see them, and grateful they made such a long trip to meet little Keegan. They were staying in Pacific Beach, so we were able to take nice walks and enjoy a beautiful sunset.

Enjoying a beautiful sunset in PB with daddy

Uncle Jim and Aunt Dyah, and little cousins, Kirana and Jim Jr, and Grandma and Grandpa were at hand as well, of course to celebrate the two months mark. Everyone came over for some delicious lasagna, one of Matt’s specialties on Sunday, a gloomy, rainy, superbowl afternoon. It was a great time. The boys were also able to check out some of the game, and Aunt Sue, Aunt Dyah, cousin Rachel and cousin Hannah took turns holding and calming Keegan during his fussy time. Mom and Dad were grateful for the break!

with cousins Rachel and Hannah

Aunt Sue was great at rocking Keegan, stunning in his little hooded jacket

a nice group photo

Keegan also started his social life: he went to the movies with mom at one of the Mommies Movies event and he was very good: he slept the whole way through. He also slept through lunch at a busy PB restaurant. He finally went to visit Platt College, Tizi’s workplace, to meet all of her colleagues: everyone was happy to see him and…he also slept the whole time. We start seeing a trend: he sleeps when there is company or when people wants to meet him. His awake hours are reserved for the parents…especially in the middle of the night. Just Kidding. He has actually been pretty good lately, and has been sleeping a few consecutive hours block during the night. He is now on a 3/4 hours feeding schedule, with occasional 5 hours stretches.

We will have a doctor check up tomorrow, and the first round of vaccines. We will keep our fingers crossed.

As we get closer to the two months mark, we are uploading a couple of more pictures of the little guy. We finally got some nice picture of the grandparents, that have been so great with little Keegan (who adores them already). They have been so very helpful and we are deeply grateful to them for all they have done. They play with him, sing with him, dance with him to calm him down, and they are really doing a wonderful job, with endless patience, giving mom and dad a much needed break. Thanks to them, Tizi and Matt were able to go out on a real date, dinner and a movie to celebrate Tizi’s birthday: for one day, it was not all about the baby! And Tizi finally got a nice glass of wine, for the first time in 9 months…

Keegan is growing fast, and learning new things everyday: he is finally enjoying watching the mobile that Aunt Sue got him and following the little animals twirl around and he started rolling over, from his tummy to his back. He likes to do it when he is lying on someone’s chest: he pitches his feet, and throws himself on one side or another, landing on his back. He seems to be very amused by this, and so are we. He also likes to likes to practice his new skill during tummy time.

We are very excited about his progress. Now, if he only would sleep a little more…

Grandpa and Grandma at Tizi and Matt’s house

Grandpa and Grandma at the beach house

testing his lungs despite an adorable outfit (gift from Tizi’s sister in law, Martina)

Tizi’s birthday cake