Happy Leap Year!

Sitting up!

We're definitely getting excited for this upcoming leap year.  It feels like it has been years since our last one.  It's also called a bissextile year (according to wikapedia...and you KNOW they're legitimate).

Well, "hi", folks!  How have things been?  They've been pretty swell here.  I missed my update last week, but I'll eat my hat if that ever happens again (my hat happens to be made of chocolate cheesecake...so it'll probably happen again).  Katie had Daniel weighed recently and he came in at a whopping 19lbs 5oz.  He's a pretty big dude.  We'll know what percentile of overgrown babies he is in at his 6 month appointment this Thursday.  We did an unofficial measurement and he was 2ft 3 1/2 inches.  Hot dog!  He's a growing boy!  He's been quite healthy except for the occasional stuffy noise whininess.

I'm not looking at the camera...oh well.

I cannot believe it's already almost been six months since Daniel was born.  That's half a year, folks!  I have a feeling the next six months will fly by too (based on what I'm told by my experienced counterparts).  We're nearing the end of our school year, which means we got some spring breaks coming up and a nice big summer with lots of plans.  Also, we're looking at houses, so we're hoping to some summer celebrating in an actual house.  In any case, our schedules have been calming down a bunch in the last few weeks which means more time home as a family.  It really is nice to be able to actually...ya know..spend time together.  I guess this is why we really want to take advantage of some of the larger breaks we have.  We are quite content and thankful for what we have though.

Cute.

Daniel's sitting up now and gets closer every day to doing a crawl/spider walk of sorts.  I think he looks like he's in a yoga pose.  Now...let me say that I have NO idea how to do a single yoga move.  I think one is called "Hot Doggin" or something.  Anyways...I'm predicting he'll be crawling by Friday.  Lofty goal, but we got some trainers coming in to work with him the next few days....so we'll see..

Staring contest.

Next week's the big six months and we'll be in MARCH.  I cannot believe we're that far along in the year.  What a tame winter we've had..I will NOT complain though.  Although, we do need to teach Daniel how to build an igloo...you know..for survival.  Such is life I guess..  

Nutritional.

We're Back!

We're back!

Well..it's been far too long, folks.  I would apologize for my absence, but I trust that you understood my circumstances.  However, with our new iPhones, I've found a faster, sleeker way of managing these blog posts so that I can do so more efficiently.  Also, Katie and I have set aside time each week to make sure this gets done.  What if one of us becomes famous!?  We'll want to make sure we had a blog keeping tabs on our parenting.  

Well, so much has happened in the past few weeks, I will have to touch on the "biggies' and most recent activities.  You'll notice some great pictures below of my buddy, Brad and his daughter, Amelia.  If you click here, you can see a picture of when Daniel was 1 month and Amelia was about 5 months.  Now, Daniel is 5 months and Amelia's about 9.  Goodness gracious.  

Amelia would prefer she be held to my son.

I'd say Daniel was checking out a lady, but I'm pretty sure he's looking at the balls in her hand.

Today we celebrated Kate's birthday with some bowling.  Not much of my own pictures, but it made for an eventful day.  Daniel took a nap through the loud atmosphere.  I was quite proud of him.  He's been sleeping better and better each night.  We actually got to 6am this morning (that's as opposed to 4am most other mornings).  

Some big milestones I should have noted:

1.  Daniel's 5-months old as of February 2nd.  He's HUGE!

2.  He has 1 1/2 teeth.  One is pretty much through, the other (we just noticed today) has a tip just poking through.

3.  He's almost sitting up.  He's so very close.

4.  He rolls back to front to back to front, etc like it's his job.  (We do not pay him though.  Child labor laws).  

Daniel's great though.  It's a constant state of learning, but we're thrilled with how well he's been doing for us.  Kate's been busy being back at work and I'm getting through a couple of my busiest weeks of the year.  We finally got some snow, but didn't take Daniel out into it for fear of...the cold I guess.  It gets pretty cold at times.

Well, hopefully this'll be a weekly thing now.  We're looking at Sunday evenings.  Thanks for being patient!  If anything, this'll be informative to our hardcore readers!  Enjoy the pics!

Good pic.

Playing.

Big Boy Daniel

Just a quick update to say Daniel is doing WELL!  No issues.  How's that for an update on two weeks?

Loves his Honey

Katie and I are back to school (proving to our dads that we are in fact no fools).  The best news of late is that Daniel has decided to sleep through the night so that mommy and daddy can not be Grouchy McGrouchersons in the mornings, days...and nights.  Also, after visiting with our pediatrician, we were given the go ahead on feeding Daniel big people food...if he was ready.  The Big Mac did not go down too well, but his crushed banana in a fishing net-of-sorts did.  Most of it ends up on his face and bib, but we just leave it there in case he gets hungry later.  (I want to follow this by saying that we do not, I repeat do NOT leave banana on our son's face following his feeding.  The preceding line was a joke and we are in fact good parents). 

Handsome Dude

Daniel's getting so big too.  On his 4 month checkup he was 26. 5 inches long (93rd percentile) and 16.5 lbs heavy (80th percentile).  He's growing out of so many clothes.  He's starting to look nerdy in his high-waters.  I'm thinking about buying him a pocket protector...We've seen some family of late, but not often enough because life happens.  I with my basketball band and Katie with her school obligations.  Sometimes sleep is the greatest priority, albeit happens little.  I want to clarify that my basketball band is a pep band that plays at basketball games.  Not a ball dribbling polka group that competes in area tournaments.  Minor clarification.  Although if anyone wants to start a brass quintet to enter in a local 5v5 tournament, I'd be happy to consider. 

 
We were able to see our good friends the Norths from sunny Mid-Cal.  I felt bad for them, son, they usually got 99 problems, but the cold ain't one...or maybe it is.  It was a blast seeing them.  You can check out some nice pictures on THEIR blog.  Isaiah attempted to gouge Daniel's eyes out, but Daniel tried to eat his hand...his own hand I mean.  Anyways, it was a humorous duel, put on by us fathers.

I'm thinking we got some COOOLD months ahead, so stay warm, and remember...stay..warm I guess.

Starting to get his butt in the air...you'll get there buddy.

Happy 4 Months!

Happy 4 months, Daniel!  We're so proud of all you have accomplished! Tomorrow is your appointment and we'll find out how big you've gotten, but til' then, party on!

Here's some rolling over...

Merry Christmas!

Ho ho ho!!!  Meeerrrry Christmas!  What a great weekend!  Presents certainly aren't everything to me by any means, but I was certainly blessed this weekend by my family.  To start off, I enjoyed one of my favorite Christmas Eve services since I can remember.  A quote from Scott our pastor, "I know many of you wanted to come here and hear about little baby Jesus and how we was born and it WAS great, but he grew up!  And this is how he showed love..."  So awesome.  Love who I am.

Katie and I had a wonderful Christmas Eve routine that includes a service, looking at Christmas lights and champagne.  Service was wonderful.  Daniel cried after the service most of the ride home so we nixed the Christmas lights.  The champagne was on sale at Wal-Mart and was pretty awful.  BUT, I came home to an HD Television from my wife.  She had given my parents the keys and they set up everything while we were out.  I had NO idea.  Very cool.  It's just one of her many gifts.  A couple before and after shots below.

Clever thief

Santa in his younger years

Christmas day was wonderful.  We woke up (or I should say, were woken up) at about 5am and decided to exchange gifts and hang out with Daniel.  Daniel got a Johnny Jump Up and just LOVES it.  He jumps around more than House of Pain.  I should be honest, he probably spins more than he jumps right now, but as my father always says, "spininess is next to jumpiness".

Happy dude

Following our small family Christmas, we went over to MY parents and celebrated with my mother and father, Eric and Noelle, and Jason and Tina. What a nice time.  I do love ALL of my family.  Beyond gifts even, I just love having such a great support system on all sides while we go through this transition in our life. 

Daniel is growing like crazy.  He's so heavy and it's starting to take a toll on my back and legs.  I need to do some calisthenics or something.  We got big plans this week of random acts and planned resting.  I wish you all the best.  Daniel has been steadily improving night to night with not having his Swaddle Me and we're so thankful..rest is good.

Family picture in front of our tree

Little elf

I Should Be Replaced

There's been many calling for my replacement as blog updater.  To those people, you are required by Blogger bylaws to issue a recall vote.  Until then...you're stuck with me.  I also apologize for the lack of updates lately.  I blame one of my two room mates.  I actually typed the below last week, but have not been able to finish it until today.  Please forgive me.

Last Sunday we celebrated our first of many Christmases together as a family, both for this year (we have 5 total) and those to come.  We began with Katie's immediate family and ended the day with the Tomes side of the family (Katie's mother's side).  It was a wonderful time and I received some very, very nice gifts personally.  Also, more toys/books for Daniel = more toys/books for Daddy.  As much as I love my son, it was always nice to rest my arms/brain and allow the other members of our family to enjoy Daniel's company through holding.  What a wonderful time though.  Certainly enjoyed it and best of all...NO TOWED CARS (story for another day).   I enjoy all my Christmases (is that a soap opera?), so we're continuing to look forward to some more good clean fun this weekend....that means no holding, no low punches, no biting, gouging or rabbit punches...anyways.

If I could work in reverse chronological order, last Saturday was an interesting day in the Konrad household.  Katie has been involved in a wedding with one of her great friends, Amanda and has needed to be gone for various events.  Which means...that's right, Daddy's in charge.  I've had a few nights where I've been responsible for putting him down (to bed I mean), but yesterday presented the first entire day without Kate (on a side note, I constantly jump between Katie and Kate to refer to my wonderful wife, Katherine and either or works, so it just depends on how I'm feeling at the very moment..thank you, this has been a Zac Konrad Side Track).  I always knew that being alone all day with a child had as many, if not more challenges than being out all day doing a job or something else, but man oh man, yesterday was a BEAST.  I have great respect for Katie for all the days she did and others that do the same.  I do not know how many single parents do this, because I would have been lost without my honey bunny (Katie...or Kate...whatever floats your boat).

Alright, I'm going out of order.  We went caroling last night and were very blessed to have my mother watch Daniel.  You see, he ROLLED OVER last weekend and since then, we've had to stop swaddling him with his Swaddle Me..kind of a difficult transition.  Thanks to some motherly advice and dedication on our parts, he's been improving night to night.  He's grown up up so much.  Can you believe he's 17 lbs when last weighed him!  Porky.

Katie and I are both on break now and looking forward to this weekend with both our family and MY family.  Although Daniel was with us last year in utero, I'm sure he'll enjoy it more this time around.

Last note, Daniel laughed for the first time with us.  I have not seen it yet, but Katie claims it is true.  I give credit to the rubber ducky.

3 Months Down

Holy smokes!  Our little guys is a whopping three months old!  He's officially out of his fourth trimester.  He no longer thinks he's still inside a belly.  He's been growing up quickly.  I'm estimating his weight at 34 lbs or so.  Again, I'm a terrible estimater, but I have spunk and that's all that matters.

Great picture

We had a nice weekend of just chillin' and relaxin' and actin' all cool.  We had our first snow, so the decision to stay in was an easy one.  We did venture out once or twice, but only to visit my father, worship it up at church, and I decided to go shopping...grocery shopping that is.  We were also able to visit with our friends, Patrick and Sarah Hammers on Saturday.  They braved the snow to come visit lil' ol' us.  I should've taken pictures...dang..but having visitors was certainly nice. 

Daniel has been making great strides. We're still figuring out some of his routines.  He had been sleeping at night like a rockstar and all of the sudden this past week he decided to..well...sleep like a very rude, loud walrus.  I don't know how rude walruses usually are, but this was an exceptionally rude walrus...anyways, he went from sleeping 8-9 hours a night to remaining awake 8-9 hours a night.  The weekend was a different story, but it took a toll on our work days.  Maybe he's hatching some sort of plan...maybe he's just rude. 

I've been reading online baby things again and apparently he recognizes my face now.  I should probably grow my beard out so that he gets used to that too.  What if I wanna join a ZZ Top cover band...gotta be ready.  I guess I could always be the drummer...I'm trying to use more vocabulary too.  Lately it's been a lot of "meeee meee mee mee mee" in a very high voice.  It makes him smile.  He's smiling like a champ though.  We think he's pretty close to laughing.  I think he's got the "hah" part down, but not the "hah hah".  I'm going through my joke library to see if I can get him going. 

We're nearing our first Christmas together and boy are we excited.  Stay tune for more (hopefully more frequent) updates. 

Shrunken socks

Snuggling

He's playing at a 4 month level.