Friday, December 28, 2007

Happy Anniversary Oma and Opa!

Big loves to my Oma and Opa, who are celebrating their wedding anniversary tonight! If it weren't for them, I wouldn't be here right now. Literally. I mean, if they never met, they wouldn't have had my dad, and if my dad never existed, where would I be? Nowhere, man! I had a great time with them at Christmas this year, and I hope that I can visit them in Ottawa very soon!
Got your nose!

Got your beer!
(don't worry, the bottle is empty!)

I love you guys!


AOV

Mali and Meli--Together Again!

Yay! Today I had a visit from my teta Meli and cika Mladen. For those of you who don't know about Meli--which is unlikely since she posts a comment on every single one of my blogs--she is a very special friend of the family. You may remember that she threw a baby shower at her house back on June 17th. I hadn't seen her since the summer, and she was really surprised to see how big I've grown. In fact, I think I may have weighed half as much as I do now!

So they had a nice coffee with mommy and daddy, I got some really cool silverware for when I'm older, and barfed on cika Mladen. Good times! Thanks for stopping by guys!


AOV


(A handy reminder of Croatian terms: Mali = little-a nickname for me! Teta and Cika = auntie and uncle, but a more honorary form)

Monday, December 24, 2007

Sleep in Heavenly Peace

Why would you be reading my blog right now? You should be in bed waiting for Santa to come! Look at me: fast asleep!

AOV

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Please Don't Sell me to the Gypsies, Mommy

I HAVE to post this photo of me today since I gave mommy such a hard time today. Personally, I don't know what the fuss is. 2am is a perfectly reasonable time to wake up! Oh well...
AOV

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Mommy's Day Out




Today Blake and I decided to go out for a fancy lunch. Unfortunately we're waaay too little to drive so we had to bring our mommies with us. As an added bonus, we also had auntie Laura along to make sure they didn't get out of hand. Well, the food was mediocre, the service was terrible, but oh man was it great to get out of the house and hang out with some old friends.


AOV

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Happy Hannukah!

Or is it Channukah?

Whatever it is, it's that magical time of year when we celebrate the miracle of the oil lamp. And so my parents dress me up yet again for another super-cute photo op.

OK, before we get a bunch of comments and wagging fingers, we do realize that we lit the candles in the wrong order. But hey, what do you expect from parents who have a wide variety of religious heritages: Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Jedi, just to name a few.

Bottom line: this year is my first EVERYTHING, so I promise next year I'll be a pro. Hey, maybe then I can have some of those chocolate coins and latkes!


AOV

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

My Mommy

My apologies to all the other babies out there, but I'm afraid I must inform you that my mommy is the BEST!

From the beginning when she refused to leave my side in the NICU to now when she gets up at crazy hours because I'm hungry or bored, she has always been there for me. I will grow up to be a strong, caring, and somewhat stubborn boy because of her. And for that I thank her.

I wish there was a way I could give her something to show how much I love her. I don't have an allowance yet, so I can't buy her anything. I'm too little and lack the manual dexterity to make her something with dad's tools. And I'm a good boy, so stealing something is out of the question.

So I will give you one of my special Andrej smiles. This is how I say "I love you mommy." So if any one asks you why I'm smiling so much today, it's because it's the best gift I can give you today.

And we all know there's no way I'm going to give you a good night's sleep!


AOV

Monday, December 3, 2007

Hey Brad!

Hey, it's uncle Brad from Toronto! Brad and my mommy go way back -over 10 years! So I guess you could say he's a special guy. The first time I met him was in the hospital not long after we lost Oliver. The last time we met was way back when I first came home (top photo). Both times I was a not really in the mood for socializing, so I never really got to know him. So last weekend we hung out a LOT to make up for lost time. I think he's a pretty funny guy.

Or funny looking, any way.


AOV

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Gimme Food!

This whole solid food thing isn't so hard. I just wait for mommy to put the food on the spoon and then she puts it into my mouth. Voila!

But after a while I got the hang of the process, so I decided to take matters into my own hands.

Literally.

Pretty soon I won't even have to bug my parents for food. I'll just jump out of my crib, head over to the fridge and fix me up some good eats.

In the mean time, gimme that spoon, woman!


AOV

Friday, November 23, 2007

I'm a Tough Guy!

Yeah, that's right, I'm a tough guy. And any one who says I'm not a fighter has to answer to this guy over here: Six-time Ultimate Fighting Champion and Mixed Martial Arts legend Randy "The Natural" Couture.

Big thanks to uncle Bradio in Toronto for hooking us up. My street cred has gone waaaay up now. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go back to the cage and train some more. And by 'cage' I mean playpen. And by 'train' I mean poop my pants.


AOV

Saturday, November 17, 2007

¡Muy Caliente!

Due to popular demand, I am posting a pic of me in my Halloween costume. Spicy! The one thing I couldn't get used to was these crazy mitts that were built in. It's frustrating not knowing where your hands are at all times!


AOV

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Reading is FUN!

Daddy and I had a great time reading books today. I can totally relate to this story: there's this cat and he's wearing a hat and he makes a huge mess in the house. That is so much like me, except that I'm not a cat and I'm not wearing a hat.


AOV

Friday, November 9, 2007

Sparkling Clean Baby


Oh very funny mom & dad. I know I'm bald but do you have to emphasize the fact with this ridiculous bubble head? This morning I needed a bath in a major way after a real diaper-ripping poop, but we decided to switch things up a bit. Instead of my little blue tub I got have a bath in the big boy tub with mommy! But big tub or small, one thing remains the same: I love the bath.


AOV

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Happy Halloween!

So let me get this straight. They're just giving away candy? Well that's all fine and good, but I'm just a baby and I'm not allowed to eat candy yet. So what interest could I possible have in Halloween? Why should I dress up in a funny costume and be paraded around Montreal for all to see? Because I am a baby and everyone must love me!

So mommy and daddy dressed me up like a chili pepper and took me out to visit some people they know. To be honest, I slept through most of it, but judging from these pictures, it looks like we had a good time.




I can't wait for next Halloween. Maybe I'll dress up as some sort of winter squash or perhaps an aubergine...


AOV

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Me 'n' Aunt Be

Yay! Aunt Becky (or Aunt Be as I like to call her) came to visit me for a few days. And to a lesser extent, to visit my parents. We hung out a lot and she taught me to dance. Well it's more of a frantic flailing around in my baby seat, but hey--rhythm is rhythm.

I can't wait to see her again. Come back soon!


AOV

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Mom, Meet Back Pain

Woah, I'm a big kid! I went to the doctor today and I'm now at 5730 grams! That is a full 5 kilos over my birth weight! And I'm now 2 feet tall. If I was standing up, that is. Only I can't on the account that I'm still a baby.

Unfortunately, all this weight gain is wreaking havoc on poor mommy's back, and she's already having to limit the time she carries me around. Luckily we can still dance in the living room for a good half an hour before she starts to get tired, which is good since that's the upper limit of my attention span any way. Look forward to next week when I hit the 13 pound mark!


AOV

Saturday, October 20, 2007

111 Days of Freedom

It's hard to believe, but as of today I have been at home longer than I was in the hospital. Being at home is awesome, and although I miss the ladies at the NICU, I don't ever want to stay there again! So people ask me, "Andrej, what have you learned in your first 111 days at home?"

Here's my top ten list:

10. 4am is a perfectly reasonable time to start the day.
9. Being cute is extremely lucrative. I get free stuff all the time!
8. I can almost fit my whole fist in my mouth.
7. That mobile is AWESOME!
6. I can get away with anything as long as I smile at my parents.
5. When I want to eat, you better have the food ready...or else!
4. I have great family and friends.
3. The ladies LOVE me.
2. My wardrobe is twice the size of an adult's.
1. I OWN MY PARENTS.


AOV

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Hail, Hail, The Gang's All Here

Today was the biggest NICU reunion so far! Mommy and I went to Yasmine's house. She was one of the Corner Kids along with me and Blake.That's me on the left, followed by Blake, Yasmine, Ulysse and Etienne. We had a great time reminiscing about our times in the NICU and talking about baby stuff, like bottles, diapers and the latest developments in Baby Einstein gear.
Later, we decided that our moms needed to get out and get some fresh air, so we all piled into our strollers and went for a long, er, stroll along the river. Mommy was especially well behaved so she was allowed to have a coffee later.Yeah, me and Blake clowning around as usual.


AOV

Friday, October 12, 2007

Monday, October 8, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving!

So this was MY Thanksgiving dinner. No, it's not pureed turkey and stuffing and mashed potatoes and gravy, it's the good ol' boob-juice. As always. But my naughty daddy cheated and gave me my first taste of big-boy food! I tried some cranberry sauce and squash, which I loved! It was just a little taste, not a full meal, because that might be a little too much for me. They're looking to give me a full meal at Christmas, so it's good that I get a little practice in before then!

We had a lot of company for dinner tonight: Opa and Oma, Baka and Henryk, teta Zdenka and cika Vule, Uncle Zlatko and Anik (don't call her his girlfriend just yet!), and daddy's friend Hugh. I can't believe there's someone taller than my daddy, but this guy is huge! They had a great big dinner and lots of fun. Mommy and daddy have a lot to be thankful for, especially these people that shared their table tonight. And for every person at that table there is at least three more that have our thanks as well. So in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I'd like to give thanks to everyone out there who has cared for my family in some way, shape or form.

HVALA!


AOV

Sunday, October 7, 2007

Ready for Fall

It's getting colder, and that means a lot more preparation involved in getting me out the door. Looking at this picture, it's hard to imagine those lazy summer days when I wore nothing much more than a diaper and a smile outside. But that's OK since it gives mommy a chance to go shopping for more outfits for me. It's a regular fashion show here every day! I think by the time I was wrangled into this ensemble mommy and daddy had forgotten where they were going with me. Oh well. I still got a nice walk out of the deal.


AOV

Saturday, October 6, 2007

Shhh! The Boys are Sleeping!

Don't wake daddy!

Or me.

Especially ME!


AOV

Thursday, October 4, 2007

I Have a Crazy Mommy

Crazy about ME, that is!


AOV

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

My Overnight Girlfriend

Hey look everyone! It's my old friend Jocelyn from the NICU. Auntie J used to look after me during the overnight shifts, and let me tell you, we had a party almost every night! I say almost since some nights I was being a brat. Especially the night she saved my life. That was pretty cool. Jocelyn has a very special record with me in that every shift she worked she looked after me. No other nurse can make that claim! She was also the first person to give me a bath. She is also very special to my mom and dad, particularly at the beginning when they were staying all night with me--she encouraged them and gave me extra love and care. What an inspiration you are, auntie J!

I owe you at least a Tim Horton's 3am coffee!


AOV
(here's a picture of our last night together. I still love to gaze up at her!)

Sunday, September 30, 2007

How Do You Like THESE Apples?

I had a really great time with my parents today. They took me for the longest car ride I've ever had to a big farm with lots of trees. But not just any trees. These were apple trees!

We had a quick ride on a tractor into the orchard where I finally saw a real apple. I have a picture of an apple on one of my Baby Einstein blocks, but here I got to touch and smell one for the first time in its' natural environment. Well, as you can see from this picture I wasn't too impressed--I was a little preoccupied with trying to shove my entire fist in my mouth. It was for science, trust me.

At least it made for a great photo op with mom!

On to the apple picking! We got a big bag to put our apples in, and since I decided to have a little boob-snack in the middle of the orchard, the job of picking fell to dad. Someone forgot to tell him that we were there to spend as much time in the outdoors as possible, because he filled that bag in about 2 minutes. I guess it's all that picking experience he got from growing up on Opa's farm. I'm glad they didn't charge us by the weight because dad ate so many apples they would have to weigh him on the way out! (I thought I was being witty with that line, until daddy told me that it's the oldest pick-your-own joke in the book. One of those "If I had a dollar for every time..." sort of things. Hey, I'm just a baby! Everything's new to me!)

Of course, being a little guy with no teeth i wasn't able to enjoy the fruits of our labour, but I'm only about 3 months away from my first taste of apple sauce, so at least I have that to look forward to. Nice haul, dad!

So after the picking we opted to walk back to the car instead of waiting for the tractor, which in hindsight may not have been the best idea since mommy and daddy forgot where they parked. After walking up and down the street a couple of times, they remembered where they left the car. We picked up a pie and some nice paté and some apple juice and had a little picnic.

Like I said, a great day!
AOV


Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Hey here's some quick updates...

You'll be happy to know that I hit THREE major weight landmarks recently. The first was when I hit 10 pounds, 4 ounces, which is significant because that's how much my daddy weighed when he was born. What a big daddy! That's a bit of a weird landmark to celebrate, but hey, we're starved for news, I guess.
But today I hit a big one, though. Two at the same time, actually. Today I weighed in at a mighty 5 kilos!!! And since we've been noting the pounds as well, that just happens to be a little over 11 pounds!!!
I've been growing quite a bit, and we're finding that I am starting to outgrow some of my 3-6 month old clothes, even though my corrected age is only 3 months! Crazy! So now when mommy and daddy are shopping for me they need to aim a little higher, like in the 6-9 or 9-12 month range. I am so high-maintenance already!


AOV

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

In Repose...


Don't know what I'm thinking about here but it's probably important.

Maybe food.


AOV

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Family Outing

What better way to spend the last days of good weather than a walk with your parents!

It all started when daddy decided that he needed a beer. But not just any old beer--he wanted a freshly poured draft beer. And what better way to get a fresh beer than to go directly to the brewery? So we all piled into the car and headed down to the Lachine canal for a little walk to the McAuslan brewery. Yay! My first visit to a brewery! It won't be the last.


Here I am NOT having a beer on the banks of the Lachine canal.


AOV

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Be With You In A Moment...

Can't... concentrate... on... blog. Must... watch... mobile.

Can... only... type... in... fragmented... sentences...


AOV

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Mr. Happy

Hey Everyone, look how happy I am!

Recently I figured out how to show everyone just how happy I am by laughing my little head off. I thought that it was about time, seeing as though I've already mastered how to show that I'm angry! As you know, I've been smiling for quite a while (see my happy baby video at the bottom!) but I was surprised as mommy and daddy when I made a noise while laughing. My little baby giggles are yet another weapon in my arsenal of cuteness. You cannot resist me now!


AOV

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Hey Man, Where Ya Been?

Well, it's been a while since I last logged in, but believe me there was plenty of stuff going on.

First of all, my Baka came back from her trip to Croatia, and she barely recognized me! I had grown so much in the 3 weeks she was gone. Of course, being the proud baka that she is, she brought home a gigantic bag full of stuff for me, including clothes, toys and a small library of story books in Croatian (Hvala teta Juliji koja je izabrala knjige mom tati da nauci Hrvatski). Haha, mom and dad only got 1 shirt each! In the picture to right I am wearing my new soccer scarf, ready to cheer on like a true Torcida! Also, check out my first pair of Adidas, courtesy of Uncle Zlatko. Did you know that Adidas stands for "All Day I Dream About Soccer?"

A couple of days later I had a lovely visit from teta Katica and teta Ljubica, two of the ladies in my Balkan Posse. They've been following my progress closely and were delighted to see how much of hulk I've become! Apparently Katica's granddaughter Sofia is yet another girlfriend of mine. How many is that now? Man, I've lost count. They brought me some nice new clothes, including a really cute sleeper that will come in handy around Christmas time. Usually when people bring me clothes, it's stuff that I will end up wearing weeks or months from the time I get them. It's a good idea, actually, because that way it's guaranteed to fit me me eventually. That said, there's a certain symbolic timing to teta Katica and teta Ljubica's visit, as they were there at my baby shower back in June, and it's just now that I am getting to wear a lot of the clothes I got then.

Fast forward a few days and there was a little crisis we had to deal with. Mommy noticed that I wasn't gaining much weight, and my poop was really dark and smelly. At first we thought that it might be some intestinal bleeding caused by a food allergy I had developed, which may have included an allergic reaction to milk protein. This has been known to happen to some kids like me. Just to be safe, I was brought to the hospital for some tests, where it was revealed that everything is ok, and that the yucky poop is caused by my iron supplements and my minimal weight gain is normal. It is typical for all babies to have plateau periods in their weight gain.

And then to cap off the week we had a visit from my great uncle Pete and aunt France from British Columbia. They set the record for having traveled the furthest to see me. Well ok, they had other stuff to do here, but still, BC is pretty far! I got a cool new blanket from them that matches my room perfectly. I can't wait until I'm old enough to ski, because they live in Whistler and I am for sure going to be visiting them!

So all in all a busy week. Hope to see you sooner next time!


AOV