I joined a moms' group in Gainesville and met a few nice ladies with small kids (Nikolas is still the youngest--the next youngest one is 6 months old).
Yesterday a few of us met at Jyoti's place for early dinner. Babies had a large floor space to crawl/play/look around on. All but Nikolas could already sit up and move around, but that didn't intimidate him. I wish I had brought the camera with me to show him twisting his neck to look at the 6- and 7- month old girls. He was happy just lying there, looking around, kicking the toys that he could reach and, of course, showing off his strong voice. I tried to stay out of his sight to let him play by himself as long as possible, and I was amazed that this lasted for over 2 hours! At the end he saw me and immediately began calling to be picked up, mostly because he hadn't slept and he got cranky. This was the longest time that he stayed awake playing without calling for attention.
This social event took so much energy out of him that he fell asleep in the car seat on the way home and stayed asleep in it for another 2 hours, then ate quickly, and went back to sleep!
I have to add, mommy had a great time chatting with the new friends!
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Drooling machine
It's been 2-3 weeks already that Nikolas has turned into a drooling machine! His teeth must be coming out soon. His gums are showing their outline.
First cold.... and sitting up!
Last week a couple of new things happened.
He pulled himself up to a sitting position as I held his hands. He mastered the move at the first try.
This kid will do anything to avoid lying on his back! He has the happiest grin when we hold him where so that he is lightly standing or bouncing on his feet, it's so funny!
The second thing was a sore throat. It lasted for a couple of days during which Nikolas wasn't able to talk very much. I don't think that the pain bothered him very much--but he was obviously frustrated that the sounds weren't coming out of his mouth properly. He tried to yell or at least say gooo, and you could see panic in his eyes when these sounds got muted or raspy.
Yesterday he seemed to be over the cold, and he kept making sure all day long that his voice was back.
He pulled himself up to a sitting position as I held his hands. He mastered the move at the first try.
This kid will do anything to avoid lying on his back! He has the happiest grin when we hold him where so that he is lightly standing or bouncing on his feet, it's so funny!
The second thing was a sore throat. It lasted for a couple of days during which Nikolas wasn't able to talk very much. I don't think that the pain bothered him very much--but he was obviously frustrated that the sounds weren't coming out of his mouth properly. He tried to yell or at least say gooo, and you could see panic in his eyes when these sounds got muted or raspy.
Yesterday he seemed to be over the cold, and he kept making sure all day long that his voice was back.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Foot in a mouth
Putting the foot in a mouth has never been so cute! It takes twice as long to change Nikolas' diaper now that he loves to lift his legs up in the air and try to catch his feet and put them in his mouth.
And if he is not trying to catch his feet, he still likes to turn on his side and play with the baby phone that we attached to the changing table. His hand coordination has gotten much better. He loves grabbing and playing with toys, anything that he can eventually fit in his mouth. Those musical toys that respond to touch are finally serving their purpose, at least the purpose of practicing hand coordination: we already know that Nikolas is a future soccer star as he mastered foot control over his 'singing sun' that hangs over his playmat during the second month! 
Rolling over
I left Nikolas on the playmat on his back to play and talk with his toys, and when I checked up on him after a few minutes he was on his belly! I turned him over and moved out of his sight and the next minute he was on his belly again! What he is saying on this photo is, 'OK, I rolled over, but where is my right hand now??' 
Yogi
Nikolas has suddenly discovered his hands and feet a couple of weeks ago, and they have become a source of endless entertainment for him. Here he is, keeping me company in the kitchen while I cook.
First 3 1/2 months (lots of pics!)
Nikolas Martin Moore was born at 11:54pm on Friday, February 23rd 2007 at the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford. He weighed 8lbs. Mommy was in labor for a total of 21 hours although she doesn't really count the first 8, from 3am when the contractions began, until 11am, when she and daddy headed for the hospital.
I will skip the details of delivery here and present our final product below! I do have to say that we are tremendously impressed with and grateful to the Stanford Hospital nurses who have made the process so much easier for both Robb and me--they were wonderfully supportive, caring and efficient. I would not trade this delivery room for any other.
Here are some of the first photos taken after Nikolas was born. Grandma and grandpa Trklja made it to the hospital from L.A. just after the cord was cut and they witnessed the bathing and weighing of the baby. Steve, Laurie and the kids were also among the first to see Nikolas!
So, that same day daddy decided it's time to teach him how to do manly work around the house... 
But Nikolas protested and demanded his rights as a month-and-something old.
'Now instead, why don't you take me for a ride?'
We discovered that we could still go for daily walks, but only either very early in the morning (before 8am) or after 7pm. I usually carry him in the Mei Tai wrap and he enjoys it a lot. He likes the hotsling too, although it's already getting a bit tight for him!
I will skip the details of delivery here and present our final product below! I do have to say that we are tremendously impressed with and grateful to the Stanford Hospital nurses who have made the process so much easier for both Robb and me--they were wonderfully supportive, caring and efficient. I would not trade this delivery room for any other.
Here are some of the first photos taken after Nikolas was born. Grandma and grandpa Trklja made it to the hospital from L.A. just after the cord was cut and they witnessed the bathing and weighing of the baby. Steve, Laurie and the kids were also among the first to see Nikolas!
Baka stayed with us for the first 3 weeks to help us out. We don't know how we would have done without her!!!! Even though nursing was tough during this initial time and I had to be up every 2-3 hours around the clock to feed Nikolas, I still got enough sleep, great food and clean laundry for the baby thanks to my mom. My dad drove up on weekends with even more food and an extra pair of hands to help us out! Such a little baby and so much attention!
Some of our favorite pictures from the first 3 weeks:
He learned quickly how to smile and make faces at people (See the stuck-out tongue above! We didn't teach him that, he knew by himself that he had us wrapped around his little finger and could do whatever he wanted--for now, at least!).
But look at that smile in the next picture.... it made me melt.
April 4th: Nikolas is able to lift his head and hold it for a few moments!
So, that same day daddy decided it's time to teach him how to do manly work around the house... But Nikolas protested and demanded his rights as a month-and-something old.
'Now instead, why don't you take me for a ride?'
April 12th: Grandma and grandpa Moore are here for a couple of weeks!
Nikolas has discovered that he loves going to restaurants. They are a wonderful place to sleep :) All that murmur inside and then going for a stroll after a meal....
But then again, sleeping on grandpa's shoulder isn't bad either!
April 22nd: Huntington Library Gardens
We met a few of baka Biljana's friends at the Huntington Library for a stroll through its beautiful gardens and for lunch at the Tea House.
April 26th: We are visiting Nikolas' great-grandparents Petrovic in Banning!
Nikolas had an incredible story to tell to his great-grandfather (deko) Dusko!
Back in Encino, grandma and grandpa Trklja wanted to squeeze in another photo shot before Nikolas and I head back to the Bay Area for final preparations before the move to Florida.
Daddy stayed in the Bay Area to deal with the movers and to subsequently fly to Florida and start his new job (and prepare the new house a bit for us), and Nikolas and I came back to L.A. to spend the next 3 weeks at my parents' place.
We are spending most of the time with cousin Mina and her kids, usually just Kristian and Ema while Mia is at school. Here are the boys at Malibu beach.
When Nikolas got cranky during our walk after the beach, I borrowed Mina's hotsling and he fell asleep immediately! I need to get one of these as soon as possible.
The boy loves the baths. He wasn't all that thrilled with water in the beginning, but now he giggles as loudly as possible. He usually doesn't take his eyes off the mirror in the meantime, whether he is looking at us or himself. Here he is wrapped up in a towel after a bath, talking and acting very cute.
My mom will disagree but I don't think that the bedtime baths really affect his sleep schedule. His feeding and sleeping schedule is now pretty fixed like this:
-Wake up around 5-6am
-Make all sorts of sounds that he knows how to make (best part of the day!)
-Eat
-Take a nap around 9am
-Eat at 10am
-Now, depending on what we are doing and how much time we are spending outside, he generally eats every 3hrs unless he falls asleep in the car/restaurant/wherever the noise calms him down.
-In the evening he eats anywhere between 7-10pm, and then it's a toss-up whether that should be his last meal before a night's sleep or whether I should entertain him until after his next meal. Either way, this is the most difficult time for him to fall asleep and we need to hold him and put him down very carefully when he eventually closes his eyes. The best way is to feed him in bed so that he falls asleep by himself at the end of the feeding.
-Feeding around 1-2am: this is really a snack, he barely eats and never even opens his eyes.
-Repeat
May 13th, 2007
Another visit to Banning. Great-aunt and uncle Lukich came to see us too.
May 20th, 2007
Mina and Dragan invited us for a delicious and fun brunch at their place, with chocolate fondue and mimosas among other things!
While we were enjoying ourselves watching some unbelievable funny old Yugoslavian music videos from the 80's (I couldn't believe they looked that old, wow, we ARE old!), the kids had their fun too.
Here are old buddies, Nikolas and Kristian.
I like this next picture because it captured our motion really nicely. I don't know what exactly we were looking at there, but I remember that it was right after Mina brought Ema from the balcony where she fell half-asleep at the wheel of the children's truck: her head kept falling down onto the wheel, then she would lift it up wobbly as if she were drunk, then a second later her head would fall back on the wheel... We watched her doing this for at least 15min. It was hilarious! No driver's license for you, Ema, yet!
After the brunch, we went down to Manhattan Beach for a nice summer walk. Summer? It was freezing cold! Luckily I had a jacket, just in case, and I don't know how my parents managed. Nikolas was in a very cheerful mood. He even got to wear his new sunglasses :)
Proud grandparents:
They just can't get enough of their grandson:
May 25th, 2007:
Nikolas and mommy flew to Gainesville, FL to join daddy. He was excellent on the plain--he didn't cry, instead he just ate, slept and charmed people around him and collected compliments. He made it so easy for me although I had to hold him in my arms during the whole flight and change his diaper on the toilet lid in the bathroom as, apparently, United flights don't have proper changing tables!!!
Nikolas is babbling away these days.... pictures alone as a portrayal just don't do him justice. The sounds he makes are just adorable. He mastered gooo last month and now he has moved on to buuu, ey, ay, hey, lala.... and he points out to us every morning how much stronger his vocal chords have become!
May 4th, 2007:
Mirko and Maria invited us along with Tim, Jane and baby Hannah for a nice evening and dinner at their place. Notice Nina checking out Nikolas. Maria took a similar photo of Nikolas looking at Nina, so these two are bound to cause some trouble next time they see each other!
Daddy stayed in the Bay Area to deal with the movers and to subsequently fly to Florida and start his new job (and prepare the new house a bit for us), and Nikolas and I came back to L.A. to spend the next 3 weeks at my parents' place.
We are spending most of the time with cousin Mina and her kids, usually just Kristian and Ema while Mia is at school. Here are the boys at Malibu beach.
When Nikolas got cranky during our walk after the beach, I borrowed Mina's hotsling and he fell asleep immediately! I need to get one of these as soon as possible.
The boy loves the baths. He wasn't all that thrilled with water in the beginning, but now he giggles as loudly as possible. He usually doesn't take his eyes off the mirror in the meantime, whether he is looking at us or himself. Here he is wrapped up in a towel after a bath, talking and acting very cute.
My mom will disagree but I don't think that the bedtime baths really affect his sleep schedule. His feeding and sleeping schedule is now pretty fixed like this:
-Wake up around 5-6am
-Make all sorts of sounds that he knows how to make (best part of the day!)
-Eat
-Take a nap around 9am
-Eat at 10am
-Now, depending on what we are doing and how much time we are spending outside, he generally eats every 3hrs unless he falls asleep in the car/restaurant/wherever the noise calms him down.
-In the evening he eats anywhere between 7-10pm, and then it's a toss-up whether that should be his last meal before a night's sleep or whether I should entertain him until after his next meal. Either way, this is the most difficult time for him to fall asleep and we need to hold him and put him down very carefully when he eventually closes his eyes. The best way is to feed him in bed so that he falls asleep by himself at the end of the feeding.
-Feeding around 1-2am: this is really a snack, he barely eats and never even opens his eyes.
-Repeat
May 13th, 2007
Another visit to Banning. Great-aunt and uncle Lukich came to see us too.
May 20th, 2007Mina and Dragan invited us for a delicious and fun brunch at their place, with chocolate fondue and mimosas among other things!
While we were enjoying ourselves watching some unbelievable funny old Yugoslavian music videos from the 80's (I couldn't believe they looked that old, wow, we ARE old!), the kids had their fun too.
Here are old buddies, Nikolas and Kristian.
I like this next picture because it captured our motion really nicely. I don't know what exactly we were looking at there, but I remember that it was right after Mina brought Ema from the balcony where she fell half-asleep at the wheel of the children's truck: her head kept falling down onto the wheel, then she would lift it up wobbly as if she were drunk, then a second later her head would fall back on the wheel... We watched her doing this for at least 15min. It was hilarious! No driver's license for you, Ema, yet!
After the brunch, we went down to Manhattan Beach for a nice summer walk. Summer? It was freezing cold! Luckily I had a jacket, just in case, and I don't know how my parents managed. Nikolas was in a very cheerful mood. He even got to wear his new sunglasses :)
Proud grandparents:
They just can't get enough of their grandson:May 25th, 2007:
Nikolas and mommy flew to Gainesville, FL to join daddy. He was excellent on the plain--he didn't cry, instead he just ate, slept and charmed people around him and collected compliments. He made it so easy for me although I had to hold him in my arms during the whole flight and change his diaper on the toilet lid in the bathroom as, apparently, United flights don't have proper changing tables!!!
Florida here we come....!
It's so hot here that we can't do our regular walks outside, but we like our new house. Here is Nikolas jumping from joy after he saw the playground in our backyard.
Nikolas is babbling away these days.... pictures alone as a portrayal just don't do him justice. The sounds he makes are just adorable. He mastered gooo last month and now he has moved on to buuu, ey, ay, hey, lala.... and he points out to us every morning how much stronger his vocal chords have become!
We discovered that we could still go for daily walks, but only either very early in the morning (before 8am) or after 7pm. I usually carry him in the Mei Tai wrap and he enjoys it a lot. He likes the hotsling too, although it's already getting a bit tight for him!
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