August 3, 2005 Palmer is two months new... Yesterday was Mommy's birthday and it was a year and a day ago that Palmer was conceived. Happy Birthday Mommy ~_~! July 4, 2005 Palmer's first fireworks... And he slept right through the whole show...maybe next year. July 5, 2005 Palmer had another doctor's visit today... He now weighs 11 lbs., 11 oz., his head is 15 1/4", and he is 21 3/4" long. The doctor says that he's growing well... He was also diagnosed with thrush and a yeast infection in his crotch. Apparently thrush is also a yeast infection, only of the mouth, and is common in babies. Until the age of six months, when babies begin to develop T-cells (stage two in building up their immune systems), they are highly susceptible to fungal diseases. His thrush medicine has a minty taste to it that confused him a bit on the first dose but, the second one went down just fine...which is good because I have to dose him four times a day for the next ten days ~_~! July 6, 2005 Palmer seems to have developed a new habit, for the time being anyway. For the past four days he has been waking up at around three or four in the afternoon and staying awake, with the exception of short cat naps, until around 9:30 at night. Then, when he does go to sleep he stays out for at least four hours. The cutest thing happened today. I had just finished changing his diaper and brought my face close in to his while saying "hello" - a normal game we play - and he made a sound that resembled "hello" right back at me! I know that he's too young to talk, but had you heard it, you would have sworn that was what he had said. Other sounds that he makes are his usual "aya aya aya" - his "cave man" noises that he makes while being soothed after a particularly upsetting event (like getting his diaper changed while he's hungry). And, just recently, he's started saying "ga." If he keeps up at this rate he could be talking by next week...*tee hee* July 7, 2005 I saw the color of Palmer's eyes for the first time today! All this time I've been thinking that his pupils are still dilated, but they're not - he just has really really dark brown eyes. So dark, in fact, that they're almost black. I wonder if they'll lighten as he grows older. I kind of hope they don't because I think they're way cool ~_~... July 9, 2005 Based on the way things have been going, it would appear that Palmer's new habit of staying awake throughout the evening is here to stay. The powers that supposedly know say that his frequent alertness and periods of light sleep help his brain to develop and signify intelligence. We shall see... July 12, 2005 I tried to give Palmer a tub bath today. For those of you who are keeping track, this is the second attempt. Things went much more smoothly this time, though. Instead of putting him in his baby bath inside of the tub, I got into the water with him and held him. He seemed to enjoy the water and, if he hadn't been hungry would have made it through the whole bath without fussing once. As it was I had brought a bottle with us into the tub and, once he was satisfied, we had a smooth finish... July 13, 2005 Palmer and I went on a short bus trip today - to the post office and back. All told we were only gone for an hour and a half, about par for the way the bus system around here runs. He was one whooped baby by the time we got home, though! I put him down right after we walked in the door, which was around 10 a.m., and he slept for an entire seven hours straight. He had never slept that long before in his entire baby life (not even in the womb). July 14, 2005 Palmer and I went on another outing today, a longer one... two and a half hours long, actually. We began our journey with a half hour bus trip to downtown Sarasota - he slept the entire time. Then we walked the five blocks to Big Mama's work and surprised her. We got her good, too! During our visit Big Mama took Palmer around her office to show him off to all of her co-workers and friends. Boy were there a lot of women in that office - and all of them went crazy over Big Mama's adorable grandson. Palmer was a real trooper, let me tell you. He must have been held by at least five strangers before he started to get a bit cranky, and then it was just because he was hungry. Camille, one of the ladies at Big Mama's office, fed him, and then we were on our way. Our next stop was at the Clerk of the Circuit Court because Mama had some business of her own to take care of. That only took about five minutes and then we headed to the Main Bookshop. We didn't stay in the store long, though, because Palmer was just plumb tuckered out and made sure Mama knew it. So, Mama bought a couple of books, changed Palmer's diaper, and then we headed to the bus stop for the journey home... The journey tired Palmer out so much that he wasn't sure which was more urgent - food or sleep. So, after we arrived home he spent about four hours switching back and forth between the two. Both needs were finally filled by seven o'clock, and then he was out like a light until two a.m.! He even slept through an eleven p.m. diaper change... July 16, 2005 Palmer had his first vocal bowel movement today and it made mommy laugh her tail off! His first sounds were just a couple of short grunts, but then he finished with two long arghs...it was the arghs that did it - Mama didn't think she'd ever stop laughing after that one! July 17, 2005 Mama yawned while she was playing with Palmer today and he stuck his entire left hand into her mouth - there may be something to that catching flies story after all... July 18, 2005 Today I showed Palmer the keys that Aunt Heather bought for him and he seemed to like them. He's not quite ready to hold on to them, yet, but he followed them around with his eyes for a while. July 19, 2005 Mama scared the beegeebies out of Palmer today! A couple of days ago I had tried playing a new game with Palmer - I'd lay him on my upraised lap and open my legs so that he would fall back, then I'd pick him back up with a "whoops-a-baby." Well, at that time it didn't seem to be doing anything for him - good or bad - so I stopped. However, when I tried it again today, oh my...the poor guy was so scared that he cried for at least a good solid minute straight, if not two - it felt like forever. I mean to tell you there was no consoling the little dude...boy was I sorry! July 22, 2005 When Big Mama got home from work today she had a story about one of her co-workers, Maria... she apparently thinks Palmer is the most beautiful baby that she has ever seen and that he ought to be in commercials. The story, however, was this...Maria overheard two ladies discussing a cute baby that one of them had just seen. Upon overhearing their conversation Maria walked over and said, "Oh, I know, Ellen's grandson is just the most beautiful baby... he's got this gorgeous olive skin, and deep dark eyes, and his hair looks like it has just been cut..." At that point the lady who had just seen the baby said to Maria, "I was talking about your nephew," to which she replied, "yea, he's cute too." July 24, 2005 Palmer had an exciting and fun day today. Big Mama, Big Papa, and I took him on a shopping trip to Ellenton Outlet Mall so Big Mama could buy some new shoes. Instead of carrying him in the baby backpack that I usually use, we pushed him in a stroller, and he had a blast. He loved all of the new sights and sounds, and he especially enjoyed being wheeled around in comfort. After shopping we took him to Applebee's for dinner. Again, he was delighted with all of the new stimuli and had a good time being passed from lap to lap while the adults took turns eating. By the time we got home he was ready for his own bed, as he usually is after an outing, but he was no where near as cranky about it as he is after being carried all day. July 27, 2005 Palmer is becoming way more active... He talks (coos), giggles, and smiles all of the time now - making new and louder sounds every day. He's also started to grab on to things, mostly just the shirts of the people who are holding him, though. July 29-August 1, 2005 Big Mama, Big Papa, Palmer, and I all had to spend four days at Aunt Heather's house while our home was being tented for termites. It wasn't so bad, really. Aunt Heather and Uncle Jay spent the weekend at a motel in Clearwater Beach, so it was just the four of us with cousins Jay and Samantha until Sunday afternoon. The cousins had a great time taking care of Palmer, and he loved playing with and talking to them, too. We were all glad to finally be home, though... August 3, 2005 I spent my first night out, since having Palmer, without the baby or my family tonight. My friend Jesse took me to dinner and for a walk on the beach. It was very nice and relaxing. I left Palmer in Big Mama's care, and she said he was a tad peeved about the whole situation...she also said he drank three bottles - two 4oz, and one 6oz - in three hours. I think he was so hungry from having slept a lot all through the night and most of today. When I got home I had to wake Palmer to give him his medication. When I rolled him over he immediately peeked to see who it was that had disturbed him, and then his eyes opened wide and his whole face lit up with a great big smile! I think he missed me ~_~...I missed him too. In fact, I think my friend may have tired of hearing me talk about him so much, even though he said he didn't mind. Boy do I love my little Palmer, he's just the greatest being in the whole universe...a hug from him warms my entire soul and his smile fills me to bursting with joy.

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