Wednesday

December 31

Happy New Year!

I would like to share some new photos of baby Daphne as 2008 is winding down to a close...






Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

Tuesday

December 30

And then there were four...

Daphne's three upper teeth now have some company. A brand new bottom tooth erupted yesterday morning. Tonight after her bath, I brushed Daphne's teeth for the first time with a tiny little brush that slips over my index finger. She giggled as I massaged her gums and applied gentle pressure to her new baby teeth. If only cutting her fingernails could be so easy...

Daphne went for a nice walk in the park with Mommy and Grammy today. Here are some new photos:






Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

Sunday

December 28

Happy Birthday to my father!

While Daphne's gibberish is beginning to sound like real words, it is still incoherent. She now points around the room and randomly says, "Inga", "Ferdinand", "Abba", and "Hungee". We believe she might have some invisible Scandinavian friends or just a poor grasp on the English vocabulary. hehehe

Daphne's Teeth Progression: Her first tooth arrived on Tuesday, December 23rd. If you are looking at Daphne, it is her upper right front tooth. Her second tooth erupted the very next day. It is her upper left front tooth. And today, her third tooth arrived. It is the tooth adjacent to her upper right front tooth. Her bottom gum line is swollen and should pop some baby "toothies" any day now...

I have been weeding through tons of video I shot on Christmas day. I hope to have some new YouTube videos posted in a few days.

Enjoy the last few days of 2008!





Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

Thursday

December 25

Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas!

Ten month old Daphne thoroughly enjoyed her first Christmas. She opened so many toys and clothes today. We are truly blessed and thankful for all of the gifts! Grammy and Grampa arrived early this morning for a festive breakfast. Afterwards, we dug into gift giving mode and watched little Daphne learn how to demolish wrapping paper (and even try to eat some, too).

Following a midday nap, Jennie, Daphne, and I visited Grammy and Grampa's house for a nice turkey dinner with all of the traditional side dishes. During the meal, Daphne ate tiny bites of turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. Topping it all off, Davey's secret recipe pumpkin pie really hit the spot! Yummy!

On the verge of walking, Daphne took between 7 and 9 steps several times today and she's getting more brave and daring each day. She searches all around the house for furniture placed with a 5 to 10 step distance to test her balance and coordination. Luckily, she did not bop her noggin on any tables today...

Two more upper teeth are about to erupt on either side of her two upper, front teeth. I hope her bottom teeth burst through any day now. Her gum line continues to swell and Daphne constantly chews on toys and her fingers (more than usual).

Here are a few photos of Daphne celebrating Christmas Day:







Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

Wednesday

December 24

Merry Christmas to everyone! I wish the very best to you and your family...

It seems like an eternity has passed since my last blog entry, so I truly do not know where to begin. MAJOR MILESTONE ALERT: Daphne has two new upper front teeth! Her bottom gum line appears swollen and not far behind. I cannot imagine a better Christmas gift for Daphne than her two front teeth. Unfortunately, her new "toothies" are causing some pain, crying, and fussiness (and that is just from Mommy and Daddy). We only thought she was beginning to teethe earlier -- puddles form all around her now and she is leaving her little teeth prints on everything! Baby Tylenol is a lifesaver.

Today, I bought Daphne some biter biscuits to help with her increased desire to chew. As you can see in the photos below, those biscuits are messy! hehehe

Happy Holidays! Enjoy the rest of the week...

Yesterday was the last day of work at my employer's old facility. Beginning next week, I will be working minutes from my house at a new location. Same job, new digs.








Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

Friday

December 19

Cabinet locks will definitely be installed this weekend. My relaxed attitude towards "baby proofing" our house has finally begun to catch up with me. Daphne's curiosity is unbelievable! She constantly opens any drawer, cabinet, or lid available for browsing. And, unfortunately, her messy path of destruction resembles an angry tornado (i.e., she never cleans up where she has been). But, it sure is fun to watch her mischief!

Daphne's new favorite activity is shown below:







Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

Thursday

December 18

Evening Update: 7:53pm CST
Daphne wanted to show off her new pajamas!
Enjoy the new photos...







As we inch closer to Christmas day, Daphne has conquered another major milestone. Early yesterday morning, she took her first couple of steps toward Mommy without holding onto anything. Jennie said that Daphne still appears wobbly and unsure of herself, but the confidence will continue to build until she is running all over the house. Later in the day, Daphne took another step or two while visiting Grammy.

Last weekend, Daphne discovered how fun it is to pull on toilet paper and watch it quickly unravel from the roll... oh brother!

Just one more week until Christmas!

I will post some new photos soon...

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

Sunday

December 14

Daphne appears to be going through another growth spurt. I swear her little fingers and toes are getting bigger and bigger each day. And her high energy level is amazingly exhausting!

Jennie and I mostly worked on chores around the house this weekend (not terribly exciting, I know). While shopping at Costco yesterday afternoon, I suddenly remembered why I dislike Christmas shopping in public. The crowds, the pushing, the shoving, the crying... Aye Carumba! Jennie and I absolutely insist on internet Christmas consumerism. It's quite painless and you can surf in your Underoos.

Only a week and a half until Christmas!

Daphne sleeps in odd positions...

Daphne prepares to eat scrambled egg yolk for the first time ever.

Yuck! Maybe egg is an acquired taste?


Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

Saturday

December 13

Snow, snow, everywhere!

On Thursday night, we got a VERY light dusting of snow. But, for middle Tennesseans, it was HUGE! I can count on one hand the number of snow storms we have had over the past decade. Watching Daphne's puzzled stare at the falling snow was priceless.

Here are a few photos of our deck following the snow fall and Daphne tasting snow:






Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

Tuesday

December 9

Daphne had a routine doctor visit today. It was her slightly belated 9 month old checkup. The doctor was pleased with her development and overall health. Although Daphne is still toothless, her doctor wants us to introduce cheese and yogurt into her diet.

Weight: 16.5 pounds (10th percentile, down from 18th at last checkup)
Height: approximately 27 inches (27th percentile)
Head circumference: approximately 42.5cm (10th percentile)

NOTE: The height and head circumference figures are from memory and may not be completely 100% accurate. Basically, Daphne appears to be growing well and I suppose that is good enough?

How is your Christmas shopping coming along? Thankfully, Jennie and I are nearly finished. But, we still need to get the "stuff" mailed to our extended families. Our goal is to finish sending out our Christmas cards before the end of this week...

Great news! My employer has officially signed a lease on a new building just minutes from my house. I am anxiously awaiting our move -- it should happen very soon.

Here are some more photos from this past weekend:





Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

Sunday

December 7

A weekend full of tree trimming and picture taking has drawn to a close.

We spent all day Saturday decorating the tree and placing festive holiday knick knacks throughout the house. Daphne watched us work with a surprised stare. We want her first Christmas to be a memorable one.

Here are some photos of our adventures:

Daphne's first Christmas gift!
She anxiously awaits opening the present...



Daphne loves examining the tree and its' numerous ornaments.


Santa Davey and little Daphne


Daphne all dressed up and no place to go.



Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

Friday

December 5

Still toothless with never ending pools of drool, baby Daphne's desire to walk is slowly becoming a reality. She can now stand up on her own (although extremely wobbly) for approximately 15 - 20 seconds without holding onto furniture. We are placing our bets on what will happen first: will a bottom tooth erupt or will she begin walking?

Enjoy your weekend!

Here are some new photos of Daphne after a big girl bath:

Daphne loves bath time.

Where's Daphne? There she is!

This little piggy went to market...


Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

Wednesday

December 3

It's hump day already... the days keep flying by, don't they? In three short weeks, we will all be sitting around our Christmas trees celebrating Jesus' birthday. And Daphne will be 10 months old! Wow...

Daphne has a new game. She loves when you crawl on all fours and chase after her. Every five feet or so, she stops crawling to look back and is overcome with giggles. Here are some photos of our little chase:




Until tomorrow,
Dave T.