9 Months Today!!

We have LOTS to report. (Mom, Dad and Kyle at the Central Park Zoo in NYC)

Mr Kyle Bergman has just recently gotten his 5th tooth, with number 6 close behind. So now, he has the front 2 on the bottom, 1 of his front teeth on top, and both teeth just on either side of where the front 2 will be on top. It causes us a few fits, but for the most part, he seems to be taking it in stride.

(Picture to the right is Jeff and Kyle watching the sea lion in the background at Central Park Zoo. Kyle thought they were pretty cool.)

Jeff has a new nickname for Kyle - Turbo. He is VERY fast at his commando crawling. You seriously can't leave him alone for a second, or he is in another room. He can do the regular crawl too, but I think he finds that he is faster at the commando :o). Kyle has also discovered that he can pull up and stand at just about any surface. As a result, his poor little forehead looks like I have taken a ball peen hammer to it! He has all these little dot bruises where he boinked it off a table, a cabinet knob, you name it!! Luckily, he has seemed to have taught himself how to fall backward AWAY from the table now. So hopefully, we will be bruise free come the holidays.

We recently joined Jeff on a business trip to Albany, NY where Kyle got to experience his first snowfall. Not exactly something we were expecting in late October. It is about 65 and sunny here today in Atlanta. We did have one gorgeous day on the frontend of the trip, while we were in NYC. We got to visit with our friends, Christina, Greg, and Cydney (who is 20 days younger than Kyle), as well as Patti del Molino, our friend from Portugal/Spain.

Finally, Kyle experienced his first Halloween. Of course, he was a chicken! The love of the suit was shortlived, but long enough for some good photo ops.

A Love of Books

I just wanted to share a quick video of Kyle "reading". He does this several times throughout the day with different books. Although this book is a favorite right now because at the end there is a mirror. I hope this bodes well for his future with books!

(the video starts out a little dark, but lightens)

7 Months and 2 Teeth - WHEW!

Does anyone remember what it feels like to get new teeth? ME EITHER, but apparently it isn't fun! We have now survived the arrival of tooth number 3, and pretty sure another will be arriving shortly. He has the front bottom two and one on top. I thought the one on top was the front tooth, and if it is, I had better save for braces now because it is awfully far to the side :). After closer inspection, I believe it is actually the one NEXT to the front two.

Mr. Kyle has had a busy summer. He has been to WV, Boston, Disney, Baltimore and Myrtle Beach! I think he might be breathing a sigh of relief that the next trip isn't until October. In the meantime though, I do think he has inherited my love of travel. He has gotten to spend time with distant cousins, meet Minnie Mouse, and stick his toes in the sand. What's not to love?

Kyle amazes us daily with his new feats. One of his latest accomplishments is learning to wave - sometimes it is a little flick of the fingers and other times it is a full arm. He is also commando crawling - imagine the little army men that were posed on their bellies. He moves his arms and drags the feet behind. The cats are horrified, as you can imagine. Ginger and George have been the best sports. They let him tug on their fur and tails... well, to a point! Fred is the biggest chicken of them all and of course, that makes Kyle all that much more interested.

Kyle has been trying new foods almost daily. I don't think he has met one he doesn't like though :). He has had cereal, carrots, sweet potatoes, avocado, green beans, peas, yogurt, applesauce, pears, and those cool little Gerber puffs. Those puffs are our friend when we are out of the house and a few minutes late to the house for a feeding! We can't tell which is his favorite because he makes a "mmmmmm" sound with every bite of every food. I am trying to make some of my own, but some foods are just as cost effective to buy jarred. Gerber's new packaging is actually great. They are small rectangular containers. No more trying to reach into the nooks and crannies of a jar.

In Baltimore, he discovered his love of science (THANK GOODNESS - with the parents he has got!) We took in the Science Center with Aunt BJ, Uncle Ken, MaMa and Grandpa Szabo. He loved the science displays! For instance, they had a Jacob's Ladder display where the spark jumps up to metal rods. He would study the spark all the way to the top. Kyle also learned that trains are way cool thanks to his Uncle Ken and cousin Zach. I see Thomas the Train in our future. Actually, he will be inheriting his Daddy's Brio set, which we are very excited about! Kyle had his first night away from Mommy and Daddy on this trip too. We took in the Sox/Orioles game for our 7th anniversary. Can you believe it has been 7 years??

Does This Diaper Make My Butt Look Big?

Sorry! I just have to show off. I wanted some fleece diaper covers for Kyle. They are inexpensive to buy, but someone suggested I try to make my own. So I did! I am so excited with the outcome. This was from some remnants I picked up. Now that I know I can do it, I can get more fabric!!

Peek A Boo

I just wanted to share what I see when I go to get Mr Bergman out of bed in the morning. I think it is just about time to move the mattress down, huh?

PS... Tooth number 2 has made it's appearance!!

Holy Smokes! My Baby is 6 Months Old!

Well, today is Kyle's official half year birthday! It is amazing that we began this whole journey more than 1 year ago and here we are!

To celebrate his 6 months birthday, Kyle decided to introduce a few new things to his life. While at his check-up yesterday, he figured "why not wow the doc with my amazing ability to sit unsupported". Imagine Mommy's surprise! We have been working on it, but seriously, this was the first true time that he sat for so long! Here he is waiting for his shots with his measuring cup and of course, chicken in the background.

Kyle has also begun the trek into the world of solid foods. So far he loves his rice cereal, sweet potatoes and avocado. Right now, he has 4 feedings, with solids at 2 of them. The doctor wants us to increase that to 3 of the 4 feedings and continually introduce more foods. Last night we added a second cereal meal, but with a treat of mashed bananas included. Needless to say, he loved it! Of course, what baby doesn't love bananas. I have bought some carrots and peas to cook up next. I just have to see how I go about making those for him.

Here are some basic stats on our little one... and yes we are still counting! Kyle is 21 lbs 9 oz, 27.5 inches. We have gone through over 30 cans of formula, changed over 1250 diapers, and sleeps and average of 14 hrs every day! Finally, and most importantly, Mr. Bergman has also gotten his first tooth and is diligently working on number 2! For the most part, he has been a champ through the whole teething thing. Other than the constant drool (that is driving Daddy C-R-A-Z-Y!), he is in pretty good spirits. Here's the best picture I have so far of the tooth. And of course, the chicken is with him again. Did I mention that he likes his chicken?

A Tooth!!

Ok, so no pictures yet, but it is DEFINITELY there! Kyle has been a little fussy lately during feedings which prompted me to yet again check the gumline. While I swear I checked the day before, it is now official and his first tooth has broken free. It is on the bottom lower left, where I had been suspecting. He seemed to be eating better today, so it must feel better through the gum than just below.

Kyle also discovered that he LOVES the Jumperoo. Yeah! I thought maybe he wasn't going to take to it, but I think he just wasn't steady enough before to manage the jumps. He is now though... watch him go!

5 Months Old!!

Kyle has done so much over the last month that I don't even know where to begin! We have ventured into many new realms - the swimming pool, the tub, jumperoo, more plane rides, long car trips, rice cereal, and his first Red Sox game - to name a few.

Aunt Tracey and cousin Liv came to GA early in June and spent a few days with us. During their visit we discovered that the pool is a cool place to be. He prefers the a warm water, evening swim. We tried an early morning swim with not as much success. Kyle also decided that whatever Olivia was doing with that food looked pretty interesting. So we tried rice cereal more seriously. Imagine a baby bird going after the worm. It was priceless. After a few days of sun and fun, Kyle and Mommy made the long 11 hour trek back to WV with Aunt Tracey and Liv. Kyle was a champ on the road, and only was fussy around hour 5... but who isn't? We spent the week in WV visiting with MaMa and Grandpa Szabo where he got to see cousin Kelaen's baseball game, go to the Greek fest and find his soulmate - the chicken from Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton. I have a feeling we will see a lot of chicken in photos over the years. Kyle was very happy to see Daddy at the airport after his 2 week training. So happy, that he sprung for a limo ride home :).

Kyle enjoyed the pool so much, I thought I would again attempt the tub with meand met with MUCH more success! Not a whimper! Of course, the rubby ducky might have helped. Kyle's buddy, Ms. Vi added to his tub toys with a plastic book, which he adores. Sorry, no photos because I would have to be in the too.

We have just returned from our annual 4th of July jaunt to New England where Kyle spent time with Nana and Grandpa Bergman and meet all his cousins, aunts and uncles. The highlight of the weekend though, had to be his meeting with Wally, the Red Sox mascot. He came to visit us at our seats during the July 7th game with Minnesota. We were a little concerned that Grouchy Face might make an appearance since A. Kyle was tired and B. Wally was WAY bigger than the ones on his mobile! Luckily, it went pretty well. He was hamming it up for the crowd. Somehow I think he has Daddy's personality.

Whew! I am tired thinking about everything he has been into. We are happy to be resting at home. Hope you enjoy seeing Wally as much as Kyle did :)

Happy Anniversary MaMa and Grandpa Szabo!

36 Years & Counting!

Have a great time in Florida!

16 Weeks and Quite the Traveler

This week we went to Ellijay for a little R&R (In my world that stands for no internet or cell service!). Here are some pictures of our little oasis.

Kyle, of course, had on his fishing hat for the experience.

We actually caught fish that were big enough to eat this time! The picture of Jeff is of the unfortunate FIRST catch though. I tried to convince him to use it as bait, but no luck :o). Kyle didn't catch any fish this year, but he did catch some zzz's! There were a TON of birds - several cardinals and others that I didn't know. A turkey even went right across the front yard. When he heard us, he fanned his tail and ran. According to my mom, it is migratory season - did I get that right?

15 Weeks & A Car Trip

To celebrate Kyle's 15 week birthday, we decided on a road trip... ok, that isn't exactly true. Jeff had some business in Pensacola, so we decided to tag along and go to Pensacola Beach. The drive was 360 miles or so, and Kyle was an absolute doll! Someone must have told him that his parents intend to take him everywhere :). We have to travel a little heavier than our childless days, and no driving straight through, but no big deal.

Each morning, Kyle and I would get up with Jeff. Kyle would have his breakfast, then we would go get mine where he would entertain the other guests with his talking. After breakfast, we went to the beach. I figured the early morning (7am) was the best time for him to be out. It got very hot and sunny later in the day, which might have been too much for my fair skinned boy. We would sit, so that he could put his feet in the sand. He seemed to like the sand. We didn't try the water though because Kyle still isn't all too keen on baths. Although, we did discover that he is open to a shower. Progress!! We filled the rest of the day with books, walks, the zoo and shopping. Overall, he did fantastic on the trip! I have so many pictures to share, but I have posted a few of my favorites here along with a great little video. Be sure to check out what his bib says... nothing like advertisement.

Happy Mother's Day!

We hope everyone has a fantastic Mother's Day!!



There was a lot of wind today, so excuse the background noise. This was made with our new video camera - The Flip, which is awesome, by the way!

Grown out of his diapers!

Today, Kyle is 13 weeks old. Okay, technically, he will be tonight at 11:27 pm. I can't believe how fast the time has gone! Do you know that to date, he has gone through 633 diaper changes?! And that doesn't include diapers for the first 4 days of his life! Add at least 32, I would guess for those days. Amazing, huh? Yes - we have that recorded. We are sick.

I had to officially retire the infant sized cloth diapers :(. I can't believe he is big enough for the next size. They are actually a little big - folding is tricky, but they definitely fit better than the little ones. We are attempting some fancier cloth diapers as well - Swaddlebees pockets and AIOs. They are so much trimmer fitting than the prefolds, plus, they basically go on just like the disposables only with snaps rather than velcro/tape. No folding, no snappis or pins, covers, etc. His skin also seems to stay drier, which can't be bad. You can also add inserts to increase absorbency. So far, we have done well with them overnight. I would love to have a replacement for the disposables at night! I sound like a commercial :o). We are also testing g diapers for trips, which are pseudo disposables. They have a cloth cover and a disposable insert, that is also flushable and biodegradable. I would love for these to work out for us - we shall see.

Kyle has been testing out the Exersaucer these days. He hasn't quite mastered it since it requires complete head control. But he does seem to enjoy it for short periods of time. He especially likes the snail/butterfly toy you see pictured. Another new pasttime of Kyle's is blowing bubbles and putting everything he can into his mouth! He has a stuffed toy carrot that he loves because it is the perfect size for chewing. The bubbles drives Jeff crazy because of course it turns into drool. We have to have a burp rag on hand at all times! I am trying desperately to catch him rolling over on camera. As soon as I do, I will post it here. It is hysterical to watch!

12 Weeks - AMAZING!

We can hardly believe that Kyle is already 12 weeks old! There have been lots of exciting things going on. Yesterday, we recieved his Social Security card and birth certificate. Now, we just need to go get his passport. You can never be too prepared :). You never know when an overseas opportunity might arise!

The big news though is that he is officially sleeping completely through the night with an 8pm bedtime! He makes a few peeps, and of course, I am still getting up to check on him. But a 1 minute check is MUCH better than a 30 minute feeding! I don't need to be near as awake. Kyle is also sleeping strictly in his crib. I had been napping him there, so the transition was fairly easy. Here is a video of him hanging out with his buddy, Wally. For the non-Red Sox fans, Wally is the green monster mascot for the team. Unless he is starving, Kyle is always quite content to lay and watch Wally. Please excuse the lousy camera work. For some reason, I just thought I could turn the camera and edit it like a picture. Maybe you can, but I haven't figured out how :(. I love how he twirls his feet in a circle while he watches him. It is also rare footage of Kyle, the hot body, in a sleeper. For some reason, the house was very cold for a few nights.



Jeff and I also branched out and had a sitter last weekend!! We had a crawfish boil to go to which was quite fun. We have missed having boils. It might be time for a low country boil soon here in the Bergman house. Kyle did great for our friend and was in bed when we got home. I am so thankful that we have good friends that are willing to sit with him. It makes it so much easier to know that we can get out of the house together once in awhile.

I will try to update more frequently. He is changing so much everyday!

Quite the Communicator - 11 weeks

I just wanted to share this video with everyone. He is quite the talker, these days. Hope you enjoy!!

10 Weeks and Counting!

It is amazing to see the changes in Kyle over only 10 weeks time. For starters, he is now 15 lbs and 2 feet long!! I am finally going to develop that upper body strength that I never had :). Just in the last week he also accomplished 2 major feats - rolling over and sleeping through the night. The rolling just means we have to watch him like a hawk. But the sleep is like heaven! Ask Jeff, I am a new woman with 5+ hours of continuous sleep!

On top of all the great milestones he is hitting, Kyle also took his first plane trip of many. He and I flew to visit MaMa and Grandpa Szabo. We were lucky that the seat was empty next to us on the way there, so Kyle could use his carseat. As you can tell from the picture, he didn't mind the flight too much. He was fantastic the whole way there and back, actually! On the way home, he had to sit with me because the flight was full. We did well, but holding a 24 inch baby in a airline seat is a challenge.

Kyle got to meet so many people on his trip... Great Grandma Miller, Aunt Denise and Uncle John, all of Mommy and Daddy's old neighbors, MaMa's friends, and of course that puppy, Rider! Rider is Aunt Denise and Uncle John's new golden retriever. He really liked Kyle's socks - so much that he nipped them right off his toes! To top off the trip, he had his first professional photo shoot with his cousins, Kelaen and Olivia.

Now for his next trick, Kyle is determined to have that thumb. If only those darn fingers would let go of it, he could get it into his mouth! In the meantime, we will have to live with the fairy that appears nightly to pop the pacifier back in his mouth when he wakes up and realizes it is gone. Hopefully, we will be reporting success on that next time!!

Wow! 5 Weeks Today

Kyle is 5 weeks old today! It is amazing how quickly this has gone by. On Monday, Aunt Steph and I took him to his 1 month appt. Drumroll please... He is now 11 lbs 10 oz and 22 3/4 inches! I think that MAYBE he is a little longer. The nurse didn't seem to want to anger the little man by taking any longer to stretch him out. No wonder my arms burn from carrying him around, huh? :)

Since Aunt Steph left, Kyle and I have been on our own most of this week, so we have been working on a "schedule" of sorts. So far, so good. He is now on a great eat/wake/sleep schedule that is roughly every 3 hours. Except at night, we are having banner sleeping periods. Some are even 5 hours long! Woo Hoo! The schedule has really helped me be able to get things done around the house.

Jeff had his first softball game of the season. I think he enjoyed having his son there to see him. Of course, Kyle is only able to see 18 inches in front of him, so he may have missed the triple that Jeff had! But it won't be long, and Kyle can help me cheer daddy along. In the meantime, he can just look cute in the stands.

Pictures from Kyle's First Week

I thought you might enjoy some pictures from Kyle's first week. The first one is from his first trip to the pediatrician. He wasn't too keen on this visit, as he had to first get naked to be weighed, which he hates. Then he had to have his diaper changed, with wet wipes rather than cloth wipes and warm water. And to top it off, he got a vaccine. Needless to say, he was not a happy camper. Poor guy!

Kyle is intently watching Daddy. He loves to hear his voice, and responds automatically when Jeff speaks to him. Like their matching baseball gear?




Our neighbor's granddaughter gave Kyle this Boppy playgym. Gracie has already outgrown it at 7 months and thought baby Kyle would like it. She was right! He is mesmerized by the colorful print and hanging toys.



And finally, my favorite picture. Kyle has been desperately trying to catch that ever elusive thumb. He has found that during tummy time it is best accessible. When he gets it, Kyle sucks for dear life.

Welcome Kyle Jeffrey Bergman

Well, the day has finally come and our little man is here. Kyle Jeffrey Bergman was born at 11:27pm on Friday, February 8, 2008. He was a welcome sight after 20+ hours of labor, ultimately ending in a c-section. The poor little guy was face up and sort of stuck! Of course, after measuring, it was no wonder. He was 8lbs 5.5 oz and 21 3/4 inches long!! Now I know why my ribs were hurting, his skinny legs were stretching all the way across my body!

Mommy, Daddy and baby are resting comfortably at home, trying to settle into a routine. We know he is working hard at growing, since he has jumped from 1.5 oz of formula at a feeding to 2.5 in less than 1 week of life. Chances are good he will be at 3 oz servings sometime today even! Being in our engineering nature, we have a spreadsheet going to track his feedings, sleep and diaper habits. We are hoping it will help us set a routine as he gets older. If not, it will simply be interesting reading :).

Super Bowl Sunday!

Hopefully this is the last pregnant picture you will see of me!

I am officially 39W this morning. Jeff took this last night after dinner with the neighbors. He is really hoping I can hold out until the game is at least over this evening.

My family has bets going on whether we will change the name to someone from either team, should I go into labor tonight. Doesn't Plaxico or Asante Bergman have a nice ring to it? - NOT!

I have an appointment in the morning, so I should have an idea at least if my body is making some progress on its own. If it is, I will have the option of scheduling an in induction date for early next week. We haven't decided whether or not to do that yet - although having a date would be nice. Since we both like numbers, we were playing with what numbers make sense together - 2/4/08 (2x4=8), 2/6/08 (2+6=8), etc. That's what you get when 2 engineers marry, I suppose :). GO Patriots - (that is strictly for Jeff - I am still diehard Steelers!).

The Waiting Game

Hi all - no baby yet! We aren't sure if the eggplant had anything to do with it, but I have been having contractions since Thursday early morning. They got to an all time closeness of 5 minutes apart on Friday. So we did make the short jaunt (only 7 miles, thank goodness!) to the hospital. Unfortunately after a few hours there, we were sent home to relax. While I continue to have contractions, they aren't productive at this time. My Dr said they would keep me if I wanted, but he recommended that I relax at home.

The good news about going is that we got a sense of what our hospital is like. It is just a small place with only 4 floors. But the staff is great and very attentive. I also got to see the head of my OB practice, whom I normally don't see. He handles the more complex OB cases and not the run-of-the-mill pregnancies usually. He was very reassuring throughout the short visit.

When it is actually time to go, we will have wireless internet access at the hospital. Jeff will update everyone as quickly as he can. We are just biding our time now. And Jeff is hoping he won't be watching the Patriots' Super Bowl on the little 9" screen in the delivery room. Althought that might be a good distraction :).

How is it possible?

Holy smokes! When is this baby going to stop growing :)?

Jeff and I went out for dinner tonight. Since I looked a little nicer than I do while working from the house, I thought we should do a belly shot. We are exactly 3 weeks from the due date tomorrow. Although, neither of us would be sad for Kyle to make his arrival sooner!

The house is pretty much in order. We have carpet cleaners coming in Monday - big fun! Won't the cats love that? And I have my 37 week appointment. Wednesday is our Baby Essentials class, and I have decided we are going to test out the Scalini's theory. They have a wall of photos of mommies and their babies. The common thread, all the mom's had the eggplant parmesan there within days of giving birth. Here's to hoping!!

Belated Christmas Pics

Sorry - things have been hectic! We had a wonderful holiday season though!

Jeff and I drove up to Nashville to be with Steph and Joe on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Jeff and I couldn't wait to take our presents up there to open them, so he was able to take his new Wii system with him. Thank goodness or the boys would never find anything to do :)! (I enjoyed my new earrings at the same time though).

It was funny leaving their house on Wednesday saying "See you in a couple of days!" They joined us for the weekend, along with Mom and Dad. Again, what would we have done without the Wii. Stephanie's and my favorite story is looking out on the porch, seeing all three boys with a cigar and playing the new fishing game. It seriously looked like they should have been on the shoreline somewhere fishing! I can't believe we didn't take any pictures!

Here are a few pics of the house in all its Christmas glory. The one of me and the tree is from the night of Jeff's work Christmas party. If I ever wrangle the one of the both of us from that night, I will edit the post.

Busy Busy!

Well, here we are down to the last 4 weeks! Can you imagine? The baby and I are well, just experiencing the standard aches and pains associated with pregnancy. Poor Jeff has to deal with a little moaning now and then. The cats are loving my constant feet-up position, as you can tell from this lovely photo. Pleas ignore the hideous picture of me.

The nursery is nearly complete. We are just waiting on a couple items to show - the ever critical wall clock and lamp :). I don't think Kyle will mind if they are late though. Jeff and I were supposed to be in a Baby Essentials class tonight, but unfortunately it was cancelled. We are hoping that he won't arrive before we can attend the rescheduled class next week!

My girlfriends here in GA threw a shower for me. It was small and involved lots of girl talk. But Jeff still lucked out and got a present! It was "Daddy's Diaper Changing Kit" - a tool box filled with all the essentials - a turkey baster (for cleaning the baby off), kitchen tongs, disposable ventilation masks, rubber gloves, diaper rash cream, diapers, a huge sponge, etc, etc. My friend Lynn was very creative!! Here is a picture of the 5 of us that used to all work together. Now we are scattered. Thank you ladies for a wonderful day!