Logan turns 5 months old!

Logan turned 5 months old on Tuesday, December 18th. We have a lot to talk about this month and a lot of photos to share. Although Logan tried solid foods for the first time prior to the start of month 5, this is the month where he really became a solid food expert. He has tried sweet potatoes, sweet peas, carrots, squash, green beans, rice cereal, bananas, apples, and pears. We have plenty of pictures and even a video (see previous blog) documenting his eating experiences. He is actually a pretty good eater. He likes all food (though green beans might be the one exception) and he always finishes his meal.

This month was also the month of first holidays. As you can see from his blog postings, he enjoyed his first Thanksgiving and first Chanukah. He also made a couple trips to Disney's MGM Studios where he experienced the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, and what would December be like without a trip to Celebration to see the fake snow?

Logan also started daycare this month. He is now enrolled at Kiddie U and absolutely loves it there. His cousin Jared is in the room next door and his friend Hailey Hitchcock is in the same room. Look below for a recent post talking about his new favorite toy -- the exersaucer. We have a video on YouTube showing Logan in an exersaucer.

He has been growing quite a bit since starting solid foods. He is also much stronger and should be sitting unassisted in a matter of weeks. Although we haven't been to the doctor's office, we assume he is around 14 pounds by now. He should be wearing his 6-9month clothes in no time. Talking about clothing, Logan has an opportunity this month to experience cold weather (40 degrees) and therefore got to wear a jacket, a hat, and several sweatshirts. He is still waiting to see real snow.

For a picture slideshow highlight of Logan's fifth month, click here.

Next month, Logan is looking forward to his first New Year's Eve Party; a weekend trip to Sarasota to experience the beach; and meeting his Great Grandma Esther and Great Grandpa Julie for the first time.

Look at me in my exersaucer!

When we picked up Logan at daycare this week, we couldn't find him. Turns out he was in the 6-12 month room with his cousin Jared. He was playing in an exersaucer while Jared practiced walking towards him. When we got home, we dusted off the exersaucer in the garage and tried it out. Logan quickly learned how to manipulate the different activites and even turned himself around in a circle. See the video of Logan playing in his exersaucer.

My First Chanukah

Logan and Jared both celebrated their first Chanukah together. We all went to the Dr. Phillips Marketplace for a community Chanukah Celebration. We also attended a Chanukah Party with the Celebration Jewish Congregation and enjoyed Latkes at Clay and Wendi's house. For some pictures of Logan and Jared, click here.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Logan celebrated his first Thanksgiving in South Florida visting family. He also tried sweet potatoes for the first time. Click here to see pictures from the weekend. Notice his gobble gobble bib.

Logan turns 4 months old!

This was a busy month for Logan. Not only did he go to Atlanta twice (once by car and once by plane), he also sailed on a cruise ship for the first time and left the country for the first time. Because this past month was so busy, we had many blog entries detailing his Halloween photo shoot, attendance at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween, the Disney Cruise, his cousins' birthday party, and his first experience with solid foods. Logan also had his 4 month check-up and he now weighs 13lbs 12oz and he is 25.5 inches long.

Logan is growing up in front of our eyes. He is strengthening his neck and back muscles and is able to fully lift his head from a stomach down position. He is able to track voices by turning his head and his neck towards the sound. He is able to grab objects with his hand and move those objects between his 2 hands. He can turn over from his back to his stomach easily and on occasion has been able to turn the other way. He is going to bed earlier now and sleeping about 10 hours a night. As you'll see from the video in the previous post, he is doing a good job of eating solid foods.

Next month will be busy as well as he tries sweet potatoes for the first time at Thanksgiving dinner and starts daycare at Kiddie U. He'll also be old enough for new toys like his Baby Einstein jumper. Next month we will also have pictures of Logan celebrating his first Hanukkah. Remember to check the blog often for updates of Logan's adventures.

Logan eats solid foods for the first time

Logan woke up Saturday morning to a surprise - his first meal with solid foods. A little bit of formula and a tablespoon of rice cereal was the recipe for this appetizing breakfast. Although he didn't finish all of his cereal, he did prove that he can eat. Don't take our word for it, see the video on You Tube.

Logan goes to Atlanta for the Twins' Birthday

On November 8th, 2007, Logan's cousins, Jordyn and Benjamin, turned 3. We all flew up to Atlanta the next weekend to celebrate. This was Logan's third trip to Atlanta and second airplane experience. It was actually his 5th and 6th flight because his last trip to Ohio required a stopover in Atlanta. He did pretty well on the flight out, though he cried a bit at landing. He did great on the way back because he slept the whole time.

In Atlanta, he got to hang out with his cousins, aunt and uncle, and grandparents. The birthday party was at Monkey Joe's in Roswell, Georgia. For those of you who have never been to Monkey Joe's, it is an indoor playground with the large themed blow-up jumps and slides. Although Logan was too young to enjoy the place, his cousins certainly had fun.

See pictures of the birthday weekend here.

Logan sails on the Disney Wonder

On November 1st, 2007, Logan, Brian and Stefanie set sail with friends Clay and Wendi Harris on the Disney Wonder 3-night Bahamian Cruise. This was Logan's first cruise ever and he had a blast. We arrived at Port Canaveral on Thursday after dropping off the dogs at Puppy Dreams. The Port is about 1 hour from Orlando and we arrived just in time to board the ship and enjoy our first meal on the Disney Wonder.

The ship was absolutely beautiful and much nicer than any ship we had sailed with in the past. Everything was perfect with a little bit of Disney magic. We were on the 5th deck with a room big enough to accommodate Logan's Pack N Play and his play mat. Also on the 5th deck were the Lake Buena Vista Movie Theater and Flounder's Reef Nursery. The ship also had a special area for clubs and lounges called Route 66, where Logan was not allowed.

The first night was a bit rough because of Tropic Storm Noel. The seas had 12 foot high waves and everyone on the ship could feel it. Although Logan did fine, the rest of the party had to call it a night after dinner. The next day we arrived safely in Nassau where the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder found themselves in the same port for the first time in 3 years and the first time in 7 years they were both in Nassau. That morning, Logan spent his first couple hours in the Nursery while Stefanie and Brian used the ship's spa and fitness facilities. After lunch, we explored the city on foot for a couple hours before returning to the ship for the Martini Art Auction. That night Logan went to the Nursery again so that the adults could enjoy dinner at Palo's. Following dinner, we picked up Logan and got him dressed up for the Pirate Party.

The next day we arrived at Disney's private Island of Castaway Cay. By Saturday, Logan was so tired that he decided to take a nap on a hammock with his Daddy. The Island, though, had plenty to do from relaxing on the beach to parasailing. We opted for the relaxation and barbecue before returning to the ship for a DVC (Disney Vacation Club) presentation where we won $300 in a raffle. After the DVC presentation, we took some pictures and got ready for dinner and the show.

The entertainment on ship was nothing less than you would expect to see from Disney on land. In fact, it was even better. On the first night, we saw Hercules and the second night we saw The Golden Mickey's. The third night's show was called Dreams and was as good as the other two. As you can imagine, the Disney Cruise has its fair share of characters like Mickey, Donald, Minie, and Goofy.

We arrived back in Port Canaveral Sunday morning and it was sad to say goodbye to the ship we called home for 3 nights. We can't wait to make this adventure part of our family tradition. The cruise was not long enough to enjoy everything the ship had to offer and perhaps next year we will have to do a 7 day. For more pictures from our vacation, see our photo gallery.

Red Sox Win the World Series

On Sunday, October 28th, the Red Sox won the World Series against Colorado and Logan was all dressed for the occasion. In his Red Sox hat, shorts, and shirt, he cheered them on and when he woke up the next day, he found out his team had won 4-3. See his picture on the BornIntoIt Website.

Logan and Jared's Halloween Photo Shoot

For cute pictures of Logan and Jared dressed in their Halloween costumes,
http://smilestore.picturepeople.com/my/images?tk=376c034c-32bb-49ae-8cce-65b5a4d29c8b

Logan turns 3 months old!

On October 18th, Logan turned 3 months old and what a busy month he had - so busy that it took us an extra week to update the Blog. This month, Logan went on his first flight and his first 3 trips to Walt Disney World. He also spent 5 days away from us while we were on a cruise. He also worked his way through some developmental milestones like laughing, turning over, playing with more advanced toys, and moving on to 3-6 month clothing. He now weighs around 14lbs.

The month started with a family trip to Ohio to see the Norris family in their new home. Logan got to meet 3.5 year old Emma, 1.5 year old Addison, and their parents Jodi and Corey. We had to take two flights to get to Ohio and he did great. While in Ohio, we went to a Petting Farm, Pumpkin Patch, and King's Island (his first amusement park). He also had his first babysitter. To see some great pictures of the weekend, click here.

Logan had so much fun at King's Island, that we took him to EPCOT's Food and Wine Festival with his cousin Jared, Aunt Monica, Uncle Todd, Clay, Wendi, and Wendi's family. We also took him to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween with Clay, Wendi, Kim, Jason, Bill, and Peter. He was a pirate for the trip to the Magic Kingdom and he went on his first ride through the Haunted Mansion. To see pictures of Logan at EPCOT, Magic Kingdom, and other events, click here.

Coming Next Month... Next month you'll hear about his trip to Atlanta to see Debbie and her nieces; his first Cruise; his first Halloween; his Halloween Photo Shoot; and hopefully his first day of daycare.

Logan is 2 months old!

Yesterday Logan had his 2 month check-up with the Pediatrician. He is doing great. He now weighs 10lbs 13oz and is 22 1/4 inches long. He now smiles on command and is strarting to grab objects. He has already rolled over from his stomach to his back several times. As you can see from the blog, he went on his first long road trip to Atlanta and he will be taking his first airplane flight later this month. Click here for some pictures taken of Logan the past month.

Logan meets cousins Jordyn and Benjamin

After a 7 hour car ride, Logan finally got to meet his Aunt Hollie, Uncle Jonathon, and cousins Jordyn and Benjamin (almost 3 years old). Although the trip was short, he did get to spend several days with the family where he enjoyed tummy time, daily walks, a trip to the pool, an outing at Sweet Tomatoes, and another photo shoot at Picture People. Words can't capture the experience as well as the pictures themselves, so click here to see the professional photo shoot with the twins and click here for the amateur photos.

In Memory of Great Grandpa Bernie Levine

On Tuesday, September 4th at 10pm, Great Grandpa Bernie passed away from pneumonia and internal bleeding. Bernie would have been 90 in November. Although his passing was unexpected and sudden, he did live a full life and was loved by his wife, Elizabeth; his children, Howard and Linda; his grandchildren, Brian, Todd, Andrew, and Daniel; and his great grandchildren, Jared and Logan. Grandpa Bernie lived in Century Village in West Palm, FL. He really loved the children and had the opportunity during labor day weekend to spend time with his great grandchildren. Click here for some photos of the weekend. Grandpa Bernie will be missed by all who knew him, though they will be comforted by the fact that he did not suffer.

Debbie visits, Logan's first photo session

On August 26th, Debbie Shuman came from Boston, MA, to see Logan for the first time. She graciously agreed to come to Orlando and spend some time with Stefanie while Brian was in Atlanta for the CDC PHIN conference. Before Brian left for Atlanta, Debbie, Stefanie, and Brian went to Picture People to try out Logan's new found smile. We had to determine whether his talent for smiling was due to an abundance of gas or whether he could really be prompted to smile on request. As you can see from these pictures at the smilestore, at 5 and a half weeks, this boy could smile and pose.

Logan is 1 month old!

Well, it's been a month since Logan was born and already he has experienced so many things and new places. He has probably met over 100 people, been to several restaurants, and has been to the mall on several occasions. He is already growing out of his newborn clothing and started wearing his 0-3 month clothes. He is also almost out of the N diapers. We're just waiting to finish his current stock and then he is onto the next level. In terms of feeding, he is up to 4 ounces a feeding and normally consumes about 24 - 28 ounces a day which is average for his weight.

Everybody always wants to know if he is sleeping through the night. He is actually doing a great job in that category. Only once in the past couple weeks have we had to wake up more than once a night to feed him and last night (in celebration of his 1 month birthday), he slept the whole night (almost 7 hours). We are hoping that as he is more active during the day, he will sleep more at night.

In terms of his favorite 1 month activities? He goes from vibrating chair to swing to boppy to car seat to the baby bjorn. The rotation repeats throughout the day. He has a rattle that he likes and we tried Baby Einstein videos, but in general he likes to be in the sitting up position and he likes movement.

In his first month, he had two doctor's appointments. Both went well. All of his screening tests from the hospital were negative and he is looking forward to his vaccinations next month.

What did Logan get for his 1st month birthday? The Social Security Administration sent him his very own social security card. For some new pictures of Logan, click here.

Logan is Famous

Weighing in at 8lbs and 10 ounces, and barely one month old, Logan has already found his 5 seconds of fame when his picture was posted on the BornIntoIt Red Sox website. As seen above, Logan is proudly wearing his Red Sox gear for all the world to see. Click here to link to the actual photo in the BornIntoIt gallery or click here to see his picture amongst all the other pictures posted this month.

We're Home

Many of you have been asking for more recent photos of Logan now that he is home. He has been enjoying his time at home as he has had many visitors. He has also become close with the many animals in the house. Like most babies less than 2 weeks of age, he spends most of his time eating, sleeping, crying, and going to the bathroom. He has been much more alert and is beginning to distinguish between day and night. The swaddle blanket definitely helps in that category.

On Friday he had his first pediatrician appointment and he passed with flying colors. He was almost back to his birth weight - shy by only 1 ounce. The average baby gains back their birth weight within 2 weeks. Logan was born 7lbs 6oz and left the hospital 7lbs 1oz. He also measured at 20 3/4", which is 3/4" longer than his birth length. Must be all the bottles he has been drinking.

For more pictures of Logan, click here.

Born Into It

At less than 1 week old, Logan got into gear to watch his first red sox game. He is pictured to the right in his "Born Into It" onsie with his red sox infant hat, red sox receiving blanket, and red sox socks.

Logan's Brit Milah (7/25/07)

In the Jewish Religion, Jewish boys are welcomed into a covenant with G-d and the children of Israel through the covenant of circumcision on the 8th day after their birth. This mitzvah is called a Bris or Brit Milah. It is performed by a Mohel in the presence of family and friends followed by a celebratory meal (seudat mitzvah). For more information on the history and reasons for the Brit Milah ceremony, visit wikepedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brit_milah

Logan celebrated his Brit Milah on Wednesday, July 25th, 2007. His Mohel was Dr. Kaweblum. Over 50 friends and family joined Logan to celebrate. To see pictures of this joyous event, click here.

We're Going Home

After a couple days in the hospital it is time for Logan to take his first car ride and finally see the Nursery that we have spent months getting ready. The hospital stay was very nice. We got to try out two different wings of the Winter Park Memorial Hospital. Yesterday evening we were moved to the new building - The Dr. Phillips Baby Place. The rooms were much bigger and much nicer, though the accomodations for daddy weren't as nice. We have a couple more things to do today at the hospital like breakfast followed by a 10:30 discharge class. We hope to check out around noon today. Logan will be accepting visitors at the house. Just make sure to call before popping in just to make sure we are there.

Visitors Welcome!

After only one day, Logan is already taking visitors. He loves the attention. Stefanie's mother Barbara (pictured to the left) was the first family visitor followed by Glenn, Lara, and Maddie. Clay and Wendi arrived around the same time as Uncle Todd, Aunt Monica, and cousin Jared in the evening. Unfortunately, kids under 16 are not allowed in the hospital room unless they are siblings, so Jared didn't get to see his cousin, but there are plenty of pictures for him to view. Uncle Todd orchestrated a photo shoot last night and the images are available by
clicking here.

Thanks for the Flowers!

Thank you everyone for the beautiful flowers. They really brighten up the hospital room.

Logan is Born!

After less than 12 hours of labor, Logan Seth Levine was born at 10:50am on July 18, 2007 at Winter Park Memorial Hospital in Winter Park, FL. He was born 7lbs 6oz, 20 inches. Mother and baby are both doing great.

Click here for more photos

Logan's Nursery

A beautiful nursery will be waiting for Logan once he arrives in this world. His new room is equipped with a state-of-the-art video camera, iPod player, and wipes warmer. You'll also notice plenty of toys and even a chair for daddy and mommy to sleep while feeding Logan. He'll never want to leave this room.

Click here to view more pictures of the nursery.

Can you believe this technology?

It's amazing how advanced the sonogram has become since the time our mom's were pregnant with us. You can actually see eyelashes and a tongue.

Check out Logan's first photo shoot in the womb.

It's a ...

On March 8, we had a sonogram to determine the sex of the baby. As you can see from the picture, our little nugget is a boy.

Logan's first ultrasound

It was early January (only 12 weeks into Stefanie's pregnancy) when we first saw Logan for the first time. He was barely 2 inches. At that time, we didn't even know if it was going to be a boy or a girl.