A few pictures from Vito's first birthday

His first piece of birthday cake.  I hand decorated it with frosting rosettes in the shape of Big Bird who was one of his favorite Sesame Street characters.

Enjoying being barefoot and 1 year old

8 to 9 months old, getting around and discovering the world

What a great face and look at that adorable foot!

"Tree bark, interesting."  Everything goes in the mouth.

On the move.  In the background is the farmhouse we lived in at the time.  The owners lived in the back half and we rented out the front half.

"So what's Mom up to with that camera?"

7-8 months old

Well the bustle of the holiday has calmed and there's been some time to scan a few pictures.  They're of poor quality but after a little editing they're viewable.

At 7 months helping Mom pick up in the kitchen.

Happy Boy, 7 months

Dressed up like a little man for his first dinner out with Mom and Dad

8 months and he's so delighted to be able to crawl away from the Paparazzi.

More cute poses at 5 to 6 months old

Vito at about 5 months old being propped up after breakfast to ward off any stomach "upsets".  His tummy was very sensitive.  When Vito was a couple months old his Dad and I had a wedding to go to.  Nick, already dressed up in his suit, agreed to give Vito a bottle while I got ready.  Every thing went well until it was time to burp him.  In one projectile burp the whole bottle was spit up on the shoulder of his Dad's new suit.

Chewing on my Rubik cube key chain.

Looking so adorable!

Bath time at 6 months, 1984

Mmmm, yum, plastic...

 

     Vito loved bath time!  These pictures originally weren't very good, dark and fuzzy.  Last year for Christmas Scott got me the Corel photo editor and I used that program to fix them up a little.  Much better.

1984 3-4 Months old

Wow, too early in the morning for flash bulbs.

Getting a lift from Dad and loving it.

Pedals... what pedals?

Vito gets his first bike from his grandparents. Eventually he masters the pedals. At 15 months he is very determined and stubborn. When he wants to get out of his crib he just dives out. It hurts and he cries but he continues to do it. We start leaving the side down so he doesn't get badly injured (need to buy a bed). I love to cuddle with him but it doesn't last long because he's always on the go. When he finally falls asleep he looks like such an angel. Vito's babysitter gets another job so now her friend who we know is watching him while I'm in school. The Corvette has finally sold, bills are paid and there's some money left over. The plan is to buy a house. Shopping is fun.

Nice light

Christmas 1984 and Vito is old enough to realize something exciting is going on. He only opens a few of his presents and mostly plays with the paper but it's still fun for his father and I. We've moved for cheaper rent and between that, school, studying and taking care of Vito I'm totally wiped out. Sometimes dishes don't get done for a few days. Vito has a new babysitter and seems to handle that okay. We got some snow and I took Vito for his first sled ride down the slope near our driveway. Unfortunately the "sled" is a cardboard box that tips over halfway down and he gets a face full of snow. Not happy. Need to buy a sled.

Who is that guy?

Me, Mom, Vito and Mike getting together for some Christmas photos. Not a smile from either of the boys in any of these pictures that I have. The photographer only managed to alarm them. I'm going to hairdressing school at this point and Vito seems to be adjusting well. A nice lady that lives down the road babysits him. She has three young children and a very nice, clean house. School is interesting and the people there are nice. Our house isn't as clean as it use to be but Vito doesn't seem to notice.

Happy Birthday!

Here Vito is opening presents on his first birthday. To further mark the day he walked across the room for the first time. I made a cake decorated with Big Bird, his favorite Sesame Street character, and invited all the family over. His grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins all came. Luckily our apartment is huge and there was no problem accommodating everyone. We gave him a piece of cake and he promptly covered his face with it. He got lots of nice clothes and toys and really seemed to enjoy all the attention. I can't believe he is a year old already.

Standing tall

What a big boy! Vito has graduated from the kitchen sink to the tub. At 10 months he can wave bye-bye, get down from the couch and has taken his first step alone. He dances for the first time to the theme song from "The Jeffersons". He also has 5 teeth. This picture is a bit dark because it wasn't developed for 18 years. There is no money for pictures and jobs are scarce. The plan is for me to go to hairdressing school and open my own shop. My friend is a hairdresser and assures me there is good money to be made. I'm determined to succeed.

Summer days

Here are the boys enjoying the outdoors. At 7-8 months Vito can crawl on his hands and knees and stand up while holding on to something. He gets around pretty good and is into everything. Money is still tight so I'm washing dishes at a restaurant at night. It only pays minimum wage but helps us buy formula and diapers. I love playing with the boys but get tired quickly. We all take naps.

We are not in the mood for a picture!

Money is really tight since I quit my job. I start watching my baby brother Michael for my Mom while she works. He's almost eight months older than Vito and such a good boy. Unfortunately the green eyed monster has possessed my son. Because Michael is older he can do things that Vito can't. Michael feeds himself and Vito cries. He walks across the room and Vito screams. It's still a good experience for everyone and I have fun with them.

Toys, toys, toys

When Vito is happy he's soooo happy. In the grocery store people walk by and say "What a happy baby!" At 7 months he's doing the army crawl and has said his first word which is "Da da". It doesn't take him long to go through that big bowl of toys and get bored. Now that he can crawl I have to watch him every minute. I must wait for nap time to take my shower.

Bath time

Vito really started to love his baths at 6 months. The kitchen sink was easiest place to do it. There are new things he can do happening on almost a daily basis now. He can sit up on his own. He's getting teeth. He can hold his own bottle. One thing he doesn't do is stay entertained for very long. I carry him around on my back in a bright red papoose so I can do some housework without hearing him cry. Dinner preparation time is the most difficult for everyone in the house. Vito is fussy and we're too busy to dote on him. He sits in his nip nap on the kitchen table and screams.

Jolly Jumper!

This is a nice idea but it really wasn't Vito's thing. He could only stand being trussed up like a turkey for about 10 minutes tops. He's almost 5 months here and developing quite the personality. He's blown his first rasberry and knows his relatives now. The first time I heard him mock a cough I was in tears from laughing so hard. He can roll over and has discovered he can get across a room by rolling over and over again. Teething has begun and he can get really cranky. His hair hasn't gotten any longer and I actually think he has less than the day he was born. He' the most beautiful baby in the whole, wide world.