TRIPLE DIGITS

Today Dakota is 112 days old!
On September 18, he turned 100 days old and we had to celebrate with pictures!!! Here are a few photos from that special day!

These photos are from June 27, 2009, when our darling boy was just 17 days old. WOW, how he has grown...already!...it is amazing to see and compare via the photos. What a cutie pie!!!

Banks Family Update

Hi there,
Just want to ask for your prayers for the sale of our home and for our search for a rental home.

We've prayed about my return to work and neither Andrew or I are at peace with it. We know my place is at home with Dakota and helping our family while Andrew gets through school.

This will mean HUGE financial sacrifice for our family since we are going from an 80 hour/week income to a 30 hour/week income (as Andrew is working less than full-time due to his heavy class load-17 credits), but we know the end results will be well worth it and we are excited about what this means for our family!

I returned to work on 9/9 and was warmly welcomed by all and it was nice to see many of my colleagues, but my last day will be 10/9. I will miss the great people I have meet at Dow, but I can't wait to get home to my baby!!!!!!!!!!!!

I feel SO blessed to have this opportunity and also to have a husband who loves his child so much that he's willing to give up many comforts & the "nice to haves" to make it possible for me to stay home to raise him, since that is the desire of my heart.

Pls keep us, the sale of our home, and all of these changes in your prayers.
Thank you.
Shannon

2 entries for the price of 1 - LOL!

The Good News: Today is Emily's 1st day of 11th grade! She is very excited!!! Go Dow & Go Emmy!!! Plus she gets to drive to school for the very 1st time, woot, woot!

Now for the Sad News: Tomorrow is "Doom Day", the day I return to work. This is how Dakota feels about it (and me too-CRY!). Dakota did spend 2 hours at his babysitters house yesterday and had a real fun time, so that is good and helps me feel better too.

12 Weeks Old

Hi there! Time for a much overdue update!
Dakota turned 12 weeks old on 9/2/09!! Seriously time flies! WOW!
We are all so impressed with our little man! He is an absolute joy! We thank God every day for our precious son, especially since we came so close to losing him immediately after birth.
Dakota just had his 5th & final Physical Therapy session for his head. His PT thinks it head will continue to smooth and round out on its own now.
Dakota has had a lot going on. 1st of all he is now just 13 pounds! At his last doctor check up, he was at 75% for height and 50% for weight. I have noticed he is growing out of some of his 0-3 month clothes, as he is getting too tall for them.
His personality is starting to show itself a bit. So far he seems to be a real sweetie, he is laid back and calm most of the time. Dakota is a total cuddle bug and he loves to be with people. He doesn't have to be the center of attention, but just loves to be near & able to see someone. He is very good at letting his likes and dislikes be known as well. When he doesn't like something he kicks and fusses and whips his arms around, it is super cute.
He has met new friends: Caleb, Cale & Brenton and saw "old" friends: Linden, Caden & Hudson again, what fun!
He has discovered his feet and more recently his hands/fists (He is very impressed with his fist!), he likes to look at himself in the mirror, loves playing with mom, dad & Aunt Emmy, and he is very good at tracking with his eyes. Speaking of, his eyes are definitely turning brown. For a while they were just dark with no real color, but now they are a nice dark brown and it appears they are not done changing/darkening yet.
Dakota LOVES to talk to us, oh my goodness.....He ooohs, coohs, lahs, mahs, goohs, gaaas and says very long "words" and sounds. One funny thing is that when we talk to him, often he waits until we are done and then makes a sound or one of his long words, and then we say something back to him and he answers back again! Amazing, isn't he?!?! We are surely impressed!
Dakota does NOT like Tummy Time. He sees no point in that when someone should obviously be holding him. His neck is quite strong and he can hold it up for some time now, but he does still need neck support.
He also does NOT like being scared. Aunt Emmy seems to think it is fun to startle him and daddy & I have both scared him on accident and he throws his arms up and screams his head off, until he gets hugs, kisses, and more hugs from his mama! When he is scared, no one but mama will appease him.
Despite the fact that Aunt Emmy likes to scare him, Dakota loves his Aunt! He really likes when she plays with him and all the fun noises she makes for him.
Back to his hands, Dakota is now grabbing at his toys and hits at the ones that make noise or play music! Dakota totally LOVES music!
He likes getting his diaper changed, which is a good sign, if you ask me, maybe we'll have a "clean" little boy! I can hope, right?!?
Dakota also likes taking walks and looking at trees and the leaves on the trees.
Another funny thing is on Wednesday, I was holding Dakota and he started crying an odd cry (he has 5 typical cries that I know what they mean, but this cry was different) and I looked down at him and he had a fist full of his own hair in his left hand that he was yanking on and ouch that hurt so he was crying and yanking and couldn't figure out what or why his head hurt, lol! Silly boy!
Finally, Dakota gives the BEST smiles ever! He smiles when he recognizes us and when he wants to flirt with his favorite Nurse Jenny, and when we play! It is SO cute when he flashes that giant toothless smile and soft eyes at us!
Here is Dakota on 9/2/09-12 weeks old and absolutely adorable! (Check out his outfit, it is the only 1 we have that says "I love Mommy" and it is my favorite! He'll be wearing it until he is busting out of the seems, lol!)

Daddy and Dakota, chillin on 9/1/09 - And then Dakota in his Bouncer, fun!


Aunt Emmy & Dakota on 8/31/09 - So sweet!


Here is Dakota with a Mohawk Aunt Emmy gave him, he screamed the whole time!


Dakota on 8/28/09 - Look at that adorableness!


Dakota and mama trying out the Sling we borrowed on 8/28/09 - We love it! - And then Mama & Dakota cuddling - precious times.

Here is Dakota and his friend Hudson on 8/20/09. Ready, set, STROLL!

This is Dakota and friend Caleb on 8/18/09. So cute!!

Thank you for checking in. We are so proud of our Dakota! He is such a joy and blessing to us!