Our sweet David!

I want to write a post for our precious little prince, our son David Refael.  I haven't been keeping a paper journal for him, but I will add this to his special mementos collection... below I will write about his baby months so far, what he is like as a baby, and what kind of impact he has had on our family.

David has brought so much love and affection into the world!  He is the apple of our eyes, the center of our family!  Everyone in our family adores him in an overflowing amount!  He has captured the hearts of many of his sisters' friends.  He has a few special friends from the bigger kids group- cousin Avi, Leon, and Tzipora.  They treat him with such love. He really looks like a combination of both his sisters, and sometimes I look at him and think I see my brother Joe's resemblance too.



We have a lot of nicknames for him.
Nesi: Dov Dov, Prince Refa
Mommy: Dovidill, Prince Love Bug, Tiny Prince
One nickname we hope will catch on later that we heard from someone else is "Speedy Davidy."
We like to say to him, "Some day you're going to be the king!" Or, "You're such a good little prince."
I tell Robert that David is very busy growing, and doesn't have time for a lot else.  He slept SO much as a little baby.  B"H (Thank G-d,) he's a great little shluffer (sleeper!)  (Coming from a somewhat-insomniac mom, I seriously pray my kids will be great, easy sleepers for life!)

He was a very good natured little guy, and still is.  Very bright-eyed and bushy tailed.  I love being with him every moment!  I am so thankful to Robert for providing for us so I can stay home with our little love.  Robert is working very hard and very smart(ly) to do that!

Now David is 5 months old and bli ayin hara is a good sleeper.  He is also our first thumb-sucking baby.  It's quite a wonder that he can sooth himself.  He nurses very often, usually at least every two hours during the day, but that is fine, because I absolutely treasure it!

He has been rolling over from tummy to back for at least a month, maybe since two months ago.  He sleeps on his tummy mostly, because he likes to flip over.  We swaddle him up to under his arms.

David loves playing on his tummy, rolling back and forth, and has sometimes traversed a room by rolling.  He is always putting- no, stuffing his hands or a small toy into his mouth.  Or my hands, whatever he has.  He likes to hold his head and neck super straight up and has been doing this from his first week!

David started smiling at about 3 months old and it was a magical moment when we could see the twinkle of his personality and neshama from that beautiful wide open grin.  He laughs, but not so consistently.  Sometimes he laughs infectiously when we sing a random song, like "Open and Shut Them."  He also laughs when he lays on his back on a bed or couch and gets lightly bounced.  It's super cute!!!

Adira is known for crooning so lovingly to him, and Nesya for literally covering him with hugs and kisses.  They are so good and helpful with him.  They can take him out of his crib in the morning and change his diaper even!  They are amazing and loving sisters.  They are so helpful with him.

More meanings for his first and middle name (which we have already written/spoken about, but I wanted to share something extra about his middle name too.
He was named after King David. The name means "beloved," which he is so very much!
I was talking to a friend (actually a girl I used to teach who is now a teacher herself!) and saying that we named our two daughters after our mothers, but didn't name David after anyone.  Then I realized that David's middle name, Refael, is truly inspired by our healing and wholeness that exists even after the loss of our mothers.  Refael means "G-d heals."  In a lot of ways this sums up how our spirituality gives us a wholeness and peace that otherwise would be hard to find.  So that, in a succinct form, is an interpretation of our name choice that I only fully realized my reason for months later.

We are so thankful and in love with our little boy, and hope his light will spread far and wide in the world and that he will have a long, healthy, happy, meaningful life.