It's been awhile!

It's been almost two months since I've posted anything. Sorry, I've been horrible at blogging and posting pictures on Facebook. We've been incredibly busy!

So I have a little notebook where I've been keeping a list of things I've been meaning to blog. Tonight, when I went to make a note, I had to write on the side of the page and draw a little line to indicate it came next chronologically (you know, like you did when you were frantically taking notes in college)! At that point, I realized I was pathetic. I either needed to update this thing or delete it. So update I go.

Tyler is 4 1/2 months old now! We went to the doctor last week (Tyler got sick), and he weighs 16 lbs. 3 oz. He is learning new things every day. I love watching him play with his toys, picking them up and pulling on the hanging ones. He loves to roll around, over and over again. He sleeps 10 hours straight now! I never thought we'd get to this point, but little boy surprises us every day. He has the cutest personality, still very laid back. But he sure loves to talk and laugh at us!

Since I'm not about to type 33 separate posts, I'll just give you the bullet-pointed version of the past two months. There are pictures to accompany most of these, but I know if I attempt to upload them, I'll really never get this published.

October:

• We went to lunch with the girls from Free Market Foundation, my first post-college employer.
• We went to another playdate
• We went to the pumpkin patch at the Dallas Arboretum with Danielle and Jake
• Chad and I took Tyler trick-or-treating with the Baylor Mama Bears
• Tyler's first Halloween was so much fun! He dressed up as "Baby Bear," since that was Chad's nickname for him when I was pregnant. We had a little party, went to the neighborhood carnival and hayride where Tyler got his face painted, went trick-or-treating on our street and passed out candy to all the kids! It was a very busy day!
• Chad did a 3-month photo shoot with the little guy. The pictures turned out great. I'll have to post those eventually!

November:

• Tyler started rolling over (from front to back) really well!
• Our little boy started sleeping seven-eight hours straight! He would wake up to eat and then go back to sleep for another three hours!
• Tyler figured out how to use his voice. He started "talking" and making all kinds of sounds. We read that we need to ask questions and pause long enough for him to respond. That teaches children the flow of a conversation. And now, little buddy carries on "conversations" very well.
• He started reaching for toys and actually grabbing them to play. He also knows how to grab his paci and remove it. Hopefully, he'll master putting it back in, soon!
• The jumperoo is the best thing I've bought, by far. Tyler absolutely loves it! He just sees it in the morning and gets excited from across the room. He jumps so hard, I actually think he is breaking the metal legs. He'll jump for probably four hours a day.
• He's also really good at following objects and our voices. He can always find Mommy's voice!
• On Chad's birthday (11/15), Tyler rolled over from back to front. By Nov. 30, he mastered his new trick.
• Tyler celebrated his first Thanksgiving. Chad and I hosted and had our moms over for a big turkey meal. Chad fried the turkey, and I made my first stuffing ever. Tyler had fun playing with the grandmas!
• We got Tyler's hair cut for the third time! This time, we went to a baby salon in Allen. She did a really good job. Tyler actually fussed a little, but he was quickly laughing again once we got past the clippers.
• Tyler went to his very first Baylor football game! We took him to the Cowboys Stadium to watch Baylor almost beat Texas Tech. It was so much fun. Tyler loved watching the big screens. He didn't cry or even frown once, despite being surrounded by 76,000 people for four quarters of football. He was seriously happy ... looking around at all the people and watching the game! He dressed up in his "Future Baylor Bear" shirt and BU pants, and he got so much attention. Everyone stopped to talk to him, even the Red Raider fans!
• Tyler had a really good visit with Dr. Becker for his 4-month check-up. He weighed 15 lbs. 13 oz and was a little over 26 inches tall. His head measured 16 inches. He's still in the 75th percentile for weight, and he is in the 90th percentile for height. Dr. B said he's the average length of a 6-month-old baby, which explains why everyone always thinks he is older. He has reached all his milestones: babbling and cooing, recognizing voices, smiling and laughing, moving his eyes from one side to another, lifting his head, neck and chest off the floor, rolling over and controlling his head when in sitting position.

December:

• I have a former co-worker and friend who takes professional photos. We met up with him downtown Dallas for a Christmas photo shoot. He took some cute pictures that you'll soon see on our Christmas cards.
• Tyler started growling, which momentarily turned to squealing. Luckily, he is back to the low-pitch growl now. That one is cute!
• He is really starting to have a personality. He gets very frustrated when he's hungry and someone other than mommy is holding him. But most of the time, he's very laid back ... even when other kids are pulling his hair!
• Tyler loves holding things now. The lizard spinning toy on his jumperoo is his favorite. He will stand there and spin that for 20 minutes.
• We took Tyler to California! He flew on an airplane and took a picture with the pilot in the cockpit! Tyler saw a blizzard in the mountains, a wind storm on the beach and rain in the foothills! It was a wild geography lesson! The trip to visit family and friends went really well. I'll try to post these pictures, along with a longer description, later.
• Tyler rolls over multiple times now. Pretty soon, I'm going to need to baby-proof the house because he is really starting to move!
• Tyler started sleeping nine hours straight about two weeks ago. And this week, it turned into 10 hours straight! He wakes up to eat after 10 hours, and he usually goes back to sleep for another two hours! I'm so glad he is like mommy and daddy and enjoys sleeping in until 9 or 10 a.m.!
• Tyler had his first cold and ear infection. Tears.
• Our little boy absolutely loves to eat. Every time I feed him, he eats for about three minutes and stops to tell me thank you. He'll talk to me for a few minutes, eat, talk and eat some more. This makes feedings take a lot longer, but it's absolutely adorable. Even when he is eating, he smiles every few minutes. We've captured this on video a couple times. I know I'll cherish these when he starts solids in two months!
• Since Tyler can roll so well now, he has turned into a stomach sleeper. We asked the doctor, and he said it was fine since Tyler was so mobile. He could always roll himself back over, if he needed to. It's cute watching him sleep on his tummy, just like mommy!
• This rolling around has also made Tyler lose a little hair. He definitely has the "cradle cap" going on in the back. I'm not sure I like this look too much. Hopefully, all his curly locks will come back quickly.
• Tyler loves his room! He'll stare at his curtains and just laugh! And when he gets near his crib, he just looks down and smiles. I'm so glad he likes his bedding!
• And tomorrow ... we are going to Breakfast with Santa at the country club. I'm sure I'll have a lot more to share about Christmas. I can't believe it's next week! And hopefully, I can be better about posting in the new year!

No supplementing!

I've learned the most important lesson of being a mommy: stop getting stressed out. As Dr. Becker told me today, "the moment your first child is born, you will never sleep well again. Not because he is awake, but because you are worried about him." I guess it is normal to worry, but I definitely need to tone it down just a bit! :)

We pumped all day on Sunday and did bottles. Tyler did okay until about 1 p.m., and then all he wanted was mommy. I realized that babies actually do like the bonding of breastfeeding, and it made me feel very special! I had to "nurse" him twice during the 24 hour period, both times for comfort, because I had already pumped and nothing was left. At the end of the day, Tyler had only eaten 22 ounces, and I had pumped 23.

I called the doctor first thing this morning and rushed in for an appointment. I was told he needed to be eating 30-40 ounces a day, so I was very worried.

Turns out, those amounts are for formula-fed babies. It is impossible to measure the calories in breastmilk, since every mom's milk is different. And thus, the amount per day is based on each babies growth pattern. According to Tyler's weight and height, he only needs to be consuming 20 ounces of breastmilk a day! So we are perfect! Tyler measured 14 lbs, 13 ounces and 25 inches long, which is the 75% for weight and 90% for height. So he is still growing at the same pace! That is the most important part; doctors don't want to see any accelerations of decelerations in the pattern.

The doctor told us that we don't need to supplement at all anymore! This is a very good thing since Tyler HATED the formula! You should have seen the faces he was making when we tried.

As far as how often he eats (every 2 hours during the day), the doctor said it is nothing to cause concern. It is actually perfectly normal. He shouldn't be expected to go longer than 3 hours until he is 4 months old! He said that the Academy of Pediatrics just changed their recommendations, and they suggest demand feeding and sleeping until 4 months of age. So it is very good that we are allowing Tyler to make his own schedule!

I also asked him about rice cereal and starting solids. The Academy also changed the recommendation because they found that solids before 6 months of age can cause diabetes and allergies. Breastmilk alone supplies a baby with everything they need until 1 year of age. And the Academy does not recommend any solids (even cereal) until 6 months, at the earliest. Even then, you should only start if the baby demands it, as it is more of a developmental thing--not nutritionally necessary. So it looks like I'll be breastfeeding for 9 more months!

Here are a few other things the doctor said during today's appointment:
1) His birthmark is still fine. No worries at all.
2) He is ahead of schedule on his motor skills! More head control and arm strength than expected by this age.
3) Keep up the reflux medicine until at least 6 months, possibly even 1 year or longer. He was not happy that we were trying to take Tyler off of it.
4) Since Tyler is so mobile, we can't leave him alone on the couch or bed anymore.
5) His eczema is almost completely gone! Thank you hydrocortisone ointment!

I FEEL SO MUCH BETTER! I love our doctor. And I'm very glad we found someone who can calm me when I go first-time-mommy crazy!

The story of rice formula, to be continued

We finally called the doctor yesterday, since everyone was telling us something was wrong. No one thinks Tyler should be eating every 2 hours during the day (a total of 10-16 times a day).


He's been like this since he was born, and I've been losing weight from nursing ... so I wasn't complaining. I don't know anything different. Plus, I'm home with him. So I really don't mind. I've learned the secrets of getting things done quickly, between feedings. And I'm a seasoned pro at feeding in public.


But the doctor said he was a little worried that Tyler wasn't eating enough at each feeding. He thinks he may be snacking to pacify himself. Or he may just not be getting enough food, period. Since he is such a big boy (the average size for a 5 month old), he may just need a little more than breastmilk. This makes me very sad, because I've been a little proud of myself for sticking through the hard part of breastfeeding and keeping it up even though Tyler eats 1,000 times a day! But oh well, we do what's best for our children, right?!


So, we picked up some sample cans of Enfamil A.R (for added rice) from the doctor. The plan is to supplement 1-2 ounces after each feeding.


And I have to pump for 24 hours and give Tyler bottles this weekend. We need to make sure he is getting at least 30 ounces per day, which is impossible to measure from breastfeeding. He should be eating between 5-6 ounces at a time. So we also need to see if he can eat more at each feeding, since he only eats 2-3 when we give him bottles normally.


At this point, Tyler still won't touch the formula. We've tried four times now, and he makes a disgusted face and spits it out. I actually tasted it to see how bad it was! I wanted to experience what he had to go through. It doesn't seem that bad, but he wants nothing to do with it. The stuff is thick! We had to use a level 4 nipple just to get it to come out of the bottle, so maybe that has something to do with his dislike.



Anyway, this story is TO BE CONTINUED, because we're not sure how things will turn out. Will Tyler learn to like the formula? Will we keep supplementing after each feeding? Will he learn to eat less frequently? Is he even getting enough food? So many questions!

So much for rice cereal

Tyler is still on his 5 & 3 schedule, which doesn't bother me that much. I've become used to feeding him at 4 a.m. and burping him in my sleep!

But we thought we'd try the rice cereal trick, since he'll be 3 months old on Friday. I've had the box in the pantry, just waiting for that day to arrive. I had the expectation that it was going to be a magic mixture of sleep-filled nights and fully-rested mornings disguised as clever cereal flakes.

So much for that!

Tyler didn't mind the bottle. We took 3 ounces of my precious frozen milk and added 1 tbs. of cereal. We waited patiently, thinking we were going to put him down at 8 p.m. But no ... 1 hour and 20 minutes later, he was starving again. So I got brave. I added 3o ml of rice cereal to another 3 ounces of milk. He drank. He burped. He slept. And he woke up 4 hours and 59 minutes later to eat again.

I need to learn to love 5 & 3!

Learning to jumperoo

We got the jumperoo out this week. Tyler tested it out at Danielle's house, but we hadn't let him play in one at home yet. I was planning on waiting until his official 3 month birthday on Friday, but Chad wanted to start the leg exercises a few days early. So out came the Rainforest jumpy seat!

It took Tyler a couple tries to figure it out. You'll see by the pictures. At first, he was just bored. He liked chewing on the fabric more. But then, he learned that the lights came on when he jumped. And the fun begins. He still has a lot more learning to do, but I'm proud of my little guy for catching on so quickly.

Salon of Mommy and Daddy

Tyler needed another haircut, badly! So instead of paying $20 for a speciality kids cut, we thought we'd do it ourselves. We bought some fancy scissors, and tested out our styling abilities.

I attempted it first, and it wasn't going so smoothly. So Chad gave it a shot, while I held the baby. I think Tyler liked it, actually. That's because he can't tell in a mirror how badly we butchered his do.

Big Day Saturday

Tyler had such a big day today! I have to tell the whole story, chronologically, just so you can experience the feeling we did. It was one of pride and excitement, yet a tiny bit of sadness, because he is growing up so quickly!

In the morning, we all headed to Firewheel Shopping Center. Tyler was wearing his "Future Baylor Bear" T-shirt since it was Homecoming at Baylor. He looked all grown up, and it reminded me that in 17+ years, he'll be in college!

We had to exchange an outfit my mom bought him before we knew he'd be in the 95th% for height and 70th% for weight! We went to the boutique, and the only size that would fit was 18 month!

Next, we wanted to walk around, and Chad thought we should try the big boy stroller (without the carrier attachment) for the first time. Tyler loved it! He was sitting up, all strapped in and looking around at everything. He looked like a toddler!

Then, we went to the grocery store for diapers. I had to buy size 3, which didn't seem like a big deal until I realized they were marketed to crawling children! Oh goodness ... are we getting to that point already!?!?

So after the Baylor t-shirt, the 18 month clothing exchange, the big boy stroller and size 3 diapers, I had witnessed enough firsts for one day.

BUT TYLER WASN'T DONE SHOWING OFF FOR US! We got home, set him on his tummy to play, turned around ... AND HE ROLLED OVER!!!!

This was as much of the moment as we were able to capture:

Right after he rolled over (and off the mat)

Trying to do it again

He was happy and tired at the end!

No more baby!

Tyler is getting so big! We measured him, and he weighs a little over 15 lbs and is 25 in. long! It's not just his size that's shocking me, it's also his new alertness and activity level. He's not even 3 months old, and he doesn't seem like a baby anymore, tears!


My schedule during the day with him has changed a lot. No longer can I put him in his bouncy chair, swing or playyard and get my chores done. Now, he is awake the majority of the day and wants to play. He has put himself on a pretty regular schedule, taking a nap around 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Grandma Mac was right ... babies set their own schedule in time, and it was completely effortless.


So during his awake time, we've been practicing rolling over, learning new textures and working on mimicking sounds. He is way better at cooing "da-da" than "mommm-ie," but we'll get there.

I'm just so amazed at how different he is now. There is just so much more interaction! I'm really starting to LOVE being a mommy! This little guy is just so perfect!


He played so hard, that he fell asleep on the floor!










My mom taught him how to paddy-cake!

Tyler Meets Big Tex

Tyler went on his first trip to the State Fair of Texas!

It was hard to get to the fair this year; the weather just wasn't cooperating! I've gone every year since 2003, so I wasn't about to let a little rain stop us! We finally made it out there on Saturday, October 17. Yes, it was TX-OU weekend! We planned it perfectly and arrived at the same time as kickoff. So, it was empty the first several hours. We left right as the game ended and a flood of orange and red swarmed the fairgrounds.

Tyler had a really good time. He actually stayed awake for a little while in the car show. I had him in the Baby Bjorn, and he had fun looking around at everything. He also enjoyed the animals (are we sure this is my son?!). We thought he was asleep, but as we passed the little lambs, he started laughing. We looked in the stroller, and he was just smiling at the sheep. Adorable! Oh, and thank you, Huggies! We both loved the baby care tents!

Playtime

Tyler has been very active lately, playing with toys and watching himself in mirrors. He's been cracking us up with his baby noises and giggles. After about 100 attempts, I finally caught a couple of these moments on camera.

He was playing in his bouncy chair earlier this week. I love these little giggles. This is also proof that I need a little lesson on animals and their accompanying noises.



Tyler discovered himself in the mirror in his swing. He smiles and sticks out his tongue at it! So cute! Listen for his extra little sound effects!




This video is the best. We put the mobile back on his playard, now that he can see and play with toys. He loves it! Everytime I put him in it, he immediately starts smiling. Here is a video of Tyler entertaining himself; he was very excited about the little animals.





Here is Tyler experiencing a jumperoo for the first time last week at the Tyler's house (Stephen, Danielle and Jake Tyler, that is). Thanks Jake, for letting us borrow your favorite toy! Tyler
wasn't too sure about it at first, but I think he liked it after the Bumbo modification.
















Yesterday, I put Tyler in the nursery to play. At first, he was happy just resting on the fluffy rug. This week (according to the development charts), he learned the difference between textures. Later, I brought him some toys and laid him VERTICALLY in the activity gym. I checked on him a few minutes later, and this is how my little mischievous man looked. He scooted himself right out of the mat and gave me his proud face when I questioned him about it.

The Pumpkin Patch

We took Tyler to the Pumpkin Patch to pick out his very first pumpkin. There were so many good ones to choose, but we thought we'd get an extra large one so we could set Tyler in it and take a picture (coming soon).

Tyler loves getting dressed on his changing table. He always giggles and smiles. I wonder if he'll like fashion when he grows up, or if he just likes me telling him how cute he is! Since we have so much fun with outfits, I put him in his "My First Halloween" onesie. And of course, we had to have the matching pumpkin hat and bib. Did you notice that mommy and daddy are matching, too?!

2-month check-up, 5 & 3 and shots

We took Tyler for his 2-month check-up yesterday with Dr. Becker. Everything went really well. Tyler measured 24 1/2 inches long (95th percentile) and 13.1 pounds (75th percentile). He has been growing at the exact same rate since birth, and the doctor is very pleased! He's on track to be around 6'2." Dr. Becker joked that next time, he'll be carrying me in, not the other way around, he he.

We discussed how often he is eating (still every two hours during the day), and the doctor said that he is actually eating perfectly. He should be consuming 20 ounces a day, and he eats almost exactly that, since he only eats around 2 ounces at each feeding (I assume, based on pumping amounts).

I also told him about our five and three schedule. No matter what time Tyler goes to sleep at night, he always sleeps five hours, wakes to eat, and then sleeps three hours. Doctor Becker was very impressed, because he said that he shouldn't be expected to sleep that long until he is 4 months old! And he doesn't want him going longer than six hours without eating, so it is perfect! Whew, I feel so much better now!

The reflux is getting better, but we are going to keep up the meds for another month. We also learned a trick to keeping his skin moist without irritation from scented lotions --Vaseline! We're happy because this is way cheaper!

All Tyler's motor skills are ahead of the average, which is great to hear. I was worried he was behind, since he was three-plus weeks early. He holds his head up better than expected, and he's been doing all these milestones for a couple weeks now:

• coo and vocalize reciprocally
• listen to voices
• move his eyes to follow an object
• smile back at us
• lift his head, neck and chest during tummy time
• keep his hands open when at rest ( the "bow and arrow" and "superman" poses)
• control his head for a short time when held upright
• stop crying when we talk to him
• grasp a toy

Tyler also got his first shots. Surprisingly, he did pretty well. I thought we'd both be pretty brave, since I'm a huge fan of medicine! But I didn't expect Tyler to stop crying so quickly afterward. Chad posted the video last night, if you wanted to watch our little guy. He did get a little fussy and cuddly, when we got home. But as long as we were holding him, he was okay.

Here are some pictures from the office visit.

I love this expression!

Waiting with Daddy

Tyler was very cooperative during the exam. He even held Dr. B's hand to let him know he was doing a good job!

All recovered after the shots

Happy Shots Day! Tyler's First Shots

More info coming soon. Heather will update with all the doctor visit info. Our little man took his medicine and took it suprisingly well. Only a little crying and he recovered quickly.

So behind, sorry!

I haven't been doing that great at keeping up the blog. Sorry everyone! Not that I should make excuses, but Chad was out of state for three whole weeks for work. I lost 17 lbs, because I didn't have time to eat. So, yes ... the blog fell on my list of priorities! But you'll forgive me, right!?

Tyler is a great little baby! During the last few weeks, I've taken him to several playdates. He enjoys his time with Carter, Jake, Tre, Charlie, and the Baylor Mommies group. He is learning to pick up toys and interact with people better, which is really fun to watch. He is also a great "errand-boy" as Grandma calls him. He loves running errands with mommy. Although we can't handle grocery shopping yet, because I can't see over the cart with the carrier inside. (I'll bet you never thought of that challenge before!)I've learned the secrets to nursing pretty much wherever I am, and I consider myself a pro at the car backseat, bathroom stall and dressing room feeding positions. Thank you, Sarah, for my handy nursing cover!

While Chad was gone, Tyler hit a super fussy phase. He is normally a very calm and happy baby, so I was overwhelmed when he cried for nearly a week. After five days of insanity, (sidenote: a baby's cry is really a severe form of torture), I took him to the doctor and learned that his tummy can't handle dairy products. So no more milk in my morning coffee. But, what's one more sacrifice?!

After that, he is pretty much back to normal, pleasant baby. He's had a few growth spurt days, when he was eating every hour and 20 minutes. But I'm trying not to complain about those, since it's helped me lose 47 lbs.

Since I've been horrible at posting, here are the highlights of the last several weeks:

• Tyler got his first haircut on Sept. 12.
• He had many happy moments with the grandmas, who gladly watched him when I was at my limit.
• He met all my old co-workers from the Dallas CVB.
• He went to the Arboretum for a Mamma Bears event.
• Tyler and I had a date at Urban Taco!
• He started smiling and doing a slight giggle ... especially when we made a miss-you card for Daddy.
• We packed up all his 0-3 month clothes, only to realize that the 3-6 month ones are already getting too short.
• He played with Auntie Rachel several times, and he really liked it when she taught us how to comb his hair into a mohawk in the bath.
• He discovered his numerous toys, and mommy's pretty living room turned into a primary-colored playground.
• We went to dinner at Jon and Leanne's, and Tyler met Kit!
• Tyler went to his first birthday party! Happy 4-year-old birthday, Andrew!
• He visited Grandma at work and got really scared when she showed him the Halloween decorations, awe!

There is no way I could post pictures from each of these things, so here are just a few of my favorite:

Six Weeks of Tyler Aaron

Tyler will be 6 weeks old tomorrow! We feel like he has grown so much. We've tried to actually measure, but newborns aren't the most cooperative.

Life with baby has been an adjustment. Although we have six Dallas friends with infants, I don't think we had any idea how much work it was going to be. Chad may disagree with me on that, but he isn't the one breastfeeding!

Challenging? Yes. But Baby Tyler is well worth it. Every time I get overwhelmed, he smiles up at me, and I remember why I love being a mommy.

Tyler has already changed so much during these last six weeks. Here are a few of his milestones:

Appearance:

• His hair has grown even longer (possibly because he's pulled it so much).
• His feet are almost as big as mine, officially wearing 12-24 month socks!
• He has Daddy's hands, feet, mouth and alien ear.
• He has Mommy's crazy hair (cowlicks included).

Motor/visual skills:

• He holds his head up for brief periods of time.
• He is learning to play with his toys.
• He can knock things away with his hand (including toys, pacifiers and boobies ... ha ha).
• He can look at us and smile. (This is the best!)

Sleeping habits:

• He's been sleeping in his own room for two weeks.
• He loves his nighttime routine: bedtime bath, bedtime lotion, dinner (second course) and sleepy time. Sometimes Daddy reads him a nighttime Bible story, and that's his favorite part.
• He sleeps around four hours during the night! Mommy goes to sleep after the bedtime feeding; Daddy gives a bottle at midnight. And Baby Tyler doesn't wake up again until 4 a.m., then again at 7 a.m.

Eating (and more):

• He still drinks one or two bottles (pumped milk) a day, but I think he is learning the difference and isn't happy about it.
• His reflux still hasn't improved, but mommy and daddy are getting better at "catching" the throw-up.
• He cries when he poops. I understand ... it's icky, right?

Activity:

• He is great at running errands and loves his carrier.
• He still loves music, but we can't determine his favorite genre yet.
• He enjoys our walks around the neighborhood, although he sleeps most of the time.
• He still loves cuddling with Daddy (just like Mommy).

As Chad said, we've been trying to film many of his firsts. Today, I was able to capture him playing with his toys! Be patient with this one; the funny part is in the middle of the video.

Fun times with 1-month-old Tyler

What a good laugh ... our son has found his full head of hair. His hands reach it so easily and then, yank ... cry!! And for this occasion, he topped it off with a good pee on dad.

Daddy's photoshoot images

I'm back on the blog ... It's only been a month, ya know! Thanks, Chad for adding updates the past several weeks!

Coming home with baby was way more work than I ever expected. But we love it. Tyler is growing like crazy. He weighs 9 lbs, 11 oz and has grown more than 2 inches in length (according to the last doctor visit). He is in the 95th percentile for height and 75th for weight. Doctor said that he is on-track to be 6'2".

He doesn't sleep much at night, but we are hoping that gets better. He loves his swing and knows how to blow kisses (with much coaching). Chad took some really great pictures of him on his original due date. Hard to believe he was already three weeks old!

More posting later, need coffee and sleep (in that order).

More photos

YouTube Videos - Keeping Memories and Sharing with our family

We've been taking short videos of Tyler as he is growing up. I know 11 days old doesn't sound like much but we're capturing as much as we can so we can reflect on these first moments with our son. All of our friend's kids have grown so quickly and they wished they would have recorded more. On their advice we are doing our best to capture these limited times.

Baby's First Bath

Tyler Pictures

We finally were able to cull through the pictures so we could share the experience of baby Tyler with our friends and family. Here is the link to our web album on google.

Click Here For: Tyler Aaron McKinney Pictures

Tyler Aaron McKinney has arrived!

On the evening of July 30th at 7:54pm at Baylor Dallas, Tyler Aaron made his appearance into our world. He was:
8lbs 15oz
20 1/8 in Length
14 1/4 in Chest
13 3/8 in Head

Full head of hair along with very strong and vocal lungs. Heather did a wonderful job with labor. She labored for 21hrs and pushed for 2 hours. He stopped at station +3 and she ended up with a ceserean delivery. Mom had a tough recovery due to an allergic reaction to the Astromorph given for the operation. But she is now up on her feet slowly moving around and being a great mom to Tyler. They have bonded and are feeding well.
I'm truly impressed with my wife and the way she handled the pain and surgery. It was one of the most emotional experiences watching her deal with the pain and bring our son into the world. We have become closer and stronger as husband and wife. I felt like I couldn't do enough to help or meet her needs.