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: