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!