The Occasional Blog

Birthday Preview

2012-01-10T22:18:00.000-08:00

I'm getting so excited for Grayson's first birthday. Planning for his party gives me a creative outlet and takes the focus off the fact that my baby is going to be ONE! Tears. Here is a sneak peek at some of the design elements of the big event.

Milestone month

2011-12-22T20:47:00.000-08:00

Grayson is quickly catching up, after his months of being sick. In the past several weeks, he's started talking, crawling and even got a tooth!

He still has a really long attention span. And even though he is mobile, he doesn't just crawl for the sake of moving. He makes cautious, intentional moves either toward a toy or his brother. When he gets to his object, he'll sit there and play with it for a long time. Well, unless of course, the object is Tyler who runs away when Grayson reaches him. Grayson loves to chase Tyler through the house. They both laugh loudly, giggle and scream when they get to eachother. It's so fun to watch.

On a less positive note, he was diagnosed with iron deficiency at his doctor visit on Tuesday. We started giving him prescription-strength iron supplements, and we will check his levels again in two weeks. We also started treating him for asthma. Although the doctor is hesitant to call it that just yet, we went ahead and started the treatment in hopes it will keep him healthy and prevent more respiratory infections. We do at least two preventative breathing treatments a day, morning and night. And we also do another type of breathing treatment when he starts to wheeze.

Okay, back to good news because this health stuff depresses me. Grayson has been catching up developmentally and even gaining weight! He gained a whole pound in the 10 days between doctor visits! He's now 9 lbs and 6 oz. I knew there must have been a growth spurt in there somewhere, because he outgrew all his 6-12 month clothes and his size 3 diapers seemingly overnight.

Here is a full list of his recent milestones. I'm chronicling these mostly for my purposes (the baby book is nearly complete), but you may enjoy reading as well.

First official "Grayson Day" - Nov 2
Last time to nurse (tears) - Nov 4
First Baylor football game - November 5
First time to eat puffs - Nov 8
First surgery- Nov 23
First time to say "dada" - Nov 28
First time to say "mama" - Dec 1
First official crawl - Dec 6
First time to meet Santa - Dec 8
First time to taste "table food" - Dec 8 (a banana at Cheesecake Factory)
First time to try a sippy cup - Dec 9
First tooth - Dec 20
First time to get one leg into a standing position (I need a picture to explain this) - Dec 21

Here is a photo of his first tooth. Look closely. It's the one coming in crooked in the bottom middle. He's my son. Here's to awkward years of braces, ha.

Here are some photos from his 9-month picture session. I love the progression of his crawling off the chair.

Grayson's 9-month stats

2011-12-14T21:10:00.000-08:00

A longer post is warranted, but unfortunately, you'll just have to deal with this. :)

Weight: 18 lbs 5.5 oz (14 percentile)
Height: 29 1/2 in. (84 percentile)
Head circumference: 17 1/2 ( 24 percentile)

His iron levels are low, so we must start vitamin supplements again. He reached all of his milestones, except one, which is a significant improvement from the last visit.

The all-good-news health updates

2011-12-14T21:06:00.001-08:00

I wanted to give you all a quick update on our latest medical adventures.

Grayson went for a post-surgery follow-up appointment with the ENT (ear, nose and throat) doctor. The audiologist repeated the same hearing tests, and Grayson did remarkably well. His hearing is back to 100 percent, and all parts of his ears are working perfectly. The tubes will continue to prevent fluid from building up, so infections and subsequent hearing loss should not be an issue. The doctor was very pleased with Grayson's progress and responsiveness. He did bring up the possibility of an adenoidectomy in the near future. Grayson has another chest cold, and the doctor wants to monitor the frequency of these. We go back in six months. If he has remained chronically sick, we may schedule the surgery to remove his adenoids. If not, he will wait and do it at the same time as the second set of ear tubes. The doctor said that we shouldn't take his RSV diagnosis lightly. It could take a year to fully recover from it. And since Grayson has already had RSV twice and bronchitis twice, it's not surprising that he has lingering respiratory issues. But overall, it was great news! Our little guy is doing wonderfully.

As you know, my thyroid has not been functioning properly since Grayson was born. Today, I went to see an endocrinologist, Dr. Baum, at Medical City Dallas hospital. Turns out, there is a good reason that my primary care doctor couldn't figure out what was going on ... it's because there is absolutely no medical explanation for it. My body is healing itself, without medicine. To make a very, very long diagnosis easy to understand ... I'll just say that I am getting better. In my opinion, the entire conversation did nothing but prove the ever-present and powerful nature of our God. The auto-immune disease (Hashimoto's thyroiditis) is no match for prayer. He said that if my levels continue to decline, I will have no symptoms in about three months. I go back in March for more blood work, but it looks like the first quarter of 2012 will start on a positive note.

Thanks for supporting us during a rough year. It's been a challenge battling Kawaskai Disease, thyroid issues and Grayson's chronic illnesses. It's not surprising that when we asked Tyler what he wanted from Santa, he responded with "Tylenol." Ha!

Merry Christmas from the McKinneys

2011-12-08T19:18:00.001-08:00

Pee Pee in potty

2011-09-21T20:25:00.000-07:00

Tyler went "pee pee in potty" for the first time tonight! After numerous attempts of "mommy, it boke. It boke," he finally got it to work. We are so proud!

I'm not ready to potty train yet, but this is definitely progress!

Grayson is half-a-year-old

2011-09-13T09:35:00.000-07:00

Grayson is 6 months old ... I just can't believe it!

He is so cute these days, laughing and smiling at mommy, daddy and big brother. He is a very focused child. He'll sit and figure out a toy 10 minutes. He definitely has my self-motivation and drive and Chad's engineer brain. He rolls over, but doesn't go far. It cracks me up that he is more content staying on one general area and figuring out the toys in that spot. That's very different from his brother, who at this age was rolling himself under furniture and across rooms. He sits up really well without any assistance, and plays with his feet the majority of the time. He's serious and quiet, yet he'll laugh and have fun ... especially when you tickle him. He loves his thumb and sucks on it when mommy isn't looking. (I quickly replace it with a paci every chance I can, since I don't want him to develop that habit.) He sleeps from about 7:30 p.m. to 6 a.m., and loves his crib. He's just a pleasant, peaceful and content little baby. And I love him with all of my heart.

Grayson has been pretty sick the past two months. First, he got an upper respiratory infection, which turned into a sinus infection. Then, he was diagnosed with RSV, and soon after, he developed bronchitis and double ear infections. We've been praying for him a lot lately, and I finally think he is on the mend. He still wheezes a little and is congested, but it's improving. And we are incredibly thankful.

Here are his stats from his 6-month well check:

Weight: 15 lbs., 15 oz. and 22 percentile
Height: 27 in. and 69 percentile
Head circumference: 16.5 in. and 8 percentile

Choo Choo, Tyler turned 2

2011-08-21T19:27:00.000-07:00

Our sweet little boy turned 2 years old on July 30. I feel so blessed to be his mommy, sharing two wonderful years watching him grow, learn and get into trouble.

Two-year-old well visit

Chad took Tyler to see Dr. Alvis for what I assumed would be a quick, simple and routine well check. I stayed home with Grayson, so I could feed and keep him away from any potentially contagious bugs. We had no idea that the 2-year-old well check included hearing and vision tests. I was disappointed that I missed the appointment, because Tyler failed both tests. His "report card" from Dr. Alvis said that he failed vision on both eyes and has astigmatism. Chad assured me that we don't need to see the specialist, as Dr. Alvis said it would hopefully resolve before his third birthday. He also failed his hearing test on the right side. However, I'm not letting him use this excuse when he doesn't listen to mommy! We should be able to wait and retest next next year, unless we feel it's something that needs to be addressed immediately.

Here are his stats:

Weight: 26 lbs., 8 oz. and 30 percentile
Height: 35 in. and 66 percentile
Head circumference: 19 in. and 38 percentile
BMI: 15.21 kg and 12 percentile

Birthday celebration

When Tyler woke up in the morning, Chad and I rushed into his room--camera in hand--singing "happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you ..." Tyler loved it and immediately started dancing to the tune.

For breakfast, I made his favorite food, pancakes, shaped like the number two. This is also a little birthday tradition we started last year. Tyler ate like a big boy and played with us for the rest of the morning. We put him down for a nap a little early at 11:30 a.m., hoping he would get enough sleep before his big party. Of course, little boy was so excited he didn't go to sleep until 20 minutes before we left for Gymboree.

The birthday party at Gymboree Play and Music was incredibly fun. Tyler was joined by 19 of his closest buddies, doing train-themed activities and playing on the equipment. He was so adorable running around, laughing and hugging the Gymboree Play Leader. His favorite activity was the "Little Engine that Could." The toddlers walked up an inclined, soft structure, saying "I think I can, I think I can." When they got to the top, they shouted, "I know I can." And they jumped off the four-foot elevated surface. After about 45 minutes, we went into the party room for cake and ice cream. Tyler blew out his candles, sat at a long table with his friends and enjoyed his chocolate cake. Then, we headed back to the play area for parachute time, bubbles and a visit from Gymbo, the Gymboree clown.

Tyler fell asleep as soon as we got in the car, and he continued his nap for a couple hours after arriving back home. When he awoke, we had all his presents displayed on the fireplace. He paused to ask for more cake, then immediately ran over to start opening them. We were prepared to bribe him with the cake, but he actually enjoyed opening each and every present. Surprisingly, the cards were his favorite thing to open. He loves books, so I'm thinking it was an extension of that. He tore open each envelope, looked at the words and pictures and asked us to read it aloud. It was adorable!

We had planned to take Tyler out for a big dinner, but changed our mind, as bedtime was quickly approaching. Instead, I brought his favorite dinner home--bean burritos! After dinner, we took a picture by the oven clock at exactly 7:54 p.m., the time he was born two years prior. This is another annual tradition I hope to continue.

We did our normal nighttime routine with Tyler, and I think Chad and I both spent some extra time in his room, rocking and basking in the moment. Our little boy is growing up so quickly, and once again, I wish he had a pause button.

Overall, it was a wonderful day. There were a few little hiccups, which I'll list because I think it's funny to mention them. They were insignificant, and I'm sure no one noticed but me. Nonetheless ...

- Tyler had a bad hair day (I accidentally put too much gel in it, and I ended up washing it in the Gymboree bathroom moments before the party started).
-Tyler was exhausted, since he only napped for 20 minutes prior to the party.
-The cake was hideous. I totally ruined it by adding sprinkles in a stripped pattern. It wasn't a brilliant idea, but there was no turning back. Thankfully, it still tasted good.
-We forgot to serve the bottled water to the adults, and we ran out of ice cream.

I'm not a fan of the picture upload tool on Blogger, so here are the links to the pictures I've already uploaded on Facebook and Picassa:

Tyler's photo shoot pictures

Tyler's birthday party

Tyler opening presents

Happy Birthday Tyler Aaron! Mommy, Daddy and baby brother Grayson love you very much!

Just wanted to share ...

2011-07-30T20:49:00.000-07:00

Chad always says that I post too much online, but I just feel like I need to explain the obvious. I'm looking at pictures from Tyler's party, and it's fairly obvious that I've gained a lot of weight since Grayson has been born. I just want my friends and family to understand what is going on with my health.

I have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism. My TSH level should be .3-5.1. However, mine is 49.2. The doctor said it's an autoimmune disease where I produce an antibody that shuts down my thyroid. The antibody, Thyroid peroxisade AB, should be less than 35. Mine is 740! There is nothing I can do about the high level of antibody. It will always be there, which means I will be dealing with hypothyroidism for the rest of my life. The doctor started my treatment last week, which involves setting an alarm and taking a pill at the same time every day. I go back for blood work again in 3 weeks, followed by more tests several weeks later. We continue the process until I establish a healthy thyroid level.

At my current levels, I am gaining almost a pound a day! It's just insane to me, and I am really struggling with the effects, both physically and emotionally.

Additionally, I have been struggling with some post-baby emotional issues (as well as a recurrence of my migraines). The doctors are trying to regulate my hormones, which are causing an array of symptoms. Thus far, I've tried four different medications. Hopefully, that will level out soon.

I know this is probably more information that anyone really needs to know. It's a difficult time for me, and I'm not sure I have vocalized that to everyone. I would just really appreciate understanding, support and prayers. Thank you, friends.

Grayson 4-month well check

2011-07-11T19:28:00.000-07:00

I thought about catching up and posting Grayson's 2-week, 1-month and 2-month well visit stats before this one. But then I remembered that I renamed the blog, so I wouldn't have to stress about getting behind on posts. Let's just say that he was about average those other months and definitely hitting all his milestones.

4-month well visit stats:

Weight: 14 lbs, 4 oz. and 32 percentile
Height: 25 1/4 inches and 57 percentile
Head circumference: 16 and 12 percentile

We're going to start solids tomorrow. I'll admit, Chad and I both got teary-eyed thinking about starting rice cereal. We don't want our little baby to grow up. He's so precious and adorable. We SO love the baby phase!

On another note, Tyler is gaining weight! Yay! He lost more than 2 lbs when he was sick and in the hospital in April. He is up to 25 lbs and 8 oz now. We have his 2-year check in another several weeks. Maybe he'll make it to 26 lbs by then! Speaking of 2-year checks ... I'll just admit now that I will most certainly be that mom that cries hysterically when her child goes to kindergarten. I want to cry now that Tyler is nearly 2 years old. He is growing up so quickly, and as much as I try to treasure every moment. It's passing by too quickly.

The Arrival of Grayson Robert McKinney

2011-05-02T16:57:00.000-07:00

Although this post is nearly two months late, it comes with no less excitement. We are overwhelmed with thankfulness at the birth of our beautiful baby boy, Grayson Robert.

At my last OB appointment, we discovered that Grayson was measuring extra large. Our doctor moved the scheduled c-section to Monday, instead of Wednesday that week. He suggested Friday, but that was my sister-in-law's scheduled induction for her baby, Logan Christian McKinney. (Yes, the cousins were born two days apart.)

On the morning of March 7, 2011, Chad and I woke up early and headed to the hospital. We needed to check in by 7:30 a.m., since the c-section was scheduled for 9:30 a.m. My mom stayed the night, so she could watch Big Brother Tyler.

We arrived at the hospital at 7:25 a.m., spent several minutes trying to locate the registration lady and waited patiently for her to unlock her office. After filling out all the digital paperwork, she took us to the labor and delivery wing. We were taken to a room to begin the nursing check-in process, which we assumed would be long and painstakingly drawn-out. At 8:05 a.m., only five minutes after sitting down in the L&D bed, the operating room nurse walked in and said they were ready for me. I questioned the comment, since we still had an hour and a half before the scheduled surgery. The nurse replied, "no waiting. The doctor is here. The OR is prepped, and we are ready to have a baby." I asked how long, and she responded "five minutes." WHAT?!?! So before my mom could even make it to the hospital with Tyler and before I could take photos in my adorable custom-made delivery gown, I found myself walking hand-in-hand with the nurse to the operating room. Here we go ...

Chad stayed behind to send an insanely quick text message to alert family and friends. By the time he changed into scrubs and made it to the OR, I had already been given the spinal block and was laying down, arms secured to the boards. Because I am allergic to morphine, the anesthesiologist had the pharmacy mix a special spinal block concoction that was narcotic-free. Due to the risk for pain, the anesthesiologist stayed at my head, talking to me the entire time. I started throwing up as soon as the medicine kicked in, which was the worst part of the entire procedure. I begged and pleaded for him to let me sit up, as throwing up horizontally is probably the worst thing in the world. I asked, "please make it stop." He responded, "okay," and he added something to the drip. Within seconds it worked, and I was comfortable again. I took several deep breaths, looked over at Chad and braced myself for the surgery. I was unaware that at this point, they are had already begun. Our doctor didn't even wait for his partner to get there. Thankfully, I had no additional reactions, and the procedure went very well.

At 8:38 a.m., Grayson Robert McKinney was born! The doctors exclaimed that he had a massive umbilical cord. I like to grow my babies well. Grayson didn't cry immediately or nearly at all, for that matter. He was just as quiet post-delivery as he was in-utero. In fact, he took a few glances and fell peacefully back asleep, while they poked and prodded him on the scale. He's just my incredibly laid-back baby! Proud Papa Chad was taking lots of pictures while they cleaned him off, bundled him and handed him to me. Chad asked, "so what do you think of your new son, mommy?" Without a filter, I said the first thing I thought, "he's chubby."

Grayson Robert McKinney
Born 8:38 a.m.
9 lbs. 8 ounces
20 3/4 inches long

The nurses took us back to the recovery room. Thankfully, they wheeled Grayson in the little crib, as holding him immediately post-surgery always makes me nervous. They did a couple more things with him and placed him on my chest for some skin-to-skin time. Before I could even get positioned, I felt a pinch. I looked down and little Grayson had latched on and started to nurse all by himself. He was a hungry baby! Breastfeeding has been easy with this instinctive little one. We stayed in the recovery room for about an hour, and then we were moved to the postpartum room. We saw our family waiting in the hallway, as we passed by.

We wanted Tyler to meet his baby brother before anyone else, so Chad scooped him up and took him into the room with us. Tyler was beyond excited to see the baby! From that moment on, all he wants to do is hug, kiss and fist bump his little brother.

Grandma Marty (now called "Memaw" by Tyler), Grandma Judy, Great Grandma Morgan and Grandpa all came in to meet Baby Grayson. We took photos with him and admired his long black hair, dimples and chubby cheeks. Auntie Rachel and Alisha came to visit later that night. And Russ, Andrea and The Owens came to meet Grayson on Wednesday.

Grayson stayed in the room with us the entire time. Plano Presby received the "Baby Friendly" designation, which means that he never had to leave the room. They do all baths, tests, exams, etc. right in front of the parents. It was great to have all that time to bond with him, and since he was a great sleeper from the beginning, we were still able to rest.

Apart from one mild allergic reaction to Percocet, I had a pleasant hospital experience. In fact, all three of us were doing really well. The nurses said that "we could teach the other parents a thing or two." They laughed at how comfortable we were with a newborn, and teased Chad about how he "tossed" the little guy around. We explained that we had a 19 month old at home. We were able to go home Thursday morning, a day earlier than expected. We packed up as quickly as possible, and Chad had the car loaded before I was even discharged. Very eager to get back home, we anxiously awaited the last few precautionary procedures. Chad took a humorous picture of me making a to-do list while waiting. Then, we got in the car and set out for home.

Tyler was at home with Memaw waiting for us. He ran over to greet his baby brother and then quickly got distracted by how incredibly cool the baby carrier was, ha. We snapped another family photo and now begins our life as a family of four.

Grayson's Birth Announcement

2011-05-02T11:44:00.000-07:00

My "Little Engine that Could" beat Kawasaki Disease

2011-04-28T17:51:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much for all the prayers! After three days in the hospital, Tyler is home and recovering well. He still needs to regain strength and coordination in his legs, but all Flu B and Kawasaki Disease symptoms are gone.

We went to the pediatrician yesterday, and Tyler's vitals all look great. Dr. Alvis said that there are not that many cases of Kawasaki Disease in America, which explains why this is the first time most of our doctors have seen and treated this auto-immune condition. With treatment, Tyler has an 80 percent chance of full recovery. Only around 20-25 perfect of patients have longterm heart complications, although that number drops when treatment is given. And 97 percent of patients, who have received the IVIG treatment, never have a recurrence of the disease! We will always have to be cognizant of it, mentioning it to all doctors and coaches as part of his medical history. But that is just a precaution. Dr. Alvis is entirely optimistic that he will never have any problems, since we caught and treated it very early. If you would like to read more about the disease, here is a good summary.

As for the IVIG treatment being administered incorrectly, it should not have adverse effects. I spoke with one of the hospital's medical directors today, and he said Tyler received the correct dose just over a much shorter time period. Apparently, the nurses followed the dosing guidelines for someone who was taking a secondary treatment. It was such a blessing that Tyler did not have any life-threatening side effects. There were also a few other "medical errors" that the hospital is investigating.

Tyler is a very strong and resilient little boy. While in the hospital, we watched his favorite movie "The Little Engine that Could" nearly 20 times. It was pretty much on repeat in the room, as it was the only thing that would calm him down. The nurses named him, "choo choo."

As for continued prayer, here are some specific ways you can lift up our family:

Tyler has a second echocardiogram on May 10. Tyler must be sedated for the three-hour test, and it is scary for him. Please pray that God gives him peace and eases his fears. Please also pray that no heart abnormalities are found!
Tyler has an appointment with the cardiologist on May 16. Again, please pray that all tests come back that Tyler will have NO longterm heart complications. We are asking that God will spare our little boy from anymore pain!
The hospital stay was very traumatic for little Tyler. He is petrified of doctors, nurses and medicine now. We fear that he has been having nightmares at home about the experience. Last night, he had to sleep in bed with us for the first time since he was six weeks old. Please pray that God takes away these fears and bad memories.
Selfishly, I'd like to ask for prayer for me. I'm exhausted. For the first couple days, I was traveling back and forth from the hospital and home, trying to nurse Grayson. It was wearing me out, so I later decided to pump and stay at the hospital. However, Tyler wasn't sleeping very well, so I stayed up almost nonstop for days. Since being home, Baby Grayson has been nursing every hour or so, so again ... no rest for the weary mommy. Please pray that God provides opportunities for sleep soon.

Thank you all for your prayers and support of our family. I'm confident that God healed our little boy. We hope that we honor him by continued thanksgiving, glorifying him as best we can.

Oh, and I had to add this cute story. When we brought Tyler home from the hospital, he rushed in the house looking for his "babies." When he saw Grayson, he immediately looked down and gave him a fist bump. He was like, "don't worry baby brother. I'm okay, see." I love this little guy more than words could ever express.

Update and Prayer Requests

2011-04-25T10:23:00.000-07:00

Hi friends and family of the McKinneys! I am a friend of Heather's (Courtney) and will be updating the blog per Heather with some information she texted to me.
It looks like there was a mistake made when administering Tyler his treatment for Kawasaki's disease yesterday. He was given the correct dosage of meds, but instead of giving it over a 14 hour period, they gave it over a period of 4 hours. This made Tyler very ill and caused him to throw up a lot. We are all praising the Lord that the side effects weren't more severe, and are in prayer that no more new signs show up indicating otherwise.
Right now, Tyler is tired and ready to go home, but doing OK. They are going to continue to do some blood work this afternoon, and if all is well and stable, they should be able to go home tonight or tomorrow.
Please take a minute and pray over Tyler and the rest of the family. Below are some specific requests that are needed.

* That Tyler would not be afraid of any tests that they have to do and that he will be comfortable.
* That all bloodwork comes back normal.
* That they will get to come home as soon as God's will allows.
* That Heather and family will be filled with peace that surpasses all understanding.
* That every doctor, nurse, and tech will have knowledge, clarity and the ability needed to treat him properly.
* That there will be no more side effects from the disease or the treatment.
* That the investigation taking place to discover how this error was made leads to no more errors like it happening again.
* That baby Grayson will be well at home with family and friends helping out.
* That Heather won't have any problems with pumping and supplying milk for Grayson.
* That Tyler be 100% healed by our amazing Savior and Healer.

Thanks you for your prayers!!! They truly do mean the world to the family!!!

Tyler

2011-04-23T19:26:00.000-07:00

Hello All,
I am writing this on behalf of the Mckinneys. Heather and Chad have loved and appreciate all the thoughts, texts and prayers everyone has said for them and Tyler the last few days. Heather has been running back and forth between being at the hospital with Tyler and going home to feed Grayson and unfortunately has not had much time to respond to everyone. She asked me to post this so everyone can be updated about Tyler and know the story. Hopefully I got most of this down right.

From the beginning....Sunday Tyler had a fever. On Monday they decided to take Tyler to Acute Kids because Tyler had a rash and had swollen nasal passages, ect. Oddly the doctor that cared for Tyler at Acute Care also happened to be the ER doctor at the Children's hospital when Tyler checked in there a few days later and cared for him there too. It was a blessing because he was able to see the rash when it was at its worst on Monday. Tyler went home from Acute Kids. A day or so later Tyler's normal doctor ended up calling Heather and told her that he thinks she should go ahead and take him to the Children's hospital. Good instinct! At the Children's hospital several ideas went around that Tyler had the flu, strep throat, Scarlet fever, and possibly Kawasaki Disease. Tyler, Heather and Chad stayed in the infectious disease wing.
Currently they have figured out that Tyler has atypical Kawasaki Disease. They said atypical because Tyler had all the symptoms but just not all at the same time/ to the same degree as seen in typical Kawasaki disease. The symptoms that Tyler had include: bloodshot eyes, lips cracked and swollen, rash, tongue swollen and looks like a strawberry, swollen hands and feet, throat and ear pain, headache, sore legs and losing coordination. Tyler also has flu B which is sort of like an upper respiratory infection but no Scarlet fever or strep throat. Kawasaki disease is diagnosed through an algorithm. This afternoon Tyler had an Echo as a final piece of the puzzle. In the Echo they also said that Tyler has a big heart (not to the point of a physcial concern) and we all knew that! They put all his symptoms, irregular blood work and his Echo into the algorithm and decided it was definitely Kawasaki disease
Kawasaki disease is an autoimmune disease that is not contagious but basically means that body is attacking itself. It affects the heart, and although they can treat it now, Tyler will have to see a series of different cardiologist and will have to be monitored possibly for the rest of his life. If nothing else happens before age 5 then it's better, but even when he gets older, if he plays sports, coaches will have to know about possible heart problems and it is a concern if he gets a sudden rapid heart beat. Luckily since it was caught early there may be no long term problems since they are treating it within 10 days of getting it.
For now the course of treatment will be an IVIG which is given in an IV and will decrease the inflammation. The treatment takes 14-16 hours and a nurse had to be with him for the first hour because of side effects. Luckily, besides throwing up twice, Tyler did not have any bad reactions. They hope he will only need this one dose b/c with another dose he is way more likely to have an allergic reaction. He is also on preventative meds and an aspirin treatment. Aspirin treatments are dangerous for kids under 2 however the benefits outweigh the risks so prayers for that. It will thin his blood and help his heart.
We all know how Heather loves to have a plan, and Chad and her are happy they caught this early and have a plan of action for Tyler's health! For now Tyler will be in the hospital at least until Tues., but with the course of treatment, will hopefully be feeling better by Sunday evening. Tyler can have anything (food/drinks) but cant leave the bed or room.
Now that they know what's going on, for prayers Heather asked that yall pray for Tyler. He has had a rough couple of days and is very scared and Heather says very upset and crying/screaming everytime someone walks in the room. The poor kiddo has gone through being poked from having an IV, catheter, blood work and having lots of tests like a x-ray and Echo which are scary for a kid too young to understand. Pray that Chad and Heather keep their own health up. Heather and Chad are grateful for family friends and Heather's mom who are taking care of Grayson in between Heather coming home for feedings. Grayson is doing well!
On a cute note: the hospital gave Tyler a kid laptop to use and Tyler kissed the screen and said "happy, happy" It looks like Chad and Heather will be buying one because who could say no to that cuteness! Heather was glad Tyler had that moment! That's all for now and here is a current picture of Tyler.

From the mouth of a toddler

2011-03-02T21:47:00.000-08:00

I've decided to start keeping track of the hilarious things that Tyler says and does. He's definitely a toddler, and his little personality is so adorable. I hope to update this post often, adding recent comments that sparked laughter in the McKinney household.

2/22/11- My mom came over to visit. She was rubbing my belly and saying, "Grayson, wake up. Are you in there? Hello?" Tyler walks over, and upon hearing this, makes a fist and knocks on my belly, as if it were a door.

2/27/11- Tyler and I were hanging out in the playroom. He walks over to me, softly touches my belly and calls it a "ball." Then, he proceeds to point to every ball in his playroom to make the comparison.

February- While Tyler was taking a bath, he pointed to his pee pee and wanted to know what it was called. I told him "pee pee," and he repeated it. Days later, I was using the restroom, and Tyler walked in (because toddlers don't understand privacy with their parents). He looks at me for an explanation. I told him that mommy was going "pee pee." He looks down and shakes his head "no." I guess I need to work on my terminology. Pee Pee can't be a noun and a verb, ha.

3/1/11- In light of the upcoming arrival of Baby Grayson, we borrowed a baby doll from Jennifer. We've been teaching Tyler to be gentle, not touch the baby in the swing, etc. Several nights ago, Chad showed Tyler how we'll put the baby to sleep in Grayson's crib. Yesterday, we noticed that the baby was missing from the bouncy chair in the living room. After looking all over the house, we found the baby face-down on the inside edge of Grayson's crib. Apparently, Tyler thought it was time for the baby to go to bed.

3/2/11- We've been working on discipline. While upstairs playing with his toys, Tyler looks down and starts telling his helicopter, "no, no, no" in a very stern voice. He was reprimanding the toy helicopter for getting it's string caught on the wheel.

Tyler's 18-month well check

2011-02-01T17:24:00.000-08:00

Tyler is officially a year and a half old. I know that every mom says this, but I still can't believe how quickly he is growing. He's definitely becoming more of a toddler during this 18-month milestone. He runs, climbs up anything (including things we won't mention for fear of a CPS investigation) and legitimately plays with his toys. However, his favorite activity remains the same ...

Little boy still loves to read. He sits in his reading chair in his room for 30-40 minutes at a time, reading all of his books. He picks each one out of his basket, "reads" it out loud, tosses it on the ground and gets the next book. He does this process until he has read all the books. Then, he gets down, picks them (or most of them) back up and puts them in the basket for the next time. He'll even sit in the living room and read Daddy's magazines, Mommy's decorating books and our Bibles and books from our bedroom nightstands. We have books in every room of the house, and we spend a vast majority of the day reading the already-memorized stories. He learns a lot from them, as we are noticing he is picking up several words from his favorite stories.

Speaking of words, Tyler is talking a lot these days. Here is a list of words he knows:
(I'm sure there are more that I can't remember right now)

Mommy
Mama
Daddy
Dada
Baby
Girl
Cow
Moo (sound a cow makes)
Puppy
Hippo
Bebo (a belly button on a hippo, from his book)
Fish
Car
Vroom Vroom (sound a car makes)
Truck
Ball
Happy
More
All done
Uh oh
Apple
Milk
Cracker
Yum yum
Up (which means that he wants to play upstairs)

The doctor was very impressed with his vocabulary and said that babies are only expected to know a couple words at 18 months. As mentioned, we went for Tyler's 18-month well check yesterday. (Tyler was actually very sick with a stomach virus, but that's another story.) Dr. Alvis said that Tyler is right on track, hitting all of his developmental milestones. And our little climbing athlete is ahead in his motor skills.

As far as growth, he is definitely decelerating on the curve. The doctor said Tyler started to level off at 6 months and has continued to slowly decline in percentiles. The doctor is not worried, just says it is typical of very large babies. They start out huge (Tyler was 8 lbs 15 oz at birth, which was 3 + weeks early, and he was in the 95th and 75th percentiles for months). Now, he is leveling off to where he should be and may continue to remain. All that to say, he's our skinny little boy. No wonder I'm still buying him size 12-18 month jeans! Here are his stats:

Weight: 23 lbs. 3 oz --- 15th percentile
Height: 32 3/4 in. --- 62nd percentile
Head circumference: 18 1/2 --- 27th percentile

Christmas 2010

2010-12-28T20:50:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas! Tyler was such a joy this year, although we learned a few lessons about traveling with a toddler.

On Christmas Eve, we started celebrating a new tradition--Dixie House Cafe in Fort Worth. Chad discovered this place and wanted to take the us to a old-fashioned, mom-and-pop kinda place for lunch. Plus, we picked up our homemade pies that we ordered for Christmas lunch.

After a nap at home, we went to the Christmas Eve service at our new church, First Baptist McKinney. They didn't provide childcare for the service, as an attempt to celebrate as a family. It was our first time taking Tyler to "big church," and he didn't do too badly. We only had one freak-out moment because he wanted to go with all the kids to the children's sermon on stage. After Chad took him in the hall, he calmed down and sat through the entire service. He liked all the music.

Then we rushed home to make cookies for Santa (a family tradition) and read the Christmas stories. Daddy always reads "The Story of Christmas" and "Twas the Night before Christmas." Since Tyler LOVES books, he loved this activity.

Then it was off to bed before Santa comes ... well, not without checking to see how his cookies were doing in the oven.

Santa came, and we managed to get a few pictures of what he left for our very good boy.

On Christmas morning, we set the alarm and went in to wake Tyler at 7:30 a.m. We had to get an early start since we had busy, busy day planned. He normally eats breakfast immediately, but when he saw what awaited in the living room, he forgot about his hunger for a moment. Merry Christmas little buddy.

He loved his train table and Thomas Early Engineer train set! And in true Tyler-form, he climbed right up on it to get a closer look.

We opened a few more presents at home.

Then, we went to Grandma Marty's house for a Christmas celebration. Tyler must have been an extraordinary boy this year, because Santa left him gifts at Grandma's house too! He ran straight in and "ooohhh"ed over the table and train. (Sidenote: my mom and I never discussed what Santa was bringing Tyler, and we bought almost the same things: tables, chairs and trains. So funny!) Tyler opened a few more gifts, but his favorite was the snack tree she made. We were all super impressed with her creativity. Tyler could go up to the tree (which intentionally matched his bedroom colors) and pull off all the toddler snacks he could! An edible, toddler-sized Christmas tree ... so perfect!

We banked at my mom's house. She loaded us up with gifts! We are so spoiled! :)

Next, we all went to Grandma Judy/Great Grandma Morgan's house. Tyler was starving, so he got to eat a little early. We all sat down at the beautiful table and shared a great meal. After lunch (and an attempt at a nap), we opened presents. We drew names again this year, which proved to be a little more difficult than in years past. But we still had fun.

Of course, Erica and I had to take a pregnant picture (Me: 27 weeks, Erica 29 weeks). This time next year, we'll have two new babies. Baby Logan and Baby Grayson will be crawling all over the place ... crazy!

After a long, nap-less day, we headed home. Poor Tyler was exhausted. But it was a great Christmas nonetheless. We were able to celebrate with family and make many new memories.

Merry Christmas from The McKinney Family

2010-12-20T18:47:00.000-08:00

A Year Ago this Christmas ....

2010-12-20T18:42:00.000-08:00

After unpacking the Christmas decorations, I found myself in a reflective mood. Tyler's ornaments from last year included a footprint and "baby's first Christmas" bootie. It's amazing to me how much a child can grow and change in one year. I can honestly say I love him more and more each day. Being a mommy is fun! Here's a look back for comparison. Same cute boy. Same adorable smile.

4 months

16 months

4 months

16 months

4 months

16 months

4 months

16 months

4 months

16 months

Doctor update

2010-12-14T20:35:00.000-08:00

The anti-contraction medicine is working, for the most part. I've only had a few bouts of severe pain, which have usually been cured with a glass of water, a warm bath or lying on my left side. At the doctor yesterday, my cervix was measuring perfectly. In fact, it has even lengthened a tiny bit more. They did another sonogram as well to check Grayson's growth. He is in the 50th percentiles and should weigh significantly less than his big brother at birth. Right now, he is 1 lb 13 oz. He is so cute, all curled up in a tight ball. He's always asleep and very cuddly ... again, very different than Tyler who performed acrobatics in the womb. Oh, and we think he has my nose. It's a lot more pointy than Chad's. :)

Our doctor is doing a couple more tests at the next visit after Christmas to make sure my body isn't showing any more signs of preterm labor. But she thinks everything will be fine. And on January 3, she is scheduling the c-section! She's going to look at the calendars, make sure that both doctors in their practice can be available, and request a specific anesthesiologist. I can't believe we'll have Grayson's birthday chosen in a couple weeks! It will most likely be March 10, since our doctor is the staff doctor at the hospital that night. But we'll definitely let you all know when the date is chosen.

Keep up the prayers; they are obviously working!

God healed us!

2010-11-29T14:24:00.000-08:00

I believe in the power of prayer, now more than ever!

We went to the doctor this morning, fully prepared to be admitted into the hospital. We left Tyler at Adventure Kids Playcare with the carseat and meals for the rest of the day. I was planning for the worst, but very optimistic that God heard our cries and healed me.

The doctor, whom I love immensely, came in to hear all that had happened over the last week. There are numerous medical treatments she could do, and she was hopeful I would carry Grayson full term. She started with the least aggressive approach today, prescribing anti-contraction medication to take every four hours.

I saw the sonographer immediately afterward, who rechecked my cervical length. She reviewed the two tests that had been done in the hospital, which had both come out that my cervix had shortened to 2.8 centimeters (3.5-4 cm is healthy). She started the test and immediately said, "oh, your cervix is fine. It's completely normal." It measured between 3.5 and 3.7 cm.

I still have to go back to have my cervix rechecked every two weeks, since it can shorten and lengthen very quickly. And I must take it very easy, but I am off official bed rest.

Thank you to each of you who lifted our family up in your prayers. I am beyond grateful to God for protecting us. And as a friend told me, God knows the number of Grayson's days, which includes the day they will start. I have faith that his plan includes a healthy birthday for our little boy.

I know it's weird, but we were so excited today that we took pictures of the test results. Here's my healthy cervix. :)

Update on Baby Grayson

2010-11-25T18:57:00.000-08:00

We had to go to the hospital again today--a mid-Thanksgiving trip of excitement.

Grayson is completely healthy, growing at perfect proportions with a very strong heartbeat. I'm just the issue, as always. Turns out, my body just doesn't know how to stay pregnant. It's just about as impatient as I am.

Basically, the doctors are worried that I'm showing too many signs of preterm labor, which is plausible since I went into labor with Tyler at 32 weeks. Thankfully, Tyler wasn't born until 36 weeks, which is the hope we have for Grayson.

I'm currently 22 weeks and 6 days pregnant. I started having contractions several weeks ago. The doctor attributed it to dehydration. Thus, I began measuring my daily water intake, which needs to total 100 oz. On Saturday, the contractions kicked in hard. I was in severe pain, off and on, for three days. I went to see the other doctor in our OB practice on Tuesday, since my doctor was on vacation. She immediately sent me to the Maternity Observation ward in the hospital. They monitored me for several hours and confirmed that I was not dilated or effaced. However, they found that my cervix had begun to shorten. The normal, non-laboring range is 3.5 to 4 centimeters. Mine had shortened to 2.8 cm. At 2.5 cm, a woman must be hospitalized. They were unable to provide more information, but told me to page the on-call doctor if I had a single contraction prior to my OB visit on Monday morning. I was sent home and ordered to stay on bed rest, most likely for the remainder of my pregnancy.

After eating Thanksgiving lunch today, I started to feel the pressure and tightening again. They were not in the form of painful contractions, more like uncomfortably tight hugs around the belly. After a couple hours, I decided to page the doctor. The on-call doctor told me to go to the hospital again for observation. Unfortunately (or fortunately), while I was there, they were unable to detect any of the contractions on the monitor. Most likely, this was because they were way too light, as I suspected. They said it could have also been growing pains, since Grayson is in the middle of his first huge growth spurt. Again, I was sent home and told to page the doctor if they got worse before Monday.

The main reason they are not being extremely proactive is a little disheartening. Most hospitals, including Baylor, have a policy not to intervene in a "non-viable" pregnancy. Grayson is currently considered non-viable. We must make it to 23 weeks in order for the hospital to make any attempts to save his life. Thankfully, I'll be 23 weeks tomorrow. If I have to go to the hospital again, it will be a completely different story. They will run more tests and be significantly more aggressive. They explained that my OB will be able to provide more details on Monday and develop an action plan, which could include injections, medications, hospitalization or continued bed rest. Our prayer is that we can keep the contractions and preterm labor at bay until 36 weeks. Here are some of the pregnancy milestones you can keep in your prayers:

24 weeks: 50% survival rate, although half of those babies will have permanent medical problems

28 weeks: 80% survival rate with minimal risk for longterm medical conditions

32 weeks: 90% survival rate

36 weeks: Safe delivery threshold, although still considered "late-preterm"

37-40 weeks: Full-term

In addition to gestational age, babies with higher birth weights have an increased chance of survival. Babies who weigh between 1.1 and 1.5 pounds have a survival rate around 40%; babies between 1.5 and 2.2 pounds have a survival rate of about 70%. According to the last sonogram I had, Grayson is measuring a little over a pound.

I'll know more on Monday morning, and I'll try to keep you updated.

Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers.

Our little BOYS

2010-11-01T19:55:00.000-07:00

Here's a very quick update on our little family.

We're having a boy! Grayson Timothy is due on March 26. He is healthy, had a 141 heart rate and is in the 50th percentile for growth. We went to the doctor today, and he slept during the entire sonogram. We'll go back in two weeks for better images. Chad wore a pink shirt, I wore a blue tunic and Tyler wore a shirt that said "rise and shine."(Apparently, Tyler's message to his little brother did not work.) We're very excited about having two boys 19 months apart. Tyler and Grayson will be best buddies.

We also took Tyler to the new pediatrician today for his 15-month well check. (It was a very busy day of doctor visits.) We all loved the new doctor and nursing staff. Tyler is very healthy and reaching all his milestones. Like most boys, he is ahead in motor skills and needs a little more practice with vocabulary. We also learned that Tyler is shrinking, ha ... not really, but he is decelerating in growth percentiles, which he said is very common. Here are his stats:
Weight: 22 lbs, 12 oz. --24%
Height: 30 3/4 --37%
Head: 18 1/2 --43%

Here's a picture from today

Tyler's party is going to be featured on The Cake Blog tomorrow!

2010-08-17T08:49:00.000-07:00

I submitted pictures of Tyler's party to my two favorite inspiration websites/blog. I received an e-mail today, saying it's going to be featured tomorrow!!! Yay! Be sure and check it out at:

Half Baked – The Cake Blog

www.thecakeblog.com

12 months of tyler aaron

2010-08-15T20:23:00.000-07:00

Again, a little behind with the posts! Here are a couple new stats for Tyler on this big milestone month!

Doctor appointment
Height: 29 1/2 inches, 60th percentile
Weight: 20.8 pounds, 25th percentile
Head: 18 inches, 25th percentile

He's a finicky walker, some days he'll take off and walk 12-15 steps. Then, he won't try again for a day or two. He's been crawling since he was 7 months, so I'm wondering if that's just too much of a comfort zone.

Tyler hasn't really learned any new words, other than the "mabaaml" sound he makes which I think means milk or bite.

Speaking of milk, we are completely weaned from the bottle. It was hard at first, but after two days, he figured it out. Within a week, we were packing away the bottles and not looking back. In the beginning, we were adding a little strawberry syrup (thanks for the suggestion Leanne) to his milk, but now he can drink it plain!

There aren't really that many new developments. My little guy is just growing up, getting more of a personality and having so much fun along the way!

modern simple giraffe party for my little guy

2010-08-15T20:05:00.000-07:00

Here's the 1st birthday post, finally! As many of you know, I spent three months making nearly 60 projects for the space. I took my PR experience and put it to good use, making timelines, "marketing" plans and photo op spaces. It was so much fun! I tried to think of every element, from the homemade 5-foot-tall stuffed giraffe to the messy arrangement of the napkins.

Here are all the pictures:

http://s848.photobucket.com/albums/ab43/HeatherAnnMcKinney/Tyler%20Simple%20Giraffe%201st%20Birthday%20Party/

The day turned out perfectly. Tyler had so much fun with all his little buddies! A special thanks goes out to everyone who came to celebrate the big day! My little boy is 1, my goodness how time flies!

We're pregnant!

2010-08-12T07:05:00.000-07:00

We wanted the kids to be close in age, and we are definitely getting our wish! We are blessed to have gotten pregnant the first month we tried! Baby No.2 will be about 19 months younger than Tyler. My due date is March 26, but we'll probably schedule a c-section a little early. Yay!

Happy First Birthday Tyler Aaron!

2010-07-30T09:04:00.000-07:00

We just wanted to take a second and remember our sweet boy 12 months ago! I sure do love this little guy! Happy Birthday Tyler Aaron!

11 whole months and more

2010-07-02T07:38:00.000-07:00

First of all, I wanted to share the amazing news we received at the specialist yesterday. They ran tests on the fluid they removed from Tyler's leg. And .... THERE WAS NO INFECTION AT ALL! The test came back completely negative for staph or any other type of infection. I honestly believe it's because of prayer; God healed our little boy!

Tyler celebrated his last month-old birthday! I can't believe I'll be saying he's "1 year old" in a few weeks! Here are his recent developments:

He's not walking independently yet. In fact, I think he's losing all interest in the new skill. A couple weeks ago, he would practice taking steps. But now, he just quickly plops down and crawls away, when we practice. I think he's learned that crawling is more efficient at this point.
"TV" is the only new word he's learned, thanks DaDa. :)
He still LOVES his books. He'll read to himself and point to the book basket when he wants us to read to him.
Musical instruments are still his favorite toys. He loves "shaking his shaker." We're ready for another semester of music class.
He's still very outgoing! He loves making new friends anytime we leave the house. Every place we go, he has to be the center of attention. And of course, he has to introduce himself to everyone he sees. And for those who are too far away, he just waves!
He loves meat. In fact, I think I could feed him chicken, turkey and steak for every meal, and he'd be happy. Such a boy!
Last night, he officially outgrew his 12-month clothes. He woke up an hour after going to sleep crying because he couldn't stretch out in his pajamas! They fit yesterday ... but not today! It's amazing to me that he gets that much taller overnight, literally!
I think he's continuing to drop in weight percentages. He hasn't even gained a whole pound, since his 9-month check-up. Last week, he weighed 20 lbs. 8 oz. at the doctor. We'll find out how tall he is at our 12-month check in 4 weeks!

about the infection

2010-06-29T20:20:00.000-07:00

We've learned that Tyler is very prone to staph infections. He got a very normal bug bite (ant, spider ... not really sure) almost two weeks ago. It developed a hard, golf-ball size knot under the skin, and the red, tender area was spreading. Upon the advice of my mother-in-law, we took him to the doctor first thing this morning. Our pediatrician sent us straight to a specialist/pediatric surgeon and explained that he would need surgery to remove the infectious lump.

On the way to the specialist, God intervened. See unexpected blessings

The pediatric surgeon was able to drain the mass without surgery! He used localized anesthesia that slightly numbed the affected area, made an inch-long incision and squeezed to release the infection. (I'll spare the gory details). As expected, Tyler cried fervently. However, I believe the pain was eased by our prayers. Within five minutes, Tyler was smiling and laughing at the nurses, who were very impressed by his quick recovery.

We have to go back on Thursday to have the area rechecked, but it looks like our little boy is healing perfectly!

unexpected blessings

2010-06-29T20:04:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, I was driving to BabyGap to buy Tyler new summer clothes. On the way, I passed a church with a humble sign advertising free lunches for kids under 18. Three miles later, I realized exactly what this meant. It was summer vacation. There are kids in my own area who go hungry, when meals are not provided by the school. That broke my heart and convicted me. Here I was ... driving to buy my son more clothes when there are children who don't even have food! I mentioned it to Chad that evening, and he said we should definitely give to the ministry.

On Sunday, we tried a new church. The message was about using spiritual gifts, including the gift of giving. Again, my heart ached for these children who wake each morning with hunger pains and no pantry to open, no refrigerator to rummage through and no lunch box to fill.

Today, I left for the specialist several hours early in an effort to distract Tyler from the meals he had to skip before surgery (which is another blog post). I was driving down Rowlett Road, when I remembered that church. I made a u-turn and pulled into the parking lot. Tyler and I walked in through the tattered door and passed the giggling children running through the halls. We peeked around the corner and met the most gracious lady. I explained the incredible randomness of our visit and handed her a check. She looked down with astonishment. I quickly apologized because it wasn't a large gift. She looked back at me and said that today they were praying for that exact amount! There were four children who wanted to go to summer camp. Their parents couldn't afford it, but the church promised they would be able to attend. However, they are a small, underprivileged church that was already over-extended in giving. They didn't know where the money would come from, but they trusted God to provide. Hours later ... God led Tyler and me to their door with the exact donation to sponsor summer camp for four children!

While we were there, we met the pastor and several other church leaders. They asked where we were heading, and I explained that Tyler will most likely need surgery today for his leg infection. They asked if they could pray over him. We gathered around, the pastor placed a hand on his leg, and we asked God for healing. With faith, we believed that he would be okay. And this afternoon, God used the doctor to heal Tyler without surgery ... just as we asked!

I'm inspired and filled with thankfulness.

new tyler-isms

2010-06-23T13:52:00.000-07:00

Tyler has started doing several new things lately. I feel like I get to know a different baby every three months, as he's constantly changing and developing more of his own personality! I definitely understand other parents who say they grow to love their child more and more each day. I certainly adore this little boy!

Speaking of showing his personality, I can already tell little Tyler is going to be incredibly outgoing. He makes friends everywhere we go, just like his daddy! His new thing is waving. He thinks he needs to announce his presence every time we go into a new place. As soon as I open the door to a store, he starts waving, parade-style. He waves from the left to the right and makes sure everyone notices him. I haven't been to a single store lately where he didn't flag down the store associate and wave to tell them "hi." It's a little embarrassing, but for now, everyone still thinks it's cute!

And while I'm on the subject of Tyler introducing himself, I should also mention that he loves girls. Yes, I am definitely in for it, when he's 13! When we are out and he sees a baby girl, he gets very excited. He claps, smiles and starts jumping up and down. If I let him go, he immediately crawls over and gives her a hug and kiss. At a baseball game, he fell in love with a little girl who he hugged, kissed and then crawled away from to play hard-to-get. Just as he planned, she proceeded to chase him around for the rest of the game!

Tyler's other recent development--clapping--also embarrasses me often. When he does anything well, gets excited or hears music, he starts clapping. I believe he uses this to get attention because he loves hearing people tell him how cute he is! He doesn't have a shy bone in his body!

Although he has known how to shake his head "no" for a while, he has just now learned to use it appropriately. Yes, I ask him to do something. He looks at me ... and just shakes his head "no." When he is done eating, he shakes his head "no." And most amusing, when he is fighting going to sleep, he lays in my arms, eyes closed and frantically shakes his head "no" until he eventually gives up and falls asleep.

He's growing up so quickly! From vocabulary to mobility, I can hardly keep up with his constant developments. Last week, he took his first steps! We were at the library playing with new friends when he just let go of the chair and took three steps forward. I'm pretty sure he saw the other little boy walking and thought, "Ah, I can do that too." He hasn't mastered independent walking just yet. Since then, we've only been able to get him to take one, unassisted step at a time. I'm not rushing him though. I need a few more weeks to mentally prepare for a walking Tyler!

Our little model

2010-06-11T21:01:00.000-07:00

We did a photoshoot with Tyler last weekend to get some good 10-month shots. It took two attempts, but the second time around, he was loving the camera. He was positioning himself in all kinds of funny poses. So great! I sure do love this little guy.

10-month update

2010-06-07T21:40:00.000-07:00

Tyler turned 10-months old on May 30! He's getting big so quickly! Here are a few of his new developments:

He has 4 teeth, including his canines. He currently looks like a vampire.
He is obsessed with his paci, so funny!
He is eating mostly table food now, and he loves meat!
He is napping a lot better, too. He's on a new schedule where he sleeps in until 9 a.m. and naps from 12-2 and 4-5:30! I'm loving all this extra time I have during the day.
He can say three new words: "baba," (bottle), "booook" and ballll."
He has only thrown up a couple times in the last couple weeks! I think the allergy medicine is really helping.
He is getting a lot better at trying to walk. He can take about 8-10 steps if we are holding one hand. He can push the wagon and highchair around the house, too. He's working on standing on his own for more than 3 seconds. He'll need to master that before he really starts walking.

Here's a fun video taken at our neighbor's baseball game:

(it took him a minute to figure out what we wanted him to do, so be patient with the video.)

breathing just fine

2010-05-27T21:00:00.000-07:00

Quick update: We went to our normal pediatrician to recheck Tyler's oxygen level. Turns out, the other doctor and nurses weren't testing correctly. Tyler is way more squirmy and active than kids they were accustomed to. They weren't pinning him down well enough to check accurately. This time, it took all three of us (and a very interesting water bottle) to keep him still, and we got a really good read on the test. His level was 96, just perfect! I'm very relieved!!

our little asthmatic baby

2010-05-20T19:02:00.000-07:00

You'd think I would have learned my lesson the first (or second) time. But no, my under-reacting proved harmful again!

Tyler has been congested for weeks now. It started at the end of last month. When we took him into the doctor for his 9-month well check, we found out that he actually had a cold. We never know when this child is sick, because he is constantly happy! The doctor gave Tyler an antibiotic. He got better, but like usual, he got sick again as soon as the antibiotics were finished. So we started a second round of amoxicillin. He never completely recovered, which we just attributed to prolonged allergies. Finally this morning, Chad told me to call the doctor. I thought, "surely, he's fine. He's sitting here jumping and laughing in my lap." Again, Daddy was right.

Our doctor was out of the office today, so we went to see Dr. Pascoe instead. After listening to Tyler for just a few seconds, she noticed he was wheezing pretty badly. I had noticed, but didn't think it was a big deal. She had the nurse run a test to check his oxygen levels. They did it eight times because he was testing between 81-93. The healthy, normal levels are at least 95, with most people testing about 98-105. We had to do a breathing treatment in the office (seriously torturous), and the doctor prescribed one for home. We have to give it to Tyler twice to three times a day. We go back next week to have his oxygen levels tested again. She thinks he may have asthma. Tears!

She also diagnosed Tyler with an ear infection and an upper respiratory infection. I can't believe he was this sick, and I didn't know!

On a positive note, he gained a pound! I've been working extra hard with him on feedings, and he's now up to 20 lbs 8 ounces!

First Mother's Day

2010-05-09T23:45:00.000-07:00

It was my very first Mother's Day today! I'm still really hyped up about it and can't sleep. It's either that or the iced, venti, non-fat, white mocha my boys brought me this afternoon ... or maybe the nearly 12 hours of sleep I got! Either way, I'm still wide awake (despite the sleeping pill), so I might as well blog about the wonderful day!

At 6:53 a.m. (exactly 7 minutes before cue), our 9-month old alarm clock awakes. Quickly remembering it was Mother's Day, I lean over to wake Chad, whom had been given careful instructions for the occasion. He gets right up to take care of the baby. Next thing I know, it's 11:47 a.m., although I vaguely remember Chad coming in, kissing me on the forehead, wishing me a Happy Mother's Day and asking if I wanted breakfast in bed. I'm pretty sure I mumbled "no. sleep.," as that was the one thing I wanted for the holiday. When I rolled over and realized it was nearly noon, I couldn't believe it! That was the first time I had slept that late in more than a year! I got up and wandered into Tyler's room. Chad and Tyler spent the entire morning in the nursery, playing quietly so I could sleep. Right outside his door, I could hear Tyler saying, "MomMom." Chad said he had just started missing me and calling for me.

The boys got ready (Tyler in his "I love Mommy" onesie and jeans) and went to the new Starbucks by our house. I got my drink of choice delivered, while I took a quiet shower and got dressed without a baby attached to my leg!

The boys did the dishes for me, which was just as adorable as helpful!

Since it was already after 1:30 p.m. at this point, we decided to just go have lunch. Breakfast in bed didn't seem appropriate at this hour! We went to Pappasitos in Dallas--thanks Andrea, for the gift card! Lunch was wonderful! They had balloons on the chairs, took our picture, and our waiter even brought me a special Mother's Day dessert! On a sidenote,we ordered Tyler his very first restaurant meal, a plate of steamed veggies! He's getting so big!

After lunch, we headed to Chad's softball game. He promised to hit a home-run for me, but three base hits were good enough! Tyler learned a new trick, so we were clapping for daddy when he scored and his team won!

When we got back home, Tyler and Chad gave me my Mother's day cards and gift! They made a stepping stone for the yard! I loved his little handprint!

Then, we got Tyler ready for bed, sang him a few hymns and put him to sleep. Daddy rocked him for awhile, but he waited until I came in there to close his eyes. He wanted one last hug and kiss from MomMom. I sure do love that little boy!

Well, I'm getting tired, if you didn't already notice by the ever-increasing brevity in my story. I think the sleeping pill is kicking in, finally. Oh, I love Mother's Day! Only 364 days until we get to do it again!

9 months of Tyler Aaron

2010-05-05T20:50:00.000-07:00

Tyler is 9 months old! Eighteen months ago, I believed the exhaustion would end after the first trimester. Lesson learned--it never gets better!

Quick updates on all things Tyler:

9-month check-up stats: height: 29 1/4" (80th percentile); weight: 19 lbs, 7 oz. (40th percentile); head circumference 14 1/2 (25th percentile)
Tyler is officially weaned. It's been 7 days since I've breastfed him (4/28/10). It took me 6 weeks, and we were both very ready to be done with it! I will admit that I got a little teary-eyed packing away my nursing bras though.
The doctor cleared Tyler to start eating adult foods. He's tasted potatoes, chicken, peas and bread. He loves bread, just like his mommy.
He's our little human Dyson. Now that he's had food, he thinks everything is edible. Of course, he chooses the smallest particles on the floor for snacks. Thus far, we've caught him with plant moss, styrofoam and old cheerios. By the time he's a year old, he'll have ingested a good portion of our house I'm sure.
He's still throwing up every day (if not 2-5 times a day).
I'm now called "MomMom."
I think I should start a blog featuring his daily injury report. This child is not scared of anything. His dare devil personality, mixed with my clumsiness, has already resulted in a black eye, bump of the back of his head, sliced eyelid and numerous little bruises. My poor little baby! I think they all hurt me more than him!
He's trying to cruise from object to object around the house.
He's pretty much crawling at the speed of light now.
Temper tantrums--Oh yes, this is a new development in the past couple days. We were out shopping, and he started crying in the cart! Uh oh!
We don't have any new teeth to report.
We took our first road trip to Austin! Here's a picture in my hometown!

"Um Ma Ma Ma Mom"

2010-04-26T19:52:00.000-07:00

I had been warned about the mommy attachment, but I completely underestimated how adorable it would be! Last week, Tyler started following me around the house saying, "Um Ma Ma Ma ... Mom." As soon as I would walk away from him, he would quickly crawl behind me. Once he caught me, he'd pull up on my leg, wrap himself around me and not let go. All he wants is his "Um Ma Ma Ma ... Mom." Even when Chad is holding him, he squirms away to come back to me. I love it!

I've been trying to catch the whole thing on camera, but this is the best I have so far:

"Goodbye, goodbye. Now it's time to sing goodbye ..." to music class

2010-04-20T13:31:00.000-07:00

This spring, we joined the Tiny Tots and Tunes music class at The Heights church in Richardson. All the playgroup babies and mommies enrolled together, which made it a ton of fun. Tyler learned to play with baby-sized musical instruments, and we sang and danced to songs of all kinds.

When we started the semester, Tyler had just turned 6 months old. It's amazing how much he grew during these past several months. He went from barely sitting up to crawling in Ms. Holly's lap during storytime! We'll miss our Wednesday morning music class. But hopefully, we can do many more classes together!

For the final class, Tyler invited his grandmas and daddy to join. They all had a lot of fun together!

Check out my house blog

2010-04-16T08:22:00.000-07:00

We have 14 days before the homebuyer tax credit expires. We are praying very hard for a buyer! Please check out the new blog and forward to all your friends interested in purchasing a home!

http://2681eganridgelane.blogspot.com/

Will the real big baby please stand up? Please stand up!

2010-04-13T06:30:00.000-07:00

"May I have your attention please?
May I have your attention please?
Will the real Slim Shady please stand up?
I repeat, will the real Slim Shady please stand up?
We're gonna have a problem here.."

Pretty sure, Eminem wasn't talking about babies learning to stand. But ever since Tyler first pulled up, I've had this song stuck in my head!

I think the official first time he did it was at Jon and Leanne's last week. He was undoubtedly showing off for Carter! But yesterday, I actually saw him do it! Tyler was in his playcorner, and up he goes on the ottoman. I quickly grabbed the camera. You can tell that he was very proud of himself!

After that, he started pulling up on everything. It was hilarious. It definitely didn't take him more than 10 minutes to get the confidence to explore and try his new trick on every object in the house. He was pulling up on the furniture, toys, the fireplace, playyard, crib, highchair, walls and our legs. Of course, he had to crawl under the furniture and try to pull up from underneath--a signature Tyler move!

By the end of the day, my little guy started trying to stand up completely on his own. He was in the middle of the house, away from all furniture. He gets himself into a sitting position, and was desperately trying to get his legs up to stand from there. When that wasn't working, he got into a crawling position, stood up with both legs and had arms flat on ground (oh, to be that flexible again). He couldn't figure out how to get his hands off the ground, though. And I didn't help him any. It's probably bad, but I don't want him standing on his own yet! I'm trying to hold on to every moment that I can call him a "baby." He may be 8 1/2 months old, but I'm still in denial!

tummy test results

2010-04-09T20:42:00.000-07:00

Great news! Tyler's tummy is okay! I received the results from his UGI, and he doesn't have any of the conditions they suspected! It seems like it's just a combination of GERD (reflux) and a very strong gag reflex. Tyler has only thrown up twice in the last 10 days, so we are making progress! Thanks for the thoughts and prayers. We are so happy our little boy is healthy!

bunnies, baskets and balls

2010-04-05T21:15:00.000-07:00

Tyler had a "egg-stra" special Easter. Ha ... I'm not usually cheesy, but I'm exhausted to the point of delirium.

We went to a playdate at Madison's house last week. Her mommy, Jennifer, decorated their house and put giant eggs in the backyard. We had fun taking pictures of all the babies with them!

On Saturday, we went to the Woodbridge Easter egg hunt with the Tyler family. We are considering moving to that area, so we wanted to check out their events. Plus, the one next to our house only had activities for older kids. Tyler met the Easter bunny and thought he was a pretty cool dude. They were instant buds.

He also did his first Easter egg hunt! He battled for one egg and put it in his special baby-sized basket I made.

Tyler's going to love holidays, if they are all this fun!

Before we left, we snapped a few extra pictures with the Easter bunny. Tyler and Jake wanted to visit him together, and they had a lot of fun!

On Sunday, we got up early and went to church with Chad's family.

Then everyone came over to our house to open Easter baskets and eat lunch. It was like a springtime version of Christmas! Tyler got so many gifts in his three baskets, including a ball pit from Grandma Marty!

The grandmas played with him the whole afternoon and were nice enough to let mommy and daddy take a short nap!

Feeling a little overwhelmed from the busy day, Tyler and I shared some quiet time before bed. I told him the whole story about Jesus, the cross and the resurrection three days later. I think this will be a family tradition for years to come!

tummy specialist

2010-03-29T09:35:00.000-07:00

We took Tyler to the pediatric gastrointestinal specialist this morning. We were referred to him because Tyler throws up all the time, and has had eating issues since birth. The visit didn't start well, but ended on a very positive note!

Chad took Tyler to the scale to do the standard height, weight and head circumference check. While in the exam room finishing up paperwork, I heard the nurse say his weight. I rushed out, as she repeated, "18 lbs. 15 oz." Tyler lost weight since his last doctor visit a couple weeks ago. I was initially very upset and concerned. He also hasn't grown in height (27 3/4") at all since his 6-month check. He's now in the 50% for both weight and height. I was very thankful that Chad came with us. He calmed me down and insisted that everything was okay. Tyler, of course, was just as happy as always and didn't seem to notice anything!

The doctor, dressed in a lime green Hawaiian shirt, came in a few minutes later and gave us a little more piece of mind. He asked about 10,000 questions, checked Tyler's tummy and took a sample of his poopy. He stopped several times to play with him and comment on his haircut (to which, I made a pouty face). The doctor said a lot, so here are the bullet points:

Tyler's three-hour eating pattern is typical for a true breastfed baby, and we should not worry or try to change it. He is in a pattern of eating a certain [smaller] amount and is basically too old to change.
Tyler most likely has "spitty baby syndrome," which means he has reflux or GERD. The majority of children (60-70%) outgrow this by 6 months. There are a small few (30%) who have a more severe case and do not outgrow it until 12-18 months. Tyler falls into this category.
We were instructed to stop all nighttime feedings, which also includes the bedtime feeding. Due to Tyler's reflux, he needs to be fully upright for at least one hour after eating.
Keep breastfeeding. If Tyler does have a lactose protein sensitivity issue, breastmilk is much better than formula. There is no compelling reason to wean at this time.
We need to continue giving him Zantac twice daily and may even need to increase the dosage.
He insisted that Tyler was a very healthy and happy child. The drop in weight was nothing to cause concern and can most likely be attributed to a leveling out of growth. Since all his measurements are in the exact 50% percentile, he said we should feel relieved, not the opposite.
The doctor said there was a small chance Tyler has Pyloric Stenosis or Intestinal Malrotation (click links for explanations). He ordered a UGI just to make sure these problems didn't exist.

Immediately after the appointment, we went downstairs to the Plano Pediatric Imaging Center for the UGI. (On a sidenote, the building was great: pediatric specialists of all kinds, including sleep doctors and a surgery center.) The UGI was a little difficult for both Tyler and me. Chad was the brave one, comforting Tyler and encouraging me to stay calm. The doctors had to lay Tyler down on a magician-style board with his arms raised above his head. He was tightly secured down with five straps at every section of his head and body, so they could turn him in all directions. The nurse gave Tyler a bottle filled with a sweetened Barium, and the doctor watched the liquid travel through his stomach on an X-ray like machine. She took numerous pictures, and said she would have the final results by the end of the day. Her preliminary diagnosis looked good--no obvious signs of deformity, Pyloric Stenosis or Intestinal Malrotation! Thank God! She did, however, notice significant reflux. Instead of traveling down normally, the liquid he drank went down and then all the way back up to his throat. She said this could be causing all his issues.

Chad took a picture before Tyler's head and arms were fully secured. I'm not sure anyone wants to see it, but I thought I'd share anyways.

Tyler did okay. He cried a lot when they turned him in the many directions. He drank the bottle though, and finished up strong. He's pretty resilient. In fact, after the doctor was finished, he was laughing and smiling at her!

We'll know the final results by the end of the day. But it looks like our little guy just has a really bad case of reflux. We'll just continue giving medicine and make the adjustments mentioned above, and hopefully, he will outgrow the condition by 18 months.

Haircut No.4

2010-03-28T07:18:00.000-07:00

Tyler's had three haircuts before this one, but none of them have upset me. I saved my little piece of hair (for the first two), took a bunch of pictures and went on with the day. Yesterday, Chad took Tyler to the barbershop he's been going to for 16 years! They both got haircuts. OkHui wanted to make Tyler look more groomed. Chad loves the "high and tight" look, but I miss his curly locks!

Dwell Studio contest

2010-03-21T19:56:00.000-07:00

We entered Tyler's nursery in the Dwell Studio contest on Facebook. Tyler has their bedding, custom window treatments, pillow and decor! If we get the most "likes," we win a $1,000 shopping spree on their website! I definitely need this to decorate the new house!

Go to Facebook and become a fan of Dwell Studio (you'll want to be a fan anyway; they have amazing home, baby and kids decor). Find the How you Dwell contest in their photo album, and vote for Tyler's nursery!

Here's a link to make it easier. Thanks for helping us!
http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=3802898&id=29206454820

Motion 101

2010-03-17T08:16:00.000-07:00

CRAWLING
Tyler can crawl, right on track at 7 months, 2 weeks and 1 day old! I'm counting yesterday as the official day he learned how to do it, although it's been a slow evolution. It started with a tummy-slightly-elevated scoot backwards a couple weeks ago. Then, it progressed to a scoot forward. Last weekend, he started rocking back and forth on all fours with his tummy completely off the ground. And yesterday, he learned to put it in motion. He basically jumps on all fours, thrusting both hands off the ground simultaneously a step ahead of himself, then following with his knees. He still can't really take off, but he can definitely go places!

We were too busy taking video, and I just realized we didn't get a single still shot. I don't know how to work Chad's fancy video camera or editing software, so I can't upload the video. Sorry! He's a picture from when he started the rocking though.

SITTING UP
A few hours after the big crawl, he decided to pull himself up to a sitting position. He can get there from his belly, walking his hands backwards. After we watched him do it the first time, we put him back on his belly to try to recreate the moment. Sure enough, he did it again.

PULLING UP
Before bedtime, Tyler was playing on the ground again to release all that extra energy. He crawls over to the coffee table, sits up and starts pulling up on the table. Apparently, he wanted to prove that he could hit all the milestones in one day! He didn't quite get all the way up to a standing position, but I have a feeling it's coming any day.

We managed to grab the still camera in time for this moment.

All his little buddies

2010-03-14T07:40:00.001-07:00

Tyler has been blessed with lots of little buddies his age. He's going to have so much fun growing up with them, learning and exploring the world. We have tons of pictures of all the babies, from playdates, music class and holidays. Here are just a few from the past 7 months of Tyler's life.

Tyler meets Jacob Tyler at the hospital. Tyler was only three days old, and Jake was about 6 weeks.

Tyler meets Carter Owen. Tyler was 5 days old, and Carter was about 5 months.

Tyler meets Tre Chauvin. Tyler was 1 week old, and Tre was 2 weeks.

Tyler meets Charlie Holovach. Tyler was about 2 weeks old, and Charlie was about 3 months.

Tyler goes to his first playdate and meets Ryan, Derek Halvorsen and Ava Seamans. Tyler was 3 weeks old, and they were about 3-6 months.

Tyler meets Lily Goza. He was 3 months old, and Lily was about a week.

A playdate at our house: Carter (7 months), Jake (4 months) and Tyler (2 months)

Halloween party: Carter (7 months), Tyler (3 months) and Jake (4 months)

New Years Eve party: Tyler (5 months) and Charlie (7 months)

Tyler (6 months) at music class with Madison Culp (about 11 months) and Brinley McAdams (about 8 months)

Tyler (6 months) has a mini-playdate with Lily (3 months)

The most recent playdate picture: Tyler (6 months), Madison (11 months), Brinley (9 months), Jake (8 months) and Carter (11 months)
Ava (11 months) not pictured

Trip to the Dallas Arboretum for Dallas Blooms: Brinley (9 months), Ava (11 months), Tyler (7 months), Jake (8 months), Madison (11 months), Katelyn (1 year) and Carter (11 months)

Tyler's best little buddies posing by the flowers: Jake (8 months), Tyler (7 months) and Carter (11 months)

growing up and growing teeth

2010-03-03T21:30:00.000-08:00

It seems like every day brings a first for Tyler! I am humbled by the wonder in his eyes when he sees or does something new.

He got his first little baby tooth last Thursday! I didn't even notice it until I was letting him borrow my finger as a "chew toy," and suddenly it hurt. I inspected his mouth and found the tip of his little white weapon.

On Sunday, we took Tyler to church and left him in the preschool for the first time. I ran back twice to check on him and "leave my cell phone number in case of emergency," as I explained to the teacher who laughed at me. I made it though a never-ending 40 minutes and rushed back to get him before the close of the sermon. The teachers said that Tyler sat on the floor and watched all the other babies cry. He wasn't quiet sure what to make of all their fussing!

We also went to daddy's first softball game! Chad started a new softball league, first one since we were just dating in 2004-05. Chad loved playing again, and Tyler enjoyed watching ... as much as he could have while bundled up in the Baby Bjorn, a coat and two blankets. It was cold, and I'm overprotective. I'll just admit it!

Tyler had a major growth spurt last weekend, just in time for his 7-month birthday. Out of the blue, he started eating, eating, eating and eating more. After an emergency, late-night trip to buy formula, we woke up the next morning to find that Tyler would no longer fit in his clothes or diapers. And now we are in size 4 diapers and 12 month pajamas. I need a pause button on this baby. I'm not ready to shop in the toddler section

And just to make sure we heard his loud declaration of "un-babyhood," Tyler showed mommy that he knows how to slap. It's his new favorite thing to do during feedings. He has also started objecting to naps and (never thought I'd say this) ... the jumperoo! The days on endless enjoyment from bouncing up and down have been replaced with attempts at belly-lifting and backwards scooting. He's also been working on his hand-eye coordination, specifically the hand-to-diaper maneuver where he pulls off the sticky tabs just as I get the diaper perfectly positioned.

I quickly forgive Tyler for all the quirky baby things. He's adorable, and I love him infinitely. He must love me too, because he's started calling for me. It goes something like this, "uuuummmm ma."

flashes and backdrops

2010-02-20T21:42:00.001-08:00

On second thought, I can't shutdown the iMac without posting some recent photos! There are 4,800 new ones of our little guy (that's probably not an exaggeration), so I shall limit it to just a couple. Here are our favorites from Chad's 6-month photo shoot!

quick catch-up

2010-02-20T21:00:00.000-08:00

As previously mentioned, I keep a journal of all the moments/milestones I need to blog. Once the page fills up, and I can't procrastinate anymore, I attempt to post. Since the "giving-up hiatus," there have been several exciting developments. Here's the short version:

We had a great first Christmas with Tyler! He received so many new toys, clothes and baby goods. Thus far, his favorites are the sit and spin toy, the music table and the little "chew toys" from daddy.
NYE 2009 was very family-friendly. We all piled in the car with overnight gear and headed to Highland Village to see Andrea, Chad, Carter and Charlie. I made matching celebratory onesies for Charlie and Tyler. We had lots of fun, despite the fact that I never finished my first New Years Eve cocktail.
Tyler sat up for the first time on New Years Eve, thanks to Andrea's help. He was clearly independently sitting two days later.
Tyler started solids, rice cereal, on January 3 and moved up to carrots on February 2. Since then, he's snarled and eventually eaten peas, green beans and squash.
He can arbitrarily say da-da-da-da-da and laugh. We're working on the ma-ma-ma-ma-ma sounds, but those take a more advanced vocabulary!
We transitioned him to the big Euro bathtub on January 22. Thanks Carter Owen, for letting us try yours out first.
This month, he has learned to roll himself under our living room furniture. He's even started bringing toys with him (smart baby), so he doesn't have to make a second trip! Today, he tried to push his musical table under the media console with him. He got a little frustrated when that did not go as planned.
We went to his 6 month check-up on February 1. Tyler is still above the 90% for height: 27 3/4 inches, but dropped a little in weight percentile: 17 lbs 12 oz, which is around the 55%.
He is laughing and talking all the time now! I love getting to know him. Everyday, I see more and more of his personality.
Last week, he started raising his arms for me to pick him up. I'm convinced he has fully-developed his mommy attachment.
He also discovered his pee pee a couple weeks ago. Chad was a very proud daddy that day. Ha.
On Tuesday (February 16), Tyler started lifting his belly off the ground. I've been helping him practice crawling, and I think he's decidedly tired of mommy's assistance. It's a countdown to the day when childproofing is a must and cute home decorations go on lockdown.

We have been keeping ourselves very busy with playdates, Tiny Tots music class and plenty of house meetings. Yes, Yes, Yes ... WE ARE BUILDING A NEW HOUSE! I've officially purchased three home decorating books, including "The Nest Home Design Handbook" and "Domino: The Book of Decorating." This has taken my obsession to a whole new level.

So now that all my scribbled entries are checked-off in my notepad, I think I'll call it a night. I'd pledge a new post soon, but then ... I did just rename this "the occasional blog." So no promises.

new look. new expectations.

2010-02-20T20:48:00.000-08:00

The McKinney Family Blog has a new look. Not only am I bad at blogging, I am also bad at giving up blogging. So I continue to share my shortcomings with the world ...

I've reinvented the blog with new expectations. I can handle "occasional."

Bye bye blog

2010-02-12T21:23:00.000-08:00

I've realized that I'm not good at blogging. I'm giving up. You can find us on Facebook!

It's been awhile!

2009-12-18T19:10:00.001-08:00

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!

2009-11-02T09:57:00.000-08:00

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

2009-10-29T16:02:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-28T15:45:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-27T15:56:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-25T16:32:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-24T15:28:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-10-22T15:19:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-18T15:04:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-15T07:21:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-12T09:10:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-06T09:43:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-05T21:00:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-10-05T11:04:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-09T11:15:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-31T18:06:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-24T07:51:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-24T07:45:00.000-07:00

YouTube Videos - Keeping Memories and Sharing with our family

2009-08-10T14:04:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-07T22:13:00.001-07:00

Tyler Pictures

2009-08-07T20:40:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-01T20:40:00.000-07:00

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.

Off bed rest and anti-contraction medication!

2009-07-23T16:50:00.000-07:00

We just got home from another doctor appointment. I think we are notorious up there. When the other doctor, Dr. Smith, saw us, she just looked at me and said, "seriously, Heather, seriously." That's almost as good as last week's comment, "you're STILL pregnant?" I just love those girls!

Our doctor, Dr. Haddock, was great today. She sympathized with me and calmly explained that the next couple weeks were going to be very rough. She knows I'm extremely uncomfortable and that I'll soon be in tons of pain again. But ... I am excited about this part because ... SHE TOOK ME OFF THE ANTI-CONTRACTION MEDICATION and BED REST! She feels comfortable enough to let him come! So now, we just wait for labor to start!! I am 1 cm. dilated, and Tyler has dropped. He hasn't engaged yet, but his head is definitely down.

We have our last growth sonogram on Monday. From that point, she'll be able to make a better estimate of his impending arrival. She did tell us today, however, that if labor hasn't started by August 14, she'll intervene. (Don't panic about pitocin or a c-section! We trust our great doctor, and we are sure she has Baby Tyler's best interest in mind. As she always says, "it doesn't matter how it happens. The end result is the exact same", and her "job is to deliver a healthy baby!")

Off I go to wait for more contractions... let's all pray we have a July baby!

Here are some candid moments from 2 weeks of bed rest:

Learning to bed rest

2009-07-10T05:50:00.000-07:00

After showing signs of late-preterm labor, I have been put on strict bed rest.

We spent a few hours yesterday at the doctor's office and hospital. I was having mild contractions since Monday, which didn't seem so mild with all the pain they caused. The doctor said it was latent false labor, which basically means my body is preparing but not dilated yet. At the hospital, I received two shots to stop the contractions and some pain medicine. Good news, Tyler is perfectly healthy. They watched him on the monitors, and his heart rate was great, and he was squirming as usual.

So until real labor starts (hopefully not for 3 more weeks), I have to stay in bed minus restroom breaks and an occasional shower. Luckily, Chad gave me his laptop password so I can stay connected.

Belly blunders

2009-07-08T17:47:00.000-07:00

Ya know, this thing really gets in the way. Last week, I closed my belly in the car trunk. I reached down to slam it closed after loading groceries, and little did I know my belly was all the way inside. I got my first silent treatment from my son. Not sure if he was punishing me or knocked unconscious.

Then yesterday, I went to use my prenatal massage gift card from Liz. I attempted to hoist myself onto the table, which had a massive attachment with a hole in the center. To my embarrassment, my belly wouldn't fit. That sucker would have had to be four inches deeper to accommodate this baby "bump." And don't think about recommending a chair massage. The tech was quick to point out that I wouldn't come close to fitting inside one of those!

All jokes (and moments of complaining aside), I'm thrilled to have this belly. I'll admit it's not the most pleasant experience, but every time Baby Tyler kicks, it makes me smile! And I love feeling--and rubbing--this little guy ... even if I am patting his behind!

Our not-so-little one

2009-07-01T12:23:00.000-07:00

Well, well, well ... looks like our little Baby Tyler is an athlete in the making.

We went back to the doctor today for a growth sonogram. So, how much do you think our little one weighs now? The average at 32 weeks/6 days is 4 lbs. As they said today, "we have a good little grower." According to the sonogram, Baby Tyler is 5 1/2 lbs. Here are his measurements (feel free to make loud exclamations; we certainly did):

Length: 35 weeks and 1 day ... 94th percentile
Stomach: 36 weeks and 0 days ... 98th percentile
Head: 32 weeks and 4 days ... 44th percentile
Overall: 34 weeks and 6 days ... 95th percentile

He has already dropped and is head-down, ready to go. She will check in 2 weeks to see if I'm dilated and/or effaced. Today's calculations moved his due date to August 12. However, she thinks it's highly likely that I'll go into labor sometime between August 5 and August 12. (We are just hoping our 2-year anniversary on Aug. 8 doesn't turn out to be his birthday!)

If I carry him 6 more weeks, he'll be about 8.5 lbs., which is definitely deliverable. If I go until the original due date, August 20, he'd be about 10 lbs. She is fairly certain that won't happen though, especially since he has already dropped, and all my symptoms have been several weeks ahead of schedule.

So, we go back on July 27 for another growth sonogram. At that point, I'll be between 36.5 weeks and 38.5 weeks along. They will make a final decision at that point. We may be setting up a scheduled induction or c-section; it all depends on how ready little Tyler is to meet us!

I can't believe we will be parents in just a few weeks. We will definitely have a baby in fewer than 42 days! We are so excited! And we feel so overwhelmingly blessed that Tyler is healthy.

Although you can't see much, here are some pictures from today's sonogram:

She is measuring his fluid. Anything between 10-20 is normal, and he had 14. An amount more than 5 (I forget the unit they measure in) is healthy. Basically, Baby Tyler still has plenty of room for squirming.

Here is his femur bone. Tyler has very long legs, thank goodness!

Here is his spine, all nice and healthy.

And here is his cute little head. We couldn't see his face because he is already in the birth position.

Let's play "which one doesn't belong:" hospitals, doctors and Chad and Heather

2009-06-24T12:44:00.001-07:00

Have I mentioned that I love hospitals? Several weeks of emergency visits has left me wondering a few things like: how some doctors/nurses ever graduated and why Baylor Dallas has so many more cafeterias. Really though, I could survive without these answers or another trip to an ER.

And now for the updates ... Judy (Chad's mom) is doing much better after the horse riding accident. She went home from the hospital last week, and with the help of pain meds, is recovering nicely. Thinking of her seven broken ribs, cracked collar bone and punctured lung probably makes her wish she could still feel the effects of the concussion. Regaining short-term memory comes with a hefty price--pain. But at least she remembers our names now!

My mom is back to normal, working as hard as ever. Amazingly, the car accident didn't cause any serious damage. Apparently, it's possible to walk away from a four-car collision with only a sprained knee and arm. Thank you God, for making sure Tyler's grandmas are healthy enough to babysit!

In other hospital news, our good friends Andrea and Chad, had their little baby a couple weeks ago. Charlie is doing great, and Andrea is recovering amazingly well. She was up and moving around just a few days after the c-section, ready and willing to teach me how to change diapers and breastfeed.

Chad and I have been to Baylor Dallas several times, as well. You've heard the fun story when we thought my water broke. (I still refuse to consider what really happened; I'll remain ignorantly pleased, knowing Tyler still has plenty of fluid in his pool.) We also completed our Basics of Baby Care class last week, which certifies us to change a diaper, swaddle and give a bath. And on Saturday, we head back to the hospital for an all-day Prepared Childbirth class. I'm excited about filling in the gaps that I can't learn while watching "The Baby Story" on TLC.

We also had another OB/GYN check-up yesterday. We met the other doctor in the practice, who is adorable! I was torn between asking for medical advice and seeing if she wanted to go shopping with me. We could so be bestfriends! Maybe I'll start with a discrete Facebook friend request to Dr. Haddock and Dr. Smith and see if we can go from there! But ... in real news, everything is checking out perfectly with Baby Tyler. I, however, have developed additional pregnancy symptoms--all normal--but annoying just the same. Between the back pain, the pressure and the ever-changing round ligament pain, I have a hard time believing I'll make it eight more weeks. But that's the goal, and I have a history of being an over-achiever. So, we'll see.

Next Thursday, we head back to the doctor for our growth sonogram. I'll be 33 weeks pregnant, and hopefully Baby Tyler will be no more than 4 lbs. If he's bigger, we may talk about birth alternatives. Tyler may be in trouble for causing mommy to have another scar, but at least daddy won't be mad at me for passing on the short gene.

And for the last update ... I'll leave you with a teaser. My blood pressure is returning to normal, and God worked out the details once again. I'll let Chad tell you the rest.

29 1/2 weeks

2009-06-08T15:40:00.001-07:00

We're almost there! After Thursday, we start counting down the weeks in single digits, crazy how quickly it seems to be going lately.

We had a doctor appointment today, and everything is still perfect. Apparently, last week's little scare was just a way for us to find the quickest route to the hospital. At least, we're prepared when the time really comes.

Here are a few of the photos from this week (and one from last, because I had to share the moment when I met Baby Charlie).

Just a few more pictures from the shower

2009-06-05T14:03:00.000-07:00

Baby Tyler's First Party

2009-06-05T13:28:00.001-07:00

As our name tags boasted, last Saturday was "Tyler's First Party."

Thank you Liz, Rachel and Erica, for hosting an amazing baby shower! From the beautiful flowers, handmade confetti and delicious food to the clever games, the shower was more than I could ever have asked for (or planned with thousands of lists).

Tyler and I were blessed to have 24 ladies come and celebrate his upcoming arrival. We received almost everything off our registry! I cannot begin to understand why we are so lucky to have so many wonderful and giving friends, but I definitely made a little promise to never take it for granted. To everyone who came and those who mailed gifts, thank you!

Here are a few pictures from the big day:

Prayers work!

2009-06-02T09:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Baby Tyler got a little too excited about meeting Baby Charlie Holovach. He wanted to come out and play ... good thing he understood when we explained it wasn't his turn yet!

While we were visiting Andrea and her family in the hospital, we thought my water broke. I was a little scared because (as always) I didn't know what was normal at this phase of pregnancy. We asked the nurse at Presby Plano, and she didn't react how I expected. Instead of calming me down and laughing at my "worries," she forcefully insisted we rush to the ER downstairs immediately. While I was holding back tears, Chad grabbed my phone and called our doctor. She, in her ever-so-soothing voice, said we should head to our hospital, Baylor Dallas, and have a simple evaluation to check. As always, I felt better after talking to her. But we were still driving to the hospital at 28 1/2 weeks ... definitely not ready to meet our little boy yet!

The hospital was expecting us when we arrived, and they took me back to a labor and delivery room immediately. Posey, our nurse, was incredible. She had the most reassuring tone in her voice. They hooked me and Tyler up to the monitors. Tyler enjoyed it a little more than me, and he took the opportunity to demonstrate his powerful kicks and rolls. I think he was showing off for Daddy, since he was watching!

Posey did the first test, which came back positive for amniotic fluid. Although this would have been the time to panic, she quickly explained that they would do a few more tests to confirm. Then, Tyler would get a steroid shot to help his lungs, and we'd be welcoming him to the world that evening. At this point, he has a 95 percent chance of being fine ... he may just need a little help with breathing for a few weeks. All I could think of was the Google search I ironically did that morning for babies born at 28 weeks. Those images flashed in my head, and I just started praying.

Within several minutes, the doctor came in and explained the four tests she was going to perform. The doctor introduced herself, but I was too busy admiring how beautiful she was. The first test, a more detailed version of the one Nurse Posey just completed, came back negative! And the reassuring news continued. She did an ultrasound to measure the amniotic fluid. Any amount more than 5 ounces was considered safe, and Tyler still had 14.5 ounces of fliud and plenty of room to continue his aquatic acrobatics! They noticed a few "variations" in my uterus, but the contractions were nothing to cause worry. The last test checked for lung development, as Tyler should be practing his breathing by now. We watched the ultrasound machine for nearly 30 minutes, and finally witnessed his chest contract for the first time! Everything looked perfect! I strongly believe God answered our prayers and fixed the leaking amniotic fluid! Our creator is a good plumber too!

After 20 more minutes of continued monitoring, we were released. No medications, no restrictions and, most importantly, no problems with Baby Tyler!

Chad captured a neat video on his cell phone while there. The monitors picked up Tyler's hiccups. I love that he gets mad and kicks, too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u1526ZNlR0&feature=player_embedded

Welcome to full-fledged pregnancy

2009-05-12T08:48:00.000-07:00

So, pregnancy is not all fun and games anymore (or was it ever?).

Late Sunday night, Tyler finished his latest growth spurt. He started doing somersaults with his new, longer body. My stomach was like a virtual ocean. We could actually see it changing shapes and "doing waves" when he moved. Chad actually jumped back when he felt it, and I called the doctor, wondering if Tyler was going to flip himself right out of my belly. Good news: he's an active little guy. Bad news: every move he makes for the next 14 weeks will make me jolt.

The pregnancy reality-check continued into Monday, when I got my first set of Braxton Hicks contractions. As if I wasn't panicked enough after the earthquakes in my belly ... these uncomfortable, tightening sensations sent me into a mild case of hysteria. Chad took me and Tyler for a walk in the park, and I continued to drink glass after glass of water. They eventually subsided ... just in time for round three of third-trimester fun.

At 9:45 p.m., I got up and HAD to have Bahama Bucks! That shaved ice and sugar-free, pina colada syrup was just as important as breathing at that point. Chad quickly understood the importance of the situation and grabbed the keys to go. We had 14 minutes and 35 seconds to make it there before they closed. As we rushed out the door and backed out of the garage, we looked at each other and laughed. This was definitely good practice for rushing to the hospital for labor.

I'll be 26/27 weeks on Thursday, and I can sense that I've entered the crash-course phase of pregnancy. This is the part where it gets interesting ...

The baby bump

2009-05-07T20:06:00.000-07:00

I thought the bump looked huge at 18 weeks, but I am learning that it just keeps growing! Baby Tyler is kicking all the time these days. I think he is practicing soccer or maybe swimming, since I built him a belly lap pool.

Chad got a new camera lens. He's been taking lots of pictures. Can't wait until Tyler gets here and we have baby photo sessions.

Here are some of my favorite belly shots:

17 weeks

25 weeks

Sonogram images

2009-05-05T08:02:00.001-07:00

Tyler has had his picture taken four times now! He's getting good practice for his arrival when he'll be daddy's little model.

Here are some of the sonogram pictures:

6 weeks

8 weeks

18 weeks

20 weeks

He'll have one more sonogram done at 35 weeks. Only 10 more weeks before we get to see him again! Isn't he just the cutest two-dimensional, black and white baby ever!

Tyler's nursery

2009-05-03T19:07:00.000-07:00

Four weeks of work, four coats of paint and two happy parents-to-be ... the nursery is finished!

It all started with one sample paint color that quickly turned into ten. Soon, Chad and I resorted to the flip of a coin--tails for gray and heads for blue (ie: shade No. 7). We ventured back to Sherwin Williams, and Chad worked all night turning Pottery Barn green into "monsoon" gray. Next came decor, which I'll admit I had been planning since day two of being pregnant. We placed the crib with the Dwell Baby bedding, installed the Ikea light fixture and switch and hung the Flensted mobile (with hopes that Baby Tyler doesn't have a bird phobia). Chad had the artistic inspiration for the art panels ... a good use for several of those sample paint colors. While waiting for the draperies and recliner/glider to arrive, Chad continued his daddy-duties by building shelves in the closet. It all came together almost as seamlessly as a do-it-yourself decorating show.

And the blogging begins

2009-05-03T17:08:00.000-07:00

After numerous conversations about starting a blog, I thought I'd put my journalism degree to work. Stay tuned for updates, photos and thoughts from our growing family!