new tyler-isms

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!