2 1/2 Years & 1 Month!

Well I’m still playing catch up (I wrote this post last week) and still no pictures because I can’t find the cord to my other camera…ugh.
I’m on Day 3 of being on my own with 2 kids. It hasn’t been easy but not nearly as overwhelming as I thought it was going to be. Granted, my house is not spic and span and dinners haven’t been great, but oh well…..Now that I’m constantly nursing and rocking, I’ve picked up reading again. I forget how much I enjoy it.
Tommy plays by himself really well when he has to, although I need to be better about teaching him during the day. Even if it’s just one-on-one with us doing play-dough, or painting, I want to feel like I’m teaching him and he’s learning something rather than just playing with cars and watching his shows! (Because we all know that being outside, unless it’s 5:00 am, really isn’t an option right now)
Tyler
1 Month Stats
Weight: 9.5 lbs. (40 %)
Height: 21 1/4” (40%)
Head Circ.: 37 cm. (26%)
He is really filling out in the belly and thighs. The newborn size clothes are beginning to get snug. 0-3 mos. is still pretty big on him.
He is sleeping pretty well. He sleeps in the car seat because of his gagging. He naps fairly well during the day. If he nurses at 10 or 11 pm. He’ll usually sleeps til about 3 am and quickly falls back asleep. Then he’ll wake up around 6 or 7. I guess it’s still about every 3 hours but I still feel fairly rested in the mornings.
Tyler will giggle at least once at night and during the day when he’s asleep and has gas. It’s the cutest sound ever.
He’s starting to smile a little more, maybe he just has more gas, but nonetheless it’s cute.
When he isn’t completely starving or angry, he’ll make a pouty face with his lips puckered up. This is when you try and get something out of his nose or right when you put him down, letting you know you’ve hurt his feelings and a wail is about to come, unless comforted quickly
He spit up randomly all last week while in Ruidoso and is still gagging during feedings as well as during/after naps, so the doctor suggested taking him off Axid and trying Prevacid. I feel more hopeful about this prescription so we’ll see….
This last week he has made small cooing sounds and it’s so precious
He is also grabbing and pulling really well now. He grabbed my hair the other day, and seems to always be grabbing blankets or burp rags.
My wonderful visiting teacher and her 2 kids offered to watch Tommy (whom they literally adore) while we took Tyler to his orthopedics appointment today (13th). The specialist said he really didn’t see a need for the hip brace right now. (yay!) He suggested we get another ultrasound in about 5 weeks and if it hasn’t gone away, then he’ll probably need a brace. He was very optimistic about letting his hip socket develop on it’s own because in so many instances, babies are just as better off without a brace, then with one (when the click and spacing is so minimal.) That was a relief and I’m hopeful the next ultrasound will be good.
Tyler looks so much like Tommy did when he was just born. I don’t have a good comparison picture but these will work.

Tommy                                             Tyler

Tommy
It’s hard to believe I have a two and a half year old! I love hearing him tell stories and he is great at having conversations. He speaks so well and it really is fun to talk with him, about anything… and he will talk about anything! He is such a sweet boy.
He constantly says, “I wanna do it all myself!”
He loves Bob the Builder now and loves to sing the theme song even more! (Yell  is more like it)
If he asks me for something and I say no, he immediately asks Daddy….and vice versa.
This kind of makes me sad, but the times I give Tyler to Matt and say “OK, Tommy let’s play” he says, “you hold baby Tyler, and Daddy play with me.” sniffle sniffle
What we’ve been up to in pictures:


I crocheted a newsboy cap and diaper cover but the hat was way too small (even if I had put it on the day he was born) and I didn’t quite finish the cover….but I tried anyway….

Tommy’s new favorite spot to hang out

Tyler at 1 month

Tommy wanted a turn

I love these next 2 pictures!


Matt said, “Look, I’ve got my boys” (it’s still so odd to hear the plural in ‘boys’)


Matt did a lot of yard work so Tommy was outside working too!

4th of July in Ruidoso

*UPDATE-Pictures added from Shilo's camera

On Thursday night, Matt, Tyler, and I left for a two day drive to Ruidoso. As I mentioned before, Tommy went with Mimi earlier (Tuesday). I was so ready to see Tommy. We drove for about 5 hours and Tyler did fairly well. He still wouldn't really take a binky because he usually only cries when he has a wet/dirty diaper or if he's hungry...and a binky won't fix that! But nonetheless, he did good and we stayed in Brownsfield that night. Friday morning Tyler woke up to eat at about 4:30, and after showering and grabbing some food, we were off! (Poor Matt needed more sleep though). We finally made it to the rental house around 11:00 and I scared Matt by opening the car door before it completely stopped. He thought I had to go to the bathroom or throw up....but of course I was just running in to see my Tommy :) He smiled and said 'Hi Mommy" as I found him getting out of the bath. Again I cried as he let me hug him to death and gave me a look like, 'silly mommy.'
Back together again! ALL BETTER, as Dylan would put it ;)
 We had a good time visiting with family. I was able to visit with Nana a lot and have her hold Tyler. She had this position she would hold Tyler in that seemed to be magic. She layed him on his stomach with his arms and head resting on her arm and the arm of the chair. He would fall asleep and stay asleep for SO long. I told her she needed to come home with me!
The weekend was filled with golf, go-carts (Tommy had a blast), mechanical machine (tommy explains that he 'scooped the dirt and dumped the dirt"), and mexican food. It didn't quite feel like the 4th though because of the ban on fireworks. The grandkids sure had cute 4th of July outfits though.

And now I must say, there are no pictures, except the ones I'll eventually get from Shilo's camera. I thought I had packed my camera but when I saw it wasn't in the camera bag, I thought I had just forgotten it. But when we came home and it was no where to be found, we realized it had probably been taken out of our car at some point in the trip. I feel sick thinking about it, literally. It makes me so sad.  I shouldn't love a material possession so much, but I LOVED my camera and I loved looking at the pictures I took with it. I was so excited to take really nice baby pictures of Tyler as he was growing up, because many of Tommy's are blurry and/or dark. Well no more....sigh. There's nothing I can do though so...back to my point-and-shoot.

Before I got there-all the grandbabies

The boys enjoying Maggie's shoes

Family Pics with our little goofball!

You would never guess these babies are only 7 weeks apart! It was so fun to meet baby Joey. He is a chunk and super cute!

Our 4th of July babes

Week 2

(Playing Catch-up)
On Saturday, Grandma went home and Mimi took her place. I was lucky enough to have constant help!

Tommy played with Dylan all week while Shilo painted and painted and painted…. They have been working hard on their new house!







Tommy still loves and is fascinated by baby Tyler. He wants to hold him, but shortly after I place him in his lap Tyler begins to squirm and Tommy says, “ugh…he’s too heavy!” and starts pushing him out. He also likes to touch his fingers and toes. When Tyler moves from being touched, Tommy smiles, laughs, and yells (literally) , “He moved his finger!” He also mimics the way Tyler moves his arms. It’s really cute.


On Tuesday Tyler had an ultrasound (that took a ridiculously long time) for the click in his hip. On Wednesday he had his 2 week well-check visit and after looking at the radiologist’s report, his pediatrician said he needs a brace so his hip will develop correctly in the socket. I don’t know what that all entails or for how long he’ll have to wear it, but I certainly wasn’t expecting that. So we will be seeing Orthopedics when we get back from Ruidoso. But I am thankful it’s nothing worse and that he should be ok. I’m also thankful he is gaining weight. He gained 18 oz. in 12 days! The doctor said I must have whale milk….Ok? I thought that was an interesting comment. He also slept 6 hours 2 nights in a row! That didn’t last but it was sure nice! Tyler makes the most disgusted face when you give him a binky. As if he were saying, “this isn’t milk. What are you thinking!” He wouldn’t take the green kind they give you at the hospital so I bought a different shape (the kind Tommy used) and he’ll occasionally take it in the car, if you’re holding it in.


Tyler’s 2 Week Stats:
Weight: 8.5 lbs.
Length: 21 inches
Head Circ.: 36.5 cm