Christmas Morning

Tyler's favorite Christmas gift: tissue paper and ribbons.

[Video of Tyler holding tissue paper in each hand and
flapping his arms up and down.]

Zoo Lights

A few days before Christmas we headed to the zoo with my parents to check out the zoo's Christmas/animal lights display. We hadn't been in a number of years, but it was definitely worth braving the elements. Click on the photo below to see the entire album.

Zoo Lights

Quick Update

Like most of you, we have been keeping busy this holiday season. We just enjoyed a nice visit from my parents, who flew out Monday night. They flew out just in time as there was an unexpected snowfall yesterday that caused the worst traffic jam I have ever been in. Michael left his office at 5:15 pm and after picking me up (at 6:30! and I'm only on the other side of downtown) we sat in gridlock traffic for hours and finally made it home at 10:15 pm. Thankfully the good people at day care stayed late and we were finally able to pick Tyler up a little past 10 pm. Luckily Tyler went to sleep at 7:30 pm and hardly seemed to notice that we were a tad late picking him up.

Merry Christmas!

I'm Dreaming...

of a Dry Christmas! This is what my Dad has been singing as a reflection of the typical rainy weather we have here in Portland. My parents came into town on Thursday for the holidays. I will post pictures when I have more time.

Splish Splash I Was Taking a Bath

You practically have to break out Gortex rain gear these days to give Tyler a bath because he loves to splash! It's a real double whammy when he kicks his legs and flails his arms. And I don't even put very much water in the tub! The above video is the PG version (no male anatomy showing), but you get the picture. I would definitely rather get splashed a few times than endure the crying Tyler used to do during his newborn days.

Laughter

Miss Ashley told us that during daycare today Tyler had so much fun watching the toddlers entertain him and some of the other babies that he almost fell over from a sitting position because he was laughing so hard. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall! Tyler usually breaks out his best laughter for other kids.

Getting Our Christmas Tree

Saturday morning we went to pick out our Christmas tree. We also typically get a wreath for the outside front entryway to our house.

Tyler all bundled up and ready to go.

We stopped for breakfast along the way and then Tyler fell asleep in the car.
Since he was 10 minutes into a nap and we didn't have the stroller
with us we improvised and hauled him around in one of the nursery's wagons.

As you can see, Tyler did not seem to mind his alternative set of wheels.

  

We bought a smaller tree than normal this year because there is less room in the house. I never dreamed baby gear could take over the house so extensively! The tree is up in our family room but we still need to decorate it. Finishing the Christmas shopping so we can meet the Dec. 16th post office parcel post shipping deadline has been a higher priority.

2300 Miles

My parents added to their outdoor Christmas decorations this year. One of the new additions is a candy-cane striped pole that includes the mileage and direction to each grandchild: 2300 miles to Tyler and 45 miles to Noah (my brother Bryce's son). Notice how they left quite a bit of room at the bottom of the pole to add more grandchildren.

Little Reindeer

The reindeer hat Michael's mom got for Tyler is too small to wear out in the cold, but I couldn't resist snapping a few pictures of him in it in the warm indoors. (We have been having crazy cold weather with lows in the teens and highs around freezing.) He wasn't particularly in the mood to sit still and smile, so I minimized the picture-taking torture.

Latest Developments

It's been a while since I've done an update of what Tyler has been up to and it seems like he is constantly doing something new lately. He definitely had lots of stimulation and enjoyed having his grandparents and aunts in town at varying times over a 2+ week period. Everyone left by this past Sunday and Tyler is re-adjusting back to his normal routine. New stuff:

• Teething: Massive quantities of drool were back until Tyler's top front teeth broke the gums. You still can't really see the teeth unless you are looking for them.
• Solid Food: Tyler is still eating mostly pureed food but he is enjoying it more and will sometimes even eat solids twice a day now. And of course he wants to help out by holding the spoon.
• Non-Crawling: Tyler is getting around on the floor primarily by rolling. He sometimes does an army crawl and other times actually moves backwards when trying to army crawl. Every once in a while when Tyler is on his tummy he will tuck his knees under him but he never quite fully makes it into a crawling position. According to Tyler's pediatrician crawling is optional and is not really considered a developmental milestone.
• Standing: Although he is not yet pulling himself up, when we put Tyler in a standing position he absolutely loves it. He can hang on to furniture or your hands for a while. He loves standing so much that often when you try to set him down in a sitting position he extends his legs out straight so he ends up standing instead.
• Reading: Tyler is more interested in books and actually tries to help turn the pages now as opposed to just trying to chew on them. Just this evening he had a ball with a book that has flaps for Tyler to open and close to see what's below.
• Babbling & Communicating: Tyler finally said mama. Granted it was babbled in the middle of a long string of other sounds I was still excited. His repertoire of consonant sounds is expanding. Tyler has also started extending his arms towards you to let you know he wants you to pick him up or hold him.
• Clapping: A few weeks ago Tyler started clapping his hands. He will also give you five if you hold out your hand for him.
• Making Noise: Tyler loves to see what kinds of noises he can make: he bangs toys together, bangs his hands or a toy on tables, blows raspberries, etc.
• Baths: We ditched the infant tub at the end of October and have been bathing Tyler in a regular tub since he has mastered sitting up on his own for long periods of time. Just in the past week he has really become interested in playing with his bath toys and is enjoying splashing the water more than previously. I don't know who ends up more wet- Tyler or me!
• Grabbing: Although babies come out of the womb being able to grab, you really have to keep your eye on Tyler these days. Last week he grabbed his Grandpa's steak knife off the table at a restaurant. Luckily he grabbed the handle and we took it from him quickly. A few days ago he tried to push the buttons on the debit/credit card machine at the grocery store.
• Getting Dressed: Tyler actually helps push his arms through the sleeves now and that makes it much easier to get him dressed or put a jacket on.

Thanksgiving Weekend Photos

Thanksgiving Weekend

Click on photo for album of more photos from Thanksgiving weekend. I finally found some time to get caught up! Plus, Michael temporarily hooked up my laptop to his desktop after my video display decided to stop working on Monday. Thank goodness I married a tech savvy man!

Tyler with his Aunts

I'm not sure who had more fun... Tyler or Michael's sisters!

Story time at Cedar Mill Library with Tia Janina and Tia Ludy

Singing songs and bouncing along

While Tyler has always enjoyed books, he just recently took an interest
in helping turn the pages instead of just trying to put them in his mouth.

Rockin' t-shirts!

 

Who needs toys when this Starbucks cup is so much fun?

Toe-Sucking Fun

After watching Tia Ludy wiggle her toes,
Tyler promptly decided to remove one of his socks...

... and suck on his toes.

I wonder why everyone is laughing... what the heck, I'll laugh too!

Going back for more... this continued for several rounds of toe-sucking fun.

9-Month Well Child Visit

Tyler's 9-month check-up was today and his pediatrician said he is doing great. Our little chunk is growing:

• Weight: 21 lb 0.4 oz (70th percentile)- over 5 times his birth weight
• Height: 28.25" (48th percentile)- that's more than 1" per month
• Head Circumference: 17.75" (42nd percentile)- 1.5 times his head size at birth

While Tyler has more than caught up with his peers in size, developmentally he is more like a 7-month old than a 9-month old when it comes to all the milestones, which is normal for a preemie.

How Many Hurtado's Does it Take to Feed Tyler?

Four:

• One to hold his left hand
• One to hold his right hand
• One to spoon the food in to his mouth
• One to take pictures

Am I Old Enough for a Cell Phone Yet?

Turkey Day

Co-head of the table

Renee, Tyler, and Michael

Grandpa, Abuelita, and Tyler

Tia Delores and Tia Janina



We had a very nice Thanksgiving. Michael's side of the family is in town visiting and we actually got to host Thanksgiving for a change instead of traveling. I don't know how we did it, but the timing actually worked out pretty well such that Tyler had just had a nap and a bottle right before we sat down to eat. He sat in his high chair, babbled, and gnawed on a teething ring while we all feasted.

Happy Thanksgiving

Our scanner is on the fritz or else I would scan in one of Tyler's handprint turkeys. It is very difficult to get a 9-month old to keep his hand and fingers spread out, dip them in finger paint, and then press them down on paper. We ended up making some creatively artistic turkeys. Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Swinging

[Video of Tyler swinging at Metzger Park.]

Laughing

[Video of Tyler laughing in his stroller at the zoo.]

At the Zoo with Grandpa & Abuelita

Michael's parents are visiting from San Antonio for Thanksgiving and are thoroughly enjoying spending some quality time with Tyler. On Saturday we all bundled up and went to the zoo.

My favorite pumpkin in the patch.

 

Strolling through the zoo.

Making a new friend. Hey Mom and Dad-
are you sure we aren't related to the orangutan?

Nap time.

Warming up with a little coffee and hot chocolate.

Family portrait.

Forever Rolling

[Video of Tyler rolling.]

Hmm... I want to get to those toys. How the heck do I move forward? Maybe I'll just roll from side to side...

Standing

Although still not crawling and nowhere close to being able to pull himself up, Tyler loves it when we hold him up so he can stand.

Our Sweetie

Tyler's daycare summary sheet today said, "Tyler had a very good day with his friends. He sat next to Joshua and talked and held his hand. It was very cute." Awwwww!

Upcoming Holiday Visitors

We are looking forward to family visiting over the holidays- Michael's parents and sisters/family will be here for Thanksgiving and my parents are coming for Christmas. My Dad sent me the following poem along with his travel itinerary:

'Twas the week before Christmas, and all through the house,
There was a sigh of relief from recovering from Thanksgiving visitors
Everyone was exhausted, even the mouse!

When what before my wondering eyes would appear,
was an AOL e-mail, that filled me with fear!
What! Grandparents again, visiting right away.
No relief for the weary, not even on Christmas day!

No chance to decline, or make a good excuse,
Left victimized by holiday Grandparental abuse.
It's payback time for many a Christmas past ...
And this Christmas will not be the last.

Laughing and Babbling

[Video of Tyler babbling, repeating Dada, and squealing.]

Although he does not know what it means yet, Tyler can say Dada- much to Michael's delight.

Playing

[Video of Tyler banging plastic rings together.]

Tyler really enjoys finding out what kinds of sounds he can make when he bangs things together. We have to be careful what kinds of toys we give him at restaurants because he likes to bang his toys against the table and that can generate lots of noise! Unfortunately plastic toys are better to bring out and about in public because they can easily be washed with hot water and soap later unlike plush toys.

Chatterbox

[Video of Tyler grabbing feet and babbling.]

Tyler has been making more and more consonant sounds and continues to explore his vocal range. You never know when he's going to babble or squeal. Recently we were driving somewhere and Tyler started squealing along to Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It", which was playing on the radio. That's my boy!

Sleeping

Nowadays Tyler is quite the wiggle worm when he sleeps. Every time we check on him he seems to be in a different position. He likes to tuck his knees under like above, which does not look comfortable at all. I think this is Tyler's way of practicing crawling while he dreams. He also likes to get right up against the crib railing, poke his arm through, and hug the mattress. Because Tyler is such an active sleeper many a pacifier ends up behind the crib against the wall. I fished out 9 the other day after I realized we only had one clean pacifier in the house!

Brad & Megan's Wedding

Click above for photo album of our trip to New Orleans for Brad (my brother) & Megan's wedding, which took place October 24. We had an excellent time! The only disappointment of the trip was missing the rehearsal dinner because of a 5-1/2 hour airport delay in Houston due to plane maintenance!!!! Luckily Tyler was a great traveler and pretty much just went with the flow. Brad & Megan got married at Houmas House, a gorgeous plantation located between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. They put on quite a party for the wedding.

Wanting to Crawl

Tyler is becoming more and more mobile but still has not figured out how to crawl. He loves sitting up on his own and is able to reach pretty far to get to toys. We often let him sit on the floor with a pillow surrounding him for cushioning. While Tyler does not topple over as much as he used to, he uses the pillow to help him get closer to the floor. He will lean back or to the side on the pillow and then flip over to his tummy. From that position he attempts to crawl. Sometimes he actually moves backwards because he knows he needs to use his legs for crawling but still has not figured out how to incorporate his arms. After he realizes he cannot actually crawl Tyler just rolls to one side or the other to get to where he wants to go.