Hangin' Out

Tyler loves hanging out with me and thankfully he likes being worn in a sling, which allows me the use of both my arms so that I can get stuff done (like eating meals!). He no longer likes to nap in his crib during the day as he would much rather nap in the sling. Of course he doesn't really want to sleep in his crib at night either. He eventually falls asleep in the crib in the evening after being swaddled and pacified, but only sleeps for short intervals. Last night I couldn't get him back to sleep at 2:30 a.m. and it was still less than 2 hours since he had last eaten, so I reclined with him on my chest on the sofa. We both ended up falling asleep and he didn't stir to eat until 4:30 a.m.

Multi-Media Babe

Tyler met his great-grandparents today online via Skype. You gotta love modern technology! Michael and I have been using Skype with family that have webcams (my parents, his sister) and they love being able to see Tyler in real time. My parents are in West Virginia this week and took my mom's parents to a web cafe so we could Skype. Next week Tyler will get to meet my dad's parents in Ohio via Skype.

Baths are Torture

Bert and Ernie were wrong- bath time is NOT lots of fun! Tyler is still not a fan of getting a bath. He does get strangely quiet when we wash his back but all bets are off for everything else. Once we get him dried off and into clean jammies he usually settles back down.

Little Gripper

Last night Tyler got a good grip on Michael's index finger and tried to put it in his mouth but couldn't fit it in mostly because his own fist was in the way.

Night Owl

Tyler definitely seems wired to be a night owl. Last night's activities:
* 10:30 - 11:30 pm: Feeding
* 11:30 pm - 12:30 am: Tyler super alert and not a chance for me to get any sleep
* 12:30 - 1:30 am: Feeding
* 1:30 - 2:10 am: Cat nap (just enough time for me go get super groggy at the end of my "nap")
* 2:30 - 3:30 am: Feeding
* 3:30 am: Battle to go to sleep. I swaddled Tyler and repeatedly popped in the pacifier to try to get Tyler to go to sleep. After several tries Michael took over and held Tyler for a while to get him to sleep.
Did I mention the exhaustion? Luckily after 4 am Tyler easily went to sleep after all his other feedings and went 3-1/2 hours from start of feeding to start of feeding so I actually got to get some sleep throughout the morning.

Welcome to the Jungle

We got a jungle-themed activity mat for Tyler today. It has all kinds of toys to play with, overhead lights Tyler can see while laying down, and it plays either music or jungle sounds. He seemed mildly stimulated. It is definitely something he will grow into slowly.

Healthy Checkup

Tyler got a clean bill of health from the pediatrician yesterday during his 2-month well child visit. A few notables (percentiles are adjusted for prematurity):
* 7 lb 2 oz (less than 5th percentile)

* 20-1/4 inches long (50th percentile)

* 3 vaccine shots yesterday and 2 today (unfortunately they forgot 2 of the vaccines yesterday as they were supposed to be combined and so we had to go back today! Tyler handled it like a little pro though.) I couldn't watch the shots so I concentrated on keeping the pacifier in Tyler's mouth.

* Tyler is perfection according to the doc. Since his due date was Monday he is now considered a newborn. Until Tyler is 2 years old, we can expect that he can be up to 2 months behind on most milestones; however, it is entirely up to Tyler how he progresses.

8 Weeks Old Today

Tyler is 8 weeks old today, which is pretty crazy considering his due date was yesterday! Although he is 8 weeks old, he is essentially just now a newborn. We will see how much he weighs on Thursday when we go to the doctor- he is probably in the 7.5 lb range.

Our Little Hippie

You know your baby is an Oregonian when he has tie dye hand-me-downs from friends. We hoped this outfit would help channel Tyler's inner peacefulness, but he still screams bloody murder almost every time we change his diaper. Wouldn't a true hippie be excited to be naked? At least Tyler loves riding in the stroller. We took advantage of the beautiful weather this weekend and took Tyler out in the stroller for long walks.

I am officially on my own with Tyler during the week starting tomorrow. My mom was here Tyler's first week home, Michael took vacation the second week, and Michael's parents were here the past 2 weeks. I am ready for the challenge, but don't be surprised if you come by around 2 pm and I am still in my pajamas! (this happened even with help in town).

Tyler's Digs

We finally put the finishing touches on the nursery. Everything was ready before Tyler came home except for the art work. We are deeply indebted to my mom who painted the nursery while I was on bed rest. She also made the curtains and crib dust ruffle and painted the Tyler letters.

Now Weighing In...

at 6 lb 15.5 oz as of this afternoon's doctor visit. Tyler should be a whopping 7 lb by tomorrow when he will be 7 weeks old.

I am beginning to think Tyler is a night owl. The last few nights he has been very alert and super hungry from 11 pm to 1:30 am. When I feed him in that window he is ready to eat again one hour after the start of the first feeding. Hello growth spurt! He is definitely wearing me out on the night owl schedule. Thankfully he usually goes 3 or 4 hours between feedings during the morning hours (after 3 am) so there is hope Tyler is not a morning person like his Daddy.

Happy Easter

Okay, so all the candy is for Mommy and Daddy... but Tyler gets the rubber ducky (not that he's old enough to realize it's a toy yet).

What's for Dinner?

Tyler has an uncanny 6th sense for knowing when we are about to sit down for dinner. We try to time it so it is inbetween his feedings, but he often wakes up hungry or just wants to be held. He knows where the party is.

Like many babies Tyler startles when he hears a loud noise. Often he smacks his lips after finishing a bottle and the sound will startle him. It never ceases to amuse me.

Tummy Time

Strolling in Style

Growing Like a Weed

Tyler is up to 6 lb. 11 oz. today. Not bad considering his due date is still 2 weeks away (April 20). Yesterday he figured out how to roll onto his side. He also figured out how to move in his crib and rotate positions. Go preemie go!

Tyler Has His Own Wheels

Going for an inaugural stroll with Abuelita & Grandpa. Who says there isn't any sunshine in Oregon during seasons other than summer?

Snoozin' with Daddy

hard to say who fell asleep first... it was around 8:30 pm after all