7 months!

Since Ty's 6 month post was my last update and Ty is growing like a bad weed, I figured I would do this post just a little bit different with a few more updates at the beginning. 

If someone could tell me the magic words to make these days slow down a little bit, that would be great! 

The teething monster is officially upon us. Ty's gums are officially getting rigid and swollen and we're expecting a tooth to burst through any day now. Some days, he handles the pain really well and some days he's got big ol' crocodile tears and a cry that will break your heart. I hate knowing that he's uncomfortable and while teething tablets and teething toys are definitely helpers, I'm just praying that it'll get better sooner than later. 

Not to mention, the drool.

Oh, goodness-gracious the drool. 

We're going through 3-4 outfits a day and even more bibs on top of that. Bless his heart. 

The only good thing with all this teething shenanigans is the fact that, even as active as he his at this point, some days he just wants to snuggle. And snuggling is something I love to do and happen to be very good at. Mommy and Daddy snuggles to the rescue!

(Two peas in a pod.... these two.)

Introducing new foods has been, well, slow. And frustrating. 

Since I've been following the recommended guidelines of waiting 3-4 days between new foods and only started wanting to do strictly "Stage 1" foods until he was a strong unsupported sitter (as recommended)... and since it has taken quite a bit of effort to get Ty adjusted to the new texture of foods, things were off to a super slow start. But I am very grateful that we've done it this way because it has been very helpful watching his reactions to certain foods. Prunes, peas, and carrots are definite favorites. Bananas cause him severe constipation (we've tried them twice on two completely separate occasions) and my pediatrician has recommended that we steer clear from them for a few more months. The first time we tried bananas, the poor boy had to have an suppository to create a bowel movement. When we tried them a second time a few weeks later, and he still didn't have a bowel movement for a few days after, we decided to try a more natural way of relieving the constipation (hence, the prunes). 

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to introduce a second feeding of oatmeal mixed with a solid food in the early evening. Everything was going great until I realized he was waking up 3-4 more times a night to nurse. After talking with my pediatrician, she mentioned that it may be because he isn't getting enough "real" nutrition from my breastmilk because he might be getting too full from the oatmeal for a legitimate nursing session. She advised us to drop the the oatmeal feeding and wait until he's 7-8 months before we added a second feeding. 

Just this past week we've noticed an increase in appetite and decided to add the second feeding again, this time, completely dropping the rice cereal and oatmeal and doing just the fruits and veggies since rice and oatmeal cereal has no significant nutritional value anyway... and since aside from the banana, we've noticed no allergies or bad reactions to any of the foods, we began him on 'stage 2' foods. 

Little man loves them and the past week has been very rewarding for both Ty and ourselves in the feeding department. Especially since prior to this, after hearing some other mom's experiences with their 7 month old and how much they've tried and are currently eating it kinda bummed me out. I know that I should never compare my baby with another and that all babies grow at different rates and that Ty is growing just fine but it still gives me a mild-case of mommy-anxiety knowing that he might be a step behind. I'm not going to lie, I thought this solid food business was going to be a lot easier. 

Sleep is still... I don't want to say non-existant... but, yeah... 

Ty loooves to nurse through the night. Sometimes he'll wake up 1-2 times and sometimes he'll wake up 4-5 times. It's a roll of the dice in this house. 

Most of Brandon and I's conversations go a little like this:

Brandon: "How'd you sleep?"

Me: "Sleep? What is that? What is this thing you talk about 'sleep'? I didn't sleep. I stayed up all night long and breastfed."

Okay... maybe I'm being a little dramatic. But let's just say that coffee has become a staple in my life. Like showering. And eating. In fact, coffee is more important than showering and eating. Truth. 

So now that we have Ty's eating and sleeping out of the way, let's get onto his milestones. 

In the past few weeks, Ty has become quite active. He is becoming such a better sitter and we spend many a hours sitting on the floor and playing with his toys. Ty loves a good ball and we have an abundance of them. Not to mention, the fact that he is discovering how cause and effect work and loves to pick up a toy and throw it (cause) only to watch his daddy or I pick it up and hand it back to him (effect). But I don't mind chasing down ball, after ball, after ball. I love that he's discovering how things work and his daddy and I absolutely adore playing with him, even if the extra effort wears us out quicker than it wears him out.

(No... he was not out of his carseat while we were driving... we had pulled over at an exit to feed him and Brandon was holding him while I was getting re-situated. But can you not tell by the above two pictures that he LOVES cars? Like father, like son.)

Ty is also rolling over all. the. time. I still try to do tummy-time with him quite often but every time I lay him on his stomach, he instantly rolls over to his back. He has yet to roll over back to front but he gets so dang close! I'm sure he'll do it soon though and it'll be quite effortless. When he doesn't roll over, he has begun to pull his knees up and even get the "crawling position" without actually crawling. The first time he did this it took me completely by surprise since I wasn't expecting him to hit this milestone just yet but I believe that now may be the time to begin truly baby-proofing my house since apparently this little guy is going to be crawling sooner than later! 

Not to mention, he's also practically completely out of his infant carseat/carrier. In stores he now officially sits in the buggy and at restaurants he sits in high chairs! In fact, sometime in the next month, Brandon and I are going to go buy him a big boy convertible carseat! The carseat we currently have still fits him just fine (he's a little over 18 pounds and the carseat fits up to 22 pounds) but we just think he'll be more comfortable in a bigger carseat. Really, the only reason we haven't purchased one yet is because I'm a nut about safety ratings as well as user reviews and it's taken a little bit of time to find the right one. Unfortunately, the two we have it narrowed down to are not very wallet-friendly but I think both Brandon and I agree that the extra $150 or so we spend on the one we like is completely irrelevant when it comes to Ty's safety and our peace of mind. 

And since I'm behind on sharing some of these pictures, here are some pictures from his first time in the pool, his baby dedication, and his first 4th of July! 

Ty's 1st time in the pool at GranNan & Poppa's house:

Ty's Baby Dedication: 

Ty's 1st 4th of July:

Ty's 1st Birthday Party to attend: 

Phew... 

And on to his 7 month pics!

I'm actually kind of disappointed with the quality of these pictures... leave it to this scatterbrained momma to leave the camera setting on "Fireworks" so these came out a little weird looking. Unfortunately, I didn't realize until Ty was in the middle of a nap and I had already uploaded them. Oh well... I'll remember to double-check the setting for next time.  

Age: 7 months old! 

Weight: 18 pounds 3 ounces

Height: ***

Eating: Ty is still breastfeeding and we're now successfully at 2 feedings of solid foods a day! 

Tyson likes: Sitting up, reaching for his toys, playing with balls, his stand-up toys, anything and everything that Lola does (he thinks she's hysterical), being tickled by daddy, watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in the early mornings, playing in the pool, rolling over, blowing raspberries on our shoulders, being read to, and his wubbanub. 

Tyson dislikes: His carseat, long rides (we learned this on the 6 hour drive back from Texarkana... there was blood-curdling screams 75% of the trip home), being on his back, being on his stomach for too long, and having lotion put on him after baths. 

Best moment of the month: I absolutely love how playful he is becoming. It's so crazy how quickly they develop from little newborns with little to no personality to mini-humans that already seem to have opinions on everything. I think the best moment of the month was just watching his development. Makes me look forward to the months to come!

Milestones: Sitting in the buggy and the highchair for the first time, his first time in the water at the lake, he can now grab objects and transfer them from hand to hand, and is on '2nd foods'! 

HALF A YEAR!

Ty is officially 6 months old! I can not believe that it has been half a year since my little angel was first introduced to this world... it's just crazy how quickly the time is passing! June 20th was his actual 6 month birthday but after his 6-month vaccinations, he was not in the mood to be posed and photographed. In fact, these vaccinations were the hardest yet. Ty cried for about 4 days straight, he hardly slept, and was not his usual happy-go-lucky self. It was exceptionally hard on myself, knowing how bad he was feeling and I put off doing all housework, etc. so that I could cuddle him for hours on end. Unfortunately, even though he is feeling much better now, his sleep pattern has not adjusted back to "pre-vaccinations" and we are still waking up 6-10 times a night. I am one exhausted momma. 

Sleeplessness aside, Ty is so much fun these days. He is playing with toys, interacting with us like never before, and talking up a storm. He spends 90% of his day smiling and laughing and Brandon and I spend hours on the floor playing with him. 

SO much has happened this past month that I know I'm bound to forget something. He's sitting up unsupported (although still a wee bit wobbly), rolls over from stomach to back, is grabbing everything, and is blowing raspberries like it ain't noone's business! This past month we got into the pool with him for the first time, started solid foods, bought him a ton of new toys, and had him dedicated at church. 

Age: 6 months old! 

Weight: 16 pounds 8 ounces

Height: ***

Eating: Ty is still breastfeeding but he started solid food at about 5 and a half months. At first we weren't successful but after my pediatrician suggested that we buy store-bought baby food since it is a finer texture, he has loved it! 

You will notice in these pictures below that my hand is in a few of them... I'm not so sure if we will continue doing the bench picture since I am so scared he is going to dive-bomb off of it. 

Tyson likes: Bouncing in his doorway bouncer (this has become hilariously fun), his wubbanub, Sophie le Giraffe, chewing on everything his hands can get on (including his hands and toes), being outside, having his momma sing The Wheels on the Bus (over and over and over again), having his daddy throw him up in the air, belly kisses, blowing raspberries, watching Lola (he thinks she is hysterical), eating carrots and peas, and standing. 

Tyson dislikes: Getting in his carseat (this is becoming quite the battle), being in his carseat, doing one activity for longer than 5 minutes (except bouncing and standing, of course), being laid on his back, having something out of his reach. 

"Seriously, mom?! Get me out of here!"

"Whatever... I'm over this. And I just left you a nice little surprise in my diaper."

Best Moment of the Month: Of course, I'm extremely proud of his developing skills. I jumped for joy the first time he rolled over and starting solids has been so much fun (messy, but fun). Every laugh and smile makes me beam with joy. But I've got to say, probably the best moment was when I walked into the room and Ty reached up for me for the first time. The emotion I feel when Ty reaches for me still takes me by surprise every time. That feeling is like no other. He wants me, because I am his mom. I love, love, love it. 

Milestones: Sitting up unsupported, rolling over stomach to back, starting solids, and like I said... I'm sure there's a ton more but the lack of sleep has turned my brain to mush. 

Check out that posture!! Haha!

And just for fun... let me introduce you to Mr. Emo-Ty:

One minute we're angry....

Then 3 seconds later we're happy again!

Brandon claims he gets that from me... 

a few milestones.

It's amazing to me to see the difference in Ty in just a few short weeks. It's like, all of sudden, my baby is not really a baby. And I know he's still a baby, but not the sleep all day, eat when he's up, "let's just cuddle and hold you" kind of baby.

Instead he's grabbing things, interested in everything, and wanting to constantly be moving/stimulated. 

It's bittersweet. 

I was going to save the introduction of these milestones for his 6 month post but I realized that we've reached so many, I was going to have to create a post all in its own for all the mini-accomplishments our little Ty has hit. 

So let's get going. 

At a little bit over 5 and half months, Ty tried his first taste of solid foods! I know that I was bound and determined to wait until he was 6 months old but at Ty's last check-up our pediatrician had given us a paper describing the signs to watch for that would show that he was ready for foods other than breastmilk. At about 5 months old, Ty was displaying all of the signs. I was still determined to wait until one day I was sitting at the dinner table with Ty in my lap and I went to put whatever food was on my fork in my mouth. Ty had been watching me do this the entire time, almost like he was studying the process, when all of a sudden he opened his mouth too, like a little baby bird waiting to be fed. With each bite that I took, he'd open his mouth. I knew what that was... the big sign. The sign that said he was more than ready. So I called my pediatrician and voiced my concerns about starting him before 6 months in which she made a very valid point.... if everyone said that babies shouldn't be learning to walk before the age of 10 months, but my baby starts walking at 9 months... am I going to push him down to keep him from walking? The answer to  that was no. If Ty was showing me that he was ready, then he was ready. And I had to let go and follow his signs. So I went and bought a few different veggies and made some homemade baby food and we gave it a go. 

Mmm... sweet potato. :)

At first we weren't very successful. I think Ty really struggled with the textures of the food. And I really began to doubt myself that we really did start too soon. Some nights, Ty would be super interested in trying to eat and some nights he'd try 4 bites and be done with it. I really try to follow his cues. If he's done, we stop... even if it's after only 2 bites. I don't want this to stress him or myself out. But the past few nights we've made leaps and bounds and Ty managed to swallow most of his food instead of get it all over him!

We've done sweet potatoes, banana, carrots, and pear. 

Ty also rolled over! Granted he's only done it twice but at least he has shown that he can do it. And that's all I'm worried about. I've been trying to get him to do this for months and when he finally did it, it was so unexpected that I almost missed it! He gave me this huge grin like, "Look mom! See what I just did?!" Haha!

(Right after he rolled over!) 

We're also sitting up! We're not completely stable yet but he's definitely improving every day. Some days he's totally uninterested in even trying (what's the rush, right?) but some days he'll let me help him practice for 20-30 minutes (which is hours in baby time)!

And oh, the grabbing. He will now literally grab things out of your hand, off of your plate, even things you thought were out of his reach. I mean, it's like his arms can stretch infinitely far. (Is my baby a Stretch Armstrong??) And every day he's getting better at it. So guard your breakables and drinks at the dinner table... this is your warning. 

And just for fun... here is a little video of Ty in his bouner... bouncing. For the longest time, we'd put him in there and he'd just stand in it. Or walk around in circles. Then it was like, all of sudden, one day he figured it out. And he loves it! 

Bouncing Ty from Katie Sillivan on Vimeo.

5 months.

My sweet boy is 5 months!

Well 5 months and 2 days if you want to get technical. My days/weeks/months are flying by so quickly that by the time I got around to taking theses pictures, it was already May 22nd. And this little boy is changing so quickly.

Ty really is so much fun these days but I must admit... I can get nothing done. It took me six hours to fold two loads of laundry yesterday! Seriously... Ty takes up 98% of my time which I am totally fine with but my house is paying quite the price for it. 

Playing with Ty is so much fun... his smiles, laughs, and belly-chuckles have me constantly making the strangest noises and acting a fool just to get one more. He's definitely more 'talkative' these days too, as our little man has definitely discovered his voice and figured out which high pitched screams squeals get our attention. He's also figured us out when it comes to crying - he often will let out a few fake cries and then look around to see who's coming to his rescue. He's getting quite good at this and all too often, Brandon and I are played the fool. 

Ty really, really is such a good baby, though - only crying when he's tired, hungry, or not feeling well. Brandon and I are constantly confessing to each other how much we truly love him. 

(I tried to adjust him and he pulled up on me... as soon as he did his hand went straight to his mouth... haha!)

(Baby boy has been sucking on that bottom lip practically non-stop for the past few days. Guess teething is on the horizon...)

Age: 5 months old! 

Weight: ***

Height: ***

Eating: Ty is still exclusively on breastmilk and he will be for one more month... at 6 months we will start solids!!!

( ...and he discovered the zebra...)

( ...going in for the kill...)

( ...success!!!)

Tyson likes: Being outside, standing, more standing, and even more standing. Bathtime. "Flying". His wubbanub. Anything that makes a 'crinkling' noise (like his wipes bag). Putting everything in his mouth. His doorway bouncer (although he doesn't really bounce... really he just walks around in circles and drools everywhere). 

Tyson dislikes: He still hates when I put lotion on him after a bath. Getting in his carseat (although once he's in it, he's fine). And although I know there's more... I'm currently drawing a blank.

Best Moment of the Month? This is going to seem kind of silly but earlier this month, I handed Ty over to Brandon so that I could go take a shower. When I walked out the room, Ty began to cry. When I walked back in to see why he was crying he looked at me, stopped crying, and reached out his arms as if he wanted me to hold him. I know that it probably wasn't the best moment for Brandon but it was awesome to know that he wanted me. That he recognizes me. That he misses me when I'm gone. It makes all of the sacrifices - the lack of sleep, the lack of bathing, the lack of personal time, the lack of hot meals (or meals in general) - worth it.  :)

Milestones? Ty still hasn't rolled over but he really is so close. He's picking things up and mimicking all facial expressions and noises. It's so freaking cute. 

the best days.

I've got to tell you, this past Sunday was amazing. I never knew I would enjoy a holiday as much as I enjoyed Mother's Day. I can't even begin to express how blessed I felt from the moment I woke up to the moment I went to sleep. But I suppose that was pretty much like every other day. 

I was never one of those girls that wanted to get married and have a baby on the fly -- so quick after tying the knot. Finish college, travel a little more?? I had other things on my mind. I for sure wanted to be a mother, but it wasn't on my immediate radar of things to do right after we got married. If I would have known how amazing motherhood is, I would have been on that wagon 2.7 seconds after saying "I do". 

It was just a little less than 5 months ago that my sweet miracle was brought into this world to make me a Mother. Seriously. How lucky am I?? That I was chosen to carry and create this baby doll. My mind is still to this day boggled by the entire process... from our surprise conception to birth... the entire thing was absolutely amazing and I wouldn't change a single thing about it.

It blows my mind that I get to be this kid's mom and that man's wife. 

I mean, do you ever wake up and just want to pinch yourself? Like really, really hard? Because surely there's no way you can be this lucky. 

I'm smack in the middle of all the things in life that I've wished for. 

I have the best little family. With these boys, especially the boy that I married, I am one blessed little lady. Sometimes I feel so acutely and brutally aware that these are the best days of my life. That all of these moments I'm breathing in are the moments I'll spend the rest of my life remembering with fondness, wishing to revisit. Sometimes I catch myself wishing I could have a camcorder taped behind my eyeballs so that I can record every second and come back and watch it again and again and not miss a single moment.

 

I am just SO grateful I get to do this, to be this boy's mama, to be this man's wife, to do what I do and live where I live and love these boys that I love so very, very much. I wonder what I must have done in a past life to deserve all this. Like, maybe I was Abraham Lincoln or something once... I don't know. That's possible, right? I don't know... that's all that I can figure.