Tyler Week 9

Nothing really amazing to report. My first week at work has been tough but a welcome change at the same time. It's so hard trying to figure out a new routine and get all the things done in the evening to prepare for the next day, as well as getting everything done in the morning...like getting myself looking decent before feeding and changing Tyler. It's a challenge but I'm sure once we get the kinks out it'll be better. We're both a little crabby and on-edge...but we're managing...lack of sleep and all. If only I could get 1 good nights sleep I think it would make all the difference. We're heading up to the lake again this weekend. We can't wait for my parents to see Tyler again. Hopefully he'll be a good car rider and we'll get up there and back unscathed! Wish us luck!

Tyler's 2 month Dr. appt

Today we took Tyler for his 2 month appointment. He was 24 inches long (he grew 2 inches in 1 month) and weighed in at 13lbs even. His height was in the 90th percentile and his weight stayed steady in the 75th percentile. However, his head was only in the 10th percentile (who knows!). Ty had to get 4 shots and 1 oral vaccine. It was tough to watch him in pain and tonight he's been a bit fussy. It seems like a different cry that we think means he's in a bit of pain. It's very hard to see your child in pain. The Dr said he was thriving and was "one good looking guy", so the appointment went really well, all things considered. We are just so happy he's growing and healthy. We are most definitely blessed by our healthy little boy.

I have been back at work for 3 days now and, although I miss him every second of the workday, I am so busy with my new students (who are a handful) that I don't have time to dwell on it and get sad and upset (which is a blessing). The first day was the hardest. I cried when I said goodbye to him and cried all the way to work. He's doing wonderfully though at Mimi's house. I think my mother-in-law is a "baby whisperer" because ever since she's been taking care of him he's been a mellow little dude who is finally on a schedule that seems to suit him and we actually get 4-6 hours of sleep. She's doing a great job and we hope she's enjoying it as much as Ty seems to enjoy spending time with her. The last couple of weeks have been difficult because he's been fussy and not sleeping well, but the last few days we've been successful. We are going to start unswaddling him at night to break him of the habit and will probably move him into his own room soon. Wish us luck! He's just my little angel! We can't believe he's been here for 2 months!

More Pix of Tyler Week 8

Skylar Burkle turns 2

This weekend was my cousin's daughter's b-day party. Skylar turned 2 and we made the trip up to Columbus to attend and see family. It was also a bonus because we got to see my cousin Stephanie, who is leaving for South Korea on Thursday. She is going to teach English and won't be able to come back to the states for a year. We will miss her but we are so excited she gets such an amazing opportunity! What an amazing and exciting journey! We got to spend some time with the Burkles and help celebrate Sky's bday. It was a really enjoyable day! I only have 1 more week left at home before I start school and I am both dreading and looking foward to it. It will be INCREDIBLY HARD to leave Tyler and miss all his daily activities and changes in the coming months. However, I am definitely looking forward to some adult conversation and interaction and think that I will be a better mother when I get a bit of my old life back and am busy again. I am just a person that works more efficiently and enjoys life more when I am busy and moving. It is also a relief because my mother-in-law has been gracious enough to offer to watch Tyler 5 days a week until my Holiday break (when he will be 6 months). We are incredibly grateful she has made this sacrifice for us and it makes me feel so much better about leaving my little boy. We know she will be a great influence on Tyler and who loves and spoils a child more than their grandparents. Mimi will do a great job I'm sure!

Tyler turns 2 months this Friday and I can't believe how much he's changed in the past 8 weeks. He's now cooing and laughing a lot. Mike has been teaching him to roll over. I just laugh when I see him working with Ty on his rolls and teaching him to crawl. I always say "you're going to regret teaching him that"...mobility scares me:) Ty is super strong and pushes off with his legs when we are holding him upright. I always worry he'll jump out of my arms one day because he is so strong. He often headbutts me because he holds his head away from me then suddenly loses control and I get a headbutt. His most favorite place is his playmat. He just smiles and laughs and grabs at the toys above him. He also enjoys laying on the couch and looking up at Mike and I. Ty is also very ticklish and laughs and giggles when you tickle him. Ty doesn't really like to be swaddled and I think we're starting to give up on it. He breaks his arms free every night and wiggles down the cradle until he is completely out of the positioner and his feet are hitting the bottom of the cradle. He's a wild sleeper, which makes it hard for mommy to sleep...but he is consistently sleeping through the night...which is wonderful! We are putting him down earlier and earlier and he is still sleeping until 5 or 6am every night! We are thankful and know that it's a blessing! We are just enjoying every moment with him and our lives revolve around him...and we love it that way! Having a baby changes your entire life, your priorities and your capability to love. He has my heart...that's for sure!

Mike figured out that if he used the baby bjorn around the house Ty stopped crying...for a bit!

The Burkle clan at Skylar's 2nd b-day party
The young Burkle "boys"...Blake (4), Caden (4) and Griffin (2).
Caden pushing the b-day girl, Skylar (2)
The Scherman fam enjoying the backyard fun

Cincy & Tyler bonding...FINALLY!

It's been a hard adjustment for our dog, Cincy, since Tyler arrived. Cincy was our first "baby" and now she is feeling ignored and a distinct #2 to her baby brother. It's funny because she often ignores us if we call her or talk to her and try to get her attention if we are holding Ty. She often retreats into another room when he cries. She is quite obviously much angrier at Mike than me because he has always given her much more attention than I have and she doesn't like to share him with anyone. Her world has definitely changed but we hope she's coming around and will be a great protector of Tyler.

Tyler's first trip to the Lake

This weekend was a very important first in Tyler's life, his first trip to the lake! My parents own a house on a lake in Sister Lakes, Michigan and my family has been going up there since the early 80's. It is my most favorite place in the entire world and just an important part of my life. I was so excited to spend time with my new family up at the lake. It was also a bonus that my parents and brother were also there for the weekend so we all got to spend some quality time together. My brother hasn't seen Ty since a few days after he was born so we had fun reintroducing him to Ty. Tyler really enjoyed the lake and we even took him for his first swim in the lake. He didn't even cry! I was so glad that he enjoyed the water and will, hopefully, be a water-lover like his Mommy! We were lucky because the weather was perfect and the lake water was so warm. Tyler also enjoyed his first ride on our boat. It was a very exciting time for us as a family! I just can't wait until Tyler is bigger so we can teach him to swim, jet ski, water ski, tube and just enjoy the lake. Brace yourself...I have lots of pictures of the weekend to share!

Tyler and Mommy at the lake
Daddy and Ty on the dock having a beer

Auntie Rina came up for the day to meet Tyler. It was the most perfect place for her to meet Tyler since we spent a great deal of time there together. We had a wonderful day hanging out by the lake, catching up and playing with our little man. Marina just loved his hair and gave him a little mohawk. He looked so cute. We even got to bring Tyler in the water with us. It was so much fun!

Tyler's 1st bathing suit! It's a little big!
He didn't understand that his sunglasses are not a blindfold and he had his eyes closed the entire time. It was so funny!
A dip in Big Crooked Lake with Mommy
Tyler and Uncle Brian bonding
Ty and Daddy hanging out by the lake

A Week with Grams and Granddad

Tyler chillin' with Granddad on the couch
Spending quality time with the grandparents
Ty and Granddad taking a nap after a long day
Auntie Jenny visiting Tyler, she was in town for work

Tyler had some very important visitors last week, Grams and Granddad (my parents), who haven't seen him since he was 2 weeks old. They couldn't believe how much he's changed and how big he's gotten. They really enjoyed watching him do all his new tricks and smile and laugh. It was wonderful to have them here in Cincy, and we sure appreciated all the help as well! Tyler just loves them and I am so grateful for every minute they can spend with him, since they live out-of-state.

Auntie Jenny, my oldest friend, also stopped by this week. She was in town on business and, luckily, had some time to swing by and have dinner with us and see Tyler. We had a great time catching up and hanging out. Tyler loved meeting her!

Tyler's first day at church

Tyler smiling! It's hard to capture the real thing on film but how cute is he:)

Tyler's church outfit

Ty and Daddy
I love bath time!

We took Ty to church today! It was fun to dress him up and he was such a good boy during the service. It is very important to Mike and I that Ty gets baptized so we are actively trying to join this great Methodist church in our area that we really love! He seemed to really enjoy the music and the service and didn't cry once. Also, today was the first day that Tyler really smiled and laughed at us multiple times. We put him in bed with us when he woke up this morning and he just smiled and laughed at us! I melted! He is also making these adorable gurgling sounds and cooing sounds that just warm my heart. It's like he's trying to talk to us! It's just wonderful that he's communicating with us finally. He is growing up and changing so fast...doing new things everyday...things I can't imagine a normal 5 1/2 week old baby can do. For example, at the church service Ty held his own bottle with both hands. It was so cute and really amazing! The love a parent has for their child is just indescribable!!!!

Tyler's friend Logan arrives!

Mommy & Tyler before our first "date night" since having a baby!

Logan Christopher Frantz 1 day old!
Logan and Mommy bonding at the hospital.
We got to see Logan's beautiful brown eyes while we visited.
Tyler with his new friend...can you believe how big Tyler is at 5 weeks in comparison to a newborn?! My...how he's grown!

Our friends Kevin and Melissa Frantz had their second boy, Logan Christopher 10 days early, on August 3rd at 6:57am. When Melissa and Kevin arrived at the hospital, Melissa was already 6cm dialated and Logan made his appearance 3 hours later! He was 8lbs, 30z and 21" long with dark hair and brown eyes. Mike, Tyler and I went to see him the day after he was born and he is just beautiful. Connor is a proud big brother and mom and baby are doing great. We got to take pictures of Tyler with his new friend, which came out great! We are so excited for them to be friends and have play dates. It's very special because Mike and Kevin have been best friends since they were little and it is so exciting for their sons to be so close in age.

In family news...we had our first "date night" on Friday night and Auntie Cindy and Uncle Mike babysat while we went out for a nice dinner and a few much-needed cocktails! It was nice to get away and reconnect...but I have to admit that we talked about Tyler a lot at dinner and did call to check on him a couple of times. Auntie Cindy and Uncle Mike did a great job taking care of Ty...he just adores them already! Tyler is also learning how to push off our hands and push himself along the floor. He's so unbelievably strong! We love him more everyday...which is just amazing because our love is unending already!