1st Birthday Celebration!!!

Here are a few pictures from Syler's birthday party! Enjoy!!!

Checking out his presents.

Enjoying his new ride.

Opening presents with Mommy and Daddy.

Tuckered out from opening so many presents.

Yummy!!! Birthday cake!

Some special visitors came to surprise Mommy and me!!!!

Enjoying the bounce house!

Cute puppy!! I like you!!

Chillin....

11 months old!!!!

I have to start out by saying that this past month just FLEW by. Syler has grown so much, developmentally and physically, this month. It’s just crazy. What is my little man up to these days.

Well, these past two weeks I have been on vacation, so Syler, Miguel and I have taken a lot of day trips, not vacationy day trips, more like trip to get things on our to-do-list. Oh, and we had taken a trip to visit the soon-to-be parents (The Carders) for lunch. In addition to these day trips, Syler and I have gone to a local lake and dairy farm. He absolutely loved the lake and enjoyed watching the cows at the dairy farm. He also enjoyed the non-vacationy day trips as well.

This past month had also brought along Syler’s first real illness. Syler was very sick over a few days with his temperature hitting a high of 104.4 and a call to the pediatrician at 3:30 in the morning. We ended up taking him to the doctors and was told he was fighting a virus, possible had strep throat, and was in the early stages of dehydration. If Syler didn’t give us one or two wet diapers by the time 7 o-clock came on the day we took him to the doctors, we were going to be taking a trip to the ER. Miguel and I were never so happy to change a wet diaper. After about 4 or 5 days, Syler was back to his normal self.

~ Likes~
• Mr. Bear (obviously)
• Dogs- mainly dogs that will tolerate hair pulling , gentle hitting and climbing. Syler especially liked Spencer. Spencer is a chocolate lab (dinosaur). Syler recently officially met (met to where he actually cared about this LARGE creature walking around) Spencer and just couldn’t get enough of him. I didn’t have my camera this time, but I will get pictures the next time they spend time together. Now don’t get me wrong, Syler loves Max, but Max is still too scared to let Syler play on him.
• Wires, paper, plastic and anything else that he is not allowed to play with.
• Yogurt: He can’t get enough of it.
• Mimicking: He loves to mimic what others do.
• Playing with other kids. Which tells me I need to get him involved in some type of social group.
• Water: No matter if it is his bath, the lake or his pool, he LOVES playing in the water.



~ Dislikes~
• Laying down- This kid hates it, which makes diaper changes very difficult. We are constantly searching for things for Syler to play with to occupy him while having his diaper changed.
• Having his faced cleaned/washed- He continues to hate this, but now he fights back a little bit. He know that when the bib comes off, its time to clean his face. At this point he will start to whine, block his face with his hands and pushed your hands away even before you make contact with him.
• Hanging out in his pack-n-play or crib for that matter.
• Having his hair washed. The instant I put my hands on his head to wash his hair, he is trying to remove them.
• Shoes: Syler hates to wear them. He tries to take them off. When he tries to walk in them he looks like a cat walking with tape on it’s feet. Or he will stick his butt out and refuse to walk.




~ New~
• Walking: Syler has improved so much in this area. He is still a little too unstable to walk by himself, but he has gotten adventurous and brave. There will be times where he will just let go of your hands and attempt to walk on his own. He may get one or two steps in before he plops onto his butt. Miguel and I practice with him all the time. We will sit, facing each other, a few feet apart and let him walk between us. Syler has taken up to 8 steps while walking from me to Miguel.
• Crawling: Its not actually crawling. Syler does more of the army crawl, which is super cute.
• Clapping- So cute. Syler will clap when he gets excited or his you say “YAY!!!!!”
• Waving- This is Syler’s new favorite thing to do. He waves hello and goodbye, and loves to wave at anybody, which a lot of recipients find adorable.
• Sitting up on his own- Syler has finally figured out how to sit up.
• I believe that Syler has officially made the association between mama and dada. I believe that he knows I am mama and Miguel is dada.
• Talking- We are hearing a lot of different sounds coming from Syler’s mouth. Lately, he has been making this sound like he is a monsters. It is too funny.
• TEETH- We finally have teeth. Syler has an incisor coming in on the bottom and one on the top. He is constantly touching them with his tongue and or finger. It’s cute because some times, I think, he takes my finger and rubs the tooth with it just to be like “Look mama, I got teeth!” Also, I must say that so far (knock on wood) this teething process hasn’t been that bad. I just pray it stays that way.


Moment of the month: I love watching how excited Syler gets when his Dada comes home from work. He can barely contain himself.

10 months old!!!!

10 months old!

This month has FLOWN by! I can’t believe that I am already writing Syler’s 10 month old update. I feel as though I just wrote his 9 month yesterday. So my little munchkin is 10 months old!!!!!!!!!! A lot has happened this month in the sense that he has grown so much; developmentally and physically.

What are Syler’s likes right now at 10 months? Well I’ll tell ya.
- Watching daddy mow the lawn. He loves it and gets excited when I first bring him outside to watch. Once he is outside, he just stares at Miguel walking back and forth across the lawn. And, every once and a while he will get this burst of excitement and he will scream and dance.
- Cars, trucks and wheels. (or pretty much anything on wheels) Syler loves to watch cars drive by. He has this fascination with wheels. If I put his umbrella stroller next to the wheel of my car and put him in the stroller, he immediately starts to touch it and examine it. When I move him away he stares at it. He will also stare at the wheels on his umbrella stroller. As he is being pushed, he will just lean over and stare at them. He tries to touch them, but can reach.
- Sitting. If it is not nap/bed time, Syler wants to be on the move.
- Speaking of being on the move, Syler is like a nascar driver when it comes to him being in his walker. Miguel and I wear sandal around the house because it HURTS when Syler runs our toes over with his walker.
- Trying to play with Max, or should I say, chase Max while Syler is in his walker. Max on the other hand does not like this very much and runs away.
- Tummy time!!!! Finally!!!!!!!! Syler will stay on his stomach for extended periods of time now, which is wonderful. In addition, he has started to army crawl.
- Toys, Toys, Toys or anything that he can put in his mouth, shake or bang with his hands.
- Exploring! Syler is constantly exploring and looking for new and interesting things. He especially likes the frig and dishwasher. Once we open the door, he flies towards it and grabs onto a shelf before we have the opportunity to close the door. Oh, and the dishwasher. His fascination with this makes the duty of doing dishes very difficult because he is always trying to do anything from eat the door to pulling dishes out.
- Reading. I have always said that Syler enjoys books and reading, but now when he is read to, he actually sits attentively and listens. He looks at the book, watches my mouth move while I read and grabs and studies the pages. Sometimes he tries to eat the books too ☺
- I mentioned this in my last post and it is still the same. Talking and screaming. More often than not, there is some kind of noise coming out of Syler’s mouth. The noises range from mama and dada to, which is a new sound, chirping or a short, high-pitched scream. He sounds like a little baby bird.
- Pulling hair. Syler absolutely loves this, and I absolute don’t like this… Since Miguel doesn’t have any hair, Syler likes to bang on his bald head.
- Sticking tongue in food. This is a recently new thing. When Syler is getting close to being done eating, he will, first, press his lips again the spoon, then, stick his tongue in the food. Once he has done that, he will eat the food.
- Playing pee-a-boo. SO cute! He enjoys pulling his blanket over his face then pulling it off waiting for me to say pee-a-boo!! He smiles every time.
- Max. I think Max and Syler’s love for each other is growing… Max allows Syler to touch him more and Syler lets Max lick him more. Max also tries to get Syler to play with him when Syler is walking around.



Dislikes:
- Same as last post. Syler HATES, simply hates, having his face cleaned after eating. As soon as I take off the bib, he starts to cry, hide his face and try his hardest to avoid the process all together.
- When we say no or take something away from him that he wants to play with but can’t.



New:
- Walking… Even though he is too unstable to walk on his own, he will gladly walk while holding your hands. It is quite funny because sometimes his feet don’t move as fast as the rest of his body and he will topple over.
- I mentioned this earlier, but army crawling. Syler has all the motions/movements to crawl; he just needs to put them all together. But for now what he does is this. Once he is placed on his stomach, he will walk his feet up as high as he can, which causes him to stick his butt high in the air. At this point, he will army crawl his arms out until he is flat on his stomach again. He will repeat this until he has reached his destination or got the object he want.
- Mimicking. Syler will mimic noises and facial expression you make at him. It’s quite cute!
- We are hearing all sorts of new 2 syllable, 2 letter words.
- Protesting/tamtruming… If Miguel or I take something away from him that he is not suppose to have or prevent him from getting into something he is not suppose to, he will scream, cry, protest, tamtrum
- Make the association with mama and dada. I think he is starting to associate me with mama and Miguel with dada…
- Oh, and still no teeth.
- I am starting to plan Syler’s 1st birthday party.. HOLY COW!!!! ALREADY!!!!!!

Moment of the month:
There is not a day that goes by that Syler doesn’t make me smile. I LOVE that! ☺

9 months old!!!!!!!!

I waited to do this post because Syler had his 9 month Child Wellness visit today. Well, his visit went great! He is weighing in at 20 lbs, which puts him in the 50%-ile. Syler is measuring 29 inches long, which puts him in the 75%-ile. His head circumference is also normal. Syler didn't receive any shots today, but Syler did have his blood drawn, which he did not like. He did cry through the process and gave the phlebotomist a look of death a few times, but he did a good job otherwise. The doctor is very happy with his development and health.

So, on May 2nd Syler turned 9 months old!!!!! I can’t believe that in 3 months we will be throwing his 1st birthday bash!!!! It has been pretty amazing month because he is constantly changing, developing, and learning.

*Likes*
~ Sitting. This child hates to lay down, especially to have his diaper changed. We have to give him a toy of some sort to keep him occupied while we change his diaper. I think that if he had his choice, he would sleep sitting up.
~ Mr. Bear (safari teddy bear) or as Auntie Melissa likes to call him, Me Bear. I know I have written about him in other blogs, but he still is a constant toy for him. He goes everywhere with Mr. Bear and falls asleep with Mr. Bear’s paw in his mouth. There has been 2 separate occasions when Miguel and I have almost lost him. Both times we were at a mall and both times we were able to retrace our steps and find him. But, if by chance we do lose Mr. Bear, Miguel and I have purchased 4 more bears. So, we should be good until about age 5.
~ His walker!!! This kid flies around the house as if he is in a nascar race. There are even times he will get a running start, pick up his feet then just soars the rest of the way. Oh, and don’t get in his way because you just may loose a toe or get smashed in the ankle. He also gets really frustrated if he gets stuck, but he will continuously adjust the walker until he is able to get through.
~ Panting like a dog, which is something he learned from Max. Syler will stick his arms straight out, open his mouth really wide, scrunch his nose, furrow his brow and just pant, hard. This is something we will have to get on video because it is quite funny.
~ This isn’t a like. This is a LOVE. Syler absolutely LOVES his dada. He always wants to be with him and stares at his all the time.
~ I can’t stay this is a complete 100% like, but Syler doesn’t seem to mind being on his tummy and doing tummy time. We have been pushing more tummy time to work on crawling. Crawling hasn’t come yet, but he does a really good job pushing up and even sometimes pushes himself backwards.
~ Toys!! Syler loves playing with his toys. He had this one toy ball that dings every time you hit it. So, Syler repeatedly bangs the ball against his chest to hear it ding. I also think this is his way of seeing if the ball will make the same noise every time he hits it against his chest.
~ Talking and screaming!!! There are times where Syler will just look at you and give this high-pitched scream. We are also hearing a lot of new sounds.



*Dislikes*
~ Syler continues to HATE having his face and nose cleaned. He starts to whine, cringe and turn his head as soon as he seems you coming with a towel.

*New*
~ No teeth yet!
~ We have officially switched Syler to formula. He didn’t like Similac or Enfamil, but he does like the generic kind from Walmart.
~ We have begun swimming classes. We are 2 weeks in and Syler loves it. He is the youngest in his class and may not get the songs we sing, but enjoys being in the water.
~ You may see Syler in a commercial or in a magazine. Syler has been accepted into a modeling agency located in Boston. A special ed. Supervisor of mine suggested that we submit some pictures. So, I did the research, we sent some pictures with a ‘resume`’ and waited to see what would happen. We sent in his pictures with the attitude of if it happens it happens, if not, no big deal. So, we were a little surprised when we received a letter saying he was accepted. Now we wait and see.
~ While Syler is in his walker, he likes to pick the whole thing up.
~We have also practiced walking. We will stand him up, hold his hands and he will just start walking.
~ Eating more solids and feeding himself. It is so cute when he tries to feed himself. He will pick up a puff, shove his whole hand in his mouth, but when he pulls out his hand, the puff is still stuck to his hand or it falls out of his mouth. Its kind of funny.
~ Facial expressions. The amount of facial expression Syler has developed has just exploded over this past month.

* *Moment of the month**
I absolutely LOVE walking into Syler’s room first thing in the morning and being greeted with such a happy smiling face. No matter what, it happens every morning, and it just melts my heart!

8 months old!!!!!!!

Syler turned 8 months old!!!! Here’s what is going on.
~ Syler is now a champ when it comes to walking in his walker. Just recently he started going forwards, and will walk towards you if you squat down, stick your arms out and say come to me.
~ Syler is holding the bottle more, but still hasn’t mastered the idea of tilting it up to get the milk.
~ Syler is eating more solids.
~ Syler has mastered the skill of sitting up. He doesn’t really need a spotter anymore, and tips over every once and a while. He is also great at catching himself or correcting himself when he feels himself tipping over.
~ There was one day where Syler said “Dada” on 3/18/10, but he hasn’t said it since..
~ He is more interested in looking at and listening while you read a book to him.
~ Syler reaches now. If you hold toys above his head or if you stand above him while he is in his walker and put your arms out while saying up. He will stand on his tippy toes and stick his arms straight out. SO cute!
~ Syler has developed a great attachment to his Safari teddy bear. He loves having it at bedtime. It has become a security blanket for him.



~ Syler has developed a new feeling/emotion: frustration. He gets frustrated if a toy is just out of reach or gets stuck while in his walker.
~ It is so cute. When Syler is falling asleep, he will play with his hair with his left and while using his right hand to push his right ear forward (only if he doesn’t have his bear)
~ Syler hates having his nose and face cleaned!!! Hates it. He starts to whine when he sees you walking toward him with a wet towel. He really hates having his nosed cleaned. He will shake his head back and forward, making it very difficult to clean his nose.
~ We continue to work on his pincher grasp by giving him cheerios or Puffs.
~ We have heard a new sound from Syler. The new sound is “Lalala”
~ Syler recently (3/26/10) rolled from back to tummy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!
~ We have also been working on crawling. Syler will stay on his tummy for a while now, which is a huge improvement for him. We will put him on his tummy and put a toy just out of his reach. He will reach for it and kick his legs but doesn’t go anywhere. So funny! But, he will kind of move himself in a circle.



~ No doctors appointments recently. His 9 month appointment is in May. Miguel did measure him the other day and Syler measured at 28 inches. He is not getting any shots at that appointment, but will have blood drawn.
~ Sleeping difficulties. Ever since day light savings time, Syler has been having difficulty sleeping. He wakes up multiple times during the night, but still naps well. We have tried to come up with other reasons on why his sleeping pattern would change and day light savings is the only thing we can come up with. We thought maybe a tooth was breaking through, but NOTHING. This kid has been ‘teething’ since he was 3 months old and nothing is coming in.
~ Miguel and I have recently started transitioning Syler to formula. My ability to produce milk is close to being done. I am not really producing enough to get him through the day, and we have used the last of our frozen supply of breastmilk the other day, so we are working in formula. How is he doing you ask, not good. If we give him a bottle of just formula, he spits it out as soon as he tastes it and refuses to take the bottle. If we mix it with breastmilk or rice/oatmeal cereal, he seems to take it better. So we will keep you updated on this situation.
~ I have been looking into different programs for Syler, and I have found a swimming class at one of the local YMCA’s. So, Syler and I will be signing up for that swimming class. There are a few different programs at the local libraries, but those programs are usually held in the morning, so we have to way until summer vacation to really get involved with those. But, we will attend a couple during Spring break.

7 months old!!!!!

7 months old!!

(Sorry this is a so late!) Syler turned 7 months old last week!!! Holy cow!!!! It hit me a little bit that in just a few short months he is going to be 1 years old.. Wow!!! He is getting so big so fast. I simply can’t believe it.
What’s going on with Syler.

Likes:

- Talking: Syler is a BIG talker. He takes after his daddy in this area. We hear a lot of ba, ma, ah, ha etc.
- The color RED. Syler LOVES anything that is red: toys, balloons, cups, plates, my nalgene bottle.
- Baths: Syler loves taking a bath. He is constantly kicking his legs while in the bath.. Too funny!
- Toys toys, toys. Syler loves toys
- Books, books, books.. He loves being read to and he is also at the stage where he grabs the books and eats them.
- Sleeping… I swear this kid is a lazy teenager inside.. He loves sleeping. Not that I am complaining.
- Oatmeal cereal. Kid can’t get enough.
- Baby food… Mainly vegi’s. He does have his favorite fruits though. He really likes pear’s and banana’s.
- Sitting in his car seat and riding in the car. Syler has always enjoyed riding in the car, but would most definitely fall asleep within a few minutes. Now, he seems to stay awake longer and enjoys looking out the window, which is the cutest thing. He also has this toy that attached to the handle of the car seat that he likes to play with.
- Still loves his bouncer, but I think we are starting to hit the stage where he is growing out of his bouncer. So Miguel and I need to figure out what we are going to do and how we are going to transition him out of the habit of using it.
- Syler likes chewing on and holding his spoon after he eats.
- Recently, Syler has started noticing himself in mirrors. He stares at himself and sometimes smiles.

Dislikes:

- I have to say that Syler’s BIGGEST dislike is having his face cleaned after eating. He hates this.
- Syler’s next biggest dislike is having his nose cleaned/picked. He just absolutely hates this too.
- Tummy time: This is just an ongoing thing, but now that Sy knows how to roll over, he immediately tucks his arm and rolls as soon as we put him on his belly.
- At the moment, and hopefully it is just a phase, but Syler has a growing dislike for drinking from a bottle. This has been a growing dislike over the past couple of weeks. So the majority of his milk intake is through rice or oatmeal cereal.




What’s new/updates:

- Over February break Syler said Mama!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so excited!!!!
- He also is able to sit up on his own (with just a little spotting to make sure he doesn’t take a hard tumble).
- Baby signing videos: We, Syler and I, have started watching signing videos. He gets excited when the video comes on and he seems to really enjoy them.
- Starting solids. Syler has had a taste of chicken and pasta. Both of which the doctor suggested to start with. Watching Syler eat these things is kind of funny because he is not quite sure what to do with it. It doesn’t squish in his mouth and he has no teeth to chew it, so it usually ends up coming out of his mouth and rolling (sliding with the drool) down his chin.
- Syler’s grasping ability has gotten much better. He is able to pass objects form one hand to the other, grasp objects with only one hand, bring these items to his mouth. He reaches for items and, sometimes, gets frustrated when he can’t reach something.
- Mentioned in previous posts; Syler is over the dislike of having his winter hat put on or sitting at red lights.
- Syler continues to do a great job sleeping in his crib.
- Stranger Anxiety: We have come to the stage where Stranger Anxiety has set in. We have learned, after he screamed in Dziadziu’s face when I passed him over, that Syler needs a couple of minutes to ‘size up’ the other person before he will comfortably go to that person. Once he has had that opportunity to feel that person out, he is fine. And, if he is not okay once we pass him over, we just simply take him back, let him reset, and then give him back. Then he is usually fine.
- No new news in the teething department. He is still drooling a lot, but nothing has broken through yet.
- We started putting Syler in his walker this month. He doesn’t really do much in it except play at this moment. He does push himself backwards, but nothing to get too excited about.

Next post: Syler's favorite toys

6 months old!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WOW!!!!!!!!! I cannot believe that Syler is already 6 months old!!!. It feels like just yesterday Miguel and I were driving back and forth to the hospital every 3 hours to visit Sy in the CCN/NICU. But, today he is a happy/healthy little clam enjoy his little baby life.

*Likes:
~ Teething Rings and any toy her can put in his mouth. Yes folks he is at the stage where he puts anything in his mouth.
~ Still loves his orange deer, but he has a 2 new loves. A little white bear headed blanket and an Eric Carle Elephant that hits all 5 senses.
~ Sitting up: Lately, Syler prefers to sit up and play rather than lying in his back.
~ Taking a bath. Sy loves taking baths. He splashes and squeals the whole time.
~ Bouncer: Syler still loves his bouncer, but we feel he is started to outgrow the bouncer. So we are starting to transition him to other things like his boppy.
~ Books & reading: Syler continues to enjoy reading, which is just fabulous. He seems to be more interested in the books themselves. He tries to hold them, put them in his mouth and turn the pages.
~ Talking: Holy chatterbox let me tell you. Yes, he is taking after his daddy in this department. Besides hearing lots of goo’s, ga’s, gurgles, and ah’s, we also hear ma, ba, ga, oo, la, ha. Syler also makes this noise very similar to the noise of Chubaka, but just a baby version.
~ Giggles: Syler has definitely developed his ability to giggle, which you can see a video of him giggling away on a previous post. I must say baby giggles and laughter is thee best sound in the world!
~ Watching things: Syler LOVES watching and is fascinated by the cats and dog. Whenever they come near him he just stares at them, and he follows them with his eyes as they walk away.
~ Touching/Petting: Because our cats, especially Oscar, are so friendly we are able to get Sy close enough to wear he can touch and “pet” (more like grab chunks of their hair) them.
~ Syler’s grabbing has greatly improved. He is able to reach, grasp, pass items from one hand to the other and his movements are much smoother.
~ Sitting up: Syler’s ability to sit up has also improved. He needs very little assistance sitting now, which is great, and as I mentioned above, he rather sit than lay on his back.
~ I had mentioned in my last birthday update that Syler doesn’t like getting dress. I must say this has improved greatly. He doesn’t mind having cloths pulled over his head, but he doesn’t like having the cloths bunched up around his neck while waiting to have his arms put through the sleeves.

*Dislikes:
~ Tummy time: I am still hoping that some day Syler will like tummy time, but right now he still pretty much hates it. I do have to stay that when we place him on his belly he doesn’t immediately cry. Only after about a minute or two does he start to cry. But, what he does do it as soon as we place him on his belly he arches his back, sticks his arms straight out to the side, locks his legs and pretends he is superman. We can just rock him back and forth on his belly. Pretty cute!!!
~ Syler doesn’t like having his hat put on once he is in his car seat. Not quite sure why.
~ Syler is still not a fan of red lights.

*New/Updates:
~ Since Syler was born, maybe even a little while before he was born, I have been toying around with the idea of teaching Syler how to sign. Well, after spending some time with some friends, Sean and Becky, and their son, Colin, I have decided to teach Sy how to sign. I made my final decision after watching Colin sign a little bit and after seeing the signing video Colin enjoys watching.
~ Miguel and I took Syler to get his 6 month old pictures taken. We went to Target because their picture packages were the least expensive and they take a pretty good picture. Well, Syler did a great job and it was so much fun. The photographer was great and this is where we learned the “Ah Boo” trick you can see in the video I posted my last post. The photographer saying that to Syler was the golden ticket to get him to smile, and he did more than smile each time. He also gave her lots of giggles.
~ On January 30, 2010, Syler finally rolled over. I have been waiting for this since I read in a book that babies can start to roll over from age 3 month on. So since he turned 3 month I have been waiting for him to roll over. He finally did and I think my excitement startled him more than him actually rolling over. As soon as he did, I started cheering and clapping because I was only a little excited, hehehehe ☺
~ Syler has found his feet and toes, both of which he really enjoys licking and putting them in his mouth.
~ Along with finding his feet and toes, Syler has also found his thumb. Sucking his thumb has not become a habit yet and hopefully won’t. But he also enjoys sucking on all of his fingers too.
~ Baby food: Well, this month we started giving Syler baby foot. Of course we gave him vegetables first for the fear that if we gave fruit first he wouldn’t eat/like any veggie’s. He seems to like veggies a little more than fruit. He doesn’t like applesauce or carrots, but loves pears.
~ Syler still remains (knock on wood) on a pretty consistent sleeping pattern. He goes to bed around 9-9:30 and wakes up around 7-7:30. He sleeps straight through the night. He continues to take one long nap in the morning and then 1 to 2 naps after that. Miguel and I have been very lucky in the sleeping department.
~ Along with his sleeping well, Syler is also sleeping in his crib. We transitioned him into his crib a few weeks back because he was getting too big for the bassinet. We started him out a couple of nap times and nights sleeping in the pack-n-play because it was just a little bigger than the bassinet, but after a few nights in that and Sy doing really well, we just moved him right into his crib. He has been doing absolute great!
~ No new news in the teething department.

** Up coming post: back to work/daddy day care/ tia’s house, doctors & fungus, 6 month vaccines.**

5 months old!!!!

Syler is 5 months old today!!!! I can’t believed it was a year ago yesterday that Miguel and I found out we were pregnant. So, how is my little chub ball doing? He is doing GREAT and is not so chubby anymore. I must sadly say that Syler is losing his buddha belly in exchange for length. He is getting so long. Its actually quite funny, because Syler can fit in 3-6 month old cloth waist wise, but some of his cloths the sleeves are too short and it looks like he has high-waters on.
So, here are Syler’s likes and dislikes.

**Likes**

~ Bouncer: Syler still loves his bouncer. Even though we rarely turn on the vibration, he still enjoys hanging out in it while playing with his toys.
~ Books & reading: Syler continues to love being read to.
~ Talking: Syler is a chatterbox. He is constantly talking. His new favorite thing is talking to the ‘other baby’ in the mirror. It is too cute. We have also seen new facial expressions and movements/positions with his lips and mouth. So he is definitely gearing up to say his first word soon…..
~ His toy rings: Syler enjoys playing with, chewing on and sucking on his toys rings that link together. This is his favorite toy. We attach these rings to his bouncer while he is hanging out and he just constantly plays with them. He has even fallen asleep a couple of times with the rings in his mouth.
~ Orange deer: Even though this deer has dropped down to second place, he still loves playing with it.
~ Baths: He still enjoys taking baths. He also enjoys kicking his legs in the water and splashing mommy.
~ Watching things: Syler enjoys watching mom & dad, max, the cats, cartoons or anything that moves. By now, Syler has adult vision and can pretty much distinguish between colors so he is really taking in his environment. He can also see us from across the room.
~ Grabbing: Syler’s grabbing/hand-eye coordination and hand movements have greatly improved. He is constantly bring items to his mouth and is able to reach for items and grab them. Sy also enjoys lifting his legs and grabbing his toes or legs. He is also constantly doing with.
~ Rice/Oatmeal cereal: Sy loves it and gobbles it right up....
~ Shoving his fingers so far in his mouth he gags.

**Dislikes**

~ Getting dress-mainly having things pulled over his head: Syler doesn’t like having clothing pulled over his head. He instantly cries. More recently, he hates having his hat put on.
~ Red lights: Like mostly all babies, Syler enjoys the movement of a moving car, but immediately starts crying when we stop for a read light. He can be sound asleep, but at soon at we stop he starts crying.
~ Sitting in his car seat: Syler does not like sitting in his car seat if it isn’t moving. 0 movement = crying.
~ Tummy time: Even though this is getting better and we have seen an improvement in his dislike for tummy time, he still doesn’t like it. The improvement we have seen is that Syler will hang out on his tummy a little longer now before he starts crying, which is good.



**What’s new**

~ Sitting up: Recently Syler has started trying to sit up. While sitting in his bouncer he will lift his upper body up while trying so hard to sit up.
~ Rolling to his side: While having play time on his back, Syler will roll to his side and just hang out there for a little bit. But, he has not yet rolled to his belly.
~ Sitting: Syler is getting so much better at sitting. He only requires a little support while sitting. He is getting more strength & control of his head and upper body, which is making it easier to sit. It seems as though he prefers to sit rather than being on his back. I can understand why because the view is so much better.
~ Vocabulary: Syler is making new noises and sounds and is constantly blowing bubbles. He is even started to make the little raspberry noise.
~ Teething: nothing new here. We are still at a stand still. He has a couple of new spots of nepstine pearls and is constantly drooling, but no teeth breaking through yet.
~ Sleeping: Within the next week or so Syler is going to making the move of sleeping in his pack-n-play and or crib. Because he is getting so long, he has almost outgrown the bassinet. So we think in the next couple of weeks, he is not going to fit in the bassinet.

Syler is 4 months old!!!!!!!!

Today, Syler is 4 months old!!! Holy Cannoli!!!!!!!!! Everyone tells you, even the old lady walking in Walmart, that they, your child, grows so fast, and boy do they... Miguel and I can't believe that it has been 4 months since this little munchin arrived... What a great adventure Syler has made it...

Anywho, here's what's been going on. We haven't had a doctors appointment since October. We are kind of anxious to go to the doctors because we want to know how much Sy has grown in height and weight.. We kind of weighed him on our own with a bathroom scale and it looks as though he may have gained about 2 pounds (12 lbs 3 oz in Oct) since his last doctors appointment. So we will see. Eating has been the same. Syler might start on rice cereal or oatmeal this months. We will see what the doctor says. Even though I wrote in my last post about Syler's arm, I still feel that I need to update you all about this matter. Syler's arm is wonderful. He is constantly swinging it around. So only good news there. We did not go to our last appointment with the Neurologist. We felt that Syler's arm is just fine and didn't feel it was necessary to go back. So I cancelled the appointment.

On a much much happier note, Syler's belly button is NORMAL. YAY!!!!!!!!!! Well, we don't know if it is completely healed, we will find out when we go to the doctors, but it looks like a normal belly button, and surgery is no longer in the distant future.

On a sadder note, I have retired all of Syler's newborn and 0-3 cloths. They have been folded up and stored in bins until our new little munchin arrives. Each piece of clothing brought back fond memories of the first few weeks of Syler's life. While going through his cloths, I couldn't believe he fit into them. They were so tiny, small and cute.. Then I would think, "I can't believe how much he has grown in such a short period of time." Oh my little boy is growing up!!!!

So, here are his likes and dislikes. Starting with likes:

~ Syler still LOVES his bouncer! To this day, we say this is the best gift ever. He doesn't spend as much time in it as he use to and he doesn't sleep in it nearly as much as he use to. He spends most of his nights sleeping in his bassinett. This leads me to naps, sleeping and routine. Syler seems to have had a consistently routine going for the past month or two, which is great!. He takes one LONG morning nap and then multiple afternoon/evening naps until it is time for bed. Bedtime these past few months has been anywhere between 11-12:30, and he would sleep until about 8 or 9 a.m. I am happy to say that it looks like his bedtime is changing. For the past 3 nights, Syler had been going to bed around 10 and sleeping until about 6/6:30. Syler usually gets any where from 8-10 hours of sleep each night. Even though part of me misses having to get up a few time in the middle of the night to feed or comfort, I am enjoying these sleep-filled nights. I on the other hand still have to get up around 5-5:30 to pump, but not a big deal. We still need to work on a bedtime routine though. I think that will come once evening naps decrease and we get a more consistent bedtime time. Syler is also going longer between each feeding, and there has been a slight increase in food intake per feeding. Hopefully after out doctors appointment on Monday we will start introducing rice cereal.
~ Books & reading time. Syler loves having books read to him!!!
~ Talking. There has been a huge increase in his vocalization. We are hearing new sounds, seeing new facial expressions & new movements with his mouth and tongue.
~ Sucking on his fingers and hands. This is actually pretty funny because he still hasn't quite gotten the hang of sucking on his thumb. So he either sucks on his whole fist or 3 fingers at a time. But, he is constantly sucking or licking his fingers/hands.
~ Playing with toys. Syler has a deer with dangly legs that he loves playing with (see picture). He was all about his glow worm, but he has recently gotten over that. Now, he likes his deer and wormy, which is a little stuff rattle.
~ Baths. He enjoys taking baths now.
~ Watching mom and dad. Syler can just watch us for ever. He loves to stare at us, and if we get up and start walking around her will follow us.
~ Grabbing things and bringing them to his mouth. Syler just recently has started to grab objects and either holds onto them or will bring them to his mouth to suck on.



His dislikes:
~ Getting dressed. More specifically, putting his shirt on. I don't know what it is, but Syler hates having his shirts pulled over his head, or having his shirts bunched up around his neck while you are putting his arms in his sleeves. He hates it and starts crying almost instantly.
~ Being hungry. When Syler is hungry he has no patience (just like his daddy). He will cry until that bottle is placed in his mouth.

Upcoming events: Syler gets his next round of vaccine shots on Monday. So, Monday's agenda will be comforting and caring for a cranky/hurt and sad little man.

All in all, things are going great and Sy continues to be a happy, smiling little man.

syler is 3 months old!!!

Today, Syler is 3 months old.... It has been a wonderful 3 months! We have had no doctor appointments or visits to any specialist. So, what has been going on? Syler is doing well. He is still eating like a champ. He has actually been eating a little more lately, which is possibly due to a 3 month growth spurt (doctor said this would happen). We know that he has gained more weight, and we are looking forward to going to the doctors to see just how much. Again, his arm is doing wonderfully. Nothing but improvements there. We go back to the neurologist November 20 for our last appointment. His belly button has made huge improvements this past month. It is actually starting to look like a normal belly button. It seems to be healing faster than what I had expected, which is great. Hoping that it is completely healed by the time he is 3 so we can avoid surgery. I think his belly button will be completely healed by then though.

Syler is definitely fitting into 3 month old cloths now..... Thanks to all his chub rolls. He was actually fitting in to some 3 month old cloths a few weeks back. I have been slowly putting away his newborn and 0-3 month old cloths, which has brought back some memories, especially his newborn cloths. I look at them and can't believe he was that tiny and actually fit into them. Syler continues to LOVE his bouncer. He still spends a majority of his sleeping time in his bouncer, but he also has spent a good amount of time in his new bassinet (Thank you Susie!!!). He seems to like that better than his crib. So we are slowly working to get him to sleep only in the bassinet, which is going well. Syler doesn't mind taking baths now, since I have been using his infant bath tub. He still doesn't like to have his hair wash, but the whole bath experience has improved. The first time I use the bath tub (since the very first time, the first day he was home and he HATED it), I put him in the water and he almost started to cry, but then it looked like he had the thought of, "Hmmmm, wait, this isn't that bad". Then he just chilled. He seems to react this way when I first put him in the tub. So that is an improvement.

We are continuing to work on a schedule/routine. I have noticed this past months that Syler is starting to stay awake for longer periods of time as well as sleeping for longer periods on time too. He is getting better about decreasing his sleep during the day. We currently take a morning nap and then a few afternoon/evening naps. He still goes to bed late, but anything is better than him staying awake until 2:30-3 in the morning. So I think we are slowly getting the hang of some kind of routine. Syler enjoys playing on his baby gym, but continues to hate tummy time..... He seems to be more alert and interested when I read books to him, which is pretty cool. I also love how is able to track us, while sitting in his bouncer. I could be walking around in the kitchen putting dishes away and he just happily watches while I do so. His dancing has improved. What I mean by that is his body movements. He is moving his arms and legs in a more coordinated fashion, and he is constantly swinging his arms around and kicking his legs.

One of the best parts from this past month has been the increase in talking. Miguel and I are hearing a lot more oo's, ahh's, coo's, gurgles, laughter, howoo's, and the best part of it all is that he will have conversations with us. He will mimic the noises we make, or we go back and forth making noises as each other. TOO CUTE! Another best part is the increase in smiling. Syler smiles as soon as he see his mommy or daddy, which is just awesome.. He even instantly smiles when he hears one of us. He just smiles all the time. I love his toothless smile! Syler also enjoys sucking on the side of his fist (the side with the thumb). He still hasn't figured out how to suck on his thumb, so he just sucks on his fist instead. It is too funny. Another wicked cute thing, which will be dangerous when he gets older, is his super cute pouty face!!! OMG, I love it! I laugh and give in every time he does it. SO CUTE! Overall, Syler continues to be a very happy baby and we are looking forward to what this month has in store for us all.

Syler is 2 months old!!!!!!!!!

So, today Syler is 2 months old. YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! This past month has been wonderful. We have seen many changes in Syler. He is smiling more, which is wonderful. He smiles at the sound of mommy and daddy's voices, if we smile at him or do silly things, or just because he is happy. He is a very happy baby. The best thing is when he wakes up in the morning and he is laying on the changing table just smiling up at me. Its the BEST! He is also starting to talk more, which is great. We are hearing a lot of coo's, ah's, gurgles and giggles, which are all just precious.

We are currently working on a routine/schedule for the day (implementing naps during the day), which we hope will help with sleeping at night. The beginning of the month Syler would sleep all day and stay up all night long and he was difficult to put to bed, which made this very difficult for Miguel since he takes the night shift. I first started implementing the routine about 2 weeks ago and Syler would have good and bad days/nights. But, over the past couple of nights he has been sleeping much better. He wakes up to eat and then will goes right back to bed. This has been great for Miguel...

Syler is also staying up a lot more during the day, which is nice because I/we get to play with him. He spends time playing on his baby gym, tummy time, reading with mommy, listening to music or just hanging out. He also LOVES his bouncer!!!! This is great because we have been using this a lot to get him to sleep at night (on the bad nights). I also put him in his bounces when I have things I need to get done around the house.

As for Syler's health and wellness, he is doing great! His left arm is great. Its like he never even had a problem. We go back to the neurologist in November for our last check up. Syler continues to eat like a champ. His food intake has been slowly increasing. So, no worries there. We can tell that he has gained more weight since our last doctors appointment (a month ago). We go to the doctors on Tuesday so we will get new weight and measurements. Miguel measured Syler's height this morning, and he is measuring at 23 inches (give or take). Syler is also starting to fit into 3 months old cloths. I can't believe that..... He is getting so big and is starting to get chub rolls, which is too cute and I love. One thing that we are not looking forward to at the doctor's appointment on Tuesday is Syler getting his first round of vaccine shots... I have been reading up on the vaccines, but it doesn't make that fact that he is going to be pricked with needles any easier.

I will post after our doctor's appointment on Tuesday!!!!

Syler is 1 month old!!!!!!!

One month ago today, Miguel and I officially became a mommy and daddy. The day that Syler was born was the absolutely best day of my life. I can not believe that Syler is a month old already. I must say it has been an amazing, amazing month that has gone by too fast.

When I think back to the day Syler arrive, I think back to the moment when I called the nurse and told her it was time and all our friends and family left the room. When they left I couldn't help but cry. The emotions I was feeling at that moment were overwhelming. I was happy, scare, nervous, excited, anxious, elated, terrified, and ready. I knew in just a little bit our baby was going to be born, and that moment he was born we both felt a love that we had never felt before; a love that cannot be explained. But, this love is beyond amazing. The moments after Syler was born are some of my absolute favorite moments. I layed there in the bed just watching Miguel pace back and forth between my bed and the open crib with Syler in it. The look on Miguel's face, tears in his eye, the smile just lit up the room and my heart. Those moments I will never forget. He was beyond happy and when he yelled to everyone in the hallway "IT'S A BOY!!!!!!!!!!" and they all cheered, it was priceless. The whole labor and delivery experience was so amazing and thee best day of my life. Now, Miguel and I look forward to careing, loving, teaching and guiding our little man.

Today, we can say that Syler weighs well over 7 lbs. We won't know for sure until we go to the doctors on 9/15, but he has been eating really well and you can tell in his pictures that he is chubbier. Syler is also a good sleeper. Granted there have been some moments where he has been fussy and not wanting to sleep, but over all he sleeps well. He loves to cuddle, and I LOVE having him lay on my chest and take naps together. I cherish every minute of that time we get to spend together. It strengthens our bond as mother and son and I love that. I also love it when Syler is wide awake and just wants to hang out. He makes such funny noises/faces and he is so active; swinging his arms and kicking his legs. Miguel and I like to say he is dancing. It is too cute! Syler loves to look in your eyes and just stare. We love that too. I never thought you can be so mesmerized by a baby's eyes. He is very ticklish on his feet, which he gets from me.

One thing that Syler is not too thrilled about it taking a bath. He seems to not like it very much, and tends to scream the whole time. I am hoping that his dislike for baths quickly fades. I'm hoping it fades when we are able to use the baby bath tub and he will be able to sit in warm water instead of laying on a towel during bath time. He is also not a very happy camper, most of the time, when he is getting his diaper changed or we are clothing him. Since he has been home, we have seen the Occupational Therapist once and the Neurologist once. Both were extremely impressed with the amount of improvement Syler has made with his left arm since leaving the CCN unit, and feel that he will definitely make a full recovery and surgery will not be needed. We will continue doing his arm exercises for a little while yet. We have one more visit with each person and then it's see ya later alligators.

What I have learned from the whole experience so far. Well, while Syler was in the NICU/CCN unit for 11 days, I learned that I am a much stronger person than I thought I was, and that Miguel and I are a very strong/supportive team. This whole process, I believe, has made us a stronger couple and has brought us closer together. Having Miguel by my side made the whole process much easier. His support, love, and strength did not go unnoticed and I admire and love him more than I ever did.

I've learned that I can function pretty well on VERY little sleep, and that I don't mind getting up at all hours of the night or pumping every 3-4 hours each day (even though it hurts). I love him and I will do anything for him.

I look forward to watching Syler grow and learn. I look forward to Syler discovering things for the first time or eating something sour and making a sour face. I look forward to Miguel and I teaching all the things we know. I just look forward to all the things that come with having a child; good or bad.

Lastly, I'd like to say THANK YOU to all our friends and family that offered us overwhelming support, love, strength, prayers, and for going beyond the regular duties of friendship to help us out. We appreciate you and love you.

Syler: 4 weeks old

Four weeks ago today, Miguel and I became a mommy and daddy. The day that Syler was born was the absolutely best day of my life. I can not believe that Syler is 4 weeks old already. These past 4 weeks have gone by so fast. I must say it has been an amazing, amazing 4 weeks. The first 2 weeks were very emotionally provoking and a bit of a roller coaster ride, but we managed to get through it. I can tell you that the first 2 weeks while Syler was in the NICU/CCN unit, I realized that I am a much stronger person than I thought I was, and that Miguel and I are a very strong/supportive team. Even though the kids in the NICU/CCN were much sicker than Syler, it was still very difficult to see him there and to learn that he has herb palsy, sleep apnea, and breathing problems. I give great credit, admire and look up to the parents who had a child in the NICU/CCN unit while we were there. Their strength, devotion, love that I saw from some parents was unbelievable (and I internally cried for those children who never had a visitor.)

Today, we can say that Syler weights over 7 lbs. We won't know for sure until we go to the doctors on 9/15, but he has been eating really well and you can tell in his pictures that he is chubbier. Syler is also a good sleeper. Granted there have been some nights he has been fussy and not wanting to sleep, but over all he sleeps well. He loves to cuddle, and I LOVE having him lay on my chest and sleep. I cherish every minute of that time we get to spend together. It strengthens our bond as mother and son and I love that. I also love it when Syler is wide awake and just wants to hang out. He makes such cute noises and he is so active; swinging his arms and kicking his legs. Miguel and I like to say he is dancing. It is too cute!

One thing that Syler is not too thrilled about it taking a bath. He seems to not like it very much, and tends to scream the whole time. I am hoping that his dislike for baths quickly fades. I'm hoping it fades when we are able to use the baby bath tub and he will be able to sit in warm water instead of laying on a blanket or towel during bath time. He is also not a very happy camper, most of the time, when he is getting his diaper changed or we are clothing him.

What I have learned:

What I am looking forward to:

I'd like to say THANK YOU to: