14 months old!!!!!

14 months old!!!! (also include 12 & 13 months)

I have to say that out of the 14 months that Syler has been with us, this stage of development and age are my favorite right now. He is sooooo much fun!!!!!! He is always making me laugh and smile. I fall more and more in love with him every day.
So what has my little monkey been up to these past couple of months? Here it is.

~ New:
• He is walking! He started walking around his first birthday, which was just exciting! Everyday he is getting faster and faster. He is just shy of running. Its quite funny because he will start to walk REALLY fast then his feet will get all tangles and he will fall.
• Crawling. Syler learned how to crawl the right way after he learned how to walk.
• Talking, well actually a lot of gibberish and mumble jumble. This is so cute! He will make great eye contact with you and will talk as if he is having a conversation with you. When he is excited about something, he talks really fast, will he gets red in the face and has a hard time getting his gibberish out .


- Word interpretation:
Baba = bird
Maa = Max
Daw = dog
Naa = nice
Brroooommmm = car

- Words: Mama, Dada, boom, dum

• Music! This kid loves music. Seriously considering getting him into a music class for children his age. Every time he hears music, whether on the radio, t.v., computer or from one of his toys he immediately starts dancing. His dancing, I must say, has improved too. He also does this new thing while dancing. He will start dancing and then throw his head back. I will try to get this on video because it is super funny and cute.
• Shaking his head back and forth as if saying no. This is a new thing for him. He started doing this about two weeks ago. He will do this mostly while standing, and when he does, 99% of the time he falls down. We think he does this because he is discovering what “dizzy” is.
• Mimicking mom and dad. Whether it is facial expression, noises with our mouth or how we say a word, he will mimic it.
• He brings books to me to read to him. So cute because he will carry a book over to me then plop himself in my lap. I love that. He will also turn the pages for me while we read together.
• Understanding commands/questions. Here some statements he understands and will do: 1). Flush the toilet, Syler. Can you flush the toilet please? 2). Get Mr. Bear or Where is Mr. Bear. 3). Time to brush your teeth. 4). Come here Syler. 5). Daddy’s home! 6). Where are the birds? Can you/do you see the birds?
• Showing affections. This is my absolute favorite!!!! This is a fairly new thing for Syler. He will unexpectedly give kisses or hugs, which is just the absolute best! He will also give kisses if asked. He also shows affection to his stuffed animals, mainly Mr. Snuv.

It’s amazing how fast they learn things. Their brains really are like little sponges. Its awesome!

~ Like:
• Of course his all time favorite thing is still Mr. Bear. He brings Mr. Bear everywhere and sleeps with him. Also, he is at the point where if we don’t bring it with us somewhere he doesn’t even notice, but gets excited when he is reunited with Mr. Bear.
• Green car. He has this green push car that he got for his birthday and he loves it. He loves going for walks in it, beeping the horn and just chillin in it.
• He also enjoys sitting in his Pottery Barn Anywhere chair, which was also a gift for his birthday. He will play with books and stuffed animals while sitting in it.
• Exploring! He is constantly exploring his surroundings; touching, picking up things, putting things into his mouth, etc.
• Loves being outside! That is just a whole new world to him.
• The cats and Max. This is where is he practicing his naaaaa (nice). Whenever the cats are around him he becomes intrigued with them. When he pets them he gets a huge smile on his face and giggles a little. Max is getting more and more use to him. Just the other day, Max actually let Syler pet him on the head a little instead of immediately running away. So that is a huge improvement!
• Playing with other children. Even though Miguel and I are working on providing him with opportunities to play with other children, it doesn’t happen as often as we would like. But, when he does have other children to play with, he gets very excited and happy. This is another are we are working on nice.
• Putting everything and anything in his mouth. Anything from dog food to dirt to lint balls.
• Shoes. Mainly mommy’s shoes. He enjoys putting them in his mouth.
• The lint roller. He absolutely loves playing with the lint roller and putting it in his mouth.
• Cottage cheese. Loves it!

~ Dislikes:
• Being told no. Well, not really being told no, but being prevented from doing something he wants to do or having something he really wants, which is usually something he is not suppose to have. At this point, he will scream, cry and sometimes sit or throws himself on the floor with his face in his lap usually doing the first 2 things mentioned. Kind of like a mini tantrum.
• Being barked at by large/dinosaur dogs. Recently, Syler and I went to a friend’s house and she has a rather large chocolate lab named Spencer. I call him a dinosaur because he is just that huge. Well, Spence wanted to play with Syler, so in his loudest bark, barked at Syler. At this point, Syler poops his pants, immediately starts crying/screaming and rans to me. Syler would not go within 2 feet of Spencer for the rest of the time we were there.
Syler also had his 1 year old Child Wellness visit in August. He is in the 90th percentile for height, 50th percentile for weight (at the time he weigh 23 lbs), and his head circumference is measuring average. He did get 3 vaccine shots this time, but handled it really well.

Lastly we are just loving every minute of watching him grow, explore and learn. :-)

Our time to try Cry It Out.

A few weeks ago, Miguel and I decided that it was finally time to move Syler to his crib (he had been sleeping in his bouncer for the past couple of months), which meant that we were going to have to implement the Cry It Out sleep training method. Like many other mothers, I morally, emotional, and instinctively struggled with this idea. But, I knew that I was ready, well more ready, as was Syler, to implement it now as opposed to a few months back when Miguel and I initially discussed implementing this method. So, last week we decided our first night was going to be Sunday (last Sunday). We both knew that we were going to be sleep deprived and that it was going to be a LONG and tough road, so we figured Sunday would be the best start night because Miguel would have the next 3 days off, so I would have him as additional support for me and Syler. I wouldn't have been able to do this on my own (I know because I tried to and I lasted a half hour before giving in). And THANK YOU to Miguel for being so understanding of my tears/fears, supportive and a huge distraction to help keep me occupied. I wouldn't have been able to do it without him by my side. I also owe a big thank you to Cori G. and Kim P. for distracting me for a little while during night one.

~ Night One:
The first night was horrible. There were tears shed by both Syler and myself. It was extremely difficult to listen to him cry; to not pick him up and hug him when it was my turn to go in and quickly "comfort" him; and to hear his cry "mama" over and over again. Syler ended up screaming, crying, whimpering, and whining for 5 hours. There were short periods of silence, where we thought we were in the clear, just to hear moments later more crying. It was a long 5 hours. We both didn't think it was going to take that long. But, he did eventually go to sleep and so did we. That is not to say that we did get a good nights sleep though. All three of us woke up multiple times throughout the night. For Syler, we knew why, but for Miguel and I, not quite sure. So come Monday, all three of us were tired.

~ Night Two:
For some reason, I was dreading the second night more than I did the first. Maybe it was because we had a rough first night and I knew what was in store for us for night two. I don't know, but I did. So, Syler and I went through his normal, every night bed time routine. His routine consists of a snack, bath, books, then bed. I have been doing this routine with Syler for months. 7:50-8 o-clock rolled around and it was time. Miguel gave Syler a good night kiss and off I took him to bed. As I stood in front of his crib giving him a hug and a kiss, he knew what was coming. He immediately started crying. I tucked him in and left. Miguel and I changed the intervals of how often we go in for the second night. Night two was 5, 10, 15, 20 minutes and so on. But, we only made it to 20 minutes. At the 20 minute mark, Syler was calm, laying down, and ready to sleep. And, that was the last time we heard a noise from him. He went a whole hour before he made a few "fussy" noises/cries for a few seconds and then we went back to sleep. I would have to say that night two was a success. But......... did it last?

~ Night Three:
YES!!! It did last. Night three was just as easy as night two. He fussed for maybe an hour this night, but went to bed and slept all night long. He didn't wake until 8-8:30. I was very surprised that he slept the whole night, but it was nice to get a goods night sleep with no interruptions.

We also implemented CIO for naps, but we didn't need to do very much. On day four we put him down for a nap and within 10 minutes (10 minutes of fussing and crying) he went to sleep. Now he has no problem going down for naps. Bedtime is a little bit of a different story. He still cries and fussy for about 20 minutes or so. But, its a lot better than bouncing him for an hour or more in his bouncer and getting up 2-3 times/night. And just to let you know, the bouncer has been packed away for good (or until #2).

Syler is walking!!!!!!!!!!!

It's official!! Syler is walking. He needs no help or spotting. He is all on his own!!!

Syler is walking!!!!! from Sarah Barroso on Vimeo.

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....

Happy 1st Birthday!

Dear Syler,

Happy 1st birthday!!!! One year ago today you came into my life and turn my world upside down (in a good way that is). This day has come faster than I have expected or wanted. You are no longer my little baby, but my little man. When I look back through the year, I am reminded of all the things you have taught me. But, the one thing that really stands out and I am constantly reminded of every time I look at your beautiful blue eyes, is that there is a love out there like no other. I felt this love for you the minute I laid eyes on you when you were born. This is a love only a parent can feel and understand.

It has been an absolute joy and an adventure to watch you grow and learn. To go from a little premie baby weighing only 5 pounds 15 ounces to a little walking giant is amazing and wonderful. I will be honest, I do miss the days where you would just fall asleep on my chest as a little baby, but I am definitely looking forward to watching you grow, learn, and experience life.

I have loved every minute, every second of this past year. I have loved watching your relationship with daddy grow, and the look daddy gets in his eyes when he looks at you. I have loved walking into your room every morning being greeted with a smile. I have loved, oh gosh, there are so many memories and things that I loved about this past year, that I cannot list in this letter.

My love for you grows every day and I am incredibly blessed to be your mother. I don't know what the next year or the next 20 years has in store for you, for us, but I simply can't wait to find out.

Lastly, I will promise you this. I will love you unconditionally, keep you safe, watch over you, and take care of you until the day that I no longer on this earth.

I love you with all my heart, soul and being. Happy birthday my little monkey.

Love always,
Mommy

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.

NICU Reunion 6/5/10

The Barroso family attended the NICU Reunion this past Saturday, and it was quite fun. We got to see some of the nurses and doctors that helped take such great care of Syler while he was in the NICU/CCN. They were all so happy to see him and so excited to see how far he has come.

Just driving to the hospital, parking in the parking lot, and walking into the building, brought back so many feelings, emotions, and memories; feelings, emotions and memories that we will someday share with Syler. There are not enough thank you’s we can say to the staff to show them just how much we appreciate everything they did for Syler.

Syler and Sam. They were CCN mates.

Syler enjoying a bottle during the presentation and raffle.

Daddy and Syler.

The Bullett Family (Aimee, Brendan, and Sam). There son was in the NICU/CCN for almost 2 months.

Sam... So CUTE!!!!!!!