44 weeks, 4 days - Tuesday, October 21, 2003 - Dad

Our little goofball had his 10 month appointment today.  He weighed in at an impressive 24 pounds, 7 1/2 ounces (92nd percentile) and topped out at 31 1/4 inches (100th percentile).  His noggin, which I still think is kinda large, is 46 1/4 centimeters (70th percentile).  It only took the doctor a minute of watching him in the office for her to comment that he looked like the real "daredevil type".  Smart doctor!

Aside from showing off by standing up on everything, the appointment was uneventful, except for a standard anemia blood test.  The test showed that he's very slightly anemic (10.4, for you doctor types out there), but the doctor assures us that it is nothing to be concerned about.  We'll fortify his diet with iron drops, throw some spinach at him and go back for another test in a month.  Michelle and I were surprised to hear this as he has such a hearty appetite.  (He polished off an In and Out cheeseburger patty, 1/2 the bun and fries for lunch today.)  The doc said it isn't uncommon for babies who grow quickly to become a little anemic.  

(Researcher Steve found out that infants are pre-supplied with iron when they are born and babies often outstrip their need for iron faster than than can replenish it.)  

He's also had a bit of a cold the last couple of days that he probably caught from me.  (Gee, probably wasn't too smart to share my chicken-noodle soup with him... from the same spoon!)  Aside from being a little congested and a runny nose, he's pretty much normal.  He also got a flu shot at the doctor today.  (Michelle got hers on Sunday and I'll get mine at work in two weeks.)  Ty also got his 2nd Hepatitis B shot today.  

Michelle continues to look at pre-schools and several look promising.  I'm still amazed that we're having to look so far in advance and I also can't believe that the "tuition" is anywhere from $4,000 to $10,000 a year.  Yikes.  Back to the lottery for us!  

43 weeks, 3 days (10 months) - Monday, October 13, 2003 - Mom
Happy Birthday little man! Tyler is such an absolute joy to be around. People are always commenting on what a “happy baby” he is. He is laid back and adjusts well to new situations. We are still going to a mommy and me swim and gym class at least once a week, a babygroup class once a week and a gym class (Kidnasium) once a week. He also loves going to Whole Foods and the grocery store with me.

His military stomach crawl has turned into regular crawl and he's getting faster by the day.  When he's not chasing one of the cats, tormenting the dog or lunging at one of us, he's pulling himself up and standing on anything and everything he can find.  He'll walk himself down the length of the couch or table, grabbing whatever we've foolishly left within reach.  He still isn't too smooth about sitting back down, but that sure doesn't stop him.. 

We have an awesome new car that I absolutely love. It is a Volvo SUV (XC90) and not only is it safe, but it is really nice looking.  It will be sad to give up the Tahoe at the end of the month, but I'm ready for a bit smaller car.

Steve is kinda bummed that he has to now share his food with Tyler but he’ll get over it. Tyler loves cheeseburgers, steak, tofu, cheese, Mac and cheese, carrots, bananas, peaches … ok, he likes just about everything. In fact, we are still in search of something he will not eat. I am thrilled that he is such a good eater. It makes my life a bit easier.

Halloween is coming up and we have lots of fun activities planned. We will post some pics of Ty dressed up after Halloween.

I have continued to look at preschools and love the two I have toured. I have 4 more to look at. There are soo many amazing preschools in the Santa Monica area that we are lucky. I want to go back to preschool. Art classes, music classes, snack time, playtime, could life get any better???

Other things to note:  Ty's first word (other than calling everything "dada") was "cat".  I also stopped nursing about a month ago and Tyler has adjusted well.

39 weeks, 3 days - Monday, September 15 – Dad

As Tyler celebrates his 9 month birthday, I'm sad to report that our little baby is no longer a little baby!  He is definitely becoming a little boy more and more every day.  As you can see from the pictures, as he grows bigger he takes on more of a "mature" look.  Sure, he's still our adorable baby (always will be!), but at almost 25 pounds and 2 and half feet tall, it is hard to cuddle with him like we used to.

Some quick updates...  He loves to eat different kinds of food.  Thus far, he has had yogurt, hamburger, ham, turkey, apple sauce, Bocca burgers, chicken hot dogs, and chicken breast.  (And I'm sure I'm missing some!)  Of course, he still loves his Cheerios.

His sleep schedule has been strange the last week or so.  He is now almost always down by 7:45 or 8:00pm, but is very inconsistent waking up.  Sometimes it'll be a full holler at 3:00am, most times he'll be talking to himself and playing starting at 6:00am and sometimes he'll be crashed all the way to 8am.  Given the strange sleeping habits and all the drooling, we can only guess that he's got a couple more teeth on the way to join the 4 he's already got.  

He is now very mobile and loves to explore his environment.  He gets around mostly by means of a military crawl by dragging himself around on his stomach using his hands and forearms to pull his body.  He'll occasionally give us the standard crawl, but seems to prefer the military crawl.  (That movement also makes him a handy dust mop for our wood floors!)  He is also very proficient at sitting up from his stomach and uses that mostly to look around or change his direction.

Strangers are beginning to make him pretty shy and he gets more generous with his hugs to mom and dad when somebody he doesn't know wants to talk to him.  He LOVES Niki and she is so patient with him.  Poor Nik has had her eyes poked, nose tweaked, whiskers pulled and hair yanked, but she keeps coming back for more.  (Gee, do you think that has anything to do with the fact that Ty feeds her from his highchair???)

Anyway, all is well at our house.  We'll have more pictures posted soon, including some shots of Tyler cheering on his Denver Broncos, so keep checking back!  

36 weeks, 3 days - Monday, August 25 – Mom

I wanted to wait a little while to post a new journal entry so everyone could read about our fantastic trip to Boulder and Vail. (read Steve’s entry below if you haven’t already). Since returning from the beautiful Colorado, we have been very busy.

We had some friends (Jen, Herb and little Herb) from Wisconsin out visiting and we had some great quality time with them and Ty and little Herb played very nicely together.

Tyler and I went to La Jolla with my family for a week and Steve came down for a long weekend. We went to the beach, the La Jolla Aquarium, swimming and hour long walks on the beach every morning. We had such a great time, Tyler and I are going down again on Wed. until Sat. Since my parents rented the house for the month and I am not working, I thought we would take advantage of some good beach and family time.

Tyler also had his eight-month appointment and came through like a champ. Here are his stats: length: 29 ¾ inch. (97th percentile); weight: 23 pounds, 1 ounce (92nd percentile). The pediatrician was very happy with his development. He is saying "ma ma" and "da da" and "ba ba" a lot. The dog is still da da and the car is still ma ma but he loves to hear his voice and he is a very talkative kid…guess he got that trait from his mom!

He is days away from crawling and is frustrated since he keeps crawling backwards! He loves to stand up and looks like he may want to start walking as soon as he gets the crawling thing down.

He is also started to sleep on his tummy, which he seems to like until he wakes up in the middle of the night thinking, “How did I get here?”

We have begun giving him table food and his favorite so far is Cheerios. He loves the Cheerios and they keep him entertained for long quantities of time. We tried Cottage Cheese today and not only did he gag but he barfed up everything he had eaten all day. And since you all know how much I like puke, it was a bit disconcerting for me. We gave him ground beef tonight and he was better with that and Steve loved the fact that he is definitely not a vegetarian!

Speaking of food….I am down to nursing him only at night now and that will only be for a couple more days. It is tough to wean him but at this point I feel that it is more for me than for him. I will miss our quiet, bonding time. I never went through Postpartum Depression but I think I am going through Post Nursing Depression if there is such a thing!

Well, enough on the life of Tyler, Steve and Michelle. We hope you like the pictures. We will post some La Jolla ones soon so keep checking back.

We hope everyone had a wonderful, fun and safe summer! I can’t believe summer is over. How time flies.

Peace, Love and No More Cottage Cheese for Ty   J

34 weeks, 3 days - Monday, August 11 – Dad

Wow, has it really been a month since we've written anything?!?  Guess that is a sign of how much fun we're having with Tyler.  It has been a busy 4 weeks!  The whole family met in Vail, Colorado for a week in late July.  The parents organized it and came out from Virginia while Scott, Lee and Sydney came out from Florida.  It was the first time the new babies had met each other (and obviously the first time the parents had met their respective nieces and nephews).  Michelle and I stopped through Boulder first for a couple of days to see Tracy, Larry and Brendan and we had a great time there, as always.  

We also had a great time in Vail.  The weather was perfect, albeit a little warm.  The townhouse we stayed at was 10 steps from Gore Creek and had everything we needed (except a working dishwasher!!!).  A special thanks to Mom and Dad for planning it.   While in Vail, we drove the rough and rugged Shrine Pass from the top of Vail Pass to the lovely town of Redcliff.  We had lunch at the only open diner in town (Mango's) and were amused at being served by the guy we'd just seen unloading a truckload of wood scrap 5 minutes earlier.  (Turns out he owned the place!)  Scott, Lee and I had a chance to mountain bike down Vail mountain, which was an absolute blast.  The folks babysat for a night and allowed the "kids" to get out for dinner, which we thoroughly enjoyed.  Michelle even got to see a mountain thunderstorm.  We were joined on Thursday and Friday by Aunt Terri and Cousin Brendan, who stopped through en route to a baseball game for Brendan.  It was great to see both of them again.  I think my whole family ended up being a little homesick as we spent 15 or so years growing up in Colorado.  

Tyler and Sydney both behaved very well.  Tyler was teething and didn't sleep so well, which means Michelle and I didn't sleep well.  He was also probably effected by the high altitude and the hot temperatures.  We did do a little swimming with him and he got his first underwater dunking from Dad.  This event also produced the world's largest bugger, to which Grandma replied, "We'll at least you know he was breathing out."!    

Tyler has really shown some interest in crawling in the last couple of weeks.  He is more tolerant on his stomach and is rolling over more often.  (We've caught him 3 or 4 times sleeping on his stomach because he's rolled over in the crib.)  He makes a motion to crawl, but ends up just going backwards.  "Not to fear," says Michelle, "that is one of the first signs of crawling."  I did my first batch of baby proofing last weekend and will do more this weekend.  Ty loves his "solid" foods and enjoys eating Cheerios also.  A small handful dumped in front of him will keep him entertained for a quite some time!  He's also sleeping through the night (9:00pm to 7:30am) about 75% of the time now.

Well, that's all for now.  Michelle will put up another entry in a week or two, so keep checking back. 

30 weeks, 4 days - Tuesday, July 15 – Dad

In the course of world history, yesterday’s events will not play a large role in development of mankind.  However, for our little Tyler, it was quite a day.  After a couple of months of parental wondering and waiting, he finally decided to roll over.  I know, I know, not a big deal, but it was still an event we were waiting for!  He rolled from back to stomach twice without any witnesses and once with mom and dad watching.  He is very proud of himself!  He’s also getting more comfortable on his stomach but it doesn’t look like he’ll be rolling stomach to back any time soon.  Michelle and I are more that happy to let him do things at his own pace and be amazed at the progress.

He is also mastering the art of the “butt scoot”.  He sits upright and bounces up and down while rocking back and forth.  He’s figured out that with the right combination of the two, he can scoot himself forward.  Although it is very cute to watch, Michelle’s baby group instructor would prefer that we encourage his movement by crawling, rather than scooting.  Guess we’ll just save the scooting as a party trick!

Tyler turned 7 months on Sunday and continues to be a happy, active, chatty baby.  He’s moved his bedtime to 9:00pm and, knock on wood, sleeps through until 5:30 or 6:00am about 80% of the time.  After a quick feed, he’s back down until 7:00 or even 8:00am.  Michelle is working hard with him on afternoon naps, but he hasn’t gotten the hang of that quite yet.  He’s been eating “solid” foods for about a month now and really likes it.  We give him about half a jar of mushy stuff and the equivalent of half a jar of oatmeal.  We just bumped him from one to two feedings a day.  His two bottom front teeth are all the way in… he’s just a couple more away from being ready for a cheeseburger! :-)

Amazingly, Michelle went to look at pre-schools today.  Hard to imagine that we’d need to sign Tyler up now for school that starts in September 2005!  (Even harder to imagine that many parents had already signed up at the school she toured.)  We’ll put our name (and non-refundable “application fee”) in with a couple of schools and see what happens.  So, when should we notify Stanford that he’s on his way?

28 weeks, 2 days - June 29 – Mom

It is so weird. Tyler is no longer an infant but a little boy. Our friends keep telling us how grown up he is looking. Let him be a baby people, he is only six-months old J.

He does have two teeth now (stubs but you can see them when he is smiling or crying) which accounts for his utter grumpiness when Grandma Barb was out visiting while Steve was away on business. We had such a great time with Barb here and she was an amazing help.

We also started him on solids the day after his six-month birthday. We have fed him sweet potatoes, pears and peas so far. Tomorrow he gets bananas. He seems to like to food, which is good, but oh, what it is doing to the smell of his poops! God help us!

Ty and I have been having a lot of fun. He is such a trooper, running errands with me like a champ and taking a nap here and there. Sometimes I do drive around and read in the car while he naps (not at the same time!)…just to make sure he does get some good sleep during the day. He is still very inconsistent in his night sleeping. Some nights he sleeps through the night and some nights he is up a couple times. It gets very tough on Steve and I and I don’t know how Steve functions some days since he does almost all of the middle of the night feedings. He is such an awesome dad and husband.

Tomorrow we start our Swim and Gym class with a bunch of friends at the Santa Monica YMCA. It should be fun but what a production. Getting Ty in his suit, me in mine, getting him changed out of his, me out of mine. The thought exhausts me but it should be a lot of fun. We also still have a playgroup once a week with about 10 moms and babies and our babygroup class on Wednesday with 13 women and babies. We are very busy but always make time to go visit my grandmother (GiGi) once a week. Tyler loves going over there and he listens to every word my grandmother says. It is so fun to see them interact.

Here are his six month check up stats from June 17th- Weight: 20 pounds 5 ounces (95th percentile); Length: 28 ¼ inches (95th percentile). The doctor is very pleased with his growth and his development. Although he still has no desire to roll over, he is sitting up really well and loves just sitting and playing with his toys. I am still nursing about ½ the time and giving him formula ½ the time. It is working out well and I am thinking I will wean completely by the end of the summer….or if he bites me enough times J

Off to bed. Hope everyone is doing great out there. XOXO

26 weeks, 5 days – June 18, 2003 - Grandma Barb

Having spent the last few days (June 9-14) with Tyler and Michelle in LA while Steve was on business travel, I have the honor of contributing a journal entry -- just as Tyler celebrates his half-year birthday.  Where has the time gone?   Seems like we just received the phone call that Michelle was in labor!

In true grandmotherly objectivity, I can honestly say this is one awesome kid!  He is totally and completely engaged in the world around him and has been from the time he was tiny. He is easily entertained, gives the best cuddles, is easily amused -- Niki walking by, an unusual noise, a strange sound from Grandma Barb, special tickles from his mom, Cody brushing against him can cause a from-his-toes burst of laughter.  He loves to be read to and will look intently at the pages of his favorite books as you "read" to him.  He watches his Baby Bach video transfixed on the bright colors moving across the TV screen. (Is this where I say that his gadget dad installed a wide-screen TV before leaving on travel?) Tyler has a couple of CD's with lyrics that say his name.  He can be fussy as all get-out in the car and when his mom pops in one of the CD's, he immediately quiets down.  You almost have to see it to believe it.  He has several favorite toys and when he's tired of one he's figured out  how to fling it and reach for another.

Sleeping is a story in and of itself.  Tyler isn't interested in serious daytime naps -- just a series of cat-naps.  I think he's way too busy keeping track of what's going on around him!  Michelle and I worked out a nighttime schedule -- if he woke before 4 a.m. she got him, after 4 a.m. I did.  It was as though, on some level, he knew the routine was different with his dad gone.  And we knew he was teething and that may have contributed to the extra nighttime wake-up.  Sometimes he would take a bottle and sometimes he just wanted the comfort of his mom.  He certainly kept us guessing!  With a new tooth, Dad home, the introduction of solid food perhaps he'll begin to consistently sleep through the night. 

Tyler's morning wake-up time is the best!  He is full of smiles and baby "chatter."  He loves to find his toes and raise his legs and feet and thump them on the bed.  He loves being on his back, hates it on his tummy, has no interest in rolling over and sits with a little support.  He has no interest in a pacifier unless to chew it, has not found his thumb but chews as many fingers as he can get in his mouth.  And he loves his blanket -- any blanket -- and will bring grab it and bring it to his face, laughing.

Michelle is fortunate to participate in a wonderful baby group.  The babies and their moms came to the house while I was there.  What a sight! The babies cooperated long enough for the moms to arrange them in a circle for that special "Kodak moment."  Hopefully Steve will put the picture on the website.  I concluded the collective wisdom of these moms would be the envy of a child-rearing book publisher.

This is Tyler's half-year birthday, but I was the one who got the gift -- these special days to get to know my grandson -- truly a special time.

Grandma Barb
Frederick County, Virginia

22 weeks – May 16, 2003 - Dad 

Well, here we are.  Tyler is now a little over 5 months old and we do nothing but enjoy him more and more every day.

It has been a very eventful month for us.  Tyler has found the joy of this thumb.  Well, actually anything he can get in his mouth, but mostly his thumb!  He alternates between his left and right hand, so look out NFL, you’ve got an ambidextrous quarterback headed your way.  (I’m just kidding, of course!)  He has also really found his voice.  He ranges anywhere from cute, sleepy babble to ear piercing shrieks.  Although his Mom and I prefer the baby talk, the shrieks are pretty entertaining also.

Last week we had a very traumatic event in the household.  He finally outgrew his infant car seat.  Affectionately called “The Bucket”, the two-piece car seat allowed us to transfer him from car to stroller without removing him or waking him.  It was also great for taking him to restaurants or on errands without disturbing him too much.  Well, he just got too darn big for it!  He’s now in his rear facing big-boy seat, which despite being comfortable, is a pain in the butt for his mother. 

His sleep schedule is still mostly consistent.  He’s down between 9:00 and 10:30pm, up for a bottle between 3:30 and 5:00am, and then back down until 7:00 or 8:00am.  We handle the schedule pretty well, although we’ve been known to get tired and grumpy sometimes!  We haven't had an "official" weigh-in for him since his last doctor's appointment, but we'd guess he's probably pushing close to 20 pounds.  He's already wearing 9 to12 month clothing, so we also know he's pretty tall.  

We had a great visit with his Virginia Grandmother and Michigan Great-Grandmother, who were here for Mother's Day.  They joined us and Michelle's family for a Mother's Day brunch at our house.  We have some great pictures of Tyler and his two Great-Grandmothers that we hope to have posted soon.

Our other newsworthy item of the past couple of weeks involves our silly Golden Retriever, Niki.  She somehow got a hold of a "C" size flashlight battery and proceeded to chomp down on, puncturing the skin of the battery and flooding her mouth with battery innards.  Needless, she was not a happy pup.  Two trips to the vet and almost $500 later, we've learned a good lesson about keeping batteries out of the reach of curious dogs.  (And we're supposed to baby-proof the house!?!)  Niki is still healing, but will be just fine.

Last but not least, our funny word of the month is "tofu" and we'll get a guaranteed laugh by dropping our heads on to his stomach and letting him play with our hair. 

16 weeks, 6 days – April 10, 2003 - Dad

Tyler had his four month checkup today and everything checked out great.  He weighed in at a healthy 16 pounds, 12 ounces (which is in the 90th percentile) and has grown to an eye-popping 26 and 3/4 inches (95th percentile).  Doc said he was developing terrifically, that he looks great and that he "certainly has a lot to say."  She was unable to test his knee reflex because, as those of you who know Tyler can attest, he was always moving!  He and Michelle bravely faced four shots by themselves because Dad had a last minute work commitment.  So, tonight Ty looks like a pincushion again and is sound asleep, thanks to a dose of infant Tylenol and a nice Merlot (just kidding!).

Fortunately, Tyler can keep his middle of the night feedings because he is sleeping in 6 hours stretches.  He'll eventually just start sleeping more and more.  If he likes to sleep anything like me, we'll see him when he's a teenager!  He's still sleeping most nights from 10:00pm until 4 or 5am.  We'll have the occasional night from 10 to 7am and Michelle and I will look at each other guiltily the next morning and wonder if each other got up to feed him in the middle of the night.

His personality is definitely shining.  He loves the word "feets" for some crazy reason and we can almost always get a laugh with Eskimo kisses.  He loves to talk, although Michelle and I are still have some trouble understanding exactly what he's saying.  It is beyond me why his poop is green even though he drinks milk or formula all day and I have yet to figure out how his neck gets so dirty.  Needless to say, we love the little guy to pieces and love to share him with friends and family... so if you're in the neighborhood, come on over!

15 weeks, 4 days – April 1, 2003 - Mom

So, Tyler and I survived four days without Steve. He went on a guy’s weekend (with eight guys from high school) to Las Vegas and Lake Mead while Tyler and I stayed home. Ty was actually a perfect angel. Woke up every night at 4:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. and really behaved like a champ. Steve missed Tyler soo much he was happy to get home to him. It was actually quite cute how much he missed him…I imagine not soo cute to his buddies who had to hear about Ty all day long.

We have been keeping busy with baby group, play dates and Mommy and Me classes. Tyler still has lots of girlfriends and it is great to see them all play and hit milestones together.  Steve calls Tyler Sam (short for Samsonite) since I “drag him all over town like a suitcase.” We have fun and it gets him well adjusted to social situations.

We took our first airplane trip to Colorado a couple weeks ago. We went to Boulder to visit my sister, brother in law and nephew. We had a great time. Tyler did awesome on the plane…just looked around at everyone and slept a little. He was a bit fussy once we got there but we learned after we got home that we should have been giving him water to adjust to the altitude. Oh well, you live and learn, right? We left Colorado just in time…President Bush declared war and they got hit with a mother of a snow storm the night we left.  The timing was perfect and we are so glad we were able to get to see everyone there. Traveling with a baby sure brings extra challenges but it was nice to do it and see that we can survive!

Ty is becoming a very big boy. Solid as a rock. My parents call him Bruiser and he looks like he is shaping up to be a fine addition to the Denver Bronco’s team. J

We have our 4 month appointment on April 10 and I keep telling Tyler that he better enjoy the middle of the night feedings while he is still getting them. I have a feeling that our pediatrician will advise us to cut out the middle of the night feedings after our appointment. I have no idea what Steve and I will do with ourselves when we start having a full night sleep.

Hope everyone out there is having as much fun as we are these days. We love visitors so please come see us! XOXO

11 weeks, 2 days – March 2, 2003 - Mom

We are having a great time with Tyler. He smile is unbelievable and his laugh makes every sleepless night disappear.  

He is sleeping much better (knock on wood) and we can get a good 5-7 hour stretch from him. That is not bad at all for someone his age. He is growing great and is curious about everything. He doesn’t sleep in the car anymore, he is too busy looking out the window. 

We have been having a lot of fun with his new friends. We have started a playgroup with 10 women and their kids….there are 2 boys and 8 girls…. They always tease Ty and tell him he will be taking all these ladies to their proms! 

We have also started our Babygroup class and it has been very informative. I have learned a lot about reading his cues, sleep schedules, tummy time and so much more. There are 12 of us in that class and last week 9 of us went to lunch after class. It is a really amazing group of moms. 

So, that being said…onto the work thing. After a long discussion, Steve and I decided that I would take six months off from the workforce and see how it goes. My position in PR and Marketing at Border Grill Corporate was eliminated due to budget and it really was a blessing in disguise. I NEVER thought I would say this but I am a stay at home mom.  

Of course I am staying busy….I am proofing the entertainment guides for Entertainment Weekly and sports guides for Sports Illustrated and I have read a few scripts for friends. If I could get one more freelance gig, I would be good to go. As it is now, Tyler is keeping me very busy and we are having a lot of fun together.

We love to have friends and family over, so keep those visits coming! 
XOXO

9 weeks, 3 days - February 17, 2003 - Dad 

Well, those mean old doctors used our little Ty as a pincushion on Friday.  He got 4 shots, one in each thigh and one in each shoulder.  Needless to say, he was NOT a happy camper.  On the positive side, he really seems to like the grape flavor of infant Tylenol!

His shots were part of his normal checkup, which he passed with flying colors.  He weighed in at a healthy 12 pounds, 13 ounces and was 24 inches tall.  (Well, I guess "long" is the right word, cause he isn't standing just yet.)  His height and weight put him in the 90th percentile, so if he doesn't slow down, he'll be giving Shaq a run for his money before long.  (Hmm... wonder if Michelle and I can retire yet?)

Michelle and I spent the weekend in Palm Desert with her sister, brother-in-law and our niece and nephew.  Saturday had us at the Palm Springs Living Desert (like a zoo, only animals in their truly natural habitat).  It was really pretty nice, but unfortunately Tyler slept through most of it.  

Tyler's nighttime sleeping habits have stabilized a bit and we get a good 5 or 6 hours from him.  Daytime is a different story however!  He's decided that there is so much going on in life, that he just doesn't want to miss anything!  He doesn't really care to nap during the day and loves to keep Michelle guessing as to his next mood.

He has a smile that will melt your heart (although it has proven to be photographically elusive) and has even laughed a couple of times.  He's still wearing Stage 1 diapers, although they're getting a little tight on him.  The next truckload we buy will be Stage 2.  He still loves the bath and Michelle must have gotten jealous because she's started to join him.  (In the tub, not the sink!) 

Grandma and Grandpa's visit in January was so good, they're coming back for more!  They'll try to dig themselves out from 28 inches of snow in time to visit us in April.  Ty can't wait and he's saving up his best gas (and grins) for them!

6 weeks, 2 days - January 27 - Dad

If the frequency of our journal entries is any indication of our lives in the last month, you can see we’ve been busy!  It isn’t so much that we’re out at parties, or taking trips to exotic places, we’re just tired.  Just plain tired.

Our little buddy usually hits the hay around 11:30pm or midnight after his final feeding of the night.  Then, around 2:30am, he decides he’s hungry again and lets us, and the neighbors, know about it.  After another meal, he’s back down until around 5:30 or 6:00am.  (Sometimes, if we’re feeling up to it, we’ll put him down around 1am, which allows us to sleep a whole 4 or 5 interrupted hours until he gets up in the morning!)  After he gets up at 6, he really doesn’t want to go back to sleep, but he’ll be content to sit in his crib and talk to himself until about 4 minutes after I walk out the door to work.  Upon hearing the door close, he’ll give mom just enough time to think she’ll finally be able to sleep in a bit before he lets loose.

They say infants generally sleep about 15 hours a day.  Unfortunately, nobody bothered to tell Tyler this before we got him!

Other than the whole sleep thing, Tyler is a 100% perfect angel.  He is cute, cuddly, adorable and oh so lovable.  (He does burp and pass gas like a trucker, but isn’t that what little boys are supposed to do?)  One of our favorite things he does is stick his tongue out at us.  If he’s paying careful attention to us, we’ll stick our tongue out at him a couple of times.  Before long, he’ll pop his out and imitate us.  Each time he does it, he looks so proud of himself!  (If I get this impressed over our little one sticking his tongue out, imagine how I’ll feel when he brings home an “A” on his spelling test or the Nobel Peace Prize or something.)  J

Some Tyler factoids:  His eyes are definitely blue, but his hair still hasn’t really come in that much yet.  (In fact, we think this hair actually looks like the guy from Everybody Loves Raymond.)  He likes to sit upright and gets downright fussy when laid flat on this back.  He sleeps better when the room is loud or when visitors are over.  If fact, he generally waits until everybody is gone before showing is feisty side!  He loves a bath and enjoys being sprayed by the kitchen faucet nozzle.  We think he probably weighs around 11 pounds, but aren’t exactly sure about that.  He is out of his newborn diapers and wearing Stage 1 sizes and although he’s close, he hasn’t outgrown any of his newborn clothes yet.

Well, that’s all for now.  We’re looking forward to his Grandma and Grandpa from Virginia to come out this weekend and we’ll post more after that!

6 Weeks - January 24 - Mom

Wow, the past six weeks feel like six years. It’s amazing how sleep deprivation really messes with you. We are finally getting into the swing of being up once or twice (or sometimes three times) a night. Everyone promises me this will get better and I am actually beginning to believe it. Last night he slept for a straight 5 hours. It was awesome.

Tyler is starting to smile (and no, it is not gas) and really recognizing Steve and I. It is fun to watch him follow us throughout the room.  It makes us feel like he really does know who we are. He is also getting very strong. He likes being on his tummy and looking around and he loves kicking me in the stomach when I am changing his diaper. What a little angel we have created J

Ty and I have been keeping busy. We go on walks with friends, have play dates with his Grandma & Poppy and we spend lots of time with other mommies and babies. All the babies we hang out with are girls. One day, Tyler will be thanking me! This is a big week for us. We are starting a playgroup, going to a Mommy and Me class at the Santa Monica YMCA and also starting a Mommy and Me Yoga class. And Steve thinks we go out to much…what is he thinking J As you all know, I love being out and about and Tyler has received this gene from me. He is a much happier kid when we are out. Good for now, probably not so good later when I am back at work and wanting some downtime.

Grandma Barb and Grandpa Bill are coming out on Thursday and Tyler cannot wait to meet them. Steve and I figure they are here to see him not us so we will take off for three days! Just kidding Grandma and Grandpa. It will be nice to have them here and fun to share our little bundle of joy with them.

Well, off to feed the kid. Breastfeeding can be challenging sometimes but I have come to look at it as our special time together. (This would be the glass is half full mentality!)

Peace, Love and Happiness!

Day 14 - December 27  - Dad

Once again, I just have to say "wow"!  I can't believe our little guy is two weeks old today!  He had his two week checkup yesterday and is doing great!  His jaundice is gone and the weight is adding back on.  He was 7 pounds, 12 ounces yesterday and gaining about 2 ounces a day.  (All babies lose a bit of weight after they're born.)

Sleeping for Mom and Dad still comes in bits and pieces.  Some nights are great, others not so great.  (A great night is about 4 hours uninterrupted!)  I awoke about 3:30 a.m. on Thursday night to find Michelle sleeping on the floor of the nursery with him!  She said later it was the only thing she could do to get him down.  Being the loving, caring husband/father that I am, I just left them there!  I figured it must have taken a while to get him down, and I didn't want to disturb that!  He mostly sleeps at night with us, but we're working slowly toward longer stays in the co-sleeper.

He is much, much more awake and alert every day.  His eyes are open wider and he's definitely taking more in.  His eye color is still very dark and hasn't really settled on a color yet, although Michelle and I tend to think they're looking a bit blue.  His hair is also coming in more, and much to Michelle's dismay, it isn't blond!

Day 8 - December 21 - Dad

Wow, what a week it has been!  We spent two nights in the hospital at Cedars (standard practice) and couldn't wait to get out.  By the end, it was feeling a bit like a prison!  The nurses, although helpful when asked, didn't really offer a whole lot of assistance.  Doctors and nurses alike would come into the room at any time of day or night to poke, prod, examine or question Michelle or Tyler.  Sleep during the first two nights at the hospital was very hard to come by!

When Sunday afternoon rolled around, we were ready to go.  However, by the time Sunday night arrived, we wondered why we'd ever left the safe, secure confines of the hospital!  Poor Ty was crying his little lungs out for the first couple of nights at home.  Both mom and dad experienced the psychologically debilitating effects of sleep deprivation.  No hallucinations or voices for us, but I think we were close!

Overall, we had a good week with Tyler.  We did have him into the pediatrician a little earlier than expected.  A mild case of jaundice set in and we needed a couple of appointments for blood tests.  The prescription was feed, feed, feed... poop, poop, poop!  (Ty, not us!) :-)  The more "movements" he has, the better he processes the biliruben in his blood.  A nice side effect to supplementing his meals with formula was that the little guy is finally starting to sleep at night.

On a proud father's note... I couldn't be more happy and overjoyed with little Ty.  He is the perfect little person with limitless potential ahead of him.  He is already holding his head up when he is burped and has a tendency to head butt the burpee.  We expect that he'll be walking by 6 months and talking by 12!  :-)  Michelle and I can't decide if he'll be an NBA, NFL or tennis superstar.

Day 3 - December 16 – Mom

I can’t believe that the thing I was carrying around for the last 38 weeks is now at home with us. It is an amazing and very overwhelming thing but we are so happy (and sleep deprived).

So, here is the rundown. On Friday, December 13, I woke up at 2:15 a.m. with severe back pain. Since I knew the baby was looking forward instead of backward, back labor was something that could be in store for me. So, I woke Steve up and told him of my pain. We started timing when the pain would come and they were coming every two and a half minutes. Since it was in my back and not my belly, we were not sure if they were true contractions or just pain. We decided to go to the hospital and get checked figuring worst-case scenario, they would send us home.

We got to the hospital about 3 a.m. to find that I was 4 centimeters dilated and having contractions. They checked us in and by 5 a.m. we were in a Labor and Delivery room. Cedars is a fantastic hospital but we learned that they pretty much work at their own pace.

I got an epidural at about 5:30 and they started to give me pitocin at around 6:30 to make my contractions a little harder and more regular.  My OB came in and broke my water at 7 a.m., told me I was still about 4 centimeters dilated and we could expect a baby by lunchtime.  He also commented that he laughed when he heard we were in labor on Friday the 13^th!  So, I am feeling little pain thanks to the epidural but feeling some weird tremors.

Because the baby was backwards, they couldn’t really get good measurements on his heart rate and my contractions. So, at 9 a.m., the OB came in to discuss using internal monitors so they could get better readings.  We walked over to check me and says, “Holy S**t, the head is there, you better start pushing!” Needless to say, I kind of freaked out. I was prepared for a baby around noon!  The doctor was as equally surprised to see me go from 4 centimeters to 10+ in 2 hours.

So, the pushing begins. The OB is pushing and cheering me on, Steve is at one side, a nurse is on the other and after pushing for about an hour, a suction is used to help the baby come out since it was facing the wrong way and was not coming out on it’s own.

Out comes the baby and the OB says, “It’s a boy.” And Steve looks at me with tears in his eyes and says, “We have a boy.” And then the baby is placed on me for a few seconds and then he is off to be checked out and cleaned while the same is happening to me.  It was a blur. It was fast. I was lucky.

  Tyler William D. was born on Friday December 13, 2002 at 10:08 a.m. He weighed in at 7 pounds, 7 ounces and measured 20 ¼ inches.

He is absolutely adorable and is doing great. He is breastfeeding like a sumo wrestler and sleeping like true champ. We are home and getting settled.

Steve and I appreciate everything my family did for us during the last two days.  Special thanks for my sister Karen who came in from Palm Desert and took over and basically did everything for little Tyler except breastfeed him.

Most importantly, thank you to all our family and friends who have given us so much love and support over the last 10 months. Tyler William is so incredibly lucky to have so many special people in his life.

Dad - Week 37 - December 10, 2002

Well, all is quiet!  We had a regular doctor's appointment today and he was able to definitively tell us, without a doubt, no questions asked, that the baby is still in there. :-) Other than that, he really didn't have a whole lot of news for us.  Michelle is still 2 1/2 to 3 cm dilated and 90% effaced.  They did an ultrasound to get a better idea of the baby's weight and our little one is tipping the scales at 7 to 71/2 pounds.  Baby's heartrate was in the 135 range.

We're scheduled for another appointment next Tuesday, but the doctor really believes he'll see us in a labor and delivery room before then.  So, to summarize:  "Any day now!"  

My office had a great baby shower for us last Friday.  In addition to a co-sleeper, we also got a lot of great toys and necessities.  It was nice for Michelle to be able to meet some of the great people I work with everyday.

On the other coast, Sydney is doing very, very well.  She is eating like a champ (and pooping like one!) and should be released to Scott and Lee sometime this week.  Scott and Lee have been incredible about getting in to see Sydney during meal times and I'm sure they can't wait to have her home.

Dad - Week 37 - December 5
In an effort to explain the finer points of childbirth to a buddy of mine, I came up with this analogy that shouldn't make anybody blush.  Hope you all enjoy!

Santa Claus wants to come down the chimney to deliver Christmas presents, but in order to do so, everything has to be just right!

Most people don't know this, but he spends about 8 ½ months hanging around on your roof. You know, feeding the reindeer and peeking in your neighbors windows.  Then, when December rolls around, he figures he's gotta start planning for the trip down the chimney.  So, the wiggles himself into the top of chimney and starts down it. He must go head down, so he can squirm down the chute, otherwise it wouldn't work well. (Sometimes, if Santa goes down the chimney the wrong way, feet first, the fire department has to rush in to cut a hole in the chimney and yank him out!)

It takes him a little while to get situated in the right position at the top of the chimney, cause the opening is so small. But, once he gets pointed in the right direction, he scoots himself lower into the chimney. 

However, the darn homeowners still have the chimney vent closed, and he can't go down any further. But, being the winter time, the homeowners are cold, and they want to light a fire to warm the house. So, they crack open the chimney vent so that they can light a small fire. (This doesn't bother Santa, cause he wears a breathing regulator and is surrounded by magic water. Bet you didn't know that one, huh?)

But, the homeowners have only cracked the chimney vent a little bit, cause it isn't THAT cold out. So, Santa hangs out in the chimney, head down, breathing through his respirator, surrounded by his magic water, with the vent open a little bit (say, about 2 centimeters).

Santa knows he has to make it down the chimney at some point, so he waits until it gets really cold out and the homeowners have to build a big fire. When it gets cold out, the homeowners pile the logs on the fire and begin to open the chimney vent little by little.  Sometimes, it gets so hot that Santa's magic bag of water breaks!

Finally, when the chimney vent is open all the way, about 10 centimeters, he is ready to come out and leave all his gifts behind. (But, since Santa's stairmaster machine broke last summer, he's gained a little weight, so this is no easy feat!) Finally, after lots of pushing and struggling, Santa finally does make it all the way down the chimney and he brings joy and jubilation to everyone!

And, as I told Tim, our official Niki-sitter, we're not naming the baby Santa!

Dad - Week 36 - December 4
Wow, what a busy week!  First things first - we were blessed with the birth of Scott and Lee's baby girl on Saturday night, November 30th.  A wee bit early, Sydney Grace is doing great, as is mom.  I'm still convinced this was big brother's plan to capture the "First Grandchild" prize!  Or maybe he just really wanted the tax write-off!  All joking aside, we couldn't be happier to have Sydney here.  She certainly won the lottery by getting such a great set of parents.

As for Michelle, well, things are progressing very quickly.  At her weekly appointment on Tuesday, she was 2 1/2 cm dilated and 90% effaced.  The doctor said that the baby is very low and "ready to go".  He warned Michelle not to dally when her water breaks or she gets contractions because he believes the delivery, to Michelle's relief, will be fast.  He said he'd probably see us for next Tuesday's appointment, but didn't think she'd make it to the appointment on the 17th.

Needless to say, between Scott and Lee's surprise delivery and Michelle's doctors appointment, reality has hit hard.  We finally got serious about packing our bags and I'm brushing up on my labor and delivery reading!  Michelle is uncomfortable and feels like she is busting at the seams, but she shouldn't have to wait much longer.  

We enjoyed a nice visit from my parents over Thanksgiving.  Between family gatherings for Thanksgiving and Hanukkah and updates from Scott, it was quite a hectic time.  We also even managed to squeeze in a BIRTHDAY dinner for Dad, who turned 6 something on December 3rd.  J        

Dad - Week 35 - November 26
We had a regular appointment this morning and everything checked out great.  The baby's heartrate jumped around between 140 and 160 and they estimated it's weight at 6 pounds.  Michelle is actually 1 cm dilated and 80% effaced.  (For the guys out there, it just means that her body is getting ready!)  We expressed a little shock at this and asked if that meant the baby would be early.  The doctors, refusing to be pinned down, would only say, "She isn't going to be late!".  As with all women at 36 weeks, Michelle is now scheduled for weekly visits.    

We also had a quick ultrasound just to take a peek and everything looks good inside.  Baby is really low, head down, and still turned the wrong way (front to back, not top to bottom).  Doctors said this is of little concern as the little ones almost always turn themselves when the time comes.  We were able to get a good picture of the bottom of a foot.  (Foot looks like it is ready for a size 12 shoe!)

Speaking of feet, Michelle's swollen feet and carpel tunnel in her wrists are best kept in check by limiting salt in the diet and keeping her extremities elevated.  The Broncos/Chargers game on Sunday is out (sorry Dad!), but other than that, Michelle can lead a normal life!  (Ha!)  

We're excited to have my parents come out for a visit to see us pre-baby.  It should be a great time for everyone!  And so I get this on record...  Mom and Dad, whatever Michelle's parents say I might I have done, I didn't do it!  (Unless they say something nice of course!) 

Mom - Week 35 - November 25
Happy, happy birthday to the soon-to-be-daddy!  It is amazing, the older he gets, the smarter he gets!  (Edited by webmaster. -scd J)

Ok, so it is official. I now have Cankles. No more ankles for me as the swelling has begun. Of course, I cannot complain since most of my friends have had swelling for months now. But it is weird to look at my sausage feet J.

It has been a very busy month. I had two absolutely amazing showers that were filled with so much love and support.  It made me realize how lucky this child inside of me is. At one of my showers, they had everyone decorate a square of a quilt and they will then have it quilted. I can’t wait to see it and also have a memento from the day.

We are attempting to get the nursery in order since we now realize this baby could come in 3 weeks (or 6 weeks). The baby furniture is being delivered on Wednesday (stay tuned for the pictures) and then we can start organizing. However, I am a little stressed out about my ability as a mom. I used the baby’s brand new humidifier and when I went to dump out the water, I dropped it and it broke. If I can’t even handle a humidifier, God help this child J.

Thanksgiving is this week and we have Bill and Barb coming to LA. We are absolutely thrilled to have them come visit. I am fully expecting my mother in law to organize the nursery for me J! Niki is so excited to see them; she has been saving up lots and lots of kisses for her grandpa Bill. My sisters, their families and my cousin Cleo from New York are also coming into town. It is going to be hectic but soo fun. I can’t wait.

We have a doctor’s appt. tomorrow. I will let Steve give you the update on that one. That’s right, I get the fun news and he gets the mandatory updates!

Happy Thanksgiving and here’s to a safe week for everyone!  XOXO

Dad - Week 31 - October 25
Busy week this week.  Today (Friday) was our regular doctor's visit and everything went great.  We don't have such a great ultrasound picture cause the little one was just not cooperating.  The baby was really low and just wouldn't turn around for the camera!  Uncooperative from the start... not a big surprise!  ;-)  They estimated the baby's current weight, at 31 weeks, to be 4 pounds, 2 ounces.  Michelle's iron is still a little low, but no cause for concern. 

Thursday was the expected arrival of my parents from Virginia for a long weekend, but they unfortunately had to cancel due to the concerns over the now-captured sniper.  Dad was needed in his school district to alleviate concerns of parents and be there to communicate with the press.  Hopefully we'll see them before the big day, but if not, they'll definitely be out to see all THREE of us in January or February.

Tuesday was our second childbirth class where we viewed the dreaded "birth videos".  Wow.  I'm gonna have to buy Michelle a BIG present when this is over!

Tuesday was also a follow-up appointment for sister-in-law Lee.  Everything is going great with them and test results for Lee and their little girl are all normal.  

Dad - Week 30 - October 17
We had our first childbirth education class yesterday at Cedars-Sinai.  I just don't get it... our parents didn't have to go to class to learn how to have a baby, why should we?  Aside from an unintentionally humorous relaxation exercise and an overly strict instructor, the class was informative.  Only 4 more to go until we get a certificate which approves us to give birth.  ('Cause we wouldn't have been able to without it!!)

Our baby mural is finished.  It was a two day project and Michelle and I are both really happy with the results.  Now we just need a little one to occupy the room.  

 No health updates as Michelle is doing just great.  She's starting to slow down a bit, which makes me happy.  As our friends Erin and Steve would say, "Only 10 more Saturdays to go!". 

Dad - Week 28 - October 8
Everything has been going so well, we don't even have an update!  Michelle's stomach is getting larger by the day but her energy and spirit are as high as ever.  Sometimes she disappears around the house and it is only after exhaustive search that I find her buried in, around, under and over about 10 pillows on our bed.  Baby continues to be very active and we're now playing "guess the body part" based on the looks of things poking her stomach out.

Today is the first day of painting for the baby's nursery.  I haven't see it yet, but Michelle reports that all is good.  We'll post pictures later.

Also, my Mitsubishi Eclipse had to go back to the dealership (lease return) and I've picked up a new toy!  I know, I know, very Southern California cliché, but what's a guy to do?