Visiting baby Jac (and Sophia)!

My brother and sister-in-law had their second child, Jason Allen Coward, Jr (aka Jac) on 10/19/11.  We finally got to go see him on Sunday!  He's so adorable and I don't remember Dylan being that tiny!!  Makes me want to have another one :)  Dylan did amazing in the 3 1/2 hour car ride there and back.  He got a little fussy once each way but nothing a toy or paci couldn't fix!

We dressed Sophia and Dylan in their Halloween costumes too!  Strawberry Shortcake and a dinosaur :)

Wordless Wednesday

Okay, this was actually from last Tuesday (10.25.11) but I had to share!  Dylan loves bathtime!

6 months old...that's half a year!!

I know I say this every time a month goes by but...seriously?  He's 6 months old now?  It is amazing how fast time can fly when you have a baby!  It really does feel like yesterday that we were just finding out we were pregnant, just hearing his heartbeat for the first time, just finding out he was a boy...ugh!

Sunday was spent outside for most of the day.  It was absolutely gorgeous out so we took advantage of it and went to Hammel Woods which is about 20 minutes from our house.  Any time Parker gets to come with us is a time where we really get to enjoy being a family :)  This picture was taken basically at the end of our 3 1/2 hour walk...let's just say he was a very happy, tired lab!!  BTW...I bought a new carrier (Babyhawk Mei Tai) and I am regretting not buying it sooner.  It is amazing and Dylan loves it!  He's quiet and content being close to his momma!

Okay...so for a couple stats and an update on the little man :)

Thursday, October 20th we had his 6 month well check.  Doctor said he is doing great!  He weighed in at 17lbs 1.2ounces and was 27 1/4 inches long!  Doctor also told us that we should start solids because I'm not going to be able to keep up with him...I think he's full of crap because if Dylan wasn't getting enough from my BM then he'd be waking up in the middle of the night to eat.  Dylan is still STTN so I am not too worried.  We are slowly starting to give him solids though and by slowly starting I mean he's only had sweet potatoes twice.  We just started on Sunday :)  I'll post a video of him eating them later!  I think he might like them.  We didn't start him on rice cereal or any of that so I think he's just trying to get used to eating from a spoon!

Age: 6 months 1 day old (October 25, 2011)
Size (clothes, diapers, etc):  Nothing has really changed in this department except we're going from size 3 swaddlers to size 3 cruisers!  yes, we are anticipating Dylan to start crawling in the coming weeks! I'll post more on this later on in this blog!  He's in 6-12 month clothing.  The shirts are still a little long in the sleeves but we just roll them.  He's starting to fit into the jeans but, again, we're still rolling them :)  
Sleeping:  Still STTN.  Goes to bed between 7:30-8pm and wakes up between 6:15-7am.  He has started to sleep on his stomach.  The first couple of nights I didn't get much sleep because I would either run back in there and flip him or just stare at his chest on the monitor.  Now I know he's okay so he stays on his stomach the entire night.
Eating: Still getting BM like always but Sunday we started introducing solids.  He had his first bite of sweet potatoes.  He really didn't know what to think!  He kind of gagged when he got a big piece in his mouth but for the most part I call it a success since he hasn't been on rice cereal or any other kind of solid starter.  I'm contemplating making my own baby food.  I did for the sweet potatoes.  It was pretty easy, but it's time consuming.  I think once I start my new job (a whole other post in itself) I will have more time to dedicate to making his food.  We'll see what happens :)
Milestones:  He's a champ at rolling.  The second he's on his back, he flips.  He also can manuvour in a circle.  He is soooo close to crawling!  He gets up on all fours (and sometimes his hands and toes) and just rocks back and forth.  It's sooo cute!  I think he knows how to move his legs but it's those darn hands that he just can't figure out how to move at the same time!  Last night J and I were just sitting around and he just started babbling!  He started saying "babababa" so it's just a matter of time before we hear "dadadada and mamama"...yes, I know he doesn't know what these mean yet, but it's still so precious to hear his little voice!
New Adventures: Nothing really new.  Dylan loves to be worn and I love wearing him!  Sometimes I wear him on my back so I can get some chores done around the house and he just hangs out perfectly content! 
Favorite Toys and Activities: I caved and bought Sophie the giraffe that was $17!  J asked why I spent so much money on a dog toy (no, it's not really a dog toy but it's rubbery and squeaks just like one though).  I don't know what the deal is about this toy but it's like crack for kids.  He LOVES her!  I think it's her long thin legs that he's able to easily chew on and the fact that he can barely touch her and she squeaks!  All I know is is that I am happy I bought it!!
Funny Happenings:  He's doing this screatch thing where he tries to scream at the top of his lungs but nothing really comes out.  I'm so afraid he's going to grow up with a raspy voice! ha!
What I'm looking forward to: The holidays!  I can't wait to experience all the 1st holidays as a family and take lots and lots of pictures!!!

Dylan's just chatting with his brother, Parker :)  Man, I love these guys!

5 months (another one :) )

So I totally forgot that I wanted to do these stats each month so I am posting another 5 month blog :)
Age: 5 months 4 days old (September 28, 2011)
Size (clothes, diapers, etc):  He's still in size 3 diapers.  He'll probably be in this size for quite a while since they are for up to 28 pounds!  He's fitting snuggly into 6-9 month clothes.  The 6-12 month clothes are a little loose on him but they still fit.  I didn't want to really buy any 6-9 month winter stuff because I thought it was a waste of money since he'd only be in them for about a month...this way, he can wear the 6-12 month stuff all winter long :)  I'm sure I'll still buy him more clothes because I'm crazy like that, but for the most part, I've already bought the bulk of his wardrobe for the winter.  I just need to find a fall jacket. 
Sleeping:  He has always been an amazing sleeper and he still is.  He goes to bed around 8-8:30pm and doesn't wake up until 6:30-7am every day. (Definitely gets his sleeping habits from his father!!) ...This still has not changed.
Eating: Still just getting the boob.  One more month before we'll start solids!  I'll continue to BF him in addition to the solids though.
Milestones:  I noticed for his 4 month stats that he wasn't rolling back to front yet but I can now say that he has mastered this!  He'll be on his back for literally 2 seconds and he's already flipping himself onto his stomach.  He's so cute :)  He LOVES his toes.  I'm finding it harder to change his diaper because he just wants to eat his toes all the time!
New Adventures: We had our first "overnight without Dylan" a week ago. He stayed with my parents Thursday morning through Sunday evening while we went to Vegas for Andrea and Freddie's wedding.  We had a blast, Dylan had a blast but I definitely missed my little guy while we were away!! 
Favorite Toys and Activities: He loves his jumparoo (baby einstein thing).
Funny Happenings:  Nothing really.  He just puts smiles on our faces 24/7...it's pretty awesome!!
What I'm looking forward to: We are getting family pictures done on October 15th and also getting some of Dylan since he'll be 6 months. So excited!!!!

5 months (and a couple days)

It's really hard to try and find time to write a blog. I wish I had more time to update on a weekly basis, but that's just not gonna happen, so monthly it will be for a while.

Dylan is growing like crazy.  I don't have exact stats because he doesn't have a well check until he's 6 months old.  I weighed him on our scale at home the other night and he's up to 16 pounds :)

Dylan went to his first Thresherman's Parade in Pontiac over Labor Day weekend.  He loved it (and so did Parker).

We spent the day out at Grandma and Grandpa Rambo's house.  It was a nice and relaxing Sunday!  So glad that Parker got to make the trip with us!

Sunday, September 11th we all went to Bussey Woods in Schaumburg.  We hung out and walked around until I had my softball games that night.  Parker went nuts because of all the new smells!  He loved it!! Dylan loved hanging out in his stroller and just looked around the whole time! 

Love this kid to pieces!!!

It was a nice day to be outside and I am so thankful to have some amazing men in my life to share it with!

Jason and I went to Vegas Sept 15 -18...I'll put that in a whole other post since this one is about Dylan!  I will say that those were the hardest days because we left him with my parents!

Dylan is changing every single day.  His little personality is so awesome.  He's so laid back all the time but the second he's hungry, he's like, I need food NOW!!!  He loves his baby einstein bouncy chair now that his feet can touch the ground.  It's so funny to watch him bounce up and down in it!  He loves twirling himself around to all the different play areas on it.  He's rolling front to back and back to front with ease now.  If he's on his back, within seconds he flips himself over to his belly and looks up at you with the biggest "look what I just did" smile on his face!  So precious

We've been battling a cough for almost 2 weeks now.  I finally took him to the pedi yesterday and they told me that coughs could linger up to 3 weeks so we shouldn't be worried.  Just wanted to make sure it wasn't anything worse...which it wasn't!

I have to admit, I am a milk machine and proud of it!  I haven't had any issues with my supply and I am so thankful that I have been able to continue to nurse him and pump during work to provide him with what he needs!  We still haven't started him on solids yet, so he's still strictly on breastmilk.  We'll start solids at 6 months so be prepared for a food update for his 6 month blog! 

It's so awesome to watch him interact with Parker. he's really reaching for him now when he goes to give him a big slobbery kiss on the face.  He reaches his arms out and basically hugs his face.  Those two are going to get into some major trouble when they're older...I just know it!

Anywho...I know I'm just starting to ramble now :)  I really hope that Dylan one day is able to look back on these blogs and understand just how much his parents love him.  It's such an incredible feeling to have inside, knowing we are the ones creating/molding this little guy into the person that he'll one day become.  I hope all of his wishes and dreams come true and that he never gives up hope.  We will support him in whatever he wants to do and become because he is our son and our love is unconditional.  We love you, Dylan!!!

Ugh...such a little man!!!

Finally some pictures

So this past weekend we went downtown.  We loaded up Dylan and Parker and went to Lincoln Park Zoo (okay, we walked on the outside bc Parker wasn't allowed in).  We met up with one of Jason's co-workers so our dogs could meet, but they couldn't play bc her dog had pink eye :(

They both did an amazing job and were big troopers!

Dylan really has a very laid back personality and he pretty much just goes with the flow.

Dylan and Parker got to hang out with the cows.  Parker didn't know what to think of them...we scurried right along before we caused a stampede!

I really can't believe Dylan is already 4 months old!  Time sure is flying and we are enjoying every waking minute we have with him!

4 months

Can you believe it?  Little man is 4 months old already!  Time is seriously flying by and before we know it, he'll be one! When they say to cherish every single minute when they're this tiny, they're not kidding because it will be over in a blink of an eye.  I've been meaning to write this post for a week now but just haven't found the time (wonder why).  Dylan had his 4 month well check on August 18th.  Here are his stats:
WeightBirth: 7 pounds 10 ounces
2 weeks: 9 pounds 6.5 ounces
2 months: 12 pounds 3.1 ounces (73%)
4 months: 13 pounds 3.3 ounces (63%)

Height
Birth: 20.5 inches
2 weeks: 22 1/4 inches
2 months: 24 inches (91%)
4 months: 26 inches (88%)

The pedi is very happy with Dylan's progress and said that we have an amazing baby (yeah, doc, I know).  He also had his next set of shots and he took them like a champ.  He downed the liquid (only spit out a little) and then cried after the second shot for a total of maybe 30 seconds.  I grabbed him the second she was done and was able to soothe him pretty fast.  I didn't even need to nurse him because he calmed down right away.  This was an interesting appointment because I did it alone.  Jason and I went to Red Robin the night before for dinner and we somehow got food poisoning.  He was up alllll night, every hour, on the hour.  I thought I was in the clear but around the time I took Dylan to the pedi, i started to feel like crap.  Needless to say, all three of us slept the day away on Saturday.

I saw this on someone else's blog and thought it was the coolest idea (here are some stats):
Age: 4 months 5 days old (August 30, 2011)
Size (clothes, diapers, etc):  He's in size 3 diapers now.  I was trying to keep him in 2's as long as possible but with a blowout basically every time he was in his carseat, it was time to move up.  He's in 3-6 month clothing but they're starting to get a little snug on him.  I put him in a 6-12 month outfit yesterday and it fit him perfectly.  Can't believe all the little outfits I bought him are starting to not fit.  I had a bit of a sad moment yesterday because once he grows out of them, he'll never, ever, wear them again :(  For us, if we don't wear something it's because we no longer like that article of clothing.  To think he'll never wear those outfits again made me a little teary eyed.  Ugh...here I go again.
Sleeping:  He has always been an amazing sleeper and he still is.  He goes to bed around 8-8:30pm and doesn't wake up until 6:30-7am every day. (Definitely gets his sleeping habits from his father!!)
Eating: He is still BF.  He only gets bottles of BM when he is at daycare.  Other than that, he's still getting it straight from the tap :)  The pedi gave us the okay to start solids but he is perfectly fine with our decision to not start him until he's 6 months old.  Also, I've made the decision that he won't be getting rice cereal (there's no nutritional value whatsoever in that stuff).  We'll jump right into avacado, sweet potatoes, squash, etc.  I'm super excited for him to start eating solids but I'm in no rush for him to grow up!  I did try and feed him BM from a spoon this past weekend and I don't think he actually drank any of it that went into his mouth...definitely too soon to start solids :)
Milestones:  He has found his feet and it's only a matter of days until he may realize he can stick them in his mouth. He has mastered rolling from belly to back and can roll to his side but he still hasn't rolled from back to belly.  I feel it coming any day now :)  He is grabbing everything and putting it directly into his mouth.  It's so cute to watch him grab a toy from my hand!  I love putting my face really close to his because he reaches out his hands and puts them on my cheeks, like he's going to give me a big smooch!  He's so alert all the time and loves watching Parker play with his toys.
New Adventures: We went downtown Chicago this past weekend with Parker and Dylan and just hung out in the city.  Dylan (and Parker) loved it! 
Favorite Toys and Activities: His favorite toy (in my opinion) is a little brightstart bumblebee looking thing.  The wings click when turned, the handle is rubbery so he loves to chew on it.  He loves his tummy time play mat too.  When he does tummy time he just looks around and tries to watch everything that's going on.
Funny Happenings:  He is a giggling machine now.  I make farting noises in the crease of his neck and he giggles like crazy. It's so awesome to hear him laugh!
What I'm looking forward to: Halloween!  I can't wait to dress him in a costume!!  And of course to watch his personality become even more amazing.  He's already laid back and I'm wondering if that will continue as he gets older or if he'll be a little firecracker!! :)

I will have to post pictures later...stay tuned!!