There were a lot of changes for Kyler this month, with the biggest being his move from the crib to a "big boy bed" that we all like to call the "cool bed." He has been really liking the space to have so many blankets and other cuddly things to join him when he sleeps. There are times when we watch him in the monitor but cannot find his little body in all the pillows, blankets, animals, and sheets! Kyler also had a really bad fever in the middle of the month that made for days of difficult behavior. He started to scream in the middle of the night and wake up really early as well, which made for a tricky transition with the "cool bed" about a week after he moved into it. Here are a few other things that happened this month:
We went to play with cousins at a green house, where they could play with outdoor toys away from the snow.
He had fun playing with a flashlight in the "big bed" under blankets.
He walked home in the dark after visiting friends and called the stars "moons."
He comes up with really silly names for many of his stuffed animals.
He has started to tell Daddy "go to work" when he does not want to be around him. Poor Daddy...
He loves to match and count things, including all his shoes.
While driving and singing in the car, Kyler said, "No singing, Mommy." I guess I really do sound bad.
When asked who his best friend was, Kyler replied, "Mommy, Daddy, Devin, and Kyler!"
He has unfortunately started pushing a lot and has been in a lot of timeouts because of it.
He loves fish sticks...gross! [Editorial note from Ryan: says Melissa!]
He had a great time teasing his uncle Matt and now seems to call him "Uncle Butt" all the time.
During his fever times, he was shivering in the tub and had a temp of about 102 for a few days.
After eating some "spicy food," he was upset and stuck his tongue out asking Mommy to "kiss it."
While making a sandwich, Ky noticed an elk on the butter container and called it a "peanut butter goat."
We got a large orange ball that Kyler loves to bounce on and do "core exercises."
Kyler made Rice Krispie treats with Mommy, but all he wanted to do was eat marshmallows.
He developed a "secret" handshake with Daddy: fist, explosion, tickle monster!
He has taken pictures off the wall during nap time...an interesting find on the monitor.
This week started out with a lot of brotherly love--well, both of them hanging out in the crib together. I was a little afraid that Kyler would want his bed back, but he said he just wanted to spend time with Devin. They were so cute, but I was not able to get any pictures (I still do not fully trust Kyler alone with Devin in a such small space). Devin continues to teethe and finally had his second bottom tooth come in! I can already see that that top gum line is really inflamed, so those will not be far behind. My boys just seem to teethe from four months until they have all of their teeth in. One of my favorite highlights from this week would have to be when I walked into the room and said "Hi!" to Devin, he turned to me and smiled. He really must like me as his Mommy!
We continue to take Devin into church with us since it is still cold season and he has not yet had all his shots. This past Sunday he took a nap on my chest, which is one of the most peaceful ways to listen to a sermon, but maybe not the best for retention. Later on in the week, Devin felt pretty warm and started to get a slight temperature with it topping out at 102.2, leading to some medication and lots of snuggling with Mommy. I hate to see him sick (or any kid for that matter), but it is so hard to be everything to both a sick little one and a 2-year-old. I loved the cuddles, but not the jealous behavior that came from the other child. Thankfully, Daddy tried to make up for it when he got home from work.
This has been a very exciting week for the whole family. We officially moved Devin into the crib and Kyler into his "big boy bed." It was a transition that I think we as parents were more anxious about than the kids. Kyler has really only had one nap time that did not go perfectly, and Devin has loved his new bed. I am sure that the crib is a lot more comfortable than the pack and play--naps in the first couple of days have been averaging two hours! Not only have sleeping arrangements changed, but now our little boy has one tooth completely through on the bottom and a second one ready to come through. It is so strange to see a toothy grin when he smiles at us. He continues to love grabbing things and has become very good at passing objects between his hands. His newest trick seems to be sticking out his tongue, which he seems to do pretty much all the time. He is just growing up so fast!
Ryan had spring break for part of this week, so we took full advantage of going to the see the butterflies at Meijer Gardens again as a family. Devin has really started to look around and enjoy them in the wrap, often moving around more than Mommy would allow without my hands steadying him. With all these new things, one thing we are very thankful for is that his blocked tear duct has really started to clear up and will hopefully not require surgery. Doctors have told us that they usually clear up by nine months, but with the past couple weeks of colds, it has looked really bad. Now my boy wakes up with eyes that can easily open and no crusty lashes. [Editorial note from Ryan: the clogged tear duct came back with a vengeance and eventually did require surgery.]
Those teeth just keep on coming...
...so Devin tries to make his own chew toys
A trip with the boys -- Devin looking pretty large for the wrap
We turned him around in the wrap to look at all the fun
Both boys started to come down with colds this week, so most of my week was spent cuddling or snuggling during nap times. Devin still seems to hate taking naps for me, but he will snooze for hours on me rather than in the crib. I am starting to worry that we are developing bad habits, but it's so nice to snuggle with my little boy and then have him be happy for the evening because he slept. Regardless, when he has a cold is really not the time to try pushing him to sleep on his own for nap time (or maybe Mommy is just delaying it). Devin has also been a bit stubborn about rolling over. He loves to roll onto his side for playing and sleeping, but he continues to resist going the full 180. With his cold, he has loved to be held upright, which means I have to use the wrap more often than I normally would to have my arms free for any period of time. Kyler, however, seems to love it when Devin is all snuggled into the wrap because that means that Mommy has hands free to play with him.
Devin has also made a few fun discoveries this week. He has started to reach out to touch the dog and gets a really big smile on his face when his hands get licked. While in the tub, he has started to push off the bottom of the tub, moving himself backward and giving us a surprised and excited look. He loves the shark puppet, and it was fun to see two toothy grins while they were playing together. We have also had our fair share of blow-outs and spit-ups this week (possibly cold induced) for which Daddy was the accidental target. By the end of the week, Devin was feeling better and even enjoying a little time in the swing.
