Kyler -- Week 22 (4/14/12-4/20/12)

So now that Kyler is going to be 5 months old, we decided to try and add rice cereal to his diet. He was pretty excited about it and had lots of fun getting fairly messy. We tried cereal for four days in a row, but noticed that Kyler was starting to get crankier than usual and just refusing to nap--which made the crankiness increase even more! He seemed to be having a bit more gas, so we thought maybe we would stop the cereal for a while, and our happy boy returned to us--naps and all! I think that we are going to wait at least another month and then maybe try another cereal type or just try out some veggies.

We also traveled to Joliet and visited Great Grandpa Tony and Great Grandma Linda. He had so much fun seeing them and meeting their dog Duke. He is one loved little boy and enjoyed going out to lunch at Merichka's, even if it will be a few years before he try a poor boy and twice-baked potato. Later in the week, Kyler discovered two new things: blowing raspberries and sticking out his tongue. It has been a lot of fun watching him discover things he can do and trying to get him to do them for camera.

Sitting patiently while we get the food ready

First attempt at rice cereal...yes, some actually made it into his mouth

Home after a visit in Joliet

More food pictures...more in the mouth this time!

Well, maybe more on the bib...

"I have two teeth, Mommy!"

Lazy afternoon in the recliner with no pants...what a little man!

Doing yoga posses for Mommy

Kyler -- Week 21 (4/7/12-4/13/12)

Happy Easter, everyone! We seem to be having new things happen to us a lot lately. While traveling to Princeton for Easter, Kyler was getting extra "drooly" and crabby. I tried so many different toys and things for him to chew on, but my finger is still his favorite. :) While being chomped on, I discovered something...two teeth! Our little man has two bottom teeth sticking out of his gums! No wonder he was fussy. Kyler did well at Grammy and Papa's house, even sleeping through the night in the pack 'n' play. We went to church as a family, but Kyler had the hiccups so badly that I took him to the lobby and watched the service from there. Right when Kyler lost his hiccups, he started to jabber a ton, so we stayed out of the sanctuary, but still got to hear the message.

After arriving back in Bourbonnais, Kyler decided it was time to roll over from his back to his front for the first time. We think that he used the rings on his jungle gym to help pull him over, but it was still pretty exciting--and it has not happened since. Ryan had Monday off for Easter break so we had a great walk and some family time. Kyler continues to get better and better at tummy time, has discovered he loves to dance with Mommy, and thinks his stuffed turtle is the bomb!

Duncan is distracting Kyler from Easter pictures--they just love each other too much!

"Aw, Mommy, I just want to go play with my doggy!"

Notice all the drool! 

"Hello, everyone--aren't I cute?"

Hanging out with Mommy and my toys

Chillin' in the Bumbo seat for a photo shoot

Kyler -- Week 20 (3/31/12-4/6/12)

So our little guy is now in 9-month clothes, which meant a little shopping for a few more sleepers. While shopping, we picked up a few Dr. Seuss books since Kyler has been loving story time so much that we needed to add to our collection. Kyler has even started to reach out for the pages and will try to turn them or put them in his mouth every chance that he gets. His teething has been bothering him a little more this week and has caused some early mornings for us. I tried to snuggle in bed with him one morning after a 6am wake up, but all Kyler wanted to do was squeal and start the day. We really do not have a lot to complain about since he has been sleeping through the night since January.

We also added to our fun during the day by bringing out the exersaucer/jumper gym, which we have started to call the jumperoo. Kyler was not sure what to think about it at first, but now he bounces and turns in the toy with ease! We have to put a pillow under his feet because he is still just a little too short to reach the ground, but that does not seem to stop him! Kyler has also been trying to put everything--and I do mean EVERYTHING--into his mouth. He even pulled on his sleeper to suck on that while he was in his swing. On Friday, Ryan had the day off for Good Friday, which enabled us to take a family walk and have lunch. Kyler has been getting really good at holding onto his own bottle, which makes feeding time a little more adventurous.

Trying to fit the whole rattle into his mouth

Hanging out in the new toy--not sure what to think of it at first

Sitting up with his many giraffes

Tuckered out from gym time

Watching baseball with Daddy and Duncan, but it looks like daddy is taking a nap...

Yep, Daddy is sleeping and Kyler is watching the game

Kyler -- Week 19 (3/24/12-3/30/12)

Kyler had fun playing with different people this week. Aunt Dawn came over to play with Kyler while Ryan and I went out for a date. We went out to lunch at Ruby Tuesday and then got to see The Hunger Games together while Aunt Dawn and Kyler had fun playing and watching the Cubs game. Daddy was not too upset about it, and Kyler had a lot of fun! Later that week, we took a quick trip out to west Michigan so that Ryan could finalize his appointment in the biology department at Calvin with some quick meetings. While he was gone, Kyler and I stayed at Grandpa and Grandma's.

KayLynn came over Thursday morning to play, as well as Aunt Sharon and cousin Sarah. It was great to see so many family members. KayLynn just loves Kyler and wants to hug him every time she is close enough. Kyler loves to watch KayLynn and smiles when she does hug him. It is going to be so fun to see them play when they are a little older!

We ended this week with Kyler's 4-month appointment at the pediatrician. Kyler weighed 18 lbs 13 oz and was 27 inches long! He was talking and squealing for Dr. Oo, and the doctor just smiled while he examined Kyler, telling us that he is very strong. When Ryan asked if Kyler was doing well, he smiled and said, "Do you really need to ask?" It looks like our little man is growing big and strong! The dreaded shots were much better this time around, and there were only the typical screams right after they were administered. We did lots of snuggling and kept the medications coming, and he did great.

Working on our tummy time...and checking out the camera!

We are still loving bath time...

...and the cup we use!

I love my bath time!

Snuggling in the bath towel afterwards

Yummy....towel!

Kyler -- Week 18 (3/17/12-3/23/12)

Kyler is now 4 months old! We took lots of trips this weekend with Kyler. Ryan went to the post office with him and saw another faculty member from ONU there. We took many walks in the park and even went out to get fro-yo with Dale and Emily. Church is always fun/nerve racking because we do not know what Kyler will do. This weekend he liked to talk during the sermon and flirt with any of the girls sitting around us. Adult fingers seem to be a great chew toy and decrease chatter when needed, but drool dripping down your arm is a side effect.

Kyler got to play in his Bumbo seat more this week, and he is slowly learning to grab toys while sitting in it. At first, he just wanted to keep his hands on the blue chair, but he is becoming more adventurous as time passes. Tummy time has also gotten better by leaps and bounds! He is actually happy to do it and smiles or talks to you while you try to keep him happy with toys or books.

We had a lot of fun visiting people this week too. Aunt Nicole came on Wednesday and had fun seeing how big Kyler had gotten. We also enjoyed a walk in the warmer weather near our house where pheasants seem to just fly out of no where. I was totally freaked out and startled at one when it flew out of the brush right next to me. Thursday we went over to enjoy Banana Pancake Night with some ONU students. Kyler loved to see all the students, and we enjoyed the wonderful food. It was an honor to be the first faculty and baby invited to this event. Later that night, Ryan stayed home with Kyler while I went to a midnight showing of The Hunger Games with Emily. Kyler did not sleep in for me the next morning, but we survived the day on little sleep

Enjoying Banana Pancake Night!

Getting ready for a walk in the park with Emily and Lillie. Thank you Kyle, Abbie, and Vada for the cool onesie!

Using the Bumbo, but it is a pretty tight fit!

Kyler loves his puppy...

And Duncan seems to love his boy!

Getting better at tummy time!

Such cute pictures...and the drool!

Already wanting to change the channel!

Our happy little guy!

Kyler -- Week 17 (3/10/12-3/16/12)

It was another busy week for Kyler and our family, which all started off with Lynsey and Darrel's wedding. Kyler was able to spend time with Grammy and Papa during the morning, and the after pictures, he got to spend the afternoon and evening with his cousin KayLynn--and Lori's siblings too! Kyler made a special friend with Lori's brother Danny and had a great time snuggling with Lori's sister Jaci. When we arrived to pick him up after the wedding, he had just fallen asleep (a little later than usual) and then had no problem falling asleep as soon as he was put him in the car.

We had a very warm week in Bourbonnais when we got home and soon discovered that our son is not a fan of the heat. Even though it was great weather for walks in the park, our house warmed up quickly and required the AC to be turned on. We let Kyler pretty much live in just a onesie for the rest of the week, and he seemed to have fun working on finding his toes. Kyler even started rolling over onto his sides, which means much closer observations when being put down.

Thursday I was able to volunteer as a patient for the ONU nursing program, so Ryan and Kyler got to have a little male bonding time, catching up on ESPN or whatever guys do together. Friday we got groceries together, and Kyler loved to look at everything! He normally sleeps during outings, but now there are just too many things for him to see. We picked up a treat and visited Ryan at work for the afternoon, stopping in to see so many friends there.

The gorgeous newlyweds with Kyler and KayLynn

Wonderful Grandparents with their grandkids

"Look Mom! I can suck my thumb through the rings!"

The EXCESSIVE drool has required us to use a new arsenal of tools....bibs.

Sitting up in the recliner like a big boy

Such cute little feet!

Kyler -- Week 16 (3/3/12-3/9/12)

We spent this whole week in Michigan getting ready for Lynsey's wedding, which meant that lots of people came to visit Kyler. On Saturday, the bachelor and bachelorette parties took place, so Kyler got to spend the night hanging out with Grandpa and Grandma Wiersum, as well as with his cousin KayLynn. I think that KayLynn and Kyler are going to be great friends when they grow up. KayLynn loved to come and give him kisses, which always seemed to make Ky smile. When KayLynn started to cry, it really upset our little guy because I am not sure he had ever heard another baby crying. The next day at family dinner, he again could not keep his eyes off his little cousin. Aunt Lori had fun holding him too, and KayLynn didn't even seem to mind him being with her mommy.

Monday was a busy day with Ryan grading midterm exams and everyone helping out with wedding programs. Ryan had a great time getting Kyler to laugh. He would laugh, and Kyler would laugh back at him, so on. It was so cute, but by the time we got the video camera out (see below), it was almost over. As the night went on, Kyler started to get cranky with his teeth, but somehow Uncle Darrel got him to smile huge when he saw him! Tuesday we had a great time going for a walk in the park as a family. It was so nice to have a little family time during Ryan's spring break. Wednesday was another night of working on the wedding, and Kyler had fun hanging out with Aunt Nancee and watching all the fun colors of the candy.

Thursday brought a day with Ryan doing research at the museum in Ann Arbor and many things to be worked on for the wedding. That evening, Grandma Wiersum watched Kyler while all the bridesmaids went to get their nails done. When we got back, Kyler was flirting with all the girls, and Duncan was keeping an eye on them at his side. We have a pretty protective puppy when it comes to people he doesn't know around his brother. Friday brought a lot of prep work and the rehearsal dinner. Aunt Diane came over to watch Kyler, and they had fun playing and giggling. What a fun busy week with so many wonderful people to see!

Nap time with my boys

My bright blue-eyed boy

Pull my finger!

Maniacal laughter

 

Sacked out with my buddies

Kyler -- Week 15 (2/25/12-3/2/12)

So there have been a lot of changes, namely that my sweet little guy has become a cranky, drooling teether. At first, I think that I was in denial. I mean, the kid is barely 3 months old--this shouldn't be happening so quickly, right? After struggling to calm a screaming boy and having some interrupted bedtimes, we finally gave in and gave him some Tylenol. Later in the week, I noticed that his poor little knuckles on his fists were chapped from sucking on them so much. I could not think about what would be safe, until a Google search suggested Lanolin. Yep, if he can ingest it while eating, why not to cover up the knuckles?

We also had a few visitors this week. Uncle Dave, Aunt Kami, Kathryn, and Ethan stopped by to visit and hold our little one on Sunday. Aunt Britani stopped by on her way to Chicago for the weekend and had fun hanging with our cute boy. She is quite the pro and even changed a diaper for me while I was packing up the car for our road trip. We headed to Jenison late on Friday for the week before Aunt Lynsey and Uncle Darrel's wedding.

A few other milestones included much stronger tummy time, learning to suck his thumb professionally, and starting to move in his crib so that when morning comes, he is perpendicular to where he was at the beginning of the night. We also took a rough weight and found that he was almost 17.5 lbs! We have a great growing boy!

We love reading time before bed

He can still fit into his bouncy seat, but his feet hang off the end

Sacked out... I guess Mommy's cooking lesson was not very entertaining. 

Tummy time with Salvador

Yeah, I know I rock at this!

Watching TV, but not sure what he thinks of it

Okay, now I am better. Plus I have my dino-lovey with passiraffe!