first mother's day

What an absolutely beautiful day Sunday was. Chilly, but beautiful. My mother and brother joined us at Eggspectations, our favorite brunch spot. It was a popular day to be out and about so there was a wait for seating. While waiting, the manager walked by and saw Tyler bundled up in his carseat. She commented on how cute he was. Then while passing by again later once I had taken Tyler out and was holding him in my arms she said to him, "You are so cute, you should be in pictures!"

Tyler and Alex got me the most gorgeous necklace in honor of my first mother's day. It has two organic pieces (one silver and a slightly smaller gold one) that nest together and symbolize the bond between mother and child. I love it!

phamie and jill

Jamie and Phil (aka Phamie and Jill) joined us for dinner this past Saturday night. We pretended that they were there for the good conversation with us, but we know the truth. Tyler, who popped into this world one week after attending Phil and Jamie's wedding in utero, had a great time hopping between their laps.

6 months

Happy Half Birthday Tyler! A package arrived today with a onsie inside that says "probably the best baby in the world." And we certainly think so!

weighing in

Time for Tyler's 6-month checkup. He weighed in at 17 pounds, 11 ounces and measured 26 1/2 inches in length. He's in the 50th percentile for weight and a little under the 50th percentile for height. So once again our boy is average in size, but never average in personality. All of the nurses commented on how happy Tyler was during the entire visit. The receptionist is sure that his sunny disposition is a result of how much I enjoyed my pregnancy. Whatever the reason, we certainly are enjoying everything about Tyler.

bath time

It seems like Tyler may need daily baths now that he's eating rice cereal. I hope he gets more inside his mouth than the large amount that ends up on his face, hands, feet, stomach, arms, hair, up his nose and on his Bumbo chair.

He loves his bathtub. Especially chewing on the fish-shaped cups that came along with it. He's already outgrowing the infant sling in the tub, so he'll be sitting up in there in no time. Bring on the splashes.

...louder, rougher...

Tyler is quickly approaching 6 months old! He's taller, bigger, stronger, louder, rougher, smarter, funnier and happier. When we started him in his exersaucer his feet barely grazed the bottom. Now he puts his feet squarely on the base and has room to spare. He pounds on the buttons, yanks on the dragon and nearly bends the plastic vertical caterpillar on its side so he can munch on it. And in just the past few days he has really started to talk, gargle, and sing so loudly. And best of all, his giggles are loud dolphin-like squeaks that are contagiously joyful.

gulp

Tyler tried his first bites of solid food today! He's been interested in what mommy and daddy have been eating and drinking for quite some time now. He especially loves my water bottles and tried a couple gulps from the water bottle last week.

As for the rice cereal, he took to it right away and ate about 10 bites before he was finished. But in typical Tyler fashion, he wanted to try feeding himself and tried to grab the spoon and dish several times. He's been used to holding his own bottles, but he's not ready for the spoon yet no matter how much he thinks he is!

big buddy

This weekend Tyler had another pint-sized visitor. Hunter, the son of our friends Katie and Eric who now live in SC, came along with his parents to hang out with us on Saturday night. Tyler loves to watch other kids but was startled when Hunter, 18 months, who was excited to see Daisy, belted out a loud noise. Poor Tyler still doesn't like really loud noises and starts to cry. But not for long; he went right back to smiles and curious looks in no time.

first cold

Tyler started coughing last night. Just a little bit, but it continued today. It's the first time he's even remotely seemed ill. Awwww. But it hasn't slowed him down all that much. Ironic thing is that Alex brought the cold home and spread it to Tyler, not the other way around! Tyler was able to avoid the doozy of all illnesses earlier this year when Alex brought a bad one home and ended up missing a lot of work. Then spread it to me after a week of me avoiding it. Maybe we should send Alex to daycare since it seems safer than JHU.

ham

Is it his nature? Is it because he spends time with other kids at daycare? Is it because his parents are that way? Not sure, but Tyler loves to meet new people. He is giggly, flirtatious and an all around ham! This past week he was able to meet his relatives, Gerry and Sharon, who travelled from Illinois to see his Grammy and to meet him. We went to Ram's Head in Annapolis for a celebratory dinner. His Uncle Dylan also happens to work there. So after Tyler finished going from Sharon's lap to Gerry's lap to Grammy's lap and flirting with a nearby waitress, Uncle Dylan took Tyler back to the kitchen to meet the other staff members. And Tyler didn't disappoint. Ladies love cool T.

monkey got your foot

Yesterday Tyler started to grab his feet each time we change his clothes. He looks like a little playful monkey. In the past he would typically concentrate on jamming his bib in his mouth or roll on his side so that he can see the paintings next to his changing pad. But now it's all about the feet. He's even managed to get his toes in his mouth. Maybe he's just combining old and new habits.

thumbs up

Who needs pacifiers? Not Tyler. He's never shown much interest in them other than turning them around and chomping on them. Well now that he's starting to teethe, he's found a way to soothe himself -- his thumb. And he's an equal opportunity thumb sucker; he uses both his left- and right-hand thumb.

roller-sitter

Tyler has been toying with the idea of rolling over for quite some time now. For weeks he has come so close but not shown a great interest in pursuing it. He'd even get his head and shoulders around but not quite get that last leg around. But I've not been rushing him since I like the idea of him staying put for a little while! :) On the other hand, he's been wanting to sit up on his own since month one! He's always had really good neck and head control and loves to be up where he can see what is going on.

On Friday, just minutes after getting the bad news that our beloved friend Sean had passed away, Tyler sat up on his own for the first time. It was like Sean gave him little angel wings to hold him up.

Today Alex, Tyler and I walked Daisy after work and when we returned to the house Tyler had some tummy time. Our neighbor stopped by to chat with us and while he was in the house, Tyler rolled over completely for the first time! It won't be long now until this kid is MOBILE!

new favs

Tyler loves: water bottles, his yellow giraffes, his gator toy flying a plane that makes spaceship noises, BIBS (no matter who is wearing them), giggles, laughter, Daisy, TV, my fish screensaver, his left hand (sometimes he looks at it like it is the first time he's ever seen it), playing peekaboo (he'll pull his bib, bundle me or burp cloth over his head to play on his own), B sounds, pulling faces toward him with both hands, putting his hands in our mouths, his exersaucer, flying like superman, and the song You Can't Hurry Love (he's gotten over Kool & The Gang's Celebration).

5 months old

Has it really been five months already? Wow. It is amazing to me how much he has developed and grown. He's so strong and curious. He swivels his head around to catch more and more of his environment. As we walk the dog and he is tucked into his Baby Bjorn strapped to me, he looks up in wonderment at the trees overhead. His eyes are filled with a cross between inquiry and awe. It's amazing!

happy easter

We had a really blessed holiday. My mother was feeling well despite her ninth chemo treatment and second blood transfusion days earlier. So my brother, Dylan, brought her over to our house for brunch and an afternoon of fun with Tyler.

And boy did Tyler have fun! He hadn't seen Uncle Dylan in several months and he loved showing off how much progress he has made in that time. And better yet, Tyler loved digging into his Easter basket full of toys and candy (mom and dad will help him with the latter)!

belly laughs

Tyler is a big giggler these days. Well, I guess he has always been a happy giggly baby. But new things have started to trigger his laughter and many of his laughs have become bigger and louder or "belly laughs." Things Tyler finds funny: goofy faces, zerberts, superman flying (and then dropping), when we stick our tongues out and makes noises, some things on the television, all-over-face kisses and mom's silly dances.

back dive

Tyler has learned how to use his stomach, back and leg muscles to thrust himself as if doing a back dive into a pool. Only trouble is that he hasn't learned to warn us. But so far he has no fear - he happily wiggles in our arms, lunges backwards and loves to be lifted up and down quickly. Is he ready for rollercoasters yet?

dream

I dreamt last night that I was sitting at a table surrounded by family and friends. And sitting to my left was Tyler. It was his first birthday. We sang and he tried to blow out the candle. We were so happy. Funny how a snippet of a moment from your unconscious mind can feel so real and so good.

bib eater

ok, think of the Hall & Oates song "Maneater." But trade a few words and it's all about Tyler.

(Oh-oh, here he comes) Watch out bib he'll chew you up
(Oh-oh, here he comes) He's a bib eater

I don't know what it is with this kid, but he LOVES bibs. He likes to chew on them, play with them and pull them over his face. And if another baby is wearing the bib at the time it just doesn't seem to bother him. Simon and Audrey can attest to this phenomenon. Maybe he's reacting to the sadness of growing out of a few of his favorites.

checkup

Tyler had his 4-month checkup today. He is 25.5 inches long and weighs 15 lbs. 14 oz. This puts him between the 50th and 75th percentile for both height and weight. He's "very proportional" according to Dr. Gutierrez as well as healthy and happy. Good combination.

4 months

Tyler's growing so quickly! Not just physically but also his personality. I've yet to really capture his spunkiness with still photos, but everyone around him notices. Miss Debbie asked me where I mail-ordered such a perfect baby. What can I say, it's in his genes. HA!

The pictures below show him two days before, and on his 4-month birthday respectively. Has it really been that long already? This precious time in his life seems to be flying by and I'm trying to soak it up and enjoy every minute of it!

gerber baby

When I picked Tyler from daycare today, Miss Debbie told me that another parent saw Tyler and said he looked like the Gerber baby. Awww! Aunt Joy thinks it is because of his huge blue eyes and long eyelashes. He sure puts them to good use. While Joy and I went out to dinner tonight, Tyler checked out everything and everyone! His head moves to follow all the passersby and then he charms them with his personality. He put on one of his typical Tyler shows where he squeals with delight to make sure that everyone within earshot knows he's there and happy. The woman seated in the booth next to us said he was "precious!"

baby steps

Tyler is still not interested in rolling over or crawling. But he is all about sitting up and walking with assistance. This boy is all legs and loves to show off his strength. He's been flexing his muscles for quite some time but in the past fews days he's taken the standing to a new level. Now he wants to stand with me supporting him under his arms and then take steps! Left foot, right foot, left foot... Maybe he'll be one of those kids that just skips crawling altogether.

name recognition

Tonight Tyler seemed to understand and respond to his name being called. Could it be that he knows his name already?

glamour shot

Last weekend we headed to the mall to get some professional shots taken of Tyler. What we were not expecting was a snowstorm, but it worked out to our benefit because Picture People had some cancellations. We were able to pop in without an appointment and get nearly immediate service. And thankfully Tyler was up for it. The shoot went so well we couldn't escape without over a dozen photos, but these are a few of my favorites.

family faces

Tyler loves faces and on Feb. 18 he saw some new family faces. Aunt Deb and cousins Perrin and Andrew drove down from Massachusetts especially to meet the little guy. Andrew has let us know that he thinks he and Tyler are going to be best friends! Tyler was also very cozy in his Grampy's arms.

look what I found

Tyler's newest toys? ... His feet! He just found them yesterday when he noticed the funny-looking objects moving all by themselves.

who's this furry person

Tyler is really taking notice of Daisy lately. Yesterday while Grammy Jo was babysitting, she put Tyler in the Bumbo on the floor. All of a sudden he was on Daisy's level and they were really checking each other out! And then this morning I put Tyler down on the bed next to Daddy and Daisy. Tyler began to reach out to hold Daisy's paw. And in turn Daisy sniffed his forehead. So cute!

all smiles

Tyler has been nothing but nonstop smiles. (ok, so maybe he cries ever so slightly but even those are so calm) When he is really excited he giggles, squeezes his shoulders up to his ears, raises his fists in the air and lets out a SQUEAL! We have yet to catch most of them on film (memory card?) because he stops as soon as he sees the flash. Hence the 19 shots in a row of him just sitting in a carseat.


He loves to sit up so he can see all of the action and has now learned to kick his legs out and throw his head back so he can see behind him. He still gets very bored with tummy time but has learned to push up with his arms and pull his legs up under himself. Though he gets frustrated quickly when his view is limited to the floor and begs to be moved to his back or to a seated position. We've put him in the bumbo and he seems to like the independence of his own seat but has such strong stomach muscles that he can arch his back to nearly get out. He'll be on the move sooner than we can imagine. Ah!

our valentine

This has been a big week for the Campbell family. Tyler started daycare (he'll be going 3 days a week) and I returned to work from maternity leave. And of course most of us on the East coast have been buried in ice, which caused many closings. So Tyler's first day at Miss Debbie's house was shortened abruptly when my work closed. Tyler was still able to meet the other kids at daycare and show off his Valentine outfit! (What a heart breaker?!) He was a big hit with the other kids. They LOVE Tyler because he always giggles and smiles at them. TYLER the SMILER!

3 months

Yesterday Tyler turned three months old! I can hardly believe it. He's changed, learned and developed so rapidly that I can't imagine the little person he will be in another three months.

As I write now Tyler is sleeping peacefully curled against my chest with his head tucked below my chin. This is pure heaven.

Tomorrow I will return to the office after a long and wonderful maternity leave. I have mixed emotions. A small part of me is excited to return to my work designing and a normal routine. But a much larger part of me will miss my son every minute that I'm away. We have a bond that is so magical. When he cries or calls out from his crib in the morning because he is ready to start the day (and be fed!) he stops as soon as he sees me. His face immediately turns to the biggest smile and he raises his arms above his head and squirms in delight. Magical.

I know that he'll have no problems going to daycare three days a week (I will work from home on Mondays and Alex will on Wednesdays). In fact we found a child care provider, named Debbie, who works from her home in Columbia and she is fantastic. Tyler will really enjoy himself so it's me that I'm most worried about. But I've decided to look at it as though Tyler gets to go on a field trip three times a week which will be great for his development and socialization. And hopefully returning to work will do the same for me. Wish us luck in our next big transition.

Enjoy these photos of Tyler from his 3-month birthday!

reaching

Two days ago Tyler reached for his first toy! He gladly holds onto fingers and toys when put near his own hand. But while playing on Simon's activity mat he ventured for the red cardinal. May be genetic; Alex reaches for Red Robin as often as possible.

in da crib

So like Tyler's pacifier, his crib seemed to be a passing fancy. But since Tyler has been sleeping so well (through the night since a week before he turned 2 months -- 7-10 hours a night) we decided to try moving him back to his own room (again)! He had been sleeping in the gently rocking swing. Then we let him sleep in the swing but without it rocking. And now he's spent each night of the last five days sleeping in his crib with no troubles. So it's been a smooth transition and we're all very happy!

kickin' the kid

Tyler is usually a social butterfly when we take him to parties and gatherings. But he had a little bit of trouble at the SuperBowl party at our friends', Jamie and Phil, house. Our little guy didn't quite get that the yelling and bass from the TV were good things. But he did manage to take some naps in the laundry room off of the basement party area where it was a little quieter and only those getting drinks were passing by his carseat. When Jamie's brother came out of the laundry area announcing that the kid had been kicked, Alex panicked rushing to Tyler's side. Soon Alex realized what his daddy ears heard as the "kid has been kicked" was actually the "KEG has been kicked." This is how we know we're getting old!