Monday, August 30, 2010

Generations

After battling illness and poor health for a number of years, my Grandmother is now at peace. She passed away a couple of weeks ago, leaving quite a legacy behind...5 children, 15 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren. We had the great fortune of getting everyone together for an impromptu family reunion at my mom's house. What a wonderful celebration - it was beautiful to see and be a part of the family my Grandmother began so many years ago. And now as a mother myself, it was fun to see Tyler with all of this cousins (the great grandchildren).

Monday, August 16, 2010

"The lip"

Minutes after being born, Tyler poked out his bottom lip and made the face that I knew would forever melt my heart. He finds a way to work this into his daily routine, and it gets me every time! Yes, you heard me. I'm a total sucker.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Tyler's First MLB Game

It was going to happen sooner or later, so why not the day before Tyler's 1 month birthday...

Before Beck spent summers coaching for the Cape Cod Baseball League, he spent one summer with the Great Lakes League coaching the Stark County Terriers. One of his pitchers, Burke Badenhop, now plays for the Florida Marlins and was in San Diego this past weekend. So, we headed down to Petco Park for Tyler's first baseball game.

What a great day! Tyler slept through the entire game - with a feeding break during the 7th and 8th innings. Of course Burke pitched during those 2 innings, but fortunately Beck was able to see him and we visited for a few minutes after the game.

The hospitality at Petco Park was top notch. Members of the staff were drawn to the tiny baby in Beck's arms and showered him with a San Diego Padres hat, "my first visit to Petco Park" button, temporary tattoos and a back-office where I was able to feed Tyler in peace. They didn't even mind that we were there to see a Marlins player.



Concert in the Park

I realize that getting out of the house with a baby will require quite a bit of practice. I also know that socializing with the rest of the world is good for my sanity. So, we packed a picnic dinner (confession: we picked up sandwiches from Subway), and headed to Summer Concerts in the Park. We made it out of the house nearly on time, complete with Tyler filling his diaper as we backed out of the garage. Fortunately, the new car has plenty of room for impromptu diaper changes.

The little guy slept through the Beatles cover band while we enjoyed a couple hours of fresh air, family and friends. A special thanks to Traci for the great idea!

Saturday, July 24, 2010

First doctor visit

Tyler had his 2-week pediatrician appointment on July 19. I was especially eager to reach this milestone to ensure he was gaining the appropriate amount of weight, and to ensure we were still on a healthy track since leaving the hospital. I'm the mother so I get to brag - he was an angel! He did not make a single squeek during the entire visit, making it quite easy for the nurse and doctor to go through their checklists.

Stats (doctor said to take these with a grain of salt at only 2 weeks old)
- Weight 8 lbs 10 oz (slightly below average, to be expected because he's exclusively breastfed)
- Length 21 1/4 inches (slightly above average at about 60th percentile)
- Head size slightly below average

A quick note about his weight. At delivery, Tyler weighed 7 lbs. 0 ounces. That night in the nursery, they documented his weight at 7 lbs. 5.5 ounces. Of course, babies do not gain weight in the hospital. It seems as though the scale in the delivery room was not properly calibrated and he was probably closer to 7 lbs. 6 ounces at birth. He left the hospital at 7 lbs. 1 ounce, so the good news is that he has gained 1 lb. 5 ounces in his first 2 weeks. Good eater!

Weighing in


Measuring up (Will he be tall like Daddy?)



How's my heart, doctor?

Strike a pose

As first-time parents, we often find ourselves saying "Oh, look how cute! Tyler is (insert anything here)." And of course, we digitally capture many of these moments. I assume we will eventually cut back on the number of pictures we take of Tyler hanging out at the house. Until then, we'll continue to snap away and share them with our friends!

Westside!


Long day...


It's tough being a baby


The thinker


Chillaxin'


Enough with the paparazzi, already!

Friday, July 23, 2010

Bath time

I am happy to report that Tyler loves his baths. He's now graduated from sponge baths to regular baths and he enjoys both. Yesterday, he actually fell asleep during his hair wash! As I try to catch up on blogging, here are a few pictures from his baths over the last 3 weeks.

First bath at home

Gammie gives Tyler a bath

First bath in the baby tub