Working on a Dream...

After this...

2010-09-28T14:52:00.000-04:00

...there is a new blog. =)

Visit me and my family here:

http://launihermens.wordpress.com/

2010-09-21T21:58:00.000-04:00

I have a huge number of photos from the last two weeks or so, ready to share on here.
I logged on tonight and discovered that I have maxed out my storage space here on blogspot. Photobucket won't work- No matter what size I make the photo on Photobucket, it shows up so big here on the blog that at least half the photo is cut off.

So until I figure this out, the blog is on hold. :/

Lia's 6 week check up at 7 weeks

2010-09-09T14:50:00.000-04:00

We sure had a hard time scheduling an appointment for the little girl! I mentioned our first attempt in a previous blog post. After that, we rescheduled the appt twice before finally finding a time that worked for us and the office. Ugh!

So by the time we made it in, it was her 7 week birthday!! That's right folks, my little princess is 7 weeks (and one day) old! Time flies...

She weighs 11.2lbs (80th percentile)

She is 22.75 in long {tall?} (85th percentile)

And her noggin is Xin around {I don't remember, and I don't really care too much. lol} (80th percentile)

So she's no longer in the 98th percentile for height like last time, but I still think she's gonna be a tall girl. ;)

She got 3 vaccines yesterday- two shots and one oral. She guzzled the oral one down and wanted more. lol

She was not so much a fan of the shots. She flipped out of course, and it actually took me a few minutes to calm her down once I could hold her again. (As opposed to Tyler, who stopped crying the second I picked him after his baby shots.)

All in all she's a big healthy lil' girl. ;) And beautiful.

{No, the doctor didn't say that, but I know she was thinking it...}

Tyler enjoyed this trip to the dr's office... he got himself TWO lollipops!

{He's decided he likes the doctor after all}

A few photos of my 7 week old (and her big brother) ♥

Ty was telling her about blowing bubbles. {Really}

Precious kisses

Showing Lia how the bubble gun works

Love this! :)

Things I don't want to forget

2010-09-07T21:16:00.001-04:00

I found Tyler using his toy hammer and screwdriver on his leg. When I asked what he was doing, he said "Leg hurts. Fixin' it."

When I put Ty to bed, I always say "Goodnight Sugar Pie." If I start to walk out before saying it, he reminds me by saying "Sugar Pie!", except when he says it, it sounds like "Sugey Pie." ♥

When I ask Tyler how to spell his name, he says "T! Y!" lol

When asked how old he is, he says "miiig boy!" (Big boy, of course.)

Ty came running into the room with a pair of toy pliers saying "Ty cut Mama's hair now."

He picks out his clothes every day. His #1 outfit choice? Bright orange Toy Story t-shirt, Toy Story swimsuit, two different Toy Story socks, and Toy Story light-up cowboy boots (or sometimes Toy Story light-up tennis shoes). No wonder Tory called Tyler a "walking poster for Toy Story"!

When Ty is standing up at the toilet but nothing is happening, he looks down and tells himself to "GO!"

When he's feeling goofy while eating, he says "deeeee-licious" after every single bite.

He counts to 11, except he says "1, 2, 11" (He does know all the numbers to 11, but he usually gets lazy...)

He spreads a burp cloth or a baby blanket on his lap before he holds Lia.

Once he was bouncing on the bed saying "bounce bounce bounce". I told him he needed to stop bouncing. He stopped, thought for a second, and continued bouncing. This time saying "jump jump jump."

When he farted, I asked what he's supposed to say. He said "thank you". lol

He hopped onto his motorcycle and headed out the room saying "See you soon. Going Kohl's."

Translations from "Tyler" to English:

miiiiig = big

grink = drink

eebo = Nemo

Asses = Atlas (Mee's dog)

Sleeping Babies

2010-09-06T22:55:00.000-04:00

Is there anything sweeter?!

Definitely not.

My boy baby, just snoozin' away.

{2yrs 3mo}

And my girl baby, looking not so comfy, but totally out.

{7weeks}

The Water Fountain (Sept5)

2010-09-06T22:26:00.003-04:00

A continuation of the previous D.C. post.
Because Tory takes too many photos of one thing, but they're all so great that I had to share.;)

Does every kid love water this much??

He ran from fountain to fountain.
Laughing,

Sitting,

Playing,

and having an all around great time.

More sitting

Trying to walk on water??

More playing!

Ah to be a two year old...

Because only a two year old can run and play shirtless in fountains in the nation's capital. :)

He and Nick splashed each other a whole bunch

Sitting down one more time before it was time to go. :)

Obviously his clothes were not wearable any longer, so we put him in Tory's undershirt.

{I've always made fun of him for wearing two shirts, but today I was grateful for it! :)}

Yep, Tyler had a grand time in D.C. today. :)

Washington D.C. (Sept5)

2010-09-06T22:11:00.000-04:00

I got a phone call this morning from Kels, asking if we wanted to meet them in D.C.

We did.

Tor, the kids, and I met up with Kels, Mike, Ab, Nick, and Chelsea for a few hours.

Kels pushed Ty down the stairs at the Museum of Natural History. (Our meeting point)

He thought that was hysterical.

The stroller didn't last long. He preferred to chase Nick

And play with Ab

Gotta have the family pic with the Washington Monument!

And the couples

Kels and Mike

The newly engaged couple, Nick and Chelsea!

Tyler ran right up to it (Washington Monument) and gave it a hug. Not sure where that came from.

"Whoa dude!"

Ty decided it was Nick's turn in the stroller

Lia was a happy camper the whole time!

We went to check out Mr. Einstein.

Kels, Ty, Ab

My handsome lil' boy. ♥

On our way to the car we found a water fountain, where we let Tyler play for a while.

{See next post for way too many photos of that experience!}

I'm glad we braved the Labor Day crowds to hang out with my siblings and company for the day. It was worth dealing with the traffic. ;)

"Miiiig Creek!" (Sept4)

2010-09-06T21:45:00.001-04:00

We had a tough time deciding what to do today. We decided to go to the Maryland Renaissance Festival.

Then we changed our minds and decided to go to Dinosaur Land.
(We'll do the Festival another time)

Then we changed our minds again and decided on a walk to the river at Horsepen Run.
(We'll do Dino Land another time too)

How do you describe the Potomac River to a two year old? It's a "big creek", of course! Or in Tyler's words, "miiiig creek!". ♥

He was pretty thrilled with the idea

About 3 minutes into our 2 mile (round trip)walk, Lia decided she needed to eat.

And Ty was collecting rocks the whole time to throw into the "miiig creek."

Tyler preferred to ride on Mama's back most of the time

Which gave Tor a turn with Lia

Still walking. Still carrying the kiddo.

I didn't mind all the carrying.

We made it to the "miiig creek"!

The boys did lots of rock throwing. And some log throwing. ;)

And then we headed back... this time Tyler decided it'd be fun to hitch a ride on Tory's shoulders.

He would only walk if we let him hold Dex's leash. ♥

And then he held my hand for the last few minutes.

We got back home, where Tyler took a looong nap. So did I, actually. :)

Socks Galore!!

2010-09-06T10:33:00.000-04:00

Gram found something wonderful on ebay!

Toy Story SOCKS!!! (To go with his two pairs of shoes, his shirt, his swimsuit... lol)

When he first got them, Tyler put on every sock- multiple socks on hands and feet.

Needless to say, Tyler loves them. There are 5 pairs, 6 including his old pair.

He picks two different socks to wear each day. Today is Buzz and Woody. Yesterday was Rex and an alien. lol

Gram also found something pretty special at the store. She put it on his bed while we gone for him to find when we got home.

A new WOODY doll!!

(Look closely, his face is so excited. ♥)

Getting to know his new friend...

...who got the special place right next to Ty while he slept last night. ♥

Thank you Gram, for making the kiddo so happy!

Fun with Kels (Sept3)

2010-09-06T10:22:00.001-04:00

Today the kids and I took Kels to Ikea. She found her dresser, and I bought dishes (the first of many things I need to buy for when we move to MN!).

After shopping- during which the kiddos were extremely well behaved- Kels took us to OTB. (On the Border, of course!)

They shot straw wrappers at each other

They made tortilla masks

And they (we) ate tons of food- including a free cup of queso and a free ice cream sundae, since they messed up our original order and we had to wait a while. We didn't mind. ;)

Tyler adores his aunt Kels. ♥

Lia will too, one day. ;)

2010-09-02T14:11:00.002-04:00

I feel like complaining today.

About my almost-broken sewing machine... which I need working NOW so I can finish close to a dozen quilts by Sept 25.

About my ridiculous body which is stuck between pregnant and not. And how I have no clothes that fit comfortably and look even halfway decent.

And a thousand other things that nobody but me cares about so I won't bother to write them down.

Instead I'll just say that I'm thankful for the good things in my life.

I do love them tons. ♥

Things I've Learned Today

2010-09-02T12:08:00.002-04:00

1) If the kids are stressing me out at home, do not leave the house. They will be no less stressful in public. ;)

2) Do not get the two year old excited to go to the mall play place unless I am 100% certain it is not closed for repairs.

3) Don't skip the stroller at the fabric store because I'm "just running in for one thing". Carrying an infant car seat and holding a toddler's hand while getting a few yards of fabric cut is not a fun (or easy) thing to do.

4) Lia prefers Enya over Beethoven.

{Score one for Mama! Love me some Enya. Beethoven, not so much}

5) When a toddler won't eat his chicken, PEZ works to bribe him.

"Tyler, if you eat a bite of chicken I'll give you a PEZ."

(Say it a dozen times and he's eaten his whole lunch! And a whole pack of PEZ, but who cares? Lunch and dessert all at once! lol)

And it's only noon. I wonder what other lessons are in store for me today...

Lia's 6 week check up

2010-09-01T16:03:00.003-04:00

Lia had an appointment with the pediatrician today. I did not have a babysitter. So this morning I told Tyler that he had to be a big boy and help Mama with Lia at the doctor's. He was thrilled.

I got them changed, fed, and in the car early. (A small miracle)

We got to the office and the receptionist told me that our insurance says Lia has not been added to our policy yet, so we have to pay out of pocket.

A) Yes she has been added. 3 weeks ago.

B) Um no. I'm not paying.

So I called Tory who called the insurance company who said they would have her on the policy within 24 hours.
(I'm not sure I believe them. They also said it was done 3 weeks ago.)

I relayed that to the receptionist who said "Ok, come back Friday."

Are you kidding me? I just got my two year old and my six week old here early and you're telling me it was for nothing??

Yep. They wouldn't take us today unless I payed $150 plus vaccines.

We're going back on Friday. All three of us. :P

{No worries, I was nice about it. Even though she could have called me before I got my kids up to come to this stinkin' office! ;)}

Lia's 6 week photo. LOL

Hanging out with Cup and Gram

2010-08-30T09:35:00.000-04:00

Tyler adores his grandparents. They seem to like him too. ;)

{As you'll see in the following pictures...}

I think Tyler's "guys" were driving to Texas... the kid has got SUCH a great imagination!

{And Cup goes to Texas for work sometimes, so Tyler likes to "visit" him. ;)}

Cup and Ty playing with Thomas

We do not know where the name "Cup" came from. Cup was away on a trip once and Tyler kept pointing upstairs (where Cup's office is, and where Ty loves to go) and repeating "cup" over and over again. Gram and I were totally lost. A little later I showed Tyler a photo album and he was telling me who everybody was. We got to "grandpa", and Ty exclaimed "CUP!". Sooo Cup he is. :)

They are two peas in a pod.

Tyler likes to help Gram with her flowers.

Usually he prefers watering them (as I'm sure you've seen in dozens of previous posts! lol) but today he was just as happy to help plant. ♥

More fun at the playground (Aug29)

2010-08-30T09:24:00.004-04:00

Somehow we end up at the park almost every time we're looking for something to do. I wonder why that is...

He spotted the park!

Lia slept

While we played :)

Tyler drove

Lia kept sleeping

The boys had some swingin' fun

Tyler played some more

Lia finally woke up!

And had her first sliding experience!

She pondered that for a while

Then she allowed her brother to help hold her

And then Ty discovered the creek...

He had Tory collect a bunch of sticks to hand to him so he could throw them in

And finally he decided it'd be more fun to throw rocks in from the bridge...

...handfuls at a time make for bigger splashes! :)

Tory's "office" and a trip to the playground (Aug27)

2010-08-30T09:07:00.001-04:00

We met Tory at Chick-fil-a for lunch the other day. Tyler thinks that is Tory's office. I guess it makes sense, since I tell him Tory is at work and then we see him at the restaurant. lol

He really doesn't care where his daddy's office is, as long as he gets some sweet tea.

I think Lia was hoping for some tea too. I'll share some in a few weeks. ;)

After lunch I drove by Tory's real office, so Tyler would no longer be confused. I think he was more impressed when he thought Daddy worked at Chick-fil-a...

Then we headed off to the playground!

Tyler rode the horse

And slid down some very hot slides.

Lia just slept

And finally, here's why Tory called Tyler "A walking poster for Toy Story".

{T-shirt, swimsuit, socks, tennis shoes... ALL Toy Story!}

[Actually, he was wearing his Toy Story cowboy boots when Tor said that. He looked much more stylish, but they were just not practical for the playground. ;)]

{He dressed himself. I am nowhere near as... creative... as my son is when it comes to clothing}

Never say never

2010-08-26T12:52:00.000-04:00

I am fairly certain that God has spent the last decade laughing at me.

About ten years ago is when I started to hate snow. And winter. And cold.

I can't count how many times I have said I will never move up north.

And specifically I have said I will never live somewhere like Minnesota.

{Yes, I've said never Minnesota a few times. }

And now we're moving to Minnesota. Minneapolis to be exact.

The way I understand it is this: Tory's company got a giant contract recently which Tory is going to be in charge of. The other company is based in Minneapolis, which means Tory's gotta go there.

We'll be moving (all five of us! Tory, me, a then-2.5 year old, a then-6 month old, and a great dane. YIKES!) in late January/early February 2011.

We'll have all the details in the next few weeks.

For now... I'm off to find a place to live in Minnesota!

{And I am never saying never again. ;)}

Ice Cream

2010-08-25T15:10:00.002-04:00

How a two year old eats ice cream:

Of course, he has to feed himself

Sometimes he takes normal bites

Other times he just shovels it in

He pauses to pose for a picture... and prevent brain freeze!

Brain freeze averted. Safe to start again.

He goofs around a bit (he's good at that)

If he's feeling generous, he may offer to share.
Or maybe he's trying to distract his dad from taking so many pictures!

Back to being a goofball.

Maybe he was showing Tory that his tummy was full?? lol

National Harbor (Aug24)

2010-08-25T14:49:00.002-04:00

A fun place indeed!

Today we (the kids and I) headed out for a day with G (my mom) and Abs (my sis).

Now that I think about it, we didn't really do anything. Except walk. And take pictures. So without further ado...

The pictures:

Getting ready for the day... with my totally sweet new stroller. LOVE it!

Our first stop was lunch... at a place called Ketchup. It sounds cooler (and cheaper! lol) than it is. I have no photos of that, because Lia needed to eat and Tyler wouldn't sit still... 'nough said.

Next we headed down to see this guy buried in the sand. Yes, a guy in the sand.

Poor Ty was a bit scared of him.

With good reason... the guy tried to eat Abby!

Not sure why, but I love this picture!

{Thanks Ab, for making the edges look cool! lol}

I guess the hand wasn't as scary as the head.

He tried to push the boulders in the water

When that didn't work, he threw some teeny rocks in the water.

We posed for another picture

Then we went to Ben and Jerry's

And sat on a cow seat. (I kinda want one...)

Ty was also afraid of the cow. Until he told it to "sit", then he was fine with posing for a pic!

(Seriously!)

We found these neat windows that were TV screens with fish swimming back and forth. (Like the screen saver on a computer, only tons of them)

I love making him laugh. ♥

Lia slept through most of this

That would be G and Abs. My family is awesome! :)

The highlight of Tyler's day...

"WHOA DUDE!"

{Yea, that's what he was saying. For a good 30 min. At least.}

And he kept telling me he got his finger wet. lol

Tyler consumed a disturbing amount of Jelly Beans on the way home... and then crashed the minute I put him in bed for his nap.That was a good day. :)

Snugglin' X2 (Aug22)

2010-08-23T10:09:00.001-04:00

Today was a snuggly day!

I got the big kiddo up from his nap, he climbed into bed with me, and we both went right back to sleep.

{I LOVE when he lets me hold him. ♥}

Then later on at bedtime the poor guy was miserable. (His face was reacting to some bug spray we'd put on him earlier.) He wouldn't settle in his own bed, so I gathered him up and brought him in for some more Mama/Tyler snuggle time. We watched "Hi-key" (Lion King) until he finally calmed down and relaxed enough to fall asleep.

{Look how pitiful he is. :(}

I know it sounds horrible, but I do enjoy when he's not feeling well... it's the only time he lets me hold him like this!
All you other Mamas understand... I hope! ;)

Over the weekend...

2010-08-23T09:57:00.002-04:00

Tyler got to "ride" in a canoe with G

{Happy birthday G!!}

He got to help Nick wash the canoe

All while wearing his cowboy boots, of course

Oaf managed to fall off his bed and couldn't be bothered to get back on

Miss Lia turned one month old!

And she got to spend some time with her aunt Meagan. ♥

And... drum roll please...

Tyler went pee on the potty!!!!!

{He actually did not use that seat, but I thought the picture worked with his big news. ;)}

I had no idea that I'd ever celebrate someone urinating on a toilet... or be so proud of that somebody. lol

And he did it all on his own too! We were lying in bed and he kept messing with his diaper. I asked Tory to grab a new one, and when I took the old one off Ty said he had to pee. I asked if he wanted to go to the potty and he said yes. He stepped up on the stool, did his business, and came back to bed.

What a big boy!

(And a kinda sad Mama. He's growing up too fast!)

A fun day out

2010-08-22T21:18:00.001-04:00

I mentioned that Tory would one day take Tyler to the creek with his rain boots.

This was the day!

{Yea I know, it sure took him long enough! ;)}

Tyler was super stoked- even though he totally did not understand "walking in the water"... til later.

"You mean I can go in??"

It took him a while to realize it was ok, but once he did he sure enjoyed himself!

He liked to throw rocks in, go in after them, carry them back, and do it all again. ♥

After the creek we decided a trip to the mall was in order. Funny how I used to despise the mall. But now it is a place to take an energetic two year old when it's too hot to play outside. ;)

Gettin' ready to go!

Lia is just along for the ride

We played at the play place... and by "we" I really do mean "we".

Tyler loves being chased!

And caught. :)

Almost as much as I love chasing and catching him. ♥

I don't remember what we were talking about here, but it looks like he was fascinated by whatever I was saying.

Lunch was Chick Fil A- one of our favoritest places!

Here Tyler is telling Tory all about the carousel and how they're going to ride it after he eats his chicken and fries.

Of course he doesn't ride the horses... always "spinning". :)

Yea, he likes it that much. ;)

And finally, here's a shot of the kiddos in our awesome new stroller. Tyler can stand up or sit backwards. He thinks it's the coolest thing ever!

So do I actually.

Some of my favorite people (Aug18)

2010-08-22T21:01:00.001-04:00

We got to see Brandi and Carly again!!

They live in San Antonio, so this was very exciting for us!

Brandi is my cousin, who I grew up with. Carly is her daughter, who is 1 year and 1 week older than Tyler is. She is SO sweet! Seeing Carly made me super excited for how Lia will be in a few years. :)

We had planned on visiting at my mom's house for a few hours, but once we all got there Mom insisted on keeping the three kids so Brandi and I could go to lunch!

That was the first time I've ever left Lia. I have to admit, it was incredible! I didn't worry about her at all, and to be honest, I didn't even think about her too much. ;)

We got to catch on the happenings in each other's lives for an hour and a half without kids! And we could have talked for many more hours. I wish they lived nearby- if they did we'd be together ALL the time!

The kiddos apparently had a pretty good time too.

They danced and played and danced and played...

Oh yea, Carly taught Tyler how to scream like a girl. And Tyler taught Carly how to climb on furniture. LOL

(Sorry Bran! But I think you got the easy end of that. Tyler now screams at random times throughout the day! Thanks for that! ;)

Our three babies!
Tyler: 2yrs 2mo. Carly: 3yrs 3mo. Lia: 4weeks

Soon to be FOUR! Brandi is six months pregnant!! I can't wait to meet #2! ♥

And I can't wait to see you guys again. Soon, I hope. :)

My kiddos and their grandparents

2010-08-22T20:50:00.001-04:00

G and Dave are two of Tyler's favorite people ever!

{Yes, my son calls my mom "G"- my sister Abby came up with it. And yes, Tyler calls my dad "Dave"}

New Shoes! (Lots o' pics)

2010-08-12T10:16:00.001-04:00

It's always exciting to get new shoes...

But it's really exciting for a two year old boy to get new rain boots!

I mean really really exciting.

So exciting, that he may have had some serious trouble at the store choosing between the monkey boots and the fireman boots! (The monkeys finally won)

G bought these totally sweet boots for the kiddo yesterday. And he wore them all day long.

He was especially thrilled to wear them when we watered Gram's plants outside.

And he is very anxious to wear them to the creek so he can walk in the water! You can be sure that a blog post is comin' up about that! ;)

This one is just because it's so cute. They were waiting for Tory to get home. ♥

Has it been 3 weeks already??

2010-08-12T10:06:00.003-04:00

Why yes it has!

My little Lia is 3 weeks (and one day) old. And growing growing growing! She went to see the pediatrician yesterday, so here are her stats from that.

August 11, 3 weeks:

9lbs 6oz ~8lbs 2oz at birth~

22.2in {94th percentile!} ~20.5in at birth~

My girl is getting so big! ♥

A few little tidbits about her:

Lia knows her Mama, and so far appears to be a Mama's Girl.

{YES! Finally something loves me most! Tyler and Dex both like Tor best. lol}

She never cries. Ok, almost never. Her fussy time is from 9pm-midnight... yes, the whole time and just about every night! It's frustrating at the time, but when I think about it, I'll take it. Because she doesn't cry at any other time during the day or night!

She's still only on breastmilk, and it's going really well. She eats every 2-3 hours during the day and every *gasp* 3-8 hours at night. That's right. She has slept 8 hours straight... once. Usually it's about 5 hours, which is still incredible. :)

Lia hates- and I mean hates- baths.

She rolled over. Yep, at 3 weeks she rolled from tummy to back. I realize this was a fluke, but it's still pretty amazing. ;)

Her eyes were blue at birth (like every Caucasian baby's are) but they shortly started changing... now they are pure gray. Kinda like steel actually. No blue in there anymore! I think {hope} she'll end up with brown eyes. ♥

Her neck is really strong- she already lays on her tummy and pushes herself up to look around.

Lia is the easiest and most peaceful baby I have ever known or even heard of. ♥

If all babies were like this, I could have a dozen of them! ;)
{Don't tell Tory...}

Scary Frogs

2010-08-04T21:44:00.000-04:00

About 2 minutes after Tory got home from work today, he and Tyler were out the door heading to the creek!

{I love how they miss each other when Tory is gone for 9 hours. ♥}

Tyler was ready to catch some frogs!

...or just pour water back into the creek.

Tory caught a frog for him

He waved hi to it...

And then Tory gave him the frog... and here's where I let the video explain what happened next.

{I laugh every time I even think about it! I'm laughing now as I type. Sorry Tyler!}

Tyler was not permanently traumatized by the experience, and he went on to try to catch more frogs. :)

On the way home he even got to talk to his uncle Zach! That makes him very happy.

Some Pictures of My Loves

2010-08-01T21:29:00.001-04:00

Q: Why would a two year old smile like this?

A: Because he stole his daddy's Starbucks! ;)

I was just as comfy as she was. There's not much that's sweeter than a sleeping baby! :)

Tyler still thinks his "cycle" is pretty awesome!

My babies ♥♥

Visiting with some family

2010-07-29T15:49:00.002-04:00

I hadn't seen my grandma since Tyler was just 3 months old- that's almost two years ago!. They happened to be in Virginia for the last few weeks, and called to see if they could stop by once Lia was born.

Ummm YES!

Bubba (I gave her that name when I was first learning to talk ;)) and Karen (her friend) came by on Tuesday, July 27.

Karen, Lia, Me, Tyler, Bubba

Mom and Abs came over too

Tyler couldn't be left out- he needed to hold Lia too. ;)

We visited for a few hours before they had to head back to my cousin's house, where they're staying while in the state.

(They're on a trip around the country, kinda. Just going wherever they want with their truck and camper, their dog Emma, and Karen's husband Mike. Lucky them!)

Lia and her great-grandma

Lia and Karen

It was SO good to see them again, and I'm very happy they got to re-meet Tyler and meet-for-the-first-time Lia. ♥

Tyler Visits The Water Mine!!

2010-07-29T13:06:00.001-04:00

A few days after we got home, G called to ask if she and Abs could take Ty to the pool for a few hours.

Who am I to say no? ;)

So they picked him up Monday morning and headed out for some fun... only to find that the pool was closed. :P

They made up a Plan B, which turned out to be The Water Mine! Tyler sure wasn't complaining. A water park?? Heck yes!

Apparently he loved loved loved the lazy river. Ok, who doesn't?

He also liked to "jump" into the pool...

...kinda.

He snuggled up with Abs for a while too. ♥

(Is this not the sweetest thing ever??)

He looks rather thrilled with his day, don't ya think?

Drying off for some more fun...

The carousel with G!! We all know how much this guy loves riding carousels!

He sure had a ball that day. And he came home completely and utterly exhausted. They got home around 2:15 and he went straight to sleep and slept til 6pm. Whoa!

(I won't say no if they ever want to do that again... lol)

Thanks G and Abs for giving Tyler such a FUN day!

A few days worth of fun!

2010-07-29T12:55:00.001-04:00

Just because there's a new kiddo in the house does not at all mean that the first kiddo is being neglected! Life goes on as normal as possible for him...

A trip to the creek with Tory?

(Who is never called Dada/Daddy anymore. Strictly Tory. lol)

Yep, he still loves that creek.

Here he is doing a little Boogie-ing. I love this kid. lol

Water Table Time!

Pouring things into other things is a blast for this guy.

He also likes to spray things. And people.

And he enjoys drinking the water too. Blech!

Yea, I'd say he's got a pretty good life...

He seems happy with it anyway. ♥

He doesn't even seem to mind his little sister too much. ;)

Let's Go Home!

2010-07-29T12:36:00.001-04:00

It's about time! This hospital stay seemed much longer than the last one... I'm sure it had a lot to do with the fact that my first baby was at home without me. ;)

I got cleared to go home around 8am on Friday morning (July 23), Lia was cleared to go home just before that.

4 hours later, we actually got to go home. lol

Here's what we did while we were waiting:

Lia's first time in her car seat. She snoozed the whole way home.

Her first few minutes at home were spent chillin' with Mama...

...and her big brother, who was very happy to have us home, I think. ♥

Dex wanted to get in on welcoming Baby home.

Tyler and I chatted a bit about Lia... mostly he was informing me that she has eyes, nose, hands, feet, mouth, hair, etc... ;)

And then he was done and went off to play with his toys. What can I say? He's two! ;)

It is definitely good to be home. :)

Tyler meets his baby sister ♥

2010-07-27T23:15:00.000-04:00

I could not have been happier when my baby boy finally got to come see us! I hadn't seen him in over 24 hours- which was totally not cool!

He came to sit with Mama and Lia.

We chatted about her nose...

And her hair and hat- which Tyler found very amusing. He took off her hat and laughed. ♥

He begged to hold her. ♥

And he gave her some precious kisses.

My family of FOUR!

Pictures of Lia with her (obsessed) Family

2010-07-27T23:05:00.003-04:00

Day One and Day Two

Pictures of Lia with her family... who all love her very very much. ;)

Mama and Lia

Dada and Lia

G and Lia

Gram and Lia

Meagan and Lia Meagan. ♥

Kels and Lia

Abs and Lia

Nick and Lia

Yep, she sure is loved!

The Birth Story

2010-07-27T22:52:00.002-04:00

That's right, Dandelion is here!

(And has been for almost a week... what can I say? I'm recovering!)

Here's how it all went down...

On Wednesday, July 21st, I had an OB appointment.

I got there and Dr. A said that she would check my cervix and either A) I would be dilated 4+ cm and she would send me straight to the hospital OR B) I would still "only" be 3cm and we would have to wait til tomorrow for my scheduled induction.

Tory and I were very very very hopeful that the strong contractions I'd been having since Monday had been doing their job and gotten me one tiny centimeter closer to Dandelion!

Dr. A went on with the exam...

We waited impatiently for what seemed like forever, though I'm sure it was only a few seconds. ;)

And announced that I was, in fact, FIVE CENTIMETERS DILATED!!

Off to the hospital we went.

We were checked in and in a room around 1:00pm. I wasn't technically in labor yet, and Dr. A was going to come in a little later to break my water if we hadn't made any progress.

{Me and my favorite guy... soon to be parents of TWO!}

She showed up at 2:30pm and sure enough, still 5cm. She busted that water and said she'd be back soon to check on me.

(Side note: Having your water broken for you doesn't hurt as bad as I thought it would. Or maybe it helps that I'd been told it was extremely painful, so I was expecting the worst. Anyway, it wasn't bad at all.)

{Me and the sisters.}

{The soon to be big brother hanging out in the waiting room with Dada for a while (And G, Gram, Kels, Abba, Mee, and Jeff!)}

That did the trick. I don't remember when I ended up getting the epidural, but it wasn't much later. Some time around 5pm I was told I'd made it to 7cm and Dr. A was heading home for an hour or so.

{This picture was taken when I was in extreme pain. My mother has no mercy. She told me I'd regret it if I didn't let her take pictures. lol}

I was told at that point to call a nurse if I felt the need to push, and otherwise just try to rest up for the big show.

{I told Tory to take this picture... we have one just like it from when I was in labor with Tyler. The only difference is that I had lime green nails with him. lol}

It was 5:45ish when I felt the "urge". I waited a few contractions to make sure, then called the nurse. She checked me out and... voila! 10cm! We were ready to go!

Now all we needed was a doctor!

The nurse said that as long as Dandelion's heartbeat stayed strong through the contractions we could wait for Dr. A. She stayed strong, and at 6:15 or so Dr. A came in, all set to go.

We called my mom, Tory's mom, and Meagan to come on in for the show.

This baby was a bit happier to come out, and I only had to push through 4 contractions. (About 8-10minutes, rather than the 40-something it took with Tyler) Not too shabby!

I do know that about halfway through the pushing Dr. A said something about the cord being around Baby's neck. Tory later told me that I turned white and he'd never seen me so scared. But it turned out to be "nothing"- yes, the cord was around her neck, but Dr. A was very quick and got it off with no issues, and out she came!

Tory cut the cord, and Dr. A put my baby girl in my arms, and I got to hold her for a good 20 minutes after she was born. ♥

{There is no better feeling than holding your baby for the first time.}

{Getting to know her Dada... who is already smitten. ;)}

Lia Meagan Hermens

July 21, 2010

6:36pm

8lbs 2oz, 20.5in

Lia and her Mama and Dada.

Introducing...

2010-07-27T22:16:00.000-04:00

39 weeks

2010-07-19T14:18:00.004-04:00

And that's as far as this countdown is going!!

I had an appointment with Dr. A this afternoon. My first truly productive appointment.

{Stop reading now if you don't like hearing words like "cervix" "mucous plug" and "ruptured membranes" lol}

The "boring" stuff first:

I am up 30lbs total. I don't remember what I've said in the past, but according to the charts, it's 30lbs exactly.

Dandelion's heart rate is 143. (Good)

Uterus size is perfect.
She is still head down and ready to go!

Dr. A estimates that Dandelion weighs about 8lbs 2oz, maybe 8lbs 3oz.

And for the exciting stuff:

She checked my cervix, which was dilated 2cm. (Insert photo of me jumping for joy here)

Then she said to hold on for a sec, because she's gonna make it 3cm. (More jumping for joy)

Dr. A did the most "vigorous" exam she could do without rupturing my membranes. That was comfortable.

(Sarcasm intended)

Yessiree, I am 3cm dilated and 50% effaced. This is good news.

But it gets better. Rather than being induced on Thursday at 7am, I'm going in on Wednesday (July 21) at noon. That, my friends, is less than 48 hours away.

And I'm not actually being induced- no pitocin if all goes as planned. I'll have my water broken and head straight to the hospital.

And that's assuming I don't go into labor on my own before then... which is quite possible, especially when you factor in these crazy contractions I'm having! She said I'll have the contractions for a while because of the exam, and then they'll either slow down/stop or I'll be in labor.

Now we're just waiting.

No "how I'm feeling" updates now, because all I'm "feeling" is impatience.
No craving updates either, because I'm not craving anything except holding a new baby!
No new picture because Tory is at work... that may come later.

July 17

2010-07-16T18:13:00.000-04:00

{The picture is just because...}

I would like it to be known that quite a few months ago I predicted to Tory that I would have Dandelion on July 17th. That's tomorrow.

I picked Tyler's birthday correctly at least 3 months ahead of time... let's see if I can go 2 for 2. :)

"Consider your kid 'Stitched'"

2010-07-12T21:57:00.001-04:00

Kels bought Tyler a stuffed Stitch when he was born, which Tyler has slept with every single night since. He loves his Stitch, and it's super special since it's from Kels!

So I asked her if she'd get something special for Dandelion.

She responded with "Consider your kid 'Stitch-ed.'"

I should have expected something like this.

{If you know Kels, you understand...}

Here is my daughter's bed:

That's right. Her special stuffed animal from her aunt Kels is a Toy Story alien.

{Not sure what I'm going to call it. I can't see myself saying "C'mon sweetheart, time to go to sleep with the alien!" lol}

Gotta love it! ♥

38 weeks

2010-07-12T21:27:00.016-04:00

Yessiree, I have made it to week number 38. This means, as of today, I have TEN DAYS left til induction! I gotta say, I'm glad Dr. A is taking Dandelion out a tad early. Very glad.

I had an appointment this morning... here are the stats from that.

I am up about 34lbs from pre-pregnancy weight.
(I'm hoping that all goes away as soon as she's born, with no work on my part. lol)

Blood pressure = good

Uterus size = good

Dandelion's heartbeat = good.
Actually, it was 130, which is the lowest I've ever heard, but the doctor said it's all good and Dandelion was just napping. ;)

Dilation = ZERO Centimeters. That's right. Big fat ZERO.

Which I just don't get, because I have contractions all the freakin time.

I am "slightly effaced", but frankly that means nothing to me. Yea it's a start to the whole labor thing, but it's not dilation! :P

No, I'm not nervous about having this baby. To be honest, I am so not stressed about labor/delivery at all. The things I worry about are hilarious, actually. Like I'm afraid of my water breaking at awkward times. Like what if I'm painting my nails? And then it breaks and I don't have time to finish or let them dry. Oh the horrors! lol But hey, I think it's better to stress about something silly like that rather than anything serious going wrong. ;)

I've been asked a dozen times in the last week or so, so here it is again. We are not having a baby shower, but we are registered at Target. The items on the registry are basic things we need, but we are not picky at all.

For example, there are burp cloths on there- I don't give a darn what kind of burp cloths we get so feel free to shop wherever you want. ;) Same with bibs, onesies, etc...

The only things we DON'T need are 0-3month clothes. If you wanna buy outfits for Dandelion, go for colder weather stuff in 6m+. :)

Also, there's a glider on the registry. If you buy it for me, I will feel horrible that you dropped 200 bucks on me, but I will love you forever. lol
(Same with that ridiculously expensive, but totally gorgeous diaper bag!)

There's nothing new to say about how I'm feeling. I'm super tired, super heartburn-y, and super uncomfortable. But let's not complain about that. It'll be over in TEN DAYS.

Cravings: Vanilla yogurt. Don't ask why, I don't know.

Still cookin' my lil' girl!

OH YEA!!! We have a name! Tory and I have agreed on one that we adore and have also agreed not to change it anymore. This does not mean you get to know what it is though. hahaha

Mee's House and Mee's House Two

2010-07-12T21:03:00.001-04:00

There's not much to say that hasn't been said before, but the pictures are all new! (And super precious!!)

We went to dinner with Mee, Jon, and Jeff last night. And after dinner Tory and Tyler went to hang out at their house for a while.

{I know what you're thinking, why don't I ever go to Mee's house? I can only handle a tiny bit of activity at a time, and dinner was about all I could take last night. Give me a couple weeks and I'll be back to my normal self. ;)}

Anywho, off my boys went. And it sure looks like they had a good time!

The pool is at Mee's neighbor's house... which Tyler calls "Mee's house two."

Paying close attention to whatever Mee was talking about. Probably frogs or something. ;)

LOVE this! Look at Ty's little leg sticking all the way up there!

Heading back to "Mee's House."

(Her first house, not "two" lol)

Of course, he's gotta give "Asses" (Atlas) his treat. :)

Just hammin' it up for the camera. ♥♥

And so ends that evening at Mee's... and Tyler is ready to go back! :)

Just a Mani/Pedi

2010-07-06T21:40:00.002-04:00

What can I say? My son loves to watch me paint my nails. And I may occasionally give in when he asks me for some "colors"...

Normally I do blue or green for him, but today he got pink. Just like Mama!

{Sorry Tor!}

That's his tattoo on his leg. Thanks to his aunt "Abba", he has 5 or 6 of them. ;)

I think it works with the whole pedicure thing. lol

Mama's turn!
He thinks it's so funny when he gets to "cut" my nails.

Gotta love that Mama/Son bonding time! ♥

100 degrees

2010-07-06T21:12:00.001-04:00

Actually I think it was 103 degrees, but whatever.

Today was a perfect day to bring out the kiddie pool. And the water table. And some squirt guns.

Filling 'em up!

He thought the hose was a good way to fill his squirt guns...

But then he decided dunking them was easier.

Mama joined in the cooling off fun (complete with splashing!)

The most adorable water break taker ever.

Yea, he needed a water break after all that water. ;)

What's a day in the sun without his bubble gun??

This time he tried filling his pool with bubbles

And popping them, of course.

The most basic way of cooling off- just turn the hose on yourself!

"I think I got a little wet..."

100 degrees + lots and lots of water + a two year old boy = tons of fun.

{And about a thousand new photos! Sorry for the overload...}

It's about time!

2010-07-06T20:17:00.001-04:00

It finally happened...

Exactly one month after he got it...

Tyler's Dirt Devil needed new batteries.

He has been waiting for this day since he first saw Jeff put the original batteries in. There's nothing this kid likes more than being allowed to use a screw driver and put new batteries into his toys.

"What do you mean it only takes four? Surely I can have some more to put in. Please Dada?"

Or maybe:

"I have to wait another month to do this again?!?!"

Mee's!!

2010-07-05T22:15:00.001-04:00

Mee's house never gets old.

Never ever ever.

Tyler gets so excited when it's time to go see Mee, and he always has SO much fun!

Today was no exception.

Tyler got to splash in the neighbor's pool

{We shoulda packed his swimsuit!}

He blew some bubbles with Jeff

And he dumped some bubbles out

He got to give "Asses" (Atlas) a treat or two ♥

And play some pool like a big boy

After all that activity, it was time for some Gatorade! lol

{I LOVE this picture!!}

And then it was time to head home for a much needed nap.

Apparently he fussed the whole way home because Dada wouldn't take him back to Mee's. Then when he saw me, he scowled and refused to come see me, because he only wanted Mee. lol

What a sweet boy. ;)

July 4th Fireworks!!

2010-07-05T22:04:00.001-04:00

...or not.

We can safely say that Tyler does not like fireworks.

Every time we lit one he'd dig his fingers into me and whimper "Off. Off."

Poor guy was totally traumatized!

Mean ol' Mama totally enjoyed it though... I got some gooooood snuggles last night!

{Good thing we didn't take him somewhere to see the BIG fireworks!}

*No, we didn't force him to stay out for long. He "watched" 4 or 5 before fireworks time became bedtime*

37 weeks

2010-07-04T21:01:00.003-04:00

I have nothing new to say, except that we're down to 18 days til Baby Day!

No new medical news, but I have an OB appointment in a few days, and I'll update then.

If you ask how I'm doing over the next couple weeks, I probably will tell you I feel great all things considered. Or I'll give you one of those stupid "this too shall pass" answers, or say something about how this pregnancy is a piece of cake compared to Tyler's, or whatever. (All things I've said recently)

It's a bunch of boohockey. The truth is, I'm tired, I'm hungry, and I'm uncomfortable. lol

And I am ready to hold my baby girl in my arms rather than my uterus! ;)

Cravings: Chocolate Teddy Grahams and watermelon. Mm mm good!

I SO love this guy

2010-07-02T22:14:00.001-04:00

Father/Son Time. Again.

2010-07-02T22:09:00.002-04:00

Tory and Tyler went out today. I stayed home and... slept. In my defense, I'm growing a human right now, so I'm kinda tired. :P

But the guys sure had a great day!

It started with a trip to the choo choo park. Which happens to be Tyler's very favorite place to play. ♥

Of course, what two year old boy wouldn't love a train themed playground, complete with trucks to "bounce" on??

They moved on to the other favorite place: the mall. Gotta love the play place there too! (It's an airport theme)

And what would a trip to the mall be without a ride on the carousel?
{Have I mentioned that Tory kinda spoils our son?}

This time, rather than riding a horse, Tyler discovered the spinning thingies. He loooves to spin! Apparently he got it spinning very fast all by himself, and would not let Dada touch the wheel at all. Go figure.

Next up was lunch time...

I guess the chicken and rice was so good that he needed two forks!

That's my boy! ♥

By the looks of the next two pictures, they told jokes the whole way home. ;)

♥ The kiddo and the daddy both love their days out together. ♥

Those Long Flowing White-Gold Locks...

2010-07-02T14:00:00.002-04:00

They're gone. As in shaved off. As in a little boy summer time buzz cut.
Tyler's second hair cut came just 4 days after his first haircut- and this time the change was drastic. Think military style. Or maybe not "style", but he has about as much hair as the new guy at Coast Guard boot camp!

The cheese-ball "before" shot.

Putting the "covers" back on...

I thought the clippers would scare him, but he just sat there like a pro... and almost fell asleep! lol

I was showing him some of the fallen hair. He thought I was weird.

{Just wait til he's 16 years old and sees that I kept ALL of his gorgeous hair in a baggie in his baby book. Can you say "CrAzY MoM"??}

"What exactly is going on back there??"

{We gave him a popsicle hoping it would make him sit still. As it turned out, he took two bites and I ate the rest. :P}

Cutest kid EVER.

Tyler wanted a turn.

And of course, we had to have after shots of this hair cut!

{He doesn't hate it, he was just getting a tad sick so he looked all serious-like. ;)}

And lest you think my son is all bruised up on his noggin, I shall explain these "bruises":

...which are not bruises at all.

His hair is birth-marked: that's four "polka dots" on his little head. It's his hair, not his skin. I totally love them. ♥

And I totally love this brand new hair cut! I didn't cry, and I don't regret it. And I know Tyler's gotta love playing outside with his cool new 'do!

36 weeks

2010-06-28T21:59:00.000-04:00

I have made it to 36 weeks. That means technically I have 4 weeks to go, but I'll be induced in twenty-three days!!!!!!

An amazing and scary thought. :)

I had an OB appointment today, during which I learned that I have gained a whopping 31lbs total and, despite tons of contractions every day, I am not dilated at all. Oh, and my blood pressure is fine and Dandelion's heartbeat is great. That's it. I guess no news is good news.

Although yet again, I was hoping they'd send me straight to the hospital. ;)

I set up my final three appointments today too. Next Wednesday, then the two Mondays after that. The end is near!!

In other news, which really isn't news at all, I'm tired and heartburn-y. Shocking, I know! ;)

I feel pretty huge, but I know I'm carrying really well again so I can't complain. And I've gained 20lbs less than I did (total) with Tyler, so I really can't complain!
I sleep in two positions: left and right. But on the right I start having trouble breathing after a while so it's mostly left. Fun fun fun!

We've chosen a name. Well, probably. LOL We're so indecisive and I wouldn't be surprised if we change it yet again, but for the moment we have one picked out. Yay us!

Cravings: Can't say that I'm craving anything at the moment, but I did just inhale some Chick-fil-a nuggets and Oreos, and it was amazing. I'll probably be eating that again soon. ;)

Growing growing growing! I think I'm getting bigger by the minute!

Tyler's First Haircut

2010-06-28T21:46:00.002-04:00

Yea yea yea... I waited til he was two years, two weeks, and 6 days old before cutting his hair. But it's still a big deal! ;)

I positively adore my son's hair. It is so white and long and beautiful and perfect, and no, I did not want to cut it. But I finally broke down and did it. Well, I asked my mom to do it. And she did.

I have no before/after pictures.

{You try getting a two year old to sit still enough for a good photo of his hair! lol}

But without further ado, here are my "during" photos.

Getting started!

He loved the cape... or "covers" as he called it. lol

Not sure about this.

Getting some reassurance from Mama.

That's some loooong hair!

He had some fun with the spray bottle. He emptied it on Zach. lol

Hey, maybe this ain't so bad after all! LOL

Abby brings out the... weird... in him. ;)

So there you have it. I don't think most people would be able to tell the difference, but I certainly see it! It's MUCH shorter than it was. And neater too. We're probably going to change it up pretty soon because it's already thicker and will eventually need to be cut into a "style" or buzzed to make it look good.

But let me get used to this, and then prepare myself for the next step. Maybe another two years or so...

Tyler, Zach, and a Trampoline

2010-06-28T15:29:00.000-04:00

Tyler loves the trampoline. And he loves Zach. Put the two together, and Tyler is one happy kiddo!

They bounced...

And fell down...

Tyler "helped" Zach up...

They bounced some more...

And fell down some more...

...and you can see where I'm going.

It went over and over like that for quite some time. :)

Zach's home!

2010-06-28T15:22:00.001-04:00

We have been telling Tyler for quite a while that Zach is coming home. (My brother, Tyler's uncle, Tory's favorite person. lol) He's met Zach before, but we weren't sure he'd remember him.

Well, now Zach is home. And Tyler is obsessed with his uncle. I've got the pictures to prove it.

At first Tyler was a bit unsure, but he warmed up the second Zach handed him the hose...

...and let Tyler drench him with it!

Just hanging out. (I was serious when I said "drenched"! lol)

Zach was telling Tyler about the helicopter that's on "his" boat. (Zach's in the Coast Guard and his last job was on a ship, he's heading to Alabama when his leave is up.)

Tyler thought that was pretty awesome.

Laughing about some guy thing I guess.

Playing in the play house that we played in as kids. So weird to see my own kid up there!

I have more... but they're for the next post. Too many to add to this one. ;)

Frogs and Stuff

2010-06-28T15:09:00.000-04:00

Happy, as always, to be headin to the creek.

Finally some good frog pictures! Tyler loves frogs!

He tells them to "hop", and then laughs when they do. ♥

He named this big guy "Green". lol

A little after-creek snack: frozen Go-gurt!

May as well be a popsicle. ;)

A Change of Pace

2010-06-28T15:00:00.000-04:00

Gettin' ready to go the playground with Dada!

No creek today, but Tyler's cool with that.

Tyler loves driving- real cars and playground cars. ;)

Ok, not too many pictures this time. Sorry. ;)

The Creek and The Mall

2010-06-28T14:51:00.000-04:00

The more pregnant I get, the more time Tyler spends with Tory. (Which, by the way, is what Tyler calls him about 50% of the time. He's Tory and Dada. Pretty funny!)

Here's their "spot". Every time they trek down to the creek (which like I said, is daily) this it where they end up.

Just an adorable picture of my favorite lil' boy.

This time he wanted to walk across by himself. Tory let him get a few rocks in before saving him from certain soaked-ness. ;)

Unfortunately there are no photos, but during this trip, in addition to the normal frogs, they saw a bunny and a deer. When they got home, Tyler ran to me saying "Bunny! Hop! Deer! Running! Ty! Running! Frogs! Hop! Water!" (Yea, he pauses between every word, but he sure gets the point across. lol)

Today, after the creek, they went to the mall for some fun. Tyler gets to ride the "horse" (carousel) just about every time Tory takes him to the mall. (Spoiled much??)

He also gets some sort of treat every time. (Again, spoiled much?)

{Oh, and now I know why he's such a brat when I take him to the mall and won't buy him anything. lol}

This time it was an M&M cookie.

Of course, gotta pick the M&Ms off first.

And eat them one by one.

Then you can eat the cookie. :)

Yep, that could be called another good day.

Tyler has lots of good days. :)

Bug Spray and Stuff

2010-06-28T14:30:00.003-04:00

My photos have been piling up over the last week, so the following few posts will likely be picture heavy. And since Tory and Tyler have gone to the creek every single day, there may be a recurring theme in said posts...

First things first.
He always gets a good coating of bug spray- thanks to his super sensitive skin which reacts to bug bites... not so nicely.

It may help protect from the mosquitos, but it sure doesn't taste very good!

"YUCK!"

Throwing rocks is still a highlight. (Frogs are better, but no frog pics this trip)

Oops!

He's also recently discovered running. He'll run up and down the path over and over again. :)

Just doin' some repairs before heading home.

All that rock throwin', frog huntin', runnin', and wagon repairin' (not to mention the stink and stickiness of the bug spray) required a bath. Immediately after arriving home.

Complete with bubbles of course!

The following picture has nothing to do with the creek, but it was the same day. ;) Gram made some sort of corned beef and cabbage thing for dinner... and Tyler was chowing down on the cabbage! Who knew??

{He may not be my kid... if we're looking strictly at his food choices. ;)}

Can it be??

2010-06-24T12:17:00.001-04:00

Tyler is two years old. He does not sleep through the night.

{4 days old}

He used to have no trouble sleeping.

{1 week old}

Any time, any place...

{2 weeks old}

But then we moved.

{1 month old}

Way back in December.

{2 months old}

And ever since then he has been up multiple times every night. That's almost 7 long months.

The good news is that he has slept all the way through for the last three nights!!

I'm hoping this is his new thing.

The bad news is that in 4 short weeks I'll have a newborn getting me up all through the night again. lol

A Boy and His Dog

2010-06-20T23:30:00.000-04:00

Or it could be A Dog and His Boy.

Either way.

Today we gave Tyler about a dozen treats to give Dexter, so that we could attempt to get an amazing picture of the two of them.

The results were 15-20 blurry photos of a drooling Great Dane and a toddler wrestling over said treats, nobody looking at the camera, nobody sitting still, nobody really caring at all that Mama wanted a good framed photo of her two kids. lol

But here's what I got when I told Tyler to hug Dex:

{Literally the only postable picture. The rest were total crap}

And here's the dog who makes the neighbors look over the fence as if they're at the zoo.

Seriously, the people who live behind us had a party in their backyard yesterday. I was outside with Dex when I heard about a dozen "Oh my God"s and a bunch of gasps and I turned to find them all staring.

In their defense, there was a barking blue merle (read: weird looking) Great Dane out there. And an 8 months pregnant woman bleaching and scrubbing a high chair on the deck. Maybe it did look like a zoo.

35 weeks?!

2010-06-20T23:11:00.002-04:00

Really?? Has it been 35 weeks? Craziness.
4 weeks and 4 days til Baby Day!!

I don't think there's anything new to report this week. I don't have another appointment until next week, and the good ol' fruit website has nothing new to say. So for a medical update, go look at my last pregnancy post. ;)

I'm still tired and I still get heartburn from everything. Not complaining, just sayin'!

I have contractions whenever I do anything remotely active. Going up/down the stairs, lifting Tyler into his car seat, standing up... And Dandelion is crazy active all the time. The girl is seriously trying to break out of me, and not the way she's supposed to! lol

Cravings: I eat a hamburger (with bacon for the extra protein!) every single day, sometimes twice a day. It sounds excessive, but it makes me feel better so it's all good.

{My dizzy spells have subsided (mostly. somewhat.) now that I'm eating a sick amount of protein and taking pre-natals AND iron pills}

Me + an abusive baby in there somewhere. If you look closely you may see her knee or elbow trying to poke outta my tummy. I'm sure she was beating me when the picture was being taken...

Bubbles, bubbles, everywhere!

2010-06-20T22:49:00.001-04:00

What can I say? The kiddo is obsessed with bubbles! (And I think they make for some great pictures!)

First we had to re-battery his bubble gun- the only bubble gun that works... and we've tried more than our fair share of them!

We got the thing up and running.

He's very interested in how things work

And he loves to make piles of bubbles on the grass :)

That would be his "WOW" face ♥

He took a break from the gun to pop the bubbles

Mama joined Tyler with the boring old-fashioned bubble blower ;)

Gram came out to play for a while too.

And Tyler thought it would be funny to shoot Gram's foot with bubbles...

And then pop them with his finger.

{Hey, don't ask me! I'm sure not the one who gives him these ideas. lol}

And then he thought it was cooler to shoot his own foot with bubbles.

{And again I say, don't ask me!}

Father's Day

2010-06-20T22:35:00.012-04:00

This is my "official" Father's Day blog post. But because I am probably the least sappy person on the planet, and because I dislike days where you celebrate a person just because the calendar says to, (i.e. Mother's, Valentine's, Father's Days) it will really be just a regular old post describing our day. Complete with a gazillion photos. Hope that's ok. :)

So we started our day by going to lunch with Gram, Cup, and Sam.

(Have I mentioned that "Cup" is what Tyler has named his grandpa? Nope, we don't know why.)

I think we all ordered breakfast for lunch, and Tyler stole eggs off of everybody's plates. I swear, the kid must half eaten a half dozen eggs! Not to mention the pancakes, potatoes, bacon, and whatever else he managed to get his hands on!

And after lunch? We all went to Coldstone Creamery of course!

Tyler made his rounds:

First with Gram

Then with Sam and Gram!

Cup is one of his favorite people ever... even though his ice cream was gone before Tyler got to him. ;)

Everybody was happy to share with him. But then he got tired of walking from person to person, so he settled for stealing Mama's ice cream.

I tried for a father/son photo... it is that day after all... but Tyler was way more interested in my his ice cream!

After Coldstone, we headed home to play for a while before nap time.
Tyler and Dada played with a puzzle or two

We read a book

Tyler and Dada did some more chillin', which is when Tyler began looking like it may be a good time for a nap...

...so all three of us conked out for about 2 hours! I guess that's what a busy day will do to a toddler and a very pregnant person. Not sure what Tory's excuse was. ;)

And just because it is Father's Day, I'll go ahead say that Tyler is a very lucky little boy to have Tory for his Dada. I don't think anyone could love a kid more than this Dada loves his, and vice versa. ♥
Sap over. ;)

Next up: BUBBLES (For like the 27th time.) in a new post because I have another gazillion photos to share, and enough is enough for one post. :)

Happy Much??

2010-06-20T22:07:00.000-04:00

Too bad he's so hard to please. ;)

Lunch with Mee

2010-06-20T22:04:00.000-04:00

..and Jeff, Lisa, Joey, Luke, Grandma B., and Dada. (I think I got everybody.)

First stop:

Mee's house, of course! He was cool with that.

At first he wouldn't go see Mee because her hair was down. He is not a fan of change- Cup is not allowed to take his glasses off, and apparently Mee is not allowed to wear her hair down. ;) But it didn't take much to make him see that she was the same old Mee... just the keys to her truck. ;)

There were some bubbles too:

After he got his fill of playtime, they headed to lunch.

{I don't know where they went. I was busy feeling 34.5 weeks pregnant. :P}

He got to see Grandma B... (his great-grandma)

And he really enjoyed watching the fish outside the restaurant with Joey and Luke

"Where is that fish??"

"Oh! There it is!"

"Hang on a sec, I'll get it!"

And then came time for food, which I hear he loved.

(Nope, no idea what they ate. lol)

Anything with dip is an instant hit.

And anything with Mee is also an instant hit.

I guess that means this was a good way to spend his afternoon. ♥

Tyler's Two Year Stats

2010-06-14T22:03:00.001-04:00

Or should it be "Tyler's Two Year and One Week Stats"?

He had an appointment with the pediatrician today. He was not a fan. ;)
Actually, my poor baby had a major meltdown... and not even over the finger prick! He lost it when they went to weigh him! He clung to me so hard that I actually could not pry him off myself. I don't know what he thought was going to happen- he only had to sit on a table and both Tory and myself were there holding him. Poor little guy. :(

Or should I say poor big guy. His measurements:

34.5lbs- 96th percentile
38in- off the charts. :)

As for other "stats", here are some of my lil' two year old's "things":

He loves Pooh and Lion King (which he calls "Hi-Key")

He can repeat just about any words now, and totally understands anything we say to him.

He sleeps with Stitch, Woody, "frogs" (rag quilt), and "blue" (soft blue blanket).

He still wakes up at least twice at night. :(

His favorite toys are his tool box(es), motorcycles, vacuum, and trains.

He's obsessed with batteries.

His favorite food is "fries". He also loves pasta and fruit snacks. :)

He likes to pick out his own shirt in the morning... and he gets pretty upset whenever his frog shirt is dirty.

He LOVES cooking. If anyone is in the kitchen, Tyler brings a chair over and climbs up to help... whether his help is wanted or not. ;)

If he wants to show someone something or if he needs/wants something, he says "hand" and grabs their hand and leads them to whatever it is. ♥

He talks to himself. Especially in his car seat.

And his latest (hysterical) thing... he calls his daddy "Tory". It's is so freaking funny and adorable!

Just an Ice Cream Cone

2010-06-14T21:45:00.002-04:00

No need to explain what's going on here...

Dexter wanted to share.

But Tyler was not in the mood for sharing. ;)

It took a while for him to figure out that the cone was edible.

Once he did though, he went to town on it! ♥

34 weeks

2010-06-14T14:08:00.001-04:00

38 days left, at the most. (Unless I'm labor for a really long time... it could be 39 days. lol)

I had another OB appointment today, which was not as much of a joke as the last one. ;) I'm still measuring right on track and Dandelion's heartbeat is sounding just as beautiful as ever.
Dr. A did check my cervix, which happens to be waaaaaaaay in there. I remember that from giving birth to Tyler- when we first got to the hospital after my water broke, the nurse could not find my cervix. She ended up waiting for my doctor to get there to check me. lol
Anyway, no dilation yet. But Dandelion has dropped and is head down- both good things.

Next appointment is in two weeks, then I go weekly. (I had the option to start weekly now, but I chose not to)

I am ready for Dandelion to be here.

I can't complain about being pregnant because it really is what I wanted, and there was a time I didn't know if I'd ever make it this far again. But if I could complain, I would. ;)

It's been a rough few days, complete with contractions, lots of dizzy spells, almost blacking out quite a few times, and constant kicking/moving/trying to break out of my skin which, while incredibly amazing, is also extremely painful.

As for other physical stuff, I'm tired... so tired that I can wake up from a solid two hour afternoon nap and be ready for bed again less than an hour later.

I'm also to the point where anything I eat or drink gives me severe heartburn. Anything. A single animal cracker. A sip of water. Chewing gum. Heck, even Tums give me heartburn sometimes! lol

Names... where do I start? We had one picked. We changed it. We changed it again. We kept discussing it. We changed back to the original. We came up with something else totally different.

I think it's safe to say that Dandelion will not be named until she is born and we fill out the paperwork. ;)

Cravings: Peaches and Protein please.

Me + 27lbs

Water Slide!

2010-06-13T21:05:00.002-04:00

Today Gram (his latest name for Grandma- Tory's mom) took Tyler outside to play for a while... and they set up a water slide!

Just making sure Gram was watching. ;)

I will happily admit that I gave him his "bath" in the pool tonight. I brought out his soap and a washcloth, stripped him down, and scrubbed him clean... well, clean enough anyway. ;)

There's no reason to say that, except that it explains why he's nekkid in the next pic. ;)

Just flashing the neighborhood...

And then after his "bath" he decided to sit in the chalk. Excellent.

A Motorcycle and a Birthday Cake

2010-06-07T21:28:00.002-04:00

The 3rd (or is it 4th?) and final of the birthday posts...

As soon as the kiddo woke up from his nap, we all headed over to G's house for even more presents and for cake!

Oh boy, what is this?!

He kept saying "out! out!" while Kels was trying to open it. He is not the most patient of people. ;)

D had to put part of it together for him, so Tyler sat on G's lap. Or maybe I should say she held him back from sitting on a motorcycle with no wheels...

D showing Tyler all the cool buttons!

That's right folks, my son is the super proud new owner of his very own Kawasaki Ninja!!!

You know you're jealous.

(I am, anyway!)

He also got some other super cool gifts- Kels gave him Woody and Buzz light-up shoes (which he's wearing in the previous picture) and a whole bunch of balloons featuring, who else? Woody and Buzz!

Nick gave him a giant blue ball... which of course he had to bounce on. ;)

After presents, it was time for dinner- hot dogs! And after hot dogs... CAKE!

"What are they doing in there??"

G made Tyler his very own small cake... complete with a motorcycle on top!!

{I'm waiting to see if they got any good "blowing out the candles" pictures. Mine didn't turn out. :(}

I think he enjoyed his cake.

Even though my son is totally weird and hates getting food on his hands. lol

This must have been the neatest two-year-old-eating-birthday-cake experience ever! ;)

So looking back over the last couple of days, I have to say that Tyler is a very ~~spoiled~~ loved little boy, and he had the best 2nd birthday ever!

Thank you to everyone who made it so perfect!! ♥

Choo-choo Playground on Tyler's Birthday!

2010-06-07T14:16:00.002-04:00

Every single time we drive by this particular playground (Briar Patch, for those who are local), Tyler shouts about the "choo choo". His eyes must be really good, because the choo choo is really a very small part of this playground, and there's no stop light/sign near there for him to dwell on it.

Anyway, I've never taken him there, but we decided today was an excellent day for it. He was very happy with that decision!

First, a picture of us... the parents of a two year old!!
{I haven't cried yet. But there's still time. ;)}

Tyler is growing way too fast for my liking.

I thought (hoped) he'd need help. But he didn't.

He can do it all by himself! :(

We moved on to the swings...

Tyler and Dada were chillin' in one of the choo choo cars, talking about important things I'm sure. ♥

Happy happy happy.

Tyler went down the slide first. I think he was showing Dada that it was safe...

...because Dada came down next!

We "bounce bounced" a lot. He loves these things. ;)

Then it was time for some re-hydrating.
[During which he drank most of Mama's Gatorade. ;)]

You don't need to tell me how beautiful he is. I see it. ;)

And then G and Ab showed up!
They got right down to business and climbed up with Tyler. ;)

He played with them for a while but he soon decided it was lunch time, so after a few slides we all headed off to Foster's to eat.

And there's the end of my photos... so far. Once the kiddo is up from his nap, we're heading out to G's house for dinner and cake and presents. I can promise there will be plenty more pictures tonight. ;)

Presents with Mama and Dada

2010-06-07T13:47:00.002-04:00

It's official. My baby boy is two years old!

Tyler is taking a nap now, and I'm taking this time to sort through the 108 pictures we took this morning. We haven't even gone to my mom's house yet, and we have 108 pictures. lol I decided to break them down a bit... so here's part one: Presents with the parents. (Except that Dada is the better picture-taker, so he isn't in any of these. Oops)

He's getting pretty good at unwrapping gifts!

But between tearing off the wrapping paper of each gift, we have to open everything too. It takes a little while. lol

Still loves those motorcycles! So we got him 4 more. ;)

When he first saw the red one, he said "WOW". ♥

He also loves Woody. Although I don't know why... he won't sit down and watch the movie!

But that's ok, we got him a Woody doll anyway. And he is sleeping with it now. ;)

When he pulled the paper off of Woody, he asked for a hat. I failed as a mother and did not buy a cowboy hat for my son. I'm gonna have to get on that...

And let's not forget the Woody (and Buzz) playground ball!

He was super excited and shouted "BALL" when he got this one opened.

And then of course he and Dada had to throw it around a bit. ;)

Yep, I made him sit still for a picture. It turned out pretty good, considering he had a bunch of new motorcycles and a brand new ball calling his name!

Next up, the Choo-choo playground!

Let the Celebration Continue! {Picture heavy. Again.}

2010-06-06T18:38:00.001-04:00

Today is June 6th, Tyler's due date was two years ago today!

We celebrated his 2nd birthday with the Hermens side of the family today. I think Tyler had some fun... and I have the pictures to prove it. ;)

We spent the morning with Gram, uncle Sam, great-aunt Mee and her son Jeff, and great-aunt Wees (Lisa) and her sons Joey and Luke. Unfortunately Dada had to work, and Cup was doing media at church. :(

I really like when people come over, because Tyler is unsure for a few minutes and insists on snuggling me. ♥

But then he warms up. Too quickly if you ask me. ;)

Mee gave him his present... which is his favorite thing in the world. Seriously.

He helped Jeff put the batteries in...

...and then he was off!

And he has been vacuuming ever since. No joke.

That was, oh, about 9 hours ago, and the darn thing has been on literally all day except when Tyler was napping. lol {Good thing the noise it makes isn't an obnoxious one!} [Oh, and it actually picks stuff up!!]

Yep, it's on even now. {Thanks Mee! ;)}

We pried the vacuum out of his hands so he could have breakfast- a chocolate donut with sprinkles!

And then he opened a few more presents:

He got some awesome cars and a tractor and a dump truck from Wees and the boys. And a tool box from Mee and Jeff.

And of course, some bubbles! We had to try those out. ;)

Jeff helped open them up...

...and then Tyler took over.

Not sure who he's shushing here, but I thought it was pretty funny!

Next, he opened up his other presents from Grandma and Cup. (You know, as if they hadn't gotten him enough with the slide and water table!)

He was pretty excited to have some more "guys". These "guys" are Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Darby, and Buster! He looooves him some Pooh!

And they got him a... thing. Yea I don't remember what it's called. But he sits in it and spins.

(and it flips over and becomes a stool)

He likes to "spin spin" and then he says "all fall down" and tips himself over. Goober. ;)

Then he decided that it'd be fun to "spin spin" all of his other gifts. ♥

Yessiree, it's safe to say that day two of the kiddo's birthday celebrations was a very good day!

Thank you Gram, Samma, Meee, Jeff, Wees, Joey, and Luke for hanging out with us this morning!

33 weeks

2010-06-06T13:57:00.000-04:00

Dandelion is now the size of a {drum roll please...} Honeydew. (Melon? I don't know it's technical name, it just says Honeydew)

The average baby at this time is 17.2-18.7inches, and 4.2-5.8lbs. Getting pretty darn big if you ask me!

Her eyes can blink and her irises dilate now when light shines on my big ole tummy.

They say she can now recognize and react to simple songs- maybe she knows the songs I sing to Tyler every night! I haven't noticed her "reacting" to them, but who knows? Maybe she'll be a fan of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and You Are My Sunshine like her big brother is. ♥

How I'm feeling: Pregnant. Is that good enough? ;)

I'm having quite a few contractions still, but still not regular ones.

I feel Dandelion's elbows and knees and hands and feet poking out of me at all angles and all the time. It's really sweet, but it also hurts like heck! Just last night she jabbed at my side so hard and so suddenly that I actually got tears in my eyes! But it's all good. I'm so grateful that she is clearly a feisty (and healthy!) little thing. ♥

Cravings: I'm still looking for some food to satisfy me. I'm always hungry and protein is always good. In most any form.

Oh, and frozen margaritas from Taco Bell. Yes, really. (Of course they have no alcohol!)

And another comment from the husband: "You look very pregnant in that shirt." :P

Tyler is (almost) 2!! [picture heavy]

2010-06-05T22:13:00.001-04:00

Somebody (coughGrandmacough) is not very good at keeping gifts hidden til the grandson's birthday. Which would explain why Tyler got not one, but two! early birthday gifts. Actually, the first I'll mention was given to him today. The second was set up weeks ago! ;)

As I'm sure I've mentioned, Tyler loves him some water. And so gift #1 was a water table.

What is a water table, you ask? Why, this is a water table.

{Something I'd totally recommend to anyone who has a kid who happens to be a fan of water}

It is/was a huge hit with my kiddo.

He likes boats a lot too.

And, as we know from our last pool experience, he loves to drink water...

...and spit it out.

{I stand by what I said before, we're gonna have problems when he starts doing this at the dinner table!}

Apparently he wanted me to put the camera away. lol

"Stop telling me to 'say cheese' and just let me play!" ;)

We took a teeny popsicle break.

Actually, I got a popsicle, and Tyler immediately came running over to me and said "Tyler. Hold." I got the point and relinquished my snack. :/

But he was sweet and shared with me. ;)

I love how his tongue is sticking out. ♥

And now we move on to gift #2: His very own slide!!

This kid is such a goof! He'd climb up and say "YUCK" to Grandma every time he got to the top.

(His big thing right now is Winnie the Pooh, and his favorite scene is when Tigger eats honey and says YUCK.)

Not sure how that relates to the slide, but it's what he's doing in this picture. ;)

Here he goes!

I just love his expressions. lol (And his hair!)

Of course, we had to "yay" and applaud when he reached the end. ;)

I do believe this is an excellent start to my baby's 2nd birthday. ♥

Tomorrow we celebrate (officially) with Grandma and Cup (Grandpa. Nope, we don't know why he calls him Cup), along with uncle Sam and Tyler's great aunts, Lisa and Meagan.

Then Monday (his birthday) we'll celebrate with my family.

Let's get these parties started!! :)

Mowgli

2010-06-04T21:51:00.000-04:00

Oh Mowgli. What to say about Mowgli?

People are scared of him. Some have reason to be... Mowgli likes who he likes, and doesn't like who he doesn't like. ;)

Tyler is not scared of him. He has no reason to be... Mowgli loves Tyler. ♥

{That's Madden in the background. Madden loves Tyler too, but he doesn't do the trampoline. Mowgli's just weird like that. ;)}

Twas just another Thursday...

2010-06-04T21:42:00.001-04:00

...and Mama went to work while Dada and Tyler had some fun.

They had lunch at the mall, after playing at the playplace and riding the carousel. Again.

Then they had an ice cream sundae for dessert. It was ginormous!

Tyler was cool with that.

Then they went to the playground for some running around.

And Dada took some pictures that make my little baby look like a not-so-little baby anymore. :/

He loves to "bounce bounce" on this thing.

And then, of course, the highlight of my kiddo's day: Calling Mee!

Then I got home and we all headed out. We went to the bank, which is one of Tyler's favorite places to go. If you have kids, you know why.

"Tyler, show me your lollipop!"

And then we made an impromptu visit to Otani Japanese Steakhouse. Something we never do. But we happened to have a $10off coupon and thought, what the heck, let's live a little. ;) We didn't get any pictures while there. But trust me, it was gooooooood. Pink lemonade, soup & salad, fried rice (my fave), scallops (Tory's fave), shrimp, teriyaki chicken, veggies, noodles (Tyler's fave), and freaking amazing sherbert... yep, it was totally worth fifty bucks. ;)

Oh, and after the chef made the first fire, Tyler wouldn't let me take my hand off him the rest of the time. It was pretty precious. Although not so easy to eat with just one hand. ;)

Like I said, no pictures while we were at the restaurant, but I snapped this adorable one on our way out. ♥

Just another day

2010-06-02T22:04:00.002-04:00

We broke out the pool again today.

The kiddo was not complaining.
(Yea yea, the swimsuit was off and on depending on Tyler's mood...)

He likes to splash... a lot.

He also likes to play with cups and bowls.

I love this one. He asked me for help dumping the big bowl out, and as he watched me, he turned his wrist like I was. ♥

He then helped himself to a drink. (Ew!!)

And then somebody (coughDADAcough) taught him how to spit water out.

I'll admit that I laughed, but if he starts doing this at dinner we're gonna have a problem...

I think it's safe to say that any day involving hot weather and playing in the pool is a good day. ♥

32 weeks (and 2 days)

2010-06-01T13:08:00.000-04:00

AKA 7 weeks and 2 days left.

But who's counting??

Nothing new medically this week. According to the websites anyway.
I had my 32 weeks appointment today, which was a joke if you ask me. I was in and out in 5 minutes- including peeing in a cup! lol She checked my uterus growth (right on track), weighed me (I've packed on a whopping 26lbs), checked my blood pressure (good), and listened to Dandelion's heartbeat (140 = good).

I'll be honest, I was kinda hoping they'd do an exam and say "Hey look at that! You're 6cm dilated and need to rush to the hospital!" ;)

Next appointment is in 2 weeks, and it's with my favorite doctor there- the one who will end up delivering Dandelion if things go as planned.

I'm feeling pretty much the same as I have since, oh, week 25. lol

Cravings: I don't know. I want something, but I can't figure out what it is. :/

Me + 26lbs :)

Big Boy Bed

2010-05-31T15:22:00.001-04:00

My little boy is now a big boy.

We moved him out of his crib last week and into a ginormous twin bed! He got to pick out his very own sheets ("geen" of course) and he helped me put them and the pillowcase on and we made a very big deal of moving his favorite blankets and Stitch into their new bed too.

So far it's going really well.

He sleeps with "blue" (his soft blue blanket that Mee gave him when he was born), "Stitch" (The stuffed animal Stitch that Kels gave him when he was born), and "frog" (the gorgeous rag quilt made for him by his Grandma's friend when he was born). ♥

I took some pictures today during nap time- not the greatest quality, but hey, we live in a basement and it's pitch dark in his room and I was not about to turn the light on and wake him up early!!

Sleeping with Stitch on his face. lol

My little "big boy".

And the set up:

Tyler rarely looks small, but he sure does in this huge bed! ♥

{I am slowly but surely working on a twin sized rag quilt for it, but that may take a while to finish...}