I realize that at this point I'm a broken record. BUT... HOW DID MY BABY GROW UP????!!!!
I felt like with each touch of the key pad typing 12, that my heart skipped a beat. I just can't believe it.
(the collage above is Tyler newborn thru 11 months old)
It feels like yesterday that I was in denial over labor (you'd think that with it being my third I'd have this game down, but no. I have been in denial all three times). It's kind of sad that we're probably not having another baby, because I now know that while I may be in denial, I don't need to let on to it with the nurses. Because otherwise, they decide that they'll be in denial too. And then you end up with 3 separate epidurals that don't hardly take, being charged for all of it but still getting to feel pretty much the whole dang thing. And in the case of labor and epidurals, a two for one special is not really what you're going for. So there's that. And obviously I still have unresolved bitterness over this issue that apparently hasn't been resolved by the counseling sessions that we paid for last year. Awesome.
And now, focusing back on Tyler.
Sweet baby boy. He is the sweetest, most ornery thing.
When I found out I was having another baby, I thought that maybe I would have a quiet, compliant child. I mean, 1 for 3 would be good odds. However, I think God decided to hit a 100% of the strong-willed, ornery creations with our family. Drew and I have decided that it's just not genetically possible for us to have a child who does not have a little bit of a propensity to walk on the wild side. And seeing how Tyler gets that twinkle in his eye when I get on to him for trying to eat the rocks in the fireplace, I'd say that this is proof.
Aside from eating rocks, Tyler also enjoys being let out of the house by his brothers. He knows freedom when he sees it, and does a sprint crawl to the grass, upon which he stops immediately, because apparently he has a few texture issues when it comes to the grass (except for these pictures, where he didn't seem to mind that he was on that dreaded green stuff!).
Tyler also loves his "baba" (bottle). He'll often ask for it immediately when he wakes up. Which means that the next 3 days will likely be torture for all involved in the weaning process, as I am a firm believer in cold turkey weaning. And since we finished the last case of formula yesterday (do you hear the faint sound of angels singing the hallelujah chorus? They're our budget angels, and they are very happy to have that $50 of discretionary spending back in our bank account every month), Tyler will now be getting whole milk. Seeing how every cup of whole milk we've tried with him up to this point has been met with a fair amount of disdain and spitting, I'm assuming that this weaning process should go over really smoothly (sarcasm font). See also: send us wine. We'll need it to go with our whine.
In all seriousness, Tyler is pretty awesome. While he does have his OCD tendencies (like not wanting to ride in the car, and not being too hip on wearing shoes), he tends to be more willing to go with the flow than my other two ever were at this age. He is a fairly happy baby, and really only gets upset when he's hungry. And let's be honest: he got that from his mommy, and I can't blame him one bit.
Tyler tends to be a mouth breather, and this, coupled with some other allergy related sinus issues, makes me think we may be on the road to some allergy intervention methods down the road. We have his well check later this week where I plan on asking some questions on what the future looks like with Tyler. If anything, I just want him to be comfortable, and right now I just don't feel like that's the case.
In terms of size, Tyler is a bit of a chunk. A few weeks ago at the doctors office he weighed almost 25 pounds. No idea on his height yet, as his well check isn't until later this week (I'll edit this post to update that when we find out). He wears size 4 diapers during the day, size 5 at night, wears size 18 months clothes and size 4 shoes. He LOVES water, LOVES music, LOVES his brothers and LOVES the outdoors.
He's not walking yet, and I'm not pushing it. He has started creeping on the furniture, so I'm sure that it's only a matter of time that he realizes that there are quicker ways to transport himself that crawling around on the ground. Plus, walking eliminates the need to try and avoid prickly grass.
Oh Mr Tyler-
Many see us out in public and shake their head in disbelief. I'm not sure they are more concerned about the fact that I have three kids so close in age, or three boys, or maybe it's a combination of the two. And I'm not going to lie: I shake my head in disbelief too. But not because you're my third child, which makes my number of kids a bit more than the average American. And I don't shake my head because you're a boy, which left me off the train of being able to have a "balanced gendered" family. No, I shake my head because I can't believe that God would so richly bless me to have three little men. Raising you (and your brothers) is not a right. It is my privilege. And I am so honored that God gave me that privilege... the privilege to be your mom. I'm not perfect. I know that. And I will be the first to tell it to you when I mess up. But I will love you fiercely. I will be your biggest cheerleader (although, please don't ask me to do a double backhandspring. I've never been known for my grace or agility). I will be your biggest fan, even if you lose your game, make an F on your homework or make a mistake that others will laugh at you for. I'm sure all of these things will happen in your life because it's just part of life and we all have to walk a tough journey. But I want you to know that I am here walking right next to you. I love you so very much and I can't wait to watch and see how your life unfolds. Happy Birthday little man.
So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. 2 Thessalonians 1:11 (NLT)
