Ty Talk

Ty has been such a vocal baby from the beginning.  I can spend hours watching him work so hard to make sounds.  He is SUCH a sweet baby!!!!

Stinky

Case is saying something new everyday now.  One of his new favorite words is "stinky"... that's a typical boy for you I guess:-)

Show us Your Life - Desserts

I've never joined in on "Show Us Your Life" at Kelly's Korner but when I saw desserts as the topic I HAD to participate!  If you need a new dessert recipe head on over there because TONS of people have participated!!

Fruit 'n Brownie Kabobs

This recipe can easily be adapted to include so many different ingredients but I'm pretty sure the highlight will always be the brownie pieces!!!  I think this is a perfect summertime recipe!

Ingredients:

• 1 box brownie mix, prepared
• 4 cups fresh pineapple chunks
• 5 cups halved fresh strawberries (whole strawberries make great tops and bottoms to the kabobs)
• 10 large bananas
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 21 bamboo skewer sticks (10 or 12 inches)

Directions:

1. Prepare brownie mix following directions on the box.  Let cool completely and cut into 1.25 inch squares.
2. Line cookie sheets with waxed paper.  Alternately, thread 3 brownie squares, 2 pineapple chunks, 2 strawberry halves and 2 banana slices on each skewer.  Place kabobs on waxed paper.  You can change this up however you want to!
3. In small bowl microwave chocolate chips and butter uncovered on high for 1 to 2 minutes (I think I only left mine in for 45 seconds).  Stir until chocolate is totally melted.  Drizzle over kabobs.

Same Daddy?

We had Ty's 2 month well baby visit yesterday.  My mom went with me to help corral Case... I'm thinking there should be a state law requiring a ratio of 2:1, adults to Case.  He's a handful and seems to be even more so at the doctor's office.  While there he learned to say "Oh no!" and then continued yelling it throughout pretty much the entire visit.  Dr. Freeman said, "I think it's funny but I'm guessing you guys won't agree by this evening".  Agreed!  It is funny how dramatic he sounds when he says it though.

So after we survived the visit to the office Ty was starving... I guess shots will do that to you.  We were sitting in the foyer area of the building and I was feeding Ty, while my mom was bouncing around like a pinball chasing after Case.  This lady came up and couldn't say enough about how beautiful she thought Ty was.  She asked if he was my first and I explained that the crazy kid training for a future in track was mine too.  Then she told me how handsome he was too followed by a comment about how different they look.  Next she said, "Same Daddy?"  I started laughing... who asks that???  I said well I guess you do have to ask that these days but yes, believe it or not they do share the same daddy!  Oh the fun comments and questions you get from complete strangers when you have little ones.  I'm always entertained!

Ty - Two Months Old

Dear Ty,

You are two months old today!  I think this is going faster than it did with your brother if that is possible.  We don't have your 2 month visit until the 26th of this month so I'll have to update your stats then.  So much happens in a week though so I didn't want to wait to post.  

Coming soon, your stats... (updated 5/26/11)

Weight:  13 pounds 13 ounces (78th percentile)

Length:  24 inches (82nd percentile)

Head Circumference: 41.5 centimeters (96th percentile)

Sleep:  Yes, please!  You aren't doing too bad with sleeping.  You are definitely getting better!  I would say 5 out of 7 nights you will do one long 6 to 7 hour stretch between feedings.  The other nights you don't seem to make it past 3 or maybe 4.  I prefer those 5 nights... just putting that out there in case you'd like to take that behavior up full-time!  You still nap A LOT too!  Sometimes I think I should just wake you up to hopefully help with the night sleeping but I usually just let you sleep.  You take a pretty good nap between most feedings throughout the day still... I'm sure these days are numbered!  

I actually moved you to your crib on 5/2/11 but that was short lived because you caught a cold and you've yet to kick it.  You are SUPER congested and need to sleep upright so you, like your brother, have become very comfy sleeping in the swing. 

 

If you ever get to the other side of this congestion I'm want to get you back in your crib but I dread it a little because I don't think you'll sleep nearly as well... at least not at first.  So this lucky mom gets to transition you to your crib not once but twice!  

Eating:  You are still eating 5 ounces at each feeding.  On a rare occasion you might need an extra ounce or eat a little less but 5 ounces is your norm right now.  We still have you on Similac for gas and fussiness, mostly because that's what we bought a bunch of.  Maybe we'll try regular again once we run out.  You are a gassy little boy though!  I often call you Tootie!

Clothes:  You are pretty much into 3-6 months clothes now.  It seems so strange that I've already packed newborn stuff up!  It seems like I just got it out!  There are a few 0-3 month outfits that I've continued stuffing you into, mostly because you hadn't even worn them yet.  I know, I know... I'm such a good mom!  I had to snap a picture of you and your brother in this outfit because they are two of my favorites but you were both equally uncomfortable and out of room in them!

They are sort of capri rompers at this point but still cute!

Someday maybe I'll actually get BOTH of you smiling AND
looking at the camera 

A comparison with your brother... you seem to be starting
to take on your own look now I think.

Play:  You still like the activity gym and your brother still thinks he needs to help you play in it by shaking it with all his might.   

Look at your brother's face... it's the "yea I know I'm not supposed
to do what I'm about to do but I think I'm gonna do it anyway" face

Let the shaking begin!   Sorry Ty... I know I should have put the
camera down when I saw that look in his eye but I thought maybe
you'd like to have evidence of all the mean things your brother
did to you for evidence later.

 You LOVE Case's activity bar.  The funny part about that toy is it grows with you so it has been set up like a desk in Case's room.  It's sort of weird to have a need for both extremes of that toy but that's mommyhood with 2 under 2 for ya!  

 New Things:  You are starting to track us with your eyes.  This makes me happy because that whole crossed eye thing seems to be completely or almost better now that you're tracking.  You still have the goopy stuff going on... I'm not optimistic that it will be going away without intervention. You hate tummy time but apparently not quite as much as your brother did because you haven't figured out how to roll out of it just yet.

I love your sweet little face!

Thank you for the past two months little man!  Daddy and I love you SO much!  We can't wait to see who you become but there's no rush... in the meantime just keep those sweet whole face smiles coming!  

Love,

Mommy

Random Life in Pictures

Ty got his first "out of the hospital" shots at his 1 month visit...
I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say he wasn't a fan!

Daddy sporting his birthday present... no one can wear
this quite like he does :-)  I love my nerd!!!

Ty with the world's best OB... Dr. Fenoughty

See... he smiles!

Gotta love the effects of a good car ride!

Case giving Ty love

Case making sure the world knows where Ty's mouth is.
Has anyone noticed how big Ty's eyes are every time Case
is near him in pictures???

Case is obsessed with feeding Ty right now... that would be
fine if he could actually hit Ty's mouth and focus long enough
for Ty to get anything more than a milk mustache, beard
and chest hair.  

Grandmother's Day Gift

Case loves his Grandma SO much that he painted her a picture for Mother's Day.

This was Case's first experience with a paintbrush and paint.  He did really well!

After the first stroke or two he thought maybe that paintbrush was the equivalent of a spoon so he started to take a bite but after stopping him once he didn't do it again.  I was really impressed that he would dip the brush and keep it (mostly) on the canvas.  He even told me when he wanted to switch colors... granted this was in the form of whining at the top of his lungs until I chose the color he wanted but he told me nonetheless!

Case's first masterpiece... look out Picasso!

Grandma with her two grandbabies on Mother's Day...

Case's shirt:  I love grandma   Ty's shirt:  me too!

Mom

Mom and me

Today is the day I get to celebrate someone who has always been there for me.  When I say always I mean ALWAYS... through every stupid decision, through every tear, through every smile, through every job, through every dumb boy, through every bad grade (yep... there were a few), through every sport (I don't think she ever missed a game), through every birthday (well all except that one... other than that she has a perfect record:-).  Today I celebrate my mom.  

She really is the world's greatest mom and grandma.  She's given me the best Mother's Day gift ever besides that of loving my children and me... the gift of sleep.  Since Ty was born she has stayed at least once each week at my house to take the night feedings so that Wayne and I can sleep.  AMAZING!!!  She even woke up this morning (probably a couple of times), her Mother's Day, to Ty... why?  Because she loves me and she loves my children and she wants them to grow up knowing her and they do (well as much as Ty can know anyone at this point).  She knows my children as much as I do and I think she loves them as much too (if that is possible:-).  

This is my mom...

Always there to pick us up when we fall down and trust me we fall A LOT!

Always there to help us no matter what the chore

Always there to comfort us when we don't feel good

Always there to make room for one more

Always there to make sure we don't feel left out

Always there to laugh at our jokes (even when they are about her)

Always there to remind us to be more loving

Always there to be interested in whatever excites us

Always there to make us feel safe

Always there to fill the seat next to us... even when it's a toddler swing!

Case loves his Grandma SO much.  He absolutely lights up when he hears her voice on the phone or sees her walk into the room.  She is for certain one of his favorite people!  She goes out of her way to make sure that she visits Case and Ty at least every couple of days and if she goes any longer I'm pretty sure her and Case (and soon enough Ty) both get the shakes.  Not to mention her (at least) weekly sleepovers so that she can have some Ty time (and I can sleep all night).  

Here's a glimpse at Case waiting for Grandma to return from a long cruise... the longest they had ever been away from one another...

(I know I've shared these before but I think they truly display the love Case and Grandma share so I am sharing them again... it's my blog... I can repeat if I want to:-)

Waiting for Grandma... sign in hand

Watching for Grandma on the escalator

There she is!

Finally home!

Mom, I can't begin to thank you for all that you do for me!  Thank you for being my example... for teaching me how to show my children they are loved.  You are an amazing woman and I am so grateful that God has blessed me with you!

Happy Mothers Day!