A Month in Pictures

Changes are happening daily with Dylan. It is so incredible how quickly he is growing - both in size & intellect! Here is a photo update of the last few weeks :)

We are really getting this napping thing down. It is up to Ryan and I to make sure we get him in sleepy mode before he gets too fussy. If you miss the cues, you will have one unhappy hyper-awake baby! Thankfully, we have started to notice a pattern in the times of day that he gets sleepy, and if we get him comfy and fed at the right times we have peace in the household! His 8 o clock sleepiness also resulted in moving his bedtime earlier, and it seems to be working out. He creates the schedule and we do our best to work around it! Sleep is a wonderful thing.

Pickle had a really upset stomach one night so Ryan laid him down on his own stomach and rubbed the poor little guy's tummy. It resulted in the cutest double nap session I have ever seen!

Ryan and I got together with a few loved ones to celebrate October birthdays in his family!

His Sister Jennifer, her adorable baby bump & her grandson Avery were keeping Dylan very happy!!

Avery was the only one to get a smile THAT big out of him - sooo cute!

Dylan is l.o.v.i.n.g playing with his chubby little feet. They are almost always in the air, and he is usually holding on to them! His new trick has become quite helpful during diaper changes :)

Foot rattles were a must!

No more laying on the couch or taking an eye off the changing table, Dylan is a rolling fool! It is fun to watch him squirm & kick, figuring out how to make himself mobile.
His new trick has made nighttime more interesting to say the least. He hasn't been a huge fan of sleeping on his back lately. He seemed to have been very comfy side sleeping. But he sure threw us for a loop on October 25th! I put him down in his crib on his side and he kicked right over and went to sleep on his tummy. Needless to say I got up and looked at him about 10 times during the night. He hasn't quite mastered turning his head to the side when tummy down, so he ends up face down in the bed ;/ But I can feel him breathing so I've tried to stop worrying!

(yep, more about sleep:) We had a full week of Dylan getting up every hour...we were like zombies. Our doctor told us he didn't need to eat at night any more and that we should just go in, give him a lovie (small toy or blankie) and pat his back. HAH - who is she kidding? After hours of crying...make that full body heaving & screaming...we decided that was nuts. I would finally end up nursing him and he would be simply ravenous. Hey, he is a big kiddo - if he is hungry once a night I am going to feed him! So through several trials it seems that we are back to normalcy. We found the perfect recipe for a long night of sleep (for now at least). We put him tummy down and he sleeps until 3:30 or 4:00am. We feed him, swaddle him and he sleeps on his back until 6:30 then he comes to bed with me for a few more blissful hours of cuddling.

I am still getting used to walking in his room and seeing his little head!

Nomnomnom...we have decided that he is teething. Too young you say?? Nope! I am convinced! We were having trouble a few weeks back deciphering his random cries - they would come out of nowhere and he was often inconsolable. One night before bed I randomly skipped ahead in my book What to Expect in the First Year. Month 11 had a list of teething symptoms and wow did they fit!

• drooling
• chin rash
• coughing
• biting
• pain
• irritability
• refusal to feed
• diarrhea
• wakefulness
• ear pulling/cheek rubbing

I was shocked! It makes so much sense to me now. I mentioned it to the doctor at his 4 month check up and she quickly said he was too young. I'll let the quick dismissal slide Doc, but you didn't convince me. Every kid grows at a different pace, and that is one too many matching symptoms to change my mind.

Since then he has been going to town on his fingers, teethers, rattles & frozen wash cloths. Seems to do the trick!

He is catching on to hand/eye coordination quickly. If you hold something in front of him his hands come together to grab it! It sounds like a little accomplishment, but it is an awesome milestone. Along with holding on to everything in sight, he loves feeling new textures!! He will put an open hand on new objects and run his fingers back and forth. Naturally, Ryan and I give him all sorts of weird things to figure out. Tonight he was fascinated by lettuce :) So cool to watch him soaking up the world around him.


Everything he touches eventually goes straight to mouth!
However, sometimes that is easier said than done...

...aaaaand success :)

Ryan, Dylan, Chloe & I were en route to a close park in B.A. a few weekends ago when Dylan fell asleep. In hopes that he might nap for a bit, Ryan decided to make our journey a bit longer and drive over to Woodward park! The weather was exquisite and we had SUCH a fun time!! Chloe had a hayday smelling all the new scents & Dylan rode in his stroller like a big boy! After we trekked all over the park, we laid out a big sheet and we all spread out together. He loved looking at the trees & watching the leaves float to the ground. We can't wait to go back - one more picnic is in store for us before the cold weather arrives!

Bumbo. A Must-Have! Now that he can hold his head and back up straight, the Bumbo has been SO helpful around the house. I can carry him with one arm and grab the cute foam seat with the other. I used to lay him down in the living room and listen to him wail while I made lunch or did the dishes. Now, he is my little helper in the kitchen! I pop him in his bright green chair and he is content! It also has a tray that slides on the center, which will be awesome when he starts eating solids. Moms you've gotta get one.

P.S. Doesn't he look cute as a button in his elephants?? I think babies in pants look hilarious...like miniature adults. Pants that fit this kiddo are hard to find though - this outfit is for a one year old!! Ohh my sweet chubby bunny.

When your baby is crying non stop you will do just about anything to fix it! As Ryan was flying Dylan around the house (holding him tummy down and zooming him around like an airplane) I googled different things to try. Warm towels on top of the dryer (dryer on) was a suggestion that I will now keep in my repertoire. We popped a pacifier in his mouth and gave him some toys and he was a happy camper. Family time in the laundry room - its the new hip thing to do!

The three of us are venturing out more these days. We took little mister to Oktoberfest this year. It was fun to stroll around, see our friends & enjoy a Schnitzel sandwich. And yes, we did the chicken dance together!

Cold weather = baby hoodies & hats! Is there anything cuter??

Dylan loves being outside. We are soaking up every last drop of warmth and sunshine that we can. We took his exersaucer outside this weekend and enjoyed the beautiful weather while Daddy worked on his truck. He is starting to kick his legs and rotate the seat! Little critter is getting so strong :)

We had such a fun FIRST Halloween!! Pictures of our little hoot owl soon :)