Stroller Naps, Stuffed Animals, and Small Steps!

 Week 21

Week 21 - Tyson turned 5 months on Tuesday!  So it is official now that I can say when people ask - Tyson is 5 months!  Of course that declaration is always followed with, "I know, he's small.  He was 3 weeks early."  I wonder when that will change - I don't think anytime soon.  What is going to be hilarious is when we see cousin Zasha next week.  She is only 2 weeks older than Tyson and is 18 pounds (to Tyson's 12 pounds).  Poor bugger, I hope he catches up at some point.

He is growing, though, I had to retire these 0-3 month overalls!  They are high-waters!

Friday started week 21 out with a great day.  It was 64 degrees out and felt like summer!  It was just gorgeous!  Shannon came over and we decided to go walking at the outlets.  For the occasion, we got to christen Tyson's stroller.  We hadn't used it yet, because of the cold weather, and because of the fact that we never go to the mall.  It has been stored in our basement, collecting dust.  After I had dusted it off, I realized that I really didn't know how to fold it and unfold it.  Since I am bad with puzzles, I took to YouTube to find a demonstration.  It actually is very easy, but there is not anyway that I could have figured it out by myself.  Shannon was so funny, she brought out Ty's carrier (without Ty in it) in our driveway so we could make sure we could get it to fit in the stroller without difficulty before we got there.  I said, "We'll just do it there."  But Shannon said, "We don't want to look stupid, like we don't know what we are doing!"  It was great fun to walk around the outlets and Tyson slept the whole 2 hours!  I was psyched and figured that I would do this most days, so he can get a good nap in!  Good exercise for me and good sleeping for Ty.  Can't beat it!

 Stroller time!

Sabbath I worked and Heath took Ty to Conway church (2 weeks in a row!) and over to his parents.  Ty slept 12 hours and Heath woke up with a start at 9 am!  On the weekends, we don't bother setting the alarm anymore because Tyson usually gets up by 7:30 or 8:00.  But to get to Conway on time for church, we have to leave by 9:45 AM at the latest.  Well, Heath had fun, running around, taking a shower, getting Tyson changed/dressed and fed by the time he had to leave.  He didn't quite make it and was fashionably late getting to church.  I couldn't help but wondering if the 2 hour nap on Friday afternoon had something to do with the 12 hour "big sleep."  Ty and Heath made it back from their outing at 9:45 PM and I was overjoyed to see Tyson was already in his PJ's.  I was totally ready to praise Heath for his insight and remembering what had happened the last weekend.  However, it was Grammy who put Tyson in his pajamas because of a blowout!  Either way it was easier to get him to go to sleep!  One other thing to note on Saturday night is I started Mother's Milk Tea, as suggested by Shannon Nelson in a previous blog.  I tend to be paranoid about certain things and these days it is about losing my milk supply.  I feel like I am getting less and less milk out at work when I'm pumping, and Tyson is going to be taking in more and more, so something is going to give there.  I really don't want to start formula, but I think I'm seeing the writing on the wall.  But I am giving the Mother's Milk Tea a try!  It's been almost a week, and I'm not seeing a huge improvement yet, but maybe it takes some time.

Stretching, feeling refreshed after his "big sleep!"

Sunday I worked again and Heath and Ty had a leisurely day at home.  Or as Heath would like to call it "dubbing off."  It was really funny.  I was putting on my coat to walk out of the door at work, when I got a phone call from home.  It was Heath whining, "When are you getting home to take this cranky boy from me?"  I just had to laugh.  Taking care of Tyson for the whole weekend does get a little tiring for Heath.  I think it opens up his eyes to what I do the other 5 days of the week, though!  When I got home, Heath and Ty had a trick for me.  Heath said, "Come look at this!"  Heath had made burger pizzas and he was eating one, while Tyson was in his arms.  Heath brought the pizza up to Ty's mouth and Ty proceeded to open his mouth and lean into the pizza!  Of course, at the last second, Heath moved it away.  Poor Ty!  Daddy was teasing him!  But he seriously is doing great with his rice cereal.  So good that I started giving him the cereal two times a day.  I really am trying to beef him up!

Loving the rice cereal!

Monday I was all psyched and geared up to go walking at the outlets again.  I had kept the stroller in the back of the Subaru and was all set.  Unfortunately, the warm weather had left us and brought 20-30 degree temps back and snow.  Are you kidding me?  We got about 3 more inches!  So much for my outlet outings!  We'll see when the weather will cooperate and we'll get to do it again.  Because of the snow, I really did not feel like going out, so I postponed grocery day until Tuesday and focused in on the laundry.  Fun, fun.  One thing that I figured out on Monday is that I have been depriving Ty of stuffed animals.  Because of my OCD, I have all of his stuffed animals neatly lined in a basket in his room.  And I just haven't gotten them out for him!  How terrible is that?  Another reason why I haven't is that the dogs think that the stuffed animals are their toys and I have to be on stuffed animal patrol all the time!  But the mother in me won out over my OCD.  Out came the stuffed animals (at least a few) and Ty couldn't get enough.  He loves to hug them with great fervor and also tries to either eat them or make out with them!  No more depriving for my boy!  Monday, I found out that Tyson can take a few steps!  He loves to stand up, so I was having him stand up on the family room floor, holding onto my hands - when he proceeded to lift up his right foot and walked it forward and then his left foot followed!  It was unbelievable.  I did it that night and showed Heath - which, of course, he told me, "He did that on Sunday."  What a kill joy.  I managed to show Poppy his new skill, but he wouldn't move his feet at all when I tried to show Noni or Shannon.  Monday night it was still snowing and Devin came over to spend the next 2 nights because he was taking a course at Concord Hospital.  What a treat to see him during the week!

 Stuffed animal lovin'!

Tuesday, I timed grocery day just perfect.  I went right when Ty was due for his 45 minute afternoon nap.  He, of course, fell asleep in the car, and stayed asleep in his carseat when I brought him in the house for a grand total 1.5 hours!  Yeah!  One thing I figured out on Tuesday is that Ty really doesn't like the playmat anymore.  He associates it now with being alone.  Because, if I would need to go to the bathroom, or change the laundry etc., I would lay him down on his playmat.  So now, even as I am going to put him down on the mat, he starts crying.  It's unbelievable how smart they are, even at this age!  So on Tuesday, I just started leaving him on the floor and he loved it!  He was rolling around on the floor and was actually able to spend some time by himself!  Tuesday night, we headed over to "The Fairway" (Mom+Dad's townhouse) for supper.  Of course, this was mostly because Devin was in town, but we were all there (minus Leigh and Mia).  It was a good time, but I figured something else about Tyson.  I have figured out that when there are a lot of people and sounds, he goes crazy looking at everything around him and he will never focus in on you.  It's like sensory overload and I think he gets overstimulated.  I'm sure that will get better with age.

 Ty looking at everything but the camera!

Wednesday I worked and there really isn't much to report on this day, so let's move into Thursday.  I tried to recreate the great shopping naps that Tyson has had recently and took him to the outlets again (not in the stroller because it was too cold) and to Kohl's with Shannon.  My great thought about napping went out the window when he did his usual 45 minute nap and then woke up in his carseat in Kohl's and wouldn't go back to sleep.  Major bummer.  Maybe it was a fluke so I will definitely be trying it again!  Thursday night, we went to the OG with Adam and then to our usual Thursday night Walmart outing.  And that's about it!  That brings us up to speed.  Have a great week!