Waving and blowing kisses!

Tyler, just have to add a few things you are doing that is so fun! Your wave is the cutest! You usually wave bye and youwave to yourself. You have started waving by shaking your hand back and forth to say hi and bye. It is so sweet! Just yesterday morning, you blew me kisses when I dropped you off! I blow you a kiss all the time and it is so sweet to have you do it back! I am so excited for your first Christmas! Lots of excitement to come this weekend! Love you baby girl!

Busy girl on the go!

Tyler, it is my New Year's resolution to keep updated on your blog, so why wait...I am starting now! As I type you are playing here in front of me and I cannot believe how much you grow every single day!  Right now you are full of giggles.  You love especially when Daddy tickles you...I've never heard you giggle and laugh so much!  You are really starting to mimic everything we do more and more.  Daddy taught you to make noises with your tongue and mouth.  It is so cute to watch you!  You squeal when you get excited and it makes me want to squeal too...because it is so cute!  You are walking like crazy! I think in the past week, I have only seen you crawl once!  Ahhh...I think that means you are quickly moving out of baby stage and into toddler stage!  I am not sure I am ready to say that I have a toddler?!  You follow us all around the house.  Every once in a while I will catch you off playing by yourself and I just stand back and watch you.  I love to see you explore and discover the world around you!  You are quite inquisitive...always taking in every little thing!  This time of year always seems to go fast, but this year I think it is in double speed.  I have really made myself slow down and just enjoy every moment I have with you and not get caught up in perfection.  It is amazing how things just last year at this time seemed so important and now today I would never rank things such as shopping for every little thing as that.  Spending time with you is way more important.  Wow, I used to think I was a home body, but now I KNOW I am!  And that is completely fine with me!  A night in with you is always fun to me! 

You love to hear music and singing and you add your own little dance too!  You love to clap, patty cake, roll em, itsy bitsy spider, wheels on the bus!  All your favorites!  You adore all little kids, they always get a smile out of you and more recently that little squeal of yours!  You have now been to two Hornet basketball games and you just clap to the cheerleaders, the band, and with the crowd!  You are definitely full of life little girl!  I am definitely looking forward to being home with you for a week next week, however, I am scared for what Daddy is going to have to deal with when I have to go back in January...I'm afraid I will be quite the mess!  I am looking forward to some much needed snuggle time, play time, singing, dancing, and learning! 

You will be 11 months old next week, so planing for your first birthday is definitely in full swing!  I am so excited to make a fun and memorable party for you!  This week will be your first of many Christmases.  I am looking forward to making and celebrating traditions with you, but most importantly teaching you about our Lord and His love for you!  I once read a statement from another mother about getting so worried about everything being perfect and worrying about useless details and getting upset when things don't go perfect, but then her daughter started singing Jesus Loves Me and she knew that the whole time she was beating herself up about not being a perfect mother, she realized in that moment that maybe she hadn't failed after all.  I sing this to you all the time, because this is what I want you to know first and foremost, Jesus!  If I know you know Jesus, I think I will have succeeded as a mother.  I know Jesus has blessed us beyond what we deserve by bringing you into our lives!  You are the most special person to your Daddy and I!  We love you beyond our imagination! 

10months!

Tyler, you were 10 months old on Nov. 28th! Wow! Every milestone with you amazes me and gets me emotional...but something about saying I have a 10 month old doesnt seem like I have a baby but more of a toddler! Especially since you are walking like crazy everywhere!  You are in to everything and make me a nervous wreck!  You want to put everything in your mouth, you try to pull out every plug and touch every outlet...ahh!  We put up all of our christmas decor and trees and you have done really much better than I expected with leaving them alone.  I bought a gate and everything, but have not needed it.  Every once in a while you will go over to touch an ornament or want to taste it..ha!  While I was decorating you just played with ribbon...I can't wait for the many years to come to make more of these memories with you!  We took our own pictures of you this month and they turned out great!  We sent out our first Christmas cards with you on it and it looks adorable! 

Exciting things going on:  You had your 1st Thanksgiving!  You loved the potatoes!!!  It was a long day/weekend for you, but you did pretty good. You loved all of the play time you had with your cousins Alex and Ethan! 

Your schedule:  You have not been the best sleeper lately.  First I think it started with teeth, but then you got a cold and I think you could not breathe!  Now Mommy has it too, so I know how you have been feeling and it is miserable!  You go to bed around 10 lately and get up around 1 and want to be held the rest  of the night.  Last night was the first night we have not had to hold you through the night in a while.  I love rocking you and holding  you, but not getting a good night's sleep night after night and then having to go to work is wearing on me!  You take a morning and afternoon nap, usually at least an hour each.  Sometimes you have an evening nap for about 30 min.  I try not to let you have this, but you are so hard to keep awake when you are determined to sleep!

You still eat a bottle in the morning and then fruit/cereal, veggies twice, and then a night time bottle.  I am thinking I need to change this, but haven't decided how I want to yet.

You weigh about 22 pounds.  I think right on track! 

We are so excited for your first Christmas!  We have not gone to see Santa yet, because you came home with your first black eye on your eyelid from the babysitter Thursday...ugh!  Poor baby!  It looks like I took purple eyeshadow across your eye. She hit her tooth on your eyelid.  She said you didn't even cry, which I can't believe because it looked like it hurt!  We have tried on your Christmas dress and attire and it is so cute on you!  I can't wait to take pictures of you! 

Tyler, you are our world and your Daddy and I love you so much!  I cannot imagine life without you!  My whole outlook on life has changed because of you and I wouldn't want it any other way!  Your smile makes us smile, your laugh makes us laugh!  I miss you when I am away from you and can never get home to you soon enough!  I love making memories with you as a family!  You continue to amaze us each day with how much you are growing and developing (slow down!)  This is only for a season, so I try to soak up every moment I possibly can!  Thank you for bringing us so much joy!  We love you dearly and wish the world for you!  Love you to the moon, Mommy and Daddy

9 months old!!!!

Tyler, you were 9 months old on October 28th.  What have you been up to this past month?  You sure are a growing girl...my how you have changed!  I look back at your newborn pictures and see that it looks like you, but amazes me how big you have gotten in such a short time!  You are constantly standing on your own and really getting brave with taking more and more steps.  You still would prefer to crawl, but sometimes I just sit back and watch you and see you being brave.  I think you realize you can get places faster by crawling still...smart girl!  Your hair is really starting to grow more and it is so funny that now I sometimes have to "fix" it.  Sometimes it will be sticking straight up after sleeping or eating!  Your nights have been better since your bottom teeth have come in, but I think you are really starting to work on those top teeth to come in.  You are constantly chewing on everything and always want something in your mouth!  Drooling has started like crazy again too.  You switched off of breast milk this past month and did great with the transition.  It was sad for mommy!  ha!  Even though I was not nursing you, it was sad for me that I was no longer "providing" for you.  However, even though you have been eating great, let's just say your stools are much worse!  Everyone said they would be and I believe them!  You are still on the same eating schedule...starting to eat more finger foods and you have tried a few meats.  You kind of get a look on your face like you know it is different, but still eat it.  You still constantly babble and say da da when you are happy and ma ma when you are sad, like you want me to come comfort you!  We look forward to seeing you continue to explore and grow and change!  SO much is happening so quickly, we just try to soak up every moment with you...I find myself just sitting back and watching you!

Other things you have been up to....We went to the pumpkin patch at Eckert's Millstadt Fun Farm with your cousins.  We had a great time!  It was a really warm day (was worried about you getting too much sun even).  We celebrated Daddy's 28th birthday!   You sent him a balloon and candy to work and then we celebrated with cake at home!  We celebrated the Cardinals 11th World Series win!!!  It was fun watching the games at home with you and Daddy !  We carved your first jack o lantern with Daddy...you tried to eat it when we cleaned it out!  You had the best time!  You just celebrated your first Halloween and dressed up as a ladybug...call me bias, but I think you were the cutest ladybug I have ever seen!  We went trick or treating 3 days!!!  Just a few places each day, just to not make it so overwhelming for you!  You also went on your first hayride.  Aunt Joyce and Uncle Kurt always have an annual hayride out at their house...we weren't on the wagon 5 minutes and you were asleep!  It was a perfect night for it, and you loved it so much I guess! ha!

You truly are a gift from God Tyler (even if you don't want to sit still in church anymore..ha)  Your Daddy and I continue to say to eachother...."can you believe she is ours!?"  Our love for you grows more and more each day...you make us smile from ear to ear!  One of my favorite verses that makes me think of you...."you are wonderfully and fearfully made".  We love you so much and always will!!!

8 months old!!!

Tyler, your mommy is really slacking...you were 8 months old on September 28th!!!!!  I don't know why, but the sound of 8 months makes me feel like you are so big now!  Maybe because it seems like you move up in the foods you can eat?  Maybe because you now have your first two teeth?!  Maybe because you seem to try to take a step every so often?  Time is going by way too fast!  I was reading another mother's blog and she referred to everything being only a season.  This made me sad, because I know you being a baby is only a season that I want to press the pause button!  I know we have so many exciting things to look forward to with you, but I want to pause my time with you right now. 

New things for you this month: 2 bottom teeth, standing on your own for longer periods, constantly "talking" especially what sounds like da da, moving into mostly 6-12 month clothes, weighing almost 18 pounds, picking up and grasping small pieces and feeding yourself.

You unfortunately have had a rough past couple of weeks.  You have had some congestion due to allergies I believe.  I had you at the doctor just to check to make sure it was not an ear infection, because you had been waking up through the night, all night long for several nights...not like you.  You were running a low grade fever, and had a fever blister pop up...poor girl!  Good news was you did not have an ear infection, but blisters on your mouth, tongue, and throat...which was probably the explanation of you waking in pain, along with your first two teeth popping through.  I believe you are healing and have been a much happier girl. 

Fun things we have been up to: traveling to Uncle Braedon's football games, you do so well and love the attention, celebrating your cousins, Alex and Ethan's first birthday.  You did so well there, didn't try to steal their presents or anything!  This was right around the time when I thought you started not feeling good, but you handled the long trip over to their house great!  We also had some great news: you will be having a new cousin next year, as Mommy's cousin Beth is going to have a baby! 

You continue to eat pretty well: 7 oz. when you wake up, 6tbsp cereal and fruit w/ 4 oz. bottle, 6 tbsp veggies w/ 4 oz bottle the next 2 feedings, and a 7 oz. bottle before bed.  Just recently, we have been giving you  a few tablespoons of cereal with your bedtime bottle to help fill you up through the night since you had been waking up lately.  We can start giving you meats, but just haven't yet.  You are still on breast milk, but that supply is quickly being depleted, so hopefully you transition from it well!  You have slept mostly through the night, except for when you have recently not felt well.  You also have seemed to be taking a morning nap, an afternoon nap, and want to nap in the evening.  I really try to avoid that evening nap, because then you are quite the night owl. 

Mommy and Daddy finally got a new laptop, so hopefully we will be better about updating recent photos of you!  We are looking forward to all the new things we have to experience with you in the coming months.  This weekend we are looking forward to going to the pumpkin patch with your cousins to pick out your pumpkin for you jack-o-lantern.  You continue to be such a sweet girl.  You make us laugh all the time.  We just can't get enough of you!  We love you with all of our hearts sweet Tyler!  You fill our lives with so much joy!  God has truly blessed us!

7 Months Old!!!

Tyler, you were 7 months old yesterday, August 28. WowI feel like I justwrote your six mo post. We had such a great summer! You have grown so much and changed so much since the beginning of the summer! I am so thankful to have had it spent with you to see you go through so many changes! You weigh about17 pounds. You love to eat, your bottle is still your favorite, but you do a good job of eating solids too. Anytime you see us with food or a drink, you want it! You eat a 7 oz. bottle when you wake up in the morning, anywherefrom 6-7. You usually go about 3 hrs and have cereal with fruit mixed in with a 4 oz. bottle. Then about 4 hrs. later you either get a 7 ozbottle or if home with me I give you 6 tblsp og veggies with 4 oz. and same for your evening feeding. You usually get a 7 oz bottle before bed. You have been going to bed about 9-10 every night for the last several weeks since I have been back to school. Your favorite fruits are All of them...pears, apples, peaches, we have layed off the bananas bc I think they were making you constipated! Your veggies you like are peas, sweet pot, broccoli, squash...ones you are so so about are green beans, cauliflower, corn. It is nice That Imake your food so it is easy to mix them! I love making your food! It is actually really fun! We let you try drinking water out of your sippy cup a few times and you have done pretty well. Still getting the hang of it.

You are quite busy these days! Constantly on the move! Crawling everywhere and standing up! You have gotten real brave and let go when standing...ahhh! We have already had a bruise from the sitter when you lost your balance! You still love to jump. You like to laugh at yourself and are starting to jabber more and more. Sometimes we can get you to mimic dada. You have also figured out how to walk along things like the couch! I am telling ya...you are nonstop! You love phones, cords, outlets, remotes...basically all that youre not supposed to!

You went to the sitter for the first time, somewhere other than family! So hard on me and unfortunately I think you too! On the first day Iicked you up, I think you were in shock, the second day was terrible! When I picked you up, I could tell you had been crying bc u were trying to catch your breath. I barely got out the door with you before I broke down in tears! I hated to see you so upset! Thankfully last week was much better...hopefully just getting used to new surroundings! I really hope youll make friends there with Peyton, your sitter Carrie Ford's little girl and Kinley, Mandi Povolish little girl. They go there with you. You go two days a week and are with gma donna three days.

You still sleep all night, only wake when you want your pacifier back in. You dontsleep the best when not at home though. You nap for at least an hour morning and afternoon, sometimes some catnaps in between.

You went to your first Hornet event...the football soda scrimmage. Uncle Braedon is a senior and playing. You also made your second trip to visit your cousins in St charles....we are looking forward to celebrating their first bday next month! You also went shopping with Gram Kania and I. You did real good! You thought you were hilarious in the dressing room mirror!

Tyler, We love watching you grow and develop...still no teeth.ha! But you chew and chew and drool and drool...but none yet!

Thank you for bringing your daddy and I so much joy! You make us smile and laugh all the time! Cant imagine life without you! I understand unconditional love for sure! we love you so much words cannot express! You are our world and such a blessing! We love you Tyler Marie!

6 months old!

Tyler, you were six months old on July 28th! How has it been a half of a year already?!?! You have accomplished so much already and just amaze us each day! We went for your six month dr appt. and you weighed right at 16 pounds...60 th percentile and were 26 inches long...98 th percentile! You are such a busy girl! You are crawling everywhere and stand up every chance you can get. Youstarted pulling up on our ottoman at home several weeks ago and now you act like it is no big deal and make it look so easy! You are so happy and proud when you pull yourself up! Now we are working on getting back down! Nothing is safe in the house...I am a nervous wreck al the time! You are also still quite the night owl. Getting you to bed before 11is an accomplishment! Maybe when I go back to school you will be more scheduled, but As crazy asit sounds, I am not looking forward to that at ALL! I am going to miss you so much it makes me sick to think about! You will be goingto a sitter two days a week and with grandma. Donna three days. I am gzoing to work to give you everything I want to give you and spoil you with....it is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I talked your daddy into letting me hire someone to clean our house! Yea! Since I will be awayfrom you all day, I dont want to waste time scrubbing floors etc. in the evening or on the weekends when I can be with you and daddy! I am so excited he agreed...it is going to help so much and relieve just that stress and make me feel so good you are crawling around on clean floors!

I had the best birthday this year because you were with me. We went to St. Louis for the day. We started out with breakfast in the CWE at Crepes Etc. Daddy and I loved going there when we lived in St. Louis. You were so good the whole day?, We then decided to take you to the zoo for the first time. Itwas rEally hot, so we tried to see all animals that were inside! We took you out of your stroller so you could watch the animals...the first you noticed was a toucan. We look forward to many fun times in St. Louis wih you! Wemade a trip to the mall and then to Trader Joes and then got Pei Wei to go and took it to Kerry and Joshs for dinner. Best Birthday ever spent with you and Daddy!

We have been on vacation this week in Branson. We have had a great time so far. We are here with gram, Aunt Lindsay. Aunt Jessica, Uncle Mike, Cousins Ethan and Alex. Also down here at the same time as us is Gary, Mrilyn, Craig, Mary Beth, Colt and Jaxon. We have a. beautiful condo right on table rock lake...awesome view from our place! It has a greT pool..zero entry so its perfect fr you little ones to sit and splash! Yesterday, we went witb everyone to see Noah the musical. You did pretty good...we were able to stand with you if needed at times on the side so that was nice! We wentand ate on a floating restaurNt and walked along Branson Landing. Today we spent the day at Big Cedar Lodge where they had a lazy river, a kiddie pool, a water slide, and an indoor pool. You loved lazy river and the indoor pool! Mommy and Daddy enjoyed a few slides down tzhe water slide...big kids again! We came home and odrered pizza..yum! Tomorrow is our last day here...boo...just spending the day in our pool here. Then Sunday it is back to reality...I am in DENiAL! There will be tears shed this week I know...Daddy better be ready ha!

We are so proud of you Miss Tyler Marie! You amaze us everyday and make us love you more and more, but it is so easy! We. cant wait to see what the next six months will bring! We love you with all of our hearts! You are a complete joy in our life!

Tyler's 1st summer vacation!

We went on vacation last week with the Haertling family to Kentucky Lake. Devin's family organized this as his grandparent's anniversary is in July and both will be celebrating their 75th and 80 th birthdays in Aug and Sept. On Monday evening before we left for the lake on Wed. Tyler got to meet her Great Aunt Julie, Great Uncle Bob, and cousins Nathan and Jared Burgess. They just moved from Arizona to Houston, TX so this is the first time theyve been here since Tyler was born. We visited with a yummy fish fry at Devin s grandparents. His grandpa Haertling always has the best fish! On Wednesday, I had a workshop to attend, but Devin was off and stayed with Tyler and packed up the 4 runner so we could leave as soon as I got home. Devin fed Tyler right before we left and we were ready to hit the road! Tyler did great! It was a 2 1/2 hour drive and she slept the entire way! She was out before we even got out of Nashville. We arrived at the lake house that Devin s Uncle Steve arranged for us to stay in. It was so beautiful! This is the owners second home and wow! It was NICE! Most of the family stayed on a house boat they rented. Uncle Steve brought his ski boat. I was just looking forward to relaxing and once I saw the house knew I could just enjoy the luxury! It was beautiful with the deck off the back oerlooking the lake. I did not take Tyler on the boat...no lifejacket for her and just didnt think a five month old needed to be on a ski boat. Devins mom stayed with her one afternoon so we could enjoy boating on the lake, Devin skied, and we took a ride on the jet ski. Another afternoon Great Grandma stayed with Tyler and Devin and I joined his family just swimming in the lake. We enjoyed getting to see some family that lives farther away. Many came and went through the week, but I think there was one day when all but four family members were there! Tyler did swim in her little blow up pool and loved it! She did great on her first trip! I plan to do lots of traveling with her, so hopefuly she continues to like it! Next up, Branson in a couple weeks!

4th of July!!!

We had a great 4th of July weekend!  Tyler did wonderful with all of the festivities!  Friday evening, we went to eat at Kretzer's with my parents, sister, and my grandma Kania.  Saturday we had a low key day and worked outside in the landscaping.  Saturday night, Devin and I had a friend's wedding to go to (Staci Harre) so Tyler stayed with her Great Grandma and Grandpa Haertling.  She did great for them, but she had them wrapped around her finger ha!  When we called to check on her, they said she ate 2 bottle in an hour!  She slept the rest of the night....normally she gets one bottle every 3 hours!  Oh Tyler!  I said she was probably thinking, these people are going to give me whatever I want!  My mom left the wedding a little early and went and picked her up to put her in her bed at our house for us!  Thanks mom!!!!  On Sunday, we got Tyler dressed in her 4th attire and went to church!  Her buddy Braylin was there sitting in front of us and Tyler loved smiling at him!  We even got a few smiles out of Braylin too!  So cute!!!  Sunday evening we had my cousin Colt's 4th birthday party to go to.  We had dinner and finished the night with some great fireworks!  Tyler did really well with them, she just loved watching the fun colors!  On Monday, Devin grilled here at home and later that evening we headed to the park to watch the town's fireworks!  I was worried about how she would do because I knew they would be really loud, but she just sat on my lap the whole time watching them and never cried!  They were a wonderful display!  After the fireworks, we walked back to Devin's Grandma and Grandpa Haertling's for ice cream!  It was yummy, she had red white and blue ice cream!  Yummy blueberries and raspberry topping!  See the earlier post for the pictures from the weekend!  Such a fun patriotic weekend spent with my family!  We are gearing up for Tyler's first vacations coming up in the next few weeks!  Our first will be a trip to Kentucky Lake...let's hope she turns out to be a good traveler!

5months old!

Tyler, you were five months on Tuesday, June 28 th! You have got quite the personality these days! It doesn't take much to get you to smile....you absolutely love attention! When anyone talks to you , you almost always smile! I believe you weigh around 15 pounds! Everyone says you are so petite, which I think also because most of your 3 to 6 month size dresses are too big on you still! You still eat every 3 hours about 7 ounces each time. This month you got your first taste of real food other than just milk. Your first taste was some rice cereal I mixed with your milk to get you used to the spoon...for the forst few days, you would still push it out with your tongue, but you have really gotten the hang of it. I have decided to make as much of you food myself as I can. The first I made was sweet potatoes...you love them! Now when you see the spoon you get really excited! You get about two tablespoons each time I have given them to you, so far just once a day. I just am letting you get used to it all, however you seem to love it and if I would let you, I think you would eat a whole lot more. I made some green beans last night, so we are going to give you your first try of them tonight. So now I give you about a tablespoon of rice cereal with one ounce of milk and a small bit of banana mashed in mid morning and a veggie in the evening.

You are becoming quite mobile these days too! You scoot all over the floor and roll too! You look like you are aboit to crawl, but still have to figure out getting your arms and legs to move together. It is so cute to watch you. You also love to hear your own voice, you are always sqealing and laughing and jabbering! Everything goes in your mouth, you are constantly chewing on your fingers and toes as well as everything else that you can get in your mouth! You continue to sleep through the night, but we still have to get up sometimes in the night to give you your pacifier. You have becomequite the night owl, but I let you sleep in so I think thats why. You usually go down around 10 and get up from 8-9 am. Your naps are sporadic, sometimes really good and sometimes short cat naps. Wesometimes can get you to go to sleep just sitting you in our lap with your pacifier. Sometimes we have to walk you around outside to go down....you love it outside! We went swiming in your small pool a few times and you love it! Aunt Lindsay and I took you to Grandma Haertlings big pool and you also loved that! We put you in your raft and you kicked nonstop! Daddy got home early from work this week so he came with us and you had a blast with him! You adore your daddy! He can make you giggle like no one else and you give him the biggest smile! You are starting to startle easily from loud noises...Daddy was shoveling landscape rock and you did not like it! We ll see how you do with the fireworks this weekend!

You love when I sing to you, lots of nursery rhymes and you love sesame street....especially big bird! You also will sit and let meread you books a few ata time....I think you are going to love learning!

We love you so much Tyler! Our hearts areexploding with love for you! We are so proud to be your mommy and daddy! You light up our lives and make my day just being with you! I thank God for blessing me with you everyday! What a joy you are!

Tyler fell asleep outside with Mommy

Father's Day 2011

Great Aunt Lori 

My Godmother/Aunt Jessica

Grandpa and Alex on Father's Day

My Godson Alexander

Cousins Playing

Cousin Riley

Cousin Jaxon

My Godson Sammy eating his ribs and tomatoes!

Happy First Day of Summer!!!

Watching Sesame Street...Big Bird is funny!

Snoozing with Daddy

Tyler's first time swimming in a big pool

Getting used to the water

Drying off with Uncle Braedon and Aunt Lindsay

Mommy and Tyler

Daddy and Tyler

Big Girl!!!

Clean Baby after her bath!

5 months old!!  June 28, 2011

Swimming with Daddy!

Love my family!!

Mischievous look! ha!  She crawled all the way over here to her toys!

Love bath time!!!

Mommy and Daddy's night out to a wedding

Tyler's first 4th of July!

My Buddy Braylin Storey (2 months) at church

All American Baby!

Meeting my newest buddy Brewer Jankowski (8 days old)

Great Aunt Joyce

4 generations

Elyse letting me get away with whatever I want!

Proud to be American

Daddy and Tyler ready for her first fireworks on the 4th that Great Uncle Steve puts on at the park!

Our family on the 4th!

excited for the fireworks!

Grandma Donna going to the fireworks with us

Watching the fireworks....Tyler did great....just watched all of them!

chewing on my Sophie the giraffe watching fireworks!

almost a crawler!

a lazy morning!

a summer evening with my Daddy!