California or Bust!

We're off to Granny's!

Tomorrow Tyler and I are going to Sacramento to visit Granny and Grandpa Crooks. We get to try the airport scene again. This time we are going to try to do it with Tyler in our little front carrier and see if it makes security and lines any easier than carrying the little chunk in his car seat.

I'm sure we'll have some fun somewhere along the way. Wish us luck as we take to the friendly skies. Pictures will follow shortly :)

Our little boy is 9 months

That's right, Tyler has been out of the womb as long as he was in the womb. Crazy huh? He is such a big boy now! Here are a few fun things that Tyler is doing now that he is 9 months old.

- playing the piano

- "cruising" along

- masterfully crawling

- eating table foods like a champ

- wore out his first pair of shoes

- laughing a lot more

- starting to speak his language

- still not quite sleeping through the night ;) we'll keep our fingers crossed for 10 months on that one!

dada

Tyler has been so close to saying "dada" for a few days now, but this morning was one of the most distinct, so I figure it counts as more than babble and I can officially post about it!

Sure, I could be hurt that he didn't say mama first, but the pediatrician told us the first word is usually dada because it's easier to say...oh well. Tyler and I go in and wake up Ryan just about every day. We do it even more lately because Tyler has been so close to saying "dada". This morning we went in to see how Ry was doing after our walk and Tyler blurted out "da da" followed by a couple lone "da" then a cute little "da-de". So cute!

Now...if only he'd get my name down :)

Another weekend in Paradise

We got lucky to have daddy home for another full weekend. We also got lucky that Ryan won some competition at work and got a small bonus. We also got lucky that Toys R Us was having a buy one, get one free special so...we went and spent part of Ryan's winnings getting Tyler some new toys.
Anyone who knows Ryan, knows that Saturday starts out with car washing and house cleaning. Tyler is getting used to the routine, but he is also getting very brave and strong in his walker. He broke through our make-shift barrier and got up-close and personal while dad was cleaning the tires. So cute to see Tyler want to be like his daddy already.
New toys!!Tyler got a basketball hoop/football/baseball thing that lights up and makes noises. He also got a mini piano with some beads to play with on top. He (and the cousins) are enjoying all the noise and excitement.
Tyler loves his daddy- especially in the morning right after they both wake up. Here they are getting some quality cuddle time. Both men have the necessities, blankie and remote...happy boys!Sunday Tyler and mommy were sporting some green...and we need proof every now again that there is a mom in the picture (no pun intended)

Our cute little boy is cruising along the couch, table, crib, etc. much more now. Thankfully he is also getting more brave going from standing back to sitting. He used to get "stuck" standing up and just fuss!

Here's to another week of adventure, growing, learning, and loving!!

Quiet Moments

There have been a bunch of "moments" to write about lately. I figured I'd better take a quick minute while Tyler is asleep and try to get everything into one blog. If it is terribly scatter-brained, forgive me in advance!
The other morning started off great. Ty woke up (early) ate, went back down for a nap. Great kid! I got to work out for a whole hour. As I was turning everything off to run back and shower I saw a story on the news that caught me off guard. It was a little piece about photographers that volunteer to take family pictures/maternity/baby pictures for families that know there are problems with their unborn children. They followed this one family from belly shots to hospital shots. They were some of the most poignant moments all captured beautifully. The news went on to talk about how it was easier to grieve if there was proof that this little person existed, because they did, no matter how short their time on earth may have been.
By this point, I am sweaty, stretching, and sobbing- no joke. I felt like such a dork- but there have been so many reminders to me lately about just how lucky I am to have my little guy. Tyler hasn't been the best at sleeping, so we've had many long, late nights together. This, combined with the fact that Ryan has been putting in tons of overtime left me feeling so overwhelmed. Those feelings passed eventually, due in part to reminders like this news story. It just hit me (again) that I am so blessed to have this little boy in my life. Not only do I have him, he is healthy, growing, laughing, and learning right on track. My pregnancy with him was a cake walk, labor and c-section really weren't anything to complain about, and he is here. I used to get so frustrated and loose my patience after the fifth straight hour of crying, but I just realized, how many people wouldn't give anything to hear their baby cry. The simple fact that he was crying and I could hold him and love him, isn't that enough?
Well, I know it is idealistic, but this little moment has stuck with me at least for three days so far. It's funny that I really didn't even cry when Tyler was born. Only now, have I even begun to realize how blessed we are as a family. We have had many fun baby moments in the family lately as you can see from some posts; baby blessings, adoptions, etc. There is another side that is bolstering my faith as a near stranger is waiting patiently as her little 1 week old is undergoing heart surgery right now. I really cannot believe the strength of this woman. How amazing.
Long story short, blessings truly are pouring out right now. As it goes with life, this doesn't mean the challenges stop altogether, but the Lord is definitely smiling on us right now. I am so grateful for my husband, my son, and a family that I know I can rely on in any situation. I also hope that I will remember how good it feels to "count my blessings", especially the next time I am up with a sick baby all night.

9 Months Stats

There has been a lot to blog about lately, but we'll keep this one simple with

Tyler's (almost) 9 month stats from the Dr. visit this morning

29 in. 20lbs.

That puts him at the 75-90% for height and 50% for weight. As the Dr. so eloquently put it, "He is long and lean". Maybe he will get some height from his Crooks genes after all!! The only unfortunate part is that the little guy just developed a cough and runny nose...AGAIN. The Doc said everything looks good still- no recurrence of the bronchitis or ear infection. Yeah!!

This morning we had a little help from Daddy getting dressed.

We were going for the preppy/biker look!

I just couldn't get these pictures rotated...or delete them so here are the ones to turn your head for ;) Enjoy

Baby Scott's Blessing

Today was a fun day! It started at 5a.m. unfortunately but it only got better from there. Tyler and I hung out for a bit, ate some breakfast, and took a bath around 6am...odd, but necessary. Tyler fell asleep last night at 5:30pm so he skipped out on his bath last night and definitely needed one for Sunday! Tyler was even a good boy and took a short nap from 7-8am before we left for church in Centennial Hills for the blessing. Cousin Jenna met at our house to go together and we were off!

There was a bunch of fun girl talk on the way. Jenna is expecting in August so we got to chat about baby stuff. Tyler was intrigued with Jenna's fingernails...just something simple, but interesting. Walking into church we got to see a bunch of Ryan's family and some people I knew as family friends on my side. All of Aunt Anita's kids were there to support Matt and Jill with their new baby boy, Scott.

Cool story behind this baby blessing is that he was a long time coming. Matt and Jill have been very patient for this little spirit. It was special to be present for his blessing- and definitely a sweet moment. Scott is so tiny and precious!! We look forward to seeing more of him.

After the blessing there was some amazing food, great family, and cute kids everywhere. The wind was off the charts crazy, but that was about the only downside for the whole day. Ryan got to hold Scott and of course he's baby hungry again (or maybe it's me...) but he does such a great job with the tiny ones. Ryan calmed Scott right down. He's got that touch.

We made a quick stop by Aunt Sarah and Uncle Ryan's new place. It was beautiful! Big, open, on a golf course, amazing. So happy they could get a good deal on a place where they feel safe and hope to be able to stay until Ryan is done with dental school.

Aunt Anita is one of Tyler's many fans. He wasn't cooperating very well for this picture because he was so tired by the end of this adventure- but he sure does love the attention. Hope to be in Cali soon to see our family again!