The park

We've had a few outings to the park, just can't beat the spring in Utah.  Tyson isn't used to being outside yet so it takes him awhile to be himself.

Murray Park is our normal stroll park.  Here was a really fun day, 3/9/14

And then David actually had a day off on 4/9/14 so we had a picnic too.  Tyson was lucky and even got a bite of Jimmy Johns bread and cheese too!  (First time he ate our food!)

Oh he's adorable.  We love him!  And so fun to get outside now.

A Day in My Life Lately

My normal days change every few weeks depending on Tyson and since he's growing so fast I better capture what our days are like at home seeing that in a few weeks I will be on to a new schedule.  And I'm scared for the next phase (crawling!!).

One thing I've learned is that Mom of an infant doesn't have a real "set" schedule with a clock but it just depends on how Tyson slept, when he woke up, how fussy he is, and so on...  Oh and throw in work, house and anything else to the mix.  But me as I am, I still want to follow a clock, but I'm trying hard not too, even though I had to call out times here so at least you get the idea...

And I know you moms out there with more kids than hands - I don't know how you do it.  Not to say that those of us with one or none kids have it easy, cuz we all have it different and crazy busy.  I feel like I am barely keeping up most of the time, but still it's worth it to be home with Tyson.

So here's at least a day in the life of me this week:

5:45am Tyson wakes, I go in and feed him. I may snooze during or read emails/facebook.  Diaper change half way through and plop him back in bed

6:30am Sleep for about 10-20 more minutes while kissing David goodbye as he heads out the door

7:00am Shower and get ready.  Sometimes Tyson sleeps and sometimes he doesn't so I may or may not have time to do my hair, so it could be a ponytail day.

7:30am If Tyson is up we get him ready and eat breakfast, meaning I try to convince Tyson that baby oatmeal is good but no matter what I do or mix, he still isn't convinced ;)  If he's not up I just hop on the computer and work until he does wake up.

8:20am We play downstairs or upstairs.  Maybe I'm doing dishes while listening to Ty say dadda or play with his Elephant, or we toss in some laundry together or if I have a work meeting soon I may be at my computer while Tyson entertains himself.

9:00am -ish Tyson is about ready for Nap 1.  He gets a bottle, and then his bed routine - wrapped in a swaddle blanket, read 2 books, sing 3 songs, rock and pop him in bed.

9:05am Tiptoe out and hope he sleeps and doesn't cry long.  Sometimes it takes an hour, sometimes it only takes a few minutes.  He sleeps most of the time though.

9:10am I work fast and get whatever I can done with spreadsheets or things that take lots of concentration.  Emails, spreadsheets, etc.  Maybe I'm on Skype with someone too at some point.  Tyson usually sleeps only 45 min for Nap 1.

10:30am After Tyson has been up for a good 20 min and just playing on the office floor, he's ready to be nursed.  I work during that and then take a break and play with him when we are done.

11:30am Lunchtime for both of us.  Tyson eats a lot better when I eat, especially crunchy food he loves watching.

12:00pm Sad but true, TV may pop on for just a bit.  Helps my sanity and Tyson doesn't need to be hanging on my hip for a few minutes while I peacefully scarf down something and watch Cupcake Wars!!

12:15pm Tyson starts to get fussy so I make a bottle and we are ready for Nap 2.  Same routine as first Nap.

12:30pm Back to work, while maybe popping down to see the end of Cupcake Wars.  What a bad addiction huh?  And it just adds to my sweets addiction!

1:30pm Tyson is up around this time and he's usually okay to play a bit by himself either in the floor piano thing or the new jumper chair he just got.  Sometimes though he just wants to sit on my lap and at that point work is not going to happen as he would just attack the keyboard and really anthing.

2:30pm Another nursing while working if possible.  It's a push and pull sometimes to get him to eat as he wants to look around and gets distracted and chats or cries etc.

3:00pm We just play until he's fussy again

3:30pm Bottle and about ready for Nap 3, same routine as always

3:45pm Back to work.  Try and remember what I needed to do and call people or just keep doing spreadsheets as I have a million to do or review.  I may also run to the bathroom or usually go grab some chocolate :) ha

5:00pm Tyson is awake by now.  Sometimes we go outside for a walk if it's nice outside.  Sometimes he lets me work or if not we just call it and play downstairs for a change of scenery.  Lots of rolling, sitting, trying to grab at my hair, ya know, the usual.  I may attempt cooking dinner with Tyson in the family room or in his highchair if he doesn't like me being so far away.

5:53pm David gets home most days, but 1-2 a week right now he may get home at 4pm.  Tyson and I both look forward to 5:53 :)

6:00pm Dinner together if it's ready or David makes it while I nurse.

6:30pm Play a bit all together, or nurse if we ate at 6pm.  Bath nights are Tu/Th/Sat.  

7:00pm Then PJ's and David gives Tyson his last bottle and also puts him to bed for the night to switch it up and also let the boys have some time together.

7:30pm I'm back to work, usually after a quick bowl of ice cream.  I try to put in 2-3 hours and then David is usually done studying and we both are exhausted and ready for bed.

11:00pm Hit the pillow and crash, maybe sharing a few coordinating things or something

Well it doesn't look to bad on here does it?  But by Fridays I'm exhausted and still Saturday and Sunday it's pretty much the same but instead of work I'm usually doing cleaning/laundry/cooking/shopping.  And sometime I'm going to find time to work on my projects.

But each day is fun.  Sometimes when there's lots of crying it's hard.  But the days when Tyson is just such a smily boy, it's just so special.

(written 4/5/14 - and the above schedule has already changed a bit here now at 4/19/14 waking up at 6:30, not going back down till 9am, nursing only 3 times a day and soon going to 2, and also liking oatmeal and his other foods more now)

Tyson: 7 Months

We are still at such a fun age!  I can't get over just how playful Tyson is with us.  Not sure how but our love grows daily.  We have the best little boy.  Here's what he's been up to this last month.

• Rolling over both ways, since 2/13
• Started to sit up on his own, since 2/18 when it would only last half a minute but he's so good now and barely topples over still only after reaching for something just too far
• First stroller ride, 2/25
• First visit to the ZOO, 2/26
• Moved past rice cereal without being in love, but had his first squash (3/2) and quickly grew to like it, especially if we eat with him at the same time and also let him touch the spoon sometimes
• Sleeping 10-12 hours a night then sometimes goes back for 1-2 more, started 2/26
• Getting mobile - turning in circles while on belly and on the piano mat
• Shocked mom and dad by pulling himself up to almost standing in the tub, 3/4
• Lots of grunts still, and makes high pitched noise/whine while eating
• Tyson loves his mama
• More and more walks this month with the good weather
• No crawling yet, but he's really wanting to move or sit/stand
• Loves the channel changer and our cell phones
• Loves watching us drink water or eat apples or something loud
• Had his first sip of water, holding his own cup with my help, loved it, 3/7
• Starting to roll on tummy and back to play with us and get away from being tickled
• Ticklish all over!
• Expanding what he's interested in - Likes to check out what's around him like the wall, doorstop, outside of highchair, mom's face, pictures on wall - grabbing it all really

7 month photo shots below

Oreo Yum

I'm not a food blogger, but I sure wanted to be while making these delicious Oreo Truffles.  Seriously, so good.  And maybe it's because I'm nursing (which who knew that it caused crazy cravings and much more ravenous eating then when pregnant?!? - like way more) but I could just eat these all up!

I'm addicted to sweets... baked goods... Take 5 bars... Donuts... Ice Cream... Skittles...  Are ya hungry with me yet?  So sorry if you are on a diet or eating healthy to keep your body healthy.  I'll get there someday.  But since nursing = high metabolism, I'm enjoying one nice thing about it.

Back to the food...

Crunch up a bag of oreos, mix in 8 oz of cream cheese (next time I'll do a little less cream cheese, I could taste it too much)

Use a cookie scoop to get similar sized balls, but I still rounded them out with my hands

Melt some chocolate - either the milk chocolate melts or we tried that and also just some semi sweet chips.  The semi sweet made it too rich and messy for us.

Dip the oreo balls into the melted chocolate and place on wax paper.  Quickly sprinkle some left over oreo crumbles (oops forgot to mention to save some at the beginning, again not a food blogger) on top for some added pizzaz.

And then ... have a chocolate war.  Yum!  He didn't get to shove cake at me at my wedding so there you go babe.

Lastly, enjoy!

It's crazy but I dis-liked Oreos all my life till getting pregnant.  Pregnancy changes a lot. The end.

Zoo

We went to the Zoo this past week, Tyson's first visit.  And neither D or I had been in awhile either.  And we went with ward friends!  Ward friends?!?!?  It has been 4 years of marriage and FINALLY we are in a ward where we are making friends.  I am just happy about it, can you tell?!?

So an equation:  Free zoo + gorgeous 57 degree weather = way crowded!

Parking took the longest but once we made it, it was good.  D and I aren't the biggest animal lovers and Tyson was a bit too small to understand, but we enjoyed it and the company.  Tyson hasn't been out much so it was nice to actually use our stroller and get him outdoors.  There was one cute baby monkey  and elephant, but the rest of the animals weren't too amusing.

There are like 6 or more of us in the ward who all had a baby within a month or two - below are 3 of the kiddos and new mommies.  Cute.

Here we are...

We visited the Zoo 2/26/14

Lately

Currently we live a rather hum-drum life with school and baby and lots of home time for Mom and Tyson.  Is it bad to say we have just barely recovered from the holidays?  Travels, sickos, crazy 2 jobs and finals and shopping... makes me tired just writing it down again.

I'd say we've taken it slow, but no we still pack it in.  To make note:

Andrea work-from-home

Remember how I get to be a Mom at home?  Well, crazy thing is I am now also working-from-home about 20-30 hours a week.  The job literally fell in my lap in December and I couldn't turn it down since for the next 3.5 years we won't have income from D.  It felt like a blessing from heaven even though secretly I'd have hoped not to work for awhile or until we were down to almost $0 in our savings.  But we're being looked after and hopefully this will prevent us getting to $0 during dental school.  Times like these the little blessings are so big.  And me, Mom, is trying to balance time with Tyson and her computer, and so far I'm doing okay.   The mobile Tyson will be a challenge but I guess parenting always brings new challenges to the same-ol stuff.

Winter

So besides David, sometimes Tyson and Andrea don't get out much.  At. All.  For maybe 2 weeks.  And I have to say, I'm just fine with it :)  When the sky is filled with inversion crap, snow is on the ground, and it's bitter cold --- we are enjoying our 71 degree house.  I kind of feel spoiled.  Poor David has to get out in it, but he like cold more than hot so I don't feel too bad.

Our wager

D and I had a bet going.  David, the tooth expert these days, said most kids don't get teeth till soon after 6 months.  Well, I just wanted to put a little something out there because he can't always be right about this stuff right?  And my motherly instincts said Tyson could be advanced... haha  So, if Tyson had any teeth by his 6 month mark, I got a --- one hour massage!! --- well, Ty was so close, but no teeth.  They are coming here soon, but David won.  And hey, I am happy to give him that rub.  All that school, he deserves it.

Plant-based Diet

David was on a "vegan" diet for the first 2 weeks in February for a class at school.  All of January he was dreading it and I was trying to figure out dinner meals that we could make.  No dairy, no meat, no sweets.  I am SO NOT a vegan girl.  And I really wanted to try and do part of it with him, at least the no sweets.  And no diary/meat at dinner so we could all eat together.

I lasted not even 24 hours!

My sweets called for me and I ate ice cream almost daily during those 2 weeks.  Not having meat at dinner really just didn't fill me, or him up.  We've had second and third dinners a lot :)  David said he's been reminded the importance of fruits and veggies and less sweet.  But we are not a no dairy or meat type of family and the rest of February, bring on the meat and cheese!

Date Night

David planned a surprise date night and Shayla watched Tyson and he and I went to the temple.  So good of him to get me there since I've been worried to leave Ty, but we did it.  We also have a spiritual chart that we get to mark off when we've read scriptures, had FHE or been to the temple and so far we are marking it off every time!  I'm hoping at the end of the year to say we made it (thanks to a cousin for inspiring me on her daily reading - thanks Brooke!)

Temple Prep

I'm the temple prep teacher at my ward, held every week during the 2nd hour.  Well, we weren't getting anyone there but we have a new little family that have just come back to the church and now have a goal to be in the temple by April!  It is such a fun class, besides that they might be one of the few new friends we have, they are just very new and excited and it brings memories and feelings of what the gospel does for us that I hadn't thought about in awhile.  They have a baby same age as Tyson too!

To Do's

My to do list for house stuff or me stuff gets longer and longer, but I am crossing a few things off as well.  Our 2013 family pictures are hung, Tyson has a few more things on his walls, PJ's mended, and a few other things here and there.  I really wish to do lists ended, but they just won't.

Dental stuff

David has been doing great in school and has a really full schedule.  His semester is being broken up into two with 41 total credit hours from now till May.  This semester is all about dental stuff so he's enjoying that part - making molds, drilling and filling on practice teeth, and even teeth cleanings and learning shots here at the end of the semester.

Can't think of much else.  There's always more, but that's it for now.