Giggle Box

Tillman's Big Brother, Graham Dog, Is In TROUBLE!

You'll notice in the top right corner of this photo, Graham has a FULL bowl of food.  By the looks of this photo, you'd think we didn't feed him (or discipline him for that matter)!  This is the FIRST time he has ever done this, and we hope the LAST! 

Graham is currently in "time out!"

Employee In Training

Email from Nick:
"Tillman helping with the next proposal. 
Not sleeping much today."

I got an email yesterday with this photo attached from Nick.  Tillman was helping daddy get some desk work done!  My Grandfather always said "kids have their work to do too."  So, yes; Tillman was busy at his desk too--spinning around his toy and concentrating on keeping his head up.  I think he also got in some job shadowing.  Maybe by the time he goes to daycare he can teach the other kids how to write a landscaping proposal? 



PS Notice the outfit...he lives in this thing!  I ordered another one for him, and we got it in the mail yesterday.  Now at least we have a back up!

New Year's Card

What boy doesn't like bugs?

Hey, check out my bugs!

Tillman got a cute toy for Christmas from Cici and JRS.  He has been enjoying after bath time, the gardenbug foot and wrist rattle set by Lamaze Toys.  Lately, Tillman has been discovering his hands and feet.  This sock and rattle set has really engaged him.  When he has the socks on, he grabs for his toes and tries to grab the "bugs" on his feet.  Much the same with the wrist rattles, he'll bite the bugs on his wrist which gives his fingers a break (He always has his hands in his mouth. I think it disappoints him that he can't stick his full fist in his mouth!)

Tillman flashing the "hang ten" sign (right hand).

This set encourages him to do quit the workout.  He does ab crunches, toe touches, and arm stretches. Tillman gets really excited with his feet.  The socks end up coming off because he rubs and kicks so much!

Tillman drooling over bugs!

Since Tillman is discovering the world through his mouth, this toy has been great for him to chew on and help him with hand eye coordination!

Mom, what is on my arm?



4 Month Check Up

Sadly, this is the only picture
 I got at his appointment.

Luckily, Tillman has not been to the doctor since his two month check up in November.  He has been a pretty healthy boy!  Tillman hasn't had time to be sick because we've been on the "go" for the past two months, and he has been busy himself growing! 

At 4 months Tillman is

-14 lbs 4 ozs (37th percentile)

-25 inches long (54th percentile)

-Head size 16.25 inches (25th percentile)

-BMI of 16

I was glad to see his height became a little bit more average, and all of his stats have increased in the percentile rankings (especially his head size-it is up from the 3rd percentile!). 

Tillman got one vaccine (a combo shot), and he'll go back in two weeks to get the remaining 3 vaccines to complete his 4 month vaccine schedule.

We spent about 30 minutes with the PA going over questions and having her "take a look at" Tillman.  We were excited to find out that Tillman shows all the right signs to start food-rice cereal (holding his head up with good control and taking more than 32 ozs in a 24 hour period). We plan to start cereal this weekend, and by 6 months he will be able to have some fun fruits with it!

We also discussed sleeping.  She told us that he SHOULD be able to sleep through the night, and we SHOULD just let him cry it out....ugh!  Hard to hear (at the appointment and during the night last night...we did feed him once during the night).  Even though we explained when he wakes at night, he takes down a bottle and goes right back to bed (no play time involved), she said he should be fine until the morning, and he needs to sleep through the night.  BUT, she did follow up by saying "every child is different." We are going to try to see what works for us.  Having a long weekend (MLK holiday) may help us get through the "crying it out" stage if we choose that route.

Tillman is still pretty content with 3.5-4 ozs of milk at each feeding (I, the milk maid, am exclusively pumping...no formula yet for Tillman), although he should be taking 1/2 his weight, which is ~7ozs.  After getting home from the pediatrician visit, I did open a box of new bottle that had some 8 oz bottles and stage two nipples.  We gave him 6 ozs before going to bed, but during the night, he still took another 4ozs.  Tillman is funny when it comes to eating.  He is very good at "cleaning his plate" aka "taking down a full bottle," but don't ask him to go for "seconds."  Once the bottle is out of his mouth, he won't take anymore...he's done! 

I think if he can get down an 7-8 ozs bottle before bed, then I'll feel better about letting him "cry it out." 

We also chatted about "what should Tillman be doing now?"  She assured us that he was "normal." (I need to hear that.)  We did get confirmation that Tillman has been teething and he has a couple teeth under the gums.  It looks like he'll get teeth early.

She checked him out doing some "Tummy Time," and she said he does really well and looks "strong."  We asked if there was a suggested length of time we should do Tummy Time, but she didn't feel there was a set time to do it. 

She did ask if he was rolling over or intentionally grabbing at things.  We said "not yet."  So, that is what we will focus on.  He has rolled over, but it isn't intentional.

We are very glad to hear that Tillman is right on track!  Happy 4 Month Birthday, Tiny T!

Tummy Time

Touch Down!

We've really been focusing on "Tummy Time" lately.  Tillman really hates it, and boy, does he get mad after about 5 minutes into it.  Nick was told about a study done at Purdue University on a child's "symmetric tonic neck reflex," and Nick being a Boilermaker, of course, considers the study "the letter of the law." (The proud graduate he is :-)).  The results of the study (another article) say that if a child learns to crawl late/don't crawl enough or walking before crawling, they are more likely to have ADHD or symptoms of ADHD (This article refers to the research, but doesn't talk about the study directly.). 

Hey mom, you're blocking the TV!

Like all parents, we want to "mold" our child to be as "perfect" as possible (normal is ok too), so Nick has been reading how to prepare children for crawling. The main way is to strength their arm, neck and core muscle. There are several techniques they suggest, such as putting a rolled towel under their chest, using one of tummy time mats with a platform, and putting something in front of them that they can grab or that interest them.

Mom, you make a better door than a window!

 What interest Tillman, you say...the TV!  I am pretty sure that causes issues too!  These pictures are of him on our bed doing some tummy time while watching some football.  Well, I guess everything in moderation...right? 

Typical Male...glued to football

Children aren't supposed to crawl until 6-8 months, so we got a little while to see when he'll be waring (wearing ?) holes in the knees of his jeans. 

Moms out there-How long and how many times a day did you do Tummy Time with your children?

Wordless Wednesday (Tillman is 4 months old today!) & A Prayer

Tillman asks that you pray for his "JRS" (Meredith's dad) today who is have a partial (hopefully not full) knee replacement surgery!  We pray for a speedy recover and a good outcome. 

Up On Your Feet-It's Jumperoo Time!

Tillman loves to be on his feet and has pretty strong legs, so the Jumperoo and him are best buds!  There's just one slight issue....his feet don't touch the ground! 

We put a shoe box under him at first, but as of this past weekend, he has graduated to a book (growing longer by the day).  He has lots of growing room in the Jumperoo, as he can't reach any of the activities yet, but he loves to listen to the music, jump around, and look at alll the lights.

Sleeping Vertically

He plays so hard in the Jumperoo, it just flat "tuckers" him out! 

Literally!

Tillman's First Christmas

Tillman must have sang the song "All I want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" because the little guy has been teething.  We weren't sure what was going on on Christmas day, but he was beside himself, which lead to a "Cranky Christmas!" (In his defense, being away from home for 10 days, being around unfamiliar people, and being passed around probably didn't help.)

It wasn't until after we returned home that I had a chance to look around in his mouth.  Sure enough, he has two incisors developing under the gums.  I am sure we'll see them pop out in the next month or so. 

 Tillman slept most of Christmas day.  We woke him to open presents at my parent's house with our family (just didn't want him to miss out on the action on his first Christmas); although, I think he would have rather slept.

 After the festivities at my parent's house, we all went to my aunt's house to enjoy Christmas night with the extended family.  Let's see....there's only one way to say this...Tillman did NOT enjoy himself.  He let us know right quick that he wanted his swing and sleep.  Nick ended up leaving early and taking Tillman home.  I, the milk maid, had to leave soon after as well. 

Wow Mommy, check out all my loot!

Daddy's little boy

Cousin Colin, and Cousin Logan putting bunny ears on Colin

Cici's and JRS's 4 Grandboys

Christmas Week to Christmas Eve

Tillman sporting the outfit Cici made for him!

We spent Christmas in Lexington, SC this year at Cici and JRS's house.  We've alternated each year between Ohio and Lexington since we've been married.  Either the week before Christmas or the week after Christmas, we visit both sides of the family.

We arrived back in Lexington from Ohio on Tuesday, 22nd.  Originally, we weren't to come back to SC until Wednesday, but the weather report didn't look very good for Wednesday, so we headed back a day early.  The drive back was very rainy, and Nick didn't cut off the windshield wipers until we were in SC.  It went from snow, to a wintry mix, to rain the further we drove south.

We didn't get on the road until around 9AM, so the last hour of the trip, we had a screaming baby!  Tillman was absolutely DONE with the car!  We pulled over at one point, got him out the seat, and he did great!  As soon as we sat him in the seat, he was angry!  We just decided to drive on and listen to him scream!  Nick and I knew that the end of the drive was in sight, but Tillman was letting us all know that he wanted out!

 During the week, we just bummed around Lexington.  It was nice to have a "do nothing" few days.  The only things I wanted to get done was to get the car washed and to have a movie date with Nick!  Man was our car a mess after being in the snow. 

We went and saw the Little Fockers.  It was ok...like most every one's review of it, but it was great to have a date with Nick.  Tillman and Cici hung out while we were going.

Family photo before Church on Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve, we went to the 5:30 service at my home church, St. Peter's Lutheran.  This was the first time we'd been to that service.  In the past, it has been a tradition to always go to the late service, but 10:30 wouldn't have been the best time for Tillman.  Plus, I am sure people attending worship would be less forgiving if my child had an outburst (if you can relate to people shooting daggers at you when your child makes a peep)!

We arrived at church at 5:25, and I won't make that mistake again!  We ended up on the FRONT row, organ side!  Usually this isn't a big deal, but Tillman is not a fan of loud, sudden noises.  He was chilling out in his car seat, and once the organ cranked up, he "primpt" like he was going to burst into tears.  I rescued him out of the car seat, and held him for the service.  He did really well through the service, but the last five minutes, he had to be taken out!  Nick was on duty for that, so my parents and I enjoyed the remainder of the candle light portion of the service.

After the service, we went home, got in our jammies, and settled in for the night.

I Spy...

Remember that game? 

Well if you're out shopping at Citadel Mall, make sure to keep your eyes peeled for Tillman. 

We went to Citadel Mall right before Christmas this year to get our yearly ornament from Hallmark.  Nick and I have gotten one each year.  In fact, we both gave each other an ornament as one of our first gifts.  It just so happened; we didn't plan it. 

This year we got a baby's first Christmas ornament for Tillman.   

Like every year, Hallmark was busting at the seams with people and was super busy.  We left Nick at the check-out while Tillman and I strolled around the mall.  We found Tillman's picture on the kiosk right outside of Claire's and Hollister!

If Tillman were one of those E-Trade babies,
I wonder what he would be saying in this photo. 
He wasn't the least bit interested in getting his photo taken
(as if he was embarrassed or something!)

Cozy T

Tillman's Mimi got him a "bunting suit" since this southern baby doesn't have much for snow or cold weather.  Tillman really enjoyed this suit.  In fact, he wears the suit all the time now!  This kid likes to be cozy and warm. 

Afterall, that is when he gets his best sleep!



Check out those pink rosy cheeks!

Tillman Meets Some of His Family

Tillman with his Great Grandmother
(her husband is who Tillman is named after)

Tillman got to meet his Great-Grandmother, Nick's sister's family, and the extended family on Nick's dad's side. 

We had family pictures made the Sunday before Christmas.  We wore black tops and jeans.  Anxiously awaiting to see how those turned out.  Hope to post some of those. 

Tillman didn't get changed into his outfit until the last minute.  Never know what could happen if we put it on him too soon!

Road Trip-Ohio Bound

Check out my moves now that I have a clean diaper and am fed!



 On the night of December 16th, we left our house for "Christmas Vacation."   The first leg of the trip would take us to Lexington, SC for the night.  We stopped in at my parents house (JRS & Cici) to drop off 1/2 the car load of Christmas gifts, shave two hours off our drive, and to get a good night's rest before traveling to Nick's mom's house (Mimi) in Dayton, OH (9 hr drive from Lexington).

Tillman making a high pitched squelling sound

We got on the road at 5:30AM to head to Ohio.  Tillman does really well in the AM and is generally a little "sleepy head."  We've learned from our other road trip to VA it is best to get on the road as soon as possible.

Tillman kickin' it in the SMKW's parking lot

Nick was hoping he'd make it to the Smokey Mountain Knife Works exit...this is in TN (exit 407 off I-40-Kodak, TN...in case you're curious)!  I had my doubts, and really thought we'd have a hungry boy on our hands before we got there.  Tillman granted Nick's wish and lasted until we got to SMKW.  Nick is a Case Knife collector and enjoys stopping in to SMKW to see what is new.  Tillman and I hung out in the car.  We fed, did a diaper change, and got Tillman some out of the car seat time!  As you can tell by the photos, he was loving being out of the seat and enjoyed kicking around.

Bubble Machine

 As expected, Tillman got cranky about an hour after we got back on the road.  He really wanted some attention!  We pulled off the interstate!  We did a little shuffling around of stuff, and Nick was offically our chauffeur!  Tillman summons me to the back seat for the remainder of the trip!

After that stop, we didn't stop the rest of the trip!  I over came my fear of feeding Tillman in the car seat...not completely...I still think it could be dangerous, but I try to be smart about it.  I've found that if he is really hungry, he doesn't mess around with the bottle and sucks it down!  If he is not totally hungry and using the bottle as a passifier, that is when he tends to choke on the milk (scairy when a child is bucked in the car seat, and the car is going 70 MPH plus!)

"Maybe if I smile at Momma, she'll let me drive?"

Nick and I were listening to his new book on tape, Decision Points by George W Bush, for the drive.  Whether you like "W" or not, I think it is a great book, and really helps one understand him and the tough decisions of The President.  I also really enjoyed that he was the voice of the book (authors aren't always the voice).

Nick is a huge book on tape fan (his lovely wife purchased him this book on tape...CD).  The thought of the word, "book," about puts me into a coma (not much of a reader beyond blogs), but this one kept me awake and interested!

We arrived in Dayton around 3:30pm.  Snow was on the ground (6 in or so).