Dear Tyler, You're 1 week old today

Dear Tyler,
Happy 1 week birthday! 

Today your cord fell off, and you learned how to take a pacifier which actually put you back to sleep when the boys were playing around you trying to find baby toys to entertain you with.  Now they're loud-whispering to each other to be QUIET. 

Last night you slept from 11 something 'til 5:30 in the morning!  That was the only time you woke up.  I changed then fed you and you stayed a wake for a little while, but then you went right to sleep until about 8 something.  I tried to feed you, but you didn't eat much so I took advantage of your morning sleepiness and did the dishes.  We have been having fun with photo shoots.  You only peed once and pood once on the blankets today, which is pretty good considering how many hours I have had you posing for me.  Daddy kept asking to hold you, but once I got you back to sleep, it was back to my dining room table studio. 

In the mornings, you sleep sleep sleep. You sleep in your crib or on a blanket on the floor (or are held, of course.) In the evenings, you fall asleep but then want to be held by me. Even when you're swaddled, you wake up after 1-10 minutes even when Daddy is holding you. So I've resorted to letting you sleep next to me. I sleep in the guest bed in your room or put you by the wall on my bed. I don't want another Isaac, so I will keep trying to put you back to sleep by yourself, but I hear that the first month or so is just survival mode and I can't spoil you.

You have jaundice so I'm supposed to feed you often and let you get sunshine.  The first time we went in the sun, Isaac was excited to try out our new Sit 'N Stand stroller.  Isaac didn't want you to be in just your diaper because somebody would see you!  So we put a swimsuit on you.  You have laid out by the pool too, and today, we went for a walk in the old buggie.  The whites of your eyes aren't as yellow, so something is working. 


My mom made him the jungle blanket



I love when I pick you up and kiss your cheeks that you kiss me back.  I know it's your rooting reflex, but just now you grabbed me by the hair above my ear and were frantically trying to kiss me!  You like to try to kiss your blankets too.  Yesterday I found you sucking on your fingers.  You were content.  Sometimes you just look around when you wake up.  I really want you to be able to self soothe as you grow, so find your thumb, a blanket, fingers, a pacifier, or a happy thought please! 

Dylan and Isaac ask to hold you too.  Isaac asked to change your diaper because he had practiced on a monkey before you were born.  He remembered to put the tape side under you and everything!  I love the evenings when your brothers sit and hold you on a pile of couch pillows and blankets.  They tell you how little all of your features and body parts are and that they will teach you things when you're older. 

Our neighbor made this blanket

You get the hiccups some times.  You squeak a lot.  When you were in the hospital, you squeaked more but you still squeak some. 

And we love you!

 Love, Mom