Giving Thanks for all our blessings the past 10 months!!

Dylan turned 10 months old on Thanksgiving! What a wonderful way to celebrate & reflect all of the wonderful blessings we & all of our friends & family have had the past year. Dylan LOVES to eat so Thanksgiving was extra exciting for him. He is such a good eater. He will eat anything you put on his plate! Sweet potatoes were by far his favorite food on Thanksgiving Day.

Dylan cut his 1st tooth at 5 months old & I feel like it has been non stop teething since that moment. We have been pretty lucky..the only time he has been really fussing from teething was around 7 months old when he had 6 coming in at the same time...until now! Right at 10 months old his 2 bottom canine teeth came in & at the end of 10 months 3 of his molars came in..which has caused the most problems. We had 3 weekends in a row of a very fussy Dylan & sleepless nights. I felt like I was back to the newborn days of getting very little sleep in small doses!! Poor guy had a rough time with those molars & I hope that the rest are easier on him. At 10 months old Dylan has a total of 13 teeth!!!

I have mentioned before how much Dylan loves our dog Shelby. He proved it even more because now his favorite word is DOG :) He also likes to make a clicking sound with his tongue. We are pretty sure he is trying to say his name. He LOVES to look at himself in mirror & to look at pictures of himself. If you point to is picture & ask who it is he says "Dyl". He is starting to imitate things we do. It is so cute. He likes to brush his hair, my hair & Shelby's . He is better at waving. It used to be a coincidence when he would wave..it seems now he is starting to understand the concept  LOL

Dylan got to meet his newest "girlfriend" Grace Marie Woolums :) She is adorable. Poor Grace was sleepy & not wanting to take pics!! I know they will have many more opportunities for pictures in the future.

I wanted to wait to give Dylan his 1st haircut when he turned one...but the hairdresser in me couldn't wait any longer!! Also Ryan has been bugging me to do it since he was only a few months old. He would only sit still for about 5 minutes so the end result wasn't even, but was a definite improvement. Here are the before & after :)

At his 9 month check up I discussed with Dylan's Dr some of my concerns with missed milestones. He has always been a little behind & we have always been told it was more than likely because he was a preemie. He didn't sit up unsupported till 8 months so I was expecting him to be about 2 months behind on most milestones. I wasn't concerned that he wasn't crawling ( I didn't crawl till 10 months & I know some babies never do) but was very concerned he wasn't putting weight on his legs. I knew that this was a milestone that he was way behind on. He also cant stand to be on his belly. Although he rolled over from belly to back at early age, that had seemed to stop & he had never rolled from back to belly. His Dr told me to wait 1 more month & if no improvements we would look into it further. At 10 months old he had not shown any changes so I took him back to Dr. She referred us to a physical therapist. Dylan began Physical Therapy on Dec 2nd & we couldn't be happier. After 1  month he has shown so many improvements!! He now will put some weight on his legs, scoots on the floor & reaches for toys out of reach. He used to stay in one spot in the crib at night while sleeping..now he moves all over the place & has even rolled to his belly a few times during the night. ( he then cries for me to come & help him back over) These might not sound like a big deal to most people but to us it is HUGE!! Dylan has an incredible PT & we are so happy she is working with us. We couldn't have asked for a better person :)

A few other characteristics Dylan was showing prompted our Dr to send him for an EEG at Kosair. This test detects seizure activity. It was not painful in anyway to him but he was miserable. In order to do the test you have to be sleep deprived so you can only imagine how a sleep deprived 10 month old feels! Thankfully all the test came back normal. As one last precaution his Dr had also referred us to a specialist in Cincinnati for an evaluation. The appointment is scheduled during the 1st week of January. We are very optimistic that everything will be OK but we are very pleased that his Dr wants to make sure that there is no leaf left unturned. With a little extra time I'm sure Dyan will be crawling & walking...Before we know it he will be getting into everything!!!

We are so THANKFUL to have such a sweet & healthy little boy :)

9 Months Old

9 months old.. Dylan says Mama & Dada. He is becoming so full of personality. He is simply adorable!! He is still very much a Mama's boy. If I am in the room he likes to be close to me. I cant complain because if he is in the room I want to be close to him :)

Dylan spent his 1st Halloween at home with his 1st stomach bug :(  A few days before my mom & I decided to take him to Gallrein Farms in Shelbyville to pick pumpkins & take some good fall pictures. Poor Dylan got sick on the way there. He was acting fine..no temp & all smiles as usual so we just thought he had gotten car sick. We were very wrong. The next 5 days were not pleasant and we ended up taking a trip to Kosair the night before Halloween. Luckily Dylan wasn't dehydrated & they gave him medicine to stop the vomiting. He finally started to perk up on Halloween Day so I dressed him up & snapped a few pics of him in the yard. Next year we hope to be able to take him out & show off his costume :)

Dylan is eating table food now. Once he figured out there was more out there than plain old baby food he was in HEAVEN!! He loves any food that he is able to feed himself. Toast in the mornings is definitely his favorite. He is starting to become more independent which makes me happy & sad at the same time.

We celebrated my sister's 22nd birthday at Outback. Dylan just adores Brittany & she cant get enough of him!! We also made a visit to Hayli's house to have an early birthday celebration with her. Hayli turned 2 the next day ( on Thanksgiving) & Dylan turned 10 months & My sister 22!! It was a day of celebrations :)

Time is going by so fast & I cant believe that Dylan is almost 1 year old. I have already started planning  his birthday party...I cant wait to celebrate such an amazing year.

8 Months Old

I think I can officially say 8 months has been my favorite so far. Dylan has so much personality & I am loving every moment. He continues to be such a HAPPY baby & brings dozens of smiles to our faces each day :)

In the past month Dylan has become very interested in himself. He loves to look at himself in the mirror, loves his toes & has become very aware of our dog Shelby. He constantly watches & laughs at her. He likes to "pet" her. I have to keep a close eye because poor Shelby usually gets more of a grab! Luckily Shelby is very relaxed & doesn't seemed too bothered by Dylan.

Right at 8 months Dylan began to sit on his own with no support. For the longest time he never seemed stable enough so we were constantly putting pillows around him or holding one of his hands. It seemed like overnight he gained the confidence & strength to do it all by himself. We still struggle with tummy time but we have come a long way & he does seem to enjoy it more. He hasn't shown much interest in crawling & his lack of interest for being on his tummy doesn't help :)  Since Dylan was a preemie, he has been a bit of a late bloomer on some things but I know he will get to each milestone when he is ready. I have been told to enjoy this time because once he is mobile its a different world!

Dylan went to his 1st Louisville football game on October 1st 2011.He looked so adorable in all his UL gear.  It was a 3:30 game & we ended up having great weather. We got there a couple hours early & tailgated in the parking lot. Dylan had so much fun "tailgating" in the back of the truck with all his favorite toys. Once we went inside the stadium the excitement quickly wore off! The first 10 minutes or so of the game he was in awe of everything but then all the noise of the crowd & music from the band started to bother him. Dylan & I headed back to the car after the 1st quarter.  Once we got back to the car, Dylan was back to his happy self.  By the 3rd quarter Ryan came to meet us & we went out to dinner to finish off our night. I know there will be MANY Louisville games in Dylan's future & I am sure he will be ready to try again next season.

We had our first family vacation a week later. We drove to Jacksonville FL to see our good friends Jon & Megan get married. Ryan & Jon have been friends for most of their lives so Ryan was happy to be apart of their special day.

Dylan did great during our 15 hour car ride ( we made a lot of stops!). When he wasn't sleeping we kept him entertained by watching episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. He loves Mickey! We stayed 4 nights in Jacksonville. Unfortunately the weather wasn't that great( rain & 40mph winds)  but we still had a great time. The first couple nights we spent with all of our friends at all the wedding festivities. The wedding was beautiful. We danced, laughed & had a wonderful time. Dylan stayed up till 10:30!! On Monday all of our friends headed home. The weather calmed down so Ryan, Dylan & I spent the day as a family going to the beach, eating & shopping. Dylan didn't like the beach too much. He would only touch the sand if it was in my hand & then of course he ate it!!The next day we headed back to KY. I wish we had had more time to enjoy FL but I am glad that Dylan did so well on his 1st vacation. Cant wait for our next family trip :)

A few days before we left for vacation, Dylan & I were waiting at a local restaurant for my mom to join us for dinner. all of the sudden I heard "mama"..I quickly looked  & kept asking him to say it again...of course he didn't. While we were in FL the same thing happened a few more times. Each time he would say it, Ryan & I would look at each other.. " Did he really just say that"?  It wasn't until we were home from vacation, I was getting ready to go to work, my mom was holding him and I heard the most precious words come from his mouth clear as day "Mama"!! I was so excited!!

A few days later, we were all sitting at the diner table & clear as can be Dylan said "DaDa". Ryan was a very proud daddy. From that moment on Dylan has been "talking" like crazy. He definitely says dada more than anything, along with a bunch of jibberish with Mama & BaBa thrown in the mix.

 I can now say there are 2 sounds that have melted my heart. The first was hearing Dylan's heartbeat for the first time & now hearing him say his first words :) 

8 months old has been so much fun I cant wait to see what the next month brings :)

August : Hope for Hayli, 7 Months & My 30th!!

It wasn't until I sat down to write this that I realized how much we have done the past month!

August 6th- Hope for Hayli

As most of you know our very good friends Mike & Amanda had been at St Judes Research Hospital with their daughter Hayli. Hayli was diagnosed with a very high risk cancer in January. When Hayli was diagnosed my Mom & I immediately decided we wanted to plan a fundraiser for them. We had the pleasure to team up with Allen Lane & Hometown Pizza & the planning for Hope for Hayli Concert began. Allen was in charge of all the music, Hometown provided the place & donated 20% of their sales that night to the Nobles family. With the help of many people we had a fun night with Great Music, Raffles, Silent Auction & activities for kids. It was so much fun & a successful night. The Mayor of Lagrange even declared Aug 6th 2011 "Hayli Ann Nobles Day". Mike, Amanda & Hayli have been such an inspiration to our community & it was so nice to show them the support they so well deserved. Since the event,  Hayli is HOME & in REMISSION.  She definitely has shown us strength comes in many sizes & "Even Miracles Take A Little Time"

August 20 - 23rd
When I turned 28 I told Ryan that for my 30th Birthday I wanted to celebrate in VEGAS!!! When I found out I was pregnant my due date was March 5th..We still would talk about my 30th bday plans..we would talk about how Dylan would be 5 months old & although we would be sad,  by then it would be easier to leave him for a few days....I WAS VERY WRONG!! Since Dylan came 6 weeks early,  he was just a few days away from turning 7 months when we left for Vegas bright & early Saturday August 20th. I had very bad anxiety weeks leading up to the trip... I contemplated ways to cancel the trip...& I cried just thinking about it. I knew Dylan would be in wonderful hands. My mom was going to stay at our house with him & our dog Shelby. The hardest part for me was knowing for 3 days I would not wake up & see his adorable grin & I wouldn't be able to go into his room each night and kiss him on the forehead while he was sleeping. I left notes EVERYWHERE for my mom. Even though she already watches him 2 days a week I wanted to make sure any & every question she may have was answered. That morning I was fine until Dylan woke up, I was an emotional mess. Keri & Brian met us at our house. After my many goodbyes I finally got in the car with them & headed to the airport. I did pretty well once we were on the road,  I will admit I was holding back the tears because Keri & Brian were in the car with us. It probably would have been a different story if Ryan & I were alone!

Once we got to Vegas I was much better. My mom was amazing and sent me lots of pics & text letting me know everything Dylan was doing. I knew he was having a blast so it was time for me to do the same. The guys surprised us with a limo at the airport to take us to the hotel. We had 3 days of relaxing, hanging out at the pool, gambling & a little sight seeing. It was a wonderful way to spend my last day of my 20's & my first couple of my 30's. Time went by so quickly & before I knew it I was back on the plane & more than excited to see my baby boy!

I am so glad that I went. Before this trip I had never left Dyan overnight. Now it will be much easier for Ryan & I to leave him overnight in the future. I will admit...It will be a LONG time before I am ready to leave him for more than a night.

The day after we got back from Vegas Dylan turned 7 months old. He now has 4 bottles a day ( 7 1/2 oz) & eats baby food 3 times a day. He loves all fruit, oatmeal & all the orange vegetables. I have a very hard time getting hm to eat green beans or peas. He continues to go to daycare 2 times a week & really seems to enjoy it. He continues to be such a happy baby. He had his first ear infection right before we left for Vegas. He had a day or two of restless nights & fussiness but for the most part he still remained happy. He also has been cutting teeth like crazy. As of this moment ( at 7 1/2 months) he has 4 teeth & 6 coming in on the top! last week we took him to the Dr because he was not himself & I thought he probably had another ear infection. The Dr said his ears were fine but the reason he was so grumpy was because he had 6 teeth on top all coming through at the same time. She said within 2 weeks they would make their way through his gums. I knew he was teething & could see 2 teeth trying to come through but had idea it was so many!!!

Dylan has CRAZY hair these days! No matter what we do it sticks straight up. Its adorable, occasionally we will fix it into a Mohawk :)

Dylan is very close to sitting up on his own but he still needs a little support.  Dylan weighed 16lbs 14oz at his last Dr visit. I just ordered him a convertible car seat for the car because I know he will be outgrowing his infant seat very soon. It still amazes me how much he changes each month. Now when I see newborns I cant believe Dylan was ever that small ( & in a lot of cases even smaller), It is crazy how quickly you forget :(

September 2nd 2011-
Now that Hayli is much better & home, the day I have been waiting for finally came...Dylan & Hayli met for the first time. It was so cute. I am so happy we were able to get a few good pictures! Hayli was so sweet & Dylan just watched her as she played in his room with all the toys. I have a feeling they will be life long friends & who knows maybe even one day Hayli can officially be apart of our family as Hayli Sale!!! Sorry I cant help but to dream...LOL

September 3rd-4th
Ryan's very good friend Mike Lloyd got married labor day weekend. They had a beautiful wedding outside at Whitehall Gardens. I was so thankful that the weather not only cooled down for their big day but also that the rain held off. The original plan was Dyan would go to rehearsal with us on Sat & he would stay overnight with my mom Sunday for the wedding. Ryan & I were excited not only to be able to go to the wedding but also to have a night out with our friends. A few hours before the wedding my mom had to cancel because my sister's car was broke down in Lexington. She felt horrible but I completely understood & decided Dylan would now be my date to the wedding! He was so good. Luckily he took a nice long nap on the way, during ceremony & even into the reception. The rest of night we danced & he got to meet many people & hang out with several of our out of town friends. We didn't leave til 10:30pm!!! He was such a trooper. We all had a great night!!!

6 months old

6 months already??? It doesn't seem possible. Dylan continues to be such a good baby. He is such a joy to be around & I am loving to see his personality shine through more & more each day.

I recently started working in the office of Hometown Pizza. I decided to leave the hair business & am loving my new job. I am so happy to work 5 minutes from my house & to be home every night with Ryan & Dylan. Because of my new work schedule I had to enroll Dylan in Daycare. He only goes part time 2 days a week & spends 2 days with my mom. It was so hard for me to leave him those first couple times. Before daycare he had only been left alone with my mom, sister & mother in law. Of course I cried the first day but the staff was so nice and told me it was completely normal to be upset. I never cried again but it wasn't till the 3rd week that I didn't leave teary eyed! I am so happy that he has the opportunity to be around other babies but also glad its only 2 days a week. With my new job schedule Dylan & I get to spend Monday mornings/early afternoon & all day on Friday just the two of us. It seems like a great balance for the both of us

Dylan cut his first 2 teeth the beginning of July at 5 months old. we knew he was teething because of all the excessive drooling. He was a little fussy for about a day or two & then next thing we knew he had 2 bottom teeth. Most recently he is cutting 2 teeth on top & this time around it has been much more difficult. He has had a low fever, runny nose & very very fussy & of course more & more drool. I feel so bad that he feels so crummy. Tylenol has been helpful but for the most part he is miserable.

Dylan loves his Aunt B. She has officially moved back to Lexington & ready for the fall semester to start at UK. Whenever she is home she always makes time to visit with her favorite nephew. We recently discovered that Dylan like to hear her voice on the phone. He gets the biggest grin on his face if she is on the phone..it is too cute

JUNE

June has been an exciting month for us. We had our first real night out. My mom watched Dylan while we went to the wedding of our good friends Amy & Eric. We had a GREAT time & everything was beautiful. We didn't get home till late, so not only did my mom stay the night,  she also got up with Dylan bright & early the next day! She is AWESOME!!

Dylan has now sleeps in his crib in his own room..FINALLY!! He was sleeping in a co sleeper ( like a bassinet) next to our bed. He definitely was outgrowing it but it was hard for me to move him out of my sight. It was was a smooth transition for him but not so easy for me. I didn't want to move him to his own room till he was sleeping thru the night. After sleeping all night for about a week or two I knew it was time. He continues to do well & usually sleeps about 10 hours a night.

Ryan celebrated his first Fathers Day. We started the day by having lunch with my dad & sister. We then came home & had a very LAZY day. The three of us watched movies till it was time to eat dinner with Ryan's Dad, Aunt & Grandpa. It was a nice relaxing day & exactly how Ryan wanted to spend it.

Ryan & I celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary on June 27th. My mom watched Dylan the day before so we could take the boat out to the river. It was my first time out on the boat this summer. Now that we have Dylan we don't have many chances to go out on the water like we used to. It was a great way to spend the day. Next year once Dylan is bigger he will be able to go out on the boat with us. Boating is one of our favorite things to do so I know Dylan will grow up a boating baby :)
On the day of our anniversary Ryan took the day off  work so we could spend the entire day together. His mom came over later that day so Ryan & I could have a date. This was the first time we have been out just the 2 of us since before Dylan was born!. We went to a movie & out to dinner, it was very nice. I cant believe that it has already been 2 years since we got married. It has been an incredible 2 years & I cant wait to see how amazing the rest of our lives will be.



I cant believe it was just 1 year ago that I found out I was pregnant! I remember that day like it was yesterday. I was so happy & full of emotion.Our lives have definitely changed since that moment but I wouldnt trade it for the world. 

 Dylan is now 5 months old! He just started eating baby food. He tried sweet potatoes first & loved them. We got it all on video expecting to see some really funny faces ..but we got just the opposite. He acted as if he had been eating them all his life. The next week we tried green beans. We had a little more of a reaction this time but he still really enjoyed them. I have a feeling he is going to be a good eater & like everything.

Dylan is laughing a lot & is so full of personality. He is doing so well & it seems like not much longer & he will be sitting up by himself.  I am so glad that I can be home with him the majority of the time. We spend most of our days playing. I don't seem to get as much done around the house as I used to since he is awake more during the day. I try to get as much laundry, cleaning, etc  done while he naps. When he is awake I want to make sure he has my full attention, so if that means everything isn't perfect ..so be it! I am still very much a clean freak but have learned to relax a little :) Its so fun to see the changes in him daily.  I am so blessed to have such a good & healthy baby