So Big!

Tyler's been able to play this game for a while, but I finally got it on video. Seems the best time to catch him doing something is when he's restrained in his high chair and can't chase me to get the camera. :)

Obstacle Course

Tyler has been testing his climbing skills lately, so Mark decided to build him a little obstacle course to get up to the couch. After a couple tries Tyler had it down! Who knew there were so many other uses for toilet paper and paper towel?

PS I love how excited he gets at the end!

Hide and Seek

Mark and Tyler love playing a version of hide and seek, mixed with a little bit of Marco Polo. Mark hides, yells "Tyler," Tyler walks toward the sound, yells "Dad," Mark yells "Tyler," and the cycle starts all over again. It's pretty dang cute!

Dada vs Mama

Tyler loves his daddy and he loves loves loves to say "dada" or "dad" or "dahee." Infact he loves it so much that he refuses to call me anything BUT one of those three words. It's actually become kind of a game that we play. I say "mama" and he says "dada" and I'm pretty sure he knows that he's messing with me and I'm pretty sure he thinks he's hilarious.

Tyler's Second 1st Birthday Party

Monday night, we had another party, this time for friends - grandma and grandpa came again too. This time we opened presents! Much like the cake, Tyler didn't quite understand the concept, but he sure loved the attention. He kept walking around the room clapping for himself and being a ham! It was very cute!

Not the best picture, but that was as good as we could get with the birthday hat on.

Yeah, that's what most the pictures looked like. He did NOT like the birthday hat.

There, binky saves the day, yet again!

Present time!

Why can't I play with that first toy I opened? What's with all this paper?

Oooh! What's in here?

Books! I love books!

One of Tyler's favorite new toys from mommy and daddy.

Cute boy at his birthday party!

He really likes being sung to. Loves the attention!

Blowing out the candle.

I think he is getting the hang of this cake eating thing.

Tyler's first 1st Birthday Party

Tyler had two 1st birthday parties! Lucky! Here are some pictures of his first party at Grandma and Grandpa Andreasen's house the Sunday after his birthday.

Tyler's very first birthday cake.

"Happy Birthday to you . . . lalala" He loves the attention!

Wait... what do I do with this? I eat it?

Not nearly as messy as I was hoping for, but we got a bit of a frosting mess.

Happy Birthday Tyler!

First video: Tyler eating (or not) his cake.

Second video: The Happy Birthday Song.

Tyler Facts

A few things about Tyler on (or near) his first birthday. There are no pictures in this post, but we are having his little birthday party on Monday and I'll post more then.

*The kid is getting so good at walking. He walks everywhere and never crawls. He stands from a sitting position too. Although I think that most babies do that BEFORE they walk, Tyler decided to figure that one out AFTER he could walk.

*He has officially found his tongue and it is usually sticking out.

*He is FINALLY getting his top 2 teeth. They are barely poking out of the gums right now.

*He LOVES LOVES LOVES macaroni and cheese and sometimes peas if he feels like it. He actually likes pasta of all types, but I still can't get him to eat meat or most veggies.

*He babbles constantly and its actually starting to sound like he's trying to say something.

*He can say "up," although it sounds more like "uh" and "dada." He decided he wanted to master his motor skills before he picked up talking I guess.

*He loves imitating movements and is great at it. He has officially mastered the "sooo big!" move and will do it without help if you ask him, "Tyler, how big are you?"

*One of his favorite past times is emptying out his drawers, hamper, and any kitchen cupboard that is unlatched.

*He also loves to take all his blocks out one by one and throw them around the room. The same goes for books and any other toy that is throwable.

*He tries to put everything on or over his head. I think he is imitating putting on clothes.

*He points to everything just for the fun of pointing most the time.

*He loves playing with this daddy and thinks he is the funniest person of all time.

*Sometimes he gets jealous of daddy though and pushes him away from mommy if they are getting too snuggly without him.

*He loves to give big open mouth kisses and will give you one most the time if you ask.

*He can be quite devious if he wants to and will push to see how much he can get away with. No being lax with this kid. He knows what he's not supposed to do, but will do it anyway most the time with a look and a mischievous smile. He is getting better, but we have to be very consistent.

*He also likes to hit things including the tv, the computer, mommy, daddy, glass windows and panels, etc. and most the time with a hard object. Another thing we've had to be very consistent about and he is FINALLY starting to show a little improvement.

*Most the time, aside from his moments of deviousness, he is super sweet and fun and cuter than ever and we LOVE watching him and playing with him and mostly cuddling with him! He is our sweet little boy that we love more than anything!

Happy 1st Birthday Tyler! We love you!

Tyler is 1!!!

My sweet boy is 1 today! I can't believe it! We're not celebrating today, but I still wanted to document his actual birthday. More pictures to come of the celebration in a few days!

Photobooth brings you: The Many Faces of Tyler.

He loves his tongue these days!

Happy tongue boy!

More tongue :)

Wait is that a tongue I see?

Mommy - my turn to hit the button!

Pouty face (like mother like son)

It's my birthday and I'll cry if I want to.

Somebody is ready for a nap.

Pictures

A slew of pictures of Tyler being cute. Not a very hard thing for him to accomplish.

OOOH! Look at that face!

Hahaha! Don't you love it?

Pretty much the cutest kid ever.

"Hey dad, whatchya lookin' at?"

Playing with cars. I kept trying to get a picture of him pushing them around on the floor, but every time I tried he'd pick them up to look at me.

Bam bam! His favorite toy - a wooden spoon and a tin pan.

Happy boy!

I think he looks like an elf in this picture.

Tyler's First Booboo

A couple weeks ago Tyler got his first bloody boo boo. Mark nearly gave me a HEART ATTACK! I was in another room and all I heard was *BANG!* "WAAAAAH!" "Tyler's bleeding!" Of course in my immediate imagination I saw blood gushing. I raced to the kitchen to find a rather subdued baby with a bit of blood coming out of his finger. Somehow he had managed to slice some skin off the top of his finger while closing a drawer. We took care of his booboo with a wee bandaid and he was good as new. I know this is only the beginning of bandaids. Might as well start stocking up now.

Don't you just love his face?

Check out that bandaid!

You Know You're Tired When . . . (part 2)

You fall asleep in your highchair.

Carrots!

Ok, so I'm backtracking a bit, but what can you do? Back in the day while Tyler was still eating pureed baby foods, he generally looked like this after eating (ahem - playing) with carrots.

Tyler Walks!

Tyler has been such a chicken when it comes to walking. I mean why walk and fall when you can crawl and stay safe?? I'm sure that was his thought every time Mark and I stood him up and let go. Anyway, for while now he would just stand there and then decide this wasn't his deal and sit back down. Then yesterday Mark and I, and obviously Tyler (we're a package deal these days), subbed in nursery. At one point Mark put him down and off he went! He went about 5 steps before he fell down, but he has kept trying every since. He still chooses crawling over walking and its still a bit on the wobbly side, but he is really walking!

Tyler's New Ride

Who needs a stroller when you can ride a diaper box?

Tyler Laughing

This video isn't the best. I was gone, and Mark was trying to film while making Tyler laugh. Mark is so good at making Tyler laugh like crazy! I just love the video because Tyler's laugh is so cute and contagious!

Walking

Here are some videos of Tyler's attempts at walking.

First, the push toy. This video was taken about 3 weeks ago. He is doing better now. I just can't seem to keep up with his developments on here!

Second, Tyler walking holding Mark's hand. He turns in a lot to try and reach your other hand. He isn't very comfortable yet walking with just one hand hold.

Third, Tyler's first step.

Tunnel

One of Tyler's baby toys turns into a tunnel. He loves going back and forth through the tunnel.

10 Months!

My sweet boy hit the double digits! So here are some fun facts about Tyler at 10 months.

*He is babbling up a storm and says "dad" and "daddy" very clearly, although I'm not sure if he associates those words with his daddy. He calls just about everyone and everything daddy. He also says, "mumum" usually to me, but usually only when he wants something or is sad.

*I have decided that I should have named him "Bambam." His favorite thing to do is, well obviously, bam bam on things. His favorite toy is a wooden spoon and a tin pan. He bam bams on the couch, the book shelf, the wall, his crib, the dishwasher, my face, his legs, his highchair, the TV, the piano, books, the fireplace, you name it. And he bangs everything together. We are learning how to put blocks into a bucket and take them out, but most the time Tyler would rather pick two up and bang them together. I also gave him some measuring cups so he could practice nesting. Again, would much rather bang them together. We definitely have a percussionist on our hands.

*Tyler LOVES water. Juice, not so much.

*He is eating almost all big boy foods. He only has pureed food once a day.

*Tyler LOVES going outside and will literally and very visibly get giddy and excited when we walk toward the door.

*Tyler is getting very close to walking. He can stand all by himself and will usually clap for himself while he's standing. He has taken a one step, but that's it.

*Tyler has also learned how to turn the TV on and off and change the channels, using both the buttons on the TV and the remote control. His favorite time to do this is whenever daddy is watching something. hehe. He has also mastered the bubblewrap game on the ipod.

*Tyler gives big, open mouth kisses if you say, "kisses" and make a kissing noise. He also gives big hugs to almost anybody. He is a very affectionate boy.

*Tyler sways to almost any music including: all music on the ipod, his music toys, restaurant music, and hymns at church.

*Tyler has a bizarre fascination with TV show credit music, especially Chuck. That's the only time he will pay attention to the TV.

*Tyler can play catch, throw a ball in a bucket and make it about half the time (sure he's not very far away, but still). One of his favorite games is chase. He loves being chased and chasing. We crawl all over the house playing this game. He is an excellent hide and seeker both with toys and people.

*Tyler is a binky lover! He will now go on a mission to find his binky if I take it out and leave it somewhere. He is very smart. He remembers exactly where I left it and the second I put him down will take off for that room. He will pull pillows, blankets, and toys away to find his binky. Mark and I have tried all sorts of hiding places, but he always finds it. The only places that are safe are the places he can't reach.

*Tyler loves looking at books, but has a rather short attention span when it comes to being read to. We still try every night, but it doesn't last long. However, when he sits in front of his bookshelf and starts pulling out books and looking through them he can sit there for a long time.

*Tyler loves loves loves his woobie. When he picks it up he just cuddles it and hugs it. It's so cute! He drags it around everywhere and will not go to sleep without it.

There you have it. We love our little boy! I can't believe 1 is right around the corner! Yikes!

Creepy Noises

I know babies like to explore their voices and other sounds they can make, but Tyler has started to make the funniest, yet creepiest, noise I have ever heard come out a baby's mouth. We are officially ready for Halloween!

Enjoy!

(Don't worry, the outlet is covered and completely baby proofed).

Games

Tyler and I have been working on a couple games/skills and recently he has started to imitate what we do!

First, Tyler has a little toy piano that plays about 5-6 songs. We have music time everyday where he sits on my lap, picks a song, and we either clap, hit our legs, or stamp our feet to the beat. He actually really likes music time and we go through all the songs a couple times. The other day I caught him doing it by himself! Not to the beat yet, obviously, but he would hit the key to play the song then start clapping or hitting his legs or stamping his feet. Could I have been more proud? I think not!

We are also working on what "bye-bye" means and the concept of hide and seek and he has completely mastered that game. I wave, say "bye-bye" and then hide and call him to come find me.

Crawling and Cruising

Tyler seems to be learning so fast right now. My baby is getting so big! It's exciting to watch him develop and learn so many new things, but kind of sad at the same time. As I help him and encourage him to walk and learn new things, part of me wants to push him back down on the ground so he stays a baby longer! Luckily, he is still my cuddly little boy and gives awesome hugs, so I can deal with the other big boy developments.

After only a week or so of the awkward crawling, Tyler mastered real crawling. I can't remember the last time I saw him scoot and he can be really fast on those hands and knees. Oh the joys of having a mobile baby! Nothing is safe!

Tyler also started to cruise a couple weeks ago. He just walks around and around on our couches, the TV stand, the table chairs, beds, cribs, his jumperoo, book cases, you name it. He wasn't too excited to be in his crib in this video, but you get the point.

He is still working on walking using a push toy. Right now it still rolls too fast so he usually just face plants. However, he discovered that if he walks on his knees he has a bit more control.

Family

Last weekend, my dad, sisters Melissa and Katelyn, and sister from another mister, Autumn came down to visit. We had lots of fun swimming, hanging out, singing, and of course playing with Tyler. We hope they come visit us again soon.

Autumn. Nice face Melissa! Sorry, it's the only pic of Autumn I had.

Katelyn and Tyler playing catch.

I know this is a little blurry, but I thought it was sweet how they were looking at each other.

Melissa and Tyler

Tyler and grandpa

Kisses for grandpa!

Friends

Tyler has a little friend that he loves playing with. She may be an older woman by a whole 6 months, but they get along great! (well, as long as they aren't stealing toys from each other!). They are so cute to watch and she makes Tyler laugh like crazy! (which I'll have to get a video of).

Here is a video of them playing a duet on the piano. It cracks me up, because she is so dainty while Tyler pounds away. We'll make a pianist out of her yet! :)

Doesn't He Look Comfortable?

Lately, I've found Tyler in the funniest positions when I go check on him.

The bum in the air pose. By the way it's very hard to get a good camera angle in a crib!

The limbs through the slats pose. This picture doesn't do this pose justice. He may only have his feet out in this picture, but I have come in and seen whole arms and/or legs hanging out.

Our Little Puppy

Tyler has started the funniest habit. If he wants to crawl, play, or otherwise have his hands busy; he carries his woobie around in his mouth. I tried forever to get a good picture, but the little stinker would drop it the second I pointed the camera at him. This is as good as I could get. You can see his little bunny in his mouth. Too cute!

Doesn't it stink when . . .

you have a running nose, so your food sticks to your face?

Poor Tyler got a little cold a couple weeks ago, as you can see in his sad little face. :( But I just had to take a picture of this! Too funny! Don't worry, he is all better now.

9 Months

Today was Tyler's 9 month well baby check up. He doesn't actually turn 9 months for another week, but hey, who's counting. Since I pretty much just gave a lengthy video update on all he can now accomplish I will just give the stats.

Weight: 20.4 lbs (still 50th percentile believe it or not!)

Height: 29.75 in. (still 90th percentile - yep he's a tall one)

Head circ: 18.5 in. (95th percentile - so he has a big head - all the better to think with!)

Everything else is wonderful. The doctor said he is perfect! Come on, tell me something I don't already know. :) We love our sweet boy and are so thankful that he is healthy, growing, and developing right on track.

Tyler 9 months old