The Adventures of Tyler (and Mommy and Daddy)

Mark has taken it upon himself to make us an outdoorsy family. I'll admit that initially I was skeptical, but I have actually quite enjoyed myself on our little adventures and I look forward to more! Tyler has loved it. He loves being outside in the bjorn, watching the world go by. Too bad he is the whitest of white babies, but nothing a little sunscreen and hat won't fix.

Our first adventure was a short, short hike down to a little picnic area by Silverwood Lake. We packed ourselves a little lunch drove up to the trail head and hiked down to the lake. It was probably an eighth of a mile - if even. Can you even call an eighth of a mile a hike? That's like walking to my mailbox. Anyway, it was perfect for Tyler's and my first time and we had so much fun as a family! I am converted to being outside!

Tyler and Mark by the lake.

Tyler and mommy by the picnic area.

Our second hike was a bit more strenuous. It was an actual real hike. Probably about a mile (well Mark says half of mile, but I say bologna it was a whole mile) and it was uphill! I'll be honest, I was out of breath, Mark laughed at me, but hey, endurance takes time! This hike was up to a little waterfall/backpacking area called Lytle Creek. It was pretty! And Mark says if you keep going you get to a big waterfall. Maybe when I am in better shape we can go to that one. Anyway, we made this a picnic too and found a cozy spot by the creek. Good times!

Mark and Tyler at the summit. It still looks deserty in this picture, but after the summit you hike down into a really pretty forest where you find the waterfall and creek.

Mark and Tyler at the little waterfall.

This weekend we went for real camping with our friends the Whitings and the Blinsmons. It was fun, but FREEZING at night. That's one thing about living here - its warm during the day and freezing cold at night. I didn't even know it was possible to jump that many degrees in a 24 hour period. Unfortunately, our camera battery was dead so we don't have any pictures. I just wanted to list it as our third adventure of the month! Here's to many more Andreasen adventures!

Toes and Laughing

Tyler found his toes (well he did a while ago, but I just finally got a video of it). He isn't as obsessed with them as other babies I've seen, but he will occasionally get a good taste of them. And Tyler has also FINALLY started laughing!! For the longest time he would just giggle and even that was only occasional. About a month ago he finally started for real laughing and each day he seems to do it more and more. It is so so so stinkin' cute! We tried to catch it on video, he wasn't doing it as loudly as he usually does, but you'll get the idea. By the way, I swear I dress my child in more than a onesie. It just so happens that most of the videos we take are at night before we go to bed so he is half way between day clothes and jammies.

Tyler's New Toys

As tyler develops and gets bigger we have found it necessary to get him new toys! Ok maybe necessary is the wrong word. But when the bouncer and the play gym and the swing no longer do it for him, we have to get him something to play with - right? haha... I justify by saying that our future children will use them too. My other justifications are that one of the toys was bought secondhand at a really awesome secondhand shop for a quarter of the original price and the other toy is a good means of exercise and family togetherness time.

So anyway, Mark has picked up bike riding and is working on me too. I'm getting there. Anyway, since Tyler can sit up now - we thought it would be fun to bring Tyler along for the ride so we got him this snazzy new bike trailer. So far he is more interested in all the straps inside rather than the actual ride. I'm sure that will come with time :)

A video of a ride in the trailer and his other toy - a jumperoo! Our friends the Whitings and the James's have a jumperoo and Tyler loves being in it. At the suggestion of the Whitings we tried out a children's secondhand shop and found one for a quarter of the original price! Great investment!

Rolling Rolling

Tyler has become quite the roller. I've long sense given up trying to keep him on a nice clean blanket on the floor as he can now roll wherever he wants to go and I have no blanket big enough to cover the whole house. Actually I am quite proud of myself as I have let him put his binky back in his mouth after it falls on the floor (well only the floor at our house and never the kitchen or bathroom floor). Anyway, I digress, Tyler will roll and roll until he hits something that stops him. And even then, he will keep trying. Apparently we have to work on object permanence. We have had to put away yet another toy - the play gym because he just rolls and works himself around until his legs and arms are one big jumble with the limbs and poles of the play gym. Then he cries because he is stuck and twisted. I think we will get it back out when he can crawl and make it into the little tent option. He is also getting quite good at scooting. Right now all he can do is pivot and turn himself in a circle, but I can see those little legs moving and its only a matter of time til he starts moving forward or backward.

He rolled himself under his bouncer.

Rolling himself into the couch a couple times.

Tyler's Sitting Up!

Around the end of April Tyler started sitting up in the boppy. A couple weeks later he was ready to try all by himself. He loves sitting up! If we put him on his back in anything or anywhere he starts doing his little sit ups trying to get back up to a sitting position. We actually had to put away his swing because he could sit up in it and pretty much fall out - buckled in or not! He can also use the big boy jogging stroller now and can be put in the regular stroller without the carseat. We even bought him a high chair now that he can sit up and he graduated from bathing in the sink to bathing in the big boy bathtub in the actual bathtub. Oh my little boy is getting so big!!

The first video is of Tyler in the boppy and the second is him sitting up all by himself.