Tyler: 1st Birthday Party

Wow, where does the time go?  I can't believe we celebrated Tyler's 1st birthday over a month ago already!  Here's a quick recap of his day.

Tyler really doesn't have a favorite theme at this age, so I just went with the blue/brown and giraffe theme from his nursery.  Here's the wall I put together celebrating his first year.  My niece and I made the birthday banner, thanks Lyndsay for all your help!  On the left I hung his newborn sleeper and onesie and on the right I hung his 12m onesie and sleeper to show how much he's grown in a year.

I created this poster collage with all his monthly photos.  

Mr. Giraffe wore the birthday hat.

Homemade giraffe cupcakes, thank you Mandy and Patti for all your help!!!

Toddlers everywhere!

Getting ready to sing to the birthday boy.

"It's my party and I'll cry if I want to"

Video:  Tyler not happy about the high chair!

Showing off his stunt while everyone clapped turned the tears to huge giggles.

Tyler's little birthday cupcake

Video:  Singing Happy Birthday

His very first taste of sugar and really not too thrilled about it.

Video:  He much prefers cantaloupe!

The celebration continued in the backyard with all kinds of water activities for the kiddos.

Loving his new hat from Aunt Sheree

Check out my birthday shirt!

His absolute favorite gift, a vacuum cleaner!

He pushed this thing around for hours!

... and a visit from Gpa and Gma was quite a spectacular gift as well!

Happy 1st Birthday Tyler!  We love you sooooooo much!

Tyler: 1 Year Old

On June 23, 2011, our little guy turned 1 year old!!!  Oh my gosh, we have a toddler!  It has been nothing short of amazing how much he has grown and developed in such a short time, and which by the way went wayyyyyy too fast, sniff sniff!  There has not been a single day where he hasn't done something new.  Watching him grow and discover the world around him has been the most enjoyable thing I have ever experienced.

A year in review:

Tyler, you are one loved little boy and we are honored to be your parents.

Up next, the big 1st birthday!

Tyler: Week 52

June 15-June 22, 2011 (51w-52w old)

I made it!  Way behind, but I made it to 52 weeks!  It has been such a challenge to keep these weekly updates going as every time I was this.close to catching up, I blinked and another week or two, or three went by.  I hope my little guy will enjoy reading his e-babybook some day and I hope those of you still around have enjoyed keeping up!  This will be my last weekly update.  I'm going to try out monthly updates with an occasional extra update if there is something specific I want to share or record, and see how that goes.

Tyler Update:

He's running!!!  He's very vocal!  Mama is trying to keep up!

This week in photos:

(My camera is on the fritz and produces worse photos every week.  The ones below were some of the better ones.  Anyone have a camera recommendation that has good low light and action ability.  Most of my shots are indoors of an all-over-the-place-into-everything toddler.)

We had to drop the crib to the lowest level.  Despite my begging Ty to slow down and not be in such a hurry to grow up, he's just not listening.  I have put my back out way too many time as I can't reach bottom when I go to lay him down.

Computer whiz

Loves his Dyson

Cousins

Tyler not quite sure what to think of this hug.

Walking around like a celebrity with his new hat and shades he got from his auntie.

Intrigued by his gift to daddy on Father's day.

Our nanny's last day.  We miss you Mandy!!!

This week in video:

Video:  Tyler running and vocalizing

Tyler: Week 51

June 8-June 14, 2011 (50w-50w6d old)

Tyler Update:

This week's update is short as Mama has been very busy planning a 1st birthday party for a very special little fella.  Tyler is very busy as well, he's like a little explorer discovering a whole new world.  He is into EVERYTHING!!!  This week he discovered he can open the DVD player.  I'm getting lots of practice with tough love.  I'm afraid he's going to think I changed his name to "no".  The Happiest Toddler on the Block has been ordered and I think I'll get Super Nanny's book while I'm at it!  =)

This week in photos:

Teething progress

My little fish

I think I better start researching convertible car seats.  While he's a good bit under the 30 lb max weight requirement, I believe he's nearing the 30" max length requirement.  Tall and skinny like his daddy!  Anyone have a convertible car seat recommendation?

He loves to sweep, I can only hope he continues this love for many years to come!

Every time I try to get his picture, he runs right at me to snag the camera from me.  I have to start half way across the room so I can get the picture snapped before he gets to me.

I swear every time I turn around he has grown another inch!

Tyler getting lots of love from his cousins

I blinked and he's off to school

This week in video:

Video:  Tyler vacuuming

Tyler has always had an infatuation with the vacuum cleaner.  Just the other night, he was sound asleep on my lap nursing when Kerry started up the vacuum cleaner in the other room.  Tyler jumped up fully alert, hopped off the bed and ran to the vacuum.

Video:  Tyler laughs hysterically when we push his corn popper at super sonic speeds.

Tyler: Week 50

June 1-June 7, 2011 (49w-49w6d old)

Tyler Update:

• He apparently loves to toss items into receptacles!   He puts our phones in his hamper, the nanny's keys in the garbage and random objects like a trackball and nursing pads in the toilet.  

• He experienced his 1st set of scrapped knees.  Kerry tried to hold his hand while walking down a sidewalk, Tyler yanked his hand away and fell to his knees.  Displaying a little independence?

• He wants what he can't have and is starting to develop a little temper.  I am so ordering Happiest Toddler on the Block!

• Running errands with just Tyler and myself has become quite challenging.  He's fine as long as I keep moving, but if I need to stop and pick something out, which is a frequent requirement of shopping, he gets very antsy.  He wants out of his stroller, he wants to be held, he wants down, he wants to run and knock things off of shelves.  I of course just go into the mode of doing anything to keep him from throwing a wing ding.  I hand him random (safe) items off the shelves hoping to gain 10 seconds to pick out a product.  One time I handed him a big pair of women's sunglasses and I couldn't help but laugh when I turned back around and found him staring at me with a huge grin and the glasses on!  Needless to say, errands take forever, or require frequent short trips, or better yet, I make Kerry go with me.

• He knows how to get off the bed by himself.  He crawls to the edge, rotates a half turn and slides off feet first.

• His favorite song is the abc song.  He has a Leapfrog Leaptop that plays about 10 songs.  He pushes the music button until it gets to the abc song, let's it play, then pushes the button again until it gets back to that song.  We now sing this to him during diaper changes, he goes from impossible to change to holding still and smiling.  Who would have ever thought that the abc song had such a lullaby affect!

• He tried a few new foods this week; lentils (thumbs down), lima beans (thumbs up), and his first meat, organic free-range chicken breast (big thumbs up!)

• We took him to the pool for the first time and he LOVED it!

It amazes me how one little person can be soooooo much work all the while never ceasing to say, he is the best thing that has ever happened to me!  I've found the saying "children are the hardest job you will ever have, but the most rewarding" to be spot on!  I love this little guy more than I could have ever imagined.

This week in photos:

Coloring

Obsessed with my keyboard

Always sucking his lip in, he must be feeling those front teeth

Having fun at his new water table

Sporting his new cloth pull-up training pants

This week in video:

Video:  Tyler's 1st time eating chicken

Video:  Preview of the terrible twos?

Video:  Tyler's 1st time at the pool

Video:  Tyler water skiing

Video:  Tyler standing in Daddy's hands