Boys Gone Wild!

Not really. But I did leave my boys to their own defenses while I was in San Francisco the past 3 days for a work conference. This was the first time I have been away from Tyler overnight, but I knew he was in good hands so I wasn't worried. Michael had it pretty easy since Tyler was in daycare 2 of the 3 days. I don't think Tyler understood why Mommy was gone for a few days. Michael said that Tyler definitely ate less and seemed a little different than normal. Tyler seemed a little upset with me when he saw me again today, but he eventually warmed up and gave me some of his biggest smiles.

Did I do that?

When Tyler decides he has had enough food to eat he starts pushing the rest of the food from his tray into his lap when we are not looking. Then we get a nice surprise when we take his tray off. We usually try to pick Tyler up directly over his chair and brush the food into his chair for "easier" clean-up. Maybe we should just get a dog to help out?

First Scraped Knees

It was inevitable- Tyler finally scraped his knees for the first time. Michael was with him when it happened and he said Tyler didn't even really cry. Tyler just whimpered a little. This would have happened a lot sooner, but it is just now shorts weather here and so pants have been saving Tyler's knees when he stumbles on the pavement.

And despite Tyler being decked out in his soccer outfit, the U.S. men's team was eliminated in the World Cup round of 16 today. ; (

Tech Savvy

Unless we are doing Skype, I try to avoid using the laptop when Tyler is awake because he wants to bang all the keys. Sometimes I will show Tyler photos and videos of himself and he is usually quite amused by that.

Pre-Bedtime Fun

Here's Tyler running around in his diaper prior to getting into his jammies for bedtime.

Some New Firsts

• Flushing: On Monday Tyler got lucky and accidentally flushed the toilet while he was jiggling the handle. We keep the lids closed and thankfully he doesn't know yet that opening the lid is a possibility. We mostly keep the bathroom doors closed but he likes to hang out in there with me when I'm brushing my teeth, etc.
• Dumpster Diving: Okay- so "dumpster diving" is a little dramatic. Tyler recently figured out how to open our kitchen trash can. It's a tall 13-gallon can with a foot pedal. Apparently Tyler doesn't even need the foot pedal. He is able to pry open the lid with his fingers. This afternoon he: a) put one of the deli containers from his toy drawer in the trash, and b) took trash out of the can that was reachable because the can was pretty full. Not sure what we're going to do about this yet. I'm most worried Tyler is going to throw away something important when we're not looking and we won't even realize it.
• Texting: Tyler sent his first text message today! I was talking to my dad on my cell phone on speaker phone and Tyler wanted to push the buttons. He managed to send a message to my friend Lourdes without any text in the actual message. I think it was code to let Calvin know they should hang out at the playground. ; ) I predict this kid will be more tech savvy than me by his second birthday! Or maybe he already is?

Hangin' Tough

Tyler has been having a rough week health-wise. He has actually had a lingering cold for almost 3 weeks now that is finally on the decline. It came to an ugly head this past Saturday when it manifested into pink eye and an ear infection. Antibiotics have been helping to clear it up.

Then last night after we got home from work, Tyler vomited. This was a first! (Do I note this first in the baby book?) And of course we made it worse by giving him water afterwards not realizing that we're supposed to wait an hour to give him any fluids. So the water came back up about 5 or 10 minutes later. After waiting an hour we gave him his antibiotics and some pedialyte but he wasn't able to keep it down. Tyler didn't seem miserable, other than being frustrated about the vomiting. He was playing with his toys and wasn't running a fever. He actually went to bed at his normal time and slept through the night. We kept Tyler home today. He took 2 naps totaling 4 hours(!) and his appetite was back to normal by mid-afternoon. We're not sure if Tyler had some kind of virus or a reaction to his antibiotics. Thankfully he is back to his happy little self!

Truckin'

Tyler has gotten pretty good at riding his truck and steering. He is actually running into less things around the house. Sometimes he does laps through the house since you can do a lap from the kitchen, through the living room, through our bedroom, down the hallway, and back to the kitchen. Other times, like above, he leisurely rides along until he gets distracted by something else.

2 for 1

What's better than throwing 1 tennis ball? Throwing 2 at the same time of course.

Wine Tasting with Rip

Our friend Rip (www.roadtriprip.com) was in town this weekend. He is in the middle of a multi-state road trip and was passing through Oregon on his way up to Alaska. We spent yesterday wine tasting in the Willamette Valley and hearing all about his great adventure.

Little Gymnast

Tyler just completed a 20-week class at The Little Gym. Michael and I took turns taking him to class each week and we all had a great time. The last class was "Show Class" where the kids got to show off some of the skills they have learned. It's amazing how much all of the kids have developed since the class started. Most of them, including Tyler, were crawling at the beginning and now they are all running around, attempting to jump, doing assisted forward rolls, etc. There were times when Tyler was clingy and wanted to stay near Michael or me and now he has no qualms about exploring the gym room on his own.

Bouncing on the inflatable air track

Tyler is more fascinated with the stairs themselves than the balance beam. A few classes ago Tyler did a face plant when he blindly stepped off the bottom step. Now he knows the best way for him to get down is to sit and slide down.

Tyler loves the sports balls. He even helps put them away when Ms. Angela asks them to put them in the big ball bin.

Since it was the last day of class each kid got to a ribbon and certificate and turn on the podium while everyone applauded. Tyler wasn't quite sure what to make of all that and Ms. Angela had to help him up to the podium.

The kids always love the bubbles! Since it was the last class they got to have the balls and the bubbles at the same time. Ah- the simple pleasures. And don't worry- Tyler didn't even cry when he tripped over the ball at the end of the video.

The last time the air track was used in class Tyler just sat on it and watched all the other kids in action. This time he actually tried to bend his legs a little to try and jump.

Handle Jiggling

This handle must do something! Tyler has not yet figured out that if he jiggles the handle just a little bit harder it will actually do something. I'm just thankful that he has not tried to lift up the lid yet.

Laundry Time

Tyler was quite excited to discover that he has the ability to dump out his laundry hamper. He proudly presented a few dirty washcloths to me as a "gift". Or maybe it was a subtle hint that it was time to do laundry?

Early Bird

Recently Tyler has been waking up early (5:30 to 5:45)! I remember the good ol' days when he slept in until 8 or 8:30 and then that got earlier (7 or 7:30). I think he's been waking up early because the sun is coming up earlier. Tyler's room is on the east side of the house and despite honeycomb shades covered by curtains with blackout panels, his room still gets quite a bit of light. On work days the early rising makes it a little more challenging to get ready since Tyler needs lots of supervision these days to make sure he's not getting into things. On non-work days I sometimes put Tyler in bed with me and about a third of the time he goes back to sleep for a while, which means I get to go back to sleep. ; ) I can't complain though because Tyler has been a great sleeper since about 6 months old.

Cantaloupe

Yesterday Tyler was quite intrigued when I took a whole cantaloupe out of the fridge. I let him feel the texture of the outside, but he got quite upset when I took it away so I could cut it up. Tyler definitely thought it was another sports ball! At dinnertime he actually ate some cantaloupe after he realized the only two options on his tray were cantaloupe or chicken enchilada casserole. Tonight, Tyler decided it was much more fun to take his cantaloupe pieces, squeeze all the juice out, and then discard the pieces in his lap where we couldn't see them.

Yard Helper

Despite the Cozy Coupe and a beach ball for distraction, after about 10 minutes or so Tyler was still more interested in following me around the yard as I did yard work. After watching me pull some weeds, Tyler sweetly pulled out some ground cover from another part of the yard and proudly gave it to me. I was touched! I had to stop him when he started pulling leaves off one of the rhododendrons though!

Picky Eater

We thought we had lucked out and gotten one of those kids who will eat anything. Up until about a week ago Tyler would try just about anything- veggies, fruit, casseroles, ethnic food (Thai, Indian, Chinese, etc.). Now you never know what that kid will decide to eat! Sometimes he will rule out a food by looks alone and will not even try a bite. At this age it makes me wonder what makes one food appealing over another. Tyler is definitely more inclined to try something if it comes directly from one of our plates, but not always. Just the other day he would not even try one bite of the chicken I gave him from my salad, but he reached towards my salad and whined until I gave him a crouton. Tyler had never even had a crouton before but he loves bread. He managed to gnaw through that crouton and kept reaching for more.

New Ride #2

This Cozy Coupe is another craigslist find. Watch out Fred Flintstone! I already know Tyler liked the Cozy Coupe before buying it because he has played with it at some of the indoor play parks we go to on rainy days. My real ulterior motive behind getting the car is to keep Tyler occupied while I do yard work. Tyler could spend hours just playing with the car, much less driving it around the patio. He likes to constantly open and close the door, get in and get out, play with the steering wheel, and honk the horn.

New Ride #1

After following many leads, we finally obtained the used bicycle trailer we have been looking for on craigslist. These babies go fast in Portland! Although Tyler seemed excited at the beginning of our inaugural ride, he wasn't super comfortable with the helmet on and all the straps inside the trailer. We'll have to see if we can make some adjustments. We went for a spin on one of our favorite shared pedestrian/bike paths and also stopped off at a playground along the path. Michael and I took turns pulling the trailer and on flat terrain you barely even feel the weight of it behind you. You can definitely tell the difference on any uphill terrain though.

Sit-n-Spin or Stand-n-Spin?

I picked up a Sit-n-Spin at a garage sale this weekend. Tyler wasn't even sure what the thing was, but he immediately lit up when I brought it into the living room and just had to try and get a hold of it. I don't know if it's the bright colors or that it's fairly large or what. Tyler doesn't know how to make it spin yet, but he likes it when we spin it around for him.

So tell me all about your day...

I'm sure once Tyler learns to talk he will have plenty to say! In the meantime he's going to tell us all about it in his own style.

Play Ball!

Tyler is gearing up for the start of World Cup Soccer this week and here he shows off his throw-in. But seriously, Tyler loves playing catch these days and has figured out that all his sports balls bounce better on the tile floor than on the carpet. We are just excited he has decided to back up before throwing the ball instead of throwing it towards you from about a foot or two away.

Snake Charmer

The zoo brought some animals for show and tell to Tyler's daycare today. Apparently Tyler had no qualms about petting the big snake! This from the kid who is apprehensive about petting dogs and cute little furry baby animals at petting zoos. Tyler did pass up petting the other animals the zoo brought (like the bearded dragon).

Corn Popper

I recently bought Tyler the classic corn popper at a garage sale. Man is that thing loud! But that is precisely why Tyler loves pushing it around the house.

NICU Reunion- Gate Crashing

Check out Calvin's blog for a hilarious video of Tyler and Calvin rattling the gates of the pharmacy.

NICU Reunion

St. Vincent held their annual NICU reunion today. We enjoyed the festivities and caught up with some of the doctors and nurses who cared for Tyler when he was in the NICU after birth.

Amazingly both Calvin and Tyler sat still long enough to get temporary moose tattoos! We were going to attempt face painting, but Tyler got antsy while waiting in line.

Partners in crime- shaking the gate to the pharmacy and lovin' it!

Calvin, Dave, Michael, and Tyler

We met Dave and Lourdes during childbirth classes, and Lourdes and I ended up on bedrest at the same time. Calvin spent a week in the NICU while I was still on bedrest. You would never know now that both Calvin and Tyler were preemies.

Tyler showing off his new ink and his post-dinner Buddha belly.

Look What I Can Open

Tyler figured out how to open pocket doors yesterday and I captured it on video today. We have a pocket door on the side of our bedroom next to the living room and one on our master bathroom. We mostly close the doors for containment when we want to keep Tyler from roaming about the house. We're in real trouble when he figures out how to open actual doors like the one to the garage and the one to the office!

Who's at the Door Daddy?

Snack Time

Christopher, Tyler, and Calvin pausing from play for a Cheerios snack. Yummy!

Why sit when I can stand?

Tyler the Human Sprinkler

Michael was home with Tyler today since Tyler came home sick late yesterday afternoon. Don't worry- he just had an upset tummy and is already back to normal. Michael kept hearing giggling from Tyler, who thought it was a real hoot to repeatedly take a sip of water and then spit it out. Our little human sprinkler went through 3 shirts and 2 pairs of pants today with his water endeavors!

Texas Trip Photos

At long last I have whittled down the photos (there were over 400 to start with!) and posted them online. We had a great trip to Texas, despite the heat and humidity! Tyler did pretty well with all the traveling although about halfway through the week he started to get a little fussy so we indulged him with his pacifier, which he has only been allowed to have during naps and bedtime since he turned one. We're pretty sure he was teething (his upper first molars look like they are about to break the gums). Thankfully Tyler napped for about half of the flight on both the outbound and inbound flights and he never had any problems with his ears. A few firsts and developments for Tyler during our trip:

• Tyler started running! The kid hasn't completely mastered walking and still falls quite a bit but that does not stop him from running around.
• I know his daycare reports have mentioned that Tyler dances to music while at school, but until this trip we hadn't really been able to get him to cut a rug.
• Watch out Everest because Tyler has started climbing. Michael's parents have a sofa that is lower to the ground than ours and Tyler figured out how to climb up on it. He was not sure how to get back down. Tyler also found some of my parents' lawn chairs were the ideal height for him to climb up onto. Since we've been back home I haven't seen Tyler try to climb anything, but I'm sure it is just a matter of time.
• Tyler has happily been knocking down towers of blocks and legos for months now, but while at Janina's he started stacking containers into a tower. Of course he knocked the tower down after he ran out of containers to stack!
• We took Tyler to an outdoor fountain for kids at the Kemah Boardwalk. Despite the other toddlers and kids running around in the fountain Tyler was petrified. He tolerated being carried through the fountain for a while but clung on for dear life.
• Apparently Tyler is particular about where he bathes. He loves baths at home but cried and cried when we bathed him at Michael's parents' house and my parents' house. The funny thing was that he peered over the side of the tub from the dry side while the water filled up like he does at home and was perfectly normal until we set him in the tub. He also cried for about the first half of his first bath after we got home, but I finally got him to smile and play like he usually does.
• Tyler was exposed to tons of dogs. He has been near dogs before but mostly ignored them. When we got to Janina's house he cried because all the dogs (5!) started barking at once, but eventually warmed up to the dogs. Tyler also spent time with my parents cocker spaniels Jamie and Allie and Brad and Megan's dalmation Bumblebee. Tyler was not interested in petting the dogs (although he did finally pet Allie and Bumblebee at the end of our trip), but really enjoyed watching the dogs. He even tolerated and giggled at being licked and learned to watch out for the wagging tail on the bigger dogs.
• Tyler tried a number of new foods while in Texas: authentic Texas BBQ brisket and sausage, Tex-Mex, and cactus. We stopped in Lockhart at Black's, which is supposedly the oldest BBQ joint in Texas. Michael was excited that Tyler leans towards the carnivorous side and happily enjoyed brisket. Brad and Megan brought 70 pounds(!) of crawfish from New Orleans for a crawfish boil. Tyler tried crawfish at a restaurant in Portland recently, but this was his first official backyard crawfish boil.
• Sadly Tyler got his first sunburn and mosquito bites! Despite lathering Tyler in sunblock repeatedly he got a tiny bit of mild sunburn on his cheeks. His poor little hands got attacked by mosquitos during the crawfish boil. I guess they were attracted to all the food on his hands. This paired with the teething is likely what made him fussy. I had completely forgotten about mosquitos since we typically visit Texas when the weather is much cooler.

Click on photo below for entire album:

Texas Trip

Texas Trip Videos