My Blue Eyed Boys

Fun Weekend

This weekend the weather was beautiful and we made the most of it. On Friday, Jim, Tyler and I went to a Timberwolves BBQ at our friend Ryan Tanke's house. He lives right on the lake so the view was great. There was good food, music and yard games. Tyler was such a good boy and quite a hit with all the ladies! On Saturday we spent a lot of time at our neighborhood playground. Tyler loves to swing in the baby swing and watch daddy go down the slides. On the walk back home Tyler got a little nature lesson as we saw and heard a woodpecker! That night Jim and I grilled out and played a friendly game of croquet. As it was only my second time to play Jim gave me two hits to his one, to his detriment. I got the hang of the game and ended up beating him 3 games to 2. Unfortunately, Jim took out his frustrations on the mallets and ended up breaking two! That Sunday we celebrated our neighbor Vincent's 3 year birthday with pizza, cake and a little fun in the sun. What a fun and busy weekend!

Update on Tyler James (aka Bubba)

At 6 1/2 months old Tyler has had some new developments that I thought would be fun to share. His little personality is coming out more and more each day and he's such a joy to be around!

While Tyler's had his voice for a while he's lately discovered vowels, particularly his "a" sound. We now hear a lot of "tha, tha, tha" and "da, da, da" and once a "ma, ma". He started doing this mostly when he was crying but will now do it throughout his "normal" conversations.

Tyler is eating baby food 3 times a day along with 4 bottles. He now enjoys carrots, bananas, applesauce, rice cereal and, his favorite by far, butternut squash! The only thing he hasn't taken to is oatmeal. Our plan is to keep introducing a wide variety of foods to him. Up next will be pears and avocados. I've been making all of Tyler's baby food and, so far, I really enjoy it.

Tyler's still working on sitting up alone and he's getting better each day. He's also getting really good at spotting a toy he wants and grabbing it or figuring out a way to get to it. This involves a lot of rolling across the floor and wiggling his whole body around. We think that Tyler believes if he just shakes everything hard enough he'll figure out how to crawl around!

His nighttime sleep hasn't changed much. He still goes to bed between 6 and 6:15 and wakes up around 6. He now takes 2 good naps, both usually 1 and 1/2 hours long. The big difference is he's waking up happy almost all the time now. He'll talk loudly or cry to let us know he's awake but as soon as we turn his light on he's all smiles. He also loves just hanging out in his crib now. I can set him in there and between his mobile and his mirror toy he's a happy camper!

Tasty Feet

Hayward, WI

Last week Tyler and I set off with Meg and her boys to her mom's cabin in Hayward, WI. The weather was perfect for our trip. It was hot during the day and cool enough in the evening to sleep with the windows open. It's the perfect rustic cabin set in the woods and right on the lake. There was so much to do! We swam and played in the lake, grilled out and went on nature hikes/stroller rides with all three of the boys. Tyler got to see what it would be like with two older brothers...pretty noisy and never a dull moment! Once all the kids were in bed Meg and I broke out the wine and Rummikub and had some fun girl time. Tyler and I had such a fun and relaxing trip. Thanks for inviting us Meg. We're already looking forward to next year!

Tyler's Dedication

Today at church we had Tyler dedicated. Our church has infant dedications instead of infant baptisms. This acknowledges that Tyler is set apart for the Lord and that Jim and I will raise him in and live our lives as an example of the Christian faith. Today we were charged with praying for Tyler each day, teaching him God's word and nurturing his faith so that he can one day make the decision to confess his faith in baptism. During the ceremony our Pastor also discussed the religious meaning of the name Tyler James. Tyler comes literally from "maker of tiles". Pastor Tom discussed how many tilers make tiles for roofs, which protect and shelter those inside. He thought that Tyler would be a great protector for our family. The name James can be found throughout the Bible, including the brother of Jesus.
Tyler did so well during the ceremony and throughout the church service. He didn't cry once when he was in front of the congregation or when Pastor Tom held him. He was even pretty quiet during the prayer!
After church we had Jim's family and our neighbors over to celebrate with us. What a fun day! Thanks, everyone, for being a part of it!

First Catch With Daddy

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