First Beach Trip!

Last weekend we took a mini family vaca (along with our good friends Tara, Jason, Jayce and Julianne) and took Tyler to the beach. Now he's been to the beach a lot to see the grandparents, but this was his first visit to the ocean. And he loved it! He ran from the water, back to the sand, and then back to the water about 100 times. He ate a lot of sand, dug some holes, and overall I think had a ball. Saturday night we took him to Broadway at the Beach and he road a few rides...he even road the cars with Jayce and he smiled the entire time! I think the pictures speak for themselves...

Tyler LOVED running all over the beach!

My first dip in the ocean
I love the sand!

I packed so well! We didn't forget anything...unfortunately we didn't put a whole lot of thought into how we were going to load everything down to the beach! HA! Poor Frank.

Riding the cars just like a big boy.

He loved the carousel too!

And the pool was a big hit!

My Funny Little Boy

My funny little boy loves a mixing boy (as you'll see in the post below).....so much so that sometimes he even likes to sleep with it :-)

Speaking of sleeping, when Tyler gets tired now, he will pull all the pillows off the couch and get a blanket and lay in the floor and fall asleep. You have to love a baby that puts himself to sleep :-)

Getting So Big

Look at this precious, crazy haired, bright eyed adorable little boy! This is what I wake up to every morning and I LOVE IT! He's much cuter with crazy hair than his daddy is...but shhhhhh, that's our secret.

As you can see, Tyler is full of personality and I could just eat it up. He is not the least bit interested in toys. He just wants to explore and copy everything you do. He likes rolling around on the floor with you and enjoys 'knocking me down'. It's really cute. Tonight, we were playing on the floor and I was laying down and my shirt was pulled up a little on the side. Well Tyler saw this and took full advantage...he blew on my belly to make all sorts of funny noises and laughed and laughed. His face was bright red and he laughed so hard he lost his breath. It was so cute! Here he is wrestling with Daddy....I think Tyler won.

As I mentioned, he does not like toys right now, but his favorite thing to play with is a mixing bowl and spoon. This will occupy him for over an hour! He walks all over the house just mixin away! So funny. And if you're nice to him, he'll even let you taste what he's been making.
He is growing up so fast. His personality is so much fun...definitely all boy! But I must admit, he loves his momma! Every night he crawls up on my lap and covers me in kisses. He is a real sweetheart! When he gets tired and likes to lay down beside me and put his hand on my face and just talk away...it's moments like these that I realize how lucky I am. I just melt.

Here's an update on what's up with Mr. Tyler:

Likes: Mixing Bowls and Spoons, Remote Controls, Telephones, Cheese Grits, Animal Cookies, Pillows, Sleep (and Mommy likes this too!), anything with Tomato Sauce on it, Sweet Tea, Zucchini (this is actually the only vegetable mommy can get you to eat), Balls, tissue paper, going outside.

Dislikes: vegetables-especially sweet peas and green beans, jello (I think you are going to be a texture eater), the car seat for long rides, getting dressed, having your diaper changed, and when mommy or daddy says no :-)

My Messy Little Boy

The other night I had to run to the grocery store so I asked Frank to feed Tyler. Big Mistake. This is what I came home to...

Do you know how hard it is to scrub Ravioli out of eyebrows? So this is the conversation that occured between Frank and I:
Angie: What were you thinking letting him completly feed himself (while I am dying of laughter)
Frank: Well I saw you letting him feed himself spaghetti, so I thought this was close enough.
Angie: But Frank, I only give him 3 or 4 noodles at a time. What did you do, dump the whole can on his tray?
Frank: (with a smile) Well yea, how else was he going to feed himself....
I think I would have been better off just waiting till I got home to feed Tyler. Not only did I have to clean him up, I had to scrap it off the window seal, scrub the floor, and I'm still applying Shout to his clothes......Oh my messy little boy.

Happy Birthday My Big Boy!

I can not believe my sweet little boy is ONE!!!! Where did the last year go to? I've got mixed emotions right now. Part of me is so excited because Tyler is learning so much and it's so much fun to watch him grow. The other part of me wants to scream, "STOP! SLOW DOWN! You are growing too fast!" It seems like yesterday I was bringing home my sweet bundle of joy. And now I have this little unique little boy who thinks he's a big kid!

You just amaze me right now. You are only one, but you think you can hang with the big boys! HA! You are definitely a boy on the move. You don't sit still very long at all. You love exploring. And you do not take "no" very easily. You can already throw temper tantrums! If Daddy or I take something away or tell you no, you will throw yourself on the ground and start crying. We are trying to ignore this in hopes that this will be a habit you will break. You are very strong willed and when you have your mind set on something, nothing will get in your way...I don't know who you get this from :-) You are an independant child for sure. You love doors. Your favorite thing to do is open and close doors. And you can't stand for a door to be open. I purposely leave the pantry doors open in the kitchen just so I can watch you race to them and shut them. I think this is going to be your pet peeve when you grow up.

You LOVE to laugh and smile. You are such a happy baby. You love to feed yourself...although mommy has to hose you down when you get done. I'll say you get that after your daddy :-) One thing is for sure, mommy and daddy sure do love you. You have no idea how much we love you.

I could just eat this face up! That smile is priceless!

Yummy! My birthday cake taste so good!

Happy Birthday to Me!

My Sweet Little Man

Dear Tyler,

I cannot believe you are just a couple weeks away from being a "big boy!" You continue to amaze me everyday. You are so smart. You try to copy everything you see. The cutest thing you are doing is telling everyone your name, which is "Tyler Tyler Stop." I guess you hear that a lot :-) And yesterday you really started trying to walk. You will walk while holding someones hand, but when we were at Wal-Mart, Maddie got you to walk all by yourself, just like a big boy! And today, you were playing in the kitchen and I told you to come here...well me and Daddy almost fell off the couch when we saw you WALKING into the dining room! As soon as you saw us looking at you, you dropped to the floor and started crawling. You just continue to amaze us everyday. And I love you more than words could ever describe. I can just think about your sweet little face and get the biggest smile. You're the best thing that ever happened to me and Daddy and I could just eat you up!!!

You have a little personality of your own. You definitely have the "No" look down. you can say No and you shake your head all over the place. And when you get finished eating, you start to spit your food out. Even though I say No, No, I still think it's funny. And at night time, you insist on giving me a dozen kisses and then you just hug me and lay your head on my shoulder, and that makes mommy's heart melt. When you are tired, you want your crib. You don't want anything else, but your crib. And as soon as you get in there, you flip on your stomach, slide up to the corner and bury your head in the bumper pad. And you still love to sleep. I think I am the only mom that gets to sleep in until 8:30 or 9:30 every Saturday. And boy do I love you for that! You've learned the power of a 'fake' cry. And it's works on everyone. When we take something away from you, you scream for 5 seconds and then just stop. You love being in the kitchen with me and Daddy, and you love getting a bowl and spoon and you just mix away. You are just amazing, and I am so lucky to be your mommy. You are the apple of my eye, and my heart is just over flowing with love for you. You are my sweet, sweet little boy!

Love, Mommy

This is your Fake Cry...So Pitiful

Look at my Crazy Hair...

I love my new swing Daddy put up. I giggle every time my daddy pushes me in it.
This is when Mommy and Daddy almost fell off the couch...Walking all by yourself! (With your mixing bowl and spoon in hand)

Mommy, I don't want to look for the prize egg...I like the 2 I have.

Look Mommy, I can play the piano. Don't you think I'm funny.

Such a silly little boy.

Hmmm...do I want to go to sleep or do I want to play?

I'm full...no more

Daddy said he bought mommy a brand new fishing pole. So mommy said since it was hers, I could play with it. Daddy changed his mind really fast and decided it was his fishing pole...and Daddy won't let me play with it. That's when I gave Daddy my sad face.

Then and Now...

4 months Old...Just big enough for my Jumpy!

6 months old...and wearing my self out in the jumpy!

10 months old...quickly out growing my favorite toy and still playing until I can't stay awake!

My Big Boy

Tyler is growing like a weed. He is just too much fun! I can't believe I am about to have his first birthday party. It seems like we just brought him home. He's so full of energy and lately he copies everything we do, which his daddy finds hilarious. I have a feeling Daddy is going to get Tyler in lots of trouble! Tyler is so sweet. When he puts his little hand on my face and talks to me, my heart melts! I am so in love with him. Words just cannot explain how a mommy feels about her little boy. People warned me, but I could have never imagined! I love watching him learn new things and he's fascinated about everything. He can't sit still for longer than 2 seconds (get's that from his daddy), he has to open every drawer, cabinet, you name it he has to touch it and play with it. He keeps us on our toes! And he's a human vacuum cleaner....if there's something on the floor he's going to find it and eat it...food, dirt, grass...doesn't matter. It all taste good! And speaking of food, our little man has 4 teeth and boy does he know how to use them. If he sees you eating, you better be prepared to share! The other night I went to KFC and got a pint of mash potatoes and gravy...Tyler left me about 4 bites!!!! He ate the ENTIRE container by himself!!! He's just a barrel of fun and we are loving EVERY SINGLE MINUTE of him!

Feed Me Mommy!

I am played out! And I've got all my stuffed animals to keep me company.
Look at my shoes!

Streeeeeeeeech! Almoooooost.......Mommy help me! I want the phone! (look at those Tippy Toes!)

Too Cool for Words

Tyler loved the warm weather we had a few weekends ago. We pulled him around the neighborhood in the wagon and he wore his hat and sunglasses the ENTIRE time! I was so tickled! I thought he would pull them off but he didn't. He was too precious!

Look at him holding onto the side of the wagon! Too sweet!

My Boo Boo

I was sitting in church on Sunday and about had a heart attack when I saw Tyler's number flash on the big screen, which means a parent needs to go to the nursery b/c something is wrong. So I race out of church to go and rescue my baby.....well he was fine by the time I got there. Apparantly Tyler thinks he is a big kid and trys to copy everyone. He pulled up on the chair to get something, fell and busted his lip. By the time I got to him, he was fine. Apparently a nice bottle and a very nice lady rocking you can easily make a fat lip feel better. What can I say...he's a rough and tumble kind of boy.

Redneck Child Proofing

When you have a child that does this....

You become forced to do this...

Fun New Website

I have to admit, I am addicted to shopping online. Even more so now that Tyler is here. I just don't have time to do 'real' shopping like I used to. Well, I came across the neatest website recently called Ebates. All you do is log on to ebates and connect to your store you want to shop at. You earn rebates just for shopping! I've already earned $10! You earn money for shopping on ebay, Target, Vista Print, Sephora...you name it and it's probablly listed. And they give you referral dollars too! Hint, hint...go and sign up and I get $5.00 and YOU get $5.00! Hey, it's a win-win!

http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=nv%2FDtu1FGSQrwhSHXt99jg%3D%3D

On a "Tyler Note"...he has strep throat but is still so incredibly happy. I really don't know how we got so blessed with such a sweet baby! Frank has been really good with helping watch Tyler. I stay home in the mornings and Frank comes home at 1:00 so I can go into work for a few hours. Most dads would not do that, but I didn't even have to ask Frank! He just offered! And it's been such a big help. I've got some really good pictures to post from this weekend of little man but my camera battery is dead. I'll charge it and post tomorrow.

Happy Belated Valentines Day

Tyler made the cutest Valentines for his class....I hope you like Bananas :-)

STOP!!! You Are Getting Too Big...and Oh So Smart!

Little Man is getting so big and so very smart. It amazes me how he can think and figure things out on his own. He began saying Mama last week and he will say baba sometimes. He loves waving bye-bye and if he hears anyone say bye, that little hand starts waving up and down. He is still the nosiest little boy. He watches and takes in everything around him. He can stand up all by himself for about 30-45 seconds and then he loses his balance when he starts clapping for himself. Yeah...he likes to brag :-) He is getting such a personality and loves to laugh. It is so sweet. But he also has a very stubborn streak to him to. When you take something away from him, he will throw himself on the ground and cry....I know...he is too young for temper tantrums! But he is so sweet. He will give me kisses when I ask for them and he loves playing with any kind of riding or push toys. He is definitely a man on the move. Speaking of which...if he disappears you better go check the bathroom because he still has a fascination with playing in the toilets! I have a feeling he is going to be ALL BOY!

Since I haven't updated in a while...here's a whole bunch of pictures! (If you click on View All Images you can see the captions and look at them faster.)

Getting So Big

My sweet baby is getting so big. He is in to everything! All boy!!! He is a ball of energy and I love every minute with him. He's still a very good baby, but is so curious about everything! He has to touch, feel, and see everything. I love looking at the world through his eyes. Right now, he's pulling up and walking along the couch while holding on. And I swear he can crawl in a complete circle around our house in 10 seconds! He eats like a pig, and even if he's already eaten, he still has to have a little bite of what you're eating. And other than green beans, I haven't really seen anything that he won't eat. He loves ice cream! HA, who doesn't!?! He is saying Dada and sometimes Nana, but he just laughs at me when I try to get him to say Mama. Maybe one day. And he waves Bye-Bye now, and will give you a big slobbery kiss when you ask him for sugar. He loves to laugh and has the sweetest giggle that's contagious. I love his smile with those 2 little teeth shining. He loves bath time and playing in the floor with MaMa. And I think he's the coolest kid in the world! I can just eat him up!!!

He loves riding in his new wagon!

Even with sweet potatoes on his face, he's still cute :-)

My first temper tantrum! He did this tonight when we took something away from him.

This is the face I wake up to each morning and I could just eat it up!

And he's still playing with his 'friend'.

Giving Mommy Sugars

Hanging out with Daddy

I still love bath time!

And now...we will leave you with a smile! Priceless!