15 Months!

Dear Tyson-

You're 15 months old today! Already 1/4 of the way through your second year. Time is FLYING.

You are growing so quickly and Mama and Daddy think you change everyday. Just this month, three of your molars have popped through. We think the fourth one is on the way, but it is still hiding. That makes 10 teeth total. Speaking of teeth, you love to brush yours! Mama starts, but you like to finish up the toothbrushing by yourself. You are back to wearing bibs everyday because you drool so much, so there must be more teeth ready to pop through.

Just this month, you have become so independent and you understand so much of what we say. The list of things you understand could go on and on. You still only have the same three words you had before, but you babble so much that we know we'll be able to understand more of your words very soon. One of your most favorite things to do is push buttons. You have to push the buttons on the alarm key pad, the refrigerator, the garage door opener and the thermostat. Mama and Daddy can hardly walk past one of these things without you having your little finger ready to press the buttons! You have also learned how to blow kisses and it is just.too.cute!

We have moved you up to a size 4 diaper. That means you're growing big and strong! Even though we know you are growing, your appetite seems to change from day to day. One day, I swear you are a bottomless pit and the next day you hardly eat anything. Right now, you like biting into things so mama has been cutting your food into strips instead of little bits and pieces.

It has been so hot this month that we have not been able to spend too much time oustide, even though you LOVE being outdoors! We have been to the lake a bunch and even took a trip to the fair. We also celebrated your great grandpa's 96th birthday. Even though everyone offered, you refused to eat the cake or ice cream. You also got to meet your Uncle Tom. He had a pretty quick visit, but hopefully we'll have a longer visit with him sometime soon.

Daddy is still your favorite person by far. You can spend hours watching him working in the yard and you follow him around the house. Wherever Daddy goes, Tyson wants to go too. Happy 15 months sweet pea!

Love, Mama and Daddy

Mama has been slacking on the blog posts this week, so I'll just recap the entire week. First off, celebrating Tyson's Great Grandpa Fred's 96th Birthday:

Uncle Steve and Ryan:

Tyson and Grandma H:

Tyson talking with his Great Great Aunts Minnie and Bernadine:

The birthday boy!

Making silly faces at mama:

Watching Daddy work outside in the yard:

Helping mama in the kitchen:

The 15 month old man:

14 Months Old

Dear Tyson:

You are 14 months old and well into toddlerhood. You keep us on our toes everyday, but we wouldn't have it any other way.

You have not slowed down one bit and in fact, I think you're moving faster than ever. We spent 5 days with Grandma and Grandpa H at the lake and you kept them busy too. You and Grandma took lots of walks and collected acorns, rocks and sticks. I think they'll be finding rocks in various places for months to come. It made Uncle Reggie and Aunt Jaime realize what's in store for them when their baby girl arrives in October.

We celebrated your second Fourth of July holiday. You slept right through all of the fireworks even though we were worried that you would wake up from all of the noise. You played with your flag and rode around in your cousin Alli's wagon. It was a really hot and humid day, so you did not get to spend as much time outside as you would have liked.

Grandma tried to get you to try some new foods, but you did not care for the beets or cottage cheese. Maybe another time! You're still a great eater and you have not met a fruit that you don't like. Bananas and blueberries are your current favorites. Mama is still struggling to get you to eat your veggies, but I found a yogurt that has veggies in it. Luckily, you love yogurt and don't even know you're being tricked into eating your veggies!

Just this month, we've been swimming, to the park, on walks and on big trips in the car. You love to play outside and just be outdoors. For the most part, you are a happy little guy. You love to clap your hands, laugh and smile. You're getting pretty good at understanding us and while you've been talking for months, you're finally saying words that we can understand. You say mama, da-yi (daddy) and done.

You love Daddy so much right now. He is quite possibly your favorite person in the whole world. When you don't know where he is, you love to yell for him. We can't wait to see what you learn and figure out this month!

Happy 14 months sweet baby!

Love, Mama and Daddy

13 Months Old

Dear Tyson:

You're 13 months old today! I know we say it all the time, but it's hard to believe you could possibly be this old already. You are an absolute joy in our lives. Mama and Daddy love you so much that we can hardly wait to see you when you wake up in the morning. We almost always go in together to see you after you wake up because it's just so cute! Even if you wake up crying, you smile as soon as you see us peeking in through the doorway.

You are so busy right now that it is hard to keep you in any one place. You have to touch everything and you are constantly moving--walking, running, crawling, climbing--however you can move you do. The past few nights have been challenging to get you to even calm down long enough for a wagon or stroller ride. We can hardly get you to sit still long enough to eat a meal. Speaking of eating, you love to eat! You are still a pretty picky eater, but as long as we give you some of your favorites, you're happy. Right now, you love waffles, yogurt, cheese and bananas. You are not a fan of veggies, but sometimes Mama finds ways to trick you into eating them. You've only been drinking whole milk for about a month, but you get so excited everytime you see a cup of milk!

You like to play with your toys, especially the soccer and basketballs that Great Aunt Susan and Great Uncle John gave you for your birthday. Containing you has been quite challenging for Mama and Daddy. We're rethinking the babyproofing plans on a daily basis because everyday you get into something new. We know we can take you outside to our new patio to run around and you'll stay on the concrete. You still don't like playing or walking in the grass.

Finally you're growing into all of your cute 12-18 month summer clothes. You look so handsome in your polo shirts and plaid shorts. :) Speaking of summer, we're having fun so far with much more in store! You went swimming for the first time and you really liked it. You also took a day roadtrip to Chicago. We had a good time playing on Sean and Amber's rooftop deck. It was like a giant play area just for little boys! The only part of the trip that you did not appreciate was the amount of time you had to spend in your carseat. Even having Mama accompany you in the backseat for a while did not make you happy. But, as soon as we gave you your milk, all was right again your world.

We can't wait to see what adventures the next month will bring, but we know it will be fun. Happy 13 monthday little man!

Love, Mama and Daddy