Tyler at 9 Months

Today, Tyler is 9 months old. Wow. He's closer to being a toddler now than he is a newborn. It's amazing to me how fast time is flying. I mean, those first 3-4 months seemed to last an eternity, and now we're already thinking about plans for his first birthday.

I spent a couple of hours today with the 3 gals I went on my yoga retreat with last summer. We all had babies this year, although I was the only one pregnant during that retreat. Two of them have 4 week olds and one has a 3 month old. As we sat talking about different newborn/infant things and about those first few months, I realized that I hardly remember much of what was just a few months ago. So much of it is a blur now. I wrote down much of what was going on, when I had the time, and thank goodness for digital cameras and blogs!

My sister took this one back in August at my cousin's house in L.A. She got so many great close ups of him, I want to frame a few, but just haven't had a chance. I look at this picture and it really makes me think of all the sweetness that is Tyler Hunt.
Who doesn't love a baby's booty?

At 9 months old, Tyler can sit in the bathtub unsupported. We can't let him take the whole bath like this since Vincent tends to get too excited (and rough) and Tyler ends up slipping under water at some point - just for a second. Once he's all washed, we take the mini tub out and let them play for a few minutes.

Tyler still sucks on his left thumb. The way he positions his hand is so unique & cute.

Fun things Tyler's doing include crawling, pulling himself up to standing, making this funny grunting "urghhhhhh" noise, tackling Vincent, making a "mum, mum, mum" sound, self-feeding, drinking from a sippy cup, starting to push his walker/car around, and sleeping a bit more.

Tyler's dislikes:

-When either Vincent or I walk out of the room.

-Getting into his carseat.

-Getting his face cleaned.

Tyler's likes:

-Baths

-Eating. Ramen noodles are a favorite.

-Playing with toys

-Exploring new things

-Our cats

Tyler loves:

-Us. It's so heartwarming to walk into a room and have him beam at the sight of you. He has started to get excited when David comes home from work. He LOVES Vincent. My favorite part about picking Vincent up from preschool is seeing the two boys greet each other by putting their foreheads together.

-Laughing. He's super good at laughing.

-Snuggling. He's a little snuggle bug. I love it.

-Wrecking things that Vincent put together, like the train track.

-Putting things in his mouth...that's a given.

Lastly, some nicknames. I call him Tyler, Ty, Ty Baby, Tyler Baby, Ty Ty, Sweet Pea, Munchkin. David calls him Tyler, Ty, T-man, Ty Ty. Vincent calls him Tyler, Baby Tyler, Di Di, and his favorite thing to call him is Tylie. He came up with that one all on his own.

Thanksgiving and Black Friday

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year, in our own house. This was our first time hosting Thanksgiving dinner, and my first time cooking a turkey. We had two other families here, the Demsey and the Hildebrandt families. Vincent and Evan, the toddlers, did very well playing together. Eating didn't go as well, but only because they hardly ate. Here are some highlights. For the full details, click on the "Family Meal" link to the right...and then I have to tell you about Black Friday.

I've just stuffed the turkey (7.17 lb heritage turkey from Thundering Hooves). Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the final result. Our table is ready...and so is Tyler.

Tyler's 1st Thanksgiving dinner aftermath. Not too bad.

The day after Thanksgiving, we took the kids on a bus ride downtown. Once there, we hopped on the monorail and went to Seattle Center. Vincent got to pick out two rides. Both ended up being his favorite, the little cars, once before lunch and once after. Sadly, the ferris wheel and the carousel were no longer at the Fun Forest.

Tyler watched happily as Vincent came around in the car.

For lunch, we ate at Quincy's in the Center House, and happened to be there for the lighting of the Christmas tree and the kick off of Winterfest. Men playing bagpipes marched to the stage and Mayor Greg Nichols did the countdown for the tree.

After lunch and one more ride on the little cars, we took a different bus back home. Tyler fell asleep while waiting for the bus and woke up right before we walked into the front door of the house (of course). Luckily, we were able to get him back down to sleep. Whew! Vincent was yapping away on the bus ride back, but was really so cute. It took him a long time, but he did finally fall asleep in his room.

While the kids napped, David and I set up the Christmas tree. It's so exciting to have the tree up so early in the season.

Now...BLACK FRIDAY...

After all our guests left Thursday night and the kids were fast asleep in their beds, David and I sat down at the kitchen table and talked about whether or not we wanted to partake in the Black Friday deals. We looked through a pile of ads, and talked about what we would get. At 11:15pm, David set off for Toys R Us in Bellevue, to arrive for their midnight opening. Yes, midnight.

He got there about 20 to midnight and got a spot in line about a block from the entrance. When he got into the store, he said that he just had to go with the herd of shoppers. We had decided on getting 3 things. Only one was on sale, but we also had a $10 coupon for a $100 or more purchase. With the 3 items, we would make that price. The one sale item was worth all the hassel, we think. We saw it on amazon.com for $149, Toys R Us normally sells it for $99.99, and we got it for $69.99, plus that $10 discount. Now, we are pretty much set for the kids. Maybe one more thing for Tyler.

How did you spend your Thanksgiving this year?

Already?!

Exactly one month from today, Vincent will be turning 3 years old. I can't believe how quickly the last year has gone by. I really do feel like he just turned two. I have been thinking of posting about Vincent for about a week now, and haven't gotten around to it. Today is the day. I'm sure on his birthday I will post about him again, but for now, I wanted to make sure I put down what he's up to these days. Let's start with dislikes...
-Having his hair washed. Hates it. Lately, he's been okay with letting me wash it for him, but he must cover his eyes with a washcloth.
-Being asked to use the potty. Makes him very upset, even though 9 times out of ten he'll have some action if we sit him on the toilet.
-Tyler playing with his toys or knocking down something that he has just spent time building or setting up.
-The cats going into his room.
-Getting his hands all grimey.
-Sitting while eating.
-Tags on his shirts.
-Washing his hands. Yeah, weird, since he doesn't like his hands dirty.

Things he likes:
-Going to preschool.
-The library.
-Milk.
-Green beans.
-Taking a bath.
-Play dough.
-Jumping/hopping. He's getting so good at it. I would call him a late jumper/hopper. But, now, he's fantastic.
-George Michael's "Freedom '90"
-Holding my hand when we walk.

What Vincent LOVES:
-Trains. Especially pretending to be driving a train.
-Actually, he loves all things that "Go". Planes, helicopters, boats, trains, cars, trucks, etc.
-Speaking of pretending, he's very into pretend play these days. Very imaginative. One of his favorite things to pretend play is "Harry Potter." He is Harry, of course. Tyler is Ron, I am Hermoine, and David is "Stinky Monster" (the troll from the first book).
-Stories. Vincent loves it when we tell him a story, either made up or real. You can tell him about something that happened to you or to someone else or something in a dream. Pretty much anything can become a story to him. Eventually, he wants to become one of the characters in the story. Harry Potter is a good subject for a story.
-Pixar's Cars. Huge fan of Lightning McQueen and Tow Mater.
-Jeff Gordon. That's who he was for Halloween.
-Breakfast, especially pancakes.
-Lollipops.
-Dessert. It can be fruit, but if it's sweet and you call it dessert, he's all over it. His favorite flavor for anything is chocolate vanilla swirl, or as he says it, "choc'lat ganilla squirl."
-Dance workout. Yes, that's right. I have a dance workout I've been doing (sort of) and he participates with me. He's so into it, he'll ask to do it even without me. He does lunges, squats, and salsa. He even does the sexy arms.
-Bubbles. I play our "bubble music" which are a couple of old Dave Matthews Band songs, "Satellite" and "Ants Marching." He dances around and pops the bubbles.
-Books. Loves to be read to, and will "read" to himself a lot. He has memorized many of his books so he recites them as he flips through the pages.
-Being carried by Daddy when they walk.
-His two NuNus & his stuffed animals.
-And, best of all, he loves his family...That's us!
Yes, Vincent is still in his "terrible twos." I can't count how many tantrums he has everyday or all the many things he demands of us. He definitely keeps us on our toes. He's sensitive, in challenging ways, but also in very good ways. I used to think of him as an extrovert, but now I'm not so sure. He's compassionate. He's funny. Gosh, is he funny! It takes him FOREVER to fall asleep, but once he's asleep he's super hard to wake up. Once, he fell asleep on our walk to the frozen custard place. When we got there, we couldn't even wake him up with ice cream on his lips. He's not very messy & is good at tidying up. Vincent speaks very well - beautifully, actually. We understand what he's saying the most, though. This kid is smart; he's at least convinced his parents he is.

Best of all, Vincent is absolutely adorable, both inside and outside. He's our super snuggly big boy. He's an awesome son and an awesome big brother.

Tyler's Crawling!

Yup, today Tyler took a bunch of crawly steps on his knees. I don't think he actually realizes that he can do it, as he will go back to creeping on his tummy if something seems too far. Usually, he just takes about 2-3 steps on the knees and then goes down to his belly. Just now, I got him to do many more because I kept scooting the box he was trying to get to away from him when he would get close. I got him to go around in a big circle.

Babies are so cute when they crawl.

Turkey Day Comin' Up

This year, I will attempt to cook my first turkey. I thought I would blog about it, just for fun. But, not here. Go to our Family Meal blog (yeah, the one I hardly ever update, even though we do eat). http://ourfamilymeal.blogspot.com/

To entice you a little, here is what I have planned for the menu:
-gougeres
-one small heritage turkey, approx. 7 lbs
-chestnut and wild mushroom stuffing
-mashed potatoes
-gravy
-brown buttered kale with delicata squash, cranberries and pinenuts
-apple cinnamon muffins

Pretty traditional, I think. We shall see...

Banking Impaired

That would be me. At least that's what I think the teller must've thought of me when I went into the bank with both kids in tow inquiring about our accounts. I specifically remember going to the bank to set up the accounts, but I couldn't remember if it was a checking or savings, and if it was a checking account, if we had ordered checks. I've never seen checks come from them, so I figured the answer was "no", but I just needed to double check. The teller gave me the run down of what would happen when I come into the bank to make a transaction. Yeah, got it! At least I was able to make my transaction, which was really why I had gone there to begin with.

One more!

I believe, in all my life, I have never NOT been eligible to enter some sort of contest/sweepstake due to knowing someone who works for that particular company...until today. I got this - http://www.bingcashbacksweeps.com/Main/Prizes.aspx?utm_source=hotmail1109&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=microsoft&fbid=NB_BIOW3khM# - in my inbox today, and I read the official rules - "You are NOT an immediate family member (defined as parent, sibling, spouse, child regardless of where they live) and do not reside in the same household as a Microsoft employee, an employee of a Microsoft subsidiary, or a person involved in any part of the administration or execution of this Sweepstakes. "

C'mon, $10,000 in L.A. won't get you too far will it? Nonetheless, if you don't fall into the NOT eligible catergory of this contest, maybe you can be a winner.

Daddy Rules!

Since I posted the picture of me from our honeymoon yesterday, I thought I should post this one of David, sitting across from me during that lunch. He's so cute. And, yes, he totally rules! This morning, David woke up at 5:30am. No, wait! He woke up before that because Vincent came into our room complaining about a pain in his eye. He got back into bed, but not for long. Awesome Daddy took an early bus, plus a connection, down to Katterman's Pharmacy and stood in line to get our kids the H1N1 vaccine. He was able to pay for it and get us a time slot so that all I had to do was take them there and get it done. Our line today consisted of about 4-5 other families ahead of me. Yesterday, oh, about 1000; ballpark guess. Daddy rules! Of course, as I was driving to the pharmacy, I got a call from our family medical clinic telling me that they have the vaccine available for the kids (the were on a list).

So now, the kids are set until next month, when I need to go hunting around for their booster. That is a-ok with me.

Me

This is me, having lunch by the sea with David on our honeymoon, more than 4 years ago.

I saw one of my first friends in Seattle this week. He was in town from Boston for a couple of days, and I was so fortunate to see him, even for just 30 minutes. Since then, I've been thinking a lot about my life in Seattle.

I moved to Seattle over 7 years ago. It amazes me when I think of all that has happened for me in less than a decade. Next week, David and I will have owned our house for 4 years. Four years! Wow. And, I am already thinking about plans for my second child's first birthday. Wow, again.

So, I look back to then, and look to now...

Me, single - Lived in a studio apartment with a desk, a bed, and a futon. Owned a little pickup truck that I hardly drove because I walked or took the bus to work. Worked full-time cooking in a restaurant with awesome people. Went out just about everynight after work until the bars closed (hey, it's hard to go right to sleep after getting off of work from a restaurant; one needs to unwind). Grocery bill: $50/2 weeks.

Me, dating David - Lived in a 2 bedroom apartment with 2 desks, 2 futons, 1 bed, dining table and chairs, and a whole bunch of hockey stuff. Still had the pickup truck, but still didn't drive it much. Worked full-time cooking in a different restaurant that I loved, with some of the same awesome people. Went out most nights after work to unwind. Grocery bill: $75/week.

Me, married with no children - Lived in a 2 bedroom house which we owned with the same furniture from before. Sold the pickup truck, drove David's Jeep when needed. Still working full-time at the same place, some different people. Went out on weekend nights after work, until I got pregnant, and then I was asleep by 9pm. One cat. Grocery bill: same + cat food.

Me, husband, one child - Living in the same house, same Jeep but driving it more, new furniture + baby furniture, working full-time as a Mommy, lucky to go out past 9pm, 2 cats, cooking at home, sort of sleeping...Grocery bill: $150/week.

Me, husband, 2 children - Trying to sell the house, renting a bigger house, driving a minivan all the time, more furniture, still not working, actually going out a little more, cooking a lot at home, frustrated with two cats, lucky to get sleep. Grocery bill: I've stopped keeping track.

I don't miss the days I was single, but I do miss those friends I hung out with (most have moved away now). Somedays, I miss when David and I were just us, simply because of the ease of doing anything, but I'm not in a hurry for the day when it will be just us, again. Although, I am Asian, which means Vincent will have to take David and I in one day, and then the tables will have turned. Heeheehee.

H1N1

I found out yesterday that there's a pharmacy nearby doing the swine flu shot for ages 6 months and up today & tomorrow; high risk, of course. Walk-in only. I had intended to get to the pharmacy right at opening with the kids to stand in line. Well, so did all of Seattle, it seems. We got there late, 9:15am and the line was around the block. By 9:45am, they were sold out. Argh! I guess some were in line this morning at 5:30am, and it's a holiday. David and I now need to decide if one of us is willing to get our butt out of bed early tomorrow morning, catch a bus down there and stand in line. Our kids are on a waitlist at the doctor's office, but who knows when they'll actually get the call.

Lately...

Our little family has been so busy. I feel like I've posted some stuff, but there are so many things that happen (big and small) that I don't want to forget someday. We've all been sick recently, which makes it even harder to find time to blog. Tyler got his first fever last week - poor baby. It's nice to have photos to help remember, but kids do things so spur of the moment that you can't always catch it with the camera.

I'll see what I can remember about what all is going on with us...

Tyler has been getting better and better with self-feeding. Tonight, he had rice and beans. I don't think he managed to get any rice in his mouth, but he did get most of the beans. I can't rely on him to feed a whole meal to himself, but it's fun practice for him to have some finger foods. He is really getting into it. Vincent started preschool in September. He goes two days a week for 3 hours each day. Tyler and I pick him up in the alley behind the school, and it's so cute to watch him come out of the gate and look for us. Usually he has some sort of art project in hand to show us. It has been a very good experience for us all, and he loves his school.

We were so lucky to have a visit from my Aunt Melinda and Uncle Ben recently. It has been since Vincent was born that we last saw Melinda, and even longer since we saw Ben.

Vincent is now mostly wearing "big boy pants." Starting November 1st, we told him that he will only wear a diaper for naps and bedtime. I wouldn't say he's 100% potty trained, as we are still having to remind and ask him to use the potty. Each day, though, he seems to get a little better. Tonight after dinner, he left the dinner table and then ran downstairs shouting, "I gotta go, I gotta go!" He's probably going to hate me one day for posting this... This Halloween, Vincent and I carved our first jack-o-lanterns together. The last couple of years, I didn't want to tackle such a project with him, since I feared I would have more frustration than fun doing it. I'm really glad I waited. We had a good time. He actually just painted a pumpkin while I carved three. He did help take some of the pulp out, but didn't enjoy it.

November 1st, daylight savings ended. We made our annual drive to Maltby Cafe for an early breakfast. Look at the size of that cinnamon roll! Vincent got his own plate of food, which he surprisingly ate most of.

Vincent and Tyler are starting to play together a little bit. Just a little. Most of the time they're doing their own things. Vincent will be building something, and Tyler will come over & destroy it. It makes Vincent very upset. Sometimes, Vincent will initiate a little wrestling with Tyler. It usually involves Vincent tackling Tyler and rolling him around on the floor. Tyler just puts up with it. Here they are pretending to be riding in a boat. Vincent is the driver, as you can see.

Tyler has two little teeth! Unfortunately, this is the best picture I could find with his teeth, since he doesn't show them off very often. Look very, very closely, and you can see two little white things sticking out the middle of the bottom. Try clicking on the picture, and maybe you can see a larger image.Inspired by the rice krispies treat Vincent got from his Aunt Diana for Halloween, I decided to make some myself. It's been many years since I last made these, but I think I'll be making them more often now. So addictive and good! Vincent helped me measure the cereal, stir & melt the marshmallows, add the cereal to the pot, and finally, taste test it.

A couple of weeks ago, David started to try putting Tyler to bed on his own. In fact, he has put both kids to bed on his own twice now so that I can go out with friends. So sweet. Tyler still will not take milk from a bottle. He won't take milk from a sippy cup, either. He drinks water from a sippy cup now (so cute), but was pretty upset with David when he tried to give him the milk. Instead, David just comforted him to sleep, and I immediately nursed when I got home. Not ideal, but at least I got to go out.

We are settling into our new house. It's coming along slowly, but still not as organized as I'd like it to be. We are loving the extra space and the garage. Our car didn't fit at first, but with a little bit of moving stuff around, it does now. And, just in time for the rain. As long as we live in the Pacific Northwest, I think I will always need an attached garage. Or, at least until the kids are a bit older. Our new neighborhood is nice, too. There are restaurants and shops within walking distance. We definitely miss our old neighborhood and the business that we would walk to over there. It's not that far from here, but there are several steep hills to climb up to get back there. REALLY tough pushing two kids up those hills in the stroller.

David and I are going out on more dates recently. Not as often as we'd like to, but it's an improvement over how it was in the past. One weekend, we went out two nights in a row!

We're looking forward to the holidays this year, even though we have no plans to travel to see family. It makes us sad not to see them, but we are happy to start making our own holiday traditions. I'm planning to cook my first Thanksgiving turkey. We're also very excited about Vincent's 3rd birthday. We'll be in town the next few months, so let us know if you are visiting Seattle. We'd love to see you!

Precious

Tonight, I had to run to the store to get cat food while David put Vincent to bed. After I got home, David and I were hanging out in the kitchen doing stuff, and then he went upstairs. On his way up, he ran into Vincent, sitting against the wall at the top - not in bed. He was being so sweet and funny talking to us. He needed some A & D ointment on his lips, so I took him back to his room to tuck him in. A few minutes later, David and I heard someone crying from upstairs. I went up to Vincent's room, and he said to me, "Mommy, you forgot the A & D for my lips!" I put it on him, and on my way out of the room he said, "I love you, Mommy. Sorry for the A & D on my lips." I thought it was so precious.

Happy Halloween!

We spent Halloween down in Federal Way with the Hutyra/Reeder family. We ate bbq salmon for dinner and then took the kids out in the neighborhood. Low key, but lots of fun.