Old Soul

Over the last 8 months, I've probably had close to a dozen people, friends and strangers alike, mention to me that Tyler seems to have an "old soul" or "wise spirit" or that he seems to know exactly what is going on. I tend to agree with them. He definitely has a special spirit and I feel so blessed to be his mother.

Family Day 2014

Mandi's family moved back to Boise (Meridian) the end of June, and with Beki and Bryce here this summer for an internship, that means my entire family is together in one town. Wahoo! My mom is especially loving it. It will be short-lived with Beki and Bryce headed back to Rexburg next month, but we are enjoying it while we can.

With Matt and TJ both having "weird" work schedules, with my dad being super busy at work these days, and with previously planned vacations/family reunions, it was tricky finding a time that would work for everyone, but my mom, dad, and Bryce all took time off work and we were able to make it happen. Last Tuesday was the day! We actually started with dinner and swimming Monday evening. Then we all met up at my parents' house on Tuesday morning for breakfast, followed by the zoo and a picnic in the park.

I loved walking around the zoo with my family, and it was fun taking Tyler to the zoo for his first time. He did really well. He didn't seem overly interested in the animals, but he sure was fascinated by the butterflies!

After our picnic, we went home for a couple hours to relax and take naps, then we headed back out for some more fun. My mom and dad gave each of the kiddos some money to buys something at Toys R Us. Kylee went straight for the Friends Legos (she is loving those these days!) and Tyler got some hot wheels. After shopping, we did a little bowling next door at Big Al's. I was pretty happy with my score (I think it was 121)!

Mandi had requested that we not put our shoes back when we were done bowling so we could all get a picture. Some of us forgot, so this is what we ended up with :-)

We ended our "Family Day" at our house with homemade tacos for dinner. Then the boys all went gun shopping, the kids all played in the play room, and my sisters and I watched the Bachelorette :-) So glad we could all get together!

Just Keep Swimming, Just Keep Swimming

We are loving having a pool in our neighborhood this summer. We actually have three to choose from, but the one closest to our house is our favorite because it only gets 4 feet deep so I can comfortably stand the entire length of the pool. Kylee especially loves when daddy or aunt Beki or uncle Bryce come swimming with us because they will play with her and toss her in the air. That reminds me of swimming with my uncle Ronnie when we were younger. Such happy memories!

Tyler seems to enjoy the pool too. We always start out in his little seat (the canopy is nice to keep the sun off!), but by the end we transfer to the one foot deep kiddie pool so he can stand up in the pool. He loves standing. Maybe one of these days he'll be able to stand on his own!

We also did a week of swimming lessons for Kylee. It was just her and Brandee's daughter Camryn, so she got a lot of individual attention, which was nice. I'm wishing we had done a second week because she isn't really swimming yet. She does love being in the water and jumping into the pool, though. Hopefully by next summer we'll have a little swimmer on our hands!

Dear Tyler - [8 Months]

Dear Tyler,

I can't believe how big you are getting! Look at how well you sit! You have gotten stronger this last month, and if you start to tip over (from leaning over too far), you usually catch yourself and push yourself back up. You still have no interest in trying to crawl, but can get pretty much anywhere you want with rolling.

You like sitting out front and watching cars drive by. You also think feet are pretty cool and will put anything you can get your hands on in your mouth (but still no teeth yet!).

Speaking of your mouth, you are loving biting your lower lip. This is how we often find you these days.

You still love food, although you wouldn't eat anything other than a bottle for about a week after your surgery. This last month you tried bananas, squash, apples, and pears, and you've started eating some of the foods straight from the container (instead of only mixed with rice cereal). You are also starting to nap better - hallelujah! You give me at least one "longer" nap a day of around an hour (or more if I'm lucky!). And you have started sleeping through the night, or at least until around 5am. Thanks Tyler!

I wanted to tell you about a couple sweet things you are doing these days. You have started to get a little "shy" around other people. When I am holding you and and someone comes up to say hello, I tell you to show them your smiles. You are usually pretty good at giving a little smile as you almost immediately snuggle your head into me. You also LOVE playing with hair. Since you don't suck your thumb or take a pacifier, I think it is what makes you feel safe and calm. My hair is your favorite - you are almost always petting it or pulling it or running your fingers through it. If you can't find my hair (sometimes I have to pull it back so you stop pulling it out!), you will run your fingers through your hair. You especially do this when you are tired.

You had a couple "firsts" this month. Over the 4th of July you had your first experience camping. The first night was a little rough, but the second night camping was definitely better. You especially liked the walk to the pond.

You also went to the zoo for the first time. The butterflies were your favorite! You really wanted to touch them (who wouldn't?) so I had to hold you back :-)

We love listening to your giggle. It is one of the happiest sounds I have ever heard. For some reason, you really think the word "smooshy" is funny!



Thank you for being so sweet and mellow and pretty close to perfect. I love you tons.

Love,
Mom