Almost 2 Years Old

Hard to believe that Tyler will be two in about two weeks. We have explained to him that he will be two on his birthday. Now, whenever we ask him how old he is going to be he says, "two". Here are some highlights from the last two weeks.

Tyler got to dress up for class on Tuesday. We go to a parent observation class once a week that involves the kids in different exploratory activities. Here Tyler is painting.

Preview for Halloween. Ty the Tiger..grrrrrr!

Our first experience with Chucky Cheese. It was a very stimulating experience for all. Tyler was scared of the mechanical mouse. He clung to Dave for half the party. There was so much going ont he Ty would not take a nap when we got home he was so wired. It was fun playing the games. tyler drove a car with Chucky Cheese in it. He play skeet ball and some others.

This is Ty's friend Katelynn who was turning two. We met her at our class on Tuesdays through Pasadena City College. It was Tinkerbell theme...she loves Tinkerbell...something Ty and I know almost nothing about.

Here is Ty reading the book that Grandpa Knight wrote, illustrated, produced and sent to Tyler. It is all about his first trip on the bus.

Our friend Matt celebrated his 35th birthday by going to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. We went along to celebrate with him.

Here is Tyler admiring the sea lions.

He got to touch all sorts of sea animals...here he is petting sting rays. He got to touch sea anemones, fish, star fish, and sharks.

Here are the pumpkins we carved for Halloween. Ty helped draw the face and I cut them out. He was not excited about touching the inside of the pumpkin.

Pumpkin Play

Tyler and I decided to bring in fall with a visit to the pumpkin patch. Ty picked out his own pumpkin after picking up multiple ones. He had to try them all out. We are now in the process of carving them out. Tyler wants nothing to do with the inside of the pumpkin. It is scary to him:) Here are a few pictures:







He is 23 months now, which means he will be two in one month. Tantrums have started, but over all he is a great kid. We are figuring out the best means of discipline for him. It is not an easy task. Everyone has an opinion and theory on the best way to do it. We are working through what we feel is best for us and for Tyler. I just got a new book that is helpful. It is called Toddler 411. It covers numerous topics, from multiple expert perspectives. The other book that I have found to have a lot of tools in it is Positive Discipline in the Christian Home. You don't have to be a Christian to see that the tools she gives you are effective and build long lasting life skills and character (limited choices, kind and firm balance, validating feelings, to name a few)

We had a doctors appointment this morning. We are in week 15 of the pregnancy. I am starting to feel a little thicker in the midsection. No one else thinks I am showing, but I feel like I am. We heard the heartbeat and it was good and steady. We are going to the same doctor that delivered Tyler and will deliver at the same hospital, if we decide not to do something else. I am feeling more energy than I was during the first trimester.

We are interviewing doula's (birth assistants) again. Our doula, Micaela, is pregnant and due not to long after I am, so we thought it would be better to have someone else do it. I hope we can pick one soon. This was such an important part of our first birth experience.

Ty gets a hair cut

After much contemplation and agony we decide to cut Ty's hair. It was tough to let go of those golden locks, but I think we are happy we did it. I am probably happier than Dave is about it. It was starting to get in his face and make is head itch, so we decided to take him to the barber. We went to the same place that he got his first haircut...Little Kuts. They have little videos to watch and toys to play with to distract them. He sat in the chair all by himself for almost 20 minutes while Anna Marie cut his hair.

Here are a before picture:

The first cut...Ty is admiring the hair:

Finished with a perfect comb over, he looks like a new person doesn't he?

Midway through the cut..he was thrilled:)

Bree and Dee come to town

This last week Lindsay, Brad, Breana and Delaney Noll came to visit. It was such a special visit. We had such a great time, despite the cold weather. Tyler sure misses his cousins, so it was so great that he got to spend 7 days with two of them. He took them to some of his favorite places, the park, Kidspace, travel town, and Balboa Island. It rained a few of the days they were here, so he we had to try a new places too...Amy's playground, an indoor play area.

Our friends, Kristy and Matt, were out of town and graciously let us use their home for the week. That was awesome! The Noll's could have their own space and could use this trip as a little vacation for themselves too. That is were they stayed. They have a little boy, so it came equiped with all the baby necessities for Laney (high chair, toys, changing table, baby proof locks, etc.). The kids got to play in the yard, swim in the kiddy pool, and Lindsay and Brad did not have to sleep on the futon:) We also got to use the hot tub:)

We spent most of our time out and about and had dinner at our place most nights. One night, Lindsay and Brad tried Thai food for the first time and liked it! We went to Korean BBQ of course, but other nights we stayed home and had dinner. A few nights we put the kids to bed at our house. One night Brad and Dave got Chinese foot massages and another night Lindsay and I went to the Korean spa. It was heavenly! The last night we got a babysitter and all for of us went to the Cheesecake factory for dessert. It was great. We miss spending time with the Noll's!

Below are some pictures from the visit. I used my somewhat new lense (Canon 50mm, 1.4)!

Family photo op at Travel town on the back of a train

These two loved chasing each other around everywhere.

Lindsay(my twin sister), Delaney (almost 1 year), Breana (3 years), Brad (Brother-in -law)

I just loved this picture. Man on a mission.

The kids giving their tickets to the conductor to get on the train.

Stationary trains that they can walk around and look at.

Breana posing for her photo shoot.

Laney's one year photos that we took on my bed in my bedroom.

As Ty and I were driving home from the airport today we turned onto California Blvd near Cal Tech and Ty says, "Watch Daddy Frisbee". We were only a block from where daddy plays frisbee, so we stopped to watch for a while. I could not believe he knew that is where we were or that he could communicate that. He has been talking up a storm. Aunt Lindsay said he speaks way over 50 words. She was surprise at how much he was saying.

Examples of what he says: Call phone, call grandma grandpa, counts to ten, school bus, orange bus, airplane ride, ride bus, go farmer market, pumpkin, beach with Timmy Kylie, eat grapes,