Day 50

Today was a LONG day. It started at 7 am PST in Tigard and is ending at 2:30 am EST in Florida. Tyler did a great job on both flights and watched 4 movies between between the flights and the layover in Chicago.

We got to Orlando at 11:20 PM and then headed to the resort to see the rest of the family. Tyler and Perry had so much fun jumping on the bed and playing around so we know they are going to have a great time together!

Day 49

Packing, packing, packing, that's all we did today. Tyler was able to spend all day with the grandparents and was very happy. He especially liked having grandma push him around in the stroller all day.

Time for bed now though, then up early to leave for Florida at 10.

Day 48

We are frantically packing for Florida. Which is happening on Wednesday.  WEDNESDAY!!!  I am so excited.

But let me tell you, it is not easy packing when we are currently housesitting and have a baby who is super attached to Mama/Daddy.  It's past 11, which means it's way past our bedtime, and Ryan and I just finished getting things packed.  Of course, we will do some last minute packing tomorrow before leaving Albany and then late at night in Tigard.  And then on Wednesday we have a full day of travel.

The itinerary:

0730 - Leave the house
1010 - Depart from PDX
1650 - Arrive in Chicago (and hopefully not get stranded)
1945 - Depart from Chicago
2320 - Arrive in Florida

Holy cow, it's going to be a long day.  I'm hoping that it won't be too stressful on Tyler.  It'll basically be 8-9ish in our time when we get to Florida so it'll be Tyler's bedtime.  I'm hoping that he'll sleep for most of the plane ride but we'll see what happens.  Fingers crossed!

In other news, University Honda got back to us and we have very good news.  Nothing is wrong with the transmission.  Just a couple of country mice hanging out in the car, playing around with some wires, and knocking the sensors off.  They cleared the check engine light, drove it around for 7 or 8 miles, and everything was fine.  It cost us $50 for the inspection but it's worth the peace of mind.  We were seriously considering buying a new car but now we can put that thought away and love my spaceship of a car again!

One more day and then it's vacation time!  I can do it.  I can do it.  I can do it.

Now please enjoy our daily family photo:

Day 47

Apparently Ryan was too tired last night to put up our family photo as well as blog.  It was evident in the family photo that we took.

Day 46

Today we were much more awake:

Day 47

It is also evident that our tablet takes way better pictures than our phones.  I think we'll be using our tablets more often now.  The difference is astounding!

So today ended up to be quite an adventure.  Ong ba ngoai were coming down to spend the next few days with us to get some baby time in before we go on vacation and to watch him while daycare is closed for President's Day.  They were coming at 5 so we decided to sneak in a trip to Salem earlier in the day to hit Best Buy and Babies R Us before coming back to make chicken makhani in the crock pot.  On our way to Salem our check engine light turns on.  Not only did that indicator turn on, our drive light starts blinking and Ryan felt a shift in gears when he wasn't actively shifting gears.  We get into Salem and hit an Oil Can Henry's and they tell us that our (and now you know how ignorant I am of car matters) transmission-sensor-shaft-speed thingie isn't working.  They act as though it's no big deal and tells Ryan he can fix it easily himself, that if he brought it to the dealership they would fleece us out of hundreds of dollars.  Ryan looks into it and it's not an easy fix.  There are YouTube videos explaining how to do it but it's easy if you know cars and we simply do not know cars.  We also find out that this could lead to bigger, badder problems that results in a transmission that is shot.  Once again, I don't know cars, but I do know that's not good.

We had planned on lunching in Salem but Ryan didn't want to drive around too much with this potential problem so we drove back to Albany (passing a horrible looking accident along the way that seemed like it happened minutes before we arrived, a car had flipped over and people were actively pulling someone out of it), lunched at Red Robin, grabbed swim gear for the boys at Target, and then met Grandma Geri at University Honda in Corvallis.  She brought us our Durango so we transferred everything over and are going to keep the Honda there until after we come back from Florida.  It reminded us of the last time we went to Hawaii, we left the car at the dealership to look into the alignment issue.

All in all, we are done with this car.  We're looking into options and coming up with different scenarios but one thing remains the same, it's time to say goodbye to my spaceship Honda.  Besides, it's a 2007, it's no longer the latest and greatest so I can't really call it a spaceship anymore.  I'm excited to start looking at new cars but I'm not too excited about having a car payment.  It's been years since we've had one, and I personally have been very lucky and never had one at all.  But it'll help out our credit score for when we finally buy a house...Which may have to be pushed out a bit again.  Sigh, if it's not one thing than it's another.  We aren't too excited that this happened right before a big vacation.

But 2 more work days and then it's off to Florida we go!!!  I'm going to focus on happy things tonight.  Sweet dreams, everybody.  I hope you all sleep better than I did last night, with a baby who slept on me the entire time and eventually kicked me off of my own pillow.  But that's okay.  If night time is the only time I get any baby snuggles then I'm taking it!

Day 46

Today we packed up to go to Florida on Wednesday. When asked what his name is Tyler will say "Gus" and laugh! When we ask if his name is Gus he always says "No!"

Day 45

Tyler got to spend all day with Grandma today and he LOVED it! When Ryan dropped him off he was jumping with joy when he saw grandma and didn't even say by to daddy, but instead started playing with a wrapping paper cardboard roll instead. They played with paint as well as all of his toys that he's been missing.

We got back to Albany and he was out so we had to take a picture with a sleeping boy.

Day 44

I.  Am.  So.  Tired.

The three of us fell asleep today watching "Up."  It was a good way to unwind right before bed and I have no idea how long we had been sleeping for.  Ryan and I woke up right before ten and put Tyler in his crib.  We got some cleaning done, I put laundry in the dryer, Ryan made lunches for tomorrow, dogs went outside to go potty, and now I'm blogging.  A surefire sign that it's almost time for bed.  My eyes are drooping as I write this post.  I'm lying in bed and it's taking a lot of willpower to continue typing instead of pushing my laptop aside to curl up into a little ball and just sleep.

Our bear-themed Valentines turned out pretty well.

Tyler's friends received little baggies of Teddy Grahams and Gummy Bears with a tag that said, "Bear hugs for _____ from Tyler."  The teachers received chocolate bars wrapped in paper bags with a heart that says, "A bear hug for Miss _____ from Tyler."  We even got a gluten-free bar and a vegan bar for two of the teachers.  Miss Lisa got a bigger chocolate bear bar and bear-shaped pancake cutter.  Pinterest for the win!

It was a pretty ambitious project.  I am so lucky Ryan helped me out, otherwise I wouldn't have gone to bed when I did last night.  I have the best husband.

And I truly mean that.  I've been talking to a coworker/friend lately about her difficult situation and it made me that much more grateful for what I have.  We might not have a ton of money, we don't own our own house, our job titles may leave much to be desired (especially for me), but we are so full of love and humor and happiness.  My family makes me happy everyday.  I want that for my friend.  I want that for everybody!

On a separate note, Ryan and I would like you all to check out Bad Lip Reading.  It'll be the most fun you've had all day.  We promise.

Now here's the photo of the day!

Good night everyone.  It's way past my bedtime.

Day 43

Tyler had a good day shopping with mommy and daddy to get supplies to make valentine's gifts for all of his friends and teachers.

We had pesto chicken pizza for dinner but Tyler did not like the tomatoes or spinach and acted like he was scared when he saw them on his pieces.

We watched Wall-e after dinner and Tyler fell asleep as soon as the credits started.

Day 42

Hello, rain.  We meet again.

Thank goodness it's raining.  The snow is finally melting and I'm wearing my nice shoes to work again without worry of cold, soggy feet.  Tyler is sad though.  He really wanted to play in it again today but Mommy and Daddy were mean.  Poor baby.

In other Tyler news:

- He discovered an old rocking horse figurine in the master bedroom.  He named it Neigh.  So cute.
- He says "belly button."  It sounds more like "bay-ee button."
- He loves, loves, LOVES spaghetti.  This is known but needs to be reiterated because he LOVES spaghetti.

He also loves to watch movies and eat popcorn.  Just like Daddy.  I took a video of them eating popcorn together.  It made me laugh so much I was having difficulty holding the phone still.  It's just a simple moment of Daddy and Baby, eyes glued to the TV, hands occasionally reaching down to grab a fistful of popcorn to shovel into their mouths.  Yes, I love these boys.

Tyler went to bed fairly early today, we placed him in his crib at 9:15.  We are now watching the Olympics, more specifically the figure skating.  Ryan is bored out of his mind, I'm afraid.  I am mesmerized.  I just watched an amazing short program done by a pair of Russian skaters and they were so confident, so powerful, so fantastic.  They deserved the first place they received.  I can't imagine anyone else dethroning them.

All these skaters are so graceful and beautiful to watch.  I feel clunky.

Good night, peeps.  Enjoy your night.  I'm going to enjoy mine!

Day 41

Why is it that Tyler finds it most comfortable to fall asleep on Mommy?  Any part of Mommy and he'll zonk out.  He especially likes lying on my legs (which are bony), on my stomach (usually when I have a full bladder), and on my head.  See picture:

I guess I don't really mind.  I usually fall asleep too!

Lately Tyler's been a Daddy's boy.  I have no idea how it started or when it started but everything is Daddy, Daddy, Daddy.  When he wakes up in the morning he wants Daddy to pick him up.  He only wants Daddy to hold him.  He only wants Daddy to take him out of the car.  In fact, he will hold out his hand and stiff-arm me if I try to take him out.  The only time that he asks for Mommy is if Daddy puts him down and can't pick him up (like if he's actively cooking in the kitchen or has to go potty), then Mommy is a consolation prize.  Or Daddy said no to something.  Then he'll cozy up to Mommy.

I hope this is just a phase because I miss the days when it was Mama, Mama, Mama.  Sigh.  How did I lose my baby boy already??  I told Ryan I'm ready for a second baby so that I would have someone to cuddle with!

For now I'm going to try to sneak in as many cuddles as possible.  Even if that means his bottom is cuddling my face.

P.S. His hair is all crazy because he had been wearing his beanie since coming home from school.  He loves that hat and when he finally took it off he had a makeshift mohawk.  We tried to get a picture in immediately but his hair fell back somewhat in place shortly after.

Day 40

We finally ventured out of the house.  The main roads were plowed and clear but Quailwood was not.  It was still covered in snow.  Going down the hill was easy.  We weren't so sure about going back up.  We made it to Market of Choice, had a late lunch, and then bought groceries and baby supplies at Safeway.  When we drove back home Ryan was more than a little nervous that we weren't going to make it.  We barely did.  I am so grateful we didn't try to make that trek yesterday or Friday.  It would not have ended well for us.  We would have ended up like the several cars parked outside of Quailwood.

Tyler got to play in the snow for a little bit and he was very happy about that.  Especially when Daddy taught him how to throw snowballs.  Thank goodness he's not very good at building up little ice balls of death.  He also doesn't have very good aim.  Dad does though and hit me square in the back.  I got him back.

Now that the baby's asleep Ryan and I are finally watching "The Walking Dead" mid-season premiere.  This is not much of a spoiler alert because I won't reveal anything, but I am not a fan of Carl anymore.  I've always thought his character was annoying, then he redeemed himself in the prison, and now he's a giant butt again.  Instead of killing off all of my favorite characters, can they just kill him off already?

On a happier note, here's our daily family picture.  Sorry it's so dark, someone was not in the mood for pictures so we did what we could.

Okay.  I'm cutting this short so I can watch some good old fashioned zombie killing.  Last words:  Carl sucks.

Day 39

Today marked several firsts for Tyler.

1. He experienced his first power outage.  The electricity went out for only a few seconds but after it came back on Tyler signed "more."  I asked him if he wanted more TV or more lights out (we were watching "Despicable Me" at the time) and he pointed to the lights and signed "lights."  He is definitely not scared of the dark.
2. He tried spam for the first time.  Loves it.
3. He watched the Winter Olympics with Mommy and Daddy.  He gave us "Despicable Me" and let us know he'd rather watch the minions.
4. He pointed to the moon in the book Pajama Time! and said, "Moooon!"
5. He opened a door by himself.  Ryan and I have decided that we will have knobs in our homes, not handles.

And now for a list of Tyler's accomplishments.

Tyler is 19 months, 20 months in just 9 days.  He can...

Sign:

1. Baby
2. Bird
3. Car
4. Cat
5. Cheese
6. Drink
7. Eat
8. Elephant
9. Friend
10. Help
11. Hurt/Owie
12. Light
13. Love (we're working on "I love you")
14. Milk
15. More
16. Please
17. Rain
18. Shoes
19. Sleep
20. Sorry
21. Thank You
22. Tractor
23. Train
24. Truck
25. Tree
26. Water

Says:

1. Ba (Vietnamese for Grandma)
2. Baba (for bottle)
3. Ball
4. Boots
5. Bug (he hates bugs)
6. Bus (his word for all things on wheels)
7. Bye
8. Cat/Kitty
9. Cau (Vietnamese for Uncle)
10. Cheeto (we're proud of this one)
11. Cookie
12. Cracker
13. Cup
14. Daddy
15. Dog/Doggy
16. Go
17. Goofy
18. Gus
19. Guys (as in, Hi guys! and Bye guys!)
20. Hi
21. Juice
22. Mama
23. Mine
24. Moon
25. My-my (for binkie)
26. Nana (sometimes it sounds like Grandma)
27. No (possibly his favorite word)
28. Ong (Vietnamese for Grandpa)
29. Owie
30. Poo poo
31. Rhett (Grandpa Bob's dog)
32. Riley
33. Tess (his best friend)
34. Ty-Ty/Tyler
35. What's this? (the very first phrase he ever said)
36. Where
37. Wolfie/Wolf-Wolf
38. Yes

Animal sounds he recognizes:

1. Bee = Buzz
2. Cat = Meow
3. Cow = Moo
4. Dinosaur = Roar
5. Dog = Woof
6. Duck = Quack
7. Elephant = Avooo (I'm not sure how to spell it...definitely not "toot)
8. Fox = He'll sing the song.  Seriously.
9. Horse = Neigh
10. Lion = Roar
11. Monkey = Ah ah ah (his monkeys don't say, "Ooh ooh ah ah")
12. Rooster = Cock a doodle doo (it's really cute hearing him try to say it)
13. Sheep = Baa
14. Snake = Hiss
15. Tiger = Roar

He also:

1. Attempts to use the potty though we haven't had a successful "go" yet.
2. Can spin and spin and spin without getting dizzy...unlike Mommy.
3. Communicates his needs and wants fairly well.
4. Demonstrates "happy," "sad," "angry," "scared," and "confused."
5. Feeds himself.  If we want a less messy situation, we do it for him.  But he's pretty adept with a spoon and a fork.  Though his utensils of choice are still his fingers.
6. Follows directions.  Even when he really doesn't want to.
7. Gives kisses...open-mouthed, sloppy ones.  Which really are the best kind.
8. Hates bugs.  He gets this from Mommy.
9. Jumps with both feet in the air.
10. Plays Ring-Around-the-Rosy.
11. Points towards his diaper when he needs a change.
12. Points towards his room/crib when he is tired.
13. Reads along with Mommy and Daddy, knows how to turn pages.
14. Recognizes circles and triangles (still working on squares).
15. "Sings along" with his favorite songs such as "Baby Beluga" and "The Itsy Bitsy Spider."
16. Understands the meaning of "up" and "down," "fast" and "slow," etc.
17. Working on sharing.  At the moment, "trading" is the equivalent of "sharing."  It's something.

I can just go on and on about his "accomplishments."  But I shouldn't.  I think these are enough.

Tyler, I am so proud of you.  You learn something new everyday and it is so much fun to watch you.  I hope your future experiences will continue to surprise and delight you and you never lose your curiosity and wonderment.

And here are some picture of Tyler eating popcorn in a laundry basket.  Because that's how he rolls.

Day 38

And the snow continues!!!

Today we got about 14 inches of snow.  Possibly more because we stopped measuring it but the snow kept coming.  Ryan and I took a snow day and stayed home with Tyler.  I'm glad we did because I wasn't sure we'd be able to make it back up the hill if we had gone down.  Unfortunately, this means we are running dangerously low on wipes.  This also means the call center was most likely running short on reps and of course I feel partly responsible.  But despite the 4-wheel drive, I really didn't want to risk it, especially with a baby in the car.

So instead we spent the day with Tyler and did all of our favorite activities:

- Played in the snow!

- Cooked a delicious meal of soy sauce chicken wings and curried rice!

- Watch Disney movies!
- Take a bath (Tyler's favorite thing in the whole world)!
- Movie date night after Tyler went to bed (complete with popcorn and a beer)!
- Read books while Tyler plays with his train set and Daddy works (not Daddy's favorite thing...)!

Tyler was so excited to play in the snow today but once we got out there it was too cold, too windy, and too deep.  He wasn't able to move around as much as the first time and the snow kept blowing into his face so we didn't play in it for very long.  Mommy and Daddy ended up holding him.  We took a walk down Quailwood Drive to see the hill.  It was covered in snow and it didn't look like too many people ventured down.

I doubt we'll be able to go anywhere tomorrow.  So it'll be another snow day for the Aman household!  Tyler probably won't be too anxious to go out there this time, we'll have to find another activity for him.  Besides chasing the household pets, of course.  He thinks it's all fun and games but I'm not sure the animals agree.

Oh no, now the baby's crying.  A cat started meowing very loudly and woke up up the baby.  Apparently we should not close our door.  It only invites door banging, scratching, and meowing.  Poor Tyler.  He had about a 15 minute nap today so he is very tired.  Hopefully he'll have a better night once Daddy is able to soothe him.  Darn cats.

While we go try to calm the baby down, please enjoy these other pictures:

Day 37

Snowmageddon part 2!

Corvallis was hit with several inches of snow again.  It was amazing coming into town, we had just started snowing in North Albany when we left the house for the day and the change was drastic coming into town.  Tyler got to hang out with the big kids today and spent a little time in the snow.  He loves snow.  He was not too happy when Mommy and Daddy didn't let him out in it.  But he's still sick so we didn't want him out in the cold for too long.  I was going to say that it's much colder this time around but Credible Hulk Ryan informed me that it is warmer this time.  *eye roll*

The call center closed at noon so Ryan used his lunch hour to come pick me up and I hung out in the software room for a few hours reading The Dinner (disappointing, don't bother with it) and playing Puzzles & Dragons (yes, I am still obsessed).  Afterwards we picked up Tyler from daycare and spent a nice, cozy evening at home with the millions of pets.

Tyler discovered the best way to eat an Oreo.  He took the cookies apart and ate the creamy centers.  He handed Mommy the discarded cookie parts.  Witness his joy:

Also note the fact that I'm still wearing my coat and scarf an hour after returning home.  I was freezing.  Probably because I fell down in the snow at La Petite.

Ryan wants to share the picture of Tyler's car in the snow.  Grandma Geri sent it to us!

That is a lot of snow.

Good night world, hope you are all staying warm.  And stay safe!  No more of this 20-car-pile-up business.  We don't want none o' that.

Day 36

Tyler had so much fun looking for all of the animals at Grandpa's house today. Every time he found one of the cats' hiding places he would get very excited and point them out.

He was so tired tonight he fell asleep on the floor mud way through getting changed into pajamas.

Day 35

Today Ryan worked from home with Tyler. They had a very busy and productive day. They also finished packing everything up so we can house and animal sit for Bob and Robin.

At one point today Tyler decided he wanted to wear Tammy's boots so Ryan obliged.

Once at Grandpa's house we all watched Full House and had popcorn. During the process of taking our family photo Ryan accidentally hit Tammy in the back of the head. Tammy exclaimed "Hey!" which prompted Tyler to say "No" and hit Ryan. It was very difficult not to burst out into laughter.

Day 34

Tyler has a double ear infection and a sore throat.  If you've been following us on Facebook you already knew this.

What you didn't know was that he woke up at midnight last night crying inconsolably pointing to his mouth and saying, "Owie" and it didn't seem to be a night terror.  We thought it could have been but I was able to calm him down twice, once by singing softly and once by just rubbing his back.  Both times he calmed and I thought he was sleeping so I stopped only to have him start crying and fussing again.  We ended up bringing him into bed with us, watching some British bumblebee show on Disney Jr. (that channel is a life-saver, by the way), and giving him a bottle.  It was well after 1 in the morning before the three of us fell back asleep.

He had been poking at his ear all weekend long and I was worried that he might have had an ear infection but he wasn't fussing any more than usual.  But last night after his episode he was tugging at his ear in frustration and just his right ear.  So I told Ryan I would stay home with him and make an appointment to see the doctor.

We are very happy that we did.  Not only was it his right ear, his left ear was filled with pus so he's battling two different types of infections.  Dr. Hathaway (super awesome, highly recommended) also noted his "polka-dotted throat," which he said is probably the most painful.  But he called Tyler a tough kid, a little trooper for how very little he fussed at the appointment.  We are so proud of our little man but so sad that he doesn't feel well.

He started off the day at 9:45am and I was very glad that he caught up on his sleep...and that Mama got some more sleep as well.  Whatever bug's been ailing the rest of the Aman family has finally sunk its claws into me and my sinus infection has now turned into a scratchy sore throat.  Tyler and I lounged in bed for a bit longer, watching an episode of "Sofia the First" while having some milk.  Then we came downstairs and I noticed more ear-tugging and grimacing.  He also didn't have much of an appetite, refusing a chocolate chip scone (this baby loves chocolate) and only eating half of his cereal (this baby loves cereal...Correction, this baby loves food).  I supplied him with lots of liquids but he took a few sips and would refuse the rest.  Changing his diapers and changing his clothes was a battle.  But after a few tears shed, I got him dressed for the day, picked up Daddy from work, and we went to the doctor's.

Coming back we had a totally different baby.  Suddenly he was ravenous, downing a container of mixed berry yogurt (in which we hid his antibiotics, worked like a charm...tried it later with Tylenol and failed miserably), a full cup of milk, and a Mommy-sized bowl of spaghetti bake.  It was actually Mommy's bowl, I gave him a bite to see if he would be interested and he ended up eating the whole thing.  And being sick did not slow him down.  He was running around like nothing was amiss, we went on a stroller walk with the puppies (he was very attached to Daddy after Daddy came home and he wouldn't let him out of his sight), he "rode" his zebra as fast as he could, and he was all smiles when the grandmas came home.

Per state laws, a child has to be on antibiotics for 24 hours before coming back to daycare so we're keeping him home tomorrow again.  This time Ryan's going to stay with him but I might come home early if needed, though hopefully I won't be.  I really hope that Tyler's on the mend.  Fingers crossed for a more peaceful night.

Tomorrow we'll be starting our stint at Grandpa Bob's house as well and I'm still worried that the change in routine will be difficult for Tyler, especially if he's sick and not feeling well.  But there are so many animals in the house that they'll keep him occupied.  There are also a ton of books everywhere to keep Mama busy as well, I'm excited!  I saw the mounds and mounds of books and thought, Look at all the reading I can do!  I may be a bookworm.  Just a little bit.

And now that Tyler is asleep (he fell asleep pretty quickly while Daddy held him and we sang one song), I'm going to get our clothes packed for tomorrow.  Enjoy this family photo that may not exist quite yet depending on when you read this blog...Ryan's phone is upstairs and that's where the photo is.  We are too lazy to go up there at the moment.  So if you're reading this sans photo, hold your horses.  You should already know what we look like anyway so use your imagination.

Good night all, sweet dreams.

Day 33

And the Seahawks win!!!

I wish we had some Seahawks apparel.  That would have made a great family photo.  Instead we have this:

We also had a nice visit from the Carlsons today.  Cody is getting so big!  And he doesn't give Aunt Tammy super big smiles anymore.  It looks like he's hit the Stranger Danger stage.  But I played peek-a-boo with him and coaxed a few shy smiles out of him.  This only proves that we need to see the Carlsons more often.

This weekend in Tyler news:

- Tyler found Uncle Linh's Captain America shield and has decided upon a career as a superhero.
- He received some lucky money and was not impressed.
- He enjoys Pogs.  Perhaps the trend will return.
- He has a love/hate relationship with sharks.  He is intrigued but also a little bit scared.
- He saw "Planes" for the first time.  Cars, airplanes...all his favorite things rolled into one!
- Seafood soup, yum!  Ba Ngoai was very excited and impressed at how much he liked it.
- He told Grandma Barb "good night" for the first time.  And he said "spicy."
- He's decided that Nicky is his favorite cat.  He also loves cat toys.

We'll be house-sitting and pet-sitting for Grandpa Bob and Grandma Robin for a couple of weeks starting on Tuesday.  I'm a little bit worried about the change in routine for Tyler.  Hopefully it'll be an easy transition but I think he's going to miss his grandmas and the puppies.  Although Grandpa Bob and Grandma Robin have two dogs and I think seven cats and a garden full of bird feeders that attract the cutest little birdies so I'm sure Tyler will have a good time.  But I still worry.

Here's hoping for a good week!  It's started off well so far with a tremendous win!

Maybe the Broncos were just being nice and giving us one...Thanks, Broncos.  You guys rock.

Day 31/32

Another double post.  We've been lazy.

Yesterday was a pretty hectic day despite getting off of work an hour early.  Ryan and I squeezed in a trip to the library to pick up some more books for me (A Tree Grows in Brooklyn; Salem Falls; and The Dinner) and Tyler (puppies and ducklings and pajamas galore!), had a homemade meal of spice-rubbed pork chops, and then made the trek up to Tigard.  We ended up making our destination at 9:30pm and Tyler had a nice, long nap in the car.  Ryan wanted to delay our trip so that we can lay him in bed right after the car ride but alas Tyler woke up immediately.  I thought he was still asleep when Ryan got him out until I heard him say enthusiastically, "Bus!"  Wishful thinking, Mommy and Daddy.  Wishful thinking.

Tyler also had a fun day yesterday.  He played with play dough and it's the best thing in the world.  Not only can you flatten it, roll it into a bunch of little balls, and make Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles out of it, you can also lick it!  It is salty and disgusting but he kept trying it just in case the next time would taste better.  It never did.

Day 31

Today we celebrated Lunar New Year at a family friend's house.  They had two tiny lap dogs and Tyler enjoyed chasing them around.  Those poor little dogs, they were definitely much more scared of him than he was of them, unlike the four year old girl who also came.  It was nice having a playmate for Tyler there although he had a really short nap earlier this morning so he wasn't in the mood to play.  We ended up taking him home early and he slept until about 7:30.  He's in bed with Dad at the moment watching "Hercules" and I have a bad feeling he hasn't fallen asleep yet.

Day 32

Here is a picture of Tyler on the couch, relaxing, and resting his booted leg on Mommy's leg:

And now for some outtakes.

Happy Lunar New Year everybody!!!