Tyler’s First Christmas

Now that the evenings are getting longer, the daffodils are pushing up, and we are on the brink of Spring Break…here’s a long post about Tyler’s first holiday season.  In case you were missing all things red velour.

Fourth Annual Happy Holledays Ugly Sweater Party
Fourth Annual Happy Holledays Party!  Thanks to a hand-me-down bag for Tyler’s awesome Ugly Jumpsuit with Matching Hat.
Because the party was on  December 6th, our tree was pretty sad by the time actual Christmas rolled around.  Here are our gifts in front of the undecorated, half-lighted, dying pile of needles.
Because the party was on December 6th, our tree was pretty sad by the time actual Christmas rolled around. Here are our gifts in front of the undecorated, half-lighted, dying pile of needles.

We traveled to Nana & Grandpa’s house in Ohio, where my brother David, his wife Heidi, and their two sweet boys met us from Chicago.  Talk about a full house…but we had a blast!  Here are the grandkids attempting to fulfill Nana’s dream of a holiday photo of her three boys.  Lots of credit is now given to the kind people at portrait studios who can actually make babies and toddlers cooperate/sit up/look at the camera.

Judd (3 mos), Everett (28 mos), & Tyler (4 mos)
Judd (3 mos), Everett (28 mos), & Tyler (4 mos)

We opened gifts on Christmas morning in front of the impeccably decorated tree.  Nana & Grandpa went overboard for their grandbabies, as was to be expected.

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Tyler's new school bus.
Tyler’s new school bus.
Everett's new weed wacker...he thought this was hysterical.
Everett’s new weed wacker…he thought this was hysterical.

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We enjoyed hanging out at home and gorging on treats and Great Lakes brews.  We also got out and about, including a snow-less, muddy field trip to the Metroparks.

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Eric and I get cabin fever pretty quickly, so we made an excursion down to Huntington Beach on a gloriously sunny day.

Cleveland skyline in the distance.
Cleveland skyline in the distance.
Daddy's gift to Tyler is his cool CO hat (with ears!) to match Daddy's.
Daddy’s gift to Tyler is his matching cool CO hat (with ears!)
Beer on tap at THE GROCERY STORE?  What is this place, heaven?!
Beer on tap at THE GROCERY STORE? What is this place, heaven?!  No…just Heinen’s.

Tyler also got to see his twin buddies, Audrey & Brody.

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And no trip to Ohio is complete without breakfast at Bob Evans!

I still love sugar for breakfast...that didn't go away post-pregnancy!
I still love sugar for breakfast…that didn’t go away post-pregnancy!

But the best part of being in Ohio for Christmas was spending time with family.  Tyler and Judd are a mere 5 weeks apart in age…this will only get more fun as they get older!

Thanks, Nana, for the matching outfits!
Thanks, Nana, for the matching outfits!

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Holding hands in diapers...does it get any cuter?
Holding hands in diapers…does it get any cuter?

At age two and some change, Everett is the star of the show.  He is such a fun kid–he remembers everything (the magnifying glass in Grandpa’s office!), loves books, and chats up a storm.  He always uses your name when he talks to you (“Will you play with me, Aunt Amy?) AND he’s potty-trained.  Everett, you’ve set the bar rather high for Tyler and Judd!

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And we can’t forget dear old Macie, who will be FIFTEEN in June.  She loves the boys, too.

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And now for one final dose of awwwwww…

Tyler: Seven Months

This kid just keeps getting better.  He is just so HAPPY, almost all of the time!  Thanks, Nana, for the sweater unitard.  It’s currently his most hansomest button-up outfit.

Incidentally, photos in front of a gas fireplace with no hearth aren’t as endearing as our wood-burning fireplace-and-brick hearth photos of my childhood.

Tyler eats rice cereal and sweet potatoes with gusto but is undecided on carrots and green beans.  He is starting to sit up.  No crawling yet.  Our baby yogi has an excellent baby cobra as well as boat pose.  Killer abs on this kid, but he remains stationary.  He still prefers not to nap, and he still doesn’t sleep through the night.

Daddy taught him to clap, clap, clap.  We’ll try to catch it on video!tyler 7 mos 2tyler 7 mos 1