Tyler's Birthday

4lb 12 oz

17lbs 3oz

Our little Tyler turned one on Dec. 22. This past year with Tyler has been an amazing year. We've waited so long to be parents and have absolutely enjoyed every minute with our little miracle. I never quite realized how much love I could give and get from a child until I had one of my own. This past year, we have experienced some of the greatest, saddest, and scariest moments of our lives. Watching Tyler grow and explore the world around him has brought such joy to our lives, while sitting in the hospital praying for our son to have a safe and successful open heart surgery was the scariest time in our lives. Although we've faced some difficult times, it has only brought us closer and helped our family grow stronger.

Tyler has accomplished so many new skills this year. He can pull himself up to stand now and is beginning to cruise around the furniture. He has been getting physical therapy twice a week for a couple of months and it is really helping him build strength in his legs. Just last week, he began climbing the stairs and climbing on top of his picnic table. He is so proud of his new accomplishments, that he turns around and gives a big smile once he's made it to the top.


With Tyler's new found mobility, he loves crawling all around the house. The minute we put him on the floor, he first checks to see if Blaze's water bowl is on the floor (he loves to play in the water), then he checks to see if we left the laundry room door open (I don't know what's so exciting about that room...maybe all the lint "snacks" on the floor), and finally he goes to press the buttons on Daddy's stereo (just like Daddy, he loves to watch the blue light turn on and off). Once all of these items have been blocked off, he then plays happily with his toys.

Tyler has begun saying a few words now. He learned them in this order: dada, mama, quack, choo...choo, tru (for truck), and pu (for puff-his favorite snack). He loves to clap, wave bye bye, put his arms up for a touch down, and point to everything he finds interesting. Tyler enjoys listening to stories and kicks his legs in excitement each time we pull out books.

We celebrated Tyler's birthday at the Marley Park Heritage Club along with Tyler's cousin Sophie's 6th birthday. We had a "Cowboy" theme because Sophie really likes horses. The kids had fun running through the field. Tyler was a little leery of the grass and kept lifting up his legs so that the grass wouldn't poke his skin. When it came time to the cake, Tyler needed a little help digging in. He wasn't too sure what to do and wasn't all that thrilled about the taste. I'm sure that will all change next year!

It sure was an amazing first year and we look forward to all the new experiences we will encounter with Tyler in the coming years.

Here are some pictures of his first year.