Good morning class. My name is Professor Haak and I will be your teacher for the day.
Today we will be conducting a research project that will help us figure out which toy tastes the best.
The traditional teething ring has a great flavor without too much of an aftertaste.
Mortimer the moose is also yummy...but his furry texture leaves something to be desired.
It looks like the winner is once again the pacifier. 
We once again tried to enjoy the nice weather out on our deck. I found a great hat that my friend Katie gave Tyson to keep the sun out of his eyes...
It seems he is starting to warm up to nature...finally:)
I know I posted the fact that I am on a bowling league. When I found out it was cheaper to buy shoes than to rent every week it was off to the internet I went. I had to find the coolest/girliest bowling shoes around...and I think I succeeded. I'm told these will even glow in the dark (when I will need to use this feature I'm not sure). In the words of my friends niece..."I grew up to be so cool."
And here I am wearing the shoes!...awful picture of me but I had to post it.
I was picking up my friend Katie to head to bowling and her nephews were at her house playing. Caleb here proudly declared that he picked out his own clothes that day...though the clip on tie/t-shirt combo kind of tipped me off:)
So I added a couple of pictures of the baby since he's the real reason people check this blog...I aim to please:)
Sometimes he can't quite find his fingers...luckily his wrist seems to satisfy him equally.
Lately I've had the radio on a lot but now we have recently discovered all of Charter's tv channels that play only music (eg: specific decades or genre's...lately we've been diggin' the 70's songs. Showtunes are also a big hit). It turns out that Tyson LOVES being sung to. He's actually so excited in this pic I couldn't get him to hold his arms still...that's why they are blurry....
though today's version of Olivia Newton John's "Hopelessly Devoted" didn't seem to impress
He was equally unimpressed with the rest of my superstar attempts. Maybe he will enjoy some 80's hits a little more. 
We found another game that is a hit...well, sometimes:) I got the idea from my mom who used to do this with us when we were little. If I lay on my back, I can balance Tyson on my legs. The new perspective makes our usual songs and games a lot more fun.
Though he doesn't look too entertained here...
and luckily, he hasn't spit up on my face from this position...yet.
I found this exersaucer at a rummage sale this summer and was so excited that Tyson was big enough to start using it. I think he was getting bored with the bouncy seat/swing/bumbo rotation we've gotten used to.
At first he wasn't sure what to think...
but he quickly found something that caught his eye...
and then got really excited about all the new possibilities. 
but soon grew tired...I think I finally found someone who's attention span is worse than my own:)
We are very happy to have this new toy.
My friend Megan has an adorable daughter Elsie who is 6 weeks older than Tyson. We work together and were pregnant at the same time (obviously). Anyway, it's been so nice to have someone to talk new-mommy stuff with. We thought it would be a super idea to get together for a little walk/playdate. The kids could not have been less interested in each other...but at least the mama's had fun!
Jason and I bought our house last year and haven't been able to use our sliding glass door that leads to our backyard due to lack of a deck and a 5 foot drop. Well, after quite a lot of nagging and one phone call from the insurance agent telling us it was a safety hazard, it finally got done.
It's a little larger than I thought it would be...one of Jason's coworkers asked us if we were opening a beer garden...maybe an idea for next summer I said.
It still needs staining but I think it looks pretty darn good.
I tried to take Tyson out one day to enjoy the nice weather...
He was less than impressed. 
Maybe he will be an indoor boy. With the pale skin I passed on to him, I guess that wouldn't be a bad thing...we'd save a lot of money on sunscreen.
This particular photo shoot started out very uneventfully...though I am now starting to realize how much more round his little head is getting:)
Grandma Marilyn found some of Jason's old baby stuff so I thought I would get a picture of Tyson in one of Jason's old sleepers before he grew out of it.
Then this wierd face started to emerge...and I was confused.
So I dove in for a close-up so I could investigate and realized that Tyson had found his tongue and was sucking on it...vigorously. It's his new favorite pass time. On the upside, it's no longer quite as big of tragedy if we lose his pacifier...on the downside, he is now constantly making this face.
I wonder what the orthodondists say about tongue sucking?
So as I was sorting through all of Tyson's gifts as well as some great hand-me-downs, we had to try a bunch of stuff on to see what still fits. I couldn't resist some pictures of him in this cute little hat.
He looks a little perplexed as to why he is wearing a beanie when it's still over 70 degrees outside. Oh well
So here are just a fraction of the presents we recieved from the South Dakota baby shower. I think there are two loads of clothes in the laundry at this point and an entire toy chest full of stuff that we had to leave behind cuz it wouldn't fit in our car. I am so thankful...and dreading the thank you card process just a little:) Grandma Marilyn will have to bring the rest when she comes to visit next time. Some of the highlights include a giant tonka truck and adorable baby cowboy boots that came with a new pair of wranglers of course.
Tyson says thanks for the wonderful presents!
Tyson and Tyler were born only a week apart. Due to their similar birthdays and similar names, people often get confused. On the night of Grandpa Everett's birthday party, the boys showed up with the same outfit on...and their moms didn't even plan it I swear! Of course, we had to try to document the moment. You can't even see Tyson's clothes due to the fact that since he discovered his hands, they are always folded in front of him. I still think the picture is cute. Tyson started out about 2 1/2 pounds lighter than Tyler at birth...but now they are almost the same size. This could mabye be due to the fact that my kid is a rediculous eater...taking at least 8 ounces per feeding. I am starting to worry that we will end up on one of those talk shows with the 100 pound toddler.
This is a picture of the boys taken the day before when they were both a little happier. Although I am now realizing that Tyson looks completely exhausted in both shots...ironically, this was when Tyson was sleeping his best.
Tyson was originally going to be a tiny little ring bearer....my mom even sewed him a bib with a tie on it so he would be dressed properly (see his tiny little flower?) Jason was going to carry him up and hold him during the ceremony.
He looks a little nervous huh? We ended up not having him directly in the ceremony as it was happening right during his fussy time and I thought it had the potential to be trouble. I also had this image of him starting to poop (he always makes a huge production out of it...grunting, turning red...it can last quite awhile) in the middle of the vows and disrupting the whole wedding. Luckily my parents were there to help and he behaved himself for them.
Our attempt at a family picture.
The bride and groom (Grandma Marilyn and Grandpa Flo) with Tyson.
Jason's mom (the bride) and siblings.
I befriended this little girl during the baby shower. Katya (sp?) was so helpful at helping me open my presents and also turned out to be a fabulous dancer. She traveled all the way from Seattle for this event.
The groomsmen...don't they look thrilled to be there?
This is 5 generations on Jason's side. Great grandma Mina is 96 years old and still showed up at the wedding to cut a rug:)