Tanner at a Year

Happy 1st Birthday Tanner!

Tanner was born on December 25 2010

Having a Christmas baby was pretty great. I know it inconvenienced some people that we wanted to celebrate his birthday on Christmas, but it is important to me that we did and we will always do something for him on this day. I also thought that even though some people don't celebrate Tanner's birthday a lot of people get caught up in the commercialism of Christmas and don't celebrate Christ's birthday either.

We had a little Monster birthday party for him. I made 2 cakes that looked exactly alike. My Aunt took some pictures of him on the 24th with the first cake and we used the second cake at his birthday party. Tanner didn't really know what was going on but he loved being by his cousins and he loved the BYU jersey we got for him.

Tanner loves the books he got too.

A Year at a Glance:

Tanner has learned to Stand up and walk around things

He doesn't walk on his own but he walks around on his knees to get places

He does great going up the stairs, but hesitates a bit when he's going down them

He loves poking people in the belly button and then clapping after. He thinks it's funny

He can say Ma Ma, Da Da, Ba ba (Bottle), Ho Ho Ho, Baaa (Sheep noises), Stinky, Baby, Ball,

He shakes his head for No

He loves smiling and gives us the goofiest faces

He's traveled a lot this last year and has seen Moab to visit his Uncle James, To Colorado for his Great Grandma Bonnie's family reunion, and to Wyoming and Bear River lodge with his mom's family.

He eats most anything that we give him and many things that he just finds on the floor.

He has recently discovered that the toilet is the best place to play

He has 3 1/2 teeth - two on the bottom and 1 1/2 on the top

He loves music and loves to dance to it.

He doesn't watch a lot of TV but he does like to watch Sesame street and recognizes Elmo

We've been teaching him to fold his arms when we bless the food and have family pray and actually does it for a few seconds before he unfolds his arms.

We are so glad to have Tanner in our Family. Happy Birthday.

Meeting Santa

Tonight was the Gerber Christmas party and Tanner's 1st time meeting Santa.

Nope- He didn't like it one bit. He screamed and when Santa left and started coming in Tanner's direction he cried again. There's just something about that Jolly old man.

November Happenings

This last week we were able to celebrate the marriage of Dan's sister Amber to Lonnie Brown. We're excited to have him in our family and the wedding turned out great. Congratulations you guys.

This is my 85th wedding cake. I think it turned out great. Amber said that she only wanted a few things for her wedding and this cake was one of them. She loved it.

On the 12th we celebrated my mom's 55th birthday. We had a little family dinner and opened presents. Mom loves pumpkin pie- thanks to Missy for getting the dessert.

Tanner gave his grandma a Lego game. She has most of the other ones so we thought that we'd add to her collection. Happy Birthday Mom!

Monday my dad had shoulder surgery. He's been having problems with his shoulder for a while- years and years and the doctor finally said that he needed a new one. They replaced the ball joint with a metal one that bolted into the bone and a plastic socket for it to sit in. They also had to re-attach a muscle. He'll have to wear the sling for 6 weeks and do a lot of therapy but eventually he'll be able to use his shoulder again.

Halloween

This was Tanner's first Halloween and I think he had a great time. We finally got our pumpkin carved and Tanner loved playing in the bowl of pumpkin guts.

We had 5 pumpkins this year. Our biggest pumpkin weighed 82 lbs and the smallest one about 65 lbs.

I didn't have time to make my costume so I ended up just being Raggedy Ann - a costume I had from a couple of years ago. Tanner was a big hit being a Penguin. Everyone thought he was so cute.

Our Costumes: Dad- a Muggle from Harry Potter, Mom- a glow in the dark Butterfly, Logan- a bush, Tyler- a stick figure, Amber- a pirate wench, Tanner- Penguin and Rach- Raggedy Ann.

And Tanner counting his spoils from Trick or Treating.

Random Tannerness

When I grow up maybe I'll be like my Uncle Markus and be an Orthodontist.

Well- maybe not. Especially if I get my fingers bit

I wonder if this licorice tastes good?

It does!

Do you know how many Naga's it took to make my chair?

I guess we'll never know.

I sure do like Conference Bingo. Someday my mom will give me little candies instead of Cheerios.

Climbing Stairs

Dan and I were outside talking and we left Tanner in the family room. The next thing we knew the door was moving. Tanner climbed the stairs by himself. We'll have to watch him closer.

Tanner at 9 months

Tanner at 9 months:

* He loves being with his dad. He just gets so excited when he comes home from work

* He has been pulling himself up

* Crawls everywhere and gets into everything.

*When he knows he isn't supposed to do something he looks back at us and smiles then does it anyway.

* He's recently figured out how to take the toilet paper off the roll and the vent off the floor in the bathroom and tried to shove a roll of toilet paper down it.

* Loves bananas

* Fake sneezes to get attention

* Takes short naps, but is doing much better sleeping during the night.

* Loves playing with his cars, mom and dad's keys, reading books, seeing his Aunty Meena, playing legos

* And loves when we are all together in the same room.

Crawling

Well I guess we need to baby proof. Tanner started to crawl on Saturday. It's so cute. He does this little frog hop with his legs. We love it.

I hope they call me on a Mission!

The Future Elder Blackburn

Elias and Tanner

Tanner's cousin Elias came over today. They are so cute together. Elias just turned 6 months old and just loved Tanner's exersaucer.

Elias: "Tanner I think I have something wrong with my gums, can you look?"

Tanner: "They look ok to me."

Green Beans

My mom and dad bought me a pressure cooker for my birthday this year and today my mom came over and helped me bottle green beans for Tanner.

Dan and I don't really like green beans but Tanner loves them. Making your own baby food is so much cheaper and better than buying it.

Yum! Yep Tanner loves his green beans.

Tanner's 6 months

We got Tanner's pictures taken last month and just got them back.

My Aunt does such a great job.

Our little BYU fan !

At 6 months:

Tanner weighs 19 lbs 9 oz and is 27" long

At 7 month he is now

20 lbs and 28 1/4" long

His favorite things:

- Playing with Grandma's Legos

- reading books

- playing and laughing with Dad

- his exersaucer

-walking around in his walker - he mostly goes backwards

- making lots of squealing and loud noises

- digging in the dirt and helping mom weed the garden

- being outside

Things he's tasted:

- Green beans- loves them

- Rice cereal with bananas

-Apple sauce

- Peaches

- Carrots-Didn't really like these at first but he'll eat them

- Peas- same with the carrots, he'll eat it

- Squash - loves it

Things he doesn't like:

- has a hard time wanting to take naps with there are things going on around him

Things he can do:

- Sat up at 4 1/2 months

- Roll at 6 months

- drank from a cup and a sippy cup

- smile at self in the mirror

-talk on the phone to his aunts and uncles - just baby noises, but he loves hearing their voices

- Scoots around to get places

- rolls around to get places

- Reaches for everything and anything he can get his hands on

-Gives the best hugs

- Can say Mama and Dada (he says mom more) ;)

- can open and close drawers and pull things out of them

- has the best smile with a twinkle in his eye

It's been so fun having Tanner in our family and watch him grow. We are so blessed.

Sunday's are a day of rest

It's so cute when Dan and Tanner get to take naps together.

Tanner usually only takes 1/2 hour naps 2 to 3 times a day, but this after noon he's been asleep for 2 hours. What a great afternoon.

Carrots

Helping my mom weed

This morning I went out and helped my mom weed in the garden.

It's really not so bad digging around in the dirt.

I even tasted some of it.

Yum!

Tanner's new name

After having our little guy for 5 month I think I am going to change his name to

Tanner Harry Potter

Tanner's bear

Tanner loves the bear his Aunt Meena gave him.

(I am not sure why the video didn't upload very well.)

Tanner at 5 Months

I am 5 months old today!

I weight about 17 lbs and about 26" long. Yep I'm getting big. I can even sit up all by myself.

I am just getting into the 6 months clothes too.

At 5 months I pretty much know what I like- and that is my mom - ok and my dad too.

I just started eating rice cereal this week. The first taste was weird, but once I got the hang of it - it really isn't so bad.

I really like playing and not napping. When I do nap- it's short cat naps about a 1/2 hour. During those times mom said she hurries to get things done before I wake up at a 1/2 an hour on the dot. I just don't want to miss anything during the day.

I love reading books, and listening to music. My favorite music is the kind that my dad makes up. He sure does know a lot of songs.

I like playing with my dad. He's a lot of fun and makes me smile and laugh.

Mom, she is my food- My bread and butter. Mmm Mmm good. She also makes me smile and laugh. She makes up songs too, but Dad's are soooo much better.

Oh and I like going on stroller rides. There is just so much to see out in the world.

Being 5 months has been great.

2nd Anniversary

Our Family

Last weekend Dan and I celebrated our 2nd Anniversary.

We stayed at the Little America and just bummed around Salt Lake for the weekend. It was a much needed little vacation and we had a great time.

Tanner loved sleeping on the king bed. ;) Actually he had the pack and play, but he loved being with his mom and dad all weekend.

Tanner loved swimming. It was his first time in a pool.

We walked all over Temple Square and ate lunch at the Garden Restaurant in the Joseph Smith Building. We also saw the Joseph Smith movie. I'd never seen it before. I really liked it. When you think of Joseph Smith you always remember what he did for the church, but it was a good reminder that he had a family; he had kids and a wife and he was so brave and never complained. He worked hard at trying to do what the Lord had asked him to do.

Dan and Tanner at the Church History building. I liked looking at the items for each Prophet that we've had. It was interesting to see the things that they used day to day. It makes them seem more real. We've been really blessed to have such great Prophets leading us and giving us direction.

Tanner at Temple Square

(Tanner learned to sit up by himself at 4 1/2 months)