Smarter than the average bear...

As you can see by the video, the suction cup trainer plate didn't stay suctioned very well. This kid is too stinkin' strong! It came up a whole lot easier the second time (of course when I was videotaping it). The first time he had to pull pretty hard and basically just took it apart piece by piece and threw them all on the floor... including the spoon. Fortunately, there wasn't any food on it because I wanted to see what he would do with the plate. He needs to learn to eat on his own with a spoon because half the time he refuses to eat if I'm trying to feed it to him. He wants to eat things that he can pick up on his own, which is fine, but I can give him only so much watermelon, bananas, cheerios and toast. :)

Attempt Number One

STEP 1: Take spoon with food already on it from mom and try out this whole feeding myself thing.

STEP 2: Bang spoon on my tray to listen to the fantastic noise it makes and then try getting a bite on my own.

STEP 3: Get bored with all that, grab the bowl full of food and shake it until all the food dumps onto my tray!

This is the result of Tristan's first attempt at eating with a spoon. It didn't go so well. He understands the concept but eating with the fingers is SOOOO much easier! He took a few bites with the spoon and then grabbed the bowl and literally shook it so that all the mashed potatoes would fall out onto his high chair tray. He continued to play with the spoon but when that got boring he started throwing it, once at me! Then it was on to finger painting with said potatoes. He would occasionally suck them off of his fingers but would promptly go back to pushing them all over the tray. At the end we had a tray caked with mashed potatoes, a belly covered in potatoes and a mohawk with potatoes holding it up. But at least he had fun! We'll try this again, but this time we're a little smarter and have purchased a "trainer" plate that actually suctions its self to the tray so there will be no more dumping the contents of his dinner out.
I love the bottom left picture because you can see how truly BLUE his eyes are.... beautiful! (click on the pictures and they will blow up so you can see them better).

Walking Man

So this post is WAY overdue. Tristan really started walking on August 8th but I haven't gotten a video until now. He's still pretty wobbily but he's getting better. He was so tired when I recorded this and didn't feel like cooperating so it's just a quick preview. I'll get a better one when he's in a happier mood.

Field Trip

Chad and I just bought season passes to the Aquarium here in SLC. Odd place to have an aquarium I know but it was pretty cool and we figured Tristan would like it especially as he gets older. And since paying twice pays for a season pass, we just bought the pass.

Here's Tristan in front of the Anaconda's tank. He loved watching all the fish swim around. His favorite was the Shark tank. We sat and watched the sharks and sting rays swim around for at least 5 minutes and he was enthralled the whole time. He kept touching the glass whenever one would swim by the window. We'll definitely be going back again and once he gets a little bigger he can touch the sting rays in the touch pool (they feel like wet suede).

Standing Man

Tristan has been able to stand on his own for a few weeks now but try as a might, I can't get a picture of him doing it! When he sees the camera he either plops down on his butt and crawls to me to get it or literally lunges at me. And since our camera is way too slow in taking pictures I haven't been able to get one of him actually standing, just ones of him half way down to the floor or coming at me like a monster. :D The other night I finally got a picture (see below) but of course... he blinked!!!! Bloody hell! HAHA I'm sure I'll have plenty of opportunities to get an actual picture without him blinking, falling or attacking but it's still annoying! He's started using his little walker toy that we bought him because he realized he can walk if he pushes it - walk without falling that is. He's taken a few tentative steps but hasn't gotten more than 3 or 4 without falling down. But it won't be long before he suddenly takes off in a dead run I'm sure.

Don't mind Chad's head, he was ducking trying to get away from the Godzilla baby. If you lay down on the floor, Tristan takes that as a cue to attack you. He thinks it's quite hilarious... and it is, when it's not you he's attacking!

This picture just made me laugh so I had to share!