14 Months!

Today our little peanut is 14 months! Can't believe it! I must say however, this last month has been a huge milestone for Ryan in so many ways. Our once VERY whiny, crying all the time, easily frustrated, clingy baby has emerged into a happy, silly, smiling and laughing little boy. We always wondered when the time would come that he would be totally and completely adjusted to his new life. It took a little longer than we anticipated and many times we found ourselves very frustrated but we can finally say that he is there. He is a totally different kid now than he was the first 3 months home....happy, content, and finally at a place he deserves to be. He is so much fun and has made huge progress and we are so proud of him. We love his little boy so much more than we ever thought possible.

Here's what Ryan has been up to...

*He is slowly becoming a less picky eater...we are now eating 3 different veggies....better than not eating any! He still loves fruit and finally likes noodles.

*He has FINALLY discovered a love for books. He has started bringing books to us when he wants them read to him and will sit there long enough to hear a book or two.

*He says...mama, da-deeeee (daddy), ball, uh-oh, ha, ha, ha!, Mmmmm, and Dog....eeeeeeee

*He loves the swings and will start to say "eeeeeeeee" (weeeee) when we walk past the park.

*He points at everything and has started pointing at things when he wants them.

*He has become a walker! Over this past weekend he decided it was time to start walking although he prefers crawling at times to get places faster.

*He is so full of personality and is easily humored. He laughs all the time...mommy is very silly and can make him laugh!

*He loves Cooper and can't give him enough kisses.

*He is still sleeping through the night and takes a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon.

*He is very curious and will analyze the smallest crumb he picks up off the ground.

*He loves getting his hair done and will lean forward to look in the mirror to check it out.

*He LOVES dancing....even when I am humming or whistling to myself he will start rocking back and forth.

*He loves going to the grocery store and running errands with me. He also enjoys going out to dinner!

*He is still a huge fan of Sesame Street and will look at the TV even if I just say the words!

Someone still loves his Elmo..



We have a walker!



But still likes crawling to get places faster...


Someone discovered trucks...new favorite toys!

First 'mini' Vacation

This past weekend was our first family trip away from home since Ryan's been home. We headed to the good ole' Upper Peninsula of Michigan where my husband's family lives. As usual, I was a nervous wreck about how Ryan would be away from home....especially driving 7 hours in the car and not sleeping in his crib. Low and behold...he was SO good. Actually, he behaved better and seemed happier while we were there. Weird. Maybe it was the change of pace and constant stimulation...who knows! He never seizes to amaze me. He slept in his pack n' play will little fuss and handled the long car ride wonderfully. He went to people he never met before, napped in his stroller, and ate so good. His entire daily schedule was thrown off for 4 days straight but managed to be such a good boy the entire trip. While in the UP we were there for a family reunion. Ryan finally got to meet the rest of Joey's family for the first time. We had a great time and I am now much more comfortable with handling situations that stem away from our every day "comfort zone' and routine.

Here are a few pics from the weekend....

Wordless Wednesday..Baptism

This is the pictured used for Ryan's Baptism invites which will be in August!

Wordless Wednesday...Look at me go!

Dedicated to Cooper...

"Cooper, please leave the baby alone", "Cooper, don't lick the baby", Cooper, no jumping on the baby" and "Cooper, that's the baby's toy, leave it"! These were many of the things we were constantly yelling at Cooper when we first brought Ryan home.....BOY have the tables turned. Now we are constantly telling Ryan not to bother Cooper. "Ryan, don't hit Cooper", or "Ryan, don't run Cooper over with your shopping cart", or "Ryan, leave Cooper alone, he's trying to sleep"! Poor Cooper once enjoyed lazy, sleepy days of peace and quiet and now does't know what quiet sounds like anymore. I know Cooper is "just" a dog but he is the best dog and so great with Ryan. He tolerates Ryan taking his toy or bone, or pulling his fur, or clocking him in the face with his sippy cup. Instead of growling at Ryan he just gives him a little lick (kiss) on the face. Such a sweet dog! Truly one of the best and we are so lucky to have him as our dog!

13 Months!

I can't believe a month has already passed since Ryan's first birthday. I'm not sure what happened, but ever since he has turned one he seems like less of a baby and more of a toddler. It makes me sad that he is growing so fast because I feel like my time with him as a 'baby' went by way too fast. At the same time, I am so excited to watch him transform into a big boy right before my eyes. Today also marks 8 months since we got our referral and saw his sweet little face for the first time. Hard to believe that it's been 8 months! Time is going by way too quickly....
Here's what Ryan has been up to this past month...

*Ryan loves fruit but won't eat his veggies....he always analyzes his food before eating it! He is becoming picky. Some days he eats tons of food and others he screams if he doesn't like his meal I have selected for him.

*He has started to blow kisses.

*He takes anywhere from 2-10 steps on his own...but still prefers crawling. Needs to gain a little more confidence.

*He loves giving us kisses!

*He is still only 19 lbs. 4 ounces!

*He still hates his pool and water table but loves his bath and enjoyed swimming in a lake...makes no sense to me!

*He says mama, dada, uh-ahhhh (uh-oh), and ba for ball. He also says Mmmmmm when you ask him if he's ready for lunch or dinner.

*He is trying to stand up with out holding onto anything...he only makes it as far as one knee.

*He claps all the time, especially if he hears clapping on T.V.

*He loves balloons and points to them whenever he sees them

*He absolutely loves Sesame Street and is a huge fan of Elmo!

*Out of all of his toys he loves playing with a ball best.

*If you ask Ryan where his belly is he will start patting his belly. If you ask him where his nose is he touches mine.

He is so much fun and is learning very quickly. He started out as such a good eater and now he is becoming a little more picky which means I need to be a little more creative. He hates if he gets the same things two days in a row for lunch or dinner and will start screaming and yelling if he does...so I have to always be sure to provide options for him. He is going through a little separation anxiety...can't walk one foot away before he starts crawling after me to pick him up. Other than that things are going pretty good. I feel like each week brings something new and exciting. We are loving this sweet, loving, stubborn, and strong willed little boy more and more each day!

Summer Fun!

Summer is going by so quickly and Ryan is growing just as fast. It seems like each week brings a new milestone. Ryan has recently started saying un-oh.... only it sounds like uh-ahhhh! It's so darn cute. He dropped his toy and we heard "uh-ahhh" come out of his mouth. It is so cute how he says it! I believe he is also trying to say ball only it sounds like ba! He is walking more and more each week. He has taken any where from 2-8 steps at a time! Being that he is still afraid of his water table and pool I thought for sure that when this past weekend we spent the day on a lake that Ryan was going to freak out. Nope! He LOVED the water and had a blast! I still can't figure out why he is so afraid of the water table and his pool. Funny little boy!

Here a few pics from the last two weeks!







Ryan also had his first big boy hair cut at a salon. He SCREAMED and cried the entire time but now looks so handsome!
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