My baby is TWO!

This post is dedicated to my baby, Ryan Michael.

Today you are two. It is so bittersweet. It's so incredible how your much your life has changed ours. I have had mixed emotions for the few days preparing for your birthday. I am excited to celebrate a new year of life with you. I am so proud of you, so amazed at your life and how in just two short years, you have changed the lives of many. How everyone who meets you falls in love with you. How your sweet little face can make so many lives happier, just because you are apart of it.

Before I had you, I knew I would love you. What I guess I didn't know, is how madly in love with you I would be.  Both your daddy and I.   You are a little ball of perfection wrapped into a two year old body.

 

I remember the feeling I felt at 4:55pm on June 16, 2010 when the doctor placed you into my arms.  How you were just so beautiful.   Your little face pulled at my heart strings and I knew that I would do anything for you.  I would love you, teach you, guide you through life, and protect you.  I was no longer living for myself, I was living for you.

We brought you home just two days later, and I will admit, I was terrified.  I didn't know how to take care of you.  I was afraid to change your diaper, to bathe you, to let you sleep too long, to drive in a car with you, the list just goes on and on.

In just a few short days, I learned quickly how to take care of you.  I learned all about you while you learned all about your momma.  We spent so much of our time snuggled up on the couch together.  I never wanted to put you down.  I cooked dinner holding you, I cleaned the house holding you, I did everything with you.  I didn't want to leave your side (and two years later, I still hate leaving you.)

The first year of your life was incredible.  You did so many things.  You rolled over, said a few words, crawled, laughed, played for hours a day.  I wanted to soak everything in.  I wanted to remember everything so I created this blog so I could document our lives with you.  One day, I hope you can look at this story of our lives and know how much you mean to us.

When you were brand new, Daddy used to get home from work late and scoop you out of your crib to wake you up and play because he missed you.  There are days when we do that now, wake you up just to get in an extra kiss.

This picture sums up your first few months of life.  We laid together all the time just looking at each other.  I couldn't get enough of you.

You quickly turned into a little person instead of a tiny baby. 

Last summer you turned one & we celebrated your first year of life.  Mommy finally let you have cake and ice cream for the first time.  We celebrated your birthday with family.  You weren't walking around yet.  You were still crawling and all you wanted was momma. 

Year one was the best year of my life.

...Until year two came along.

You started walking.  You started talking more.  You started running around and laughing.   You loved playing with your blocks and your cars.  You started loving to read books.  You wanted to spend more time outside, at the park or going on walks.

We took you to get your hair cut.  And you've had many more sice your first one. You have the best light brown hair.   We took you to your first circus where you just sat on our laps and enjoyed the show for a few hours.  We took road trips to Yuma. 

You became more independent, always wanting to feed yourself.  Even throwing a fit sometimes when I tried to feed you myself.  You were a big boy now and didn't always need my help.  You were capable of playing for hours on end.  We took you trick or treating at Grandma R's house and you wanted to walk up to the houses all by yourself.

When you were 18 months and 2 weeks old, you became a big brother.  You and Jake soon became best buddies.  You don't always like sharing your toys or your momma with him.  But you do love sitting with him, giving him hugs and kisses.  You love helping out with him, bringing us diapers, blankets, or pacifiers.  You love when Jake wakes up from his nap. 

You run around like crazy with your cousins.  It's one of my favorite things to watch you play with Aiden and Rian.  I look forward to watching all 4 of you play together for many, many years to come.

This past year I fell more in love with you than I ever thought possible.  You are sweet and funny.  You love to make people laugh.  You're affectionate and love to give hugs and kisses.  I love holding your hand walking down the street.

Some of your favorite things are:

-Your blankets, you give them to us every morning when we take you out of your crib.

-You still love watching Barney and will more than likey stop whatever you're doing as soon as you hear the theme song.

-Taking walks.  I ask if you want to go outside and you run over and open the closet door and sit in your cop car.

-You love your milk.

-Counting!  We count everything.  I can trick you into almost anything just by counting.  You let me brush your hair if I start counting the strokes and you even clean up when I count how many toys you've put away.

-  Your favorite foods are rice, beans, and applesauce.

-You love drinking out of straws and especially love when we get sodas from Circle K.

Some things I love about you:

-I love the way you fake laugh and scrunch up your nose when everyone around you is laughing

-The way you bend your arms in front of you and wiggle your butt when you walk.

-The way you will stop crying and say "up" when you want us to hold you.

-Watching you steal Jakey's blanket in the car, makes me laugh every time.

-How putting on shoes when I put on your pajamas has become bedtime routine.

-The way you point to the animals in your "Baa Baa" book and make animal sounds.

- The way you always sneak peeks at your food when we wash your hands before eating.

-After brushing your teeth you scoop water in your hands and put it in your mouth.

- Everything.

We had an incredible year with you, watching you learn and grow.  I am so excited to watch you grow even more this year.  I can't believe you are two.  It's hard to believe that my life has been blessed with you for two years now.  I hope you always know how amazing you are.

Happy second birthday to the love of my life.

Love,

Mommy

And I thought I loved you then...

 

Yuma

I seem to be behind a lot on this thing lately and I can't get ahead.  We spent 5 days in Yuma at the end of May (5/25-5/30.)  I'm not really in the blogging mood so this may be a little boring!  I'm just trying to catch up!

Spent a lot of time with my parents, Grandparents, & Rebecca, Aiden & Rian!

My parents went to Vegas the week prior.  They bought all of their grandbabies m&m shirts and pajamas.  & boy were they cute in them!  I couldn't get a good picture of Ryan & Jakey in their matching pajamas, but I will next time they wear them.  The kids were running all over Grandma & Grandpa's house, I think they love how spacious it is.

We went to My Grandparent's house for dinner.  My grandparents kept fighing over who got to hold Jake!  They love having babies around.

I watched the kids go swimming.

Ryan took a little nap and he woke up so whiney.  I put him on the couch next to Aiden and he just put his head down on his shoulder.  It was so sweet.

Being the little monkies that they are...

Aiden was hungry and he asked his momma for a snack.  She told him that he couldn't have any candy.  We looked in the pantry, I asked him if he wanted cheese-its, nope!  Goldfish?  Nope.  Animal crackers? Nope.  Peas?  Yes, I want peas.  So Uncle Tim made him a plate of peas!

Swimming with Papa.

When Jake woke up from his nap I took him swimming for the first time.  He liked the water, & Ryan did too!  I hope we get to do a  lot more swimming this summer.

My dad is ridiculous with these little babies.  They get whatever they want from Grandpa!  Ryan didn't even have to finish eating his whole taco before he got ice cream!

How was that for a boring and unorganized post?  I got to show off pictures of my favorite people.  I need to take a shower and go to bed.  I'm sleepy.  Good night world...

Jakey Baby.. 5 months!

My sweet little Jakey Baby.  Okay- he definitely isn't always sweet.  He's only sweet about half the time, the half that he's being held. ;)  Just kiddding.  He is a sweet little baby.  Here are some pictures I forgot to post!  These are from his 4m pictures we took at the park (taken 5 weeks ago.)

Could he be any cuter?  No, probably not.  & I love his little orange polo with plaid shorts!  He is always sticking his hand in his mouth.  Always wanting to suck on something.  Always drooling.  Take a closer look at his little toes.  Aren't they so cute when he curls them in?  When I bathe him, I always rub at the bottom of his feet because he smiles and curls his toes under.

After we took a few pictures, I stuck him in a swing.  I didn't actually push him.  Well- I did a teeeny bit, but not really.  We tried taking a picture of Ryan and Jakey.  Ryan's actually in the swing next to him in this picture, but Ryan started crying.  I always see so many cute pictures of babies sitting in swings and just have a full on belly laugh.  Not Ryan.  He makes this awful terrified face and his body literally cringes.  I try to put him in everytime we go to the park but he just HATES the swing!

Here's a picture of Jakey that my friend, Nica, took when we went to Phoenix.

I had to take this picture too.  I had Jake laying in the opposite direction and he wiggled his little body in a 180 degree turn.  Does anyone remember the first time Ryan rolled around like that?  I posted it on here during my 365 pictures- he was in his crib.  I found it awhile back but I'm too lazy to go searching for it now.

5.30.12

Nothing new really to report on Jakey for his 5 month update.  He is starting to sit (supported.)  He will sit unsupported for a few seconds and then topple over. 

He is an awful sleeper.  That's what I get though because Ryan's always been the best sleeper.  Jakey did sleep through the night 2 nights in a row though.  On the morning of May 8- Jakey slept from 7:30-4:30am.  9 hours!  That night he slept from 8:15 - 6:15am.  His only two nights of sleeping through the night.  He is back to waking up every 2-3 hours.  Oh well- I'll get over the lack of sleep.  It won't be like this for long.  One day he'll be sleeping through the night and I'll miss my little hang out buddy.

Not sure if I mentioned it before, but when Jake was 14w1d I was back to my pre pregnancy weight!  As of last weekend (almost 5 months) I'm 5lbs under my pre pregnancy weight.  No dairy is the way to go!

A last little piece of advice for mommies expecting baby #2, get them on the same nap schedule ASAP!  It makes life so much easier. 

This post was all over the place.  I need to go make some milk for Jake before he wakes up.  I'll leave you with one last picture of him with his favorite Auntie.

Ryan...almost 2!

Ryan is only going to be a one year old for the next 13 days.  Two weeks from today I will have a two year old.  This little perfect being that Tim & I created has existed for almost two years.  When Tim looks at old pictures of us he always says "This is before Ryan existed," or "Did you ever think back then that we would have Ryan & Jake?"  Our lives have changed so much in just two short years.  I would never be able to put into words how in love I am.

Here Ryan is trying to dress himself.  He's always trying to dress himself and then gets stuck.  He gets frustrated when he can't quite figure something out.  One day I bought Ryan a bunch of clothes and I kept sticking the plastic part of the tag in my mouth to bite it and rip it off.  Ever since then, every time there is a tag on the shirt- Ryan bites at it.  He bites the actual paper.  He doesn't know how do to it right, but he tries.  He gives up and then gives it to me to take off- but he still always tries.

Ryan LOVES being outside.  What kid doesn't?  We actually went on three walks today.  I let him walk around all by himself all three times.  He loves the freedom.  He always has to walk in front of me and frequently turns his head back to make sure I am still there.  When he sees Jakey's stroller inching closer towards him, he starts speed walking until he is back in the lead.  I constantly stop and go because he makes me laugh to watch Ryan try to speed up when I do, and stop and wait when I'm too slow.  He has to be the perfect distance away from us.

We love to explore, whether it's in the back yard, around the neighborhood, or at the park.  Ryan loves pointing to all the new things he finds.  He loves to point out trees, flowers, rocks, and airplanes.  He walks around from one object to the next.

We've been taking him to the play place at the mall at lot lately just because it's nice and cool.  There is always a ton of other kids for Ryan to run around and play with.  The other kids are always trying to play tag with Ryan but he just doesn't grasp the concept.  If another kid is running towards him and tags him, Ryan starts running and turns around to make sure they are chasing him, which they aren't because they are now running away from Ryan.  One day he'll learn to play tag, for now he loves thinking someone is going to get him.

Ryan's laughter is the sweetest sound.  He is becoming so friendly to everyone.  He loves people and his shyness is going away.  He loves waving hi and bye to people.  He loves to give hugs and kisses.  Especially to mommy, daddy, and Jakey.  He gives hugs and kisses without asking and it melts our hearts.

Ryan has Tim wrapped around his little finger.  I always thought I would be the softy but it's the other way around.  Ryan has the capability to get Tim to give him whatever he wants.  They play together all the time.  Ryan always climbs us on Tim's lap and just sits with him.  They are best buddies.

I recently introduced Ryan to cereal.  Part of me was still hoping that my toddler was a baby and wouldn't be able to eat milk with a spoon.  This child is definitely his momma's baby.  Cereal is probably one of my favorite foods- I eat it almost everday.  Ryan loves to eat cereal.  He eats his bowl of rice krispies and will want more when he's done.  At grandma's house, Ryan knows where she has cereal and he'll go open the box and pull out the bag and munch on her frosted flakes.

His language is really starting to come along.  He was a late sitter, a late crawler, a late walker, and now a late talker.  He is now repeating a lot of words we say!  In the few weeks he has learned to say cheese (cheee), rock (raw), flower (wow-wer), tree (che- he says it almost the same as cheese it's just shorter.), please (eeeese), thank you (ca ca, ha), more (moe), ball (baw), Jakey (Jae-key), cookie (keekee), stinky (tee-key), sock (saw), shoe (she), no, nose (no).. That's all I can think of.

I've been working on sign language with him.  I never really though much about it before, but thought I'd give it a try since he is behind on his expressive language.  He can successfully sign "please," "cookie"- totally the sign for "eat" but I say it's cookie, all of Ryan's snacks are "cookies," "more," and "thank you."  He signed "please" yesterday when he wanted something without me asking him too :)  Tonight when I had crackers he signed "please!"  I'm now trying to get him to sign "shoes" and "milk."  He hasn't signed them back yet but he will soon enough.

His older words are mama, dada, baby, papa, hi, bye, woah, yes, yea, up, here you go, ni-night, yay, ready set go, uh oh.. I hope I'm not missing any. 

He can make animal sounds.. mooo, neigh, baa baa, & woof woof.

Ryan has gotten 3 new teeth in the past two weeks.  He had his top 4 and then his molars- he got the one on his top right (our left) to make 3 one on side.  Two days ago his got his 3rd on his top left (our right)  and the second one on his bottom right.  The third one on his bottom left is about to pop through.  You can see it, but it hasn't broken through the gums yet.

Ryan is always lining stuff up (see picture below!)  He lines up his toys, books, containers- you name it.  If he can get his hands on them, he will line them up.  This cabinet below is Ryan's favorite.  He sticks his toys in there and will climb into the cabinet and shut the door.  He hangs out in the dark cabinet for a little while, pop his head out to check on us, and close it again.

He is so mischievious.  He had got into my wallet, I took it from him and put it on top of the couch.  A little while later I went into the kitchen and when I looked at Ryan he was sitting on the couch going through my wallet.  If he's into something he shouldn't be, he always scrambles when he hears our feet coming.

This little boy completely lights up my life.