18 Months Old

Where did my little baby go? Rylin is a full on toddler and in the last few months he has really seemed to grow up a lot. I can't believe its been so long since I could just swaddle him up! A few of the *fun* new things our big guy is doing...

~talking all the time! newest words include: "horse", "cracker", "thank you", "all done", "papa", "shoes". My favorites are "hottie" (hot), "welby" (Shelby), and "jush" (paci)

~signs "more", "please", "eat", and "all done"...thanks to Attie! He's a good teacher!

~points to get something he wants or show you something he likes.

~can identify most of his facial features and his belly button by pointing. His favorite is tongue!

~mimics everything! Last week put his hands on his face when Aunt Candy was telling a story and did the same at an embarrassing part. We laughed and laughed!

~sprints everywhere! No more walking...he loves to run and gets around like a track star!

~dances when he hears music or if you start humming or singing. He definitely has some rhythm!

~still loves to give hugs and kisses to everyone. He is such a sweetie and I hope it doesn't change any time soon! Melts my heart when he leans over, puckers his lips, and says "muwa!"

~likes to be outside all the time. His favorite things are collecting sticks and hiding in the bushes in our front yard. This boy would stay outside all day if I let him.

~has figured out how to truly ride on his ride-along toys. Duke beware! Spends a lot of time in his woody wagon.

~likes to pretend with play food. Last week he prepared me a mouth watering wooden cucumber slice in a Starbucks lid. I was so impressed...and of course, ate it quickly so he'd make me more! Funny to watch his little mind work.

~Loves to watch Sesame Street videos except when Kermit comes on. He is too boring! All I have to say is "wanna watch Elmo" and he runs to sit in our living room chair. The quietest 30 minutes of my day!

~Eats like a lineman! Favorite foods include eggs, spaghetti, and anything sweet or sour. Last week he tried fried pickles (yum), and loved them! He got his first sucker at the Dr. yesterday and ate it with a huge grin on his face.

~climbs and jumps everywhere. I'm surprised he doesn't have more boo-boos. The sofa has become his jungle gym and Duke, his trusty stud...he's even started calling him horse!

Stats:

26lbs

34 3/4 inches long

85% for weight and height

Easter In Leroy

As I mentioned from my post last year, Easter at my family is a BIG DEAL! I was excited that Rylin would be old enough to really enjoy it this year and that is exactly what he did. We headed down to Leroy on Saturday morning for a day of dying eggs, baking, and photography. I commented to my Mom how most of our friends were coloring eggs with their kids this year, which translated into about a one dozen carton. At our family we dye around 50-60 eggs every year! Everyone has to have one with their name on it of course. You don't want to know how many plastic eggs we have either. So while my nieces and nephews did more dying of the kitchen counter, I snapped a few shots of my own little project.

You may remember the infamous rainbow cake of last year. I decided I would make it's cousin...rainbow cupcakes. Turns out they are a lot more work, but equally beautiful! However, I might have made a small blunder by decorating them with colored coconut. I was informed that children are not fans of this and so their were definitely left overs. Oh well.

In a few weeks, my sweet little niece is graduating 8th grade. I can scarcely believe it. So she's traded in her sweet blond curls and frilly dresses for a pair of heels and a flat iron...but I still think she's cute;) At the request of my sister-in-law we documented this milestone with my cousin KK who's recent maturity baffles me as well. Two pretty girls inside and out.

The big crescendo of the weekend was Sunday of course. Even though I like to spend weeks strategizing the coordination of our family Easter outfits, I do realize that is not what it's all about. Easter is a reminder of what Christ did for me, a very unworthy recipient of his love and salvation. So on Sunday morning we joined the rest of our family for church. Being that it is so small they don't really have a nursery, Rylin got to sit in on the sermon (well most of it). The ants in his pants calmed down when the choir started singing and we actually got to enjoy the musical part of the service. Jordan says he can't wait until Rylin's old enough so he can squeeze his knee when he moves in church...the same way his dad did to him!

After church we headed back to my parents for a big lunch of brisket, chicken, deviled eggs, potato salad, and every other home cooked side you could imagine! The Easter egg hunt got under way soon after and Rylin got to find out what it meant to clean up the yard(like we clean up his giant Lego's). He was much more interested in seeing what was inside the eggs instead of searching for more of them.

Jordan's egg fell victim to an old brother-in-law trick. Needless to say, he didn't fish it out of the horse manure and ants to eat it.

It was an exhausting day chasing Rylin around. He is one more busy boy and in to everything. With so many people there was plenty of bad distractions and random items laying around for him to kidnap. Once outside, he would make a B line for the horses. So you can imagine that around late afternoon, Jordan and I were feeling beat. I decided it was time to contain him and put him in his booster seat for a snack. A few minutes later, my Dad called me back into the kitchen to find this...

Pretty much summed up our day!

Check out the rest of our pictures from Easter on my Family Photo Website.

Addictions

Just when I thought we were close to ditching the paci...Rylin decided he needed more than one!

Today

Well it's Tuesday...which is usually a rather dull day. Nothing exciting. Attie comes on Tuesdays so we usually hang around the house most of the day. Today I decided to get the boys out. We have an awesome park near our house that Rylin and I have traveled to many times before. The last time we were there, I noticed that the ducks were especially friendly. I have been growing a small collection of heels in my bread box, and every time I look at them I think about those ducks. So after lunch we loaded up the double stroller and hit the park. The boys loved all the ducks and their crazy quacking, though when I gave them bread to feed them, they ate it themselves!



After a long nap Attie's mom picked him up, and by then, the weather was turning dark. It wasn't long before it came a big downpour. For the first time, Rylin took note of the rain falling on the patio. When I noticed him standing at the glass door, I couldn't help myself. I pulled out the galoshes and let him go! I knew I was asking for a melt down upon bringing him in, but I figured it was worth it to let him have his first romp in the rain.

So worth it!!!

Every Boy Needs a Papa

...and we're glad you're ours! Happy Birthday, Dad!

Everyday Humor

Jordan and I used to say that Duke made us laugh every day. That wrinkled Bulldog face, well it's pretty funny looking, and he gives us more to laugh at when he cuts the cheese at unexpected moments, perches his head on anything in chins reach, and a million other side splitting antics. Nothing compares, though, to the laughter that is created by the surprising things your child does. Here are a few of my favorite funny moments from the last few weeks. Most don't need captions...you could probably make up your own!

fetching a paci...gone bad

push ups with Duke

first signs of becoming a man?

resourceful use of a plastic ring...anklet?

surprise stick horse sculpture when I got Rylin up from nap

and the original funny guy enjoying a peaceful drink from the sippy cup!

Better Late Than Never

And I'm not talking about blogging! I have decided that its time to go cloth. Yes, I said it, and no I haven't lost my marbles. Next week we will be 100% cloth diapering. (Well maybe 99%) It's been on my mind for a while now, and because of a little push from my buddy Bethany (who's also taking the plunge with Attie...no pun intended) and a recent bout with diaper rashes, I am really going to do it. Before I go on, I must say that this is a personal decision, and in no way is it meant to be a guilt trip for other parents reading this blog. In the last few weeks I have faced some criticism from those with whom I've disclosed, so I don't want any of you reading this to think I have it all figured out and my way is the only way. Be responsible and do your own research. BUT...I do think this recent change in our lives is blog worthy, so here's why we're ditching the disposables. Most of us know the impact disposable diapers have on landfills, and even how much money you can save cloth diapering (especially if you start sooner than me), but I have been recently more conscious of the toxins we are exposed to on a daily basis by way of our skin. I know that some people can go uber crazy when they "think" something is potentially harmful, or they've "heard" that something is bad, so I tried to take a conservative and sensible approach. In my research of chemicals found in disposable diapers, I found a lot of inconclusive and vague information, but the majority is negative. The diaper manufactures basically regulate themselves when it comes to what they put in their products and they don't have to give all this info on the box. What I do know from my own experience is that those suckers can hold a lot of pee for a small amount of material, and that just ain't natural! I also know that sometimes money can come before being completely safe when it comes to a product as widely sold as disposable diapers. So, as I tend with most things, I'm going with "better safe than sorry". It might be an inconvenience, but I know I'll sleep better at night. So how did I convince the hubs...especially since he does all our laundry?! I tapped into his environmental planning side. It also helps that he's currently heading up a project at work for a solid waste master plan and had to tour a couple trash and recycle hubs last week! Now those of you that don't have little kids might be picturing those old prefolds that my baby butt was wrapped in. The cloth diapers of Rylin's generation have come a long way. We're talking adjustable, snaps, Velcro, removable liners, and no more plastic covers. I have personally decided to go with Fuzzibunz one size (meaning birth to potty training age). They come in all sorts of colors, have adjustable leg holes and waist, and use handy snaps that are a lot safer and easier than those giant diaper pins. We've tried them a few times this week and they have been super easy....and Rylin really put them to the test if you know what I mean. It is pretty hard to get a picture of him that isn't blurry these days, but here's my best attempt...

I will also be purchasing the handy sprayer that hooks to the toilet to avoid the "swirl" cleaning method. We'll see how long it takes Jordan to use it as a bidet!

So here's to being a little more Eco friendly. Green has always been my favorite color.