Ryder: 7 month photo shoot

Another month has flown by! Why can't the school year pass by as quickly as the summer does???
Here are some updates on our little man--it's amazing how much he changes in one month's time!

1.  He loves being in his walker and running over anything in his path. He goes forwards, backwards, and maneuvers turns very well! (Take a look at what finally happened to my flowers! They have officially been moved out of reach).

"Um, Mommy? I think we may have a problem..."

2. He makes a noise that sounds like "hey" when he sees the dogs walk by or if someone smiles and says "hi" to him.

3. He has begun biting my shoulder when I'm holding him, and he leaves teeth marks! It usually happens when he's really tired or hungry, so it begins as a sweet, innocent snuggle and ends with me screaming and trying to pry his face off of my shoulder. He then looks at me and grins.

4. He still loves to eat! He has added small pieces of bread and crackers to his repertoire.

5. On a few occasions he has tried pulling himself up, using a large toy as his "anchor". I'm really starting to believe he may skip the crawling stage altogether!

Aloha!

Andrew and Ryder decided to be twins yesterday when we ran our errands--Hawaiian shirts and khaki shorts. :)

He really wasn't angry and scowling here. The flash was so bright that he kept squinting each time Andrew snapped a picture!

Stop and smell the roses

Ryder gets into everything now that he can tear around the house in his walker. Just in the last couple of days I've had to say "no" to him for the following:

• playing with the dog food bag and trying to get to the dogs' food and water bowls
• grabbing a leaf on the plant that's in the corner of our dining room and attempting to put it in his mouth
• figuring out that pulling on my apron will open the cabinet door
• reaching for a cord plugged into the wall (It has now been moved!)
• trying to pull open the drawers on our DVD chest

Here is a variety of pictures from the last two days.

"playing" with Mommy's silk flowers

peeking in his bin for some more toys

"I see one!"

"Maybe I will find more if I put my whole head in the bin."

Bye Bye, Bumbo

It's official--Ryder is too big and too squirmy to sit in his bumbo chair. I don't put him in it often because he is sitting so well on his own, but I keep it in our bedroom and occasionally I'll plop him in it while I'm trying to get ready for the day. The last couple of days he's made me a bit nervous because he's been twisting to one side or the other while reaching for something. I've been putting one of my feet across his lap, almost like a seat belt, so he won't twist himself right out of the chair. (This makes doing my hair and makeup difficult, trying to balance on one leg while extending the other across Ryder's lap!) Today he pulled a new stunt--arching his back until he clears the center "crotch piece" that's intended to hold him in. I guess he's decided he is not a baby and doesn't need help sitting up anymore. Farewell, bumbo!

Sitting Proud

Look how well Ryder sits and plays by himself now! I still keep a pillow right behind him for those occasions when he throws himself backwards, but for the most part his falls are controlled. The way he reaches and inches towards a particular toy makes me wonder if he will be crawling soon!

Spin Cycle

Ryder is now fascinated by the washing machine, which is great for me because it occupies him long enough that I can fold clothes instead of just heaping them into a pile where they become a wrinkled mess. He will sit and stare intently as the machine fills with water and then spins the clothes--I'd love to know what he's thinking!

"I can see the water, but I can't feel it!"

"What in the world is this big toy??"

(He spotted my toes and began growling his way towards them!)

Mobile Little Man

Ryder is becoming more and more mobile in his walker! He moves forward on purpose now and likes to follow the dogs around and "talk" to them. Oh, and while he walks he makes his growling gremlin sound as if he's letting you know he's on the prowl.

"Here, Ashley, I will feed you some breakfast."

I think Ryder is getting way too used to having his picture taken. Strike a pose!

An Uninvited Guesssssssssst

Andrew and I spent some much-needed time outside this weekend cleaning up the flowerbeds: planting new shrubs, transplanting others, and putting down some new mulch. Andrew did most of the work, of course, while I was in and out with Ryder. I helped out in little spurts when Ryder would go down for a nap. :) Friday evening Ryder and I went outside to check on the progress. Andrew had just turned on the weed-eater to do some trimming, so I thought I would pull a few weeds that had popped up alongside the house where the azaleas used to be. I squatted down, balancing Ryder on one hip, and reached out with my left hand when I did a double-take. Just inches to the left was a snake, tightly coiled in a pile of leaves. I definitely screamed as I popped up and ran in the other direction! I yelled for Andrew, but of course he couldn't hear me over the weed-eater even though he was only about 15 feet away. I started waving my left arm and walking towards him until I got his attention. I explained what had just happened, and he promptly grabbed the shovel. (We both have the same motto when it comes to snakes: kill it first and then ask questions. Sorry if there are any snake-lovers out there!) A couple of quick jabs decapitated it, and then we could get close enough to look for distinguishing marks. We then headed inside to look for snake pictures online, and it didn't take long to find a match. We had just come face to face with a COPPERHEAD.

Note: A reptile was definitely harmed in the process. These pictures are not for the faint of heart.

the headless snake (about 2 feet long)

the copper head

Did you know that copperheads are in the pit viper family? They have folding fangs, and Andrew used a piece of bark to pry open the mouth and fold down the fangs.

Even though Ryder saw his first snake, he didn't seem too bothered by the whole ordeal!

Ryder's two bottom "fangs"

random shot-- a close-up of our tiger lilies

6 month doctor visit

Today was Ryder's 6 month well-visit. Due to our insurance changing, we had to find a new pediatrician. I was disappointed because I really liked the one Ryder had already seen several times, but this doctor came highly recommended by some friends. Both she and her nurse were wonderful, and despite the long wait (over an hour due to lots of kids coming in for sports physicals--today of all days!) it was a pleasant experience. Ryder enjoyed "visiting" with a 9 month old little girl in the waiting room, and he loved the nurse's tropical fish printed shirt! He cried briefly during his two shots, but the Winnie-the-Pooh band-aids instantly made everything all better. When the doctor saw how many teeth he has and how well he can sit up, she said he's advanced for his age. Yes, I'm a proud momma. :)

Stats:
height: 27 1/2 inches
weight: 18.5 pounds (not as much as I expected!)

Next scheduled well-visit--> 9 months

A Week of Firsts

Last week contained many "first time experiences" for my little man:

• flying on an airplane
• meeting aunts, uncles, and great-grandparents
• road trips that involved riding in the car for 3+ hours in a row
• moving forward in his walker instead of just backwards
• making growling noises (my little gremlin!)
• "crunching" on an ice cube; he has 4 teeth and 4 more on the way!

We had a wonderful time at my parents' house, and it was so much fun for me to introduce Ryder to all of the family members who had seen plenty of pictures of him but hadn't met him in person. Our trip back home went smoothly, with Ryder eating/sleeping on both flights. When we got off the plane in Richmond and stepped into the airport, he let out some happy ear-piercing squeals and screeches. I guess he knew it wouldn't be appropriate to do that in a confined space; it was like he had been holding it in all day! He was definitely excited to see his daddy, and he kept looking at him as if he were thinking, "Where have you been? I couldn't find you all week!" Now that we're home, I think the traveling and busy-ness of last week are catching up with him. The past two nights he has slept 12 hours straight, and he is also taking several naps throughout the day that last 1 1/2 hours each. He will be up for an hour to eat or play, and then he wants to nap again--I'm trying to take advantage of that time to get things done around the house. :) Enjoy LOTS of pictures from the week!

Ryder & Great-Grandma G.

(Great) Aunt Lynn & Ryder

Ryder & Great-Grandpa P.

wearing Great-Grandpa's pith helmet

Ryder & (Great) Uncle Terry

another shot with Great-Grandma--I was standing across the room jumping around and acting like a crazy woman to get Ryder to smile. Grandma apparently got a kick out of it! 

Annie wearing her 4th of July outfit :)

Annie & Ryder looking very patriotic

bath time in Grandma's sink

lounging with Auntie "LaLa"

(We decided Ryder probably won't be able to pronounce Angela for quite some time, so for now she is affectionately called LaLa!)

Ryder meets Uncle Dave and Aunt Jenny!

sipping water from a "real" cup

having fun playing at Dave & Jenny's

Ryder actually fell asleep at Dave's house right in the middle of the living room floor!

trying on Uncle David's hat--it was a little too big :)

playing with Uncle David's face!