Many Mini Milestones

(Say that title five times fast!)
Since I'm not keeping a written baby book for Ryder, I have to document all of his firsts and milestones here. There are so many things he has done over the past two weeks that I just haven't had a chance to sit down and type about.

So I don't forget one day...
...no more formula or bottles anymore--he LOVES vanilla soy milk in his cup.
...he can sign the word "more" when he wants more to eat or drink.
...he says "car" (which sounds more like "caw") when he sees one.
...he will randomly cackle and shake his head like he's remembering something funny.
...he cut four more teeth, for a grand total of 16!
...he will drink water from his cup and then go "aaaahhhh"
...he "tests" the bath water by sticking his hand under the faucet while it's running, just like Daddy does.
...if I ask him to get a book to read with me, he will go to the bookshelf in his room and pick one out.
...when he hears music he will usually dance, which consists of bending his knees slightly and bouncing up and down.

Here are a few pictures from a Cheerios "incident" Ryder had this afternoon.

"Don't worry, Mom, I'll clean them up!"

For the record, we don't make him eat the Cheerios he drops on the floor.

I think he's watched the dogs eat a few too many times!

He may have gotten a dog hair in that bite. ;)

Ryder's first museum visit

Saturday was cold and dreary, so we decided to take a little road trip to Richmond to go to the Children's Museum. Ryder is into everything now, and we figured he would have fun at the hands-on exhibits as well as watching all of the other kids. He ran around non-stop the whole time we were there--about 2 hours--and absolutely LOVED it. There were quite a few other kids there, but Andrew managed to get pictures of Ryder without random people in the background. :) 

a basket of fruits & veggies at the "market"

playing peek-a-boo over the puppet show wall

petting the large wooden cow

one of Ryder's favorites--the "berry-picking" station

taking a break from playing to snuggle with the giant teddy bear :)

digging for toys

lounging

Ryder loves chairs--even if it is a pretty pink princess one!

This is what his chair at home is missing: an ottoman!

"Ahhh...this is the life!"

A spring walk in January

Andrew, Ryder, and I have taken advantage of the unseasonably warm weather this past week by going for walks around our neighborhood every afternoon. Ryder absolutely loves being outside, and he now insists that he walk up and down the steps by himself--holding one of our hands, of course-- instead of being carried. He's becoming quite independent!
Instead of an official "chair picture", here are some shots of my favorite 13-month old enjoying the fresh air. :)

"The plane! The plane!"

(He was actually watching a flock of birds just above the treetops).

Grandma and Grandpa come to play!

My parents came to see Ryder (and I suppose Andrew and me too) for the week. They couldn't believe how much he has changed since they saw him over the summer, and he loved all of the one-on-one attention! Reading books, playing peek-a-boo, and making Grandma and Grandpa "fetch" anything he dropped and/or rolled across the floor were some of his favorites. I honestly don't know who had more fun-Ryder or my parents! Andrew and I were even able to go out for dinner one night--just the two of us--which was a real treat. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for a great week!

Getting ready to watch the Packers play--unfortunately, Ryder was not their lucky charm.

the Packer fans

"Wheew! Reading is exhausting!"

playing peek-a-boo

building a tower with Grandpa

feeding Grandma some Kix

resting with his brown bear pillow

sporting a winged hairstyle

Ryder: 12 month stats

Today I took Ryder for his official 12 month check-up. He entertained the other people in the waiting room by toddling around and shaking his container full of Kix like a rattle. Once we got called back and were waiting for the doctor, he walked in little circles wearing nothing but his diaper. He had a big grin on his face like he was proud of his circular walking in such a small space. He even showed off for the doctor, and she commented once again on what a "remarkable little guy" he is. He had to get three "ouchies" (the nurse's term for shots) but only cried for a minute or so.

Ryder's down to only one 8 oz. bottle of formula each morning and eats regular food the rest of the day. He loves drinking water from his sippy cup, but he is not a fan of whole milk. Since he loves yogurt and cheese, I feel like he's getting enough dairy, but I did ask the doctor what I should do to increase his milk intake. I was surprised when she said he really doesn't need to drink milk at all, as long as he's getting his calcium in other ways. She told us we could try soy milk instead; Andrew was pleased with this answer because he can't stand cow's milk but loves soy milk. Like father, like son I guess! We gave Ryder some soy milk at dinner, and he practically chugged it! Regular milk would have been tossed aside after one sip. Looks like we found a solution! :)

Likes: walking everywhere, playing peek-a-boo, emptying the pantry, reading books, taking his bath, eating "real people" food

Dislikes: not getting his way, getting his diaper changed, being wiped off after a meal

height: 30 1/2 inches
weight: 22.02 lbs.
head circumference: 46 1/2 cm.
clothing size: 12-month shirts, 18-month pants (for length)