A successful trip!

Ryder and I made it safely to my parents without any in-flight meltdowns. :) I couldn't have asked for a better flying companion--he was an absolute angel! I think the sound of the plane engine was the perfect white noise because he almost looked sedated. On both flights he took a bottle and then a brief nap, and when he wasn't sleeping he was sitting on my lap just looking around.  On our first flight he even "petted" the arm of the nice man seated next to us. Fortunately, the man seemed to like children. When Ryder stared at him, he would smile or make funny faces. We lucked out on the second flight and had an empty seat beside us. It was much more comfortable for both of us because Ryder could actually lay across my lap without hitting his head on the window, kicking the armrest, or invading someone else's personal space.

(sidenote): Only in America does a mother traveling with her baby have to go to two different airport bathrooms to find an available baby-changing station because the first one was occupied by a dog in a crate whose owner was changing his pee-pee pad. No kidding. I couldn't make that up.

Ryder waved and squealed when we spotted my mom at the airport!

 Ryder's bedtime story was my favorite when I was little: Farley Goes to the Doctor

giving Aunt Angela and Uncle David a goodnight kiss

Ryder: 6 months

I receive email updates from a parenting website on a regular basis, and today's update congratulated me on being a mom for half of a year already. What? How is that even possible?? Since we'll be traveling tomorrow, (and because there aren't 31 days in June), I took Ryder's 6 month pictures today. No stats on height and weight until his appointment in mid-July. I knew he was due for more vaccines, and since he's always fussy for a few days afterwards, there was no way I was going to schedule that appointment just days before taking him on a plane for the first time!

Ryder likes...

• eating real food! He has liked everything we've given him so far--oatmeal, sweet potatoes, peas, avocado, banana, and apple.
• gnawing on anything to soothe his gums. He has two bottom teeth and one of his top teeth just broke through; they are sharp!
• sitting up like a big boy to play with his toys. He can't quite sit on his own yet without tipping over, but he's getting close.
• petting the dogs (and grabbing a fistful of hair)
• using his walker to "travel" around the family room, dining room, and kitchen. Poor Cody has been bumped into on more than one occasion.
• people-watching and "chatting" with anyone who smiles at him.
• being outside.
• the swimming pool; he kicks his feet and slaps at the water with his hands.
• sleeping 11-12 hours straight each night (Okay, maybe that's one of my likes!)

Ryder dislikes...

• when his food is all gone at the end of a meal
• lying flat on his back--he's too busy for that!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Tomorrow's the big day: Ryder's first trip on an airplane! The two of us are flying to Wisconsin to visit my side of the family. I am SO excited for everyone to see him, but I am incredibly nervous about the actual flying part. I'm praying he will be so amazed by the unfamiliar experience that he won't mind sitting quietly in my lap the entire time. My carry-on bag is filled to the brim with anything and everything I might need for the flights. Toys? check! Books? check! Bottles, pacifier, stuffed animal, blankets? check, check, check, and check! I know he is a happy, easy-going little guy and will probably be just fine. But what if he gets whiny and restless and arches his back, trying to escape? Or lets out his ear-piercing squeal that he has mastered over the past week? I just don't want to be that mom whose child can't be quiet. No matter what happens, I know we'll tough it out. And it will be very much worth it to see my mom's face beaming when Ryder and I step off the plane. :)

Ryder tried out his new stroller we got just in time for the trip. Now I can be hands-free in the airport during our layover

Look at those thighs! :)

to Great-Grandmother's house we go

On Monday Ryder and I took a little road trip to visit Mammy. Aunt Alison also drove down, so we timed it so that we'd get there around lunch time. We headed over to Cracker Barrel to enjoy some "soul food", and Ryder enjoyed people-watching and trying to sip water from a straw. :) Ryder "talked" to Mammy and Alison, and it was so much fun to watch him interact with them.

Ryder was eyeballing the remote controls sitting next to Mammy's chair!

Mammy found an antique toy that plays "It's a Small World" when you pull the string. Ryder enjoyed the music AND trying to eat the toy.

A boy and his dog

Ashley has surprised us and really hasn't had much to do with Ryder since he was born. We attribute it to her being "old" and set in her ways. :) She likes to go into our room in the back of the house and curl up on her bed, all alone, where it's quiet. Ryder and Cody are pals, and I think Ryder was trying to figure out a way to get Ashley to pay attention to him too. He has discovered that the way to Ashley's heart is through her stomach. Every night before dinner I put a few Gerber banana puffs on Ryder's tray for him to play with and hopefully get into his mouth where they dissolve instantly. It keeps him entertained and gives him a chance to practice his little pincher grasp. The other night I noticed that when he finally managed to pick one up, he was hanging his hand over the side of his tray and dropping it on the floor. Who was there to catch it? You got it! Ashley has found her very own little Pez dispenser! Tonight I managed to catch the two "partners in crime" in action.

"What? We're not doing anything!"

"Here, Ashley, lick it off the palm of my hand."

"Mmmmmm, delicious!"

Holy Guacamole!

Yes, this is another food post. :) We decided to let Ryder try avocado today for the first time, and I really was surprised at how much he liked it. After all, it's not sweet like the other veggies he has tried, and it definitely has a unique flavor. Andrew and I were trying to remember the first time we ate avocado; it definitely isn't a childhood memory that either of us have. I'm pretty sure I had guacamole dip first (as an adult) and then tried the main ingredient by itself after the fact. Our little guy is definitely not a picky eater so far!

The next picture is his reaction when I said "All gone," and went to put the empty bowl and spoon in the sink!

He recovered and was in a great mood during bath time. We bought him a new hooded towel--a crab, imagine that--and he looks adorable in it!

Father's Day

Andrew~

Thank you for being such a wonderful husband and father! I love to watch Ryder's face light up when he hears your voice or sees you walk into the room. You have many father/son experiences to look forward to, and I hope Ryder inherits your sense of adventure and love of life.