Ryan is 9 months old!

I realized sometime this past week that I only have two more monthly blog posts until I will be announcing that my baby boy is one year old!!!?? How did that happen?? People always say that time flies, well it's amazing how true that really is.  This past month Ryan has kept us very busy, Mom especially, as Dad has had lots of commitments (work, guys weekend) that has taken some of his time away.  Hopefully November and December will be filled with lots of family time as we enjoy all the holidays. (Thanksgiving and Christmas are my favorite time of year!!)

Here is some of the latest with regards to Ryan:

• Dr's appt (11/8) stats: Weight: 21lb 14oz (75th%) Length: 30 in (95th%)
• He now has 6 teeth, 4 on top and 2 on bottom
• Wearing size 3 diapers, clothing: size 9 month (2 piece, pants) and 12 month (1 piece, pj's, and most Fall/Winter clothes)
• Fits size 4 shoe (although he hates wearing shoes, unfortunately)
• Nursing 4 times a day (pretty routine- 8am, noon, 4pm, 8pm- variances by like 30 min)
• Sleeping varies still need to work on this, but to bed around 8pm and up around 7:30am for the day with a random wakening usually around 4-5am, but sometimes 3:30am :-(
• Enjoys games such as peek-a-boo, where's Ryan, knocking over stacking cups, chasing after Dad and Toby crawling, throwing balls (or really any toy), and banging things together or against the wall 
• He recognizes and seems to understand many words including his name, no, out, up, more, eat, nap, goodnight, bye bye, hi, kitty, Dadda, Mamma- some phrases: "come here", "let's go", "where is...."
• He continues to love music
• He loves to turn off light switches (he gets very excited about this, except is hesitant when he knows he's turning it off for nap time)
• Waves hi and bye (whispers words as though saying hi and bye, but usually comes out dada)
• Gives high fives and low fives
• Giggles when he is pleased at something he has done
• Still LOVES the kitty! (Toby is so patient with the hitting, tail pulling, fur removal, and "tasting" I'm so glad!)
• Recently he hates having his clothes put on, but doesn't mind helping you take clothes OFF! Especially over his head. Hopefully this is just a phase
• Helps on laundry day by handing me clothes to put in the washer and pulls clothes out of the dryer (to the floor-not as helpful!) I like trying to get him involved. I think he enjoys learning and the approval of being a good helper to Mom.
• He is much more interested in books this month- and will actually sit or stand to listen and pay attention most of the time- some favorites include "Goodnight Gorilla", "Knuffle Bunny", "Brown Bear", "Opposites", "I Love you Through and Through" (and still old favorites the Monster and peek-a-who books)
• He walks around furniture and in the past few weeks has mastered going from the couch to the table and back which he finds great fun!
• He is standing for longer and longer periods of time. In the beginning he would just let go and stand a few seconds, but when the Campbells were over last week he stood for almost a full minute alone unassisted. He seems to have great balance already.
• He has taken two steps for Mike and I on two different occasions, but we're not pushing him along with the walking because it would be nice for him to wait another month or so. I'm thinking Christmas we'll be out of luck though- only time will tell!! :)

I think these are some of the highlights from the past month. Ryan has had a mild cold with some coughing which has kept him under the weather for about a week and with the addition of two more teeth last week it was challenging there for awhile. I know he wasn't feeling well, but it's always a balancing act trying to not over medicate, but make sure you're giving them what they need to feel better.  Ryan seems to be in happier spirits and back to his happy & silly self.  Some nights of sleep have been really good too, but others not so much. I am obviously hopeful that nighttime becomes more consistent with sleep for at least a little while before the next tooth presents itself. (please give us a break teeth!!) I'm also asked a lot about weaning and when I plan to do so.  I truly go back and forth about it, but everything has gone well so far although it is starting to be more tiring for me.  The AAP recommends going to 12 months, but I'm not sure I want to just start weaning in February. My thought right now is in the next month or so I will cut his nursing to twice a day so he is still getting the benefits of breast milk, but for me it's not quite as often and give him formula for the other two feedings, then slowly ease off maybe around Christmas time? If not, then at least pump and offer in sippy cup once or twice a day. Then in February switch him from formula to cows milk. I had hoped to go from nursing to cows milk, but just not sure I'm gonna make it. I'm proud of the amount of time that I've nursed and I think it's been beneficial for us both. We'll take it one day at a time and go from there. Sorry I've not been good at keeping up with the blog this month. Hopefully everyone can catch up with our family through facebook posts and pictures! Happy November everyone!

Ryan the Lion

Ryan was a cute little lion for his first Halloween! He had a cough and cold so he wasn't feeling 100%, but enjoyed trick or treating at Grammy and Granddaddy's before hanging out for the night with his Daddy while his Momma got to go to see the Rangers play in game 4 of the World Series. Ryan woke up in time for Mommy to come home from the game (11:30pm) due to him feeling under the weather and I was able to feed him and get him back to bed with Mike's help by 1am and he slept til 6am. Not his best sleeping night, but at least it was a night of uninterrupted sleep since I was home late from the game. The next night he surprised us with an 8pm to 7am uninterrupted sleep which we all needed! Enjoy the little boy's lion pictures!

1st Trick or Treat

Ryan loves pumpkins

Ryan the lion

Ryan the lion loves pumpkins

Little lion with grandparents

Family photo with our little lion

Ryan the crawling lion



Ryan is 8 months old!

I'm about a week late in getting it together to even work on this post, but better late than never I suppose.  So, our little pumpkin is now 8 months old. Can you believe it? When people ask me in the store how old he is, I now find myself taking a minute and thinking, "how old is he now?" People say that when you are pregnant you have "pregnancy brain", well I think this extends into parenthood as a scatterbrained "mommy brain" as well. Anyways, Ryan is just as cute as ever and discovering his world in fun new ways everyday.  Not to say that he doesn't have bumps and ouchies, but so far nothing major from his new found love for independence. (Thank you, Jesus!) A day before Ryan turned 8 months Mike and I weighed him at his grandma's house and according to their scale he is exactly 22lbs. We tried to use a tape measure to figure out how long he is, but from what we could tell it still said 29 inches, so either we were off last month or off this month b/c I'm sure he's not the exact same. We'll get the official measure at his 9 month appt and update then! Ryan is still in size 3 diapers and is wearing 9 month and 12 month outfits with a few 6-9 two piece sets that still fit.  His pj's are all 12 month now and I finally bought a few two piece sets that hopefully last us a bit longer than the one piece footed pjs.  Now on to some of Ryan's latest accomplishments:

• Halfway through month 7 he finally decided crawling up on all 4's like a big boy is really fun!
• He is pulling up on EVERYTHING!! (couches, tables, chairs, bookcases, crib, window sills etc.)
• He's starting to cruise around furniture, primarily when there is something out of reach that he wants to get to. I'm still hesitant to let him do this much, bc I worry about him falling, but he seems to get stronger every day!
• As of 10/13 he now has 4 teeth with two more up top ready to come through anytime. We started brushing his teeth before bed at night this past month too which he seems to enjoy. (mostly sucking the water off the toothbrush, ha!)
• He loves to roar or make other loud noises, which my family (La especially) finds hilarious
• He jabbers often and tries new sound combinations that we love to hear
• He has learned he can talk into his plastic Halloween pumpkin and hear his voice louder/echo
• He enjoys feeding himself cheerios, Gerber puffs, yogurt bites, and cheese. I have been trying to find more things he can try that he can feed himself because for about 4 days I really couldn't get more than 2oz of food down him a day other than what he could put in his mouth himself. (grapes and bananas were rejected by him)
• The past few days he is back to his normal self with eating about 6-8oz of baby food a day plus some finger food snacks. Fav foods: sweet potatoes, squash, pears, apple/blueberry mixture and CHEESE! Dislikes: peas, bananas, sometimes yogurt
• His nursing schedule is now 8:30am (wake up), around 12:30pm, 4:30-5pm, then before bed at 8pm. He typically wakes up between 3:30-4am for a feeding then back to bed, but the past two nights has made it until 5am so we're crossing our fingers that sticks around!!
• He takes two naps a day, one about 2 hrs after waking up that is typically about two hours. The second one later in the afternoon (usually around 3-3:30) which is normally about an hour, but sometimes a little longer.
• He has varying days of separation anxiety being better/worse. He definitely likes when I am around and tends to look for me when I am out of sight. He's actually turned away from people wanting to take him from my arms a few times the past few weeks which is new. I am trying to give him opportunities to be away from me so that he knows he can play and have fun on his own and with others.

Last month we joined our church's MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) group so Ryan goes to MOPPETS two Tuesdays a month from 9:30-11:30am.  He also spends Sundays in the nursery during the second service. It's a nice break for me and I feel like he is getting exposed to other children and adults. I have also joined a BUNCO group that meets the first Mondays of the month, so Mike and Ryan get some father/son time and Mike gets to bathe and put him to bed which I think is a good bonding time for them.  Mike has also joined a Men's Bible study through our church that meets on Tuesdays, which he is enjoying! Ryan absolutely loves other kids. We will be in a grocery store or shopping and he will hear a child's voice and turn in their direction and just grin and watch them everywhere they go. Sometimes he will even fuss when they get out of sight as though he wants to follow them! (He also does this with the cat) Ryan loves crawling around the house and chasing the cat and climbing up at window sills and banging on the windows.  He has a few books that are current favorites: Peek-a-Who?, That's not my Monster, Trucks, and before nap time- I Love you Through and Through. He used to never sit still for me to read to him, but when I read these books he jabbers along and pays attention excitedly and with the last book he actually let me put him in my lap and sat still to read!! Hopefully this continues, but maybe it was because it was before the last two nap times. He is such a sweet boy and loves his Mom and Dad and all his family around him! We sure love him too! We can't wait to see you as you grow and learn and become a wonderful loving Christian man! Stay sweet little boy!

Love, Mommy

Officially Fall

Well, as of today it is officially Fall. Does it feel like it? No. It is 92 degrees outside, but they are predicting a nice cool front (low 60's-mid 70's high) starting next week.  I'm crossing my fingers it makes it here!  Luckily, our area has had a few nice showers and large clouds lately keeping us cooler than the rest of DFW (like 88-89 ha!) Ryan has all kinds of Fall/Winter clothes in 9 month and 12 month sizes that I am anxious to get him into.  A few of the one piece 9 month outfits we will be cutting it close as the length on those says range up to 28.5" and he was 28 inches at 6 months so I'm thinking he's probably already there or past it by now.  I also have several cute Fall decorations that I'd like to put out, but I just can't bear the thought of it while it's so warm. 

This week there has been an addition to the Campbell Family.  Matt and Vivian (Mike's brother and sis-in-law) just gave birth to their son Charlie earlier this week.  He is so cute and we are excited that he and Ryan will be close in age so that they can play together at family get-togethers as they grow up.  He was 7lb 8oz and 20".  I was only a day off on my guess for his "birth date", but was way off on length (I guessed 22" bc that was Matt's birth length) and I'm not sure what I put for weight, but I think about 8 lbs.  Probably because Ryan was so big. I guessed Charlie would be a little smaller though. I went up to visit them in the hospital the day after he was born and enjoyed some along time with him and M&V while Ryan played at Grammy's house with cousin Naomi.  They have since gone home and had their first night alone with him.  Please keep them in your prayers as the first few weeks are always trying and tiring for new parents.

Finally made a trip to Babies 'R' Us today to buy more stuff for baby proofing our house.  Whew! That stuff sure adds up. It's always such an adventure to get out there and back. I love all the things they have there, but hate having to drive Cooper in Arlington- BLAH!!  Anyways, he now has crib guards which I love the one that I bought- so easy to install and looks nice!  Also, fireplace guards- still working on that and adding to the Daddy-do list will be the cabinet latches.  What a pain! I bought two 12pk containers and we'll see how far that gets us.  I decided against any of the toilet latches or door knob things b/c frankly I don't want to mess with them.  I think I'll be better about keeping an eye on my child where he is never unattended in a bathroom and it'll be awhile before he reaches door knobs. (We have the round ones too which I've heard is harder for them to figure out)  Also, I didn't have to buy any table corner guards b/c I thought ahead to babies being next in our lives and bought round coffee/dining tables! Yay me! :) Already have outlet covers in just about all the plugs. (maybe a few missing) Next on the list will be the gates. I'm still researching them and there is a coupon that will be good for 20% off starting next week so I didn't purchase them just yet. I need 2 to start with and we'll see if we need any others from there.

Oh yeah, Mom and Dad finally moved into their new house! Yay! It's a little less than 20 minutes from us, so saves us 20 minutes from the previous drive.  I will miss driving to Candleridge and knowing that area so well, but I'm happy they are close so it's easier to pop in for a visit every now and then.  Mom's already got a good handle on unpacking and decorating. It's neat to see their furniture in a new set up, and so far everything is looking great! I think that's all I have time for now and gets everyone caught up just a little bit.  Enjoy the first week of Fall.

Love, Emily

Ryan is 7 months old!

What a joy Ryan is each month as he grows and changes daily. Here are a few words that come to mind that describe his personality lately: happy, smiley, determined, loving, stubborn, funny and social. Ryan is becoming even more interested in the world around him and I can tell he is learning new things everyday. He is especially fond of his kitty, Toby and if the cat comes into a room you can be sure that Ryan will be coming after him rather quickly with a smile on his face and jabbering away. He continues to wear size 3 diapers and 6-9 month clothing. Most one piece outfits have to be 9 months for the length. He has a few 12 month onesies that fit already too. Shorts and pants that are 6 month still fit just fine. The past month has been full of new milestones. Here are a few of them:

• Sitting up unsupported- now gets to ride in grocery cart up front and high chairs at restaurants
• First two teeth on the bottom
• Starting to pull up on things like his bookcase, the couch, the coffee table underneath ledge, and especially people (we lowered the crib mattress)
• He is laughing more and more and sometimes at the most random things which we think is so funny
• His smile is really developing and just getting cuter! He smiles at anyone in a store who will smile back or pay attention to him
• He does get startled at strangers getting up in his face (lady at suzushii and G.O. nursery) and will cry when he gets scared- including extended family or friends he hasn't seen in awhile (sorry Lisa & Kacey)
• He attended his first TCU football game (out of the womb- he went to all of them last year too!) and his first visit to Dallas Cowboys Stadium. He had a good time for the most part (got sleepy and scared of the noise at times)
• He is scooting like crazy and can get places fast! He is getting up on all fours much more often and rocks back and forth with an occasional movement forward on all fours. I think he is just days from being considered truly crawling
• He is now combining consonants and vowels, some sounds we've heard lately: dada, baba, gaga, mama
• He had his first bath in the "big boy" tub Aug 13th and has done them that way ever since. He enjoys sucking the water out of the washrag and playing with toys
• He is pushing back when on his tummy and is able to push back to a sitting position from there. I actually found him sitting up in his crib the other day after a nap which surprised me since I've only seen him do it a handful of times.

Looks like we have more baby proofing needed soon. I have been intending to buy two gates (soon!) as well as foam stuff to cover the edge of the fireplace. Other than that just a few cabinet locks for harmful places and I think we'll be good. Ryan's feeding schedule is becoming much more routine, although we still have days that are an exception. His typical day consists of wake up-nurse 7:30-8am, play, saucer (while I eat), his solid foods-fruit and cereal around 9-9:30am, typically long nap 2 hrs shortly after that (while I clean the house and shower). Nurse around 11:30-noon, play and read books, jumper time, nap around 2:30pm for about an hour, nurse again around 3:30-4pm, then play again- sometimes TV (generally the news, but I try to put on a kid show every now and then such as Yo Gabba Gabba-recommended by cousin Leigh), occasionally I will get another 45 min nap out of him right before dinner times, but not always. He'll nurse again around 6-6:30pm then eat solid foods-veggie and fruit with us at dinner. Bath time is 8-8:30 then I nurse him to sleep- really more of a comfort thing for him than a necessary meal I think, so eventually I do think I should try to cut this out, but it works for us. He is still waking up once almost like clockwork between 4-5:30am. That's a typical day in the life of Ryan! When I say typical I mean for the last week or two because it seems he is always changing things up, but they follow the same routine just different hours. Favorite solid foods continue to be sweet potatoes, pears, peaches, apples, squash, and bananas. He is even starting to take cereal okay- not always great, but better. The only things I've found that he really hates are peas and plums. We are doing well with our introduction of the foods for 6-8 months. We still have pumpkin, mangoes, nectarines, zucchini, parsnips, turkey, tofu and barley. Then at 8 months he can start his first dairy with whole milk yogurt and mild cheeses! I really think he will love those!! Up to this point I've been making almost all of his baby foods, but I've recently started switching over to jars and store bought because it's easier when you're out running errands and saves a lot of mess in the kitchen. Some foods are still easy to make and definitely are economical (avocado, banana, carrots), but others are just as pricey to purchase (pears) and then prepare and for a few the preparation is a pain in the neck. (peaches, plums) I just keep my eyes peeled for coupons and price cuts and stock up that way! :) Hope you've enjoyed our Ryan update. We sure love him!!!

3 Year Anniversary

We are pleased to be celebrating three years of marriage today! We are so grateful for all of the Lord's blessings on our life and our marriage thus far. It is hard to believe how quickly time has passed and that we are already celebrating three years together. I could never have asked for a better husband than the Lord has blessed me with and I am so thankful for him every day! To Michael- Thank you for being such a loving and supportive husband even when I am being stubborn and "hard to love"! Thank you for your sacrifices for our family and for supporting us financially, spiritually and emotionally. The past three years have been full of fun travels and fun times together, as well as the start of our family. I can only pray that the Lord continues to pour his blessings out on us as he has done so faithfully thus far. I love you Michael!



1 Chronicles 16:34

"Give Thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."

Ryan has two teeth!!

Well, after all that chewing and drooling, Ryan finally cut his first two teeth. They are both on the bottom front. His left came first 8/16, and right came second 8/18. I have attempted to photograph these cute little pearly whites, but have yet to be successful. He is happy to have you stick your hand in and touch them, but try to open his mouth or pull down the lower lip to show them off "NO THANKS!!"

This past weekend, he also said "dada" for the first time. He happened to be looking right at Mike at the time (which I know he didn't necessarily associate it, but how cute!!) He has since repeated dadas, babas, and a few gagas, but still no mama yet :( Hopefully soon!!

Minus one night, the past two weeks we are finally back to our sleeping from 8pm-3:30 or 4am, then nursing and back to sleep till around 7:30am. Knock on wood!! I'll take it though! Much better than the 12:30-1:30am THEN 4:30-5am that we were stuck with for almost a month. My little guy is also being a big boy napper and most mornings is up for 2 hrs and then naps for 2 hrs first thing, followed by 2 more naps during the day of appx an hour each. If we're out running errands then they are much shorter and typically on Mondays I only get two naps and they are both about two hours. Not sure why he always seems more tired on Mondays. I'm fine with it!

New foods lately, green beans-loves, plums-dislikes. Going to have pears and squash next. I think that's it for now! Just sharing a brief update on our little cutie pie :)