Highlights and Halloween

September means football! Ryan attended two Clemson games to cheer on the Tigers. Though a toddler is more interested in walking up and down the stairs of the stadium rather than sitting in a seat.


During October, Ryan's favorite word was "pumpkin." Anytime, anywhere he spotted a pumpkin, he made it be known to everyone. We went to Hunter Farm for a hayride and to purchase a pumpkin for Halloween. Ryan also got to feed a few of the farm animals.Ryan was the cutest dinosaur for Halloween. He loved wearing his costume and "roaring" at other people. We went to our church's Trunk or Treat where Ryan decided playing football and running around was more fun that collecting candy (which meant that Mommy and Daddy didn't get a huge pile of candy!)



Ryan was one lucky boy during Thanksgiving. Both sets of grandparents spent Thanksgiving Day with Ryan and had lots of fun with this little boy!

Oh No!

What I did on my Summer Vacation

We've had a busy summer. Ryan got to spend a week at the beach with his GG and Grandpa, Uncle Jimmy and Tiffany, and Auntie Heather. He loved swimming in the pool each day. It took us awhile to get him to like the beach. At first he was interested in the sand, then by day 2 he wanted nothing to do with it, but finally by our last day he was thrilled with it and showed off by throwing sand all around.The week after we returned from the beach, Ryan and Mommy had Vacation Bible School. Ryan enjoyed his time at church playing with his friends.

Ryan's had many fun playdates this summer. We've been to Discovery Place, Imaginon, KidSenses, the Latta Park Sprayground, and numerous trips to the park. We go to the library for storytime once a week and visit Mama and Papa for waffles on Fridays. He loves to play with his truck and football. He is even taking up golf - Daddy hits the golf ball and Ryan chases after it!

In July, we went to a friend's wedding. Ryan must have been dashing because he had the flower girls chasing after him. He also knows how to dance to the beat.



We are excited about the fall. It'll be nice to go to the park when the weather is in the 70s instead of in the 90s. Plus, now that Ryan knows how to say "tiger," it's time to enjoy football. He'll be able to spell out his favorite time by October - C-L-E-M-S-O-N! Go Tigers!

Kaboom!

Welcome to Toddlerhood

Or as I like to call it, the Exploration and Destruction phase.

Ryan is 16 months old and quite the little explorer. Everything is new and exciting. He loves to go for walks and check out every little thing, even chasing after ants on the sidewalk. Thankfully he doesn't cause too much destruction, but he often leaves a trail of toys, clothes, and dirt wherever he goes.

Ryan pointing to Daddy as he mows.

For Easter, Ryan participated in our church's Easter Rock Hunt. Children looked for painted rocks and turned them in for prizes. Ryan was pretty good at finding the rocks on the toddler playground but wasn't so interested in putting the rocks in his basket.

Ryan is learning new words every few weeks. His two new words are GG (for Tanya's mom) and Papa (for David's dad). He loves to "read" his books and we visit the library for storytime often.

We can't wait to head to the beach this June. Mommy had to start a countdown ticker. It will be Ryan's first trip to the beach. In the meantime, Ryan will have to be content with the huge water play table at Discovery Place.

Catching up with Ryan

I know it's been months since I've posted anything. Be sure to continue reading further down to see Birthday and Christmas pictures.

Ryan turned 1 on December 16, 2009. We went to a doctor's visit the next day and found out our little man is getting taller and weighed just under 20 pounds. He started walking around 11 months and is quite a pro at it now. He loves to look at his books, play with his blocks and animals, and give hugs to Elmo, Lambie, and of course, Mommy and Daddy.

Ryan loving Lambie (above) and reading a book (below).

He is also communicating more. Ryan knows the sign for more, all done, diaper, and is just learning the sign for apple. He also says the words hi, mommy, daddy, eat, uh-oh, light, and bye. Ryan was saying daddy for quite some time before he decided to learn mommy; I was feeling a little slighted. He is trying out the word apple (can you tell what his favorite fruit is right now).

Now that Ryan is one, we've moved up to Toddler Tales at the library. He loves being able to walk all around the story time room with other kids, playing with the musical instruments, watching puppets, and of course, listening to stories (though he doesn't sit still for any of that).

Mom! I've got egg shakers!! (these are a big hit at story time)

We recently lost a member of our family. My grandmother passed away on January 7, 2010. She was a fabulous lady. I always liked how my dad and his brothers were known as "the boys." Being the only girl born to her family, she once told me she was glad she had boys because she wouldn't know what to do with a girl. I'm glad she got to meet Ryan last April. Here's a picture from that time.

That's it for now. Ryan's a sweet, active boy who's learning new things everyday. I just love to watch him explore and learn.

Merry Christmas

Christmas morning was an exciting time for Ryan. Santa brought him a farm with animals, books, and his favorite snack - Yogurt Melts. Mommy and Daddy gave Ryan Noah's ark with lots of animals, more books, and a truck. Ryan also received ride on toys (for a total of 4, counting 2 for his birthday and 2 for Christmas). One of his favorite things was the Thomas the Engine sound book. Ryan loved pressing all the buttons to make plenty of noise.

Later that afternoon we went to Aunt Karen and Uncle Steve's house with Grandmommy and Papa. Ryan's cousins were so excited to get to play with him. Ryan was given a super cute outfit and his beloved Lambie, a stuffed lamb that's quite large and very, very soft. All we have to say is "Love Lambie" and he walks over to the lamb and gives him a hug.

Christmas was a wonderful time to spend with family. We were exhausted once the day was done, but we enjoyed the day together.

Happy Birthday Ryan!

Ryan had his first birthday party on December 13, 2009. We invited family and a few close friends. Ryan didn't quite know what to make of all the commotion, but he did enjoy having other kids to play with in the house. Auntie Heather made the football cupcakes. They were delicious! Ryan ate his whole cupcake and probably would have eaten a second one. Plenty of presents were opened and lots of laughter.

On Ryan's actual birthday, December 16, we invited the grandparents over for dinner and dessert. Ryan got to open the present from Mommy and Daddy. Elmo was a big hit! Our little man is now a one-year-old. He's already walking around and exploring new things. Can't wait to see what the next year brings us.