Outside Fun

For the past couple of weeks we have had the most beautiful weather.  Ryan and I have been taking full advantage of the sunshine and cooler temperatures.  Ryan loves being outside and playing in the grass.  I hate to think that we will be pretty much trapped indoors in just a few more weeks more than likely.   Hopefully we will be able to find more fun activities to do during the cold, winter months! 

I had to take a picture of Ryan in this shirt because well...it is hysterical.  

Ryan's First Wedding

This past weekend we took a family road-trip to Princeton, NJ.  We were off to see Jeff's cousin, Liz, get married.  The wedding was beautiful!  We had a truly wonderful time and got to show off Ryan to all kinds of great new people.  

Ryan stayed outside of the church during the ceremony as he was quite tired and we did not want to interrupt the service.  Ryan was a trooper during the reception and even got a few dances in on the dance floor with Mommy.  We had such a wonderful time with family and new friends.  

I didn't realize until after the wedding that I did not take a single picture of the bride.  Liz was absolutely breath-taking.  Her dress was beautiful and she was glowing.  The church was lovely and the reception was great fun.  Here are a few of the pictures we managed to take during the day.  

Ryan told us on the way home that he wants to attend Princeton University in the fall of 2026!

Here is a family pic...we took about 10 but we can't all look at the camera at once! darn it. 

My boys with Grandma Penni..

Just the guys...

I can't believe he was sleeping at the reception like this! 

Daddy, this thing is so cool!!  

Here is the only picture I got of the happy couple.  Congrats to Liz and Andrew, we are so happy for you both! 

High Stylin'

My Aunt Jenn bought me this suit so I could be the second best-dressed at her wedding.  My Mommy wasn't sure if it was going to fit me or not.  Mommy squeezed me into the shirt and told me that we had to take pictures in the outfit because there was no way it would fit me in three more weeks.   The buttons were about to pop and my tummy was sticking out of the bottom.  I was not really comfortable but decided to smile for Mommy while she took my picture.  Mommy says that I am a heartbreaker in the making.  

Texas Again...

We were in Texas last weekend.  I just wanted to share some of the pictures from our trip...

Dad, Grandmother, Brandon, Me, Ryan

My cousin, Kristin and us...

Ryan fell asleep on the couch and then got comfy with Grandpa..

Uncle Scott with my family...

Mmmmm...Squash

Are you Ready for Some Football?

Thanks to Grandpa Jerry, Ryan has his first football jersey (it is a tad big but hopefully will fit all the way til Superbowl Sunday!!!).  I grew up in a family of big Cowboys fans so it is fitting that Ryan would be brought up cheering on the 'Boys.  

Ryan fell asleep before kickoff, but I told him all about how the Cowboys won this morning.  

Thanks Grandpa J for my cool shirt!!!  Go Romo!

He already loves the remote...

Ryan's favorite toy...

6 Months

Wow.  A half-year has flown by.  I can't believe that 6 months ago today we were just bringing Ryan home from the hospital.  Jeff and I were both very excited and very nervous at the same time.  What were we going to do if he cried?  How would we know when he was hungry, how would we know when it was gas?  How exactly was I supposed to breast feed?  We had never had any experience with newborns before and I can say that we were both hoping that the hospital would keep us just one more day. 

The first few weeks were challenging, mainly due to a lack of sleep and a baby that needed to eat every 2-3 hours around the clock.  Some days felt like they lasted forever.  I remember telling Jeff one night that I felt like I was never going to sleep again.  Those days that felt like they would last forever actually flew by at an incredible speed.  My little baby used to curl up into a tiny ball on my chest to sleep.  Now he takes up a lot more surface area and weighs a ton more.  :)

It is incredibly amazing to watch Ryan change on a daily basis.  Each day he discovers something new or does something different.  The speed at which babies learn is mind-boggling.  I have so much excitement about the future, but at the same time I am trying to soak in every single moment right now.  There is no way of getting any of this time back.  I am sure that the next 6 months will fly by as fast as the first 6 have.  I am looking forward to watching Ryan continue to surprise and amaze us both.  

Our lives have changed so much in the past six months. It is fascinating how the birth of Ryan brought me closer to God.  Through Ryan I have seen the power, beauty and love of God all over again.  My priorities have changed, I know why I was put on this earth, I have discovered a love that I never knew existed and I have finally figured out what I want to be when I grow up.  

Here are a few pictures of our little boy growing up way too fast....

Welcome to the world Ryan...

One week old:

1 Month:

2 Months:

3 Months (one of my favorite pictures still)...

4 Months:

5 Months:

This isn't my bottle...

This afternoon I decided to let Ryan try out his sippy cup.  We had given it to him once before about a month or so ago but he wasn't really interested in it so we put it away.  This time the sippy cup went directly into Ryan's mouth.  Although he wasn't really too sure about the water that was inside or why water came out when he put the top of the cup into his mouth.  We will keep practicing with the sippy cup ...but for now just with water.  

Another chew toy...

What is in that cup?

I can do this!

Drinking water sure is funny...

As you can see, most of the water ended up on his shirt...