First trip to the park

As we were sitting on the couch accomplishing nothing today, I suggested we spend some quality family time together outside our living room. We decided to check out what Blanchard had to offer in terms of Parks and Recreation.

Maybe a park is something we should have done before Ryder was nearly a year old. I'm telling ya, they need to make manuals for this stuff.

We did stumble on a very nice park will a great play area covered by huge shade trees. Ryder was less than impressed with the playground equipment itself - he clung to me for dear life on the swing, he would not go down the slide alone. We were only there for about 30 minutes, which was OK because despite the shade, it was still 95 degrees and mommy was sweating like a pig. It was a nice trip, and we had a good time.

We did also find a fun Splash Pad where water shoots out of all kinds of fun things that looks like the place to be on a 95 degree day. I am thinking this is going to be much more our style when little man gets big enough to run through sprinkler like things!

Happy first Memorial Day Ryder Dean.

Play ball!

Ryder loves to play ball. He likes to roll them on the floor, roll them on the table, bang them on the windows (they are Nerf balls), and occasionally try to eat them. He fetches better than either dog.

He never stops babbling when we are playing with the ball. I don't understand his language other than 'ball' but I'm guessing most of the time he is giving me a good cussing for not properly throwing or catching the ball, or for letting it roll off the table when I shouldn't. 

Usually he has the tennis ball, the soccer ball, and 2 baseballs going all at once. The football would be in the mix too if it rolled better. He uses both his right and his left hands when throwing, but he seems to favor the right a little more.

I hope he is more coordinated when he gets bigger than either his mom or his dad ... would be just a shame to have a kid love a ball so much and not be able to hit, kick, catch, or dribble one.

A Deere of his very own

Ryder was set to get his 1 year photos taken on Saturday, and Ryder the Farmer was one of our themes. Gramma Jill suggested we open one of the birthday presents she mailed down early as it had the potential to be an excellent prop for Farmer Ryder.

I would say the gift was a hit, and we will know in a few days how the photos turned out. I imagine the next time dad is out mowing the lawn, Ryder will trimming the carpet right along with him. At least it is the right color ... ;) Thanks Gramma Jill!

How to wake a sleeping mommy

Future fireman

One crabby baby, even the firetruck doesn't make his happy.

Then he warms up to it and it makes him smile.

Thanks to the Shebester's for the fun (and noisy!) truck. We do love our trucks.

Roses galore

The pink rose is this years Mother's Day rose from Ryder. I guess he figured that since the one from last year was still alive, I could take on another one. This is a Queen Elizabeth. I hope she gets along OK with the Irish one from last year. The two countries don't have the greatest history.

The wind was been blowing 45 MPH for the last 3 days, so they are looking a little worse for wear. I need to tend to that brown cluster above, but I wanted to take this bush from further away so I could get all the buds getting ready to bloom. She is going to be a beauty!

Helping dad with chores

Proof he is a John Deere boy.

And they never went out of turtle speed.

First art project

Prominently displayed on the fridge for all to see.

I'm not sure if he takes after his Great, Great Grandma Zana or his Great Grandma Carol, but I have seen some of my finger painting masterpieces from my youth and he has be beat by a mile. I can only imagine the mess they had on their hands (literally) allowing a 11 1/2 month old lose with fingerpaint. Bless their hearts, they earn every cent of the $150 a week.

Overheard

On how not to win points with your pediatrician ...

Amanda: Ryder has an ear infection.
Me: Another one? Why is he getting so many?
Amanda: Some babies just have really waxy ears.
Me: Is there something we should be doing to help?
Amanda: Make sure you are getting plenty of water in his ears at bath time.
Me: Really? I thought I was supposed to keep water out of his ears?!?
Amanda: No, not at all.
Me: I'm sure I read somewhere to not get water in them.
Amanda: No, it is good for him, it helps wash them out.
Me: Really. I swear I was told to keep his ears from getting water in them at bath time.
Me: Oh wait. I think that might have been with the dogs.

Veggies of our labor

Last night we feasted on the vegetables of our labor.

It wasn't much labor at all. If you plant them, they will grow. Aside from a few potato bugs, the garden has really taken care of itself.  Trent has really done more with it than I have. Usually when it is time to change an extra poopy diaper he decides the garden needs to be tended too. I munch on it from time to time, straight out of the ground with the dirt still clingy to the onions is how I like them best. Ryder was a fan of the spuds, although I was very hesitant to share with him. Little man doesn't appreciate a new potato yet.

Newman Update

I have not posted about Newman in a while. To be honest, I have lost interest in him. We are going on our third month together, and quite frankly he has overstayed his welcome.

Back here where I first introduced him, he didn't have a name, and I want to thank many of you for your excellent suggestions. Bubbles was one of my favorites, but after further examination I determined he must be male with all the hassle he has caused. Bubbles seemed inappropriate. I opted to stick with Newman, as I continue to refuse to call him by his scientific name. Don't think for a minute that hasn't caused confusion with the Endocrinologist and the Surgeon I have since spent some quality time with.

So initially I thought I was going to get the biopsy done back in March, and I actually lost sleep for one whole night worrying about it. As a rule of thumb, Google should never be used prior to having a medical procedure. Come to find out they were never going to do the procedure that day anyway. There are 8 hours of sleep I am never going to get back - and in my current situation sleep is very important to me.

The surgeon instead decided to send me for a Nuclear Medicine Uptake Study, which is code for 'F'ing Expensive Test'. I had to swallow a radioactive pill (much to my disappointment, I did not glow in the dark) and then they took some pictures of how my Thyroid dispersed the radioactive stuff. I think. I don't really listen. Have I mentioned I don't like doctors? They were adamant that I NOT TOUCH THE PILL. They had the pill in a bottle, and when I tried to shake it into my hand to pop it into my mouth, Scotty the 19 year old pill delivery boy about had a break down. Oh I was supposed to swallow the radioactive crap, but heaven forbid it touch the palm of my hand. Come to find out I apparently dislike people to work in radiology too (no offense, mom).

So the test results are supposed to come back with two options; my thyroid should be hot - meaning it absorbs the radiation or cold - meaning it doesn't. A month later I get into the Endocrinologist and he tells me my results. Warm. Sure as shit. I don't even know why I am surprised at this point. What does that even mean? There are two options. Warm is not one of them. Either it absorbs, or it does not. And then the kicker. He says it is normal. Well of course it is. And it cost $3700, of which insurance paid $24.50. I now hate insurance companies too. He schedules me for the Fine Needle biopsy I thought I was having a month previous.

On Thursday I had the biopsy. I did not lose sleep. I did not stress. I have no interest in Newman whatsoever anymore. They stuck 8 needles into my neck - 2 to numb it up and 6 for biopsy samples. To be honest, it didn't hurt. I am going to write into Google and let those fools know they are big pansies who ought not ever consider a tattoo if they thought a fine need biopsy of your Newman was a big deal.

The results came back benign. I do not have Cancer. Hooray. They still want to take Newman out. They are pretty sure he isn't going to get smaller, and they think he will continue to grow and could affect my swallowing eventually. My thyroid levels are all normal now, but eventually he could impact them. Since I have now met my deductible for the year, seems like getting rid of him is the thing to do. Since he is only affecting the left side of my Thyroid, they don't believe I will have to be on thyroid medication for the rest of my life.

Ironically, this all started with an inquiry about me losing weight. I continue to lose weight. Most people try really hard to lose weight. Not me. Oh no. I complain about losing weight. I go looking for a cause for weight loss. I pay thousands of dollars and have unnecessary procedures done involving radioactive pills and multiple needles in my neck to explain why my britches are baggy.

No more. I am done.

I am going to go have a cheeseburger, celebrate my Newman, and lose 2 pounds while I am doing it.

My First Mother's Day

Thanks to Trent for the beautiful charm bracelet. Although the card said it was from Ryder, I am guessing he had a little help in the shopping department.

And thanks to Ryder for making me the happiest mommy in the whole world. If I had known it was this much fun, I wouldn't have waited so long. You make my dreams come true everyday. I am so lucky to be your mama.

Thinking outside the walker

Ryder doesn't walk on his own, but he will walk holding onto furniture. He will only walk backwards when he is in his walker ... but apparently outside of the walker he can walk forward. He is an outside the box thinker, and an outside the walker walker!

Mr. Messy Face

Saturday morning fun

I am having some technical difficulties with Flipshare and the Blog. They are not playing nice together. This is an experiment - Ryder is now on You Tube. I doubt he is going to go viral anytime soon, but I'm still not certain how I feel about that. I will continue to work on the old way of uploading videos, but until then THIS is why we have to get up so early on the weekends ...

Best friends share a great book

Ryder loves books. He especially loves his Little Quack books. And Ryder loves his Pony. So what makes more sense than to share a good book with a best friend.

Crawler

While talking with mom tonight I realized that we have a crawler and have had one for awhile and he hasn't gotten any airtime. When he wants to go super fast or gets uber excited about something he still resorts to army style, but he is up on his knees for the most part - and he has the rug burns to prove it.

There was a better video with more crawling, but for some reason this stupid thing won't upload it. 

Future in football

Just in case he goes on to be the starting QB for the OSU cowboys ...

And on draft day for the NFL, how awesome would these look on the big screen as he gets selected in the first round by the Vikes?

Can I get an "Amen"!

Old Toy Rediscovered

I don't remember where Ryder got this toy - I think it might have been from my work peeps for a shower present before he was even born. It makes crazy noises and was put on the shelf in his room as every time I would bump into it and it would go off it would scare the bejeepers out of me.

He recently rediscovered it, and he is in love with it, as you can can tell from the expressions in the photos. He is an animated little man.

Dear Ryder - 11 Months

Dear Ryder,

Today you are 11 months old. Mama better get planning that big birthday party because it is so close now we can see it from here. You have gotten so big this month both in actions and in attitude.

You weigh 25 pounds and wear a size 3 diapers. Your T shirts are mostly 12-18 months, and your shorts are mostly 6-9 months. It is funny how everyone comments on what a big boy you are, but I think they are mostly talking about your height or your belly, because everything else seems to be pretty much normal for your age.

You have 8 total teeth, with more trying to come in everyday. At this rate I figure your wisdom teeth should be in around September. We made two trips to the doctor this month for suspected ear infections only to be turned away and told it was just more teeth. I cannot wait until your done teething. You are one cranky little boy, and nothing seems to work to console you. We tell you the teething tablets are candy and you actually eat them, but I'm not sure they do any good.

You have been using those teeth to eat everything in sight. You no longer have any interest in baby food in any form, and very little interest in food that mama tries to feed you on a spoon. If you can't pick it up and smash it into your tray, into your hair, and then into your mouth, you have no time for it. You love carrot and green beans, boiled eggs and bananas, pasta and some questionable Gerber product they call a meat stick. You eat cottage cheese, pears, pears, tilapia, and chicken. During a trip to Sam's club an overzealous product demonstrator even fed you prime rib which snarfed right down. Mommy is packing your lunch for daycare everyday to ensure you get a balanced breakfast and lunch, which will crack you up one day when you realize mommy herself eats only a can of black olives about 2 pm.

All that food is giving you the energy to move around a lot more than ever before. You started crawling with your tummy up off the floor. You still go back to Army style when you get frustrated or get in a really big hurry, but for the most part you are a proper crawler now. You are pulling yourself up on everything in sight and standing for long periods. You are walking along the furniture and when holding onto our hands, but you haven't tried any solo missions yet. You follow mama everywhere, you want to be in the room I am in and get frustrated when I move faster than you can keep up. I'm sure the day isn't far off when I'm the one who can't keep up with you.

You are talking more and more. You can say mama, although you save it for very dramatic times like when you are in the carseat and very unhappy and there is nothing I can do about it driving down the road. You will be crying and let out a whimper and say "mama". You love sitting at the window and watching the cars go by, you will point and say something that sounds like "truck". You say "cat" but since we don't have a cat, we aren't sure if you are trying to say "Callie" or talking about the Cat in the Hat in your room. You still say "Da" and "dude" and "bop" and "Papa". You point to everything and make sounds and my guess is you are saying "what's that?". We have a ways to go to turn you into a Communications major.

You are really into your toys. You have started opening the toy box on your own and picking out the toys you want to play with yourself, although it is always the same ones. I have tried to get you to pick up your toys yourself when your finished, but that isn't going nearly as well. You like anything that makes sound or plays music and you clap and move to the music. You like your trucks and your farm set. You love your Little Quack and truck books. You like anything we have - cell phones, remote controls, video or real camera. You are still into the dog bowls although for our sanity I have tried replacing them with Tupperware and mixing spoons. You have rediscovered the ceiling fans.

You have developed a certain amount of attitude over the past month. You and mama have had a few battles of wills over changing diapers, changing clothes, wiping hands and face after eating and going to bed. You scream a lot, you throw your head back hard and you kick. You beat the sides of your face with your hands, and you cry. In the end you usually lose, diapers have to be changed and you can't go to daycare with banana in your hair, but you put up a good fight. I'm not sure why but you don't act that way with your daddy. If you are doing something you are not supposed to and mommy tells you "no", you will look at me and start laughing. This does not go over well. When daddy tells you "no" you stop doing it. That goes over even worse. Someday you will learn who controls the checkbook. Until then, laugh away. Mama can handle it.

Everyone had told us that as you continue to grow up and get more and more interactive, being your parent would continue to be more and more fun. Wow were they right. Everyday is an adventure, and everyday you surprise me with what you can do and the boy you are becoming. I am so proud to be your mama and I wouldn't trade one minute of it for anything in the world.

I love you to the moon and back!
Mama