Ryan Meets Guthrie

It's official!  As of Sept 11th of this year, my sister Cortney and her family live in Austin!! So exciting to have C back in Texas and close by. For the past 10 years, we saw her on average once a year...so not too much.  Especially exciting for her to move back so that we can get to know her kids better (and they can know us better).

Ryan finally got to meet the McFaddens and his new buddy Guthrie this past weekend when we went to their new (rental) house.  They are only 3 months apart and the only boys on this side of the family.

Isn't Guthrie adorable?  He looks like the Gerber baby or a doll or something...kind of unreal in person. (not in a bad way)

He has a natural mohawk and let me take like 100 photos of him..quite the little model.

 Ava wanted in on the photo action so she snuggled up to Guthrie.  I think he was a little unsure of her.

 We did not see Ava & Griffin for most of the time we were over there...they were having too much fun playing in G's room with all her toys.  Ava has been dying to see her cousins since they got here and I think pretty much all summer whenever we talked about them coming here, she would mention playing with Griffin.

Griffin, as you can see, does not really want to have her photo taken.  Too many things to do to sit still for a picture!

 Here's Darren cheesing it up with the boys.

And here's the McFaddens sitting on their front porch as we were leaving.

Videos - Inchworm, Laughs & Floor Time

As promised, I took a video of Ryan doing his little inchworm thing.  Too bad I did not have the camera out this morning because he really got into it today.  Think he might have moved a whole foot (as opposed to the smaller movements he has been doing)

The inchworm action starts at the :16 mark and the real action is at :25.  After that, not much happens.  He really wanted the toy I had placed a few feet in front of him!

I realize this is probably not the most exciting thing you have seen unless it is your kid or grandkid so here are 2 other videos that are pretty cute.  First up is Ryan laughing at Ava cheerleading followed by a video I took of the kids on the floor together.  Ava was being really cute talking to him but of course when the camera goes on, she goes into "acting" mode...still cute just not as natural.

Inchworm

Just another little update on Ryan.  He wants to move so badly.  He always lays on his stomach when on the floor and previously he did what we call "swimming on land."  Now, he has learned to move himself around in circles by kicking and using his arms.  Then a few days ago I saw him doing the inchworm thing.  You know, face down on the floor with his body scooched up in the air and pushing with his feet.  And he slowly inches across the floor.    Kind of exciting as I am hoping he will be an early crawler.  I mean I am not ready to go through Ava's hundreds of toys and find all the little bitty pieces and put them away so Ryan can't choke on them but it would be nice for him to be moving around for real.  I always knew he would be a mover...in utero he was crazy compared to Ava.

He is getting closer to sitting these days too.  He can sit unassisted for a minute or so but he definitely does not have that mastered yet as he falls a lot.  Soon!

Definitely need to get a video of the inchworm.  Will have to work on that.  Sorry for no photos in the post...kind of boring without.

Stories by Ava

Alright this video is from 8/30/11.  Ava wanted to tell me some stories so I videoed her.  I find her stories a bit crazy sometimes but still pretty entertaining especially when she adds in voices or hand/facial gestures.

Lately she is all about weird voices and many of her stories include her saying the line "Hey! Who are ya?" or something along those lines.  She said it in the above video and both of the below videos.  Pretty funny to us. 

My favorite story of late was when we were in Conroe coming back from getting ice cream or something.  I had forgotten about this until Ava asked me this again the other day.

 Ava was asking about how Darren & I met -- she has been asking a lot about when we met, how and about getting married.  Then she asked "When you met Daddy, did you ask him to be your baby's daddy?"  Seriously, those were her words!  Hilarious!  I told her that I definitely did not ask him that right after meeting him...don't think she understands why we think it is funny she thinks I would say that.  I think in her world, everything is about HER so it seems reasonable that I would want to ask Darren that right away.  I mean she is the most important person, right?

Laughter

This video is from 7/31/11 and features Ryan laughing. This was probably the first time he really laughed hard.  Darren had come home and I was singing Ryan D's weird version of the Reading Rainbow theme song (see lyrics below to his new & improved version that he & Ava like to sing).  You will have to pardon my crazy singing voice because not only is it a bit creepy but it is also horrible singing.  A bit embarrassing but whatver..it's my blog so I can post things like this.  Besides, Ryan likes it.

New lyrics to song now called Unicorn on the Ground as sung to the Reading Rainbow theme song (for those of you who might care): "Unicorn on the ground, watch him run around, he jumps up high, into the sky, riding raincloud.  Riding raincloud!"  Can't really remember why they came up with the new version other than Darren was singing Reading Rainbow to Ava and she kept getting mad so he changed the lyrics.  Something like that.

The next video is from 8/27/11. This time we were all sitting around watching Ava play with one of her bouncy balls and Ryan just starting cracking up. Wish the video was better and that the house was cleaner, but glad I at least took some video. That was the hardest I have ever seen him laugh...he probably laughed for 15 minutes or more. Apparently, he finds Ava very entertaining. Just yesterday she was cheerleading with pom poms and pretty much had the same reaction...laughter & squeals of delight.

Our Own Singer/Songwriter

Video actually from July 28th.  Get ready for a few more old videos to be posted.  This is Ava singing a song she made up with her homemade microphone .

This video is of Ava singing a song (9/8/11) from some Dora: Explorer Girls show. I know the song says something about "Vamanos, juntos"  -- Let's go together in Spanish or something which is what you hear her singing

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Yeah she is in pajamas in the above video...you usually will find Ava at home hanging out in either pajamas or a swimsuit.  And then sometimes just panties.  That's how she rolls....

Soccer!

Today was Ava's first soccer game.  We went on Tuesday to meet her other teammates and the coach and have a little practice.  I wasn't sure what to expect from a 4 year old's soccer game but knew that they play more for fun than to win (which is good).

Ava posing with her ball.

 We were not sure how Ava was going to be since all week she had been fluctuating between liking her coach and not liking him...think she actually likes him but since he is a man, she still was undecided.  But she was excited this morning about the game.  We got there during practice time and convinced her to get out there and kick the ball since she was being shy when we walked up.
 

Then for some reason, right after that she ran off the field, she refused to go back.  The game started and we tried to get her to go in but she did not want to...said she was scared.  Finally about 15 minutes in (and after much coercing on both Darren & I's part) she decided it looked like fun and hopped in.  Of course, now she did not want to get out of the game but it worked out since some of the other teammates were tired from playing 15 min straight.

 I think the funniest thing about watching 4/5 yr olds play soccer is that 1) they just run off the field when they are hungry or thirsty (no waiting for a time out), 2) they play out of bounds (and sometimes on the other fields where other games are going on), 3) sometimes they even score on their own team (since there are no goalies and they get confused which way they should be going) and 4) sometimes they just stop and decide to play in the dirt (hello Ava!).  They also get upset when someone takes the ball from them...it goes against all the "sharing" we have made them do before I guess.  Pretty entertaining really.

 And then in the middle of the game, Ava grabbed her teammate's hand and they ran around the field together.  They weren't too fast while holding hands but their "Red Rover" technique eventually worked to get the ball away from the other team.  This girl, Emma, by the way lives right down the street and we had trick or treated with her last year so it is nice that she is on our team.

 Ava also had a special guest in attendance (besides me, Darren & Ryan) -- Rosemary!  It was not planned but Ava was excited.  Rosemary had been in San Antonio on Friday and her hubby Chris got tickets to the UT game Sat so rather than driving back and forth from Houston, Rosemary just spent the night at our house and then came to Ava's game.  It was a great time seeing her and I hope she enjoyed the game.  I like surprise visits!  Especially when I don't get to see Rosemary too often. 

So from now until mid Nov, we have a game every weekend.  Will be interesting to see how and if they improve but it is a nice way to get outside and burn off some energy.  Hoping Ava jumps right in from the beginning next time...we shall see.  Anyone who wants to come see one, feel free.  Ava would love to have you!

5 Months Old

Today Ryan is 5 months old...it seems crazy to me that he is almost half a year old.  Wasn't he just born the other day?  Really the first month of his life and then months 3-5 have flown by for me.

He is really interested in his feet these days, loves to hear me sing (not sure why), thinks that Ava throwing balls or balloons in the air is hilarious, loves watching sports with Daddy and is just generally a happy baby.  He has been sleeping fairly well and I would say more than half of the time he sleeps through the night.  Although every once in awhile when he gets off schedule he is up in the middle of the night but always goes back to sleep pretty easily.

Started giving him formula from time to time and that has been great and he almost prefers the bottle these days so I may start weaning him (of course I was lazy with Ava and ended up nursing for a year but think Ryan loving the bottle so much will motivate me this time).  Getting ready to test out some cereal soon because he might be ready.  Oh and he loves being on his tummy, being in the excersaucer and being propped up in a sitting postion.

Here is Ryan, today at 5 months old.

 And Ava at 5 months old...similar yet different.

 And my 2 cuties today in coordinating outfits (not done on purpose since Ava picks her clothes these days).