What's Going on Around Here These Days....

We've been having lots of fun around these neck of the woods.  We've finally seen some nicer weather and we are excited to explore more of our neighborhood and get our yard cleaned up.

Rilyn loves to play outside and is finding lots of ways to entertain herself out our front door.

Ryder is still trying to figure out this crawling gig, but can't get pretty much anywhere by rolling and pulling himself along with his hands.

What else is happening....

                                                               Pajama time with Zoe

Trying out some new outside toys

                                     
                                        Swimming with Aunt Stacey - Ryder is quite the fish!

                                                       Early morning snuggles

                                                        Yard work with 2 little helpers

                                                              Dinner on the deck

                                                      After bedtime snuggles with daddy

                                   
                                                           Wine, candles, and a soak

                                                     Cowgirl boots and matching shirts

                                                Afternoon hikes through the neighborhood

Ryder at 8 months old!

Well Ryder is closer to 9 months at this point...seriously my blogging motivation is so low these days.  I guess I'm enjoying being present in the moment instead of trying to capture it all in photos....or I would rather eat ice cream after the kids go to bed than blog...hmmm...I wonder which excuse holds more truth....

So back to my point of this post...our boy is 8 months old!!!  I can hardly believe that we will be celebrating his 1st birthday soon.  He is definitely growing and changing and we are blessed to enjoy every second of it.

Tricks: Ryder is starting to do a lot more imitating and picking up on different movements more quickly.  He can now clap on demand, he's a pro at the downward dog pose, and apparently is practicing for the opera with his voice - he's a happy screamer.  We also don't have to worry about his falling over anymore when he sits up.  He's pretty good at going down slowly and rolling over on his hands and knees if he wants too.

Eating: Ryder is eating pretty much everything we are at this point.  He seems to be less senstive to foods than Rilyn was.  He is still quite picky although is starting to get that he eats what is placed in front of him or he goes hungry.  He defiintely lets us know when he is not happy about his food choices.  His favorite foods this month are probably bananas, black beans, crackers, and yogurt.
He is nursing between every 2 - 3 hours still but is way to distracted to eat for more than a few minutes at a time.

Sleeping: Ryder is sleeping through the night!!!  He usually wakes up between 4:30 and 5:30 AM for a feeding.  He will typically go back to sleep after that feeding but that is becoming less frequent.

Ryder really enjoys all sorts of toys and just can't wait to chase after his sister.  He is really trying hard to move but just hasn't gotten it down yet.  He also enjoys his jumparoo, being outside, and loves to splash in the bath.  He's a fun little boy who makes our days wonderful!

poor Ryder - he was playing with these blocks and then Rilyn so kindly shared 2 and took the rest from him...

just bask in the cuteness of those rolls for a few minutes

a mouth full of teeth

Easter 2013

We had a great time celebrating Easter this year!

Rilyn and Ryder were into the whole easter basket thing.  We tried to keep basket goodies to a minimum and most of what they received was stuff that I made including their baskets (spent a lot of time crafting in Mt also) or bought second-hand.  Also, I got away with no candy!  Which was a good thing because Rilyn ate more candy later in the day than she ever has in her short life combined!

Rilyn's baby carrier that I made with lots of help from my mom

While the kiddos and I were at church, the "easter bunny" hid some eggs full of goodies (again no candy) for both Rilyn and Ryder.

After naps we headed to Stacy and Jason's for a delicious dinner and another egg hunt for Rilyn.  She was sure spoiled!

Trip Home and First Haircut

At the end of March, I took the kiddos and went home for a week and and a half for some quality grandma and grandpa time.  We spent a lot of time just relaxing and visiting.  Rilyn spent a lot of time at preschool with her friends and I was able to sleep a lot and eat more ice cream than one person should in a that short of a time span.

Just an FYI none of these pictures are in any kind of order and to be frank...I'm not taking the time to put them in order....

I got to sleep with Rilyn every night and it was wonderful

Rilyn watching the sunrise over Wyoming....we get an early start usually about 5 AM

sleepover with the cousins 

Rilyn also got her first haircut while we were in Montana.  I often get my haircut when I'm home because my mom so willing watches the kids for me and I love going back to a family friend that we've known for years for my haircut.  So it was special that this particular person got to cut Rilyn's hair for the first time.  Rilyn was very excited until we got there and then she changed her mind; however, after I got my haircut she decided it was okay and let Geneva trim her up.