1st Birthday Party!

Here goes the Birthday blog! Sorry, it took a couple days to recover and then get the pics together! :) Click on the pics if you wanna see them bigger - there were so many some are little!





Here's the little monkey just taking it all in (he was a bit overwhelmed)!

party hats!

Bouncy time... Ryder was in general not so sure about the whole bouncy thing! He only got in it this once with Trapper.

But the rest of them enjoyed it!



A silly smile from Poppy & Rydie :)

practicing walking with Aunt Rachel - she's "training" him - workin' on that core!

chillin with mommy :)

Grammy hugs


Cake time! We were all watching & waiting for him to TEAR into the cake, but it never happened. He was so polite about it. He kept looking at me like, "really? I can do that?" And then he wanted a spoon... oh well, I guess I get what I've worked for! And he was a little scared to begin with when everyone was singing to him:

he said "mmm, mmm!"


uhhhh... so full.

LOVE these pictures... (courtesy of Brandy- as well as the ones at the bottom!)

Aunt Rachie got a big smile out of him!

Our first belly pics - 15 weeks! Me & Morgan are due a day apart!!!


Presents! :)


Taking a break with Mimi to calm down.

Ok - back at it!

On his new car! Check out the haul he made behind him!


And, in the words of Berenstain Bears, he'd had, "Too Much Birthday!"


I didn't even get as many pics as I'd wanted... like of all the sweet grandparents and the cousins & friends that all came, the yummy cook-out food, etc! There were about 30 people at one point! It was a great day and we were once again so blessed by the all family & friends who love this little guy so much!

1 YEAR OLD!

Our sweet baby boy is one year old today! How did that happened so fast?!? Ryder's 1 year birthday brings with it so many sweet memories from the past year. Moms used to always tell me this before I had him, "It's the fastest and some days the slowest time in your life!" Some days it feels like it will never be 8 o'clock and then here we are some how at a year old! It does seem like he was born yesterday, but it also seems like he's been here all along!

So now days Ryder is trying to take his first step - any day now I think!
He has 6 teeth (after having four bottom ones like a piranha for so long!)
He weighs 23 pounds
He laughs a lot... especially when others are laughing
He eats all the time - would eat all day if I let him.
He is very sociable and loves people.
He absolutely loves to "read." I will find him in his room with a book, just turning the pages over & over.
He says mama & dada and a few other syllables here & there that sound like something only to me!
He loves Rocky.
He loves Yo Gabba Gabba & the Wonder Pets! :)
He is so sweet when he gives hugs & kisses
Waves at everyone and claps "yay" all the time!
Loves music & instruments
He is active, very curious, into EVERYTHING and keeping us on our toes all day long!

Happy First Birthday, Ryder! We love you SO much.

...pics from the big party to come!

another weekend

Friday night we went out to the Rodeo (not to see the Rodeo) to see our friend Todd from Nashville who was there for the day running sound for Kelly Pickler. We got to hang for a little bit before he had to get ready for the show. He got some time to play "daddy" with Ryder - a little practice for when he becomes a daddy in August! I don't think I've actually talked about it on the blog, but Kirsten and I are 5 weeks apart! (How exciting is that!?!) Now if only we were in the same city... ahhh. I'm going to get to go be part of a shower for her in June and our bellies will meet then. :) And our babies will meet as soon after they are born as possible!



Saturday after an extremely long day at work we decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and went to eat by the lake for an early dinner.

Pouty, mad face - he didn't want to wear the glasses or be still on top of the table

TOO COOL.

Today we had a good, but long day at church, then came home & crashed for a while... off to start another week.

Mimi's visit!

Mimi came to visit this week during her Spring Break. We had a great visit and it was so nice to have her here and be taken care of a little! :) She got in Sunday and left yesterday afternoon. She had lots of quality time with Ryder. We took him to story time so she could witness that and she ended up with another baby in her lap! We shopped a little, ate good food, the usual :) Plus, yesterday morning she watched Ryder while I went and got a pedicure & my massage Daniel had given me for V-day! Tuesday we got lunch to go at central market and went to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower center, and while there really weren't a ton of wildflowers in bloom due to the severe drought we've been in it was still a beautiful day and we got some cute pics! (It was also St Patty's day - thus the green we're all wearing!)
Texas bluebonnets!


Didn't know why he was in the flowers, but thought it was funny. (they wouldn't let you actually sit IN the flowers, so this was as close as it got!)

Mimi & Rydie :)






Clapping... he liked these flowers I guess.

And waving...

Good visit. Ryder says, "thanks mimi, come back soon!" :)

12 weeks.

Well, I've made it through the dreaded first tri-mester. The little bambino in my tummy is 12 weeks along now, growing by the minute and about the size of a lime at the moment. Everyone keeps asking how I'm feeling and I keep saying, "TIRED!" I don't remember being this tired with Ryder... but then again I didn't have Ryder to chase after then either! I have been sick off and on and have already had some cravings - but different than with Ryder. With him I could eat olives out of the jar at 8 in the morning (yuk!) but this time I've wanted sour things - like waking up wanting to bite into a lemon - that sort of thing! I have wanted hamburgers and Shake's chocolate malts but have a only given in a couple times! :) And have actually been craving more fruits and veggies than before. I've sworn I will not gain 65 pounds this time!!! There I said it out loud - you are all my witnesses!

I went to the Dr. last week and the heartbeat was a strong 156 and my blood pressure was down (yay!). And some how I'd managed to lose 5 lbs in the past month. Although I told them I thought their scale was WRONG.

8 more weeks and we'll find out if we continue with blue or switch to pink...

Cap'n Jack

I don't know if I should say, "This is why I should have a girl this time!" or, "This is why I should not have a girl!?!" This was last week one day and he kept grabbing at my scarf so I finally just put it on him - and apparently he liked it! He kinda looks like a scary cross between a clip for the show "Toddler & Tiaras" and a baby version of Jack Sparrow!