Friendly Tigger or Scary Tiger?

Definitely a friendly Tigger...

who very much dislikes anything on his head or that of his cousin's...

and who certainly without a doubt loves suckers!

Oh and did I mention that Rylan is finally walking now?

Fall Festivities

I think I said this last year on my blog, but let me just reiterate how much I absolutely LOVE fall! It's by far my favorite time of year. A couple weeks ago my sister-in-law Michelle and I went to Medina's Love Creek Orchards with the kids. They had lots of fun activities for the kids, like tractor rides, hay maze, pumpkin painting, petting zoo, horseback riding, and much more. It was the perfect backdrop for some great fall photos too. We had a such a great time. I think we will be going there every year. Here are a few pictures of my niece Taylor and Rylan enjoying the pumpkins.

First haircut

Matt and I just love Rylan's little curls, but they were long overdue for a trim. Rylan is one busy kiddo and that made me a bit concerned for his safety during a hair cut. Thankfully the lady who cut his hair was really fast and I felt totally comfortable that she wouldn't accidentally let those clippers slip. It was interesting to see Rylan's reaction to the haircutting experience. He was totally confused for the majority of it. His curiosity kicked in near the end and he started pulling the hair lady's tools off of her apron. It was pretty funny. My baby looks like a handsome little boy with his new cut!

Telephone

A little boy and his favorite toy, Mom's cell phone.

12 Month Check Up

Rylan weighed in at 23.8 lbs and 29.75" at his 12 month wellness check. That's 70% in weight and 50% in height. I was caught by surprise when the pediatrician announced these statistics. Rylan is a bit of a chunky monkey so the weight was to be expected, but only 50th percentile in height? He went from 70th to 50th percentile within a matter of three months so I'm not sure I even believe it. I'm not dissapointed, just a bit surprised. Rylan has plenty of time to catch up and if he doesn't it doesn't really matter anyways. He's a cutie either way!

A few other recent developments:

• Rylan's top 2 front teeth have poked through and they seem to be pretty painful. Poor kid! I'm sure glad I don't remember when my teeth started coming in because I'd probably be a little grumpy too.
• Rylan is no longer eating formula. He eats big people food and milk all the time now.
• Rylan took 4 steps on his own! He'll be walking before we know it.

Birthday Fun

I have to admit that I wasn't going to do anything for Rylan's birthday other than maybe bake him a cupcake and enjoy a nice little dinner with mom, dad, and baby. I thought that was a reasonable, sensible way to celebrate a one year old's birthday. "He's one" I thought, "He doesn't even know it's his birthday." Then I realized just how much I would regret it if I didn't throw Rylan a 1-year birthday party. So with a week to plan, Matt and I quickly threw together a grocery list, guest list, and to do list and made it happen. Rylan didn't fully understand why our house was full of fun decorations, kids, cake, and gifts, but he sure did love all the attention. The cake was his favorite part (he has a sweet tooth like his mother). I allowed him to have way to much cake in fact, but I just loved how much he loved it!

Birthday at Grandma Jorgensen's

Birthday Party

Numero Uno

Depsite my efforts to keep my baby a baby forever, time is working against me and there is absolutely nothing I can do about it. You'd think I'd be totally thrilled about my son turning one but I can't help but think that in 17 short years (we'll see if those turn into long years by the time Rylan's a teenager) he will be leaving home, then serving a mission, getting married, and starting a family of his own. This sounds a bit dramatic I know, but those of you who have kids can relate. Having a baby turned me into a baby. I'm an emotional wreck when I think about how dearly I love my son and how time is passing way too quickly. So unless someone can tell me how to stop the clock and allow me to enjoy my sweet baby boy just a little longer then I guess I better just learn to accept the inevitable and enjoy every waking moment. With that said, happy birthday son! Your mom and dad love you more than you'll ever know.