Weekend Re-Cap

Okay I know it is already Wednesday and I am just now re-capping the weekend events but I have been a bit tired lately. We started off visiting our friends way over in Cheshire for a little get together. Lama is a friend of mine from work and she has a daughter Maya about the same age as Ryan. I have not seen Maya since she was a baby and she is now 18 months old where does the time go? Ryan really had a blast playing with Maya and all her cool toys and her power wheels ATV. Lama made these fantastic zucchini chips dipped in parmesan cheese then baked in the oven that I can't wait to try. We had such a great time catching up!

Sunday we spent the afternoon with the McCashews for a fun BBQ and we got to finally meet the C3 family. It was so great to spend time with all of you. Caroline is growing up so fast and it was so amazing to see her cautiously walking all around with such a huge proud smile on her face! What a whole new world for Caroline! The food was so fantastic and I had been craving a nice big juicy burger and Kerri your mom's pie was just to die for. It was great catching up and getting to know the C3 family and little Christian who is so adorable and very sweet. Welcome to the neighborhood! We look forward to spending some time with all of you again soon!

Yesterday we had a quick visit from Grammy and Granddad on their way home from Florida. They were passing through and they brought goodies for Ryan. Grammy brought Ryan a little stuffed animal and some cool shark beach shoes. Ryan just loved his new treats! I think Dylan was eyeing his new stuffed toy though. It was great to see Grammy and Granddad it had been a while. They really enjoyed their visit with Ryan and had commented on how different he looked even though it had only been a little over a month since we saw them last. Welcome home I bet Sabrina (the family pet) was so happy to see you guys! Thanks for stopping by!

Today we had a lunch play date with our new little friends Christian and Christina. It was a bit chilly but we decided to head over across the street to the park anyways and the boys played and played. Ryan loved to get his hands dirty in the sand and go down the big slide while Christian enjoyed the swings. It was great to spend time with you guys today. Thanks for coming over!

I made enchiladas tonight for dinner and to my surprise Ryan actually loved them. He thought the tortillas were a bit hard to chew but he loved the meat and black beans and guacamole topped with Greek style yogurt (instead of sour cream). They were really cheesy and yummy I just hope the taco seasoning was not too much for Ryan's tummy. I gave him some applesauce for dessert just to cool things off in case it was a bit spicy.

Glad to have the sunshine back again. But we desperately needed the rain. Hope everyone has a fantastic week!

Picking out Toys at Target

Wednesday this week we headed out to Target in search of a beach hat and some other summer stuff. I was stopped in the outdoor toy isle picking up a little tykes beach ball sprinkler for Ryan for when the weather warms up. He was sitting in the shopping cart and all of a sudden I hear him "uhmm, uhmming" and pointing at a big yellow digger truck. (Kerri we have been reading the set you gave him for his b-day and his favorite is the book with all the trucks!)I picked up the box and looked at Ryan and I said "do you want that"? and he replied "ummm, ummm' pointing and signing for more so I handed the truck to him and his face lit up with a big huge smile. It truly was a magical moment. For the first time ever he actually picked out a toy and from the moment we brought the truck home and took it out of the box he has not stopped playing with it.

Also Ryan is still cutting his eye teeth and still not a happy camper. Eating a little better than earlier in the week but still not great. Actually today for the first time ever at drop off with Polina I actually pulled out of her drive way with him kneeling on the ground screaming for me not to leave. It was really heartbreaking. Polina assured me that he would be over it in a matter of seconds and to just leave or he would get worse so I listened to her and pulled away with my heart in my throat. Lately he has been so clingly and whiney due to the teething. I can tell he is so uncomfortable but I don't want to keep shoving more Motrin down his throat between the teething and the leg injury we have almost gone through an entire bottle in 3 weeks I am trying to gage back a bit. Ice cubes definitley help! I even bought sugary popsicles at target too to try if I get desperate. Any other suggestions? I can't wait only one more tooth to pop through and then we will be done for a while! These eye teeth have been a nightmare coming in. Ryan seems so uncomfortable.

Other new happenings around here. Ryan has a few new words: car key, doggie, wuv you, me do, bad dog (sounds like dow dow) favorite words include car, baby, and dada.
Lately has become obsessed with cars and absolutley has to sit in the driver seat if we are standing near my car or Greg's car. Also likes to play dress up with mommy's purse and shoes, also daddy's shoes. Likes to wear Daddy's hat. Ryan has also become more independant and will sit and play quietly on his own with Mr. Potato head, or his favorite books or his legos.

Thanks for all the well wishes. Have a great weekend everyone!

Beach Play date!

Ryan at the Beach Today!





Ryan and Lily enjoying the sand.



We enjoyed a play date at the beach today. It was the perfect beach day for the kids. Not too hot and not too cold. Ryan and Lily really enjoyed playing in the sand although they were both more interested in the snacks/cellphones/cameras than the beach toys Suz and I lugged! It was great they pretty much stayed on or near the blanket and did not wander off too much and they did not seem interested in eating the sand this year. Although Ryan did taste a few rocks. So yes due to all the cheerios and goldfish at the beach this morning there was major mutiny at lunch time but that was expected.

Okay I have to ask how many of you clicked on the photos from the previous post to see the big news?????

Enjoy the warm weather!

Enjoying the Warm Weather!

Ryan in his red car "Beep beep toot toot"


Ryan deep in concentration.....notice the tongue???



Look at those chubby cheeks people!!

18 Month Stats

Ryan had his 18 month check today! I can't believe where the time has gone he is such a big boy now. Weighed in over 29 lbs up 1 lb from 3 months ago and stands at 34 inches tall! He got a clean bill of health...HOORAY! We are so thankful. We had a great visit with Dr. Strong he is the best! He even gave Ryan a special "horn" to play with and he was so delighted by this. The sheer joy onhis face and it kept him quite entertained for the entire physical exam. It was an empty paper towel ring and he kept blowing into it and speaking into it like a horn and Dr.Strong played along. You can tell he really loves children and he is a great Dr! It was the first check in 18 months where Ryan did not need any shots so it was a very very happy day today!

And after we left the check up we stopped by the Italian Deli (my favorite spot in town) for some lunch stuff and I stood Ryan up near the counter with all the meats and he took a few steps! This was huge b/c he has not walked in a nearly a week since the accident. I was so excited. The people in the deli just love Ryan and they know his name and the girl at the counter commented how she enjoyed seeing Ryan grow up.... I have been bringing him with me ever since he was a small baby. The staff is so personable there and they have the best meats there yum!

What else is new???? Did I mention Ryan was walking...sliding rather... down the steps earlier in the week and we told him to hang on to the railing and be careful and he looked back at us and replied "I know"! I almost fell down the stairs it was in perfect context too! His vocabulary has really taken off and we are all very impressed.

Ryan can now feed himself with a fork and spoon very well. He actually eats oatmeal a little on the thicker side and even soups thickened with butternut squash. It is quite impressive he used to make a big huge mess...well he still does...but at least now he actually gets most in his mouth. He barely lets us feed him anymore.

I love walking into Trader Joes and seeing the sheer delight on Ryan's face when I hand him a balloon! He just thinks it is the greatest thing in the entire world! He usually almost immediately lets it go and then points and goes "hmmm hmmm hmm" so I jump up and grab it. Then I usually end up tying it to the zipper on his coat so he can play with it while I shop. We now make it a weekley sometimes biweekly outing just to get the balloon and of course the frozen chocolate chip cookie dough for cookies I have been craving. Seriously you have to try them they are the BEST prepared chocolate chip cookies ever!

Glad the weather has finally warmed up here. We have been enjoying getting outside and seeing the flowers bloom and the robins scurrying around building their nests and the other signs of spring. Have a great week!

A Little Better Everyday

Ryan has been getting better a little more each day. He is now standing up a few times a day and I hear he took 2 steps today for Polina. This is huge b/c all he did for us all weekend was crawl around on the floor. We think it is a bad sprain at this point that will take time to slowly heal. It is just so hard to see your child in pain not to mention the fact that he is scared to put weight on his left foot. It is so hard to see Ryan crawl when just last week he was running. Sometimes you take everyday things such as walking for granted.

Also on Saturday we pulled an embedded tick off Ryan from the back of his head. We are pretty sure it was a dog tick. Not sure where he could have picked it up but we think maybe Dylan brought it in from outside. I called the pedi AGAIN and he assured me it was pretty common this time of year and not to be alarmed just to watch for the erythema migrans (bulls eye rash) or an unexplained fever. So we will keep a careful watch and hope for the best. Otherwise things are status quo here. We have been taking lots and lots of long stroller walks...pretty much the only thing Ryan can do outside at this point...so sad we hope he starts walking soon.

Thanks for all the well wishes for Ryan and thanks for thinking of us.

Injury Update...

Hooray no broken bones but still non-weight bearing a bit concearning but Ryan is in much better spirits today! And such a good boy for the x-ray....Daddy said he was perfectly still just cried alittle b/c he was scared. We brought him over to the pedi right after the x-ray (they are so wonderful and saw him right away) and still no visible swelling, redness or bruising. Likey a bad sprain but if he is still not weight bearing on Monday he will need to see an orthopedist (bone Dr.) for further evaluation. It is possible (although unlikely) he may have a tiny small fracture somewhere in the leg. Baby's boes are so tiny therefore making it impossible to visualize a tiny fracture on an x-ray film. So we will wait and see if he is better on Monday. It is so hard to see Ryan so sad and wimpering in pain unable to walk or even stand. We hope he is better and will keep everyone updated. Thanks again for thinking of us. Have a great weekend.

First major injury :(

So we had a terrible scare today at the park. Ryan and friends were enjoying the nice weather it was nearly 70 out there today. Ryan decided to go down the big slide and of course I went with him and he ended up jamming his left leg pretty badly all the way down the slide. He started screaming and then wimpering so I sat down on a nearby park bench with him and took his shoes, socks and pants off to assess for any bruising or swelling...none visible. But he refused to bear weight. This went on for about a half hour then finally I made an executive decision to put a call in to the pedi (who I love!) and they agreed to see him right away.

After a thorough examination...still no visible swelling or bruising or redness all tell tale signs of a major injury (but Ryan's little baby legs are so darn chubby it is hard to imagine any more swelling there)it was determined that he likely had a very bad sprain no fracture. He had full range of motion of all his extremities even the injured side. He suggessted we hold off on the x-ray until the morning if there was still no change with refusal to bear weight. He did not feel it was necessary to expose him to radiation unless he was still non-weight bearing tomorrow morning. But what a scare.

Thankfully Greg came home at lunch to spend the afternoon with me. I was really feeling sorry that I had not been more careful with him at the park. I know it was an accident but I can't help but feel an overwhelming sense of guilt "If I had only done....instead of ....." But Greg reassured me it was an accident and not my fault. Thanks Greggie you are the best!

But poor Ryan refused to bear any weight on his left leg all day....and continued to wimper on and off but some smiles and playfullness in between but lots of wimpering and lots of tears. He just sat on the couch all afternoon. We did take him out for a stroller ride around the neighborhood and that seemed to perk him up and he was his usual playful self in the tub at bedtime. Motrin seemed to help ease the pain a little and he went to bed without a peep. Poor little guy was completley traumitized and collapsed from sheer exhaustion.

Our hope for the morning is he will wake up jumping in his crib like he normally always does and all will be well and we can avoid the x-ray all together but only time will tell. It is just so heart wrenching to see your child wimpering in pain and not be able to comfort them. I will try to keep everyone updated. Thanks for thinking of us.

Keeping me on my toes!

So we had a scare yesterday and of coure it all happened literally as Greg and I were rushing around the house trying to get out the door for work on time (which almost never happens) Greg was cleaning up breakfast dishes and I ran upstairs to brush my teeth. Ryan must have wandered into the bathroom somehow during all of this and climbed up to grab a scented oil room freshner high up in the bathroom. Apparently he tipped it over and spilled it all over himself it was very questionable as to whether he may have injested some. We were not sure. It was almost empty and most of the oil was on the floor but it was all over his pants and his shirt and we tried to smell his breath and there was a faint odor...but who really knows. At this point the scented oil had permeated the entire downstairs and he had the fragrance saturated in his clothes. Just to be on the safe side I had Greg call the poison control. Luckily although it is not recommended for small childrent to eat the scented oil it is apparently non-toxic. The woman was not too worried and told us even if he did injest some it would not harm him (phew!). But to give him some water and check his mouth for irritaion. My what a scare I told Greg we really cannnot trust him not even for a second and we must know what he is doing at all times! It may have been the first call into the poison control center but I am sure it will certainly not be the last (I hope it is though)We promised each other to be more careful to make sure all the bathroom doors are closed at all times and he is always in sight!

I received a call from Polina- Ryan's babysitter at work and I gasped I thought oh no he had a reaction to the scented oil or something terrible happened. She rarely calls me at work! But no thank goodness she was calling to see if I wanted Ryan to spend the night with her seeing how he would be there in the morning again. Usually he is not there 2 days in a row but I am putting extra time in at the office this week some of the Dr's are away. So at first I said no b/c I would miss him and I really look forward to picking him up and putting him to bed. But after talkuing to Greg he changed my mind. He had been traveling so much and we really have not had a lot of time just the 2 of us so I decided to leave Ryan overnight. We ended up going to a very nice dinner Japenese Hibachi and then out for ice cream. It was such a fun night Greg and I felt so weird and all we did was talk about him the entire night. We wondered what he was doing several times throughout the night. I did not sleep well at all I was so afraid he would wake up scared and realize he was not in his bed at home. But when I dropped his lunch off in the AM he did not even want to give me a hug was too busy playing. Polina has a heart if gold and he loves being there with her and her family. I guess he slept like an angel from 8PM until a little after 7 straight! We are so lucky to have her to take such great care of Ryan. It is nice to know we can leave him there overnight should the need arise!

Other happenings this week. As mentioned earlier Ryan is teething big time and decided to bite his friend's cheek at a playdate this week. They boys were playing so nicely then all of a sudden Ryan leaned over to give Jack a hug and he decided to kiss him on the cheek...which then turned into a bite! Ouchie! Poor Jack! He screamed and cried and Ryan just stood there with his mouth wide open staring! Jack had a bruise on his face and his cheek was red. Not to mention I was completely mortified and felt I had to leave the playdate right then and there. Not sure why he decided to bite his friend...he sometimes playfully bites Greg and I but never another baby! I don't know if he feels the need to bite from teething as he is biting everything... even his crib. He even tried to bite a huge rock at the park the other day... major OUCH! That brought about a few tears. Not that I am trying to make excuses for the biting incident but I am just trying to understand why. Ryan is usually so kind and friendly towards his friends. Luckily he has not done it again but I still feel terrible about what happened. Any advice to nip this one in the bud before it becomes a real problem?

Looikiong forward to the weekend! I hear that Grammy and Grampy and Uncle Freddie may be paying us a visit Yay!

Lunch Today!

This is huge. Ryan actually ate a little over a quarter of a turkey and cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread with a little mayo! I am so happy he likes sandwiches now it has made my life so much easier especially when we are out and about. So today we each had a turkey and cheese sandwich, strawberries, and some pirate booty. This all started of course at a playdate where Ryan ate most of my turkey sandwich. Still begging for my "wa wa" but I guess you can't win them all.