Ryan's Phrase of the Day

Ryan's phrase of the day...."How are you?" Can't believe he actually said a three word phrase! He kept repeating it over and over again.

Weekend Re-cap

We had a wonderful weekend at Grammy Nancy's and Granddad Jack's for Nancy's surprise 60th birthday party. What a big hit! She was totally surprised! So glad we could be a part of the big surprise! Even with all the cars she had no idea there was a party going on as we pulled up to the house. She thought it was a neighbor's graduation party. Then she saw the ballon on the mailbox and the caterer's in the garage! That was the dead give away! The morning of the party the girls were in charge of getting Nancy out of the house so Erin had booked mani/pedi's for us at a local spa. Meanwhile Nancy thought this was just a part of her birthday weekend and it was... little did she know.... meanwhile the boys were busy getting the house ready for all the guests and the caterer with Ryan and the two dogs...well one got loose! My Dylan had a free run around the neighborhood luckily the Flynn's live on a quiet street but still off a main rd. I guess Ryan of all people was trying to "help" capture Dylan. Who would run faster away from Ryan out of fear than anyone else. Finally I guess Dylan followed Greg back into the house b/c he knew Greg was getting some chicken for him (his favorite treat) Phew! But the pary was so much fun and everyone had such a fantastic time. It was so great to see everyone and meet all of Nancy's friends. Jack made a fantastic slide show for Nancy that was really special. What a fantastic party!

Other events....as quoted by Auntie Erin "did you ever think you would be forcing your son to eat cake and frosting? and what about shoving sugary popsicles down his throat for breakfast?" Well that is exactly what happened this weekend. Yeah we were desperatly trying to get him to take his antibiotics for his bee sting infection. Well it just was not happening! We practically tried everything under the sun to get this child to take his medication...good thing the pharmacy gave me alot extra b/c there were numerous doses wasted (they must have known)! Here is just a small list of the things we tried mixing it with: oatmeal with bluberries, berry flavored yogurt, a popsicle, a swig of med followed by pirate booty, water, milk, a full container of applesauce, cake, a spoonful of frosting, waffles with extra maple syrup, and he was just not having it. I am confident in saying there is absolutley no way possible this child got the correct dose of medication for the 3 days it was prescribed. Thank goodness it was only twice a day and thank goodness it was only for 3 days....maybe this is a good sign my child will not like the taste of bubblegum (it was bubblegum flavored).

Sunday Grammy Nancy and Auntie Jen took Ryan to the park while the boys played golf and Auntie Erin, her mom and I enjoyed a leisurly lunch at PF Chang's and shopping at the Natick Mall. It was such a nice afternoon. Ryan really enjoyed playing at the park...Another quote of the day from Ryan as he got out of the car at the park "All Right!" and off he went running towards the slide. So cute I was telling Grammy usually when we get to the park he says "whooohoo" but this time it was "all right" so cute. It warms my heart to think of the little things that make Ryan so happy in life things like spending time with his granparents and Aunts and Uncles and things like going to the park, petting Sabrina (the Flynn family pet), snacking with Great Grammy Rose, entertaining people with his charm, getting a popsicle (not followed by medication). So cute the little things in life they appreciate so much.

It was great spending the weekend at the Flynn's. Glad the party was a big hit. It was so wonderful to catch up with the family. Thanks for a wonderful weekend everyone!

Attack of the Bees Addendum!

I had to add this. Conversation with Ryan this morning at breakfast. Goes something like this...

I take a look at his hand and then I feel his arm and I said "oh shit thats really warm and swollen"

Ryan replies while eating his oatmeal and bluberries "shit, bee!"

Greg walks in "what did he just say?"

I reply "oops" Christina warned me about that.

Thought you all would get a kick out of that I taught our son a swear word and now he relates it to bees...Nice!

Attack of the Bees!!!

Poor Ryan and Polina were attacked by a swarm of bees late Wed afternoon. I heard she was checking the mail of a neighbor who has been traveling. Her neighbors mail had been on hold but Polina periodically will check. Apparently a family of bees/wasps/hornets were living in the mailbox and when they opened the mailbox they all came swarming our attacking the two of them. Poor little Ryan got stung on his neck and his hand. Polina got stung on her hand.

Both ended up having to seek medical attention for their bites! Polina was in the ER late last night and given a steriod she is being treated for a possible allergic reaction. I noticed on Thursday morning Ryan's left middle finger was a bit red and slighlty swollen. I though nothing of it. He was not complaining and did not seemed bothered by me pressing on it. By dinner time it had swelled significatnly and I felt a little warmth (tell tale signs of infection include: Heat, Redness, Warmth, Purulent discharge) well he had 3/4 symptons present late last evening. I put a call in to the pedi and he assured me it was a normal reaction to a sting and I had double checked the dose of Benadryl with him. The pedi advised me to call in the Am if no improvement. He went to bed all was well.

This morning we noticed his his finger was still swollen slighly worse but now his entire hand was puffy and it appeared his arm was a bit puffy too. Still red with the warmth radiating up his arm. This to me was cause for alarm. So lucky for me Greg was working from home today and was able bring him to the pedi. I did not have to miss work. It is hard for me to miss b/c I only work the 2 days. I just got nervous b/c we are headed out of town tonight and I want to make sure all is well with Ryan. So Greg called me at work and as suspected he has a minor cellulitis or skin infection and is now taking antibiotics. Poor little man. Lucky for us to know he is likely not allergic to bees. I hope he is better soon.

It is so sad though b/c Ryan is now petrified of all bugs..."bees" as he calls all insects. There was a fly buzzing around the dining room at dinner last night and Ryan totally freaked....shouting "bee bee" and crying covering his face with his hands. Poor little man. I tried to assure him it was not a bee that is was a fly and he would not bite. But somehow I don't think he understood I had to move him into the kitchen so he could finish his dinner. Then I felt so bad he was so upset I ended up giving him a pop after dinner and that made him smile.

Poor little Ryan we hope he is on the mend soon. But to cheer him up we promised a visit to Grammy Nancy's and Granddad Jack's and that really made him smile! He has been saying "Dad Dad" all week! So cute. Looking forward to our visit! Have a great weekend!

Yesterday was Grammy Nancy's 60th Birthday. Happy Birthday from all of us!

Pictures from the weekend...

Ryan's new picnic table and chairs. Daddy still to assemble table that matches chairs.



Strawberry picking with Daddy







The big "Geeuck" that took us to the picking area!

Ryan Goes Strawberry Picking!

Greg and I took Ryan Strawberry picking yesterday. It was a lot of fun and the strawberries are at their peak for ripeness! Ryan's favorite part was riding to the field in the big Geeuck! (tractor truck to and from the picking area) He also really enjoyed eating the strawberries too. It was hard to try and hide the evidence that he had been eating the berries b/c he had red juice all over his hands face and clothes! He did some picking but mostly eating who can resist a fresh ripe juicy strawberry? It was defintely a fun activity although not sure how things would have gone over if Greg was not there to help. I did most of the picking while Greg sort of entertained/encouraged Ryan to pick some too. He actually got a little upset when it was time to leave b/c he really wanted to go back on the "geeuck" again!

Ryan has now started a very bad habit of running over to our neighbor's if we are outside while they are eating begging for food. Thankfully my neighbor thinks it is cute and she really enjoys feeding Ryan but I feel so bad. He sits right at their patio table and helps himself to whatever they are eating. The problem is that they eat earlier than us and Ryan is usually hungry for dinner when they are eating. We try to hold off on dinner until Greg comes home so we can all eat together as a family but I guess maybe I have to start feeding him earlier. Yesterday he took off and helped himself to dinner at their house a turkey hotdog, then polished off his own dinner of chicken sausage, peas, and applesauce. Geez it is a bit embarrasing and I am not sure what to do. He literally runs over there when he sees them eating and I think it is worse now b/c he knows he will get something. Sometimes he runs so fast I can barely catch up to him. Our little Ryan is becoming a food obsessed little boy. I mean it is not like we don't feed our child....what is up with this?

Ryan and I went tagsailing (is that a word?) this weekend in search of bargains on baby gear for baby #2. Not much luck and really a bad idea to bring Ryan b/c of course he wanted to play with all the toddler toys and of course we have planty of toys right now for him. I am looking for gently used pack and plays and a baby swing in good condition and maybe a changing table. I actually had to pull him away kicking and screaming at one tag sale b/c he wanted to stay and play on the ride on toys. The next 2 tagsales we stopped at I actully left the windows down and kept him in the car on the phone with Mimi and Papa (Grammy and Grampy) Next time I will plan to leave him home with Greg or find a sitter for tag sale outings. I am new to tagsailing. This was actually my first time. But I have quite a few freinds who have made out quite well with stuff on the cheap in good condition or even for free...are you supposed to haggle with these people and try to bargain them down? I did end up buying 2 board books for $1 and a Melissa and Doug wooden cube puzzle for $2 but I did not try to bargain...should I have? I know C3 has had good luck she found a cozy coupe for $5 and another friend found a wagon and a cozy coupe for free. Pretty cool!

I will post pictures from our stawberry picking adventure soon. Oh did I mention we went out to lunch after and Ryan and Greg both had stawberry stains all over their clothes.....gotta love oxy clean that stuff gets anything out!

Pregnancy update-

Feeling much better. Now 15 weeks had a great check up last week got to hear a strong heart beat right away. Still apprehensive about the delivery I still have 3 more months to decide but I am leaning towards another c/s with this one. I was a bit discouraged b/c I lost weight since my last prenatal check up but I am hopefull to start gaining soon now that the extreme nausea thankfully has passed and my appetite ahs improved. It was a bit concerning for me though b/c I am down 5 lbs at the same check with Ryan but I guess every pregnancy is different ,y Dr is not concerned. Still a bit tired but so glad to have the nausea hopefully past us for good. Dealing with a few other issues now but very minor. We have our level 1 u/s in a month yay and if the baby is cooperative will hopefully find out the sex! I would really rather be surprised but Greg really wants to know so I guess we will most likely find out. I am happy to say I am also taking part in a research study at yale looking at stress levels of pregnant women. Very interesting. Since I have recently conducted a diabetes research study here at work I am very open to helping others find our more through medical research. It is a totally non-invasive study looking more at behaivor and thought patterns as well as stress levels through out pregnancy. Interesting... I am hoping it will be worth the time spent. More updates to follow..... But finally things are really starting to look up!

Help Ryan only wants Mama!

This is new I would say it started only a few weeks ago and very gradually but now it suddenly hit me today and I was showering and a curious little voice kept calling out "Mama, mama, Mama" and then curious little fingers kept opening the shower door as water sprayed all over the bathroom....there was much whining each time I pulled the shower door shut. It just further adds to a busy morning in the Flynn house as we all scurry around like mice trying to get ready and get out the door. This frenzy of a morning routine is no one's fault but our own we try to sleep as long as possible and finally forcefully pull ourselves out of bed to get ready. But now Ryan only wants Mama to get him up out of bed, Mama to change his diaper and get him dressed (refused to take his PJ top off for Greg as I commented send him to Polina's in his PJs if he insists some things are just not worth fighting over) finally he agreed not pleasantly though. I think he even hit Greg a few times as he was picked up to get changed.

It is the same sort of thing with breakfast and even the other day as I dropped him off he only wanted me and I left Polina's as she held my screaming kicking child! We have also started a crying/whining routine of standing at the gate calling for me as Greg is trying to put him down for bed. I try not to go upstairs or go outside to water the flowers or something so he does not hear me. It makes it dificult on Greg. Not sure if it is just a phase but we are hoping he will outgrow it soon. It just makes it hard on everyone. Greg wants nothing more than to spend time with Ryan and usually lately all he wants is me.

I sum it up to this I am always home with him during the week. For the most part it is Ryan and I most of Saturday while Greg is playing golf so that really only leaves Sunday and lately Greg has been playing in a tournament both Sat and Sun for the past few weeks (now ended) and for the most part Greg is not around much in the mornings or evenings many times he leaves before Ryan is up and is home after he is in bed. Not sure if this is lack of time spent with Daddy or he just really wants mommy. I have started to encourage Greg to spend more time with Ryan if he is home like giving him a bath and putting him to bed and getting him up if he is home. Seems like a stuggle for them both now but I am hoping in the end it will improve the situation.

Ryan is starting to get a bit more demanding in some areas and I feel this is normal for his age. He now throws a fit when it is time to leave the park, and when it is time to come inside to wash up for dinner/bath/bedtime. We usually have to pull him away from our neighbors kicking and screaming. I find it msot challenging these days to get dinner on the table in a timely manner b/c Ryan is constantly demanding my attention and gets jealous if I am chopping or at the stove and sometimes will throw a fit. I also find when I am cooking or cleaning he looks for mischief to get into such as the dishwasher the tv buttons the dog food and such. Last night Greg came home for dinner and played with Ryan in the backyard while I got dinner ready and can I tell you how pleasant it was to prepare a meal with out Ryan pulling at my clothes or pushihng me away from the stove, or whining for attention. It was sooo pleasant. Not sure how to deal with this when Greg is working late. Any suggestions? I try to let him help but really there is only so much a 20 month old can do in the kitchen.

Hopefully this is just a phase he will out grow. Don't get me wrong for the most part Ryan is a very happy easy going child. I am touched that we have such a close relationship but at the same time I want him to enjoy spending time with his Daddy too. I will continue to encourage more time with Daddy when at all possible.

Ryan's First Haircut

Toady we enjoyed a fun day at the beach with Christian and Christina! We were a little late in meeting them because for some reason Ryan decided to wake up at 4:45. I stupidly went into his room and scooped him up ( I was still half asleep)and I brought him in bed with us....big big huge mistake. He rolled around decided to climb on us and kick us. No sleep for anyone not even Dylan who got fed up and left the bedroom. Finally around 6 AM Greg got up and took Ryan down stairs so I could get some sleep and they ate breakfast. Greg attempted to put him back to sleep in his crib and Ryan kept climbing out like a little monkey and each time Greg put him back in the crib and finally he ended up back in bed with us kicking and climbing. I thought no way. He was so overtired! So I tried to put him back in the crib. At this point he was so tired he was rubbing his eyes and attempted to climb out three times but I think he was so tired he actually stayed in the crib. Only problem now is we are held hostage in his room for naps and bedtime to ensure he stays in the crib! But I sat in the big chair and kept careful watch until he finally fell back asleep around 8 thank goodness. So we all went back to bed and I got him up at 9:30 so we could meet Christian and Christina at the beach.

The boys had so much fun they played and played. At first Ryan stayed on the blanket eating his snacks not wanting to get his feet dirty but he quickly was in the sand chasing the waves. What a perfect beach day not to hot and not a cloud in the sky! Here is a special trick to keep sand off your childs hands/feet try a little baby powder! Christina had some today for the boys and it really works! Thanks for such a fun day!

So since Ryan took a bit of a cat nap this morning we decided to head over to Snip Its after the beach (it is right on the way home) for a quick haircut. I had been trimming Ryan's hair myself and Greg commented that it was a bit uneven and we really ought to take him to a professional and I agreed. We had heard from a friend that one of the stylist there has a tendency to trim off a bit too much but we had a coupon and decided to take a chance anyways. Well the stylist we had did a fantastic job. They were very kid friendly and Ryan was such a good boy until the very end when she took out the clippers I think it may have been the sensation in combination with the buzzing noise that may have frightened him a bit but he started to cry and squirm a bit so I ended up giving him a pop and then he settle down. But I would go back again I think they did a great job a bit pricey at $18.95 plus tip but that is Fairfield for you!

I took a trip to Ikea yesterday and picked up Ryan a table and chairs set and a kiddie picnic table. We are still in search of new patio furniture for our deck if anyone has any suggestions for something inexpensive. I have actually been eyeing a teak set at Walmart. I just have to convince Greg it is the right set for us! Greg put together the picnic table last night and Ryan enjoyed his lunchie while sitting at it today. Hopefully we can assemble the table and chairs soon. Gotta love Ikea it is so inexpensive but you have to be an engineer to put their furniture together.

Also yesterday was Ryan's Great Gramma's birthday and we again wanted to wish her a very Happy Birthday! We love and miss you very much and hope you are doing well!

Take a look at some of Ryan's pictures below!



Ryan and Daddy at the Yankee Doodle Fair on the big slide!




Ryan with a bluberry mustache and beard while enjoying his "pop"



Ryan at Snip Its before





Ta Da! So handsome Ryan!

Ryan Loves Popsicles!

For the past few nights we have been giving Ryan a special treat after dinner...a popsicle and well he just Loves this! We have actually created a popsicle obsessed baby! He now knows exactly how to say "pop" "more pop" "more" when the popsicle is gone. We had been giving him regular popsicles from stop and shop you know the kind with all the sugar and high fructose corn syrup and artifical colors and preservatives...you know the really really bad stuff.( I don't even give him juice but I was giving him those popsicles) Well then I decided that I should be a better mom and give him a healthier alternative so I made him some homemade pops the other night using a kit I bought at Bed Bath and Beyond and I pureed a ripe peach, pear, banana and a little orange juice and voila! Fresh healthy popsicle and thankfully he liked this one just as much while they may not taste quite as good as the artificial ones I feel a lot better giving him these. I know I am a bit neurotic I will admit it. That and I try to fend him off at dinner time with fresh or frozen veggies instead of junk. But I have to confess while at a playdate yesterday he ate 2 cranberry orange muffins, pirate booty, and stole "Ine's" yogurt smoothy at lunch time! Yes he actually took it when we were not looking and sucked the entire drink down in a single gulp...must have been much better than his milk.

Although he may look like a health nut on paper...but our child also ate a lean cuisine dinner earlier in the week rice and beans to be exact smothered with extra cheese and sour cream to combat any adult spice. My lack of cooking and nausea have come to me giving my child lean cuisine frozen meals for dinner..sad I know but he actually loved every bite. Does anyone have a yummy super easy recipe for some good rice and beans? I am really trying to do better in the nutrition department now that I am feeling a tad bit less nauseous.

Two nights ago he ran over to the neighbors after dinner (we were eating out on the deck and we left the gate open and he got away) and decided to sit at their picnic table and inhale an entire bowl of chips veggie chips but still. The child just finished eating dinner followed by a "pop" and then my neighbor went in to fill the bowl again and he inhaled that one too. I think Ryan is secretly becoming a closet junk food junkie! They thought it was so cute I kept thinking what a little piggy stealing junk food like that oh and this is not the first time. Oh well I guess we should be thankful that he actually eats I know some children will not even eat much at all.

Also to add to my neurosis I kept Ryan away from all pupblic play areas this week b/c coxsackie virus is going around...that ment no trips to the library, playtime village, or the mall play area. Just to be safe I would like to try and avoid this nasty virus at all costs. Some of the s/s include mouth, hand, and food sores, and a high fever. Self limiting but still if we can avoid it I would like too. So we stayed low at home and playdates with friends outside.

I cannot wait to go home tonight to see the finished product of our kitchen renovations so far it looks so fantastic! I will post some updated pictures soon! Happy Father's Day to all the Dads! Have a great weekend.

Kitchen Preview!

Take a look! Here is a preview of our kitchen renovations. New countertops and tile installed. Tomorrow they are going to grout and sand the walls. Friday they are painting and then they should be done. We love the renovations so far! The first 2 pics are of the old kitchen before and the following pictures show the new countertops and ceramic tile backsplash. Take a look and let us know what you think!

Thanks Auntie Jen and Uncle Paddy!

Wanted to shout out a special thanks to Auntie Jen and Uncle Paddy for staying Saturday night to watch Ryan so Greg and I could go out to dinner to celebrate his Birthday! I know Ryan really enjoyed spending time with his Auntie and Uncle! Thanks so much! We went to Ibiza in New Haven it is a spanish restaurant in New Haven that got great reviews on Zagat. The food was great but maybe not worth going all the way to New Haven for. Plenty of restaurants that are just as good or even better right here in Fairfield but we wanted to try something new. After our dinner the romantic evening continued at Lowe's! Where we were on a mission to pick out a color for our kitchen. Sadly our Sat nights sans baby have come to this. But there are many perks to a visit to Lowes at 9 PM on a Sat. No crowds and more than enough help if you have questions, no long lines at the check out, and prime parking spaces. But the good news is that the work finally starts on our kitchen tomorrow, new counter tops, tumbled marble tile backsplash, and a fresh coat of Martha Stewart signature paint in Sugar Cane. Decisions decisions who knew how difficult picking a paint color can be?

Whew what a scorcher today was. Ryan enjoyed some time splashing around in a kiddie pool and running through the sprinkler with our neighbor Sophia. We enjoyed a visit from Grampy and Grammy they came to pick up our puppy for the week. Thought it might be too stressful for him with the contractors here. I know we baby him but we call him our first born. He truly is spoiled!

Yesterday we hit the Stratford Day street fair. It was so much fun and Ryan had a blast. We brought our wagon and he was so excited to be pulled around in style. It is so magical to imagine the world through a 19 month old's eyes. Everything was so exciting to him. He jumped around in a huge bouncer, played on the slide and climber, walked around trying to push/pull the wagon, tried freshly squeezed lemonade for the first time he loved that(hey it had a ton of sugar but it was hot out!)

Update...poor Greggie! Friday was his birthday and I was so nauseous I took Ryan and we went right upstairs and I locked us in my bedroom too sick to move until Greg came home at 7. He literally amazingly amused himself for nearly an hour in our room. Played with some toys then lost interest but then I asked him to keep looking out the window for Daddy and he would look and call out "Daddy Dadda" Hope the neighbors were not wondering what he was doing near the window shouting.... then he amused himself playing with Greg's golf books and alarm clock and then turned the tv on/off eight hundred times as I layed motion less holding my breath so I did not get sick until Greg finally came home. All the while it was Greg's birthday and I had plans to make cupcakes for Daddy with Ryan. Unfortunately that did not happen. My only saving grace was that Greg came home, fed, bathed, and put Ryan to bed. Then he made me some chicken soup and we watched Juno and I was feeling much better! What a good Daddy/husband and on his birthday too! I have found that jolly ranchers actually curb my nausea for at least a short period of time yay! My rash is much much improved and I felt pretty okay Sat and Sun thankfully. Hoping now that I am almost 13 weeks to be feeling better soon.

Stay cool! I will update pics of our kitchen soon!

Ryan uses the potty for the very first time! Hooray!

I know I have been slacking majorly with updates but I have been feeling Terrible with a capital T:( Anyways I just had to let you all know that Ryan has for weeks now been telling us poo poo when he has a poopy diaper mostly he does but sometimes not. But yes he has been telling me after his bath last night and tonight that he had to go poo poo. Last night I said okay lets get on the potty and he sat on the potty and farted. Tonight again he told me after his bath that he had to go poo poo I said again lets get on the potty and he squatted over the potty (did not actually sit) and actually pooped in the potty! Hooray! He was so proud I quickly ran and got the camera and took a picture of him standing next to his first poop (like Jon and Kate plus 8) But we were both so proud and I made a big enough deal that I hope he will do it again but I don't want to push it only if he mentions it again. I do have a few friends who's kids are in pull ups if he continues I may look into it again I will let him tell me when he is ready but this is huge!

Okay I know I have been slacking in the updates. We had our 12 week u/s yesterday and all is well the baby is growing and healthy with a very strong heartbeat! Such great news we will still have to wait another 6-8 weeks to find out the sex. My rash is improving I went back to the dermatologist and we both agreed it was better. The nausea is not getting any better but hopefully we will see an end soon. The extreme fatigue is actually much better but I still find myself nodding off watching Martha while Ryan is napping. I am so thankful that Ryan is such a great napper I hope it continues it is like he knows I do not feel well and I need the rest. Such a good baby! (yeah except Tues when he threw my newly potted Gerber daisy over the side of the deck...yes both of them...nice!) But yes he is a good boy most of the time no one is perfect!

Some of Ryan's new words this week:
"Bampa" grampa
"Dad Dad" Granddad
"Pia" Polina
Bubbles
"Ine" for Caroline
"Beeya" for Buya a thing he does with Daddy
"Yeyyo" for yellow
"boo" for blue
"durty" for dirty

Oh I also wanted to let you all know that Greg is going to be on the cover of the 2008 Vineyard Vines Catalog with some of his friends. I have not seen the cover yet but I heard from a friend. Look for him he will be with 3 other boys wearing khaki's, blue blazers and pink cape cod VV ties. Hey if genpact does not work out maybe there is modeling in his future!