29 months!

After 9 months home on maternity leave, it's going to be hard to leave this little guy behind and go back to work.  Being home with this guy for an extended time was amazing and we got to do so many things (daytime walks, extra cuddles, baking together...) that would have been and will be hard now that I'm going back to work full-time.  Of course, we'll still get to do them, but less often, more rushed.  It was great to only focus on being a mom for the past 9 months...now back to reality.

Ryder's speaking skills have continued to improve.  He's basically onto full sentences all the time and he picks up new words and phrases super fast.  Out of the blue, he comes up with phrases that he has heard and uses them correctly in context.  When we're saying goodbye to someone he says "bye-bye" then "see you soon" and then "have a good day."  It's adorable.  My favorite this month is "right back" which he says anytime he's going to leave our presence- many times he's going to do something we wouldn't approve of, so I think he says it so we'll stay put!

His drawing skills continue to improve- his trucks are getting more and more detailed.  He can, to some degree, copy shapes that we draw.  He'll probably start learning letters and such pretty soon.  When he wants attention, or just because I suppose, he draws on the table, so he has gotten very good at cleaning up marker.  One day after he cleaned the marker off of the table, he continued to clean the rest of the table and the chairs!  He loves to help.  He wants to help cook everything and he's a great help in the garden when I'm harvesting tomatoes.

The terrible two's are in full effect at this point.  There is a lot of screaming and tantrum throwing, he is definitely jealous of Vivien and likes to bite her and he has become territorial with his possessions.  He and his little neighbor friend get into arguments constantly about who should be using what.  There are some things that Ryder doesn't like to share, special toys, but for the most part he will.  Just not when the other person wants it and definitely not if they grab it!  He has to be in control of the transaction!

Luckily he's so darn cute, affectionate and fun most of the time or we would be losing our minds!

He really knows his way around these "photo shoots" now, he sits right down nicely!

Silly boy!

Fooling around!

Look at that smile!

Action photo!  (Teaching him bad habits...oops)

8 months!

As my maternity leave/summer break come to an end (boo hoo!), I'm getting ready to say good-bye to Miss Vivien for 8ish hours a day!  I haven't been away from her for more than 3 hours so far, so it's going to be an ADJUSTMENT!  Luckily she was with my mom for all of those 2-3 hour stints away from me, so hopefully the transition for her won't be too bad.  I can look at pictures and watch videos on my lunch break, but I won't be able to smell her or feel her soft skin.

Vivien is still the most smiley baby I've ever met.  The most she fusses is when she wants to be held but we can't hold her.  Ryder is actually pretty good at getting her to stop crying, which is helpful.  He makes funny faces and sounds at her and she starts smiling and laughing.  She definitely enjoys being around him, despite that fact that he likes to bite her (!!!) and I think that will help when she goes to my mom's.

She is all about the food nowadays.  I think the only new foods this month were apples and peaches, plus another variety of infant cereal.  She only liked the new fruits mixed with her cereal, but at least she ate them.  She absolutely loves sweet potato and oatmeal.  She really eats those up quickly.  This next month she can eat more solid food vs strictly mush, so that will give her a little more variety.  After we finish eating, I let her play with the spoon and she's gotten really good at maneuvering it around.

She's much more interested in her toys this month, and Ryder's too, which can pose a problem!  She will grab any and all toys that she can reach, and of course put them in her mouth.  She has really started to enjoy jumping in her little jumpy thing.  She likes it even more when Ryder bounces her up and down in it!  She doesn't jump as hard as he did when he was a baby, but she is content to chill in it, play with her toys and watch what's going on for a while.

She can just barely sit up on her own now, but she seems to prefer laying down.  She rolls all over to get what she wants and has just started to move around due to the arm and leg flailing that she does.  She's also much more comfortable on her tummy now, which is good for movement and sleeping.  Speaking of sleeping, she's back to waking up twice a lot of nights- around midnight and then 3-4am.  Hopefully it's a growth spurt and she goes back to one, or even none soon- parents can hope right?!

Most of that sitting is on her own!

She always puts her arms up, I love it!

Smiley for tummy time

Always waving her arms and legs

Ooh, a hand!

Shouldn't have tried to do a "photo shoot" when she was tired, most of the pictures were wonky!