My little man gives the best hugs! I just love when he buries his face in my neck and puts his arms around me. He is a sweetheart!
A sweetheart with a grip.

Family weekend fun

Nanna and Grandpa Jim came to visit for the weekend. They went to a Cowboys preseason game at the new Cowboys stadium. We had a great visit and enjoyed catching up. Nanna brought all kinds of new clothes and toys for Ryland. He now has new pajamas, school clothes, and other fun things.
Ryland got a new Maclaren stroller this weekend. It is super cool and lightweight. We plan on cruising in it on short quick trips.

Ryland, Nanna, and I spent Saturday shopping around town. Every time she comes to town we go to Garden Ridge. Ryland didn't seem to mind, because he had Spongebob Squarepants. Nanna brought him 2 stuffed Spongebobs. He loves them!

First home made baby food

I used the Babycook for the first time today. Since Ryland has done so well on rice and oatmeal, we moved on to veggies. I started with carrots, and they were easy to chop, steam, and puree. Don't they look delicious? Ryland did not think so. He refused to eat them.

Meet the teacher day

Ryland starts Mother's Day Out next week, and today was meet the teacher day. It was so funny to pack his "school supplies" and meet his teachers. I looked for a program that I felt comfortable with for several months before selecting one. The program is at a local church. It is accredited and has a curriculum even for the little ones.
Ryland is in the monkey classroom this year, and his teachers are Ms. Nan and Ms. Jana. He smiled and giggled when they played with him today. It was super cute!
It will be a big step for us next week. I will miss the little rascal, but I know he will love it.

Selling our home?

John Chris and I are on the same page with this finally, and we have decided to sell our home. We have been debating this topic for a couple of months. One day I want to sell and he doesn't, and the next day he wants to sell and I don't. The problem that we are having is that we really like our house. In fact we still love just about everything about it. There are only 2 big things we want to change, the garage and the yard.
We have a 2 car garage, and we only have 2 cars. The 2 cars we have are full size, and the garage is only 17 x 20. Let me just tell you how big of a pain it is to get Ryland in and out of his car seat with only about 10" of door opening. I am not kidding 10". Before we pull in the garage, the passengers have to get out and get Ryland out. The driver pulls in as close to the wall as possible. This tight fit has been difficult for me, and I have already hit the wall in my new ride. ANGER!
The yard is too small for a growing family. I love my intimate backyard garden, but as Ryland gets a little older he will want some room to play. Even though it is not a huge deal right now, it will be before we know it. We don't want a huge yard, but we would like enough room to play catch and run around.
We want to stay in the area because we like it and the schools are awesome. We will see how it goes. I am pretty nervous because newer construction in the area is usually a little out of our comfort zone, but every now and then we see something that would be a good fit for us. I just hope we find it when we sell, or I will be sad. Cross your fingers!

Trip to Bossier City

Emily and Jeffery just bought a new home in Bossier City, and we made a little weekend trip to check it out. Their house is so very nice. It is on an large corner lot in a gated community. All of the homes are a French Louisiana style home with stucco and brick. The inside is spacious and the finish out selections are great. We are very happy for them!
Ryland and Aunt Emily

3 generations of Allison men

We had a great time hanging out on the back patio.

Lovin' every minute

Ryland loves dogs. He always starts smiling and reaching when he sees Cooper, and he was really excited when he saw Doodle.

This was Daddy's idea. Doesn't Doodle look thrilled? Look how Cooper is hiding back by Jeffery.

We miss Daddy

John Chris had to work out of town this week, and we really miss him. Ryland and I are still sick, and we wish Daddy was here to take care of us. We talk to him everyday, and it sounds like he is working way too much. I just hope he gets everything finished so he doesn't have to go back next week.

Fun

He is getting the hang of tummy time.

Ryland is still loving the ClayCo toy. He actually plays now. He knows how to turn on the music, spin the balls, and grab the puppet.

Cooper likes to get in on the fun action too. Ryland started crying, so Cooper brought him his ball. I missed the shot of Cooper curled up in the base around Ryland's feet. Silly boys!Cooper is very interested in the keys.

5 months old!

Ryland is 5 months old today, and I can't stop thinking how lucky we are. It seems like just a little while ago...
John Chris and I were at our first ultrasound appointment - at our last check up - holding him for the first time - bringing him home.
It is crazy how fast time has flown. We are loving every moment with him, and we look forward to all the special moments to come.

SICK

Another first - Ryland and I are both sick, and it stinks!
We went to the doctor, and we both have a sinus infection. He also has an inner ear infection. John Chris is the only one that is well, and we are trying to stay away from him so he does not get ill. It is incredibly hard to feel so bad and still have the responsibility of taking care of someone else that feels bad as well. I hope our medication kicks in soon, and we get better.

Napping with Mommy

I have never been a napper, but I absolutely love taking naps with my little man. It is one of the best feelings to cuddle with him and dose off for a bit.

Look at me eat

Ryland is a great eater. He loves the apple juice and oatmeal. He gets impatient if you don't feed him a big spoonful and if you don't give it to him fast enough. He already tries to grab the spoon.
This picture is right before the meltdown takes place. He has just realized that he ate it all, and he will have to wait a second for us to make more. Oh no, here comes the screaming!

Favorite new sleeping position

Ryland now scoots and rolls all over his crib and pack and play. It seems like he is favoring this position lately. He loves his tummy with his right hand on the back of his head.

Reaching for mommy

Today, one of the best things happened. Ryland was in the ClayCo playing with the music buttons while I was cleaning up. He got tired of playing and started whining and reached up for me with both arms. It was the cutest and sweetest things ever. It melted my heart!

First set of keys

Bentley - no Kia - yes!
Ryland got his first set of keys today, and he loves them. He really likes to bang them on just about everything. He just swings them around, chews on them a little, and then swings them around again. Plastic keys today - real metal keys too soon.

Happy Anniversary!

John Chris and I have been married 3 years today. We had a great evening at JR's. It was a perfect evening with good food and great conversation. Our neighbors kept Ryland, so we could have some time to ourselves and have a nice dinner. It seems like we have been married forever, but I think it is because we dated for so long before marriage. I can't imagine my life without him, and I constantly count my blessings!

The boys love Spongebob

Ryland and Cooper enjoy kicking back and watching a little TV. Their favorite show is Spongebob Squarepants followed by a close second, Ellen. What can I say? A little variety is good.

First laugh

I was making silly noises and playing with Ryland today, and he started laughing! I was in complete shock because I have been trying to get him to laugh for a while. He laughed and laughed and laughed. It was so cute. I grabbed my phone and called John Chris as fast as I could. I was so glad that John Chris answered his phone, so he could hear Ryland laughing.

Meeting Morgan Leigh

We met Matt, Sarah, and Anna Grace's new baby girl this evening. We were really excited to meet Morgan Leigh, and she was beautiful. We are very happy for the Pearsons, and we are excited about future play dates.