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.

Highchair

Since Ryland is eating some solid foods now, we thought it would be a great time for him to test his highchair. John Chris and I buckled him in, wrapped him in a burp cloth, and fastened on a bib. We were ready to eat. He was so good and seemed to really like sitting up like a big boy. We are going to start putting him at the table with us when we eat dinner. Before long he will be sitting in one of the chairs.
Yum, this rice cereal in apple juice is delicious!

Night swimming

We are still unable to use sunscreen on Ryland, so we are doing all of our swimming at night. He modeled his new swim trunks and looked adorable. He loves for us to pull him through the water.
My boys love to swim. Even Cooper jumped him for some late night laps.

We played bounce in the water, and he made happy giggles.

All done swimming. He looks like a green highlighter in his hooded towel. A cute highlighter!

Chores & flowers do mix

Washing bottles and doing dishes are OK when beautiful fresh flowers are nearby. I absolutely love hydrangeas, garden roses, and Casablanca lillies. They smelled wonderful and lasted over a week and a half.

First solid food

We started Ryland on solid foods this evening. He had a delicious bowl of rice cereal and apple juice. Yummy! He still wanted to push the cereal with his tongue, but with a little practice he will master this skill. He seemed to like the taste.
He could only be thinking "What the?"

4 month check up

Ryland had his 4 month check up today. He had so much fun in the waiting room flirting with all the ladies. He weighed in at 17 pounds 9 ounces and 26 inches long. He is still in the 95% range, and is on target to be a professional basketball player.

The visit went well, and I was able to spend some time with the doctor to discuss a few things. The doctor wants to hold for 2 months before sending us to a specialist about the flat spot on Ryland's head. We are making progress, so we will continue to reposition until the next visit. This made my day! I am so glad we have a little more time. A huge relief for now because I was already dreading the helmet. Cross your fingers that it continues to improve.

Ryland also now gets to start eating solid food. He starts with rice cereal in apple juice and will add a new vegetable or fruit weekly. He is growing so incredibly fast. Before long he will be sitting at the table eating with a fork and knife.

He is finally home

Ryland finally made it home this afternoon. I could not wait to see him and give him hugs and kisses. John Chris came home a little early so he could spend some time with him also. We missed him so much!

John Chris and I enjoyed our trip, but it was hard to be away from him for the first time. Thanks to the grandmothers and grandfathers for taking such great care of him.

Anguilla again

Absolutely beautiful! John Chris and I made our fourth annual trip to Anguilla. We stayed on Shoal Beach East again, and it was amazing. The beach was perfect and the water was clear and cool.
John Chris and I walked the beach a few times each day.

We were on one of our walks, and I thought about writing a little message to Ryland. John Chris and I jotted a note to our little man.

We spent a day on a nearby uninhabited island called Prickly Pear. It was a 20 minute boat ride to the island paradise. The only building on the island was a restaurant and bar. We had lunch and drinks and then relaxed a while. Prickly Pear is known for awesome reefs right off the coast, so we decided to go snorkeling that afternoon. It was like swimming in an aquarium. We saw tons of colorful fish and a large starfish.If John Chris and I ever have a billion dollars, this is where we will be. Our dream paradise in the making.

Paradise.

John Chris and I are about to have our 3rd wedding anniversary, and this is the spot we got married.

John Chris snapped this shot from our balcony with his new camera. We were having a little rain storm, so we were sitting on the balcony. We had been watching this dove for a couple of days, and he just snapped this shot at the perfect time.

One of my favorite things to do while relaxing in Anguilla is reading. I never seem to have the time at home, so I enjoyed reading a little. This year is was "My Sister's Keeper" and "Sundays at Tiffany's".

Bye bye baby

We cuddled for a long time this morning before we got out of bed to start our day. Ryland was in such a great mood, and he was making silly faces. We are really going to miss him next week.

Cool dude

One cool dude

New awesome toy

The Huffts were kind enough to loan us this cool new toy. The Baby Einstein toy is sure to entertain Ryland for months to come. He tested it as soon as we got home, and he seemed to like it. He is still a little young, and he doesn't know how to play with all the toys yet. I think he likes the bright colors and the noises.
Ooooo. What is this?

Happy 4th of July

We spent the holiday at the Jacobs house with the Brashears and Huffts. We had a great time in the pool and watching the kids play. Ryland had his first official make out session. Just take a look at these pictures. They did not even try to hide it - brown chicken, brown cow! Ryland loves Ella.

Free Friday & Fireworks

It was so nice to sleep in this Friday morning. John Chris and I were off work and spent the morning playing with Ryland and Cooper. We laughed, giggled, and made funny faces for hours. Great family fun!
We went to Southlake Town Square for the annual July 4th fireworks. We found a great spot for watching, but Ryland was passed out. We took a couple of pictures for him.

Hanging out with Nana

Nana came to visit for the weekend, so I could help Jeff and Janie at market. I know my mom really loves spending time with Ryland, and I think he enjoys every moment. It is cool to see them together. She spoils him rotten.

Little Jewelry Helper

Jeff and Janie were back in town for the show at Dallas Market Hall. This is the first show that I helped with since Ryland has been born, and it was a little tricky at set up. I brought his play mat and some toys for him to play with. He did pretty darn great for a few hours. I put out necklaces, bracelets, and rings while Ryland just hung out. He eventually took a little nap after flirting with all the chicks.

Fun with the new camera

We love the new camera! It is a ton of fun to snap shots of him in deep thought and right before he loses his cool.

Happy Father's Day!

Daddy's first father's day! We all had a great day, and we surprised John Chris with the new camera he wanted. He was so happy!Ryland loves Daddy!

Cooper loves Daddy!