Doctor appointment

It was time for another doctor visit today to check on the bambino. Once again it was all good news. Everything looks great and progressing right on track. 145 bpm - one of the best sounds in the world.

Nursery progress

John Chris and I worked on the nursery today in hopes of finishing sometime this week. The biggest issue we are having is the trim. We can't find the exact door casing or crown molding to finish off the added walls. The ceiling has been painted, the baseboard has been added and caulked, the electrical has been changed out, the old dark walls have been primed, the fan has been installed, and the furniture has been moved to the room.

Playing outside

Ryland and Cooper love to play in the backyard. It can be freezing cold and raining, and they still stand at the back door asking to go out. I am really paranoid about the pool, so I am sure to keep an eye on them. I was watching them play today, and I thought they were so humorous. Ryland was digging in the flower pots, and Cooper was rolling around on the ground. Ryland's digging turned to dropping dirt in the pot and then to throwing dirt at Cooper. When I asked him what he was doing, he threw his arms out and said "what?".

Good mood morning

One of the best places to play at our house right now is behind the Christmas tree. This morning Ryland was in a silly mood, and we found him covered up playing under the tree.

The boys love to watch a little TV in the mornings. They just can't pass up Spongebob. I love how Ryland has covered up Cooper.

Christmas Day dinner

We had a wonderful Christmas dinner with Uncle Brad and Aunt Chanda. They were so kind and invited us to join their family dinner. The food was delicious, and Chanda had a beautiful table scape including her newly completed set of china.

Uncle Brad became a leg taxi for Ryland and Ella. They love to play with Uncle Brad, and I am sure his legs got a workout.

Christmas morning

Santa came to see Ryland, and he left an awesome wooden kitchen. It is complete with a sink, oven, fridge, and washer. Ryland was so excited when he came downstairs. We played kitchen all morning. It was wonderful. Ryland was all about getting ice and water cups for us.

I had the video camera set up to capture Ryland's expression this morning, but I noticed the battery was dead when I tried to replay the reaction. Very upsetting, but very typical for these crazy few disorganized months.

After we played with the toys, we had homemade banana nut bread and chocolate chip cookies. Yummy! The boys snuggled under a blanket and relaxed on the sofa.

Christmas Eve toy

We gave Ryland one toy early on Christmas Eve. It was the classic Mr. Potato Head. (Talk about a toy that has been around forever.) He sat down in the kitchen floor and rearranged body parts very intently.

Not quite ready to give in to nap time, but he is very close.

Hanging with Harker

The Woods came over for a laid back pizza dinner. It was so nice to relax and catch up with them before things get crazy. Ryland was so excited to have Harker over to play. They play well together and act like an old married couple. Ryland calls Harker, Dark, and Harker calls Ryland, Ry Ry. So cute.

Latest house project

The latest small project for the house was my office doors. The doors were originally dark stained French doors that we painted white to match the woodwork and moulding. We tried scraping all the paint off the little panes of glass, but it was taking forever. Another problem was that the edges were still showing the dark brown stain. I had this idea that I would actually prefer the doors to have no panes to create a more simple look. John Chris and I started tearing the old panes out, sanding the edges, priming, painting, and installed clear glass. We finished off the inside edges with a small trim and hung them back in the office for the final coat of paint. We should be able to finish the paint and install the broken door knob next week. Finished project photos are coming soon.

Grandpa Dave's birthday

We celebrated Grandpa Dave's birthday tonight will a little gift. Ryland was happy to help tear into the package. He was all smiles and grins until...

he sees the gift isn't a toy. He was disappointed until he had an opportunity to get his hands on the bottles of cologne. He played with the bottles and lids for a while until he figured out how to operate them. He now is a cologne maniac. He smells like a little man.

Grillin' with the guys

All the guys were grilling tonight, and it was a good thing Ryland got a new grill for Christmas. We had so much food to grill, and he had to help out. My dad is notorious for grilling extra large portions of meat. We had bacon wrapped shrimp, chicken, boneless pork ribs, sausage, and tuna. It was all delicious, and we have leftovers for days.
Ryland had a blast copying the big dudes. He was sure to flip his food to achieve even cooking. We were amazed at his awareness.

Not sure which guy he learned this trick from. Any guesses?

Doctor appointment

I had my bi-weekly doctor checkup today, and everything still looks great. The baby is progressing well, and I am not having any complications. The baby's heartrate was 145 bpm and measuring right on target.

Train ride with Santa

Ryland and I took a ride on Grapevine's Polar Express again this year. We had a great time singing Christmas carols and listening to Twas the Night Before Christmas while chugging down the track in an antique train.
Ryland, Harker, and Trenton standing in the seats. They had a blast dancing and climbing.

Santa still isn't a welcome stranger around Ryland. He is happy to talk about Santa, but don't even think about getting close to the guy. Ryland crawled in my lap and hid his face when Santa approached our seat.

Fun with mommy's lotion

We were heading out of the house this morning when I ran to my office to grab 2 cards. Ryland's Christmas party at school was today, and I wanted to write a short thanks to put with the teacher gifts. I knew I didn't have time to actually write the cards, so I just grabbed them and headed to load the truck.

I noticed the house was quiet. Too quiet. I called for Ryland and Cooper but didn't hear a thing. I started looking around downstairs when I heard a little giggle coming from the unfinished nursery. I opened the closet door to find a little mess.

Ryland had taken my lotion and found a hiding spot, so he could slather it on himself. He had rubbed lotion on his face, clothes, carpet, wall, and poor Cooper. They smelled wonderful, and it was pretty darn funny. The child is obsessed with lotion. Funny times!

Playing in Doodle's bed

Ryland loves dogs and he really loves to play with Cooper and Doodle. He was in rare form tonight and was being super silly. Just a few shots of the fun.

Christmas gift exchange

We traveled to Louisiana to visit with family and share some Christmas cheer. Ryland was a little timid when he first started opening his gifts, but he quickly found some steam. He tore into the big box his grandparents gave him. It was a new table and chair set. It will be perfect for his playroom. It will provide a place for many years of coloring, assembling puzzles, and tons of other fun activities
SpongeBob is still a big hit. He can spot the little yellow guy anywhere.

We have had multiple issues with the thermostats in our new house, so I was elated to open my gift. I never imagined that I would be so pleased to receive a programmable thermostat, but I can't wait to get home to install it.

Ryland opening his gift from Aunt Emily and Uncle Jeffery. How cool, now he can grill like Dadda.

The guys were putting Ryland's grill together and needed a few tools. Uncle Jeffery brought in his tools to save the day. Look how organized! Can we say inspiration? I am posting this photo in our garage by the cabinets and drawers that won't close currently.

The grandparents

Uncle Jeffery

Aunt Emily

John Chris gave Ryland a few grilling pointers as he prepared a hamburger and hot dog. Ryland was so very happy and had a blast. We all enjoyed spending time with family and are thankful.

Casa Manana's Rudolph

I took Ryland to his first play this morning. I was a little concerned that he wouldn't sit still and enjoy the play, but I went ahead and purchased tickets to Rudolph. When we arrived I immediately questioned my judgement in even attempting to attend a play. Really, Candice? Ryland in a theater, quiet in the dark, sitting in a chair, and for over an hour. What the heck was I thinking? He was all over the place. He refused to sit in his seat and wanted to climb around to play. The moment the lights went off and the characters came out, Ryland was very intrigued. He crawled in my lap and watched what was going on. He sat still and attentive for the entire play. I was completely shocked. He loved every moment, and it was one of my favorite and most treasured moments with him.

Finished master bedroom

The master bedroom is finished. Hooray! We put the final touches on some little projects and wrapped up the first completely finished room in the house. We removed the carpet and pad, installed hardwood floors, painted, new baseboard, replaced electrical switches, new ceiling fan, white recessed light cans with new bulbs, cleaned and repainted all vents, and then added all our furniture. The after pictures are taken at night, but the room does have a warmer, cozier feel. The wall color looks fresh and clean during the day with the plantation shutters open. We are very pleased with the end result. On to the rest of the house....
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