Belly-Butt

Ryder's halfway to 22 months now and we hit a major milestone the other night.

Milestone:  I was running Ryder's bath water and he said tee tee.  He always just says random stuff so I dismissed it.  I took his diaper off and then he walked over to his potty, sat down, and in a matter of seconds, his eyes were as big as saucers.  Then I heard the music.  He went in the potty!  When water (or the other) hit the bottom of the potty, it plays music.  Funny stuff.  I started screaming yay yay and then we ran into the kitchen to get m&m's.  Then I said let's go tell daddy (who was outside).  He ran out there, still naked, and I said, "tell daddy what you did!"  He said "I tee tee.  In da potty." 

The past three nights before bath he has used his potty.  I'm not in any way trying to potty train him right now, but if we can get in the habit of just using it before bath time, we'll be on the right track.  Exciting!

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For Ryder's 1st birthday, he got several puzzles.  He played with them a little, but then I put them up because he didn't really know what he was doing.  I opened a drawer the other day and spotted them, and thought this would be a good time to get back started on the puzzles.  He's addicted.  He even tells them goodnight when we are taking him back to his room.  "Night night my puzzles, Night night my TB (tv), Night night my books."  He kills me with his shapes puzzle.  He knows his tangle (triangle), circle, square, diamond, and oval.  He hasn't quite mastered rectangle.

He's literally talking in sentences now.  He says things like, "Mah diaper's wet", "Hands and fingers are wet", "Sleep in mama daddy's bed", "I brush mah hair, it's piiiity" (what hair?).  And EVERYTHING will getchu (get you).  "That car getchu", "That frog getchu", "That water getchu", and on and on and on.  And my personal favorite, "mah belly-butt."  He loves to search for people's belly-butt's under their shirt and will poke around until he spots it.  You do know I'm talking about a belly button.

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On to recent festivities: Sellers' second birthday party was last weekend. As Ryder would say, "It was FFFFUN" (with a lot of emphasis on the F).

Ryder and Sellers got in and out of the pool 400 times.

Ryder "gettin' me"

It's like "Mom.  Back.  Off."  Can a boy enjoy his cake and ice cream without you in my FACE?

Two peas in a pod.

This is all the diving he's going to be doing for a while.  I hope.

Long day, worn out!

Now Ryder loves a shoe, or two.  I find him with different shoes on, at different times of the day, every day.

And he knows whose shoes they are too.  He said "mama's shoes"

Yeah, I know they're old school gray new balance.  Fear not, I've been eyeing some new and improved neon kicks like all you youngin's out there. 

Speaking of old style workout attire, I have a confession.  Now let me preface by saying I have not been to a gym in nearly three years.  And I don't shop in the athletic department at Target, and I certainly don't frequent my local Foot Locker.  So about a month ago when I decided to get back in the treadmill world, in the comfort of my own home, I got dressed in my workout finest and after about a week, John Michael finally said, "Brittany, don't you think it's time to upgrade to those shorts everybody is wearing these days?"  He is talking about this type...

And I have been proudly sporting these:

1999 cheerleading style, waist band rolled over and the whole nine. Embarrassing.

No that is not a picture of me, sorry.  Plus, mine are either red or black (go Arrows).

Other items Ryder picks up around the house and tries on.  His father's ties. (If he's not a spitting image of JM is this picture...) 

Watching a little TV

 

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Broaching another subject:  Couponing.  It's all the rage.  Do you see on facebook where all these people are saying, "LOOK, I just spent $12 on $175 worth of stuff with my coupons", etc, etc.  My dear friend Mandy asked me to go to this couponing class with her.  Obviously, this is right up my alley because I do love a good savings.  But, what you have to understand about me is that if I get started on a project, I am so OCD about giving it 100%, that when I fail, I come down hard on myself.  For instance, if I took this class and did not make it my life goal to clip coupons everyday, I would be dissapointed in myself.  And then I would worry about it and feel like I wasted my time taking this class and I'm not even taking advantage of it.  I can't explain it, but that's just how I am.  Are any of you taking part in this?  If it's worth it, maybe I should just give it a shot. 

Trip to the Beach

We are BaaAAAaaacck.  From the Beach!  It was 7 glorious days with nothing to figure out except for what we were going to do for dinner.  So what if Ryder got Bronchitis, 103.5 fever, and scary weezing and flare ups of asthma the first day we were there?  And so what if we had to go to a random doc in a box at Urgent Care?  Our 102 year old doctor at first suggested we go to the Pediatric ER in Pensacola, which would've been an hour and a half away, but then decided it would be okay to just try the medicine and if that didn't work, then we could try the ER. 

So sick, middle of the night sometime.

Next morning.  Got there before the doors were unlocked and already a line ahead of us.

Waiting, waiting, waiting.  And watching Mickey on YouTube.

Sad place to be sick.  He just kept pointing down to the beach with a sad face saying "big water, big water"

Finally made it down.  The splash pad was a hit.

To be so sick, he was in the best mood of his entire life, I give props to his medicine.  Something was in there that made him the sweetest little boy.  The day his antibiotics were over was when the fussing came out, but he was still an angel, nonetheless.  We kept him out of the sun the first few days until he was fever free for 24 hours.  He still couldn't stand to be out there for too long of a time, it was so hot, 95-100 degrees the entire week.  But that worked out fine because between JM needing to get some work done and the rest of us either being burnt or exhausted, we were happy to sit up there with him when he needed to take a break or nap.

That was the longest we've ever been with Ryder day and night since I was on maternity leave.  I enjoyed this time with him so much and either he learned alot on this trip, or I just now noticed from being with him so much.  He would belt out songs that I didn't know he knew.  Twinkle Twinkle Little Star?  No clue that he knew this song, they must sing it at school.  His version:  Tinkle Tinkle lul STARRRRRR, how wonder you ARREEEEE.  Up.....so HIGHHHHH, diamond the SKYYYYY.    John Michael and I were shocked.  We just looked at each other trying not to laugh and interupt him.  He has also mastered Jesus Loves Me, Monkeys Jumping on a Bed, and "Grace", the song they sing before lunch at school.  I was blown away.

He was so funny, when he was ready to go somewhere else, or get up, etc., he would say "mone (c'mon) mama, mone daddy, mone Nanni, mone Gandaddy, mone T, until we all followed where he wanted to go.  And he does his little arm in the c'mon motion.  And he loved to tell everybody what floor we were staying on, "On Senen (7)."  I told him if he got lost he better tell whoever finds him what floor he needs to be returned to.

Ready to roll, with his Ole Miss hat and MS State cooler.  He takes both sides when he's with his grandparents who have taken him to the beach!

Grumpy ole' man

He would say "feeesh in da water" and do his fishy face

Getting glammed up for dinner, he wants you to look at his shoes.

Out to eat at Tacky Jack's

In case you were wondering, this is what happens if you give a child a lemon.

And this.

Nanni and Grandaddy

Lo' and Behold there was a sandbox/playground at the restaurant.  Life. Saver.

Anna Terrell's sweet friends came to the beach with us too!

Yup.  John Michael grew a stache' on this trip.

He was having more fun than he's letting on, promise.

Keep in mind we were at the beach from Saturday to Saturday.  And happy little Ryder's cheeks had to have been sore from smiling so much.  But nope, not on Thursday night at about 5:00, the exact moment we were heading out to have family beach photos made.  Here we are, getting ready to walk out the door.  Those teeth just had to slide on in at this moment, huh...

"Teef Huwwwwts" he kept saying.

"OOOUUUUUH"

Connie and her family were down at the beach when we were, so she took our pictures.  Ryder screamed and kept his hand in his mouth the entire time.  Or made this really weird face.  But she sure did great for what she had to work with (demon baby!)

Back on the beach.

The boys

As you have seen, family photos were not in the cards for us this time.  Let's just say I would not enter Ryder into a most photogenic baby contest this week...

Just tanning.

Now THERE'S that happy face.

He didn't want to get burned.

Our final night there we ate at Louisianna Lagniappe, so since we somewhat got nicely dressed, we attempted more beach pictures before heading out.

Ryder was not having that sand rub between his feet and his shoes.  Didn't like it a bit.

"Daddy Tiss" - He's so sweet.  He has to be even about everything.  If he gives one person a "tiss", he has to go around the room and name each person to give them their tiss too.  And it's always in a question form, "Daddy tiss?"  Mama tiss?"

We're giving up here.

 Grandaddy's had it too!
(just kidding, I think he was grabbing his drink here - bad angle!)

And Ryder's REALLY had it.

But WAIT! 

Is that a playground I see?

Why yes, it is.  HOT DOG!

Sprawlin out in the booth.  Milk in one hand and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on phone in the other.  He's square.

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Now we're back and on our ole' routine.  Ryder is so over the highchair now, so he eats dinner at his little table.  When he's being picky, get out the taco's.  He'll scrape the plate clean, even used two spoons for this meal.

There's no sweeter goodnight.