christmas shopping.

christmas shopping straight up did you out. thanks for being such a trooper. i couldn't do it without you. you are my best shopping buddy.

water bug

nothing is better than the day at the pool...you were obsessed this summer! i can't wait until you can learn to swim!  i mean the splash pad is awesome, but you have no idea what is ahead! you kept me on top of my game chasing you around.  every second i turned my back you would count to three and jump in the deep end!!

i love you!
♥ mom

restless hoodlums.

movie night is so relaxing and quiet with these two shenanigans running amok. 

ryleigh and a hot dog.

grandma thinks you like to eat hot dogs when she takes you on her costco runs...we probably shouldn't break the news to her yet, since she has so much fun buying them for you...

loving the sun.

you have been obsessed lately with being outside. it's a whole new world for you! i don't blame you. the weather has been absolutely perfect! you think you rule the world now that you can walk everywhere... i love watching you grow!

 ♥ mom 

sleepy heads.

grandma mitchell is swamped watching both you and leighton on tuesdays....good thing it was my last day of school because you two feel asleep on her at the same time! you tied her down for your entire naptime...talk about high maintenance.
 ♥ mom

obsessive compulsive toothbrushing disorder.

caught in the act.

best buds.

dad always sends me pictures of the two of you on tuesday nights while i am at school...

you have one cool dad.

p.s. i think he kind of likes you... a lot.

♥mom

birthday girl!

happy first birthday ryleigh! i can't believe how fast you are growing up!

it was just you and me on your birthday morning and so we made pink and green pancakes for breakfast! 

 then we went to dinner, and you got to invite one person.  you chose tanner, because he is your favorite uncle in the whole wide world. you are obsessed with him.

i love you ryleigh! i can't believe how grown up you are! i am so lucky to be your mom!

i love you!

carseat.

you were looking really big to me today, so i whipped out your big girl carseat, and then you didn't look so big anymore. it didn't help that you were wearing a black shirt that blended in with the carseat and all we could see was your head...we will try another day...

chilling with your boys

beau and crew are crazy about you.

and when they let you touch their tractor, it's a good day.

baby kisses.

uncle norm sent me these pictures yesterday of you lovin' up on lil' leighton.

(this must have been over christmas break)

you two look so little! you have been giving leighton kisses from day one.  your best friend bond is already there.

you and dad went shopping the other night, and while you were gone i got a text that read:

RY HAS STYLE

yes, that is you. and yes, you are in the store, and yes, dad is outside the store.

you two are crazy when you get together!

i love you both!

♥ mom

ryleigh's ghetto new ride.

we found this hidden out at grandma's house the other day. it must have been cousin emma's. but since she moved, you were all over this thing like the new girl on the block.

you were obsessed.

although there was one slight problem, the battery wasn't charged...so i got my workout for the day.

uncle ryan built a little pull along on the front and i wheeled you around all afternoon...you thought you were the coolest thing.

and yes, you were.

i love you! ♥ mom

sickly.

this is the first time you have ever really been sick. seriously. you are healthiest baby i know...how? not sure yet. probably because i am the best mom on the block. 

but you were super sick today. and i had no idea what to do. so we snuggled all day long and watched elmo.

i love you sickly.

get better soon.

♥ mom

takin' a stroll.

it's mom and dad's 4th anniversary today!! and in celebration of this event, we had little miss cupcake lady down the street whip up a batch of reeses cupcakes...YUMMY! 

i took the day off because you had the nasty croup so it was just me and you hanging out all day.  when she called to say the cupcakes were ready, i think we were both a little excited to get out of the house and enjoy a little walk.

i love you!

♥ mom

spare time.

playing with seashells is the cool thing to do...

hideout

this is your new hideout... right in between the desk and guest bed, and sometimes underneath the bed. i have yet to figure out why you like this so much...

i love you ry, even when i can't find you.

♥ mom

baby.

i never thought i would be one of those moms that buys their kid whatever they want.

but i am. and i did.

you saw this little brown-haired doll across the store and wouldn't let go of her from the moment that little store clerk placed her in your arms. 

it was love. 

tuesday nights.

tuesday nights i go to class and dad watches you. he washes the dishes, and then he washes you. all in the same place. you can hardly get enough of it. tuesday nights with dad are your favorite.

i love you!

baby time.

great grandma mitchell gave you this water baby for christmas...and until just recently, you haven't wanted anything to do with it. i don't blame you, she is kinda creepy.

 but she is slowly growing on you.

 ...and you can't get enough of her.

i love you!

♥ mom

popsicle pals.

you and your father are OBSESSED with fruit popsicles at the moment. i thought this would just be like a late night fad, but no...you guys have upped it to tradition...bring on the sugar.

i love you!

♥ mom

morning breakfast.

keeping you fed is a full-time job. everything i give to you either ends up on the floor or getting squished between your fingers.
you aren't the biggest morning eater, yet...
we are working on that.  strawberry puffs and string cheese is your favorite thing at the moment. our goal is to fatten your little body up!
i love you!!
♥ mom

 as long as you have your water baby, bathes don't get much better.  but actually they do when dad busts out your pink baby bath. (i think he forgot you could sit up by yourself, and i think he fell asleep on bath duty) 

i love you.
♥ mom

troublesome.

you love getting into everything now-a-days...luckily there has been no real damage as of yet. oh and the pants, who needs 'em?

i love you!

♥mom

toothbrush!

i took you shopping today for your very first TOOTHBRUSH!
you loved it in the store and just couldn't keep your paws off it...when we came home to try it out, you wanted nothing to do with it. you even spit out your yummy fruit toothpaste we got for you...we're going to be practicing some tough love and get you to like it!
your 2 little teeth are screaming to be scrubbed!

cheerio craves.

you have a cheerio obsession.

and when you're at grandma's house, it's even worse.

she has the really yummy ones with sugar all over them.

...making them all the more stickier...

i love you with food on your bum.

♥ mom

food fight.

i tried to stop it.

you insisted.

oatmeal cereal right to the eye.

guess that's how you like to play. :)

love ya.

♥ mom

working girl.

you cracked me up all day at work today...
you just can't get rid of the tongue, i love it.  you have had that thing out since you were three months old...we're still trying to figure out why you like it so much.
you're a little babbler these days.  but you haven't quite figured out that in order to talk you gotta lose the tongue.
your baby language is awesome. i have no idea what you are saying, but you do! and you just say it over and over again thinking i'm going to understand you... maybe one of these days...

i love you lots!
♥ mom

new additions.

uncle steve just called and said you're getting a new little cousin...
we are so excited and we can't wait to meet the little one!
for some reason, you just weren't too thrilled about the news...

jealous or not, it's coming either way.

cheer up ry.

i love you.

♥ mom

look-a-like.

ryleigh you look just like your father.  everyone agrees with me.  i wish you somewhat looked like me, or that someone might see a spark of me in you, but no...you are all dad. but heck, you are super cute and i'm not complaining...
i love you just the way you are...
♥ mom

tag team.

you and dad spent all morning prepping the bumper for a new paint job.

we heated the garage up all nice and warm so that you wouldn't freeze.

and we didn't have any newspaper to tape it off...so we went with the next best thing...christmas wrapping paper!

naked bum.

ryleigh you are getting so big...

you are crawling all over and pulling yourself up on everything.

you are out of my control now.

but i love finding you like this...

and all i can think is that dad must have stolen your diaper.

i love you.

♥ mom