Another year, another torture session

Ryker - March 2008 (2 weeks old)

April 2009.  He still didn't like it.

April 2010.  They look almost happy!

Almost.

Easter

Honestly isn't the idea of a huge bunny sneaking into your house and leaving you chocolate kind of absurd?  I wonder who came up with the whole idea.  Anyway, we had a fantastic Easter this year.  Ryker started to understand the Easter Bunny thing, which made it a whole lot more fun.  Holidays are so much more fun with kids.  I think I have more fun watching my kids than I even had as a kid.  They amaze me every day.

This is the best Easter Bunny picture.  Frankly I'm shocked we got one this good.  I though for sure Ryker would be terrified of the Easter Bunny, but he hopped right up on his lap and gave him a hug. 

Ryker dyed eggs for the first time this year.  He had very little patience to wait while the eggs were in the dye, so we had a bunch of very lightly colored eggs. 

Ruby had a great time too.

Easter morning was so much fun. Ryker was going through his basket when he saw an egg hidden across the room.  He yelled "egg!" and ran and got it.  He then ran around yelling "egg!  egg!" while he looked for eggs.  It was great.

Little Ruby-Roo, as sweet as can be.

Ruby being a good sport on Easter morning.

We spent the morning with the Andersen side.  Ruby got some quality time with Grandpa and Aunt Sarah.

Great-Grandpa Andersen joined us for the morning.  He and Ruby had a great conversation just through looking at each other.

Nothing like playing in the snow on Easter morning.

Cute Pond family. Little Zachary Thomas Pond was born on March 21st.  We are so glad he is in our family! 

Grandkid picture, minus Ruby who was sleeping.  I think I got 8 pictures or so, and this is the best one.  At least nobody has a finger up their nose.

Ruby loves her cousin Sofia.  She always tries to hold her hand. 

Ruby loves loves her Grandpa Partridge.  He can always get bigger smiles out of her than anyone else.

More cuteness.

The Adorable Roo

I'm sorry, but when you have a baby girl as cute as mine, you just have to take a million pictures.  She is very patient with my impromptu photo sessions.  Ryker doesn't put up with them anymore.  Here is my adorable Ruby Roo. 

St. Patricks Day.  She's never worn this outfit before because it's for summer, but I just put a long-sleeved onesie under it and it looked so cute! 

Lovin' her toes

Seriously...so cute.

One of my all-time favorite pictures of her!

Cutest kids on the planet.  I think this is the best picture of the two of them that I've ever gotten!

I just bought these baby legs.  They are so cute!  Just had to take more pictures of course...

Showin' off the chunk.

Ryker's Birthday!

Ryker's birthday party was last Saturday.  Both of my kids were a bit overwhelmed with all the action.  Overall I think I would have had a better time if my kids weren't there, but since it was Ryker's party I guess it's good we invited him.  I hope he had a good time!

Ryker and Aunt Sarah at Jungle Jim's on the day of his actual birthday.  He had never been there before and loved it!

Driving the jeep.  He was so serious about it.  He just knew he had to concentrate or he would crash.

Ryker's one smiling picture at his party.  This was of course before anyone got there.

The kids table!  I think I have the cutest nieces and nephews ever!

Ryker did pretty well until present opening time.  He opened the first gift, and then just wanted to play with it.  He got more and more mad that he would open a present and get something cool, but couldn't play with it.  This is right before he lost it.

And the tantrum began.

And continued...

I ended up opening several of his presents for him.

He was happy again once he got his cake.  And....drum roll...he blew out his candles himself!  I'd been working with him on his fear of fire for weeks practicing blowing out matches.  I'm so proud of him!!

Who has the bigger mouth? 

Ryker loves the sunglasses he got.

The next morning he woke up super early and played with his new toys.  He really did love them dispite his tantrum while opening them.  He fell asleep reading his "Ah-pets!" (Wonder Pets) book for the 35th time.

Two!

March 12th.  Wow!  Another year has passed already.  Today is Ryker's 2nd birthday!  What a busy year he's had.  Last year he was a baby.  Now he's a little boy.  He went from playing peek-a-boo to playing games on an iPhone.  He went from toddling to running and jumping.  He went from only knowing a few words, to chattering non-stop.  He went from being an only child to being a big brother.  He went from wearing diapers to...well...wearing diapers.  We'll tackle that one next year I guess.

Ryker is such an amazing kid.  Right now he loves Lightning McQueen and all things Cars, Wall-E, and Wonder Pets.  His favorite color is green, and he knows all his colors.  He loves making big crashes down his slide with his cars.  Much to his daddy's dismay, his most recent accomplishment is learning how to walk down stairs like a big boy.  He loves playing with his cousins, and a-pong (ping pong) with his aunts.  He recently got a booster-chair and he is so proud to sit at the table like a big boy. 

I love my Ryker boy!!

Growing up before your eyes...

1 week old

6 months old

1 year old

18 months old

2 years old!

Little Man Ryker

Our little man Ryker turns two in less than a month!  He is growing up so fast.  He has become an extremely busy little boy.  He loves his toys, loves playing with other kids, and loves it when we let him play with the iPhone.  He is talking so much.  I love toddler-talk.  He comes up with the funniest and most random things.  He is a master climber, and I'm running out of "up high" places where I can put things out of his reach.  He is such a happy boy.  I love my Ryker boy! 

Here are a few pictures of what we've been up to:

Christmas morning

From Santa.  Ryker is still very concerned about Santa coming down into the fireplace.  He points to the fireplace all the time and says "Santa....hot....man...green!", which means of course Santa came in the fireplace and brought him his green garbage truck.

Loves his toys.

Ryker is very loved by his Aunt Shel.

A few weeks ago we rode Trax to go to the childrens museum.  Ryker thought the train was just as cool as the childrens museum.

Driving the car with Madi at the museum

Ryker is obsessed with being tall.  He loves to climb up on things and then yell "tall!" again and again until you acknowlege how tall he is.  He calls ladders "talls" and loved climbing the tall with Daddy to change lightbulbs.

Ryker's new obsession.  The iPhone.  Now if he would only tell me where he hid it today.  I can't find it anywhere.  Last I saw he was watching a YouTube video of a garbage man.

Ryker and his cute cousin Hanna at the zoo yesterday.