Rover Roll Over

Ryker is rolling over - front to back and back to front. If you don't watch him, he'll roll himself over again and again until he gets stuck against something.

He's not interested in crawling because he prefers to stand (with you supporting him under his arms or holding your fingers). He may very well go straight to walking and skip the crawling.

He started eating rice cereal a couple of weeks ago since he was drinking 10-12 ounces at a time! I feed him cereal once in the evening. Perhaps this is why he sleeps 12 hours STRAIGHT every night. And, no, that doesn't mean he's up all day. He still takes 2 naps of 2-4 hours each.

Ryker is also becoming more ticklish. I give him a massage after his bath and he laughs so much when I do it. I bathe him in the big bath in a couple of inches of water. He lies on his back and has learned not to turn his head or he'll get a big mouthful of water. He splashes around a lot.

Dublin Beach

We went for a long walk on the beach the day before Ryker and I returned to Washington. Andrew carried Ryker and we were all sad that we'd be separated for awhile.

Eating Carrots

My mother, AVO (Ancient Venerable One) made Ryker a carrot hat. Any time I put it on his head, he managed to take it off and try to eat the carrots.

Guinness

Ryker tried (just a tiny little bit of foam!) his first Guinness at Ryan's in Dublin. Rumour has it that they have a hose feeding directly from the Guinness Brewery down the street. It was a fine pint indeed.

Andrew's Birthday

Andrew was very happy that he got to spend the day with both of his children. Keelin picked out his cake, helped blow out the candles, and open his gifts.

Terroism Tourism

We drove around Belfast looking at some of the many murals. Most of these were done after "The Troubles." From an American's perspective where today there is great tolerance for religious differences, it is very strange to think of the amount of hatred between the Catholics (Irish) who were discrimated against and Protestants (English). The Catholics experienced segregation similar to that of Blacks in America - different schools, neighborhoods, career paths, etc.

Belfast

We went to Belfast and stayed at The Europa which is managed by Andrew's friend, Jimmy. It was a very nice hotel.

Family Portrait

Andrew, Keelin, Ryker and me - our first photo together as a family. This was taken at a B&B in Omagh, Northern Ireland where Keelin lives with her mummy.

Tower of London

We stayed near the Tower of London. The weather was beautiful - clear, cool and NO rain!

London Calling!

Andrew started a new job with a firm based in London so Ryker and I toured the city. Actually, I toured and he slept most of the time.

Bath Time

Daddy gave him his bath, fed him and put him to bed every night.

Ryker Meets his Sister, Keelin

Ryker and I went to Ireland to see his daddy, Andrew, who is now living there. He got to meet his sister who is 3 1/2. We gave her a little doll named Ryker to introduce the idea. She loves her new baby brother and says "he's a sweet, little boy!"

First Airline Trip

Not even three months old and Ryker has a passport. We flew to Dublin on Aer Lingus. He slept in the bassinet the whole way.