The Giraffe!

Ryker's favorite toy these days is a little rubber giraffe from Mark and Djinni. It is great for teething AND it squeeks! He likes to either put it in his mouth or bang it against his leg to make noise.

My, How He's Grown!

The first time we took Ryker to NY, Annika had him take a nap on her green pillow. We put him back on the same pillow at Thanksgiving. Look how much he grew in four months!

Santa Claus

We took Ryker to see Santa Claus. He didn't really know who he was, but I'm sure he'll figure it out soon enough!

1st Date

Andrew and I had our first date without Ryker since he was born. We bathed him and put him to bed before we went out and Anker and Monica watched him. Like a good baby, he never woke up. We went to Dressler and had a lovely meal.

Annika and Ryker

His cousin, Annika, is almost 7 years old. She loves to take care of him and is very good at it. She was playing with him and then he threw up all over her. It was pretty gross and she did NOT like it one bit, but she still loves to make him laugh.

Mommy and Ryker

Marvin and Ryker

Andrew's very good friend, Marvin, is working in New York. He came for Thanksgiving and met Ryker for the first time.

Daddy and Ryker

Andrew came from Dublin. He bathed, fed and played with Ryker. It was so nice to have an extra set of hands because I have bad tendonitis from holding Ryker all of the time. Andrew couldn't believe how much Ryker grew in just a couple of weeks!

Monica and Ryker

We went to visit Anker and his family in New York for Thanksgiving. Ryker was full of smiles for everyone.

In the Bean Bag!

Ryker loved to hang out on the bean bag chair in the living room. He could sit up or lay on his tummy and see all of the action.

On Children

From: The Prophet by Khalil Gibran

And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, Speak to us of Children.
And he said:
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.

Giddie Ap (sp?)

Ryker had his first shoulder ride on Joanne's shoulders. We went to visit Steve and Joanne at their beach house in Lewes, DE. They have a horse farm right behind the house. Ryker is going to love that once he gets a bit bigger!

Toes and Teeth

Ryker insists on grabbing his left foot with his left hand while I feed him. He's really discovered his limbs recently. Sometimes he'll sit and stare at his hand while he moves it this way and that. He is also teething. He doesn't complain about it, but he does like to bite down on things - his hands, my fingers, a chew toy. Pretty much everything gets into his mouth these days.

Marybeth and Ella

Marybeth visited from Bogota. We took the kids to the zoo. Ella was still happy at this point. Later she wanted her mommy to carry her, but it was too far. So, we got to listen to her complain. Oh well, that's what kids do, eh?

Joan D!

I've known Joan D. forever! She came to see Ryker and he gave her lots of big smiles. She brought an awesome gift - a Stokke high chair that we'll use very soon! She has a new granddaughter from Vietnam. I guess it's time for the next generation to begin...

More Shots - Ouch!

I took Ryker for his 4 month visit. He weighs 14 lbs (25%) and is 26 inches long (75%). I'm only just beginning to understand this percentile thing. Basically, he's on the tall and skinny side. We had to wait awhile, so we played. Dr. Sepe said that babies usually don't laugh so much when they come to see him, but I have the "happy baby."

Working Mom

Marilu takes wonderful care of Ryker while I go to work. They seem to have so much fun together. One day I came home and he was still swaddled from his nap. He gives me big smiles when I come home!

Ryker's a Swinging Kind of Guy

We went to Kalorama Park where I used to play as a child. He really enjoyed the swing!