month 12

Ryder-

Life has been so busy the last couple months and has flown right by! So much has happened that has kept me busy and not blogging. Most importantly during that time you turned one!!

We had a birthday party for you at home with our family. We had pizza and cake and opened presents. You got lots of new toys and seemed to have a great time with your cousins. You liked your cake, but more than that you enjoyed the sucker that was on top. Can't believe it’s already been a year since you joined us.

It seems like once you hit the one year mark you suddenly grew up! You started walking full time the day before your birthday and now you are into ev.ry.thing. You are busy, loud and rambunctious, yet sweet. You love balls, hammers, shoes, dirt, rocks, dogs, trucks and all things boy. You bang everything on everything! Everything is a hammer to you. We are still trying to get used to the roughness of a boy.

You are silly and starting to learn that you can make people laugh. You are developing quite the personality. You are quite opinionated and know what you want. You are persistent and not very obedient, yet…we are working on this.

You love to eat, but continue to throw food on the floor. I am learning that you do this when you are not hungry. You LOVE fruit, Gold Fish, cheese, green beans, carrots, chicken, and most of all, candy! You are really good to eat most everything we feed you. Again, we are blessed with another good eater.

You are over the phase of no rocking and now let me rock you to bed at night. Thank you buddy, I love it. I need it. You continue to sleep well, usually going to be between 8:30 and 9 and waking up between 7 and 8. You wake up almost every night, usually once, crying as if you are hurt or scared. I wonder if you have bad dreams. It makes me sad. I rub your back and you go right back to sleep.

At 12 months you are 21lbs (46th%) and 30in tall (76th%). You are wearing 12 month size clothes and a size 4 shoe. You are at this point the exact same size in weight and clothing that Q was when she passed away at 20 months. Often times as I hold you, and especially when I rock you, I think about her. You will soon pass her in size and take us into uncharted territory.

Ryder, you are everything to me and your dad. You are continuously carrying us through each day. You came to us at an extremely vulnerable time, but a very necessary time. We need you buddy. I don’t dare look too far into the future or make any plans in my head of who you will be, but I am sure that you will be great, weather you live to be 4 or 87. You are already great. You keep your dad and I on our toes and more importantly you keep smiles on our face. We really hope we don’t ever have to live a day without you.



Love you lots.