IHeartFaces - Reflections

Ok everyone...I know I REALLY owe you a good update entry soon. I still have to post his 1 year old pics I took...pics from his first zoo visit...stories...more and more...I am a slacker!! No, scratch that. I am a busy mommy of a one year old and when I do have the time to sit, I nap haha! I have tons of updates...but for now...

This week's entry is reflections. I know if I had the time to doll myself up and escape mommyhood for a little bit I could take some awesome pics. But alas...that just cant happen right now. But I have this pic of me from a little while ago I totally love. Hope you like it!

And here is my one for the kid's section. This is from around Christmas. I was making dinner one night and Rylend was SO amazed by the oven, the food inside, and the little kid staring back. I wish I could capture more of what he does with mirrors, but the camera never seems to be nearby when he does the cute things he loves to do! I love this one anyway. :)

Oh yeah! And I felt special. Last week's contest (Self-portrait) I did not win or get an honorable mention. But I felt very special anyway because they put my pic in one of the collages they make to show off the entries...yay me! I will take what I get *smiles*

iHeartFaces - Self Portrait!

Ok, So anyone who knows me knows I love to do my own little photo shoots... but I am wayyy self conscience of SHOWING OFF the pictures though. I never think my work is good enough...call it bad self confidence I guess. But I figured I should enter one of my photos this week. This is one of my all time faves...for some reason I just LOVE it...

And here is my entry for the kids section. Not the world's most amazing photo, but I love it. That was such a happy moment and memory.

Rylend is ONE!

Well, today was the day!
My baby boy turned ONE. It is so crazy to think that I have now been a mommy for one whole year. It feels like it has barely begun, while at the same time as if I have been a mommy forever!

I woke up this morning and ran into Rylend's room yelling "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" He started squealing and jumping around, super happy. The rest of the day we did our usual routine, minus me baking cake and cupcakes and wrapping presents.

Then once Shane got home, we headed up to Grandma and Grandpa Merritt's. When we got there we saw they had already decorated...aw! I set to work on icing the cake (I have NO icing skills, unlike my mom who is very good. So yeah...the cake TASTED great, but looked like it was made by a very very very amature lol) and Shane played with Rylend and the fam.

It finally came time for the big ole birthday cake!
We strapped Rylend into the high chair, and started to sing. At first he looked at all of us like we were nuts. Then he quickly smiled and started to laugh and cheer us on. It was so cute! Grandma brought the cake over...and after looking at it a moment Rylend reached forward for some, candle still burning! haha! Daddy had to help him blow it out...then I handed him his cupcake.

Here is a vid of us singing to him...he is so funny!

He held it in his hands for a moment, squishing the frosting around. Then raised it to his mouth and CHOMP, in it went! The smile on his face was priceless. He started to laugh again, and we cheered for him. Oh my, this kid LOVES the attention! He sat there eating his cupcake, quietly going "mmmm mmmm mmmmm" the entire time. Mmmmmmm

Here is a vid of Rylend when we gave him the cupcake. Its actually way longer and even cuter...but the program I used to shorten it so I could upload it only let me do this small part...sigh. If I find a better way of getting the whole vid up, i will do it and let you know!
At least you get to see his first reaction!

After that we sat down to open the presents. Rylend still doesnt understand why we let him open something, look at it...then make him set it aside to open something else. We had to open them quickly to keep him happy, then he set to work exploring his new toys. He got some awesome puzzles and books, along with cute church clothes from Grammy and PopPop Mason. And he got this cute little baby laptop from Grandma and Grandpa Merritt that I ALMOST bought him but luckily didnt! Tania got him some new sippy cups with straws, Great-Grandpa and Grandma Merritt got him a new bib and some sippy cups, the Lloyds got him a cute little train with lego type stackables...then when we got home later he had some packages from more people! Wow this kid is lucky!! New clothes from Herbie and Tessa...more new clothes from John and April! Letters from Donna and from Brandon...I know my kid is well loved and I love all the people who are making sure he knows it too. He has such amazing people in his life.

So I am sitting here now, thinking about my little boy. How amazing he is and how blessed I have been to be given him. He is so smart. So so funny. He had a blast today and deserved it. Rylend is always bringing such joy and adventure into our lives, regardless of his bad days. I love Rylend so much and cant wait for tomorrow to see what new laughter and learning moments he will bring into my day.

(Below are a few pics Ashley took for us of my little family. I love them so much!)

I forgot to attach these pics... X-Rays!

So, I forgot to attach these pics also to my last post. They are the xrays of his legs today. We still have to go to over to St. Vincents and get copies of his leg when it had the fracture...but at least you can see his cute little bones! hahaha
Once we get the St. V ones I will post them too!

The brace is GONE! YAY!

Well, we went in for Rylend's check up today. He was super happy, playing with the toys in the office and smiling at the other babies and patients there. Then it was time for the xray. The nurse was super nice and let him touch the buttons of the machine and look at it...but as soon as it was time to lay down with the lead vest on and be held still...he lost it. Let me tell you, this kid can scream. There was only room for one of us, so Shane stayed in with him (strong daddy can hold him still better than mommy who wants to pick up the baby and comfort him...) and as I stood right outside the door, a nurse walked by and said with a smile "Aw, are they picking on him?"

When my boys came back out, Rylend looked at me then smiled, holding out the stickers the nurse had given him. Aw!!

Well, we saw the doc and...his leg is better! New bone has grown around the old, splinting in what is left of the fracture. So we got the go ahead to stop using the brace and to just make sure he doesnt do anything crazy...like falling off a couch with his leg caught haha. We went out to the hall to look at another computer that had the images of his first xray (the docs at St. Vincent never let us see the images of the break) and as the doc was showing us where the fracture was a nurse came by and snuck a few more stickers into Rylend's pocket. Aw, I think all the nurses there had a crush on the little man.

Anyway, Rylend is already SUPER happy that the brace has been packed away. The last week has been a major wrestling match of brace vs. Rylend and I wont miss it at all! When we got home I wanted to give Rylend something for being so good at the doc's today. I always thought it was nice when a kid got rewarded for being good for the doc, other than screaming and biting. So I grabbed one of the two presents Shane and I got for him for his bday tomorrow and gave it to him. No worries, he has other presents from family, so I thought we could sacrifice one of ours for a reward.

Its a little puzzle with animals...had to get it because it has a cat on it and Rylend is OBSESSED with cats! I set him on the floor with it in front of him...and for the rest of the evening he was consumed! He is such a smart and curious kid...he would pick up each piece, look at it, look at where it came from...try to put them back...I took some pics and videos. I will put one of the videos on here. I love it...he tries to do the puzzle by putting all the pieces on the board at once...haha!

I love my kid and cant wait for tomorrow! Just think...this time last year I was in the hospital, in labor, just a few hours away from pushing...just a few more hours away from holding my amazing baby boy for the first time ever...Time flies.