Y3 - 7/365: Hushabye...Go to Sleepy Little Baby

I take lots of sleeping baby photos -- correction...I take lots of photos, full stop. Many of them are of my baby when he's sleeping...WHEN he is sleeping. But I can't help it. Just look at him -- not a care in the world...completely peaceful.

This was the result of sitting on my lap as we (meaning just myself, really) sang along to some karaoke versions of songs on You Tube. He really enjoys Norah Jones as well as 50s/60s scatting music. I blame Zingzilla's for that. Regardless...every time it puts him to sleep. This time just happened to be around 8pm before he had a chance to have his bath. Since I knew it wouldn't last long, Matt and I went ahead and had our tea and before we could finish, he was woken by the sound of the phone ringing -- stupid automated sales calls!

We attended the baby clinic today. I intended on going a couple of weeks back but I forgot BOTH times until it was too late. They're only open from 2-3:30 on Thursdays, so that's a pretty small window.

Anyway, he now weighs 18 lbs 10 oz and is plotting just between the 9th and 25th centile. His birth weight was on the 75th, but then he quickly regulated to the 50th. It's not uncommon for babies around this age to drop a bit as they're getting much more active...and in Ryan's case it's the absolute truth. The boy can't sit still! In fact, when I asked if we could measure his height, the health visitor was happy to help. However, Ryan wasn't keen on cooperating -- perhaps because he was butt naked with me holding his head in place as the health visitor tried to stretch his leg straight and flex his foot back? The 68 cm measurement wasn't exactly accurate, but that is what will go in his baby book for 9 months.

I do pray he gets a bit of Daddy's height.

Y3 - 6/365: Brr, I Said It's Cold Out Here...

It's not freezing, but cold enough for Ryan's little donnies to end up like tiny blocks of ice...so we whipped out the mitts today for our trip to the park. Many of my Facebook buds saw in my status that we were stuck inside all day -- and it was GORGEOUS, which was a shame. I left my keys in the car and Matt drove to work unknowing. So, when he locked the door on his way out to work this morning, he locked us IN the house. Of course, if something happened and we needed to get out, we could have gotten out a window...but it still kept us in for the nicer bit of the day.

When we got back from the park, the tea that I had gotten started when Matt walked in was all ready for dishing up. We had pork chops with mashed potato, broccoli, carrots and parsnip. Ryan enjoyed the parsnip and even alternated bites with his carrot. He even looked at it at one point as if to say, "This is a funny looking carrot, Mommy."

To be fair, before I moved here I had never tried a parsnip before. As it turns out...I like them. Imagine that! I also quite like brussel sprouts as well -- when cooked properly (which as far as I am aware is the only way Emma knows how to do them).

It's one thing about the way in which we treat food with Ryan that makes me happy. He doesn't turn his nose up at a thing and we always offer a bit of what we're having. He loves carrots so much we even think he may turn into one!

Y3 - 5/365: What Did We Come Here For?

Asda are having their Mother & Baby Event again which means deals on things such as nappies and wipes. Of course, "deals" as long as they have them IN STOCK! The thing only just started today and could I get size 4 Pampers Baby Dry in the mega pack of 120? Nope. Shelf...empty.

Thankfully the event lasts until the 17th of October and Ryan has enough to get him by until then, so we may have to just wait.

Ryan was completely oblivious to our reason for visiting Asda, of course. He was just a happy little bunny sitting in the trolley and talking to his leopard friend while occasionally flashing his charming baby-grin at random female shoppers walking by.

He's into older chicks.

Y3 - 4/365: It's a Beautiful Day!

The weather outside today has been gorgeous! This is a welcomed change as it has been dreary and overcast all week and threatened rain or even stormed. So when I opened the windows to let in a little breeze, this little butterfly (or moth, I'm not sure) got trapped inside when he mistakenly flew through a window and into the front room.

Rather than allow him to become a bite-sized snack for Mystical kitty, I humanely captured him inside a pint glass and used Ryan's Once Upon a Garden book (how appropriate) to safely transport him back out the front door to OUR garden. Of course, I let Ryan have a little peek at our flutterby friend and he squealed with delight as expected.

I apparently missed the memo today that naps were optional. There were three opportunities and each one was thwarted by a sudden alertness that was triggered as soon as Ryan left the physical connection of my body as I put him down into his cot. He just wasn't having it.

So, we stayed up and played...a lot. We had to abandon the walker for the day as he has learned to escape. I caught him pulling himself out with the help of his pushchair and because he was so stealthy about it, I had only noticed when he was flat on his belly across the tray and reaching toward the floor. He actually executed the dismount pretty impressively.

His obsession lately is getting himself up to sitting on his knees and flailing his arms or bouncing as well as pulling himself to standing and then letting go and balancing for 30 seconds or so. He even made some attempts to turn towards me (as I was sitting right there) and "walk." Although, his walk was more like "TIIIIMBERRRRRRRRRR!" because he would just fall like a big tree in a forest into my chest.

Silly, bunny.

Before Matt arrived home we ventured out into the garden for a little fresh air and brought along his push-walker. I really love how he's not discouraged at all when he loses his balance and tumbles because he just grabs the handle and hoists himself back up. He really had a blast.

Finally we picked an apple off the apple tree and washed it off. Then sat out on the patio where Ryan enjoyed his first proper bite of a whole apple.

I got him started with a small nibble just to break the skin, but he carried on for the next 30 or 40 minutes munching away and even managed to eat half before dropping it on the floor shortly after Matt arrived home.

Now I'm just hoping all this activity will make for one tired little lad who wants to stay in his cot tonight and let Mommy and Daddy have their sleep, too.


::fingers crossed::

Y3 - 3/365: Skin the Bunny!

"Skin the bunny!" was the phrase that was always said in my house when our parents would undress us as kids to get us in pajamas or other clothes. I assume it's because with your arms up in the air they represent rabbit ears and when a shirt  is pulled over the head it represents skinning a bunny, I guess. So, out of sheer habit I have been saying this to Ryan as I tell him to lift his arms. The cutest bit of all is that now I have caught Matt on occasion saying "skin the bunny" to Ryan as well.

Oh, and get this...he slept through AGAIN!!

He did wake only briefly around half-four so I did nurse him then, but he was still back down until almost 8am. Still, I do hope he's back into sleeping longer stretches. Plus, he's no longer in Mommy and Daddy's room where he can get woken up by our sleeping noises.

Y3 - 2/365: All Good Gifts Around Us

Good thing number one: Ryan slept completely through the night until half-seven this morning without even a whimper. When I went into his room to collect him this morning and bring him down to change him, he was all smiles and the most relaxed and well-rested I have ever seen him!

Good thing number two: While I was doing some last-minute cramming for the Life in the UK test, my new phone arrived via Royal Mail Special Delivery! BEHOLD! The new Samsung Galaxy S and all its shiny, new superiority!

I renewed my T-Mobile contract last week and figured if they were sticking me with a minimum 24-month contract, I may as well get a phone I knew could make it the long haul. The phone was free with the renewal, although with all the bells and whistles, it's not a cheap phone by any means.

I'll report back when I've had a chance to mess a bit with all the features.

Good thing number three: I PASSED my Life in the UK test!! Woohoo!

We dropped Ryan off at his Nan and Grandad's so we wouldn't have to worry about entertaining him the whole time in the car, considering we thought it may be almost two hours plus travel time to Wolverhampton. We managed to get there at 1pm ON THE DOT, which is when I was due to check in. Matt literally had to stop the car outside the library as I jumped out and ran frantically across the road and up the steps. Once inside, I followed a winding set of steps upstairs and must have looked lost because someone asked if I needed help,

I managed to find the room and went to check in. Thankfully the proctor said they allow a bit of extra time in case people get lost. Once I was signed in and seated at my computer, I prayed that I wouldn't come across many questions that I just didn't know.

Just for that...I came across EIGHT. Yep, 1/3 of the test was questions I was unsure about and I needed an 80% to pass and not have to re-pay and take the test again.

But I passed!! And I got my £34 red stamp on a piece of paper that I can now send off with my ILR paperwork next week.

We had even more good news when we picked Ryan up afterwards that he was good as gold for his first time ever of being away from both Mommy and Daddy. In fact, when we walked in he was fast asleep in Josie's arms and looked so peaceful. I knew of course that he would be in good hands!

So, yeah...no complaints about today. None at all.

Y3 - 1/365: Trust Fall

Ryan and I have this game that he invented where he will pull himself to standing position on any random piece of furniture, peek to see that I am behind him, and then the little daredevil just flings his arms out in front of himself and FALLS backward. Sometimes it's into my waiting arms and sometimes he catches me off guard and bounces onto his rump, but it all gets the same reaction from him -- a huge ear-to-ear grin and occasionally a fit of laughter.

Just a short one tonight as I'm revising a bit for the Life in the UK test tomorrow afternoon in Wolverhampton. Everyone keeps saying how easy it is, but I don't want to take any chances, so I'm reviewing everything I can while a certain tiny someone is fast asleep.

Wish me luck!!