Y3 - 21/365: A Night Out

There isn't a photo of dear son tonight as we were out for a meal at a Cantonese restaurant in Lye. One of the men who works in the warehouse with Matt has served the company for 25 years, so they had a surprise dinner for him and the other employees and their partners. This means, I...the wifey...reaped the benefits of a free scrummy meal -- complete with wine, courtesy Nicholas Packaging.

Don't mind if I do.

Ryan was looked after by his Nan and Grandad, so definitely in good hands. Although, he had a bit of a rough day as I noticed his fifth tooth has broken through. He didn't nap all morning or afternoon and had been super-clingy, so I knew he may have a tough time once we left.

We ended up gone four hours and when we returned he was spark out on Josie...bless! Don't know what we'd do without my in-laws.

I did honestly miss him after a bit and even brought him up several times throughout the night to Matt. Eventually we were able to excuse ourselves to get home and relieve Matt's parents. It was then that I got my long-awaited Ryan-cuddle after I gave him a dreamfeed and now he's up in his cot, comfortably sleeping.

Y3 - 20/365: A Christmas Halloween? Story

Remember the little boy, Flick, from 'A Christmas Story' who got his tongue stuck to a flagpole in the winter? Yeah...looks like I'll need to worry about my son a little more than previously thought after our visit to the park today...see for yourself.

Matt was mortified when I showed him the pictures...and I'm sure felt a bit surprised that I even cared enough to stop and take several photos as evidence as Ryan mouthed the germy chain, but this is our son. The boy who doesn't discriminate and apparently puts ANYTHING in his mouth! (See photo-exhibits A, B, and C.)

It didn't make a difference how many times I told him "Yuck!" or "No!" He just carried on each and every time I'd pull him away. And I know deep down it's only because he is a curious baby like any other and he doesn't know better, but it still doesn't mean I won't be canvassing the grounds of the first school he attends to note either the absence or the location of their flagpole.

::double checks number for the Fire Brigade::

Y3 - 19/365: You Are What You Eat

I realise I posted Ryan's 'Mr. Potato Head' photos in last night's blog, but tonight he was absolutely CAKED within seconds of offering him a bowl again and I couldn't resist. I had to get Matt's attention at one point as he was slapping himself in the head on both sides with mashed-potato hands! So, although Ryan gets his hair washed typically on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays...we had to make an exception tonight.

Can't believe our little man isn't so little and has officially hit double digits today -- TEN MONTHS!! Wow!

Y3 - 18/365: Train Spotting With Mr. Potato Head

Ryan took his very first train ride today. Actually, he took his very first, second, third, and fourth train ride since both legs had a stop at Smethwick Galton Bridge.

I had completed an application for a teaching position with a Church of England school in Tipton and needed to get it back before the deadline today. Since the train station is quite literally a stone's throw from the school, it was much easier for me to take the application back on my own than for Matt to take time off work just to drive us. So, this morning, with Ryan in the Moby, we caught the 10:40 London Midland train to Smethwick, and then from there the 11:16 train to Wolverhampton and got off at the Tipton stop.

I was initially worried how Ryan would react since most loud noises startle him, but he seemed to quite enjoy watching the trains whizz past the platforms.

I was able to collapse down the pushchair at the first stop and hoist him into the Moby wrap until we arrived in Tipton. As I was exiting that train, he put his head against my chest and closed his eyes, so I pulled the back of the wrap up enough to support his neck and I let him have a nice little nap as I walked across the car park to the school to drop off the application.

When we returned to the platform to catch the return to Rowley Regis he was still spark out so I ducked inside a covered shelter where another woman was also waiting.

I think I must have had a sign on me that said 'tell me everything you know' because I learned more than I wanted to about her in the 10 minute wait.

I learned that she had a baby and gave her up for adoption because the dad left her when she was pregnant. She had a difficult pregnancy because she carried her daughter mostly in her back due to a tilted uterus and because the dad left her she eventually gave the daughter up. But she recently got back in touch with the girl, who is now 14 and lives in London. Her father was Jamaican and the woman's second, and only other partner was Australian...but she's been single now for about 4 years. Since her daughter she had the coil put in but had to have it removed because she bled too much and eventually had herself sterilised so she wouldn't have any more children. She's originally from Litchfield but has lived in the Black Country for some time now, although she doesn't feel she sounds like she is from the Black Country. She's going to Vegas for her 40th birthday in January, which is on a Saturday, but only for a long weekend. I'm pretty sure she told me her name at some point, but my short-term memory was a bit overloaded with all the other useless information she provided me.

Oh, and she likes Americans and doesn't think they're all big-headed.

Whew! Thank goodness for that!

Anyway, I was back at the cottage shortly before 1pm and Ryan was fully awake by the time we left the second train. I'm actually looking forward to our next little adventure!

Later tonight I started dinner off and Matt dished up. I decided to give Ryan a chance to try his mashed potato on his own to see how he would handle the mushy treat. From this photo...looks like so far so good...

In fact, he really got into it and didn't want me to take the bowl away! Matt thought for sure it would be thrown to the side or across the room at one point, but I think there was too much yummy motivation inside to let it get beyond his reach.

He wanted to make sure every last morsel made it to his lips...

...and his cheeks...

...and his nose and eyebrows...

...and forehead...

Yeah...you get the point.

Y3 - 17/365: Where's The Beef?

Well, we'll start with the Yorkie first...such a chore to eat this delicious treat, I know.

We had to take a rain-check on visiting Auntie Emma, Uncle Daz and cousin Amy this weekend since both Ryan and myself were still a bit congested. However, this did not mean that we were without a Sunday dinner...oh no! In fact, this one was extra special because it was prepared by Uncle Daz himself. Nom, nom, nom.

Matt brought a plate home after he went on his own today and Ryan and I quickly tucked in.

As usual, Ryan devoured his carrots (as we boiled a few extra out of our steroid-carrot collection...seriously, they're HUGE). Then I handed over a piece of my beef and he began by airing it out first.

Don't ask...I don't get it either.

Once he felt it had sufficient air-time, he began munching away. Boy, does this boy love beef! Just like his Auntie Anna in America who I believe once replied, "I like MEAT!" when asked in school what her favourite food was.

Oh, and just when you think the ritual is over...nope. Now we have to tenderize it and flop it around on the changing mat. Thank goodness we started putting this under him when he's eating in the Bumbo, otherwise he risks picking up random carpet fluff and Myst's "kittens."

It's about this time that he just begins flinging all of his food off the tray and that's how I know he's finished...so we do the sign for 'finished' or 'all done' and I begin cleaning up the mess from the F3 that just hit that part of the living room.

You may think it's over by now, but alas...it is not. Now we have to determine if he has swallowed all of his dinner. This can be done by making him laugh. Sure enough, there is still a bit that he is working on so I leave him to it.

Finally we finish with the blue sippy to wash everything down the hatch and make sure he's not storing anything in his cheeks for winter.

And that's essentially it for this post, although I had to throw in just ONE more picture because it was too funny not to.

After we ate and Ryan played on the floor with his toys a bit, Matt put him in his walker. He kept bouncing in the walker to eventually Matt switched him over to his Jumperoo thinking he might want a bit of jumping before we headed up to get him ready for bed.

It wasn't long before we saw the familiar eye-flicker and head rolling forward as Ryan once again fell asleep in the Jumperoo.

This just happens to be one of the photos I snapped as he "woke up" to carry on jumping, whilst really still asleep.

I guess that beef went down well for him to be so satisfied.

Y3 - 16/365: Introducing...The Lip

I have noticied in looking through today's photos that Ryan is learning some new facial expressions involving his bottom lip. Most of them occur when being given a stern "NO" for things like pulling open the oven door, playing with power leads, or trying to get into the rubbish bag...all things I deem dangerous or otherwise unsafe, basically. But he is starting to test my willpower and consistency by pulling this little trump card, and let me tell you...it's not working.

But it's funny.

Take this one, for example. He looks like he's going to straight-up knock someone out. This must have been when I told him the pizza crusts were "all gone" and he wasn't keen on that answer.

And then THIS one! Oh my, this one...this is his side-eye. He's judging me here. This is what I like to think of as his Gary Coleman "What'chu talkin 'bout, Willis" face. I mean COME ON!

Y3 - 15/365: I've Got to Break Free

My clever Houdini has now sussed how to escape the confines of the walker. He has started resisting it at times when I go to place him inside if I need to pop out of the room, but I never expected he would develop the ingenuity with which to formulate a plan to actually break free.

I should point out that the photo isn't as dangerous as it looks -- no babies were harmed in the reenacting of this stunt. I watched him manoeuvre himself over the tray of the walker with stealth precision. He figured that if he pulls the push-walker close enough, he can use the handle to hoist himself out of the seat and onto the tray of the push-walker.

Then he gets a bit of a bewildered look and peers up at me as if to say, "Okay Mom...now what?"

My only saving grace at the moment is the Jumperoo and it will take some serious skill to figure out how to get out of that one!

Feeling a bit better today although bunged-up-baby-boy has returned. He was quite stuffy this morning and had a bit of yellow snot (mommies have licence to discuss this subject without judgment), so we got an appointment at the doctor's surgery to have his ears/throat checked and chest listened to. No surprise he tried to eat the doctor's stethoscope! But in the end she said there's no concern for infection and just carry on torturing him with saline drops and the bulb decongester.

We're on our own for a bit tonight as Daddy is popping down to visit Uncle Daz. Someone (in my arms) is looking a bit sleepy now so I think we may head up for a bath and PJ's now and see if sleep isn't far behind.