11 Months

Ryker's mobility is incredible.  He moves so quickly now that you look away for a moment and then have to search for him.  He is all BOY - never sits still for a moment and into EVERYTHING!  I love it, but Jon and I are definitely falling into bed exhausted each night.

11 Months

So silly

Bounce, bounce, sleep

Playing in his new ball pit

He has lots of new tricks, including clapping, high fives, and fist bumps.  He loves to push cars (or anything with wheels) around the house.  At first he would even make noises like screeching tires as he was pushing - he must get that sound from Jon's driving :-)  He also "surfs" around the house on anything that can slide - like the plastic piece we put in to close the dog door.

For the Brew Crew - bickies!

Bubble time at the library

Parachute play at the library

Vroom vroom

We are in desperate need of baby-proofing.  He is into all the cabinets and even opens the shower door to climb inside - even while I'm taking a shower and he's fully clothed - fun times!  He loves to play with the toilet paper roll in the bathrooms, and eats anything paper or cardboard.  This month he conquered the stairs all on his own - straight up no problem... now we just need to teach him how to go down safely.

Getting in the shower - PJs and all

Our stair climbing, ornament chewing, adorable reindeer

T-R-O-U-B-L-E

Aunt Amy made him a special Mr. Clean outfit with dusters attached to the knees and wrists, so now his mobility helps me clean!

Cleaning the floor

Dusting our end tables

Throwing a fit because he fell over

He cut two more teeth this month (on 11/11 - the ones on either side of the top front) and the ones next to those are working their way down.  His appetite for solids is increasing.  He will eat great off of a spoon, and especially loves yogurt, pureed pot-roast, and refried beans.  He loves his fruit, yogurt, and veggie smoothies which sips from a straw, but gets mad as soon as its gone and he starts getting air.  Ryker had his first lime and kept going back for more even after he made the most awful face! He thinks it is hysterical to dip his hand in his food, then dangle his hands over the side of his high chair for the dogs to lick off.

Stylin' in a hat

Play date with the triplets

Otto is hilarious

Ryker spent his first Thanksgiving with the Voorhies clan.  He had his grandparents, great uncle, and cousins over for a feast (he thinks they were all there just to see him).

Grandpa Voorhies and Great Uncle Ron

Part of the Voorhies Clan

Hanging with his cousins - Preston and Jacob 

His first Thanksgiving meal

Cousins Rachelle and Ronda

On December 6th (his 11 month birthday) Ryker celebrated his first St. Nicholas Day Dutch style.  He set his shoe outside the bedroom door and got some special treats (puffs and yogurt drops).  Instead of the traditional chocolate candy initial, he ate a chocolate pancake "R" for breakfast.

Chocolate pancake initial

St. Nicholas left treats in his shoe

10 months of Heaven

Lots of developments on the Ryker front this month.  Teething is not so much fun - cranky and trouble sleeping well.  Seems like he is just getting over it, then the next set start working their way in!  This month he got his top two teeth (right came in on 10/15, and left on 10/18).  There is quite a large gap between them, which is quite cute, but mom hopes they work their way together so future permanent teeth won't need expensive orthodontics.

10 Months old

We have reached what I like to call "The Gravity Stage".  Pretty much all food and toys get to test out gravity as they are dropped from his hands.  He likes to look right at you as he stretches his hand out to the side of his highchair and lets the food drop (much to the delight of the dogs).  He admires his work as he stares down at his "creations". Thank goodness for the plastic I put on the floor so I don't have to scrub strawberries out of the grout every time!

A Brewer trait - an ice cream lover already!

And more ice cream

...and more ice cream (I swear he really does eat real food)

Kiwi - this is the face he makes after the first bite of ANYTHING - even if he loves it

Ryker goes through phases where he will repeat and repeat a sound for a week or two at a time.  He went through his ba-ba-ba phase, then he went through his screeching phase, next came his growling phase, and there have been various other sounds and syllables mixed in there.  Two weeks this month I got to hear "da-dee, da-dee, da-dee" ALL DAY LONG.  He loves when things get chanted, like his name or daddy, so I guess he decided to do his own chants non-stop.  He also can wave "hi" and "bye-bye".

Lunch with friends at the park

Loved his first time swinging

A big first this month... on October 17th Ryker crawled for the first time.  Believe it or not, the first thing he crawled for was an abucus - he definitely is his father's son!  Within absolutely no time he was speedily crawling all over the place like he had been doing it his whole life.  Which brings us to our first battle of wills.  Ryker kept crawling over to Brandi's dog bowl to play with, throw, and taste her food.  I would tell him no and move him back (which would make him extremely upset).  After 9 or 10 tries at it, he finally looked at me, looked at the bowl, and decided to try Otto's bowl instead.  Smart kid!  He realized he would get in trouble for that one too, so he finally gave up.  Score: Mom-1, Ryker-0 (for now).

First day crawling

Heaven help me - dog door discovery!

Pretty soon after crawling he began pulling up on the couches and cruising along them (10/24).  I don't think I'm ready for all this mobility and he NEVER stops to take a break.  If only I had that much energy!

A button-down cardigan sweater in honor of Grandpa Laird

Vroom...vrooom

Crazy hair day!

Ryker had his first friend sleep over.  Emery got to come over, play, and sleepover as her family welcomed her little brother into the world!  They had so much fun crawling all over each other and talking to the dogs through the window.  Ryker also got to spend some special time with Uncle Braden and Aunt Karyn, lived through his first presidential election and debate with Colin Boyd, and his godbrother Leo's birthday party.

Ryker's first sleepover

Pinned by a girl, and not taking it like a man!

The state fair was a highlight this month.  Ryker loved the exotic and farm animal petting tent.  He especially enjoyed the chickens and ducks crawling all over the goats and sheep and got to see a few animals he had never experienced before - turtles, giraffe, emus, kangaroo, alpacas, zebras, etc.  He was amazed at the colorful lights and sounds of the state fair parade, but cried when it came time for the noisy fireworks and flame-throwers.  We watched the dog show, which he seemed to follow pretty well, and had a pretty full day. He even got a picture with Big Tex just hours before he burned down the very next day.

Animals, animals, animals!

So true!  

Picture with Big Tex - the day before he burned down

Ryker battled a cold which turned into croup.  They really should warn new parents about how scary croup can be. One moment he falls asleep with just a cold, and the next he wakes up having a very hard and noisy time breathing and a cough that sounds like a barking seal that he couldn't quite recover his breath from.  He sounded worse than Darth Vader.  Poor guy got better after a round of steroids  but still has a lingering cough and rattle when he breathes.

Practicing his sprinkler dance move in his sleep

Sweet sleepy face

Pre-debate debates between the Boyds (Ryker and Colin)

We had a wonderful family day at another fall carnival.

This skeleton isn't so scary

Trying to steal Nathan's hat

What are these long things?

You're crazy, dad

Family time

Ryker's first Halloween was a success.  Appropriately, Ryker was dressed as a little monkey, Jon as a gorilla, and myself as a zookeeper.  He LOVED seeing all the other kiddos in costume and helped pass out candy.

My little monkey's first Halloween

The Voorhies Zoo

Many thanks to our friend Aaron Roe who took some fantastic pictures of our family. Let us know if you need any pictures taken and we will gladly send you his info.