A year already????!!!!!!

Could it really be that 1 whole year with Ryan in the world has gone by already? Although it seems to have just flown by there are some very real signs that it is indeed true! Ryan is now fast asleep in her crib after a harrowing trip to the Dr. for her 1 year appointment. It is the first time that I have seen any Dr. smile so much while on the job. Ryan was not a fan of the measuring, or the weighing, or the needles (imagine!) although she did manage to get her very own tongue depressor. Ryan has also just been to 3 full days of childcare with Trudy and appears none the worse for wear. Morning 1 there was no tears and we arrived to find her fast asleep on Trudy. Morning 2 I could see her face distort into a cry as I was walking down the steps but we arrived to find her in Trudy's arms on the deck clapping and smiling when she saw us. Morning 3 (this morning) she cried before I got to the door but I was told the tears stopped before we left the driveway. Each one of those days I was reintegrated into work and must say that it is going remarkably well. Jason is back to work next week though after 2 weeks of vacation so we'll see how everything goes then!

As any parent can attest - the level of development that happens at this age is amazing! Ryan is surprising us every day with new abilities and just how cheeky she can be. She is such a tease and knows how to get us going. One night when we were more tired than she, we decided to take her onto our bed to play (more comfy). I started tipping her over until she fell onto her back while saying 'Aaaaaaahhhhhh'. Well - this is about the funnest game in the world and she seems to know when there is someone there to catch her. Randomly she'll start saying 'Aaaaaaahhhhh'. If there is someone there to catch her, down she goes! Most of the time, when I here the tell-tale 'aaaaaahhhhh' I look at her and say, 'no Ryan - there's no one there!'. She lets herself go back a little bit and then pulls herself back up and starts laughing! In addition to shutting the computer down she's learned how to turn the TV on and off, and is constantly on the go. She also loves to sit at the computer and play with the keyboard and use the mouse. She rolls the little dial on the mouse up and down and looks at the screen to see what its doing. Both Jason and I have had the experience of taking a shower and all of a sudden feeling a cool breeze. Sure enough, when we turn around to see that Ryan is standing there looking at us while holding the curtain open. Soon enough I'm sure she'll be climbing in with us! She is also imitating alot more and sometimes I get the feeling she knows what shes saying. Like today she pointed to Jason's nose and said 'no' or when the ABC song comes on her learning table and she sings 'ABC'. I'm sure that there is alot of coincidence there. I am also just as sure that she is as smart as a tack and we miss alot of what she is trying to tell us. Soon grasshopper....

What else? It did take Ryan awhile to start to crawl but she is moving like crazy now! About 1 month ago she mastered the art of pulling herself to standing. Not long after she was cruising with the best of them and climbing, and climbing over things. It is only a matter of time before those little feet figure out everything they can do! A couple of weeks ago she got her first molar which bring her 1st year tooth tally to 7. She is pretty well established on 3 meals a day although continues to refuse to be spoon fed and has mad it very clear that she does not want fruit! Spinach no problem (must taste like dandelions) watermelon be gone!

So, when I started this blog my initial thought was to keep everyone updated for the first year and I think I will stick to that - with the odd update on the life and times of Ryan here and there. I hope that you have enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it. I hope to that you all have the opportunity to have as rich an experience as we are having with Ryan. I must admit, when we started off on this little adventure I had no idea what to expect. I had these vague images in my head of what it would all look like but really parenting is one of those things that must be experienced to be really understood. I am so happy that we made the decision to have a child and that the stars aligned and the sky opened up and gave us Ryan. I wonder everyday how much of her personality was already there and just how much what we do helps her to become exactly who she is. I hope that she learns half as much from us as we have from her and I hope that we always have the foresight and the judgement to choose what is best for our little peanut!

Until next time - Waaka waaka!