Happy Birthday Ryan!!!
For a very long time, I've called Ryan my "Sweet Baby."
Not because my others boys aren't sweet, but he really was a sweet BABY and the name just stuck. And now, HE IS THREE! How did this happen?!?!
Ryan has a magical way of making you smile! His laugh and smile are contagious, genuine and precious. He's definitely begun to rock the boat a bit in making demands and having opinions (as most 2-3yr old boys do) but his sweet little spirit is still strong as ever and it's been such a joy these last 6 months to watch him come out of his shell verbally, taking on the talking world around him. No doubt about it, he was a late talker... but goodness, his little voice and his vocabulary now are both just wonderful!
Ryan is no stranger to illness... for a kid that started off his first year surviving RSV, swine flu, regular flu and chicken pox, you would have thought he'd had enough. Along with battling asthma from that beloved RSV and the seasonal allergies affected, this summer he's had MONO. It's totally a fact in our house... if it's rare and severe and a kid can catch it, Ryan will! But he always bounces back! :-) And boy, he's one precious kid when he's sick. I've been blessed to be home with him through all his sickness, snuggling with his precious elephant pillow and the beloved paci. Oh yeah, the paci... now that he's three it's time to pass that along! Gonna be a rough few weeks around here, I'm afraid!
A few great notes about Ryan
He LOVES Logan and has no idea they're 3 years apart!
He wakes up every day asking to go to Grandma's house or to go to Graham and see the moo-cows.
He calls everyone a "friend"-- People we go to church with, someone I say "Hi" to in the grocery store, someone that says "Good morning" to me when we go into the Y. They are ALL "Friends"!
He's a mama's boy- to the EXTREME!
He LOVES our dog... absolutely adores him!
He loves to wrestle, tackle and play chase.
all.the.time.
He's a climbing, flipping, risk-taking machine that only stops when he's made to.
Outside is his heaven. Riding bikes, playing bubbles, riding tractors, fishing and swimming. Like most little boys, the park is his happy place. A trip outside can stop any tantrum or bad moment.
He's our EARLY riser... we bought THIS sun clock to make him stay in bed till the sun wakes up. It works. Sometimes. But he is ALWAYS awake before the sun and then exclaims loudly, "The sun's awake!!" as he runs out of his room each morning.
He's my one kid that loves to snuggle. For being as busy as he is, when he wants to just lay with mama, it's so precious!
He's our eater... he eats pretty much everything still and is quicker and more likely to clean his plate than any of the others.
Here's that smile again! :-)
Dear Ryan,
I cannot believe you are three years old! You are absolutely one of my favorite people in the whole world and hearing you call me mommy has been one of God's greatest gifts to me! You bring so much life and joy to our home each day. I love the way you want to be just like Logan, and then you have little J following and copying everything you do. You find absolute joy in the simplest of things... a cow on the side of the road, a popsicle on the driveway, time on the floor playing blocks together... sometimes you're so easy to please it amazes me!
You're going to start going to Big Church soon and attending Bridge Kids and I just know you're going to love every minute of doing "big kid" things. You weren't the easiest kid to potty train, but your independence now that you are is such a cool thing to get to watch. This summer has been a big jump in that independence as you've started to try and dress (and undress!) yourself, you have trusted the life jacket to swim without someone holding you and you've even put yourself to bed a few times! Not so sure I'm ready for that last one! :-)
My day begins with you every morning and though sometimes it is earlier than I'd like and I'm trying to make you go back to bed, I really couldn't think of a better way to start my day than with your sweet voice! Taking away the paci this week is going to be heartbreaking... for all of us! You truly are in love with that thing and it's going to break my heart to see you cry... but maybe it will just mean a little extra snuggle time each night and that I can handle!
We love you sweet baby Ryan... you are our middle, that yummy center that fills our hearts with gladness! May you always know how much you are loved!
Love,
Mommy and Daddy
