Mac is 2!!!

If sweet Mac talked, he would probably tell you how hard the last two weeks has been for him. He loves Charlie so much and gives him kisses on his head literally all day long, but most of his other time is spent acting out and wishing he was getting more attention. His birthday was 9 days after Charlie's birth so we had a little family party to celebrate! Nan was in town and Mimi came over and we had one of Mac's faves, pizza... and cupcakes, of course.

Lovin' the birthday song!


We love this kid.

Latest & Greatest

He has slept the entire day and is wide eyed at 9:30pm... hopefully won't be indicative of our night tonight!

He has a name!

CHARLES MICHAEL RYAN

"Charlie"

We had a really hard time deciding a name for this precious boy... Libby & Kyle would not recommend the delivery room naming approach that so many swear by! It did not work for us! But he is named. Charles is my grandfather's middle name and Michael is Kyle's dad's name and Kyle's middle name. He has a birth certificate. Now we are busy doing a lot of this...

... and a lot of keeping Charlie alive. Mac and Tucker love their brother SO much. Tucker asks to hold him every five minutes and Mac gives him a kiss every time he passes. However Mac is wild and it will be my full time job to keep Mac away! He has already thrown his lovie on his head, tried to "show" him his metal airplanes, etc. Very exciting!

The Baby has arrived

We would like to introduce...... ____ ____ Ryan to you. We hope to have a name in the next few weeks.
The video is last


11/30/2010
4.43pm
8lbs 8oz
21in
8,9 APGAR (Google if need be)

Dream Car

We have spent much of this blog on Tucker's quirkiness, but we may have reached a new high point! His LOVE of minivans. It is getting a little out of control right now and we often have to tell him during the day "Tucker, I don't want to hear anything else about minivans for awhile." Yes, that's right.

What?! Your 5 year old doesn't beg you for one?

Proof this obsession is nearing car wash status:

1. He plays minivan out on our chair in the living room with his keys. His pretend play mostly entails him unloading things out of the side sliding doors and back trunk (he waits and ducks slightly while it automatically goes up)

2. He makes statements like "Mama, did you like my singing at school today?" Me: yes. Tucker: "enough to buy a minivan?" OR "I'm going to keep doing that until you buy a minivan!!!" (in his angry, sassy voice.

3. He also makes statements like "Mama, don't you want it to be easier for you? You wouldn't have to open these doors on your own if you got a minivan."

4. Yesterday he makes up a song to the tune of "I'm a little teapot" but it's "I'm a Honda Minivan.

Yes, He prefers Hondas. And he wants a black one.

5. Earlier today he went through his entire preschool directory pointing out as he read each name which moms had minivans. He got to one girl and read her name and then said "she has a minivan, but the side door is broken so they have to open it by hand." WEIRD!!! We asked him how he knew all this info and he just casually said he watches all the cars during carpool line. WEIRD!!! He could also tell me what brand and color of minivan each kid had.

I can only hope this passes faster than the 3-plus year obsession with car washes.

Waiting for baby...

might as well blog about the Thanksgiving Feast!
Here is our awesome pilgrim with his friend Vinnie (above) and his friend Kathryn (below)

He lead the whole school in to the sanctuary... carrying his wheat.. and smiling big (although he tells us he was really embarassed!)

On a side note, we often find Mac up in his chair at the dining room table playing cars or trains or airplanes. He can entertain himself for quite a while if they are at his perfect height.

Original costume idea!

The Mayor

I'd like to introduce you to the Mayor of Lakewood Preschool. We (I) was a bit worried about switching Tucker for one year to a new school before kindergarten because in the past he has been somewhat reserved/slow to warm up. However we continue to get reports that he is crazy outgoing and has gotten to know every teacher, student and parent at his new school. It is really hilarious how many people have told us a story of him going out of his way to make a connection with them and lately I've had two friends say something to the effect of "it's like he's running for office!" So we're not worried anymore.

The picture above is our son, Dr. Ryan, walking in his Halloween parade holding up his pants so everyone would be able to see his Halloween socks.

They paraded and then gathered to sing for us. Below is "Mrs. Parker, The Lovely" (as Tucker calls her.) She is the music teacher and Tucker is in love.

Pumpkin Patch

Dr. Ryan, Yoda (Trace) and the Karate Kid. I'm too lazy to transfer the picture of Mac in his original costume from my phone, but he was VERY unhappy as a lion so we made a last minute costume change to the karate kid and he was thrilled.

Now to trick-or-treating. Growing up in St.Louis I was raised to believe it was called Trick-or-Treat because you had to do a trick (tell a joke) to get your treat. Imagine my surprise a couple years ago when I found out this only happens in St.Louis?!?! Here in Jacksonville, or at least in San Marco where we live, we don't tell jokes at all but there are a fair number of cocktails consumed. Wrong? I don't know. But I'm quite sure it makes it much more enjoyable for the parents.

We went with a very large group but Will, Tucker & Kathryn were going double-time -- running from house to house. They had a blast! Kathryn was Snow White and her cute sister Margaret (pictured above) was the poisoned apple! Precious girls!

Sleeping Arrangements

A few candid shots from the boys' room. Ever since we took the front of Mac's crib off he battles to get up in Tucker's bed. Some nights we give up and let them wrestle and play for one hour plus until they finally fall asleep.

One night they started like this.

...but ended like this.

Love these boys.

So behind

In what has to be deemed the craziest 2 months of our married lives, we have moved and bought cars and Kyle has changed jobs and.. oh yeah, I'm having a baby here in a matter of weeks. It has been insane. And we have been without internet or T.V. for two weeks. I never knew how dependent I was on both! Mostly for my sanity -- but I'm way behind on blogging. So I'll start with our trip to St.Louis in September.

No one in Kirkwood believed me, but Tucker has never seen a parade. We live in the city. A city with no little parades. So they got to go to their first Greentree Parade! Tucker not only got to see his first parade, but ended up being in the parade for the end when Aunt Betsy picked him up to walk with the Rick Stream for MO State Rep Crew!

We finally got to meet 4 month old Taylor. He is PRECIOUS! And Mac, who loves babies so much, was all over him.

So much sweet cousin time...

The "big" cousins went to the zoo on a gorgeous fall day.

Then we went to visit Great Grandma's new place.

Traveling on the plane by myself with the two of them (really just Mac was the problem!) was a nightmare, but it was worth it to have such a great time!