And we've skipped straight to toddlerhood

Today we had Ryan's 6-month check-up. And the stats were shocking.

Now, to be fair, we've had a few warnings. Last week at church one of the ladies commented in a loud whisper to her friends as I passed by with Ryan on my hip, "Now that one," she paused dramatically, "is not missing any meals. That's for certain." (I hope she was talking about Ryan and not me...but that's for another blog post.)

And, when Ryan's sweet (only 2-days-apart) cousin Liesl came for a visit, it appeared that his thighs alone weighed more than her whole body.

But still, today, I sucked in my breath when the nurse handed me Ryan's 6-month stats. Ready? Here goes. Weight: 19 pounds. Height: 28 inches. 95th percentile.

These are the exact measurements of miss Mary at, get this, her 12-month check-up years ago. Yes, that's right. Ryan at 6 months is the size of Mary at 12 months.

It appears that we zoomed through newborn, fast-forwarded over infancy altogether and landed directly in toddlerhood.

Someone pass the Kleenex.

Six-month Smiles

Ryan is now six months old. Where does time go? We're not sure, but we're eating up these six month smiles. And speaking of eating, Ryan is eating up avocado, sweet potatoes and pretty much anything else within his grasp!

Drool

Guess what? I've got something going on!

And it's happening right here in this drool-fest of a mouth.

Alright, you super sleuths probably guessed it: two new teeth! But, try as Mom might, I haven't let her snap a photo of them just yet. Top secret teeth. You're the first to know. Aside from Mom, of course, who found out the hard way!

I think my smile made up for it, though.

Paint your Pet

Our wonderful neighborhood toy shop went out of business a few months back. We were devastated-- until we discovered that a new painting studio was opening in the vacant space. The artist hosts lessons, guiding participants through the creation of a painting with easy steps. Each participant leaves with an original masterpiece.

For my birthday, my girlfriends signed us up for a special "paint your pet" class through the studio. We each submitted a photo of our pet, and the artist sketched the drawings on canvas with a black marker as a basis for the project. Upon arrival, we were given an apron, paintbrushes, and the appropriate paint palette for our pets' coloring, along with a full glass of wine-- which we were told would help.

Here was the photo that served as the basis for my painting:

And here's my replication attempt:

A wonderful evening with friends. And, many memories of our sweet gray girl. Now, where to hang my masterpiece....

Sisterly love

His big sisters are so enamored with Ryan that they often forget he is a person and not a toy! I decided I couldn't not capture some of the latest moments where Ryan has been the subject of his sisters' shenanigans. And I'm sure this is just the beginning for our sweet boy. It's hopeless, as his Uncle Ryan will confirm.

Glimpses of the week

Ryan and I stopped in to see Nana. I'm not sure which of them smiled more.

The girls showed off some new outfits from Aunt Suzy-- and their grins

And today, I chaperoned Lucy's class as they trekked to the post office to mail some special valentines. So much fun!

Poet

Mary penned this wondrous poem, which I find even more wonderful each time I read it. I love it so much I'm going to frame it as a reminder to often pause to enjoy the magic of her words.

White whipped cream
drifting from the sky.
Fluffy as a pillow.
A storm of powdered
sugar floats to the
ground. It’s as soft as crystal
shining in the sun. Quiet
as a whisper. It dances.
It twists and turns. Sparkling
magic floats from the
sky. A drift of soft snowflakes float
around town. Bright
fluffy magic floats in
the night.
- Mary Loeb