dear little prince,

happy three months, you darling boy, you. can you believe that you are a whole quarter of a year old? that’s just wild. time is just flying by. and you continue to charm us and delight us and amaze us. you are so deliciously chunky. the best michelin man arms and a full chest and belly. and rolly-poly legs. the funny thing is that your proportions have changed so dramatically since we first met. you came out all long and all limbs. and now, it looks like you have grown into your arms and legs. and then some… in fact, you seem to be al torso now. perhaps you will be a champion swimmer someday with those solid shoulders and lengthy body. wouldn’t that be fun?

you just completed not only a developmental leap but a growth spurt. busy boy. you follow objects with your eyes. you turn your head to follow lights or voices. you are more squirmy and kicky and flappy too. you flop from side to side and pretty much flip from your back to belly and back again (with a tiny bit of arm tucking from mama). you get super frustrated on your belly. you arch your back and howl and kick and move your arms (see…future swimmer). you coo and crow and squawk and screech like a champ. and you love to carry on conversations with your sister.

you blow bubbles all the time. and you suck on your hands too. well, your fists. all that sucking and bubbling has really made us step up our burp cloth game. bibs are just around the corner…

you love your play mat. you kick and swat at your dangling animal friends. you scoot yourself in circles to change up the view. and you love to gaze at your reflection in the mirror. sometimes you like to chill and talk. sometimes you want to gnaw on your hands and gurgle. and then suddenly, it is a full-blown kick and punch fest until you have tired yourself out.

your facial expression repertoire includes: coy smiling, smirking, open mouth smile, side smile, and serious staredown face. you are either being super happy and adorable and amused or you are stone-faced and examining everything.

it is remarkable how much you process each day and how much you absorb and learn. your little mind is expanding. you are growing and changing so much and so quickly. you are becoming more and more interactive and it is such fun. we can “converse” now. you sing along with music or when your sister sings silly made-up songs to you. you giggle. you explore the sights of your surrounds.

oh! and you love to hold our hands when we play. and grasp our clothing when we hold you. and you do this hook-your-arm-around-mine thing when i am burping you that is heart-bursting.

ridley boy, you are such an easy lad. you love your routine and make things so easy for us. you are most definitely persnickety about certain things and you are very easily riled up, but i like that about you. and i am pretty sure some of that is thanks to your y chromosome. i can’t wait to see what you are like as you get older. i know that you will continue to capture our hearts and i know that you will keep us busy. what a wonderful blessing you are.  we are super duper smitten. almost makes me want to have a half dozen more little ones. almost.

all our love,

mama + papa + elinor

and because i snapped – no joke – like 50 pictures of him, there are a few more after the jump…

dear little prince,

happy four months, sweet chap of ours. gosh, we sure do love you. and not to give you a big head or anything, but you are the best baby. so content. so precious. so happy. so chill. and so smart. everyone who spends any time with you says that you are so quiet and relaxed. and when we are out and about, that is absolutely the case. you hang back, you are more reserved, and you take it all in. you just enjoy what is happening around you. and at home, you are equally amazing but not quite as quiet. you like to air your lungs with the most ridiculous sounds. you seem to be most comfortable at home (which is as it should be) where you can just hang out and play and squawk and howl and chatter and laugh. but really truly, we can go for weeks at a time without hearing any kind of unpleasant sound from you. it is all coos and goos and amazingness.

and speaking of sounds, and i am certain that you say hello to me when i come to wake you from your slumber. you flop from your side sleeping burrito roll thumb sucking and look right at me with the biggest smile before letting out the happiest “hhhhiiii” sound. so, i will be adding that to the baby book as your first word. (wink)

and OH the laughing. it is the most incredible sound. and it is such fun that we are moving out of all the involuntary baby stuff into a world where you respond and converse and let your personality shine. it is grand. this might be my very favorite stage. you are still a ball of delicious baby but more little person is coming through. you can move around but you can’t really get into trouble just yet. you have opinions. you use your expressions to tell us what you are thinking. and according to your expressions, you are delighted by pretty much everything. especially your sister. she makes you smile and laugh like none other. and she is working on being understanding when you pull her hair and kick her. i know that you will be good for each other. you will teach elinor patience and kindness. and she will teach you resilience. you will be a dynamic duo, that’s for sure.

you sure do like your independent playtime. we are simply observers. you swat at your hanging animal friends, you nibble on your toys, and you suck on all your fingers while chatting away. every so often, you allow us to be a part of playtime, which is so very sweet of you. but i do love how content you are to kick and squawk and entertain yourself. and playtime has become much more exciting these days because you are so much more active and squiggly. during the daytime, you get a solid 30-45 minutes to play between feeding and naptime. but at night, that’s the real fun. your 7:30-7:30 sleep schedule means that i feed you at 4:30 and then we just get to hang with the whole family until bedtime. we sing songs. we snuggle. we have tickle parties to get you to laugh. we get to know each other better. and it really does feel like a family of four instead of a family of three plus an infant. for now, you play while we eat dinner but it is crazy to think that in a few short months, you will be joining us at the table.

you know how to play hard and how to sleep hard too. you give it your all and once you have tired yourself out, you move your head to the side and stare off into the distance while breathing slowly and deeply – and occasionally rubbing your little eyes or popping your thumb in your mouth. this is when we get to swoop in and scoop you up for a nap. and those moments are the best. you sigh and nuzzle and curl up close. all your energy dissipates and you become a calm and sleepy thing who just wants to cuddle before you drift off into sleepyland.

you are all things amazing, ridley man. thank you for putting up with us and going with the flow. thank you for coming along on our little adventures. we so appreciate your accommodating and contented spirit. we hope that you will always enjoy meeting new people, eating out, exploring and traveling, and experiencing new things. may you maintain that sense of adventure. and may you also maintain your contented spirit, at ease knowing that you are God’s treasure and that you are loved. may you always be confident and bold as you explore and enjoy the world that God has created.

and in other news, you have officially surpassed your sister’s ONE YEAR stats for height and weight. so, bravo. you are really filling out your 6-12mo clothes and couldn’t be cuter doing it.

all our love,

mama + papa + elinor

aaaaaaand just a few more pics of mr. photogenicpants, after the jump…

dear little prince,

five months, ridley man. you will be crawling any day now. and eating solid foods in a few short months. you are growing up so fast! and already losing some of your baby-ness. you are longer and leaner and stronger with every week. sometimes i stare at you in disbelief…you can look like such a teenager sometimes. i have flashes of what you will look like when you are three and thirteen and thirty. and i can’t wait to see what God has in store for the years of your life. i pray that you are used mightily for the kingdom.

and speaking of mighty…my, are you strong. you have the cutest little man muscles. you sit up tall and straight (almost unassisted now). and the only reason i have to keep both hands on you when i hold you is to make sure you don’t leap out of my arms with one of your wild head jerks. you spend most of your waking hours on your tummy, swiveling and turning and pivoting. you are on the move, for sure. you tuck your feet under your body and launch forward off of your toes. you grab the carpet or the blanket or whatever you can and either pull it toward yourself or pull yourself toward it. you are figuring it all out and learning how to use your body, objects around you, and even, your parents as means to reach your goal. you are determined.

you are in a major developmental leap, at the moment. it is incredible to watch your wheels spin as you grasp new concepts and understand your relationship to the world around you. you are grabbing EVERYTHING. (which has earned you the moniker, grabby mcgee.) you swat at everything. you smack the ground with remarkable force. you kick with such energy. you are a little microburst. waiting quietly as you observe and prepare and then…boom! an explosion of movement and sound. you get so excited about everything. you smile constantly. you squawk. you coo. you howl. all the sounds. you have your own voice but you also find it delightful to copy the sounds that you hear. you stare, and quietly, at first, mimic the tones. and once you are confident that you’ve got it, you go for it. and elinor thinks it is hilarious to match your sounds. so, as you can imagine, things can get pretty loud around here.

you are also firmly in the middle of the pre-teething phase. that fabulous time when everything is a soggy mess thanks to buckets of drool. saliva city, over here. outrageous strands of drool and saliva bubbles and all kinds of neat tricks. and since the world is your teething ring, everything in a one foot radius of your mouth ends up being sucked on our nibbled on…and thus, soaked. you are taking it all in stride, for the most part. you do have moments of frustration when you just yell. not really a cry. just a yell. like you are angry to be made uncomfortable or inconvenienced by things as unimpressive as teeth. and then, back to chewing and smiling. and speaking of everything ending up in your mouth: your chimpanzee-like dexterity and yogi-spine have allowed you to discover how tasty your toes can be. so, that is pretty amazing. sometimes i will find you happily sucking away on your big toe. a habit that i hope we can break before it becomes too unseemly.

you are a creature of habit. absolutely. and such a homebody. you love your routine. and you love your sleep. and can be quiet persnickety about that. i have to make sure that i swoop in and get you to your room and down for your nap before you become too overstimulated because you are not a happy camper when that happens. and it is such a fine line. you play hard. and then you give us a little window when your body starts to calm and prepare to sleep. that is the best time because you get extra cuddly and sweet. you melt into a sleepy little bundle and sigh contentedly as we go through the nap routine, which ends in your flirting with me after i set your burrito-ed body down in your crib. you coo and smirk and twinkle your eyes and then, sleeeeeeep.

it is such fun to get to know you better. your personality is really starting to shine through. and from what we can tell, you are all things wonderful. you are determined and strong-willed and confident. you are content and sweet and kind. you sure do love your big sister. you are such a charmer. and you get so jazzed when papa is around.

i pray that we will be able to match your energy and channel it properly, productively. that you will maintain a curious and bold spirit. that i will be able to engage you firmly and with grace. that the battles of the will to come will result in softer spirits and molded hearts. that your papa and i will teach you to discern and navigate this world carefully and thoughtfully. that we can instruct and model generosity of spirit and kindness and good manners. we pray that you will be a respectful gentlemen. that you would be a loyal friend. that you would be a diligent worker. that you would be a tough competitor. that you would be humble.

you are such fun, ridley. we thank God for your life and are honored to be your parents. it keeps getting better and better…

all our love,

mama + papa

there are a few more pics of our little prince, after the jump. some serious-faced outtakes from his five month “photoshoot” and other random shots from the past few weeks. and p.s. the first one you will see is all kinds of amazing: ridley with his staring eyes…totally flipping me the bird.

ˆˆˆ see? see? ben and i laughed pretty hard at that one. ˆˆˆ

kids, i tell ya. God’s greatest lesson in humility.

and now, for a few more of ridley’s serious stare…

determination

you talkin’ to me?

aaaaand a bunch of close-ups of mr. blue eyes with his favorite blanket…

dear little prince,

six months, ridley. happy half birthday to you! i can’t believe it. you will be demolishing your birthday cake in no time. and speaking of food, that’s just about to happen. selfishly, we are holding off until after the holidays. but come january, it is gonna get wild. you are going to love it, i am sure of it. you have been seriously eyeing our food for weeks now. and since your grabbing and smacking skills are superb, you should take to it like a champ. look out, solids!

these days, you are learning so much and growing so much…and i know that life can get frustrating for you. gosh, it must be exhausting! you want to crawl. you want to talk. you want to pull and push. you want to stand up and bounce and walk. the will is strong. and your strong frame is getting it. but patience, dear boy. these things take time. and it will all happen in no time at all.

and then there is the volume level. you have really ratcheted that up. yelling and squawking. squeals of glee and shouts of obstinance. protests. excitement. discovery. delight. you sure like to let us know how you are feeling and what you are thinking. and those expressions. the furrowed brow. the inquisitive brow. the incredulous brow. the smirk. the cheshire smile. the sideways glance. it’s getting fun around here. and we love watching your personality shine through. from what we can tell, you are a little gentlemen. you are thoughtful. pensive. you don’t suffer fools. you are serious but you love to act goofy and make us laugh. you are particular. opinionated. you are a homebody, for sure. but you also enjoy a nice outing in the sling.

and p.s. i know your teeth are working their way up and out. sorry about all that. teeth can be the worst. BUT, you will be thankful for all this drool and fuss when you can chomp away on all kinds of delicious bits. hang in there, bud.

you love your sleep. you love your sister. you love to rock back and forth on your hands and knees and launch yourself forward. you like to “pet” the dogs. you like to gnaw on EVERYTHING. your current favorite is when we plop you on your belly on the wood floor so you can slip and slide and turn yourself in circles. you smile all the time. you have a major kickfest when we change your diaper. and you love to dance with mama.

you are a delight. we are pretty obsessed with you.

all our love,

mama + papa + elinor

there are a few more pics of our little prince, after the jump. 

Filed under: bébé numéro deux, dear little prince, ridley noble Tagged: 6 months, 6 months old, baby, baby boy, bébé numéro deux, boy, chap, dear little prince, family, half birthday, half year, lad, life, little man, ridley noble, six months, six months old, son

dear little prince,

you are seven months old, sweet boy. and you are sweet indeed. you bright such joy and delight and cheer to our home. you are playful and darling and wonderful. you smile constantly and have the best giggle – which you like to reserve for playing with your sister. your sister is pretty much your favorite. at this point, you aren’t too keen on other children. and you really don’t like too much attention or fuss or folks in your face. but your sister has a free pass. she gets to engage in all of the above and you eat it up.

and speaking of eating. solids are in full swing. we started with avocado and have since moved to banana and sweet potato and butter. and you are definitely a foodie. you eat it by the fistful. grabbing bits and shoving them into your mouth with intensity. and you make such a squishy and smearriffic mess. dinnertime is extra fun now. i still can’t get over that you are sitting in your little chair, eating away and chatting along with us. such a big boy. gosh, that happened fast.

aaaaand speaking of fast. crawling. you are all over the place. when the mood strikes, you can really get going. like, across the room in a snap. you have been trading in your specialty downward dog frog hop army crawl hybrid for much faster legit moves. you will still add in some of the weird variations, just to show off your feats of strength. but things are settling into the standard baby crawl now. and it is wild. in other news, your downward dog crawl move has now shifted into a squat to semi-stand. you like to do it right next to the sofa and stare up, daring yourself to pull yourself up and freak us out. you are daring and bold and brave and strong, that’s for sure. just as you should be. we are so proud of you and amazed by what you can do. i know you will continue to surprise us (and scare us a little too).

you have the best squeal of delight. you yell a happy hhhhhiiiii! sound when you see your papa. you have thick forearms and big hands. you have a long torso that is starting to lose that baby look and mature into a solid little man. you have the brightest eyes that shift from blue to steel gray to green. i like to think you get that from me. you love to bounce and bop. whether you are seated or standing, you love to get your body grooving. we have decided that you have too much happiness in your being and that’s your way of sharing it with everyone. you love to pet puppies and let them lick your cheeks. you love to play with your squishy football. and you are entranced whenever we watch the real sport on television. you nibble on anything you can find, drooling all over the place as you go. you are busy-busy and such a blast. we love everything about you, ridley man.

all our love,

mama + papa + elinor

there are a few more outtakes from our photo session, after the jump. this might be the last time where i can manage a decent shot. someone is a little wiggle-worm.

dear little prince,

happy eight months, our charming lad. i am trying to keep my composure but that puts us at four months away from your FIRST BIRTHDAY. how can it be? just a few months shy of an entire year with you? time is flying by. and we are eating it up because you are as amazing as can be.

my oh my, are you daring and intense. i thought elinor was determined but this is a fresh realm of strength. we can see an idea flash behind your eyes and then you fix your mind like a laser and go. you are precise. you are methodical. you are dexterous. you are tenacious. you are nimble. you are intrepid. you are inventive. you are perspicacious. this is a stage where you are exploring everything, amused by everything, distracted and excited by sounds and shapes and colors and textures. the tactile world is exploding for you. and you are discovering so many things, all at once. you pinch at tiny items. you pluck objects and bring them close for further inspection. you explore nooks and crannies as you learn. you squint and stick out the tip of your tongue while you take it all in. storing new information. understanding what things are, what they can do, how they feel, the sounds they make, and their relationship to you. you bear crawl over obstacles. you army crawl your way under tables and couches and adults. you are always looking and observing and absorbing. you are learning how to get places and get things done. and you already have strong opinions and preferences and your little list of bête noires.

at this very moment, you are in the thick of your eight month developmental leap. it’s a doozy. i am exhausted for you! your body is trying to catch up to your mind and your mind is trying to catch up to your body. things are busy for your brain. expanding and growing and making connections. hang in there. all your frustration will soon dissipate and you will emerge from this brief moment with a whole new set of skills. i am hoping that one of those skills is not walking. eek. i can tell you are trying to do that. crawling just isn’t good enough anymore. you want to climb up for a new vantage point. up the stairs. pulling yourself up on papa’s legs. or onto the couch so you can cruise along and get to your target. you want to move across the room in a split second. you want to run!

and in addition to your developmental leap, you are teething. pearly whites are just about to pop through. you are handling it so well but i can tell it is getting to you. you actually nuzzled and snuggled for a few minutes last night which NEVER EVER happens. you aren’t the cuddling kind – too much to see and do! AND as if all that weren’t enough, we just dropped a nap. down to two naps a day. like a proper little man. it seems surreal that we are here already. but you are ready. and you are adjusting quite well especially considering everything you have going on. sheesh. being a baby is a tough business. and you are dealing with the trifecta of tough stuff right now. kudos, ridley man. you are brave and strong. and we can’t wait to see how you surprise and delight us next!

and speaking of delightful things, your personality is bursting out all over the place and it is such a hoot. you love to swat at mama’s mouth when you eat. you boogie and bop and jump when you hear music. you wave. you babble (da-da-da and ba-ba-ba and bo-bo-bo and pa-pa-pa and ma-ma-ma) all the time, especially when your sister is around. and we are so proud of what we are considering your first word: boeuf. you have been saying that for a few weeks now and papa couldn’t be more impressed and pleased with his boy saying the french word for beef as his first “word”. you adorable bilingual carnivore, you. you like to “make jokes” and silly sounds to make us laugh. you flirt like the dickens. you copycat our sounds. you like to pull on papa’s beard. you pet the dogs. you push your sister away and yell when she’s in your face and you’ve had enough. you bellow and growl. you pull up and put your arms up when you would like to be picked up and move around. you are sneaky-sneaky and try to move in stealth mode when you know you are about to do something naughty. you LOVE to try to wrap yourself in the drapes and laugh maniacally. you are obstinate and test limits. you KNOW when you are doing something that you shouldn’t and you give me such a proud and cheeky expression when you are caught. you love your sleep and when you are done and ready to sleep, you let us know. you crawl like a tiny gorilla. you have the biggest forearms and strongest hands. you are going to eat us out of house and home (current favorites: butter, bananas, sweet potatoes, red potatoes, peas, egg yolk, quinoa, beans, avocado). you love family dinnertime. and it is teaching us patience, to slow down and enjoy the time more because your mealtime can last for a full hour. you just sit in your chair and eat and add your two cents and entertain us. and toward the end of the meal, you lean back and put one hand in the front of your diaper and one foot up on the side of the chair. such a funny boy.

we are over the moon for you. and we pray that God will use you in mighty ways.

all our love,

mama + papa + elinor

dear little prince,

happy nine months! whew, that has flown by like crazy. and in the past two weeks, it feels like you have busted out of your baby-ness and moved full-force into little man mode. your last developmental leap yielded some amazing things. i can tell a difference in your eyes. they look deeper and wiser and older and more mischievous. you are curious. you are sweet and intense. you are opinionated and forceful. and then you throw me that charming grin and reach up for me and hold my finger in your forceful fist… and you kill me, little mister.

this phase is such a fun one. and all kinds of exhausting too. chasing you. watching you. teaching you. entertaining you. cleaning you. you are a force. and such a crack up. you are down to two naps a day now, which only adds to your grown-up-ness. elinor and i wake you up in the morning and the second you see us enter your room, you are up and grabbing the rails of your crib and bopping all over the place while hooting and hollering and smiling away. and then, you nurse as soon as possible. once your liquid portion of your mealtime is complete, you enjoy an intermission of playtime with elinor while i fix breakfast. and then, more eating. oh, the eating. three solid adult-sized meals a day in addition to your four liquid feedings. and those four liquid feedings are SOLID ones too. i don’t know where you are storing all that volume… perhaps in your forearms. but seriously, the food consumption. yikes.

your usual day looks a little something like:

8am > 10’ish ounces of breastmilk followed by a breakfast consisting of 1/2 cup of coconut milk overnight oats with superfood/probiotic powder and hemp seeds and a banana or cup of fruit. 12pm > 10’ish ounces of breastmilk followed by a lunch consisting of 2 egg yolks and 2 tbsp pasture butter/1 avocado and 1/2 beans. 4pm > 10’ish ounces of breastmilk. 5:30pm > a hearty portion of family dinner (usually eating more than elinor who is known to put away the food…). 7:30pm > 10’ish ounces of breastmilk before bedtime.

like i said, yikes. it makes me full just typing it. but you are putting it to good use. you are crawling all over the place. you are pulling yourself up (sometimes, lifting your feet off the ground which is a feat that i couldn’t even manage as a junior high kid in PhysEd). you are cruising all over. you move from the table to the couch in one step. you try to climb the stairs. you lift objects that our twice your size. you are go-go-go until you wear yourself out and then you are all about your rest.

you love your sleep. and when you are done and ready to sleep, you are done and ready to sleep. you give me dreamy eyes and have a distinct sound that means: okay, bedtime. now. it’s time. and while you don’t suck your thumb like your sister, you do have your own little calming routine. you grab your special swaddle and pull the corner of it to your mouth, rubbing it on your nose while you make a little sucking-fish mouth and humming softly. it’s precious. you are a total dreamboat.

you make hilarious sounds and try out funny antics in order to garner attention. you mimic. you move your head around in exaggerated ways to get a fresh vantage point and to make us chuckle. you love to play with your sister.  you love light. you are incredibly serious and intense and analytical at times, and a total goofball at other times. you are a yogi baby. you love to bounce to music. you have a fantastic furrowed brow. you love water. you wave like a maniac to say hello. you have one tooth that has popped through and at least one more on its way. you chew on everything. your current vocabulary favorites are: baba, bobobo, dada, nana, momo, mama, oooohh, pppfff, hhhiiii, and of course, boeuf. you are all kinds of expressive and letting more and more out every day. it is a blast getting to know you. from what i can tell, you have a lot of your mama in you. certain traits will serve you well while other traits will require some serious honing and refining. we have already engaged in a few battle of the wills. and i am certain that there are more to come. you are no joke, little man. but i know that by the grace of God, you will be used mightily. we pray that we can steward your life properly. that we can train you and discipline you. that you will fear the Lord. that you will hunger and thirst for righteousness. that we can point you to your Savior and that you will know your great, eternal, essential NEED for Him. we pray that you come to know Him at an early age. that you will profess Him boldly. that you will be a force for the Kingdom.

all our love,

mama + papa

and now, for some sassy eyes, serious stares, and major shade. his stink face. it’s pretty great.

dear little prince,

ridley noble whitehouse! you are ten months old. would you quit it, already? we will be celebrating your first birthday in two months. and while i wish i could bottle you up and enjoy this age forever…i am also having such a blast watching you grow and can’t wait to see what’s next.

you add fresh sounds to your repertoire each day. sometimes, it is just copying what your sister is saying or what i am saying. but other times, it is just all you. trying out your tricks to see what sticks. your current favorite is a fish-face-bababa sound that you love to do at mealtime and with papa. it cracks him up and you laugh right back when he mimics you in reply. adorable.

and speaking of papa…that is definitely your first word. you look around and ask for papapapa (not one, but two: papa-papa) and when you are near him, your tone shifts to such a sweet sound of affection. you love your papa, that’s for sure. you climb on him. you rub his prickly head. you stroke his beard (with the occasional tug). you follow him around the house. and you especially like rolling a ball or a car back-and-forth. seeing my boys together like that is the very best of the very best.

as for me, well, you seem to like me too. you like to spoil the ladies in your life with bear hugs and exaggerated open-mouthed slobber kisses. and elinor and i think you are pretty charming indeed.

you have two teeth. you nap twice a day for two hours, like clockwork. and you try to climb the stairs two at a time. it is intense, that’s for sure. you are crawling all over the place. pulling yourself up on everything. cursing from place to place. strolling along with any wheeled object you can find to assist you. you now like to be plopped down on your feet instead of your bum so that you can do a little unassisted standing before slowing lowering yourself to the floor and taking off. you are getting stronger by the day. and more determined by the minute. you are even starting to walk with just one hand being held to steady you. too soon. too soon. but, i know i know, you are going places!

and speaking of teeth…the day before a tooth pops through, you are no joke. that tooth makes you angry. you yell. you kick and stomp. you arch your back and want nothing to do with anything and then the next moment, you are a little ball of cuddling in my arms. it has taken me a while to understand how to comfort you. because you don’t really like to be comforted. and i get it. i am like that too. when i am annoyed with something or frustrated, i want to just sit and be quiet and not touched and maybe even, sleep it off. you do the exact same thing. you don’t want people in your face or fussing over you or trying to “help”. you really just want to sit with your blanket and soothe yourself for a bit. and you really love to sleep. teething ridley is like an edgy version of ridley. it’s you, but louder. bossier. you yell at people. you shove people away from you. and you protest like the dickens. and then, a tooth! a wonderful tooth appears! for helping you consume MORE FOOD.

speaking of food: it’s getting crazy. right now, for breakfast, you are really enjoying bread soaked in milk and topped with almond butter and hemp hearts + a banana + about a half of a cup of berries. for lunch, half an avocado and about a cup of beans or some peas. you also really like egg yolks. and overnight oats. and dinner, you eat a full portion of whatever we are eating. and most nights, you out-eat your sister. oh, and you are quite the carnivore. you LOVE turkey and chicken. like, eat an entire breast of chicken and about a cup of sliced turkey. we are saving the filet mignon for a few more years… #sendmoney

ridley man. you are the best. full stop.

all my love, your mama

okay, and there’s a few more because he’s just too dreamy…and i had to include one where you would see his widdle teef!

dear little prince,

happy ELEVEN months. in a mere four weeks, you will be smashing your birthday cake. and that makes your mama feel all the feelings. but you haven’t officially hit the one year mark just yet, so until then, let’s just focus on making the most of the final days of baby. it’s a deal.

the other day, after you woke from your nap, i swear it was if i collected an entirely different person from your bed. you looked, well, older. bigger. more like a little boy than a little baby. your shoulders seemed broader. your torso, longer and leaner. your demeanor had shifted too. i can’t put my finger on it, but there was a noticeable change. as if you went down for your nap as a baby and woke up, a legit little man. you sat taller on my lap. you engaged with me as though we had known each other for years. at one point, you put your arm around my shoulder and leaned your cheek against mine, almost as if you were reassuring me that you are indeed, growing up and that you’ve got it down and it will all be okay. and i’m not gonna lie, it was a bit too much for me to handle. this growing-up business is bittersweet stuff. but i am beyond thrilled about the sweetness of it. because that sweet stuff sure is good.

you wear your heart on your sleeve. you show affection by giving the biggest bearhugs. sometimes, you will launch yourself at your sister and knock her over with the sweetest hug tackle. and your moods are totally obvious. when you are happy and content, your head is bopping around and you are tossing around the biggest smiles. full-faced, squinted-eye grins. and when you are annoyed with something (or someone), you yell or growl and let us know. when you are tired, you spread your blanket on the ground and ever-so-dramatically plop your body on top of it with a sigh. you might do this three or four times in a row until we take notice and take action. and it is clockwork. 10am and 2pm, give or take a few minutes. such a creature of habit.

you are a no-nonsense nurser but after your belly is full, you like to sit on my lap and talk with me for a bit. we play. you sing. you make funny sounds to make me laugh. you flip through books. you clap. you let out a hearty burp. and then, you are ready to move on with things. but you really do need that five minute transition time. and gosh, do i live for that time. i will cherish those moments for years and years.

you are methodical, for sure. everything has its place. and the red berries are always eaten before your other breakfast foods.

you love music. you are enthralled during papa (and elinor’s) violin practice time. and when you catch a good beat, you get your whole body into it. bouncing up and down and moving your head from side to side. you do it to the radio or when anyone sings something that tickles your fancy.

you give high-fives for a job well done. you give solid but gentle pats to the dogs. you giggle at your sissy (more like cee-cee, your sound for elinor) because you think she’s super funny. you love to mimic noises and words and volume and tone and timbre. in so many ways, you are discovering your voice.

you have a killer catalogue of sound effects. each toy has a different sound to accompany playtime. you make a deep vvvvvbbbbrrrrr sound when you are scooting around with your cars. our home is your race track, these days. you and your cars. when you spot a ball, you let out the happiest baaaalll! sound and toss it with a woooaaaahhh! sound to match. and then there is the list of sounds that go along with activities such as dropping or smashing and banging or drumming. you see, the noise of a wooden block dropping on the tile just isn’t enough. no sir. you *must* add in your own ppppooooff (bomb dropping) sound. it’s such a hoot to watch and listen to you play. truly, you are such a boy.

you cruise around the house. you have this funny move where you pop up onto your knees and slowly (for effect) raise your arms higher and higher and higher until you are totally stretched out then fall forward onto your hands into a knees/hands tabletop position. it is your exaggerated version of “how big is ridley?” well, you are clearly the biggest and the best. you squat and stand all by yourself and have taken the occasional unassisted step before cautiously lowering yourself back to your hands and knees. and then, you pop back up and give it another go. so resilient. so determined. you like to walk around the house, holding my hand. just like a little person. and you like to use elinor to pull yourself up and then use opposing forces to practice walking while pushing against her belly and chest. like your own human walker toy. and she giggles the whole time, cheering you on as you go. you two are the CUTEST pair. i hope you continue to refine each other and encourage each other. and feel free to level her, as necessary.

oh, ridley. you are quite the gentleman. strong and determined. fierce and loving. tender and kind. loud and bold. you are the whole kit and caboodle. and we love you so.

your mama + papa + sissy

dear little prince,

you gave me a lot of stink face in our twelve month photo shoot. and with good reason. i have similar sentiments about all this turning one business. sheesh.

just like that, you have been ushered out of the baby phase and swiftly into toddlerhood. and now, we begin to count in years. not days or weeks or months. years. and if this past year is any indication of how time goes, you will be sixteen years old in the blink of an eye.

speaking of blinking…you have perfected the flirty blink-wink. slow and charming. paired with a sweet smirk. you are trouble, mister. oh, and if your mama and papa happen to take our eyes off of you for a second, you take full advantage and move swiftly from charmer to mischievous sneak. you hide behind the curtains. you yank the cookbooks from the shelves. you try to snatch your sister’s water cup. you splash in the dogs’  water bowl. you pounce on charlie. you zoom your cars all around the house. you tackle your sister. you dig in the plants. you open and close the kitchen cabinets. and sometimes, you climb on in. you are playful and curious and fearless.

and when you are done being a ball of energy, you are done. you grab your blanket and dramatically plop yourself on the floor and spread out with a sigh. that’s my cue to ask you if you are ready to sleep. and with that, you pop up and nod your head yes. a big emphatic happy YES. i love that you know your limits. that you enjoy your rest and that you love to recharge and have your quiet time in your man cave. you love your cool, dark room. and p.s. you are not sure about all this summertime heat. being warm sure irks you. but what you do love? splashing around in the water to cool off. oh man. you are such a water baby.

the one year mark is an amazing one. it is marked with clinginess and teething and some frustration as you are discovering the relationship to the world around you. you exhibit kick-fits when you don’t get your way. you protest when we make you do something that’s not your cup of tea. the strong will is definitely making itself known. and we are doing our best to help you navigate all the new things in your life and adapt to change and increased mobility and huge mental leaps. you are developing new things all over the place! adding words to your vocabulary. babbling away. standing on your own. taking teeny steps (only when your sister is playing with you and you don’t think we are watching). sprouting teeth. making connections. drinking from a big boy cup (and dropping your bedtime feeding). it’s a tough job, being a one year old. but you are doing marvelously, little man. getting through the tough stuff with aplomb and barreling into the independence of toddlerhood. you want to do pretty much everything on your own. except for when you absolutely MUST not be on your own. those times when you just want to cuddle or put your arm around my shoulder and read a book. flipping the pages and mimicking as you go. what a complicated time. and what an incredible time.

you are a force, that’s for sure. and you are also such a hoot. you make exaggerated expressions to elicit a laugh. you crack jokes. you bop your head and dance. your playtime is crazy and always entertaining. and giving bear hugs is your favorite. you also love to throw things. you have a solid pitch. and you make loud explosion sounds when you “bomb” things, dropping objects from high above your head, to the ground. such a boy. and such fun.

and you are one smart cookie. and such attitude. it is so amazing to see those wheels turning. you are always searching for something new to discover. and grabbing and swatting and inspecting. you are always learning and you are always astonishing  with you wit and skills. you have the funniest growl as you play. and you squeal when you are happy. you have a robust vocabulary that is a mix of real-deal words and sound effects. you say papa and mama and ceecee (sissy – elinor) and ball and dah-ee (doggie) and hi and up and yeah-yeah (how you say yes and agree with things, usually accompanied by a nod of approval). you also communicate with sound effects for: uh oh and thank you and night-night. and you ramble away in your own delightful language. so chatty! and you love to point at things to show us your world and tell us where to go and what to do.

you have brought us so much joy. such levity. and all kinds of toy car filled messes. we are delighted and honored and thrilled and overwhelmed by the blessing of your life. we thank God that He chose us to be your family. you are such a treasure. so strong and fierce and determined. so happy and content and darling. we can’t wait to see how you are used by God for His mighty work.

happy birthday! xo.

your mama + papa + sissy

and for a little stroll down memory lane

birth announcement

dear little prince

the story of ridley’s birth