So... today was Ryders 2nd Birthday. Because its been a hectic week, we didn't have time to plan anything, so we just had a mini-celebration. He had ice cream cake; which Zoe picked out.

We got him some helium balloons (which are his favorite things ever) and a fire engine truck. Zoe had a small fit of jealousy because Ryder was getting all the attention and we wouldn't let her play with Ryders truck.

Here is a photo representation of the meltdown (Notice Ryder in the background not giving a crap):




Anyway, I can't believe that he's 2. On the 1 hand it seems like its been 5 years since he was born; that's most likely due to how much we've been through in the past 2 years... On the other hand, him turning 2 is bittersweet. He's not our baby anymore, but now a big boy. Being a parent is a constant emotional struggle between wanting your kids to develop and grow up and trying to hold on to those precious moments when they are babies.

Here are pictures of Zoe at two and Ryder at two:

Well... its been a wild ride... Its been 2 years to the day that little man (Ryder) was born.

Here is his last "Monthly" photo (even though I've missed the last couple months.

Happy Birthday Ryder James Birdsong. We love you sooo much:

Tonight, before bed we played "Chutes and Ladders" with Zoe. She won. As we tell her its bedtime, her response is: "good night losers".

I'm at work and just got a call from Kia letting me know that Ryder did his 1st ever poop in the potty! He's been sitting on his potty for about a month or so, and has even peed in it a number of times. He likes to sit on his potty and reach up and flush the real toilet.

So... good job Ryder! We are so proud.

We were bathing the kids tonight and I gave them their bath toys, which consists of a couple small balls. Zoe takes one ball and pretends its blush and begins to pretend to blush her cheeks. Ryder takes his and begins hitting himself in the head with it repeatedly.

Last night, after we put Ryder in bed, about 10 minutes after he got into bed, he came out into the hallway naked, carrying a diaper that was full of poo. Gross.

Kids in playroom, Zoe frustrated with Ryder; Kia says to Zoe "Ryder is just a baby and his brain doesn't work like yours yet". Ryder says "Yea! No brain YaYa!"

Playing Jenga with the kids for the 1st time. Thx Aunt Bernie, Uncle Charles, Indigo and Orlando! Zoe loves it and is actually really good. Pics to come...

This morning was quite a milestone: for the 1st time EVER, the kids woke up @ 6am (their standard wake up time); but this time, rather than clamor to come downstairs... They decided (on their own) to play by themselves upstairs! We had to get up @ 6am anyway, so didn't necessarily benefit from it, but its a good sign.

On another note, Ryders beginning to talk really, really well.

At night, he likes to read books and sing songs before bed. Song he likes:
Buffalo Soldier, Twinkle Twinkle, Hush Little Baby

I've recently added the ability to submit new posts to the blog via text message. That explains the recently added, unusually short postings. But, on the other hand, its nice because I can submit posts as they happen; whereas, in the past, the kids would do something "noteworthy" and I'd say to myself, "I need to add that to the blog", but forget about 10 minutes later.

Apparently we use the term "what the heck?" too often in our house. Zoe now starts with "what the" and Ryder finishes with "heck?"

Ryder @ 22 Months

Its Christmas eve and I took our framed picture of the kids with Santa from Ryder and he got mad at me and said "Daddy take it".

Zoe has recently coined the phrase, and says it the same everytime: "sparkly, crystal, rainbow, unicorn ballerina powers". I'm not sure what it refers to.

A few updates:

• The pacifier weening is coming along well. He's at the point where he doesn't really put the pacifier in his mouth anymore (cuz its too small) so he now just holds it in his hands.
  
• 
  
• Zoe has been using the following phrase of late: "Sparkly, crystal, Rainbow Unicorn Power". She says it the exact same way, flawlessly, each time.
  
• When Ryder heard another kid crying, he mocks them by saying "Cry baby, cry..." like in the movie "A Christmas Story".
  
• Ryders vocabulary continues to improve. He's forming 3 and 4 word sentences; like "I do it too"
  
• Ryder has been getting more into reading books of late. He now demands to read a few books before bedtime.
  

Current events:

• Congress voted to repeal the Militarys Don't ask Don't Tell policy.
  
• Unemployment is at 9.8%
  

Yesterday, Ryder was screwing around in Zoes room and slipped on a random puzzle piece. He fell and hit mouth/teeth on the side of Zoes bed. He bled from his gums a little bit and his teeth may have been a bit loose.

Because of this incident, we didn't want him using his pacifier as it could lead to his teeth growing in improperly (at least thats what the internets say).

So, initially we were going to cut him off cold turkey. He protested (i.e. didn't go to sleep and just laid in bed calling for "Momma". So, we've decided to go another route... We've clipped off a piece of his pacifier and will continue to do so until the pacifier is of no more use to him. Hopefully it goes smoothly.

I got the following email from Kia yesterday regarding Ryder:
He said "Hi, Ryder!" to himself very clearly today! And kept saying it over and over while looking at himself in the mirror page of a book. Then when I was in the kitchen, I heard some crying/whining, so I go to the play room to see what's going on and when I say "What happened?" Ryder looks at me and says very clearly---"Ya ya did it". LMFAO. It was so funny, I looked at Zoe and she clearly and honestly was like "no I didn't."

Ryders 21 Month Picture *Happens to be on Thanksgiving, which was fantastic. We ordered from Balducci's.


Coincidentally, a few pretty big milestones happened today:
1. He has learned to climb out of his bed so we've transitioned his bed into a "big boy bed". Yea, last night, I was changing his diaper and turned around to deposit the diaper and when I turned back around, he was standing on the outside of his bed, feet on the lower rail, hands clutching the top rail. So, tonight is his 1st night sleeping in his new big-boy bed. It took him a while to go to bed, but he is currently asleep. We'll see how the morning goes...
2. As the picture indicates, he is sitting in a big-boy chair! He no longer likes his high chair. So we put him in a regular chair w/ a cushion to prop him up. He ate dinner like that and did a great job.

A few Ryder updates:

• Much like Zoe when she was younger, Ryder has developed issues with stray hairs around the house. While Zoe used to flip out and scream "Hair!", Ryder points at the hair and says "Fuzzy?"
  
• He also says "paci" referring to his pacifier.
  
• We've already begun watching "A Christmas Story" and both kids love it. They really get into the movie.
  

I'm going to backtrack on a lot that has been going on and I just haven't had time to blog about it...

Incidentally, As I'm writing this, Ryder is under the table pooping. Thats his M.O. He goes off into a corner or under the table, all surreptitiously, to do his business and then comes back like nothing happened.

• Yesterday, we had a Daddy/Daughter day. It was me, Swett, James and Carlos. We took our girls to the National Harbor to the Grinch Ice Exhibit. For the most part, the kids had a great time. Zoe was not a fan of the Ice Exhibit. This picture summarizes her experience:
  
  Here are some other pics from the day:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  And finally... THIS is how Dads do Daddy/Daughter day (Zoe took this picture):
  
  
  
• November 14th, Zoe and Kia made a Sweet Potatoe Pie. It was amazing!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• We had a special Ryder only day where we took him to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. It was really nice to get some alone time with our boy:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• On November 11th, I picked Zoe up from school. On the way home she says "I want to marry Abraham". Abraham is a schoolmate of hers. She loves him because "he's the best tire swing pusher and pushes the highest"... When we get home (35 minutes later), our neighbors kid (Jude) is in his front yard raking leaves. Zoe looks at him and says: "I think I want to marry him".
  
  
• On November 9th, I was in the "play room" with Zoe. The TV was on (Yes, we put a TV in the play room). A kids channel was on and a commercial came on. It was advertising a game called Zoobles. At the end of the commercial, Zoe says: "I'd like to buy that toy".
  It occurred to me that that was her 1st exposure to kids commercialism. I reminded me of when I was a kid and they'd have these awesome commercials of "remote controlled cars" where the car is zooming around, jumping rocks and landing on its wheels perfectly... Then, when you got the car (thanks Mom), it was not nearly as cool as the commercial.
  
  
• Halloween Pics:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• October 30th, Kia went to the "Rally to Restore Sanity":
  
  
  
  
• In October, my cousin Lindsey came to visit with a friend of hers whose name is also Lyndsey. Both Zoe and Ryder had a great time and Zoe idolized them both. Cousin Lindsey let Zoe play games on her I-Phone and Zoe was enthralled.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Zoe calls an "Ambulance" an "Alambiance"
  
  
• A while back, I came across a picture that I thought perfectly captures Zoes personality. This is an old picture, roughly around the time we moved to Virginia. I call it, "Quintessential Zoe":