So Zoe is at the dinner table, playing with her stickers while Corey and I finish dinner. She's doing her usual yacking and singing while playing. I looked at her and just really saw my girl in all her wonderfulness, with her creamy skin glowing in the light and her curls and her total immersion in her sticker project, singing Dora and Backyardigan songs. I said, "Zoe, can I give you a big hug because I love you?". Miss Smarty Pants goes, "no.", then without missing a beat, says, "Okay, just one. Okay, maybe two." I give her the first big squeeze of a bear hug and she says "or maybe three" while smiling. So we hugged three times and we loved it.

Ryders 10 month Picture!
technically, Dec. 25th (Christmas 2009), but close enough... We've been busy.


Ryders 9 month Picture!
and incidentally, Thanksgiving 2009 which we spent at Uncle Ray & Aunt Leahs House.

Ryder can walk!!!
You began walking about 2 weeks ago, but it was only baby steps, and few of them at a time. Well, those baby steps have developed into full on walking. For the most part, you can walk as far as you want to with an occassional fall to your butt.

Unfortunately, it's hard to pinponit the exact day because it was a gradual process. Whereas with Zoe, she just put it all together in one day and began to tear it up.

So, Ryder, you officially started walking at 9 months old. In case you are wondering, Zoe began walking at 11 or 12 months old. It's documented in this blog somewhere. NOT that its a competition or anything...

Dad... not so much.
So... This weekend, mom and Zoe are at Zoes Ballet class. You (Ryder) and I are home doing "man stuff". I decide to let Lucky out to use the bathroom. Because it's cold outside, I stand in the mud room with you in my arms. As I'm watching Lucky, he begins to use the bathroom in our main yard (we don't let him go there). So I yell at him and simultaneously step down to the next step.
Well, I miss the step altogether and completely loose control. I fell forward down the next 2 steps (3 steps in all); somehow I managed to partially twist my body so that my side made impact with the ground 1st, allthewhile keeping you safely cradled in my arms. As I made impact with the ground, I took out 4 or the "Candy Cane" Christmas lights we put up rolled over once and then stopped.

I immediately got to my knees and looked you over having no idea what to expect. It all happened so quickly! Did I land on one of your arms and break it? Did your face or head make contact with the ground? Did my body weight crush you??? All of these things raced through my head. As I looked you over, amazingly I could see no visible signs of damage. You cried for about 15 seconds because the fall scared you (probably not as much as it did me) and then you were fine.

I could not believe it and was sooooo relieved that you were OK. Sorry about that son. Dad will be more careful from now on.

A few bits of info on Ryder:

• You have begun blowing "raspberries". They generate a ton of drool.
  
• You have begun to play in Zoes playroom. Your favorite activity is opening and closing the doors to her kitchen play set ovens.
  
• In addition to the fact that you can walk, you've also begun to crawl. You are officially mobile. Much to moms chagrin.
  
• Mom took you to the doctor for your 9 month checkup last week. You were 20.3 pounds and 27 inches tall.
  
• This morning, you and Zoe got in your first fight! Mom left you and Zoe in the playroom for a moment. She heard a thump and then you crying. She investigated and Zoe confessed to pushing you down. She got sent to her room for a while.
  
• Zoe and Ryder saw their 1st snow a few weekends ago. We got a few inches and went out and played in it. Here are Zoe and Mom having a snowball fight:
  

Ryder: You have learned to stand up in your crib!


Current Events:

• Tiger Woods was caught cheating on his wife
  
• Obama has decided to send 30k more troops to Afghanistan.

UPDATES:
Zoe, over the weekend you and I put up Christmas lights this past Sunday morning. We had a great time doing it and you were a big help. However there was one point where I was working on a particularly difficult strand of lights (they only worked if you shook them for a moment and then gently set them down). Anyway, I'm getting frustrated with the lights and you are talking and touching the lights, so in my frustration I blurt out "ZOE! DON'T. TOUCH. ANYTHING!!!"
Shortly after that, realizing that I am probably ruining the moment, I look at you and say "Having fun yet?" to which you replied "yes daddy". The incident reminded me of a scene from the classis Christmas movie "A Christmas Story".

Zoe, Grandma took you and mom to see the Nutcracker at the Kennedy Center. You had an "amazing" time. I was worried that you'd lose interest after 10 minutes, but you were enthralled throughout the show! You have been talking about it since you went. In fact, when you got home you showed us some of the ballet moves you picked up while watching the performance!

In previous posts I stated that Ryder was beginning to take steps. You continue to take steps and you're getting better by the day. A new development now emerging (since this morning) is that you have found a new method of transport, crawling.