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.