Ryan - Month 8

Month 8 - here we go!

• Ryan is catching on that he can get a certain reaction out of people with certain actions of his own.  So a funny new thing he started was fake coughing when he wants attention or doesn't want to be put down for bed.  Matt or his mom, Carol, would lay him down in his swing to nap, and he would start doing these ridiculously fake coughs, then, looking at you with a sly smile to see if it was working.  What a turkey!  

• Making some more headway in the crawling department: Ryan started inching forward while on his hands and knees.  He can't go more than one or two paces before he collapses, and he is very selective about what he will crawl for.  This month, it was only for the dog's feet or for stray water bottles left around the house.  Priorities.  

• He has become quite an expert at sitting up without assistance, which has made play time a little less nerve wracking for us since we don't have to worry about him toppling and hitting is head as much.  He also started pulling up onto things, namely the sides of his crib.  Matt saw that one coming and thankfully dropped the crib down to a lower setting just days before he decided to make his move.  It is really funny and also a bit sad to watch him pull himself up to the bars in his crib.  He looks like he's in a little baby prison (and acts like it too if we don't come to get him right away!)

• Peekaboo books are his absolute favorite, so we are accumulating quite a collection.  He likes to open the flaps himself and then shut them again right away.  I think he has a bit of his mama's OCD in that regard - nothing can stay open if it's supposed to be shut :)  I love reading to him and the interest that he shows in books.  I hope that's something he'll continue on as he gets older.
• While picking up our day-after Halloween candy, Matt and I made an impulse bubble buy to see if Ryan liked them.  And he did!  I would blow the bubbles around him and he would look around at them in amazement.  Matt showed him how to pop them with his fingers, and then upped the amazement by making enormous bubbles in the kitchen using his hands and some Dawn soap :) 
• Speaking of Halloween, Ryan wore a puppy costume for the big day and couldn't have looked cuter!  Unfortunately, he had a cold, so we weren't able to go to any of the parties we had planned.  But Jordan dressed up as a baby and the little duo had a fun time hanging around the house together.  When it came time to carving the pumpkin, he loved reaching inside to pull out the guts.