It's all about Rylan

My life really is all about Rylan. He wakes up shorlty after I wake up...either I make too much noise in the kitchen or he smells breakfast cookin! We spend all day together and I have a brief period in the early evening when Rylan gets his daddy time outside playing in the mud. Of course, that's when I'm cooking dinner so it's not really the "me" time I need some days. Then it's time to feed Rylan dinner, and have quiet time before we read books and sing songs and get in our pj's to be ready to get in bed. I find myself staying up later and later just doing the things I want to do but I don't get to do during the day...watch tv curled up on the couch with my hubby, read a book, scrapbook...Then I get in bed just to share with Kevin all the cute things Rylan did that day and I find myself wanting to get Rylan out of bed to give him one last hug! So, this post is yet again, all about Rylan...

Rylan has been surprising me with new things everyday, so here comes many stories about Ry in the last week.

We were reading "No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed". As soon as I got to the page with the doctor (the doctor said "No More monkeys jumping on the bed") Rylan started shaking his finger. I don't think I have ever shook (is that a word?) my finger at Rylan so I guess I must do that when we sing the song or read the book! I started laughing, but continued reading the book. Each time the doctor came up, Ry would shake his finger and laugh. He was so proud of himself for catching on...and of course, so was I!

Second story: We were building block towers. I said "knock it down" and he just looked at me. So I tried to show him and I said "do this" as I made a fist and pretended to knock down the tower. But of course, I made my all too famous sound effect to go with it (which is the sound I make for absolutely everything). So what does Ry do? He makes a fist and makes not one, but two punching motions as well as the exact same sound effect! Of course he didn't knock it down either, but he did just as I asked, I suppose!! Ahhh, I love my boy.

We had soup and sandwiches for dinner the other night. Growing up we often had peanut butter and honey sandwiches with a bowl of soup for Sunday lunch. And the only way I've ever know how to eat a can of campbell's soup, is to dip my pb and honey sandwich in my soup for extra enjoyment! So of course, that's how I ate my soup and sandwich that night. Well, Ry had a bowl of soup with just a piece of bread (still avoiding the pb and honey!). I looked over to see him dipping his bread in his soup, just like mama!

Now, this isn't a story I would usually tell, and I hope I don't have many like this in the future. But I admit, I was laughing pretty hard. Rylan was playing on my bed (as I was trying to make the bed...quite difficult). I took a break (making the bed is hard work!) and laid down next to him. He just started tooting away and he had lots of toots in him. I try to never comment on that stuff but after some time, Ry started to laugh. So of course, I started lauging and I said "You tooted!". Rylan pipes up "TOOT"! But he's still tooting (really, I don't know what he ate to cause this) and suddenly he's pointing at his bum and just giggling. I couldn't help but laugh along with him before taking him off the bed and distracting him with something else. Wow, was it funny though!

On Sunday as we were leaving the Doyle home Mark and Heidi were saying "bye" and Kevin and I were saying "bye"...so there were lots of byes going around. Suddenly Rylan perks up "Bye...bye" while waving goodbye. Kevin and I were so excited because he's never said "bye" before. And Mark and Heidi should feel privileged. Rylan would not say it for Kevin on Monday morning as he was leaving for work. But he practices througout the day saying "b b b bye".

Then yesterday Rylan had his towel wrapped around him after his bath. He'll cover his eyes and slowly peek over and I'll say "peeeeek". But when he moves the towel away fast I'll say "boo!". So yesterday he slowly peeks over and before I say anything I hear a little "peeeeek" and then he giggles and does it again. What a goof!

And my last story, is perhaps a motherly favorite of mine. I was saying a blessing before dinner last night. Usually after we pray and open our eyes, Rylan will start giggling. I tend to think that he thinks we're playing a game with him. Well yesterday after I finished the blessing, I opened my eyes to see Rylan sitting there quietly with his arms folded! CUTE! Kevin said he just folded his hands in front of him and had his eyes open during the prayer (shame on him) and when he saw Ry fold his arms, Kevin decided he should fold his own arms. What a good example Rylan already is!

With all this time I get to spend with Rylan I sometimes wonder if I'm a good enough mom or if I'm able to teach him what's right. It's comforting to see him following in our examples whether it's waving and saying "bye" or folding his arms during a prayer. I know Rylan is such a sweet special boy and he will one day being saying his own prayer and it will bring tears to my eyes.

Isn't being a mother so scary, nerve wracking, exhausting, and overwhelming, yet joyful, peaceful, exciting, and fun, all at the same time?