So Max and I are sitting here with huge smiles on our faces. We're downstairs and just put Ryan down. American Idol was on the tv and we realized we have our own American Idol in his crib! Ryan was singing Twinkle Twinkle (every word). But best of all, once he finished, he cheered to himself. Now he's as quiet as a mouse. And before he was singing....he was fake snoring. Note to readers: we do not watch American Idol. It was just on Fox when we turned on the tv.

Ryan has recently began with the singing. Sometimes songs we had no idea he learned at school. His language skills have really expanded the last few weeks. He's speaking in completely logical statements and asking really smart questions. Full sentences and pretty profound thoughts.

In other news, we want to send our love to both my extended family and the Holohan clan. This weekend my Great Uncle Red (mom's uncle) passed away at 91 from pneumonia. He was truly loved by so many and one of the funniest good old boys around. My grandma loved him so much. It's comforting to know they are together now. We were also heartsick that our friends the Holohan's lost Kevin's mom to cancer last night. 15 years ago she welcomed me into her home as part of Mindy's extended family when I lived in Chicago and her visits have always been a bright spot.

So to continue the sentiment of my last post, we can't wait for February to be over. March has got to be better than this month! Love to you all,

Court, Max, & Ryan

Hide and seek at Nami and Papa's.

So serious.

Not so serious.

More hide and seek.

And even more hide and seek, though we can find him behind this door when he hides and we seek.

We painted for the first time at home this weekend. So fun!

Multi-tasking: cooking and playing games on mommy's phone.

The nursery.

Bathtime.

Ryan drawing a truck all on his own. So talented!

February

February is here and already I wish it were over. Winter is stretching out too far in front of us. It's like the weather is mimicking the dreary state of affairs that keep rearing their ugly heads for those we love best. So many of our friends are in the midst of really challenging "stuff." Work lulled for all of 2 days and boom, things are springing up again. Ryan is cooped up and we cannot seem to stay sustainably healthy. (Learned today I've had an upper respiratory infection for weeks. And now Max is feeling less than 100%.) It tends to make us feel helpless and hopeless and the weather is certainly not helping things. We'll look to March to renew everything.

Despite it all , the boy continues to grow like a weed and evolve like a brain-i-ac. I remind myself daily that his resolute determination (mostly expressed with swinging arms and the use of "no") will someday serve him well, just as Max's determined nature makes him so good at what he does. Generally he's really sweet, happy, and curious about the world. He's always telling us that he's happy or finding somehting / someone around us that is too.

I'm excited that he spends massive amounts of time creating art. And he's really good! On weekends, his cumulative, un-forced art time is around 1.5 hours a day. He just can't get enough. And his sweet nature continues to show through, no matter if it's him telling Cali that he loves her or him bringing me over the puppy figure to give me a kiss when he apologizes after time out. Lately we catch him in conversation with himself (or the dog or his cars). Right now "Big Puppy" (which is a bear) is a constant companion as well as Curious George and Pooh. He also LOVES reading, which is so important to us. We spend 30 minutes every night before bed reading (the same books over and over...and over again.) He's counting to 10 on his own, though he skips 4. You'll gather from the photos, his train set and trucks / cars are his main interest. Anything police car or firetruck related is an obsession. When our friend Deb cares for Ryan on Tuesday's and Friday's we drive past 3 fire stations. I never imagined my entire morning existent would consist of scoping for emergency vehicles, snow plows and big rigs, but I find myself shouting out when I see one, even when Ryan's at childcare and I have a coworker in the care. (They are never as excited as Ryan is.)

Writing all this makes me realize there is lots of good all around us to focus on too. So to those of us we love dearly, in the midst of the junk of 2011....we love you. We're praying for you. And we're here.

Love Court, Max + RyanRyan sitting inside the ottoman, reading his Richard Scarrey book to his puppy.

The artist at work.

Mischief maker for sure! He thinks walking in our shoes is hilarious.

Since Christmas, Ryan would not combine his trains because they came in two different sets. This is the first instance of "Supertrain."


Thank God for washable Crayola markers. I will never complain that crayola is more expensive. They are WORTH EVERY penny considering how much marker makes it from the page to his face, clothes, and hands!
Ryan drew this while I was cooking and proclaimed "Dizzy Izzy" (a vehicle from his truck book.) I was really shocked that he had moved from simply making colors, to intentionally drawing wheels, the body of a car, and the grill.

Here is his police car. The blue horizontal lines above it the lights and sirens he told me.

Other than drawing vehicles, these "B" are consistently what he draws. And no, we're not so obsessed with our kid to convince ourselves that he spelled "Bob."




This photo is from the last week of the Binkie! He gave it up three weeks ago and has not mentioned it in two weeks. It was a rough start for three nights, but he handled it like a champ....and we don't miss combing the floor for it at 3am when he'd wake up upset!

Ryan showing off his "Buddha and Bebo" (Belly and Belly Button).