Ratcliffe Visit

After Rylee's blessing Cole's family stayed a week to play! This was the first time they have been to Kansas and we had not seen them for about a year. We really enjoyed the visit. Here is a picture tour of the highlights.

Playing with Grandpa, Dusty, Grandma, and Micarie

 
Church history tour. This picture is Cade in the play area at the Independance, MO vistor center. The next picture is at Adam-Ondi-Ahman. We also went to Liberty Jail.

We went to the zoo. Whatever we did Cade was never too far from Dusty. He was always holding his hand and asking him what he was doing. It was so cute. The next picture we were feeding goats at the zoo.

I couldn't help adding this one. At the zoo, Micarie told Cade to smile and this is what she

got. My little gentleman.

And of course showing off Rylee. Plenty of people to hold her, kiss her and snuggle her. She loved it.

 

Other things we did included visiting KSU insect and garden zoo, playing lots of Rook, and letting them experience the goodness of Blue Bell ice cream.

Blessing Day

We were so lucky to have so many family members and friends come to Rylee's blessing. It means so much to us to have that much love and support.

Cole blessed her on August 1st. I am so grateful to Cole for the way he lives his life that makes him worthy to hold the priesthood. I am grateful for the priesthood power and the ability we have to act in God's name on Earth. I am grateful for the Plan of Salvation and the ability for my family to be together forever. I feel blessed to have Rylee join our family and look forward to raising her and Cade together.

2 months

Rylee seems to get bigger and bigger everyday. This is a little late but I wanted to jot down her 2 month stats and some things about her. Rylee is starting to smile a ton! She loves to look at faces and every once in a while you can get her to smile. She is doing better through the night. She likes to go to bed around 12 or 1am, be up 2-3 times to eat and then sleep late into the morning. We are trying to push that schedule back a few hours ;)  She is vert tolerant of her baths now. Cole has nicknamed her GG (gas-ey girl) because she consistently gets some pretty intense gas! She loves to play dress up with mommy-ok well she really doesn't like it all that much but she does look adorable in everything I put her in!

Weight: 10 lb 9oz  40% percentile
Length: 22 in  32 % percentile
Head: 37 cm  10 % percentile

Smarty Pants

Cade just keeps getting smarter everyday. Some of the stuff he says just amazes us. He makes connections all the time. We are constantly cracking up at the things he says. He is very aware of the everyday things that go on. Since I am in the kitchen a lot making food, his new favorite thing is helping me cook or bake. He is always bringing me a bowl and saying, "Lets make something." We made cookies tonight and after he put his finger in the sugar he announced, "Sugar is soooo yummy!" But I guess it doesn't take a genius to figure that one out!

Here is a picture of Cade playing at my feet while I made dinner. He was "making" cars.

                                                                   
He is also quite savvy with musical lyrics. This is a picture of Cade singing (he knows every word) to "Take me out to the ball game" during the 7th inning stretch of a local ball game.

However, he hasn't quite got the concept of Hide and Go Seek yet, or at least the hiding part. Here is what Cole found when he went in to find Cade "hiding."

He also loves to talk with family on the video phone. He is very aware/curious of who is there, when they leave, and where they are going. Whenever we call Shan on the phone, Cade says, "Matthews not there. Matthew is working." Here is a picture of Rylee, Cade, and Matthew when he stopped by for a quick visit. Thanks for coming Matthew!!

A Milestone Reached

Since having Rylee, I have slowly gotten back into doing some of our normal activities, but learning to do it with a second child. I have been really nervous to do this since I have this envision of me in a public place with Cade throwing his shoes in the trash, running quickly away, making a royal mess of the place as he knocks large stacks of things to the ground, Rylee screaming at the top of her lungs, poop smeared all up her back, me standing there not know what to do next, and a crowd of people gathering thinking, "Why on Earth can't this mother handle her children!" Maybe a little dramatic but not entirely impossible. As I have slowly gone on different outings-to the library, park, playgroups, a short errand run- I have added it to my list of things I can do. This has slowly built up my confidence in completed the one I have been dreading the most. But today  I did it!

I successfully completed a trip to the grocery store with both kids by myself! 
Not just a run-in-and-grab-a-few-things trip. Like a I-have-a-whole-list-and-this-could-take-an-hour trip.

This may sound funny to some but it totally felt like an accomplishment to me. I have totally been avoiding going to the store. I have been making sure either Cole is home with the kids or he is with me at the store. I am not sure why this has made me so nervous but it has. Some of my concerns: Rylee screaming nonstop, Cade knocking Rylee's car seat off the cart, Cade throwing food out of the cart faster than I can put it in, Cade not wanting to sit in the cart with food piled all around him, Cade jumping out of the cart, Cade walking by the cart and all of the sudden running away (yes-his running is a problem), Cade opening all the food I put into the cart, Cade throwing eggs at people one by one, you get the idea. But everything went so smoothly. Cade was a champ and Rylee slept the whole time! I know it probably won't go as smooth each time but I definitely feel like I could do it again.

I know I will probably look back on this in several years when I am doing way more with more than 2 kids and laugh at myself but hey, you have to start somewhere and I enjoy rejoicing in little accomplishments. :)

 Because I hate to post without a picture, here are the kids being festive. This was the best I got. Rylee was a little less than pleased the whole time.

Lego Face

Background: At our house, this is referred to as Lego fingers.



Cade loves his sister so much he is always wanting to include her in everything. While Cade was playing with his Legos he wanted Rylee to play too. He carefully arranged the Legos around Rylee and then announced  "Lego face!"

I am so looking forward to when they will interact and play together. I know it won't always be blissful sibling interactions but I am excited to watch them grow up together.

Rylee Photo Shoot

One of Cole's school mates offered to take photos of Rylee. That has got to be one of the best baby gifts you can give. Something that will last a lifetime and something you for sure are going to love. Usually when taking pictures of newborns you are bound to get some of them sleeping since they fall asleep so fast and so often. Not Rylee. She was wide eyed and awake the whole time.It was a plus because we can get pictures with her eyes open, but it also makes it difficult because they can't just be manuvered however you desire. So several meltdowns, poopy blankets, and spit up clothes later we got some good ones. We are loving our sweet little girl.