Army Girl (and ps we changed the comments so anyone can leave one)

Last Tuesday Ryanna was being "observed" by a high school psychology class taught by my neighbor. She was playing on the floor with another baby girl who was about 2 months younger than her. The other baby had a special way of army crawling or "commando" crawling across the classroom. After watching her for a few minutes Ryanna decided she could do it to! When I picked her up all the kids were so excited about it but I didn't really believe them....but lo and behold she has been doing it every day now.
Anyway, I started recording this video because she was making a clicking noise with her tongue. During the process she noticed that Mommy was eating a candy cane and she wanted some. So there is some clicking sounds as well as some of her starting her commando crawling - although this is not the best demonstration of what she can do.


Obviously in the first video she started in the middle of the living room. Well this one shows her making the final foot or two to Mom by the couch....and what she was really coming to get.

New antics

A few weeks ago Ryanna started doing this Elmer Fudd laugh in response to when we talk to her like Chipmunks saying "HI RYANNA!" We have used this voice since she was born when the animals on her mobile or any of her stuffed animals would talk to her via Mom or Dad in crazy voice. It finally dawned on us that it was basically a "fake" laugh. Apparantly, she wants to please us with her usual rounds of laughter but no longer finds it as hilarious. She is so sweet to feed our egos. :)


Ryanna's interest in all things Christmas led Mom to setting her in front of the stockings to entertain herself while Mom got stuff done. The other day she determined it was time to rip down the stockings and recover her stuffed animals. I doubted her but in the end she got them all down in a fit of determintation.


Almost everyday we spend time playing in Ryanna's room and sometimes I'll strip her down to her diaper because her room stays warm and she likes it. In the last week she has become curious about all the little parts of her room - i.e. she tries to role under her bed and sometimes succeeds, she also finds the handles on her dresser to be fascinating, etc.

First off this video is obviously side ways - my bad. Alright, Ryanna still has shown little interest in crawling but that hasn't kept her from getting around. She just started scooting around on her bum and proves to be quite a pro. She has scooted like this for a while but had little control. Now she can get across a room by scootin' on her bum - hilarious! Also, we've been reading books to Ryanna since she was about 5 months old and so she has quite a relationship with her books. Most of the time I can just give her a book to play with and she is entertained forever. When she is on our lap she insists on turning the pages (most the time)and sometimes even babbles like she is reading...or so it sounds. And yes she has her favorite stories and some she refuses to hear one more time.

When you live in Utah's "Dino Land" it makes sense that the centerpiece of the town would be a 40 foot statue of a T-Rex dressed in the latest holiday decor. Naturally, for Thanksgiving he would be eating a gargantuous drumstick of a prehistoric jumbo bird....Currently, T-Rex is wearing a santa hat and his little stick arms are balancing stacks of presents. Odd place....

Okay I love this picture for at least 2 reasons: 1. Ryanna is wearing a crazy cute "I Love Santa Clause" outfit with snowflake PJ pants....ahhhhhh, 2. Ryanna looks like a free style rapper. She should be right next to Eminem "I got my yummy in my tummy yo"

Tights make any little girl even cuter!!!!

Santa Baby

I should have turned the light on so it wasn't so dark. Anyway, Ryanna wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas!!!!

Christmas lights

Ryanna's obsession with the lights has intensified. She would point and basically yell at the lights on the window in an obvious request to touch them. Finally, I caved and now it is among her favorite daily activities. Don't worry though - I closely supervise. :)

It's beginning to look like Christmas!

If you are thinking "what a sad wittle twee" I must ask you to consider one thing: The 'tree' we have used the past 4 years is about 8 inches tall and was purchased on clearance at shopko for $1.00. This 3 foot tree purchased at Walmart this year is a huge step up for us! Love it!







Kristin says, "Don't desecrate my pie!"

Brian responds, "I ate a bunch of turkey already. I'll leave you some."


He didn't quite get my point...




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The day after Thanksgiving is Vernal's Holly Days. We went downtown and had a great time watching the parade of lights, sipping free hot chocolate, and singing holiday karaoke...or watching it and singing along. Ryanna loved ALL of it and didn't even seem to mind the cold although her nose was redder than Rudolphs!



Santa's little helper LOVES the christmas tree and lights on the window. The first thing we do in the morning is walk downstairs and plug in the tree, then cuddle on the couch and point from one to the other while Mommy says, "LIGHTS!"




Our neighbor Mary LOVES Ryanna. She bought her this "Baby's First Christmas 2007" stocking during her after Thanksgiving marathon shopping. We love it and Ryanna laughs when I bring her up to the stockings and she sees her stuffed animals peaking out.

Growing up!

Remember Maddi Baker? She was my neighbor when we lived in Provo. Well her family lives in Maine now but we are still friends of course. This is us when I was about 3 months and she was about 5 months.
Here we are with our Daddies. I was sad because this was the day before they moved away.
Look how much Maddi has grown! This is at her first birthday. Her mom made her a ladybug cake all for herself. COOL!

We're basically not babies anymore. Check out Maddi's sweet moves.