Ryan Turns 2!

Oops.  Mommy posted the photos in backwards order.  Oh well. . .

Here's Ry sliding down a slide at the play area at the Streets of Southpointe in Durham.

She is so cute!!!  She and Ryan LOVE to play together in this play area.  They run from structure to structure giggling and chatting.

Go Ryan go, you can get up there.  Watch out Madeline. . .he might accidentally head butt you!

On his birthday, Madeline sweetly lets her brother wrestle her.  He would do it all day long if he could, but the Wells' have instituted a Daddy only wrestle with Ryan, as the little guy can be too physical for his big sister.  As an aside, Madeline was really kind and loving toward Ryan today.  Since it was his birthday she kept deferring to him and even suggested letting him listen to the Wiggles CD instead of her listening to Aladdin  when we were in the car.  She is developing such a sweet and sensitive spirit.

Here's the Birthday Boy eating Birthday Pankcakes!  If only you could see the syrup dripping from his nose down to his PJ bottoms.

Look at that new car!

Here's the first shot of the little guy on his new scooter.

Daddy concentrates, as he cuts out Pumpkin Elmo's eyes.  

Two years ago, on October 27th at 6am on the dot, Ry Ry made his way into the world.  Today we celebrated his birthday.  As he walked down the stairs this morning Daddy, Madeline and I sang him Happy Birthday.  He had no idea what it meant, but he knew it was something special and was grinning from ear to ear.  For breakfast we had special birthday pancakes and then opened presents.  His favorite gift seems to be the Spider Man scooter.  Matt and I can't believe how good he is at "scooting" on it already.  After scooting around the first floor we moved on to pumpkin carving.  This year Daddy carved us an Elmo pumpkin.

Tonight we got to celebrate the little guy's special day with some of his little friends.  Nate and Jackson came over to eat some Elmo cake and bat at a pinata.  There were some fun memories from this evening.  One is Mr. Jamie helping Madeline bat at the pinata.  He batted so hard that her head whipped forward and backward in beat with the moving bat (it was a slow whipping, but so funny to watch).  Madeline, too thought this was funny and was laughing as Mr. Jamie helped her with the bat.  The other funny moment came when Jackson and Ryan started jumping from the coffee table to the couch.  As if this was not crazy enough, Daddy put on some music and the boys and Madeline started doing silly dances on the coffee table before jumping onto the couch.  What a fun and special day we had.  

I hope years from now, you will read this little Ry.  We love you so much.  You are a true delight to our souls and we are so grateful that the Lord gave you to us to raise.  You are all boy in that you are non-stop motion and activity and love to wrestle and be physical.  And you are all sweet.  You love to cuddle with Mommy, Daddy, and Madeline and we are watching you develop tenderness toward others.  I have been really surprised at your willingness to share when you have little friends over.  Recently, you have been playing this really cute night-night game with Mommy, Daddy and Madeline.  You wrap your arm around our heads and say "night-night" and pull our head down to the ground with yours.  We then say "morning" and pull our heads up, and you say "morning", and a few seconds later, you say "night-night" and again grab our heads with your arm and pull our head down to the ground and on and on.  It is a joy to watch you grow and learn and mature.