The Richardsons: Ryleigh is Eight Months!!!!!!!!

Ryleigh at eight months (6-15-2011)

Eight Months. Yikes. I thought last month was full of new and exciting things...and then this month came along. I didn't realize how quickly Ryleigh was going to morph into such a little person once she became mobile. Now she's roaming around the house, picking and choosing what she wants to do and where she wants to go. It is so much fun just watching her make choices and discover all the new things she can do. And to watch her little face light up when she accomplishes something just melts my heart! It is such a bittersweet time...but then again, won't every moment of her life feel like this?

This past month started out with a visit from Gammy who spent a week with us. We did lots of fun things while she was here, like going to the zoo and swinging on the swings. You can read about all the fun we had and see all the pictures and videos from Gammy's visit HERE.

We then celebrated Memorial Day by going to the pool and taking our first swim. We had lots of fun playing in the water. You can read about how we spent our Memorial Day and see the pictures of videos of all the fun HERE.

The rest of the month we spent hanging around the house learning lots of new tricks. She started this month out just being able to sit and army crawl around. She quickly learned how to go from being on her tummy, to twisting to one side and pushing up to a sitting position with her arms. Mommy was sooooo excited when she first saw her do it! It took her a couple of days to perfect it, but now she can get from tummy to bottom in one swift movement. Ryleigh then started going up onto all fours, so we thought she would start crawling around on her hands and knees soon. We were wrong. She likes to prop herself up on all fours, but as soon as she wants to go anywhere, poof, it's back down on her tummy and off she scoots. But she can get up on all fours and she rocks around while she's there. Once she started going on all fours, she began pulling herself up on her knees using the furniture or her toy box or your legs or anything she could get her hands on really. And then not long after that she was able to go onto her knees using nothing! In this last week or so she has started pulling herself up to a standing position using the furniture, so it shouldn't be long until she starts walking around it!!

This past month she has also started (or at least we think she has started) to say "Dada" and "Mama". Obviously she makes all kinds of sounds so it is hard to tell if she really is referring to us on purpose, but as soon as she sees her Daddy so immediately starts with the "Dada". And she when she is fussy and tired she starts saying "Nana" (which I like to think is Mama). But I know she will be talking soon enough and when she does we aren't going to be able to keep her quiet, so for now, I'll enjoy the babbling : )

We're still getting used to a mobile baby and it is still a surprise when we go into her room in the morning to get her and there she is, sitting on her bottom or standing up holding onto the side of her crib. But babies grow up and that's what our little Ryleigh is doing. And she's doing it wonderfully : )

peek-a-boo

American Idol with Daddy

morning cartoons with our sippy cup

first time trying out the swings

terrorizing Lucy

playing on Mommy & Daddy's bed

meet your new Mack Trucks executive

"the couch ate my bottom half!!"

chasing Lucy around

First time in the swimming pool

with Lucy on her 2nd birthday

Lucy is still trying to decide if she likes or dislikes a mobile baby

Mac 'n cheese face!

House wandering

eating puffs all by myself

Caught!

playing with Daddy in the clean towels while Mommy tries to fold them

Lucy gets a little excited when Ryleigh starts to make high pitched sounds

Mommy snapped this picture to document Ryleigh's first time pulling herself up on the furniture. Daddy later informed her that she has done this numerous times before : /

This video is further proof of Ryleigh's love of the band Journey. Or her love of Meredith Viera.