Two, Four, Six, Eight!

8 months old today!

Today Rayler is eight months old. My little man is transitioning from baby to toddler now! Every day I love him even more than I did the day before. Such a wonderful blessing from the Lord!

Now that Mr. can go wherever he pleases, he was getting bored with his teething toys and stuffed animals. So when we were shopping one day I dropped by the ball bin. Boy, was he ever excited to see all those balls! I handed him an orange ball and he immediately started beating on it. And then I picked up a blue ball and asked him if he wanted the orange ball or the blue ball. He looked at me, looked at his   choices, and then promptly licked the blue ball. That was Rayler-speak for "I shall lick it and it shall be mine." One very happy little boy is now the owner of a bright blue ball.

I love my new ball!

Chewing on his sunglasses instead of wearing them

Rayler got to "help" Daddy at the fire station this week!

Exploring

Playing with Aunt Cassie

Too much work makes Rayler a tired boy

"Helping" Daddy back the brush truck

Learning to be an engineer like Daddy

Whoops!

Rayler ate several new table foods this week. Cheese, dill pickles, Greek yogurt, and one night he was practically begging for the food off my plate so he had some green beans and potatoes and a bit of chicken enchilada. He seemed to like everything except I found that he can eat Monterey Jack cheese because it's soft but sharp cheddar is still too hard for him to eat without teeth.

Very, very sleepy boy

Yes, he did attempt to stuff all this in his mouth at one time.

He *loves* pickles, much to his daddy's chagrin.

Yummy cheese!

I have a little shadow wherever I go now. He followed me all the way down to the Master bath one morning. I thought he was just playing in the floor but when I turned around I found that he had climbed up onto the step of the bathtub! He tries to climb on anything and everything and he finally succeeded climbing something.

I've got a monkey for a son

He had a grand ol' time playing with Rayler-in-the-mirror

Who needs a play pen?

Hi Momma!

This week we hit up the Rhea Lana consignment sale. I found the exact push toy for Bugs that I had been looking at for only $7! I also bought him several nice shirt/short sets and some shoes. I am glad that he seems to like his new shoes.

Playing with his new toy

Checking out his new shoes

Look Mom! One hand!

He was so worn out from the excitement of shopping that he fell asleep on the way home. As you can see, he is a mite big for the infant carrier!

That poor carrier is full to overflowing!

It was my hope to find a new car seat for Bugs at the Rhea Lana sale but we didn't have much luck there. So just as I was about to go out a buy one I got a message from my cousin offering us his daughters old car seat. Yay! It is a bit girly right now, pretty flowers and all, but we'll soon right that as soon as I can make a new cover for it. He loves his new seat!

He climbed right in it as soon as I got it home.

Climbing out to investigate the back of the seat

Riding in his new seat for the first time. The sun was too bright and he wouldn't look up

Every once in a while if I am tickling Rayler and he wants me to stop he'll give me a kiss. Pretty smart of that bug, distracting me like that. However, he has taken his kiss bribery to a new level. One day he was sitting on my lap as I was sitting on the couch. He saw the TV remote on the back of the couch and wanted it, but I told him "no". That's when the kiss bribery came into play. He leaned back, gave me a kiss, and reached for the remote again. Of course I told him "no" again, and he gave me another kiss...I think I won that battle hands down. I got lots of free kisses and he did not get the remote.

Bugs and I got to watch some men moving a house (trailer) this week. I woke up one morning to the sound of big engines revving nearby. I looked out the back window just in time to see a house going by. So I grabbed Rayler and his bottle (it was breakfast time) and headed out to watch from the front porch. I had no idea the work that goes into moving a house! I think the movers were glad to see us, they had been trying to figure out how to make a big turn without taking out anyone's house, and as soon as they saw me they asked if I could move my car for them. So we moved the car and sat and watched them make the big turn.

Rayler just looked and looked. 

 And here is some more fun from this week!

Hey...I recognize those people!

I had put him down for his nap but he just played and played...and then I heard a thud and this is what I found

Poor little guy fell asleep 

"Reading" books

No, I did not put Franklin there. I guess Rayler was trying to help him escape before  he (Rayler) fell asleep

Rayler stayed with Grandma Bobbie for a few hours this week. While there he ate...a shoe...

...squash...

....and more squash

And then he crashed on the floor.

He can balance very well on his knees now

Trying to escape the barricade 

Rayler spent Saturday morning with Daddy and Daddy let him watch Super Why

I guess he got tired of watching from the high chair

Curiosity got the better of him