Before and after

End of May, 2008

From Ryan in the box

End of October, 2008

From Late October 2008

First Molar

Late October 2008

Yesterday while Ryan was crying I noticed his first molar (bottom right) peeking through his gums.

He's walking more than crawling now, say about 60% of the time. He can clap when we sing 'If you're happy and you know it.' He says 'hot' when the radiator is warm and 'ahhhh' when he sees a tea cup or a water bottle--also after he takes a pull off his bottle. And he says 'ow' when he slaps me on the head or face. He likes feeding Whiskey and playing hide & seek behind the drapes in his room.

The StairMaster

Halloween in Dublin

Matt just emailed asking if we'd packed the dog's bee costume for Halloween in Ireland.

The last time I put it on him I had to do quite a bit of cutting to make it fit.  Afterward I just threw it away.  

Thinking about it, having the dog in costume would be considered pretty outside the envelope around here, even in relatively cosmopolitan Dublin.  The practice of parading your dumb chum in fancy dress, something any thoughtful, socially-minded San Franciscan would consider well within the bounds of correct etiquette, would be seen here as perhaps incorrect and even laughable.  Go figure.

Playing catch-up

Late_Sept

Here are some more pictures from September. We are having trouble downloading new photos from the camera onto the computer so I haven't been able to post our most recent photos. As soon as Mike fixes it I will post them to the blog. We also have video of Ryan walking which he is doing quite confidently and often.

Remember him?

Late_Sept

Here are some photos from a month ago, just before we all started getting sick. That's why there aren't many posts in September. Ryan is starting to say more and more things that resemble words. Mike swears he heard him say 'water' this morning as Ryan watched Whiskey drink from his water bowl. He's walking longer distances now and more often. He requires a lot of my attention these days.

Whiskey had his first professional grooming session this weekend. He looks great and sheds less. They trimmed his beautiful tail, which I'm still a little upset about but there's less hair for Ryan to grab onto so I guess that's good for Whiskey.
-Riko

Walker! @ 348 days

We've been watching Ryan take a few steps here and there, but we were discussing the question, "When do you call it walking?"  A few steps then falling to the knees and continuing with a crawl doesn't really seem like it.

Well, we've just called it.  He got up and walked across the room on his own initiative.

On an unrelated note, here are some pictures of the scenery around our immediate neighborhood.  I'll try to place them on google maps.

From Around Donnybrook

Happy to Riko

Today is Riko's birthday!  We're still recovering from being sick.

A fatherhood first, 11 months in

Mike here,

Today Ryan barfed on me for the first time.  A goodish, sincere bit of vomit it was, not just a wee baby spit-up, with which I already have some milky experience.

Still, Ryan was kind and spared me the sort of double barreled, open bore, double ought barfs he reserves for Riko.  I feel like the favorite at the moment.

We're still working the Riko cold issue and now Ryan is getting it as well.  In the last four weeks we've all been sick, including Whiskey.

Mike

Happy to Mike

Today is Mike's birthday.  Ryan couldn't stay awake to wish his Daddy a happy birthday but he helped Mommy with the shopping for his birthday dinner.  We've aquired a taste for lamb since our stay here so we had lamb for dinner and carrot cake.   

(No, I didn't forget to type 'Birthday' in the subject line.  Mike's niece, Katie, used to sing "Happy to me!" when she was little so it's become part of the Fogarty family lore)  

Moving back, other news

Looking back, it appears we haven't served our web.audience well with news of the latest.

We're moving back to San Francisco around the first of January, 2009.  So, pretty soon Okaasan and Nana will get to hold Ryan and see how big he's gotten.  

What's more, we're putting the house in SF up for sale.  I understand our realtor has already shown it to a couple.  We're looking to buy something better suited to family living.

I don't know where that will be.  San Francisco?  Marin?  An old missile silo in Idaho?

Finally, Riko has a bad cold.  I may have to take a day off work to help around the house.  Ryan is doing well in spite of the fact that I'm doing a bit more of the baby care work than usual.

-Mike

Busy Mama

Early_Oct

Ryan is fully mobile now.  He crawls like a champ, is walking along the furniture and uses doors, chairs and ottomans as walking tools.  He says 'Bah, bah, bah' and now 'Ma, ma, ma' (not Mama yet) and is imitating Whiskey's yawns.  When I take a drink from my tea cup he says 'Ahhhhh'.  He's also taken up the recorder.  

On October 6th, his 11 month birthday he took his first deliberate steps towards Daddy.  (He took a few clumsy steps nearly two weeks earlier but they were kind of accidental)  The next day he walked towards Whiskey.  He was nearly two feet away.