big and strong

hi all you old geezers out there, it's me ryder, finally checking back in.  i've been a busy bug lately, growing up big and strong and finding less time for my little blogging hobby.  in fact, i'm getting so big that i've outgrown all my newborn-sized rompers!  mommy and daddy keep babbling that i'm somewhere in the 11.5 pound vicinity, but i know i'm growing because now whenever they pick me up, mommy and daddy make funny grunting noises.   

in addition to just putting on the pounds, i've also started to do a lot more than just eat, sleep and poop - don't get me wrong however, those are still some of my favorite past times.  i have discovered that i really like books.  daddy reads lots of books to me about trucks and doggies and he makes funny 'arf' and 'woof woof' sounds while he's reading.  mommy reads fun books to me and sometimes if i'm lucky, she'll even sneak in  "mommy-books" which are a bit more riveting than some of that truck and doggie material.

here we are getting down with ms. kingsolver.  ooh, this is a good one.

besides reading, i've also been doing some rigorous jane fondaesque workouts.  what, you don't believe me?  check out this video i took for you.  its me laying on my tummy for awhile, lifting up my head a bunch and working on my patented ryder-dance-move.  i call it the "grunt and wiggle"!

after my exercising, i get really worn out and take naps all over the house.  here are some of my favorite spots:

my bouncy chair

my travel crib. (that's my friend snuffles the bear, he protects me while i snooze)

daddy's tummy.

mommy's tummy.

i showed you my reading routine, and my workouts and my favorite snooze spots.  the last thing i've learned to do real well is push my parents buttons. when i'm just not getting the sufficient attention that my cuteness warrants, i simply put on my "special" face and mommy and daddy come a running right quick . daddy calls my "special" face the PFW - or pouty face warrior, because i look like i'm ready for a long, testy battle.

this is some classic PFW

i've also found that my smiley face gets lots of attention too, so i unleash a few of these from time to time too.

my happy face!

i'm off to go eat some din din.  if you want to see some more pics of my recent activities, you can check some out here.  i'm not quite old enough for the solid food yet, but that hasn't stopped mommy and daddy from planning for my big-boy-6-month-old appetite.  here they are harvesting baby food for me from the garden.

mmmm... peas.