Riley is 11 Months

My beautiful baby boy is growing so fast. I'm sad to see his sweet baby face changing into more of a toddler face but I'm also loving the personality we are gaining more insight into. Riley, you are one of the sweetest babies I have ever met. You especially love your mama and sissy. 

Age:  11 months

Stats: I should delete this section, I have no idea. He is wearing some 12 month stuff and some 18 month clothes.

Nicknames: Riley, Bug, Baby, little guy.

Milestones: Riley loves to babble talk. He is slowly picking up the sign language we are working on but he may not use much anyways. He is already saying "nana" for banana, "Dadda" and "tada." His sister is in dance class and says tada after everything now. He must have picked up on this.

Riley still sleeps horribly at night. He is the best day time sleeper though. If he was my first child, I would be getting tons of day sleep in and/or have a clean house. With a toddler in tow as well, I have a messy house and get no sleep. I've accepted this is just a season of life.

Favorite things: Riley is really starting to show his interests now. He loves trucks, babies, his pacis, books, bath time, and his mama. He loves to eat and so far hasn't turned any food down. 

Signature moves: Spitting in command (or when he wants attention), cuddling, saying "tada" with his hands in the air are all signature moves with Riley. He moves fast and can be out of a room in a split second so he keeps me on my toes with his disappearing act.

Next month, my youngest is 1. How can that be?

Saying Goodbye... And Hello

This is a post that is very challenging for me to write. If you aren't a lover of animals, you probably want to stop reading now. If you do love animals, I hope you can understand (and possibly) relate to experiences we have currently endured.

Our family loves animals. Those that come into our lives are welcomed with open arms and become a part of the family. Since being married, we have had 2 dogs that we cherish dearly. They were our first babies. 

A few years ago, we moved to the country. One of the things I didn't plan for was additional pets. We have had 4 cats total over the short time we've lived outside of town. They have all been outdoor cats due to our allergies. Still, we connect with them and love them so. 

My daughter had latched on to a baby tomcat that randomly arrived at our house and rarely let him out of her sight  (or grip) when we were outside. He was the perfect companion for her and tolerated how much love a toddler can show (physically). He was always near her and followed her everywhere she went. 

I have cherished watching their relationship grow in the last year. Unfortunately, our time with him ended too soon. With outside cats, we are limited to how much protection we can provide these animals. They are so vulnerable to predators, the weather, and vehicles (we are near a busy road). We have worked hard to decrease these risks, but only so much can be done. 

As we have been mourning the loss of one beloved cat, we welcomed our first litter of kittens into our family. Five beautiful babies arrived early one morning last week. My daughter and I were blessed to bear witness to this event. Payton was attached instantly and I can honestly say it was love at first sight.

Goodbye, for now, to our cat who bonded so well with our baby. Hello, to the babies who helped us expand our hearts and deepen our love for all things animal related.

10 Month Old Baby

Oh baby, another month has come and gone. There isn't a day that goes by that I'm not thankful for this loveable, sweet, go-go-go baby. He brings so much more love into our house. I thought my daughter was a total momma's girl and didn't think she could be any more attached to me. Enter Riley. He is extremely attached to his mommy and doesn't like her to exit the room. He will crawl like crazy across our house to try and keep up with me. He is also starting to have some minor issues with any one beside mom holding him. It's been hard on daddy. It's just a phase. A short phase. Soon enough, he will be like his sister and we will struggle to get him to let us hold him at all and we will be left in tears. It's crazy how quickly that happens.

Here are our current stats:

Age:  10 months

Stats: Again, I don't really know. I should just delete this section as I am on repeat. He is still in size 12 month clothes. I have started to pull out 18 month clothes but they are a bit big on him.

Nicknames: Riley is getting called buggy a lot lately (short for Riley bug). Otherwise, we still mostly just call him Riley. Riley bug, little guy, big guy, and baby are still commonly used.

Milestones: Riley still loves to have people hold on to him so he can practice standing and walking. He is pulling himself up on his own now. This means everything is getting moved to an even higher level. Riley is also starting to mock every noise with the mouth. Giving kisses and smacking his lips are a challenge but he definitely has spitting down! 

Sleep has continued to regress due to growing, teething, sickness, and who knows what else. He also was diagnosed with RSV during this last month and we are still playing catch up to those sleepless nights. He has been going to bed between 6 and 7PM lately, but gets up at 8PM most nights so he can hang out (and fall back to sleep) with daddy. He loves this time (and daddy doesn't seem to complain). Riley continues to wake and sleep at various intervals. I'm still ending my night (or starting my morning?) with pulling him into bed with me. Sometimes I just need the extra bit of sleep before getting up for the day.

Riley starts his days at about 6AM. I am in awe that no matter how good or bad our day goes, he still wakes at the exact same time. He is still a rock star napper. When he lets me know he is ready for a nap (yawning, rubbing eyes, a bit crabby) I just lay him down in his crib with his sound machine on and he goes right to sleep. It doesn't get much better than that. 

Favorite things: Riley still loves attention, especially from his momma and sister. He can't get enough of us. He also can't get enough of having items in his mouth. I continue to chase him and monitor what he's putting in his mouth. He is loving all foods! I don't think he's met a food he doesn't like yet.

Signature moves: Riley loves to wave at everyone. His wave is more of a hand flop still but he definitely knows he's waving and is intentional about saying hi and bye to everyone. He also loves to crawl as fast as he possibly can for everything. There's no slowing down for him. Lately, he loves laying into us for hugs and cuddles. Riley favors screaming/yelling parties with his sister. They enjoy seeing how loud they can get as they copy each other. 

We have also learned that Riley is very cautious. He doesn't like being thrown in the air and will cling/hug the person holding him if he thinks this going to happen. Going down slides and occasionally swinging is something he doesn't enjoy and will cry for us to quit trying these. All of these things are complete opposite of our daughter. This is just another reminder that he is unique and very different than his sister.

We love you so much Riley bug!

Bring on Summer

The sun came out this week and therefore, out came our tiny flock. I'm already kicking off this weekend with a bit of a sunburn from spending all day outside yesterday. We love warm weather though and exploring around our little country house. 

We've been kicking off our mornings with breakfast outside. I loved doing this last summer with just Payton, but there's something to be said of watching a toddler feed her baby brother.

Payton got not one, but two fishing poles for her birthday (poor planning between parents and grandma) and has been practicing fishing regularly. She's hoping daddy takes her fishing soon. We can also be found reading and lounging outside when we aren't chasing chickens and cuddling cats or dogs.

Midweek we got a visit from a friend from high school and I loved catching up. I wish I saw her more but will take the few times a year visits!

Happy Mother's Day weekend. I'm not sure we will be doing much but enjoying the weather and celebrating graduations.

Thankful

My precious babies, 

There are a few things I want you to know about this time in my life. You are both so little but bring so much into my life. I spend so much time thanking the Lord for allowing me to raise you. I am beyond blessed that my days (and nights) are filled with your smiling faces, little laughs, kissing away owies, and countless hours of rocking. This week alone, I witnessed Riley learn to play peek-a-boo on his own and start to wave bye-bye. As I did with Payton, I treasure these milestones and the privilege of bearing witness to your growing minds.

Yesterday, we spent the afternoon at the park. It was a random Monday. We went because we could and the sun was out. This is a luxury not everyone gets. 

Your daddy surprised you there and brought a special treat (Sonic limeades). Both kids couldn't have been happier. We walked, talked, and fed the ducks and fish. It was a day well spent.

You both won't remember these days. I will. I can promise you both, I will cherish these memories for always. I honestly can't thank you enough for how full you have made my life.

Love, 

Mommy

A Very Special Day

Last night, I put my child to bed as a two year old. This morning, she woke as a three year old. It amazes me to think about how much she has grown in the last year. 

Over the weekend, Payton's grandparents came to visit and we celebrated her birthday with them. Our son has RSV so the rest of the family decided it best not to come (and we agreed). Today, we are making everything a celebration from getting up until going to bed. We also get the rare treat of having lunch with the hubby, which will be a surprise for our daughter.

Payton, you bring so much light to our lives. You have the most giving, loving heart. Your spirit is gentle and you aim to please. You love to clean, take care of brother, and organize; essentially a little caregiver in the making. We love you so much and pray you always find the light in gloomy weather.

Some stats for Payton:

Age: 3 years

Stats: Due to our most recent (and first) ER experience, I know that you are 32 pounds. You are 3 feet, 1 inch tall. You are in a size 3t.

Nicknames: Mostly, we call you Payton. To many of us, you are called P, Miss P, and you like to refer to yourself as Ruth.

Milestones: Your language and cognitive development would definitely be there biggest change. You can say so much now and we can have basic conversations with you. You can say your name and count to 3 (after 3 you typically jump to ten). You like to find and show off your pinkies and thumbs.

Favorite things: You love your family and are very happy when we are all together. Everyday you ask to play choo choo train and go outside to swing and play with your chickens. You have such a varied love for a variety of toys: Minnie Mouse, cars, all books, fishing poles, dolls, and animals. When it comes to coloring, you can stay focused for long periods of time and make sure to use every color. You never miss an opportunity to clean and help.

Signature moves: Girl, you always want to dance. Daddy made the mistake of showing you how to shake your booty and calling it the "butt dance," and you haven't stopped. About six months ago you took your first dance class and continue to beg daily to take another. I'm hoping to get you signed up for summer.

Along with dancing, you also love to sing. At the top of your lungs. From the moment you wake to the moment you go to bed. You love family hugs, telling everyone you love them, and blowing kisses goodbye. Your sweetness gives me warm fuzzies all day.

We love you more than you will ever know. Happy Birthday to my baby.

9 Month Update

As our house is battling colds, I'm taking advantage of using the extra down time to catch up a little on here, while the time lasts. We are on day 6 and I'm hoping we are on the mend. This cold was rough and knocked us out for several days. I have only left the house once this week and that was only because we were going so stir crazy. We grabbed fast food, met the hubby at work, and ate our meal in the vehicle. That alone was exhausting but a good way to get out for a few minutes. 

Our slobbery, lovable baby is another month older. I will never stop questioning how fast time goes. Seriously? How does it go so fast? I believe I will be getting the itch soon to start planning the big 1 year very soon. We have a toddler turning 3 in 8 days, so I am focused on that first. Again, how do I have a 9 month old and almost 3 year old? 

Age:  9 months

Stats: I really have no idea. Insert the momma guilt. He is definitely much bigger than Payton was at this age. He is still in size 12 month clothes but I plan to pull out the next size up later this week (when my health returns). 

Nicknames: We still mostly call him Riley. Riley bug, little guy, big guy, and baby are still commonly used.

Milestones: Riley loves mimicking sounds and having spitting/slobbering contests. We swear he's saying "hi" and "Dadda," but we aren't 100% sure he's aware yet of what he's saying. He can roll to about anywhere he wants to go (and knows it) and is very close to crawling. He loves to have people hold on to him so he can practice standing and walking. He doesn't like feeling left out of anything and wants to be in the same room as everyone. If he isn't allowed outside when the door opens, he throws huge tantrums. The same occurs for baths. What can we say, he knows what he wants.

Sleep has regressed due to growing, teething, sickness, and who knows what else. He does go to bed by 8PM (a few days lately it's been about 6PM). I am up with him almost all throughout the night with waking times varying. He does go back to sleep quickly but I never know how long he will sleep. I have found it easiest to just pull him into bed with me. I may or may not regret this later. Only time will tell.

Riley starts his days at about 6AM. I am in awe that no matter how good or bad our day goes, he still wakes at the exact same time. He is also a rockstar napper. When he lets me know he is ready for a nap (yawning, rubbing eyes, a bit crabby) I just lay him down in his crip with his sound machine on and he goes right to sleep. It doesn't get much better than that. 

Favorite things: Riley still loves attention, especially from his momma and sister. He can't get enough of us. He also really loves to have anything he can find in the carpet and kleexes in his mouth. This keeps mommy very busy trying to keep him away from things he can't have. This was never a big issue with Payton but is definitely a constant struggle with Riley. 

Signature moves: Riley definitely wants to insert himself into the conversation. He loves to chat with everyone and will make sure his presence is known. He also seems to know no stranger, as long as mommy is next to him. His laughter and smile is so contagious. Payton and I can't help but laugh when we are around him.

Riley, you continue to awe us every day. You are growing so fast and learning new things all the time. We are so blessed to call you our own. We love you!