Summer 2011

Hello again! Before I even type a complete sentence, I just want to say that I am NOT committing to blogging again on a regular basis, but we'll see. ;-)

I just thought the few of you who still have me on your readers might like to see the latest pictures of our Baby Girl. Who, by the way, is not really a baby anymore. She's so independent! Just turned 18 months last week and is full-speed into toddler-hood! I counted her words a month or so ago and literally stopped counting when I got to about 50. Yes, I'm serious! She is such a Chatty Cathy. (Guess that more than makes up for the whole "didn't walk til 16 months" thing!)

Anyway, I went and took her 18 month pictures last weekend. I decided to skip the studio fees and put my "fancy" camera to good use. I'm very happy with the way they turned out, if I do say so myself!








And, lastly, here's one more that I took a couple of weeks ago. All I can say is, "I guess maybe I should start blogging again!" ;-)



(fyi--this is NOT on facebook yet for a reason...... thanks!)

Uh...... hello..... ??

I wonder if anyone is still out there?
Am I still on anyone's feed?
Does anyone ever check in here, just to see if *maybe* I'll post again?

I'm thinking I might come back.

I mean, I can't make any promises. But I'm thinking about it.

;-)

Dear Riley

To my sweet, fantastic, amazing Baby Girl, Riley:

You have been in our lives for SIX MONTHS now. I cannot believe the way the time has flown by. Although, at the same time, it seems as though you've just always been a part of our lives. I don't even remember who I was without you.

I love everything about you, Baby Girl. I love that you love your Mommy and Daddy more than anything in the world. I love the way you tuck your head into our chests and give us "hugs." I love the way your eyes sparkle when you see something you like. I love the way you smile and giggle when you are happy. I love that when you wake up in the morning, you are so happy and content. I love the way you look at night, when you are getting sleepy in my arms after your bath, bottle and story. I love absolutely everything about you, Baby Girl.

Last night after we said our prayers and you had fallen asleep in my arms, I talked to God some more. I thanked Him for the amazing miracle that He gave me in you. I asked Him to help me be the best mother that I can for you; to show me how to raise you to be the best person you can be. Afterwards, I looked down at your sweet face, so content to be sleeping there in my lap, and I told you that you've changed me, Baby Girl. You've made me the person that I was always supposed to be. The person that I didn't even know I wasn't. I was made to be your mother. I was made to love you.

Thank you for being my miracle. Thank you for being the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me. I will love you forever.

Love,
Mommy

Um, Where did I go....??

Anyone remember me?

So, yes, my daughter has been 5 months old for almost 2 weeks now and I haven't posted anything since her 4 month post. **sigh**

Yes, indeed, I am off work for the summer and should have nothing but time on my hands.

Yes, I will give you a quick bullet point mini re-cap and a photo.

• My girl is amazing and fantastic! She can roll over, pretty much sit up by herself and she's gotten over the "daily fussy time."


• I am in so in love with her I simply cannot stand it! I love love love being home with her all day, every day!


• I have an amazing friend who had her precious little boy yesterday. So happy for them!


• I quit my job.


• Say whaaaaaat?? Yep, I quit my job. Sadly, it's not so I can become a SAHM....but I did get a new teaching job that I'm super excited about out!

More on all of this later, I promise (and soon, I hope)! For now, here is my sweet girl:

4 Months Old!

Well, it's that time again. OK, technically, it was that time over a week ago - but, you already know about my inability to get things done on time. :-)

So, back on May 15th, our little girl reached FOUR MONTHS OLD! I cannot believe how fast time is flying by. Do I say that every time I do a monthly post about her? Well, it's true!

Here's a bullet-point style recap of what's happening at this stage:

• Riley loves to talk. No, really. I don't think you understand. SHE NEVER SHUTS UP. (Unless I get the camera out to videotape her, but I digress.) It's the cutest freakin' thing you've ever seen, though! There are no discernable words just yet, but she has the vowel sounds down pat! And squealing. And growling. And this weird inhaling-throaty-squeal-thing that had her Daddy convinced she was choking the first time he heard it. She is quite entertaining!




• She is finally able to grab onto things and really hold on. Intentionally! And most of said "things" go directly to her mouth.




• Speaking of her mouth, did you know my child can fit her entire fist in her mouth? Yeah, she rocks like that. And sometimes, she can even fit one fist PLUS part of the other hand.


• She is **THIS** close to rolling over. I expect it to happen any day now!


• We've been trying to get her to eat some rice cereal in the evenings. We put it in her bottle for a while, but didn't see any difference in the way she was sleeping at night. The doctor said to keep trying to feed it to her with a spoon. So, we do. For the most part, though, she doesn't love it yet. I think she just has NO idea what to do with it once it's in her mouth. The better her mood, the more she tolerates it, though.




• Speaking of night-time, she is still sleeping OK, but that's it. Just OK. Not exactly what I would call "sleeping through the night" just yet. She tends to fall asleep downstairs on the couch with us after her last bottle - we lay her on her boppy to rest and she falls asleep (around 8pm). Then we transfer her (still sleeping) to her bed. She usually stays asleep until about 4am, when she starts to get restless. Giving her the paci will usually calm her back down and then she'll sleep another hour or two. But not always. Sometimes, after the 4am paci retrieval, she wakes up wanting it back every 30 minutes. THOSE are long nights. So....the doctor says it's time for some "tough love." We are ready! I repeat, We are ready!! We just have to find a few good consecutive nights when we can focus on doing what we need to do to get her putting herself to sleep. Cross your fingers for us!!




• Fussiness--Our sweet Riley has what we have lovingly call "meltdowns." These usually happen when she is sleepy. She screams and cries and can usually only be calmed down by....you guessed it....me. I certainly never intended for that to happen, but it has. I'm really really really hoping she grows out of this phase soon!


• Doctor Stuff--We went to the doctor last week for her 4 month checkup. I'm happy to report that she got a fantastic report! She weighed in at 14 pounds, 6 ounces (75th percentile) and her length was 25 inches (also 75th percentile). Wow! I knew she was growing, but, Wow! She got another round of shots and she hated it. The first of the three shots was OK because I was letting her get her first taste of a sucker (Doctor's suggestion, I swear!), but that distraction didn't hold long before she started wailing. She calmed down pretty quickly, though, thank goodness!

Ok, I guess that's all I can think of for this month!

Here's her "Four Month Picture." I'm still doing videos too, but I can't find a good way to upload them on here. Maybe I'll work on that this summer.

And here is a picture that.....well......I just think is kind of hilarious!

Me

I saw this on my friend Kelly's blog and since she said imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.....I had to copy it from her and do it! :-)

99 Things About Me (Everything that I have accomplished is in bold)

1. Started your own blog - more than once.

2. Slept under the stars -I don't think "only inside a tent" counts.

3. Played in a band - yes, on Roc.k Band and G.uitar Hero W.orld Tour :-)

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Been to Disney World - this is the one in Florida, right?

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang a solo

11. Bungee jumped - and would LOVE to do it again!

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child - do my doggie children count?

16. Had food poisoning

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitch-hiked

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a Marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset - both!

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language - I taught myself the sign language alphabet as a teenager

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David

41. Sung karaoke - very badly!

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant - sort of

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma

65. Gone sky diving - incredible! Terrifying, but incredible!

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced a check - sad to say, yes, as a teen

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square - and LOVED it!

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone

78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous

92. Joined a book club

93. Got a tattoo

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a law suit

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

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OK, now you know more stuff about me! And I promise Riley's "4 Month" post is coming VERY SOON!! :-)

Yard Work

Hi again! I decided I'd do a post that wasn't really baby-related. Huh. Go figure that! :-)

I wanted to show off the hard work that my wonderful husband has put into our yard over the last couple of weeks. Yay, H!

Some of you (who've been with me a LONG time....) already know the first part of the "yard story." When we bought our house in February 2008, there were these God-awful trees in the front flower beds. TREES, I tell you! We hated them so much and knew they had to go asap. So, that spring, we got to work removing them. It was no easy task, as the roots were, like, 10 feet long and all up under the yard and what not. But, H did it. (And even got the shoulder surgery to prove it - but I digress.) See? Here is what it looked like before we did anything.

In the place of these horrible trees, I wanted to plant, among other things, some hostas. They are one of my favorite plants and they grow so well. So, we planted them in the beds along the house. But, we realized that they were getting too much sun and they were completely burned up by the middle of the blazing Memphis summer. I knew they had to be moved to a shadier spot. That? Somehow didn't happen last year.

Here is an overall shot of our yard before any of this spring's work was done (yes, this was in the fall, but you can still see that there is nothing around the tree), before we moved the plants.

Since the weather warmed up this year, H decided to get to work on making a flower bed around the tree in our yard, so that we could move the hostas to the shade. He did all the work and I think it turned out fantastic! He moved the hostas and we added a couple of lillies and some other small flowers for now. See?

I kind of feel bad that I did NOT. HELP. AT. ALL. with this new yard project, but what can I say? At least I brought H's "supervisor" out from time to time to check on Daddy's progress! :-)

Up next....{dun-dun-dun}....is the back yard. No small task, I assure you.