Life At Our House

Video of Riley's first Cartwheels - and Taylor being her cute self

2011-03-11T07:11:00.000-06:00

Please Deposit my Paycheck please

2010-01-23T14:10:00.001-06:00

I should have known something was wrong when after our dr's visit last night (yes you read right we were just at the doctor yesterday afternoon) when Riley wouldn't eat pizza, or even the pepperoni off her pizza. I should have clued in to the fact that her throat must have been hurting when my girl who loves food, especially pizza, would wait until we got home and then ask for "Daddy's Special Noodles" (ramen). When we got up this morning, I looked in Riley's throat and I'm telling you I've never seen tonsils so swollen - one side was completely to the middle of her throat and the other side was pretty good sized too. Thank goodness the dr's office is open on Saturday's now or we'd have been headed to urgent care or the ER.

The rapid strep was negative, they are sending it off to be sure, and thankfully started us on antibiotics, hopefully they'll do the trick (quickly) because my girl is miserable.

And yes, I'm thinking that the dr's office and pharmacy should start receiving their allotment from my paycheck next pay period :)
Edit: Big strep was negative too, but whatever it is, the antibiotics seem to be helping, thank goodness!!!

Growing Pains aren't actually from Growing - who knew

2010-01-22T15:58:00.000-06:00

For a couple of weeks now Riley has been saying her legs and knees hurt. Usually at night (or naptime) and we assumed that they were growing pains. I never had them growing up, but I had friends that did, and I remember them talking about how horrible they were and how uncomfortable they would be at times. Sometimes it was bad enough that Riley wanted tylenol or motrin or something and we were fine with giving it to her, no reason to be that uncomfortable. I didn't think much about it but called the pediatrician just to be sure there was nothing else we could be doing and they wanted to see her.

That always makes a Mommy (and Daddy) just a little nervous, especially when the words "blood work" were mentioned as a possibility. Yikes, I didn't want to think about that!!

Thankfully - no blood work was required and we learned that growing pains aren't actually caused by growing at all. They are overtired or overstimulated muscles and so stretching is one of the best things to do, especially before naptime and bedtime.........so we'll be doing some stretches, and making sure we get enough Vitamin D (by the way the new recommendation is 400 iu's if you want to check your kiddos vitamins - most only have 200 iu's).

Double Ear Infection

2009-12-31T11:51:00.000-06:00

Poor Riley, fine this morning, by 9:30 saying her ear hurt, by 10:00 when I picked her up in tears because it hurt so bad - thankfully in to the doctor at 10:30 and a double ear infection. Boy that girl must have a high tolerance for pain because surely it hurt, at least a little before 9:30. Thank goodness for Motrin, and snuggles with Mommy to make the pain a little better.

Good-Bye 2009

2009-12-31T06:51:00.000-06:00

Since I haven't been good about downloading pictures and blogging lately, I decided I am going to have to at least record what's going on and maybe someday later I'll be able to add the pictures back in to the stories. Someday, I know I will have time to look at all the pics I've been taking :)

So today marks the end of the year, what a crazy year it's been - we went from a family of three to a family of four. Riley learned to let Daddy put her to bed because Mommy was too sick and was in bed herself by 7pm most nights when I was pregnant. Riley learned to write her name and started dance class. She had her first dance recital, performance at a basketball game and was even a mascot at a Mighty Might football game this fall. We went from having one, nearly self-sufficient child who was three, to having a big girl and a tiny baby, overnight. We learned that children are different - very different. We took a tiny baby to the chiropractor, which seemed crazy at the time, but something I would totally recommend to anyone. Taylor had her first Walnut Festival, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, teeth (yeah we got two at once), trip to urgent care, shots, food - rice cereal, learned to roll and so many other things I can't even list them all.

Now we sit holding a nearly 4.5 month old baby and a four year told, all in the blink of an eye. I wouldn't trade this year for anything, but it is exciting to see what the next year holds - all the new and exciting things Taylor will be learning and seeing and doing for the first time, how grown-up Riley is becoming - sigh............2010 we're ready.

Guess What's Coming Up

2009-10-19T06:42:00.001-05:00

First off - a BIG thank you to Emily Rose for giving Riley the matching jeans to this shirt - she thought that was fantastic!!! I thought it was pretty cool I got the shirt on clearance for a mere $1.99 last spring, I love end of season clearance sales!

Secondly, guess who has a birthday coming up and is very excited!!! We can't wait to share the details, but all we can say for now, is it might get a bit messy.........and it will be lots and lots of fun!

All is Calm..........

2009-10-17T06:14:00.003-05:00

When I tip-toed into Riley's room this is what I saw this morning - soooo sweet!

Mama - There's a Problem

2009-10-13T06:35:00.018-05:00

Mama - we need to have a chat.............

You see, I love hanging out with Sissy, and I love it most of the time when she's holding me, especially like this because then she's not trying to crumple me up because her lap really isn't big enough to hold me sideways like you do mommy...........

and I especially love her kisses...........but do you notice something in this picture that catches your eye mommy? Do you see how Sissy is wearing her sling - I know it's silly since she hurt her arm back in March but she loves dress up so you shouldn't be surprised that she's wearing it - but anyway, Mommy do you see that big gigantic safety pin there, the one that holds her sling together since it was too big and the velcro wouldn't stick..........well look close because that thing is undone and could take my eye out silly lady.

Notes from Mommy: Eeeekkkkk when I downloaded these pics I about had a heart attack and am so thankful that neither of my kiddos was stuck with that enormous safety pin - so much for safety!

The Many Faces of Taylor

2009-10-11T17:13:00.001-05:00

Help Mama - there's a green light looking at me, what is that thing you keep holding up that flashes in my eyes?

Yep, I still like to stick out my tongue - remember it's one of the only things I can really do at this point so it entertains me, a lot!

My pretty happy baby!

What - you think this outfit makes me look chubby?

Elvis is in the house ladies and gentlemen

"Tap Shoes"

2009-10-11T15:42:00.029-05:00

You know - I was just sleeping, peacefully as can be, when Mama decided she needed to start taking my pic. She's kind of silly since she started this blogging thing because she takes pics of things she probably never would have before.........like the first day I wore socks.

Today she wanted you to know that it's the first time I wore shoes - they are still way too big, but they look pretty cute with my outfit and if you don't squeeze mo toes then you'll never know that there's probably at last an inch of room there to spare - growing room we'll say.

I kind of woke up here - you can tell I'd rather be sleeping!

She gave me my bink just to make sure I wouldn't cry, don't mind that it doesn't really match my outfit, Mom's are kinda silly about that sometimes and well I don't have one that isn't pink.

After church though - I sure showed them, I had one shoe completely off - yep, I worked on that for a good minute or two while we were driving to Grandma's house for lunch.

I also had my headband around my neck too - at least I didn't have it over my eyes and moving my head like Stevie Wonder trying to get it down like I do sometimes.

PS - My mom called this tap shoes because that's what my Big Sis kept telling everyone I was wearing, she's pretty sweet, I sure do love her!

Edited: This poor headband is missing - have you seen it? If so, let us know, we miss it!

The Last Green Beans Of The Season

2009-10-10T06:23:00.003-05:00

Home-grown green beans - there's just no comparison - the canned ones or frozen ones, they simply don't measure up. Now fresh green beans do take forever to cook, but I think they are well worth it and we'll be freezing some tonight, just three little bags full, but that's three bags of yummyness that we'll be able to enjoy this winter when there are no more garden green beans.

This is the first time Riley helped me snap them - and of course she hammed it up for the camera :)

She was a great helper, although by the end the pieces were getting bigger and bigger and she finally resorted to either snapping them in half, or if they weren't too big in her mind just tossing them in the bowl.

Thanks again Grandma Peggy for sharing your green beans this summer - we're gonna miss them!

Can you believe it

2009-10-09T15:37:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone - just wanted to report that I'm growing like a weed, can you believe I'm already 2 months old, yikes, before you know it, I'll be............wait that brought tears to Mama's eyes so I better not finish the thought.

Mommy NOOOOOOO!!

2009-10-08T20:12:00.000-05:00

Guess what - today I had a doctor's appt, and I checked out fine. I weighed 12 lbs 11oz and was 22 1/2 inches long. My head has grown a lot too - it's up to 15 1/2 inches, wow that's a big change from 13 inches when I was born - must be all the new things I'm learning every day.

The most traumatic part of the day was when I got three shots though - ouch - those hurt, and I cried, loudly, I really wanted them to know that I didn't like that.

Good thing my Mama was there to pick me up and make it better though, I quieted right down when she did and was ready for a good snuggle.

Mommy thought I'd probably get pretty sleepy because that is what sissy always did (ok to be honest, she thought I'd cry for several hours because I seem to be the opposite of sissy, but I was trying to be nice). I had a really good night though - I laughed and played all evening!!

Wowzers

2009-10-08T15:29:00.000-05:00

So unless you know my sister, like in person, or have seen pics of her from when she was little, this probably won't be a very entertaining post, sorry about that. So when I downloaded pics and was scanning through them (and of course there were well over 100 because I just can't seem to find the time to download on a regular basis these days - who would have though adding a newborn to our family would make spare time disappear hehehe) I was totally shocked when I came to these pics of Riley, because well they totally remind me of my sis - so this post is for you Sarah Rose, I think you have a niece who looks a lot like you, especially in the pic that Mom has in her locket, you know the school pics from when you were like 5 or so!!!

Oh yeah - and she dresses like Aunt Sarah too, just kidding, just had to show one of Riley's latest outfits :)

Wordless Wednesday - Rolls and Rolls

2009-10-07T06:50:00.003-05:00

Love those chubby little rolls and that big double chin!
PS - Guess who's two months old today?
Check out more Wordless Wednesday posts here or here.

Meowwwww

2009-10-05T16:09:00.000-05:00

Don't be jealous ladies - you to can have some of these beautiful press on nails, with Princesses on them, yes, the ladies are all here, Belle, Little Mermaid, Cinderella, Pocahontas, Jasmine and if I'm not mistaken, I think Sleeping Beauty made an appearance too. Riley and I just couldn't pass these up when we were at the Dollar Store tonight and let me tell you - I'm pretty sure we'll get our $1.50 and then some out of them.
And I have to say, it's kinda sad, but when Daddy got home he pointed out that we had put them on upside down - those pretty tips probably should have been up at the top...............but then Riley wouldn't have been able to see the princesses as well and that was her favorite part, so we worked with it.

And thankfully - these are re-stickable, because well we put them on, after awhile she takes them off, we put them on again. I'm wondering how many days this will work before they just won't stick anymore though - I bet not near as many as Riley would like!

Meowwwww

2009-10-04T16:09:00.002-05:00

Don't be jealous ladies - you too can have some of these beautiful press on nails. The princesses are all here - there's Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Belle, Jasmine and I think maybe even Pocahontas made an appearance.

Riley and I just couldn't pass these up when we saw them at the Dollar Store - and I'm pretty sure we'll get the $1.50 worth out of them. We've put them on and taken them off at least three times already and hopefully they'll stay sticky for another day or two or else Riley might be sad.

And I have to point out that it was Daddy who pointed out we probably had them on upside down - those cute little tips probably should have been on the tips of her nails..............but then the Princesses would have been upside down which would have been sad because Riley wouldn't have been able to see them.

Rare Moment

2009-10-03T07:01:00.000-05:00

Have I ever mentioned that Taylor is a Mama's Girl - and I don't just mean kinda, I mean a "I'll likely throw a fit if I realize Mama's not holding me" kind of Mama's girl - so these moments, well they melt my heart!

Riley Makes Me Laugh - A LOT!

2009-10-02T06:13:00.000-05:00

Mommy I can't wait to go to school because someone's going to ask me out. They are going to say 'ohhhh look at that pretty girl'

I think we should get some spoiled eggs at the grocery store
(I think and hope she meant boiled eggs)

Mama, are you going to take Taylor with you to work.
No sweetie I would really like to take both of you, but Tom says I can't because then I wouldn't get any work done.
Well Mom, I can be boring with you.

"Mama when I grow up I want to work with you - I can be the mailroom girl"
(and we have no mailroom girl - it's just a room with a copy machine, file cabinets, postage meter, and some hole punches - which happen to be her favorite, she could 2 hole and 3 hole punch for a good 30 minutes probably and not get bored).

I hear her fussing around so I tip toe into her room and see she's uncovered and wearing a nightgown and must surely be cold. I cover her up and she says "I don't want covers" and not in a nice tone of voice by any means. She then wakes up, rolls over and sweet as can be says "Mama, I'm cold"

"Mama, want to play tug of roll"

"Ummm, Mama, this, is the best, chocolate pudding ever, it's just delicious"
please insert small bites at every comma followed by lots of lip licking

I Kind of Feel The Need To Whine

2009-09-30T12:32:00.002-05:00

I expected to feel overwhelmed and be crying last week when I went back to work - but I think I handled it pretty well, today not so much.
I expected my baby to be fussy and cranky last week - but she did a really good job.
I did not expect Taylor to be so fussy and cranky this weekend that I called the doctor on Monday to make sure everything was ok.
I did not expect to feel totally helpless and completely overwhelmed.
I did not expect my baby to have her first fever today.
Sigh, I'm tired, I think that's part of the problem, crying babies - even if it's only 15 minutes at a time, will really wear a Mama out!

I'm praying the Zantac will help my baby girl - even if she doesn't have bad reflux, any reflux has to be miserable and I so want to fix her and hopefully the meds will, if that's what's wrong. If she's just a crier, Lord help me, because it's hard feeling helpless!

Pretty Girls

2009-09-28T06:56:00.000-05:00

Riley loves to ham it up for the camera - even more so when she's in "costume"!! Here she and Hope are getting read for the pet parade and she gave me a quick "model pose" as she calls it.

Don't mind the ice machine in the background, just focus on the pretty girl and her flowers.

and Taylor - well she's just chillin' with those adorable chubby cheeks and eyes that are surprisingly still blue

Cha-Cha now......

2009-09-26T22:08:00.022-05:00

Dance Class has been SO much fun for Riley. She loves loves loves to dance and wiggle and do all the fun stuff they get to do each week. When she found out that she would get to "dance on the big stage" at the Walnut Festival well she started making a list of all the people we needed to invite - and she is so blessed because nearly everyone she invited made the trip to watch her - boy do we have awesome friends!!!

The only bad part about our performance was......it was at noon but we had to be there by 11 so fitting in lunch was a challenge - imagine my surprise though when my girl was so nervous, I don't think she even touched any of the lunch I packed for her until it was over.....and my girl likes to eat!

Hi Mom!

They did three songs, but were spread out over the whole performance time so we got to see the other kiddos too. This was "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile" from Annie. They also did the Chicken Dance which was fun and easy for them.......of course during that one my daughter kept telling the girl next to her that she wasn't on her spot (they tape their names down so they know where to stand), I think she has inherited my Type-A personality!

The finale - and Riley's very favorite was the Cha Cha Slide - boy she thinks that's fantastic!!! She even requested it at a wedding we went to earlier this month and the dj looked at us kind of funny because I'm pretty sure he's never had a 3 year old request it before.

Criss-Cross

How Low Can You Go?

Da Boys

2009-09-26T07:03:00.000-05:00

Take one, very dirty, boy who is really not wanting to wait around and take his picture during arm-band night.

Add a Papa Dub
and an Uncle Joey and you have three pretty handsome fellas.

Stuck like glue - I mean caramel

2009-09-25T22:56:00.000-05:00

I told you these girls were inseparable this week, but maybe that's because they were stuck together with all that caramel.
And this totally counts as a healthy snack since there is a piece of fruit under all that candy right :)

Hope was the pro at finding the spots with the most caramel, Riley went more for the apple since it was easier to bite off.

Pet Parade

2009-09-25T22:37:00.001-05:00

My big girl, the one who isn't fond of animals, was in the pet parade tonight. You can bet I was just as surprised as anyone when she actually walked across carrying the bunny, I was sure she would chicken out. Then I just about fell over when she asked to hold the bunny later, then nearly fainted when she stood in line with all the twenty-some other contestants and their dogs/cats/pigs/bunnies and never once even seemed frightened. Good job Riley Jean!
Here are the country girls getting ready for their big performance - don't you just love the rubber boots with the dress :)
Here they are getting ready to go - puppy Bo, Hope, bunny Splash and Riley. Linda was a thinker and had picked little bouquets for the girls to carry too.

Sweetness - they are just so stinkin' sweet I don't know what to do with them

I love that Bo is wearing a pair of overalls that Hope wore as a baby.

Riley was so intent on not dropping the bunny that she couldn't smile for a pic.

Until she was done walking and were just waiting to hear the results.

I was so proud that Riley was in the parade - imagine how excited we were when they won 5th place - awesome - and thanks Linda & Hope for sharing your pets so Riley could participate, I'm pretty sure our kitty Neo would not have done so well!

Woohoo for Arm Band Night

2009-09-25T22:25:00.000-05:00

Two adorable cousins - check

$15 for an armband - check

Hours of fun cousin laughter and running - priceless!

As adults I think we worry about things at carnivals - like losing a kid, like the safety of the rides, like now much cigarette smoke our kids are inhaling because ridiculous adults and super cool teenagers feel the need to smoke around little people, but for kids - well it's just fun and that's awesome.

I've never seen a carnival run quite this way - but they would let the kids ride as long as they wanted (which was good and bad). Seriously they would let it run for awhile, then they'd ask if they wanted to stay on or get off. If they wanted to stay, they got to and didn't have to get off and wait in line again - isn't that weird, but kinda cool for the kiddos.

Yes, they are totally adorable and I'm pretty sure they know it - and they love each other SOOOO much!

I just loved the name of this one "Berry Go Round" - ha isn't that ingeious. We worried they'd get on with someone who spun to fast - not the case, they had a blast!

Again Riley's favorite ride was the "big slide" I think we rode down about 6-7 times in a row. The kiddos went with daddies to start with and then it was the mommies turn. And don't ask how I know that when it starts sprinkling, you shouldn't ride the slide until the stop it because of the weather. All I can say is Linda and I got a cold surprise that ended with wet booties for the rest of the night.

Guess What I Didn't Expect To See

2009-09-25T07:22:00.000-05:00

This was my reaction too when I realized our local carnival had a petting zoo - huh, just never quite thought about a petting zoo at a carnival before - but at $1 per person it wasn't too bad. They also had Purell for when you were finished which was great - but the slobber was a little to thick for just Purell so I was glad we had baby wipes to really cut it.

And we didn't just have the normal cast of characters for a petting zoo - you know goats, sheep, etc. We had those plus camels, a white tiger, a jaguar, a lion, a kangaroo, a zebra, monkeys, and even a llama.

The tiger and jaguar were so cute because they were still babies!

This guy - now he would try and eat your hair, don't ask how I know, and he slobbered a whole lot too - he was pretty gross if you ask me.

Riley was trying to be brave while feeding them, they were just so hungry they would run right up to the fence which kind of freaked her out - and then one of the goats stole Hope's little paper cup of food and ate the cup and Riley was done - she didn't even try and feed them after she saw that.

Taylor is Lovin' It!

2009-09-25T07:17:00.000-05:00

Taylor says, "It's my first Walnut Festival and I love it. I can't wait until I'm big enough to ride these fun rides with my big sis though but for now the bright lights sure are entertaining me. Guess what - I'm also getting held a lot and snuggled, that's pretty fantastic if you ask me. Next year everyone better watch out though because I'm going to be all over the place and maybe get to ride my first carnival ride."

Yep - I still have blue eyes and dark hair - do you think I'll keep both? My sis didn't now she's a blondie with brown eyes.

Guess What My Girl Rode On

2009-09-24T22:09:00.000-05:00

So I know I've mentioned it before - but my girl doesn't love animals - she has always been very hesitant of them, especially dogs. We have to carry her nearly anytime we are outside at Joey's parents house unless they put the dog in her pen. She's even leary of cats - and we have one, I don't get it - she's never been bit, or hurt, but I guess they just aren't her thing - but we're hoping she grows out of that!

Imagine my surprise when she says "I wanna ride the pony" - and I hate to admit this, but my first thought was "yeah it's five bucks, we'll pay that and then you won't ride" - terrible wasn't I. I was totally wrong, she hoped up there and rode like a pro, I was so proud of her.

She was so proud that she was petting him while she was riding!
She knew we were proud, so very proud, you can tell by that little smirk!

Too bad that little arm band didn't cover the pony rides or I'm pretty sure that's where we would have been all night!

Thanks Cousin Ryan for leading my pony that way Cousin Hope and I could ride together!

Work that camera

Hope had to ride the pony too - funny thing is this girl probably has 20 horses at home that she rides all the time - even funnier she rode one in the parade all by herself that same day.

I was so very proud of Riley for riding two times and we can't wait until we can get the girls together to ride at Hope's house soon!! (and maybe Ryan and Linda won't make us pay $5) Hope sure is a good influence on Riley where animals are concerned - first the pet parade and then a pony ride, she'll be a country girl yet ;)

So Close - Yet Still No Number 1

2009-09-24T21:24:00.000-05:00

Wow - this year we didn't have an escapee turtle, simply amazing, the last two years our turtles have escaped from a cardboard box sitting on our porch and run so quickly we couldn't even find them in our yard and we had to find replacements ASAP - this year we got to put our two original turtles in the race - awesome!!!

Riley was so excited this year, since they didn't escape we thought for sure that meant they were the big winners - we could taste the victory already. We were so close last year, but the silly turtle stopped just short of the line and started following it instead of crossing it

And they are off - see that one with the Strawberry Shortcake sticker on the right, that's one of ours (yes both Riley and Taylor entered the Terrapin Race - although I really don't think Taylor cared much).

Riley and Cousin Coltin watching and waiting and hoping their turtles will be the quickest.

Can you tell whether we won or lost by this face? Poor girl, she was very disappointed, but at least that meant we had more time for rides since we didn't have to stay around for the final round.

Cousin Coltin - well he didn't win either but it didn't hurt his feelings too bad I'm thinking, he's such a ham.

Guess What

2009-09-24T07:06:00.000-05:00

Taylor may not have found her toes yet, but she's found her tongue. While you are talking, or cooing at her, she's co curious, you can tell she's trying to figure out how in the world you do whatever you are doing, it's so cute!

The Tractor Pull

2009-09-23T21:47:00.000-05:00

So after a lot of deliberation, Riley did decide to do the tractor pull - I think it was seeing the shiny trophies with a golden tractor on top that really did the trick - we waited ever so patiently, or as patiently as a not quite four year old and a six week old can wait - and it was Riley's turn. Daddy had just made it and she walked over like a champion, ready to win it all - and she pedaled for.............2'5" - not quite trophy material, but she did it and we were proud. Thankfully I could quickly change the subject when she asked "Mama am I going to win a trophy" because I think it would have really broken her heart if they hadn't called her name, whew, if all of our near meltdowns can be avoided this easily over the years, we'll be good to go!

Chillin' with Cousin Cayman as she waits - loving that he totally avoided looking at the camera!
Yeah for best buds Hope, Riley & Cayman
Riley and Hope were pretty much inseparable this week!

Pile in some more cousins - isn't it nice to live near family!

And here is her big show - maybe next year we'll be more competitive - my guess is maybe not though because we were tip top of this weight category (weighing in at 40.5 lbs) so unless she really beefs up and daddy buys her one to practice on we'll probably be in it just for the fun next year too.

Taylor was pretty much not interested - yep, she slept thru most of it

It Starts Today :)

2009-09-23T16:10:00.001-05:00

The Black Walnut Festival, the food, the rides, the fun, the silly traditions that we grow up with and would be so sad if we missed out on - it all starts today and we sure are excited at our house.

What - you don't think Taylor looks excited?

Schedule of events - and yes we realize we'll be totally worn out by the end of the week!!

Wednesday -

Tractor Pull

Riley did tell me she didn't think she would do this because "she'd probably wait until she was 4"

Edit - she did it and pulled 2'5"

Big Blow-up Slide

let's hope they have a try it for free so your kids get hooked hour or two like they did last year!

Edit - yeah not free and for $8 we could find some other entertainment - bummer

Thursday -

Terrapin Race

Yes we have two turtles and so far neither have escaped, unlike previous years, let's hope they are fast!

Edit - so we didn't win, but both girls got tickets, which is nice since rides are $3 each

Rides

Yeah for arm band night

Edit - Riley & Hope had a blast, Riley even rode a pony and went thru the petting zoo, she's not normally a hands on animal person by any means, they really freak her out and Mama has to hold her

Little Cedar Band performs

Wow - I work with a guy who has a new band and they'll be performing, how cool is that

Edit - they did great, Riley had fun dancing the night away

Friday -

Pet Parade

who doesn't love a kid dragging a cute little animal across the stage, especially when they are all dressed up in costume. We like to watch just to see what people will bring (seriously - iguanas & hedgehogs)

Edit - so my nomally fearful of animals girl not only walked with Hope and her puppy, but carried Hope's bunny named Splash - and the girls won 5th place - awesome (and another free ride ticket)!

Talent Show

Go Gabby, we hope you win!

Saturday -

Dance Performance

My baby performs with her dance class on the big stage

Edit - boy did she make us proud, she looked nervous, but she performed like a pro and loved the fact that so many people came to watch (thanks everyone!)

Parade

What better way to get a years worth of free candy then going to a parade

Dance/Tumbling Performance

Again - go Gabby go

Queen Contest

So we probably won't watch, but maybe we'll sneak a peek over there and say Go Stockton

Wordless Wednesday - Love that New Baby Smell

2009-09-23T06:11:00.001-05:00

I just had my bath and wow do I smell fantastic, at least that's what everyone keeps telling me.

Check out more Wordless Wednesday posts here or here.

Neither snow nor rain nor dark of night

2009-09-22T06:55:00.001-05:00

Wait, maybe I should say, neither rain nor thunder and lightning, nor dark of night will keep these two from fishing. Yep, they went again last night, and Riley caught another fish, and I hear rumors that they might be going again tonight

Long pants and shirt - check

Rain coat - check

Rubber boots - check

Fishing from the back of Mama's car when it's pouring down rain

and lightening like crazy which nearly gave Mama a heart attack- Priceless

Riley's First Fish

2009-09-21T16:24:00.001-05:00

I remember the first time we took Riley fishing - it was windy and man did she loves the worms. It's also when Joey got slightly addicted to fishing, so much so that I thought about starting a worm farm - something I'm still considering, especially now that I have two, slightly addicted, fishermen in my house (or should I say fisherpersons since one is a boy and what is a girl).
Riley and Daddy went fishing last night and Riley was so excited that daddy let her put a real hook and worm on her pole...............and that she caught two fish, both of which were bigger than the one fish that Daddy caught.

See that big one on the left - that was my baby's first fish, how awesome is that!

It was pretty dark when they got home though so cute pics outside were out of the question, instead we opted for the great back drop of the dishwasher, and you can tell she was pretty much done with the pics at this point. (Oh, I must point out that yes she went fishing in dress-up clothes, I'm telling you she'd wear those everywhere if you'd let her!)

I will Survive

2009-09-21T12:23:00.001-05:00

Today is a rough day, but I knew it would be, but I'm making it, I'm not crying and I think that's great. Work has been pretty busy, but playing catch up after being gone so long, I knew it would be. Truth be told, I'm glad that it is, because it keeps me occupied. I have to say I can't wait until 4 o'clock rolls around and I can pick up my sweeties though!!!

This is kind of how I felt this morning - a little bit grumpy.

Thankfully, this is how my kiddo was feeling - happy as can be

Lesson 1

2009-09-20T15:33:00.000-05:00

It all starts with this - a nice bucket of fish from a neighbor, and it is even better when they let you borrow their fish cleaning table so you don't have to hunch over to clean these 25 fish.
Then you give a guy a knife and hope to goodness while he's learning to clean fish that he doesn't cut his finger off in the process.

After a lot of slimy practice, I have to say, he's a pro - and I can't wait to eat some of this fish!

Monday's a Big Day

2009-09-19T17:36:00.003-05:00

And not in the happy sort of way necessarily, I love my job, I love the people I work with, but I'm thinking that Monday will be a pretty hard day as I head back to work. I know without a shadow of a doubt my kiddos are in good hands, we love Vickie, but it will still be a transition, a big one!

Pray that we'll get into the morning routine quickly and easily - the new routine will be the hardest for Riley as there won't be as much snuggle time with mommy and she'll have to do more on her own, she's ready, I know that she's capable, it will still be a rough change, and she's had a lot of change since August 7th!

Pray for Taylor, she's a momma's girl and can be a bit fussy at times. I hope she rests and eats well, I hope she's on good behavior and doesn't get too worked up about anything.

Pray for Daddy too, I'm pretty sure Momma is going to be a bit stressed so of course she'll take it all out on him, but not on purpose, I love you!

Splish Splash They Were Taking A Bath

2009-09-19T15:04:00.003-05:00

Awe - sister baths, I remember those fondly, except for the one time that maybe there was something brown floating in the water and it shouldn't have been, I remember making a pretty fast escape out of the tub that time, but other than that how much fun is it to take a bath with a sister. We've reached the point where Taylor is pretty much too big for sponge baths with her sling, she's just too long and wiggly, and the baby tub is still in the garage so our options are either showers or sorta sling baths with sister, and let me tell you - they both love the second option best!!
Riley thought it was "fantastic" when I asked her if Taylor could hop in for the last few minutes of her bath and did an excellent job letting out some of the water so Taylor wouldn't be in too deep. She also did a great job talking to her while I washed her real quick and Taylor loves the water already so no problems there.

She did give sister a few funny looks, but those happen pretty regularly, Riley is always acting silly and Taylor has to be wondering what in the world she's doing........or maybe trying to figure out how she can be just like her I guess I'm not sure at this point.

One Brave Girl!

2009-09-18T10:30:00.003-05:00

Riley had a great day yesterday, Aunt Sarah came to play and stayed almost all day long, it was "awesome" as she put it. We fed the fish, we ate lunch at Sundae's and of course had to get ice cream for dessert, she didn't have to take a nap until really late in the afternoon, she and Aunt Sarah played outside A LOT, it was just a fun day.
Riley also got really dirty from playing outside and a couple of times throughout the evening she mentioned that she had something blue on her toe (I would have called it brown but whatever) and I told her it was fine, she said it hurt, but she's been known to occasionally over-react if she think something could be wrong (like her booboo that still occasionally hurts from Disney World back in March and was a scraped knee). She really does tolerate pain very well - her broken arm, well she really didn't fuss or complain at all, ear infections - even those that are very swollen and red - yeah hardly a mention of pain even - but now something that could be wrong, that's when the fussing comes in and that's what I thought was going on.

So when I went to wash her feet I realized it really was a splinter, and a pretty big one at that. She wasn't very happy and really didn't want to sit still for the "surgery" but she did good. She shed some tears, she jerked her foot a few times and was a bit nervous when we had to not just use tweezers, but fingernail clippers to take the top layer of skin off to get to it, but after it was over and she had medicine and a band-aid she was just fine and even said that "it was a lot scary, but only a little hurting." I'm so proud of you Riley Jean for being a big girl!!

**Sorry the pics are blurry, it must have been later than I thought when this was all over

**Taylor also shed some sympathy tears when Riley was going thru surgery, it was so very sweet!!

**The best story of the day was when Riley had to put Aunt Sarah down for a nap though. Riley always takes a nap in our bed, our room is darker, the bed is bigger, it's just easier and her room is really too bright to fall asleep in. Before she would lay down though, she took Sarah to her bed, covered her up and even gave her a teddy bear so she could take her nap - and she did. Riley was also pretty excited to get to wake Aunt Sarah up after she was done sleeping too.

Kreativ Blogger Award

2009-09-16T09:35:00.003-05:00

I am lucky and have "met" some really great people thru blogging, people that I may never have met in real life, but they are so sweet that I forget that sometimes, I feel soooo VERY BLESSED to have all of these friends through my blog...sweet Leslie sent me a Kreativ Blogger Award...you are so sweet, thanks!

Having received the award, I must now:
1. Thank the person who awarded me the award, and link that person's blog on my blog.
2. Copy and paste the Award button on my sidebar.
3. Identify seven things about myself.
4. Award seven bloggers with the "Kreativ Blogger Award," post links to their blogs, and leave a comment on each of their blogs, to let them know of the honor.

So, seven things about myself:
1. I am blessed to have two precious girls - Riley who's 3, nearly 4 - and Taylor who is 5 1/2 weeks old - they both melt my heart!
2. I like to make cards using rubber stamps - it's fun!
3. I realize more and more each day I'm kind of a clean freak - just don't mind the clutter you'll sometimes find at my house.
4. I go back to work in 5 days and it will be very hard!
5. I ate a piece of cake for breakfast - don't tell my daughter because I would never let her do that!
6. I can't smell most days, and I used to have one of the most sensitive sniffers around!
7. My pinkies are double jointed.

And now - to nominate 7 of my dearest friends to receive this award:
Well since typing, and especially hyperlinking, is slightly difficult while holding a baby, the first seven of you that read this and have blogs - you win, I nominate you!!

V for Victory

2009-09-15T15:05:00.003-05:00

It was a long walk around the track on Saturday night, so long that Riley almost changed her mind about being mascot - she wasn't sure, there were a lot of people - but just as the game was getting ready to start (and after she was already hot and sweaty from running and playing) - she decided she was brave, she could do it.
We opted against putting on the hood, it was just too hot outside, and I probably should have painted a little nose and some whiskers on her face, but even without them, isn't she the cutest little tiger!

She would only do it because she could stand by Cousin Gabby though - she loves her!

And then Olivia was there, they're best buds you know.

She sure looked cute out there!

and she tried her best to do all the cheers just like the big girls - even the ones she didn't already know!! Good job Riley Jean!

Taylor's 2 Weeks Pics - How precious!!

2009-09-14T15:48:00.005-05:00

I LOVE this double chin!

Not quite sure

Awe - she's grinning :)

Big YAWN!

My totally adorable big girl Riley

How cute

2009-09-13T20:44:00.001-05:00

Baby feet are so cute and precious that I hate to cover them up - that and socks don't really fit that great when they are little anyway - 5 weeks, 2 days old and her first day of socks - how cute!!
PS - You know you are a blogger when you take a pic of the first day your kiddo wore socks, even though I take a lot of pictures, I'm pretty sure I would never have done this if I didn't blog!

My Little Mowing Girl

2009-09-12T15:30:00.000-05:00

Riley is not really a fan of loud noises, we know little sis will be since she lives with Riley, but Riley has never liked them, and the lawn mower is no exception. Imagine my surprise when I look outside and see Riley not only riding with Joey on the lawn mower, but driving it - you go big girl! Joey was so proud of her and look at how well she can drive - totally impressive for a three year old!!

Fashion Forward Fridays

2009-09-11T15:23:00.000-05:00

Tie-dye dress, check,
Chinese silky blue top, check,
Homemade crocheted hat, check
Tights - when it's 85 degrees outside, check,
Snow boots, check,
Measuring Tape used as a belt, check
Riley's first outfit of the day - priceless

Riley's 2nd outfit of the day - the one she wore to the park

I tried everything in the world to get her not to wear the tights

I tried "they'll get dirty" - "mom, they are white, you could bleach them"

I tried "Riley you'll be hot" - "no I won't"

I tried "they might get ruined" - "it's ok mom, I have more tights"

The big one - I tried "You'll have to wear tennis shoes instead of flip flops" - "ok"

And she won, and she realized she goes faster down the slide with tights, I'm pretty sure we might be wearing these more often now.........sigh

Goooooo Tigers

2009-09-10T08:23:00.003-05:00

She knows the cheers, she's got at least two sets of pom poms, she loves football games more than any other three year old I know and now she's ready to cheer, with the Mighty Mites, for real, as Mascot - and she's excited.
We'll see if she'll really get out there - she thinks the outfit is a little itchy, but if we wear clothes under it and it's not too hot, she says she might really get out there - that would be so cool!

Ladies and gentlemen - we have a new mascot in town (thanks Cousin Tracy!!)

What - is she coming?

2009-09-09T07:05:00.002-05:00

My sis loves me a whole lot - she loves to snuggle me, give me kisses, hold me, rock me, she has even offered to feed me, but Mama has tried to convince her that wouldn't work so well.

Sometimes though, I'm just ready for a little space, shhhh....I think I see her coming, I might let out a little wail just to let her know that now is one of those moments and I'm content all by myself, just for a sec though then I'll be ready for another snuggle, because well she's the best big sister I could ever have asked for!!

Hungry Baby

2009-09-08T13:55:00.002-05:00

Taylor likes to eat - often - 2 hours is a pretty good stretch of time for her - it's no wonder Riley has taken to feeding her babies too :)

Still Loving These Moments

2009-09-08T13:54:00.001-05:00

Guess Who Is 1 Months Old Today?

2009-09-07T13:25:00.000-05:00

Where does the time go - it seems like just yesterday we were anxiously awaiting her arrival and now she's not only here, but a month old, sigh............
Do you see how big she thinks she is - holding her head up and looking around. Of course after awhile she does get a little shaky and has to lay her head down for a rest, but I still think that's pretty good.

How can this be comfortable

2009-09-06T13:43:00.000-05:00

I know people say they'd love to "sleep like a baby" and I'm sure I've even said the same thing myself, but when I look at some of the positions they sleep in, I wonder, do I really want to sleep like a baby? I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to sit up straight tomorrow if I slept like this!

Awe -don't you love the little thumbs up she's giving, I think it's the cutest!

Riley and Daddy Have a Problem

2009-09-05T19:22:00.000-05:00

How can this sweet face do anything that's not just sweet as can be - I mean she's completely innocent right.....

I knew when we drove home, and passed a gas station, and my daughter said - "can we just run in and get something real quick" that they had a problem. You see, they both really enjoy snacks, which I'm not saying that I don't, but I don't have to get something every time I get gas (or pass a gas station for that matter), but I'm thinking both of them might not have quite the will power that I do. Especially since Riley mysteriously comes home with a bag of chips, or gummies, or gum, nearly every time she and Daddy go somewhere - I guess maybe this is their special daddy-daughter moments though and I shouldn't fuss :)

Riley's newest snack from a Daddy-Daughter outing.

Maybe you had to be there to see the humor in this picture - but you see you and I would call this snack "Nerds" like the package says, Riley can't read and so she calls them what she thinks she hears us calling them.........."terds"

Yeah for Gardens!!

2009-09-05T13:32:00.000-05:00

So we took the leap and planted a garden at Papa Dub's this summer - and I have to say after we got the seeds in the ground, there wasn't much that we did to care for them after that point, but Riley was still super excited to have her own garden.

Our peas - well they dried up, the carrots - never saw the light of day, nor did the peppers - now the corn, cucumbers and watermelon all made appearances and while they would have probably done a little (ok a lot) better if we had weeded them regularly and all that stuff you are supposed to do with a garden, we are still excited that we've had some produce that was all our own.

The watermelons were probably the most exciting part of the garden for Riley though - partly because hers were bigger than Papa's and partly because, well she loves watermelon and when it's pricey her mean old Mom doesn't let her get them at the grocery store!
Imagine her excitement when Papa sent this home last night!!
Yeah - the outfit is a Riley original, and don't mind the fact that she has salsa on her face, we're three remember, we're allowed to be totally adorable in something that adults could never pull off :)

As time allows

2009-09-04T09:24:00.001-05:00

As time allows I'm going back and doing posts from the past..........especially since I missed several months of blogging so if you don't use something like Google Reader that will show you a post no matter what date I put on it (cause I'm gonna be sneaky and date them like I did them ages ago) you might want to look back at the older posts every now and then if you want to see all the good stuff - like check out 8/30 for a pic of my sweet baby's...........well I can't tell you what cause that's the cute part :)

So sad

2009-09-03T15:03:00.003-05:00

So this is the stack of clothes that our 4 week old - sniffle sniffle, yes that's right, Miss Taylor Rose is four weeks old today - has grown out of already - do you see that mountain of clothes and see that the bottom layers are two wide not just one like the top - where does the time go?

A Good Mommy Moment

2009-09-03T14:49:00.003-05:00

So I'm tired, even my big girl woke up several times last night (but thankfully went right back to sleep) and my little girl has decided not to take a big nap for 2 days - weird huh - but as I look around my house right now and realize how peaceful everyone is, it makes me feel good, it gives me energy, and while part of me really wants to lay down and take a nap (really that is what I should be doing) I decided to sign our name to Christmas cards - what, yep, really, that's what I'm working on at the moment..........

Take a look around my house though aren't my sleeping beauties sweet!

Yes she likes something on her head while she sleeps - makes for slightly less cute pics but I'll go with it if that's what she wants.

Don't you wish you could sleep like this?

What to do with an extra 5 minutes?

2009-08-30T15:13:00.000-05:00

Needless to say we haven't had much of a schedule since Miss Taylor Rose arrived - we've been able to relax and take the mornings slow, no rush to get up, get dressed, eat breakfast and be out the door, it's been nice. Sunday's have been our exception because church really does have a starting time, especially when we are going to my Grandma's church that's an hour away, we needed to be on the ball.

So I must have rushed around a bit, because I found myself with an extra 5 minutes and guess what I did..........

and you know what.....I got most of it on her toenails, although when you have a three week old that's moving all over the place, I don't think I had a chance of missing her toes completely.

Riley's were a bit more exciting, her toenails had three colors and then we discovered when she took a shower shortly after that the polish washes off with water, sigh, Riley wasn't too terribly disappointed, but I kinda felt bad for her since they didn't look quite as cool as before she got in the shower!

It's A Tradition

2009-08-27T22:22:00.001-05:00

Every since I can remember, we have gone to the Lamar Fair, it's where my mom grew up, most of her side of the family still lives there - and it's the largest free fair in Missouri so what's not to love. Now as I got older, I have to say I've missed a few years here and there as there were schedule conflicts sometimes, but I really want my kiddos (kinda weird to have that plural - I'm still getting used to that) to grow up with it too. There are rides, animals, food, games and all kinds of good stuff - and Great Grandma Mary Ruth always gives the little ones money for an arm band so we'd hate to disappoint her and not let them use it (she is really the best grandma ever - she even gave Taylor money for an arm band and she was only 2 weeks old - not that she has to give us money to be the best, that's not what I meant at all)

It was a little extra special this year because it was Daddy & Taylor's first year, I'm not sure how Joey has never been before, but I guess he's been on call or working or something when we've gone so it was fun for him too - here are some highlights.

Snow Cones - and Riley had to have her very own even though she took all of three bites and was finished - I'm pretty sure her and Joey could have shared, but I'm kind of a party pooper like that.

Have you ever seen snow cones where you get to put the flavors on yourself - it was pretty cool and you could get as much flavoring as you like and mix-and-match to your hearts content. Of course my two were boring and each only got one flavor - blue for Joey and red for Riley

Then Riley really "needed" some cotton candy - needed it real bad and her daddy is a softie so of course she got it ;) I won't tell you not 20 minutes later she "needed" a carmel apple and got that too - she did eat nearly all of it though.

The carousel is always a hit - although I was surprised they made Aunt Sarah stand beside Riley, and she's 3 1/2 but safety first is a great motto!

Then they rode some dizzy dinosaur thing and Riley wasn't quite so enthusiastic - she didn't necessarily want to share the dino with anyone else and she had to - she was scared they'd spin to much - but they were the awesomest girls ever and totally let Riley decide how fast or slow they should spin - I love sweet, good mannered, strangers!

Can you tell Riley is wearing down?
The cars/trucks were fun, last year she wouldn't ride them by herself, this year she rode like a pro!
And last but not least, this is a lousy picture I know, but they had this Rocking Tugboat or something like that that spun in circles and went up and down like you were riding in rough water or something - and I was sure Riley would hate it! In fact she only got on because Aunt Sarah was, and her cousin Kase, but wow - she loved it and I'm pretty sure she rode it nearly 10 times in a row. This was her way of letting us know she liked it and was going again (and again).
Taylor's first fair was rather unevenful - that's a good thing when you are two weeks old!! The biggest thing for her was she pooped on her original outfit and got a new one just before we got there - didn't Daddy do a good job picking out a new outfit!!

Everything is better with sprinkles

2009-08-27T15:05:00.002-05:00

Riley loves to cook - so much in fact we are probably having a cooking birthday party (how fun will that be by the way, I'm excited!!). We made rice krispy treats today and while she was a little disappointed with how quickly they were all finished up and how few ingredients she got to measure out, she loved adding the sprinkles, and really if you ask her they just aren't the same without the sprinkles!!

So we used every type of sprinkles we had in the house (except the stars because "they come out too fast" Riley says) and we had to do each one twice - wow - especially there in the middle, that's a lot of sprinkles!!

Papa's a good sport

2009-08-26T10:53:00.001-05:00

Joey's dad has the luck of, well someone who doesn't have much luck, when it comes to getting scratches and scrapes on his arms - he was a pretty good sport when a scab fell off the other day and he needed a band-aid. You may have to click on the pic to see the humor in it all - but I bet a 70-something year old probably didn't expect to get one Dora band-aid and one Barbie band-aid to fix his boo-boo :)

Isn't she just the sweetest

2009-08-25T15:40:00.001-05:00

You don't really have to tell me how sweet she is - but man, she sure does melt my heart!!!

Taylor's First Shower

2009-08-23T10:57:00.002-05:00

Yes - this is totally G rated.

Riley was about the same age (2 weeks) when she took her first shower - and surprisingly they both loved it - I guess because they are getting snuggled and it's all warm.

Look at those chubby cheeks!! Don't you just want to kiss them - I know I do!!

Yeah Yeah Yeah

2009-08-22T21:25:00.002-05:00

It's kinda sad when your sister happens to live like 30 hours away, especially if something exciting, like a new baby, is coming because that means she can't really be here in a flash. So my sis planned her trip back to MO for 2 weeks after my due date just to be on the safe side, which was great, except for they induced a week before my due date which meant that Taylor Rose (and Riley too - because we were seriously counting down for over a month) was anxiously awaiting Aunt Sarah's visit for 3 whole weeks before you got to meet her for the first time.

But guess what - she's here now, and she's moving way way way closer to home in only 2 weeks, and we can drive an hour to see her way easier than we can drive 30! Seattle, we know you'll miss Sarah Rose, but we're glad she moving back to MO!!

Taylor, this is Aunt Sarah, she loves you a whole lot!!

Aunt Sarah - you're here, you're really here!

Yeah - they are silly - totally silly, especially when they haven't seen each other in several months!

Getting some big snuggles from Taylor

And when Aunt Sarah comes, Andy usually comes to (Aunt Sarah's boyfriend) -and Riley happens to adore him!!

Someone's Having A Birthday!!

2009-08-22T18:18:00.000-05:00

Best Buddies - Cousin Cayman and Riley

Cousin Hope, Cousin Cayman and Riley

Riley, Me, Taylor and Cayman - yeah getting everyone to look at the camera is a lost cause!

The Birthday Boy and Taylor
It was also Taylor's first birthday party (and she went to her 2nd just a few hours later - happy birthday Olivia!) - but she didn't have a clue, she just knew she was being held and she was happy!

Riley's Definitely a Little Fashionista

2009-08-18T11:14:00.003-05:00

I've blogged about it many times before, but Riley is definitely a little fashionista! She loves to dress up, and while some of her outfits are not necessarily what I would put together (like here) or when she went to the grocery store in snow boots........in the middle of the summer, that's ok, it's fun and I love that she has such a great imagination to go with these outfits! Today was no different - I think this was probably our 8th outfit of the day (and no I'm not exaggerating at all!) but she was just having so much fun and really hamming it up for the camera!

No we didn't go out in public with all that belly showing

Sleeping Beauty

2009-08-15T15:13:00.000-05:00

Pretty Princess

2009-08-14T15:17:00.000-05:00

Daddy get ready - I can hear the boys knocking already and I'm not sure I'm ready for that!!

Our World

2009-08-14T15:08:00.002-05:00

Talk about the sweetest big sister there ever could be!! Riley just adores Taylor and we are so lucky!!

Nice to Meet You

2009-08-13T15:06:00.001-05:00

Hi Great Grandma Mary Ruth - I love you!!

Snoozing

2009-08-13T15:00:00.002-05:00

Shhhh - daddy and sissy are sleeping, we have to be quiet or we'll wake them up - and please don't tell Daddy we posted a pic of him with his glasses on, I'm sure he wouldn't like that at all.

We are SOOOO blessed

2009-08-12T19:53:00.000-05:00

We have been so blessed with people bringing food for us - thank you everyone, it's been nice to not even think about dinner each night, and lunch for that matter since we've had plenty of leftovers to choose from!!!

I just couldn't resist posting a pic of these ginormous cupcakes our friend Jeana brought with dinner tonight - I've never seen cupcakes quite this huge - and well they tasted just as good (or better) than they looked - thank you!!!

Seriously - Riley had to hold it with two hands because they were so big and yummy!

Riley really enjoyed hers if you can't tell by that face - hehehe

Taylor's First Bath

2009-08-10T19:42:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday, to me, Happy Birthday, to me, Happy Birthday, dear mommy of two (that still sounds weird), Happy Birthday to me.

So in honor of my birthday, we celebrated by........giving Taylor her first bath, we can say she was less than thrilled about it, but well she got clean, although she did poop on her little bath sling before we ever got started, at least it was before we got her all cleaned and smelling fresh though or we would have had to start over.

Yeah - she wasn't happy at all, look how red she is and we've barely started.
While she learned to love this later, she hated the whole washing her head thing the first time!

Yep, even after she was done and snuggled up, it took a minute for her to get all happy again - why can't the firsts baths be something that kids really like................like now, I can hardly get Riley out of the tub, I'm pretty sure she'd stay in there most of the day if you let her eat snacks while she was in there!

PS - Thanks to my parents and Joey's parents for dinner tonight, it was yummy and nice not to go anywhere and still get to celebrate :)

Family Shots with Taylor Rose

2009-08-08T16:10:00.000-05:00

Just before we went to get Riley - we were so excited she was here!!
Daddy snuggling his newest girl

Me and Dr. Cohen - we just love her!!!

Awe - the proud big sis, she loved her from the moment she saw her (well even before really) and the sweetest moment ever - Taylor was crying when Riley walked in, Riley started singing to her and she calmed right down.......melt my heart!

The whole fam - and yes I can tell family pictures will be a little more difficult from here on out :)

Boy Are We Glad!!

2009-08-08T15:43:00.003-05:00

Boy are we glad to be home!! I was ready to come home about 5am this morning, but we had to stay at least 24 hrs so it ended up being about 3pm when we finally were able to leave - the staff was great, it just wasn't home and I was ready for my own bed!!

That and it's nice to have our girls where they can really love on each other :)

Bits and Pieces of our Cutie!

2009-08-08T13:50:00.000-05:00

Aren't they precious - look at those toes, and the little bootie, awe, melt my heart (and Taylor sorry for this, not know but when you are like 15 and it's embaressing - we did it out of love though, your little tush was just too cute not to show off!!)

I Just Love Her says Riley

2009-08-08T09:32:00.000-05:00

I love that my girls are so sweet together and that the oldest loves the littlest already - yep, this is our world right here! Let's hope and pray they still act this sweet to each other in 5 years!!

Taylor Rose is here :)

2009-08-08T09:28:00.005-05:00

She is here - and she is absolutely beautiful!!!

Taylor Rose Graves
8lbs 11oz
21 inches long
born 8-7-09 at 1:25pm

Adorable double chin - and the longest fingernails I've ever seen. She was almost too quick in getting here though, the doctor walked in just in time to catch her but everything was fine - and we are doing great, awesome actually!

My New Sis Just Got her

2009-08-08T09:26:00.000-05:00

Stand by for more details - my new sis just got her and I'm so excited - I can't wait to hold her and give her a big kiss!

Anxiously Awaiting Our New Little Sweetie

2009-08-07T09:23:00.000-05:00

Can't wait until she's here to hold and snuggle!!!

Wow - where has the time gone?

2009-08-05T11:14:00.002-05:00

So I knew it had been ages since I posted, but I never would have guessed that not since May 22nd, my goodness where did the time go? Thankfully blogger is really smart and when I get a few spare minutes, I'll be able to go back and post all the fun things we've done this summer with the awesome feature of adjusting the posting date (thank you blogger!) so it will look like I really have been on top of things as opposed to well not posting for 2 1/2 months.

I have an excuse though - you see, we're having a baby, and we have a toddler at home, and well life just got busy and I forgot sometimes (I just downloaded the pics from my camera and yeah there were 521, did you read that 5-2-1 pictures, I never do that, I'm always right on top of downloading my pics so that tells you how busy we've been!).

Anyway, back to the whole point of this post - I wanted to tell everyone that we are having a baby on FRIDAY - like 2 days from now we'll be holding our sweet Taylor Rose and I'm so excited. I guess technically she still has a little while to decide to come on her own, but otherwise they'll induce on Friday and we are just overjoyed to know that we'll be holding her in our arms so very soon - ahhh :)

And someday soon, I promise, I'll go back in time and write some posts for the rest of the summer - like about Riley taking swimming lessons, and jumping off the diving board for the first time, and going to Omaha, and Branson, and going down a big water slide and not being too freaked out when the water splashed her in the face, and about well all the 100's of other fun things that I've been too ~~lazy~~ busy to tell you guys about and document for Riley to look back on someday.

The big SHOES dilemma - Three strikes and you're out Mama

2009-05-22T06:32:00.001-05:00

My mom and I went shopping a couple of weeks ago to get fabric to make baby bedding for Miss Taylor Rose (have I shared with you guys that I think that's her name - but that we're kinda weird and can't make it totally official until she gets here, because well she might not look like a Taylor when we see her, but that's the plan anyway). So while we were out I was excited because I also found 3 pairs of shoes for Riley. I know it seems a little extreme, but well her tennis shoes were too small, so she obviously needed those, flip flops are extremely hard for us to find for some reason this year, seriously we've bought 3-4 pair and none of them are all that great, sigh, and then a pair of rubber boots for working on the farm.

I was excited - I knew my shoe loving 3 year old would be so excited when I showed her all the goodies I came home with and then well I struck out majorly. I pulled out the boots and got "Mom, I wanted pink ones" then the tennis shoes "those are just like the ones I already have" and finally the flip flops which she really liked but after trying them on said they weren't comfortable so we'll be taking them back, sigh, I tried.

She has since learned to love the black rubber boots in true country girl fashion and well we can't hardly get her to take them off at times it seems - maybe mommy did ok after all!

She likes to wear them to throw rocks in the lake with daddy because if you wear flip flops - this happens.

I'm pretty sure she was wanting to tell a story of some kind, this girl always has a story to tell :)

Someday we will own one of these - maybe not this big, but someday. I think it's funny that even Riley would love to have a sailboat, but has never been on one.

I wish I had some shots of her in her boots working in the garden at Papa Dub's - because you see she's usually in a Tutu or some other dress up outfit while she's doing it. Someday, I'll have to take some pics because it is absolutely adorable to see her watering or digging in the dirt with a pink fufu dress and black boots up to her knees!

Incredible Pizza - just can't beat Chuck E Cheese

2009-05-20T06:34:00.004-05:00

Riley is a HUGE fan of Chuck E Cheese, she loves the mouse (he sometimes gives her tickets) she loves the games and she loves, loves, loves that she gets to pick out prizes before we go home. Now the food is not fantastic by any means, but you know it's dinner and entertainment all in one so what can you really expect right..............well Incredible Pizza is yummy we have decided. Any kind of food you want plus some super yummy desserts too (the cinnamon rolls - ooohhhh very good).

We had never been until a couple of weeks ago and while Riley was perfectly fine in the bounce house for awhile (yeah totally free) she did get into some of the games the longer we were there. I think she didn't like that it was kinda dark and more like the atmosphere of an arcade. She did have a good time though and won some "great" prizes just like at Chuck E Cheese before the day was over.

Minature bowline was pretty fun - but since you really do 10 frames she lost interest after about 4 and Mommy and Daddy had to finish up for her.

The weird thing was not all the games were the same price, odd, and some of them took token instead of the card thing we got at the front, a pain, but the did have things like go karts, and bumper cars - how cool is that?

Riley was fairly uncertain about the whole Go Kart thing - in fact I wasn't sure if she might cry before they started..........

but she had a good time - and they didn't come in last place, woohoo.

Wordless Wednesday - What a good sport Grandma

2009-05-20T06:28:00.000-05:00

My grandma is a good sport and always lets me dress her up when she comes over - thanks Grandma Peggy!! Check out more Wordless Wednesday posts here or here.

My little swimsuit model

2009-05-18T06:46:00.000-05:00

Riley loves all things dress-up and as I've said before on here we probably go thru at least 2-3 (or more) dress-up outfits everyday after we get home. These could be swimsuits, leotards, dresses (with wings of course), she's really not picky at all - so I wasn't surprised at all that when we had to take down her trampoline a couple of weeks ago that she wanted to be in a swimsuit - or that she wanted to play in the hose. She was cracking me up the whole time we were working!!

Look what I made with Grandma

2009-05-17T06:40:00.002-05:00

The apple froggie was my favorite - although I have to admit that after mommy put out the two chocolate chips we needed - they might have disappeared and she had to go get out some more. Thankfully the second time she planned ahead and got out a handful of them just in case :)
Ribbit, ribbit

My poor little sheep wouldn't stay up on his legs - hopefully they aren't all four broken like it looks like or that would be very sad for him!

Wordless Wednesday - Sweetest Mother's Day EVER

2009-05-13T06:38:00.008-05:00

Check out more Wordless Wednesday posts here or here.

A heartfelt gift from my sweetie

Yes - she gave me some of her prized make-up because I was "a good mommy."

We also baked a cake.
And I got the biggest Mother's Day card ever
because Riley and Daddy wrote it on the front door.

I also got some nice foot stuff - and a promise of unlimited foot rubs - awesome!

Preggo belly shot

2009-05-11T01:54:00.000-05:00

I can't believe I'm really posting this, because it's totally not that flattering, but it's the only side view shot I have - so to everyone out there, yep, I'm showing (a lot). I still think it's funny though how varied the responses will be - one person will say "Wow" when they here I'm not due until August and then the next person will say "Well look at that tiny belly" - huh, either way, I'm feeling bigger every day and am fairly certain this kiddo (who might be named Taylor Rose) will definitely not be much behind her older sister who weighed in at 9 lbs 1.5 oz at birth!

Preggo Lady wins 5k

2009-05-10T11:37:00.000-05:00

Did I tell you guys that I ran (haha - ok I walked most of it) a 5k a couple of weekends ago? Seriously, it was to raise money for my dear friend Gina's little boy Carter's Relay for Life Team - if you haven't read her story, God is good that's all I can say!

Gina and her sweetie Carter (yep from a big tumor in his chest to cancer free in two weeks Praise the Lord!)
Mike and the boys running (how cute!)

Carter finishing strong :)

So my goal was an hour - and I know that's a terrible goal, because really a 5k is only 3.2 miles, but for my 6 month prego belly, I thought that was a good goal. Then we had a big hill though and I was a bit nervous about the whole finishing in less than an hour thing, but we were doing good. Our other goal - was just not to be last...........yeah Jenelle and I are competitive and since she was nice enough to walk with me, I sure didn't want to make her last in the whole race because she could have totally walked faster than me and maybe even run the thing (thanks for not doing that though!!)

So then the finish line was approaching, and well that whole competitive thing really kicked in and I decided that I wanted to win.........so I took off running.

And since my hubby is so sweet and he knew that Jenelle could have totally out-run me at this point.............

well.....he tackled her, not like to the ground or anything, just enough so that I could be the winner.

Because he's all sweet and loves me and stuff.

Our girl finished strong too - I think she won the 3 year old division of the 5k.

If you look close you can totally see the disdain Jenelle is feeling at the moment - that competitive girl didn't like being beat.

And she showed Joey, because well she totally beat him across the finish line :)

And John and Colter finished up the race for us - but they weren't last either, there was still another group behind us.

Go Rachel for finishing a 5k in 52:10 at 6 months pregnant - YES!

A Very Sad Day

2009-05-08T14:43:00.005-05:00

So - maybe I'm being a little dramatic, but really, the morning started off completely crazy!!! Between 7am and I'm gonna guess 9am it rained between three and a half and four inches - and most of the rain, I promise, came down sideways. I wasn't really worried about a tornado, but the thought of a hurricane in our area did cross my mind. The area creeks and rivers were the highest I think I've ever seen them. The huge, ginormous, flag pole in front of my office, wasn't just leaning back and forth it was doing the worm - seriously it was bending in more than one direction at a time, craziness!!!

But we're safe, and that's what matters, and if you ask Joey all the leaves that were in our ditch are cleaned out now so that's a huge benefit.

But the biggest casualty for our house is..............
the trampoline

Yeah I don't think that's probably fixable, or if we could get it bent back that anyone bigger than Riley should ever jump on it again because I don't think it'd be very strong. Riley's handling the loss pretty well, but I'm not sure she really understands that we'll have to you know get rid of it forever at this point.............sigh, seems like we just bought that a year ago (wait it wasn't even a year ago it was June of '08 when it finally arrived). It was fun, and worth every penny, I just wish it would have lasted longer!!!

We're hoping that the swingset will be fine once we can get it upright and back in her playground again. It looks like the board the slide was attached to popped loose, so hopefully that means we'll just have to nail it back in and it will be fine too.

Wow - what a morning - and now it's calm as can be with a bright blue sunny sky - go figure!

Wordless Wednesday - Cheesing It Up for Mama

2009-05-06T05:19:00.001-05:00

So last Saturday I didn't have a nap - but I still had some "Cheese" left in me for Mama. Check out more Wordless Wednesday posts here or here.

Bowling is AWESOME

2009-05-05T21:26:00.002-05:00

It's hard to believe that we had never taken Riley bowling - I'm not sure why - and I guess technically she had been bowling, just never gotten to do the whole bowling thing herself (she was around 18 months the only other time we went - and pretty much just played and ate apple dippers from McD's the whole time) Not only that - we have a bowling alley right here in our town and it's super cheap - like .99 a game, seriously.

Riley had to have a pink sparkly ball - and I was super excited they had shoes small enough for her - which she loved because she could slide around!!

The bumper lanes were taken so we gave it a go on the regular lane the first time.............

and then decided maybe the ramp was the way to go. Not only did she get a gutter ball the first time, but it took about 2 minutes for the ball to make it down to the end, seriously.

Riley thought the ramp was pretty cool, but she was very particular about getting to aim it herself - and if Daddy tried to move it, well she reminded him that it was her turn and she could handle the aiming of the ramp all by herself.

We bowled a couple of games - ate some pizza - had some fun with friends - and mommy, yeah the lady who is pretty much 6 months preggo - she won - by a lot, check it out!!!! (R=Riley, D=Daddy, M=Mommy, G=Gabe, S=Sarah, H=Hannah). Also, notice that daddy only beat his 3 year old by 8 points - your welcome for pointing that out dear :)

Hello Everyone..........

2009-05-04T21:45:00.002-05:00

Hello there, I went bowling a couple of Saturday's ago - it was super fun. Maybe my mom will have time to upload the rest of the pics tomorrow morning, if she wakes up super early that is, which she probably will. Anywho, for now, I'm in bed, sleeping, and my mommy should be so she's just gonna show you this one pic because it makes her smile. Have a good night everyone!!

FFF - ME

2009-04-24T15:55:00.005-05:00

Sarah picked a tough theme for this week - ME - and yes that means I'm supposed to post a pic of me, and there aren't always a lot of those and I'm usually not a big fan of them even if they are taken..............so be sure and check out the other lovely bloggers over at Sarah's blog today!!

As a side note - YES = this would be a great time to post a pic of my growing belly - since you know I haven't posted ANY and I'm 24 weeks along at this point - but I haven't taken one of those............so you get a pic that is of me at Disney World while I'm riding the carousel - yes I'm hot (in the temperature sense) and probably sweaty so don't look too close - but it's me - and ironically I'm wearing the very same shirt today - although it fits much different than it did then!!

My Little Country Girl

2009-04-23T15:42:00.001-05:00

When we were out at Papa Dub's and Grandma 'Lene's the other day (obviously before our little warm up this week since she's in jeans!!) Riley was quite the little country girl. Despite her already running nose - she was holding her head under the rain coming off the roof, tromping around the yard in rubber boots, finding the new baby kitties, and all sorts of other things that are funner "on the farm" (and yes funner is a word - I promise!)

And we had fried morels for supper which was just iciing on the cake - yum!!!

Wordless Wednesday - Check Out Her Style!!

2009-04-22T15:38:00.000-05:00

Where have I been?

2009-04-21T15:20:00.003-05:00

Has it really been a week and a half since I posted? Where does the time go? We've had lots of fun - like Easter, a Children's Rally at our church, and so many other things to mention that I guess those are my excuses for not posting lately - oh yeah and because I feel like this

I don't mean to and I can't help it - surely it will pass - can I blame hormones?

Spring - Please Be Here to Stay!!!

2009-04-11T03:34:00.000-05:00

Riley spent most of her week at Papa's house this week while the babysitter's daughter was recovering from Croup and was pretty excited to be able to play outside so much (thank you sunny/warm days oh how we miss you again). She loves to work with his flowers or in his garden, or feeding his little fish in the backyard, anything to be outside. Here she is modeling with some of their pretty Tulips that have come up - thankfully just after the last frost so hopefully they will stay pretty.

Of course, she also likes to go to the grocery store (she talked him in to a cake one day and powdered donuts the next), the post office, the park, or anywhere. She is a girl that likes to be on the go and so does Papa so they get along super great!!

Sadly as I'm looking out today - it's dreary and rainy and not so much warm or sunny like the picture above.............Spring, please come and stay, we miss you!!

FFF - Work it Girl

2009-04-10T15:19:00.004-05:00

Riley got an Easter basket filled with fun hair stuff from Baby Sis last night and had a ball modeling and playing dress-up, which is of course a daily activity. Can't wait to celebrate the true meaning of the season this weekend though, man this is a great time of year!!!

Check out more FFF posts over on Sarah's blog.