Merry and Bright

It's hard to believe that my little Brody man is almost 8 months old. Pretty soon, I'll be planning his first birthday party. But before that, I'll be baby proofing the house. He is on the verge of crawling and he can most definitely move around on his own. The other night, I put him in the hall while Riley and I were brushing her teeth and hair, and next thing I know, he's backwards inch-wormed himself into the bathroom. This evening, tucking Riley into bed, I watched in detail and I'll try to explain it...he gets from point A to point B through a series of movements that can only be described as hurling himself with one half of his body and dragging the other half to catch up. Add in a few log rolls and you've got one mobile baby. He strengthens those little legs by jumping for nonstop power sessions on his doorway jumper. He's still about the smiliest baby you'll ever meet, and he charms everyone...his usual fan base, complete strangers, everyone. We really can't go anywhere without people gushing over him. It never gets old. Love that handsome little boy.

Riley Roo, who never would sit still for a picture, discovered that mommy will show her the picture in the camera screen if she sits still and says cheese. Now, she loves to pose and then wants to see it.

She went to her first fairy princes party a few weekends ago. She had a great time playing hide and go seek and beading a necklace, coloring, and of course, her favorite, eating a cupcake. It was the first time she really got into the whole princess thing, but it stuck. Now, she'll put on a tutu over any outfit and run around saying, "Soooo pretty. Princess Riley, Princess Riley."



We walked to the party, since it was just down the street. TJ took a picture...what an adorable sight we must have been to anyone driving by.


When we got back from the party, I needed to do some baking, and my little helper decided to join me. I don't know what to tell you about her baking attire. I guess sometimes you just need better range of motion in your arms to stir the batter. Note the necklace she made at the party. She's wearing it Rambo bandana style around her head. Are all 2-year-olds this profoundly unique?


This is the cute Thanksgiving shirt a friend made for Riley and a matching turkey bow from the bow lady in town. Too bad we weren't able to show it off to family in person.



This past weekend, we went to visit Santa. Riley had no problem hopping right up on the big guy's lap. She even posed and smiled for a few photos. I wonder if she realizes that her naughty versus and nice tally is not completely in her favor this year and she's trying to turn on the charm at the source.


The Brody man was just fine with Santa too. He was pretty fascinated with the beard. Lucky for Santa he didn't go for the glasses.

This month is flying by and Christmas will be here before we know it. What a magical time of year to have small children. What a great time to reflect on how blessed I am in my life. It is the simple things that fill my heart with joy these days. Sharing a big pile of books with Riley. Marveling at how Brody seems to be an inch taller every morning. Sharing stories and laughs with other wonderful moms and friends. Hot chocolate and a toasty fireplace. I know I say it all the time, but life is good and my heart is full.

Into Fall

We're well into fall and busier than ever. We had a nice Halloween trick-or-treating in our neighborhood with friends. Jessica (Mimi) and her boyfriend Allan came over to hand out candy while we took Riley around in her costume. Our little bumble bee and frog were absolutely adorable. For Riley and her sweet tooth, it was a dream come true...just knock and smile and nice people give you candy! She kept saying "more treats, more treats" and running ahead. At one point, she turned around and told TJ, "Dada hurry up!"We headed out around 5:30 with her friend Wesley, the pirate, for a little while, and then met up with Kerington (Didi) until about 8. Riley would've been happy to keep going for another hour, I'm sure. Brody was his usual easy going self, riding around in the backpack, smiling, and taking it all in.
Riley is growing and learning at an astounding pace. She tells me constantly that she's "hungy" and I try my best to keep healthy foods going into the bottomless pit, but there's no doubt she inherited her dad's sweet tooth. The good news is she just had her first visit to the pediatric dentist and no cavities. All of her teeth look nice and healthy. The dentist did warn that there's not much space in her mouth or between her teeth, so braces unfortunately are probably somewhere on the horizon. She seems to have a new developmental milestone each week. Last week was the week of "mine." Everything was MINE. "Mama, this is MY juice. This is MY toy. This is MY booger." Yes, she told me after I wiped her nose that I had taken her booger and she wanted it back. I had to draw the line at boogers. So, we're working on explaining that "MY" is not a nice word and that in this house we SHARE. This week is the week of "by self." She tells me, "Riley put shoes on BY SELF. Riley set the table BY SELF." And by self is usually followed up by "I got it." Everything therefore takes about 10 times as long, but it's a reminder that kids really do make the best teachers. I am not a patient person and this is forcing me to slow down and make sure I'm not squelching her efforts. It's actually been really good for me. I am honestly in awe of how being a parent challenges you to take an honest look at yourself on a daily basis. It's an incredible journey getting to know my babies and myself at the same time.
Whereas Riley is my exuberant maniac, Brody is my even keel. He is pure sweetness. It makes it easy for me to pawn him off on friends when I've got a dentist appointment or need to run some other non child friendly errand. In fact, just this week, after spending the day watching Brody man one friend told me "I no longer think you're super mom now that I know how easy and happy he is!" We both laughed, but man, it's true. TJ and I love spending time just making him smile and laugh. I hold him and my heart overflows with love.
Well, it's bath time, so that's all for now. I can't believe the holidays are just around the corner and its time to get ready for all the festivities. The pace of motherhood is relentless, but I'm determined not to miss all the little moments in the midst of never ending commitments and to-do lists.
Enjoy the pictures.

The koala and the dinosaur

Just a few of the shots from Brody's first photo shoot. Could he be any cuter??? Of course, Miss Riley got her mug in a few of the photos too!

Colorbutter

"Colorbutter"
That's what Riley asks for when she wants to read The Very Hungry Caterpillar. I love the little word variations she comes up with. Today, she opened up the kitchen drawer by the stove, took out some tongs and told me she was "cooking engs." Yes, engs = eggs. Hilarious. Her transition to a "big girl bed" (crib without a front) has been interesting. At night, we go through our ritual...bath, jammies, teeth, books. By the time she gets in bed, she's so tired that she settles right in. Nap time; however, is a little more interesting. Today, I put her in bed for a nap, and then listened to her run around for about an hour and a half...the kitchen is right below her room. She gathers most of the toys and books and animals in her room and puts them in her bed. Oh well, I guess as long as she's not a crab, mommy still gets some quiet time, which is the most important thing, right?!?!
She had her 2 year checkup on Wednesday and weighs 27lbs, is 33 1/4" and has a 19" noggin. All in all, fairly average. So yup, she's a healthy, spirited toddler.
The new house is just wonderful. It already feels so much more like home than our previous rental. We spend lots of time outside each day in the large yard, on the swing set, and getting to know the neighbors, especially the family behind us who have a dog friend for Bauer and 3 kids, one a little younger than Riley.
Getting the house set up is taking forever, but that's par for the course. I have so much respect for fellow stay at home moms and am realizing that it's much harder than any job I've ever held. I find myself wishing there were more hours in the day. I guess if I can tackle one little project a day, then eventually, the mess in the garage and storage rooms will disappear. Hopefully before we move again.
Brody man continues to be a wonderful baby. Just sweetness and smiles so long as he's fed. He seems to drool a lot more than Riley ever did. Not sure if that's a boy thing, or if he's gong to start teething earlier than she did. He spits up quite a bit, I guess from the formula, so he ends up smelling like cheese much of the time. But I don't mind. The top of his head always smells great and the big toothless grin is about the greatest thing on earth.

Riley Turns Two

Riley had a great birthday weekend. It started with a visit from Rari and Bobbel who arrived on Friday afternoon. The next morning we held her birthday party at the Splash Pad. There were about 18 kids and their parents and some family friends. The weather was nice and everyone had a great time playing in the water. Later that afternoon, we headed to Riley's best friend's birthday party...the girls are only two days apart. We played in the park for a while and came home completely worn out from the day's activities. It's hard to believe that my little girl is 2 years old. She has a huge personality and loves to entertain. I love watching her learn a little more each day and discover new things. She has a great sense of humor and is creative in the most unique ways. I can't wait to see what the next year has in store.

Sweet little faces

Not much time to write today, but here are some pictures...

"What did she say???"

We've been trying to walk as a family almost every night, except when it's just too stifling hot, like tonight. We all need the exercise, but poor Bauer needs it most. At his last vet visit, he was up to 90lbs. We've cut out a lot of the treats and snacks, but it's just not falling off him like it used to whenever the winter months melted to spring and summer. So, tomorrow begins the latest travesty in his life...diet dog food. Just when he thought things couldn't get any worse.
Anyhow, the other night, as we were walking, Riley in the stroller with TJ and me with Brody in the backpack, Riley was jibber jabbering away and among the slew of random words and mini sentences, she said, "Mommy...bock eww." Yeah, say it out lout to yourself! Right, so we were like, um, WHAT?!?! Cue exchange of glances in disbelief...Yikes, did she just say what I think she said? No, couldn't be. Where would she hear that? Certainly not from us. Couldn't be. I was a few paces ahead of her, so I slowed down and patted her head and tried to get her to say anything else. Next night, same thing, about halfway through the walk, I got a little farther ahead than she and TJ, and again, "Mommy, bock eww!"
OHHHHH!!! Mommy "back here," as in "Mommy get back here, you're too far ahead." WHEW!!! But, yes, the fact remains that she can repeat back just about anything anyone says, with striking clarity, so who knows what well be hearing in the next few months?
In other news, one of her current fascinations is feeding the ducks at Lion's Lake, so I snapped a few shots when we went this afternoon.
Mr Brody Man is now 9 weeks old, which I really still can't believe. Time just marches on. We have little conversations throughout the day where he smiles at me and says ohh, ooo, ohhh, and I repeat it right back to him. Love the first baby babbles! He's still just sweet as can be and gets more handsome by the minute. Don't believe me? Here's the proof!

Double the fun

It’s hard to believe that Brody is almost two months old. It feels like we got home from the hospital maybe three or four weeks ago. I’m so busy playing catch up each day that I turn around and another week has gone by. I have a new found respect for stay-at-home moms, and I’ve learned that ALL of the clichés are true. The ones that resonate most right now: You will be a few minutes late everywhere you go. You can’t take your eyes off your toddler for even a second. There simply aren’t enough hours in the day. Domestic engineer is by far the most challenging job I’ve ever held, but I’ve always loved to rise to the occasion. Daily life is a series of tradeoffs and mini accomplishments that are so mundane and yet, lend a surprising level of personal satisfaction. For example, take a nap…or prep dinner? And when I do pick dinner, I’m really proud of myself for actually getting hot food on the table because I’m exhausted by the end of the day. There’s rarely a single second now that’s not accounted for in some way or another. I’m extremely organized and I’m barely keeping this circus running, so how the heck do the less type-A people (who aren’t constantly concerned with being six steps ahead) do it? Don’t get me wrong though, this brink of chaos is exactly where I want to be right now. I wake up thankful each day for the opportunity to stay at home and witness every tiny milestone as my babies grow…watching Brody’s little eyelashes fill in; the sounds of each new word Riley adds to her vocabulary. I can’t believe I never knew that being a parent is such a privilege…guess that cliché is true too…you just don’t understand until you become one.

But enough about me.

As Miss Riley prepares to turn two, she is everything a toddler should be…to the extremes. She has a great sense of humor and loves to make herself and everyone else laugh. She’s quite the conversationalist and she can repeat back anything you say with very clear annunciation. Of course I’m biased, but I’m sure that her verbal skills are far superior to most of her peers. And her little voice is so sweet and adorable that before you know it, she’s charmed you into having cookies for breakfast. Some of her favorite words and phrases include:

“waan it”

“silly dada” or “funny dada”

“Bau Bau tweet” (treat)

“ooooo pretty”

“thankyouwelcome”

“laaa you” (love you)

She can name dozens of farm, underwater, domestic and jungle animals, and she understands just about everything you ask her to do. Whether or not she complies is a completely different story.

She started dance classes on Tuesday with her best friend Kerington. I was a little worried that she might have separation anxiety, as the moms wait outside and watch through a small window. Luckily, it was no issue at all, and she loved the teachers and the different activities. In addition to dancing, they had the girls walk on a balance beam…I never would’ve thought she was ready for something like that. It didn’t phase her one bit. In fact, two days later, in the parking lot, she walked over to the cement parking guide that you pull your car up to, and walked along, one foot in front of the other, copying what she’d learned earlier in the week. I really could go on about how much she amazes me, but suffice it to say, she wows me daily.

So, now, on to Mr. Brody. First of all, he’s incredibly handsome. All babies are cute…blah…blah…blah…but some are just better looking than others. I find myself saying to myself, “man, we really do make good looking babies!” He’s so sweet and snuggly and has that great baby smell all the time. When we’re walking and he’s in the front carrying backpack, I lean down again and again just to drink in that scent emanating from the top of his head. As much as I do exhaust myself trying to keep up with daily life, I’m also continually making an effort to stop and sit and snuggle him while he’s so small because I know it’s going to fly by in an instant. He’s awake and alert for longer periods of time each day, just stretching his long limbs and looking around with his big blue eyes. He smiled for the first time on Monday and it was magnificent…again, the joy in these simple things in life.

Last but not least, Bauer Bean, our fuzzy first born, continues to “adapt and overcome;” apropos military term. We celebrated his 4th birthday this week with a big dish of frozen custard and a nice, long walk. He’s weighing in at about 90lbs right now, so unfortunately, he’s going on a doggy diet. Although, we keep saying that, and we still toss pieces of chicken and steak and peanut butter sandwich his way on a regular basis. I mean, there’s got to be some consolation prize for the fact that Riley has learned how much fun it is to try to climb on him (as she yells “hiya, hiya Bau Bau”) and pull his tail.

Well, this is more time than I actually have to spare, but I hope you enjoy the updates and I will try (no promises) to get back on to blog more often.

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