Time Flies - 6 Months Already!

Happy 1/2 Birthday to you.

Happy 1/2 Birthday to you.

Happy 1/2 Birthday dear Riley.

Happy 1/2 Birthday to you!

Riley is 6, yes 6, months old today!

Happy 1/2 Birthday Baby Girl!

Where has the time gone? She's growing so fast. Every day she is more and more beautiful. I know everyone says this but I can't imagine our life without her. She completes our wonderful family and I love our family, and her, more every day.

Today we took A LOT of pictures of Riley in celebration of her 1/2 birthday. Enjoy!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The Bunnies First Halloween

Wow! I can't believe it's been that long since I posted. I do solemly swear I WILL be a more consistent blogger from this point forward. And to all my blog friends, I may not be commenting, but I'm tracking you all daily!

Riley had a fantastic first Halloween. She spent the afternoon with Mommy Shelly at a work meeting. Here she is in her daytime Halloween outfit complete with a Faux Hawk. We joked that she was dressed as a Little Boy. :)

Next came trick-or-treating at Grandma Shanni's work.

Riley got a little hot in her costumer so she decided to hang out naked on Grandma's desk.

Next it was home for dinner. All good bunnies LOVE carrots!




Next it was back in the bunny suit to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters.




Miss Riley even got to try her first piece of Halloween candy. But only for a minute.



At at the end of the night the bunny turned into a pumpkin, well, really, the pumpkin jammies Uncle Steve bought her.





And to Riley's other Grammies and Grandpa's WE MISSED YOU!!! We hope that we get to see you all on Halloween next year!

Hope everyone had a WONDERFUL Halloween.

Vegas Vacation and Other Fun Stuff

***Update with Pictures***

Yes it's been awhile. So much going on. Here's a quick recap and a few pics.

Our Vegas Vacation was WONDERFUL! It was great to spend time with the family! I so wish we could see each other more often. My niece Jenna has gotten so big and is ADORABLE! Last year at this time she was Riley's age. She's grown so much. It's fun to think next year when we get together Riley will be running around like Jenna did all weekend. And even better, Jenna will have a baby brother or sister that will be the age Riley is now! Yeah!!! I've posted lots of pics below.

Riley did awesome on the drive. She pretty much slept the entire time, both ways.

Since we've been back we've been contemplating selling our house and buying a new home that has just been built. We keep going to look at the new house and wonder if it's worth it after all of the work we've put into our current house. Hell, they just finished the stucco work yesterday! But, we've decided to do it!!! We're putting our house on the market and hoping to sell before the end of the year to get into the new house. Yeah!!! Anyone want to buy a beautiful, like new home in Sandy, Utah? Please!!!

The new house is gorgeous, and big! And around the corner from Grandma Shanni!! Plus there's a swimming pool in the neighborhood. And better yet. It's a rambler. It's hard carrying a growing baby up and down stairs when you're old. As soon as I have pictures of the new house I'll post.

Oh, and I got sick AGAIN! But, I think it's allergies. I'm on allergy meds now and feel a ton better.

Well, I keep trying to upload pictures but keep getting an error. I'll try again later. I promise I'll get some out there today!

"Yeah, I'm in my first Vegas Casino!"

Riley and Jenna getting acquainted for the first time.

"Why is this little baby pulling my hair? I don't think I want to play with her anymore."

"Jenna, PUHLEEZE play with me some more. I promise not to pull your hair."

The girls playing beauty shop.

Jenna practicing her teeth brushing abilities. Yes, her Mom is a proud dentist.

"Gosh I'm getting good at this tooth brushing thing."

She is soooo cute!

Riley and Aunt Jennifer

What's up Mom? I'm playing with my new friend.

Riley loves her bouncer!

Dressed pretty for the family reunion.

"Mom, I'm not so sure about the prunes. Are you sure the doctor said to start me with these? I think applesauce sounds MUCH better."

4 Month Check-up

Yesterday was Riley's 4 month check-up. She weighed in at 13 lbs 8 oz (34th percentile) was 24.5 inches long (50th percentile) and head circumference was 42.3 cm (75th percentile). She's doubled her birth weight (minus the Hygroma) which is where she should be at this point. The Doctor was impressed with how strong she is and how well she's done with her Physical Therapy.


I thought it would be interesting to see what Riley's half siblings stats were at their 4 month check-up. (Hope you guys don't mind!) Length they're all about the same but what a difference in weight. Both Andrew and Riley Elizabeth weighed just over 2 lbs more than Riley. Somehow we've ended up with a petite child. We always joke that she's the only petite thing in the house. I was small as a baby, 5 lbs 6 oz when I was born. I stayed small until I hit puberty and then watch out. I filled out fast and have been that way ever since. It was also fun to look at her half siblings 4 month pictures versus Riley now. You can absolutely see the similarities in the three kids.


Of course she got her shots yesterday. Needless to say it was a rough night and it's been a rough day. She's never screamed as hard as she did when they poked those huge needles in her leg. I'm not afraid of needles but my hell, against her tiny little legs, those needles were huge! She screamed for about a minute before we were able to calm her down. Once we got her home we got our happy baby back for a little while before bed. Bed is another story. She didn't cry much but she tossed and turned and whimpered all night. Poor thing. I hope she sleeps it off tonight. She needs her rest because she's got her big Vegas Vacation coming up on Friday!!!


Speaking of Vegas Vacation. She's already got all of her clothes packed she's so excited! She couldn't decide what to pack for five days so being the girl that she is, she way over packed! But every girl needs a casual and dressy outfit per day of vacation, right?

I'll post a couple pictures tomorrow before we head out on our big Vegas Vacation.

We've Gone Pink!

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month we've gone pink. In the past October has always come and gone just like any other October. This year is different. This year Breast Cancer hit home. My Mom was diagnosed with Breast Cancer right before Riley was born.

My Mom is doing well. They caught it early, Stage 1. The reason they caught it early is because my Mom is FAITHFUL about her annual Mammogram. They removed the lump and some lymph nodes. Luckily the cancer had not spread to her lymph nodes. She's currently doing Chemo Therapy and will start Radiation shortly. She also suffers from Fibromyalgia so between the chemo and the fibro she gets really worn out. But she's a trooper and just keeps plugging along.

AND, after many years of smoking my Mom has QUIT!!! It's been a month today! Way to go Mom! I'm so proud of you!!! I love you Mom!

I encourage everyone to get checked this month! Or at least make an appointment to get checked! If it weren't for my Mom and her diligence on being tested annually we might not have a happy ending. I finally broke down and got my first Mammy after my Mom's diagnosis. Luckily all was well. It wasn't a pleasant experience but worth the peace of mind.

Here's some pics of Grandma Connie (my Mom) with Riley.

BIG Thanks and is it a Dolphin or a Cat in Heat

Yesterday's post was a little sobering. I can't get Carly off my mind. Last night I lay in bed watching Riley sleep in her Bassinet and wept. I cried tears of extreme relief and happiness. I cried for her beauty and what a miracle she is. I cried for the pain we dealt with for so many months. I cried for our strength as a couple and how our miracle has brought us closer together. I cried because I never dreamt I would feel such love. Of all the scenarios we could have faced we ended up in the best one. I truly believe the power of prayer, positive energy, and thoughts blessed us with our miracle. I owe everyone a huge THANK YOU! God heard your prayers, he read your thoughts, and the universe felt your energy. We were blessed. So, so blessed. Thank you!

One to new Riley news. She's found her voice. She was began yelling. Yes, yelling. Whether she's happy or mad she yells. It's hard to distinguish whether she's happy or mad sometimes because it's so loud. At first it was cute. We thought she sounded like a sweet little dolphin. Then, I was on the phone with my BF Amy the other day and Riley was yelling at me. Amy, one of Riley's God Mothers, says, "OMG, she sounds like a cat in heat." And she DOES! Thanks God Mommy Amy for pointing THAT out. My sweet little baby girl screams like a cat in heat. You could have said, "Oh, how cute, she sounds like a Dolphin, or a kitty cat, or something cute." But no, she sounds like a cat in heat. Nice. I've got to get a video of the screaming to post. It's an amazing thing.

I haven't downloaded any recent pictures lately so instead I leave you with a picture from August. It's of Kori (Twins and 2 Moms) and Riley. It's such an adorable picture!

Heartache

Last night one of our local news channels ran the story that can be found here.

I have a pit in my stomach. This hits home. Throughout the pregnancy we were preparing ourselves for this scenario. The inoperable hygroma. The need of a Tracheotomy. We were blessed. Riley's hygroma WAS operable and they got it all. Every last bit. There is a less than 5% chance of it coming back. But this story reminds me. Reminds me of what we were preparing ourselves for. And my heart ACHES for this family who also lost their mother in the process.

Please include this family in your prayers, or, if you're inclined, make a donation for what must be huge medical expenses.