Slacker

I am really slacking on this blog - this isn't what I had hoped for! While it isn't much, I at least wanted to get on here and write just a few updates to what is going on in the world of Riley.

She is growing like crazy. We're officially out of 3-month clothes and into 6-months ... except for pants, in which she can still wear 0-3 months. They're high waters on her, but her waist (or lack of) is too small for 6-month pants.

She has a lot to say. She gets up in the mornings and just has so much to tell us. It's adorable. If I were able to translate those adorable babbles into the English language, I'd love to hear what she is telling me.

She loves to be on the move. This is the case regardless of whether she is lying on the floor (and constantly turning over, then turning her body 360 degrees in a circle) or on your hip. Sitting is not an option when she is being held - she wants you up and moving. It must be her attempt to help me shed a few more pounds.

She's amazingly adorable and addictive. 'Nuff said.

She loves sweet potatoes. Even more than bananas, which knocked my socks off. She even has a sweet potato song that Kevin and I sing as she eats. Do not request a private performance of the song - we won't grant it to you.

She's going to be blonde. I really can't say this with 100% certainty, but you may get me to say it with 99%. New hair is coming in and it is light, light, light.

Homemade Baby Food

I have made the personal decision to make my own baby food for Riley now that she has begun eating vegetables. So far I've only made carrots and sweet potatoes, but I'll be doing a batch of green beans and peas tonight (I am sure Riley would be thrilled to know that). It is really so simple to do and takes about an hour or less from start to finish, and a lot of that time is just waiting for the veggies to boil, which takes no effort on my part. I have nothing against store-bought baby food, I just thought this would be something fun to do and would actually end up being more economical, which it has already proven to do so:

1. I bought 2-pounds of fresh carrots for $1.89 which allowed me to make 35-ounces worth of baby food. I could have bought two 2.5 ounce packages of Gerber's carrots for this exact same price.
2. Once your baby begins to eat the food and saliva mixes with it, you can't save the leftover food - it must be pitched. When you make your own, you can freeze it in ice cube trays and each cube is right around 1 ounce of food. Less waste this way! Riley only eats about 2 ounces at a time right now - if I were going with the pre-made Gerber food, I'd be wasting half of an ounce each time!

If you're interested in more information, check out this site ... and thanks to my friend Meagen who passed the idea and ths site along to me!

Technology is awesome. I am now all set up to be able to update my Blog via text message, so now I have no excuse not to send quick updates!

Roly Poly Riley

... and by this title, I am not implying that Riley is a chubbers. I am stating that she is rolling like crazy now!! She rolled from back to tummy for the first time this weekend, on April 19th. It still amazes me that it is something she had spent several days working on, but once she did it, she was able to do it over and over without fail. She looks so proud, too. Of course, this has invoked some tears from me because it makes me realize how quickly she is growing up! I have video of one of her first rolls that I want to add on here ... hopefully I can get to that tonight.

4-Month Well Check!

Wow - what a busy weekend! Riley had her 4-month well check on Thursday (details of which I will get to in a moment), but since then we've been on the go, making a trip to Marietta for Easter weekend. I've meant to do a much better job of blogging, but apparently I haven't made much progress yet!

Riley's 4-month well check went very well! She weighed in at 13lb 9oz, which put her in the 46th percentile ... and was 24 1/2 inches long, which put her in the 56th percentile. Her head is growing, too! She is now up to the 35th percentile for head circumference. All good news! Dr. K was very impressed with her progress and the milestones that she has hit. He even gave us the green light on starting rice cereal! He told us to go ahead and give her cereal two times a day for 3-4 days and then start on some yellow/orange vegetables! We'll be starting carrots sometime early this week! I am going to try making homemade baby food - not because I think there is something wrong with store-bought (because I don't), but because I think making it would be fun and maybe even more economical. The appointment ended with shots. Riley and I both cried as a result, but we were both over it quickly and shopping for a "what a good girl" treat at Babies R Us on the way home!

On Thursday night she blew my mind by sleeping 9 straight hours. Not getting too excited about it, I assumed it was due to the shots she had received. However on Friday night she slept 8 straight hours. I was even more encouraged by this because it was at Mom and Dad's - in a strange room and bed, as she slept in the pack and play next to Kevin and I. Last night she had an 8 hour repeat performance, so I am excited to see what tonight brings. As always, she was sound asleep by 7:45 tonight, not making a single peep after I laid her in her crib awake. She is such a good girl.

I have to work 4 days this week. Boo hoo, right? I know I need to remember that 4 is STILL better than 5, but I am still dreading it. Last week I only worked 2 days to make up for the longer week coming up (I am in ITIL training), but I hate thinking I'll be away from Riley an additional day. That means I have to make tomorrow with her REALLY count!

I've attached a few (amazing) pictures from the weekend - these all happened to be taken this morning, Easter morning. What a day - the day on which we celebrate Jesus rising from the dead; I am so, so blessed.

How Quickly the Memory Fades

I wonder if I am the only new mom that feels this way, but when I try to think back just over 4 months ago to being pregnant, it is very hard to do! I cannot remember at all what it felt like to be carrying Riley; what it felt like to not be able to tie my own shoes, or having to allow for extra clearance when walking around the house and making turns, or those amazing kicks she would give me. I suppose this would be okay had I had a horrible, painful pregnancy ... but I didn't. I was blessed with an uneventful, wonderful pregnancy in which I treasured each day and each new feeling that came with it.

So I was sorting through some pictures on my laptop at work and came across this one:

It was taken on December 4th ... less than an hour prior to leaving for the hospital to be induced and meet Riley. I immediately notice how swollen I was ... in the face, the arms, and the feet, although you can't see that in the picture. Then I look at that pregnant belly. Man, I loved that belly. Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled to be back into my pre-pregnancy clothes, but that belly! It was such a part of me for so long ... and now it's gone ... as well as the memory of it. What I have in exchange for it ... my amazing, incredible, beautiful Riley ... is God's most amazing reward to me in life and I'd take it over ANY belly on any given day. But I still miss that belly - because it was Riley who gave me that belly. Anyone else out there feel the same way?

Riley's New Discoveries

Riley has had some new discoveries lately that warrant a blog! Her latest accomplishment, milestone-wise, was turning over for the first time from tummy to back! She did this effortlessly, two times, last Friday (April 3rd) ... but hasn't done it sense. She did it so easily that you would have thought she'd been doing it for a long time, so I thought it would be something we'd see a whole lot more of, but that doesn't seem to be the case so far. However, I am sure it has a LOT to do with the fact that I don't keep her on her tummy for long anymore ... something that I probably should be doing! I'll get better at that ...

Also, as I was changing her diaper through the night Sunday night/Monday morning, she discovered her toes and her feet. It is as though she saw them, paused for a moment, then in one swift motion grabbed them and shoved them right into her mouth! It had to be one of the cutest things I've ever seen!!

I still can't get over the fact that she is 4 months old! Her well-check appointment is this Friday at 9am and I am anxious to see what she weighs and where she falls on the growth chart. I am NOT looking forward to her next round of shots, although I personally feel they are necessary. I hope she handles these ones better than the last ones ... she spiked quite a fever and felt pretty lousy after her 2-month shots. Plus, we're headed to Marietta for the Easter weekend and I am hoping she feels well enough to travel. Maybe she'll like sleeping it off in her carseat as we drive.

Have I mentioned how much I love this 'little miss'? More than I will ever be able to describe ...

Dear Riley ... (4 Month Letter)

My Dearest Riley,

Another month has passed, and just as the months that preceeded it, you've started doing so many things! The freshest in my mind is what you did just a couple days ago, on April 3rd, - two days before turning 4 months old ... you turned over! It was your first time to roll from tummy to back and you did it effortlessly, two times, and are getting to be such a big girl!

Your 4-month well check is this coming Friday and you'll get your next round of shots. It breaks mommy's heart to see you cry over the shots, but I am so excited to see what you weigh and all of your measurements to see how much you've grown!

You've also discovered that you can make all sorts of new sounds! A 'scream' is your latest discovery - this high pitched scream that makes me laugh once I realize nothing is wrong. You seem to do it just for fun!

You moved to the 'big girl' bottles towards the end of your third month as well, since you now take about 6 ounces each feeding! EVERYTHING goes into your mouth now - bibs, blankets, hands, my hands, daddy's hands, toys ... everything!!

You continue to laugh and smile so much and are just the happiest baby. You are getting yourself into a nice routine throughout the morning and the day and are becoming a little more predictable when it comes to sleepy and awake times.

You took your first road trip in month three, going to Grandma and Grandpa Nichols' house, two weekends in a row! I laughed so hard at all the 'stuff' that we needed to pack up for you - someone so small! You're such an amazing baby in the car, enjoying the trip as we go along. You also met your triplet cousins, Audrey, Calla and Gwen, during one of those trips and they were pretty amazed by you!

I am very excited to see what month 4 brings for you - I assume it will have a lot to do with more sounds and more rolling over! I love you with all of my heart - you are my world.

Love, Mommy