Teedle Dum and Tweedle Dee

2006-11-21T22:51:00.000-08:00

Well.. Our Christmas Tree is up, decorations are out, Christmas Shopping almost finished and.. Our Pictures Came back. enjoy!

2006-11-10T00:05:00.000-08:00

Sweet little Boy

I love the way

the bridge of your little nose

fits perfectly against my lips.

2006-11-07T04:44:00.000-08:00

You just came to see me in my halloween costume right? well as you can see i am not thrilled with this Getup, but enjoy it anyway.
This is much better.. i like to be warm when i go outside to play
Thanks for stopping by

2006-10-31T22:38:00.000-08:00

Pumpkin Patch Pictures

2006-10-30T05:08:00.000-08:00

More Pumpkin Patch Pictures

2006-10-25T22:25:00.000-07:00

The little man had his 18 month Checkup.. i have a healthy 25lb and 32 1/2 inch adventurous little man. but i already knew that. He did fairly well at the app and even better for his shots. He whimpered for a second and then it was over. NO more shots until he is 4 Praise God! He even drug his bear to this appointment. but after the shots the bear got a bandaid on his Boo Boo's too.

After the Dr i brought him home and he went straight into his room for NEMO.. i fixed him lunch and Tiff and Chase came over and we left to go shopping for picture clothes at the PX.i spent a little over $100 on The hubster a new shirt, me 2 maternity shirts (i dont know which one i will wear and one was on sale), i needed a pair of Khaki pants, The little man a solid blue shirt to match. i also sprung for 2 new pair of pj's and another shirt for the little man just because ;). i hope these pictures turn out ok. we havent had family pictures done since Riley was 6 months old.

I also picked up a few more Christmas presents while i was out. i bought lady and the tramp 2, some kind of bath memory toys, and a bat and ball. i am thinking about picking our layaway up early so that way i can see what i need to get still. for the most part our Christmas shopping for Riley is finished. Last week i picked up a blues clues sleeping bag for the Little Mans newest obsession. and i ordered him a talking Go Diego Go doll brand new from EBAY. He is a spoiled little thing isnt he?

2006-10-24T10:42:00.000-07:00

Nothing exciting happened yesterday. Not really!
i bundled The little man up and took him over to Tiffany's house to play with Chase for the morning. She went on a cleaning spree and was throwing out old food from her cupboards. The boys had a blast placing all the expired boxed goods into trash bags :).
I did manage to score like 12 or 13 cans of formula for Sawyer. :) Formula is so darn expensive.. when she asked if i wanted it i said YES YES!! at least we will have some formula on hand when we get home from the hospital for him since i dont know how WIC works here. i remember after Riley was born i had to take him with me to WIC and they gave me the formula coupons that day. I was attempting to breast feed but it wasnt working out. Thankfully we has some sample cans from free diaper bags to last until we had our WIC app. So i thought that was very nice of her to do.
i keep thinking in my head about all the things i should be doing getting ready for Sawyer's big arrival. i really need to finish going through all of The little mans clothes that are boxed up in storage so i know what we need to start buying. i know i sold most of his 0-3 month stuff on ebay or took it to the consignment sore for store credit.

list of what i think we need based off of what is lingering around in my head!
* Bottles (for sure)
*Wash cloths
*Towels
*Coming home outfit
*Newborn Diapers
thats all ive got for right now. i know we have a carseat, Double stroller, Swing, Bassinet (2 sets of sheets), Recieving blankets, Boppy pillow, Baby bath tub, bottle warmer

i just really need to do inventory..lol some of the things the little man used i wont reuse for BEBE like bottles and such, Plus the little man is still using a bottle for now

The hubster and i watched the omen last night.. Very good movie. long and the ending wasnt what i expected but a really good not too scary movie :)
i think we may have the buy the little man a new finding nemo movie. He watched it 4 times yesterday and im afraid at the rate it will wear out fairly soon.

Riley is awake i must go feed the little man some breakfast. he has his 18 month appointment this morning and he gets SHOTS!!

2006-10-23T22:38:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the things i have been up to this Month Running Around the house Nekkid
More Running with Chase
Playing peek a boo with Chase
Eating lots of cucumbers
Learning how to wash my hands
Playing Ball of course
Playgroup on Thursdays
Hiding behind the shower curtain from mommy

2006-10-23T04:40:00.000-07:00

Spending time outside swinging is my favorite
Helping Dad work on my new huffy bike to make sure it works right
Eating lunch with lots of Ketchup involved
testing out the pedals on my bike
climbing at the park
Sitting at the picnic table
Eating his Peanut butter and Jelly Sandwich at the park
Max and Riley looking at the water in the pool (no hes not ours)
Riley playing with his new buddy max

2006-09-23T01:29:00.000-07:00

Our Trip Home From Dachau
Um yes..hello! we are lost, can you help us get back home?
Riley and Chase on the Park bench at the park
Riley sliding.. what fun!
Mommy trying to convince riley that it would be fun to swing all by himself
Tempted
Ok so i am doing it.. all by myself this is fun momma

2006-09-19T22:38:00.000-07:00

Dachau Concentration Camp

All prisoners walked through this gate, marked with the sentence "Arbeit Macht Frei" (Work will set you free)

The Main Building once you enter the Camp

a sink in the "Interrogation Room"

Objects Confinscated from Fritz Dressel in 1933

Prisoner Uniform as of 1938

this table was used to beat and torture the prisoners

Eating Bowl

The red cross would send packages to the prisoners at the camp.

The Zellenbau, or bunker, was a prison within the Dachau prison compound. This is where the VIP prisoners were held in private cells. A wing of the bunker that was reserved for SS soldiers, who had committed crimes, this is one of the doors outside of one of the cells The bunker was the place where "special prisoners," such as Dr. Johannes Neuhäusler and the Rev. Martin Niemöller had private prison cells. They were free to walk around outside the building during the day. Other prisoners were confined in these cells as punishment. An east wing with cells for the Nazi SS guards, who had violated the strict rules governing their behavior, has been torn down. Prisoners who were condemned to death were hanged on a gallows in the courtyard between the bunker and the service building..

a toilet inside one of the cells

2006-09-17T00:22:00.000-07:00

As the war progressed, the camp became overcrowded and living conditions became intolerableEach barrack had two compartments with separate outside doors. There was a living space with tables for eating and lockers along the walls for clothes. Prisoners had to remove their shoes before entering; the barracks had to be kept obsessively clean and orderly.
Hundreds of prisoners were stacked into triple bunks in each barracks.
Each compartment had its own flush toilets and wash room

The prisoners had to assemble on the roll call ground every morning and every evening. in all weather conditions, they were forced to stand to attention motionless for about an hour. Even the dead had to be dragged to roll call to be counted. if the number of prisoners on roll call did not match the official head count the torture could last for many hours. it often happened that sick and weak prisoners would collapse during roll call , the other prisoners were forbidden to help them. On the roll call ground the SS carried out punishments for all prisoners to see. In the final months before liberation , large transports of prisoners arrived in Dachau, many sick and exhausted prisoners died here.
The Jewish memorial

The Jewish Memorial is built out of basalt lava; part of it is 6 feet underground, the depth of a grave. A hole in the roof allows a person inside to look up at the Menorah on top. The ramp which leads into the underground room has a fence on either side which resembles a barbed wire fence.
The modern sign outside the building housing the cremation ovens says in German "Think about how we died here."

In 1942, the crematorium area was constructed next to the main camp. It included the old crematorium and the new crematorium (Barrack X) with a gas chamber. These coal-fired ovens were used between 1943 and October 1944. The bodies of the Nazi war criminals, who were sentenced to death at the Nuremberg trial, were the last corpses to be cremated here, including the body of Hermann Göring. A sign overhead says that Dachau prisoners were executed by hanging from the rafters

View of the west wall in the gas chamber
This is the infamous gas chamber that was disguised as a shower room. There are 15 holes in the ceiling where fake shower heads that look like the head of a garden sprinkler can were mounted flush with the ceiling. Zyklon B pellets were poured onto the floor through bins, resembling garbage chutes, on the outside wall.

The saddest part is how little people seem to have learned in the passing years. Genocide still happens. People still look upon others as less worthy, less human, and then they act on their worst impulses. We cannot bring back those who suffered and perished at places like this, but we should at least honor their memory by resolving never to allow tradgedies like this to be repeated again. The camp at Dachau and the other preserved death camps are not fitting memorials; a fitting memorial would be a world free of this sort of hatred. How sad that we haven't built it yet.

2006-09-14T22:20:00.000-07:00

A Great Day to Play

as you can see from the pictures above, Riley was able to go to the park yesterday with his friend chase. they had lots of fun. Bryan and Riley made it back safe and sound on Sunday. the weather has went from being super cool to warm. that gives riley some outdoor time. and everyone knows the boy loves it outside :). Today was a Riley day all around. First was playgroup, and then we all went out for lunch. after nappy time i took riley back outside to the big boy park, we had dinner, bath time and around 7 Tiffany and i took the boys back out to play in their jammies. it was a fun day but very exhausting for mommy. this weekend will be just as busy. Friday grocery shoping and on saturday we are taking a 4 hour trip to the Concentration camps in Dachau.. near Munich. ill be sure to post pics as i am sure this will be a very interesting trip. that is if the internet allows. and i wont even get started on our internet problems :)

2006-09-05T02:59:00.000-07:00

168 Hours 7 days either way is a long time to be without your baby. For a year and a half every day he has never been without his mother. id say i am taking it harder than Riley is. I miss him, i really should be relaxing,But all i can think about is riley. Climbing up in my lap, or reaching for the Jar of pickles in the refrigerator. i miss him saying my name over and over. on ordinary Days there would be things that would drive me crazy, such as not being able to take a shower unless the little man was sleeping or better yet having him in the shower with me. i missed that today. i missed having riley help me make the bed, and then wanting to jump on it right afterwards. or him taking his diaper off about a thousand times in an hour. i miss him bringing me his "shoes" because he wants to go bye bye. i miss those big blue eyes looking right up at me and smiling just when i needed a smile most. i miss not having to shut the bathroom door.. to protect the toilet paperfrom those timy little hands. I miss riley bringing me his bottle asking me for more. i miss the little pitter patter of his feet,and kicking toys out of my way so i can walk. i miss going into the kitchen and finding riley on the table tossing the fruit out of the basket onto the floor. i keep telling myself ill only be without him for 7 days. 7 days seems like an eternity

2006-08-31T05:11:00.000-07:00

Just a Few pictures from last weekSleepy little man after a long day in K-town
Running to the Swings at the park
Doing whatever it is he does :)
Look at those eyes...
Such a little flirt
Eating a pickle
Making mean eyes at mommy
Eating a Caramel Apple Sucker

2006-08-24T23:10:00.000-07:00

This week hasnt been too interesting... i did take a bazillion pictures though and will post those later. I am too lazy to go get the camera out of my purse. Bryan had his organizational day in K-town yesterday. It was rainy, then sunny, then rainy and so on. so it was a big muddy mess. Riley enjoyed himself at the park for a bit. Bryan played Basketball, Volleyball and some Tug-of-war. i was exhausted about halfway through so i thought if i took Riley to the car he would take a nap. He didnt, bryan came and got him and i ended up taking a little nap. They had GREAT food. i could have stayed at the food table ALL DAY. but i didnt. We went to Mcdonalds on the way home and got stuck in traffic for almost 45 minutes. Mcdonalds is giving away these awesome coke glasses when you buy a Maxi Meal (like the american Value meal) so we have two pink ones now. I think Bryan wants to go back Saturday so he can get a blue one for himself. When we finally got home we went to Tiffany and Joshs for a visit. Bryan and Josh played the x-box and Tiff and i laughed at Chase and Riley being silly. I love watching Riley play with other kids, Even though he is a bit rough at times.. he will learn. I HOPE THAT HE WILL LEARN.

2006-08-24T22:56:00.000-07:00

A Man after my own HeartNo one ever died from sleeping in an unmade bed. I have known mothers who remake the bed after their children do it because there is wrinkle in the spread or the blanket is on crooked. -Erma Bombeck

2006-08-19T13:00:00.000-07:00

Opal Zoo
We Took a trip to the petting Zoo this weekend. Hope you Enjoy the Pictures :)

Riley Feeding one of the very obnoxious Goats

And also some Deer

Pointing at the Meer Cats

Arent they cute

taking in the excitment

This hippo was just adorable and liked attention too. he kept popping up at the same place blowing his nose at us.

Riley looking at the piggies

wallowing in the mud

This Giraffe.. Ran along the fence line with us as we walked past.

Riley and Chase looking at the Giraffes

Chase and Riley sitting on a gigantic Turtle

Riley in the ball pit

he loved all the balls

jumping on the giant trampoline

watching chase jump

Riley took a pony ride

& fed the Goats some more

yeah we left after they were all mobbing us for some food

We rode Go-Carts

Thats all folks :)

2006-08-16T11:00:00.000-07:00

Well Riley-Bugs is in school for a few hours today, and i have the whole house to myself for awile. Im so bored, its weird not having riley here to snuggle with on the couch, and hanging off my legs when he wants me to pick him up or play. I am however being productive, i am baking a cake for one of bryans friends.. today is his birthday and he is a little depressed that he cannot be with his family. its the least we can do and besides that... its CHOCOLATE.i really should start clearing out the guest bedroom.. i have no clue where to start. there are still boxes of stuff we dont use or that need to go downstairs to storage. Yesterday Riley and i tagged along with Chase and Tiffany to do some Grocery shopping, it was fun and we took the boys to Burger King for lunch. Riley was estatic to be riding in the car and not his stroller.. everything is so close here we can walk. Tomorrow is playgroup, i always look forward to these days. i think i get more excited than Riley does..lol i love watching Riley interacting with others. he can be so sweet sometimes. Ive been really emotional lately, i dont know why.. just looking at Riley almost makes me well up with tears.. i just love that little guy so much and he is my world. and today my baby is another month older... 16 months WOW

2006-08-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

uneventful weekend!
nothing happened this weekend.. we stayed inside, it was Rainy.
Bryan had friday off but he was sick :(, Riley hasnt been outside since last thursday. i was going to take him to the grocery store with me but he fell asleep on the couch and i didnt want to wake him. We pretty much popped A LOT of popcorn and watched movies all weekend. i did take Riley to visit Chase on saturday while the boys rode their bikes to Mainz-Kastel. I have a new craving.. Pickled eggs, oh and popcorn. i hit 14 weeks today. no big changes really, it just hurts if i try to sleep on my stomach, so i have started sleeping on my side witha pillow between my legs. oh we rearranged the living room this weekend too.. i like it so much better :) i should get to cleaning the house, i need to mop and dust. Riley is watching go-diego-go. and i am sipping on my morning coffee.not sure whats going on for today. besides cleaning and the normal stuff. I still havent decided if i am going on the cultural tour on wednesday. i want bryan to go :(. plus we need to start saving more money for Christmas time. i cannot wait to see how riley reacts this year. ok enough procrastinating i must go now.

2006-08-10T05:05:00.000-07:00

Another First.. But not a pleasant one
Riley
Took
a
Dump
in
his
Bath-water
EW!
So before playgroup i always throw Riley in the Bath tub so that i can fix my hair and makeup. i hear ker-plunkand a ooooo from Riley. i look and he is dumping right in the bathwater and brushing his teeth at the same time. EW! so i proceedto drain the bathtub and a few more Ker-plunks later. i find myself filling back up the bathtub with more bubbles and then he decidesto pee in the water. i gave up! Got Riley out of the tub and dressed for playgroup. and we have ten minutes left before we leave andhe has been standing at the door screaming because he wants to go now. Next thursday i am waiting to dress him and put his shoes on until last minute.He knows shoes = Bye-bye. and he is one very inpatient toddler! But he does look so cute in his new little sweats and nike tennis shoes :)

2006-08-09T09:30:00.000-07:00

It doesnt seem like its been that long since ive blogged last.. but i guess it has. We havent had much going on. Let me think....
oh last saturday they had a Stork Strassa on post for new mothers and mothers to be. it was a good time. they had door prizes. I won a camo miracle blanket.. they retail for $40 there was only 150 of the camo ones made and 149 of those went to mothers whos husbands were deployed. so i have a one of a kind. they are awesome blankets. I wanted one for Riley but ive never seen them in stores. I also have a pink one that they gave to everyone. So if this little one is a boy, i guess we will still use it. We also found a Double Stroller at the yard sale. $40 and it looks almost brank new. Riley seemed to enjoy himself too. of course he had a baloon in his hand so he was all set.
Riley went to School on monday.. i missed him :( but i saw him out of our window playing outside and he looked like he had fun. he was there for four hours while i cleaned and did some laundry. so i snuck a few peeks out the window to see him :). i dont know if i will take him back next week. i may just do it every other week.
oh.. our car kind of broke down. we dont know what is wrong. we had one of our friends jump it and now it seems fine. soo who knows.
Bryan and i went with some friends to downtown mainz and had mexican.. it was AWESOME!
i think Riley is teething again. he woke up yesterday with a fever and bright red cheeks. BUT today so far he is in good spirits and ready to go outside and Bye-Bye :)
I signed up for a cultural tour with my friend Andrea yesterday, its is on the 16th of this month. I am really considering taking Riley with me. however she is putting her kids in hourly care at the CDC. i think he would have fun.. i havent made up my mind yet.
The pregnancy is going very well... So far i am gaining the weight and bryan is getting all the heartburn (i love it).
Riley new words.. "HI"( in a loooong drawn out way) its too cute. "Shoe"( and he will bring me his shoe). "cookie" and MEEE MEEE.
i think thats it for now. riley needs my attention..we are still wroking on that attention span :)

2006-08-09T07:20:00.000-07:00

Just a few pictures

2006-07-31T03:27:00.000-07:00

Hello out there (echo).. i just wanted to update on us.. sorry no pics :(.

I thought i would write since riley is in dream land. I signed Riley up for Day Care one day a week, i think that it will be good for him honestly. i will not put him in full time though, i like the time i have with my little snuggle bunny. the day care is right behind our appartment, so we can see the kids outside playing everyday. Riley will stand at the window (with me beside him) and watch all of the kids playing, he gets really excited. He loves having kids to play with. Which is why i decided to enroll him. Monday is his first day :). I meet his teacher tomorrow. They are trying to decide now whether or not to put him in the infant room 0-18months or to put him in the toddler room. they think he is very well developed for his age and will benifit from being with the older kids, what can i say i know my baby is smart :). so tomorrow they will evaluate him to see where he is mentally and how well he is developed for his age. I know i will be sad taking him for the first time. but its only one day a week. and i can catch up on cleaning the spare bedroom and well cleaning..lol

i have a dr app this afternoon. my throat is killing me when i swallow. it has been on and off since DEC.. ive been to the dr twice about this now i am ready for some answers. it has to have something to do with my sinuses because when my sinuses arent acting up. my throat is just fine. hey i could be allergic to the dog or something.. that would make bryans day!

2006-07-27T23:19:00.000-07:00

Hello.. Just writing to say that everything with my first app went well. my doc who is German speaks very good english. that i am happy for. just the routine stuff at this one. we were able to see the baby via ultra sound, it was so cool.. ive never had an ultrasound this far on.. well with riley but that was at 17 weeks. little luv bug is measuring right on 11wks2days that puts my due date 12 Feb 2007. i have my next app on September 6th (Bryan and i's 3
year anniversary). i should be right at 17 weeks. maybe we can find out if "it" is a little boy or a little girl. Riley was a monster at the app though.. he was great out in the waiting room flirting with all of the German ladies :). but once i was being examined and during the US he cried most of the time and only looked at the screen to see the baby for a few minutes. now that bryan has seen the baby i think it is more real for him. with riley we saw him at 6 weeks. i am really getting excited to start "showing" i dont know why but i am. sorry they didnt give me any pictures. maybe next time i will request one since they will give me an ultra sound at every appointment. well i better get going i need to get ready to take riley to playgroup :)

2006-07-26T10:56:00.000-07:00

Riley Playing X-Box with Dad
Riley sleeping with the Fuzz in his hand

i dont know if this is weird or not, but Riley picks fuzz off the couch and carries it around with him ALL day.. Most of the time he rubs it on his cheek when he is going to sleep. Otherwise he just carries it around, if he sits it down he eventually will go back and get it. anyway we are so enjoying our cool living room. Riley and i have been sleeping here every night. Bryan insists that the fan works just fine for him, even when i walk from the livingroom to the bathroom i feel a major heat wave. i dont know how he does it. i have my appointment today, hopefully i will be bringing back some US pictures :).. i hope so. Riley is coming with us too. This morning i asked him if he wanted to see the baby and he kissed my tummy. although sometimes he will pull up his own shirt and look down at his belly. he is so sweet though.

2006-07-23T22:48:00.000-07:00

Here are some random Pictures from the past few days.. watch out.. picture overload :) Riley eating pudding
Eating lunch.. he was hosed down in the tub afterwards
GET TO THE CHOPPER!!

2006-07-23T22:21:00.000-07:00

Riley gets excited when he first gets in the pool
Riley playing with Promise
Riley getting ready to splash

2006-07-23T22:16:00.000-07:00

Riley and Chase playing with dunk sticks in the pool
Chase
Rileys Toddler Feet (in mud)

2006-07-23T08:47:00.000-07:00

You will never guess where we are sitting right now...

Give up?

..in our very own air conditioned living room... YEESSSS!!!

it is the best thing since sliced bread. im telling ya.. ill never take the cold for granted for as long as i live. it cost us an arm and a leg .. but it is worth it!

We all loaded up yesterday and went to Wal*Mart.. i was never so happy to see a wal*mart in my life. it was a bit different BUT i dont care because its Walmart.

Also may i mention that we treated Riley to Mcdonalds for lunch yesterday, and he was able to ride the carousel in the parking lot beside wal*mart. He cried like a little sissy when we went to take him off.

also i have pictures of swimming ill post those later.. i am going to get back to enjoying the nice cold air in our house :)

2006-07-21T00:27:00.000-07:00

Hello again! Its too hot here.. we are having a major heat wave.. we need air conditioning. but who wants to pay $500 bucks for one? not me.. well maybe its worth it.

Riley will be swimming again today.. just like yesterday.. after napyime of course. its just too darn hot here to stay inside.

i have been sick.. well i guess my sinuses are acting up, so all the drainage is making me cough. i havnent been sleeping too well. last night i was up at 1 A.M and couldnt go back to sleep until three. did you know that oprah comes on at 2 in the morning? i do now. i dont know if its the change from being here but my sinuses have been acting up since we have been here. im miserable. on another note my throat has stopped hurting for the time being.

Playgroup yesterday went O. K. Riley is a little bully. i dont get it, he is usually very sweet :(. makes me sad. maybe next week ill paint the word bully across his forehead so all the other parents know ahead of time to watch out because my kid will be taking toys, pushing and pulling everyones hair. i hope this is just a stage.

i must go now Riley is eating a tube of balmex!

2006-07-20T04:49:00.000-07:00

Little Luv Bug @ 11 Weeks and growing
How your baby's growing:
Your fig-sized baby is now fully formed — measuring 1 1/2 inches long and weighing in at a quarter of an ounce. His skin is still transparent, allowing many of his blood vessels to show through. Some of his bones are beginning to harden, and tiny toothbuds are starting to appear under his gums. His fingers and toes have separated, and he may soon be able to open and close his fists. He's already busy kicking and stretching, and his tiny movements are so fluid they look like water ballet. These movements will increase as his body grows and becomes more developed and functional. As his diaphragm develops, your tiny tenant may also start to get the hiccups. Because he's still so small, though, you won't feel any of his workouts or intrauterine gulps until sometime between weeks 16 and 20.* Note: Experts say every baby develops differently — even in the womb. This developmental information is designed to give you a general idea of how your baby is growing.
How your life's changing:
At this point, you may be experiencing some strange symptoms, such as excessive saliva. Learn which of your symptoms are normal and which are a sign that something might be wrong. You're probably also wondering things like, Can I keep going to dance class? Could the air bags in my car hurt my baby? Which cold medications are safe to take now? Find out what's safe and what's not during pregnancy.Don't worry if nausea has made it impossible for you to eat a wide variety of healthy foods or if you haven't put on much weight yet (most women gain between 2 and 5 pounds during the first trimester). Your appetite will likely return soon and you'll start to gain about a pound a week.

2006-07-18T10:41:00.000-07:00

hey everyone.. its me Riley
Look at me.. i am Jumping on the bed
i am such a silly boy :)

i wanted to post a few pictures today.. since i havent in almost a month. our camera battery is almost dead so these may be the last until we get our charger.. :) Riley went to playgroup this morning.. i had to make something to take with us for a snack. i made cinnamon struesel.. oh my gosh was it good! i think i almost ate all of it alone :). i am happy to have my appetite back. We went to the clinic today to get me an appointment to see the ob (finally) and i have an appointment scheduled for next week. i will be about 12 weeks along by then. i am so excited to see the little blob. now that i am getting my appetite back i hope to regain my energy also. i am one exhausted mommy. i dont feel like doing much of anything. Riley went swimming yesterday evening, that boy loves the water, if he were able i think he would live in it. Riley is getting so tall, he looks like a string bean..lol he is tall and skinny. next month we take him for his 16 month checkup so ill know how much he weighs and his height. on our scales here i think he is about 21lbs. well i must go riley is torchering the dog again.

2006-07-16T00:44:00.000-07:00

Baby Naming?

why is it so hard to name a baby?

here are a few names that i like, a few are still in the running from when i was pregnant with Riley. There are some that both bryan and i like. He hasnt submitted a list to me yet.. Ha ha ha. im sure as time goes on the list will grow.

For a Girl
Madison
Hannah
Olivia
Ava
Kennedy
Reagan
Lorelei

A Boy
Bryce
Carter
Dalton
Austin
Tanner

2006-07-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

Random Stuff

So i have decided not to post on my other blog. its going to be hard enough keeping up with this one with all of the Chaos. So we will continue giving updates on this one.

Riley is being such a big boy, i cannot believe he is growing up. He jas now started to take his diaper off, if he doesnt have shorts on, he wont keep one on at all. maybe its potty training time? mm well see. For the first time in Riley's existance he is sleeping thru the night. that makes for good sleep for mommy and daddy. Riley is thriving in playgroup, he is so smart. He can color very good, but only for a few minutes at a go. we have 3 new pictures hanging on the refrigerator. i am going to have to buy a memory box to keep all of his little crafts in.

The zoo may be off for this weekend, Tiffany ended up in the hospital last night to have her appendix removed, she is pregant also so i dont know when she will be discharged. I spent the evening at their house looking after their little boy. From what josh said the surgery went well, so i am looking forward to talking with her today.

The new little baby is kicking my butt, the morning sickness has been awful, maybe that means its a girl since with riley morning sickness was nonexistant. i am now 10 weeks as of yesterday and waiting for a relief of my nausea.

Bryan is also doing well for the most part, i dont think he likes where he is working, but he is trying to get the oral surgery job at lahndstuhl, so we will see. hopefully he hears something soon. if he is unhappy at work then that means all of us are unhappy.

We havent really done much sigh seeing since we have been here, but next month Riley and i are going to try to go to Rome with tiffany and chase for two days. i am teally looking forward to it.

thats all for now.

2006-07-12T03:20:00.000-07:00

Has it been awile or is it just me? We have been super busy the past month. We are finally in our own home and out of Hotel H*LL. Our furniture and other belongings have arrived and neatly put away. Ive met a new friend named Chase, and mommy and Daddy have met some new friends too. I go outside to the park and play nearly every day and some days we go swimming. i like this new place ok. Mom has been taking me to playgroup on thursdays so i can play with other kids that are close to my age, and it gives mom some adult time too. Daddy and Mommy took me to see a movie last weekend, it was the one about cars, i sat in the seat the whole movie and i may haved dozed off for a bit, i was able to eat snowcaps and Popcorn too.. what a treat for me. i would post some pictures but mommy is saving the camera battery so when we go to the petting zoo this weekend she can take some pictures. i think that about wraps it up for now. mommy is really sorry that she has slacked on my blog, she says that she will start posting like she was before.
Love and Kisses,
Riley

2006-06-18T01:08:00.000-07:00

Daddies have the tools
to make A doghouse or a kite,
Arms to swing you in the air
And hug you very tight.
Lots of games to play with you,
Experiments to try,
Dimes to give the ice-cream man
When he comes whistling by.
Pocketknives and fishing rods,
A funny joke to share,
Hands to help with buttons,
and To fold with yours in prayer.
~By Doris Chalma Brock~

2006-06-13T01:15:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures taken by my daddy from the roof top of the hotel. this is a view of down town Weisbaden.

2006-06-11T00:16:00.000-07:00

I Went outside again to play today.. i had a really good time :) Some times when i dont get my way i am mean to the dog.. and i make various Meanie boy faces. Otherwise i like to run, Jump and sniff on flowers. on occasion ill pose for a picture with my dad. And i was able to talk to my Me-Me on the computer phone today.

2006-06-09T21:43:00.000-07:00

Riley is making an awesome adjustment.. i am so proud of the little man. He loves it outside so today there were some older kids out back playing so riley joined right in. They played chase and even thoughthey are much older, Riley kept up and held his own. I am hoping that once we get into housingthere will be some kids riley's age to play with. he loves playing with someone otherthan mom and dad every once in awile :). it will be a few months before his new Baby brother or sister is here. There are pictures i want to add but blogger is out of order for now :)
Rileys Mom

2006-06-07T00:41:00.000-07:00

Mississippi Bound

i for one had a great time.. we did alot of neat things. i especially liked eating and playing with taylor. i also enjoyed playing over at my aunt nitas house while dad worked on the 4 wheeler. One night i stayed at my papaws house with dad. oh and most importantly Anderson Bakery Cakes are the Bomb we went to see aunt ho-ho get certificates from being really smart in school

although i was riding on the tractor with paw-paw you cant see me but i am there
Taylor and i playing in the pool with the waterhose

playing in the pool with me-me

Swimming in my pool

brushing my teeth with aunt Ho-Ho ahh.. nothing like the sand at your fingertips.. i had a lot of fun swimming in the river.

2006-06-06T23:02:00.000-07:00

Our trip to Gaitlinburg Tennesseeone big monkey
Dad and i rode on the sky lift
walking across the wobbly bridge at Ripleys believe it or not
Dylan and i sitting in the flinstone ride at star cars
Jurasic Park
Mom riding with me on the big purple dino at the go cart park

2006-06-06T22:39:00.000-07:00

we had a pretty good trip in WV, i had a lot of fun playing ball and having my nanny chase me around the house. We miss everyone and cant wait to see you all soon.

luv,

Riley

ps. Brooke tell pepper that cricket said ruff ruff here are my two silly cousins brooke and bailey

my uncle jim.. he let me play outside and spoiled me with ice cream and candy
Me and Grandpa chuck.. he took me for a ride on the big tractor

2006-06-06T13:13:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the pictures from our trip to WV. there are more but it wont let me load them right now. ill try again later on today. Game anyone??
Meet the new Rugrat "Riley" Finster
Bryant likes playing ball with me
My cousin Sammy and i playing Gameboy

2006-06-06T09:52:00.000-07:00

we are here!

2006-06-02T06:51:00.000-07:00

Running out of time

We are now in ST. Louis.. Staying in an awesome hotel over looking the arch. our last few days in the states will be spent here.
Sunday morning we will begin the long plane ride to Germany.

2006-05-25T09:01:00.000-07:00

Gosh has it been a month already? i am so far behind. We are currently in Mississippi, our final stop before we go to Germany. in less than a week and a half we will be flying across the world. i am beyond excited but at the same time i am very sad. we have had a wonderful month and a half visiting family in West Virginia, Tennessee and now Mississippi. and our next stop a new home. i am sorry there havent been any updates , we are trying to spend as much time with family as we can. i have lots of pictures from our trips and will try to post them soon. God Speed

2006-04-19T07:11:00.000-07:00

Good-Bye Fort Leonard Wood! i will miss you all! when we come back from Germany i will be a big 4 year old boy! i love all of you :) Mommy, Daddy and me at Ruby Tuesdays for Dinner
A lot of the people who care about my daddy, mommy and myself
This is a portrait of me looking out the big window

Those silly kids are making me laugh

2006-04-17T06:45:00.000-07:00

This is Riley's first easter basket, i snapped this picture before he started tearing into it. As soon as those little eyes popped open he made a B-line straight to it. and yes Riley did have chocolate for breakfast :)

2006-04-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

2006-04-15T10:33:00.000-07:00

Bathtime babies

2006-04-15T10:09:00.000-07:00

Taking a Train ride with my cousins Samuel and Gage
Grandpa with his two Grandsons at the Blu Rabbit
Riley with the Blu Rabbit
Gage and i playing in the kid castle
Riley on a plastic alligator
Im King of the world!

2006-04-15T10:02:00.000-07:00

This is Taylor and me swinging outside with paw-paw
Dad put me in this tree, im a big boy and wasnt even scared

2006-04-15T07:26:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of different houses on the Gulf Coast where Hurricane Katrina hit. My Me- Me and pawpaw and the rest of my family live only 10 or 15 minutes away in Mississippi.

2006-04-15T07:14:00.000-07:00

This is a snapshot of My cousin taylor and i on one of the first days we were in mississippi, we were playing outside this day and blowing bubbles. oh and eating cheetoes :)
this was taken a little bit after we arrived after we surprised my Me-Me and made her cry

and this is taylor again.. with cheetos all over her face.. i was around i think those are my fingers in the background.

2006-04-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from my birthday party that i promised.

2006-04-12T07:46:00.000-07:00

we are back!~ I am going to post about Rileys Birthday party and our trip to mississippi here in awile. When riley is taking a nap. we have lots of exciting things to post and i hope that you will check back soon :). Hi Cole and Hayden :) mom says we wil visit some time this weekend ~ we have missed you!

2006-04-03T04:06:00.000-07:00

i dont have alot of time right now to post about Rileys Birthday party.. The movers will be here in 2 hours and i have alot to do. however i will update tonight. for now i leave you will two pictures. Enjoy!

2006-04-02T05:02:00.000-07:00

My Darling Riley*
Two More weeks until your one year Birthday. i cant believe almost one year ago i was looking at your precious face for the first time, Feeling your wiggles and hearing your sweet cry. Every Month since your birth i have been counting down the Days to your First Birthday. This First year with you has been the greatest gift that i could have ever recieved. i gave you life,and now you are giving life to me.
From the moment that i knew that you were on your way into the world i held my banner high letting the world know that i was ready to be a mother. i spent inpatient months buying Maternity clothes and waiting to"Show" jealous of all the other mothers-to-be whose pregant bellies collided with the displays of baby paraphenalia at Walmart.
I assumed that I already had all the tools and faculties to birth and raise a child. I read a few books, took a birth class but overall, I was brimming with confidence. Instead of pouring over books on babies, I spent my time shopping for baby gear. Oh yes. The SHOPPING. We had every gadget and bauble that I could lay my hands on. Your Dad shook his head as every corner of our house took on the appearance of a display aisle at Babies R Us. Months before your birth, we had enough clothes stockpiled to dress you in a different outfit every day of your first three years.
you were born 2 days after your due date, Mommy wanted you here sooner, but you had your own plans and you came on time, your own time :) it was a magical moment in time. As the exhaustion gave way, I was confident and proud. In other words, I was a delusional rookie.
You received the benefit of my over protective parenting. I turned my mother high-beams on you,i didnt want you out of my sight for a moment and i documented every wiggle, every sigh. It was very important to me that I have a ready, understandable reason for everything that happened. If you cried, I wanted an explanation, and I wanted to share it with the world, to prove that I had mothering chops.
You are adventurous, creative, determined and sensitive. Your laugh never fails to make my toes curl, and your 'Sleepy' face is the best I've ever seen. When you cry those giant crocodile tears and I can hear the hurt radiating from your very core, I open my arms and you crawl up into my lap and rest your firm, wet cheek against mine. Somehow, that makes it better.
Your face is more familiar than my own. You are my own flesh and blood, and yet you are surprising and wonderous. When you sleep with your butt in the air, knees curled underneath your body and arms thrown overhead in an exaggerated Child's Pose, I can glimpse the tiny baby I brought home a year ago.
I remember Spending the first 20 Years of my life in anticipation,that time would hurry up, i counted down the days to each of my Birthdays i couldnt wait to get my drivers license, Get married and most of all have children. it wasnt until i had you that now i wish time would slow down. time is very precious because we never know when a day could be our last. i want to spend every moment i can with you, getting to know you inside and out. i still cant believe that only a year has passed since you have been born. and yet i can never imagine my life without you.

You, more than anything else, have made me, well, ME. I used to credit my strengths and blame my weaknesses on my years as a stubborn child, my experiences as a young woman, my travels, my loving and traumatic relationships. Being your mother has brought me to my knees in thanks and in shame. I have been humbled like never before and have been filled with an exhiliration so great I wanted to shout my joy for the whole world to hear.Over the last year, I discovered a heart beating inside me . Mothering makes me FEEL in a very physical way. I used to pride myself on being able to detach emotionally, on letting the little things roll off my back. Now I well up and spill over at parades. And fireworks. And while talking about you. I'm so very proud of you.
I will always hold the baby-you close to my heart. My eyes seek you out, finding that baby at unexpected times as you continue to amaze me with all the growing and learning and challenging and adventuring you do. You've got a zest for life, a spring in your step and a song in your heart. You have always had it, and I feel charged to protect and nurture that spark. and I just keep loving you more. Happiness and health to you, my darling Baby. All my love.
Mom

2006-03-30T17:37:00.000-08:00

Playday with Cole and a little bit of epilepsy

Today My mommy and i went to Coles house so that we could play together. We had a good time.. we even shared a Chicken Nugget happy meal. I got to see his new baby brother Hayden and give him hugs. We also had to take Cricket to the vet and see what all the craziness was about. They said that she was having seizures and that she has epilepsy and we have to give her medicine 2 times a day Forever. She wont eat the pill so mommy has to wrap it up in some cheese. mommy is sneaky. Well my birthday party is in two more days. mommy filled my pinata last night with some yummy candy. and we got the decorations for the top of my cake. it is going to ve so cool.. OH YEAH i cant wait :)

2006-03-30T05:15:00.000-08:00

Thirteen Toys that is Rileys Favorite

1…. John Deer Tractor ( this was supposed to be one of his birthday presents, But Mommy felt bad because even when it was in the box i was still trying to ride on it.
2. Ball .. Any size any color!
3. Mommys Book and reading light
4. My lawnmower
5.Push Corn Popper
6. The X-box Controller
7. telephone
8.Remote
9.my new Spider man Couch
10. MMMMM
11. My V tech nursery Ryme talk to me Book
12. Cricket

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

2006-03-25T06:21:00.000-08:00

*Visiting Hayden*

This is one of my Brand new Friends, his name is hayden. he is sooo little and i wasnt allowed to touch him. But i did get to admire him from afar :) he will be in attendence to my birthday party maybe then i will be allowed to touch him and hug on him :)

This is my daddy loving on hayden. Mom wants a brother or sister for me soon, and she was trying to convince my daddy while he was holding the baby. how could you resist?

This is Haydens big brother cole.. i have written about him before. Cole is so lucky to have a brother to play with. Woe is me!

2006-03-23T05:17:00.000-08:00

Thirteen Things about Riley

1….My Birthday is April 16
2.. I was named after noone in particular
3..i Still dont sleep through the night
4..i have 10 teeth
5..i will be living in a totally different country in about 2 months
6.. i like Go, Diego, Go on nickelodeon
7.. i pull my mommys hair
8. i am an avid climber
9. i have had a cold or some sort of illness at least one week out of every month for 11 months now (no lie.. you should see his runny nose right now)
10..i have blue eyes
11...my favorite place to snooze is on my daddys chest
12.. banana is my favorite fruit
13. I love all of my blog readers & thank u for putting up with my mommys lateness on most of my blog entrys.. she has been stressed out a lot, but soon things will be kicking back into high gear!

2006-03-17T07:20:00.000-08:00

*Its that time.. For my First hair-cut*

What exactly is going on here?

Mom , dad help me out!

Where is all my lovely blonde locks going?

ok.. i can handle this.. a sucker makes things better... is this bubble gum flavor?

all done already?

2006-03-17T07:11:00.000-08:00

Happy ST patricks Day!~

*Here is our little leprecaun*

* Chocolate is the best, i must suck my fingers clean*

2006-03-16T11:56:00.000-08:00

Happy 11 Months my sweet little guy! This month you have certainly kept your dad and i on our toes. Your favorite Things to eat this month are pasta, Nilla cookies, French fries, Vienna Sausages and Bananas. The toy you like most is your ball. You love the Theme song to nickelodeons Cartoon "Go Diego, Go" you light up and start smiliing when it comes on.You are still a go-getter. Now that you have mastered the art of climbing you are on to other things, You like to bend at your waist and plopyour little head on the ground to peek between your legs. or maybe you just like the view of everything upside down.You are obsessed with the pots and pans.. you like to put the big salad bowl on your head while you giggle.Your favorite place in the house is still the place that you have been banned from.. The bathroom! At night you seem to crawl up and find daddy so he will snuggle with you.. whereever he is sleeping and you still wake up with a bigsmile on your face ready to start the day. When we have kids over and they are playing the x-box you always haveto have the remaining controller so you can "pretend" that you are playing too. The bottle is still the love of your life, hopefully breaking you from it wont be hard. You like your sippy cup.. but you would pick your "ba ba"over it anyday. We have started to order your own food from the kids menu when we go out to eat, it givesyou the option to be an individual and not to always eat what Mommy and Daddy is. Your vocabulary includes:"ba ba" -Bottle, "Tickle tickle" -Tickle, "mum mum" or "Ne ne"- Mommy, "Da Da" - Dad, "ticky ticky"-cricket, "HUH"- Huh. I stillcan hardly believe that you will be one in a month. the time certainly has flown by and i am even more eager to see what your second year will bring. I love you..

2006-03-13T05:39:00.000-08:00

Miss Mckynna and i took a ride with Clifford. Most of the pictures below are from Chuck e Cheese. We went for amelia and Bradys Birthday party.

We also rode on a Roller Coaster Simulating Ride..

i Played wack something or another with my dad

Riding the Hickory Dickory Dock clock.. boy i look like i am amused dont i?

I rode the big carosel with mom ..

Riding Clifford the big red dog at Chuck e Cheese

Enjoying some yummy Pizza at Chuck e cheese

Sitting on the couch.. May i add he climbed up there all by himself :)

Mom im stuck.. No really i cant get down.

2006-03-09T05:41:00.000-08:00

A fun meme...
This one is pretty old, but I have never done it before.
Google "(Insert your first name) needs" and list the first 10 results:

here is what we get when we "GOOGLE" Riley Needs

Riley needs to take a look at this kid
Riley needs help out of a shelter
Riley needs a new tricycle
Riley needs to have his own spoon when he eats
Riley needs people who can play the game and have a high basketball IQ
Riley was adopted by a very nice family, but they just did not understand Riley's needs
Riley needs your real name and if you prefer a different name on your symbol please make it clear
Riley needs to improve
Riley will need support from black voters

hmmm.. some of those are very weird.. oh well.. those were the top ten results :)

2006-03-07T05:12:00.000-08:00

*Eating Out*

Daddy worked double shifts today, so mommy and her friend trish took myself and Brady, Amelia, & Mckynna to Country Chicken (as amelia refers to it) its really Country Kitchen. I ate like a pig as usual. When mommy says i eat like a pig she doesnt mean in in a bad way. She just means that i try to stuff my mouth so full that it falls out all over the floor. Last night she said " i was not a barnyard animal" but i eat like one, and that "i needed a traough" its just so hard sometimes for me to get food into the bullseye (my mouth) so i figure if i grab a handful and start stuffing i will at least get some in my mouth, hey its works for me. Now when i get old enough im sure if i am still making as big of a mess Mom will make me take my food out to the barn(if we have one)! anyway Mom left more "TIP" because i made such a big ol mess. But we had a good time.

2006-03-06T05:55:00.000-08:00

Horrible Night*
Not for Riley but for his mommy :( i tried to go to sleep around 9 and again like the past two nights.. My throat oh my throat, it felt like someone was poking me with needles. and the drainage its too gross we wont go there. So this morning after "GOOGLING" Sore Throat, i have came to the conclusion that i may have strep. Strep throat symptoms include fever, pain, redness, and swelling of the throat and tonsils. Strep throat may produce mild or severe symptoms. i have all of the above not mentioning the little white blisters that are present in the back of my swollen throat. but after much research i have come to find out that white patches that appear 3 days after the soreness begins is most likely casued from strep. Im on day three.. the white blisters were apparent this morning. i have an appointment at 1 today hopefully i dont pass this thing on to anyone else.

2006-03-05T17:56:00.000-08:00

Well we certainly had a pretty nice weekend.. aside from bryan and i having sore throats and achy bodies. But riley seems to be doing fine.. im still crossing my fingers and toes and whatever else hoping that my little man doesnt get sick. Riley has got the climbing thing down. this week hes our little acrobat.. i wonder what next week will bring. Riley climbed into his little Red wagon and was waiting for someone to pull him around the house :)
mom caught me in the kitchen cabinets playing with the pots and pans
This is my New Toy from walmart. its a little lawn mower just like dads big one. I even test drove it down several isles at walmart.
<>

and once again we find riley has torn all of his toys out of his toybox and climbed inside. of course he had his Bottle in there with him.

2006-03-03T06:11:00.000-08:00

Riley Loves Spaghetti
yummy yummy.. mom could you get this meat out of my ear please! alright ill smile for the camera this one time
Now i am getting mad.. Bathtime pretty please?

2006-03-01T11:44:00.000-08:00

Me Pregnant? Really?

Pregnancy detected! Congratulations, Crissi Lea M*****! You're "with child". Our remote testing system has detected that you're pregnant. The Miracle Of Life has begun!

It's A Girl!
you're going to be the proud parent of a baby girl, and just look- isn't she just so damn cute! Based on our remote test results, your beautiful baby girl will weigh about 8 lbs, 2 oz and have brown hair and green eyes. Truly a Wonder To Behold!
Would you like to know who the lucky father is? Our Genetic Validator module has processed that data and determined who the father must be.
Fabio
You little Fabio-stalking vixen! Admit it- the only way this could happen is if you tripped him and beat him to the floor. Congratulations on your cat-like reflexes.

if you want to take an online pregnancy test go to : http://www.thepregnancytester.com/

2006-02-28T10:18:00.000-08:00

The weather has been awesome the past two days.I am really looking forward to spring. Bryan Made it Home from Fort Hood safe and sound. And riley has been his Busy little self. the plans for his 1st birthday party are under way. we are having the
party on April 2. ooooo i just love to plan parties! i hope its fun for the kids. Bryan had a meeting with transportation this morning. So we know what to expect when they come and pack us up for the move to Germany.
SUMMER CLOTHES!! i need to shop for Riley summer clothes in a bad way.. HE HAS NOTHING!! aside from a few short sleeve shirts that we got from his shower. I spent so much money on clothes before the kid was born.. a whole years worth :). im gld that i did it that way.. its so much easier. Although half of what i bought didnt get worn.. he grew so fast :(. So i am on a mission this month to stock pile my little man with the cutest little man clothes for summer size 18 MOnth for my little heffer ;).
he is growing to fast for me :(. and becoming quite independant.. it breaks my heart. i remember when i couldnt be out of his site or he would scream for me. Now he could care less, the only thing he relies on me for during the day is to eat and diaper changes.. and the occasional hug :).. he is too wrapped up in the other kids, im glad he has someone to play with.
i want my snuggle bunny back. Oh yeah and i shall not forget to mention that bryan and i ate 4 boxes of girl scout cookies in two days.. we need more! they are soo good. if you are a girl scout and you are reading this.. BRING US MORE CARAMEL DELIGHTS!! :)

Oh and Happy Happy Birthday Sammy!! We love you! And aunt Ninnie (if you are reading) we hope for a fast recovery from surgery.. We love you!!

2006-02-25T09:38:00.000-08:00

2006-02-25T09:21:00.000-08:00

*Busy Week*

Ive had a rather busy week.. ive learned how to climb! oh my! also dad has been gone to Fort Hood, Texas.. so i have been taking care of mom. he will be back today though we've missed him.

Here i am in all my Glory..This is my laundry Basket you see.. when mom wasnt looking i scattered all of my clothes around my room and climbed on top my basket so i could get a better look of everything that is on my dresser.. :)

This is my pal Mckynna.. I wanted to post this picture of her for her daddy.. he is far away in Korea.

Again.. i climbed up onto the couch all by myself.. mom watched me this time, still i thought i was pretty slick.. they should have named me nick.. ha ha then i could have been Slick Nick!

MMM.. suckers! ' Nuff Said!

This is just a picture of me being rotton.. i just woke up from my nap.. a boy needs his rest.

2006-02-21T05:46:00.000-08:00

*More Teeth*

Riley has a been a cranky mess most of this week. from what we can tell (or feel is more like it) he is getting all four molars in at the same time. He has always been miserable while teething. he has had a fever off and on all week, not sleeping well (more like crying out in his sleep from being in pain) i sure hope those suckers pop through soon!

2006-02-20T05:00:00.000-08:00

~ Meet MMMM~

Aww he loves his bear..

2006-02-19T10:24:00.000-08:00

Today was a great day! we went to Springfield mall with some friends of ours. We went to Build a bear, I have always wanted to make Riley his Very own Bear. And we finally got the chance to. You can choose from 20 plus bears and animals. Riley would have picked them all :). but the one he clung to Most is the one we Got for him.

Riley Was able to pick his own bear, Stuff it with love, Friendship, Trust and comfort. He also picked out a heart for his little Bear. and since he was supposed to make a wish before placing the heart in the bear, i made a wish for him. His new little friend that he brought to life was then Dressed with a little white T-shirt, and some underoos. We were then able to make a Birth Certificate for his bear and Riley named him MMMMMMM. He really did.. so thats his name :). i'll post a picture of riley with his bear later.. he really loves his new Friend :) its a special little bear so i hope he Loves MMM for a very Long time. After the mall we went to Lamberts Cafe. Home of the Throwed Rolls. Riley Didnt do much eating but he did LOVE his baloon that they gave to him.

2006-02-17T08:37:00.000-08:00

*The Shrunk Sweater*

So far the weekend is going great! we went to ryans to eat dinner and riley went crazy over carrots and green beans, he didnt care to much for the chicken though. So far he hasnt been too much of a meat eater. Some of Bryans co-workers happened to be there and they told the waitress that it was his birthday... and well you know how loud they get when they sing the ryans "happy Birthday" song. Riley smiled and giggled at first and then suddenly he was a big ball of tears.. scared to death.. Poor Guy! Mommy made it better though and brought him some Lemon Merange pie from the dessert bar and he Gobbled it up.. smiling with each bite. Riley also got to indulge on a Cadbury cream egg we bought from wal-mart, Gosh is easter really next month? We also found what we think is going to be Riley's Big birthday present A power wheels jeep... we shall see. In two months riley will be one years old! i cant believe how big my little man is getting. We will be having his Birthday party the first weekend in april though.. we wanted to plan for an outside cookout but the weather is so unpredictable, we are going to have it inside our house. The packing people come on the 4th to pick up our housing goods..HURRAY!! so we wanted to have his birthday party to a house with furniture rather than try to have a party furnitureless (is that a word?) So the next few weeks are going to be busy ones.. trying to get the perfect party planned, Bryan will be doing PLDC the whole month of march. On a sadder note i Shrunk the sweater that my mom bought be on one of the last birthdays of mine that she was alive for. i still cant believe it. i hardly wore it because it had to be dry cleaned..and in my washing frenzy i forgot and put it in the machine.. and when i got it out to hang dry.. lets just say if riley ever has a little sister she'll be able to wear it by the time she reaches a year old. *SIGH*

2006-02-16T05:41:00.000-08:00

*Happy 10 Months my sweet little guy*

i found this poem and found it too sweet not to share :)

A Child’s Angel
Once upon a time, there was a child ready to be born. So one day he asked God, "They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?"
God replied, "Among the many angels, I chose one for you. She will be waiting for you and will take care of you."
The child said, "But tell me, here in Heaven, I don't do anything else but sing and smile. That's enough for me to be happy. And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me, if I don't know the language that men talk?"
God replied, "Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak."
The child questioned, "And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?"
God replied, "Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray."
The child said, "I've heard that there are bad men on earth. Who will protect me?"God replied, "Your angel will defend you even if it means risking her own life."
The child said, "But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore."
God replied, "Your angel will always talk to you about Me and will teach you the way for you to come back to me, even though I will always be next to you."
At that moment, there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from earth could already be heard.
The child, in a hurry, asked softly, "Oh God! If I am about to leave now, please tell me my angel's name."
God replied, "Your angel's name is of no importance. You will simply call her MOMMY."

2006-02-14T06:04:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day Ya'll <3Mommy and Daddy got me this bear and a Valentines day outfit to wear today. The bear is so cute and cuddly.

My shirt says Mommy's little Valentine on it.. arent i cute?

Mom says next year she will get me some candy.

but i am not the only one that got Valentines this year i went shopping with Both Daddy and Mommy to pick them out the best Valentine. I bought Mommy a stuffed animal Gorilla that reminded me of my dad, and a pair of silver hoop earings that Mom has been drooling over.. She Loves them, i knew she would. I did something very sweet for Daddy, we had our pictures taken a few months back, we blew up a black and white picture of daddy and me..8 by 10 size (its big) and I picked out the perfect frame. Now daddy has a georgous picture of him and i together, i also went out on a limb and got him some Chocolate covered Cherries because thats his favorite treat. Im still not done with my Valentines day though My little Girlfriend and i still have to exchange gifts.. So stay tuned.

XoX

Riley-The-Love-Bug

2006-02-14T05:01:00.000-08:00

Valentines.. CONTINUED

This picture was taken after Riley and his Girlfriend had their Valentine Exchange. Lets just say Riley has a large amount of chocolate to consume here in the next few days ;)

2006-02-12T05:23:00.000-08:00

We had a Pretty Good weekend. Riley is still not showing any signs of the somach virus that was making its way around, i think we are in the clear! We did a little shopping, but mostly we just relaxed at the house. Yesterday we took Riley to Mcdonalds ( we were hungry too ) and he had his very own Hamburger for the first time. He loved it! he was playing peekaboo with all of the other customers and flirting like crazy! dont you think that 1.89 cents for a plain hamburger with just meat and bread is crazy? last time i checked a hamburger was .59 cents and a cheeseburger was .79 cents. o' well might as well go all out next time and add some cheese.. :)

2006-02-11T12:35:00.000-08:00

*Happy Birthday Grandma*

Today, you are a little wiser,

truer to yourself,

and more confident and comfortable

than you were the year before.
You are stronger and deeper

on the insidebecause of the experiences

life has given you,and softer around the edges

because of the things

you have let go of along the way.
You are clearer about your dreams

and your purpose…
…and richer because of the laughter,love, and friendships

you have shared.
And the gifts you have gathered

just make you all the more beautiful.

Happy Birthday.. You have so much to celebrate!

2006-02-09T11:53:00.000-08:00

*Well Baby Checkup*

A Typical experience

You dress up the baby in one of his cutest outfits (the one with 24 snaps and 14 buttons with matching socks and baseball cap) and head for the Doctors Office.

As you are sitting in the reception area listening for your name, you hear your babys name being called and are suddenly struck by the fact that he is his own person with his own appointment and you are really just there to carry him from place to place. An epiphany,..really.

you are ushered into the examination room where the nurse instructs you to remove all the baby's clothing, without first commenting on its cuteness. She leaves the room. You remove the outfit, with its 24 snaps and 14 buttons. You wonder whether or not to remove the diaper and decide not to, but worry that the nurse will scold you when she returns and sees that the diaper is still on. the baby starts crying because he is cold. FORTY-TWO minutes kater, the nurse reappears and calls the baby a SHE, significantly eroding your initial confidence in her abilities. She opens and closes the babys chart in less than three seconds, then unceremoniously plunks your naken baby on an ice-cold, metal scale from the 1920's. The baby starts to cry and flail. As your baby teeters precariously, you reach over to keep him from tumbling onto the floor and the nurse scolds you for potentially messing up the weight reading.

Suddenly, the nurse moves into slow motion, pushing the weight var on the scale 2 millionths of an inch to the left and then 3 millionths an inch to the right, back and forth again six times, all while the baby is screaming. Finally satisfied that she has determined the baby's weight to within 1/250 of a pound, the nurse allows you to grab your teetering baby and try to calm him down. The nurse scribbles in the chart. She takes much longer than it wiykd take to write down a number, and you wonder if she is making comments like "Mother seems neurotic" or "Mother left diaper on when i asked her to take off all of the baby's clothes" She then takes the baby from you again and lays him on the crinkly paper. The baby starts squirming and crying louder, seemingly unable to connect increased squirming with increased crinkling.' As both crinkcling and crying escalate, the nurse asks you to hold your baby down while she wraps the babys head with a tape measure. The baby looks at you as if horrified by your participation in this medical torture. Then the nurse stretches the baby out like you'd pull taffy to figure out how long he is. She scribbles for several more minutes. She shows you where the baby falls on the weight chart, the ultimate standard of Baby size, you earn that coveted 75th percentile, relieving you of Christmas-future nightmares that your son will either be desined to play the littlest elf in the pageant every year or will be the only one able to put the star on top of the tree without standing on a ladder. The doctor finally comes in and asks you all sorts of tricky questions. You are afraid that you will answer incorrectly, he will take the baby and give her to another mother who has better answers. Then he pokes the baby all over on the crinkly paper and asks you some more questions about walking and hand use, and social interaction and you are wishing this was like a high School where they told you ahead of time what things would be covered on a test. The doctor then says that when the baby comes back for his 12 month checkup he will recieve immunizations that he refers to by Star Wars kinds of names DTap,IPV,Hib,Hep-B4 and PCV7. Then he asks you if you have any questions and you say no. The doctor and nurse leave the room alone to redress your hysterical baby. As you leave with 15 nifty germs you didnt have when you arrived, you remember the 17 very important questions you meant to ask.

Riley

19.6 lbs

28 Inches

Forget what his head circum was.. but its Big and meaty

2006-02-09T09:27:00.000-08:00

Before I declare Britney Spears a bad mother...
...I'm holding out for pictures of her doing lines of coke off her kid's unbreakable crib mirror.

2006-02-08T06:38:00.000-08:00

*as you can see it is snowing again, only the second time this year. if it hasnt melted by this evening. Riley will be out and playing in the snow. Being from WV.. ive seen a lot of snow in my days, you would think that i could care less wether it snowed or not. I do care, it matters :). just as long as the roads dont get bad :).

2006-02-07T06:15:00.000-08:00

*Sicker Than Sick*

My Mommy and Daddy Have been *Very* Sick. Mommy woke up in the middle of the night and well it was coming from both ends if you know what i mean. Dad woke up a few hours later with the same thing. Dad went to the emergency room to get some medicine.
So who is taking care of me you ask? Mom and Dad are taking shifts, if they stand up too much they start getting woozy and they need to run back to the bathroom. Mom says this is only a 24 hour virus. This evening Mom was feeling a lot better but dad wasnt doing very good. Mom keeps telling me she hopes that i dont get sick. and i hope i dont too.. they looked miserable today! But of course i am in good spirits and being my adventurous little self :)

2006-02-06T06:24:00.000-08:00

Finally.. i am going to post Riley's birth story. i should have doen this months ago.. but better late than never :)
We were so ready for you to be born Riley. Mommy was so scared of going into labor though..i wanted you here more than anything, i just wanted to skip the pain it took for you to get here :). its ok though mommy had every right to be scared, after all if mommy and daddy decide to have you a brother or sister mommy will be scared then too!
The week that you were born.. Your Me-me made two trips to missouri hoping that you would come while she was here, with no avail, your stubborn just like mommy. Mommy's blood pressure was high the week before you came, so the doctor had mommy pee in this big bucket all day and then drop it back off at the hospital so they could check and make sure you were ok and mommy didnt have Pre-eclampsia. if i did.. they were going to induce me, mommy and daddy were hoping that nothing was wrong, but that they would tell me to come in anyway so we could finally have you :). Mommy's test results came back , and everything was ok! so you didnt get to make your grand entrance at that time. A week later Mommy had her 40 week checkup at the hospital, a nice nurse named Miss Hooper checked mommy to see how much she had dialated, and she stripped my membranes (my water away from the uterus wall) gosh did it hurt! Mommy came home from the appointment with mild cramping, but nothing i couldnt handle. I cleaned the whole house while daddy was at work. and we had some dinner. and i started feeling more uncomfortable. Daddy was on the phone with your me-me when i went in to lay in bed and try to get some rest. The pain kept getting worse, and when Daddy and Mommy started timing the contractions they were coming 10 minutes apart. We called everyone to see if i was in labor, i was so scared. finally when i couldnt take it anymore (an hour later :) ) we went to labor and delivery in the hospital. they checked me and i was only dialted to 3, you cant be admitted into the hospital until you are at least a 4. so mommy and daddy walked the halls of the hospital for one grueling hour and i was checked again. I was still a 3, so they send me home and had me get some tylenol (are you kidding) this did nothing for me, i took a hot shower, played with the dogs (i think i scared them), we went back to the hospital around 1:30 am. and finally even though i wasnt dialated enough they took me in anyway :). Mommy didnt get ANY sleep until 4 in the morning. Mommy was miserable, I kept telling your daddy to please make them (the nurses) give me something for the pain. they kept saying NO. Mommy got a little bit mad ok well i got a lot mad. finally they gave me some dimerol.. i could still feel the contractions but the pain wasnt as bad so i was able to get a few hours of sleep. around 8 a.m the asthesiologist was called in and mommy finally got the epidual. oooo i felt instant relief, i loved life again, i was so comfortable they made me wear a oxygen mask. Mommy's two friends Trish and rebecca were at the hospital too, they stayed until you were born :) around one in the afternoon they told me that i was ready to push meaning that i had dialated to ten. i was ready... mommy pushed and pushed but you wouldnt come out. you were turned the wrong way, so it was harder for you to make your way through. after two hours of pushing mommy had two choices. an emergency c-section, or low pressure assisted vaccum. i chose the second.. and with only a few pushes at 3:16 p.m your little cone head popped out :) oh your cone head.. you looked like a little smurf. Mommy didnt get to hold you right away. you were wisked over to another table so the nurses could make sure you were ok. and you were, you were perfect. the first time i held you i noticed your little or shall i say big lips. but you were the cutest thing i have ever seen. Ten finger ten little toes, and a little button nose. The name we picked was just perfect.. you look just like a Riley. Daddy held you next, i thought he was going to cry. finally we had you and that made all of the pain worth while. Your Me-me and paw-paw finally made it only about an hour after you were born, they had been traveling since 4 in the morning and was sure they would make it before you were born, But you came on time, Your own time.

2006-02-05T06:19:00.000-08:00

Today is my first Super Bowl, can you see who i am rooting for? in this picture i am on the phone with my Bookie.

2006-02-04T06:33:00.000-08:00

Yummy.. Let me see here
Yup..the perfect one, to tease the dog with
Here Cricket.. have a banana
oops.. mommy Caught me

*Busted*
This morning i gave Riley some Cheerios and fresh cut Banana to snack on while i was making him some warm rice cereal, i come into the living room and what do i find? Riley feeding cricket his Cheerios. He would take a bite and then throw one down on the floor for cricket. At one point he was tesing her with one but not dropping it but waving it in her face and giggling. Last night We went to the Movie Gallery and rented a few movies, Bryan and i both got a sucker in the Checkout line and opened them once we got out to the car, Bryan Says "let Riley taste it" so i tried to give him a lick and he kept trying to grab it out of my hand, when i started eating it again riley started screaming! He wanted my sucker and he wasnt going to quit until he had it. Guess who got my Cherry Cheesecake sucker? and guess who was a sticky mess when we got home?

2006-02-03T06:22:00.000-08:00

*Mommys Empty head*

Its true. i have not had a single thing to blog about in days. i am Awaiting for Riley to do something he has never done before, but as for now its the same ol same ol. :( i have a few good ideas for future blogs but for now i dont have the time or the energy, maybe this weekend. like i said in the title " Mommys Empty Head".

Have a great day! Riley will be on later to post some pictures :)

2006-02-02T15:32:00.000-08:00

Another Slideshow.. this stuff is addicting. but i am sure everyone will love this one as much as had making it :)

Create your own video at One True Media

2006-02-01T16:40:00.000-08:00

Enjoy the slideshow :)

Create your own video at One True Media

2006-01-31T10:44:00.000-08:00

Overly Cautious?
So i am starting to overcome my fear of riley Choking to death on various foods. i still have my Motherly high beams on him while he is partaking on the journey of trying various foods. His fruit puffs for one that melt the instant you put them in your mouth i used to break them up in tiny pieces and he could hardly pick them up, Now i just toss a few onto his high chair tray and he is happy as a lark. Bryan insists that if i keep doing this Riley will never learn to chew..imagine that. Also he has been eating the nilla cookies and stuffing each cookie in his mouth all at one time which drives me insane almost to where i want to close my eyes until he has swallowed the cookie and starts screaming for more. he also enjoys Cheese puffs and Chicken in a biscuit crackers along with a PB & Jelly sandwhich to wash it all down. I Swear yesterday all Riley did was eat, he looked like a tiny bird with his mouth wide open begging for more. Now i know i should be giving him Nutritious food for snacks and such, so i will be adding some yogurt and cottage cheese to his diet in the next few days. Today he had a Grilled cheese Sandwich for lunch along with some fresh peaches. YUMMY! oh and whatever Daddy gave him to eat i havent asked yet ;)

2006-01-29T05:30:00.000-08:00

~ Floating Baby~
Woooo creepy huh?
It really looks as if i am mysterically floating in the air. when in all actuality my dad is throwing me in the air and catching me when i fall. Our camera is pretty nifty and it takes pretty good pictures of things even when they are moving at a fast rate of speed. Mind Boggling?

2006-01-27T12:54:00.000-08:00

*Bathtime With Riley*

This picture was taken tonight during Riley's bathtime.. the date at the bottom of the picture is clearly wrong, ill have to have Bryan fix it. Riley enjoys his bath and i have fun making his hair do crazy things.. in this picture i gave him devil horns.. and the rotton grin on his face says it all.

2006-01-27T11:48:00.000-08:00

Someday, he’ll be a big time movie star or a fifth grade English teacher.
Someday he’ll marry, have a few kids. Maybe he won’t.
Someday, he’ll change the world as we know it.
Or maybe he’ll travel, send postcards from China,phone you from Paris.
Someday, he’s going to be a big strong man able to carry you in his arms.
One day, he’ll have his own hopes and dreams,
Not knowing that once upon a quiet time,you closed your eyes and made a wish to one dayhave him in your life.

2006-01-26T14:51:00.000-08:00

*Re-enlistment Day for Dad*Nope this isnt Dad its my pal Tiorly
My Mom even got a Certificate of Appreciation
Here is my Dad swearing in. another words the Army has him hook, line and sinker for another 4 years.

Here is my dad after swearing in, with his certificate. The lad with him is Dr. Betsy. We like him a lot.