I love you with everything I have

Dear Riley,

I love you so much I can't even express it with words. And no matter what happens in our lives that will always be true! You are my son and the most important thing in the world to me. I will do anything to keep you safe and happy. I love you Riley David.

I love you, Mommy

Sweet Guy

Dear Riley,

I have been so busy I haven't been able to write. You are taking a nap right now and that is why I have time now. We have been spending as much time together as we can during the day because we miss each other so much. I really miss being with you all the time but things change and I just can't do that right now. So we spend most of the day cuddling or building towers with your blocks or playing with cars. I love it! My job isn't a bad job and it isn't too hard to do, I just can't be happy with it because it takes me away from you. Everyone tells me I will get use to being away from you. But I don't think that will happen and even though it hurts when I have to say goodbye I don't ever want to get use to leaving you. I do love coming home to you afterwards though, you just want to hold on to me as long as you can and its amazing! You have been talking a lot more lately. Yesterday you drank your milk really slowly and when you finally finished it you brought it to me. So I said, "Oh do you want more milk?" And you looked at me like I was crazy with your head cocked to the side and said, "Noooo...juice!" So cute! I'm really glad I was here to witness it :-) You are such a good boy. You like to share and you help me pick up your toys and when you find something you're not suppose to have you bring it to Mommy or Daddy. Its so funny how you watch what we do and copy us. Now when you watch Bubble Guppies when the episode ends you run over and grab the remote and try to start a new one. Or if I have the remote you look up at me as soon as its over and you watch me until I start a new one or put something else on. When you and Daddy drop me off at work I always get a high five from you and you wave and say bye bye and love you. I don't know if that makes it easier or harder to leave. All I know is I love you more than anything and I think you feel the same way about me :-) And I really hope you feel that way still when you get older. Well I have to get ready for work now. And then I'm going to cuddle you until I have to go.

I love you, Mommy

Love, love, love!

Dear Riley,

Hey buddy! I love you so much! You have been growing up so fast, learning new things every day! I'm sad that there are things I am missing out on now but hopefully your Daddy will start taking pictures for me. The other night you helped Daddy take the trash out. You carried your empty diaper box all the way out to the trash cans and tried to put it in but Daddy had to help you :-) Yesterday you learned to say "love love love!" I've been trying to get you to say as many times as I can haha. Today you were eating cheese and crackers and you pulled the crackers apart and used the naked side to scrape off the cheese from the other cracker and then you just ate the cheese out of them and not the crackers! Yesterday was my day off and you cuddled me so much! When I got home the night before you wanted me as soon as I got inside so I just sat down right inside the door and you came and hugged me and sat on my lap for about 10 minutes. Then yesterday you would take turns cuddling me and playing in your room. You were in your room talking so I had to go peek at you and you were sitting in the middle of the floor with a book and you were "reading" it out loud :-) Then you saw me so I couldn't go get my camera in time. So we cuddled some more and then you went back into your room and started talking again. So I peeked again and this time you were talking on the phone. You are so adorable! Every time I go anywhere now, computer, kitchen, bathroom, etc., you follow me and just stand next to me until I come back to the living room and sit down then you climb into my lap. I love it! We recently got new (to us) couches from Daddy's cousin Sarah. You have been taking the cushions off the couches so you can sit on the inside part. I don't know why but you love doing it haha.

Okay bud, that top part was written yesterday before I went to work, with the intention of finishing it when I got home from work. But I ended up having to work late and didn't get home till almost 11. So I am finishing it now. I was suppose to get off work at 8 but we got busy and you and Daddy came to get me but I couldn't leave. You started crying because you wanted me but I couldn't hold you. I felt terrible! So you guys went home and I had to get a ride from someone else. Last night was the first time I wasn't home to give you a hug and kiss goodnight :-( It made me so sad. But you woke up at 6:30 this morning (two hours earlier than normal) and you were so happy to see me. I was tired but I didn't care because I got to hug you :-) When Daddy left for work this morning you were laying down and you bent your head back to look at him upside down and waved and said bye. It was so cute so he came back in and gave you a kiss goodbye. We love you so much. I couldn't imagine our lives without you. They would be missing something amazing that's for sure.

I love you, Mommy

Mr. Independent

Dear Riley,

Hey sweetie! Oh my gosh I haven't even been working that many hours but I've been going in every day and I miss you so freaking much! You miss me too. You cry when I kiss you goodbye and when I get home again you sit in my lap for 20 minutes, which is a long time for you haha. I do love that part. You don't want to let me go :-)   You are getting more independent every day. You don't want me to help put your shoes on anymore. You hate when I try to help you eat. And now you want to be the one to brush your teeth even though you kinda miss your teeth completely when you brush them haha. And you don't like to be put to bed anymore. You only want to go to sleep if its your idea. Daddy told me that after you guys took me to work today you didn't want to take a nap. So he let you watch Bubble Guppies for a little while and halfway through the show you passed out on the couch :-) I wish I could have seen that. I told him he is going to have to start taking pictures of cute things like that when I am working. I hate missing out on a minute of it. I got a really cute video of you yesterday. I was sneezing again and I kept blowing my nose in between sneezes. You came over and wanted a piece so I gave you a little square of it and you held it up to your face and blew...with your mouth haha. It was so cute and funny. I got some tips tonight at work so I had Daddy get you some bananas! We have started calling them pajamas because of the bananas in pajamas song. We can't say banana in front of you because you will start saying nana over and over and expect to get one haha. We went outside for a little bit tonight because its finally cooling off again and you love playing outside. A neighbor was walking his dog and you tried to walk in the street to go see it so he brought her over to us so you could pet her. She was very sweet and soft so of course you loved her. You started crying when they had to go and kept pointing after them saying doggy doggy! I felt terrible! I wish we could get you a dog. Hopefully one day soon we will be able to. You love little dogs so much :-) But for now we'll just have to go visit Grandma and Grandpa so you can play with their doggies.

This is you last night when I got home from work haha.

You are such a happy baby, I hope that stays with you throughout your life. And I will do anything I can to keep it that way.

I love you, Mommy

Missing You

Dear Riley,

The past few days have been a little crazy. I got a call from Pizza Hut asking if I was still interested in a job with them. We definitely need the money so even though I hated the thought of not being with you all the time anymore I knew I needed to take the opportunity. Jobs are hard to come by at the moment. So I went in for an interview yesterday and then had orientation that night and started the job today. I only worked for 3 1/2 hours but it killed me be away from you. I couldn't wait until you and Daddy came to pick me up. I also went shopping for work clothes with Grandma Trina. And you really needed a nap so you had to stay home with Uncle Jacob watching you (you said Jacob and spider today!) until Daddy got off work. So I also missed out on a couple hours of spending time with you. But you slept the whole time so I wouldn't have seen you anyway. So now I am home with you and you are sitting on my lap while I type this. You haven't left my side for a second which makes me happy. You missed me too! This morning when I was doing the dishes you were vacuuming in the kitchen with me and I kept sneezing. So you took off into the living room and grabbed the tissues and brought them to me. You handed them to me and just went back to your vacuuming. You're so smart! You knew exactly what I needed :-) Okay now that I told you whats been happening I need to get off here and cuddle you while I can.

I love you, Mommy

Hot!

Dear Riley,

Well I guess it is fitting that you learned how to say hot and ice this week. The temperature outside right now is 109 degrees with a heat index of 114 degrees. It is hot! And we are going through lots of ice. I feel terrible because you keep putting on your shoes and going to the door because you want to go outside. But when we do go outside when we need to we start sweating instantly and its hard to breathe so I can't let you play outside :-( I'm sorry. But I swear as soon as it gets back into the low 90s again we will go out to play. And we will play outside all through autumn. You also learned how to say more and again. Its funny because it makes me realize which words I say to you the most. Also when we are getting you dressed after your baths you have started pointing to your "area" and say pee pee! It is so funny! And any time we say teeth you run to the bathroom saying "Teefs! Teefs!", then we have go brush your teeth or you get mad haha. You really are adorable! You like to pretend to wash people and put lotion on them and rub it in. You scratch your Daddy's back for him. You recognize the nickelodeon logo when I scroll through our recorded tv shows and you know that means its bubble guppies. So when you see it you jump up an down and say "Bub bub bubble! Bub bub bubble!" I could go on and on but you want me to play golf with you so I better go.

I love you, Mommy

Nana, nana, nana!

Dear Riley,

We had a pretty good weekend. Friday night your Great Grandma Karen and my cousin Joseph stopped by. And then your Grandpa George and Grandma Trina came over too. They also brought Uncle Jacob. You were very entertaining being your usual adorable self. We gave Grandma and Grandpa a picture you colored for them and Uncle Jacob said he wanted one too. He is going to college soon and he wants to put one up in his dorm room. Grandpa gave you his old cell phone and a charger so that you could have a phone that lights up. You have barely put it down since :-)

You while watching Bubble Guppies on Friday.

This is us on Friday.

You and Daddy Saturday morning.

On Saturday I didn't feel very well so I took a little nap. When I woke up I found you and Daddy laying on the floor under your covers watching tv. It was so cute I had to take pictures. And you guys didn't even notice when I did! After you and Daddy finished your movie we went to Great Grandma Karen's house to do laundry. While we were there you splashed around in the puddles that her sprinkler made, screaming and squealing with each jump. We stayed for a while and you played in with the doggies like you always do. You don't know how to say their names yet so you just call them all Dog :-) When we got home from there you took a nice long nap, you get cranky if you don't get enough sleep. After your nap we chased each other around for a little bit, growling at each other. Then you ran down the hallway and knocked over a box fan that was in our doorway and you looked up and said "Oops." It was so funny, I didn't even know you knew how to say that word, let alone use it right. You've also started saying "whoa" when you fall or slip. You are so adorable! 

Today we went to the grocery store to get some fruits and veggies. When we got there the first thing we picked up were bananas. As soon as you saw them you started pointing and saying, "Nana! Nana! Nana!". I said when we get home you can have a nana but that didn't stop you. You said nana over and over until we ran into my friend Kat. We talked to her for a minute and you even gave her a hug. Then we checked out and as soon as you saw the bananas again you started saying nana all over again. The people that checked us out thought it was so cute! Then as we left the store you looked back over my shoulder and said "Bye." and waved goodbye to everyone. Then when we got home and put the groceries away you saw the bananas again and ran over and held your hands out saying nana again. So we gave you a banana and you said nana after every bite! Then when you were done you wanted another one! Then later when you needed a diaper change, you climbed on Daddy's lap and he will do anything to get out of changing a diaper. So he said, "Not it!" just like he always does when he should be changing you. So I said not it too. Then you piped up and said not it too. Yet another thing that you have learned from your parents haha. And just so you know, Daddy did change you that time :-) Right now it is almost your bedtime and you went in your room and grabbed all 3 of your blankies out of your crib and brought them into the living room. Then you laid them out on the floor and snuggled. You look so cuddly, I think I need to get of the computer and go snuggle too.

I love you, Mommy

Dear Riley,

Today was a fun day. I had left a few pairs of socks out that I got last night. At lunch time I was in the kitchen getting you something to eat and when I came back to the living room a few minutes later you had put a pair of them on. I didn't even know you could put socks on let alone matching ones haha. You also learned a couple of new words today: car, golf, and door. We went to the grocery store where you said hi to everyone you saw. That was the first time you weren't shy at all. We got you a new sippy cup that you love too.

Tonight Daddy was trying to pick out a movie on Netflix and we have a kinect for the xbox. It works by voice so when we use it we say "xbox", "next" and things like that. So every time you see us open netflix on the xbox you start yelling "box" and "next". Its so funny but Daddy gets frustrated because he can't start his movie haha. Tonight you did that after he picked the movie but before when he was scrolling through the list of movies you were standing at the tv "pushing" them along. You thought you were moving them yourself. It was so cute! I took a video of it :-) Now you and Daddy are playing cars and it is your bedtime. So I'm going to go brush your teeth and read you a book. And of course sing you your song.

I love you, Mommy

Grass and Bucket

Dear Riley,

Hey Sweetie! You are growing so fast and I wanted to tell you something that happened today before I forget. You learned how to say the word bucket recently and today I gave you a little container of cereal. I had a bag of it by me so that when you wanted more I could put more in your container. I told you it was a bucket of cereal. So you ate it and you came over to get more from me but you didn't have your bucket. So I said, "Go get your bucket for me so I can give you more cereal." And you went right over to it and brought it back to me. I was amazed! You know when I say things like go get your shoes or get your ball or something like that. But this was a new word so I didn't expect you to understand that well yet. So I was very proud :-) You amaze me so many times every day its crazy! I went shopping with a friend today and as we drove away you started crying and I felt terrible! And when I got back home you were so excited to see me! You didn't want to let me go, it was a good feeling :-) And while I was gone you and Daddy played outside for a bit and he taught you to say grass. You said it for me when I got home and it was so cute! Also any time we tell you not to do something you say "What?!" haha! I know I shouldn't laugh but its just so cute. You are learning so many words every day. I won't be surprised if you have a vocabulary of over 100 words by the time you turn 2. When it was almost bedtime you spread one of your blankies out on the floor and laid down and cuddled it till I had to put you to bed. We sat on the couch together, you in my lap, and read a few books. I love when you use me as your chair :-) You are the sweetest little guy ever.

I love you, Mommy

Love Is All You Need

Dear Riley,

Have I mentioned how much I love when we cuddle? I had to put you to bed and I almost couldn't do it. Its been a busy weekend with your uncles here so I didn't get many hugs. You were too busy for me haha. So after I brushed your teeth we rocked for a while and I sang your song to you. Sometimes we want you to sleep in our bed with us and we have tried a few times but you just won't do it. You love being in our bed so much that you refuse to go to sleep, you just want to play! You use to sleep in our bed with us when you were swaddled. I think that's the only place you would sleep from about 2 1/2-5 months old. I miss those days, or should I say nights :-) Daddy does too. Alright so your dad and uncles helped me write down all the words we could think of that you say. So here is the list:

pizza, silencio, stitch, yes, no, cracker, poop, eww, yuck/yucky, daddy, momma, please, thank you, stop, this, duck, button, bubbles, dog, butt, bye, hi, bath, eye, shoe, ball, bite, thirsty, juice, tickle, hug, pants, socks, bounce, bucket, cheese, teeth, box, next, keys, and night night.

I have a feeling there are more that I just can't think of right now but I think my point is made. You know a lot of words for your age. So smart! Mommy and Daddy are very proud of you! We love you so much, more than we can put into words!

I love you, Mommy

Family Time

Dear Riley,

Hey sweetie! Your uncles, Johnathan and Jacob, are here this weekend. You get so much attention when they are here, you have a blast! Also we get a lot of spills because they forget that they can't leave their drinks everywhere. Plus I didn't feel well today and they help out a lot with watching you. They brought a box of toys over for you from Grandma Trina and you pulled everything out of the box and had so much fun. I said, "Riley are you excited?" and you said, "Yes!". You've only answered me a few times so its still a little surprising when you do. It was so cute and funny. We went to Great Grandma Karen's house to do laundry today and while we were there you swept and mopped like you always do. Then you chased the dogs around with the broom :-) And you were so tired you got cranky and only wanted Uncle Jacob so you climbed into his lap and fell asleep! Then Great Grandma made pizzas and Uncle John and you sat at the kitchen table together and he helped you eat your pizza with a fork. You love when you get to do things that we do. You are a little copycat lately. You pretend you are playing video games when Daddy plays them. You even throw your hands up and cheer when he does because he won. Today we played a version of peek-a-boo. I hid behind a door and you were on the other side and would open it and peek at me. I said "Rawr!" when you peeked so then you laughed and said "Rawr!" right back! You also took your shoes off and got your feet dirty so I had to clean them and I said "Eww." when I did and then you said it right after me. You have quite the vocabulary lately. I'm going to have to write them all down in a list so that we can remember how many words you knew before you were 1 1/2. I will try to do that tomorrow and post it as soon as I can.

I love you, Mommy

Talking More and More

Dear Riley,

You have been learning so many new words lately. I love it! Yesterday we went to the creek and you hated the water again. But you had fun playing with the rocks and throwing them into the water. You were walking around picking up rocks and you would hand them to me and say "rock" every time you did. I've decided to keep them so you can have a rock collection because you love them. I put all the rocks you gave me into the diaper bag and brought them home for you. You've also started saying something that sounds like I love whenever I say I love you. So I think you're pretty close to saying it back. You also say "Hi!" every time your daddy walks through the door, at lunch and after work. Today you brought me your sippy cup and hand it to me like you always do when you want something to drink. So I said "oh are you thirsty?" and you said "tursty". Then when you would take a drink you would say thirsty before you drank it. As if that wasn't adorable enough! We ate dinner at the kitchen table, which we don't do enough, and you wanted a drink. So I got you a cup of milk and you shook your head and said "Juice!". That was the first time you had ever said it so I was surprised you knew what to tell me you wanted. You amaze me every day :-) You cuddled me today. It was almost nap time and you tripped over a toy and hurt yourself so you came to me crying and after I picked you up you stopped and we just cuddled until you were asleep. It was great. I love you Riley, I tell you that at least 30 times a day, no exaggeration either. And no matter what happens in our lives I just want you to know how much I love you. You are my world!

I love you, Mommy

Cookie

Dear Riley,

You were very cranky today and I couldn't figure out what was wrong. I hate when I can't make you feel better. You kept getting frustrated and crying for no reason that I could find and it made me sad. But finally we decided to give you some ibuprofen because you were hot and kept crying. A little bit later you were happy as can be. We cuddled on the couch with your blankies and Daddy gave you an oreo. You ate it right away and then wanted more. When you want something you point to it and say "uh uh uh" so we have been trying to teach you the words for things so that you can say that when you want it instead. So when you started pointing I said "cookie!" and you repeated it over and over until he gave you another one. It sounded more like kee-kee but we knew what you were saying :-) I love that you learn a new word or two every day. Every one tells me when you start talking I'll wish you had waited but I don't think that is me. I know I will cherish every word that you say to me and I can't wait until you start using sentences. Especially until you say "I love you". You blew us kisses tonight. You've been doing that for about a month but you only do it when you're really happy. Hopefully you will be happy again tomorrow :-)

I love you, Mommy

Babyhood

Dear Riley,

Since I started this late and missed the first part of your "babyhood", I would like to tell you a story. The day you were born was one of the best days of our lives. I remember I was so exhausted  that I fell asleep for the 30 seconds or so in between each contraction and then I would wake up for the contraction and fall right back asleep. But after you were born I forgot all about being tired. They took you away and cleaned you up and weighed you. Then they swaddled you and gave you back to me and I wasn't tired anymore :-) You were such a sweet baby from the minute you were born. You hardly cried at all, which is something you continued throughout your first year. You were so alert and didn't even get fussy once, I was so amazed. So was Daddy. He cut your umbilical cord and he changed every dirty diaper you had in the hospital (I was amazed at that too!). We tried to breast feed but it just wasn't working so we had to give you some formula to make sure you got your nutrients. So Daddy got to feed you your first bottle. He said I already had my try at feeding you so now it was his turn :-) Your Great Grandpa and Grandma Modlin were there to see you and Grandpa George and Grandma Trina were there, Grandma was with us when you were born. Uncle Johnathan and Uncle Jacob came by to see you and so did Aunt Kaity, Grandma Karen, and my cousin Kyli. And now February 19th is one of  my favorite days of the year!

You were so tiny! The first couple of days after we took you home you had your days and nights mixed up so I stayed up with you all night and then we slept during the day. But then we got you straightened out and you took your naps in my lap every day. I hated when I had to give that up. I don't know how many times I told you to stop growing hahaha. But of course you stayed just as sweet and adorable so it was okay. But I still love looking at your baby pictures and remembering how small and cuddly you were :-) You had so many nicknames when you were itty bitty. To name a few: Jelly Bean, RyRy, Monster Mash, Monster Mash Potato, and RyRy Sweet Potato Pie. You have always been so independent and smart. You use to use a binky to get yourself to sleep at night but at around 3 months old you decided you didn't want it anymore, which made my job easier. When we started feeding you rice cereal you took to the spoon like a champ! And then when you started eating baby food you did great. But then you wanted to chew so you decided you didn't like baby food anymore and you wanted real food! You have grown up so fast its crazy. Time has flown by and I am so thankful that I get to spend every day with you and experience your first words, first steps, and everything I never even thought about happening. Like when Daddy was playing with you and you spit up in his eye :-) I'm sorry, I know I'm all over the place but I feel like I have so much I want to tell you and I just don't know how to say it all. I know I'll be able to get it all out eventually but for now just bear with me.

I love you, Mommy

Great Grandparent's Weekend

Dear Riley,

This weekend we spent lots of time with your Great Grandparents. On Saturday we went to your Great Grandma and Grandpa Modlin's house. They have a big bucket of toys for you when you come over. But of course you always get distracted by their computer cords and their phone and anything else you shouldn't be touching :-) Grandma made tacos for dinner and you sat in a dinning room chair without a booster seat or anything, like a big boy! Then Grandma gave you some watermelon, which you love! After dinner you ran around and around their house trying to get them to chase you and then when they caught you you would laugh so hard and then take off again. You have so much energy we had to take turns chasing you! You wear us out! And then we told them how you always grab the remote for the tv and change the channel to the mexicana romance music channel and you dance to it for ever. So we had to demonstrate and Grandpa turned it to that channel for you and you ran to the tv and started dancing. You have really good rhythm bub :-) We love to watch you dance.

Today we went my grandma's house, your Great Grandma Karen. She has been letting us do our laundry at her house because our apartment doesn't have laundry facilities. She has a lot of dogs at her house and you like to chase them around with your toys trying to tickle them I think, you say digga digga digga when you do it. You always sweep when we go over there too. You played with the dogs, swept the living room, and climbed onto the lawn mower outside. Then she fed you a few marshmallows :-) After we did our laundry you were cranky so we came home so you could take a nap because you hate napping anywhere else. After your nap you and Daddy played with your big legos and cars while I finished my nap. When we ate dinner you kept trying to feed us your chicken. You are really good about sharing your food, not so much your toys haha. Then after dinner you sat on Daddy's lap while he played video games and laughed at his concentration faces :-) Then we did your bedtime routine. Daddy brushed your teeth and then I read you a book and rocked you in your room and sang you the song that I made up for you. Sometimes I brush your teeth and Daddy reads your book, but every night I sing you that song :-) And I wouldn't change that for anything in the world.

I love you, Mommy

P.S. This is the song:

Hush little Riley, don't say a word
Mommas gonna get you a big blue bird
And if that big blue bird flies away,
Mommas gonna get you a horse and hay
And if that horse and hay get wet,
Mommas gonna get you a brand new pet
And if that brand new pet bites you hard,
Mommas gonna play with you in the yard
And if playing in the yards no fun,
Mommas still gonna love her son.

I know its cheesy but you love when I sing it to you :-)

Baths, Not Pools

Dear Riley,

Yesterday, your grandparents came over to see you, my mom and dad, and they brought you presents like they always do. They brought you some washable markers so that you can make us some beautiful drawings and a package of magnet numbers. You love to play with the magnets on the fridge at your great grandma's house. They also brought you a water bottle with pirates on it and we asked you, "What do pirates say?" And you immediately said "Arrrrgh!" That's why they bought it for you, just so that they could hear you say that whenever you use it :-) You are very adorable, and everyone loves you so much! They also brought you some teddy grahams and you were sharing them with Grandpa. Then he said no more you tried to give him one last teddy graham and as he leaned forward to get it you held it to his mouth and at the last second, snatched it away and put it in your mouth. Everyone laughed so you had to laugh to. That is something you always do. Whenever people around you laugh hard at something you have to make sure you aren't left out and let out a big laugh too. It is so sweet and I will never get tired of hearing you laugh.

Today we went grocery shopping and you said hi to someone that you didn't know for the first time. You are very shy when it comes to the store. When people talk to you you always pull your shirt up, trying to cover your face or you hide your face in my shoulder. Its adorable but I wish we had more opportunity for you to be around people so that you wouldn't be so shy. We bought you some marshmallows because you wanted them so badly :-) Then we went over to my friend Kat's house. She babysits a little girl named Autumn who is about 6 months younger than you. Kat has a little kiddie pool in her backyard and we thought you two would love to play in it for a bit. You love to take baths, when you are anywhere near the bathroom you want to either climb into the tub or brush your teeth. So we thought you would enjoy playing in the kiddie pool. Apparently we were mistaken :-) You hated it at first, so much so that you basically threw yourself out of it into my lap. So we taught you that you could splash in the pool while standing next to it and then Kat got a few tupperware things from her kitchen for the two of you to play with. After that you let down your guard enough to get into the pool and you had fun. Until Autumn was waving around a cup of water and splashed it in your face, you hate water in your face even in the bathtub. Then you wanted out and refused to get back in. Which was fine because it was nap time anyway so we headed home. After your nap you sat in Daddy's lap while he watched a movie and you ate marshmallows. And now you are both in bed, fast asleep and I am writing this to you in the hopes that someday you will happily read over it and know how loved you are and how you hold a special place in everyone's hearts.

I love you, Mommy

Smarty Pants

Dear Riley,

Hey sweetie, you've been doing some really adorable and smart things lately so I thought I would share. Last week you had some marshmallows for the first time at your Great Grandma's house. You loved them! We went to the store yesterday and got stopped in the middle of the isle waiting for people to move. And you started bouncing up and down in your seat pointing at something near the floor and saying "uh uh uh!" (Which is your way of saying "I want that".) So I look down and you are pointing at the marshmallows! It was so smart of you to already be able to identify them and also its crazy that you saw them with all the stuff around you. You also know where your eyes are, where your nose is, and where your mouth and hair are. And you say eye when you point to one. Right now you are sitting on my lap and you want to type to so here is a little message from you and a picture I took today:

ion    ljljl, mhd3zxzwtr5y8ohkljoy  -Riley

You also know how to plug things into the outlet, which is really scary for me, and you can feed yourself really well with a fork and spoon. Today you opened a bottle of body wash and pretended to pour it on your daddy's arm and then you closed it, put it back on the edge of the bathtub, and then pretended to rub it into Daddy's arm. Also, you organized your shoes on the couch in order from biggest to smallest. That was really surprising to me but I guess you do love your stacking cups so you're getting good at putting things in order that way. You out Daddy's deodorant on this morning too. You're growing up too fast! Right now you and Daddy are doing high fives. He says up high, to the side, down low, too slow and then you laugh :-) Well my sweet little guy, its your bedtime and I want to get some cuddles in before you go to sleep.

I love you, Mommy

Dancing, Singing, Cleaning Baby

Dear Riley,

I just wanted to make sure you know how much you love to dance! You will dance to any tiny little clip of music in a tv show, movie, commercial, anything that has music. You even dance when Daddy and I sing to you. When a new show starts and the theme song plays you run to the tv from wherever you are in the apartment just so that you can dance. And whenever your uncles come over you steal their phones until they play music for you. Then you go around the room dancing with the phone to your ear. You also like to sing. I've been trying to teach you Row Row Row Your Boat and Itsy Bitsy Spider. You've got the row row row down and you do the hand motions to Itsy Bitsy Spider. And you always clap afterwards. Its the sweetest thing when you clap after anyone sings to you. You really are a sweet baby. I didn't feel good this morning and when I told you that you ran over and gave me a hug. And then you sat on my lap and we played with your big legos. But then you saw the vacuum and you had to play with it before I put it away. You love to vacuum and sweep and mop especially. Our mop has a button that you push (button is another of your favorite words to say) and it sprays cleaner onto the floor. You love to push that button. And Mommy and Daddy's buttons too :-) Well you are watching your favorite show, Bubble Guppies, and I want to cuddle you. I will write again soon.

I love you, Mommy

My First Post, A Summary

Dear Riley,

I'm starting this diary to you a little late, and kicking myself for not thinking of this earlier. You are 16 months old, almost 17, and you are the happiest little toddler I know. Your favorite tv show is Bubble Guppies. You would watch that show all day long if I let you. You also love to play outside. At least 3 or 4 times a day you bring me your shoes to put on or you put them on yourself (sometimes on the wrong feet), which means take me outside mommy.  You were a happy baby too. I take a ton of pictures because I want to record everything, plus you are so darn cute how could I not? I remember when you were a tiny little thing and people always commented on how you were such a happy baby, always smiling at everyone. You are so smart too. You stopped using a binky at 3 months old because you just didn't want it anymore, which made my job easy. You were saying Dadda, Momma, and digga digga (tickle tickle) by the time you were 7 months old. Digga digga is still your favorite thing to say. You have learned so many works since then some of which are: pizza, bye, duck, chicken, doggy, Stitch (one of Grandma & Grandpa's dogs), night night, no, yes, this, and your uncles' favorite thing you say silencio. You got your first tooth when you were 6 months old and now, 10 months later, you have 16! You quit the bottle a couple weeks before your first birthday, about the same time you started walking. You love other kids. Anywhere we go if you see a young kid you gravitate toward them and just want to play. You are the sweetest guy I know :-) You love to give Mommy and Daddy hugs and kisses. And we love getting them! You love soft blankets, your Aunt Kaity gave you the first one at 3 months old, with safari animals that matched your crib bedding, and you snuggled it immediately. Then Daddy got me a snowflake blanket for Christmas and you stole it from me! I didn't ever get to use it, the first time you touched it on Christmas Eve you snuggled and then took it to bed with you. It was yours after that. So now any time we see a soft blanket we have to get it for you :-) Well I have to go for now, you just brought me your sippy cup because you need more milk. I will write again later.

I love you, Mommy