Writing a blog is much more enjoyable when you have an adorable pictures of your child to share. Life around the house is expectedly pretty mundane. There are moments where it feels like every day is exactly the same for me. But mixed in between all the snack times, nap routines, and tantrums there are some pretty precious moments that bring joy into my life.
One thing I've been able to enjoy that I had no idea would be a thing just a few months ago is watching Riley and Bo's relationship form. It started off pretty hesitant, but as long as mom was still close by she seemed to be okay with her. Since then Riley has accepted Bo as part of her life. As I take her to bed she will often request, "Bo, mah," which mean she needs to give Bo a kiss goodnight. She's also learned that it's hard for me to say no to that request and she'll often use it as a delaying tactic. Whenever Britt's feet are uncovered she can expect Riley to run over and "tickle" them to which Riley has learned to expect quite the performance from Britt.
Another thing that has brought me a lot of joy recently is seeing Riley seem to be learning at an exponential rate! It just seems like every day she has some new word and I'm absolutely loving it. We've also been working on colors, the alphabet, and numbers a little. So here are some pictures and video showing off the cutest, smartest little girl I know.
Riley in her favorite habitat. If I let this girl run around outside all day she'd be all for it!
These pictures are just a few months old and she already looks so different! She grows too fast!
My heart!!
An exciting sighting a few weeks ago. (This is our backyard)
The adventures of living in a home. We have vermin! I've seen way too many dead/live mice in the last few weeks. This picture is evidence of our friendly trash pilferer. We even bought a new trash can that has a lid that stays on and they still get in there!
This girl has gotten so big!
You think this is just a funny meme, but just ask a new resident. It's a little too close to the truth!
Always an adventure with Britt! She had an interaction (a socially distance one, but still) with someone that later tested positive for Covid. So, after I put Riley down for a nap and figured even an exhausted Ben would wake up if she started crying, we hurried to the closest urgent care for testing. Then we discovered they require a telephonic appointment with the doctor before they let you do drive by testing...so we hurried to the next closest urgent care. We knew that most medical places have special rules for people coming in with Covid symptoms so we looked at the door and it said if you believe you have Covid to signal the people at the front desk and to wait in your car. We weren't sure exactly what the sign language was for Covid or please come stick a swab up my nose, so we wrote out a note. As Britt waited at the door the front desk person beckoned her inside, and when she explained they just told her to come in and acted like she was crazy. Why do people keep up signs if they aren't even keeping that policy anymore! Drives me crazy....but it did provide a few good laughs.
Ben taught Riley how to say, "Cheese!" It has provided quite a few adorable pictures and quite a few hilarious pictures.
This is probably one of the most accurate pictures of Riley I have. This girl is pretty wild!
Grandma Jack wanted some picture for her wall so it prompted a little photoshoot. I just love these pictures!
Just look at the joy in that face when we found a puddle on our morning walk.
She is always suddenly thirsty when she sees some source of dirty or soapy water.
I feel like she could be in some 90s R&B music video here. Cue some Usher.
We love having a photographer in our home now. :)
I could try to edit out the sweat mark under my arm, but let's be real. We were in DC in September.
More family photos!
Now for a BUNCH of videos. I just feel like as cute as pictures are she's so much cuter in action. And I think every movement is so cute, so get ready for an overload of videos of Riley doing pretty ordinary stuff. :)
These first two most of you have already seen, but I just wanted to put them on the blog because they crack me up.
It's amazing the random things that Riley thinks are hilarious.
This has become on of Riley's favorite games. If you are sitting on the floor you can expect her to come and grab you from behind and say, "Uh Oh."
Britt learned the hard way that having Riley enjoy something you do isn't all it's cracked up to be.
Ever since our trip to Utah/Idaho Riley has been in love with Nemo. (We probably watched it 6 times on the plane rides.) I just think the way she is watching here is absolutely adorable.
Sometime you just have to let her get soaked and covered in mud.
Such a big girl! Since this video was taken she discovered the two bigger slides on the playground. She never goes down this slide anymore. Opting for the bigger adrenaline rush. At least these slides are curved so she can actually go down them without going faster than I'd like. We try to avoid parks with big/fast slides because she is always wants to try the biggest slides and I'm not ready for that! She's quite the dare devil, but also gets upset every time she trips. It's real hard to figure this girl out at times. I made the mistake of letting her go down a big, straight slide at one park and although I was at the bottom to catch her it was terrifying seeing her shoot down that thing like a rocket! I soon realized that she's so light that she doesn't create much friction to slow her down so she really gets going!
I love that she has already figured out her own, "Mom, watch!" before she knows that phrase. After every attempt at the slide she will run up to me with mouth open wide (she only does it for a little bit in the video) and shout, "AGAIN!"
You wouldn't guess it by the state of her hair, but this girl really has opinions about her outfits!
Ben was on night shifts for most of September and half of October. On mornings that he'd get off a 6 am he'd come home and get Riley up when she woke up around 7. Then they would have about an hour together before I forced myself to get out of bed and we'd switch places. During that hour they would spend a lot of time working on learning different things. Ben obviously spent a lot of time working on her letters! These first two videos were taken on October 5th. The next two were taken on October 18th. The videos are a little long and not all that exciting, but I just needed evidence that she could do this before two!
After mastering the capital letters we tried to work on lowercase calling them big and little letters. Riley soon translated that into her own meaning.
Taking after her dad in her love of dinosaurs. She has started (sort of) saying Pterodactyl. (It sounds like dac-tl.)
I love hearing about Riley and Bo interactions! And so amazing to have a deer in your backyard! Though Grandma and Grandpa did not think it was so great when they'd eat the roses! And loving the family pics!
Haha yes, kids suddenly get very thirsty when dirty/soapy water is nearby—so true! Hahaha the story of Britt holding up that sign is the greatest thing I’ve heard today! So many adorable pictures!! Amazing that she knows letters!!
I love hearing about Riley and Bo interactions! And so amazing to have a deer in your backyard! Though Grandma and Grandpa did not think it was so great when they'd eat the roses! And loving the family pics!
ReplyDeleteHaha yes, kids suddenly get very thirsty when dirty/soapy water is nearby—so true!
ReplyDeleteHahaha the story of Britt holding up that sign is the greatest thing I’ve heard today!
So many adorable pictures!!
Amazing that she knows letters!!