Riley the Builder

Can she build it? Yes she can!

Lately Riley is obsessed with different types of buildings and they fall into one of four categories. A castle - all churches. Daddy's work - all schools. Target - anything big. A house - all the stuff without steeples, and smaller than Target.

Houses are at the top of her list though. She's been drawing houses with Daddy in chalk on the driveway. She's been referring to square shapes as houses. And this afternoon she informed me that she wanted to build a house. Luckily her Great Aunt and Great Uncle sent her a big bag of Mega Blocks for Christmas which are just perfect for building houses.

Here's one of her many attempts at a "house" this afternoon.

Baby Boy, Tunchie or Luke As It May Be

We're getting close to the arrival of Baby Boy! We still don't have a name and depending on whom you talk to and which side of the family they're on he is referred to differently. My father has taken to calling him Tunch Rex, aka T. Rex or Tunchie. Don't ask, that's just his humor. Gigi and Papa refer to him as Luke in the hopes of making a biblical trifecta. The rest of us just call him Baby Boy.

I had another check up this week and everything is looking good. He's moving a lot and sometimes it takes my breath away! I can't remember that happening as often with Riley, but it's comforting to know that he's doing well in there. As of now he's still breech which isn't as big of a problem for me since he's coming out via C, but they still would prefer for him to turn. We'll be watching that over the next couple weeks.

I've been feeling semi laid back about his impending arrival, until last weekend when all of a sudden my nesting mode kicked in. At this point with Riley I had all her stuff set up and my nesting mode was just me trying to keep my house as clean as possible, sometimes moving myself to the point of tears when I couldn't get a finger smudge off the granite countertops. With Baby Boy I haven't had anything ready and all of a sudden that struck me as not okay. I immediately organized his clothes and made room in the closet. I set up the pack n play and got the cradle ready. And I started my list making, a delightful family trait that I inherited from my Dad.

Let's just say if he decides to come tomorrow (I hope not because I'm still getting all my sleep in) we're ready for him.

His threads.


Return of the pack and play.


Enjoying one month of Riley being potty trained before it's back to diapers square 1.


Burpies, onesies, and baby toys.


The bed that he'll hopefully sleep like a rock in.


Me, Baby Boy and the Big Sister to Be.

My Own Cyndi

When I was little I loved Cyndi Lauper. It might have been her music, or it just might have been her funky outfits complete with tutus. Either way I've always been a fan so the first thing that came to mind when I found Riley hanging in our room with TG looking like this was...

"The phone rings in the middle of the night,
My father yells "What you gonna do with your life?"
Oh, Daddy, dear,
You know you're still number one,
But girls,
They wanna have fu-un"

I Got Hairs Cut

Two weeks ago, we were out running some errands and since we were in the area TG decided to get his hair cut. Riley was feeling particularly attached to Daddy that day and when we dropped him off she started to throw a fit. It wasn't too crowded in the place so I decided to let her go in and watch.

I have to tell you that until now TG has adamantly refused to have Riley's hair cut. He wants it to grow out long and he most certainly does not want her to have bangs. This is a tiny issue of contention with us because I'm usually the one that fixes her hair and it's quite difficult to wrangle a style out of hair that's several different lengths.

God was on my side that day and must have been feeling my hair pain because TG decided that he'd let her get a trim. After being given a lollipop Riley happily hopped up in the same chair Daddy was just in and let the lady cut her hair. She sat very still and liked looking at herself in the mirror. Five minutes later she was done.

I still need to get an "after" shot, but it is amazing what a little trim and evening out can do for a girl's hair. Even TG agrees that it looks much better. As for Riley, all she could tell anyone for the rest of that day was "I got hairs cut"

Pedal

After waiting for the snow from blizzard 2010 to melt for over a month we were so excited when the spring weather arrived last week. With the help of the "Spring Forward" we immediately started spending all of our afternoons and evenings outside playing and grilling!

Riley has had this little trike since October, but her legs haven't been long enough to reach the pedals until now. She's had another growth spurt lately and she can finally ride her bike. To borrow a Kelly's Korner term I am super "chawed" (embarassed) at my proud Mommy voice on this video, but wanted to post it here because it's a memory we want to save.

RB riding her bike from Lindsay Vinson on Vimeo.

My Favorite One Liner

Riley says a lot of cute stuff lately, but she has one that is my particular favorite. I decided to get it on videotape so I can remember her little voice saying it when she's all grown up.

We're riding in the car and she has her fingers up to her ears because her window is down. She says it all the time, but I prompted her to get it on film. Then a few moments later she says it again.

Untitled from Lindsay Vinson on Vimeo.

I almost cried when I watched it because I can't believe my baby is a big girl now. Then I sobered up because I realized that I have another baby on the way. Phew, that was close.

Operation Paci Gone

On the 1st of March I had to go visit my doctor because of a bad cough. My doctor, whom I adore, not only took care of me, but she also helped me take the first BIG step in getting rid of Riley's pacis.

Riley has been a paci baby since birth and it has come in handy a lot of times. When she was little she was fussy so often and needed it to soothe herself and sleep. Then as she get older we knew she didn't need it as much and it was becoming a nuisance out in public, but we were struggling with when the appropriate time would be to take it away.

Well, let me just say that when my doctor told me about a child she knew that sucked hers as much as Riley did and ended up with horrible buck teeth I decided to stop right then and there. With her help we told Riley that the doctor had to take them away and we promptly took the one she had in her mouth. For the rest of that day if she asked for a paci I reminded her that the doctor needed them. It was a little hard because she would ask for it in the saddest little voice with her lip trembling and eyes welling up with tears. I almost caved, but luckily I didn't.

By the second day it was like she had never used it 24 hours round the clock. She asked for it once without tears, I told her no and she moved on. On the third day she again asked for it once, but was easily redirected.

I have discovered that she is about 200 times more talkative than she was before. She sings a lot more now and looks so much cuter without a paci blocking her mouth. She still gets them for naps and bedtime and I'm working on a method my bestie recommended for that, but I'm proud to say she's paci free during the day!

My paci baby


My big girl (with her eyes closed b/c "it so sunny")

Princess Party

A few weeks ago Riley was invited to her first princess birthday party. All the little girls were asked to come dressed as their favorite princess. Riley and I had a fun time going through her dress up stuff and picking out an outfit. She was so excited to be able to wear it out in public and kept telling everyone she saw, "I a princess!" before twirling around so they could get the full effect. Of course since then we've had to wear our princess tutu out in public a few times, but it doesn't hurt anyone and I have to agree a sparkly tulle tutu gives every outfit some added flair.

My princess with her prince.


Trying to kiss him.

Lunch Date

On Mondays and Fridays I watch a sweet little boy that Riley just adores. Last week they sat down for a lunch date. Riley wanted to dress up for the occasion and picked out her own outfit. She even provided entertainment by playing peek a boo. You can tell that her little date is enamored, or perhaps terrified by her.











Pictures blurred and watermarked for her safety.

Seen and Heard

SEEN:
Riley is learning to wash her hands. She's "washed" her hands for months now by splashing water all over our sink and herself. So when I say she's learning to wash her hands I mean she's actually using soap, scrubbing appropriately, rinsing and drying them.

Cutest part of it is that even though she's very tall for her age, she's still not quite tall enough to reach without getting on her tippy toes.





HEARD:

Riley: Mama, sockies off please?
Me: Why?
Riley: I going to climb the wall.
Me: Taking off socks. Okay, are you a spidergirl?
Riley: No, Mama. No. I have sticky fingers. She is really trying to climb the wall. Sing, Mama. Sing, sube!
Me: Realizing she is referencing the Diego episode with the red eyed tree frogs. Okay, I'll sing. Sube! Sube!
Riley: Grunting. Still trying to climb the wall.

You have to love her imagination, but I think she's watching too much TV. More on that to come.

Recap

I last posted a week ago. Up until that week I had blogged almost everday in the month of February. I had more stuff to share and things to write, but then I woke up on Wednesday and had what very sweet southerner Kelly Stamps affectionately calls "The Great Stomach Bug of 2010". Personally, I have some other choice northerner words I refer to it as, but since this is a family blog I'll refrain.

No jokes ya'll, I had the Norovirus a year ago and it was plenty miserable, but this bout came with all the ick plus violent stomach pains that left me immobile on the floor of the bathroom. Not good when you're pretty pregnant and home alone with your 2 year old. Luckily TG came racing home, scooped me off the floor and replaced my 2 year old nurse who bless her heart the best she could do was peer into the bathroom every five minutes and ask if I was okay before returning to watch Diego. The ick subsided by that afternoon, but then dehydration reared it's head and landed my preggo self in the ER for IV fluids.

Anyway, another illness, antibiotics, and lots of breathing treatments later I'm almost back to fighting form and definitely ready to blog again.

Now, now don't you all jump up in excitement at my blogging return at once. :)

Posts of the princess aka my own Florence Nightingale to come.