Riley is 11 months old today!!!

I am a month away from my youngest being ONE!! Where does the time go? She certainly FEELS that age, but she's still my baby...This mommy can't believe it feels like just yesterday I was bringing this sweet girl home for the first time. Since my last blog she has started saying NEW WORDS...look out daddy we have ourselves some talkative girls! Riley can now say her name "Riree," "mommy" (she stopped saying "mama" a while ago too babyish for her I suppose), she says "flower" and "toes" and it seems she says "shoe." The other day she was going near the cat food and she kept repeating "Don't touch." Like I said before, it's pretty crazy. This past week I turned around to see that she had gotten herself up on the couch, now it seems every couch and chair is an adventure she can't wait to enjoy. UGH!! The problem with this is I'm not sure she's perfected getting back down yet, and she does not always stop climbing at the chair or couch, if there's something taller next to it, she continues on!

Gardening....

Having kids has given me a great excuse to play in the dirt and check my plants daily. Historically I do not keep plants very long because I forget to tend to them. So far so good with my projects this year! We have planted at least a dozen different things- I think. From wild flowers to vegetables to herbs. Most of them have already sprouted which is exciting. My ornamental pear tree and my lilacs have already or started to bloom. They are really the only beauty in my yard at this point (besides my kids, birds and bumble bees.) So I have taken to photographing some of my yard flowers just to enjoy my yard that much more...I have also been trying to save money and be "earth friendly" by just recycling some containers because really, who needs fancy containers for dirt anyway? Ultimately the plants will be transplanted somewhere else. I'm enjoying being thrifty. Cailen has been very helpful with planting and watering our little project. It's really exciting to have such a nice activity for her to nurture and watch grow.

Spring things.

The spring is here and that gives me such relief in my mind that being stuck here alone in this town isn't quite so bad. I can leave the cabin fever behind and get out in the sunshine. This summer is more exciting for me I think because I don't have an "infant" per se and I am not pregnant. Walking while pushing a stroller isn't as much of a chore as it is just more exercise. Finally I can squeeze in and out of the wooden play ground without the excuse of a large bulbous belly. I have already been several times to the play ground with my girls. It's very exciting that this year Riley is also able to enjoy it. It's very amazing to see year after year, the way Cailen interacts with her surroundings when there. She is still very aware of keeping close to me (which I love) but she is far more adventurous of going down the slide by herself, climbing to get to the slide by herself and swinging on the big kids swing. All good things.

I am so enjoying watching these little ones grow up. Cailen is so creative and imaginative and blows my mind with the things she says and does and the songs she makes up. She is able to sing the alphabet in full now and she also knows most of the sounds that letters make and can give you example words. :)

Riley has been walking for a month and a half. Which is right on schedule with Cailen's growth and development. What I wasn't prepared for is Riley is talking. Not just "mama" and "dada." She's actually starting to say "no" when she's doing something she KNOWS she's not supposed to do. She repeats it when someone else says it. (This Cailen never did with NO.) Cailen has always called Play Doh "Doh Doh" and now Riley identifies the dough or the yellow can as "doh doh." Yesterday Riley brought a ball over to me and said "BAH!" and every time she plays with a ball since she says "BAH." It's almost scary. I really never expected her to talk so soon. Oh, yeah and she also mimics "Daddy-o" it sounds more like "day-yo." One night Cailen imitated the train and said "ducka dah choo choo." I can't remember what Riley did but it was clear to me and Kris that she was trying to copy the sound. Crazy right? I almost feel like I won't need to teach Riley the sign language that I did with Cailen. I may still, but....man!

Today I planted some wild flowers, mini sun flowers, lavendar, thyme, and oregano seeds in pots with Cailen. Riley ate a little bit of soil but I think she'll survive? :) We swept the broken glass (well most of it) from the driveway (thank you beer bottle throwing neighbors) and we are thinking about taking out the back part of the driveway to make more grassy play area for the girls. I am thinking of trying to get rid of the weeds that have flanked the back right side of my yard and perhaps put in at least a garden for home grown flowers. I am just so tired of my backyard being primarily asphalt. The lilac bush we planted on our anniversary a couple years ago has grown 4x and already has raspberry size buds on it. I'm SO excited. I think harvesting flowers with my Cailen who loves to say "WOOW! It's so pretty!" will be really fun.

Tomorrow is earth day and the town is going to be celebrating in some form. I seem to remember they had a little "plant a seed" thing for kids last year. I am hoping Cailen will be able to participate this year. So, tomorrow I intend on seeing what the town is doing for it's festivities.

Anyway, HAPPY SPRING. I hope you are all enjoying it as much as I am!

About my two growing girlies.

A little update: things are going well. The girls are growing so quickly!

Riley: began this past month standing up holding onto couches and tables...she's been crawling since 6 months old... She's got two bottom teeth. She's eating all kinds of healthy foods and there's nothing she's refused yet, not even peas. She says MaMA and Dada...and babbles on about countless other things. She's officially "sofa surfing." Yesterday, she decided that she was a big girl enough to stand and NOT hold onto anything several times. So here's my cool little 8 month old standing around in the middle of the floor holding a toy with two hands acting all grown up (not in this picture obviously)...How does time escape us so quickly?

I anticipate she will walk by nine months as Cailen did. So far she's at the same schedule of learning if not slightly ahead on some things! She officially chases the cat around and follows Cailen to where she's playing. She will stand up holding Cailen's kitchen set and try her best to play with her. I didn't realize this time would come so soon when they would actually play together. It's awesome!

Unfortunately in Riley's haste to become an independent standing baby, on thursday, she was holding Cailen's wooden chair one handed and fell sideways, face first into the front of the chair...She cut her lip and ripped open her top gum exposing half of the front of the top tooth that had just been beginning to cut through the gum that morning....That was quite traumatic for me (and only slightly for her! She only cried like 45 seconds...) and very bloody. She seems to be healing quickly and the Doctor says it should be fine....*phew*

Cailen is a little ham. She dances and sings. She's got her alphabet song just about perfected. She can count to ten. She constantly invents new songs to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle. She is so wonderful to her baby sister and has really been very big about sharing with her. She does need redirection at times but she so proudly changes her disposition and will hand a toy to Riley and say "Look Riley share!" They love to tumble together on the floor. Just when I think Cailen may be too rough in laying on her or whatever Riley is laughing hysterically. (Obviously they still need to be monitored with that!) One of the things we love is when Cailen says to Riley "Rirey YOU ['RE] FUNNY!" and they laugh together...such sillies they are. Last night Cailen saw a 3/4 moon picture and said "Look the moon is broke!"

She was calling my mom "MOM" and me mommy or mama. Now, she calls my mom "Drammy" and me "MOM." It seems like it's not my name and I feel like I have to correct her...I guess I am indeed mom though. She is starting to say people's name and make friends and warm up to people so much faster than she used to which is a very good thing.

After all the b'day parties we've been to these days she sings "Happy TO YOU, Drianna!" all the time, even though it was Elena, not Adrianna that had a party recently. :)

It seems Cailen sees Riley as her peer now. If we refer to Riley as a baby she corrects us and says "No Rirey, Baby Ben."

This past week we (me, kris and Cailen) came down with the stomach bug...in the following days I would ask Cailen if she was feeling okay and she would pull up her shirt a little to show me her belly and say "No, Ein all bedduh!" (I'm all better!) It was very cute and I loved that she thought she had to show me her belly to get that point accross.

I bought Cailen two $1 target bin tutus and a princess sleeping bag and now Cailen loves princesses. We never purposely got her into princesses but as I look around the house there is SO MUCH DISNEY PRINCESS stuff! toothpaste, boots, plates, crayons, it's crazy! It's very cute though to see her get into girly things and wear the tutus and dance around with them....So fun having daughters :)

I am eagerly anticipating spring. I can't wait to take them out for walks and to the park. In the sunshine and fresh air with two little girls to play together. What could be more fun?

A few words in a time of grief.

Thank you all for your prayers and for always asking how my family was doing in the past few months.

My nephew Skylar Dylan Morris was born at 11:15am yesterday weighing 8lbs 2 oz. and he went home to be with Jesus, at 1:05pm, where his little body will know no pain or suffering and where he will be comforted by his Heavenly Father.

Though my sister-in -law had to have a c-section she was able to spend very precious time with her son before God called him home which in itself was a huge answer to prayer as c-sections take about an hour away from a mom in seeing her baby. Randy and Marcia were able to have both of their parents there to meet their baby while he was here. I know my parents were so blessed to know their grandson while he was here, they were overjoyed to be a part of his short life and so very proud. I was privileged enough to hear his voice over the phone. That in itself was a miracle for me, something I never expected.

It has been difficult for the whole family but there were certainly prayers answered in this situation. I know Randy and Marcia's faith has been a very strong testimony to so many people and I know that lives will be touched and have been touched by the life, though short, of this sweet little boy.

Randy and Marcia unselfishly and lovingly decided it would be best to donate Skylar's heart to help another family who I pray will be blessed by their gift. In the eyes of another family unknown to us, I'm sure Skylar's short life was a miracle though bitter sweet. God's ways are not our ways but we know that He is good all the time. In all things we will rejoice though we may cry. Please pray for the family who will receive this donation. Pray for a perfect match for the baby that is in need out there. Pray that they would know Jesus in their own struggles and victories.

This whole thing has been a whirl wind of emotions. There are so many thoughts on my mind and on my heart. Grief too much to talk more about or imagine how my brother and wife are feeling. Please continue to pray for my family as this healing process begins. Please pray for peace, peace that surpasses all understanding. Please also remember my niece Maddi and nephew Todd as they will soon try to make sense of this in their young minds and hearts.

Sincerely,
me