Happy Mother's Day! The year 2014 I have know celebrated my first ever Mother's Day and it was so incredible. My grandmother, mother, two sisters, brother in law, my husband and daughter all gathered at our house to celebrate. All the daughters cooked breakfast and devoured the amazing food over a game of thrones styled table inspired by my husband. He totally turned our pool table into this huge 20 seater table. It was incredible to say the least. After a delicious meal and a very messy Riley, we all played catch phrase and cracked up laughing multiple times. My grandma, sweet granny, who had never played before kept getting the buzzer on her turn. It happened like 5 times in a row. Drew just started pressing the timer again when it would go off so she didn't even know. We all had a good time.
I really just loved being around my daughter and husband on Mother's Day. The original plan was to just have a girls day and the more my sister and I thought about it, it really didn't make sense. Holidays, get togethers primarily should be very inclusive. I felt like I made the plan and it was to exclusive. Now don't get me wrong their is always a time and a place for girls days and guys hang out but this was my first Mother's Day. I think that I lost sight a little when making the plans and didn't really think that I actually really wanted my own little family with me. Sounds crazy but I really had all the focus on my mom and grandma and kind of forgot that I was a mother that could celebrate too. So we all gathered at my place with our families and celebrated together. It was such a wonderful time and I am so blessed. I received so many thoughtful texts from many friends who knew it was my first Mother's Day and I truly appreciated that. I also was able to call my two aunties and wish them a happy Mother's Day and that ended up being a great conversation.
All in all it was a really good time and I am blessed with my little family.
5/15/14
Riley : up on her knees: funny noises: mumumumumum!
On April 6th, Riley's 7 month birthday she rolled from her back to her tummy. She has also been hiking up her knees when on her tummy and rolling on to her back. She makes mama noises when she gets up from naps. Still suck on bottom lip when she is tired. Loves her formula, baby food, rice cereal smoothie and has been sleeping 11 hours a night for 9 days now.
She weighs 15 lbs, well maybe more, wants to grab every, has a tooth coming in that I can feel now and loves her baby Einstein. Everyday she is learning new things and I am so glad I get to see it all.
She loves sucking and chewing on her KTM pacifier, oragel seems to help right now with that.
She likes when I wipe her mouth of and then her hands cuz it tickles. Drew does this hopping around thing that she cracks up at. For the last month she does this backwards scoot thing to get around.
So far she has tried sweet potato, carrot, apricot, pumpkin, apple, banana, blueberry, a little grits and I think that is it.
Still loves blow bubbles with her mouth, likes when I make pee noise when changing her diaper. Cries when she sees the bottle but it's not warmed yet. Cries if she has teething pain.
Grabs things with her feet and passes them to her hands, little monkey.
If she is crying in the car seat or wherever she is because she is tired we give her a blanket and the. She is fine. She makes high pitched screaming noises,
When she wakes up in morning she bangs her feet up and down in the bed.
She weighs 15 lbs, well maybe more, wants to grab every, has a tooth coming in that I can feel now and loves her baby Einstein. Everyday she is learning new things and I am so glad I get to see it all.
She loves sucking and chewing on her KTM pacifier, oragel seems to help right now with that.
She likes when I wipe her mouth of and then her hands cuz it tickles. Drew does this hopping around thing that she cracks up at. For the last month she does this backwards scoot thing to get around.
So far she has tried sweet potato, carrot, apricot, pumpkin, apple, banana, blueberry, a little grits and I think that is it.
Still loves blow bubbles with her mouth, likes when I make pee noise when changing her diaper. Cries when she sees the bottle but it's not warmed yet. Cries if she has teething pain.
Grabs things with her feet and passes them to her hands, little monkey.
If she is crying in the car seat or wherever she is because she is tired we give her a blanket and the. She is fine. She makes high pitched screaming noises,
When she wakes up in morning she bangs her feet up and down in the bed.
4/3/14
7 months ~~Homemade Baby Food
Riley will be turning 7 months this weekend-how is that even possible? Last week we made homemade baby food with our Mentor Mom, Laura that I was set up with through Sandals Church and it turned out great. We made sweet potato and carrots. We ended up making a ton and it was super cheap, way easier, and economically friendly. I have like 60 oz of both in my freezer!
Ingredients:
A bundle of carotts
2 large sweet potatoes
1. Steam
2. puree with liquid in blender
3. Spoon into containers
It really is that easy!
Ingredients:
A bundle of carotts
2 large sweet potatoes
1. Steam
2. puree with liquid in blender
3. Spoon into containers
It really is that easy!
Still not really sure if she likes carrots yet.
We will just keep on though; I don't want a picky girl!
She will be who she is going to be though in the end. Look at this face!
Some other great products I am wanting to try though would be BeechNut and Earth's Best. Theses are two baby food products that I am interested in. They have some pretty yummy combinations that I want to introduce to Riley.
Until next time...Blessings on your day :)
3/2/14
A lover of your presence...Inspired by Bryan and Katie Torwalt
I just found this couple online, Bryan and Katie Torwalt. They are a married couple who worship Jesus together, making beautiful music.
When in doubt, when not feeling it, sit, worship and just be. I sure feel better, and funny that worship is completely taking the focus off of ourselves and putting it completely on Jesus. That makes us feel better and more complete. Fixing our eyes, thoughts, and words on Jesus makes us feel more whole, rejuvenates and fills us up. We are meant to fix our eyes not on ourselves but something bigger than ourselves; God.
Pause. And enjoy Jesus.
That is all.
When in doubt, when not feeling it, sit, worship and just be. I sure feel better, and funny that worship is completely taking the focus off of ourselves and putting it completely on Jesus. That makes us feel better and more complete. Fixing our eyes, thoughts, and words on Jesus makes us feel more whole, rejuvenates and fills us up. We are meant to fix our eyes not on ourselves but something bigger than ourselves; God.
Pause. And enjoy Jesus.
That is all.
2/24/14
9.6.13 to 2.23.14 **RileyMae**
Little Miss Riley Mae is 5 1/2 months. I wanted to give some updates on where she is in her development as well as some pictures. I originally started this blog as a way to track my pregnancy and motherhood; somewhat of an online baby book, but it has turned in to so much more! I thought I would get back to more of an actual real update on Little Miss Mae.
Biggest news is she is eating baby food. I introduced carrots a couple weeks ago and to my surprise she really liked them. I had read on a few different sites that you could introduce food as early as 4 months, other sites completely forbid it. I have learned, in my short time of being a mother, you just kind of go with it. I can only research so much before I just decide on my own. Riley was definitely ready though to for her palate to experience some new flavors. She had been reaching for our food and following it with her eyes for some time now. She had tried carrots, green beans and sweet potatoes. So far sweet potatoes seem to be her favorite. I am still primarily giving her milk, but I am slowly giving her little tastes of different foods here and there.
She has been rolling over since the 6th of this month. The only reason I remembered that is because she was exactly 5 months when she did it. That made it easy. Now she constantly rolls over any chance she gets. She has only rolled once though from her back to stomach. That seems to be a lot harder than stomach to back rolling.
She can sit up for about 30 seconds to a minute without falling to one side. As long as she has a toy in front of her to reach for she seems to stay up longer.
She is definitely in that stage now where anything and everything in reach she grabs and immediately goes in her mouth.
She still loves her feet so much. If she is on her back those feet are in her hands and she is a "happy baby." Yoga has that appropriately named.
Her baby einstein bouncer is her favorite to be in. So many activities and things to reach for, really keeps her entertained and challenged. She has recently discovered that her chair rotates 360 degrees, so now she is all over that thing. She bounces up and down like there is a trampoline under her; it cracks me up.
The last 4 days she has really been teething bad. I hope she is close to them cutting through. I have been giving her tylenol so that she actually sleeps through the night, or else we both are up every two hours. All she wants to do is nurse because I think it makes her gums feel better. She has been biting and gnawing on anything I give her and her gums are red and a little swollen. I am hoping that they will be coming any day now because I feel so bad for her.
It is funny to me how she already is bored with certain toys. I will be holding her in the morning at the table eating with drew and have her toy and a cup of coffee there, which one does she want? The cup of coffee...
She takes 3 naps a day for about 45 minutes. Her bedtime is between 6pm-6:30pm. She wakes up at 5:30am and when she is tired she sucks on her bottom lip. That is her pacifier.
Biggest news is she is eating baby food. I introduced carrots a couple weeks ago and to my surprise she really liked them. I had read on a few different sites that you could introduce food as early as 4 months, other sites completely forbid it. I have learned, in my short time of being a mother, you just kind of go with it. I can only research so much before I just decide on my own. Riley was definitely ready though to for her palate to experience some new flavors. She had been reaching for our food and following it with her eyes for some time now. She had tried carrots, green beans and sweet potatoes. So far sweet potatoes seem to be her favorite. I am still primarily giving her milk, but I am slowly giving her little tastes of different foods here and there.
She has been rolling over since the 6th of this month. The only reason I remembered that is because she was exactly 5 months when she did it. That made it easy. Now she constantly rolls over any chance she gets. She has only rolled once though from her back to stomach. That seems to be a lot harder than stomach to back rolling.
She can sit up for about 30 seconds to a minute without falling to one side. As long as she has a toy in front of her to reach for she seems to stay up longer.
She is definitely in that stage now where anything and everything in reach she grabs and immediately goes in her mouth.
She still loves her feet so much. If she is on her back those feet are in her hands and she is a "happy baby." Yoga has that appropriately named.
Her baby einstein bouncer is her favorite to be in. So many activities and things to reach for, really keeps her entertained and challenged. She has recently discovered that her chair rotates 360 degrees, so now she is all over that thing. She bounces up and down like there is a trampoline under her; it cracks me up.
The last 4 days she has really been teething bad. I hope she is close to them cutting through. I have been giving her tylenol so that she actually sleeps through the night, or else we both are up every two hours. All she wants to do is nurse because I think it makes her gums feel better. She has been biting and gnawing on anything I give her and her gums are red and a little swollen. I am hoping that they will be coming any day now because I feel so bad for her.
It is funny to me how she already is bored with certain toys. I will be holding her in the morning at the table eating with drew and have her toy and a cup of coffee there, which one does she want? The cup of coffee...
She takes 3 naps a day for about 45 minutes. Her bedtime is between 6pm-6:30pm. She wakes up at 5:30am and when she is tired she sucks on her bottom lip. That is her pacifier.
