Catching up with the Lyman's

I've been BAD. I haven't blogged in MONTHS. Since Riley was SEVEN months old. Now she is ELEVEN and a HALF months old. I cheated today though, I posted a blog about her 8th month, that I wrote forever ago. I didn't add anything except a picture, but I wanted to post it. I mean I did take the short time to write the short post.

How have I missed that many months of blogging? August was my last blog and it wasn't even about Riley. It was about the sweet handsome husband of mine and his sweet croaked smile. I love him. He's adorable. He's sweet. He's loving. BEST of all, he's MINE. All mine to love forever. I swear I could kiss his cheeks all day. His and Riley's. I am not sure whose are a better snack. I have to be a bit biased and say probably Riley's. Why? Because she is a piece of him. So when I snack on her cheeks, I get the best of both worlds. Her cheeks are juicy. Full. Sweet. Loving. Completely and totally sugary. and FLAWLESS. They are the most perfect little things I've ever made. and I love her. I obsess over her.

She's currently battling a double ear infection, a horrid cough, and a runny runny nose. But you know? She's a champ. She's fighting it and battling it and being my usual happy baby, who naps a little more than normal these days. But that's what sick babies do. They play and sleep. There's little room for eat in her schedule right now. But I make sure to shove liquids down her throat like an first time worried momma does. But she seems fine. Fever seems to be broken and gone. David and I celebrated that. It's been FIVE long days with a fever.

 Where have I been? You may ask, and if you don't I'll tell you anyways. I've been busy. I've been loving on a pigtail, bow wearing baby.
Busy being a MOM, a WIFE, and a HARDWORKING CONTRIBUTING MEMBER TO SOCIETY. A lot has changed since I've last blogged. The seasons have changed, the stage in Riley's life, my job has changed, the amount of months I've been married has changed. Almost 18 months. BEST 18 MONTHS OF MY LIFE. The progress on my parent's house has change. The news. Everything. Life is continually changing.
But change is good and very worth it. I have enjoyed every step of change while not blogging about it. I do feel quiet bad about that, but I also have to make time for important things in my life. Is blogging important? More important than spending time with my family? Probably not. But I need to find time for it, because one day, I'll be glad I did. So here I am, sneaking in a blog while Riley naps and David watches TV, on this grey, cold, winter day in December. December 15th 2012 to be exact. TEN days before Christmas.

So, I'll bring you up to date on Riley. PS SHE'S HUGE. Almost a year old kind of HUGE.

Since Month 8, she's done a lot of growing and a lot of learning. David and I both have done a lot of that too.

Riley's Milestones

1) In Mid-October, she FINALLY mastered the "army crawl". That alone moved her from the "infant" section to the "toddler" section at McLeod Nursery. That was a bittersweet day for me.
2) On October 16th, she got her FIRST tooth. One tooth. The bottom left tooth. Most babies get the first two on the bottom together. She only got one.
3) She has learned several words but also continues to babble on a daily basis.
4) She is ATTACHED to her Minnie Doll, which she calls "baby" and can actually say the word "baby".
5) At times she will also call herself "bebe" when looking at herself in the mirror. I'll ask her if she is "playing with the baby in the mirror" and she will look at the mirror and say "bebe". She's a sponge taking it all in and learning lots of new things.
6) In November, she started a new FULL day daycare. This is where she has been learning and growing so much.
7) In November, she figured out how to get her knees and hands coordinated to "big girl" crawl but would only do it for 3 or so steps. David and I said from there it would only be a matter of time before she was crawling everywhere.
8) In mid-November she started to try and "big girl" crawl even more. It wasn't until the Tuesday before Thanksgiving that she really started to "big girl" crawl EVERYWHERE. Like following David and I around the house, her teachers at daycare and the other crawlers in her class around as well.
9) The Monday after Thanksgiving. We started her on the toddler schedule. Meaning she eats table food. The Wednesday after starting that, she got her second bottom tooth, which is coming in VERY croaked but so cute.
10) Last week, she got her first top tooth. Again, just one. Top left.
11) You can see and feel her top right front tooth and also her top left "vampire" tooth  as we call it.
12) She has MASTERED pulling up and sitting back down. She crawls all over the house, pulls up on stuff and then sits down to crawl somewhere else. She follows us EVERYWHERE. No leaving the room and knowing she will be right there, she is always a few crawls behind us.
13) She loves to hear the front door open and crawl into the kitchen to go greet daddy when he gets home and cry if he doesn't pick her up fast enough.
14) She loves her daddy so much.
15) She laughs when I tell her no. So not cool.
16) She continues to sleep through the night, unless she is sick, and only takes one nap a day, again unless she is sick or growing.
17) This week, I've taught her to clap and give high fives. The high fives are still a work in progress. But she's learning.
18) Whenever we say "yayyyy Riley" she puts her arms up in the air and smiles and giggles. People think she does it to be picked up but she really does it to hear you say "Yayyy Riley"
19) She hates anything to drink but milk. She makes keeping her hydrated VERY hard at times.
21) She loves babies and I honestly think she believes babies are God's gift to her.
22) She celebrated two hoildays since September. Halloween and Thanksgiving. She spent her first Halloween being a pumpkin and did a parade at daycare. She loved it.
20) She continues to be a happy go lucky, easy baby, and the light of our lives. We are both equally obsessed with her and can't imagine life without her. We had date night and a night alone a few weeks back. We were so sad to not wake up to our baby. Safe to say she won't be spending nights away from us for a few more years. We truly enjoy every stage of parenthood and being with OUR baby.

(Kissing the baby in the mirror)

We brought her into this world, We will raise her. We don't enjoy being away from her. Is that weird? Maybe but we both have so much fun with her.  I hate when people think I want to pawn her off for them to raise. If that was the case we wouldn't have gotten pregnant when we did. Just a thought.
We love date nights. We love spending time together, just us two, but we love our baby. We laugh so much with her that sometimes it's
fun to have family date day. David and I focus on each other and her all at the same time. I love that he loves her just as much if not more than I do.





So what have I been up to? I've been changing jobs. I stepped down from my job as "Young fitness Supervisor" as the MACK and took a part time job as a Teller at BB&T. I LOVE IT. Best job I've had yet. I have wonderful co-workers and a super boss. I enjoy it. I still make an occasional appearance at the MACK and will continue to do so until BB&T becomes full time.

So that's all for today. I hope I didn't overload you too much!

Riley says YAY you made it all the way to the end. Claps for you! Sing a round of Patty Cake for Riley. she loves it.
Love from all three of us. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!