Halloween Hostess and Swing Extraordinaire!

Happy Fall! It is finally getting chilly here in San Francisco and we are loving it! Getting ready to leave the house now means putting even more layers of ridiculously cute clothing onto Riley's pudgy, squirmy, and soft little body! One of my favorite things in the world is Riley in tights.

To see all of our pictures from the past month, click here...

This Halloween Riley hosted a party for her friends and showed her true colors, pitching a fit upon the arrival of her buds, followed by a nap halfway through the party! We even got a few pictures of all of the babies slowly melting down on the couch before we headed out the door to trick or treat. It was definitely a party for the parents more than the babies but it was really nice to celebrate a 1st Halloween with friends...it was all the more special for us since Riley didn't know the difference from any other day!

Since the end of October we've been missing our mom friends who have mostly returned to work, so Riles and I have been scoping out new things to do and have been getting into a wonderful routine of meeting Ramsey at a different playground every afternoon when he is out of work and Riles is about ready to call it a day. Around 4:00pm we head out in the stroller or the car and hit up the swings at one of the many playgrounds within 10 minutes of our house. Ramsey and I get a hot tea at a cafe, put Riles on the swings, and talk about our days while taking

turns making Riley giggle. It is a great way to come together at the end of a day and keep Riley distracted and busy during the "witching hour" just before bath/bedtime. She absolutely loves the swings and would stay on them for hours if we didn't get worried about her getting cold once the sun sets!

We also made a trip to visit Riley's Tete and Grandmommy in Elk Grove one weekend this month, which was a short but sweet trip for us. Riley got to show off her new skills (eating, sitting up, growling, etc.) and get endless cheers and kisses from her adoring grandparents! She also had a nice visit with her aunties Diana and Georgette and her Aunt Mar and Uncle Vince. We are so lucky that Riley has so many people to love her.

As usual we are still loving swim class, enjoying runs in the park, attending a mom/baby dance workout class (I have no rhythm), and are considering a music class for the winter as a way to get Riley out of the house on rainy days and into something new with other babies and kids. We are also excited to check out some readings at local bookstores and libraries and any other adventures that come our way this season! Most importantly, I'm counting down the days until I can begin to share my excitement about the big man in the red suit headed down from the North Pole...it would a little pathetic to begin my Christmas obsessions before Thanksgiving!!

Hope ever

yone is having a wonderful Fall and that we will get to enjoy the season with some of you in the coming weeks and months.

Mamamama Babababa Aaarrrgghhhhhhh!!

At 6 1/2 months and 15.5 lbs, Riley is officially a personality to be reckoned with! It seems like overnight she has doubled her neurological capabilities...and I'm not bragging because I see it happening in all of the babies her age! It is like overnight she becomes more and more her own little person.

Talking is one of her favorite things to do and we love chiming in...some favorites right now are "mamamama" and "babababa", with the occasional growl still thrown in. Morningtime is the best time to catch Riley chatting, especially when she eats. I usually sit her up in her blue Bumbo seat and put her bib on her, at which point she knows what is coming. She starts swaying back and forth or beating her chest with her arms. Once she takes her first spoonful of food she usually swallows it and then babbles away, spraying leftover remains of the food from her mouth all over the place!

Food in itself has been a new adventure too...we started with bananas, then moved to avocado, sweet potato, and now peas. I use an amazing little machine that steams, purees, and reheats food all in one and I store her little meals in baby food ice tray that has a lid to keep things fresh. At mealtime all I have to do is pop out a cube and defrost it! While at first it was a bit sad for me to give Riley "real" food, I'm more and more excited now because I see how much she enjoys it and she seems to really be satisfied afterwards. It only makes up part of 1 to 2 meals per day for her, but it has been a great start.

As for activities, we've been pretty busy lately...it has been an interesting month because we are transitioning from hanging out with our regular mom's group a few days per week to only seeing them once in awhile. Most of the moms are now returning to work and that leaves Riley and I on our own to find new adventures in the city and take advantage of all of our time together during the day. So, I've gotten back to running with her in our neighborhood, hitting up local playgrounds for those infant swings, walking around to look at flowers and people and places, continuing our swim class with our friends Chantal and Fenn, and participating in a weekly Mom/Baby Dance workout class taught by a mom in our group who is a ball-room dancer. All of the activities provide something new for Riles to look at, feel, hear, and enjoy, and they give me a way to get out with her and feel like I'm teaching her and enjoying our city together in a meaningful way.

Finally, with Fall in full force (kind of), I'm reminded of how much I miss a true fall like people get in so many parts of the country. The colorful leaves, the brisk mornings, and the smell of the breeze each day signal the coming change to winter. These things also tend to keep people indoors more, which is when I realize if I have anything to be thankful for with a baby it is the mild climate here. When I miss the Fall most I remind myself of all of the things Riley and I can do all day long without worrying about rain, cold and wind...so we put on our T-shirts and sunglasses and walk outside to make the most of it!

We've got a lot of new photos of the past few weeks, so check them out.

Click here to see photos.

Happy 6 Month Birthday Riley !

In honor of Riley's upcoming 6 month birthday on the 13th, and because of her constant reaching for squeeling for, and grinning at OUR food lately, we decided to give Rileygirl her first taste of solid food...in a mashed up, pureed form anyways! I think she liked it...

First Solid Food!

Our Elf in her Redwood Forest

I’ve never considered myself an “outdoorsman” (or woman) but I have enjoyed my share of camping trips, hikes in the woods, and outdoor adventures…particularly over the past 8 years in which I’ve called California my home. Ramsey is slightly more enthused about the importance of squeezing backpacking into our family life, so he and I recently took a leap and decided to take Riley on her first overnight camping trip!

For pictures of our trip click here.

We headed down the California coast to a beautiful spot tucked in the enormous redwood trees in Big Basin State Park. Together, with our friends Mike and Brig, we enjoyed a calm afternoon and evening of setting up tents, starting a nice campfire, playing some guitar, and cooking a tasty meal of burgers, dogs, kebobs and corn on the cob. The weather was perfect (brisk but sunny) and Ramsey and I agreed we had made the right choice to take Riley with us. We even made a little “sleeping bag” for her out of her stroller bundler and we dressed her in many layers before putting her down under the open sky…

Surprisingly, she slept like a champ! She went down around her usual time of 6pm and slept perfectly still until around 10pm when we decided to call it a night ourselves. She stirred for awhile after that, finally aware that she was nowhere near her cozy little crib at home, but we eventually got her back down to sleep from midnight to 6am by feeding her and trading her between our sleeping bags to let her know we were right there with her.

Looking back, it was a worthwhile trip and made me consider a few things about parenting. First, sometimes we have to do things for ourselves even when they aren’t necessarily easy or enriching for our children (Riley will not remember this camping trip but we sure will!). Second, having wonderful supportive friends to share such experiences with makes it all the more worthwhile. Third, even though I didn’t sleep due to nursing and checking on Riley, those moments of cuddling with my little 14 pound bundle of gummy grins aren’t going to last forever, so I’m enjoying them while I can :)

Chompers and the Shenandoah Valley

At just 5 and a half months our little girl has two teeth...and I'm not bragging. Seriously, this is one of those developmental milestones I could have had a bit of a delay with, given the aches and pains to be felt by both Riley and myself (still breastfeeding) by those little pearly whites! Plus, I've found myself getting pangs of sadness when I realize that Riley's perfect gummy grin is not something that I'll be able to wake up to in the morning forever...she'll get teeth, start walking, grow out of her crib and our cuddles, and eventually be speaking to me as a teenager with major attitude...whoa.

To see pictures of Riley throughout the past month or so, click here...
Back to reality...we've had a great month or so. On weekends

we've enjoyed family walks to local breakfast spots in Noe Valley and Bernal, checking out the new Whole Foods Market in our neighborhood (yes, finally!!), and listening to music at the free bluegrass festival in Golden Gate Park. During the week Riles and I keep busy with swim class on Mondays (they wore goggles this week to keep the water out of their eyes:)), trips to the gym, an upcoming mom/baby workout class hosted by a Mom's Group buddy, and various walks around the city depending on the day. I've also settled into a nice work routine that allows me to keep in touch with some clients, help kids out 1 on 1, and give Riley a little time alone with Dad to hang out. I cannot express how lucky I feel that I can balance my job and my daughter in my life in such a perfect way.

One big adventure this month was a trip back to the East Coast (Virginia to be exact) to celebrate the retirement of my fantastic Dad. I love my family and it was a lot of fun for Riley to spend time with her Uncle Ryan (who luckily lives right here in SF), Gammy, Pop Pop, and my brother Jake and his wife Andrea and their kiddos (Jaker, Gabs and Joey). In addition to being the last stay for all of us in the house in Virginia as a family, it was a chance for Riley to meet her cousins, watch their wild ways, and spend quality time with my parents. Without going on and on, all I can say is that we celebrated my dad's ability to balance work and personal life in such a way that neither part of his life felt cheated by the other. While his work community knew his family was his priority, they spoke so highly of his drive and his inspiration to so many by example. At the same time, at home we knew that our achievements, follies, bad hair days and after-dinner walks were far more important than anything that had to do with his job. Words can't express how lucky I feel to have had such a model of marriage, fathering, leading, and humility...

Finally, Rileygirl has gone and grown two TEETH! Upon arrival in Virginia she literally sprouted one tooth and started on another. She hasn't really shown many signs of teething, other than some unusually fussy evenings and a hot spell here and there. She has continued to "wow" us with her constant smiles, flexibility with traveling and schedules, and great sleeping habits. I'm sure we are in for it come adolescence.

Jess, not sure what happened, but while you were at work, Riley managed to walk over to the computer, log onto her own blog, and post this video. She's such a tricky little love...Rams

A Trip to the Zoo and more...

This week Riley and I went on a trip to the San Francisco Zoo with our buddies Marcia and Gigi. It made me appreciate things in a new way and really gave me one of those "aha" moments in which I realized I am "livin the dream", as my husband would say. First of all, it was a free museum day, which occurs at all San Francisco museums once monthly and allows people like me to check out museums with Riley without paying for it...a handy thing for a mom with an unpredictable little one who my not be "into" the zoo on any given day! Second, it was one of those clear, sunny San Francisco days when I couldn't believe this was my city...blue skies, sunny, 80 degrees out, ocean view. Finally, it was a weekday, when nothing but moms were at the zoo, and Marcia and I fit right in with our little ones, just happy to spend the afternoon strolling them around and pointing out the sights. So, it was at the end of that day that I realized I have it pretty good if I get to spend my days like this with such a cool little kid on my hip!

Riley has been thriving as usual, shooting up like a bean stalk and yapping away at everyone in sight. She has mastered the art of putting everything into her mouth, continues to drool like a champ, and has of late begun to spook herself at night by rolling over in her crib from back to front or to the side! She absolutely LOVES to stand while we hold her little hands and I think she likes music a lot...we've made morning music and singing a part of our daily wake up call! She is still eating well and althoug

h some of her friends in our birth class are starting to eat solid foods, I'm holding off while I can as long as she is getting enough and I"m conveniently her food source! Most importantly, Riley has begun to really establish a bedtime routine...we bath her nightly (which she loves so much that she growls and coos the entire time...all the way through the lotion massage and pj time), followed by a book and a bottle with Daddy, and a goodnight kiss from us both. Randomly we decided to put her down hours earlier one day and found it to help her sleep through the night like nothing else. How counter-intuitive...put them to bed earlier and they sleep LATER??? Yes, she is sleeping a total of about 12 hours at night, only waking up once to eat. WE LOVE OUR LITTLE SLEEPER!!!

So, things are great here and we are just bouncing, singing, laughing, growling, and occasionally yawning through our busy days as Riley approaches 5 months of age...unbelievable.

Morning Girl in Polka Dots

We recently purchased a "jumparoo" from Target...one of the those toys that we thought we'd never give in and buy because A) We don't have room, and B) We'll keep Riley busy and stimulated all day long...needless to say, that is much easier said than done. After weeks of Riley's endless standing routines and her increasing ability to move around while standing (holding our hands of course) and hold her head up the whole time, I thought a jumper of some sort might be good for her.

What I've now learned is that this jumparoo thing is not only good for Rileygirl...it is amazing for her mother! The other morning she jumped around for 45 minutes straight while I did work on the computer, showered, did laundry, and just kept busy around her. Usually Riley is a mellow baby but like all babies she likes attention and interaction, so it is great to know that she now has a way to interact with something and get exercise while I get stuff done! This video was taken around 9am when she was full-speed ahead, and wearing a ridiculously cute outfit from her Gammy! (because we all like to put on stripes and polka dots first thing in the morning and jump around!)

Mr. Elephant

So, we have these cool black and white flashcards that we've been showing Riley lately for kicks and she loves them. We usually show them to her like we would a book, saying something about what is on the card and then letting her hold it or grab for it. The cards have really bold pictures of animals on them and this week Riley began cackling out loud whenever Ramsey would go through the cards with her. We aren't sure what it is, but we wonder if babies all over the place find this kind of this as hysterical as Riley does!

Couch Time With Dad...

Back in the Saddle Again...

We've had a busy week or so here in Musallam Munchkin land...the weather has gone through some crazy changes, from sunny and 70's to 50's in one day...we are counting down the days until Ramsey goes back to work with the kiddos...we purchased a 2nd car for our little family...and I've returned back to work officially (though only two afternoons per week!).

Needless to say, its been hectic around here but we've captured some cute pictures of Riley and are excited to see what comes next with her. She is officially giggling, growling, cooing, drooling, and hollering up a storm! She has developed an ability to sleep for 8 hours per night (in one stretch), which is a lovely gift for us, her adoring but puffy-eyed parents!

We are looking into upcoming meetings with our moms group, riley's 4 month doctor's checkup tomorrow, a "camping" trip with our friends MIke and Brig, and possible mom/baby swim lessons during the week if we can get in for September. A lot going on, lots of fun, and a growing little girl!

You'll notice our photos are now through Flickr, so things may look a bit different but are pretty much the same. Enjoy!

Check out our photos here...

Bathtime giggles video...August 17, 2009

True Colors

So, as Riley approaches her 4 month birthday, she is showing us some of the more typical baby behaviors that we had only heard about from other parents in the past. Things like fussiness, fighting naptime, unpredictability in eating/sleeping, and inconsistent eating habits were mythical baby behaviors that Ramsey and I have assumed were out of the question for our little angel...until now!

Although Riley is still cute as a button, smiley with all living things, cuddly and generally a great baby, she has begun to test us a bit lately. One big contributing factor is probably the fact that she is teething, obvious by her new ability to find room in her mouth for just about anything! From cloth blankies and passies to plastic and rubber toys, if it passes by the general vicinity of her mouth, it is in there! Her favorite teething toy is "Sophie the Giraffe", whom you will see in pictures and is the new craze here in San Francisco...as we walked by a couple with a 1 1/2 year old today they said hello to Riley and then also to Sophie.

Aside from sketchy sleep at night and some fussiness, we've had a great week or two with our little kiddo. We spent some time with the Musallams in Elk Grove to celebrate Riley's TeTe's birthday, as well as Great Auntie Diana's birthday. It was wonderful seeing her with family that hadn't met her yet and as usual, Tete and Grandmommy welcomed us into their home, filled us up with delicious food, and snuck Riley out of our hands for strolls around the pond and quiet time in the sun.

Finally, a treasure that Riley and I have grown to love is our weekly meeting with our Mom's and Babies group, established from the couples in our birth class this Spring. There are 7 babies in all and we meet weekly to chat, play with the kids, and discuss the developmental patterns we are seeing in our little ones. Motherhood can be pretty overwhelming and it has become a lifesaver knowing that at least once a week we'll all get to get a little bit of advice and support from people in our shoes. And, let's not lie...it is pretty hilarious to line up 7 babies together and see what they do with one another!

To see the lates pictures of Riley, our family, and our friends, click here.

Watch a video of Riley!
Where the Wild Things Are...

Summer Fun...

To see some recent photos click here

Since returning from Florida we've had a great time just hanging out on our own as a little family of three. We enjoyed a little ride to Santa Cruz with Uncle Ryan and Andi, a visit with our Minnesota buddies Nick and Michelle, and a three day last-minute trip to Santa Barbara! It has been special to have so much time while Ramsey is on summer break and although he is working his tail off to complete his doctorate in the next year, we really feel as if we are "living the dream" until work resumes as usual at the end of August.

Our trip to Santa Barbara was decided on a whim when we returned from the warmth of visiting friends and family in Elk Grove to the chilly fog of summertime in San Francisco. To escape the cold, we drove 6 hours south on the coast to the town of Montecito, just south of Santa Barbara. Aside from the cool fact that Oprah vacations there and Micheal Jackson's Neverland Ranch is in the area, we stayed at a really cool Inn that happened to be the getaway dream of Charlie Chaplin himself! Built in the 1920's, the Montecito Inn still maintains the architectural and interior design of the era, so it was like stepping back in time (it even had one of those old elevators with the metal gate and glass door)! It was also Riley's first overnight stay in a hotel, and she was fantastic...clearly a lover of traveling!!

We did a lot of walking, took in some great food at local restaurants, shopped on State Street in Santa Barbara, and stopped at Neverland Ranch on the way home to take some photos and enjoy the scenery of wine country. All the while, Riley had our attention with her laughs, smiles, and charming little personality! She is changing everyday and is so much more alert and aware, so she responds to our silly faces and singing and reaches out to grab things that have her attention.

I can't beleive she is almost 4 months old!!

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N...in the summer time!

Well, Riley is now 3 1/2 months old and we've had quite the life for the past month or so! Riley and I headed home to Amelia Island, FL on June 9th to visit my family (her Gammy and Pop Pop) and get in some much needed time in the summer sun. It was a wonderful trip filled with bathtime with Gammy, drives with Pop Pop, a fair share of fried southern favorites and raw oysters by the dozen, hours swimming and lounging poolside, a fantastic 4th of July parade, and a visit with the Austins, Manchirs, and a few dear friends.

As we spent our 4 weeks in Florida it was amazing to see the changes in Riley. She began to smile more frequently and recognize faces...mainly mine and Ramsey's...as well as voices. Riley's newest "trick" is that she can stand up while we hold her hands. She does this for as much as 10 minutes at a time and I think she enjoys it because she can look around and check things out (we gave her the nickname "nosey nellie" in Florida because of her tendency to snoop around at everyone). She also began the drooling/bubbles phase, which I'm guessing is an early sign of teething beginning. We also noticed that Riley gained about a pound and a half while on vacation...clearly she enjoyed herself!!

While it is always difficult to leave family that is far away, I'm always reminded of how lucky we are to be able to visit with them for so long in the first place, and how special it is to share these little milestones of Riley's with them. The opportunity for them to see her day to day allows them to take part in watching her grow and also allows them to really develop a special relationship with Riley, which is something to be treasured for sure. We love our Gammy and Pop Pop!

To see more pictures from our vacation, click here.

Rockstar Hair!

So, even though I just updated the blog a couple days ago, I went with Riley to our mother's group today and there were so many compliments about her "voluminous" hair that I felt I should provide some more photos...there are also some of her at the doctor's office being a fantastic patient! She is now at 10 lbs even and 22.5 inches long...destined to be tall and fabulous at whatever her heart desires!

Click here to see the latest photos...

The Social Butterfly...with Rockstar Hair!

As I write this I just can't believe Riley is 7 weeks old! Ramsey and I find ourselves watching in amazement as she gets bigger, stronger, and more opinionated by the day...I think she takes after her mother in this last area! We absolutely LOVE being Riley's mom and dad and we laugh when we try to remember how we filled the hours and minutes of each day before she came into our lives.
Click here to see the latest photos of Riley!
Riley made the rounds this week to many social events, was hugged and held by friends and family alike, and proved once again to be a very mellow, social baby. She is really starting to smile at people now, and often sits in my arms just staring up at me with those huge blue eyes...for the first time it really seems like she recognizes Ramsey and I as her parents by our voices and our touch.

One particularly exciting outing was to Stinson Beach, CA...a lovely bit of coastline north of the Golden Gate Bridge that often provides a sunny, warm break from the occasional summer fog in San Francisco. There is nothing like waking up on a May morning to find it foggy and 50 degrees outside, then to drive north just 45 minutes to lie in the sand on an 80 degree beach all day...such is the Bay Area weather!! Although Riley's first beach visit was spent sleeping, it was nice for us to get out of the city with her and enjoy the amazing views on Route 1.

The most intriguing thing we noticed about Riley this week is the tendency for her gobs of hair to go in every direction EXCEPT down! No matter how many baths, hair washings, and brushing sessions we seemed to go through, this little girl's hair is destined to be absolutely crazy most of the day. This morning I had a hat on her on the way to the park because of the cold weather, and despite the assumption that the hat would press her hair DOWN, the moment I took it off the entire backside of her noggin went straight up into what we call her "Hipster Rockstar" look...very urban of her. If you look closely you can see the madness for yourself!!

Road Trip!

Photos of our Trip to Elk Grove and the last week with Riley...

Riley took her first overnight trip with us to Elk Grove, CA to visit Ramsey's parents and extended family last week. Like a champ, she slept the entire time in the car on the way there, and then charmed all of her visitors with grins and good humor (while keeping her dad and I up at night of course!). She met her great aunts, Diana and Georgette, for the first time, as well as cousins Rena, Elena, Neal and Ana (who is expecting a 2nd baby this fall...yay!).

Luckily for her dad and I, Riley has been taking bottles like a champ this week. We have started to give her one bottle at bedtime in the evenings...Ramsey takes her into the nursery and rocks her while feeding her and she loves it! She then usually falls asleep for a good 4-5 hours before waking up to nurse again, so it has become a great bedtime ritual that also gets us a bit more sleep before the long night begins.



Another fun event this week was hosting the women and babes from the childbirth prep class that Ramsey and I took during my pregnancy. I invited 6 women and their little ones over to our apartment to relax, snack, and share stories about our first weeks of parenting so far. It has developed into a great support group and I really hope we can continue to function as our own little parents group, getting out and about in the city with each other and chatting about the joys and challenges of parenting thus far. The picture of all the babes was taken on our couch...Riley is the one in the middle showing off her lovely hostess skills...the only one pitching a HUGE fit!!

The First Smile!

Click here to see Riley's photos from this week...

As Riley approached 5 weeks of age this week she hit a big milestone...at least big for her parents...she smiled! It wasn't just the smile she gives when she is nodding off to sleep or filling her diaper, but an actual smile with eye contact! As Ramsey and I sat on the couch with her on my knees looking at us, we were making faces and cooing and all of a sudden she grinned from ear to ear in slow motion. We both immediately started crying, and I was surprised at how emotional I was. I think the smile seemed like the first of many expressions of who she is as an individual, a reminder that she has her own personality that we are just getting to know. Needless to say, we are thrilled and are now constantly trying to get her to smile by doing any number of ridiculous things!!

Another big milestone this week was the fact that Riley took a bottle for the first time. I began pumping so that I could get a break and some extra sleep and so that Ramsey could enjoy feeding his little girl now and then. I was nervous about her taking a bottle the first time and I was shocked when she took it immediately with no argument! I'm excited not only that Ramsey can now see how special feeding time can be, but also that we can get away now and then for a night out and leave Little Miss with her grandparents and a bottle...I'm sure she'll have no problem getting us out of her hair for a bit!

Finally, this week was once again filled with Riley's introduction to many new friends, including some of the little babes from our birth class (we'll be getting together weekly, so I'll be posting plenty of photos of the little ones together). She particularly took to Fenn, the son of our good friends Noah and Chantal, and they actually can be seen holding hands in a photo from this week...obviously busom buddies from the start!

My First Mother's Day...and Riley's 1 Month Birthday!

Click here to see this week's pictures...

I read somewhere recently that babies are only called "newborn" during the first month of life and when I realized Riley will be leaving that category I found myself in my first overly-sentimental-mom moment...crying and wishing she would remain a "newborn" forever! Then, of course, I realized that there will be some things to look forward to in the coming weeks, like longer periods of sleep, more activity and awareness, a possible smile at Ramsey or me, and the continued unveiling of the little personality Riley is developing.

This week marked more visits with friends, including Brigid, Amy and Yaz. Our friends Noah and Chantal had their little boy, Fenn, last week, so Riley and I went to visit and bring lunch...as Chantal said, it was Riley and Fenn's first little "sleepover" together, even though it was at 1 in the afternoon! As we watched both little ones sleep Chantal and I both realized how lucky we are to have great friends who are just embarking on parenthood like we are. Riley also took her first walk in our blue Lascal carrier...and exciting moment for me because I now have a way to carry her which allows me to use my hands freely, unlike the stroller or carseat. After some initial crying, she eventually fell asleep and seemed to be soothed by the bouncing up and down as I walked with her. Finally, this week marked my first Mother's Day, a day to remember for sure!

It began with Ramsey taking Riley first thing in the morning for "time with dad" so that I could get an extra hour or two of sleep...major brownie points for Ramsey!! Upon returning, he and Riley brought me breakfast in bed along with some cards, flowers, and a balloon, all situated so that it looked as if Riley were carrying them! My favorite part of the morning was realizing that Riley's dress was backwards and socks mismatched, then noticing that Ramsey's socks were the same...classic "morning with dad" moment!

We then spent the day at Golden Gate Park lounging in the sun and strolling along the paths. It was a gorgeous day and I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend the day. Our little family of three has many more lazy days in the park to look forward to this Spring and Summer and I can't wait for them!

Happy Mother's Day to all those Moms out there!

Starting to Play!

Riley's Week 3 Photos

This week Riley started to play on her own and have some fun, which is exciting not only for her but for me, since it gives me a chance to put her down during the day outside of naptimes! With a trip to Babies R Us and a generous hand-me-down from our neighbor Silver, Riley has a new playmat and an amazing new mobile for her crib. The most entertaining toy, however, proved to be the mirror we put in her crib...when I put her down for some tummy time in front of it she lay for an entire 20 minutes staring at her reflection (what can we say, she knows a cute kid when she sees one!!).

The most exciting part of Riley's alertness is knowing that this is only the beginning of all of her "firsts" and Ramsey and I will get to watch and wait as she grows day by day right in front of our eyes!

This week also included a visit from our good friends Rajeev and Elita, Marilyn, and Riley's Aunt Mariam and Uncle Vincent. It has been so much fun to introduce her to the people in our lives for the first time.

Riley's First Doctor's Visit

Riley had her first well baby appointment yesterday and we absolutely loved her pediatrician! Not only did she comment on what a "cute kid" Riley is (which we already knew of course!!), but she spent a long time chatting with us and made us feel comfortable and confident as new parents. At 7 lbs 14 oz. Riley is in the 34th percentile in weight, so we are going to work on feeding her as much as possible to get her back to her birth weight of 8 lbs. As for height, she seems to be longer than average at 21.5 inches and her head size is in the 75th percentile (not a shock for those of you who know the Gosa genes...). All in all she was deemed a perfect, healthy baby. Yeah Riley!

Two Weeks Already...

Riley's Week Two Photos



On Monday Riley celebrated her two week birthday...we Gosa's like to celebrate every chance we get! It's been two weeks full of excitement for Riley, Ramsey and me. We enjoyed quality time with Gammy and Pop Pop (Jess's parents) and learned how to get out and about in San Francisco. Some of our favorite activities included shopping at Nordstrom with Gammy (mainly because they have an AMAZING women's lounge for nursing...very convenient for the new mom), eating lunch out at various cafes, frequenting local pizza and burger joints for dinner, and strolling through the mall and Noe Valley window shopping. Gammy and Pop Pop have returned to the East Coast for now and Riley misses them already. They are a blessing in our lives and are present everyday even though they are across the country.

Riley also enjoyed a visit from Te Te and Grandmommy (Ramsey's parents) on Sunday afternoon and hadn't seen them since the day she was born. She was very well-behaved...took a long nap on Te Te's shoulder and even enjoyed a quiet dinner at Haystacks pizzeria before saying goodbye to her grandparents. We look forward to many visits to see them in Elk Grove as well as more opportunities to welcome them into our home here in the city.

Riley Week 1 Photos

Click on the link below to see photos of Riley's first week:

Riley Week 1 Photos

Card from Aunt Vonne

We just received a beautiful card from Jess's Aunt Vonne that we both feel truly encapsulates how we feel about our new little one. It said the following:

SOMEDAY, she'll be a famous pianist

or a high school science teacher.

She'll settle down, marry, have a couple of kids.

Maybe she won't

SOMEDAY, she'll help millions of people

all over the world.

Or maybe she'll travel,

send letters from Africa

or phone you from Rome.

SOMEDAY, she'll be a strong, confident woman...

...but you will always remember

the first time 

you held her in your arms.

SOMEDAY, she'll have her own hopes and dreams,

not knowing that once upon

a quiet time, you closed your eyes

and dreamed

to have her in your life. 

Welcome Riley!

On April 13th, at 8:52am, a healthy, 8 pound, Riley Sarah Musallam was born! We were extremely lucky and honored to have Jess's mom and our Doula present for the birth. Their support, knowledge and constant optimism made all the difference! Riley is blessed to enter the world with two sets of loving Grandparents, 3 Uncles, 2 Aunts, 3 Cousins, and many more loving family members and friends. Yeah Riley!