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.