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!)
Saturday, August 29, 2009
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!
Monday, August 17, 2009
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...
Saturday, August 8, 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...
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