Our 1st Tooth

Yep, that's right. Riley is getting her very first tooth already. Looking back, I realize that she's been working on it for some time. She's been drooling and chewing on her fist for the past several weeks. But, it wasn't until this past Tuesday when she started running a low-grade fever (99.5) and was really cranky that I put two and two together. Now, she's chewing on anything she can get into her mouth. If you look closely at her gumline, she has the very tip of the tooth showing. It's tee-tiny, but it's there. She's still cranky and the fever is off and on, but seems to be getting better.

I have no idea how long this will take, but I really miss my sweet, laughing, smiling baby. I hope it doesn't take much longer!

Some new pictures.

I felt it was time to share with everyone some recent photos of our little peanut. Enjoy!

Learning how to use our hands.

Posing for Dad.

Lifting of the head is hard work!

Not so sure what's going on.

She's already learned how to watch television.

We Survived

It happens to the best of us and when it's least expected. We think we're doing great, smooth sailing and then it happens. We become horrible mothers.

For me, that moment came this morning. I was nursing Riley when I noticed her nails were getting a little long. Usually, I just bite them off because she isn't still enough to do it any other way, but lately she's been rejecting that and pulls and cries. So, I decided to just tear them off, like the pediatrician instructed us to do. We did this when she was much smaller, but I'd gotten lazy and the biting thing worked so much better. Besides, they're paper-thin as it is and easy enough to do. Right?

So, nail in hand, baby nursing and quiet, pull nail edge and tear. Nothing to it. Except that the ENTIRE nail came with it!! Well, almost the entire nail, anyway. It's there, hanging on by an edge.

Gasp! Gulp! Oh my GOD! I just tore my daughter's nail off her finger. The WHOLE nail! She's screaming now, I'm freaking out and I'm starting to feel sick to my stomach.

A quick trip to the doctor's office for him to tell me that everything is fine. The nail will eventually fall off and a new one will grow back in a few months. Heart attack averted, but still sweating and nauseous.

Playing Catch-up

Our computer has been on the fritz for the past few days. So, we haven't been able to update like we wanted. Still, we would like to share some pictures from the grandparents' visit last week.

Mamie and Papa swung by for just a night after staying with Terry & Natasha in DC. They brought with them some gifts from Russia by way of Natasha's parents. Riley LOVED the little red doll, as you can see. She was simply transfixed by the color and sound (it had a musical rattle inside). They also sent some russian chocolate and a beautiful pink dress. It was very generous of them.

Gifts aside, it was wonderful to have Carol and Rick in our home. They adore Riley and watching her light up in their arms is magical. We enjoyed a lovely evening catching up on Baby Sasha (Terry & Natasha's little girl). We were sad to see them go in the morning, but we'll see them soon enough again!

July 4th

Fourth of July was quite the adventure for our little peanut. We travelled west to visit Matt & Rachel (and soon-to-be little Gregory) for the weekend. Somehow, we made it out to Rutherfordton in under 4 hours. The most amazing (and wonderful) part was that not only did Riley sleep the entire way, but she also did not cry one bit when put in her carseat. Those who have not yet witnessed her screams of rage should know that a carseat is apparently a peanut's worst nemesis. Still, we all survived the trip.

Matt & Rachel were wonderfully gracious hosts. Their home was beautiful and their hospitality amazing (as always)! We enjoyed a cookout shared with Matt, Rachel and Matt's parents on Friday. We caught glimpses of the local county fireworks display from the front porch. Matt even dared to set off his own display in spite of the risk of burning down his farm. It was a good thing he thought enough to have a bucket of water nearby to douse the few flames that we did manage to catch.

Saturday found us enjoying the color and culture of Asheville! The art galleries alone were amazing. Not to mention all the cute little niche shops and super nice people. I'm still working on getting Ian to move out there. Maybe one day...

We ate at the Laughing Seed, an all vegetarian restaurant after we discovered that everything closed by 2pm only to reopen for dinner at 5pm. We should have planned better. Who knew that 3pm is an odd time for lunch. It was delicious anyway and we walked away completely stuffed.

Riley was awesome the entire day. When she wasn't sleeping, she was taking in all the sights and sounds around her. It was like her little head was on a swivel. All the bright colors in the art galleries had her mesmerized. It was awesome to see her so enraptured. By the end of the day, she was completely worn out!

We were sad to see Sunday come so quickly. It was a sleepy, gray day. I suppose that was better than having to be in the car on a bright sunny day. We were glad to be able to visit and share Fourth of July with great friends and only wish we could do it more often!

P.S. Riley is already counting down the days until she gets to meet her future husband little Gregory David Tice!

Bath time

We've been working on a better night time sleep schedule for Riley these past two weeks. One thing we've been told to try is setting up a routine. For us, it has been giving Riley a bath at 8pm, rubbing in some lotion, putting her into pajamas and then rocking her to sleep. She has surprised us by really liking her baths. Although, she's not so sure about putting her feet in the water. She insists on holding them up.


So far, the routine is working. Bath time makes her happy and a happy Riley means everyone wins!

Playdate with a Goose!

Carly and Micaela came over for a playdate today. It was awesome to have some company. Micaela was a little shy at first, but she was eager to hold the baby. And she wasn't playing either! This kid had a grip like a vice. Riley wasn't so sure about the bear hug. Luckily, Micaela's got tough skin so when the baby started crying, she just handed her back to the adults. Smart kid!
The day was gorgeous and we couldn't pass up the opportunity to spend some time outside. We headed out to Bass Lake to soak in some sunshine and found a few friends. A couple of Canadian Geese and their brood were out and about. Luckily, we remembered to bring some bread crumbs to share. Or rather, Micaela did. Riley slept through most of it and was much more concerned about eating than any geese that might be wandering by.