At the park with "Baby Dunc"...

 

Sweet Duncan in the swing...I think he dozed off a few times!



AR loves "baby Dunc" as she calls him...she really takes
care of him!

Looking like such a big girl!!

Where did my little baby go??

I am amazed at how fast time is slipping away.  It seems like just yesterday I was headed home from the hospital with a little baby and in just a little over a month she will be one! 

The weekend

On Saturday, we put on our rain boots and headed to the Barnyard. The Barnyard is usually only open for birthday parties on the weekends but it was open for the public on Saturday so we wanted to take advantage of it but it came a down poor earlier that morning and was muddy.  Anna Riley was so excited to wear her boots!  She LOVES all the animals there and as always she didn't want to leave!  Usually riding the horse is her favorite and that is what she talked about all the way there but once we left, she said it was the baby pig!  She is still talking about it.  She even prayed for it tonight! ;



AK enjoyed the animals too!

Looking for eggs

If you know me, you know I am not the best with animals,
so this was big for me!

After leaving the Barnyard, we went to eat Mexican for lunch!

That night, my Mom and Dad came over for dinner.  Riley grilled a pork tenderloin and we had fried okra, potatoes and Gouda corn and chessecake for dessert!

Sunday, was a big day for both girls because they moved up in their classes at church.  Anna Riley is in an actual Sunday School class now and she was so excited.  She woke up first thing asking about church and her new teachers!  And then proceeded to rush us all morning to get to church!  I love it though!  AND my baby girl moved out of the nursery!!!  She is now in the crawlers class.  I feel like she hasn't even been in the nursery long!  Where has the time gone...she is seriously about to be one! 

Both girls did good in class.  Riley and I had a "social" in our Sunday school and we all brought a brunch dish and we just got to socialize and get to know each other more.  So blessed to be apart of such a great group of people. 

Back to School--First day of 2K!

We had Open House at Anna Riley's preschool on Thursday night and we got to meet her new teacher and aides.  She was so excited for us to come to school with her! :)

She started back to school today and moved up to the 2-K class.  She was so excited and couldn't wait!!  I am so glad that she loves it!  She had a great day...she was all smiles when I went to pick her up!

Swim Lessons

Anna Riley got to take swim lessons again but with Coach Anne during the last week of lessons.  I had planned just waiting until next summer but the spot came open so we went ahead. She only took for 4 days because we just took an open spot so we missed Monday but she learned so much in those 4 days!  Coach Anne is great!  Anna Riley's biggest thing is she HATES going under and by the end of the week, it didn't bother her.  She was swimming and by the last day they have the option to jump off the diving board and she did it with some help...she was not so sure about it.  She did get pushed off on and swim to the side by herself (she wanted them to learn what to do if they ever fell in).  I videoed more than I took pictures but here are a few.  We had a makeup on Saturday because Tuesday was bad weather and Coach Anne was sick so it was just her assistant Vivian and she did great with all the kids by herself.   Anna Riley really liked it by the end of the week and cried and begged to stay on the last day.  She kept saying "just one more time!"I can't wait to see how much Anna Riley progresses with her each summer!  She has a lot more fun at the pool now!!

10 months

I can't believe this little baby girl is already 10 months...just two months away from being the big ONE!   

-Ava Kate can wear some 9 month but mostly 12 month.  She wears a size 4 diaper.

-She wears a size 2 shoe but has never really worn them!

-She doesn't keep a hairbow in her hair very long right now and hates headbands.

-She has 4- 8oz. bottles a day.  We are trying to phase out her afternoon bottle to have 3 bottles a day.

-She eats 3 meals a day.  She loves to eat!  She now eats all tablefood and has usually has whatever we are having to eat .  She is very independent and only wants to feed herself. 

-She has one tooth on the bottom but has been teething really bad lately. 

-She is a slobber box and has been waking up a lot at night due to the pain. 

She is still a great sleeper (when she isn't teething!). She goes to bed at 7 and wakes up between 7 and 8. She takes a morning nap for about an hour and 3 hour afternoon nap.

                               

-She is all over the place now!  She crawls everywhere and is pulling up with ease.  She isn't cruising quite yet but I feel it will be soon.  This girl has places to go!

-Her favorite places to play are the playroom and the bathroom!  She loves the playroom and could play in there by herself for hours if you let her.  And I have to constantly remind everyone to keep the doors to the bathrooms closed because this little girl loves to play in the toilet!!

-She is such a laid back baby and really easy going but boy she keeps me on the GO!

-She is "talking" and squealing all the time.  It seems with big sister doing all the talking she has to be heard sometimes! :) 

-She waves and claps but not when you ask her to.

-She likes to turn off the light in her bedroom....this was a favorite of AR's too!

-It is SO hard to change her clothes/diapers.  She is crawling all over the place and trying to get away. Riley said it should be considered an Olympic Sport!

-She has one goal right now and that is to terrorize her sister.  I see many, many fights already in the future with these two.  Ava Kate seems to do things already just to bother Anna Riley.  Didn't realize it started that young...I thought I still had a few more years!!

                                             

She truly brings so much joy to our lives...I can't belive time has flown by so fast!!

2 1/2

Anna Riley is 2 1/2 now and she is growing so fast!!  I can't believe how much she has already changed since she turned 2.  Here are some things I want to remember... and well maybe a few I would rather not remember about this age! :) 

-Anna Riley can wear some 2T clothes but is moving closer to 3T.  She will be all 3T in the fall.

-She is fully potty trained!  She only wears a pull up if she is sick or is taking medicine.  She usually doesn't even wake up during the night/ nap to use the bathroom. 

-She is a great sleeper most of the time.  She goes to bed around 8 and wakes up around 7.   She takes a nap everyday at 1 and will sleep until 3 or 4.  I wake her if she isn't up by 4. 

-Even though she is girly, she loves to be outside!!  She likes to ride anything that will go!

-She loves going spending time in Berry and riding 4 wheelers and golfcarts!

-She is really learning her manners and says "please" and "thank you" "ma'am" and "sir" most of the time. 

-When she gets in trouble, she starts screaming "yes ma'am!" which often leads her to more trouble!

-She is such a cuddler!  I hear "Mommy, I want to hold you" all the time!  She is also very affectionate...she loves giving hugs and kisses.  She will call us back after we put her to bed for just one more kiss!  How does that not melt your heart?!  She also tells Riley to kiss me! Haha!

-Recently, she is so particular about what she wears.  She wants certain shoes or accessories.  She changes clothes a couple of times a day...which I hear this only gets worse since my sweet 6 year old neighbor changes about 12!  She insist on taking a nap in something different.  She wants a shirt on and even though she might already have one on, she has to change.  I pick my battles and this isn't one! :)

 

-She has learned quite a lot this summer.  She can count to 10 great and to 20 on a good day or with help and can identify all her numbers.   She knows all her colors and shapes including oval, hexagon, octagon and crescent.  (Thanks Ipad app!)  She points out shapes wherever she sees them...windows of house, paint can lids, etc.   She can sing her ABCs and can identify most of the letters.

-She LOVES singing songs!  She always comes home from school singing songs.  And we sing them in the car with one of her CD's. 

-She is left handed like her Daddy.

- Anna Riley is very girly! She has always been fascinated with my makeup, jewelry, fingernail polish and high heels and now she loves dress up clothes and crowns and princesses and Barbies!

-Her favorite color is...you guessed it, PINK! But she says "Paink."

-She is in the "band aid" stage. She thinks you have to have a band aid on everything! For a week straight, I had to put a band aid on a bruise I had on my leg!!

-She loves the water!  She just finished swim lessons and there is a big difference in the way she is around water now compared to the beginning of the summer. 

- Anna Riley is not the best eater anymore! :(  She has her moments but she ALWAYS loves cake, cookies or ice cream!  Who doesn't?!

-She loves her sister but they terrorize each other.  They already fight over everything.  But they can be really sweet to each other too!

-She gets on to Ava Kate a lot.  She will tell her "No Ma'am sissy!!"

-Anna Riley can be so sweet at times and while the terrible 2's have calmed somewhat, she definitely still has her moments.   She doesn't have much patience and she gets frustrated pretty easy (yes she gets this from me not her Daddy...I have been told this quite a lot!) So when that happens a meltdown is usually in the works.  She is getting better. :)

- She still has dark brown eyes and blond hair.  She tans so well.  Many people say she looks just like her Daddy or her Nana's (Riley's mom) little girl pictures. And according to Mimi (Riley's grandmother), She acts just like Mrs. Cindy when she was this age!

- We have joked that she is just a tad bid OCD.  We have to read the same 3 books before bed/nap. It was 4 and I hid one (Bed time routine was taking too long! Sorry AR!)  They have to be in the same order every time.  And you have to lay the book a certain way back on the table! haha! 

- After reading books at night we always say our prayers and she will tell me who she wants to pray for and she usually starts with "baby Dunc"- her cousin Duncan.  The other night she said "I pray for "Baby Dunc, Aww he is SO cute!"  It is so sweet to hear her praying for people and talking about Jesus.

-She loves to help with everything right now!  She wants to help wash dishes, cook, load and unload the dishwasher, put clothes in the dryer, put the groceries in the cart and on the belt to checkout, etc.   I LOVE that she wants to help and I hope she remembers this when she gets older! :)

- Anna Riley likes to stay on the go.  And if we go somewhere and come back...the  minute we turn in the neighborhood, she will say, "I don't want to come home!"

-I must say though, she is a great traveler! 

We are so blessed with this little girl! 

We love you, Anna Riley!