Just say "UH-OHS!"

Merry Christmas to everyone. We enjoyed Riley's second Christmas on Anna Maria Island. Christmas Eve Granny Bird made a wonderful supper and then we walked along the beach and took some family pictures. Christmas morning we ate at the Beach cafe and Santa came to the beach. Riley's new word is "Uh-ohs!" He says it after he throws his food off his plate, his bath toys out of the bath, or if he is really scared. Riley's second encounter with Santa was the same result as the first one. He wants nothing to do with Santa! He kicks, screams, scratches to get away from him! Oh well:( Riley seemed to love his santa presents. We capped off the Holidays last night by eating at the Chart House overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. We are all thankful to be well and happy and together this holiday season.
Baby number 2 is showing off his personality more everyday. Riley gives my stomach a "night night" kiss every night and seems to be aware of the my growing belly. It is hard to believe we will have two little boys in 10 weeks!

Manta Rays!

We went on a family outing to the fishing pier to check out the fish and get a cold beverage. As we were walking on the pier, Matt noticed a leopard ray swimming next to us in the water. The Manta Ray was about 4 feet wide by 3 feet long. After watching the Manta Ray swim for awhile we noticed two dolphins splashing and playing about 10 yards from shore. They were playing with the birds and chasing each other around. It was really neat to see their true personalities in a natural habitat. After spending time at the beach, we walked across the street to Two Scoops ice cream and candy shop. Riley got a special light up sucker which he ended up getting in his hair, ears, and nose! It was another beautiful day here on the island.

Reflections

Yesterday, Matt left to go back to MN. leaving Riley and I alone in Florida. We have been blessed by the opportunity to live on the Gulf of Mexico and we all really enjoy the opportunity. Riley and I headed to the North end of Anna Maria Island to a playground on the beach. Riley played on the playground and then noticed the beach and ocean and sprinted ahead. I slowly walked behind him, as I am trying to let him become more independent. He ran all the way into the water. I was so surprised, I just naturally thought he would stop at the waters edge! So I brought him back to shore and he sat down on the beach. He played in the sand, looked out at the ocean, and then started rolling in the sand. It was a beautiful day, 72 degrees and sunny, with a light breeze. I sat behind Riley by about 10 feet and watched in amazement as he took in our beautiful surroundings. He sat, played, rolled, and talked to himself on the beach for over an hour. I just let him be and enjoyed my downtime as well.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We enjoyed a huge Thanksgiving celebration. We had over 30 family and friends over to celebrate. This was Riley's first time to play with all his cousins. He enjoyed playing with all his cousins soooo much! After everyone left, he walked around the house and chatted, telling us all about his big day with the family. Thanks to all of you who came to share Riley's first MN Thanksgiving. We loved seeing everybody again and catching up on old times!
On Black Friday we decided to skip the shopping madness for once! I admit it was hard for me to do, but we ended up having a great day!In hopes of escaping the cold weather, we took Riley to an indoor water park. He was a little scared at first, but eventually he was splashing and enjoying all the activities. Here are a few pictures of our Thanksgiving fun and the indoor water park!

BYE BYE SANTA CLAUS!

We took Riley to see Santa Claus today and he seemed to like Santa for a few minutes. We gently put him on his lap, and the screaming started. Riley started waving bye bye to Santa as fast as he could. He got frantic, so we got out of there as fast as we could. We stopped at the food court for a little lunch, and he calmed down. We then took Riley to his very first movie. Riley chose Madagascar 2, and loved it! He got a little antsy and started talking loudly with about 20 minutes left in the show. Riley has been napping for 3 hours, so he must of been worn out!

More MN Fun

We took Riley trick or treating and he seemed to enjoy himself. He was confused on why we weren't going into the houses but was happy with his candy. He was a darling Thomas the Train. Yesterday we spent the day outside exploring some different parks. Riley has learned so much by observing the other kids, and he now can run with the pack. It is nice to be able to sit on a bench and watch him interact with the other children. Last night he helped me rake up some leaves and bag them. He would bring each leaf one by one and put it in the garbage bag. I would clap, and then he would too! It was a time consuming process, but he was really proud to be helping out with the family chores. We also visited the Mall of America where Riley chose to ride on a train and semi-truck. Riley picked up a few more new winter outfits and loved lego land. Here are a few pictures of our latest endeavors!

Home Sweet Home

We arrived in Minneapolis after 12 hours of traveling! We were immediately hit by the fresh, cold air. I forgot how cold it really gets up in 'da north!' Riley was a really good boy on both flights. He enjoyed watching movies and sleeping in his own row. We were really excited to get to MN so Riley could play outside. This morning we bundled him up and took him outside for an adventure. He didn't know what all the big, colorful leaves were or what to do with them. We walked to a park nearby and Riley enjoyed the beautiful fall weather. We are hoping and praying he might get the chance to play in the snow before we leave! We have quite a few visitors and many more to come. It is great to be home!

The Pumpkin Festival

We took Riley to a local farm which was hosting a pumpkin festival. We weren't sure what to expect, but were pleasantly surprised. There were hundreds of vendors, similar to the MN state fair. There were hayrides, pony rides, a circus. a corn maze, a petting zoo, a train ride, games and much more. Riley seemed to love his first circus. We sat in the front row and he sat and watched the whole show! Riley hit up numerous concession stands and had another long talk with his beloved goats. We watched a BMX stunt show, which Riley decided was a great time to dig in the dirt. We left the BMX show with a wet, dirt filled baby boy. We ate lunch and listened to a Country western band. We got a real kick out of the pumpkin cannon- it flew pumpkins over 100 yards into the woods. Riley fell a sleep the minute he got in the car, and slept the whole way home.

Tampa Zoo with Granny Bird

We just recently went to the Tampa zoo with Granny Bird. We had a great time.We got to feed beautiful birds who latched on to Granny Bird. Riley was exhausted when we left, and he slept the whole way home.

Hunsader Farms

We took Riley to a local farm to pick a pumpkin. They had a petting zoo, which Riley seemed to really enjoy. He had a special bond with the goats. Riley stood in front of all the goats and talked to them for about 15 minutes straight. I then pulled him away and he kept running back to the goats! He visited with all the animals and got a mini-pumpkin to bring home. He thinks the pumpkin is a ball, so now he throws the pumpkin around the house!!

We have also been practicing wearing his Halloween costume. The first time Riley had it on he cried. He hated it. We have gotten to the point now where he can wear it without crying. Here are a few pics. of our trip to the farm and a preview of the Halloween costume. Enjoy!

18 Weeks and Kickin

I just went in for another prenatal visit and all of the prenatal screening came back normal. This week my baby is approximately 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that I'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. We will know the sex of the baby in 8 days! Riley and I think it is a boy and Matt swears it is a girl! I secretly hope it is twins! HAHA- I know not very realistic. We have been trying to get Riley out and about while I am still mobile. He is going to the Tampa zoo and to see Elmo live. We took him to a pumkin patch on a farm and he loved the goats. He stood and talked to them for about 15 minutes and I had to pull him away. He picked out his very own pumpkin and carries it all around the house with him. He is counting down the days until he can show off his wonderful Thomas The Train costume. We are going to a Halloween party with a Haunted Hayride on Oct. 24th, so Riley will be get to wear his costume twice!

Auntie Christine and Grandma visit!

We just enjoyed a visit from Matt's sister and mom. Riley loved spending time with them. We went to Lido Key and walked around St. Armands Circle, where Matt was very into trying on dresses. We spent time at the beach cafe and grandma took Riley on a shopping spree for new fall clothes. Grandma and Christine found a sandbar with a huge amount of whole sand dollars. We all collected a bunch of really pretty shells and sand dollars. We also enjoyed a beautiful dinner at the Sandbar restaurant overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. One morning we took Riley minature golfing for the first time. He got his own ball, but wasn't to interested in the club. Riley got the hang of the game really quickly, he ran each ball right up to the hole and drop it in! He was looking at us all funny, wondering why we were trying to use clubs! Thanks so much for coming to visit Auntie Christine and Grandma we already miss you two!

Riley the Builder

Grandma Albertson sent a package to Riley yesterday that had an adorable tool set in it. Riley loves his new Bob the Builder tool belt. He walks around and pretends to help dad fix everything. He gets out his screwdriver and wears his hardhat-it is precious:) Grandma also sent him a really cool Thomas the Train backpack. Riley looks like a little first grader with it on! Thank you Grandma and we will see you soon!

I'm going to be a big brother!

"I am pretty excited because I am going to be a big brother. My mommy is 15 weeks along, which means I get to meet my new sibling in 25 weeks! Mom says that my sibling will be here around March 8th! I also just got done spending a ton of time with my granny bird and Gaga. We went to Chucky Cheese and the Beachhouse so I could get my favorite Calamari! I have had a great week. It was daddy's birthday so we went to Olive Garden and got a huge cake. I kinda thought I was going to get some presents, but then mom reminded me that it was DADDY'S birthday. We are getting ready for another hurricane. Mom and I just got back from a walk and the winds are picking up. The waves are huge, it should be scary! I have my flashlight all ready."

Florida fun!

Here are some pics. from this last week in Florida. Riley is almost 15 months and full of energy! His most recent accomplishment was mastering going up the stairs all by himself. He talks himself through every step, and at the top he claps for himself!

Rain Rain Go Away!

We are now in Florida and it has been thunderstorming since our arrival last week. Today I ran out of indoor activities and let Riley explore puddles and rain! He hasn't had much experience in the rain, in L.A. rain is hard to come by! I started the morning by trying to promote "independent play". Riley was in his new, very own bedroom, playing with all of his long lost Florida toys. I peeked in on him, and found him laying underneath all of his books. He had managed to pull all his books out of his shelf and was trying to read multiple books at once. We then ventured outside and Riley had a ball running in the puddles. It took him about 20 seconds before he was rolling in them. He came in for supper drenched with a big grin!

Hmmmmm.........

This morning I woke up and immediately started wondering why I couldn't hear a one-year old bouncing in his crib. I looked at the clock and it was 6 AM. Usually Riley is up and in the middle of Barney by this time. I started wandering our huge California mansion ( okay not exactly) and decided to make the boys some strawberry pancakes. I cut up fresh strawberries and get the homemade batter (maybe it was bisquick) ready. I make two huge plates of fresh pancakes and still no sound from Riley's crib. I found myself checking on him constantly, until he finally woke at 8:30AM! I served him his strawberry pancakes and after every bite his little eyes would light up and he would say, "hmmmmmmmm". I couldn't figure out if he was shocked that I had cooked or the fact that I was so eager to serve him. I find myself always thinking about how I could be getting so much more done, if Riley would sleep in. The thing is, I spent all that time wanting him to be awake because I missed him!

Fun in the Sun!

It has been really hot here so we have spent a lot of time in the pool, trying to stay cool. Riley decided last week that he could jump into the pool like all the big kids. At this point we had not got him a lifejacket, because he was still using his baby rafts. Well, he showed us by jumping into the deep end without any lifejacket. He was unphased by his rescue and continued to attempt more jumps. Needless to say, I rushed to Target and got him a life jacket. He didn't like it at first, but now he is jumping with all the big boys and loving it! He is also making good progress on his swimming. He now can use his arms very well, but struggles to kick and use his arms at the same time. We are so proud of him for being so brave and going full force into the water!