10 months old

Palm Springs Feb 2012

Wow time sure has flown by since my last post. I thought I would be better at keeping this thing update but I guess I was wrong.

Riley is now 10 months old.
She is 19 lbs and 28 inches long.
she is taking a few steps by herself, (every time I get the camera out she starts crawling...little stinker)
talks a lot (dada, momma, la la, baba, mum mums)
likes her books
likes her stuffed doggies
likes playing with her friends
doesn't like headbands anymore
eating solid foods
12 month clothes

Riley (9.5 months) Emilie (4.5 months) Levi (5.5 months)

Shopping trip with auntie and Nanny

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

       

Brad 27th birthday

Last weekend we went to palm springs with friends. We had a great time without kids and could be adults again. (it only took us 2 years to finally plan this trip. and we all said we need to do it again.) We also celebrate Brad's 27th birthday at the beginning of the month, and at the end is our 4th wedding anniversary already! Wow time does fly by when your having fun.

Recap of 2011

Hey Everyone. This past year has come and gone, and let me tell you it went WAY to fast.
It brought many new and exciting things for our family. We feel so blessed.

• new house
• many friends and family got married
• new sister in law & niece
• lots & lots of babies
• blessed friendships
• bible studies
• and the best gift was RILEY.

She has really brought a lot of joy to our family.

• 7.5 months old
• Riley is now standing up and walking behind her walker toys. (guessing she is going to take after me, b/c I walked at 8 months. Please slow down little one. Why does pregnancy go by soooo slow but she has grown up sooo fast? it should be opposite.)
• She has her 2 bottom teeth and I think she is cutting a new one on top
• sleeps great at night, but isn't a big napper. (oh well more play time with mommy)

5 months....

Well I know I'm late again at blogging about Riley but oh well.  Life has been busy.

Riley is now 5 1/2 months old. She is almost crawling and is very active.
She loves to play, roll around, lay on her tummy, and scoot.
She is 15 lbs and 25 inches long.
She had her second cold a couple weeks ago, but we are over that now. She didn't like it very much
when she saw the suction bulb or a tissue. Glad that is over with.




Riley now has 2 new friends and has about 3 more on the way. It has been so much fun having all these babies around.

Riley (5 m) with Levi (1m)  and Emilie (1week)

4 months

I know its a little late, but better late than never right???

4 month stats:

14 lbs
24 inches
everything goes in her mouth
trying to sit up
rolling over from stomach to back and now from back to her stomach
cooing and babbling like crazy
loves her saucer and bumbo seat
still eating every 3 hours 

My little California girl

16 weeks old

I can't believe that Riley is almost 4 months old. It was about this tome last year I found out I was pregnant. Time sure goes by soooo fast.

Riley stats
She rolled over for the first time last week
Enjoys putting everything in her mouth especially her fingers
Is drooling like crazy (we think she could be teething soon)
Smiling and cooing like crazy
Enjoys sitting in her bumbo seat

She also was baptized this past Sunday and we were able to celebrate
with family and friends.

I also have two friends that are due in the next 2 months. I am so excited
For them as they enter mommy hood. And a bunch more are due in the coming year.
So much fun!!!

14 weeks old

I know I am way overdue once again for an update. Sorry. Life has just been so busy this summer. In the month of July we went to Oahu with Brad's grandparents and whole Douma family to celebrate their 50th anniversary. We decided it was best to leave Riley home. It was really hard but once we got there we were ok and had a great time with everyone. I got picture updates and phone updates everyday. :)




In the beginning of August we were at Lake Tulloch with my family and others, then to a wedding in SLO and then home to the week before my Brother and Lisa's wedding. Which was this past weekend. That was my last wedding that I will be in for a while. I am so happy to be home now and enjoy the last couple weeks of summer. (Although I would like for it to be a little warmer) This is our new family picture.

Riley Stats:

She had her 3 month checkup yesterday and was 11lbs and 11oz and 23 inches long. (in the 50th percentile) Dr. said I could get her started on some rice cereal soon (4 months) and start introducing some baby food. She is growing up way to fast.  Please stay little longer. :( she is almost rolling over and is cooing like crazy. I just love her. Especially at night when she should be going to sleep and as soon as I lay her down in her crib she opens her eyes and smiles at me. How could I get mad at that. She is so precious to me and I can't even imagine my life without her.

Riley Grace is here!!!

We are WAY overdue for a blog update on the lives of our new family :)

Well my due date was May 8 (mothers day) but since Riley was not going to come on her own I was induced on Sunday night at 11pm. I was started on pitocin. I was actually able to sleep some of the night which was wonderful.
Monday morning my Dr. came in and broke my water at about 9 and that is when I say that I really started my labor. The contractions didn't become painful until about 10 and then I got my epidural around 12. (Which was not bad at all. I highly recommend it) After that my labor was pretty easy. I did have some lower back pain but was able to give myself some more medicine which made that go away.
I started pushing at 4:30 and at 6:10 Riley was born. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat after seeing her. It truly was amazing.

Here is our first photo together. 

She was 7 lbs 6 oz and 19 inches long. 

Our first car ride. 

We were in the hospital until Wednesday. (she was 7lbs when we left the hospital) 

Since we have been home it has been really busy. On May 21 (Riley is 12 days old) We went up to Los Olivos for Erica Saarloos wedding, which I was a bridesmaid in, for the weekend. Riley was so good the whole weekend and is a great traveler.

Us at the wedding.















The weekend of June 10-12. We had 2 weddings, a graduation, and a 50th anniversary party that we were involved in. Talk about a crazy weekend. On Friday June 10 Brad was in Travis Koops wedding and my brother Jared graduated from high school. On Saturday we had Gpa and Gma Struiksma 50th wedding anniversary party. On Sunday I was in Nicole Flietstra's wedding.

On Monday June 13 we left for Clear Lake with the Struiksma family for a week. Riley did really good at the lake except that she got a cold. 

This past week I had to work 3 days so she was at her Great-Grandma Mammy's house one day and at her Gma Struiksmas house one day. It is so hard to leave her during the day :(
We have been super busy but are having so much being a family of 3 now. Hopefully I will do a better job at updating this blog.