Party Time

Around every July 4th weekend time frame Matt and I host a BBQ.  We always have a great turn out and we love to try new recipes.  Last year I made everything with beer...even dessert (stout cupcakes and peanut butter porter pie were both amazing!).  But this year, we decided to keep it simple.  Burgers and BBQ pork were on the menu and were delish!  It was a calmer crowd this go around but we had a great time showing off Riley.  Riley loved Uncle Stu.  She fell asleep in a pool of her own drool on his shoulder.  It was adorable.  Hershey is still a bit shy but Star tried so hard to have her warm up to him but to no avail. :(  This was our 5th year of having this party.  I am hoping some of our friends will trek out to San Diego next year so the tradition can continue..yes?

And every year Matt gets upset that I don't take enough pictures..so to keep with that tradition...these are the only pics I have. :(  Sorry...there were alot more people there that I did not get with the camera.

Bethany Beach Fun

For the July 4th weekend we headed to Bethany Beach, DE to spend a relaxing weekend with Matt's parents at their condo.  Apparently many people had the same plan for Saturday morning.  It took us close to 5 hours to get there when it normally takes about 2 1/2 hours.  Riley was fine though.  She handled the long car ride with ease.  This was our first family getaway so we learned fast that although Riley is just a baby...she comes with alot of stuff!  We had to pack the car seat, stroller, pack n play, her favorite rocker, all of her outfits, diapers, etc.  It filled our SUV!  She was tuckered out when we got there so grandma took over for us.

 

We thought it would be cute for Riley to have her first pool time.  This did not go well.  She was not happy about her tiny swim suit or our attempt to take pictures of her "enjoying" the water.  She is not a fan of the pool so we quickly snapped some pics and got her out of there.  Take a look at the video and you can feel her discomfort with what we put her through. :(

On Sunday we went over Aunt Joyce and Uncle Tim's condo in Bethany to celebrate Tim's birthday.  It was great to see family and have some wonderful homemade food. 

Riley got some wonderful outfits courtesy of Auntie Jacqui Hicks (my former coworker who now lives in Korea).  She got the perfect July 4th outfits embroidered with "Baby Riley" on them.  I love (heart) them and hope she can fit in the outfit for Labor Day.  I doubt it but I'm hopeful. 

Riley is only 10 weeks old and her 3 month old onsies are tight!  We have moved to the 3/6 month and 6 month clothes.  She is so long that things just can't stay buttoned. 

She is now smiling all the time and making funny noises.  See our video taken last night.  She is so adorable its hard not to just stare at her all day!  We love our Riley Bear!

Baby Free in Cali

On Friday, June 24th Matt and I headed West to LA for Nick and Jess's wedding and to explore San Diego.  We were going to bring Riley but then came to our senses and decided to leave her in the good hands of our parents who were thrilled to take care of her for 5 days.  We got many updates and things seemed to have went really well in our absence.  So our adventure started by flying business class to LA.  I have NEVER flown anything but coach so I was super pumped to have the extra room and drinks (bloody mary please) before the flight took off.  It was wonderful!  After landing we headed to Hermosa Beach which is a great little beach town south of LA.  It was wonderful to see everyone.

Macey, Jen, Brooke, Me and Leslie sporting our cups with our names on them.

Macey and Katie

Saturday was the wedding and it was spectacular.  There was a very long bus ride to get to Malibu from Hermosa Beach but once we got to the reception site it was worth it!  It was at the Adamson House.  We could see surfers catching great waves and it seemed as though we were the only party in town.  Nick and Jess know how to party (open bar) and their families can throw down as well so it was so much fun!  It was nice to be care free with such great friends.  It was definitely one of the best weddings ever!

Jess crowd surfing

Mike, Matt and Stu

Greg (Dim), Stu (Cameron), Macey and Monica

Us with a random dude in the background.  Thanks Bud.

On Sunday we headed more south to La Jolla, CA.  The big news I haven't shared yet is that we plan on moving there at some point in the next six months.  Yes...that's right...move across the country with a cat, a dog AND a baby!  Fun times awaiting us I'm sure.  So we were in SD to get a feel for the place and start looking at houses to rent or buy and for me to get a feel for jobs.  Things turned out rather well on all fronts.  We saw a great rental in walking distance to Matt's office and I got a job offer!  Insane!  But things are moving a bit fast so we are taking some time to think about it all.  Here are some great shots taken in SD.

Seals lounging on the beach with kids playing right by them.

La Jolla, CA

We came back on Wednesday to our little baby girl smiling and almost laughing.  We got constant updates but there's nothing like holding a baby in your arms.  Thanks to my folks for taking care of her. 

Two Months Old!

Riley is officially two months old today and she has grown so much!  She is 13 lbs 9 oz and is 25 inches long.  Both stats are above the 95 percentile for her age.  We have a very 'healthy' baby!  She is cooing and making sounds a lot more lately.  She likes her swing too.  She is napping a lot less during the day but she is still sleeping soundly through the night which seems to shock everyone including our pediatrician.  See our baby grow!

Baby Weight Bummer

I gained 50 lbs with Riley...50!  I lost 25 within the first two weeks so I thought...no prob...I can lose the rest super fast.  Not so much.  I just weighed in after four weeks and I only lost 2 lbs.  2!  So this is war.  I have been going to the gym almost everyday.  I go to the 5:15am Spinning class and then stick around and walk/run on the treadmill.  I had drastically cut down what I eat and only eat healthy food.  So the battle is on.  I will win. I just need to win faster.  With Summer here I can't exactly hide the bulge so this stuff has got to go.  It's so funny when you tell people you are in need of losing weight you get 'what worked for them' speech.  I have heard it all!  I'm all about exercising and cutting way down on my food intake and having no sweets.  If that doesn't work maybe then I will entertain some crazy diet.  Bulge....watch out...you are goin' down!  Here is the last picture of me before I went to the hospital to have Riley.  I will post progress pics as soon as I think there has been some....hopefully soon. :)

Riley All The Time

It has been so nice being home with Riley.  I get to be with her all day and get to watch her grow.  Our day is pretty simple though.  It's all about eating, sleeping and potty time.  And then during those brief periods of time when she is awake...I get to watch her coo and smile and wiggle.  It melts the heart.

Smiling Baby

I took this picture of Riley last Wednesday and it has to be my favorite so far.  She just started smiling.  She doesn't do them regularly so capturing one for a picture is a real treat.  Today she had tears for the first time.  She was crying and little tears came out and it just broke our hearts.  She was inconsolable for about thirty minutes which is really unusual for her.  She is much better now relaxing in her swing.