The Pirate and his Parrot

First Halloween - 2006 (I ate EVERYTHING and my Aunt 'Bunny' nicknamed me the goat. Mommy said finding a goat costume was VERY difficult but it was a must)

2nd Halloween - 2007

.....and now, 2008

Happy Halloween! This year, I think I really 'got it'. I couldn't wait until we went trick or treating and I perfected my 'Trick or Treat. Smelly Feet. Give me something good to eat'. Thanks, daddy, for teaching that to me! I also liked to sing 'We are the Pirates who don't do Anything' song while in costume (actually, anytime) and mommy will have to upload some video whenever she figures out how to do it. I think I'm pretty good, if you want to know the truth.

Here are some pictures of me and my parrot. I think we make quite a pair although my parrot wasn't really into the Halloween thing this year. Maybe next year. We also spent some pre-trick or treating time with my smelly friend, Victoria.


Sleepy parrot. Thank you, Aunt Brenda, for making my baby's parrot costume fit!

Victoria, the little stinker.Checking out all of my loot!

The Move!

Well, it's official. We're in our new house! After 12 hours and 6 people, we're all moved in and surrounded by boxes. I'm having fun dragging stuff all over the house and mommy is wondering how I keep showing up with tortillas! It's fun to make mommy crazy sometimes. I'll post pictures of the new house as soon as I take some.

It's Halloween WEEK

I'm having so much fun already and it isn't even officially Halloween yet. Last Friday, we went to Miss Liz's house for a pumpkin carving party and on Saturday, I dressed up in a pirate costume to go to Parker and Reagan's Halloween party. I have wanted to be a pirate for months now but when mommy tried to put the pirate patch on me, I wanted nothing to do with it. She was able to capture a few photos with the whole ensemble though. Today, I got to dress in my costume again! We had a Halloween parade at my school (complete with class song) and then had a Halloween lunch with our mommies and daddies. There are still some other fun Halloween surprises this week so you'll have to check my blog to see what I'm up to!

Singing with my class at the parade. Ellie is the duck. Sophia was a dinosaur (not shown) and Emmylou was a pumpkin (also not shown).

The closing!

It's official - we our the proud owners of a new house and closed earlier today! We are super excited and are looking forward to spreading out a little bit and not being on top of each other. I admit, it was a bit ambitious putting in a contract on a house the weekend before Tate was born, having the inspection the day before she was born, sending over inspection repair requests the morning she was born and then closing 3 weeks after she was born. Whew!

Battle Scars....Already.

I'm learning very quickly that I can't turn my head even for a second because you never know what could happen - especially when big brother, Tripp wants to love on his baby ALL of the time. Last week, Tripp thought it would be fun to play with the grill tongs. At some point, Tate started crying and now she has 2 grill tong marks on her head. Poor baby! After more than a week, the marks are still there and I'm just thankful it's on her head and not forehead. I don't want my 3 week old having scars on her little face already!

....And then the little guy says some of the sweetest things to make it all better. Yesterday, he was loving on his baby while I was cleaning up. He kissed his baby on the head and said, 'Baby Bean, you're my best friend and I love you so much'. If that doesn't make you want to cry, I don't know what does.

Tate is a lucky little sister.

3 weeks old

It's been a big day. It started with me 'christening' mommy! Warning - icky material to follow...

This morning, mommy was running around trying to get my big brother dressed, breakfast, ready for school, lunch made, mommy dressed and finally, me changed and dressed. She doesn't like to be late and adjusting to 2 is making her late all of the time which in turn makes her crazy. When she finally got to me, that's when the fun began. She's used to little boys and their potential to 'spray' when getting changed, but no one warned her about little girls and the potential of 'projectile poo'. Yep - I aimed and fired and covered mommy (shirt, jeans, hands, arms....you name it) in yellow poo this morning 5 minutes before we were supposed to leave the house. Tripp and daddy came down the hall to see what the fuss was all about and Tripp said 'Mommy, that's gross' while daddy said, 'I'm so glad I'm in charge of the little guy this morning' as they turned around and walked off. Thanks boys!

I also got to vote today! Ok, well I didn't but I was there with mommy to provide moral support. I was very good and all of the little old ladies running the booths just loved me. It's been a good 3 weeks so far.

It's the Great Pumpkin!

Yesterday, mommy dressed us up and took us to the pumpkin patch to take pictures and of course, I was promised a pumpkin to take home. Unfortunately, daddy got home a little later than planned and when we got to the pumpkin patch, we couldn't buy them because the people had already gone home. Result? Complete meltdown. (Mommy and daddy made an emergency stop at Randall's on the way home to get my pumpkin). Here are pics before the tears started streaming down my face.
Since I couldn't get my pumpkin yesterday, we went back again today and met up with my friend, Emmylou. Don't we make a cute frick and frack couple?

Say CHEESE!

Last weekend, mommy and Tate had a shower to go to and so daddy took me, Jake and Sophie to meet up with Mr. Carey and baby Eden at the park. Daddy lets me do all sorts of things when mommy isn't around (shhh.....don't tell mommy) and we got a hold of the camera and had a large time! Mommy just discovered these pictures and of course, had to add them to the blog. Might I be a photographer when I'm bigger? Hmmm....could be.

Brotherly Love

Some cute pics of the little guy loving on his little sister. Ahhh.....

...and one really cute one of Tate and daddy.

Lunching with the Girls

(Tate's entry)
GiGi and Aunt Bunny drove up from Tomball today to have lunch with mommy and me. Daddy and Tripp are in College Station for the Aggie game and so we decided to have an afternoon for just the girls. Gigi and Aunt Bunny brought me some new cute clothes and a blanket (because according to Aunt Bunny, you can never have too many blankets) and then we were off to lunch. What a fun day we had together! Thank you for coming up to visit us....we sure love you.

Starvin' Marvin isn't really starvin'

Tate had her 2 week check up today and here are the latest stats:

Weight 8 lbs 11 oz
Length 20 inches

Why is this significant? Because just 10 short days ago, my precious piranha weighed 7 lbs 10 oz. She's gained 17 oz in 10 days!! She doesn't have a bottle often but when she does, she sucks down 4 oz in an instant and still throws a fit like she's starving. Doc says this might be a little much so the piranha has to cut it back to 3 oz or less. Two weeks old and already on a diet. Nice.

(at 2 weeks, the little one is already holding up her head! You're such a big girl!)

Christmas in October

When we first embarked on the potty training trail, we had to use something that was of value for Tripp. Stickers. I created a potty chart and each time he pottied on the big potty, he got a sticker. We told him once it was filled up and was completely potty trained, he could turn in his potty chart for some Thomas the Train gear. He's been fully trained for about 2 months now and today was the big reward payoff for him. Not only did he get to pick out more train tracks and trains, but he also ended the evening at his oh so favorite Chuck E Cheese. Tate was less than impressed and slept the entire time.
More pictures to come. Small camera battery is dead and I can't download! Party foul, mom.

12 days old

Tate's belly button fell off today! Such a big girl.....

I also realized all too quickly that this little girl has a serious temper. Wow! I'm sure she gets it from her daddy. :)

We're going to pump....You up!

Oh how this blog is going to change.....

It was bound to happen sooner or later. Tripp is fascinated when mommy pumps and usually tells me when I have to pump each day. This morning, however, was a little different. Tripp came to me naked (....of course) and informed me that 'his boobies hurt and he needed to pump'. With that, he picked up both pumps (yes, I am a Jersey cow these days) and tried to figure them out. Pretty comical if you ask me and it is times like these that I'm glad I have my little camera close by. We then had an interesting discussion, that only a mom and 2 1/2 yr old could have, explaining why only mommy's pump. I don't think it really sunk in and I can only imagine what is/was going through his head.

Today has been a tough day in a couple of ways. My mom left for Wyoming after being here to help us since Oct. 1st. It makes me sad because I don't get to see my mom that often and I cherish the times I do have with her. I feel I missed out on some of that while in the hospital but she had me at complete ease by taking care of Tripp and the every day things that need to happen. Also, today Wes had to leave town for work and returns tomorrow night. I've been a little nervous not having him here and being with my 2 babies alone overnight for the first time but we seemed to have handled things just fine.

Tate update:

Tate is 11 days old already and has changed so much. When she's awake (which isn't often), she is very alert and loves to look around. When on the couch, she seems fixated on my 'Women and Wine' painting on the wall so I think the child has some pretty good taste when it comes to art. :) She's filling out quite a bit, although she still has her little chicken legs. I love them! She's been on a 3 hour schedule throughout the day and night (except for last night when she decided to be up from 10pm - 4am either talking or fussing. This equals TIRED mommy.) and eating is going much better for her now. Tripp loves her and I look forward to watching their relationship grow as brother and sister. I also gave her a bath this evening solo. We survived but I did notice that I'm not as graceful at bath giving as my mom. Oh well - I have a ton of opportunities in front of me to perfect it. I'm loving the clean baby smell!

Weekend Preparations

This weekend, daddy and I went to the Gig 'Em Aggie game in College Station. Mommy said I looked like a shaggy dog and had to get my hair cut before heading out of town. That's fine with me because I love Miss Leti. Miss Leti is Connie's sister and does wonders with my straight, fine hair - according to mommy. Anyway, back to the game. Daddy and I had tons of fun although we lost....again. What's up with our team this year? When at the games, daddy lets me have Dr. Pepper and other 'treats' I'm not supposed to have. Mommy only knows this because I'm very honest when she asks 'little guy, what did you eat at the game?'. Daddy kept shaking his head no and telling me to be quiet but I had already spilled the beans. Sorry, daddy! Miss Jennifer and Mr. Greg also gave me a present to give to my baby when we got home. It's her first Aggie outfit! Thank you, Nelsons.

Here I am sitting very still for my big boy haircut with Miss Leti.
Gig 'Em Aggies! You can't really tell from the picture but there are rhinestones around the A&M emblem. Miss Jennifer says a girl can never have too much bling. Also not shown are baby Tate's matching A&M socks. Baby Tate is Fightin' Class of 2031!

Fun Friends

My friends, Sophie and Jake, came over tonight to meet my baby and then have dinner. They brought a fun project for me to do and also an awesome 'big brother' present.......the Stomp Rocket. Too cool! I always have lots of fun playing with JakeSophie (my name for them) and tonight was no different. We ended the night at Phil's Icehouse having dinner, playing on the playscape and topping off the evening with AMY'S ICE CREAM. Yum!
Thank you JakeSophie for a fun night!

Jake is so good with the babies.
Here I am with Sophie and our 'project'. Can you see what we're making?
It's teeth!!! See the gums? See all of the teeth? Mommy says 'gross' but I think it's neat. We played with salt dough and beans to make our masterpiece. Miss Jenny has so many fun ideas and I know her kindergarten class has lots of fun with her.
Here we are again with our project.
The Stomp Rocket!! It's not really an inside toy but mommy made an exception. The harder I jump, the further the rocket flies. Such a great toy for a boy!

Tate's First Bath

Grammy gave Tate her first bath this evening - just like she gave me when I was first born. Well, it wasn't an official bath like I like to take now, complete with bubbles, colored water and lots of toys, but it was a sponge bath until her belly cord falls off. She wasn't a big fan of the bath but she sure smelled good when it was all said and done.

Before the bath. Happy Tate.
During the bath. Not so happy Tate.
After the bath. Ah, much more content Tate.
After the bath and cozy warm. Happy and clean Tate!

Tate's 1 week old Model Shoot

My silly mommy decided to have fun with Tate and the camera. Here are some pictures from the evening model shoot.

Here she comes....Miss October! This came in the mail today from Marko, Alana and Lila Kate. Isn't this a scream? I feel oh so pretty and thank you Zrno's for the awesome gift!

Every day is a good day for S'mores

I woke from my nap to a fun surprise! Miss April stopped by today and brought all of the items for S'Mores - because it would be fun for me to make - and a fun Elmo book for Tate. Thank you Miss April, Vaughn and Nash! Mommy, Grammy and I had a fun time making them and I had an especially good time tasting them.

Tate is 1 week old today!

Hard to believe but baby Tate is already 1 week old! We had a big day while big brother was in school. After dropping him at chapel (he wanted his baby to go too), we went to Target, Old Navy, Costco gas, Verizon and then lunch at yummy Potbelly's. Whew - what a day! Mommy was so worn out but I slept the entire time and felt very awake and refreshed as soon as mommy and Tripp were ready to nap. Mommy talked with Tripp's teacher today and learned that he was a little distant and reserved today. She thinks he's having a tough time adjusting to having me at home. Mommy sure loves her little guy and doesn't want him to be sad so we're going to try and do extra special things for him so that he doesn't feel left out. He is sure sweet to me though and I love my big brother.

Tripp likes to rub my hair while watching Disney on tv. He also has taken a liking to my soft pink bunny blanket.

Out about town

(Tate's entry)
Today I went to see my big brother at his swimming lessons. He's such a good swimmer and I can't wait until I'm a little older for him to teach me all that he knows. I love my big brother and he is so sweet to me. He loves to sit next to my cradle and rub my hair between his fingers while he sucks his thumb. I guess my hair is soft because I hear he loves soft things. I also finally met Victoria Pearl today as well. It's about time since I hear about her all of the time. I can't believe it took mommy 6 whole days to introduce her to me. She was very excited to meet me and loves babies. After swimming, we went and had donuts because that is what mommy, Aunt Brenda, Tripp and Victoria do after swimming every Wednesday. The donut lady has been telling mommy I was going to be a girl and she was very excited to see that she was right. She even gave my big brother extra donut holes! Hey - what about my donut holes? I guess I'll get donuts and milk later on today. Here are some pictures from today's adventure.

Here I am in my first outfit that fits. Mommy was so excited that I actually fit in newborn sizes because evidently, my big brother was half grown when he showed up.
Thank you, Miss Liz, for my Mary Jane socks! Don't you just love them? Mommy sure does. I met Victoria today! Nice to meet you, Victoria. I'm Tate Riley!
I think she likes me. :)

You win some, you lose some

Tate slept 5 1/2 hours straight last night! Way to go baby Tate!! I was estactic until my precious 2 1/2 year old decided to wake up at 4:00am and 'play' on the couch with mom (of course mom was not thrilled at all and just wanted some SLEEP) until around 5:30am. Tripp has slept through the night since 10 weeks old and goes to bed at 7:30pm waking up at 7:00am. He never wakes in the middle of the night - of course until the night mommy is completely worn out and really needs some sleep. Grammy the great came in and took the little guy back to bed with her so mommy could sleep until the little one woke up but it would have been nice for BOTH kiddos to be asleep at the same time. Oh well, I guess you win some and lose some. Two is definitely going to be an adjustment and I think Grammy needs to move in full time.

First Bottle

Baby Tate is 5 days old and had her first bottle today! I was fascinated with the whole 'pumping' ritual and paid close attention to what mommy was doing. Guess who gave my baby her first bottle? ME! Mommy said I'm such a good helper and I had fun feeding my baby. I was bored after awhile though and had to multi-task by feeding her and watching my show. Mommy isn't the only one who can multi-task!

Watching my show and feeding Baby Tate
Grammy and Tate
I love to sleep!
I look good in polka dots. Thank you for my polka dot blanket, Jackson. It is so soft and mommy has me wrapped in it all of the time. Here I am with my SOFT bunny from my friend, Eden, too. I have to watch out because my big brother loves soft things and might want to steal it from me. So far, he seems content with MY soft yellow duck so I think I'm in the clear.