Thursday, June 16, 2016

Riley is 11 Months

My beautiful baby boy is growing so fast. I'm sad to see his sweet baby face changing into more of a toddler face but I'm also loving the personality we are gaining more insight into. Riley, you are one of the sweetest babies I have ever met. You especially love your mama and sissy. 

Age:  11 months

Stats: I should delete this section, I have no idea. He is wearing some 12 month stuff and some 18 month clothes.

Nicknames: Riley, Bug, Baby, little guy.

Milestones: Riley loves to babble talk. He is slowly picking up the sign language we are working on but he may not use much anyways. He is already saying "nana" for banana, "Dadda" and "tada." His sister is in dance class and says tada after everything now. He must have picked up on this.

Riley still sleeps horribly at night. He is the best day time sleeper though. If he was my first child, I would be getting tons of day sleep in and/or have a clean house. With a toddler in tow as well, I have a messy house and get no sleep. I've accepted this is just a season of life.

Favorite things: Riley is really starting to show his interests now. He loves trucks, babies, his pacis, books, bath time, and his mama. He loves to eat and so far hasn't turned any food down. 

Signature moves: Spitting in command (or when he wants attention), cuddling, saying "tada" with his hands in the air are all signature moves with Riley. He moves fast and can be out of a room in a split second so he keeps me on my toes with his disappearing act.

Next month, my youngest is 1. How can that be?

Thursday, June 2, 2016

Saying Goodbye... And Hello

This is a post that is very challenging for me to write. If you aren't a lover of animals, you probably want to stop reading now. If you do love animals, I hope you can understand (and possibly) relate to experiences we have currently endured.

Our family loves animals. Those that come into our lives are welcomed with open arms and become a part of the family. Since being married, we have had 2 dogs that we cherish dearly. They were our first babies. 

A few years ago, we moved to the country. One of the things I didn't plan for was additional pets. We have had 4 cats total over the short time we've lived outside of town. They have all been outdoor cats due to our allergies. Still, we connect with them and love them so. 

My daughter had latched on to a baby tomcat that randomly arrived at our house and rarely let him out of her sight  (or grip) when we were outside. He was the perfect companion for her and tolerated how much love a toddler can show (physically). He was always near her and followed her everywhere she went. 

I have cherished watching their relationship grow in the last year. Unfortunately, our time with him ended too soon. With outside cats, we are limited to how much protection we can provide these animals. They are so vulnerable to predators, the weather, and vehicles (we are near a busy road). We have worked hard to decrease these risks, but only so much can be done. 

As we have been mourning the loss of one beloved cat, we welcomed our first litter of kittens into our family. Five beautiful babies arrived early one morning last week. My daughter and I were blessed to bear witness to this event. Payton was attached instantly and I can honestly say it was love at first sight.

Goodbye, for now, to our cat who bonded so well with our baby. Hello, to the babies who helped us expand our hearts and deepen our love for all things animal related.

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