So Touching

This evening I was doing Maddie's hair as we were getting ready to visit with the elderly at the hospital. We were just chatting. I said something about how cute her hair was going to look in two pig tails (we haven't done her hair in a few days). She told me: "Your grampa give it me!" and I said "What did he give you? Your pretty red hair?" (my grandfather had her hair color). She then said, "yeah, I hee your grampa all time!", I said, "you do? When did you see my grandpa?" and she said, "uhmm, last week!" I kinda laughed and said, "oh you did? Where?" (my grandpa passed away a few years ago), and she told me, "Uhm, Heavenly Fader's house!" Before she said that, I wasn't taking her too seriously because I've talked about her getting her hair from my grandpa whenever anyone asks, but her saying that she saw him at Heavenly Father's house totally suprised me because I don't beleive I've ever told her about him being in heaven or anything of that nature. As she was talking I thought about how it could be possible that my grandpa's spirit has probably been around, as I was very close with him. I was silenced for a moment as I realized that she probably has seen him and she was probably by his side before she came down to be with us and was just remembering that time with him in her Heavenly Father's house. Now, I know for SURE where she gets that beautiful red hair from, my grandpa, her great grandpa, gave it to her (along with the stubborn personality and witty sense of humor that comes with a red head)!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

The new (temporary) man in our lives!

Proud builders of our cute snowman





It looks like we're gonna have a VERY white Christmas up in Lake Arrowhead this year! There's about 3 1/2 feet of snow and counting! Glen and Maddie made the cutest snowman together on Monday morning. I just came out to take pictures and Glen made me get in one. I had nothing to do with the building of the snowman at all... I can't take any credit! But I will take a little credit for that adorable little girl standing next to him! Maddie LOVES the snow this year! Everytime Glen goes out to shovel she wants me to put on all her gear and go out with her daddy! She wasn't as entusiastic last year. Besides getting cabin fever, we're enjoying the beauty and peace that the snow brings. Glen keeps trying to find excuses to use our 4 wheel drive! You feel a little different about the snow when you have a big 4x4 that handles the snowy roads with ease! I'm looking forward to a snowy, white Christmas this year. I don't think I've ever experienced one in all the years I've lived in Lake Arrowhead. There's been snow, but usually it's all dirty and melting by the time Christmas rolls around. They say it's supposed to snow on Christmas Eve and Christmas day! I'm so excited! I feel so lucky to live in such a beautiful place!

Oh, how I LOVE Target!

I'll find any excuse to make a Target run, not so much these days, but I still love the place! Anyway, Maddie always asks me where I get stuff, "Way you get dat mom?" My reply is usually always "I got it at Target!" Well two nights ago, we were sitting together and I always play with her little button nose and tell her how cute and squeshy it is. I asked her "Where did you get such a cute nose?" and she thought for a minute and said, "Uhh, at TA-get!" I laughed so hard and said, "You got your nose at Target? Wow, I'm gonna go buy one of those!" She then said, "Yah, day have dem dare!" What a cute girl, huh!

From the Mouth of Maddie

So anyone who knows Maddie, knows that she speaks very well, loves to talk, and says some of the cutest things. Well, the other day she was playing with her toys and saying "Humpty Dumpty" but this is what it sounded like: "Hunky Dunky hatona waa, Hunky Dunky hanna gwate haa, Hunky Dunky, Hunky Dunky!" I was laughing silently, as not to disturb her play. I noticed myself wondering around picking up toys saying "Hunky Dunky" all day long!

Maddie's First Trip to the Dentist

Open wide!

Counting Teeth




You're gonna put that in my mouth?

All done! "Hee, dat not too bad mommy!"

We made a family trip to the dentist last week, which is always a blast! It actually turned out to be rather amusing once I started snapping these pictures of Maddie! We were all in the clear when it came down to checking for cavities. Thank goodness!

I'm a total SLACKER!

Ok, so it's been too long since our last post, I must apologize. I always need Glen's help uploading the pictures from our camera and he likes them to be sorted and placed into files, so, I have to wait for him to have the time to help me. Since he's had some "spare" time, we were able to load our most recent pics and work on the blog! Enjoy!

Suprise!

Smiley Riley

And.... a little chunky too!

Riley is so strong!

Riley is such a big, strong baby. Someone asked me, "How old is she? Six, Seven months?" I laughed and said, "Ha, no, she's only 3!" My children are anything but petite! A friend, Ryan Fenn (for those who know him), asked me, "Have you put her on the Atkins diet yet?" I thought that was stretchin' it a bit, she's not THAT big! She's actually not really too chunky, just big! She looks chunkier in pictures and when she's lying down! At least I know they're healthy!

Riley is rolling over when placed on her tummy and REALLY wants to start sitting. When she's on her back she lifts her head and feet like she wants to get up. I'll usually grab her hands and she then lifts herself up! She's been so much fun so far. She's very easy going and happy!

Maddie's new word!

So, we all know when children learn new words they sound kinda like the real word and sometimes they are completely different, and then SOMETIMES they sound like a really BAD word...well, the other day I was looking for something in the cupboard and I nonchalantly said, "Oh, darn it, I can't find it." and Maddie says to me, "Oh, DOM it." in an "oh well" kind of tone with her head cocked to the side and eyes looking to the corner. I really tried hard not to let out a chuckle but it's too close to the actual word and I couldn't help it. Then, she thought it was sooo funny and said, "dom it, dom it, dom it, HA HA!" and just started cracking up! Glen's little brother was over and he let out a little chuckle. I told Maddie "It's DARN it, not DOM it, and...I don't want you saying either one.... and mommy won't either, we'll just say Oh no, or Oh man!"

It's almost as bad as the story my mother-in-law told me about Glen's little sister Heather, who as a little girl couldn't pronounce her Rs, and she kept asking for a FORK at a church activity!!!

Oh man...kids say the silliest things!

Cute little story

This morning Maddie and I were watching Elmo and the topic of the day was about penguins. Maddie loves penguins, she calls them "Penos". Anyway, there was a little boy whose dad worked at the zoo taking care of the penguins and he was telling us all the things they do to take care of them, including feeding them fish. Maddie got up and ran to the pantry. She ran back over to me and said, "Look mom, I eat hish too, all the time!" In her hand was the big box of goldfish crackers! She popped some goldfish in her mouth, laughed and said, "I a peno too!" I laughed and of course being the big baby that I am teared up a bit, I just thought that was so darn cute of her!

A pit stop at the Pumpkin Patch

Before heading out to the Apple Orchards we made a pit stop at the Pumpkin Patch off the 10 freeway. Grandma Cheryl and Papa John helped her pick out a "witty, tiny baby punkin". She plays with it at home like it's a baby, it's really funny!

Oak Glen Apple Orchards

Last weekend we met up with family at the Oak Glen Apple Orchards in Yucaipa. It was kind of a chaotic day with all the crowds and wind, but Maddie had a good time! I spent most of the day nursing Riley and trying to get her to sleep! I wasn't able to see her ride the pony but Glen got these great pictures...of course I cried when I saw how happy she was! Glen said her grin was from ear to ear the whole time!

Riley is 2 months!

Riley... what a sweet little baby she is! I just LOVE her so much! I can't believe she's already two months old! She still looks like a little bald old man with those cute little ears that stick out, but she's filling out and chunkin' up and looks more like a baby girl everyday. The little old man is starting to fade out! Right now she LOVES to sit and observe in her bouncer seat. She'll sit and smile in there for 20, sometimes 30 minutes! She's very easy going unless of course she's hungry or tired, than she let's everyone within a 30 mile radious know she's upset...that's how loud she is! I try to take care of her needs before she tunes up so we don't have to get to that point, which is better for everyone!

Making Rolls

The weather is changing and I got the itch to make homemade chicken soup with fresh, yummy rolls! Normally I like to do this kind of thing while both girls are napping but on this particular day Maddie had already napped and was eager to help. Being the control freak that I am at times, especially when it comes to baking, I hesitated. I just like to get it done without having a huge mess, but then I thought, "what the heck... they're just rolls, and it's just flour... Why not!" So, we went to town! Maddie helped sprinkle the flour on the board and dough, rolled out some of her "own" dough, and helped place the rolls on the cookie sheets. She did a GREAT job and had soooo much fun and... so did I! It was the cutest thing, and I felt like such a schmuck for even thinking of not letting her help! Life is just too short, soon helping mommy will be the furthest thing from her mind. I might as well take advantage of it now!

Riley in her WOOMbie

So Riley has to be swaddled or she'll wake herself up with any sudden movement. I would try to get the blanket swaddled super tight but sometimes she'd still get out of it. I went online for tips on swaddling and to see if there were any swaddle blankets out there that I didn't already know about. Well....there were, I came across the WOOMbie. It's voted "Top Choice" so I went to the site to check it out. I saw it and thought, "Why didn't I think of that?...Duh!" It's so nice because they don't get too hot, they can still stretch if they want but at the same time still feel secure and snug as if still in the Womb, hence, the name WOOMbie! It's great, I don't leave home without it. For all my friends who are expecting...take note, this will probably be my gift to you!

Maddie calls it "the Woom-BEAN" which actually kinda makes sense, she looks like a little bean!

Glen and Maddie's birdhouse

The week before Riley was born, Jessica (my sister) and I went to Michael's to check out the dollar kids projects that our cousin told us about. We thought it'd keep them busy while at the hospital as well as being fun projects to do with dad while mom recovers and takes care of the baby. Anyway, Maddie had been begging to build her birdhouse for a few days so I told her that daddy would build it with her on the weekend. It was priceless to see the two of them working so hard together... Both so happy to be spending time with one another!

My, where has the time gone!

So our little Riley is NOT so little anymore! She's 12 lbs at almost 8 weeks! I don't think any of our babies will EVER be petite. That's ok though, she's healthy and so very kissable! She's a very smiley little bug, we call her "Smiley Riley", cheesy I know, but it's the truth! Maddie was more of a serious baby, she'd smile at the people closest to her and everyone else she'd just stare at, like, "What are YOU looking at weirdo!" It's so amazing how completely different they are. I think that's what makes it so easy to love each of your children... they each bring so many different personality traits into the family, something different to love! It's so fun. I can't wait to see how Riley is at 2! At first I was wanting her to just be two already...the infant stage is so demanding and hard, but now that she's starting to adapt to the world she's becoming very content and happy and we're all enjoying her even more. I'm taking one day at a time and just enjoying the little coos and gurgles along with the big toothless grins! I tear up when she smiles at me because it's a sign of her love for me, which makes the middle of the night feedings not seem so bad! I must say, she's a much better sleeper than our little Maddie was at this age. Riley has at least one 4 to 5 hour stretch, sometimes even 6 at night which makes taking care of both my girls during the day a heck of a lot easier!

Maddie has adapted very well! At first she wanted to hold her all the time. Now, however, she is completely over her and just does her own thing. Occasionally she'll talk to her, kiss her, hug her and say, "Roun and Roun the garden like a teddy bear, one dep, two dep and Tickle under day (there)!" and laugh with her and say "I be funny mommy, Wiey wike it!" it's really cute! I know they'll have lots of fun together once Riley is more mobile. I also have a feeling that Riley will just idolize her big sis just by the way she stares at her now! But what a great little girl to idolize! Maddie is so full of life and light! I love everything about her, as it should be, I'm her mother, but I think anyone else who is around her and knows her well loves everything about her too! There's just so much to love. She has been asking a lot of questions lately, mainly, "What dat called mommy?" or "What him name?" or "What her name?" to passers by when we're out and about. She always wants to know exactly what I'm doing and always says, "I wanna hee (see)!" I've been trying to work on numbers and letters with her, she knows A and can recognize if there is 1, 2, or 3 of something... mostly her potty treats! She's very smart and NEVER forgets ANYTHING!! I kid you not, if she gets a gift from someone she always knows who it's from and tells me who it's from every time she plays with it or puts on an outfit from someone. She even tells me if it's something we got her. My sister got her a little toy at the store last week and forgot to give it to her so yesterday when we went to her house she asked her aunt Jessica where her new toy was, it was so funny! She LOVES to look at pictures and videos of herself on the computer... it's become something we do DAILY!
Our latest hurtle to get over with Maddie has been getting her out of our bed! Yes... she had started this new faze of needing to "wheep our bed", as she would say, a few months into my pregnancy. I didn't mind so much when I wasn't huge like a whale, but then it became rather uncomfortable, to say the least. Glen would often go into her room and sleep in the bed that was supposed to be her "big girl bed" just because there just wasn't enough room for us all to spread out! I did kind of enjoy having her there but after Riley was born we decided it was time to get her out. We tried having her sleep in her crib for a few nights. Glen told her that she needed to START the night sleeping in her crib and then when she woke up we'd come get her. Well... the "We'd" come get her turned into ME having to get her and it was difficult getting up to get her, than waking up an hour later to feed Riley so... I came up with the idea of putting her big girl mattress in our room on the floor so she could be NEAR us but not ON TOP of us! She thought it was soo fun the first night than she started to fuss about it before bed. I told her, in a nice way of course,"too dang bad kid...this is as good as it's gonna get, I need my sleep!" She would wake in the middle of the night and get into to bed with us for the first couple nights, than one night she slept all night so I gave her a treat in the morning. Now, she'll usually just say, "mommy?" in her sleep just to make sure I'm there and stays in her bed all night! I must say my sleep has been much more blissful since the change. I've noticed she's not as moody as well, now that she's not getting pushed off of me or Glen all night long, she's actually getting better sleep too!

Glen has been working so hard to provide a good life for our family. He/We have been so blessed to have the job that he has. We've been very fortunate during this hard time with the economy. It all comes down to saving and spending your money correctly and living within or even below your means. Glen has taught me how to be more frugal and to really only buy the necessities, with the occasional splurges on the wants. He's a great father and husband I feel so blessed to have him in my life and for him to be the father of our children. Lucky for us that the economy is the way it is, we will probably get a SWEET deal on a really nice house in the next year or so...something to look forward to!

I'm just a happy mama! Happiest when both my children are peacefully sleeping and I have time to myself, but happy just the same when I'm playing with them and spending what little time I can with Glen! Glen took me out to dinner for my birthday to a really nice restaurant and we had the nicest time just talking and looking at each other, he's so easy to stare at, I just love him! We rarely have time together right now, just because I usually go to bed around the same time as the girls, but I know that soon Riley will be more consistent on her length of sleep so we'll get that time back. Last weekend we had a nice treat when Maddie hadn't napped all day and then her and Riley fell asleep at 7:30. We stayed up for two hours watching a comedy special and had the best time. It's the little things! Time goes by so quickly, you just have to sit back and enjoy all the little moments because you never get them back!

So... that's the latest for now!

Riley Renee Cummins is HERE!!!

Well, Riley was polite and came right on time! My water broke at 6 am August 22nd. We got to the hospital around 8:30 am. I tried to wait around for contractions to begin on their own, but later decided to just start pitocin and get it over with, only a short while later and Riley was born, weighing in at 7lbs 14oz!

We are all so happy that she's here! She's beautiful and wonderful and just a delight!

Still Pregnant!!!!

In case you're wondering.... NO... Riley has not yet graced us with her presence (as of today, August 20th)! We are ALL anxiously awaiting her arrival and the calls keep coming..."No baby yet?" My first due date was the 22nd, then they moved it up to the 15th based on the Ultrasound. I had an appointment today, the 20th and the doc and I had a long discussion on my dates and I assured him I knew the exact date she was conceived. We concluded that the due date of the 22nd or even the 23rd is more accurate, which made us both feel better. I'm still very adamant about getting this baby out as soon as possible though, I really don't want to be pregnant anymore. I'm getting a little annoyed with all the "Oh my goodness you look like you're gonna POP!" and the "WOW! You look ready!" and "You're HUGE!" comments! These are all from complete strangers. People can be so insensitive. Today some guy asked me how much weight I've put on! Who does that?? What a dope! I just laughed and scratched my chin with my middle finger... Just kidding I didn't, but I totally pictured myself doing that... is that bad??? Hopefully the next time I post Riley will be here and I can brag about how beautiful and wonderful she is!

Finally!

So, here it is... The Cummins Family blog! I decided to go ahead and start a blog as a way to help me stay on top of "journeling" our family life, and to keep our family and friends in the loop who aren't here for the day to day things that come up. I wish I could vidoetape every moment with Maddie as, every moment seems to be eventful, hilarious, or just plain adorable! I hope you enjoy reading our blog as much as I have enjoyed putting it together!