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!