Welcome to the World of Our Four Fantastic Pigs

Jul 20

Butter Pig, to the Rescue!

by admin

So, it turns out that I really like to eat. And since I’m not so mobile yet, I tend to pack on the pounds. Don’t get me wrong, Mom and Dad tell me all the time how cute I am. How they really love my belly. And how my cheeks remind them a lot of Riley’s cheeks at my age. But, truth be told, I’m the biggest pig there is. That’s why Mom and Dad call me the Butter Pig.

I am a super happy Butter Pig. I still smile all the time. I am still really mellow. The only thing that I don’t do-wait for it-is sleep through the night. You may be saying to yourself, but Butter Pig, you are almost 6 months old. Shouldn’t you be sleeping through the night. And I would answer, but if you are as hungry as I am, and if you have very pliable parents like I do, why would you wait an entire 10 hours to eat when you could just yell at the top of your lungs, in the middle of the night, and have it brought to you on a silver platter. Sometimes I wake up and yell just to make sure that they are OK. I’m not even hungry. It’s my way of checking up on them. So far, they have always shown up with a soft and gentle “Little Lady, don’t you want to sleep a little more?” And, as soon as I’ve finished a bottle, I tell them “Sure Mom and Dad. I was just making sure that you were doing alright.”

My mobility is growing (like my tummy) by leaps and bounds. I can not only roll over, but I roll across the floor. I turn all the way around-doing 360s in my crib. And I can grab a hold of and hold onto just about anything. Mom’s hair, preferably. Or Dad’s face. Either one is good. I like to try to swim when I am on my belly. Laughing and kicking and reaching out for some toy that is just too far away….

All around, things are good. I am more mobile, happy and fat. Good things, all.

Tune in next month when I let you know how crawling is going (cross your fingers!).

Miss T

Tessa Kate

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Jul 20

American Graffiti, Monkey-See-Monkey-Do, and Other Interesting Tales

by admin

Just in case you haven’t seen the most recent pictures posted, I’m here to tell you that Emmett and I love to paint. And color with chalk. And we also love to taste the paint and the chalk. But-here’s the kicker-we only love to color and to paint on the side of the house. It’s a good thing that Mom and Dad really trust the “washable” claims of the Crayola color people. Because we have graffitied the side of the house in really, really bright pink paint. And, so far, the rains haven’t washed it off. The chalk, yes. The paint, not so much. But stay tuned. Anything can happen.

We both love to copy one another. So, in a bad example, when Emmett is mad-he hits me. And so I learned that when I am mad, I hit Tessa. But, in a good example, I learned that when I am going to get something for myself-for example, my cup of milk-I should bring one back for Emmett, first. And he has learned that asking things with his voice-and not sign language-sometimes pays off a bit faster. We mimic one another, too. If Emmett turns around in a circle, I try it. And if I get a graham cracker from Mom or Dad and sit on the floor with it, Emmett does the same thing. Mom and Dad think that when we are doing something good, it is very cute. When we are doing something not-so-good, they think that maybe spacing us farther apart would have been a good idea.

As for me, I do this thing where, when Mom and Dad come into our room in the morning, I stand up in my crib, I take my cup of milk, and I watch Emmett getting dressed. But as soon as they turn to me to get me out of my crib, I dive onto the sheets, turn over onto my side with my bunny, and pretend to be asleep. It’s pretty funny.

Emmett, on the other hand, has turned into a real helper. He gets me my pacifiers, he likes to pick out my clothes in the morning, and he dresses me for walks. He makes sure that I have my hat, my shoes, and regardless of the weather he makes sure that I am wearing my coat. He isn’t really helping Tessa with stuff yet. He’s still getting used to her. He likes her but isn’t sure she’s really playground material yet.

We both love songs: The Wheels on the Bus, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, and Twinkle Twinkle are our favorites. We like to spin around in circles or wave our hands and jump around when we sing. When it comes to modern music, Emmett prefers Deep Forest (he laughs super hard to the first song on the CD we have, although no one is sure exactly why) and I like-for better or for worse-80s hair bands. Cheap Trick came on the radio and I started clapping and dancing in my car seat. Mom and Dad are trying to steer me in another direction but I don’t like to be told what to do, so it isn’t really working so much.

Anyway, that’s it for today.

See you soon,
R

Emmett Alexander Riley James

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Jun 28

Emmett is a Riot!

by admin

Check out the new video of Emmett that Mom uploaded… It’s called Emmett with the Bag.

It’s hilarious!

Riley and Tessa

Emmett Alexander Riley James Tessa Kate

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Jun 10

We Went to the Aquarium!

by admin

So, for the first time, Mom and Dad took us to the Aquarium and it was really great. First off, there is a HUGE bubble machine in front of the building and Emmett couldn’t get enough of it. He ran around, chasing one of the older boys, squealing and laughing. Second, did you know that fish live in water? Water that you can splash? Riley tried, every single time Mom took him close to one of the open tanks, to reach in and splash the water. He didn’t love it when the fish swam close to him, but he loved that they were in water.

But the best part was seeing all of the fish that we’ve only seen in Finding Nemo and in our books. Emmett liked the shark tank and thought that it was fantastic that there was a diver in the tank with them. The diver even came over to the glass and gave Emmett and Riley high-fives. Emmett kept following the diver along the glass, putting his hand up to the glass for the diver to mirror on the other side, all the time Emmett was jabbering away in Emmett-speak. (For those of you that don’t know, Emmett-speak is a combination of known and unknown words. The inflection, however, and the gesticulations convey the general meaning.)

There were HUGE fish in that tank. Riley was initially interested in a puffer fish that was slightly bigger than he was. He would reach out and touch the glass, pointing and saying “oh!” Then when the puffer turned around and began to swim up to him, he backed into Mom’s arms shaking his head. Finally, when the puffer-with his great big eyes-was right up against the glass, Riley would make the sign for “all done! all done!” Once the puffer turned around and started to swim away, he would begin again.

Emmett was very interested in the other kids at the Aquarium. Mom and Dad think that he is going to love starting preschool in January. He would follow the kids around, or just watch as they interacted with each other. He would copy them when they climbed up, over and through displays meant for this sort of interaction. He was quite curious. Maybe more curious to see what the older kids would do than to see what the fish were doing.

The morning at the Aquarium was finished off by sharing a breakfast burrito with Daddy. All said, it was a wonderful day. And it came in a string of very tiring, active days. Memorial Day at Grandpa’s, playing for hours in the backyard; going to the garden store and planting a garden; and, of course, the visit to the Aquarium. Busy, busy.

Next week we are going to the zoo! Stay tuned to see how we like that…

We’re out,
Emmett and Riley

PS If you are wondering why there are no posted pictures of our trip to the Aquarium, it’s because the flash wasn’t working and nothing came out. But Mom posted some video recently of us doing crazy stuff, so there is that.

Emmett Alexander Riley James

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Jun 10

Things I love…

by admin

This past month, with the exception of losing one of our doggie friends, things have been great.

I LOVE eating. Still a champ with that. Everyone remarks on my fantastic cheeks, so I guess that they are noticing my penchant for finishing off all of my bottles. I love playing with my stuffed animals. I have a bunny that Grandpa got me, and it is so soft and fuzzy that it is one of my favorites. Aunt Ashely got me a soft, singing pink doggie and that one is nice too. I can turn over onto my belly now, but I don’t really do it too often. Most times I pull myself onto my side, hang out there for a bit, and then I roll back onto my back.

I really need more varied entertainment than I used to. I like to be moved between a few play stations and if I am in any one place too long, I complain. The things that make me laugh the most are Mom, Dad, Emmett, and Riley. Mostly the boys, actually. Even when Riley is trying to steal my pacifier, I think its funny. And I just can’t get enough of Dad, when I don’t need to be snuggled to sleep. I love to sit and stare at Daddy. And I love when he makes silly faces. But when I am fussy and need to go to sleep, than it’s Mom for me.

I hope you saw all of the new pictures that Mom posted. We did a photo shoot and I think that it turned out pretty well. Everyone says that I look really cute in the snapshots, and I would have to agree!

See ya,
Tessa

Tessa Kate

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Jun 10

We Say Goodbye to a Great Friend

by admin

We are all very sad to report that we lost one of our doggies on Wednesday. Arlo died, probably of a heart attack or a vascular tumor in his heart. He was a fantastic cuddler, kisser, and all-around playmate. He also loved to help us clean up after meals, to play with us in the yard, and to be generally goofy and fun. The house is quite a bit more quiet without his rambunctious energy and it will be some time before we get used to it. Arlo, wherever you are, we will miss you and love you, always.

We posted some pictures of Arlo, as a final goodbye.

Emmett Alexander Riley James Tessa Kate

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May 10

Still Cute…

by admin

Hi there!

Just dropping a quick note to let you know how I’m doing. Not much has changed since last month. I’m smiling more. And talking quite a bit. I squeal a lot too. I am more fussy if I am put down. But I am told that Riley was like that too (a Stage 5 Clinger, I guess), so it apparently runs in the family. I just like to be snuggled.

I’m growing like a weed. I’m totally out of my 3 month old clothing now and wearing 3-6 month or 6-9 month items. Everyone gave Mom and Dad frilly, pink things for this stage so I am no longer mistaken for a buy when we go out. (There was a time there when I was wearing all of Riley’s and Emmett’s hand-me-downs, so people at the store would say, “What a cute little boy.”) So that’s nice.

I am sitting up in my chair these days. I like to sit and watch the boys eat or watch Mom or Dad cook. I can’t sit all alone, and when I’m in the chair for too long my head gets heavy and starts to hang a bit. In case you didn’t know, I have a big head too. Like Riley. It isn’t in the 97th percentile, only the 80th percentile. But its still proportionately bigger on my little body.

Check out the new pictures that Mom uploaded. She’s going to be uploading more soon, but in the ones that she’s got up you can really see how big and blue my eyes are. And how chunky I’ve been getting… You might not be able to tell in the pictures, but I’ve got some seriously solid legs and arms.

So I guess that lots has changed! Once you stop to think about it, time passes quickly and although things change slowly, they do change!

Take care,
Miss T

Tessa Kate

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May 9

I Got a Roommate!

by admin

Mom and Dad decided that Riley and I weren’t close enough, being across the hall from each other, so they moved Riley into my room. At first, I wasn’t sure what was going on. But when Mom and Dad put us to bed and Riley went into his crib in my bedroom, I thought that it was fabulous. I started laughing and I just couldn’t stop. I ran from one side of my crib to the other for quite a while. Then I started throwing my bunny up and catching it. And after that, I just started talking a ton. To Riley. Who was in my room too!

Riley, of course, loved being in there with me. Why wouldn’t he? Everyone loves me. They love to hang out with me. And I have a lot to offer, so its not so much of a surprise. I am funny. I am smart. And I am very handsome. We chatted for a few hours until we both finally fell asleep. Mom and Dad didn’t seem so happy come morning, though, when both Riley and I were a bit tired from going to bed so late.

What I like to do is keep Riley up late and then wake him up early. Mom and Dad are hoping that this will wear off soon, but we’ll see. I have a ton of energy and I think that I can keep it up for longer than they expect. Sometimes when I don’t sleep really well, though, I am kind of cranky. I’m not sure why no one likes it when I am cranky, but they don’t. They keep telling me that I need to sleep more. Why sleep? That’s not when all the fun happens!

Well, check in next time to see if I get on Riley’s sleeping pattern or if he gets on mine.

Emmett

Emmett Alexander

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May 9

I’m Walking! And Other Tidbits….

by admin

I decided to take the plunge and start walking. Right after I blogged last time, I figured that I should just let Mom and Dad see that I really can walk. And guess what? They were so excited! It was very rewarding just to see how excited that they were. Everyone was there and everyone started clapping. It was great. Even Emmett started clapping for me. (I clapped too, I have to admit. I was very proud of myself.) Then Emmett came over and gave me a hug. So nice!

Well, since then I’ve taken LOTS of falls. I’m not super coordinated, but I am very determined. It’s not too big of a deal if I fall, except when it’s outside on the sidewalk. I did that yesterday. We went for a walk with everyone for Mother’s Day and I fell. But don’t worry! My face broke the fall. I split my lip and my gums. My upper lip swelled up so big that it was hard for me to suck on my sippy cup. But, oh well. Daddy said I had to walk it off. And I tried. But then I decided that snuggling it off was a better idea. And Mom helped me with that.

There are some other interesting goings-on here. Emmett and I moved into the same room together. So now we are roommates! That first night was so great. It was like a slumber party. We laughed and yelled and squealed and threw stuffed animals. Only after a few hours of that did we decide to try to get to sleep. That next morning wasn’t so great. I was really tired. This happened again the next night too. Then today, Mom and Dad went to the store to buy what they called blackout curtains. I’m not sure what they are but Mom and Dad said that maybe we’d go to bed earlier and stay asleep later if the sun wasn’t coming into our room. We’ll see if that works.

I’m really picking up sign language with Emmett and also verbal language. I like to help Emmett with his words since he’s a bit shy with them. Mom and Dad will ask Emmett to say something and if he doesn’t say it right away, I’ll step in and say it for him. They always thank me, so I know that they are happy that I am helping.

It’s getting to be really nice outside, so we are spending more time in the backyard. We like to play with bubbles (Dad got us a lawnmower that spits out bubbles!) and also dirt. Emmett even jumped into the pond. Maybe that’s why Mom and Dad are filling it in with cobblestone next week. Maybe not. Who knows…

Anyway, we helped Mom to have a great Mother’s Day and I am so looking forward to Daddy having some time off from work and school so that we can all work in the yard together.

I’ll let you know how that goes,
R

Riley James

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Apr 3

Mom’s Plan Seems to be Working…

by admin

I’m not sure if I’ve told you about this yet, but I am kind of addicted to the television. I throw huge temper tantrums when the TV is off and I can’t get someone to turn it on. This went on for a good while before I heard Mom tell Dad that she was going to give in. At first, Dad told me that he wouldn’t negotiate with terrorists. I kind of think that he was referring to the fact that when I didn’t get my way I would push Riley over or hit him on the head or steal his pacifier. But after a while of that, Mom said that this was not a fight that anyone was going to win, so she started turning on the television whenever I wanted her to. And I mean whenever…

First thing in the morning, I would run over the TV, tap the screen, and say ‘this! this!’ And she’d turn it on. After one movie was over, I’d go downstairs and throw a tantrum because the TV down there was off. And guess what? She’d turn that one on too! This went on for almost a month. I only had a few things that I watched-Monsters vs Aliens (an oldie but goodie), Finding Nemo, and Cars. But I loved them all and since I felt that I had really outgrown Dora and Diego, it was movies for me.

But once I’d seen each movie about a gazillion times, something happened. I didn’t ask to have the TV turned on so much. And when it was on, I would no longer stare at it like a thirsty man seeing water for the first time. I’d wander away and play with something in my room or in the library. When I realized that the movie was still on, I’d run into the TV room and the movie would be over. And that was just OK with me. So now, I have a more limited amount of television each day and it’s working well for everyone.

I heard Mom say that she was hoping that if I was able to watch my movies all the time then I would get sick of them. I guess it worked. Don’t tell her that, though.

Although maybe she should feel good about it, as this is one hurdle down and only a gazillion more to go.

Emmett out.

Emmett Alexander

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