It took less than a week for me to decide that Tessa is my new favorite toy. I can’t get enough of her.

When I hear her cry, I say her name and point to where she is. When she is on her play-mat on the floor, I crawl over to her at warp speed and I give her kisses. Even if I have my pacifier in my mouth, I will give her pacifier kisses.

I like to point out her eyes and her ears. And I giggle when I hold her little hands.

I will actually wrestle with Mom to get to Tessa. She will try to keep me from putting my fingers in Tessa’s eyes and I will cry and flail my arms and shake my head until I can get to my little sister.

Emmett’s interest in the baby has waned. He likes to help with her. Get her a pacifier or her bottle. But he’s not as eager to give her kisses or to try to play with her as before. Maybe when she gets a bit older and can play back… But he still loves her. I can tell.

Check back next month when I talk more about how much I love animal crackers, walking with my walker, and talking.

Riley

I would love to say that I am super excited to announce that I have a new little sister… But, to be honest, I am kind of wary of this entire situation. Her name is Tessa Kate and she was born on January 30th, which was only 7 days past her due date. She was 7 pounds 7 ounces and 20 1/2 inches long at birth. A good size little girl… She’s a good eater and sleeper, so Mom and Dad are happy about that. Emmett loves her. Loves to sit and stare at her. Tries to pet her and give her kisses. But I’m not so sure about her.

I admit, I like to smack her. But that isn’t just a thing with Tessa. I smack everyone. It’s great fun. But because she so little, I guess, Mom and Dad don’t want me to smack her. They are trying to teach me the word “gentle” and to not hit her. But really, is this necessary? Shouldn’t she just toughen up? I’m helping her, as I see it. She’ll thank me when she’s a bit older and not such a whiner. (Says the little boy who cries whenever his mom puts him down. Anyway, I’m sure we’ll get to be great friends. She is very cute, I have to say.

On another note, I am so close to walking I can almost taste it! I have been furniture surfing and now I push things around and kind of use them as walkers. Just a few more weeks, maybe, and then I’ll have the strength and coordination to do it without any help! Until then, I crawl mostly on carpet and army crawl on hard floors. I go up stairs and down them. I’m very mobile. Don’t you worry about me…

I’m really quick with language too. I say lots of things. Mostly I am a good repeater, but I do use a bunch of words regularly too. Like doggie. And more. And done. And I like to make sound effect noises and to sing too. I really am a little ham. But in a good way.

So, check back in in a few weeks and I’ll let you know how this having-a-little-sister-thing goes. I’m not excited about sharing Mom and Dad with her. Mostly Mom. But maybe this will be good for me, as I am not a great sharer of anything just yet.

Check out the new pictures we uploaded. There are some really good ones of Emmett and I at the Little Gym and of all of us with Tessa.
Talk soon,

Riley

Christmas was great for me. I got to play with a ton of tissue paper, which I loved. I would pull the tissue paper out of a gift bag, not so interested in the gift, and then I would flap the paper up and down, all the while giggling almost uncontrollably. Then, I would cover my face with the tissue paper, laughing until I ripped the paper off of my head. It was amazing. Mom and Dad will post pictures soon. Not too many good ones came out, but there are a few of Emmett and I opening presents…

I got some good things for Christmas, but I don’t think that, with the exception of the our new art table, I really have played with anything the way that I played with the tissue paper. My new books are good, but I’m not really a reader yet. Emmett will ask to be read specific books and then he’ll read then to himself. Or, he’ll pretend like he can read and just talk to himself and turn the pages. I mostly like to turn the pages and rip them, if I can. This means that I am not allowed to play with anything other than board books right now. Too much destruction.

I am furniture surfing and walking while pushing things. So exciting! Soon I will be walking without any help and Mom and Dad will be so happy! I am still an army crawler. Its not that I can crawl conventionally, but I prefer army crawling. Mom has a theory about that. She thinks that regular crawling is hard on the knees, especially on our hard wood floor. This makes sense, as I do more regular crawling on the carpet upstairs and in the basement. But as it doesn’t really matter, I think that I’ll just concentrate on standing and walking and go from there….

New Year’s Eve was fun. Pizzas, a small snippet of a movie, bath and bed.  A perfect night.

Happy New Year’s to everyone! I can’t wait to see what this year brings. I know one thing that’s coming: Next time we chat I’ll have a little sister (or brother!)…

Riley

This is the best time of year. I get to see all of my favorite people all the time, it seems. There’s my birthday in October, then Thanksgiving, Emmett’s birthday, Hanukkah, Christmas–and that’s just the start. They come over and play with me and give me presents and love.

I had a ton of fun at Emmett’s birthday. First, he got a slide from Mom and Dad. And the box was just as much fun as the slide itself. But since I’m really getting the hang of climbing up things, the slide is fun because I get to show off this skill. The box is great fun, except when Emmett sits on the open end and traps me in there. That was not so good.

After presents and cake, we went to a light display at a local wildlife museum. We saw Santa, reindeer, and lots and lots of lights. It was great because Grandpa Bob, Grandma Cheryl, Aunt Ashley and Ann came. I’m not quite as shy with new people as Emmett is, but these are most of the people that I like to spend my time with.

Mom and Dad have taken to calling me the “Stage 5 Clinger.” Once I get a hold of Mom, I won’t let go. I hold on like a spider monkey. And when Mom tries to pass me off to someone else, I cry and cry and cry. Usually its only food or Mom (and not necessarily in that order) that will get me to stop.

Next time, I’ll post pictures of Christmas and Emmett and I at our gym classes. They will be wonderful, I promise.

Have Great New Year!
Riley

It turns out that I am a fairly determined little boy. Determined to get my way, I mean. Mom and Dad aren’t sure if it is something that I recently learned from Emmett or if it is just a part of who I am, but when I want something, I am not to be easily deterred.

Unlike Emmett, who, for the most part, can be pacified with another toy when he can’t get to something like the cordless phone or a Blackberry, if Mom or Dad won’t let me have those things, I throw quite the tantrum. I arch my back and throw my head back, which is never a good thing given its size and the momentum it can generate. I can go on crying for 20 or 30 minutes, well past when one would imagine my single-mindedness would wear off.

But no, 30 minutes later, if you give me what I want, I will calm down. And right away too. In mid-wail, even.

You may think that this is not an attractive quality, but just wait. Once I get older, this characteristic will no longer be associated with a tantrum. People will call me determined. I will be capable and smart and successful because of it. You just wait and see.

Riley out.

Ps. We had Aunt Ashley, Uncle Steve, cousin Ellie, and Grandpa Bob over for Thanksgiving yesterday. It was really great to hang out with everyone. We tried to take pictures with Grandpa and the grandkids. I posted the shots. See if you can figure out who refuses to stay put for the picture. One hint: His name starts with an Emm- and ends with an -ett.

So this was my first real Halloween. And it was really fun, but not because I got to go around to the houses in Grandpa’s cul-de-sac and ask for candy. I wasn’t too excited about that. It was the fact that I actually got to eat some candy.

First, it was a cupcake on my birthday. And now I get to eat some M&Ms and Milky Ways! What comes next? A straight sugar IV?

Emmett looked so fantastic in his dinosaur costume, and I was pretty cute in my monkey outfit, if I do say so myself, and everyone stopped us to tell us that. But we get that all the time. What I don’t get is the candy.

Why does this holiday come only once a year?

And why did Arlo eat all of my candy this morning when we were out running errands?

Riley

I can’t believe it! I turned one on Saturday! I’m a whole year old. Mom and Dad can’t believe that its been a year since I was born. Boy does time go by quickly…

I had a great birthday party. Just my favorite people. Grandpa and his friend Anne. Aunt Ashley, Uncle Steve (and his mom!), and my new cousin Ellie. And my great-Grandma Betty. It was perfect because there weren’t too many people there and everyone was there to celebrate me! (Last year, Emmett was a little overwhelmed at his birthday party and ended up hiding in the master bathroom shower, so Mom and Dad opted for a small turnout for my party.)

I had almost an entire cupcake all by myself! It was great, you should check out the pictures. I sucked on the cupcake for, like, 10 minutes. When I finally pulled the cupcake away from my mouth, there was a big hole where I’d eaten all the frosting that I could. I just repeated this process until there wasn’t much frosting left and then I moved onto the cake portion… It was great.

I got some great presents too. They were almost all car related, but I got a great toy for the bath as well. Emmet has really been helping me break in the toys. Mostly helping. Sometimes demanding.

I saw the pediatrician yesterday for my one year check up. Everything went fantastic. OK. So, I’m a bit behind on my leg strength, but I keep making good progress with kneeling and standing so no one is worried. I chalk it up to how tightly I was packed before I was born. There really wasn’t much room in there! So it’s going to take me a bit more time to start walking. But I’ll get there! Don’t you worry!

Riley

I am sitting up all by myself, which is really not too much of a feat. But what is special is that I am only rarely falling over and hitting my head. I used to be pulled over by the slightest movement of my gigantic nogin. But now, I am doing a very admirable job of controling it. Yea!

I am crawling, but only backwards, and only once in a great while. So, in other words, not often. But you have to start somewhere, right?

I have a super strong grip and enormous mitts. So I am getting really good at taking things away from Emmett and holding on tight.

I love sweet things. I can’t enough of chocolate (not that Mom and Dad have that very often) and when I have normal stuff like oatmeal, I prefer it sweetened with agave nectar or molasses or something. Emmett prefers the salty stuff. But give me anything sweet and I will act as if I haven’t eaten in months.

I wave at everyone. I wave hello and goodbye. And for no reason at all. I do the double wave (two hands). And something i watch my own hand as I wave. Its very interesting how I can control that.

I am a very determined little guy. If I want a toy, or some food, or to be held, I really don’t let go of that idea until I get what I want. Don’t get me wrong. I’m also very content with almost everything that I am doing. But when I get an idea in my head, I like to see it through to the end. Not a bad quality to have, right?

Anyway, I’ll let you know how my first Halloween goes. I’m going to be a monkey. Which is fairly apt as I like to hold onto things with my hands and drag things to me with my feet!

Talk soon,
Riley