Don’t tell Mom and Dad but I can secretly walk already. I have total control and strength when I walk assisted. Even if I only have one hand of held, I am great. No problems. But when you let go of my hand or when I let go of my walker, its like I am a newborn giraffe. Collapse right to the floor. So Mom and Dad think that its a confidence thing. But what I’m not telling them is that I can already walk when they aren’t looking. I just want them to think I need their help. It makes them feel needed.

So, I’m thinking that I will start taking some steps without their assistance pretty soon. Like within a couple of weeks. I’ll give them a little more time thinking that I am still the baby. But after that-watch out! I will be forever on the go.

Other things I’m up to now: I still copy everything that Emmett does. He makes up words for things and I say those words. I will repeat what he says instead of saying the real word for something. I copy the sign language he uses. Its nice that we are both on the same page with that. It’d be awfully confusing if we were using two different words (or signs) for the same thing.

I’ve got some new things that I do in my carseat. I like to try to hold Emmett’s hand when we are in the car. We sit right next to each other now and I like to reach out and grab his hand. He giggles, but we both think its nice. I also will help Mom and Dad with Tessa while we are driving. They are all the way in the front seat, so I like to make sure that Tessa has her pacifier. I will even taste it to make sure that there’s nothing wrong with it and then I will give it right back to her. When she has a blanket on, I like to take it off because that would totally make me overheat so I’m sure that Tessa doesn’t like that either. All helpful things.

Maybe by my next post I’ll let the cat out-of-the-bag about the walking thing. I’ll gauge it by what Mom and Dad do. We’ll see…

Riley

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