Now We Are Two

My little boo boo is all grown up. Two years old already. I just can't believe so much time has gone by because you still feel like my little baby.

Here is a pic from your last night being one.



We had a really fun birthday party for you this year. It was a costume party again, and everyone dressed up. Here is a list of who came:

Emily, Steve, Ann, Katherine, Will, James & Mary
Jennifer, Grandma, Grandpa, Kim & Kota
DaShell & Matt
Kim, Jake & Gavin
Shinika & Boo
Rachel
Bill, Brenna, Mia & Ella
Gary, Christina & Evan

(OK - so now it is Dec 30th and I am just getting back to the post. Guess I will finish about your birthday before I move on to the holidays :)

You were little Orphan Annie for the party, Daddy was Daddy Warbucks, Mommy was Miss Hannigan and Aunt Fer Fer was Punjab. We all looked pretty good.

We played "hot pumpkin", had a costume contest and did a princess pinata.

You got lots of presents and were very spoiled. Fer Fer bought you your first tricycle and Mommy and Daddy gave you your playhouse. It was the official opening of the playhouse and everyone was pretty impressed.

You were really cute at the party and wore your wig the whole time. You even knew how to blow out your candles. I can't believe how big you gotten.

You also got naughty on your first day as a Terrible Two. I came in to get you from your nap (before your party) and it was pretty stinky in your room. I picked you up and something felt different. Then I realized...you didn't have a diaper on. The hunt was on. I found it next to a big pile of poo. SICK. So yes, you are now terrible two. Can't wait to see what is next.


Things were so busy the night of your party...you didn't get to eat your cake. You had the special pumpkin that was on top of your cake the day after your birthday. You LOVED it!

I love you too much my sweet baby. I can't accept that you are not really a "baby" anymore. You still get a baba when you go to bed. And throughout the day for that matter. Everyone keeps telling me you are too old for one...but Mommy still like them herself :) so I am not ready to take it away from you yet.

You are getting a little bossy :) You love to say "no dadda" and say it often. You also think everything is yours and say "Mine" constantly. Lexi (your Nanny) is doing her best to break the habit....but you still need some work.

You have started doing "time-out" but only for 20 seconds. I love making you do it so you have to say "sorry mama" (you say it so cute) and then you kiss me. You are a mama's girl for sure. You always want your mama..ticks daddy off a bit.

We started having you say your prayers before you go to bed. You never miss a night now and like to have guest join when we have people over. You have mommy read you a few books..always ask for one more..and then you run down the hallway to get Daddy for prayer. He brings your baba in with him. Then mommy holds you and sings "I love you forever". You put your head on my neck and let me rock you while I sing it three or four times. I think you know I like to treat you like my baby still.

Anyway, this post is all over the place. I just wanted to jot a few things down while I was thinking of them.

More to post here shortly. Love you forever and always.

Bye Bye Riley

Oct 7th was a very sad say for our family. We had to say goodbye to Riley today. Riley has been such an important part of our family, and we will all miss her very very much.


Riley had been coughing a lot since we came back from our trip to Seattle. Uncle Steve thought it was just kennel cough and we had been treating her with antibiotics. All of the sudden it started getting worse and Riley was having a really hard time breathing.

Emily came with me to take Riley to the vet where he gave us the bad news. Riley had cancer in her lungs and she wouldn't be able to get better. So DaShell and Daddy left work and came up to hang out with Riley for the afternoon. We played with her on the lawn, rubbed her and told her how much we loved her. We knew she was ready to go to heaven because there was a three-legged kitty who kept coming over and getting close the Riley and she didn't even try to chase her. Riley would normally have loved that :)

You always loved Riley very much. You loved to kiss her, sit on her back, and she let you do anything she wanted to her. Even when you were a tiney baby, she would let you pull and tug on her and she would never react. You said her name so cute "oh wiley". I hope I can hear that in my head forever.

Here is a special poem that your Aunt Emily gave us the night we lost Riley.

"They will not go quietly, the dogs who've shared our lives. ...In subtle ways they let us know
their spirit still survives. Old habits still make us think we hear a barking at the door. Or step back when we drop a tasty morsel on the floor. Our feet still go around the place the food dish used to be, And, sometimes, coming home at night, we miss them terribly. And although time may bring new friends and a new food dish to fill, That one place in our hearts belongs to them... and always will"

Jennifer brought you a special Baby Riley doggy to play with the night we said goodbye to Riley. When mommy first saw her she cried becuase it looked so much like Riley, but now I love to snuggle that puppy too. Coming home will never be the same becuase I always got you excited to leave wherever we were by saying "you wanna go home and see Riley"...

There have been lots of tears for Riley since she left, but we feel so lucky to have had her be a part of our family for opver 10 years. She is such a sweet doggy and we know she is having lots of fun in heaven.


Love you Riley!!