Begining of our Father's Day Celebration

So the weekend of fathers day Riley and I were in Dallas, but we flew back to the Gump on Sunday and we were ready to celebrate with Michael when he picked us up from the airport. We had plans for Daddy, that Riley and I had come up with, well mainly Riley, but when we pulled away from the airport the car said it was 103 degrees. So that is why I said in an earlier post that we had only started our Father's Day celebration. Michael did not know what we had planned, so I took Riley and got him dressed for our outing and returned to surprise him. The manly man in him probably won't admit it but I think he was really excited about Riley's little outfit and outr plan. He was also thrilled with his Father's Day present...Riley's first fishing pole! Anyway, Gie Gie and her monogramming sewing machine created this adorable onsie for the big day. It says, "Going fishing" on the front and on his little bootie it say ..."with Daddy". He will be so cute in it when he starts crawling. Gie Gie also found his fishing hat. As you can tell from the picture bleow he was really excited about it too!

We never made it fishing that day due to the heat, but we plan to have our fathers day celebration later on this summer on a day when it is not so hot. My picnic basket and quilt are still half packed and waiting for the occassion! Also I would have more pictures to post, but Riley was so excited he was a big blur in most of the pics, jumping all over the place!

So it wasn't Pneumonia.

Sorry I said in the last post I was posting video and I forgot, so here it is. This is Riley after his dinner, nap, 6 needle pricks, breathing treatments and multiple x-rays. We are still in the ER at this point, but you can tell he is feeling better.

His fever broke on Saturday in the early afternoon. And he never had to have another set of breathing treatments after his set on Friday night. His breathes per minute increased and when Dr. Morrison said we could leave and he wrote Riley a couple of prescriptions. He is on a steroid and a antibiotic to cover all our bases. Dr. Morrison says that it is not likely pneumonia since Riley recovered so well and so quickly. He has been cleared to return to daycare on Wednesday, but Gie Gie is trapped here without a car until the weekend so he will be out of daycare all week.

We're home!

We were released this morning and Riley is doing great! Below are some pictures from the hospital.

Here are Riley's little feet and his IV and hospital bracelet.
Here he is lying in his hospital crib.

Here he is on my hospital cot, luckily his IV would stretch really far so he did not have to stay in the crib all the time.

He is on my cot again, with Gie Gie and please note in the picture above and this one below how incredibly pale he is.

This time he is for real sick.

So I have not blogged for a while, but since my last post where we discovered Riley was likely teething, we have been to the big city of Dallas for girls weekend, and we have started to celebrate Father's Day. I will post about both of these later. But first I will tell you that the last 24 hours has been horrifically long. The only bright spot, other than Riley, is that my parents are here. If y'all read recently you have heard me go on about how I do not make a decision without them and need there continual guidance, so this weekend I really needed them and I tried not to ask, and they were super smart and came without my desperate pleas.

So why would I have had desperate pleas you might ask? Because my precious little bundle of joy was admitted to the hospital last night. For those of you getting worried, please know he is doing really well. But on Friday at 4:15 or so ECDC called Michael (the only parent they really know bc he drops him off and picks him up) and said Riley has stopped taking the paci and he is not acting like himself, and he has a fever. Michael went straight to daycare and called me to see what to do next. I called my Dad and paged the doctor since it was after the office had closed. My Dad said we needed to take him to the doctor or the ER and have him checked out and then Dr. Morrison said the same thing. Both of them were concerned it could be pneumonia. Michael to Riley to Baptist South, the ER suggested by Dr. Morrison and I (without a car went to ask Angela to take me to the hospital. I of course was a mess, though I was sure he would be fine the idea of going to a hospital is scary.


When I got to the ER Michael was in the back with him doing a check in process, after that screening he brought Riley to me and I held him in the waiting room. He was so lethargic and hot, he just laid on my chest and panted. It was totally out of character for him, normally at this hour he just plays and plays, talking and squealing. A few minutes later he was taken into the ER and Michael and I were swarmed by at least 6 different PA's and nurses. (shout out SK, our PA, Benny, was very nice and now I have a better idea of what you do everyday) First they took blood, that took two sticks, then they tried to get a line in for an IV and that took four more sticks over the course of several hours. All while he was being stuck repeatedly they were putting a tube in his face and were doing breathing treatments. They did a chest x-ray, and then came back for a neck x-ray of the soft tissue. After the x-rays came back and after being in the ER for two hours they told us he had "a little bit of pneumonia" and that he would be admitted. I had been a bit teary eyed as my baby screamed while they pricked him, but you can imagine that I could not hold the tears back when they said we would be staying in the hospital. I got Riley to take a nap, though it was a goof hour past his bedtime and we settled into our ER room waiting on the last try at an IV.


**Note: The floor of an ER, where they are constantly pushing people through and doing a quick clean in between, is SERIOUSLY nasty. I had at least 3 different nurses say they would not hand their child something that had been on the floor.


So after the nurses came back in and got his IV in and he had thrown his paci a on the floor for the last time. One rattle and two paci's were in the garbage and Michael was on his way to the store for more.

By that time it was 9:00 pm and Chappy's at the hospital had closed, so then Michael went to grab dinner. He was out and Riley was sleeping on the hospital bed. I watched TLC in the ER while I watched his every move until we got moved upstairs into the Pediatric unit. That was about 10:00 and shortly there after Dr Morrison came in to check on him. He got all hooked up and he was wide awake from his nap until Grandcoy and Gie Gie arrived, and my Mom got him back to bed around 12:30. I made my bed on the roll away cot, and Michael brought me my pillows and my luggage (we were on our way to Brewton) and I got settled in.

He did not sleep real well , he was back up at 2:30, and 4:30 and then 6:30, and I slept even worse, getting to bed at 2:00 and watching him every time I put him back to sleep. Today he was really happy and Dr. Morrison came in and said he seemed to be doing well and is likely to get out tomorrow. His temp was lower this afternoon and Dr Morrison listed and timed his breathing. He was taking about 40 breaths per minute and it should have been at least half of that. So hopefully his progress will continue.

Or not sick...

So I thought he was sick, but last night he decided to stay up too late, he would not sleep in his crib and cried until 12:45 am. (Loved that since we were getting up at 5:15 am) Anyway in the midst of all his crying last night I discovered as he gnawed on my fingers that his fussiness is all about TEETHING. The fact that he threw up the other night made me think that he was sick. But remove the throwing up from the equation and the rest of his symptoms (lack of appetite, fever, runny nose, riduculous sleep habits)equal teething. Duh! I have not felt a tooth, but he gnaws more on the right side of his mouth so I am suspecting there will be a tooth soon.

Sick Baby

Last night for the first time in his six months of life I would say Riley had a bit of a bug. He was really fussy when I got home from work and Michael thought he was tired. I agreed but thought he was probably not feeling well since he had a runny nose. So I tried to feed him at 5:30 like always and he wasn't interested...even when I put bananas on his lips. He started to cry at the very top of his lungs, which he just doesn't do. I picked him up and tried to soothe him...and splat, he threw up all over me and the floor! And I mean threw up, this was not spit up. He seemed to feel a little bit better after that but he wouldn't eat, he had a slight temp, and he wouldn't sleep. The only way to keep him from doing his pitiful half cry was for Michael to lay him with his head resting on his shoulder. We tried to put him in the crib twice thinking he was asleep only to find out we were wrong. Finally around seven I was able to get him down in the crib. He woke up twice before 9 and the second time I checked his fever. It had gone up a degree and he felt so hot. He was so lethargic, but after talking to my Dad (so nice to have a doctor to call) I was able to get about 5 ounces in him and some tylenol. He was wide awake now, but I think he is feeling better.

He woke up again at midnight and was up for 45 minutes, then at 3:30 he got up and stayed awake until 5:45. This morning he was feeling better, but we just did not want to chance him getting sicker or passing this little bug on to his classmates. Lucky for us Etta came to the rescue. His temp has been elevated for him since yesterday, but well under the temp that daycare worries about. He is fine, but it is so sad to hear him really cry because he doesn't feel well.

Baby Food

So now that Riley is eating solid foods (this is a misnomer...there is nothing solid about his foods) I have been making it. I am not sure I should really even claim to make it, the hard work is done by the farmers, all I do is steam it and puree it. It is the easiest thing ever!!

First I steam the green beans, these were frozen organic green beans.

Then I put it in the food processor with a little bit of milk, and you get this.

Then it goes into the ice cube trays. And then I take them out and stick them in a freezer bag. Each cube is about an ounce and it stays good in the freezer for about 3 months. And aside from being super easy. It costs about 1/3 the price of baby food..trust me I have done the math. Below is frozen sweet peas and frozen acorn squash. Riley loves the acorn squash the best so far. He has also had the jarred stuff and he is quite content with it too. I believe them to be equally as healthy, and I really like both of the organic brands that we have tried.

Riley's Friends

Last week Riley had friends come to play. Here he is with Jake and then later on down the page with Avery.

Give me that DUCK!

Sorry these pictures are kind of blury...but I had to share. Bathtime has changed dramatically. Riley used to just lay there while I bathed him. Now I cannot keep him still. I think we may not be able to bathe with the duck anymore. I finally just let him lay on his chest on the seat and shove the duck in his mouth. He was happy.

6 Months Old!!

Can you believe it?? Where on earth does the time go? I feel like I was just pregnant yesterday (quite possibly bc I am still carrying around half of the weight), but no I have a 6 month old...a six month old!!! He is no longer a tiny baby that you can cradle and soothe. In the last two weeks he has learned to sit up and he is not interested in lying on his back unless he is sleeping. He is always on the verge of moving and going. It is really kind of sad, but at the same time wonderful!! I guess that is what the future holds, excitement over new stages and nostalgia over the past. It is still so surreal to be a parent! I am the Mom and I really can't get over that.

When I was little I relied on my parents for everything, like all kids do, but I really do not think that has changed all that much. What I cannot get over is the fact that my parents have always been, in my eyes, adults. They have always been the ones with all the knowledge and life experience and the ones I look to for guidance on EVERYTHING...I mean I call to find out what to do about car stuff, house stuff, recipes, finances, and of course Riley. Will I ever feel like a grown up? And how on earth would I get along with out such great parents, both mine and Michael's? We are so lucky!!

Back to being 6 months old...Riley now weighs 15 lbs and 3 oz, putting him in the 20th percentile for weight. He is 26 1/4 inches long, putting him in the 45th percentile for height. So he went up in weight and down in height but he is still right on track adn his pediatrician is pleased.

Here are some pictures from his 6 month photo shoot!

Girl's Night

a couple of weekends back, Tracy suggested girls night. TJ was fishing and Searcy was going to be hanging out, so Carolyn and I joined them. Avery was there and Jake too. Riley stayed home, as he does not do to well when we keep him up past 7:00 pm. Michael stayed with him, while I played. It was a perfect break from homework, work-work, and house work! We had a great time.

Here is Avery wearing the ballerina hat that I got her. It has pink toole on it and she looked precious.

Here she is checking out baby Jake.

And here we have a foot comparison between Jake and Avery.

Here we have Carolyn and Searcy with their babies.

And below are two hilarious pictures...atleast funny to us. First I walked in without a baby, but I did have my pump in tow and so I used it as an all in one type of bag. Medela pump parts and wine tote. The two don't really go together but they both needed to get to Tracy's house.

Then Carolyn walked in with jake and his diaper bag and look what she started to pull out! Even Momma's need a time out!

Michael's Bedside Table

Below you will see a picture I took of Michael's bedside table. Just one more example of how life changes. Our living room floor is littered with bright colored stuffed animals, squeaky toys, and teething rings, and if you are not careful where you step you will hear some Baby Mozart tunes come streaming out of a flashing smiley face (truly mesmerizing for Riley...kind of creepy looking to me). Anyway, Riley does have his own room, but first ting in the morning Michael brings him upstairs so I can feed him while he takes a shower, and occasionally he needs a diaper change up stairs or some baby lotion...so Michael's bedside table is no longer his own.

Below you can also see (on the video monitor...the bestest thing ever) that last Wednesday, Riley started to sleep on his stomach. I am pleased with this, though twice over the weekend he managed to fling his pacifier across the crib and was unable to get to it, so he woke me/us up. If this trend continues he is bound to start to squirm his way around out of desperation...just one more sign he will likely crawl before he walks. With all of the standing that he has been doing we had fears he would walk first...and they say that is not good for developing the proper motor skills, so I am relieved.

Spoon Training

So on and off since the end of April we have been doing what I call "spoon training". You can introduce first foods to a baby as early as 4 months, but they do no actually need to have solids until 6 months. So when Riley was a little short of 5 months old, we tried rice cereal with milk mixed in. It was a failure over and over again, but I kept trying hoping he would take interest in it. Then the weekend before we went to the beach we stopped through Pensacola, and I let my Mom give it a shot...suddenly he reacted and enjoyed it and he came out of the meal clean. So since then we continued to work our way up but he never would take to much until I started to add sweet flavors to the rice, such as sweet potatoes or acorn squash. here are some of those early attempts.

Etta fed him at the Pink House over Memorial Day and she too was able to get most of it in his mouth...it is either a grandmother skill or perhaps something to do with patience, which I lack. But I also make such a mess because Riley grabs for the spoon and I let him have it. He plays with it and we both end up covered in peas and rice, along with the dining room table and his chair. One night after a feeding we gave him a bath, and then about an hour later discovered his eyelashes were still coated in squash. Here is what he usually looks like after we are done:

Beach Weekend May 8th

So I finally uploaded a bunch of pictures tonight and over the next week I will be posting about May...since I never seemed to get around to it in May! Anyway, this post is dedicated to the weekend of May 8th, when we went to the "Pink House" with the Austins and Aunt Mary and Uncle Radcliffe.

As you can see, Riley enjoyed a drink on the pier:

And he finally met HAILS! Here he is pating Hails on the back. I am not sure that Hails new what to make of him at first.


Not sure what kind of look he is giving Hails above. And below he is lounging on his new beach towel, which Katie had made for him. He and Hails matched and were ready to get some sun.

Here he is hanging with Aunt Mary.

And below is a little adult fun after bedtime...actually some might consider card games involving beer juvenile fun. But we always play a round or two of P & A with the Austins (much to Michael's dismay).

This game resulted in a need for more beer, and below you can see how Radcliffe and Brigg transported it back to the house.

Rolling Over

I know I just said the other day he might crawl after all and he has taken one more step in that direction. He was in his crib last night, not at all interested in sleeping, laying on the Boppy wedge and he disappeared. I was watching him on the video monitor and when I looked up I could see the side of his head over to the right side of the crib. The little booger had rolled over from his back to his tummy for the very first time. We will see if it is a fluke or if he does it again this weekend. Michael and I jumped up and ran to see what he was doing and Carolyn started to come too but Jason was feeding Jake and could not get up so they watched from the video monitor. We all laughed about how funny it is that we sat around drinking beer and watching the babies and we were all so thrilled to be doing so...how life changes.

I would also like to mention that Riley has started squealing, we were thinking we were going to avoid all those loud shrieks, but he is doing it more and more.

New Stuff

This last weekend Riley started doing push ups. He presses his armsdown in front of him and straightens his elbows. It is so cute because he is so intrigued by this new move. This morning he also sat up for a good 30 seconds. With his new moves and his new found interest in tummy time I think he may crawl after all.

Just to tide some regular blog checkers over...

I am going to take the liberty of posting a few fabulous pictures that Blair took from this weekend. Allison can delete them if I am leaking any adorableness before she has had the chance to do a proper post. But i cannot resist sharing these - and since i got a bunch of Riley time this weekend, those who have not seen him in a while should get some too! - Elizabeth