Girls Rule

The poor men that were involved with this years Thanksgiving deserve medals! We were a party of ten. Eight girls with ages ranging from 8 months, 15 months, 24 months, 7 years, 29 years, and more (it's not polite to list a lady's age after they hit 40 :?) and two very patient and possibly traumatized men. We had a blast. I'm so bummed it is all over. My mom was a great hostess with the mostess and she cooked an amazing meal or two for us all. Here are a couple of pictures from our weekend. We had a blast. I loved every second of it!

Emma doing her "I don't like it" lips

cousin Maddy practicing her sprints

Emma's cousin Gretchan (aka Gretchie)

she is the sweetest baby I've ever seen

look at that big girl who refuses to sit in the high chair

because she clearly doesn't need one....

Me and my Gretchie!

Isabelle (Emma's cousin) built an amazing tower that

was quickly bulldozed by two toddlers that will

remain unnamed :)

Emma and her favorite Aunt Kiley. My sister

is the best mom ever. I worship her.

Emma and cousin Maddy lovin' it up

(don't be fooled, they spent the rest of the vacation

as the stars of our very own Thanksgiving WWF smackdown event)

Emma and Maddy trying to work out their differences

over a meal (it didn't work). I do believe this was a few minutes

before Emma's very first "time out"

The word "mine" is now part of this girls vocab and

I believe Maddy now says a lot more "no!s"

Thankful, Thankful, Gobble, Gobble

Its almost Thanksgiving! I love love love the holidays. We are thankful for so many things including our health, family and friends, our home sweet home, jobs, our freedom, and our steamy hot date afternoons (just kidding. I had to see if you were still reading...wink. There is a story to that comment that involves us seeing a movie, gorging ourselves on dinner, and discussing whether the babysitter would mind if we took a short 2 hour nap when we get home) to list a few. I looked back at pictures from this time last year, and I am shocked by how much my baby has changed and how much older I look and feel. I know next year I will feel the same way about this year. It's going to be my new goal to slow down and bask in every second that Emma is little. It is going by so fast, too fast. So happy happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!! Make some great memories!

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” –John F. Kennedy

“Thanksgiving is the day when you turn to another family member and say, “How long has Mom been drinking like this?” My Mom, after six Bloody Marys looks at the turkey and goes, “Here, kitty, kitty.” –David Letterman

Date Night

OH! Date night, how I love you! Let me count the ways. 1)diving into a plate full of food but void of tiny sticky fingers 2) sitting in a public place with an empty lap and free from death welcoming humiliation 3) going to the ladies room when I want as many times as I want 4) going to the movies 5) riding in the car, not rushing to get anywhere...... Date night, you are too good to me :)

"Now You Know" Stories from a Crazy Mom

For this weeks story I decided to pull out one from my childhood. Mostly because I think it is only fair to assign proper blame to the one who is responsible for my insanity (Hi Mom!). This is how the story goes.

Mom with three small children leaves a grocery store. Everyone gets into the family's blue horizon (if you were born after 1980, it's a car, google it you won't regret it). I digress.

Mom: "kids make sure you all have your seat belt on"

Mom: "That's funny, this key won't go in the ignition?"

Mom: "HEY! Who was eating McDonald's in here!?!"

3 Kids: "Not me! Me either! Can we GO to McDonald's?"

ALL three kids begin begging, bargaining and demanding...............

Mom: "OH MY GOD! GET OUT OF THE CAR!! WE ARE IN THE WRONG CAR!! GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!"

Mom and kids all scurry out, get into the correct blue horizon, buckle up, and get the H%*! out of there before anyone notices.

Its in my genes. Now you know.

Prematurity Awareness Day

Today is the March of Dimes Prematurity Awareness Day. I'm so bummed that Kentucky scored an F on their 2009 Premature Birth Report Card. To check out your states score click here. Prematurity is on the rise and is higher in the U.S. than most other developed countries. Today our thoughts and prayers are with the many babies who were born too soon and their families. Our family is thankful for the modern technology and many doctors and nurses that took care of our baby girl so she could grow and look like this today.

(not a fan of leaves)

Thank you Norton Suburban NICU.

xoxoxx,

The Riggs

You wish you looked this good!

Nope, this is not Kate Gosselin! It's Emma eating breakfast watching her current obsession (Shrek). She has the best bed head I've ever seen. There is no such thing as brushing this wild do into place! It will not be tamed!

Daisy Dog Love

Emma: Deedee you can't go out without a leash

Daisy: Emma you can't go out without pants

dreaming of pooping in the front yard paradise

"Dad it seems like since that kid came home we

never get to spend any time together"

"CHEEEEESE!"

"Now You Know" Stories from a Crazy Mom Part 2

My mornings are insane. We will just start there, but even in the chaos there is order. My favorite part of my morning is seeing my girl's big smile when she wakes up. It is so pure it melts my heart. Then then drama begins, but after I somehow manage to get myself and Emma dressed, bags packed, lunch made, wrestle Emma into her coat, get out the door without spilling my coffee while blocking a charging labradoodle who gets far too few trips out the front door, I settle into my routine. Once in the car Emma says "bye-bye" to Daisy, we turn the radio up and sing all the way to daycare. This is the part I love. I drink my coffee, laugh at all the road rage around us, relax and wake up.

Here's the problem (you kinda knew it was coming right?) Part of my "routine" (and I use this word loosely) is to drop Emma off, and after parking in the garage for work I put my make up on. Its nice. I get to listen to music and to be honest, if I did it at home I would (and have looked) like the Joker from Batman Returns. Picture it.

Last week I was a little rushed during my makeup routine and got the mascara wand stuck in my hair. Jet black mascara. After a few minutes of gently trying to untwist the strands of hair from the wand, I finally just yanked it out. So there I was, with a huge chunk of jet black hair that was stiff as a board (love this mascara by the way). I tied it all back into a ponytail, but there was no way to hide my untamed inverse skunk streak. And off the work I went. I'm sure people thought I was trying a new trend but what could I do? I couldn't wash it out in the sink, its water proof (still love it though)

Today I wore two different shoes. One is a flat, one has a heel. At least they are the same color. I should get credit for that. They are also almost identical (except for the heel). Thank heavens I had a spare pair in the car when I realized it. 100% true. Now You Know.

Emma, Emma and more Emma

Thank you to Ms. Amber who gave me these super adorable pics of my favorite girl. Enjoy!

"You need some assistance mam?"

Cutest little firefighter

Picaso!

Havin' fun with her gal pals!

cruisin'

Me and my mono girl

"I said no more pictures mom!!"

cute smile, back pic..

"stylin' my hair with applesauce"

"Now You Know" Stories from a Crazy Mom

Sharing my crazy brain :) Enjoy.

When Emma was 9 months old (and still not sleeping through the night), I went to work with my shirt on inside out and backwards. After about 2 hours, one of the students told me. I didn't believe him....until he pointed out the tag sticking out from under my chin. I did it again with a different shirt about a month later. Now you know.

more to come.....

Are you a crazy mom? Send me your stories!!

A sucker for babies

Haha, you are crazy if you thought the title of the post was referring to me! Phewy! Actually, it is Emma who loves babies more than anything! Sometimes her facilitators from the infant room will get her out of her toddler room and take her back to see the babies. One of her buddies, Tashia, from the ELC sent me these pictures a couple of months ago in what has become known as Emma "baptizing" the babies. Enjoy all the baby time you like as long as it stays at daycare Emma!!

This is one of Emma's favorite peeps, Audra

(yes even more favorite than mom and dad). She doesn't

care how cute that kid is, she gets a little possessive over Audra.

Another favorite peep, Amy! Amy will have a new

baby at home early next year!

The "you never saw it coming" kiss

she is such a lover of babies!

So if you have babies that need some extra love call on Emma. She will be glad to oblige!

There's that smile!

I've had to go to long without Emma's sweet smile. Today was a really good day for her, full of smiles and lots of sass. She now understands what "no" means and uses that darn word far too much. She also woke up from her sickness with a new talent for opening the cupboards and all things mischievous. I guess she missed Halloween so she is doing all of her "tricking" now.

"sister Emma" (she loves this game. Also a big hit is

"diaper head baby" a.k.a wearing a diaper on her head)

Emma's new favorite thing is

BUBBAS!!! (bubbles)

This is her grampa Riggs impression with mustache and beard

8 teeth and counting!

Try to catch this little streaker after

bath time. It's like catching a cockroach, you have

to be verrry fast! (This little streaker also pees on the floor)

Santa, did you notice my shirt??

my new favorite trick. Open my drawers and empty

them out!!!! (mom loves this one)

Over the past 11 days, Emma has endured 11 days of a hide-and-go-seek fever, runny nose, congestion, coughing, 2 different antibiotics forced on her daily, an ear infection, more tylenol than any kid should ever take, 3 trips to her pediatrician, a chest xray, an "oops" we need another angle 2nd chest xray (I'll get to why this is traumatic in a second), blood tests, 3 cotton swabs shoved up her nose, one shoved down her throat, and a thermometer shoved up her (well, you know). During these tests she barfed on her mom and confirmed my suspicions that I am the worst torturing mother ever. This all resulted in a sketchy chest xray that is highly suggestive of pneumonia. We are still waiting on a couple of other tests including one for mono. Thankfully, Emma seems to be responding well to the antibiotics.

Now onto the chest xray. I will first say that Emma is not a novice at xrays. She's had head and neck xrays (before the helmet period) and xrays on her hips (when she wasn't even attempting to crawl at 10 months), BUT this was NOTHING like those xrays. She had to sit in this contraption and let me tell you...it was NOT pretty. I found this picture on the web and I suspect he is a child actor because Emma was not even 1% this collected when she was in it!! She looked like a little prisoner of war. I felt so bad for her. Oh, and we have to do this again next week to make sure the pneumonia is gone. Lucky. lucky us. P.S. we love our pediatrician who called us everyday to see how Emma was doing.

Myth Busters

Diaper wedgies are no myth. They really happen. Also, in existence is the diaper thong, but I'm saving that picture for her first prom date :-)