Calling all parents- help!

I have so much blogging to catch up on...our cruise, visiting grandparents, grandparents visiting, visiting more grandparents... you get the idea! BUT in the meantime we need help over here! Many many months ago we did the whole sleep training thing. Eat, play, sleep...put him down awake...let him cry it out...blahblahblah. We quickly had our little guy sleeping through the night. Well a few weeks ago he got a yucky cold/cough/high fever. I, of course, didn't let him "cry it out" while he was sick and he got cuddled and held at night for several nights. Now he's ruined. After we determined he was well enough to get back on schedule, we let him cry. He's been sick in the past and afterwards it always takes a couple nights to get back to normal. After 5-10 minutes he cried until he threw up. So maybe he wasn't all better yet?? (He didn't throw up while he was sick mind you.) A couple more nights went by and he seemed completely recovered we tried again...threw up. Now everynight we put him in his bed awake he cries until he throws up (always only 5-10 minutes after we put him in). What do we do??! He's totally out smarted us, we can't figure out what to do. We can't let him sleep in his throw up...so what does that leave?? We are desperate for any ideas. HELP!

Touchdown

A post NOT about Riley

Just kidding. It's entirely about Riley. BUT as soon as I get the pictures that I depended on everyone else to take from our vacation I will post about us! So...while we were vacationing we left Riley boy with George and Laura. I'm pretty sure he had a blast, while I missed him terribly! You can see all about his stay here. Anyways, just wanted to post some new pics of our not- so- baby boy!

Here with Candy, the lady who was so nice to come all the way to Jacksonville from Kentucky to keep our Riley boy while Laura was at work.

George and Laura, the morning we left to come back to Texas. As you can see Riley got to know and LOVE his Grandma and Grandpa!

I think they won him over with the petting zoo. He loves animals! Anytime we see someone walking their dog he chases after it.

After a week of play, play, play and getting up at 5AM to catch a flight home Riley was exhausted! I always say how cute it is when kids fall asleep in their highchair, while playing, or some other random place. Riley has NEVER, he's not big on sleeping. Anyways, he woke up from a nap and I sat down with him and he just plopped over on the couch and went back to sleep.

Riley's learned to slide go down the slide by himself. Of course I have to put him at the top and catch him at the bottom, but he takes off all on his own!

He's walking all over the place and insists on being outside as much as possible. It's hard to snap a picture anymore because he's so fast!

The only time Riley goes in his bedroom is to sleep, have a diaper changed, or when I put laundry away. When he's in there he loves hiding in the drapes. Of course we play peek a boo and he thinks I can't see him when his face is hid and then he'll throw the drapes off.

I just gave him his 2nd haircut. He still doesn't have too much in front, but keeps growing a mullet in the back so it must be trimmed! Business in front, party in back right? (This was after the haircut)

27 Birthdays

Monday, we celebrated my 27th birthday. My mom was in town visiting for a couple days so Craig and I were able to go out for a Valentine's/Birthday dinner. And had someone to snap a picture!
I must say, there are things I like and dislike about getting older.
I hate just the fact that I'm getting older, those wrinkles forming around my eyes and mouth, those few extra lbs that seem harder to lose, and all that fun stuff. But I sometimes I like saying my age. I always feel a little like I'm not taken seriously because people always think I'm young, even younger than I actually am. And let's be honest, Craig doesn't help my situation- it's not unusal for people to be surprised we are married cause he's not exactly growing grey hairs himself. Just today I was in the front yard with Riley and a lady walked by and said very grandmotherly, "Oh, Hi! Are you babysitting today?" NO I'm not babysitting I actually BIRTHED this child. And I was glad to mention that I am in fact 27. The older I get the more silly I make those people feel! That's the part I like.

The lady tried to recover with, "Well imagine what you'll look like at my age!" I mentioned this when telling my Mom the story, and in her always (NOT) optimistic attitude she says, "Unfortunately that's not always how it works." Thanks Mom.

On a side note, I always thought I'd have 3 kids by 30. HA! I eat those words right now at 27. I'll even eat the words that I was going to have 3!

Riley's 1st Year

1 Year Stats:

Weight- 21 lbs 12 oz 25-50th %
Height- 30.5 in 75-90th %
Head- 19 cm 97th %

We're so proud of that head :)

Again, again, and again I can't believe my baby is 1. I was a little uncomfortable with a newborn...but I must say I'm loving a 1 year old! I held someone else's newborn recently and it gave me so much anxiety...I think if I order another one I'll take him at 6 months! I must be the only girl in the world that doesn't love the newborn stage!
He's so much fun lately as he's walking around, starting to mimic words, and throw tantrums (!). Speaking of which...I think this blog post is over. We love him!

Newborn

1 Month

2 Months

3 Months

4 Months

5 Months

6 Months

7 Months

8 Months

9 Months

10 Months

11 Months

12 Months

Riley's 1st Birthday- the fun stuff

My hopes were high for Riley's Birthday. I was going to make a fancy cake and have friends over and Riley was going to have a ball....well the week of he got sick. I thought it was just a cold and then two days before his birthday found out the kid he was playing with (who had a cold) actually had RSV so we figured so did Riley. He's definitely not himself, but doesn't seem to have more than cold symptoms and I've just waited for his regularly scheduled Dr. appointment this week. Anyways, we didn't want to infect the cousins so we kept his birthday low-key with just the 3 of us. You can see his glossy eyes and runny nose in the pics....poor guy! He was a good sport and fortunately he hasn't lost his appettite.

Riley has always been the smiliest baby, but the past few weeks he has learned lots of expressions and I find myself getting looks like this quite often. What happened to my happy baby?!

Give me the cake!

Previously...

Crazy faces.

Ramblings of Ingratitude

Craig and I booked a cruise a while back with some great friends. It leaves at the end of February. Craig's family is sweet enough to keep Riley for the WEEK. I'm ungrateful for this time to spend with my husband and a chance to be selfish. I'm ungrateful that George and Laura will keep him for a week. I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE MY LITTLE BOY! Craig has threatened to cancel the cruise...lol. Not that you can do that, you can not show up at this point and lose your money. I've offered that he can just remove half my heart and maybe I won't care. It's a very difficult thing for me. As he's walking around my chair jabbering right now I think I can't possibly leave him.
I've talked to A LOT of people about it at this point. Some who have done it and don't think it's a big deal at all and others who would never. I think I'm a "would never" kind of person and Craig is a it's a "no big deal" kind of person. I'm not sure either is right or wrong, but perhaps a blend of personality and what's typical in your families.
I'm not a super emotional person, but I want to cry whenever I think about it. I WANT to want to go. I hope George and Laura are prepared for helping Craig drag me away kicking and screaming (probably literally!)
I've also heard too many stories of people who have left their little ones and got snubbed upon returning. If Riley is not excited to see me when I get back there will be more tears.
I think having moved to a new place soon after Riley has made me extra attached. We don't do things without each other
I know some people would give anything to have a week away! Why is this so hard for me? I don't think Mom's are bad moms that leave their kids, but I feel like a bad Mom. Sorry for the ramblings...