It really can't get any better than this

What a fun and exciting weekend! We managed to enjoy some fall weather and activities and we finally became a pacifier free household...HALLELUJAH!!!

We went to Beak and Skiff this weekend and Riley had a great time picking (and mostly eating) apples. She rode a horse by the name of Butterscotch and ate delicious apple fritters. It was the perfect fall day.



We also really got on the potty train. Riley has been "training" since March...but now it's 6 months later and we're wondering when the training is going to be over and the consistency begins. This weekend we began to be a little more consistent than we have in the past. Her sticker chart is filling up quickly and our M&M jar (peanut butter is the M&M of choice) is emptying. Riley did an awesome job using the potty this weekend. The goal is that her Christmas present to us is that she is underwear full time. That gives us 3 months to get our Christmas wish, of course, if comes earlier and ends up being a Halloween or Thanksgiving present, we're ok with that too! ;)



The biggest change/accomplishment of the weekend was giving up the fiers...FOR GOOD!!! Riley happily placed all of her fiers in a bag to be left for the Fier Fairy for the babies who need them. The next day she was left with a gift from the Fier Fairy (who coincidentally must be good friends with Tinker Bell since Riley was showered with Tinker Bell gifts).





We are so proud of Riley, who has no problem learning what being a big girl is all about.

We also had a wonderful family dinner with Babcha, Pop and Uncle Matt where we ate some apple crisp for dessert with the apples we picked on Saturday...DELISH!!!

What a fantastic weekend!!! We're all a little exhausted from it.


Can it really get any better than this????

It is fall, it is fall - the leaves are falling everywhere...

I love, love, love this time of year! So many activities to do, like apple picking, pumpkin picking, carving pumpkins, making cookies and pies, and watching football to name a few. The smell of the crisp fall air and seeing the colors of the changing leaves are just 2 more things to love!

This weekend we went pumpkin picking at Tim's Pumpkin Patch - we had an awesome time. Riley loved picking out her very own pumpkins. She picked two "baby" pumpkins.



Today, we took the opportunity with chillier more gloomier weather to stay indoors and decorate the house with a fall feeling. Riley painted her two baby pumpkins and we also carved a pumpkin. Riley helped scoop out the goop and pick out the seeds so that Jeremy could bake some pumpkin seeds.





Check out some of our fall decorations. The smell of cinnamon pine cones and an apple candle help us feel warm and cozy.

(Notice the 3 sun catchers - we made those today too as just another project. Riley had a lot of fun creating her own sun catcher!)

Stay tuned for more of our fall fun - you know there will be apple picking and pie making at the very least...YUMMY!!

The Secret Life of the American Toddler

Oh how I believe Riley thinks that she is a teenager!!! She is clearly 2 going on 13! From the mornings that I wake her up to get ready for school and she says either "LEAVE ME ALONE" or "I don't want to go to school, " to when she tells me or Jeremy to "stop talking," to the way in which she keeps her room. Enjoy some before and after photos of what happens when mommy lets Riley have one too many lazy days in a row:

Not only did we clean up the whole room, but her draws and closet were cleaned out too. It's only 10am and I think I am done for the day now!!!

Of course I can't help but wonder will her sloppiness last forever or will she maybe, just maybe become more like me and enjoy cleanliness and being neat. Here's hoping to Riley developing a slight case of OCD, otherwise imagine what her room will really look like at 13!! I have heartburn already just thinking about it!!

Whatever happened to those steps?

Back in July we posted about the steps one takes to become a big girl. Then in the beginning of August we updated you. Now it's practically mid-September and we just wanted to update you that things have come to a slight stand still as we experienced some set backs with our last two steps.

Officially becoming potty trained was put on hold due to Riley's surgery. Because of where her surgery took place, wearing a diaper versus pull-ups or underwear was a necessity. So we're now back to getting Riley to use the potty. Hopefully now that she is heading back to daycare tomorrow, she will jump right back into the swing of things.

Getting Riley to get rid of the pacifier has been more than trying. While we're pretty impressed that she had no problem giving it up during the day, she is still pretty insistent on having it to sleep. So, while Riley doesn't have a clue, we have decided on a "quit date" for the pacifier and plan on giving the pacifiers to the "Fier Fairy" the last weekend of the month. It may be tough for her but considering I was ready to get rid of the pacifier so long ago, we will get through it!

The hope is that by the beginning of October we will be far from this rut - fingers crossed!!!

Holy Cow, Pre-School Already?

Tomorrow my cousin Keira starts pre-school, I am so excited for her!! I've always looked up to my cousin and I know that she'll love her new school and make tons of new friends. GOOD LUCK ON YOUR FIRST DAY KEIRA!!!! Knock 'em dead!





Love,
Your best little cousin
Riley Paige
XOXO

Surgery, what surgery?

Considering Riley had surgery on Friday, by Sunday and Monday she was out and about and didn't look like a kid who just had surgery. Sunday we stayed close to home visiting the toy store and playing outside. On Monday, we headed to the zoo - it was close enough to home but allowed for some time away. Seems as though she had a great end to the weekend despite how it started!

Routine Appointment to Hospital Stay

First I am going to apologize for what will be a long blog post. So many people have been asking exactly what has been going on with Riley and this is the easiest way to explain it.

It all started last Sunday night when I noticed a small bump on Riley while getting a diaper on after her bath. I thought nothing of it knowing that Riley had a routine well appointment on Monday. On Monday Dr. Rufa looked at her bump which was 100 times worse than it was the night before. She immediately put Riley on an antibiotic and asked us to come back on Wednesday. By Wednesday the antibiotics did exactly what we wanted, for the infection to stop swelling and for her to be able to drain some of it. Dr. Rufa drained some of it, but could not get the whole thing. She asked for us to come back on Thursday and added a second antibiotic to take along with the first. On Thursday we went in and saw Dr. Rovell. She decided that this was something that needed to be drained by surgery. Within the hour we were at the Pediatric Surgeon's office where Dr. Browne took one look and said without a doubt that Riley would need surgery. We had no time to go home and prepare, before we knew it we were walking through the tunnels and registering at Upstate Medical for admittance into the Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital. As fast as all of this happened, and as scary as it was to go through this process, it felt all too familiar. It was only 2 short years ago that we were experiencing dealing with making fast decisions, listening carefully to what the doctors were saying, and hoping that in the end there are no long term affects.

The worst part was that this time around Riley was older and while she understood little of what was going on, she understood enough to know that she didn't want to be in pain and didn't want anyone hurting her. It's hard to explain to a 2-year-old that the doctors are there to help her, but she may experience some pain before that is able to happen. For instance, trying to get an IV in a toddler is like nailing JELL-O to a wall. They tried, they tried hard and finally they had to take her away to get the IV in. I am not sure how they did it, and I know I don't ever want to know how they got it in, but they did - right in her foot. This IV was going to hydrate her and give her antibiotics at the same time, which is great. What was not so great was telling her that since it was in her foot she couldn't be up and running around. Just wondering, has anyone ever had to tell their 2-year-old to stay in a bed for over 24 hours??? Not fun!!

We called her IV her "shoe" - she did eventually learn to like her shoe.

Riley did her best to make the situation better. She was "cheesing and posing" for me here with Baby AJ and Beeba.

We also did A LOT of reading

We were told on Thursday night that Riley's surgery would be scheduled for first thing in the morning since she would not be able to eat or drink after midnight. We woke up on Friday morning being told that the earliest she would have her surgery was 2pm. Which meant it could be later than 2pm. Really??? Now I would not only have to tell my kid she couldn't get out of bed, but that she can't eat or drink?!?!?! That was cruel for both child and mommy and daddy!

Notice that says "nothing to eat or drink."

So we were back to entertaining ourselves until surgery. Brushing Baby AJ's non-existent hair was a hit!

Thankfully we did not have to wait until 2. We were taken into the OR at 11:45am and by 1pm we were back in our room in the Pediatric Surgery Wing! Riley did well in the surgery and thankfully experienced no side affects of the anesthesia. And most importantly Riley loved her tiger print hospital gown.

Riley loved the balloons she received from friends, and all the visitors who came up to see her.


After she was given the thumbs up to eat, Riley ate everything she could get her hands on (and who can blame the girl)! I think her favorite was the ice cream.


We spent the rest of our day hanging out in the room where we watched lots of Dora, Deigo, Yo Gabba Gabba and Franklin.


But let's be real after 24 hours of looking at the colorful walls of our room - we needed to get out! Riley was able to ride in a green car around the hospital and a wagon. She loved being pushed and pulled around and the fact that she could be out of the room.

Of course Beeba and Baby AJ could NOT be excluded from the trip around the hospital.

Riley was not only a great patient, who in the end let whoever needed to check her vitals and her boo-boo, but she was a brave girl too. By the end of this whole experience, Riley informed us that she was a doctor. Hey - maybe this will stay with her forever and in the end she will be a pediatrician or a pediatric surgeon. Our experience with Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital was nothing short of excellent. The staff truly cares about each patient there regardless of why they were there.

Riley is certainly on the mend. The minute we got home her room was torn apart because she could not wait to play again.

While out getting some items, I picked up a play Doctor's Kit. Riley loves it. When she put the stethoscope on, I said "Are you Dr. Clark?" and Riley replied "No, I'm Dr. Rufa." I am sure that Dr. Rufa would be proud...I know we are!!!