{kung fu grandma}

when the girls found out this movie was coming out...

...it only meant one thing..a date with grandma!!

the girls, especially ella, have been enjoying movie days with grandma for some time now.

ella saw her first movie {happy feet} with grandma, and chloe joined the team with {tangled}.

they are like three peas in pod, seasoned pros now... thank you so much gma for a fun day!!

{showing off their 3D shades}

check out these moves....

starbucks divas

these two are starbucks crazy.
just as bad as their daddy. maybe worse. okay, maybe not.
they have their own drink and know exactly how to order it.
they frequent our local store at least a couple of times on the weekend.
their latest visit included their absolute need to bring their purses and pay....

...oh daddy, what have you started?

airplane

ella is at preschool.
riley is napping.
spending time with the cutest pilot ever.

i ♥ u chloe dawnie

the stats {4 months}

riley just finished her 4 month check-up.
she is a healthy, growing baby with measurements in the 90th percentile.
sounds just like her big sister.
she has a "mild" flat spot on the back of her head. nothing to worry about.
guess this means more tummy time, sorry riley, doctors orders.
she took all of her shots like a champ with just a few tears shed.
i ♥ u pork chop.

16lbs 4oz

25" long

17" head circumference

{plank}

love my niece. she is quite the happy baby.
just two weeks shy of 7 months she gets around just fine on her own.
her newly mastered skill...the plank. seriously, she is a pro. love her.

♥4 months♥

you are 4 months today!!

you are becoming your own little person...i love it.
you love to hear your own voice
you are an eater and still nurse every two hours when awake
you are drooling like crazy...does this mean your teeth are coming early?
you are starting to reach for things, you love putting your blankie over your face {supervised of course}
you love to shove your entire hand in your mouth till you gag, silly girl
you have your own unique hairstyle...including a rather large bald spot in the back
the days of sleeping through the night are a thing of the past.....
...you like to wake up right around 1:30am, please let your mommy sleep again!
you love being carried around in your baby bjorn
you are right on the verge of rolling over, your pudgy little body makes it difficult
you cannot stand your paci anymore. i am totally fine with that!
you are showing signs of getting the heebi jeebies...it runs on your daddy's side
all of your 3 month clothes are officially to small
you are an incredibly happy baby
you have the most beautiful smile and don't mind sharing it

we love you so much riley♥♥♥

a reflection

we are just a day away from miss riley's month day. where does the time go?!
it literally feels like i just took her three month pictures.
i often times find myself looking back at ella and chloe's baby pictures, wishing they were still little.
i am however, LOVING each stage of their lives. discovering new things about each of them, and
seeing their personalities shine like different shades of the rainbow. they are all completely unique.

i came across a baby picture of ella. i had to take a second glance. talk about a reflection of her baby sis....

a visit

the girls were surprised with another visit from poppa & pink gramma.
we squeezed in as much playtime as we could into two days.
thank you for a fun visit! we will order sunshine and wamer temps next time!
♥ u.

a highlight of their visit...a trip to It'sugar
this store was amazing! talk about a dangerous place for anyone with a sweet tooth. me.
it was filled to the brim with all the candy you could dream of. from cricket suckers, to cereal box
size nerds, to ginormous gummy bears, to sugar daddies as long as my arm....
the girls were in heaven. pink gramma treated them with their first taste of a pixie stick.
a larger than life marilyn monroe made entirely from jelly bellies was quite the sight.

                                                   

don't let these next pictures deceive you. it was cold! very un-california like.

the cooler temperatures arrived just in time for their visit. boo.

daddy's girl

love this little girl.
such a firecracker. so much spunk.

{charger pride..chloe style}

10 on 10 {may 2011}

a happy mommy's day

it was a day filled with one surprise after another.....

i was greeted at 6:30am in bed by two very excited girls who were trying with all their might to keep "the plans" for the day to themselves. the girls snuggled up with me in bed and showered me with kisses & hugs. we started the morning off with breakfast at starbucks.

 each one of my girls gave me a card {or two}. i loved them, they were so adorable!! ella made this one at school. they had been working on them all week...it was a top secret project. she kept it under her bed and made sure to tell me every day, all day long not to look at it.

















an unexpected surprise....a new lens for my camera!! this one has not yet been released in the states and is due to arrive at the riedel abode within in the month, i cannot wait.

as if i wasn't feeling spoiled enough. when i got in the car this was waiting

for me on my seat. it was a gift card for an hour massage at the swanky langham hotel

in pasadena. my appointment was in 30 minutes. really?! it was so incredibly relaxing...

barth and the girls passed the time with a little lunch and photo shoot by miss ella.

me after my massage...i was feeling just a little bit relaxed. ahhhh....

so thankful to this daddy who made me feel so incredibly special.

thank you babe, i ♥ u.

we ended the day with dinner at an fancy dancy restaurant in downtown la.

 to satisfy my sweet tooth we finished off the meal with

 the "junk food platter". it was much enjoyed by all.

♥to my girls.....i feel so blessed to be your mommy. you make each day so incredibly special. i love every single thing about you, from the top of your heads to the tips of those little toes. thank you for bringing so much joy to my life. mommy loves you more than you will ever know♥

mama loops

to my beautiful mother....

today is mother's day and i am blessed beyond all words to call you my mom. you exemplify what it means to be a mother. you give of yourself more than anyone i know. your love is endless and unconditional. you have the heart of a servant. you are a peacemaker. you never expect anything in return, eventhough you deserve the world. you always make the most of every obstacle you face, and come out with a smile on your face. you are patient. you are a teacher. you are a nurse. but most of all you are a best friend.

thank you for all that you are to me. no words will ever be able to express the gratitude and love i have in my heart for you. i pray that God will help me to be a mother to my girls as you are to me. happy mother's day.
i ♥ u.

tummy time

in other riley news....
a large bald spot has devloped on the back of her head, hence the tummy time. hoping to give her back side a little breather.
she is a really happy baby. when she starts fussing that's mama's cue to feed or lay her down.
i think she is in the middle of a growth spurt. we have gone back to waking up around 1:30am. boo.
she has mastered the technique of blowing raspberries. it's pretty cute.
....that's all for now!