Time goes by so slow, yet so fast.

Riley is now over 4 months old! I can't believe it. It is strange. There are some days that seem like they last forever (like when I was first learning how to feed her or when I was healing from my labor), but now she seems to have grown so fast. God is amazing. Yes, I know, most of you know that, but He has given us the ability to go through so many emotional battles, physical stress, & mental challenges & yet still come out feeling joyful. Getting used to being a mom was difficult for me. I was a very independent person who lived to work. That is just who I was, a hard worker. My work & my accomplishments was what defined me. I am not proud of it, but it is true. Or was true. Having to truly give yourself over completely to another person is hard enough, but one you have no idea how to communicate to, that is just crazy...or is it?

I am now finding strengths that I never knew I had, as well as patience that I never knew existed. I am experiencing joy that has no comparison & love that is unconditional. This is God's love & God's gift to us. I am not saying that it is all smiley faces & flowers, but the feeling I get when I look at Riley & realize that I had a part in creating her...it is just amazing. That little, beautiful girl came out of me. The taboo that I grew up with about pregnancy, labor & having a baby is gone. I did it all. God has blessed us with the ability to live through the struggle & pain of it all & yet only come out with a vague memory of the bad parts. I know it hurt & I know this has been hard, but I cannot really remember the bad parts, the parts I never thought I would forget. When she smiles or laughs or coos or razz's or blows bubbles or falls asleep in my arms...she makes our life complete & joyful. After experiencing the miracle of bringing a baby into this world, it is hard for me to believe how people could not believe that there is a God.

On Wednesday June 20th, Riley turned 4 months old! She has grown so much already, and it has been an amazing learning experience for Aaron & I. Everyday, every week, there are new obstacles, new discoveries, and new joys. Here are just a few fun facts about our precious Riley Mae:

• She weighs just about 13 lbs & is 25" in length
• She smiles, laughs, & coos
• She loves to make razz sounds & blow bubbles
• On average, she sleeps 8 hours at night (Thank you Riley!)
• She is rolling over now, even when she does not mean to (which sometimes wakes her up).
• She absolutely loves to stand (with help of course).
• She has started to try to balance herself when sitting up. It won't be long before she can situpon her own.
• She now grabs for things & it starting to stick things straight into her mouth.
• She likes to suck on her hands, in particular 2 of her fingers.
• She enjoys mommy's singing & does not mind her being out of tune or off key :-)
• She likes show tunes (her favorites seem to come from Chicago)
• She enjoys bath time & has now learned to splash. Mommy now needs a towel too.
• She has been on 2 vacations - the River & Big Sur.
• She is fascinated by our dogs Phoebe & Bailey.
• She thoroughly enjoys being outside with fresh air, nature sounds, smells & sights.
• Her favorite way to be held is the football hold (thank you Patty).
• She just started to be able to play in her Baby Einstein Activity Center (or what we call Green Monster)
• Went to her first Angels game on Friday, June 22nd. (Angels won in the 11th inning! Go Angels!)