We Have a Winner!

Yesterday, before collapsing (quite literally) into bed, Matt hobbled three steps—without his walker! Yay!

(But when it comes to speed-crawling, Riley's still the hands-down winner.)

A Berry Happy Birthday Bash

Ever since our July 4 berry-picking extravaganza, Riley's been obsessed with raspberries and blueberries. So for her birthday bash last night, I made a white cake with raspberry filling topped with cream cheese frosting and LOTS of berries.


I assumed Riley would attack the entire cake with the gusto of an energetic sugar-deprived one-year-old. But instead, she carefully plucked and consumed every last berry and ignored the rest of the cake.

I'm not offended. Just shocked. No cake? Is this really my child!?




Other birthday bash highlight:

Sweet new Nikes from Anna (and, clutched in Riley's left hand, homemade playdough from Anna's cat Mischi)

A yellow soccer ball from mommy and daddy

And lots of fun toys, clothes, and books from grandmas, grandpas, aunts, and cousins. Thanks everyone!

Maybe Next Year?

They say that with each birthday you get a year wiser. But turning one? Must be an exception to the rule.

I mean, what newborn does not-so-wise things like eating dirt, playing in toilet water, and climbing into large kitchen appliances?

Not this one.

But, given the chance, this one-year-old gladly would.


Eh, wisdom is so overrated.* Happy birthday Riley!

Stay tuned for birthday bash pictures...

*I reserve the right to retract this statement in December when I turn—yikes!—30.

The Race is On

Who will be first to walk unassisted—Matt or Riley?

Daddy's Girl's Vocabulary

Riley's favorite word: dadadadada

Used any time:

• We approach any brick building that slightly resembles Matt's rehab center
• She enters a sterile, hospital-like setting
• I ask, "Who are we going to see?"
• She sees Matt (goes without saying, right?)

And Matt was worried she'd forget him while he was away. Ha!

Incidentally, Matt is scheduled to return home for good tomorrow. He still has a long way to go, recovery-wise, but Riley and I will both be glad to have him back. And hopefully, before long, Riley will quit associating hospitals with Daddy!

Why Bother?

I've never been a fan of cleaning, and Riley's newest hobby—emptying our nicely organized (ha!) armoire—sure doesn't help matters. When will she discover folding? And putting away?

Why Matt Likes Rehab

Because it's 102 degrees out, and rehab is air conditioned. And our home is not.

And Why I Still Won't Complain About the Heat

Because last July, I endured humid Houston heat in a townhome with a broken a/c (and a $300 electricity bill to show for it) while nine-months pregnant with a nine-day-late baby while slaving away, er, helping Matt, on a 15-foot double-helix-shaped mobile.

This year, I may be sweaty (and, actually, still slaving away), but at least our electricity bill will be 1/10 that expensive. Ah, I do love Portland.

Summer 2006

Recipe for Disaster

1 cup tomato soup
1 serving grilled ham and cheese sandwich
1 full sippy cup, preferably malfunctioning
1 mischievous 11-month-old
1 easily amused audience (1 mommy and 1 daddy, home for the day)

Makes: messiest mealtime ever

The Cure for Crankiness

When we left Houston, I swore I'd never again complain about hot summers. And when a heat wave hit Portland this week, I didn't need to complain, because Riley was cranky enough for us both.

...until we discovered the perfect prescription: playtime in Anna's new kiddie pool!

Thanks Anna!

4 1/4 Things About the Fourth

4: pounds of berries Riley and I consumed on our berry-picking excursion with Aunt Sheri and Aunt Alison this morning

4: times per minute on our berry-picking excursion I said: "I can't believe I forgot the camera!"

4: hours spent in the sun—picking berries, eating hamburgers with Matt's rehab group, and going on walks (and zero: sunburns!)

4: collective hours of naptime between Riley and me this afternoon

1/4: fraction of the city's firework show I was able to view (between the trees) from our 5th-floor apartment

And one little goal: figure out the camera's night-vision feature...

Eliminating Expectations

Well that July 3 timeline was a little off. So we've decided to forgo timelines altogether and just let Matt's body recovery whenever it wants. (Although he'd like to be home for Riley's birthday on July 25...)

Turns out, it's not unheard of for Guillain-Barré patients to require a second round of that immune system-boosting treatment. And if he becomes weak and numb again, he may need to continue treatment like steroids for awhile to aid his recovery.

Meanwhile, he's done at the hospital and heads back to rehab this morning. I've gotta figure out how to sneak in sparklers tomorrow... (Happy fourth!)

Baby Olympics

Yesterday morning, Riley's favorite friend Anna came over (while her parents moved—against my will—from six blocks to six miles away) for a Playdate Extraordinaire.

Activities included:

• Baby races
• Sofa pull-ups
• Cheerio-eating contests
• Teddy-bear tug-of-war

They were a pretty darn even match—except Riley dominated at teddy-bear tug-of-war. I'm so proud of my little bully!

(Unless...is it time to teach sharing?)