Santa Claus is coming to town!

We went to see Santa today. Owen did great! He walked right up and asked for a train. So cute! Laughingly he told Santa "Look at your silly hat." Haha!! He didn't really want to sit with him but he was a trooper. Riley was perfect. Next year will probably be her screaming red face year.

A Wonderful Thanksgiving

What a wonderful Thanksgiving! We spent 5 days in Austin with a day trip to San Antonio. Here are some pictures.

Owen "riding" Chacha's motorcycle/scooter.

My sweet daughter looking at her daddy. Love it!

Chacha set up a paint area for Owen. I'm VERY thankful I stripped him down to only his pull-up before the painting commenced. :)

Owen's buddy Cadie came over. Aunt Amanda and her friend let the 2-year olds help make sugar cookies. They had a blast!

Here is a new adorable picture of Owen and Riley! I can't get enough of them!

It was Nathan and my 5 year college reunion this past weekend. We dropped Owen off with ChaCha and Jido and headed to Georgetown with Riley-girl. It was so fun being back on campus! I no longer think visiting your alma mater is over-rated. This is probably mostly because I met Nathan on that campus on the very first day of school of our freshman year at Southwestern....wait for it......... NINE years ago. Whoa! Ok, that's out of the way....

We checked out the KA House, the ZTA chapter room, the new buildings, everything. Oh and raided the bookstore. What can I say? If WalMart carried SU stuff I wouldn't have raided the SU bookstore, but since they don't and let's see, NO where else does... raided is the appropriate term.

Here are some great picture with our college friends. Hopefully at our 10 year reunion more people will be able to make it. BTW, Riley was a huge hit! Of course! And Owen was spoiled rotten with ChaCha like he should be when staying with grandparents. :)

Happy Halloween!

We had a wonderful Halloween! The only thing thatwould have made it better was if Daddy could have been here. He got to experience Halloween New Orleans style! Sounded like the real crazies were out on Bourbon Street... yikes!

As for Owen, Riley and me, we went trick-or-treating with B, Lee, Ashley and Kara. It was great! Owen was Lighting McQueen's crew chief and Riley was my sweet little black cat. My niece Kara was the cutest ducky I've ever seen!

Riley-girl is 3 months old!

Riley is 3 months old today! She is so happy and beautiful.... and starting to sleep through the night! Woohoo! When she smiles, all of our hearts melt. I know she is going to be just as sweet and smart as her big brother. He sets a wonderful example for her. Thank you God for all the blessing in my life!

Pretty in pink! All gums!

Daddy is so funny! Being this cute wears a girl out!

Nathan's 28th Brithday

We celebrated Nathan's 28th birthday at the Salt Lick. He was surrounded by family and friends. I think he had a great time. Happy birthday my love!

Here are some pictures.

Nathan and his awesome birthday cake Cousins!

Nathan and his birthday card from Owen Owen and Cadie - best buds!

2 months with Riley

Riley turned 2 months old this week. It has been amazing having her in our lives! She is growing so fast! She is 13 lbs 3 oz and 22 inches long. She loves her brother and Daddy so much! She lights up when they talk to her. Her smile melts all our hearts.

She is doing really well with the Previcid. It seems to be making her feel much better and in the end, that benefits us all. She typically sleeps for 4 hours, wakes up, eats and she is back in bed after about 30 minutes, then sleeps another 4 hours. We seem to have a pretty good routine. However, I'm ready for her to make the jump to sleeping all the way through the night. We aren't too far from it, maybe a month or so longer.

I started coaching volleyball this week as well. It's been a blast being back in the gym and working with the girls. I've had the 11 and under age group. Here are some of my favorite quotes: "I'm really sweaty." "Can we do something funner?" and my #1 pick... "Wait, we have to compete in practice?"

I love being home with Owen and Riley! Week 1 was awesome! Owen helps me cook and do some housework (don't call CPS.... he LOVES sweeping and wiping stuff up). We found a great show on PBS called Word World. It's really educational and cute. He loves watching it. They do a lot of spelling and building words. We've been going to the YMCA where he gets to play with other 2-year olds. I'm so happy they have a great Child's Watch program. It allows him to still play with other kids his age. It's pretty awesome overall!

A new chapter in our life

I am so excited to announce I'm a full-time stay at home mommy! Nathan and I are so excited about this new change in our life.

Another new thing in our life is me coaching for Fort Bend Fire Volleyball starting this Monday. From now until the end of October, I'll be coaching a developmental program camp (4th-8th graders). Then in November, club season starts. I'm so ready to get back in the gym and be around volleyball again.

Another thing I started today is a basic cake decorating class. My girlfriend Clair is taking the class with me. It is awesome! I'm ready to bake lots of cakes and try out all the new techniques! The only problem with that is then we are eating a lot of cake.... which is not conducive to "Mission Lose Baby Weight"... humm...

Riley is doing great! The medicine seems to be working more and more each week. She slept from about 9:45pm to 3:20am last night! That's the longest she has ever slept! Yay! She has her 2-month well check on Tuesday.... time is really flying. Owen is more loving than ever, always wanting to hold and kiss Riley. He is a wonderful big brother!

Turning 2 is fun to do!

OWEN IS TWO! Where has the past 2 years gone? Nathan and I can't believe he is already 2. We had a great little birthday party on the 11th. Here are 2 pictures are from that night. He was so excited to have a big cake in front of him and to blow out the candle. Also, when you're 2, you get to hold your baby sister just like a big boy. Check out that awesome cheesy grin!

On Saturday we had a birthday party for him. It was awesome!!! We got to celebrate with our close family and friends. Owen's buddy Jase came. They had so much fun together! Since Owen loves the Disney show Phineas and Ferb, that was the party theme. They have a pet platypus Perry.... that is who is on the cake. Owen (and us too) are so blessed to have such wonderful people in his life. He got all sorts of fun new games, toys, clothes, a SLIDE!, and an Owen size table & chairs!

On another note, Riley seems to be doing MUCH better! She is now on a new medicine which seems to be working. She is much less fussy and acting like a regular newborn. We are so thankful! She was really hurting. She is just about 5 weeks old now. I can't believe how fast life flies by!

Reflux in babies?

Yep! Believe it or not, babies get heartburn too. Riley was diagnosed yesterday with relux and we've started her on Zantac. Last night was the first night she didn't cry and scream all night. We are so relieved to finally figure out what was going on and get her some relief! Here's some information on GER. Riley had all the symptoms on the list below. Fortunately this has not affected her weight gain. She is 9 lbs 10 oz!!

Gastroesophageal Reflux (GER) is a medical term doctors use to describe a condition where food and stomach acid flow back up (reflux) into the esophagus. A ring of muscles at the bottom of the esophagus called the lower esophageal sphincter )LES) opens and closes to all food to enter the stomach. The LES opens to release gas after meals.

More than gas may escape, however. The LES may also allow stomach contents to flow back into the esophagus and out the mouth. Parents often see the result of spitting up, though vomiting may also occur. GER can occur at times other than during or shortly after a feeding. Reflux can occur when babies cough, cry, or strain.

GER is common in infants and has its own name -- spitting up. Reflux occurs during the first three months of age in more than half of all infants. Many babies don't require treatment. Referred to as "happy spitters," their symptoms usually disappear between 12 and 18 months of age. However, for a small number of babies, symptoms of reflux are severe, and medical evaluation and treatment is needed.

Common infant GER symptoms are:

• Frequent spitting up or vomitting
• Irritability when feeding
• Refusing food or eating only small amounts
• Sudden or constant crying
• Arching the back while feeding
• "Wet" burps
• Frequent hiccups
• Frequent coughing or gagging
• Poor sleeping habits with frequent waking

Owen has been amazing with Riley! He calls her either "baby Riley" or "baby sister". He loves holding her but only for a few minutes. He kisses her a lot too! He recently had a big fall off the changer resulting in this hideous bruise! It is almost gone now but it was a doozie!

Riley's birth announcement

Riley has arrived!

Riley James Mery arrived July 12, 2010 at 12:14PM. She weighed 7 lbs 14 oz and was 18.46 inches long. Labor and delivery went really fast which was great. Nathan was amazing and I'm so blessed and thankful he was with me the whole time. We are so excited to have Riley finally join our family! Here are some pictures.

Owen loves his baby sister! He likes holding and kissing her. She is 2 weeks old today! Riley already weighs 8 lbs 6 oz. She has lots of dark hair like her daddy. We are all doing well. I'll try to keep everyone updated but it's quite busy with a newborn and an almost 2-year old!!

37 weeks

We've been very busy since my last post. Lacey, Amanda and Ashley threw us a wonderful baby shower! It was so nice getting to celebrate with our family in preparation for our new addition. Here's a picture of the yummy cake and me. :O)

The following weekend, Nathan and Owen were off to the beach. Owen didn't like touching the sand the first day but loved the waves hitting him. The next day consisted of lots of sand castles.

I stayed home and got pampered by Ashley, Mom, Lacey and Misty. We had an awesome girls lunch and then pedicures. We came to the house and they helped get a bunch of things done like wash Riley's clothes, hem the living room curtains and finish painting Riley's room. It was awesome! Then we went to dinner and to Mom's house for a girls slumber party. It was so fun!

I have gone to 2-weekly appointments. On June 23rd we had an ultrasound. The ultrasound tech could see hair on her head! My doctor thinks Riley is about 7 pounds. Based on this we are going to induce on July 12th!! We will be at 39 weeks which is when we had Owen. Owen and Riley will be 23 months apart. This is of course if she doesn't decide to come in the next 9 days. It kinda hurts when she stretches since there is really no room in my belly. I have another appointment on Tuesday, July 7th. Then the next stop is the hospital to bring this baby girl into the world!

34 weeks

We had a great check-up on Tuesday. Riley's heartbeat is nice and strong. I know she's doing perfectly by how regular and hard she kicks me. :) We didn't get to see her however we have an ultrasound appointment scheduled for June 23rd. I will be at 36 weeks! We are getting very close and I'm so excited! I'm ready to hold her in my arms!

We have done a ton of work on her room. Chacha, Jido & Nathan painted the whole thing. It looks so great! I added some birds that go with her bedding over her dresser. I have a few more special touches like that I want to do. Once I get those done, I'll get some pictures up for everyone.

Owen and Nathan are doing the parent-child swim lessons at the YMCA. They have so much fun! Here's a picture from the other day. Owen is becoming our little fish!




My friends at work threw a great baby shower for Nathan & me yesterday! It was so wonderful having everyone help us prepare and celebrate. In this picture, Nathan is realizing just how much pink will be in his life.

More to come!

32 weeks and going strong

Riley and I are measuring right on track and her heartbeat is perfect. I've been feeling good but am super pregnant. There are little things I am realizing I took for granted and am ready to have back. To name a few:
1. Standing up quickly and easily
2. Having Owen sit ON my lap
3. Being able to repaint my toes
4. Sitting on the ground
5. Picking anything up off the ground

Riley does somersaults and kicks throughout the day reminding me of how healthy and happy she is. As she gets bigger, this will slow down since there will be less room for the acrobatic stunts. However, I'm sure she will be stubborn and continue to try.

We are all very excited for her arrival! I can't wait to hold her in my arms and for our first family of FOUR picture!

Our little man

In preparation for Memorial Weekend, we celebrated early with Grammi at The Solana. They went all out with the theme... flag ceremony, staff in military attire, live music, and most importantly..... flags, flags everywhere! To a 21-month old boy, there is no greater thing than a flag. If you think about it, you are holding a stick (which in itself rocks) with moving fabric that hits you in the face. Oh and how about the poker on the end.... How cool can it get?

30 weeks

I'm at 30 weeks today! Nathan and I went for our first 2-week check-up. Riley and I are measuring right on track. Her heartbeat sounded great! I love hearing it! It started beating faster while Dr. Mullin was listening. She was getting excited from the attention. :O)

I passed my 3-hour glucose test! Yay! But... not by much... so I need to watch my sugar intake so a problem doesn't occur. Besides, eating healthy is important for both of us anyway. However I am very relieved not to be gestational diabetic! Here's a picture of me at the doctor's office.

As far as Owen goes, he is in a major coloring stage. He loves to color! We sit at his easel and color several pages before he's ready for the next thing which would be playing cars. He's talking more and more! He is also getting really interested in the dogs. Since his movements are more controlled, Boomer and Lilly are starting to thing he's pretty cool and not so scary. They love giving him kisses!

Counting already? YES!

Owen is amazing! I know Nathan and I are pretty biased when it comes to this claim but HE IS! We are practicing our ABC's and counting to 10 everyday. He is getting really good at them. He also picks what songs we sing like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star or Brown Bear Brown Bear what do you see. Last night he started singing at dinner (and I quote) "Papo, Papo what do you see?" It was so cute! I think he misses his Papo. So Papo, get home soon from your trip and be ready for some Owen time! :O)

As for Riley and me, we are doing good. She continues to make my tummy dance around, mainly in the evenings. She is constantly reminding me throughout the day that she is getting stronger. Yesterday was the start of 29 weeks. We are inching closer and closer to her arrival. Owen pointed at my belly last weekend and said "Baby Riley". I can't wait to see them together! He is so affectionate with his cousin Kara that I know he is going to be such a wonderful big brother.

Nathan, Owen and I selected Riley's room color. Owen held up all the paint samples on the wall one by one until he found his favorite. Shy Little Pigglet was the winner. Once we get her crib and dresser/changer, we'll tackle the walls.

3-hour glucose test.... :O/

I failed the 1-hour glucose test..... ugh! So I got the privledge of taking the 3-hour glucose test today. I was praying and hoping I wouldn't have to do this again. I took this test twice while I was pregnant with Owen. Lots of poking and no food... not a fun way to spend the day. Thankfully Nathan came with me. Armed with our iPhones and the awesome game Words with Friends, the time passed quickly. I almost passed out on the 1-hour drawing... the vein the nurse tried was clotted from the initial draw however she moved the needle all over before going to my other arm. I'm so glad Nate was there with Riley and me taking care of us!

I haven't heard back from the doctor yet on my results. I am really praying that I passed it or at the least am borderline gestational diabetic. I was borderline with Owen and paid very close attention to my diet and worked out as best the belly allowed. The main goal is to get Riley here safely and to keep both of us healthy! So we'll do whatever it takes.

Wiggle Monster at 28 weeks

Riley is super wiggly! She's flipping and twirling all over the place reshaping my belly throughout the day. We had a great 28 week check-up. We got to hear her strong heartbeat. I took the 1-hour glucose screening test today. We're saying a prayer the test comes back negative and I'm not gestational diabetic.

Last Saturday we went to Jase's 3rd birthday. Here's a photo of Owen with all the other kiddos. Waiting around for a group picture is very hard when you're a year and a half old...

We've got ears, say cheers!

6 month comparison

Can you tell which belly photo is Owen and which is Riley? Both are at about 6 months pregnant.

More on Riley's room

I found this great company online that makes custom wooden letters so I ordered Riley's name. They arrived yesterday! They are 10-in tall and unfinished. I'm not sure how I'll paint them yet, but I'm really excited at how awesome they look. Here's a picture of them:

Part 2: More bedding arrived! Now we have her crib bumper pads, crib sheets, quilt, crib bed skirt, standard pillow and rug (not in the picture). I think she is going to love all the colors and textures AND that this will transition into an adorable big girl room. :O)

98 days!

We're officially in the double digits for our count down to Riley's arrival! Yeah! I'm so excited to meet the little one that kicks me all the time. Of course we all know babies come when they want to... so 98 days until 40-weeks, full term. However, we'll just see as we get closer. Miss Riley-girl will probably have her own agenda. :O)

Ouchie!

Owen had his first big bobo yesterday at school. He was running outside at the playground, tripped and ate it on the concrete. Here's a picture of his poor little nose! He's been very good about letting me put a little Neosporin on it. My poor baby!