Is it summer yet?

Rilee is ready for summer! She loves to be outside! She got a bunch of new outside toys for her birthday and she has loved trying them all out. Mom and Dad can't wait for it to be summer either!

Happy Birthday To Rilee!

Rilee Jean had her first birthday party at Grambo and Big Poppy's house yesterday! She won't officially be 1 until Wednesday, but she really enjoyed all of the attention and the time she got to spend with her family and friends. The party was fantastic! Mom was really afraid that Rilee would be afraid of all the people, but she was the happy little girl she always is! Mom also didn't know how Rilee would react to her birthday outfit which included a tutu! But, to Mom's surprise she loved being a little princess. She even allowed Mom to put her birthday hat on for a little while.



The cake and cookies at the party were adorable. They matched our napkins and theme perfectly!










There is a Polish tradition to present a baby, on their first birthday, with a shot glass, a rosary, and a silver coin. The tradition says that the item that the baby picks up first will determine the path that the baby's life will follow. The shot glass would indicate that Rilee would be a party girl. The rosary would mean that religion would play a huge role in her life, and finally the coin would indicate that she would become rich. Rilee chose the coin!



Rilee didn't go too crazy with her cake, but she sure liked the frosting! She had frosting in her hair, on her shoes, and all over her hands and belly. Mom and Aunt Ashlee had to give her a quick bath when she was done.






Rilee got a ton of GREAT gifts! She is one spoiled little girl! Mom and Dad are going to have to spend a whole day setting everything up so that she can play with all of it! She did get a chance to try out her new swing set from Grambo and Big Poppy and her wagon from Great Grandma. She also really enjoyed carrying around her purse from Great Busia. To end the evening she got to relax outside and chase bubbles she got from Great Aunt Cindy!





All in all it was a great day! Mom, Dad, and Rilee really appreciate Grambo and Big Poppy having the party and all of our family and friends attending. Mom and Dad can't believe our little bundle of joy is already one! The big picture at the top of the blog is of Rilee the day she was born! We can't believe how much she has changed and the little girl she has become!

Happy Easter

Dad had to work early Easter morning so the Easter Bunny brought Rilee's basket the night before. She got some baby friendly snacks and an Easter book! We had a very busy Easter. We went to church and then over to Grambo and Big Poppy's for breakfast. After breakfast we went to Great Aunt Karla's for dinner. Rilee enjoyed spending time with her family, showing off her dress, and checking out all of her new Easter presents. Rilee got a grand total of 4 Easter baskets. She got a lot of new books, stuffed animals, a butterfly in a jar that really flys around, and a lawn mower that blows bubbles. She is one spoiled little girl! Next week is Rilee's first birthday. Her party is Sunday so check back for pics from the party!

Coloring Easter Eggs

It was 70 degrees and beautiful here on Saturday! We went over to Grambo and Big Poppy's to color Easter eggs. Big Poppy had a surprise for Rilee when she got there, a new swing! Rilee had a blast swinging and walking around the backyard. We then all went in and colored Easter eggs. Rilee enjoyed watching and even got to drop an egg into the coloring!

Walking Like Crazy

Rilee has mastered the art of walking and literally NEVER wants to stop! We all went to a wedding shower for Mom's cousins on Friday. Rilee walked all around the hall! Aunt Ashlee and Rilee saw every corner and hallway within the hall. All of us had a great time! Mom and Dad couldn't believe that Rilee stayed happy for so long since we didn't get home until way after her bedtime!

Playing Outside

Last Sunday it was almost 85 degrees here! Mom opened the windows and door. Rilee and Brutus loved to watch the people walking in the neighborhood. Dad got off work a little early so that we could go to the park. Rilee went down a slide for the very first time! She seemed to enjoy it, but didn't want Mom or Dad to let go! She then tried out swinging. She liked this a lot better and could do it all by herself! When we got home from the park we went on a long walk. After the walk Rilee touched grass with her bare toes for the first time. She didn't know what to do, and would not loosen her grip on Mom's fingers!

"Helping" Mom Clean

Mom has been on spring break the past week, so her and Rilee have been able to hang out all week! Unfortuntaly, Grambo and Aunt Ashlee had different spring breaks this year so all the girls couldn't do anything together. The weather was pretty bad too, so Mom and Rilee couldn't even go for a walk. So, instead of being able to enjoy being outside Rilee and Mom found things to keep them busy around the house. The last thing on Mom's list was to clean the house, so yesterday Rilee "helped" Mom with the cleaning.
The first picture shows what Rilee was up to in her room while Mom cleaned out the hall closet. Then Rilee helped Mom dust the living room and put the pictures back on the end tables. While Mom moved into the next room Rilee decided she needed some paper towels! Finally, Rilee and Mom moved to the kitchen. Rilee sat in her high chair and snacked on some cheerios and carrot wheels. Mom turned for just a second and when she turned back Rilee had decided to take a nap right in her high chair. I guess all of that cleaning really wore her out!







Rilee is now 11 months old! She took her first steps about 2 weeks ago and is now able to walk across the living room! She gets more stable and goes farther everyday. Rilee is also getting her ninth tooth! She can clap her hands and loves to "read" her books! Mom and Dad can't believe that in less than a month our little baby girl will be 1 year old!