The Life of Riley

Ireland Highlights

2009-01-11T16:13:00.005-07:00

Riley and I made it to Ireland and back without too many hitches. She slept most of the way there. The worst parts of flying were when she had to be confined/strapped to me (take-off, landing, flights between Ireland and Dublin), but overall it went pretty well. I had a little bit of a breakdown at Heathrow on the way back, but that was the worst of it. Riley didn't sleep much on the way home either, but she still did well.

We had a nice time in Ireland. Mostly just hung around the house enjoying each other's company and visiting with Colm's family.

Here are some pictures from our visit:

Riley became good friends with the snowman and santa. They were just her size.

Riley and Jasmine in their PJs on Christmas Eve

Colm helps Riley open presents Christmas morning

Bathtime with Jasmine

Family portrait

On a walk

Again

Chillin'

Merry Christmas to All...

2008-12-17T20:31:00.002-07:00

We head to Ireland on Friday and won't be back until Dec. 29th. We're looking forward to spending Christmas with Colm and with the Kinsella side of the family. Wish Riley and I luck as we take a go at the plane ride on our own. We'll fly directly from Denver to London (9 hours) and then a short flight to Dublin, arriving Saturday morning.

I didn't send Christmas cards this year. So we'll go for a blog card:

I hope that everyone has a safe and happy Christmas and New Year. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers, may 2009 be a better year for all.

Love,

The Kinsella Family

Rock Star!

2008-12-08T12:00:00.000-07:00

Angie brought her Wii and RockStar video game up to Silverthorne for Thanksgiving. We had a lot of fun playing the drums, guitar and even singing. Riley tried her hand at playing drums and has a lot of natural talent for a 1 year old.

Let it Snow!

2008-12-06T15:47:00.003-07:00

We spent Thanksgiving weekend up in Silverthorne. It snowed 3 days straight up there, so we decided to play in the snow for a little bit. Here is Riley all decked out in her warmest gear.

She liked it - even when she fell into the snow. Its a tough business, walking with all that gear on!

Too Funny!

2008-11-18T19:57:00.003-07:00

This is was what Riley was doing when I came home the other night...I had to get a video to share.

I guess we have to add "belly" to her list of words!

Words

2008-11-15T20:49:00.003-07:00

It seems Riley starts saying a new word every day. Well at least every day for the last two days. Yesterday was Cracker (she says "ca-ca") and this evening it was Gecko ("gay-go"). She learned Gecko because we were reading a book about a gecko (Thanks Hilary!). My mom keeps saying I need to be writing these words down. How better to do that than here on this blog?

Here is a list of the words Riley can say (roughly in the order she started saying them):
Bye
Hi
Mama
Uh-Oh
Duck
Dog (sounds the same as "Duck")
Shoe
Banana
Night Night
No
Hello
Up
Go
Coat (sounds the same as "Go," so she might only know one of these words, as they are used at the same time)
More
Milk (sounds the same as "More")
All Done
Book
Cracker
Gecko

Some of these words are obvious to all (bye, hi). But some are still at the point where they can only be understood by those around her daily (shoe = "do"). Some are used frequently (banana, bye, no) and some have only been heard a few times (up, more).

It is so fun watching her learn!

Fall!

2008-11-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

I took Riley out to play in the leaves over the weekend. She didn't love it, but she didn't hate it either. It is much harder for a 1 ft. something tall person to walk in a few inches of leaves than it is for an almost 6 ft. tall person. It was nice to enjoy the crisp fall day with a little time outside though.

Go Buffs!

2008-11-10T20:40:00.004-07:00

CU won on Saturday. I am certain it was due to Riley sporting her CU gear to root on the team.

Thanks to Cousin Tyler for handing down such cool jerseys (even if she does get mistaken for a boy)!

(I am not sure what she is sad about in this picture. She's usually pretty content.)

Flight of the Bumble Bee

2008-11-01T20:01:00.004-06:00

There was much discussion over what Halloween costume Riley would wear this year. Due to Riley's distaste for hats and things that go on her head, I ended up picking out something that would still look like what it was even if she didn't wear the headpiece. It ended up being an adorable outfit!

Boo at the Zoo

2008-11-01T19:42:00.002-06:00

Lst weekend Angie and Tyler invited us to join them at Boo at the Zoo. It was a little chilly and very crowded but we decided to brave it. Riley had a great time.
This was her first go at wearing her costume in public. She got to practice the typical Halloween-in-Colorado look of wearing a coat under her costume.

Angie was smart and remembered the wagon this time (guess she learned her lesson from the pumpkin patch a few weeks earlier). Above are Antie Angie and Boopah (that's a Reagan mask beneath the Obama hat, in case you can't tell), along with Tyler (Spiderman) and Riley (Bumble Bee) in the wagon.

Riley enjoyed the wagon most of the time.....until she didn't. She did manage to do a little trick-or-treating and saw some animals too.

A teenager already?

2008-10-25T09:48:00.002-06:00

Riley loves to pretend things are phones. She also loves real phones - especially mommy's cellphone. To prevent her from accidentally dialing innocent friends on my phone, I gave her an old cell phone of ours to play with. Its one of her favorite toys. She often looks like a teenager texting away!
The other day, she was at home with my step-dad (Boopah). He was gathering stuff and heard Riley saying "uh oh" (one of her favorite phrases) from the bathroom. He went in there to find her holding up the toilet lid and looking into the bowl. She had tossed her cell phone into the toilet! I knew she was bound to throw something in the toilet eventually.

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-15T12:45:00.000-06:00

Riley and I headed to the pumpkin patch on Saturday with Jimi, Angie and Tyler. It was a little chilly and we were kicking ourselves for not bringing a wagon, but we had a lot of fun and picked out some great pumpkins.

It was a big change from last year's trip to the pumpkin patch (which she slept through):

Good-bye to Great Grandad

2008-10-13T12:22:00.002-06:00

Riley's last great grandparent (my mom's dad) passed away 2 weeks ago. I previously posted about him here. He was an amazing man and did a lot for Colorado. He was an artist and a politician, among many other things. You can read the obituraries that were written about him here and here.

Perhaps he knew it was his time. He approved his funeral video montage and edited his own obituary just days before.

Here is the obituary he edited and approved:

Tool, Jean Kevin
Of Denver, passed away September 29, 2008. He was born January 1, 1919 in Murdock, Nebraska to Harold Warren and Edna Mina (Goehry) Tool. Jean was an accomplished artist at an early age. As a teenager, at the urging of his father and the postmaster,he drew pen and ink portraits of notable personalities (Shirley Temple, Albert Einstein, Babe Ruth, Amelia Earhart) and built a remarkable autograph collection of more than 80 drawings. He graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1941 with a degree in fine arts. While in college he met the love of his life, Carole Langley Petersen. They were married August 30, 1942 at Randolph Field in San Antonio, Texas, while he was in flight school in the U.S. Army Air Corps (now U.S.A.F.). He was a WWII C-47 pilot and flew 361 combat missions in the China-Burma-India Theater. He earned the Distinguished Flying Cross with an oak leaf cluster and the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters. He achieved the rank of major. After the war he settled in Denver with his wife and toddler son, Steve. Twin daughters Sally and Patricia were born four years later. Jean enjoyed a long career as an advertising executive, first with Wayne Welch Advertising, then as owner of his agency, Tool & Armstrong Advertising. A later merger with Fyre-Sills Advertising made him a principal in what was then Denver's largest ad agency. He was involved in the Colorado Republican party for over 50 years and rose through party ranks to be elected state chairman. He worked endless hours building a strong Republican base in this State. With his artistic and writing talents, he created many marketing tools used by the party to build a strong framework, from precinct and county levels through the state level. He was instrumental in convincing John Love to run for governor in 1962 and helped lead his landslide election. He also worked in national politics as a consultant to Winthrop Rockefeller (Gov. of Arkansas), Richard Nixon, U.S. Senators Gordon Allott and Pete Dominick, and U.S. Rep. Don Brotzman, to name a few. Tool served as a Commissioner for the Colorado Division of Wildlife and was the first commissioner to serve three four-year terms; he also served as chairman. During his service, he helped create many Division legacies: blue-ribbon fishing waters, landowner recognition program, fishing slot limits, and a healthy moose population. In 2001, the Division honored his work by creating the Jean K. Tool State Wildlife Area along the Platte River near Ft. Morgan (where he used to duck hunt with his father and brother). He was a contributing member of the International Order of Rocky Mountain Goats, a group dedicated to wildlife conservation and natural resource management. Here, among other things, he designed their logo, conceptualized their annual award-winning St. Patrick's Day parade floats, and drew great wildlife images and whimsical caricatures. His work for the Order and the Rocky Mountain Goats Foundation elevated these two organizations to world-class recognition status. He helped inspire and spearhead the GOCO program, which earmarks State Lottery money for outdoor and recreational projects. He was active in aviation as a Board Director of the Colorado Aviation Historical Society. He was an engaged member of the Denver Press Club for over 55 years and served on the Board of Directors. In 2000, he was named to The Press Club Hall of Fame. Many of his caricatures of local media personalities enliven the Club's dining room. Jean battled tongue cancer for three years. Through the highs and lows of this fight, he always maintained his wonderful wit, his sharp mind, and his ability to value family and his many friends. He was drawing caricatures right to the end. Jean would like to be remembered for his solid contributions to the great state of Colorado and its wildlife, for his capable and committed military service to his country, and for his willingness to step in and help, no matter what the venue. Jean is survived by his loving children, Stephen (Karen) Tool, Ft. Collins; Sally (Howard) Shawcross, Centennial; Patricia (Rayno) Seaser, Ft. Collins; eight grandchildren: Kevin Tool, Jennifer Holladay, Nicholas Odell, Emily Kinsella, Allison Haltom, Andrew Seaser, Abigail Seaser, Kyle Seaser; two step-grandchildren: Angela Wright, and Tony Shawcross; great-grandchildren Christiana, Jillian, and Jacob Holladay, Ryan and Karalyn Tool, Hayden and Blake Seaser, Riley Kinsella; step-great-grandchildren, Tyler Wright, and Jonah and Elsa Cavender; brothers H. Warren Tool (Charlotte, N.C.), Marc R.Tool (Sacramento, CA) and sister, Patricia McHugh (Sacramento, CA). Jean also leaves dear friends Patricia Karges, Elaine Jackson, Ed and Jeannie Snider, and Sherry Smiley. He was predeceased by wife, Carole, and granddaughter, Kirsten Lee Tool. Services will be held Friday, October 3, 2008, 4:00 PM at Horan & McConaty Family Chapel, 5303 E. County Line Rd., Centennial, CO. Private Interment, Ft. Logan National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made, with gratitude, to the Kirsten L. Tool Memorial Scholarship fund in care of the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado, 4745 Wheaton Dr., Ft. Collins, CO 80525.

All dressed up...and stones to throw

2008-10-04T12:40:00.005-06:00

Last weekend Riley and I joined my dad and that side of the family at Chris and Debbie's wedding. It was a beautiful and fun wedding and a great excuse to get up to the mountains!

Here is Riley "watching" the ceremony.

Riley with her Satchell and Prescott cousins

Cutie pie

The Odell contingent

Chilling with Ruby

Learning to throw rocks into the lake with uncle Nick

Wagons East?

2008-09-24T19:22:00.005-06:00

We were playing in Jimi and Boopah's driveway last week with Jimi, Boopah, Angie and Tyler (and Buddy). Riley loved riding in the wagon.

Here is a video of the fun...

We managed all sorts of combinations of riders and pullers - a fun afternoon!

On her own two feet

2008-09-11T20:28:00.002-06:00

In the last week Riley has really gotten the hang of this walking thing - now she's walking all over the place!

Here's the proof:

Aunt Lori

2008-09-06T20:46:00.003-06:00

My dad's only sister (my aunt), Lori, passed away a few weeks ago. She had juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis which got progressively worse until she was confined to a wheelchair in her early teens. She was never supposed to live very long, but kept beating the odds and lived into her 50s. Despite her disability, she was one of the most spunky, upbeat people I have ever known. She has been living in Hawaii and my most recent pictures of her are from our honeymoon to Hawaii, which was before I had a digital camera, so I don't have any pictures to post here. I will miss her terribly. Here is a link to her obituary, so that you all can learn a little more about what a great woman she was.

Dancing Queen

2008-09-03T06:00:00.000-06:00

I apologize in advance that this video is sideways. I forget when I'm using the videocamera feature on my digital camera that it matters what direction you hold the camera!

Just a little glimpse at everyday Riley...

Obama Mama

2008-09-01T11:05:00.003-06:00

I got a call at around 9am on Thursday that there was a ticket available fo me to see Obama speak at Invesco Field at the final night of the Democratic National Convention in Denver, if I could arrange to get there. Through some quick phone dialing and sheer luck, I was able to leave work early, pick up Riley from daycare, drop her off at my step-sister's (thanks Dawn and Dad for agreeing to watch her last minute), leave Dawn's house at 4pm and be sitting in my seat at Invesco by 5pm for a fun, memorable and inspiring evening.

The picture above is the view from our seats. They were handing out flags, lots of them. There were about 80,000 people in attendance. We had luck on our side that day because we kept hearing on the radio as we made our way to Invesco about lines that were up to 3 miles long and taking hours to get through in order to get in. We got dropped off at the 'end of the line' on Auraria Campus and basically walked the entire time we were in line. We even stopped just before the "you must be credentialed" part to wait to hand off some tickets. As I said, it must have taken us only 30-45 minutes to get in - and that really was just to walk that distance!
I started taking pictures of the jumbo screen because I could see it better than the actual people. Above is Joe Biden is introducing the "regular" people - about 8 or 10 everyday people who shared their stories. I heard this part wasn't on TV. It's too bad - it was a really enjoyable part.
The picture above sort of shows the excitement when Barack Obama came on stage. They handed out the "change" signs right before he went on. I was so excited all week about all the various signs they had for the DNC ("Michelle" for Michelle Obama, "Kennedy" for Teddy Kennedy, "Hillary" for Hillary Clinton, "Clinton/Obama/Unity" also for Hillary). They looked cool on TV, but it proved to be very cumbersome to have to hold flags and signs while sitting and listening to the speech. But they are an awesome memento from the night.
Above is a better shot of Obama on the jumbo screen. I really like how the lone guy waving the big flag in front looks in this picture.

It was an awesome evening. I am glad the stars aligned so that I could attend! Si, se puede!

Silly cousins

2008-08-24T13:50:00.004-06:00

These videos are a few months old, but I thought they were too cute not to post. This appears to be a favorite game for Riley to play with her cousins.

Above is with her cousin Tyler.

Below is with her cousin Jasmine, in Ireland.

Here we go to Jimi's house

2008-08-20T06:00:00.000-06:00

Riley and I will be staying at Jimi and Boopah's house (my mom and step-dad's) until Colm gets back. I am staying in my old room and we created a room out of a nearby nook for Riley's room

"Hueys"

2008-08-19T06:00:00.000-06:00

Riley started at a new daycare last week in the one-year-old room ("daisies"). She had been prone to going barefoot at her old daycare (in the infant room). But in this new daycare and in a room with the "older" kids, she will be "playing" on the gravely playground and needed some solid shoes. Since she's also been trying out a few steps here and there, I wanted to make sure she had shoes that would help her walk.

She now is the owner of a cute pair of white tennis shoes with pink velcro!

I named the blog "Hueys" because that is what the kiddos in my family call shoes.

Finnuala turns one!

2008-08-17T14:13:00.002-06:00

We went to Finnuala's first birthday party yesterday. As you may recall from an eariler post about Jack's birthday party, Jack, Riley and Finnuala were all born around the same time (but in that order).

It was pouring rain outside, so it was an indoor party. Above are Finnuala (pronounced "Fin-oola"), Jack and Riley.

Here are Jack, Riley and Finnuala with their party hats on. I was suprised that the hat didn't annoy Riley - she kept it on quite awhile!

Look what I did!

2008-08-07T21:41:00.002-06:00

The Big Day

2008-08-07T21:07:00.005-06:00

For decoration for the party on Saturday we got a "1" balloon. Its been tied to our banister since Saturday and every time we walk by it Riley's eyes get big. She loves looking at it and hitting it.

Riley got to open her presents from mommy and daddy on her actual birthday (Tuesday, as opposed to the day of the party). She had a lot of fun opening (with a little help from mommy), then playing with, the presents. It was fun to watch. I was surprised she got so into it!

She also tried her cake again. This time she tasted it and smashed it.

I guess she doesn't like performing for a crowd? She also ended up being sick on Sunday, so she may not have felt all that great at the party on Saturday.

Our baby turns one!

2008-08-05T08:00:00.002-06:00

Riley's birthday is today. I've tried to take a picture of her on (or at least close to) the 5th of each month so we could look back and see how much she's changed.....

1st day home from the hospital

1 month old

2 months old

3 months old

4 months old

5 months old

6 months old

7 months old

8 months old

9 months old

10 months old

11 months old

1 year old!

I can't believe how fast its gone...

Party Time!

2008-08-04T20:02:00.010-06:00

Riley had a little birthday party with her family on Saturday. Here is a video of everyone singing her "Happy Birthday":

King Soopers gave her a free "smash" cake (pictured below). Our first attempt at feeding Riley cake ended in hysterical cries.

Once she got a little nap in we opened some presents and tried again.

We got the same result the second time, it just took longer. It was a nice party anyway.

Happy Birthday to Jack!

2008-08-01T20:48:00.003-06:00

Riley's friend Jack turned one on July 15th and had a little party (well, semi-big, there was a bouncy castle) to celebrate. This get together allowed Riley (and her mommy) to catch up with some friends, and to meet a few new ones. Jack's mom, Jenny, played on the Denver Gaels Ladies' Gaelic Football team with me (Jenny is actually from Ireland).

Here is Jack. Pooped out from showing off his newly acquired walking skills.

This is Eileen, also a former Denver Gael. Her daughter is the one reaching for the cup. She moved back East for a few years, so it was nice to see her again and meet her daughter.

Finnuala and Riley, being entertained by cups.

Christine, Sonya (Finnuala's mom) and Aiden, Christine's son.

Christine and Sonya were also previous players on the Denver Gaels. I guess the team had quite the baby boom! In fact, Jenny, Sonya and I were all due within a week or two of each other. Jack came first (7/15), then Riley (8/5), then Finnuala (8/12). We went on walks together around Wash Park during our maternity leaves.

Sunscreen Hair

2008-07-26T13:47:00.004-06:00

I've learned over the last few weeks that sunscreen is the perfect "product" for creating some crazy hairstyles.

Some examples:

Rockin' the mohawk with Auntie JJ (Riley's hair is a bunch of different lengths, which all work together perfectly in a mohawk).

Landon and Riley both try out the "just out of a wind tunnel" look in preperation for some fun at the pool.

Ireland Part 5 - Other Random Photos

2008-07-26T13:15:00.003-06:00

Here are a few other photos from our Ireland trip:

Meeting Great-Aunt Joan

Annie and Jasmine

Playing in Jasmine's tent tunnel

Jimi looking out at the Irish Sea

First trip to the beach

Learning to drink from a tea cup

Colm's brother, Keith, with Riley and Jasmine

Riley plays with Grandad Kinsella

Ireland - Part 4 - Family Togetherness

2008-07-26T13:07:00.005-06:00

It was so nice to have so much time together again as a family.

Ireland - Part 3 - Daddy and Daughter Time

2008-07-19T13:54:00.002-06:00

Daddy and baby had a really great time catching up on our trip. Here are some cute pics:

Practicing the walking skills - not quite there yet.

Looking out at the Sea.

Dining together.

Going to the beach.

Ireland - Part 2 - Cousin Time

2008-07-15T20:54:00.004-06:00

While we were in Ireland, Riley got to hang out with her cousins on the Kinsella side of the family. She got to meet her oldest Kinsella cousin, Ava (Colm's younger brother Brendan's daughter).

Ava, Riley and Jasmine

She also got to play with her cousin Jasmine again. Riley's much more active this time, so they could all "play" together better.

Here is a photo of Jasmine and Riley in the matching outfits their Granny Kinsella bought them when she was in Colorado in March.

Ireland - Part 1 - Plane ride

2008-07-12T08:50:00.003-06:00

Riley did really great on our two plane rides to Ireland. We managed to get the bulkhead for both flights, which was great. On the way to Chicago we were able to lay her on a blanket on the ground at our feet for a nap. She also enjoyed just sitting in that place and playing with things - mostly the stuff in the magazine rack!

On the flight from Chicago to Ireland, we were able to get a bassinet that hooked onto the wall (the blue thing below). Riley was almost too big for it and didn't like it at first (and therefore slept on mommy), but ended up sleeping a few hours in it - allowing mommy and Jimi to get a little rest as well.

Loves swimming

2008-07-11T18:49:00.006-06:00

I've only managed to get Riley into a pool once so far - and that was at the Holiday Inn in Grand Junction when I was there for work. She loved it though. We have a pool in our neighborhood and have plans to get over there soon!

Granny Kinsella

2008-07-10T21:00:00.003-06:00

Colm's mom, Brenda, lost her fight with cancer on Sunday. As tribute, here is a picture of her with Riley from when she came to visit us in March.
We are so glad that she was able to make the trip over from Ireland to meet Riley. She was a wonderful woman and will be truly missed.

Stairs

2008-06-22T21:10:00.003-06:00

Riley's new adventure is learning to climb the stairs. Its quite cute, but hard to get on video as I need to be there for the inevitable fall backwards (as you'll see), but here is a taste of it.

Next she's just got to figure out how to get down them!

Landon's Birthday Party

2008-06-22T20:45:00.004-06:00

Today was Riley's baby buddy Landon's 1st birthday party (Landon is two months to the day older than Riley). Landon's mom Kari and I were pregnant together and became good friends during our pregnancies, though we knew each other prior to that.

This is the first picture that I can find of Riley and Landon together (Riley was 1 month old - that is Kari holding Riley):

And this is the most recent one I have (from earlier this month):

Happy Birthday Landon!

Happy Father's Day to the other dad's in Riley's life

2008-06-14T21:36:00.006-06:00

Grandad (Colm's Dad)

Grandpa Bill (Emily's Dad)

Boopa (Emily's Step-Dad)

Great Grandpa Tool (Emily's Mom's Dad)

Happy Father's Day Colm!

2008-06-14T21:31:00.005-06:00

Pulling Up

2008-06-14T21:25:00.003-06:00

I thought it'd be a while before Riley mastered another skill after crawling, but she started pulling up to standing a week or so ago and is even starting to "cruise" (i.e., move around the house while still holding on to things). Here are some photos as proof:

(These pjs might look funny - we had to cut off the arm and leg bands because they were too tight for her chubby arms and legs - makes them perfect summer pajamas though!)

Aspen

2008-06-14T19:55:00.005-06:00

I had to go up to Aspen for a site visit for work at the beginning of the week. I am not ready to leave Riley overnight yet (I don't think she's ready either), so I brought her along. My mom also came with to watch Riley while I was at the clinic.
The top photos is my mom ("jimi") and Riley watching the fountain. The bottom photo is Riley and I enjoying the pleasant mountain air. It was a fun trip. M0m would often keep me company on these type of work trips in the past, so it's nice that she now has Riley to keep her comapny!

1st Birthdays

2008-06-07T21:43:00.011-06:00

Some of Riley's little friends are starting to turn one. We went to a birthday party for 4 of them - Zack, Sofi, Sophia, and Dylan - this afternoon.

Here is birthday boy Zack with his mom, Shawn.

Here are birthday girl Sophia and birthday boy Dylan playing.

I didn't get a shot of Sofi, but here are Riley and Landon (who also just turned one) enjoying the festivities with Landon's mom, Kari.

Won't be too long until Riley turns one herself!

Swinging in the sun

2008-06-06T21:11:00.002-06:00

I often accidentally take a "video" instead of a picture on my camera. Turns out this is a good thing as these videos can be cute! Sorry about the camera angle. I'll do better next time.

This is at Wash Park last Sunday. We walked over to the playground with Roxanne and Isis for some playtime after bookclub.

Now she's rolling

2008-06-01T20:43:00.004-06:00

Riley's gotten the hang of the crawling thing. Here is a video of her exploring.

Yoga poses

2008-05-31T07:10:00.002-06:00

When Riley was learning to crawl she sometimes got into what I referred to as her downward facing dog yoga position. She's also done it a few times since starting to crawl. Not many people have seen her do it. Landon's parents caught her in the act. Check out her picture on this blog post of Landon's: http://landon-t-c.blogspot.com/2008/05/highlands-hillbillies.html

The funny thing is that for some reason when I do yoga, I cannot do this "routine" pose for more than 2 seconds!

Great G-Pa

2008-05-26T20:19:00.006-06:00

Riley and I went with my brother, Nick, to visit my mom's father (when I write to him, I address him as "g-pa") over the weekend. He's Riley's only living great grandparent.

If we had been thinking and organized, we would have taken a picture of Riley next to the same thing at regular intervals. We didn't really do that, but here is a good way to see how much she's grown. The first picture is when we visited my grandfather in September (so she was 1 month) and the second picture is from this weekend. I guess she has grown quite a bit.

"Life of Riley"

2008-05-25T20:20:00.002-06:00

So I've been wondering for the last 24 hours why "Life of Riley" seemed so familiar. I guess its a common phrase (and a common blog name!). See for yourself by googling "Life of Riley."

Apparently its a UK phrase meaning "An easy and pleasant life."

Sounds like a good plan to me!

Look at those nashers

2008-05-25T19:55:00.006-06:00

These are not the most flattering photos of little Riley, but everyone (friend and stranger alike) seems to want to see Riley's teeth (or "nashers" as Colm calls them). She has 5 all together now. The first two (on the bottom) came in a few months ago.

And the last three all came in within a week of each other about 3 weeks ago. You can't see it in this picture, but she has another tooth to the right (her left) of the two top middle ones.

What Riley's up to these days

2008-05-24T20:12:00.004-06:00

Riley is already 9 months old. She started crawling last week. Here is a video taken right after she started.

She's a little quicker at it now that she's had a week of practice. She spent much of today exploring the house.

And so it shall be...

2008-05-24T20:02:00.000-06:00

Okay so I'm like 9 months or more behind on getting this "blog" thing going. I just didn't think I was the type. I guess I am. Actually, lets see how often I manage to post to this, then we'll be the judge.

Anyway thanks to Landon's parents for being the inspiration for this blog. I hope to update the world on Riley's milestones and activities. This blog is mostly for Colm, but I hope the rest of you enjoy it as well.