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You think they're cousins???

I was just looking through some old blog posts and found the picture above of my nephew, C.J., at 10 weeks old. Then I looked at Riley at 10 weeks (still can't believe he's 10 weeks!), and noticed quite a similarity between the two munchkins (as my sister-in-law says)! The two boys will get to meet for the first time (besides seeing each other on a computer screen thanks to Skype) this Thanksgiving, and I can't wait! I'm so thankful and excited that our sons are just 6 months apart! I pray they will be great friends the rest of their lives!

Rolling and Flirting

Friday night when I got home from work, Daniel told me about how Riley tried to roll over in his crib earlier in the day. I said, "Aww, I'm so afraid he's going to do it while I'm at work!" He suggested I put Riley on his belly right then and see what happened. So, I laid a blanket on the floor, placed my 9 week old (yes, I said 9 week old!) on his belly and I cannot tell a lie...within 5 seconds he had rolled from his stomach to his back! He did it so quickly that I didn't even have time to get the video camera out! What a sweet boy that he would roll over for the first time while his mama was home! :) I tried several times throughout the weekend to get him to do it again (and had the camera ready each time!), but he said once was enough for now! Hopefully I can catch him on video sometime soon and share the exciting visual with all of you! I have to laugh at myself right about now because I can remember before I had children thinking parents were a little too "focused" on their child when they celebrated things like this...oh how life changes when it's your own child!

Yesterday I took Riley over to a friend's house to visit their daughter, Maleah, who was born exactly 4 weeks after him (to the day, and almost to the hour!). Maleah's mom, Tracy, and I became great friends throughout our pregnancies (we were 2 weeks apart then, but Riley was born early and Maleah a little late). She worked on campus like me, at the time, so we emailed back and forth several times a week to see how the other was doing and share pregnancy experiences. It's hard to believe that our babies are now 6 and 10 weeks old! Anyway, here's some pics from Riley's first "playdate." :)

Riley's thinking, "Who is this?!" and Maleah's just having a great time sticking out her tongue!

Look at that pouty face! But can you see Riley's hand on her shoulder?! Too cute!

Tracy and I were laughing so hard by this point!

That's a little better! Maleah is still content with sitting by a boy and Riley's getting used to the younger woman. :) And yes, his shirt does say, "Available for Playdates." His silly mommy put it on him with this visit in mind. :)

I'm going to leave you with a pretty urgent prayer request. The short and sweet of it...Daniel's grandmother has been staying with us since I went back to work. She has been an INCREDIBLE help! However, she is leaving to go back to Arkansas next Tuesday, Oct. 6, and we're still not sure who will care for Riley a few hours out of the week. We've figured everything out except for Tues/Thur mornings between 8 and 11. Daniel has two classes back-to-back, and I, obviously, have work. So, please pray with us that the Lord will very clearly show us what to do. We're determined not to put him in daycare, but still not sure of the logistics. We'd really appreciate your prayers! I will update you on the plan once it's been revealed to us!

Growing Like a Weed!

We took Riley to his 2-month appointment yesterday. All was well until those sharp, metal things had to go into his leg 3 times! Suffice it to say, he DID NOT enjoy his first experience with shots! I just keep reminding myself he won't remember this when he gets older! I find myself saying those words of comfort a lot lately. :) Anyway, to find out the latest stats on our boy, watch this...



I know I'm completely biased and probably pretty prideful about it, but I can't stand the cuteness of my son! Every day I am amazed when I look at the blessing the Lord gave us! It's safe to say that my heart is completely OVERFLOWING with love for this boy!

I'm realizing that Riley is most definitely a morning person! This morning the electricity was off at our office, so I was surprised with the great blessing of spending the morning with my boy! I took the opportunity while he was playing and in a great mood to video again. Get ready for some more "can't-stand-it" cuteness!

What happens...

When you work, take classes full-time and are actively involved in raising a 2-month old...

He's Yours, Lord

This past Sunday, September 20, was special for two reasons. First, Riley turned 2 months old, but more importantly, Daniel and I publicly dedicated Riley to the Lord. In the Baptist faith, we believe that each individual person must choose for themselves if/when they will give their life to Christ. Because of this, we do not have infant baptism, but what's called "baby dedication." It's a time when the parents and the church agree together to raise the child to know the Lord. Daniel and I cannot force Riley to accept Christ as his Savior, but we can certainly live in such a way that he knows exactly Who Christ is and why His life was so significant. We also recognize that the Lord created Riley and He has a special plan for our son's life. So, on Sunday, we stood before our church family and committed to raise Riley in a Christian home. The church family, in turn, committed to hold us accountable and help in any way possible. We adore our pastor, Chad Gilbert, and he did an excellent job challenging us through Scripture. Riley received his first Bible with his name engraved on it, and some of my good friends came down from Hattiesburg, MS to celebrate with us. It was a great day! Here are some pictures from the special event...

The Bramlett's with Pastor Chad

Our big 2-month old!

I love my family!

Us with Daniel's grandmother, Riley's great-grandmother (GG)

Meeting Renee...he loved her blonde hair!

Meeting Anna

And meeting Kim!

I worked with these three at GA camp in Florida. Anna was actually my camper in 1998...and then came on staff as a counselor...and then we served together 2 years on the administrative staff. Anna and Renee were also bridesmaids in our wedding. So, needless to say, it was VERY special to have these three at Riley's dedication!

Not to change the subject so abruptly, but I had to share with you what Daniel and I witnessed last night...

Ya think he'll be crawling soon?! He's been holding his head up for several weeks now, but usually just bobs it around a little bit above the couch. Last night, though, he held it way up and for several minutes straight! We were speechless! Our little man is growing up! :)

Discoveries

Last night after Riley ate, I sat him in one of his new favorite spots...propped up against the Boppy pillow. He looks like such a little man sitting there! Anyway, while hanging out against the boppy, he discovered his left hand. It was the cutest thing! He could not quit staring at it, and he even talked to it some.

It was as if he was thinking, "hmm...what is this? I wonder if it will still be there tomorrow?!" I tried to tell him that he didn't just have one, but two hands, and he gets to keep them for the rest of his life! I absolutely love watching our baby learn and discover new things!

*Side note: I'm sure you've noticed the adorable outfit he has on...take a look at the back! Gotta love Carter's clothes!


Back to discoveries...right before I left for work this morning, I discovered this...

Riley and his great-grandmother taking a nap together. How precious is that?! Riley absolutely loves sleeping on his stomach, but until he can roll over on his own, we don't feel comfortable letting him sleep that way in his crib. So, during the night he sleeps on his side/back, but during the day, it's stomach all the way (and no, I did not intend for that to rhyme!).

I sure am glad it's Friday! I'm ready to spend 2 full days with my little man! He's being dedicated at church on Sunday morning, so this is an extra special weekend! I hope you all have a wonderful, relaxing weekend!

Who Does He Look Like?

For the last 8 weeks, I have heard over and over, "Riley looks EXACTLY like Daniel!" I'll admit, I agree and I don't mind because I think my husband is very handsome. But, today I decided to see what the "Look-Alike Meter" thought. I can handle these results... :)

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Pedigree - Family photos

Happy Birthday!

Yesterday and today marked two big milestones in the Bramlett household! Riley celebrated his 7-week birthday yesterday, and Daniel turned 29 today! Happy Birthday to my two favorite men!! Last night we had a cookout with some friends to celebrate Labor Day (so Daniel thought) AND Daniel's birthday! Back in the spring, he and I were at one of our favorite grocery stores in the city (Dorignac's) and he saw their homemade fruit tart. He said, "THAT'S what I want for MY birthday this year!" I stored that statement in my memory and made sure the fruit tart was part of our celebration last night. Here's Daniel and Riley blowing out the candles around the fruit tart (we didn't think they'd hold up too well in the tart!).

Daniel's mom came last week and stayed with us for about 6 days. She hadn't seen Riley since he was 2 days old, so needless to say, she was VERY excited about spending time with her first-born grandbaby! The day before she left, his grandmother came back in town to help out as I started back to work full-time this week, so we got a picture of the 4 generations.

We also were able to see one of our dear friends from seminary who is now a missionary in south america! Leah and I were accountability partners for 2 years while here in school, and she left last fall to serve full-time with the IMB in Peru. She came home last week for a short vacation and we got to introduce her to Riley! What a sweet time of reunion and fellowship we had!


Riley experienced several "firsts" last week! He outgrew the bassinet he was sleeping in, so we moved him to his big boy crib. I was a bit sad, I'll admit, to realize how quickly my baby is growing!

He also slept through the night for the first time last Friday at 6 weeks and 5 days! We were SO proud of him! We put him down at 10:00 pm and he slept until 5:30 am! It's amazing to watch him grow day-by-day. He's such a sweet boy, and I love how his personality is developing as the days go by. We love our little man more than we ever dreamed possible! It's just about time to give him his bedtime bottle, so I better close for now. Let me leave you with one more "face of Riley Bramlett"...