Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'

Hot off the press...

I just captured Riley rolling over on video! He's been doing it for a couple days now, but of course, when I pulled out the camera he'd freeze up. He cooperated tonight, so without further ado, here's our almost 15-week-old!

Pumpkin Pancakes

Fall has finally arrived in south Louisiana (of course, I'm writing this on a day where it's warmed up and is unbelievably HUMID...I'm hopeful this will pass soon!), and the time has come for pumpkin decorations and yummy pumpkin recipes! The other day I found a recipe for pumpkin pancakes, and it sounded delicious! We decided Sunday night was the time to try out this new tasty treat. The tradition in the Bramlett house is Laura mixes the pancakes and Daniel makes/flips them. Sunday was no different.

The pumpkin we got on clearance at Target last year

All this recipe takes is pancake mix, water, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice...I think Daniel was a little excited about the new cooking adventure. :)

So the recipe called for 1/2 cup pumpkin...a can of pumpkin is about a cup...we decided to double the recipe and have pumpkin pancakes until Jesus comes back. :)

The first pancake on the skillet

What did Riley do while we were trying our hand at the pumpkin cakes? Played in one of his new favorite spots! He loves hitting the toys and looking at himself in the mirror!

When he got a little fussy, it was time for the bjorn! Riley is a very sociable little guy, and we've noticed that while he doesn't mind playing by himself sometimes, he really enjoys being around his mommy and daddy.

Daniel got serious about his pancake-making and pulled out both skillets...one of these days we're going to have to get a griddle.

big mouth ready for the big pancake :)

Here they are! We had some good friends over to eat, and after the four of us had our fill, we still had pancakes left over that I was able to freeze for another meal.

First trip to Wally World

This past Saturday we introduced Riley to the massive, wonderful world of Wal-Mart! He knew this was a special occasion, so he wanted to get cutified (pretty sure that's not a word) for it.

Ready to go!

He fell asleep on the way there and then slept for the first 30 minutes of the shopping experience. He woke up somewhere around the cereal aisle...so appropriate! :)

Riley's not a huge fan of his carseat, so after he woke up and realized where he was, it didn't take long for him to want OUT! Thankfully, we thought ahead and brought the baby bjorn with us...which he loves! Here we are outside Wal-Mart with a happy baby and a buggy full of groceries.

I realized Saturday night when I was thinking back on the day that you know you're the parent of a 3-month-old when a trip to Wal-Mart is the highlight of your day! :)

Lately

I'm a little behind on posting because last Friday was my last full day of work, and this week has begun the new schedule and job of being a stay-at-home-mom! I'm still working (very) part-time until they find my replacement, but most of the hours in my day are spent at home with my little man and husband (when he's not working or in class). So far, so good, but it's definitely going to be an adjustment. :) I know myself well enough to realize that I'm going to have to make goals each week or I will go crazy just sitting around feeding/changing/burping a baby. This week, my goal was to choose a different room each day and clean, clean, clean! I've met my goals each day with two more days to go! Anyway, that's random information that you probably don't care too much about. On to the pictures from the past week...

Riley's first ride in the stroller facing forward...you can tell he really enjoyed it. :)

It was 65 degrees that day...we all had to bundle up!

Ready for church...can't we leave already?!

Riley and mama on his 3-month birthday

Riley and I went on another walk a couple days later...he stayed awake this time :)


We walked all over campus...this is one of my favorite views of the chapel

Gorgeous clouds and sunset!

When we got back, it was time to take a nap. Look at what Riley decided to do instead of falling asleep...this is definitely the highest he's held his head up so far.

How old are you, again?!

More stories and updates to come...now it's time to spend quality time with my sweet husband. Have a great night!

Unworthy

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me,
bless His holy name!

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
Psalm 103:1-5

Today I am in complete awe of my Lord. You see, today is the day of 3's. What does that mean, you ask? Well, 3 years ago today, Daniel and I went on our first date. It was fall break, and I stayed in New Orleans to work. He went home for the first weekend, but then rushed back to "study," or so I thought! His real plan, which I found out later, was to spend the week pursuing me...and obviously, he did a great job! :) On October 20, 2006, we got up early and spent the morning fishing. If you know me at all, you know that I do not fish. It requires too much patience and too much SILENCE! But, when Daniel Riley Bramlett asked me to go fishing with him, I wasn't about to say no! After a fun day together, we spent the afternoon apart studying. We came back together that night to watch a movie, and when the movie was over Daniel bravely shared his feelings with me and we officially began pursuing the Lord's will for our relationship. Here's the first picture we took together...

I began this post by saying it was the day of 3's...so what's the other 3? Well, 3 months ago today this little man came into my life...

I never realized just how much my heart would SWELL with love for this little guy! I still get teary-eyed when I look at him - especially when he shows me that beautiful smile! I love everything about Riley, and I am completely amazed by the life God created inside of me.

Happy 3-month birthday, my favorite little boy!

So why did I title this post "Unworthy"? Because it is only by the GRACE of God that I have both of these men in my life! Grace means to be given something that you do not deserve. As a sinful human, I deserve death and nothing more. However, because of Jesus death on the cross and forgiveness of my sins, I am blessed with so much more than I deserve. Thank you, merciful Father, for saving me and truly giving me an abundant life! My life is Yours, and I desire nothing more than to glorify You in all I do and say.

Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name be the glory because of your love and faithfulness. Psalm 115:1

He Laughs!

Last night while I was getting Riley ready for bed, I wiped under his chin with a warm washcloth. He has several rolls under there :), so I like to be sure they're all clean before he heads to bed. I've done this before, but last night he must have realized he was ticklish because he just started laughing! It is the cutest thing!! He laughed for several minutes before we pulled the camera out, but we were able to get a little bit of it recorded. Enjoy!

Favorite Visitors

My two favorite males in the whole world came to visit me at work today!

I can't stand the cuteness!

I mean, who could resist kissing ALL OVER this face?!

Less than 2 weeks of sitting at this desk left...

"Mom, can't you come home now?!"

Start Him Early

Daniel and I are huge cereal fans...Daniel more so than me, but since I've known him, I've definitely grown to love the world of cereal. There have been many Sundays where we've come home from church and had a good bowl of cereal (or 2 or 3 in Daniel's case) for lunch. I know, that probably sounds weird, but it's us! :) Just so you get an idea of what our food cabinet looks like right now...

I know it looks like all we eat is sugary goodness, but look carefully and you'll see Kashi, Shredded Wheat, and Cascadian Farms!

So, the other night, Daniel decided to introduce Riley to the wonderful world of cereal.

I'm not sure that he's convinced yet, but we're confident that in time he'll realize what he's missing. :) For now, he likes the crinkly noise the bag makes, but he told me he's going to stick with Enfamil. I guess if I didn't have teeth I'd probably make the same choice...

Big boy!

I can't believe our sweet baby is 12 weeks old today! Where has the time gone?! As everyone keeps telling me, I'm going to blink and he'll be 12 and then 22 and then...I've gotta stop thinking about it! He is definitely beginning to develop an adorable personality. He smiles all the time now and talks, talks, talks! I'm afraid he's gotten the talking abilities from BOTH his momma and daddy! :) Here's the latest video (especially for you, YaYa and Uncle Scott)...

Not only is he talking and smiling, but he's also sleeping very well through the night! He has been for about 2 weeks now! Our night-time routine is to feed him around 7:00 and then put him to bed. He will sleep until 11:00 when I get him up for a "dream feed." It's called a dream feed because he never really wakes up, or if he does it's just for a second and then he falls right back to sleep while eating. After he eats about 2-3 ounces, I put him back to bed and he'll sleep until about 6:00 am! This past week was our first week without GG :( so Daniel and I were on our own with the late night and early morning feedings. We've established a great routine, though. I would much rather feed him at 11 than have to drag my tired body out of bed at 5 or 6 in the morning. Daniel would rather feed him early in the morning. So, I take the late feeding and he does the early...works perfectly! Let me just say to the blogging world that I am SO thankful for my wonderful husband! He is such an active father...he wants to be involved in every aspect of Riley's life, and for that, I am so grateful! Last night I caught my two boys spending some quality time together...

So sweet! Riley definitely has a special bond with his daddy. I LOVE seeing them together!

It's hard to believe that 2 weeks from today I'll be a stay-at-home-mom! My last full day is October 23. I told my boss that I would continue working part-time until they filled my position, but he's beginning to interview people this week, so it may be filled before my last day. I know it's going to be an adjustment being home all day, but I am very excited about getting to watch my boy grow day by day. Thank you, again, for praying for the Lord's provision in this area...He is SO faithful!

This past Saturday my friend, and former co-worker, Diana, came over to take professional pictures of Riley. She took our maternity pictures back in June, and if you missed seeing those, look here. Her photography business has really taken off this past year. You most definitely need to check out her work at dianabondurant.com. She is so talented with photography, but also very personable and relaxed. I can't wait to see the images she was able to capture on Saturday! Don't worry, as soon as I get them from her I will be quick to post them on here! Keep checking back for lots of pics of an adorable little boy named Riley!

Let me leave you with 3 more pictures...self-titled, "closed mouth," "small smile," and "mouth wide open"! I can't get enough of this boy! :)

11 Weeks

How Riley feels about the last 11 weeks in the world...

It's a bit overwhelming, isn't it, buddy?!

Where is Fall?

Oh, that's right...I live in the swamp! We had such nice weather last week that I almost forgot where I lived. Why was I shocked this morning when I walked outside and felt as though I was walking into a hot steamy shower? I'm pretty convinced there is no such thing as 'fall' in South Louisiana. But, we'll keep on pretending with our football games, pumpkins, fall colors, and warm bowls of chili...no bitterness here...NONE! :)

This past Saturday we decided to load up and head west to show Daniel's grandmother some of the beautiful plantation homes on the Mighty Mississippi. This was Riley's first out-of-town trip in the car, and he didn't seem to be much of a fan. We're definitely going to have to work on that over the next couple of months, because we're headed to Tennessee and Arkansas for Christmas. If he doesn't like his car seat by then, it's going to make for a VERY LONG trip for mommy and daddy! :)

Getting ready to head out the door...except the hat wasn't allowed to go with us (per daddy's orders)

Daddy's quote: "my son is not wearing a bonnet!" I tried to explain this wasn't a bonnet, but realized after 2 minutes of arguing that this was just not a battle I was willing to fight that day!

So the hat stayed home, but the cow came with us! Riley is having a staring contest with Mr. Cow

Riley and his resident entertainer :) Needless to say, I was pretty tired by the end of the trip!

I am very thankful we forked out the money for this mirror! He loves looking at himself, and it even plays music if we want it to (thankfully, we have the choice as to how loud and how long the music plays...it's a bit obnoxious at times!)

We stopped at St. Joseph Plantation at 4:15...the last tour started at 4:00. :) We still had a nice time walking around the outside of the large home. This is a small schoolhouse on the property.

Daniel said this was where they boiled the sugar cane...sounds good to me!

How hilarious is this?! My big-eyed boys!

Riley's starting to fade...

Definitely had to get a feeding in before heading home

The results of a full belly and long afternoon