Five Months

It is so fun to see Riley grow! I feel like we come to know more of her personality every day!

Matching! Black Stretchy Pants Day

Ever since she was a few days old, this girl has been ready to sit up! Before she could hold up her head she would tighten her little ab muscles and grunt, trying to get in the upright position. But now that she is an unsupported sitter, she has decided it isn't all it is cracked up to be. So whenever she is sitting up these days, she'll slowly begin to droop to either side or backwards, feeling if there is something to lean on.

If there is something there that is even halfway solid, she immediately commits and goes limp into that position.

Whether it is comfortable...

or not...

is of no concern.

She is a total lounger :)

We'll have to have a talk about posture one of these days before scoliosis sets in. But until then...

We stopped on our road trip for some Taco Bell so this disgruntled girl could get out and stretch. We sat her up on this little wall, but she immediately started feeling around. When she realized my leg was behind her, she completely relaxed into this position and let us feed her. Ok then...

We have had the opportunity to go on walks regularly (California weather is spoiling me!). Riley has begun to enjoy them (as long as they aren't too long). After awhile she always seems to get into this position:
Left foot in her mouth
Right foot hanging over the side

This girl still loves food. She has tried everything we put in front of her.
Favorites: Mangos and bananas with rice cereal
Least favorite: apples and peaches

Although she has some foods that she obviously likes more than others, she will keep eating whatever it is we give her, and she hasn't intentionally spit out food out of distaste. She has gotten really good at eating baby food, and other adult tastes of food she enjoys 'chomping' on-she really gets her jaw into it!

She has a thing about water bottles. She can spot them across the room (funny, because sometimes she doesn't pay attention to us when we are super close to her, as if she can't see us. Hmm....) and as soon as she sees it, she WANTS SOME! She's even gotten pretty skilled at drinking out of a cup rather than a bottle! Water is her favorite, and if she could have someone dribble water into her mouth from a water bottle all day and fan her with palm fronds, I am sure she wouldn't object.

She has been expanding her noise inventory lately. She has scared herself by squealing with delight for bathtime. She does another noise that is hard to explain and duplicate, but I recorded it on my phone and when I play it back for her, she mimics it :)

My favorite is what we are calling the Black Lung Cough (inspired from Zoolander), where she has this very non-convincing cough that I think is more for getting our attention than anything else.

Despite daily reading session, Riley is still not an avid reader. She can barely sit still long enough to get halfway through a board book. If she can't put it in her mouth, she has no interest in looking at something for any length of time, thank you very much! But she has been more patient about looking at it if she is allowed to turn the pages. This makes for a new adventurous, albeit disjointed, story every single time :)

Family Scripture Study

This girl also has a keen curiosity coupled with about zero focus ability. The result is euphoric fascination in a new toy that lasts approximately 2.5 seconds before it is considered boring and tossed to the side. There is always a pile of discarded toys in her wake.

She still loves looking at The Baby in the Mirror

She still loves staring at her uncle Ben

We take daily walks to the nearby park and play in the grass and the sand. I love her little explorative foot :)

We just love this girl!