Borgbina News

Riley's First Artwork

2011-10-19T12:03:00.000-07:00

This video was taken over a month ago, but thought I'd post it as my first video test. I've never uploaded videos to my blog, so we'll see how this goes.

Riley loves her new easel! She also loves to say & spell her name, and also sing the ABC's. It's so cute to hear her sing! You can't quite make out all the words but she has the tune down for a few songs.

Strawberry Picking

2011-07-22T13:18:00.001-07:00

Riley and I went strawberry picking for the first time at Bellingham Country Gardens. I can't believe I had never been. The strawberries were amazing and so sweet. Riley was obsessed with eating them. I finally had to keep the basket away from her and run to the car to grab some snacks for her.

We met up with my friend Molly and her daughter Charlotte, who is 1 week older than Riley. They had fun walking around, eating strawberries, and even shared a few together.

I think this will be a yearly tradition, but next time I'm wearing long sleeves. I broke out with a rash on my arms afterwards. Turns out I'm allergic to the strawberry plants, but luckily not strawberries.

At the end of the day I made an amazing strawberry rhubarb crisp. Yummmmmmy!!!!

Trip to Port Townsend

2011-07-22T12:56:00.000-07:00

I'm a little behind on updating this blog. Sorry! At the end of June, we took a week vacation to Port Townsend with my family. Brian was able to stay the weekend and then Riley and I stayed the rest of the week, while Brian worked. We had such a great time!

Although the weather was rainy and cold most of the week, we took advantage of the better weather with trips to the beach, went swimming once, walked around town, went to the Marine Science center, out for lunch, played at the park, and the best part...Riley got to spend lots of time with Grandma and Grandpa. Oh and the best part for me was sleeping in while my parents watched Riley in the mornings.

One fun fact: on the ferry ride home, Riley and I were the first passengers on the new Salish ferry.

Fun at the Marine Science Center. Riley loved running around looking at the fish and touching starfish in the touch tanks.

Lots of reading with Grandpa and Grandma...

Oahu Trip -- May 2011

2011-05-27T08:24:00.000-07:00

We took our first family vacation to Oahu for a week in May. We had a great time! Most of our days were spent watching the sunrise in the mornings while Riley took her first nap (since Riley woke up at 3-3:30am every morning), a morning sightseeing outing, an afternoon nap for all of us or Riley would nap in the car, relaxing on the beach in the afternoon, then watching the sun set on our lanai after Riley went to bed.

Riley loved playing in the sand on the beach and wading in the water. She didn't swim in the ocean though since the waves were a bit strong for our comfort level and she didn't have a life vest. She had a very hard time with the time change. No matter how late we put her to bed, she still woke every morning at 3-3:30am. She napped well for the first part of the trip, but by the end of the trip she didn't nap easily which led to a cranky baby.

For this trip, we decided to go with the flow and spend more time at the beach than doing sightseeing. We stayed on the Northshore and took outings to:

The Dole Plantation, where we went on a train ride. Thought Riley would like the train, but didn't seem that interested and instead wanted to move around rather than sit on the train. It was an interesting ride!

Waikiki where we took a quick walk down the strip to see the beach, then ate lunch outside at Duke's restaurant. On the car ride home, we drove around the southern part of the island while Riley napped in the car.

Valley of the Temples, which was this amazing Japanese temple. We ate lunch at a beach park, then drove along the east coast of the island while Riley napped in the car.

Drove along the northshore and stopped for a quick swim at Turtle Bay Resort.

Pearl Harbor. We just walked around the visitors center and did a quick walk through the museum. Since Riley is walking now, she will only sit in the stroller for short periods of time, so we didn't take any of the tours to the Pearl Harbor sites. Afterwards we went to the swap meet that was huge! It wrapped around their stadium and was filled with vendors selling Hawaiian souvenirs. We picked a cute dress for Riley (the red and white dress below).

Valley of the Temples...

Napping in the car...

Getting tired of me taking pictures of her...

Waikiki...

Playing at the beach...

Looking at a little gecko...

The beach outside our condo...

Our condo was right on the beach so we watched amazing sunsets from our lanai...

Spring Fun

2011-05-06T12:21:00.001-07:00

Riley had a busy spring! Here are a few highlights:

Walking!!! She started taking her first steps awhile back but officially started walking on Easter. Since she's been walking everywhere.

Went to the Seattle Aquarium...

Learned how to sit in her rocking chair, which is her new favorite thing to do...

Went to the Woodland Park Zoo...

Her first pigtails...

Went to the tulip fields...

Easter

2011-05-06T11:55:00.000-07:00

We had a great Easter weekend. Riley went to her first Easter Egg hunt on Sat. We showed up about 5 min. late and ended up missing the hunt. So sad! At least she was able to walk around and see the other kids. On Sunday we hid plastic eggs in our house. She loved finding the eggs and eating the treats inside. To finish off the weekend we had a wonderful Easter dinner with family.

Birthday Fun

2011-03-16T12:52:00.000-07:00

February Fun

2011-03-03T12:28:00.000-08:00

Riley and Davis are best buddies. When we're playing, Davis always has to be in on the action, often laying right next to Riley when she's playing. Although sweet, this can be challenging since she's still learning how to be gentle with him and Davis is always wanting to give her kisses in the face. Gross to me!...but she loves his kisses.

Testing out the hat that Grandmama knitted...

She loves sitting in her new outdoor chair for the summer...

Crazy hair after bathtime...

I finally finished decorating her room. I hung up the brown shelf from Grandma and hung up the letters on her wall. Took almost a year, but better late than never!

Fun in her crib while I hung up the shelf and letters...

11 Months

2011-02-15T14:30:00.001-08:00

This month has been by far the most eventful so far. We started off getting over a terrible stomach flu (all of us had it) and ended with a cold that won't seem to go away. This is on top of the numerous doctor appointments only to find out Riley has a milk allergy. Considering these challenging circumstances, she has really developmentally grown this month, learning lots of new things. Here are some of the highlights:

She learned to sign that she wants more, wave hello and goodbye, blow kisses, and make other funny noises with her mouth.
She is cruising around a lot more but still working on walking independently. I think she still has a little ways to go.
Books are her favorite thing right now. She loves turning the pages. She also loves any musical toys to shake or bang.
She is obsessed with dogs and cats. Our dog, Davis, loves her and is always trying to either lick her face or play with her toys. When she's playing with toys on the ground he'll lay next to her and nudge some of the toys that she has. I've even heard Davis playing with some of her toys when she's not around. Luckily he's not eating them, just nudges toys that make noise. His latest favorite is to play her piano with his nose.
The animals are driving me crazy though. Although it's very sweet that Riley and Davis love each other, she's still learning to be gentle with him and he's still learning to be gentle with her (still has a lot of puppy in him). The cat has also decided to go into Riley's room during naps and meow at her, which of course wakes her up. Ugh!
She's growing fast still (now 20lbs. 13oz), but no new teeth this month.
Milk Allergy! After a couple failed attempts to get her blood drawn, they finally ended up doing a skin allergy test. I feel terrible that we didn't get her tested sooner because looking back, I now realize some of her challenges (sleep, tummy, acid reflux, etc.) were all caused by this milk allergy which could have been fixed a long time ago. Riley can't have any milk products including cheese, yogurt, any baked goods with milk in it, etc. It's a real challenge finding things she can eat while making sure she's getting the proper nutrients. We have a call into see a dietitian. She should be drinking soy milk now, but doesn't seem to like the taste so that's our biggest challenge right now. This also means that I can't eat any milk products until she's done nursing, which I hope will be any day now...until she drinks soy milk. Missing my chocolate!
The good news with this milk allergy fix....she's finally sleeping through the night!!!!!!!!!! There have been a few challenging nights when she was sick but ever since I stopped eating milk products, she has been sleeping better.

Baby Fun

2011-02-01T09:09:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures from the last month...

First art project... I read that you can let your baby experiment with art by using baby food on the high chair tray. Although it was a messy first art experience, she loved it!

Birthday Tutu

2011-02-01T08:51:00.000-08:00

I finished making Riley's birthday tutu!! I found no sew tutu instructions online and also found a couple videos that were helpful. It was super easy and took only an hour and a half to make. If I make another one, it will probably take an hour max now that I know how to make them.

I've seen them in stores and online ranging from $25-$30, but I made mine for only $13. It would have only cost around $8 if I didn't use a fancier pink fabric with sparkles. I made my tutu a little different than the instructions since I had the fancier fabric. I used one piece of hot pink sparkle fabric with one piece of hot pink tulle fabric on top for each knot. Then I used one piece of light pink tulle every couple knots. Here's the finished product:

It's a little long for Riley right now, so I'll wait until it gets closer to her birthday before I trim it to fit. Stay tuned for other birthday crafts that I'm working on...

More Birthday Madness

2011-01-15T12:55:00.001-08:00

I just found these amazing creations called Cake Pops by Bakerella. I can't wait to make them for Riley's birthday party. Not sure if I'll stick with simple round cake pops with sprinkles or if I'll try to make those cute owls. She has an excellent blog with recipes and instructions, but also just came out with a book. Can't wait to buy the book!

Birthday Party Planning

2011-01-13T20:29:00.000-08:00

I just started planning Riley's 1st birthday party. I absolutely love planning things like this, so it's been a lot of fun coming up with creative ideas, while sticking to a tight budget.

The theme: Chocolate brown and pink polka dots

I ordered the plates and napkins from Birthday Direct. Once they arrive, I'll be able to plan more based on the pink colors.

My friend Jenn had a candy bar at her son's 1st birthday, which was a great idea. With chocolate brown as one of the party colors, I figured we could have a chocolate candy bar at the party. A variety of chocolate candy will be available along with party bags to take home some of the goodies. Some of the candies on the list: whoppers, chocolate covered raisins, candy bars, brownies, chocolate chip cookies, and chocolate fondue.

Next item on the agenda is to find a party outfit for Riley. I'd like to find a cute pink tutu for her to wear. I'm also planning to make her a fancy party hat similar to the one below.

To cut down on decoration costs, I found a great craft project...tissue paper poms...on Martha Stewart's website. I figure I'll create a few of these to hang over the food/candy table.

There is an excellent website, Polka Dot Market, who specializes in polka dot themed parties. I've got a lot of ideas from them. Instead of birthday cake, I'm planning to make some cupcakes that will be displayed on a cupcake tree. I haven't make fancy cupcakes before, so I'm hoping they turn out ok. I'm also planning to make a cute birthday sign from scrapbook paper (like the one below) and decorated with photos of Riley.

So excited and can't wait for her party!!

10 months

2011-01-13T20:06:00.001-08:00

Riley is crawling all over the place and standing up and cruising our furniture. Still has some practice before walking. One of her favorite things to do now is stand at the front window, looking at the cars and watching the birds.
She loves to clap her hands when she's happy or likes a song that I sing or that she hears. Very cute! She sometimes bobs her head side to side when she hears music. She loves to point at everything while making a C sound, almost like she's saying "what's that?" I explain what everything is that she points to and once satisfied, she points to something else. When I was a baby, I used to do the same thing. My first word/s (combo of words) was "whasat"...aka what's that.
She is excellent at sharing toys and food with others, especially the dog. He sits below her highchair, cleaning up anything she drops, which is A LOT.
She doesn't like baby food as much and now wants to eat what I'm having. I try to give her what I'm having but we've had some issues with a possible dairy allergy. It's been a challenge because most of the foods that are easy for her to eat are dairy. She's going to the allergist in a couple weeks to see if she really has the allergy. Hoping she doesn't! She seems to eat everything I've given her but doesn't like bananas or avocados.
She now has 8 teeth! 3 came in this month all at the same time.
Still not a great sleeper. Waking on average 4-5 times a night and if we're lucky only 2 times. Still having trouble sleeping longer than 30-45 min. for naps as well, which leads to a tired baby by the end of the day. You would think that after a long day with little naps she would be so exhausted and sleep better at night, but no such luck. She's also a VERY light sleeper, waking at the smallest creak in the floor. We've now learned where to walk in her room and the hall so it doesn't make any noise.
On the flip side, not a great sleeper but such a happy and excellent baby. We are so lucky! She's always smiling, talking and sometimes I think she even sings.
My favorite part of this age...she is SUPER cuddly. She is always coming over to give me hugs and kisses and loves to cuddle. Every time she puts her head on my shoulder, my heart melts.

Christmas Fun

2010-12-30T07:49:00.000-08:00

We had a great 1st Christmas with Riley! Her favorite part was hitting the boxes and playing with the bows. Christmas afternoon with Brian's family...

Christmas morning at my parent's house...

Christmas Eve with Great-Grandma...

Brian and I celebrated our own Christmas the weekend before with just the 3 of us...

1st Santa Photo

2010-12-21T18:16:00.001-08:00

9 months

2010-12-16T08:02:00.000-08:00

Making a mess while eating couscous...

9 month highlights:

She now weighs 20lbs. 8.5oz and is 75% for both weight and height. Since she started to crawl she's thinned out a bit but still in 12-18 month clothes.

She has 5 teeth now (2 on the bottom and 3 on the top), her hair is growing in now a dark brown, still has blue eyes

She's crawling and pulling herself up on tables and couches, but I think still has some time before she starts walking. The house is getting baby proofed, but we still have some things to do. She's pretty good about not getting into things, but I know it's only a matter of time.

Her favorite things: she loves to dance, pet the dog and cat, feed the dog from her highchair, loves her Elmo puppet book and cuddling with her big stuffed bear

She's now giving hugs. It melts my heart everytime she puts her head on my shoulder to snuggle and give me a hug. Sometime she'll stop playing with a toy to come over for a hug and then she goes back to playing. So sweet!

She loves other babies but has been tackling them lately. When she sees another baby she always wants to touch them or hold their hands, but also snuggles into them or some might say she's tackling them. Not sure if she's trying to give them a hug and a kiss or if this is the beginning stages of trying to bite. I hope she won't start bitting!!!

She's saying Mama and Dada, but still not sure if it's just words or she means them. Sometimes when she sees Brian she'll say Dada. When I say Daddy, Kitty or Puppy she starts looking around for them. We're still working on some Spanish words but I need to brush up on my Spanish. We're also working on sigh language, but so far she hasn't picked up on it.

Ready for Christmas

2010-12-08T08:52:00.001-08:00

We are excited and ready for Christmas! The day after Thanksgiving was busy with decorating the house and doing a little Black Friday shopping. That same weekend we went to Stoney Ridge Farm, outside of Bellingham, to cut down our Christmas tree. Normally we go to Whidbey Island to cut down a tree with Brian's family, but this year they came out here. I feel like we cheated though. We looked for a tree but there weren't many good ones and it was just too cold and muddy, so we ended up getting a pre-cut tree from them. I have to say it's the best tree yet and smells so good!

Christmas is my favorite time of year! I'm so excited to share some of my favorite holiday festivities with Riley and also create some of our own family traditions. Here are some of my favorite family traditions:

Making Christmas cookies
Decorating the house--both inside and out-- and the Christmas tree
Cutting down a Christmas tree and drinking hot apple cider afterwards
Listening to and singing Christmas music
Opening one gift on Christmas Eve and then my Grandma always gave us PJs to wear that night
Waking up really early on Christmas morning to open presents
Eating my Mom's famous egg brunch for breakfast
Having lots of fun stocking stuffer goodies
Making hot chocolate, then driving around to look at Christmas lights
Reading Twas the Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve night
Playing games with family on Christmas Eve night
Having my own small tree to decorate as a kid
And most importantly, spending time with family

Riley's first Christmas books...

Riley's first Christmas ornaments...

Getting our Christmas tree with Brian's parents...

Baby It's Cold Outside...

2010-11-23T07:56:00.001-08:00

We got a couple inches of snow over the weekend, so of course I had to take some photos out in the snow. We were outside for 5 min. max because it was so cold out. Riley wasn't a big fan of the snow. When she put her hands in it, she started to cry...too cold for her! Here are some of the snow photos:

8 months

2010-11-11T09:39:00.000-08:00

Riley is 8 months today. Brian had the day off so we went out to breakfast this morning. She had a blast sitting in the highchair, while talking, screaming and banging on the table. Everyone was laughing. She is so talkative in the mornings...and lately waking up bright and early at 5:45 (hasn't adjusted to the time change yet but getting there.)

Here are the latest highlights:

She weighs about 20lbs and is now in 12 months clothes but she has to wear 18 months in jeans because here thighs are too chubby to fit into 12m.
She now has 4 teeth, 2 on top and two on bottom
She loves to scream and make noise by banging on tables, highchairs, shaking her rattle, or banging on her xylophone and drum.
She is now eating more solid food (not sure it would qualify as finger foods?) She's eating puffs and mum mums which are rice puffs that dissolve easily. She loves to feed her self and seems to favor her right hand at the moment.
She is SO close to crawling. She crawls a few steps then falls on her tummy. Her new favorite thing is to go from her tummy to a sitting position in her crib and play in her crib rather than nap.
It sounds like she might be singing...or at least trying to. When music is on or when I sing, she will sometimes sing along.
She loves touch and feel books. Her favorite book right now is the Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Our living room transforms into the winter wonderland photo shoot.

Family Photos

2010-11-08T08:23:00.000-08:00

We took some family photos this weekend with our friends. I took their family photos and then they took ours. Riley was tired, so she wasn't super smiley for the pics. Still fun though!

Halloween

2010-11-01T09:02:00.001-07:00

Here's our little Ladybug! She went downtown on Saturday with Brian and all the other trick-or-treaters. I unfortunately missed it because I was very sick with Mastitis...not fun! So our actual Halloween was very quiet. Brian handed out candy while I curled up on the couch. Looking forward to the festivities with her next Halloween.

Go Huskies!!

2010-10-23T12:14:00.000-07:00

Ready for Halloween

2010-10-23T12:04:00.001-07:00

We took a trip down to Woodinville to visit Grandma and Grandpa, and Great-Grandma to show off her ladybug Halloween costume.

Riley with Grandma...
Riley with Great-Grandma...

My friend, Jenn, got her these cute kitty ears that are hair clips. She barely had enough hair for them, but they worked. So cute!

Grandma couldn't resist getting her Halloween jammies and a bib that says Grandma's Little Boo. She loves wearing the fleece jammies to bed...so snugly.

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-14T12:16:00.001-07:00

We went to the pumpkin patch (Boxx Berry Farm in Ferndale) last weekend with a bunch of friends who have babies around the same age. It was so much fun! All the babies together. The photo opp. lasted for only a few minutes because a chain reaction of crying started. One started crying and then the other and then the other, but Riley didn't cry. She was a happy camper.

Riley and her friend Charlotte. She loves to hold other babies hands. It's so cute when she reaches out to hold hands!

Sitting in the train cars. She was too small to ride this year but maybe in a couple years.

7 months

2010-10-14T11:57:00.001-07:00

On October 11th, Riley turned 7 months. She is such a happy baby! I'm having so much fun with her and watching her develop and grow each day. Here are the latest highlights:

Not sure what she weighs but she has now almost grown out of her 9 month clothes. She's in 12 month clothes but her little chubby legs are so big that she has to wear 18 months pants and even then sometimes they don't fit.
She now eats 3 solid meals a day and her favorite foods are apples and squash, and she hates bannannas
She sleeps with her cute little butt up in the air
She is still rolling all over the place, sitting up and trying to crawl
She loves to turn the pages when we read
She understands her name and the words daddy, kitty and puppy...and I'm sure others. When I say kitty or puppy she stops and looks around for them
She laughs at our dog, Davis, when he runs around the yard with his squeaky ball
She is sleeping much better (THANK YOU!!) but still wakes 2-3 times a night and has some short naps. Not complaining though because it's a lot better than 5-6 times a night like before.
We're now trying to go to storytime at the library once a week but it falls between her naps so sometimes we miss it. Such a fun time! We sing, dance and listen to stories. Hoping to create a music class with some other Moms too.
We are working on Spanish and French, which means I'm brushing up on the languages too. I try to say most words in English and Spanish, and sometimes French if I can remember it. We're reading some French children's books (Petit Lapin Blanc series), but I have no idea if I'm pronouncing the words correctly. Oh well!

6 month Photos

2010-10-04T09:30:00.001-07:00

6 months

2010-09-23T09:07:00.000-07:00

Riley is now 6 months and is still growing like crazy. So far, the biggest changes have happened between 5 and 6 months. Here are some highlights:

She weighs 17 lbs. 8 oz. and is 26 1/4 ", which are both in the 75%.
She's now wearing 9-12 month clothes. It gets difficult sometimes to squeeze her chubby legs into pants.
She has lost a lot of hair and now sports a mohawk comb-over & mullet. It seems like it may come in dark still, but in a certain light it has a lighter/auburn tint again.
She still has beautiful blue eyes and two teeth. She keeps acting like she's teething but no more teeth yet.
She is super smiley and talkative. It seems like her stranger anxiety is going away...at least for now.
Her mode of transportation is rolling around. She can roll across our living room in just a few seconds. This makes it difficult in her crib though because she bumps her head a lot on the crib slats.
She is sitting up now without assistance, but I still stay close by because she'll tip over sometimes.
She seems like she's trying to crawl.
Her favorite foods right now are oatmeal and squash.
She LOVES her exersaucer, and also likes to read, play with her toys, and loves when I sing. You are my Sunshine and The Wheels on the Bus are her favorite songs still. She's also playing my new keyboard that I got for my birthday.
The biggest change!!! She's finally taking naps in her crib and sleeping more through the night. We still have issues with her One Cycle Sleep Syndrome which makes her wake up around the 30 min. mark. Sometimes I can get her back to sleep, but not always. She's only waking up 2-3 times a night now (as compared to the 5-6 times a night last month). I feel like a new person now that I'm getting more sleep!!

1st Mariners Game

2010-09-03T09:32:00.001-07:00

We were in Grapeview, Wa for our friend's wedding last weekend, from Thur. to Sun. On Friday, we took the Bremerton ferry over to Seattle for a Mariners game with the wedding party. We had a blast and Riley was great!

The ferry ride was beautiful! Once we got to the game around 7:15 or so, it was time for her to eat and go to bed. The stadium had a nice Mother's Lounge to nurse in with a TV to watch the game and nice leather chairs. Normally she would be ready to sleep after, but of course she was wide awake with all the new sights and sounds. She finally fell asleep in Brian's arms, I'm guessing around 8:45 or 9pm.
Her first time standing outside on a ferry.

Bundled up at the game.

Bikini Babe

2010-08-21T10:15:00.000-07:00

Her new favorite thing is grabbing her feet and playing with her toes.

4 Generations

2010-08-21T10:11:00.001-07:00

5 month Photos

2010-08-21T10:02:00.000-07:00

My friend had this cute little wagon, so we took it to Whatcom Falls Park for a baby photo shoot. They were excellent. It's so fun to see Riley smiling so much. Finally I'm able to take photos of her smiling without her being obsessed with staring at the camera. I think she's getting used to me taking so many photos of her.

Riley (5 months) & Riley's buddy and future boyfriend, Quinn (8 months)

5 months

2010-08-13T09:03:00.001-07:00

On August 11th Riley turned 5 months. Time flies!! This is such a fun age because she's a lot more talkative, smiley and interactive. Our days are filled with reading, singing, playing on her tummy, with toys and in the exersaucer, walking, and running errands. Here are a few highlights...

Weighs over 16lbs. and is in 9 month clothes
Has 2 teeth with a third on the way, which means she drools A LOT!
Still has blue eyes and two dimples, but has lost some of the red in her hair and it's now dark brown
Has chubby baby legs with dimples for knees
Loves to play in her exersaucer, read, sing, watch our dog run around the yard and play with her feet
Rolls from her back to tummy both directions but can't figure out how to get back which makes her VERY upset
Is eating solids- rice cereal
Still isn't sleeping well and has actually regressed at night, waking 5-6 times, so still no sleep for us

4th of July Style

2010-08-01T20:21:00.001-07:00

This post is a little late, but better late than never. Here's her 4th of July outfit. Unfortunately it was too cold to wear just this outfit so we had to throw on pants and a sweater. We went to a 4th party, where she met up with her other baby friends. Still to young to even notice each other but it was fun for the parents. Life has changed! I think our 4th ended around 8 and in bed by 9pm. More excitement next year when Riley...hopefully...sleeps better and we get more sleep and energy!

Bathing Beauty

2010-08-01T20:01:00.001-07:00

Riley had her first swimming experience! The pool was a warm 85 degrees so no problems with the water being too cold. She seemed indifferent to swimming...didn't love it but didn't hate it. She played with water against her hands and seemed really comfortable. Looking forward to swimming again so she can wear her new polka dot bikini.

Baby Friends

2010-07-30T20:13:00.001-07:00

I'm so lucky to have so many friends with new babies! Here are just a few of Riley's new friends:

Quinn (5 months) and Riley (2 months)

Clyde (1 week old) and Riley (3 months)

Charlotte (2.5 months...1 week older than Riley) and Riley ( 2.5 months)

Lauryn (1 year) and Riley (3 months)

Taya (6 weeks) and Riley (4 months)...Wow! Taya is almost as big as Riley!

Baby Fashion--Round 2

2010-07-21T21:09:00.001-07:00

Camping Adventure

2010-07-21T20:36:00.000-07:00

We took our first camping trip with Riley. We weren't sure how it would go so we stayed close to home, Birch Bay State Park. She did great! We went with another couple who had a baby 1 week older than Riley so it was nice to have someone who understands the baby stuff.

We spent the night in our new 6 man tent which we loved. Needed more room for our growing family. We hung out around the campsite, got one short card game in, lounged at the beach under this great umbrella from Home Depot (thanks to my parents!) and experienced my first smoregasm (smores but instead of a chocolate bar we substitued it with a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup- Sooooo good)

Riley bundled for bed. I wasn't quite sure where she was going to sleep so she stayed warm. Luckily we had a mini sleeping bag (well it's actually meant for the carseat in the winter to keep babies warm but worked perfect as a sleeping bag) that we used while she slept in her bouncy seat. She was dressed in a few layers and kept nice and toasty through the night...

Davis loved the beach...

Lounging on the beach...

3 Month Photos- Round 1

2010-06-21T16:12:00.000-07:00

Can't believe Riley is already 3 months! Actually she's 14 weeks so a little more than 3 months. She is growing like crazy, weighing 13 lbs. 12oz. at her 3 month weigh in. She's now in 6 month clothes and can fit into some 9 month clothes.

Riley is talking a lot more, making all sorts of baby noises. When I sing to her at night before bed, she coos along with me. She loves music (especially the guitar) and loves to bat at things hanging in front of her. Most of all she loooooves her Daddy. She could be fussing and crying, but when Brian picks her up, she's totally content.

Here are her 3 month photos...Round 1. This was a challenging photo shoot because she has a very short attention span so I had to work quick. Brian helped grab her attention while I shot the photos. Still trying to get a good smile photo. The minute she sees the camera she stops smiling and stares at it. I'll try more photos again soon.

First Smiles

2010-05-23T12:53:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to capture Riley's smile for the last few weeks, but everytime I bring the camera out, she's mesmerized by it and stops smiling. Maybe she'll grow up to be a photographer like Mommy! She loves to smile and coo lately which is so much fun. You can't see her dimples very well in this picture, but she has two of them...one on each side.

Note: See her auburn hair coming in on the sides. I hear babies lose their hair but so far she hasn't lost any. Instead, she's actually growing hair which is coming in an auburn color. Exciting to see what color hair and eyes she will have. So far her eyes are turning more blue.

Baby Fashion

2010-05-23T12:42:00.001-07:00

Baby girl clothes are so much fun! Here's a few of her latest outfits.

First Mother's Day

2010-05-10T13:08:00.000-07:00

I had my first Mother's Day which was wonderful! The day before I went to the spa for a massage with my Mom. On Mother's Day, we drove down to have lunch at the Olive Garden to meet Grandma, Grandpa and Great-Grandma.

2 months

2010-05-10T12:51:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Riley is 2 months now! Time flies! Here's a few updates on her:

Her hair is starting to get some red/auburn in it, but it's still brown.

She is smiling and cooing a lot now and loves to have cooing conversations.

She no longer likes to be held like a baby in the cradle position and now would rather be carried upright so she can look at everything.

She still doesn't like car rides, but will usually fall asleep if we get on the freeway for long stretches. Hoping she grows out of this!

She is growing like crazy and is almost out of 3 month clothing.

She is starting to sleep through the night a little more...usually 4-5 hours.

First Photo Shoot- 2 weeks

2010-04-16T09:17:00.001-07:00

Riley had her first photo shoot at 2 weeks. She was wide awake for the first photo shoot and didn't want to cooperate, so she had a second shoot a few days later. Luckily she cooperated for the second shoot.

The photos were taken by Jessica with Epic Life Photography (www.epiclifephotography.com). She is an AMAZING photographer and did such a wonderful job with Riley. She brought props and her traveling studio to our house for the shoot, which was nice to stay in the comforts of our own home. I highly recommend her!

4 weeks

2010-04-10T12:56:00.001-07:00

Wow! I can't believe that Riley is 4 weeks already. Time flies!! She is doing very well and is such a sweet baby.

Our days mainly consist of her eating and sleeping, with short amounts of tummy time, reading, walking around and talking to her, bouncing on the big exercise ball (which is her favorite thing to do), dancing around while we listen to a mixture of 90's hits, today's hits, country and rap music while I sing along (Comcast cable is great for this!), babyrobics where I use the step in our living room for low impact step aerobics while she bounces around with me and falls asleep.

Riley Fun Facts:

1. She now weighs 9 lbs. 3.5 oz

2. She is just starting to coo

3. She sleeps through our dog barking or whining (which is great! she must have gotten used to the sound in my belly)

4. She wakes up every 2 hours to eat both day and night...3 hours if we're lucky

5. She grew out of her first newborn outfit

Riley's First Easter

2010-04-10T12:50:00.000-07:00

Visiting with Great Grandma Gwen.

Family on Easter Day

Here's a photo of the Easter basket that I made for Riley. I took a basket that I already had, and then wrapped ribbon and a bow around the handle. Then I took some extra fabric from the quilt I made for her and used it as the lining of the basket.

Riley had a great first Easter...mainly slept through it all. We took our first short road trip down to the Seattle area to visit family.

Baby Bunny

2010-04-01T18:26:00.000-07:00

Grandmama (AKA Grandma Sue) knitted Riley the CUTEST bunny hat! So I did a little photo shoot with Riley in her new Easter bunny hat. Isn't she so cute!

First Baby Photos

2010-03-17T20:10:00.000-07:00

Riley's First Bath...she had so much hair, we could make a baby mohawk.

Nap Time...

Her First Car Ride Home...

Riley Lynn Borghorst Arrived!

2010-03-17T19:52:00.000-07:00

Riley Lynn Borghorst arrived on Thursday, March 11th at 10:06 pm, weighing 7 lbs. 5 oz. She was 2 weeks early and a very healthy baby. The doctors ended up hospitalizing me on Wed. morning due to complications with my pre-eclampsia, and felt it was best for both baby and I, if Riley arrived earlier than expected.

Riley Fun Facts:
1) She was born with a full head of dark brown hair that was longer than her Daddy's.
2) She has two dimples.
3) She was born to the greatest hits of Huey Lewis and the News.
4) She has deep blue eyes, but that could change in time.
5) She is tanner than both Mom and Dad...comes from Brian's side of the family.

Nursery is Ready!

2010-02-18T11:05:00.000-08:00

I've been a busy bee in the last few days, getting the nursery ready for our new baby girl. We have almost everything ready for her except for the letters on the wall. We're going to have her name on the wall above the changing table, but her name is TBD.

Our favorite names right now are Riley and Madison, with my middle name Lynn. This could change again, so we've decided to finalize the name when she's born. Will keep you posted :)

Here are some photos of the nursery.

Feeling Crafty

2009-12-17T21:36:00.000-08:00

I needed some cute wall art, but didn't want to spend a lot of money. I ended up seeing some cute wall art in the Restoration Hardware Kids/Baby catalog that inspired me to make my own special creation. Here's my inspiration from Restoration Hardware:

Since I painted butterflies on the wall, I figured I'd create some colorful and fun butterfly wall art to match. I went to JoAnne's Fabric to buy scrapbook paper (spent only $2-3 total) and then found some pretty butterfly images online. Printed out the butterflies, cut them out and then traced them onto the scrapbook paper. Pasted it together, popped it into a couple frames I had lying around and Presto!...my very own wall art! Only thing left to do is paint the frames white and hang them on the wall.

Here are my wall art creations! Not the best photos, but you get the idea.

Nursery Update

2009-12-17T21:16:00.001-08:00

Brian painted the nursery a light pink color and then I painted a small mural: bamboo and butterflies. It's all coming together! We now have most of the furniture in the room, including the crib, changing table/dresser, glider and armoire. Still need to get some shelves on the wall and a bookshelf for all her books, stuffed animals and fun baby stuff. So excited!

Here's a couple closer shots of the butterflies and bamboo.

25 Weeks!

2009-12-07T17:20:00.000-08:00

I'm 25 weeks (just over 6 months) now and feeling pretty good. As you can see from the photo, my baby bump is now showing. We went to Whidbey Island last weekend to the Christmas tree farm with Brian's family. Here's a photo of us with our puppy, Davis (who is also 6 months).

My First Quilt

2009-11-05T19:24:00.000-08:00

I think my nesting instincts are kicking in. I was suddenly inspired to make a quilt for our new baby but I had one problem...I didn't know how to sew. The day I found out we were having a girl, I ran to 4 fabric stores searching for the perfect baby quilt fabric.

The next day my mother-in-law, Sue, came over to teach me how to sew and start making the quilt. (She's an amazing sewer and quilter by the way!!) We spent the afternoon cutting fabric and I learned how to use my sewing machine that's been sitting in my closet for all these years. By the end of the evening, about a third of the quilt was finished. I finished sewing the next day (actually it was yesterday) and TADA! I made my first quilt!!

It's a rag quilt made out of flannel and super soft/cuddly fabrics. It's a really easy quilt and perfect for beginners. Now I'm ready to make another one!! I'm thinking pillows and curtains are next???

~ Melissa

It's a Girl!

2009-11-05T16:54:00.001-08:00

Whoopee!! We're having a little girl! We went to our 20 week ultrasound a few days ago and heard the news. I'm so excited to decorate with all the fun girly things. We have a few favorite names, which I'll share later but we probably won't decide until the baby is born.

We just picked out the nursery bedding. Love all the pink and chocolate brown colors with white accents! Once we get the bedding we'll pick out a paint color (most likely will be pink) and get to work on the nursery. I'm planning to do some small murals on the wall. I'm thinking of painting bamboo in the corner and a couple butterflies here and there, but we'll see what I decide.

The fun of decorating begins!

~ Melissa

Welcome to the Borgbina News!

2009-11-05T16:42:00.000-08:00

We're so excited to have our first baby on the way! We're creating this blog so we can share photos, stories and news with our friends and family about our exciting adventure. Feel free to comment on any posts!

Here's a photo of our first ultrasound at around 11 weeks. I'm now 20 weeks along but I'll update with more photos later.

P.S.....Wondering why we called it the Borgbina News? The term, bambina, is Italian for little girl. So throw in the Borghorst version and it comes out as Borgbina (Little Borghorst Girl).