Deja Vu?

Do you feel like I have a million posts about going to Diamondback games?

I hesitated to even post these pictures,

since I have posted so many of us at baseball games.

But then I realized, that I have nothing else new to blog about.

So it is either Dbacks pictures or nothing.

Lucky for you, this is the last game this season that we will attend.

This is our happy family at the baseball game.

Riker started off quite happy.

But now that he is a bit more active, he doesn't like to just sit.

So after a few innings, Riker and I ended up in the "picnic" area.

And he is once again happy as a clam.

I think he looks like a bitty baby Buddha when he sits.

It's the belly.

And the big bald head.

TJ and I took turns trying to make Riker laugh.

I wish this was a video instead of a picture.

Riker was laughing up a storm.

His laugh is adorable.

However, if this was a video, you would also hear the awkward noise I was forced to make in order to get Riker to laugh like this.

So in that case, thank heavens this is a picture and not a video.

TJ is also able to get Riker to laugh.

Eh, more like giggle.

Riker doesn't find TJ as funny as he finds me.

TJ has to work a lot harder to get Riker to laugh.

But Riker will always smile when TJ walks in the door at night.

So that's a plus for TJ.

By the time the crowd stood up for the 7th inning stretch,

Riker was asleep.

It's just was well...

the Dbacks lost. By a lot.

Kind of a bummer, since it was the last game we get to attend this season.

Oh well.

See ya next season, Dbacks!

Glitter Toes

My new hobby:

I learned how to do glitter toes while out here in AZ.

Apparently they are the latest fashion craze!

They are super cute...

I have yet to see a color that doesn't look awesome.

The best part is that they last for 4-6 weeks!

It isn't nail polish.

It's a gel system that is stronger than nail polish,

hence the super durability.

I've been doing them for family and friends...

and friends of friends...

and friends of friends of friends.

If you want yours done, let me know.

Only $15 for your first time

(salons in AZ are charging anywhere from $25-$50!)

I'm in AZ until August 2,

then I'm heading back to Ohio

(so C-bus friends, I can do yours too!)

PJs

This is the story of Riker and his pajamas.

Riker has been sleeping through the night since he was 6 weeks old.

This made me really happy.

I enjoy sleeping at night.

When we came to Arizona, Riker had little trouble adjusting to the time difference.

He was sleeping just fine.

One night, Riker woke up crying and screaming.

His little body was overheated.

Arizona is really hot in the summer.

So we cranked the ac down and Riker started going to bed in just his diaper.

Our uninterrupted nights continued once again.

Then, just last week, Riker woke up around midnight...crying.

I pick him up, comfort him, he falls right back to sleep.

Repeat at 2am and 4am.

I thought, "Surely this is a fluke.

I bet tomorrow night he will sleep just fine."

Unfortunately for me and my REM cycle,

Riker did the same thing the next night...

and the night after that...

and the night after that!

After three straight nights of this odd behavior, I googled.

When in doubt, always google.

Google holds the answers to all of life's questions.

I found various suggestions as to why my baby,

who is normally a champion sleeper,

is suddenly waking up all night long.

Some said teething...

Riker drools a lot, but no sign of teeth yet.

Some said changes in diet...

Riker hearts his rice cereal and baby food, so this can't be it.

Some said the baby might be cold...

hm.

Well, we have the ac running, plus a fan,

and I usually pull the blanket over me because I'm getting chilly.

Hey, maybe my baby is cold and that's why he's waking up!

So I grabbed some jammies and put them on Riker.

And guess what!

He slept through the night without waking me up!

Two nights in a row...uninterrupted sleep.

Bliss.

Unfortunately, Riker woke up again last night.

Twice.

Moral of the story:

I have no clue what my baby's problem is.

But I'm tired.

6 Months Old

Riker is 6 months old.

That's half a year!

I don't have any stats on him yet,

but once we return to Ohio we will take him to his doc to weigh in.

Unofficially, he weighs around 18 pounds.

I know, he's a chunk.

The latest Riker development is this:

That's right, my friends.

Riker is sitting up.

Unsupported.

Like a big boy.

Now, shortly after this picture was taken, Riker toppled over.

He isn't a pro at sitting up just yet

(after a few seconds, he wobbles and eventually falls)

but we're working on it!

Also at 6 months old, Riker is:

*rolling over like nobody's business

(mainly back to tummy...occasionally tummy to back)

*eating solid food

(he has yet to turn his nose up at anything he's been offered...hence the 18 pounds)

*sleeping 10-12 hours a night

(he still wakes up once, after about 8 or 9 hours, for a bottle but he always goes back to sleep for a few more hours)

*taking 2-3 naps per day

(still no set nap times, which drives me crazy...but he wakes up at different times every day, so nap times change every day. Any suggestions?)

*Laughing and smiling

(but only when he wants to...he won't perform on demand)

*Drooling

(like, buckets and buckets of drool...all day, every day. I keep feeling his gums, hoping to find a tooth to explain the drool...but nope, he's just a drool-machine for no reason at all.)

Pretty much, Riker is amazing.

I know I'm kinda biased, but I'm pretty sure he's the most awesome kid ever.

I'm just sayin'.

4th of July

We celebrated the 4th of July by exercising our freedom of religion.

Once the sun went down

(and the temperature was no longer 100+ degrees)

we took a walk around the Mesa Temple.

I love the grounds around the temple and all the beautiful flowers.

We also walked through the Visitors Center

(because it had air conditioning...and ac rocks my socks).

When TJ and I were married, we took pictures in front of the Christus statue...

and here we are 3 years later with a baby!

And no 4th of July post would be complete without a picture of the American flag.

TJ says, "America is better than you."

Oh So Crafty

I found this super cute tutorial to make dresses,

so my sister Jessica and I decided to give it a try.

Of course...mom was required to help a little bit!

PS...my mom is awesome.

She is hemming a dress AND talking on the phone.

Talk about talent.

And now, the finished products:

Definitely a relatively easy project.

(even easier with mom's help!)

We finished our dresses in about 2 hours.

And they only cost about $12 to make...

not too shabby!

They aren't perfect, but we learned some things along the way and know what changes to make to our next dress!

Mustaches

Ever wonder what you would look like with a mustache?

It has been decided that the Grier's should not have mustaches...

at least not weird grey ones.