Dress Up.... Dramatic Play

My little Princess with an attitude.

Cute as a button but she does have an attitude.

Riley and her cousin Jacks(on) playing with 3-D glasses.

We had a hard time keeping the glasses on while we tried to take their picture. Riley helps hold her glasses on by holding her head back and Jacks(on) just stands still.

Brenden with his beautiful blues eyes.

Who ME?

Our Visit to Michigan

Here we are in Michigan at Nana and Papa's house. Nana took this picture of us. One of the few with all three of together. We had a great time in Michigan. It was very cold to us southerners but that is what the holidays are all about.

Riley and Brenden with their cousin Jackson. They had a great time together.
Brenden with Uncle Paco (Jeff).

Jeff received his name from Brock our oldest nephew and it stuck.

Look at those cute kids. If you look closely you will notice a red spot on Riley's nose. She was jumping on the bed (a BIG NO NO) and she fell hitting the TV stand. She walked away with just the a scrape on the nose. No black eyes or broken parts.

Once we made it home Riley wanted to go back to Nana's house. We also all came home with colds. Brenden was the worse. We made it home just in time to make it to the ER. He was not breathing too good and spiked a fever. They run a couple of tests and decided that Brenden has RSV. We were given some oral meds and sent home. We were in the ER a total of four hours. My hands are full with a sick baby and a toddler who is very needed all of a sudden. Other then that things at the Ringman house are good. Happy Holidays to you all.

Ready for the Holidays

Brenden's class at day care made this cute Indian (Native American) hat. It was cute to walk in and see all the babies wearing these hats. Most of them left them on their heads.

Riley is ready for her Holiday pictures. She picked out this fancy dress and then had to wear it right away. I had a hard time getting her to take it off to go to bed. She is not that much of a girlly girl but when she wants to be a princess watch out. She is looking forward to going to get some matching shoes too.

Little Mommy

Bath time is always a fun time here at our house. Brenden enjoys playing in the water and Riley loves to help. She can't wait until Brenden can sit up so they can take a bath together. This time Riley helped me by washing Brenden's hair. She took the shampoo and put into her hand and rubbed them together and then washed his hair.

Here she is still washing his hair. She made sure that he was really clean before we could rinse the shampoo out.
Look at that face. Sissy are you almost finished I am ready to play.
Look at this clean baby. He is so happy after a bath. He talks and smiles long after we are in our PJs.

GO BLUE!!!

The Ringman's support their team today. Riley and Brenden were dressed in their Michigan gear in hopes that Michigan would pull off a win against Ohio State. As we watched the game the kids cheered up their little voice were not heard. Michigan fell short and lost to Ohio State.

Riley in her cheerleader outfit.
Brenden in his Michigan gear.

We need a football jersery for him to go with Riley's cheerleader outfit.

Bed Time

Here we are sleeping so sound in our bed. Now that we are three months old, we are sleeping through the night. We are spitting up less and becoming more social with others around him. He has learned to giggle and smile when you talk to him. He enjoys school/day care and is growing use to the noise of the other children and learning to sleep with the noise around him. Brenden also likes to snuggle animals/blanket when he is sleeping. He has to hold something in his hands or he will hold his hands together and sometimes he squeezes hard that he leaves marks on his hands. That is why we hold an animal or blanket now.

Jump Jump Jumperoo

We are growing up way too fast. We put our swing away and are now jumping in our jumperoo. Not that Brenden is doing a whole lot of jumping our his own. Looking close at this first picture you can see Riley's little foot helping Brenden jump. The look on his face is priceless.

Here his is looking at the little toys in front of him trying to decide what he is going to do with them. Each time he jumps or moves the little kangaroo jumps and starts to play music and the lights dance around him. Once he learns that he can make the lights dance, there will be no stopping him.
And of course we could not pull out a "new" toy without Big Sister trying out too. She wanted to play in the jumperoo too. So we pulled it up to the tallest position and she got in and look at those smiles. She had a blast.
Look at that hair. She was jumping hard and she had pulled out her ponys just before she started to jump. I guess it was a good purchase since Riley still enjoys swinging and jumping.

Trick or Treat

Well me made it through out first holiday, Halloween.

Brenden enjoyed walking around with Riley while she went trick or treating. Mommy pulled the two of them in their wagon around our neighborhood.

Brenden in his "My first Halloween outfit"

Riley dressed as a pumkin. She did not want a costume so we dressed as a pumkin.

Brenden and Riley in their "costumes". Brenden's hat and bib look like a black cat. His hat had the little ears and cat face on it.
Here our my two little pumkins. Both dressed in their orange and black.

First Week of Day Care

Well we all made it through our first week of work/school and child care. Brenden is enjoying himself as he is growing more and more socially. He is smiling more and more and starting to use those little words too. Riley enjoys having her brother at school too. In facted she lets everyone know that he is in his classsroom. I have learned that she does like to help drop him off because her friends want to see her baby but she has to help go and pick him up. She likes to go and see Brenden's friends.

I made it through my first week back to work. It was difficult to leave Brenden at day care but we both made it through the day and then the week. We are all on a better schedule/routine now too. The kids both go to bed by 8:30 and sleep through most of the night. Brenden wakes up around 1:00 to eat but then goes right back to sleep. Riley will get up around 2:00 to use the bathroom but that is not every night. Its hard on me getting up back to back but we are making it. I am glad to be back to work after a 6 month break.

More pictures too come.

Life Lessons with Sissy

Lesson 1:
Riley is showing Brenden how to play with his piano. She wanted to lay down beside him and kick her feet to make the lights dance and the music to play. This lesson was learned just in a few minutes. Brenden enjoyed himself. His little legs would go a mile a minute.
Lesson 2:
Riley is sitting in her Boppy pillow eating cereal. She had a mouth full when I took this picture.

Brenden is laying in his boppy with his listening face.

Here is what he learned......
I can sit up just like Sissy.

Yes I know that he is not sitting up right but he is sitting and can hold himself up with the Boppy pillow there for support. Before he would just fall all the way forward or straight back. He is getting so strong and loves to play with Riley that he wants to do the same things that she is doing. No matter if its sitting or having a fit about something. I just thought is was cute that Riley wanted to teach Brenden the things he knew.

So Helpful

Riley what all about helping Brenden one morning that she started to climb into bed with him. I was worried that she would fall and hurt someone that I helped her into the crib. She had a great time. Brenden on the other hand was not too sure what she was doing in his space.

Riley is getting up-set at Brenden because he is still crying while she is trying to give him his binky. She does not like to hear him cry for very long before it up-sets her.

2 Month Check Up

Well we had our first well-baby visit and things are going well. Brenden is eating great and sleeping through the night. He loves to play and talk with his sister and will always give her a smile. Here are a few new things about Brenden: We weigh 10 lbs 6 ozs. We are 23 and 3/4 tall which is short for his age. Surprise, Surprise. He also is starting to talk more and more. He loves playing with Riley. He will smile and laugh at her regardless of his mood. He could be upset or mad and he will still find a smile to show his BIG sister. We also like playing with our buddy Reese. Here are a few pictures of Riley, Brenden, and Reese.

Here Riley is holding her little brother, Brenden.

Brenden with his buddy Reese. Brenden is older by 3 days.

Here is the gang. Riley, Brenden and Reese.

Look Who is 2 Months Old!!!!

Here we are at 2 months old. We will go to the doctors on Friday for our first round of shots. We will learn how much we have grown in the past two months. I have noticed lots of growth in him phyically and emotionally. Brenden has learned to many new things in the past two months including the following:

Smiling

Laughing

Choing/Talking

Sleeping through the night

Piggies

Here is Riley being her own human Piggie bank. She is having lots of fun placing her money between her toes. She did a nice job holding them in place. She loves to put things between her toes. Riley has lots of fun playing with money and saving our change in her piggie bank.

Say Cheese!!!!

Brenden is growing up way too fast. Here he is smiling and laughing at his BIG sister, Riley. Brenden is starting to do his social smiling and Riley loves to play with him and tell me when he is smiling at her. Riley will do anything to get him to smile. Let me tell you it does not take much for Brenden to smile at his sister. From the first day at home he smiled and laughed at Riley.

OUR SAD GOOD-BYE

Look at that cute smile.

Ben preparing to leave for his third tour in Iraq.

On Monday September 24, 2007, just 1 year after returning home, Ben left again for Iraq. This will be his third tour. We had a wonderful weekend but a very sad Monday. Our last weekend as a family of four we spent in Ohio at Dustin's parents' house. Dustin is a good friend who also left with Ben on Monday. We had a great time just being a family. We all got to visit with some good friends and relax before the craziness started. Here are some pictures of our good-bye with daddy.

Here are the three amigos; Dustin, Derek, and Ben. They have grown to be great friends and over the next 15 months they will learn more about each other and their families. They will be working together and spending lots of time with each other.

Riley had one final ride on daddy's shoulders while we were waiting/visiting with everyone who was leaving on Monday.

Brenden too had to have his small talk with daddy. Brenden was talking and smiling at daddy the whole day. Then just before this picture was taken daddy (Ben) was telling Brenden about growing up and playing with his sister. It was cute and sad all at once.Here is the final hug that the kids gave to daddy. It was so sad. I was strong all day until this picture was taken. To see Ben smile and put on a strong face was hard for me. I broke down. I knew it would not be easy but this was a lot harder then it was the past two times. I guess it will get easier once time goes by and we get back on a regular schedule.

WE LOVE YOU DADDY!! HUGS AND KISSES!!!

Growing too fast

Here is Riley on her new bike that Grandma and Grandpa Ringman bought her while they were here. She loves to ride her. She is now on a mission to buy a helmet so we can ride down our street and on post on the trails. Riley is very good at riding her bike and is very brave. Thank you again Grandma and Grandpa.

Brenden is growing up too fast too. He is now 8lbs. 8oz. and 22 inches long. He is filling out his 0-3 months clothes now. He still looks really small next to his little buddy Reese.

Here we are sleeping in our swing. He is filling out up his bouncy and swing too.