A-Z of 2011

Wishing You a Merry & Bright 2012!

Another year of blessings and gratitude

Baking or at least tempting, now that Sandy can turn on an oven

Cheering on Elvis' favorite football and basketball teams

Dang dogs! We have 3: Gixxer, Izzy, and Sophie

Eleven months until we can potty train Mila.

Favorite TV show - Modern Family!

Great summer at the lake

Hungry - Mila must eat when she wakes up!

In love with our life

Just helped our electricity bill by adding a wood stove to the house. It's toasty!

K-State fan, Elvis, is excited to play Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl

Love...we always let each other know how much we love each other.

Movies are hard to watch with a 1 year old...but we still attempt them.

Naps are short, but necessary...for everyone

One! Mila turned one on December 4th

Photos - realize we take tons and now need to get all 2,000 printed...

Quiet time is hard to come by these days.

Rinse and Repeat. We finally have the hang of changing diapers

Survivors! We made it through our first year of parenting.

Twilight...that's right, Sandy is the only Twilight fan in the family.

University of Arkansas...Sandy goes back to school.

Van? No thanks. 

Walking...Mila took her first step on November 17th

Xtremely honored to have a wonderful family

Yes, we could use a vacation

Zzzzzzzzzzz

a teeny cake, a ton of fun, a tiny girl is turning one!

Mila turned one on December 4th. We celebrated with friends and family on December 3rd. She had a cookies and cake theme birthday party. She wasn't too sure about opening gifts, but she managed to make it through. She couldn't decide if she wanted to eat the cake or not, but she finally put her hands in it and ate tons of icing. She finally stuffed a huge piece of cake in her mouth. She had both cheeks full! We are definitely thankful to have a healthy and happy baby girl!

Mila 10-11 Months

Driving Dad's Truck

Waiting for Pancakes

Mila and Daddy at Pumpkin Patch

Mila and Mommy at Pumpkin Patch

Hey, guys, I found the one!

Awww! Loving on Mila.

Mila's first Turkey craft. Pretty good, I think.  Ha!!!

Pig Tails. Love this picture! She was having so much walking around and needed a break.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Of course, she loves her mommy!

Mila Update...Finally.

I have not posted in months! I feel bad, but honestly, I'm not sure anyone reads this anyway and I like to keep my own personal paper journal. But, I will go ahead and update everyone (or anyone) who reads our blog.
Mila is 11 months old now. Actually, in a few days, she'll be ONE year old! I cannot believe how time flies by so quickly when you're having fun! So, here are some FUN things to know about Mila:
-She weighs 20lbs and is 29 inches long...tall and skinny
-Her hair is long enough for a pony tail or pig tails on top of her head.
-She has six teeth
-She loves her "ba-ba" (aka bottle)
-She doesn't like to be rocked to sleep. She likes to just lay in her bed with her bottle.
-She is using the sippy cup, occasionally.
-She is trying to walk
-She absolutely loves bath time
-She loves to crawl all over Daddy like a jungle gym
-She can say "hi, by, night-night, bottle, bear, dog, cat, ma-ma, and da-da."
-She hardly eats jarred baby food. She'd rather eat with her fingers. The messier, the better
-She is drinking whole milk (started on Saturday when we ran out of formula) and loves it
-She can stand alone for quite a while before her legs get tired
-She celebrated her first Halloween. Of course, she was the cutest black cat ever
-She celebrated her first Thanksgiving and definitely ate her share of food.
-She gives "love" (hugs and kisses)
-She has a contagious laugh
-Her smile lights up the room
-She sleeps with her arms tucked tightly under her body
-She loves playing outside
-She loves when the wind blows in her face
-She loves to search through cabinets and drawers
-She loves putting cotton balls in dad's shoes
-She loves to play "Where's Mila?" It's our version of peek-a-boo.

Mila is growing and her personality is definitely shining through. She is a sweet, shy, lovable girl and I can't wait to see where her life takes her. Stay tuned for her FIRST BIRTHDAY!!!


Love ya,
The Ricke's

Mila Page Ricke is 7 months!!!

I can't believe my sweet baby girl is 7 months old! I just can't get enough of her sweet face!

MILA UPDATES

2 teeth

Smiling without her bottom lip

Riding in the truck with dad

Pulling herself up

Sleeping through the night...most of the time

6oz. bottles

Chewing on her crib

Laughing

Peek-A-Boo

Bouncing

Loves baby food
Giving kisses

Doesn't like avocado

Loves for her me to rock her to sleep

Playing her toy piano

Crawling
Loves ice cream
Loves watching the dogs play outside
Separation anxiety from mom and dad

I love....
Your sweet morning smile

Your drooling kisses
Your smiling face when I walk in the door from a long day

Mila Page Ricke 6 Months

I had no idea that this baby girl would grow so fast...

15 pounds

26.75 inches long

Skinny baby

Hair is growing

Sitting up

1st tooth

2nd tooth on it's way

Baby food

Sleeping through the night...but still in our room. I'm not ready to let her go yet!

Babbling

Saying "DaddaDadda"...although she doesn't know what she's saying. Elvis keeps saying "Momma"!

Smiles

Laughs...especially when Daddy tickles her

Sticks tongue out at you

Loves playing with toys

Loves school

Loves to feel with her hands

Loves to cuddle at bedtime

Loves to "read' magazines and books (she's so smart!)
Holds her own bottle 

Babbles!

Mila has learned that she can make noises!! She comes home from "school" and tells us all about her day! She did "baabbbbaaaabbabababbbaaa" and "daadddddaaaaddadadada" and "mmmmmmm.mmm....." with a little bit of spit and drool!!! Elvis says she's just like me...a talker! I guess I can't deny that fact!


~Sandy
 

My First Mother's Day!

I have always been told that you cannot explain the feeling of being a mommy! It's so true! I cannot describe the feeling I get when I see Mila. The smile on her face. The drool on her chin. The look on her face when I walk away. The clutching of her first. The screeching she makes when she's excited. Love has never been so pure!


~Sandy

Update

Mila is getting stronger and stronger! She knows holds on to the side of her car seat...kind of like she is chillaxing. She loves to scratch the side of her pack 'n play with her fingers. I guess she likes the sound of it. We have been working on eating rice cereal with a spoon, but I don't think she's quite ready yet. So, we'll wait a little bit. She has rolled over from her belly to back a few times. She loves her sit and play. She loves to smile. She will give you the sweetest smile just by simply looking at her. She loves to cuddle! LOVES IT! She would rather be sitting on her lap than doing anything else. She doesn't like it if she can't see you. These things might be b/c I have spoiled her...just a little. But, my thought is that one day, she won't let me hold her; she won't let me tickle her; she won't let me just stare at her...so why not do it all that I can right now? So what I make her a loveable baby! Is that wrong of me? No!

Things I Don't Want to Forget...

1. Sweet baby grins full of gums

2. Clutching my shirt with her tiny fists

3. Innocent and shy smiles

4. Coos and grunts as she falls asleep

5. Sucking on her tiny fingers

6. Morning smiles

Rolling with Laughter.

On March 14th, 2011, I took Mila to the doctor's office for a check up. As she was laying on the exam table, she rolled from her back to belly! Right in front of my eyes! I couldn't believe it! When I told Elvis, he asked me where she was going and I said "She was going home! She'd had enough of the doctor." Then, when we got home, I was holding her and I was saying different things to her to make her smile. Well, I said "A-choo" over and over and she just LOVED it. Then, she LAUGHED!!! It wasn't big or long, but it was a LAUGH! I couldn't believe it. In one day, my sweet girl rolled over and laughed! It totally made my day! I wish Elvis could have seen and heard it!

-Sandy

Update.

Mila still has a double ear infection. She was given Augmentin to help clear it up. We go back April 4th, for her 4 month wellness check-up & they will check her ears again. If they are not cleared up, Elvis and I have decided to take her to a specialist. It may seem extreme right now, but with Elvis' ear problems, we don't want to take any risks. I wish there was more I could do for her. She is totally a mommy's girl right now. She will hardly sit with Elvis for a long period of time because she wants to cuddle with me. I guess I won't complaint. =)

-Sandy

Poor Baby Girl!

Starting Friday, March 4, 2011, Mila had diarrhea and continued to have it until Tuesday, March 8th. I dropped her off at the babysitter on Tuesday and an hour later, she was calling me saying that Mila had diarrhea all up her back, had projectile vomit and had a 100.7 degree temperature. So, Elvis picked her up and took her to the doctor. The doctor told him she had 2 ear infections, a sinus infection and an eye infection. Loads of medicine later and the addition of yogurt to her bottle, she is starting to smile again! It has been a rough week for all 3 of us and now a beautiful weekend is ahead of us and we are ready to enjoy it!

Sleeping Beauty.

Mila slept completely through the night on March 2, 2011.  I didn't even realize it until Elvis woke up at 4:30 to go to work. I jumped up immediately thinking "Oh my gosh! She hasn't woke up yet!" I quickly placed my hand on her chest to make sure she was breathing...and she was! What a scare and how exciting! I got my first full night of sleep with her beside me!! YAY!
Of course, it has not happened again! That's okay. I won't lie...I sometimes enjoy those peaceful moments we get in the middle of the night together. She eats and then she falls right back to sleep. I often find myself holding her for a while after she's asleep and then forcing myself to lay her back down. I know I won't get those moments forever!!

Sweetness.

Mila is all SMILES all the time. Elvis makes this funny noise and she loves it. She smiles so big when she hears it. She is definitely a morning baby. She is all smiles the second she wakes up. However, she is a little cranky at night. Definitely more like her dad in that sense. HA HA! She sleeps in her Pack 'n Play by our bed at night, but she will take naps in her crib sometimes. The other day, I put her in her crib while I was getting some clothes for her and when I turned around, she was on her side. I think she’s trying to roll over…but it’s probably too soon for that. She’ll be 3 months on March 4^th. I can’t believe it!

Today was hard. I missed her a lot. I went to Hobby Lobby during lunch and saw a baby and it took all I had not to cry!  The second I got inside my car, the water works turned on! I couldn’t help it. I just missed her so badly! I can’t wait to get home and see her sweet smile!

I'm crossing my fingers that I will get to stay home with her a little more very soon!

-Sandy

Daddy's Girl!