18 Months!

Riley James - 18 months old!

Riley James - on his birth day - 18 months ago!

Yesterday, Riley turned 18 months old! I just cannot even believe that the little baby above has turned into the big boy in the top picture.

Riley has been growing like a weed and changing a lot these past weeks. He is finally starting to speak, a little, and is definitely showing us his spunk and his will! In crowds, or around new people, Riley tends to be a bit withdrawn, slow to warm up. He is very stingy with his smiles and affection in situations like this and tends to cling very closely to Mommy or Daddy.

But... if he is comfortable in your presence - watch out! He is likely to bust a move on the dance floor, or form tackle you while playing ball. He will probably giggle and smile like crazy, babbling away the whole time in excitement. You might even get one of his scrumptious hugs. When asked for a kiss, just like his sister used to do, he will graciously(ahem) present his cheek or forehead to you to receive a kiss! :)

Not a day goes by that Riley isn't dancing, running around in circles, playing ball, talking on anything that even closely resembles a cell phone, reading tons of books, snuggling, and eating a lot!!! He is ALL boy, and we just adore him.

Some new things he's been doing is turning random objects, such as his spoon or a dowel rod, into a gun. I have no idea where he learned how to shoot a gun and the sounds associated with such; Jamie says it's simply because he's a boy. He also loves to sword fight. Today he started turning things, like a fork and a comb, into a guitar - holding the objects just right and strumming away! He adores music. He is also very mechanical, and loves figuring out how to take things apart or put them back together.

We love you Riley! You won't be the baby much longer, but you'll always be our baby!