What, I have a Blog?

I can't believe, once again, that it has been this long since I have posted. I really need, and want to get better about posting, life is just SO busy. Our little guy just turned 7 months and is MOBILE!!! Kael started crawling about 2 days before his 7 month birthday. He has been mobile for about 10 days now and he is EVERYWHERE! It is so much fun yet exhausting at the same time. It is really cute when he crawls down the hall after me mumbling "ma ma ma ma" it is too cute and melts my heart. He doesn't say too many words, mostly just "ma ma" which is amazing and fabulous and wonderful to me, but is just a bit annoying to Kevin; he wants him to say "da da" soooo bad! :) We have also been experiencing teething for the first time. Poor little guy has been so miserable. He hasn't been feverish just very cranky and restless when he sleeps. It has been a sad few days and if anyone has any tricks that they would like to share I would love it! Other than chasing our little guy around, life in the Rikli home is pretty laid back. Kevin and I are still just working away. Kevin is excited to play in his first company golf tournament this Friday, he has never really golfed before so it should be interesting :) We hope everyone is doing well and having a great summer!

Playing Catch Up

WOW! It has been a really long time since I posted... I am a slacker! In my defense, we have had a ton going on.

In April we went on vacation. This trip held a lot of firsts for all 11 of us! It was not only Kael's first vacation, it was our first vacation as parents... it was Kael's first visit to Disneyland, AND Kevin's as well... it was our first family vacation taking 2 cars since we no longer all fit in one... I could go on and on with all the firsts but the bottom line is, WE HAD A GREAT TIME!!! We spent a couple of days in San Diego with stops at the beach, Sea World, the Maritime Museum and the Wild Animal Park. After San Diego we headed to Anaheim for 3 days at Disneyland, a Major League baseball game for some and a great dinner at Knotts Berry Farm. Our final day in Cali was filled with Universal Studios. It was a great trip, lots of fun and Kael was such a good boy, I know that he will never remember it but I sure will!

This is one of my favorite pics from the trip

More photos to come!!!

The Bed Hog

He started out propped up in the corner of the green and brown pillows and throughout the course of 8 hours of sleep, wiggled and scooted himself down to take over my whole side of the bed. But hey, he slept for 8 hours so I am not complaining!

2 Month Check-Up

Last week was little Kaelster's 2 month birthday, I know I say this pretty much every post but, I can't believe how fast the last 2 months have gone by. Our little boy is growing up so fast and is changing so much. We can pretty much get him to smile on demand now and it is sooo fun. We love watching him grow and seeing all of the things that he is learning. At his two month check up he weighed 9 pounds and 15 ounces and is now 22 inches long. He has gained 3 pounds and grown 2 inches since he was born.

Wishes...

I have exactly 5 and 1/2 days from right now of maternity leave left. I go back to work on Monday the 28th, and I am beyond heart broken. I am amazed and in awe and completely changed by the amazing gift that Kevin and I were given 7 weeks and 3 days ago. It is truly amazing that so much excitement, worry, LOVE, amazement and awe came delivered in that little 7 pound, 20 inch package. Who would have ever guessed that you could LOVE someone THAT much? I have heard it said hundreds of times that you never know LOVE until you have a child, and now I can see why they say that, they say it because it is true. Never before have I felt this way about anything or anyone. Don't get me wrong, I love my husband and I love my parents, I love my little brothers and sisters... but never before have I felt the LOVE that I feel for my child.

A year ago, if someone would have granted me 3 wishes I would have wished for the selfish things... things like a big house, a nice car, money etc. etc. etc. If someone were to come up to me today and give me 3 wishes they would be completely different and I know exactly what they would be:

1. SOMEWHERE to call home. I have discovered lately that although I would love to own a home, and wish that we did, it is not where you live that matters.

2. Good Health. I would wish for the good health of all the people that I love. I think that I have always taken the health of not only myself, but the health of my loved ones for granted. Being blessed with a healthy baby has totally opened my eyes to all of the things that could have gone wrong and I will never again take my health or the health of those that I love for granted, because good health is truly a blessing.

3. I would wish to be able to stay home with my baby and not have to work. I don't care if we had millions of dollars, I just wish that we were able to get by on one income. Before and all through my pregnancy I thought I would be okay with going back to work, I knew that it was something that I would have to do, I know that I am the one that carries the insurance for our family and that we would have to move if I did not work. But the thought of leaving him is driving me INSANE! I am the MOM, I am the one who gave birth to him. I am the one who would not let the nurses take him to the nursery because I did not want to be away from him. I am the one who woke up that night in the hospital that he was choking. I am the one who wakes up in the middle of the night when he cries because he is hungry. I am the one that knows the difference between a hungry cry and a tired cry. I am the first person that he spit up on. I am the one that figured out that he was tongue tied. I am the one that figured out that he had reflux and took him to the doctor. I am the one that changes his clothes or jammies, or the sheets on my bed when he spits up all over them because of the reflux. I am the first person that he smiled a REAL smile at. I am the first person that he gooed at. I am the one that figured out that he loves showers and hates baths. I am the one that changes his diapers. I am the one that washes his clothes. And I am the one that can't handle the fact that by having to go back to work I might miss a smile, I might miss a clothes change, I can't even handle the fact that I might miss a poopy diaper. I can't handle the fact that I will miss a moment of this sweet little boy's life. I know that I am not the first working mom in the world. I know that he will be taken care of by people who love him, and I know that he will be taken care of very well, and I know that most days he will be taken care of here in our home that is 30 seconds away from me, but none of that matter to me (even though it should!) because NO ONE LOVES him like I do.

I would love to be granted 3 wishes, but if I could only be granted 1 wish, it would not be a hard decision to pick 1 of the 3.

LOVE

Need I say more?

ONE MONTH OLD

I can't believe that my little Kaelster is already a month old! The days have gone by so fast! I love my little man so much and I have loved every second of this past month! On his one month birthday I got this super sweet smile out of my super sweet little boy.