Here comes the comic relief!

Comic relief: that is the best way for me to explain the personality of my dear, sweet baby girl. Cale brings a certain amount of seriousness to our lives and although he is incredibly sweet and can even bring on bouts of belly laughter, he is sure to sprout grey hairs upon my head far sooner than I would like. Riley, however, is just plain hilarious. Watching her grow has been one of the best experiences of my life and I literally look forward to each and every day with her. (well, most of the time)

She is coming up on nineteen months of age and I already cannot remember life when she was not with us; it feels like she's been a part of our family since the beginning of time. I remember fretting and obsessing over when and if she was reaching her milestones at the appropriate age but now I have let go of those worries and come to realize that she is completely normal - whatever that means. She has let me experience what raising a typical developing child is like and for that I am so grateful. Watching her move and learn how to do things on her own has engrained in my mind even more how genius God is to make us the way He does. Amazing, simply amazing.

Riley loves almost anything that requires her to move. She is always on the go and I swear if she didn't eat as much as she does she would be as thin as a toothpick. She likes to run, dance, and is just now experimenting with how to jump. Running back and forth on the couch will entertain her for hours. She is mastering her voice and learning to form words. She will repeat almost anything I ask her to but sometimes it comes out in a completely different language. Alex and I put a small amount of effort into teaching her sign language when she was about six months old but didn't push her too much. Now, however, she communicates more through sign language than actual words and Cale has been her biggest teacher. She watches him intently and mimics his interpretations of signs. It's incredibly cute and I'm thankful she's picked up on it so that she can better communicate with him later on down the road. She is the best little sister I could ever dream up for him. She knows how far she can go when wrestling with him and is, for the most part, very gentle. She shows incredible patience for a toddler who thinks the world belongs to her. She loves to be the center of attention and is most content when she knows all eyes are on her. Alex and I, however, do nothing to cut down her ego and are completely smitten.

Riley is quickly becoming a little girl and it's hard to believe it has been almost two years since we brought her home. I remember feeling so overwhelmed and as if life would never be "easy" again, but now I can honestly say she has only brought joy and love to our lives. I love having a daughter and dressing her up and doing her hair. I also love the fact that just like Cale is an exact replica of Alex, Riley is a true mini-me. For once people can safely assume she belongs to me. :)