Sunday, May 31, 2009

Last Weekend

Hey Mommy & Daddy...are you really just posting about last weekend? Do I really keep you that busy? Oh well...here it goes.

I was so excited to spend a long weekend with my Daddy. We woke up Saturday morning and decided that we would go to the Pungo Strawberry Festival and guess what...my friends Matt, Tiffany & Grace joined us~I was so excited.

We met up and watched some of the Parade from our strollers.

I knew I recognized that cute girl next to me...It was Grace. We were so excited to see each other.

It seemed like the Parade lasted forever. Once it ended we walked down to see all of the fun that goes along with the Festival...you know, Strawberry Pies, Strawberry Daiquiris, Strawberry Shortcakes, Strawberry Wine...do you get the point? And then it was time to go to the strawberry patch. We walked down to it and there was a sign, "All Picked Out". WHAT? On the opening day of the Festival you are all picked out? Oh well...we bought some strawberries and they were nice enough to let us go pose in the field. (Don't tell anyone, but we did pick a couple strawberries that they must have missed)
We rushed over to the patch and then looked around for our mommies & daddies.

Hey Guys...we're over here.

Photo Opportunity...

Then it was time to get to business. Looking for the perfect Strawberry...

This one Looks Good.

Grace found her Strawberry.

Here we are with our Strawberries.

Grace wanted to show her strawberry off and I was also happy with mine as you can tell.

We both studied our strawberries

And then I watched Grace eat her Strawberry.

I studied mine for a while longer.

And then it was time to join in the fun.

Now You see it.

Now you see less of it.

Now it's all gone. I managed to fit the entire strawberry in my mouth.

The Strawberry Festival was so fun and it was so great to spend time with Matt, Tiffany & Grace. We also joined up later for dinner at No Frill Bar & Grill (my favorite restaurant) and then we walked through Ghent and grabbed some coffee. OK...we didn't drink any coffee, but you would have thought our mommies and daddies gave us coffee by the amount of energy we had in the Coffee Shop.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Birthday Party #2

Coming off of a great Birthday celebration on Friday, it was time for more celebrating on Saturday with my friends.

Me, in my Sesame Street onesie.


My Birthday Cake, by Patti Cakes, with Elmo, Big Bird & Cookie Monster.


Close Up of my Birthday Cake


My Big Bird Smash Cake


Nana pulled Big Birds beak off and I didn't like it.


Everyone playing


Playtime.


My buddy Matt wanted to join in the fun


The Smeliks posing with Mommy and me.


Mary & Phinn joining in the picture fun


Jamie & Emma also took time for Daddy to take a picture


And of course my Girlfriend, Grace


And here is my buddy, Matilda


Thanks to everyone for making my Birthday so special. You are all so special to me and I am so lucky to have you in my life.

Monday, May 18, 2009

My Birthday Party

What a Great Weekend it was, filled with Birthday celebrations for me. In case you couldn't tell from the previous posts, I turned one on Friday May 15th. On Friday, we had a Sesame Street themed celebration with Family and Friends. I was so happy to see everyone there. We all enjoyed great homemade food, BBQ, Baked Beans and Potato Salad. Then it was time for the cake. Wow...what a cake it was. My Mommy and Daddy got it from Patti Cakes in Moyock, NC. I am so thankful for all of the great family and friends that celebrated my birthday with me. Thanks to everyone for all of the wonderful presents.

Here are some of the highlights of the Celebration.

Mommy, Daddy & me on the Porch


My Birthday Outfit


Big Cake, Little Cake and my calendar


Cookie Monster cake


Posing with Cookie Monster Cake


Why is Big Bird on Fire? My Smash Cake


Getting Started with the Cake


Feeding Daddy Cake


Hand Full of Cake


Opening Presents


Opening Presents with Cole & Cat


Here are a couple of my favorite presents...Pots and Pans and Grocery Cart. I could push the cart around all day. And I played with the pots and pans for at least 30 minutes after the birthday celebration had ended.

Me with Pots & pans


Pushing Cookie Monster & Big Bird around in the Grocery Cart


Cole & I

Friday, May 15, 2009

Happy Birthday Sweet Baby!

It has been one whole year today!!! Happy Birthday my sweet baby boy! Every minute of every day I thank God that you are my son! You have been the most amazing gift that I have ever received in my life. You are such a blessing to your daddy and I and you will never know how much we love you! Happy 1st Birthday Peyton!

With all of my love,
Mommy


Thursday, May 14, 2009

I sit here...by Daddy

I sit here SAD because my little baby is turning one tomorrow. I longed to have a child of my own and was so Blessed last year to have Peyton enter my life, but i am not sure i want to give up my baby as he enters the next stage.

I sit here HAPPY that my son is growing up into such a wonderful boy. I feel like I have done everything I can to give him what he needs to grow over the past year. I am happy to carry forward all of the memories of the past year. I am excited to start the next chapter with Peyton.

I sit here IN AWE of the many Blessings that have been bestowed upon me over the past two years. A couple years ago I was at a low in my life and the news came along that I would have a child. From the low in my life to the high in my life from a single phone call. And now I have a son who loves me, looks at me with his blue eyes and melts my heart, makes me so proud, but through all of this I never take any of it for granted. I am in awe of my wife and the amazing role that she plays in his life. I look at Peyton and I see the amazing traits of Amy. I am simply in awe of the amazing blessings in my life.

As I move forward, I carry with me emotions that I have never felt, I carry with me memories that I could have never imagined, I carry with me a sense of peace and happiness that comes over me just thinking about all of my Blessings, I carry with me an amazing year and tomorrow this amazing year will roll over into the next year. May it be filled with the Health, Happiness and Love that made the first year so amazing.

Peyton--I love you and thank you for such a wonderful first year. You are a dream-come-true and I am so Blessed to call you my son. In 30 years when you are my age and every year in between and beyond, I want to remind you how special you are to me. I will always be here for you and will Love you out loud. Thank you Peyton for all that you have given me. I love you son.

Monday, May 11, 2009

My Parts

Today we will discuss the parts that make me...
I have the following:
Ten Fingers
Ten Toes on Two big feet (size 5)
Two Blue Eyes
One Nose
Two Ears
Two Dimples
A head full of hair that started out brown as a newborn and is now beginning to show curls and turn blonde
Eight Teeth and Dr. Karp says my molars are starting to come in
One Leroy that, if I am out of my diaper, is surely in my hand being stretched in one direction or another
One cute little tushy
One adorable little face
All of these parts create one Peyton.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

What am I up to?

Mommy and Daddy wanted to document my accomplishments over the first year of my life.
The first list will be words that I have learned.
I can say these words:

"Mama"--this was my first word. I said it for the first time the day after Thanksgiving on my way to visit my family in North Carolina. Nobody is really sure if i knew what i was saying, but we will count it.

"Dada"--this was my second word and for a while it was my favorite, but now I don't use it that often.

"Dog"--this is my favorite word. I love to yell "Dog" until i see Bailee. If someone mentions Bailee's name, I will start with the repetitive "Dog" chant.

"Ball"--Daddy hopes that my love for the word Ball means that i will be a future Tar Hell athlete.

"This"--I have just started saying "This". I will hand you something and say "This".

"Piece"--I quickly learned this word a couple weeks ago as Daddy was breaking off some snacks for me and asking me if i wanted a piece. I would respond "Piece".

"Pop Pop"--I actually whisper this just like my cousin Cole did when he was little like me.

Stay tuned tomorrow for the next list...

The Countdown Is Here

In less than a week, I will be celebrating my 1st birthday. Can you believe it has been a year? My Mommy and Daddy can't, but they are so excited about the celebration week. In honor of my first birthday, Mommy asked Daddy to help post each day leading up to the Big Day so join me as I welcome back Daddy to the blog.
As you will see below, Mimi's dog, Sassy, is excited about my birthday too and gave me a big Birthday kiss.





Happy Mommy's Day

With Daddy's help, I wrote my wonderful Mommy this letter for Mother's Day. Happy Mother's Day Mommy...I love you more than you will ever know.

"Last Mother’s Day I was anxious to meet the Mommy that took such great care of me for 9 months and who went through so much for me. Little did I know how much my love for you would blossom over the next year. You are an amazing mother and I am so Blessed to call you my Mommy.

Even at my worst, you never get angry.
The touch of your hands calm me,
The sound of your voice soothes me,
Your loving eyes mesmerize me.


I thank you for everything you do. If I need you, you are there. When I need to be held tightly, you know just how to do it. When I begin to fall, you are there to catch me. When I look over at you, you look back and fill my soul with a peace created with your Love.

I knew this love from the first time I saw your beautiful face on May 15th. You tried so hard to conceive me and pushed so hard to meet me and when we met face-to-face, you held me tight and I discovered Love...a love that will never falter, a love that grows stronger and stronger. Thank you Mommy for being there for me and giving so much to me. You give me strength, hope, and wisdom, but most of all you give me Love.

So on this Mother’s Day,
I celebrate my Mommy.
I celebrate your beauty,
I celebrate your warmth,
I celebrate your strength,
I celebrate your sacrifices,
I celebrate your Love,
I celebrate you.


I love you Mommy.
Happy Mother’s Day.

Love always,
Peyton Kyle Riley"