All About Riley

Since the blog tends to be so much about Peyton, I thought I'd devote a post just to Riley (I'll do Laynie next!) I've been trying to learn how to use my camera, and yesterday and today she agreed to be my model. We had fun, and I think they came out okay. Riley is in preschool 3 mornings a week and she loves it. We have her conference tomorrow with her teacher, I can't wait to see what she says! She is also taking dance classes Saturday mornings, which she loves. She is a very sweet girl, but also has a bit of an ornery streak. I just love her to pieces. I know it's hard for her sometimes, she was only 19 months when Peyton was born...very much still our baby. She had to share us before she was ready to! She is becoming a great big sister...especially now that Peyton thinks she is 3 too (or 6, depending on if Laynie's home). So here are some pictures of our beautiful Riley...my special girl. Enjoy!

And my personal favorite...

Pey-Pey and Pres

So we made it to Baltimore and back! We left early Thursday morning and got home Saturday afternoon. On Friday, Peyton saw Dr. Ain and Dr. Hoover-Fong. Her appointments went great, she is doing wonderfully! Friday night we met Kim and Preston for dinner...it was great! I have to say...every time we meet people from the blogs (Cat and Owen, Destini and Trace) I have been amazed at how it seems like we already know them. This was no exception! When I found out about Peyton having dwarfism and first posted to the POLP group (when I was still pregnant), Kim was the first person to respond to me with a very sweet email. So I have to say it was so great to meet her in person almost 2 years later. And no matter how cute Preston looks on the blog-he is even cuter in person (same goes for Owen and Trace, we seriously have some handsome boys around here!). Here are some pics from their date...I think Preston liked Peyton, after he got over not seeing the silly chicken. Maybe next time Peyton will bring a chicken with her for him :)

These were taken at a rest area in NC...hey, we'll take snow anywhere we can get it!

And here's my pretty girl in her sister's dance outfit!

All in all, driving wasn't bad! We got to have actual conversations for 3 days whenver we wanted without being interrupted. That was amazing. But I missed my Laynie and Riley and was happy to come home to them.

And if anyone with girls is ever in Florida, please let me know! Peyton could use some girlfriends :)

Flying

The title of this post applies to two things. First...Keith was supposed to be flying to Baltimore this week to take Peyton to her appointments at Hopkins. Now, we hate to fly to begin with...only do it when necessary. So! When a plane decided to "land" in the Hudson River, we started to think about this whole trip. It now looks like Keith, Peyton and I will be driving up to Hopkins and leaving Laynie and Riley home with the Grandparents. It will be a quick trip, leaving Thursday morning and coming home Saturday afternoon. It is kind of crazy, I know, but we will feel more comfortable with it. Plus, it will have the added benefit of meeting Kim and Preston for dinner on our way through Richmond! We are excited about that part of the plan....it is so exciting to get to meet in person! Peyton is scheduled to see Dr. Hoover-Fong and Dr. Ain. We hope to get a good report, as always.

The next thing the title refers to is this picture of my Laynie on the swing this afternoon...I thought it was pretty cool! Do you think we might be in trouble with this one? Look at this face. She is such a wiseguy...I love it.

Here are some other pics of the girls, enjoy!

Last One!

So this is my third and final post of the night! I really need to post more often so that I don't have so much to do at one time!!

This is Laynie and Riley on New Year's Eve...right before they went to bed at 8:30. My girls are party animals. These are just a few random ones of the girls...

Saturday morning we went over to Clearwater beach for a while...the girls had fun running on the beach. It was the first time that Peyton actually walked in the sand...she doesn't particularly like it. The other 2 are beach bums, so hopefully it grows on Peyton!

Saturday night we went to my parents house for dinner. My niece Lindsay came up with her daughter Jocelyn who is 2 months younger than Peyton. The girls all had fun together!

Today was Riley's first day back at school, but Laynie was still off. So after school we went to the park for lunch and playtime with friends! It was great for Laynie to get to play with Lennon. They go to different schools and since they get out so late in the afternoon it's hard for them to get to play together.

Here's Lennon and her sister Campbell

Riley and Campbell

my Peyton

Peyton and Bennett...they are a little blue from the slide!

Here I made it black and white, so they don't look like smurfs!

Hope you enjoyed all the pictures! I also wanted to talk about something (I rarely just talk on here, mainly because my thoughts usually come out all jumbled up) that I was wondering if any other LP moms (or Dads) think about. I was watching a DVD of pictures from my cousin's wedding the girls were in and was reminded of something. I met a girl at the rehearsal (she was the sister of the groom, my cousin was the bride) who had a baby who was 6 months old. Peyton was over by her, and I noticed that when the boy was standing up, they were just about the same height (Pey was 17 months at the time)...it was a little upsetting to me. It's always striking for me to have that moment when I realize how much shorter Peyton is...it's easy to forget about it. Anyways, I went over to talk to the girl and within a few minutes she was asking me about Peyton. I never asked how she knew, I assume my cousin told her. I thought it was so nice of her to come right out and talk to me about it. I always feel like everyone thinks I'll get upset or embarrassed if they bring it up. Like it's a taboo subject. And it isn't for me, not at all. It is who Peyton is and I wouldn't change her if I could. Back to my story...I told you I can't just talk...at the wedding Peyton was dancing up a storm, and gaining quite a bit of attention from everyone. I was standing watching her, with the same girl, and about 3 times people came over to me and asked how old she was, and then said the typical "oh she's so little!" "she's so cute and petite!" comments that I hear everywhere I go. The girl looked at me after the last one walked away and just said "Does that get old??" I tell you at that moment I loved her. It was so refreshing to have someone who wasn't afraid to say something. Anyway...I was just wondering if anyone else feels the same? Like you just wish people would be more open and not act like it's something bad that you want to avoid talking about. For us, it's just Peyton. I don't want her difference to define her, but I don't want to pretend it doesn't exist either. We do have some friends that talk and ask about it, and I'm glad for that. Let's face it, unless you know someone with dwarfism you likely know very little about it. I know I knew nothing! So please, just ask...I don't mind, I promise. Ok, I'm done. From now on I will stick with simple pictures!!

Christmas Eve and Christmas

Christmas Eve we went to Keith's parents house for dinner, and we tried to get a picture of the 5 cousins all together...it kind of worked. Well the together part anyway. There was no way to get them all to smile/look in the same place! But they are cute anyway...
Here's Peyton in her Santa hat!

Riley got this vanity for Christmas, and Peyton got a stool. Put them together, and here is what you get! By the way, Peyton knew I was taking her picture and was being a ham...

I took pictures of the girls outside playing one day...they were somewhat cooperative!

Riley insisted I take her picture...and then this is what she does!

They were all good for this one!

Girly Stuff!

Long time, no post! I have a lot of pictures to post, so there will be a few posts coming. I thought for once I would break it all up instead of doing one mammoth post that no one probably stays awake til the end of anyway! Riley was a present for her school Christmas show...she was so cute!

Although Laynie's birthday was at the beginning of the month, the weekend before Christmas we had a small party for her. She had 3 of her girlfriends (and their little sisters) over, they wore their pjs, fixed their hair, nails, makeup...basically acted like girls. They all had a great time! Here is Riley and Campbell...

Laynie blowing out her cupcake
Here are the girls watching Rudolph

Lexie and Peyton

Pretty Riley

Laynie overdid the lipstick just a bit...

the girls getting all made up

Riley, Campbell and Mikayla

Nina, Laynie and Mikayla

Keith's Grandma's birthday is on Christmas, so every year his uncle has a party for her the weekend before Christmas. Here's Grandma getting ready to blow out the candles...

Peyton and Laynie with their cousin Jack This is Keith's brother Kevin and his Uncle Bob, and of course Keith in the middle

Here's Aiden, Jack's brother and the girls cousin

I'm not sure who this crazy girl is...

And finally...do you think we should start saving for braces??