Michael's WOCS Graduation

Michael is now officially an officer--WO1 Michael Riker! I am so incredibly proud of him.  He finished the process that was started almost a year ago with graduation on Saturday.  He did the in-state program through the RTI at Camp Atterbury, which involved 5 drills and an AT.  It was very intense, a lot of work, challenging, and stressful.  But now we can all move forward and are excited for new opportunities and experiences that this will bring.

Fireworks At Last

Our 4th of July festivities kicked off on the 3rd.  We had Alex and Mi Kayla over for a cookout and then we went to the fireworks show.  We haven't  been in years together and I haven't been since I was pregnant with Nate.  So I was pretty excited to get back to some traditional 4th of July activities!  I had the kids nap late so they would make it until then (the show didn't start until 10pm), which worked out nicely.  Our friend Wanda and her daughter Corry joined us there as well.  Columbus fireworks are always done on the 3rd, which I like because Michael always has off on the 4th but works the day after.  The local radio channel sets up the fireworks with music and it's an awesome show. Except this year. I hate to even complain because they were still beautiful, but just not quite what we remember. The music was off, the show was short and the finale was anticlimactic. BUT, it was fun, the kids loved it-no tears-and stayed awake the whole time, and it was awesome to have family and friends together and to restart this tradition that has been long overdue.



















On the 4th we had our friends, the Herters, over for a pitch-in dinner. We made pulled pork sandwiches, which I haven't done but maybe once a looong time ago. Dinner turned out great and the kids played outside afterwards so us adults could enjoy a visit.  The weather was perfect too-the rain held out and it wasn't super hot. We did this last year but it was so hot that we stayed inside the entire time. Overall, a pretty good 4th of July!

Nate is Three Years Old!

Nate had his 3rd birthday this past week.  Three years old! Time is really going by fast. Three is such a big change, no more toddler--now a preschooler, and boy, does it feel like it!  He just seems so much older this past month, with his speech, potty training, and need to do things on his own.  He is a big helper and is a little funny man.  He also likes to point out when Maddie is doing something naughty, but also shows her so much brotherly love (usually with unwanted hugs around her neck!) that it all balances out.

The birthday celebrations started on Thursday with Thanksgiving at Mamaw and Papaw's house.  We enjoyed a delicious dinner and then Nate opened his present from them. He was so excited, jumping up and down. 

On Saturday we gave him his presents from us (new train set and train table).  He loves them and it has been such a good babysitter, eh hem, gift for him, keeping him busy. :)

Saturday evening the Toppes came up with more gifts and fun!  Nate has been talking all week about Landon and Lucas and his "birthday party" and monkey cake.  Even though it wasn't a party he wouldn't have known the difference, all he needed was his Landon.  They kept busy with all the new toys, while the rest of us played the XBox Kinect.  I don't have any good pictures of our dance moves, but trust me, they were good. ;) 

Landon's 3rd Birthday Party

Saturday afternoon we headed down to Landon's birthday party.  The kids had so much fun (of course!).  Nate is at the age where he can run and play with everyone, so he loves all the "new" toys to play with and running around outside.  Landon and Nate are finally playing together (awesome!) and not beating each other up, or should I say Landon beating up Nate, so they have a great time.  Maddie loves all the different toys to play with and exploring the environment, still unaware that she's not running with the big kids, and so still having fun.

The party was great. Jeremy cooked hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill and Jaime made this delicious apple dip-yummy!  The cake was a hit, I'm so glad he liked it.  He liked it so much he stuck his face in it! I figured he might do something like that so I made the hill/tunnel just for him!  He's such a character.  He got so many new puzzles.  I really think he's a puzzle prodigy-is that such a thing?  The kid is amazing!  I've never seen someone so young tackle these big kid puzzles before.  And I love doing them with him-we are bonding now through puzzles! :)

Maddie is One!

My baby is now officially a toddler! I am excited about each new stage and development as the children grow, but it is hard to say good-bye to the baby days, knowing they are forever gone. She is now my big girl, and what a big girl she has all of a sudden become.  She's been walking for what feels like forever, but now her attitude feels much older, just overnight.  She is no longer content to sit in the cart at the store, she wants down so she can explore! She just knows what she wants now and is no longer willing to just "go along with things", although is still pretty happy and content. 

She came down with a fever last week and after a couple of days I took her in to the doctor.  No other symptoms and the doctor sent us home.  The fever finally broke on Sunday and she got a rash so I'm diagnosing her with Roseola.  It made her lethargic and fussy, but she was a trooper for her birthday party on Saturday.

We had our friends and family over for a birthday celebration cook out.  We had the kiddie pool and sprinkler toy out for the kids and Michael's coworker brought a bouncy house.  So the kids had a lot of fun and expelled a lot of energy.  Maddie, of course, had no idea that any of this was for her, but seemed to enjoy the attention.  She wasn't really interested in opening her presents.  She did try a few but I think I spent more time chasing after her-she just wanted to keep running away with tissue in her hand.  She played a little bit in her smoosh cake but didn't take one bite.

Anniversary #5

Can you believe we've been married for five years!?! Me either! :)
It feels like it has flown by, with so many changes--like two tikes--among many other things!  Michael had drill (of course) but luckily he was done earlier than normal because he had ceremonial duties this weekend and so we got to spend more than a couple of hours together.

No big celebration.  Just some reheated take-out Chinese from the night before and I made a cake.  We watched our wedding video, which was awesome to see again.  Nate thought seeing Mommy and Daddy on tv was hysterical and couldn't stop laughing.  And an early night, which is no different from most other nights because we are so exciting.

It feels good to be married five years and look forward to many more years to come.

Madelyn Frances Riker

She is finally here! Sometimes I still can't believe it...all that time spent anxiously awaiting her arrival, but now there is no more waiting. She is finally here to love on and hold in my arms, which in fact she is doing right now. So here is her story of her birthday....

Her due date was Wednesday, July 27th, but of course she couldn't be early to the party. We made sure she wasn't too late and had the induction scheduled for Friday, July 29th. Even though I've had contractions for the last couple of months it was very infrequent and never more than just a couple at a time, at best a couple times a week. So that Tuesday when I woke up at 3am with "cramps" and still had them when Michael got up for work at 5am, I thought that this was really going to happen that day. Nope, of course not. I had contractions for 7 hours and then they just stopped. I was feeling contractions when I went in to the hospital on Friday, but nothing regular or very strong. When I was hooked up to the machine they showed up and even the nurse thought that this was going to be a quick labor (she had joked that maybe just sniffing the pitocin might be enough). I thought it would be quicker than Nate's labor, since she was my second and I was already starting at 3cm.

The pitocin was started at 8:30am. It was slow moving after that. I was only 3.5cm by 11:15am. Very disappointing. So the doctor decided to break my water and hopefully that would help get things moving along. At 12:30 I was only 4cm which was depressing, because by this time my contractions were very strong and I thought I would be making real progress. So no surprise that I opted for the epidural, which of course helped a lot. At 2:25 I was 5cm and we were all thinking that it might be a longer night than we had thought. BUT, not even an hour later (3:15) I was feeling some pressure and so the nurse checked me and sure enough, I was at 10cm and the head was right there! I pushed through 5 contractions and Miss Madelyn was born at 3:27pm.

It was amazing! We did skin to skin, so right after she was born they laid her on my chest. She instantly stopped crying. I was overjoyed to finally have my baby girl here. The rest of the afternoon/evening is a blur. Michael's parents came up to the hospital and Michael went and got Nate so he could meet his little sister. She was given a bath and I was given dinner (food finally!) and after everyone left it was just the three of us. The beginning of long nights with no sleep has begun! But we are so happy to have her here with us, after all this waiting, it was worth it. She is precious as can be. And although the first day was rough (a lot of crying) things have smoothed out and she is a very good baby.

8lbs 13oz, 21 inches long

Valentine's Day

Michael and I never buy each other anything for Valentine's Day, as I already feel it's too commercialized. But I think it is a good time to remind each other how much we love each other and be extra loving on this day (never hurts, right?). Each year we make each other gifts instead; we have made photos, music CD's, cards, etc. This year I thought it would be nice to just write something nice or a compliment on a slip of paper, one for each day of the month. We started on the 1st and it has been so nice, and something we each look forward to reading each day, and something that will continue even though Valentine's Day is over.

So I wasn't expecting anything yesterday. Michael called me in the morning to tell me that everyone enjoyed the cupcakes I sent with him to work (which secretly I was hoping they didn't and he would come home with some--I really enjoyed them and ate 3 the night before and wanted some more!). He asked what we were up to today. When I told him we were going grocery shopping he told me no, to stay home. Very weird and suspicious. So I thought that it was either going to be one of two things: he was having flowers sent to the house and I needed to be home or he was going to take us out for dinner when he got home and we could just do the grocery shopping then. So I was really surprised when an hour later Michael comes walking through the front door! He had taken the rest of the day off and arranged for Nate to go to daycare so that we could have a fun day. After dropping Nate off, we went out to lunch, did some window shopping, and went to a matinee to see Just Go With It. It was such a nice time and so unexpected. It was so nice to be able to spend Valentine's Day together this year.

Nate's 1st Birthday Party

We celebrated Nate's first birthday on Saturday!

Lucas and Naurissa helping Nate open his presents

Landon "helping" Nate play (aka take away)with his new toys

Nate's Moose and Zee cake

enjoying his birthday cake

so messy!!

Landon Turns One

On Sunday, we went down to Scottsburg to celebrate my nephew Landon's first birthday. I cannot believe it has been a year since he was born. It seems like just yesterday that Jeremy was calling me from the car (racing down the highway) letting me know they were on their way to the hospital, with Jaime screaming in the background. I always say if Jaime could go through childbirth naturally, anyone can! I, never intend to, unless absolutely necessary--meaning I have no choice!

Little Landon is so adorable and toddling around everywhere. It makes a baby seem so much older instantly when they begin to walk. After opening presents, with a little help from big brother Lucas, he got to enjoy some birthday cake. What a mess! But he enjoyed it (of course, he's his mother's child) and it was so cute to see him eating his birthday cake.

I'm probably the only sad to see the babies growing up. It's exciting to see them grow and watch as they learn new things, but I love babies and it's the time that I treasure, knowing I'll never get it back again. Nate kept standing up all night, for several seconds at a time, and it was so exciting. Michael and I would clap and he would get so excited, so proud of himself and he had to just keep trying. So I know it won't be long before it's his first birthday and he's walking around. Amazing how quickly the time goes by! Guess I better start planning his party now!

Hello 30!

The day has been looming for quite some time and yesterday it happened, I turned 30. How did this happen? Wasn't I just 25? 18? 5? In the years leading up to this day I didn't think that I would have a problem with it at all. Just another year, just another birthday. Well, in the days leading up to it, it got harder and harder. What is it about turning 30? I thought about the past decade and all the changes. I joined the military. Deployed. Got out. Fell in love. Got married. Had a baby. Traveled, a lot. Went to school and graduated. Moved to Indiana. Bought a house. Adopted a puppy. And those are just the big things. Not enough time to mention all the small memories that can be just as significant. So I've decided that instead of being sad that my 20's are going, I'm going to look forward to my 30's, excited to see what is in store for me.

The whole weekend was a celebration, thanks to my amazing husband. On Saturday we went out to dinner at Joe's Crab Shack up in Greenwood. So yummy. It has been years since I've been to a Joe's. We had a good dinner (tried crab dip for the first time) and the environment there is perfect for Nate--he enjoyed the music and the bright colored t-shirts. Afterwards we headed over to Babies R Us, which seems to be our favorite store ever since Nate came along. We never get tired of looking at/buying things for the kid. We got a new front carrier since the one he has is too small (big surprise) and it's much easier to carry him around in the carrier than to hold him. We ended the night with a stop at DQ for some blizzards.

On Saturday Jaime, Jeremy, and the boys came up to cook out for dinner. Jaime and I went to get pedicures while the boys stayed at home (ah, freedom!). We also stopped at the outlet mall to pick up some clothes for Lucas. When we got home there were a few cars out front. I thought, I don't think it's just going to be a cook out today! I walked in to a house full of people all shouting 'surprise'! I found out later Michael had been planning this party for awhile and I had no idea. Sneaky man. It really made me feel special that he went through all the work to plan and put together this party for me. It was so good to see friends and family and have them here to celebrate turning 30 with me. There were balloons and decorations all over the house. Michael got two cakes, a regular cake and an ice cream cake. And now with our patio, it was nice to be able to have people inside and out, and the kids enjoyed the play set. It worked out really nice and I see many future parties/get togethers here.

It was a fantastic way to kick off the new decade of my life. I am happy and healthy. Life is good and I am blessed.

Nathan Michael Riker

I'm finally going to get a minute to update this blog! Hopefully I'll be able to finish it all in one sitting. Michael ran up the to store and Nathan is sleeping. Yes, my little baby Nate is here. Let me start from the beginning...

We got to the hospital and checked in on Monday at 7:30am. They gave me the pitocin at 8:30am, and labor had officially began. Jaime came up that morning and brought the dogs to the kennel and then headed up to the hospital. Labor seemed to progress slowly, and I was becoming discouraged each time I was checked and only changed by a centimeter, if that. We spent the morning watching tv and scrapbooking. Sometime in the afternoon the doctor broke my water and I was given my epidural. After he broke my water the contractions really kicked up and I was ready for my epidural. I was checked again in the afternoon and was only to 4.5cm. The doctor said I had several more hours ahead and so I didn't think I would have him until late evening. I was getting a little worried that things weren't going to progress like they should. Although it wasn't too much later and I started getting the shakes. I didn't feel cold but they put warm blankets on me, which felt nice and the extra weight was good. The nurse said I could be shaking from the increase in hormones. My body must have been shooting out the hormones because I was shaking and a couple hours of that I started feeling this pressure, like I needed to go to the bathroom. It was different than the regular contractions that felt like menstrual cramps in my lower abdomen. I felt the need to push. Michael called the nurse in and she checked me and said, are you ready to have a baby? I couldn't believe it. Hours had gone by with not much result and then in the last couple of hours I went from 4.5cm to 9.5cm. I couldn't believe it was actually happening. I pushed for 45 minutes and then heard the most beautiful sound I have ever heard in my entire life, the sound of my son crying. I still get emotional thinking about the moment I held him for the first time. Michael cut the cord and gave him his first bath. All I could think is he is here, finally, and the most precious baby I have ever seen. He weighed 8lbs 6oz and was 21" long.

He is now almost a week old. Things are falling into place more each day. We had some difficulties with his eating at first, but that has smoothed out. He sleeps and eats most of the time. I feel like a milking machine. And as exhausted as I am right now, I wouldn't have it any other way. I love him to pieces, could stare at him forever, and couldn't imagine not having him. Everyone is right, having a child changes everything, but is completely worth it.

**Note-I didn't get this finished in one sitting...welcome to parenthood, huh!?!

Trick O' Treat

The Toppes came up on Saturday. They were in the area for their family pictures and came over afterwards so that Lucas could go trick or treating in the neighborhood. He dressed up as a ninja and it was so cute to watch him go to the houses. He was so excited about getting candy and was so happy when one lady commented how nice his costume was. We probably hit less than a dozen houses but he was ready and that was good amount for a 3 year old. We came back to the house to look at all the candy he got, drink some hot cocoa, and watch a Halloween tv special. I'm so glad they came up so I could go trick or treating with them. These are the activities I can't wait to do with my own kids. It will be such a fun part of parenting. And I haven't been in a really fall festive mood with Michael gone (I didn't even carve a pumpkin which means no seeds for me), but I just wasn't into it. I can always count on little Lucas to lift my spirits. And maybe trick or treating will be a new tradition for our families.

Landon Elijah Toppe

Is officially here! He was born yesterday, September 27th at 2:03pm. He weighs 7lbs 6.5oz and is 21" long. Jaime had called me in the morning, she had been having contractions since very early that morning, but nothing was regular so she thought it was false labor. Well, obviously it wasn't. Closer to noon she called and said I better head down that they were going to head to the hospital. I didn't know how long I would be down there and so I thought I would just drop the dogs off at their house and then head down from there. What a mistake! Jaime barely made it to the hospital before having him. There was no time for an epidural and in 3 pushes he was out. I was sad that I missed it and especially not to be there for Jaime going through all of that, but I am happy that both baby and mom are doing well. I am just so proud of her and if you knew her pain tolerance you would be too. He is a beautiful baby, looks just like his big brother. It will be interesting to watch him grow. Lucas was so tender with him, it was amazing to see. Just the look of awe on his face---there are no words to describe it. He is a proud big brother.

My Birthday

Officially another year older. I never feel it though. Well, not all of the time. :) Where does all the time go? Hopefully this next year will pass as quickly as the last and then time can slow down a little bit. Lucas was here this weekend so we spent the day watching a movie, going for a walk, and playing in the water outside-oh boy it's getting hot out there! Jaime came up in the evening and we went out for dinner. We tried a new Japanese place (we usually go to Benihana's). It was good--probably not quite as good as Benihana, but I enjoyed it. I loved watching Lucas' face when the chef was preparing the food. It was so cute. We stopped at Babys R Us because Jaime wanted to get Baby Nate an outfit, which she ended up getting him two! Afterwards we came home for some birthday root beer floats--yep, a candle in the ice cream! And while I missed Michael not being home for my birthday (we were able to chat online earlier that day) it was still a good birthday.

Graduation Celebration

On Saturday my friend asked me to come up to watch her little girl's soccer game. Afterwards, her mom took the kids and we had lunch at Olive Garden. Little did I know it was all a big ploy to get me out of my house. Apparently, Jaime planned a surprise open house for my graduation. When I pulled up to my house there were several cars parked outside. I was wondering what in the world was going on. I was completely clueless until I walked up to my door and saw a graduation sign and Jaime standing in the front room with a video camera! I was shocked! I usually catch on to things and have somewhat of an idea that something is going on, but this time, nada. I even talked to Lucas that morning and he was telling me all about how he was going to come over and there were balloons. Well, Jeremy was going to come up to mow the lawn and so when I talked to him he said that Lucas thought he was going with him and they were playing water balloons that morning. Duh. My only thought was, hmm, water balloons in the morning, isn't it a little chilly for that? Haha!

There was a ton of food and a cake with a little bobble-head graduate on it with a picture of me when I was a kid for the face. It was really nice to visit with friends and family--especially some family that I don't get to see very often. I was really touched that this was all planned for me. I cannot express how much it meant and how good it made me feel. Thank you, Jaime. There aren't words.

And tonight...tonight I graduated! Whew, it's as amazing to type it as it is to say it aloud. The ceremony was long and boring, but I am glad I attended. Some parts of the last four years have been hard, but through all the highs and lows, I have made it to the end. I am so happy and so proud. And excited...although anxious to see what this next chapter in life will bring. I would like to take this time to thank all my family and friends, all the people around me that supported me and encouraged me through this journey.

The Praxis II

Is the state teaching license exams that I took about a month ago. These are the tests that I have to pass in order to get my teaching license. I got the results yesterday and....looks like I'll be getting my license! I passed! It was such a good feeling opening up that document. I saw the scores but they didn't mean anything to me. I had to scroll down frantically to find out what I needed to pass. When I saw the numbers and a big fat PASSED next to them I was so excited. They were difficult tests and they took a long time to complete and I am so glad I don't have to take them again. So, we went out and grabbed a bite to eat to celebrate and then did some window shopping-our favorite kind of shopping.

Happy Valentine's Day

We weren't planning on doing anything (well, at least I didn't know we were going to do anything) for Valentine's Day. However, Michael was planning a big surprise for the day, but none of which worked out. He had wanted to go to a pottery place to make some pots. The only one in town here just lets you paint the pots, not make them. He had this whole vision of making them on the pottery wheel and so he tried finding one everywhere, but with no luck. His second big surprise was to get up early and make me breakfast. He had a fitful night of sleep, or lack thereof, and he woke up to find no syrup. He was so disappointed that nothing was working out. I was just so happy with his intentions on making the day special. We ended up going to Indy for a late lunch at Red Lobster (which if you know Michael, you know this is love taking me here--he is not that big on seafood) and then went to the movies. We saw Dark Knight at the IMAX theater, which was amazing. Neither of us had been to an IMAX movie before. It is incredible and it really is an experience. Every explosion vibrated the seats and some of the views can make you dizzy or feel like you're falling too. So much fun.

We don't get into the whole commercialism of Valentine's Day and our tradition is to always make each other our gifts. This year we decided on music CD's. We thought it would be an ideal gift this year since we will be spending most of the year apart and it will give us something to listen to and hopefully feel closer to each other with. The project itself was a little more time consuming that we had thought so neither of us had it finished by Saturday. We are exchanging them tonight--I'm so excited!

My Early Birthday Celebration

Since Jaime is going to be gone on training during my birthday this year, we celebrated it yesterday. The plan was to meet down in Clarksville in the afternoon to do some shopping before going to the Derby Dinner Theater. When she called me in the morning, we were both ready to head down right away, so we met a little early for lunch before shopping. We went to Red Lobster (of course) and on top of lunch we had yummy frosted drinks and chocolate dessert. Then we headed over to the mall to do a little shopping. We walked around some different stores but spent the most time in New York & Co. They were having really good sales and we tried on so many different clothes. It was just fun trying on different outfits. I got a cute new purse and some tops and bottoms. I also got a suit for $16, that's right, $16. The day could have ended there and it would have been a good day. But we still had the dinner theater to go to. We had to stop off at Kmart to pick up some ibuprofen to kill the slight headache that was forming. We also got some breathe mints for Jaime now that she can't chew gum due to her spacers (she's getting braces). When we got to the theater, there were balloons tied to my chair. I was so excited and surprised. We had dinner and then, of course, dessert again. I have been craving strawberry shortcake all summer so that's what I got. Jaime got chocolate again, of course. After dinner, there was a little pre-show. Then they brought out a little birthday cake with a sparkler in it! I was so excited. Since we already had dessert (Jaime didn't want to ruin the surprise) we just tucked the cake away in a box. The play was Beauty and the Beast, my most favorite Disney movie. The play was amazing. The actors were incredible. They sang all of the songs from the movie as well as some other ones just for the play. And we now have a thing for French candlesticks. If you went to the play, you'd understand why. The whole day, from start to end, was absolutely wonderful. I cannot say enough how wonderful my early birthday celebration was. It was such an amazing day. I could never thank Jaime enough for making my day so special.

The 4th of July

The Columbus fireworks are on the 3rd every year so Jaime and Lucas and our friend Wanda came over Thursday evening for a cookout. Lucas was helping me with the ground beef to make hamburgers. We were sorting it (to freeze different portions) and everything was going good until he got the great idea to taste some of it. He instantly didn't like it and Jaime washed his mouth out. I thought it was hilarious but Jaime could just envision him getting sick from the raw meat. He was fine, but that ended our cooking fun. What can I say, he's a garbage pail kid. After dinner, we lit some of those black snakes and threw around some of those poppers--I can't think of their name. Then we headed over to the airfield for the musical firework show. I always enjoy fireworks, but I really like the way Columbus does it with the music set to the show. It lasted about 30 minutes, Lucas fell asleep about halfway through, and then we headed back home. We were all pretty exhausted and it wasn't long before we were all fast asleep.

Lucas woke up bright and early (5am) the next morning. While Lucas is a lot to handle and very exhausting, I always enjoy having them up here. I bought him a big bag of balls and we played with those for awhile. I also bought him some crayons, which I learned that you can't turn your back on him for 1 millisecond or the carpet will end up being the canvas for his artwork. Luckily it washed out, for the most part. During Lucas's nap Jaime and I were able to get another page done in her pregnancy scrapbook. We also got one done before bed after Lucas went down. At this rate, we'll be done with it in about 17 years. For dinner we actually planned it out this time, so when we went to Texas Roadhouse we went early and called ahead. We got right in. I think that was the first time on a Friday or Saturday that we showed up and didn't have to hear it was going to be a 90 minute wait.

Saturday, we went to Michael's parents for the rest of the weekend. They got another little chihuahua, only about 8 weeks old. She's about a pound and so fluffy and cute. Sammy seemed to get along with her much better than the other one, which is good, but she still can't play with them. She's just too big and would hurt them even if she didn't mean to. When she's around Zeus she looks so little and then when we take her over to his parents she looks like a giant. But she was very well behaved around the dogs. We watched a couple movies and talked and we showed them pictures of the flood and tornado mess.

And now it's Sunday already. It's been a nice long weekend and it was good to visit with family and friends. I always love the Fourth of July and everything that goes with it. Now it's time to go back to the routine. I have to get some grocery shopping done and get ready for school tomorrow (only 2 more weeks).