Syrup Sop and Books

A little blurry, I know, but I love this smile!

Sitting up, Riley reaches over, grabs this and pulls it down on himself. I've seen him pick this thing up and move it from one spot to another. He's kind of "rough and tumble."

Riley was 20lbs, 12oz last Thursday. Still doing great with his baby food. We're about to move up to stage 2 (a little more food per jar), because he finishes his food so fast and fusses for more. We have switched to oat cereal because he was having too many constipation problems caused by rice cereal. That seems to have helped. He loves his oat cereal!!! Soon he'll be having oatmeal and fresh juice with Gramps.

Yesterday, we went to the Loachapoka Syrup Sop. Scott and I have enjoyed going to this the past few years and getting our Hardee's biscuits and cane syrup. Mmmmm. While we were sopping our biscuits, Riley got a good look at a dog that was fenced right next to the biscuit tent. The dog just stared at Riley and Riley stared back. He was very interested in the dog. That was his first really good look at a dog. We kept saying, "Dogs say buff, buff, buff." I know what you're thinking, "dogs don't say buff, buff, buff" maybe "bark," "ruff," "woof." To Riley, they say "buff" because that's what his favorite book says that they say (crazy Patricia Polacco). He also had the opportunity to look at a horse, but he was too tired to look beyond his plastic triangle and links.

Daddy took this picture at the Sop while we were dancing to a bluegrass band playing "Rocky Top." In Riley's left hand are three leaves that were on this branch. When Scott got out the camera, Riley was studying the leaves and looking at them with such curiousity. I said, "Our little botanist." Then he started grabbing the branch. I would release his hand, and he would grab it back over and over. See that look on his face? It's determination (with a good mix of defiance).

Riley's love for books is just amazing. He'd probably sit in my lap and let me read to him for half of the day. Anytime he is upset, we can pull out a book, and he gets so excited. He prefers the books with rhythm of course, and he's not at all interested in books that don't have that yet. I used to read 3 books a night, but now it's more like 6 or 7. As soon as I close one book, he looks to the pile of books on our right to see what's next. Even after the last book (which is almost always "Goodnight Moon"), he still looks to the right for another one. Riley's Grandma (Scott's mom) has a book "You are my I love you," and when I read it, I got really choked up. I told Riley's Bebe (my mom) about it. She found it and got it for Riley. This is a new favorite of his. He loves it. As I read it to him and think about how much I love him, it also reminds me of how much our moms love us and what we meant and mean to them. Before becoming a parent, I thought I understood the love a parent has for a child, but now I often hear in my head those times my mom said, "one day, you'll understand how much I love you." So true! Back to the books. Riley likes to "read along" with some of the books. So with the Patricia Polacco book Mommies say shhh, Riley ALWAYS makes noises when I get to the cat page and read, "meow, meow, meow." In fact, he gets really excited at the cow page, because he knows the cat page is next. I think he thinks he's saying "meow." It sounds nothing like "meow," but he says it three times along with me and there is a change in pitch just like in my meows. He also reads along with Berenstain's Bears in the Night. When I get to the owl that says "Whoooooo," he "oooooooo"s right after me. There are three "Whoooo"s in the book. He always repeats the last two. Always. It's adorable!