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Lets just call it RILEY's Birthday MONTH!

Another party?!?! We told you Riley is a PARTY ANIMAL!
When I was growing up my mom's side of the family... the Casagrande's would get together every month to celebrate the cousins birthdays. Now that the cousins are having kids... we want to keep the tradition going. This was a great family time! We all grew up together and enjoyed always having our cousins around. I never felt like an only child with this family!

Poor Ryan joined the family and would be quizzed on everyone's name as we would drive to family events... Now he is part of it all and being attacked by all the little ones. It was funny watching Riley's reaction as Juan and Luke jumped on top of her daddy!

Riley had a great time opening all her presents. We continued with the Nursery Rhyme theme and loved opening each gift to see the creative connections our family members made to the rhymes.
Only Kristy... she has Old Women who lives in a Shoe. Of course she got her a purse to go with her shoes! haha! We also are still laughing with Paula's bowl of baking goods to go with Patty Cake... Shireen and Jared's take on To Market To Market with a stuffed pig holding a gift card to the market and home store. The Leans had Jack Sprat... get it could eat no LEAN and they are the Lean family!! lol They are trying to make Riley fat with a picnic table and fun treats! We had a lot more exciting connections... just sharing a few.

Grammy and Aunt Ruth had fun too! Grammy even wrote Riley a nursery rhyme. 

I know a little girl
named Riley she’s
sweet and cute as she can be
you see I’m her Nanna
she’s related to me!

Riley liked listening to better than she liked hearing Grammy sing I LOVE YOU A BUSHEL AND A PEK! Riley had the funniest reaction! But not as funny as everyone's face when Grammy and Aunt Ruth tried to tease us and say they were not going to make Macaroni for 4th of July! You can't do that to us Casagrandes!!!

Riley had a little help blowing out the candles from Juan...
But did NOT want to eat her cake...

Thanks to Grampy and GG for all the food and cleaning up for my party!! We couldn't have done it without you! The food was great I even ate some of it...haha! And Daddy really loved having a clean house! You rock! xoxo Riley

Thanks to all my cousins and Aunts and Uncles for coming to celebrate my 1st birthday with me!! xoxo Riley

Don't worry the birthday celebrating is still not done! We know we are spoiling her but we can't help ourselves look at that face! And besides with a small... I mean cozy house it is better spreading out the parties rather than one big party. Keep the party alive BABY!!

We LOVE to PARTY!

Another Party? Oh BABY!! We really love to celebrate your birthday! Today lots of our friends came over to wish you a Happy Birthday! and to congratulate Mommy and Daddy for surviving the 1st CRAZY year of the rest of our lives... (duh duh duh... say it in a dramatic and suspenseful way!) haha!

Our house was taken over by about 30 of our close friends... how we managed to squeeze in our tiny house and move around? lol we are still trying to figure that out. But some how it worked!
We thought it would be fun to play up Riley's Nursery Rhyme theme to her party by assigning everyone a special Nursery Rhyme. We encouraged them to be creative when thinking of a gift for Riley and have it some how play off their Nursery Rhyme. 

Some complained... Some laughed at us for our "creative" ideas... But all in all we have to say we have some very creative friends! The Cotes created their own version of Humpty Dumpty... The LaBets we sooo proud of their tree that goes with Rock-A-Bye Baby on a tree top... The Cuneos even did a little research about Pop Goes The Weasel (because of Tati's 1st grade teacher) and played off that! We know even through the belly aching they all really LOVED the creative play off the Nursery Rhymes.
Riley loved all of her thoughtful gifts but towards the end she began to get a little tired... so we had to cut the gift opening short for CAKE!
After a quick outfit change... our little DIVA!
See... we both are playing up the Nursery Rhyme theme with our shirts. Humpty Dumpty and 3 Men in a Tub... soo cute! haha!
Look at this AMAZING Hey Diddle Diddle Cake and cute Humpty Dumpty Cupcakes made by our talented friend Marisa! We had many guest feeling bad about taking a piece of this cake because of how beautiful it was... but after one person said it was equally as delicious... nobody had a problem jumping right in. We are so lucky to have an in house Ace of Cake baker!! Pat-a-Cake Pat-a-Cake MARISA please bake me a cake!! :)
No matter how many times we sing Happy Birthday to Riley it is not going to get old... to Riley that is. This is now her NEW favorite song!
Riley was too tired to dive into her cake... BUT she did eat it... off of everyone else's plate that is. (David followed Riley's lead to everyone's plate.)

As the night got later and later, Riley said NIGHTY NIGHT to all of her friends. She thanked them for joining her in celebrating her 1st birthday! She made sure to hug and kiss each one of them... Riley LOVES to give kisses!
But as tired as she was she did NOT want to go to bed. There was way too much excitement going on and she knew this time she really would be missing out on a party if she went to bed. It took a while but we managed to settle her down and keep the party alive...
The next morning Riley woke up so happy to find out that it all really wasn't a dream. She was super happy to jump right on one left over guest from the party. (Riley's new bean bag chair from the Fogelson's. They had the rhyme Little Miss Muffet... so I guess this is Riley's new TUFFET! Hey thats a great name for her new friend... Meet Tuffet!)

Thank you everyone for celebrating with me!! :) xoxo Riley

Happy 1st Birthday!!! (feel better soon!)

Poor Riley was all ready for her Casagrande birthday party on her actual birthday BUT...
the day before she had a fever so we took her into the Dr. to find she has a double ear infection AND the FLU!!
Then on top of it we were going to get a snow storm on her birthday!!
What a great birthday present for Riley. We postponed her party and celebrated her birthday by relaxing in our PJs all day.

I think Riley's favorite gift is her new microphone... she walks around singing on it all day. She loves to record herself and hear it back. We also gave Riley a kitchen set and golf club that are 2x the size of her... but she loves them! lol She will grow into them rather than worry about her growing out of it too quickly. Ryan also gave her toy cars so that she will feel part of his car searching... yes he is still searching for that special car.
GG and Grampy stopped by to spoil Riley with MORE gifts! We told you she would be reading by the time she is 1 with all the teachers in the family!
Thanks so much to GranDanny and Mo for sending Riley a LOUD drum set! We will be sure to call you up late at night to hear what a wonderful musician she has become. :)
Riley found out quickly about her new magnetic set... that sometime they don't "stick" together.
Move over Sid the Science Kid... Riley loves science too!
When it was time for cake... Riley put on her 1 is fun hat...
Clapped while we sang to her...
Then dug right in to her green cupcake AND icecream cake! YUMMY! (we are still trying to fatten her up... a little over 16 pounds at a year is HUGE! lol)
After cake it was time to play with her NEW toys... GG was excited to give Riley her first jar of peanut butter for her birthday. She can't have a peanut allergy with a GG that eats PBJ everyday for  lunch!
I on the other hand was sooo excited to start Riley off with her first golf lesson...
Ryan listened on too... he wanted to get some good tips. 
Tiger Woods has no idea what is coming his way. And Grampy is super excited to be Riley's caddy!
Riley golf is not a game that can ever master. She took that as a challenge... and lost! lol

Happy 1st Birthday Riley! We hope you had fun and feel better soon! :) Just look at it this way... we didn't postponed your party... we just turned March in your BIRTHDAY MONTH!! Let the celebration continue!

Playgroup CUPCAKES!

Another birthday party? Oh just wait this just the start of Riley's Birthday SEASON!! haha!
I know we had a Playgroup Bithday Party... but on the playgroup around your birthday it is only appropriate to have a little cupcake celebration. This playgroup we honored Sophia, Ana (the big 40!) and Riley...


HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! We love this song now!!
Don't cry Rylee... I'll share my toy with you and make it all better! Us Riley/Rylees better stick together!

Poor Will and Pike! Their moms wanted to see what they would look like... and if they really did look like boys... This will come back and haunt them one day. lol

OH NO!! See you can't look away with Riley! She is now a climber!!
This party was at Sophia's house... last time we were here we all got the BAD stomach bug afterwards. After we left this time we found out Riley go the flu and a double ear ache the next day... along with a few other babies. No more playgroup here! Just kidding... or am I???

School Photos

Riley stopped in school today to visit. We were setting up a portrait studio to take photos of the Bethel High Alumni that work in the district to put on a wall in the NEW Bethel High School. Riley watched people get their photo taken and then came over and tried to climb up on the seat for a photo herself. We sat her on the seat and couldn't get over how still she sat! AND how she looked right at the camera with her little smile! Riley NEVER sits still... AND she really does get what to do with the camera in front of her! haha! She must have been watching us tell everyone what to do so much that she thought it would be easier if she just showed everyone! Riley is one smart cookie!! (and a ham in front of the camera too!)




You think she is ready to work for Bethel??

I CAN'T walk out of the room for 20 seconds...

This is a reenactment...

This is why I can no longer walk out of the room for 20 seconds. I feel like I am back in the classroom begging someone to come and save me so I can take a bathroom break! She is not even 1 yet!!!

Dante's Christening

Riley was told by Elizabeth to stay in the church during Dante's Christening. She was not to go in the baby room. Well... I was taking photos and Ryan was video taping. Marisa offered to play with Riley in the pews... haha! in the pews... Riley had a different agenda.

Riley walked around the church singing (or laughing really loud) at just the right timing today! It was too cute! Everyone was laughing... especially the Fusaros!

Nobody puts Riley in the corner. This girl is on the go!

Look at Riley's leg... intising Dante to eat his cake! lol 

Notice in this photo the wall... see the red wine stain? Ryan, Gianna and Riley were playing and OPPS! Who bring a kid to a restaurant like this? lol And lets her run around? haha!

God Bless Dante! (Check back here soon for a link to the slideshow.)

Sharing with Pike

Riley loves her buddy Pike! She also LOVES his pacifier. Funny thing is Riley wont take a pacifier if we give it to her... only Pikes!
Poor Pike would rather listen to the story and keep his pacifier...
HAHA! Got it! :) 
Look how proud of herself she is! Just think of it as she is teaching Pike to share. Oh Riley!!

Happy Birthday Grampy!

Happy Birthday Grampy!

Happy Birthday to my Grampy!

He is the guy who comes and plays with me when my mommy goes to work!

He is the old man who only cares that I take naps when he needs his nap other wise he doesn't care if I take naps because he wants to play with me all day.

Grampy is the scientist who watches Sid the Science Kid with me and then takes me to the playroom to do our own science experiments.

Grampy has reports everyday when mommy and daddy come home on the new behaviors I am learning and what they can do to help me develop.

He is also the chef who creates new foods for me to try... I am a picky eater!

Grampy is brave and will take me to a free music class with all breastfeeding moms and a crazy singing teacher.

He also takes beautiful photos of me and my friends whenever he gets a chance.

Grampy is my reading teacher too... Your baby can read, really does work!

Grampy lets me fall asleep on him.

Grampy also got a BLUE Smart Car just for me and him... and it only fits me and my Grampy!

He also doesn't care when I make a mess in the house, on him with my food, in my diaper...he says a mess means we are having fun.

He is the best when it comes to showing me off and telling everyone he come in contact with a story about me. His boss even tells me what a proud Grampy I have!

Grampy is the best! I am lucky to have such a cool Grampy!

My 1st 1st Birthday Party

More to come...
just a photo to show you what a cool 1st birthday party I had with my playgroup...

xoxo

Daddy took Mommy to dinner in Little Italy for Valentines Day while I stayed home with GG and Grampy! HAHA! I tricked them to let me stay up till 11PM! I had so much fun chasing Brady around that we lost track of time. Oh Boy!
Happy Valentines Day! xoxo Riley

Happy Valentines Day

Happy 1st Valentines Day!
xoxo Riley

LUNCH!

Yummy Yummy!
One day Riley LOVES to eat the next she refuses. One day Riley LOVES a specific food and can't get enough of it. The next day you can't bring the food anywhere near her. I know this is a common trait of a toddler... and it does make feeding time VERY interesting!

We end up taking a bunch of different foods out and introduce them to her slowly... if she likes it then we keep going with it for a while. If not we try again with another and even revisit what she didn't like a minute ago. She is like New England weather... you don't like it? Wait a minute it will change again. lol

Riley usually LOVES food with a lot of flavor. Meatballs, Pepperoni Rolls, Grilled Cheese, French Toast, Fruit, Humus, Yogurt, Pizza... But the key here is she likes to feed it to herself! She is a big kid now! lol She can do it herself! lol Spoon fed? Blah! Oh Riley you are sooo silly!





One thing we did find out that was working great for a little while... We were trying to ween her and get her to like Whole Milk. BUT Riley does not care for it much. She would rather play with the sippy cup. UNTIL we put a little chocolate syrup in the cup... MMMM! We will see how long this lasts!

Teacher Playdate

SUPER RILEY!

Riley was so excited today for her friends to come over. Lorin, Kristy and Jill (all teachers) came over to play with their babies. We didn't talk about CMTs, the kids in our class (or former class) OR any of the school lunch room talk... We had a nice relaxing time sharing stories about the babies.

Riley LOVES little Liza! Kaelyn shared her baby sister with Riley today...
Jill had Avery all ready to play. But Avery would rather sleep most of the time. Lucky Jill! lol Enjoy it now while you can.
Handsome little Mikey loved being around all the ladies!
Riley took Mikey for a walk around the neighborhood on this random WARM day in February. The walk made us sooo excited that spring is around the corner. (I know winter is not done... we are going to have a few more snow storms!)