Teya lost her 1st tooth!!

A couple weeks ago I noticed a permanent tooth coming in behind Teya's baby teeth.

It kind of freaked me out for 2 reasons.

1)  Two sets of teeth just look shark-like and kind of scary

2) Baby teeth are the last babyish thing Teya is holding on to. Once she loses those I feel like she's going to grow up on me and I'm not ready for that!

Once I got over my freak-out I told her she needed to start wiggling her baby teeth so they'd come out and we could make room for the permanent ones.

She wiggled and wiggled until that baby tooth got so lose it was ridiculous.

Finally last Sunday she let me have a go at it. She was definitely scared but once she let me really grip it it popped right out. Taber caught it on video and her reaction is priceless. She literally says, "I'm so happy I'm crying!" You have to watch it.

That night she put her tooth safely under her pillow for the tooth fairy.

Meanwhile the tooth fairies were in a quandary over how much a 5 year old's first baby tooth is worth. Tooth Fairy B thought $1 was good but Tooth Fairy T thought such a significant milestone deserved more. Luckily Teya's tooth fairies have a Facebook account and were able to consult with other fairies across the country. After several fairies weighed in it was decided that the first tooth was indeed significant enough for a $5 prize, but all the other's would go for $1. 

The next morning Teya woke up to find that her tooth was gone and in it's place was a crisp 5 dollar bill and a note written on flowery paper in handwriting so tiny it could only have been written by a fairy. 

She was on cloud nine and said she didn't even feel a thing when the tooth fairy took her tooth. Those fairies have skills, no doubt.

Later I took her to the dollar store so she could spend her money. Since there's no sales tax where we live she was able to pick out 5 things. True to character, she skipped right past all the candy and went straight for the puzzles and coloring books. She bought a princess puzzle, a my little pony coloring book, some glow in the dark stars, a Tangled notebook, and then without any prompting from me, told Brinley she could pick one thing out too. Brinley chose a stuffed caterpillar and both girls were happy as could be. 

The whole thing was pretty exciting and fun to mark off another big milestone for Teya. 

(and her fairies. : )

Cam's 9 month pictures and stats

These were supposed to be Cam's 6 month pictures but between ear infections, crazy schedules and just trying to find that elusive slot of time where he is happy, fed and doesn't need a nap, they ended up being his 9 month pictures. : ) 

So yes, Cam is now 9 months old

He weighs 20 lbs 10 oz (58th percentile)

and is 28.5 inches long (53rd percentile)

We have finally gotten him on a real schedule where he takes two naps a day, then goes to bed at 6:30 and sleeps for 12 hours. GLORIOUS!

He is eating a lot of solids now. We still do baby food but he also likes pasta, bananas, avocados, sweet potatoes, cooked carrots, Cheerios, bread and pancakes.

He is also finally taking a bottle and is officially weaned! (full post to come on this later but lets just say that for me, weaning my little piranha has been a very good thing ; )

He army crawls like a champ and can get almost anywhere he wants at record speed.

He is also still a major thumb sucker and has sucked his poor little thumb raw. I tried covering it with a sock the other day to see if he would go for his other thumb but he just screamed for 30 minutes till I took it off and then he popped it back in his mouth and fell right asleep.  What can you do?

So that is the latest and greatest with our little man. Hope you enjoy the pics, I think they came out pretty cute : )

Happy handsome boy.

 Rockin' the orange puffy vest

Munching his kakui nuts (love how they match his eyes btw : )

This one is my favorite! Love it so much I can't stop looking at it.  :)

HUGE thanks to auntie Naomi for making him that cute malo and sending out the haku and kakui nuts. 

 Adorable

My chubby love : )

Teya's first cavity

Today I took Teya in to have her cavity filled. I'll admit, I was nervous. I didn't let her know it, but my stomach was in knots imagining how she would react to the whole experience. I spent the week before talking excitedly about how "FUN" it would be to get her "silver star!" (aka cavity filling.) I talked it up like it was the best thing that was ever gonna happen to her.

She bought the whole thing and was jumping up and down for joy to be at the dentists this morning. I on the other hand was not. I was feeling sick for telling her that it was going to be so great. I just knew something was going to go wrong, she'd see the needle and flip out, the drill would scare her, the laughing gas would make her sick, something was going to happen and she would never forgive me for telling her it was fun.

I kept my cool when they took us back and Teya was still all smiles and happiness when they put the laughing gas on her.

Then they pulled out the giant needle. The Dr. Suess cartoon does not exaggerate! THAT IS SERIOULSY HOW BIG IT IS!! My whole body tensed and I braced myself for her reaction. I was sure she would start screaming and thrashing around in the chair. My heartbeat accelarted and I watched in slow motion as they stuck that monster in her mouth.

Her little legs went stiff but the nurse quickly grabbed her hand and the dentist starting telling her a joke. The next sound that came out of her mouth wasn't a scream, it was a laugh! She was laughing with a giant needle in her mouth. The nurse talked about how silly it was that they were putting sleepy juice on her tooth. The dentist said, "boy I hope your teeth don't snore when they sleep!" Everyone was laughing, Teya loudest of all. I started to relax and realized I had been nervous for no reason. These people are professionals, they do this all the time, of course they know how to make it as easy and painless as possible.

The rest of the process went as smooth as could be. Mr bumpy came in and cleaned out her tooth. Mr thirsty straw helped suck out the water and tooth crumbs and then the dentist filled her tooth with her beautiful "silver star" that was as sparkly as Teya had hoped it would be.

Teya left the dentist office with some bling in her mouth, a prize in her hand, and a smile on her face. Hopefully we won't have anymore cavities, but at least if we do, I can honestly tell her that getting them filled will be "Fun!"

Growth Spurt

Today I took Brinley in for her 15 month well check and was amazed when they told me that since her last appointment 3 months ago, she has grown 4 inches!! I knew she had grown since I had to buy her a whole new wardrobe in size 18 months, but I had no idea she had sprouted that much! She jumped from the 18th percentile to the 45th percentile in height. Pretty impressive!

With the height change have come a lot of other changes. I feel like she is escaping the baby stage and moving full speed ahead into toddlerhood. She now "runs" which is basically a super fast walk with her right arm swinging wildly to propell her forward. She also has 12 teeth, including 4 molars and is quite the little chatter box. Some of the words she says are:

Mo=More
My=Mine
Peeze=please
Chee= cheese
tak oo=thank you
eee-ya-oh=here ya go
moobee=movie
nigh nigh=night night
dow=down
go=go
buddy=(referring to Monty, who I often call buddy)
DeDah=Teya
Choos=shoes
bahdoh=bottle (yeah, I still give her those, oops!)

She is ever the ray of sunshine in our home and continues to have such an easy going flexible personality. She's really getting into dressing up now and if we leave any clothes on the floor she will find them and try to put them on her head or her feet. She also will grab bows, barretts, and jewelry and bring them to me, begging in toddlerease for me to put them on her. She adores her big sissy and copies everything she does. When she wakes up from her naps and sees Teya she runs up to her and gives her big squishy hugs. It's heartmeltingly adorable : ) We love our little Brinsie and are so happy to have her in our family. Here as some recent pics.


And here's a bonus video of her watching Super readers on my iPod. Like I mentioned, she LOVES to dance, and even laying on her belly she was busting out some moves. There's a great moment too when she notices the camera and says "cheese!" and at the end she even goes back to some of her old bouncing baby moves. Classic!

Friday Foto (and video!)

Today's Friday Foto is from earlier this week when Teya had her very first visit to the Dentist. Doesn't she look so grown up in that chair? I can hardly stand it! She was so brave and did a great job.

Sadly she does have a cavity that we're going to have to get filled. I think it has to do with the fact that she hated brushing her teeth when she was little. We'd have to pin her down and she'd scream, kick, writhe and cry. It was so horrible that being a light weight 1st time mom I might've just skipped it a couple times. Luckily now she's a great brusher and the good news is she's taught Brinley to love brushing her teeth as well. So even though Brinley is pretty much guaranteed to need braces (the poor dear has her mother's crooked teeth) I don't think she'll have any cavities, at least not when she's three.

Here is a great video of the girls brushing their teeth together. Brinley spits and everything, all thanks to the good example of her big sissy. Gotta love the persuasive power of older siblings!

Big Achievements

Today's post brings you the latest in big achievements for the girls. Teya has been in swim lessons for almost 6 weeks now. She started at the most basic level, just learning not to be afraid of the water and to put her eyes in voluntarily. She moved up to kicking across the water holding onto a noodle, and then with a power pack floatie. Today she finally did it all by herself without any floating device or help from her teacher. The video probably doesn't look that impressive but if you saw her 6 weeks ago you would be amazed!

And Brinley has had her shining moments too. Since the last video of her first official steps she has slowly but surely ventured into the world of walking. The first part is of her standing up on her own without any help, and then there's a clip of her walking back and forth between the couches. She was trying to "run around" and scream like her big sister. Pretty cute.

Also: Note the awesome moment in the beginning where she stands up, discovers a cheerio that had been lost in the ample rolls of her legs, and eats it! So classic!

First steps and 12 month stats

Brinley had her 12 month check up yesterday, here are the stats:

Height: 28 inches, 16th percentile
Weight: 20 lb 5 oz, 36th percentile.

She is officially old enough and heavy enough to sit in a front facing car seat but since she's so short she still fits nicely in her rear facing carrier so we'll probably leave her in there as long as she's happy.

She also had yet another ear infection at her appointment but is scheduled to have her eartube surgery next week so we're definitely ready for some relief in that area!

She's saying a few words now, including Mommy, Dada, Eya (Teya) Da (Dog), No, dont! baby, and Mo (more)

Also in the exciting milestone category, she took her first steps yesterday. She's still very wobbly and I'm sure won't really be walking for awhile, but she's on her way. Here's a little clip of some of her first steps.

A Binky Story

Once upon a time a mommy had a baby. And sometimes the baby would cry and cry. but then one day Mommy found a magical cure to all her tears, a tiny harmless little thing called a binky. Insert binky, no more crying! Baby and Mommy were very happy and they both grew to love the magical binky.

Then baby started getting bigger. And baby wanted binky even when she wasn't crying. Mommy thought, well that's okay, she's still just a baby, whatever makes her happy.

Baby continued to grow and binky kept getting more and more mouth time. Mommy thought, well, she hasn't even started to talk, when she starts talking I'll take it away.

Baby, now toddler, started to talk but binky still didn't go away. Infact, now that baby could talk she let mommy know in no in no uncertain terms how much she loved binky and how sad she would be if mommy took it away.

As baby started becoming a little girl Mommy finally cracked down and banished binky to bedtime only. Somehow the little girl still managed to negotiate plenty of "one special times" to suck her binky outside of bed.

Then the little girl became a big sister. The transition was difficult and Mommy found herself giving in more and more to the binky.

The little girl turned 3 and what did she ask for for her birthday? Why a binky of course! Such a simple request, how could mommy say no?

Then one day Mommy looked at her little girl and thought, "What in the world is my 3 year old doing sucking a binky!"
Mommy realized she had put this off long enough. She always thought, "I'll take it away after the baby comes, after we move, after we go out of town, after this trip, etc...." But she knew there would always be something to rationalize holding on. It was time for the little girl (and mommy) to let it go.

So Mommy told the little girl about a new baby that was born that needed some toys and a binky and asked the little girl if she could give him hers. The little girl (with a BIG heart) saw the picture of the little baby and agreed to part with her most beloved possession. Together with Daddy they put together a care package with the binky, sealed it up, and "sent it off" to the baby. The little girl was very brave during the day but that night she cried and cried for her binky. She cried so long and so hard that she finally ended up crashing on the floor in mommy's room. Mommy slept on the floor next to her to help her through that difficult first night.

It has now been a week and a half since the little girl said goodbye to her binky. She has done amazingly well, and despite one or two minor meltdowns at night, hasn't cried over binky and has gone to sleep just fine without it. Mommy is so very proud of her little girl (and herself) For finally learning to let go.

THE END (p.s. Here is a little video of Teya saying goodbye to binky)

Shorter version of Teya saying goodbye to binky from Taber Rigg on Vimeo.

On the Move

Brinley's mobility has increased 10 fold this last month. She has finally mastered crawling on all fours and she can really book it! She also learned to climb the stairs so baby gates are on full time duty and she loves to pull up on anything and everything she can find. She recently discovered Teya's old push toy and takes great pleasure in pulling up on it and pushing it around the living room. Here is a cute clip of her doing just that.

You'll notice that every time she runs into something she says, "Uh Oh!" It's really funny. And please don't mind Teya's sassy chatter in the background. Apparently she was trying to sleep while we were filming and our actions were disturbing her slumber ; )

Push Toy from Taber Rigg on Vimeo.

9 month update

Nicknames:
-Brinns (Teya calls her this the most and we've picked it up too)
-Brinster
-Cookie
-Munchkie

9 Month Stats:
Weight 18 lb 2 oz: 34th percentile
Height 26 1/2 inches: 14th percentile (she's a shrimp like her mom :)


What she's up to:
-Still no hand and feet crawling but this little girl is the inchworm of speed. She can get anywhere she wants (and pretty quickly) with her wormy skills.
-She can pull up on things and especially loves to pull up on the stairs and Teya's kitchen stool.
-She's eating more solids and her favorites include bananas, peas, Cheerios and pumpkin bread.
-Drinking out of sippy cup all by herself
-Feeding herself with a spoon (VERY messy but she's pretty decent at it)

First words:
-Dada (her favorite word, she says it all day long but especially when she see her daddy)
-Mama
-Dah (dog)
-Uh Oh! (Said every time she throws her spoon down during a feeding)

New Temperment:
She is still as sweet and happy as ever but she's definitely getting a little more attitude as she gets older. She has a little fake cry that she's pulled out a couple times when we've taken something away. Guess they learn these things young!

Love this girl and love all the new fun things she's up to! I'll try to get some video up for the Grandma's and Grandpa's soon!

Piggies!

Brinley's hair is finally long enough for pig tails!
This is a big moment at our house.
Now we have two little Riggies in Piggies!

Our little Sunshine

How can I not be happy with this pint sized ray of sunshine living in my house? Brinley is almost 9 months and her personality remains cheerful and sweet as ever. Here's an update on the latest and greatest with little miss happy : )
Since January 27th She has had back to back ear infections. She was treated with antibiotics for three of them. She finally broke the chain last week and escaped having to get tubes put in her ears! Despite some night wakings she has still been remarkably pleasant through all this.

If the earaches weren't enough, she has also finally decided to break her first tooth! (better late than never right?) Teething has brought out her drooly slobbery side and we see a lot more of her tongue but it's good to know that she does indeed have teeth under those gums.

She's not crawling yet, at least in the traditional way. She is quite capable of getting anywhere she wants with her super inchworm skills, but she just kind of likes to take her time inching from place to place and I guess doesn't feel hurried enough to actually crawl. She does great in the tub though and takes baths regularly with Teya. In fact, Teya now refers to the right side of the tub as Brinley's side.
Her hair is really starting to come in on the top and it's totally out of control! Even when I wet it and comb it down it still ends up spiked out in several places.

And finally, she LOVES music and will "dance" anytime she hears a song with a beat. When she's sitting up the dance consists of her rocking back and forth and side to side with a big smile on her face. When she's on all fours she rocks on her hands and knees till she gets tired and then collapses to the floor and does the floor rock 'em dance (see video) It's one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Anyway, here's a little clip to demonstrate some of her moves. Enjoy!

6 month pics

Brinley got her 6 month pictures taken today. Don't worry family, I'll be sending your copies out tomorrow! I would like to give a special thanks to Erika, who made her flower headband and also gave me that fabulous purple boa. And also thanks to Laurel who convinced me to buy the pink tutu. (p.s. Laurel, do you recognize the khaki pants and white teddy shirt outfit?)

Snip Snip Chop Chop!

Yesterday was kind of a big day for haircuts in our family. Teya cut her hair for the first time ever, and I cut my hair short for the first time in 10 years.

We took Teya to this really cool place that specializes in haircuts for little kids. She was very nervous and started crying when they brought out the scissors.

Luckily they were used to dealing with that sort of thing, so they had the bubble blower come blow bubbes. That kept Teya happy for awhile. Then she started crying again.This time they brought over a puzzle that she could work on while her hairdresser snipped away.

They even had tv's at each hair cutting station that helped keep her distracted

In the end we only took off about 3 inches. Just enough to even out the front and back.

Still, it was her very first haircut so we had to document it.

I took off a little more than 3 inches. 12 to be exact. I've had the same hair since my senior year of high school and it was time for a change.

I donated my hair to locks of love and because of that the salon gave me my haircut for free! Kind of a cool little bonus. : ) Every time I look in the mirror I'm still a little surprised. It'll definitely take some getting used to. Even at church today Teya's teacher couldn't find me because she didn't recognize me with my new hair. Still, I'm loving the change and glad I finally took the plunge and tried something new!p.s. oh yeah, and Taber likes it! always a plus! : )

7 Happy Years

When I was 15 I wrote in my journal a list of all the things I wanted in a future husband. My teenager self inlcuded such important details as 1) must play guitar, 2)be athletic 3)make me laugh and 4) be good looking. Well lucky lucky me, not only did I marry an amazing man who is responsible, hard working, intelligent, honest, devoted, and good with children, he also happens to play guitar, is athletic, always makes me laugh, oh yeah, and gets an A++ in the good looks department! Happy Anniversary babe! Enjoy a walk down memory lane!

Nov 2001, engaged and counting down the days to be Mrs. Rigg

December 21, 2001: Married in the Timpanogos Temple to my true love

Dec 2001, Honeymooners in Hawaii

June 2002, 6 month Anniversary

September 2002: We both made Living Legends perfoming group at BYU

April 2003: Graduation at BYU

October 2003: At a High school football game at Becca's first job teaching High school

June 2004: Meeting for lunch near Taber's work in California

Nov 2005: Thanksgiving in Colorado (Pregnant with Teya)

March 2006: Welcoming our first daughter Teya Ku'ualoha

April 2006: Taber graduates from Business school

Oct 2007: Living in Tennessee with toddler Teya

July 2008: Welcoming our second daughter Brinley Grace

September 2008: Living in Minnesota with Teya and baby Brinley

November 2008: Family of Four

December 2008: After 7 years, still a perfect match : )