Riley Gweneth Weber

We're celebrating Riley's birthday a little early (today), since she was a Christmas baby and Christmas day is crazay.  

On Christmas morning '03, I woke at 4am with pain.  I opened Christmas presents between contractions, sped to the hospital around 9:30am, when contractions were 4 minutes apart.  We arrived and discovered I was 7 cm, got an epidural, and bam, there she was.  

95th percentile head size, 9lbs, 1oz, 21 1/2" long.  

She ate like a champ, slept through the night at 6 weeks and broke the record for rolls on a baby's arms.

When she smiled, her cheeks squished up and made her bright blue eyes disappear. 

Here she is at 6months, already good at story-telling.
She was also a little genius.  I read books to her so much, she learned to turn the page before she could even sit up.  I guess that's what you get when you're the first and only child.

 

Here she is, Giant Baby, a little over a year, and I'm pregnant with Clairy.

Through the years, the arms lost their rolls and cheeks got al little smaller, and she became a big sister.

Adding to the pile of kids, she helps me with the wild one.

Then there were 4 fairies.

We reached the era of self-portraits.  I have 37 million of these.  I thought this wouldn't start until 13 or something.

Now she's asking for her own Instagram and mp3 player.  She bathes her little sisters.  She likes to help me pick out my outfit for the day and sneaks my makeup.

She has strengths that I don't, a brain like her dad.  Hair and feet like her Aunt Shannon.  Takes charge of a situation like a first-born.  She's precious and helpful, and speaks a lot of Spanish.  I'm so proud of her and can't imagine what she'll become, but I think it will be someone great, powerful, loving, and hilarious.  In just a few years we'll drink coffee together.

Where has the time gone?

Practically a woman, she's turning 9.

Happy Birthday Riley!  We love you so, so much!