NY trip + lots of snow in VA!

The week of January 20th, Dad had some business in Warrenton, VA, so Mom and Riles made the 3 hour drive up there to spend a couple days with him. It snowed quite a bit while they were there, so they didn't get out to do much besides lunch and a little shopping. But Riles LOVED the hotel! In our room, she loved standing in front of the A/C unit and letting the air blow through her hair. She played games with the mirror, cracking up as she gave her reflection some kisses. When Mom took a shower, Riles was very upset about being left alone and demanded that she join her! Finally, the breakfast buffet was a huge hit - she tried a little bit of everything! After a couple days, they headed back and found it had snowed just as much at home - about 10 inches. Her school was closed the rest of the week, and Mom's work was closed for a couple of the days, so they made the most of being snowed in. The second day, Riles ventured out with Mom and Liz to the mall playground, where she thoroughly enjoyed all the climbing and sliding and watching the other kids. On Friday, she stayed home in the morning with Liz and later went with Mom and Dad to her one year doctor's appointment.

 

 

That Saturday, Riles was super excited to finally be leaving for her trip to NY! After a quick nap and some goodbyes to Dad, Liz and Ski, she and Mom headed to the airport. Right away they found out they had been delayed and would have to be booked on a different flight, getting into Rochester at 8pm instead of 5pm (bummer!). They successfully made it to DC, and Riles killed some time walking all around and checking out the airport. After grabbing a bite to eat, they headed to their gate, only to find their flight had been delayed. Riles made a new friend (a 17-month old boy) and had a great time giving kisses, following him around, and just watching him. After lots more delays, they finally made it to Nana's house at 12:45am.

The next day was filled with friends and family! In the morning she bonded with Nana and Richard as they made breakfast, and then later she had lots of fun playing with GUB (Great Uncle Bruce), Kristie, Emily, Erika, and Cathy. After her nap she headed over to her grandpa's house where she bonded with most of the McKay side of the family. She loved Grandpa's hamburger soup, and showed off her walking skills to everybody. V even taught her the sign for "more", so she could let us know when she needed another sip of water. She especially loved getting to try out all the musical instruments - the egg shaker, keyboard and drums just to name a few! The next day was Monday, and Riles had a lunch date with Mom and Nana. After her nap, she headed over to her Great Grandma's to visit with her, V and Grandpa for a bit. She had her own special chair to sit in, and indulged in some apple pie and homemade pickles (yes, a very random/yucky combination!). The following day they made their exit, stopping at Nana's work to say goodbye and then heading back to VA. Luckily the trip home proved to be much more uneventful, and they made it back quickly and easily.

"Velcro baby"

When they returned, they used the rest of the week to play in the snow, and to prepare for Riley's big 1st birthday party! Lots of friends and family came out to celebrate with her, and the party was a huge success. At first she wasn't sure what to do with all the people at her house, but she was soon hamming it up for everyone. She got a tiny cake all to herself, and though she didn't really "smash" it all that much, she thoroughly enjoyed licking the icing off her fingers. The next day was the Superbowl, and Riles had a pizza party at her house with Joey and Leah. This weekend, she went to an ODU basketball game, and had a great time playing with everyone, and taking in all the sights and sounds. She has been walking EVERYWHERE lately, and her walk seems to have just about turned into a run. She has also been working on some more signs, and she is so proud of herself when she uses them: "more", "all done", "milk", and "dog" are the ones she has mastered so far.