Riley's Turn

Riley turned three--THREE--on July 21st. And we just got her pictures taken. So now it's time to go down memory lane with her (you know, since it's 3 weeks past her birthday...).

Riley, 3 days old with her Aunt Danna and Cousin Tyler

6 weeks old

5 months old

11 months old


2 years old, with her big brother

So here's the skinny on my 3 year-old girl:

She's just below the 75th percentile for both height and weight, according to the pediatrician. So yes, she is tall, but she's not the Jolly Green Giant, like strangers on the street seem to think.

She's a non-stop ball of energy. She has one speed and it's running.

She's a very verbal little thing. Sometimes I feel like I'm talking to a 15 year-old (maybe that's because the has the attitude of a 15 year-old girl though, rather than the vocabulary of a 15 year-old...).

She LOVES pink!!!! In her world, a box of 64 Crayola crayons would only have shades of pink and a few purples for good measure.

She enjoys having dress-up clothes, but she doesn't really want to wear them. I'm certain this will change by her next birthday.

Currently, her favorite toys are My Little Pony and cars--usually mixed together, with dolls of any sort coming in a close second.

She enjoys coloring and stickers.

She is Miss Independent. Unless she can't do something by herself, in which case, she would like your help--NOW!!

She loves to have her fingernails and toenails painted, but she doesn't have the patience to sit and let them dry. Don't know where the lack of patience comes from...

Her favorite song is Sherry Baby from the Jersey Boys sound track, followed closely by "Hey La", known to the rest of us as My Boyfriend's Back.

At night time, she has to have Mommy sing You Are My Sunshine to her.

She's a very girly-girl (if you haven't already guessed that). She loves clothes, particularly dresses. In fact, it's 6:30 p.m. on Sunday and the child is still wearing the dress she wore to church this morning. She won't take it off! She also loves shoes and purses--accessories of all kinds.

She is very dramatic. Her current favorite character is "doggy". She also really enjoys all forms of pretend play. She drives me crazy when she does it, though. Inevitably, one of her play characters is always crying for its mother. When I respond, I get in trouble, because she doesn't want me. "I just playing, Mom."

She would love nothing more than for Mommy to sleep in her bed with her every night, but that is NOT going to happen. Riley is a very "cuddly sleeper", as we found out on our various trips this summer.


It's hard to believe that there was ever a time that we didn't have her in our household. At the same time, it doesn't seem possible that three whole years have passed since her birth. She has definitely made things interesting at Casa Zustiak. I don't know what we would do without our Smiley Riley!