New pictures

We've finally managed to put a few more pictures on our Shutterfly site. The link is at the right (or go to www.riggsfamilypictures.shutterfly.com). A lot of them have been posted on the blog already, but there are a few that haven't been. Things have been crazy since I went back to work, but I love my job and need the daily adult interaction and conversation. :-) Plus, it makes my time with Cate so much sweeter.

We're off to Wooster tomorrow and Friday for the Power of the Pen state tournament. I've been involved as a coach of our school's competition creative writing team since I started teaching at Mason. We've made it to states every year for the last 6 or 7 years (I can't remember how many times we went before I got there). This year all 12 of our writers qualified for this final tournament (a rarity with POP). Eric and Cate are going because I'm kind of Cate's food supply and while we have a stockpile of expressed milk in the freezer, I didn't want her taking only a bottle for 2 days....I was afraid it might interrupt our nursing relationship and might start a more intimate relationship between me and my pump (although I really do like mine...Medela is the best). So off we all go.

Sorry there are no pictures to post...we haven't taken any new ones since the Reds game. We'll be sure to take some more this Memorial Day weekend. And hopefully we'll have good news about the POP team.

If you're looking for some other interesting reading, I suggest you check out http://cfhusband.blogspot.com

A friend of mine first introduced me to the story of this family and it's incredible. The doctors told them to abort the baby or mother and baby would both have slim survival chances. They didn't listen, and mom and baby are now doing amazingly well. Just check it out!

~Melody :-)

Take Cate Out to the Ballgame...and other random busy-ness :-)

So, on Friday, Cate finally got to meet her uncle RyRy! It took him a little while to get here from Blue Ash so, we decided to get experimental with our camera.
But when he did finally see her, he couldn't get enough of her.


So When Saturday rolled around, Mel had to play single mom while Eric went and supported the bikers for Team in Training on their 80-mile route. Cate got plenty of time sitting up, and playing in her exer-saucer (which she can now stand up in with a few blankets around her) and then spent time with Eric while Mel took her bike out for the first time in 6 months. (Between the 2 5K's, the countless walks, and the biking, you would have never thought Mel was only 3&1/2 months postpartum. She is amazing!!)



When Sunday morning came, Eric set up shop at the Tri for Joe with a TNT tent and all kinds of goodies. (Interesting note: This same weekend last year was when we found out we were about to have a little one to take us from DINKS - double income, no kids - to a family) And if all of that weren't enough, Eric, Melody and the whole staff of Team in Training got to enjoy a box suite at the reds game. Cate went to her first Baseball game, and man was she in style.


Overall, It was a great weekend. Only a couple of weeks until Tahoe (Pray for Mel for being alone with Cate for almost a week) and three weeks until the end of school. Then some of the busy-ness will subside and we get to enjoy Cate even more. Happy Summer!!



- The Riggs'

The Blessings Continue . . .

So, while Melody was gracious enough to thank me, and her own mother, it is really a day to celebrate all that she is to our family. She has become a mother with such strength and grace, it's as if she has always been a mother, only awaiting her child. The way she cares for Cate, in talking to her, reading to her, holding her, playing with her, praying over her, and always worrying about her and thinking about her, just simply amazes me. But on top of all that, she is a great, caring wife, keeping the two of us (Cate and myself) in almost perfect balance. I know that none of this is possible without the grace of God, but it takes a strong woman to respond to his grace, and accept it. To all other mothers who do likewise for their families, thank you, and please know how much you are loved and appreciated. And to my wife, know that Cate and I both will always hold a place in our hearts for you. God Bless.
- Papa E

Happy Mother's Day

Today I celebrated my first Mother's Day. While I was pregnant with Cate on Mother's Day last year, we had no idea yet. Eric was wonderful and picked up a card from him and a card from Cate (he used to give me cards from the pets since I'm kind of their pseudo-mom), beautiful roses, and JUNO...I love that movie! He also picked up donuts from the Ridge Donut Shop, one of our new favorite places. After church, we headed to Mimi's Cafe in Mason. It was our first time there and absolutely wonderful! Thank goodness Eric remembered to make reservations, otherwise the wait was over an hour. Here's a picture from church today. Cate is wearing a cute little purple dress with matching cardigan and socks that look like Mary Jane's. Our church choir director's wife passed on a ton of adorable clothes for Cate (her Cate is two years older than ours). Cate is set with summer clothes now. I think she could go 6 weeks and not wear the same outfit this summer.


Last night I also had the privilege of taking my baby girl to church for the mother/daughter banquet. The theme was Cheerleaders/Go Team and Cate and I joined my grandmother. Cate looked adorable in her Miami polo onesie and khaki skirt...you can't really see it that well from the picture.


Eric also weeded our flower bed out front and got it to look amazing yesterday. You'll have to come by and see it. It was almost dark when he finished and rainy today, so we haven't been able to take a picture.

I have to say, I love being a mom and feel absolutely blessed to have the little girl I have in my life. And I'm thankful for my own mom as well...I wouldn't be the mom I am today without her example. I'm thankful that I have a supportive husband who helps me raise our little girl...he's a wonderful father. I'm thankful that God has given us the means to provide for our little girl. I get frustrated sometimes when I read articles or posts on Cincymoms or other websites where women think that only stay-at-home-moms are full-time moms and that working moms have it easier. Or that working moms are wrong to be working. I think all moms are full time moms. I think about Cate all the time when I'm at work and can't wait to get home to her. But I have to work. My students need me and I like my job. God put me at that school for a reason. Eric and I both love our jobs, but as a public school teacher and a non-profit worker, a single-income home isn't even feasible.

Even though it's sometimes tough to leave her, I know Cate is in good hands. She's getting 1 on 1 attention from my grandmother, whose watching her right now (and 2 on 1 attention most of the time because my Uncle is there too). I know that by working, we can help her go to college, travel, and experience all of the blessings life has to offer...things my parents worked to give me. I'm lucky though. Of the 365 days in a year, I only work 185 of them. I finished my Master's last summer, so I don't have to worry about going back to school. That gives me 180 full days to be with Cate. Plus, with the way our schedules work out, Cate is only with someone else for 6 hours a day.

The last 3 months or so have been amazing. Cate is growing everyday and I never ceased to be awed by the miracle that she truly is. I pray every night that she'll come to know and love and worship the God her daddy and I know and love and worship. I pray she'll outlive us both. I pray she'll always know how much I love her. And I give thanks that I'm her mom. It's worth the spit up, extra laundry, dirty diapers, and tears to see her smile back at me. And here's a little glimpse at what we get every day.

~Melody :-)

The Flying Pig

Last weekend was Flying Pig weekend in Cincinnati and it kept both of us busy. Since Eric works for Team in Training (a part of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society), he was busy taking things to the Expo on Friday, setting up the carbo-loading pasta party (with special guests, Team Lachey from Clash of the Choirs) all day Saturday, and getting the finish line tent set up at Yeatman's Cove at 1:30 Sunday morning. All of this left Melody as pretty much a single mom for the weekend. Cate and Eric did come out to cheer Mommy on as she ran the 5k Saturday morning though. Here they are pre-race. Like Cate's TNT onesie?
It poured down rain the entire time, and it was hilly. Considering that Melody only ran once in between Rat Race and this 5K, she was just glad to finish in just under 42 minutes.
Afterwards, we headed to the temporary TNT staff headquarters in the St. Nicholas Suite at the Hilton downtown. Cate took a nap in what we liked to call "Fort Cate"- she was surrounded by pillows since she has a tendency to scoot in her sleep.
The suite was amazing. It was two stories with four individual rooms that lead out into a two story common room. Here's the view from the stairs.
And a view of the stairs. The friendly Hilton folks were kind enough to give the staff the room since TNT booked about 150 rooms for participants.
On Sunday, Melody and Cate hung out at the finish line tent for a while and then just chilled at home for the rest of the day. Monday brought Cate's 3 month birthday. Here's the birthday girl at 8:35 that night, just a half hour shy of it being her 3 month birthday to the minute.
As for the video we took of Cate "talking" earlier today, you're going to have to wait...due to some technical issues (ie...it takes forever to load and we're really tired), we'll post it later this weekend when we update you on Melody's first Mother's Day (even though she was a mommy last year and just didn't know it yet).

~Eric and Melody (and Cate)

I'm a little sad...

...to learn that Presidential hopeful John McCain supports No Child Left Behind and merit pay for teachers. Most of you that know us, know that Eric and I don't really align ourselves with any political party as we feel it's important to vote for the candidate that feels the same way we do about issues. For us the biggies have always been education, healthcare, the environment, and the war.

If you don't know a lot about NCLB, I suggest you read up on it. While it's good in its intentions, it is not carried out effectively at all (ask any teacher). I like the parts of it that keep schools accountable for hiring highly qualified teachers...after all, our kids deserve to have someone in the classroom who knows what they're doing. And I like that it wants schools to continue to make improvements. I don't like the parts of it that say if a school is not performing up to standard (this is largely judged by how well students perform on tests) then the government can take over the school, laying off the staff and bringing in a new staff. Why not bring in people to help trouble shoot and work on improving the school instead of laying off the entire staff?

As teachers, we have no control over the things that go on in our students' lives and how much information they choose to retain. I can teach things over and over again, but I do not go home with the student to make sure they study, or do homework, or practice, etc. Likewise, I have no control over whether or not they come to school having had breakfast, a good night's sleep, etc. On test day, I can't hold their hands and bubble in answers for them. Yet NCLB expects that the child coming from a broken, low income home to retain the same information as the child from the higher income, loving home. This is also how merit pay works. A teacher is paid for how well his/her students perform on a test. I met an incredible teacher through my grad. school program that teaches in one of the worst Cincinnati Public Schools. She puts in more hours trying to love and reach those kids than any other teacher I know. Yet she would be one of the first to have her salary lowered by merit pay or potentially lose her job because of NCLB.

I'm fortunate to teach in a district with involved parents, in-tact families, and a lot of support. But I really feel like merit pay and NCLB would be like basing the President's salary on how well the American citizens can do on a citizenship test (I've seen some of the questions in an article I read and they're not all easy) and firing him/her, the cabinet, chiefs of staffs, senators, and representatives if the scores were too low. I'm not trying to tell you who to vote for...there are important issues other than education...I simply needed to vent. And something different definitely needs to be done about education in this country.

~Melody

PS...check back later tonight/early tomorrow for new pictures from Pig weekend, Cate's 3 month birthday picture, and a special video message from baby herself. :-)

More Weekend Pics

One of the main reasons we traveled to Hudson last weekend was to see my sister, Catherine run in her track meet. Here's a picture from the meet (Hudson placed 4th and we're hoping Catherine makes it to state this year):We also got to see the ring bearers from our wedding. I started babysitting Garrett and Michael when they were 18 months old. They were 6 when they were in our wedding and just turned 10 on the 26th! Time flies!

Here they are with Cate:

This weekend I'm on my own with her. It's Flying Pig time in Cincinnati so Eric is busy, busy, busy. :-) If Cate's in a good mood and the weather is decent, we're hoping to head on down there. I'm also thinking about running the 5k...I can still register tomorrow, so we'll see.
~Melody