The almost birthday girl!

So I cannot believe that our little Lilly will be a year old in just a few weeks!!  She is growing so fast and if I must say so myself she is the smarts baby in the world...haha!!  There are no more days of her sleeping for hours at a time, putting her in one place and her staying there, and having any home decor on tables or shelves within her reach.

My new favorite thing are her giggles.  Bobby and I will wake up in the morning to her rolling around in her crib talking gibberish and laughing at herself.  It is the funniest and cutest thing!  Her feet are ticklish and she loves to be tossed in the air.  Bath time is fun time and she will definitely be a water baby because if her swimming pool water is really cold she will still get in and splash around.

We had a wonderful Easter and we are so happy that the whole family is in Tennessee now!  I will be updating again in a few weeks after her birthday party!!

Until next time...

Lilly in ACTION

January-February

These last few months have really flown by!  I feel like she is growing so fast and hitting milestones every week!!

Here is a little about our precious girl:

1. She is spoiled rotten!  Well, I am hoping she will grow out of not wanting to be held by anyone new because it is becoming a little embarrassing, but I hear it is just a phase...fingers crossed.
2. She officially started sitting up all by herself at the end of January.  This was such a great milestone because I could just plop her down in the floor and she will sit there and play by herself.
3. Next came going from lying on her back to sitting up.  Bobby and I were just sitting in the bonus room watching TV while she was rolling around on the floor and I noticed her struggling to sit up and all of a sudden she was pushing herself up to SITTING POSITION LIKE A BIG GIRL!!!  Of course I cried!!  Now when she wakes up in her crib sometimes when I walk in the room she is sitting up and peeking over the rail...time to move the mattress down:)  
4. After the sitting up came the (drumroll please) "creeping."  What is creeping you ask?  Well, it is where her back and lower body isn't quite strong enough keep her on her knees to crawl yet, but she uses her upper body to pull herself around...and boy does she move!  
5. Now we have to constantly keep an eye on her because we can put twenty fun and colorful toys around her on the floor, but instead she will go straight for the TV wires, remote controls, and anything else that she CAN'T play with!
6. Her favorite things to say and sounds to make:  dadadadadada, mamamamama, LLLLLLLLL (aka sticking her tongue out and moving it back and forth over her lips,) bababababa, and squeals of joy!
7. Lilly loves daycare!  It is the only place that I drop her off or give her to someone and she actually smiles and feels comfortable.  Ms. Elizabeth, Ms. Wanda, and Mawmaw love her so much and she is happy to see them every morning!  Lilly is already a little flirt and I have seen the proof in pictures of little boys trying to steal kisses...don't worry we have had a chat and I think she has learned her lesson;)!

We have enjoyed time with friends and family these last couple of months and are OVERJOYED that Ray and Chris have had an offer made on their house in Indiana so hopefully they will be back where they belong in Tennessee in the next few months!  My sister and I have also decided to start a new tradition of having family gatherings a couple of times a month because Lilly, Emma, Kailey, and Chandler are growing so fast and we don't want to miss out on this precious time in all their lives...good thinking sister!

Everyone told me to savor every moment because they go by quickly.  I feel like I have, but every moment is so precious that I wish I could have a camera going all the time to capture the big milestones and the small intimate moments we get with her.  She is our greatest adventure!!

Til next time...

New headband!

Bath time with daddy

Bath time with daddy

Working on our model face

Gramps is always available to try and make us laugh!

Getting used to our sippy cup!

"I didn't do it!"

"I am concentrating."

Lilly has been a sick girl quite a bit.  I believe tubes may be in her future:(

Just waking up from a nap,

Daddy and daughter on their laptops...haha!

"What am I wearing?"

Ready for bed.

Lilly and Gran hanging out.

Momma's sweet girl:)

Pretty Lilly

Cute outfit!

So sweet!!

Lilly's First Christmas

I can't imagine having a more wonderful Christmas than we had this year!  We have such a wonderful family and I think that we were all blessed with time with family and friends!!

  It stated with a celebration with my side of the family on Christmas Eve Eve.  My sister, Scott, Emma, Kailey, and Chandler came over early in the day to watch Lilly while I went for a facial (given to me by my wonderful hubby for my birthday) then Bobby and I did a little last minute shopping at the mall.  I made dinner and then we opened presents.  Lilly received so many wonderful gifts from her Nana and Aunt Stephanie including her Laugh and Play Puppy and lots of sleepers and clothes.  I can't believe that 6 month clothes won't fit her, but that is the reality my friends!  She loves that puppy and plays with it every day.  If you have never seen one they really are fun.  His hands, feet, and tummy are labeled and wen you push them he tells you what they are or sings a song.  His heart even lights up...so cute!!  Aunt Stephanie got her a CD player for her room and now she knows when she hears the lullabies start that it is sleep time and I only have to rock her for a few minutes.

It was really important to Bobby and I that we had our first "Family Christmas" just the three of us.  We are trying to create traditions for our family and we had a great time on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning watching Lilly.  On Christmas Eve we set the video camera up and we sat on the couch to read "The Night Before Christmas."  I have found that when a six month old is involved there isn't any "sitting-quietly-while-we-read-time" and this was no exception.  She wiggled and squirmed, but we made it through.

Ray, Chris, Kate, and Pete came to celebrate the day after Christmas and it was great fun!  Lilly got so many presents that made me happier than her I think.  An entire case of formula, case of diapers, and case of wipes...we hit the jackpot woo hoo!  Lilly loved spending time with her gram and gramps and she was sad to see them go:(  We all can't wait till they are back in Tennessee for good.  

  Well as I am sure you all know I am become obsessed with things pertaining to Lilly  and I  worry like crazy when I can't figure out why she is or isn't doing something I think she should do.  Lately it has been the sleeping issue.  The week of Christmas I felt like she was waking up 5-6 times a night and it was becoming a problem.  Of course I obsessed over it and read as much as I could about what the problem might be.  My saving book was "The No Cry Sleep Solution."  I was always told that it is o.k. to let your child "Cry it out," but that really wasn't working and I hated having her alone in the dark crying.  I kept thinking that during the day when she cries I always run to her and pick her up or reassure her so why is the middle of the night different?  I am sure her thought process at night goes something like this "o.k. I am in this big bed all alone in the dark and there is no one here...waaaah waaah" well at least that is what I think..ha!  Anyway, this book explained a lot about why they cry in the night and that you shouldn't feel bad for comforting your baby after all that is my job!!  The last week or so she has been sleeping so much better and only wakes up 1-2 times and I rarely even need to pick her up.  She also takes at least one long nap during the day (which she hasn't done since she was about 4 months old) that will last 1-1 1/2 hours...yesssss!!!  That has given me much needed time to get things done.

Until next time...