12.4.10

We couldn't decide on just one card, so Matt picked his favorite and I picked mine!

Stripes Peppermint Christmas

Shop Shutterfly.com for elegant Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Peppermint Palms Christmas

Make a statement with custom Christmas cards at Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

11.1.10

And now for the latest news...

We found out tonight that Lilly is going to have a little sister!!!!!!!!!! All along I planned on not finding out the gender of this baby, but something happened when I was lying there, knowing that Matt wanted to know so badly and being so close to the big answer, I caved and told Everett I wanted to know.

Little Poppy was so cooperative, unlike Lilly at her ultrasounds, and was just like "Hey! Here ya go, Mama, I'm a girl... SEE!"

She weighs approximately 1lb 3oz and has the most beautiful spine! I know, not the most usual comment to hear about a baby, but it's so fascinating to me to see all the vertebrae and ribs all lined up like the perfect jigsaw puzzle.

Lilly was acting like a wild woman in the waiting room and I was a little nervous about taking her in. Thankfully it was after hours, but still, the office policy is no kids so even though we were told it was OK to bring her, I thought "oh dear." As soon as the lights went out in the ultrasound room, she sat on Daddy's lap so still and nuzzled her face into his arm. By the end she was saying "Maggie! Maggie!" and pointing to my belly asking "wet?" from all the goop!

We're so happy and I'm beyond excited to dig out all of Lilly's baby clothes to use again! Actually, they'll be used for a 3rd time since Lilly's cousin Ella gave many of them to her when she grew out of them:)

And also in exciting news, Lisa found out she's having a daughter today too! Our girlies will be just a couple weeks apart!

10.31.10

Trick-or-Treating was so fun! Lilly dressed up as her favorite character, Elmo, aka "Melmo." When she tried on her costume a few weeks ago she cried and pulled it off, so I was relieved that she asked for Elmo as soon as she woke up from her nap yesterday afternoon. She hopped into her costume with a great big smile! We spent about 45 minutes walking through our friends' neighborhood (our neighborhood doesn't really T or T) and while the candy was great, Lilly was most excited about the dogs and cats she saw along the way. If a house didn't have an animal, she wasn't too interested!




This little clown was the cutest thing around! She talked to Lilly with such a gentle voice and encouraged her to say "Thank you" then tilted her head and cooed "You're welcome!"
The best surprise of all was running into her school friend, Josh!
After we'd had enough T or T'ing, we headed to our friends' house for a bonfire and small group get-together. There were so many kids! It was great!!

10.23.10

Playing catch up! We had lots of fun at Matt's family get-together a couple weeks ago. Lilly had a blast running around outside with her older cousins and seeing apple butter being made in the big fireplace for the first time.

Disclaimer about the picture with me near the end: My hair dresser has been on maternity leave for the last 25 years. I do not typically CHOOSE to look this way:) Just want to clear that up. Thank heavens she returns to work in 18 days;)

10.29.10

Last week was Lilly's Parent/Teacher conference. Yes, it's funny that we do these, but even the infants have conferences twice a year:) It's fun knowing what your kiddo is doing and learning why they may be doing certain things at home-- it all comes together and makes sense when the teachers explain what goes on at school:)

So here are Lilly's updates!

Using lots of words

Recognizes all her classmates and their parents

Cleans up well

Loves music and story time

Working on “more, please”, “thank you”, “yes, please”, and “help, please.”

Loves dress up

She just loves going to school, her teacher "Na-Na" (Tina-- still working on Kim), friends "Li La" (Olivia), "Iley" (Reilly), and "Dosh" (Josh). She named her Little People and all the bunnies in a little figurine set at home Li La, Iley and Dosh. The bunnies even have a teacher she named Na Na! Her playground has a real-life boat filled with balls and a horsey tire swing that she really loves. I think lunch and snack are also favorites! Nap time-- well, she has some really great days and then she has days when she comes home with packing tape around her shoes because she was more interested in taking them off than sleeping. But yesterday she napped for 2 hours, which I believe is an all-time record for school!

We're very proud of our Lilly Boo and just love this awesome age of discovery. She makes us laugh, sometimes hysterically, and loves making us laugh! She's a little comedian, just like her daddy. My favorite is when she purses her lips and looks out the corner of her eyes in anticipation of our laughter. Those Lilly faces... ah!

10.2.10

A little update on the pottying. I don't even want to call it potty training because I'm not doing anything to train her... she's kind of just doing her own thing.

The update is that she's doing really great! At least 2 or 3 times a day she's telling her teachers or me that she has to go. Some of the time it's too late (usually pee pee), but most of the time if she's saying she has to go #2, she's waiting to go on the potty.

Friday morning I went into her room to get her up for school and she told me "aah pooped". She looked pretty saggy, so I figured she'd already done her business*. But I asked if she wanted to sit on the potty and she happily ran her droopy bottom over to the toilet. I was surprised to find just a wet diaper and even more surprised when she managed to poo right then and there on the pot!

I'm not going to make any goals in my mind or even hope that she's fully there by a certain time, but I'm really proud of her for doing this all by herself and progressing at her own pace. And very thankful too. I think anytime your child does something without a struggle, it makes you so happy and relieved you can't help but beam with pride.

*A funny story from school last week. Lilly's classroom shares a bathroom with the 2 & 3 year olds next door. There's potty training going on in both rooms, so it's very much an open-door policy, which means basically no privacy. This particular day one of Lilly's girlie classmates was sitting on the potty and a little boy from next door walked into the bathroom looking puzzled. He finally declared, "She can't do that, she has no business."

9.28.10

Lilly has been very interested in using the potty for the last few months. It all started with pooping in the bathtub and me needing to whip her out of the tub at the first sign of bubbles in order to avoid the toy-bleaching-and-tub-scrubbing routine. Before long she was wanting to sit on the potty to listen to stories and to hear herself toot with an echo. It is good entertainment.

Everyone tells me "She's ready, get that girl potty trained" but I've been hesitant and mostly for selfish reasons. I'm nervous to give up the freedom of sticking her in a diaper and flying out the door, without having to give a thought about potty breaks in the middle of the grocery store. And then there's the ick factor. It's one thing to put my own rear on a public toilet seat, but my little angel's hiney? And while I balance precariously in a squat in front of her? Blech. Diapers suddenly seem so... sanitary.

But Sunday evening at our small group study, among 10 wild children running throughout the house, she stood at the top of the steps and yelled "aaa poo!" Believing she was saying "apple" I ignored it and tried to focus on the adult conversation. Until Jen, the hostess, looked at me and snickered "She's taking her diaper off-- it's almost all the way off." Sure enough, "aaa poo" meant "I poop" not "apple." I took her into the bathroom, stripped off her pants and diaper and there she sat... and pooped.

And then she did it again Monday night.

And then she did it again at school today.

And then she did it again tonight.

I called my mom with the exciting news, knowing she would crack up, and she ordered me to get to the store for some M&Ms immediately. "Trust me, one M&M will go a long way."

So tonight when I had no M&M's to reward this awesomely consistent pottying, I turned to the gold-foil-wrapped Godiva chocolate bar I've been nibbling on. I sat her on my bed, held it in front of her and told her "This is a very special treat, Lilly!" Peeling back the foil, she could barely sit still! She nibbled off a corner and proclaimed "MMMMmmmmmMMMM!"

And then, "mo?"

I love this girl.

9.24.10

I was doing dinner dishes and had the dishwasher door open. Lilly would not leave the silverware alone, especially the knives. I asked her repeatedly to please not touch, moved her into the living room to play with Daddy, flat out told her no (repeat, repeat).

I finally squatted down, looked her in the eye and asked her, "Lilly, does Mommy need to spank you?"

"Thank you."

She thought I was telling her to say thank you! Good grief! How can I ever discipline this child when she makes me laugh so hard I pee my pants????

Another spanking attempt foiled. I'm 0 for 3.

9.22.10

Life

Is

GRAND!

9.21.10

How can ya not love this kid?

9.20.10

This is such a great age. The funniest things come out of Lilly's mouth... and with such seriousness. I've entered the "Lilly, say ____." phase myself because I just can't resist hearing her interpretation of certain words. And the faces that accompany them... ohhh goodness.

Tonight at dinner we tried out several different names for the new baby. Our boy name is solid, but I'm getting wishy washy on our girl name. I thought whatever name she can say the best (and cutest) would just have to be it for a sister!

Except every name she said came out clear as day and was matched with a smile that screamed, "You guys are so silly! Keep going."

At this point, we're going to have to have at 7 more sisters for Lilly.

9.18.10

Today was extra special, one of a kind, and for girls (and doggies) only! While Daddy went to the Buckeyes game, Mommy and Lilly pulled out all the stops and had themselves a GIRLY day!

We rolled out the air mattress in the living room...


Sipped on... water...


Kicked up our feet...


Turned on a chick flick...


And dug into the snacks!




We picked out all the good pieces...


And dipped our toes into uncharted territory...


Every once in a while stumbling upon a mysteriously soggy piece. Hmmm...


Know anything about that, Lilly?


Even Midas got in on the fun!


It's important to let it all hang out every now and then...


A perfect afternoon...


Just what Mommy needed.

9.17.10

Meet Little Poppy! I had a special ultrasound yesterday to check on the cervical length as my doctor was a little concerned when I first met with her, but all looks great! It's measuring 4.1 cm, which is perfectly normal. The ultrasound technician offered to let us see the baby since he wasn't in a rush for his next patient, and this is the the little miracle who greeted us! Any guesses??!?!

We are not planning on finding out the gender, although Matt really wants to. It seems to drive other people bonkers too! But I'm standing firm-- don't want to know until the birthday! How exciting to hear, "It's a ____!"

We have the big ultrasound on November 1st, where we'll get a really good look at everything. Praying that Little Poppy continues growing strong and healthy:)