3.31.10

A few months may have gone by,


but she hasn't lost her love for swingin'!






Only this year Lillers is on the move!







(Anyone recognize that skinny guy in the last picture???)

3.27.10

This past Wednesday, my dear friend Lisa and her little guy Nicholas met Lilly and me at the Columbus Zoo for a day of fun and catching up! It was a gorgeous day-- the kids were happy to be outside riding in their strollers and people watching, while the mommies were gloriously happy to be out and about socializing and not couped up in the house! We really didn't even care if we saw any animals, but we lucked out and saw plenty, including lots of babies!

I'm so fortunate to have my friendship with Lisa and to be able to experience mommyhood together. She teaches me to see things in ways I wouldn't always figure out on my own. Most importantly, she's always there when I need her and when we're together we laugh like crazy.

3.25.10

Words Lilly can say:

Hi
Bye
Mama
Dada/Daddy
Snack
Ba ba (bottle)
Bubba (animals, mostly Midas)
Diaper
Banana
More
Done/All done
Baby
Night night
Book
Ball
Block
Thank you
Blanket

I think my favorite is "thank you" because she knows the appropriate time to say it and she is SO proud of herself for saying it! She crinkles up her nose and claps for herself! Certainly no self-esteem issues here!

Also cute is that the first thing she says every morning when we get her up is "Bubba!" (for Midas) She is so excited to see him. Before I've even had a chance to turn off her sound machine, she's standing at the side of her crib, pointing for "Bubba." And the very last thing she says when Daddy puts her to bed at night? You guessed it. "Bubba." She loves her Bubba.

3.22.10

Lilly and I went to work for just a half day today and were surprised to find just four other friends playing in her classroom when we got there. By mid-afternoon, her friend "O" went home with a fever and a little while later, "J" woke up inconsolable and feeling out of sorts, so she also went home. Her teacher told me that while waiting for J's mommy to arrive, Lilly kept patting J on the back to comfort her. I hope this is a glimpse at a future of many tender Lilly moments. For such an intense, eh hmm, hard core child, perhaps God has gifted her with a gentle and compassionate heart that we'll see as she grows older???

We'll see.

Afterall, she was seen hitting her teacher on the head to the beat of "Stayin' Alive"today. Ms. Crystal promises they were "love taps." Let's hope.

3.21.10

Do you remember "Where's Waldo?"

Where's Lilly?

3.15.10

It's amazing how well Lilly takes direction now, at 15 months.

I can ask her to hold her lunch box while we walk in to school in the mornings and she'll hang on to it while carry her in with me, which is extremely helpful when I'm juggling a zillion different things! I can also ask her "What happened to your other sock?" and she'll disappear for a minute, then reappear with the mystery sock. And at the end of the night if I ask "Are you ready to brush your teeth?" she will drop whatever she's doing and race to the bathroom, giggling, and reach for her toothbrush on her tippy toes. Talk about cute!!!

Every morning before school, I say "It's time to go to school!" or "Let's get your socks and shoes." and she knows to go to her shoe/coat/hat/glove basket and find her shoes. She takes them to the back door and waits, VERY impatiently, for me to pop her up onto the washing machine to put her socks and shoes on and then I let her walk herself out to the car. She looks like such a big girl walking out on her own:)

Tonight Matt noticed she needed a new diaper and said "Lilly, go get a diaper!" After a little more prodding, she disappeared and returned from her bedroom with 2 diapers. He was amazed and declared her the smartest girl he's ever known.

This is fun, guys. Really, really fun!

3.11.10

So my friend Christyn texted me today that she was still trying to figure out how to fart a lullaby! I realized that I might not have been clear about my entertainment tactics in this post. When I said that I farted "If You're Happy and You Know It" I meant with my mouth. Farting sounds. Pretend ones.

We leave the real stuff to Daddy.

3.10.10

Lilly's poor daddy has left early for work and gotten home late a lot this week, which meant tonight was the first time she had seen him since Sunday evening. When we saw his truck pull into the driveway, all three of us (Midas included) raced to the back door to meet him. Lilly was laughing her cute hyperventilating laugh the whole way! She followed him into the closet where he took off his dress shoes... and then she had a little fashion show!

3.9.10

Sometimes I run out of things to do with Lilly. I'll be laying on the floor, trying with all my might to stay awake while she toddles around me, whining for me to pick her up and then when I do, to put her down (how dare I?). And then to help her open the wipes container and then to NOT help her open the wipes container (how dare I?). Sometimes this is followed by more whining because I looked at her too long, so I will look away, and then DO YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?!?! I bet you figured it out!

Last night while in the 20 minute home stretch before bedtime, without Daddy here to help entertain, I was fresh out of ideas. So I sang "If You're Happy & You Know It" in farting noises. Lilly thought it was great, which therefore made me feel like Genious Mommy...

until she figured out how to make the fart noises back at me.

Genious Mommy.

3.1.10

My friend Trisha asked me how I am potty training Lilly and I realized I better clarify-- I am not! This all started as a way of keeping the poo out of the bathtub and has become a hoot and a half. Tonight I put her on the potty after dinner to see what she would do, outside of the bath time environment, and she actually tinkled!

So while she knows she can put her belongings inside the potty, she is by no means saving them for the potty and I have no expectations for that for several months.

I am, however, happy that she isn't afraid of the the potty! And we'll continue doing putting her belongings inside of it whenever we can until she's ready to take the next step!