Another fabulous day!

Tonight after dinner we spent some time outside making bubbles for Lily to play with. Unfortunately, she didn't really care for them...but we still enjoyed the fresh air!

Our perfect day!

If you look closely, you will notice that Lily was giving the #1 sign in a few pictures. She just started doing it at the ballpark without any help or prompting from us. I guess she's a true M's fan!

Today was absolutely perfect! Exactly the kind of day I dreamed for my future, years ago!

I woke up with the rain falling against the window and pulled the blankets up higher, grateful that I didn't have anywhere else to be. When the rain stopped and the sun filled the house, I finally rolled out of bed and headed to the kitchen. The birds outside were singing as I made breakfast. It was the start of a beautiful day!

After breakfast together we headed our separate ways--Eric to the gym, Lily and I for a three mile walk around the neighborhood. The sky was so blue, the sun was so warm, and for once there wasn't any construction going on in our subdivision! Everything was so peaceful!

Getting ready for the day I checked the baseball calendar on our fridge to see if the Royals had a home game. And what luck? They did! At 1:10 they played the Seattle Mariners! So we packed Lily up and headed to Kauffman Stadium for the afternoon.

At the game, our tickets turned out to be ideal seats--in the shade (it was 81 degrees today) and near the aisle! Lily's first game was last September, but she was only four weeks old so she slept through it. This time she danced to the music, watched all the people around us, and even cheered and waved her arms at the appropriate times! We had so much fun!

During the ninth inning, I looked over at Eric and Lily playing together and thanked God; for my wonderful husband, for my healthy baby girl, for our happy home, for the freedom to be spontaneous together, for my incredibly blessed life! I certainly don't deserve sweet days like this, but I am so grateful for them!

Ah the joys of parenting!

Before we had Lily, I thought parenting was more of an event--or maybe a series of events--but in my mind, things were black & white. Now, being able to look back at our time with Lily, I understand that parenting is actually a process--with lots of gray areas! And we still have so much to learn!

We all start out with an idea of what type of parent we are going to be, but the truth is that parenthood often changes us in unexpected (and wonderful) ways! Pre-Lily, I promised that I would not give my children sweets until they could ask for one by name (brand and flavor specific). I would try to avoid all messes possible. I would put them to bed promptly at 7:00 and I would never, ever, throw my one-year-old a birthday party (it's a total waste of money)!

Post-Lily...things have changed. I must admit, "My children" were an idea...no faces or personalities to love. "Lily" is a precious gem! Sugar & spice, and everything nice--she's enchanting! Even though she hasn't asked for sweets, she has tasted them...just because I wanted to share them with her. After three or four months I realized putting her to bed at 7:00 meant she was awake at 5:00 AM (hey--one luxury of staying at home is sleeping in!) so now she goes to bed around 9:00 and wakes up around 8:00. And of course, I started planning her one year party when she was six months old!

As for avoiding all messes possible? Life it too precious to not be fully enjoyed! Sometimes chaos is better than order! Besides, blackberries in the summer are a necessary childhood memory. Just ask my sister.

Cinco de Mayo & Spring pictures!

Random pictures

Lily's fan club

Tonight at dinner Lily was the hit of the restaurant! Not only did she have the attention of the staff, but also of other guests! We had the funniest conversation with the kids from the adjacent table. It was so strange and silly at the same time! I'm guessing they were around 6 and 8 years old.

Upon our arrival at the table...

Little brother: (Polite, but surprised) Excuse me...I never seen a baby with earrings before!

Eric: Yes, well. She told us she wanted to get her ears pierced, so we got it done.

Little brother: (Laughing) Oh my!

Older brother: (Highly suspicious of Eric) Hmmm...She seems awfully young to be speaking.

Eric: (Caught of guard by the kid's resistance) Well, she told us through sign language.

Older brother: (Sarcastically) She signs?!

Eric: (Laughing) Yes, my wife taught her.

Older brother: (Looking over at me for a reaction) Uh...

Sarita: No, he's just kidding!

The boys left the table as our food arrived, but our interaction didn't end there.

Little brother: (Attempting to hug Lily) She's so cute. I wish she was my baby. What's her name?

Sarita: (Hesitant about the kid touching Lily) Her name is Lily.

Eric: Well, maybe one day you will have a baby!

Little brother: (Still trying to hug Lily) Hi, Lily.

Eric: (Now also hesitant about the kid touching Lily) She doesn't really know what a hug is yet or how to do it.

Little brother: Maybe we can babysit her?

Sarita: (Trying to pacify the kid and eat dinner) Maybe!

Little brother: I'll give your our phone number. Its XXX-XXXX.

Sarita: (Still eating) Thanks!

The talk with the boy ceased and we returned to our own conversation. But then a whisper interrupted.

Little brother: (Hand over his mouth) Hey! Hey! Our number is XXX-XXXX. I'll write it down.

And two seconds later, he was back at our table with his number written in crayon on a napkin! Honestly, it was too difficult for anyone to read anyway, but his older brother was close behind. He inspected the napkin and was noticeably disturbed.

Sarita: (To older brother) You can take that back if you want.

Older brother: (To little brother) You gave them our number! You gave them mom and dad's number. That's wrong! That's just wrong!

Funny girl!

A thunderstorm in our area kept Lily from sleeping soundly tonight so I didn't have time to work on a fancy video. Still, I wanted to share a few clips from our day. If you look closely in the first video, there is a crumb in her hair--when I handed her the Saltine she started rubbing in on her head! She's so funny!

In the second video, she's playing drums while I was working in the kitchen. I gave her the little spatula as a drum stick, but she decided it was more fun to chew on instead. It seems like she is developing so quickly these days--videos give a more intimate view of our lives than pictures do, so I will do my best to post more.

Good night!

My little shopper!

Our 8-months-old-celebration shopping trip lasted nearly six hours yesterday, but Lily was a great sport! She enjoys being out in public, meeting people and seeing new things. I am so happy that she is comfortable in social situations because I feel like I can take her anywhere with me!

Currently, if I want her opinion on something I want to purchase for her, I hold two options in front of her and the item that she grabs is the one she "picked". I repeat the process, but switch the position of the items to see if she picks the same one. I know its silly, but it is very important to me that Lily learns how to make decisions for herself. This is just my small way of helping her build that skill.

But I must say, I do look forward to shopping together when she is older and can voice her opinion. Its going to be so much fun!

8 months old!

Lily is eight months old today and already has her first job! This week we are testing diapers (Pampers brand) and after completing a survey, she gets $10! I am excited to see her little Nest Egg grow and we look forward to teaching her about using money responsibly as she gets older!

As I write this entry, Lily is next to me eating a Saltine cracker and "dancing". She has crumbs in her hair, on her face, and all over the carpet...but she looks more beautiful than ever! I never imagined feeling so much love in my life for someone I am still getting to know. But here I am, teary eyed at how much she's grown. She is a perpetual mess...a whirlwind of excitement and curiosity...with the world at her feet.

I wonder what God has planned for her life. Although I dream of many things for her, I know He has a future for her, greater than I can imagine. I am so grateful we get to be part of it!

Lily's current hobbies include "cruising" (side-stepping around our furniture, holding on the the edge), dancing, giggling, and typing. I used to open a Microsoft Word document and hold her on my lap so she could use the keyboard, but now (thanks to her friend Alexa) she has a little toy laptop of her own.

Another recent development of hers is the Tantrum! Who could have known our sweet little angel was capable of such dramatic behavior? It turns out she is...and she's pretty good at it too!

Well, we are off to celebrate by shopping for new jammies! We hope you have a beautiful day! Hugs & Kisses!

Updated "Comment" function

I know a few people have had trouble leaving comments on the blog so I updated the Comment format. Hopefully this will be easier for everyone to use.

Just playing around

After posting the previous video I decided to play around with the Movie Maker feature on this video. The whole process was actually very relaxing for me! I always enjoyed creating Power Point presentations and I love love love music, so this was a lot of fun! Maybe I found my new hobby?!

This is a longer video comprised of two clips. The first clip was from a few days ago when Lily was in a silly mood. The second was from April 9th, when Lily first started "dancing" and was actually repeating the movement (with some prompting). I added a Jack Johnson song, but wanted to maintain the audio quality of the clips because Lily's laugh is the best part!!

I realize the text passes too quickly, especially because the font is small...the video screen is also much smaller on the blog than when I view it in Movie Maker! I will keep that in mind next time and try to avoid the same mistake. After a few more of these short projects, I am going to tackle a bigger and better one--Making a video for Lily's first birthday!

Movie time

And now for your viewing pleasure...more HOME MOVIES!!

The first clip is of Lily in the morning--hair all cute & crazy and still in her jammies! The second clip is her "dancing"--Maybe KC and the Sunshine Band is playing in her head, "Shake, shake, shake..."

Bits and pieces

Every day Lily does something amazing and I think to myself, "This event has to go on the blog," but by the end of the day, I find myself so exhausted--I have just enough energy to remember that amazing something as a I drift off to sleep! But before I do fall asleep, here are a few thoughts that come to mind...

If given the choice between her colorful books or one of our books/newspapers/magazines, Lily always goes for the latter! Maybe its the noise the pages make as they turn? Maybe its because the pages actually crinkle in her hands? Or maybe she is going to become an editor when she grows up?

Lily is already sharpening her emotional intelligence. If she and Eric are together without me, she is a lot more independent and content. She easily smiles, plays, and takes more risks with her mobility. If its her meal time, Eric actually has to leave the room because he is such a distraction for her--Lily always has to know where he is in the room!

As soon as I join them, Lily gets more vocal and intently watches my face for reactions to her. When I'm around she is less willing to "travel" on her own and definitely plays up the "baby" role! And when we explain something to her in a stern tone, she only waits a second or two before giving us this big, sweet smile in return. Its the kind that even makes her eyes sparkle!

Just this week I noticed Lily has stopped "humming" every time we rock her to sleep. Now its only some times, although she does still make a few other noises. Like the hiccups, I guess this is just another quirk she will outgrow. It makes me sad (surprise, surprise!). I love her little hum and will miss hearing it! Thankfully that is something I do have recorded!

Not surprisingly, Lily is very interested in music. When I was pregnant, I would listen to my iPod at work and secure one of the earbuds to my belly so she could hear the music too. It made me feel closer to her, sharing a part of myself with this little stranger. Recently James Taylor was on TV and Lily stopped playing to watch him perform. Eric and I had to laugh because she doesn't usually watch TV and she was entranced!

I understand most babies like music...but in a small way it felt great to think maybe our prenatal jam sessions meant as much to her as they did to me.

I love this song!

At the top of our page I added something I wanted to share with you all:

Darius Rucker's* song, It won't be like this for long.

The first time I heard this song I was rocking Lily to sleep for her afternoon nap and it made me cry! And not just cry, as in a few silent tears while I pondered the lyrics, I mean cry-cry--as in runny mascara and runny nose weeping as I held her tightly!

Although its written from a father's perspective, it simply captured the mindset that I have with Lily! Every day I try to soak her in, knowing I won't ever get to relive these precious moments with her. She is growing up so quickly, I wish there was a way I could extend her infant-hood! But of course, I will always thank God for the time I am allowed with her!

I hope you enjoy the song and recognize the gift of each day with your own children! Be blessed!

*Yes, the same Darius Rucker from Hootie & the Blowfish...he's gone country!

Easter blessings!

Easter Blessings!

Our home life...

Birthday wishes!

Happy Birthday Auntie Kristen!

Cherub...

It is impossible to communicate the exact feelings and emotions that Lily brings out of Eric and me, but they are so vivid and intense! There is nothing like holding her close and listening to her gentle hum as she gives into sleep. Her precious face loses the usual excited expression, her cheeks and mouth fall into a little pout, her upturned eyelashes flutter a bit...she looks like an angel!

"Blessed" is the only way I can describe my life, because I know I haven't done anything to deserve all the joy, love, and happiness I experience!

Crawling!

After weeks of moving in reverse, Lily started crawling forward for long distances this morning! She's been bunny hopping around the house but today it all finally came together for her as she crawled from one end of the living room to the kitchen!