6th tooth!

After a week of soggy diapers and low fevers, Lily's lower, left, lateral incisor made it through her gums! Hearing her little teeth crunch on crackers and dry cereal is so cute!!

In other news, Marissa has been here for a few days now and not surprisingly, she and Lily are new BFFs! Lily is so captivated by her auntie, she follows Marissa everywhere and even cried a few times when my sister left the house.

Their connection is so natural, I am curious if it helps Lily feel comfortable, that my sister and I sound alike and resemble each other? Maybe she just knows that its her auntie?!

Auntie Marissa!

Marissa and Robert arrive tonight and we are so excited for this upcoming season! Its going to be a great Fall spending all this time with my sister and Lily's auntie M!

If you haven't heard, my sister is taking a break from her normal routine and spending a few months here in Kansas City. At this point, she isn't sure if she will stay past the holidays, but we hope she does!

Welcome, Miss Eva Mia!

My cousin and her husband welcomed a baby girl today and she is just beautiful! As you can see from the picture, she is very alert and she's bigger than they expected!

Miss Eva Mia Espinoza

Born August 28th, 2009 at 6:44AM PST

7lbs 6oz and 19in long

So big!

Lily enjoyed her first juice box at her birthday party and we were surprised to learn that she could drink from a straw so well! I don't plan on incorporating juice into her regular diet, but she does look super cute walking around with the juice box in her tiny hands! We will keep a few for her at the house, but we plan on sharing the extras with her friend Parker.

Currently, her sweetest little move is twirling around in circles...she looks like a tiny dancer! And her silliest quirk is that she puts a blanket over her head and starts walking around--without being able to see. I'm not sure why does it, but it keeps us on our toes trying to prevent bumps and bruises. For lack of a better term, we started calling this little game, "Ghost."

While in the bath this week she actually said "duckie" while playing with her rubber duck! The next morning she said "kisses" during our family cuddle time! After so many months of listening to her little baby language, its exciting to hear her use recognizable words! She does imitate sounds that we make and I look forward to the many conversations we will share throughout life!

The life of the party!

(Double click on image to enlarge)

When we arrived at the park Lily immediately walked into the fountain with her party dress on!
She was soaking wet, but having a great time splashing around with Parker!

Once the table and decorations were set up, we changed her into a swimsuit and oddly, the water had lost some of its appeal.
After eating cake and opening presents, we changed Lily into a second party dress for the afternoon.
At the end of her celebration, as we were ready to leave the park, Lily got a burst of energy and wandered back into the fountain to play!
Of course we could have stopped her from getting wet both times, but she was so having so much fun...and after all, it was her birthday...

The cake!

(Double click on image to enlarge)

When we gave Lily her baby cake she really enjoyed all the attention as we sang Happy Birthday! But when we encouraged her to eat it, she was a little hesitant. After a minute or two, Lily started to pick off the purple "1" and as it stuck to her fingers, she wiped the frosting off on her legs. Her initial taste of the frosting came as she tried to eat the candle and after deciding she liked the flavor, Lily started to pinch small bites off the cake.

She continued to take small pinches of frosting for a while and when her hands got too messy, she rubbed them together and squished the mess through her fingers, like she was applying baby lotion. She did give her cake a few good grabs, but she eventually got bored. I think she enjoyed the sweet taste, but figured it wasn't worth the mess!

Lily turns one today!

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Today is Lily's first birthday! It is the most beautiful and happiest of days! God blessed us with the most precious gift when He brought her into our lives--She is an absolute treasure!

There is so much to say about this year, it is difficult to confine all the smiles, laughs, and tears into one blog entry. Those of you who know us well have shared in all the joy and love we've experienced over the last twelve months, even if it was enjoyed from a distance.

We wish our families could be here to celebrate this special day with us! These images are a few details for Lily's party.

Movie time!

I finally uploaded the video from our camera to the computer and wanted to share a few clips:

"One little monkey jumping on the bed..."

This started a few weeks ago and always makes us laugh. She just stands in her crib bouncing up and down...she's actually able to get a few inches off the mattress if she uses her arms!

Lily climbing on the furniture

Before I had Lily, I said I would never let my children run around the house, making messes, and jumping from couch to couch. But the look of satisfaction on her face as she's climbing things is just too precious to miss out on! Of course, we keep a close eye on her as she does it.

Waking up from a nap.

These are some of my favorite moments with Lily because she wakes up all puffy-eyed & crazy-haired and very cuddly! Watching her rub the sleep from her eyes and decide if she is thirsty or not...it melts my heart!

TP mess

I already posted a clip of this (taken from my cell phone the day it happened) but I wanted to post better footage of it. Lily just loves unrolling paper products so we have to keep our bathroom doors closed! This was the damage after being left to play with an open package for a minute or two. I think in both clips I tell Lily something about not playing with the paper as I try not to laugh...obviously I am very strict and effective as a disciplinarian!

Party plans

(Lily is walking the perimeter of the wading pool, making sure everything is in order)

Today we visited Lily's birthday party park to speak with the lifeguards and check out the shelters one last time before her big day. Although we originally hoped to celebrate her birthday in Washington, we look forward to celebrating her special day with our closest friends!

So social!

Today Eric and I attended an early class before our normal church service so Lily was in the nursery for two sessions instead of one. As we returned to pick her up, I thought after such a long time away she would really miss us...but I was wrong. When we arrived, she looked over at us briefly before returning to her toys!

I am sure I've written about this before, but I can't get over how well Lily socializes for being a stay-at-home baby! I love knowing how comfortable she is with the other children and the nursery staff! MOPS starts in September and I am really excited for Lily to meet new playmates!

Home photoshoot

My baby is such a big girl now! Things officially changed when she started walking. Although I should have seen it coming, I was not prepared for how quickly it would happen. One week I was carrying a baby around the house, the next week I couldn't convince her to stay in my arms for more than a few seconds at a time.

She prances around the house, sometimes nearly runs, moving little articles from room to room. If you're looking for the remote controls, try the master bathroom. If you are missing a shoe, it may be in the guest room. Books, magazines, toys, cds, socks...everything is fair game for Lily. She is this tiny, industrious person who is always on the move.

Over the last two weeks she has perfected climbing. No longer confined to the ottoman or fireplace ledge, she scales her mini-chair and even gets up on the rocker by herself. Once she's comfortable, she actually knows how to get the chair moving and will rock herself by throwing her weight backwards!

Yes, all of these events make me a little sad because I absolutely adored everything about mothering a baby...but I am also very excited to watch her grow up. She is such a character already, I look forward to all her future shenanigans!

My little love bug!

With Lily's birthday quickly approaching, I find myself holding her closer, struggling to accept how fast this year went by! She is already so brilliant and funny and kind...and this is just the beginning for her! I can't thank God enough for all His blessings!

Family day

This morning at church when we dropped Lily off at her nursery class the room was a lot happier than it was last week! Only one little boy was standing at the door, unsure about where he was. Oddly, when Eric set Lily down she actually let out a whine! It didn't last long and by the time we filled out the sign-in paperwork, she was off to play! She has been able to interact with so many other children this week--each night she was worn out from all the fun!

After Eric left for work Lily and I headed to North Kansas City to visit the park where we want to celebrate Lily's birthday at. I surveyed the area briefly, then we spent time at the playground. I love watching Lily around all the toys because she seems to know exactly what she wants to do...walk under the bridges, climb up the slides, get pushed in the swing, play in the bark...She is turning into a little girl!

Busy day!

Today was a busy day!

Tara and Parker came over around 10:00 for play time in the pool! I wanted to take pictures of Parker and Lily together, but it was nearly impossible! Now that Lily can walk, she wanted to wander away from me and walk around the pool deck! She really is a handful in uncontrolled situations like pools and driveways because she is very fast!

When we were finally in the water Lily didn't want to be held close to me, she wanted to be held by the waist, far out in front of me! I think she likes the freedom of moving her arms and legs, looking around at everyone...pretending to float on her own!

After a quick lunch of macaroni and cheese it was time for a nap before we headed over to the Webb's to celebrate Alexa's 2nd birthday!

The Webbs put so much thought into planning Alexa's party, everything was fabulous! They served kid friendly appetizers (chicken strips), they had kid friendly entertainment (pool & pinata), and they even gave out adorable favors (little tin purses)!

Seeing their house full of kids was quite a sight, but everyone had a great time and most importantly, Alexa was surrounded by people who love her!

Play date with Parker!

This afternoon we picked up Tara and Parker for a trip to Macken Park. It was a such a hot day--Macken Park was a great place to play because of all the shade! Watching Lily and Parker together is so much fun because they are very sweet to each other. Lily tries to keep up with Parker, but he's just a little too fast for her. She wanted to share his sippy cup and tried holding on to him for extra support on the uneven playground. I'm sure it was a little annoying, but he never lost his patience with her. After getting dirty and sweaty, they happily shared blueberries and cheerios before we headed home.

Oh my!

I knew it was only a matter of time before she started testing me...I just didn't expect I would be so weak!! Everything she does makes us laugh, even if it shouldn't...We can't help it, she's our baby!!

Lily has officially started climbing our furniture! Although I know it is a safety concern, I couldn't help but laugh as we watched her! We have great video footage on our camera and I need to make time to upload it. Trust me when I say she is very clever and will use anything as a step to get her closer to where she wants to be!


After a trip to the store, I left Lily unattended to add TP to the master and guest bathrooms. I could hear the plastic bag rustling in the background, but I thought she might be sitting on the package, so I decided to take a few extra minutes and clorox-wipe the vanities. As expected, I was very surprised when I returned to this mess...but I thought it was so funny, I sent a video to my mom from my cell phone before cleaning it up!

5th tooth!

Lily's fifth tooth came in--her lower, right, lateral incisor!

All these teeth definitely change her appearance!

Special delivery!

Lily received her first basketball today and surprisingly, it wasn't from the Smiths! It was a gift from our friend Andrew and Lily loves it! She also received a new nightgown from Grammy because she is outgrowing her baby jammies!

Goodbye Auntie Kristen!

If you look closely, you can see her top teeth!


Today was Kristen's last day with us and we will miss having here! Lily really enjoyed all the play time she got to spend with Auntie K! At the end of the month Kristen is starting a new chapter in life and we know she will be a blessing to everyone she meets!

This morning we headed to church and when we dropped Lily off at her class, the other six kids there were all crying! It was such a chaotic scene, but Lily went right to her teacher without any hesitation. She is really doing well in class and I feel so much better about leaving her there during the service. Unfortunately, she had her fingers smashed in the playhouse today so when we picked her up, the skin on her thumb was torn back...Although it was a minor accident, it was still so sad for me to see! She had little crusties around her nose... I'm guessing she cried when it happened, but she didn't seem to be bothered by it after we picked her up...that made it more bearable for me!

After church we dropped Kristen off at the airport and headed out for birthday party errands. A party for a one year old still seems a bit silly, but because we love her sooooo much, we want to do something for her big day! The hardest part is actually thinking of activities for toddlers to do in a "party" setting! I really wanted to celebrate Lily's birthday in Washington, but it just didn't work out. We still want to hold a small celebration and we look forward to having Grandma Christy in town for the special occasion!

While we were at Target we decided to pick out a brand new pair of shoes for Lily because the other ones don't seem to be very comfortable for her. We tried on about ten pairs before settling on a pink pair--in size 5 (Hopefully that means she is going to be a tall girl. Well, taller than me anyway)! I used to be a form over function type of person, but as a parent, I am leaning more towards function over form! Although there were lots of cute shoes, I wanted to find a pair that fit well, fastened securely, and would protect her little feetsies from any sharp debris that may be hidden in the playground sand. I thought Lily would get frustrated having to sit still while I replaced shoe after shoe, but oddly, she seemed to enjoy the whole process! Other shoppers even commented on how funny she looked just sitting there playing with the shoes. She's such a great little shopper!!

One last update--Lily is over her little dusting phase and on to a new favorite hobby--Brushing her teeth (I'd like to thank my Auntie Ema for encouraging this behavior)!

She's so cultured!

Lily saw another kid climb up the slide at Penguin Park and now she tries to climb up every slide she sees!

Water break at the Nelson

Today we spent the afternoon at the Nelson Atkins Art Museum where we had a wonderful time! If you have the opportunity to visit the museum, I recommend the Beloved Daughters exhibit:

(http://www.nelson-atkins.org/art/Exhibitions.cfm?id=77).

Although a museum doesn't seem like a welcoming place for toddlers, Lily was very quiet and well behaved!

After the two hour mark though, it was clear Lily had energy to burn so we headed to Loose Park to enjoy the beautiful weather. At the playground we spent time on the swings and the slides. Lily followed the other kids around, learning from observation and trying to make friends.

The way Lily watches other kids is so sweet! She is very confident and will wander around the playground "talking" to new people. Her behavior indicates that she is definitely ready for a social life! It's sad that we don't know more kids her age, so I am considering joining our church's MOPS group to make new friends.