Downtown

Matchy-matchy!

Today we headed downtown to Union Station for the Chronicles of Narnia exhibit. We are all C.S. Lewis fans and were excited to learn more about him. The exhibit was very creative and well-planned! It's great for families because they have several hands-on activities for kids. They even sold Turkish Delights in the gift shop! Being at Union Station was so much fun, I think we are going to purchase a membership next year!

After the exhibit we walked over to Crown Center and visited a Lego display. The artist created so many detailed, complicated items, it was really neat to see. They also had small Lego stations set up for kids to create their own works of art. I wanted to take more pictures but my camera batteries died.

We ended the afternoon with a brief rest at the Liberty Memorial. Lily walked up the steps and we watched the fountain. It was another action packed day!

Penguin Park Videos

Busy day

Today we took Lily to Penguin Park for play time. It was especially fun because she's walking now and wandered around checking everything out. We usually keep her barefoot or with socks only at home so it took her a while to adjust to walking outside in shoes.

She didn't like the swings as much as she used to, but she loved the slides--once she figured out how they work. After sliding down by herself, she wanted to crawl right back up and was determined to get to the top! Someone at the park guessed Lily was about 2.5 years old and was surprised when I said 11 months...I guess Lily looks pretty tall?

After playing on the toys we walked around the pond and eventually came home to get ready for Eric's softball game.

By the way, tonight Eric's team was awesome--they actually won and they looked great doing it!

Lily loves Auntie K!

We are so excited to have Auntie Kristen visiting this week! It will be the last time we see Kristen before she leaves the states for her next adventure and we are so happy she came to see us!

Fighting sleep

Today we went to lunch and then to Pottery Barn Kids with a friend. We didn't buy anything, but I did get a few great ideas for room accessories I can make myself! Lily is worn out from our busy day, but fighting her sleepiness to stay up as long as possible!

Since turning 1o months old, Lily's dependence on her pacifier has decreased significantly--at least by 50%! It became something she used mostly when she slept. Now since turning 11 months old, she has not been sleeping with her pacifier at all! It wasn't even something I tried to take away from her, it happened all on her own timing (thank God)!

Family day

Today we spent the day relaxing as a family. Lily made a mess in the living room, like always, and kept us talking about how adorable she is! One of her new favorite games is chase. She has been chasing us for months now, but she just realized that we can also chase her! She lets out the most precious little squeal right before we catch her!

This afternoon we were watching a movie and she wanted to sit on the rocker with me--not in my lap, but on the seat like a big girl. After a while, she started to get comfortable and fell asleep while eating her ice cream cone.

I know a cone without ice cream could hardly be considered a treat, but Lily really likes carrying them around with her and snacking on them as she pleases. The only downside is they create quite a mess if they get stepped on, but its so funny to hear her crunching on it!

Play date with Alexa

Today Alexa came over and spent the day with us! It was so much fun having two little girls in the house!! Our day was a preview of what life would be like with two kids and I must say, it went better than I expected!

Watching them together was so sweet because whatever Alexa did, Lily wanted to do! Thankfully, Alexa enjoyed playing with Lily too! We took a walk outside in the morning, and spent time dancing and twirling around the living room. In the afternoon we all headed to the pool to enjoy the beautiful day!

Seeing how advanced Alexa is makes me excited to see Lily at that stage also. I wonder what she will be like...

11 months old today!

Lily is 11 months old today! Although I said my children would never have sugar, we gave her an Oreo cookie to celebrate this special day!

Her fourth tooth also broke through the gums--her upper right central incisor! Now her smile is looking less like a baby's and more like a big girl's!

Random thoughts

On the 18th Lily attended her first birthday party of the summer. She was so excited to see the birthday girl, Ava Maria, that she wanted to hug her repeatedly, all evening! I will post pictures of the party as soon as I can. Lily is a very sweet and affectionate girl!

On Thursday we attended a jewelry party at our friend's home. Lily has never played on our stairs before, but that night she climbed right up the Webbs' stairs without any problems! Its so amazing to watch her do new things without hesitation!

Now that she is walking, her new big thing is moving throw pillows around the living room. She will carry a few of them to the hall, then relocate that pile to the fireplace. She is so...industrious!!

Lily after church

It looks like Lily is dancing in the first two pictures!

Mama's helper!

Here is another video of Lily being helpful...I wonder if she'll be this eager to help around the house when she's a teenager!

Upper left central incisor!

Lily's third tooth finally arrived and the fourth one is not too far behind!

She is so great, even when she's teething! She gets a fever the night before the tooth breaks through the gums, but her behavior and attitude stay about the same...she's an angel!

Silly Lily

This was filmed the night after my sister left...At the end of the day we all were playing on the bed. I think the unfolded laundry was stressing Lily out! She started moving it from one area of the bed to another area, then she would crawl to the empty spot and start moving the laundry back all over again. I wish I could post the whole video but its four minutes long! She was acting so silly!

Updates and home movies!

Lily is changing so quickly now that it is actually difficult for me to keep up on the updates! By the time I blog about it, it seems like she is already on to something new! Now if I can only remember everything...

For a few weeks now Lily has been all about sharing! She will share her food, her pacifier, her sippy cup, her toys--its so sweet! It started with her toys. Eric was playing with her one evening and taught her to put a toy in his hands when he asked for it. She would grab his hand with one of her hands, and put the toy in his palm with her other hand (does that even make sense?!!). That spread to other things--now she will even take a piece of pasta or fruit out of her mouth and offer us a bite! We are trying to use the word "share" more often so she will understand the concept when she gets around other kids.

She also started...dusting! Its a little strange, but she really enjoys helping me clean and will wipe down anything she comes across! About a week ago, I gave her a paper towel to play with while I wiped down the kitchen counters and she started wiping the floor. Then she moved on and wiped our ottoman. Then my flip flops. And the remote controls! In the video below she is using a bib to wipe down her Dora ball pit, but throughout the day she usually carries one of her little pastel washcloths around just in case she sees something to dust!

She's walking!

Tonight we were walking around the living room when Lily let go of my hand and walked away. She is still a little wobbly and has to squat to regain her balance, but she pushed my hands away when I tried to help her!

It was such a bittersweet moment! A little emotional realizing how independent she is becoming, but very proud watching her toddle away! Being a mom is the greatest gift ever!!

Saturday at the pool

(Please don't mind the no-make-up look!)

Today we were planning on going to Loose Park for Party in the Park, but we slept in and just didn't get moving until the afternoon. It was a nice, mild day so we decided to hang out at the pool instead. In these pictures Lily is wearing her new swimsuit, a gift from Danielle! Now she has 4! We haven't charged our cameras in a while and both died before we left for the pool but I will try to add some cell phone pictures when I get a chance--Lily looked adorable today!

First day without company in a while...

"Hmmm...I don't think I like that..."

Today we enjoyed a relaxing family day! Lily sat in the garage and watched us organize it, but as you can tell from her expression, she wasn't too happy about it! Later we went on a family walk, stopped in at the pool, and eventually went to Eric's softball game. Although we miss Marissa and Robert, it was so nice to be together as our small family again!

Royals game - Friday night fireworks!

Tonight we went to the Royals game with the Webbs to watch the fireworks. Lily and Alexa both were very well behaved and the show was spectacular! It was buck night at the K and we all ate too many hotdogs for our own good! Immediately after the fireworks it started raining and we had to run back to our car! Muggy, rainy, Kansas City days definitely make me miss the cool, refreshing, rainy days of the Northwest!

New guests in town!

Today we picked up my sister and her fiance Robert from the airport. Its going to be another exciting week!

The little princess

The most exciting part about Lily getting older is seeing her personality develop! She is so precious!!

She still loves music and dancing, but her current hobbies include clapping her hands, giving kisses, and something extra special that seems like...singing?! She knows how to use a spoon and even how to use Q-tips!

Now when music plays or we praise her, she stops what she's doing to clap her hands! She is also able to give kisses on the cheek (upon request), and they aren't even that slobbery! As for the singing thing...we aren't really sure what it is...she just starts babbling extended syllables in her own little tune, usually when she's playing by herself. Whatever it is, it's adorable!

After a few days of Lily grabbing at the spoon during meals, this morning I finally let her try feeding herself oatmeal and oddly, she put the spoon in her bowl and put the whole bite in her mouth--the first time! After that it got messy, but she was able to feed herself about 5 or 6 spoonfuls! Although she hasn't fed herself a non-solid food before, Lily has excellent hand-eye-coordination, which I guess contributed to her success today.

Yesterday after bath time, she grabbed a Q-tip and actually put it in her ear--again, on the first try! The spoon thing is probably normal, but a baby knowing what a Q-tip is for...it seems so random! When she grabbed it from her changing table I figured she would put it in her mouth, but when she stuck it in her ear and held it there, I was cracking up! Anyone who's been here for bath time knows that Lily really likes having her ears cleaned and sits still while we wipe out the extra water, so maybe I shouldn't have been so surprised?

She is quickly becoming a little person and I look forward to seeing what else she learns in the next two months before her birthday! Children are such a blessing and every day is such a gift! I wish more people experienced motherhood the same way I have been able to...it's incredible!