Lyla Ellen Turns One!

She's ONE!  My little girl officially turned one on June 30th, 2015!  This year has been such a whirlwind that I just can't comprehend that a year has gone by.  Having two children has definitely been a lot different than having just one.  It is harder to spread the love around and make sure that you take as many photographs as the first child and mark all of the milestones just like the first. 

But, I think we've made it, survived with two, and are enjoying this new stage in our lives - two kids walking and playing with each other!  YES!

*Weight: 18.6 pounds (tiny thing)

*Clothes: 12 months

*You are still that cute little shy thing around strangers

*You are babbling and talking like CRAZY ever since you turned one!

*Words: Dada, Mama, Baby, Bro Bro (Brody), Ni Ni (Night Night), Ball, Hi, and you can nod your head for "yes" and shake your head for "no".

*You have found your smile and laugh a lot more since you've turned one.  You are happy, funny, giggly, and smiley almost all the time.  I adore it!

*You are walking full time now, wanting to run, but can't do that just yet.

*You love laying down on the floor.  It's the cutest thing.  You also love your beanbag chair and getting comfy and cozy in it.

*You are quite the snuggle bug.

*You've decided that you don't like pacifiers anymore.  Thanks for doing that one on your own ;)

*You really love shoes and get excited when I point out clothes to you that you are going to wear that day.  Makes me excited to take you shopping when you are older :)

*You are a little bit of a daredevil.  You love climbing on everything - making this mama extremely nervous!  You are also a very mischievous little thing.  You think it's hilarious to do something you know you aren't supposed to...like putting your hand/feet/body/sippy cup in the dog's water.  

*You love a good game of chase.  If I look at you and say: "I'm gonna get you!" you immediately run the opposite direction with the biggest smile on your face.  It's my favorite.

*Girlfriend, you can hold your own when it comes to Preston.  Remember how I said you were happy and giggly almost all the time?  The times that you are not are when you are yelling/screaming at your brother because he took something of yours.  Of course I try to break up the issue, but deep down inside I'm cheering you on because you have to be able to stand up for yourself!

You go girl!

*You just finished your first episode of real sickness with hand, foot, and mouth.  You had a fairly mild case of it, but got through it like a champ - fever and all!

*You officially have 6 teeth (Thank goodness!) and are getting two more on the bottom right now to make eight. 

*You eat like you weigh thirty pounds.  I don't know where it all goes, but you are still so tiny and only weigh 18 pounds.

*Food: Grilled Cheese, Applesauce, Puffs, Goldfish, Crackers, Black Beans, Green Beans, Bread, Toast, Spaghetti, fruit flavored yogurt, Pancake, Strawberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Cantaloupe, Oatmeal, Noodles, Chicken, Cupcake (for her birthday), Blackberry, Raspberry, Mac & Cheese, baked beans, avocado, fish, banana, sweet potato, rice, carrots, tortilla, cheese, cucumber, zuchini, yellow squash, acorn squash, butternut squash, parsnips, pumpkin, Peas....Lord honey, the list goes on and on. 

You have some foods that you don't enjoy, but for right now, I am enjoying putting anything and everything on your plate and watching you eat.  Keep it up!

*Your eating schedule is finally the same as us!  This is such a wonderful change for our family :)  We can all eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the same time with snacks in between.

*You are no longer using bottles or drinking formula!  Only sippy cups now and you mostly drink Whole Milk and Water.  The transition from bottle to sippy cup was AMAZINGLY EASY.  I just gave it to you and you drank from it.  Seriously - thank you!

*You love anything having to do with water.  The tub, the big waterslide, the water table, the slip n' slide, the pool.  You love splashing, kicking, and getting soaked!

*You still love giving hugs to all of us and your baby dolls/stuffed animals.  You've really found some of your favorites with those.  You also enjoy putting your baby dolls in their stroller and pushing them around the house. 

And Preston loves pushing YOU around in the baby doll stroller.  You are so small that you fit!

*You love anything your big brother does - he is learning how to play with you really well and both of you come up with some fun games throughout the day.  I hope you all grow an awesome bond!

*You are taking two naps a day.  One in the morning for about an hour and one in the afternoon for anywhere between 2 and 3 hours. 

*We have found you a new sitter for next year that we are SO EXCITED about and I think you will really flourish there :)  I can not wait to see what you learn in this new environment! 

*Gosh you are beautiful.  I look at you every day and think how gorgeous you are.  Always remember that you are beautiful from the inside and out and that your family will always love you, no matter what!

Today this beautiful, sweet, shy, funny, cuddly, and out-spoken when she needs to be, little girl is officially one!  You have completed our family and we are beyond blessed to have you in our lives.   I have always dreamt of being a Mommy to a little girl.  Thank you for making one of my dreams come true. 

Happy Birthday, Lyla Ellen!!
We love you!!

Lyla Ellen - 10/11 Months



Lyla girl you are so close to being one that I can't believe it.  How has it almost been a year already?  You are just as sweet as can be and growing like a weed. 

*Weight: Around 17 pounds
*Clothes: 9-12 months.

 

*One week before you turned 11 months - you started to WALK!  Oh my goodness!  Not only did you start to walk, but the first time walking you were in shoes and in the back yard...in the grass!  What baby does that!?

*You are still shy around other people that you don't know and you do such a cute little head tilt - almost like you are trying to hide.

 

*You currently only have four teeth, but they are coming in such a weird order.  You got your two bottom teeth like normal, but the top teeth I think you have been getting for about five months.  You got your left fang first, and now it is going across your mouth.  Weird.  But cute!

*Your hair is growing fast and you have the same hairline as Preston and I.  We still have to use some kind of hair accessory to keep your long locks out of your face.

 

*Now that you've started walking, you and Preston are enjoying each other's company because you can really start playing now!

*You really only giggle when something is TRULY funny.  Most of the time, that's Preston!

We are on our way to one!  Only one more month to go!

Lyla Ellen - 9 Months

Well, we have made it to the nine month mark and boy is your personality starting to shine through, baby girl!  You are hitting some major milestones and surely keeping us on our toes!  Here are some fun facts about you this month:

*Weight: 17 pounds (tiny girl)
 

*Clothing: 9 - 12 months

*Sleep: You are doing SO much better this month than months seven & eight.  You are sleeping 11 to 12 hours at night and during the day, you take an hour to hour and a half nap at 8am and then at least a two hour nap at noon.  Yay!

*You are still smiling all the time and having so much fun with life!

*You can stand on your own for quite a long time!  Your balance is so good and it's amazing to watch.  You can even balance while drinking water out of your sippy cup!  Way to go!

*You still love your pacifier, but only this kind.

*You also enjoy turning pages in books that we are reading to you, and pop up books are your favorite!

*We are currently enjoying our Spring Break 2015 and you were able to spend your first time in the big girl stroller.  You absolutely loved it, and your first scenery with this new perspective was the beach and water.  Pretty good for the first time :)

*I hope you never lose that smile and that joy.  You really spread it around and even on the toughest of days you know how to make me feel better.  

*Your laugh is the cutest.  You seem to laugh the most when Preston is playing with his Hot Wheels, but you giggle all the time.

*You love a good game of Peek A Boo!

*You like to copy Mommy and Daddy, so if we make funny sounds, you will try to repeat it. 

*You still only have two teeth, but I can see teeth coming in on the top.  I think the top four are coming down at the same time.  Teething has definitely been tough and painful for you.  I hate seeing you go through it, but man am I ready for you to have more teeth so you can eat more fun things!

*Foods you've tried: Puffs, Oatmeal (your favorite), squash (all kinds), sweet potato, grapes, blueberries, applesauce, yogurt, mango, peach, yogurt melts, banana, kiwi, parsnips, carrots, broccoli, peas, zucchini, rice cereal, butter beans, pumpkin, and pears.  

We can already tell that you are a picky eater.  If there is something you don't like you will gag, cough, cry, or just flat out turn your head.   You may very well be a challenge when it comes to food as you grow.  We also seem to think that you like finger foods rather than puree's, and you have come to like the peach go-go squeeze's - you can get the food out all by yourself!

*You love to turn pages in books.  You can sit for quite a long time just turning pages. 

*You love making this face and saying the "ooooo" sounds.  When you talk you can really talk, girl...more like  yell.  When you have something to say you make sure that everyone hears you!

*Remember when I said you were teething?  Anything you get your hands on goes straight to your mouth.  There have been times when we have had to give you Tylenol or Advil because the pain has been so bad.  

*You are seriously EVERYWHERE.  You can crawl at lightning speed and you are in to everything that you shouldn't be.  The dog food, you are now climbing the stairs, cords, the water for the dog, Preston's toys, your toys...oy.  You are also furniture surfing 24-7.

When we pick you up or take you away from the things that you can't have, you have just started to throw tantrums.  You stiffen up your body, kick your legs (pretty hard) and scream/cry.  Oh man!  Strong-willed and independent!

*Changing your diaper or putting clothes on you, haha...yea right!  You immediately roll over and are ready to take a flying leap.  Quite the dare devil!

*Your first Easter was celebrated in Yorktown, Virginia with your grandparents.  You had a wonderful time and we tried taking pictures of you in your pretty Easter outfit.  Mommy's crazy, I will not sit still for a picture!  

We have professional nine month photos this weekend - we will see how those go.  I think they will definitely be a challenge.

Such a sweet girl.

*I am thrilled that it is finally Spring and you don't have to wear so many clothes!  Most of your babyhood has been spent in warmer clothes, so it will be nice to get you in the cute outfits for warmer weather.  Dressing you is SO FUN!

Lyla girl, you have a sweet spirit and are really starting to develop a strong, kind, and fun personality.  How are we only three months away from you turning one!?!?  I still can't believe it, but we love you SO MUCH!

Lyla Ellen - 8 Months

I seem to be posting halfway through each month, but I'm sure to keep Lyla's updates steady.  Eight months.  Eight months ago I gave birth to this beauty and time really is flying by.  This month has had it's ups and downs, but this little girl has made some major strides! 

 

Here are a couple facts about beautiful baby Lyla:

 

*Weighs over 17 pounds

*Wearing 9-12 month clothing

 

*Hair and eyelashes are as long as ever!

*This little girl started crawling.  Then she started standing.  Now she is furniture surfing all within a week or two.  Lord have mercy!

*She is taking two naps during the day and just now sleeping through the night again.  It was almost two months there where she was getting up through the night three to four times.  The struggle of trying to figure out why was the true challenge.

 

Was it reflux, was it teething, was it separation anxiety, was it night terrors?  We went through the list, took her to the dr. probably more than we should have...and our final conclusion is teething.  I really think she wakes up in sheer pain and just needs comfort.

 

We have tried advil or Tylenol before bed and that seems to help.  We don't use it every night, but we have if we notice that she is extra fussy.  If she does wake up in the middle of the night, we don't pick her up - we give her the paci, her blankie, and we rub her back to get her to go back to sleep.  Takes about five minutes. 

Food:

 

*Lyla is eating anywhere from 20-27 ounces of formula every day.

 

*Foods she has tried: Oatmeal, plain yogurt, mango, peach, applesauce, banana, squash, sweet potato, zucchini, peas, green beans, carrots, and avocado.  We have found that she really enjoys finger foods, so if she doesn't like it mushy then we try to give it to her as a finger food and she'll enjoy it more.

*Girl is obsessed with some puffs and yogurt melts.  If you ever want to see a baby truly excited - give Lyla some of those!

*She is currently saying Ma Ma, Da Da, Ba Ba, and La La.  She says her L's so well and we think she is trying to say her own name :)

*She wants to chew on everything because those top two teeth should be coming in soon.  She has two on the bottom and I can't wait to see that smile change from two to four baby teeth!

*You smile and laugh a ton.  You are still so in love with anything and everything that your brother does.  Sometimes you take your hair bows out, but for the most part you don't mind hair accessories.  You aren't drooling as much, but still need a bib most of the time.  Stranger Danger - it's a real thing with you. 

 

*You also have just started the most adorable habit of doing this shy head tilt when you smile.  Oh my - my heart melts every time!  So cute!!

You are such a doll and we are enjoying watching you grow, beautiful girl!

Snowcation 2015

It was just a few weeks ago that we were enjoying 60-70 degree weather in February and I was saying "Please let it snow!".  Finally our area got it's first real snow and so far we have had an entire week off from school and we'll see if we get any more days off. 

 

I swear, teachers are more excited than the kids when it comes to snow days!

 

Over this awesome, unexpected break, we have had a bit of cabin fever due to the crazy cold temperatures outside, but a few times have been able to get outside.  A few milestones were reached and a lot of fun was had.

 

Preston and Lyla had their first bath together!  Now that Lyla is officially sitting up and really sturdy it was time to get her out of the whale tub and in with Preston!  They had a lot of fun and of course I had the camera.

Lyla started finger foods this month, just before the snowcation began.  What did we start with?  Puffs, of course!  She wasn't quite sure what to do with it at first...

...but soon figured it out :)

And she loves them!  We have tried the yogurt melts (she is still unsure about those) and soon will try small bananas to keep her going with refining her motor skills.

The first snow we got was 6+ inches and it was great!  Preston got to go sledding three times with Daddy and they had an awesome time!  Preston came back one day with scratches all over his face from sledding in to a thorn bush, but that's beside the point...(right, Daddy?).

 

When it started snowing, it was definitely time to taste it!

This will give you a bit of an idea of what their sledding experience was like:

 

 

We have thoroughly enjoyed our February Snowcation!

Lyla Ellen - 7 Months!

Lyla is turning 8 months old at the end of next week, so I thought I would post her 7 month photos.  Sheesh, this Mom is trying to play catch up all the time!  We are currently enjoying a full week off from school since our town received 6+ inches of snow with more on the way this weekend.  Not to mention the arctic air that is around here.  Brrrr!

 

Well, this little girl has grown up so much since her 6 month photos!  Here are some facts about YOU this month, Ms. Lyla Ellen!

 

*You have two bottom teeth that are absolutely adorable.  I melt inside every time you smile.  You smile all. the. time. 

 

*Your hair is getting so long and if we don't use a bow, it goes directly in to your face so you can't see.  It's a little too Donald Trump for me, so we will be clearing your view with some kind of hair accessory until I can do pigtails!

*You can't stop moving.  It's hard to hold on to you these days, take a picture, change your diaper, etc.  You want to be on the move or involved in something other than sitting still.

 

*You are crawling (mostly army crawl) and getting stronger every day.  Right now you are just crawling to a particular object you want and then you are done.  Short and sweet :)  But you enjoy crawling toward objects that you shouldn't - the dog food, power chords, boxes, etc.  Girl is learning the word "no" pretty early.

"Hey there!"

My favorite picture from your 7 month photo shoot.  I didn't even attempt to put the sticker on your onesie this month - I couldn't get you to stop squirming!!

*You are officially taking a big girl bath and sitting up in the tub.  You love being in the water and chewing on all of the bath toys.  We have also done a few brother/sister baths together and you love it when your brother is around.

*You still light up with complete joy when your brother comes around.  He will be goofy, silly, read to you, talk to you, play with you, give you your paci, feed you a puff, etc.  You love every minute of it. 

*Everybody always speaks up about how beautiful your eyes are.  And they are right.  You can easily get lost in them - you are such a beautiful girl inside and out!

*Not all of this month has been perfect, though.  Our normally great sleeper had two weeks from hell this month.  All of a sudden you started SCREAMING at night on multiple occasions and we could barely get you to calm down.  It scared us to death.  What could it be?  You never had a temperature, so my mind was going everywhere...

 

- Acid Reflux?

- Night Terrors?

- Scared of the dark?

- Too much food?

- Not enough food?

 

You poor thing, it was awful.  We finally took you to the doctor and we decided it was probably acid reflux and he prescribed you infant Zantac twice a day.  The first day you only took it at night and you slept through the night like your normal self.  The Zantac worked!  Well, the next day was the first day that you took the medicine twice in a day.  That night, you threw up at about 11:30pm and needed a bath.  Poor thing.  Was the Zantac really working??!!

 

It has now been just under a week and we have finally gotten a routine for you again and you are mostly sleeping through the night.  You are also finally eating all of your bottle (6 ounces in the early morning and at night, and every bottle in between is 5 ounces.  You are also eating solids three times a day, but only about a tablespoon of each, your tiny stomach can't take much more.)

 

During the night sometimes you cry, but you put yourself back to sleep pretty quickly.  I also put a night light in your room during the night so when you did wake up you weren't stuck in total darkness and scared.

 

*When we went to the doctor for your medicine you weighed 17 pounds.

*Overall you have given us the run around this month with your lack of sleep and confusing screaming, but you are still as sweet as can be.  You smile all the time, your baby giggles are the best, and you have such a sweet disposition.

We love you beyond measure - on to the next month!

Lyla 6 Month Photo Sneak Peek

Lyla had her six month photo shoot just a couple of weeks ago and here are some of the sneak peeks!

 

I love how they turned out in the studio - it was just too cold to go outside. 

 

Check out Preston's six month photos here!

I am one lucky Mommy...my kids are the best!

Christmas On The Farm 2014

This year marked the first year where we didn't have Christmas at my Mom's house.  My brother and his amazing girlfriend, Denise, had just moved in to their new house and wanted to host us and give my Mom a little bit of a break after about 35 plus years of hosting.  It was different for all of us but it went without a hitch!

 

This year marked Lyla's very first Christmas, while it was Preston's third Christmas but the first one where Santa was truly a big deal!  So much fun!

 

This year we all tried to spend a bit less and focus more on the kids, but that never works!

Can you see the excitement in Preston's face!?  He had so much fun opening his gifts from Santa, Mommy & Daddy, Grammy, and Uncle Cliff & Ms. Denise.  Pure joy!

Whenever we asked Preston what he was going to ask Santa for Christmas, he consistently replied with "race cars and a race track".  My mind said Hot Wheels!  Done and done :)

 

He has loved every bit of his hot wheels and the race track that goes along with it.  Lyla loves it too, she laughs hysterically at them, especially when they crash.  Go figure!

After we spent the day opening gifts, enjoying family and friends, and eating a TON, we eventually got the kids and family outside to enjoy the scenery and the animals. 

 

What a doll!

My brother (Uncle Cliff) recently raised chickens and built an amazing chicken coup.  Preston wanted to see, of course...so he had the chance to feed the chickens and check them out :)

Ms. Denise is a horse trainer and instructor and owns quite a few horses.  So Preston also got to feed and pet them on Christmas Day.  A pretty good holiday, I'd say!

Lyla and Daddy.

Mommy, Daddy, and Lyla on the farm.

The sunset, the scenery, the day.  It was all beautiful.

A picture perfect Christmas on the farm!

The day after Christmas we headed back down to Yorktown, Virginia to spend Christmas number two with Grandma and Grandpa.  Good times all around!

 

Preston really loves his Grandpa!

And of course, Instagram.  I took a TON of pictures on my phone.  Enjoy!

Overall it was an amazing holiday and we created so many wonderful memories with friends and family.  I can not express enough how blessed we are to all be healthy, happy, and close enough to where we can all see one another on a regular basis. 

On to the next holidays!