Week 52: Happy Birthday

As of 4:21 this morning, I have a one year old.

One year.

A year full of surprise.
Awe.
Frustration.
Joy.
Tears.
Wonder.
Bliss.

One of the happiest years of my life.

Most everyone who knows me probably placed bets that I would cry today.
Happy tears, of course.
Proud tears.
Bittersweet tears.

But no tears for this gal.
No sir-ee.
Just like my wedding day.
Too happy to produce any tears.

Happy First Birthday to the sweetest little lady I know.

It was so wonderful to celebrate YOU this weekend.
And it really was a blast putting everything together.

Lots of planning.
Baking.
Errand running.
Gluing.
DIY-ing.
Borrowing.

All things I can do *by the way* with my newfound freedom.
Holy Moly.
I love freedom.
And I love being mentally present for these moments.

Your little soiree was quite the celebration.
Baby friends.
Adoring family.
Sweet *girly* presents.
Absolute perfection.

The theme was Breakfast at Lyla's.
Feminine.
Classy.
And completely Lyla.

I plan to write a party-detail post tomorrow.

But for today,
I just want to focus on you.

So happy birthday, Sweet Chunkin.
We love you more than we ever dreamed possible.

Thanks for one great year. ;)

Week 51: Practically an Adult

Sorry for the one-week hiatus, Chunkin.

Mama's been a bit busy.

Started a new job.
Planned a baby shower.
Been crafting and planning for quite a milestone birthday for a special little lady.

But, don't you worry though.
I'm on top of your weekly updates.

Because we only *gulp* have two more left.

Oh.my.goodness.

I'm quite surprised that I'm not super emotional.
I'm just too excited.
It's fun to have an *almost* one year old.

You surprise us every single day with something new.

Like your first day of daycare last week.
It was the first time *ever* that we have left you with someone besides family.
Mom was a bit nervous.
Because, you don't always do well with strangers.
But, when I went to pick you up, Miss Diane's exact words were, "She was so perfect".
She's said that every day since.

Or how you smoosh your face into our chests.
Or the chair.
Or the floor.
And start making snorting noises.

And, then there are our super-cheese-ball proud moments.
We get so excited and proud over little accomplishments you've made.
Things that *ahem* many other babies your age have been doing for a while.
Like, you've finally started sitting up from lying down.
We walked into your room one evening, and there you were.
In your crib.
Sitting up.
We walked in, and you started laughing and clapping.

So proud.

Your crib seems to be your safe zone.
Where you practice all of your tricks.
You don't like to try new things while we are watching.
You absolutely will not show off for strangers.
But you prefer to work on your skills by yourself.
Until you feel comfortable enough to show them off for us.

Pretty sweet.

And you love practicing pulling up.
You go up.
And down.
And up.
And down.

And you beg us to help you walk all the time now.
You scoot your way over and start trying to climb on us.
Then you lift your arms up and fuss until we pick you up to hold your hands to "walk".
You're taking quite the giant steps.
And even try to let go to do it by yourself.

We're getting there.
Slowly Steadily.

And then something quite amazing happened this week.
You have started pretending.
It's the cutest thing I've ever seen.
And it pretty much has GiGi and Pops in awe.

It started when Pops put out his hand, palm up.
You looked down at it and acted like you were eating food out of his palm.
So, GiGi tried to get you to do it for me when I picked you up.

Sure enough.
You pretended to eat "snacks" out of her palm.
I laughed so hard, I was practically crying.
I couldn't get home fast enough to show Daddy.
You even make little chewing and chomping noises while you do it.

Adorable.

It's quite ridiculous, really.
The little things that excite me so.
They're what make me realize that I'm officially a mom.
And possibly lame?

Don't care.
I'm lovin it.

Um.
Ignore the our brown door with the white trim.
Work-in-progress.

Week 50: Where'd the Baby Go?

Hmm.
I'm not exactly sure what happened here.

The title of this post is quite telling of this past week.
Metaphorically and literally.
*I love when that happens.*

I found myself asking the same question over and over.
Where did my baby go?

I've had to do some double-takes lately.
You just seem older.
More mature, even.

Maybe it's the sweet tendrils that grew in overnight.
Or the way you lose your temper when you don't get something you want.
Or the way you surprise me with a kiss when I least expect it.
Or the way you point at your books when you want me to read a story.
Or the way you get so proud when you achieve a new little task.

Well you better believe I'm going to enjoy these last two weeks of baby-dom.

But then you go and do something to keep me on my toes.
Like last week.
I sat you down in the living room with your pots, pans, and measuring cups.
*Your favorites.*
And I went into the kitchen for 2 minutes.
TWO MINUTES.

I came back into the living room.
And you were gone.
I'm not kidding.
I couldn't find you.

Luckily, it took about 5 seconds before I heard you.
You meandered your way behind the chair.
I caught you playing with the AC vent.

I'm still not sure how you got there.
Booty-scooted, maybe?

Regardless.
I underestimated your "immobility".

Time to baby-proof, I guess.

About time.
Only took 11 Months.

Speaking of mobility.
I'm quite impressed with your creativity.
Because although you don't crawl, you sure manage to *quickly* get to wherever you want.
Key word = want.
And only then do you show off your skills.

I have to say.
I admire those decision making skills.
Girlfriend knows what she wants.
Mama can't even decide between Downy and Snuggles.

Oh!
And you're making such progress in pulling up.
You just need a *wee* bit of assistance.
And you are actually taking steps.
You hold onto us, of course.
But this is the first time that you've really been able to lift your little legs to step on your own.

And you sure love your sweet little cheerleader position.
It's my your favorite way to sit.

And how could I forget?
Your daddy came home from a work conference.
He had been gone for one week.
You were playing on the floor with Samson and Mommy.
You heard the keys rattle in the door.
You immediately stopped and waited in complete silence.

Dad opened the door.
You looked up and squealed, "Da-Da, Da-Da, Da-Da"!!!

I've never seen your dad smile so big.
There was an extra bounce in his step for the next solid week.

Then.
Your Auntie Laur and Uncle D made a last-second stop in Wichita.
For a way-too-brief 24 hours.

They currently live in Uganda.
So this short trip was quite the pleasant surprise.

Auntie Laur is very special to Mom.
We've been friends since kindergarten.
We've won spelling bees together.
Started an eraser club.
Shaved our legs for the first time together.
Were *sadly* known for our glitter eyeshadow.
Sobbed for an hour straight in the Panera parking lot before leaving for different colleges.
Stood by one another in each of our weddings.

Since the day you were born, I've prayed that you are blessed with a friend like her.

Needless to say, Mama was VERY excited to see your auntie.
Spent the whole day together.
Trying to catch each other up on the past six months of life.
While the husbands talked man things.
And your dad got to show off his brewing skills.

Later that night, Mama had a proud moment.
I was actually feeling spontaneous.
Daring even.
And, I did something completely out of character.

I woke you up from a deep sleep.
So you could open your very first early birthday gift.

This next picture is an absolute treasure.
It is a fun reflection of so many things.

History of a 25 year friendship. 
Energy we've always been known for. 
Dazed and confused *almost* one year old.
Proud *spontaneous* mama.
Two of the most precious gals in my life.

You're a lucky little lady, Ly.

Metaphors and alliteration all in one post.
You're welcome.

Week 49: Changing Like Whoa

Week 49: 07/22/13 - 07/28

It's officially taken me two full months. 

To get my house back in order. 

From the hurricane of chaos from this past year. 

No seriously. 

I've gone through every room in our house. 

Shaking my head in horror {and disgust} at the collection of clutter and cobwebs. 

Word of advice to my future self: 

Never, ever let your house go like this again. 

Not to mention the cleanup from TWO major storms. 

Let's just say we're on a first name basis with our insurance company. 

And I've become an expert at flooded-basement-cleanup.

All by myself. 

While husband is out of town at a "conference" in Las Vegas.

Aside from cleaning/organizing/piling/ridding of stuff in and on every cabinet/drawer/shelf/counter/crevice, these past few weeks have been absolutely incredible. 

There is no other word to describe this precious time with my babe. 

I will say, however, that every week I'm noticing enormous changes. 

Changes that suddenly make me panic for a second.

As I scramble and clutch on to the teeniest little parts that are still baby. 

But of course I realize that you are not a baby anymore. 

How?

How do I have an almost one year old?

And in that same breath.

These changes are thrilling. 

And make me one proud mama. 

Something tells me I have many more of these feelings to experience in coming years.

Desperate for time to stop. 

Yet excited as you learn, grow, and become more independent. 

With that being said, I want to jot down some specific things I've noticed recently. 

Things that make my heart swell. 

Simple, everyday things that I want to look back on and cherish. 

• You've been signing "more" for awhile now. Typically when I ask if you want more, you always, always sign for "more". So much, that I was beginning to think that you would eat 24 hours a day if I let you. Until this week. You *finally* started signing "all-done". It used to be when I asked if you were all done, you would start crying and desperately sign "more". Now when I ask, you actually sign that you are done. Sometimes I don't even have to ask, you just tell me what you want. The beauty of baby signing.

• Absolutely nothing makes my heart burst the way it does when you give kisses. Sometimes they are subtle *in typical Lyla fashion, of course*. But other times they are dramatic and wet. And  lately, you've been catching me by surprise. When I go in to get you from your crib every morning, you pull yourself up to me and give me a giant kiss on the lips. 
  I...I...I can't. 

• You are a such a little person these days. It always takes me a moment when I realize that you actually understand something I've said to you. Like the other night during our bedtime story, the book said "bye" in it. Without stopping, I kept reading, and you started waving and saying "bye-bye". Or sometimes when I close a book and say "the end", you sign "all-done". Also during story time, you patiently wait to turn the page until I say, "Turn the page, Lyla". Or when I tell you to kiss your baby, and you pick her up and kiss her right on the lips! Or when we ask for a high five, you put your sweet little hand up to touch ours. 

• We have your first official physical therapy/child development appointment set up for the week after your first birthday. But honestly, you've made so much progress in the last week. We've been doing a couple of PT exercises everyday, and I think they're helping. You've been getting stronger with our pulling up exercises, and you even pulled up one time on your Zany Zoo completely unassisted! And girlfriend, you may not technically crawl, but you are all over the place. I left you for three minutes on your belly, and I came back and couldn't find you. You *somehow* made your way behind the living room chair and were playing with the AC vent. Needless to say, you've been rolling, scooting backwards, and even booty scooting all the way across the room. You've got places to go, and you don't let the fact that you can't quite crawl yet stop you. And sometimes, I swear you crawl when I'm not looking. You little sneaky-pants.

• Another sign that you really are getting older? Your coping skills have matured tremendously. You are just much more patient. We are even able to stray from your napping schedule (or even skip naps at times) or stretch out time in between meals when we have to. You are also significantly better with people you don't know. (Although, Dr. R. swears your early detection of "stranger-danger" was incredibly healthy *and even advanced* in the social skills department). But, I'm happy we're past that stage. Now, you're still shy when you meet new people and are in new surroundings, but you are no longer terrified. You even let others hold you...a lot. And you're much better with your other baby friends. You don't cry and beg me to hold you when they try to hug or tug at you.

• And a *sad* little observation. You no longer swirl your feet and hands when you want or need something. Before, if you wanted anything *mostly food* you would start crazily swirling your feet and hands around and around in circles. Everyone always commented on it, and we would laugh hysterically over it. Then, I realized the other day I haven't seen you do that in awhile. And I don't know that I ever mentioned this sweet, quirky little part of your everyday interactions. I'm sort of sad to see them go.

• Awkward Confession: You have become my professional bathroom buddy. Yep. Every.single.time. we're out running errands, I suddenly have to go to the bathroom. I can't help it. I drink a lot of water. So, without fail, we have to abandon our shopping cart. And you go right into the stall with me, and I hold you while I pee. *Make sure to tuck that one away for your future resume. ;)

• I seriously think you may be musical...or *fingers crossed* a future dancer. You have some serious rhythm anytime a song is playing and immediately throw your hands in the air and bounce up and down. You also love to clap to the beat (well, sort of). And you absolutely love when I sing to you. Although I can't possibly imagine why. Mama can't hold a tune. Regardless, you love music, and you really love dancing. Especially when mom and dad act like fools and dance for you. :)

*While typing this post, your dad came home from being gone for a week. You immediately squealed and started yelling, "Da-Da-Da"!! I've never seen him smile so big. 

Then you went in for the glasses, immediately followed by a kiss. 

Love.

Reunited and it feels so good. {Lyla's First Vacation}

Quaint bed and breakfasts.

Preserved natural landscapes.

Lighthouses for land markers. 

Lobster rolls and chowder for days.

Not a single Wal-Mart or chain restaurant. 

Reunited with New England. 

And it felt *so* good. 

The perfect first vacation as a family of three. 

A vacation we will try to repeat year after year. 

There is something so very special about sharing a part of your past with your child.

This trip did just that. 

We were able to visit some of our favorite local spots. 

Catch up with friends we haven't seen in over two years. 

Drive our old commute to and from work. 

Seriously, Wichita. Where is your scenic commute?

And of course we spent quality time with our *second* family.

Our sweet Rhode Island family. 

In a beach house.

On Cape Cod. 

It really was as perfect as it sounds. 

*Swoon*

I obviously took over 600 pictures. 

So.

For the sake of reliving and savoring every ounce of our perfect vacation, I'm going to break it into multiple posts. 

I'm dedicating this particular post to being reunited with our dear friends. 

We got to spend a day at our old digs. 

Visiting with our old landlords.

{Who are like family to us}. 

And spent an entire day seeing old friends. 

Celebrating with tons of food.

Playing intense rounds of yard games. 

And introducing the newest Green to all. 

Then spent the rest of the trip relaxing, beaching, and playing plenty of catch up. 

Needless to say, Lyla didn't hurt for attention this trip. 

Oh, New England.

You will always have a piece of my heart. 

Reunited, and it felt so good. 

**Weeks 47 - 48 : 07/08/13 - 07/21/13**