Good Night, Sweet Dreams

As I go through my normal evening routine with Lillian...bath, bottle, a snuggle, and bed, I am quickly brought to tears in a matter of seconds and by pure human touch. Upon placing Lillian gently in her crib, I turned her on her side and faced her towards the wall with her sucky (otherwise known as a paci) in her mouth. Right when I thought I was safe to turn and leave the room, my sweet daughter turned her little body and reached her hand up towards me. I could sense that this was an act of affection, not desperation for me to stay just a while longer... and so I leaned down towards her, within her little arm's reach to see what she had to say. Lillian gently placed her hand on my cheek, and slowly gave my face a loving embrace. She literally removed the sucky from her mouth and whispered the sweetest utterance a baby could possibly convey. It was as if she was trying to tell me in the only ways she knew how, that she loved me. I gently rubbed her cheek in return, and told her that I loved her very much, too...sweet dreams my precious angel! And with that, I cried tears of pure joy.

Suckin' Crazy!

Buddies

And at that very moment, a lifelong friendship was formed.

Whoa...Someone needs a nap!

What gave me that idea? The fact that I turned my back for all of one minute, only to turn right back around to find a passed out baby with a bottle in her mouth! I'm not going to lie, for a brief moment (until I startled her and woke her) I feared something was terribly wrong. Nope, just catching a few Zzzzs wherever she can.

"So this is what it's like to be a mom."

After the kitchen was cleaned and ready to meet a new day, laundry had been folded but not yet put away, and Lily tucked into bed fast asleep, I found myself settling into my own bed and not a moment too soon. As I pulled the covers up around my neck and nestled in, I let out a big sigh and whispered to myself, "So this is what it's like to be a mom".

Finally, after dreaming for so many years about what my child will look like, and how it will feel to hold your own baby, I now know. Thank goodness for all of those years of playing with dolls...that practice is finally paying off! Yes, I do understand now the great joys that motherhood brings. I also know that there will be moments of sorrow and frustration in the years to come. But as I look at the big picture, I know that an even greater reward lies ahead in the distant future...the bond a mother and daughter have as adults it quite simply like no other. For now...I find myself basking in the sweetness of the little moments like this one....

Our Little Angel

Like Mother, Like Daughter

Here's another blast from the past...yes, my own mother actually saved several outfits from when I was a baby for that mere chance that I would one day grow up and have my own baby girl. Luck was on our side this time!

There I am with my Grandma Holmes (I can spot her arms and hands anywhere...we have the same exact hands), sporting that oh-so-cute ruffled outfit.

And here Lillian is with her Grandma Holmes showing off that same little ensemble (minus the bonnet, it has gone missing over the years).

The Good Thing in Life Never Change

There's Lillian's mommy, that's right it's me, at about 6 months old. I've got my sippy cup and wooden high chair.

Some things just don't change too much over the years. Here's Lillian in her wooden high chair (notice that three decades later they have added padding and a plastic tray table), and her sippy cup.

Snip, Tuck

No sillies....not that snip & tuck! Although my tummy could use a little "extra" help, I really just need to focus on strengthening those stomach muscles again to whip those abs back into shape. I'm talking about snipping coupons and tucking them in my wallet. Prior to Lily's birth, I confess that I never cut a coupon before in my life (well, maybe for my mom when I was little, because I thought it was fun to look for all the junk food, but that's it). Since Lily's arrival a mere 22 weeks ago, I have quickly come to notice that she has some very necessary purchases that are required - almost weekly: Pampers diapers and baby wipes. I began to notice the coupons that were slowly arriving at my doorstep once Lily was born. I glanced at them and then tossed them into the old "file 13". It wasn't until about eight weeks later that I realized that manufacturers were literally throwing money back into my pocket for the items I had to purchased anyhow. Why not cut those suckers out?

Seeing as I am currently not teaching, nor working on furthering my degree, this has become my new challenge (apart from getting Lily down for a nap). I even spoke to a girl at Target that has become my inspiration...she has cd cases organized and full of coupons. I've read about coupon cutting online and am obsessed with people that can save astronomical amounts of money. I am still quite the novice, though. I am just now mastering the art of combining coupons: in store, manufacturers, and competitors...this seems to be the magical combination that yields the biggest savings!

So long for now, I am off to hunt for further savings!

My Baby is Approaching the Half Year Mark

And I can barely believe it! Lillian is 5 months old today. I've had a few people tell me that when it comes to having babies, "the days are long, but the years are short". Oh how this is beginning to become painfully true. I find myself caught in the moment more and more these days. Just snuggling and cuddling Lily as often as possible, spoiling her as some might say. I know I will never be able to get these years back, so I'll take them while I can.

I often find myself looking at her big brother, Canyon, remembering when he was just a "baby" himself. I even remember thinking to myself at one point, "I wonder what he will be like when is 12 years old..." well, that time has come and gone in the blink of an eye. I refuse to ask myself the same thing about Lily.

Here she is...still on the verge of sitting up by herself, but clearly not there yet. This little stinker has also decided to remove rolling from her list of daily activities. She teases us each day, but has become more comfortable on her tummy that she no longer rolls over. Lily is a strong willed child, and definitely know what she wants and when she wants it. She has become quite fond of her big toes, her brother's peekaboo games, nighttime bottles with daddy, and morning "huggles & snugs" with mommy! If able, Lily would prefer to spend most of her time standing. We are currently trying to teach her how to hold herself steady while standing and holding onto something like the edge of the couch or her crib. This activity almost always produces an ear to ear grin and a squeal of delight!

Happy 4th of July!

This past weekend was a BIG weekend for Lily! She celebrated her first 4th of July, went somewhere other than her grandparents' house, and met her new friend, Stella (and she munched on her toes, but that's old news)!

Scot, Canyon, Lily, and I went to our friends', the Johnsons, house for a 4th of July barbecue & pool party. We were surrounded by good friends, food, and fireworks. Since this was Lily's first time outside of the house (other than her grandparents') she had difficulty settling in and taking naps. She was so fascinated by all of the new sights, sounds, and scents that she refused to let herself fall asleep. This was challenging as we knew it was just a matter of time before our little one would soon grow restless and cranky.

Lily did well and hung out until around 10:00 when we finally had to call it quits, pack up the troops, and head home. Canyon spent most of the evening with his friends, Jacob and DJ, setting off fireworks, playing video games, and swimming.

Lily finally met her newest friend, Stella. Stella was born 6 days after Lily. Her mommy and I have a lot in common as well (our birthdays are also 7 days apart) and are sure that the girls will continue to grow together and share many things in the future.