Lillian Graces' journey

Long time coming......

2011-09-29T12:39:00.000-04:00

Seriously, where does the time go? I can not believe that close to 5 months have flown by since my last blog post. :(

We had a very busy summer. Ken had some changes at work and while the changes meant more income, it also meant more time spent at work. Lillian is a VERY active "preschooler" now. We have been implementing many changes for her. We placed her in a "parents morning out" program two days a week during the summer. We did this to help the transition of starting preschool easier this past September. She has also recently started speech therapy (through our local public school system.. she is getting ready to age out of our early Intervention) program. So, she is in Preschool two days a week; speech the other two days, and we started a ballet class for 2/3 year olds this past week. The speech therapist said that she has an receptive and expressive language delay and a articulation disorder. We are in the process of obtaining a FULL evaluation through the public schools... OT, PT and testing for special education preschool. Which, I thought we had already "tested" for preschool when they informed that she was "to intelligent" (not complaining!) for the program. Her speech therapist said that there was nothing in her file about testing results for preschool.... hmmmm..... There will be a FULL work out now. They don't want to mess with "the momma!"

As she gets older, we notice the differences between her and her peers more and more. Don't get me wrong... I would not change her for the WORLD! She is wonderfully and perfectly made. We adore her. :)

During her 1st dance class, she was a bit out of control.... She had a GREAT time but, would NOT listen to the teacher... ran and screeched the entire time. Five years ago, I would have looked at the parents of a child that behaved like her like they were "failing" some how. Oh how God has opened my eyes and given me so much understanding and compassion and taught me to NEVER EVER judge anyone!

Busy week... Speech IEP, OT evaluation and a diagnosis

2011-05-20T21:25:00.000-04:00

We picked up Lillian's glasses last Saturday. The first couple of days were a little challenging but she has been doing much better. She will still take them off but, I simply clean them off and place them back on her face and usually don't even make a big deal about it. :D

This past Tuesday, we had an IEP meeting with her "home" school for the Speech Therapy that will start in September. I will have to drive her in twice a week for therapy. She was marked "to intelligent" for the Pre-school program through the Public schools. Oh, I'm not complaining that she is "too intelligent" but, what she is dealing with she could easily fall through the cracks... Well, if she had different parents. :D We'd NEVER allow that to occur. The meeting went well and we are looking forward to getting her started.

Today, Early Intervention returned for an OT consult. They mailed me a "sensory profile" a couple of weeks ago to fill out. They also recommended reading "The-Out-Of-Sync-Child." I was able to get a copy from our Library . Ken and I found it VERY insightful! We decided to order a copy of it along with "The out of sync child has fun" and "Raising a sensory smart child."

Back to the evaluation, we learned that Lillian has a Auditory Processing disorder (normal everyday sounds affect her. She cringes or acts fearful to normal noises while saying... I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.) She is classed in the "Over stimulation" category here. This is like there being "no filter" in noisy or busy places. We have always been watchful in how she responds to outside stimulus. She has ALWAYS "overstimulated." We do things in baby steps to help her adjust to situations. We have also been telling her (but not to wordy) what we are doing... ie: Our meeting at the school was at 7:20am. She typically wakes up around 7am. So, I knew that I would have to wake her up. In the past when I have gone in to wake her she has been a real "apple" (crab apple..lol) so, Monday night when I was putting her to bed, I simply said, "Mommy is going to wake you up tomorrow morning because we have to go bye-bye early." She did fabulous! I went in and she sat up and said "Momma wake me up." VERY smooth transition!

She has a Tactile Processing disorder. Under stimulation or sensory seeking. Tactile processing affects touch... so she will kick me when I am changing her, pull my hair, hit me, or she wants to kiss and hug and will ask to touch everything and everyone. While that is VERY sweet, other children are not overly perceptive to hugging a stranger... So, we are teaching her socially acceptable behaviors that will allow her to gain what she "craves." We are teaching her to give "five" to her peers... That way it's not perceived as "odd" behavior and she is able to gain the "touch" that she craves. We will be starting OT monthly. The OT that we met with today said that she was impressed that we have been so insightful to her and she is doing a very good job of getting what she needs and self regulation.

She is also "borderline" for a Visual Processing disorder.. we are going to watch this as she continues to wear her glasses and adjust to them.

Some children are overly sensitive, and others under sensitive and then there are the cases where they are a combination (which is the most difficult because no one knows how the child will be from one day to the next) She suffers from a combination. We roll with it and allow her to "dictate" how and what we do for the day. Having said that.. that doesn't mean that she runs the house. It simply means that I follow her cues and adjust and alter when and where I need to. There have been times when I have had to reschedule things b/c I knew that she would not be able to tolerate what we had planned.

Causes of SPD (sensory processing disorder) can be Inherited or Prenatal or Birth Complications have been implicated. We are so grateful that there is treatment and we are able to help Lillian. She will always have to live with this but her brain can be retrained to a degree and she will be able to learn coping skills.

"Spectacle's!"

2011-05-09T14:49:00.000-04:00

We took Lillian to the Ophthalmologist this past Friday, and it turns out that she is far sighted and needs glasses. Her extreme caution when running, jumping, and maneuvering up and down stairs may be due to the fact that she is not seeing as she should! I'm not sure why I was a little surprised... you see, I have had to wear corrective lenses since I was three (3) years old. I too, am far sighted. Ironically, our prescriptions are just about identical. I have to be honest, I was a little saddened by hearing the news... not because I'm scared of how she is going to look or anything but because wearing "thick" (30 years ago) glasses was extremely difficult for me. I was the center for MANY jokes. Glasses paired with a unique name... most days were mere torture. I am so grateful that technology has made glasses lighter and thinner and that wearing glasses is highly fashionable these days.. Besides, only the most special children GET to wear glasses! :) Here is a photo of Lillian trying on her new frames. They will arrive next week.... Her Bear is also in desperate need for glasses soooo be on the look out for those photos!

Omigosh... I have been a terrible "blogger"

2011-05-02T22:30:00.000-04:00

I have been wanting to get by here and write a post for awhile... but Life has been busy! On my last post I mentioned that Lillian is showing some delays in a few areas and we have confirmed sensory issues. That mean more assessments. We are so grateful to have early intervention and now the school system following her at such an early age so that we are able to accommodate and assist her in all of her needs. It can be frustrating to though. She has only ever qualified for assessments and her evaluations. Don't get me wrong, this is FANTASTIC! But, we are learning of issues that if they are not "intervened" now then they will be delays later. So what do we do? Wait? Not this momma! I am trying to absorb as much information on motor planning and how to help Lillian. I am glad that I videoed her having that "tantrum" because, tantrums that extreme are not "normal." She was approved for speech therapy for the following school year. I am really praying that with the additional sensory processing issues going on that she will be able to attend public preschool. I want to badly to integrate her with other children but she over-stimulates and then when she is given an instruction; most of the time she is unable to follow through especially if she is uncomfortable and put on the spot... she will repeat the sentence back to you instead of answering the question. We will also be getting a OT evaluation through early intervention... she "may" qualify for monthly or bi-monthly visits. Which will be fine, I'd like for them to assist with creating a "sensory diet" for her. One of my dear friends gave us a trampoline which will aide in helping her through some of her motor planning issues.

We were able to get her into see the optometrist before October... We see him Friday. I am eager to see what he says. I have had to have corrective lenses (glasses) now contacts since I was 3 years old! I am very far-sighted... sometimes children out grow this and sometimes not.. like me. :) So, we have noticed her eyes turning in towards her nose on occasion and with my history... it's time to check. :)

We had a Beautiful Easter... Lillian looked adorable in her sweet little "chick" dress.

I have a lot to say...

2011-04-15T22:34:00.000-04:00

Today, was Lillian's 2 year Early Intervention evaluation. (2 years being in the program) She will be 28 months old next week. I do not have a copy of her evaluation just yet, because the PT and speech therapists, and the case worker had to finish writing it all up so, I am grabbing it from my memory.

Lillian was assessed at 24 months for her Fine and Gross motor skills. (4 month delay... last year she was assessed at 12 months so she has maintained this amount of delay over the course of the year) We discussed a sensory processing issue and issues with motor planning. I can't say that I am surprised by either. We have known that she is an "intense" and active little girl and that she still tends to over stimulate. She is not 25% or more delayed so she will not qualify for services. They did suggest ways to help her become more aware of her body and her surroundings. They also recommended a book called "The out of sync child." I reserved a copy at our local library. They also recommended that we NOT get her involved in group sports (soccer or basketball) that more individual activities like dance and gymnastics will be better suited for her. She is very social with adults but tends to sit back and watch other children play. She watches what they do and how they respond. The therapists said that it may take her longer to learn a skill but once she has her mind set on it she will master it and be efficient at it. As I stated in my previous post, Lillian is going to be approved for the speech therapy program at the public schools in September. The speech pathologist has asked when she was due to follow up with EI and was waiting to hear back what they reported and has not recommended further assessments at this time. When speaking with her EI caseworker today, we did briefly discuss preschool and we agreed that at this time we do not think that it would be in her best interest to place her in a "mainstream" class. It could lead to greater anxiety and frustration for her. However, I would really LOVE for her to be able enroll in the early preschool through the public schools. (same program as the speech therapy) Initially, she did not qualify however, her caseworker is going to discuss this with the speech pathologist. I am praying that Lillian will be able to have further testing and will eventually be able to attend. (Even though I have mixed emotions about her leaving me..lol) I am fearful that I alone will not be able to accommodate and supply her with all that will be needed to prepare her for kindergarten.

I am also trying to get her scheduled with a pediatric ophthalmologist. We have been noticing that her right eye is turning in. I called her pediatricians office today for the referral and when the nurse returned my call she said that the doctor was booked through October! Really!? She said that she explained Lillian's situation and past medical history and they are supposed to look over the cancellation list and see where they are able to fit us in.

On top of that, our only Children's hospital, the same facility that her pediatrician and Neurosurgeon are affiliated with are in a all out battle with Anthem (just so happens to be our health insurance provider) and they may end their "relationship" effective June 1st making all care "out of network." Sigh............ Praying that will be resolved!

We decided to bump up her CT scan and annual visit with her Neurosurgeon just in case they are moved into the out of network provider. Her appointment is scheduled for Monday...I am eager to see how everything looks in there. Our zero balance at the children's hospital was short lived!

And... I BROKE my toe this past Monday night. Yeah... I tried to rip it off with Lillian's high chair. Quite literally... I ended up going to the urgent care only b/c it was about 70 degrees sticking out away from my other toes and when I pushed it back in... it just bounced back to where it was! I wanted to have an xray and make sure that I didn't break it further down into my foot. But, I'm happy to report it's just the toe... but at a diagonal across the first joint! UGH... Needless to say, it's been an eventful week around here!

Looking at the broccoli and lettuce in the garden.

A...hem! clears throat

2011-04-10T23:19:00.000-04:00

Where to begin? So much has happened in the last month... Let me begin with, Lillian had a labial adhesion, UTI, and an ear infection. We went through a 20 days worth of antibiotics, over a month of Estrogen cream. We were also referred to a Urologist. He instructed us to continue the estrogen cream (safely) for the next month and ordered a renal and bladder ultra sound. We returned for a follow up last week; the adhesion has been resolved AND Lillian's Kidneys and Bladder and healthy and in perfect working order! :D We have been dealing with MANY tantrums. These have not been simple throw down on the ground tantrums, they have been very forceful and Ken and I been fearful that she is going to hurt herself. Thankfully we have been working around them while "picking our battles." An example; sitting in her car seat is not negotiable, nap or quiet time not negotiable and bedtime is not negotiable. At bedtime we "used" to read her a couple or several books while she sat on our lap in the rocker. This last month she has decided that she will sit on the floor beside the rocker for the first two books and then, I have to remind her that we are starting the last book and if she wants "rocky-rock" that she needs to sit on my lap. There are been several instances that she has refused and in turn has gone to bed with-out equaling a unhappy Lillian... (Mommy and Daddy too) She is learning the fine art of bedtime procrastination! :)

This past Wednesday we met with Dr. Bill, the gentleman that did Lillian's speech evaluation for the public school system. He did note a few reasons for concern, He said that she still has a lot of "Echolalia" going on. Echolalia is where toddlers repeat back what is said. He went on to say that she should be starting to come out of it more than she is. He also noted that she is a bit wobbly. He said that he is going to recommend her for the speech therapy program this coming September with the public school system. I will take her once or twice a week for 30 minutes. He went onto say that he does not think that she will be in the program very long. He also asked when she follows up with Early Intervention. Ironically, they are coming out this coming Friday for her annual evaluation. The speech therapist that came out last year (and got her walking on her own) is coming again this time. He asked us to mention his concern of her unsteadiness. I am eager to hear what they have to say.

In the midst of all of this, I have been working part time from home from the corporation that I resigned from the Friday before Lillian was born, I interviewed for a full time in office position. My mom is in the position to be able to come to our home and watch Lillian while I return to work. Part of me is very excited about the thought of returning to work, the income, the income, the income... did I say the income? LOL Seriously, I loved my job, it was difficult for me to walk away. Then there was this part of me that is very sad about the thought of returning to work full time outside the home. It has been an amazing experience being home with Lillian for her "entire" life. We have really learned about our Faith. There have been many months where I have wondered if we were going to be able to make our bills. We are not extravagant people. We do not have credit card debt, NO car payments. My student loans have been paid off. I am SO thankful that we were able to get all of this in line before conceiving Lillian. Otherwise, I have no idea how we would have done it with those extra burdens. Back to the job.... I applied, made it to the 2nd interview and totally put it in Gods hands. I was unsure if now was the right time. So, I got that news last week as well... they selected another internal applicant. I'm totally "ok" with this. While the job was exciting and an additional income would be nice... there are definitely sacrifices. So, I am excited at the thought of being able to be home at least one more Summer with Lillian. Being able to "update" her nursery into a toddler room and most likely moving her into her older sisters room. (Tori will be 18 in June and will be gathering her bedroom furniture and etc) Sooooo..... thats pretty much our month.

Confirmed...

2011-03-02T16:01:00.001-05:00

Ear Infection. Sigh...... Praying for her speedy recovery. It's been a rough month.

Cough..Cough...Cough...

2011-03-01T19:52:00.000-05:00

Unbelievable, Lillian is sick again! :( She has not been well in almost a month. :( HUGE BUMMER.... I hate this for her! We are scheduled for an appointment on Friday to make sure her urine is clear.... I'm beginning to wonder if we will make it that long. :/

Preschool Evaluation, UTI, and a cold

2011-02-28T21:35:00.000-05:00

Lillian has had a cold and a urinary tract infection. :( She was SO miserable! In the mist of it all, I realized just how easy I usually have it! She only objects to naps and bedtime when she is not feeling well. We did a lot... did I say A LOT of rocking last week! I took her to the Doctor the Thursday before, she was running a temperature and refused to eat. She has had a labial adhesion on and off since she was about a month or two old. :( While the doctor was looking her over I suggested a uti... Unbelievably, I was able to get her to pee in the cup! YAY Lillian... however this past week the potty training has come a screeching halt! She is so not interested, and will not go on the potty. :( Anyway, initially the urine culture came back clear so when we left the office they had no real explanation except maybe a virus. The doctor said that the doctor on call would contact me on Saturday if anything "grew." Well, I received a phone call on Saturday with a positive test result. :( They phoned in antibiotics. It took another 3 days before she was feeling better. Now we are just working through a cold.

In our area Early Intervention begins to transition to the Preschool program in the public school system. To qualify, she would need to be 40% delayed in two areas or 50% in one area. When speaking to her EI caseworker I knew that Lillian would not qualify but I was assured that the school system looks at different areas and that we should attend the evaluation. We went this morning. She did very well and she does not qualify for the Preschool services they do want to do a speech evaluation on her in April. They are not concerned about the quantity of her words but the quality of her words. She is using 2 to 3 word phrases but they had difficulty understanding her out of context. We will see what they think in April. She also has her yearly evaluation with her EI caseworker in about 3 weeks. When we were talking about todays assessment she said that she is going to bring a speech therapist with her when she comes. (They same one that came out last year and got her walking on her own) I am eager to hear what she has to say or any recommendations that she may have for us.

Restlessness..

2011-02-10T13:16:00.000-05:00

Days like today, I am eternally grateful to own a video monitor. Lillian is having a tough day... I have noticed that she has been restless at nap time and waking earlier than normal. I attributed it to her moving into "binkie-free" mode. However, this afternoon I got brave and put my finger in her mouth and low and behold... her two year molars have just broken through.... Oh the teething woes... I will not miss them. Onto the top two and then... we are done! Yay...

For those of you that do not have a video monitor but have always been curious as to what is really going on in the crib... Here you go. The noise in the back ground (other than the crying and whining) is her sound machine. Rain to be exact. :D Also, the quality may be lacking.... I captured it with my phone. :)

"It's Gone" update

2011-02-08T20:08:00.000-05:00

Over all Lillian did quite well being binkie-less today. She looked for it this afternoon but, quickly remembered that "It's Gone" "Gone" "Gone" (using her hand motions too) She was a little needy this afternoon and restless during her nap but was able to "make it" with out it. So, I pretty much decided then that she doesn't need to get it back.

This evening was much of the same, she required some additional reading and snuggling time. And kept repeating "It's Gone" almost like she couldn't believe it. It made me sad for her. But, I know that this is a necessary step in her growth and maturity. Besides... she is the one that threw it away. Not just once but 3 times! She is changing and growing so rapidly it's hard on this momma. ;) I have one daughter that is on the very cusp of adulthood and another one of the cusp of Pre-K. Sigh.................................

Trash.. Oh No!

2011-02-08T08:46:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago Lillian was down to 3 binkies. We have limited the binkie usage this last year to nap and bed time and it must remain in her crib. Now that she is 2, I have been making comments to her like, "Big girls don't use binkies, they are for babies." Then I ask her if she is a big girl or a baby? I may have mentioned that she doesn't really need a binkie anymore and one day they will go in the trash. About 2 weeks ago, after her nap she came running out of her room, binkie in hand and threw it away! We were down to two. I told her that when they are gone that's it. (not sure she understands this..lol) Last week, she threw a second binkie in the trash. Down to one!

This morning, she threw the final binkie in the trash! I retrieved it and washed it without her seeing me. I will attempt to put her down for a nap this afternoon without it. I will be amazed if she doesn't bat an eye about it. But then again, I thought weaning would be a task and well.... she did that herself.

Just a little something I never want to forget

2011-02-06T21:50:00.001-05:00

The Sunday evenings that I teach spin class, Lillian gets to take a shower with me instead of her normal bath. We now have to spell the word S-H-O-W-E-R. Tonight just before "our" shower, she began to tug at my clothes. She wanted to "help" me get ready for the shower. Every time, I go and get the water ready and get in. I always place a hand towel on the tile floor so that she will not slip. While I am doing this, Ken gets her undressed. As soon as the last stitch of clothing is pulled off I hear what sounds like a Elephant stampede racing through the house. It is the cutest thing ever! Oh how I love that little girl. ;)

Repaired and Lillian's Birthday revisited!

2011-02-06T09:28:00.000-05:00

Geesh.... I finally figured out why everything was "wonky." I finally broke down and posted my issue on the Google blogger forum. Through a process of elimination, I discovered that the formatting in Lillian's birthday post was the culprit! The day that I posted it; I remember it giving me a fit! (or maybe I was the one in a "funk." lol) I wasn't able to post all the photos that I wanted and I had limited time... so, I sorta half....A#$ed (excuse my language) it.

I haven't been posting here as often because of the "technical issue" I was experiencing but, now that it has been resolved... I'm going to burn it up. OK, maybe not that much... but more often. :)

While I was pulling photos off the camera I saw some from this past October, she has grown INCHES since then! She still looked babyish.... she is looking more and more like a little girl everyday! How quickly the time goes. :/ Bitter sweet. Here are a few photos from her birthday... I created most of the decorations myself and sewed her dress and "the coveted spoon cover!" LOL... That's a joke between my best friend and I.

GRR!

2011-02-05T10:21:00.000-05:00

I have no idea why I have lost my side panel! It's frustrating to say the least. I am almost tempted to create a word press blog and import everything from here there. I pay for my own hosting every month. I feel like I am "pretty" web savvy... So WHY can't I figure this out? I hate wasting time on something that I never changed to begin with.

So there it is.... yucky frustration post!

Still "wonky" a lot of words and some pee...hehehe

2011-01-25T18:57:00.003-05:00

I am still missing the entire side navigation on the blog... I started to look around and attempt to fix it last night but got distracted with changing the background image. Then it was time to log into the online Bible study that I am doing... Soooooooooo... I have yet to get it sorted. I thought I knew what it was but now, I'm not so sure. I guess I can delete it and start over.. not the blog just the side navigation.

Onto other news.... Lillian did wonderfully on the potty yesterday... she went a total of 9 times and only one tiny little accident. I was taking her to go every 30 minutes though. She did wear a diaper at nap time and it was wet when she woke up. So, she gets the concept. Today, wasn't so great but that was entirely my fault. We were running all day and to be honest, I am not ready to brave the public restroom with a toddler. The thought of it totally grosses me out. I can just imagine the things that she may try to touch... that's when it would be good to have octopus arms. LOL

She has been a little "out of sorts" for the last week or so. Restless at nap time and some at bedtime. Not eating well, hitting herself in the head/face. Not allowing me to vacuum, and irritable... in the past when she has acted this way it's b/c she has an ear infection. I typically watch her and wait. (and take her temperature) She ran a low grade temp one day. So, it's either her 2 year molars or... a growth spurt!

Speaking of a growth spurt... She has really started to put small sentences together...

"Cun bear sit on my chair?"
"Un dadda at work?"
"Its a big doo doo" (nice one huh? lol)

She is growing so quickly. I feel so Blessed that I have been able to witness and watch her grow through these years. I have Faith that God will align everything the way that it is supposed to be. :D

"Sooooooooooooo"

2011-01-17T22:14:00.002-05:00

I know it's been forever since my last post. Some of the formatting on the blog has gone "screwy" and I have found it annoying to post updates to be quite honest. The pictures don't post where I want them to and etc. Now, I do have the knowledge on how to fix it all. I have just lacked the time.

I recently was "re" hired by the corporation that I resigned from to be with Lillian after her birth.. anyway, I was hired for a temporary work from home position. How AWESOME is that? Seriously, I have been in awe over this. It's another amazing testimony for our family. Eventually, I will be looking to return to work full-time once Lillian is in preschool. That could be as early as this coming summer! eeekk! I have some strong mixed emotions about this. I am confident that God will guide our direction. I have been seeking him about this for a long time... hence the testimony about the temporary work from home position.

I took Lillian for her 2 year well baby check up. She was 35 and 3/4 inches tall! (90th%) She has typically been in the 70th% so she has really SHOT up! She weighed in at 24lbs. (20th%) Technically under weight. But, her Dr. said that she wasn't overly concerned about it. But to keep her on Whole milk. Her head circumference came in at 49cm. (90th%... exactly where it has always been) Her Dr. was very please with her progress.

I do believe that Lillian is going through a bit of a growth spurt right now. She is eating like crazy (she may no longer be underweight...lol) She did NOT nap well today. She is toooo busy to sleep. She repeats so many of the things that we say and I think that her favorite phrase right now is "What's that?" She wants to pick out her snacks from the top cabinet and I have caught her trying to climb the cabinets! I'm sure that it will not be long before she begins pulling chairs over to reach what she is after. :)

She starts an art class in a couple of weeks. Well, I hope to get the blog straight again soon...

2nd Birthday, Merry Christmas and Some SERIOUS snow!

2010-12-26T14:12:00.012-05:00

Lillian's 2nd Birthday was on the 22nd. We celebrated on the 19th. I decided on a "Olivia the Pig" themed party. I had a wonderful time creating the decorations, and of course sewing her dress. Her dress was the most detailed task I have sewn to date. it has a bubble bottom, zipper, fully lined, and in set sleeves! The zipper has a little bit of gathering, not enough that I felt like I needed to tear it out and start over. I am pleased with it overall and Lillian looked adorable in it! :D

Lillian enjoyed her Christmas.... I don't know how she ever survived without her kitchen! We may have to move it into the kitchen.... She continuously goes into the kitchen to fill her cups with water from the water cooler. LOL She also got a little microwave, blender, (that she has already had water and snow in) toaster and a hand mixer. Speaking of which.. her and dada are eating the snow out of the blender right now! I can see many Lillian/Dada tea parties in the future!! :D

Lily sings along

2010-12-11T20:05:00.000-05:00

One minute and 9 seconds into the video Lillian begins to sing with the chorus.

Success! :D

2010-12-11T14:03:00.001-05:00

Family Tradition....

2010-12-09T21:44:00.004-05:00

Well.... I have not mastered the art of Pizz

elle making. For those of you that don't know what a Pizzelle is.. it's an Italian co

okie. They are a tradition in my family... I LOVE, LOVE them! My grandmother (Hi grandma!) makes them perfectly... and well

... I do not. :(

I will continue to "try" tomorrow. Meanwhile they are gathering more flavor

in the refrigerator. Only two (2) that I attempted to make were remotely "pretty." And well... we had to sample them to make sure that they tasted alright. hehehe... Of course they were wonderful! :)

I knew that Lillian would like them. I must have passed on some

of my unique taste buds... In my previous post it was green olives. These Pizzelles ar

e made with anise oil. Lily already follows me through the house chanting "bite-bite" "bite-bite" when I have a box of Good and Plenty's. (yes... black licorice.... can't help it.. I LOVE it!) I wonder if they have ever done a study on children's taste buds and compare that data with what the mother ate while pregnant??? I was crazy for green olives and good and plenty's while pregnant. (not at the same time.. BLECH!)

Being a family tradition and the first time Lily has tried them... I captured it on a little video and took a few photos. :)

Green olives!

2010-12-04T12:48:00.000-05:00

I have been a terrible "blogger" lately! :( Here is a video of Lillian eating one of her favorite "foods!" :)

Waving Hi

2010-11-24T13:33:00.002-05:00

to my (Zoe's) grand-parents!

Hi Grandma and Pap! :D Happy Thanksgiving... wish we could be with everyone!

Lillian saying the dinner prayer.

2010-11-22T19:16:00.000-05:00

Two years......today!

2010-11-19T20:29:00.000-05:00

What an amazing Blessing Lillian has been in our lives! She has enriched our family beyond words. We have grown by leaps in bounds in all areas but especially OUR Faith! Today, marks the two year anniversary of "learning that she would be born with hydrocephalus.." The day that our lives would change forever! For a recap, click here. We are SO grateful to be on the other side of diagnosis and to be where we are. Lillian is an amazing little girl and we are BLESSED! Never for a moment do we take that for granted. I take pleasure in watching her grow... that includes the tantrums that happen to come more often these days. I welcome it all! It simply means that she is progressing normally.

Here are some recent developments that I have observed lately:

Lily is OBSESSED with the Moon!
She played with her toys this am like she never has before. Like she was able to see them in a new light.
She has really noticed the TV and will ask to watch "Olivia the Pig."
She can sing "Twinkle, Twinkle little star."
She is working on singing "A-B-C" song
She can count to three (3) with meaning but can keep going to 10 sometimes.
She is beginning to grasp the concept of colors... mostly everything is yellow... but. sometimes she will say the correct colors.
She is cuter today than yesterday if that is even possible! ;)
I can't believe that she will be TWO in 33 days!

Clears throat.......

2010-11-12T22:39:00.000-05:00

Oops! We are all alive and well. I know it's been a month since my last update. :/ We have just been doing our "normal" day to day stuff. Or should I say I am adjusting well to having a VERY ACTIVE and Inquisitive Toddler! :D

Lillian just started her second set of swimming lessons. Originally we signed up for an evening class. It is something that dada and her enjoy doing together. I like to sit on the side lines, watch them and snap cell phone pics. I do it well. lol So, due to the lack of participation during that time we were asked if we'd be able to attend the Tue/Thurs 10am class. We can, however it's just her and I. So, yesterday we went to class and I think she is beginning to grasp the concept of fear.... she clung onto me for most of the class. Usually she looks at ease with Ken. I wondered if it was because she was with me and wasn't used to it. I talked to Ken and he said that he noticed that the last time they were in the pool too.

Lil has really started to interact more and more with her baby doll... she will pretend that she "the baby" is crying and she will pick her up and comfort her by patting her back or "shhhhh" "shhing" her. It's VERY cute!

I have been trying to sew as often as I can. I recently made Lillian a reversible fleece hoodie. I debated on making the hood larger, I should have. It.. "just" fits. :/ I also made her a pair of "jeggings" jean leggings. I am working on a second pair for her... I used an old pair of stretch jeans that I had around here. I was trying to be resourceful and not make a trip to the fabric store... however, Lily and I still have to make a trip there tomorrow. We need to buy the correct thread. I tried to make do with what I have and well, I got to practice with my seam ripper. :D

Here are a couple of cell pics...

Growth.......

2010-10-10T23:14:00.000-04:00

We are home.... we decided to come home on Friday... one day early... not b/c we were not having a wonderful time but b/c reality was knocking on the door. When we left, it was raining and it had rained for almost a full week before vacation... when you plant seed in the "fall" the grass must be cut. LOL Among other things. We had an amazing time while away... we were able to witness my MIL and FIL renew their wedding vows for their 50th Wedding Anniversary! The ceremony was preformed in a little white Church that was built in the 40's. It was wonderful to be able to share in their very special day! :)

This was also a fantastic opportunity for our family. We were put to the test and so was Lillian. Ken and I had a lot of anxiety about being away from our comfort zone, and our home, and Lily's crib. I know it sounds a little absurd. Lily did wonderfully. The first night was a bit stressful but she adjusted and slept perfectly in her pack and play. She LOVED every minute of the beach going in the ocean and collecting sea shells. She grew enormously over the week. Actually, I have seen HUGE changes in her this month! Her speech is growing by leaps and bounds. She picks up new words daily. She is climbing onto and over everything.

My best friends has been kidding with me for the last couple of months b/c I was still nursing Lily. Usually before bed.... I had talked to her pediatrician about it at her 18 month check up and she said that usually around 16-18 months "babies" tend to loose interest and sort of wean themselves. When Lily began walking at 15.5 months she began nursing more! So, I thought I had missed that little window... until this week. She is not interested at all.. and has not nursed in a full week. So, I am saying that she is finally weaned. She is now 21.5 months.... Maybe since she didn't walk until 15.5 months it pushed that little window back??? Just a thought.

While on vacation....

2010-10-06T10:30:00.000-04:00

the cleaning still must be done! :)

Finally Made it.........

2010-10-05T21:59:00.001-04:00

On our way, we stopped at a Rest Stop....

Took a ride on the ferry... where it was VERY windy and quite cool......

and took a trip to the beach... Lily's VERY first beach trip.... even though we live about 30 minutes from the beach...

She LOVED it and we LOVED being able to share it with her! Thank you for the Birthday Wishes!

Happy Birthday tooooooooooo

2010-10-04T08:06:00.001-04:00

Me! :) Wow.... hard to believe that I turn ....... gulp....... 38 today! :) I am so grateful to be blessed with my wonderful family.......... vacation is still delayed. We find out later today if the ferry will run.

That little snooker-wooker!

2010-10-01T22:58:00.000-04:00

Lillian has been a little "pistol" lately! Today, she climbed up onto the dining room chair and then ONTO the table! TWICE!!! Yesterday, she threw a tantrum so bad that I had to pick her up and place her in her crib to ensure her safety. She insisted on vacuuming several rooms in the house and it took about 45 minutes. EVERY TIME I tried to help her by adjusting the vacuum she'd throw herself to the floor and begin to scream and cry. That is why she vacuumed for 45 minutes. At one point, she had crawled under the dining room table and was sitting on the ledge moving the vacuum back and forth. Whew..... I think that she is going through a "growth spurt or developmental change" again. She tends to get irritable and cranky.

We are to leave for vacation Sunday for one week. We are headed to Ocracoke Island, NC. We learned today that the ferry that we would be taking to get to the Island is not running. We had some severe weather yesterday and there is too much sand in the channel and it needs to be dredged before they are able to run the ferry. This is our first family vacation since Lillian's birth. She is not and has never been the type of child that fall asleep in the car. EVER! I can count on one hand the amount of times she has slept in the car... yes, even when she was weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee little. There is an alternate route however the ferry ride alone is close to 3 hours. So, we are going to hang tight and wait it out.... the weather is supposed to be poor through Wednesday anyway....

Hoot...Hoot...Hoot

2010-09-27T20:29:00.003-04:00

Bummed.......

2010-09-25T21:31:00.000-04:00

We don't participate in "Halloween" but, we DO go to our church for "trunk or treat" or Fall Harvest. I started looking for Lillian's costume and found one that I absolutely adored at Pottery Barn Kids. In my opinion $50.00 is A LOT to spend on a costume especially when it might be worn for two hours MAX! An hour for pictures and an hour at the church. I thought about the costume for a day and decided that I couldn't get it out of my mind and she would be so adorable wearing it. I went back to PBK's website and quickly discovered that they were completely sold out in her size! They still had 2T-3 and I looked at the measurements and they were far to big. :/ BUMMER!!!! So... another day goes by.... I decide to see if I can find it on EBay. Sure enough... there it is... several of them in her size.... can you guess what the "buy now" price was?????????? $100.00!!!! There was one person that had 3 of them and offered the "make an offer" button. So, I did....... I am ashamed to say that I went as high as $70.00!!! I know.. I'm ashamed.. but, it was declined! Greedy!!! :/ Now.. I'm really bummed... I know its silly b/c it's for a costume for a holiday that O don't even believe in! LOL I looked at a really cute pig, (Ken said it reminded him of a bath rug..lol) and a cat that really looked like a rat to me. I sulked about it for another day and posted about it on my fb account. Then one of my friends suggests... "Why don't you make it?" Ugh..... scary! LOL.... I thought about it some more, saved the pictures to my hard drive and studied them.... then one of my friends said.... "we" can make it. That was the statement that set me out on my misson! Knowing that someone expeirenced had my back gave me enough courage to set forth on my latest project. Now, I did not have a pattern to go by. I did get a pattern for a hooded cape but I had to adjust it to make it look like wings. The body... I totally made up. Now, I know that it is not identical to PBK's version but I am so glad that I accepted this challenge and pushed forward and was able to complete it! :)

Now for the pics....

PBK's Owl

My version....

2010-09-20T22:35:00.000-04:00

Ken didn't have to work yesterday... YEAH! He has been working in the yard getting everything ready for Spring. Yes, you read that correctly.... plant in the fall for spring. He hasn't been feeling 100% we are not sure if its a cold or allergies. Anyway, he decided to "relax" and hang out with us girls. :D Lily has been mostly "off" for the last 3 weeks. She started with a little cold, that moved into her 2nd ever ear infection and 5 days into amoxicillin and a trip back to the doctor revealed the infected ear looked no better. They changed the antibiotic and yesterday was day 5 for that! She was still running a low-grade temp. :/ She was also chewing on her fingers... so, I suppose she could have been working on some more new teeth...??? Yesterday she wanted NOTHING to do with me! It was all about "dada." Sooooo sweet until she refused to allow me to change her diaper, touch her or almost look at her! Ugh..... I was scheduled to teach a Spin class at the Y at 4pm and typically when I teach on Sundays, Lily will get in the shower with me when I get home instead of her normal bath. It's sort of a ritual that we have gotten into. When I left I told Ken.. I bet I am good enough later for her to shower with. LOL Sure enough.... when I got home and she heard that I was getting in the shower (I wish that there was a way that I could punctuate "shower" like she says it... it's adorable!) she came RUNNING into the bathroom and pulls the door open..... as soon as we were finished with the shower and it was time for her to go to bed.... it was all about "dada" again. She screamed and cried when I tried to put her to bed. :( :( I hope this little phase passes quickly b/c it makes me a little sad. :(

She is growing and learning at a rapid pace! I am eternally grateful for that! God is good! Today was much better! :)

Ahhhhhhhhhh.... that's better!

2010-09-18T17:31:00.000-04:00

I couldn't leave her pants as they were... I added a ruffle and that did the trick!

Getting to know each other........

2010-09-17T13:07:00.000-04:00

My new sewing machine arrived yesterday... HUGE thanks to my hubby for my early birthday gift! I love it and we are still getting to know each other... no, not my hubby... my sewing machine and I. :D Here is a super quick nap time project that I whipped up for Lillian... Vintage pillowcase pants! I think that she has grown b/c the adjusted pattern that I made to solve the ankle length pants ended up being an issue again! ACK.... Good thing she will mostly wear them around the house. But, I love them.... now I want a pair... hmmmmm maybe I can thrift for some vintage sheets???? :)

Bumps

2010-09-15T23:06:00.000-04:00

Lily awoke with a couple areas on her face and arm that looked like hives. Ugh... she has been on the amoxicillin for about 5 days. She has still be running a very low grade fever and has been a bit tempermental. (In a "cute" toddler way.... most of the time. lol) I called the Doctor. Allergies run in our family... so I don't want to take chances. Of course they wanted to see her. I am very glad that we went in b/c her ear that was infected dosen't look much different!! After close to 5 days of antibiotic??? Today, she remembered the Otoscope and it took EVERYTHING in me to hold her down so that the doctor could look. She began to cry as soon as she saw it! Awwwwwwww.... poor...poor pea! I am looking forward to her feeling better. She was borderline today... fighting her nap and acting fussy again. I feel like I have been giving her motrin around the clock for days... and I don't like to do that... but, she got some tonight.

I ordered my new sewing machine. I went with the Brother that I was looking at. (Thank you Jennifer for giving me your advice!) The reviews were really good on it and it was in the price range that we can spend for now. If price were not an issue then I probably would have opted for something else BUT.. I am really excited for its arrival! I have the best husband ever. He is always supportive of the things that I am interested in! Well, it is past my bedtime... way past! Night....

Our Cutie!

2010-09-14T09:11:00.000-04:00

Help! I need an intervention! ;)

2010-09-13T22:46:00.000-04:00

Meet Lillians Thanksgiving dress...........

Calling fellow sewers.......

2010-09-13T14:01:00.000-04:00

What type of sewing machine do you have? Do you "love" it? I have a Singer... its about 5/6 years old and obviously has not been used much. I was greatly disappointed to learn that the additional 50 stitches that it is supposed to stitch... don't work. :( Bummer! You see, my machine uses the "old" Cam/Disk to change the stitch pattern. I called our local Singer repair shop that ironically is just around the corner and the nice gentleman that I spoke to informed me that I could probably get it repaired BUT, my machine just wasn't one that was built to last. :/ I think that he called it a "Big Box" machine. Meaning... they sell them at places like Sears and Walmart. I thought that I would be "okay" with what I have but my mom warned me that I would quickly outgrow this machine and its abilities.... she knows me well after all! LOL We don't have a lot of money to spend so... Babylock is completely out of the question. ;) I am looking for a machine that has multiple stitch patterns (one that mimics a serger stitch) auto thread, and is able to handle thicker material in case I want to learn to quilt or hem jeans or reupholster our furniture... LOL just kidding on that last one. ;) I have been eyeing a " Brother 60-Stitch Computerized Sewing Machine, CS-6000i " I have read a ton of reviews and it sounds good... it is not overly expensive.... after-all this really wasn't in our budget BUT, I do have a birthday coming up in a couple of weeks sooooooooooooo....... Ken is totally on board. :D

Lily is starting to feel better... Thank goodness and the probiotics seem to be helping.. YEAH!!! She is returning to her rather active self! :D

Ear infection...... Confirmed

2010-09-11T11:14:00.000-04:00

Lily has another ear infection. :/ She has has a cold for the last week but when she was borderline inconsolable Thursday and was slamming her head on the floor.... I KNEW I needed to call the doctor. :( So, she has begun antibiotics and probiotics b/c she gets TERRIBLE, did I say TERRIBLE diarrhea. Sorry that was probably TMI! :/

Glad thats over with!

2010-09-09T21:24:00.000-04:00

This cover was NOT a joy to construct... bobbin issues, rayon issues.... (I got a bunch of fabric from a dear friend and the brown rayon was one of them...I'm not a fan) For awhile I was just hoping that this would turn out "OK." I had pretty much decided that I would probably end up remaking it anyway. I think that THIS is my all time favorite one to look at. LOL I even put some Tulle in between the ruffles. I will make more like this but it will be in simple ole' cotton! :D

Ugh...

2010-09-08T22:35:00.000-04:00

Lily has had a cold, or allergies, or teething.... what I do know is she is "snotting" and coughing.... Poor pea. She has also been throwing tantrums all over the house... today it was because "dada" left. She is starting to object when either one of us come or go and she is not able to "tag along." This morning it lasted a longer than normal... maybe its b/c she is not her normal 100%? We have been trying to get to the library bi-weekly... today Lily and I's books were due. We returned her book... (not sure why we borrow books for her when she insists on her tried and trues) but, we do it anyway on the chance that she may want to switch it up a little. I have noticed that she really focuses on emotion in her books. Yesterday, we were looking at one of her little cardboard books, of Precious Moments and the page was about compassion and friendship and one little girl was hugging another little girl that was crying... she looked at the little girl and pointed to the tear and said "raining...raining" (pretty smart... both are wet!) I corrected her and said she's crying.... then all of a sudden she starts to pretend cry and says "crying...crying."

Can you possibly guess what library books I checked out? More on sewing. LOL I discovered that my different stitches are not working... BUMMER! I will have to make due with what I have for now. My mom came over the other day and brought me yards and yard of fabric that is almost vintage! The date stamp on some of it was from the early 90's. I am excited to get started on some new things soon. She told me that I will need a new machine soon.... I asked if she thought I'd wear this one out and she said.. no, you will want to do more and more and that little machine will not be capable of doing what you want or need. (She knows me well...lol) She complimented my skills... which was very sweet of her... I guess I can be to critical of myself... :/ So, speaking of critical... UGH... I am making yet another ruffle diaper cover. This time in brown... for my photographer friend anyway, I had some brown rayon that another friend gave me as scrap material. I decided I'll use that... rayon is now a nice fabric for a beginner to work with. It has turned into an ordeal. I have almost thrown it out and started over with some of the brown cotton fabric that I have saved for a different project. but, I am no quitter! I did have a very small amount of a thicker brown material and decided that I would make the ruffles in that... droopy ruffles are not cute. So, things headed in a different direction than I thought they would and well...... I have done yet another style for the ruffle... LOL.... I pretty much accepted that this cover was just going to be "OK" at best. Well, I'm not finished with it and it could still head South, but I think maybe just possibly.... this may be my favorite so far. God keeps me Humble while letting me learn grow along the way.

Sometimes I really hate the perfectionist in me... :/

2010-09-07T22:48:00.001-04:00

I washed a pair of Lily's "flufferbutts" and the ends frayed... grrrrr.... so I have tried several... YES, several other ways of doing the ruffles. LOL I am just too picky! :) So, I think that I may have decided on one.... now the real test will be to see how they are going to wash. But, I wont be washing these b/c I am giving them to my friend who is the photographer and takes Lily's pictures.... I am going to do a brown pair and have done a couple of boys covers (with out ruffles...lol) all for photo shoots.... It has given me the opportunity to practice. :D

1 Timothy 5:16

2010-09-07T09:18:00.000-04:00

"Neglect not the gift that is within you." 1 Timothy 5:16............

hmmmmmmmmmmmm........ interesting..... God, what gift are you referring to? I can think of a few, and I am blessed to possess them and to KNOW that I possess them.... What direction am I to take????? I must keep praying and keep listening!

As Lillian would say........ "All Done!" :)

2010-09-04T07:50:00.000-04:00

Learn as I go...

2010-09-03T13:36:00.000-04:00

So, last night I learned a different, much easier and NICER way to create ruffles.... hmmm, I guess being a "self taught" sewer you learn things along the way. hehe....... For instance.... these cute little ruffle ankle/Capri's WERE supposed to be pants.... Oops..... I ended up taking a little to much on the inseams sooooooo they ended up being a little shorter... sigh.... So, instead of the "long sleeve" shirt that I was going to make... now I am going to make a 3/4 length sleeve peasant shirt.... so at least they match. :D :D

Also.... Hurricane Earl..... was pretty much a non-event for us! (Praise God!) We have experienced thunderstorms far worse!

I have completed my "next" sewing project!

2010-09-02T07:20:00.001-04:00

But, it's a surprise....... SO, everyone will have to wait for it to be revealed! ;)

Fluffer-Butt and Hurricane Earl

2010-09-01T08:19:00.001-04:00

Here are a few quick photos that I was able to "grab" of Lillian wearing her new diaper cover. I have found that if I open the side door she will linger around it making it easier for me to take photos. LOL I am really please with the results of this little diaper cover. Perfect for fabric scraps! :) Next summer she will be 2 and a half..... is that to old for "ruffle hineys?" What do yall think?

Soooooo how about this Hurricane!? I have family that lives on Ocracoke Island..... I know that at least half of them are leaving... there is still one in question though. I will be making a phone call in a short while. We are very close to Va. Beach... and I'm sure that we will feel some effects of this storm. :/ It has been a few years since we have had to be on "Hurricane alert" and I have not missed it! I suppose this is all part of living close to the coast in a "beach community." We are watching the news.... and are preparing for power outages and etc. The last time we were greatly impacted by a hurricane was in 2003, Hurricane Isabel. We lost power for upwards of a week, phone and cable were out for two! We don't have city water so when we don't have power that is nooooooooooo water too! UGH! I am grateful that we own a generator and it has been a great investment over the years!

Another creation.... made by Me!

2010-08-31T20:03:00.000-04:00

I followed the pattern on this until I got to the elastic. For 12-24 months it called for 20 around the waist and 13 on the thighs..... the thing fell right off Lil.. LOL Her waist is a 17 and legs are only a 10. So, according to the pattern she would have used the elastic for a 6-9 month old! Say What!!!???? Pictures of her wearing it to follow...... tomorrow. :)

Rut....roooooooooooooo

2010-08-31T08:24:00.002-04:00

Lillian just... literally.. JUST climbed UP onto the couch! hmmmm.... I have a feeling that she will learn to escape from the crib next.

LOVE this dress!

2010-08-29T12:12:00.001-04:00

Sooooo cute.... the model of course!

Guess who is still sewing!?

2010-08-28T23:06:00.000-04:00

Well.... Lily has been trying to help here and there. :) Speaking of Lily... she has been in a "mood" here lately and today she was running a low grade temp. I am thinking maybe teeth again but I am watching her to make sure that it isn't her ears. She has been pretty grumpy. Also testing us in a MAJOR way. Last night she woke up about 10pm and wanted NOTHING to do with me! She screamed and cried and broke out of my arms. (Sounds dramatic but it kinda was) She raced down the hall in the dark, through our bathroom and right into our bedroom.... sobbing for her "dada." She did allow me to lift her up onto the bed to get to him... she snuggled up next to him for about 30 seconds and then proceeded to chatter it up. ??? We attempted to return her to her room and try to get her settled, but she only cried and cried. I'm unsure if she had a bad dream or what. She "insisted" on a drink and a snack... then "dada" had to read her at least three (3) more books.... this went on for about an hour and he finally was able to get her settled and back to bed. It was pretty strange. Today, she refused to take her mornning nap and acted the same way but "dada" was at work so she was "stuck" with me. She took her afternoon nap but when it came time to get her ready for bed... she started to melt down.... begining with her bath. Oh... I pray that this isn't going to be the new normal. :( I have really enjoyed her typical laid back style and not fighting us when it is bedtime. I suppose only time will tell........

Here are a couple of "new" dresses that I have made her.

Trying it on for "size."

2010-08-23T09:03:00.001-04:00

You should have seen me trying to chase after her with the camera this am.... Whew.... what a work out. :) I made this in a size 2T, but she is still wearing 18 months. So, it is a little big..... That only means... She will be able to wear it for a LONG time! :)

Please excuse the vacuum and the cords in the back ground... I was multi-tasking. hehe

What's next!? :)

2010-08-22T23:09:00.000-04:00

Whew..... that was a week long binge! hehe... I purchased the shirt last Sunday at the thrift store and just finished the dress! Of course I had to prepare the pattern and research a few things like french seams... and only having a couple hours to work on it in the evenings delayed progress but..... It's done! Onto the next project... I'm thinking a Lily skirt! :)

On a sewing Binge!

2010-08-21T23:07:00.000-04:00

So.... I am discovering that I LOVE sewing WAY more than I thought I would. I think that it could very well take over ANY other "hobby" that I have ever tried! It may even rank higher than my love for web/graphic design. Then again, I may be speaking to soon and this is only the honeymoon phase. LOL! I suppose only time will tell. I find myself looking at the stitching of items, turning them inside out and saying.... hmmmm.. "I could do that!"

I decided that I would go all out on my latest project. I am currently working on "converting" or also known as "Upcycling" a men's dress shirt into a dress for Lillian. I almost talked myself out of it b/c it looked pretty complicated. Shirring??? What's that!? Ohhh.... the stuff that looks like smocking. I Love that stuff btw. I ADORE the traditional smocked dresses for little girls.

I wish I would have known that I was going to do this before I cleaned out ALL of our closets and donated a TON' of stuff to our local thrift store. (CHKD) But.. then again, CHKD is our local children's hospital (where Lillian's neurosurgeon and etc. is) and all the money goes directly to the hospital...Anyway.... I went to that very thrift store and picked up a couple of men's dress shirts. The one that I am currently working on is a Tommy Hilfiger and its pink plaid..... PErfecto for a toddler dress! So... here is a sneak peek of the not yet finished pinned together... cell phone pic.. I am excited about getting this one finished... it has boosted my confidence to continue to "create" all kinds of things! hmmmmm.... Matching Christmas PJ's perhaps! :)

"T-twos?"

2010-08-19T16:42:00.000-04:00

I have been seeing A LOT of tantrums lately. Today's example:
I was taking Lils wet washed diapers out of the washer and putting them dryer (it was raining or they would have been hung on the line) Lily was taking the wet diapers out of the dryer and putting them in the living room. (where we usually fold clothes) I went in the retrieve them and she proceeded to throw herself to the floor, screaming. Sigh..... I said... Let me know when your finished and went to walk away. At that, she hopped up and said....."ALL Done!" While using her signs too. Hehehe.... I had to turn away and giggle!

Dada... and Lil off to the golf course AND sewing project 2!

2010-08-17T22:17:00.000-04:00

Just a quick update.... I have been "crazy" busy.... between projects and errands.... Whew! Ken is in the process of seeding our backyard and prepping for the next grass season. So.... he spent a good portion of Saturday out in the yard cutting, and seeding and etc..... We usually try and keep the front looking good until it gets soooooo hot that it fries... lol We are starting the process on the backyard for next year. Anyway..... he missed spending time with his Lili-Lil. Also, I think that he knew that momma might like to have a little break. Lily has been exhibiting signs of the..... "TWO"S" rapidly approaching... example??? She decided that she did not want me to pick her up and remove her from a "situation" and bent down and BIT me! She has been throwing some temper tantrums and stuff.... you know "normal" toddler stuff... PRAISE GOD! :) So.... he decided that he was going to take Lil to the golf course. He used to be a regular at this particular course until Lillian was born. In the last year and a half I think that he has gone golfing a half of a dozen times... tops. While they were "golfing." hehehe.... Lily spent time climbing some hills and they zipped around the course with the course manager on a cart... :) I worked on my 2nd sewing project. Tablecloth turned into Toddler top. :) Of course not the entire tablecloth. LOL I LOVE the fabric of the tablecloth just not in my house... not sure what I was thinking when I bought it. It was a clearance item and well now I am glad that I had it. :) We used this tablecloth to cover the table outside when Lily colored Easter eggs. So.... just happened that there was one area that had a few spots of pink dye.... I cut out the orange/rust design and added a couple of buttons. She wore the top today and it looked adorable! I can't wait to start the next project! :)

Sewing.....

2010-08-11T07:53:00.000-04:00

I took a sewing class about 6 years ago.... we made a Tote. I had grand illusions of all the wonderful things that I was going to make. Then I promptly went back to work full time outside the home. The sewing machine sat unused in our office until we became pregnant with Lillian. The office became the nursery and off to the attic went the sewing machine. A month or so ago, I gathered up my sewing machine, and sewing supplies and brought it down, dusted it off and set it up. There it sat for the rest of the month...... I could not remember how to thread the machine or anything..... hehehehe..... I have been looking at all these wonderful little outfits on Etsy and wondering...."Could I make that myself?" I have been hesitant in purchasing the online patterns b/c I have this awful habit of getting the supplies to start a project and things going horribly wrong! That doesn't mean that I don't try..... I am just being cautious. :)

Lily has a pillowcase dress that my best friend made her for her birthday. Sooooooo... I figured that would be simple enough. I did not use a pillowcase though.. just fabric that I had purchased for Tori (oldest daughter) to make pillowcases..... Obviously she was 11 at the time and um.... her taste has changed MUCH over the years! LOL..... I created the pattern and just took my time.... I'm sure that an experienced sewer would have had this finished in an hour and it took me a better part of the day... On and off of course b/c I was not able to work on it while Lillian was awake. :) I did not get frustrated..... (Thank you God! hehe) I am pleased with the results of her little dress... what a confidence boost! I am excited about the next project and just may be able to pull off creating her 2nd Birthday outfit... (December... have plenty of time to practice)

Here is her little dress..... simple.... and don't look to closely at the stitching in some areas.... hehehe.... But, I completed it and she LOVES it! Pictures later with her wearing it!

"The Wounded Healer."

2010-08-10T09:47:00.000-04:00

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of sympathy and the God of every comfort, Who comforts us in every trouble, so that we may also be able to comfort those who are in any kind of trouble or distress, with comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." - 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

I TRY to read a daily devotional or a part of the Bible everyday. By staying and knowing the Word, we are able to stay in the truth and are able to better recognize and hear what God is saying to us while trying to keep Satan at bay. I love Joyce Meyer..... I can really relate to her.

Here is today's (August 10th) devotional from her book New Day New You...

"The best healer is often the wounded healer, because he knows what he is dealing with since he has suffered it himself. That's what Paul was saying in this passage (above) from his letter to the church in Corinth. If you have suffered through hard times in your life, you are going to be even more successful in ministering to those who are going through the same kind of suffering in their lives.
Though you may have had a rough time in your life, God can use what you have been through for His glory- if you will allow Him to do so.! I would be no good to myself or anyone else, But because the Lord gave me the grace to lay down my self-pity and take up the challenge of living for Him, now I am able to help hundreds of thousands of people all over the nation and beyond.
To me the greatest testimony in the world is to be able to say. "God took what Satan tried to use to destroy me, and He turned it around for His glory and used it for the betterment of other people in the Kingdom." It takes God to do that! No matter where you may be today or what you may be going through, God can turn your situations around and use it to further His kingdom and bring blessings to you and many others!"

All I can say is that this really touched me today, and I absolutely felt the need to share it with those that visit Lillian's Blog... for those that need comfort in the fear of the unknown. Never for a moment do I regret any of the struggles that I have endured over the years... there have been many. They are ongoing... they help to form me and strengthen my Faith... in all areas of my life. I typically try to keep this blog about Lily... and don't speak much of my oldest daughter, She turned 17 in June, is trying to find her own way and is not on a very positive course. I have struggled for many years with her, finding proper treatment for her illness and trying to get her to comply. This is a reminder to me that God is in control, and is shaping and forming her to be the person to one day help others........... I pray!

Excellent Nap?

2010-08-09T21:14:00.001-04:00

Cumin....

2010-08-05T18:54:00.002-04:00

Yes, you read the title correctly. Lily LOVES to smell Cumin! Its a spice that I use regularly so I buy it in bulk @ Sams Club. Its soooo much cheaper. Anyway, I store the large container in a cabinet that Lily is able to open. She is obsessed with getting the "jug" and running around with it while smelling it. She smells it then we have to smell it. So cute and funny.

*EDIT* I finally got a MUCH better photo of her in action with the "real" camera!

Just a mini-blog facelift.

2010-08-02T13:41:00.001-04:00

Even though I had previously stated that Lily's blog face lift was 3rd on my current "to-do" list... I got to looking around the pre-installed template builder and well.... figured I could handle a simple quick adjustment. Her old blog header were photos that I took when she was 4 weeks old! LOL Dare I say it was time for at least a photo change... being she is now 19 months old!? :D

Soooooo Cute! Soooooooo Blessed! :D

2010-08-01T16:05:00.001-04:00

What a Blessing and Joy Lillian is to our family! :D Here are some photos and the link to her "photo shoot" yesterday. She has always been an expressive young lady and yesterday proved to be no different! :) :)

Be sure to check out the rest of her photos posted HERE!

PhotoShoot Sneak Peek!

2010-07-31T22:20:00.002-04:00

Well.... Lily had a little photo shoot this morning.... Here is a sneak peek photo... this is the only photo that has been shared with me too! I am excited about seeing the rest.

I REALLY need to update the design on Lil's blog. It is currently 3rd on the list. I am in the process of working on two jobs. One website is for a non-profit organization. They work with foster teens. I am very excited about the project however, I have to learn how to "program" a CMS (content management system) that I have never used. I googled, and googled but there was limited resources on the web. Ack! Soooooo.... I went searching for a book. I found just the one I wanted and ALL of our local Barnes and Nobles were "Out OF Stock!" Must be some book! I had to order it from Amazon.com BUT... I did buy it used and well, these type of books are not "cheap!" :/ It arrived today. Yea! But, I have not really had the time to sit down and read it. It's only 637 pages long and they recommend that you begin at chapter one b/c all the info builds on each other. hmmmmmm....... wonderful.... I gave a September 1st promise date. So, at this time that is a HUGE priority in my life... just under being "mommy" of course. :)

One of Kens co-workers got married tonight. We were invited to the wedding and debated on if we should take Lily or not. The wedding started at 5:30pm and well, Lily is typically in bed EVERY NIGHT by about 7pm. We decided that we would ask Kens parents (Grammie and Dopa) to watch her. We have never left her with anyone. Ken and I work around each other to make sure that she is always with one of us. She is such a laid back (most of the time) child that we figured that she would probably be just fine. We had more anxiety over it then she would. She was awesome! She went right to bed, well Grammie did have to read her two books. Dada usually has to as well. They said that she was SO easy and they really enjoyed being able to spend that time with her. I guess Ken and I should try and get a Date night every now and again. We have been VERY slow in our progression of this b/c of how her life started. We are still overly cautious.

Well.... I will be back to share the rest of her photos when they are ready!

Golfin' Sunday.......

2010-07-18T18:50:00.000-04:00

Ken has been "praying" that Lily loves golf as much if not more than he does. He bought her a little plastic set. She is a "fanatic" with them! As soon as she wakes, she runs straight to them.... all the while saying... ball, ball, ball, ball.... I have got to try and get it on video because it almost sounds like a "howl." Almost identical to how our one cat meows sometimes. That will be one of my goals for the week. It is funny...

I teach a Spin class at our local "The Y" (you know they made it offical and changed the name!) on Sunday afternoons. Ken usually takes Lily to the pool but since we have our own little pool in the yard he decided to take a trip to a Golf Course...... I am so excited to watch their relationship grow. I told Ken that she will love golf, because he loves golf and she WILL want to be with him as much as possible. Isn't that what little girls really want?

What to do when it feels like it's 125 degrees out... SERIOUSLY!

2010-07-18T07:19:00.000-04:00

This summer has been extremely HOT! and dry.....Last year we were close to 20 inches above for total rain fall and this year we are nearing drought conditions... I do enjoy the SUNSHINE ... but a balance would be great. hehehe......

Ken and I have debated over the years about a pool.... This year we decided to do a little test run.... to see how we like it, if we are able to maintain it and we all know Lily LOVES..... "kick, kick, kick" LOL So, we decided to buy one of those "little" inflatable pools to see how it goes. If we like it, are able to maintain it, a nd if our finances permit.... eventually we may upgrade to something a little larger. For now, this is perfect... Lily can walk around in it and we spend a great deal of time in it. :)

Reflecting.........

2010-07-16T22:36:00.000-04:00

"I continue to pray that God will heal her and she will be born cognitive and full of physical ability and completely healthy."

God has answered all of my prayers.... I am Humbled and Grateful to witness his miracles!

Mexican

2010-07-13T17:00:00.003-04:00

Using one little chip to dip and lick, dip and lick, dip and lick...............:)

*edit* hmmmmmm... a photo would be nice, huh? Duh.... I did this by email and forgot to attach the pic. LOL Here it is. :D

Only for a second....

2010-07-09T08:25:00.001-04:00

Just a quick pause in our morning toddler activity.

18 month check up

2010-07-08T14:44:00.000-04:00

Lillian had her 18 month check up yesterday. Everything went well. :) She weighed in at 22lbs (20th%) She is 32 inches tall (55th%) and her head measured in at 48cm.(90th%) She was consistent with her rate of growth. :D Her doctor was pleased that her head circumference is with in "normal" limits. They asked the typical questions, how many words. I hate to say this but she is repeating so many words that it is difficult to say how many she has. If I had to guess, I'd say between 30 and 50! We talked about weaning..... yes, she still nurses before naps and bedtime... so 3 times a day. I had her weaned to once a day and that was before bed and well when she started to walk she needed that extra bit. I gave in because I thought it would be temporary. Ha.. I was wrong. I'm going to give it a little bit longer and see if she will just move on herself... we also talked about her "Binky." They like to see weaning from that as well.... at this time she only gets it in the crib. We have decided to hang onto that a while longer. I don't want to focus on both at the same time.

She loves to go swimming... every time we drive by the Y, she starts to say... "kick, kick, kick?" (That is what she says when she goes swimming... they taught her that in swim lessons this past winter) The other day a pool installation company commercial came on TV, and she stopped that she was doing and started to point ad say... "kick, kick, kick" I said, Yes! That is a pool! Soooooooo smart... then right after that a bedding company commercial came on and they pictured a bed. When she saw that she said... "nigh, nigh." So smart. :D

We have a garden and have started to get an over abundance of tomato's, zucchini, and cucumbers. I shredded some of the zucchini and froze it to make breads, cakes, and cookies. I have also frozen some of the tomato's. But what do you do with cucumbers???? Besides, pickling. (Which I still want to learn to do!) I began a search on the Internet.... dehydrated cucumbers??? I figured I'd give it a try. I have owned a dehydrator for about 5 plus years and I have not used it ONCE! (It was a gift... that I wanted but never got around to using) So, I sliced up zucchini, tomato's and cucumbers and let them dehydrate for about 8 hours. I was VERY impressed in the results! They have so much more flavor then when they are hydrated! I have found that they are good snacks! Especially since I have been trying to get back into a consistent exercise routine again. :) I currently have some strawberries dehydrating... YUM! Lily was curious in what I was doing so I gave her one... Ha... she was moving the chairs around trying to figure out how to get more herself! Silly girl!

CUTEST book ever!!!!

2010-07-02T20:14:00.000-04:00

This has got to be one of the cutest books ever! I just love it! :)

A little ride

2010-06-29T21:24:00.001-04:00

This photo is from a week or so ago..... when we were not have 100 degree weather with a heat index up to 125!!!! UGH.... It's been "steamy." Anyone that has visited Virginia Beach knows how hot and humid it can get. It has been completely GROSS. We should have a little break tomorrow and for a few days after... the highs will only be in the mid-upper 80's to lower 90's! I'm sure that Lillian has missed her daily walks and bike rides. We have been "pool hopping" a little though.

Here is a photo of Lillian with her "dada." She is waving to our neighbors........... dog. hehehe

Wants to be at the "BIG" table.

2010-06-26T14:03:00.001-04:00

Too early for chores?

2010-06-24T20:24:00.002-04:00

Lillian is a wonderful helper these days! She is into it all and wanting to give me a hand. Today, she helped with the vacuuming and helped with cleaning our glass end tables. She does a wonderful job! I love having a "eager" little helper! The novelty wears off quickly. I wish her older sister was still this excited about helping out! lol.... Speaking of which, she just had her 17th birthday! Wow.... In less than 1 year she will be 18 and begining her own "adult" journey! How exciting and terrifying at the same time. In September, she will be a Senior in high school... seems like yesterday she was taking her first ride on the big yellow school bus!

Email test now.... ;)

2010-06-22T21:02:00.000-04:00

Lillians Anywhere Chair

2010-06-22T20:26:00.001-04:00

This is Lillian's 18 month gift! Her very own embroidered chair!

2010-06-22T14:46:00.001-04:00

So, its been awhile since I have checked out the control panel in blogger.... Whew knew that you can now text to blogger!?.... This is my test text! :)

18 months.............

2010-06-22T07:42:00.002-04:00

Over the weekend Lily attended her (very first) "BFF's" birthday party! Her "bff" turned one and her name is Lilly Grace! Yes... for real. Lilly's mommy and I met at our local YMCA where we took the same spin class for years! We fell out of touch when I was pregnant because I had complications early in my pregnancy that prevented me from being allowed to exercise. So, we found each other on facebook after she had heard that I had my very own "Lily Grace." :)

Lilly's birthday party was very nice and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! The girls are so fun to watch. They are starting to interact a little more each time they see each other. Oh.. the plans we have for them! :D :D

So, today Lily is 18 months old! WOW!!!! Where did this time go? We look at her and no longer see a "baby" she is a full fledged TODDLER! We thank God everyday for her.

She is learning new things everyday. Last night I am ashamed to admit that I had forgotten to give her a drink with dinner... I had been distracted by a phone call that had to be dealt with. So we were finally sitting down to eat and Lily starts to throw her food on the floor, and begins pointing and grunting... eh..eh...eh... towards the salad dressing. She has a new found love for ranch and ketchup. (not together! lol) So, I gave her a tiny spoonful and promptly put it away. She continued to point and eh..eh..eh... I looked to that direction and there sat the salt. She DOES NOT get salt! So, I firmly told her that she needed to eat her dinner. eh..eh..eh... then finally.... JUICE!

Awwwwwwwwwwww...... I felt terrible! I then realized that I had forgotten to give her a drink! On the flip side of this... she learned to vocalize what she wanted! :D I still felt awful!

Here are some party pictures. :)

Not a "monster"

2010-06-13T15:02:00.002-04:00

I know "monster" is a pretty harsh word but I was starting to fear that our sweet Lillian was turning into a "spoiled monster." Like I stated in previous posts.. she has had a rough time lately with having a virus, a ear infection, and the "poooooo" side effect from the antibiotic. Well..... to add to ALL of that.... this morning I noticed that she has cut one of her one year molars! NO wonder she has been really off! :( The one year molar on the other side looks like it will be making it's "GRAND" entrance soon as well.

This is what I caught Lily doing last night..... these are tea bags all over the floor. I did have them in a organized fashion in the little pull out draw. hehehe.... not anymore. ;)

Rough Week....

2010-06-12T22:03:00.002-04:00

Whew.... Poor Lil...First a virus that turns into an ear infection... and a nasty side effect from amoxicillin. :/ This is the first time that Lily has needed an antibiotic. I think that is amazing..... she is going to be 18 months old in ten days and has never needed a antibiotic! So, we started her on some probiotics yesterday and so far it has helped .... some. She was more like her normal self except now I think she is teething! Poor pea.... SO, here is a video clip that I took of her this week. She is busy pulling all of her cloth diapers out and putting them away. In this video if you listen close enough you will hear her say "Momma, hi, light, blanket, bear, and some gibber. :)

A Saturday trip back to the Doctor........

2010-06-05T13:45:00.003-04:00

Soooooo.... when Lily got up from nap she was so cranky. She would be walking and then throw herself on the floor and cry. I called the Doctors office. I am grateful that they have Saturday hours. I took her and and she has her very first ear infection! Poor thing!!! I am so glad that we went. She is napping now.

My 200th post!

2010-06-05T09:28:00.002-04:00

Lily is still under the weather. :( I have never seen her this ill before. It's heart breaking! Her fever has been better but I am still giving her Motrin. Her little throat was so red and raw that she refuses to eat and if she does, she is coughing and gagging. :( She is coughing more today than the last few days, so maybe the cold is progressing and will be resolving soon.

This morning when I went in to get her, she was pant less! hmmmmm.... oh how I pray she doesn't take the diaper off next! YIKES! So, on our way to the kitchen for breakfast this morning, I allowed her to carry my cell phone. I told her "Don't drop that." She quickly repeated "Don't drop that!" Truly.... she amazes us daily! She will be 18 months on the 22nd and she is speaking so well!!!!

'Something Viral"

2010-06-03T15:40:00.003-04:00

I figured most likely it would be "viral" but, I don't like to take chances. It was confirmed that her throat is REALLY red... so most likely her putting her hands/spoon all the way in her mouth until she gags.. is her way of telling us she has a sore throat. Poor thing! :( They did a rapid strep test which came back negative. Her Dr. said that the fever should be gone by Sunday and if it's not then to call the office back on Monday and have her seen again. So.... we will keep trying to push the fluids, soft foods and Popsicles until she is feeling better.

While in the doctors office she decided that she would sit in a chair and watch the movie they had playing. She sat like this for a good 10 minutes! It had to be a record. She is NEVER that still... again confirming that she doesn't feel well. Here is the photo that I had to take... in her pj's and all!

Popsicle Lunch.......

2010-06-03T13:45:00.002-04:00

Poor Lil... she has has not been feeling very good for the last couple of days. :/ Hence the thermometer post yesterday. She was running about 102 before Motrin yesterday. We have a digital rectal and a ear thermomenter. The ear thermometer, I purchased before she was born and we have not had much success with it. Never the same reading twice and always much lower than it should be. :/ I did buy the EXERGEN TemporalScanner yesterday... thank you for the reviews! So far it has been pretty accurate. Yea! I hate to do a rectal check "every time." I'm sure Lily much perfers the temporal scan too!

Not sure what is going on with her.... the last coupld of days we have noticed that she is putting her hands in her mouth so far that she gags.... wondering if she has a sore throat??? ...

oooo... there was the call... they want to see her now.

best temporal thermometer?????

2010-06-02T08:15:00.000-04:00

Advice??? anyone?

Self feeding, Bug collecting, stacking, and the toilet.

2010-05-26T08:08:00.003-04:00

Great combo huh?
I am completely blown away in all the changes Lily has made this week! It's like her little personality is growing by leaps and bounds! Yesterday, she started blowing kisses, not ordinary kisses the kind that the "muah" noise is over exaggerated and completely adorable! She is fascinated with the trash can, hamper and toilet. I watched her throw her sippy cup in the toilet yesterday.... I was not able to get it from her fast enough. I have a feeling we will be cup shopping real soon. ;)

We are still cloth diapering her, (still LOVE it!) and I use pocket diapers.... sometimes I wash the inserts separately b/c I throw a tiny amount of bleach in. (I know you are not supposed to do this but.... we have well water and it is helpful on occasion) So... the diaper shells were in the dryer (expecting rain or they would have been on the line) and the inserts were clean and dry in the clothes basket. I watched Lily carry about 20 inserts into the living room and pile them on her pink lawn chair along with a few other items.....

Here are some photos of her yesterday... YES... all this was yesterday! :D

CT scan and Neurosurgeon visit.......

2010-05-24T22:00:00.002-04:00

We were scheduled for a routine CT and visit with Lil's Neurosurgeon this afternoon. We had a very eventful morning. After her morning nap (yes... she is still a two nap a day kind of girl) she decided that she was going to throw her socks in the kitchen trash can. Then knock over the trash can..... I find wads of toilet paper in the hamper...and hair bows in the toilet!! She is SOOOOOO funny!

Her CT scan was scheduled during her afternoon nap time so I was prepared for her to be a little irritable. I also knew that she'd be more aware of her surroundings than a year ago and I decided to take a couple of her comfort items.... her Binky, and her bear. We try to keep these items in her crib. I would like to discourage her bringing them everywhere we go.... her older sister had a pillow that went with us everywhere until it was misplaced when she was 3. Oh... the heartbreak! After a couple of days things got much better and of course we found it and decided NOT to reintroduce them. :) Anyway.... my prediction was correct... she was not very happy about the CT scan at all... Broke my heart to see her get that worked up. The tech was super quick though so that was good. We went upstairs to see her Dr. The office staff was in awe about what a big girl she is now. As soon as we walked back her Dr asked "Is she normal?" I said... well.... we think so. :D We discussed her recent evaluation with early intervention and he was very pleased. He asked "how many words does she have?" That is such a hard question to answer because that list grows and changes daily. She is becoming a little parrot and is repeating almost anything we ask her too. He was pleased. We reviewed her scans and he commented on the fact that her ventricles are still very large and the area of the cyst is the same as it was a year ago... this is good.

He also said that if we travel the importance of taking copies of her scans (on disk) because she has the reservoir and it can appear to look like a shunt from the outside and if they order a CT her ventricles are so large that they may say that she has hydrocephalus and will want to check her "shunt." Of course we know that she doesn't have a shunt. He went on to say that she will probably have very large ventricles for the rest of her life and the importance of telling her and futures doctors this. So, we don't have to return until next May! He also said that he may just leave the reservoir in for the time being or indefinitely. At this point he doesn't to disrupt anything going on in there... if it isn't broken dont fix it type of thing. We are 100% ok with that. :)

Well... It is way past my bedtime.... Night all!

Lily was 17 months old yesterday.......

2010-05-23T20:58:00.003-04:00

A few pics of Lily "helping" mommy with the laundry.

I can hardly believe it! I was going to pop in and post last night however, she refused to go to bed.... It was almost 9pm before she was finally settled in her bed. She ended up crying it out. I HATE doing that but, nothing was making her happy and she does need to learn to self sooth to a degree.

She is practically running all over the house... she keeps us busy all day.. (I think that I may have lost a couple of pounds.. lol not that I mind!!) She loves anything that has to do with the outdoors. The other day we had a thunderstorm and she was absolutely thrilled!!! I think it was the first moment that she noticed that it was raining.. and it's different from when the sun is shining. She has also been looking at some of our framed photos and picking out her "momma, dadda, and sissy." A few nights ago we were getting her ready for bed and her and I were sitting in the rocking chair in her room... I was about to read the book that she picks every night.... and well she "shot a bunny" (also known as a little toot..hehe) and I could have sworn she said "excuse me." Well... she has done in multiple times now. Tonight she said "never"..... I can hardly believe all the things that she repeats! We love it! She is also doing very well using her utensils when eating.

She has been banging her head a little when she is tired, frustrated, or over stimulated. From what I have read this is completely normal toddler behavior. Well, in the last two days she has acquired two bruises on her forehead... one from being angry with me and slamming her head into the side of her crib and then tonight we bought her this little lawn chair... she was carrying it around our living room and tripped and it smacked her in the forehead.... (Poor baby)... So, wouldn't you know she goes tomorrow to see her Neurosurgeon and also for her routine CT scan. We are also supposed to discuss her next surgery... the removal of the reservoir. .....

So, I will return tomorrow and update about her appointment.

Testing out the sand....

2010-05-15T20:50:00.000-04:00

and giving it a little taste test too!

2010-05-07T09:25:00.001-04:00

Please keep Cayman and her family in your prayers!

Our Nature Girl

2010-05-05T21:28:00.002-04:00

Lily LOVES to be outside..... She LOVES to gather rocks, flowers, pine cones, gum balls, and empty cat food containers........... hehehe

We are all alive!

2010-05-03T20:53:00.003-04:00

Gosh... I have been really "rotten" about updating lately. Our oldest daughter who will be 17 in June had been challenging us with "HER" independence a lot lately. She was involved in a auto accident as a passenger that she should not have lived through and walked away with fairly minor injuries. We are very Blessed! This occurred one week after Easter and the day after Lily started walking! See.... a lot has happened and I have failed to record it the way that I wanted to, :( This saddens me because those thoughts and moments will be lost forever. :/

We had a lovely Easter, the weather was unseasonably warm. We were able to put Lily in a onsie on the deck while she colored her own eggs. She loved it! (I will post photos later)

Early Intervention came out twice for Lillians annual review. The first time they came out, she was not yet walking. So, her gross and fine motor skills were marked at 12 months. The second visit a speech therapist came out and got her to walk!!! She has not stopped since! LOL While she was here she placed at 20 months for her communication skills! She was using 3 word patterns! She was very impressed with her "skills!" We are estatic!!!

Here is a video clip of Lily chasing her "dada."

Between both girls, we have been extremely busy! I will return SOON with many pictures and etc. Oh... and Lily goes for her next CT scan and follow up with her Neurosurgeon the end of this month.

Can we go outside today?

2010-03-30T14:40:00.004-04:00

The last couple of days it has been raining. Lily LOVES to be outside. She loves to gather pine cones, pine straw, sticks, rocks and especially gumballs! Her apparent love for the outdoors is heartwarming!

Even though she refuses to walk she is not opposed to climbing! Here is a snapshot of her this morning, checking out the current weather conditions...... more rain. :/

Walking and Curls

2010-03-29T22:24:00.003-04:00

We are diligently working with Lily to get her walking. I failed to mention that the therapists suggested weighing down her stroller/walker. That way it helps the strengthen her core and help her with her balance. We added 2 lbs to it and she flings that thing around with ease again. It may be time to add more weight. :D

Here are a couple of photos of her after her bath tonight... notice the curls!??? They come from me! LOL Personally, I think that she mostly looks like her daddy.. she has my eyes (the shape) but now the curls are forming too. I really hope that Dr. D doesn't shave them all off when she has to have her surgery this summer. :/

Early Intervention Evaluation

2010-03-23T12:24:00.002-04:00

Early intervention came out to evaluate Lillian this morning. They were very pleased with her progress since their last visit however, She is a little behind in a couple of areas. :/ Lets start with the good.. (not that the other is bad) Emotionally and socially she is at a 16 month old level. So, she is "advanced there." She is at the 12 month mark for gross motor skills and the 12 month mark for fine motor skills. The specialist said that when gross motor skills are delayed the fine motor skilled are as well b/c she is not capable of doing the "big" stuff yet. Like walking. She is not considered 25% delayed so they can not offer services BUT, did give me several exercises to do with her and they will re-evaluate when she is 18 months to ensure she has caught up. We are to work with her on strengthening her core muscles with a stability ball and this will also help with her balance.

We were asked if she is able to climb stairs. I know that she likes to try and walk up them when we are holding her hands but we live in a brick ranch and they only stairs available to her are the brick ones in front of our home. They suggested that I pull the cushions off the couch and let her climb up the couch that way. (Great idea.. why don't I think of things like that!!!!???) So, I fed Lily lunch right after they left and promptly pulled the cushions off the couch and arranged them like they suggested and before I could even finish putting them in place, she had already climbed them and was standing there jumping up and down.... holding on of course. So... that is one thing she mastered in mere minutes of them leaving. :D We have to work with her on stacking her blocks. She just isn't really interested in this... she wants to knock them down. LOL

I am so grateful that we have this service, that we can focus on the areas that she needs to keep her progressing.

15 months old

2010-03-22T19:55:00.003-04:00

Amazing.... time has gone by so fast! I can hardly believe that Lillian is 15 months old today! :) This past weekend we had a little taste of Spring, the weather was just beautiful! We took advantage of "daddy" having the day off and went to the park for a little while. we had a really nice time.

Early intervention is coming out to do Lily's yearly evaluation. A Physical Therapist is coming out as well to make sure that Lily is just taking her time walking. I will be back tomorrow to post what they have to say.

Here are a couple of photos of Lily at the park. :)

Perfection....

2010-03-17T20:03:00.002-04:00

Lillian is perfecting her "walk." Personally, I think that she is fully capable of walking now but secretly perfecting her run! :)

I'm a naughty momma....

2010-03-11T20:21:00.002-05:00

Why am I a naughty momma??? Because, I have not been by to post updates. :/ I have been busy "working." Taking care of our home, creating a couple of websites, and working as a real estate assistant. (all from home of course) God is good, he has been aligning things perfectly. Lily is doing great. She is not yet walking on her own but cruises the furniture and pushes her high chair around the kitchen, and uses her baby walker. (looks like a baby stroller) We just bought her a couple new pairs of shoes and they came in the mail today. They looked so big but fit as they should. I guess she is just getting "big." When I look at her I see a toddler.

Yesterday, I had to take her older sister to multiple Dr. appointments so Lily stayed with her daddy all day. :D They had a blast. The weather was beautiful yesterday, mid 70's. Here are a couple photos.

New milestone....

2010-02-18T12:41:00.002-05:00

Lily is still practicing "walking." I have been noticing that her balance isn't real good...and her legs seem a bit stiff. :/ I am going to continue to watch her.. Early Intervention should be coming out again soon to evaluate and if she sees her Dr. before then I'm going to mention it. It could be nothing... Like I said before, I do not want to miss anything! She will be 14 months old on Monday! Wow... she is a "big girl."

Onto her newest milestones and the funny things she is doing... She is real good at taking objects out of containers and today for the very first time, she put her "cookie" in the milk jug! Yeah!!! She did it over and over... it was very sweet. When she wakes in the morning or from a nap she will have her binkie in her mouth. I pick her up and ask her, "Do you need that binkie?" She then pulls the binkie out of her mouth and throws it in the crib! This morning I could have sworn she said "big girl" after she did this.

So.... now onto the funny and kind of bizarre. LOL

She has done this several times now. She will lift my shirt and start to poke my belly button.. then she puts the same finger into her mouth.. she will do it over and over again... (I'm grateful that I keep it clean..lol) so yesterday, she shared my belly button with me... she kept putting her finger in my belly button then put her finger in my mouth. ???? I wonder what she thinks a belly button is???? LOL She had me laughing so hard! She is such a joy!

Here is a photo of sisterly love..