This is what I get to do every afternoon!

LG is becoming so talkative! I am trying to capture these moments on video, but we are usually conflicted between staying and playing, and getting up to video the events! Hope to have more like this on soon!

Purposeful play...

I posted a very similar video a while back showing LG interacting with her lion toy. Here is an updated version. You can definately see how much she as grown in that seat AND how much more intentional her movements are in playing with her toys! She is usually a little more talkative to her lion friend, but I thought you'd enjoy seeing her purposeful play. My mom thinks that she is going to be left handed. It seems like all of her toys are generally placed to the left of her, so that may just be a coincidence. So far she appears pretty dextrous in both hands!

(A mild version of the) Feeding Meltdown

Here is an example of how upset LG gets when we try to feed her solids. Even this yummy banana smoosh wasn't going to fly for her! Doctor told me that she just may not be ready for solids, but is likely too headstrong and does not want to be spoon-fed. She will either wait to feed herself or not eat at all! (Wonder where she gets such a stubborn streak? LOL!) Keep in mind that this video does not represent her full-on tantrum, with kicking, flailing, exorcist-like-head-turning, etc.

Week two of weight loss....

KC - 2 pounds (total 4.4)



TB - 1.2 pounds (total 8.3)

Olympic guessing game....

We were all excited about giving Lilly her solids. The first evening or two, she was just a little confused, but took some nonetheless. WELL NOW, the child SCREAMS when you even get close to her with a spoon! AND KICKS! AND TURNS HER HEAD, digging it into her seat! AND PUSHES YOUR HAND AWAY! She gets so worked up crying/angry, that she gets all choked up, eventually wearing herself out. We can't figure it out! So, the theorizing has begun:
**Is she being lazy? (preemies are known for being lazy when it comes to eating)
**Does she hate the taste? (I've spent soooo much $$ buying the good, tasty stuff!)
**Does she have a stomach ache? (at the same exact moment every day!)
**Does the spoon cause her pain? (she's cutting bottom teeth)
**Is this just a Courtney tantrum about trying something new?
**Is it too soon to feed her solids? Is she just not ready?
**Do we keep feeding her even if she's SCREAMING, or do we cave in?
The nurse at her doctors office said to not feed her solids for a couple of days, then try again. I hate this. I went to bed last night boo-hoo-ing that my child hates me! It's a terrible feeling, this not knowing why she's crying. We'll see how this weekend goes. If I survive another one of these tantrums, I deserve a GOLD MEDAL!

Here are a couple of pics when she's NOT pitching a fit!

4 month check-up/doctor visit REPORT

Lilly's pediatrician was thrilled with her progress! Just a reminder, at 3 months, LG had reached the 5th percentile with both her weight and length. At 4 months, she weighs 12 pounds (I would have guessed more!) which puts weight her into the 15th percentile; she is just shy of 24 inches, which puts her height into the 25th percentile! HURRAY! Tom and I had a list of questions for the doctor and we were delighted by the answers - LG is really on the right track! (Plus, everyone tells us how pretty she is, which makes us parents quite proud!)

Other than her amazing growth, our most exciting news from the doctor is that we are now allowed to start Lilly on solids! YEAH! Which really means that we are getting closer to the possibility of a decent night sleep! :) We have to start her on rice cereal, teaching her the mechanics of eating and making sure that she tolerates it. She is also going to take 2 ounces of apple juice per day to make sure that she stays regular (which, to date, has NOT been a problem for this child!) If she does well, in 2 weeks we get to start with phase 1 baby foods. Yummm....pureed carrots! We will take lots of video and post them soon!

Lilly's first taste of apple juice....

Here's a video of Lilly's experience with apple juice...I think it's probably a little too tart - the next day we watered it down a bit and she could not get enough...I love her little giggle in the middle!

Mommy's first try at feeding Lilly....

She wasn't quite sure what to make of the new texture & flavor. This first feeding, we mixed apple juice with the rice cereal, and I'm not sure that she was a big fan. When we mixed formula with the cereal the next day, she seemed a bit more receptive. Watch closely, her facial expressions are priceless! (Don't mind my commentary to Tom about his videotaping - he's a brilliant guy, but sometimes he's not very techno-savvy!)

And here is Daddy feeding Lilly....

I teased him about how many times he said "mmmmmmmmmm" to her! I stopped counting at 10!! But I admit, he does this much better than I do! I need some practice! We both open our mouths for her! I'm sure if the camera were on us, we'd look pretty ridiculous!

Let's see if you actually read...

This is a test! HAHA! To see if those of you who come to visit Lilly's blog actually read what it says, or if you just go to the good stuff (pic & video). When anyone posts a comment using the comment link below any single post, I get an email from the blogspot. And let me tell you, friends & family, how much I love your feedback! So please, if you visit, let me know! Thanks to Lilly's great aunt Joyce for always letting us know she's been visiting us online!

Hope you enjoy the newest pics and video. I guess it's pretty obvious that I'd rather use the Google Blogspot than the Babysites that I started with originally. I like the Babysites.com b/c I can upload more pics, but I like the blog better to be able to "narrate" what I upload. Plus, I still use the Babysite.com to send out email notifications that pictures have been updated.

Tom and I enjoyed a simple weekend. We both worked a bit on Saturday, did some Christmas shopping, overate at Ruby Tuesdays, did a million loads of laundry, took lots of Lilly pics and tidied up our overcrowed townhouse. I'm anticipating a busy (in a good way) week this week. There are a lot of things going on at work that I'm thrilled about, but will have to give you the details at a later date. Staying busy, even in a not-so-full-of-deadlines time. Still not feeling up to par. Blood pressure still too high. Have to get on new medications. I think I'm going to start Weight Watchers this week. I have gained waaaay too much weight - which I know is affecting my health. A friend at work made a comment (in jest) about how I'm still eating like a pregnant woman! LOL! Yep! It's time to cut back!

Anytime we have quiet time on the weekends, I always miss Elroy. It's still really difficult for me. So, after the parents left and then all of the company left, it felt particularly lonely without him this weekend. I'm starting to realize that this is a loss that will take a looooong time to get over (if I ever even do!).

Love to you all --

Dancin' to the Classics!

Here's Lilly enjoying her floor time with her Baby Einstein play area! Tom and I had different opinions about which part of the video was most important! The closeup? Or the dancing legs? So, we left it unedited to cover both! LOL!

I caught Lilly & Daddy having this conversation...

over coffee and formula this morning!

Our Lilly Grace is 4 months.....

I say it every month: I can't believe she's gotten so big! Tom and I take her to her 4 month pediatric visit Thursday. I'm excited to see how much she weighs! We are guessing 13 pounds, but wouldn't be surprised if it's higher than that! It's all cheeks and thighs! Here are some of her 4 month pictures:





With Grandma Buzzerd's Teddy Bear:


At 4 mos, Lilly:

Loves to swim and get baths...
Laughs and giggle a lot...
Eats about 40 oz. a day...
Is starting to sleep about 6-7 hours at night...YIPEE!...
Has outgrown size 0-3 months; can only wear 3 months...
Smiles at her babysitter every morning...
Has to have her fingernails trimmed every other day...
Is getting better at burping...
Kicks her legs to music...
Gets a little fussy at about 7 o'clock every night...
Loves to stand up...
Is going from dark to light hair...
Loves looking at herself in the mirror...(she gets this from Alicia)...
Recognizes Grandma's voice on the phone...
Is starting to teeth? She gnaws on her own hands & drools a lot!
Is quite a social butterfly...
Expresses a full range of emotions...
Insists on being carried around..the surest way to wake Lilly up is to put her to bed!

I think I'm finally getting the hang of this!

BUT Lilly doesn't make it easy! I swear that this child turns it OFF for the camera - and she always has. We'll be playing with her and she will giggle, kick, flail her arms, etc., but when we put the camera on her...she STOPS! Just ask Grandma how many times we tried to capture a certain face, only for her to instantaneously change her mood once the camera is ready! Last night, she was in a great mood - Tom had her laughing, talking and smiling...so I got the video camera all ready to go - and - she's go cold. I'd turn the camera off, guess what? Anyhoo, here is a video of her this morning...not in her full good-mood-glory, but it gives you a small taste! :)

FINALLY....A video!

Here is our angel playing with one her favorite toys!
This is her giggle that makes me giggle every time!

Lilly's first swim...

Late Wednesday afternoon, July 30th, we took Lilly for her first trip to the pool. As she gets older, she has become more fond of baths, so we figured that she would love the water. So, we dressed her up in her pirate onesie and took her for a dip!

Daddy getting ready to start at her toes!



A little bit further......



Hurray! She's in! Not sure what to make of it!



She started having a little fun with Mommy....





and big sister Alicia....



and the whole gang of water-lovers!



The pictures not on the blog are those of Lilly having the most fun, which occurred once she got NE-KED!! She loved being "free" in the pool! LOL! We did tell her that skinny dipping was not a lady-like sport; so, Alicia and Alyssa found Lilly a bathing suit at Target. Those photos to be posted soon! Love to you all! Thanks for checkin' in!

Bittersweet Monday...

This morning, Tom put Alicia and Alyssa on a plane bound for their home in Florida. To date, this was by far the toughest good-bye for me. These two girls are growing into such neat young ladies; so very different in their personalities, but equally adorable. Alyssa is now 12 and Alicia is 14 (going on 20!). We all had such a nice time together, going to the movies, to the pool, spending all of our money at the mall on school clothes and, of course, sharing love with Lilly. Alicia, Alyssa and Lilly really bonded. Alicia promised to take Lilly to the mall to teach her about cute boys and designer clothes. Alyssa promised to keep Lilly more "grounded" by sharing her love of animals and the outdoors. Lilly giggled a lot while they were here. I think she was most tickled about how the girls would "call" getting to do something with her (like you would "call" getting the front seat of a car!) For example, the minute we'd decide to go to a store, Tom and I would hear one of them yell, "I call pushing Lilly's stroller!"; then a roaring rebuttal would occur "I call holding her first when we get back home!"

Here is the bigger baby, Alyssa. She calls herself "Big Sis Lyss"---



Big Sis Lyss holding Lilly



Big Sis Lyss feeding Lilly



The ONE thing that Alicia and Alyssa NEVER fought over doing was changing Lilly's diaper! Alicia always ran the other way, but Alyssa just held her breath and did her Big Sis duties! No matter how plentiful the "duties" were!



Grandma Courtney bought Lilly this Baby Einstein floor mat. When she is laying down, there is a bright sunshine face that lights up to classical music! Lilly LOVES this toy! She giggles and kicks her feet while the catchy tunes play! Here are the 3 of them enjoying the upbeat tempo! (I think Alicia and Alyssa were secretly assessing whether or not Lilly inherited her Daddy's complete lack of rhythm! LOL!)



Lilly talked most to Alicia...well...blubbered and coo'ed. Something about Alicia inspired Lilly to want to carry out a conversation! (perhaps the promise of cute boys and designer clothes?)



And finally, my favorite, favorite, favorite picture! My eyes water up every time I look at this one! Look at these two faces! Be still my heart!



I'm going to miss the girls terribly. They are so fun to have around. They still think I have "a little" cool-ness left in me & enjoy seeing me be a mom. It's amazing how much my perspective of being around them has changed now that I have a child. The things that they say are a little more personal, the jokes that they crack are a little funnier and the short amounts of time that we share are so much more valuable. Not that I did not love them before, but it's different now....I hope that makes sense to you.

A "caring" gift from her oldest sister!

Jenilyn, Tom's oldest, sent this adorable Care Bears set to Lilly. She loves the feel of the blanket fabric between her fingers! I loved the Care Bears when I was growing up, too! Considering that I am ancient, I can't believe they are still around! LOL!