We went to Elizabethtown to hang out with Marmie and Aunt Nancy this week. We met Sarah for lunch and went to the play area at the Towne Mall. As always, there was lots of walking throughout the afternoon. It’s amazing the distance such short legs can cover – she doesn’t ever seem to get tired:
And, it didn’t take long for her to develop a little crush:
Today was a perfect day to spend at the Zoo. Lyla was excited about our adventure, which started with a few puffs. She loves her snack cup – she leaves a trail of Puffs everywhere she goes:
We started with the flamingos – Lyla was immediately enthralled. She pointed at the birds and said something that sounded like the “B” sound as she looked on with Daddy:
I think she was considering jumping in with the swans and ducks:
And, then, she enjoyed a close encounter with the missing link. Well, I guess he isn’t really missing:
She decided to wave to him before we left:
More puffs after the gorilla encounter:
And one last stop before we headed home:
And, what would a trip to the zoo be without at least one stroll?
In other developmental news, Lyla is now “dancing”. She works on perfecting her “Hottman Move” by bending her knees when she hears music playing. She’s really enjoying the dogs next door and her ongoing search for “krinkle leaves”. She’s in for a treat when the leaves really start falling. :)
Today we had lunch with Grandma H. at a family favorite, Cracker Barrel. And, it was big news that Lyla Q. ate her very first real Cracker Barrel meal. She loved her biscuit, grilled chicken, apples and carrots. She is definitely a Watts girl! :)
And, afterward, of course Lyla took a little walk among the rocking chairs while Grandma looked on. It was good to get to spend some time with Grandma. We were also so happy to have a few days off with Daddy.
We had a cookout with several of our old friends from WKU tonight. Lyla particularly enjoyed hanging out with all the kids – it’s hard to believe that many of us have kids…seems like just yesterday that Lance and his roommates were perusing the local Goodwill in search of costumes for the annual St. James Halloween party – they were all beautiful women.
Amazing to think that was 14 years ago. WHAT??!!
Wish I’d snapped more pictures of everyone, but hosting a party and managing a 10 month old means very little opportunity to take pics. :)
Thanks to everyone for coming - we had a great time and can't wait to do it again! Love you guys!
Becoming a mom makes me see the world through an entirely new lense. Everything seems more vivid, more lively and, frankly, more interesting. Today, I’m thinking about wheels. I’ve never really thought much about them – they make things go, they make things move.
This morning it occurred to me that wheels symbolize steps toward independence: first tricycle, training wheels, first bicycle, first car.
Wheels mean moving onward, on your own.
Lyla received her first wheels yesterday.
She’s thrilled about them and continues to work toward letting go of my hand and moving onward, on her own:
A lot has been going on in the life of Lyla Q. She had her first major fall last week at Aunt Ari’s house when she was reaching for a toy in Rand’s room. The end result was a quarter sized bruise on her forehead that I felt just horrible about. Thankfully, it’s already starting to diminish.
Also, Lyla is now taking 2 bottles a day in preparation for being completely weaned over the next couple of weeks. As you can see, it’s going swimmingly, and Lyla is enjoying the extra Daddy time. I am adjusting better than I thought I would - it helps that it's been so easy for her.
In other news, Lyla officially has her first word thanks to the noisy, barking dogs next door. She is enamored with them and wants to go out to see them whenever she can. She must feel safe shielded by the fence the neighbors (thankfully) installed prior to us moving into our house. Every time she hears them barking outside, she proclaims, “Doooog”. We’re not terribly fond of the dogs, but we do feel a certain affection for them for encouraging Lyla to express herself:
It’s been an extremely crazy weekend around here – Lyla had her first major sick episode Friday evening when she came down with a terrible bug that resulted in a prolonged coughing fit and a sleepless night spent in the ER. We got very worried when she had difficulty breathing, so we decided it was better to be on the safe side. She was also diagnosed with her first ear infection. By this writing, she’s feeling better, but I, on the other hand, now have the adult equivalent to what she had. I feel horrible!
Lyla’s illness definitely did not get in the way with her preoccupation with walking. Today, she officially started “cruising” our furniture. For the first time, I was able to step away from her long enough to take these photos. In the words of Grandpa Don, “Once she gets a little confidence, she’s going to take off…”
We think she looks so cute standing up.
Anyone who’s spent any amount of time with LQ these days probably goes home with an aching back from doing this:
And this:
And this:
And this:
And, then there was her playdate with Isabella yesterday:
Well, in the last 24 hours, two pretty amazing things have happened. First, she’s started preferring to “be walked” by holding only one of our hands (that way the other hand is free to pick up random stones and pieces of bark). Second, today, while playing with Aunt Ari and I, Lyla took two tiny little baby steps on her own to get to me.
An amazing moment. I’m still beaming, and so is Ari, and so is Daddy.
Lyla took it all in stride and just kept doing what she loves to do most – walk.
We can’t wait to she’s going to do next – maybe pull up to stand on some furniture or something?
Stay tuned…
While Daddy hung out with Uncle Kip at the U of L game, Lyla and I went to Nan’s and Grandpa Don’s to visit Aunt Susan, who was visiting from Florida. We were happy for Blaire and Lyla to spend some pre-nap time together playing with Blaire’s gym. Fortunately, the gym survived a couple of Lyla’s attempts to pull it down, and I think Blaire was thoroughly entertained:
Anyone who has been around Lyla for more than 5 minutes these days knows that her most favorite past time in the world right now is “being walked”. Lance and I have back pain to prove it. In the words of Grandpa Don, she definitely leads the way – she knows exactly where she wants to go:
