Cookout with BG Friends

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!

Wheels

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:

Talking, Walking and Other Developments

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.

A Monumental Day

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…

A Visit From Aunt Susan

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:

More Vacation Pics

I never got around to posting more vacation pics from Myrtle Beach, so here are a few. Here are a few pics of our dinner from the last night. We loved the Sea Captain’s House, especially the backyard, where we hung out for awhile before leaving. Both babies absolutely loved it, and it was one of my favorite memories of the trip. It was one of those nights when you just feel so blessed to have a beautiful baby, an amazing husband and wonderful friends.

As you can see, Lyla has a newfound love for “being walked”. It’s a backbreaking labor of love, but you can’t beat the sound of her giggles as she explores her world.

And, here are a few pics of our last day in the lazy river. Lyla loved the river but was ready to move onto other things when she got out – I had to take her upstairs when she attempted to eat some leaves by the pool. :)

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I Love to Eat!

Lyla had a momentous dinner this evening – she fed herself free of help from Mom & Dad. She absolutely loved it! She clapped several times throughout her meal, cheering herself on. We appreciate the inspiration from Zoe in Urbana last week. Family dinners are forever changed! :)

Other major developments: new consonants – N and M. We’re hearing Ma-Ma now!! :) It’s music to my ears!! :)

 

 

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