Happy Birthday, Lyla!!

Today was officially Lyla’s birthday – it’s amazing to think that a year has passed since she entered our lives. I know it’s cliché, but I can’t imagine the world without her. She definitely makes it a brighter place. My day began with hearing her say, “Mommy” from her crib – I could hardly wait to see her!

We started the day with a Birthday Breakfast. Lyla enjoyed birthday pancakes, something she’s never had before. Her morning “Nana” (banana) was quickly pushed to the side (which is phenomenal – she LOVES bananas) in favor of her pancake with butter and syrup.

We also lit her Birthday Wreath for the first time, given to us by Martina. Lyla thought it was funny when I blew out the candle for her.

It’s been a year full of so many amazing things I can’t possibly relay them all here except to say that I have more love for our little girl than ever. She is the light of our days, and we look forward to nothing more than seeing what she’ll do next. She’s a wondrous little presence.

Our day was even more special because it was the Watts’ Family Thanksgiving in Elizabethtown at Aunt Nancy and Uncle Curtis’s house. We were so happy that Daddy was off work and got to go with us. Lyla always has a great time with all the girls – she loves spending time with them all. Here are some pics:

One of my favorites with Leah toward the end of the day – Aunt Nancy, so glad you captured this one. It’s a classic:

Our Family:

The Original Watts Girls – where would we be without them?

All in all, it was a great day .

Happy Birthday, Miss Q!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving started a little early for us this year – we were so happy to have an overnight visit from Uncle Robbie and Auntie Shana who were on their way to Pittsburgh to spend the Holiday with Robbie’s brother and sister-in-law and their “new” baby, Logan.

We were all sad about Shana and Robbie not making it for the Watts’ Thanksgiving this year, so we felt really lucky to get to spend the night with them. Lyla was especially happy about it – we think she’s in love with Uncle Robbie. At one point, she clearly said, “Robbie..”, and at bedtime, she pushed Auntie Shana aside so that she could be carried upstairs by Uncle Robbie.

She was also saying, “Shana” by the end of the visit: "Nae-Nah”, and was whispering this as the two of them headed off early Thursday morning:

After Shana & Robbie left, our Thanksgiving Day began with a visit to the Hospital to see Grandma Hottman, who was admitted last night. It was good to see her, although we were sad she wasn’t going to be at the family gathering.

We spent Thanksgiving Day at the Hottman’s this year, and it was a lot of fun to get to see some of our baby friends. Lyla had fun running around the Hottman basement, checking out Grandpa Don’s 50s tree and eating her first Thanksgiving dinner. I think she most enjoyed the sweet potatoes – they were a lot different than the ones she regularly gets for dinner.

Lyla is also trying to say “Turkey” after discovering a crocheted turkey Carrie left for me after her visit. She also shared her toys with her cousins, who all enjoyed playing before dinner. We are amazed at how big Blaire is getting – she is officially moving around now! She’s definitely holding her own with the older girls – she’ll be crawling soon!

We left a little early so Daddy could get home to sleep before his 10 pm night shift. We felt very fortunate that we were able to spend most of the day with him. It was a rainy day, but we feel very blessed.

We love our family and were so grateful to be together.

Here are pics: