Mommy's Wishlist for Lily's Birthday

These are things mommy wants for Lily's birthday, but this is more of a list of things I want and am working on getting.

• Crib - our current one is broken (which matters now that Lily is mobile)
• Pack 'n Play portable crib
• Plum Organics baby food pouches
• To find a new home for Jack, our dog (any volunteers?)
• A tree for the front yard so we can spend time in the yard this summer
• A sibling for Lily (I don't expect this one by her birthday on Friday)

1st Birthday Gift Ideas

I was asked to post some things that Lily might like for her birthday. We actually have been so blessed with clothes from my sisters, so this birthday is going to be all fun gifts.

Toys, toys, toys are what we need! I love developmental toys to help with hand eye coordination. Here are a few poppers/stackers we like.

 Shape sorters like these are great.

Lily LOVES the bath. The only thing that could make it better are toys like these:

Chunky puzzles like these ones would be great.

Lily has been really cute and snuggly lately. I think she would love any kind of stuffed animal.

Finally, books are the toy that just keeps giving. We love all books, but Lily has recently been into very girly texture books with glitter and flowers. We also could use some books or activities for church.

What do you think are must haves for this age?!

Molest-stache

So this post is really old and no longer relevant, but I thought that I would write about it anyway. A couple of months ago I decided that I wanted to grow out some facial hair. It stared out as a goatee but I eventually got tired of it and decided to shave. Malea wanted to cut my hair at the same time. After Malea cut my hair I decided to have a little fun with it. Here is what it ended up looking like.I wasn't too excited about it until I combed my hair. The side-part made the look complete and I thought, "there's the picture of a guy that needs a blue dot on his house and some sort of restraining order."
I decided to have a little fun with it and dress-up for work. I didn't get a picture of, but I know there is one of them floating around somewhere. I got a lot of different reactions, from rolling on the floor laughing to someone shouting "what the heck!?!" It was fun, but the mustache had to go. I kept it for less than a week.

Crawling - Almost

I have really struggled with this issue. At her 9 month appointment, Lily's doctor told me that Lily should be creeping and crawling and pulling herself up soon. We did more tummy time and I've worked with her, but Lily has not really progressed toward crawling. Now, she is 1 week from her first birthday and she is not crawling. She is not pulling herself up and she is not making great strides toward creeping much. I've really struggled feeling like if I wasn't working maybe I would have more time to work with her. However, this week I have come to realize that Lily's mobility is a result of a number of factors. I think the dog bothering her on the floor has resulted in less floor time. I also think that our rooms are so small that she doesn't have to move much to reach something entertaining. Lastly, Lily's personality is just plain laid back. She often prefers to play with her sock rather than make the effort to reach something more interesting. She's also gotten amazingly good at grabbing things with her feet, pulling the blanket or rug toward her with the toys on them, and splashing the water until her water toy comes near her.  She's actually pretty resourceful. 

She's been spinning in circles and pushing herself backward for several months. This week she actually started to army crawl. It's VERY limited and she's only done it a few times. I refuse to be embarrassed that she's not very mobile. I think her doctor is going to suggest physical therapy, but I'm happy with Lily just the way she is.

Every so often I sing the Primary song "Every Star is Different" to Lily at bedtime because it reminds me that every child is different and special. Lily will learn at her own pace and I will take each child I have and get to know their individual strenths.

So, for those who care to see, this video is my silly Lily and her grunting crawling. Also, her red knees from so much practice!

Mommy/Baby Photo Shoot

I'm always complaining to James that there are no pictures of Lily and I. Finally, I just grabbed the camera and took some of us. I'm glad to have some of us, but I'm the first to admit they would be better if taken by someone else. Any volunteers?

Smart, Part II

Just let me brag for another second that Lily is wonderfully smart. She only has one toy for the bath.(well, that and a cup) The other day she was playing for a few minutes and I saw her do the following.

 

What a happy girl!

Hair Update

My hair is going back to having some wave, but still no frizz! I'm sad the best parts of the blowout are starting to go away. It's taking longer and longer to blowdry and it's getting more froof. BUT, I can still let it air dry without it looking crazy. That's a HUGE thing. I am so glad I had it done.

The most telling will be if at the end of the 12 weeks, I am thinking about paying my own money to have it done again...stay tuned!

Grandma Stephenson

My Grandma and Grandpa Stephenson live a short 45 minutes away. James and I have tried to visit them a few times a year. Each time we do, we are rewarded with gratitude for our amazing posterity, the lessons that the elderly have to teach us and the perspective gained from a lifetime of experiences. This past couple of weeks I have been feeling prompted that I needed to call my grandparents and visit again. Then, yesterday, my sister mentioned that she had heard that my grandmother had an MRI. I got a sinking feeling in my heart because I knew that I should know these things and what's going on. I love my grandparents so much and I like to think that I keep an eye on them. Immediately, I called and spoke with my grandpa. He said my grandmother has been sick for 3 months and things have not been going well. I scheduled to visit the next afternoon.

James and I visited today for less than an hour and we were unable to get many details, but Grandma has lost a lot of weight in the past few months and she's having a very hard time eating and sleeping. The fact that they took me up on the offer of meals is a sure sign that they are struggling. They are from a generation that takes care of themselves. They don't want to accept help, but I hope that any family members reading this will take a moment to tell them that you love them. Don't let the moment pass you by to tell those you love how much you love them!