The Lily Show

Lily's new thing is wanting to look in the mirror at herself while she cries and if she's not crying hard enough by the time she gets to the mirror she'll pretend she's crying so she still gets a good show. She must get this from me.

A Good Daddy

Why my girls have such a good daddy reason #3. Phil actually shared a little of his ritual nap time with his girls Sunday and made for a few very sweet moments. He does love snuggling with his "lookies"!

Terrific "Twos"

Ok, age 19 months has it's definite downs as i'm sure will the next couple of years (ok 18-50 years) but there are SO many things about this age that are too sweet and wonderful not to love!

It's so fun to see Lily learning and discovering new things. It's fun to watch her play and see her imagination being to grow. I love her little enthusiastic "hi"s when I get her out of bed and how serious she gets when she "talks on the phone". I turned to see her leaning on the oven with her feet crossed the other day just talking away with her little lips pooched out and I saw my baby 15 years from now! Everyone says that time will be here before I know it. As much as I can't wait to see Lily grow and change, sometimes I want to stop the years so she stays just like this, my sweet funny little 19 month old fumbling with her spoon, her socks and every word.

Lists, so I don't forget

First little words:
"booyah!" - blueberries
"no-s" - snow
"pease"- please
"bah" - ball
"off", "uh-oh" (a favorite),
"mmm"- more
"oh" - a show
"nigh-nigh"
"BYEEE!" (must be shouted)
"hi"
"CaCa" - Clara
"no" (another favorite)
"mama" - "help"
still signing "thank you", "milk" and sometimes "more"
hmm, I know there are more....

What Lily loves to eat these days:
frosting, pancakes, waffles, spaghetti, macncheese, vitamins, blueberries, oranges, chocolate chips, corn
Meat and all other Veggies are still a no go unless they come pureed in a baby food jar and Clara has eaten some.

What fun it is to:
put on pants, read books by herself, take clothes on and off hangers, watch "ohs" shows (Baby Einstein and Kipper), knock on doors, look at our hymnal,

How Lily helps Mama sometimes:
put dishes away, "folds" laundry, get things for clara,

The things you don't do anymore:
"oh" when we hear the town whistle
scoot on your bottom of course

To Lily Ruth:

Lily, in another week you'll be 20 months old! That means 4 months away from being 2! For almost 20 months you've filled my life with laughter, joy, pride, worry and precious moments. Daddy and I can see your personality growing and changing. I thought you'd be so shy and though you still scowl at strangers, you've become so friendly. I'm amazed to see you indiscriminately go to someone you don't know at all and sit happily on their lap. You make so many people smile and bring cheer to everyone you're around. Well, except some men, who for some reason only you know, are scary.

You love routine and the familiar. "Quiet Time" and bed time have been so easy with you. You eagerly get ready to get in your bed. I think this is one of your favorite places right now even if it's just to read your books or play with your blanket.

You like trying to dress yourself and are quick to ask Mama for help. "Mama" you say. Daddy is worried you'll always say "mama" instead of "help" and that's my fault since months ago I taught you to say "mama" when you needed help instead of crying or yelling like you used to do. Oh well.

You are still a very picky eater. You don't even want meat to touch your high chair tray. If we put it there you hand it right back to us. I think you'll be a little stubborn! You definitely know what you like to eat and most of it is very sweet! You've gotten 8 teeth now. Still just two little ones on the bottom and some big old molars in the back and four on top. I love to see those little bottom teeth when you make your hammed up grin face!

You love your baby sister Clara, sometimes a little too much! You two are already best buddies! It warms me all up inside when I find the two of you playing and laughing together in your room or on a blanket in the living room. You can be very nice to her, you share or find her a toy when she clearly wants what you have. You bring her a bottle when she cries and pat her bottom like Mama does and you love to tell her "no!" when she's being naughty. You pat the floor or the crib when you want me to put her next to you and I know if you wake up crying from a nap I can just bring Clara with me to get you and you'll smile right away.

I can hardly believe you'll be a two year old so soon! What a fun year that will be! You're a precious gift to me and Daddy. I love watching the little girl you're becoming and know some day soon you'll be a helpful, kind and delightful young woman.

Trials!

This has been a very trying and tiring month for this mama. Besides the cold, foggy, icy, snowy, cloudy long days the girls have been going through some rather unpleasant changes. Clara, now 7 months, is taking less naps, 1-2 a day sometimes 3 and needs a quiet place to do so which with Lily is very difficult to find. She went through a couple weeks where she was up until 10 or 10:30 which made for even longer days and is in the habit of waking at 3 or 4 in the morning then again at 7:30 or 7. Which could be worse I know, I just haven't figured out what to do with her since I don't want her to stay in her bed in the room with Lily crying as loud as she does. I've continued to move her out into the living room into the swing and give her a pacifier which she's happy with, but she completely fills that swing up and is really beginning to weigh it down! I'll have to figure something different out soon which I'm afraid will mean less sleep for me.

Our Lily is certainly at that wonderful "terrible twos" stage. She's gaining more independence, but has such clingy whiny times it drives me crazy. Sometimes if it's not whining she's up to it's crying/screaming at me. Poor thing. I know she gets so frustrated trying to tell me what she wants and when I finally get it it's usually something she can't have! That really sets her off. Then I'm stuck trying to distract her with something else instead of giving in to her and that not working and both of us frustrated.

And we've decided to give potty training a more determined try. We're using the "Naked and $75" method. It's been 5 days now putting her on her potty every hour and she's actually starting to tell us she's got to go then going once we put her on the potty! Today she even went all by herself without telling us anything! We were very proud, but there are still the 2-3 other times during the day that she's NOT using the potty but the carpet or her crib. Yes this "training" takes time and yes she's still only 18 months old I remind myself. I think she's getting the hang of it and I would hate to go back to letting her go in her diapers all day now because it might confuse her. I'm glad she's getting used to the idea and not afraid of the potty, that's a step in the right direction I think, but it's not an easy thing to get housework done, care for another baby and get to a naked baby before she makes a poo on the living room floor!

We've had some difficult days but with the hard times have come some very sweet moments. I want to jot them down so I don't forget and to remind myself that when I feel like my sweet baby is gone forever and been replaced with a Queen Toot and I think I'm gonna lose it, she can be so sweet and will always be my little girl who I love and am so proud of. Lily is such a doting big sister. A couple weeks ago while I was on the phone with my mom I saw Lily go to the table, find a paper towel and come back to the living room and wipe Clara's face. I hadn't seen the big spity Clara had ejected so big sister took care of it!

And I don't want to ever forget how cute she is after our bedtime stories and hymn, when she gives kisses, tucks her bottle under her arm, waves bye-bye and marches happily down the hall to her bedroom to pray with Daddy and go night-night. Tonight she was even yelling "nigh-nigh"!

As hard as it gets to be a mama, staying at home 24-7 with little ones I don't want to forget that as long as these days can be, they are short. These stages my babies are in will pass and then will come other stages. As hard as it gets to deal with these crying, yelling, pooping, messy babies they won't always be this way. My days have frustrations but if I can just stop for a minute I'll see they're really filled with sweet moments, proud moments, laughs, kisses and hugs that I'll carry for the rest of my life.

Our big helper

When did she get old enough to start helping me with laundry?!?

Sisters

Holding hands, the sweetest thing I've ever seen.

Little Mama

Phil and I got a big laugh last night during pajama time. Clara was upset and crying. Phil was rocking her and trying to get her to calm down. We didn't notice that Lily was gone but she came back into the room carrying Clara's bottle and a burp cloth holding them out to us to give to Clara. What a sweet little girl and a very good big sister!

Little Messes

Where Lily goes messes follow...


I keep reminding myself that one day I'll miss these messes...right?

PG-13

What we have here is an unavoidable situation when one lives with small curious children and leaves "certain items" lying around within reach. I'm just waiting for the day it happens when we have guests in the house...

Big Helper!

Lily is finally starting to pull her own weight around here. I was so proud when I told her to go get Clara's burp cloth for me (which had fallen behind me on the floor) she found it, picked it up and handed it to me. I can also tell her to take Clara's bottle to daddy and she does that. It's just amazing to see that she understands a lot of what we say and can follow instructions. She's not a baby anymore!

Sanja Rescek.

Sylvia gave Lily a Nursery Ryhme book for her birthday. It is illustrated by Sanja Rescek. I love some of the drawings so I looked her up today and found some more sweet illustrations.


And Lily amazed me when I began to recite one of the nursery rhymes from this book and she walked across the room to the bookshelf, found the book and brought it to me. I was so proud and couldn't believe what she had just done!

In the kitchen with Lily.

Even though I've almost broken my neck or twisted an ankle 15 times I love to look down while I'm cooking and see Lily stringing everything out of the cabinets and playing happily at my feet. I'll really miss her when she finds more important things to do while I get supper ready. Of course then it will be Clara sitting there I suppose!

Exploring outside.

I took the girls for a walk yesterday and we stopped by the Neihardt Center so Lily could practice walking in her new shoes. She didn't do much walking but had so much fun playing with the rocks and berries on the ground. It's times like this that make me so happy to be able to just sit and watch her and know that I don't have anything else more important to do.

Clara took a snooze in the cool breeze.