Lillie {one month}

Okay, so I've been horrible about blogging this year....and I was no good at posting pregnancy updates.  Good grief, I never even posted an announcement of Lillie's arrival!  Hoping to get her birth story written down before too much time goes by.
Here's what I do know - I totally treasure the monthly updates I did during Natalie's first year.  I look back at them often, and love reading the details that I have since forgotten.  Things like what she liked and how she grew and how big she was and when she met certain milestones.  I was able to turn them into a beautiful first year photo book for her, and I truly have hopes to do the same for this second little girl.
So I may not blog about anything else, but I am determined to document the first year of her life here too!

Our Lillie Anne is one month old!

 

She has fit just seamlessly into our little family.  I had so many fears about how our family would change, how Natalie would adjust, how life would be different with two girls instead of one.  But the truth is, she belongs with us.  And now, just like when Natalie came, we can't imagine life without her!

She is the sweetest, calmest little baby.  A quiet little lovey.

Here's what we know about our girl at one month old:
- Loves to eat! Nurses every three hours during the day.  I have to wake her to feed often because she still just wants to sleep, sleep, sleep.  At night I let her sleep and she will usually stretch 4 or 5 hours at night.  I plan to move her from her bassinet to her room soon.  Daddy is nervous though because she doesn't cry when she wakes to eat.  She grunts and kicks and snorts - which I can hear easily as she sleeps right next to our bed.  But she would be harder to hear of course when she's across the hall in her own crib.
- Lillie is a sleepy bug!  She is usually awake for about an hour after she eats, then back to sleep until her next feeding.  Sometimes we get a two hour appearance from her in the evening, which makes her nice and tired for bedtime.

- She is responding to all of our voices.  She is definitely in tune to her sister's voice, and she always calms down when I sing to her or when I'm reading aloud to Natalie. 
- She is a snuggler, loves to be cuddled.  But does equally well when I swaddle her and lay her down with a paci - she can fall asleep on her own.
- We've had some hints of a smile when she's awake, and lots of those sweet dreamy newborn smiles when she's sleeping.  Will be waiting for a more responsive smile in the next month!
- She loves to be in the swing or in her bouncy seat.  She likes the motion I think....

- She doesn't spit up much (Natalie spit up constantly, although it never seemed to bother her or put her in a bad mood).  She likes to kick her little legs and lay on her tummy time mat.  But doesn't love being on her tummy for too long!
- She likes her bath and the warm water. Her little body relaxes when I pour the warm water over her....she just gives me a frown when I try to wipe her eyes and clean her face. Loves to have her hair washed!

We love our sweet Lillie girl so much already!

Days like today make me wonder how I'm ever going to make it with TWO kids.  My 2 1/2 year old completely defeated me today....between whining and screaming and hitting and the POTTY TRAINING that will be the END of me, something is up with her.  Thankful that tomorrow is another new day, and hopeful that it will start and end better than today.

Despite my few words of woe above, I'm trying to focus in on some small joys over the past couple of weeks.  School has started, and while it's felt a little bizarre to not be in a classroom - I am enjoying a pace much slower than the past seven Augusts. 

Most mornings I set my alarm to get up about an hour before her.  I can get a shower and check email and have some "me" time before she wakes up.  But, at least one morning a week I put her in bed with me after she wakes up so we can snuggle and talk and watch TV and be close. 

Although it has warmed up again, we had about a week of absolutely beautiful weather.  Left me craving FALL - all the cool breezes and sweaters and pumpkins and cinnamon candles and coziness.  In the meantime we enjoyed lots of outside time and open windows.  Morning walks and sunshine were glorious.

Sidewalk chalk and baby dolls.  Always the baby dolls.  It's like her little sidekick, and she's taken to calling them "baby sister".  She'll talk to them and rock them and say "You my sister.  You gonna play ball with me."  I am dreaming of seeing the two of them together.

This poor little girl - I was so good about documenting my weekly pregnancy progress with Natalie.  This one has had little more than a few iPhone pics...

Not loved any less...it just been very different this time around!  Time is flying by, and we've not done a thing to prepare for a newborn.  Natalie's "big girl" room will be done soon (hopefully!?) and then it will be on to the nursery.



Tired, pregnant momma off to bed now - praying for a better tomorrow for me and for you!

Settling

We are starting to settle in around here.  Been a month since we moved into the "new house" - which we are referring to more and more as simply "home".  I love everything about this house, and it's been so sweet to snuggle in here and make it our own.  Sure, the project list seems to be never-ending - but we are taking it one thing at a time and loving it (says the pregnant wife who sits back and orders the husband around).  I hope to get some pictures up soon - we got our "grown up" furniture in our bedroom (at the old house, we barely had space in our tiny bedroom for the bed and dresser!) and it looks so pretty.  The craft room (HUGE priority on the project list so I could get the Etsy shop back up and running!) is SOOO close to being completely done - a few minor details to tackle.  I have it mostly all organized and have been working in there and it is completely perfect.  I will post pictures soon, promise!

Otherwise, Natalie and I have been settling into our own little summer routine, with lots of Mommy/daughter time.  Library, pool, fieldtrips, etc. keeps the sugar bug busy enough to warrant nice long afternoon naps - sometimes for both of us!  I am totally soaking up this time with her...trying to cherish these last few months of having just one little girl to love on.  While I look forward to life with TWO girls, I know I'll miss these days of me and my sweet first-born.

A sampling of what we've been up to...
Pool.  I love those wet curls.  She is a fish - completely loves the water.

 Exploring. She loves her new yard and all the trees and shade. 

 Deanna Rose.  There was a really nice cool day (for July!) a couple of weeks ago, so we made an impromptu trip to the farm with a picnic.

Well, I guess it's what Natalie has been up to.... I seem to always been up to my eyeballs in lists and paint samples and DIY projects - and haven't been spending any time in front of the camera.

Last thing - because I'm a proud Mommy.  Natalie learned her ABCs a few weeks ago, and I finally took the time to get it on camera. :)

the 4th

We had everything a good 4th of July should have....

Family.

A cute baby.

 

(Jasper was looking so handsome on his first 4th!)

 

 Games.

 

 

Cousins!



Mimi. (Who has the BEST 4th of July party every year!)

 

 

The CUTEST little firecracker I know. :)

 

(Could you DIE over that headband?  She picked it out herself - spotted it on a clearance rack at Michael's - and would not take it off all night.  She loves holidays like her momma.)

 

And, of course, sparklers.

 

Lastly, a little comparison from the last 3 years...

 

 {2011}

{2012}

{2013}

 

God Bless America!

Daddy's Girl

We are moving this week, so you can imagine the state of things around here.... Boxes climbing the walls, and our stress level climbing even higher than that - but a buzz of excitement is floating around here as well, and we are feeling very blessed despite the anxiousness that accompanies impending change.

We were able to take a *little* time out from packing to celebrate Father's Day this weekend.  Can I just say that there is absolutely nothing sweeter than watching your man and your baby together?  Like the sweetest, most precious love - I know I'm not the only momma with a melty heart to see the connection between daddy and daughter.

 
She only smiles like this for daddy.  Or "daddy boy" as we call him around here.

 

Can I just be honest and say that I didn't grow up being close to my dad?  I love and respect my dad deeply, but we didn't have that special connection that some dads and daughters have.  So to see my husband and my daughter so enamored, so entangled, so in love - does the heart good.  There is truly nothing like it, and I am thankful for a husband who, from day one, jumped in to this whole "fatherhood" thing in a big way.

So, despite the busy-ness right now, I'm so happy to celebrate a great man - our provider and protector, our humor and our helper, our fun and our frustration, and the love of both of our lives.