11 down, 1 to go!

Well Lorelai has had her last "month" birthday before she hit the 1 year mark!

Crazy, crazy.

I think the time has gone by fast until I really think about it. I seriously cannot remember what it is like to just pick up your shoes and go somewhere. No counting diapers in your bag, no pre-filling bottles, no extra pacis, no change of outfit, no snacks, no sippy cup? Seems like ages ago.

Well, let's see...not much has developed since her 10 month old bday. She does try to stand on her own and take a few steps. She has kind of stalled out on that though, not much advancement since she first started. She does help brush her own teeth (all 2 of them). She is wearing shoes regularly, and is getting used to them still. Her hair is getting thick and long...she looks so bald when I look at old pictures. She is eating a lot more table food, and loves it. We are trying to learn how to use a spoon, but she rather use her fingers for food and hit the spoon on the highchair. She loves drinking out of sippy cups, but ONLY the one with straws. She is a pro at sipping through a straw but still refuses to hold her bottle or a traditional sippy cup.

She is a fast and sneaky crawler and hates to wear dresses or skirts due to their tendency of tripping up her moves. ;) She loves electronics still, and keys. She enjoys crawling up her Grandma's stairs and still loves puppies. She thinks everyone's drink or snack is hers to share...but don't worry, she tries to share her's as well. We still are attached to our paci's like no other and we cannot sleep without "lamby" and our lullaby rock cd's. She loves to climb over people and pillows/blankets, and loves to play peek-a-boo with them too. She waves "hi" and "bye" every time now, but still no words to go with it. She smiles at pretty much everyone she meets and is very friendly.

Today we celebrate her first Halloween. She is so sweet in her little costume. No worries, pictures will be taken and posted later. :)

I love my fast-growing, oh-so-loveable, one-of-a-kind Lorelai!

M.LEWIS

That Warm Fuzzy Feeling

Halloween is a few days away. It is Lorelai’s first Halloween, and I am so excited! After Halloween will be her first Thanksgiving, and then mere days after that will be her 1^st birthday! Now I am not writing to gush about her birthday, instead I am writing to gush over the wonderfulness of holidays.

I know there are some people out there who don’t really pay attention to holidays. I’m not just talking about the “silly” ones like St. Patrick’s Day or Valentine’s Day; but they don’t even put a up a tree for Christmas! I think about growing up with my mom and my family and the magic that was every holiday. At Christmas we had not only one tree, but three. We had holly garland over windows and evergreen wrapped around the banisters. Small white lights twinkled behind every pine branch and every red bow. Even the outside of our house was adorned with colored lights and icicles hanging off the roof. Since we live in Texas, we rarely had snow, but that did not detract from the magic of Christmas. Not many people on our street put up lights, so our house shone like a beacon of Christmas magic. I felt a little sad for those families who did not have the trees, the lights, or the bows…the magic. What do they look forward to all year long? What makes your year special?

 It was what I loved the most, what I look forward to the whole year. Even as an adult, I had the privilege of experiencing the holidays with the same child-like wonder because I worked at a preschool. I got to see the astonishment in the kids eyes, the excitement. I loved it.  

It wasn’t just Christmas with my family that was so wonderful. We decorated for every holiday. We had green food-coloring in our milk for St. Patrick’s Day, we received chocolate hearts for Valentine’s, we saw fireworks twice on Independence Day, we carved pumpkins and went trick-or-treating every year for Halloween, our entire family gathers for Thanksgiving, and we went egg-hunting with special assigned colors for Easter. We did it all.

I am now a mom and want to give all of that to Lorelai. Obviously Christmas and Christmas Eve are my favorite. The love and warmth that surround the day, the magic and faith that are involved are what make that holiday the paramount of the year. Halloween in a close second though, the silliness and the opportunity to dress up is a great break from the everyday. This year Lorelai will dress up as a cute, girly skeleton. I will carve her jack-o-lantern this weekend too…and of course, there will be a ton of pictures documenting the fun. After all the fun come the chores of the season. In November I need to Christmas shop and birthday shop. I CANNOT wait for her first birthday party! J I also need to work on a special project. Which brings me back to Christmas:

During the month of December, my siblings and I used an advent calendar to count down the days until Santa. Our calendar wasn’t like everyone else’s. Instead of pulling out treats from a little drawer, we hung ornaments on a wooden tree that hung on the wall. It was handmade by my grandmother and we all loved it. We were assigned certain days so we all got a turn, and we even chose which ornaments we wanted to hang. They don’t sell this kind of advent calendar…I’ve looked. So, I am going to make one. I want my kids to have the same special feeling when waking up. “It’s my day!” Then followed promptly with “Now there are only __ more days until Christmas!”

So, I have to find a large piece of unfinished wood (I think I found a clever alternative), I have to make a tree in the center, then all the ornaments for the tree; All handcrafted and hand-painted. I look forward to this project. I highly anticipate the many years of enjoyment with it.

Now, I don’t want to take away from the meaning of any holiday with secular objects. I do love the meaning behind each day…but the decorations, the music, the fun; it’s what makes the season different and special. I get excited over the first official Christmas commercial I see, and I get addicted to the Christmas radio stations in November. Looking at Christmas lights this year will be extraordinary; I think Lorelai will thoroughly enjoy seeing the wonderment.

Ahhhhh, holidays. I seriously can’t wait. I hope your days are as memorable and meaningful to you all as they are to me. Thanks Mom, thanks Oma, for making the holidays so special and for making my childhood so loving and nostalgic for me. It is the absolute best thing I can pass on to my child and to my family.

Our old home (apartment) before the arrival of Lorelai...I did what I could with no fireplace :P

Our engagement Christmas Eve...being silly.

My church. No lights, just candle light from the Christ candle...singing Silent Night. Seriously the best feeling.

I will leave you with a little something that always brings a smile to my face. This pretty much encompasses my feelings for the holiday season. I still believe, I will always believe. J

“Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.”

(Paraphrased from http://www.newseum.org/yesvirginia/)

M.LEWIS

Phoeber Bieber Fever

This a much-deserved post about our little pup, Phoebe. J

Phoebe turns 2 in November; and we have had her apart of our family for 2 years in February. Honestly, I can’t remember not having that silly, loveable wiener dog around. She was destined to be apart of our family. A friend of mine (hi Sarah!) mention she saw a cute little dachshund puppy at a pet store one day after I talked about wanting a little puppy. Chris and I checked out the pet store a little later and fell in love with the dog that would be named Phoebe.

Contrary to popular belief, I actually did not name Phoebe. That was all Chris. He told me (before we went puppy searching) that he had a dream were we got a puppy with a pink bow and we called her Phoebe. We never could imagine how perfectly then name would fit.

Now, if you don’t like an overabundance of love and affection, Phoebe won’t be the best friend for you. No matter how long you have been gone, Phoebe will greet you with jumps of joy and tons of kisses. She loves to cuddle, especially under blankets and pillows. Now potty-training was difficult, but once we moved into our house, she figured it out like a little champ. J She snacks throughout the day and frequently will scoop up her chow and bring it into the room people are in so she doesn’t have to eat alone. She loves to wear little puppy sweaters and get super excited when she spots one. She is the BEST dog with Lorelai. We are so touched at the way those two pal around. They will be best friends for years to come. They even have some secret language with each other and know when they want to play and what game they want to play. (usually chase, but sometimes fetch) Phoebe gets in her daily exercise by running long laps around the house. It is seriously one of the silliest things you will see. You can’t help but laugh at her goofiness.

We have some doggy neighbors who love to bark at Phoebe through the fence, but good ol’ Phoebe rarely barks back. She loves to track bunnies in the backyard but always lets them escape when she finds one. She knows they are her friends, and she should not be too rough with them.

She does have some odd qualities that make her so endearing. She is afraid of empty plastic bottles (ONLY empty ones) and recently, smoke/steam. Yep…one glance at the “mysterious” substance and she shakes, shivers, and frighteningly relieves herself on the carpet. You can’t get made because you know she is so terrified…for some reason. She even looks up at you and you can almost hear her little puppy voice say “I’m sorry, I’m just so nervous.”

She also loves to wear little puppy sweaters. Yep, that’s right, LOVES them. She gets all excited when she sees us pull it out; she even helps us put it on her. She slides her head in and tries to get her legs in…she needs help with that though.

Our little Phoebs is certainly a character, and we love her dearly. I know not everyone is a “dog-person” but I believe she was meant to be a part of our family…and that is exactly what she has become. God knows we have laughed the hardest at her behavior, and it wouldn’t surprise me if she has added a couple years to our life because of it. J

M.LEWIS 

Why?! : One of Lorelai's Quirks

Most of the time, when I talk about Lorelai, I boast about her cuteness, her cleverness, and basically her all-around-wonderfulness. This post will be slightly different. ;)

Of course I love her with everything I have in me...but...lately, she has a new habit that is not endearing. For months we have been having banana oatmeal in the morning for breakfast. Until recently she has taken the meal flawlessly. Lately, I have noticed a new and irritating pattern. She still eats the oatmeal fine 5 out of the 7 days...randomly, for no apparent reason, she picks out a day here and there to REFUSE the oatmeal she gobbled up the day before.
I make it the same way everyday. Same temperature, same consistency, same time in the morning (give or take) every day. Does someone have an insight on this problem? Am I missing something? She literally won't swallow a drop. She screams, spits it out into her hand, then promptly wipes it all over her face and in her hair. So not only am I wasting a whole bowl of oatmeal (that I used expensive formula to make), but I have to completely strip her down and bathe her to get her clean. Then I have the issue of "What do I feed her now?" I have some toaster waffles. I usually heat one up and break it apart for her. She takes it fine. (So I know the issue is not "I'm not hungry.")

Maybe I am more frustrated with it today because she slept horribly last night. She woke up the first time and hour after bedtime. She was crying and inconsolable until I left her room. After about half an hour she was out again. She then slept until 3:30am, where she then was up and happy, talking, and calling for someone to get her. I went in, put a paci in her mouth and turned on her lullaby cd. I placed her back down on the mattress and gave her her favorite sleepy toy. Exiting, she lost it. It didn't last too long. But that's not to say she went back to sleep. She stayed up for 2 hrs. Talking loudly off and on the entire time. I couldn't fall asleep. I thought "Well, at least she'll sleep in later." Hah. Yeah, right. She was up 15mins after her normal get-up time. *sigh*

I guess she is going through one of her phases, but it is draining me slowly. At least I have my mom and sisters nearby to help me grasp my last strands of sanity when she does this.

Like I said, if you moms out there have any ideas or suggestions on this situation, I am all ears...and I don't say that often. ;)

M.LEWIS

House Update 10/16/11

Nothing too exciting to update on, but we did create a flowerbed in the backyard. It took about 2hrs to complete from start to finish. It was a good lesson on what it involves and what kind of timeline it requires. We marked out the bed and then begun to dug up the unwanted grass. The ground was thick, hard, muddy, and contained pretty large rocks of old concrete. Yay. :(

We then lined it with our black border and filled in the dug-up area with gardening soil. After that, we just dumped in a couple bags of mulch and I then planted some trumpet vine seeds from my mom's vine back home. I look forward to that crazy, sturdy vine growing up and over the fence...it will give me a new view from not only the backyard, but from my kitchen window. :)

It is purposely not to wide, for we are not the most dedicated gardeners and I want fewer plants to tend to, yet still create that full, lush look. Also, we do not have the biggest yard on the block, and I would like to leave as much room as possible for kids to play and puppies to run. Plus, we can always expand later. ;)

This is just one of many we plan to "install" through out our whole yard. 

M.LEWIS

Things Keep Going, and Going, and Going...

I feel like the last 2 weeks were both incredibly long and yet surprisingly busy. Between my scheduled events and unexpected incidents, I am looking forward to a relaxing weekend…eventually.

Last Monday my parents had their foundation repaired in the garage. It involved jack-hammering through the drive-way and the garage floor. They had to insert concrete towers to the foundation to restore its structural integrity. My mom had to stick around the house and be available for anything the work men might need so Lorelai and I played taxi for a little while…well, actually, it was just me, Lorelai got to stay and play with her Grandma and Aunt Hannah. After dropping off and picking up my brother a couple times we made it home in mid-afternoon. The rest of the evening was pretty low-key until I got a text from my mom the next morning. It didn’t say much, “Let me know what your schedule looks like today, we had a long night in the ER.” Well, needless to say, I called my mom right away. She told me how my dad came home from work not feeling great. She tried to get him to eat dinner and he said his stomach was too upset to eat. Later in the evening he starting vomiting and becoming quite dehydrated and uncomfortable. By 2am he was very ill and agreed he needed to go to the hospital. One issue: he was too weak to even sit up. So, after scaring my mom with his extreme vertigo and disorientation she decided to call 911. A firetruck and ambulance pull in front of their house with lights and sirens. After the EMS team got my dad downstairs and in the rig, they all drove to the hospital. After an IV, CT scan, blood work, and many other tests the doctors concluded his symptoms seems to be contributed to food poisoning from seafood. Oddly enough, my dad had not consumed seafood at all. They sent him home with prescriptions and orders to rest. After a couple of days he seemed much, much better. They still don’t know what really caused the extreme reaction, but it seems to have passed completely.

Wednesday I met up with an old friend of mine, Mrs. Erin VanMarter. We knew each other growing up and due to life we haven’t really seen each other in years. She is moving into a house in the area, so hopefully we can meet up every so often. I am happy she is doing well and is happy with her new husband. :)

Thursday Lorelai and I met with Jen and Ava! She is now almost 3 months old and is still so sweet and tiny! Well, not really, just compared to my baby she is tiny. ;) They are both doing well and I love seeing her little girl grow bigger! I passed along a few pieces of clothing that Lorelai was never able to wear for one reason or another; I hope they can get some use out of them. They live out in Anna, so we don’t get to see them too often, but when we do we love it! I really enjoy having mommy-friends.

Friday Lorelai was having a massive fussy day, so I tried to keep her out and about most of the day for a couple of reasons. 1- Distractions seem to help stop the screaming. 2- Moving her around and passing her off to different people has the tendency of wearing her out. Yeah, this day just felt soooo long.

Saturday I felt pretty icky. I really couldn’t put my finger on why; it was just this general “blah” feeling. My in-laws came over to watch a TV show they missed (we taped it for them) and I got some chores done before I took a mini nap. I didn’t even know when they left. Sorry! Phoebe promptly woke me with her cold little nose not too much later.

I did have a little “break” until Tuesday. My good friend, Maggie, came over to visit us. It was great seeing her and catching up with all that is going on with her. I forgot to give her something before she left, so I guess I get to see her again soon. ;)

Wednesday I took Phoebe to a new vet. I was not impressed with our old “default” vet and I finally got a good recommendation for a new one. It was a little crowded and a bit hectic to walk into, and let me tell you, it was not easy filling out paperwork with LEL, a diaper bag, and a shivering puppy. Half an hour later we were done and driving home. All she needed was a checkup and new heartworm meds. I do like the new vet so far, we’ll see how it goes.

And now it is Saturday again and we are leaving in a few hours to go to my good friend, Katie’s, wedding. She was one of my bridesmaids, and I pretty much love her goofiness. ;) She is marrying her best friend and longtime bf, Nick. They are super cute together and I cannot wait to see all the fun and festivities she has planned for this evening. Happy Wedding Day you two! :D

Now hopefully the next 2 days of our long weekend are relaxing and easy-going. Hah, yeah right. ;)

*Special shout-out to 2 new babies in the world these past 2 weeks! You both are beautiful and precious, congratulations to the parents!!!*

M.LEWIS

Another Finishing Touch

A couple of days ago, I made a small adjustment to our front hall. I had no idea what to do with the space and I was getting frustrated that I had no place to drop my stuff when I walked in. I saw this picture in a catalog and I knew I had to recreate it...much cheaper (of course).

Crate and Barrel's rendition of an "entryway bench" for $547.95 

My take on the "entryway bench"
cubby bench + coat hooks = less than $75
Thanks to Target :)

I do want to place something decorative above the hooks. I'll take a look again at Target and then at Hobby Lobby. I love getting the looks I want for less! Thanks Crate and Barrel for the inspiration *wink*

M.LEWIS