Inmate #617298-538

This is one of the cutest outfits I've purchased for Lesley. The morning we went to Omaha a few weeks back I was going up and down the stairs loading the car for our trip and Lesley wanted to help so badly. She sat at the top of stairs and made me smile every time I got to the baby gate. My "Little Lady" looked like a prisoner.

Another cute story from this past weekend is that Lesley continues to have jealousy issues. She used to just get upset when I would hold Lilly, or if another baby/kid was sitting in my lap. Saturday night my cousin Megan was sitting in my mom's lap when Lesley turned around and saw them. She quickly scampered over to my mom, forced her way into my mom's lap, and pushed Megan aside. What a jealous little ladybug! Luckily for Lesley, Megan is a tolerable little 5 year old and was gracious not to fight back.

Gobble, Gobble

So much family, festivities and fun this Thanksgiving! Here are a few photos of all the action:



Lesley and Mommy before Thanksgiving Lunch at Granny's...nice face in the background Steven.




"Hold on tight Lilly, I'm a crazy driver!"




"You too Lesley, I tend to tumble over when I try to walk."




Abby's laser tag team at Aunt Denise's after the Thanksgiving meal. We SO should have won...I mean seriously, Hannah, Ryan, Jackie, Cassie, and my Dad are so intimidating.




Oh wait, this photo sums up why we didn't win. Come on team! I told you to spread out....And look here, Hannah, Ryan, and Cassie are hiding behind me who is hiding behind the tree. I think we at least got Mark! Soldier down!



Dad, I think you are too old to be pulling those moves. I'm pretty sure Eric got you!




Clip-clop returns! Aimee, Andy, and I rode Clip-clop for hours and hours while growing up. Now, the girls are having fun with the horsey. Giddy-up!






We went for a walk down by the river. Well, most of us walked but we had to take a four-wheeler too since those babies are heavy after awhile. As usual, the girls loved it.



Lesley got to meet her second cousins Cassie and Harrison. She loved Cassie!




Cheese! Lesley enjoyed playing with all Aunt Denise's holiday bears, turkeys, pilgrims, etc.



"Lilly, we said take the toys out of the basket, not get in the basket with the toys."




Lesley hanging out with her second cousin Steven. Not sure why she felt the need to pull her shirt up.



Eating lunch in Daddy's old high chair. She enjoyed turkey, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes and stuffing. We've decided to stop buying baby food since she refuses to eat it and would much prefer eating "big people" food. Today, my dad would put food on her spoon and she would feed herself. She actually did pretty well although she did manage to get sweet potatoes on the window and floor. Tonight, she insisted on having a spoon she could use while I fed her yogurt and applesauce.



The girl's played outside for quite a while over the weekend. The weather was pretty nice so we wanted to take advantage of the sun!

We had a great weekend and enjoyed seeing so much family. Oh, and the food was great as usual. Lesley and Mommy are now fighting colds which is not fun. Hopefully it will only be a few days before we are healthy again.

Look Mom, I can see them!

We like to chat with Grandma Nancy and Grandpa Keith some nights. Lesley especially likes it when Grandma plays peek-a-boo. She understands to look at the webcam and then at the screen to see Grandma. As soon as we get the computer out, she scampers over and wants to sit on our lap. What a great way to keep in touch! A special thanks to Uncle Andy for getting us set up.

She kept pointing at the screen tonight and giving a cheesy smile.

Little Miss Daredevil

Lesley has been very brave these days. She likes to stand ALL. THE. TIME. And, she doesn't really like to hold on anymore. I got a call from the babysitter this morning about 9:30. Oh crap, right? Well, she was being a daredevil, standing up by herself, lost her balance, and bonked her mouth on the fireplace. Luckily the bleeding didn't last long and she was fine...although she didn't learn her lesson, since there was a repeat this afternoon before Jason picked her up. Good grief baby!

We did a lot of cleaning and organizing around the house this weekend and Lesley tried to be a helper....



"You missed a spot mommy." (Do not pay attention to her mismatched outfit, she had a blow out and this was Daddy's solution.)



"I think there are some dust bunnies back here."




Uncle Tony came over to help Daddy with some projects. His comment when walking into the living room was, "It looks like Toys R Us threw up in here." Great, that's perfect, just the look we are trying to go for.




Sunday morning break for pancakes. Yummy! We are trying to teach her to eat off a plate instead of just throwing stuff onto her highchair tray. It worked just long enough for the photo, then the plate and the pancake ended up on the floor. Better luck next time I guess.



Charlie Brown and Lesley even volunteered to rearrange the cabinet.

I Love Shamrock!

Lesley has taken an interest in Shamrock, my special Build-A-Bear Audra and I made together several years ago. Audra has a matching bear named Lucky. Shamrock has been in Lesley's room for a long time, but one day while changing her diaper (which is a tough feat these days for Miss Wiggles!), Lesley latched onto Shamrock and hasn't wanted to let go yet. Shamrocks hangs out in the living room with the rest of Lesley's toys.

Chompers

Dear Baby,

This letter is to inform you that you have lost your privileges due to the use of your 5 white shiny, yet painful teeth. All future milk will be provided to you via bottles. Thank you for your business the past 8+ months and I hope we can maintain the same fantastic relationship for the next 18+ years.

Love,
Management, a.k.a. Your Mommy

P.S. Now would be a great time to start sleeping through the night. Mommy will not be excited to get up and warm milk in a bottle for you.

250 Days Outstanding

This blog entry is as a result of me being an accountant. Sorry for all you non-business folks. We have been working on some account reconciliations at work lately. Yesterday we had a meeting to discuss some bank recs with the manager who coordinates the team located in India who actually completes the recs (Sound familiar all my ex-Deloitte and Deloitte friends? Reviewing work completed in India?). One of the items on the bank recs had been outstanding since March 11, 2009, an equivalent of 250 days. Immediately I thought, wow, Lesley has been "outstanding" for 250 days. What an interesting way to think about it! And, then all the memories and excitement of that day over 8 months ago when she joined our family. Let's just say I didn't contribute much to the discussion after that point. Thankfully we were nearing the end of the meeting and my newness to the team didn't require me to participate much.

I'm not sure if saying 250 days sounds longer, or 8 months...regardless, it makes me wonder where the time has gone and amazed at all the changes one little girl can bring to a family.




I would consider this photo pretty terrible. The glare on the glass for one is not ideal. But, the other morning after it had snowed, Lesley kept hanging out near the back door and looking out. I'm not convinced she actually knew there was snow out there, but it was cute to see her show off the "cheese factory" (see previous post). She tips her head up, squints her eyes, and shows her teeth.

Smile!

Cheese Factory + A Seal = FUN!

We made a trip to Omaha to meet up with Grandma Nancy, Grandpa Keith, Aunt Aimee, Uncle Mike, Uncle Andy, and Lilly. It was so much fun! Our agenda was full - Happy Hours, Cabela's, lunch at the Brazenhead, swimming, family photos, games of dominos, and more.



"Did you need something?"



Slumber party with Grandma and Grandpa



Story time with Grandma



"Which way to the pool?"







"Grandpa, I don't think I fit into your bag. Can you sneak me into your backseat so I can go home with you and Grandma?"



Lesley's latest trick she picked up from Lilly - Sticking her tongue out. Good grief, we are going to have to limit the time these girls spend together.


We had some family photos taken this weekend and the photographer referred to Lesley as "the cheese factory". She pretty much would smile on demand and was very patient while we tricked Lilly into smiling. All in all, the photos turned out great! Grandma Nancy was pleased and that was the point of the photo shoot.

Lilly doesn't really crawl yet but she has her ways to get around. I called it the inchworm move, but Aimee and Mike refer to it as a flopping seal. We actually think she might skip the crawling altogether and go straight to walking. She LOVES being on two feet and walking with help.



We had such a good time this weekend!

This month - Mobility!

Dear Lesley,

Every month when I start this letter, I tell myself to “keep it short!” But…it’s so hard to do that when there’s so much I need to tell you. My apologies if you think this is too long or boring, but here goes on your 8 month letter.

The biggest change since last month is your mobility. You are crawling…everywhere…FAST! It really is amazing how in just one weekend you figured it out and were instantly moving at lightning speed. Daddy and I have had to get down on the floor with you so we can see things from your view. There’s a lot you get into and a lot you like to explore, but we’ve gotten things babyproofed pretty good. Your favorite is Linus and Charlie Brown’s food dishes. You go through the kitchen to get anywhere just to make sure there’s no kitty food around. Unfortunately you’ve managed to taste a piece or two, but luckily you haven’t actually eaten any (that we are aware of). And, we’ve now permanently moved the kitty dishes to the basement so feel free to do your laps around the kitchen. You won’t find anything. We also have noticed that you like to go “as the crow flies” since you really don’t pay attention what’s in your way. You tend to go over books, toys, cats, shoes, whatever…just yesterday you basically crawled over your cousin Lilly. Where are your manners? Go around her next time instead of plowing through her.

You also like to pull yourself up on everything and walk while assisted. Daddy and I have a bet going on when you’ll take your first steps. Chris and I both think before the end of the year. The race is on…Ready, set, go!

I remember last month you hadn’t said “Dada” yet. Well, you’ve mastered that and it’s really all we hear most days. I kind of regret teaching you that since I haven’t heard Mama in quite some time. Feel free to use both words. We are trying to teach you sign language but it’s not going so well. You just giggle when Mommy asks you if you want milk and signs “milk”. We are also trying to teach you “more”, “thank you”, and “sleep”. (But we doubt you will ever ask us for “sleep”, since you don’t really like to go to bed.)

Your favorite toy this month is your kitchen that Mommy bought for you. Opening and closing the door is so much fun! This is a great toy for you to pull yourself up on, and Daddy even taught you how to sit from the standing position. It’s a good thing since you used to get very frustrated when you didn’t know how to get down. Grandma Nancy taught you how to play peek-a-boo with the window and you love it. We hear lots of giggles and squeals when Daddy gets on the floor to play peek-a-boo.

Halloween was this past month and you hosted your first party! It was so much fun to have Clara, Evan, Jayden, Ashlynn, Kate, Lilly, and Brody over to play with your adorable costumes on. Grandma Cheryl made your Elmo costume and you were very cute. I especially liked it when you tried to crawl around and all we could see were Elmo’s eyes, nose, and mouth. Since Mommy went back to work, your playdates have become less frequent so it was nice to have your friends over for some fun.

Since you were just a few months old you’ve shown interest in drinking from a straw. For a long time, Daddy and Mommy would pretend you got a drink and we’d cheer you on and clap for you when you tried. Well, this month you surprised us and actually can drink from a straw now! You love it, and now we have to make sure and order a glass of water so you can have your drink too.

I am also happy to report that your hair is growing! We think you now have more hair than Daddy. You can laugh, it’s funny. I’m not sure we’ll be able to put bows in your hair by Christmas, but I still have hopes for your first birthday. With your eczema, we have various lotions and creams we have to apply every morning and night. Daddy rubs it all over your head at night and sometimes give you a Mohawk of sorts. He calls it your “hair grow medicine” which is pretty funny. Mommy doesn’t let him put it in your hair in the mornings because you can’t go to daycare looking silly with messy hair.

You now have 4 teeth! What a big girl! Actually, Mommy and Daddy have started calling you “big girl” sometimes. It amazes us all the new things you learn each week, actually each day. We think you are such a smart girl and we hope you keep your current passion for learning. It’s a great thing to have and will take you far in life. Thanks for another great month!

Love,
Your Mommy

Merry Christmas

Yes, you read the title correctly. I said "Merry Christmas".

Here's the scoop... For a couple months now I've been planning to get Lesley a musical table for her one and only Christmas gift from us. I was envisioning a table that she can stand up next too and listen to numbers and the alphabet. I finally found one on Craigslist last weekend and couldn't pass it up. But, then I had a dilemma - Should I really wait another month and a half to give it to her? (I.e. Can I really wait that long to see her play with it when I knew she'd love it?) Nope, couldn't wait.

I did have some rational reasons though. First, she has been trying to pull up on everything in sight, even things she should not be. As an example, she tried to pull up on the curtains the other day and it was not successful. Faceplant into the floor. Tears and crying. So...one thought was to give her something that's the right height that was sturdy enough to hold her. Actually the table was designed to do just that. Second, she's trying to take some steps from time to time and this table will give her something she can walk around. Third, she's only 8 months old and doesn't have a clue what Christmas means and really, she's not going to care if she has a gift to open from us on Christmas. I have suspicions that she will have plenty of gifts on Christmas.

So...Merry Christmas sweet baby...we love you!



Notice the sock in her mouth. :) Her favorite is the sliding trombone, the instrument her daddy used to play in junior high.



In the mornings, she now wanders the house while we get ready since she is no longer content playing on the bed. She always starts in our bedroom, makes her way out to the living room/toy area, usually via the kitchen (she has to make sure we didn't accidently leave the cat food dishes out for her to taste test). Eventually she ends up playing with the music table before heading back to the bedroom to remind us we are going to be late for daycare/work if Mommy doesn't hurry.



Her daddy even taught her how to sit on her own. What a wonderful thing!

Exploring the Great Outdoors

What a beautiful weekend! Our family certainly enjoyed the outdoors - a couple walks, cleaning up the leaves in our yard, a little bit of painting, emptying the gutters, replacing 3 basement windows, and some shopping at Legends.

Lately whenever we go on walks, Lesley is very interested in looking up at us. It's really cute when she smiles at us so we captured it on camera.



We stopped for some lunch and Lesley had fun hanging out in the stroller while Jason and I enjoyed some hamburgers. She was in such a happy mood today!



Can you see her teeth? She now has 4 teeth! I was changing her diaper yesterday morning and just randomly checked her mouth, to our surprise, there was another tooth. And, it seemed like it was half grown...that had to be the easiest tooth to pop through yet.






And, we now have to make sure we have a drink that's just water since she will "require" a drink out of your straw.







Lesley and I hung out in the backyard for a while yesterday afternoon (before we mowed the leaves). I could just see her mind working as she explored and investigated all the leaves. Don't worry, she didn't eat any (that I'm aware of anyway.) She did manage to get a piece of cat food today. I had to pry her mouth open to get it out, then she promptly spit up. I'm hoping she wasn't a fan and will leave the kitty dishes alone.

We had a good weekend!