Independent Lil Lady!

Lil lady is now 8 months old. I can't believe how fast she has grown! Wanted to capture some random observations. No particular order - other than they all seem to add up to one dynamic, glowing little lady that I'm proud to call my own.

It's so amazing to see how her personality is developing. She absolutely glows when she smiles - which is all the time. She does the cutest twitchy dance when she sees me. (which is the best greeting after arriving home from work).

She has just started army crawling and is lighting fast. Her favorite toy? The dog's toy of course! When she spots the toy from across the room, it cracks me up to see how quickly she moves. She is absolutely delighted when she has reached her goal and attained the prize. That is... until the dog (the rightful owner) gives her kisses until he gets it back.

Also, loving how lil lady lights up when she sees her big brother. When she sees lil man, she grins from ear-to-ear. My favorite is when they both look at each other and laugh. Their laughs are infectious - and they just look at one another and giggle uncontrollably, which spreads to the rest of us like wildfire.

She's now chatting it up too! She always has been uber-expressive. Full of sounds - fake sneeze squeal through her nose, smacking of her lips, sucking on her teeth, and now lil lady is saying "dadadadada".

And as for eating, she is proving to be quite an independent lil lady. She loves to take that spoon away and feed herself. I've now realized that I must bring two spoons to feedings.

Really enjoying watching her grow up. Her smile, warm/sunny demeanor, great sense of humor and spirit are fun to watch!! Proud of my lil preemie and how she is growing. Can't wait to see what happens next!!

A "My Fair Lady Moment"

In eager anticipation, I set off on a mission. A mission to find the perfect Easter hat. This is lil lady's first Easter - and as she is my only girl, I couldn't wait to partake in this Easter tradition.

I set off on my quest in search of the perfect hat. I had been looking - lots of window shopping. It was the day before Easter and I still had NOT found it. I remembered hearing about a hair bow store and crossed my fingers that I would be lucky.

When I entered, I knew that I hit the jackpot - but you tell me. I just couldn't resist! It was way too cute. I also ended up buying a spring hat with a flower too. Can't wait to show that one off. And I also was introduced to Baby Leg Warmers. I know the 80s are famed to never die, but I didn't expect to see this fashion faux pas revived from the grave. However, I have a thing with tights for babies. I just can't get them to look right. Maybe I am still not use to having a girl, but I can't find ones that fit my lil lady just right - so I picked up a pair of the baby leg warmers and I must admit, I love them.

They are really cool and are fun to dress up an outfit, but extremely functional too. Lil lady is now arming crawling and they were ideal to protect her lil knees and legs. Also, I think they will come in handy this summer when going in and out of air conditioned stores. I'm a believer!

Now, back to the hat. I was just absolutely taken! :)

Winter Boots in 80 Degrees

Loving that we've actually had Spring this year! It typically goes straight from winter to summer. This past week, temps rose to the 80s!! (Which is a slice of heaven if you ask me!!)

Last Friday, my hubby and I decided to take a day off - just us adults. Both kids went to school and we did what any adventure seeking parents with the day off (Bueller...Bueller) would do... we slept!!

As neither of my kids like to sleep (which is crazy to me as sleeping was one of my favorite hobbies!) we took the day to sleep, get things done around the house, pay special attention to our eldest child (yes, the attention starved doxie dog), and go out for a nice lunch/happy hour.

After our slumberous, delicious snooze (can a nap be delicious?! I guess it can when you so infrequently get to sleep for more than a few hours in a row) - we got ready and hit the Ville.

It was a beautiful day (as lil man would say, "this is beautiful!"). Temps were in the 80s which was great for a March day!!! You could wear anything! (My fav type of days). I wore a dress and sandals. We had a great time enjoying the afternoon - and even stopped to have a bite at Sullivan's - complete with some yummy apps and a glass of vino for him and a glass of Moet for me.

A while later, it was time to get our kiddies! (While I loved our adult day, I was so excited to see my lil ones. I could hardly wait!!) When we got to lil man's school, we followed tradition and stopped by his cubby to pick up his coat, knowing that lil man would be outside on the playground. Upon opening his cubby, we were greeted by an infamous "blue bag." You see, when you get the blue bag, it means that it was a more challenging potty training day.

I picked up the bag - and it was heavy. I turned to hubby and said, "what's little man wearing? Is he naked or barefoot out there?" You see, his shoes were clearly in the bag. Knowing we did not have any back-ups, we ventured out to the playground.

What a fantastic sight! (I'm so kicking myself that I did not take a photo) Here lil man was busy playing, having a fantastic time, in ... his winter boots!!! It was 80 degrees and our lil guy was wearing his winter boots. LOL!!!! It makes me smile just thinking about it.

I don't know if that sight was funnier or seeing him run (in his boots) to greet us was better. It was classic! But, I give it to lil man - he didn't let winter boots in 80 degree weather quash his fun. He was having an absolute blast, as he should be. Just goes to show that boots are always in style - and that you can have fun no matter what you wear!!

Lil Lady Update

It has been a pretty special couple of weeks. I'm so proud of my lil lady. While a preemie, she is growing and developing fantastically. Here are some of the latest development mile markers:

- Army crawling: This lil lady is mobile! She is everywhere! She is very fast!
- Two teeth!: She is putting everything in her mouth. No toy or anything for that matter is safe. Her favorite things, which of course are not the toys she should be playing with include: Frank's purple dog toy, cords of all types (hair dryer, cable, TV, etc.)
- Sits up all by herself
- Favorite foods: Oatmeal, Sweet Potatoes, Squash
- Smiles, giggles, chatters and squeals: Her smile lights up a room. She is a lil social butterfly.
- Between 15-16 pounds

Favorite Quotes of the Week

"I'm Home, I'm home, it's time to take me home..." (Lil Man's interpretation of "Hi Ho" by the Seven Dwarves

"Can't go to swim lessons today." Why not? "There's a monster in the pool!" (Lil Man's reason/excuse for not wanting to go to his swimming lessons. Gotta love his creativity!)

"Bill ate Ben." (OK, not true. One of Lil Man's frogs passed and this is his explanation for what happened. But, have no fear, we got him a new frog - and his name? Ben)

Bringing Joy to Others

This story warmed my heart and I had to capture it. Lil lady is nearing 7 months old (woo-hoo!!). She is a 13.3 lb bundle of joy, full of smiles, giggles and jabber-chatter. She's a little social butterfly! (I LOVE that peanut girl!!!)

During the day, our good friend and neighbor takes care of Lil Lady while we're working. On this particular day, she needed to deliver some of her Avon orders and took peanut along to an assisted living community.

When she walked in with Lil Lady, a man and his wife (new to the community) spotted her immediately and made their way over to her. As they approached, it was clear that he was crying. He proceeded to say, "Thank you, thank you for bringing her here today! God bless her." And he handed our friend a penny and said, "here's a penny for her piggy bank."

(I'm getting goosebumps as I type.)Our friend continued to say that more people came up to her, wanting to see Lil Lady than she had seen before. She saw many new faces. Some people approached with arms outstretched, wanting to hold Lil Lady. Others extended their finger for peanut to hold onto. Once she grabbed a hold of it, a clear shot of immediate joy spread through these men and women, mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, grandmothers and grandfathers ... like lightening.

Peanut is very expressive and made her many faces. She has a smile that radiates, beaming throughout her whole body. She smiled, cooed, laughed and chatted with everyone. Loving each and every person, bringing joy and smiles to light up their day.

It was clear that she brought a great deal of joy to these men and women... maybe reminding them of their family, of being parents, bringing back memories, taking them back to a different time, or just bringing some joy to their day. Lil lady has this infectious effect on people - making them smile a little bigger, turning a serious expression to a happy one, etc.

I can't wait to share this story with my peanut girl someday. She did more that day in just being her loving little self that many people ever do. I'd like to think about what the men and women thought of her overall, how she made them feel, and how she impacted their day. I can't wait for her to go back again!!

It prompts me to ask, what have you done today to bring a little joy to someone's life? Sometimes just being yourself or doing the simpliest of things can brighten someone's day. I challenge myself, my family, friends and everyone out there to pay it forward. Have you done something nice today?

What your excuse?

Three-year-old-isms:

"I can't go to swimming lessons. There's a monster in the pool!"

"It's too windy, I'm going to swallow the wind!"

"Papa you're getting smaller, mama you're getting bigger."

"I can't go to school today!"

Mine's Bigger ... My Earthquake that is

Today was a first. We were sleeping (wish I could say soundly, but I had recently gone back to bed after nursing lil lady) and then at apx 4:00 AM, we were awoken by the room shaking. We experienced our very first earthquake!!

My husband and I are both from the Midwest, so this was definitely a first. The good news is that no one was hurt, the kids didn't wake up and the dog didn't even bark (which is a miracle as he is quite a talker!!).

Two things I had to share. The first is an email that my husband sent to my entire family (which is split between living in IL and California) - mom, dad, sisters, brother, etc. all included. The second speaks to the immediacy of social media and its impact on how we communicate.

First, here is my hubby's email (not for the faint of heart or anyone easily offended).

Subject: Mine's Bigger...
My Earthquake that is - it's bigger than yours. We we're awoken at 4:00 AM this morning by a 4.1 earthquake, which is pretty substantial for the Land of Lincoln.

- The house started shaking
- We woke up
- Stephanie said "WHATS THAT?"
- I said "Earthquake, go back to sleep"

How ya' like me now California???!!!

The second is about social media. You see, I did not go back to sleep after the earthquake. I was a little shaken, no pun intended, so I decided to see what was being said on TV. I turned to all of the local news stations, waiting for a moment... and then nothing. No breaking news, nothing. I then went online to see what Yahoo news or MSN would have to say, but again, nothing. (I actually thought that maybe I was delusional. Maybe it was not an earthquake at all.) So, I turned to Twitter. I got on Tweet Grid and typed in earthquake. There I found it. A stream of tweets that was running as fast as it could, trying to keep up with all of the new tweets. There, and within minutes, I was able to find out that it was a 4.3 earthquake and that the epicenter was just outside of De Kalb, IL.

Later the news stations caught up, but it was social media that prevailed with the fastest account and urgency on the day's anomaly. Our world is changing and I can't wait to see what happens next!!!

A Tea Party to Remember!

This week I got a very special invitation. My husband and I were invited to my son's classroom tea party. The invitation was absolutely adorable. A construction paper tea cup and inside a tea bag with the details of the event. (This is why I could never be a teacher. So not creatively wired.)



Lil man talked about it all week - it was very special. We discussed what he would bring to the tea party (cookies of course), what would happen there and the best thing - that both mom and papa would be there!



When I entered the classroom, I scanned the room (glancing by parents and kids galore), and then I spotted him!! He was handing out cups to all of the kids and parents. He ran right up to me and held me tighter than he has in a long time. I was so proud to be there with him and picked him up and hugged him.



We found our seat and he proudly sat in my lap, hugging me. I was so proud to be there and to be with him! Soon, papa walked through the door and I saw my son's joy erupt again. We spent the rest of the afternoon making decorating cookies, sipping ice tea and lemonade and sharing a special moment. One that could only be complimented by going out for chips and salsa afterwards.



I love my lil man!!!!

From the mouth of a pre-schooler

My son is going to be 4 year old in May, and I must say that he is in his prime of saying the best things. I am really enjoying his explorations and discoveries - and then hearing the perception of the world through his words. And I think the best are yet to come!!



From the mouth of a pre-schooler... memorable quotes from the week:



"MaPa!" - his favorite new way to call for mama and papa. I love how he has combined them into one word. Very smart as it's a sure fire way to get a response!!



"Look Frank, I got a new train!! We need to buy Frank a doggie train." - today we went to the store and yes, I hate to say it, but I needed to resort to a bribe. Not typical, but a reality. He picked out a train, Douglas - from Thomas the Tank Engine series - and the first thing he did when he got home was to show it to Franklin, the dog. Talk about no truer sense of man's best friend - or maybe it should be pre-schooler's best friend. It was endearing and I love that he did it!

"Can't go to school today!" - This statement alone proves that he is my son. While it might hold little significance to you, it speaks volumes to me. I have never been a fan of school, and that is putting it mildly. In fact, the only grade I liked was kindergarten. When I got to first grade I use to lock myself in the bathroom stall and cry, refusing to come out (until coaxed or threatened by an impatient teaching assistant that I would be sent back to kindergarten if I did not come out and rejoin the class). I love that he enjoys to spend time at home with us, playing with his toys. It is a special moment as I know that someday he will want to trade at-home time for friend time.

"Where's his mommy? She must be at work!" - This quote is hard to write. Lately when we're watching one of his shows and he sees a child character he always asks, "Where's his mommy?" His response sums up the reality of our situation - "His mommy must be at work!" You seen, I am a working mom. While I really enjoy what I do (and I do), it's moments like these that tug at my heart. In just this one statement he is reflecting on life as he knows it and that is hard for me.

Sign of a great vacation!

It was the first day after the holidays. We had all taken the time off to spend time together. We had family in town visiting too and had many wonderful adventures.

When the Monday after the holidays finally came, my son turned to me and said, "We can't go to school today!"

At that moment, two things happened...

First, I saw myself. You see, I have never really been a fan of school (OK, that is being gentle). I often joke that the only grade I ever really liked was kindergarten. It's a half day and you get to play. What's not to like about that?

When I got to first grade, I clearly remember not wanting to be there. I would go to the bathroom and cry (really) in a bathroom stall. I remember one of the teacher's or teacher's aides tell me once, that they would send me back to kindergarten, but I was too old. (Yes, really!) I remember this so clearly. I hated being at school all day and only having one recess. And this was my normal feeling. After being on vacation, summer break, etc. I can only imagine how challenging it was for my mom to stay strong, tell me to be positive - and always smile - and then have to send me off to school. I always would tell her that, "I don't want to go to school!"

Now, time warp back to present day - with me being the mom... the second thing that my son's words said to me - also reminded me that the apple didn't fall far from the tree.

By saying that he didn't want to go to school - it was a sign. A sign that he had a truly wonderful vacation. Looking at the words in this way, while the words themselves made me sad, they also made me feel good. Good that our time together over vacation was extra special and that he didn't want it to end. That made me feel so good as a mom that I'm doing something right - and that my lil man had a wonderful vacation.

Whenever I get close to the end of vacation, I too always say - "I don't want to go to school." I too have a very difficult time with saying goodbye to vacation with family. I guess I am sentimental and cherish the time that I have - and love the fact that my son does too. He's clearly a loving, sensitive, sweet lil guy.

I see so much of myself in my son. It just amazes me some days. This was one of those days. Maybe we will just have to stay home from school. :)

Big Brother Quotes

"Santa is going to bring Siena some teeth and a toothbrush!"

"That is my baby sister!"

"Feed my baby!"

"We can't go to school!"