The Water Table

We set up a sand and water table outside for Lilly and it has quickly became her favorite activity. She even learned how to open our sliding door to get outside to play with her table at her own convenience. Jim and I learned this one day when we were both inside and looked out the door to see Lilly happily playing, with the door half open. Neither of us had let her out so it was time to start keeping a closer eye on Lilly! Anyway, this table has been the perfect addition to our house this summer as it seriously entertains Lilly (and Jim) for hours. The two of them will sit outside and pour water everywhere, except in the table. There's a water mill that's just a little bit too tall for Lilly to reach so every time she tries to pour water in the top, it ends up going right over her own head. Needless to say, every time the water table gets used, Lilly comes inside soaking wet and with a giant smile on her face. She's not really into the sand side yet except when she realizes that she can put the sand in the water. I think when she can build sandcastles she'll enjoy the sand more. Until then, the sand is just an accessory to the water.

CAUGHT!

The first day that we had the sand and water table set up, some of the neighbors' kids saw Lilly playing and came running over. They were older kids and what started out as innocent fun soon turned into a giant mess. You should have seen the look on Jim's face when they started putting all the sand in the water and the water in the sand. The best part of the whole situation was that I had to leave to go and tutor so Jim was sitting outside watching the chaos taking place. While I was tutoring, I got a text from Jim saying that the kids were trying to come in the house, even though Lilly had gone to sleep and Jim had tried to send them home numerous times. Jim was sitting on the couch reading and these kids were knocking on the door! I came home to a sand/water mess outside and to an exhausted Jim. We hosed everything down and have not invited those kids back. In fact, when we see them come outside, we go inside.

Who knew a water table could be so entertaining?!

Drinking the water...of course!

In shock after just pouring water over her own head!

Mums Don't Get Sick Days

...but if they did, I would have used one or two over the past couple of days. Jim had a cold while Lilly and I were in DC, and when we arrived home, Jim declared himself "not contagious." Now I'm not pointing fingers, but if there's one thing Joseph has taught me, it's to always place blame. So, in this case, the blame would have to be placed on Jim. Even he said he will have to reconsider his theories on when a cold is contagious (apparently, it always is). But, let's face it. It could have been much worse. It was just a cold. Lilly seemed to come down with it on Sunday afternoon and by Monday, she was pretty miserable...and then on Tuesday, she was better! She learned how to blow her nose (or at least, how to pull tissues out of the box and blow air out of her mouth while putting the tissue on her nose). It's amazing how quickly babies heal. When she was really little and had scratched herself, she would wake up from her nap and the scratch would be gone! So Lilly is back to her normal self. I, on the other hand, seem to have a lingering cold that is running its course in a fashion similar to Jim's. And over the past 2 days, I have realized how hard it is to look after a 14 month old when all I want to do is lie on the couch. After all, we all know that Lilly is an *extremely* active 14 month old. It wasn't easy going to school and teaching when I didn't feel well, but teaching my four classes with built in breaks was much easier than being a mum all day.

Jim feels horrible and made me 3 cups of tea this morning before he left for work! He's been feeding Lil and putting her to bed and letting me rest when he's home, which is amazing. I keep thinking of Mum whose morning sickness got worse with each pregnancy...so how in the world did she look after a 5, 3 and 1 year old when she was pregnant with Edward?? I have absolutely no idea and I hope I don't ever have to find out.

So, I have a newfound respect for mums, who are always mums and don't get to call in sick.

A Family BBQ and a New Friend

On Saturday, we went up to Jim's aunt and uncle's house for a family BBQ. On the way up, we stopped in to meet Lilly's newest friend, Margot Ruggieri. Jerry and Mel looked fantastic and were both smiling, proud to be new parents. Margot is so cute, I loved holding her and Lilly loved meeting her. Unfortunately, Lilly wanted to pat her head and kept trying to touch her eyes, so we ended up limiting the interaction between Margot and Lilly but it was a great introduction for 2 girls who are destined to be friends!

It was a gorgeous day for a BBQ and we enjoyed an afternoon full of lots of food, games, cold beer and catching up with family. Lilly got to play with all her cousins and was on her feet for the entire day! She literally didn't stop (despite the fact that we tried to convince her to have a nap). At the end of the day, we were all exhausted, especially Lilly. She was sound asleep before we even got on the highway to head home.

Father and Daughter

Over the past 14 months, everyone has offered their opinions on who Lilly looks like. When she was born, Jim and I were not the only ones who were extremely surprised to see a head full of black hair; the nurses were just as shocked. One was shocked enough to ask Jim if he was the father! We had a good laugh and soon discovered that this was just the first of many observations about how Lilly looks nothing like either of us. When she is with Ellie, you would swear that Ellie is her mother given that there is much greater resemblance between those two (in more than just looks - anyone who knows Ellie and Lilly knows what I mean). Over the months, Lilly's hair has lightened up and more and more people tell me that she looks like me, or Mum...but then, the other day, a friend from high school who has not met Jim said, "wow, Lilly looks nothing like you...she must look like your husband..." which just goes to show that there is not a clear resemblance between Lilly and either one of her parents.

Despite the lack of similarity in their looks, I always tell people that I think Lilly is a little cookie cutter image of Jim's personality. On Jim's second Father's Day, I thought it appropriate to discuss the traits that both my husband and daughter share. We saw one in full force this morning. The three of us were sitting outside; Jim and I were talking while Lilly was playing in her water table. Over the course of our time outside, our neighbors started to have friends over and there was soon a full blown party going on next door. Jim's attention wanders whenever there are other people to look at. He loves keeping tabs on what everyone around us is doing. So he was sitting there staring at what was going on. Lilly was captivated by what she saw as a new audience. She commenced her playing in the water table and started walking over to the party without so much as a glance backwards. She was walking and waving, babbling away, trying to draw attention to herself. Boy does she love crowds...just like her dad. She loves being the center of attention and knows what smile or laugh really gets everyone going. Jim has this fake smile that he does, where he sticks his tongue between his teeth. This smile comes out often for pictures. Lilly has perfected her fake laugh so when she hears other people laughing, she's got her fake one ready. It prompts everyone to look, and then laugh at her, which just makes her laugh more. It's one of her favorite games!

So, there's the "loving an audience" similarity. Another one that I've seen recently is how Jim and Lilly handle themselves when they're sick. Lilly and I got home from DC this week to find a sick Jim, home from work early and lying on the couch. Jim ended up having a pretty bad cold...but you would have thought he was dying of pneumonia (no offense, Jim. I love you even when you're sick...) I hear this is pretty common among men. In talking to my friends, their husbands or boyfriends seem to react the same way when they're sick. I know my dad does. (This conversation usually turns into one about how men could never go through childbirth, but I'm not going to go down that road...even though I agree 100%). So, Jim like some extra attention when he's sick; no matter how mild the illness. Well, the other day, Lilly was doing her usual laps around the house, dragging a bag behind her and carrying a toy in her other hand, and she tripped and landed on her face. It was definitely the worst fall Lil has taken and scared me and her. She was screaming, her nose was bleeding, and it took a long time to calm her down. After a good nap, however, she was back to normal and was just a bit crankier with a bruised nose. Jim came home from work nice and early because he knew I was worried about Lil. When he walked in the door, Lil was having her dinner. As soon as Jim walked over to her and asked if she was okay, Lilly's smile turned into the saddest face, and she pointed at her nose and looked directly at Jim. She proceeded to milk that fall for everything it was worth. And now, Lilly has Jim's cold and is a mini Jim, making sad noises and looking for that extra bit of attention. They are one and the same.

I've already discussed their dancing similarities in an earlier blog, but Lilly continues to swing her little hips when she hears any kind of music (or even the washing machine!)...and if you saw Jim dancing, you would see where she gets her skills. They are going to make a great couple at a father-daughter dance one day!

A father and his daughter have a special relationship that starts on the day his daughter is born, and I have loved watching Jim and Lilly's relationship form over the past 14 months. It's a relationship full of games, treats, songs, hugs, dances and tickles. From the earliest days, Lilly would get excited when Jim came home from work. She has gone from lying on her back, kicking her legs and smiling when Jim walks in the door, to sitting up and toppling over from waving her arms and legs so much, to crawling at full speed over to Jim, to a full on sprint, complete with laughter, arms up in the air and tripping over her little feet because she is trying to get to him so fast. No matter what kind of a day Jim has had, he is happy when he walks in the door. With a little person running over to greet you, how could you not be?

During our first weeks together as a family, we discovered that Lilly was a great little baby. A good eater and sleeper and overall a happy little girl. However, there was a period of time every night, usually between 8 and 10:00, when Lilly was particularly fussy. We didn't know why and Mum told me that each of us had a fussy time of the day when we were little. So, we had to figure out what to do with her during this time to prevent a two-hour feeding from taking place. Jim and I often have music on; it is playing from our computer all the time. Jim decided to use this to our advantage. He put on some fun music and gave dancing with Lilly a try. It was an immediate success! Granted, it was a lot of work for Jim. Lilly didn't enjoy soft, quiet music and slow dancing. She wanted some upbeat music and some serious dancing...and she was as happy as could be! So, for those early weeks, Jim and Lilly had their evening dance. The two of them loved it, and it was great entertainment for me. As Lilly started going to bed earlier, the dancing faded out but we have great pictures and video of some of these moments. Now, Jim often puts Lilly to bed at night and I hear him singing her a song or two. It's usually James Taylor, Paul Simon or Greg Laswell--his 3 favorite artists to sing. Most recently, I heard Paul Simon's "Father and Daughter" coming out of Lilly's bedroom and smiled, knowing that I would always remember that moment. Jim and Lilly are certainly a special father and daughter and this is just the beginning. Happy 2nd Father's Day Jim! Here's a look at Jim's 14 months as a dad.

Day 1 as a Dad!

Still in the hospital.

Training for the Ironman together!

Taking the train to NYC at Christmas.

Right after a nap!

Lilly's First Sleepover

Last night, Lilly had her very first sleepover with her friend Claire. Claire, who is 9 months old, came over for the evening so that her parents could enjoy a night out! The two of them were so cute together, cracking each other up. They spent most of the night giggling. At first, Lilly wasn't too sure about this baby who was sitting in her high chair and using her changing table but as soon as she realized that she could help, she had a blast! Lilly wanted to feed Claire (which didn't last long as I feared that Claire's cereal would end up in her eyes) and she carried Claire's diaper to the trash. She kept trying to put Claire's pacifier back in her mouth for her too. Unfortunately, Claire didn't want it in her mouth so we put an end to that game as well. Lilly was running circles around the house, bringing Claire new toys to play with and showing her how to press all the buttons on the toys to make them play music or make noise. While I'm sure the two of them could have kept playing all night, the party ended pretty soon after it started, at the ripe hour of 6:00, when Claire went to bed and Lilly followed shortly after. A night they'll both remember for sure!

At the same time these crazy festivities were taking place, Brien, Liz, Jerry and Melanie were all here, hanging out for what we hope is the final time before their babies arrive (although it is clear at this point that Baby McDonald has his or her own agenda and will be entering the world at the moment of his or her choice). We had an evening of fajitas, beer and wine and all enjoyed hanging out, although I do have to say that the level of friendly banter was verging on excessive. It must have been all the baby anxiety coming out. Next time we all get together, there will be even more little ones around and we can't wait!!

Scout

Scout came into Lilly's life on her first birthday, courtesy of Jerry and Mel (we will be returning the favor when Baby Ruggieri turns one). It was love at first sight. Even though Lilly was sick, she managed to muster up a smile for Scout and she hasn't looked back.

At first glance, he looks like a normal stuffed animal, aside from the fact that he's a green dog. Well, anyone who has come in contact with Scout knows that couldn't be farther from the truth. You plug Scout into a computer and can upload information. He sings about Lilly, her favorite food, color and animal (or what I perceive those to be, since we really have no idea if indeed her favorite color is pink, her favorite food is blueberries and her favorite animal is an elephant). Each of Scout's paws has a button that you can push, and Lilly pushes those buttons relentlessly, often interrupting what he is saying to get him to sing something else. She carries him around the house, hugging him and dancing to his songs (as witnessed in the video from Austin). Scout comes in the car when we go places and believe it or not, his singing does not go very well with what is playing on my iPod. So, unless Lilly drops Scout, I usually end up turning down my music and slowly going crazy listening to Scout say, "2 minutes of...5 minutes of...10 minutes of bedtime music..." It is only after Lilly has set Scout up to play 10 minutes of bedtime music that she tosses him to the side, just out of my reach and the 2 of us are stuck listening to bedtime music.

I learned the hard way that Scout is not a good bedtime companion for Lilly. I let her take him in her crib one morning for her nap. Instead of snuggling up with him and playing her bedtime music, all I could hear was Scout's talking and singing...for a solid hour. There was no nap that morning and that was the first and last time that Scout was a part of nap time.

Scout's songs have a way of getting stuck in your head. Just ask my family. We brought Scout down to Austin with us and everyone was singing about his favorite things and at any given time, you could find Joseph or Edward singing "in the evening when the sun goes down...I brush my teeth and put my pj's on..." Scout drives Dad crazy. He said it's something about his voice...and the way that even when Lilly isn't anywhere near him, Scout starts talking or singing.

Having strawberries with Scout.

I can go on and on about Scout and how he has enriched our lives, but I think he can speak for himself. I hope you enjoy this little snippet of Scout. Feel free to watch it again and again to get the full effect of how integral a part of our household Scout is.

Strike a Pose

Yep, that's my daughter.  Learning to pose at the ripe age of 13 months.  She's actually taking a little break from her dinner to pose for the camera.  You might remember her very first pose which made her godmother so proud when she was 10 days old.  And she's never looked back.  She knows exactly what to do when the camera's out.  I mean, why wouldn't she?  She has been subject to camera flashes since the day she came home from the hospital.  She loves cameras of any kind.  When she sees one, she comes running.  Lilly can hear the little "ping" that the flip camera makes when we turn it on and as a result, it is becoming increasingly difficult to capture candid videos of her. 

As I've said before, Lilly surprises us daily with things she does.  Here are a few of the "helpful" things she has done over the past couple of days:

• found and opened a container of vasoline, and proceeded to rub it everywhere...all over her hands, face and hair.  I learned the hard way that vasoline is worse than permanent marker.  No amount of soap got that out so we had a greasy little baby for the rest of the day.
• climbed up on top of the printer so that she could reach the keyboard, since it is no longer reachable any other way
• removed the cable card from the cable box no less than 2 dozen times.  Without the card inserted, the cable box doesn't work.  Jim and I have started finding the card in obscure places like our bedroom or in with her toys.  She has gotten better with this but I think she still thinks it's a game.
• tried to climb into her toy stroller, the result of which is a backward roll with a pretty rough landing.  I think she might have learned her lesson with that.
• learned how to open our screen door so that she can go outside and play in her sand and water table.  Lilly then proceeds to pour water all over herself, and thinks it's hysterical!

The list is endless really.  I try to keep track of all these things because they always make me laugh (the first time, anyway) but there are just too many to count.  She is definitely starting to figure out what she is and is not allowed to do, and as mum discovered when Lilly stayed in DC, Lilly is always good at doing what she is not supposed to when she is tired.  It's usually the first sign that it's time for a nap!  She knows, for example, that she is not supposed to touch a cup of coffee or tea.  She goes up to it, puts her finger on it and goes, "oooh" and pulls her finger away and shakes her head, no.  When she finds my iphone, she now picks it up and brings it to me instead of carrying it around the house and playing with it.  She is starting to do the same thing with the remotes.  Little steps in the right direction!  And while Lilly is learning new things every day, so are Jim and I.  We keep figuring out how to rearrange things so that they are not reachable by certain 29 inch tall people.  And Lilly keeps scowling.