Christmas is not over yet!

So one Christmas down. One to go. We had a chance to spend Christmas Eve with Billy's parents. It was nice to get to spend time with them. Billy's mom got her a cute cute rocking elephant and some fun toys. One of which was a blue bear that rattles. We have named it Beary since I had a blue bear named Beary when I was little. Lils loves Beary. He has already been made a part of the family by getting both poop and throw up on him in one day!

Last Saturday, we got to go to Billy's Aunt Frances and Uncle Randy's house. Lils was the hit of the party. Even the dogs wanted to know all about her. She was so good and so happy.

My parents come on Thursday, so we will have more Christmas fun. Then on Saturday, to celebrate the new year, we will go to Granbury to my Aunt Gail's house. So fun. I like it when we can celebrate for an entire week.

Billy has been off of work the last two days so we have had a really long weekend with him. What a great thing it has been to just hang out and slow down. I think we just got so busy before Christmas, it was nice to slow down and really enjoy each other.

Monday, we think that Lils began a growing spurt. She slept soo much the last few days and has eaten ALL the time. We tried to put her in her usual pajamas tonight and they just barely fit her! She is growing too fast!!!

Maybe I needed to tell Santa she needed new pajamas?

From our family to yours, Hope you enjoy some slow, relaxing time with each other. Love each other, and hug and kiss those you hold dear. We sure are over here.

Merry Christmas! (still not too late since ours isn't over yet)

Lil's First Christmas

Dear Lilly,

It doesn't always snow on Christmas. I promise.

Love, Mommy.

This morning, Lilly was up before dawn, laughing and ready to start the day. It was as if she just KNEW about the presents waiting for her from Santa. So mommy and daddy woke up too and stumbled into the living room to enjoy our annual viewing of the Christmas Story. Once the sun came up, we bundled her up, got out the sled and put her out in the snow for some pictures. We have to prove that it at least snowed once in her lifetime on Christmas.

She didn't seem to mind being out in the snow until I took some snow and put it on her hand to feel it. Then she was not happy. Too cold! And she was ready ready ready to go inside in the nice warm house, and out of that silly snowman outfit.

We got her inside and let her open some gifts. Daddy figured out a way to stream videos from the iphone so we took quite a few videos of her opening gifts. You can find them at http://www.qik.com/nikkipt

She actually loved tearing that paper. And she loves her gifts that her grandma and grandpa got her! And Santa got her a little phone like the ones mommy and daddy have. I will be interested/afraid to see what Nana and Grandpa bring to her. Remember people, we only have so much space in our house. :)

Love to you all. Thanks Santa for bringing me exactly what I wanted this year. ;)

She is just perfect.

The Anderaus

My Uncle Bill and Aunt Marion stopped by from Houston to see the Lils. It was really nice of them to come. I wish we had been able to visit longer. Maybe we will get to see them again soon.

Christmas Eve in Texas.

While the Lils is sleeping, I will try to catch up on the blog.

It is Christmas Eve and it is snowing outside. I wish she knew to be excited. I wish she knew that this is something we don't normally see in Texas. That it is a big deal. And I wish her eyes would shine with acknowledgment of that. But she is too little still to know. So for now, we will just enjoy the snow, take naps, and keep warm and wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

Lilly's First Visit with Santa

Well, we were brave and took The Lils to see Santa. She had a great time and was sooo good.

A flying elf.



Playing in line.





And finally, visiting Santa

You'd better watch out... You'd better not cry...

Our little Lils had a pretty exciting day today! She got to visit Santa! This morning, she dressed up in her happiest holiday clothes, and put on her santa hat and went off to school to add happiness to the rest of the daycare.

I think Santa had been there ALLLL day with nothing to do because as soon as he saw kids come in, he got excited. Every kid that was before us in line, got to sit on Santa's lap and hear strange stories from Santa for a full 20 minutes. Santa talked about cell phone services to one kid and peas and mac and cheese to another. Like I said, Santa must have been very lonely before the kids showed up.

As soon as Lilly got to Santa, he got pretty quiet. No funny jokes or stories for us. He was all business. He was so worried that Lils would cry at him. But Lils isn't that kind of girl. She loves talking to people and didn't mind at all being held by Santa. I am sure it was a nice change from what he is used to.

The Lils seemed excited to meet Santa and actually got to meet Mrs. Claus too! She was so nice and complimented Lils. She said she was a beautiful and well behaved baby. But we already knew that!
By the time we got her in the car and on the way home, she was crashed out in her car seat. Santa wore her out!

Goodnight, Santa. See ya soon. Maybe we should leave you mac and cheese and peas instead of cookies this year?

Sleep talking

As I was putting Lils to sleep tonight, she started talking...

She was nestled in my shoulder and just talking and talking... Totally asleep.

Yep. She is my child!

The video is terrible... Like I said, she was nestled in my shoulder, so I couldn't get good video so don't worry about what you see. But you will want to turn the volume up! So cute!

Eating Solid Food

Ok, it was actually pretty watery, but it was cereal. She took right to it. Smart little booger.

Even Though...

Even though you are quite the snotty child right now and are sharing the snot with me... I love you.

Even though I am on shirt number four today and still smell like spit up... I love you.

Even though you haven't napped today and so I haven't gotten a lot done... I love you.

Even though you haven't napped and so you are really cranky baby today... I love you.

I love you because you are you. Because your smile lights up a room. Because you put up with me when I am cranky. Because you are the best snuggler I know. Because your laugh makes me laugh. Because you are my child. Because you are you. I love you.

Pike Family Thanksgiving

Well, we survived our very first trip away from home. It is a miracle! We decided to leave Wednesday night late, so we could have a sleeping baby in the car on the three hour drive to Brownwood. As soon as we got on the highway, she was out and I got to nap a bit before we drove up the driveway to the casa de parentals. I think my parents had been pacing the floor just waiting for Lils to get there because they were plenty excited when we walked in the door carrying a sleeping baby. But Lils sensed the excitement, and the idea that spoilment was on the way, and she woke up. And then she was awake for a LONG time. Yeah. 1 am we finally got her down to sleep. My dad was a trooper. Long after mom and Billy had gone to sleep, dad was up rocking her, talking to her, calming her down. The next morning, her Nana got right to work making a fantastic Thanksgiving dinner and Grandpa decided he needed LOTS of Lilly time. He even took a nap with her and wouldn't even put her down in her crib to nap.

He set her on the floor once because we told him she needed floor playing time and he felt guilty. About 10 minutes later, she was back in his lap playing and talking and smiling. She does love her Grandpa.

I don't know that I had seen my dad so delighted as when he got to show off the Lils to the family. Gail had met her before, but she was much littler then. She couldn't get over what a change there had been and how big she had become. We were pretty excited about McKinsey coming to see her. Kinsey has been waiting to see Lils for FOREVER! My dad did give up holding her for McKinsey, but I think he shook a little bit from baby withdrawals.

My cousin Frank brought the best present! It was so timely. He brought a booster seat with some toys on it for her to play with while we ate dinner. What a fantastic gift! She played and played and was quite happy as long as she was in the chair, and we were happy to get to eat at the same time instead of in shifts. I highly recommend the chair and will post pictures soon!
So Friday, my dad and Billy went golfing. With the baby hog gone, my mom (the Nana) took the opportunity to spend time with and show off the Lils. Poor Nana. With Grandpa around, she gets very little Lil time.

But Lilly was so great. We just went to all kinds of houses and she didn't fuss much at all, even though she hadn't had a nap. She was charming and smiled and talked and played and laughed and had a good time. I think my mom was really pleased to have such a sweet baby.

We decided to drive home around 4 on Friday since she hadn't yet had a nap. I figured she would quickly fall asleep in the car on the way home. Not so quickly though. She played and laughed and had fun for about an hour of the drive. She finally got bored and went to sleep. So did I. Yay for car napping. Not the most comfortable thing to do, but still a nap is a nap.
Today, I think Lil was having Grandpa and Nana withdrawals. She kept looking around as if she was looking for them to show up. Poor little thing. No extra spoiling till she sees them again.

She was such a good good baby considering she has really started teething lately and has been sort of cranky because her teeth/gums hurt. She is also dealing with the change of weather and therefore had had a really runny nose the past few days. Both of those things could have made her super crank baby, but they didn't. She just went with the flow and laughed and played. We go to the doctor for her 4 month check up on Monday. Hopefully, Dr. R can help us with some of these issues and make life a little better for Lilly.

We are hoping Lil will feel better soon so we can celebrate Thanksgiving with Billy's family as well. Don't want to miss out on Papa and Grandma time!

Here are some pictures of the Pike Family Thanksgiving 09

Frank and Lil hanging out.

Is that a Grumpy Face I see??? The teeth were really bugging her.

McKinsey...the one picture I have of her without the baby. Lil must have been with my dad then.

Melissa and Frank. Poor Melissa. She walked in the door, met everyone, and then was handed the baby and the pictures started flashing. At one point she said she felt like she was at the prom. I am sorry Melissa. We aren't this crazy all the time... no, I take it back. We are this crazy all the time.

My cousin Robbie and his girlfriend Amanda.

Lil entertaining my Aunt Gail.

Getting ready for Thanksgiving. Wonder why she looks so mad. My mom thinks it is the big flower I put on her head. I think not. She went through three outfits on Thanksgiving day. Oh the joys of poop, spit up, and drool!

McKinsey

The Lils finally got to meet Cousin McKinsey. They are going to be fast friends.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We have so many things to be thankful to God for this November. The Lils is at the top of the list!
And we are thankful for our fantastic friends and families. You are the butter to our bread.

Eat a lot! Happy Thanksgiving! Yay God!

Big Firsts (an update)

Well, so much has happened lately. So much!
Our little one has started teething. And that is NO fun at all. She actually hasn't cut teeth yet, but she has all the signs of it about to happen. The drool, the crankiness. It is all there!
I know it will only get worse when the teeth actually come. oh boy.

She has begun to roll from her back to her tummy and can scoot herself a few inches. Not actual crawling, but it is something. She used to HATE tummy time, but now is doing better with it. She can at least be on her tummy for more than a minute without freaking out.

We continue to be amazed by her every day. As Billy mentioned, she is getting so grown up!
The other day at daycare, Ms. Paula was taking care of another little girl. Much older than our little Lils. That baby took her pacifier out of her mouth, cried, and then put it back in. I mentioned to Ms. Paula that I would like Lilly to be able to do that... manipulate the pacifier like that. As soon as we got home and settled, I put a paci in her mouth and what did that child do? grab it by the handle and put it in and out of her mouth. It was as if all she needed was someone to model it for her and she was off and running.

We are just amazed at how smart she is!

We had some firsts recently. Billy and I decided to go see Rob Bell when he came for the Drops Like Stars Tour, so that would require a babysitter. Yikes! So her Nana and Grandpa came up to watch her for the evening. It took LOTS of convincing to get them to come. :) (I think as soon as we said, "we might need a ..." they said YES) It was the first time, other than daycare, I had been away from her for very long. But she was in good hands and B and I were able to have a nice quiet, non fussy dinner all alone. It was so refreshing.
And I think Nana and Grandpa had a great time too!

And speaking of Nana and Grandpa, we are headed there for Thanksgiving. It will be the first time the Lils will be away from home for more than a day. I, personally, am not looking forward to the packing that is going to be required for a little child like this. I am sure glad we aren't flying and have luggage restrictions! My family is just itching to meet Lilly and hang out with her. Plus I am placing bets as to who wins the wrestling match over who gets to hang out with her more between my cousin McKinsey and my dad. It will be a tough match!

So we are good. Busy and sleepy all the time, but good. Thanks for checking in on us. We love the fact that you love us so much that you want to learn about us. We are thankful for you, the Lilly Fanclub.

My dad has voted himself the president of the Lilly fanclub by the way. He will be collecting dues soon. :)

Growing Up

Well, we can pick up the pacifier and put it on our mouth, we can rollover, and we can do this....

Talking

The new toy

Did you realize just how much crap is available to purchase for babies these days? I mean really!
Yeah, I gave in today. I admit it. When I picked her up from daycare, Ms. Paula was talking about the jumperoo thing that they have there. She hadn't put Lils in it yet cause she wasn't sure if she was big/strong enough for it. So I put her in it to see. Lils loved it so much! She loves to stand up, so anything that allows that to happen, she is in favor of.
So after she played and played with the one at daycare, I got to thinking... this might just make cooking dinner a LOT easier. Now she is in her little bouncer chair and while I cook dinner and is none to happy about it cause it doesn't allow her to move around freely.
So one trip to Toys R Us later, we have the pinkest thing I have ever purchased in my life. (the pink one was on sale, that was the only reason we got it instead of the regular one that doesn't look like pepto bismal spit up all over it!)
So here are pictures of The Lils in the newest toy. Her legs aren't quite long enough to reach all the way to the bottom so Daddy got her a phone book to stand on. I knew there would be a purpose for that phone book one day.

Sunday equals Dancing!!!

All dressed UP!!!



A ballerina has to practice her moves.



Taking a break from the dancing fun.

Halloween is over. So is the newborn phase... sad

yep. Monday when we got dressed for school, we were both sad to know that Halloween was over and she wouldn't be wearing any more Halloween goodness. It has certainly become a topic of conversation at school. The last few weeks, I would come in and hear from random teachers in the school, "so, what Halloween outfit is Lilly wearing today?" Yeah, I guess people thought we were a little crazy!

So now that she is wearing real clothes again (or should I say regular clothes?), I have been looking for just the right outfit for each day for her. And we are realizing rather quickly that many of her newborn size outfits just don't fit anymore! I took out a bunch of them and put them in the back of the closet to save for donation. Ugh. She is now in 3 month size and I don't like it very much! She just is growing up too fast!

One good thing about her growing up, is that she is now talking. Well, babbling is more the word, but she is sure using her voice quite a bit. I sing songs to her and recite poetry to her and she "talks" along with me. Very sweet. It is as if she has SOOO much to say and just can't quite get the words out.
The good thing is, when she talks, she looks pretty happy, so at least she wants to tell us good things.

I will post pictures/video of her talking very soon. (it has been a crazy busy week!)

Super Girl!

Happy Halloween!

After a million Halloween type outfits, we now present the REAL Halloween costume.
She was actually in bed before trick or treating happened, but that is ok. At least we got pictures of her in it before she went to sleep...

A friendly Reminder...Fall Back, Not Forward

Boys

When I went to pick up the Lils today at daycare, Ms. Paula told me that Lilly had been holding hands on the floor with Luke.
This is way too early to be having a boyfriend! Her daddy says she can't hold a boy's hand until she is 35.
I have a feeling he is in for some trouble later in life.

Waking Up

I couldn't resist taking video of this. Waking her up is one of my favorite times of the day. She is so sweet and looks so content.
:) Plus, yes... you heard correctly. That is a morning fart. Everyone needs one of those to make it a happy day.

Halloween Part 4

Marsha gave her these today! Yay for more Halloween outfits!

Laughing!!!

Grandpa caught some laughter on video. Please excuse my goofy sounds in the background.
:)

Halloween Part 3

Nana and Grandpa came to visit on Thursday and Friday. Friday, before they left, we decided to dress her in one of her Halloween Outfits, cat hat and all.

:)






Gotta love the orange pants!!! Her Nana has decided that she wants some for herself!