Ms. Chatterbox!

Garbage Disposal!

We headed to the doctor yesterday for Lily's 4 month well check-up.  I was so excited to see how much our wiggle worm had grown!

Our Priss Pot has put on some pounds in the last 2 months & has gotten significantly longer :)  She now weighs 13 pounds, 8 ounces (50th percentile) and is 25.25 inches long (85th percentile). 

Lily loved laying on the table and wiggling, cooing, and smiling for all the new people! She was all smiles until the dreaded 2nd round of vaccination (Pentacel, Prevnar, and Rot). This time was WAY worse than the 2 month appointment. Lil P is so much more aware & alert, so she voiced her discomfort & hurt feelings for much longer...we were both in tears. Once I promised her some ice cream & a little retail therapy, she was all smiles :)

We got the official "ok" to start solids (we kept it a secret she's been eating cereal for a while now!) and the doc encouraged me not to be afraid to let the girl eat!  Seems little miss has been consuming too much milk.  Our new eating plan is to feed Lily oatmeal in the morning, followed by a 4 ounce bottle, three 6 ounce bottles during the day, a solid (ie vegetable, meat or fruit) in the evening, and a 4-6 ounce bottle at night....no more than 28 ounces of milk a day.  

No protests from our little piggy---Lily LOVED her first "real" food---yummy sweet potatoes :)  She is proving to be a garbage disposal.  Not even 24 hours from the start of this new routine & the baby has consumed a jar & a half of sweet potatoes last night, then half a bowl of oatmeal with a 4 ounce bottle this morning.

It is such a joy to watch our little mini grow into a healthy little being.  How blessed we are---there is nothing more I could ask for in life than to be the mommy to this little garbage disposal! :)

Lillian Pace- 4 Months

4 Months Old...how is this possible?!?!?  

Dearest Lillian Pace,

My sweet, sweet girl, you were 4 months old yesterday...your daddy and I just don't know where time is going.  Everyday is a new adventure!  New sounds, movements & developmental milestones have been apart of everyday life this month, along with a ton of changes.  This month we traveled some, celebrated Easter, tried out some new toys, ate from a spoon & much much more!

We don't know your exact weight, since we don't go for your 4 months doctor appointment until the 22nd, but it is around 14 pounds.  You have definitely gone through a growth spurt this month.  Your milk consumption has increase to around 34 ounces with 3-4 tablespoons of cereal at night...still our little chunky monkey!

You have also gotten much longer this month.  You moved up to size 2 diapers (after a couple serious blowouts!).  3 month clothing & PJ's still fit, but you're also wearing some 3-6 month stuff too.

A BIG change this month was mommy starting back to work.  With this change, your sleeping schedule hasn't been as regimented during the day, but you've adapted like a champ!  The duration of your naps isn't consistent, but you usually nap 3 times a day & the naps range from 45 minutes to 2 1/2 hours.  Thankfully this day time change hasn't affected your night time sleep!  

You're a solid sleeper, going down around 8:30pm & waking around 7:30am.  This month I swear you've started "telling" us you're tired & ready for your bed.  You let out this squeal & talk at the same time...it is super cute!  Some nights I just want to keep you up so that I can hear that sweet sound.  

You are still waking sometimes around 4:30am for a paci...don't know if it is hunger related or something else.  This week we've been changing up your evening routine...maybe that will help!??!

You're such an active & observant baby.  You prefer to be held upright or facing out, so you can see what is going on...just like your mama, you don't want to miss a thing :)  It is amazing how much more aware you are too.  I love watching you learn something new!  

You found your feet on 4/11/13 to be exact! You get so excited whenever you can reach them :)  It has made changing your diaper much more difficult.  You ate from a spoon for the 1st time on 4/10/13.  It was a messy event but so much fun :)  Some other firsts were you rode in your stroller like a big girl & played in the exersaucer...you loved them both!  

You still love your activity mat, Bumbo & mirrors!  If you're ever unhappy (which is rare!) we just put you in front of a mirror & you'll smile within seconds.  Can't blame you...you are the cutest baby on the planet!  

You're still a wiggle worm at heart.  While you sleep you move all over your crib!  You'll make a 180 degree turn or be on the other side of your crib in the morning....don't know how you manage this with a sleepsak on, but you do :)  Speaking of sleepsak, we are still using it for some naps & bedtime, but have transitioned your arms to being unswaddled.  You've also become attached to a lovey for bedtime.  You love to hold onto it & put it on your face...I think it is funny that you have to be holding onto a blanket or have your hands touching in order to settle down and fall asleep.  Love your little quirks!

I'm not sure if it is just in my head, but I'm pretty sure you're starting to show some attachment to me! :) I love when I hold you on my shoulder and you wrap your little arms around me and just lay...the BEST!  We love you our sweet love bug!  This month has been so much fun.  You're little personality continues to shine...we can't wait to see what this next month has in store :)

A couple additional pictures from the month:

Toughest Event on the Planet...

Last Friday, we loaded up and headed to Augusta for Slade to run the "toughest event on the planet"...aka the Tough Mudder!  This is the second year for Mr. S to join this awesome group of men to take on the 12 mile course & 21 obstacles along the way.

The event started off much better than last year---the weather was BEAUTIFUL :)  Much different from the coldest, most windy weekend of the year in 2012 when we both ran the race.  I will admit, once we got there, I was bummed I decided to sit this year out (I was still preggers when Slade registered & just wasn't sure if I'd be up for it).  But it was really fun to run around taking pictures & cheering for this sweet guy!

And then this made me glad I was on the spectator side....the Artic Enema

The team ran the whole course together & pushed each other to do his best...a true example of camaraderie! 

And they had a little fun along the way :)

Finally conquered Mt. Everest!

So fun to watch & cheer for our men together :)

The best & biggest fan club of the day :)

My muddy Tough Mudder! 

So proud of him.  Even with a demanding work schedule right now, studying & trying to get in as much family time as possible, he finished all the obstacles & wasn't completely dead at the end :)  

After the race, we headed to eat some Mexican (because we ALL worked so hard that morning!), then rushed back to pick up all the kiddos!  

Lily spent the night & day with the Gays (the Masseys's friends & neighbors).  While it was hard & sad to leave her, it was the smart decision!  She had a great time with her new friends :)

The rest of the weekend was spent enjoying time with the Masseys and the Links.  It was so nice to have some down time to play with the kids, relax & have adult catch up time over some Catan playing (in case anyone is wondering, I lost BIG time...probably should play more than once or twice a year!).

Already looking forward to Tough Mudder weekend 2014! 

Easter 2013

Our Easter this year was wonderful!  We celebrated the resurrection of our Savior with a great church service, yummy lunch & some QT time with family :)  Perfection!

 The week leading up to the holiday weekend, Lily sported some festive attire...

On Good Friday, Sugar arrived in town...Bryant & Lily were happy campers!  We all headed to the mall for Little Miss & B to meet the Easter Bunny :)  The evening ended with dinner at Carrabba's & two very tired babies.

On Saturday, we hit the ground running with "to do's"...so thankful for a mom who enjoys helping us cross things off of our list!  This little cutie got lots of loving throughout the day too :)

Boss, Bergen, Andrew & Leigh all got in town later that night.  We were up WAY past our bedtimes, but luckily the Easter Bunny doesn't need sleep, so Lily woke with lots of goodies waiting on her :)

~a smocked whale bubble

~bowls & spoons for her, soon to be, real food eating adventures

~toys for bath time

~Sophie the giraffe

*her adorable Easter bucket came from Michelle at Monkey See Boutique

http://www.etsy.com/shop/monkeyseeboutique

After church, we headed to the Lichter's to enjoy a delish lunch- Honeybaked ham, ranch potato salad, deviled eggs, asian slaw & green beans!  I'm glad we decided to take pictures before eating because lunch sent me into a coma...

Seriously, cutest face EVER

Our family of 3!

Bryant loves his "baybay"

We skipped the egg dying & hunting this year...maybe next year!  

 I feel so blessed to be able to spend special holidays like Easter with the ones that mean the most to me (minus a few!).  My prayer is that we all take this next year to grow and trust in the One who died for us.

He is Risen!  He is Alive!