Baby Naming!

Ok, let the baby girl name suggestions roll in... I'm drawing a blank (we had almost settled but I'm hesitant now) and not as into it this go 'round! I don't know why. I do know I'm tired of calling her "baby #2" and would love to give her a name. Maybe they'll even be a prize for the person that inspires us the most! :-)

I like (and I say "I" because I don't even know what names Andy likes because he's TOUGH with baby naming!) classic, slightly southern, pretty, and feminine names.

Some that I like:
Claire
Caroline
Isabel/Isabella (but too popular) nn Ella
Anabel (Andy hasn't been told this name yet) nn Annie

I would love input from any above, suggestions, even a list! So get thinking!

Water Balloons

I don't know what possessed me but Lilly found water balloons at Target for $1. Tons of tiny little balloons. They even came with a faucet connector. I promised her after dinner we would fill them up and play with them (funny thing is she didn't really know what water balloons were!). So we ate dinner and I cleaned up while Lilly ate some sherbet and then we broke out the water balloons. Well the connector didn't fit our kitchen faucet, didn't fit our downstairs bathroom faucet, didn't fit the tub faucet, and didn't fit the upstairs bathroom faucet... I had to figure something out since I promised her we'd do it so I held the connector under the upstairs bathroom faucet and wrapped my hand around the spigot and the connector while water water sprayed everywhere. At first it seemed it would never work. Then we saw the balloon slowly start to fill! Yay! We celebrated and then after 20 minutes I had filled 6 balloons... NOT a fast process. Lilly wanted to be "done filling Mommy" so we could play. Here is what we ended up with...

Happy Lilly with her water balloons!
She picked out one balloon at a time and threw them in her little pool.

Then we decided to break them - the fun part! Little did I know these suckers wouldn't break. She threw them as hard as she could on the deck and they rolled. I guess because I didn't fill them all the way up so they had some extra bounce. One even flew off the deck and landed in a Hydrangea and didn't break!!
Finally success! She got one to break...
...and this is how she felt after it broke. But after some cheering on my part she was excited and wanted to break some more.
It was a lot of fun. I had to hide them so this doesn't become an every day occurrence but it is fun for a day when we need something to do.

I couldn't resist...

Ok, I do NOT care for bikinis on babies! But for $5 and for fun I couldn't resist and she loved it! I laughed hysterically when she put it on... She kept saying, "My boobies my boobies" and then laughed and laughed. She thinks she's hot stuff in this suit. She even wanted to wear it withOUT a diaper.
It's a little big but for the back yard it's fine. And maybe we'll sneak it in our suitcase for our upcoming Florida trip.

Summer Blooms

Lilly enjoying our hibiscus (just like her dress)!

These are Hardy Hibiscus that we planted about 6 years ago. They are very hardy despite their tropical flair. The blooms are the size of dinner plates and they continue to bloom from late July until the first frost. I have a love/hate relationship with these bushes! Originally we saw them in the baby pool of the swim club where I was a coach (Tavistock) and we asked the grounds keeper what they were. He told us where we could go to get them and we took a little drive one Saturday to pick up a few bushes. We were surprised when we paid only $6 for each bush. The first year they were very beautiful and small. By the next summer they were HUGE and now, they take up a significant amount of space and are growing out of control! Every year I beg Andy to put some sort of small white fence around them to keep them confined but we have yet to agree on what would be strong enough to hold them. For now I will enjoy them for they are quite beautiful and the crimson color is really magnificent.

I Love a Rainy Night

After the storm and Andy's departure we needed a little fun! Lilly got herself dressed (gotta love the shirt!) and put on her rain boots for some fun in the puddles!
She loves to run and jump in the water...
Giving me the look - don't you dare me Mommy - I'm gonna do it!

One big last jump and then it was inside to change into some warm and dry clothes and get some dinner. Playing in the rain would have been just as fun but with the thunder and lightning we had to watch from inside.

Final Week Alone!

Andy left tonight for his final July week at Seton Hall. Looking at this picture would you ever guess it was 2pm?
He left during the start of a very bad thunderstorm and I was very worried!

But he made it there safely even outrunning the storm. We will miss him for this final week. It's really nice to see him on the weekend even though it's short-lived but it makes it much harder to say good-bye each time. It's really nice having help with Lilly and someone to talk to! This is the last summer so essentially... we made it. And he has done very very well with an A cumulative average thus far for his doctorate (9 classes under his belt I believe). I am very proud of him working full time, being a husband and a father, and going to school. It is a LOT to juggle and we'll both be happy to see the light but for now we will just cheer him to the end... He has a lot left on his plate (4 weekends and his dissertation).

Until then Lilly and I will keep on keepin' on here at home and await his return.

Barnes & Noble Part 2

I don't think I blogged about our recent Barnes & Noble experience but about a month ago I took Lilly to get a new book and play with the train table. Everything was going great. I picked out a book I liked and then we headed to the train table. Lilly was playing so nicely with the 8 or so kids gathered around and all the moms and dads were smiling and enjoying life. Lilly was even saying, "Excuse me" when she needed to pass by another child. Then before I knew it I saw the wind-up... I couldn't move fast enough. Thomas the Train was flying through the air only to make contact with a little boy's forehead. The welt started appearing, little boy sobbing, me (and Lilly) apologizing, his mom saying not to worry... Needless to say we booked it out of there. *Lilly did NOT intentionally throw the train at the little boy but does love to throw and since has learned that we don't throw anything indoors.*

So I decided it was time for another attempt at Barnes & Noble. We discussed how to handle the trains ("I no throw Mommy little boy cwying boo boo head") and how to walk with me in the store ("I pwomise I no wun Mommy I hold Mommy's heend") and how she can pick out one book to take home ("Big sheesher book Mommy"). Our time was enjoyable and Lilly did pick out the Berenstain Bears New Baby book.

Mama Said...

Ever had a day like this?

1. Met a friend for lunch with our kids and the kids totally played off one another and it was not fun (and I will give Lilly the benefit here).

2. While baking with Lilly she tried to "help" and instead poured an ENTIRE bottle of vegetable oil on the kitchen table and floor. I had both hands tied up when she reached for the open bottle but didn't have time to react (oil travels fast). And just last night I mopped all the floors...

3. I was stirring pasta when the spoon flipped out of the pot splattering red sauce all over our (clean) floor, oven, counters, and cabinets.

4. At Lilly's bedtime she had to suddenly have "toast Mommy!" and so I made her the toast after the toaster fell on my foot.

5. Icing cupcakes tonight and went to pick up the sprinkles and they flipped over and went all over the counter top and floor.

On the flip side, Lilly was really cute tonight before bed. We were having a HORRIBLE thunderstorm as I was reading her books and getting her ready for bed. I can't remember one in the last 5 years that had thunder this loud and lightning this bright. It was crackling and the thunder lasted a long time. With Andy gone I was even a bit scared. But I just kept reading her books (while thinking to myself she is never going to fall asleep in this) and she never even mentioned the storm! She listened to it and looked toward the windows (the drapes were pulled) but never asked me what the sound was and to the best of my knowledge this is the first thunderstorm she has been awake for. As I sang her songs and put her down in her crib she broke into song... "It's raining pouring old man snoring, bumped head to bed ... in the morning!"

Comfort

I really don't think I'm ever going to be able to break her of the binky... It weighs on my mind every single day. She mainly uses it for sleep (this was wind-down time before bedtime) but it still stresses me! Yet I don't want to take it away!! Next baby will have a binky until 6 months and then I will take it away (I think). I figure she won't go to kindergarten with it...

Always Watching

Yesterday I was waiting for Lilly to put on her Crocs so we could run an errand and after using the bathroom I came out to find her hanging out (one shoe on) 'reading' a Parenting magazine. She was pretending to read and was very involved in what she was doing.
I got hysterical when I saw her do this to turn the page...
Kids just don't miss a trick! I guess Andy and/or I lick our fingertip when turning sticky pages!

Favorite Passtime

Lilly has gotten really into puzzles! The Easter Bunny brought her one but she just recently became interested. For the last couple weeks we would help her by giving her the two matching pieces and she would put them together. Then last night I was cooking dinner and when I was done I went over to tell her to come to the table and 75% of a puzzle was completed! I was so surprised! So she's gotten the hang of it now and really enjoys putting them together. They are 24 piece puzzles. So tonight we went out and got 2 more and she put them together before bedtime.
It's been so hot this past week (97 degrees and full humidity) that we've stayed indoors and the days can really drag on when you're inside all day long day after day. It's even too hot to play in her little pool. So now we have some puzzles that we can work on to pass the time.

Lilly's 1st Movie

This weekend Andy surprised me and came home! He was supposed to spend the weekend at Seton Hall but had computer troubles so he arrived late Friday night. It was so nice to see him and to spend some family time together. He did have to do work most of Saturday but we were able to squeeze in dinner Saturday night, breakfast this morning, and a movie! Andy wanted to take Lilly to see Space Chimps - her first movie. I was not excited especially after watching the movie's trailer. But I know how much he has wanted to take her to a movie so I went along with it. We started our morning by having breakfast at the Starview Diner...
Then we headed to a 10:30 a.m. showing of Space Chimps!Lilly was so pumped up to get popcorn, chocolate covered raisins, and see "monkeys in space".


She was running through the theater with excitement. The funny thing is she had no idea what watching a movie in a theater was like yet she couldn't contain herself! She was very proud to hand her ticket over.
We were the ONLY ones in the theater! We sat in the very top row and waited anxiously for the movie to start! A private showing of Space Chimps just for our family!
Lilly really enjoyed the movie. She stood and watched, sat on each of our laps, and sat in her own seat. She did call out to the characters a few times but that was just fine since we were alone! And the movie (I can't believe I'm admitting this) is actually cute. It has a nice story line, is fast moving, has cute and likable characters, and has some good lessons.
We had a good time and I was sad to see Andy go when we got home. Lilly passed right out from her morning of excitement and is still talking about the movie and even gave me a thumbs-up tonight when I asked her how dinner was (in the movie the main character starts out as a circus performer and after he crash lands, he lets everyone know he's alright by giving thumbs-up).

New Shirt

Lilly loves her new shirt from Mrs. Halscheid (Andy's guidance counselor). Mrs. Halscheid spoils Lilly and loves to buy her clothes from Lilly Pullitzer since the name is the same! Lilly is very lucky to receive random gifts from Joanne. She loves this shirt because in the center of the flower it says, "Lilly" and she says, "My name my name!" Tells everyone she sees that her name is on the shirt. Then they're left squinting to see her name embroidered in the center of the flower. Very cute.

FYI

WAIT, DON'T PICK UP THAT BABY - Most baby birds on the ground are not orphans, sick nor injured.

• Well-feathered young birds that can move about, but are not yet able to fly are called "branchers" or "fledglings." It is normal for them to be on the ground and it's best to leave them alone so their parents can continue to care for them.
• Fledgling birds are like toddlers: they can hop and fly a little bit, but they need a few days to develop their skills.
• It is cruel to remove a healthy fledgling, young bird just because it is on the ground. It is learning very important things from its parents including dangers of domestic pets and how to feed itself.
• Many species of raptors will leave the nest when they are about half-grown (branchers). They can walk and climb but are not yet flighted. They have not been abandoned; the parents continue to feed and care for their young well into the fall months.

Our baby birds have finally left the nest (what a shocker when Lilly and I got up on the stool to check on them today!). They are some ugly baby birds I must say. They don't look like robins to me. Anyway, I saw a strange fluttering across the yard and realized it was one of the baby birds (looking pretty grown up). He seemed like he was hurt. He definitely couldn't fly and was hopping along. Lilly tried chasing him (I got all over her case for that) and she had to stop running up to him because she almost stepped on him twice! He can skim the grass but barely. I figured he was hurt. Thank you Google - I now know he's like a toddler and just learning to fly. Didn't see his sibling. Hope all is well with them both. And I hope you learned something new today.

Lilly's Ready

I would say Lilly's ready to be a big sister! When I was taking a shower she put a diaper on her baby doll. I was very impressed!

Bounce U

Today we had a great time at Bounce U! We met a friend and her 2 sons there for some jumping fun! Lilly loves these places (there's one other called Pump It Up). They are right up her alley! This one was my favorite because it's a bit smaller, had less kids, and Lilly could do all the activities independently. The only glitch was at Bounce U the kids have to take a mat up the slide, sit on it, put their feet in it, then slide down. It was a bummer when I found this out but I shouldn't have underestimated Lilly. She drug that thing up there huffing and puffing and looking back at me to see if she still had to take it (I know she was thinking what is the purpose of this!? As was I...). Then she'd get to the top and try to arrange it and sit on it but by the end, she'd chuck it down first then slide without it. Since she's only 2 the girl working the slide station laughed (thankfully).
They also have obstacle courses that she had a ball navigating.
There are 2 different rooms and every 30 minutes they move the kids to a different room. In the second room there is a great obstacle course that ends in a slide. She did this course over and over and over again...*Not sure how the email blogs work but if you are viewing this blog from the blog site you can click on pictures to make them larger. :-)

Birthday Girl

Lilly and the birthday boy, Isaac

Yesterday Lilly and I went to my friend Carla's son's first birthday party (that's a mouthful). It was outside at a restaurant. Everyone huddled around the cake to sing Happy Birthday and I was trying to capture a great picture for Carla since she didn't have her camera. I saw her husband and son leaning down to blow out the camera and I snapped the shot.
But then I heard, "I did it! I did it!" and realized Lilly had actually swooped in and blown out the candle. Everyone laughed but I was so embarrassed! Lilly thinks all birthday parties are for her.

Flying Lilly

Lilly watching TV...

I have to share what Lilly's been doing (physically) lately. She has really mastered a diving front roll/flip and I can't believe the places she attempts them. I have been trying to capture it on film but she becomes INSANE when I pull out the camera and gets very angry... I have no clue why this is.

As you can see in the above picture she is on the arm of the couch watching TV. She stands on that arm and dives and flips on the couch often (sounds dangerous, I know, but we are spotting). She has been doing that a while. She will also stand on the coffee table and do a front flip onto the couch (that's new and gave me heart failure). Now she does some crazy acrobatics on Andy in the mornings when we're all in bed watching a show. And she's really gotten very good! Her balance is great but her ability has progressed too. I tried to get it on the camera this past weekend but once I got the camera out she wouldn't do it anymore. I did get her doing a regular front roll but off to the side and then... well... watch closely to the end of the video and see what she does to retaliate at me for filming... (the videoing ended quickly because I had to put her in her room for a time out)


Usually she flips down toward Andy's feet and it's really quite amazing to watch how high she goes and how she keeps herself right in line. I'm sure Andy's thrilled I put him on the blog after just waking up. Kisses Andy.

Of course it sounds like I'm bragging but I'm not at all. I'd love to brag about her knowing her colors or counting (nope, neither yet but attempting) or reading or anything cognitive but her strength lies in her gross motor for now. It's just totally amazing to watch her in action. Andy was a gymnast after all.

Nature Cont.

*Please censor for kids that may be reading*

I have to tell you what Andy, Lilly, and I witnessed yesterday at the pond by our house. We were walking along watching 9 baby ducklings that have no mother (Andy had noticed they were alone on his visits with Lilly and indeed they were alone). There was another mother duck with her "teen" ducks but she was not paying any attention to these 9 babies. They were hovered together and I felt so sorry for them. As we're sitting there discussing this there was suddenly a bunch of action, water splashing, quacks, squawking, and tons of frantic movement right in front of us. The mother duck of the "teens" was going crazy yelling and flapping and flying and struggling. Of course I had no clue what was going on but Andy (I swear he knows everything there is to know) knew exactly what was happening and shared with me that a snapping turtle had taken and pulled under (killed!) a baby duckling. Lo and behold I count the babies and there are only 8 left! The other mother (that I thought was ignoring the babies) was fighting the turtle to try to save the baby but it was too late. Oh my gosh, is this Candid Camera: Animal Planet version here? This was horrible! I couldn't believe it.

The mother fought for some time then went back to her older ducklings and kept crying and searching for the baby. I was standing on the edge of the bank screaming into the pond, "STOP IT!" like a crazy person while I upset Lilly and while Andy watched in fascination. After the water settled I stood there so devastated! I watched the babies wonder what had just happened and the mother still searching. As a mother I wanted to cry. How could that little baby be swimming along one minute and dead the next? Ok yes, I understand nature and all but this is how I was feeling...

Andy and Lilly had gone ahead to look at frogs when I finally caught up to them (going on and on and on to Andy about how this could happen and how I was going to buy duck food and come back and raise the ducklings myself) when another episode ensued. We look over at all the commotion to see a goose (a big ass goose!!!) being pulled under by this vicious snapping turtle (that we could not see). Thankfully the goose escaped death.

What am I going to do? I am going to call the township up and tell them there's a vicious snapping turtle in the pond killing the ducks!!

Not really.

I am going to dwell on it and try to remember what Andy told me right after it all ended... He said, "You need to think about the turtle and how the turtle just got a meal..." or something along those lines. I'm going to call him Mr. Nature from now on and I'll be Mrs. Hysterical or Mrs. Save the Universe and all the Baby Animals.

For now I will remember the baby bunnies taken from our yard, sniff sniff, the baby duckling drowned to death right before my eyes, sniff, and the baby robin that also didn't make it (2 are fine and growing), sniff sniff.

Don't Cut Your Hair When You're Pregnant

Ok so I couldn't handle the blimp that I've become, hated wearing pony tails every day, felt ugly, etc. So what did I do? I chopped my hair off. Well, short hair on an already not-skinny-pregnant-person makes that person look, well, just plain 'ol fat. But hey, what's done is done. Here's my new do...


I think my niece Elizabeth and I both have the Kit Kittridge haircut now! Headbands, here I come!

Shrek

We went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast this morning. There were tables and tables of clothing that were 80% off. There were cute lavender, pink, and green clothes with bunny rabbits and such but THIS is what she picked (thank you Andy for pointing it out to her!)...
A Shrek shirt that says, "Ogres Rock" - I tried and tried and tried to talk her out of it but she was hell bent on it tucking it under her arm and walking inside. *It was only $2.
She is impossible to get a picture from - does NOT like the camera and tells me to put it back when I get it out. But I snuck in a couple shots.

Summer Fun

Lilly loves to swing! Unfortunately our swing set gets full (hot) sun in the afternoon. So first she dipped into the pool and then wrapped herself in her towel for some swing time. But she soon realized what Mommy had been saying was true... and she requested her hat and sunglasses. Here is Miss Lilly swinging in style!

And this is how she prefers to slide - especially when naked and when the slide is hot. And yes, she's naked a-g-a-i-n. The child loves to be naked all the time and hey, it's our yard! I did do a little editing to give her some privacy where it counts. Mothers on the playground get very unnerved watching Lilly "slide" but we're very used to it and I must admit, her balance is stellar.