What's up?

Well, Lily is a month and a half old! Time flies when you're trying to figure out all the changes a new baby brings. She had a week there of pain and spitting up...colic? reflux? We've narrowed it down to lactose intolerance...maybe. She proudly holds her head up and is all smiles. She coos a LOT and is pretty mellow. She'll cry in the car if we are NOT moving and is sometimes comforted by hiphop...but never anything else. She sometimes takes a paci...that's nice.

Mia is almost an adult, or so it seems. Daryl and I frequently talk about how mature she is, but we need to remember that she's only 3.5 yrs old. She's a little little little kid. Smart, kind, funny, empathetic..well unless she's ripping out a paci from a sleeping baby sister's mouth....which makes Lily scream as Mia sits there. Content. Paci in mouth and sucking it like that Simpson baby...can't remember and don't care.

WE BOUGHT A HOUSE!!!! How cool is that?!?!? It's in a super fab neighborhood and it's pretty much perfect for us. We don't have to move in till the end of July, so we have a while to get things in order. Painting. is done....the living room used to be PEACH! Flooring will be done next weekend...or so Daryl promises. It's been fun picking out colors and stuff...watching it go from house to our home. Finally done renting white walled apts and houses....we've got lots of color going on!

Along with these pics that Mia took with my p&s, I'll leave you with a Mia-ism:

Mama: ohhh Mia, love your owl jammies (wayyyy too small..they're over a year old)

Mia: Thanks. They're new. I got them in Africa.

Friends

Amidst all this Baby Lily stuff, Mia has been hanging out and having a ball with some of her friends. One evening last month, we ended up at Dr. Harry's office after dinner with his family...Courtney, Izzy & Emmy. Well, Izzy thought it would be a fun idea to pull out all the receipt tape and basically paper her daddy's office...the other two girls concurred. LOVE where Izzy is mummifying Mia...much to Mia's delight!

Last week, Stephanie and her kiddos R & C came over for some playtime. While the mamas chatted, R showed Mia what his video game was all about...she was impressed! C, however, was more interested in making silly faces for the camera! I love how they ended up on the landing...their own personal space.

pucker up, butter cup

Mia is determined in taking the leap from 'baby girl' to 'big girl' to the next level.....lipstick! She picked out a very glittery pink makeup box and a pack of flavored lip balms, oh and throw in a pack of Hello Kitty band aids in for good measure. She has no idea who Hello Kitty is. 'a cat...with a pink bow'...she actually called her 'Hollow' Kitty for a while...so cute. We have a band aid rule: no blood..no band aid. Well, she bumped her leg pretty hard, and she had such a hopeful little face, so she got a band aid :) Daryl & I can't believe how much our lil girl is growing up and so FAST! Other than slathering her lips with her lipstick, she's busy twisting them till they're all the way out, but has a hard time getting them back in...so, I've been doing that quite a bit. I'm so glad I have such a fun girl to do such girly things with...Lily will join us in her own time, until then, it's Mama and her Big Girl.

For Daryl

I think Lily is waking up, so I have to type fast or end up typing one handed while under a nursling! You. You are the beyond the bestest daddy in the world. You're handling two with such love and grace (can you say that about a guy?). I love watching you with our girls and I appreciate all you do for us. Ok, she's really crying... Love YOU!

New wallpaper for your phone :)

Emmy is One-derful!

June 14th 2008, our dear friends Courtney, Harry & Izzy welcomed sweet Emmy into their family. How is she already ONE?!?! If you don't know her, let me tell you something...this girl can SMILE! She's the smiliest babies I've ever known...but don't let that fool you, she can be pretty sneaky, too. During a phone convo with Court not too long ago, Emmy was yelling to get down from her highchair. Court was asking her to sign 'down'...something Emmy knows how to do, but was not in the mood for. So she looked at her big sis, Izzy...grabbed Izzy's hand and made the sign with Izzy's hand! She's such a go-with-the-flow type of kid, you've just gotta love her!Here are some flashback shots that I have of her first year...followed by some from her Fab Birthday Celebration.

the first time ever I saw her face...I feel in love

Now, let me tell you about her birthday bash! I think they had like 4 blow up pools...kiddy pools, a medium pool, and one was GINORMOUS! The kids had a super fun time splashing and sliding around...the adults just watched with their jealous eyes :) It was a HOT day! Harry grilled some delish dogs and burgers. Ohhh and don't get me started on his super yummy homemade ice creams...yes, plural! Vanilla (or as Mia would say...bamilla), strawberry (with fresh strawberries), chocolate and OMG! dark chocolate!!!! I had a smidge of each and can't decide which was my fave...Hmmm must do further research ;p

Emmy's butterfly cupcake cake was the cutest and she was the sweetest while everyone sang Happy Birthday to her...Emmy's eyes and smile were incredibly bright. Big sis Izzy helped with the actually blowing out of the candle. Then Emmy got to enjoy her first cupcake :) More playtime in the water. Emmy, like a true party girl, passed out in the arms of a handsome man...her uncle ;p

Party Pics

a huge plus...friends LOVED holding Lily...I got a little rest

Mia's mani

Lily was napping, so in attempts to hook up with Mia...spend some Mia Mama time together... I brought out the nail polish. We went to town...Mia on her nails....me with my camera. It's been almost a year since Mia's first official mani-pedi, but this time she had the best time 'doing it myself'...painting most of her nails and much of her fingers....purple on the left ones and clear glitter on the right. Then she picked out little flower decals for each thumb. Mia was so thrilled when done, it was hard to keep her from 'showing Lily' too close. We almost ended up with a purple-nosed baby!

I adore this final shot

All in the family

It's taken a few weeks, but I have shots of Lily meeting her family. Since I'm the photographer, I'm not in any except for the one that my fabulous friend, Andrea, took of us...the night I gave birth to Lily. I've already posted it, but will repost it here again because I love it so much.

photo of Lily and me taken by Andrea :)

I totally love Daryl's blissed out look when holding his day old baby girl

ahhh sweet smiles from Auntie M

The first time big sister Mia held her lil sis...was not too impressed and needed her 'OFF OFF OFF' when Lily started to cry

but she sure did dig her big sister gifts...the new Llama Llama book and a couple of Fancy Nancy readers

Lily enchants her Nana & Pawpaw

Unca Joe gets in the mix

ahhh Ita finally gets to hold her new granddaughter...much to Mia's dismay

we were so happy Aunt Janice was in town and stopped by for a visit

Lily meets her great grandma (Memaw)

Mia starting to get comfy sharing her beloved family with her new lil sis