Happy 1st and 24th birthday to us!

Finally cousin Everett had to show her how to blow out the candle :) 

Yummy, she loved her banana cake!

Cheesecake for me, and banana cupcakes for everyone too! 

Hat I crocheted

It was a fun party! I loved celebrating with Lola. All day it felt really special and it was great to have family and friends to share all that cake with! I kept reminiscing about my birthday surprise last year when my water broke at midnight (read her birth story here.) After she was born I remember thinking she was the most beautiful baby, so tiny and perfect. The nurses put a little bow on her head that completed the present look. The last year flew by! I'm already thinking about how much fun 2 & 25 will be :)

*Thanks for the pictures, Kate!*

Family Pics Fall 2013

                                                                                       

Photo credit: my amazing sister Kate Hill

She is awesome, don't you agree?! She edited the first 7 pictures too. And now for a love letter to her.


Dear Kate,

I love that these photos capture the essence of fall and what we look like as a family one year into this crazy adventure. You did a fabulous job! I'm so lucky to have a sister like you. You were there with your camera for all the important stuff: when we got married, graduation announcements, Lola as a newborn, her blessing day, 6 months old, and the first birthday Lola and I shared. I will treasure all the pictures you've taken for forever and I'm sure Lola will too :) They really are the best gift. Lola loves you to pieces. We will all miss you when you move.

Lots of love,
Lydia

Dear Lola- 12 Months

Dear Lola,

        The last 12 months have flown by. I can't believe that your were born just a year ago, and now here you are with your spunky little personality just running around the room. In a lot of ways I feel like this has been the biggest growing year for me too. I was born on November 4th, 1989 but a different kind of me was born on November 4th, 2012. The me who spends so much time and energy caring for you not just because I'm a mom and that's what moms do, but because I love you with my whole heart. My life has changed. Believe it or not, that wasn't easy for me to accept in the beginning but now I wouldn't want it any other way. I love being your mom. As for you you've grown from a tiny 6 lbs 12 ounces and 18 inches long to a little child of 21 lbs 7 oz (58%) and 30 inches tall (80%.) 12 inches of height in 12 months, impressive! You're wearing 12-18 month clothes and size 5 shoes.
        Early this month you started sprouting new teeth. Three in a matter of days, for a total of seven teeth! I can only suppose, but I think because of this you decided to stop nursing. You just quit and were NOT interested anymore. I can't even describe how heartbreaking this was for me. Those last few months nursing became something I really cherished. It was our snuggle time. I tried absolutely everything I could think of to convince you to continue, all the while pumping and giving you milk in a cup. I cried many times when you refused to nurse. I was exhausted and depressed. After a few weeks I finally had to accept it. I pumped until your first birthday. When I feel sad about it, I think of the beautiful moments we shared. I try to feel proud that we made it this far, because it was both a sacrifice and a gift that I gave to you. Breastfeeding was hard in the beginning, but I loved it too much to think of quitting. The funny (sad?) thing about it all is you didn't seem upset about the teething or the weaning.
        You like to "dance." When you hear music you bob up and down. It's really cute. Yesterday we were at grandma and grandpa's house. You wandered into the living room on your own and started playing the piano and "singing" in a high pitched voice and it made me smile. You are learning and growing every day and becoming quite opinionated too. We had a really good birthday. I decorated the house with balloons, streamers, and pictures of us. I made you a little banana cake which you had fun digging into. It felt really special. All day I told you, "It's our birthday!!" You didn't seem to care, but I loved it. I'm looking forward to many more birthdays with you.

Love you sweetheart,
Mom

Sleepy sleepy Lola

Because sleeping baby pictures are the cutest.

Dear Lola- 11 Months

Dear Lola,

Every day it seems like you learn something new. This month you starting pointing at things in books. You love books, but can't always hold still long enough for me to read one cover to cover. You'd rather flip the pages as fast as you can. I love it when you're tired and snugly and sit while we read. You've learned that blocks are for stacking which is just so so cute. You will take them out of your toy basket and then put them all back in. You do the same thing with the cookie cutters and a bowl. Probably my favorite thing that you've learned is to clap your hands. You do it with a big smile on your face. I love the way you babble. Sometimes you go on and on, talking about who knows what. One day daddy was trying to teach you to may mama. It really sounded like you said it a few times, but of course you didn't know what you were saying. I think you will be talking soon. When dad gets home for the day you always light up and let out a giggle. It seems like you turn into a high energy version of yourself when he gets home and wants to play. It's adorable when you follow him around the house.You have only gotten better and better at walking. After taking your first steps a month ago it only took about a week before you were walking more than crawling. You learned how to stand up in the middle of the floor and then quickly how to turn around to change direction. You are such an adorable, clever little girl.

Lots of love,
Mom

Dear Lola- 10 months

Dear Lola,

You took your first steps two days after turning 10 months old . We were surprised and thrilled! Grandma Hill had been making bets that you would for weeks but I was skeptical. I had been helping you learn to stand on your own for a few days but then suddenly you thought you would take a few steps before diving for the floor. I kept standing you up and bribing you with my cellphone. The most you did was 4-5 steps that first day. I sent a text to Dad saying "I think Lola will be walking by the time you get home for lunch!" Since then you just keep getting better and better. You are now striking out on your own- you are so brave! You also get into and empty every cupboard and drawer you can reach. I just have to accept that the house will always be in disarray. I also found you sucking on the nasty part of the toilet plunger the other day haha. You are such a curious and clever child :) Other things you have been up to this month: going down stairs, getting off the couch or bed by yourself, and waving. You sometimes cry when I leave the room without you, or crawl into the bathroom after me. You love eating cheese, crackers, cheerios, chicken, peas, watermelon, bananas, peaches, and pretty much any fruit we give you. I am happy to say that you are doing much better at sleeping all night long, although if you kick off you blankets and get cold you whine until you get cuddled. There is no way I can get you to wear a bow on your head anymore. Even distracting you is not enough to keep it on for a minute. Holding still for pictures is also difficult because you just want to get a hold of the camera. Right now you are sitting on my lap as I type, inspecting all Dad's calculators and sometimes trying to type for me. This is such a fun age! Love you forever.

Xoxo,

Mom

Top 10 baby things I (almost) couldn't have lived without

I remember making my baby registry and seeing top ten baby lists and thinking wow, I really need all that crap?! Turns out I didn't. Even though some moms swear by them I barely used the nursing pillow, bumbo, binkies, or even the moby wrap (although I bet it's nearly necessary with 2+ kids.) Also, contrary to popular belief your baby will not shrivel up and die if you don't put baby lotion on them everyday (or ever.) But the things on this list I (almost) couldn't have survived the first ten months without.

• Bouncer- I didn't have a swing or anything fancy, but my hand-me-down blue bouncer! It was a lifesaver. I kept it close for the first 6 months or so for any time I just needed to free my hands. The vibrations and songs lulled Lola into a state of peaceful bliss. And best of all I could put it in the bathroom, strap her in, and take a blessed shower! Heaven. 

• Footie PJs- Aint nobody got time for undershirts and cute ruffled tops with a million buttons and pants and tiny socks all the time. Que the footie pjs. One outfit for night and day, warm and comfy. 

• Diaper Bag- This thing keeps all the stuff that my baby needs for a day out. Enough said. But really, in those first few months after having a baby it can be overwhelming trying to get out the door with a little one, so it's nice to have some of the stuff packed and ready to go. Get one you love! I got this Skip Hop Bag in black because it doesn't look tacky. I actually got it from Phil for my birthday, which turned out to be Lola's birthday too. 

• Burp cloths/blankets- Lola burped spit up all over us for the first six months. Yuck. Burp cloths were really nice to have but blankets can do the same thing they're just bigger and they double as, well a blanket (which is essential!) Swaddle blankets were awesome too, but we only used them for the first 3 months until Lola outgrew the ones we had.

• Cloth diapers- yes, disposables do the job but I love my cloth diapers! They save all kinds of money and look cute to boot. I love Alvababy diapers!

• Cloth wipes/wipe warmer- I keep wash cloths in a wipe warmer and pour water on top. Presto, super awesome baby wipes that save $$$. Even if you use disposables, a wipe warmer would be nice, if not absolutely necessary, especially in the winter!  

• Washable nursing pads- These are obviously for a nursing mom and not a baby, but it's all the same to me. So keeping with the money saving washable stuff. I don't know how much money I would have wasted by now on the disposable kind, but it's a lot. I love these. I just wash them with the white laundry, so easy!

• Car seat and cover- Yes this is a very basic list. I love my Britax B-safe car seat because Lola seems so comfy in it. She will often nap in there. There was a time at around 4 months where she took a majority of her naps in it. Even now at 10 months old she still does sometimes, like last Sunday at church! My sister Karen made my super cute cover so she can sleep without distractions, as well as keeping out the sun, rain, cold etc.  

• Jogging Stroller- Truthfully we didn't even have a stroller until Lola was 5 months old. But since then we have gotten a lot of use out of our Baby Trend Jogging Stroller . I use it for sanity saving exercise. And also when we go on outings/to family reunions/camping it multitasks as a highchair and nap spot which makes it a super star in my book. 

• Pack n play- At first I didn't think this was necessary since newborns sleep anywhere. But as Lola has gotten older I realized how awesome it is to have a portable bed for trips! We also use it for naps in our bedroom, since her crib is in the living room. We got one for $8 in good condition at a garage sale and it has been well worth it. We just put an extra pad in it to make it nice for sleeping. 

Okay, so every mom is going to have a different list. It's okay if your mom/aunt/sister or I love and think you NEED something that you just don't like. Even so, it was fun to make my own top ten list!