Goodbye Tank, Hello Wii

Tomorrow afternoon Tank's new family will come to pick him up. Andy has taken this pretty hard. Harder than I thought he would. I feel bad that I am asking him to give up this dog that was suppose to be mine, but quickly became his. When we are all home Tank is sweet and laid back and I think, I can do this. And then Andy leaves and I'm reminded of why this dog drives me absolutely insane. I also won't mind the lack of dog hair everywhere. But it will be a sad day. So, I did what any good wife would do....

I told Andy he could put our Christmas money together and go buy a Wii. I was going to head over to Buckle and buy another pair of perfectly fitting, so cute jeans, but instead, we are getting a Wii.

My parents got each other a Wii for Christmas and we have all loved it. I was thinking about getting it for Andy at a later time, but today he asked if we could put our money together (the VISA cards we received from him mom and Grandma) and purchase a Wii. I had a hard time accepting this request because I already knew what I was going to do with my money. (See the previous paragraph.) You see, I, like most women have the hardest time finding a pair of jeans that fit my small waist and big butt. Buckle has just the perfect jeans, but they are kind of pricey. So I thought, and I thought. I really wanted another pair of jeans. But am I being to selfish? I'm already asking my husband to give up his dog. Should I give up my "dream" of owning another pair of jeans that fit so nice and make my butt look amazing? Can I put it on hold for his happiness?

So that's what I did. I told him tonight that he could go get the Wii. He is giving up something, so I can give up something. His gracious smile and heart felt "thank you" made it all worth it. So right now I only have one pair of amazingly fitting jeans. The smile on my husband's face and the time we will spend together playing Wii far outweighs my butt looking cute in a pair of pants. (Wow, that's hard to say).

When God closes a door, He opens a window. So...goodbye sweet Tank, hello fun Wii.

Lyla's First Christmas

Lyla's first Christmas was great. I don't think she really got any of the present opening, but she sure did love tasting all of her presents. We started out on Christmas Eve at Grammy and Big Guy's house (my parents). My sister came in for dinner and present opening. Lyla got way too many presents from my parents, but who can blame them. A few outfits, some shape sorts (one for our house one for their's), a Little People Nativity, a ball, some books and some shoes. Autumn got her a sit to stand Lion that sings. She loved the lion! I think it was because it sang as soon as the paper was torn off.



Christmas morning we awoke to find that Santa had arrived. (I loved playing Santa!) Santa filled Lyla's stocking with shoes, books, an ornament and a new softy. He also left her a book and a mailbox that sings and teaches her the ABC's and numbers. Andy and I also got Lyla blocks and a pop up toy. Andy and I also did some gift exchanges. I think we both did a great job for each other. He way went over our agreed amount of each other, but I didn't mind too much.



After Lyla's morning nap we packed up and headed to Andy's mom's house. We ate breakfast and had yet another gift exchange. Lyla got more clothes a this too cute alphabet train that is a sit to stand. It sings and has blocks that pop in to tell her the letters. So educational and so fun.

All in all Lyla had a great Christmas. On the down side, I got sick Christmas afternoon and ended up in bed until Monday morning. I am still recovering from the lack of food and from the weakness of not moving from my bed for two and half days.

Christmas Traditions

I've seen this around, so I'm joining in. I LOVE Christmas!!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapped gifts, but gift bags are easier.
2. Real tree or artificial? Real. The only way to go.
3. When do you put up the tree? The weekend after Thanksgiving. It's when the tree farms open.
4. When do you take the tree down? Around New Years. It's always sad to pack up my Christmas decor
5. Do you like eggnog? Never had it, so I'm not sure.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? My Molly doll.
7. Hardest person to buy for? Andy. I always give the good gifts that he wants to my parents.
8. Easiest person to buy for? My mom and now Lyla.
9. Do you have a nativity scene? I use to have a Precious Moments nativity and I get depressed every year that I can't find it. So I haven't gotten a new one yet.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. I love to mail out Christmas cards and I love to get them as well. I normally make my own Christmas cards, but I didn't have time this year.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? a Krispy Kreme t-shirt and paper hat. And no, it wasn't a joke.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Elf.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I try to start in early November.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes, once.
15. Favorite thing to about Christmas? The lights, the music, the presents, the reminder of Jesus' birth, I love it all.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Little Drummer Boy.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Have always stayed home.
19. Can you name all of Santas' reindeer? Of course! Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Doner, Blitzen, Rudolph. (thanks Stephanie for already answering this one)
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel (this year)
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Both. Christmas Eve is with my family and Christmas Day is with Andy's family.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Long lines at stores.
23. Favorite ornament, theme, or color? Santa gave me an ornament every year. I love all of the meanings they have. Some day I'll also have a "pretty" tree, but right now I love going through all of my ornaments and remembering when I got them and why. Andy has picked up where Santa left off.
24. Favorite for Christmas Dinner? We've never done a big dinner, it's just nice to spend time with family.
25. What do you want to do for Christmas this year? To open presents with Lyla.
26. Favorite Christmas tradition growing up? Oh so many. Going to Christmas tree farms to cut down our own tree. Waking up Christmas morning and seeing what Santa gave me and my sister, then waking her up to tell her what she got.
27. Favorite tradition now? We are just now starting our own with Lyla. It'll be fun to see what we do to share Jesus and Santa with Lyla from year to year.
28. Favorite Christmas Memory? See Christmas Tradition #26. Pretty much the same.

No matter what I do, I lose.

I have really been struggling lately with what to do with Tank. He has been living with us for 4 months and has been driving me crazy for about 3 and half. I went back to read the post I wrote about him when he first came to live with us. I was so excited to have a big dog and especially Tank. I just couldn't understand why Curtis' wife wouldn't want to keep him. I understand now. In fact, I was reading about how he cries whenever Andy leaves and had hoped it would pass. It hasn't. He will cry for hours. Which can be tolerated until Lyla starts getting fussy and then my patience ends. Several times I have considered giving Tank to Curtis' parents until they could find a good home for him, but it just broke my heart to imagine Tank with strangers. You see, Curtis has had a really hard time letting go of Tank. Apparently he wouldn't mow his lawn while he was still in town because he couldn't stand to be in the backyard where Tank use to play. For Thanksgiving Curtis was home and so we took Tank to my parent's house (across the street from Curtis' parents house) so Curtis could see him. Curtis wouldn't come over.

But some things have changed. Curtis is getting a divorce. And I am sure that he would want Tank back when he comes home next September. I've thought about keeping Tank until then, but some days I can't see myself surviving with him for 9 more months. It's been a rough 4.

There are many things about Tank that drive me crazy. His crying is one. He also sheds like nothing I've ever seen before. I feel if I'm not constantly cleaning my floors then they are covered in hair. Lyla is crawling so she is usually covered in hair, sometimes from head to toe. My house smells like dog, and I hate having a house that smells. A major concern is the cost to keep him. The food isn't so bad, but he needs his shots, his flee and tick and heart worm meds. All of which cost money. Money I don't necessarily have when paying for baby stuff, babysitter, bills, etc.

All of these are valid reasons for giving Tank to Curtis' parents. Hoping that they will keep him until Curtis comes home. But there is one reason to keep him with us, and that is that Andy loves having him around. I have learned, after several atttempts, that I am not a dog person. I've tried and tried. However, Andy is a dog person. He loves playing with him and just having him around.

So, if I get rid of Tank I make my husband sad. If I keep Tank I run the risk of pulling out my hair. Which is why, either way I lose. So what's a girl to do? Do I pick my sanity over my husband's happiness? Do I deal with the hair, the crying and trying to budget in another mouth to feed and "person" to upkeep? I'm at a loss. When Tank is driving me crazy I am ready to pick up the phone and make the call, but then I talk to Andy and I just can't do it. Andy has said it is my decision and he understands all of my reasons. It also doesn't make it easier that it was my decision to take Tank. I guess I didn't know what I was getting in to. Curtis kind of sugar-coated some of Tank's behaviors.

It also doesn't help that Tank is stuck inside most of the time because we don't have a fence to keep him corralled. So the crying and dog hair are unavoidable.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

8 months

8.MONTHS. When did this happen? When did my sweet little bundle of fuzz turn into a babbling, crawling, cracker eating 8 month old? People always say they grow fast, but you really don't get it; truly get it until you experience it. I'm already thinking how we are 4 short months away from a 1st birthday. There are days when I miss how Lyla would ball up in my arms and sleep for hours. Then there are days when I remember how tough that first month was and I'm so thankful for where we are now. It is a pure joy to watch Lyla grow into her own personality.

Things to Remember:
- Lyla has 6 teeth. Yes, that's right. Six teeth in 8 months. Wow.
- She is an expert crawler, getting where she wants to with ease. She especially loves to crawl up to me and pull up on my pants legs and then wait (not so patiently) to be picked up. I think she does this pant leg thing with everyone.
- Lyla is "talking" so much these days. She has more sounds such as "bababa" and something that sounds like "yeah" and "hi".
- Lyla is eating more "big girl food". She likes crackers, bread, and little pieces of cookies. She has become quite the little beggar, but she's just so darn cute.
- Lyla did a great job with Santa. She wasn't too sure about him, but a little tickle and she was smiling away.
- Everything goes into her mouth or on the floor. Lyla loves to pick things up and them drop them on the floor.
- We are still struggling with reflux although it doesn't seem to bother her.
- Lyla makes this little fake cough noise to get your attention and then loves to play a mimic game with it. She also will play copycat with raspberries.

I truly think Lyla is one of the easiest going babies. It makes me nervous to think what I will get next, but I'm just thankful to be so blessed. I'm sure I've said it before, but there is nothing better than coming home after a long day at work to a smiling face. For a brief moment in time I can do no wrong in her eyes. I'll enjoy that while it lasts.

Some pictures of the cutest 8 month old.

Lyla and Santa

Today we took Lyla to meet Santa. We made plans to meet my parents, sister, and Andy's mom at Bass Pro Shop at 2PM (after Lyla's nap). Well, my parents got there first and found out you had to get passes and the next available was at 6pm. Not going to work. After some discussion we decided to give La Cantera a try.

My parents and sister hopped in the car with Lyla and me and we headed over. Being smart thinkers, my parents had me drop them off at the front so they could get in line. Everything was going great until they tell us that Santa is about to take an hour break, but here is a pass to go to the front of the line at 4. Needless to say this mommy started to loose it. I knew by then Lyla would be in need of a nap and therefore not so festive. We were only 3 away, so we stayed in line in hopes that we would be able to squeeze in. And sure enough...we got in.

Lyla did such a great job. She didn't cry and only need a little tickle from mommy to get a smile.

Lyla's First Christmas Tree

The Sunday after Thanksgiving we took Lyla out for her first Christmas Tree shopping experience. Going to a tree farm and cutting down our own tree has been a tradition since I was 18 months old. Andy joined in on the family fun when we got married. It was so exciting to be able to share the tradition with my daughter. We picked up my parents and off we drove to New Berlin, TX. Lyla was very cranky in the car because she needed a nap, but refused to take one.

We got to the tree farm and set out to find our perfect tree. It didn't take long to notice how badly the drought had effected the tree farm, but we found one we thought would work in our home. Lyla had a great time even if it was a little drizzly.





She even was graced by a lady bug.


The final product.

Found Them

Here are some of the pictures that Yvonne took of Lyla at the Halloween football game. Hope you enjoy my little giraffe.

Snoring

I.HATE.SNORING.

So now that we're clear. I've never done well with sleeping next to a snorer. Traveling with my parents...always interesting. I'm not going to sell out the snorer (they know who they are). Then I married. I married a wonderful man. I married a snorer. Great. Andy's snoring has meant that I have slept in our guest bedroom many nights. Then our guest bedroom turned into the nursery. So the couch and I became friends. I've even kicked Andy out of bed. And before you judge or offer suggestions let me know say I've tried it all. Pillows over my head, ear plugs, I even have a white noise machine in the bedroom. Andy has tried the nose strips. Let me just say I believe those open up the nasal passages for louder snoring. It can become very frustrating. And as I watch the clock tick by I become even more angry at the situation.

So why you might ask, am I up at 5:46 on a Saturday morning writing a blog about snoring. Well, let me tell you. Andy had a gig tonight in Boerne. They were awesome. Andy's family was in town so everyone came over and the guys (Acoustic Soul) continued to sing for us. Well at midnight we decided it was too late for the three to drive back to Austin (over a two hour drive). So they all crashed on various couches and chairs/ottomans. At about 4:00 I awoke to my sweet husband's "night singing" (makes it sound more appealing doesn't it?) After 30 minutes of tossing and turning I gave up and decided to make a palate on the floor in Lyla's room and go back to sleep. Let me remind you that we have tile in every room. Not the most comfortable, but I figured some sleep was better than none. Well, wouldn't you know that even my sweet little girl had some heavy breathing. No fear, I'll just put a little pillow over my head and finally an hour later I'm asleep. But no more than 20 minutes later what do I awake to? Someone in the living room (one wall away) sawing some very serious logs.

Sometimes a girl can't win. So here I am, back in my bed, next to my snoring husband. Hoping at some point pure exhaustion will put me to sleep. I'm also thinking he gets to wake up with the baby in a few hours. I think I've earned that. I mean, I haven't put a pillow over his head.

Catch up

I have been very behind on my blogging, so there are several posts after this one. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving

Lyla's first Thanksgiving was one to remember. We started out as usual at my parent's house. My Aunt Renee and her clan, Aunt Robin and her clan, and Grandma and Papa all came over for the afternoon feast. Lyla did so good sitting in her high chair and eating her snacks while the rest enjoyed their meal. It was so nice to visit with family and enjoy their company. The women spent a long time afterward discussing the Twilight saga (I had just seen New Moon the day before) and all of the other Hollywood hunks. It was great. (I didn't get many pictures. If I get more from my parents I will update later.)

The 4 generations.

Papa and his girls.

Stopping by to say hi to Great-Papa.


Our next stop was down the street at Andy's mom's house. We hardly ever get together with them on Thanksgiving, so it was a very nice treat. Cousin JJ and Aunt Lisa were also there. Later Cousin Micheal and Lisa came in from Burleson. Lyla had a great time visiting with family and crawling all over everything. Again, I did not do a great job at taking pictures.
Lyla and Grandpa Adam.

Naked Girl

After our Christmas photo shoot with Yvonne, I was changing Lyla back into her regular clothes when Yvonne started snapping some pictures. Lyla rolled away from me and was totally hamming it up for the camera. Next thing I know, she has peed on Yvonne's black drape. I was so embarrassed, but Yvonne said not to worry. So here are some of those bare butt photos that are too cute not to post.


If you look closely you can see her puddle.

Halloween

So I was told by my grandmother (who is an avid Lyla Blog reader) that I never posted Lyla's first Halloween pictures. That was such a crazy day and following week, so it completely slipped my mind. Lyla's first Halloween was some what unusual. I had a football game that night, so we decided that Lyla would go to the game in costume. Being only 6 months at the time we didn't really see the need for her to go trick-or-treating, and we figured that more people would get to see her in her cute little costume at the game than going to a few doors.

Just a little history on the costume before I unveil the pictures. Last year in early November my mom and I went to Burlington Coat Factory to look at furniture for Lyla's room. While shopping we found a rack of Halloween costumes on sale. At that time I didn't know if I was having a boy or a girl, so we knew we had to buy something unisex, but I couldn't pass up a $7 costume.

So here she is. The cutest giraffe ever! (I had some great ones from Yvonne, but I can't find the cd).

7 months

Yesterday Lyla turned 7 months old. That still blows me away. It's hard to believe that in 5 short months she will be celebrating one year of life. Where does the time go? My sweet girl is truly the joy of Andy's and my life. We love watching her explore. Andy said it best..."that little girl warms my heart every day."

Some thing I want to remember:
- She now has 4 teeth. One on top and three on bottom (the latest two made their break through on November 9th).
- Lyla hasn't said words yet, but it seems she is working on her M. We think mama might come out soon.
- She loves to squeal. I think listening to her own voice is her favorite thing.
- Lyla is a expert crawler even though she still uses her left foot and right knee.
- She loves to stand and is working on her balance.
- She can now navigate the coffee table and couch. We think walking is going to come soon.
- Last weekend Lyla crawled up on my parents couch. She also loves to crawl up on the fireplace. She feels so accomplished once she is on top of whatever she is trying to conquer.
- Lyla holds her own bottle and can take it in and out of her mouth. Sometimes this leads to playing, but it also allows her to control when she needs a break.
- Lyla has started in on the Gerber puffs and yogurt drops. She also like tortillas and soft crackers.
- She sat in a restaurant high chair just this past weekend. She was very content to sit like a Big Girl.

And for your viewing pleasure, some pictures from our Christmas photo shoot.

Never a dull moment

You know that phrase, "never a dull moment." I use to hate dull moments. I loved being busy, on task, multitasking even, but lately I would kill for a dull moment. Work has been so crazy lately. Last week was an amazingly tough week. Filled was some hard conversations with superiors, long nights, and some parent issues. This week has also been a long week. Today (Wednesday) was the first day that I got home before 9PM. You can only imagine what it's like to not see your daughter for two days. Ugh!

Anyways, so I would love a dull moment. Just one. I would love to have one day without someone having a crisis that needs to be solved, or something to be angry at me with. I would love to not be pulled out at twenty different directions. Don't get me wrong, I still love my job and all that it involves, but it has been a hard year.

What has made it even harder is the illness of my principal, Larry Martin. He is fighting cancer again. He has been out for several weeks now. I breaks my heart to think about him not being at O'Connor any longer (if that's where this ends). He was the one that hired me. He has been the biggest supporter of my program and me. He is encouraging, uplifting and smart. We definitely feel the void all over campus.

Currently, I'm counting down the days until Thanksgiving Break. That would be 7 schools day. And I'm hoping that a week off will help me recharge! I think I need it.

Fun filled weekend

Miss Lyla had a jam packed, fun filled weekend. Friday night she spent the night with Grammy and Big Guy so Andy and I could have a date night. She absolutely loves slumber parties with her grandparents. Saturday Andy and I picked my parents and Lyla up to head out to lunch and then off to the pumpkin patch. Lyla was starting to get fussy, so we didn't get any smiles, but we still got some cute pictures. We gave her a little pumpkin and she held it the entire time.





After the pumpkin patch, it was off to nap time at my parents house so I could go get ready for the game. Lyla arrived with Daddy and grandparents to cheer on the O'Connor Panthers. They won in the last seconds of the game, 22-20. Way to go Panthers.


Sunday was girls day! Lyla and I picked up Grammy and headed off to New Braunfels where we picked up Aunt Autumn. After grabbing some lunch to go, we were off to Landa Park. The day was just too gorgeous to not spend the day outside. Lyla loved every minute! She watched the squirrels play, listened to the birds, and practiced her standing and crawling. We took a walk after her lunch and took in the sights. I can't wait until she's old enough to ride the train.





Once it was nap time, we headed home. We dropped Aunt Autumn off and made a bee line for Boerne where Daddy and Big Guy were fixing the drain in Lyla's tub. Daddy made dinner while Big Guy hung up Lyla's new swing that Grammy bought her last weekend. And of course Lyla had to test out the swing. I think she gives it an A+.



It was a wonderful weekend that went by to quickly. Hopefully we will have some more fall weather were we can enjoy the outdoors.

To My Girl

Lyla,

You are 6 months old. I can't believe how fast the time has gone. You, my sweet, have made my life complete. I am grateful every day that God chose me to be your mommy. When I look back on my life, you will be one of my greatest accomplishments. I never knew that loving you would come so easily. It is true what they say, "you never understand the Father's love until you become a parent yourself."

It is hard to believe that this time last year I didn't even know if you were a Lyla or a Landon, but I knew I loved you. I couldn't have imagined then that I would love you so much more day after day. Your smiling face and delightful laugh are the perfect end to my days. There is something so special about being your mommy. I love that just seeing me walk through the door is enough to bring a smile across your face and a squeal from your lips. The bond you and I have is beyond understanding.

I am so proud of all you have already accomplished. You took your sweet time coming into the world (9 and a half months), but you haven't stopped since you got here. In the past six months you have learned to roll and gave up your swaddle before I expected. You have learned to sleep through the night (most of the time). You have grown two teeth, found your voice, learned to sit and to crawl. You pull up on everything you get your hands on and have already attempted to take assisted steps. You love your solid foods, especially the vegetables. You have struggled with reflux, but are still working on gaining weight. You go to all of mommies football games. You love the sounds, the lights and the sequins. Just like your mommy. You will smile at anyone who looks your way and your LOVE the camera.

I am so excited to see what the next 6 months will bring, but feel free to take your time. I hope you enjoy being a child. Mommy loves to look at the world through your child like eyes. Everything is new and exciting.

Thank you for bringing joy to my life. I pray you will love life. That you will find joy in all that you do. I pray that you will always know you are a child of God and that he will hold you your whole life. I hope you continue to find pure joy in books and in learning. Whether you become a dancer, a singer, an athlete or valedictorian, I will always be proud of you.

So here's to you my sweet. Happy half birthday.

Busy Girl

Lyla turns 6 months old on Friday. I can't believe she's already half way to her first birthday. She amazes us everyday with what she's learning. She now has 2, count them, 2 teeth. Her second bottom tooth started to come through about 2 weeks ago. She loves chewing things now, especially my coffee table. Lyla has been mobile for a while, but just in the past few days she's really mastered her crawling. She still moves slowly, but she gets to where she wants to. She's funny though. She sticks out her left leg like she is about to stand up and then pushes with it. Lyla loves being able to get to Tank, to crawl around on his bed and to crawl under my coffee table. She's also starting to pull up on things. She can pull up to standing and if I hold her hands she'll step around or climb up onto my lap. I really think she'll be walking in the next few months. We'll see. She's also squealing a lot. She loves to hear her voice. She "talks" to anyone and squeals with delight when she sees things she likes (her books, her bottle, her mommy).

Here's a little video of her crawling.

Eat 'em up Cats

Last Saturday Andy and I attended the Texas State football game in the Presidential luxury suite. That's right, we're big wigs. Ha! We received an invitation a month prior and could not figure out why we were invited, but we said yes. Let me tell you, we were treated like royalty.


It started out with VIP parking. Nothing like parking two spots down from the President's space. We were welcomed into the suite by President Trauth. We enjoyed an open bar, pork tenderloin, an assortment of desserts and the most amazing queso ever! I was excited to see an old Strutter friend, Amy and her husband. We joked about how we must have been the token young alum. Everyone else were way older. They probably looked at us like, what the heck are they doing here. Later we found out we "popped up" on the computer when they were inviting San Antonio area alumni. I'm hoping we pop up again next year.


We had such a blast watching the game from the suite. The only thing was we couldn't hear the game. But they fixed that during the 4th quarter when they opened the windows. I didn't even know suite windows could be opened up by the flip a switch.

During the 3rd quarter Amy and I walked to the other side to visit the Strutters. Two of my former dance team girls(Ashton and Kristen) are Strutters. They had an awesome half time performance, as always.


It was a great night!

It's coming to an end

Five months ago I gave up nursing and took up pumping. I told myself I would at least go until school started. Some days it was hard to hold true to that. Hooking up to a machine several times a day is never fun, but I kept reminding myself that it is the best (and cheapest) thing for Lyla. Well, I am now in my sixth week of school and I have kept up with pumping. I did have to cut down to three times a day instead of every 3-5 hours. My school schedule just doesn't work with pumping all the time. I am extremely proud of myself for hanging in there. But now my supply has started to diminish. Where I use to pump 9-11 ounces, I am lucky to get 6. It's kind of sad.

Andy has been very supportive. He told me just last night, "why don't you give it up? You've done it longer than you thought you would." I know it would make since to just stop. Obviously with the fewer times a day that I am pumping and the added stress that work presents, my body has started shutting down on the amount of milk production. I really thought I would be ready for this. But I want the best for my girl and I don't want the expense of formula. So for now I'll keep pushing through. 15 ounces a day is better than nothing. I told him, "every little bit helps." So we'll see. Lyla turns 6 months in 2 weeks. Maybe I'll stop then. Or maybe I'll stop when my body says it's had enough and doesn't make anymore. Who knows. I am proud of the fact that I made it this long.

How fast they grow

I can't believe how fast my little Lyla is growing. I was looking back at pictures from her first few days of life. I already miss that little bundle. I miss her curling up under my chin and sleeping in my arms. Don't get me wrong, I haven't forgotten the sleepless nights and the baby who wouldn't ever let me put her down, but there are times I miss that. Sometimes I even miss the few days in the hospital when I had nothing else to do but love and look at my sweet girl. One the flip side, I love watching Lyla grow an explore and experience the world around her.

Lyla just under one month.

Lyla just under five months.

Five Months

My sweet little girl turned five months old yesterday. Mommy celebrated at happy hour with friends. Lyla sure has been busy lately. She cut her first tooth on Monday, September 7th. She wasn't too fussy as she was working the tooth through. She did want to be held more and chew on everything, but other than that, she was pretty good. She has started crawling and gets better at it every day.

Things I want to remember:
- Lyla is enjoying time with Kayleigh, her babysitter more
- She loves looking at the sequins on the girls uniforms at football games
- She "sings out" during worship at church
- She doesn't "talk" as much as she use to, but when she has something to say, she says it.
- Lyla does much better at traveling in her car seat. She doesn't cry every time she gets put in it. She talks to herself in the mirror, plays with her toys, or sucks her thumb.
- She doesn't automatically fall asleep every time she gets in the car.
- She has worked out a pretty good routine with Daddy during the day.
- She started oatmeal cereal right after her 4 month birthday and loves it.
- She wasn't a big fan of bananas. We will try again later.
- She has also been introduced to sweet potatoes and green beans. She loves them both.
- I think she is going to be my vegetable eater.
- She has cereal in the morning and veggies in the evening.
- She hasn't started enough solids to replace a bottle yet.
- Sleeping patterns still change frequently. She usually sleeps until 7:30-8:30, but some times wakes up between 5:30 and 6:30.
- We are working on getting her to bed between 8:30 and 9:00, but some times she talks to herself for up to an hour before she falls asleep.

Here are some pictures from her second football game. The Panthers beat the Marshall Rams (Mommy and Daddy's alumni) 24-20. Lyla made it through the whole game with only a short nap in Big Guy's arms.