Wednesday, December 23, 2009

MERRY CHRISTMAS








Hey Folks!!! I know, I know...you all are asking "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN, YOUNG LADY?!?!?!" Well, our lack of posting isn't for lack of wanting to. You see, Daddy and I have been swapping illnesses over the last couple of weeks and haven't had much energy to do anything. It seems that when I am not feeling well, no matter the ailment, I always get a case of the "Hold-Me-Fever". Do yo ever get that? It never fails, if I am feeling a bit down all I want is to cuddle and there is NO putting me down. If you do make the mistake of putting me down, I will let the whole world know my disapproval until you pick me up again. After all, a little bit of lovin' is the best medicine in the world. So, if you want to know what I have been doing the last couple of weeks, I've been doing a WHOLE lot of cuddlin. Daddy and I have even gotten in a few good naps together. I want to tell ya, there is no place better to take a nap than on Daddy's chest!!! It's the best!! One more thing that added to our posting delay is the fact that our internet at the house has been giving Daddy the fits. Apparently, something is wrong with the router and it boots us off the internet like every 10 minutes. It totally stinks and is really frustrating!! Daddy says we will be switching providers soon so hopefully the problems will resolve then. So, sorry for the delay



Anyhow, Christmas season seems to be zoomin right past us at an alarming rate. I met a new friend a couple weeks ago. He's a jolly old fella and smells of candy canes. That's right!!! I met Santa Claus!!! The one and only, Santa Claus!!! Daddy was worried that I would not like him because I have this weird thing about beards. They give me the heeby jeebies and I just don't like them. In fact, my Uncle John has a big beard and I would cry like crazy if he came within 3 feet of me. I have since warmed up to him a bit. I am not sure I want to go snuggling with him just yet, but at least I don't yell for security when I am next to him. Daddy tells me that when I get a little older, Uncle John is gonna be one of my favorites because he is soo goofy. I hope so!!



OK, back to my encounter with greatness. So the Ft. Mitchell Country Club was having a holiday breakfast and they thought they would send an invite to Santa at the North Pole to see if he wanted to join us. And he obliged!!! We got to the club, had a fantastic breakfast and then they had a magic show for the kids....and, to be honest, some of the adults too. We even ran into Mommy's OB. You know, the lady who took care of Mommy this time last year when I was still in her belly. It was soo great to see Dr. Coppage. And then it was time for the main event. You would not believe the line and the excitement amongst the kids. These kids came ready to unload their list of desires on this poor fella. Daddy and I decided to hang back and let the crazies go first. And then it happened. My turn came up and Daddy plopped me down into the lap of a complete stranger. Can you believe that?!?! Just handed me over to some plumpy old guy with a really white beard knowing that I am terrified of men with beards. But check out the pics! I did great. I took right to Santa and Daddy took the opportunity to get a few shots. Santa asked me what I wanted for Christmas but I guess I was so awwstruck by his greatness that I didn't have anything to say. Well, I am not too worried about it. I have a loving family, a doting Daddy and good health. Who could ask for more? I just want to have a great Christmas spending time with family.



Do you want to know my latest and greatest skills? As you know, I can climb up on furniture and now I can shake my head "No" when Daddy tells me to get down. Daddy thinks it's funny because I shake my head at even the things I want. Like, "Lily, do you want something to eat?" I shake my head even though the answer is "Duhhhh!!! Of corse I want something to eat." He plays hard to get at first, not giving me my snack, but he always gives in. Check ot the video, I do a little head shakin in it. Other skills include my new found love for making raspberries. Not the fruit, but the sound you can make by pursing your lips together and blowing air through them. I love how it makes my lips vibrate and how I can make spit bubbles. Daddy and I have raspberry making contests that are tons of fun. He is pretty good at it bt doesn't generate half the spit that I do. He needs some practice and tells me that I sound like a beebopper when I do it. Yo DJ!! Can I get a beat? ;-) Oh yea, that reminds me. I also enjoy singing along with the radio. Music is great and a TON of fun. I am hoping that my singing voice is as good as my mommy's. So does my Dad. He says he sure hopes I don't sound like him. Haha, for everybody's sake.



Other than that, not much is new over here. I continue to do awesome and I really amaze my docs and therapists. A few more weeks on the boob juice and I am switching over to whole milk from cows. Let's pray for a smooth transition. Well, we wish you all the merriest of Christmas holidays and for all our jewish friends, we hope you had a great Hankkah!!



Love you all TONS,



Lily





Saturday, November 28, 2009



Gobble Gobble

Hello Everybody!! I hope you all had an AWESOME Thanksgiving and are enjoying the start of the Christmas season. Things here are going stupendous!!! Since Daddy has to use his vacation time at work before the end of the year or else he loses it, we have been spending a whole bunch of time together. He has been taking a day here and a day there. Just this week, Daddy took off Tuesday-Friday. Good golly Miss Molly have we had a good time. We've run all over town doing errands and visiting friends.
So, I think Thanksgiving is the greatest day EVER!! We spent the whole day with family and friends discussing all the great things for which we are thankful. We have fantastic family, wonderful friends and a God who, with my Mommy, seems to be smiling down on us. I loved the whole day and even got to eat mashed potatoes. Now that is some goooood stuff! I ate a few spoonfuls and loved it. And Daddy had a LOT more than just a few spoonfuls, he said he ate soo much his belly ached. He thought that just because he ran in the Turkey Day race that his belly would have extra room. Apparently, that was not the case. He didn't have any room for dessert! One thing Daddy and I had in common was that when we got home, it was lights out. We were super-pooped!
Another thing I love about the holidays.....visitors!! Mommy and Daddy's friend Kelli was in town this weekend and we got to hang out on Friday. It was sooo great to see her and she kept saying how great I look and how much I have grown since we last visited. She was loving my new skills. You see, I am now waving and giving high fives. Check the video out! Kelli and I had soo much fn Friday night that she came back on Saturday to hang out while Daddy went for a swim. We had the greatest time together.
And to top the weekend off, Daddy took me today to visit with one of our most favorite NICU nurses, Brooke. It's been a real long time since we saw her and I was sooo stoked to be able to spend an afternoon lovin on and being loved by her. She was the greatest nurse whole wide world and now lives near the mountains so we only get to see her when she is in town. It was soo nice to catch up and she just about fainted when she saw how big I have gotten. We had the greatest time together. Can't wait to see her again!
Other happenings here at the ranch include Daddy going into high-gear baby proofing. He's replace the power outlets with babyproof ones. He's put rubber cushions around the fireplace. We no longer have a coffee table. Tuckers toys are always just out of reach. The living room is my playground and I have the entire area to roam. So cool! Also, as I mentioned above, my newest skills include waving "Hello" and "Bye", giving high-fives to Daddy and friends, and I am also learning to say my "rahs". Sometimes I say "Dadda", sometimes I say "Gagah" and other times I sing "Rahrahrah". Mimi is pushing hard for the next thing I say to be "Mimi" but those 'mmmm' sounds are tough.
The doctors are all soo very happy with my progress. So much so that I only have one more month on the donor "boob-juice" and then I will be moving to whole milk. The physical therapist thinks I will be walking really soon; perhaps even before my first birthday. I am really excited about that. Daddy was saying the other day that he is excited to see it and that he might laugh because he just can't picture such a small baby walking around. Just wait, I'll show 'em!!
Well, I hope you all are doing great and recovering from all that Turkey and treats. Stay tuned, the next blog may have me walking.
Love you all,
Lily

Thursday, November 12, 2009

And we're climbing!!

Happy Fall everybody!!! These leaves and the brisk mornings are something else. Daddy has to bundle me all up before we leave the house and it's been a learning experience for both of us trying to figure out what I can where that won't make me overheat when we are in the car. We haven't mastered it yet bt we are getting there. He tells me that even though I think it is cold now, that even colder weather is yet to come. Daddy also said that the cold can bring snow and that snow is SUPER fun to play in. I can't wait!! We'll be making snow angels together before you know it! But for now I am just gonna enjoy rolling in the leaves and listening to them crackle and crunch under my weight.

Things with Daddy and I are going well and he tells me that I need not be in such a hurry to grow up because he is trying to soak it all in and not miss a thing. But I am a girl on the move, you know. There is soo much I want to see and explore around the house. I am getting a hang of this crawling thing and now I can even pull myself up on things. I like to pull myself up on the couch and stand next to it. Tucker is a lot of fun to crawl all over too and he doesn't even mind that sometimes I use him as my standing support. He has been great with me and Daddy could not be more proud of how he watches out for me. Only one problem, he doesn't like to share his toys!! As you will see in the video, he has these plastic bottles that he loves to play with but he hates to share. But I love bottles too and wouldn't mind playing with one every once in a while. But he won't let me play with his toys so I guess I will just have to get my own bottle.

There really isn't too much to report beyond my getting much faster at crawling and the teeth that keep growing inside my mouth. Daddy says that some baby's are just the biggest whiners when new teeth come in and that he is sooo happy that I haven't fussed much at all. That's because I am a tough chick. Daddy also said that some babies drool like Pavlovian dogs when they are getting new teeth but again, I am not most babies and haven't had any problems with spit drenched clothing. I just try to stick anything and everything in my mouth; that's all.

We are really looking forward to this weekend. It's Mimi's and Uncle Ian's birthdays so we get to go celebrate with them. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mimi and Ian!!! It's gonna be a blast! Other than that we have a super relaxing weekend ahead of us. We hope yours is equally as relaxing.

Well, since we don't have much to report, have a great weekend and stay tuned for more video and commentary!!

Love you all,

Lily






Wednesday, October 28, 2009










Happy Halloween everybody!!! This season is soo much fun and Daddy and I have been having a blast!! There are soo many things to see and do. Many of our neighbors have decorated their houses with all sorts of cool and spooky things like ghosts and skeletons and witches and stuff!! And what's better is all the cool pumpkins that are on people's porches. There are big ones, small ones, round ones and tall ones. They come in all shapes and sizes and Daddy tells me that people actually decorate them for Halloween. They carve all kinds of interesting things into them and the kids get to pull all of the icky slimy insides out. I am told that I can do that next year but for now Daddy and I just have two pumpkins on the bench outside. One big one for Daddy and one small one for me.

So in honor of our love of the season and my new found holiday, I have chosen to be a pumpkin for Halloween. It's pretty fitting really. I mean, just think about it. Pumpkins are kinda short and I wasn't exactly handed the tall gene. The good pumpkins are kind of plump and Daddy keeps telling me how really excited Mommy would be because she always wanted a chunky baby and I seem to be aiming to please. While I definitely am not the chubbiest baby in the world, I am not missing any meals. Ask anyone who tries to take my bottle to burp me (not a pretty site). And to top it all off, Daddy even calls me his little pumpkin. We took some pre-Halloween photos to share with you. Daddy isn't dressed up but he told me that if I wanted him to that he would go as a farmer. I think it's a pretty good idea. Don't you?

I am sure you all have been wondering how we have been doing and what new tricks I have up my sleeve. Since the last post, I have been working non-stop on figuring out how to get to where I want to go with out having to barrel roll. And I finally did it!! Check out the video that we've attached. I can finally crawl!! It's the coolest thing EVER!! Daddy says that the gates are getting put up, the bumper pads have been attached to the corners of the fireplace, coffee table has been moved out and now the TV/Living room is my territory to explore. I am not super fast at it yet but I think I am getting faster everyday. I can even support my own weight and stand up if I have something to hold onto. It's crazy how you can develop new skills in such a short time. Daddy tells me that he loves to watch me because I am not afraid of trying new things and even when I fall down, I don't get discouraged and keep trying until I get it. He says that a lot of people could take a lesson from that.

Oh, how could I forget?! Something came for me over the last couple of weeks. Can you guess what it is?......TEETH!!! That's right, I, Lily Ann Carr, have my first set of teeth that have come through. They are still small and kinda hard to see unless you move my bottom lip down, but they are there. My first teeth are the two on in the very front of my bottom set. Daddy calls them my "chompers" and that he knew something was up because everything I pick up goes right into my mouth. Hey, cutting teeth is no fun and if trying to eat the remote control makes it feel better, that is what I intend to do. Luckily, Daddy keeps a close watch on me and as soon as I make a move to chew on something I shouldn't, he is quick to replace it with either a teething toy or a wubbanub. I can't wait to see what teeth come next!!

Tonight (Wednesday) was a big night for Daddy. He has been harping on me for weeks to just call him "Dadda" but I just wasn't ready to give him the satisfaction. But one thing I admire about Daddy is that he doesn't know how to quit. So I finally relented and let it out. That's right, I said "Dadda". Well, actually I kept saying "Dadda". As it turns out, it is a very fun word to say so I just kept saying it all night. You should have seen the smile on Daddy's face. You would have thought he won the lottery. So, now that I can say Dadda I need to think of what my next word might be. Hmmm....I'll keep you posted.


Well, that's really all that's going on here at Casa de Carr. We are loving the fall weather and the trees in the back yard are ablaze. The colors are spectacular. Bright yellows, oranges and reds like I have never seen. Daddy says the leaves aren't nearly as pretty when they are in the back yard and need to be raked. But lucky for Daddy, we have the most incredible neighbors in the world who pitch in and do the yard work. They are soo awesome that Daddy can't even put it into words how much he appreciates it. We are soo lucky.

I hope all is well with you rock stars!! Have a great weekend and a fantastic Halloween!!!

Love you tons,

Lily

Monday, October 12, 2009


Hello friends!! It's been a crazy exciting time in Cincinnati lately. The weather is changing fast and the leaves on the trees are all changing into bright and beautiful colors. I like green leaves but I LOVE the bright orange and yellow ones that we can see out of our sliding glass door. There are only a few now but Daddy tells me that in another few days/weeks, it will be so bright and beautiful looking out our backdoor that it will look like the woods in our backyard are on fire! But the leaves aren't the only things changing here in the Queen City. It seems that the luck for the Bengals is changing too. Who Dey!!! They have started off the season 4-1, actually look pretty tough and are in first place in their division. Daddy says its been a real long time since they were in this kind of a position. I don't really follow the sport all that close, but I have a super-duper cute Ben-Gals Cheerleader outfit!! I think I might just be the good luck those boys have been missing. I also think I love the color orange. Since my entire wardrobe consists of light pink, bright pink, dark pink and any other variation of pink you could think of, it's kinda nice to mix things up a bit. Besides, orange is a great fall color and goes great with the crazy sweet Baby Uggs my Aunt Cyndi got me! I think I am gonna get Daddy to go out and score me some new outfits and diversify my gear a bit.
Speaking of orange things. I've begun eating carrots and they are sooo much better than that silly squash stuff. I am sure you'll enjoy the video attached to this blog. Daddy and I were having a good ol' time with our first carrot experience. Daddy took his eye off the bowl for one split second and WHAMM!! I tip it over and managed to spill some of the carrot puree on my table top. That stff is sooo much fun to smear around!! You can make all sorts of cool designs with it. It even turns your shirt sleeves interesting colors. Daddy learned quick that he has to guard the bowl or else I am going to make a play for it. It's pretty fun keeping him on his toes and between you and me, I think he is really enjoying it too. Even if he does have to do all the clean-up.
Other exciting news in Casa de la Carr is that I am about as close as a little girl can get to crawling without actually being able to crawl. What I mean is that I can support all my weight on my hands and knees, I can rock back and forth like I am revving up to fly off to some distant land and I can even use my legs to move me forward. Trouble is figuring out what to do with my arms. I do all the things I listed above and then the next thing I know I am faceplanting the floor. It doesn't hurt and I don't get too discouraged but I am really working hard on figuring this thing our because I want to explore and chase Tucker around!! Stay tuned because the next post may have video with me motoring about.
Speaking of Tuck, he is really starting to warm up to me and has become a good playmate. He likes to lay on the floor with me when I am rolling around and loves it when I roll up against him. I love his soft hair and the way his floppy ears fold up in my hands. Sometimes he rolls over on his back for me and Daddy to rub his belly. Boy, he sure does love it when you scratch his belly but he really doesn't like when you grab at things; you know, boy things. Ooops.... Daddy is usually right there so Tucker is never in too much danger. Besides, Tucker is an understanding boy and just gets up and walks away whenever I get too close or he feels he needs his space.
This past week has been a little different because Daddy was a little under the weather. He went to the Dr. and they gave him some meds which are working but for a couple days there, he was pretty tired. He says he is soo thankful for family because they have been soo helpful. For instance, since Daddy stayed home from work on Wednesday, I went to Alison's for the day and then Mimi picked me up to take me home. She stayed the night and then in the morning we went over to her house where I spent the day and night so that Daddy could get some much needed rest. And boy did it work, Daddy was like a new person on Friday. Maybe a little rest is all he needed.
To close out the week, my cousin Connor had his first birthday party and boy was it a good time. I got to see my cousins, my Uncle Cam and Aunt Jess, Poppy and my Mimi Cameron is in town too!!! It's been sometime since we last saw her and she was blown away at how much I have grown. I have soo many more skills now than I did when she was last here and I have a lot more hair too! Mimi C is in town for a few more days and we plan on hanging out a bit more before she hops back on a plane to go home to Arkansas. I can't wait (to spend time with her, not for her to go home).
I hope you all are doing spectacular!! I find out my weight and size this week when I go back to the doctors so I will keep you posted. I hope you enjoy the video and pics. Gwyn and I make really good BFFs (Best Friends Forever) and she is always soo nice to me. What a great friend to have!! Well, a girl has got to get her beauty sleep and rest. I have got a fun filled day with Poppy planned for tomorrow (Monday).
Lotsa Love,Lily

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Lily Takes On the 'Windy City'



Hey everybody!! Word on the street is that my audience has been clammering for a new entry and, if at all possible, some video. Well, I aim to please so I thought I might give you both. The video is a little short but it does showcase one of my newer moves. Daddy calls it the "downward dog" because it looks just like Tucker when he stretches. That and there is a yoga move that closely resembles what I can do. Also on the video you can check me rolling around. Rolling has become my new favorite form of transportation and I have gotten quite good at it. In fact, put me down on one end of the room, walk away for two seconds and I will no longer be where you left me. Daddy is learning quick about all the things he needs to move or, more importantly, remove from the areas I will be roaming. He calls it Lily-proofing the house and says it is important because he doesn't want me to get hurt just because he forgot to put something away. Anyway, here's some video and I promise to post more as I start to do more fun things.


If you are reading this blog, you probably read the title and thought to yourself "Windy City? Hey! Lily went to Chicago!?!" That's right! Daddy has been wanting so badly to take me up to Chicago to visit some of his and Mommy's close friends but a busy summer schedule kept us from leaving Cincinnati. Well, an open weekend finally popped up and Daddy jumped all over it. He booked us a sssweeeetttt hotel room that overlooked the Chicago River and invited Mimi and Papaw to come with us. We had a little delay getting out of town but once we were on the road......I was out for the count. Seriously, I slept pretty much from door to door and only woke up as we were driving into the city. And what a crazy city it is!! First off, you would have thought Daddy had accidentally driven into the middle of a NASCAR race with the way that the people drive in that town. In fact, Mimi and Papaw were so flustered by the craziness that they opted to bury their faces in their books until Daddy got off the highway. But Daddy did great behind the wheel and we got to the hotel in good time and a nice gentleman even parked our car for us. Talk about service. Then we went to our room, got settled in and Daddy let all his and Mommy's friends know that we were in.


Luckily, Mommy's friends Kelli and Erin work right by where we were staying so they cut out of work and came right over. They even brought me a stuffed froggy as a present. I totally love my froggy and he is now snuggled up with Ribbit (Mommy's stuffed frog) in my crib. We hung out in the hotel room for a few hours playing and catching up. I got so excited I accidently spit-up on my outfit and required a changing. When Mimi changed me, she put some pants on me that were so big that they fell down to my ankles when Daddy picked me up. Daddy said that's how they wear their pants on the Southside of Chicago and that it isn't the best look for a young lady. Kinda silly really. After putting on some fitting pants, Daddy's friend Ellen stopped by and we headed out to dinner at this nice restaurant around the corner. Actually, I think this was a restaurant for the hearing impaired because they really had the music cranked up loud. You almost had to yell just so the person across the table could hear you. Loudness aside, the restaurant was fun and trendy and the food was really good too; or so I am told. I fell asleep kinda early as I guess the drive up to Chicago took all my energy. Haha!


We woke up the next morning and after Daddy took a nice run, we were off to explore all the things Chicago has to offer. We walked all over town. We checked out Millenium Park with the giant chrome bean (I mean, who thinks of this stuff), we went to Buckingham Fountain (that thing is hugemungous!!) and we walked down the lake trail. Man were there a lot of people out and about. We even saw an activist march with people advocating world peace. I think it was a high school doing it and the kids were required to walk because Daddy and I saw to flag carriers using their flags as swords and were fighting. It's pretty funny to hear a group chanting "What do we want?""Peace""When do we want it?""Now" and then see two kids using the flags they are carrying as weapons.


Soon after our walking tour, we hopped on the L train and took it out of downtown and into Lincoln Park where a lot of Mommy and Daddy's friends live. We went to this festival that was advertised as Oktoberfest in hopes that Mimi, Papaw and Daddy could score some good german food and refreshments. Instead, we found that there was only one booth that sold brats or sourkraut. Has anybody ever bought Pad Thai at an Oktoberfest? Or, how about tacos? I wish I were kidding you but we have officially found the only Oktoberfest, that is billed as a German festival, that serves virtually no German food. How funny is that!?! Needless to say, we didn't stay long and opted to go sit on a restaurant patio where we met Daddy and Mommy' s friends again. They are such great people and I am so happy that I got to meet and spend soo much time with them. I sure hope they come to visit Daddy and me in Cincinnati really soon. I miss them already.

Sunday we woke up, got breakfast and headed back home so that we could catch the Bengals game (Who-Dey). And again, I bagged one of the greatest naps ever. I slept almost all the way home and woke up only for lunch. Daddy says that I am one heck of a traveler but that he wonders if I will always be this way. He says he suspects that when I get a little older, I will be harder to keep entertained and that I won't be napping as much. Who knows? But for now, plop my rumpus in a car seat, turn the ignition and I am asleep before you get out of the driveway.


Other than an awesome trip to Chi-town, there really isn't too much to report. I have moved from oatmeal to yellow veggies. And let me just tell you, I hate squash. Yiicckkk!!!! Daddy has to fight just to get me to swallow one spoonful's worth. Not sure what it is about the stuff but I just don't like it. I think we might be trying Acorn Squash or sweet potato next. Daddy is hoping that I like those a little better.


Everything else is going great. As you can see from the video, it is only a matter of time until I am off to the races and crawling. I am sure that the videos are going to get much more fun as I develop my skills. Please stay tuned. And if there is anything you want to know about me or Daddy, please post a comment so that we know what you want to learn about. OK, I need to get to bed. Good bloggin with you. Keep it cool!!



Love you all, LILY :-)





Monday, September 21, 2009

Long Weekend With Daddy



Hey, do you smell that? That's the smell of a clean baby girl. I love it when either Daddy or Mimi give me my baths. I get one about every other day since I don't really do much to get dirty (I am sure that will change shortly) and then when I make a huge mess in my pants. There is nothing like getting plopped down in my little tub and feeling the warm water on my bottom. It really relaxes me. Mimi and I have "spa-night" every Wednesday evening when she comes over. She gives me a bath, cuts my nails and rubs me down with baby lotion. What can I say? It's a good life.
Daddy wanted me to be sure to let all of you know how fast I am developing. Not only have I completely amazed my doctors and therapists, Daddy says he sees me making advances every day. For instance, I am reaching for everything; Daddy's dinner, Daddy's phone, Mimi's earings, peoples beverages (I'm particularly fond of beer bottles), etc. You name it, I make a play for it. I even hold my own bottle now!!
Another big development is how strong I am getting. Not only can I do pushups and push myself in reverse, but I can now get on all fours for a couple seconds at a time! Not only that, but now when I am playing on my mat on the floor I can roll to get anything that I see and want. So when Daddy puts me down to play, sometimes I am not where he left me when he comes back. It's a pretty fun game. So, bottom line, I am getting super-duper strong and will be crawling in no time.
The past week has gone by in a blur. Daddy took Thursday and Friday off to spend time with me and boy oh boy did we have a great time!! We went on hikes, checked out the zoo, cuddled and snuggled, there was a big party on Saturday and then Daddy had a triathlon on Sunday. Sounds like a good time, doesn't it?
The zoo was awesome! I had been before but the first time we went we did not spend as much time actually looking at the animals. We saw all different kinds. Daddy's favorite was the swimming Polar Bear (big surprise there) but I think my favorite was either the Gorillas or Manatees. What pretty creatures they are. One thing is for sure, there are some interesting smells there at the zoo. Some of which may peel the paint off the walls. It's pretty funny really because as soon as an interesting smell wafted by, Daddy walked faster.
On Saturday, friends of Mimi and Papaw threw a benefit in my honor at the restaurant/bar they own called "The Pike". Daddy says that he has some pretty good stories about that place that he is never going to tell me. Not sure what that means or why you would say you have a good story and aren't going to share...Anyway, the benefit was great!!! They collected all kinds of books for Mommy's school library and the Charity and Faith School in South Africa that Mommy and Daddy went to serve a couple years back. If that wasn't generous enough, they raised all kinds of money for my college fund. It is just incredible!! Daddy didn't even know these people before Saturday and there, out of the kindness of their hearts, they labored to put on a FANTASTIC event. All for me!! Daddy said it's hard sometimes to accept people's generosity but he knows that the funny thing about serving others is that, more often than not, it is the server who reeps the most reward. So, to the owwners of The Pike and all that came, thank you. Your generosity and love has truly touched Daddy and me. We are soooo very grateful.
So, what do you do when you've had a crazy busy three days? Well, Daddy wakes up at 4:30am drive to a Triathlon. He is N-U-T-S, nuts!! I said "Forget that!!" and stayed at Mimi's Saturday night and we headed up to the race later. Daddy did pretty good again. He placed 2nd in his division and 18th out of 80 overall. He said he is pretty happy with his performance and that he can't wait for next season so that he can compete in more races of longer distances. Like I said, he's a nut. Well, crazy or not, Daddy's cheering section at the meet are sure proud of him.
Well, I am off to bed. I must be growing because I am sleeping really well and taking nice long naps. Hope to hear from all of you out in the blogosphere!!! Keep on rockin"!!!
Love Ya,
Lily
PS: I will post more video soon. Daddy forgot to charge the camera





Monday, September 7, 2009

First Gear


Hey there blogger faithfuls!! How are things going? Things here have been super fun & busy but have also been keeping us away from an internet connection. It seems like every weekend, when Daddy and me would normally have time to sit down and reach out to you all, we have something planned that requires us to drive all over God's creation. Not that I don't like being busy and being the center of attention at all the functions that we visit, but I do like keeping all my friends and loved ones in the loop because we do some pretty cool stuff. Like the picnic for instance. It was the most INCREDIBLE time!! You would not believe all the people that came by to spend time with us. I got to see Dr. Lambers (she delivered me), a few of Mommy's nurses, a couple of my NICU nurses and a TON of family and friends. Daddy thinks there were probably over 100 people there. Can you believe it?!?! My rumpus never touched the ground. When I stop to think about that number and then think about the fact that they are there because they love and care for me, well....it leaves me speechless. Neither Daddy or I have the words to describe how much it meant to us to have so many loving people in our lives. Daddy was saying on the ride home from the picnic that it is because of the people at the picnic and countless others across the country that have given their support that he is doing so well and is able to be such a good dad. I think the good dad part just comes naturally though. We've gotten to see the very best in people over the past 8 months since I have been around and for that we thank you.


People weren't supposed to bring gifts to the picnic but some did anyway. I was given some cool toys and an awesome pair of shoes (gonna have to grow into those). I even got an autographed print of the Heart Mini-Marathon Daddy and the family ran in for Mommy back in March to hang on the wall. But the one that takes the cake, hands-down, is what my Uncle John and Aunt Pitter brought for me and Daddy. You see, Uncle John is quite the artist and sculptor and he has been working on a plackard (sp?) for us to hang in the house. He gave us the finished product at the picnic and Daddy just about broke down. The plackard is of me an Mommy and was inspired by a photo of the two of us Kangarooing in the NICU. It is abosolutely beautiful and Daddy is gonna find the perfect place in the house to display it. Thanks soo much Uncle John, from the bottom of my heart. It is a very special gift.


Now that the women in the audience are probably reaching for the nearest box of tissues, let's chat about some of the cool new skills I have developed. I am becoming quite the yoga expert and I just discovered the coolest things ever...my feet! That's right, I am a HUGE fan of what all the yogies call the "Happy Baby" pose. Basically, I just grab my little footsies and rock back and forth. It's a blast! And to top off my skills, I roll over and do the "Cobra"(Daddy thinks that's what it is called) which is like a pushup and when I get tired of that I go right into "Child's Pose". That yoga business is tough work but is making me one strong girl. I even found my first gear. Only problem is that my first gear is reverse and I can't tell where in the world I am going. You see, I start with my pushups and Cobra pose and before I know it the toy that was right in front of my face is now out of reach. I sure hope that the other gears come in soon because I would really like to see where I a headed. Daddy on the other hand is not as excited about my new found mobility. I mean, he is excited and super-dper proud of how well I am doing but he also knows that that means he is on the clock and has to Lily-proof the house ASAP. Good luck with that Daddy. No matter how well you do, I think I will still be able to find something you missed.


So this weekend rocked big time!! Daddy was off three whole days from work because of Labor Day and he chose to spend most of that time with yours truly. We even did our very first 5k race ever and it was at the Zoo. So, how well did I do you may be wondering. Well the race got off to a rough start for us because the gun went off before I was even in position in my running stroller. Then Daddy found out that the harness was too tight and had to adjust it before he felt safe running with me. We lost about 5 minutes from the start and then got caught behind a slew of eeh-hemm "slow people". Daddy calls them walkers but I say "move out of my way, flying baby coming through!!". It took another 3-4 minutes to break free of the, shall we say, leisurely participants and make a run for it. Boy were we flying once we did break free. We clocked a total time of 30minutes with delays and Daddy seems to think had we not gotten delayed we would have run somewhere in the neighborhood of 20-21 minutes. Not too shabby for our first team effort. What a great course and to top of the race, we got to walk around and look at all the animals. The first one we saw was the new baby Zebra. It was soooo cute and you know what its name is? Marty!!! (just like Mommy). After seeing the cute baby Zebra, we went to check out the Gorillas. Man are they humungous!! Daddy said I probably weigh less than just one of their butt cheeks. Nice Dad! Anyway, after the Gorillas we went to check out the Cheetah exhibit and even got to see them run. Good golly Miss Molly are they fast!!! Well, I am told that they are fast anyway. I fell asleep waiting for the show to start.


After the show we came home because Mommy's friend, Kelli, was in town from Chicago and was coming over to meet me. We had the greatest time ever snuggling on eachother and she even fed me. I don't know what her experience is with babies but she sure is a natural. I can't wait to see her again and meet some of Mommy and Daddy's other friends when we are up in Chicago at the end of the month. It's gonna be AWESOME!!!


Well, after such a long weekend I think I need to get some rest and so does Daddy. He was trying to get this blog out for me on Monday night but fell asleep at the keyboard. Hahaha!! Well, goodnight y'all. Don't forget to let us know if you have nay questions about specific stuff we are up to. We want to be sure to keep this site fresh and interesting as we move forward. You all are amazing. I love you so....


Love, Lily

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Goodtimes!




Hey Everybody!!! Where has August gone?! I can't believe how fast the summer has gone by. Daddy better get me to that pool he's been telling me about before it gets too cold. I guess with all the other cool stuff we have been doing it is kinda hard to find the time to go swimming. I might be the busiest little 7 month old in the Tri-State. So....I have some pretty cool updates since the last we chatted.


I had my first real physical therapy session with Mary and I totally impressed her with all my skills. She was blown away at how attentive I was and how well I could pass objects from one hand to the other. Some things that I get to start working on are reaching for my toes. So Mimi went out and bought these things that tie to my feet and make noises. So when I move my feet I hear the noise and then try to grab the animals strapped to my footsies. It's a pretty cool exercise and is supposed to help me develop muscles used in crawling. Well, you can bet I will be working on that a LOT because there is soo much I want to scoot around and see. Getting carried everywhere kinda gets old after awhile. Daddy better watch out because I can now do pushups and not too long after that comes rocking on my hands and knees and then we're moving!!


Last weekend rocked my socks off. You would not believe the weather. It was like 75 degrees with no humidity. Do you know what that means? Daddy and I spent like the ENTIRE weekend outside. We had a picnic Friday night and watched planes come in and out of the local airport. That was really cool because there were planes of all different types. There were big ones with very powerful engines and then there were itty bitty ones that just had a tiny engine. I really liked watching them take off and can't wait to ride in a plane myself. Daddy says it won't be too long (next Spring) and he is gonna take me on a plane to see Mimi Cameron and the rest of the family in Arkansas. We haven't planned the trip yet but I can NOT wait to ride in a real plane. So exciting!!! Then on Sunday, we went to a party for one of my friends, Lydia. Part of her family is Korean and in that culture they celebrate a baby's 100th day. Well, they really know how to throw a party. I think Daddy ate at least 3 of everything and I got to hang out with all of Lydia's aunts. They are some pretty sweet ladies, I tell you what!! Then after the party we drove clear across town to Mimi's house for dinner. Yes, Daddy ate again!! I think he might have a hollow leg or something where he stores all this food. And what amazes me the most, he doesn't spit up or birp or anything after he's done. Well....sometimes he lets out a little burp but nobody has to pat his back, it just comes natural I guess. Lucky guy. Anyway, back to Mimi's. So, while we were there I was looking at the pictures on the fridge and Daddy showed me one of my cousin, Haley, who lives in Florida. It turns out that we share something in common. You see, Haley's Daddy is in Heaven too and most probably having a great time with Mommy looking down on all of us. My Daddy was telling me that Haley's Daddy was a great man and that Haley is a spittin' image of him. Daddy said something about the apple not falling far from the tree but I have no idea what he was talking about. I think he meant that the all the things that made Meff (Haley's daddy) great got passed down to her just like many of the things that made my Mommy great got passed down to me. Anyway, Haley, if you are reading this, I can not wait to meet you the next time we take family vacation to Florida. I think we are gonna be good buddies. Keep on rockin'!


So, you know how I was eating that rice cereal stuff that really had no taste. Well, I graduated from that and am now on to Oatmeal. I LOVE oatmeal!! As you will see in the video below, I just can't get enough of the stuff. Just a little warning, Tucker goes crazy there at the end and scares the bejeezus out of me. Somebody knocked on the front door to drop off dinner for Daddy and Tuck went into protection mode. I don't think we have to worry about any unwelcomed guests coming around. When Daddy feeds me he sits me in this awesome chair called a "Bumbo". The thing rocks hardcore! Its molded just perfect for my little rumpus (butt) and has a tray that goes with it. I sit in it just like a big girl and get to look around. It too is supposed to help me develop special muscles.


Last but not least, this weekend is gonna be cuurrrraaazzzyy! We are having a picnic on Sunday for close friends who have been helping me and Daddy out. Some of my and Mommy's nurses are coming. All my babysitters are coming. Some of Mommy's coworkers I hope. And then the family. It's gonna be a rock solid good time. So, if you are coming, can't wait to see you. I am gonna go get some sleep and rest up


Love you tons!!!!


Lily




Monday, August 17, 2009

Rubba Dub Dub, Pass Me The Grub





Que pasa everybody!! It's been a while and you are probably wondering if Daddy and I fell off the face of the planet. The answer to that is "No" but we sure have been going all over this sweet city of ours. And this works out really well for me because the car is like my most favorite place to take a nap. Sometimes I fall asleep before we ever even get out of the driveway and people, we have a very short driveway. It's great!! So, we've got some catchin' up to do since we last blogged.

Last we chatted, we left you with the cliffhanger of what the Dr. would say I could eat, if anything. Well, the answer is......drumroll please........Rice Cereal. As you can see in the video, I wasn't quite sure what to think of the stuff at first. I mean, it tastes a little different from my milk even though it is mixed in with the cereal. Then there is the whole texture thing that I had to get used to. Kinda makes you smack your lips a bit. But after a week on the stuff, I am getting the hang of it. Sadly, I can't say the same about Daddy's delivery technique. He's trying but the stuff gets everywhere. I don't mind at all though. Just give me the grub and if I end up wearing some on my forehead, so be it. OK, so Daddy's aim isn't that bad but he's got some practicing to do. Which works good for me because I get to help!! Yay!! So the deal is that I eat the rice cereal for a few weeks to see how my belly does (so far so good) and then we will move to something with wheat in it (something about gluten allergies and starting wheat at a young age, I dunno). We do the wheat thing for a couple of weeks and then it's on to the real deal Holyfield....baby food!!! Oh man, I can not wait for that stuff. I hear it's sweet, yummy and makes kids grow big and strong. Not to mention, twice the mess!!!

I start my physical therapy on Thursday. I am really excited about it because I get to work with a really nice lady on getting strong and dooing all the things babies get to do. Basically, she comes and plays on the floor with me to see how I am progressing physically. Daddy says I am doing great and that he wouldn't be surprised one bit if I am crawling soon. You see, I now know how to roll over from back to front AND from front to back!!! This makes "belly time" much more tolerable because if I am on my tummy and don't want to be, I can fix it with a quick roll. Daddy says that I am getting much stronger and that it's awesome to see me develop. I am reaching for everything I see, bottles, wubbanubs, cell phones, you name it. But you better be careful putting me on my belly right after I eat because when I roll over...well, let's just say it isn't pretty.
This past weekend was one of firsts. I had my first sleepover away from home!!! Daddy went out with his buddies and dropped me off at Mimi and Papau's for the night. It was sooo much fun. We played, cuddled and watched Tucker and Lex wrestle eachother. Those dogs are NUTS!! Daddy was worried that I wouldn't sleep well in a new environment but I slept like a log and woke up around 7:30am. I love sleepovers and look forward to doing it again sometime.

Daddy picked me up on Sunday and we went home and laid around the house all day. It was super hot outside and Daddy said some days are best spent "veggin out". We had a great time and left around 4 to go to our family dinner at Uncle Ben and Angela's new condo. They have a great place. Only one problem....their dog, Lady, is not very lady like and kept stealing my toys. They got all slobbery and when Grandma would hide them in my diaper bag, Lady would wait until no one was watching and swipe a few toys out of the bag. Silly dog!! We had a great time at the dinner and headed home very tired. We went to bed right when we got home and slept all night. It was great!!

So I have to give a HUGE shoutout to Mommy's childhood babysitter, Mary. When Daddy and I came home on Sunday, we saw that we had a care package that must have come Saturday after Daddy and I had left for the day. This was the best gift I have ever been given. Inside, there was this great photo album of Mommy as a little girl and all the adventures she and Uncle Cam went on with Mary. She even inserted all these sweet notes about Mommy. I love it soo much. Actually, I am not too sure who likes it more, me or Daddy. And if that weren't enough, Mary sent me a book with me as the main character. That's right!! She had a personalized book made for me. That's incredible!! So, Mary, thank you soo much for everything. For loving my Mommy and for loving me. Daddy and I really hope to meet you sometime. Poppy says you were like the sweetest person ever. I believe it!

Well, I need to get to bed. It's late and you don't get this cute without getting your beauty sleep. I hope to hear from you all soon and maybe see you around. Stay tuned!
Much Love,
Lily


Thursday, August 6, 2009

Cheerleading is Tough Work




Hello out there!! Just wanted to chime in and see how things are goin'! Daddy and I have been having a great time over the past week. You probably won't be surprised one bit to hear that we have been keeping ourselves super busy. There is soo much to report that I don't know where to start. So, we'll just go in the order of the events because I think that will be the easiest. So buckle up, here we go!!

Saturday was packed from beginning to end with activity. In the morning, some of Daddy and Mommy's friends (Steve and Liz) came over to meet me. They live out of town and were just in for the weekend. They came bearing gifts -not a prerequisite for visiting me- and I totally LOVE them. They brought me soft stacking blocks and a book titled "My Daddy and I". Daddy has already read the book to me a few times. It's really fun and talks about all the adventures daddies go on with their kids. This is sooo gonna be Daddy and me. You can count on that!
After Steve and Liz left, Daddy and I took Tucker to the park where we had a play date with Avery and Melanie. They were a couple of my nurses at the Good Sam NICU and have kept in touch with Daddy. We had an awesome time visiting even though Tucker was a big whiner because he was tethered to the table and couldn't go play with the walker-bys. It started to look like rain and Daddy and I had to get going because he had to pick up his race packet for Saturday. We'll get to that in a bit. It rained like crazy all afternoon but cleared up just in time for Daddy and I to go over to some friend's house for dinner. After such a full day, I was pooped and ready for bed so Daddy took me home.

Daddy woke up at the crack of dawn Sunday because he had a triathlon that he was doing at a nearby state park. Luckily Mimi came over and stayed the night Saturday so I didn't have to get up with Daddy but it started at 8am so we still had to get up pretty early to get there in time. My goodness, these triathlons are crazy!! There are all kinds of people there and they all are wearing spandex. Who knew that spandex could come in so many colors?! Well, we got there a bit late and missed Daddy's swim portion but he must have done well because as we walked in there were people sprinting up the hill on their bikes. Daddy was among the first few to pass us and he gave us a big "thumbs-up". Daddy says that I make the best cheerleader ever and that he thought of me the entire race. The quicker he finished, the quicker he got to give me a hug and kiss. Well, I guess you can say that I am a pretty good motivator and that Daddy didn't do too bad. He finished 4th in his division and even timed well enough to place 4th amongst the "elite" men. Woohoo Daddy!! I can't wait to see how well you do on your next race. The rest of the day Sunday was kinda lazy. I was tired from just watching all the action and cheering for Daddy! Daddy and I relaxed around the house and had a friend over to hang out. It was soo nice.
OK, fast forward to Wednesday night. It was Gramma's birthday and Poppy arranged for the family to have dinner at this restaurant by our house. Since Poppy had me all day and Daddy had to work late, I just went home with Poppy and then to the restaurant with he and Gramma. We had a great time at dinner. My Gramma is soo great and I think she had a great birthday. She deserves it, totally!!

Tomorrow (Friday) is a HUGE day. I have my GI appointment and my tummy doctor is gonna tell me what kind of food I get to start eating. I can NOT wait. I wonder what food tastes like. Does it taste as good as the "juice"? Does it taste better? Well, all I can say is that I am super-duper excited. I bet once I start chowing down on that stuff that I am gonna grow even faster. Watch out Daddy!! This is gonna be grrreeat!

I am SOOOOOOOOO excited for this weekend!!! My Mimi Cameron is coming to town and I am gonna get to spend a whole bunch of time with her. I haven't seen her in soo long and I mis her soo much. Daddy says she'll probably fall over when she sees how I have grown. Well, I just look forward to chattin with her and listening to her sing and hearing stories about my Mommy when she was a little baby.

Well, I gotta get going. I need to stock up on the rest if I am gonna be partyin all weekend. Keep on rockin'!! We will!

Love you all,
Lily











Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Big Girl Stuff

Hey everybody!!! Is this weather crazy or what? I don't know about where you live, but here in Cincinnati, it's been great because we haven't had too much super hot and muggy weather. Daddy says that this isn't usually the case but that it works out great for us because we go outside all the time. I am particularly fond of our walks with Tucker through our neighborhood. My favorite is when Daddy puts me in the Baby Bjorn (it's like a backpack that goes in the front, I guess you could call it a front pack). Anyway, this thing is FANTASTIC because I am now big enough to face forward and its like I am flying down the street. I love being able to see everything that there is to see and say "Hi" to all the nice people we pass. It's really funny when Tuck has a BM. I know, you are like "What's a BM?" Well, it's a nice way of saying when he drops a stinky. Anyway, Daddy has to pick it up but it is a little more difficult to do when we are using the Bjorn because he doesn't want to get me near it. So, Daddy has figured out a way to stay as far away from the nastiness as possible, pick it up and tie the nasty bag to Tuck's leash so that neither he nor Tuck have to smell or carry it. Daddy has got some skills!!


So this past week has been super cool. Not only have Daddy and I been having a blast together but I finally got to go hang with Alison and Gwyn again. They were on vacation the last couple of weeks and I missed them sooo very much. Gwyn gives me the sweetest kisses ever and Alison just rocks my socks off. I think Mommy would be super happy and thankful for the relationship I am developing with her best friend. Gwyn and I have a blast together. We are totally BFF(s). That's Best Friends Forever for all you laypers. I look forward to seeing them again next week and going on adventures together.


This week also saw Daddy, Mimi and I go to Doctor Fix's office for my 6 month old checkup. Daddy about fell out of his chair when the nurse told us I weigh 13lbs and am 2 feet tall. When I was a new baby, I was way below the growth curve but now I am right at it. They are super-duper pleased with my development and have even given us the green light for me to start practicing taking my drinks from a sippy cup. Can you believe it?!?! This is some seriously big girl news. Right now we are just drinking purified baby water but once I get my practice in (see video below) I will be able to have milk from it. I also get to start eating soon but Dr. Fix wants my GI doc to make the decision on what kind of food I should eat first. So, next Friday we meet with him and I plan on eating real food by next weekend. I can not wait. I hear eating is all kinds of messy and a ton of fun. Stay tuned for some great pics and videos.


Sunday was the picnic for Poppy's law firm. My goodness does he work with some really great people. One lady told us that she has all kinds of clothes for me. I don't think Daddy is gonna have to buy me gear anytime soon. So awesome. This was quite the picnic. There were people of all ages there. There were people throwing frisbee and there was also a softball game going on. Everybody had a blast!! I look forward to next year's get together when I can run all over the place. Not to mention, you would not believe all the food. I think Daddy ate more than his fair share of dessert. He said that all that sugar helps to make him sweet. I am not sure about that. I think he just has a sweettooth. How about you?


I can't wait for the weekend. I am gonna spend a ton of time with Daddy and I also have a couple of play dates. Saturday AM I get to go hang with some of my NICU nurses. It's gonna be awesome. And then Daddy has a Triathlon on Sunday. I hope he does well.


OK, off to get my beauty sleep. I hope that your week is going stupindous!


Love you TONS,


Lily




Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Puppy Dog Eyes




Well, in case you all wondered how I have Daddy wrapped around my itsy-bitsy finger, check out my puppy eyes. One flash of these baby blues and Daddy melts like butter. It's great!! I am sure we'll be keeping that in mind as I grow up and find things that I want to do and Daddy says "no". I hope my puppy eyes will help my cause but am sure Daddy will develop a little resistance.
So the video was a big hit!! We will be sure to post more of those as we take them. Problem is, Mimi can't figure out Daddy's camera. Not to worry, Daddy has worked with her a little bit so that she can figure it out. Pretty soon we should have some good vids. Let's just hope Mimi remembers the lesson.
The doctor appointment with my neonatologist went great last week. Dr. Haberman couldn't believe how big I have gotten since the last time we saw eachother. I weighed in at 12lbs 6oz and am doing great developmentally. The doc says I need to really focus on bellytime and reaching out for things. This is supposed to help me learn to crawl. Crawl?! That's crazy! I am gonna get to work on that because being able to scoot about the house on my own sounds like a blast. Oh!! Dr. Haberman also said that I can start eating either rice cereal or baby food really soon. Like in the next couple of weeks, soon. That's awesome!! Watch out Daddy, I hear that when I get to eat that stuff that my "product" takes on a whole new form. The baby food is gonna be delish!!
This past weekend, Daddy went to the wedding of one of Mommy's good childhood friends so I got to spend the day with Aunt Juli. Guess what we did! We went to the "tall people reunion"!! Well, Poppy calls it the Tall People Reunion partly because his side of the family is not as vertically blessed as Gramma's. Holy Moly!! I met a ton of new people and we all had a blast. There were contests and games. The weather was spectacular! And by the end of the day I was pooped. I slept so well that night when I got home with Daddy.
All-in-all, things are going really good for me and Daddy. We continue to take Tuck to the dog park on the weekends. We have date night every Friday. We also work on my skills a bunch. Daddy continues to read me all kinds of books. I love storytime soo much and Daddy is getting soo much better at making funny voices for the different characters.
Hey Conner!! You asked me a while back if I have some of those jumpy things to play in. The answer is no I don't. Not because I wouldn't love to bounce and scoot around but because the docs say that they really aren't good for babies like me who were born really early. So, Daddy isn't taking any chances and said I can't have one. Not even my puppy eyes would work on this one.
Well, I am off to get my beauty sleep. You all are incredible and Daddy and I love you soo much. Keep on rockin and we'll keep on bloggin.
Love Always,
Lily







Tuesday, July 14, 2009

The Gift of Gab






Hey friends!! How do you like the video?! Daddy says that I am quite the talker and that he's never been more happy to wake up as when he hears me talking through the monitor. He calls it the "Gift of Gab" and says that Mommy was very gifted. You see, when I wake up in the morning I typically don't make much of a fuss, I just lay there and look at my mobile. Sometimes I just sing some songs or talk to the animals hanging from my mobile and I guess this is what wakes Daddy up. I get soo excited when I see him come in my room and I flash him my gigantic smile. He loves it!!


Since the last time we blogged, I have had some pretty cool stuff happen. Like yesterday (Monday) I was hanging out with Poppy and doing my tummy time when all of a sudden instead of looking at the floor I was on my back looking at the ceiling. Yup, that's right! I rolled over and even better, I have an eyewitness in Poppy. I thought it was soo cool that I decided to do it once more. Poppy was soo excited that he called Daddy at work to tell him the news. Daddy was really happy about the rolls but later that night when he asked me to do it again, I just wasn;t in the mood. I mean, you don't want to cheapen the moment by doing it upon request. Besides, I am not a dog for crying out loud (no offense Tuck). I am sure I will do it again soon and Daddy will be around to see it.


This past weekend Daddy and I both had colds. Daddy got it worse than me but still, these things are no fun. I mean, this slimy gunk is all up in my nose making it hard to breathe. The doctors gave me nasal drips and Daddy used the "boogie sucker" to make things better. It didn't take long for me to shake the cold and am feeling all better now. The humidifier sure helped. It's really cool and is shaped like a frog. Too cute.


This week has been a little different than most weeks because Mimi is on vacation in Florida and Aunt Alison is working at a reading clinic for kids. That means that I get some different folks that watch me. Like today, Jenni watched me. Jenni is Daddy's best-friend MJ's little sister. She really isn't little anymore but Daddy says once you're a little sister, you are always a little sister. Anyway, Jenni and I had a great time today and she is watching me tomorrow too. Can't wait!! Thursday I get to hang with Aunt Katie for half the day and then Daddy is coming home to take me to the Dr.'s. This appointment is my follow-up at Children's with the neonatology group. I can't wait to see Dr. Haberman. She's soo nice and is gonna just go crazy when she sees how big I have gotten. I am over 12lbs 4 oz if you can believe it.


Well, I am gonna go get my beauty sleep so that Jenni and I can play a lot tomorrow. I hope everyone is doing well. Mimi/Alison, I miss you guys tons!!! Hope you are having a great week. Please give Gwyn a hug and kiss for me, will you Alison? OK, sleepy time.


Love you all!! Keep on Rockin',


Lily

Monday, July 6, 2009

Ka'Boom

Hey friends!!! Boy do Daddy and I run around a lot in the summer. I was just looking at the last time we posted stuff and can't believe it's been soo long. Time sure does fly when you're having a blast with your daddy. All the running around makes a little girl very tired (see pic above) and pretty soon she forgets to touch base with her buddies. Sorry about that. On the plus side, I have plenty of stuff to share with you. So, without further ado....


You know how those ladies came over to the house from the "Help Me Grow" program? Well, they finally got around to writing up their report/assessment and met with Daddy today at his office. So, the bottom line is.....I rock! Daddy wasn't the least bit surprised but was still really happy to hear the good news. Basically, I am ahead of where they would expect me in the area of cognitive ability. Meaning, I am really responsive to noises (especially Daddy's voice), I interact well with people, I am super aware of my surroundings, and I can focus in on objects really good. Oh yea, and I am talking like crazy!! You grown ups call it "cooing" but to us babies, we're telling you all kinds of great stories about our day. You need to learn the lingo. The only area that they think that I need work on is my motor skills. We expected this to be the case and so the next step is scheduling for the therapists to come out to the house and help me "workout". I can't wait!! These sessions are going to help me a ton and before you know it, I'll be crawling all over the place. I think Daddy just fainted. Heehee....


This past weekend was so cool!! Daddy got off work early on Thursday and was off all day Friday!! You know what that means; we got to spend all kinds of quality time together. We went and met with Uncle Cam for coffee for a few hours. That was awesome! Then we just went home and hung out for a while. Aunt Cyndi and Uncle Grady came over and hung out in the afternoon while Daddy went out for a quick bike ride. And then to top off the day, Daddy took me to this restaurant where some of the Carr side of the family were eating. You see, we don't see that side of the family that often and one of Daddy's cousins was in town from Phoenix and wanted to visit. The only time we had available all weekend was dinner Friday night. Gosh, that restaurant was loud and cold. I was not a fan. I mean, it may be warm outside but geez, even Daddy was cold. Anyway, I am not complaining. I loved meeting that side of the family and am sure I will see them in the future.


Saturday was the 4th of July and Daddy had a swim meet nearby. He did really good against the competition but said he wished there were some better swimmers there that could have challenged him a bit more. But since it was a holiday, there weren't too many participants. The best part of the meet was the 92 year old man who was swimming. Don't get me wrong, watching him swim was a bit like watching grass grow but Daddy says he has probably lived as long as he has due to the healthy decisions he has made. If that's true, Daddy and me plan on being just as active so that we have long lives together. Pretty cool stuff.


Grandma and Poppy came and picked me up at the meet to take me to a 4th of July parade. HOLY MOLY!! This parade was like nothing I have ever seen. There was people everywhere. All dressed in red, white and blue. Some old guys in the parade were wearing really goofy hats. There were sirens and bells going off everywhere. A bunch of patriotic music being played. Candy being thrown to the kids on the sidewalks. Well, this is what Daddy tells me happened. I was asleep through the entire thing. Can you blame me? Daddy put me in the Baby Bjorn and once I nestle down in his chest, goodnight. I even slept through the guy who was dressed up as Gen. Patton and was firing blanks from a really loud machine gun on top of a Jeep. Daddy says he still doesn't know how I slept through that but was awoken by the car horn of a Ford Model-T. Well, I couldn't tell you but it was a great nap!


After the parade, Daddy took me to Mimi and Papau's house to hang. They watched me while Daddy went to a concert with Uncle Ian and some friends. Apparently, they had a great time and even found some place where they could ride a mechanical bull. I have no idea what a mechanical bull is but Daddy said that he, Uncle Ian and Maddie had a great time trying to ride it. None of them have any hope of making the mechanical rodeo circuit anytime soon but they have a great story to tell. They're crazy!


Sunday was just like the rest of the weekend. We spent it running around all of God's creation. After church, Daddy came home to get me and we went to my friend Keira's 1st birthday party. It was a lot of fun and I can't wait for my birthday! You get to smear stuff like cupcakes all over your face and people sing a funny song to you. Only 6 more months to go till I am 1. Crazy!! Daddy keeps telling me to slow down because he doesn't want to miss a thing but I can't help it. It's not like I can just stop time and besides, getting big is really cool and exciting. Everyday it's like I learn something new. And the more I grow, the more I get to eat. And we all know how much I love eating. The only problem, I don't like to stop and sometimes I throw tantrums when Daddy takes my bottle. Daddy just laughs, but I got him good this past week. Daddy pulled away my bottle and I was all kinds of mad when he was burping me. And as Daddy was laughing I decided to spit up.....right in his face. Haha!! You should have seen the look on his face. It was part shock, part eeewww, and part relief that I missed his mouth by less the a half inch. I'll get you next time, Dad.


Well, that's what is new in the world of Lily and Daddy. We just continue to have a great time with eachother and are loving the summer months. For those who are wondering how big I am, we'll find out for sure Thursday but Daddy guesses I am around 12 lbs and 23 inches long. But we'll see and will keep you posted. Keep on rockin'. We love you all more than words can say.


Love,


Lily






Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Daddy's Day and Some Other Stuff


Hey there!! I hope that your week is going swell. Ours has been pretty darn good but boy is it hot here in Cincinnati!! Daddy says that's the way summer goes here and that someday soon he might even take me to this place called "the pool". Apparently, it's a place where you go to cool off and play around in the water. Sounds fun to me and I will actually get to wear those swimsuits that are hanging up in my closet.

So, last time we blogged I mentioned our failed attempt at the dog park. What a funny disaster that turned out to be. Well, last Saturday turned out to be a MUCH nicer day and we finally got to go let Tuck run around. We went with Ian, Amanda and Maddie and had a blast! That place is great and the dogs there are all really nice to eachother. Some of them even like to make other dogs give them piggy-back rides. It's pretty funny to watch because when they do this, their owners go all crazy and yell at them to stop. Uncle Ian's dog, Lex, is particularly fond of asking other dogs for a piggy-back ride. It drives Uncle Ian bonkers.

As you all know, Sunday was Father's Day and I got to spend the whole day with Daddy. We went and sat with Mommy for a little bit and Daddy gave her the download on all the news with me. It's a very nice and quiet place so we just sat there for a bit enjoying the morning. We said see-you-later to Mommy and headed off to Mimi's for a Father's Day lunch. It was there that I presented Daddy with my gift to him. I got him a few really great pictures in really nice frames. They now sit prominently on his desk at work. They are wonderful pictures. Mommy and Daddy's friend Jewel came over with a friend of hers and took these photos of me when Daddy was at work. We had to keep it on the "down-low" so Daddy wouldn't find out and ruin the surprise. Daddy said that this is something that Mommy would have done. I also gave him a picture that I had taken at Aunt Alison's and that one we put in an awesome picture frame we made with my footprints on them. That one sits in our kitchen. Later on that night we went to G'ma and Poppy's house for dinner. Everyone was there! We gave Poppy a really cute picture of me and a nice card. He really liked it. What a great day!

The rest of the week has been pretty uneventful. I am loving my schedule. I get to spend Mondays with Poppy, Tuesdays and Wednesdays with Alison, Gwyn, Jess, Ella and Conner, and then Thursdays and Fridays I spend with Mimi. I do miss my other sitters and hope to see them soon.

Oh yea, before I go to bed, my assessment with the "Help Me Grow" program went well on Friday. They will be setting up a schedule where they will come out to the house to work with me on building strength and range of motion. They will also help me with developing certain skills. This is going to help me catch up with my peers so that pretty soon, you won't even know I am a preemie.

Well, it's off to bed. A girl has got to get her beauty sleep you know. Hope to hear from you all soon. We'll be bloggin....

Love always,

Lily

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Big Adventures



Happy Thursday everybody!! Man the week is flying by and I can not wait for the weekend so that Daddy and I can spend some seriously awesome quality time together. I am gonna give you all a quick update on what we've been up to and then get to your questions because you all have asked some great ones!! I knew you would!
Last Sunday was awesome! I hung out with Grandma and Poppy in the morning while Daddy went to church and then Tucker and I went over to Mimi's for just a little bit so Daddy could get in one of his bike rides. I have to say, I have got the cooollleesstt grandparents in the whole wide universe!! Aren't grandparents the best!?! Anyhow, Daddy came to pick Tuck and I up and told us he had a surprise adventure to take us on but that we had to drive to get there. He wouldn't give us any clues and the suspense was killing us for the whole 20 minute car ride there. Uncle Ian, Amanda and Lex (Ian's dog) were following us so I thought that whatever we were doing involved our best four legged friends. Well, it sure did. We went to the dog park!! This place is totally rad. There are dogs of all shapes, sizes and colors there. Come to think of it, there are people of all shapes, sizes and colors there too. It was really fun watching all the dogs run around. Man, is Tucker fast when he gets going. There was only one downer to the whole adventure, it was drizzling a bit. And then, with one huge gust of wind, it was like the heavens opened up and poured out buckets of water. Daddy yelled for Tuck, we got the dogs on their leashes and made a run for the car. By the time we got there Tuck and Daddy were soaked. Me, I was dry as can be since my stroller has a waterproof canopy. So, our adventure was cut short but Daddy says that's what's so fun about adventures; you never know how they will turn out. Oh yea, Tucker has the coolest way of drying off. He jumps in the car and shakes his whole body. Water flies everywhere!! Daddy was not as excited about this as I was but he still got a good giggle out of it.

The rest of that night and week has been pretty chill. Daddy and I just kick it around the house most nights and take Tuck for walks when the weather permits.

The coolest thing about this week is that I got to go to Alison and Gwyn's house while Daddy went to work. I can't tell you how much fun we are having there. Gwyn is one cool and sweet chica and her mom totally rocks. I can see why Mommy and Daddy love her so. Aunt Jess lives close by to Alison and Gwyn so for the last couple of days we have been having play dates with all the kids. It's pretty cool being a kid. I am always so happy to see Daddy at the end of the day and he is so happy to see me. He says he looks forward to picking me up the moment he walks in the door. We make a good team.

OK, so you all have asked some really great questions and I am going to do my best to answer them. My favorite color right now would have to be pink. It seems like half my clothes, dresses and sleepers are pink. It's a gender thing. But then again, Daddy has a whole bunch of pink shirts. We match every once in a while and people give Daddy a hard time. It's pretty funny.

My favorite animal has to be Tucker. He is a great cuddler as you can see in one of the earlier photos. Not to mention, he is super cute. But right after Tucker, my favorite animal is frogs. I am just like my mommy in that regard. I actually sleep with her old froggy, Ribbit. Ribbit was the first gift Daddy ever bought Mommy and Daddy built Ribbit with his own hands. That's pretty special if you ask me. And two of my Wubbanubs are frogs, so you can see why I like them soo much.

As for books, I am the owner of a small children's library. I have soo many books that Daddy struggles picking out ones to read to me. I do have a couple Shel Silverstein books but the only one Daddy saw up in my room was "Where the Sidewalk Ends". He says it will be a little while before he reads me that but we have read "The Giving Tree" before. They had that in the NICU in both English and Spanish. Daddy stuck with the English version. I do not think that we actually own it though.

Hey Carson!! Thanks for asking such great questions and be sure to thank your Daddy for serving our country. My Daddy says that the greatest gift anyone can give is that of serving and that soldiers serve in an especially dangerous but important role. You should be super prod of your brave Daddy. My Daddy and I don't watch too much TV and when we do it is either the news, ZZzzz....., or Nature on PBS. You see, we don't have cable and we enjoy listening to music instead of watching TV. And since Daddy spends most of the day at work we tend to play until I eat or go to sleep.
We have spent some time talking about traveling. Daddy has always loved to travel and he tells me that he can't wait to take me to see the world with him . But we'll start out slow. First, we have to get the green light from the docs and we haven't done that yet. Our trips this summer will more than likely be short ones. We have a lot of friends in Chicago, so we may start there. We do have family in Florida and both sides of the family has property near the beach. We aren't sure when we will make it there but I look forward to seeing the ocean. Then, when I get older, Daddy says that we will be making trips out west to the mountains to go skiing and hiking and stuff. It sounds pretty cold but totally awesome. We will just have to wait though until I get big enough. Daddy says I should probably learn to walk first. Details... But we also have family in Arkansas that I absolutely HAVE to go meet. I hope to do that sooner rather than later. And then, once we condition ourselves to traveling within the states, we hope to someday go international. Daddy says South Africa is beautiful and that hopefully someday we can go to Ireland and see where Mommy studied. We'll have to see.

As for my features, Daddy says that I have a lot of Mommy's features but that he isn't sure if that is influenced by the fact that he looks for them in me. But, nonetheless, I do have Mommy's vibrant eyes and cute nose. My eyes are the same color as Daddy's but they are big and full of life like my Mommy's. And then there is my chin. Without a doubt, I got that from Mommy. I think my favorite features are my fingers. They are soo tiny and cute and oh so yummy!!

Tucker has adjusted great. He is like my bestest buddy after Dad and he is a great protector. He has his own little couch in the front room where he watches people outside. And when they walk by, he let's them know he's there. But with me, he is like the most gentle baby in the whole wide world.

Wow, that Q and A session was great. Keep the questions coming. We'll keep giving you updates on what's shaking in Lilyland. I am gonna go get some sleep. Big day tomorrow. I have the Occupational Therapist coming to the house to work with me. Not to worry, this is normal stuff for preemies. Basically, they come and work with me so that I close the "gap" between me and the full-term babies with my same birthday. It won't be long, Daddy says, before I catch up and then pass them. Stay tuned.


Much love to you all,


Lily


Thursday, June 11, 2009

Doin Good


Hey everybody!! Well, we are having a great week so far and even though the weather hasn't been all that great me and Daddy still manage to have a lot of fun. My new favorite thing to do is play on my playmat and look at all the dangly things. This one thing is super cool, Daddy calls it a "mirror". And man, that little girl who lives in the mirror-world sure is cute. She likes to do all the things I do. It's crazy! I could watch her for hours.

Oh, I forgot to tell you my newest trick I like to play on Daddy. So, Daddy has to go to work during the weekdays and he dresses up all fancy for it. Usually Daddy wakes me up in the morning to feed me after he has already gotten ready for work. He looks and smells good and is all ready to go to work when my caregiver gets to the house. We finish breakfast and I give him a few good burps but on my last one, I make sure to spit-up just a little. You know, enough so Daddy has to change his shirt. Hey, it buys me a couple of extra minutes to spend with Daddy and he doesn't seem to mind. Besides, if Daddy can get the messes a blow out leaves in my clothes out , I am sure he can wash a little milk off.


This week has been more of the usual. You know, I eat, sleep and go and Daddy reads me all kinds of stories. Except now, I can help hold my own bottle (see below). I usually help out when I get to the last couple ounces. I love all my babysitters and have been having the best of times with them. I can't wait for next week when I get to go hang with Alison and Gwyn at their house. It's gonna rock!!

We have my GI appointment tomorrow. I can't wait to see how big I am getting and to hear what my Dr. has to say about my eating. I wonder if he is gonna say I get to eat more (ie 6oz at a time). We'll see.

Before I head to bed for the night, I wanted to throw something out there. Daddy and I were talking about this blog and he was telling me about all the people he runs into that follow the blog and love it. Well, first off, thanks for following my progress. I love letting you all know what's shaking in my world. Daddy also told me that most everybody has great questions about me and Daddy that we don't always cover on our posts. So, I mentioned to Daddy that we should open this up a bit. You know, let's interact. If you have questions for us, you can post them to the comments section of the latest blog entry. Then, Daddy and I can respond to your questions on the next entry. Daddy thought it was a great idea. He also says there are no stupid questions and the sillier the question, the better. There could even be requests, like more video (not as exciting now as it will be) but Daddy said he can make it happen. Well, let us know what you think. I am gonna go get some sleep for my big appointment tomorrow.


Love you all,


Lily Ann