Blog Post Every 6 Months is frequent, right?

Merry Christmas, everybody!! Yes, yes, we know what you're saying. Probably something along the lines of "Where in the world have you been?!" OR "'Bout darn time!!". Sorry about that. Truth is that in the last six months, I have taken off! Yes, it probably appeared as if I had taken off from blogging but I am talking about my development. You would not believe how much new and cool stuff I have learned!!

So much has happened since we last wrote. Daddy completed both the half-ironman and the full-ironman in wonderful times. And while that stuff is pretty cool, it pales in comparison to one other development that occurred this summer. We told you in the last post that Daddy was dating this wonderful person, Molly. Well, it's funny how life works out sometimes because Daddy asked her to marry him while we were up in Cedar Point for the ironman. In fact, I was there when Daddy popped the question. He had finished the race and after he had time to shower and drink some fluids, the three of us took a short walk on the beach. After 140.6 miles of racing, I guess Daddy's legs weren't really up for a lengthy stroll in the sand. Doesn't matter, he had a very important present to give and a proposition for Molly. So, while we were sitting on the beach chairs out in front of the resort Daddy asked her to be my mommy and his wife. How cool is that?! I am soo very excited and I know Daddy is too. You should see how mch fun the two of them have together. Add me to the mix, and Daddy says that he isn't sure life gets much more enjoyable. He says that life may have taking my mother way too soon but that God has no intention of allowing me to grow up without a mommy. So, from now on you will not see me to refer to her by her real name but rather, as mommy. Cause that's what she is :-)

If that weren't enough excitement, I have also been enrolled in school. I go on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays to a place called the Little Red Schoolhouse. I love it!!! My teachers Pam and Barb are AWESOME and I have met some really cool new friends in my classmates. We have all sorts of fun doing arts, crafts, singing songs and playing all sorts of games. Nevermind the fact that 8-10 toddlers in one classroom can be, ummm, shall we say...lively. It's just been a great deal of fun and Daddy and Mommy say that they have noticed that my speech and motor skills have taken off since I started there. I bet it's a mix between school, mommy and daddy reading to me everynight and the little bit of Sesame Street they let me watch. I sure do love that Elmo fella!! You put all that together and what do you get? Well, you can see a bit of that in the videos that we have posted.

What else? Well, Halloween was a lot of fun. I am not much for wearing costumes and I think Daddy had a good point when he asked me "what's the point in pretending to be something else when you are you?" So I wasn't a ladybug, a pumpkin, flower or a princess. Well, I guess I was kind of a princess; Daddy's princess. Since I am still a little young for candy and given my aversion to silly costumes, we hung around the house and handed out candy to the trick-or-treaters. I have to give it to a few of them, they were quite original.

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE dressing up. I just love dressing up like a lady. Almost every night I insist on putting my dresses on. No need to bother with taking off my normal clothes, we just put my dresses on over them. But every once in a while, I like to rock out the bikini. And for that, my friends, I prefer to wear it the way it is meant to wear. Nevermind the fact that it is December and 7 degrees outside, we've got heat :-)

Thanksgiving was lots of fun...and driving. Boy-oh-boy, with Daddy's side and both mommys' sides, we did a TON of driving and by the end of the day we were beat. But we had a blast!

Let's see, what else? I am taking gymnastics class and I LOVE it. I do it with mommy and daddy. We start off by stretching and playing musical instruments and then they cut us loose on the rings, balance beems, trampolines and mats. Man is that fun!! To finish off our classes, we kids play in the parachute while the parents make it go up and down. Just awesome!

And that brings us to today! Daddy is off work through Christmas and I am anxiously awaiting Christmas and all the fun to be had. We get to go to the Festival of Lights, downtown to the Christmas stuff there, and maybe even the aquarium. I love when we get to go on adventures as a family. Good times!!!

Well, we'll be in touch. Hopefully before I graduate high school ;-) Just kidding!! Love you all and we wish you a Merry Christmas!!!!

Summer Fun!!!

Hey everybody!! Daddy and I sure hope you haven't been waiting around for a post because if you have, we feel bad that it has been over a month. We promised to post new stuff and then we got soo busy actually doing new stuff that we have done a good job of wearing ourselves and not having the time to get on the computer. Truth is, the summer is keeping us busier than we have ever been. Oh yea, happy solstice everybody!! For those of you kiddos out there that read this and are asking yourself, "what's solstice?", it's a fancy way of saying summer is officially here (as if the 90 degree weather isn't enough to make it official).

So, what kind of stuff have we been up to? Well, as most of you know Daddy really likes to train and compete in races called, Triathlons, where he races in three different areas (swim, bike and run). As you might imagine, in a place like Ohio there really is only one season to do such silly things. Yup, summer!! It may not sound like it but these events are a lot of fun and they give me, Molly, Mimi and the rest of the friends and family that come out a chance to hang out all day in pretty parks or by pretty lakes. I even get to make new friends and play in the water sometimes while Daddy is racing. I like the feeling of the sand between my toes and of my hands splashing in the water. Molly has gotten really good at making sure there are extra outfits in the diaper bag. We have a BLAST at Daddy's races and look forward to cheering him on all summer (you can see a glimpse of my cheering skills below). As it turns out, Daddy isn't half bad either. He did this one race a few weekends ago called the American Triple-T. Talk about crazy!! He did a "short" race Friday night, an Olympic distance (.9mile swim, 28 mile bike, 6.6 mile run) race Saturday morning, another Olympic distance race Saturday afternoon, and then finished the weekend with a half-ironman distance (1.2mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run) race on Sunday. I'm telling you, he's crazy!! Anyway, Daddy ended up doing pretty well and finished 42nd out of the 362 men that were racing. He says he could never do it without Molly and me waiting for him at the finish. We'll keep y'all posted as the season continues.

Other than races, Daddy and Molly have been sure to keep our calendar chock full of things to do. We go to the zoo. We go to friends birthday parties. We go to the pool. We go to friends birthday parties at the pool. We go to family get-togethers. We go to the park. We go for walks. We even take Tuck to the dog park where we can let him go swim in the river. I tell you what, for being such a laid back dog, he goes wild in the water!! He and Daddy play fetch with sticks and Daddy always gets frustrated that Tuck doesn't bring them back all the way. He says Tuck is only 3/4 retriever and must not have inherited the gene that lets a dog know you bring the stick ALL the way back to the person who first tossed it. Oh well, they have fun playing around and I get to have fun splashing on the beach and tossing pebbles into the water. I just love the splashes and sounds that they make!!

You guys are smart, so you probably figured out that I am really diggin the summer and that I really like any activity that involves water. Can you blame me? Daddy and Molls realized my love for all things wet and bought me my very own baby pool. And I don't just mean any pool. They purchased a big blow-up pool with a jungle theme and it comes with a slide and a giraffe that sprays water. Talk about FUN!! I love to step in and out of the pool, throw toys in and out of it, splash my hands, and sit down in the cool water. Only downside is that I seem to have been blessed with Daddy's fair complexion and I can sunburn very easily so I don't get to stay out as long as I would like. But, nonetheless, I have a SUPER time when I am out there.

In other news, Daddy says that I am growing up too fast. He says that it seems like just yesterday that the only direction I could scoot was backwards and now he has to run just to keep up with me. He said he thanks God for caffeine; whatever that means. But he also lets me know that he could not be more proud of me and all the cool new things I am saying and doing. Daddy and Molly read to me all the time and I can even predict how some of the books are gonna go. My favorite book right now is called "Lily's Twinkly Bedtime". Suprised? Well, there is one page that goes "Is Jasmine fast asleep already?" and the answer is "No, she's holding Lily's teddy" Whenever, Daddy or Molly get to that part of the book I always answer before they can read the bit about the teddy. I love how they laugh when I do that.

Other things I have picked up on are the things Tucker says: "Ruff-ruff", the sound a lion makes "ROARRR!!!", and the sound a monkey makes: "eeh, eeh, eeh". I know where my head, eyes, nose and mouth are located on my body. And I LOVE to tell stories, even if nobody else seems to really understand what I am getting at. I can ride my little-tike scooter all around the house and love to push my teddy, Daisy, in the stroller. In the mornings, I like to act like I am putting on makeup just like Molly. Daddy and Molls say that it seems I learn something new everyday and I think they are right. What a cool time to be a kid!!

We still receive random gifts in the mail from people. Daddy is always so touched when he opens a card and reads the kind things people have to say about him or about how my Mommy impacted their life or how they love watching me grow through viewing this blog. Just the other week we recieved a card from Daddy's co-worker Jillian and her daughters Lindy and Addie. They sent us the nicest note, treated us to a nice lunch and even sent us a picture off the girls (it's hanging on our fridge in the kitchen). The card was cool but my favorite was the patch that was inside it. It's a girl scout badge that says "baby care" on it and it has a little teddy bear with bottles stitched on it. I love to carry it around the house. What cool girls Addie and Lindy are!! They have never even met me but still think of me lots. Daddy says that is the sign of someone with a genuine and compassionate heart and that God loves to use people like that to impact the world in great ways. He knows, he was married to my Mommy.

Well, it's getting late and I need to rest up for another day full of adventure. We hope you are getting outside and enjoying the warmth. Keep on rockin' and we'll check back later with all the cool things we are doing. Love you all more than words can say!!!!

Sincerely,

Lily

What We've Been Waiting For

Hey Everybody!! Things are getting pretty exciting here at the Carr household and as you will see below, there have been some big new developments. So, since it took so long to get these items to download, we're gonna let the pics and videos do the talking.

We hope all is well with you! We'll drop a line soon to keep you up to date on or adventures.

Love y'all

Lily

Just Video

Spring Has Sprung

Hey everybody!! Hope you guys are all having a great start to the season. Spring has officially sprung in the 'Nati and it is finding us running all over town doing all sorts of super fun stuff. I will get to that in a bit. But first, I should probably pick up where I left off last time.

As you all know, Daddy organized a team for the Heart Mini-Marathon in Mommy's honor and named the team "Party for Marty". That's a pretty fun name and Daddy tells me that it's the perfect name for Mommy because she loved a great party and had a natural ability to spice up any get together. As part of the team, people received special t-shirts with the team name and a picture of a lily on the back. How cool is that?! The flower that Daddy buys Mommy and after which I am named was on our team t-shirts. Daddy says that Mommy gave this world a whole lot of gifts but that I am her greatest gift and that is why he put in on the t-shirt. As if that wasn't cool enough, I got my own special t-shirt. A one-of-a-kind t-shirt that Daddy and Molly had made that had the same Lily on front but said "Party for Mommy" on it. I love it!!! The weather could have been better but the rain held off and we were able to have a great walk with thousands of our closest friends. What a great event!! Thanks to everyone who came out to walk or supported our team. I sooo can't wait for next year!!

As I noted in the intro, the new Spring season has come and we are taking full advantage of the warming weather. Mimi even had a whole week off from work because of her work's Spring Break and we got to spend almost every day together. So, I had heard rumors that Cincinnati has a major league baseball team at that there is a big parade every year when the season starts. Well, it just so happens that the "Opening Day Parade" happened to coincide with Mimi's break and she took me to see it. In a word, WOW! This was my first parade ever and I LOVED it. There were all sorts of people there and they had some cool floats and loud bands. It was a bunch of fun. Maybe, if I am lucky, I will get to go see a game sometime and if I am super lucky, next year I can go to the parade again. My week with Mimi was FANTASTIC and I can't wait for summer when we get to spend tons of time together. We are gonna have a blast all summer long!!

Spring might just be my favorite season. The leaves on the trees are coming out and the flowers are blooming. Thank goodness I don't have allergies (knock on wood) because my new favorite thing to do is play outside. Daddy and I even went to buy flowers to take to Mommy's gravesite. Since the weather was so great, we put out a blanket and just sat out with Mommy for a little while and enjoyed our time together. It was pretty special.

Easter came and went in a flash. What a great holiday! Daddy told me about the meaning of the holiday and why we celebrate it. He said it probably is no coincidence that Easter happens in the Spring because Spring is a season of new life and that's exactly why Jesus came, to give new life. Hmm, pretty heavy stuff. But on a lighter note, my Easter dress was super cute! My Great Aunt Mary Joe sent it up from Florida. It was my cousin, Haley's, dress and I have to say "Haley, you've got great fashion sense, girl!! Love the dress!" If you don't believe me, just check the pix. And by the way, I love Easter egg hunts! I love them soo much, that we still are doing them at the house. I take my basket full of plastic eggs, dump them out and pick them all p to place back in my basket. Soo much fun!

There is TONS more to tell you guys but we'll save it for later. From all the walks in the park that Molly, Daddy and I get to go on with Tucker to taking field trips to the zoo, we are having a blast this Spring!! It's only gonna get better this week because Molly is on Spring Break and we get to spend lotsa time together. YAY!!! I sure hope you all are having as much fun as me. Life is good!

As for my health, I am totally rockin. I had my last GI appointment last week and my Dr. says I don't need to come anymore. Awesome!! I mean, I love Dr. Kacoshis but I am soo happy that my belly is doing what it is supposed to. Thanks to all those prayers you all have been sending up. I love you guys!! And developmentally, I am still about 20lbs but am getting all sorts of new teeth and learning all sorts of new things. Can't wait to share more with you all soon.

Keep on rockin'!! We sure will.

Love Ya TONS!!!

Lily

PS Trouble loading video. Will try again tonight

Movin On Up

Hey everybody!!! And a BIG Happy St. Patrick's day to all you Irish lads and lassies out there!! Apparently, everybody is Irish one day ot of the year. I'll be sporting my green "I'm a McCutie" T-shirt. Daddy and I were chatting the other day about how excited we are to have Spring be right around the corner. The conversation all started because a couple of weekends ago the temps here reached close to 60degrees and gave us the opportunity to get out and take Tucker for a nice w-a-l-k. Sshhhh! You can't say the word because everytime you mention it, Tuck goes all wild and starts jumping up and down, chasing his tail and acts all super-crazy-excited. But anyway, the weather was so nice that Daddy, Molly (Daddy's GF), and I took Tucker on one of those "w" words. Ooopps, I just outed Daddy and his relationship status, didn't I? No worries though because we love having Molly around and Daddy says that just cause your life doesn't always turn out like you would have planned, you still deserve to find happiness. Mols is a super cool chick, we get to do all sorts of interesting stuff together, plus, she makes Daddy very happy. What more could you ask for?



So, you are probably wondering "what is new in Lilyworld?". Well, let's start with the not so cool thing. All three of us caught this thing that Daddy called the "stomach bug". Man-o-man, I don't know how that happened because I sure didn't see any bugs around. But whatever it was, it sure did a number on us. I was the only one to have the pukes but all of us spent an entire weekend laid up not feeling well. Thank goodness for Pedialite and Gatorade!!!



Once healed, we were back getting busy having fun. I am learning all sorts of new things. Check out the video (hopefully it loads right). I now know where my head is and even make these really fun noises with my mouth. The new thing that I love the most is climbing on stuff. I have a rocking chair that belonged to Mommy when she was a baby and I just LOVE to climb on it. Daddy is always reminding me "Sweetheart (that's what he calls me sometimes), on your bottom please." When he says that, I have to sit down. But that's OK because I can rock my body back and forth and the chair rocks with me. Totally cool!!!



I am still not walking even though I know you are all waiting for the footage. I am in no hurry and Daddy really isn't pushing me to do anything that I am not ready for. Besides, he says he's trying to soak up every little moment. So, I am giving him some more time to soak in me being a crawling toddler. Even though I am still just crawling, I manage to keep Daddy and Molly on their toes. I am getting so tall (I use the term loosely, of course) that I can now reach things on the window sills and end tables. They have already started moving the breakable things so that I can not reach them.



I am starting to adventure out and try new things to eat. It's been a pretty big deal since I really, and I mean REALLY, love my bottles of milk. But there are a few things that I love to eat. I like Sweet Potatoes, butternut squash, oatmeal, pears, applesauce, bananas, Zesta crackers, graham crackers, and all sorts of stuff. I even got to try an all-beef hotdog this weekend because Daddy had friends over for a cookout and all their kids were trying it. I didn't know what to think about it at first but, man was that yummy!! Daddy tells me that I will only get such foods at special occassions (ie cookouts, baseball games, when he's not watching). Eating all this food has really helped me grow!! In fact, I am on my last week in my pumpkin seat because I outgrew it. Daddy just bought a big-girl carseat and it should be here by the end of the week. I can't wait!!!



Well, that's about it in Lilyworld. Mommy's walk is coming up soon so we should have a lot to blog about. We are all really excited to do the run this year and are praying for good weather. Hope to see you all there!!! Until then, keep it cool and keep on rockin!!!!



Love you TONS!!!!



Lily

Bye-Bye Boob Juice

Hey there, everybody!! I know it's been a while since we last blogged but it hasn't been for lack of trying. Daddy and I have tried to post multiple times but the website has been SUPER slow and won't load videos. It has taken hours, literally, to load just one short clip of me and frankly, Daddy and I don't have the time to mess with that stff. We have some serious playing to do.

So, we will keep this post short but still give you the lowdown on what I have been up to.

Since we last posted, we got dumped on by snow and Daddy even got to spend a day at home with me because of it. I love that the snow kept Daddy at home so that we could play but I REALLY did not appreciate that snowsuit he put me in so that we could go out and play in it. The snow looks like a blast to play in when Daddy and Tuck are out there wrestling but it sure isn't worth putting on that suit. I'll wait until next year to play in it when I can actually run around. Heck, a girl can't even move in that silly suit. I felt like Ralphie's little brother in the movie "The Christmas Story". It's safe to say, I was less than thrilled.

With all the cold weather and stuff, it shouldn't be a big surprise that Daddy and I came down with a couple of colds. I had to go to the Dr. for mine and it was there that we found out I broke the 20 lbs mark. Can you believe it?! I am one big girl and now Daddy has to find a car seat befit of the young lady that I am. Pumpkin seat, your days are numbered, pal.

I am learning lots of new stuff. I am not walking quite yet but I am standing on my own and Daddy says that I can crawl at the speed of "Oh shoot!!" That just means I move pretty fast. Daddy will put me down for a second to do something like get a drink or let Tuck out and when he turns around, I'm gone. My new favorite places to go are the stereo (I can turn it on, crank the volume, and eject the tape deck and CD changer), the bathroom (that spinny thing with the white paper ribbon stuff is a lot of fun to unravel) and the kitchen (I LOVE tupperware, pots and pans). Daddy does his best to keep all doors shut, floors clean and remotes out of arms reach but I always find something.

Daddy says that I am also finding my voice. I like to babble and my favorite thing to say currently, is "Baby". I tend to make the "a" pretty long and loud and am getting really good at the "b" sound. I am learning stuff all day and if blogspot ever gets their stuff in order, maybe we could post some for you. But trust Daddy when he says, it's pretty cute and super awesome.

Last thing that I wanted to update you all on is my diet. The boob juice is all gone!! I am completely transitioned to whole milk and am loving it. Daddy says the next step is getting me off the bottle and onto sippy cups. That's gonna be a tough one, I think. I sure do love my bottles. I am starting to venture out and try new foods but am pretty hesitant to try new stuff. Just this morning Daddy tried to give me scrambled eggs. No thanks. I didn't try a single bite. That stuff just looked weird. Daddy says he'll keep trying but I am not making any promises that I am gonna like the new stuff.

Well, we hope all is great with you. Please keep in touch and we will try to get this blog/video stuff figured out.

Love to all!!!

Lily

Goundhog's Day

Happy Groundhogs Day everybody! We'll be making the same post tomorrow ;-) Hope that your January went by smoothly and you were able to stay warm. Things remain lively at the Carr house with me learning new things and growing more adventurous everyday. Daddy likes to say I get into a lot of mischief. Like the time I got a hold on the TV remote when the babysitter wasn't paying attention and totally reprogrammed the TV. When Daddy got home, the screen said "No Signal" and was this beautiful shade of blue. He didn't find it as pretty as I did and apparently had to spend a bit of time on the phone with the cable people to figure out how to undo what I was able to do. All is fine with the TV now but I have had my remote privileges revoked. Oh well, there is still the basket full of folded laundry that I get to pull out and make a mess of. Goodtimes!

This past weekend was AWESOME!!! For starters, it was Daddy's 30th birthday and we spent all of Friday night together. We cooked dinner, played on the floor cuddled, and even played with Tucker. It soo much fun playing with that silly dog. Daddy gets down on all fours and acts like a dog and Tucker goes bonkers!! He howls and runs circles around us; being sure not too get too close to me. He and Daddy are like BFFs (stands for Best Friends Forever for all you folks that aren't down with the lingo).

So, you all remember that I recently had my very first birthday. Well, some people didn't know what to get me so they opted for the gift card/check route. And since Daddy needed to train and needed someone to watch me, he had an idea. And boy oh boy, I mean to tell you that he had a WONDERFUL idea! He went and cashed all the checks and arranged for my Aunt Katie and Aunt Cyndi to come pick me up and take me on my very first shopping spree!! OH MY GOODNESS was that FUN!! We went to all sorts of places and scored all sorts of sweet stuff. And even though Daddy isn't a big fan of buying things just to buy them, he said that it's OK to spoil yourself every once in a while. We had soo much fun together and afterwards I was P_O_O_P_E_D, pooped. I napped really well Saturday afternoon.

I got to spend Saturday night at Mimi's house while Daddy got to go out for his birthday. It's soo much fun going to Mimi's. I get pampered there. I get a bath (and for the record, Daddy gives me baths at home, regularly), Mimi clips my nails and even rubs me down with baby lotion. What more could a young lady like myself ask for?! I love it and I love all the time I get to spend with Mimi and Papau.

So there is great news to report on the medical/diet front! I am almost completely off the "boob-juice". Since my last post, we have been slowly moving towards putting more cow's whole milk in my bottle than the "juice". And now, there is only 2oz of boob juice to every 5oz of regular milk. We would transition all the way to milk but still have some donor milk to use up. At a little over $4 per ounce, you can't let that stuff go to waste! And I am not sure if there is a market out there on Ebay for unused breastmilk. Haha, I bet we would get a lot of hits though.

Also, Mimi introduced us to this stuff called "Mish-Mash". Basically, it's pureed vegetables and fruit and is served in a Capri-Sun like container with a built in straw. Now, I have no idea what this Capri-Sun stuff is but Daddy told me that you would know what I was talking about. Whatever it is, I LOVE it!! It is soo sweet and makes for a great snack. Only one problem and Daddy calls it the "Mish-Mash Factor". The stuff runs right through me and before you know it, it's time for a diaper change. It may get a bit messy at times but it is totally worth it.

Then the biggest news of the weekend is that I had my dedication on Sunday. I know, you are probably wondering what the heck a "dedication" is. Well, it's kinda like a baptism but without the water. You see, Daddy and Mommy were always committed to raising me in a way that they thought would be God honoring but wanted to leave the decision to be baptized up to me. So a dedication is simply that. Daddy and I stood up there in fron of a WHOLE bunch of people and he promised to raise me and love me the way that God would have him do. I think his doing a swell job. If I do say so myself;-)

I am not walking on my own yet but it is only a matter of time. I do however weigh close to 18 pounds and have really closed the gap on all the other "full-termers" that are my age. Daddy says he knew that I would do wonderfully playing catch-up. But speaking of walking, the American Heart Association is having the annual Cincinnati Heart Mini-Marathon on March 27 and Daddy and I have started a team in Mommy's honor. It is called "Party for Marty" because Daddy says that Mommy was always the life of the party and brought a special joy to whatever the occasion. You might remember that Daddy ran the race last year while I was still in the NICU and that he promised that the next time around, he would be running with me. Well, the time has come and we are looking for teammates!! Now, don't think you have to be a runner. Even though Daddy is going to run the 15k, he says that he will finish with plenty of time so that we can do the 5k walk with everyone on the team. So, please go out to the website: http://www.heartmini.org/ , do a team search for "Party for Marty" and join the team. I sure hope that you ALL come out and join the party. It's gonna be a blast!!!

Well, I am off to catch some ZZZzzzz's. Sorry there is no video, I haven't been cooperating with Daddy when it comes to shooting video. He says that it seems that by the time he gets the camera out when I am doing something cute, I stop. Well, we will try to just post a video here in the next couple of days. We'll even give the assignment to shoot some good video to all my babysitters.

Keep on rockin y'all. Love you all sooo.....

-Lily

I AM A 1 YEAR OLD!!!!

Hold the presses!! No, no...fire them up. It's my birthday!! Man, how a year flies by when you are having fun. To think that a year ago today, I entered the world at just 2lbs 6oz and 14 1/2 inches long! I now weigh 8 times that and have grown over a foot!! Daddy showed me some video of my first day in the NICU, man was amazed to see Daddy stick his hand in my isolette to rub my back. I mean, geez, his hand was the size of my entire body. Just incredible. A big shout out and thanks to all the FANTASTIC nurses that made my success possible. I was sooo glad to see some of you at my party and hope to see you again soon!! You all totally rock!

So, let's cut to the chase because we have much to catch up on. The last time we blogged, it was right before Christmas and right after my meeting with the big man in red. We'll start with Christmas and all that Daddy and I did for that special holiday. Well, I'll tell you what we did. We drove ALL over this city of ours....and it was totally worth it. It all started on Christmas Eve when we went to Mimi's and Papaw's to celebrate Christmas early. I guess Santa has a pretty busy schedule Christmas night so he swung by Mimi's early and dropped all sorts of nice things off. I am not much into the whole unwrapping of the gifts. You give me a box and I am as pleased as punch. But my cousins on the other hand, they tore through those gifts like they were possessed. You should have seen the carnage!! We are talking paper shreads every which-way and perfectly good boxes just thrown aside as if they were worthless. Daddy tells me that I may someday tear through gifts with the same excitement and an identical disregard for wonderful cardboard. But he also was quick to tell me that there are going to be some rules for the Christmas holidays to come. That is, we are going to focus on what the holiday is really about. After all, it's Jesus' birthday! I mean, how many birthday parties have you gone to that were not your own, and you were the one to get a ton of gifts? So, when it comes to Christmas at home, I get 3 gifts (same amount as JC). That's not too bad, I don't think. After all, Daddy says he has a sneaking suspicion that I am gonna have plenty of gift opening opportunities.

For instance, we spent Christmas Eve night and Christmas morning at Grandma and Poppy's house. Christmas Eve was spent with the entire Demmerle/Wilmers clan. They had all sorts of food and games and of course, I get handed about from lap to lap. Daddy loves it because he gets to just chill out knowing that I am in loving hands. The morning is much more low key and we were able to give Grandma and Poppy a special gift that we had made for them from Mommy's clothes. I also have a few things that were made from Mommy's favorite T-shirts and jeans. Daddy says sometimes memories just aren't enough and it helps to have a piece to hold onto. So, whenever I miss my Mommy, I can just roll up in my blanky made of her shirts and imagine her arms wrapped around me. It's a pretty special gift that I am gonna treasure for a really long time.

OK, so that was Christmas. Now on to the next holiday.....my BIRTHDAY!!! OK, so it isn't a national holiday or anything but we sure treated it like one. Grandma and Poppy threw a party for me and Aunt Katie on New Year's Day since they were leaving on vacation and would be gone for the month of January. Tough life, right? Anyway, we had a fabulous time hanging out and stuff. In fact, I had soo much fun that by the time the cake came around, I was fast asleep. So, that was my first party. My second party was yesterday (Jan. 10) at Daddy and my house. We had all sorts of family and friends over. Some of my NICU nurses came, Mimi2 from Arkansas is in town, all of Daddy's buddies, and even some friends from out of town. Thank you to everyone that came to my party, I really loved seeing you all. I even received all kinds of packages in the mail. How cool and exciting is it to get stuff in the mail?!?! I love it. But there was one package that was super special and it came from one of Mommy's friends, Michele. Not only is she a friend of Mommy's but she is a blog follower too! She sent me this super-duper cute stuffed doggy that I love but my favorite thing about the package was the note inside. You see, Michele's daughter is headed to South Africa (a place near and dear to Mommy and Daddy's hearts) to work at a place called the Red Hill Children's Project. It is in Cape Town, SA and helps children in need. So, for my first birthday and in honor of Mommy, they are creating "Lily's Corner" at the school. It's going to be full of educational toys and books for the kids to play with and learn from. I mean, can you think of a more perfect and thoughtful gift?! I sure can't!!! Michele, you and your daughter are I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E, incredible!!

Lastly, let's talk about maybe the coolest aspect of birthdays. The cake!! Holy-moly is that some good stuff. I wasn't sure what to think when Daddy put the cake with one flaming candle in front of me and a whole chorus of people sang "Happy Birthday" to me. But once the candle was out and Daddy showed me that the cupcake was edible, bye-bye cupcake. I crushed it! Well, I wore most of it and enjoyed the sweetness of the icing on my fingers. Check out the video, it's some good stuff.

We had the meeting with my GI doc this week and received the greenlight for cow's milk. We are transitioning off of the Donor Milk and all seems to be going well. I also get to drink juice!! Not sure what to think of it just yet, but I am getting the hang of it.

Well, I am pooped after a looonnggg and crazy weekend. Must get my beauty sleep. Love to you all and thank you for all your support and prayers over the last year. Stay tuned for more blog entries. I am on the cusp of some pretty cool stuff. Who knows, I may be walking in a soon to come video.

Love you!! Keep on rockin'

Lily

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

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

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

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

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

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 :-)

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

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