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