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