Happy 3rd Birthday & The End of Summer

Happy, Happy 3rd Birthday Liliah!  I can't believe that 2 years ago, we received your referral on your first birthday!  We got to enjoy 8 months with you as a 1 year old and all of your 2's.  We are looking forward to watching you blossom as a 3 year old. 

You like to help out and be called, big girl!  You loved playing in your mini pool this summer.

We love our beautiful tutu girl

When you woke up on your big day you were excited to open your presents!  You love Mickey & Minnie Mouse so much that we bought you a Minnie Mouse costume, eating set w/mat.  You requested a Minnie Mouse cake.  You and I made the chocolate cake the night before and frosted on your big day.  You loved having Happy Birthday sung to you...as Daddy & Mommy did throughout the day!  You know how to  blow out your candles.  There are no pictures though of this because actually we were all sickies!  We did make the best of the day and you seemed to enjoy yourself!

Labor Day weekend we tried to capture the last bit of summer.  Maddy loves fetching the ball both on land and water.

Such a happy girl.  I just love this dog!

You love to throw the ball and have quite the arm and aim for one your size

Feeding the ducks is so much fun.  When you have a little one, you get to enjoy things you loved doing as a kid.

Such sweet moments

Goodbye summer........we'll miss you!!!

2 More Days With A 2 Year Old

I learned to pull myself up & hang from the gymnastic bars

 Walk the balance beam with assistance from daddy

To participate in circle time

Celebrate completing my 1st gymnastics class

Pushing my car

And being pushed I prefer over using my legs to get me around

 

I love when Nana . . . .

and Papa visit - we have so much fun

In 2 days we say goodbye to 2 and hello to our 3 year old!  Liliah has made big strides this year.  We have had so much fun watching and loved every minute of watching her grow. Her speech is starting to blossom and she's come along ways since her palette surgery 10 mos ago.  She is using small sentences when communicating her thoughts to us.  We love to hear her talk, but have to use our thinking caps more now to understand her.  We probably get it right about 60% of the time.  She sweetly tells us "no" when we don't get it right.  She will start her IEP specialized preschool in September.  

She successfully breezed through potty training this summer.  She is now sleeping in her big girl bed for the past 2 days and loves it.  She is staying in her bed at night so far!  She moves her step stool in place to use the toilet, brush her teeth, wash her hands, brush her teeth and turn the lights on and off.  She wants to pick out her clothes to wear.  Wants to wear makeup already like mommy! She can count to 10 and knows a circle, triangle and square.  She loves to count everything right now!  She is referring to herself in 3rd person and everything else is either Mommy or Daddy's.....like....mommy's car, etc.  I think she's going to like athletics....something to do with jumping!  She jumps when she walks....in her bed....onto the couch....off of the couch.  She is very coordinated and tough for being such a tiny thing! When I do something she likes, she will say, yeah mommy and clap her hands. She loves to be a big helper and involved in whatever we are doing.

Her favorite songs to sing at bedtime is twinkle, twinkle little star and Jesus loves me.  She loves when I sing the Sound of Music songs to her!   

The other night when I put her to bed (I had a serious back injury this summer and have not done this for 3 months) she looked at me after I gave her hugs and kisses and said, "Liliah is happy!"  That is the first time she has ever used that phrase......Oh, be still my heart!

The Sillies

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

First time playing in the sprinklers.  I love playing in the water.  I don't mind getting my face or hair wet.

Wahoo, this is fun

Still smiling after wiping out.  I love my tutu bading oup (or ye ye's cucko which means Liliah's tutu!!!

I Discovered Dandelions

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

One Blessed Mama!

 

Liliah, you make my life so sweet.  

You have grown so much since last year.  

You now want and need me as your mother. 

To see you run to me and call out my name with such joy makes my heart sing. 

What a privilege it is to be your mother and to have the gift of you, my daughter.

  I am still amazed that you are mine!  

You and Daddy gave me 24 red roses, a Minnie Mouse card with your hand prints inside and you made a special Mommy's Day plate at playschool.

 

I'm 2 1/2 Now!

What have I been up 2? I can count to 5 pointing to each of my fingers.  I can only pronounce 1 & 2 and I like to point to things in pairs.  I can identify pink, blue, yellow, purple, red and orange. I know what a circle and square is. I like to help dress and undress myself.  I have opinions about shoes and like to choose which to wear, love to wear mommy and daddy's shoes around the house.  I remember things I have enjoyed doing with daddy & mommy, like building a snowman, flying on an airplane to Arizona to spend time with Papa & Nana, swimming with Mama, going to a baseball game.  I talk about them by naming those involved and then using one word about the event so others will know what I'm talking about!  I can drink from a straw and eat my own McDonald's hamburger.  I like to work on puzzles and sing songs while mommy rocks me at night.  I am very excited about saying Mickey Mouse & Donald Duck's names.  I got a new potty chair and I have started using it.

 

 Playing with my new water & sand table. I LOVE to play in the water and will do so for an hour at a time. The dogs and I are ready for the summer!!!

I'm in gymnastics (nastics) and here is my first look at the rings

I did this on my own and made up my routine!

Mommy plays with me in class too...

 W e e 

Easter 2010

I'm really concentrating as this is my first time coloring Easter eggs.  Mommy still loves my sweet baby hands!

I am having a good time and I want to do it all by myself

Just look at that sweet face . . . I can still see the baby in her . . .

This is my very first Easter egg hunt too! 

Splash in the bucket

Daddy's making sure I don't fall down the hill & loose all my loot

 

My stash . . .

 

 All done and I only dumped my bucket twice

 

 

 Last Easter Liliah had only been home 3 months and was still very much a baby.  This year she kept saying, "Easter is coming," in her own language of course as was so excited about it for the past week. I kept telling her, Easter is today and we are celebrating Jesus!!!  When she woke up, we helped her find her basket.  She spied a panda puppet wash cloth and then wouldn't go near the basket.  Once we removed it she was all over the foil chocolate Easter bunny and promptly unwrapped for consumption.  She clapped her hands and said, yeah when we pulled out the table cloth and dishes and made a pretty arrangement for the table.  We had a lovely day together with friends. 

Northwest meets Southwest 2010

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com


We spent 5 wonderful days in sunny Arizona with my parents.  It was so green and beautiful, with the blooms beginning to come out.  This was Liliah's first Spring Training and RVing with her Papa & Nana!  She was so excited for nearly two weeks saying their names over and over and then saying the word airplane and swooping her hand up in the air.  She loves to fly....she's taken off and landed 9 times in a little over year. 
We spent a couple of days catching some Major League baseball games, did LOTS of swimming and a day of sight seeing.  Liliah had a ball in the pool. I enjoyed pushing her in the stroller every morning and talking about all the gizmos that people had in their front yards.  We also had fun sitting outside in the rockers.  She wanted to do it by herself and that kept her busy while I had the pleasure of reading a magazine....ahh!  She learned what a cactus is and had fun pointing them out.
Thanks for making the trek to Arizona Dad & Mom, we had a great time!!!