the little gym

Lately I've been thinking of enrolling Lily in The Little Gym that's near us in Ashburn. I think it would be really good for her to interact with other kids her age. While we are so blessed that her grandma watches her during the day while we are at work, she doesn't really get the same interaction with other kids like she would at a daycare. I don't want her to end up being socially awkward and greedy when it comes to her toys. This morning I went to drop her off and her cousin, who's a year older, was also at her grandmas for a bit. Her cousin had a calculator that Lily NEEDED right away, so Lily went up and hit her in the back of the head and started making a mean pouty face. I'm sure that's normal...maybe. Either way, it got me thinking that Lily needs to learn how to share before she assumes she can get whatever she wants.

So, next week we will be trying out a free introductory class. She'll be part of the "Birds" class for infants/toddlers 10-19 months. It's also a parent/child class, which means active participation on our part. Ohhh just one more thing I thought I'd never do as a parent. It's amazing what you'll do for your kid!

 

this picture warms my heart...

life with a one year old...

...is so much different than life with an 11 month old! It's been less than a month since Lily has turned 1 and I've already noticed such a change in her personality. She wants to be held all the time and of course we can't resist her when she puts her arms up and makes the squeezing notion with her hands. She throws her food on the ground. She doesn't sleep in her crib. Even when she's in the deepest sleep, as soon as we put her down in her crib, she senses she's in her room and wakes up immediately. When we try to let her cry it out, she cries so much that she'll throw up. So, it's been a lose lose situation for us and we end up letting her sleep in our bed...which means no sleep for Brian or I! So, needless to say, we need to get her on a tighter schedule and need to start cracking down on her bad habits. Now if only we knew how to do that!

Lilyan's 1st Birthday

Lily is 1 year old! I can't believe it. Does that mean she is no longer a baby? Do I say I have a toddler now?! Well she is definitely acting more like one these days. She screams when she doesn't get her way and throws a fit if she can't play with your phone, keys, wallet...anything important. On the flip side, she is more cuddly  and just the sweetest girl ever. I love my baby toddler!

Here are a few pictures from her birthday festivities. If you couldn't tell, she's obsessed with Minnie Mouse. I'm hoping we didn't overdo it because I can see her developing a phobia over Disney characters thanks to her parents.

This was her on her actual birthday. I stayed home from work and made her mickey mouse pancakes for breakfast! These were the only two that resembled mickey mouse; the others looked more like blobs.

Her cute birthday dress:

Her birthday cake (Ultimate White Cake from Wegmans - SO GOOD)

We put the entire cake in front of her and she refused to touch it until we cut her a slice! So much for the typical baby face in cake pictures.

These pictures were from her Birthday Party over the weekend. I bought a smaller version of the Ultimate White cake above from Wegmans, smoothed down the frosting and decorated this cake with fondant. I must say, I'm very impressed with how it turned out...not so impressed with the stains left on my palms from the red and black fondant dyes. (more on this cake later)

 Dessert table and favor boxes. (The cupcakes were hot fudge sundae cupcakes - recipe from Joy the Baker...guests could decorate them with whipped cream, sprinkles, and cherries!)

Time to eat your birthday cake!

(or just stare at it until we cut you a slice)

yummy BBQ, pesto pasta salad, lumpia (spring rolls) & baked corn

She pretty much sat in this chair the whole night (gift from her Aunt) ...what a lazy kid!

Happy Birthday Lilyan!

birthday planning

Someone very special is having her first birthday party! I'm so excited and at the same time in shock that her 1st birthday has so quickly approached. I can't believe that a year ago I was eagerly prepping for the unknown experience of childbirth. I read everything there was to know about childbirth and watched every episode of 'A Baby Story' on TLC. I did so much research that I freaked myself out about the worst case scenarios. What a stressful time! Thankfully, I expected the worst and it wasn't that bad! Maybe there's a lesson in that. Always expect the worst. Actually, that would lead to a very depressing life...so, maybe that's not the best lesson. Anyways, one year later, here I am, prepping for her birthday party! What are you supposed to do anyway at a 1 year old's party? The only things I have right now on the list are eat, drink, and sing Happy Birthday. I need ideas!

While you're thinking of ideas for me, I'll give you a little preview of what I have planned.

Theme - Minnie Mouse (not over the top, mainly just red, black, and white polka-dots)

Location - local Community Center

Invitations - Alyssa and I made these on Photoshop...I think they turned out quite cute!

Birthday cake - 2 tier cake inspired by the images below:

 (I wish I would have chosen this pink instead of red as the theme color...I love it!)

http://www.kellechu.com/gallery/6

http://tast-e-cakes.com/birthday_girl_cakes

Birthday outfit - did I say not over the top? because this might be a bit overboard:

I bought this tee with short sleeves and Lilyan's name on it at http://www.etsy.com/shop/makmaydesigns and the tutu at http://www.etsy.com/shop/jujustutus. I also bought a matching bow from http://www.etsy.com/shop/BetsyonEtsyBows. I can't wait to show pictures of her completed outfit!

Food - catered by Beltway BBQ second place winner Matty. He's making pulled pork and barbecue chicken, so so good. I've taken on the task of making the sides. We only have to feed about 60 people...that shouldn't be so hard, right?

Drinks - keg of beer. It is a Matheny party after all. For the (handful of) non-drinkers, sodas and water in these red cooler tubs I bought. Oh and Lily can have juice in her cute Minnie cup that I just now thought of buying.

Decorations - Mickey and Minnie ears for everyone (well for everyone that doesn't have a big head like me and can fit into a kid sized headband). Red, white, & black balloons. Cute red napkins with white polka-dots that I found at Paper Source.

Music - I'll go through my iTunes and see what Lily dances to and add it to my iPod. Maybe I'll even throw in the Mickey Mouse clubhouse theme song.

So, that's it. That's all I have so far! I still need to find a birthday banner, goodie bag gifts and more decorations. I have a lot of planning left to do!

Christmas Countdown

Yikes! I just realized that Christmas is 2 weeks away. I haven't even begun my Christmas shopping! Luckily this year, we are doing a secret santa gift exchange within my family (sisters, parents, brothers in law). That means I only have to buy one gift for the person's name that I drew and also means that I will have tons of money (ok, maybe not tons) left over to shop for Brian and Lily! Now if only I had time to shop...

What do you get a 11 month old for Christmas? She's at that age where she'd be happier with the box or wrapping paper than the actual gift, but of course I can't just wrap up empty boxes....or can I? No that wouldn't be nice of me, especially on her first Christmas! So here are a few ideas that I have so far:

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Playhut

(her favorite show & she'd love being able to crawl in and out of this thing)

Cuddly Cow Plush Musical Rocker

Books, books, and more books!

(I know... boring... but she'll thank me later when she's smart!)

Baby Dolls

(she's a big fan of giving her dolls kisses...and chewing on their feet)

Sports toys

(soccer ball from me, golf clubs from Brian I'm sure)

So it looks like Brian and I have to get started on our shopping! I plan on being crafty this holiday season by making a lot of small homemade gifts for stocking stuffers, but with only 2 weeks left, we'll see what I can do!

first snow!

I can't believe fall has already passed, but I am so excited for the snowy days this winter. I hope there are tons of snow days like we had this past weekend. Lily absolutely LOVED the snow! She was trying to eat it and loved crawling around in it. Finally we had to carry her, against her will, back inside after she kicked off a shoe and shook off a glove.

when did i become so domesticated?

....oh right. when i got married and had a baby. I'm actually loving this new lifestyle of mine. Not that I didn't expect to, but I thought at the very least that I would miss all of the partying and spontaneity. I really don't though. If anything, I value my time spent with my friends more. Since its not an everyday or every weekend occurrence, anytime I am able to get together with my close friends, I really take advantage of those moments. As for the late night drinking...we'll have our nights here and there, but I'd much rather spend a full day hiking, shopping, cleaning, cooking...anything but dealing with a hangover. A few weeks ago I woke up at 7am and met a couple friends at Great Falls for a 6 mile hike. 

I was back home by 10:30am and still made it to church. By noon I felt so accomplished! Back in the day I would have still been sleeping and coping with all of the shots I took the night before. So last week, I went hiking again and this time Brian and Lily came along with some of my fam. Even though this hike was intense and had me questioning why we brought Lily to such a steep hike, I felt so refreshed and happy to spend that time with my family. 

I know Lily has changed me. I just hope it's been for the better! Sometimes I'm scared that I'm losing myself and becoming this different person. One who actually enjoys making and freezing big batches of soup. One who has been watching Martha Stewart make the perfect turkey so I can learn for this year's Thanksgiving. One who sings Mickey Mouse Clubhouse tunes because it's Lily's favorite show. One who's idea of a night out includes going to Target then picking up Pei Wei to go. So, yes, maybe I am slightly different than before, but I don't care. I love learning to cook and I love watching Lily dance when I sing her favorite songs. I love nights out with our little family even if its just to Target. I truly love everything that has come out of being married and having a child. Maybe I have lost a part of my old self, but from what I've lost, I've gained so much more and I'd never trade that for anything. 

what's new??

I feel like lately I have nothing to blog about. Well, nothing interesting. Do I write about my 12 hour work days? Or about the Skins and how they aren't even mediocre this year?  I'm tired of long work days and sick of the Skins losing. That about sums it up. Although, not everything has been quite so bad. There have been a lot of great things that have happened lately:

• Lily turned 9 months old! At her check-up, Lily was 28.75 inches, 18 lbs 5 oz. Still no teeth, but she's loving real food that she can mash with her gums, like pieces of cooked carrots & chicken. She's also standing on her own for brief moments and when she drops something on the ground she is starting to say uh-oh...and when you ask her how big she is she raises her hands up high over her head. It's amazing watching her learn new things every day! 

• My best friend Sarah got married! I am so thankful to have been a part of her wedding. Despite the rain, it was a beautiful fall day and Sarah made a gorgeous bride of course!

• My friends Tiffany and Kris got married. It was so nice to see friends that I haven't seen in ages and the keg stands that took place at the reception definitely felt like old times again! 

• New cars!! Brian and I are officially the proud owners of 2 new cars! It was definitely time for me to trade in my clunker for a car that could actually fit Lily and 3 additional passengers. As for Brian's car...well it was OK...but we wanted an SUV to take to our snowboarding trips this winter. So, last Friday, we went up to Nissan and stayed from 6:30pm to 12:45am...and happily left with a 2010 Xterra and 2009 Altima. 

• HALLOWEEN! Lily's first Halloween was great. She was the cutest cow and it was fun being able to take her trick-or-treating with her cousins. Surprisingly she didn't mind being in her costume for hours!

cutie pie

8 months, 1 week, and 5 days old!

Yikes! I'm so behind... with a lot of things, but mainly with posting baby updates. Lilyan is all over the place these days. She can crawl all the way across the room in what feels like 5 seconds and loves to stand up and bang on everything in sight. There's no stopping her and the pseudo baby gate we made out of couch cushions just doesn't do it's job anymore. She barges through the cushions like she's on a mission!

 







To help distract her from the t.v., anything plugged in, the kitchen trashcan, basically everything, I went out and bought her this cheap sit-to-stand activity walker at Babies R Us. She loves it! Sure, it occasionally tips over and the music can be annoying, but if it can keep her attention long enough for us to finish dinner or get ready for work then I'm all for it!

I'm also loving the baby babbles she makes now. She's saying dadadada and mamamama and pop pop pop. Of course, I like to think she knows what she's saying. Then there's the possessed growling noise she makes. Which can be cute at times, but when we're at church and she's looking over my shoulder at the people behind me and growling....not so cute. It's actually kind of creepy..especially when she's making this face:

She's also trying a lot of new foods lately. She reallyyy loves her Yo-Baby yogurt, puffs, and yogurt melts. The best part is watching her concentrate on picking up a puff or yogurt melt with two fingers. Then when she finally gets one, she slowly brings it up to her mouth only to completely miss and stick it to her cheek. The worst part is watching her apply that same concentration to bite-size pieces of trash or coins that she finds on our floor. Ughh..it stresses me out! Now I'm constantly on the look out for anything that didn't make it to the trash or piggy bank.

My little baby is getting so big. She seems so tall to me now! Although as fast as she's growing, she has yet to sprout any teeth. I swear the past few months she has had all the signs of teething, except for the teeth. Oh well, they will come when they are ready! I'm loving this fall weather and can't wait to get her out to the pumpkin patch and in cute hoodies and fall outfits. Hopefully our busy schedules will actually allow us to get out and enjoy the fall before winter comes!

ta ta for now FedExField!

Who would have thought that having a baby would be so expensive? I feel like all of my paychecks these days go to doctors bills, co-pays, formula, diapers, baby food, baby clothes, baby toys, baby everything! Last night I took Lily with me to Target and had to really refrain from buying her more toys. As we strolled through the toy aisle she stared at all the colors and blinking lights and looked so happy to be getting something new to play with. Yet, with determination I kept going and didn't stop once. Then I swear she sadly looked at her slobbery old singing bumblebee in her lap and rolled her eyes. I really felt bad that I didn't get her a new toy! What is wrong with me? What does she need more teething toys and rattles for anyway when two seconds later she's only interested in chewing on the receipt?

I have started to realize that all of the mental notes I used to take when I was around other kids are quickly disappearing (do not pick up baby every time she/he cries, do not fill house with pointless toys, do not become one of those organic mommies that uses the terms play date and bpa free). So for all those new mommies to be, or one day to be, forget the mental notes, because it all changes when you have a kid!

Anyways, back to the subject. So, all of these expenses means we have to cut back somewhere. Unfortunately that somewhere leads us to our Redskins Season Tickets. This is enough to bring a grown man to tears, like my husband. So, yes, we will be selling all of our club level season tickets this year and probably next year. On a brighter note, this means no more beltway traffic, drunken fights with 10 year olds, getting kicked out for throwing snowballs at Bears fans below us, suffering embarrassing losses (ahem, Rams), or overpriced food and beer. I'm sure this will be the year that we win every game at home and make it to the playoffs. Which, if that is the case, you can be sure we will NOT be selling those seats. Either way, as much as I'll miss all of the tailgating fun and being in the stadium after a win, I'm just excited that it's football season again!! As long as we have a TV to watch the games (even if its a 12 inch screen in the corner of a bar) I'll be happy.

LETS GO SKINS!!

7 months already?!!

Don't let this innocent face fool you. 

Lately, Lilyan has been testing our patience. She no longer sits still to let you change her clothes or diaper. She insists on flipping over and screams when you turn her back around. 

The second you set her down in her crib when she falls asleep, she pops right up and tries to get out. No matter how tired she is, she knows instantaneously when she's there. Sometimes though, she'll spare us a couple of minutes and will "sleep" and minutes later when it's way too quiet, I'll check on her and find her like this:

It looks like its time to drop the crib lower! 

Then, whenever you tell her "no" she acts as if you are playing a game with her. She gives you this look, laughs, and is right back to what she was doing:

 It's really amazing how fast she is growing. All in a matter of weeks she has sat up on her own, started crawling, and now pulling herself up to stand! Slow down!!

Happy 7 Months Lilyan!!