Memorial Day Weekend Recap

I realized I never posted any of our Memorial Day weekend pics so better late than never. We spent time with friends, jumped on the trampoline with a sprinkler, played in a tennis tournament, saw our new baby cousin, Avery, enjoyed the deck in our pjs, and just spent some time together.

But the highlight of the weekend was this video!!!

Happy Father's Day

To the most amazing husband and father we could ask for, we love you!

The end of an era: Nursing

This will probably be a random, jump around post, but I wanted to document some of my feelings right now. Lilah and my body have decided it is time to finish yet another babyhood step in our house. Last night I had my last nursing session with Miss Lilah, which will probably be my last nursing session of my life. Oh goodness let the waterworks start. I nursed Addison until she was 8.5 months then she moved to formula. I remember being very ready to be done with pumping, nursing and all of it with her. Plus my supply pretty much just plummeted at 8 months with her. This time around I have savored every single moment. Pumping has never bothered me. I was very determined to make it a year with Lilah, so in the beginning I pumped so I would have a HUGE oversupply for her. I even had so much that I was fortunate enough to be able to donate approximately 800 ounces to another baby in need. We almost made it to a year. I am disappointed that I did not make it to that absolute one year mark, but she will be just fine. When I nurse her now she is just so unsatisfied, there just isn't enough left so I have to supplement as well. She seems happier when I just give her a bottle so that she doesn't have to work so hard for it. So in order to have a more peaceful bedtime experience we are moving on to bottles. I have a some milk in the freezer that will last her a couple more weeks and then it is on to cows milk. We have been mixing and giving her cows milk already just to make sure she will take it. Of course like with everything else she has done just fine and loves it.

I have been so thankful to have an easy and enjoyable time nursing both babies. I really enjoyed the bonding time and just the perk we have as a woman to be able to do such an amazing thing for our children. I will truly miss this part of my life. As I sit here with tears streaming down my face, I am amazed at how fast the time has passed. I feel like I just had Lilah yesterday and now she is walking and ready for new and exciting phases. As sad as I am that this part of their lives is over, I also feel tremendously blessed to have theses beautiful girls as my own. I am absolutely loving every moment and new phase that we enter. In my eyes they are perfect and I thank God daily for giving them to us to raise. I love every minute of it and try to remind myself that it just doesn't get any better than this. Thank you God for these blessings and the blessing you gave to me to be able to successfully nurse my baby girls.

Lilah is almost a walking girl!

We have gone from this a few weeks ago....

Addison wanted to join in the fun

this is Lilah last night...

Addison's (and Nana's) Guest Post

Last weekend I was enjoying this with my girlfriends....

Addison and Lilah's Weekend....

While Mom was vacationing in Cancun Lilah and I went on our own vacation. This also gave Dad a little vacation too! This was the first time Lilah spent the night away from Mom and Dad. I thought she would cry but she just smiled all the time like she usually does.  We went to stay with Nana, Great Grandma and Great Grandpa. I got to stay at the lake the first night with Great grandma! We feed the ducks, visited Sprite (Uncle James’s dog) and I got to go to the beauty shop! We went to the greenhouse after the beauty shop and I found a plant for my deck. Dad is going to help me plant it.  I also got to sleep with Great Grandma in her big bed. We sent Great Grandpa to the bear room. Great Grandpa got some new rocks and we spent some time looking at them. He let me pick out some to take home. Lilah stayed with Nana and they got some special snuggle time! Nana got Lilah a new toy that plays music when she pushes it. Lilah is going to be a dancer like me because when the music came on she started to dance!

The next day Lilah and Nana came back to Great Grandma’s and rode in the golf cart to feed the ducks. They sure like to hiss at us. We saw Sprite running loose and I got to ride with Kaitlyn to go bring him home. She showed me some tricks on how to make him stay. I love Sprite and he loves the treats I bring him. We got back to Nana’s and I got to sleep in Aunt Jenny’s bed.

On Sunday, I got up early and snuggled with Nana for a few minutes before we made pancakes. I got play with Rex and let him lick my face. Lilah likes Rex and get excited when she sees him but is not too sure about him when he gets in her face! I also got to pet Aunt Lisa’s cat Boomer (I think his name is really Bloomer).  Nana says he is a boy but I think he looks like a girl so I told her he has a boy body and a girl face. He sure likes to rub on my legs but he doesn’t mind very well like Rex. After lunch we went to feed the koi fish and pick out a plant for my hippo planter. Lilah wanted to get in the water at the koi pond but I wouldn’t let her. The man let me try to catch one of the little fish. I couldn’t catch one but Nana did and she let me pet it. We fell asleep on the way home! I was glad to see Dad, but Mom was not home yet. I have posted some pictures from my cell phone. Hope you enjoy them. We sure enjoyed our vacation.

Love,

Addy (thanks Nana for helping me write this)

Lilah: 11 Months

Lilah Grace,

One more month and you will be a year. Wow!

You want to be a big girl and eat big girl food. You still seem to like most foods. We are still giving you baby food to ensure you get enough nutrients. Last week I got lazy and just bought enough food for the next few weeks. I will be out of town and making food is great, but I think you will like all of the variety and new flavors. I think we are very close to getting rid of the baby food anyway. I also think you are starting to be done with nursing (insert mom crying!!!). You want to nurse immediately when you wake up, but it is not for very long. Then when I nurse you at night it is a wrestling match. Because of your loss of interest my supply has gone down, which I think is also contributing to your evening displeasure. There must not be a lot there because you just get mad and toss around. I have gone to giving you a one or two ounce bottle as well and that seems to make you happy. I believe this is the start of the end of nursing. I am very sad about it.

Your sleeping is still pretty much the same a couple of naps through out the day and sleeping through the night, but you are having difficulty going to bed at night. We have spoiled you little girl. You like to be rocked, but then at the same time are very fidgety. When we put you in bed you lay down, but as soon as we walk out of the room you stand up and cry. Basically you want us to stand there and pat your back or let you come in the other room with us. We have instituted somewhat of a cry it out method, and every evening you cry less and less. Last night it was less have a minute.
Highlights this month...
- You play peek-a-boo and laugh the entire time.
- You also like to play patty cake. You have clapping perfected!
- We went on a family vacation to Branson.
- I think you are about to get another tooth and the drooling is out of control!
- You are ON THE GO! You crawl, climb, stand, and have taken a step here and there.
- You are standing on your own for several second.
- You can hold a little food pouch and feed yourself!
- You watched your mom and dad play in a tennis tournament.
- One evening I found you and your sister making a house behind a living room chair. It was so cute to see you guys squeezed behind the chair having a blast together.
- You LOVE the pool.
- You are actually playing more with toys. You seem to understand what the toys actually do. You also love to play with anything that is your sister's.
- You and Addy love to play with her soft pottery barn chair. You girls play peek a boo and chase each other around it.
- You are still a mama's girl and like to be held by me in the evenings.

Lilah, you continue to grow and be a happy happy girl. I am so excited to see you learn new things. I am trying to cherish every single second of your first year. It is so fun. We love you very much.

Love you forever and always,
Mommy