The Winter Family - Lily

1st Month
Two weeks old.

1st Month
Our official 1 month picture!

2nd Month


3rd Month


4th Month


5th Month
Taking the picture this month was a lot harder now that Lily has figured out she can peel off the sticker and chew on it.

6th Month
Lily is half a year old already!  She looks like she's ready to celebrate!

7th Month
It looks likes she went through a growth spurt this month!

8 Months

9th Month
Family play time.

9th Month
Daddy gave Lily an ear of corn to play with and she loved it!

9th Month
Fish face!

9th Month
Trying out the swings for the first time!

9th Month
Not sure what to think of it yet.

9th Month
Swinging along.

9th Month
Okay, this is pretty darn cool.

9th Month
Loving it!

9th Month
Playing around with different filters.

9th Month
Another one.

9th Month
Keep going, Daddy.

9th Month
Sitting pretty on the slide.

9th Month
Lily's favorite spot - up on Daddy's shoulders.

9th Month
Digging around in her basket full of blocks.

9th Month
Hmm... What's good?

9th Month
She looks like she's really trying to fit the pieces together in this picture. In actuality, she's just banging them together.

9th Month
Having fun!

9th Month
This is how I've been finding Lily sleeping lately. It's like she's practicing her yoga. Downward dog, anyone?

9th Month
Hanging out on her chair in her room. Which book should we read next?

9th Month
Giving me her best smile.

9th Month
Green bean giggles.

9th Month
Looks like Lily's making dinner tonight!

9th Month
Having a staring contest with her bear.

9th Month
Lily says she won!

9th Month
Lily's first ponytail!  She's the Asian Cindy Lou Who!

9th Month
Having fun with her new musical table.

9th Month
Father-Daughter bonding time = Saturday morning SportsCenter.

9th Month
New favorite hobby - banging on pots.

9th Month
I think we have a drummer in the family.

9th Month
Let's rock out!

9th Month
Who needs teething rings when you have toes to munch on?

9th Month
Took Lily to the park behind our house to check out the flowers.

9th Month
She was a little unsure what to think.

9th Month
Checking things out.

9th Month
They're bigger than me!

9th Month
Look, Ma!

9th Month
Sitting pretty in a field of dandelions.

9th Month
She definitely thought the dandelion puffs were more interesting.

9th Month
Lily sitting pretty.

9th Month
She enjoyed playing with a few of my necklaces in front of the mirror.

9th Month


9th Month
Who is that?

9th Month
Definitely my favorite picture.

9th Month
Playing patty cake with her new friend.

9th Month
Every girl needs a pair of pearls.

9th Month


9th Month


9th Month


9th Month
Fist bump.

9th Month
Celebrating my first Mother's Day!

9th Month
So blessed to have such a wonderful daughter!

9th Month
Daddy and Lily decided to make a painting for me for Mother's Day.

9th Month
Green feet!

9th Month
Things got a little messy.

9th Month
This is so cool, Dad!

9th Month


9th Month
She had a blast getting messy!

9th Month


9th Month


9th Month


9th Month


9th Month


9th Month
Hey Mom! Look what I'm doing!

9th Month


9th Month
Oh, my...

9th Month
The final product. It makes this mamma's heart happy.

9th Month
Lily gets dedicated at church on Mother's Day along with three other babies.  One of whom, the little girl to the right of us in the picture, is also named Lily and is just 3 days younger than our Lily!

9th Month
Heading outside on a beautiful day to play. I used the mirror to give Lily a better view of the perfect blue sky.

9th Month
She was very intrigued by the grass.

9th Month
Who's that baby?

9th Month
P.S. Thanks Andrea for this idea! I'm totally ripping off the pictures you took of Lena last summer.

9th Month


9th Month


9th Month
Wrigley really wanted to steal Lily's Sophie the Giraffe toy because it squeeks.

9th Month
Unfortunately, it was just beyond the reach of his line.

9th Month
Lounging in the grass.

9th Month
This is the life.

9th Month
Laughing it up.

8th Month
Having fun with her frog toy.

8th Month
She has this habit of holding toys above her head and looking giving them this intense look. (I couldn't get the look on camera, but this is the basic position.) I imagine she's thinking, "My precious!"

8th Month
I'm loving that her hair is long enough for barrettes now.

8th Month
Showing off those chipmunk cheeks.

8th Month
All smiles.

8th Month
Styling by Daddy. Didn't you know mixing patterns was in this season?

8th Month
Celebrating Opening Day of the 2012 season in style (even though we're far away).

8th Month
Happy Easter!

8th Month
Showing off her Easter dress with matching hair accessory.

8th Month
Celebrating Easter with Mommy and Grandma!

8th Month
Not the best picture because Lily was moving, but I love her smile.

8th Month
Our family after Easter service.

8th Month
The Spencer women after Easter service.

8th Month
Playing with Uncle Keith.

8th Month


8th Month
These two loved chilling out together.

8th Month
Lily and Daddy playing with Violet on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

8th Month
Trying to get a shot of her new tooth starting to come in, but it didn't work. Still love that smile anyway.

8th Month
Best part of my day.

8th Month
Having fun playing with Daddy's ID badge.

8th Month
She looks like such a big girl standing up tall.

8th Month
Lily's new favorite toy - the laundry basket!

8th Month
I've found it's best to just go with what works.

8th Month
Wrigley checking out Lily in her new toy.

8th Month
Silly goose.

8th Month
Who needs fancy toys when you have mundane household objects? These coke bottles kept Lily happy for a good half hour.

8th Month
Drinking from a glass like a big girl!

8th Month
Well, more like slurping from a glass like a dog.

7th Month
Bath time with Daddy.

7th Month
She sure does love chewing on her socks!

7th Month
Where I put her when I went to go brew my morning coffee...

7th Month
Where I found her when I returned a few minutes later.

7th Month
My little rolling pin.

7th Month
Practicing sitting up.

7th Month
Look, Mom! No hands!

7th Month
Wrigley came over to check out Lily's progress.

7th Month
What just happened to me??

7th Month
She's getting pretty good at sitting up by herself!

7th Month
And this is what happens when Mommy is busy taking pictures.

7th Month
This girl knows how to relax.

7th Month
Taking some cute pictures on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

7th Month
She sure is excited!

7th Month
Love that toothless grin.

7th Month
Giving me her serious face.

7th Month
Her little piggies.

7th Month
Gumming it.

7th Month
Getting sleepy.

7th Month
Daddy's attempt at entertaining a fussy Lily.

7th Month
Playing with her toes. Favorite thing ever!

7th Month
She's got those piggies under control.

7th Month
Having fun with the ball.

7th Month
Come to me now!

7th Month
Much better.

7th Month
Taking a break mid-roll.

7th Month
Having fun playing with Daddy.

7th Month
Going upside down!

7th Month
Again!

7th Month
Taking advantage of the beautiful day and going for a walk for the first time in her umbrella stroller.

7th Month
Yeah, she didn't like the umbrella stroller. The walk was a big fat fail.

7th Month
Looking out the window at the beautiful weather.

7th Month
Hi Mom!

7th Month
All serious.

7th Month
Much better.

7th Month
I see you!

7th Month
Lily's first trip to the zoo where we saw monkeys and a baby elephant!

7th Month
Somebody had fun eating her carrots!

7th Month
Two peas in a pod.

7th Month
The best kind of day is a no-pants day.

7th Month
Happy St. Patty's Day!

7th Month
Looks like Lily has officially entered the "can't take your eyes off her for a second" phase. I went into the kitchen for just a minute or two and found she had rolled across the family room and halfway under her pack-n-play.

7th Month
However, she didn't seem in the least upset by her new situation. Silly girl.

7th Month
Seeing bubbles for the first time.

7th Month
She was interested, but unsure of how she felt about them.

7th Month
Chilling with daddy.

7th Month
Mommy kisses.

7th Month
Playing around.

7th Month
Daddy's girls.

7th Month
She's 7 months old today!

7th Month
I love how she gets her whole body involved in play.

7th Month
Always the toes...

6th Month
Has teething come to the Winter household? Lily is putting everything in her mouth lately and really loves chewing on her teething ring.

6th Month
Practicing sitting up by herself. She doesn't quite have it yet.

6th Month
Loving on the teddy Pop Rick and Grammy gave her for Christmas.

6th Month
Is this how a backpack works, Grandma Allie?

6th Month
Lily all bundled up and ready to go on a walk on a cold February day. (Disclaimer - Lily does not wear her snow suit when riding in the car.)

6th Month
Baby's first geocache! Her grandpa is so proud.

6th Month
Getting ready for Easter. (Bunny ears and nose courtesy of Grandpa Gene.)

6th Month
Lily's been having a lot of fun playing with her feet lately and I tried to get it pictures of it this morning.

6th Month
Little miss rolly polly.

6th Month
I wish I was that flexible.

6th Month
What are those?

6th Month
Yum... Toes.

6th Month
Please, Mom. I'm naked.

6th Month
Happy Valentine's Day!

6th Month
From your littlest Valentine!

6th Month
Getting fancy.

6th Month
Mommy & Me

6th Month
Love

6th Month
Hanging out on her playmat.

6th Month
Giraffe feet!

6th Month
Her favorite place to be.

6th Month
Checking out the mat from a different angle.

6th Month
Early morning smiles.

6th Month
Playing "catch" with dad.

6th Month
Having fun.

6th Month
Giving Nana and Pop smiles from mommy's lap.

6th Month
Getting so big.

6th Month
Trying solid food for the first time!

6th Month
Lily's first food was bananas.

6th Month
What is this stuff??

6th Month
The aftermath... She did pretty well. More food ended up in her mouth than on her face!

6th Month
Relaxing with Nana.

6th Month
Oh, the chipmunk cheeks.

6th Month
All ready for church in her bunny hat!

6th Month
Let's go for a ride!

6th Month
Mischievous grin.

6th Month
Lily had so much fun with her Nana and Pop this weekend!

6th Month
Pop and his littlest girl.

6th Month
Snuggles with Mommy!

6th Month
A good family photo - all smiles.

6th Month
Lily's true personality shines through.

6th Month
Showing off her rolls after a diaper blowout.

6th Month
Watching the snowfall.

6th Month
Look, Mom!

6th Month
Whoa.

6th Month
Watcha doing back there?

6th Month
Enjoying the show.

6th Month
Rocking my baby to sleep.

6th Month
An unconventional use of the classic ring toy... Can you guess which parent was playing with her?

5th Month
Lily really likes this new hat she got for Christmas.

5th Month
Love those chipmunk cheeks.

5th Month
Such a cutie.

5th Month
Having a staring contest with her ducky.

5th Month
Lily has a message for all her aunts.

5th Month
Checking out the duck toy she got for Christmas from her Aunt Tachelle.

5th Month
All dressed up and no where to go... What happened to all the snow Michigan is supposed to get?

5th Month
Having fun rocking her snow suit even if there isn't any snow yet.

5th Month
That's my little bear!

5th Month
Bring it on, Michigan. Bring it on.

5th Month
Lily riding Wrigley. They're having a lot of fun. Can you tell?

5th Month
Mommy & me time.

5th Month
Love chilling with my favorite girl.

5th Month
Oh, geez!

5th Month
Now it's Daddy's turn for some cuddles.

5th Month
My two great loves.

5th Month
Daddy getting Lily ready to go out in the snow.

5th Month
Finally some snow!

5th Month
Lily tests out the sled Nana and Pop Winter got her for Christmas.

5th Month
Daddy pulls Lily up to the bunny slope behind our house.

5th Month
Getting ready to go down the hill!

5th Month
There she goes!

5th Month
She made it!

5th Month
She doesn't seem too thrilled by the cold.

5th Month
Baby snow angels.

5th Month
Daddy & Lily

5th Month
Mommy's turn to pull the sled.

5th Month
Snow Bug

5th Month
Mommy & Lily

5th Month
Winter kisses.

5th Month
Loved sharing a new first with Lily!

5th Month
Lily got her very own my-size Wrigley!

5th Month
Lily and her new baby.

5th Month
She loves her very own Wrigley.

5th Month
Lily and both her Wrigleys.

5th Month
Big Wrigley isn't so sure about this newcomer. He's thinking he could probably take him.

5th Month
Lily transitioned from her Rock-n-Play sleeper to her crib this week!

5th Month
She's very proud of herself for being such a big girl.

5th Month
Trying to foster a love of reading early.

5th Month
Checking out her full-size Gossie toy.

5th Month
This is so cool!

5th Month
Like Mother, like daughter.  Mommy and Lily wearing the same outfit over 27 years apart.  Lily looks way cuter.

P.S.  A big thank you to Lily's Great-Aunt Janice for saving the picture and the outfit!

5th Month
Daddy serenading Lily with his guitar.

5th Month
Peek-a-boo!

5th Month
Showing off her mad sitting skills.

5th Month
Standing up with help from Daddy.

5th Month
Cutie pie.

5th Month
Now that Lily knows how to sit up, she doesn't want to lay down on her exercise mat anymore.

4th Month
We had some fun playing with Christmas lights this afternoon.

4th Month


4th Month


4th Month


4th Month


4th Month
Same pictures, but now in color.

4th Month


4th Month


4th Month


4th Month


4th Month
Checking out the Christmas tree.

4th Month
This is pretty cool!

4th Month


4th Month
Getting pretty darn good at holding her head up.

4th Month


4th Month
It's hard work to hold up such a big head!

4th Month
Yeah, she knows who loves her.

4th Month
100 days old!

4th Month


4th Month
Working hard to get those sounds out.

4th Month


4th Month
Watching the snow fall with her daddy.

4th Month
What is that stuff?

4th Month
Talk about a white Christmas!

4th Month
Lily got an early Christmas present!

4th Month
Thanks Nana and Pop!

4th Month


4th Month
Checking out the tree from her new perch.

4th Month
Can't wait to try it when I'm bigger!

4th Month
Someone thinks she's all cool with her feet up on the table.

4th Month
All smug.

4th Month
She's just too darn cute to be mad at her!

4th Month
BFF's! Andrea and Lena came to meet Lily!

4th Month
All smiles with Paula.

4th Month
Who needs a teething ring when you Grandma's hands?

4th Month
Peeking out from under her car seat cover.

4th Month
Big laugh!

4th Month
Snuggled up in bed with Daddy.

4th Month
Our little cuddle bug.

4th Month
Peek-a-boo!

4th Month
Photo courtesy of Uncle Keith.

3rd Month
Lily in her adorable Halloween costume. Thanks Grandma Allie for buying it!

3rd Month
Jordan said I was torturing her. (But he was happy it was a Disney character!)

3rd Month
Lily and Pooh wishing you a Happy Halloween!

3rd Month
Daddy & Lily at our church's Harvest Party.

3rd Month
Daddy, Mommy, & Lily

3rd Month
Lily made some friends at the Harvest Party - Isaiah as Pooh and Lorelai as Tigger.

3rd Month
Lily rocking her adorable bear hat from Grandma Allie.

3rd Month
Giving mommy a sideways smile.

3rd Month
Chilling out during our morning talk on her changing pad.

3rd Month
Trying out the Bumbo for the first time!

3rd Month
She seems pretty proud of herself.

3rd Month
Having fun on her exercise mat.

3rd Month
Making funny faces at the animals.

3rd Month


3rd Month


3rd Month
Kicking back and enjoying a fire on a chilly fall evening.

3rd Month
Lily's first snowfall!

3rd Month
Michigan winter here we come!

3rd Month
Lily spending some quality time with her great-grandmother. I don't know who tired out who.

3rd Month
Lily with her Great-Aunt Pam and cousins Emily and Morgan.

3rd Month
Great-Aunt Pam was working really hard to get Lily to smile.

3rd Month
Not quite the face we were going for.

3rd Month
My cutie pie.

3rd Month
Pam and Lily goofing off.

3rd Month
Little Bear

3rd Month
How could you not love a face like that?

3rd Month
What a great smile!

3rd Month
Look! It's 11:11 on 11-11-11!

3rd Month


3rd Month
It's a very tough life being a newborn.

3rd Month
Lily with her Great-Grandma Carol.

3rd Month
She's so big!

3rd Month
Getting fancy with spot coloring.

3rd Month
Mommy with her precious little girl.

3rd Month
Getting the whole family together for our Christmas card picture!

3rd Month
Lily with her cousin Emily.

3rd Month
Lily with her cousin Morgan.

3rd Month
Lily with her Great-Aunt Pam.

3rd Month
Mommy and Lily with the Driver women.

3rd Month
Lily with the Driver women.

3rd Month
We always have a good time together.

3rd Month
All tuckered out from the picture taking. She looks like a doll!

3rd Month
Lily and Great-Grandma playing together.

3rd Month
We put Lily in a pile of leaves. You can tell by her expression how she felt about the situation.

3rd Month
Morgan loved snuggling with Lily.

3rd Month
Mommy and Lily with Great-Grandma!

3rd Month
We had a great time with the gang from New Jersey!

3rd Month
She sleeps in some of the funniest positions.

3rd Month
Doing her best to find her thumb.

3rd Month
But really all she's doing is trying to fit her ENTIRE fist in her mouth.

3rd Month
Lily found her thumb! (If only for a minute.)

3rd Month
I love her full body stretches after waking up.

3rd Month
Where's the baby?

3rd Month
There she is!

3rd Month
Lily wasn't thrilled with being completely enveloped by the carrier cover. She kept banging on it when I closed the entire thing.

3rd Month
He who opens the box must put together the contents.

3rd Month
Lily's first time in the Jumperoo Grandpa bought for her!

3rd Month
Don't be fooled by the angle of the picture. Her feet are a good 3 inches off the floor and it's already in the lowest setting.

3rd Month
Not quite sure what to think...

3rd Month
Okay, this could be cool.

3rd Month
I think it's a hit!

3rd Month
Family picture with Grandma Allie and Uncle Keith.

3rd Month
Uncle Keith stole the baby!

3rd Month
Adding Grandpa Gene to the mix.

3rd Month
Family picture with Grandpa Gene, Paula, and Uncle Keith.

3rd Month
With the whole Spencer/Eriksen clan.

3rd Month
Playing with Uncle Keith over Thanksgiving weekend.

3rd Month
Uncle Keith got some great smiles out of Lily!

3rd Month
She's flying!

3rd Month
What was that?

3rd Month
Silly girl can't keep her eyes off the TV.

3rd Month
So sweet on her 3 month birthday!

3rd Month
Chilling out with her teddy bear.

3rd Month
Having fun in her jumperoo.

3rd Month
It's so cool!

3rd Month

2nd Month
Grandma Allie and her magic baby jiggle. Puts Lily to sleep every time.

2nd Month
It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it!

2nd Month
So peaceful.

2nd Month
This is what happens when you ask Daddy to watch the baby.

2nd Month
Three generations together at last!

2nd Month
Snuggling with Nana.

2nd Month
So sleepy...

2nd Month
Checking things out.

2nd Month
Giving Pop the pirate eye.

2nd Month
Classic Lily with her tongue sticking out.

2nd Month
Almost smiling!

2nd Month
All dressed up for her first trip to church.

2nd Month
Snuggle Bug

2nd Month
Working hard on her exercise mat.

2nd Month
Sleepy Head

2nd Month
I see you peeking!

2nd Month
Finally a good shot of her smiling!

2nd Month
Lily is most smiley in the mornings.

2nd Month
Mommy just loves her little girl.

2nd Month
Cracking up!

2nd Month
Her little hand.

2nd Month
All worn out from the fun.

2nd Month
Jordan was trying to facilitate some bonding time for Lily and Wrigley.

2nd Month
I don't know if either one was very amused.

2nd Month
But they tolerated it.

2nd Month
All comfy cozy in the Boppy.

2nd Month
Baby aerobics in the bouncy seat. Look at those legs go!

2nd Month
Chilling with mommy.

2nd Month


2nd Month
Tired out from her aerobics session.

2nd Month
Getting her chubby baby cheeks!

2nd Month
I love it when she yawns.

2nd Month
Our favorite little bunny.

2nd Month
She's a sassy bunny!

2nd Month
She looks like she's dancing in this one.

2nd Month


2nd Month
Working on her head control during tummy time.

2nd Month
Two months have flown by!

Hospital
Lily peacefully sleeping in her bassinet.

Hospital
Lily peacefully sleeping in her bassinet.

Hospital
There's nothing sweeter than a sleeping baby.

Hospital
Proud Grandpa

Hospital
Getting ready to go home!

Hospital
Getting ready to go home!

Hospital
Still a pretty tired from the delivery.

Hospital
All ready to take our little girl home!

Hospital
One last snuggle with Daddy before getting strapped into the car seat.

Hospital
I think somebody is smitten.

Homecoming
The decorations we came home to courtesy of Grandpa and Uncle Keith!

Homecoming
Beautiful flowers for our little girl.

Homecoming


Homecoming


First Day at Home
Continuing a family tradition. My dad has done this with every baby in the family.

First Day at Home
Fast asleep in Grandpa's arms.

First Day at Home
I just love her face in this picture.

1st Month
Family picture time!

1st Month
Me and Lily with my brother, Keith.

1st Month
He's a proud uncle.

1st Month
With Uncle Keith and Grandpa.

1st Month
Grandpa didn't want to take off his official "grandparent" badge from the hospital.

1st Month


1st Month
Trying out the baby swing.

1st Month
Wrigley meeting his new baby sister for the first time.

1st Month
What is this??

1st Month
He can't get enough of her.

1st Month
Baby feet!

1st Month
She has long feet.

1st Month
One of her toes is bent. Her doctor said it will be like that for life, but shouldn't effect her walking.

1st Month
Getting ready to go see the doctor!

1st Month
Not so sure about this whole car seat thing.

1st Month
How can you not love that face??

1st Month
Wrigley still doesn't quite know what to think...

1st Month
Okay, maybe he can handle this.

1st Month
All bundled up in the Boppy.

1st Month
Safe in her daddy's arms.

1st Month


1st Month


1st Month


1st Month
Giving us her pirate look.

1st Month


1st Month
Nana and Pop Winter meet their newest granddaughter!

1st Month
Pop Winter snuggling Lily.

1st Month
Somebody was a little fussy.

1st Month
But Pop Pop knew how to calm her down.

1st Month


1st Month


1st Month


1st Month


1st Month
Nana's turn.

1st Month


1st Month
Big baby yawn.

1st Month
Wide awake.

1st Month


1st Month


1st Month


1st Month


1st Month
Little baby hands.

1st Month
Not happy...

1st Month


1st Month


1st Month


1st Month


1st Month


1st Month
Our new (and much improved) family!

1st Month
So in love with our little girl.

1st Month


1st Month


1st Month
Is that a smile?

1st Month
Sticking out her tongue.

1st Month
Mother & Daughter

1st Month


1st Month


1st Month


1st Month
So sweet.

1st Month


1st Month


1st Month


1st Month
More Father-Daughter time.

1st Month
She loves to sleep in her bouncy seat.

1st Month
Hello, beautiful.

1st Month
She loves her Daddy!

1st Month
Our little love bug.

1st Month
I put her in this outfit just for Jordan. He hopes it stays that way for at least the next 25 years.

1st Month
She's always throwing her arms around. Unfortunately, that means she often bops herself in the face. It'll be nice once she realizes she actually has control over these crazy things.

1st Month
Getting ready for our first walk around the neighborhood!

1st Mont
All snuggled up in her car seat.

1st Month
The walk put her right to sleep. (Too bad she didn't stay that way once the walk was over.)

1st Month
Proud new mama.

1st Month
All comfy and cozy on a lazy Sunday morning.

1st Month
She just steals my heart.

1st Month
Playing on her exercise mat.

1st Month
It's a pretty cool place to hang out.

1st Month


1st Month
Meeting Grandma Allie for the first time!

1st Month
Always working those arms!

1st Month
So cute in her sweater and headband.

1st Month
And working that zebra print dress.

Lily
Going to the hospital Friday afternoon.

Lily
All checked into our birthing room.

Lily
Jordan's parent badge.

Lily
Our birthing room.

Lily
Our birthing room.

Lily
Getting ready for Lily to arrive.

Lily
Excited to meet our little girl in just a few hours!

Lily
Giving Jordan my "it's time to put the camera away" look.

Lily
Holding the stuffed sheep we brought back from New Zealand for our "one day" baby.

Lily
Welcome to the world Lily!

Lily
Grateful to have the labor and deliver over with.

Lily
Look at those little hands.

Lily
Jordan holding his daughter for the first time.

Lily
Isn't she lovely?

Lily
Proud papa.

Lily
Our first family picture.

Lily


Lily


Lily


Lily
Mother and daughter together at last.

Lily


Lily


Lily


Lily
Sleepy after all that hard work.

Lily
Our little burrito.

Lily
I did it!

Lily


Lily


Lily
Grandpa Gene and Lily

Lily
Ready to spoil is granddaughter.

Lily
Uncle Keith and silly Lily (as he has decided to call her.)

Lily


Lily
Her cute footprints.

Lily
Sleeping Beauty

Lily


Lily
Practically perfect in every way.

Sledding

Lily tests out her new sled for the first time.

Babbling

A little example of Lily "talking".

Jumperoo Fun

Lily having fun bouncing around in her jumperoo.

Morning Talk

Lily likes to chat with me when I get her dressed for the day.

Baby Aerobics

Lily working out in her bouncy seat.

13 Weeks
Baby bump at 13 weeks, the beginning of the second trimester.  Not much there at this point.

14 Weeks


15 Weeks
I think I see a little bump starting to show!

16 Weeks
Starting my 4th month.

17 Weeks


18 Weeks


19 Weeks


20 Weeks
Starting my 5th month. We're halfway there!

21 Weeks


22 Weeks


23 Weeks
Happy Easter!

24 Weeks
Starting my 6th month!

25 Weeks
Happy (soon-to-be) Mother's Day!

26 Weeks


27 Weeks
Goodbye second trimester...

28 Weeks
Third trimester here we come!

29 Weeks


30 Weeks


31 Weeks
Happy Father's Day!

32 Weeks
Starting my 8th month!

33 Weeks


34 Weeks


35 Weeks
35 weeks done, 35 days to go!

36 Weeks
9 months - Nearing the end!

37 Weeks
Full term!

38 Weeks


39 Weeks


40 Weeks
Made it to my due date!

Nursery Reveal
Welcome to Lily's room!

Nursery Reveal
The view into the nursery from the hallway.

Nursery Reveal
Rocking chair and changing table/dresser.

Nursery Reveal
The dresser is fully stocked!

Nursery Reveal
The glider rocker is from Lily's Great-Grandma Carol and the adorable beach bag is from Nana Winter.

Nursery Reveal
Crib

Nursery Reveal
The crib in all its fabulousness!

Nursery Reveal
Crib and Bookshelf

Nursery Reveal
The bookshelf was a gift from Grandma Allie and the chair was from the McDermotts.

Nursery Reveal
The duckling toy is from Lily's Great-Aunt Pam and the ducky lovie is from Aunt Tachelle. All the Winter grandkids have their own special animal lovie.

Nursery Reveal
These stuffed animals are passed down from mommy and daddy. The big yellow bear was mine and the Care Bear and Snoopy were Jordan's.

Nursery Reveal
These beautiful 3D butterflies were one of my favorite Etsy finds!

Nursery Reveal
The outfit on the wall was mine as a baby. (Thanks for saving it Great-Aunt Janice!)

Nursery Reveal
Lily's bursting closet.

Nursery Reveal
Lily's shoe collection has begun!

8 Weeks
The first picture of our peanut!

11 Weeks 3 Days
It looks like a real person in there!

20 Weeks
A view of the head and abdomen at 20 weeks.

20 Weeks
The right-hand side of the screen is the abdomen with the legs extending to the left. The legs are crossed at the ankles, which is why we had such a hard time finding out the gender.

20 Weeks
A foot!

20 Weeks
Lily's little footprints.

20 Weeks
The head and spine.

20 Weeks
Forearm bent at the elbow.

Total Weight Gain: 30.5 lbs

Maternity Clothes: Nothing new.

Sleep: I've actually been sleeping a little bit better this week, but it's still not great.  I usually wake up every few hours in order to change position.  We learned at our newborn care class the other week that a woman's sleep pattern changes in the third trimester to help her prepare for a having a newborn in the house.  I've definitely found this to be true.

Best Moment This Week: Seeing the baby on the ultrasound at my OB appointment.  My mom came with me to the appointment so she got to see Lily too, and it was great to share the experience with her.

Movement: My mom really enjoyed watching my belly bounce as Lily moved around.  Lily continues to be really active and it's not hard for outsiders to watch her stretch and kick.

Gender: It's a girl!

Labor Signs: Still no signs of active labor yet.

What I miss: Not having swollen hands and feet.  They don't look very swollen, but my joints are sore and it's pretty uncomfortable.

What I'm looking forward to: We've moved up to weekly OB appointments now and my next one is tomorrow.
Milestones: My OB confirmed on the ultrasound that Lily is still head down and the doctor's estimate for her weight was about 7 pounds.  Everything was good from the doctor's perspective, so we're continuing on as usual.  I was also happy to finish off the nursery with my mom this week - we got a bookshelf for all Lily's books and refurbished my old toy box from when I was a kid.  Now, we literally have everything done that was on my to do list!

The baby is still the size of a watermelon!

Attachments:

Total Weight Gain: 26.5 lbs

Maternity Clothes: Everything is still the same.  No complaints there.

Sleep: This past week was not a good one in terms of sleeping.  Heartburn has been keeping me up and it's really uncomfortable trying to change positions.  I'm guessing it's going to be this way until the end of the pregnancy, and then the real fun begins.

Best Moment This Week: Getting kicked in the ribs.  I know, I know.  It sounds really weird, but Lily kicked me in the ribs yesterday and it was a very weird feeling.  At first, I didn't like it, but then I realized how big she has to be to be able to do that and I was blown away.  She's definitely going strong in there!

Movement: Lily is still hiccuping a lot.  I remember my mom saying how I had hiccuped a lot when she was pregnant, but I never expected it to happen so often!

Gender: It's a girl!

Labor Signs: Nothing happening yet.

What I miss: Not having heartburn!  Since entering the second trimester, I used to get it every once in awhile but this week was rough.  Every night the heartburn starts like clockwork between 4 and 5 p.m. and goes all night.  Tums used to do the trick, but they've stopped working now.  I'm going to have to ask my OB for some prescription medication at my next appointment because this is getting out of control, especially since I have been diagnosed with GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) in the past.

What I'm looking forward to: My 34 week OB check up is on Thursday and it'll be nice to hear Lily's heartbeat again.  I always like hearing her and getting that little confirmation she's doing alright in there.
Milestones: I had the meeting with the pediatrician this week and it went really well.  The office isn't far from our house and the staff is extremely helpful.  The doctor is very soft spoken and I think he'll be great with little kids.  I was also impressed when I asked if he had any literature on breastfeeding and he e-mailed me a whole website full of information on it before I had even left his office.  Find a pediatrician - check!

The baby is still the size of a honeydew melon!

Total Weight Gain: 20 lbs

Maternity Clothes: Loving dresses this week with the crazy hot and humid temperatures.  I even found some very cute non-maternity dresses that look good with a baby bump so I can wear them even after Lily is born.

Sleep:  Sleep was a little more elusive this week with more frequent bathroom runs and some very vivid dreams.  At one point, I dreamed I was arguing with John McCain and other senior Washington officials.  I don't remember what our debate was about, but I'm pretty sure I was winning.  Where did that come from??

Best Moment This Week: Celebrating Lily with the Spencer side of the family!  My mom hosted a baby shower at her home and it was wonderful spending time with my family and friends from home.  A big thank you to everyone who shared the day with me, and to my mom for all her hard work to make the day special!

Movement: My mom was able to feel her move for the first time this week.  Grandma Allie was so excited!

Gender: It's a girl!

Labor Signs: Nothing, and I want to keep it that way for at least the next 7 weeks.

What I miss: Not having to run to the bathroom at the drop of a hat.  It feels like Lily's position has changed in the last few days and she certainly seems to be resting on my bladder.  I'll use the bathroom and almost immediately feel like I need to go again.  So weird.

What I'm looking forward to: My dad drove me back to Michigan after this last shower and we're spending the day geocaching tomorrow.  We even hope to get a few in Canada, a first for both of us.

Weekly Wisdom: It's great getting back to your roots.  I got to spend the whole week with my mom, and we had a wonderful time talking (mostly about Lily), shopping, visiting with friends, and preparing for the shower.  Even with everything we had going on, one of our best moments was wandering around Knoebels Amusement Resort and reminiscing about my childhood.  It was a special afternoon and I hope we can recreate it with Lily as she grows up.
Milestones: We had our last baby shower yesterday and Lily's nursery is now pretty well stocked.  We have a couple things we still need to get, but our family and friends were incredibly generous to us and showered us with lots of cute clothes and helpful baby gear.  I'm so excited to start putting together the pieces of Lily's childhood!

The baby is still the size of an squash!

Total Weight Gain: 14 lbs

Maternity Clothes: I'm actually starting to fill out the maternity tops a little bit better.  They're still big, but not as tent-like as before.

Sleep: Sleeping well but the crazy dreams have returned.

Best Moment This Week: My 6 month check up with the OB went really well.  She said Lily's growth is right on track and her heartbeat was very strong.

Movement: Lily's kicks have been very forceful this week, and I notice them almost anytime I'm sitting still.  It amazes me how much she's moving around in there!

Gender: It's a girl!

Labor Signs: Nope

What I miss: Flexibility.  It's hard bending over to unpack boxes and do housework.

What I'm looking forward to: Getting started on the nursery.  We got our first gift off our baby registry and it's the lamp that goes with our nursery theme.  It's so cute and I'm very excited to start putting everything together.  (However, it has to wait until we start getting some furniture in the room.)

Weekly Wisdom: I'm very lucky to have found an OB whose view of childbirth is very much aligned with my own.  I pretty much came out here and blindly set up an appointment, and I was nervous about getting along with my new doctor.  You hear some horror stories about insensitive and disrespectful OB's who think it's their way or the highway when it comes to the birthing experience.  While I understand the need for medical professionals and their knowledge, I also believe that this is my body and the birth of my child and I need to be in control of that experience.  I'm grateful that my new OB is open to my ideas and is supportive in helping me bring Lily into the world in the way that works best for me.
Milestones: I finished unpacking the house this week!  Well, at least all the living areas of the house.  Jordan still needs to unpack his stuff in the garage, and his tools down in the basement.  We also need to start working on putting up our artwork and other decorative details.  Lastly, the moving company is coming tomorrow to pick up the boxes and packing materials, which will restore a little more order to the house.

The baby is still the size of an eggplant!

Total Weight Gain: 9 lbs

Maternity Clothes:  About the same.

Sleep: Things have gotten better since I purchased my Snoogle.

Best Moment This Week: Finally having Jordan back in Michigan with our car.  No more trips back and forth!

Movement:  She tends to move a lot after I eat and right at bedtime.

Gender: It's a girl!

Labor Signs: Nope

What I miss: Not having lower back pain - I'm constantly having to readjust the way I'm sitting and being very conscious of supporting my back.

What I'm looking forward to:  Moving into our house next weekend and getting settled.

Weekly Wisdom: Feeling my baby move inside of me is the most amazing connection I could ever imagine.  It's awesome to know my body can do something so miraculous and my baby is drawing her strength from me.  It's truly a miracle from God, and I am incredibly blessed to be experiencing this for myself.  It's not easy but I wouldn't have it any other way!
Milestones: I had my intake appointment at my new OB's office this past week and met with one of their nurses.  We got to discuss the labor and delivery process, which was a first for me because I knew I wouldn't be giving birth in New Jersey so I never approached the subject with my previous doctor.  It's definitely making the whole process more real for me, and now I have to start researching birthing classes.

The baby is still the size of a papaya!

Total Weight Gain: 7 lbs

Maternity Clothes:  I still haven't made the trip to the mall yet.  This week maybe?

Sleep: Sleep has been a little elusive this week.  I still have my cold and the back pain continues.  I can't seem to find a position that will: A) allow me to breath and B) not hurt my back.

Best Moment This Week: Seeing the baby move on the outside for the first time.  One morning I noticed the kicks were particularly strong and I looked down to see my belly bouncing all over the place.  It was so weird!

Movement:  We have one little active girl on our hands.

Gender: It's a girl!

Labor Signs: Nope

What I miss: Our families.  We finally made the move to Michigan and it's sad to leave our family behind on the east coast.  I know we'll see them in June when we come out to visit, but it was really hard to say goodbye (for now).

What I'm looking forward to:  Getting to know my new hometown.  Jordan has shown me around a little, but it's time for me to start venturing out on my own.  Thankfully, a lot of the important stuff (grocery store, gas stations, Target, etc.) are within just a couple miles of our apartment so it shouldn't be too hard to figure things out.

Weekly Wisdom: When things don't go your way, it's important to step back and be grateful for what you do have.  We were disappointed to find out that we have to replace the entire engine in our car, but we have to be thankful that we're both healthy and so is Lily.  Jordan also has a great job he loves that provides for our growing family, and we've got a wonderful home lined up for us in Michigan.  Even though we're taking a significant financial blow with selling our house in New Jersey and now the car trouble, it's just money and we can get through it.  What really matters is that we're happy, healthy, and have each other.
Milestones: We finally made it to Michigan!  It was about 2 1/2 months coming and delayed by car trouble, but we eventually arrived at our final destination.  It's wonderful to be back together as a family and we are so excited to start our new lives here.

The baby is now the size of a papaya!

Total Weight Gain: 5.5 lbs

Maternity Clothes:  About the same as before.  I'm hoping to go shopping for a few more things once we get to Michigan.

Sleep: I've been having some trouble sleeping this week because I recently came down with a cold.  The congestion, along with back pain, have made it hard to get a good night's rest.  Hopefully, it will get better when my cold goes away.

Best Moment This Week: Seeing the baby on the anatomy scan, and finding out everything is progressing as it should.

Movement:  Still feeling a lot of kicking at night when I'm sitting down and some when I go to bed.  There are other random movements throughout the day as well.

Gender: It's a girl!  Lillian Christine gave us a hard time during the ultrasound because she was being a little lady with her legs crossed.  After a long time, we were finally able to determine the gender and found out our little girl is on her way!  Jordan and I have both flip-flopped as to our predictions over the course of the pregnancy.  Originally, I said boy but recently had a strong feeling it was a girl.  Jordan, on the other hand, thought it was a girl at first but then had second thoughts that it might be a boy.  However, he did say he had a dream the night before the ultrasound that it was a girl.  I guess we were both right!

Labor Signs: Nope

What I miss: There's nothing this week that I am particularly missing.  It's been a good week overall.

What I'm looking forward to:  Getting settled in Michigan.  Our arrival in Ann Arbor has been delayed a little due to car trouble so we're staying a few extra days at my mom's house.  Thankfully, she's happy to host us and it's giving us both some time to rest up and get over our colds.

Weekly Wisdom: Life does not always go as planned.  Leaving New Jersey went as smoothly as we could have hoped for, but we've had some car trouble which has left us stranded in Pennsylvania.  We're hoping for a quick fix so we can get back on the road by Tuesday or Wednesday, but we have to wait until the mechanic shops open on Monday.  Jordan and I are both very organized people and were as ready for this move as two people can probably be, but we've still had to deal with the unexpected and roll with the punches.  Thankfully, being prepared also meant it was easy to cancel our hotel reservations and make the necessary changes in our plans to account for the delay.
Milestones: Having the anatomy scan was a big milestone for us because it told us the baby is growing strong and healthy.  It also gave us the opportunity to find out the gender, which has greatly changed how we think about the baby.  We no longer have to say "it".  The baby is now a "she" with a name of her own.  It's a very cool feeling!

The baby is now the size of a banana!

Total Weight Gain: 5 lbs

Maternity Clothes:  I'm still wearing my pre-pregnancy tops, but I'm at the point where I should switch exclusively to maternity wear because all my normal shirts are too short in the front.  However, I'm torn about going out and buying sweaters because the weather is getting warmer and I won't need them much longer.  On the other hand, it's definitely too cold to be wearing the T-shirts I've bought already.

Sleep: Sleeping well as always.

Best Moment This Week: Getting to 20 weeks - the halfway point of my pregnancy!

Movement:  The baby is moving whenever I'm sitting still, and there are some very strong kicks every once in a while.  This kid is active!  (I guess it takes after it's father already.)

Gender: We'll see...

Labor Signs: Nope

What I miss: My normal stamina.  I had a long day at work yesterday and boy was I tired afterward!  I don't think it would have been so hard on me physically before I got pregnant, but now I'm still feeling the effects a day later.

What I'm looking forward to:  We're making the move to Michigan this week and I'm really excited to complete this next step in our journey.  I'm also looking forward to having the 10-hour drive behind us.

Weekly Wisdom: The saying goes that it takes a village to raise a child, but I'm finding that a pregnancy also involves the whole village.  It's funny how everyone around me is invested and involved in this pregnancy, even people I wasn't particularly close to before.  All of my co-workers are so excited for me and are constantly asking how I'm feeling and keeping a close eye on my growing baby bump.  I'm also getting used to having my belly rubbed all the time.  It's kind of weird but nice to know that everyone is happy for me and ready to welcome this new life into the world.
Milestones: I'm halfway there!  It's a pretty neat feeling to know I'm halfway through the pregnancy and our little one is only 20 weeks (give or take) from making his/her arrival.

The baby is now the size of a cantaloupe!

Total Weight Gain: 4 lbs

Maternity Clothes: I'm continuing to mix maternity pants with some maternity tops and my pre-pregnancy tops.  I should probably continue to expand my maternity wardrobe.

Sleep: Still sleeping well but with nightly bathroom runs.

Best Moment This Week: Possibly feeling the baby move!

Movement:  Most nights there are definite possibilities.  More on that below.

Gender: Unknown

Labor Signs: Nope

What I miss: Not having to run to the bathroom constantly.  I knew this stage of the pregnancy would come, but it's still kind of annoying having to go to the bathroom so often.

What I'm looking forward to:  Getting settled in Michigan.  It's just a couple of weeks until we make the big move, but we'll spend our first few weeks in temporary housing.  We're planning on getting into our rental house on May 1st and I can't wait to get settled into our new home and a new routine.

Weekly Wisdom: Other moms are a great asset to draw upon, especially when expecting your first baby.  My sisters-in-law and good friends have all been a big help to me while planning things I need for the baby.  I've been working more on the online registry this weekend, and Tachelle even went with me to Babies 'R' Us to help me with the day-to-day stuff like bottles, first aid kits, and bathing supplies.  I'm very grateful for all their good advice!
Milestones: Most nights, there are times when I think I'm feeling the baby move.  It's not obvious movement, but little things that aren't quite normal.  I had one moment when I was driving home from work that did feel like a kick that caught my attention.  It was very cool!

The baby is now the size of a mango!

Total Weight Gain: 4 lbs

Maternity Clothes: I've been wearing maternity pants most of the time because they're the most comfortable, but I can still wear a lot of my old tops.  The only problem with the tops is that they're not always long enough in the front to cover the band of the maternity pants, which isn't very classy.

Sleep: I'm sleeping well but have started getting up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom.

Best Moment This Week: Getting together with the Winter family today for a family dinner.  It's been awhile since we've all been together and it was great to catch up with everyone.

Movement:  Still nothing.  I'm hoping it'll be any day now.

Gender: Unknown

Labor Signs: Nope

What I miss: I'm definitely sounding like a broken record on this one... I miss not feeling sick all the time.  At this point, it's the only thing that is a real negative for me.  I have no other real physical ailments and all my other symptoms are just mildly annoying at times.

What I'm looking forward to:  Feeling the baby move.  Around 18-20 weeks is when most women start to feel movement during their first pregnancy, so I've been focusing a little more on my stomach to see if I feel anything.  I've had a couple of "maybe" moments, but nothing that was a definite movement as of yet.

Weekly Wisdom: As hard as the past few months have been for us with Jordan's new job, the move, and the pregnancy all happening at the same time, I've also realized how very lucky I am to be going through it with a partner I can trust and count on.  This whole process has been very stressful for us, but we've always been able to come back to each other to lean on for support and comfort.  It makes me feel confident that we're bringing this baby into a happy home.
Milestones: No major milestones this week for me or Baby Winter, but we should hit some big ones over the next few weeks!

The baby is now the size of a sweet potato!

Total Weight Gain: 3 lbs

Maternity Clothes: My work maternity pants are still too big on me, and regular pants fit but are uncomfortable.  It's annoying being in this "in between" stage, but it will pass soon enough.  Even so, I had a lot of fun modeling maternity wear with the fake baby bump for my college friends during a girls day in Hershey.

Sleep: Sleeping well but I don't feel totally rested either.

Best Moment This Week: Hearing the baby's heartbeat for the first time at my OB appointment.  Previously, I've only had ultrasounds but this was the first time I actually could hear my baby.  It was so cool!

Movement:  I don't think I've felt anything yet.

Gender: Unknown

Labor Signs: Nope

What I miss: My appetite.  I'm still battling the constant nausea and I really miss the desire to eat.

What I'm looking forward to:  A big family dinner with the Winters next weekend.  It's been a few weeks since I've seen them and I can't wait to catch up!

Weekly Wisdom: I've realized that I have to stand up for myself and my needs, especially at work.  My job can be physically demanding at times and I hate to feel like I'm slacking off from my duties, but there are simply things I shouldn't be doing anymore (or at least in very limited quantities).  I had thought my coworkers would be considerate of my limited abilities now that I'm pregnant, but I haven't always found that to be the case.  Some people are very thoughtful and give me a hand when they see me attempting a task I probably shouldn't be doing.  Others, however, are completely oblivious to my limitations and even specifically ask me to do things that even a completely uninhibited person shouldn't do (like work 12 hours straight with no break).  I really appreciate those who are willing to help me out, but I have to stand up for myself when I know something is too much for me.  I can't feel guilty for the fact that I have certain physical limitations now, and everyone else has to accept it as well.
Milestones: I got the results back from my quad screen on Monday, and everything was good.  The baby is at an extremely low risk for birth defects like down syndrome and neural tube defects.  It's wonderful to know Baby Winter has a healthy start so far!

The baby is now the size of an onion!

Total Weight Gain: 2 lbs

Maternity Clothes: I tried out maternity clothes for the first time this week.  Most pants are still pretty big on me but they're so comfortable that I don't think I'll be going back!

Sleep: Still sleeping well.

Best Moment This Week: Realizing I had "popped".

Movement:  Should be any day now.

Gender: Unknown

Labor Signs: Nope

What I miss: My normal stamina.  It's a lot harder to get daily tasks done with all the nausea I've been experiencing.  A list of things that would have been easily accomplished pre-pregnancy now take me all day to finish.  I miss my usually productive self!

What I'm looking forward to: My next OB appointment on Monday.

Weekly Wisdom: I don't really have any pregnancy wisdom for this week.  The majority of our time and energy has been spent on the move recently and so I haven't realized any nuggets of wisdom.  I'll keep my eye out for next week.
Milestones: I knew my belly was starting to change, but I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror this week and realized how big my baby bump actually was!  Up until now, I had noticed I was a little rounder around the middle, but this was the first time I looked at myself and could actually tell I was pregnant.  It was such a cool feeling and great to finally see an outward sign of what is going on inside of me!

The baby is now the size of an avocado!

Total Weight Gain: 2 lbs

Maternity Clothes: Still wearing my normal clothes, but I don't think it will last much longer.

Sleep: Sleeping just fine.

Best Moment This Week: Taking my first trip out to Michigan!

Movement:  Nothing yet.

Gender: Unknown

Labor Signs: Nope

What I miss: Not feeling sick all the time.  Sorry, I know this is a repeat but I thought I would be feeling better by now!

What I'm looking forward to: My next OB appointment in a week.

Weekly Wisdom: Going through a major life change - like a move - while pregnant is not a lot of fun.  The move is adding a lot of extra stress to my life during a time when I should be avoiding it.  I hope to plan better the second time around.
Milestones: This past weekend, I went out with Jordan to Ann Arbor for the first time.  He showed me around the area, his new office, and we even got to look at a few neighborhoods we might live in.  It was a wonderful weekend and I think I'm going to like living in this part of the midwest!

The baby is now the size of a naval orange!

Total Weight Gain: 0 lbs

Maternity Clothes: I'm not wearing maternity clothes yet, but I went out with my mom and bought some.  It was a lot of fun!

Sleep: Sleeping well, but can't sleep in past 7 anymore.

Best Moment This Week: Having my mom come out to visit with me for the weekend and starting to work on the baby registry!

Movement:  Should start feeling movement in a few weeks.

Gender: Unknown

Labor Signs: Nope

What I miss: Sweets.  Apparently, pregnancy has scared away my sweet tooth.

What I'm looking forward to: Going out to see Ann Arbor, Michigan for the first time.

Weekly Wisdom: Baby Bargains is a lifesaver for the expectant mother.  My mom and I used it as our bible while trying to register and it saved us a lot of aggravation.  I definitely recommend it and want to give a big thanks to Andrea for lending me her copy.
Milestones: Starting our baby registry was a lot harder than I had expected, but still a lot of fun.  My mom and I went to Babies R Us and only registered for 16 things in an hour and a half.  (Jordan was shocked by our slow pace!)  We got a lot of the big things, but I've still got a long way to go.  Suggestions for must-haves are always appreciated!

The baby is now the size of a lemon!

Total Weight Gain: 0 lbs

Maternity Clothes: Tried out maternity jeans for the first time this weekend.  They're still big on me but very comfortable!

Sleep: Still sleeping well.

Best Moment This Week: Having my college friend Katie come to visit yesterday.  It was so good to see her and catch up.  I can't wait to get together with her and our other college girls in a few weeks.

Movement: Nothing yet

Gender: Unknown

Labor Signs: Nope

What I miss: Coffee.  It's not that I was intentionally cutting out coffee; it's just not appetizing to me at all right now.

What I'm looking forward to: My mom coming to visit next weekend!

Weekly Wisdom: I am so grateful for all the wonderful people I have in my life who are supporting me and helping me stay positive through all the morning sickness and the stress of moving - my sweet husband, parents, in-laws, and friends.  It hasn't been the smoothest start to my pregnancy, but it would have been so much worse without all of you!
Milestones: Starting my second trimester!  Hopefully, this means I'll start feeling better and hitting that "honeymoon" stage of my pregnancy.

The baby is now the size of a peach!

Total Weight Gain: -3 pounds (thanks to morning sickness)

Maternity Clothes: Not yet, but probably soon.

Sleep: Tired all the time, but sleeping well.  Already experiencing some very vivid dreams.

Best Moment This Week: Seeing the baby on the ultrasound!

Movement: Still too early for that.

Gender: Unknown

Labor Signs: Nope

What I miss: Sushi

What I'm looking forward to: Not feeling sick all.the.time

Weekly Wisdom: I have SO much more respect for all the women who have gone through pregnancy.  I don't think you realize how much morning sickness (or all-day sickness, as I call it) stinks until you go through it.  It's hard!  I wish I was one of the lucky women who didn't experience it, but I'm not and it's been really hard dealing with my constant upset stomach and keeping up with life at the same time.  You ladies who have come before me... You are my heroes!
Milestones: I had my 12 week OB appointment on Monday and my doctor said all of my bloodwork and preliminary tests have come back healthy.  I was very happy to hear this news; one less thing to worry about!

The baby is currently the size of a plum!

Dear Lily,

The last month flew by and I'm amazed I'm already sitting down to write this letter!  A lot has happened this month, which is probably why the time seemed to fly.

The best part of month #8 was celebrating Easter with Grandma Allie and Uncle Keith.  We haven't had any visitors since February and Grandma and Keith haven't seen you since Christmas, so we were very excited to have them out over a beautiful spring weekend.  They were blown away at how much you've changed in the last 3 months, and they had tons of fun loving on you all weekend long.  We also enjoyed getting you dressed up for your first Easter service and had a wonderful meal prepared by daddy that afternoon.  It was an Easter to remember!

You also hit some new milestones this month.  You are officially an independent sitter and you love your new view of the world.  It's the only way to play in  your opinion.  Another exciting development has been the emergence of your first tooth!  It's been a long time coming, and I'm glad to finally have some result from all the drooling and chewing you've been doing the last few months.

The cutest thing you're doing right now is playing peek-a-boo.  You love to hide your face in my shirt while I ask, "Where's Lily?"  Then you pop your head up and we celebrate that I've found you!  It's so sweet and I love playing with you everyday.

While we've had a lot of wonderful things happen this month, it hasn't been without its challenges.  The last week has been particularly difficult for you for some reason.  I think it's a combination of teething and you getting frustrated at not being able to crawl yet.  You really want to get to one place or another (wherever I put you down just isn't the right spot), but you haven't figured out how to get there yet.  As a result, you have spent much of the last week fussing and crying and it has been frustrating for both of us.  I'm hoping you grow out of it and figure out how to crawl SOON.

So, it's been an interesting month for you with a lot of great things going on and a few bumps along the road.  Nevertheless, we have loved every minute of being your parents and wouldn't change one minute of it for anything.

Love,
Mommy

Dear Lily,

Well, the last month certainly has flown by!  I think it went so quickly because we had absolutely beautiful weather - in the 70's most days.  It turned out to be one of the mildest winters in recorded history, and we broke many heat records for this time of year.  The great weather meant we spent a lot of time outdoors taking walks, going to the park, and I even took you to the zoo for the first time.  You slept through most of the zoo, but I had fun taking you and I know both your grandmothers can't wait for return trips.

You've also been incredibly active this month.  You've gone on a rolling tear and never stay still anymore.  I think you definitely take after your daddy!  It's actually pretty funny because I never know where I'm going to find you if I have to walk away for a few minutes.  My favorite was coming back in the family room after being in the kitchen to find you halfway under your pack-n-play.  Luckily, you didn't notice anything out of the ordinary.  Silly girl!  In addition,  you're getting better at sitting up, but still need help with balance.  You can keep yourself upright, but have a tendency to flop over to one side.  We're working on it.

One thing we've really noticed this month is that you are much more aware of Wrigley and what he is doing.  Before, you never really paid him any attention, but now you love seeing what he's up to.  You often find his most ordinary movements hilarious and give him big belly laughs when he's just walking around.  It's so cute!

Probably my favorite change this month has been the fact that you give me hugs.  If you're tired or when I'm burping you, you have started snuggling into my shoulder with your arms around me.  I love it, and it's truly the best feeling in the world.  Every hug makes my heart happy.

Lastly, you've grown a bunch and we have moved you up to 9-month clothing and size 3 diapers.  You've got a whole new wardrobe and I've been enjoying dressing you up in some of the pretty spring clothes.  However, you probably won't be in this size too long if you keep growing so fast, and I'm sure I'll have you in 12-month clothes in no time.  That's okay because you've got quite a few adorable dresses in that size and I'm itching to get you in them.

So, that's about it for this month.  It's been a busy but fun month and now Daddy and I are looking forward to the warmer weather and taking you on many more adventures!

Love,
Mommy

Lily just went in for her 6-month pediatrician check-up, and she is currently weighing in at 18 lb 3 oz in the 80th percentile.  She is also now 27 1/2 inches long, which puts her in the 93rd percentile.  She's a big girl alright!  Overall, the doctor says everything looks good, but he did notice that her head grew at faster than normal rate since her last appointment.  As a result, we have to back in a month to have it measured again.  Most likely, the growth rate will even out by then, but if it continues she'll have to have a CT scan.  Please pray that everything will be okay by her next appointment!

Dear Lily,

You are a half a year old!  Where has the time gone?  I am amazed at how quickly these six months have passed, but you have changed so much that I really shouldn't be surprised.

Now that you are six months old, you are exercising your independence more often and trying new things.  You have recently taken the initiative to hold your own bottle at feedings and try to guide it to your mouth.  You haven't been entirely successful, but I enjoy watching your attempts and the excitement I see on your face.

Also related to feedings, you have officially tried your first bites of real food!  We started you out on bananas just a few days ago and you did pretty well keeping the food in your mouth rather than on your face.  However, you aren't thrilled with the texture and seem a little confused by the purpose of the spoon.  Today, you kept trying to suck on it like it was a bottle and I got a good laugh out of it.

Another highlight of this month was celebrating your first Valentine's Day.  I dressed you up in a cute outfit and sent pictures to all of your relatives.  You were so precious and everyone loved the pictures, particularly your very special Valentine - Daddy.

We've had so much fun with you recently as your personality continues to blossom.  You laugh a lot and we enjoy coming up with new ways to elicit that beautiful sound.  The easiest way to get you to laugh is to "eat your face" (i.e. nibble on your chubby cheeks while making a growling noise).  Another favorite of Daddy's is to throw you in the air.  It makes me a little nervous, but thankfully we have high ceilings in this house.

Despite all the toys and do-dads we have for you to play with around here, your current favorite toy is your own feet.  You love it when I take off your socks and pants for diaper changes because you can grab those little piggies and roll around.  It's cute to watch, but has definitely made diaper changes much more challenging.

I am so proud of you and the beautiful little girl you are becoming before my eyes.  These past six months have been the best and happiest of my life, and I am thrilled to see what the next six months will bring for us.

Love,
Mommy

This past weekend, Lily hit another milestone - she ate real food for the first time!

Our pediatrician recommended waiting until 6 months to introduce solid food, and since Lily was only 9 days short of that birthday and showing an increasing interest in our food we thought we'd give it a try.  It also helped that her Nana and Pop Winter were visiting for the weekend and we thought it'd be nice if they experienced this first with us as well.

Overall, I would say the experience was a success.  I pureed a banana in my mini-food processor and offered Lily about a tablespoon worth of the puree, freezing the rest for later.  She ate most of it and the majority ended up in her mouth rather than on her face.  (Small victories, right?)  In general, she doesn't yet understand what to do when a spoon is offered to her and she was definitely confused by the texture, but those reactions are to be expected.  I know she'll become more comfortable as we continue to offer her baby food on a more regular basis.  It was definitely a fun first and we're excited to have her try new food in the future.  Jordan's especially excited as evidenced by the bag full of baby food he brought home from the grocery store last night!

Check out pictures of Lily's first time eating baby food in the Sixth Month album.

Dear Lily,

Another month has come and gone and I'm amazed by how much you've grown and changed.  At the beginning of January, you officially moved up to 6 month clothing and size 2 diapers.  You had been growing like a weed through the fall and you were stretching the seams of your old clothes.  Thankfully, our family and friends were very generous over Christmas and your wardrobe is now bigger than daddy's and mine!

You also made the big transition from your Rock-n-Play sleeper to  your crib this month and it went a lot smoother than I ever could have hoped.  You didn't seem to notice the change at all and started sleeping in your crib full-time in the span of just 4 days.  Way to go!

Another change for you this month is that you started standing up (with help from mommy and daddy, of course)!  Previously, we would try to get you to stand up, but your knees would buckle and you wouldn't hold your weight.  Then, all of a sudden you seemed to realize you could lock your legs and hold yourself up.  You've gotten really good at it, and can stay upright for about 15-20 seconds at a time.  You look like such a big girl now that you can stand!

You've been exceptionally smiley this month as well.  I love your smiles because it's just a look of pure joy.  I especially love coming in to get you after naps because you usually give me the biggest grins when you see me.  It makes my heart melt every time.

Our one big adventure for the month was taking you out in the snow for the first time.  Surprisingly, we've gotten almost no snow so far this winter, but we did get a couple of inches a few weekends back.  Daddy and I were excited to get you snow suited up and take you out for a ride in the sled Nana and Pop Winter got you for Christmas.  You didn't love the cold weather, but you humored us and let us take a lot of pictures of you going down the little bunny slope in the back yard.  It was a lot of fun, at least for us.

Well, that's our recap for month 5.  A lot has been going on and I'm looking forward to what the next month will bring!

Love,
Mommy

This past week, we transitioned Lily from her Rock-n-Play Sleeper to her crib!  For those of you who don't know, a Rock-n-Play Sleeper is kind of like a bassinet, but bigger and on an incline.  It's cozy for a newborn and the incline is especially good for babies with reflux issues.  It's a great product and probably a major reason why Lily has been such a great sleeper from a young age.

I've been really happy with her RnP (as it's known online), but I knew it was time to make the move to the crib.  First of all, Lily was definitely getting too long for the RnP.  She wasn't yet at the weight limit of 20 lbs, but her little feet were starting to hang off the edge.  Also, she's gotten a lot squirmier lately and she's close to rolling over front to back.  She would sometimes twist around in the RnP and I worried about her potentially falling out.  (There are safety belts in the RnP, but I don't use them at night because she sleeps in a sleep sack and it prevents me from the securing the strap.)

So, the time had come.  I was kind of dreading Lily's transition to her crib because it's a very different environment than what she had been used to.  It's wide open rather than enclosed and requires her to lay flat instead of at a reclining angle.  Would it be too big of a change for her?

Luckily, I think I made the change at just the right time for Lily.  She's been staying awake for longer periods of time and has dropped her last nap of the day completely.  As a result, she is normally awake for 3+ hours by the time we put her down for the night.  After that much time, she's completely exhausted and has been going down really quickly.  She's also gotten much better at self-soothing and she's usually able to fall asleep on her own after less than 5 minutes of fussing.  This is nice because I don't have to rock her to sleep in my arms and then try to make the move to the crib, which is much more jarring than putting her into the RnP.

So Lily has gone from this...



to this...



I'm glad this milestone has been reached so easily and quickly!  (Knock on wood.)

Lily had her 4 month pediatrician check up yesterday and I'm happy to report she's right on track for her growth and development.  She weighed in at 15 lb 6 oz (75th percentile) and measured 25 1/2 inches (88th percentile).  However, she did not like getting her next round of vaccinations and developed a slight fever along with a cranky attitude last night.  She is in better spirits this morning but still seems to have a little bit of a fever.  Hopefully, all her symptoms will disappear quickly!

Dear Lily,

Four months have now passed and so much has happened!  You have hit several big milestones this month including rolling over and laughing.  You've rolled over (front to back) only three times so far, but you also haven't touched the ground too much in the last few weeks since we've been visiting family for the holidays.  There's been too many loving hands waiting to hold you!  I'm sure you'll get better at it once we start doing regular tummy time again.

Daddy was the first one to get you to laugh, but I was able to hear you.  You are apparently pretty ticklish and you give us good belly laughs when we tickle your tummy at bath time.  It's the cutest sound I've ever heard!  I can't wait to hear it more often.

You've also been babbling a lot this month and it's so much fun to watch.  You concentrate really hard on getting the sounds out and furrow your little brow.  It's adorable and I love hearing your sounds.

You surprised me the last few days by trying to sit up from a reclining position.  You did it a couple of times on Christmas Eve and now you won't sit any other way.  Anytime I sit you in your high chair, you immediately try to sit up straight and tall like a big girl.  I can see the pride in your little eyes every time you do it and it always makes me smile.

The last big event this month was celebrating your first Christmas!  We had to pack you up and drive 7 hours to Danville, PA, and then 3 more hours to Washington Township, NJ, in order to celebrate with both the Spencer and Winter sides of the family.  It was definitely worth the drive because you finally got to meet your great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.  It was awesome!  We had a wonderful trip and you did a great job.  It certainly wasn't easy for you because you had to deal with a lot of time in the car and meeting many new people but you were so sweet and charmed everyone you met.  Daddy and I were so proud you!

It's been another exciting month watching you grow and change and we're loving every minute of it!  You're a wonderful daughter and the best baby we could have hoped for.

Love,
Mommy

Lily is 100 days old today!

In Korea, they celebrate a child's 100 day birthday (Baek-il) by giving prayers and offerings to the gods and sharing rice cakes with family and friends.  This is a milestone day for the child because the chance of surviving to adulthood increased significantly once a child was 100 days old.  We didn't have a traditional Baek-il for Lily, but we did commemorate her big day and wanted to share some of her achievements with you.

After 100 days, Lily now...

• has gained about 6 1/2 lbs
  
• eats 24-28 oz a day
• sleeps 10-11 hours a night
• smiles a lot, especially when she first wakes up
  
• holds her head up
• is starting to babble
  
• has rolled over once
• has laughed for the first time
• has celebrated two major holidays
• loves to hang out on her changing table
• wears size 3 month clothing, but is beginning to outgrow them
• enjoys her activity mat and is starting to have fun in her jumperoo
• looks like this...

Lily took her first step towards mobility tonight - she rolled over!  I thought this milestone was approaching because she's gotten really good at holding her head up during tummy time, and she recently started pushing off with one arm.  She wasn't necessarily doing it intentionally, but I figured it would result in rolling over eventually.  She totally surprised me tonight when I just happened to put her on her stomach on her playmat.  We usually don't do tummy time so late in the day because she gets fussy close to bedtime, but I had run out of ways to entertain her so I gave it a shot.  She was only on her stomach for maybe a minute when *BOOM!*  She was on her back!  I couldn't believe it and tried to get her to do it again but she started melting down.  I gave up for the evening after a few minutes, but you better believe we're going to work on it again tomorrow!

As you might remember, a few weeks ago Lily had her first visit from some of her extended family, and while they were here her Great-Aunt Pam worked very hard to teach Lily how to say "a-goo".  Though it didn't seem to take at the time, all of Pam's hard work really did pay off because Lily is now chattering up a storm!  In the past week, it seems as though Lily has discovered her voice and has added all sorts of babble to her normal baby grunts and moans.  She's been having a lot of fun exercising her vocal cords and I've been trying to get it on video to share with all of you.  I have one I took yesterday, but it's not the best example of her talking.  (Unfortunately, Wrigley kept trying to get in the shot and he interfered with the better video.)  I'll post it anyway and hope you all enjoy it!

Dear Lily,

You're three months old today!  Happy one-quarter year birthday!

You're continuing to grow like a weed, but this is the first month you don't go in for a pediatrician check-up so I don't know your exact statistics.  However, I can tell you've gotten much chubbier (and cuter!) and you're definitely getting longer.  You're already starting to outgrow your 3 month sleepers and have a hard time fully extending your legs in them.  I can hardly believe you're already this big, so I have yet to put you in any 6 month clothing.  In spite of my resistance, I know I'll have to break out the bigger sleepers shortly.  Oh, my!

This past month was a really big one for your social calendar because we celebrated your first two holidays - Halloween and Thanksgiving!  For Halloween, I dressed you up in an adorable Piglet costume bought for you by your Grandma Allie.  You looked so sweet in it, and we even found friends dressed as Winnie the Pooh and Tigger at our church's Harvest Party.  You three were very cute when we put you all together and were the hit of the party!  We also had a lot of fun at Thanksgiving when Grandma Allie, Uncle Keith, Grandpa Gene, Paula, Creedin, and Tripp came out to see us from Pennsylvania.  It was the first time Daddy and I had ever hosted a holiday, but the meal turned out wonderfully and we had a lot of fun celebrating with so many of the people we love.  Most of all, we were thankful we got to celebrate with you!

One other major event for you was getting to meet your first set of "greats"!  Your Great-Grandma Carol, Great Aunt Pam, and cousins Morgan and Emily came out to visit you all the way from New Jersey.  We spent four days together and you were so spoiled by all the loving you were getting.  You'll be seeing them again at Christmas, but I was really happy they made the trip out to see you a little earlier than we had expected.  It meant a lot to me to see you with your extended family for the first time.

The last fun thing that happened this month was your first snowfall.  Living in Michigan, I expected we would be getting snow earlier in the fall, but we really haven't gotten much.  There were only two small snow showers and none of it stuck on the ground.  I still took you outside, however, during the first snowfall and let you feel a couple snowflakes on your face.  I'm don't think you really liked the cold, but I loved getting to share this event with you since it's one of my favorite times of year.

Now, we're gearing up for Christmas and our first big trip back east.  It's going to be interesting to see how you handle the drive, but we're so excited for you to meet more of your family, especially your cousins on the Winter side of the family!  I know my next letter to you will be filled with stories from that visit!

Every day I thank God for making me your mommy.  You are a wonderful daughter, so relaxed and laid back.  I couldn't have dreamed of a better baby and I can't wait to share the upcoming Christmas season with you!

Love,
Mommy

Lily is one important little girl!  At just under three months old she's already getting letters from the President and First Lady!



Isn't that neat?  I found out online that if you send a birth announcement to the White House you get a congratulatory note back from the President.  I thought it was a cool idea and sent Lily's birth announcement to the leader of the free world about a month ago and got this note in reply.  I figured it would be a great keepsake for Lily's baby book and I hope she'll enjoy looking back on it when she gets older.

Dear Lily,

I can hardly believe I'm already sitting down to write our two month entry.  The time has been flying by!  You're already changing so much and hardly resemble the little baby we brought home from the hospital.

First of all, you've grown a lot!  At your pediatrician appointment today we found out you are now 11 lb 13 oz and 23 3/4 inches long.  It doesn't surprise me at all because you've already moved up to 3 month clothing and I had to put away all the newborn stuff.  It was a bittersweet milestone because I'm glad you're healthy and growing but I also know you'll never be that small again.

Another first for you this month was smiling intentionally, which happened at 5 weeks.  I now do just about anything possible to illicit a smile from you, but you smile the most when you're on your changing table and we're just talking.  We always have our morning "talks", though I'm the one doing most of the talking right now.  There have been a couple times where it seemed like you were using your vocal cords, but no real cooing as of yet.  I'm sure that will come next month!

Most importantly, you're now sleeping through the night!  At 6 weeks, you started going 6-8 hours between feedings and now the past three nights you've gone over 9 hours every time.  Last night you even went for 11 hours between feedings and it was heavenly!  I can't tell you how nice it was to sleep until 7 a.m.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

There are lots of things I never want to forget about you at this age...  How you love it when Daddy gives your bath at the end of the day.  You get this look on your face of pure relaxation, and it's adorable!  You also hiccup constantly, just like when you were in the womb.  It's funny getting to hear your hiccups now rather than feel them.  Something else I never want to forget is how hard you're working to find your thumbs.  You really want to suck your thumbs, but have only found your fists so far.  It's hilarious how you try to fit the whole fist in your mouth sometimes!  Keep working, baby girl.  You'll get there!

Last but not least, I never want to forget the way your face lights up when I come in to get you in the mornings.  You'll be fussing and wiggling around, but you'll stop and give me a big smile when you realize I'm there.  It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen and it makes me fall more in love with you every day.  I'm so lucky to have my wonderful little girl.

Love,
Mommy

Dear Lily,

Your first month has been an interesting one, filled with a lot of ups and downs.  Week #3 was a really rough one for you and you would spend most of your days crying with very little sleeping in between feedings.  It was a very hard week for Daddy and I because we hated seeing you so upset with no way to calm you down.  And believe me we tried everything we could think of!  We tried swaddling, playing music, keeping the house really quiet, darkening your bedroom, going on walks, bouncing you, rocking you... the list goes on.  Nothing seemed to be working.  Then, we decided to try changing your diet because it was the only thing we hadn't changed so far.  We gave you a bottle of formula and you slept for 6 hours straight!  Since then, you've been a much happier baby and we've decided to stick with formula from here on out.

Now that we've fixed that problem, we've had a lot more fun getting to know you.  In the past two weeks, you've become much more vocal and active.  You're constantly making noises and moving your arms and legs around.  (I can only imagine what you'll be like as a toddler!)  You're also not shy about letting us know what you need.  You get very angry if we don't feed you fast enough and hate it when we take the bottle away to burp you mid-feeding.  It's so funny!

We've also been dealing with more cranky times, especially later in the evening.  You seem pretty tired at the end of a long day, but you just do not want to go to sleep.  However, once we get you down for the night you sleep pretty well and have started going for longer stretches.  I'm hoping that sleeping through the night isn't too far off in our future!  Well, I'm trying to stay optimistic at least.

So, we've made it through our first month and you seem to be thriving.  On Thursday we go to the pediatrician for your next check up and I'm really interested to find out how much you weigh now.  My guess is around 9 pounds.  I'm also looking forward to this next month and all the changes it will bring in you.  I can't wait to see you grow and develop and I'm hoping my mothering skills will continue to improve as I get to know you even better.  I think we make a good team.  How about you?

Love,
Mommy

9/29 UPDATE: Lily just got back from her one month check up and she is 9 lb 10 oz (50th percentile) and 22 inches (75th percentile).  She's a growing girl!

I meant to write this post about a week ago, but life has been hectic with a newborn in the house.  (Who would have guessed, right?)  Anyway...

Jordan and I have been parents for nearly four weeks now and it has been an interesting ride so far.  There have been a lot of ups and downs and we're slowly learning what this whole parenting thing is all about.  At first, Lily was very content and seemed like a perfect baby.  She would have her disagreeable moments, but she was a happy little girl overall.  We thought we were doing pretty well with this new phase of our lives.

Then week two hit and everything went to hell when Lily started getting much fussier.  She didn't want to sleep at all during the day and would cry a lot.  As the week went on, she went from simply fussing to crying hysterically all day long.  Thankfully, she would be okay at night, but the days were pure torture for her and for us.  We hated seeing our little girl in such obvious discomfort, but nothing we tried would calm her down.  It was terrible.

By day five of all this, I was starting to notice that Lily was getting more frustrated at her feedings and we wondered if her diet might be the cause of her pain.  I really wanted to stick with breastfeeding, but we were getting desperate trying to figure out what was wrong with her.  Finally, I broke down and gave her a bottle of formula.  It was like a miracle!  After her first bottle, she slept for six hours straight and then another four hours after her second bottle.  She was so much calmer and happier after we made the switch and we were so thankful to have our sweet little girl back.

I had been having a lot of issues with breastfeeding of my own due to a bad case of thrush, and I also think something in my diet was disagreeing with Lily's stomach.  I later tried to give her a bottle of breast milk and again she got upset, so we've decided to stick with formula from here on out.  I know it's not as good for her as breast milk, but the two of us are so much happier with this decision.  I think it's going to be the best thing for the both of us.

Now that we've figured out this major issue, life has gotten a lot better.  We're working on getting Lily back into a routine and it's been going very well.  We've learned that she likes to be awake more during the day and she's usually very content to be in her bouncy seat or swing and she also likes playing on her exercise mat.  She loves looking around at the world and she also likes listening to music.  It's a lot of fun getting to learn more about her personality and we're also learning how to read her better when she's unhappy.  Now that she's calmed down, it's much easier to figure out what's wrong when she does cry.  I'm not saying we're great at, but at least we've got a better idea.

So those are our adventures in parenting so far.  We're still new at this, but it's been one heck of a learning curve!

Dear Lily,

Two weeks.  It's been two weeks already since you came into our lives and what a two weeks it's been.  There's been a lot of eating, sleeping, crying, and pooping on your part and a little on our part as well.

Overall, you're a pretty content baby and you've taken easily to a schedule of eating every 2-3 hours.  In between, you'll usually be awake for 30-40 minutes before going back to sleep again.  You've had some bad days in there where you didn't want to go back to sleep, but those have been minimal.  Thankfully, you fall asleep pretty quickly at night and Daddy and I are able to get about 2 hours of sleep at a time.  Once a day, you'll even go 4+ hours in between feedings, but sadly it's usually in the late afternoon and not at night.  We'll work on that.

During your awake time, you love to look at the world around you.  You'll stare out the window or at some object for several minutes at a time and take everything in.  I can see those gears turning in your head as your little brain begins to figure out what this new environment is all about.  I can't wait until you can really start to interact!

There are so many moments in the day that steal my heart away.  I love it when you smile involuntarily in your sleep, and when you cuddle up next to my check when I'm burping you.  I love how you throw your arms up over your head when you're falling asleep because you look so relaxed.  Like you're on vacation at the beach.  I love it when you've just finished a feeding and you fall back asleep on your Boppy all milk drunk.  I never want to forget those little things you do.

Our time together is a little more quiet, but Daddy loves to bounce you around.  He's already turned you into a baby spaceship rocketing off into space and taught you how to do a happy dance.  He's a very involved daddy and willingly changes diapers and rocks you when you're fussy.  I'm very impressed with how he's taken to fatherhood considering his limited experience with babies in the past.  He loves you so much and I can tell you'll have him wrapped around your little finger in no time.  Try not to take advantage of the poor guy.

In these two weeks you've also grown a lot.  You were back up to your birth weight just five days after you were born and as of yesterday you're 7 lb 13.5 oz.  You've also grown 3/4 of an inch and are now measuring 21 inches long.  Your doctor says everything looks good and you're a healthy baby girl.  Keep up the good work!

So, that's your life to date.  It hasn't been very long, but you've changed our lives completely and forever.  We love you so much and thank God every day for giving you to us.  We can't wait to see what comes next!

Love,
Mommy

Attachments:

After 40 weeks 6 days we finally got to meet our daughter!  It was a long wait, but definitely worth every minute of it.  Here's how the big day developed...

I woke up a little after 7 am on Friday morning and noticed I was experiencing contractions.  They were stronger than the contractions I had been feeling for the last two weeks and were coming fairly consistently at about 8-10 minutes apart.  I didn't get too worked up though and decided to wait to see what my OB said at the scheduled check up I had at 10 am.

The contractions continued the rest of the morning, but my OB said I hadn't made any more progress since the last time I had been examined on Monday (2 cm).  She told me to keep an eye on the contractions and call the hospital once they were strong enough to take my breath away.

There was nothing left to do but go home and wait it out.  Jordan started tracking my contractions and we noticed around lunch time that they had progressed to about every 4-6 minutes.  We waited another hour and they got down to 3-5 minutes apart.  At that point, I called the hospital and was told to come in to be checked.  Jordan left to drop off Wrigley at a pet hotel and I got the last of our things ready to leave.  By the time we got to the hospital around 4 pm, I had dilated all the way to 6 cm with contractions 2-4 minutes apart.  I was so excited to hear I had made real progress and was happily admitted to Labor and Delivery.

Jordan and I got settled into our birthing room and my contractions continued to intensify.  I wanted to give natural childbirth a try and was doing pretty well until about 8 pm when the contractions were coming 2 minutes apart and lasting over a minute each.  At that point, I was at 8 cm but had had enough and asked for an epidural.  Unfortunately, the anesthesiologist was summoned to do 2 C-sections at the same time and I had to wait an hour and a half before the team was available to do my epidural.  (Jordan described it as the longest hour and a half of his life.)  I'm pretty sure the medical staff felt sorry for me because they gave me the epidural even though I was complete by the time I got it.

Once the epidural kicked in, life got a lot better.  The medicine did temporarily stop the desire to push, which I was experiencing as the medicine was originally administered, but I was grateful for the break it gave me.  We waited about an hour and then decided to give pushing a try.  The staff said I was a good pusher and Lily was born after an hour and ten minutes of hard work at 12:32 am on Saturday the 27th.  I was happy I had the epidural because it allowed me to be more aware during the delivery and I was able to watch Lily's progress in a mirror the nurse had set up for me.  I was also allowed to deliver Lily myself after the doctor had cleared her airways.  It was the most amazing thing ever!  I actually got to pick up my daughter and put her right on my chest!  What a blessing!

Jordan and I both cried with joy at the sight of our baby girl and were thrilled to have her declared healthy and perfect (well, in our opinion).  She took to nursing quickly and was only mildly fussy during our stay in the hospital.  She definitely wasn't a big fan of having her vitals checked every few hours, but loved being cuddled and loved on by her parents and her grandpa and uncle who came to see her from Pennsylvania.

Now she's settling in at home and she's been an angel so far.  We really couldn't ask for a better baby.  She's on a relatively consistent schedule feeding every 2-3 hours and then will stay awake for about 20-30 minutes before sleeping again.  She's not overly fussy and is very content in general.  I'm recovering pretty well, but Jordan's been a big help taking care of Lily so I can rest.  He's taken to fatherhood like a natural and loves snuggling with his little girl.  He's one proud papa and this is one mama who is grateful for all the blessings God has given us.  God is good all the time!