supporting the team

My students are involved in Special Olympics basketball and my alma mater hosts an annual tournament for participating schools. I LOVE Special Olympics. It is an awesome opportunity for students to be a part of a team, socialize and just have FUN! If you ever have the opportunity to support Special Olympic athletes I encourage you to...it is a joyful experience :)

Some pics of Luci at the games cheering on the Eagles..she wanted to get in on the action.

My students have a big weekend...Districts!  Hopefully we get a win so we can head to Regionals!  Go Blue - Go Maize!

12 Month Well Baby Visit

We took Luci Lu to the doctor this past week. She is doing great!  She weighs 18 pounds 13 ounces (15th percentile) and is 29 inches tall (45th percentile).  As usual, the poor little lady felt completely violated and let everyone know :)

I am loving this new stage and am having so much fun being an observer of her play time.  She has been walking since her birthday and loves to carry her baby around while patting her on the back and giving her hugs.  She will rest on the steps, stand up and go again.  It is so sweet.  She loves to flip through the pages of her books and she plays with Peyton whenever he is not napping.  Pretty soon she will be picking him up like a baby doll...poor Pey :)

You are a funny girl Miss Lu Belle :)  We love you!!

Valentine

One year ago Valentine's day...

This year Valentine's day...

She was a sweet girl then and she is a sweet girl now.  She will always be our little Valentine.  Love her new face :)

Snow Day!

Do you know what's better than having a snow day as a kid?  Having a snow day as an adult!!



Last night we set aside the butterfly jammies and brought out the HoHo jammies.  It worked people!!  Yes, this mama is going to teach her girl to put a spoon under her pillow, flush ice cubes down the toilet and wear her jammies inside out!  I am loving our snow day together.  Lots of extra snuggle time, pancakes, books and dolls.  Even a little blogging for mom :) 

Enjoy this winter wonderland!

2.8.12

Looking back at last year and the anticipation of your arrival makes me smile.  We weren't quite sure what to expect but it sure was better than anything we could have hoped for. 

 2.7.11 at 11p.m. on our way to the hospital 

last pic of just the 2 of us :) 

last belly pic before your arrival

love at first sight

can you see our pure excitement and mama's double chins?!

melt my heart

dream come true



Luci,
These are such special memories that I will cherish forever.  The last couple of days have been very bittersweet for me.  I am forever grateful that you are happy and healthy and ONE but, I am not sure how we got here so quickly?!  I don't think I can count the number of times I tell you that I love you or the number of kisses I place on your sweet face.  You truly are an answer to prayer and we pray that we will raise you to love your God, to be kind, generous, adventurous and to stand for what you believe in.  You have taught me so much about myself and have brought so much JOY to my heart.  Love to you forever and ever and ever.
xoxo,
Mama

Here is a look at what we did on your actual birthday...

we started the day out playing and playing some more

you love your new duck...you bark at it :)

one of your favorite baby books.  it was mine as a little girl.

helping me make breakfast

pancakes and strawberries.  yum.  unfortunately, you learned to put the candle out with your fingers.

your new scrunched up face while eating

loving your party balloons

balloons are so funny

out for your birthday lunch with auntie kate and cousin thijs

you love your mama and your gaga

looking sooo big on the step

walking and having a snack at the same time

sharing with peyton

off to the toy store.  look what you gravitated to.

you love babies

playing in the tree house with daddy

cruising in your coupe.  this is going to be a new favorite!

more cake

you love cake

you can slow down miss, we won't take it away from you!

Happy 12 Month, Luciana Elisabeth

You are ONE little girl!  It has been one whole year since our lives have become more full of love, laughter and pure fun.  You are becoming more independent and are learning new tricks each day.  We had a great month...you were healthy and happy and full of spunk, just how we like it!

As usual, your monthly recap....

• I took you to the doctor for a diaper rash and was surprised when you only weighed about 18 1/2 pounds.  I thought you would be bigger at one. 
• You still wear some 9 month clothing but are mostly in 12-18 months
• You wear size 3 diapers
• You are such a good sleeper and we are so thankful for that.  Most nights you sleep around 10 hours
• You are still taking 2, 2 hour naps and I am hopeful that routine will continue
• I love my morning routine with you.  Waking you up in the morning is something I look forward to each day.  You hop right up and give me your sweet little smile....ready to start the day.
• Your are addicted to your blankie.  I made the mistake of taking it out of your crib to wash it during the night and you woke up and could not fall back to sleep.  No other blanket will do the trick.
• You still suck your thumb and if you see your blankie your thumb pops right in your mouth
• Nursing is still going well and I am certain you will have to wean yourself because I am not ready to stop
• I introduced vitamin D milk this month and you're not quite sure what to think of it.  Sometimes you spit it out other times you will drink it
• At one year you say, "mama, papa, hat, hot (those two sound the same), yes" (with prompts), you bark like Peyton and shake your head no when you are done eating
• You are a dancer.  It doesn't matter where we are or what we are doing...if you hear music you are swaying to the beat.
• You have a toy keyboard with microphone and you have learned to "sing" into it...it's precious.
• You can walk!  You don't do it all the time but you know how to.  You cruise between furniture and along the wall.  (2.10.12 you really took off walking!)
• You love to look at books.  Your favorite books are the touch and feel books and any book with baby faces
• You love to play with Peyton.  You like to lay in his bed with him and give him treats after he goes outside.  You are especially fond of his dog food and water bowl.  Tug of war is a common activity.
• You like to scrunch your face up like a bunny
• You have 4 teeth on top and 2 on the bottom. Your front two teeth have quite the gap and I think it's adorable.
• You love all table food!
• You are so sweet to your dolls.  You pat their backs and give them kisses.
• Recently you have begun patting our backs when we pick you up.  I love this.
• You know how to wave bye-bye, give hugs and kisses and talk on the telephone
• You get so upset if we take the phone away from you.  Why is this?
• You can be pretty clingy at times and like to be on my hip in the evenings
• You whine if you get frustrated or if someone tells you "no".  My mom said that she's pretty sure if you could talk, you would be talking back.  With that being said, I look forward to you learning words so you can express yourself appropriately :)
• You are so social.  If we are in a store you like to chat it up with the people around you, especially other kids.
• Your voice is so feminine.  Your jibber jabber is precious.
• You still love swimming and have practiced going under.  You can even hold yourself up along the side of the pool.  Bath time is becoming such a fun play time activity.
• You are really playing with your toys.  It is so much fun to sit and observe you.
• You can point to other people's noses and like to do "so big"
• You are finally getting better at night time when we change you.  Not as many tears.
•  Peek a boo is the best game in your book.  We play it all.the.time.
• Your first time sledding this winter you were not a fan...maybe next year
• You love to climb the stairs and pull yourself up onto objects, i.e. the entertainment center
• When you ride in the car you like to look at your touch and feel doggie book and hold your stuffed dog that looks like Peyton
• You are really into emptying everything.  You like to empty kitchen drawers, my cabinet in the bathroom, folded laundry, Peyton's food.
• You are especially into unrolling the toilet paper and eating it :)

Bring on your new year!!!  We love you Lu girl! xoxo.

I Love Luci

Our sweet baby girl is going to be ONE in a day! I remember her birth day like it was yesterday and I get emotional just thinking about how amazing our first year of parenthood has been. 

Lu Belle, you are our sunshine.

We celebrated your first year of life with an "I Love Luci" party this weekend.

A "few" pics from the party....