Big Shoes to Fill

Being picked to be a juror on a trial that has lasted almost 2 weeks (yes, u read that right) has left me little time with the long hours everyday, but has given me the greatest appreciation to how family friendly my job is in the school system. My job is really the best of both worlds alongwith all the warm fuzzies & daily hugs that I haven't been getting in the heated courtroom and miss desperately.

Here's another little someone I've missed too, but she doesn't know what time it is when I get home and literally stops in her tracks, her face lights up like a lightbulb, smiles from ear to ear and RUNS to my open arms! I wish I could replay it in slow motion because it's the best part of my day. (and big thanks to daddy for leaving work super early everyday to pick her up w/o ever complaining even a little and Aunt Jen for stepping in to get some extra 'head-smelling' time)

Here she is trying to be just like Grandma in her shoes. Are you kidding me with that ponytail? Be still my heart.





with my long lawyer-hours-without-the-lawyer-pay has made me up the ante with quality time with Lily hopping in on the fun to a place I have no business being...(ummmm, yes i know my booty is almost as big as the sandbox)




is it possible to have her wear a bonnet to her first day of kindergarten? What about prom? I think it'd be a hit. I just can't get enough of her in one...




and sliding down the slide on her own which I never dreamed she could even do until her teacher mentioned she did all of the time like it was a normal everyday thing; (big eyes) I guess it's time to let go that she's not a newborn anymore...I didn't get the memo she can hold her body upright and slide gleefully down the slide and it still surprises me when she does normal everyday things that all 17 months old do, but she still seems like a 7 month old to me sometimes...



and our sunshine on even the cloudiest long yelling-lawyer-objecting day...


can we please have a moment of silence for her first pair of Keds that I grew up on and thought I was so cool even though my mom wouldn't buy me Reebok hightops because they were too "trendy" (no cabbage patch kids for the same reason)

oh and they're purple and I wish she could wear them to bed I love them so much on her...oh, and just $3 buckaroos! Cha-ching!

(moment of silence begins)

(moment of silence over)

Feeling a little more grateful for my life when I have to exchange it temporarily for long days of intense civic duty that has lasted even longer than the judge expected and told us today we were one of the most patient jury teams he's ever worked with in 43 years! How about them apples?

(pounding gavel)

Case closed.

Life is Good!

Librarian Lily

Have I mentioned Lily is a little bookworm; or shall I say a BIG bookworm! She wants to read books from the time she wakes up until the time she goes to sleep. Going to the library is like going to Disney World for her. If I had a quarter for every time she hands us a book, turns around and walks backward like she's a garbage truck going in reverse just to fall into our laps, I'd be a rich, rich woman.

See all those books? That's just round 1...

She actually kisses books and hugs them like a stuffed animal...
We'd be shut ins and Lily would never bathe or eat dinner if we never stopped her from reading books; we have to come up with plans to transition to something else where one swoops in with a distractor while the other gently puts books away so we don't have a sad little person...sometimes we even take them with us to avoid tears...

and she is one happy little person...



she doesn't even need clothes to enjoy a great bestseller...



maybe Lily could join a local baby book club where they meet for milk and cookies to share their favorites...

say cheese...


somehow she took off my headband I was wearing and she thought it was stylish - she looks like a kungfu fighter


if anyone stops by, she smells a new reader and will greet them with a book, then back up and fall into their laps


there's something really special about grandparents reading to their granddaughter - like they're imparting wisdom through a tale of "So Big"...


and before bedtime is probably everyone's favorite as she is freshly bathed, extra baby lotioned up, smelling delish in her footed jammies (even though it's 100 degrees outside) snuggling with her blanket as we all pile into bed together listening intently and she signs 'more' after every single book. I don't remember loving books as much as she did when I was a child, but am sure reliving and reloving children's books in a whole new way these days...


Life is Good!

Ooey-Gooey Goodness

Lily had a little visitor or 2...we weren't sure who was more excited...


David's parents are like a cake baking in the oven; you can smell and practically already taste the ooey-gooey goodness while it's baking...that's how we all felt when they were here


Lily was like a magnet to them; almost as she was saying 'I love you and have missed you and i know you're not going to be here for long so let's get to playing and loving as soon as possible' over and over. It was the sweetest sight...




and no your eyes are not deceiving you...we have pigtails people...




By the end of her trip, she was saying "PawPaw" for Larry and we all melted in the ooey gooey goodness...


She would pull them in all the fun around the clock...




and all the playing made her extra snuggly...here she is taking one of her power breaks where she stops what she's doing and has to lay down for a minute or so...she did it at the mall playground floor the other day. (followed by a full body sanitization)



She's becoming this extra snuggly little toddler lately and it's just an incredible feeling to be the one she chooses putting her arms straight up, looking up with her big blue eyes chanting 'ub, ub, ub'...







and they even brought her a brand new dress; what girl doesn't like to dress up and feel pretty?




she's always quite the waver like she's is in a neverending parade...





and another gift brought from her southern grandparents was a little outfit from their neck of the woods...a trip to Bass Pro Shops wouldn't be complete without a little yeehaw...


but don't worry, we "girly-d" it up


and even my young dad (ie JCPenny model) joined in on the fun...




There's nothing better or more important that being with family...

where the love tastes better than any homemade cake and is always unconditional sharing the ooey-gooey feeling with everyone...
Thank you for being who you are!


Life is Good! xoxo

A Broken Fast Forward Button

It's hard for me to see Lily's "future self" meaning that when I look at my nieces and nephews or friend's kids who are slightly older or 'super older' (yup, made that word up) I can't envision Lily ever at that age. Whether it's how that child/teenager is talking, playing, or just interacting, my screen goes black to seeing Lily like that. Then when I see a newborn or a baby younger than Lily, it's hard for me to remember Lily that age. It's like it was a different baby than the one I'm playing with, yet I can't fast forward and think she'll always be talking, playing, and interacting just the way she is today.

Cue the scrapbooking.

Not that I need an excuse to scrapbook because it so much fun to capture and create this freeze frame of our lives with Lily. I already find myself looking back wondering where that baby went even though she's only 17 months old. I can't imagine when she's 7 or 17 years old! (screen goes a deep shade of black)

In the meantime, I love being able to feel reassured that I'll never forget the beautiful moments we're sharing that make up this wonderful life together. It just keeps getting better and better...




Some of her July milestones which seem so little, but are oh so big in her little world...




and then we have August where she is turning into this beautiful little person where she uncovers a little bit more of her heart each and every day and we fall that much more in love with her...




I promise you this time....17 months is my favorite age...I promise! (crossing fingers until next month) :)