Girl of Many Hats...

This is a post I just found in my drafts from 8/11. The pictures are outdated, but oh so cute!! I was going through her hats trying to figure out which ones fit her and which ones didn't. As I put each one on her, I couldn't believe how much it changed her entire look. I felt like I was putting a wig on her and she'd go from Madonna to Cher in an instant. Some fit great. Some were too big. Some were too small. She was like Goldilocks looking for just the right hat. So I decided to snap away.

Little did I know, I'd have so many pictures.


WARNING! Many pictures to follow!!

Enjoy the tranformation baby...

She looks like a different baby in each hat!! I know that was a lot to digest! I warned you. Maybe that's why it took me 2 months to post it!! Amazes me how different of a baby she is just 2 months later. She looks so different and she doesn't eat her fingers like that anymore which I loved!! She's sitting up now with some assistance and more fun everyday.

Everyone tells me to enjoy every minute, they grow up so fast, not to fast forward her little life, etc and I find that's easy to do. Easy not to fast forward. Easy to enjoy every little minute. I don't fast forward with the "I can't wait until she..." because I literally can not envision it. I could never envision her rolling over, sitting up and now she's doing it. Crawling? I can't imagine that ever happening. I don't think it will. Doesn't process in my brain. Short circuits. I picture her still sitting in a high chair babbling and drooling in kindergarten. Yet, it seems to happen ever so slightly and oh so subtle. I'm always surprised when she doesn't fit into something that used to swim on her. It just doesn't compute with me. I blame it on the high heat in the dryer that shrunk her clothes.

I'd be happy if she stayed 6 months for the rest of her life because it's so much fun to be with her, play with her, talk to her, watch her and then I look at Lainey or AJ who are just a wee bit older than her and all that they're doing. My screen goes black. I can't believe there's more to come. I can't picture her ever doing any of those things. I'm not fast forwarding, but when I peek at the future through other babies, it blows my mind.

But, this whole having a baby that's ours still boggles my mind. Still waiting for it to sink in.

Still shocks me when she's talking in the backseat while I'm driving

or babbling in the bathtub

or talking to herself in the mirror

or as I pump in the car while going through Dunkin' Donuts drive through

or she's sitting in her highchair batting at toys while I'm cooking dinner

or when she's sleeping soundly in her crib while I'm downstairs doing laundry

or when I'm driving/racing to get her from the amazing Nanny K's house

or when I'm packing her diaper bag

or when she's wailing in the backseat while I'm trying to talk on the phone

or when we're reading her books

or when I'm pulling out the stroller from the trunk to go into Target.

The daily mundane stuff.

I stop and think how amazing it all is. How it all transpired. How we worked so hard to get to this point to have this little life. How painful it all was. Sometimes it feels like it never happened. I can't remember life without Lily, much less all that we went through. I have to remind myself sometimes. Then I sit in awe of it all. Leaves me speechless. Stops me in my tracks. I stop and stare. It's like I'm watching someone else's life from above in a helicopter. Then I realize it's me. I'm the mom. I'm the role model. I'm the one who needs to step up my game for her. I'm the one living this dream. I get to spend my days with this really cool person and call her mine.

E

V

E

R

Y

D

A

Y

!!

How did we get so lucky? What lottery did we enter to win all this? No matter how many times the stock market crashes & re-crashes then hits a "new low" and no matter how much it costs to fill up my gas tank and no matter how insecure this economy is, I just keep reminding myself that we have Lily and it helps to put everything into perspective. She's the best stock we ever put our money in.

The dividends are endless.

As Dig this Chick would say, I want to "kiss the universe" in thanks!!

Life is good.

Half Year!!

Lily is a half of a year old TODAY!!! Sounds crazy doesn't it? She smiled from ear to ear during her birthday song almost like she knew today was a special day. It's amazing how much she's changed and grown in just 6 months!! I literally can't not remember life without her!! I bet she can't either. ha ha I have so many scrapbook pages and books in the works that we're going to need to rent a storage unit for all the albums! Here's a book I'm working on called "Makin' Milestones' broken down by each month. Figured it was timely to share her first month and the last month. I'll share the others and her 6 month picture in the chair is on its way.

2 page spreads....




That was then...




This is now...



She has gone from a floppy, helpless, newborn into a baby who rolls all over the place, sits up steadily (with some help), smiley, expressive, high chair sitter, is a solid-eatin' machine, and even just had her first kiss.



(holding up baby bottle) Cheers to the best 6 months of our lives!! Lily, you are loved, cherished, and celebrated more than you'll ever know. Thank you for blessing our lives. We love you for being you. xoxo