We’re just about two months into another school year for Stephanie, so everyone has settled back into our usual routine: mommy is walking out the door as Lily and daddy are waking up and having breakfast; Lily goes to daycare until noon, when mommy picks her up; nap, work, play, and maybe some Blue’s Clues until daddy is done with work; then evening fun.
On the heels of our annual week-long family beach week, Stephanie and I recently flew out to Las Vegas for a three-day whirlwind party! A close friend of ours had reached a milestone birthday, and asked a group of us to join in the fun. So with the extremely generous help of Steph’s parents, we kissed Lily goodbye and left for our first trip to Sin City.
Neither of us had been before, so we didn’t quite know what to expect aside from what we knew from movies, TV, and second-hand stories. But most of that turned out to be true – lights, people, booze, and noise. And of course the windowless casinos that devour your time and money. (Unless you’re Stephanie, who apparently has the magic touch with craps.) There was no breaking even, but it’s still good to cash in a stack of chips at the end of the night!
While it’s business as usual for me, June means the end of school for Stephanie and the start of two months of fun for Big Lils. We’ve got all the usual antics lined up this summer, including annual family beach week in Corolla, North Carolina later this month and Vegas for a weekend in July for a friend’s birthday.
We’ll also have our share of quiet time – given the frantic state of daycare in this area, we’re not able to pull Lily for the summer and have a guaranteed spot for her when Steph returns to school in the fall. Fortunately, she’ll only go for a fraction of her normal weekly schedule – giving us some toddler-free time to get things done around the house, but still not feel like we’re missing out on being with her. We’re elated with the quality of our care provider, so continuing to write out a check each week (rather than risk Lily’s enrollment) was an easy decision.
Toddler life moves on at a blistering pace. Ecstatic one minute, sobbing the next. Ridiculous demands, sly negotiations, imaginative stories, thoughtful debates, and blatant lies. Not to mention tons of hugs, and alarming amounts of empathy. It’s all a hilarious adventure for us, and amazing to watch her develop right before our eyes! I’ve created a 2011 photo album for this year, which I’ll add to periodically with all the best moments. Be on the lookout soon for updates on switching to a big-girl bed, and wacky potty training time.
Three weeks ago Lily turned two (see the photos!) and we invited several of her friends over for a late afternoon party. Since we’re evil, we then filled everyone with ungodly amounts of sugar, and turned them loose with stickers and crayons. It was great. Also great – the sleep later that night.
On the recent sleep front, though, Lily has been waking up around 5:45 each morning for the past few weeks. This is fairly unacceptable to mommy and daddy, who were quite accustomed to the 6:30 wake up call we enjoyed for months. Then came daylight saving time. This ["spring forward"] has actually worked in our favor in the morning, but we’re now faced with the evening bedtime challenge. So we’re trying to gradually shift bedtimes around until we’re back to a normal schedule, and hopefully everyone comes out sane and well-rested.
All this has also put a slight damper on our crib/bed plans. She has a “4 in 1 convertible crib”, and we were planning on changing it soon – from crib to daybed. But maybe we’ll wait for a less disruptive opportunity.
What is ideal about the time change, though, is that it’s now still daylight during the 6 to 7pm hour – traditionally known in our house as the “Post Dinner Freakout”. This means we can now open the door and set her loose to blow off some stink. Rejoice!
In other news, we’re going to the pediatrician today to follow-up on Lily’s allergies. For the past week, she’s had some … “diaper trouble” … previously associated with food allergies. We’re desperately hoping she hasn’t re-developed a reaction to something thought to be cleared, but they’ll take some blood and get to the bottom of it. Current known allergy roundup: wheat, eggs, and peanuts. Who knows – maybe she just has a little bug.
We’re now within two weeks of Lily’s 2nd birthday, and we can’t believe how the time has flown by. We look at old photos and videos, and can’t believe how far she’s come in such a short time. These days, it’s all about mommy and daddy just trying to keep up.
Lily’s vocabulary has simply exploded – she’s now able to communicate her wants and needs fairly articulately, which is both a blessing and a curse. (“What do you want for breakfast?” “I want a cupcake!”) With this dawning of conversation, though, she’s also fully into the “being a two year old” stage. Lots of “no”, lots of “I want”, lots of whining and carrying on. But at the same time, she is lots of fun. Always playing, singing songs, “reading” to herself, talking to her stuffed animals, and generously giving out hugs and kisses. It’s the best!
In other goings-on, it’s February, and that means birthdays galore. I’m pretty sure there are already at least three parties planned for Lily. For my birthday, I’ll be on a plane, on a business trip – but I’m sure I can squeeze in some festivities at some point. But as always, birthday wishes go out to Aaron, Ryan, Becca, and about twenty others!
Check out the “new” video below, shot in early December (two months ago). Your classic toddler serenade.
The past seven days have been nuts! Last week, I was out to Minneapolis for two days on business. The trip was productive but uneventful, except for missing my baby. I arrived home late Thursday night, clocked another two hours, then crashed. Friday morning the alarm went off, I smooched on Lily, and once again left for the airport – this time with Stephanie for a weekend in Lake Tahoe to celebrate a friend’s wedding.
To minimize disruptions to Lily, we left her home with a heaping bowl full of cereal, a water bottle, and a clean litter box. No, I kid. Steph’s parents mustered all their strength and stayed at our place over the weekend chasing Lily down and doing their best to keep up with her relentless antics. Everybody survived, and we cannot begin to thank them for their generous efforts.
The wedding was a blast! Despite the travel time, friends from all over gathered to celebrate and we had a weekend we won’t soon forget. All our love to Justin and Matt! We also snapped a few great shots of the lake thanks to a weekend of perfect weather.
Now it’s back to the grind this week, as we recover from that fun mix of champagne and jet lag.
