New Adventure and Food

Heading into the second year is so different than where we were a year ago. A year ago, we were trying to get my craft room turned into Lola's room; we were trying to figure our our work schedule and make sure our centers were staffed appropriately; and we were learning how to work our sleeping schedules around Lola's. So our house was a mess, our sleep habits were all over the place, and we and we were trying to figure out our new life. OK, so I guess not a lot has changed! This year, our house is a mess because we have a giant play pen in the middle of our living room; we are trying to figure out our work schedules-- how often and what days to take Lola to the sitter; and, we are still sleep deprived!
I know we'll figure it out, and I'm sure once we do, things will change again. Rodney is looking at starting a new job, more in his line of experience and he's fairly excited about that. Again, we are going to have to figure out our Lola schedules.
Lola enjoys going to the sitter. It's been just her a lot of the time this summer as two of the other kids who are there, stay with their teacher-mom during the summer. I'm kind of excited for them to go back, I think Lola likes playing with the other kids.
My new adventure has been Lola's eating habits. When she turned a year, and perhaps a little before that, we had started on finger foods. She only gets two bottles a day now, and that's milk. She really likes the milk. I'm glad, 'cause I'm not a fan!  We are fortunate that she is not a picky eater. The only two foods she doesn't like are avocados and cottage cheese.  Since cooking isn't my thing, I've been trying to find fun finger food for her to eat. The pediatrician said she should be able to eat anything we eat...problem is, WE don't eat very well. So the new adventure is really changing our eating habits to meet hers. I'd really like to raise a child who eats healthy, and unfortunately, Rodney and I are not very good examples!
I was in Kohl's a couple of weeks ago and found a great cookbook. Anyone who knows me knows I'm not too good about following a recipe. Sometimes that's good, sometimes not so much. Usually it's because I don't have something the recipe calls for, sometimes it's because I have no idea what it is the recipe is talking about.
But the cookbook I found has every day food with a twist. Almost everything has a veggie puree in it. And it's all pretty easy to make.  It's called "Deceptively Delicious". It's by Jessica Seinfeld who apparently has picky eaters at home. That's not our case, but I like the idea of having veggies in everything we cook. For Lola as well as for us. So stay tuned for my review on Lola's eating and my cooking!

First Year and Fireworks

Well, we didn't actually see any fireworks this year, but what a year of fireworks it has been! It's hard to believe that a whole year has passed since our little adventure as parents began. Lola has certainly brought much joy to our lives. She is a delightful little girl who just makes me smile to watch her and interact with her. I know people say this all the time, but it's amazing how much she has changed in the past year. When we left the hospital, she was 5 and a half pounds. Smaller than Thomas. Now she has four teeth, tries to talk to us (but we have no idea what she is saying) and is pleased with herself when she does. If there is such a thing as a crawling sprint, she has it down. And she is FAST.  She is feeding herself, and though we have to hose her down when she is done, this is a world away from being glad she drank two ounces a feeding. She says "Mamma" and looks at Daddy when we ask her where he is. Amazing! She knows where Bogey is too when we ask her. 

Nana, Papa Jay, Gamma, Gampa, Great Aunt Chris, and cousin Taire came to Phoenix to celebrate this milestone with us. We had such a fun day! Lots of friends came to join us too, and we are so touched by the people who wanted to spend Lola's (and our Country's) birthday with us. Lola had a hotdog, almost a whole bun, some fruit and crackers (she's got quite the appitite) and we were all so excited to introduce Lola to cake. She tasted a couple of bites of the cake, but was really more interested in the gooey mess that was formed after mushing it all around her tray. Oh well, she has years to develop that sweet tooth!
I literally had to strip her down and hose her off in the tub, clothes going directly to the washing machine, along with everything she touched! I put her in her swim suit and she took a dip with the other kids and her daddy. She is going to be a little fish she loves the water so much!
I have posted all sorts of pictures from her big day. She was tuckered out by the end of the evening. We finished off the day with a book from her BFF Kate, which she loved.

A big thanks to everyone who made this day special for Lola and for us. We are thankful for your friendship and for being there with us through our adventure!

11 Months and Meeting New Family

We had quite an adventure in "Our Little Adventure" this month as Gamma June, Gampa Vic, and I took Lola on a cross country trip to see our family in Maryland. We were very nervous, because although Lola has done well on our short little flights before, this was 5 HOURS on a plane! Going was a completely full flight so we weren't able to take on the car seat. Anyone who's been around Lola for any length of time knows she's a busy little bugger and doesn't like to be tied down for very long, nor does she like to be held for very long, so full flight was a little worrysome.
She slept for the first leg of the flight to Albuquerque, which was great, but then was up for almost the remaing four hours to Baltimore. But she did fine, we managed to keep her entertained between the three of us, and she flirted with the ladies in the seats behind us so that was good.
We were met in Baltimore but Aunt Betty and Uncle Paul. Thank goodness they have a van, but even so, it was a tight squeeze! Lola did well on that leg of the trip too, napped most of the way.
She was a definate trooper on this trip! It seemed just as she would go down for a nap, we'd get her up again just to strap her down in the carseat!
Lola seemed to remember Aunt Betty and Uncle Paul, even though she hadn't seem them since August. She loved meeting Sharon and Devin, and would have loved to get her fingers through Devin's ear holes, I'm sure!

Aunt Ester gave Lola the perfect Lola Bear, complete with a July 4th outfit and big flower on her head! We will treasure that Lola Bear for a long time  to come! Aunt Ester let us play with some of Cousin Aiden's toys, which was a life saver! Right when we got home, we found us a Leap Frog table on e-bay so Lola will have one at home to play with too.

The beach wasn't a great success. She wasn't too sure at first, but then quickly made up her mind that this was not a place she wanted to be! The waves made her cry and she tried with all her might to keep her feet off the sand. The boardwalk was a hit, and once the famous Ocean City Merry Go Round started running, she thought that was great!  Even though the day was hot, she seemed to love the sun on her face and the wind in her hair.

Though she didn't get to savor the sea food feast, she loved meeting Cousins Paul Raymond and Karin, Gamma's Cousin Fran and Dick, and other Uncle Paul. 

She is definately finding her voice and once she finds her words, she is going to have a lot to say! I understand that most babies learn to say, "No" before anything else. Lola is consistantly saying, "Uh-oh" and is usuing it appropriately.  Like when she drops her sippy cup from the high chair, she looks at mamma and says, "Uh-oh" and mamma picks it up. (Gravity is her favorite toy.) Rodney and I went for a walk earlier this week and every time she'd go ove a bump in the sidewalk, "Uh-oh". 

And we have vampire teeth. Her middle two bottom teeth came in, but on top, the vampire teeth are in. It's pretty funny looking! 

She went to her first swim party with her daddy and seemed to love it! We are ready to start enjoying our pool with her. Makes me nervous to be in there with her by myself. Years and YEARS of June telling me I can't swim by myself play in my head when ever the thought enters my mind!
We are in the process of planning her first birthday party. We are so looking forward to having our families come to celebrate with us. Amazing that it's already been a year. It was exactly a year ago today that we found out there was a pregnant girl in Colorado who liked our profile book and wanted to meet us.  What a change in our lives that phone call made. And we have loved every minute of it.

Here is the link to Lola's Birthday Party Invitation:
http://www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/QPTQGMUNORNHUQQNRVVQ/LolaTurnsOne