WALKING!

Well, Lily, you've done it!

You're walking. No help, both hands full, sippy cup in your mouth, going full tilt. 7 or 8 steps at a time right now, but soon... running! Jumping hurdles! Skipping!

I can't believe how fast time has flown. Soon, you'll get to meet your aunt, uncle, and cousins. Soon, you'll be a year old. Soon, you'll be eating table food. It's going so fast! I can barely keep up. Daddy and I love seeing your little mind tick!

Look at how big you are getting. Soon, you'll be going to college, I'm sure!! Heh.

I love you, little Lillian!

Little Lily Who Doesn't Sleep

Oh, Lily, I feel like a terrible mama.
I've been trying to 'sleep-train' you, so you can go to sleep without me, or the boob, or someone holding you, or just passing out from sheer exhaustion. I tried doing this in a way that would be tears-free, and it didn't work. I am not one to have a lot of patience, and this method required so much of it! So I caved, and we started the 'Cry-It-Out' method. This involves routine, routine, routine. I changed things up to make your bedtime routine as calm and peaceful as possible. Now, after dinner, you have a bath, play a little bit, and then at 8 o'clock, it's booby, book and bed. I try to put you in your bed awake but sleepy, I give you a hug and a kiss and tell you I love you, and then I walk away.

Every time I walk away, it is the hardest thing I have ever done. You stand up. You start to wail, and then scream hysterically as I pass over the threshold of your room. I get out of sight and then I wait. Lately, you don't cry for long, but those tears are like little knives in my heart. My mind knows that I am trying to help you learn to sleep on your own! Mommy and Daddy need sleep, and co-sleeping isn't doing the trick anymore. When you are in the bed with us, you want to play and explore. You spit up on our sheets, and on our pillows, and on us. You wake frequently, and you talk. When you sleep in your own bed, you don't do most of these things. You sleep! It just takes some extra time and effort for this to work. It hurts now, and it seems sad now, but I know it will get better.

I hope that in the future, if you ever get to read any of this, you can understand why I did this. I love you, and I only want what's best for you. Right now, what's best for you is learning to sleep.

I love you now and always.

Stand up, Bug!

Lily,

You have recently started doing some very interesting and amusing things. You can blow raspberries, create big bubbles with your mouth, and STANDING UP on your own! You can cruise around, walking and holding onto the edges of furniture, and you crawl so fast now. It's amazing, seeing the difference a few weeks makes. You couldn't even crawl in the beginning of June! Just sitting back and watching you learn, practically hearing the wheels turn in your beautiful head is amazing. I am excited and dreading the moment you start walking (running!) because I know I will never have a peaceful moment EVER AGAIN. It's great!

Daddy got to take care of you overnight one day last week because I was in the hospital. It was hard to be away from both of you, because I love you both so much. He is more than capable of taking care of you, and you both came out alive- if not a little bit more tired than normal. He also took you to your 9 month appointment, where you were measured again. Just shy of 20 lbs, and 27" tall! So big. I am sure I will blink and you will be taller than me. Already my nephews are pretty much taller than me, which is a little freaky. Time flies! And your mama is short. What else is new??

I love my little Lady Bug!!

Little Bug, Standing Tall

Lily!
You are growing too fast. You can stand up for short periods of time now without really leaning on anything, and you got up to a standing position yesterday with no help from us or furniture or the dog or anything! It was great. I am so proud of my standing-up baby. I am sure you will be walking in no time.

Speaking of standing...
You are getting big and strong. Soon, we will be able to talk to each other, rather than at each other. You blather on in your baby syllables now, occasionally getting a recognizable word out (dada, mama, up) and I will chatter back at you about my day, and how pretty and smart and strong you are getting. I can't wait to be able to talk with you, and for us both to understand and listen, because I have some things I want to teach you. Somewhere down on that list is how to STAND UP. Specifically, stand up for what you believe in. Stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves. This can mean many things- don't bully, protect the weak, always tell the truth... it's such a vague concept, so I know I will be trying to teach it to you for the rest of my life. And I know, one day you will get it, and you will think, 'Thanks, Mom.' Well, I sure hope that's how it goes. I want to be the best possible influence I can be on you. The world doesn't have enough good people in it, so I want you to be one- a good, strong person who stands up for her beliefs, whatever they may  be.

I love you little girl,

Mama!

Teeth time in Ladybug-Ville!

Lily:
I was waiting to write this post until I could get a good picture, but you are not complying. So, I guess we'll do this post picture-less. You are finally getting your first tooth!! It's your bottom left one, and it's SHARP! Grammy Nancy and I were wandering around Wal-Mart, and you were chewing on her purse strap. I mentioned how you were probably going to leave teeth-marks all over the purse, even though you had no teeth. A few minutes later, you grabbed my finger and started chewing on it... TOOTH! A TOOTH! We were in the cake-decorating section, discussing what to do for your 1st birthday. Grammy felt it too! She was very excited that you cut your first tooth on her purse. It's still just barely out of the gum, but still there. Everyone is very excited for you!

I'm so excited to see you grow! One tooth now, a whole mouthful eventually! Also, I had a dream last night that you got up and started walking. So there is that, too!!

I love my little girl!!

First night away!

Ohhhhhh, Lily. Your daddy and I left you with your granmmy tonight. We went to a baseball game and left you overnight for the first time in your little life. Part of me is excited, and part of me misses you so much. Its just 1 day... And I will hold you again soooooon!
I love you, and miss you.

Bookworm

Dear, sweet Bug-

I wrote in your baby book today. I wanted to make sure you know about me, Daddy, and our families. I filled out the sections about the baby shower, your homecoming, current events when you were born... And I didn't sugar coat it. With over 5 billion people in the world today, there is a lot going on! Elections, wars, protests, discoveries and so much more.

I want you to look back on your childhood and see that I always tried to help you learn, to teach you without bias or prejudice. This is so important to me, because learning is essential to living. I want you to live, truly live. Who knows? Maybe you will go to Mars, or cure cancer, or star in movies. Whatever you do, you learn it, live it, and love it.

You are a big girl! I am watching you sleep. I love you, baby bug.