Christmastime is Here

I love Christmastime!  I HATE cold weather.  Yesterday it snowed.  WTF?  That is all on that topic.

We have our Christmas tree up and the outside lights put on.  

Lila helping Daddy put the star up

"The Smile" with Mommy

In other news, we should be getting L's Christmas gift in the mail sometime this week I think.  We got her a personalized chair of her own from Pottery Barn Kids.  I am so excited about this.  I registered for this for the shower and we didn't get it.  I didn't think we would; it just wasn't practical at the time.  Now at this age, I know she will love it.  Others that I have talked to said their babes are in and out of it all the time.  For those of you who are looking for a good gift, (even though we don't have it yet) I'm going to recommend the Anywhere Chair from PBK.

I'm also looking for other ideas for L for Christmas.  We were also going to get her this little riding toy with my Pampers GTG points, but I am still lacking like 600 points and there's no way we can get that many by Christmas, unless we go buy like 30 big boxes of diapers! LOL  That kinda defeats the purpose of getting it FREE with the GTG points.  So I just went to look for it annnnd.....it's no longer even available on the GTG website.  Dang!

Basketball started Monday night for the Bulldogs!  So excited for this, but I have to say, I think it's going to go a lot like football....I'm not going to be able to catch much of the game due to L being ALL OVER THE PLACE!  Still though, I'm pumped!  Go Bulldogs!

I finally got my sewing machine moved to the small desk in the "office".  Neil got his desk back for the computer and his studying.  Now I just have to figure out how to add about 4 hours to each day so I can get some crafting done!  LOL  If anyone has successfully done this, let me know!

Addicted to Pinterest

Hi, my name is Lindsey and I'm a Pinterest-aholic.  Yes, it's true.  I'm admitting it.  Now that I have gotten it out, I'd like to share some of the things that I have "pinned" and actually done.  Thankyouverymuch!

This first shout-out goes to my Grandma Judi.  She has taught me a lot about sewing these last couple months.  She showed me how to make a ruffle with ribbon or fabric or whatever you have.  It totally worked.

I made this ruffle-butt onesie (I actually only did the ruffle-butt, not the entire onesie...I'm not THAT good) for a friend of mine's baby girl.  It was my first actual sewing creation.  

 I made this little dress for Lila.  MUCH harder than I thought.  This was a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation.  She was sleeping...so I really wanted to get it done while I could.  The other side of that was, I couldn't quite measure her while she was asleep.  LOL  So I just kinda went with it.  It's a little longer than I anticipated, but I learned a lot doing it.

And last but not least, I made the "no sew" Christmas Tree skirt.  It was actually so easy.

The instructions came from this blog...

http://mycrazylife-lauren.blogspot.com/2011/11/i-pinned-it-i-did-it-ruffled-tree-skirt.html

Getting started...

Done!

I actually did this entire project at the Hampton Inn in Rockford.  Ahhh the things you can get done when you're on the road. LOL

I would I also like to share that I have pinned and made other things, but I cannot post them because it could potentially ruin Christmas.  I hope to be pinning and sharing many more times!!

Big Girl

Once again it's been another month.  So much has been going on.  I will probably be posting a bunch of blogs all at once.  I have been crafting...A LOT.  I have to be honest with you.  I actually have a new addiction.  It's called Pinterest, if you haven't heard of it before.  Those of you who know what if is, you're probably addicted too.  Those of you who don't, go now.  www.pinterest.com  Seriously, you can read the rest of the blog later.

So Lila has gotten so big.  She is now such a big girl.  She looks and acts like a toddler now.  It's bittersweet.  I don't want her to grow up any fast than she is, but at the same time it's so exciting all the new things that she's doing these days.

She was a peacock for Halloween and quite the cutie if I do say so myself.  For some reason I can't get that picture to upload here.  I'll try to post in another blog.

She knows where her eyes are, where her nose is, and is learning ears and teeth.  It doesn't take her long to learn new things.  She seems to have a new "trick" every other day.

Lila is quite the performer.  She likes when people pay attention to her and if you're not, she'll make sure you are.  :)

Today she wanted to help me in the kitchen.  Deanna got us matching Mommy and Lila aprons for my Mother's Day present this year.  It fits her now and she was quite the helper.

We'll never be bored again!

I have come across the best blog article ever!!!!  101 Things to do with your toddler.  I was on pinterest, my new favorite website and saw this blog entry.  It's amazing.  Lila is still kinda young to do some of the stuff, but there are plenty now and we'll get to the others later!

http://counting-on-me.blogspot.com/2011/05/101-things-to-do-with-your-toddler.html

101 Things to do with your toddler

1. Color
2. Blow Bubbles
3. Play Hide-and-Seek
4. Peek-a-Boo
5. Play Chase
6. Do Finger-plays
7. Sing a song
8. Collect rocks in a basket
9. Make an obstacle course out of cushions and/or furniture
10. Make a fort out of cushions and sheets
11. Go for a Walk
12. Make a Car out of a Box
13. Read a book
14. Go to the park
15. Finger-paint
16. Play with Play-Dough
17. Toss Bean bags into a Bucket
18. Play the shell and pea game
19. Dance to music
20. Download games for toddlers from the Internet
21. Practice putting things in and taking things out of boxes and bags
22. Make a temporary slide out of a table leaf and your couch
23. Roll a ball back and forth on the floor
24. Scoop dirt or sand into a child's bucket (or use a serving spoon and bowl)
25. Practice climbing by stacking boxes on top of each other (only with adult supervision)
26. Put on a puppet show
27. Go fishing with a yard stick and yarn
28. Make a Horseshoe game
29. Make a Shape Puzzle
30. Play paper basketball
31. Run through a Sprinkler
32. Play with a bucket of water and a sponge (PLEASE WATCH CHILD AT ALL TIMES!)
33. Make a Drum out of an oatmeal box
34. Play with a kazoo
35. Wash windows together
36. Bang on Pots and Pans with a spoon
37. Brush each other's teeth
38. Play dress-up with stuffed animals and your child's clothes
39. Stack canned or boxed food on top of each other
40. Let child stack mixing bowls inside each other
41. Make a playhouse out of a large box
42. Let child play with a sticker sheet (make sure your child doesn't eat them!)
43. Put stickers on fingers for finger puppets
44. Play a musical instrument together- i.e.recorder, piano, etc.
45. Go on a Smelling Hunt
46. Frost Cookies
47. Plant a flower or vegetable plant together
48. Roll a tennis ball into an empty trash can or bucket
49. Draw on a mirror with dry-erase markers
50. Play hide and seek together- trying to find a stuffed animal or other object
51. Have a splash party together in the bathtub
52. Put a leash on a stuffed animal and walk around the house
53. Record each other on a tape recorder (great for scrapbooks or journals!)
54. Make and try on paper hats
55. Give a piggy-back ride
56. Play "Horsey"
57. Talk into an electric fan (it distorts your voice)
58. Play tug-of-war with a blanket
59. Collect flowers (felt, artificial, real...)
60. Make a camera and go on a Safari
61. Play games with frozen juice lids
62. Disconnect your phone and pretend to make phone calls to relatives
63. Leave your phone connected and really make phone calls to relatives- let your child talk too
64. String large beads onto or along a shoelace
65. Squirt each other with squirt bottles
66. Glue shapes onto paper
67. Make sock puppets
68. Make paper puppets
69. Fill an old purse with toys
70. Use a paper towel tube as a megaphone
71. Make binoculars and go "Bird Watching" or "Stuffed Animal Watching"
72. Put snacks in different fun containers (paper sacks, empty canisters, etc.)
73. Act out a story from a book
74. Walk on a balance beam- use a 2x4 placed on the ground
75. Draw with chalk on the sidewalk
76. Sketch an outline of your child on the sidewalk or paper with chalk
77. Paint child's palms with tempura paint and blot on paper. Makes a great card for loved ones!
78. Put lipstick on child and kiss a mirror
79. Make a puddle on cement and splash barefoot in it
80. Let child decorate and eat an open peanut butter sandwich
81. Make a toilet paper barricade for child to go under, over, or through
82. Do the Hokey Pokey
83. Make a super-hero costume out of household items
84. Do Knee-Bouncing Rhymes
85. Play "Red Light, Green Light" saying "Go" and "Stop"
86. Make a shoe-box train for stuffed animals
87. Make a pillow pile to jump on (keep it clear from any hard surfaces, including walls!)
88. Make an easy puzzle with felt and Velcro
89. Make bracelets or collars for stuffed animals out of pipe cleaners and jingle bells
90. Learn numbers from a deck of cards
91. Play the matching game with a deck of cards
92. Make a domino chain
93. Have a picnic in the park, backyard, or living room!
94. Play dress up in Mommy or Daddy's clothes
95. Make a tin cup telephone and talk to each other in it
96. Make a nature collage
97. Mirror each other
98. Make a "Mummy Mommy" with toilet paper
99. Make a tape recording of short music selections and instructions to move in different ways
100. Make and walk along a toilet paper trail
101. TAKE A NAP!

I honestly can't wait!  I'm going to try to take pictures of all the things that we do and post them on here!  Hopefully everyone can follow along!

Goodnight. Sleep tight. Don't let the bed bugs bite.

My mom used to always say this to us when we were kids.  It wasn't until I was an adult that I understood what bed bugs really were.  Nasty, gross, incredibly annoying bugs that live in your mattress and make your life hell...apparently.

As of right now, I can say we don't have bed bugs, but now that you're itching all over just from the mentioning of it, I'll let you in on why this is the lovely title to my blog today.  A few weeks ago, Lila had this bump, welp, knot, thing on her arm.  I didn't think anything of it since she has been known to get mad and bite her extremities when she goes down into her temper tantrum 8,395,863 times a day.  Then about a week later, another one popped up on her leg.  this one looked worse, but I just thought she had gotten bit by something.

Last week we were at the doctor for another ear infection and I had mentioned that they were popping up more and more.  Dr. W thought that they may be hives from trying to fight the ear infection.  Common in young children when their bodies are fighting any infection.  So we left with antibiotic for the ears and Benadryl for the hives.  Thought we were good to go until Monday night, she had like 5 pop up on her arm.  I, obviously concerned, emailed the picture of her arm to Dr. W and then went in the following afternoon.

Of course, they always get better right before you go to the doctor, right!  Damn!  Dr didn't really know what it was so he sent me to a dermatologist.  Trying to make a long story short (for those of you who know me, you know that's hard for me to do), we went to the derm today and WHEW! it's just bug bites. While I'm sad that my baby is getting eaten alive, I'm through the roof that it's JUST bug bites.  I was getting myself prepared for all kids of bad shit!

Back to the whole bed bugs thing.  I asked him if he thought that these "bug bites" could be that.  Thankfully he said no, but that it could be a possibility.  I've looked, Neil has looked...we can't see them.  So I'm really just hoping that this is an isolated incident and that the bites will heal and be gone quickly.  I also asked about fleas.  We have 3 dogs that are primarily outside, but occasionally we let them in.  We treat them for flea and tick, but I know it can't fight them all.  Next on my list, off to Rural King to get some flea spray.  This worked one other time when my sister dogsat for a friend who's dogs had fleas...then I had fleas!  The heavy alcohol-based spray seemed to work.  So I'm going to try it again!

Stay tuned for what happens next!

I also want to share a little something that Neil and Lila did last night.  If you haven't seen the commercial with Jimmy Fallon and the little boy where he asks he if wants cash back, you need to.  Apparently, Neil and Lila should've auditioned for the commercial and apparently, she's nothing like us....we always could use/want more money back!  LOL

Goodnight Moon

My good friend, Medley Wilson Ford, got my sweet 5 day old baby a gift last year...a book titled Goodnight Moon.  I have always loved this book since I was a kid.  It was a book we read at my Grandma Jane's house and at Cousin Linda's house.  So simple, yet I loved it.  I was thrilled when I saw that Medley got Lila this book.  I read it to her almost immediately.  Over the months she began to understand the book.

She would point to the "3 little bears sitting in chairs" and to the "kittens" and the "red balloon".  It wasn't until tonight that I go so tickled because this time she knew what was coming next.

Every time I read the book we talk about each one of the objects (some listed above).  My favorite part is "the little old lady whispering hush".  When I say hush, I always put my index finger over my lips.  A time or two in the past she would look at me when I was getting ready to say hush.  She knew it was coming.  Tonight, we went through the book.  We saw "the comb and the brush and the bowl full of mush".  She looked at me immediately when she heard the "shh" sound.  Then we saw "the little old lady whispering hush".  At the point, she put her index finger to my mouth as I said hush.  I about melted.  It's such an amazing feeling knowing, not only that she is learning, but that she is learning from listening to me.  She is comprehending now, which completely blows my mind.  How can she be this big already???

So as if that wasn't enough, she even started waving goodnight to all the objects in the house...even "the little old lady whispering hush".  You can obviously see why this is one of my favorite books to read to her.

ONE Big Birthday!!!

Sweet little Lila Jane has turned one. It's a bittersweet moment, I think, for most moms, me included. For her actual birthday, we went to Mackie's Pizza to celebrate. There, she prepped for her party by eating her cupcake. Quite the lady, I must say. Her party was the following Sunday. It was SUPPOSED to be at our house in our backyard or the patio that we spent so much time building so we could host occasions like this, but due to the 6 inches of rain that feel that day, we had to move it to my grandparents house. Thanks so much to them for offering their place! It was truly a life saver...well maybe a day saver!

Here are some of my favorite pics from her birthday celebration!

Eating some birthday pizza

Loving the candle

Ready to eat it!!!

I'll try a little....

yum

Gorgeous Birthday Cake made by Charlene Stover of Norris City

Lila's little smash cake

My banner that I spent so much time on....just to tape it to a mini fridge! LOL  (damn rain)

2 of the topiaries that I made for table decorations.  They turned out so cute I think I will have to make one for Christmas.  (maybe all holidays!)

Peggy Jadia, Lila's new Cabbage Patch doll

Very good at reading the cards

Good Birthday Girl

New piano from mom and dad

I think she's ready for her cake

Happy Birthday to you...

Num num num

Fam

Good stuff