Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

I wish it would snow. I love lots and lots of snow as it makes Charlotte happy to roll around in it. For Christmas we will be heading to a place north/east of Barrie where there will be lots of snow and I look forward to seeing Lily roll around in it too.

I usually feel a little melancholy before the holidays but this year I am just too darn busy. Having Lily certainly keeps me living in the moment. Life is full, full of all good things to do with her and her well being. This week I have been rocking her to sleep as her teeth are still causing a lot of pain. I am thoroughly loving these moments of watching my angel fall into a blissful sleep. Sometimes it is still very surreal for me. She is growing fast and now a toddler, not the wee mouse that I carried in the sling all curled up like she was still in the womb.

I know soon she will be talking up a storm and that will be a really fun time but for now, I just want to savour all she is today including the fact that she won't let me put her down when we come home from daycare (unless it is to go into her highchair). I won't lie, my body hurts a little and I am a bit lopsided. But I love how she needs me and has bonded with me.

I am feeling pretty lucky and blessed tonight. I have so much but if I could ask for one thing from Santa it would be to have two extra hours in the day. One for just me and one to enable me to pick up Lily early every day from daycare.

Sponge Bath

Well, it is not Sponge Bob to say the least. I think we are on day 9 of no baths. I have made the attempt and the most I get to do is splash a bit of water around before I bring her back out.

Tonight as I was putting on her PJs for bed she kept hitting her front teeth with her pointer finger and making noises of total discomfort. I can only imagine how much pain it is to cut three molars. I love that she is trying to communicate her pain to me.

At daycare today they think she was saying Agua. A couple other kids use the term so it is said often. Another milestone is that Lily is finally using some sign language to say "more". We have been tyring to get that one down so hopefully one day she will turn the volume down when she wants more food.

This is a picture that a friend's neice took of us at a recent Christmas show. It was later in the afternoon and Miss L was just exhausted.

No Bath

I don't know why but about a week ago Lily would not get into the tub. On another occasion I played games to get her into the tub but then she screamed. The next time I went into the tub with her and again she was barely in, maybe 2 min. and the screaming started. So I have skipped a night, maybe two and then tonight I got the tub ready extra early, as I thought her not wanting to get in could be due to her just being really tired. Again, barely her toes in and screaming, and then she cries out "Mema, Mema". Out she comes again. I know I can sponge bath her but she loves her baths.

So, I am shooting this question out to followers on my blog. Do you think there is a correlation between the bath and her cutting 3 molars. The timing sure would fit. Maybe a little vulnerable in a bathtub of water?

Help?

A New Discovery

Lily has been very irritable these past few days. Even daycare said she was "really vocal" today. I know what that means but when I think about it Lily is not a big screamer...she is pretty calm and only screams when she is hungry, tired ...oh yes and when in pain. Dah...a light just came on (well on Saturday).

I had been feeling around thinking her first year molars should be appearing soon but there was nothing, just her eight teeth that she has had for over 4months now. I had been checking for the past month. This weekend however, Lily screamed quite a bit and when I noticed she was not eating like her usual self I knew something was up and I was determine to figure it out.

No fever, no rash, getting a good nights sleep, even a good sleep (from their standards) at daycare. On Saturday Lily and I went to Sherway Gardens for a quick meeting. Quick because she wanted to be out in the mall and then we went to meet Santa only to find out that you had to have a ticket bought for this "guest" only party. WHAT!!!??? I was outraged really. No Santa visit on this trip. They told me I would have to go to another mall as that is not how they do it at Sherway. WOW!

So finally after a quick trip to the Bay we got home and as I was putting Lily down for a nap I stuck my finger in her mouth for another quick feel and there they were. Two sharp points coming through her upper gums. Gosh it felt so painful. Now I think these are her first set of molars coming in as they are far back enough not to be her eye teeth. Could be wrong as I am a first time mamma. Even the on-line diagram didn't really help me. Thankfully, my friend Tylenol helped alleviate the pain for her.

I will know in a day or two as I can see if other angles of the molar start to poke through. I tell you I felt so much better knowing it was her teeth. I just can't believe I did not feel anything sooner. Those teeth are funny little things, just sneaking in when you least expect them to.

So we are a happier bunch and Sunday was a really fun day with a trip up to Holland Landing for a special 80th surprise birthday for a dear dear friend of ours, Derek. Now of course we did not make the surprise...that would be way to much pressure for me. We did get there a fashionable 45 min late and had a great time.

Getting Ready for the Big Party

Lily's dress was knitted by Greta Upper this past summer with wool taken from a sweater she knitted for her daughter years ago.

All Ready for Bed and Happy (thanks Tylenol)

Three Coins in a Fountain

Well OK, for me it was more like "Three Coins on Dupont Street".

It all started yesterday morning. My life was at a pivotal point tipping in many directions. I bundle my sweet baby up in her thick winter suit all the while she is screaming out as if I was torturing her. Finally, and now I am all hot and bothered I get out the door and start to walk towards my car with Lily, two lunch bags, her backpack and my sling bag (will someone please design something to make our Cnd winters easier with babies?).

It is only when I get in the driver's seat that I can breathe a sigh of relaxation. Lily also fights me now when I put her in the car seat because with all of her fleece and woolly winter clothing plus her blanky, it would be kinda like stuffing a body (maybe mine) into jeans from the 70's.

We are driving east bound on Dupont street going slow as molasses because they have created a bike lane and now we have cars lined up idling for 10-15 min on the one lane. It is not until you past Lansdowne that you have two lanes to choose from. I have been sick, as Lily with this terrible congestion, cough in the throat and as I approach Dupont I have a huge cough only to cough up the crap that has been in my throat for the past week. With no Kleenex near by I decide to do the only lady like thing and open my door and spit. (yes the light is red by now). I made sure I was in the other driver's blind spot to hide my face in shame. Well, there, right in front of me, on the road, are three coins. A toonie, a loonie and a quarter.

So without further adieu I continue to embarrass myself by reaching down and picking up the toonie and the loonie. Sadly, the quarter was further from my reach.

Light turns green. I buckle up and forward but now I am elated. I am not frustrated at winter. I am singing the happy lucky song to Lily. I am thinking my life is about to change for the better. I am attracting money and it is going to flow easily into my life. I really could have been in front of the Trevi Fountain in Rome....that is just how lucky I felt.

So today I am still on a bit of a high and it was only $3.00. But this is what happens to me. Suddenly money comes waltzing into my life when I least expect it to. And you watch as I will report back on my blog and let you know what unexpected cash flow comes to me over the next couple weeks.

December

I love the month of December. I love Christmas and I love decking the halls and dressing a tree. I started baking a few years back and I have not yet become as passionate about that as I am around the whole decorating thing. Maybe Lily will be the baker.

I wanted to give a progress email on Lily's congestion. It got to the point where I anytime she coughed I had to go and check on her for fear of her not breathing. She has been on a two puffer system now for just over a week and we have one more week to go. She has been a trooper with the administration of it and now she demands to hold both puffers and shake them for me. I am not having to struggle with the chamber anymore and she gladly lets me put it over her mouth and nose.

Since she has been sick I have fallen prey to a throat infection...you know the kind with the hacking dry cough that also keeps you up all night long. Even Buckleys has not helped. Very disappointed in Buckleys. Some mornings I feel as though my body is going to fall apart. I am wishing that we both have excellent health in the coming weeks so we can really enjoy Christmas.

One of the elves dropped a Christmas tree on our front porch last night. Maybe this weekend we can get it in to start decorating. I am really looking forward to starting my own traditions with Lily. Some that were from my childhood that I will pass on and some will be new just for us.

I started putting pigtails in Lily's hair and she looks like such a toddler now. I can't say she loves it when I do this so often I leave it for her daycare provider to do.

Thanks France for the cute pink chair. Lily loves climbing in and out of the chair. She thinks she is such a big girl to be able to get in and out on her own.

Update on Kitchen: we finally have all the upper cabinets in place. Had to return the door fronts on the lowers because they did not match the original cabinets I had from a couple years ago. So waiting for those door fronts to come in and then almost done. The exhaust hood fan will wait till 2011 as will the countertop.

Do nothing, Be happy!

Where does the time go? The weekend is over and I feel as though I didn't get much accomplished. I guess I need to forgo the list of things to do when we are not feeling well.

Lily has had this chest thing for over a week now. It has not really been slowing her down at all but you can hear the rattle in her chest when she breathes. It was this weekend that made me realize enough is enough and I need to get her into seeing her doctor. Not so much because there was a huge change with her, although she was more clinging to me but she vomited on Saturday I think due to congestion and a gourmet grilled cheese we had at a friend's house earlier that day. And to top it off I started feeling unwell Friday evening. I had to cancel all plans because as I found out on Saturday, even driving in the car was too much for me and my head.

I take all this in stride and that it is a clear message I am to do nothing except "be". Be with Lily playing, cuddling, watching favorites on Treehouse and eating lots of fruit. So that is what I did but it was not without resistance as I looked around my house and new that I still needed to paint, organize the office, clean the porch, rake the leaves, organize the new kitchen cupboards that Erik assembled...see that is the list that never ends and it is my own nightmare.

So, facing a new week I shall be taking Lily to the doctors first thing on Monday, I have also vowed to finish existing house projects over the next two weeks and not take on anything new until mid January. We all need a break and some time to do nothing but sit and play.

Anniversary of Referral

I was a year ago today and I was sitting at my work cubicle on a Thursday afternoon. Recently I had a conversation with M at my agency and she thought my referral would come by the end of the year but it could be into the new year. I had no inclination that a referral of my sweet baby would come that afternoon.

I had a phone call from D and as soon as I heard her voice I knew it needed to brace myself. She spoke for what seemed to be forever and then suddenly she asked if I was near a computer as she was sending me an email with 4 photos. I couldn't type for the life of me but finally made my way and plugged in my password to find an email. With great anticipation and excitement I clicked on the email to see this photo of Lily My Yen:


I was overjoyed and loved her face immediately, her eyes, lips, wee hands, all the hair and of course how could I not noticed the horizontal stripes in orange. She was my wee pumpkin for sure. Then I scrolled further down to find three more photos. Some with a loving nou nou holding her and then another that had my giggling ...and you will see why.

Here is Lily, and when I first saw this picture I thought that she was a very big baby. And even as I received more photos during my wait to travel the same thing struck me...that she is a BIG baby. Well for those that have met Lily and held her she is just the opposite. Light as a feather, tiny but mighty. When I travelled to Vietnam I asked our country host why she looked so big and L told me it was because she would use her zoom lens when taking the photos.

Happy Referral Day Lily My Yen.....November 19, 2009 was the beginning of a loving family. That day, and without you really knowing, you changed my life forever and brought something I had always wanted (a family).

My thoughts this morning as I type this and Lily is still asleep is that "hope" wins!

Settling in to Daycare

I am on week four. I think Lily has adjusted better than I have but that does not surprise me. We do have one small problem....the little mouse is not sleeping at daycare. With me she would sleep in the morning and then a nice 2 hour nap in the afternoon. At daycare she may have a 10 min. nap in her stroller in the morning but when the afternoon arrives there is so much unpredictability. Yesterday we both got up at 6:30am (due to the time change) and Lily did not nap until 4:00pm. OUCH - I am having a hard time adjusting to this.

Suggestions are welcomed here on my site. How do we get her to sleep??

For the most part though she is doing so well. Yesterday I was told she may have said the word "Up" and some form of the word "Banana". Trying to get her to say it to me has resulted in nothing remotely sounding like these two words.

Some really good news is that my upper cabinets in my kitchen were hung over the weekend and it is starting to really look like a kitchen. Doors are on back order. Photos to be uploaded over the weekend.

Well this morning I woke up thinking it was 6:40am only to get dressed and come downstairs to make coffee and the actual time is 5:45am. Ooops! I forgot to change the clock radio across my room and that is what I looked at when I first woke. Hence my blog entry : )

October 31st

Ooooo....it is the scary Tiger Lily. She is going to get you!!

Lily feels a kinship with her dog Charlotte...both soft with brown noses.

We had a carve off and yes that pumpkin was way out of the reach of children. That pumpkin was Eriks.

This one was my creative.

And this pumpkin went to bed long before the door-bell stopped ringing.

First Steps

Lily has been standing up on her own for about 2 months now. Only two weeks ago she took one small step forward at daycare on her first day. Since then I have been pretty low key on her walking to Mama. Well tonight after dinner, when we were both so tired, Lily decided to walk.

I am just so proud of her determination. I am also finding out that Lily does things on her own time.

Take a look:

A Few Firsts in Lily's Life

Well, we are into the second week of daycare and back to work. My house is a mess, my dog is not getting as many walks and I am going into the change jar to by transit tokens. Can't wait for that first paycheck so I can say goodbye to EI.

Lily seems to be enjoying daycare and has transitioned well for the first week. She does cry at night when I put her to bed which she did not do before. Tonight I had to rock her to sleep when she just wouldn't soothe herself. It is a big transition for the both of us so a little extra cuddling is needed.

The first day of daycare Lily took one step towards me at the end of the day. I am so worried I am going to miss this so I will leave my video camera there everyday and hope it will be captured. All the other kids are walking and I can see Lily wants to be up with the kids. She is doing a lot of standing but is not too eager to take steps.

Below is a picture of the first day I dropped her off and our provider, Natalia immediately took her to the water table where she forgot all about her mama.

At the end of last week we went on a big road trip to Sudbury to see her Vietnamese "brother" and to help celebrate his birthday and his Baptismal. It was a jam packed weekend with a Hallow e'en party with the Asian adoption community in the afternoon. Lily was dressed as a Fairy Mouse and I went as Jeanie. A blondie I am not!!

Following that party we joined a family who travelled to Vietnam with us (Cedric's mom and dad) to celebrate a birthday party for Cedric with the inclusion of Lily. It was just adorable and we had so much fun with lots of their family members attending.

Of course we can't help ourselves to gush over both of these babies and match these two in a marriage when they are older. If not marriage then wishing them a life long friendship of course. Below is a picture of the delicious cake that was made. All through our trip and when we arrived back in Canada these two got the names Pebbles and Bamm Bamm for obvious reasons.

Cedric's Baptism was a wonderful event and I feel so very proud of him. I was asked to be his Godmother and it is just such an honour to be in this little boy's life. We all wore traditional Vietnamese dress and celebrated afterwards with a brunch. Boy these babes were so tired by the end of this very busy weekend.

I just finished day one of my second week and today Lily went to Aunti Andi's house for the day. She got to play with Samantha and Jack. Lily loves being with this family and always has so much fun. I feel so thank ful to have such caring people close by. It makes going back to work just that much bearable.

Daycare and Back to Work

It is the eve of my going back to work and Lily attending her daycare. Yup, I am feeling a bit stressed on both fronts but what keeps me from going over the edge is the fact that Lily is very social and loves to be with other kids. Her daycare is bright and cheery and there are three other wee ones. Two little girls of similar age and a boy. We have been a few times already but last Friday I left for an hour and besides the scream that lasted all of 5 seconds she was just fine.

So I will do a gradual back to work/daycare over the next three weeks so we can all adjust slowly.

I calculated that I will have three hours a day with Lily during the week. The daycare provider will get to have about 7 waking hours with her (I am jealous already). Well I will just take one step at a time and hope for a positive outcome.

The past three weeks I have noticed that Lily has gained a very strong attachment to me. A couple days ago when we were at my friends for a playdate, Lily screamed for me as I left the room. It was a chilling scream that I had not experienced with her in relation to me leaving her side. That was a first. This past weekend while at home I have had to be very close to her. Could be that she is sensing something with the trips to the daycare OR it could be that her one year molar has just started cutting through.

Much more to do before lights out. Here is a picture of Lily and Char just after a walk in the neighbourhood. The new present came from Aunti Georgie (used toy for Lily's b-day). She had so much fun driving the car.

Bed with a Belly full of Cake

Everything a little girl turning one could want for her birthday. Family, friends, a tea party, kids to play with, cake and ice cream (and mama not too far away at any time).

I too will flop into bed shortly. It has been a long day. My girlfriend Andrea hosted a small birthday party for Lily since my house is still recovering from the kitchen reno. Lily loves playing with Andrea's two kids and lately when they are together I feel just a little bit better about having to go back to work early. I think Lily will do just fine in her daycare with a couple other kids near her age.

We made party hats and then noticed that most of the decorations were on the floor. Hmm not a good craft for the 1-4yr old crowd. There sure is a lot to learn for me on the party front.

There was cake, cupcakes, ice cream and an extra bowl of chocolate frosting for those with a very sweet tooth.

I had asked people not to bring presents and consider bringing a used toy that their child was not longer playing with. It was so much fun to see the toys that the little ones picked out for Lily. Then there was the exception when Lily opened this gift from Oma.....a mini Lily.

And what is a little girls birthday party without a nice pot of tea at the end of the day. Here is a pic of Lily and her very good friend Samantha sharing tea.

Happy 1st Birthday Lily

Yesterday was Lily's 1st birthday.

How blessed am I to be able to celebrate this milestone with her. We stayed close to home with visits to the park, walks with Char and then at the end of the day a trip to High Park to see all the dogs. Her friends Sam and Jack came by for a visit to sing "Happy Birthday" and while she was sleeping Juni and I made a fabulous birthday cake that is so yummy. A white cake with a chocolate butter frosting that melts in your mouth. We will eat that today at her party.

Lily and I have had more than half of her life together. It was on March 29th that I first looked into her beautiful eyes and new just how precious she was. A perfect match was made that day.


Meeting Lily that day has been the most important event of my life and I am forever grateful that my sister Michele travelled with us and was apart of that very special time.

Lily, I am wishing you a life of happiness, the best health, special moments with good friends and family and in between all of this some exciting adventures.

Forever in love with you!

Sunshine

At the beach with Lily's good friend Samantha (they are only a couple months apart).

Trying to catch a frog....and wondering why everytime she gets close to the frog it jumps forward.

A glorious moment at the cottage ...waiting for the sun to set.

Lily is at the stage where she has to do everything herself.  

When there is no tub available we just make due with what we have....she is having a green bath.

Crazy Mother Alert

 Yes that is exactly what I felt like today while strolling Lily and walking my "crazy" dog down my neighbourhood street.   It all started with a long drive to get to my cousin's house this morning....and we both had had enough of the car.  So once at our destination I put Lily in her stroller and grabbed my dog Charlotte to stroll to the vets to get her nails cut.  They were so long and in desperate need of trimming.  

All the way Char pulled and marked and then pooped and of course I did not think about grabbing a bag and that is because I am living out of three different addresses right now and a car.  All I had with me was a paper towel, a diaper and a plastic bag with a few holes in it.  I know what you are thinking....she used the diaper...but alas, I did not and I went for the other option of a paper towel and a plastic bags with holes in it.  Once through the really awful business we carried on to the vets.

My regular gal Jill was not there to do the job so Daggy stepped in to assist.  Everything was going well with me holding down Char, Daggy doing the cutting until Charlotte jerked back and a nail that was already fragile split.  Boy oh boy there was a fair amount of blood and Lily at this point was crying and I was still having to hold Char while we tried to stop the bleeding.  I do a self check and realize my stress level is really starting to brew.  Note that I have yet to have food and more importantly coffee this morning, so once all set we went out the door to a local bakery for my coffee and a little nosh for Lily.  

Sitting in the sunshine my mood is starting to perk up a bit when of course I come out and Char has pulled the metal rail out that she was tied to and I see her getting pets from an elderly couple.  I grab my croissant to coax her back to me and retie her up.  Here is when I look down and there is more blood again.  Passer byers give me some klennex but I know that I have to get back to my cousins' and assess the situation and perhaps take her into the vets.   I am only a few blocks away and I have the stroller in one hand, dog in other and hot coffee in my third hand.  Suddenly Char lunges out to a dog passing by and twirls me and the stroller around, and then another dog comes out of no where and now I have to forfeit my coffee to get control of my "crazy" dog.  It went into the nearby planter (although I was able to save a few sips).  Suddenly I start screaming at my dog who in turns tells me to piss off basically and it is a wrestle to see who can pin who.  I won but not without some interesting stares from  people nearby.  I really hope Lily's first word is not going to be what came out of my mouth this morning.

Once the dogs have disappeared we carry on back to the house where by this time there is so much blood that I cannot even stop it ....so it was off to the vets and before I got into to the car I chugged my coffee back to get even a little bit of caffiene to help prop me up for whatever the rest of my day has in store for me.

August at the Cottage

It is not too often that the universe provides a calm day with flat water and a helping hand to watch not only Lily but my dog.  This moment in the kayak was thoroughly enjoyed.

Well, I have found a way to get the Internet in a way that makes us all happy.  Erik left his MAC up here for me to use this week and I was able to get the the password to the island library's  WIFI.  This morning just before Lily's nap time I packed the car with her bag, all technology devices and snacks.  We drove into the village and I was able to park right in front of the library, stay in the car to do all my emails while Lily had her morning nap.    It all worked like a charm...until she woke up and I was not yet back at home.  I had to pull over to comfort her which meant taking her out of her car seat and giving her mum mums for the rest of the drive home.      All in all it was a success!        

Lily playing with her big bug from Erik.  We recently went to a friend's house to BBQ with other families who had adopted internationally and Lily played with their lady bug all night long.  It made her laugh uncontrollably.

Lily is starting to really move about and climb.  She is not yet walking and I am soooo thankful for that.  She is a fast crawler and gets around just fine. 

We rented our cottage out to a good friend and for a few days Lily and I stayed at Erik's cottage.  No bathtub but we had so much more fun outside with the setting sun.  She liked to stand up so I used a cup and she enjoyed her Mandi.

The Balancing Act

Back in Toronto for a few days. I have so much to do and I am finding that nap times are getting in the way (but I am so thankful for them). Before I continue on I have to say that we have reached a critical milestone in Lily's life. She has finally decided to sleep through the night on her own terms. I did not have to let her cry it out and I am happy about that as it was not something I was looking forward to doing in a semi-detached house.

It all started when we left Auntie ME's house and went back to the cottage last Thursday. At Auntie's house, Lily started to eat and eat and eat. Her sittings at the table would last about 45min. Maybe it is because my nephews are such healthy eaters and she took the liberty to follow suit. By the time we got back to the cottage she continued eating everything in sight. It must have pushed her to the point of sleeping without the need of waking for a bottle.

We have had 5 nights of sleeping through from approx. 7:30pm to 8:00am. I am just so happy to have 8 hours of my own uninterrupted sleep. Although, I did find myself waking up at the 2:30am feeding time and making sure Lily was still breathing. This whole sleep begets sleep musts be true as no sooner is Lily awake from her night's sleep she wants to go down for her morning nap. We have about an hour of play time after breakfast before she starts rubbing the ears and grizzling to me.

So....back in Toronto as you can see I do not have big windows of opportunity to do a lot of errands. If I take her off her schedule then I pay for it usually the next day. Today, as soon as she wakes up this morning (which is imminent) we are going to run to renew my car sticker, do some grocery shopping and then head back home in time for lunch and then a two hour nap.

She must be on a growing spurt....I summize.

We will then get organized to drive across town to visit a friend who has kindly taken Charlotte off my hands while in Toronto (I am in a house with a few cats). Drop Char off at another house for a night and then head back home in time for bath and bed. Somewhere in between we will need to eat dinner.

In between I am just a regular mom cooking, cleaning, washing clothes, watering plants, and trying to find time to shave my legs : )

Fresh Country Air

Lily and I arrived at Aunt ME's house late last night. Sadly, we caught a late ferry and finally arrived at 10:40p.m. Lily then stayed awake laughing and playing with her Uncle and Cousins for the next hour and a half.

It is so beautiful here especially first thing in the morning and the corn fields are huge for this time of year. Oh, and Charlotte came with us and has been barking at the stalks ever since.

We have been having such a fun summer but it has been nice to get off the island to see some different sites.

Lily is coming up to 10.5 months and just crawling up a storm. She loves to crawl to the dog dish when Char is eating and on occasion has taken a sample kibble out of the bowl. I guess there are worse things she could eat. Also, Lily is crab walking intermittently between crawling. It is especially funny when she does this at the beach in the sand. A little sand crab is what she is. She is not cruising yet but will stand up on anything in reach. She has not quite worked out the mechanics yet.

She is eating up a storm and some days I feel like I have two Labrador dogs. Both Char and Lily seem to beg for food when they see me eat. Lily loves the following foods:

• watermelon
• peaches
• blueberries
• canteloupe
• strawberries
• cheese
• any white bread but especially challah
• Cheerios
• cucumber
• her mum mums and saltine crackers (without the salt)

Lily has a mouthful of teeth. Her eighth finally cut through this week. She has big front teeth with a little space in the middle and she has tested her chompers on me. Her bite hurts a great deal.

We are looking forward to a weekend with a couple other families who travelled with us to Vietnam. I can't wait for all the babies to be together. The memories of Vietnam are so precious to me and I feel like we are all family now.

Pictures to come next week when I will be able to download or sooner if I figure it out here.

Lazy, hazy days of Summer.

My few moments in front of a computer allows for a quick blog entry.

Still living the simple life at the cottage. We have had Auntie and Oma up for the past couple weeks to dote on Lily (and give Lily's Mama a much needed break).

We have more teeth coming in so Lily gets very grizzly feeling the pain the poor thing. She has n fear and will crawl across the sand to get to the water quickly. She will put sticks, bugs, sand, rocks and anything else that is in her path, in her mouth. I am glued to her to monitor all the stuff and get it away as fast as I can. It is a large beach so we are all on the watch.

Back home next week for a few days. Shots for Lily and shots for Charlotte. As my kitchen is once again torn apart right to the studs, I will be living at Auntie's house for the few days.

No bats lately but the mozzies love Lily and she sports a handful of bites no matter what I do to protect her. Please send any home remedies you might have.

Well must run. More next week.

New Photos from the Cottage

To the beach we go.

Sleeping through the hot summer heatwave.

The Princess on the cottage deck daybed. A great place to nap unless you are Lily.

Heat is on and hair is up or at least pushed back.

Figuring out how to climb the stairs.

On the move and crawling everywhere.