What is Lily Up To

I guess you can say that this email is more for my records since this seems to be the one place where I am able to add content regularly.  I am a little behind on my baby book sadly.

So, Lily is talking up a storm but mainly one words or two here and there but today she did put a sentence together while we were driving to daycare.  As we did not get our lazy bones out of bed until 7:50 am today we had to eat our toast in the car.  I looked back and could not see her eating, so I asked "what happened to your toast?"  Lily replied, "I eat it".  Oh such a very proud moment for her mama!!

Another birthday treat hosted by Uncle John and Auntie Tina.

One of our last weekends at the cottage on Thanksgiving.  We were blessed with beautiful weather and breathtaking colours from the surrounding trees.

Lily and her friend walking down to the beach.  Doesn't get much better than this.

Happy 2nd Birthday Lily

What a fun weekend we had celebrating Lily's 2nd Birthday.  The weather was a bit ferocious in the morning but the sun did finally shine and the party was able to have fun at the nearby park for an hour before coming back to our house for a pizza picnic, arts and crafts and chocolate yummy cupcakes.

Lily sure had lots of friends over to help her celebrate and of course the house was just a jumpin with the added parents.  It was chaotic at times but the kids sure had a lot of fun. 

Sunday morning walk with the dog proved to be very very cold.

Autumn Moon Festival 2011

This past weekend Lily and I went to the Autumn Moon Festival at HarbourFront.  We went with some good friends enjoyed all the events.  The sun was shining warm on our faces, beautiful singers and dancers filled the stage and there was also a fashion show of Au Dois (pronounced "eye yeow").  We were very lucky to run into other families who are a part of our adoption community.  Always a special time when we see the kids playing together.

They had a competition of lanterns that were all very unique.  Lily loved the butterfly.

Lily and Harper made lanterns in the craft tent.  Lily was very excited to see Harper.

What was really exciting was that we all got to see how Moon Cakes were made.  Monique loved the moon cakes, I was a bit on the fence with them and of course Lily loved them.

Lily had a blast with her "older sister" Amelie.  I think Amelie had a blast being a big and "bossy" sister to Lily.  Nothing like looking up to an older, cool girl.  Lily followed her like a puppy dog.



Peek-a Boo-Bunny



Two Weeks Left of Being 1YR

The last bit of summer is still hanging on (in my mind at least).  I am missing the carefree days with no dates to do anything.  When we felt like it we went to the beach, we read books, we had LOTS of popsicles and ice cubes were a hit.  We laid in bed when we woke and watch the leaves dancing around in the trees.  We search for the most perfect stone and collected them in momma's pocket.  Sandcastles, moats, roads and pools made on the beach. Kicking back with good friends that sometimes we only get to see in the summer.  Cocktails at five (mommas only).  Froth from Auntie's coffee in the morning (Lily).

Suddenly, without much notice, Lily started to sing songs.  Baby Beluga, Twinkle, Twinkle, Happy Birthday, Row Row, Wiggle songs and to top it off she shouts at me to "STOP" when I start to sing along or dance.  Here I have sung my heart out to entertain her and teach her and now when we can do a duet....I am kicked out and she is going solo.  Hmmm lets hope that is a phase.

Only a couple weeks until Lily turns two.

Favorite Shows:  really old Wiggle DVDs, really really old Barney VHS, Back Yardigans, Little Einsteins and Guess with Jess.

Favorite Books:  thank goodness she still is into Goodnight Moon, Peepo, Baby Beluga, On the Night you Were Born, Time for Bed, any book with dogs or cats on it,  and Dora.

Other Milestones:  Hops on two feet, does tree pose and downward dog with leg in the air, just went down the slide and did not have to hold onto my hand, will hang from the monkey bars for 3 seconds, walks Char Char (should say demands to walk the dog), can put on her Crocs by herself, brush her teeth (pretty well), NO interest at all to be toilet trained but that is OK.  A couple months ago Lily started to say "luv you".  She also says goodnight to almost everyone she knows (with a little help)

Favorite Foods:  Everything but top five right now would be bananas, apples, tomatoes, toast, fish (the orange snack kind)



End of Summer at the Beach



Lily's first day of school (well daycare really) and well
it is not really her first day but her first day in Sept.



All excited coming back from daycare.  Long day and we need to play.



Cheeeeeeeeese!



Signs of turning 2yrs

I have seen the signs.  Turning two and what comes with it.
Strong will is not so bad and I actually like that but when it comes with short bursts of tantrums thats when I start to thing my golden one is  not going to bypass the "terrible twos" or I would rather call them "tantrum twos". 

Lily will be going for her two year check up soon and I am anticipating a weight gain of a few hefty pounds to bring her up to 23.5lbs.  And I think her height will come in at 32.5 inches.  Her shoes size went from 3 to a short lived 4 to almost a five.  We are between sizes right now.  This girl is shoe obsessed and it is all my fault.  Without a lot of closet space in our small Toronto home Lily's shoes have found their home on window sills and within reach of her tiny hands.  But that is the fun stuff in having a girl isn't it.

Cool Nights and Warm Days

Doesn't get much better than this.  Love the cool nights in the evenings but I am not quite ready to pack up our summer clothes.  Lily, Char and I are looking forward to a great weekend up north.  We may go late Friday or early Saturday to avoid the parking lot on Hwy 400.

Our cottage beach was featured in this month's Cottage Life apparently.  Not too happy about that as I personally like to keep in on the low down.

This summer has been a great one for us, just in Lily's development alone it has been a riot.  She is just so much fun and is constantly laughing at pretty much anything.  She has grown taller and put on a few more pounds that allow her to go into a facing forward car seat.  Makes my job as her mama just that much easier and I AM very grateful for her present temperment. 

   

Around the middle of July, Lily and I headed up north to Huntsville to a camp that my sister has been coaching at for over 25 years.  Camp Olympia was hosting all girls week so it was appropriate that Lily and I were my sister's guests that week.  It was paradise for me with no cooking, cleaning, planning.  Just got up and ate with the campers, went on great walks and played at the beach.  Below to the left is a picture of Lily wandering to the neighbours and kindly recycling their bottles.  And to the right is Lily and her Auntie playing with bubbles.

We left the camp and heading back over to our cottage for 10 days of sunshine and tons of fun.  We could hardly wait for our friends who travelled to Vietnam to join us for the upcoming weekend.  We had four toddlers running in every direction and then two five year old BFFs playing and laughing for the whole vacation.



Dinner alfresco for the four toddlers, Harper, Cedric, Olivia and Lily

Lily, Cedric, Yasmine-Li, Hannah, Harper and Olivia with matching giraffes



Olivia, Lily and Charlotte



Lily and Harper (kids are always looking outside)

 

Lily and Mama at sunset time, friends are all close by.



OK I just can't believe that I caught this on camera.

Lily loves the cottage and loves the "wa wa".  She  says it from the moment she wakes to the last moment before she closes her eyes for the night.

Lily plays the Happy / Sad game and when she says one of the words that is your queue to show her what a happy face looks like and then a sad face.  The more dramatic your face the more she laughs.

My Sweetness is a Toddler

Such big changes since last summer when we were up at the cottage for 4 months.  Walking makes a big difference especially the days when I don't have to carry Lily up the dunes.  Now, I know what many of you are thinking....Lily weighs next to nothing.  Well, it is all what you are used to I guess.  When my back is bad she feels like 50 lbs.  But we were on the scale and she is still small and mighty at 22lbs at 22 months.

Here is a picture of Lily at the beach on the July long weekend. 

Busy filling buckets up with sand, splashing in the water, lounging under the umbrella and of course eating her favorite of watermelon, apples and soon, peaches!

Lily just loves her dog Char Char and often hugging and trying to sit on her.  Char will not let her do that for long but sure doesn't mind when she just cuddles.

Well, we are off to a summer sports camp as a guest of my sister.  She has been coaching vollyball there for over 20 years.  Her boys are working this summer so Lily and I get to go instead.  Really looking forward to that.  Then we will head to the cottage to host the families who travelled with us to Vietnam.  Our second time at the cottage and again, this year will be so different now that everyone is walking, running and talking.

Mauwapeas and Gank-Quoo

Wa-Bish
Muse-Peas
Peeeeees
Mauwapeas   

Yup all of these words mean just one thing ...MORE PLEASE  !

Mine Mine Mine Mine Mine MINE MINE MINE!!!!!!

OK Lily we get it ....it's yours.  She says this word long before anyone tries to take it away from her.  A small child approaches our house.  At ten feet away Lily is screaming at this happy go lucky child "mine".  There is very little reasoning at this age.  I mean it is hers but the idea of sharing is not comeing anytime soon. 

Today we had a bit of a break through at a friends house enjoying her glorious swimming pool.  Lily actually had to wait to go down the slide and into the water.  "Lily's Turn", "Patrick's Turn"  and so on.  I think a light bulb went off and I was ever so grateful to Patrick for wanting to go down the slide too.

We are off to a busy summer with cottage time and friends time.  Boy, I sure am missing my parental leave from last summer.  What a difference a year makes.  Vacation days are not so many as I did have to use up a few when I ran out of sick days by end of Feb.  I am thinking of my teacher friends right now.  They sure have it right.

Lily is growing like a weed.  Eating like a horse and I swear talking her own language with a real Vietnamese tone.  It is just too funny.  Lily is NOT talking up a storm but she sure does understand pretty much everything I say to her.  I ask her to put things here and there and bring to me and she has solid comprehension.  Here are some just some of words she is saying over and above the few above:

• doggie
• kieee kat & a solid "meow"
• up peas, down, up
• uppies UPPIES MAMMA!
• Pooh poohs
• Char Char (her dog)
• horseee
• apple, nanna, owang, popicle
• cwacker, cheese, pashta
• car, quack, duck, and all the other farm animals
• funny her first word was backpack backpack (from Dora)
• ouchie
• purple
• fouwer (and she smells the flowers too)
• tree, ball
• whader (for Georgian Bay)
• wa wa (for her cup)
• No (that is a given)
• Bea (her lovey)
• Big Bea (her night time blanket)
• quirrel, quool, (squirrel and school)
• shoes
• My favorite word she started say a couple weeks ago - "Happy"

Hope you are having a great summer and stopping to smell the purple "fouwers" on along the way.

Tra La La La La

Wherefore Art Thou - Cookies

Life is moving faster than I imagined.  Lily is moving faster than I can catch her.

Back on Track

Our trip to Calgary was full of love and fun and family.  Although we did not visit family per say...my Calgary family just feels that way to me and they embraced Lily as family.  My two godsons were amazing with Lily and just doted on her, protected her and spent much time making her laugh.  She loved them but in competition for her attention was the two "kiey cahts", Tigheer and Peebpars (tiger and peepers).

Lily on her new phone ...wonder what she is talking about?

More photos to follow but for now it is "night nights"

From Rain to Sunshine

Yes, I am happy to be travelling with Lily today.  We are off to Calgary to visit good friends and also a day of work for me in our Calgary office.  I hear there is lots of sunshine there and it will last throughout our trip.  I am long overdue for some sunshine and I am hoping that is what will finally kick this nasty virus in the ass and leave my system. 

My good friend will be staying in the house to take care of the other baby.  You know the one.  The big hairy, demanding and needy one.  So it will also be a nice break from the demands of the Char Char.

Some sweet photos of last summer (I am dreaming of this summer to come). 

Lily and her "brothers" Cedric and Harper. 

 Lily at the Beach at C.I. 

Mother's Day Love

I had such a memorable Mother's Day with Lily.  It was the best I could ever hope for with lots of cuddles, kisses and big smiles all day. 

Lily woke up Saturday late from sleep with a big fever so I popped her into my bed so I could be close and worked to get the fever down so we both could go back to sleep.  We both woke up at 9:25am.  I couldn't believe it and we missed our gymnastics class .  Lily was feeling much better so we went to a brunch at Auntie A' house where Lily was able to play with Jack and Sam.  We spent most of the day with them minus a nap back home.

Lily was very clingy to me all day and into the evening.  Holding her in my arms I had this great sense of calm and thought I couldn't have asked for anything better this day than the affection Lily was showing me at that moment.  It truly was heaven! 

Here are a couple pics from the weekend  at my sister's house where we celebrated her parents-in-laws 60th wedding anniversary and as well some lovely moments on Mother's Day.

A Glorious Afternoon Nap for Lily

Mama's Cuddle time with Lily

Yogurt Bath

Easter Eggs and Family Too

Happy Easter Weekend Everyone!

Playing at the Farm with lots of room to Run



Auntie ME has a special basket for Lily.

 Although I was a little upset about not getting to Calgary this weekend, we did try to make the best of a weekend that promised rain.  I love when Mother Nature does not keep her promises because both Saturday (later) and Sunday were lovely days with a shining sun.  Gosh it felt good to have the warmth on our faces.

After spending time with Erik's family at his parents farm we packed up the car one more time and headed to the country north/east of Barrie to Auntie ME's house.  We got there just in time to join in with the family for a breakfast of crepes, hot cross buns and lots of chocolate!

All the Fixings for our Crepes



I see you.



Lily quickly got into the spirit of finding eggs.

A Basket full of Eggs with Surprises Inside

With my cousin Alex