Dear Lyla: "Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing."

This weekend you have not been feeling very good.  You had a very stuffy nose and Mommy and Daddy went crazy sucking out your nose, keeping your humidifier on full blast, and propping up your mattress so you could breathe easier.  Throughout the entire weekend you continued to be your adorable, smiling self and it made Mommy stop and think.  There is nothing better in my world then to see you smile and your big grin is very contagious.  There are no fake smiles from you.  Mommy isn't as smiley when I am not feeling good.  You wake up almost every morning and as you are stretching you are usually smiling and on those rare days you aren't you are usually smiling by the time we get you to the changing table....Mommy doesn't usually smile first thing in the morning.  When you are unhappy it usually only takes a silly face or a sound to get you to flash a big grin.....Mommy doesn't smile that easily when I am unhappy. This world would be a much happier place if everyone could smile half as much as you do sweet girl.   I only hope you always can find the simple happiness in life and keep lighting up rooms with that beautiful smile. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1gkHV_n8Vg

Dear Lyla: Love what you do!

Today was my first day back to work.  I've cried about this day for weeks and today was no different.  Luckily, Nana is here to make the first week back a little easier.  Giving new moms 6 or 8 weeks off is not nearly enough time and I was even lucky enough to have 12 weeks off but you have become my full time job now.  I love spending the day with you!  I love waking you up and seeing you stretch , I love watching you see something new and furrowing your eyebrows with curiousity, I love playing with you and hearing a new squeal of laughter, and I even love when you are sad because I know I can comfort you and make you happy.  I will miss spending all day with you but we will do all of these things and more when Mommy comes home after work, on the weekends, and all my time off.  Lucky for me Lyla I get to go back to a job that I love too.  Everyday isn't always rainbows and sunshine but I can truly say that I go into work excited to see the students.  It is so much fun to work with kids and no two days are alike.  They keep me laughing and on my toes, just like you!  Some people wake up every morning dreading their job so I want you to know that it is really important when you grow up to make sure you love what you do.  Follow your heart and your dreams and don't let anyone steer you differently. 

 

Oh and if you don't mind please don't roll over for the first time until I come home from work. :)

A different direction...

We started this blog when I was pregnant as a way to keep our friends and family updated and a place for Fran and I to share our experience.  Well it never really worked out the way I had planned and all of a sudden I was going in for a c-section with a blog that had about 5 posts (Fran contributed 1 I think).  Then I decided it would be great to continue to keep people posted on Lyla.  Um well that hasn't worked so well either.  So I posted for Thanksgiving and then I started thinking about how much Fran and I love the google commerical where the dad emails to his daughter.  If you haven't seen it check it out....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4vkVHijdQk

So I've decided to now dedicate this blog to Lyla.  I will write to her about life and hope that Fran chimes in every once in awhile too.  Maybe one day she will read it and laugh or if she is a teenager, call us dorks and roll her eyes.  

So thankful....

I can't believe tomorrow is Thanksgiving already! Everyone tells you how fast time goes when you have a baby and now I know how true it is.  I feel like just yesterday Fran and I were getting Lyla ready to take her home from the hospital and now she is almost 12 weeks old!!

This year I have so much to be thankful for......wonderful family and friends (near and far) who love and support us, a job that I can honestly say I love what I do (although having to go back to work means being away from Lyla), a husband who grounds me and is the greatest dad to our daughter, and of course Lyla! We named this blog Little Miss Magic after a song but we could have never imagined just how magical you would be.  You have changed our lives and you continue to take my breath away because you are so precious. I love you more than I ever knew I could love anyone and I am so thankful that God blessed me with you.

Lyla Caroline ....

I can not believe Lyla is over 1 month old already!!  The past month as been a blur! We are so in love with our little girl and we often look at each other and say "we made this beautiful baby!"  It is amazing how life changes.  I now feel like I've had a productive day if I have showered and done a load of laundry. Days and nights seem to merge together, feedings, diapers, feedings, diapers and then Lyla smiles and I feel like time stops.  She is changing so much already.  She hates tummy time, she loves car rides, she can dirty 5 diapers in minutes, she loves to have her hair washed, and she has just about out grown newborn diapes. :(  She also has her Daddy wrapped around her finger.  Fran, who never changed a diaper before Lyla arrived, has jumped right in.  He still doesn't like changing her clothes unless they are easy to get over her head but he is becoming a pro.  He took over 200 pictures of her before we left the hospital (not kidding).  He grabs the camera every moment he can.  Lyla and I are so lucky to have him. 

So I know I didn't do the best job keeping this blog updated during pregnancy and now I'm sure it will be much more difficult but I promise to try my best so our long distance family and friends can keep up to date on Miss Lyla.

Thumbs up for playing on my mat as long as I'm not on my tummy!

A little lesson....

If you are talking to a pregnant girl weeks before she is ready to give birth there are just certain things you should not say (actually some of it you should never to say to her no matter what month she is in).  Things like....
*Are you sure you are not having twins?
*I think you stomach is bigger than when I saw you yesterday.
*You look like you are ready to give birth now!
*(Completely allowed only because Stanley Hook said it as he saw me) ...." That is the most amazing thing I have ever seen!  WOW!" - haha Love Stanley!

Listen people I am fully aware that I have a HUGE stomach! I've allowed all of these comments up until this last week so I am giving you all fair warning if you are going to be making comments this last week I am not sure what reaction you will get from me!

So from behind you might not be prepared for the side profile....

In case you don't believe just how "amazing" it is....

In all honesty though it doesn't matter anymore because in 3 days we will get to meet our little girl!!! I can't believe I will be holding her this week!!  



Back to school...

I really planned on us updating the blog more often then we have but as this baby gets closer our to do list seems to get longer.  I think we are as ready as we can be....we have attended 3 different types of class to educate ourselves, we have every thing under the sun (swing, play mat, bouncer, etc.) put together and have installed about 25 batteries to them all to make everything rock, vibrate, and play music, we installed our car seat and took it a car seat inspection this weekend to make sure it is the safest it can be for our little girl, EVERY article of clothing, bibs, burp clotsh, sheets, socks, etc. have been washed, freezer meals have been made for when we come home, and I've even started packing my hospital bag.  If I forgot to mention anything, I'm sure I've done it already! haha We can not wait for Lyla to arrive and as of last week she still remains breech so she may be arriving in 2 weeks instead of 3; either way it is CRAZY that in  2 or 3 WEEKS we will get to meet our daughter! 

Tomorrow preplanning begins at school and the kids arrive Thursday.  Hopefully I can make it through a couple weeks to get to know the students before my maternity leave begins.