Week 33

Sorry for the delay in this week's pic......Lily is sporting an outfit given to her by Chris, Sonia and Caleb, who are expecting their new addition in the next few weeks!

Lily loves books, especially when she gets to turn the pages....or take a quick nibble....whichever perks her fancy.

Week 32: Pass The Kleenex Please...

This week was our week to catch the bug.....Dave kicked us off in the beginning of the week.... passed it on to the baby.....and then to me.
Lily was such a little trooper though, she really wasn't too fussy, just a little needy, wanting to be held alot. Luckily, I was on Radiology last week, so my schedule afforded me the time to stay home to give her extra TLC.

To mark her first battle with the bug I thought I'd add the indispensable tissues to the week picture.... the succession of pictures accurately depicts what it's like trying to take a 7 month-old's picture with anything that can be picked up, torn apart, or put in her mouth.....notice in the last picture, the look of satisfaction from confiscating the 'W'.

Ouch Lily, That Really Hurt!

Squint and you can see Miss Lily's two new teeth, they broke through, rather uneventfully about two weeks ago....uneventful that is, until she bites you......and in that spirit, please visit this priceless YouTube clip..... Charlie

Week 31: Enough Love To Go Around

As we approach Happy Heart's Day this week, Lily decided to display her devotion equally for the week picture...much appreciated by the recipients, I might add. Though I'm usually not the biggest fan of Valentine's Day, due to the standard objection of the over commercialization and therefore contrived nature of the whole thing....I have to say this little miracle that has entered our lives has me thinking differently about recognizing those we are lucky enough to love. Now in the spirit of my grandfather, I will preface with the fact that life is certainly too short and uncertain to wait for one day out of the year when we are told to acknowledge someone to do it.....we should be moved to show affection and consideration when it strikes us, no matter what day it might be.....I agree.....but I have to admit this Valentine's day, for me, will be different than any I've had in the past.....this Valentine's Day I know what it means to have my heart swell with love, beyond that which I thought it capable. It's cliche, I suppose because it's true, there's nothing quite like the love you feel for your child. Have a Happy Valentine's Day, enjoy those you are lucky to love and be loved by.

(a quick thanks to Nana for the cute Valentine's clothes!)

Two Can Play That Game

Week 30: A Tale of Two Baptisms

It was the best of baptisms, it was the worst of baptisms....our post begins with a small family gathering in Knoxville. Nana and Papa Campbell came down for the weekend to celebrate Lily's baptism at the Church of the Ascension. The Ascension is a special place for us because that is where Emily was baptised, where Emily and I were married, and also where Tom rests. Of course, the Campbell Pack in its entirity, as well as Donna and Jonathan, were in attendance as well. Saturday morning we had a meeting with Father Hess, who presided over the service, to lay out the order of the Sacrement and clear up any last minute details. At this point we met the other individuals who were particpating that day, which included a family with the mother, 6 year old daughter, and two sons (4 and 2 years old respectively) being baptised. I am pleased to say that our concern over the potential for chaos was completely unfounded. The service at the Ascension was beautiful, especially when the children of the congregation were invited to gather around the baptismal font while Father Hess performed the baptisms.

Now, as the title of the post suggests, there were actually two baptisms over the weekend. The second was not planned, and certainly more interesting (not in a good way). It was after dinner on Saturday night when we had settled down in the family room to watch the Tennessee basketball game. The boys were in the backyard for a bathroom break when Jonathan and I detected a faint, but recognizable odor. I immediately went to the porch and called for the boys, Gator came while all I could hear of Thatcher was him rubbing his head in the leaves under a tree. At that point I knew what had happened. Not to be outdone by his baby sister, Thatcher had tried to make friends with a skunk, and consequently gotten himself "baptised" too. Unfortunately for Thatcher, we believe the skunk hit him right between the eyes. The next hours were spent applying both homemade and storebought concoctions to Thatcher's head in an attempt to neutralize the smell. All things considered, we were fairly successful...though it would be a stretch to suggest that the odor is not currently recongizable on him.

It was a fun and very meaningful weekend that left us to reflect on how fortunate we are to have two families that are so eager to be a part of Lily's life....and are also willing to put up the boys and their antics!

A quick addendum to Dave's post....here's the 'official' week picture. The banner behind Lily was made for her by the church and hung from the choir loft during the service.

Also, I wanted to send a huge thank you to my mom (Gran) for her beautiful handywork creating Lily's christening dress. It was perfect and such a special addition to the day. Thank you Mom!

Week 29:Food Explored

Carrots...they've gone well this week... A few funny faces while getting used to the new flavor, but she appears to be a big fan now, excited to see that spoon full of orangey-goodness coming her way. (and yes, we know it's no longer Christmastime, but we couldn't let a perfectly good bib go to waste....)

For the week picture (and the pic below) Lily is showing off her newest, and coolest, teething toy, thanks to the recommedation from Sonia. It's called the Baby Safe Feeder (available a BabiesRUs for any soon to be/new mothers reading this) and it's an ingenious contraption that allows you to stuff the mesh bag with frozen apple, peach or whatever and let them safely gnaw away (the package, unfortunately, did not wisely advise to use with a bib.....we had to learn that one on our own....)

A Dog Lover's Must See!

Nana sent along this great clip. We had to shield it from the boys, so they wouldn't get jealous. I have a feeling they would act similarly if we ever got more than 1'' of snow around here! Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sUL0KCIc48&feature=relatedMore

Week 28

My 28th week birthday finds me well, and increasingly active! For starters, I have finished my second week of day care. Though I am perhaps not completely comfortable with this new arrangement, I am becoming increasingly so. I also went to church for the first time yesterday! We went to a local Methodist Church that my folks had visited before I was born. It turns out that they have a really great nursery where I had a lot of fun....sleeping mostly. After church we all went to Barnes and Noble for some tea. I had fun talking using my new words (see picture on the upper left below). I got two new books, one of them is called "Hop on Pop" by Dr. Seuss. My Mama says that, "Not surprisingly it's your father's favorite book now." The other book we bought has recipes for me that include such delectable fare as Papaya & Chicken Puree, Creamy Vegetable Puree and Lentil Puree with Carrots & Sweet Peppers. That's right, I will soon be moving beyond my current regimen of Mama's milk and rice cereal. Before my Dad realizes it, I will be asking for the keys to the car.

My Gran came up last night to fit me for my Baptism dress. I like the dress, and am looking forward to all my closest family gathering together in Knoxville in a couple of weekends. While she was here, my Gran helped my Mama make some pureed carrots that will be used in my first people food meal (kind of), Creamy Carrot Puree, which is a mix of rice cereal and the pureed carrots.

Bon Appetit!

My Dad

It's been three years. Three years ago, today, my Dad passed away.

Everyday he enters my thoughts. Whether it's something I wish I could tell him, or remembering something he said, he is always with me.

He would probably not be surprised to know, however, that I still don't listen, as his 'measure twice, cut once' advice was lost upon me yesterday while making and then re-making kitchen curtains, due to my gross mis-measurement the first time around.

But it's all those little things, those seemingly small moments, that make his absence so great.

Introducing my new friend Sophie

Hi everyone, this is a picture of me today with my new friend Sophie. Sophie's mom, Aimee, watches me during the day when mommy and daddy are at work. Today was my first full day with Sophie and her mom and I think it went pretty well. I got upset a couple of times, but you can't blame a girl, those gas bubbles really hurt! Today Daddy brought my swing from home, and boy was it nice to have, it felt like home sweet home, I almost forgot where I was!

I'm continuing to work on my typing skills (see Dec 19th post) so mommy and daddy are going to let me post more often.....so I'll let you know about all the good times Sophie and I have!

Love, Lily

Week 27

All by myself.....Lily is posing all by herself with Raffey her new cuddly giraffe. She's been sitting by herself for some time now and she gets more and more steady as the weeks go on. I had to stick in the pic on the left because that's the real time shot of life with a six-month-old. She has a constant quest to figure out which part of an object will best fit into her mouth.

Also at 6 months, she is our 'developmental stage queen' as she is perfecting the 'stranger anxiety' aspect of this age with our new babysitter Amy. As mentioned in a previous post, last week was Lily's first go at the sitter's. On a scale of 1-10, the report, per DaddyDaycare, is that Lily gets a 5. Once she gets a little tired and realizes that neither of us are around, that's apparently when the trouble starts (or should I say screaming). We're determined to persevere, though, and we're working hard on our end to do what we can to help get her in a routine.....even if that does mean purposely waking up at 7:15am on the weekends.