Moments to Cherish

My sweet girl was just the cutest last night. We put her to bed. Stupidly, we thought she was asleep (dumb parents).

I went to check on her around 9:30 and she was sitting up in her crib with a smile plastered from ear to ear. I changed her and you could just tell she wasn't going to go to sleep. So I took her into our bedroom and cuddled with her on the bed. She was talking and singing and just being SO CUTE!!!

She jumped on the beds, cuddled with both of us, stole my pillow, laughed, and the best part is she laid on the pillow next to me and looked me in the eye and rubbed my cheek. It was the best moment. Matt came and laid down on the other side and she patted him on the back with her free hand.

The bad part of the evening was when the Tickle Monster came after Lili and she threw herself backwards to escape. When she did that, she cracked the back of her head into my forehead. She's fine. Totally unfazed. I, on the other hand, have a goose egg and a giant headache. But I digress.

She was very concerned for me when that happened. She has this soft side in her that is so wonderful to see and be around. She is kind and loving and trusting and generous of spirit. She is learning to share. She has imagination already. She will play in her kitchen for a long time pretending to make smoothies (like Grandma makes for her) and drink them. She even does the "ahhh" after a pretend sip. It makes me giggle and beam with pride.

She tries to sing along to Caillou and Shaun the Sheep theme songs, and usually gets about one word per line of the song. And she shouts that one word for emphasis. She dances like a maniac. Oh and her new thing is to stand on the bed or the couch, flip her legs out in front of her so she lands on her butt, bouncing off the furniture, and she comes to a standing position without missing a beat. My heart is still stuck in my throat after seeing that last night.

She's the reason I have grey hair. I will worry about her for the rest of my life. But that is my job as Mommy. And for her, I'll happily worry. She is perfect.

Spakle, baby, Yeah!

This is Lili showing us how to spakle. I guess we were doing it wrong :-)
You have to love a happy kid

Look, mama, like this.

Updated pictures.

Lili rolling out her own little pizza. It never got baked because she ate the dough. Bleck. Raw dough.
Helping make pizza for Papa's birthday dinner. She is such a good girl.
All smiles after the Diamondbacks beat the Pirates. Plus she is loaded full of junk food and had no nap.
Funny Face
Daddy and Lili right before she and Papa ran the bases at Chase Field.

A Moment In Pictures

The hazards of unloading groceries around a 2 year old is she sees the occasional goodies that are bought and stored out of her sight. In this case, Drumsticks. Or "eyes ceem" as Lili calls it.

It was too funny not to take pictures of.

Eggys and Toes

Lili came downstairs this morning and asked Daddy for "eggys and toes". Eggs and Toast for those of you that don't speak Lili.

She is the cutest thing ever.

Last week she had her first 5 word sentance, "hey Mom, I have juice". And she did have juice in her little cup. It was pretty neat.

She makes more sense everyday. She's using words correctly to describe things. She still has trouble and gets frustrated and throws things, but she is only 2. We tell her to calm down and use her words. It makes her stop and try to think things through. And usually with a little work we can figure out what she is talking about.

I still can't get her to say truck without it sounding like the dirty F word. Everyone laughs when she says it so she thinks it is right and will get a laugh. And clock just doesn't have an L in it when she says it. Again, everyone laughs. As funny as it is when little ones say naughty things, but it is hard to correct, too.

Mommy is a Mush and Lili KNOWS It

There are some days with Lili that I get aggravated with her. Then I smack myself and say "what is wrong with you, this is the coolest kid on the planet!"

This Mom thing has me spun. But admittedly I love it despite the occasional frustration and tension. "Am I a good Mom?", "Is she well-adjusted, and if not, I'm sure it is my fault?". But one look in that smiling face and I melt.

The other day she was tired on a long trip back from Peoria, or the other side of the world to those of us in the East Valley. We stopped at our favorite bagel shop, Bagel Nosh. The owner is a good friend of Matt's. Well, they closed early for Father's Day weekend. We have been telling Lili for 5 minutes or so she was going to see Danny. When we pulled away without seeing him, she sobbed. I mean crocodile tears, snot, the whole nine yards. She was crying "Uncle Danny, Uncle Danny" and was a general wreck.

We figured ok, she's tired. We get about 5 minutes away and she says "Lili Sad" and starts sobbing again.

BROKE MY HEART. Matt's too.

Instead of going home we went to Toys R Us. Admittedly, we are weak when it comes to her, and I sure as heck wasn't going to have a sad Lili.

Yes the trip helped. She did stop crying and she decided she wanted a pink plastic princess outdoor chair and to ride the Dino ride by the exit.

We got home a few minutes later and she was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

I'm a complete and total sucker. I know. But when your little girl says "Lili sad", you want anything in that moment to make sure she doesn't stay that way long.

She owns me.

Lili

My baby really is turning into a little girl. Her features are going from slightly rounded cheeks and arms and legs, to lean and muscular.

I swear her smile gets bigger every day. She's trying a few 3 word sentances like "what is that?" & "where'd it go?". Mostly it is 2 words questions "what sound?", "what happened?", etc. She loves it when you get what she is saying and she feels like she is really communicating.

She seems to be grasping and understanding a new word a day. I love it when she tries to pronounce a new word. She sometimes mixes syllables or creates her own version of the word. Tickle is ticky, and wiggle is wiggy, things like that. She can say noise perfectly, which to me seems odd since she can't say truck (it sounds like a naughty word when she tries). And clock is missing the 'L'. Super hard not to laugh, by the way.

She is loving her pool and goes in it about twice a day. She mostly puts her feet in and plays with toys (the water has been a bit chilly). But she is out for about 45 minutes at a time either before the sun is in the patio or after. She kind of knows the schedule already.

Her laugh fills the room. And she knows to say "Bless you" when someone sneezes (though it sounds like Bessy). She also knows a fake sneeze from a real one. And the fake ones she mimicks which is seriously adorable.

I just love this kid.