First Ponytail

Lillie is adorable. Her hair has gotten longer recently and I finally tried to put it in a little ponytail and it worked! I think she looks so much older, my baby's getting so big.

SYTYCD

Last Thursday, a couple friends and I went to watch the elimination show for So You Think You Can Dance. We convinced our husbands to watch our children for the afternoon and we headed out to Hollywood. We ended up standing for like 6 hours straight, about 2.5 or more out in the hot sun, but it was totally worth it. I was on TV! A LOT! Way more than I wanted to be, actually. Anyway, we got to see all the hip hop group perform, all the solos, and Jordin Sparks sing! It was so cool. I love all the dancers, they are so amazing. It was a long time to be away from my lil one but it was a blast! Here's a pic. We'll see if we can get a video up later!

BFFs

You know those people who you meet who you just click with? Well Stephanie and Jay have always been those people for us. I won't lie, Eric and Jay are about as different as night and day, but for some reason that works. Stephanie and I are a lot alike and that works too. We have known them since 2003 and have been such good friends since, even though we've lived in different cities. We always have such a blast together. They are such great examples to us and we are so blessed to know them. We have so many priceless memories, but here are a some photos of a few:
This is one of the first photos we have of them. This is our first apartment and they lived in the next building.

This is us at Beacon Rock, one of our many camping trips, on a treacherous hike.

One year we threw a rockin' Halloween party. It was so much fun and we still laugh our heads off at Jay's costume.
Us enjoying our slammin' hobo dinners.

I said Eric and Jay are as different as night and day but they do have a crazy of love of sports in common. Especially golf and Steph and I were awesome caddies.
They are family to us and so we forced them to come to our family reunion at Priest Lake.


This was a fun night at the ball park, I even think the Mariners won. Crazy, huh? Too bad I didn't get dressed up for the night out...
This was New Years 06. They came to my parents house so that we could hang out. We had a fun but not so crazy night at the hockey game.

We went to Portland to spend time with Jay, Stephanie and his family and visited the Rose Gardens.

Thanks for all the good times, you are the best. We miss you!

No Dairy?

Since Monday I have taken all dairy out of my diet in order to see if it will help with Lillie's spitting up, to see if she's got a milk allergy. Man, has it been hard. Everything has milk it in! Even most bread! So I'm basically starving, this would be a good way to lose weight, but it makes me grumpy. And I'm happy/not happy to say that it's not making much of a difference, if at all. I mean, I wish that she wouldn't spit up so much, but I also am excited to go back to eating bread, ice cream, cheese, cream of mushroom soup, etc. It has made cooking quite difficult. I've still got a few days of the no dairy thing, we'll see if there is a significant improvement...

Don't you love Lillie's spit up goatee? Ha ha. I think this is such a funny pic, too bad it's blurry.

Happy Father's Day

This was this morning, Fathers day, where Lillie wore this shirt, which says: My Daddy Rocks. It's a little big, but is so cute.

Thank you, Eric for being such a great daddy. Lillie and I love you so much!

Happy Fathers Day to our Dads too: Eric and Lyle, we love you.

In My Red High Heels...

I would never have thought that I would have something in common with Kelly Pickler... in fact, I'm embarassed that I even know she sings this song, but...

Yesterday Shanell and I made a late night trip to the local Ross to find a lampshade, when I made a quick pass through the shoe isle. And that's when I found them. At first I tried them on just for fun, I don't really take stilettos seriously--I'm already 10 feet tall, but I fell in love. They are so gorgeous and even though they make me taller than my husband and I have nothing to wear with them, let alone the fact that they are NOT too comfy, they came home with me.

I wore them to church today and I just loved having them on my feet, I now know how Dorothy felt when she first put on those ruby slippers... FABULOUS. Ha ha. Honestly, I only felt that way for a second because I'm way too wobbly on high heels and they killed my feet.

But don't you fret, I will wear them again... just not anywhere where lots of walking is required.

Peek a Boo

We were surprised to find out how entertained she was by this tonight. The picture could be better, but then she'd just get distracted by the shiny silver camera.

Doctor Visit and Disneyland

Today Lil and I went in for her four month check up and shots. Ouch. She didn't like the shots, at all. There was a lot of very loud crying. But her stats looked good, 13 lbs 9 oz (50th percentile) and 25.5 in tall (75th percentile). She is right where she needs to be developmentally, as she is now a rolling machine.

Eric and I took a gamble and went to D-land after her appointment. It could have been really bad, since she was pretty fussy after two month appt, but she did really well. It was nice to be out in the sunshine, enjoying time together.
This was our only family shot today, too bad Lillie isn't looking in the right direction.I am sure I am biased, but she is so dang cute.
She's sucking on her lower lip, thats why it looks like doesn't have any.
Don't you just love her shirt? My good friend, Shanell, made one for Lil and for her daughter, who is just a day older than Lillie. And the cute yellow flower headband was made by my sister, Wendy. Aren't they just so crafty? I love it!

Another Photo Shoot, Not Very Successful

So it's been quite a while since Lil had taken some photos, I'd been wanting to but Eric isn't as enthusiastic about the whole process but I finally convinced him to do a few a week ago. She didn't hardly smile at all and there aren't very many that I like...that said, here are a few of the best.

Llama Lillie-She has this nickname for a reason. I'm so glad that we now have proof.
Lillie's new trick is doing raspberries with her slobbery little mouth. I had been trying so hard to get her to smile, but this is what I got.

Her other new trick is sticking her fingers in her mouth. She'd rather do this than suck on a pacifier or even eat.
This is mine and Eric's favorite photo. She's such a little goof.
She loves her toes and has gotten quite good at holding onto them and turning onto her side. She has also rolled over a couple times.

Such a doll, we love her so much. Four months is a fun age, she's changing every day.

Upcoming Anniversary....

Hi, This is Eric, I know you haven't heard from me in a while on this blog but I need some help. You see my 5 yr anniversary is like this friday (tomorrow) and I'm not sure what to do.....so I need some advice. WHAT THE HECK AM I GONNA DO? Ideas welcome.

I am the Queen of Procrastination

Don't believe me? Right now I'm even procrastinating bedtime. Okay, that's not the only thing. One year ago I finished my bachelor's degree in nursing. But I'm not licensed, I haven't taken the NCLEX. And, of course, I keep saying almost every day that today is the day that I will start studying for it but something else always comes up.
I wait until we only have miracle whip in the fridge before I go shopping. I went 9 mos without a haircut. I am still putting up pictures in the apt that I moved into back in August. Lillie doesn't have her four month appointment made yet and the 16th is right around the corner. I have put off calling my insurance company about questions I've had since January. I still have suitcases sitting on my floor from a week ago. I wait until we have to pull dirty clothes out of the laundry to wear, before I'll do laundry. The pickup has been washed like twice since we've owned it (yikes, that's embarrassing). But I feel like I need to tell people so that maybe I can embarrass myself into doing some of these things in a more timely manner.
I just asked Eric what I procrastinate and his reply was "Just about anything that needs doin," in a very matter-of-fact voice.
Anyone has any advice on how to kick myself in the rear and get things done???

Trippin

So Eric finished his second semester on dental school and had a two week spring break which we spent visiting family in WA and MT. It was the first time that most of my siblings got to see Lillie as it was our first visit home since moving down here last summer. I was too pregnant to be able to go anywhere for Christmas, if you remember. I'd rather not remember. Anyway....

The first week we spent with my family and with my older siblings who live close to my parents, I saw everyone but Julee. The first day, there was a baby shower for Lillie, even though she's three months old, but it was really nice because now I have clothing for the upcoming months. And it was good to see family that I might not have seen otherwise. Gma Sharp held Lillie most of the shower and I learned more about Lil's namesake from her. It was nice to see her.

One night, we went out to eat with all my siblings and spent another evening roller skating at Scootney with all the neighbor kids. We got a little rock band in, watched Todd's softball game and Jody's tennis match in arctic weather, and tried our hardest not to get the stomach flu which was going around the family.
We dodged the stomach flu but Lillie and I both came down with some nasty colds. Not fun. Lillie was so congested at times, she didn't want to eat or sleep.... I was so sleep deprived this trip. The next week, we rented a car and drove to MT to visit Eric's parents. We spent our first day driving to the crystal park(notice how I just say driving because it was closed, but it was still a beautiful drive. I really want to go and dig for crystals sometime though.) The rest of our trip was spent visiting the museum of the rockies, shopping, playing rummikub and scrapbooking. Eric's mom was really good at making Lillie laugh and she loved pat-a-cake with his dad. She's sure a lot different than she was the last time she saw them at two weeks old.

Lillie was such a trooper, she didn't cry on the plane or during the 14 hrs to and from MT. Wow, I am really lucky to have such a good baby. My sisters also say this. I didn't realize how good is.

Lil also got her first taste of baby einstein. She loved neighborhood animals, she would coo at the animals and kick her feet. She watched it two and a half times before getting fussy. I wasn't neglecting her, I was making scrapbook pages for her. No, I don't believe that baby einstein is a substitute for taking care of your child, okay?

It was fun seeing Lillie and Haylee together. It's too bad I didn't get any photos :( We really only got to spend time with her one day. They don't really look anything alike even though they're cousins. She's three weeks older than Lil but seems a lot older in that she is better at using her hands, and she also just seems like an old soul. It'll be fun to see her personality develop in the next couple years.

Grady and Lillie were so cute... when he wasn't trying to (playfully) whack her on the head. He is such a sweet little guy. They'll also be fun to see together as they grow up. Grady looks like he is about two years old but is barely turning one. He's a lot bigger than Lillie and is already starting to walk. It seems weird that they are only 8 mos apart, it's not that long, but it makes a big difference when they are this young.

It was so great to visit our families. We love them all so much. It's also been good to be back: sleeping in our own beds and enjoying hot weather.

Deer caught in the headlights look

Lillie with her Aunt Katie and cousins: Kaden, Brandt and Grady. We are missing Amy and Haylee. :(
Grady was actually really good with Lillie. They're gonna be really good friends as they get older.
Lillie loves dinos and her grandma
Eric is sacrificing Lillie to the great T-rex

Lillie's bedhead. She's getting so much better at holding up her head.
Eric and Lillie doing something that wasn't done enough...
This was a cute store in Bozeman, my mom likes to call her Lillie Lou.

How We Love Thee, Rock Band

So.... a couple weeks there was a girl's night out in our ward and we got together to play video games, Rock Band, DDR and the Wii. I had only played Rock Band once before but after playing it again, I realized that it was really kind of fun. Eric had been trying to convince me since the first time we played it in LV that we needed to get it. So that night after I got home, in my moment of weakness, I conceded and we purchased it on Ebay. My life has been ever changed since the day that the box landed on our doorstep.
I love the guitar! I am not a good enough singer to like the mircophone and I stink on the drums, but that guitar makes me feel like I am a real rocker. It makes me think that I could actually pick up a real one and bust out some awesome tunes. That's not really the case, but the fact that it makes me feel that way is great.
I have never been good at video games, just ask Stephanie, who played many rounds of Mario Kart with me, or Desi, who knows that I am terrible at anything on the Wii. Seriously, I lack major coordination. But I am getting better at the guitar. If I'm feeling adventurous I might even try the Hard setting. I also feel like I am expanding my musicality (I might have just made that word up). I finally know some songs that the Rolling Stones, Garbage, etc sing. And I am figuring out the words to the songs too (Instead of just singing what I think they're saying).
Anyone who knows Eric, knows that he is having a hayday. He loves rock music, old and new, knows all the words, guitar solos, etc. But he is best on the drums. He even has started playing some songs on the expert level. Yeah, I can only do the Easy setting.
So we've started our own tour, our name is White Hot Winter. Ha ha. If Eric doesn't have too much homework, after Lillie's asleep, we rock. It's a ton of fun and we've had a few neighbors stop by already and I know we'll have more once the word spreads. It finally makes me feel like having a 360 is not the worst thing in the world.

Random Info

So, there have been a couple things that I've been wanting to blog about but they aren't very long or exciting and so I'm combining them.

Today we went to the beach. Normally I'm not very excited to go...weird huh? But let me explain. The beach requires a lot of packing. Sunscreen, swimsuits, sunglasses, blanket, umbrella, towels, boogie board and food. And it's not that it's a pain to pack it all, but to lug down to the water as you are sinking in the hot sand and to unpack it all at the end of the day when everything is COVERED in sand. I never get in the water because the ocean is FREEZING and it is usually windy. And TRAFFIC, don't let me get started about LA traffic. I'm a big whiny baby.
But today the weather was HEAVENLY! It was supposed to be in the 90s at our house and was still about 80-85 on the beach. Lillie was so good and it was fun to sit and chat with friends and watch my hunk of a husband boogie board. What a fabulous day.

Not all family trips this week were great though. We went down to D-land on Thursday and Lillie had her biggest meltdown to date while on the train that goes around the park, so we couldn't get off and it's not just a short ride. I could tell the people around us were not very happy about the SCREAMING baby. She was dead tired and all the CRAZINESS around us was too much. It'll be a while before I'm brave enough to go back.

Lillie has been progressing by leaps and bounds lately. She is still such a little talker, it was sometimes hard to hear General Conference over her yelps. She now looks at all the toys dangling above her on the play gym and intentionally bats at them. She can grip things now and often has my hair, clothing, necklaces, etc in her tight grasp. I need to get her a rattle. She is much better at sitting up in her seat and even tries to sit up when laying down, she can do a mean crunch. Her favorite thing in the whole wide world is sucking on her hands. She can now bring them up right to her mouth and tries most of the day to fit them down her throat. Some times a single finger slips in and she gags and gags until Mom pulls it out. Honestly, it's kind of nice, she doesn't need her binky as much and can keep herself happy for quite a while.

She has finally gotten a ton better at going to bed at night. Thank goodness. I was about to admit myself into the hospital for sleep deprivation, but she's getting better. I won't say she's good at sleeping until she goes through the night without waking... still a long way off.

Eric has finals week coming up...yikes. We BOTH hope that they go well. It's just gonna be tough not having Daddy to help out much this week. On Friday we will fly out and spend the next two weeks in WA and MT to visit family. We are all so EXCITED!!! Lillie hasn't met her cousins and I can't wait to meet Haylee, Lillie's cousin that is about a month older than her. I am already getting giddy at the thought of going home. I'm almost a little afraid because I think that it will make me homesick after the break.

Bumbotastic!!

So I got this little seat for Lillie to sit in to make her neck stronger so that she will be able to start holding up on her own without any help. She's getting pretty good at it, but she only likes sitting in the chair for five minutes at a time. Eric thinks the seat is stupid, but I know that she's gonna love it eventually.

I am your dentist!

I found this video online and it pretty much sums up both my reasons for becoming a dentist and what I've learned in Dental school so far. We really are quite sadistic.

Miss Pamper Head

I change so many diapers each day. The other day I put a diaper on Lillie's head and called her Miss Pamper Head and she thought it was funny. I was surprised to get any reaction at all. I managed to get one of her smiles on camera.

Easter Lillie

Lillie's first Easter was spent barbecuing in the park with the Burbanks and Farrs. It was a beautiful day and Lillie and Hallie had fun finding easter eggs, or at least their parents had fun taking them around. We had video of the event, but no pictures. Lillie got ribbon in her eggs for making headband bows and candy. Now if only her mom would get around to making them...