Eleven Months Old

January 23, 2013

Lillian-
We are four short weeks away from you turning 1!  These past eleven months have really gone by fast and I have enjoyed every single minute! You make me one proud mommy!  Your sweet personality totally shines these days and can light up anyones day that you come in contact with.  You love to smile  and try to get everyone around you to smile too.  Giving kisses is a new thing you are loving to do these days, and Annabelle is your favorite to give kisses to.   Charley and Annabelle really catch your attention these days.  Annabelle loves to play "ball" with you, but Charley goes running when you come near (don't worry, he does that with everyone).  You also love to dance to ANY music, which includes my terrible singing, the jeopardy theme song, or anything on the radio when we are in the car.  You have so many toys from Christmas to play with, and majority of the time they keep you occupied, but lately you have wanted to be held constantly.  You have mastered the art of throwing a fit, with tears and all, when you don't get your way.  I can't even imagine what the "terrible twos" will be like!  You are a great eater these days, and I'm sure having 6 teeth makes it easier.  There are quite a few things that I would consider your favorites right now...oatmeal, taco soup from Rolling in the Dough, applesauce, and macaroni and cheese.  You do love drinking from your sippy cup, but it quickly becomes a game of throwing it on the floor and watching us pick it up.  Over the next couple of weeks we are going to slowly transition from breastmilk to whole milk.  I am hoping and praying it goes well for both of us!  You are still long and lean, and wearing mostly 12 months clothes, but you can still fit in size 9 month as well. You are a very active child, crawling everywhere or walking while holding on to something.  Your daddy and I think that you will be walking by your first birthday.  You still take 2 naps a day, and unfortunately, you will only nap in your swing (that no longer swings).   Your daddy and I are going to really start working with you to get you to take naps in your bed and get rid of the swing.  I am still thankful that you sleep all night.  I joke with your daddy and tell him that the only thing you got from me was your love for sleep.   You are definitely your daddy made over!  You look like him and are starting to act like him already.  I think its precious!  You are my pride and joy and I continue to thank God every day for choosing me to be your mommy!
All my love,
Mommy

Things she is loving: giving kisses, being held, 

dancing, drinking from her sippy cup

Things she is not a fan of: wearing shoes, 

not having mommy or daddy in sight

Nine Months Old

November 23, 2013

Lillian-
Nine months, baby girl, you are nine months old, already!  You make life so much fun!  You have the sweetest, happiest personality and I hope you that your bright spirit always shines.  You are continuing to pull up on any and everything because you love to stand.  You are trying to let go and stand on your own but you have not quite got your balance figured out.  You do like to hold on and walk as well.  It is just a matter of time before you figure it out and are walking all over the place.  We are still dealing with the pain of teething.  You now have 4 teeth, two on the bottom and two on the top.  Ibuprofen helps better than Tylenol.  You also have an abundance of teething toys that seem to help.  I am just as ready as you are for this teething stuff to be over, then maybe we'll both sleep all night every night.  You are not waking up every single night by at least 3 nights a week you wake up once during the night needing to be rocked back to sleep.  You are eating so much more these days.  When we go out to eat you like me to share some of my dinner with you, like green beans, black eyed peas, and mashed potatoes. You are still eating puréed food but you now prefer the kind that comes in a pouch.  You like snacking on yogurt melts and any type of crunchy baby snacks.  Breakfast is your favorite meal and it always consist of oatmeal and either fruit or yogurt.  The sippy cup is still something you are trying to figure out.  Your pediatrician said we didn't have to really push you to use it just yet.  With all this food you are eating I feel like you are growing so much! You are wearing 9 month clothes and a few 12 month things fit as well. Your foot is not growing very fast, though.  It's been a struggle to find shoes that fit that are real shoes with rubber soles.  Your pediatrician said your height and weight is perfect! You are in the 50th percentile for your weight and 80th percentile for your height.  Bath time is still your favorite part of the nightly routine.  Sometimes your daddy and I feel like we are trying to bathe an octopus because you are so busy playing and moving in the bathtub.  After your bath we have to cover you with really good thick lotion because you have eczema that flairs up if we don't.  Your daddy says you inherited his sensitive skin.  There are so many things I see in you that you get from your daddy and it just melts my heart.  Your daddy and I are so proud of you and I hope that we always find a way to show you!
All my love,
Mommy

Weight: 18 lbs 6 oz

Length: 28.5 in

Things she is loving: standing, babbling, taking a bath

Things she is not a fan of: teething, laying down to have her diaper changed

Eight Months Old

October 23, 2013

Lillian-
My sweet punkin, you make me one happy mommy!  You are such a sweet and fun 8 month old! You are continuing to crawl all over the place, and now you pull up on anything you can.  Your new found freedom of standing to see the world is amazing to you.  Your smile has changed a bit over the last month and you now squint your eyes and have a true wide smile, it's adorable!  You have figured out what a kiss is all about and you like to kiss your mommy and daddy, especially when you first wake up.  It warms my heart when you grab my face and plant a slobbery kiss on me!  We have been dealing with the pain of teething lately, but you are a trooper and handling it fairly well.  A little Tylenol and some teething tablets seem to really help.  You have two teeth on the bottom, and I think your two front top teeth will be next to make their appearance.  You are continuing to grow like a weed.  Nine month size clothes are fitting just right and you can even wear some size 12 month pants (it's those long legs you have going for you!).  Eating is not always your favorite thing, but you get the job done.  You love to eat your oatmeal for breakfast, but you would definitely go without eating dinner if I would let you.  A lot of your vegetables have to be masked with fruit for you to eat them.  These days you are starting to make true sounds and syllables instead of random babble.  You are saying "da," "ba," th, and k sounds.  I keep trying really hard to teach you "mama,"  but I'm thinking you will say "dada" first.  You love me, but you are a daddy's girl.  He can make you laugh no matter what mood you may be in.  You find it so funny when he tickles your feet or kisses your belly or back. It's the sweetest thing ever to see how much you love your daddy!  You are doing better about communicating your likes and dislikes to us.  If you like something it is always obvious with your smile or excited gestures, and when you don't like something you will grunt and push things away from you. Baby girl, you make your daddy and I so proud and we are enjoying every single minute of being your parents.  Life is so much more enjoyable with you around!
All my love,
Mommy

Things she is loving: standing (holding on to something), 

oatmeal, taking a bath, 

people watching when we are in public

Things she is not a fan of: teething, 

being away from mommy and daddy,

vegetables

Seven Months Old

September 23, 2013

Lillian-
What a lovely 7 month old you are! You amaze me everyday with all that you are learning and the new things you are doing.  Your sweet personality shines so bright and is so contagious.  You can make anyone's day brighter with your sweet smile.  This past month you have started crawling, really scooting, all over the place.  If we take our eyes off of you for more than a minute you end up on the other side of the room.  One of your favorite things to do is crawl after Charley and Annabelle, but they are still too fast for you to catch them.  You also love getting around the house in your walker.  Your daddy and I better get the house "baby proofed" soon because I'm sure it won't be long before you are in to everything.  We went to church for the first time since you were born and that ended up not going so well.  You have pretty bad separation anxiety and if you are with someone you don't recognize and you do not see me or your daddy you get really upset.  The ladies in the nursery at church said you did pretty good for your first time, but we are fairly certain you cried the whole time.  Your daddy and I felt terrible, so we have not been back.  For about a week this past month you dealt with a cold.  You never had fever, but you did have a very congested nose and a puny cough.  You grew to really despise the bulb suction.  During that week you never could get totally comfortable at night while you were sleeping, so we both didn't get much sleep.  I'm glad that is over, and you are back to sleeping all night again.   We have really been introducing you to all sorts of food.  You have turned in to quite the eater, but only when you are in the mood.  Oatmeal is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast and your daddy said you really have the hang of it.  Now that you sit in the high chair at restaurants, you love going out to eat.  Of course you end up being the center of all the attention.  With all the eating you have been doing, you have also been putting on some weight.  You are still long and lean, but you have definitely added a few pounds.  We went to the doctor a week or so ago and you were weighing in at 16 1/2 pounds.  You are wearing mostly 6 month clothes but some 9 month clothes fit.  Your Nonna has bought you so many precious clothes lately, and I can't wait for you to wear them.  Bath time is still one of your favorite parts of the day.  We started giving you a bath earlier because you now like to go to bed earlier.     You usually get in the bath around 7:30 PM and are asleep by 8:30 PM.  You have been waking up between 7 and 8 in the morning.  Mommy and Daddy love that you love to sleep like we do!  Daddy said you take 2 naps a day.  When you are not sleeping you are playing.  Between your jumper, your walker, and playing on the floor on your mat, you are a busy little girl.  You still love to talk and now you love to blow spit bubbles.  Sometimes you find blowing bubbles so funny that you laugh so loud that it makes us laugh too!  You bring me so much joy and happiness!  I love you more than you will ever know!  Thank you for being such a sweet and loving baby!
All my love baby girl,
Mommy

Things she is loving: crawling around everywhere, 

getting around the house in her walker, trying new foods, blowing spit bubbles,

sitting in the shopping cart or high chair

Things she is not a fan of: being away from mommy and daddy, 

being awake past 9PM

Five Months Old

July 23, 2006

Lillian-
You are 5 months old today! Time is flying by and I am trying to relish every minute of it.  You are such a joy and bring so much happiness to our lives. You are very curious and observant. You are surely trying to figure out what the big world is all about! The only time you like to lay on your back these days is to play under your activity mat, otherwise you want to sit (with assistance) and see all that you can.  You are such a happy baby and love to smile!  The only time you get upset is when you are tired or hungry.  Speaking of tired, you are a wonderful sleeper.  You go to sleep around 9 each night and sleep until 7 or 8 in the morning.  Your daddy said you take 2 naps during the day and sometimes 1 in the evening after I am home.  Your naps are not very long, we like to call them cat naps, but they seem to satisfy you.  You are still taking your bottles during the day with rice cereal and nursing when I am home.  Your daddy and I tried to feed you rice cereal with a spoon the other day but you were not quite sure what to do.  We will try again soon.  You definitely are not missing any meals.  You are growing so much every day it seems.  We just started putting size 2 diapers on you and you are wearing mostly 3 month clothes.  There are a few outfits that are 3-6 months that fit you and just a couple of 6 month onesies that you can wear.  I ordered some super cute outfits in size 6 months for you, and I am hoping you will fit in them soon!  You are still loving your days you spend with your daddy.  You even rolled over from your tummy to your back for him the other day.  When he has to work, your Nonna (your daddy's mommy) comes over and spends the day with you.   A few days a week in the evenings when I get home from work we go to the park for walks, and you always enjoy it.    Being outside is one of your favorite places to be!  You still love to chew on your fingers and now your toes!  Your hand eye coordination is very good now and you are always picking things up and putting them into your mouth!  You have lots to say, and you seem to make a new sound almost every day.  Charley and Annabelle are becoming some of your favorite entertainment.  You love to watch them and they always seem to make you laugh out loud.  Your personality is absolutely precious!  I love everything about you!  I thank God every day for choosing me to be your mommy!
All my love sweet girl,
Mommy

Things she is loving: being outside, chewing on her fingers and toes,

being tickled by her daddy, "talking," sitting up (with assistance), mornings

Things she is not a fan of: being awake past 9PM, 

laying on her back without entertainment, eating with a spoon

Five on Friday

I love reading the hello! happiness blog, and decided to join up with the Five on Friday link up.  I have been needing some inspiration for something to write about besides our sweet baby.  :)  So here goes...

{one}

My birthday is on Sunday!  This will be my last year in my twenties.  That seems crazy to say.  I never thought my life would be like it is today at this age, but I am loving every minute of it and feeling very blessed!

{two}

My co-worker came to work talking about an awesome book she was in the middle of reading, one that she just couldn't put down because it was so good.  So, I downloaded Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn on my nook based on her recommendation.  I have been wanting a good book to read, so I am anxious to get started on this one.

{three}

Of course I couldn't write a post without mentioning Lillian in some form or fashion.  Lately my breastmilk supply has decreased so I decided to make some lactation cookies.  I had to go to several different stores to get all the goods I needed to bake them.  They turned out great!  Not sure yet if they really work, but I'm enjoying eating them anyway! (I'll do a separate post about the cookies at a later date)

(terrible iPhone pic)

{four}

I wish I was a risk taker.  I would LOVE to open a party planning business, and my husband keeps encouraging me to, but I am too scared of failure.  It would just be a side job thing.  I would keep my current full-time job.  I am so scared of failure that it is preventing me from taking the next step to make it happen.

{five}

I'm looking forward to our weekly Saturday morning trip to our local farmer's market tomorrow.  I am in need of some more squash.  I may also stop by the Plum Nelly Flower Farm booth and treat myself to a cute bouquet for my birthday!


I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Four Months Old

June 23, 2013

Lillian-
It's been 4 wonderful months that you have been in our world, and what a wonderful 4 months it has been!  Your sweet personality is really shining these days and I can't get enough.  You have so much to say with your cooing and babbling these days.  I love that you always want to talk, and I hope that you will want to talk to me and share all your secrets with me forever.  Along with talking a lot, you also chew on your hands all the time.  We have accepted the fact that you prefer your fingers over any pacifier.  You also like to rub your slobbery hands on our face when we hold you, but we wouldn't have it any other way!  You are a long lean girl.  You are wearing mostly 3 month sized clothes.  There are a few 0-3 months that you fit in, and 6 month clothes are way too big.  We are still using size 1 diapers because the size 2 are too big around your thighs.  The doctor said you are right on target with your height and weight, you are in the 50th percentile.  You grow, baby girl! :)  I decided it was time for you to sleep in your own room, so for about 3 weeks now you have slept in your crib in your room.  I am so proud of you and how well you have done!  You are a wonderful sleeper (you must get that from me) and I hope that you always will be!  Things are still going well at home during the day with your daddy.  He said you like to help him hold your bottle, but you are not able to hold it completely on your own yet.  All this time you get to spend with him is really making you a daddy's girl and it is so sweet.  I started taking you to Gymboree for a class and some days you love it and other days you just tolerate it.  We sing songs and do different activities to help you meet your milestones.  You rolled over on June 19th from your back to your tummy.  Your daddy and I were so surprised that you did it that we almost didn't believe it.  You have not rolled over since that day, but we might have scared you too much will all our cheering.  You recently found your feet and love to grab and hold on to them.  Your daddy took you swimming a few weeks ago and you were not sure about the cold water.  Once you got used to the temperature you really liked floating around.  Your daddy wants you to take swimming lessons as soon as you are old enough.  You still love taking baths, and it is now part of our nightly routine.  You seem to know that after your bath it's time to eat and then time for bed.  You now rub your eyes when you get tired, and it's the sweetest thing.  Your daddy and I think you are so smart and we love watching you learn.  We are amazed every day at the new things you do and accomplish.  You make us so proud, sweet girl!  I hope you always know that you are our pride and joy!  I love you more than words can express!
All my love,
Mommy

13.1 pounds

24.5 inches

Things she is loving: chewing on her hands, going for a walk, 

being outside, "talking," taking a bath

Things she is not a fan of: shots, being tired, 

not being able to see what is going on

Two Months Old

April 23, 2013

Lillian-
Thank you so much for making the past 2 months the best months of my life!  I am loving every second of you and I am so thankful that God chose me to be your mommy!  It's crazy to think that you have been in this world for 2 months already!  You are growing so fast.  You have pretty much outgrown all of your newborn sized clothes and are wearing 0-3 month size now.  You are getting really long and it makes us wonder if you are going to be tall.  Maybe you will get some height from your DeDe (my mommy).   I have been back at work now for about 3 weeks.  It is so hard to leave you in the mornings, but it gets a little (really a teeny tiny bit) easier every day.  While I am at work you get to spend the day with your daddy and sometimes your Nonna and Poppaw (your daddy's parents).  You already have your daddy wrapped around your finger.  He takes great pride in taking care of you, and I must say he does a wonderful job!  He always has you dressed so cute and you are in a wonderful mood when I get home in the evening.  Your daddy says you still love to eat a lot during the day, in fact, you were getting upset because your milk wasn't coming out of your bottles fast enough, so we had to switch to a faster flowing nipple!  You are still eating every 2-3 hours during the day, but then you sleep most of the night.  On a typical night you go to bed around 10pm and then wake up between 4am and 6am to eat and then you go back to sleep.  You usually let your daddy sleep in a little and don't wake up again until 10am or 11am.  I know he really likes that!  During the day your daddy tries to get you to do tummy time each day, and most days you will tolerate it for 10 minutes or so.  You are very good at holding your head up!!  You also like to lay on your gym mat and kick your legs while you look at yourself in the mirror hanging above you.  You think it's so funny seeing that baby (yourself) in the mirror smiling at you! Bath time is still one of your favorite things.  You have outgrown the sling/hammock that was in your bathtub, so you now lay in your baby tub like a big girl, and you are even starting to kick your legs and move your arms around to splash in the water, but you don't like it when you splash yourself in the face.  Your baby acne and cradle cap went away for a while but it has shown it's ugly self again causing us to wash your hair and ears with Selsun Blue again.  I'm hoping once we get rid of it this time it won't come back anymore!  After your bath your daddy always rubs lotion on your feet and it makes you giggle.  It's so cute to see you laugh and to know that you are ticklish on your feet!  We are continuing to go to the park for walks, and you have even been on a couple of park dates (one with Luke and one with Evan) this past month.  It is amazing to me how much you are growing and learning and changing every day.  You are such a "big girl" compared to just one month ago.  You are "talking" to us more and you think it's so funny when we "talk" like you do.  Your daddy and I were talking the other night about how some days we still can not believe that you are our baby.  I don't think you will ever truly know how proud we are of you and how much we love you!  Like I said before, thank you for making the past 2 months the best months of my life.  I love you baby girl, more than you will ever know!
All my love sweet girl,
Mommy

11 lb 3 oz and 22 3/4 in long

Things she is loving: "talking" with her mommy and daddy, 

chewing on her hands (mainly her thumb and index finger), bath time, 

the swing, walks, kicking her legs

Things she is not a fan of:  hiccups, being in her carseat without it moving, 

having her face wiped, cold milk, shots (getting her vaccinations wore her out!)

One Month Old

March 23, 2013
Lillian-
  Happy 1 month birthday my sweet girl!  We have sure learned a lot about each other in the last 4 weeks.   I am really loving watching you grow and learn, but please stop growing up so fast.  You are starting to outgrow your newborn sized outfits.  In fact, you can't wear your newborn jammies anymore, only the 0-3 month size.  I am so glad you smile so much because your smile is contagious.  You smile as you are falling asleep, while you are sleeping, and when your daddy and I talk to you in funny voices.   I know they say you are not technically "old enough" to smile on purpose, but it sure does seem like you smile at us and our silly talking sometimes.  We are enjoying the fact that you are having more awake times these days.  Although you did go through a phase of being super fussy between the hours of 9pm and 1am, I think you are over that now (at least I am hoping so!).  When you are awake you love to look around at the lights and at me and your daddy.  You are enjoying laying on your back kicking your legs and swinging your arms, and you are starting to make all sorts of noises and sounds while doing so.  You will tolerate tummy time for a short period and you are getting stronger every day at holding your head up.  You are pretty good at holding your head up and steady but you tire out quickly and your head becomes floppy again.  You have become great at nursing.  I was worried in the beginning, but I think we both figured it out and made it work together.  You sure do like to eat!  You are eating every 2-3 hours during the day and then after your night feed (which is usually between 9:30 and 10:30 pm) you sleep until you wake again to eat sometime between 4 and 6 am.  I am really enjoying that long period of sleep!  Thank you!  Your daddy has given you a few bottles and you have done great with those too.  We are trying to slowly introduce you to the bottle so you will be ready when I have to go back to work.  I have no doubt you will do just fine!  Unfortunately you have a terrible case of baby acne right now.  Your daddy and I are ready for your skin to clear up!  No matter what though, you are still a beautiful girl!  Your daddy and I have been giving you a bath every other day.  We really look forward to bath days.  You love to take a bath!  We get the bathroom all warm and cozy for you and turn on some baby tunes and you know it's time!  You are always so happy and calm during your bath!  This past month has been such a life changing experience and I am loving every second of it.  When I was carrying you in my tummy I would pray that you would be a healthy and happy baby.  Now I thank God for answering that prayer and I ask that he continue to bless you with good health and a happy heart.  Your daddy and I feel so blessed to be your parents.  We love you more than we ever thought possible!
All my love sweet girl,
Mommy

(We were not in the mood to take pictures this day...of course!)

9lbs 11oz and 21.5 inches

Nicknames: Lilly, Pretty Girl, Punkin, Sweet Angel, Lil' G (by our nieces), and LG (by my sister)

Things she is loving: laying on her mommy or daddy's chest, chewing on her hands, having her hands by her face, eating, baths, riding in the car, going for walks, the bouncer seat

Things she is not a fan of: being hungry, any type of pacifier, the bulb suction (because of her reflux we have to suction her nose sometimes)

Happy Birthday E!

Happy 3rd Birthday Ethan!

I miss you just as much today as I did the day you left us. Thank you for allowing me to experience love that I didn't know existed. You'll always be my one and only E!

birthday, babies, and pickles...

This past weekend we took a quick trip to Forth Worth to visit Adrianne and Ruben and celebrate their baby, Julian's, 1st birthday.  Adrianne went all out planning for this celebration under the "Big Top."  Here are a few pictures from the party...

some of the goodies

Adrianne made this!!

I can't believe Julian is already a year old!  He is such a happy kid! We always enjoy visiting with them and wish that we could make it over to Fort Worth more often.

While we were over there we stopped at a few stores that we don't have here in the Port City.  One of those being Buy Buy Baby.  If you are not familiar with this store, it is owned by the same company as Bed Bath & Beyond and basically is just the same but all baby things.  I walked in the store (it was my first time) and told Jon that I thought it was awesome and overwhelming!  They have everything you could ever want and/or need and them some!  We saw quite a few things that we feel would be unnecessary but other things that we definitely needed.  Surprisingly we didn't buy anything.  I think mainly because we are waiting to see if Tiny Cox will be a boy or a girl.
Another place we stopped at was Central Market, which is one of my favorite places ever!  I stocked up on some fruity candy and we picked up a few other things, including lobster tails and mussels.  Jon cooked the lobster and mussels last night for dinner, along with twice backed potatoes and salad...talk about delicious!! (I didn't indulge in the mussels)  While we were at the store I spotted this pregnant girl's best friend...

A pickle bar! They had all sorts of different flavored pickles!  I played it safe and bought a few of the New York Super Sour Pickles.  They are super sour and super good at that!
We have and OB appointment this week, which is always something we look forward to these days.  Unfortunately they are not planning on doing an ultrasound this time, so we will have to wait a few weeks to find out what gender Tiny Cox may be.  The anticipation is starting to wear on me!!  I'm still pretty certain it is a girl, soon enough we will see.

Let's play...

catch up!

I started my new job about a month ago, and I am loving it!  I was pretty certain that I would enjoy the hours (8am-5pm), and enjoying them is an understatement.   I work about five minutes from home so that makes things a lot nicer too.   I am learning a lot!  Although I am familiar with oncology from working at Cooks, adult oncology is quite different.  I am really loving it though.  The people I work with are great.  The patients are really nice (on most days-you know some older folks can be pretty grumpy). Another perk, we get food catered every day for lunch!  Watch out- I may end up being as big as a house! :)
I celebrated my 28th birthday a few weeks ago.  We went to dinner with friends and then went old school and decided to bowl afterwards.  I really forgot how much fun bowling really is!

A few days after my birthday we celebrated Independence Day.  We stayed home this year and Jon grilled some food and put on a firework show for us.  I'm pretty sure our retirement community neighborhood didn't like the fact that we were popping fireworks at ten o'clock at night, but it was for a good cause! We also had some sparklers left over from our wedding that I had fun with!

Pat Green came to town and put on a concert.  Jon and I joined Jennifer and Billy at Sam's Town casino for the show.  It was a lot of fun! None of us had ever really been to Sam's Town and it ended up impressing us.  We wished Pat Green would have played longer, but at least he played most all of the songs we wanted to hear.

 Jon finished up with orientation with LOPA at the end of June, and it seems since he's been on his own in July he has been really busy! (But don't let that fool you, he still has numerous days off during the week!)

A couple of other things are underway at the Cox household, but I will save those for next post.  I promise it won't take me over a month to tell you about those! :)  Until then...