Happy Birthday Lillian!!!!!

So she's one. How did she celebrate her first birthday? Well, she climbed up the steps to the playhouse in my parents' back-yard by herself for the first time, and second time, and third time.. around the 5th time she was doing it lightning fast. Then she gave grandma a kiss for the first time (or said 'mmmm' while grandma kissed her), then she practiced her word some, though nobody saw it but me when she waved at Grand-dad and said "Ba-ba" and when I was getting her in her new diaper, I could have sworn (though I could have been mistaken) that she said "diaper." She's such a big girl.

Today was her last day in the baby room at daycare. I don't know how quickly they generally move the babies up, but I got the impression they were scrambling to rearrange the other classes to make room for her in the 1 year old room ASAP. They can't keep her from climbing on the baby swings and falling out, and she plays a bit too rough with the other babies. She's just this little bulldozer, and apparently the other babies are more delicate, and have been for some time. Because of that, though, she won't be using a bottle at daycare anymore, because they don't really do bottles in the 1 year old room. So ON HER BIRTHDAY I found myself packing her bottles in a box to be put away. (Yeah, I get it already, she's not a little baby.) So here's to a year with my Lillian!

Ally

Ally is a little stuffed dog of Eleanor's. She is black, brown and white. I think she looks a bit beagle-esque, though I couldn't tell you for sure. Ally is sometimes a boy and sometimes a girl. Ally is the first thing she has ever named and so far, the only thing that has a clear and consistant name among her toys. Ally plays Hobbes to Eleanor's Calvin. She brings her everywhere and sleeps with her, and always has Ally at her side. Even Lillian loves Ally, and sometimes Eleanor is nice enough to let Lillian play with her. Last week we lost Ally. I mean, really lost her. It was so depressing. Eleanor was okay with it at first, she would just sleep with other stuffed animals, but then the other day she really started asking about Ally. Nathan and I had already torn the house apart looking for this stuffed dog. I would even think of places I hadn't looked while at work and check those places when I got home. Well, I had to check one more place. Nathan, the SAME DAY we lost Ally, was a good brave husband and cleaned out under the couch. It turns out that Ally was lost after that happened and Nathan and I both assumed that it couldn't be there, the under-couch had never been cleaner. When I found her there I think I almost cried. I love Ally. It's so nice to have her back. Or him. Whatever. So, here's to Ally!

Almost a year

I've been lame with the updates. Lillian turns a year on the 17th. She's power walking all over the place, and climbs on everything like she has an aversion to the floor. She's so sweet. Oh, when I read a particular book to her, she tends to point at the main (read: only) character's face. Eleanor is potty trained. It is amazing how many fewer diapers we're going through. Sometimes I felt like we waited too long for that, but Lillian made it difficult to give Eleanor the attention I wanted to for potty training purposes, but I think her age (3.5) helped her be mature enough to really catch on quickly once we gave it a good push. Also she can draw an 'A'. It can sometimes be confused with an H or maybe an R, but most of the time it's unquestionable. Now just 25 more to go, and then the lower case.. but we have time.

Nathan has all Saturdays off now. That feels kinda freeing. When making plans with other people it's nice not to have to say, "Oh, next weekend isn't good for you, well how about in a month?"

So yeah. I'm tired. How are you?