Ready for walks

As much as I enjoy winter (or sometimes as little as), I have never been more ready for a bit warmer weather.  I long for the days  of our endless walks around the park.  The stop at the playground for some good swinging action.  Passing by the familiar faces of strangers that also fill their days with the outdoors.  I'm ready to get out of the house and play.  I'm ready to stretch my legs and feel as if I've had a bit of exercise, without actually having to do the task of exercising.  I miss the routine, and the smile on your face as we would get ready to walk out the door.  You love the feeling of fresh air on your face, and I am so happy you do!  Soon, very soon, we will be freed from the winter blues, and be able to run (literally as you are SO close to walking!)  around outside!  I can't wait! 

Yesterday watching the snow fall!

January rain

Back in November

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September

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June

May

August

Valentines Day

Growing up, I always remember Grandma D making us feel a little extra love on Valentine's Day.  In the morning, we would be greeted with a card and chocolates, and it always made me feel special and thought of.  It is a silly day, that often gets taken a bit to extremes and puts pressure on men and women all over.  Women often get their hopes up, and more often than not feel let down because the day didn't go exactly how they had dreamed up in their hopelessly romantic plan.  I hope that you will always know just how much you are loved, and look at this day as something fun with a great excuse to be cheesy and enjoy some chocolates and yummy treats!  I love reasons to celebrate, and hope to carry on Grandma D's tradition of adding a little joy to our February 14th.  You are loved, my dear Zaylee.  So very loved!

On Thursday morning, I got out some random art supplies I found around the house and searched for simple but cute ideas on Pinterest for a gift for Daddy.  I decided to use a small canvas I had bought before you were born with hopes to find some creative juices, as Dad asked that we not buy a bunch of overpriced things from Etsy that are so simple to make on our own.  I never found those juices, but on Thursday you and I did our very first craft together.  It was a bit hard to accomplish on my own, as it involved red paint and footprints.  A bit gutsy, but with the help of your highchair I was able to hold your foot still for a quick dip in the paint and a steady placement onto the canvas.  It was not without tears from you, but we survived and it turned out perfect!  Daddy was extremely touched and loved coming home to find it hanging on the front door to greet him on his lunch break.  

That evening, I had planned a new meal and couldn't wait to have a special dinner at home together.  I had it all planned out so that it was ready when dad came home, and had a good feeling about it all...until I took it out of the oven.  I didn't like the looks of the potatoes, and the chicken looked a bit over done.  My thoughts were confirmed when we both took our first bite.  It was a complete fail!  I was so disappointed, may or may not have shed a few years, and Dad did nothing but say all the sweetest things while I sat and pouted.  He picked up the phone and called Mai Thai, ordered our favorite Panang Curry, and wrapped his arms around me and held me tight!  We got you ready for bed, and off he went to pick up our meal and my mouth watered as I waited for him to return.  You were fast asleep when he came back home, and we sat down together to enjoy our delicious meal.  What a man your dad is!!  Always making everything in my life better, and full of so much joy, even when I don't feel like being joyful! :)

Earlier in the day you and I picked up 14 red heart balloons, printed off 14 special pictures of your dad and I, and came home to get my little gift ready for dad.  I glued each picture together with a note card at the bottom of each balloon, and wrote down 14 reasons why I loved your father.  This summer will be FOURTEEN years since that first time we met on the sand volleyball court at LGYC.  I remember it like it was yesterday, your dad not so much!  I have known him half my life, and feel so honored to have him as my husband for the rest of its entirety.

We were both greeted with flowers when Dad came home, and you of course tried to eat your colorful bouquet!  I hope you grow to love this day for the simple reason of an extra excuse to make those you love feel extra special, and may you NEVER feel the pressure the world puts on both men and women!!  I pray you always know you are LOVED!

ELEVEN

1-1...Eleven....ONE more month before by baby is ONE...Woah, how is this possible!?

Styling in your Valentine's Day shirt from Grandma D that came in your special gift bag!

Oh my sweet girl, time is moving way too fast!  As much as we want you to stay our baby forever, we can't wait to see who you grow up to be.  I was browsing through little girl clothes the other day with Kimmy, and she held up a pair of 4T pants and said, "Can you believe she will be this big someday!?"  I was both sad by that thought and a little anxious to know you at that age, to be able to see a glimpse of who you will become.  If the way you are right now is any resemblance of the little girl you will grow to be, I have no doubt you will be kind, an introvert with people until you really know them, a lover of music and dancing, wise beyond your years, gentle and loving, full of joy and laughter, strong but sensitive, compassionate, a little spunky at times with a little attitude when your tired, and just over all a sweet little girl with a whole lot of love for all those around you.  No matter what, we will love every bit of the person God has created you to be, through all the ups and downs, the hard days of the toddler years, and the moments you steal our hearts again and again.  We are so thankful to have YOU as our daughter, and praise God daily for the blessing He has given to us in putting you into our lives and entrusting you to us.

So what's new now that you are 11 months?

• According to our scale here at home, you are now officially 17lbs. WooHoo! 
• You say the word hot, and truly understand what it means.  It is highly entertaining to see your mind at work when you are looking around and find something that is indeed hot and then hear you say, "Ot" with so much pride and confidence.  Last night at Trader Joe's we were going down an aisle when you spotted the "flame" on the top of the Sample Hut (made that name up!), pointed and said proudly, "Ot! Ot. Ot" until I realized what you were looking at and confirmed that yes, indeed, that is hot!  It is the cutest thing really, but we are ready for a new word! :) 
• You blow kisses, and often when I say, "I love you" you respond with an air blown kiss!  It is so sweet, and just melts my heart.  We had been working on it and then about two weeks ago, your Papi was blowing them to you over Skype and all of the sudden you responded by putting your hand to your mouth over and over.  He was in awe, and was so honored to get your kisses!!  
• The words hi, bye, Mama and Dada are being said more frequently and intentionally!  
• When we sing the French song, "Les petites marionettes" you do the hand motions immediately and throughout the whole song.  Actually, any song that comes on causes you to react with your arms held high bouncing to the beat.  You love music, and have even begun to "sing" with me with your sweet little voice.  
• Walking is something you REALLY want to be able to do, but aren't quite there yet.  You walk nonstop if we are holding your hands, or using anything that can be pushed across the floor, but have only taken one, sometimes, two real steps before catapulting yourself head first into our arms! Dad thinks you are waiting for your Mamie and Papi to get here on Friday, so we will see what the next two weeks bring.  
• You currently have your very first cold, and it is the most heartbreaking thing to hear you cough and grimace in discomfort.  Hoping it passes soon, but the up side is you are mostly yourself with a moment here and there of extra snuggles and fussiness, and a few early morning feeds.  You are a trooper little Zay!  (you are on your third hour of sleep as I type this...hopefully you are sleeping it off right now!)
• You say, "hi" as you hold your toy cell phone up to your ear.  Cutest thing ever!  
• The past two weeks you have learned that you can throw your food off your tray, but have also learned that we don't tolerate it and are learning that you are to keep your food on your tray.  We will see how this one pans out....goofy girl! :) 
• Playing catch with your ball is one of your favorite things right now, and you are getting to be very skilled with the rolling of the ball directly to me!!  It is so fun to watch you clap your hands after you stop the ball between your two little hands.  You also know the word ball, but are still working on saying it.  If I ask you to get your ball, you go straight to it and then roll it my way.  It is crazy how much you really understand!  
• You have two more teeth than last month, your front two teeth are finally here :) They were much harder on you then the first two, and with each top two you spiked a fever and were miserable!  
• You love putting your toys away, and taking them back out, then putting them back.  It keeps you busy and is so sweet to watch you work! 
• Peek-a-boo is one of your favorite games to play with pretty much anything you can put over your eyes and then quickly move it while we say, Where is Zaylee?  Oh! There she is!! :) You especially love this game in the tub while using the shower curtain to hide behind.  

Other than those few things, life is about the same as last month.  I am trying to figure out my plan of action for weaning you, but honestly haven't thought too hard about how I will go about that task.  I truly love nursing you, and feel sad with the thought of parting with it, but know that soon the time will be right and we will figure it out!  You are becoming so distracted lately, and secretly I am hoping you will wean yourself, so I guess we will see what happens when the time comes.  You are enjoying your sippy cup more and more these days and I am thankful for that and hope it will make the transition a bit easier for us both.

Making a MESS to show how much she does not like photo shoots :)

We are starting to think about small details for your party, and can't wait to celebrate you, our little love!  It won't be anything to extravagant, but will be perfect and a day spent with family.  Who could ask for anything more?

One more month with our little infant baby girl, and then on to the fun times that come along with toddlerville! :)

I Don't Want to Forget....

...3-8 weeks.

Three weeks and five days!

It was so nice to get into a routine of our own, and learn your needs in a way that would help us understand each other.  The routine came with great ease.  We would wake up after Dad would leave for work, and start our day preparing a pot of coffee.  Our day consisted of nursing, changing your diaper, snugly naps(I couldn't sleep but loved holding you), singing, and a whole lot of Netflixs.  We are so blessed to be able to have lunch with Dad everyday, and he was always so eager to have you in his arms.  Lunchtime was always a nice break in the middle of our day, and we all looked forward to those 35 minutes of family time.  Dad loved changing your diaper as it was his time to have you all to his self.  You were always so animated and intrigued by all he had to say to you.  The changing table was your favorite place to be, and it is where you seemed to be able to express yourself the best.  You took your naps for the most part in the Pack n Play that sat in the corner of the living room, that way you weren't to far from me in those early days.  The swing and bouncer seat were always there in case I needed to do something and couldn't hold you, and you were always soothed by the vibration or constant movement.  We read every book many times over, and I began to learn them by memory.  Those first weeks were so special, and I made sure to pay close attention to every little detail and tried my best to learn every coo and cry so that I could fully know you and attend to each of your needs. 

At three weeks we headed up for your first trip to Lake Geneva to celebrate Easter with the family.  It is amazing how much stuff you need for someone so tiny!  Grandma D had just had hip surgery, and was cruising the house in a wheelchair.  She loved holding you as you slept against her chest.  You slept great in the crib, and in the early morning laid between dad and I as you slept soundly.  I loved watching the two of you, and found it hard to fall back asleep.  The second night there, you proved you weren't perfect and got a bit fussy as we were getting ready for bed.  Dad rocked you and walked with you, and finally you were fast asleep.  It was new territory for us, as you weren't much of a crier.  There were a couple nights like that, but not many that we can recall.  It always startled me as it was out of character for you, and Dad is much more patient than I.  He would calmly shhh shhh in your ear and you would fight it for a bit, and then finally surrender to his tight hold and fall asleep.  Uncle Timmy and Aunt Bethany came up to join us for dinner, and it was so great to have family together!

Between four and five weeks you began to give us little glimpses of your smile, and we looked like fools trying every little thing to bring it out of you!  By the end of your fifth week you started really smiling, and haven't stopped since!!  You have such a big, gregarious smile that always catches everyone's eye! 

Between four and five weeks!

Tummy time was a breeze from the beginning, I think in part to the fact that when you were an itty bitty we always put you on your belly for naps as you seemed to sleep best that way.  You had good head control from day one and would always push up with your little arms and move your head from side to side.  We were impressed! :)  At about five weeks we started putting you on your play mat, and you were smile and stare up at the hanging animals.  It was amazing how in tune with your surroundings you were, and to this day are extremely observant.  You can spot the tiniest speck of dirt on my freshly mopped floors, EVERY TIME!  You study every crack, crevice, corner, and under every piece of furniture.  It is the cutest thing as you are always so serious and concentrate so hard with your little butt high in the air!  Anyway, back to little Zaylee moments.....

At five or six weeks you and I made our first duo trip to the grocery store, and you were AWESOME!  You sat in your carrier and just observed every little thing I did, and never made a peep.  I was so thankful, as I was a little nervous you were start crying and I would have to leave my cart in the middle of an aisle and make a run for it!   As if no one had ever heard a baby cry...I had issues! :)  Thankfully, you were beyond great, and it was a fun outing and the start to many.

As the weather started getting warmer, we began taking walks around the park after dad got home from work.  It was so fun to push you and watch you take in the fresh air and scenery around you.  You thoroughly enjoyed staring at the trees above you as we passed under each one.  Baseball season had started and we had fun watching the little boys and girls play tee ball in the park, and dreamed of what you will want to be a part of as you grow up and explore all the options of activities offered.  We promise to never push you to do anything, but hope you will find things you enjoy and want to partake in.  If you do, we will be your biggest supporters, and always cheer you on louder than any other parent around! :)  Grandma D and Grandpa D were at every (most) game we played as kids, and it was always so special to have them there cheering and coaching (Grandpa) from the sidelines.  I loved going to my older siblings games when I was young, and always had so much fun running around the gym with all the other kids.  We just hope that whatever it is you decide to do, whether sports, band, math club (hopefully not..) you will have fun and find joy in it without feeling any pressure from anyone!  Just have fun!

At six weeks, we celebrated our first year anniversary!  Dad planned a dinner date and had Grandpa D and Grandma D come down for the night to watch you while we had a date night out.  When you are nursing a baby, a date is a total of two hours, and that was just about the length of time that I could handle being away from you.  We went to The Melting Pot, and had the best waiter which made our time so much fun!  We laughed so much, and just had the best time eating and joking and talking and just being together.  It was special and perfect.  You were a little fussy taking a bottle, but mostly you did great and slept with Grandpa on the couch.  We were so happy to have you to come home too!

When you were seven weeks old, Kimmy and I took you on a little midweek roadtrip to Lake Geneva.  You met Jill Piniotes for the first time, and we all had lunch with Aunt Erin and Grandpa D at the new Crepe restaurant in town.  It was really warm that day, and Grandpa D takes any excuse for an ice cream treat, so we walked down the street to the frozen yogurt shop and had some good fixings.  Your cousin Kendrick wouldn't stop holding you, and thankfully you have always taken well to being her little dolly.  She still loves carrying you around! :)  We even made a quick trip to Grandma D's office to say hello, and she was very happily surprised!  It was a fun little change to our regular routine and as usual, you did great!

We also had one of your first play dates in your seventh week.  We met Aunt Erin and kids at "Auntie" Jacki's house in Palatine.  Deanna and Parker, along with Aunt Diane, were there too, and we had so much fun watching all of you kids fill a room with so much noise!!  Although you were still a quiet little thing, so we just snuggled you and stared at your cuteness.  The following day, we met up with Grandma D and Grandpa D at Palos Hills Assembly where Grandma had spoken about their time in Honduras.  We joined all the women for lunch in the basement, and had fun showing you off to all of the people that had held me when I was your tiny size.  We met Quintin that day, and soon you two would become buddies as we continued to meet most months for playdates!  That weekend was a busy one, and on Sunday we were able to meet another little friend named, Kylan, at Linnea Carrera's graduation party.  So many little baby friends all born so close together! :)

Right before you turned 8 weeks, we celebrated Mother's Day in Lake Geneva!  It was a beautiful weekend, and we enjoyed walks to town with the whole family, and took lots of pictures, and just enjoyed being with the family.  Dad made me a sweet photo collage, and bought me some new perfume.  We both LOVE perfume and never get tired of receiving new scents as gifts.  We could spend hours smelling different scents in the department stores, and never grow tired, but most definitely grow an ache in the head! :)  We loved our weekend celebrating Grandma D, and of course ME!, and even got to skype with Mamie to let her know how much we love and appreciate her!  We are so very blessed with two wonderful, loving, caring mothers that do far more than we could ask for!

The first eight weeks were so fun, and filled with so many memories!  We went out to eat multiple times with your Aunt Bethany and Uncle Timmy, introduced you to open house, began leading Alpha Course every Sunday, you discovered your hands, and overall we just fell more and more in love with you and your sweet little personality that brought us so much joy! 

Laughter Love

Daddy always gets you laughing, and I love every minute of it!! :)  I always joke that you love him more, but really I'm just jealous of the fun you guys have. 

I hope you always find him funny and never grow up too much to find him "uncool", because he is the coolest and loves you the best!

First (official) Word

Although you do say Mama, and occasionally what we think is Dad, you don't always say it appropriately or intentionally.  Lately you have been communicating so well, and it is amazing to us the amount of words and things you truly do seem to understand.  You have started signing please, but we are still working on how and when it is used.  The sign for more is so cute to watch you use, and you are using it more intentionally these days, when you aren't overly frustrated.  In a frustrated state you just swing your hands while whining and yelling, but you are learning that gets you no where and fast! :) 

Last week your dad was lighting a candle, and in the process was showing you the flame as he kept repeating the word "hot".  He was holding out the 'H' and emphasizing the word as you closely watched what he was doing with his mouth.  "Hhhhhootttt!" And then from your cute little mouth with a whole lot of concentration you said, "Ot".  The best!!  Dad yelled to me with great excitement and gushed on how smart he thinks you are, and he isn't just biased he says.  Ever since then, you say it every time I have my coffee mug in hand, or we are close to the stove, or lighting a candle.  You get it, and it is the coolest thing!  

Your mind is on overdrive these days, and it is so wonderful to be able to watch you learn and discover.  I say that a lot, but it is the truth and I love it.  And you!  :)

I Don't Want to Forget....

....sleeping pattern. 

We swaddled you from day one, and I am so glad we did!  You were so active from the start, always kicking those little feet of yours, and the swaddle calmed your little body down so that you could rest and sleep soundly.  From those first days on our own, we started a night time routine.  Each night at your 8 o'clock feeding, we would swaddle you half way through and would hold you close immediately following your feeding.  You would fall asleep almost instantly, and we would lay together on the couch in the basement until it was time to go to sleep.  Most nights you would wake as we went up to bed around 11-11:30, in those first weeks, and then again at 3:30.  You fed for about 20-25 minutes each time, and I would often play Phase10 on my phone while dad laid half awake next to me ready to put you back in your cradle.  You always went straight back to sleep, and I was so extremely thankful for your kindness in the nighttime routine department!  By four or five weeks you would stay asleep until 1:30-3 after your 8 o'clock feed, and then wake again around 5:30-6 and other times 7:30 to feed.  I didn't mind, as you would always fall right back to sleep which meant we would sleep in until between 9-10am most days.  I felt guilty, but at the same time felt so thankful to be getting the rest I needed.  Aunt Erin and Grandma D said to take advantage of this little fact, as it would be the only time I would ever get the luxury of following your schedule, because with the next baby I wouldn't have the same luxuries!  I stopped feeling guilty :)

In the beginning  you would sleep anywhere, and it took very little to get you to sleep.  We would snuggle you close, shhhshhh in your year in our own special rhythm with your bunny close to your cheek and nuk in your mouth and within minutes you were out!!  It was wonderful, but by five or six months this was no longer the case, and you definitely preferred your bed or carseat.

On the night you turned 7 weeks, you slept for 9 hours straight!  I thought it was a fluke, but indeed it was the start of a whole new routine.  At this point, we started swaddling you and putting you down for bed in your cradle at around 8:30.  It was so hard for me to leave you in the room instead of holding you for hours on the couch, as you would sleep so sweetly on my chest.  You would sleep until around 5-5:30, eat, and sleep again until between 8-9.   On May 21st we put you in your crib in your own room for the first time!  I was a mess, but it was time.  You woke up three times that night, and I felt so bad!  The next night you slept great, and my mind was put at ease once again.  I had started putting you down for naps in your crib a couple weeks earlier to get you used to the room and mattress, and I think that helped the transition process.  I'm not sure exactly when you dropped that 5-6 am feeding, but it was right around 2 1/2 months.  At that point, we started moving your bed time up closer to between 7 and 7:30 so that we could start getting into a more set routine that would be more feasible for our days.  You would sleep until right around 7:30-7:45, which was perfect for your dad as he was able to see you quickly before he would leave for work most mornings.

The morning after your first 9 hour stretch!

It was a wonderful night time schedule, but your naps became a point of frustration right before you were two months!  You were a 40-minutes-on-the-dot napper for what seemed like forever, but in reality was probably the better part of a month.  I tried everything, from feeding you immediately upon awakening for a week straight to see if it was a hunger issue.  It wasn't.  I would let you cry for a while to see if you were transition between sleep cycles.  It wasn't.  I shortened your awake time after feedings to make sure you weren't over stimulated.  You weren't.  It was just a phase, and I learned to get used to the short breaks in the day to get what I could done!   The day you finally took a 2 hour nap was right around 3 months, and I had to go peek at you to make sure you were still breathing! :) You were, and I was elated with the huge jump in your sleep schedule and freedom to actually get something done while you rested.  You took three naps a day until you were around 7-8 months, most days, and slowly transitioned to a long morning and afternoon nap.  You are still taking two naps, and for the most part they are still close to two hours each.  Some days one of them is significantly short, but you are so content to just stay in your crib talking and entertaining yourself, and that is fine by me! :)

When I started putting you in your crib for naps, I started a "sleep routine" each time I would put you down for both naps and bedtime.  I would swaddle you, put your bunny up next to your cheek, give you a Nuk, and sing to you.  It set the tone for sleep time, and I think it really helped your body to relax and get into a sleepy state.  I would place you in your crib while you were still awake, and I would sneak out while listening to you moan and soothe yourself to sleep.  I was extremely blessed to get by without having to listen to you cry it out (until 8 months and only for a night or two--so hard!), as sleep was something you thoroughly enjoyed.  The routine was great, and truly helped both of us stay joyful through out the day!  You are a little lady of habit, and like your routine, just as much as I do.  It helped us know one another and be comfortable and flexible.  I never felt clueless as to what was wrong when you would start fussing, as you always gave me a clear sign of what you needed, and it always coincided with our schedule.

You truly have spoiled us immensely and we are so grateful for the sweet little girl you are.  By no means are you perfect, and there have been a few rough moments (God bless your father in those moments for being the peace I was lacking), but even in those times that you are a little "off" we consider ourselves beyond blessed by your happy little demeanor.  Dad keeps reminding me that our next baby might be completely different, and may cry much more than you ever did, but I know it will be just fine no matter what, because we will learn and discover new things with the next one the same way we did with you Zaylee girl.  It will be a new normal, and if things are hard, I will just call Grandma D and Aunt Erin like I did all the time with you!! If you had a day of unusual fussiness, I would call and be frantic and they would laugh and think I was crazy.  It's all a learning game with the first baby, and I am so thankful to have two older sisters and a sister in law that had let me be a part of their families in their baby rearing days and taught me so much!  No matter how much I knew or learned through so many experiences, when you came and I was responsible for your life, it was a whole new world and I needed encouragement and guidance a whole heaping lot! :)

Thank you for being so wonderful my darling girl!  We love you and your good sleeping habits!