7 Months, Flies, Pumpkins and the like

Life is so full of interesting and fun things these days I simply can't remember them all, let alone blog them.  But here are a few things I do remember...

Lily-ism

Last night at supper, a fly was pestering us.  It landed on a jar that was sitting in the middle of the table (not a food jar), so Chase got the fly swatter.  He crept back to the table, poised to use the swatter for its designed purpose.  Just as he was about to swing, Lily realized what was happening and she shrieked, "Daddy!  Don't!  He's my friend."  

Connor-ness

This handsome guy is officially 7 months old today!  (Sorry, ladies, he's all mine!)

I can't imagine life without him, and 7 months seems like such a long time ago... until I think about what it was like 7 months ago, and then I'm just SO glad I'm not there any more!  I really try to appreciate each day.  Just as you never get day 1 over again, you never get day 49 or 207 or 23,745 over again.  Each day is precious, and although many over the past 7 months have been hard as Connor and I have figured each other out, I wouldn't trade a single one.  ...But that doesn't mean I can't be thankful that we are where we are today, right?

Speaking of being hard as we're figuring each other out...  The last week has been a bit rocky.  We're good during the day, but my little man was NOT sleeping well at night.  I'm talking up at least every 2 hours.  For example, he would go down at 8, up at midnight, 1:30, 3:15, 4:20, 6:15, and then up for the day at 7:45.  He's not a bad sleeper in that I'd go in and feed him about every 3 or 4 hours (maybe more often.  I'm not really sure.  It's hard to remember what you did last and what you should do next when you're operating in the middle of the night on no sleep.).  And then he'd go right back to sleep.  Or I'd give him his plug (paci) and he'd go right back to sleep.  Or I'd roll him from his back onto his tummy and he'd go right back to sleep

Bu here's the thing: he can do all those things on his own (put in his paci! My favorite mile stone! and roll over.  He can't feed himself, but he's old enough and certainly eating enough that he shouldn't need to get up at night.  That hasn't stopped him, however, from getting me up at least 2 times every night since the day he was born...)  So why was I doing all those things for him?  

Because.  Because he shares a room with his sister, and I didn't want him waking her up.  So I'd stumble in there, bleary-eyed and try to decide what to do to make him quit making noise.  Well, yesterday was the end.  I couldn't do it anymore.  My body aches, my mental state can't take it, and for pete's sake, I need a little me time where I'm not simply exhausted!  So sleep training started last night.  Here's the run down:

After a little research, I decided to let him cry any time he woke up for 10 minutes.  At that point, I would go in, make sure he had his plug, start his music mobile, make sure he was on his tummy and covered by his blanket and then walk out of the room.  I'd do this every 10 minutes until he fell back asleep.  If he woke Lily (who was warned that he might cry in the night), I would scoop her out of her bed (which is next to his), carry her to the rocking chair in the hall, rock her until he fell asleep, then put her back in her bed.

Here's how it went last night:

Night 1 - Connor was bed and asleep at 8pm, no problem (he always goes down easy)

Round 1 - 10:30pm-11:00pm.  Crying intensity was a 6.  Mommy win.  He went back to sleep.

Round 2 - 1:28am-1:43am  Crying intensity was a 4.  Mommy win.  He went back to sleep.

Round 3 - 3:36am-4:28am  Crying intensity ranged from 2-9.  Mommy win.  He went back to sleep.

Woke up for the day at 6:50am

Tonight he went  to bed at 7:30.  It's now 10:17, so we'll see how it goes.  I can say that I'm happier already because I can plan on a full night's sleep sometime in the near future, like a few days from now, or maybe even tonight!  It's the light at the end of the tunnel.  Also, when I wake up in the middle of the night, I don't have to decide what to do - I already have a plan.  It's marvelous!  

To top it all off, Lily slept through every bit of it last night.  Not a peep from her!  Totally awesome! And Chase only woke up for the 15 minute episode, not the 1 hour episode.  It sounds cruel, and it probably seems like a lot to lay there and listen to your child cry for an hour in the middle of the night, but we were at the point of him being awake and in bed with me for 2 hours in the middle of the night, so this is really a pleasant change!  And I can tell he's going to take to this very well once we get through these first few nights.

I'm not a big fan of the whole cry it out method - I like soothing when I can, but there is a reality to everyone getting good sleep and littles learning to self soothe.  We're there.  And I'm looking forward to being over the hump!

Pumpkins

I think I said in my last post how much we have loved the pumpkin patch this year.  It's been amazing.  Here are some pictures from one of our visits:

And with that, I'm going to go to bed and hope/pray for no sleep battles with Connor in the night.  But if we end up having a round or two, at least I'll know what to do!

'Night y'all!

Life, Football, and Mobility

Every night as I collapse lay down in bed, I think of at least one and often many funny, clever, or memorable things that I should blog about.  And then I end up reading instead of writing, because I'm too exhausted and/or lazy to get out my computer.  So here are just a few things that have filled our life lately...

LILY

Since Connor was born, I've worn him every now and then in my Ergo (front carrier).  When we were shopping a few weeks ago, Lily found a giraffe that she just loved, and since we got it a few weeks ago, she's been carrying it around.  Sometimes like this:

Last month, Lily turned 3, which means that she now gets all of the privileges and responsibilities normally bestowed upon any 3 year old.  In our world, that means she now gets to go to Children's Church on Sunday mornings.  This month, Chase and I have been teaching Children's Church, so it's been an easy transition for her.

A couple of weeks ago, we had a guest fill the pulpit at church.  (I think a requirement of filling the pulpit should be that you have taught Children's Church at least once.)  He went on for a LOT longer than the typical time allotted for sermons.  So...  So we whipped out the secret weapon: Chase.

That Sunday, we sang "Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes."  ...well...  MOST of us sang "Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes."  Chase sang, "Cranium and Clavicle, Patella and... [insert fits of hysterical laughter by 9 small children here]."  We spent the next 473 attempts at the song trying to teach Chase the way to sing the song.  Sometimes he'd get the words right all the way to the end, but then get messed up by the ever-confusing "Head and Shoulders, Knees and Nose..." ['NOOOOOoooooo!  It's knees and TOES" 9 little voices shout at the top of their lungs].  All I can say is that it's a good thing our class room is really far away from the sanctuary.  Here are the kids "teaching" Chase the song (Lily is all the way on the right):  

 
It was very funny.  And now we have to sing that song every week.  And it gets all of the kids wound UP. And we have a marvelous time.

Lily has become quite the negotiator around our house in the last few weeks.  Or perhaps it's just that she's found her daddy's Achilles heel: football.  She'll sometimes ask me during the day, "Is there football on tonight?"  And then in the evenings, about the time I start the bedtime routine, she asks, "Can I watch football?"  If it were simply me, this wouldn't be any problem.  I'd say, "No, it's bedtime."  However, if she asks her daddy, he says, "Sure, just a little."  Ten minutes or an hour later I find them still cuddling on the couch under the guise of her "learning the rules of football."  It's cute and sweet, and mostly I'm glad.  But, honey, you are getting played!  Her desire to watch football magically surfaces only at bedtime... yeah.  Someday, Daddy, you'll have to face that one.  Just know she's got you figured out!

She's also very good at giving instructions these days.  The other day when I was driving across town, I stopped at a stop sign.  Then her sweet little voice instructs me to, "Be careful not to hit the other cars."

The vast majority of the time, I have a very content and happy 3 year old.  She loves to read and to color.  Lately she's been coloring literally for hours a day.  (Note to self: get her new markers for Christmas.)  And one of her little habits I love is that when I ask her to do something like, "Lily, would you please throw Connor's diaper in the trash?" She responds, "Of course.  I'd love to, Mother."  *Sigh*  I love her.

SIBLINGS

I have two marvelous children.  They are siblings, and it's so fun to watch them develop together.  About a 2 weeks ago I ran into the grocery store (for like the 100th time that week) to get just a couple of things I needed.  It's always a question when I run into the store: Do I take Connor inside in his infant carrier car seat, or do I unstrap him and leave his car seat in the car?  If he'd be happy just sitting in his carseat, then that's the easiest option.  But then Lily can't push her own cart, because I need to put him in a big cart.  If I get Connor out of his car seat, then that means I have to carry him, and my back has been all kinds of hurting lately, so that's not always a great option, especially if a "quick run into the store" turns into 20 minutes.  And then there's the question of how to juggle purse/wallet/cash at the check out while corralling my 3 year old and keeping my 6 month old from grabbing my purse/wallet/cash and dumping it all over the store...  It's exhausting even thinking about it...

So for the first time, I tried this:

HUGE SUCCESS!!!!  Children content and happy, Mommy's back relaxed and not straining, groceries fit in the cart that was not filled by a car seat, no juggling baby while paying for said groceries.  Whoever thought up 2-seat-car-carts should be given a Nobel Prize or something.  Seriously glorious!

CONNOR

My baby boy is growing and changing so much every day.  He's started laughing at the funniest/strangest things.  Like today, Mom told me he laughed when she would drop marbles into a jar.  And tonight he dissolved into giggles when Lily would throw Frazier's Frisbee.

He will crawl soon.  Tonight when I laid him in his crib and then went back to check on him, he was up on all fours, rocking back and forth, back and forth.  I'd seen him get up on all fours, but not for any extended period of time.  Tonight it was like 10 or 15 seconds.  Which doesn't sound like much until you watch it happen and see how not baby-proof your house is...  I'm excited for it, though. I love to watch him explore and take in and experience and learn the world around him.  It's so cool!

Everywhere I go, people comment on his funny hairdo.  I can't help it - whatever I do it sticks up in this awesome halo of super fine, super soft fuzz around his head.  "Wow.  Look at that hair!" they say.  And I'm here to tell you that only God Himself could make it so.  Connor pulled out all the hair had when he was a newborn, and now it's growing out perfectly evenly, and it sticks straight up.  That's my boy!

We went to the Scarecrow Patch last week with my mom.  I had such a wonderful time (I'd never been to a pumpkin patch before, except for that one time I went with my roommates in college...), that I came home and all I could talk about with Chase the whole evening was how much fun the Patch was.  So we're going again.  Tomorrow.  And Chase is expecting Eutopia, which basically it is.  Above is Connor in the corn - he didn't even try to put any in his mouth.  (He's perfect, just like his sister!)  And below, he is honing his driving skills for the next time we go to the grocery store.

FRANCL FUN

One thing we try to do a lot around our house is have fun.  Sometimes it's as simple as finding a puddle to splash in or a book to read or a fort to build.  And sometimes it's more elaborate like going to a party.  Last week, we went to my nephew's birthday part at the bowling alley.  It had been a while since Chase or I bowled, and Lily had never bowled.  My nephew thought he was too good to bumper bowl, but Lily still got to use the dinosaur to bowl, and she was pretty good.  (Chase used the dinosaur to bowl too, but it still went in the gutter...)

This week was friend week at dance class (actually "creative movement" class, Lily's favorite event each week), so we invited her best friend to come.  Thankfully, he was brave enough and comfortable enough with his boy-hood to enter the class of all girls and participate like a little pro.

Thanks for coming Roman!

I'll wrap up by just saying how wonderful fun is when you have friends and family to share it with!

3 Parties and a 6 month old

We have literally been partying for a week!  Lily turned 3 years old today (Oh, how very glad I am that we're past where we were 3 years ago!!!!!) And here is a record of all of the festivities...

Party #1: The Cousin Party

On Chase's side of the family, there are 5 (out of 9) cousins who all have birthdays in the month of September.  So instead of trying to cram in parties every weekend, we celebrated them all at once.  

Lily and her cousin Ella getting ready for
the business of birthdays: presents!

Lily, modeling her birthday loot.
(Yay for dress up stuff!)

Here are the 5 cousins:
Zion (2), Lily (3), Ella (6), Caleb (13), Jaryn (15)

She could NOT WAIT to dive into the cupcake.
Also notice the fancy glass she got for her birthday.
Couldn't wait to use that!

Party #2: The Uncle Party

After partying with Chase's family, we partied with my family.  Lily's Uncle Tony has a birthday a week before hers, so we went to Mom's for a party to celebrate both of them.

Lily, preparing for the birthday festivities.

Modeling the sparkly heels she got.

Opening presents.

Getting ready to blow out candles with Uncle Tony.

Party #3: The ACTUAL Birthday

With 2 parties already celebrated last weekend, that just left us with the ACTUAL birthday to celebrate today.  Last night, I started talking to Lily about not being 2 anymore.  She told me that her birthday is on "September 28th."  Yes, indeed.  I told her that we might have to start working on learning her address when she's 3.  I asked if she knew her address.  She replied, "Yes.  It's pink, isn't it, Mom." 

This is what a 2 year old going to bed looks like.

This is what a 3 year old waking up looks like.

When we asked Lily what she wanted for her birthday, she said, "Donut holes."  So her daddy went and got her donut holes first thing this morning.  She her wants won't always be so inexpensive.  We'll enjoy this while we can!  Besides, who doesn't like to start out their birthday with donut holes?!?  And why is it that donut holes taste better than donuts anyway?

Ready for church.  Isn't that a great dress?
When you're 3, you get to wear great dresses.

After church, we went to the local cafe for lunch.
The waitress overheard that it was Lily's birthday
and brought her pancake with a candle.

 

We ended the day with a party with my Dad's side of the family.
Great grandparents, Grandpa, and Aunt and Uncle.

Candles, cake, candy, and ice cream never get old!

About Lily at age 3

Lily is simply delightful as long as she's not overtired.  (When overtired, she can be a bit whiny.  And we're in that hard in-between-nap-stage.  If she doesn't nap, she's exhausted by early evening.  If she does nap, bedtime is 10 or 11.)  Her vocabulary is amazing and she's learning nuance of words.

She often tells me to "trust me, Mommy" when I tell her no to something she wants.  Still figuring out the nuance of what "trust me" means...  She also told me tonight as I put her to bed that her feelings were hurt.  Turned out her jammies were too tight on her toes.  Not exactly her feelings, but she's trying.  She also spent most of Wednesday this week trying to convince me that she had a "happy cough" not a "bad cough" because I said we couldn't go to play group because of her cough.  It's lovely!

She's starting to ask "why" a lot, and that gets frustrating for me, until I remind myself that this is how she is learning about the world around her right now.  I can't always answer the why's, but I can help her learn about the things she's experiencing.

She curtsies like a princess.  She has a caterpillar that is invisible that needs to be taken out of the bathtub after every single one of her baths.  She gets out of the tub, I wrap her in her towel, she reaches back down toward the water, and she hands me an imaginary little caterpillar.  I put it on the hood of her towel and we go get her dressed.  The caterpillar makes random appearances every now and then in other places, but he is ALWAYS in the bathtub after baths.

She tells me about her feelings, and this is something I cherish and pray continues forever.  We were driving home from lunch after church today, and Lily said from her carseat in the back, "I'm feeling sad."  I asked why she was feeling sad, and she replied, "Because I want to go to the park."  (We had just driven by the park that is 3 blocks from our house.)  "Oh," I replied, "Maybe your dad could take you to the park this afternoon.  Would that be ok?"  She nodded.  I asked how she was feeling.  "I'm feeling happy, " she confirmed.  :)

She's my girl, and I love her!

About Connor at 6 Months

Not to be left out of the action, this little guy
turned 6 months old today. And let me tell you,
he rocks this baby business!

I feel like the time with baby #2 goes by so much faster!  But then, he's been part of our family forever. It's a weird but delightful dichotomy.

He started sitting up on his own in the last week.  A week ago, he needed the Boppy around him; today, he's good on his own for a long time.

He is a strong little boy, and LOVES his jumper/exersaucer.  He spends a lot of time in it, bouncing and bouncing and bouncing and bouncing...  And he's just so pleased with himself and happy to bounce!  All the bouncing has strengthened his legs, and my little guy can stand quite well while being held upright.  He's also getting good at scooting himself around.  I have a feeling that by 7 months he'll be army crawling and by 8 months I will have to baby proof my house!

He tried his first food about a month ago, and he eats like a little champ.  ...And he gets mad when you take a break in the middle of feeding him.

Just in the last week or so, he's started crying when I leave the room and smiling when I come back.  It's fun to be recognized and wanted.  :)

But did I mention he's large?  My boy has the most wonderful, squishy thighs.  I can't get enough of them!  I squish them every time I hold him, because they are so delightful!... and heavy.  He's heavy.  My back and shoulders and neck tell me that every time I pick him up.  But I can't help myself!  :)

Connor loves his sister and watches her all the time.  He smiles every time she pays him any attention, and he reaches for whatever she's doing (which will soon become a major problem, I have a feeling).  He likes the texture of hair, and pulls mine whenever he gets the chance.

He's my boy, and I love him!

Hope and 15 years

It's been 15 years since I've talked to my brother.  15 years and one day, actually.  I'm not mad at him, and he didn't do anything wrong... Well, other than those things big brothers always do to pick on their little sisters.  But we were past that pettiness for the most part.  

We were in high school.  He came to my ball games; he drove me places; I got to tag along on some of his adventures; he could fix things and invent things.  He wasn't the most popular guy to everyone else, but that didn't matter to me.  He was my big brother.  It was a wonderful time.  

Until it wasn't.

Then 15 years ago happened.  

In the span of a split second, I grew up.  

Not really.  I was still just 13, and had so much to learn.  But I and my family learned things before we should have.  Before we were ready to.

A friend posted on her blog recently about how death teaches you things, especially tragic death, early death, death before one has lived "a full life."  I so resonated with what she described.  The casket, the vault, the physical process of preparing to lay to rest one you love.  The pain.

I wish I didn't know these things.  Wish I didn't have to know these things.  But I do.  And today I know how it feels to have not talked to one's big brother for 15 years.  

Can I tell you something?  It hurts.

It doesn't hurt in the same way it did.  It's not the searing, I-can-hardly-take-the-next-breath pain anymore.

For me it's the ache. 

I don't kid myself that Chet and I would be best friends, or even that I would think his wife (had he married, and he would have) was the best sister-in-law ever (although their kids would absolutely have been the best ever - all nieces and nephews are).  The reality of life in my family of origin is that if he lived nearby, we'd be getting together for Husker parties, family birthdays, holidays, and maybe head out to the lake together every now and then.  So I don't ache for some super-tight relationship that in reality would probably never have been.

I ache for the casual sharing of things only family members can share in that way.  Things like my babies birth and subsequent birthdays, graduations, weddings, inside jokes and frustrations and eye rolls and belly laughs that really only siblings or family members get.  Maybe I'm romanticizing what would have been, but of one thing I am certain - if Chet was still alive, I would have talked to him more recently than 15 years ago.

The intensity has waned, and the wish for the world to stop has, for the most part, passed.  Except that sometimes it rears its head, and I want to curl up under a rock (or under my pillow in bed) and pinch myself to wake up because it's all been just a horrible nightmare.  

But life continues to go on, and graduations and weddings happen without him, and babies are born, and the Huskers win and the Huskers lose.  And days and years pass.  15 years pass.

In 10 days I'll likely write about how even pain can be redeemed to be something beautiful.  In 10 days we'll celebrate what would have been Chet's 33rd birthday.  And on that same day we'll celebrate Lily's 3rd birthday.  It is a blessing to me that we celebrate that day.  It's hard to celebrate the birthday of your brother who's no longer there to celebrate it with you.  What do you do?  Get a cake?  Put candles on it for him not to blow out?  Buy balloons?  No.  You don't.  Yet, even though he's gone, I still want to and do celebrate his life.  

So God took care of that weirdness for us.  He gave us Lily.  On Chet's 30th birthday.  Miracle.  We will always celebrate that day, and now it's easier to really celebrate because we have a bright smile to carry us through it.  Someone to blow out candles and squeal with delight at balloons.  I guess I'm speaking for myself on that, because I don't really know how my parents and siblings feel, but it's how I feel.  A painful celebration redeemed by the arrival of a sweet girl.  It feels to me like a legacy is carried on.  His birthday will not be forgotten.

He will not be forgotten.

My friend wrote on her blog that if Heaven is real, it is everything to her.  With that, my friend, I can wholeheartedly relate.  Heaven is real, and it is everything to me too.  It is everything not simply because the idea of seeing my brother again is so appealing.  

It is everything to me because my God is there.  He is my hope.  If not for Him, what hope to do I have?  Why should I live this life?  Why fight the darkness that threatens to overwhelm?  Why struggle to hold it at bay?  I don't mean to be melodramatic, but seriously?  Why work so hard to live if there is nothing more than this? 

In the deepest part of my soul, eternity echos.  I was not created solely for this world.  I can feel it.  Death is so painful and difficult - even aged death - it is evident to me that it wasn't part of what we were designed to bear.  Is that not evident to you too?  And it's not just about feelings, because they can easily mislead.  Eternity and Heaven are for real.  God's Word confirms it.

I know that you may disagree with me on that - wholeheartedly disagree.  And that's ok.  It's not up to me to convince you that Heaven is for real, or any of the other things I believe.  

But because I believe those things, I have hope.  Hope to spend time in the presence of my Lord.  Hope to see my brother again.  Hope that this painful life is not all that there is.  

Today, as I and my family ache, a song echoes in my head... 

I have a hope.  I have a future.  I have a destiny that is yet awaiting me.
My life's not over.  A new beginnings just begun.
I have a hope.  I have this hope.  

I will praise Him, because He is my Hope.

(Here's a link to the song on YouTube: I Have a Hope)

The first day of school, fall of 1999.  One of the last pictures we took together.
For those who never had the privilege to meet him, let me introduce my brother, Chet Deichmann.

State fair, dance, new computers and more

How does this happen?  How does almost a month pass without a post?  The answer: I don't have time to post.  But the truth is I don't have time NOT to post!  So much that I want to remember, that I want to be able to go back and review has happened, and I need to record it!  

One thing that's been holding me back is that my beloved netbook is biting the dust.  The computer itself is actually ok, but the operating system is no longer supported.  Thus, goodbye netbook.  :(  Today I ordered our new computer, and it should get here in a few days.  That will really help, because posting will go MUCH faster.  Hurray!  :)

Things I want to remember:

CONNOR

This month has been my favorite so far with him.  He's growing like crazy.  I feel like he puts another ounce on his thighs and cheeks every day.  He's so squishy and wonderful!  In the last month he's learned to sit with support, he's becoming really good at grabbing things, and he's so attentive to all that goes on around him.  People always comment on how big his eyes are.  Someone said today that he looks really smart (I mean, OF COURSE he's smart!) because he's so attentive to everything that goes on around him.  

Connor's arms are getting really strong from lifting his big self up all the time when he's laying on his tummy.  He can fully extend and lock his elbows to lift his upper body when he's on his tummy, and he's moving his legs in a crawling motion already, propelling himself forward in his crib.  It won't be long, folks!  Course, he's got to learn to totally sit up on his own first...

I started him on cereal a week or so ago.  He LOVES to eat, and he does not prefer that runny cereal nonsense.  He likes it thick and he likes a lot of it (unless he's too tired).  He likes squash, and prunes help things go smoothly.  I think we'll do sweet potatoes and peas in the coming days.  I suspect they'll go through his lips, past his gums, look out rolls, here it comes!  :)

Connor loves to jump in his jumper thing.  It has springs and he gets so excited when he hops in it.  It makes him so excited that he drools... a lot.  I think if I got that excited I'd drool too!  I love how it takes his whole face to really smile - there is no part of his face that doesn't just glow when he's grinning!

Connor loves to be outside, and soon he'll attend his first football game (one of his cousin's games).  But for now, he's enjoying Husker football and the parties that come with it.  And so is Lily...

First Husker game.  GBR!

LILIANA

Lily is just... amazing.  Every day it's so fun to get up and do life with her.  Lately, she's taken to telling me when she's enjoying something by saying, "Mom, I'm feeling happy."  Isn't that great?!?  Where did she get that?  She has also told me "I'm feeling sad" once or twice, but mostly she's happy.  Like when we were heading to the park, when we got in the car to go to Grandma's house, when she saw the puffy clouds, when she saw the tassels on the corn.  As we pulled out of her babysitter's house this afternoon she told me, "Mom, there's the animals.  I like them: the goats, and the horse, and kitties, and the bunny rabbits..."  (There were only goats and a horse there.  She just started thinking of animals she liked and listing them.  I love her!)

Also lately, when I tell Lily to do something she doesn't want to do, or to not do something she does want to do, she tells me in an inflection I only wish I could convey, "Moooooom, TRUST me.  I need you  to TRUST me."  I fully believe she learned this phrase from me, and she's trying to apply it correctly, except it never quite fits the situation.  It's adorable!

We went to the State Fair on Labor Day, and Lily was SO excited for the fair.  She wanted to see animals, and ride rides, and have cotton candy.  Which was ideal, because that's what fairs are for, right?  As we walked through the entrance gate pushing Connor and her on the double stroller, she told Chase and I, "This is the best day EVER."  Experiencing life through the eyes of a 2 year old is awesome.

At the State Fair I just wanted to ride the Ferris Wheel,
so Chase took me.  What a great guy!

Mom, who went with us, watched the kids
so we could ride the Ferris Wheel.  Thanks Mom!

Lily waiting for her first ride to start - the motorcycles.

She was a good driver!

Her other ride was a car ride.  2 going on 16.

The biggest thing in Lily's life this fall is that we started her in dance class.  It's 30 minutes once a week, but this girl is SO EXCITED!!!  We registered her about 2 weeks ago and got her shoes.  Then last Friday I told her that today, Tuesday, was dance day.  She spent most of Friday and all of Saturday trying to convince me that it was "Twos-day."  (She holds up 2 fingers every time she says "Twos-day.")  By Sunday she understood that she couldn't change days just by willing it to change or trying to convince me, so Sunday and Monday she waited patiently.  

Then today arrived!  First she went to the sitters while I worked, then I picked her up, we did a few things around town, and came home to get ready for DANCE!!!!  Here are the pictures...

Pre-dance energy boost.  Only 26 minutes to go!

Dressed and checking out the outfit in the mirror.
She had to try a few different poses to make sure it looked good.
It did.

At the dance studio, waiting for her class to start!

A good luck kiss and hug from Daddy.

Tap shoes in her bag, she headed off into the dance room.
She didn't even look back, folks.  Totally confident.  Totally precious.
Totally growing up too fast.

In dance class.  She is the one with her back perfectly to the camera,
3rd from the left, closest to the camera.

Daddy watching her do her thing.

It was a lot of fun to watch her "dance."  I would have given a lot to be a fly on the wall in that dance studio.  It seemed like she did the opposite of what everyone else was doing most of the time.  Everyone was sitting still in a circle, she was bouncing about on her knees.  Everyone was standing looking in the mirror, she was sitting looking at the teacher.  Everyone was sitting looking in the mirror, she was standing raising her arms in the air.

When she got out of class, she told me that she obeyed her teacher.  So either she was super obedient and just did everything as soon as her teacher SAID to and before all the other kids figured out what to do, OR she lied.  I'm pretty sure she was fantastic though.  From everything I saw, she was absolutely the perfect ballerina.

So much to remember.  So excited for the new computer to come.  Glad to be caught up on life on the blog again.  To quote Lily, "I'm feeling happy."

Summer's end

This summer has been a lot of fun.  It's been crazy, and (that horribly over-used and abused word) busy, and wonderfully fun.  Here's a peak into the home of Francl.

Lily-isms

"That was a delicious smackerel"

(After she drank the last of the water from her glass, she said into her empty cup:)  "Oh bother.  Empty again."

Can you tell we've been watching a lot of Whinney the Pooh lately?  We've also enjoyed introducing Lily to the wonder of Disney movies over the summer.  So far we've watched Frozen, Finding Nemo, The Little Mermaid, Robin Hood, The Jungle Book, Tangled, Cinderella, and most recently Beauty and the Beast.

I'm pleased to say she's a fan.  We have many to go, which is simply a delight for both her and me.

Now, about Connor this summer...  Particularly this month, his 4th month of life, he's developing at lightning speeds.  In the last week alone, he's become a champ at grabbing things with his hands and pulling them to his mouth.  Which is particularly useful considering he's working on his first two teeth already.  

He loves to stand (with the help of supporting arms), and he's starting to laugh, just a little, if you work pretty hard for it.  :)  Also, he's huge.  My son is a big boy, and while I know it's exhausting to chase littles around once they can move, so is carrying them around when they can't.  *deep breath*  I hope he walks early.

Here are some pictures from our county fair...

Lily spent lots of time with the animals at the fair.
First there was the goat show Monday, then the afternoon
with animals on Tuesday, and Wednesday we visited them
one more time for good measure.  By Wednesday she was brave
enough to pet them!

On Wednesday, Grandpa Dave met us at the fair and so did
some friends who were visiting from Colorado.  Here is Breyah,
Lily's little friend.

Lily with Breyah on her first ever carnival ride.
The cars were a great success!

Lily's best friend Roman was also along with us at the fair.
He was a ride veteran, though, and knew all the good rides.
The train was a favorite.

Roman rode this ride the night before and loved it.
It was a flying dragon kind of ride.  Above is the before picture.
We didn't get an after picture because it turned out to be a disaster.
Flying rides and Lily did not mix.

Great Grandma Dolores came to visit, and snuggled Connor.
It cracks me up how huge he is!

Great Grandpa Jerry came too, and Lily dressed him up with a green clip
in his hair.  She got the purple hair extension.

I took this picture sometime between 12am and 1am the other night.
We put her to bed IN her bed.  Somehow we missed the move to the floor.
She must have been quiet about it cuz I had the monitor right next to me that night...