Catching up

Ok... so this blogging thing kind of went by the wayside for a while. 

However, I so desperately want to start recording things again.  Not because I really want, or even care, about anybody else reading this stuff.  No, this blog is not cathartic for me like the one at www.thefruitlessfilly.blogspot.com was, and I don't feel like I am on a mission to spread the word on anything anymore.  What I do miss, however, is the constant recording of my thoughts and feelings about this little firecracker of a miracle child named Lana.  Over the past few months, as she does more and more to amaze me, I have kept thinking that I need to write all this down.  But I get busy.  A diaper needs changed, dinner needs fixed, and the house needs cleaned.  Not to mention my day job.  And so, these months have flown by without fail, with them my opportunity to record all the amazing things that happen daily.

I want to do better.  I want Lana to have something to read when she is older.  Something that shows her just how loved and cherished she really is (especially during those years that she thinks "Everybody hates her" and "Nobody understands her.")  I want her to know how the smallest, most insignficant things make me fall more and more in love with her daily... Things like-

~  Little painted toddler toes...meep!

~  They way she utilizes her father and I as la-z-boy recliners.  Sinking into our laps until she finds just the perfect spot to open a book or watch TV.


~ Watching her with animals.  Pure love and acceptance.  No fear (not even of spiders!).  So much kindness.

~  Witnessing the emergence of a social being.  One that desperately wants to play with the "big kids"

~  Hearing the most treasured words for any parent,

"Wub ewwww"

  Whether she understands what she is saying, I don't know.  But hearing her say it is unbelievable  :)

~  Watching her identify the letters A, B, and C on sight.  I can hardly believe she is old enough to start learning her letters!

~ The way she says "haaaaaaa-ng" anytime I reach my arms over my head in a good stretch.  She somehow has confused this with a sign that it is time to hang like a monkey from our canopy bed (thanks daddy).

 

~  When out of the blue she touches my nose and says "noooooooose."

~  Pointing to the framed picture of her big brother and saying "Braaaaadley"  - as if I don't know who he is :)

~  Calling cookies "cooks", abcmouse "maaaaus", and pronouncing banana with emphasis on every single syllable.  "Ba-na-na"

~  When she gets excited, and screams while tightening up her entire upper body.  All the pent up energy finally comes out as a shaking of her hands.  It cracks me up.  And reminds me soooooo much of her Aunt Lala (who to this day does the exact same thing).

I'm making a promise to myself that I will update more frequently.  If no other reason than acting as my personal journal of an amazing journey - being Lana's mommy.  It has truly meant more to me than I could have ever even dreamed.  Hope everyone is well and happy!  Happy summer!























 

More Milestones

I feel like every time I post these days (which is far too infrequently) I am talking about milestones.  Maybe that is because Lana does something new almost everyday.   It seems that as soon as I think to myself, "I wonder when she will do ________"...that she does __________ the very next day.

These days Lana is extremely busy.  She seldom sits still and is inquisitive about everything.  Mom says she is going to be a dare devil like her Aunt Lala and daddy. :)  

She has learned to shake her head back and forth as if she is saying "no", which she does constantly.  We are currently working on waving "bye bye", and of course trying to coax out those precious first words!  I can tell she wants to talk so badly!!!!!  She puts her lips together and starts blowing as if she is trying to imitate my "da da" or "ma ma."

She laughs and squeals all the time and I keep falling more and more in love with her.  I honestly don't know what I did before she was here.  I'm assume I had more free time, but not near the amount of joy she brings to this household everyday!  I am just ga-ga over this little girl.

So, she is 7 1/2 months old, and has two adorable little teeth now...

and enough hair for pig tails.

She is pulling up

and cracking up

Her favorite snack:

 Her favorite tv character:

Her favorite book (well, mommy's favorite book)

Her favorite snuggle place (daddy's shoulder):

Her favorite past-time (crawling)

Her best friend

Her second best friend

Her third best friend  :)

Has there ever been a more beautiful, wonderful, awesome baby in the whole universe?  I think not!  ;)

Lana bear, mommy and daddy love you to the moon, and back!!!!

Guess who has a tooth!?!

I knew it was coming.  She's been drooling uncontrollably and chewing on anything she can get her hands on for a couple months now.  It was only a matter of time before that mean 'ol tooth poked through!!!  Two days ago I finally felt it.  The toothless grin days are really numbered now  : (


Lana is doing all kinds of cool things these days.  She crawled for the first time on Easter, and seems to really be getting the hang of it now.  She is getting more and more talkative.  She likes to imitate your sounds and still loves you to sing to her.   She oooos, and ahhhhhs, and cooos.  Such a sweet sound!

And...She's eating Cheerios!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here are some other highlights from the last few weeks:

Lana helped mommy check the ticket during lunch at a certain Fourth Street Live Establishment.  She, too, was disgusted at the cost of the mediocre food  ;)

Lana took her first trip to the zoo with mommy and daddy.  Although she didn't really demonstrate much excitement, I just know she will love it in the years to come!

This one ws taken at the end of the outing right before the fussiness began.  And she looks so sweet here...

Lana's first Easter!  We went to an Easter Egg hunt with cousin Max on the Saturday at Oaklawn where Doot was recovering from surgery.  Then Sunday, Lana woke to her very first Easter basket!  The Easter basket was a pinterest-inspired project...and I think it turned out just fabulously if I do say so myself!

Checking out an Easter egg

Riding mommy's hip:

Not so sure about this big bunny...

Cousin Max was sure about the bunny.  Sure he wanted no part of it!!!!!  LOL

Giving Aunt Ginger some love

Doing some crawling at home

Easter morning.  Not looking too amused with the bunny ears.

My sweet baby.  Love her.

Happy 6 Months Birthday to My Baby!!!!!!

Six months ago today my Lana bear was born!  This 6 months has flown by, and I really couldn't ask for more than this wonderful family of mine  :)

In honor of the Bear's 6 month birthday, I thought I would share with you two of her very favorite songs. 

Anyone who grew up with my sister and me knows that we dance to the beat of our own drums.  We give everyone, and everything, weird nicknames.  We make up funky songs that we sing in front of anyone, anywhere, regardless of the fact that neither of us are especially blessed vocally.  We even have our own special language and dialect.

We get it honestly.  My mom and dad each contributed to these habits.  My dad with the nicknames, my mom with the songs.  So, when Lana was born, she quickly acquired a couple different nicknames.  "Lana Bear", "The Bear", and "Kangees" (courtesy of Aunt Lala) are the most utilized.  And, she also has her own songs.  

My sister and my mother have both written songs in honor of the Bear.   "Snuggle Town" and "Baby Cypert".  Reading these lyrics it is absolutely clear that this child is not only loved and cherished by all, but also destined to dance to her own funky drummer as well.

"Snuggle Town":  Lyrics by Laura and Ben Coppelman AKA Aunt Lala and Uncle Bean.

Welcome to snuggle town

We're gonna snuggle down

If you come here frownin'

We'll turn it around.

And you will see, that you will be,

A cuddly, Kangees.

"Baby Cypert":  Lyrics by Bobbie Hardin AKA Granny B.  Sung to the tune of Davy Crockett.

Born a beauty in Kentucky

Prettiest baby in the land of the free

Ran thru the woods, and climbed every tree

Daddy bought her a gun when she was only three

     Chorus:  Baby, Ba---by Cypert, Queen of Shelbyville!!

She grew up healthy, she grew up strong

Mommy and Daddy taught her right from wrong

Played hard all day and snoozed all night long

And---she loved her Granny to sing her this song

     Chorus

She went off to school where she loved to learn

Was polite to all, and waited her turn

Helped the poor, always showed her concern

About what people thought----Well she didn’t give a darn

     Chorus

She was smart and loved to read

From an early age—she was born to succeed

Always ready to do a good deed

About others---she would be the lead

     Chorus

Come eighteen—it was time to vote

Bet your bottom dollar—she was no turn coat

Ronald Reagan---- she swore to promote

American Pride—well that was all she wrote

     Chorus

Lana  bled “blue” from an early age

Rooting for the “Cats” took center stage

Bad “reffing” put her in a rage

“Big Blue Nation” was  her face book page

    Chorus

Happy Birthday Bear!  You are a very special and loved little girl!!!!!!!!!!

I Never quite got it...

I remember nodding politely when my friends would say in a somewhat sad tone, "Gosh, they just grow so fast."  I understood conceptually what they were saying.  And I pride myself in the fact that I never, not even once, rolled my eyes at this seemingly dramatic declaration.  But, I never really understood the truth of the statement.  And I certainly didn't comprehend the feeling that accompanies it. 

I do now.

How did we go from this:

To this:

so quickly???? 

Don't get me wrong, the growing milestones are fun.  It seems Lana does something **AMAZING** everyday.  These little strides in her development make me both giddy, and incredibly proud, at the same time.  But tonight, while treating her to her nightly "massage" after bathtime, I caught my little no-longer newborn doing this:

!!!!!!!!!  It's just a matter of time before she is downright mobile!!!  It was just yesterday she couldn't hold her little head up!!! 

And now as I repeatedly wipe the drool from her perfect little chin, I have stopped myself more than once frm crying as I think about how much I will miss this:

That BIG, BEAUTIFUL, TOOTHLESS grin.  Oh, God, how I love the toothless grin.

And, everyday this gets just a little bit longer:

(Above was taken on the day she sported her very first ponytail)

My little Pebbles.  ahhhhhh.

So, yes it is absolutly generic.  And it is undoubedly a cliche.  But it is absolutely true.  They do grow too fast.  And the feeling of  gratitude, mixed with a little bit of sadness, that comes with having the honor of witnessing it - - - well it is almost too potent to bear. 

I love this little girl.

And I'm so lucky to be her mommy  :)

xoxo

4 1/2 Months Old!

Ok.  So I missed the Official "4" months by a couple of weeks.  I am finding that blogging about Lana takes a back seat to actually taking care of Lana (as does most everything else).  My sweet Lana is just a bit spoiled, but in the absolute best way!  She wants to be entertained constantly, a pattern my wonderful mother has established during the work day.  So, when she is around getting anything done whatsoever is difficult to say the least.

I think Lana is becoming a bit too accustomed to being the only show in town.  It is high time my sister and Uncle Bean worked on giving her a little competition in the near future!!! 

1.  You are turning over now!  And boy, do you know it.

2.  You are the happiest baby I have ever seen.  You smile all the time and laugh constantly at your mommy and granny.

3.  You look just as cute in just a diaper as you do all gussied up and ready to go out on the town. 

4.  You took your first mini-vacay to Gatlinburg this past weekend.  You visited all the essentials...The Peddler, The Apple Barn, Tanger Outlet Mall, and the Smoky Mountain National Park.  And you were a major hit everywhere. 

5.  Your mom is broke from the above-mentioned trip. 

6.  You aren't much of a napper, just like your momma.

7.  You are wearing 6-9 month clothes now.

8.  You weighted 14 lbs. 7 ounces at your 4 month checkup.

9.  You recently met two of your future besties, Isabella and Caleb Hayden, for lunch.  As usual, you were noisier than the adorable 10 month old Hayden twins put together. 

10.  You love to pet your sisters Ally and Karma.  They love to give you sloppy doggy kisses.

11.  Your granny has officially decided she can't part with you and therefore will not return to work.  Mommy and daddy let out a collective sigh of relief knowing you are in such good hands during the day!!!

12.  You love dinner time because that is when you get your solids for the day.  Your favorite is apples and blueberries, but you also love oatmeal cereal with a little maple syrup. 

13.  You have started taking a nightly bath with your mommy which is both of our favorite parts of the day.  We splash around and you practice your kicks.  You will be a great swimmer one day.

14.  Your mommy moved her personal desk and files home so she can spend every possible moment with you.  You still stay with Granny when mommy has court or meetings, and for a couple hours even on work-from-home days.  It helps mommy get done quicker and besides, Granny can't stand to be away from you too much!!!!

 Who could resist this face????????

 Your first snow! As you can see mommy was alot more excited than you were!

 You and your Mimi  :)

 You and daddy in Pigeon Forge.

Teensy weensy baby toes!!!!!!!!!!  Meep!

3 Months Old!

- You have discovered you hands.  You stare at them moving all the time.  It will be no time before you are able to hold your rattles!

- You open and close your hand frantically when you are unhappy.  It usually means you want more milk pronto or that your diaper is wet.

- We have completed the switch to cloth diapers.  Aside from the awesome $ savings, your little butt looks super cute in them  :)

- You LOVE your Granny B.  She makes up songs and poems about you and sings them to you everyday.  For instance, one goes like this..."Ba--by, Ba-by Cypert, Queen of Shelbyville!!!!"  No surprise you find her greatly entertaining (most everyone does).

-For the most part, you sleep through the night.  You go to bed between 10 and 11 p.m. and sleep straight through until 6 or 7 a.m.  All I can say about this is, thank you my child.

-You seem to be going for top honors in the "Baby Fist Eaters" contest.  You try and get both lodged in there at the same time.

-You are wearing 3-6 month clothes.

 

- You had your first Christmas and New Year's Eve this month.  You were spoiled by all your loved ones, even though you wouldn't have known the difference!

-Your dad likes watching cartoons with you, and you are starting to notice the TV a little bit.  

- You imitate sounds I make.  And you love to talk gibberish!  We discuss our day with each other every afternoon.

-You giggle wildly when mommy and/or daddy blow raspberries on your tummy.

-Your drooling has gotten out of hand.  Like Seriously.

- You love bath time.  You lift your legs up and bring them back down to see the water splash.

-You still hate tummy time. 

-When you do tummy time, Daddy goes behind mommy's back and turns you over on your back because he spoils you rotten.  He hates hearing you get upset.  Mommy has to be the 'bad guy' that comes flipping your over/torturing you again and again.  

- I've only seen you really cry (with actual tears) a handful of times, and you don't get fussy very much.  For the most part, you are a very smiley and happy baby.

- You do, however, have a temper...When you want something, you make it clear that you expect your need to be met...NOW.  

-You saw your first snow today, January 12, 2012, on your 3 month birthday!!!