Many a Milestone

So today was a big day for Little Miss Lucy! She went from almost 8 months to 21 overnight it seems. She is so much fun to play with, and she is constantly making us laugh. I can't wait for Christmas - it is going to be so special!

On towards today.... miss diva decided, in between her teething moments, to do 3, maybe 4, pretty big things (at least in babyland). First, Cody and I were lying on the bed with her in the middle, just goofing around. She kept rolling from Daddy to Mommy and back. At one point, she was playing with my face, and then (oh no!) zeroing in on my hair, so as a distraction tactic I said, "Where's Daddy?" To which she rolled over her shoulder, looking at Cody and said, "Dada!" Triumphant applause please, my daughter is a freakin' genius. Of course, after many attempts at repetition and getting nothing but razzing and squeals, she figures why not give them more to talk about? So, she rolled on her tummy, and tucked her legs underneath her, got up on her knees, and "bed crawled" to get Daddy's sunglasses. Not a real crawl, but a start - she knew what to do! Of course, not to stop there, she was resting on her back when Daddy threw his hat over the top of her face. Figuring she would freak out, I panicked. Lucy, had other plans - more of the inspecting nature. She grabbed the hat with both hands, lifted it off her face, and proceeded to read the inside of the hat. She has been grasping objects for awhile, but nothing like this. Pure genius. She gets that from me... not from her Daddy whom makes up words and calls himself the master. Whatever.

Oh, and the 4th thing - she fed herself today! MumMums -- which, coincidentally are going to be my new 15 calorie snack food -- are the new favorite around here. Forget gerber puffs (feel strange in the mouth apparently), we are all about the big honking rice-cake-wannabee. I think we have our new "keep her quiet during church" food. Ahh, success!

My Uncle Mark is the Best!

Uncle Mark - you are so talented! Mommy needs your address please :)

Lucy's First Snow

Happy Birthday Grandma! We love you!


I'm off work today (voluntarily -- I needed a mental health day with all the UIL stress), so wouldn't you know that Lucy and I woke up to this:


So after having a leisurely breakfast in our pajamas and playing for a little while....




...we had to go experience the snow for ourselves!

Not the prettiest snow in the world, but snow none-the-less, which as you can see she was trying to eat. We tend to get more snow than the metroplex, being an hour north, so Lucy will get to experience this strange white stuff quite a bit over the next few months. It's going to be so much fun!

7 months plus

As I am writing this as my sister-in-law is having contractions and might be giving me a new niece or nephew anytime soon! It is exciting to think about a new person entering our lives - and Lucy is getting her first cousin younger than her (that I know of - Cody's family is HUGE!). It is weird to think that a little over 7 months ago, I was in Tina's position... wondering whether or not I would have a boy or a girl, if he/she was healthy, and had 10 toes - hey, I got 2 out of 3! Lucy was the perfect gift. She is definitely a diva, and she gets that from me :) But we wouldn't have it any other way.

The silent reflux, which we thought was over, is far from not. We weaned her medicine from twice a day to once a day since she was 6 months old... and then we went cold turkey for one whole day. Talk about nightmare! That's why she's been fussy for the past month - tummy troubles. So, back on the meds we go, and I'm okay with that. As long as she is feeling great, we will do medicine until the cows come home -- which you never know when that will be here in M-town.

Sharing some adorable family pictures over the past few weeks, including the Sacred Heart Parish picnic, and Lucy's first encounter with the Claus. It's been a fun ride.



Here is the grandparents with all the grandchildren -- my side of the family. Isn't my tree awesome?!?!

My adorable family - even Cody.
My three super cute nieces!


And crazy Sammy posing for the camera.

Not quite sure what to think about the big guy....

Lucy telling Santa that Mommy wants a smaller waistline for Christmas... I don't think Santa quite understands...

Time is Flying By

Bye Bye Miracle Blanket. We loved you so, but alas, your time is up. Hooray for swaddleless-tummy sleeping!



The month of October was one big ol' One-Act-Play-Blur! Life was pretty hectic around the Klement household until play competition was over, and Lucy adjusted quite nicely. Now it is hard to believe that Thanksgiving is upon us. I am, however, looking forward to the highly anticipated 5-day Thanksgiving break :) A definite perk to the educational system. Of course, as soon as that is over with, we have UIL competition and midterms beckoning prior to the even more anticipatory 2 week Christmas Break - I can hear the angels singing now!! I feel like a kid counting days until Santa comes - my present officially comes December 18th at 1:00pm!!

We had Lucy's sweet webbed baby toes x-rayed last week(the 2nd and 3rd toe on her right foot). We found out there is no bone fusion, so the surgery would be entirely cosmetic. I used to be extremely pro-sugery, but the more I think about it, I would not be setting the best example for my daughter. What I mean is, what kind of parent would I be by "fixing" my daughter's natural beauty at such an early age. It won't impede her walking, and it is hardly noticeable. Heck, we didn't even notice it until she was 3 days old. The more research I do, the more fun facts I find out about people with webbed toes. Apparently it is very common in the celebrity world - there have even been scientific studies linking syndactyly to fame and fortune! It is also known as "twin toes", which I think is an ironically adorable name. I feel that this feature is really a blessing in disguise. It will make Lucy a strong and unique individual with a special gift from God. We have a surgery date set, but you can pretty much guess the direction we are heading towards - and no, this was not anything driven by my husband (who is leaving the decision up to me)... it's just how I feel. Who am I to deprive my daughter of her God-given beauty and individuality? I know kids can be cruel, but this Mommy fully intends to raise her daughter to overcome adversity. My momma raised me right (when all those kids made fun of my weight), and I am a better person because of it. Hmm, guess I just made up my mind!

On another note, we took Lucy to Bowie Trade Days last weekend, and she loved it. They have tons of animals (chickens, rabbits, pigs, etc.), but she loved all the puppies everywhere. It was her first real time to ride in the "big girl" part of the stroller, and she loved officially seeing the world, not riding on top of it. This might end up being a monthly occurrence, because Mommy loves to shop, and it is a quick 20-minute away adventure. See you again on December 13th, Bowie!

Shopping with Grandma Charlotte and Daddy at Bowie Trade Days
"Daddy! You promised Mommy we could get a puppy my size!"

Happy Halloween!

This outfit lasted 5 minutes, before we threw up all over it. It was worth it -- how cute is she?!?!

Now Back to your Regularly Scheduled Programming

Mommy and Me!


Wow! I am incredibly bad at this blogging thing. My last post was September 20th, and here we sit at the halfway point of October. I know time flies, but this is ridiculous. Of course, it doesn't help that work is on warp speed right now. Things will slow down for that after the first week of December, which I am sure will be about the time Lucy starts crawling, and she is taking off faster than I can keep up. Sheesh! I have 100% completely given up on my other blog. Maybe when I am old and gray I will have time for that.... scratch that - by that point in life I better be traveling. I'll call you and tell you about those adventures instead of typing it into cyberspace. I can keep up (*hopefully*) with a phone call - and heck, by that time we won't have cell phones anymore and most likely telekenesis will be the new phone forward fashion.

On to little miss squiggles.

We just got over our first double ear infection. It sounds worse that it is/was. She is a trooper - never complained. We brought her in to see Dr. Adams b/c she was extremely congested, and we were worried about her breathing. Totally the right thing to do (see the ped.) b/c it turns out she had been exposed to swine flu at day care. But, she tested free of the pig, and now, after some wonderful antibiotics, we are back to giggling and playing like normal.

I was so excited when I got home from work today with Lucy, b/c when I went to get her out of the car, I realized she put her pacifier in her mouth all by herself!! Of course, when I tried to get her to do it again, I failed - but hey, it's progress! Also *knock on wood* it seems we are over the middle-of-the-night-american-idol-auditions. Instead, her new thing to do while sleeping is wake up totally turned around facing the wrong direction. I want to know how she can move around so much and still stay asleep - it baffles me. Then again, her daddy is a pro at sleeping through anything, so maybe she received his talent there.

Other than that, things are moving right along. She wants to kinda crawl - she's getting there. She's still babbling away like crazy (a talent inherited from her mamma and grandmas), and laughing more than ever. It's an extremely fun stage right now! My favorite part? Seeing those arms reach for my face and give me a big ol' kiss! Priceless!
Lucy and Great Grandma Sandmann




My little Pumpkin!


Lucy's first Halloween party! The pumpkin and Nurse Grandma (or apparently, a stripper, as some people thought... )



According to my mommy, you have to exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle!

Playdate with the Cousins!

Today (and this weekend in general) was a fun day for Lucy. She got to spend time with her some of her aunts and uncles (Julie, Tina, Chris, Kenneth, and Keith) and many of her crazy cousins (Abby, Luke, Emma, Sammy and Sabrina). Sacred Heart had a picnic in the park with tons of free festivities for kids. There were 4 bounce house/obstacle courses for all ages, a HUGE train giving rides, face painting, cotton candy, snow cones, kettle corn, bingo games, clowns with prizes, and a balloon maker - ALL FREE! So all the family came out and we spent 3 hours down in the park enjoying the weather, food, and family.

Playing in our Bumbo seat before Sabrina comes to play....




And promptly takes it over....


Sammy loving every millisecond of the train ride. I think he invited all these random kids back to the house.



Sabrina didn't want to get out of her very first "bouncy bouncy."




Sara "Star" clown. She gave out cool toys like stencils, balls, and yo-yo's... which Sammy will eventually master.
Emma and I stood patiently in line for 30 minutes to get a butterfly hat. Then part of it popped. Sigh.... Sammy got an orange dinosaur and Julie, I mean "Sabrina" got a mermaid (which was a little disturbing of you ask me. Very adult-ish mermaid... Chris liked her).


Then it was time to try bananas in the new highchair. They smell disgusting, but I guess they are good b/c she ate them in record time! ... and now a video for Grandma and Grandpa - Lucy misses you!

fruit, fun, and other random things

Uncle John, a twin (I so can't tell if it is Izzie or Maddie in this pic), and Mommy all feeding Lucy together.


So apparently the new funny is the word "anyways" - which, by the way, isn't really a word. But it doesn't matter in Lucy's world; it is the definition of hysterical. She was giggling up a storm when Daddy was saying 'anyways' over and over again. He is kinda funny looking, so maybe that was it. I am sure tomorrow it won't be cool anymore, and we will have to, yet again, figure out the 'in' thing.

I am very excited about the exersaucer score today! Our town has a community-wide garage sale once a year, and you would think Disney World was free to the public by the amount of people who come to shop! It is insanity, but nevertheless, super fun. "Anyways", Cody, Grandma Charlotte, Lucy and I set out on a quest to find a walker/exersaucer for less than the $100 that stores want. I walked away with an amazing one for $25, and it has all the bells and whistles. Charlotte also scored one, and a cute musical chair, for a grand total of $20.50. I am sure we could have found more things, but it was rainy, cold, and Cody is cheap ;) Lucy likes her new digs, so all is well with the world.

We also started solid foods this week - Pears and Peaches in addition to the oatmeal. She adores Peaches. Sidebar: Wasn't there a song in like 1995 called Peaches? I think it was alternative? Hubby thinks I am nuts, but I know it exists. Millions of Peaches, Peaches for free... I digress.

Oh, and this is the new highchair we have yet to use. It is super fashionable, though, so it looks cute in the kitchen :) Lucy likes it, she is just too small. Which is more than I can say for the bumbo seat - her adorable chunky legs *which she totally got from me* get stuck! Poor girl... we shall introduce her to Mommy's favorite sport of walking early in life. She doesn't need to get Mommy's chubby butt as well...


...and here is her adorableness captured in video... right after she stopped her hyena-like laugh. She is so aware of the camera...

She Wears High Heels....

And now it is time for a fall fashion show, brought to you by little miss Lucy! Enjoy


This is baby Arturo fashion wear, brought to you by Kendall McLeod, one of my students. This was the nickname Lucy had in 7th grade last year, before we knew her gender. 7th graders are strange. Apparently her sibling will be named Keokyo Kiwi?


Daddy's little college football companion. Sigh.

Go Lindsay Knights! *She will be a DANCER, not a cheerleader, just to clarify.



This is an outfit passed down. I believe both my sister and I wore it when were little. Isn't she a precious thing!?!

Still a little big, but maybe will be the perfect Valentine's outfit? Another one of Mommy's old outfits. Previously as seen on Sabrina, I believe.

My Little Rolly Polly

Lucy is getting to be a pro at rolling over. She automatically flips as soon as you put her on the playmat. Which now means that we need to start baby-proofing the house. Sigh... so not ready to deal with that.

For the past 2 weeks, Lucy has been going to Ms. Donna for daycare. She absolutely loves it and is doing amazingly well there. It was tough on me at first, but even more difficult was getting back into the routine of working. I'm not talking about my actual job, just the preparation it takes to get 2 people now ready in the morning (some days, 3 people, but Cody can kinda be self-sufficient when he needs to). The hardest part is having to give Lucy her reflux meds 30 minutes before she eats in the morning. So, I have been giving them to her while she is still almost asleep, and then setting up the "eating station" for cereal and bottle. Then, I have to pray that she doesn't spit up all over me while she is eating (or pee all over me like she did this morning, right before church) because I honestly don't have time to change and 7th graders don't like the smell of regurgitated breakfast. It has been an adjustment, but, knock on wood, I think I have it down now. All I can say is Thank God for French Vanilla Coffee Mate and Folgers in my cup(s) every morning!

I will say I am so excited to be back in my classroom this year! My students are so awesome and excited to learn, and that pumps me up. I am already compiling a list of all these fun ideas and games I have come up with to start teaching Lucy when she is a bit older. I think teaching 3rd in the past will help me get Lucy started with phonics and reading. Sadly, I have already made her flashcards. I know, I am ahead of myself, but I love learning, and want Lucy to be the same way. I won't push her, I promise - I will not be "THAT" mom (the one I dreaded during parent conferences).

I have to say that I am extremely proud of how Lucy has been doing in Mass lately. She was baptized back in May and has been attending Church with us on an (almost) weekly basis. So far, she has been excellent, and she loves the praise and worship music. I don't understand people that baptize their children, and then don't bring them to church b/c they "are too little" -- you are never too little to practice your faith. So what if they get noisy, God is cool with it (and so is your priest). Okay, off my soapbox.

Lucy will begin yellow fruits and veggies next week. I won't bore you with the details of that. I am sure it will be messy and cute. Picture it yourself :)

It was a BIG week!

Lucy had a very exciting week, with many new milestones and whatnot. She went from rolling over just a little bit, to doing it every time she hits the floor, repeatedly. She also went to daycare for the first time (harder on Mommy than anyone else) and LOVED it. She is going to do fabulously with Ms. Donna. She also started rice cereal yesterday b/c she is a big 4 month old. She is a "little people" now, as Grandma likes to call her. She is so much fun to play with now, and every day just gets better and better. I can't believe how quickly everything is happening. Tomorrow she will be graduating high school (hopefully with an abundance of college scholarships).

Here are your pics of the week. Enjoy!
Story time! Lucy loves to read - just like Mommy and polar opposite of Daddy!
Going to daycare for the first time. We had to be fashion forward to make a good impression.

Lucy enthralled with Daddy's facial hair.

First rice cereal feeding. She loves it!

Getting Bigger By The Second

I love to talk talk talk! I wonder where I get that from *ahem Grandmas ahem*

In exactly 35 hours my little baby girl will be going to daycare for the first time. I am not too thrilled about it, but it has to be done. Fortunately we found a wonderful home daycare provider about 2 blocks from my work. Lucy will be the only infant there, and will be extremely well cared for and loved. Monday morning will still suck though, no matter which way you slice it.

I have been with Lucy every day for (almost) 4 months, so this will be a huge transition for both of us. She is changing so much lately. She rolled over 3 times today -- belly-to-back, and rolled over 2 times yesterday back-to-belly. She is talking up a storm (just like here momma!), and loves to hold onto anything and everything. She is also teething like crazy. I thought her diaper leaked this morning, but discovered her side was soaked from the drool (she was sucking on her fists in the swing, and then sat on her hands - go figure). She loves to smile, and only Grandma can make her laugh out loud (not fair - maybe she speaks baby language?). Monday will be very rough.

Here are some cute updates of our angel - Enjoy!
Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Smith for my "Uncle Dopey" doll - that is what Daddy is called by his nieces and nephew.

Grandpa is my hero! I love when he makes funny faces at me!
Look at what a big girl I am!

Resting a little during tummy time on the bed.


Grandma makes me giggle