Fall fashion preview

Yesterday, Lucy and I went to Target to look for a sleeping bag for her to bring to daycare when she starts back next week (I know, I can hardly stand it, can you just imagine her napping in a little sleeping bag?). We didn't find one, but we did find some cool fall fashions to add to her collection. The best part are the little running shoes...pretty appropriate for my active girl! They are so hysterical because they look like real grown-up running shoes.

I have a lot of trouble buying shoes for her because she tears off anything that has a Velcro closure, which accounts for about 95% of toddler shoes. Sure, it is easy for parents to get them on, but it is equally easy for kids to get them off. Could I really be the only parent with this problem? Anyway the sneakers have ties, so I don't think she can get them off too easily. But then again, who knows...she is such a determined child! I also found brown leather mary janes at the Gap that have a buckle. Now I just need to find her some rain/snow boots and we'll be set.

Here are some pictures of her modeling her new duds and happily goofing around. Now can't it just be fall already???

A better outing

It's been a VERY busy week. We accepted an offer on our condo at the end of last week (yeah! cross your fingers that it all goes through ok) and so on Saturday morning we went to look at a place to rent while we figure out our next step. Lucy has been such a trouper through everything and we really wanted her to have some fun. We knew that going back to the farm wouldn't do the trick, but we figured that a visit to the Children's Museum would...and we were right. We went on Saturday afternoon, after her nap, and she had a great time (no chickens! no pigs!). I do think that she looks a bit tired in these pictures, though I must say that she has been sleeping a lot better. I think her disheveled look had more to do with the fact that it was 94 degrees out...yuck! Fall can't come soon enough.

Playing with the boats

Watching the golf balls drop

Gravity!

She loved pushing the baby in the grocery cart...I'll have to get her one of these when we move!

This was hysterical. Lucy met this adorable 4-year-old named Benjamin in the cafe. He decided that Lucy would like a "massage." The look on her face is priceless! She is not sure about this...

...but then decides, "hey, a massage from a cute blonde, not bad at all!!!"

I guess she's just not a farmgirl

We have been spending a LOT of time getting our place ready for sale over the last few weeks and Lucy may have been getting the short end of the stick. Actually, I think she has quite enjoyed all the tv-watching that she has gotten to do as a result, but we feel a bit guilty about it all. So this morning, we went on what I thought would be a really fun playdate with her friends Max and Gabriel at Drumlin Farm in Lincoln. They have tons of animals, and Lucy loves animals, so you'd think it would be a huge hit....well, think again. I should mention that she has not been sleeping well lately and basically got up at 5-something this morning (instead of her "usual"-ish 7am). So that always sets the morning up for disaster. Anyway it started out well enough. She like seeing the birds, especially the owl. But it all went quickly down hill as soon as we walked into the chicken hut. I don't know if it was the smell or the heat or the fact that chickens really are very scary, but from the moment we went in there she started crying and saying "go go go go!!!!!" I picked her up and tried to show her some of the chickens but she was having none of it. So, we left the chicken hut and were off to the sheep. Surely, I thought, seeing some "lambies" would cheer her up. Nope. "Go, go, go!!!!" So, we goed. We tried the cows (nope), horsies (are you kidding?) and the piggies (ok, you're joking, right?)....GO GO GO!! Tears streaming. I gave her some of the melon pieces I brought for her lunch as a distraction and said quick goodbyes to our friends. On the way out, Mommy almost had a meltdown of her own because I had to walk up a huge hill in the beating sun, pushing a stroller and feeling quite yickily pregnant. I was never so happy to arrive at a gift shop as I was when I got to the top of that "mountain." They had Nantucket Nectars lemonade which was so cold and tasted like heaven. I also got some healthy trail mix (I'd just been hiking, right?) and it hit the spot, especially because I forgot to eat breakfast in my rush to get out of the house this morning. Anyway, my little "city girl" liked the gift shop (no scary chickens in there) and we had fun browsing the items. She left with a little plush mallard duck that makes a very realistic quaking sound and also a little book about farm animals. I figured we could do some at-home preparation before we venture to the farm again!!!

Lucy and her friend Max at Drumlin Farm

The look of fear as she checks out the chickens

I snapped this right before we left the chicken hut because I thought it was such a nice spot for a photo...but all you can see on her face is a desparation to get the heck outta there. Poor baby!

Funny bunny

When Lucy got up from her nap today, she was in a pretty happy mood. We went to the kitchen, where she found her bunny ears. I helped her put them on, and then she surprised me by asking for a mirror. I think it's pretty cool that she now realizes that it is her reflection in the mirror (and not some random child who hangs out with her Mommy all day) and also that she knows to look in the mirror when something is new...this girl wants to check herself out! So I showed her the mirror and she giggled so much at the sight of herself as a bunny. I snapped these photos of her with the ears and her new "Sweet Carolina Girl" t-shirt from Great Aunt Rita, who lives in Charleston. Oh and she was eating part of my pb&j, so there is some jelly on her face. What a typical toddler!

Look up

I was at the playground with Jeff and Lucy this afternoon and was feeling particularly exhausted (hmmm, wonder why? toddler...check. pregnant...check. got up at 6:30 to go have my tooth drilled...check). I was sitting on a bench, the same one I have often sat on , and I looked up -- and saw this treetop. I thought it was so pretty and peaceful, and I just thought about how nice it would be to lie in a treehouse up there, reading a book (ok, I must be honest, I'd watch episodes of 24 on my video iPod). The thought reminded me of the Swiss Family Robinson tree house at Disney World, which is one of my favorite things there even though it's not a ride. Anyway, today reminded me that it is a good idea to "look up" once in a while. You never know what you might see!

Oh and for kicks, here is a picture of me at the Swiss Family Robinson tree house. Lucy was on the inside at the time, so I guess she's been there, too. I was about 2 weeks further along than I am now.

August 2005

Anticipating a sweet little Valentine

As most of you know, Lucy is going to become a big sister on or about Valentine's Day! We are all very excited...well, I doubt that Lucy has any clue what is really going on, though she does point to my stomach sometimes and says "baby" and hugs and kisses it. It's very cute :)

In her "Big Sister" t-shirt

The test (taken a few months ago now...)

Lucy with the test...this will be a fun one for her to show her sibling some day!

Pi-yo

Lucy now loves to sleep on a pillow ("pi-yo"). When she's sleepy, she'll put her head down on one of the throw pillows on the couch and say "night-night." She had been using a little pillow in her crib for a while, but it was not really meant for sleeping on and it was a bit scratchy. So yesterday, I made Lucy her very own little pillow in soft material (in pink & green to match her room). I must say, I am very impressed with the way it came out! This may become a staple item for baby shower gifts in the future.

Front view

Top view

Vacation in Maine

We spent the better part of a week on vacation in the great state of Maine. We have friends who own a cabin right on Damiriscotta Lake that we rented. It was very relaxing...well, as relaxing as a vacation with Lucy can be! We spent many of our days just lazing around the house, taking boat rides on the lake, swimming, reading, eating, playing, coloring, etc. Lucy wasn't a huge fan of sitting in the boat -- as with everything, she did not like being constrained and wanted to run around. Of course, that was not allowed on a small boat! She also didn't seem too fond of swimming in the lake at first (it was a bit cold) but she enjoyed it more toward the end of the week, especially when she went in up on her daddy's shoulders. We spent a day at the beach in Pemaquid, which was very fun. She loved running around in the sand, throwing rocks in the water, and helping build sand castles. We also took a trip into Camden to walk around and have dinner. Camden is such a great little town and we found a beautiful park near the water. Lucy found a pair of sunglasses in a shop that she loved, so Jeff bought them for her (spoiled girl!). She looked oh-so-glam walking around in them. Here are lots of pictures from the trip:

Out on the lawn

Rocking away with a view of the lake right outside...not bad!

Up on Dad-O's shoulders...yeah!

Laughing with Mommy

Looking too stinkin' cute in her life jacket

Dressed up for her trip to Camden

On the stairs, showing her bloomers

Posing out on the lawn with Di-Da

She spies her new favorite thing...an "ai-pane" in the sky! Oh and she is sporting the glasses that she finagled her daddy into buying.

Doing the sign for "more" (as in, "I want to see more ai-pane!")

Looking at the boats with Daddy at Camden harbor

With Mommy

Beach baby (at Pemaquid Beach)

Throwing rocks in the water

Sandy face

My beautiful baby girl :)

One point five

My "baby" is 18 months old! I put baby in quotes because she is truly a toddler in every sense of the word, though of course she will ALWAYS be my baby. We celebrated by having pizza (her favorite) for dinner. That was followed up by my attempt to have a little "party" (just the 3 of us). I bought her a Hello Kitty party hat and a floral garland, both of which she wanted nothing to do with. Oh, well. I did manage to get one picture of her wearing the little fluffy tiara from her first birthday. She did like the cupcake I got her, though it was extremely messy. I gave in to her Dora obsession and bought a Dora cupcake (ok, 3 Dora cupcakes...Jeff and I weren't going to miss out!) and Dora's hair was made with black frosting (heaven knows how they concoct that). Needless to say, in the hands of an 18-month-old, it was a bit of a disaster. It looked like Lucy got attached by a giant squid! She lost interest in the cupcake fairly quickly, though I can tell that, like me, she much prefers the frosting to the cake!

Here are some photos of the "big event":

Dora's face on a cupcake, cut into quarters

Mad? Mean? Or just messy?

Just messy! (A bath quickly ensued.)

I also thought this would be a fun time to post a bit of a Lucy "restrospective." So, here are photos of her first 18 months of life...one photo every three months:

Newborn

3 months

6 months

9 months

12 months

15 months

18 months!

Giving Posh Spice a run for her money...

Yesterday morning, I snapped this photo of Lucy looking very "mayjah" (major, according to Posh Spice). I just think it looks so much like a paparazzi photo of a celebrity dashing through LAX airport en route to Maui or someplace like that. She's even got the obligatory celebrity baby in the stroller! The only thing missing are her pants, but given the behavior of most young celebs, she'd actually fit right in...

Jeans, button, hi, kiss, bye-bye