Happy 7 Months, Girlfriend!

My how time does fly! I can't believe you are already 7 months old. Girlfriend, you are good times!

I made this picture black-and-white because your nose is so ORANGE from eating all the yellow veggies. I didn't want you to be embarrassed. You're welcome.

A few things you were into this past month:

• Sleep. You likes your sleep. You are content to go to bed at 8:00P and sleep until about 8:00 the next morning. I tried to cut you down to two naps, but that was a no-go. You still require your 3 daily naps.
• You are eating 5 times a day now with two solid meals thrown in. At breakfast you will eat a bowl of cereal and a stage 2 fruit. For dinner you will eat a meat (ewwwwwww!) and a stage 2 veggie. So far, you will really eat anything, but you would really prefer not to eat peas.
• You finally decided to start sitting up. You actually sat up on your own for the first time when we were taking pictures with Mr. Goudeau of Goudeau Photography. I really think you did it in response to my saying, "This is a lazy baby. You'll only get a picture of her laying down." I stand corrected.
• Shortly after sitting up, you decided to get on all fours in an attempt to crawl! I'm not ready for that just yet. Whenever I see you do this, I run over and turn you on your back like a turtle on its shell. However, it doesn't seem to be discouraging you from trying again. So, I will buy you a pony if you will wait a few months to start crawling. I'm begging.
• You started drinking from a sippy cup. You are doing great!
• Your little temper is developing nicely. If things aren't just the way you like them, you make sure the house/neighborhood knows about it.
• Favorite words: "Mamama," "dadada," and "nanana" are still colloquial favorites. Your new favorite is "nein." It's a fitting nod to your German heritage.
• I experienced your first fight with your big sister. I know as your Mom, I should have jumped right in there and stopped it with obligatory hugs and "I'm Sorries," but it was hilarious. So, I decided to see how it would play out. You two worked it out, and for the record... you have one really sweet sister that endured your little outburst like a lady.

You are hilarious, and everyone thinks you look just like your daddy still. I think you are really starting to look just like your sister did at this age... what do you think?

Abbie

Lila

I love you crazy girl! Happy Birthday!

Just another day Being Billingsley...

I'm Kind Of A Big Deal...

That's right folks... I'm kind of a big deal!

Today I got not just 1 but 2 blog awards, and to make the honor even greater, they came from two of my very favorite people, Anna and Alison!

These awards require that I share a few things about myself and then pass the awards to other deserving bloggers. So, here goes...

1. I married the man-of-my-dreams and have two of the most gorgeous girls in all of creation. At least once a day (occasionally more), I will hand our baby to my husband knowing she has a loaded diaper. I pretend that I forgot something urgent... something like, "Oh no! I forgot about the water boiling on the stove!" Then, I run toward the kitchen.

He's so enamored with his youngest that he hasn't yet discovered my ingenious strategy that makes him handle more than his fair share of dirty diapers. He also hasn't yet asked me why all the boiling water. Shhhhhh..


2. I can recite every single line from the movie StepBrothers. Hilarious.

3. I love a vodka tonic with extra lime. My oldest daughter refers to the drink as "Mom's grown-up juice."

4. In my unwrinkled years, I starred in a national Chevy commercial. I was "girl who longingly stares at the Chevy Silverado." It was one day of work, an excuse not to go to Thursday classes, and I received residual checks for that little gem for a year. Sweet gig.

5. I LOVE to scare people...which is why Halloween is one of my very favorite holidays. I love to hide in a dark room, jump out, and yell Boo!! It is particularly fun to do with my 5-year-old. I've also been known to scare my husband as well. The problem is that my family is used to it and hardly reacts anymore. So, I'm always looking for new victims.

Abbie and Lila on their first Halloweens.

6. My favorite time of the day is when my girls wake up in the morning. I get Lila out of her crib, and we sit in my bed until Abbie wakes up. She brings her pillow, a book, and Fluffy the dinosaur into my room, and the three of us chat, laugh, and plan our day while cozy under the blankets.

7. I am terrified of birds. I once seriously pulled an ab muscle and a calf muscle by jumping out of my chair, turning it over, and running from a pigeon who was ridiculously close to me while I was enjoying lunch with my friend Cheryl. Afterwards I think I cried while Cheryl laughed, and the damn pigeon mocked me by coming back for more.

It is now the time you've all been waiting for...

I would like to award The Beautiful Blogger Award to April, who writes the most beautiful posts about her sweet baby girl, and I would like to give the same award to my girl Mary the Swiss because she's incredible and has used her blog beautifully to describe her new adventures... and I'm hoping it will encourage her to blog SOMETHING since it has been weeks!

The Honest Scrap Award goes to Cari because we share the same feelings about candy hearts and to Kelly because her "Sound Off" features always make me yell"You Go Girl!"

Congrats ladies, and remember to give us a list of things about yourselves and then give the award to two other deserving bloggers. (Technically the BBA recipients should give us 7 things about themselves, and the HSA winners should divulge 10.)

Just another award winning day Being Billingsley...

Look At These Adorable Children

We recently had a photo session for Abbie's fifth birthday and Lilia's six month birthday.

I think Joel from Goudeau Photography did an excellent job. This was no ordinary job for him. I mean we are talking about Abbie here.

We took these pics on a local college campus, and my girl insisted on having a conversation with every single student walking the grounds. The conversations were mostly about the red coat she was wearing, but she often asked if the student was pleased with his or her choice of backpack. So, imagine the patience of this photographer!!! He really was great.

I've said it before...I'll say it again....These girls must have one good looking Mom.

Just another day Being Billingsley...

She's Six Months!

Well, here we are at the 1/2 year birthday, and you are changing so much! Well...the one thing that has not changed is the fact that you are still bald, but we'll worry about that when you are 16 I guess.


You are so much fun, and we are learning that you are going to be quite the mischievous little thing! Your pediatrician accurately noticed your smile to be one that "wasn't completely innocent."

Wonderful things that happened this month:

• First Christmas Day! You got lots of good stuff from Santa at both your place and at Gigi & Pops house. Again, your sister was happy to get all of your gifts opened for you because you decided to sleep through the celebrations. Somehow I think next year will be very different!
  
• You got your first cold and your first ear infection! It was so sad, but you were still such a good girl.
• We learned that you are no fan of taking medicine of any kind. We would give you the antibiotic or Tylenol, and you would promptly spit it out. So, we would have to catch the medicine on a spoon and give it to you again, and again, and again, until you finally decided to take it. Then, you would gag like you were doing a choking performance on a Broadway show. Very dramatic child.
• We also learned that your are allergic to penicillin! That was fun. You broke out in hives all over your face and tummy. No more $4.00 generics for us I guess!
  
• You had your first fruits and veggies and we tried cereal again. You weren't impressed. Nearly none of it actually went into your mouth.
  

• Eventually you came around on the solids, and now you are a HUGE fan of the stuff. You are eating a breakfast of cereal and fruits, and at dinner you have a veggie with another fruit.
• You are VERY VERY chatty and your doctor was impressed that you are already making consonant strings. You say, "ma ma ma," "da da da," and "na na na."
• Your favorite toy right now is the Jumperoo. You would stay in that thing all day if we let you.
• You are 100% mobile because you've become quite good at rolling all over the place to get what you want, but you've also mastered the art of pushing with your feet and scooting on your head. It's awesome!
• You are weighing in at 15lbs and 9 oz and are 25 1/4" long. This puts you in the 25-50th percentile.
• You're an excellent sleeper! You are still sleeping from about 8:00 at night until about 8:00 in the morning. You still like to take 3 short naps during the day.
  

Lila, you are the best little baby I could have ever asked for... Hilarious. Fiesty. Happy. Brilliant. You are amazing!

Just another awesome day Being Billingsley...

She Loves Jumperoo and Her Football!

It is hilarious to me how much Lila loves to watch football. Unfortunately for her (and Abbie & James) she was pulling for Dallas. Abbie actually predicted the Cowboys would win by 40. Wooops!

Check out my girl rockin' the Jumperoo while we watched the game. Notice when her Dad has a reaction to the game, she stops and focuses all of her attention on the TV. You can almost see her thinking, "Oh No! It was stupid Romo wasn't it!" It's all fun and games until Tony Romo gets on the field.

Fortunately for me, the Vikings won, and we no longer have to endure Dallas going forward. Who are your picks for the next round?

Just another day Being Billingsley...

Look Who's 5 Months!

This time last year, you were very busy making Mommy throw up in various restaurants from Round Rock to Colorado and even a little bit in Nebraska... making my pregnancy the worst kept secret in the history of the world.

Now, you are five months old, and this has been the busiest month yet for you!

• You had your very first Thanksgiving. You are definitely a Momma's girl, but you liked being surrounded by your family. You were very good and allowed your Mom to go back for seconds (and even thirds).
• You had two very special Christmas celebrations. Christmas with Granna and Granddaddy and Christmas with the Billingsleys at the barn. You were an angel. You actually slept through most of the celebrating. I'm not even sure you opened a single one of your gifts. Good thing your big sister is so good at opening presents.
• At your most recent doctor's visit you weighed in at a healthy 13lbs and 14oz. You are 24.5" long, and your head measures a mere 41cm. All of your stats place you firmly in the 50th percentile. At your appointment, Dr. Hargrave did ask if you were suffering from lower back pain because you could easily fill a training bra. You are a chunky girl!
• You started cereal. However, you hated it so much that we decided to try again closer to the 6 month mark.
• You saw your first movie at the theater. You did great. Apparently The Princess and The Frog is no Citizen Kane because you slept through most of it. (Although, pretty sure I've slept through Citizen Kane...don't believe the hype.)
• You decided to roll tummy to back, and within a week you could roll both directions.
• You've started to smack your lips for entertainment. It's like you are a judge in a food contest just trying to make sure you've really got all the flavors appreciated.
• You are really doing a lot of "talking." You no longer simply resort to crying when you want something. You try to talk about it first...then the crying begins.
• Bedtime for you is between 8:00 and 8:30 PM. We've tried to put you down later, but you want no part of that. Fortunately, even though you like to go to bed early, you don't wake up until after 8:30 the next morning.
• You still like to eat every three hours and take three naps a day.

Lila, you are so beautiful and absolutely hilarious. You are a joy!!

Just another day Being Billingsley...

On The Mend...

My computer has been very very sick over the holidays, but don't worry! She is feeling much better now thanks to the good people at AusTechs.

She was so sick that Google and all of its products would not let her connect to their sites (i.e. Blogger). So, please bear with me as I play a little catch up over the next few posts.

Let's just keep it between us that Lila's 5 month post is going to be published closer to her 6 month birthday!!

Jut another day Being Billingsley...