Mino Mouse

Lily has a love....a love for one Mickey Mouse. Gosh those ears and soothing voice of his really gets me too!

I believe it comes from our morning hours of watching tv.

Correction...not hours! Please, what kind of parent do you think I am???

...well I admit...the type who does allow some tv to distract my 18month old from me cleaning the kitchen after breakfast, vacuuming, etc. Oh, and we do watch tv for enjoyment at times too. I am only so creative and so patient. Plus, it can calm both Lily and my sanity. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. Lily doesn't LOVE tv, but I do know that she now LOVES Mickey Mouse!

I usually opt for Disney, Nick Jr. or Sprout and for the past months that tv has really caught Lily's eye I found there wasn't much she cared for. Until one day, when the catchy Mickey Mouse tune struck a key.....then...she was allllll his.

Mino, is what she refers Mickey. Not sure why, because I don't think the letter 'k' is so very hard to say. But her heart is stuck on Mino. She talks about him daily, now asking for him. SO much even, that Mike and I went to the extreme of offering her a movie of Mickey Mouse today at Wal-mart and she about blew a gasket. I almost think her heart stopped...

When she saw the cover of the DVD her mouth dropped and she let in a big sigh! Wow, the drama has already begun!

I hate feeding toooo much into an obsession but we did buy a Mickey/Minnie Mouse plate with feeding utensils as well. Plus, I'm not too sure how long this will last, BUT........before this even started I was brainstorming a super cute costume for Lily for Halloween and I came across a Minnie. I feel as though her cuteness and attitude fit Lily quite well. Just imagine....pink polka dot bow, dress, black patent shoes, white gloves, oh yes, it suits Lily well!

Until a later date I will review Lily's catch of the day, but for now it is Mickey.

it's not a new thing...

So here we are again, trying to play catch up. Our summer has been full of fun festivities, and it isn't a new thing that the Peterson's are constantly on the go...

Lily has been giving us her best shot at handling the traveling, the sleeping, and the adjusting that comes with us. Sometimes it has not been easy, but I am learning to take joy in the times that are good!!

I on the other hand have not been handling things so well....I have been quite anxious with all our activity, and I hate to admit that I have been wishing for the lull of the fall when I can just be home every weekend with Mike and Lily and enjoy the last couple months as our family of three. This pregnancy has brought out many 'o hormones and at times I feel a little crazy. To say the least I am very excited to welcome a new baby to our family! Things are beginning to feel a little more real as my belly gets a little bigger, I feel small bouts of movement, and, of course, when we find out the sex :)

To capture a few of our travels...

A few weeks back, Lily and I, along with my parents flew to South Carolina for a family reunion. Mike unfortunately could not join us! I hate being without him, but it was a great feeling to have my parents along my side! This was Lily's third time on a plane and she did great the way there, horrible on the way home.

In South Carolina, we visited my Grandmother who has recently been moved into an assisted living. It was a great thing to see her, but difficult at times to take in her new surroundings. The circle of life starting with my Mom Mom may soon come to end and it was the first time this really hit me. I was so excited for Lily to see her again, and to see the smile on my Mom Mom's face when she saw her. We were at her home for a small celebration for the Fourth. They were giving out festive yogurt parfaits, but Lily ate the hole thing!Then she decided to steal the whole show (seriously!) by standing on the stage to lead a sing a long (seriously!). All the old people joined in singing 'head, shoulders, knees and toes', and ' if you're happy and you know it'. It was hysterical and such a touching moment to see the joy that a little baby can bring. For our family reunion, we were celebrating my uncle Bill's 70th birthday. We all dressed in red, white and blue in preparation to the fourth. We also got a professional photographer to capture the day. With no Mike or Craig, this is all our family consisted of :)Love my Poppa Bear!Our flight was on July 4th, and it was great to be home to spend the day with Mike! We enjoyed the day at home, then joined our friends for a bbq in Arlington, THEN ventured to fireworks on our own as a family. It felt great to be alone! Herndon Community Center was where we ended up and the firework show was GREAT! And we had amazing seats and found perfect parking!

We laid on our blanket until dusk anxiously awaiting for the firework show to begin! Once they started.....Lily quick ran to my lap, clenched my neck like she never has before and began screaming. She hated them! boooooo, because I LOVE fireworks. With little attempt to keep her there, Mike finally took her back to the car where she was safe :)I hope someday my kids will have the appreciation for fireworks like I do! There is nothing like them! During the show I can't help but get emotional (well maybe I could if I wasn't pregnant). I feel so blessed to live in the USA, and to have my freedom. God Bless! Enjoy your families this summer. They go by quick. And even in small moments that I have with Mike and Lily together at once, there is nothing like the bond of a family!

video post

With my new phone, I have a pretty decent video camera, and I figure I should go ahead and upload them, for everyone's viewing pleasure.

Lily watering Mo Mo's plants

The beach....

Playing ball with Porter....

An Old Time Summer Tradition

For as long as I can remember steamed crabs in the summer have been a part of my life. I was taught at a very young age to enjoy the sweet delicacies of the the sea. Especially now, during our oil spill crisis, this summer I have cherished the times of eating good clean seafood from our waters. I can't imagine how the gulf will hold up.

Make it stop!!!

So, this past weekend while visiting Christie and Jurgens in their new home we were very lucky to partake in some local Chesapeake Bay, super yummy flavored, with butter on the side for dipping, perfect sized male steamed crabs !!!!

Oh, and yes, Christie as always had the perfect tabletop flair in honor of Jurgens birthday and the 4th of July.

Oh, and yes, Jurgens complained about how wasteful it is to have all the stuff. You can tell he is proud though...it looked great!(Please note my grape juice....I would have much rather had a beer, it goes better with crabs!)

Christie and Jurgens now sport the perfect backyard for a crab feast! Their house boasts a ton of charm. It has a ton of space for visitors which we will plan to use!

It is nice to have a pregnant best friend by your side!

Christie, 24 weeks and growing......Lauren, 13 weeks and growing.

We are so happy for Christie and Jurgens and can't wait to welcome baby Elsie! Because our babies will only be two months apart, I am really hoping for a girl!!!......Mike is not

Although, not quite showing in this picture, Lily was not on her best behavior. She showed how well she can scream and cry when she doesn't get her way. And to top it off, she is teething. Yes, a little late to be truly teething, although the child didn't have more than 6 teeth up to about 3 weeks ago. Now, they are coming all at once to stage a coup upon her gums. Lily is trying to fight the battle, but alas the teeth will win and burst through. It was nice though...she cut their grass, nbd.

Maybe a brat for the day, but still super cute!

Lily 'idiams...

Yay we can get piggies in!!!

Oh Lily Lily Lily!

She continues to sprout into this toddler hood I continue to speak of. More talking, more movement, faster movement, more attitude/personality, and more independence.

Last night while gazing over my friend Kristin's baby, Kage, I was jealous of his younger age and remember the sweet times I had with my 8 month old...Quiet babbles, slow movement, if any, our Mother/Daughter bond when I still nursed....ahhh the good ol' days

But I quickly realized that throughout this certain stage I am still having sweet times with my 18 month old. Now, we are actually talking to each other. She walks with me, sometimes listens and holds my hand, but mostly she pulls her independence card and goes limp onto the pavement. Her sleeping habits are better, and I am coming to learn that she likes her sleep. 9:30 wake up calls I would say are quite late for a toddler, I try not to complain about it because sometimes she throws me for one when she still will wake up in the middle of the night begging for me to hold her. This I find hard to resist because one thing is for sure, she still fits in my arms, and I can still rock her like a baby. She still gazes in my eyes and looks for the comfort she needs to sleep. I love singing her the songs that my Mom once sang to me. What a beautiful cycle it will be when she one day sings to her daughter! So like I said, she talks.....

and she is loud...

and most of it I don't understand

and most of it no one would understand, but I do think there is a certain language that parents can catch onto from their children.

For instance, when Lily says 'waatty,' OF COURSE she is saying 'water' :)

When she says 'Marney' she is saying MARLEY

When pointing to your nose, she says 'no',

'juuuuu' means juice

'cici' means cereal, etc etc....

My translation isn't perfect, but I definitely find myself understand her wants, when the next person would think I was crazy to respond to such babble. :)

Any who, our summer has been busy, and she is learning a lot. She has had lots of time with 'Mo Mo' (my mom) and Grandma. She enjoys that special time very much. I am so grateful to have family so close by!

a beach world of wonders

Cast this picture into the future, and I see a bathing beauty BORN for the beach! And she was! Our family vacaction to my parents beach house in Nags Head, was more than I could have ever expected for Lily. She was a natural! No fear! The ocean welcomed her as she stepped forward into the water. The sand fit perfectly between her toes, and the sun shined perfectly onto her olive skin. My love for the water, the beach, the ocean has been genetically passed onto my darling daughter and it was a joy to see her there!

We were blessed with amazing weather, amazing food, amazing family and friends, and amazing pictures to prove it. I was so happy to be there with my parents! Not only was it great to share the beach experience with them, but it was also nice to be able to lay out, read my book, and relax a bit. They were quick to take Lily on a walk along the water, build a sand castle or even bring her back in for me. Mike and I took full advantage of the time alone, although I wish it was spent more together.

When we go to the beach I enjoy sweating until I MUST jump in the water. A book on the beach calms me, and just sitting in my chair is what I want to do alllll. day. long. Mike on the other hand is a typical boy/man (i guess hehe) and would rather be jumping around, playing raquet ball, boccee ball, playing in the water, or basically anything BUT sitting down for 30 min. So most of our time was spend apart :( We still managed to get away for a nice dinner with our friends. We have ONE pic to prove it :)

Oh to be back at that place! I did spend most of the week convincing Mike how amazing it would be to live by the water. It is something I have wanted for a while now, but moving doesn't really seem smart right now. I hope in our near future, a more simple life, beach life will be ours :)

Pediatric Update

Quick update! For as life seems to be passing before me way to quick!! Is this how it is? Parenthood? A blink of an eye??

Well that is how I feel, I am actually beginning to cry..stop Lauren.

Today Lily had her 18 month check up! Holy heck, where has the time gone? My little infant baby, is a toddler, a constant learner, listener, speaker, etc. I believe they use the word 'sponge' to describe the developing brain of a baby/child. She is forever learning something new. She is fascinating to watch, and I can instantly smile as I gaze over her shoulder while she plays on her own now. It's a true miracle!

My mom took her to her appointment today. I worked last night and knowing Lily was in the hands of my Mom made it easier to come to terms with the fact I was missing a tiny milestone. Well not really a milestone, but I felt guilty. None the less, Lily didn't care! She lovesssssss Mo Mo! Plus, she didn't have to get shots so it was an easy peasy morning.

Here are her stats:

Weight: 24lbs 14oz (50-75%)

Height: 32 in (75%)

Head Circumference...always a doosey: 19 in (90-95%)

The word's of Dr. Reilly (my Mom wrote them down so I could know what she said exactly)

"Lily has a perfect disposition. What she is now, is who she will be."

It makes me feel proud!

As always, the classic scale pic....