four months | letter to Lyla

f o u r   m o n t h s   o l d

16 lbs. 3 oz.
25 in. (75%)

| LOVES |

Smiling and Cooing.
Liam.
Standing.
Nursing.

Her hands.
Chewing on blankets.
Bumbo seat.
Bath time.

| HATES |

Shots.

Naps.

Sleep Training.

Shoes (she tries to kick them off haha).

| DEVELOPMENT // GROWTH |

Lyla rolled over for the first time from her back to her tummy but didn't think it was that exciting so she didn't do it again for another two weeks. haha After that she started rolling over more consistently and always rolls over her right shoulder. Her other big milestone this month is giggling for the first time! She is still obsessed with her hands and constantly has them in her mouth. She'll reach out for blankets and chew on them but is not very interested in toys. She got her second set of shots this month and got a welt on her right leg from two doses in one side. She has an amazing pain tolerance though and took it like a champ. She cried out as the shot went in but immediately stopped and settled down the second I could pick her up. Her skin is still super sensitive (I use everything non scented) and only bathe her every other night because of the eczema she gets on her arms. She is still wearing 3-6 month clothes and size 2 diapers.

| SLEEP |

We transitioned Lyla to her crib this month which also meant sleep training. She slept a total of 4 1/2 hours the entire first 24 hours of sleeping in there. Basically, it was awful! She just might be the most stubborn girl on the planet. haha Each night got better and better though. Now I lay her down after nursing her and she doesn't cry at all and drifts straight to sleep. We slowly worked her bed time back from 10:30 to 7:00. She wakes 2 to 3 times a night to nurse and gets up for the day somewhere between 7 - 8:30. Unless we are running errands and she is in her car seat or she is snuggled up next to me in our bed or my arms, she struggles with nap time. She completely boycotts mornings naps 90% of the time (I can occasionally get her to take one on Liam's preschool days) and I'm lucky to get a 2 hour nap out of her in the later afternoon. Definitely not my best sleeper but we'll get there. 

| EAT |

She is exclusively nursing still. Also still spitting up. 

Dear Lyla,

Four months old. It is such a special time with you right now! You are starting to grow into your little personality and it is so fun to watch you changing. I love this stage SO much ... the smiley, cooing, immobile, giggly stage that you're in right now. Your smile still lights up the whole room and then add this new little giggle (even if it is rare to get it out of you) and consider my heart permanently melted all the time. Besides your night feedings, the only time we really get to spend alone together is when Liam is at preschool and I cherish those moments alone with you so much. Some days you fall asleep in my arms for two hours straight and it is a piece of heaven for me. You just might be the worst napper in the world right now but I forgive you. haha Liam is still your favorite person in the world and I wouldn't have it any other way. You love to sit up in your bumbo seat and watch him play beside. He loves you just as much. Whenever you start cooing he launches into a fit of giggles, thinks it is the funniest thing ever! If you spit up, he's right there to clean up the mess. If you cry, he's there to give you your binkie (which you don't really care for anymore since sleep training) or a toy. You have the most beautiful girly features (the shape of your eyes, your lips) and your dad likes to comment frequently on how much trouble he is in as you get older. We giggled at your 4 month doctor visit when they gave us your stats ... 90% for weight (you love to eat just like your momma) and 90% head circumference just like your dad. ;) Your hair is getting long but you're rocking a nice bald patch in the back from laying on it. I noticed a white spot on your gums toward the back of your mouth and freaked out because I thought it was a molar coming in when all along it was something called a epstein pearl (gingival cyst). It turns out it is completely normal and is supposed to go away in time. I still pinch myself every day that you're mine. Having a daughter is everything I'd dreamt it would be and you are only 4 months old. It is only going to get better from here. We love you so much!
Love, Momma

| FOUR MONTH PICTURES |

This was right after she got her shots (hence the yellow bandaids) and still smiling away!

No side effects except for the welt I had mentioned ...

Day 1 of sleep training ...

Sweetest dreaming angel ...

Obsessed with those post sleep stretches and little crossed ankles!!!

She was watching Liam play when I took this picture of her. Her face says it all!

So far this sibling love has exceeded my expectations!

Look at those yummy rolls and lips!

Dressing a girl is my FAVORITE! Cutest polka dot tights!

Getting so much better at and staying happy during tummy time!

Some silly Instagram filters. ;)

One of my favorite pictures I've ever taken of her!

They cyst on her gums ...

Life Lately

Hi you guys! Finally getting a chance to share what we've been up to lately. Between kids tag teaming nap times and a bed time for me of 8 pm, the whole month of January has gone by without a single new post from me. I've had to slowly chip away at this post over the last week in fact. This is just the season of life we are in with two kids right now, someone always needing us and having to prioritize sleep over everything else to function the best for them. I wouldn't trade it for anything, it just doesn't leave much time to document. But if you know me, I just can't quit it so here I am. ;)

What we've been up to lately ...

The weather this winter has been unseasonably warm. While we still have to bundle up, no snow on the ground (except for when I took this picture right after Christmas) has given us the opportunity to spend several afternoons outside. Liam is getting the hang of his balance bike but gets distracted by even the slightest movement or sound sending himself into a tail spin. haha They are building a bunch of new homes a couple streets away from ours so we walk down there often to check out the excavators, cranes, and dirt for Liam. Lyla's car seat is a sleep magnet for her and she is out within the first few steps out of driveway. 

Some days I have my you know what together with 2 kids and other days I survive with a package of stickers Liam can cover himself with so I can let Lyla fall asleep in my arms for her only nap she's willing to take for the day. Call me a beautiful disaster. ;)

Speaking of stickers ... Liam's favorite movie lately is Despicable Me 3 and the villain in the movie controls a robot that has lasers to destroy the city. Liam is more obsessed with being the bad guy/robot/monster lately than the good guy and he made this sticker into his very own laser. I was dying at his facial expressions!

Lyla loves spending the morning in her bumbo seat watching her brother and I play together. Her smile is my favorite thing in the whole world!!

I love the way she watches and adores his every move ...

The first Sunday of the month Liam moved up from nursery at church and became a sunbeam in our kids program called Primary. He has hard time when we leave but the second we disappear out the door he loves every minute of it with his friends. Always looking so dapper in his bow tie!

Dumping a random bucket full of legos and building something extraordinary out of them has never been my strong suit but I have a little boy who loves it so much so I've made a big effort to try and improve my skills. I went from hearing "That not berry dood mommy" 100% of the time to about 50% of the time so, progress people!! I always know I did a good job if he doesn't wreck it for a while and plays with it instead.

Putting Liam in preschool was one of the best decisions we made this year. Not only is he learning SO much (he sang the abc's song all by himself the other day when he thought I wasn't listening and can write the first 3 letters of his name!) but it is such a wonderful time spent just me and Lyla. Occasionally she'll fall asleep in my arms after nursing her and I can let her stay that way without any interruptions for two hours straight. HEAVEN!

Liam's preschool teacher sent me this picture of him from his first day back in September. I love his happy nature and free spirit so much!

In the evenings, these two take a bath together and it is adorable to watch them interact! She squeals and shoots out those rolly polly legs while he makes silly faces and spits water everywhere.

"Mommy, cover me in a tower of books!" 

And the biggest news of all during this Pocatello winter, our mall got new ride on toys. haha ... Which are a dollar for a two second ride by the way (eye roll) but Liam adores the police helicopter and the hot dog truck and basically I'd do anything to see that smile ...

Life with two is a daily adventure! XO

Meridian After Christmas

Meridian after Christmas is always a good idea. ;) We loaded the Rav to the heaping brim and made our merry way to spend last weekend with my family. We had a belated "Christmas Eve" with my mom, exchanging gifts and giggling as Liam tossed aside new items of clothing for a mini kitchen mixer and set of magnatiles (thanks mom for Liam's new snow clothes ... IIII really appreciate them!). Lyla girl was spoiled with new clothes because those yummy leg rolls are only getting bigger, Nic with a new set of kitchen chairs that we desperately needed after one collapsed underneath him a couple weeks ago (thankfully he didn't get hurt!), and I got the sweetest set of rings with Liam & Lyla's names engraved on them! Oh and a Fawn Design diaper bag that I am obsessed with!!

That same evening, Liam found my brother's old Guitar Hero game in my mom's hall closet so we busted that out and set it all up for him. Blast from the past!!

Friday morning we finally got to see the Meridian Temple for the first time. Pictures don't even do it justice!!

We walked around the grounds and found this beautiful scene right after Christmas ...

In the afternoon we met this crew for some family bowling fun at Meridian Lanes! While it was madness in there trying to keep track of all of them, it's the BEST getting cousins together to play.

It was Liam's first time bowling! He loved it for the first two frames and then was over it and cared more about his sucker from grams after that.

A candy cane too!! Much sugar was consumed!

We definitely got off of the sleep training routine during this trip (paying for it a bit since we got home) but this little darling slept the entire way to and from Meridian and everywhere we went in the car. Also isn't that the cutest baby coat you've ever seen?! 

Loving spending time with Sita. Liam loves it too. In fact, as we were packing up to head home on Sunday he said to her, "Sita, I want you to come with us!" Isn't that the sweetest! Hopefully someday we'll all live in the same town.

See what I mean, leg rolls for days!! Cutest ever!

On our last day there, we made a couple returns at the Village of things that didn't fit and after putting the kids to bed, tried out my new face mask I got for Christmas from Nic! Until next time, Merville!