Happy Birthday Lyla Marie

We now have a big 1 year old!

Lyla's birthday party was fun and she did great the whole day!

• Cake time: I thought Lyla was going to jump right in and make a mess of her cake. Nope! She put her fingers in and didn't take a bite for a while. This is funny since everything goes in her mouth! I mean everything!
• Presents: Lyla got lots of cute clothes for summer and fun toys as well. I need to take a few downstairs so she can play with a few at a time and not want to play with all of them at the same time!
• Company: we had great company for her birthday party and thank you for everyone that could make it! You made it a special day for Lyla!

Opening presents on my birthday

Touchdown Daddy!
I'm a rock star!
Lyla's birthday party with my friends Nicole, Mandy and her son Jonathan

Lyla's very own smash cake!

I ordered Lyla's first birthday cake from my family and friend's favorite cake lady Cindy. She makes the best cakes and I had to make sure Lyla's first was going to be the best! Cindy said she had to make Lyla her very own smash cake and it was so cute!

Here is Lyla eating her cake....or playing with it

Hmm....what is this?

This isn't too bad

Look mom, I'm not even that messy

This is fun

Picture moment with mom and dad

Lyla's Pooh cake

Lyla's guests

Grandma and Great Aunt Barb

Lyla's new friend Lexi

I love my new swing and dog

I really love my farm!

Being cute with daddy

One last smile with momma

Lyla's new thing is to walk to the stairs and sit on the first or second step. Here she decided that she needed to read daddy's new magazine...Cabela's!

Have a great week!

Almost 1

Lyla is going to turn the big number 1 on Wednesday! How can she already be 1 year old? It just seems like yesterday when she rolled over for the first time, smiled at mom and dad, started to crawl, started jabbering, took her first steps..... We are so excited for her to keep growing, changing and impressing mom and dad like no one can believe!

Since my last post I said Lyla started walking. For the last couple weeks, all she does is walk! If she tumbles over, she will get back up and go! No more crawling for her. She is also very fearless. She will get off furniture by herself (going backwards mind you) like it's no big deal. Even though she can go downstairs backwards as well, she likes to test the limits and try and walk down them like mom and dad!

Lyla is also finally teething! She got her first tooth last week! Now I can finally say she IS teething.

That's it from us! Enjoy the pictures and we will have more for the little birthday girl soon!


Having fun in mom and dad's hamper

Dad, I don't drink Miller yet!

Walking around in mom's boots

Riding the 4 wheeler for the first time!

Playing in my basket of toys!

Almost 11 months and already walking!

Yes you saw it right, Lyla is walking! She was taking 1-2 steps at a time a couple weeks ago but on Valentine's Day, she started walking 5+ steps at a time. Grandma Knox was there to witness her first steps on her own but Grandma and Grandpa Brown also saw her a little later. Now I think bumps and bruises will be around for a while!

Grandma Knox came to visit last weekend! My parents are winter birds and travel to Arizona Jan-March. My mom couldn't go without seeing Lyla for 3 months so she got good plane tickets to make this one of her stops. We were happy to see her (and got some shopping done too)!

Grandma Knox and Lyla on Valentine's Day


Lyla continues to be a curious little girl and such a joy.

• Last week I was vacuuming the first floor and she followed right behind me with her shopping cart. I couldn't turn around without running into her. I truly think she thought she was helping me vacuum. It was so cute! I laughed the whole time!



• I always put one of her pacifiers in her car seat along with her blanket, bunny and jacket. She just figured out that her pacifier is always in there and continues to take everything out of the car seat to get it.



• When she hears any music she likes, she will start dancing. She will just start smiling, bob her head and start dancing. I will have to get this on video!

I love my giraffe!
I finally took pictures of the house! Sorry for the long delay.

Front of our house


Backyard...if you look really closely you can see a deer. It's funny that it stays in the same spot!

We do actually have deer that come right to the house every night! Lyla likes to babble to them and Ella barks. We thought we had it good that we could see them at the other house but now we see them more. You know that makes Matt happy.

Living Room looking from the kitchen

Kitchen

Foyer

Looking in from the foyer

Basement

Grandma Knox's OR Auntie Kristi's bedroom (it depends who is here for the weekend)

The upstairs is not easy to take pictures of but we have 3 bedrooms and the office. You will just have to come and see for yourself!

Matt and I just found a dining room table and china cabinet this weekend. It's supposed to come in the beginning of March but we will see. We just hope it's in by Lyla's 1st birthday party! Invites are getting sent out soon (as long as Lyla allows me some time).

Have a great week!

We Survived!

We survived being away from Lyla for 5 days! Can you believe it? Matt and I went to Cancun for 5 days and we did okay being away from her for the first time. I hit my numbers again last year at work and we were able to go again. You are pampered all week so it's hard not to go! I've only had one overnight away from her since she was born so you can see how nervous I was to be away from her. She was in great hand with Grandma and Grandpa Brown though and they had a great time playing with her all week. We called her everyday so I could hear her jabbering to make myself feel like she wasn't so far away!

Lyla is now 10 1/2 months old! She is creeping closer and closer to her 1 year birthday! She continues to improve on standing up on her own but no walking yet. I know I keep saying she will walk any day but I think when she does figure it out, she will probably be running! Look out! She still has no teeth but we think she may be teething now. We will have to wait and see!

Below are some of her recent pictures.

Looking cute in my hat

Lyla texting her friends

I love my shopping cart!

Laying on Ella

Lyla went sledding for the first time this weekend. Uncle Mike and Aunt Nikki got her a sled for Christmas and we finally got her out. She loved it!

Wearing my pretty snow pants

I don't like my winter gear!

Outside with dad and getting ready to go sledding

Out for a sled ride

Lyla had a little play date this weekend as well with her friend Jonathan. They starred at each other for a while but finally started to warm up and play.

Hanging on the chair with my friend Jonathan

Sharing my toys

Hope you enjoy the videos!

Lyla sledding

Lyla climbing stairs

Lyla's Milestones

Lyla has been changing a lot for the last couple of months. Since I didn't update you on her latest milestones, here is a snapshot on what a curious little girl has been doing lately.

The end of November, Lyla waved bye-bye to momma when I dropped her off at daycare

Walks around while holding onto furniture

On Dec 4th, she stood up on her own for a few seconds

At her 9 month appointment she was 17 lbs and 13 oz and 26 1/2 inches long

She is starting to eat 3rd Foods that have more chunks in them than 2nd Foods. She definitely doesn't like the meat ones yet. She is fine with the veggies as long as they don't have anything else in them like cheese. Yes i said Cheese! She will be born and raised in WI so we will have to make sure she likes cheese at some point!

She continues to "talk"

She dances to music! I will have to get this on video someday!

As of today, she still has no teeth!

We feel Lyla will be walking any day now. She continues to stand up on her own! The other day she wobbled around and stood up for 20+ seconds! She walks around with her shopping cart that Grandma Brown gave her so this will help speed up the process!

I was told I needed to put this video on the blog since a few family members have seen it. It's a treat!

Here are a few picture of Lyla!

This is Lyla in her 12 month onesie that auntie Kristi gave her. I needed to take pictures of her at 3-6-9-12 months and this is her 9 month picture. It's still a little big! Right now Lyla is wearing between 9 and 12 month clothes.

I love my frog towel!

This is Lyla's war wound on her nose.

We still haven't gotten Lyla's 9 month pictures taken and she will be 10 months in just over 1 week. Every time we want to get them taken, she has some type of war wound! What parents we are! This weekend we were going to get them taken but she came down with a really bad cold. Her eyes are pink and swollen and her nose is either plugged up or running. I feel terrible for a little girl! I hope she gets over this soon!

That's it from us! Have a wonderful weekend!