The Lily Chronicles

Lily--Four months

Lily had her four month appointment the other day, and so I present to you, further updates to the Lily Chronicles:

Height: 2 feet, 1 inch (60th percentile)
Weight: 14 pounds, 12 ounces (60th percentile)
Head Circumference: 16 inches (50th percentile)

As you can see, Lily is fairly average in her physical growth and measurements.  She is still a month ahead in social development; the doctor was quite impressed.

Here are a few of her other accomplishments:

*She flips from her back to her front (but has yet to figure out how to go from her front to her back)
*She has started on more solid foods; thus far she is a fan of rice cereal, oatmeal, bananas, applesauce, carrots, and squash.
*She sits mostly on her own (there are still some occasional balance issues)
*She stands on her own as long as she is holding onto your fingers or the coffee table
*She is noticing the pets; she reaches for the cats and Maggie and wants to pet them
*She loves to watch TV
*She is a social creature who wants to be around people; she hates being alone or left out of the fun
*She hates to sleep and fights against it
*She is getting more hair everyday; it is growing thicker and longer (Kevin is convinced it is red, I don't really see it--I say it's more blondie/brown)
*Her eyes are blue and look a lot like mine
*She likes to snuggle
*Her favorite games are "kisses" (where I kiss her cheek and then she kisses mine) and "trust fall" (we count to three and she lets go of our fingers and falls straight back onto the pillows).  Makes her laugh every time


There is a great deal of minuta development that comes along with Lily.  Somedays we look at her and she seems to have grown an inch or two every night.  It's pretty remarkable how quickly she changes.  Her personality is becoming more developed and she is turning into her own little person.  I'm interested in seeing who she becomes the older she gets.

Jealous?

Sometimes we do photo shoots where we prop Lily on a blanket and take lots of photos of her.  

And sometimes Maggie gets jealous of the attention we pay to Lily and reminds us that she is also photo worthy by arranging herself on the photo op set-up.  So we oblige, because she is so darn cute.

Thanksgiving

This year Thanksgiving was spent with my family at the Beach House in Aptos.  We lazed around for the entire week and had a very relaxed Thanksgiving holiday.  Lily loved her first trip to the beach, and the Beach House.  The weather could not have been more perfect.  Since the whole family was able to gather together, we had a family photo shoot.  It was our first family photo with Lily and the last one for a long while, since Ben is leaving for Ft. Benning, GA, in January for boot camp.

The whole Klima family

Klima boys--2012

Klima kids--2012

Uncle Jeff and Aunt Kerry

The boys figure out what to do with their new niece.

BYU vs. SJSU.  Kevin and I left Lily with my parents and joined Julie and Justin for a memorable outing. 

Beautiful sunsets

Maggie hearts the beach

Lily figured out she could stand on her own while we were there (while hanging on to something, of course).

Lily met her Uncle Chris

The Thanksgiving flaming pumpkin.  A new tradition, apparently.  

Naptime!

Hunting for our Christmas tree on the way home.

We met Santa!

Apple Hill

Back in the day when I was going to school in Sacramento, I went to Apple Hill, a collection of family-owned apple farms in the Placerville area.  They sell their apples, apple cider, and baked goods.  You can also pick your own apples at some of the farms.  I love it.  Kevin and I took Lily for a day trip and picked our apples, bought some apple cider (it was amazingly delicious), bought some pie, and just had a delightfully good time.  I can't wait to go back.

Caramel apple kettle corn.  Most amazing thing of my life.

Lily was rockin' her shades.

Hilarious dance troupe.  This guy is their ringleader.

Apple picking!

Community

I believe in community.  The community you live in, the community of friends, and the community that comes together for those affected by tragedy.  I grew up in a small town, where everyone knows everyone else in one way or another, and what happens to somebody affects all of us.  Last week, an 18-year old girl lost her parents and brother to the ocean, and watched it happen.  She had graduated from high school the year before, and her brother went to the high school where my parents work.  My mom is the crisis counselor at the school, so she has spent long hours helping students, staff, and faculty navigate the grieving process.  I believe in the support a community can offer those who suffer.  I know that when one suffers, many suffer with them.  I'm proud to come from that community.  To know that the people there come together in times of grief and sorrow to help lift up those who are affected most.

I know that nothing will make things better for the daughter left behind, but I hope that the knowledge of her community rallying behind her will make her grief a little easier to bear.  

Where did I pick that up?

For awhile now, the phrase "amaze-balls" has been in my head. As in, "that chocolate cake looks amaze-balls." I'm not sure where I picked it up. Or why. Did someone else say it? Did I read it somewhere? Am I acquainted with someone who said/says it and only my subconscious picked it up? It is a mystery. I try not to use it in conversation or in response to something on social media. People might not get it or might be offended. But I am curious as to why it's been going through my mind lately. And where I got it from.

Shedding

I am once again losing hair like a dog in the summer.  My internet research has led me to self-diagnos my hair loss as post-partum shedding, which is cruel.  After my first trimester, I stopped shedding altogether and was able to keep my hair where it belonged; on my head.  But hormones giveth and hormones taketh away, and I am back to helping birds build their nests across California.  I really hope I'm not bald in 2013.  Finding hair all over the place is getting to be really annoying.