9 Months

I can't believe Lily is already months old and that in just 3 months she will be a year.

My goodness its going by way to fast.

I remember I got a little sad when she hit 7 months because I felt like I was leaving the little baby stage.

But Lily just gets more and more fun!

Here are Lily's stats. 

Movement: Lily started scooting at 6 months and was crawling by 7 months. She also starting pulling herself up unto furniture at 7 months. Now she just speeds across the room. I like to hear the clapping sound

she makes when she moves around the kitchen. 

Eating: Lily now has breakfast, lunch and dinner with nursing in between. She eats baby cereal or oatmeal in the morning and at lunch/dinner I usually feed her some kind of baby food and some kind of regular food. Her new favorite is chicken pot pie. 

She also loves cheese. She has been a good eater for several months and I think she is getting sick of

baby food and just wants to eat what I eat. Today we had chick fil a.:)

And yes....my milk is still on overload even though Im not nursing her as much. I don't even know

if they will stop producing when I wing her. Lol. 

Sleeping: Lily usually takes 2 naps in the day for about 45 minutes each. Sometimes she will take a 3rd nap right before dinner. She usually goes to bed at 9 after her bath. (she loves bath time) 

 At night she still wakes up about 2 or 3 times. She falls back asleep within minutes of me holding her but it is getting a little annoying waking up so much in the night. Suggestions???

Teeth: Lily's first tooth came in right when she turned 8 months and the 2nd tooth came in about 4 days later. They are both her bottom teeth. 

Talking: Lily's first word was "mama" when she was 6 months. Her 3rd word was "dadda" and her 4th word was "aubrey" 

She started saying "dadda" when we were in the airport going to Cheyenne at the beginning of September and then a few days later she said "aub aub" At first we were like "is she saying Aubrey???

Within a few minutes she was saying it as clear as ever. Aubrey was pretty happy about that.

(Aubrey was also the first person to feel Lily kick besides me)

Now she talks a lot of nonsense with the occasional mommy and daddy mixed in. 

I still love when I hear her call us. Even if it is at 2 in the morning.

Lily is still the most happy content baby ever. She really can handle a lot before she 

shuts down. She is always smiling and laughing and just makes me feel so warm and fuzzy!

She is my best friend! I cant say it enough how much I love her! 

Happy 9 months! 

Air Balloons

(I did this post yesterday)
Last night was our first night without Rice and let me tell ya, it was a hard one.

I feel a little whole in my heart that only time can heal. So I need to talk about happy things right now. 

Like air balloons!

I love hot air balloons. They just make me happy.
They are so bright and its exciting thinking of flying in the air in a basket.
I like to paint hot air balloons.
I also like to dress Lily up in hot air balloon clothes.
I decorated Lily's nursery in hot air balloons.
Anytime I see something with a hot air balloon on it I get really excited.
If I could, I would re-marry Ben in a hot air balloon!
You guys get the idea???
Im obsessed.
So now lets look at pretty pictures of hot air balloons
(sick of hot air balloons yet???) LOL

I'm going here someday!

I wish I painted this pic!

I just cant help myself! I like them to much.
Plus Lily sure does rock the air balloon butt!

Saying Goodbye to My Favorite Furry White Friend!

For several months Ben and I have been talking about our future with Rice.

In early summer Ben said he just didnt want to live in a house full of pee and that he thought the pup needed

to go. I was having my doubts about the puppy for those same reasons and several more, but I was adamant about tying to make it work and not giving up on little Rice. 

September came and I was pretty certain I wanted to keep him. But as the weeks went on I realized that

I was so sick of finding pee around the house and having to shampoo my carpets almost everyday. 

He doesn't like Lily AT ALL! I'ts so sad. She will crawl to him and he just growls at her.

He chews up all her toys and is really really needy. Every time I try and cuddle with Lily, he just jumps right in and literally pushes her away with his nose. I love the puppy because he was my original cuddle buddy and companion. But Ben and I are planning on expanding our family. I love being a mom and want several kids and I just feel like my energy needs to go to them instead of Rice. 

Its going to be hard enough having little kids hopefully close in age and a dog. 

I want my kids to run around the house without me worrying about them stepping in dog poop/pee. 

One day we will have a bigger house and a full backyard and I want to go outside and enjoy the clean grass. 

I tried to potty train him and everyone said it would get better after his "puppy" years, but he is 3 now

and its not getting better. I always let him go outside and then ten minutes later he has an accident. 

I just dont want to live like this anymore especially since Lily is so mobile. 

I also don't want to worry about him biting her. He has never ever bitten anyone, but you always hear 

those stories where a dog who has never bitten anyone, one day does. And its not pretty. 

I feel bad because I know he just wants moreattention. But my attention goes to my husband and my baby. 

And I like it that way. 

Now for the possitive things about Rice. 

When I first wanted a dog, Ben and I had been trying to get pregnant for about 6 months and I just knew 

something was wrong with me. I felt like a dog would help me feel better. I wanted to take care of something. So long story short, without"actual" permission from Ben, I went and bought a dog.
I walked in the house with this little white furry thing saying to Ben
"say hello to the newest member of our family"
(this part of the post is going to make me sad!)
Rice is a funny dog. He is rowdy and sweet all at the same time.
He loves to cuddle and can spend hours chewing on a bone.
We still call him puppy and when Ben starts being playful with him, Rice goes crazy.
Its so funny to see Ben run around the house and have Rice chase him. I am going to miss that.
Bens parents have a strict NO DOG in the house rule so whenever we visit them, Rice gets his own
little dog house outside. Ben and I take turns walking him and when all the nieces and nephews are around he gets plenty of run around time. They have always liked Rice and I am going to be really sad when one of
them asks me "where is the puppy" the next time we are all together.
We had Rice one full year before I got pregnant and he was really such a little comfort when I had to
go through all my fertility treatments. He slept by my side every night.
He was always so excited when I came home from work and Ben came home from school.
He would just jump and jump and jump.
I think he really did help Ben and I prepare for a baby.
Ben made me watch part of this movie where a baby wolf befriends a baby antelope.
Eventually the antelope realizes he cant be friends with the wolf anymore and they drift apart.
Ben applied it to us and the puppy. We had some wonderful times with him, but its
just time we move on.
I will always have a special place in my heart for little Rice. I know he will find a happy
home and be someones knew cuddle buddy
 Tonight is his last night with us and I am just trying my hardest not to cry.
I know its the best thing for us but it wont seem real until he is really gone.
I love you Rice!

Home

Ben is getting so close to graduating law school and I have already had 

at least 10 people ask me if I was excited about getting out of Topeka. I'm always a little shocked and my

answer is always the same...

No, we love it here, we want to stay!!!!

The look they give me is always so funny, like a deer in headlights.

"Really, well that's a first, most students RUN away from here when they graduate"

Its true, most of our law school friends who were ahead of us left as soon as they graduated.

Most of them were from Utah and I can understand them wanting to leave so they could

be closer to their families. 

People forget that Ben grew up in Missouri and that I am from Wyoming, so really were not too far from family. We are only a little over an hour away from his parents house. 

When Ben and I were dating and he took me to Missouri to meet his family, I fell in love with 

the scenery from Topeka to Missouri. I loved the trees and fields and lakes. 

After we got married Ben applied for Law school. He only applied to 3 schools, all in the Midwest.

When we found out he got into Washburn and could start that December we didn't even wait to see if the other schools accepted him We both felt Kansas was right. 

At first I was a little shocked because there are definitely some shady areas, but I mean, what place 

doesn't have shady areas. 

(and by shady I don't mean because there are lots of trees!) LOL

But as soon as you get used to the city, it completly grows on you.

Ben and I always find ourselves driving around and finding neighborhoods that we like that we 

see ourselves living in.

I absolutely love the people. For the most part they are always so nice. I usally end up

having a full on conversation with a total stranger at a store. Lol

I also love the size of Topeka. Its definitely a lot bigger than Cheyenne but still has that 

essence of a smaller city. There is plenty of stuff to do. 

There are beautiful parks and trails and the scenery is gorgeous!
Plenty of shopping too.

There are 4 seasons in Topeka, unlike Cheyenne's 2 seasons. 

There is actaully a fall and spring. 

Usually in early April the trees start budding and the flowers start blooming. 

By May it already looks like summer. 

Summer in Topeka is pretty hot and humid, but I have gotten used to it. 

Just get me to a pool and I will be totally fine!

Fall is by far my favorite. The trees get so pretty and the weather is perfect. 

Everyone who grew up in Kansas says that winters  are terrible. Well obviously

they have never been to Wyoming from the months of Oct through April.

Now that is a cold winter. 

Topeka in the winter is like Cheyenne on a good day! 

I have made so many wonderful friends here and I know they will be my friends forever!

When Ben and I talk about jobs, I get a little antsy. 

What if a job comes up for him that's not in Topeka. What if I have to leave the place 

I have called home for almost 3 years. Leave the place that I want to call home for the next 30 years.

I know everything works out for a reason and Ben and I will end up where we are meant to be. 

But for now, my heart is in Topeka!

Its my home!!!

This is Ben and I when we first moved in our townhouse. 

Now we have a dog and a baby.
A lot has changed in 3 years!

Jesse's Homecoming

As most of you know, my little (not so little) brother came home on Sept 4th from his

2 year mission in South Africa. We were all so giddy and excited to welcome him home back to the states.

Ben couldnt come out because he is in his last semester of law school and couldnt miss classes, so Lily and I flew to Denver to join the rest of my family.
Once we were all reunited we went to the international gate and anxiously waited for his plane to land.

It seemed like an eternity and I swear he was the last one to come out of customs.

Jesse drew that picture for his senior art class, it was like he knew he was

going to Africa

And here he is!

Lily never has stranger danger, but I think she got scared

because he ran to her and startled her.

But then she got used to him

Brothers!!!

Lily has been making so many cute faces lately. She squinches up her nose

Holes in his shoes

Saying goodbye to his companion

We were all starving so we ate Chinese food at the airport.

Lily was having a hay day with the noodles. 

(dont worry, I took the noodles out of her mouth immediately. 

Lily was so pooped after all the excitement and was so happy to be back in her carseat 

so she could fall asleep.

It was such a fun night hearing all of Jesse's amazing, funny, crazy, scary African adventures and learning 

about the wonderful people he grew to love who loved him back. 

I know he made a huge impact in their life and I am so proud of him!