Kitchen upgrade almost complete

We started this kitchen upgrade in Aug of 09 and it was supposed to be complete before November when Lela was born.....finally in May 2010....we are very close to complete. Painted trim, new countertops, backspash, crown molding, painted cabinets (with no more routing), new sink and new color on the walls. I'm so glad we're through with the big mess of sawdust and cleaning out the cabinets. We lived without all the stuff in our drawers for so long that when we finally got the drawers back, I had forgotten which drawers some things went in! It also feels very strange to have cabinet doors up! I'm thankful we see the light at the end of the tunnel! Now Tom is onto finishing the trim in all the house!

Strawberry Picking

I went to a local farm and picked some strawberries. I made some strawberry tarts/pies with them and have frozen the rest. They are yummy. Lela wanted to get her hands on those strawberries.

5 1/2 months

Lela is becoming more verbal (outside of cooing in her crib when trying to go to sleep or after waking up). She didn't cry around my mother in law today...she's getting used to her. She is eating other cereals and usually eats quickly. I'll be curious to see what she weighs now - we'll go to her 6 month appt in a week or so. This week marks my 9 year anniversary of being in Atlanta. It's hard to believe.

Andrew's first birthday

I enjoyed a beautiful spring day celebrating Andrew's first birthday. I was able to visit with several friends at the party as well. Andrew wasn't so sure of the cake - it ended up all over him and not in his mouth.

Becky's wedding shower

I enjoyed going to a shower for Becky - a girl i worked with at MTW. I was able to put Lela in another room - to sleep on her pack n play mat. It was fun to visit with Becky and hear about her fiance since I'd not seen her in several years. Tom was busy painting the trim in our kitchen today while we were out. The smell (kilz) was so strong when i got back, that i took her out again to sleep. He wants to paint the trim in the whole house which could be a "several weekend" project. It will look great when it's all done.

Easter and birthday

My mother in law, Virginia will have her 82nd birthday tomorrow. We celebrated by having the family over for grilled chicken and coconut cake (her favorite). Lela enjoyed seeing all the family and being held by everyone ...without crying (a first for the past 2 months). I also helped in the nursery this Sunday and took Lela for the first time. She slept most of the time even in the midst of other crying babies. The latest with Lela is: she enjoys her rice cereal, she turns over with ease (tummy to back), she can stand for several minutes by just holding her hands, we've gotten a few more laughs out of her. She is really attentive to her surroundings and easily distracted when she's eating. She continues to be a good natured baby in that she wakes up cooing and will lay there for a while content. She loves music and singing and we read books together too. She continues to sleep 18 hours a day. She's alot of fun in that she smiles alot and is fun to interact with.

Gina

I enjoyed a visit with Gina this week. Her little boy, Andrew, turns one this month. I remember having coffee with her on Good Friday last year (2 days before Andrew was born) and I was 9 wks pregnant. I wished she and I lived closer so we could see each other more often.

Fun with Mommy and Daddy

Lela likes bouncing up and down as Tom is doing with her - gets a giggle out of her. It's fun to get out the summer clothes and wear some new duds. I'm looking forward to the spring weather. Lela seems to be very hot natured, so it will be interesting to see how she does this summer. I just put her in her exersaucer and she seems to enjoy it. We tried it a month ago and she wasn't ready.

Overalls

I've had fun putting Lela in the hand me downs that Shelly gave me. I love these overalls. Tom's mom came over to watch her while i ran some errands. Lela continues to be a little fussy around people other than Tom or me....hopefully she'll not stay in this phase too long...maybe when we get her in the nursery at church, etc she'll become more comfortable with other people.

Lela...the cowgirl!

I started Lela on solids this weekend due to 2 nights of her waking up in the middle of the night wanting a feeding. Not sure if it was a growth spurt or needing more food in general, but i started her anyway. She took the spoon just fine. Also Tom has been promoting his website selling rocking and carousel horses. (www.carouselandrockinghorses.com) and will be doing a giveaway soon. Check it out and become a fan on facebook too! We thought there's no better way to promote the rocking horses than Lela doing a demo! She's a cowgirl at heart I believe...check out the jeans and one handed ride...yeehaw!

4 month check up

Lela got a good report at the Dr's office this week. She's in the 79th percentile for weight. She's 15 lbs 5 oz. I can now start her on solids whenever I want and can spread her feedings to 3.5 or 4 hours. She continues to be a good sleeper - sleeping 18 hours a day most times. She laughed for the first time this week! I've been trying to get more laughs out of her - but haven't found the secret ingredient. It's fun watching her grow and change and be able to do more things. She continues to want to "mouth" everything to check it out.

Traveling with a 4 month old

My mother in law, Virginia comes over and stays with Lela sometimes while i go out on an errand or go to the gym. She's been a blessing. Lela's latest thing is she no longer squeals, but coos more and with facial expressions. She keeps her fingers in her mouth all the time. I am guessing she's teething. She enjoys music of any kind and likes it when we sing to her. She continues to enjoy her bath and has outgrown the hammock we used in the tub those first couple of months. Mom gave her these letters for the nursery as her Christmas present. We enjoyed seeing family this past weekend in AL for my Dad's birthday. Lela did better than i expected as far as not being scared of everyone (as she's been before). Forgot to take my camera. Traveling takes alot longer now that we have to feed her every 3 hours. It took us 6 and 7 hours instead of our normal 3.5-4 hours! She slept well most of the time.

16 weeks

Lela is really into squealing with excitement these days. She's using her hands alot more to grab things and pull them to her and put them in her mouth.