Passing me by...

Time. Good lord.
I cannot believe that tomorrow is AUGUST! Lily will be 3 months old in just 2 weeks. Unbelievable. This seemed so far away when she was born!

We'll be taking her on her first vacation next weekend, for our 1st wedding anniversary. We're going to St. Augustine for 2 nights, somewhere where we've never been. We're so excited. It will be the perfect getaway, being that it's only a 4.5 hour drive. We need the break, just to relax as a family.

Nothing else really new. Lily is getting big and gorgeous. She is cooing more and more, giggling and listening intently to conversations. She follows voices and watches colors on TV (which we're trying to not let become a habit). She has amazing neck strength and can now support her own head. She still thinks her fist is the coolest thing ever. Oh, and, she is sleeping through the night, 10pm-8am! It's been 6 nights in a row now, so I don't want to jinx it, but it's been NICE.
She is just amazing.

Here is my most favorite picture of her so far. Just so happy and pretty...

We bought her this little pool thing, which she is still way too little for, but this was fun...

In other news...
Congrats to my friend Anne, who just found she and her husband are expecting their first baby!
Erin, we're waiting to meet Finn!
Caren & Rick, we're waiting to meet baby girl #2!

and, what I'm most proud of right now....
My husband was hired to be a featured artist at Mineral Nights, a nightclub in Sarasota (here). He will be painting there tomorrow night from 10pm-2am and then his work will be raffled off! This will be huge for him to get his name out there as an artist. I'm proud of you babe! Good luck!

I can't think of anything else...I'm sure I have more to tell but I'm working off of 2 hours of sleep (mild case of insomnia last night).

Nichols Look-alike Meter

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities - Collage - Morph

I saw this on a friend's blog and thought it was cute. I knew Lily looked more like D!

2 Months Today!

It does not even seem possible that she is two months old. She is getting so big. She was 11lbs 2oz and 23" long at her 8 week appointment!

Let's do random thoughts...

• She smiles all of the time.
• She has definitely found her voice and makes all kind of fun noises.
• She hates naps.
• She gets crabby because of the last thought.
• She is sleeping through the night, for the most part.
• She loves outings.
• She is tolerating baths a little bit better.
• She LOVES her fist.
• Her red hair just keeps getting redder.
• She is so very alert and responsive.
• She hates tummy time.

There is so much more but I don't want to bore everyone too much. I know I was never super interested in this stuff when other people would tell me, especially before I had a kid!

I went back to work last week. It's bitter sweet. A part of me really enjoys having that part of my life, seperate from being a mom, but the bigger part of me wants to be at home with her. Thankfully, my mom watches her most days which is a huge relief for me. Lily loves her grandma.

Lily is starting to make more sense to Dustin and I now. We're starting to understand her a little more and know what her different cries/fusses are all about. She has quite the personality and makes us laugh everyday.

Promised Video...

From last week....

One year ago...

Dustin and I were legally married at the Sarasota County court house in Venice. Not a lot of people know about that, but it was a fun day and one I will cherish.

Yes, our wedding was August 9th, 2008 in Costa Rica but we chose to make it legal before we left. This saved us a lot of money and hassle. Getting married internationally is not easy!

Thinking back to this day a year ago makes me so happy for so many reasons. Here is what I remember from that day....

• It was just the two of us at the court house, in shorts and t-shirts.
• It was strange to leave there legally married.
• We tried very hard to create no significance to the day because 8/9/08 would be our anniversary.
  
• We spent the entire day together, mostly running errands for the wedding.
• We went to our first Dave Matthews concert in Tampa that night.
• We ate sandwiches on the way there.
• There was a really bad thunderstorm as the concert began and we were in a venue that was half exposed to the elements.
• Dustin bought me a gorgeous pair of earrings for a wedding gift.

We were so excited for our upcoming Costa Rica trip! I was in full planning mode, trying to help all of our guests prepare and trying to get my wedding dress fitted properly (it took 4 fittings!). It was just an amazing time filled with so much anticipation and happiness.

Although it isn't our anniversary, I will always have a special place in my heart for this date. It signifies an incredible beginning to our lives together as a married couple. So much has changed in a year but it honestly feels like just yesterday!

I love you Dustin. Thank you for being my heart and soul.

7 weeks!

Lily is growing so fast, I can't believe it! She is 10lbs 8oz and obviously eating like a champ. She is smiling and once in awhile we'll get a giggle. She's also cooing and loves looking around to check out her surroundings. She is amazing, I can't say it enough.

I don't have much time to write, like usual, but here are some pictures from today...

Something was funny...

and then it wasn't...

and with mom...


(I took a video but don't have time to load it! I will post it later!)


A day late but...

Happy 1st Birthday to Ryan!


And Happy 17th Birthday Uncle Cody!