Cousins

Cousin Jameson stopped by for a visit. Two and half weeks younger, it was cute watching them together. Jameson is crawling....so hopefully Layla took lessons!

How Big

Before the family cradle headed back to Ontario we thought it would be fun to put Layla back in it. Boy has she grown!

Grammie and Grandpa's visit

Grandpa putting Layla to bed

Grammie makes Layla's day by spending hours on the floor with her

Watching french TV classics

Layla loved pulling her Grandpa's beard

Ready for our walk

Grammie and Grandpa came from November 21 to the 26. It was nice to watch them get to know a more grown up Layla. They both had fun doing her day to day care. Feeding, bathing and playing with her. It was a great week although it really just made me miss them more. The only thing that would make my life better would be them living here. I had a close relationship with my grandparents as a young child and then spent many years with none. I am so glad Layla has both sets of Grandparents that adore her. She is a very lucky little girl.

Happy Thanksgiving

Layla's first Thanksgiving! Ironically Grannie and Granddaddy went to Ohio to spend the Holiday with Aunt Ann and Grammie and Grandpa came here from Ontario. So Layla spent her first American Thanksgiving with her Canadian Grandparents.

It was a cool rainy day but we headed out to the Duke trial for a walk, then dinner. We took several pictures trying to get a family photo with Layla looking....it did not work. She would rather look at us then the camera on the mantle.

We offered her white potatoes but she did not seem to like them. So like a good southern girl she ate sweet potatoes, which she loves. We gave her 3 spoon fulls of pumpkin pie, which she seem to be indifferent about. I was sure she would love it, but nothing.

I am so Thankful for our healthy beautiful daughter, it has been a great year.

7 months

Layla is 7 months old today. And as a special treat she is spending the morning with Grammie and Grandpa who are here from Canada for the week. It is their first time babysitting her while mom and dad work.

This month has brought us a big girl who eats better and sleeps better! I have been waiting for this moment and it came this month. We start the bedtime routine at 6pm with dinner then bath and bottle. This is all done by about 6:30 and then she goes to bed and sleeps at least 12 glorious hours. She often wakes and has a bottle to just go back to sleep until 9 am. Most days I am up before her and it is great. She still takes a morning nap and an afternoon nap so her routine is great. She eats very well from a spoon, taking 3 meals a day. She is down to 4-5 bottles a day at 6 oz each.

One of her favorite things to do is to repeat sounds you make. We haven't got her to repeat mama or dada yet but other weird nosies she loves to copy you.

I have no idea how much she weighs but her clothes are mostly 12 months! Some even 18months but they are long in the legs but fit fine in her waist. She loves to eat, kicking her legs and making her her mmmmmm sound every time she is ready.

Words can not express my love for Layla Katherine.

Layla Kate your Dad and I love you soo much! You are easily the most beautiful, fun , sweet girl around!

Saddness

Today I started to pack up Layla Kate's "baby things". Yup that's right my baby is growing up fast....swing(that she didn't like anyways)baby bath tube, her 18lb body doesn't fit anymore. Her bouncy chair, boppy pillow, 0-6month clothes, baby chair...you name it is going to the attic. I thought about selling everything, but since my sweetness has been so fun to have we don't want to rule out a sibling for her.
So as much as it is fun to see her sit, eat food and laugh it is sad to realize how fast she is growing up.

Halloween

"Layla Bug" was a LadyBug for her first Halloween. After a start to the day by visiting with Grammie and Grandpa on Skype we had lunch in the park. No trick or treating this year but her outfit was still very cute. I had big plans for cute pictures in the leafs, however Layla really just wanted to eat them. So the pictures weren't as good as I had hoped but she is adorable none the less!

6 months

Wow I have a 6 month old daughter. She is not a baby anymore, sitting on her own, holding her own bottle and eating solid foods. Her stats: 18lbs 11.7oz which is 92%, 25 inches long 37%. So short and fat just her mom. The doctor had no concerns with her development and was impressed with her strength. The doctor did tell us that she did not need to eat during the night anymore. For awhile now the routine has been:
1800- Dinner, bath, bottle and bed by 1845
1200-bottle and back to sleep
0530-bottle and back to sleep
0900- up for the day and breakfast bottle
1000- morning nap
1100- lunch then play
1330- bottle and then nap
1600- snack bottle

But last night Layla must have heard the doctor because Layla SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT!
That's right after 6 months and 2 days she did it. We were prepared to let her cry it out but there was no need big girl did it on her own. She woke up at 0530 for bottle and went right back to sleep so I think 11hours can be seen as sleeping through the night. I laid there from 0345 waiting for her to wake up crazy that you wait for it every night and then when it does happen you can't sleep. So we will see what tonight brings!
What I want to remember from month 6 is how Thankful I am for my beautiful daughter!

Dear Layla

Dear Layla


My beautiful baby Layla, you are 6 months old today. I want to write you and say Thank you! Thank you for all the ways you have changed my life. I am so lucky to have you. I was so worried that being a Mom would not be for me. But over the past 6 months I have realized that being your Mom is so much better than I could have ever imagined.


I have enjoyed watching your Dad with you. I have fallen in love with him all over again. He is kind, warm and gentle with everything he does. His love for you is so strong. He takes you everywhere with him, and is obsessed with buying you clothes. Yes that's right clothes....that he thinks fits you better. He really doesn't like anything to be tight, and just last night he came home with a bag of sleepers because he didn't want you to get cold feet at night. You just light up when ever he walks into the room. He is able to get you to laugh so loud and it is music to my ears. I have a feeling that your bond with your Dad will cause me some trouble when you are a teenager!


Ever since you were born people have said you look just like your Dad. But I do think you have my eyes. You also have my big toes! Not something I wanted you to get from me. Your Grandmother also has them and they are not my favorite feature...they stick up! Your hair is starting to grow, and I am hoping for thick big curls. But right now you just have a patch of hair at the back of your head that does curl when it's wet. Your skin tone is lighter than I thought it would be are you are a big girl. Big in the fact that you are wearing 9-12month clothes already. You have been wearing large sized clothes since you were 3months old. And if I do say so myself..you are the most beautiful little girl I have ever seen!



So Layla Katherine, thank you!

Thank you for giving me a reason to get up everyday

Thank you for teaching to be patient

Thank you for trying to teach me that I can't control everything

Thank you for making me laugh

Thank you for making me a better person

I love you so much and I can't wait to see what the next 6 months brings us,

Love Mom

Pumpkin Patch

A few weeks ago Jatovi and I went with Layla to a pumpkin patch. Layla still needed help with sitting and the pumpkins that were out were not in a place for great pictures. So we completed the corn maze with Layla on Jatovi's back in the carrier. Well with in minutes Layla was a sleep so Jatovi and I completed the maze and we were done for the day.

Now that our big girl is sitting on her own I thought I would try the pumpkin patch again. Today Grannie and I were off and we got a lot of great pictures.