Favorite Time of Day

Praise the Lord, we are finally getting back to sleeping at night. In fact, Lily has been sleeping all the time. It would appear that the 4 days of poor sleeping and eating all the time were signs of a major baby growth spurt. Now she is catching up for lost time. Yesterday was unbelievable. She was awake for about 3 hours throughout the day and that was it. It was nice because all of us got to sleep together and catch up on some much needed ZZZZZs. When you think about how much they change and develop when they are so little I guess it is understandable how they can be ravenous one minute and exhausted the next.

So thankfully we are back to making it 6 or 7 hours at night which has given me a much better outlook on life. Bob is in the middle of training for his next marathon in March so every Saturday we head over to the Tobacco Trail to run. This past Saturday Bob ran 16 miles in 2 and a quarter hours while Lily and I ran 8. I am so proud of myself and I felt so strong. Lily and I have gotten into a routine of running 2-4 times per week. Running has been an excellent way to have time for myself. It is the only time in the day where I can guarantee that Lily will sleep and give me 1-2 hours of uninterrupted peace. My post pregnancy goal is to run the Disney Marathon in January of 2012 and so far I am well on my way. We also have a membership at our local aquatics center and Bob and I try to swim 2 times per week. It is trickier now with Lily, but we are going to start taking her and taking turns playing in the water.

Lily loves the water and we are just loving the nights when we get to give her a bath. It is definitely the best time of the day. This week Bob and I each took turns taking a bath with her in the big bath. She just adores the water and this way we can lay her down in it and play for a while. I think her favorite part is splashing with her feet.






It is so cute to watch her get all excited and squirm around in the tub. The delight that you see in her face radiates through her little body and she is so cute. She is smiling a lot more now, but oddly enough she is a little camera shy. Maybe shy is the wrong word, but every time I get the camera out to capture her smile, she takes one look at the big flashy black thing and I cannot seem to coax a smile out. I have discovered that I have to catch her when she is not looking to get the biggest smiles.



Lily is becoming more and more dexterous with her hands and she is desperately trying to fit them into her mouth. She still keeps her fingers in a fist though, so she just can't get the suction going. I tell you what, as soon as she figures it out I have a feeling that we are going to have a thumb sucker on our hands. Interestingly, I am kind of looking forward to her figuring it out because then she can self soothe and Bob and I won't have to play the relay game of "put her pacifier back in before she screams." I love watching her because she keeps her little hands right in front of her. So adorable.


I am really looking forward to February because we get to see lots of family again. Grandma Jill will be coming to see Lily (She really is coming to see Lily-Bob and I are just by products-that's what happens when you have a baby as cute as Lily). She will be here over Valentines day weekend which will allow a nice date night. We didn't even have to twist Jill's arm to babysit! At the end of the month the three of us will head out to Colorado. I am really looking forward to it as it will be the first time that all of my extended family will get to meet Lily. Of course, it will also mark the first time that Lily has been in an airplane. I am a little nervous. Hopefully it will go really well and she will sleep the whole time! I will pray for that.

What's the Plan Here??

Okay so I am FRUSTRATED! Now to start things off, everything that I have to say has been exacerbated by the fact that my daughter has completely digressed in her sleeping patterns. I am back to being up with her every 2-3 hours and between 2 AM and 4AM I am up every hour. What gives? I totally expected to have nights when she didn't sleep as well, but 4 nights in a row? And we are getting worse, not better. Yesterday I did my best to not let her sleep for more than a couple of hours at a time and still was up every hour from 2-4. The really hard part is that she is so darn cute and smiles at me every time I get in her room that it is difficult to be mad at her! Many mommies have told me how just when their little one figures something out ie. potty training, sleeping through the night, eating broccoli, there comes a point when magically they decide to digress. I remember thinking the first time Lily slept through the night "Ah, we are headed in the right direction, we may have a few bumps, but we are trending right. Lily isn't going to be one of those digressing babies".....LESSON LEARNED.....pride does go before a fall! Much to Bob's chagrin, our baby is NOT perfect.

Now to the real issue. Today at noon our beautiful home in Arizona is going to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. The worst part about it is that it didn't have to happen. Someone with the third party negotiation company dropped the ball and didn't get something done. After 4 months on the market with no activity, we finally got an offer for the short sale. Unfortunately the offer was super low. After discussing with the negotiator we discovered a month ago that the bank needed to net a certain amount in order to proceed with the short sale. So three weeks ago we were able to get the Buyer to come up the necessary amount to net the bank their requirement. We were told that a postponement of foreclosure had been requested and were anxiously waiting on the offer approval. Because we had an offer (actually we ended up with 3 offers- two were cash buyers! ARGH) that met the banks requirement, we were told that it should be a cut and dry deal. No foreclosure, Yeah! Then came the news that the negotiator submitted the original low ball offer instead of the increased price offer and of course, it was rejected. My awesome agent and I spent yesterday afternoon on the phone with them desperately trying to get someones help and were basically told "I'm sorry Mrs. Longmire, we understand that we made the mistake, but we cannot postpone the foreclosure without an approval letter and it is to late to get that." So we are just another victim of the housing crisis and the banks lack of communication.

It is so sad because we loved our home and would have stayed there for the next 10 years. We put so much effort into making it our home. I can remember painting every room (some of them twice) and planning how I was going to decorate. We bought our beautiful refrigerator, ceiling fans and custom bathroom mirrors. Our backyard was a true labor of love. We took it from dirt to a landscaped extended patio with a lovely built in fireplace. We dreamed of watching our citrus trees grow and adding a firepit one day. We found out we were pregnant in that house and I planned the beautiful baby room. Now it is going to be auctioned off.

We had great jobs, a beautiful home, close friends, wonderful family nearby and a baby on the way. Then everything changed and we had to move 2000 miles away, loose our house, leave our friends, have a major budget change and have a baby without family near. Yes, the move was good for Bob's career, but after NC taxes, and family healthcare, income has taken a dramatic nosedive. What did we come out here for? What's the plan?? My heart breaks every time that I think about Lily and that she is going to grow up far away from my parents and Bob's parents. This is just not what I wanted for my daughter. I know, I know, we are young and will have the ability to move back that direction sometime, but what if we don't? What if the plan is to move farther away? or to a bigger city?

Trusting God is so hard especially when you feel like every step is an unknown. I don't consider myself a control freak, but not knowing the plan is sometimes so frustrating!

Weatherly Weekend!

The past couple of months have been a whirlwind of visitors and new baby adventures. I was a bit bummed that we couldn't go anywhere over the holidays, but the family that came to visit really made the times special. This past weekend we had our dear Arizona friends Matt and Tara come for a visit. Actually it was more about meeting Lily, but we had a really great time. Since they were using the weekend as a a much needed getaway the entire time was laid back and chill. They got in last Thursday evening and spent the night playing with the baby.

On Friday Bob had to go to work for a few hours and then he and Matt headed off to do their favorite thing....GOLF! Both of the guys got to know each other on the golf course so it was fitting for them to have a day of golf.


While they played Tara and I stayed home, but Bob wanted me to be sure that I told some stories about the golf course. First off, both of the guys said that it was one of the most enjoyable courses that they have ever played and they got the whole course to themselves.



On hole number one Bob had a long putt to the hole. Matt, being a smart aleck, dropped a ball in the same spot to show Bob "how it's done." He hit the ball as more of a joke than anything and managed to sink the 50 foot putt. That started a great day of golf. There were enormous sand traps and some of them had major walls that require some talented shots to get out of.




There were also several dunes that blocked the green and it took a 14 foot pole to get an idea where the green was.



Just from the pictures it looked like a really fun and challenging course, very unique. Matt commented that it would have been beautiful with all of the trees but then pointed out that the ball wouldnn't go through them as well.

Saturday morning was Bob and my long run morning so we tucked Lily in and headed to the Tabacco Trail. Bob successfully pushed Lily for 14 long miles while Rocky and I did a respectable 6. Bob was exhausted after the miles and pushing the baby. I keep telling him that if he keeps pushing her during his training runs, his marathon will be super easy. Of course, its all relative! Matt called us both crazy and decided he and Tara were going to enjoy sleep instead. Once we were done we took our starving selves to Coffee and Crepes where we all enjoyed a great breakfast/lunch. Lily snuggled with Tara the whole time. So cute.



Tara and I had a blast the rest of the afternoon doing what we do best...SHOP! We started with a movie and then headed to find the sales. We ended up having a great time and finding fantastic date night dresses at cheap prices. It is funny what happens when you have a baby and enter mommy mode. Getting dressed up takes on a whole new meaning, ie. what is going to be the easiest to nurse in and the best to cover the left over pregnant chub. Tara dared me to buy this little cocktail dress and I took her up on it. I am so glad she did because we both took a break from mommy comfort and got our groove back for a night with our men. We all headed out to Bonefish Grill and had a wonderful time.


I enjoyed a couple of raspberry martinis (delicious!) and Tara had this awesome martini that was served with a glow stick in it (no joke!).


I think the best part of the night is that we ended up not having childcare (yeah that is a whole new dimension to our life), so our little girl got stuck underneath the table. No one knew she was there either. She fussed a bit but slept soundly the whole time.


Bob and I realized that we won't be able to conceal her under our table for much longer. Tara and I had a blast getting all dressed up for our hubbies and loved the time together as couples.

Here is the proof that mommies can be comfortable and sexy!

Just a Cute Baby!

I know that I am biased, but Lily is just about the cutest baby that I have ever seen. It seems like every day she gets cuter and cuter.


Bob and I keep our camera on our person at all times because it is so much fun to see her new faces and when she discovers something new. She is such a precious child even when she screams at the top of her lungs. I have decided that the most rewarding thing is in the mornings when she smiles when seeing Mommy. Just warms my heart.



I am also having a blast dressing her up. It seems like the world is conspiring to have my daughter in nothing but pink. Not that I have anything against the color, but seriously everything is some form of pink and yes salmon equals pink manufacturers!



I think that I am going to start a movement towards purple, turquoise and yellow for the girl trend.

A couple of weekends ago when Bob and Lynn came into town they were very chagrined that Lily did not have a Chicago Bears outfit. You see, I do not really have any preference on sports teams (sorry Broncos), but Bob is a die hard Bears fan. Lynn immediately went home to Chicago and bought Lily the proper game attire!


She has two outfits that will show her team support and make her Daddy smile. So, much to the disappointment of my Colorado and Arizona family, Lily will be a Bears fan. Boy does she make a cute one too. Of course the Bears colors are very butch so I went and girlied it up with a white flower.

A Long Weekend with the Longmires

What a blessing to have family all across the nation. This past weekend Lily got to meet her Grandma and Grandpa Longmire. Bob and Lynn came into town on Friday night for the long holiday weekend. It was such a treasure to introduce Bob's dad to his first grandchild. She is so cute now and she is becoming more and more interactive with everyone. We get smiles every day and are hoping for a giggle here shortly. Lily is such a blessed child to have so many Grandmas and Grandpas that love her and can't wait to be with her.

On Saturday morning Grandpa got the privilege of changing her diaper.


He wasn't really sure what direction the diaper went on, but he figured it out and Lily was sufficiently covered. She loves her changing table so it really doesn't matter how everything works she is just content to have someone working on her. I think she is going to be one of those babies that just loves being naked. Teaching her modesty is going to be an ongoing battle. After the diaper change I gladly gave her to Grandma Lynn to play with and I went back to bed.



I love it when I can give Lily to someone in the morning because the 2 hours of sleep I get are phenomenal.


We took everyone to the lake for a morning walk and then headed to our favorite breakfast place, Coffee and Crepes. Soon after, we headed over to the State Farmer's Market which is a large flea market style market where local famers sell their wonderful produce and goods.


It is so much fun to walk through and see what everyone is selling. The veggies and fruit are awesome and there are homemade jams and jellies, sauces, fudge and pies galore. Farmers even sell honey from their bee farms and fresh grass fed beef, pork, chicken and sausages. The market has several buildings including outdoor vendors and indoor vendors. While walking through the indoor vendors, Bob and Lynn discovered a candy shop where they were selling Bullseyes.


Apparently, those were the dessert of choice served on their first date so we just had to photograph the moment. Continuing down the shops Grandpa Longmire found this cute little flag and couldn't resist the opportunity to steal a smooch.


That afternoon we stayed in and watched football. Grandpa had and IPAD and we loved playing with it. He downloaded a puzzle game and Lily was just enthralled with what she saw.


Bob and I talked about how "techie" she is going to be. With books and puzzles all contained on digital screens nowadays she is sure to be a tech savvy lady. She is absolutely mesmerized by the computer and TV and it is going to take a lot of commitment to keep it to a minimum in our house. Rocky also got some attention and some much needed brushing.


No that is not roadkill next to Rocky, it really is all of the fur that we pulled off of him and that was the second brushing of the day!

Later that night Grandma and Grandpa got to experience bath time. Lily is loving her bath and it is so cute to watch her.


She likes to lick the water as it runs down her face and it is just so cute to see that little tongue moving in and out in the tub. We couldn't resist taking pictures!

The next morning we all piled in the car, Rocky included, and headed to Charlotte to see Aunt Darcie and Uncle Brent.



The Chicago Bears were playing so everyone got together for game day food and fun.




Lily even had the appropriate attire! We all ate our fill of proper one syllable game food-chips, dips and drinks and watched the Bears thoroughly trounce the Seahawks. I thought it so funny that even with comfy couches and chairs this is how real Bears fans watch the game!


We all had a blast just hanging out. All of the dogs loved it to. Darcie and Brent have Bailey and Luke and it is so cute because Little Bailey sleeps on the big bed while Big fluffy Luke squishes himself in the little bed. So funny!


Darcie also lets doggies on the couch so Rocky got to snuggle with Bob.


I kept telling Bob that Rocky is going to think that is okay at our house now but he couldn't resist. Of course Luke didn't want to be left out so Bob and Lynn ended up with two huge dogs in their laps.


Maybe we should have thought that one through a little bit better. Once the dogs got off of his lap, Bob discovered that he was freezing and didn't bring a jacket. The skinny guy thought it would be funny if he fit in mine and...he did. Sure it was a little short on the arms, but cute none the less.


Lily got all sorts of attention over the weekend


and had such a good time hanging out with everyone.


She just loves her Grandma and Grandpa Longmire and can't wait to see them again!