Easter Hat Parade & Party

Lyla's preschool had a Easter Hat Parade. Lyla and I made her hat together and it was so much fun and I was very proud of how it turned out. First Lyla painted a paper plate and paper bowl pink. I cut a hole in the plate big enough for her head and then glued the bowl on top. Lyla chose the decorations for the top of her hat and I glued them on using the glue gun. She put plastic eggs, pink bunnies, foam stickers, flowers, and ribbon on it. We fastened it with a long ribbon around her neck. She chose the flowers and ribbon herself at Michaels. She looked so proud and cute in the Hat Parade. I was one excited Mommy to see her walk in the parade wearing the hat we created together.

Doing their Easter crafts. The moms in charge of the party bring the crafts.

At home modeling her hat for me.

I got to hear the blessing they say before they eat everyday. Now we sing this at home before we eat. I thoroughly enjoyed the party. This was my first school party for Lyla and I look forward to many more with both of my girls.

Caroline's 4 months old!

The fourth month was so much fun for Caroline. She rolled over both ways for the first time. First she rolled from back to front on her playmat, and not too long after started rolling from her tummy to her back. She also started laughing a lot this month. I've tried to get video of it, but once the camera comes on, I'm not nearly as funny and just can't make her laugh. Caroline now rolls to her tummy in her crib and sleeps that way, which really helps her sleep better. We swaddle her under her arms now, but she still enjoys sleeping in her swaddle blanket. Her hair is long enough that we must pull her bangs back with a hair bow.

Caroline was such a sweet baby at her 4 month well baby appointment. Dr. Boston gave us the go ahead to give her baby cereal and baby food. She said her bottom gums are swollen and she is teething. She still wakes once a night for a feeding in addition to the dream feed at 10:00 (before I go to bed), but Dr. Boston said that's OK and not to start any kind of sleep training yet. Dr. Boston did hear a heart murmur and referred Caroline to a pediatric cardiologist. The cardiologist did an EKG on her and said it is an "innocent" murmur that she should outgrow. She doesn't need any medication or follow up. I'm very thankful for that. I too was born with a heart murmur and outgrew it so I guess she got that from her Mommy. Her stats are as follows:

weight: 13 lbs. 3 ozs.

height: 23 3/4"

head: 16 1/4"

Here's Caroline hanging with her friend Mason. She spent a lot of this month on her side like this. I love how they both have their hands in their mouth.

Caroline is sitting up well when supported, but I don't leave her sitting up without her boppy around her or something behind her. Look at that excitement!

She sits well in the bumbo seat but won't stay in it for too long. I put her in here to trim her nails, which I have to do weekly.

Lyla is happy that the bumbo seat is back too. She likes to sit in it. Sometimes she will put it on the couch and sit in it.

She still enjoys the swing.

Lyla just loves cuddling with her baby sister!

Disney on Ice

My friends and I took our "princesses" to Disney on Ice. They wore their princess dresses and thoroughly enjoyed watching all the Disney characters skate around and sing. Lyla keeps saying she wants to go ice skating now, but I think she's a little young still. I was worried that Lyla wouldn't want to sit through the entire show, but she did great. There was one part about Halloween (not sure why in April, but I guess I don't know my Disney that well, so I'm sure there was a reason) that scared her a little. Not to tears, but she did sit in my lap through that one. It was such a fun mommy/daughter outing and I can't wait to do something like this with both of my girls when Caroline gets a little older.

Lyla's 1st Fun Run!

My Stroller Strength group held a Fun Run for all of the kiddos. I practiced running a race with Lyla in the backyard so she would know what to do. I was so nervous she wouldn't know what to do or would fall and hurt her knees, but she did awesome!

She's got her number and she's ready to run!

Playing with her BFF Anna Claire before the race starts.

The starting line. Oh, I was nervous for her, but she looks very confident!

She ran the entire race and had perfect form. I was so proud of her.

What a cutie!

She won a medal!

Playing with her friends Anna Claire and Isabella after the race.

I really enjoyed watching Lyla participate in her very first race and can't wait for next year's Fun Run!

Preschool Sunday at Church

Our church is so awesome! On March 20, 2011, they dedicated an entire Sunday to the preschoolers. They invited the families with preschoolers to stay for a fried chicken lunch after church as well as lots of fun and games outside. There was kites, hula hoops, face painting, cotton candy, popcorn and parachute games. It was such a windy day, which is why Lyla's hair is pulled into a weird ponytail in addition to her bow on the side. I could barely pull it back because of the wind. The first thing she did was get a heart painted on her face and eat cotton candy. It was her first cotton candy ever.

Then off to the hula hoops. She was actually pretty good at it.

And shaking the parachute with Dad.

Caroline is 3 Months Old!!

Caroline was still a smiley, cuddly baby during month 3 and was so much fun because she was awake so much more.

It was an exciting month. She had her first trip to the beach and her first trip to church (I was waiting for her to have her 2 month shots before I took her since its flu season).

I put Caroline in the church nursery because I hate taking babies into the worship service and she did great. I did go and visit her to nurse her because she is not taking a bottle well. She took her first few bottles fine and then decided she was done with it. Thus starting her bottle strike, that really frustrated me because I felt like I could never leave her. We tried several different types of bottles and towards the end of month 3, she finally started taking the Playtex bottle with the liner inside with a latex nipple instead of silicone, and the milk must be warmed to the proper temperature. Talk about a picky baby. My mom visited for a week while Tommy was out of town and she babysat a lot for me and really got Caroline to take her bottle well. I was so happy to have some time off while my mom visited.

Unfortunately for me and Tommy, Caroline started waking up twice each night this month instead of once like she was doing. She wakes around 1:00 & 5:00, and then Lyla wakes up around 6:30 making for a tired mommy and daddy.

Caroline stil doesn't take a pacifier regularly. There were two days this month where she really took to the gumdrop paci and then she decided she was done with that. I'm glad we won't have to take it away from her later, but in a pinch it would be nice to use it to soothe her.

Caroline spent a lot of time on her side this month. She's not rolling over yet, but she is close. If she could just get over her arm, she would be.

Caroline sleeps swaddled in the Kiddopatamus swaddle blanket every night. These blankets are great, because they have flaps and velcro that make swaddling so easy. Its a good thing because I was never good at swaddling with those hospital blankets they teach you with. At the end of this month she started busting out of her swaddle, so I tried not swaddling her, but she couldn't sleep. It was frustrating, but we finally got through it and now she sleeps swaddled under her arms, so she can put her fingers in her mouth if she wants.

We are still doing tummy time and she's starting to like it more.

Some cute pics...

Caroline turned 3 months old on St. Patricks Day, so she wore her green St. Patty's Day shirt. I didn't have a green hair bow for her, so she looks like a boy here. I don't think green is her signature color, but I didn't want anyone pinching that sweet baby.

When Daddy's Away Nana and Papa Come to Play

So Tommy had to leave for a week when Caroline was almost 3 months old. I wasn't quite ready to handle these sleepless nights all by myself and entertaining Lyla was still quite a challenge while caring for a small baby. Dad came for the weekend and then had to go back home to work while my Mom stayed for the week to help out. We had a good time. These are some of the pictures we took while they were visiting:

Caroline enjoying her swing and smiling at Papa and Nana!

Lyla loves her sunglasses, even upside down.

My mom and I took the girls to the playground and had a picnic and let Lyla play. As you can see it was a bright sunny day in March.

My parents with both girls. Lyla is so relaxed!

Lyla had a Dora tent that one of our neighbors gave her. She and Papa and Nana had fun playing in it.

Dad and Caroline

Mom and Caroline

Mom and Lyla (yes I label these pictures because my girls look so much alike that I want their names by every picture)

Caroline enjoying the Spring like weather with Papa while Lyla plays outside

Mom and took the girls to the mall to get Lyla some new shoes. She picked out some cute Nikes and is even wearing them in this picture, you just can't see them. She wanted to ride this little merry go round at the mall, and loved it. Its blurry because she was moving.

Here is a video of Lyla on the merry go round. If you listen, you can hear one of the mall employees say they've never seen anyone who likes to drive that much.