Lilly's First Halloween

Lilly went as Eeyore. As soon as we dressed her she took off.
That tail swaying as she crawled off
sent Rand and I into a fit of giggles!
Too cute!

That tail is too much!

***
Lilly has loved her bucket already.
Wait until she finds out what it's for!
They only plan on hitting a few neighbors homes.

*******

See that angry frustrated baby below?!

This is what happens when
someone actually puts candy in your bucket!
And you reach your fat little hand in to get the candy out!
And when your fist grabs onto the sweet reward,
your hand will no longer fits out the top of the bucket!
According to Mommy and Uncle Willie
she had been stuck this way for awhile!
There is no way this girl was letting go of the candy!
(She'll gnaw her way through the bucket first!)

With any luck, this will be my new pic above!
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My profile says it is changed, when you click on it - it has changed, but it hasn't changed on the basic blog page yet. Anybody?
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And, of course, as soon as I write and publish that - it changes!

'Dozer plowed her way

through half of Uncle Willie's grilled cheese!

This face.
I didn't take it, but I love her expression and those blue eyes!

The 'Dozer was feeling much better today. And she definitely has a full four tooth smile now!
We even got in a stroll on this afternoon. The weather was gorgeous. We did our usual path and she was in such a good mood (even though it was close to nap time) - I decided to keep going until her mood declared it was nap time. Hah! I finally had to call it quits! I wore out before she did. And then we both took a nap.
My dryer is making a big, bad banging noise like it wants to catch fire. The first washer/dryer set I ever bought new, lasted 15 years. And they still worked when I let them go. This set is only a few years old. The washer was replaced the beginning of this year and this isn't the first time the dryer had demanded service attention. Luckily, Rand can fix anything. Our only real threat usually comes from lack of "parts availability" or parts "costs". Our last washer was fixable, but the part for it cost as much as the new washer we bought instead.
I miss when things were built to last.

And the day came screeching to a halt

It was another massive teething day for 'Dozer today. She was biting and gnawing on things (people and pets) all day. And yelling a lot. Not crying. Just angry yelling. Occasionally, she would find something that would make her very happy. It was a welcome relief.

Lilly's gums just feel real "bumpy" these days.

And yes, this is a dog squeaky toy she is chewing on.
It is one of her favorite toys of all.
And it makes her happy.

I re-arranged again - just a bit.
The large ottoman now sits in front of this bookcase.
Lilly was not amused.

This is what 'Dozer chose to do since arranging my books wasn't an option.

I tried taking her for a walk early this afternoon. Even that didn't fly. We went to the end of our street and I turned around and came back. Too much baby cussing. We finally got back home and I discovered she had ditched her blanket along the way, so we had to do the cranky walk again to find it.
It took an hour to get Lilly to settle for her afternoon nap and then the dogs woke her up by barking within an hour.
'Dozer went to bed early tonight.
FYI - this outfit did not survive until bath time. Just after supper Lilly got suddenly very happy and relaxed. Playing nicely. Not a care in the world. She had filled her diaper and this outfit. She was happy, but of course, that had to "change". Literally.

My dad asked the cute question of what I'm doing with my "spare time".
Today I washed, dried, folded and put away 4 loads of laundry, swept the kitchen, used my little green machine to spot clean the carpets, completely shampooed the bench cushions in the kitchen, vacuumed the upstairs, cleaned the upstairs bath, cleaned both kitty litter boxes, swept and cleaned the downstairs laundry and bath area, shook rugs and laundered the ones that shaking didn't help, did dishes (several times), fed the animals, watered the plants, did a bit of grocery shopping, dusted, and picked up and straightened non-stop.
Add in a few diapers and a lot of Lilly lifting.
My arthritis chose to flare up horribly while grocery shopping.
I had three things in my cart and decided I was done.
Tomorrow isn't looking too good either. I'm really hurting.

The other day.....
I was drying Lilly after her bath and I putting diaper cream on her. We usually have more than one tube around. I like to hand her one tube to hold while I use the another. It usually keeps her quiet and occupied for diapering. I got the diaper cream on her. Got the diaper on and looked up to smile at Lilly. Her face was white. Literally. She had pried the top off the other diaper cream with her teeth and had it everywhere.

Lilly did bite me pretty good today. She caught me off guard and I yelled in surprise. Then like a true gramma that is head over heels in love: I was in teary awe of the perfect tooth prints that had been left on my hand. So Precious!

delicate balance
Camper the Kitty shows a great deal of interest in the bathtub.
FYI - She slipped and fell in right after this shot.

Today was better

Lilly was in a better mood today. Yesterday, we lost the tights first, today they were last. Lilly is crawling so much, I like to protect her little legs when we can.
I'm beginning to wonder if yesterday's mood could have been "growing pains". Today she had the ability to reach things, that only yesterday, were out of reach. My wine cabinet, as you can see, has been transformed into a toy cubby.
It starts out every morning completely full of toys. Lilly spends a good deal of time making sure she gets everything off the shelves. Every day. Every shelf. Every room. Many, many times a day. Lilly takes things off - I put things back.
The pharmacy called. Their distributor doesn't have my new drug in stock either. It should in on Monday. Guess that just bought me three weeks, instead of two!
Rand now officially has Lilly's flu. He is pretty miserable.

Sandra captured this picture this morning.
I have entitiled it:
"Hello Kitty"

mood of the day

Sandra and I tagged teamed Lilly this morning. Poor baby or poor us; she was in a pretty good mood. At this point I think it is more teething than anything.
I spent the afternoon at my GI's. I get another new drug! But, my pharmacy didn't have it, so I get it tomorrow. The good news is: if this new drug helps, I don't have to have another colonoscopy. If it doesn't, I do. I have two weeks to hope something changes.
Miss Lilly was the major grump you see here by the time I got back home.

My theory is the first fix for an unhappy baby is: change something.
Her diaper was fine.
I took her shoes off. Unhappy.
I took her tights off. Unhappy.
After supper I took her jumper off. Slightly less unhappy.
Later took off her shirt. Tolerable.
Lilly was slightly better while browsing office supplies.

She loves catalogs.
The pacifier is one of several we keep in the freezer for
teething emergencies.

Lilly even had new friends arrive in the mail today, but after a few sloppy kisses and she didn't care anymore.

Totally wiped riding on the computer chair.
This usually brings a smile.

This look, I decided, meant bath time. She looks so beat!
I soon as I started the bath water she came in crawling and smiling as fast as she could. Lilly loves her bath! Add an oversized baggy t-shirt for bed comfort and a bottle with mom, she was out in minutes.

It's 4:30 am

Lilly seems much more awake this time.
Mommy and Gramma are both up.
But we're not as awake as Lilly.

A Shot in the Dark

Miss Lilly awoke.
I was in the shower and heard her.
Her Gramps who was sleeping in the next room didn't awake.
Her Mommy sleeping downstairs at the other end of the baby monitor didn't awake.
Uncle Willie is always unwakable when he sleeps.
Grandma, was wondering why? - while rinsing quickly, why? was
Lilly still crying when
Someone surely reached her by now.
I was mistaken. No one was awake.
Realizing this, I skipped a major portion of the drying part of getting out of the shower.
I threw on my gown and hoped my wild, uncombed, dripping, wet hair didn't scare the baby.
Lilly seemed thrilled to see Gramma.
We cuddled a bit. I put her in a fresh diaper.
We watched a couple of innings of baseball.
She yawned a time or two and I then realized her newly emerged teeth were covered by very swollen angry gums.
We did the "Tylenol and Oralgel relief bit"
And I got a warm bottle ready.
We danced and sang quietly in her darkened room.
She went right to sleep with a small giggle.

Little Mauve Riding Hood

Lilly this morning

Lilly is feeling a bit grumpy yet.

Everyone made it back yesterday morning. Lilly is much better from her bout with the flu. Her nap schedule is still a bit off as well as her appetite.
This morning we had to do the Target drug run. I was without my top pain killer first thing this morning. I was at Target before the pharmacy opened. Gave me time to also pick up things like milk cereal, dog food, and Halloween candy for the Trick or Treaters coming this weekend.
Lilly and I went for a stroll this afternoon and she didn't make it home before she was napping again.
Teething is still a problem. Her new two top teeth are very visible now and new bumps are appearing on her bottom gums. Since Lilly isn't quite herself yet, meals are kept light with healthy snacks in between, thus the Cheerios. And Lilly really enjoys crunching them between her teeth.
We did the photo session late this afternoon. I was the talent behind the camera, I believe you recognize my subjects. The behind the scenes highlight had to be how many leaves Lilly ate. I can't say she liked them, but wouldn't stop trying to munch on them.

We got most of them out of her mouth, then she managed to get hold of one inside the house. She ate a good portion of it, before I realized what she had. I was occasionally feeding her Cheerios as we played on the floor. I assume the leaf was drug in by a dog. Lilly and I did vacuum this evening.
(She has also had carrots, yogurt, jello,plums, bananas, chicken, and pasta today. A well rounded diet with plenty of roughage!)
Lilly tends to crawl along at a pretty good clip and then stop when her head runs into something.
Last night while she was trying to plow through her Gramps, I called her a bulldozer.
Gramps shortened it to Dozer, her new nickname.

Miss Lilly is sick
Wednesday Sandra and Lilly went to Fort Dodge for a couple of days. It was becoming apparent before they left that Lilly was not feeling well.
It went downhill from there.
They were hoping to return on Friday. Lilly was in no mood or shape for a two hour car ride.
I called Saturday morning to see how my little buddy was. Lilly was reported (and heard) to be an absolute cranky baby and blowing major snot bubbles. Lilly liked the bubbles and the elimination of the bubbles, by her Mom, only made her angrier.
I don't suggest bursting her bubbles. I have heard the results over the phone, and so did her Gramps - from the next room.
Last night, Sandra called. Lilly was running a temp of 104. I suggested they head to the emergency room. They left.
Sandra called when they got home again. Lilly has an ear infection. She got ear drops and, of course, the pink stuff.
Poor baby.

it's genetics
Before they left on Wednesday, the new shoes (Robeez and ShooShoos) I had ordered for Miss Lilly, both arrived. I put the brown pair on her and we walked up to Angela's to show the girls. The girls include Riley and Kyra, both turned one this past summer, and recently, now walking. It was so hilarious. The babies did this whole new shoe routine. Lilly kept touching her shoes as if she were telling the highlights. The other babies gathered around to admire them and touch them. Kyra even picked up one of her own shoes to show Lilly what she had. I had seen this same behavior before. Like when Sandra got a new pair of shoes and was showing them to her friends. Except these girls were all in diapers, and collectively, this group has little hair and fewer teeth. Part of me would hate to admit this was such a girl thing; Lilly would have acquired this gene from her mother and father!

here kiki-kiki!
The cats, Meowers and Camper, for seemingly hating each other, spend a lot of time together. Lilly is trying now to make kitty noises when she sees one. Noises such as the guttural, low, moaning, growl. Lilly is much better at the hissing.

shhhh
Rand and I have had a quiet weekend around here. Willie is in Ames visiting his brother. The rest in Fort Dodge. We took advantage of this quiet time yesterday and took a mid-day nap! The evening was spent watching the Blue Collar Comedy Tour(s) with the surround sound. We know how to have a good time!
We had been joking earlier in the day that Rand's Halloween costume could be Larry the Cable Guy. After watching Larry last night on TV, I realized: Rand wouldn't be in "costume". That's just how is pretty much how he is.

Lilly life

At Mickey D's Lilly was given her own french fry.
She did so great with the fry,
she was allowed to move up to bigger food!

Mommy was trying to get her picture.

Lilly moved in to make it easier.

She paused for pictures, while Gramma gave her a manicure.

Lilly and I have been going for walks on these nice days. Walking is no longer my best ability, but a beautiful fall day, a happy baby, and a sturdy stroller I can use like a walker - all help achieve this goal.
When my "babies" where small, we would often go on a family stroll.
Rob had a sturdy blue stroller. We also lived on the farm and had a goat for Rob. He had severe food allergies and fresh goats' milk was the best thing for him. I would push Rob out to the barn, milk bucket in the basket on the stroller. I positioned Rob in his stroller on one side of a board fence and would then tie the goat up directly on the other side. The two completely entertained each other, while I milked the goat.
Sandra was always happiest in a snugli carrier. Didn't matter if I was cleaning the house, or walking to a store. As long as she was hanging off of me she was fine.
Willie liked to ride on his trike while towing something. It didn't matter what, he liked to pull things behind him while he peddled. He many times towed a wagon full of covered food dishes for the family dinner we chose to walk to. (The folks lived close then.)
Lilly and I only go a very few blocks, and at my pace it takes awhile. Lilly is happy watching the leaves fall and the squirrels play while she is screaming "Hi!" at passing houses.
I have done walks with Lilly in my baby sling, but I walk better if I have a "walker".
My old umbrella stroller is not sturdy enough. I also believe the wheels were recycled off an errant shopping cart. The front wheels never agree on one direction to go. It may go into the trash this week.
I try to time our walks so Lilly is ready for her nap when we get back.
By then, Gramma really needs one too!
Tomorrow, I think I'll teach Lilly some fall gardening.

Tea Time with Gramma

 

Learning to use a spoon

 

A bad night will lead to a bad day
The pain always wins. Not fair - I still have stuff to do.
For me, life is like having spoons.
This is a must read for anyone who personally knows me.
There will be a test.

It works for the kid!

I kicked Camper off the counter, where she was trying to get into some formula. She immediately jumped up into the highchair. Sorry Camper, it works for babies, but not for kittens.
Ryan brought Lilly home this evening. She made a beeline for Gramma and then Camper. Lilly played in her room, "concentrated" on her diaper, then bathed, played with Mommy and Daddy some more, and off to bed without a peep.

A little too quiet....
It is amazing what a difference a very small person can make in the house. Gramma Jackie took Lilly home today. She will visit her Daddy for the night and come home tomorrow. Even the animals seem bored.
I have spent my "quiet day" taking a nap and doing laundry. I also fall cleaned a couple of more closets. Rand took me out to supper.

The grass is always greener....

......on the other side!

These pics are yesterday's and today's. It is interesting to note that Lilly has been in camouflage two days in a row. And what a difference a day makes in the weather in Iowa. Today we topped 80 degrees. Yesterday required pants, today Lilly got to wear a cute little skirt. We went to the Ankeny Walmart today and then hit McDonald's for lunch. Finally found Lilly a certain style of bibs I have been looking for. Also picked up a new toaster. Ours has been cooking really strangely (top of the bread toasted only or only one side toasted or completely burnt) and the last two days - it started smoking. Everyone knows I don't allow smoking in the house. The old 4-slice toaster had to go. The family has already made the comment of the new toaster is only a "2-slicer". I don't care. It is red and shiney and it makes me happy. It also matches our coffee pot. And my drink mixer.

Cinnamon toast for breakfast!

 

Camper and Meowers are getting to kow each other. Camper has no clue living things are different species and is quite excited by this new person to play with. Meowers is just plain pissed! 

reading day

Lilly spent most of her morning playing in her room.
She was having a great hair day.

I hear something!
Lilly had been playing with Camper, who was on the outside of the patio door. (Like her new Halloween hat?) Gramma started using the Pampered Chef Chopper and Lilly turned just as Mommy took this picture. The sound of Gramma chopping mean Lilly will get something to eat! Lilly is all grins when she hears that pounding. I was chopping her up some chicken for her supper. (The chopper does an excellent job.)
Smart girl!

Boogie!
Lilly was dancing to her favorite website. She always touches the screen and bops to the music.

It was another wonderful day with Lilly. I learned at breakfast, that when she is full, she will spit the last bite out. Forcefully. I had let Sandra sleep in this morning and I did the morning thing.
I also finished the day, giving Lilly her bath. Mommy and Uncle Willie had gone to rent a movie. While they were gone, Camper jumped out and scared Lilly. Lilly was too tired for that game and cried. I figured we'd better get her bath done. If Lilly is too tired for "kiki" games, there wasn't much time left in her day.
In between those times I did some quality me time at SuperTarget. We needed diapers, groceries, and pet food. And I picked up Lilly an Eeyore Halloween costume - it even has a tail! It is fleece and will be cute outfit even when it isn't a costume.
We haven't got to visit Angela, Gabby and the babies yet this week. They have more than one type of flu going on there.
Sandra turned in a job application on Monday and today checked with the DOT on what it would take to get her drivers license back. It will take $$$. She hasn't had her license since an accident a couple of years ago. She is on the road to getting her life back together.