past couple of weekends...

Here is what happened the past couple of weekends....

Starting with Lyla, of course :)......

I found Lyla like this one night...

Chillin on the lounge chairs...

We bought Lyla a jumper from a neighbor...

Our good friends Steele and Amanda came to see us on their way driving to DC. They stayed the night with us and so we decided to treat them to real Chicago pizza!

Look at that cheese!!

Good buds...

Tired Amanda...

The next night, we had a big dance festival for our stake's Youth Conference. Our ward did swing and they were the BEST! Here is our little fam at the shin-dig.

Us...

This last Thursday was Nate's 25th birthday. To celebrate his birthday AND Father's day, we went to Medieval Times and we had a BLAST! The whole place was really cool and everyone was in the Medieval spirit. The food was DELICIOUS and they make you eat it without utensils. We were assigned to root for the Yellow Knight and boy did we (well I) have some serious knight pride. I was screaming for him with every piece of energy I had and it was all worth it because he ended up winning the tournament! Side note: This was also our first date without Lyla since she was born!! The weather was awful (tornado and flash flood warnings with pouring rain!) but we were determined to have our date!

The next day, I went to a baby shower for my friend Jill (yes, I wore the same shirt as the night before :))...

Then came home and went to the pool with the family and some neighbors...

That is our building behind Nate. I love this picture of these two. Lyla looks like such a snob :)

Exhausted after being in the pool for 20 minutes.

Later that night we went to a Mandarin restaurant that puts on a show. This guy was making noodles. I didn't take a picture of the whole process but I wish I would have. It was awesome.

Last, today is Father's Day. Here are my two favorite people!

I just have to say that I have the best husband EVER! He makes my life better. He puts up with all of my weaknesses (which are many) and he is always so patient with me with how slowly I try to fix them. He makes me laugh, he works hard, is a GREAT father, and he is just a good man. Today wasn't much of a father's day for him. I was making dinner and he was helping when I accidently added an ingredient at the wrong time, a small mistake that turned into something else... I selfishly got upset over some stuff and had a little breakdown (you know when those emotions all build up and then explode after a small mishap?). To make a long story short, he finished dinner for me while watching Lyla and when I was ready he gave me nothing but words of encouragement, understanding, and love. I felt so bad for making his Father's Day about me but he was nothing but understanding. I seriously have the BEST husband ever! Anyway, besides my little breakdown, we just had a great time the past couple of weekends. I love my man!

Next up, this Saturday we leave for Yellowstone with the Wright family... SO excited!

SYTYCD

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this show. This is by far one of my favorite shows ever and last night's show just proved to me again why I watch and look forward to it every season. This years top 20 is UH-MAZING!! I can't even decide who I like best... or least because they are all SO good! What do you guys think? Who was your favorite?

She's so Skinny!

Lyla is 6 months. I know, it went by REALLY fast. She is doing so many new and fun things. Here is a small list.

• She jabbers all the time and hums when music is playing.
• She gives hugs and will sometimes dig her fingernails in my neck.
• She gives kisses, which are more like dog kisses because she grabs my face and then licks it and then turns away, all the time. It's cute and gross at the same time.
• She is almost crawling. She can get herself to pretty much whatever she wants to get herself to by scooting/army crawling, or a 1-2 stride crawl and then her face plant. She does get on all fours now and rocks back and forth so she is just about there. We need baby gates.
• Is getting better at sitting up (but hasn't quite perfected it).
• Has started solids.

(Sorry for the old picture, I couldn't find my camera cord)

Anyway, today we had her six month check up and here are her stats:

• Head: 17in (50-75%)
• Length: 27in (90%)
• Weight: 14lbs 2oz (10-25%)

She basically gained .8lbs since her 4 month check up, hence the title of the post, my ethiopian baby! She should weigh more than that, especially since she is so long! I basically feel like a terrible mom and that I am starving her (though she doesn't act like it). Since Lyla is so mobile and just moves all the time, she is burning more calories than she is taking in (which she is still almost all breastmilk). So the doctor said I really need to push her to eat more solids. I swear I feed her all the time and she sleeps pretty well at night and she is smart and mobile and happy... she just isn't gaining enough weight. Kelly=bad mom!

Craft project, baby ducks, cute Lyla

Well here is a small update in pictures.

I recently bought bookshelf from a friend (who found this at a garage sale) for $15 and we painted it black. I love it and once I get things organized, it will be a perfect fit for our home! (Unfortunately, I forgot to get "before" pictures)

I also bought this coffee table at a garage sale for $5 and painted it black too. We haven't had a coffee table since we've been married so I thought it was time to get one and this one is in GREAT condition!!

There is a family of ducks that live in the pond in front of our house. I went to pick Nate up at work the other day and the mama duck was crossing the street with her 12 little ducklings and it was SO CUTE. 4 of the ducks were afraid to hop off the curb and then once one of them got the courage, the others followed. I thought it was the cutest thing. I gladly waited for them to all cross before I went on my way. They are getting bigger now and it's fun to see them learn and grow from their parents.

Now for Lyla. She is moving around a ton, just not crawling yet. She likes to get going with her legs but she hasn't figured out that she needs to use her hands as well. So she ends up face planting herself into the ground like a wheelbarrow.

Lyla has also been experimenting with different sleep positions. She basically sleeps in all positions BUT her back. Every time I lay her down on her back in her crib, I find her in a different position and spot when I come back. Here she is sleeping on her side...

I found her like this one night, her face planted into the crib mattress. To check if she is breathing I will always touch her lower back and every time I do, her butt pokes up like a bee. It's so cute because nothing else moves but her butt. So we call her our little bumble bee. Maybe we should call her bumble butt?

I also find her in this corner very often.

Lyla in one of her new swimsuits.

Another swimsuit shot while daddy entertains her.

My sassy little girl... she looks like a little priss, huh?

So cute :)

This smile of hers cracks me up!! She loves to chew on her lower lip and so that is why she looks so funny. This was just a cute dress she wore today at church. You can't see the whole thing but that is okay :)

Another cute shot.

Anyway, sorry for the picture overload. I tend to do that sometimes, but that's okay. I'll get a picture in of Nate sometime, haha! Hope everyone is doing well!!

I choose... none of them :)

So I went shopping to get the swimsuits and I know that EVERYONE loved the strawberry swimsuit, but I came across these, fell in love, and bought them.

This one I just thought was so cute. I love the color navy and I loved the buttons. So cute.

Then I got these sunglasses...

...and this hat...

...to go with this swimsuit!!!

I love them both and I love the accessories that went with them. I am still going to go to Old Navy (where the strawberry one-piece is) and see if I can't find a great deal. The top two were on sale and I just couldn't pass them up!

Anyhoo, hope y'all like them and if not, don't tell me :)

Baby Swimsuits....

So, Nate and I have been trying to decide whether we should or shouldn't buy Lyla a baby bikini for her swimsuit this summer. After much debate, we thought it would be okay. I am not sold on just buying a bikini but I think they may be a little easier. Anyway, unfortunately, from the places I have looked, they don't really make bathingsuits at the more affordable places for babies under 12 months. But here is what I have come across so far...
The above swimsuit is my coveted one. I love it. But it's $70. Boo.

I really like this green one.

Cute pink floral tankini.

Cute strawberry one-piece!

... which is your favorite??

Cheekbones...

A feature that I wish I had and could pull off is awesome, prominent cheekbones. Not only is Vanessa Hudgens GORGEOUS, but she has incredible cheekbones. So unfair. I've got one thing on her though... my man is SO much cuter than her man :)