Happy First Birthday Lyla!

I have so many emotions about Lyla turning one tomorrow.  This birthday is full of happiness and excitement, and some sadness because the baby stage is coming to an end.

I made a video of Lyla's first year, posted here.

This has been a year full of so much learning. I had no idea that parenting would include such high highs and some low lows. I had no idea how much it would require me to change. I had no idea my heart was capable of so much love for my family. I had no idea how much I would celebrate the littlest things, like dancing, a high five, eating independently, SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT (LOL)

Having Lyla join our family was the greatest blessing. The early months of her life felt really long. I was sleep deprived, healing, adjusting to mom life, and she needed SO much from us all hours of the day. But after we got into a routine, time started to fly right by!! Being her mom is one of the best things in my life. I cherish it. And I wouldn't trade it for anything.

I can't wait to see what the next few years bring. I can't wait to watch her continue to learn and discover this great big world.

I love my Lyla Bug SO much,
Mama Brookey

Laguna Beach

Lyla's first time to the beach! We had a great afternoon at the beach on my graduation trip. I didn't think we would last more than an hour with Lyla, but honestly we could have stayed longer than we did! We were there for almost 3 hours. We immediately put her feet into the ocean and she did not like that! It was super cold, so that was expected. I wasn't smart and immediately set her in the sand after that. She freaked out. I was really worried she hated the beach. No kid of mine could hate the beach! But I held her for a while so she could take in her newsurroundings and after a few minutes she was curious about the sand, and moments later she was burying herself and eating it by the handful! I can't wait to take her back next month!

Lots of love,
Brookeydee

Lyla- 7 months

She is closer to being one than she is to being a newborn. I can't handle it. Time is a meany. I just want it to slow the freak down.

Lyla is so fun right now! She isn't really mobile yet so I can leave her with toys and she will sit and entertain herself and its so nice to have a few minutes here and there without her destroying everything. She is starting to copy, she fake coughs like its her job, she sometimes waves and gives high fives, she is still so stubborn, smiley, and cuddly. She is sleeping really well. We have her sleep trained, so she falls asleep on her own for naps and bedtime, and she sleeps through the night sometimes, if she doesn't sleep through the night she will sleep from 7-5 and need to eat and then she will sleep til 7 or 8. We love this girl and are enjoying this stage as she is starting to develop more of her personality and begin to discover more of the world.

Lots of love,
brookeydee

Lyla Update

I missed posting Lyla's Months 4-6 updates. Life got real crazy with student teaching, work, and the holidays. I am graduated now! And I am so excited to have that time to do other things now.

Lyla's personality has hit like a freight train over the last few months. She went from being a very calm sweet and cuddly baby to very VERY sassy. Over the last few weeks we have gotten her into a better sleep schedule and that has helped tremendously. She is always much happier when she is well rested (aren't we all?) Lyla know what she wants and she demands it immediately. But she is still so smiley and cuddly. I love that about her!

My mom says it best- the children born at this time have to know what they want and demand it, or they will be swept up in the wickedness of the world. So if I have to be patient with a strong willed child I will if that means she will stand up for herself and be the woman the Lord
wants her to become.

Physically, Lyla is very long and skinny. And her head a little bigger than average. She is rolling (only when she wants to) and scooting around all of the time these days. Its fun to watch her entertain herself with her toys!

She has remained the same in many ways. She still LOVES her daddy she smiles and laughs for him unlike she does for anyone else. She also seems to prefer men in general. But when she wants to cuddle, give kisses, or be comforted, she seeks that from me. I love my little girlfriend and I cannot imagine our lives without her.

Lots of love,
Brookeydee

Lyla- 3 Months

Lyla is three months! She is growing by the second. We are having so so much fun with her!

She has become such a little love bug this month! She LOVES kisses. She is so funny how she will give the biggest open mouth kisses to us. On occasion she will hold us to her mouth by our cheeks or hair until she has had enough of a kiss. I love it. Sweet babe. She also demands to be held. If she is being held, she is an angel baby, if she isn't being held she only lasts about a minute or two before she starts screaming. I always wanted a snuggly baby and I am so grateful she loves to be loved, but it is also a little high maintenance to hold her all the time, little stinker is too spoiled.

At three months she is rolling from belly to back (only sometimes), giving the wettest kisses, laughing, smiling all the time, LOVES her binky, talks nonstop, sleeping through the night, and putting herself to sleep. Oh how we adore our little lyla love bug!

lots of love,
brookeydee

Lyla - 2 months

Our Lyla is 2 months. (I am posting this 3 weeks late :/) She weighs 10 lbs 4.5 oz. (32nd percentile) she is 22 3/4 in long (74th percentile) and her head is 37.8 cm (45th percentile).

Lyla loves bath time, being outside, constant cuddles, and music

Lyla doesn't like being taken from the bath, evenings, tummy time, and shots

Lyla is smiling and interacting a lot more. She has begun laughing, but its a lot of work to get a laugh from her and she has only laughed for me, Mike, and my parents. Lyla is also rolling from belly to back on the left side only- little girl hates tummy time so she found herself a quick escape route.

Where has the time gone?! Its flying past. I have LOVED the newborn stage. I was worried it would be hard, but Lyla has made it so enjoyable. She has been such a good sleeper since birth really. She never had her days and nights mixed up. For the first two weeks the doctor had me waking her up every 3 hours to feed her. Poor girl was always sooo tired when I woke her up! After two weeks when she put on enough weight and they weren't worried about jaundice anymore she started sleeping 5/6 hour stretches at 2 weeks and 8 hour stretches at 6 weeks. I think the fact that I have been able to get decent sleep has made the last two months so much easier and more enjoyable. She is a lot of work and being her mom is not always easy. But my heart is so so full. I love her. I love being her mom. Motherhood is truly a dream come true for me. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Lots of love,
Brookeydee

Lyla's Blessing

Sweet Lyla was blessed by her daddy yesterday. We had so much love and support from so many of our family members. It was such a beautiful day! I am relieved her blessing dress wasn't SO huge. It was still too big but not as big as it would have been last month! And I am also relieved Mikey didn't rename her. He played with renaming her Delilyla, Beatrice, and Diamond. Haha! Mikey shared his testimony in our sacrament meeting and talked about how life just keeps getting better. And I couldn't agree more. I love our life. Its hard and crazy right now, but its so great.

  

Lots of Love, 

Brookeydee