Three Best Years!

On March 19th, my sweet, bouncy, loving, giggly, adventurous, vibrant little Lyla turned 3! What an exciting year it has been! How much she has learned and grown!

So... what's changed in a year?

She's taller, stronger, brighter, able to express anything, talks ALL the time, makes friends, loves friends, organizes games, plays pretend, explores her world with blatant over-confidence, enjoys foreign films (thanks, Miyazaki!), has favorite characters, toys, colors, knows how to play her mother, father, grandparents, aunts and uncles to try to get exactly what she wants, understands emotions, apologizes on her own (sometimes), has "taste" in clothes and preferences regarding most things, sneaks to do things she knows she shouldn't, completely and affectionately adores her baby brother, snuggles at just about any time and place, can proficiently run in Mommy's shoes that click-click, asks questions - lots and lots of adorable, curious, perfect little questions, sees the moon and wants to "go up there," appreciates things being tidy and clean, always tries for "one more book" at bedtime, dances wildly to all kinds of music, gets sarcasm and has a sense of humor, really, really, really wants to play video games, can operate most electronics as if this ability were innate, spends tons of time with the people she loves, wants to try new things every day, and just plain loves the world she is learning and the life she is living.

We still can't think of how much we love our baby girl without tapping the waterworks just a little. And she's not our "baby" anymore at all. And if we forget it, she will remind us.

To celebrate Lyla this year, we had another party at Grandma and Grandpap's house. It's really hard not to party in their beautiful, wide yard in the perfect spring weather, though next year we plan on trying something new (and simple!). Lyla loved the bounce house so much last year, she wanted to have another one this year. Gia and Lyla had been planning her cupcake-themed party for months, looking at cupcakes, buying cupcake decorations, talking about cupcakes, baking some "practice" cupcakes... so when the party day finally came, we were sure to have an overabundance of - yes, you guessed it - cupcakes! I might add, Gia does the best parties. And Pap has the most gorgeous yard of all time. Perfect. Day.

Lyla's actual birthday fell on a Saturday, so it was one of those rare occasions when we could celebrate on the real deal. The night before, Lyla saw me wrap something and place it on the fireplace. She (surprisingly) resisted any urges to tear it open prematurely, but upon awakening the morning of her birthday, jetted directly to the fireplace, mumbling something half-awake, presumably about the present. The special gift from Mommy and Daddy was a cat-bus plush toy from her (current) favorite movie, My Neighbor Totoro. Her reaction was a bit disappointing, truth be told, but in her defense, she was still very sleepy. She soon perked up, though, and ran circles (literally) with her new buddy.

Luke and I split up, then, so I could get to Gia's and set up for the party while he went to pick up the bounce house from the rental place. When he arrived with it, she watched set-up and scrambled in as quickly as she could to test out the bounc
e-a-bility and sample the slide.

Party guests - including cousins, close friends and a few buddies from school - started showing up soon after and had all kinds of fun together bouncing, sliding, painting cupcake banks, smashing open a cupcake pinata, eating all kinds of confections (or otherwise cupcake-shaped foods), and of course, devouring plenty of cupcakes. Lyla's gift-opening skills have improved significantly from last year, however, her distractibility (hello... bounce house?) could stand a little work.

I can honestly say I have never seen my daughter so filthy in all three of her very busy years, as she was by the end of the night. From a distance, this child had visible dirt from head to toe. It took two good scrubbings and a thorough soak to restore her to an acceptable state of cleanliness. What that says to me? She had fun. We did, too.

We love you, Lyla Celeste. Happy Birthday!

For more pics, go HERE!

Thanks, Gia and Pap, for all your hard work and prep for this fantastic party. We will remember it forever... and at 3, now, Lyla just may remember it, too!

Mommy is still working on Lyla's 3-year portraits, but they will be ready to share soon!

Fritz McPark!

While our cousins were on Spring Break (and we were on pre-k hiatus due to Spring Break), we thought it would be nice to spend some time together and enjoy the beautiful, quickly shifting weather. We met up one afternoon at Fritz Park in Irving to enjoy a picnic lunch and relaxing afternoon in the sun. It so happened that the afternoon we chose turned out to be St. Patrick's Day! Nonna came prepared with green bracelets and funny-giant-green-flashy glasses.

We played on the playground, ate some yummy burgers (of the veggie variety for us Q's), roamed the fields, played catch, threw pebbles into the pretty creek, and even attempted some kite-flying. The kite endeavor, however, was very quickly deemed a failure as the super-gusts of wind whipped the poor princess kite out of Anthony's hands and slapped it directly into a tangled mess of tree branches. We watched the pink plastic dare to escape its grips only to be snared by another cluster of twigs just a few feet away. Alas...

Flint was most amused by the grocery sacks rustling on the picnic table. Lyla spent most of our park time on the swings and slides. We ventured across the creek bridge to sit by the pond a little while, too, which was definitely my favorite part. It was a gorgeous day, despite the rough breeze!

We are happy to welcome Spring and enjoy being outside again!

A Trip to the Zoo!

Gia recently accompanied us (Lyla, Flint, and I) on a trip to the much-loved Ft. Worth Zoo! We were so glad she came with us. Me, especially, since I probably wouldn't have made it 20 minutes solo with my two childs. This would be Lyla's third trip to the zoo and she had been talking it up for a couple weeks before we actually made it out there one gorgeous February afternoon (beautiful Spring weather in Winter, of course... thank you, Texas!).

The lack of crowd was perfect, but there was also a slight lack of animals to see, unfortunately. It seems some exhibits were undergoing construction or super-cleaning, so we missed out on a few of my favorites - the sun bears, tigers, bird enclosure. Lyla didn't seem to mind, and Flint certainly didn't care much (he slept much of the time, really).

My girl loved the massive silver-back we saw, first thing, and I thought she would react with equal awe to every animal since it was only the first stop, but she really was just infatuated with the big guy. The penguins also amused her as they seemed to float just over her small baggie of skittles, perhaps intrigued by the colors, her perhaps equally amused by us. Most of our zoo tour, though, Lyla maintained that she wanted to go back to see the gorillas. And we did, of course, just after our train ride back to the front gate, another part that both kids seemed to really enjoy, albeit very brief.

Four Month Photos

Flint is four months old! Okay, well by now he's almost five months old, but it takes some time to get pictures made and edited. I put together a slide show of favorites from the few "sessions" I did with my sweet boy. I definitely used him to practice my little hobby, but the perk is that I now have a great collection started for his baby book (haha... baby book...)

To see the images alone, visit Picasa: Flint 4 Months!

The Amazing Billy Boy, Willie-Will, William McFlintoch Flintostopher, William Jefferson Flinton, Flinty-Flint-FLINT!

It’s true what they say about “the second one.” They don’t get nearly as much attention from the Parent-Paparazzi, there are far fewer sticky notes with mediocre mile-stones jotted down on them (or are they “inch-pebbles?”) and they spend a lot less time “engaged” by various stimuli. My William Flint is 4-months old and I know by this advanced age, our genius-baby Lyla had at least triple the blog entries and snapshots.

We recently visited our new buddy, Baby Gideon. I held his little 8-pound self and became instantly sentimental. Commenting on Gideon’s size in comparison to Flint’s, I was met with, “You know, you never talk about your son without mentioning how big he is.” Ha! And so true! I rarely talk about poor Mr. Flint without suggesting he’s monstrously ginormous. So I will mention it once again on our blog. He’s huge. Simply a beast. In all seriousness, though, it makes the already flying time seem to whiz past all the quicker! My baby boy already wears clothes a child more than double his age should be wearing!

At his four-month checkup, Flint weighed in at 18 lbs. 15 oz. His head measured 45 cm, and his height, 27 inches. Dr. Dickey stated what we already knew to be true ("He's too big!") and stomped on any fear that he was overweight by reassuring us that he is, indeed, proportionate. Proportionately and impressively the size of an "average" 8 month old, putting him in the 97th and 98th percentiles on height/weight/head circumference.

In his four short months, though, Flint has really accomplished more than physical growth. We thought we’d never get a smile to turn his serious chubby cheeks, but then he floored us with his perfect gummy grin around Christmastime. We are still a regular comedy troupe around him trying to get a snippet of his adorable giggle, but he is certainly not the liberal ham we were used to with his sister. At just four months, there seems to be plenty more time for us to perfect our stand-up bit, though, and in the meantime, we’ll take any brief guffaw we can get. And they are brief. In fact, we’ve discovered that much of the time when Flint is on the verge of laughter or has even amused us with a short smirky chuckle, it turns quickly to tearful sobs. It’s almost as if exploring this new emotion is just too much for him to handle. At times it makes the situation all the more humorous, but most of the time, it’s just plain sad.

Apart from his sharp wit and keen sense of humor, Flint’s personality is slowly emerging. He is mostly easy-going and content to lump around and observe. He’s a good observer. Mostly facing up, really… he is not a fan of the tummy-time, but who really is? Lately, he’s experimenting with some new vocals, serenading us with “Meh, mah, mmmm’s” and breathy squeals beyond levels of fathomable adorability. That’s right. He’s a true charmer. He’s been grasping at objects and bringing toys to his mouth to, well, mouth. It takes some practice, depending on the object, but some things are tough to hold! Flint definitely prefers blankets and soft toys over hard plastic ones, though, and loves to gnaw on a knuckle or fingertip if permitted (he may, in fact, be teething already... eek!). Grandma and I think he’s going to be a blankie-boy, which pleases me (I still have my blankie in my nightstand and I do believe it took marriage to break me of my blankie-sleeping habit). Oh! And while we’re on the subject of comfort, guess how this boy self-soothes? He must have gotten some advice from his older and wiser sister, because he's officially a finger-sucker. And not just a finger, but fingers. Plural. And not just any fingers – the exact two fingers Lyla (still, ohmygoshwhenwillitstop?) sucks.

Flint is officially rolling from tummy to back, though perhaps not easily. Occasionally when I go to get him out of his crib, he is sunny-side up when I had let him have a tummy nap. I suspect this skill will be super sharp and frequent by our next blog entry, along with sitting up. Currently, the boy holds himself up in sitting position just briefly before falling over, but his doughy abs are engaged and working hard to stay upright. He's always been quite good at being vertical. I'm positive he'll have the sitting thing figured out soon.
(Flint being vertical)

We also introduced Flint to his first food - rice cereal. Under doc's advice, we can start "having fun" with solids - even fruits and veggies. She shared something about some recent study on diabetes and allergies and apparently the "standard" with Lyla just two years ago has already changed. My theory is just to wing it, anyhow. Flint was not such a fan of opening his mouth for food, but my guess is that he'll catch on real quick and continue in his stout Quattrochi ways of hearty eating. We'll try other foods when he gets the hang of the whole spoon and mouth concept.

His personality is blossoming every day and if it's possible, I think I love him a little more every day, too. He's a sweet, sweet, Mommy-loving, easy-going, eye-smiling, finger-sucking, drooly, silly, handsome, perfect little man.

Oh, the many more milestones to reach! I will enjoy every last one (except maybe the first time he bites me...).

Life is Sweet

What better time to brag about my sweeties than February? Right around Valentine's Day and as we've been spending so much time baking yummy treats (aka couped up inside from the freezing weather).

On a daily basis I have to remind myself (repeatedly) to slow down, calm down and settle down to enjoy as many sweet moments as I can with my babies. I (very) often fail, getting caught up in daily stresses and trying to accomplish far too much in too little time. But here are a few of the sweeter moments from our February, thus far...

Studio photo practice with my little muffins!
This was more frustrating than any combination of my most frustrating days from any week. Setting up said studio + fussing baby + curious toddler + general clumsiness + heat from studio lighting = poor combo! I never expected to get any good shots out of this, but just play with lighting and try to understand certain setups a little better. I did manage to get a few shots that I will cherish, not because they are awesome photos, but because they are of my two lovelies doing what they do best - cuddling and oggling one another. Here, Lyla gave Flint an "Eskimo kiss." I just adore how much she adores him!

Cake balls!
Grandma picked up an adorable book on making the cutest little cake-balls and cake-pops you'll ever see. We spent one afternoon making just basic cake balls to get the hang of it (and I don't think either of us had ulterior motives what-so-ever (Mmmm chocolate?)). Lyla, as usual, enjoyed helping with the baking, but mostly the licking of spoons and bowls and of course, her finger after sticking it in whatever chocolate goo she could (she destroyed a few cake balls in the process). While the cake was baking, Lyla and Flint went for a blanket ride, just like Grandma used to do for John and me when we were little. It definitely made me smile.

Valentine treats!
Lyla was super excited about Valentine's Day this year. Especially the part about sharing sweets with "her kids" at school. We totally stole this idea from a buddy in her class last year! Lyla posed (about 58 times!) with her fist out so we could print the photo and cut holes to slip a lollipop through to make it look like she was holding a giant sucker. Too cute! And the outtakes are just as darling!

An adorable bride!
Lyla recently took an interest in Mommy's wedding dress. I have no idea where this fascination came from. She has seen it in photos around the house and a couple weeks ago asked me where it was. Well, when she learned that it was zipped up in a giant bag in my closet, she was beside herself. For several days, she asked me to show it to her and would drag me into the closet so she could admire it and ask to try it on. After explaining to her that it was far too large for her, I pointed out that her cousin, Faryn, had a very beautiful dress on at the wedding, too. Then it occurred to me - Grandma still had Faryn's flower-girl dress at her house, and it was probably just the right size for Lyla, now. Needless to say, on our next trip to Grandma's house, out came the dress! Lyla was so stinkin' cute in it - she looked so pretty and acted so coy. She married her Pap and danced with Gia (and her Jessie doll), then twirled and pranced around in it for as long as she could stand it.

Sweet sounds!
Somewhere in the midst of Lyla's limelight and all the sugar and all the baked goods, little (big) Flint started elaborating on his cooing. He now squeals with delight or just to grab the attention of anyone nearby (and make eyes with them) and it really is one of the sweetest sounds in the whole wide world. More recently, he started to engage in a little game where he gets adorably breathy, long vocals in as his lips are tapped. It's kind of a chicken/egg scenario, but I maintain that he knows exactly what he's doing. He will start making noise and make more noise, the more you tap his lips. Plus, who really cares? It's cute either way.

Cupcaketh!
Lastly, the best way to close out a blog entry about sweet things... cupcakes! Or, as Lyla says, "cupcaketh." Several weeks ago, Lyla requested cupcakes. So, naturally, we dropped everything and made some cupcakes. We had lots of fun and they were delish! I snapped lots of photos that day and in the end, put together a little slideshow - enjoy!

Oh, and visit Picasa for the usual gazillion extra photos!

Snow! Then More Snow!

We got snow in January... then we got MORE snow in February. And then... more snow. The first February snow was a lot more substantial than our previous flurries. However, the temperature was just faaaaar too uncomfortably cold to stay outside and play.

We tried a few times, but only lasted a few minutes. So to meet both our needs to play in something oh-so fun and to be warm and cozy, Mommy brought the snow INside!

It was a big hit, though certainly not long-term. Lyla spent most of her snow-play opportunity on snow-consumption, while I built "Jimmy, the Indoor Snowman." She got a kick out of him, and we let him look through the window at the world from whence he came (and longed to return to!). As he melted more and more and Lyla continued to fail at following directions to "stooooooop eeeeeating the snow," he was reunited with his powdery buddies on the patio. Much to Lyla's dismay.

Since it seemed her main desire was to munch on the snow, we then decided to make snow "ice cream." So simple, quick and fun! We scooped about 6 cups of clean snow into a bowl, then added some milk, sugar and vanilla extract. I was surprised to discover it wasn't half bad! In the end, I think Lyla preferred just plain old snow, but it didn't stop us from experimenting with food color (pink!) and other flavors (chocolate!). It was above all else, a small amount of entertainment while we were stuck inside (yet again!)...

Just as soon as we thought we were rid of the ice and snow, another storm blew through! This time, though, more fluffy snow accumulated than dangerous ice, and temperatures were a more comfortable level of freezing, so we got to play outside a lot more! Lyla shoveled snow into buckets with her neighborhood buddy, we threw snowballs, tried to make snow angels and ate plenty more snow. She tried sledding down the sidewalk in a Rubbermaid bin, but it didn't work so well...

As the road conditions improved, we trekked the four miles out to Shannon's house to do some REAL sledding down her backyard hill. Lyla really enjoyed going fast down the hill and experimented with all the riding buddy combinations and sliding solo. I *loved* hearing her screams of delight!

Even Flint joined in the fun. Very, very briefly...

Daddy joined us as soon as he got done working for the day, and very soon afterward, we all pooped out!

So long, snow! We enjoyed you while we could! (But we're also very glad to welcome the sun back into our lives...).