Life with Lillian

Lillian turned 11 weeks old on Monday and is really getting to be a big girl! She is already easily wearing 3-6 month sized clothing and jumped up to size 2 diapers. She is becoming so expressive and does A LOT of laughing and smiling. She is extremely happy in the mornings and is always grinning from ear to ear when we go in her room to get her up. One of her favorite activities that always gets a smile is when her daddy and I make animal noises. She especially likes it when daddy makes the piggy sound and mommy makes the moo cow sound (April, good thing I practiced it so much in Anniston - HA!). She has also started to notice Emily and Riley which has been hilarious to watch. Her eyes get so wide and she starts flailing her little arms and legs every time she sees them (I wish I could say they shared her enthusiasm!).
One of the things that Lillian already does not enjoy is being restrained in any way. She absolutely hates to be swaddled, strapped into her car seat or put into the stroller! It is quite the sight to see me strolling the neighborhood on a beautiful day with a screaming infant in tow (yes, I am aware that most children love this activity!). She may look exactly like her daddy, but I have found one way that she is completely my child... she stays hot. Poor thing can break a sweat at room temperature and like her mother, this can cause a meltdown. :) Finally on the list of things Lillian is not a fan of... naps! As someone who loves to sleep, this is a bit devastating, but we are working on it and I have high hopes that she will come around and embrace this activity.

Brad really likes St. Patrick's Day and insisted that Lillian have an outfit to celebrate!

Lounging in the bouncy with her St. Patty's outfit on...

This is the face we get when we make the animal sounds...

She loves laying on her changing pad...

Sometimes things are so bad that not even Emily can make it better! :)

April and Trent came to visit...

Seriously, could they be any cuter?!?

This snuggle time could only happen since daddy wasn't here - HA!

Lillian LOVED April's mom and grinned every time she talked to her!

What A Weekend - Part 2

The Carter family has had another exciting weekend! Brad and I took Lillian on another road trip on Saturday and went to visit his family in Alexander City. Lillian got to meet her other great grandmother (Brad's grandmother) for the first time and it was super sweet to see them together. We then went over to Aunt Pat and Uncle Fletcher's (aka - Mimi and Pops) where miss Lillian got LOTS of love! Her uncle Chris came over and let's just say that Lillian is crazy about him. Maybe it's because he has raised a little girl of his own, but she couldn't get enough of him. Not a good sign for daddy, but she may just really like boys because she also took a liking to Brad's cousin's little boy, Dylan, and kept trying to hold onto his finger. :)
We had to hurry back to Birmingham because that night we had a birthday party for my friend, Bethany, to attend - SANS Lillian! Yep, Brad and I left Lillian for the first time with a sitter and went to an "adult only" function. I can't say that we weren't a little apprehensive about leaving our little girl for the first time, but our friends, Lauren and Jason, hooked us up with the most fabulous babysitter ever. I would like to say for the record that I only checked my phone twice the whole time to make sure that I hadn't missed a call from her! I can't however, say how many times Brad may or may not have checked his phone or that he didn't have it sitting out on the table throughout dinner. Ha! I am just thankful that we survived (and it wasn't too painful) this first milestone because I know how important it is for Brad and I to still do things as a couple.

Lillian and her Great Grandmother Carter...
Lillian with Mimi, Penny and Dylan...
Getting loved on by Uncle Chris...
Lillian and Mimi...

What A Weekend

This has certainly been a very fun, event-filled weekend for us! We took Lillian on her first road trip and went to Tuscaloosa for her to meet all of her family on my side. We started by going to the assisted living home where her Great Grandmother Ruth (my mom's mom) lives. This was very special because this was the first time they were able to meet. Also, we were lucky enough to have her Uncle David (my mom's youngest brother) come meet her and spend some time with us.
Next, we were off to her Great Grandparent's house (my dad's parents) to celebrate her Great Grandmother Lee's 81st birthday with the WHOLE family. I had been warned that my aunt and cousins were already fighting over who was going to get to hold her first and most, but nothing could have prepared me for how much love she got! In the 4 hours we were there, I did not hold my child one time - except for the times she needed to be changed when strangely, people were glad to give her up. HA! I must admit that I enjoyed the break, but I'm not sure her daddy (who is a wee bit protective :)) felt the same way. In fact, I think he was more than ready to get home and have his "daddy time" with her.
Finally, we woke up this morning to see SNOW!!! The excitement here at the Carter house left no room for doubt that we are true Southerners and not used to the white stuff. We made sure that we did all of the mandatory activities... build a snowman (Brad went with a snowBABY), make snow ice cream (SO yummy!!!), and take no less than 50 pictures (just to prove that it actually did snow in Alabama). An absolutely fabulous day made better by the fact that I never took off my pjs! :)

Lillian with her Great Grandmother Ruth...

Lillian and I with Uncle David...

Lillian with her Great Grandparents...

Our family...

Lillian and her Granddaddy...

Brad's Snowbaby (complete with one of Lillian's hats, bib and paci)...

Lillian and daddy...

Lillian and mommy...

Emily (did not enjoy the cold snow!)...

Lillian in the PRECIOUS hat her aunt Fay sent her...

Another cute hat picture...