Six Months Old *January 13, 2012*

HAPPY HALF-BIRTHDAY SWEET GIRL!

I can't believe that Alli is halfway to her first birthday. These were, by far, the fastest six months that we've ever experienced!! We have absolutely loved having two daughters and watching Alli and Lila become more interactive.  Alli looks up to her sister so much, and Lila can't wait for her to be able to play back.  It's been such a fun (and exhausting) six months!

I love to look back and compare how much Alli has grown in the past six months:

 tubby time (3 days old and 6 months old)

 Mommy and Alli (5 days and 5.5 months old)

 doctor's office visits (5 days old and 6 months old)

 Daddy and Alli (4 days old and 5.5 months old)

 hanging out in her bouncer (3 days old and 6 months old)

falling asleep in her bouncer

 sitting in her glider (2 weeks old and 6 months old)

family pictures (8 days old and 4.5 months old) 

Here's what you're up to these days:

*you weigh 14 pounds and 2 ounces and are 24.25 inches tall. (these are accurate because we had your doctor's appointment today).

*you cried so hard after your shots that it took your breath away. It also wore you out and you slept the whole way to school after your appointment.

*you were sleeping a consistent 9-11 hours per night until last week (in Atlanta) where you would wake up every 2-3 hours. Thankfully, you're back to your usual 9 hours now!

*normally, you go to bed at 8pm and wake up to eat around 4:30-5:30 (sometimes you even go as late as 7:30). Once you eat, you will go back to sleep until around 7:30am (I will then put you in your swing until around 8:30/9am).

*you take 2 naps per day (10:30/11am until around 1pm and 2pm until around 5pm).

*we only swaddle you from the waist down now because you roll over to sleep on your belly. Your belly is your favorite place to sleep, and the second that we lay you down, you roll right over.

*you have gotten much more distracted this month when nursing. You will nurse for your first feeding in the morning (4:30/5:30) , you might nurse at your 7:30am feeding, but you are too distracted and interested in other things to nurse after that.

*you get solid food in the morning at 9am, afternoon at 1pm, and evening at 6:30pm. You will get bottles on demand in between those feedings. You will take around 4 ounces at a time in your bottles.

*your favorite foods are bananas, sweet potatoes, squash, apples, oatmeal, and peaches. You have tried almost all of the variety of stage 2 foods except the ones with raspberries or strawberries.

*wearing size 2 diapers, mainly 6 month clothes, but you can still fit into 3-6 and some 3 month sleepers.

*you are very ticklish right under your chin! You love to laugh and smile all the time.

*you are getting really good about sitting up by yourself for longer periods of time.

*you love to chew on everything and pass objects between your hands over and over.

*you don't like to give up things that you have a good grip on. You will reach for anything and everything in your sight. Usually, these objects go straight into your mouth.

*you started Mother's Day Out this past month and are doing great! Your teachers love having you in their class.

*you are definitely starting the teething process! You soak through your shirts every few hours and chew on your hands or anything that you can get in your mouth.

*you love to put your feet in your mouth.

*you celebrated your very first Christmas this past month. We stayed at our house in Texas and had such a great time playing with all of the toys that Santa brought.

*you also visited Atlanta again this month. You got to see all of your grandparents and great-grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins. You got to meet your new cousin, Caroline.

iPhone post

I joined this century and traded in my Blackberry for an iPhone today. I'm testing out the blogger from my phone with this post! I think I've found another piece of technology to be addicted to.

Lila and Alli at Six Months Old

I have a big six month post coming after we have our doctor's visit next Tuesday, but I wanted to compare my girls to each other at six months (I know that I shouldn't compare them, but it's always fun to see how different/similar they are). In some pictures they look alike, but in these, I really don't think that they look all that similar.  I can see a resemblance in their faces, but their little 6 month old bodies are SO different!

 This is my chunky little Lila Boo on her half-birthday. She is/was always in the 50th percentile for height and weight (even though she has tiny parents!). She has always looked so much bigger to me than Alli does, and she really is so much bigger than Alli!

This is little Alli on her half-birthday (today). She is so much more petite than Lila, and started out like that from day 1. She has been in the 5-10th percentile for height and 25th for weight, so she definitely is a little thing, and I love that about her. We'll see on Tuesday how she fares in the percentile range at this stage in her life!

Cheesy Garlic Chicken

Those who read my blog know that I never post any recipes.  This is mainly due to the fact that I don't cook very often, and when I do, it's either tacos, spaghetti or some very basic casserole that everyone has in their recipe box.  However,  I needed a change last night, so I went searching for easy chicken recipes out of my thousands of cookbooks that sit in a case for decoration. I stumbled upon this one from In Good Company: Hospitality from the Homes and Hills of Virginia by The Junior League of Lynchburg, Virginia (given to us by Josh's aunt and uncle, Catherine and Doyle Gentry). Everyone knows that Junior League cookbooks are the best, so I decided to give this recipe a try. It was SO easy and really delicious, so I thought that I'd share.

Ingredients:

*1 egg
* tbsp milk
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
* 1 cup herb-seasoned stuffing mix
* 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
* 4 tbsps melted butter
* 2 garlic cloves, crushed (I just used the jarred minced garlic)
* Juice of 1 lemon
* chopped fresh parsley to taste

Directions:

Spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Beat the egg in a medium bowl. Whisk in the milk.  Add the Parmesan and mozzarella cheese and stuffing mix and stir until well mixed and crumbly.

Roll the chicken in the mixture, patting firmly to coat well. Arrange the chicken in the baking dish.

Mix the butter and garlic together.  Drizzle carefully over chicken.

Sprinkle the chicken with lemon juice and parsley.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until the chicken is tender and the crust is crisp and golden brown. Serve immediately.

Serves 2 to 4

I served it with sauteed broccoli, and it was so delicious!

23 Months *January 3, 2012*

I'm a little sad that this is Lila's last month as a one year old. She definitely has a 2-year-old attitude (and has had one since about 14 months!), but I'm not ready to wish away her second year yet. Time has absolutely FLOWN by these past two years, and we are busy getting ready for Lila's Minnie Mouse Second birthday party over here!  We can't wait to celebrate with you at the end of this month, and we love you Lila Boo!

What you're up to this month:

*you weigh 26.8 pounds and are 32.5 inches tall.

*you have had a great Christmas break home from school. We saw Santa several times, went to many parties, and visited with lots of friends.

*still in size 5 diapers. Wearing mostly 24 month clothes, 2T/24m sleepers, and 24 month pants and outfits.

*you are still obsessed with Winnie the Pooh. Santa brought you several Winnie the Pooh books and toys, and you love them!

*you still are attached to your pink bunny called "Abby Abby", which is what you call bunnies for some reason.

*you've gotten much better about not throwing as many fits this month. I think that you knew that Santa was watching!

*you love throwing and kicking balls around the house. Your dad and I can't wait to get you into sports! You are going to be quite the little athlete!

*you still love your milk ("k") and drink about 3 fulls cups per day. This month you also wanted more water ("wa-wa").

*you really love Chick-Fil-A and call it "yummy yummy". We took you to visit Pooh at Chick-Fil-A one night, and now you think Pooh should always be there. You also call hens "yummy yummy" because they are part of the Chick-Fil-A logo.

*you still love your waffles ("wa-wuls") as well as anything sweet, bread, chicken strips, mac and cheese, ravioli, green beans, carrots, peas, doritos, cheese, any kind of fruit, and penne noodles.  You had an onion ring this month for the first time and loved those too (who can blame you??)!

*bedtime is around 8pm and we usually get you out of bed around 8:30am.

*you take one afternoon nap from 2pm until around 4 or 5pm.

*still hanging with 16 teeth and love brushing them!

*you have started talking (saying real words) so much more this month! You love to say characters names: Eeyore, Daisy, Donald, Rabbit, and Pete are your favorite to say. You also loved saying Santa's name and used the cutest inflection when saying it! Instead of saying the word pig, you say "oink oink", and dogs are "woo woo woo"s, and sheep are "baa baa". You call cows and cats "tow"s. You will also say their real word after saying their sounds.

*you count with me up to five and love to sing your abc's (you LOVE to sing!).

*you love to make a mess and climb on everything!!

*you and Alli are starting to finally be able to play with each other. You were playing together several days this month.  She really looks up to you and finds you really funny and entertaining!

*you had such a great time celebrating your second Christmas. Santa brought you a kitchen, playhouse, Pooh things, baby dolls and carriages, shopping carts, and some new clothes.  I think you'll be sad not to see Santa again until next year!

Prayer for 2012

Last year on this day, I wrote a prayer for 2011. I don't normally write my prayers, unlike Aibileen in The Help (LOVE that movie!!), but I think it's only appropriate to begin each new year thanking God for all that He has given us as well as asking Him to bless us in the new year as well.

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. 

Philippians 4:6

Dear Lord,
   Thank you for everything that you have given us this year! It was only fitting that the new year fell on a Sunday where we could start 2012 off by worshiping your Holy Name and taking communion in church this morning. You have bestowed so many blessings upon our family through restored health, new births, and much time spent with loved ones. I pray, as always, that you will give us the guidance to where our tithes should go, and give us many opportunities and resources to be able to help those who are less fortunate than us. I also pray that you will give us the patience, guidance, and strength to raise our two beautiful daughters up in your Holy name. Help us to teach them about you, and help us let them get to know you and your son Jesus. I pray that you will comfort those who are struggling emotionally, financially, or in health, and give them peace. Lastly, please be with our family and friends, and keep them safe and healthy.  I ask these things in the name of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

2 Corinthians 5:17

Happy 2012!

Happy New Year!! I hope that your New Year's Eve was wonderful! Ours was very low key as we brought the new year in by watching our Auburn Tigers win the Chick-Fil-A Bowl (the "yummy yummy" bowl as Lila says) and going to bed early. I guess that's to be expected since I knew Alli would give me a wake-up-call around 5am to eat. It was so nice to start and end 2011 with an Auburn Football bowl game win :) War Eagle!

Have a great 2012 everyone!