Dear Lucy,

Tomorrow you turn one!  As I think back over the past year I am blown away by how much you've grown - from the tiny, blinking newborn I held in my arms, to the crawling, climbing, into-everything baby girl you've become.  This year seems to have flown by, and yet I know you've changed more this year than you will in any other - you are already so much more like a 2-year-old than a newborn.  On the cusp of toddlerhood,  you love to explore and investigate anything you can get your hands on, from a crumpled piece of paper to Daddy's computer.  You are a little girl with a big personality.  These are some of the (many) things your Daddy and I notice and love about you:

Your sense of humor: Like most one-year-olds, you are a total goofball!  Silliness is the name of the game - you love making (and watching us make) funny faces, playing peek-a-boo under blankets and buckets, playing "Get Daddy" by scrunching up your face, charging, and nestling your face into his neck.  You "get" Mommy this way too sometimes, but everything is sillier with Daddy.  You also love swinging, hanging upside down, and bouncing (preferably all three at once).
Your cuddly-ness:  You LOVE giving hugs.  You hug Puppy, Violet, Purple Monkey, Monkey, pillows, blankets, and sometimes Mommy (don't worry - I know some day soon you'll love me as much as Monkey. ;) )  Tonight you gave Daddy a hug right before bed.  You are such a sweet, sweet little girl.
Your dramatic flair:  You are, and always have been, a bit of a drama queen.  Head bumps are SO traumatic.  The sunshine makes you squint and turn your head, and you let us know that you are positively starving when you're hungry and have to wait.  You are, after all, Princess Lucille, and it's very important that we are aware of this fact at all times.  (Does this have anything to do with being your mother's daughter? hmm.)
Your curiosity:  You know that everything has a name, and you want to know about EVERYTHING - from the tree branches to store windows to people we see at the park.  Lately you enjoy pointing, and calling everything "bay-beh" or "ga".  Someday soon I'm sure you'll come out with recognizable words, but for now you are content to babble in your own language.

We love you so much, Lucille Joy.  You have lived up to your name one hundred percent, bringing so much light and joy into our lives; into shadowy places in our hearts we hardly knew existed.  We are so blessed and honored to be your parents, and we thank God for you every day.  Sometimes you drive us crazy, and sometimes you worry us to death (just this morning, I had to take you in to the doctor because you scratched your eyeball and I thought you might go blind could get an infection, but it only bothered you for a few minutes, and the doc says it will heal on its own), but always, always, you bring us more joy and love than we ever imagined possible.  May your second year of life be full of wonder, discovery, adventure, and most of all, love.  Happy Birthday, baby girl!

Love always,
Mommy and Daddy

Mother's Day

Messy and Silly!

Lucy eats pretty much anything and everything these days...toast with butter, meatballs, cheese, chicken, peas, carrots, oatmeal, yogurt...you name it.  Here she is being exceptionally silly after our Easter dinner of Chicken Parmesan, which she loved! 

Thank You!

Thank you, Mimi and Granddad, for my Easter book, Catholic Baby's First Prayers!  I really love turning the pages myself, and looking at all the brightly colored pictures.  Mommy puts it in my diaper bag and takes it with us wherever we go - it keeps me busy!

P.S. By the way, I solved the Mystery of the Xylophone Birthday Gift - it was sent by Lucy's Great Grammy.  Thank you so much!!!

Easter Pictures

As I mentioned previously, we had a wonderful little Easter celebrating with just the three of us at church in the morning, and then with Ryan's parents in the afternoon.  I was happy because Lucy still fit into her 6-9 month dress that she'd never worn (I got it used but it's like new).  Pictures, on the other hand, were another story.  Lucy was sleepy from napping in the car, and startled by the sun and grass - elements of nature she hasn't really seen up close since she was, oh, four months old.  She was just not really her camera-happy self.  I hope this doesn't foreshadow her upcoming birthday pictures, but I have a feeling it might.  Lucy loves hamming it up for the camera, but as with most things, she does so on her own terms.
Anyhow - enjoy the pictures. :)

 

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside my window... Cold and windy - we had to bundle up for Mass and running errands today!  Wind chill of only 29 - is it really May?!

I am thinking... My daughter has the craziest nap schedule.  Sometimes she will nap for 2.5 hours (she took 2.5 hour naps Thursday and Friday afternoon), and sometimes only for 45 minutes (like this weekend).  I never know when I put her down how long she will sleep!  She's always been this way with naps...although she's more consistent now than when she was younger, in that at least she takes 2 naps a day on a regular basis.

I am thankful for... The BLESSED Pope John Paul II!!  Our beloved late Pope was beatified early today in St. Peter's Square by Pope Benedict, with 1.5 million people in attendance.  I am so thankful for this holy man who, as Benedict put it, "restored to Christianity its true face as a religion of hope".  May his prayers from Heaven continue to restore and enliven our faith. 

From the kitchen... For a snack, Toll House Chocolate Chip cookies (burnt on the bottoms but still very tasty!) and Wild Sweet Orange tea. And tonight for dinner we are making sweet and sour chicken...yum!

I am wearing... new jeans (same brand but I needed a new pair) and a dressy top that cost a lot of money but has lasted me 6 years and is still in great condition.  I don't actually own many "expensive" clothes, but sometimes paying the extra money up front is worth it in the long run.

I am creating...   space in our basement for things other than boxes!  Yesterday while Lucy napped, Ryan and I managed to clear out most of the empty boxes.  (Yes, we've lived here a year and half and still haven't gotten it cleaned out).  Next, we are planning to turn one of the rooms into a playroom for Lucy.  We found some cute primary-color items at Ikea, like curtains, an easel, and storage bins for toys.  We still have a long way to go as far as cleaning and organizing, but we'll get there!

I am reading... Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle again (this might become a yearly read), to inspire me to do a little gardening this summer, and stock up on fresh fruits and veggies from local farmers' markets.

I am praying for... the people affected by the tornadoes in the southern U.S., especially those who have lost loved ones.  

I am hearing...   The news on TV, an airplane, the clock ticking, the refrigerator humming.  Speaking of which...the fridge has been humming extra loudly lately, and we are really hoping it's not a problem.

Around the house... We need to put up safety latches on the sink cabinets, now that Lucy has figured out how to open them.  Ryan tried to put in the ones I'd bought, but they require screws and looked like they'd ruin our cabinet doors.  So I'm hoping to find some that can be stuck on with mounting tape - I'm not sure if they make them that way.

One of my favorite things...   Making my baby girl laugh.  Today at lunchtime, she was making faces at us and we'd make them back at her, and then I made some funny noises and she completely lost it.  Her laughter is so contagious, and softens my heart like nothing else can.

A few plans for the upcoming week... Not too much...work in the afternoons as usual, some grocery shopping, vacuuming the carpets - meant to get that done this weekend - oops!

A picture I am sharing...   (still one of her favorite games)