Fish, Fish, Fish!

Our little Lily Pad is just obsessed with fish. She has a couple of books where fish make an appearance on a couple of the pages and she starts freaking out and waving her arms in the air and gasp-yelling, "ish, ish, ish!". Its so cute. We love this girl. I guess we need to buy her a pet fish!

Last weekend we took her to Cabela's so she could walk through the hallway of fish tanks. She loved it! She even tried to give one fish that was looking right at her a kiss through the glass. She was freaking out doing the sign for fish over and over and just so excited! We walked through the rest of Cabela's as well and she loved all the dead stuffed animals as well. She thought most of them were dogs so she kept doing the sign for dog (I guess they have 4 legs right?). And she thought all the wolves and foxes were kitties so she would do the cat sign for them. She loved the birds too. She does a funny sign for bird where she just kind of covers her whole nose and her mouth and goes "bbbbuuurrrr". Its so cute! She had a blast. That was some nice, FREE entertainment! And we got to try out her new pink Siren Jeep Stroller I bought her! We both love it :)

Since she had such a grand time at  Cabela's we decided why not go to the Living Planet Aquarium! Lily loved all the fish and was really intrigued by the sea otters and the penguins. She was a little nervous too and so would mostly only let her Daddy hold her the whole time. I guess she felt a little safer in his arms. If she didn't like something or it freaked her out she would say "no, no, no!" and shake her head and kind of curl herself into Michael's body. But for the most part she liked everything. She was starting to get sick and already was feeling warm with a fever so she wasn't as exuberant as when we went to Cabela's, but I think it was a nice distraction for her from her pain. We enjoyed the aquarium as well! We got to pet a real shark! And the sea otters and penguins made us laugh too. Maybe we will invest in a pass someday!

Inside the Sea Otter's cove.

she looks like she's petting it!

Our little penguin.

Daddy and Lily inside a Whale Shark's mouth.

Mommy and Lily on the huge frog!

Speaking of being sick, Lily got a nasty cold/influenza and croup :(. I think the only part she liked about going to the doctor was looking at the big fish tank before and after being called back. We had to go to the doctor twice. I took her first in the morning at about 9:30 after being up with her all night. She seemed just miserable and I knew something awful was wrong. But I went too early. They said she just needed lots of rest and fluids. So I took her home and was pushing the fluids, Tylenol, and trying to get her to sleep as much as I could. But she got exponentially worse. She was like a limp rag doll that was on fire. I felt like I was holding a heating pad all day. She was not her usual happy, hyper self at all. It was almost impossible to get her to drink anything and it seemed like she didn't even know what was going on. I called the doctor twice during the day  but they just kept saying to not worry and to stay with the same treatment plan. She developed a horrible cough that sounded like a seal barking and was wheezing a little. At 8 I took her temperature again before I was going to put her in bed and it was over 102 so we decided to go to the instacare. I was so glad we did because they gave her a steroid to help loosen up her airway and that helped so much. She was almost immediately able to drink more and was feeling much better. She finally was able to get some much needed rest and so were her parents!

Our sick baby girl. She has taken to stripping off her pants and socks.

Just took off her pants and socks. I don't blame her. She was warm!

Michael was awesome. He took the next day off of work so he could help me and Lily since I was worn out and not feeling too good myself. He let me sleep a ton and helped me clean the house. I am one lucky wife, and Lily is one lucky daughter :)

I GET to go to the Temple!

I didn't go to the temple for about 13 months straight! I went a couple weeks before Lily was born and then I didn't go again until March 2nd when Lily was exactly 13 months old. I went with my mom and sister-in-law Nicole and did a session. I was overwhelmed with peace and reminded how lucky I am to live so close to the temple. So I decided to make a goal to go once a week, which is a big deal for me because I've never even gone once a month before.

So Michael agreed to let me go right after I put Lily to bed on Thursday night and he just stayed home and listened to the monitor and relaxed. I was so glad I went. I kept making up all these excuses and reasons not to go and Michael just urged me that everything would be fine and to GO! He knew I needed to have the peaceful, safe feeling I get from there.

So I rushed out the door right after I put Lily down for the night and made it there for the last 8:00 session. I'm glad they do them that late there! I have never gone to the temple by myself before, but I kind of liked it because I could really just focus on the spirit and I could stay in the Celestial room for as long as I wanted.

Hopefully I can keep my goal and keep going to the temple weekly! Maybe I'll see you there :)

Birthday Month!

February holds all of our little family's birthdays! Lily's 1st birthday was on Groundhog's Day, February 2nd. Mine was on February 19th- I share it with my "twin" sister Judy! I was actually born on her 19th birthday on the 19th of February :). Michael's big 30th birthday was on the 26th. With all the birthdays and Valentine's Day, February is my favorite winter month! But it is expensive-especially so soon after Christmas.

You've already heard about Lily's birthday. So we will skip hers :)

On Sunday the 17th we celebrated the February birthdays in my family. My mom made my most favorite meal in the universe-Roast with mashed potatoes and gravy! It was an especially delicious one that day too.  We all pigged out and then do what my family loves to do-sit around and just hang out together and talk. Judy gave me a pretty turquoise necklace and earrings and Michael a BYU beanie along with a cool family home evening kit to get us started. We really need to do that with Lily. We gave Grant and Judy a fondue lazy susan thing and some soaps and lotions and Reese's Eggs. My sister Tina gave me a pretty Sister's heart necklace and Jana gave me the cutest menu board for my kitchen! Mike and Nicole got us a very appropriate gift - a gift card to Megaplex. We love going to the movies! We also got a gift card from Ryan and Jayme to go out to eat- so another date is in our future :). My parents gave us nice cards with some money! Judy made a scrumptious chocolate cake and I brought a rainbow chip one for Michael, it split down the middle though! So we put Lily's candle on one side, and Michael's on the other since they had the BIG birthdays. Lily loved the cake! She ate 2 pieces!

On President's Day Michael was so nice to let me sleep in! Then we went to Ikea and got some neat cubes for our TV stand/book case and some other fun stuff and ate at Joanna's Kitchen for some pre-birthday dinner fun. Then Sean and Brittany came over and said hi!

My birthday was a blast! First I went to lunch at Brick Oven with my mom, sisters, and my niece and her baby Bentz. Lily was there too of course and also my sister's friend Starlin. It was fun! That place is so yummy. I always have to get the salad bar and the root beer. I usually get a pepperoni and olive pizza too-which I did! Then I went home, put Lily down for a nap and took a little one myself. When Michael got home we fed Lily dinner and got ready to go out. Renee- Michael's mom stopped by and gave me one of my favorite treats-Smart Cookies! I love their flower sugar cookies. Then Michael and I went to the outlets in Traverse Mountain. It was so weird, it was EMPTY! There was only like 2 other families besides us walking around. This was a drastic change from when we went the first time when it just opened. We bought a few clothes for Lily and at the Gap I got the bathrobe of my dreams, some slip on shoes and a sweater. After working up an appetite shopping we headed to JCW's so I could have a huge Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Shake! Then we went home to get Lily in bed. After she was sleeping we watched Pitch Perfect while Michael gave me a massage. It was a great night! Michael spoiled me with gifts-as usual and went way over our birthday budget-as usual. He got me a steam cleaner which I love and a gift certificate for a massage and the book Insurgent.

Then to celebrate both our birthdays we went to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse on the Friday between both of our birthdays. Michael's brother and sister-in-law Chris and Alison babysat for us. They already had the rest of the Malouf grandkids so it was kind of a little party for Lily! Ruth's Chris Steakhouse is AMAZING! The filet just melts in your mouth. They cook the meat at 1800* and bring it out on a 500* plate. They have you hold your napkins up so it doesn't splash you. I got the petite filet with shrimp and Michael got the regular filet. We also got sweet potato casserole (It's like a dessert it is so good) and shoestring fries as well as Ruth's Chop Salad. They also brought us both free dessert in honor of our birthdays. I got the chocolate duo which is a chocolate molten cake with some custard and berries and Michael got the sinful cake which is dark chocolate with esspresso. Both were mouthwatering! They treat you so nice there too and coincidentally we had the same waiter as we had when we went on our anniversary! They had some confetti all over our table and they are constantly calling you by your name. Its a really romantic environment :). We had a great time!

They put this on the front of your table so all the waiters know it's your birthday.

On Sunday the 24th we celebrated our birthdays with our brother-in-law Reynie's as well at the Maloufs.  The Maloufs sure know how to party! We had yummy lasagna for dinner and salad and garlic bread too. For dessert Michael has to have the rainbow chip cake with rainbow chip frosting (Lily and I love it too) and ice cream. They always make sure to get Rocky Road for me! Present time is always a big affair as well. Renee wraps everything so cutely and there is ALWAYS an order to when you can open what. Everyone gives each other hilarious cards and we all pass them around. Reynie and Michael got to open their presents first and I was under strict orders to not open mine yet. Michael got a neat throw-back BYU hat and an amazon gift card and some nice dress pants for school/church. Finally it was my turn to open my small gift bag. Inside was an attachment to a kitchen aid! I kind of got worried because I didn't own a kitchen aid so I thought for a second that they thought I did have one and I was going to have to fake how useful it would be. But then Craig brought out a huge wrapped box and I immediately knew they were spoiling me big time with a Kitchen Aid!!!! It is beautiful and white. I was overwhelmed. The next day I had to immediately make cookies just to try it out. It worked like a dream!

The next day on Monday our friend's Brad and Amber and their kids came over to our house for one of Michael's favorite dinners- Hawaiin Haystacks. I also made his favorite dessert-rice krispie treats. So he got a #30 candle in his and we all sang "Happy Birthday" to him again. 30 is a big age to turn! We gotta celebrate it!

On his real birthday, Tuesday, Lily and I brought him some Taco Time for lunch! I stopped and got some black, silver, and blue balloons that said "The big 3-0" and tied them on a cane. He is getting old-middle aged! He was embarrassed, but it was good for him. I also brought him 30 See's Candies suckers and made a little sign on it that said "Thirty Sucks!" He liked that part :)

Happy Birthday!

Mr. Malouf in his classroom! Happy Birthday, husband!

Later that night Michael's parents watched Lily for us so we could eat at Michael's favorite restraunt-Buffalo Wild Wings. Michael wouldn't let me inform them it was his birthday, so no fun! But the wings were sure tasty!  Then we came home and opened his gifts from me: some headphones, some waterproof boots, a couple shirts, socks, candy, and flip flops!

We had way too much fun in February! Let's hope our next child's birthday is in the summer so we can space the birthdays out a bit!

Lily is 13 Months Old!

Lily in her bumbo!

I can't believe its been a month since she turned 1! It seems like her birthday was yesterday. Lily is totally a toddler now though! She is definitely leaving her baby days behind. It is sad, but exciting too.

Walking: Lily walks everywhere now! I only see her crawl when she goes up the stairs now. She even speed walks sometimes. She is getting better posture and stance. She is starting to point her toes more forward and doesn't wobble too much. She is a pro at carrying everything around with her too. We went to one of our friend's baby's 1st birthday party and she stole this huge ball he got and she walked around with it the whole party. It was bigger than her! So we had to get her one too of course and she loves to kiss it and walk around with it. She always has to have something in her hand, usually a stuffed animal or one of our remotes! When she falls down it is no big deal. She just hops right up again! She has hit her head on her table a few time but I think is starting to learn her lesson to steer clear of it.

Talking: Lily is a social butterfly and wants to talk to everyone! When I'm in Walmart with her she has to say "Hi" to everybody. Over and over. Its super cute. She is a shameless flirt :) If someone doesn't say hi back to her or pay attention it makes her a little sad, but she will keep trying anyway. She says a lot of words now! Ever since we got balloons for her birthday she has to say "bloons!" every time she sees them. She likes to gently stroke your hair or your face and say "soft". She says "kitty" while also doing the sign and she says "nunny" for bunny while tapping the top of  her head for an ear. She says "dada" and "mama" and she says "no" a lot. She also says "yes" while doing a huge nod of her head. She says "please" while signing it and she says "all done" while signing it. She does the sign for milk and does a clicking sound for some reason with it and she does a sign for banana! She also does a sign for potty after she has gone number 2! I think this girl is going to try to potty train herself! For dog she pats her leg and goes "oof oof oof!" and for fish she does the sign and goes "ish ish". When she sees a sheep in a book she goes "aaaaa" for baaa and when she sees a duck she goes "ack ack ack" for quack quack. She does the sign for more but doesn't say it. She blows kisses for good bye and for thank you and she also does a little hand wave. She loves her stuffed bears so she does a sign for them too. Its kind of a mix between the sign for baby and bear. Its adorable! She loves to point to her nose and say "no no" and her stuffed animals noses and all of her adult friend's noses. When you ask her where her tummy is she points to that too! She also likes to look out the window and say "outside" while doing the sign. It is fun to communicate with her more and more.

signing "kitty"

Baths!: Just this month Lily got out of her baby chair and actually sits in the real tub and plays with her toys and takes a bath. She loves it! It is fun to watch her play and explore. She was perfectly content to lay back in her baby bath chair the whole first year, but now loves to finally move around in the tub.

Eating: Lily switched to whole milk with no problem! She loves it! That's why she learned the sign for it so fast. She often wakes from her naps signing "milk please". Which makes sense because she always eats right after she wakes up. We are still mostly on bottles though. She does a sippy cup fine with water in it but won't drink as much milk as she needs to when its in the cup. I don't want her to get any skinnier! I swear she looks way taller and skinnier already. Lily also started eating eggs, but I'm worried they are giving her diarreah so we are gonna back off for a bit. She loves to eat bagels with melted cheese on them too! She still eats lots of purees since she only has 2 teeth.That kind of makes chewing hard :)

The Bumbo: I took the bumbo and put it by our couch and Lily loves to sit in it and watch TV with us ha ha. She looks so cute in it!

Lily's best friend, "kitty" has to sit by her on her throne.

Sleeping: Lily is still a great sleeper. We are still doing 2 naps a day and 12 hours at night! Hopefully she keeps it up!

Kisses: Lily does little fish lips now when she kisses you and does just the kissing sound a lot too! She is still very affectionate and gives me lots of kisses and hugs and snuggles all day! I am one lucky mama! She also kisses her grandparents now too besides Michael and I.

Upside Down!: Lily likes to do "upside down" all the time. I didn't get any pictures of it! Hopefully next month :)

That sums it up I think! Happy 13 months Lily!

Playing video games with daddy!

Probably the longest she sat still this whole month!