Lily and Annie

Baby New Year rings in another year

2012-01-04T09:53:00.000-08:00

I can't believe all that has happened in the last year! I also can't believe that Annie is already a year old, but it does feel like we've had her forever. Her first birthday was on New Years Day and we had a great party. The food turned out really well, the cake was beautiful and Annie seemed to have a great time - as far as I could tell with a baby. I have never in my life seen a baby demolish a piece of birthday cake like she did. We are very lucky to have such great people in our lives. They lavished Annie with great presents and helped to make the day special. I know that 1 year old parties are more for the adults than the kids, but she will look back at the pictures some day and smile.

Happy, Happy, Merry, Merry

2011-12-27T09:16:00.000-08:00

So far, the holidays have been great! The girls had a good Christmas with lots of loot, and now they spend their days trying to steal things from each other. Santa was good to them. We are now preparing for the small one to hit the one year mark. At this time last year, I was hugely pregnant and stuck on bed rest. It's quite amazing what a difference a year can make. Annie is growing like a really big weed, and getting into more of Lily's stuff every day. Here are a few pictures of Christmas morning to tide you over until the birthday pictures are here!

Trick or Treat

2011-11-16T09:48:00.000-08:00

It's already mid November, but Halloween and Lily's 3rd birthday have recently passed. Lily had a great birthday party with a Dora theme and lots of little friends. She had a blast, and will hopefully remember parts of it, although I don't know when they start to form actual lasting memories. Halloween was right on the heels of the birthday parties, and both girls had a great time.

Lily is potty training - again. She has finally gotten the hang of at least half of the process. We are still waiting for everything to fall into place - get it?

Here is a photo bomb to share some of the most recent pictures!

Rapunzel without her long hair

Annie and Nana

Lily and Emilia - I love this picture

I'm ready for Winter!

I always knew she was a princess

Annie sporting her Rapunzel wig

Second birthday party with an awesome cake!

Lily and her Daddy with her new bike

Princess Lily - again

Getting ready to wake the sleeping giant on her Dora adventure

Looking for the giant...

Just another Monday night

2011-09-12T19:18:00.000-07:00

I had the camera out so I decided to take a few pictures around the house.

Daddy's birthday

2011-09-05T18:19:00.000-07:00

Today is Paul's birthday (and my parents' wedding anniversary, and my brother and Michelle's anniversary) so we had a party. We also celebrated Papa's birthday and Uncle Ben's birthday since they were over the summer and we were all so busy. The party was fun, the food was delicious, and the kids had a great time playing in the backyard. Our neighbors, Sue and Amelia, gave Lily and Annie a jungle gym (which Lily calls her Donut). It's huge and she is in love with it. She flips around and does tricks that make her father and I cringe with the anticipation of an ER visit.

Nonna with most of the grandkids

Annie seems to like crackers

Lunch under a tree

Death defying acrobatics - this is an action shot

The birthday boys

I can sit up!

Lily on her scooter

My big sister has no idea how much trouble I'm going to be now!

Family PIctures

2011-09-05T18:15:00.000-07:00

We decided to have professional pictures made this summer by Rebecca Bonner Photography, and they turned out so well. Here are a few of my favorites.

Summer Block Party 2011

2011-09-05T18:04:00.000-07:00

The 6th annual Bellaire Block party - well our block of Bellaire - was in August and it was great! As usual, our neighbors all came out, everyone cooked, ate, played and danced, and we all had a blast. Lily was big enough to play with the big kids, but not so big that she didn't still want to be around Mommy and Daddy. Annie was passed around and cuddled to within an inch of her life. There was an enormous water slide to celebrate one of the kid's birthdays, so of course, Lily had to get in the action. We are so lucky to live on such a great block with such great neighbors.

Andra loves snuggling Annie!

Lily is the little spot of pink at the top of the slide!

Splash!!

First comes First

2011-08-18T17:01:00.001-07:00

Today was the first day of school for little Miss Lily! She was very excited, to say the least. We have been talking about her school since the Spring. Whenever we drive by she is sure to point out the school with the blue door, and she tells me that she wants to go there. I was able to deliver this morning as she marched her little self right up the stairs and...wait, that door was locked so she marched back down the stairs and went in another door which wasn't blue at all. You get the idea. Here are a few pictures of Lily's big, big day!!

Getting ready to go

She looks mad that we're holding her back

Last picture, right?

Yeah, I don't have time. I've gotta get inside!

Work for Change

2011-07-22T10:27:00.001-07:00

This summer is about change. One big change, really. It is time to potty train the stubborn, blond, curly-headed child. Paul is out of town for 4 weeks teaching in exotic, far away places, so Lily and I are tackling what may be the most challenging part of parenting so far - the potty. I will admit that this is totally parent driven. This little girl would happily continue relieving her self in her diaper until she could no longer be classified as a little girl. I, on the other hand, am tired of changing, and more importantly, BUYING diapers.

So far we have managed to get some pee in the little musical potty. Of course, in order to accomplish this feat, the orchestral waste collection device was placed in front of a never ending stream of Nick Jr. and Disney movies. She also has a small table, tons of crayons and coloring books, and a never ending supply of apple juice. The reward right now is one silly band per pee. We have had a few accidents. It usually goes like this -

Lily - "Uh-oh"

Me - Do you need to use the potty?"

Lily - "No"

Me - "Are you peeing in your panties right now?"

Lily - "No" (as the pee is running down her leg)

Lily - "I need dry panties"

This may be a long process...

Sum, Sum Summertime

2011-07-11T16:17:00.000-07:00

We are now about halfway through the summer, although we really have just about a month of time off left. June brought about the end of the school year for Paul and I and a trip to Dallas for Paul's Orff course at SMU. While he slaved away in the Texas heat, working hard for the money, the rest of us went to the beach. Karen, Luke, Abby and Nana were with us, and it was the first time the girls saw the beach. I do believe that Lily is hooked. Annie was less impressed, but she might just need another trip to win her over. We are all back in Denver now, and settling in for the rest of our time off. Annie is getting bigger all the time - not surprising, and Lily just keeps getting smarter. She regularly reveals to the world just how much Nick Jr. we let her watch by quoting different characters or listing all the shows that she knows. Will that win us any parenting awards?

Lily and Abby playing on a sand bar

Happy 4th of July!

So darn cute

Beach baby!

Ready for her Miss America debut!

2011-05-27T11:56:00.000-07:00

The last month has been busy as we have rocketed into Spring. The weather has mostly changed, but we are still getting a few cool days here and there. The girls are growing like crazy and Paul and I are just trying to keep up. Lily continues to improve at just about everything. We have been trying to tackle potty training, but Lily is adamantly opposed to the idea. She is already in almost the biggest size diapers come in, so we may have to switch to Depends soon. Annie is adorable and delicious. Good thing since she's kind of a crank. She definitely has a temper. Which grandfather did that come from? Probably both. She is almost 5 months old and getting cuter by the minute. Here are a bunch of pictures!

Hip Hop

2011-04-27T08:32:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a nice Easter! We had a really great day and Lily had a blast. It was pretty much just another day as far as Annie was concerned. Both girls got baskets full of good stuff. Annie's was full of pacifiers, socks, mesh feeders and some shoes. Lily got crayons, sandals and loads of candy. We had an easter egg hunt at the neighbors' house, then at our house and one more at Uncle Joe and Aunt Pam's house. At the last one, each kid got one orange egg with a dollar bill inside. When Lily pulled hers out Paul asked her what it was. Her reply - "Trash." I guess that means that I should take her piggy bank money to Las Vegas so that I can throw it away for her. Pictures...

Beautiful Baby

2011-04-22T19:51:00.001-07:00

Picture Update

2011-04-20T20:19:00.000-07:00

I haven't been posting much lately because life has been a little crazy. Paul finished his doctoral exams on April 16th. Since then he has looked up, rubbed his eyes and realized all of the things that he could be doing. Boy has a hard time sitting still!

The girls are doing well and growing all the time. Lily gets more verbal each day, and while I don't always like the things that come out of her mouth, it is great to see her growing and learning. Annie is getting bigger by the minute. I get a little sad whenever she outgrows something because I know that no one will wear those cute little clothes that were so much fun to pick out. Paul wanted to move the cradle out of our bedroom - which no one sleeps in - but I'm not quite ready to let it go yet.

As for me - school ends in about 7 weeks, so it's time to just buckle down and get through the rest of the year. Here are a couple of pictures of the sweet baby girls!

Look what I drew!

Lily was blown away by the flowers at the Dallas Arboretum

Something tells me I need a haircut...

Sisters!

The perfect little smile to brighten your day

Hospital stay

2011-03-17T22:07:00.000-07:00

Once we left the hospital after Annie was born, I didn't expect to be staying there again quite so soon. This past week Ms. Annie was admitted to the hospital with RSV - a respiratory virus that is particularly dangerous for infants. Lily was sick last week, and apparently shared it with her sister. Toddlers, kids and adults experience the virus as a bad cold, but poor Annie got slammed. She was put on oxygen and given regular nebulizer treatments until her oxygen levels were high enough to go home. A lot of kids around Denver are getting this, and many are getting really sick. I feel fortunate that we only had to spend two nights at the hospital.

It was a bit strange to take a few days off of work after only having been back for 5 days. These kids seem to have a way of getting in the way of all sorts of plans. Bother. Annie is sleeping peacefully in her swing right now. The upright position helps her clear her airway when she gets an especially rough coughing jag. Lily had a hard time while I was away with Annie, but she handled it fine for a two year old. She was very happy when we got home, and couldn't wait to see her sister. She's a sweetie. No pictures to put up, but I just wanted to report on what has been going on!

Twinsies

2011-02-28T09:57:00.000-08:00

As I have been looking at new pictures of Annie and going back through old pictures of Lily, I am amazed at how much they look alike. They aren't carbon copies of either one of us, but they seem to be of each other. I remember as a student in catholic school, there were often families with lots of kids. It was always interesting to me how all the kids in one family could look so similar, but not really like either parent; like the genes just always game together in the same way. Here are the two babies that we have put together in the Cribari house. Pretty crazy...

Lily

Annie

Lily

Annie

Cute pictures of the girls

2011-02-05T19:14:00.000-08:00

With these two little girls, we are going to spend a fortune in clothes, shoes, silly jewelry and photo processing. Here are a couple of very cute shots from the past week.

Checking in

2011-01-28T13:32:00.000-08:00

Recent radio silence is indicative of the way things are going here in the Cribari household. We are busy, tired and just making it through! Annie and Lily are doing really well, and everyone seems to be adjusting to the new family unit. Lily has become my shadow, and wants to either play with me, color with me or sit on my lap ALL THE TIME. It's very hard to turn down her little face saying "Mommy, stay here!" when I try to get up and go do something else. Annie is thriving and doing what a newborn is supposed to do. She is eating well, and sleeping in mostly 3 hour segments. She is definitely a snuggler and likes to be held as much as possible. Lily likes to hold her while she's watching Dora.

Paul and I are hanging in there. Paul is busy with teaching, studying for his doctoral qualifying exams and the general chaos of having a new baby in the house. I've been recovering from way too many complications with this pregnancy, and starting to feel better. Annie isn't super cooperative when it comes to the camera, but here are some pictures from the past few weeks.

Sisters!

Lily's budding fashion sense emerges

All smiles!

Who me?

Annie can't take her eyes off of whatever is in Nick Jr.

Time for a big update

2011-01-06T19:34:00.000-08:00

Since Thanksgiving things have been both boring and busy. 8 weeks on bed rest made for some really boring stretches of time, but the holiday season with a toddler and a new baby on the way kept Paul really busy.

We are very pleased to welcome Anne Elizabeth Cribari to the family!! She was born on January 1, 2011 (1-1-11!) at 8:10 in the morning, weighing 8 pounds 1 oz, and measuring 22 inches long. After a few days on the blue bilirubin bed, she is doing great, sleeping, eating, and doing all the other things that newborns do. Lily wants absolutely nothing to do with her, and so far keeps calling her "Nana's Baby." She will not be so happy when Nana leaves and forgets her baby. Here are some pictures from the last month and a half or so, just to keep things up to date.

The Holidays are Here!

2010-11-30T20:32:00.001-08:00

This time of year always seems so far off, but once it gets here, time flies by so fast. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with the Cassells and the Fords. We all met up in Evergreen at Dennis and Kelly's house for a wonderful meal and a lot of good time together. Sometimes I can't help but think about that fact that one blind date all those years ago in Houston, TX brought about this big family. What a great thing! Here are a few fun pictures from the weekend.

Screaming in the stairwell

Jerseys

Wearing Aunt Michelle's hat

What a beautiful girl!

All because two people fell in love

Happy Halloween 2010!

2010-11-03T08:51:00.001-07:00

Pumpkin Time!

2010-10-26T16:17:00.000-07:00

Halloween is in a few days, so we decided to visit a local pumpkin patch - aka the Presbyterian church a few blocks away - and get ourselves a pumpkin. People must have heard about this whole pumpkin tradition, because it was pretty slim pickins at the church. We did get a pumpkin, but since it was awfully windy and chilly, we made a short trip of it. Here are a few shots of our little pumpkin on the hunt for the perfect gourd.

Someone is turning 2!

2010-10-20T18:31:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a trip from the Texas contingent, Lily had her 2nd birthday party a few days early. She didn't mind a bit. We all had a great time on Sunday, and the weather could not have been more perfect. We borrowed a bounce house from the neighbors (they own one!) and all of the kids had a blast. We noshed on yummy sandwiches and delicious cake. The big hit of the day was the retro pink kitchen that Lily got for her birthday. My favorite part was hearing her yell"birday!!!" over and over again. Here are a few choice pictures from the day!

Long time Gone

2010-09-18T20:21:00.000-07:00

So, it's been a while since we have had an update, and my sincerest apologies! Lily has been busy playing outside, doing sidewalk chalk, traveling to Dallas and starting back to full time day care. She has no idea that her world is about to change in a big bad way! She knows that Mommy has a baby in her belly - as much as a 2 year old can understand that. She is talking up a storm these days, understanding more than even we realized, and might possibly be showing signs of readiness for potty training. I'm not ready for that yet. Here are a few pictures from the past few months, and even though she is wearing the same thing in many of them, she is still the fashion plate that she has always been.

In the bounce house at the block party

Cooling off in one of the three kiddie pools

Enjoying some cake at the twins' birthday party

Coloring at the Children's Museum

Pleased with her creation!

Summer Fun in the Sprinklers

2010-07-17T20:08:00.001-07:00

Looks promising
Daddy - why don't you go first?

Trying to catch the water in her mouth

Sassy, super model walk

All tuckered out

First Haircut

2010-07-14T14:03:00.000-07:00

Curly Sue finally got her first haircut this morning. I wasn't sure when to cut it since it is so curly, but I thought she was starting to look kind of like Willy Wonka when he goes crazy at the end of the movie, so she got it trimmed up today. Lily behaved moderately well, and her hair does look cute. Sitting in a big pink airplane and watching Dora made things go a little easier. As usual, the real prize was my phone. Enjoy!

The "before" picture

In process:

The finished product!

Summer Happenenings

2010-07-14T13:51:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since my last post, but this pregnancy thing has been keeping me down! Hopefully things are one an upswing and I'll be able to update more often. Lots has been going on since the last update. Paul and I are both on summer vacation (yay!) Paul taught in Dallas for two weeks in June, so while he was gone Aunt Karen, Nana, Cousins Luke and Abby came to visit. We spent some time here in Denver, and then after they spent a few days in the mountains, we all headed to Texas to meet up with the rest of the family. Lily had a fantastic time with her Texas cousins, and was totally worn out after they left. The car trip to Dallas went well. Dora and the DVD player saved our lives. Now that we are back, Lily has been spending two days a week at daycare so Paul and I don't bore her to death. She also got her first haircut today! With all that curly hair, it doesn't look all that different, but I think she looks a little less insane. Here are some pictures of the past 6 weeks or so.

WIld Thing

2010-06-06T07:42:00.000-07:00

Summer is here and the wild child in Lily has come out! She loves running around outside, and constantly wants to explore. Our backyard has a few obstacles to watch out for (dog poo), so we don't run around too much out there. When outside isn't an option, she gets crazy with her favorite neighbor, Aidan.

Hi!

2010-05-24T12:42:00.001-07:00

Just a photo update in case you needed one today!

18 months old!

2010-05-03T11:11:00.000-07:00

Little girl Lily is 18 months old and well on her way to the terrible 2's! She had her picture made on Sunday and, while we did get a few good ones, she was not as smiley and happy as usual! Here are a few pictures from the shoot!

The newest addition to the family

2010-04-27T15:17:00.000-07:00

We have an exciting announcement! A new addition has joined the Cribari household - our new camera. We're very excited and ready to take all sorts of fabulous pictures. I've included a few beginner shots of my favorite subject. I'm sure that after a few lessons at the camera store, I'll be ready to start my own photography business.

Having Dinner

Apparently still hungry, so she's eating the swing

Not sure what to make of this face

Just a happy girl in her PJs!

Bath Time Musings

2010-04-22T12:42:00.000-07:00

Sometimes Lily and I have lengthy conversations while she is taking her evening bath. We discuss politics, cultural trends and The Wonder Pets. Mostly we pay "Monkey See, Monkey Do", or in her case "Monkey Say, Monkey Repeat" She probably has about 30 or so words that she can repeat. She uses some very purposefully, and sometimes we just make her repeat things that we think sound funny coming out of a toddler's mouth. Here is a recent bath time conversation - albeit, a one sided conversation.

Here are just a few other pictures of the recent walker as she explores the world around her!

Spring Update

2010-04-11T10:48:00.000-07:00

It seems like it went from Winter to Spring overnight, and it has been great to see everything coming to life in our neighborhood. Lily is doing great, and loving the time she gets to spend outside. The last few months have brought about a lot of change for our little chicken, and she has really gone from a baby to a toddler. She is picking up new words everyday, and repeating most of what she hears. Due to that trend, we have to stop inviting sailors over so that she will hold off learning to swear. She is also finally a biped! She still falls back to crawling when she feels the need for speed, but she can now officially be called a walker. I have complained so much that she is such a late walker, but my mother loves to remind me that I waited just as long when I was her age, and walked at about the same time. Hopefully the knee callouses will soften up soon, and the toes of her shoes will last a bit longer!

This one had to go on the blog

2010-03-24T21:31:00.000-07:00

Just a cutie pie little picture of my girl!

Polly Want a Cracker

2010-03-15T13:25:00.000-07:00

Lily is starting to parrot everything, and I'm sure she is saying plenty of things that I can't understand yet. Here is a video I took yesterday while she was not eating her macaroni and cheese.

A Day at the Zoo

2010-03-10T10:01:00.000-08:00

We live about a mile from the zoo, but we don't seem to go nearly often enough. Last Saturday was a beautiful day in Denver, so we decided to take advantage of the weather and take a stroll through the Denver Zoo. Everyone else in Denver had the same idea, but it was fun in spite of the crowds. Our neighbor is the education director at the Zoo and he let Lily get up close and personal with a few birds and a sweet bunny named Jeffrey. Hands down, her favorite part was the carousel ride. I can't wait to take her back for more little girl giggling!

Little Girl Gone Wild

2010-03-01T08:03:00.001-08:00

How totally cute is this?

Little Money Buziness

2010-02-25T08:51:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Lily's first trip to an indoor germ-fest - I mean indoor play center. We took her to family night at our local Little Monkey Buziness (yes - its spelled wrong) and she had a ball! She figured out how to throw her weight and scoot forward enough to get herself down the slide, and the smile on her face at the bottom was HUGE! We will definitely go back - but maybe when there are a few less germ monsters - I mean other children around.

Time for an update

2010-02-09T09:36:00.001-08:00

It's been about a month since anything went up, so it was high time for an update. Things here in Denver are going well. Its been busy since the new year started with work demanding a lot of both of us, and a choir trip to Florida looming in the near future. Miss Lily has been her usual active self, but not active enough to actually walk. She is "knee-walking" so that she can somehow combine crawling with the ability to carry things around the house and drop them wherever she pleases. She is working on some new words and likes to imitate things that are said to her. Of course, like every strong minded woman - she only does it when it's on her terms. No trained monkey in this house. Her favorite new thing is to pick up anything she can get a hold of, hold it up to her ear and say "Ello" Its ridiculously cute. She loves chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese and anything sweet. She hates having her hair washed and getting up in the morning. Other than that, things are going swimmingly!

Stop, Drop and Read

2010-01-12T11:14:00.001-08:00

Ahhhh. On a cold winter night, there's nothing like putting on your snuggly footie PJs, curling up in your favorite chair and reading a good book.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-05T08:44:00.000-08:00

Well, the holidays have come and gone, and we all made it through alive! It was great to have two weeks together, and we saw lots of family and friends both in Denver and in Dallas. Our Denver holidays were filled with lots of down time, indulgent afternoon naps, and great food. Our Texas time was a wonderful opportunity to see lots of family, but it also included another trip to the ER. What threatened to be appendicitis was actually just a bad stomach flu that started with Kathleen, moved on to Nana, Aunt Karen and eventually got Paul as well. We are all back to normal - or at least as normal as we get! We hope you all had a great holiday season and we wish you a wonderful and healthy new year!

Lily loved playing with Luke's kitchen

Cute cousin Abby!

Curly girl Lily sitting in a carriage

La Cantera lobby had lots of cool animals

Family Picture Christmas 2009

2009-12-27T14:03:00.001-08:00

Lily had a Holly Jolly

2009-12-26T19:11:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, everyone! Lily had a great holiday and she asked me to wish you all a very happy holiday season - whatever your religion. She's very PC like that. Christmas Eve was our traditional "small family" evening. Just Paul, Lily and myself. We had the usual shrimp dinner followed by the adults exchanging gifts. I think that the tone of that night will change dramatically in the next few years. Christmas morning brought lots of presents from Santa, and we had brunch with Nonna, Poppa and Poppie. There's nothing wrong with a breakfast of champagne and eggs benedict with tenderloin. Mmmmm. We then moved on to the Wismers' house to open presents and spend time with Aunt Tiffany, Uncle Ben and cousins Nettie and John. Lily doesn't quite get what's going on yet, but she does understand playing with toys - no matter who they belong to. Sharing is something we will be working on before Santa comes again. Here are a few pictures from the last few days. We'll have more to share after our trip to Texas. Happy Holidays!!

The family tree

Getting ready for Christmas Eve Mass

Let the opening commence!

I love my new Giraffe Bike from Nonna and Poppa!

Wearing Cousin Nettie's princess earrings - well, one of them.

What does a duck say?

2009-12-16T12:11:00.000-08:00

"Cack cack", of course!

One year portrait

2009-11-23T19:39:00.000-08:00

Swingin' on a Star

2009-11-21T07:51:00.000-08:00

Lily got the traditional first birthday gift from Nana and Opa - the swingset! It was delivered last week, and now that the snow has melted (sort of) she got to go out and play on it yesterday. Here are a few cute pictures and a video of the giggly girl.

Problem

2009-10-31T18:56:00.001-07:00

So here's the problem. When you have an adorable child, you simply cannot stop taking pictures. Something comes over you as a parent, and compels you to document every smile, pose, sneeze, and anything else that seems ridiculously cute. We have fallen victim to this curse, and now here are a few pictures to prove the point. Hope you all had a nice Halloween!

Hook 'em Horns
Let it Snow!
Pretty as a picture!
Trick or Treat!
and finally,

Naked

Birthday - Round 2

2009-10-29T21:39:00.000-07:00

It's official - Lily is 1. It took a week's worth of parties and far too much cake to prove it, but all reports indicate that she is indeed 1. After a great party in Denver, we went to Dallas for my 20th high school reunion, and conveniently, another birthday party for Lily. She was happy to play along since it meant more presents and cake for her. She's pretty smart like that! Here are a few pictures from the Dallas party. We all loved seeing friends and family, and appreciate everything so much!!

Birthday - Round 1

2009-10-19T10:53:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday Lily began her week-long birthday celebration with her first party in Denver. She was a little bit of a crank because her nap schedule was thrown off, but once the cake came out, she put on a happy face. More to come in the week ahead!

Such a big girl!

2009-10-15T18:23:00.000-07:00

With the big first birthday coming up, here is one last picture update before we get party pictures! Today, Lily tried on her Halloween costume for the first time, and it was a huge hit. She also got a great little table from Nana and Opa. Seeing her sitting there is only a preview of one day when she's sitting at a desk writing the great American novel. We'll be back with the big birthday party pictures soon!

Yo Eleven!

2009-09-29T10:04:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Sorry it took me so long to post, but I can't seem to stay in one place long enough to write anything meaningful. Mom won't let me have the laptop either, so that's a drag.

A lot has happened over the last month - as it does every other month! There are new teeth coming through, new places to explore and less spitting up to do. I am on the move right now, usually on my belly, but sometimes up on my knees. I can also stand up all on my own now! Well, by "all on my own" I mean that I am able to effectively use furniture, toys, people, Ruby to pull myself to standing. The view is incredible!

I am not getting to experience my wardrobe in quite the same way these days. I usually stay in the same boring outfit ALL DAY LONG! Mom used to change my clothes at least 2 or 3 times. And those cute bibs! Where have those all gone?? Maybe I should go back to throwing up all day. Lately I have been so much better that I keep almost all of my food down. Pretty awesome. I am still on medication for the time being, but the doctor told Mom yesterday, that if I keep doing well, they will start to wean me off of the meds. *crosses tiny fingers*

My first birthday is soon, and I get to have two parties! One in Denver with the Colorado folks, and another in Dallas with the Texans. Good thing there are two parties because I love cake. Really, who doesn't? Cake is delicious.

Party Animal - don't think so

2009-09-20T13:31:00.000-07:00

Lily went to a birthday party yesterday for the twins who live two doors down. It was a lovely idea - a party for 1 year olds at Gymboree, where they specialize in annoying songs, parachutes and clowns to entertain small children. While Paul and I are always up for a good party, our daughter is less interested. Here is the mood she was in before we left

*Note - she is wearing clothes from the Gymboree clothing store just for effect

Here is the progression of her meltdown as the party went on. Things only improved when she got a cupcake at the end.

Pic fix

2009-09-12T10:31:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since we posted, so I thought it was time for a few new pictures. We have been a little crazy lately, trying to figure out Lily's GI issues and also getting back into the swing of the school year. After trying several prescription formulas and jumping through lots of hoops, we are taking an investigative break. She is still taking two different medications plus iron, but she is drinking regular formula with rice cereal. Ironically, she is actually doing better than she was on the super hypo-allergenic stuff! Weird.

Lily is on the move with her strange army crawl, and she can finally get herself into a seated position from laying down. I think that she really loves her newfound mobility and she is exploring everything! She is getting bigger all the time, and changing a little every day. Check out her big girl teeth!

The first 10 Months

2009-08-24T19:45:00.001-07:00

As the summer comes to a close, and the chill of the coming season settles into my bones, I have no choice but to contemplate my life and all that it has been up to this point. Didn't take too long! As of August 22nd, I am now officially 10 months old - double digits.

I spent a lot of the last month either out of town, or being babysat while one, or both, of my parents were gone. I got to spend some quality time alone with Daddy while Mommy was in New York with her friends. She must have gotten sick while she was there because she kept talking about how her head hurt in the mornings. Bummer. After that, Nana came up to watch me while Mommy and Daddy went to a wedding in Minnesota. Finally, I went to Texas for 2 weeks, and you heard all about that fiasco. Whew! I am glad to be home, and happy that everyone is staying put for a while.

Actually, I am not all that interested in staying put. I am not quite crawling, but I am definitely on the move. I can scoot across the floor like a champ, so watch out Ruby - here I come! I also got a new tooth and learned to clap. Who knows what the next month has in store for me. See you in September!

love, Lily

Yee Haw

2009-08-13T19:15:00.000-07:00

For the last two weeks, Lily and I have been in Dallas while Paul has been teaching in San Francisco. What I thought would be a laid back two weeks started with an unexpected trip to the hospital and the removal of my gallbladder. Three days of Mommy in the hospital meant that Nana, Opa and Aunt Karen were on the job. Lily spent a lot of quality time with her Texas family, playing with her cousins and watching cartoons. She mastered some new skills, including clapping, although her constant attempts at crawling still aren't getting her anywhere.

We are still working on the GI issues and altering her diet and medication. All the rice cereal in her bottles has given her a nice layer of fat for the approaching winter months. Finger foods are the name of the game these days, and Lily LOVES to feed herself. She has decided that moderation is for suckers, and she shoves every iota of food on her tray into her mouth as quickly as her chubby little hands can grab them.

One new adventure was a trip to the movies! A local theater has the cry baby matinee twice a week for moms and babies. Its totally fine if they cry or fuss, and there was even a changing table in the theater. Awesome, right? Not so much. Lily was terrible and my mom ended up taking her into the lobby for the last part of the movie. Won't try that again for a while. Here are a few photos of the cinema critic.

9 months

2009-07-23T12:51:00.001-07:00

Good afternoon! Lily here, coming to you from beautiful Denver, Colorado where the weather is beautiful and so are the babies. I turned 9 months old yesterday, and aside form another trip to the GI specialist, it was a pretty great day. I have been working on some new skills since the 8 month check in, but "almost" is the word of the day. I almost have two more teeth - but not quite. I'm almost ready to crawl - but not quite. I can almost associate the name Daddy with the guy who lives here - but, again - not quite.

Mommy and Daddy are going insane trying to figure out this eating thing. I am now drinking Nutramagin, which smells even worse then the soy, and I am on two different medications. Turns out my stomach is smaller than most other 9 month olds, and it empties out really slowly, so I can't eat as much at one time. Bummer. I keep telling Mom I want more, but she's mean and won't give me what I want. We'll have to work on that. See you next month, and I hope that all those "almosts" are mastered.

love, Lily

Mid-summer update

2009-07-12T19:06:00.000-07:00

So, we are almost halfway through the summer, and I can't believe how fast it's going by! After our trip to Dallas, we spent a few more days in Texas. We headed down to Austin for Abby's baptism, and then Paul and I took a quick little trip to San Antonio for some needed mommy/daddy time! Once we got back to Colorado, we had a great time over the 4th of July with Paul's family. We are also aggressively working to solve the refulx (ok - barfing) problem. Lily went to a GI specialist last week and had an Upper GI done. We're waiting for the results, but in the meantime, we are making adjustments and trying to achieve a baby wardrobe that doesn't include a bib with every outfit. We'll be at 9 months soon, so Lily will be checking in!

Here we are before Abby's baptism

Lily's first ride in the GTO

"Gimme that popsicle"
"So listen, Daddy, I really like swimming, so let's get a pool"
Lily before the Upper GI. I love the little hospital gown!
Lily loves bathtime!

Octo-girl

2009-06-25T06:08:00.000-07:00

Monthly check in - month 8. I'm coming to you from the great state of Texas where the family and I have been for a week and a half. We are having a great time! Nana and Opa have a jumperoo at their house, which is totally awesome, and I also got to spend some time with my cousins, Luke and Abby. The big news of the month is that I can finally sit up all by myself! Once I figured it out, I caught on quickly, and now bath time is so much more fun! I feel so free. I am also starting to move around a little bit more. I can scoot backwards and roll over to change the view, but I'm not quite crawling yet. Maybe I'll just start running instead. It's supposed to be good for you. Talk to you later!

Love, Lily

Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

2009-06-21T19:09:00.000-07:00

Today was Paul's first Father's Day, and Lily did not disappoint. She was adorable and smiled for him all day long. We hope all the other great Dads out there had a wonderful day!

Just a few adorable pictures

2009-06-10T19:35:00.000-07:00

Cute pictures of the day!

Food, glorious food!

2009-06-07T19:12:00.000-07:00

Ok - so we started solid foods a little while ago, but here a few pictures. She's so cute!

7 month report

2009-05-22T20:47:00.000-07:00

So - I am now closer to my first birthday than my actual birth. 7 months and getting bigger everyday! Since we last spoke, there have been some big changes. The biggest news is about two very small teeth that have made their appearance on my lower gums. The hurt like nobody's business right before they came in, but once they came through, I felt so much better. I like to stick out my chin now and show my teeth off to anyone who will take the time to admire them. I think some more may be on the way, because I'm in an inexplicably bad mood these days.

I have decided that being sick is for the birds. I got sick, Daddy got sick, Mommy got sick. It was terrible. I had to go on my first antibiotic because my eyes got so gross that I had a hard time seeing! Now that the sick days have passed, I am looking forward to a happy, healthy summer. Mommy is almost done with school and we are heading to Texas in less than a month. I'll have to phone in my next update from Dallas. Take care!

Love, Lily

And I just thought this one was funny...

Show off those pearly whites!

2009-05-19T20:35:00.000-07:00

I got a few shots recently (OK, today) that show off baby girl's newly minted teeth. They are small and really just enamel covered ridges, but her father and I are proud nonetheless.

New pics

2009-05-13T09:52:00.001-07:00

Lily had her six month pictures made a couple of weeks ago, and I finally got the pictures on line from JC Penny. Here are a few cute shots from the day. You can't see them, but there are actually two tiny teeth in that adorable mouth. Soon she'll be flashing a mouthful of pearly whites and then ruining them with candy and thumb sucking.

6 months!

2009-04-22T19:08:00.000-07:00

Time to check in! Sorry about missing last month's check in, but my life was insane! I was in Dallas visiting my peeps down there and was having way too much fun to blog! So here is the latest in Lily Land! While I was in Dallas I got the hang of rolling over, and it is my favorite thing to do now. The only problem is that I still can't seem to get back over the other way. Very frustrating. No matter how much I try, I can't seem to figure it out. It's very tiring, so sometimes I just put my head down and rest until I have the energy to try again. Turns out that its way nicer to sleep on my tummy anyway.

I had a great long vacation with both Mom and Dad since they were on Spring Break. I didn't go to day care for 4 weeks! I've been back for the past two weeks, but in no time it will be summer and the folks and I will be very busy. We have lots of plans to visit different people and places and I can't wait! Here are a few recent pictures so you can see how big I've gotten. See you all soon!

love, Lily

Happy Girl!

Concentrating so hard...

What's up, Mommy?

Hippity Hop

2009-04-12T18:50:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter, everyone! Lily had a great day with the Cribari, Wismer, and Maring families! The food was fantastic and everyone had a great time. Lily managed to get into the spirit of the day by temporarily growing rabbit ears. Once she was done with them, she shed the ears and let a few others join in the fun!

ZZZZZZZ....

2009-04-06T08:25:00.000-07:00

So, after 5.5 months of sleep deprivation, Lily finally slept through the night. She fell asleep early last night, so we thought we were in big trouble for long stretches of awake time later, but after a quick dream feed around 10:30, Lily slept until 6:00 am!!!! Paul was so happy he offered to buy her a car. Good thing she didn't hear that or she might hold him to it someday! Who knows if she will ever do it again, but for now, on a Monday morning, we are all feeling pretty good.

Spring has sprung

2009-03-29T15:35:00.000-07:00

Lily was traveling during her 5 month birthday, so her next report will have to wait until 6 months. I told her it was the same as the rule that says you can skip mass when you're on vacation. Same thing for bloggers. In the meantime, Lily has been a busy girl! She went on another plane trip to Texas over Mom's spring break, and once again, she was a great traveler. So far she has been awesome on planes and seems to stay quiet even when the other kids on the plane are going bananas.

After a fairly mild Winter, Spring is here, and things have been starting to bloom. It was so pretty! That is until we got close to a foot of heavy, wet snow that did quite a number on the delicate Spring blossoms. Now that things have melted, the weather is gorgeous, so the family went for a walk around the neighborhood. Lily made her first trip in her big stroller, and since she needed to make it her own - she threw up all over it.

Like my other hat?

2009-03-21T14:03:00.001-07:00

Too cute!

2009-03-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

This past week, Lily got the chance to go to Austin, TX to spend the day with her cousin, Luke, and her brand new cousin, Abby. Nana got them matching outfits, and then the photo session began. It's really hard to get three little kids to all look good in a picture. It's really hard just to get them to look!

Like my hat?

2009-03-06T18:44:00.001-08:00

4 months old!

2009-02-24T17:14:00.001-08:00

Its time for the monthly report! Things have been moving so fast lately! I can't believe that another month has gone by and now I'm 4 months old. I've been changing a lot and getting stronger all the time. I love to stand on my tiny little legs with some help from one of the bigger people. I'll be standing on my own in no time! Since my last post Mom and Dad have been so busy. Dad is teaching at Coyote Hills and also working hard on his graduate classes (what are those?) and Mom works all day at school and then comes home and takes care of me.

I went to a birthday party over the weekend for my cousin John and had a great time. I got to see so many people and they all wanted to hold me! I hope they didn't mind that I spit up all over them. I do it all the time, but I don't mean to. It seems like I get a new bib every 30 minutes. I saw cousin Melissa, and I can't wait for Kayden to be born. I know that we will be great friends.

My last doctor's appointment caused some pain (in the legs), but I also found out how much I've grown. Mom and Dad predicted that I would be around 13 pounds and they were close! I weigh 12 pounds 13 ounces, and am 24 inches long. I'm talking - secret code language - all the time, and I can scoot myself around by pushing off of the floor with my feet. Watch out, Ruby - Here I come! Here are a few new pictures so you can see how big I am. Don't be fooled by the sitting up. Its all done with mirrors.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

2009-02-13T10:06:00.000-08:00

Smile! Smile! Woah...

2009-02-10T19:17:00.000-08:00

So, it may not be the Ameritrade commercial, but its pretty good

3 months ago today

2009-01-24T19:54:00.000-08:00

It's been 3 months since I was born! That's a quarter of my first year - gone by in a flash. I'll be driving soon if things keep going by at this rate! I have mastered a few new tricks in the last month. I am excellent at holding my head up and I am smiling like a crazy person. I'm still getting up for snacks at night, but I'm trying to stay asleep a little longer in between. One thing that I still can't stand is this whole "tummy time" obsession. Both my parents and my new friend Betsy keep making me lay there screaming at the carpet. No fun at all. Betsy is my new friend. She and I play together while Mommy goes somewhere all day. Its fine, but I sure do love the weekends when I get to spend all day with Mom & Dad. That's it for this month!

-Lily

Cute pics!

2009-01-19T19:44:00.000-08:00

Baptism photos

2009-01-16T09:09:00.000-08:00

As promised, here are a few pictures from the baptism! There are a lot of them, so stay focused and hydrated

The entire crowd

Proud parents and great grampa

with Nana and Opa

With Father Ken

Godparents

Baptism pictures

2009-01-16T09:07:00.001-08:00

Nana, Opa, Mom, Lily, Dad, Nonna, Papa & Poppy

Stephen, Mom, Lily, Dad & Tiffany

Huh?

I do love the lights

One happy family

Holy Day

2009-01-12T09:16:00.000-08:00

This past weekend Miss Lily took her first steps into the Catholic Church - well, I took the steps, but I was carrying her. Lily was baptized yesterday and the event was really nice. The priest centered the entire mass around her and made the day very special for both families. Nana, Opa, Uncle Stephen and Michelle came up from Dallas, and the entire Cribari & Maring Clans attended as well. Everyone went to a great party afterwards and spent a lot of time catching up. More pictures will follow (once Uncle Stephen e-mails them to me), but for now, here is a shot of the baby of the day.

Ho Ho Ho Review

2008-12-30T16:25:00.000-08:00

So, Christmas is over and it was great! I also turned 2 months old, so it was time for my monthly report. I figured that since I am a practical girl, I would combine posts. Over the last month, I have been on 4 airplane rides, met numerous family members, gotten together with some new friends, and even saw Santa Claus. I'm working on holding my head up, and I'm growing like crazy. At my doctors appointment, I weighed 10 pounds and am almost 22 inches long! Now I get to wear even more of my cute clothes, but I had to kiss some of the smaller ones goodbye. Here are a few pictures I took along the way...ok, I was just in them, but they're still awesome.

Two months old and hangin' out in the Bumbo

Waiting in line to see Santa!

Cousin Luke and I in matching Christmas jammies. Don't look directly into the stripes...

Four generations of strong women

Holiday Family Photo 2008

2008-12-23T13:04:00.001-08:00

Ho Ho Ho (preview)

2008-12-16T13:12:00.000-08:00

The holidays are in full swing and Lily has been sporting all of her Christmas outfits. She is getting so strong and she is holding her head up for quite a long stretch (for an 8 week old). Here are a few new shots of the little girlie. More to come!

Teasing with a little smile...

Santa does what?? Awesome!

Merry Christmas!!

Holding up your head is hard work...How do you people do it all the time?

Blue Skies

2008-12-07T21:03:00.001-08:00

Lily has been a busy girl lately! She took her first plane trip to Dallas, went to the zoo for the first time, and met her Aunt Karen, Cousin Luke and Great Grandma Margaret. Here are a few pictures from her recent adventures.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

2008-12-02T02:30:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving

2008-11-29T21:28:00.000-08:00

Lily had a great Thanksgiving with the Cribari family. She watched attentively as we ate turkey, stuffing and all the fixins. Then we gave her a big, warm bottle of formula. Mmmmm. Someday when she has teeth she'll be able to join in the feast! She seems like she's getting bigger by the minute, so we are always taking pictures. She posed with her cousin, Nettie for a few shots. Nettie was very concerned that Lily didn't smile, but we assured her she will be smiling soon. We also had a brief photo session this evening to try to capture some of the funny faces that she constantly makes! We hope everyone had a great holiday and now we're on to Christmas!

One Month and Counting

2008-11-23T11:44:00.001-08:00

So, I've been here for a month and things have been going well so far! I've gotten used to my parents, my house and my dog, Ruby...or Ruby is getting used to me. I've learned that with enough yelling I can usually get what I want, and what I usually want is to be held all day. I like to sleep in Mommy and Daddy's bed instead of my cradle, and I usually order my meals every three hours. From what I've been told, I'm completely adorable and no other baby has ever been so beautiful. I'm not trying to brag - I'm just repeating what others have said. I'll be back next month!

-Lily

Cutie pie

2008-11-18T10:27:00.000-08:00

I took these pictures a few minutes ago and just had to share!

Photo update

2008-11-14T09:55:00.000-08:00

Just a few new pictures of the little girl. We had our first snowfall of the season this morning, so naturally, it was time for Lily to don her new sweater from Uncle Stephen and Michelle! Paul also managed to catch a smile.

And now for the other side of the same baby...

Eyes wide open

2008-11-09T13:51:00.000-08:00

Its been a few days since the last post, so it was time for some new pictures! Its been tricky to get pictures of Lily with her eyes open, but I managed to get a couple. She decided that she'd had enough of the photo shoot so she stuck her tongue out at me!

The first two weeks

2008-11-04T16:28:00.001-08:00

Things in the Cribari household are clipping right along. Lily is changing by the day, and we are changing her by the hour! We took advantage of a great day earlier in the week and took Lily for her first walk around the neighborhood. Unfortunately, we didn't consult her meal schedule before we left, so it was a short walk...

Here are a few other cute pictures of the most beautiful girl in the world!

BOO!

2008-11-01T19:24:00.000-07:00

Her first Halloween. I think she may have a trick in her diaper...

Welcome to the World, Lily

2008-10-30T18:52:00.000-07:00

Hi there! My name is Lily, and welcome to my blog! I was born on October 22, 2008. I weighed 6 pounds 1 ounce and I was 20 inches long. I can't type all that well yet, so my Mommy is going to take care of things for me. Here is her picture:

My Daddy is pretty great, too. Here we are going home from the hospital:

There will be plenty of posts because my parents can't seem to stop taking pictures. So far here is what's been going on.

day 1 - My grand entrance
day 2 - Still tired from the move
day 3 - a car ride, a new home and clothes!
days 4 & 5 - strange dreams about a blue light table and a big stuffed sheep
since then - sleep, eat, spit up & other unmentionables

Things are going great! Please check in often!

-Lily