the land of lyle

She's THREE!

2011-12-11T14:19:00.000-05:00

Here are a few pictures from Hannah's birthday!

Aunt Alexa made her the awesome cake!

Guess who's 3!

2011-12-11T14:09:00.000-05:00

On December 9th we celebrated Hannah's birthday! When I was downloading the pictures from her party I took a little look back at her last birthday's.

First Birthday!

Second Birthday!

And Number 3!!

Monkey Mae, you are growing up too fast! I can't believe you are already 3 years old!

DONE!

2011-11-05T20:16:00.000-04:00

Thirteen point one miles! Today I ran my second half marathon and it was great! I'm already thinking about which one I want to do next (I may change my mind tomorrow when the soreness really hits). Here are a few pics:

This was mile 3.2ish

Apparently the only pose I know for half marathons is putting both arms in the air.

This is around mile 12.

Alexa and I at the finish line! We got really cool medals and some nice wraps to keep us warm.

It was really cold!

We saw some great t-shirts that people had decorate to wear in the race. Here are a few of my favorite t-shirt slogans that people used:

- I thought they said this was 1.31 miles.

- 13.1 miles: Because 13.2 miles would be just crazy!

- Run like a Kenyan.

- Run like an angry Kenyan.

- Slow runner, pass on the left (I'm pretty sure we did pass her:))

- (Printed on the back of the shirt) If you can read this, I'm not last.

- Pretty girls run!

Off I go!

2011-11-04T13:08:00.000-04:00

I'm heading out in just a few hours to drive to Savannah. Tomorrow morning we (Alexa and I) are running the Savannah Rock N Roll Half Marathon! Say a prayer for us as neither of us feel completely prepared:)

I'm running and raising money for blood cancer research and there is still time to donate! Just go to www.tinyurl.com/gokimgo to make a tax deductible donation! Thanks in advance!

Happy Birthday Todd!

2011-11-02T17:00:00.004-04:00

Today is Todd's birthday! Hannah eventually sings in this video if you watch through the crying:)

School pictures

2011-11-01T19:02:00.000-04:00

Hannah had school pictures the other day. I picked out a cute dress for her to wear and told her to go and put it on after breakfast. She came out wearing the dress... but she also did her own accessorizing.

Traditions...

2011-10-31T20:54:00.000-04:00

Every Saturday morning Hannah and I make banana & chocolate chip pancakes. Hannah likes to help squash up the really ripe bananas. Here's a tutorial for you:

Step one: Peel & squeeze the banana

Step 2: Squash with your hands.

Step 3: Smile and wait for Mommy to do the rest.

A few more..

2011-10-25T15:00:00.001-04:00

Here are a few more...

This is on a T wall in Udairi Kuwait. All units get to paint one and this is a unit from Massachusetts.

This is Todd's company with a USC flag that I was able to get signed by Spurrier and Ray Tanner (with the help of Keven Cohen)

These are all the Citadel grads in Todd's company. Their unit is being recognized during the halftime show of the USC/Citadel game so a couple of us wives get to go!

Pictures From Iraq

2011-10-25T15:00:00.000-04:00

Todd sent me some pictures from his time in Iraq so far. Most of them are arial b/c that is Todd's view for the most part. I think it's kind of awesome! I'll do my best to explain them in captions.

This is looking onto the border of Turkey. If you look closely you can see the dug in tank positions. When Iraq is dominant they positioned tanks at Turkey and just left them there as a threat.

This is a suburb of Baghdad. You can see the palms near the river but just a couple hundred yards away it is complete barren dessert.

This is ONE of Saddam's palaces. Notice the "small" house in the bottom left corner. This would be the size of the White House. Yikes.

Each company has "nose art". Todd's is A Company and they are called the Nightmares (which is fitting b/c they always fly night missions)

This is what the they call the Mega Mosque (many mosques are named like this so that the pilots can use them for orientation when flying). Ironically this mosque was never finished so it's just a skeleton. The Syrians came over and stopped the Iraqi's from finishing it b/c no mosque can be bigger than Mecca... and it was.

My handsome husband holding an insurgent AK47. He looks a little too happy here:)

This is right after Todd's last flight with his company in Kirkuk. He's now back in Taji.

They like to "decorate" the hellfire missiles that they carry. They always right funny slogans or pictures on them. Did I mention how much I love my husband taking pictures while flying... with these on board.

This is the border of Syria and Iraq. This part is called the Heider Gate.

I kind of think this shot is really cool! Helps to see his perspective while flying!

This is what his unit calls the Disco mosque. You can see why!

It's not as "disco- ey" during the day.

This is Todd with his company's shield. The guy in the middle is the artist.

The Bubble Gum mosque.

Inside the Apache hanger in Kirkuk.

These are Uday & Qusay's palaces in Mosul. Isn't it sweet that they were neighbors? Now they are probably neighbors somewhere much hotter than Iraq.

Todd and his buddy Chadd. The two were roommates in flight school back in 2005. Ironically they were two of the three company commanders based out of Kirkuk. We love Chadd and his awesome wife and baby boy back in Alabama.

These are some insurgent weapons.

This one is called the water mosque. There is water in the middle and in all the corners of the property.

Multi Tasking

2011-09-19T21:43:00.001-04:00

So, the other day I found Hannah in the potty doing a little "reading". I think she may have seen Daddy do this once or twice. It is his old phone by the way.

Undercover

2011-09-06T21:27:00.000-04:00

Hannah has discovered a new way to sleep. She pulls the covers completely over her head. I really don't know how she is comfortable.

I think her head is under there.

Feet stick out b/c she's so darn long!

First Day of "School" 2011

2011-09-06T21:18:00.001-04:00

So Hannah started her new "school" last week! She'll go 3 mornings a week. So far she loves it and went right in the first day with no crying!

2011

2010

She's a talkin'

2011-08-04T17:56:00.001-04:00

My child's vocabulary has officially surpassed mine. She is using complete sentences with perfect inflection and she remembers EVERYTHING! Here are a few of her most recent statements:

- Pretty much every morning when she wakes up she'll say from her room: "I would like something to eat Mommy."

- One time we went and got ice cream after getting her hair cut and so now every time I ask her if she wants to go get ice cream she'll say "I have to go and get my hair cut first though."

- "because" is pretty much her favorite word and she actually knows how to use it, although sometimes her explanations don't quite add up. For example "We're going swimming because we eat strawberries."

- She still hasn't really started naming things, but every time I ask her what something's name is she'll say it's name is "new battery". The only reason I think she says this is because a few months ago I replaced the batteries on one of her favorite toys and I made a big deal out of it having new batteries. Lesson learned.

- She repeat's a lot! Warning to my family members that have dirty mouths:) The other day she was acting up and she looked at me and said "I'm killin' you mommy."

- At night after I give her a goodnight kiss she'll quietly say "goodnight mom." It literally sounds like she's 18.

Holy cow she's cute.

2011-07-30T20:31:00.000-04:00

My friend Karin Curtis took these awesome shots and did an amazing job! Check out her blog and website at www.rockitblog.com. Unfortunately for you local folks, she lives in Baltimore and only occasionally comes to town:(

I.Heart.Skype.

2011-07-25T08:00:00.002-04:00

Let's Go Swimming!

2011-07-23T21:10:00.004-04:00

Hannah is turning into quite the fish. And, since I'm a dork I had to get it on video and put it to music. Todd, I hope you get a chance to watch this!

Potty

2011-07-19T21:44:00.003-04:00

Apparently the baby needed to use the potty today. Good thing I looked before I sat down.

Slacker!

2011-07-18T20:40:00.005-04:00

So, you may have noticed that I haven't quite been updating this blog as much as I used to. In my head, I have updated it many times. And many times I will sit down with full intention of updating. But, night after night, one thing stops me. No, it's not my child (although she no longer goes to bed with ease and often not until at least one "love pat" on the behind). No, it's not because I'm super busy working on some great book that I am writing (although I have written the first chapter in a book that I would love to one day finish). No, it's not even that I am sitting on Facebook or blog stalking (although I do plenty of that).

The reason I've been slacking and not updating is.... a game straight from the devil himself.

That's right, Majong. This game is sadly addictive.. and I have erased the link on my computer and banished it from my life forever. So, hopefully I can now get some things done.

In other news, this summer has been flying by! Todd was home over the 4th of July so we celebrated with his family. It was a great visit but short but sweet b/c that's the last time he'll see Hannah for quite some time. I'll fly out there in August to see him off as he leaves for Iraq. We are hoping he'll get leave at some point during his time there so he'll come home for a few days. But nothing is guaranteed so we are not getting our hopes up too soon.

Hannah has been thoroughly enjoying the swimming pool and is turning to quite the fish. We have been able to have lots of friends over to swim too. I'm already dreading the winter when we can't swim. Although, she doesn't seem to mind cold water... hum.

One of the friends we have been able to have over is Katie who was born on the same day at the same hospital as Hannah. Todd and I have been close friends with Katie's mom and dad and I can't wait to see these two become friends as they grow up.

Oh, and I'm still training for a half marathon and fundraising for LLS. If you'd like to donate go to www.tinyurl.com/gokimgo !

It happened...

2011-06-29T21:17:00.002-04:00

That's right, there was no stopping it. I hit the big 3-0. And although my husband was not here to celebrate I did get to ring it in with 18 of my closest friends. The whole night was such a reminder of how blessed we are to have such community and such an amazing support system in our lives. Thanks to everyone who came! BTW, Alexa made me wear the hat:)

I'm turning 30!!!

2011-06-16T14:09:00.004-04:00

So, on Monday I'm turning 30! Yikes:)

In order to commemorate my birthday, I'm trying to get 30 friends(or more) to donate $30(or more) for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program. Not only have I committed to raising a bunch of money, I've also signed up to run another half marathon for blood cancer patients and their families.

So I need you! Can you spare $30 as a birthday gift to me? Won't you please help!

Please go to www.tinyurl.com/gokimgo to make a tax deductable donation.

AND A HUGE THANKS to Abraham Khalil! Abraham and his buddies collected $14.31 on their street for cancer patients and their families! You are one awesome dude Abe!

Here I sit...

2011-06-08T19:43:00.002-04:00

So, I'm blogging tonight from my new sitting spot... right outside of Hannah's door. We've had some issues lately with her fighting me when it's time for nap or for bedtime. So, to remedy that, I have started posting myself outside of her door at bedtime and every time she comes and opens the door, I walk her right back to her bed without saying a word.

The Supernanny would be proud.

In other news, it's less than a month until Todd comes home for a 4-day pass. He'll be here from July 1st-4th. Then he heads back to Ft. Hood for a month before leaving for Iraq. We are very excited for him to come home but it's also bittersweet because this is probably the last time he'll be home until April 2012. It's been nice always having the thought of this visit in the back of my head, so when he leaves on the 5th I'll have to find something else to look forward to.

In other news, I am about to start training for another half marathon. This one is in Savannah in November. Of course, I am doing it with Team in Training again so be expecting a fundraising letter soon:) I'm hoping to raise $2000 this time for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Once I get the website for that set up I'll be posting a link here!

Pictures of our life lately will be coming soon! I have a feeling I'll have a lot of writing time while I sit and wait for her to fall asleep every night.

Fun.With.Photo.Booth

2011-05-28T20:34:00.002-04:00

Font...

2011-05-17T19:49:00.001-04:00

Is this better Alexis & Kirby?

My Favorite Things...

2011-05-17T19:37:00.003-04:00

No Raindrops on Roses or Whiskers on Kittens here...

Hannah calls this "the spank". I won't elaborate.

My mom made this demo owl for me so that I could start making them. Hannah's room has a lot of owls in it so I hope to make a few like this one to go in her room, and for any friends that will be having babies in the coming months. Isn't it cute?

I'm pretty sure I would eat my left toe if it were covered in Nutella. I have intentionally never read the nutrition info on the container and I don't ever plan to. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

This fuels me from about 7:30 am to 7:30 pm.

I might have to enter a 12-step program if I ever have to give it up.

Hannah's current favorite thing is her Daddy Doll. They gave them out to all the kids at the Family Day. All you do is slip your soldiers picture in the face mask! What a great idea!

Why a boxer is the perfect family dog...

2011-05-05T20:47:00.002-04:00

Lily doesn't even flinch. If you look deep into her eyes you can see her secretly begging to stay on the couch. She's just waiting for us to ask her to get down:)

A few more pics...

2011-05-02T15:04:00.003-04:00

Just wanted to add a few more pics from the weekend.

Todd's aircraft.

Take me with you Dada!

Just wanted to add a few more pics from the weekend. Thanks again to Carrie & David and the Lyles for coming to send Todd off.

The countdown begins!

2011-05-02T14:43:00.003-04:00

This was a big weekend for the Lyle family. On Saturday we all packed up and went to Todd's unit's family day. It was lots of fun (especially for Hannah as you can see).

She loves her Dada!

... and bouncy houses.

.. and slides.

On Sunday we went to the official deployment ceremony. There are hundreds of pictures from the day but here are just a few highlights.

Yes, that's my child sweetly smiling right next to where rockets shoot out (that's not the technical term for that part of the aircraft)

Climbing in...

She got a little confused when everyone was dressed like Dada.

Todd's company. He's the commander so he stands in the front (next to the guy with the flag)

So now the countdown begins until April/Mayish 2012. Todd will be home for a short visit over the 4th of July and then hopefully I'll fly out to see him before he leaves for Iraq in August. I will get his address soon so if you would like it, I can email it to you personally. He'd kill me if I put it on the blog:)

Lumpy bed (the sequel)

2011-04-20T18:09:00.002-04:00

Once again I was making the bed this morning and there was a lump under the pillows. You may remember when this happened last.

Let's get a closer look...

Ah ha! The culprit!

Monkey got a haircut!

2011-04-05T20:55:00.003-04:00

We were so thankful that Gigi and her IPhone joined us! I would have never thought to show her pictures to get her to sit still. Ah, aren't grandparents great?!

On a side note: I (with my father-in-law's assistance) changed the brake lights on my car today! 2 out of 3 of them were out! Can't you just hear the song "I am woman" playing in the background as you read this.

Couch Potatoe

2011-04-04T21:12:00.002-04:00

Now that Todd is gone, I'm pretty much here every night of the week after 7:30pm (that's Hannah's bedtime). So... I'm trying to figure out some things to do besides sitting on the couch watching tv and blog stalking folks (some that I don't even know).

So I need ideas for a hobby or something! Post a comment and give me some suggestions PLEASE! Preferably something that doesn't cost a lot of money... or make a ton of noise!

A girl and her "patch-ee"

2011-04-01T13:56:00.002-04:00

Finally an Update!

2011-03-31T20:10:00.003-04:00

So we are all moved into the new place. Todd is gone until the week of Easter (he'll be home for over a week and then he leaves again for the deployment) I'm hoping to keep the blog a little better updated now that I am at home most nights. Also, Todd started a blog! He is the company commander so he put one together so that he could keep all of the friends and family of his soldiers in the loop. Check it out at www.acompanyadventures.blogspot.com.

Here are a few pics I have taken since we moved. Hannah and I are really enjoying having a big yard and we even had a picnic lunch the other day. Even though she doesn't look happy, she was:)

Things our little doll is doing lately:

She insists that I kiss both sides of her hand before she goes to bed. Now that she's in a big girl bed she also enjoys getting up about 10 minutes after I've put her down and turning on her light. Often times I find her playing in her closet.
She still loves listening to Taylor Swift in the car. She has even made up new titles for some of her songs. Speaking of riding in the car, she has also figured out how to get out of her carseat (the top buckle).
She loves "patch-ee's" (aka apaches). I found her a toy one on amazon and she loves it. She'll even point out where Dada sits. She also loves watching Patchee videos on YouTube.
Every day on the way home from school I'll ask her what she did in school. She always tells me that she colored and had snack. We can see where her priorities are:) Most of the time she also tells me that she pushed someone. As far as I know this part is not always true.
She asks about Dada a lot. Luckily he recorded some storybooks for her before he left so she likes to look and listen to those.
She is an extremely picky eater! I really don't know how she can make it on the few bites of food she eats for each meal. I'm hoping this phase will pass.

Wish I'd thought of that!

2011-03-08T14:41:00.003-05:00

So, my friends Ben and Lauren are about to embark on a cross country tour in a van they bought off craigslist. They have been blogging about it as they prepare and "renovate" the van. You should check out their blog:

http://followthistrip.com/the-blog

Where is thumbkin????

2011-03-03T21:19:00.003-05:00

We always sing that song at the library for story time, except they change it for each kids name... like Where is Hannah, Sally, etc.. There is this one kid, Jack, and every time we sing "Where is Jack" he'll yell "at the library!!" So cute. But I digress.

Right about now, you're probably wondering "Where is Kim???" or probably more likely wondering "Where is Todd??"

So here's the deal....

Todd is currently in Ft. Rucker (Alabama, where he went to flight school while we were dating). He's been gone since the 28th and he'll be back on the 10th.

Two days after he gets back we will move into Casa de Lyle in Lexington, aka Todd's parent's house. Actually their basement. For those of you who are thinking "whoa... living with the in-laws???" I say to you "They are great! And we are excited to be living there... seriously." No, seriously, they are like the best in-laws ever. And, I'll be glad to be in Lexington where most of my mommy friends are... and my church family is.

At the end of March Todd will leave for Ft. Stewart, GA for a month. He'll be back the week of Easter. And then....

May 1st is D-Day:( He'll leave for Ft. Hood and he'll be there until the end of August (we think). Unfortunately this is considered deployment even though he'll still be in the states. Which means, no flying to Texas to visit, and most likely, no flying home for him to see us. The army is going to pretty much keep them on lock down.

From Ft. Hood, Todd will go to somewhere in Iraq (we think). He'll be there until May 2012 (we think). Hopefully his unit will be approved for at least 1 visit home in the YEAR LONG deployment but as of right now it looks like that won't happen.

So needless to say I am already looking forward to May 2012:)

Tomorrow is our 5 year anniversary and I'll be spending it with Hannah at a 4-year-old's birthday party. No offense to the little guy, but I'd much rather spend it with my hubby. However I am SO PROUD of Todd and all that he is doing for our country.

Our house is currently half packed. A majority of our things are going into a storage unit and we've already taken several loads to it. There are boxes everywhere. Packing is tough when you have to figure out what you might or might not use in the next year.

All in all... I think we'll make it. Scratch that... I know we will! God is good. That I know for sure.

My Valentines

2011-02-14T08:55:00.002-05:00

There is something so sweet about a big military man brushing and blow drying his daughter's hair after a bath. My two Valentines;)

Some tunes for you....

2011-02-12T13:23:00.002-05:00

Before there were ITunes... there was HTunes.

A few pics of my favorite muse to round out the month:)

2011-01-31T20:04:00.004-05:00

Getting to know me... again

2011-01-20T13:19:00.004-05:00

Hey all... It's Hannah. Mom's been slacking on the blogging lately (only 1 other post so far this month.... slacker) so I thought I'd fill in for her until she gets her groove back. I got this email forwarded the other day from a friend (yes, I have email) and I thought instead of just replying to her with the answers that I'd put it on the blog for all to see. I think I did this a few years back as well. Ok, technically it couldn't have been a "few" years... but I digress.

1. What time did you get up this morning? 6:30
2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds- Mom thinks it's funny that whenever we look at the shape book it's the only one I always guess correctly.
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Cinewha? Never been there... but I did watch a really good episode of Wonderpets the other day
4. What is your favorite TV show? see number 3
5. What do you usually have for breakfast? a waffle, or a bagel (seriously I can down like 2 bagels these days) and fruit
6. What is your middle name? Mae
7. What food do you dislike? anything but waffles, bagels, fruit, pb&j, mac n cheese, candy, chocolate and french fries
8. What is your favourite CD at moment? Little People's CD... and Taylor Swift
9. What kind of car do you drive? I have a little blue one, I also have a circus train and a blue airplane that I ride around on... with tinted windows obviously
10.Favorite sandwich? What kind of question is that?? I mean, does that really help you get to know someone better? Sorry, it's almost nap time and I'm getting a little fussy
11. What characteristic do you despise? complainers
12. Favorite item of clothing? I LOVE running around in my birthday suit
13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Where is it that Dora lives??
14. Favorite brand of clothing? See number 12
15. Where would you retire to? what's retire? do you have to tire before you can retire?
16. What was your most recent memorable birthday? Number 2 was a blast
17. Favorite sport to watch? Football, so I can say TOUCHDOWN!
18. Are you a morning person or a night person? morning, I go to bed at 7:30 so I don't really see a lot of the "night"
19. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us? I pee peed on the potty yesterday!
20. What did you want to be when you were little? a puppy dog
21. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? red, it tastes the best
22. Favourite restaurant? Chick Fil A
23. What was your favourite toy as a child? the dog (the real one, not a stuffed one)
24. When was the last time you cried? about 4 minutes ago... I'm actually thinking about crying again right now
25. What is under your bed? I don't know, what??? Is it a monster?
26. What did you do last night? slept
27. What are you afraid of? the vacuum... that thing is seriously scary!

11 Step Program

2011-01-08T10:59:00.003-05:00

I totally stole this from a friend on Facebook... I believe it was written by a lady named Amy Laurence (have to give credit where it is due). But I loved it!

11 Step Program (to do before you start having children)

Lesson 1

1. Go to the grocery store.

2. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.

3. Go home.

4. Pick up the paper.

5. Read it for the last time.

Lesson 2

Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who already are parents and berate them about their...

1. Methods of discipline.

2. Lack of patience.

3. Appallingly low tolerance levels.

4. Allowing their children to run wild.

5. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's breastfeeding, sleep habits, toilet training, table manners, and overall behavior.

Enjoy it because it will be the last time in your life you will have all the answers.

Lesson 3

A really good way to discover how the nights might feel...

1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM to 10PM carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly. (Eat cold food with one hand for dinner)

2. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.

3. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1AM.

4. Set the alarm for 3AM.

5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2AM and make a drink and watch an infomercial.

6. Go to bed at 2:45AM.

7. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off.

8. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM.

9. Get up. Make breakfast. Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and be productive)

Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together.

Lesson 4

Can you stand the mess children make? T o find out...

1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains.

2. Hide a piece of raw chicken behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.

3. Stick your fingers in the flower bed.

4. Then rub them on the clean walls.

5. Take your favorite book, photo album, etc. Wreck it.

6. Spill milk on your new pillows. Cover the stains with crayons. How does that look?

Lesson 5

Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems.

1. Buy an octopus and a small bag made out of loose mesh.

2. Attempt to put the octopus into the bag so that none of the arms hang out.

Time allowed for this - all morning.

Lesson 6

Forget the BMW and buy a mini-van. And don't think that you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don't look like that.

1. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment.

Leave it there.

2. Get a dime. Stick it in the CD player.

3. Take a family size package of chocolate cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Sprinkle cheerios all over the floor, then smash them with your foot.

4. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.

Lesson 7

Go to the local grocery store. Take with you the closest thing you can find to a pre-school child. (A full-grown goat is an excellent choice). If you intend to have more than one child, then definitely take more than one goat. Buy your week's groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.

Lesson 8

1. Hollow out a melon.

2. Make a small hole in the side.

3. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side.

4. Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane.

5. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone.

6. Tip half into your lap. The other half, just throw up in the air.

You are now ready to feed a nine- month-old baby.

Lesson 9

Learn the names of every character from Sesame Street , Barney, Disney, the Teletubbies, and Pokemon. Watch nothing else on TV but PBS, the Disney channel or Noggin for at least five years. (I know, you're thinking What's 'Noggin'?) Exactly the point.

Lesson 10

Make a recording of Fran Drescher saying 'mommy' repeatedly. (Important: no more than a four second delay between each 'mommy'; occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet is required). Play this tape in your car everywhere you go for the next four years. You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.

Lesson 11

Start talking to an adult of your choice. Have someone else continually tug on your skirt hem, shirt- sleeve, or elbow while playing the 'mommy' tape made from Lesson 10 above. You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.

Dressing Up & Craft time

2010-12-30T21:00:00.004-05:00

Here's what happens when you leave a very nosy dog and a two year old alone for a few minutes....

... and here's a few of Hannah "painting" for the first time.

Hannah's birthday (part 2)

2010-12-30T20:15:00.004-05:00

Sorry I've been such a slacker. It takes literally almost an hour to upload photos to this thing lately... and I can't figure out how to put them in order so these are out of sequence. Here are some pics from Hannah's 2nd birthday party.

Birthday Party Fun

2010-12-19T18:42:00.002-05:00

Here's what happens when you dangle a cupcake in front of Hannah. She wasn't fond of the fact that we had to finish the whole verse of Happy Birthday before she could dig in. More pictures to come soon!

Happy 2nd Birthday Hannah!

2010-12-09T16:35:00.004-05:00

For Sale By Owner

2010-12-01T09:57:00.002-05:00

So in order to prepare for Todd's deployment in March we are selling all of our houses (yes, that's plural... we own a few). If you know anyone who is looking to move (or maybe, maybe rent) please send these websites on to them!

www.929WConfederate.com

www.3324River.com

www.933center.com

Could it be?

2010-11-29T16:18:00.001-05:00

Maybe?

Is it time?

Will she do it?

We'll see....

Halloween (a little late)

2010-11-17T19:53:00.003-05:00

Thankful

2010-11-11T12:12:00.003-05:00

Happy Veteran's Day! Since my husband so rarely checks our blog I wanted to leave a little special note for him so he can see it in like a month when he gets bored enough to take a look:)

On days like today(Veteran's Day) I am reminded of how blessed we are to have soldiers like Captain Todd Lyle fighting for our country. I know first hand how much hard work and dedication he gives to the US Army and I sleep better at night knowing that it is men and women like him that are fighting for our freedom.

He and many other soldiers sacrifice so much to make sure we are safe. I can't wait for our daughter to grow up knowing that her daddy has served our country. We love you and we are so proud of you Todd!

( PS. we had to take this picture for his ID card, it's not like he normally stands at attention up against random walls in our house.)

lost in translation

2010-11-08T09:22:00.002-05:00

Todd and I were talking about all of Hannah's cute words and phrases last night. I want to write all of them down so we can remember them. Here are just a few:

- "Noop-see" - Snoopy

- "Meeeer"- Come here (she is very bossy)

- "Didy"- Lily (the dog)

- "Happy Dada"- Happy Birthday (the only birthday we have celebrated since she could really talk is Todd's so she just shortened the phrase to fit him specifically.)

- "Dee Dah" - Cartoons (don't ask where she got that)

- "May-mins"- Raisins

- "Mean-ah"- Banana

- "Tickle you"- When she wants to be tickled

- "Hold you"- When she wants to be held

- "Dear"- there

Other milestones to remember: She can count to ten but often skips seven. She has figured out that standing on her little chair makes her about a foot taller so she pushes it around to get to things that she can't reach (ie the sink, bathroom counter, any drink of mine). She loves dressing herself, but loves undressing herself even more. She always tells me when she poops, often after she has pooped and most of the time she'll bring me a diaper and lay down on the floor also. She loves to color, especially when I let her use a pen. If she is doing something that she needs to be careful doing she'll look at me and say "careful monkey". When we sit down for dinner she'll insist upon us all holding hands to say a prayer... and she always says "amen" when we are done.

2010-11-04T07:46:00.002-04:00

CAST YOUR VOTE volume 2

2010-10-26T20:42:00.005-04:00

It's that time of year again for the annual Halloween Pumpkin Carving Contest between Todd, Bill and I. Please cast your vote by commenting on this post!

All three together

PUMPKIN #1

PUMPKIN #2

PUMPKIN #3

Catching Up (Part 2)

2010-10-24T13:28:00.002-04:00

She decided that putting the sweatshirt on half way would be just fine.

Catching Up (Part 1)

2010-10-24T13:17:00.003-04:00

So it's been awhile. Working from home doesn't leave much time for blog posting.

A week or two ago Todd and I took Hannah to the Congaree State Park. It's really cool and has a great boardwalk that went all through the forrest. We even saw a deer! Hannah had a pretty good time, especially when we let her push the stroller... and run amuck.

My Favorite Muse...

2010-10-05T16:18:00.003-04:00

I never thought I would....

2010-09-20T19:34:00.003-04:00

1. use a crock-pot this much.
2. look forward to going into the office to work (even if it is only like 5 hours a week).
3. kind-of enjoy watching a cartoon featuring a ghetto dude named "DJ Lance" dressed in an orange jumpsuit (the spandex kind, not the death row kind.)
4. appreciate a good playground as much as I do.
5. dream of the nicer vacuum or steam mop.
6. sing "Wheels on a bus" about eleventy-million times a day (and yes, eleventy-million is an exact figure)
7. want to hug a total stranger who is willing to take my empty buggy from me in the store parking lot so I don't have to walk it back to the buggy corral.
8. consider 7:15 am sleeping in!
9. say the following...
" put the poo poo in the potty"
"no, we don't ride the dog"
"no screeching! no screeching! no screeching!"
"leave your shoes on in the car"
"no, that's mommy's toothbrush. it doesn't belong in the trash"
"we need to let the kitty cat sleep"
10. describe things as yucky, stinky, dirty, silly or smelly.

First day of "school"

2010-09-13T14:32:00.003-04:00

Hannah had her first day of "school" last week. She is going to a Mother's Morning Out program on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9-12. I took these pictures before taking her to her first day. I did take the camera with me to school but I didn't take any pictures there because it was just easier for both of us if I didn't stick around for long. Maybe I'll take the camera once she gets more adjusted and I'll get some pics of her in her classroom.

Overall she did pretty good for her first week. The teachers said that all of the kids cried off and on. They said that Hannah was very smart and they were impressed to see that she knew all of her animals already! Hopefully this week she'll do even better and not cry at all.

Sleeping Beauty, part II

2010-09-10T13:51:00.002-04:00

Warning: There is partial nudity in this post!

So the other day I slipped into Hannah's room to get some pictures of her sleeping, and this is how I found her. Please note, she did have a shirt on when I put her to bed.

Count to 10!

2010-09-01T10:39:00.003-04:00

You'll notice she starts with 2. However, she does say 9 twice so really it just evens out:)

Hannah loves Lily!

2010-08-20T13:25:00.003-04:00

So Hannah is really in love with Lily now. She chases her around the house and pulls her collar. Poor Lily is so great about it although occasionally I'll see her hiding from Hannah so that she can be left alone. Notice the look of desperation in Lily's eyes.

Catching up!

2010-08-20T13:04:00.002-04:00

So I realize it's been almost a month since my last post. Chasing Hannah has really started to take up a lot of time. Here's what we've been up to in a nutshell.

1. We took a trip to Hilton Head with the entire Lyle/Williford clan. It was a great time! Hannah got used to the beach by about the second day. She got to play with her cousins. I got a little bit of a tan. Definitely still very white compared to most folks but it's a little tan for me these days. Todd got to rest a lot, which he really needed. It was wonderful to hang out with everyone and we are already excited about next year.

2. I took a girls weekend trip to Charleston with 4 of my greatest mommy friends! We shopped until we dropped, ate good food and got to lay on the beach without any children to chase! We all fit into one hotel room and we were really excited about the prospect of sleeping in... however, it turns out that even sans children it's just not that easy. We did find a really good thrift store in Folly Beach and I think we spent about 2 1/2 hours shopping there. I'm pretty sure the employees of that store are still talking about it:)

3. Todd had surgery to repair a hernia. He is pretty much completely recovered now. He was off his feet for a few days and still isn't supposed to lift heavy things. As much as I hated seeing him in pain, I did kind of enjoy taking care of him. He never lets me pamper him.

4. Hannah is growing up so fast! She has a ton of words now. This morning before I got in the shower she pulled my towel off the rack and said "mommy's towel". This is the first time she has put two words together that I can understand. It's pretty crazy. She has started "attack kissing" me. This is when she rams her kissing face into mine and then just holds it there. This usually makes me laugh and she just loves it! She does not stop moving until I put her down for a nap or to go to bed. Then, she's actually pretty good at resting. She'll start a mothers' morning out program in September so I wonder if that'll calm her down a little bit.

Time to post some pics!

Mmmm. sketti!

2010-07-27T19:22:00.003-04:00

Everything is better covered in tomato sauce.

.

Chores

2010-07-19T20:52:00.003-04:00

So we decided that Hannah is old enough to start pulling her own weight around the house. First chore on the list: Dishes!

Next week: Laundry:)

A great response

2010-07-09T21:59:00.003-04:00

I recently had a single friend tell me that she wished she could be a stay-at-home mom so that she could "just cook dinner every night". It hurt a little to hear that that is what she thought we did all day. My sister-in-law sent me this great article that was printed in the Washington Post and I thought I'd share it all with you. It sums up my thoughts exactly.

By Carolyn Hax
Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Dear Carolyn:

Best friend has child. Her: exhausted, busy, no time for self, no time for me, etc. Me (no kids): Wow. Sorry. What'd you do today? Her: Park, play group . . .

Okay. I've done Internet searches, I've talked to parents. I don't get it. What do stay-at-home moms do all day? Please no lists of library, grocery store, dry cleaners . . . I do all those things, too, and I don't do them EVERY DAY. I guess what I'm asking is: What is a typical day and why don't moms have time for a call or e-mail? I work and am away from home nine hours a day (plus a few late work events) and I manage to get it all done. I'm feeling like the kid is an excuse to relax and enjoy -- not a bad thing at all -- but if so, why won't my friend tell me the truth? Is this a peeing contest ("My life is so much harder than yours")? What's the deal? I've got friends with and without kids and all us child-free folks get the same story and have the same questions.

Tacoma, Wash.

Dear Tacoma,

I keep wavering between giving you a straight answer and giving my forehead some keyboard. To claim you want to understand, while in the same breath implying that the only logical conclusions are that your mom-friends are either lying or competing with you, is disingenuous indeed.

So, since it's validation you seem to want, the real answer is what you get. In list form. When you have young kids, your typical day is: constant attention, from getting them out of bed, fed, clean, dressed; to keeping them out of harm's way; to answering their coos, cries, questions; to having two arms and carrying one kid, one set of car keys, and supplies for even the quickest trips, including the latest-to-be-declared-essential piece of molded plastic gear; to keeping them from unshelving books at the library; to enforcing rest times; to staying one step ahead of them lest they get too hungry, tired or bored, any one of which produces the kind of checkout-line screaming that gets the checkout line shaking its head.

It's needing 45 minutes to do what takes others 15.

It's constant vigilance, constant touch, constant use of your voice, constant relegation of your needs to the second tier.

It's constant scrutiny and second-guessing from family and friends, well-meaning and otherwise. It's resisting constant temptation to seek short-term relief at everyone's long-term expense.

It's doing all this while concurrently teaching virtually everything -- language, manners, safety, resourcefulness, discipline, curiosity, creativity. Empathy. Everything.

It's also a choice, yes. And a joy. But if you spent all day, every day, with this brand of joy, and then, when you got your first 10 minutes to yourself, wanted to be alone with your thoughts instead of calling a good friend, a good friend wouldn't judge you, complain about you to mutual friends, or marvel how much more productively she uses her time. Either make a sincere effort to understand or keep your snit to yourself

Lumpy Bed

2010-07-05T15:06:00.003-04:00

Can you see it?

There is something in the bed making the left pillow a little off...

Hum, what could it be?

A little closer?

Ah-Ha!

Our dog was so worn out that she would not move out of OUR bed when I was trying to make it the other morning... so, I made it anyway.

What I am learning.... page 837.

2010-07-01T13:42:00.002-04:00

1. "No" may be a word that is said often by a cute 18-month-old, but that does not mean that she also understands said word when it is spoken to her. I think I may go get her ears checked.

2. Said cute toddler loves to climb on everything EXCEPT the time-out stool. This device she steers clear of.

3. Holding is only for times when my hands are completely full and I am trying to get things done. Walking is for crowded parking lots, grocery stores and any other spot where holding would be a lot better option. If I accidently forget preference and try to object, crying loudly ensues. Followed by dirty looks from Hannah and bystanders who are wondering why I am holding my screaming, wiggling child upside down through the parking lot.

4. Speaking of grocery stores and parking lots, shopping carts are no longer fun and interesting. However, what is fun and interesting is climbing out of shopping carts, standing in shopping carts, and trying to touch anyone who tries to walk by the shopping cart that is currently occupied.

5. The longer a meal takes to be prepared, the worse it tastes to a cute 18-month-old. Chicken ravioli and twice baked potatoes= garbage. Goldfish and poptarts= delightful!

6. Naptime is bliss... but not when it is for only 1 hour.

Can you tell we've had a rough morning? It's a good thing she's cute.

Lake Lure 2010

2010-06-22T15:03:00.005-04:00

Family Rules

2010-06-21T13:46:00.004-04:00

So my friend Chrissy found a great website by a lady who had "modge podged" her family rules and hung them on her wall. So we decided to have a girls night and do our own. Here's how it works:

It all starts with a lot of modge podge.

And a canvas and scrapbooking paper.

We painted the canvas sides so that the edges would look nice.

Sliced up the paper and stated "podging" it on.

We printed our rules out in different fonts on clear computer paper and "podged" them on.

Then we "podged" over the whole thing.

Here is my finished product! It now hangs in our kitchen for all to see and be reminded.

In my shoes

2010-06-11T20:28:00.003-04:00

This is what happens when Todd pulls a long day at the office

2010-06-09T21:28:00.002-04:00

The Food Boutique

2010-06-09T12:43:00.002-04:00

I've been lucky to be included in the planning and organizing of a new ministry here in Columbia called The Food Boutique! It is like a food bank but it's designed more for families who just need a little help to get by and get back on their feet. We have rented a storage facility to store all of the food and we have families come by on a referral basis and "shop".

If you know anyone who could take advantage of this opportunity, please let me know... or email fbcolumbia@gmail.com.

PS... We gladly accept donations too!

The more you know..

2010-06-02T13:57:00.002-04:00

It’s crazy how much I am still learning every day after 18 months of being a stay-at-home mom. I guess the fun will never stop☺ Here are a few of my most recent revelations.

1. Story time at the library will make you feel like a goon but your child will love it. Hannah and I went to the “Now I am one” story time today at RCPL. This was “hosted” by a nice lady named Leslie. If you’d like to get a mental picture of Leslie, just close your eyes and imagine what a lady who leads a bunch of toddlers in stories and songs every day would look like. Got the image? Yep, that’s her (to the tee!). Honestly, this woman was exactly what I pictured a childrens’ librarian to be. We all sat and a circle and sang songs and Librarian Leslie read a few books. We even got to dance a little. Hannah loved it so much and it wore her out!

2. The racecar shaped grocery carts at Publix are just about the best invention I’ve ever seen. Other brilliant inventions: teething tablets, portable DVD players for the car, flip-up books and goldfish (the eating kind).

3. I’m pretty sure one of my daughter’s current favorite people is on drugs. Yes, it’s DJ Lance I’m referring to. Moms: you most likely know who I’m talking about. DJ Lance is the host of one of the weirdest shows I have ever seen called “Yo Gabba Gabba”. Watch it just once and you’ll feel my pain. Lucky for us, the “Yo Gabba Gabba” live show is coming to Columbia… on Todd’s birthday! Guess what Hannah will be giving her daddy this year! Hopefully they’ll be able to get front row seats☺

On a slightly unrelated side-note. Dog the Bounty Hunter is amazing! I am currently watching an episode where he apprehends the suspect and then takes him to McDonalds on the way to the jail and shares Jesus with him. That is some serious multi-tasking.

That’s all for now… I need a nap.

Strawberry Head

2010-06-02T13:40:00.003-04:00

We went strawberry picking the other day and this is what Hannah did with the basket we used. She had the best time running around with it.

Updated Pics

2010-05-25T14:50:00.003-04:00

Put a pot of water on the front porch and you have a happy baby.

Go Gamecocks!

Headband that Grannie made me.

Walkin'

2010-05-24T13:36:00.004-04:00

Both of my girls get really excited when we go for our daily walk. Usually Hannah squeals as she runs down the hall but I couldn't capture that part on video.

Happy Mothers' Day!

2010-05-09T19:49:00.003-04:00

Dear Moms,

Happy Mothers' Day!

Love,
Hannah

Things I have learned lately

2010-05-06T20:43:00.003-04:00

1. Giving a 17-month-old an unwrapped NutriGrain Bar in her carseat is a bad idea. I think I finally got the last of the bar off of her tonight in the bath... still haven't tackled the carseat (maybe Hannah will lick it clean on the way to the gym in the morning)

2. Apparently diapers that are made for swimming are not made for holding pee in. Sorry if I'm getting too graphic on that, but recently I tried to substitute a "swimmy" diaper when I was out of regular diapers. After about an hour Hannah ended up so wet that it looked like we actually went swimming. I'm pretty sure it didn't hold a drop of pee.

3. I can no longer yell at the dog. This actually has nothing to do with the dog. My little "repeater" has now taken to yelling at poor Lily along with me. As if hearing one "no Lily" isn't bad enough for our four-legged friend... now she has to hear it in a tiny little voice yelling it after I do. And I am not a fan of Hannah yelling at all... much less at something that we love.

4. I have a new love for Cinnamon Toast Crunch. This is pretty random but I just felt the need to mention it because I am currently craving a bowl as I type this (and no, I'm not pregnant).

5. Small children are very frightened by "adult sized" toilets. Hannah has started saying "poop" right when she is about to poop. So tonight I rushed her to the toilet and pulled off her diaper and sat her on the toilet. Not only did she start to cry but she also clammed up and still has yet to poop.

6. A majority of my day now revolves around personal excrement. Evidenced by the mentions of peeing or pooping in two out of the five entries above.

A day at the park

2010-04-27T12:15:00.005-04:00

Todd had a few days off last week so we took some time to enjoy the weather.

Get to know me! Part 2

2010-04-21T11:21:00.002-04:00

Hey, it's Hannah! Thought I'd give you a little update on the post I wrote back in July.

Name: Hannah Mae Lyle
Age: 16 months
Education: Everything I know I've learned from Mom & Dad (scary I know)... so basically I know a lot about Bravo TV, apache helicopters and real estate :) Luckily I have the smart ladies at the gym who watch me a few hours a week. They are much smarter than Mom & Dad.
Occupation: Stay-at-home baby
Hobbies: talking (all the time), pulling all the books out of my bookshelf and chasing the dog
Favorite Music: Glenn Beck (wait, he's not music is he.... Mom says that he is music to her ears though)
Favorite Food: Bananas, Milk, Chick-Fil-a, cheese
Least Favorite Food: Anything that is not bananas, milk, chick-fil-a or cheese
Favorite TV show: Mom keeps it off now that I started noticing it and paying attention
Favorite Book: "That's not my monkey"
Likes: The gym nursery, a little boy named Zachary ( I tried to kiss him on Sunday), playing on the porch, bubbles, Lily's crate, playing with the patches on Daddy's uniform
Dislikes: having my diaper changed, wearing shoes, having to get out of the bathtub, the dustbuster

The Giggler

2010-04-14T14:42:00.002-04:00

Enjoying the heat....

2010-04-06T10:20:00.003-04:00

So we've had an unseasonably warm spring here. In fact, today is the record high at 90 degrees! Hannah and I and some friends went to the park and she enjoyed the swings.

Best Babysitter ever!

2010-03-31T10:18:00.002-04:00

Todd and I went to the baseball game last night and my good friend Alexa watched Hannah for us. Here is what she emailed me today to document their time together! Isn't she awesome?

My little helper

2010-03-27T19:51:00.002-04:00

Hannah has her own cabinet in the kitchen to play with when I am cooking. It's filled with tupperware and other stuff she can't break. As you can see she really enjoys pulling it all out onto the kitchen floor.

Really?

2010-03-23T10:55:00.002-04:00

I wonder if I could weaponize my cooking? Todd would probably agree that it could kill a man.

India to Weaponize Chili

GAUHATI, India – The Indian military has a new weapon against terrorism: the world's hottest chili.
After conducting tests, the military has decided to use the thumb-sized "bhut jolokia," or "ghost chili," to make tear gas-like hand grenades to immobilize suspects, defense officials said Tuesday.
The bhut jolokia was accepted by Guinness World Records in 2007 as the world's spiciest chili. It is grown and eaten in India's northeast for its taste, as a cure for stomach troubles and a way to fight the crippling summer heat.
It has more than 1,000,000 Scoville units, the scientific measurement of a chili's spiciness. Classic Tabasco sauce ranges from 2,500 to 5,000 Scoville units, while jalapeno peppers measure anywhere from 2,500 to 8,000.
"The chili grenade has been found fit for use after trials in Indian defense laboratories, a fact confirmed by scientists at the Defense Research and Development Organization," Col. R. Kalia, a defense spokesman in the northeastern state of Assam, told The Associated Press.
"This is definitely going to be an effective nontoxic weapon because its pungent smell can choke terrorists and force them out of their hide-outs," R. B. Srivastava, the director of the Life Sciences Department at the New Delhi headquarters of the DRDO said.
Srivastava, who led a defense research laboratory in Assam, said trials are also on to produce bhut jolokia-based aerosol sprays to be used by women against attackers and for the police to control and disperse mobs.
(just in case the copyright police read this blog, I took this from the associated press via yahoo.com)

Procrastination....

2010-03-19T14:06:00.003-04:00

A day at the park

2010-03-16T09:39:00.001-04:00

Chile Relief

2010-03-05T09:36:00.004-05:00

Some great friends of ours have family in Chile and they are trying to do all they can to help with the relief effort. If you have a moment, please go to their blog here and read more about their story and how you can help! Any donation big or small would help so much.

Bathtime fun!

2010-02-27T08:41:00.001-05:00

Luckily our daughter still loves the bath!

Chatty Gal

2010-02-23T09:57:00.002-05:00

An open letter from the dog

2010-02-18T15:57:00.000-05:00

Dear Mom & Dad,

As you may have noticed I've been moping around the house a lot lately. This is not because I love you any less or because I am depressed as you may think. You see, in my old age I've gotten pretty lazy. I've also gotten quite picky about my likes and dislikes so here are a few things you should reference from time to time.

1. It's cold outside. I have very little fur. I think you know where I am going with this. Can't you get me one of those litter boxes that a lot of cats have? That would make things easier on everyone. You wouldn't have to stand at the door in your pjs calling for me to stop sniffing and pee... and I wouldn't have to prance around on the frozen tundra that is our front yard.
2. Get that baby out of my crate. I know that she thinks it is a fun toy to open and close the door. However, this is my "room" and now it smells like Johnsons & Johnsons and spit-up.
3. Bill has been living in this house for awhile now yet I am still overjoyed to see him. Please do not yell at me every time I jump on him. One day (when he moves out) he's going to look back and miss me licking him and pouncing on him when he walks in the door.

I'm way too tired to type more now, time for a nap. To recap... please just remember that I am also just as cute as Hannah and that I let her jump all over me and pinch me and try to grab my tongue. I feel that I should get a little credit for being as tolerant as I am. I mean, throw me a bone (haha... get the pun?)

Love,
Lily

Dear Lily,

We still love you! Just think, spring is just around the corner and a really friendly husky just moved in next door! I'm sure you'll be best of friends!

Love,
Mom & Dad

Snowy SC

2010-02-17T11:14:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I was in Myrtle Beach for the Myrtle Beach Marathon (which was canceled due to weather:( ). While I was gone it snowed a ton here in Columbia. Todd took a bunch of pictures of our house and up and down the street. Doesn't everything look so much better covered in snow? It's kind of like how everything taste's better when it's covered in chocolate.

Cool blog I found...

2010-02-06T19:17:00.003-05:00

So I found this really cool blog about a lady who is giving away $100 a day for a year and blogging about it. It's a great idea and I only wish I was able to do the same. Just think of what you would do if you had $100 a day to give away for a year!

http://whatgives365.wordpress.com

New perch

2010-02-04T14:34:00.000-05:00

Hannah's new favorite place is a chair in our bedroom that sits up against a window. She loves to climb up in the chair and watch the cars go by. She often bangs on the window too as if the cars can hear her.

Trendy gal...

2010-01-27T20:50:00.000-05:00

Sometimes when Hannah wakes up from a nap I like to take the camera in to catch what she is doing while she waits for me to come get her. This is what I found today. Apparently the "one-shoulder" shirt is a new fad.

Around the house...

2010-01-21T10:21:00.000-05:00

There was a squirrel outside on the front porch and Lily and Hannah were trying to get it's attention. Needless to say, the squirrel was not impressed by their attempts.

Hannah's favorite toy right now is the cash register with fake money.

Already she takes after her mother:)

In Honor of..

2010-01-18T14:21:00.000-05:00

MLK Day! Some girlfriends and I are making dinner for a halfway house here in Columbia tonight and while they eat I am going to play a little MLK Jr. trivia with them. In researching the questions I learned a lot so I thought I'd share with all of you. Here are some interesting facts about the man himself:

Martin Luther King Jr. was just 15 when he started college. He was 5 when he went into 1st grade and he skipped 9th and 12th grades.
He had 4 children- two girls and two boys
He was the youngest man to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
He was jailed 30 times (for protests, sit-ins and marches)
He wrote 4 books before he died.
MLK day is celebrated on the 3rd Monday of January in honor of his birthday (January 15th).
President Ronald Reagan made MLK day a federal holiday in 1986.

Boxed in

2010-01-15T13:58:00.000-05:00

Hannah was all too excited to climb in the box of diapers after I had opened it. She loves climbing in or on things and then just sitting there. The funny thing is that there were still diapers in the bottom of the box. (By the way, these are Target diapers which we have found are the best for the money)

Ah... the nap.

2010-01-12T09:52:00.000-05:00

I consider myself to be a fairly accomplished person thus far in life. I was a state champion swimmer growing up, I have a BA in Mass Communications for what I consider to be the best college around (it's practically Ivy League), and I have a great husband and beautiful child. So with all of these things under my belt already, even the actually childbirth part, why is it that I feel so completely successful when I am able to just get Hannah to nap? Seriously, when I hear the sound (or lack there of) of the silent monitor I feel like a million bucks. The funny thing is, you'd think that I'm so excited because I now have the time to get a ton of stuff done.... but that is not the case. I'm actually proving my point right now as I sit here and type during her morning nap. There is plenty to do, dishes to be washed, laundry to be done, dog to be let out (I should probably get to that part sooner or later), but instead I will just continue to blog.... and check Facebook.

Ok, now I'm realizing how sad that is. Who says blogging isn't therapy? Time to go get stuff done.... or maybe I'll just take a nap.... and let the dog out.

Hannisms...

2010-01-04T22:08:00.000-05:00

I now sit at a nice new desk my sweet husband put together for me in our bedroom so that I can spend more time writing and hopefully get paid for it soon. I'll get a picture of this spot up soon so that you can imagine me sitting her at my cute little desk when I write. For a lot of you that would not be interesting at all.... but for some "blog-stalkers" like myself, it might be rather amusing.

I realized the other day that there are so many cute little things that Hannah does right now that she probably won't always do so I wanted to write them down for another few years when I don't remember them. She seems to be growing up so fast and I feel like she is doing something new every day. Here are just a couple "hannisms".

When she wakes up from a nap or in the morning, it's always fun to walk in her room and see her standing there watching the door. Lately, as soon as you open the door she'll say "Heeeey" in the most southern twang.
A lot of times when I am holding her she will pat my back as to say "good job Mom". I'm not quite sure where she got this from. Maybe she thinks I need to burp.
She knows the referee signal for touchdown (both arms in the air) and can do it on command.... except when the Gamecocks have actually scored a touchdown and then she just looks at Todd and I doing the arm motion and makes us feel a little silly.
When I lay down on the floor she will get all excited and come quickly crawling over to me and lay down right up against me. She has started doing this to Todd too.... which makes him feel very special.
She is somehow able to differentiate between Lily's toys and her toys (I'm guessing it's the lovely smell) and she will grab Lily's toys and hold them in the air and shout "DAH".
She loves bananas and will grab pieces and double fist them into her mouth. I have learned that I can only put a few pieces onto the tray at a time or else she will put them all into her mouth and then think about how she is going to swallow.

There are so many more than this but I'll have to recall those later. Have I mentioned that I love my child very very much?

Christmas with the Yandows

2010-01-03T15:30:00.001-05:00

Christmas with the Lyles

2009-12-29T22:01:00.000-05:00

Opening stockings on Christmas morning

Hannah got a hat that was attached to some gloves and we put them all on her head. She wore this for awhile, which is ironic because she normally doesn't wear hats very long.

Cousin Claire opening a gift.

Hannah stands by herself for the first time. She also wonders why everyone is so excited!

Claire helps Hannah out with a new toy from Gigi and Poppy.

Our favorite Christmas gift.

Mmmmm... cake

2009-12-16T10:10:00.000-05:00

At first she wasn't so sure about the cake but as soon as I helped her have a taste she went to town on it.