January Fun!

This first month of 2009 is already flying by for us! We are really enjoying being back in Orlando. We have been here for about 2 months now and we have been keeping very busy. There are still some friends and family we haven't been able to hook up with yet, but we are hoping to get to do that very soon.

Laila is 7 1/2 months old now and it seems like she is learning new things each day! We are loving watching her explore her world and learn new stuff. It is the sweetest thing to see her be so pleased with herself when she learns to do something on her own. She lights up with the biggest smile and her little dimples still melt our hearts! These past few weeks or so she started sitting herself up and doing the military crawl! She can get up on her hands and knees and rock back and forth, but she hasn't quite figured out how to move in that position yet! It probably won't be long though! For now though she still manages to get where she wants to be by barrel rolling and scooting everywhere! I definitely can't leave her alone in a room anymore! :) She is getting to be such a big girl! Enjoy the pics!

Supporting Daddy by cheering for the Florida Gators in the Championship Game!

Loving her Baby Einstein entertainer!

Relaxing with Uncle Matt

Meeting Lindsey (Mommy's best friend from Elementary School)

Celebrating Jake's birthday!!!

Enjoying a gorgeous day at Lake Eola

So peaceful!

Our adorable little lady!





Playing with Daddy!

Loving me some Sweet Potatoes!




I still try to feed myself and make a mess!




I love bath time!

Having fun with Oma!

Check out this short video below of Laila kicking her legs like she does sometimes when she is really excited and then sitting herself up! I understand all these pictures and videos may only be entertaining for grandparents....so, be warned...watch at your own risk!!! :)

This next short video is of Laila trying to crawl to get a hold of Mommy's cell phone!

Laila's 1st trip to Sea World!

Earlier this month Nate's sister, Susie, took the three of us to Sea World! It was the perfect day to go. Laila did great, it wasn't too crowded, and we had beautiful weather. Since Susie works there, she got us awesome seats at the Shamu show and VIP passes for the rides. It was a wonderful day...thanks again Aunt Susie for such a fantastic day!!!

Having a good time with Daddy watching the seals and seagulls!

Getting ready to watch the dolphin show

Looking down at Sea World and out at Orlando up in the Sky tower

My first little nap of the day






Family shot in front of the beautiful scenery!






Manatees











Penguins



Hanging out with the Mommy at the Dolphin nursery!





Clydesdale Horse






Sound asleep again in Daddy's arms!



Watching Shamu at the Believe show

Us with Aunt Susie after Shamu show...what a fun day!

Why don't friends with kids have time?

I thought this article was funny! I came across it on a friend of a friends blog. Even with only one child, sometimes I find myself asking what do I really do all day? Some days I feel like I get nothing done but at the end of the day I felt like I was busy all day and I'm exhausted. This article reminds me of all the responsibilities and things I do as a mother! I wanted to share it with other moms too for a probably much needed reminder of how important your job is. Even though it may not necessarily be something that can be seen, measured, or listed out with ease every day, I think that being a mother is one of the hardest and most important things you'll ever do in your life.

I've been asked before, when do you have time to blog? Well, when I get a moment to myself , whether it is during one of Laila's short naps :) or after she's gone to bed, this is one of the things I like to do. This blog is kind of like my memory book to Laila and our family, so I do it when I can in the spare moments that I get every now and then. I hear people ask stay-at-home moms, "What do you do all day?" I don't hold this question against anyone personally because most people probably aren't asking it accusingly. Usually you only get these kind of questions from people that don't have kids or don't stay at home, so of course, they probably wouldn't understand. Before, that question used to make me feel like I was wasting my days and that my job as a mother was easier than someone who had to go to an office all day. This article has definitely made me rethink this and has renewed my confidence in what I do all day every day. It is a blessing and a joy indeed to be able to stay at home with my child and I wouldn't trade it for anything, but being a mother is definitely not a day at the beach!

You should be able to read the article a little easier if you click on the image below. If not, I've also copied and pasted the words below. Get ready to laugh, especially if you are a mom!





● Dear Carolyn: My best friend has a 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 . . . OK. 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 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:
Relax and enjoy. You're funny. Or you're lying about having friends with kids. Or you're taking them at their word that they actually have kids, because you haven't personally been in the same room with them. Internet searches? 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 and 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 members and friends, well-meaning and otherwise. It's resisting the 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, you 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 at how much more productively she uses her time. Either make a sincere effort to understand, or keep your snit to yourself.
~reprinted without permission

Our Little Blessing!

Hope you enjoy the video! Starting out I was just planning on making it a short one, but either due to me taking too many pictures or my indecisiveness on which pictures to use (or both), it is a little longer than I originally planned!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Laila's 1st Christmas!

We had tons of fun celebrating Laila's 1st Christmas this year with family and friends! As usual, we took lots and lots of pictures. Hope you enjoy the inside view of our 2008 holiday season! The words underneath the pictures are what we think Laila might be thinking or would say if she could talk, in case you didn't already figure that out yourself from past blogs!!! :)

Laila and Addie Millsaps meeting for the first time at the TFA Faculty Christmas Party!

Isaac came over for a visit a few days before Christmas!

Aren't we so cute together?!!!

I had lots of fun!

Relaxing with Daddy

Daddy gives the best foot massages while he's getting my toes all clean!

The festivities begin a little early this year celebrating Christmas with Grandpa & Nonna Schuck!

Daddy with my Aunt Susie and Aunt Bekah

Aunt Bekah and her boyfriend Roy

Opening my first Christmas present!

Mommy & Daddy say I'm the best gift they got this year!

I love hanging out with Grandpa Schuck!

Look at the cool toy I got! Thanks Grandpa & Nonna!

Yay!!! It's my first Christmas Eve!

Aunt Holly and Scooter getting ready for family to come over

Scooter in his little elf costume!

Santa and Santa's little helper!

Aunt Holly gave me this pretty dress to wear for Christmas Eve with the Lail Family!

Grandpa Lail makes me laugh! He says I have such a pretty smile!

The Lail Family (well at least most of us!)

Mommy & Daddy love my new pajamas...they always say I'm their bundle of joy!

Having fun with my 2nd cousin Danielle Lail

Grandpa Lail with his dad (my Great Grandpa) and two of his brothers (my Great Uncles)

My 2nd cousin Melissa with Scooter

We were so glad that my Great Aunt Debbie, Great Uncle Mike, and 2nd cousin Danielle came down from Tampa to celebrate with us!

Saying good night to my Great Grandma Lail....Mommy says I need to get some sleep tonight because tomorrow is a big day!

Just waking up on my first Christmas!

Bundle of Joy (and Nate)!

Me & Mommy on Christmas morning

Santa and Santa baby

Opening a Christmas gift from Mommy & Daddy

After opening gifts from Mommy & Daddy, Uncle Matt, Aunt Holly, and Grandpa & Grammy Lail brought over their gifts for me!

My cute little Christmas slippers from Aunt Holly...they say Mommy's Lil' Joy on them!






I love my new rocker that Grandpa & Grammy Lail gave me!

Getting ready to celebrate Christmas with Oma in my pretty Christmas dress!





Relaxing with beautiful Oma on Christmas Day!

Having fun playing with Aunt Susie! Isn't her new haircut so cute!

Sound asleep in Aunt Bekah's arms again....just like at Thanksgiving!

We all relaxed and took little naps after enjoying Oma's famous Christmas meal! They say I get to try a little of it next year!

The day after Christmas we went over to my Great Grandpa & Great Grandma Phelp's house for brunch and to open more gifts that they had for me!

My 2nd cousin Lindsey was there to give me lots of hugs & kisses! Her haircut looks so cute too!





Mommy takes too many pictures! This is the face I make now when I see the camera pointing my way...I have to squint to protect my eyes from all the flashes going off in my face!!! Mommy got two pictures in a row with me making this face and every picture she took after that, I kept making the same face before she even snapped it! :)





What is this little thing that is talking to me?!!!

My first taste of food...December 26, 2008! I made a big mess but the Sweet Potatoes were pretty yummy!

Ending this Chrismas season with relaxing by a fire at Grandpa Lail's house

This has been a great 1st Christmas! Thank you for all of my sweet gifts!

Wish we could have seen all of our family but we couldn't make it up to Tallahassee or Ocala this year...we hope to see the rest of you soon! Lots of love and xoxo to you all!