Savannah, Y'all!

I'm nibbling on my last praline from the trip as I type - most of them never made out of the city limits! This Labor Day weekend, the Lazar clan (minus brother puppy Mowgli and cousin puppy Tally) went to visit the beautiful city of Savannah! I had never been before and within minutes of stepping out onto the cobblestone streets I was completely and totally enchanted. As our time was pretty limited (one day to explore) we spent it all in the Historic District and down by the rivuh. So many fabulous things to see and learn about! Maps and camera in hand, we were tourist supremes waltzing up and down the squares - don't want to think how many "bless their hearts" were muttered as we went by! We saw Oak trees galore, parks a plenty, Girl Scout Mecca, Sherman's headquarters, rivuh boats, Forrest Gump history, lots and lots of famous graves, and so much more! I spent most of my time getting lost in sweet shops and antique stores. Jason took it so well...

Lily did amazingly well on the 4 1/2 hour car ride, only using the last hour or so to tell us she is not a road-trip kind of gal. Lesson: Disney will have to wait a few more years! We took tons of pictures, but I decided to just put the highlights here. Take a look:

All Ready To Go? Ready!

I Call This Room!

Room Service! She actually did start pushing buttons so I had to intervene...

What kind of Mowgli is this?

First Stop!

Happy Girl!

Two Smiles and a Wink!

So after our long and only day of sight-seeing and exploring the Historic District, we said our goodbyes to the beautiful city and made our way back to the hotel to relax and rest up for the next day's drive home. Lily went to sleep a little on the later side, and thinking that we didn't need to rush the morning, Daddy and I stayed up a little later too. Oh Boy. Early this morning (like so early I can't talk about it without thinking unladylike thoughts) the fire alarms in the entire hotel blared on. We called down to the front desk who's clerk assured us the alarm would cease in a matter of minutes. So Mommy Me sat down with Lily holding her little ears trying to protect them from the RIDICULOUS volume level of the sirens. Give or take 5 minutes, Mr. Front Desk Stick His Foot In His Mouth Man tells us we now need to move out of the building. No time for anything else, we quick-fixed a bottle and headed down to the parking lot for a PJ parade - everyone looking their slumber-party best! 45 minutes later the great mystery had been solved: A guest on the second floor, no doubt there to speak at a conference concerning common sense, had decided that the closets provided by the hotel were not up to par, and that really really cool manly men use the in-room fire sprinklers instead on which to hang their clothes. In doing so, he flooded the 6th floor, parts of the lobby and forced everyone out into natural lighting before makeup or coffee - good morning to you, too. Once the coast was clear (dry) we were all given the OK to head back in:

And so we napped before leaving a few hours later. The drive home was like our own private tour of South Georgia as our GPS decided it would be best to take the scenic route - my preferred method, too! As opposed to just hopping on the Interstate, we drove through Homerville, Valdosta,Thomasville, and all the smaller towns and cotton fields in between before reaching home. All in all, we had a fabulous time! And as for the 6th Floor Genius? Well, bless his heart!

A Very Merry Half Birthday!

Dear Lily,

Today, darling girl, you are six months old - that's half of a year! Daddy and I can't get over how quickly these past few months have flown by! Everyone told us to appreciate every second with you. We just nodded our heads and smiled; sure that time couldn't possibly escape us the way they said it would. But they were right. If nothing else, I have learned to pay closer attention, so as not to let the next six months pass by in such a blur. You went for your six-month check up today. You are, as always, perfectly centered in your height and weight coming in at 26 inches and 15 pounds, 11 ounces. Along with these physical standards you also:

Continue to wake up on the sunny side of the crib - in a completely different position and location than where we left you the night before. Even as you sleep, you continue to explore. You remind us all to keep exploring even the most familiar of places.

Grow out of clothes ten times more quickly - you encourage me to clean out my own closet :-)

Drool like a maniac and make it look cute - you are the essence of confidance

Enjoy pears, sweet potatoes and bananas - you truly believe, as I do, that life is too short to cut calories

Hate sitting still - you make us all want to approach the day with the same amount of energy and vigor.

Are learning sign language - we've been working on "milk". You're starting to get it!

Study - today the doctor called you a philosopher. You seem to study and try to absorb everything you see in order to better understand it. You remind me to look for meaning in even the smallest of things.

Never cry, rather you yell - the only time true tears are shed is when you're hungry - you are so like your mother. Any other time you yell at us. Scold us. Downright put the SHAME on us!

Every month you grow in so many ways. You learn quickly. You laugh loudly. You make us all so very happy.

I love you, Lily. Always.
Mommy

Pearly What?

Pearly Whites! That's right, y'all! We have had a tooth sighting! Granted, it's more like an itty bitty white speck on her bottom gum that is the very tippy top of a tooth (loving this alliteration!), but it's definitely there. We've been wondering why our little lady has been acting a bit...well, unlady-like lately, and here's our answer.

While we are just giddy at the fact that our little girl is growing up, we know that the next few months will be a bit of a challenge. Toothaches and the headaches (hers and ours!) that go along with them are never fun! I'll post a picture as soon as the little chomper is reasonably visible!

As a side note, Lily has graduated from rice cereal and formula to peas and sweet potatoes. Baby girl is loving sweet potatoes!

Yankee Doodle Sweetheart

What's For Breakfast?

Cereal! Yum yum yum! We've just added consumption of solids to little Lily's list of accomplishments at this four-month checkpoint! It took some getting used to and about 3 bibs to keep the mess under control, but by George I think she's got it! Table manners will no doubt come later...

What is this?

Om nom nom


Not bad!

Next stop: high chair!

...and the little one said "roll over, roll over!"

As a demonstration of her impressive appreciation of coordination, improvement of movement and ability of agility, Lily has rolled over! Granted, this is a three-month milestone that she appeared to have skipped, but today Lily surprised us all by rolling from her back to her tummy (apparently no easy feat according to experts - the simpler variation is from tummy to back) as if she had been practicing for weeks! Seems so strange and even downright silly to be celebrating such a simple act, yet watching her accomplish this for the very first time makes it seem as important as anything you'll read in today's headlines. We are so proud of our roly poly!

Four Month Perfection

Little Lily had her four-month check up today! She's in the 50th percentile for both weight and height coming in at 13lbs 8oz and 24 inches. Our two-foot-tall jelly bean received excellent reviews after her check up and took her second round of vaccinations like a champ. Instead of losing her temper and just screaming her head off in reaction to the pain of the pricks, Lily began to yell at us in her own little language. We hear her all the time babbling to us (and the dog, and the wall, and the ceiling fans, and total strangers) in Lily Lingo and today she simply raised her voice. Pretty strange, really. Instead of sobbing she was scolding! And my oh my she put the shame on us! No doubt this little lady has a future in politics.

For right now, la petite princess is catching up on beauty sleep and hopefully when she wakes she'll have forgiven us for putting her through this horrific ordeal. After all - she had to miss Oprah today.

Dear Lily: At this point in your life, you prefer grape flavor to cherry in regards to acetaminophen