With the arrival of spring, we are seeing new growth - both in our home and in the creation that surrounds our home. I was excited to see our first red bloom on our rose bush out front! The trees are beginning to shed their dead leaves to make room for the new growth. Some of our plants and flowers have already returned much to my delight (especially since I didn't have to do anything to warrant their growth :)! We've had the recent pleasure of sitting out on our front porch together as a family. Daddy Mike's Christmas present to us arrived about 3 weeks ago - a porch swing and a couple of rockers. Hence, dusk has become one of our favorite times. The fresh air, natural light, and rhythmic rocking of the porch swing seem to lull Lyla to a calm in an hour that is typically pretty rough after a long day. Michael and I take turns tending to the yard while the other holds Lyla. I am surprised at how much I've come to enjoy working out in the yard. Needing a break from the full house a few weekends ago, I decided to just dive in. I now see what people mean about working outside. It helps quiet your mind and is certainly therapeutic. I must have pulled over 100 giant cauliflowerly looking weeds out of the ground. Nothing like good hard work! Michael and I have spent our evenings over the few past weeks or so working on pruning bushes, potting flowers and cutting back our plants. I think this could be a new hobby...I love it!
As for our little munchkin, Lyla is just growing so much! She's no longer a wee little newborn. Her personality is really beginning to take shape. One thing I've learned about Lyla is that although she's a pretty easy baby, she can definitely be a little feisty at times. She seems to already have her 
preferences and doesn't hesitate to "tell" us what they are. :) Lyla is also very curious about the world around her and alert to the happenings in her environment. All it takes is some good conversation or a silly game to get Lyla smiling and cooing at us. She's a pretty active baby girl -always kicking her feet and playing with her toys. I wonder if we have a dancer or a soccer player on our hands? Lyla found her hands this past month and boy does she love them! If she's not using them to grab toys she's rolling them around in her hands or is sucking on them vigorously. We do have a few exciting things to report 1.) Lyla has been sleeping on her back in her crib for about a week now - yea! She had been sleeping in her carseat up until then - it's a long story! 2.) She's getting stronger and tummy time isn't such an ordeal - she's able to put weight on her forearms and keep her head up for a long time. 3.) Lyla laughed for the first time tonight! I was playing a little game with her and when I softly blew on her face her eyes got really big and then she broke out into laughter. It's music to my ears!
preferences and doesn't hesitate to "tell" us what they are. :) Lyla is also very curious about the world around her and alert to the happenings in her environment. All it takes is some good conversation or a silly game to get Lyla smiling and cooing at us. She's a pretty active baby girl -always kicking her feet and playing with her toys. I wonder if we have a dancer or a soccer player on our hands? Lyla found her hands this past month and boy does she love them! If she's not using them to grab toys she's rolling them around in her hands or is sucking on them vigorously. We do have a few exciting things to report 1.) Lyla has been sleeping on her back in her crib for about a week now - yea! She had been sleeping in her carseat up until then - it's a long story! 2.) She's getting stronger and tummy time isn't such an ordeal - she's able to put weight on her forearms and keep her head up for a long time. 3.) Lyla laughed for the first time tonight! I was playing a little game with her and when I softly blew on her face her eyes got really big and then she broke out into laughter. It's music to my ears!A fun activity that mom and Lyla have shared together this past month is a Bathtub Babies Swim class. I never imagined this to be so much fun - infact I think I enjoy it more than she does! I know some of you are probably freaking out to know that Lyla is already taking swim lessons at the ripe age of 3 months! But, rest assured, they are not dunking her under and telling her "good luck!" The whole point of the class is to get them used to water at a young age so that they don't later grow to fear the water. They also give us some good ideas for bath time - to help make it more fun for them. We play games, sing songs, socialize with other friends, and help them get acclimated to being in the water. And I must say, Lyla has a lot of fun! She hasn't cried or fussed once since we started. We made a trip to Dallas a few weeks ago to see some family and friends. Some of my aunts and uncles met Lyla for the first time as did some of our long-time friends. Given that it was Lyla's first official trip we think she held up pretty well considering she was in an unfamiliar place and her schedule was a little off. The best part was that she practically slept the whole way there and the whole way back! I even got to catch a nap on the way home which was a nice treat!
After being inside so much during the winter months, warmer temperatures and longer days usually means more plans and more fun! This past weekend my Aunt Lyn visited. We did a little bit of shopping, good eating, and worked out in the yard. We always have a good time together. Over the course of the next several weeks we're also looking forward to having our friends Michelle and Candice come visit, hosting a dinner for the Texas Leadership Forum, celebrating our 4th Anniversary on April 7th, and taking a day trip to Fredericksburg for some wine tasting and yummy German food! I can't wait for our little trip! As much as I love my mother-in law and grandmother in-law, I can't wait to have some alone time with just my hubby and Lyla. The short time away should do me some good. We did go out to dinner last Friday, just the three of us. I thought we'd be golden after feeding Lyla and then putting her down for the night. She was sleeping in her car seat just fine, right up until the Mariachi band came over and started playing right next to our table :) When I peeked in to check on Lyla, her eyes were bug-eyed, wide-open! It was so funny! She didn't cry the whole time we were there, but she certainly didn't sleep either. Poor thing! I'm not so sure we'll be able to get away with dining out in the evenings anymore. Look's like we'll be ordering in for awhile! :)
To see a cute video of Lyla, click on the link below:
