First Day of School 2010

Both girls started pre-school this year 2 days/week. Here are some pictures from their first day of school. They both did good and seemed to enjoy their day.

Lila Turns 16 Months Old

You are a full-fledged toddler, Little One. Your "babyness" is almost gone (except for when you cuddle in our arms when you're upset/nervous or needing some sleep). Even your knees have evidence of your new stage of life ... they are covered by scrapes and bruises these days, courtesy of your new walking/running/climbing skills. Bactine, bandages, and a few kisses are never far away!

As you enter this new stage of life, your personality continues to emerge. Recently, I have noticed that you are quite a ham. Whether its shaking your head back and forth wildly to “dance,” popping a raspberry on the tip of your finger, or making a funny noise, you wait for a reaction, smile coyly, and then continue on with pure amusement. Usually, giggles abound from your sister and that is enough to keep you going for a while. You also continue to be quite strong-willed and are starting to learn how to exert your independence with emphasis. During a recent trip to the doctor's office, the nurse was taken aback by your strength when we couldn't get you to lie down on the table. You were having none of it. You also have a way of making your entire body limp when I want you to do something you don't want to do. Yet, as frustrating as these episodes are for us at the time, I am also sheepishly proud to know that you will stand your ground and even a bit amused on some level at the sight of your little body limp in protest. Just save this skill for once you’re out of the house, O.K.?

Your entry into the English language has started much earlier for you than it did for your sister. These days you are trying to say all sorts of words and have mastered quite a few. Some of your favorites: "uh-oh," "uh-uh," up, more, all done, help, bye, hi, cheese, duck, hop, Mama, Dada, and Adah. It’s a joy to hear your little voice try to sound out new words!

Much like your sister, you also have an affinity for music. You like to dance, even if it’s just a cartoon jingle, and you even like to sing. One day I heard you singing in your crib. When I looked in on you, you were singing the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and making the hand motions that go with the song. Your favorite song at the moment is Wheels on the Bus, and you are learning all the motions to the song quite quickly.

So much of your life up to now has been built around routines within our little family … walks in the morning, lunchtime and naptime, playing with Daddy at night, etc. This week your world will get a little larger as you start pre-school and learn to trust others while we are away. Though it’s only a few hours a week, this will be a good first step to growing up. Love you, Lila Bug.

Girls on the Move

Both girls are on the move these days. Here are a few of their moves....

Adah Rockin' It Out to the ABC Song

Lila Walking ... Like a Drunken Sailor

Don't worry. Bandages are on hand at our house these days.

Last Day of School

Last week was Adah's last day of her Parent's Morning Out program. She loved her classmates and her teachers and brought many sweet art projects home. Her teachers say she was the class leader. She could open any child proof door, so she would often lead her classmates out the door to the playground. She also stood at the door with the teacher to greet her classmates and gather their diapers, sippy cups, and bags (putting them all in their proper places) and she would run to get someone's sippy cup if they started crying. The girls loves her routines!

Here are two pictures: one from the first day of school and one from the last day of school. It's amazing to us to see how much she has grown! Next year ... preschool!

Lila Turns One Years Old!!!

Lila Bug,

Whoa ... how fast the last 12 months flew by! You are quickly leaving babyhood behind, and I don't think we're quite ready for it. Here's what 12 months looks like for you right now...

The pace of your growth at this time in your life astounds us. You are now a very speedy crawler, you started to stand up on two feet, and even started to walk (with some assistance). It won't be long at all before you take your first steps on your own. You babble a lot, but are also starting to form some words. Your Daddy LOVES when squeak out in your little voice "Bye Dada," or come excitedly crawling across the floor to him at top speed when he walks in the door. You also say Mama, ball, and duck. Much to our chagrin, you also have been testing your volume limits with your new voice. You love to scream and yell ... sometimes you seem to think you're actually singing when you do. A love for music must be in our blood, because (just like your sister) you seem to truly enjoy music. Occasionally, we catch you bouncing up and down or swaying back and forth to the beat of a song. Hilarious.

I have decided that sisterhood is an amazing thing (at least for now). It is truly heart-warming to watch your sister and you play together right now. Adah takes her role as big sister very seriously and will step in to parent you when we are in the other room. Your Daddy and I have to laugh when we hear things like, "Sssshhh, Lila. Too loud!" (with her finger wagging back and forth in front of you) and "It's OK, Lila. It's OK." (with her hand gently rubbing your back while you are crying). More so than before, you are now starting to truly interact with your sister. You crawl up on her bed and throw her cherished Panda, Teddy Bear, and Bunny on the floor with some sass and a giggle. You cook with her in your play kitchen and taste things on your spoon. You like to snuggle on Mama's lap and read books together before nap time, playfully pulling at each others hair or holding hands.

Your emerging personality is different from your sister's in some ways and yet very similar in others. You seem pretty happy most of the time and you go with the flow pretty well (for someone who is one, that is). But when you set your mind on doing something, it is quite hard (if not impossible) to change it. I foresee some hard days for me in the near future, but am confident that this trait will serve you well in your life.

Things are changing fast and we can't wait to see what the next few months have in store for you. We're thrilled to have you as part of our family, Lila! Here are some pictures of our new one year old:

Cupcakes ... good to play with, but too sticky!

Got Places To Go ... Watch Out!
(Notice the bag over the arm like a purse)

Giggles with Daddy

Lila Learning to Walk

Happy Easter

Lila Turns Nine Months Old

Lila Bug,

I've watched other babies. Some of them sit still on the floor quietly playing with a toy or watching the activity around them. Others lay peacefully in their parents’ arms while taking a bottle, calmly soaking the nutrients into their growing bodies. Still others obediently open their little mouths for spoons full of baby food, finishing the entire jar. We apparently don't make these kinds of babies. What you are is adorable, bright, animated, determined, joyful, mischievous, and very active. Even your doctor agrees. After describing your eating habits and asking for advice to get you to take more food, she offered, "Well, it sounds like she's opinionated!" So my arms may get a good workout while trying to contain your spunk and I may need to calm my frustration sometimes, but I am still intoxicated by your budding personality.

You've just turned 9 months old, and it's hard to believe how much change we've seen from you lately. The most obvious change is your mobility. You've been rolling over well for a long time (and had been using that skill to get where you wanted to go), but one day in December you decided to try and go forward. Within a day or two you had developed an "army crawl" that takes you anywhere you want to go in the house. You've become very proficient, and can surprise us if we take our eyes off you for a second. You still haven't moved up to your hands and knees, but it's not clear you'll have any need for that. You are also finally starting to sit. It’s taken you sometime to develop the desire for this stationary skill. Now that you’ve realized the increased access to toys sitting up allows, you have learned to pull yourself from the floor to a stable sit. You've also started climbing stairs and pulling yourself up, even to a wobbly stand once and a while. Like your sister, you are a very brave (or maybe naïve) girl. We're placing bets right now on how long until you take your first steps. Until then, it looks like we will spend much of our time spotting you.

While your new mobility is the most visible change, your personality changes have been more dramatic. In the first few months you seemed more mellow than your sister. However, when you learned to move, your personality seemed to change. Now YOU have become the active one in the house, often not content to sit still or be held. While it is fun to watch you explore, your dual goal of having us nearby and yet doing things by yourself is a challenge. You have also developed quite a babble, which both entertains us and sometimes drowns us out in volume. We often hear Mamamama, Babababa, Dadadada, or Thppppbbbb (with a spitting spray).

We've been working for many months to try to get you to eat solid foods, with less success than we expected. When we come near you with a spoon full of anything, you usually purse your lips and turn away. We stopped offering most of the pureed baby food and just started giving you small pieces of whatever was on our plates. (You just cut your first few teeth, so you have some chance of actually chewing now.) You've liked this, and it had made mealtimes more bearable. You only get bits and pieces of food into your mouth, but hopefully the coordination will come with a bit more time.

Your big sister is also enjoying your new ability to play with her more. We keep telling her that it won't be long until the two of you are running around together, but I don't think she's grasped how fun life will get once that happens. Somehow I think you get it though, and are just biding your time until you get your "sea legs" and then take the house by storm.

Snow in Atlanta!

In Atlanta, you need to make your own sleds
... we used a baby bathtub.

Sledding in Atlanta
(yes, that is Lila whimpering)

Merry Christmas

Christmas Card Rejects

Santa's Little Helper & CRAZY Hair

???

Do you see what I see?

Snuggle Bunnies

Lila Turns Six Months Old

Lila dear,

The last six months with you have flown by. Frankly this time has mostly been filled with trying to take care of your needs. We've recently felt like you are becoming aware of us and can interact with us a little more than the occasional smile, which makes our time together much more fun. You've started engaging us in an occasional game of peek-a-boo, and will play happily with just about any toy you can get your hands on. Sometimes this playing can be very vigorous, and we even captured a video of a recent play session where you really showed the stuffed giraffe who was the boss.

Now that we are out of the wilderness of those first few months, this time is full of many fun "firsts" for you. You've recently started your first solid food, though you don't appear convinced of the appeal of rice cereal just yet. You've also had your first ride on a swing a the playground, and (to no one's surprise) you seem to love it. You've also gone from the occasional flip from your back to your tummy (and only in one direction) to becoming a rolling machine that can cross a whole room in just a few seconds.

You are a lucky girl to have a big sister who not only loves you, but is intent on taking care of you. One of Adah's primary joys in life is to bring you toys to play with, so you are rarely without a treasure or two (or 10) to shake or rattle. Adah is also trying to master some new skills of her own (jumping, dancing, spinning until she is dizzy and falling over), which often makes you break out into a gregarious laugh.

Seeing your personality emerge a little more over this last month or so has also shown us that you have the same independent streak that your sister (and your parents) have. For example, you will sometimes boycott your last nap of the day, despite the fact that you can barely make it through dinner without a complete meltdown when that happens.

We love you, little one, and we look forward to seeing more of your personality emerge over these next few months. You also have a sister who loves to "mother" you, and can't wait to play with you when you learn a few more games.

Playtime with Daddy

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween
from the Butterfly and Little Ladybug

(yes, for those of you who remember,
the ladybug costume was used by Adah last year
... poor fortune to be a second child!)

Adah has been learning some new words for the occasion:
* Pa pa (pumpkin)
* Care Crow (scarecrow)
* Guts
* trick tree (Trick or Treat)

Adah Turns Two

Adah Love,

I can hardly believe that you are two years old! When I look back at pictures from 12, 9, or even 6 months ago, I see the “littleness” of you that is now somehow absent. You are still little, but everyday you seem like you get bigger, more mature, more adventuresome, more knowledgeable … more you. And we, your parents, watch you grow (with a bit of reluctance and a great deal of admiration).


You are a sweet, sweet girl with a generous spirit that is quite unlike most other kids your age. Whenever I set your sister down, you always bring her toys to entertain her, setting them on her belly saying “Here Lila.” And when your sister cries, you rock her chair while singing her name to calm her down. And when we are at the park and you notice another child wanting to play with whatever treasure of a toy you have found, you often offer it over without prompting or protest. You have your challenges as you enter this two-year-old phase of your life, but possessiveness is not one of them and for that I admire you.

You also continue to revel in your desire to be helpful. The other day when I came to pick you up from pre-school I noticed you swiffering the floor under the snack table with such determination. Your teacher explained, “If I would let her, she would do this all day!” Apparently you have found jobs to do at school too!

Your language has really exploded these last few days and sometimes you really take us by surprise with your new words. For instance, you belted out the word “CAKE” with such clarity and enthusiasm the other day in the store … how appropriate to learn that word just before your birthday! Also, about a week ago your sweet little voice called out “HOME” from the back seat as we rounded the last corner in our neighborhood and came into view of our house. I am glad that our home is something you look forward to! Some of my other favorite new words include: owl, yellow, purple, play, pool, Elmo, & Ohhhh Kaaaaaay.

You also continue to have a particular way of doing things. My favorites of late include:

• You raise your glass at every meal so that we can clink them together and say “cheers"
• You must make sure everyone takes their shoes off and YOU get to put them in the shoe closet.
• On a related note … you look your Daddy up and down each morning and then pick out appropriate shoes for him to wear … and, to our amazement, you get it right 99% of the time.
• You sometimes sing along with a tune on the radio or a cartoon jingle. However, if I join in with you, you often shoot me a sharp look and definitely say “no,” as in “this is not something you get to do, Mama.” Still, your backseat “la, la, las” bring joy to my days.
• When your Daddy goes to work, you sit on the step to the garage, wave goodbye, and blow him kisses. You also wave and blow kisses to all the cars that drive by our house, including the garbage trucks.

I can’t say that these days are without their challenges. You are two, after all. You do whine, test boundaries, and (consequently) spend time in hallway “time out” spot. I have learned, particularly with your whining, that you have quite a bit of stamina in you. It has been my challenge to keep my cool in these times and be the non-anxious presence you need. I have to say that I am still mastering this skills.

On the flip side of that coin, you have been cuddlier than ever before. You will sometimes come up and ask to sit on your Daddy’s lap … and will even stay there for more than a few seconds. You are also very free with your kisses and hugs, which we love, but has taken some visitors by surprise.

Every night when your Daddy puts you to bed he tells you that you are smart, beautiful, kind, helpful, and funny. I hope that you will always believe him.

Baptism

There is something quite special about baptisms, but even more so when it is your own two girls who are carried in front of the church in their sweet white dresses and claimed as God's children. Your Dad & I made promises to you, the church made promises to you, and the children of the church made promises to you ... to pray for you, to care for you, and to nurture you in your faith. May your journeys be well traveled!



"He has shown you, oh man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. --Micah 6:8

"Rejoice in the LORD always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The LORD is near. Do not be anxious about anything but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. -- Phil 4:4-7

First Day of School

Today was Adah's first day of school ... OK, it's just preschool two mornings a week, but it's still a big deal for us all. She came home tuckered out, so that was a good sign that she had fun.

Game Day

At the Rozell household, we are preparing for the next Michigan football season. Some of us are a little nervous about it, others of us are eager with anticipation, but we all are ready to cheer "Go Blue!" Here are a few shots for game day...

"Yeah, I'm ready for game day."

"When's the game going start?"

"What's Coach Rodriguez going to do this year?"

"Hail to the Victors Valiant!"

Adah: A "Just So" Kid

Adah, the more I see you play with other children your age, the more I see your personality emerge. I am realizing that you are a wonderfully unique child. Here are just a few of the quirks that I love about you…

• You love tupperware and consider the drawer where we keep said items your personal space (not to be invaded by others).
  
• You feel the need to close every open drawer or door that you pass.
• You take roll call throughout the day of each household member, but always skip yourself. (Adah: "Dada?" Me: "Dada's at work." Adah: "Lila?" Me: "Lila's sleeping." Adah: "Mama?" Me: "Mama's right here. I'm Mama." *pause* Me: "What about Adah?" Adah: "No.")
• You always sit in the same spot to read books (and direct me where to sit as well).
• You like to walk around the house with a hat over your eyes trying to feel your way through the rooms, giggling the whole way.
• You bring your favorite stuffed animals to your sister when she's sitting somewhere by herself.
• Sometimes, when I am talking to Lila, you push me out of the way and mimic the exact thing I was just doing to Lila yourself.
  
• You often pack up a bag, wave good-bye, blow kisses and leave the room (to go to “work” like Dada does). You return within minutes bursting through the door to "come home" with kisses and hugs.
• You kiss and hug your panda bear, bunny, and blanket every time you get up out of your crib in the morning.
• You have to turn your light on and off every morning before leaving your room.
• You give the toy frog drinks of bath water before you get out of the tub.
• You clap when we finish brushing your hair after the bath.
• You have started "reading" books to your stuffed animals and dolls, complete with the same motions your Dad and I add to our orations.
  

You are fearfully and wonderfully made, Little One, and I love every bit of you.