A little bit of Livy

I have a feeling someday I'm going to wish I had written down more things that Livy said.  But here's just a little sample of quotes from age 2 and a half: 

Kyle:  "Get your shoes on because we're about to go to the grocery store."  Livy: "Okay, but first I gotta fix your hair because it is funky!"

Cousin Nicholas showing his muscles:  "I'm really strong!"  Livy:  "Are you stronger than a lion?"  Nicholas:  "No."  Livy:  "Are you stronger than a snowman?"  Nicholas:  "hahahaha!"

"Thank you, Daddy!  I was wishing for orange popsicles!"

"Wait, first I gotta do my stunts!"

At bedtime: "I think I need milk because water just helps me stay awake."

We were in the car listening to The Kids Praise Album and Livy said, "I don't hear you singing, daddy!  C'mon, I know you have a good voice!"

Sarah in the front seat:  "That's funny!"  Livy in the back seat:  "Did you say bunny?" "No, I said that's funny." Livy: "Hey, bunny and funny are rhyming words!"

After Kyle came out of the shower on Saturday morning:  Livy: "Daddy, is it bagel time?"

"Can I use the iPod, oh, I mean, iPad?"

 

Christmas Pageant

Sorry these videos never look very clear on my blog.  But here is Livy's first Christmas pageant.  She is a sheep on the second step, two down from the little girl in the red dress.

 Here she is holding Mrs. Mary's hand after the show.  

Livy's gonna be a sister!!

       Today I had my 12 week ultrasound and we found out that we are having a girl!!! The due date is officially June 8.  Kyle and I were both quite surprised, not because we didn't think there was a good chance of the baby being a girl, but I guess just because in general finding out the gender is such a surprising thing!  Most people don't even find out at 12 weeks, which is why we weren't quite expecting it, even though we had found out with Livy.  But the same ultrasound tech was right about Livy and seemed very confident about this one too.  The baby looks very healthy and normal.

       We all went to the appointment, but Livy just had fun stepping on the scales and watching me get my blood pressure taken, while remaining completely unaware of the reason for the appointment.  We are waiting till I'm further along before we tell her.  But Livy was really cute talking to the staff there.  As we were about to leave, she asked the ultrasound lady, "You know what I want for Christmas?"  and she whispered to the lady that she wanted a "Bitty Baby".  For those of you who don't know all about dolls like we do in our family, that is the baby version of the American Girl doll, and Livy has wanted one ever since she somehow managed to lay eyes on the catalog.  I'm just hoping Livy's adoration of all things baby will last right through June!  

       Now that we know it's a girl, I suddenly feel more worried that Livy is going to feel like she is being replaced.  In fact, I'm going to have to rename this blog that was once entirely dedicated to Livy.  Our family is going to have to make a lot of adjustments, but it is all going to be worth it.  I know I can't imagine my life without sisters.  I mean, really, every girl should be so lucky as to have just one sister as good as either of mine.  Most importantly, Livy will now have someone to act out The Parent Trap or ABBA with if she wants to.  And when difficulties arise between sisters, both girls will know they have a mom who understands them on some level.  I'm both an older and a younger sister.  I can relate to both.  I can do this!  Kyle, on the other hand, is still shell-shocked :) 

       After the appointment, we went out to Friendly's to celebrate, just like we did when we found out Livy was going to be a girl, except this time Livy was there too, grabbing for sugar packets and giggling about the funny looking sundae faces on the menu.  Life is good!  Praise be to God!             

Something Livy learned at school...

Sussex County Fun

On Saturday we ate lunch in Lafayette where Livy enjoyed a bowl of cheesy goodness in the form of Dutch onion soup.  Then we headed to the Sussex County Farm and Horse Show for some good ol' fashioned family fun.  One thing I can say is that it hasn't changed a bit over the years.  I still know where to find everything, including the best lemonade and funnel cakes.  Livy loved wandering from tent to tent seeing all of the different farm animals.  Its funny and sweet how she talks to them like, "Don't you want your water, sheep?"  "Are you comfy on that hay bed, piggy?"  She's always very concerned about the animals' well-being.  She enjoyed seeing the baby chicks in the incubator, and getting to hold one of them, but her main concern was, "But where is its mommy?  I think it wants its mommy." We assured her that the momma hens were close by.  All in all, we had a great day and best of all, we had enough activity to tire little Livy right out.  

 

Waiting to pet the alpaca

"Milk, it does a body good!"  Cheers!!

Getting to pet a cute baby chick!

Sleeping Beauty

Livy's First Amusement Park!

                                                                                  Friday we went to Land of Make Believe and had a great time just with our little family.  It was Livy's first time to an amusement park and fun for us to experience it all through her eyes.  She had a blast on all the rides and wasn't hesitant about any of them.  When we were done riding the little roller coaster, she turned to me and whispered, "That was awesome."  Best of all, she wasn't even crabby when it was time to leave the park.  She just said she wanted to sleep in her car seat on the way home.  And that's what she did :)

Fun with Paints

I realized it's been quite a while since I've taken any videos, so today I finally dug out the camera.  This  is an update to the "Fun with Crayons" video that I posted over a year ago, on July 15, 2010.  Fans of the original will not be disappointed.  She still uses her hilarious "whaaat?" catch phrase and some other good ones too.  

Nanny and Bop came to visit us in Cape May with Uncle Bill and Aunt Susie too.  It was a great, relaxing weekend.  Livy seemed to enjoy all the attention from all six grown ups.  The picture of Livy eating corn with Bop reminds me of a picture I've seen of little me eating with Pop.  Scooter also enjoyed lots of attention and had a blast in the pool.  Every time Kyle swims under water, Scooter jumps in (sometimes landing on top of him) and tries to follow him.  Livy loves Scooter and all of his antics.  She tells him, "I love you, Scooter.  You're my best dog."

Eating corn with Bop. 

Hangin' with Bill and Sue

Giggling with Nanny

Scooter jumping on Kyle

Scooter's flying jump over the noodle.

    

Rosemary

I love this sequence of pictures of Kyle and his little helper at Rea's farm.  This is becoming a routine for them ever since Kyle's scallops grilled on rosemary skewers has become such a hit. Livy holds the basket while daddy clips the rosemary.

  

Farm Girl

Yesterday I took Livy to visit Brookhollow Farm in Boonton Township.  It was a great place for little kids!  A big highlight was getting to pet a baby donkey and a 2-week-old baby Alpaca.  I was too busy petting them to take pictures at that point.  But they also had the most adorable baby bunnies that Livy fed carrots to.  We also saw ponies, pigs, goats, peacocks and chickens.  They had a big sandbox to play in, toy tractors to ride, and a little play house with a kitchen set.  Livy had fun playing with two other little girls in there.  After that we rode the fast, bumpy cow train pulled by a tractor.  Livy rode in the cow that was named "Olivia".  She thought that was so great.  I rode in the one behind her named Louise :).  We had a great time and when we got home she was exhausted but still fighting sleep.  She ended up asleep in the hallway and I had to pick her up and move her to her bed.        

Beachy Speechies!

Jamie, Anna, Sarah, Livy, Nina, Elektra

"Me and my shadow"

"Me and my other shadow"

We had another great beach weekend with Nina, Dimitri, Elektra, Michael, Jamie and Anna.  Nina and Jamie are speech therapists from my work who followed in my footsteps to have adorable baby girls (and took a full year off for childcare leave).  I'm so looking forward to this September when we will all be back together and things can start going back to "normal"!


My parents were nice enough to let us all stay at their house.  Livy had so much fun playing with Elektra and Anna.   It was like she had two little shadows interested in everything she was saying and doing.  She enjoyed "reading" books aloud to them and showing them how to scoop and pour sand, how to pet the kitty, and everything else that's fun.  

We had a wonderful time on the beach, in the pool, playing charades (of course because Dimitri was there :), making designs with easy cheese, having a mommy's day out, and shopping.  Kyle is getting really good at grilling and we had a feast including his signature scallops wrapped in prosciutto with rosemary.  Yum!

Dimitri and Elektra

    

Michael, Jamie and Anna

Opening mermaid dolly presents that we couldn't
help buying for them at a toy shop.