Cake Smash

While Marco was sleeping, Lily helped make me a cake for Marco's Birthday. We wanted to get some great cake-smash photos.

Here's how our little lovely cake turned out. Lily had fun helping me put the sprinkles on it and I am still finding sprinkles in my house from this cake!

At first Marco wasn't so sure about what to do with his cake.

But with Lily's coaching, he figured out that he was to eat the cake!

I truly wish I understood and knew how to capture good photos on my camera. One of these days, I'll look back and just be amazed at how far I've come with taking pictures, but for now... these amateur shots will have to suffice.

Michal, on the other hand, is an expert. He takes the camera while I'm cleaning up the mess... takes a total of 4 pictures... and 3 of them look AMAZING! (They are the three below). I wish I had his talent and his natural eye!

(Grumpy face from Lily because we wouldn't let her eat any cake until Marco was done making his mess and getting his picture taken).

This wasn't really the pictures I was envisioning or hoping to capture, but... oh well.  You live, you learn (or hopefully I'll learn) and next time it will look even better!

In any case, Happy Birthday Marco! We hoped you enjoyed your cake. Next one will be chocolate!

Marco - Month by Month

I was feeling nostalgic and wanted to take a look back at how much this little boy has grown over the last year.

Birth

1 week

4 weeks

6 weeks

2 months

3 months and 4 months

5 months

6 months

7 months

8 months

9 months

10 months

11 months

12 months

He sure has grown and I love seeing how his little personality has just blossomed. It's amazing how when you are living day to day it goes by so slow, but recollecting the past, time seems to fly by!

Happy Birthday Marco! We love you and can't wait to see how much you grow from now until your next birthday!

Marco: 12 Months

Happy 12 Months Marco!

You are such a happy, happy baby and we love you!

Number of steps taken: 5
Number of teeth: 5
Hours of sleep in a day: 16-17
Size clothing: 9 months
Size diapers: Size 2
Words Spoken: Mama, Dada, and other incomprehensible words.
Sign language: All done.
Excels at: blowing raspberries, smacking his lips, taking deep breaths and copying things that we do
Loves to play: peek-a-boo, with cars, and anything that Lily is occupied with.
Exceeds in making us smile, laugh, and keeping us busy.

And of course, Lily was grumpy she wasn't getting her picture taken. She wanted to be in the spotlight instead of Marco. So here is her "grumpy face" photo.

How to Keep a Toddler Entertained at Church

Have you ever wondered how to keep a toddler entertained at church?

Well... if you follow these steps, I can guarantee a great Sunday where you can actually pay attention to the talks given.

Step 1: Be invited to sit by two youth in the ward whose parents are not present at church.

Step 2: Sit with the youth and let them hold your children.

Step 3: After Sacrament meeting, take the stickers out to help keep toddler entertained. 

Step 4: Let toddlers place stickers all over youth.

Step 5: Let toddler place stickers all over herself.

Step 6: Let youth make a sticker necklace so that toddler is excited (and quiet while watching the necklace is being made).

Step 7: Let toddler wear the necklace the remainder of the meetings.

*(Please forgive me for taking pictures inside of the chapel, but this was too cute for me to forget about).

Pretzel Making

January 19, 2016 - Last minute we decided to tag along to a 'Parkgroups' Pretzel Making activity. I wasn't planning on going because I thought it would interfere with Marco's nap, however... the activity began at 11:00 and Marco happened to wake up at 10:40. It was a win-win situation and we headed to the mall to join our friends.

It's not every day that you get to play with your food, but when you do - pretzel making seems to be the exception!

Just look at this beautiful pretzel Lily created, you can help but just think she's so cute!

After some lessons, and help, her clumped, crumpled pretzel turned into a pretty fancy twisted pretzel.

At the end of the day we were treated with a yummy pretzel and some lemonade! It was the perfect ending to a fun activity. It was sure messy (we ordered cinnamon sugar), but both kids enjoyed their late afternoon treat!

January Kids Morning Out

Every month Forsyth Family Magazine hosts a "Kids Morning Out" the second Tuesday of each month. This month the activity was at a local YMCA. I went so Lily could get some energy out and play with friends. No friends we knew were there, but that didn't stop Lily from making new ones!

Her favorite activity was the bounce house. In previous "Kids Morning Out" activities she was afraid to go in bounce houses. She would just poke her head in or observe from the sidelines. This time, because there were hardly any children at the YMCA, Lily was brave and went inside and started bouncing on her knees, once she became comfortable on her name she became even braver and started bouncing on her feet. She was so happy and it brought me such joy to watch her enjoying herself.

Besides a small Valentines type heart craft, they had yoga hour. Where kids were to sit on yoga circles and do stretching exercises.

While Lily was busy doing the exact opposite thing that was being taught, Marco was off trying to chase balls or sneak away.

They had a particular activity where you were to pick up fuzzy balls with your feet and place them on your yoga circle mat. Lily, again, did the exact opposite and picked them up in her hands. She brought as many as possible back to her mat, dumped them out, and then tried to squeeze them in-between her toes. But she said she didn't like it.

Even when you were supposed to be lying flat on your back, Lily was determined to lay on her side. I seem to sense a little bit of a rebellious streak starting already.

At first it was a little strange that there weren't very many children present at KMO (Kids Morning Out), but it was actually very nice because it allowed Lily to feel at ease and be more herself instead of shy in a large crowd.

Here's to next month...