Lily Loves Her Towel

Cass and Em finally got a chance to take a picture of Lily in the towel I made her.  They say she loves it.  Of course she does, it was made with lots of love!

Lily and Mommy

Lily and the toilet paper roll.

Alpine Slide

Saturday when Brian and the boys tried to go to the alpine slide, they got rained out, so we went again for family night last night.  We had a blast!

 

Getting ready.  Where's Brian??  He's the camera man!

Thomas starts.

Thomas ends.

I catch up with Preston.

Miriam is such a slow poke.

So is Katrina.

Girls Night Out

Yesterday Brian and Thomas went on the Father's and Son's outing.  While the boys were away, the girls got to play!  We drove to Miriam's work so that she could conduct a little bit of business while she was there, Katrina and I went to a dairy store and looked around.  We each bought a yogurt, and Katrina bought a giant jaw breaker lolly pop.  When Miriam was done at work, we all went to a boutique.  It was such a fun place!  We had fun saying "Look at this" and "How cute," trying on hats, and rummaging through the dollar jewelry bin.  Miriam bought herself a $5 pair of sandals, a pair of earrings and a weird little key chain thingy--why not.

I bought myself a teddy bear wall hanging for the playroom for $2. 

 We enjoyed looking at the expensive stuff, but resisted the urge to buy any of it.  Then we went to the Mall where Katrina bought herself a "The Scarlet Pimpernel" piano book.
We ate at Panda Express in the mall order two plates to share between the 3 of us, then we bought ice cream at the grocery store and came home.  

Full House

Last night Matt came home to visit from college!  It is so nice to have him home for awhile.  Jon didn't come, but we hope we'll be seeing him some weekend soon.  Matt hung out with friends last night, and is going with Brian and Thomas to the Alpine slide today.  It was nice to visit with him for a second when he came in late last night and again this morning over breakfast.  It sounds like school is going well, which is a good thing.  We are going to drive him back tonight so that he can go to his own ward tomorrow.

Also, my niece, Jessica, stayed over last night.  She will be attending the local university and living and working at a year-round family camp ground close by.  She couldn't move in till today so she stayed here last night.  It was fun to talk to her before scripture reading yesterday and again early this morning before she left.  She's so sweet, and I'm glad she has such a great opportunity!

Lily's Mommy Saves the Day

Lily went to her first pediatrician's appointment on Monday and got a clean bill of health.  Yay!  He even looked at her belly button.

But on Tuesday, Lily's mommy looked at her belly button and saw something funny.  Well, not funny--blistery, red, and painful.  Should she take Lily back to the doc?  He just saw her yesterday.  Lily's mommy made another appointment even though she wondered if she should have.  Turns out, she should have!

Lilly's tummy button was just starting to have a problem.  Lily's doctor said it's a problem hard to get rid of, but since her mommy caught it so soon, Lily will be just fine.  Hooray!!!

Lily demonstrates how she sticks out her tongue and says "Aaaah" for the doctor.

Cutest Baby in the Word Alert!

More baby picts!  I love it!

Playroom of Dreams

Since the guest room is my room to use as I'd like when we have no guests, I am going to make it a playroom!  Yes, it will have a bed in it, but it will still be a play room.  I figure, I use the closet to store buckets full of toys anyway, why not have the toys out to play with?  If you know our family situation very well, with 4 teenagers and 2 adult children, and sweet little grandbaby, Lily, being so little and living so far away, you may be wondering who will play in this play room.  I have no idea.  Any little kid who comes along, I guess.  And as Brian said when I stated my plans, "If you build it, She will come."

"She," being Lily, of course, which isn't really true, but, it sure is a nice thought.

Elbow Room

The three kids left at home are pretty happy to have more room. 

The two girls will get to upgrade to the master bedroom 

and Thomas will get to have a room to himself for the first time in his life.  Brian and I will still be in their "honeymoon suite.".  Moving things around is a slow process, but we can't wait for the finished product! 

All Quiet on the Marsupial Front

Saturday Jon and Matt left for college.  Jon is starting his second year, and Matt his first.  It is sure quiet around here and we miss them!  Don't worry, though, they left plenty of stuff behind for us to remember them!  We're busy right now sorting through it and throwing or giving away what they didn't set aside to save.   I hope they come back home to visit soon!

Lily's Biography

Did I say my blog would no longer be all Lily?  Well, that's not true yet.  Here is a post by Cassandra.

Hello, everyone, my name is Citlali, and I thought I'd tell you a little bit about myself.  I usually go by Lily (and a bunch of other silly nicknames like Sweet Pea and Gorgeous...probably because I am both sweet and gorgeous)

Here are some of my favorite things:

I love to eat. Could I be my mother's daughter if I didn't?




I like bath time. Well, most of the time. Check out my sweet curls!

And I love getting my diaper changed! Sorry if that's TMI, but I do love me a clean bum!

I like being with Mom. She feeds me. 'Nuff said.

I do enjoy a good nap on occasion. So did my parents before I came along, I hear.

I love my Dad. He can swaddle me up jussst right.

I love my swing. It has a fish mobile and ocean noises...fascinating!!!

Whew, I know that was a lot to take in. I'm a woman of many interests, so don't feel intimidated if your life is not as full as mine. Well, I should probably go pursue a nap now. Feel free to skype me anytime. And when I say anytime, I mean whenever I'm not grumpy or sleeping. Adios! 

Smiles

Wow, to use Brian's words, Lily is the "smiling-est" baby in the world.  She has lots of reasons to be happy.

 I'm home now!

I get held all the time!

 Instead of a tube feeding me, Mommy and Daddy do it!

Life is beautiful!

A happy Lily makes for a happy Grandma!

Thus endeth the Lily chronicles.  You can be sure that I will be writing of Lily faithfully, and often, but this blog will no longer be "all Lily, all the time."  Thanks to those who have followed her progress so faithfully.  I know that your faith and prayers rained down Heaven's blessings on her.

Lily Pad

It's official.  Today, Lily went home.  I'm so grateful and happy for her and her mommy and daddy!  She was in the hospital for 19 days, and it could have been much longer.  I know that Heavenly Father answered the faith and prayers offered for Lily and sent angels to comfort her and strengthen her and speed her home.

Happy Lily

Wow, it is so hard to be away from Lily.  I miss her so much.  Also, I took my camera home and now Cassandra and Emerson are left without a way to take pictures.  I wish so much I could see her now that she has no feeding tube!  Imagine, no more tubes, just monitors!

And even better, Lily can go home tomorrow if she gains weight!  We are praying so hard that she will be able to go home.  The thought of Emerson, Cassandra and Lily in their own home is so wonderful!  Cassandra says Lily's been smiling all day.  Poor baby is finally getting what she needs.  Imagine how happy Lily will be in a home instead of a hospital.   Imagine how happy Grandma will be to have pictures of the happy occasion!

Missing Lily

Today Grandma had to say goodbye to her little Lily and go home.  

Although Grandma was sad to leave, it was so wonderful to see Lily looking so happy without her little furrowed brow and long suffering-look of the past. 

Grandma left a happy Lily with two happy parents who laugh and smile and talk about the future once again. 

As you can see in the next picture, Lily gave Grandma a present before she left.

A smile!

(Note from Cassandra)

Yesterday Lily took 40% of her nutrition through the bottle, today it has been 65%.  She's doing great, and it's a miracle that she's been able to feed so well.  As soon as she does 100% feeds for a couple of days and gains weight, she can come home. :)
She ONLY has a feeding tube in her nose now...no IVs or anything, just the feeding tube and the monitors!
Grandma Cole had to leave this morning and we will all miss her.  At least we got a cute picture with Grandma and Lily before she left (Lily's smiling...really, truly smiling...in that picture)
Thanks so much for your thoughts and prayers!  Please keep praying that she'll come home as soon as possible and continue to be healthy in mind and body!

All Eating, All the Time

Pretty in Pink

Little Lily Pad

Mommy and Lily

Told you she'd be gorgeous!

Lily after her bath.

Lily has been doing a good job eating up a storm, and I got to feed Lily for the first time today.  I also got to babysit her for 4 hours straight, and I held her for 3 and a half hours of it.   Unfortunately, I was alone, so we got no pictures!

A Star is Born

Today was movie day at the NICU with Lily as star.  Lily got to appear on the not-so-big-screen (Skype on an HP Mini) while her adoring fans looked on.  Her other grandma, and her aunties and uncles at her other grandma’s house, and her  Grandpa Brian, Uncles Jon, Matt, and Thomas, and her Aunties Miriam and Katrina all oooo-ed and aaaa-ed.  Lily graciously accepted the accolades as her due. 

Lily, who heretofore has sported nothing but a diaper, wowed her audience today by donning a dapper hospital t-shirt.  They will be even more thrilled with tomorrow’s photo shoot where she will dazzle audiences with an outfit chosen by the famous designer, Mommy.  It is sure to be this season's greatest hit.

Besides the above-mentioned fashions, Lily needs no other accoutrements but a mall tube in her nose, and one IV in her arm.  When Lily has mastered the art of bottle feeding her mommy’s breast milk, she will celebrate her accomplishment by doffing the nose-tube.  Once she gets off her meds, she will also lose her IV.  When these things happen, Lily will bid farewell to her adoring fans in the NICU (The doctor and nurses who called her a “rock star” today because of her amazing progress), and retire to her estate in the country to be coddled and coiffed by her loving parents for years to come.

Finally!

Finally Grandma gets to hold Lily.  Here are the picts.  P.S.  If you haven't read my previous post, "Word of the Day," you will definitely want to do that.  It gives all the news about Lily.  This post is all "Grandma holding Lily."