I Have Issues

From the title of this post I guess you've surmised that this is either going to be an extremely long post...or just the first in a multi-part series!

Here is one of my latest issues...Lily's "babyness" is slipping away and I'm having a tough time seeing it go! Since she will be two in a few short weeks I know it makes sense...but...

Over the Memorial Day Weekend we packed away Lily's highchair. Being the emotionally stable person that I am I cried in the shower!! It's true Lily hadn't been sitting in her highchair very much anymore...but to actually put it away...ouch!

Since the weather has been so beautiful we've been eating most of our meals out on the patio and we hadn't been dragging the highchair out there. So, when we do eat inside Lily doesn't want to sit in the highchair she wants her "brewster" seat. So, bye bye highchair.

Sitting in a big girl chair!

Further proof that I have issues (as if you needed any) is that the other day I walked through the Living Room and saw Lily's little clogs sitting there. For reasons I can't explain it actually choked me up...and, no, it's not because they weren't put away!! They just looked so big and I couldn't believe they actually fit my little girl!

When I'm 13 Mom will cry because I leave my shoes on the Living Room floor...but right now she thinks it's cute!

Lily is also starting to use more and more cohesive sentences. It is so much fun to have 2 sided conversations with her...but at the same time... I. Can't. Believe. I. Am. Having. 2-Sided. Conversations. With. Lily!!!!

Lily's speech is very clear and she often uses a string of words...if not necessarily a real sentence...to get her point across. Several weeks ago Tony asked during dinner what we did during the day...I think he was expecting me to answer! However, our little cutie answered by saying, "Store. Foot. Measure. New. Sandal." Sure enough...we had gone to Stride Rite to buy Lily some sandals that morning. Of course, then my little sweetie ratted me out and said, "Mall. Lunch. PIZZA! YUMMY!!"

Need any help gardening?

As much as I am enjoying Loquacious Lily I miss the way she used to say certain words. Like Me-Mom-Me, for instance. Now, I'm just plain Mommy...Mama...or sometimes even TJ! Sadie used to be Sassy...not anymore....well, at least Lily doesn't call her that anymore! Often I don't even realize Lily is no longer pronouncing a word with her own special flair until it hits me some time later. For instance, please don't tell Aunt Pappy but Lily is starting to actually say Patti more often then Pappy. While you're at it don't tell Aunt Baba that Lily is starting to call her Mara Bess. It's not quite Mary Beth...but it's darn close!

Lily has also become so expressive. This girl is the master of facial expressions!! I'm telling you she can make some seriously funny, serious, and silly faces! It is fun to watch Lily try these different expressions on. She will make a face for emphasis when she is talking to you and then try and gauge your response to it. The best part is often the word and the facial expression happen separately. For instance, Lily will be talking about the blisters her new sandals gave her and when she is finished she will make a sad face. By the way, she talks about this quite frequently even though I've never put the sandals on her feet again!

Lily also likes to use different tones of voice. Lily loves to use a deep voice for certain special words like...Dad Dad, huge, chunk, and hungry. Couple her deep voice with her serious face and she has me and Tony rolling on the floor laughing!

There are still a few words that Lily pronounces using her own special "Lily-ese". I'm sure it wont be long before these go by the wayside, too. Since I don't want to forget them I'll include a little excerpt from the current Lily-ese to English dictionary:

Yo Yo - Yogurt
Bam Up - Stand Up
Nare Na Bread- Panera Bread
Babinet - Cabinet
Bobbles - Goggles (for swimming)
Dune Nin - What are you doing?
May Gog - Make up

Hey Daddy, watcha dune nin?

Before I know it Lily will be getting her driver's license and then graduating from college (2 milestones my sister's are experiencing with their kids) and these days will be a distant memory...and I'll have a whole new host of issues to contend with!!!

For now, I am loving each new stage and development in Lily's little life...and I'm seriously trying to savor every minute!