Santa did Come!

Well we had another extremely successful Christmas! It was so nice that Chris, Lyla, and I could be with my mom, dad, and mother-in-law on such a special day. We all got up around 8 and headed downstairs to see if Santa came--and boy did he ever! There were so many presents to open, I think Lyla had no idea what she was in for! (But don't you worry...she caught on rather quickly!)

We all got so many great things from one another, and Lyla got lots of fun new toys and clothes. She enjoyed playing with them all in between each opening. The only downside to Christmas was that poor Chris woke up sick! Ah man, he is never sick and to be sick on Christmas is the worst. I could tell he felt awful and that broke my heart. He hung in there through gifts then headed up to take a nap before heading to my Aunts house where we always have a huge gathering.

Unfortunately Chris could not make it over to Aunt Vicki and Uncle Dave's with us--and decided to stay home to get some more rest. He said there would be no sense having a sick person around all those people. I sure missed him, but knew it was for the best. Everyone was so happy to see Lyla and she was such a good girl. She went around to all our relatives and forgot she even had a mama! Everyone kept saying, "My gosh she is so social!" And I would reply, "She had no other choice!" She was calling them all by name within moments of arrival, which makes me so proud because she only sees them a few times a year. To know she knows and remembers them all makes me thankful. It has been a real treat watching her interact with her Great Grandparents over the past year and a half. I do not think there are many things more special than that in this life than to get to experience the love these amazing people have for my daughter. These same people who have loved me and my cousins our entire lives. Lyla has been lucky enough to meet 5 of her Great Grandparents! Gosh we are blessed. And Christmastime is a good time to remember all of our blessings.

What a lovely Christmas! Thank you to my family for making everything extra special for Chris, Lyla and I!

Here is Lyla and I coming downstairs on Christmas morning!

I think she was in shock!

Dad was so thrilled about his Patriots calender

Lyla and her Santa ears

Dad in Lyla's Santa band

Hanging out

Delicious!

Poor Lyla, I don't think she gets any attention...

This photo is great!

Pure Joy

Mommy and Daddy

Me, Lyla, Aunt Rhonda, Mom, Aunt Ruth, and my cousin Brooke

Sweet Braylon

Lyla loving the Christmas village

Andy and BraylonMe, Deba, Mom, and Lyla

Lyla and her Great Granny

Patty Cake!

"Throw em in the oven for baby and me!"

Lyla, Great Granny and Wooley

Opening gifts

Another new baby doll. This one is named Serena and Lyla loves to feed her.Playing in the snow this afternoon

It doesn't get much cuter than that!

And one with my tiny

Cheers to you and yours for a wonderful Christmas Day!

19 Months! (well on the 20th anyway!)

Snow Baby!

Little Dancing Queen!

Eating breakfast

Love this one of my girl and me

And one of our sweet family on Christmas Eve

Somewhere in the midst of a busy week in Colorado I completely forgot to wish my little girl a Happy 19th Month Birthday! As I say my friends, the time it is a-flying! And so, without further adieu...

Dearest Lamb-
Better late than never, right?
19 months...
19 pure, joyful, amazing months you have brought to me.
And to commemorate, here are 19 special things about you at present.

1. You can do puzzles with the best of em. You amaze me in fact. The other day you were sitting there completing a puzzle--one without the pictures on the board I might add--and you got to the final piece...and it was no where to be found. I looked around and said, "Oh man Lyla, I have no idea where that piece is, or what it is for that matter!" You looked at the board--then looked up at me and said, "a crab." I quickly looked at the puzzle...sure enough it was the crab that was missing. You are so smart.

2. You love to look at photos of people you know and identify them. I think it is so sweet. You will stand staring at our Christmas cards and remember who people are, even the ones we have not seen in some time.

3. You can eat a pint or more of blueberries in one day.

4. You still love me to put you to bed with a lullaby...but some nights you are far too tired and as soon as we walk in your room you say, "Night Night Mama" and point to your bed. (Every mom's dream, right!?)

5. You can sing the"Happy Birthday" song! It sounds like..."Happy Birday to yooooo!"

6. You think you are such a big girl and prefer to sit in a chair at the dinner table as opposed to in your highchair. (I don't mind, as long as you stay put.)

7. You do hand signals whenever you hear the alphabet sung because I always do the sign language when I sing it. The other day we were at the mall and there was a father signing with his children...you ran right over and tried to get in on the conversation. You held your hands up and did the signs you know! So innocent.

8. You love carousels. Really love them. Whenever one is brought up in conversation you squeal with delight...but when I bring you to one you would rather just sit and watch it instead of going on it.

9. You can carry on full on conversations. And your voice melts me.

10. You still love your pacifier, "bise" as you call it, but we are trying to limit it only to your crib. (I am a sucker though and let you have it when you ask!)

11. You repeat everything. The other day Grams was on the phone and said, "Oh Lord!" and you mocked, "Oh Lord!" It was so cute. (you have also repeated a couple things I am not proud of!) ;)

12. You bring up your friend Ariana almost every single day. If we are getting your shoes on to go somewhere you immediately ask about her. You call her, "Ana." The other day I asked you if you wanted to go shopping and you squealed, "Ana!" (I guess you knew that we often go to the mall with them because we meet to take you two to the play area.) I was sorry to inform you that Ariana is in Arizona, not in Colorado.

13. You are taken with helicopters. Absolute joy-filled excitement. You say, "Helicopter Wow!"

14. You can now identify Santa, a reindeer, a snowman, a Christmas tree, a bell, and a nutcracker.

15. You like placing things in order. If you have three bowls you always put them in the same order, then remember the order, move them, and put them back how they originally were. It intrigues me to watch you.

16. Your favorite toy at Grams and Pops house is Rick and my old barn from when we were little. That is the first thing you mention in the morning when you go downstairs.

17. You love to sing Old MacDonald and know all the animal noises and what they are called. Some of my personal favorites are the rooster that says, "cockadoooooo" and the elephant. Daddy's favorite is still your lion impersonation.

18. You like making yourself dizzy by spinning in circles. It always makes Daddy and I laugh because your little eyes get all crossed and you stumble around. Once the dizziness wears off--you are right back at it!

19. You recently said, "Love you" to me. I was getting you dressed and you leaned over into me and said it clear as day. Lyla, there is nothing better for me to ever hear.
I love you too little one.

Can't believe you are growing so fast!
You are the best little girl I could ever imagine.
Happy 19 Months!
~Your Mama

Our Lobster Feast!

On Wednesday we got a very special Christmas present from my father in law Lin and Marie...it was a delicious New England lobster feast! And boy was it good! The lobsters were live and came in a large pot to cook them in...along with clams, potatoes, corn on the cob, and clam chowder. We loved it, thank you so much.

Lyla seemed pretty happy about it too!

Lyla and I reading the directions

Chris taking a look

Getting excited!

One of the huge lobsters

Showing Lyla

O Christmas Tree...O Christmas Tree!

Lyla loves her pink and purple Christmas tree.
We set it up in her room and she is very proud of it!
Fortunately, she is also very gentle with it.
She loves to plug it in in the morning and say goodnight to it at night.

Putting pennies in her piggy bank

My cousins Mallory and Michelle with all our kids--Marlee, Dominic, and Lyla

Lyla and I this morning getting ready for our family dinner.
She was drawing..."Only on Paper" that is what she always says!

Our little artist!

So sorry that it has been a while since I have blogged...

We have been one busy Bumford family the last couple weeks.
We have arrived in Colorado and are having a wonderful time with my parents and family.

I just love being here--especially at Christmastime. It is a winter wonderland, and nice to have a change of scenery from the desert heat. Plus babies in their puffy winter coats are the cutest thing in the world--pics to come! (Lyla's is silver!) We are looking very forward to Christmas with tiny this year. She talks about Santa and loves when we sing "Rudolph." She met Santa, once again, at Sunflower market on Friday. We ran in to get something and there he stood. (I was a bad mommy and had taken her out in her pj's--which I never do--but oh well--we still took a photo with Santa!) Even though tiny looked a hot mess! ;)

We had an uneventful flight here, which is always the best kind! Lyla liked looking out the window and talking about the clouds, the sky, and the plane (she could see the wing.)

Thankful...

Dad grilled one of the turkey's- it was so delicious!

With Pops and her babies

Deba, Lyla, and Cody

Chris, Deba, and cousin Mallory

Handsome brother Rick

Momma the lovely cook

Aunt Karen giving Lyla whip cream for the first time--she loved it of course!

Oh so thankful!
We had a lovely Thanksgiving this year with lots of family to share it with.
My mom, dad, mother-in-law, cousins, Aunt, Uncle, Brother, and sister-in-law all spent the day with us at our house.

Just taking it all in...

Happy Girl!

this is so Lyla.

Loving her baby

These photos make me smile. I love our little girl. I really really love her.
Her facial expressions are so captivating.
She is a happy baby, there is no doubt about it.
But she is also very very serious.
In fact she is often more serious than smiley.
You may not know that about Lyla.
She is always thinking. Always learning. Always curious.
Always taking things in.
It amazes me that an 18 month old can be so intrigued with new things.

I take her to music class, she sits quietly always with the same furrowed brow, and watches the teacher and other children dance around and sing.
She does not always participate.
I take her to the story time--and she does the same thing.
But I have no doubt she is taking it all in and enjoying it.
But then, later while she is at home with me she will start singing a song from that class, or dancing the way the teacher taught-- and it shows me just what her little memory is capable of.
And it reminds me that things all happen in our own time.

Updates!

Life has been flying by!
Our Suga has been in town for the last few days! It has been so wonderful to have her here--and she has been such an incredible help. Cooking for us, cleaning for us, organizing for us...gosh I wish she never had to leave! ;) I am so thankful. She is such an amazing person and I am so glad she has come for a visit. This was her first time meeting Lyla--and they have become fast friends. Lyla says, "Suga" so cute. The photo above is so great, they made the same face! Love it. These were taken at the bar while we watched the Pats game.

This is where Suga and I found Lyla watching her movie today! hehe. This is her, "Mom leave me alone while I am watching my movie" face!

Lyla's new playroom is starting to take shape--
thanks to all the help from Suga!

My little Lamb

Cute outfit

Playing the piano with Uncle Rick

Reading with Auntie Karen

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Santa's favorite little Elf!

Me, Deba, and Lyla decorating the tree

Cute Chris helping out!

showing off the finished product

Tired from all the fun--Na night Lyla!

wearing Daddy's Red Sox Santa Hat

Lyla loves the tree. She finds all the ornaments and names them--and points.
My favorite was when she said, "Cracker Yum!" And I said, "Which one are you looking at?" She again said, "Cracker Yum!" I looked and she was pointing at the Nutcracker ornament! haha.
Priceless.

Just chillin.