Kate loves Drew: July 2016

Fourth of July Weekend

The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays of the entire year! I love going home to Richfield for the 4th to be surrounded by family and friends. There is nothing quite like a hometown Richfield 4th of July and I'm so excited for Lila to grow up looking forward to the same things I always do! For example, the parade, park activities, visiting with friends and family, watching/listening to the entertainment on the park, going to Grandma Carol's for lunch, drinking homemade rootbeer, having a big family BBQ later that night, playing lots of yard games such as kub, cornhole, spike ball, etc, and then going back to Grandma Carol's to watch the fireworks in her backyard while eating watermelon. Then finishing the night off by lighting off some of our own fireworks! It's such a busy, sun filled, fun filled day. I love it!!

Lila's first parade candy! (She didn't really taste it, but next year she's in for a treat!)

Friday July 1st

We drove up to Richfield after I got off work. Shay came with us and I sat in the backseat with Lila. We had dinner with my family and spent the evening visiting with each other. It felt so good to be home and not to mention the weather in Richfield is PERFECT. I miss it so much!!!

Saturday July 2nd

Our friends Alyssa and Barry got into town and we got to meet their little girl Hayden who is now 2 months old! She and Lila are exactly 3 months old to the day! I am so excited to see them grow up together. I hope they are good friends just like me and Alyssa. I'm sure they will be!

Sunday July 3rd

We went to church where Lila tooted AGAIN during a quiet time during sacrament meeting. (Did I mention how she tooted last weekend during my mom's lesson? SO loud and SO embarrassing but soooo funny too.) After church, I made some snicker apple salad and headed to meet up with some of my high school friends with Lila. We visited with them for a little bit and then when we got back home, we played yard games with the family for the rest of the evening! We played kub, corn hole, and spike ball! It was lots of fun and great weather.

That evening we gave Lila and Hayden a bath together! It was soooo stinkin cute! Hayden is so small and makes Lila look so big! Although really she isn't that much bigger. They're cute together though and I can't wait to see them in the tub together again next year!

Monday July 4th

I barely heard the cannons go off early in the morning, which was surprising because it seems like they are usually pretty loud so I was surprised! Since Lila wakes up pretty early, I had some time to paint her toenails so we did just that. I painted them red of course!

We went to the parade and covered Lila's ears when the big trucks and fire engines would honk their horns. She was a little nervous about the loud sounds. Especially when the band walked past us. Some of the band actually ventured off the street and walked through the crowds which really startled Lila but it was okay!

She was pretty grumpy for a bit because the parade was right during her nap time. We spent the rest of the morning trying to keep her busy but that wasn't hard. Everyone was happy to hold her or play with her and friends around the park were excited to see her and meet her.

We got to watch aunt Kinsley dance on the stage and then when she finished we all left to go to Grandma Carol's for lunch.

While we were there, Lila took a nap and we ate some yummy food. Can't pass up the homemade rootbeer! So yummy :) Grandma Carol also made some homemade ice cream too. It was all so good and so fun!

After lunch we took a little break back at home before heading to Summer's for a family BBQ, slip'n'slide, and yard games.

I let Lila try some avocado while we were there and she seemed interested until she started to gag and then she threw up the few pieces she had managed to swallow. Poor girl! We were all rooting her on as she was tasting it! She probably thought we were all crazy.

After Summer's, we packed up our bags into our car so we could leave as soon as the fireworks got over. We sat in Grandma Carol's backyard to watch them and Lila was fixed on them almost the entire time! The noise made her nervous, but I could tell she liked the bright lights and colors.

I was really sad to leave my family and for the day to be over AND the entire weekend to be over, but it all turned out to be a wonderful experience with lots of fun and good memories made.

We made it back to St. George that night around 1:30 am and I had to work the next morning. Not fun! But happy to have been able to spend the weekend in Richfield.

Can't wait for next year!

Love,

Kate

Lila's 5 Months Old!

Lila lila lila! You are so much fun! And you get smarter and more beautiful every single day it blows my mind!

You're tall and skinny but you're also strong and have amazing hand and eye coordination. You can understand the word, "up" and you kind of stretch your arms out to be picked up whenever we say it. You hardly ever cry... you mostly just whimper when you are unhappy, don't feel good, or wake up in the middle of the night.

You still wake up often during the night, but you are a master at being consistent with your naps during the day. So that is nice! You go about two hours of wake time between naps. During that time we feed you, play with you, and practice tummy time! We have turned "Daniel Tiger" on the TV a couple times and you have showed a little interest in it, but still not much interest in the TV quite yet.

You happened to say "hi dada" just before Father's Day! Whether it was sincere or not, you said it and we got it on video!! It was so awesome. You've said it a couple times since then, but you're still pretty picky on when you say words.... You don't seem to babble unless something is in your mouth like your fingers or fist, or a toy! You're a funny one that's for sure!

We finally switched you over to size 2 diapers although size 1 still fit you. 2's are a bit big but that's only because you're a bit thin! Some people say you're so cute and chubby-- which you kind of are and it's adorable! but for your height I think you're a bit skinny :) It's okay though because you are so healthy and happy!

You show SO much interest in eating real food. We have let you taste apples, celery, and carrots. You have also tasted a pickle and a lemon! But showed no real reaction to either of them... so we will try that again sometime in the future ;) You take formula when mama is at work but otherwise you are a champion at nursing!

Your beautiful big blue eyes are soooo bright. But they water every time we go outside. I think your tear ducts are a little underdeveloped. Hoping you'll grow out of it with time!

We don't go outside very often here in St. George because it has been soooo extremely hot. We keep our blinds shut! So that could also be why your cute eyes water when we go outside.

I finally got around to painting your toenails for the first time this month too! I chose turquoise blue. They sure looked cute on you and you enjoyed looking at them!

You're getting better and stronger at tummy time and rolling over from your tummy to your back--both right and left ways. It's good! But you still refuse to roll from your back to your tummy haha.. You have also learned how to scoot using your legs to push yourself on your back.