"Lily's Life!" Happy 6th Birthday Beautiful!!

Lily at her 5th Birthday.  Our beautiful Pixie!

As I reflected back over the last year in Lily's life I have realized that from the age of five to the age of six was a very significant year.  A year of many firsts...

• First REAL experience with LOSS OF LIFE ...Great Grandma Burgo and her dearest friend Bodega (our doggy)
• First day of Kindergarten
• Loss of first tooth
• First Soccer season
• First Kings game
• Learned how to swim independently for the first time
• First major hair cut
• First time learning to boogie board
• First drum lessons
• Lily learns to read!
• First experience being a Big Sister
• First REAL experience with NEW LIFE...Lily prayed to ask Jesus into her heart 7/5/09 

 I figured the easiest way to share these moments is through the photographs we have taken over the last year.

Lily and Daddy at the Kings game

 Lily and her BFF Scottie

 
Summer fun..building forts with friends

 Lily has many special "little men" in her life.  Mason Harder is one of her favorite friends.

 Lily's favorite "big man."  She is a Daddy's girl through and through...

 Goodbye snarls and morning "drama"

6 inches gone.....

Goofy time with Mommy!

 Lily and Cousins at Great Grandma's funeral

Great Grandma Burgo.  A very special lady.  She will be greatly missed.

 Life is beautiful!!!  One of my favorite pics.

 Lily the fish!

Grumpy Lily...A face we saw way to often this year!

Lily rockin on her first drum kit!

"Animal" Lily!

Boogie boarding in Pismo!

Our little "goalie"

 Loss of first tooth!  Swallowed while eating a brownie:)

Mrs. Devine and Lily receiving her first award!

Lily wants to be a "rock star and a nurse" when she grows up.
So we combined the two for her halloween costume.

 Lily and "Lily" her first "just like me" American Doll.

Looking forward to meeting her baby brother...

At last he arrives!  Zion and Lily at their first meeting.

 An amazing big sissy!

Our beautiful girl...She is such a gift.

Lily turns 6!!!!

Lily is growing into an amazing young lady.  She is the perfect balance between "sugar and spice!" She has the most tender heart and is a care giver by nature.  God has gifted her with a bright mind and she loves school and is doing so well.  Her teacher says she is a leader in the classroom.  Lily has settled into her role as a big sister and is falling in love with her baby brother more and more each day.  We have loved watching this relationship blossom.  

I think the most incredible thing about our daughter is that she really LOVES THE LORD!!  I am so inspired by how real this relationship is for her. God is truly one of her closest friends.   I love to hear her pray and am in awe of the faith that she has that her prayers are being heard.  Her spiritual sensitivity is a beautiful thing to behold and I learn a lot just watching her experience The Lord.  She is truly a gift and we look forward to the "Firsts" this year will have to offer.

"Whatever works!"

     Round two is already a bit different than the whole first experience with parenting.  I find myself doing many things I swore I'd never do with Lily.  The first being "baby wearing"or what I like to call "The Crack Sack!"  I refer to this amazing apparatice by this name because within thirty seconds or so of putting Z in it he is nodding off into a blissful altered state of consciousness, hence the name "The Crack Sack!"  This is great for him and even better for me the "multitasking mama" that I am.  As you can see in the photo below, (taken by Lily) having two free hands makes the simplest to most complex tasks a total breeze!  On days when I am sure I am not going to leave the house with my "barn painted,"(make up on) as my mom calls it, I just plop him in the "crack sack" and we are in business.  As you can see even the loud blow dryer doesn't even phase him.

     The "Crack Sack"  is also known as the "Geriatric magnet!"  There is not a Grandma in Walmart that doesn't stop me to take a peek.  Even when I try and hide him they just can't seem to help themselves. It's actually quite sweet and I never mind taking a little extra time to share my "little nugget of love,"(one of my goofy little "pet names":))

     Speaking of "pet names" allow me to introduce you to "Our Little Chimichanga!" .....

I love me some "Swaddle blanket!!!!" (AKA Zi's "snuggie") This little cozy gift from God has turned Z's exasperating, five minute power naps into anywhere from one to three hour "Beauty rests!"  And this is no "old school" receiving blanket swaddle....this is high tech, complete with velcro.   I joked with Jeremy that he needed to go back to "Swaddle 101" when I found Z "free" in the middle of the night after daddy had done the last "wrapping!"

     Anyhow, as the title of this blog states.."Whatever works" has become my new motto.  If I get some sleep out of it, a meal with my family, some errands laundry and housework done I am ALL FOR IT!!!

Everyone needs a place they can breathe...


Our Place is Bodega Bay...


When life in Suburbia begins to weigh on the Nellist family  we head directly for  our sleepy little fishing town on the Northern California Coast.  Jeremy, being raised in Sonoma County had always considered the North Coast one of his favorite places.  On our first date Jeremy introduced me to this amazing place and it quickly became one of mine as well.  I was raised in Southern California and have always loved the So. Cal beaches.  I will have to say the Nor Cal Coast has won my heart.  The rugged coast line, massive waves, smell of sea air and eucalyptus, the sound of the fog horn and the virtually deserted beaches are fuel for a weary soul.  In 2000 Jeremy and I were engaged and married on School House Beach in Bodega Bay.  The love affair continues and I believe has more than likely become part of the makeup in our children's DNA.  

School House Beach (AKA "Our Beach")

                                           

Sunset on "our beach", a nightly tradition

Lily at the Tides visiting her friends

Zi in the "Crack Sack"

Lily's Pelican buddies

The Sea Lion Lily swears came just to see her.

Lily having patio time at the hotel

Rockin out!

Ahhh bedtime after a long day of ocean therapy...

Coffee with a view.. our morning ritual

Breakfast at the Tides.  Lily loves to watch for "her friends"

Lily bird watching on the patio

Our afternoon swim.  Lily is quite a fish.

Daddy watching Zi so we can have some "girl time!"

The beautiful pasture next to our room

"Delicious"

Zi and I went to my Dr.'s appointment today...

My OB said he was "Delicious."

I will say...

I completely agree

"Lily's Life!"

 

We wanted to create a part of the blog just to update you on what is going on in the life of Lily. Lily is very excited to introduce her very own "Lily's Life" section.....


Although Lily is absolutely loving being a big sister it has not come without moments of feeling "dethroned." After all, she has been "the Queen of the Castle" for the last five and a half years. 

Last week in fact we, Lily and I, had a very heart wrenching conversation about how she has been feeling since the birth of her brother. Lily has always been able to articulate her feelings well and this conversation was no exception. Let's just say I left the conversation with an overwhelming feeling of "mother's guilt".  Although I have been very intentional about spending time with Lily daily, it usually involves doing something with her while I was nursing such as playing a game, coloring or reading to her.  Lily was very quick to point out, "mom, but  he is always there. I had to give it to her...she had a point.
     In an effort to give Lily a little more "one on one" mommy time, Jeremy and Zi had some "man time" and Lily and I spent a few hours together last Sunday afternoon.  As we walked and I held her hand I got this overwhelming feeling that this time was just as much for me as it was for Lily.  I had really missed my Lily girl.
 Our afternoon was spent going to The Fountains together window shopping and getting frozen yogurt and then we went to Barnes and Noble and picked out a new book for our nightly reading time.  We got a book recommended by a friend, "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" by Kate DiCamillo. We are really enjoying it. Lily loves being read to and has began reading and attempting to read anything and everything she sees.  It is so cool to see how all of the sudden this whole new world of words has opened up to her.  It is also the end of Jeremy and I trying to attempt to spell anything in her presence...such a bummer. 
     Another way we decided to help Lily transition is to get her more involved in Zi's care.  She is really enjoying feeding him his bottle and does very well with it.  She loves helping with his bath and picking out his "outfit for the day."  All these things seem to really help her feel important. 

Lily has always had a love for creating and has been surprising us with her artistic side from the time she put a pen to paper.  In an effort to foster and encourage this we signed her up for her first art class.  She is absolutely loving it and is impressing us with the art she brings home weekly.
     Lily is also doing an amazing job with her drum lessons.  Her instructor Kevin in just incredible with her and she loves going every week. She is well on her way towards accomplishing her aspirations of one day becoming a "Rock Star!" 
     Lily continues to be obsessed with anything "Star Wars."  She hangs mostly with boys at school and is usually playing "Star Wars or Clone Wars" at recess.  
     She is an incredible student and has surpassed all her Kidergarten bench marks thus far.  Homework time is however not the most pleasant time at our house as Lily, like any 5 1/2 year old could find 1000 other things to be doing with her time.


     So that's a little update on the "life O' Lily!"  She is growing so fast and changing at an alarming rate.  She brings such joy to our lives and we are so proud of our "Lily Girl"