Our 1st "Spring" Weekend

I realize that in two days the weekend will be here, and I guess this one coming up is really the first official Spring weekend...but around here, it's going to feel anything BUT Springy!  However, we did get a nice little tease last weekend with some beautiful weather on Friday & Saturday before it turned ucky & cold again on Sunday.  

Elyse LOVES being outside, we are going to have so much fun playing with her and Bogey as the weather continues to warm up!  

Friday evening we invited Nick's parents over for burgers & fries and they were keeping our nephews for the night so they joined us as well!  Elyse LOVES her cousins so this was some great play time for them together.  

FYI: Picture Overload!  

Ummm...when did my baby become a little girl?!?

Clapping for Bogey bringing the ball back

Running away from Bogey

Checking out this grass stuff in her new jellies!

Jackson:  It's ok Baby Elyse!  Love it!  

Seriously, how does she does for so long?!?

He dad throw me the ball!

Please?!?!?!?!?

Thank you!  

Some dessert on the Big Green Egg!

A little "where's Elyse's belly?" action

First S'more...yumm!!

 On Saturday it was still fairly warm, so I packed a quick picnic and we headed to a nearby "farm-park."  It was actually a little cooler than a I thought so we ate our lunch in a hurry.  Rutledge Wilson Farm Park is maintained by our county park board and is a wide open space with a few cows, goats, sheep, and miniature pones, along with a fishing pond, and even an area where you can rent-out garden space to grow veggies for your family.  Several of our friends LOVE the farm, but we hadn't ever taken Elyse simply because she wasn't quite old enough to enjoy it.

However, I can definitely LOTS of trips here this summer when we need some fresh air!

She really didn't want to get down when we were near the animals...I think they were a little too close, and a little too big!  

Little Miss Independent!  

Saturday night we headed out for a family date night to Chick-fil-A and a stop at Toys R Us to check on some options for outdoor toys for Elyse!

Sunday the weather turned back cold and rainy but we all dressed up nice & springy in our green anyway!  We spent the afternoon just hanging out in the warmth of our house before heading to small group to finish up the weekend!  I'm so ready for these Spring temps to come here to stay!

Seriously, how is my baby not a baby anymore?!?!  

 Hope you all have a great weekend...there's actually snow in the forecast for us!  Seriously...snow on the 4th weekend of March!  Ughhh...come on Spring, let's do this already!

prayer request

So I don't normally post things like this, but I just can't seem to shake a situation that has developed in the last 48 hours.

The wife of a good friend of my little brother's who also played golf with my husband in college, had been suffering from headaches recently. I'm honestly not sure how long.  Two days ago she woke up confused and ended up in the ER.  They ran an MRI and found what was probably the worst thing they could find...a 7 cm mass in the right front lobe of her brain.  They admitted her into the Neuro ICU and I'm really not knowledgeable enough or close enough to the situation to give any more details.  However, I do know that yesterday she became unresponsive and they had to drain fluid off her brain to avoid anymore swelling.

Thankfully she did come to last night, and then even more so this morning so they could quickly explain what was going on before she headed into have brain surgery this morning.  Brain surgery.  She can't be more than 27 years old and is having brain surgery as we speak.

As I type this, she is in an operating room just 20 minutes from here having dr's and nurses work to remove the tumor that is attacking her.

I honestly don't know her personally, but I know her husband & I'm in her exact life situation.  She's a wife, and a daughter, and a Child of the King, and a Mom.  Yeah, she has a baby boy at home who can't be more than 6 months old who I know she loves more than anything.

If you have a moment right now, will you pray for her & her family.  Pray that the doctor's hands would move quickly & efficiently, that God would guide there movements to remove all of the tumor, but also not damage more of her brain than necessary during the process, that once surgery is over she would still be herself with maybe only minor therapy needed, that the mass would be just that and not cancerous.  There are so many prayers right now, and they need all the help they can get.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us (Ephesians 3:20)

Elyse Love ~ 15 Months

Last Wednesday we went to the doctor for Elyse's 15 month checkup.  The appointment came at the perfect time because Elyse has started pouring fluids from her face again...drool & snot seem to be the fluids of choice, but the first few days even her eyes were watering!! 

Yeah, waiting was fine in the beginning...with her Cheerios & pacifier..

Weight/Height: Elyse weighs 20 lbs, 11 oz & is 31" long which puts her in the 20-25% for weight and the 75% for height.  We knew that she had grown quite a bit in height because she is reaching things that she hadn't been able to reach before...the world of child-proofing never ends! 

Clothes: As predicted, she is outgrowing clothes because of their length, not the width.  She is still wearing mostly 12-18 month clothes unless it's a one piece item; which we then move on to the 18-24 month size.  My mom went on a shopping spree last week & then I went on one yesterday with my MIL...a lot of what we bought was 18-24 months so she can wear it all through the summer.  She's also still in size 4 diapers & holding steady.   

 

Food:  Thank goodness for a great eater!  Elyse loves her food, and will at least TRY anything we put on her plate.  That doesn't mean that she won't promptly spit it out if she doesn't like it, but she also will reach for more if it's something that pleases her.  Breakfast normally consists of a scrambled egg, half a piece of toast, and fruit or if we're in a hurry we go for yogurt and some Cheerios.  Lunch just depends on the day, but normally she has a cheese quesadilla, grilled cheese, turkey/ham with cheese, or peanut butter & jelly.  She also LOVES chips so I have to really watch what kind of sides I eat with my meal.  For dinner she eats mainly whatever we are eating but still steers away from meat.  She's a green bean & pea lover so those are normally the veggies she eats.  She also has 2 snacks a day with Cheerios, Cheddar Bunnies, mini graham crackers, yogurt, banana, grapes, etc. 

We took LOTS of blurry baby photos!

We've also quickly learned that her hunger trigger is fast & furious...if Elyse sees you start working in the kitchen, she is READY to eat.  We're trying to use distraction to keep her satisfied until we can get a meal on the table, but unfortunately she sometimes just has to fuss awhile. 

Her hand is blurry, but I feel like she's pointing at herself and saying..."Who, me? What'd I do?!?"

Sleep: Elyse is a great sleeper, as long as she has her pacifiers.  On a normal night she goes down sometime between 7:30-8:00 and sleeps until 6:30-7:00; for the most part she is an 11 hour sleeper but occasionally she likes to wake up early (6:00 or so) and finishes her sleeping in bed with momma & daddy.  Yeah, we're softies but cudde time with her won't last forever!  She is also still taking 2 naps a day for a total of 2 1/2-3 hours.  We thought she was going to give up that first nap a week or so ago, but that was thankfully just a fluke! 

Activity:  This girl is BUSY!!!  She is everywhere and into everything and it brings me such joy!  When she's awake she just goes, goes, and goes some more; which is really why I think she sleeps so well for the most part.  She practically runs across the house sometimes, only tripping on a few occasions.  She is starting to want to crawl up on things so I'm thinking we'll have a climber very soon!  Ughhh!!  She's also a TOUGH girl, running into door frames, falling down...doesn't seem to phase her. 

Hey mom, how about I slide down off this table and get in the floor?!?

She loves to push around her cars and go VROOM, VROOM, VROOM; she loves to dance & twirl, &  she LOVES to go outside and see the puppies.  I can see A LOT of time outside in our future. 

Personality:  We are honestly so blessed.  Elyse has such an amazing personality & we just love to see it blossom and change each & every day.  She smiles & grins & giggles and it just fills our hearts with joy.  She also doesn't seem to know a stranger, and after a few moments will warm up to practically anyone.  We're so thankful that she hasn't dealt with much separation anxiety & actually LOVES going to play in the church nursery; makes us feel so much better about leaving her. 

Communication: Along the same lines as personality, Elyse is a TALKER!!  Someone asked me a few weeks ago if she was talking much, and I responded "Yes, but we don't understand much of it."  This person responded with, oh yeah, I bet she just jabbers all the time.  But honestly, it's not jabber.  And I know I'm her momma, but she speaks with such purpose and such intent some times.  She knows EXACTLY what she's saying, it just isn't perfectly clear to us.  She is saying Momma, Dadda, Papa, BoBo (Bogey the dog), Dog, Ball, Drink, Llama (For the book Llama, Llama) Book, Read, Bye Bye, Hi, Uh Oh, Gorilla (for Good Night Gorilla) and lots of other words that she's only said once or twice.  I fully expect her to just start piping off full paragraphs anytime. 

 

She still LOVES to read, and will even turn the pages & have the right rhythm when she reads certain books.  I love to see her sitting in her chair just reading away--it's absolutely precious. 

Inching ever so close to the forbidden cabinet...

 Likes:

~books. Llama Llama books are a favorite at our house, as are any book with flaps.  At Gigi's house she LOVES Goodnight Gorilla, and at Mamaw's house she goes straight for 8 Silly Monkeys!  It's so funny to see which books she's partial to each day...we definitely do a LOT of reading at our house! 

~Peek-A-Boo/Hide-N-Seek.  As she's gotten older and quicker on her feet, this game has become even more fun.  She is also definitely getting smarter & doesn't always fall for it when we try to run around the other side of the island.  She also loves to pull towels, rags, etc. out of the drawers, put them on her head and play peek-a-boo...as long as it doesn't involve running into door frames (which has happened once!)
~lap-sitting.  She is so adorable when she turns around and starts to back her little booty up so she can sit in your lap.  She's missed a few times, so now she's a little more careful as she backs it up!   
~food. See above...if you're eating it, she wants it.  

What do you mean this is off limits?!?

Dislikes:

 ~being tired.  When we're at home by ourselves, she seems to hit a wall and it's all over.  It's nice because we obviously know when it's time for bed, but I hate that sometimes she gets overtired. 
~hunger.  See above...don't make this girl wait for dinner, otherwise a full melt-down may ensue.  Of course, when she's hungry she'll eat almost anything!

Passed out after shots and no morning nap!  I just LOVE a little baby butt in the air! 

12-15 Month Milestones: 

 ~Molars...I think we've got 3/4 all the way in, and we're still waiting on the 4th...which will make 12 total teeth. 

Happy 15 months baby girl, you are becoming a little person before our eyes...and it's so exciting to watch you learn & develop!  We love you to pieces! 

PB & J Joy

So I'm not really sure why, but only recently have we started offering Elyse peanut butter & jelly sandwiches for meals.  We are really working hard to only offer Elyse whatever the rest of us are eating, but there are times when I KNOW she won't eat whatever we're eating (she's not a huge beef ran right now which takes away a lot of meals we eat!), or at lunchtime when we're all eating sandwiches.  And PB & J has become a great, quick answer for us when we need her to eat!  She loves her PB&J sandwiches...and sometimes even enjoys rolling them up into a peanut butter, jelly, & bread ball!  Silly girl! 

 

Last Sunday we were feeding her dinner before going to small group & our little ham decided she would put on a little performance for us with her sandwich ball!  Thankfully my camera was nearby so I could capture it all on film! 

 

 

 

 

Yeah, I know...we're in BIG trouble...this girl has us wrapped her finger & is completely intwined in our hearts!  

Zumba 80s Style, My Gladiator & Date Night

It was a pretty crazy weekend in the world of fitness for the Layman household!!! 

 

Friday night I headed out for a 2 hour 80s-themed Zumba party!  I had very little true "80s" gear in my closet, and didn't really have the time/money to go looking for something so my bestie picked up a neon tank for me and I did my best with the rest of the stuff in my closet...I honestly think I did pretty well! 

All ready for the Zumba party!

Me & My Bestie after burning 1000+ calories...I think we still look pretty hot! 

The entire group...such a fabulous group of ladies getting fit together!

Saturday morning I headed to work while Hubby set off for something COMPLETELY out of his comfort zone.  He had signed up for a Gladiator Mud Run a few months ago & was hoping to find some other guys to participate with him...well they all wussed out on him and he considered not going at all.  However, he had already paid the money so he decided to go on his own. After 6.7 miles in 1 hour & 36 minutes and 30 ridiculous obstacles...Hubby declared this the hardest thing he's ever done physically & said he will NEVER AGAIN do it!  He said that 1/2 marathons are SO much easier!  Regardless, I'm so proud of him for finishing 29 of the 30 obstacles...even if he is covered in mud!

My parents are going to be out of town this week so Elyse spent Saturday with them so Hubby & I could have some time to do yardwork together & also have a for real, dinner & a movie, date night!  We went to Maria's, our favorite Mexican restaurant, and then watched Identity Thief.  A great comedy & a lot of fun just hanging out with my man. 

All dressed up with somewhere to go! 

 

I ZUMBA so I can drink mango margaritas & eat chips & queso! 

 Elyse also spent the night with my parents so we joined them for church and then had lunch with my brother & sister-in-law who are expecting a little girl in May!  Elyse loves her Aunt Millie & Uncle Nick and I can hardly wait for Harper to arrive so they can play together as well! 

Reading to Aunt Millie & Baby Harper...check out that pantless baby with crossed ankles!  ha! 

 It was a pretty great weekend that was finished off with another great evening of small group!  The weather is finally supposed to warm up this week which will make Spring seem even closer to arriving. 

It's Friday!

*It's been kind of a crazy week...but honestly I'm thinking that may begin to be our new normal.  Zumba 2x a week, dinners with family, dinners with friends...our nights seem to fill up fast but I honestly enjoy it!  As long as we have 1-2 nights a week to just veg for a bit I'll take all the socializing! 

*I bought a bottle of coral Pure Ice nail polish from Walmart and paid less than $2 for the bottle. I painted my nails on Tuesday...it's now Friday & my nails are still looking awesome, which doesn't happen! Cheap springy nail polish...I'll take it!

*I became a hypochondriac on Wednesday after I felt a swollen lymph node in my neck above my collarbone.  I did the absolute worst thing you can ever do when you notice something sort of medically wrong...I googled it.  BAD IDEA!!  I literally sent myself into panic attack for 24 hours as some extremely horrible thoughts ran through my brain.  Thankfully Hubby was incredibly supportive, encouraged me to make an appointment at the doctor (they got me in yesterday morning at 8 am), went with me to the doctor, and then didn't call me crazy when the doctor simply prescribed some antibiotics to hopefully clear up any internal infection.  I also had some blood work done which all came back completely normal. I'm going to watch the lump, but it's practically gone this morning.  Silly emotional momma...no reason to get all worked up like that! 

*Another positive from my dr's visit yesterday was stepping on the scale...I weighed almost 3 lbs less than I thought I did!  I've also joined myFitnessPal just to have some accountability of my calorie intake & working out...it definitely makes you think about what you put in your mouth when you actually have to write it down! 

*Elyse has a cold or teeth or just something that has allowed the liquids to start pouring out of her again...mucus, drool, even watery eyes...my poor baby girl's face looks like a sopping wet mess! 

*I use exclamation points entirely too much, I don't think I should even count how many I've already used in this post...maybe I should start ending my sentences with a semi-colon; or maybe an accent sign`...thoughts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*It's supposed to be gorgeous this weekend and Elyse is spending tomorrow with Papa & Gigi.  Hubby & I are going to do some long-overdue yard work & then have an official dinner & a movie date night!  I'm pretty stinkin' excited! 

*Before tomorrow's fun, tonight I have an 80s Zumba Party, which is probably going to be a pretty crazy 2 hours! I'm sure we won't all be dressed like this, but it should be fun nonetheless!

*I'm a little jealous of all my teacher friends who are going on Spring Break...desk jobs don't provide for actual Spring Break!  Of course I shouldn't be complaining since we leave for the Dominican Republic in t-minus 7 weeks! 

*Since joining the iPhone world, I've been taking more self-portraits of my daily outfits.  It's a nice reminder when I do actually feel cute!  ha!  Like today when I broke out the leopard flats, black bubble necklace, & skinny jeans which all perfectly compliment my hair in a pony because I didn't have time for anything else before work! 

Happy Weekend everyone, don't forget to change your clocks on Saturday night! 

Elyse Ann Lately...

So we officially have a toddler...and I offically LOVE this age.  I'm sure I'm going to say that from now on, but I am having SO much fun watching here as she is BUSY, BUSY, BUSY! 

A few Elyse happenings in the recent weeks & past few months...

*Lots of Sleepovers! Mamaw & Pappy invited Elyse & her two cousins, Hunter & Jackson over for a sleepover on NYE and I think we might have a new tradition. She's also had several more sleepovers with the grandparents' so that Momma & Daddy can have some nights out...THANK GOODNESS for nearby grandparents!

*Performing...Elyse is a performer!!!  She even gave us a concert the other night that was absolutely beautiful!

*Chattering up a storm!  She still isn't saying a TON of words that we can understand, but she is speaking in sentences and paragraphs in her own little Elyse language.  The noises and phrases that come out of her mouth never cease to amaze me.  She also seems to say a word one time and then won't say it again.  I know that one of these days she's going to wake up and be speaking in sentences that we can fully understand...I'm so excited to carry on a conversation with her! 

*Walking everywhere...almost running!  Elyse caught on to walking so fast...she is now walking everywhere and has even navigated her first step by holding on to the wall.  Needless to say she is into anything & everything! 

*Eating...Elyse is still a big eater...when she wants to be.  She eats 3 meals a day, 2 snacks, and still takes a bottle of milk before bedtime.  She is my carb-loving, dairy-inhaling, fruit-shoveling, baby...when it comes to veggies or meat she could really just do without but we're still offering them at each meal.  I really think it's just a texture thing so we'll keep offering them & I think eventually she'll enjoy them.  Thankfully we've got peanut butter, cheese, & yogurt to take care of the protein issue. 

*All Done!  I have been a bad momma when it comes to teaching Elyse to sign, but we have taught her the sign for "all done" so we know when she's done and ready to get down.  This prevents a lot of messy cleanup when she starts dropping her food in the floor and smearing it all over her tray.  She doesn't use it every single time...but does pretty well & will even do it without prompting every now & then. 

*Bathtime & Poop. Do NOT Mix.  Enough Said.  Our tub was offically defiled during a pre-church bath on February 24, definitely a day for the baby book.  Nick & I are considering ourselves lucky that we made it 14 months before this happened the first time. 

*Reading!!!  Elyse still absolutely loves to read, and apparently she either has to sit in a chair or back herself up to your lap and plop down.  It's absolutely adorable as she walks her little booty up to my legs and once she thinks she's close enough she just sits down...she's only missed once so far! ha!

As you can see, we've been having an absolute blast with our sweet girl!  Can't imagine what we did with all of our time before her!