the wattses

smiling for the camera

2011-11-20T17:37:00.001-08:00

1!

2011-10-13T03:40:00.001-07:00

Emilia is 1 today! You drive your mama crazy but I love you more than words can say. Happy birthday, baby girl!

almost 11 months

2011-09-05T04:35:00.000-07:00

Emilia is (almost) 11 months! Crawling super fast, slooowly growing her two front teeth, waving and clapping, laughing whenever she's told "n0", and eating Cheerios by the fistful.

city girl in the country

2011-09-05T04:32:00.000-07:00

It feels weird for me to call my daughter a "city girl" since I grew up on a farm but when we visited my parents, I think Lilah was a bit out of her element. :)

moving right along

2011-08-01T04:12:00.000-07:00

Emilia is getting so big! She's crawling now and keeping us on our toes.

summer

2011-06-25T04:02:00.000-07:00

first word

2011-06-05T06:20:00.000-07:00

Emilia is already doing the opposite of what I say. Her first word is dada.

more days like this

2011-05-30T13:06:00.000-07:00

Wish we had more days - and long weekends! - like this.

this is them now

2011-04-20T18:16:00.000-07:00

big day

2011-04-10T21:01:00.000-07:00

Emmie had a big day today! She rolled over for the first time and she figured out how to put the pacifier in her mouth on her own! So proud. She's the most huggable, squishable wonderful little baby and I love her so.

ready for spring

2011-03-07T03:45:00.000-08:00

We are so ready for spring! Lilah keeps wanting to go outside (or O-U-T as Jeff and I have to refer to it so she doesn't think we're actually going out and get excited) but, unfortunately, it's still brrrr cold out here. Emilia is almost 5 months old and I had a few days off in a row so that meant mini photo shoot! She is sleeping through the night great now but still fights falling asleep and hates naps. We're working on it and really, really hope it improves soon. Otherwise, she is such a happy, wonderful baby!

at play

2011-02-05T03:28:00.000-08:00

My girls and I were playing one day while dad was away! Emilia is 3 1/2 months here. She loves her bouncy chair and sucking on her hands. And Lilah can always make her smile :).

3 months

2011-01-09T11:35:00.000-08:00

Emilia is (almost) 3 months old! Sweet little thing is getting better at practicing her tummy time. She is a lot more playful and is fascinated by her big sister. I think we're getting to the fun stage now! And the longer stretches of sleep at night don't hurt either!

2 months

2010-12-16T11:36:00.000-08:00

More of Emilia's 2-month pictures!

night and day

2010-12-09T08:08:00.000-08:00

So, I think Jeff predicted correctly when he said that our babies would be night and day. These pictures were taken when both our girls were about 8 weeks old and I don't think they look anything alike. The picture of Lilah (top) was taken by the amazingly talented Christina Kahler (www.christinakahler.com).

terrific twos

2010-12-05T12:44:00.000-08:00

I'm sure hoping the twos are going to be terrific! Lilah turned 2 a few days ago and has been enjoying lots of cupcakes, presents, and time with family and friends. She is such an incredibly sweet little girl. Chattering all the time. Running faster than her feet can carry her sometimes. She's giving us hope that one day soon she'll be out of diapers (fingers crossed). She loves reading. Loves her baby sister (any baby, real or pretend, for that matter). Oh, I just love her so much. I need to write more about what she's like right now and the funny things she says because otherwise I will forget them. Here's a few pictures in the meantime. And stats from her Dr. visit - she's just shy of 27 pounds, about 50th percentile for height and 92nd percentile for head circumference (still has her big noggin!). Love you sweet little Lilah!

baptism

2010-12-05T12:29:00.000-08:00

This is Emilia's "I'm serious about getting baptized today face." :) Great day with family and friends!

6 weeks

2010-11-23T12:41:00.001-08:00

emilia is here!

2010-11-10T12:02:00.000-08:00

I've been bad and haven't posted about our Emilia Violet! She was born October 13 at 8:13 p.m. and weighed 6 pounds 11 ounces and was 21 inches long. She is the sweetest girl. But she can crank it up when she's mad and we're still sometimes struggling with a little day/night confusion. Emilia is almost a month old now and weighs 9 pounds 7 ounces as of today (she weighed 7 pounds 9 ounces at her two-week check-up). Lilah loves her sister and has been dealing with our new addition much better than I anticipated. We are most definitely blessed!

21 months

2010-09-17T19:01:00.000-07:00

Our sweet little girl.

girls' rooms

2010-07-09T06:12:00.001-07:00

We redid Lilah's room a bit to accommodate her BIG big girl bed (she looks so tiny in it!) and changed the guest room over to baby's room (which is still a work in progress). I love how they turned out!

18 months

2010-07-04T19:34:00.000-07:00

Here's Lilah at 18 months! Posting these pictures a month late but better late than never.

kiss the bump

2010-06-07T17:04:00.000-07:00

We found out today that Lilah is going to have a little sister! Baby dos is a girl.

happy mother's day

2010-05-09T04:54:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day! Lilah got you some flowers. We love you so much, grandma!

And, this is what she thinks of how they smell.

mother's day gift guide

2010-04-13T18:49:00.000-07:00

So many great gift ideas here! Of course, I'll just be happy with my annual spa day with the girls.

books

2010-04-12T12:05:00.000-07:00

Lilah LOVES reading! I'm so glad I found paperbackswap.com while on maternity leave. We've probably got more than half of Lilah's books through this free online service. We swapped out books I've already read or never will read and got books that Lilah loves, plus a few new ones for me. Plus, it's a straight-up swap so all about reducing and reusing.

if only

2010-04-12T12:02:00.000-07:00

I love Lilah's current daycare but I found this school through momaha.com while researching preschool options. Quality care, focus on exploring nature, and feeds the kids healthy and organic foods. Now, if only THAT were mandated by the government for all schools!

happy easter!

2010-04-04T06:33:00.000-07:00

cooking

2010-03-27T10:51:00.000-07:00

My dad helped me make Lilah a play kitchen! We found a dresser that someone had set out for trash on a curb in our neighborhood. We picked it up - Jeff hated that he was in the car when we did our dumpster diving! :) - and dad changed up the structure. Thanks, dad! I think it worked out perfect. I painted it glossy white and added some finishing touches like the gingham curtain, salt and pepper shakers, felt fruits and veggies, disc "burners", knobs and chalkboard paint. There's also some kitchen towels on the other side and our friend Jenny made Lilah a super cute apron. We still need to get her play pots and pans and stuff but I think she'll like it regardless.

15 months

2010-03-11T11:35:00.000-08:00

So, I know Lilah is getting big. I've been thinking it a lot lately but it really hit me when I looked at these photos! We had her 15 month check-up last week and here are her stats ... 22 pounds (36th percentile), 30 3/4 inches tall (59th percentile) and 47 cm head circumference (92nd percentile).

happy valentine's day

2010-02-14T03:46:00.000-08:00

My little sweetheart.

hair she grows

2010-01-30T18:22:00.000-08:00

Little miss has more hair now! She has a fun little spiky 'do or mohawk on top and wispy little fuzz - sometimes curly - in back.

ha!

2010-01-13T20:01:00.000-08:00

bubbles

2010-01-08T19:09:00.000-08:00

Lilah really likes playing with the bubbles now!

12 months of lilah

2010-01-03T18:45:00.000-08:00

Commemorating Lilah's first year. Very fun to see how she's grown each month!

merry christmas!

2009-12-25T06:00:00.001-08:00

Starting new traditions this year ... we're listening to Christmas music, we had cinnamon rolls for breakfast, we opened gifts, and now we're relaxing before cleaning up. Lilah's more excited about ripping up paper and running around than anything. We're pretty much snowed in so we're looking forward to a cozy day and to seeing our family in the coming days. Merry Christmas, everyone!

one year

2009-12-13T16:04:00.000-08:00

At her one-year check-up, here's Lilah's stats:
19 pounds, 4 ounces (8th percentile)
29 inches tall (32nd percentile)
46.5 head circumference (75th percentile)

birthday party

2009-12-13T16:00:00.000-08:00

Lilah had a Cute as a Button birthday party! She gave herself a fat lip about an hour before the party but the cake and frosting must have had healing properties because she did just fine hanging out with family and friends and opening presents. Happy Birthday Lilah!

santa, i've been a very good girl ...

2009-12-04T19:14:00.001-08:00

first birthday

2009-12-02T18:36:00.000-08:00

Today is Lilah's first birthday! I haven't taken her one-year photos yet (will soon!) but I had to commemorate the day somehow. So, here's some of my favorite things about Lilah now:

Her tipsy little steps! She's walking now and takes these funny little hesitant steps that are so stinkin' cute.
Her need for speed! She still prefers crawling because she can go faster. And it's so cute when she puts her head down and gets so determined to go even faster.
So smart! She recognizes several words now and loves books and learning. She knows milk, Milo, cat, bye-bye, shoes, music, books, bath, no, mama, dada, toys, O's, grandma, grandpa, blocks, kiss...
Talking! She's saying a few words, only when she feels like it, but she's said bye-bye and mama and dada, of course. Other words come out sounding like she's trying to talk pig Latin. For example, today she was trying to say cat and it sounded more like at-kuh.
Hugs! She's still super independent and never has been much of a snuggler but I love when she gives Jeff or me hugs. And, she usually rests her head on my shoulder and cuddles before I put her in bed. Love that.
Smiles! She has the sweetest little smile and I love her laugh when I'm tickling her and she really gets going. She has two bottom teeth and four top teeth now and she has started to make this funny little squinchy face when she's being silly.
So sweet! She really is the sweetest little girl. She has her moments, is very independent, very determined, very stubborn but we got really lucky with this one.

Love you SO much Lilah! Happy birthday!

here's hoping I win something

2009-11-18T14:49:00.000-08:00

I might win stuff! This is one of my favorite Web sites.

family photos

2009-11-09T20:06:00.000-08:00

Yay, family photos! The wonderful and talented Christina Kahler (www.christinakahlerphotography.blogspot.com) took these and I'm so glad she did. I love them all!

11 months

2009-11-07T12:30:00.000-08:00

A time of transition lately ... we transitioned to her big girl carseat, she's transitioning out of her morning nap (and I hope will start napping longer during her afternoon nap :) ), we've switched daycares, and we've had to start supplementing with formula after breastfeeding exclusively for 11 months. I think we might switch to whole milk soon. Little girl has a HUGE appetite. I don't where she puts it all; she's still pretty petite. It's a beautiful weekend so we went outside and explored at a nearby arboretum. She had so much to look at and explore I got very few pictures of her actually looking at me!

first halloween

2009-11-01T10:39:00.000-08:00

Lilah's first Halloween! She's Princess Leia. Pardon the lopsided buns on her hat - it's handmade by her mom :)

10 months

2009-10-17T16:53:00.001-07:00

Almost missed this month. Here's Lilah at 10 months. P.S. I'm only doing pictures every month for the first year :)

husker fan

2009-10-17T11:38:00.000-07:00

Here's our little Husker fan! I guess. She's only allowed to wear this sort of stuff on game day. And if her dad dresses her.

for her dad

2009-09-10T18:10:00.000-07:00

Lilah got to watch a little bit of the first Husker game of the season before she had to go to bed. Her dad said she enjoyed it. She looked cute anyway in her pink Husker outfit :)

Also, an update on Lilah at 9 months after her doctor check-up today. She weighs 16.5 pounds (6th percentile), is 27 1/4 inches tall (32nd percentile) and her head is 45 cm around (75th percentile). All is well and so far we've avoided the flu that's going around our neighborhood so here's hoping we all stay healthy!

9 months old

2009-09-04T19:11:00.001-07:00

Lilah is now 9 months old! She's crawling like a champ, pulling up to a stand with ease and has two little bottom teeth coming in. Oh, and she's a pretty little lady ...

dress of the day

2009-09-04T18:43:00.001-07:00

We had so much fun today! A Friday and Jeff and I both had the day off. I started and made the dress Lilah is wearing today. It was a women's turtleneck shirt. I made it a bit too long so gathered up the sides with "roses" which look more like fabric wads due to my poor sewing skills but, oh well. I also put mini roses by the straps, which I need to redo because they're a bit too long so I think I'll cross them in back and they'll be perfect.

first doll

2009-08-30T06:19:00.000-07:00

I made my first doll and it's Lilah's first doll! The doll is in pretty sad shape if you look too close but Lilah doesn't seem to care.

first refashion attempt

2009-08-22T06:34:00.000-07:00

I was given a LOT of cute baby girl clothes by a friend. One of them was the cute romper pictured above. Given Jeff's dislike of rompers and that it's starting to get cooler out (for now, anyway), I decided to see if I could refashion it into a little shirt for Lilah instead. It's not a great sewing job by any means but I did it!

baby behind bars

2009-08-09T06:06:00.000-07:00

Lilah's crawling! We had to use the baby gate for the first time today as she scooted around the house.

growing in a garden

2009-07-26T15:58:00.000-07:00

I had to do it! Lilah's almost 8 months old here. Growing so fast ...

tutu cute

2009-07-20T20:16:00.000-07:00

So fun! Lilah at 7 months ...

drool

2009-06-22T18:16:00.000-07:00

Which toy to drool on next? Just can't decide!

blue eyes

2009-06-15T19:53:00.000-07:00

Enough said ...

6 months

2009-06-10T05:18:00.000-07:00

Lilah just had her six month check-up and all is well! She's just shy of 14 pounds so she's only in the 11th percentile for weight but height and head circumference are both above average so she's just a dainty girl.

yummy

2009-05-30T18:56:00.000-07:00

Lilah is eating food! So far, she likes rice cereal and pears but she's not a fan of apricots.

almost summer and ready for snow

2009-05-17T09:59:00.000-07:00

Summer is almost here so why would I put Lilah in a stocking cap? Because she's so cute, that's why!

our families

2009-05-14T19:36:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Mother's Day with friends and took a group photo with our growing families!

zoa mae

2009-05-14T19:29:00.000-07:00

Welcome Zoa! Here's my favorites from a couple photo sessions I had with Corey and Suzanne and their beautiful daughter Zoa, born April 22.

happy mother's day

2009-05-08T15:03:00.000-07:00

OK, grandmas, OK ... I know it's been a long time since we last posted. Here's a picture of Lilah I took at 5 months. Happy Mother's Day!

i love my dad

2009-04-12T11:11:00.000-07:00

aaaah ... so sweet.

happy easter

2009-04-12T07:12:00.000-07:00

Lilah got to wear a pretty dress for Easter! We were surprised it fit her considering it was a six-month size but she filled it out just fine. Little girl is getting so big!

rolling

2009-04-09T07:53:00.000-07:00

Lilah's rolling!

4 months

2009-04-05T18:17:00.000-07:00

Lilah had her 4-month check-up today. She's had a cold (which she was nice enough to share with her mom!) for the past week or so and she now has fluid in her ears. The dreaded ear infection. Other than that, she's doing great. She only fussed a bit while getting her shots and was fine afterward (I think the heart bandages helped!).

I decided to post her "stats" from her doctor visits so far so I have a record of it ...

4 Months

Weight - 13 lbs. 8 oz., 45 percentile

Height - 24 3/4 in., 66 percentile

Head Circumference - 42 1/4 cm., 80 percentile

2 Months

Weight - 11 lbs. 8 oz., 64 percentile

Height - 21 1/2 in., 51 percentile

HC - 40 cm., 76 percentile

2 Weeks

Weight - 8 lbs. 6 oz., 50 percentile

Height - 20 3/4 in., 74 percentile

HC - 37 3/4 cm., 78 percentile

3 Days

Weight - 6 lbs. 10 oz.

Height - 19 1/4 in. (she lost her cone head :))

HC - 35 cm.

Birth

Weight - 6 lbs. 14 oz.

Height - 21 in.

best buds

2009-04-05T18:13:00.000-07:00

We were really curious how Milo would react to Lilah. He's been very good; mostly just gives her a sniff every now and then. Today, he got as close to her as I've seen so far. They cuddled up together on the bed!

in motion

2009-04-02T18:37:00.000-07:00

So, these pictures aren't very good. Lilah is constantly moving and I need to work on my camera skills in that area. But I haven't posted in a while and she was super happy to have her dad help her stand up. She loves standing!

3 months

2009-03-02T17:32:00.000-08:00

Lilah is 3 months old! Here's some new photos to commemorate the milestone. Enjoy, grandmas!

funny faces

2009-02-20T07:30:00.000-08:00

Lilah is always so happy after her morning nap! Here are some funny faces from earlier this week.

baptism

2009-02-15T13:36:00.001-08:00

Lilah was officially baptized today at church! Friends and family were wonderful and attended church and a gathering at our house afterward. She did great at church and slept through most of the service. At home, she was oohed and aahed over as she looked super cute in her new dress.

multi-tasking

2009-02-15T13:33:00.000-08:00

I had to take this picture of Jeff holding Lilah while enjoying an adult beverage. I think it's so funny that he's not able to "multi task" at home but when it comes to beer and childcare, he's a pro!

one year old!

2009-02-15T13:28:00.000-08:00

Jake, the son of our friends Mike and Jenny, turned one year old yesterday! Born on Valentine's Day, this little heartbreaker had so much fun tearing into and eating the yummy cake his mom decorated for him. What a cutie and such a fun party!

back to work

2009-02-09T08:42:00.000-08:00

Well, it's hard to believe but my 10 weeks of maternity leave is over. I go back to work today. While I'm excited to see my friends again and face new challenges at work, I'm really going to miss my baby girl. I'm fortunate enough to have a flexible work schedule so we spent the morning together. I snapped a few pictures ... in the first it seems like she's saying "You're doing what, mom? Going back to work?! But we have so much fun together!" In the second, she's reassuring her nervous mom, "It's OK. Have fun at work and I'll see you soon!"

Hey, it makes me feel better, OK?

2 good 2 be true

2009-02-03T10:55:00.000-08:00

Lilah is 2 months old! She had a well-child visit to her pediatrician today. All went well despite the 3 vaccination shots she had to get (ouch!) plus one more oral vaccine (yuck!). She wailed while getting the shots but calmed right down after. Such a good girl. And the doctor said she was "perfect" for her height, weight and head circumference. She continues to study and learn about the world around her. As everyone who meets her says, "she's very alert."

At two months, Lilah ...
Loves her pacifier
Almost exclusively only goes to sleep swaddled and in her swing
Loves to nurse and does so about every three hours
Fights sleep but naps well and sleeps great at night (including one 5 to 6 hour long interval!)
Is already exhibiting an independent personality (as in "I want what I want when I want it!" Oh, boy are we in trouble!)
Wakes up smiling from naps and ready to practice her baby yoga or play

Love you, baby girl!

all smiles

2009-02-02T17:02:00.000-08:00

Lilah has been smiling for a couple of weeks now and just recently discovered that her mom and dad are very funny and has been laughing at all the ridiculous things we do to make her smile!

yoga baby

2009-01-18T13:49:00.000-08:00

Lilah and I went to our first Mommy & Baby class today at One Tree Yoga. It was so much fun! Lilah really enjoyed it - smiling and looking around and cooing until the end. It was a 45-minute long class and both Lilah and I got to do some yoga and relax - as you can see from Lilah's big yawn!

little lady

2009-01-15T16:39:00.000-08:00

Lilah is 6 weeks old! I'm still surprised by how much she has changed in such a short amount of time. After a couple good nights of more sleep and less fussiness, both mom and Lilah were in the mood for a little photo shoot.

keeps growing and growing and growing ...

2009-01-12T13:46:00.000-08:00

We've been busy the past few weeks ... Lilah tried out her leg warmers (still has some room to grow into them but I couldn't resist!), sat down to dinner at the table with mom and dad (again, has some room to grow into her high chair), and has just been getting cuter and cuter as she gets bigger and bigger!

football fan

2009-01-02T05:13:00.000-08:00

We celebrated New Year's Day by watching the Huskers win their bowl game! As usual, Lilah slept through most of the fun but her dad enjoyed watching the game with her - especially because his team won. As her shirt says ... "My dad and I 'heart' the Huskers."

home for the holidays

2008-12-31T08:31:00.000-08:00

Baby's first Christmas! Lilah's first Christmas was spent at my hometown in Iowa. Traveling for 6 plus hours in a car with a 3-week old was interesting, but we made it work by stopping several times along the way. And she was a trooper on her first road trip and out-of-town stay. Grandma Joy and Grandpa Ivan spoiled her and she enjoyed it thoroughly. My brother and his family and my grandparents also got to meet Lilah, which was wonderful. A few days later we celebrated Christmas with her Grandma Barb and Grandpa Jim and Jeff's family. Merry Christmas baby girl!

happy holidays!

2008-12-22T12:32:00.000-08:00

We're celebrating Christmas in Iowa with my family so we did our family and friends Christmas on Saturday. Jeff and I opened gifts while Lilah slept. She has since enjoyed the books that her dad got her for Christmas though.

That night, we had a Feliz Navidad with our friends and enjoyed tacos. It was so great to see all our friends and we had so much fun enjoying good food, conversation and exchanging gifts.

a day in the life

2008-12-19T13:08:00.000-08:00

It's tough to be Lilah ... eating, sleeping, pooping, eating again. She is getting so big and is so expressive already! It's amazing to watch her grow and change.

lilah has arrived!

2008-12-12T17:08:00.000-08:00

It took a lot longer for her to arrive than I anticipated (had contractions/in labor for about 50 hours) but baby girl Watts is finally here! Lilah Joy was born at 4:37 a.m. on Tuesday, December 2. She weighed 6 pounds, 14 ounces and was 21 inches long. She is perfect, amazing and all things wonderful. Jeff and I are so happy and excited and were blessed to be surrounded by family and friends.

her movie debut

2008-11-02T16:27:00.000-08:00

The first view looks a little weird but it's baby girl's movie debut! We're posting for the grandparents. She'll be here soon!

girl party

2008-10-05T13:16:00.000-07:00

Suzanne and Jenny hosted a shower for baby girl Watts yesterday! Mom, Grandma J and Regan were able to come up and celebrate (along with dad and Grandpa J) with wonderful friends and family. Suzanne baked and Jenny decorated a delicious cake (with cream cheese frosting!) and we enjoyed "mocktails" and everyone decorated a onesie for baby girl. What a fun day. It definitely makes her impending arrival seem that much more real - and very, very near!

apple harvest

2008-09-17T06:22:00.000-07:00

Suzanne and I went to Kimmel Orchard in Nebraska City over the weekend. Cherry cider and spiced apple donuts - YUM! And getting 15 pounds of apples to make apple pie and applesauce seemed like such a good idea. Until I was peeling and slicing about 35 apples! Oh, well. The results are delicious. We picked our own apples and aren't entirely certain which variety we got - we're pretty sure we picked Gala apples - and I also got some Jonathan apples. The mix worked very well for both the pie and applesauce. We're planning on going back to the orchard again in October or November to get some Granny Smith apples ... and more cherry cider and donuts!

milo

2008-08-14T16:05:00.000-07:00

Milo, our source of amusement and exasperation. Tonight, he was a crabby cat.

squash

2008-08-14T15:58:00.000-07:00

We planted a garden in the back corner of our yard this year. It's definitely been a year of experimentation so I've learned a lot - but have also had some luck! I have so much zucchini I don't know what to do with it anymore. I've given it away to friends and co-workers (who are also sick of it by now, I'm sure), I've made four loaves of zucchini bread, 36 chocolate zucchini cupcakes, a zucchini lasagna, zucchini pasta salad, and have six bags of shredded zucchini in the freezer. I can't imagine wanting to eat zucchini anytime again soon, but I have it frozen for when that day comes! Anyway, just a warning to those ever planning on planting zucchini - plant just ONE plant. I planted two zucchini and two squash plants and ... well, you get the picture.

we're having a girl!

2008-08-14T15:30:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I found out a few weeks ago that we're going to have a baby girl! Due date is December 3 and we're very much looking forward to when that day comes. Since I have a very busy September at work and Jeff travels quite a bit in October for work, we planned a trip to Chicago to do some shopping for the nursery. Now, we're as ready as we can be - for now, anyway. This is a picture of baby girl's garden-themed room.