Hat happy

Lively Lily

Let's see. These days Lily has been keeping busy with acting classes that she started last Tuesday (thanks to Grandpa Deetz). She's been to two classes so far and really seems to enjoy them. It is the only class she has taken that she really looks forward to. We decided to try different classes with Lily to see what really interests her before committing to any one class on a more serious or long-term basis. So far, she seemed to enjoy dancing and gymnastics. Swimming not so much. I think that acting class is the winner so far. She also asks (almost on a daily basis) if she can take horseback riding lessons. This is probably the only activity that scares me to death. I want her to pursue her interests, but horseback riding can be so dangerous. We explained that she would have to learn how to take care of a horse before ever riding one, but she is just so committed it. Regardless, this is something that is going to take some serious consideration and probably won't happen for a long time.

Lily is playful as ever. She has decided that princesses wear dress every day so she MUST wear either a dress or skirt every day. Sigh. She has also entertained us with some funny sayings lately. While practicing writing "a" yesterday, she commanded William to "Watch the master at work, baby". Later that night, she was riding her bike around the house and said to me, "Excuse me, amigo. That means friend in Spanish". Okay. I have admit something here. Before actually having a preschooler, I was so against kids watching tv, but I am truly amazed at what she has picked up through television programs. I know that she acquires vocabulary rather easily, but I credit television programs for some of her more sophisticated words. She informed me that Toot & Puddle taught her the word "amigo". And while I still don't encourage watching it too much, I would say that I value some time watching tv (especially PBS) programming. Once again, my idea of good parenting was changed by actually having children.


Oh my big girl. Here Lily is in her new booster seat. She can now unbuckle the seatbelt, get out of her booster seat, open the door, and get out of the car on her own. This is still unreal to me.

Polar bear, polar bear...

Thanks to Mary and Katie for the snuggly soft sleeper

And thanks to Tori and family for the fuzzy, warm jumpsuit


And thanks to Santa for the stylish sweater

"Willy-um"

We've decided that William may be the sweetest baby boy ever, that is, besides my brother who according to my mother was a perfect angel as a baby. Nevertheless, William runs a close second. He smiles all the time which I just love. He has laughed a couple of times, but it is a rarity right now. Hopefully, he'll get more giggly in the next few weeks.

William is still Mr. Droolie but no teeth just yet. I may have been premature in my diagnosis, but he sure does have all the symptoms of teething! William also loves to blow raspberries while he's jabbering away, so in general, we see lots of saliva from this little guy.


William loves to be held and prefers to be able to see the world. He also loves the t.v. That little stinker will strain to see it all the time (particularly fun while trying to nurse). I don't think Lily noticed the t.v. until well into her twos so this presents a new challenge for us. William also enjoys looking at the black and white baby face we have hanging above his changing area. He coos and smiles at it just like Lily did as a baby. Other loves include his mobile, swing, and pictures hanging in the car, all enjoyed in small doses.


Our little koala. William is still a cuddler and is now using his hands to grab onto things he wants. He can grab toys and bring them to his mouth, and in general, is just fascinated by his hands. He also can now get a good handful of hair - not so much fun.

William is a champ when it comes to head control. We never got a Bumbo with Lily, but I'd like to get one for William. He so enjoys being able to take in his environment, and I think Lily would enjoy being able to play with him in an upright position. Also, it kind of naturally builds in space for William so Lily can't get in his face so much. I'm actually looking forward to being able to get out the exersaucer as well, but we're going to wait a little bit on that.

William officially rolled from tummy to back yesterday (on the floor), but he has not rolled from back to tummy yet. Luckily, Lily called me into the hearth room by saying, "Mommy, Willy-um is doing something in here". I came in time to see the whole thing, thanks to Lily! I love the way she says his name, by the way.

As far as schedule goes with William, there still really isn't one. Typically, he eats at about 9, 12, 3, and 6 during the late night/early morning hours and then gets up for the day between 7 and 8. But, on any given night, that can go right out the window. The days vary even more. Some days he'll sleep for 3+ hours at a time. Other days he won't sleep for more than 30 minutes at a time and wants to be held all day. I just never know. I realized that by this time with Lily, I had been back at work for 2 weeks already. I'm happy that I get to stay home with William, but Lily got into a routine right away when I went back to work which was nice. It will be interesting to see how it plays out this time around.

Weekly wrap-up

I had a fabulously busy weekend and have nothing scheduled today for the first time all week! Hooray! So I'll use this time to catch up.

The weekend started with Carl's mom visiting us....yay! She and Ingrid stayed with William while I got to take Lily out by herself for our playgroup on Friday. It was amazing how free I felt with just one child! Before William was born, I had it in my mind that I would schedule special trips with just Lily or just the baby. I wanted them each to have their own quality time, but I'm finding that Lily really doesn't desire time without William. She is always thinking about him and would much prefer that he be with us. I do get some quality time with just William while Lily is at school which is nice. I think that he is a bit more relaxed when she's not around. :) However, I will say that she is excellent at entertaining him, and he often watches her very intently and smiles so big (most of the time) when she plays with him. She can be quite helpful in interacting with him so that I don't feel so guilty when I have to get some other things done around the house. Win-win!

On Friday night, I got to hang out with my friends until the wee hours of the morning. I haven't done that in quite some time! As I told them, I think I lose about 15 years of maturity when I'm with them...something I think is vitally necessary and am grateful that I'm able to do every once in a while. Thanks to Janie, Sara, Kelly, Kitty and Bev for a great night out and for enlightening me about BOGO!

On Saturday night, I got to go out with the girls for my aunt's 50th birthday. I'm always surprised by how much I feel rejuvenated after spending time with the women in my family. It fills up my soul in a way that is beyond compare. They are very special women, and I'm so grateful to have such strong, insightful, and grounded women in my life!

On Sunday, we packed up the kiddos and went to my parents' house for breakfast with Ang, Zach and Suzanne before they all headed for home. It makes me sad to think that I may never live in the same city with both of my sisters again, but I am glad that we live close enough for frequent visits. We may not be able to get together to just go shopping or do lunch or meet for a playdate, but our time together is that much more valuable since there are lapses in between. I miss you guys, but we have firm plans to visit you both this summer (Ang - last weekend in July; Suzanne (and Tori) - late May or mid-June). Sunday afternoon was spent with my brother and his family at their house. Jeff served up some of the best Italian beef sandwiches we've ever had! Kudos to you, Jeff; we'll be trying our hand at those this weekend.

The rest of the week has been mostly about getting some (important) things done. It has been a very productive week thus far. We are also currently considering trading in my car. My car is getting to a point in its life that it will probably need some bigger maintenance-type things done, and Saab isn't exactly known for its inexpensive repairs. So, the most cost-effective thing to do right now may be getting a newer car with a warranty. I was a little sad about giving up my zippy turbo-charged car, but I will concede that a larger soccer-mom-type vehicle would probably be more useful to us at this stage in our lives. While getting back into a monthly payment is a very unpleasant prospect, getting hit with unpredictable and potentially large repair bills is even less desirable. We'll keep you posted.

In other news, Carl just started his Derm-Path rotation. It has similar hours as his GI-Path rotation but is less strenuous which makes for a happier Carl and thus a happier family. Even with the rigors of his job, Carl manages to keep a sense of humor most of the time. Before my girls' night out, Carl had a talk with William and Lily and quite seriously told them that the theme for the night was "ELE - Everybody Love Everybody". Just last night, we got Lily some m&m's as a treat, and I told Carl to remind Lily to be careful with them so that she did not get chocolate everywhere. He responded, "C'mon, you know they melt in your mouth, not in your hand". I'm telling you, as corny as it is, I need his humor to get me through the days when stress can weigh you down. It truly makes all the difference in the world.

Speaking of stress, my first class begins February 8th, and I'm entering into my freak-out stage. I alternate between thinking this job is the best thing ever to thinking that I set myself up for a world of pain, taking a part-time job at home while also having kids full-time at home. I think it will be great once it starts and I get into the swing of things. Trying something new is always a challenge, but this will lead to a great new (marketable) set of skills. Also, I think it is always a good thing to get a little bit out of your element. It is the only way to grow as a person. So, that's the State of the Deetz household right now. I will update separately about William and Lily. There's just too much to say about them to include in this post!

Wednesday dance party

After William got up at 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 am (by far his worst night), I wasn't quite sure what the day would hold for us. However, Lily decided that we should get married today. So she made a lovely spread, and we danced the afternoon away. These are the days that make it all worth it. (William was the Queen sitting in his chair, by the way.)

Almost 3 months

William will be 3 months on Friday! Wow!!! Here's some more pictures of our big little guy.

Thanks to Tori for the matching outfits!

Bear bottom

QT Pi

Lily update

My Lily. When you have your first baby, you think you could not love any being any more than you love that little one right at that moment. So how is it possible that every day I love her more and more? My heart can hardly stand it sometimes. As she gets older, she also holds me to a higher standard in parenting. Almost daily I question if I am good enough for her. Am I nurturing but providing enough structure to enable a successful life? I am providing guidance but not so much so as to take away the "carefree" days of youth? Above all, I want her to enjoy and appreciate all the details of life. I hope that I am passing on this perspective by example.

Lately she seems so much more mature to me. Often when we tell her not to do something, she simply says, "Okay". Not always, of course, but the fact that it happens at all is amazing. Also, she just moved into a booster seat which I am still adjusting to. It really forced me to admit that she is no longer a baby but a little girl. Her interactions with William are so motherly and just precious. She is so incredibly loving toward him and has been from Day 1. She is always thinking about him, his wants and needs, and often "interprets" what he is saying to me. She has never complained about him crying or taking away attention from her. She showers him with affection and attention and has come such a long way in understanding limits with him.

Lily is still as spirited as ever. Although I love her spunk, it is easier to appreciate some times more than others. She still cannot sit still for a meal. She will often do laps around the table, talking nonstop while twirling and posing and pausing now and then to take bites of her food. Her food preferences and intake change daily. If you ask her if she wants to eat out, she will usually say "no" with the exception of going to Chuck E. Cheese or Panera Bread (her absolute favorite food is their broccoli-cheddar soup). At home, she is all across the board. She is very open to trying new things and surprises us with the things she likes (like eating an entire Asian pork chop recently). She definitely has a sweet tooth as well and partakes in her fair share of candy and ice cream.

Right now Lily's play often entails someone getting married, having a birthday party, or taking care of lots of babies. She can often be found holding a pony, a doll, or stuffed animal, and we find groups of toys (usually ponies) all around the house clearly arranged for some type of party scenario. She also loves her computer games (she got 3 new ones for Christmas) and has become quite adept at working the computer. She still loves reading books and still does not care for writing. Although we have started working with her every day, she shows pretty much zero interest in it. She is proud when she gets it right, but I think it is only because we are proud, not so much an intrinsic pride. Related to writing, she is not that into drawing or coloring but does enjoy more crafty projects. Occasionally she will want to play a board game or do a puzzle, but on most days she would much rather play in the backyard with her dad and Terra or play "hide and seek" with them, a current favorite. She has also rediscovered her rollerskates and enjoys the challenge that they present.

In sum, Lily has been and always will be her own unique little person. I'm pretty sure that she is one of the only four-year-olds that insists on going to bed with a picture of John F. Kennedy on her nightstand. What she shares with all for-year-olds is a curiosity of the world, and I am enjoying sharing the discovery process with her.

William update

Having previous experience with Lily, Carl and I have learned one thing in parenting: the one thing you can count on is change. As soon as you have a problem figured out, a routine down, etc., there are new challenges and changes waiting around the corner. So, when William started to get a little more fussy over the past couple of days, we thought "here we go"! Maybe our laid back little one is going through a new phase of not-so-happy. We also noticed an adorable new habit of munching on his little arm. I don't remember Lily having ever done that. Then I remembered taking William's picture a couple of days ago and continually wiping away the drool on his chin (which has continued through today). In the 5 minutes that Carl and I got to see each other last night, he noted that if he didn't know better, he would say that William is teething. I initially laughed thinking William is way too young to be teething, just as Carl thought, but now I'm convinced that is what is going on. Today William was going to town on his fingers, just munching and munching away. Also, he has been a terrific sleeper from the start, and lately he has been sleeping in little fits and bursts. I just know it is due to his discomfort. I checked his gums for any sign that a tooth may be getting ready to pop through, but I just can't tell. His bottom gums seem a bit bumpy and there may be a whitish cap, but I'm not positive.

Before Carl mentioned a possible prognosis, I never even stopped to add up all of these new behaviors because it just seemed way too early for any developmental milestones like this. I looked on a couple of parenting websites today, and they said that normal teething age is between four and six months, with some developing as early three months and some as late as a year. If this is a correct prediction of what is going on with William, he would be on the early end at not-yet-three months while Lily was on the later end at about seven months. Just one of many ways that they will differ, I'm sure! I'm really anxious to see if anything develops over the next few days; I will keep everyone posted!

First week of January - Lily

The temperatures during the first week of January did not get above freezing so we planned some indoor activities. Here we are on our way to the zoo's indoor playroom.

We met Jack and Margo (not pictured) at the zoo. It was lots of fun, and even better, no one was there because of the Arctic temps!

On Wednesday we met our playgroup at a superfun playroom where all the kids enjoyed playing with the elaborate train set-up and enjoyed yummy pizza and cookies for lunch. (Great event, Molly!)

On Thursday, Lily was supposed to start school again, but of course it snowed and school was canceled. So we had some fun in the snow in the backyard.

Ready for some outdoor adventures!

Terra loves to romp in the snow!

It is a little-known fact that I am absolutely the worst snowman-maker in the history of the world. Somewhere along the line I missed developing this skill. Poor snowman.

Luckily, Lily thinks that it is the funniest thing ever.

After our chilly adventures, we had to warm up with some hot cocoa.

We spent the rest of our snow day rollerskating and...

cooking with our EZ Bake Oven.

First week of January - William

Thanks, Carolyn for the super-cute shirt. It served as the source of inspiration for our NYE party theme!

Just chillin'

"Hey, do you mind? I'm working here!"

"I know something you don't..."

I love this picture.

Thanks, Ali for the cute outfit (Lily's favorite) and super soft blanket.

Our sweet boy

So maybe I took a few liberties with the conversation between William and I that I posted earlier. Below is an example of our actual interactions....posted mainly for our distant relatives that don't get to enjoy William's coos on a more regular basis. We could not have asked for a more sweet, happy, content, interactive, cuddly little boy!

NYE Party

These are the pictures from our rockin' annual New Year's Eve countdown to noon.

Sara and I show off our pb&j mini sandwiches with jelly peace signs and ying yangs piped on top of the bread. Messy, but I can't resist tying the food into the theme. This year our theme was Peace and Harmony in 2010.

Julien thinks the food offerings represent balance quite well.

Lily and William enjoy a little peace and quiet away from the crowd while checking out some computer games.

Kate prefers to dig in and get messy while decorating and eating her cupcakes while Monica makes nice and neat designs (could have something to do with the age difference). :)

You scream, I scream, we all scream for....peace malas, of course!

Monica making a peace dove from a cutout of her handprint.

And everyone's favorite game....jump on Joe! Thanks to everyone for another successful NYE tot party! We can't wait for next year!

Hollywood lessons

Recently William and I had to catch up on some Hollywood gossip. Here is a little recap of our conversation.

"William, did you know that Tiger Woods had 8+ girlfriends while he was married?"

Really, you don't say? Tell me more.

"And then he got caught."

Ha! What a chump!

"And now his career is in the dumps, he's losing his endorsements, and he stands to lose half of his possessions to his wife."

Oh man. That stinks worse than my diapers.

"Come closer, William."


Yes, mom. I'm listening.

"Worst of all, he betrayed his friends and is losing his family."

Okay, mom. I got it...it doesn't pay to be a player.


Who needs Aesop's Fables? We can cover major life lessons just by tuning into Access Hollywood. :)

Me & the kiddos

Everybody loves to hold a William!

Aunts Suzanne and Angela lovin' on their nephew

Mary loves to hold her baby cousin!

The oldest grandchild with the youngest grandchild

Aunt Angela with some more cuddle time

Mom with William

Surprise! Mom has William again!

Mary is a great helper!

And Katie too!