Stylin'

Myla completed her first round of swim lessons today. She had the best time chasing ducks and kicking. We still need to work on her scoop and the floating on your back parts, but she loved it I think. All morning she went around the house saying "simmin lemmons" and was really excited to put her suit on. I think we'll have to look into the next round once the Y releases their schedule. She even got a pretty yellow certificate to show off - if you could get past the shy part that she's all of a sudden doing with anyone. But once she flashes that smile, you know you are okay.

She's also been a busy girl learning her colors (most things are blue or green, sometimes purple) and counting to ten (even if she does miss a couple of numbers here and there). This week, Myla got to play with one of her East Coast friends, Emma, and teach her the word "no, no" and how much fun it is to run away from mom. That Myla, she's a trouble maker I guess.

We have been counting down to Christmas on our calendar and are very excited to begin the festivities tomorrow with the Witulskis. It will be the first time since she became mobile that she will really get to play with her cousins on that side of the family. They are bigger and older than her, but I think she'll have just as much fun watching them as she will trying to keep up. Or maybe they will just make her laugh cause they are so funny. We'll have to see!

Christmas time is here!!

Yeah for Christmas!! Myla has already taken a liking to this holiday what with the tree and lights and all. She liked Thanksgiving too, it's just that the main mascot is a turkey and gobble gobble doesn't have the same ring to it as ho, ho, ho....Maybe we need to be more creative with T-Day activities and start celebrating them sooner. I don't know, but anyway it's Christmas time!!

Here's just an idea of the fun we had building the gingerbread house together. The dog got a lot of candy off the floor but otherwise, Myla was a big help squeezing out the icing and holding the walls together and especially taking the candy off and putting it back on again then eating it. Look at that mop-top of hair she's got! Time for another trim.

Lately Myla has been reading so many books. She got some from Boynton that she likes a lot and that teach her colors and letters and sounds etc. Recently, we've been reading the Christmas Story book for children about the greatest gift of all during Christmas that of Baby Jesus. She's so cute when she says it too!

This morning while Myla was eating breakfast I was playing a video game and I didn't know she was watching until the car I was driving got stuck and she said, "Uh, oh!" and then something like, "Go Dad-dy!" It was cute. Probly shouldn't let her watch me play GTA IV.....yet anyway. So much fun being a parent.

Magical Moment

Tonight, we decorated our Christmas tree. Myla put her ornaments on by herself. My heart melted - it was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen.

Its Turkey Day!

Yeah for turkey! We had a little scare the night before Thanksgiving because Myla came home with a slight fever and she still had it in the morning. We thought we wouldn't be able to join in the giving thanks celebration, but after a good nap, she felt right as rain and we got to see everyone. It was a lot of fun to watch the cousins play together again. Myla LOVED the mashed potatoes (that's my girl!) and even had a bite or two of turkey. Today though, put that turkey in a sandwich and she was all over it - again, my girl! - and we think she had a good time.

Myla's been rebelling against her highchair at home lately, so we went on the search for a booster seat, thinking maybe she would eat more. Then we found out that our space saver high chair turns into a booster seat, and once we converted it, she loved it. And today I bought her a place mat to help keep the table kind of clean (its multiplication tables, a bit advanced, but you can't start too soon, right Aim?).

In the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday, we would like our friends and family to know how much we appreciate them and all they do. We've been blessed with a wonderful circle of support and we are thankful every day. We know that Myla is well loved and that, even though we are second to her, we are too. We hope everyone had a wonderful time with their families and that they are as thankful as we are for everything, big and small.

Special parent time

Since Johnny has started working overnights, Myla and I have had a lot of time on the weekends together. Its been a lot of fun - we started swimming lessons last week. She clung pretty tight to me, even though she's been in the pool before. I think it was the people all around us. She did really good at the kicking part and was starting to get the hang of the scoop to paddle with. The going under was not so smooth though. We'll keep working on it. During our "shhh, daddy is sleeping" time, we've also been to a number of parks and started a new tradition of bagels. Mmmmmm, bagels.... I don't know which she likes better, the bagels or the people watching.

Today, Johnny got to spend some daddy time with his girl. The chose to check out the Wildlife Experience, which he said is not really for two-year-olds. A lot of big animals making some weird moves and noises that scared her too much to even be down from his arms. But, they did have some things that she thought were neat to see. Butterflies and trees and a place that you could make an avalanche. The butterfly had handles that you could move the wings and a mirror so you could see yourself with wings. He thinks that overall she had fun.

She's become quite the talker, spouting off two and three words together. She's also discovered the thrill of online games and we spend some time playing Curious George games on PBSkids. She's actually pretty good on some of them. She's changing every day - and taking us along for the ride!

A cause dear to us

As many of you know (if not all of you, I don't know that our blog is that internationally read), Myla was born 12 weeks early. She weighed 1 pound, 5.8 ounces and was just over a foot long. She came so early because I developed HELLP syndrome - a nasty version of pre-eclampsia. I don't know how sick I really was, but ask my mom someday, she said it was pretty scary.

Because Myla came so early, her lungs did not get a chance to develop fully. We were able to wait two days for steroid shots to help her, but it wasn't a cure all. When babies are in utero (like that? that's science-speak) around 26 weeks, they start producing surfactant, which helps the lungs to open. The surfactant helps them stay open upon exhale, and babies "gulp" the fluid in the sack so when they are born, thier lungs are ready. Myla didn't get that chance. I remember looking at the x-rays they took of her lungs and seeing large dark areas where her lungs weren't open yet. She had three treatments of surfactant to open them up.

I tell you this because it was the March of Dimes research that pinpointed surfactant as necessary for babies that were born so early. November 17th is "Fight for Preemies" day. Obviously, we are BIG fans of March of Dimes. Because of their research, our daughter was given an extra push and able to grow and become the strong and feisty and amazing little one she is. Please join us in fighting for all preemies by clicking on the purple badge to your right. It will take you to the March of Dimes website where we have created a band in honor of Myla. I know it is hard these days for a lot of us, and the holidays are coming up, and things are tight in the middle of the month (at least, they always are for us) but we ask, if you are able, to please join us in giving all babies the chance they deserve. Any donation you could give would help. Thank you!

Horsey, horsey on your way

Myla got this great rocking horse for her birthday from Mam-mam and Pop-pop Witulski. When she first got it, it didn't make any noise for some reason. But since then, she's loved it, rode it a lot, been bucked off and now, the horse talks back...

It came as quite a surprise when she pressed it on the first time, but she loved it. And yes, she still does. A lot.