Layla is 23 weeks old!

Week 23 has been very promising. We successfully held our first Thanksgiving feast at our house. I did not burn the turkey, thanks goodness. And Layla sat in her highchair for the first meal ever. It was great.
Throughout this week, Layla showed us that she has mastered the skill of sitting. She can't get up if she falls but she can sit up for a long period of time. It is great. She also has mastered the skill of tasting everything. She puts everything in her mouth. If the object has a bad taste, Layla produces the "yucky" look and tires it again. We also have eaten green beans, sweet peas, and thanks to Daddy she has had her first bit of banana. Yummmmm!
This was a great week because Mommy, Daddy, and Layla were home together for a hunk of the week. We like to relax together and have family time. This weekend, after hosting the family for Thanksgiving, we decorated the home for Christmas. We has two trees up with the small amount of ornaments we have as family. Just so you know, one tree is a mini tree. We have wrapped a few gifts for family and began preparing to make lists of our own for Christmas.
Stay tuned to see what happens week 24! Layla is growing so fast and much we can hardly believe our eyes.

Daddy time is so important!
Splish, splash, I am taking a BATH!

Leave me alone. I need my nap time!!

What are these things called?

They are so yummmy and tasty!!!

Mommy, Layla, Daddy, Ganny (Donna), and Tim.

Grandma, Mommy, Layla, Daddy, and Aunt Jean.

I am ready to go shopping, hurry up Mommy!

I love to chew on this book.

Layla is 22 weeks old and has turned 5 months old!!

Layla turned 5 months old this week. On, Saturday, November 21st to be exact. Where has the time gone? It seems to have just flown by, but it defiantly has been fun. Week 22 was great. We relaxed. Layla started to eat green beans for her 5th month birthday. And we are starting to sleep a little longer every night. Mommy certainly is enjoying a extra sleep.

This week started off great as always. We got to relax each night as a family. Layla and Daddy enjoyed their together time playing. Daddy time, as Mommy would say, is the best. But Mommy and Daddy time is the greatest.

A very cute thing that happened this week involved Layla and Daddy's toothbrush. As Mommy got dressed one morning and watched Mommy brush her teeth, Layla decided it was time for her to try this religious act on her own. So, as Mommy pasted her brush, Layla took a quick grab at Daddy's and plopped it in her mouth. At first Layla's face expressed a "Gross" taste. But then all of a sudden it was all smiles as she pressed the brushes bristles on her tongue and cheeks. Layla then pulled the toothbrush in and out of her mouth as she has seen us do about three times a day for five months. But Mommy of course took this joyous new toy away and Layla began to scream. Yes, SCREAM at the Top of her LUNGS. So, Mommy to the rescue. Mommy quickly took out Layla's very own Gum Stimulator and made miss priss pleased and happy. The face Layla made with this new gadget in her mouth made everyone in the house happy. We think it takes a little of the edge off but if not it at least tastes good.

Later on in the week, Layla and Mommy went to Meridith and Devin's house for a bow making lesson. Thanks to Devin we will not go in debt with the bow buying business. After that, Mommy and Layla came home to make the swaddling blanket for Christy and her soon to be arriving baby Marya. The sewing business at our house is a work in progress. But the swaddler was complete in time for the shower on Monday, thanks to Layla's Sunday nap.

Well, to catch you up with the activities that are going on in Layla's life at five months include:
sitting, holding a bottle, eating cereal, green beans (just started), rolling over from tummy to back, crying, pooping, peeing, loving mommy and daddy, and now we can add, pulling on the ears of Bill and Jenny. Yes, I said Layla has learned that the family dogs have ears. Well to her it is a part of them that she can grab and tug on. The dogs just pull away and then shake their heads to get everything back in place.

Week 22 is done and we are now on to week 23. Layla's first Thanksgiving and our family's first time to host the dinner. Layla just can't wait to see that whole family and celebrate our blessing for this year.

I am just waking up from a nap.

Why don't you just leave me alone, Mommy?

Thanks to Mommy' fast moves, I get to try out my very own gum stimulator.

Oh my goodness, it takes the edge off, a little.

I found Daddy's toothbrush today and decided to give it a test run.

I love it when Daddy plays with me.

But, which toy should I take next from him.

These rings taste so good.

See me. I am having a grand of a time.

Watch Layla swing.

We don't have the jumping down yet.

Layla is 21 weeks old!

Layla smiles big at her wonderful Daddy.

Layla is sitting.

See for your own eyes.

At 21 weeks, Layla has begun to sit up and balance herself in this position. She has not mastered the sitting position, but she is beginning to push herself up when she falls forward. She still has not rolled over from her stomach to her back, but time will tell.

It has been a relaxing week for all of us. Work, school, the babysitters, play time, family time, cleaning the house names a fair amount of the things going on in our lives.

Monday was a unfamiliar day for Layla and Mommy since Mrs. Nita called in sick. So, with a critical meeting happening at Mommy's work, Layla got to spend the morning off with Mom and a visit to one of Mom's campuses. The teachers there just spoiled Layla with their full and undivided attention. They loved her pinchable checks and the amazing things she was doing. Pulling and playing with her toys, holding her own bottle, and talking up a wall. Layla was a focus of the meeting. But thank goodness, the rest of the morning was off for us. We got to take a snooze before the real work began. Thanks to Grandma Nixon, Mommy was able to go to work that afternoon. Grandma Nixon sure has been a life savor on many occasions.

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday have been busy, yet wonderful days. Since we are a one car family, Layla and Mommy get the pleasure and honor of taking Daddy to work each and every morning. Then we get to greet him in the afternoon with our smiles and our questions of "How was your day?"

This weekend was fun and exciting for us. Layla showed us that she can sit up with no assistance for 25 seconds. She is defiantly getting better at holding herself up and pushing herself back up when she folds forward. It is just a joy to see her problem solve. We went to the zoo and library book sale. Daddy got many books, but the kid books had been picked over. But, as you can imagine, Layla has all of Mommy's school books. So, she has plenty to choose from.

As the next week approaches, we, as a family, hope to get a new vehicle for Daddy. Who knows, it might be a truck, car, or even family SUV. Daddy has to make his decision soon.

Mommy makes Layla laugh and giggle.

Bath time is still the best.

Layla is 20 weeks old!

Week 20 was a busy one, like most others. The week started off Layla's 4 month check up and ended with the Junior League event of the year, Deck the Halls. But throughout all of the events, we had fun as a family.

Layla's doctor's appointment went great. She weighed 17 pounds and is 231/2 inches long. The doctor says she is in great health and that makes up happy. The idea was given that we start baby cereal. And we were excited about introducing the first steps of solid food to Layla's diet. One reason we are excited about hearing this news is because many people say, "Once you start cereal, they sleep longer through the night.' And lets face it. Sleeping beyond 7 hours a night is not Layla's thing.

So, on Wednesday, Layla had her first bite of soupy, milky cereal. It was a messy event, but Layla loved opening her mouth and moving the liquid in her mouth with her tongue and pushing it out between her lips. Let's just say we needed a bath after this eventful moment.

On Thursday night, Mommy and Daddy were going out on date number two, to hear the Beatles Tribute with the Symphony. Layla was at Christy's house for the time, and doing well. But as you can guess plans got changed on Mom's behalf. On the dive to the Symphony, Mommy decided to bust a tire on a cement island. Thanks to Mommy the evening was changed drastically and accidentally. Daddy had to change a tire on the side of the highway. But to our luck the bolts were stripped and a tow truck had to come pick the car up, even thought Daddy worked so hard. So, the tow truck was called and Grandma Nixon's van came to the rescue. Thanks to Grandma Nixon, Layla was picked up, and the entire family was home and in bed before ten o'clock. We also thank God for our safety at this dangerous time and moment in our lives.

On Friday, Mommy got the car fixed and shuffled Layla and Grandma Nixon from home to work and back home. Later that night, Daddy's car decided to take one of its last ride home from his work. As he made it home, the car overheated and decided to die. This is the good old, white Camry that Mommy, Grandpa Nixon, and Daddy have all used and abused. Well, lets face it, Mommy is the one that abused this car and gave it the hardest time. One thing we can honestly say is, we have gotten our moneys worth out of this vehicle.

On Saturday, Mommy, Grandma Nixon, and Aunt Jean took Layla for her first picture and visit with the big man in the red and white suite. Yes, it was Santa Clause, who has a good beard on since Layla tried to pull on it during her visit. After the photo we shopped and shopped and shopped at the Deck the Halls event.

On Sunday, Mommy and Layla had a blast carving out the pumpkin you see in the pictures. This is the exact same pumpkin we picked out at the pumpkin patch several weeks ago. Isn't she the cutest pumpkin in a pumpkin?

Bath time with Daddy. He knows how to make bath time the funnest.

Mommy and Layla are smiling at the best man in the world, DADDY.

I love to eat, it taste so good.

Yummy!!!

Open up wide.

Layla is 19 weeks old!

At 19 weeks, Layla has had fun and an exciting time. Everyone has been telling us, 4 to 6 months are the best. And for us the 4 month mark has been exciting so far.

Layla is now beginning to hold herself up in the sitting position. She uses her hands to push her torso up, but she is still working on this skill. In addition, Layla is still creeping but now she is moving forward and backwards in her crib as she sleeps. It was a sight to see that she had traveled from the middle of her crib to the top of the crib in the middle of the night. Later on she turned her self to her back and turned to the side and was laying in the middle of the crib crossing it with her body. When she woke up that morning, Tuesday, Layla was surprised to not be directly under her teddy bear mobile. If you look closely at many of the pictures from this week, you should not be surprised it you see some drool coming from her mouth. Layla is defiantly putting things in her mouth and using them to massage her gums. We don't see any teeth coming in yet, but we know they may be on their way soon.

This week and weekend were relaxing and enjoyable as always. We had to move Layla's jumper up a notch. Which means she is a growing girl. She enjoyed playing with her band toy with her Daddy. She also had her first trip to the zoo with Caroline. And yes, we went to Grandma Nixon's house for her first trick-or-treat. That is actually the only place she went trick-or-treating at. Grandma Nixon did not give her any candy, but gave Layla a big hug and kiss. The last fun and exciting thing we did this weekend was visit with Ganny and Aunt Jean for lunch on Sunday.

Well that sums everything up. Layla is going to the doctors on Tuesday for her 4 month check up and shots. So, you will get to know about her new statistics this coming week.

Layla is 18 weeks old!

At four months old Layla can creep on her tummy, hold her bottle, and babble all day long.

Yes, we are creeping. It is just too cute to see and a wonderful noise for one's ears. Late Friday night, as I swept the kitchen floor, I saw Layla move from the middle of her quilt to the corner where a toy layed. She did grunt, moan, and whine, as she made her way to this destination. But once she got there the smile on her face and joy of placing the toy car and keys in her mouth, was worth all of the effort and hard work. Thank you cousin Diana, for this amazing toy that captures the eyes and needs of Layla. As the night progressed, Mommy and Daddy tried to get Layla to move from one stop to the other as we temped her with new and exciting toys from her stash in her room. It was a wonderful sight we shall never forget.

We have had a wonderful week. Layla is officially holding her bottles. She struggles at lifting it up high to consume the very last few drops, but she can hold it and take it out of her mouth. Layla likes to take it out, giggle and laugh at her accomplishment, then scream with a high pitch scratch to get our attention. But as you know, she always has our attention. We might not be looking at her dead on but my eyes are always on her.

The other great thing Layla can do now is take her pacifier in and out of her mouth. About two weeks ago, she was taking it out and would get frustrated at placing it back in, because it was always backwards. But this week, she has mastered this problem solving task and critical thinking skill. It is so neat to see her experiment with her hands.

As you can tell from the pictures below, we hit the four month mark. Layla turned 4 months old on Wednesday, October 21st. To celebrate we had a stroll with the dogs and then took pictures during our evening tummy time. And yes, you will see that Layla had to try on her first Halloween costume thanks to Mommy's good friend Christi. She is the cutest flower in the world.
For the rest of the week, we had fun and relaxed. On Saturday, Layla, Mommy, Aunt Jean, and Grandma Nixon planted flowers in the front of Grandma Nixon's house. This is a yearly tradition and Layla had to come along. As everyone worked hard, Layla attracted some of Grandma's neighbors who could not resist the sight of a little life flower moving around on Grandma's walkway. It was too cute and yet torches, according to Daddy. Layla was dressed in the flower costume standing and sitting in her wonderful walker. Mom did not get a snap shot of this moment, but it was just too cute. Later on that afternoon, Mommy, Aunt Jean, Grandma Nixon, and Layla went to the pumpkin patch. This is where and when Layla got her first close up with the pumpkins.

On Sunday, Mommy and Layla went to church and then enjoyed planting the last three dozen flowers in Grandma Nixon's flower beds. Once we finished we ate breakfast together and boy Layla enjoyed the omelet later on in the day. Once we got back home, we relaxed with Daddy and took a good long nap. Nap time feels so good. Layla also, went to Mamo's house and gave her a birthday card that had a picture and her footprints on it. Mamo loved the card.

Well, that is what we did and what Layla has accomplished this week. Who can guess what Layla will amaze her Mommy and Daddy with next.

Nap time. It feels go good for the whole family.

Mamo and Layla.

Happy Birthday Mamo.

Cheese, I love to show off in my walker.

Everyone needs a good night sleep after planting flowers all day long.

Mommy, Grandma Nixon, Layla, and Aunt Jean
enjoy Layla's first trip to the pumpkin patch.


Can you say "PUMPKIN."

"Oh my goodness, I am surrounded by some big orange balls!"

I am the cutest flower in the world.

Tummy time.

This is the exact same night when Layla made her first creeping movements.

Yummy!

These rings are very tasty.

I am 4 months old!!!

Hip, hip, hip, hoary.

Layla is 17 weeks old!

Now that I am 17 weeks old, I am ready to explore and see so many new and interesting things.

Yes, Layla is 17 weeks old. And we have had an eventful week and weekend. On Monday, Daddy had baby duty as Mommy went to a Junior League meeting. Then on Tuesday, Mommy and Daddy enjoyed cooking dinner together as Layla played in her new walker. She has begun to move backwards. It is too neat. In addition Layla, Mommy, and Daddy played pass the baby in the kitchen, after we rearranged the room to accommodate the walker. It seems to be the only place in our house that allow Layla to roll. On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday we relaxed as a family and enjoyed filling our evenings with family time. Bath time, book time, tummy time, and sleep time are so critical to our evenings. On Friday, Mommy stayed home with Layla in the morning since Mrs. Nita had to take the day off. But, Grandma Nixon came over to grand babysit, and Mommy went to work. You will see the cutest pictures of Layla taken recently. Since Daddy's birthday is Sunday, we tried to take a perfect picture for his homemade card. Thanks to one of Mommy's co-workers, we made a painted mess in the kitchen as Mommy tried to get a nice clean foot print of Layla's. After about 10 tries, we finally found a system that would help make a nice clear print. But if you are curious, Mommy and Layla needed a bath after this wonderful experience. Oh, the kitchen floor needed a cleaning too. On Saturday, Mommy slept in along with Layla. It was so nice. Then we did our every day weekend chores to get ready for the upcoming week. Then on Sunday, we celebrated Daddy's birthday. Mommy and Layla tried to allow Daddy to relax and enjoy himself. It certainly was made easier since Daddy bought a new toy for Layla. Below you will see it. It is a music making toy that has a piano, drum, and guitar (daddy's favorite). This new bright and colorful toy also came with a maracas and tambourine that Layla loves to put in her mouth. We also went and wished Papa Garcia a happy birthday, since Daddy and Papa share the same birthday. We had a nice visit. But that sums up the week. You will have to stay tuned because Layla turns 4 months old on Wednesday. No one knows what is will surprise us with next week.

Daddy, Layla, and Mommy

what a happy family.

Papa, Daddy, and Layla.
Wishing the two of them a wonderful birthday.

Larry, Layla, Mamo, and Papa

Mommy and Layla

we are just the perfect match.

Layla waving and winking, we think.

Mommy and Layla are playing with Daddy.

He is at the other end of the kitchen getting ready to catch his precious Pooh Bear.

Layla loves her new toy.

Thank you Daddy, you are the best.

Sleep tight, Don't let the bed bugs bite.

Water in the face, Oh!

Bath time = Fun time

TOO CUTE for Words.

This is the picture that was used on Daddy's birthday card.

And Yes, Her heart belongs to her Daddy,

the only man in her life.

Layla is playing in her new walker.

She can do cool tricks.