almost done...

this is why i am sad to quit nursing this guy.


ever since he was 8 weeks old, he has held my hand like this while nursing. it melts my heart.
BUT, i am excited for a little freedom, and still hope he wants to hold my hand.

christmas 2009

our christmas was just lovely. my kids were spoiled rotten, and i must say, nate and i were as well.
this year lyla finally understood santa a bit, and she even enjoyed opening presents.
we enjoyed the yummiest breakfast at the little america hotel (a tradition nate and i are excited to continue...it was that good).

even though our kids were sick with the croup/colds, i think they managed to have some fun.
lyla's favorite gifts seem to be grey's toys, though i think her dora tent takes the cake.
grey's favorite gift is clearly his crocodile. so cute.
hope you all had a merry holiday!

ellie noel the christmas bell!

the arrival of my new niece got us in the christmas spirit!
miss ellie noel sylvia was born on christmas eve, much to everyone's surprise.
she is tiny, sweet, and looks like her mama (with dad's chin and mouth).
and i love all 7lb 11 oz. of her. welcome to the world miss!

merry christmas!

a very merry christmas to all from the 2 most adorable red heads around!
oh. and nate and i too.

REAL life.

it's been a great week at the sylvia house, and here are the pictures to prove it.

nate landed a salaried sales position with the MLS champions REAL Salt Lake soccer. he is really excited after working there part time all season proving how awesome he is...and after his first week, he really seems to love it. i think the job will bring amazing opportunities for our family, and i am so proud of nate!

my parents were here on monday, which also happened to be nate's 26th birthday. we went on a tour of the stadium, had lunch, and i was sad to see them go. there is truly never enough time to spend with my fam!


here are random pictures from lunch. i can never get lyla to smile long enough for my slow camera to capture it...but luckily my parent's camera is quick, and we caught lyla being just so pretty.





i promise i don't let my son go out with his hair like this...he was wearing a hat. :)

gobble gobble

hope you all had a great thanksgiving! we sure did! we spent the morning at the zoo, and dinner with the entire sylvia clan. my kids are now sick with colds...so it will be a week of relaxing and playing inside. we are very excited for the holidays. dad's birthday is on the 7th, an exciting (more permanent) job is hopefully on the horizon, grandma mary comes for a visit, and we are awaiting the arrival of our newest niece. it should definitely be a year to remember.


tiny sylvia men

for you, my goo

this post is dedicated to my goo. i never thought i would ever have a boy, but i am certainly in love with this man. he is 9 months today, and i know everyone says they don't know where the time has gone...but i really don't. he is at my favorite stage. just learning to be independent (this little guy says 'dada,' and is seconds from crawling), but still likes to snuggle. i couldn't be a happier mom.

i was reflecting today on all i have been through since being married, and i have sacrificed a great deal, even given up things i didn't want to/didn't have a choice about. but for me, being a mom is something i chose, and being here for them everyday is something i will not sacrifice. sure, its hard, but the best things in life are worth working for.

anyway, happy 9 months goo. you are amazing. :)

and yes, i had to put every picture up. who can resist those cheeks? not me.

this is grandma mary...we miss her always. :)




infamous grand-dad. :)

halloween 09

moo and goo halloween style. they were in a great mood...just not for annoying mom and her camera. we had a blast! happy halloween from our little convict and kitty!

I'm baaaaaaack!

Whew, its been awhile. A lot has happened this summer, and I have meant to post everything, but time and stress have prevented me from posting things about our pretty fun summer! Also, my digital camera is dead, and so my pictures have been sparse, and only on the camcorder. Here's the update!

Lyla:
-Turned 2 in August--we had a lovely party with family and friends. She loved the strawberry shortcake, and we love her strawberry hair. :)
-Talking like CRAZY...can say full sentences, signs, dances, hops, sings, and is the sweetest big sister there is. Also likes to talk to the grandmas on the phone. Its priceless.
-Still obsessed with Dora, and now Little Bill. Sleeps with Dora doll that Aunt Lindsay gave her every night.
-Speaking of sleep...Lyla is in a big girl bed, and does fabulous. The first couple weeks were awful, but it was worth the effort. Now on to potty training...
-Loves CATS. Well, all animals...and likes to speak to them in their native tongue. (meow, neigh, quack quack, oink oink, etc.)
-Knows all of her letters, numbers, shapes and colors...and some spanish. Sometimes we don't know what she is saying, and I think she knows it. :)
-Weighs 30.8 pounds and is just about 27 inches...she has been growing!



Grey:
-Still a ham, a chub, and devilishly handsome.
-Has red hair. It was a surprise to us too...but we love it.
-Sits, tries to crawl, and is 7 months now!! Likes blocks, lyla's dolls...pretty much anything he can get his hands on.
-Still sucks his thumb a little at night, and when he's hungry. He doesn't actually ever cry for food. Just sticks his thumb in his mouth and I know that's my cue.
-Eats solids now, though still very much prefers breastfeeding. Jabbers on and on about who knows what, and is ALWAYS happy. Seriously.
-He melts my heart everyday with his goofy grin and 2 bottom teeth. Definitely should be a pumpkin for halloween.
-Weighs a WHOPPING 22lb. 2 oz and is 28 inches long. My back hurts every night...


Us:
-I turned 24 in July...yay!
-Nate is working away...has survived layoffs and is working hard for his family. Love him.
-We are both excited about cooler weather...fall is our favorite time. Baseball playoffs, Halloween and good food. Rock on.
-We are moving! Downsizing to an apartment to save some $ for a house, savings, etc., and we are actually very excited about it. It feels good to not be stressed about paying rent. It may end up being a temporary situation, but we are already thrilled with the neighbors (we were invited to a barbecue already), and are excited that Lyla will have some friends in the neighborhood.
-Nate and I celebrated anniversary #4 in June. Feels like I've known him forever, but still feel like a goofy teenager with him.

I will better about updating, and hope to get my hands on a camera again soon...until then, happy fall!

4 month stats!

my oh my he's grown!

18 lb. 13 oz--97% (almost off the chart)
26 in.--90%

doing so well! rolling over, laughing, playing and sleeping 10-plus hours at night. what happened to my tiny little man?

Evidence

...that my little boy is too sweet. he loves his thumb. and sometimes i can manage to squeeze in a binkie. but mostly i fail at that. :)





and further evidence that lyla loves her some mac n'cheese and her hollywood shades. looooove it