Tax Season Strikes Again

It's the least wonderful time of the year in the Petropoulos household . . . tax season! I have officially become a "tax widow" and am not enjoying it (just like every year). We haven't seen much of Daddy lately (3 nights this week were after 11 PM) so I figured I would post some pictures of the little princess for him- just in case he has time to check the blog. Lila misses her Daddy so much- but can't wait to spend 3 whole weeks with him in Florida once April 15th arrives.

Gee Dad, this is fun!!!!

All dressed up with no place to go!

Working on my standing

I can clap!! Sometimes I start clapping spontaneously and mommy thinks it's really funny.

The Million dollar smile

Guess who's 8 months??

I thought that video was a great way to start today's post about our 8 month old baby! Isn't she cute? That was a little sample of her newest talking. I just love her facial expressions- she really thinks she is talking to us. Too funny!! The sound of last week (when we shot the video) was Na na na na- this week, it is Da da da. Still waiting for Ma ma ma.

Did I just say "8 month old"?? Yup it's true- Lila's really 8 months old. I'm not sure what she is weighing in at these days, but my guess would be around 19 pounds and probably around 28 1/2" long. As of yesterday, Lila now has 4 teeth (that's right- 2 more poked through on top). Her usual happy-go-lucky personality was gone for the past 5 days. In place of my lovely Lila, I was visited by a teething monster. I would like to officially blame Friday the 13th- since early that morning was the beginning of the sleepless nights- for both of us (unfortunately). I felt so badly for her, it must have been so painful. Last night I got wise and gave her a nice dose of infant Motrin before bed- which worked wonders. Why it took me 3 nights to do that- who knows. I did log some serious hours in her big comfy rocking chair (although I know that Megan still has about 1 million more than I do :) There was something wonderful about being able to comfort her enough that she drifted back to sleep in my arms. By night 3 the magic had worn off- so Motrin to the rescue. She was more like herself today, so I hope we are through the worst of it. A special thank you to Grandma and grandpa for coming to the rescue (mine and her's) on Saturday. If I didn't get out for a few hours- I was going to loose it. Luckily I can back refreshed and with my patience restored.

Here are a few pictures from the past 8 wonderful and exciting months . . .

We finally meet

Happy 8 months Lila- Daddy and I still see you like this . . Lila 10 days old

I'm the worst blogger ever . . .

I used to be good at this- I swear! Remember all the timely posts when we were in London?? While those days have gone and I have become lazy with updating the blog. I think about writing a post every few days and then motherhood interrups and I don't write anything. I have also become a bit addicted to a little internet wonder called Facebook. For those of you who also use facebook, you understand .

Too much time has passed and the baby is growing into a little person. She's always smiling and is busy as a bee. She has learned many new tricks, which this first-time mommy thinks are amazing (you may find them a little silly- but that's OK). Here are some of my favorites-

*Sitting up- this is a big one! I am amazed at how this skill emerged out of nowhere. I kept putting her down and she kept toppling over. Then one day (like magic) she stayed up. Now she sits straight as an arrow, even on the floor. So very cute!

* Eating, eating, eating- Lila is not a picky eater. Since her first bite of rice cereal she has opened her mouth like a champ and even added sound effects- Mmmmmmm , Ummmmmmmm. You just have to hear it to appreciate it- it's adorable.

Eating outside with Daddy in Florida (more pix to come from Lila's first big trip to Florida!)

* Becoming part Beaver- that's right, I am convinced my child is 50% beaver, 50% little girl. She chews on everything. Anything and everything goes in her mouth and she dives at toys, blankets, pillows, etc with her mouth open. She got her first 2 teeth in December and the chewing did not stop, so it can't be only teething. Her other beaver trait is her tail- let me explain before you all think I'm nuts. When she's in her crib she picks up both legs and slams them down- like a beaver tail. The first time we heard this noise we had no idea what it was- it's really loud over the monitor. Once I crept into her room in the dark to investigate, I saw her thumping with her legs. This is one of her signature moves- a Lila-ism for sure.

We're officially back on track with blogging. Check back soon for pictures from our Florida adventure!!