Lucy and Lila Livin' Life

Lucy Feeding a Giraffe

2009-11-02T11:41:00.000-06:00

Goebbert's Part 2

2009-10-31T16:16:00.000-05:00

So I have been going to Goebbert's for years yet I never knew that there was the petting zoo of dreams there. I guess now that we have kids we are more inclined to do the whole zoo thing, so we decided to check it out. This zoo was like no ordinary petting zoo, the animals there were so exotic. There were bengal tigers, ostriches, animals I can't pronounce, crazy hybrid animals and zebras and giraffes that you could pet and feed. It was amazing to see Lucy actually feed a giraffe. I have never had that experience before and it was truly remarkable.

She is awfully close to the giraffe's mouth!

Such a little girl for such a big corn maze

Isn't this tree just glorious?

Lucy went on a pony ride with Puppy at the beginning of the summer and the ponies' name was Auggie. Well now every time she goes on a pony ride she calls the pony, Auggie. Since that first pony ride she can't stop talking about Auggie. In fact, she has recently named her froggie blankie, Auggie, as well.

Goebbert's Part 1

2009-10-29T16:35:00.001-05:00

You might remember in my Fall Buzz Kill blog entry that the last time we went to Goebbert's it was raining and miserable out. So I decided to take the girls again since I didn't want our Goebbert's Pumpkin Farm memory to be one of cold and rain. So I picked one of the most beautiful, crisp fall days and we met my family there for some fun! Of course I had to take advantage of the opportunity to get lots of shots of the kids and pumpkins.

Zoo Boo and Dino Nites

2009-10-27T15:51:00.000-05:00

Two weekends ago we went to the Halloween celebration at the Brookfield Zoo. The zoo was decorated for Halloween which is always fun. The kids were able to wear their costumes and prance around for some photo opps. Also at night they had this dinosaur exhibit which they put cool lights on and had fog all around. Milo was a sad excuse for a dinosaur because he was so terrified that Kristin and Eric had to leave, poor little guy.

It wouldn't be a trip to the zoo if we didn't ride the carousel.

Kamden the little dragon!

The cutest dinosaur to ever walk the earth!

Just to clarify Lucy's costume is not a flower, as she puts it she is a "flower garden."

Lila the little ladybug

Fall Frolic

2009-10-26T15:42:00.002-05:00

Last weekend Mary hosted a Fall Frolic with a bunch of my friends from high school. One of the best parts about moving back to the Chicago area has been being able to re-connect on a more regular basis with old friends. She had chili and cornbread and lots of yummy goodies. I think we should make this an annual event (as long as I don't have to host :) Don and I were able to enjoy a night out without the girls in tow, which was nice.

Painting Pumpkins

2009-10-24T14:43:00.000-05:00

Last weekend we went to the Humboldt Park pumpkin patch event which was entirely free. It was raining out so everything was indoors, but it was still a lot of fun despite the weather. The kids were able to pick out a pumpkin, get their face painted, play table games, get candy and popcorn, and go on the giant moon bounce slide.

Lucy got her face painted for the first time ever. She matched the cat on her shirt!

Lucy loved going down the moon bounce slide with Uncle Eric.

Sorry little Lila this is the best shot I got of you all day!

After we left the park district pumpkin patch we went back to Emily and Eric's to have a little pumpkin decorating party. They had pizza, Halloween cookies and cupcakes and then the kids painted their pumpkins. It was so much fun to watch. Lucy really got into it! Ella was very meticulous while creating her design.

Lucy with her masterpiece, which is now proudly displayed outside our front door.

Just Hanging Out

2009-10-22T14:00:00.001-05:00

Here Lucy is enjoying a lazy day cuddling on the couch. Actually she is such a movers that she probably only stayed in that position for less than 5 minutes. Lucy is very much like her mom, she isn't one for resting and is constantly busy.

Mary joined us for an outing to Brookfield Zoo. Lucy loves hanging out with her auntie Mary.

Wide-eyed girl

So this is Kailey's favorite resting spot these days. She uses it so much that Lila barely gets a chance.

Daddy reading to his girls before bedtime

Here Lila is stylin in a hat that Lisa knit for Lucy and that we are now getting use out of for Lila.

County Line Orchards

2009-10-19T23:38:00.001-05:00

So a couple of weekends ago we went apple picking with some friends at County Line Orchards in Indiana. After getting a late start, taking forever to pack up everything, and getting lost, we finally got there and boy was it worth the drive. We picked apples, took a hayride on a wagon, went to the petting zoo, ate cider donuts, had some lunch, saw "Peter" the pumpkin eating dinosaur (a big hit with Lucy), and listened to the live blue grass music. My friend Emily's daughter, Ella, was dancing up a storm to the music-it was a sight to be seen. All in all it was the perfect fall day.

Nothing like posing for pictures in a cornucopia

Ella and Lucy loved the wagon ride and enjoyed a little snack on the way back from the apple picking

The whole gang

In this picture Lucy was saying "I love apples!"

Emily and I

Fall Buzz Kill

2009-10-15T13:47:00.000-05:00

So if last October was any indication, I am what my husband would call somewhat of a fall nazi. I LOVE to do fall activities. From apple picking, to cider donuts, pumpkin patches, hay rides, corn mazes, buying gourds, making apple crisp, putting out fall decorations, eating squash soup (GIMMIE SOME SQUASH), cooking fall meals, drinking hot apple cider; I truly embrace fall with a fervor like no other. So two weekends ago I was SO excited to go to our first pumpkin patch of the season. I dressed Lila and Lucy in their Halloween themed clothes and off we went despite the rain storm. I was convinced that the rain would stop when we got there because I just knew that nothing was going to stand in the way of us making a fall memory. The rain did not stop, but we still went to the Goebbert's Pumpkin Farm (and convinced my sister, Eric, Milo and my dad to meet us there). It was cold, wet, and quite dreary, but somehow we still managed to have fun and stay in the covered areas. Lucy went on a pony ride and had a blast, but as we were leaving she proclaimed, "Mom, I don't like the rain." The bad news is that later that week Lucy got a cold probably from being out in the rain. But the good news was that we got a great parking spot since no one was there.

Lucy's First Day of Preschool

2009-10-11T17:12:00.000-05:00

So Lucy started preschool last month. She attends the Academy of Movement and Music which is literally like right next door to our house. She goes two days a week for two and a half hours. The program consists of an arts, music, creative movement, physical fitness, and montessori components. She loves to put on her ballet shoes for school and she gets a kick out of carrying her backpack. Our little girl is growing up.

This is Lucy with Natalie, who is her little friend from our neighborhood.

So I love this picture because this is Lucy peering around the corner of the classroom trying to "check out" what it was like before going in. On the first day she was a little unsure because it was a new environment, but since then she has become totally comfortable and loves school!

Lila at 6 weeks

2009-10-09T17:35:00.001-05:00

So I realized that I haven't posted that many close up shots of Lila. So here are some recent pictures of her. She is doing great! She has been sleeping and feeding well and has the sweetest little temperament. She loves to snuggle and as you could see from the recent video, she has started smiling. We call her little Don because we think she looks so much like Don. She also has his smile-it just lights up her whole face!

Little Lila Bird

2009-10-07T15:00:00.000-05:00

Going Out for Ice Cream

2009-10-05T13:48:00.000-05:00

Not Scared of Sand Anymore

2009-09-22T13:17:00.004-05:00

The picture below might not look like much, but if you look closely you will notice that Lucy is actually STANDING on the sand!! Many of you know that Lucy has been terrified of sand-a fear we first discovered last summer in the Outer Banks when we stayed in a beach house that was surrounded ONLY by sand. Over the past year we have tried to gradually get her used to not playing but just touching sand, but to no avail. All our attempts were for naught--we couldn't even get her to touch sand with the tip of her finger. Then her friend Maria came to visit from Baltimore and Lucy noticed that Maria walked on the sand with no problem. Since then Lucy has proclaimed that "sand is not scary, it is silly" and she is "brave and is gonna walk on the sand." Now she has been saying this for months, but then chickens out when it actually comes time to approach the sand. But ever since Maria left, she has been walking in the sand (slowly but surely). Another reason why it was great that the Rivera's visited when they did.

I am dreading when the weather gets too cold for us to frequent the playgrounds. Oak Park has wonderful playgrounds and we have definitely had fun this summer exploring them. Although Lucy is getting so brave, she makes me a little nervous with how adventurous she is on the slides!
We have really enjoyed spending time at the Oak Park pools this summer. I am so sad that they have closed for the season. Lucy loved splashing around in the water and did a great job of playing independently. Below are pictures of our last visit to the pool for the summer.

Labor Day Visit with Nancy and Grandpa

2009-09-19T12:50:00.002-05:00

Over Labor Day my Aunt Nancy and my Grandpa Irv drove in from Minnesota to visit and meet little Lila. I always have so much fun spending time with Grandpa and Nancy and that weekend was no exception. We BBQed, we went downtown to Millennium Park, took the kids to the park, and saw an outdoor theater performance in Belmont Harbor (Lila slept through the whole performance). The picture below is on the train heading downtown. Lucy is a HUGE fan of going on the train and loves to point out everything she sees while looking out of the window.

I love the look of joy on Lucy's face!

The whole gang (minus Don who was taking the picture) by "the Bean." The weather was absolutely gorgeous and it was great to get out and walk around and enjoy some of the last days of summer.

Lucy playing in the fountain downtown in Millennium Park. She loved watching the other children and mimicking what they were doing. She just always wants to be one of the big kids.

Family photo--my dad, with my grandpa, Lila and my aunt.

Great Grandpa Irv with Lila and Lucy!

What a good looking pair!

Lila with her great aunt Nancy! Lila is wearing the dress that Nancy bought for Lucy. I love that the girls wear the same season of clothing so that I can re-use Lucy's clothes.

Meeting Lila

2009-09-17T12:02:00.002-05:00

We have had lots of visitors lately! It has been so fun to introduce Lila to our friends and family. Below is Casey when she came by to meet Lila. One of the best things about being back in town is that I get to see my high school friends more frequently.

Doug (Don's brother), Susie, Asher, and Lucas stopped by our house for a visit before heading off to Milan, Italy. Doug is on sabbatical for the semester in Italy. So glad they could meet Lila before they left.

Mandy made this incredible name banner for Lila! It is so wonderful to have such crafty friends!

Kathy looks pretty comfy with a baby in her arms!

Eric, Emily, and Eleanor will be welcoming their own little bundle of joy in the spring. Eleanor is going to be a great big sister!

Katie and Maria come to town!!

2009-09-08T22:10:00.001-05:00

Last week my friend, Katie, and her daughter, Maria, came to visit us from Baltimore. Katie and Chris were our neighbors in Baltimore (I am sure you have seen them on the blog) and we have desperately been missing them. Although we wish that Chris could have been here too, it was great to be able to spend time with Katie and Maria again. We had so much fun! Katie was a huge help with Lucy so that I could focus on Lila. Also it was nice to have back-up so that I felt a little more comfortable going out and doing things with both girls. We had a great time taking the girls out for walks, to the park, to the toy store, and to the library. Also Katie and I were able to have a Girls' Night Out (with Lila sleeping in her sling) to a local Oak Park restaurant for dinner. I just love spending time with Katie and Maria. It was hard to see them leave. After we dropped them off at the airport, Lucy said she was "so sad" that Maria left. I always said that the Riveras were one of the best parts of Baltimore!! I feel so blessed to have such a wonderfully supportive, dear friend like Katie.

The Girls' Rooms

2009-09-05T11:37:00.000-05:00

So after finally unpacking all our boxes our summer project was to get both of the girls' rooms decorated before Lila's arrival. Don and I had so much fun decorating their rooms. There is nothing I like better than picking out little girl decor and accessories. I actually became obsessed with trying to finish Lila's room before she arrived (big surprise that I became obsessed with something). I kept joking with Don that I knew she would come as soon as we finished the room and then sure enough the day the last decorative item arrived in the mail my water broke. Here are pictures of Lila's room.

We liked Lucy's room colors in Baltimore so much that we actually took the paint from Baltimore and used it in our Oak Park home. The hanging butterflies over the reading chair are my favorite part. It took Don forever to hang those at just the right angel. Below are pictures of Lucy's room.

Bringing Home Baby

2009-08-29T22:29:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures of Lila's first several days where we were able to introduce her to some of her new family and friends. Today it has been a week since Lila has entered the world. It feels like she has been here forever. It is amazing how quickly she fit into our family. We are have enjoyed getting to know her and learning about her little mannerisms and personality. It is amazing after only a week, I already can't imagine life without her. We are so blessed!

This is us coming home from the hospital. How fun to bring home baby!

Introducing Lila to Lucy

2009-08-27T22:25:00.000-05:00

Welcome Lila Joy

2009-08-25T17:43:00.021-05:00

Lila Joy Vander Griend entered the world at 3:05 AM on Saturday, August 22, 2009. She weighed 6 lbs 6 0z, 22 inches long, and has a head circumference of 33 cm. I experienced a slow rupture of my water bag at around 5:00 PM on Friday the 21st. Thank goodness my mom was with me because I was totally second guessing what was going on, but she knew that this was the real deal. So Don and I arrived at the hospital at around 7:00 PM and I was 3 cm dilated. They induced me at 9:45 PM with pitocin to speed up the labor process since my water bag had ruptured. I then proceeded to get one of 2 epidurals. The same thing happened with Lucy where I had to get two epidurals before it worked. The first epidural just numbed one side of my body and I ended up going to 7 cm before the second one worked. Boy was that a relief when it did. The labor went fairly smoothly except for when my blood pressure dropped really low and I experienced the worst nausea ever and thought I was going to lose my mind. But once they were able to bring my blood pressure up I felt much better. I only had to push for 35 minutes, which was actually longer than I did with Lucy. Don, my mom, sister, and dad (who had a restricted viewing position) were all in the room and it was so incredible to share the labor experience with them. We feel so blessed to have another healthy baby girl and are fortunate that the delivery went as smoothly as it did.

Don trying out the birthing ball to kill some time.

The moment I saw our new little girl.

About to Pop

2009-08-20T18:43:00.001-05:00

So I am not one to ever post a picture of my bare stomach exposed for all the world to see, but I have been accused by those that will remain nameless (Marla) of strategically hiding behind people and objects in recent pictures in an attempt to mask my pregnant glory. So since today is our due date and we have no pictures of a little girl to post, I might as well bare it all.

Visiting Daddy at Work

2009-08-15T11:28:00.000-05:00

One day Lucy and Kim came to visit me at work and they were able to see my new office. Lucy of course jumped on my chair and started playing with my computer. Special thanks to Kim for all her help with decorating my office.

I am enjoying my new job. For now there is alot of protocol and grant writing, but my research is quickly getting up and running thanks to all the great people here. I'm mostly ordering supplies and doing some small things in the lab for now. It certainly is nice to close my office door, put on some music, and crank out the work. Wish me luck with all the grant proposals I'm putting out soon.

Reconnecting with Friends

2009-08-11T07:09:00.000-05:00

One of the highlights of our move so far has been being able to connect with friends. It has been great that we moved back to a city where we already have some connections. Lucy enjoyed swimming at the pool with my friend Emily's daughter, Eleanor. They are only 6 months apart and I am sure we will continue to have lots of fun play dates with them.

I have enjoyed lunch outings with Cindy and Mary. I have been spoiled because both Cindy and Mary have the summers off since they are teachers so we have been able to hang out on occasion during the day. It will be sad when they go back to work. Although I am sure I will keep very busy this fall with two little ones.
Lucy and I baked Mary some cupcakes for her birthday. Can you believe that Mary ate all these cupcakes and didn't share any of them? (J/K)
This summer we have been doing a Girls Night/Lunch Out once per month with my friends from high school. It has been great to get out and re-connect with these ladies who I have known for YEARS! Great food and conversation with good friends is always a highlight. Thanks to Cindy for coming up with this idea!

Exploring the City

2009-08-07T11:30:00.012-05:00

So I haven't been that great about blogging since we moved to Oak Park, but I we are going to try and get back on track. We have finally unpacked all the boxes and feel "moved in." We are working on decorating the girls' rooms and are almost done! We only have 2 weeks left until our due date and I am definitely feeling tired and look forward to my afternoon nap :) In between decorating/unpacking boxes we have found time to do some fun activities. Here is what we have been doing...
These two pictures are from the Sunday night music in the park concerts which occur all summer long at a local park in our community. We love pulling the kids in the wagon and having a little picnic in the park while listening to music. Milo loves dancing to the music. You can see from the below picture that Lucy was pretty tuckered out after the concert.
We got a membership to the local pool and have been taking advantage of it! Lucy loves the pool and it is only a two block walk from our house. We love the location of our house and are enjoying being able to walk to the local stores and restaurants.
Several weeks ago we watched Milo for Kristin and Eric while they were in Canada. One day we took the kids downtown to Millennium Park for a family festival that was going on. We packed a picnic lunch and let Lucy splash around in the fountains.

I don't know how Milo could be any cuter-I mean really?
Everyone told us that we would love the location of Oak Park, but I had no idea how convenient it would be. We love being only 45 minutes from both my parents and my sister. The train is 2 blocks from our house and it only took us 20 minutes to get downtown. Here is Lucy on her first train ride of many to downtown Chicago.
We have been taking LOTS of wagon rides! Lucy is obsessed with opening our garage door, since we didn't have a garage in Baltimore it is a whole new experience for her. I thought the novelty would wear off, but it continues to be a real thrill for her when she gets to push the button on the garage door opener.

There are like 3 ice cream shops within several blocks of our house. We have probably been frequenting them too often, but it sure is fun to get the kids (and ourselves) a little summer treat. It is hilarious to see Milo eating his cone-don't even try to take it away because he will scream in protest. He is a HUGE fan of ice cream-that is the Pederson side in him.