You, My Brown Eyed Girl

In high school and college, I always claimed Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl" as my own personal song. As soon as it came on, I would jump up, head for the dance floor, and sing/scream the lyrics.  Only during those few verses did I ever feel really excited to be a brown eyed girl!

Now I am the proud mommy of a brown eyed girl.  L'ie Bear's eyes are so bright and beautiful, and I cannot believe I ever wished for blue or green eyes.  There truly is nothing more wonderful than seeing those baby browns through out the day and I pray she never wishes they were different!

Thanks to L'ie Bear, Van Morrison's song has quickly become my favorite once again.  So in the spirit of that song, I present this blog post:.

Hey, where did we go...

Well, during the month of May, Chad and I made sure our beautiful brown eyed girl was able to visit with many of our friends and family!

First, we made our annual trek down to North Carolina for a long weekend.  We stayed in Mebane for a few days while Chad took care of some work obligations.  L'ie and I hung around the hotel and did a little shopping.  She particularly enjoyed shutting the bathroom door in our room.  Over and over and over again.  The Bear also took her first ride in a big girl shopping stroller at the local outlets.  The best part of the ride...seeing her own reflection in the store windows.  She certainly was a happy sight!

Once we were done in Mebane, we headed for our old stomping grounds, Greensboro.  We were planning on spending the evening at a good friends house, so we headed to our favorite wine shop, Wine Styles, while we waited for him to get off work.  It felt so good to be back.  And L'ie Bear was happy to spend some time with her dad.

 But boy was she ticklish!!

After our stop, we headed to our friend's, Brian Slevar (AKA Sid Farkus's) house, where L'ie discovered she had a talent for bieng a human swiffer.  Apparently, her size inspired Farkus to slide her along his hardwood floors, picking up dust on her pjs.  And despite the fact that he thought she was a house cleaning product, the Bear loved her Uncle Farkus.  They even wore the same color pink out to lunch.

From lunch, we all continued on to stay with the Beck Family outside of Winston-Salem.  Last year, L'ie Bear met sweet Carly Beck for the first time, but she was two months old and not very interested.  Since Carly is 8 months older than the Bear, this year, we were hoping her good eating habits would rub off on L'ie.  That did not happen, but who can be disappointed while watching two cute little girls playing together so nicely.  So even though L'ie still refuses to eat meat and vegetables, we enjoyed our visit!!

On Memorial Day weekend, we were excited that the Underinkas came to DC for a quick visit.  The Bear loved all of the attention and took to her Great Aunt SA, Great Uncle Mike and cousin Juliana very quickly. She enjoyed playing peek-a-boo with SA and did not waste any time showing off all of her toys.  Juliana, who became an instant favorite, was very patient as L'ie handed her sippy cup after sippy cup, and we were very thankful for all of the time she spent playing!  She can come babysit any time she wants. 

Also, this was the first time the Bear met Mike, but you would never have guessed it.  They quickly bonded over the piano and the Beatles song "She Loves You".  Mike played the song on the piano and L'ie backed him up with quiet little "Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs".  What a sweet moment!  I look forward to many more piano "concerts" in future years.

  

It was a great visit and although we do not get to see the Underinkas very often, I feel very blessed that they are a part of L'ie Bear's life.  I always say that she is my little Fali (pronounced Folly), since she a true mix of the Pali and Fisher genes, but I have no doubt that the Unerinka side of the family has rubbed off on her as well!  And after today, we will always remember when she used to sing Sha la la la la la la la la la la ti da!  La ti da!

With Great Uncle Mike, Cousin Juliana, Great Aunt SA,
Dad, and Uncle Ryan

It Was The Best Of Times, It Was The First Of Times!!

Since Easter weekend, our schedule has been packed.  We have been fortunate enough to spend quality time with family and friends and to experience some new firsts with L'ie Bear!

In April, the Shafer Family came to visit.  Their daughter, Elizabeth, had a softball tournament nearby and we were excited to spend the weekend with them.  After watching E play softball, we headed over to the nearby playground with their son, Matthew.  It was great to have him there, because L'ie is a playground novice.  She had previously enjoyed swinging in the baby swings, but that was the extent of her experience.  Matthew quickly showed us around and then demonstrated how to properly go down a slide.  Then is was L'ie Bear's turn.  She was very hesitant at first, but it was not long before she realized how fun a slide can be.

                                       

Unfortunately, that particular weekend ended with another first for the Bear...a stomach bug!  (I promise that I will not post any photos of this milestone)  Over a period of 24 hours, L'ie had a fever of 103-104, she could not keep anything down, we had multiple outfit changes, along with multiple carpet cleanings, and all she wanted to do was sleep in our arms.  Watching her go through that was horrible, but I have to admit that the cuddles were very nice.  

Also, in the past month, L'ie has mastered the art of pulling herself up to standing.  One afternoon she was playing by the coffee table.  I went to put her bottle in the kitchen and when I got back into the living room, she was standing up.  I couldn't believe it!   She refused to do it again for another week or so.  But now she can pull herself up with anything.  She particularly likes to use our legs for support.

Of course, with all of this mobility, we have discovered another new development.  L'ie enjoys being on the move and does not want to remain still.  Especially during diaper changes.  And boy is she strong!!  On a regular basis, we wrestle to get a diaper on the her and if we are not quick enough, a naked Bear escapes!!

Those milestones were great, but two of my favorite moments from the past month occurred in May.  First, we took L'ie to Glen Echo Park to ride a carousel horse!!  Once it was our turn, I placed her on the horse, strapped her in, and waited for the ride to start.  As the horse began to move, L'ie seemed very uncertain and scared.  Her lower lip began to quiver and she was on the verge of crying.  But then she suddenly relaxed, unclenched her hands and enjoyed the rest of the ride.  It was very fun to watch!

And this past weekend, we met up with the Ackermanns and the Bloughs in Washington DC for a picnic/playdate.  The National Mall was a perfect backdrop, the weather was gorgeous, and the kids all seemed to have a great time.  L'ie enjoyed seeing Baby Jack, ate a ton of Ritz crackers and loved Sophie's kite.  I look forward to many future get-togethers as the kids get older.

   








This has been a busy, exhausting and wonderful month!  To sum it all up...These were far, far better things we did, that we have never done before; and it is a far, far better future that we look forward to, than we have ever known!!