Tooth #2 is Gone!

Lily lost her second tooth on Tuesday.  It had been bleeding and barely hanging on for a few days prior to falling out.   She showed it to me before school on Tuesday, and I just wanted to yank it out.  I HATE teeth, but it was soooo close to coming out and it wouldn't have taken much.  She came home from school and told me she could hardly eat her lunch because of her tooth, and then she was crying because she couldn't eat her snack at home.  I looked in her mouth again, and it was seriously barely hanging there.  By the time we had gone to get Avery and got back home it had fallen out on its own. 

 

She put it under her pillow when she went to bed, and she came downstairs the next morning holding a dollar and said, "just a buck." I think the tooth fairy spoiled her the first time by giving her five dollars.  Silly kid. 
 

"Just a Buck"

First Week of Kindergarten Pictures

 Fast asleep on the night before kindergarten!

So beautiful!

 Mommy not wanting to let you go

 Some of your artwork from your first day

Avery is sad

Avery and I went to the park while you were at school

 Little sister is lost without you

 Having a snack with PaPa after school

Day 4 of school and already going to lose another tooth!

A Letter to Lily

Dear Lily,

I couldn't write this to you on your first day because it was too hard for mommy already.  You started kindergarten last Thursday, August 14th.  My little girl is growing up and it hurts mommy's heart just a little bit.  You looked so beautiful on your first day.  You wanted to wear a pretty dress and you asked mommy to curl your hair.  Daddy took two days off of work so he could take you and pick you up with mommy.  It was not only a big day for you, but also for mom and dad and for Avery.

You went to bed at 8:00 the night before.  We read a special book that your teacher, Mrs. Boyer, gave to you at your open house. We sprinkled "Ready Confetti" under your pillow, and you woke up as ready as ever!  You told mom you were a little bit nervous, but mommy never doubted that you would have a great first day.  You looked so grown up walking into school with your big girl backpack on.  Mommy cried, as you knew that I would.  It was so hard for mommy letting you go and knowing that I would see you until 3:20 that afternoon.  Mommy doesn't like not knowing what you are doing.  I'm used to having you by my side and always with me. 

Mommy and Daddy took Avery to get donuts because we knew this would be a tough day for her too.  She loves her big sister so much and you are her best friend.  She didn't even eat her donut...maybe because she was a little bit sad already?  She asked mommy several times during the day if we could go pick you up.  When 3:20 came around, Avery was so excited to go get you! 

When I saw your smiling face walk out of the kindergarten door at 3:20, I knew it was going to be okay.  You had so much fun and you have made some friends already.  I asked you what your favorite part of the day was and you told me it was lunch and gym.  That's my girl!  You couldn't remember any new friends names that day, but the next day you had made friends with Dana and Kylie.  You sat with them at lunch. 

Each day, Mrs. Boyer sends home a folder with everything you did that day.  You earned a purple stamp on your very first day, which means you had an OUTSTANDING day!  Way to go Lily Rose!  You were sound asleep on the couch by 7:00 that night.  It is tough waking up so early and going to school all day long.  You have done really well with your 8:00 bedtime and your 6:30 wake up call.  On Friday, you were ready to tackle day number 2, but by Saturday you were thankful for the weekend and thankful for getting to sleep in!

Mommy and Daddy are so incredibly proud of you and you have turned into such a beautiful, loving, amazing little girl.  You are going to do big things in this world and I can't wait to see what your bright future holds for you!

Love,
Mommy

Lily's Open House

Last Tuesday was Lily's open house for school.  We got to meet her teacher, Mrs. Boyer, and we got to see her classroom.  I didn't even make it to the kindergarten hallway before I started crying.  Jason and Avery were ahead of Lily and I, and he turned around and said, "What is wrong with you?!"  Sorry, can't help it...my baby is growing up and I'm a little sad about it.  Lily just stared at me and I asked her later if I embarrassed her, and she said no.  She teases me now, and always asks me if I'm going to cry.  Little turd.

 

Mrs. Boyer is very nice and Lily likes her a lot.  She had a little scavenger hunt for the kids to help them find certain areas in the room.  Lily found her seat, her cubby, the library, bathroom, the calendar and a few other little areas.  I honestly felt a little better after the open house and after seeing her room.  It's kind of like preschool...right?  She just goes a little longer and everyday!  She is more than ready to be in school, I'm just not quite ready to let her be so big.

 This also marked Lily's last day of daycare until next summer.  Lily with her daycare provider, Stephanie.  Daycare held a princess tea party in Lily's honor.  All of the little girls wore pretty princess dresses and had a tea party with lots of goodies!

 Lily and Mrs. Boyer

Such a little girl at such a big school

 Little sister playing at the playground

Baby BOY Kneifl

We had our 20 week ultrasound a couple of weeks ago.  We did not find out what we were having when I was pregnant with the girls, and Jason didn't want to know with this one either.  The girls didn't even want to know.  They said they wanted to be surprised at Christmas time.  I was the only one who wanted to find out.  If baby was due any other time than Christmas and if I wasn't having C-section, I would have waited to find out.  I wanted things ready to go when baby comes since it baby is due at a very busy time of year. 

 

We didn't want to find out in the ultrasound room.  We decided to have a mini family reveal party.  I made a box ahead of time and I contacted Hy Vee to see if they could fill it after the ultrasound with either pink or blue balloons.  No problem.  The girls came to the ultrasound with us, the tech placed a picture of baby in an envelope and wrote down baby's gender, we took the box and envelope to Hy Vee and told them to fill it with balloons according to the gender, got a call an hour later saying it was ready, met my friend at the Arbor Gate Park in our neighborhood and she captured this very special moment for us on camera with some amazing pictures!  It was important to me to have this moment with just my family.  After all, when you are in the OR or the delivery room that is a moment that you share only with your spouse, and I wanted this to be no different. 

 

As you can see from the photos...we are having a baby BOY!  People have asked me if I'm disappointed that we found out...absolutely NOT.  I never would have seen Jason's reaction in the operating room.  It was AWESOME!  He is thrilled to be having a son, and I am too.  Avery cried because she wanted a baby sister, but she got over real quick when I told her she could keep Bunny now because a baby boy wouldn't want a pink bunny.  Lily is pretty excited, and she will be such a big helper.  Jason already has the nursery painted for the little guy and we have pretty much gotten rid of all of our girl clothes that have been stored in totes and taking up space.  Avery likes to sit by me and feel the baby move.  She is the only one patient enough to wait for him to kick or punch. 

 

In less than 4 months our house will have a little bit of BLUE added to it and we couldn't be more excited to meet HIM!

 

 

 

Mommy, Daddy, Lily and Avery can't wait to meet you little brother!!