Lyla's Baptism...better late than never!

Hello all! Lyla was baptized. When you ask??? April 22, 2012. Well, we just got the pictures and I hope you'll find them worth the wait. It was a beautiful day in Big D that day. Her baptism was held at the 8:30 service in Cox Chapel at Highland Park UMC officiated by Rev. Jeff Hall. Is the word officiated even right for a baptism? Oh well, either way, you get the idea. We were fortunate to have a decent about of family there. My parents were there (duh...they live here and that is the service they go to every week). My sister, Melissa (will be known as Aunt Lissa) and my niece Isabel made it all the way from Louise, TX. We missed Mark and Walter, but were glad the girls could make it. My mom's mom and my dad's parents live here in Dallas as well, so they were there. Danny's parents made the trip from San Angelo as they wouldn't have missed it. Danny's sister Beth made the trip from ABQ and even brought a tag-a-long (no, not the girl scout cookies), one of my nieces Ashlynn. So, since you are likely more interested in pictures than words...here goes!

The whole group!

My lovely mother with her lovely mother!

L-R: Me, Lyla, my mom Sandy, my grandma Isabel, my sister Melissa, my niece Isabel.

My side of the fam!

Our sweet little fam (excluding Bevo...no dogs in church for some reason).

Our little fam take 2!

Danny's fam (l-r: Danny's dad Rob, sister Beth, niece Ashlynn, mom Deb, me, brother Michael, Lyla, Danny)

Our fam with the great Rev. Jeff Hall! Thanks for making our day so special! It was a great day and we were so excited to have so many loved ones around!

Are you still there?

First of all, might I apologize for not posting since December. For shame! While on maternity leave, I had thoughts of grandeur that I would post at least once per week like my over-achiever sister-in-law Beth. For those of you who are parents, you know where the time goes when you're off work. For those of you who aren't...I don't know where the time went. Okay, I do. I spend any and all free waking hours with the light our lives. That right, Lyla joined us at the end of November, just a few short days before her due date. We have loved every moment with her. Here are some recaps before I share some pictures... She started "school" at just 11 weeks old. She is the youngest of 8 in her class. She has fantastic, loving teachers and I think she really likes it in her class. She never cries when I drop her off and is always smiling when I sneak a peek during the day. What a blessing to be able to work in the same building in which she has preschool. Though 7 of her friends will move into a new class in August, she will stay in the same room and be the ruler of the class. Currently, there is a little boy about a year older than her in her class that is in love with her. Red-head Jack walks around the room shouting "Lala" which is his way of saying Lyla. Now, that has become somewhat of a nickname for her. She has made it through her first cold, RSV and pink eye and none of those slowed her down. She has moved from just formula, to formula and baby food and has now been given the go ahead for real food...though mommy is nervous to start that. Her dog brother Bevo loves her. He wasn't quite sure what to think at first, but now he likes to be close to her. He is not aggressive at all and it is so cute to see her next to this 85 pound lap dog. She has made her first trip to San Angelo and Abilene and will soon be visiting the beach for the first time. I promise to try and update the blog after that. She was baptized at the end of April. When I see some pictures from that weekend, so will you. Can you sense some frustration in that tone. She is quite talkative. Though she still talks in baby language only, it is so fun to hear her attempt at conversation. Besides the kids in her class, she has spent time with her friend McCall who is 3 weeks older than her, her friend Harper who is about 6 weeks younger than her and her cousin Allie who is 6 months older than her. She LOVES her bouncer! It is hilarious to watch her in that. She has two teeth coming in that are SO cute and they don't seem to bother her. She is overall just the happiest baby and only really cries when she is ready to eat and you're not moving fast enough for her. Can't blame her on that one. So,without further adieu...let me share some photos with you...sorry for the formatting...I tried to fix it, but got tired of the process! You get the idea though. Lyla-1 month old Lyla-2 months old Lyla-3 months old Lyla-4 months old Lyla-5 months old Lyla-6 months old And here are some firsts: First Family Christmas Picture First Playdate with McCall (3 weeks older than Lyla) First time meeting Harper (6ish weeks younger than Lyla) First Day of School First school carnival...she was impressed! First time in a high chair (she didn't actually eat anything) First shoulder ride So, that's all I've got for now. I can promise to TRY to update more often...but that's the best I can offer. I hope this message finds everyone well. Blessings to all!

It's Time!

I made it through Thanksgiving and enjoyed every minute of it. I also survived 2 weeks of bed rest. I am so thankful for my co-workers for taking over where I left off since those 2 weeks weren't totally planned.

We checked into the hospital on the Monday following Thanksgiving to start the process towards induction. I was actually induced on Tuesday morning. At 6:34 pm Tuesday evening, Lyla Kathryn Patyrak joined our family via c-section. The c-section wasn't planned, but Lyla's heartrate dropped every time I pushed (sorry if that is oversharing), so the doctor quickly decided to just go ahead and do a c-section. It was totally appropriate that in the operating room, KVIL was on the radio and Christmas music was playing loud and clear. It is strange to be wide awake when you are having surgery. Of course I couldn't feel anything at all, but still. The whole process was surreal. I mean, I know I carried Lyla around for 9 months and I knew that at the end of it, she would be here, but when the time came, it was definitely surreal. That is the only way I can describe it. I would also like to share that my friends Chris & Vanessa welcome twin boys the same day...welcome to the world Camden & Paxton Ayoub! I can't wait to meet you! Also, a friend from my home church gave birth to a sweet boy at the same hospital. We were actually two doors down. Congratulations Ashley & Rusty and welcome to the world David Russell!

Here are some pictures from our stay at Medical City...

Okay, so this one isn't at the hospital, but I wanted a picture in front of the tree right before we left. 39 weeks 2 days at this point.

All checked in...they could work on some more stylish gowns...at least some brighter colors right?!

The view from my hospital bed.

Yes, Danny was there too.

There's no turning back now!

It's go time!

And...she's here!
Introducing Lyla Kathryn Patyrak
11/29/11 6:34 pm
6 pounds 10 ounces
18 1/2 inches long

Since I had a c-section, we stayed at the hospital until Friday. Mad props to my awesome husband for surviving the super-uncomfortable accommodations for husbands.

Can't believe I'm actually sharing this picture, but I wanted you to see how tiny she was when she was brand new.

I'm ready to go home!

The sweetest little Christmas present!

Mommy & Lyla

All stretched out...definitely Santa's favorite!

Time for an afternoon nap!

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season so far! Wishing you all many blessings and so thankful for ours!

Happy Thanksgiving!

So, I have some catching up to do. I intended to do this update right after Thanksgiving, but I didn't...sorry! So, many of you know that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I really didn't want to miss it. This year, we were with my family and my parents hosted at their place. It was fun...there is a party room in their building that we used. I have a large family and so we had lots of football on TV, Christmas music, games for the kids and a pool table in the middle. Of course, we had all of the Thanksgiving food staples. To top it off, Danny's brother Michael joined us and shared some exciting news that I'll have to keep to myself for now. Not to worry though, I will shout it from the rooftops as soon as I can. My sister, brother-in-law and the kids were in town as well. As always, their visit was way too short, but we always enjoy getting to watch the UT-A&M game...though this year was it. My sister and bro-in-law went to A & M and you all know that Danny and I are longhorn fans (I inherited it). It is a friendly rivalry for us and it was a close game. Neither teams played that great but at least neither team ran away with it and it was close for the end of an era. Hopefully they will play again, but I don't know that it will ever be Thanksgiving weekend as that is pretty late in the season for a non-conference game. So, I guess I'll quit rambling and share with you a few pictures from Thanksgiving!

Enjoy!

fun & games

Let's eat!

Don't forget dessert!

Michael (Danny's brother), me & Danny

Happy Thanksgiving from the Patyraks!

It's the final countdown!

Greetings all! I figured it was time for an update. I still don't have any pictures from my last shower aside from the sneak preview I gave you last time, so alas, that will not be included on this update.

We are now under 4 weeks away from sweet Lyla's due date. I'm really hoping she cooperates with my Thanksgiving plans. You see, for some time, Thanksgiving has been my favorite holiday. It starts with the Macy's Parade and then just the family time and of course the food! This is the year that my sister & brother-in-law will be here with the kids so there is of course also the UT/A&M rivalry game (possibly one of the last ones since those silly Aggies decided to succeed from the Big 12).

Lyla's room is ready. I'm waiting on one more piece of artwork to arrive from a friend very soon, so that will get added, but otherwise, all is good to go. Here are some updated pictures of her very girly habitat!

#1 is the view right as you are at the entrance looking straight into the room. The piece of artwork I am waiting for will go between the two other pictures hanging on the wall.

#2 is Lyla's closet and notice the words up above! It's not the whole song, but you get the point!

#3 is of course the dresser/changing table. The diaper stacker is going to hang on the wall once I figure out how I want to do that. The hamper is on one side of the dresser and the diaper genie on the other...hope I don't get those mixed up in the middle of the night! HA!

Last, but not least, #4 is a view of the crib and the letters above. The fan cords also made it into the picture, but you can get the idea. The only other thing we might add is a small rug in the middle of the room to tie it all together.

So, her room is ready. We have the bassinet put together and set up in our bedroom. We have an adorable swing that will hopefully house many naps. We also have a great Baby Einstein entertainment contraption that she will have to wait a little while to use, but she will definitely love. Thanks to Uncle Mikey, we have the Bumbo seat a tray and a high chair that will be put together likely when it is closer for time for her to use that. So, it is safe to say that Lyla has taken over the house and she isn't even here yet.

Bevo is not sure how to respond to it all. Danny & I both installed car seat bases in our cars over the weekend and that takes up a large chunk of Bevo's back seat space. I think he'll enjoy loving on Lyla and we'll have to keep an eye on that all-powerful tail! He will definitely enjoy his mom being home during the day!

Here is a picture of Bevo resting on my ever-expanding belly!

So, before I bid you farewell, I thought I would give you an update picture of myself. I have to apologize that it is another picture taken by me in the mirror this morning before I left for work. ENJOY!

Blessings!
~Staci

Our State Fair is a Great State Fair...

Don't miss it! Don't even be late!
It's dollars to donuts that our State Fair is the best State Fair in our state!

Okay, so if you're not into musicals, you think I have gone crazy. That song is from the musical "State Fair." Though they are actually talking about a state fair in Des Moines, Iowa; I think it is really about the Great State Fair of Texas. I may be biased, but Dallas, Texas has the absolute BEST State Fair out there in all of it's fried goodness.

So, I've talked about the Fair a lot and Danny & I actually made a quick trip out there last week. Now, when you're 7 months pregnant, it's not so much fun to walk around for too long. I was on a mission. I wanted my annual cinnamon roll and I wanted to try the fried autumn pie. Check and check!

So, here is my trip to the State Fair of Texas in pictures...

Big Tex says a hearty, "HOWDY FOLKS!"

That is the unsuspecting entrance to the Coca-Cola Food Court...where you can find the BEST cinnamon rolls ever! This year you can also find the tallest stack of mattresses! You never know what you're going to see at the Fair.

I took this picture so you would know what to look for when searching out the famous cinnamon roll! It is right between Fried Green Tomatoes and I think Tornado Taters.

This one doesn't really need explaining, but it is THE cinnamon roll. I order the one with "the works." 10 tickets gets you the cinnamon roll with cream cheese icing and crushed pecans. So gooey and delicious. I definitely recommend using the knife and fork. You can wash it down with their delicious fresh-brewed iced tea. If you keep the cup they give you, you can go back for 2 ticket refills!

Next I was on the hunt for the Fried Autumn Pie...one of the new creations of 2011. I had already looked it up so I knew where to go. It is just down from the pig races and dog show. They have fried s'mores at the same booth as well as some tasty frozen lemonade.

It may not look that great, but Danny & I both give our seal of approval on this treat! It was so delicious. If they weren't so proud of it, we might have had seconds!

Close to the main entrance, you will find some metal stands with a square of bricks in between them. There is a show that takes place there each year. The bricks have various names on them. Well, one of those names happens to be the name of my grandpa. I like to look for it every year, so this year Danny found it and I took a picture of it! He has been gone since I was just 6 years old, but I still picture him in his coveralls teaching me how to play pool. I love you PawPaw!

This is the last picture of our journey as we sat waiting for our DART train to take us home. Another successful trip to the State Fair of Texas even if it was a quick one. Perhaps next year, we could stroll around Lyla (weather permitting).

Another update about the weekend and my final baby shower is coming soon. I am just waiting for more pictures. When it is your shower, you can't be the one taking the pictures. Here is just a quick sneak preview...

My best friend Erin came in town. Her little girl Harper is due January 19 and we had a great time talking about all things baby!

More to come!