1 year

Happy Birthday to our sweet Lydia!

 The fabric that Lydia is sitting on is a little quilt that I made her for her birthday using a piece of each of the previous month's fabrics.  I've never made a quilt before, but it seemed to turn out well, just don't look too closely. 

A couple outtakes

Oliver needing to join in the fun.  He usually
works behind the camera yelling and dancing
to keep Lydia from crawling away at rapid speed.
He's showing off Lydia's red panda

 

 Lydia 

-has learned her first sign, "milk," of course!

-is still nursing, but also drinking about 12 ounces of whole milk per day

-isn't a huge fan of solid food, and usually throws her food on the floor

-has 6 teeth and 2 just starting to come in

-can stand independently for 10-20 seconds before slowly melting to the floor

-loves pushing stuff around the house

-continues to enjoy climbing the stairs and can now get back down the stairs, mostly on her own

-her favorite spot in the house is on the fireplace ledge, where we keep the library books.  she crawls up there flips through books, throws them down, and climbs back down after them

-weighed in at 21lbs and 31 inches, long and lean....this time.

This Sunday Lydia will be baptized at our church and celebrate her first birthday with us and a few friends.  We are so lucky to have Lydia and we look forward to the smart and beautiful girl she is going to become.  Cheers to the adventures ahead.

birthday eve

Last year the doctor told me that my blood pressure was sky high, the protein in my urine was off the charts, and I was retaining more water than a camel.  I was admitted to the hospital, Jim was called, and Oliver was sent to a friend's house.  I was watched and monitored and banned from eating.  They told me my condition was worsening but I really felt fine, and was sure they would let me go after the 24 hour watch...obviously I was incorrect. 

This year I watched Lydia enjoy paint for the first time, she's working on some art for her party.

Tonight I put Lydia to bed as an infant and tomorrow she'll wake as a little toddler, a little one year old, an ever sweeter, even more curious girl.  She got some extra snuggle time before bed tonight, a few extra minutes on her favorite spot on my shoulder.  Oliver says, "I can't wait to she her when she is one, this is so exciting!"

This is so exciting! 

christmas gifts, lydia edition

I could buy Oliver a million presents, but shopping for a one year old seems miles more difficult.  I'm in the market for something she can like now, and will continue to like for a year or more, and something that promotes open ended play.  Here we go...

Since Lydia's birthday is also in December I'll include those gifts also.

Jim and Oliver found Lydia this fantastic piano for her birthday.  When you push the keys some jacks pop up, there is a cover that keeps the jacks contained.  When the jacks are no longer a chocking hazard the cover can be removed and then the jacks can pop up and be chased around.  

Ramp Racer car track. 


I thought every baby just came with a ring stacker toy, somehow neither of mine did, so we picked this one out, it can be stacked in a few different ways.  





The other day Oliver and I stopped in to Joann's with a 50% off coupon in hand, in search for a gift for Lydia.  I was wanting to find some melissa and doug play food or a chunky puzzle, but the melissa and doug stuff was on sale (25% off) so my awesome 50% off coupon wouldn't work.  We searched on and Oliver found and excavator that had a screwdriver that can put it together and take it apart, he swore that Lydia told him that's what she wanted.  He promised he could "help" her use it if she was having a hard time putting it together.  We talked a little about finding something that might be better for a 1 year old, and I showed him the 3+ on the truck box.  We searched on and found these Smartmax toys.  So fun! They are big enough to not be a chocking hazard and will let Lydia have fun exploring magnets, and building, and Oliver found a 1 on the box, he proudly carried it to the checkout.  At Joann's the price was $70, and with our coupon it was $35