18 Months

I've had still more computer issues. It seems like it's never-ending. I saved these pictures to the post, but haven't been able to add captions until now. We're due for 19 months in a few days!! So I'll do it quick, before the wifi signal drops! 

Lydia had her 18 month appointment with Dr. Garg this past month and she was 31" tall and 21# (and some change). She's definitely now a toddler. For her 1/2 birthday, I painted her toenails for the first time. She LOVED that, and we did them again a few days later. For the 4th of July, I did the stars and stripes pedicure and she sat SOO still! haha Perhaps she will be a bit girly:-) Oh, and most importantly, this month, SHE SAID MOMMY! She just did it one day when she was on the changing table, and now she says it all the time! Usually repeatedly, with a whine...sigh.

I used a borrowed camera for this shoot...not sure if we'll buy it. She posed so nicely...notice the "cheese" on the left there...but I didn't really like the lighting. Flash wouldn't turn off, so sharp shadows everywhere.

She's either hot or cold when it comes to pictures, smiling or sober and you never know what you're going to get!

I love her "concentration face". The little worry wrinklies over her eyebrows.

And oh, the faces Abram pulls!

We resorted to making funny faces...

in order to finally get a good one!

We Love To Read!

We love to read:-)

Nature Lover

So it seem that ever since I had to paint all those clouds in the mural dad and I did for the school (oops, still haven't blogged about that), I've been sort of obsessed with clouds. So I've been taking a whole lot of pictures of them. Mostly out of a car while someone else is driving:-) We've had a lot of "chance for thunderstorm" days, which guarantees some awesome thunderheads, ie towering puffy, white topped, clouds. Gorgeous!

These were actually sunrise clouds and I kept taking pictures as the sun rose higher. So many "God fingers"! 

I found this little guy on the corner of 400 and 700 getting ready to cross the road. He was only about the size of the palm of my hand, but I handled him with care. Despite his diminutive size, I'm fairly sure his snapping turtle bite could have put a hurt on my finger! I deposited him on the nearby creek bank.

Curtis and I finally got to go mushroom hunting together and I was his lucky charm. He'd been out four times before and hadn't found anything. This time we found 13 morels! Woo hoo!!

and I spotted this teeny tiny garter snake! So cute...for a snake:)

17 months

 17 Months...I don't take very many candid pictures, so it seems I try to make up for it at our monthly "Beary Photo Shoot". I do take other picture though...I'll do another blog post tonight as well to prove it:)

This was my favorite shoot we've done in a long while. The lighting was so pretty in the late afternoon and my cell phone apparently liked it as well as there was little blur. Lydia was very pleasant and smiley, tolerant of sitting in the chair and letting Beary sit next to her. Responsive to "thumb out" without popping it right back in. Daddy got home in time to help with entertaining her as well, while I took picture after picture of my pretty girl:-)

 I love the second picture on the right without Beary. It's my favorite non-smile.

 This first one is my favorite smile with the light streaming in so beautifully.

And this one...happy girl.

Tight lipped smile.

Didn't stay in the little rocker long this time...but loved on Beary!

Several new developments this month:

• She has begun to speak fluently. In a foreign language...possibly Klingon. She knows what she's saying. Sometimes we understand through context clues.
• Two more teeth have appeared on the bottom row, causing much discomfort day and night. A few nights of Tylenol and a few mornings where Ambesol was applied. Can't remember what comes next, canines? then 2 yr. molars? I think that's all she has left. Her teeth are "tighter" than Abrams...better start saving for braces. *sigh
• She has attached herself to two beanie baby cats that I've had on my dresser. One looks like Hobo and one looks like Gypsy. She spotted them one morning, said "ki-ey" and has been carrying one or both of them around with her most of the time. Abram now has a blanket, Black dog, Baby dog, Husky dog, "Hasha" (another husky), Chip dog, Coco (horse), and Cade (my black bear) that make up his entourage. We've had to take away all but blanket for bedtime, because all of his animals wanted to stay up too late and play. I'm hoping Lydia sticks with a small "pack" of friends.
• We have worked down to one nap after lunchtime. There is still a bit of "cries easily and wants to snuggle" around 10:30, but it's getting better and she stays happy when we're out and about staying busy. Nap now ranges from 2-3+ hours. Bedtime is 8:30 and she's usually awake and happy by 8:00 AM.
• First big accident! While at Once Upon A Child, Abram stood up on the side of the cart and it tipped and fell over. They have the smaller carts like TJ Max or Hobby Lobby. He had been riding on the end while I pushed it around the store, but we were in the check out and I'd just turned to look at some swimsuits when I heard it crash. Poor Lydia, strapped in the front, hit her head HARD on the floor. She started screaming of course, immediate goose egg on her head, unstrapped her and held her for a while before I checked her out all over. Her arms were fine, thank goodness. If she'd had her arm out or over side of cart, it really could have broken it. I only found one other bruise on her inner thigh where it hit against the metal spokes between her legs on the cart seat. The staff there sorta panicked and when I asked for ice it was another customer that suggested they look for an ice pack in their first aid kit. They found one and I tried to use that, but Lydia would just scream louder. She calmed down after a while and we finished checking out. I called the Dr. and got an appointment for later that afternoon to have him check her, just in case, but she was acting normally the rest of the afternoon and ate and played at Chick Fil A. Our new doctor (love him!), Sanjay Garg, gave her a clean bill of health and gave me some tips for head injuries in the future. Which are sure to happen with the way Lydia climbs...and falls.

16 months

 16 months. This really is a fun age. I remember loving this period of time with Abram too, between a year and 18 months. So much personality busting out but not too much attitude yet. Lydia has more attitude than Abram did at this point. I don't remember him challenging me until closer to 18 months...perhaps I just didn't realize it was happening! Love her dress/bow in this picture. We bought the dress at the little children's boutique in Winchester and the bow from Bella Blue, right around the corner. Couldn't BELIEVE I found a bow with the same color blue/grey/green as this dress! She wore these for Palm Sunday.

  My happy clappy girl. Sorry, this post has way too many pictures, but I can't ever decide which ones to use, so I just use most of them. Even the blurry ones I have trouble parting with, because those are the ones where she smiles the biggest!

 That thumb. Gonna be a hard habit to break. She does understand "thumb out" and responds accordingly...then pops it back in.

"Beary" love.

 Abram loves to "help" with the photo shoots. I usually banish him at some point because he's being more of a hindrance than a help!

 Seriously can't believe the color match......or this horribly distorted "cheese" face! hahaha

 

 Blurry big smiles riding her (brother's) horsey. He's too big now, just right for her! 

 Turned the view finder on the phone camera to face her......'"hey that's me!!"

 "cheese"....now shy

 "where's your tongue?".....aw-awaw

 Brother Abram took this one....and then this series cracks me up...can't ever get both of them to sit still, smile and look at the camera simultaneously! I seriously need a better camera!

 

 

Lydia at 16 months says:
Dah-ee for daddy
" " for mommy
" " for grandpa/grandma
dee-dee for baby
wa or cuh for her water (cup)

ow…when something hurts a little

Hi

uh-oh…when she drops something

Nooooo….when she doesn’t want to do something or something is taken away that she wants.

Sheesh for shoes

Buh for book

Da duuuh for all done

Dee-da-duh for “peek a boo” while uncovering her face

She will sign “more” and nod yes or shake her head no, fairly accurately.

She will wave bye bye and say “duh-duh”…are you seeing the “d” trend?? She will squeeze me and makes the cutest “stink face” for kisses, wrinkling up her nose and pursing her lips. Love itJ

She is tolerating her brothers rough housing much more…allows him to haul her off of things without protesting. They will play together and she’ll chase him down the hallway with her stiff-legged run!

Loves books, loves food. I could more easily list foods she doesn’t like than food she likes.  Her favorite books are the ones with moving parts, lift-a-flap, etc. She also likes our Usborne books, “You Choose”  (I think we read this one almost every night) and “There’s a Mouse in the House.” Awesome books!

Loves trying to put on her own shoes. She will retrieve her shoes/socks when asked to and she’ll take everyone else their shoes. She also brings phones and water bottles to their respective ownersJ

Likes to slide and swing at the playground and climb any ladders/stairs she finds. Quite fearless and has the bruises, scrapes and bumps to prove it!

I trimmed her hair a second time. Still has a bit of a wave to the tips of her hair and for now I’m going to keep it trimmed to a “bob” with bangs. It’s  gradually thickening in, but still pretty wispy.

Has started using the “froggy potty”.  Has peed and pood on her potty and the big potty. Tonight she actually pood on hers, then ours, then the one in the nursery! Haha

Cut another bottom tooth to the left of center over the last several days (April 26-30^th) and its been what has woken her up at night I believe.

Had her “15 m” appointment with a new doctor. Dr. Sanjay Garg with Pavilion Pediatrics. I really liked him on first impression and have friends who take their children to the same office who highly recommended he and his colleagues. Lydia was 30.25 inches (19%) and 20.5 lbs (29%)…still tiny.