To Lydia at 10 Months!

Dear Lydia,

The Holiday season is filled with so many ups and downs, but I am so grateful to have you to share it with this year. You bring joy to even the gloomiest of days! Your sweet smile is so incredibly contagious! And you don't shy away from sharing it with most everyone you meet. I've had opportunity to reflect on the many things I have to be grateful for recently, and you are right up at the top. I am so thankful to have you as my daughter.
Once again, you never cease to surprise me with all that you accomplish. You are off the charts! Here are just a few of the many things you have done this month!

*The first one that everyone notices is that you walk! You are most always on your little feet moving around! It's so fun to watch you! I never tire of it! And you still have the cute new walker style where you pick up your feet super high and look like you might topple over any second, yet somehow manage to stay up. I think one of my favorite things about you walking is how you sometimes hold your arms out in front of you. It's almost like a zombie walk! (but in a super cute way)
*You are a climber! I don't really know how or when you learned it, but you did! When we went to Grandma and Grandpa Dickinson's for Thanksgiving, it's like you already knew how to get up those stairs. Nobody had to show you a thing! Oh dear! It's only a matter of time before it's the kitchen chairs!
*You love to have your little pointer finger out pointing at things! It's so much fun! You point at things in books, on people's faces, or whatever! You just love having your little finger pointing!
*You have learned how to clap! I've been trying to teach you for a while now, and then just last week I put on some music and you started clapping to it! It's so much fun now! You clap over almost anything!
*You are starting to figure out the light switches! At least every night after you brush your teeth you point to the light switch in the bathroom and wait for me to let you turn off the light. It takes several tries for you to successfully turn it off, but when you do, you get a look of triumph!
*One night I started putting some blocks in your hoodie and you copied me by throwing them over your shoulder into your hoodie. Well, I still catch you occasionally tossing things over your shoulder. It's super funny!
*You are quite the little beggar! You love food! I think I've said this in just about every letter to you! But it is so true! We let you eat a much larger variety of foods now. Anything that you can mash in your mouth. So, lots of breads and cheeses. And some other things. There's almost always something on our plates that you can manage, and you know it! In fact, you enjoyed your first Thanksgiving dinner of mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, jello and rolls.
*Tooth number 3 is on it's way in! And, surprising to me, it's on the bottom too! Still no top teeth!
*You love to play chase with us now! You still don't chase us, but you love it when we chase you!
*You have started to throw balls! Well, sorta. I noticed you one day with the juggling balls making the cutest sounds. Then I realized that you would grab it and sorta toss it/let go of it like you were trying to juggle too.
*As you have noticed in several of these comments, you are starting to copy what we do. This is so exciting and nerve racking at the same time! I've got to watch myself more now, but I love seeing you try new things!
*You are much more interactive with your little friends! You love playing with them and laughing with them whenever they come over!
*You went on your second plane trip! This I could leave off the the fun list. But you enjoyed looking out the windows and pulling the magazines out of the pockets.
*Unfortunately the first surgery done on your eye to unclog your tearduct was unsuccessful. So, we just took you today to have it done again. Many people have been fasting and praying on your behalf. We will find out if it worked in just a few days.
*You are figuring out clothes. When we try to put on a onesie or shirt you help get your arms through. The other day you saw a santa hat on the floor and tried to put it on your head. We were astounded that you'd figured that out because we hadn't even shown you that it was a hat. You also put your mardi gras beads on around your neck now.
*And now we must hide all the pens! You have figured out how to uncap them! It's only a matter of time before you try to write on things!

Lydia, I love you so much and love experiencing the simple joys in life with you. I am so proud of everything you have accomplished so far and am so excited for you to discover more of the world around you! Thank you for choosing to come to our family! We love you!

Love,
Momma

To Lydia at 9 Months

Sweet Lydia,

It's so hard to believe that you have now officially been out of the womb as long as you were in it! And, I must say that these 9 months have been so much better than the ones in the womb! You are such a smart, energetic, and happy little girl! You amaze me everyday with the things you are learning! In fact, today you officially waved goodbye to me! That was super exciting! It was prompted by me, but you reciprocated.
Here's some of the other things you have been doing this month:
*You are getting much greater balance on your feet. You can stand very well on your own and have gained confidence in taking a few independent steps. You don't hesitate like you used to. And you are successful in making it a couple of feet. I expect you to be walking all over this month! And I actually think I'm ready for you to so that you'll stop noticing all the little pieces of grime on the ground and sticking them in your mouth!
*You play peek a boo with us now! You have always been a fan of the game, but now you will duck behind a chair or curtain and pop out for us to laugh at! I can't even describe how it makes my heart melt!
*You have actually become a little more cuddly with me! This I could get used to! Every once in a while you will lean your head on my chest and just lay there. I treasure these moments.
*You have perfected your little pincers! They are always wanting to pick things up from your food to the grime on the floor. And, of course, everything goes to your mouth!
*You had surgery on your eye this month. It was a fairly small procedure done in the doctor's office. You were swaddled up super tight and strapped to the table so that you wouldn't move. This, you didn't seem to mind at all. You were looking at everyone curiously, trying to figure out what was going on. Then the procedure started and that's when you got mad. The doctor was putting a small tube through your tear duct in order to open it up so that you would stop getting all the watery/gunky eyes. We're still waiting to see if it works. If it doesn't then we will have to go through it all again. We're really praying for you!
*You have fallen in love with table food! Anytime you see us eating, you expect a bite of it! And you will stay at our knees begging. Unfortunately there are still many things you can't eat because you only have 2 teeth. But you don't care! You will eat anything that comes your way!
*Your new favorite toy: Plastic Easter Eggs. I found some lying around a few weeks ago and decided to throw them in your toy bin. It was love at first sight! You love the bright colors, banging them together and carting them around everywhere with you. You also love maracas, blocks, your walker, books, paper/cardboard, and all of the untouchables (computers, remotes and cell phones).
*You can often be found playing under things. You enjoy being under tables. This has given me a great idea for your Christmas gift! I'm excited!
*I pulled out Daddy's juggling balls the other day and you think they're the greatest! It's fun to watch Daddy juggle, but even better to watch Mommy! For some funny reason you find it hilarious when I attempt to juggle. Probably because I can't and am constantly dropping/throwing the balls all around the room. You can't seem to stop laughing at me!
*You've also developed a little bit of an opinion. If you don't get what you want, you will throw a fit. We are quickly trying to teach you that this is not okay so that it doesn't get out of control. But I didn't expect this to happen so quickly.
*Along with the last one comes the fact that you have figured out how to open cabinets. We took the next step of baby proofing and put latches on all of the dangerous cabinets. This infuriates you! You get so frustrated that they won't open for you anymore! However, you have also figured out the cabinets that we have not put latches on and are enjoying pulling out pots and pans, etc. You will be in for a rude awakening when those ones get latches very soon too.
*Another reason I think I am ready for you to start walking is that you are into everything anyways. You are constantly on your tippy toes reaching for whatever you can grab off of tables and counters. You don't tend to play with things for very long once you get them. It's just fun being able to reach things and pull them down. Like your books off of your shelf, for example.
*You have started putting things into compartments now. Like balls into the compartments of your walker. This has only happened a couple times so far, but I know it will become more frequent and I will start finding socks in the silverware drawer (Like your cousin Caleb)!
*Along with all of these things, you are developing a sweet personality. You can often be found playing with your toys and cocking your sweet head to the side. This surprises me because this is something I did a lot as a little girl. Anytime someone would tell me to smile for a picture, I would also cock my head to the side. It reminds me that you truly are my little girl!

Overall, this month has been a joy! You dressed up as an angel for Halloween and it was the perfect costume for you! You truly are an angel. We love you and wouldn't trade you for the world! I went through all of the videos we have of you the other day and it was so precious to watch your developments from a little smile to a fully animated little girl! I'm excited for more! Keep on shining Angel!

Love,
Momma

Happy Halloween!

As promised, we did a photoshoot of Lydia in her sweet angel costume! She was the perfect little angel in it too! I couldn't find any wings small enough for her in the stores or online, so I ended up making them. However, I don't think I ever would have been able to find any nearly so cute! I love how they ended up! So, here you go! Enjoy!

Videos of our Star!

Lydia is getting more and more fun and animated everyday! My parents found a fun walker for her and she was having the time of her life! She could move so much more quickly than normal! She definitely prefers 2 legs to all fours. I also like seeing how she reacts to my family. I want her to be familiar with them and not feel like she's seeing strangers everytime. Although, she still plays shy with our friends that we see a few times a week. Hmmm...we'll get through this. As long as she warms up quickly.



She's enjoys playing more games with us too! She likes Peek a boo, especially with Daddy because he gets really animated! I love how excited she gets in this video! Her legs are jumping up and down and she is ready for the next pop!

Updates!

So many things going on! It's hard to know where to start! So, I'll start with the more recent and work my way back.
Lydia went to the doctors yesterday for her 9 month well checkup! Wow! I'll write more of a letter when her 9 month birthday actually rolls around. But here are her stats. She is a very strong, healthy little girl! She weighs 20 lbs 3 oz, which is the 78th percentile for her age. And she is 29 inches long, which is the 97th percentile!!! Such a tall little girl! No wonder she towers over her friends! They aren't small! She's just big! And it's no wonder with how much she loves to eat! Lydia is meeting all of her age development goals. In fact, they didn't even have any questions on there about taking independent steps yet! She's passing them all up! She's just so full of energy and curiosity about everything around her! I love that little girl! I'll let you know more about some of her other developments in her letter next week. For now, just know that she is strong, healthy, and still only takes a few independent steps by herself (thank goodness!)
Lydia and I spent some good girl bonding time!

David has been taking tests like crazy this week! In fact, he is taking his last one right now. (Good luck David!) So, this has been a pretty tiring week for all of us! I have been trying to keep Lydia and I busy so that we don't kill eachother and so that David can study. This week has been very difficult and it's only a taste of what things are going to be like once David starts really studying for Step 1!

We were able to go see my sister, Brittany a couple of weekends ago for her to give her talk in Sacrament meeting, to celebrate her birthday, and to say goodbye before she leaves for her mission in Berlin, Germany. It was fun to spend a little bit of time with her. Right after we got in the door and sat down Brittany asked if we want to open our Christmas presents (we do sibling exchanges each year, and Brittany had our name). She was super excited and wanted to watch Lydia open her present. As expected, Lydia was super excited about the wrapping paper, but still liked the book too.
And David and I got the best present ever!!!
Okay, she didn't really give us Lydia, but it's an adorable picture anyways! We also really liked the Sequence game and the baby book!!! Thanks Aunt Brittany!
The next day we went to Six Flags Fright Fest with my mom and Neil. My dad was still at a work conference and Brittany had to work for her last day. David and I have already turned into duds! We didn't want to go on any rides and just wanted to watch the shows! It was fun and that's all my mom and Neil wanted to do too. We also enjoyed trying on hats in the gift shop!

On Sunday we enjoyed listening to Brittany's talk in Sacrament meeting. She did an excellent job talking about her preparation for her mission. She has done so many things in being an example of Jesus Christ and his gospel. We are so scared to share our testimonies with others sometimes, but we really shouldn't be. I still love how Brittany ended up taking an entire class period in her English class one time sharing the 1st lesson of Joseph's Smith's vision and the Book of Mormon because her teacher knew she was a member of the church and felt the rest of the class needed to understand what the church really believes. I wonder if I would have had the courage at that age to do that. She really will be a great missionary! We love you Brittany and know you will bless the lives of so many people in Germany!

The rest of our time has been spent doing fun little things around Galveston. We go to the aquarium, splash in the swimming pool, play in the sand at the beach, and enjoy time with friends.
I have also been working on Lydia's halloween costume. We're going to do a photo shoot of her later today after David's test. It is so incredibly cute and perfect for her!!! I'll share pictures of it soon!
OH, and so everyone knows. I'm so sorry I have been awful at updating pictures! I finally added Octobers in there. But there are also a ton more in the September folder. Enjoy! I'll try to be better about that!

Little Stinker!

Can it really be time for this already?!!! I don't think so! But she sure does! Here's a sampling of what the little lady thinks she's ready for. I'm already missing my little baby! She's getting so grown up!

Happy 8 Months to Lydia

I could have sworn I wrote Happy 7 Months just last week! Wow! I think that each month just keeps on getting shorter and shorter! We are having so much fun together and are able to do more together. Here's to hoping this next month slows down a bit! (Knock on wood!)

Dear Sweet Lydia,

There are so many words I could use to describe you. Curious, energetic, social, yet shy, sweet, kissable, occasionally huggable, focused, outdoorsy, water-baby, fearless. These are just a few that came to mind. As I talk more about your explorations this month, they will make more sense.
As I wrote about last week, you got your first tooth this month! However, Happy 8 Month Birthday to you! You got your 2nd tooth on Monday (your official 8 month birthday!) So, you now have your 2 bottom front teeth! I expect some more this month and soon enough you will get to explore all those foods you want to eat off of our plates!
Here are some more of the many things you have done this month:
*The most often commented on is your amazing energy in getting around! You are getting so close to walking! You constantly pull yourself up onto everything and explore your way around. You are so quick at walking along furniture. Another little (yet huge) progression this month is your standing! You have stood up for about 10 full seconds before squatting down to the ground. You don't like falling on your bum. You slowly squat down and then sit. You have such good control! Though I don't like to admit it, I think you will definitely be standing on your own for a whole lot longer this month. On occasion you make your own free step too when something is just out of your reach and you're already standing up. I was thinking about getting you a walker toy, but you're advanced enough on your own. I think that you will progress just great at your own timing without me pushing you along to walk sooner!
*You can pick up little foods and put them in your mouth now! This is so great! You love having little foods on your highchair tray and feeding yourself. And you know food when you see it! You move so fast to get to it!
*You can hold your own bottle. Though I love the opportunity to snuggle you close, so I still feed it to you most the time. It's great that you have the capability of being more independent.
*You are such a social, yet shy little girl! I love it! You love being around people and don't like being left out of the loop. Yet when we go out in public and people start talking to you and playing with you, you bury your head into my chest. You love watching people though. However, you make people you don't know work so insanely hard to get you to smile! I guess it's good that people need to earn your affections! It makes me feel a bit safer.
*You are your momma's girl! You love being outside enjoying the fresh air! It doesn't really matter where we go. You just love being outside. It can be at a park on a swing, curiously exploring the grass, crawling all over the sand on the beach and into the water, walking in a stroller on the seawall, or just sitting out on our balcony. In fact, probably your favorite place in out apartment is next to the balcony door! You spend a lot of time playing there with your toys.
*You will finally eat meats! You still make faces at us as we feed them to you, but you eat them.
*And best of all, you love playing with us! Whether it's peek a boo, this little piggy, pat a cake, or making train noises as we feed you. You smiles are contagious!
I love you sweet Lydia! I wish you could stay this young forever, but I know that each age will have many joys. You will always be my sweet angel. Keep using that curiosity and energy for good.
love,
Momma