Eyes on the Prize, Night Two Complete and Successful

Lydia slept through the night, y'all! Way to go Baby! Megan

Eyes on the Prize, Night One Complete

I recently read an article about parenting and one line struck a cord with me. "Give your child everything she needs and little of what she wants." So when I read in my What to Expect book last night that a child after age three-four months no longer needs to eat during the night, I was surprised. For the past month, I have been waking up twice a night to feed Lydia because I thought her body needed the nutrition. The "Cold Turkey" section caught my attention next. "The Cry It Out Method almost ALWAYS works and usually within three-four days." Sold. First night complete. It was miserable hearing Lydia cry for three hours straight. Luckily she is all smiles this morning and I'm all about my cup of coffee. Megan

Pretty in Pink

John is not a fan of princess attire nor huge flowers in Lydia's hair. He would rather her be a tomboy than a diva. So what do we do when Dad is away??? We girls come out and play! This gorgeous dress was given to us by a friend (Thanks Irene!). Lydia loved it too, particularly putting the tulle in her mouth. Megan

Big Decisions

John and I spent several hours this weekend discussing options for our next move. These are difficult talks. Sure, it would be nice to have more storage for baby toys and yes, a yard for Lucy would make life significantly easier. But no Gulf views, no sounds of the ocean, no pelican flybys and most importantly, no guarantee that my husband will come home each night. Every choice we have falls so short in comparison to the life we currently have in Navarre. Big decisions. Megan

Lydia's Room

John and I skipped Black Friday and spent much of the day organizing and decorating Lydia's new room. The office/guest bedroom/baby's room is now a sweet place for Lydia to lay her head at night. Megan

Happy Thanksgiving!

Safe travels and have a wonderful holiday! Megan

Thanksgiving Blessings

A healthy baby girl

A caring family that takes the time to follow this blog

A husband who enjoys making me laugh

A calm hurricane season in the Gulf of Mexico

A nephew on the way

The ability to take time off work

Therapeutic walks with another new mom

Baby smiles that reassure me that I'm doing a good job

-Megan

Violet

Since Lydia is referred to as "the seller of purple" in the Bible, I predict that when Lydia is able to communicate her favorite color to us, she will most likely say "purple." A happy coincidence, John's Aunt gave Lydia a stuffed animal named Violet over the weekend. The purple puppy plays music and talks to Lydia by name. It is adorable and she loves it! Megan

Our Little Crabcake

John, Lydia and I traveled to Annapolis for a friend's wedding over the weekend. We greatly enjoyed the colors of Autumn, great seafood and reliving old memories. Lydia is becoming a seasoned traveler! I couldn't have asked for a sweeter baby. Megan

All Big and Grown-Up

So I was just looking at old pictures and reminiscing about how little Lydia was when we first brought her home. Look how cute! Now my Lydia is all grown-up. She has even moved out. Well, not really. But she has moved down the hallway to her own bedroom at night. She seems to be enjoying her new space. Megan

Care for a Napkin?

Rice cereal, bad. Oatmeal, so good! Now we just have to figure out how to get less on Lydia's bib and more in her tummy. Megan

Being Patient

Sometimes, just sometimes, I wish Lydia were a little more like Lucy. You give Lucy a bone at three o'clock one day and for the next month she will beg for a bone at three. Lydia is no where near as consistent. What am I really talking about here??? Sleep, of course! In mid-October, Lydia was sleeping solid from seven in the evening until six the following morning. Last night, Lydia woke up at ten, two and then again at five in the morning. I will continue to be patient in my quest for a solid night's sleep. Megan

Best Part

Yesterday a cool front moved through. The Gulf of Mexico became as still as a lake. The air feels crisp and clean. Best part, the sunset was spectacular. Megan

What is Lydia Up To???

Since Lydia is a now a pro at rolling front to back, we have started working on sitting upright. She has a new-found interest in balls and her feet. Unfortunately, Robonanny bores her pretty quickly these days. John and I have to watch what is within her reach, as Lydia is quick with her hands. The other day she almost pulled a vase of flowers into her lap. Oh, and she likes to take the pacifier out of her mouth and scream at it. I have no clue why. Megan

Lydia Days

I have always said that Lydia is mostly sweetness with just a little bit of spice. Unfortunately since returning from our trip she has been extra spicy. In an attempt to get my sweetie back, I have been focusing all my efforts on her needs. I call these completely baby-focused days "Lydia Days." It is working. She is eating, sleeping and smiling more. We are back in-sync with one another. Megan

The Name Lydia

I have loved the name Lydia ever since watching Pride and Prejudice in high school. Though she is the bratty daughter who ruins the family name, I was drawn to the name's melody and the beauty of it written. Only later did I find out that it was my Grandad Jack's mother's name and that Lydia is also a biblical name. After a little research, I now know that Lydia was a "seller of purple" who converted to Christianity after meeting Paul. There is also a 1930's song "Lydia the Tattooed Lady." Here is Kermit the Frog's version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHXZA_5XMJ4 I'm hoping Lydia will get a kick out of it one day. Megan

The New Lydia?

Lydia and I have not been our best selves this past week. I have had a nasty cold. Lydia...well, I'm not exactly sure. A cold? Perhaps, she is fussy and sneezing a lot. However, she does not have a temperature or a runny nose. Teething? Maybe, she drools and chews on her hands a lot but no actual evidence of a tooth cutting through. New developmental stage? I really hope this is not the new Lydia. It can't be. My baby is sweet and easy-going. Megan

Grumpy Pumpkin

Lydia was a grumpy pumpkin for Halloween! I chose the pumpkin part by winning a brand new Pottery Barn costume for $8 total on Ebay (score!). Lydia decided to embellish the costume with the grumpy demeanor. The day after Amy's baby shower, Amy kindly offered to travel with Lydia and I to go visit John's mom in Columbia. I don't think she had any idea what she was getting into! Though totally adorable, Lydia was not in the celebratory mood. Megan

A Cousin on the Way

My sister is expecting her first child, a son, in early January. What a true gift! Lydia and Baby will only be six months apart in age. Amy and I can continue to share stories about our experiences with pregnancy and motherhood. I distinctly remember Amy once telling me that she knew she would one day have a "strapping young boy." I am ready to meet this special guy! Megan

First Flight

My first airplane ride was around eight years old. For Lydia, she was four months old! Our trip to Kansas City on Delta through Memphis was a total success. Only a few short cries when we were getting situated into our seat. As soon as the engines started, Lydia seemed to soothe instantly. She had no problems with air pressure changes. Several people commented that she was a excellent traveler. Now, the flight home was a totally different story. No need to recap those events. Let's just focus on the positive. Megan

Home Safe, Sound, Pleased and Tired

Lydia and I had a fantastic but busy week. Lydia flew for the very first time to Kansas City. We celebrated my sister's pregnancy with a shower. We took a car trip to visit John's Mom in Columbia. Lastly, we shared a brunch with my Grandparents and Uncle. Memories were made! Pictures of all these wonderful events will soon be posted. For now, I am pooped. Megan