Health-Kick

Seeing as how swimsuit season is lurking around the corner, I am now on a bit of a health-kick. My goals include eating more oatmeal for breakfast as well as fish for dinner. Easy, right!?!? I hope so! Last night, I made this salmon recipe and it turned out wonderfully, even better than the expensive seafood restaurant meal I had over the weekend. Megan
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/maple-salmon/detail.aspx

Gratitude

On this foggy Tuesday morning, I woke up feeling blessed for two reasons in particular. One, I get to spend my day at home with Lydia, thanks to John's support and hard work at the squadron. I love being a stay-at-home Mom--no longer experiencing the Sunday dread of the upcoming week or the initial panic of waking up to a long list of to-do's. Two, we had another night of eight hours uninterrupted sleep, thanks to Lydia. This is by far the best sleep I have had in over a year's time. Megan

Bad Hair Days

For the past few weeks we have seen a lot of rain and some humidity, a big change from the 70 degree sunny days of December and January. Lydia's hair does not agree with the wet weather. It looks as though she may have inherited curls from Daddy. Megan

A Round of Applause for Lydia

Today Lydia started imitating my clapping. Click on the link below to see my dance partner. Megan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq7vb3aVdxQ&feature=youtu.be

Bumps and Kisses

Now that Lydia is rolling and pushing herself backwards around the living room floor, she does bump her head from time-to-time on walls or furniture. I like being the one to comfort her and stop the tears. She has started returning the affection with slobbery, open-mouthed kisses. Megan

Rough and Tumble Lydia

Gone are the days of delicate, little baby. Hearty rough and tumble baby days have arrived! Lydia loves to be tossed and rolled, dangled and jiggled. Megan

Happy Mardi Gras

Restful nights are back! The good sleep made us energized to attend the Navarre Mardi Gras Parade on Saturday. In the South, Mardi Gras is a guaranteed party. Though rainy, the celebration was in full swing hours before the parade began. 10 moonpies, 50 beads and a stuffed mini-soccer ball (score!) later, we walked back to the condo with sore cheeks from smiling so hard. Megan

The Benefits of Beauty Sleep

Not only is this the fresh face of a baby who slept 12 hours independently last night with very little crying (Can I get an Amen?!?!) but it is also the face of a smart little girl. She seems to have caught on quickly to the sleep training and things are looking up in our household! Megan

Eyes on the Prize, Sleep Training Take Two, For Real This Time!

Armed with my new book, a clean bill of health from Lydia's doctor and two nights of not-so-horrible sleep, we began sleep training again last night. I'm having a little more trouble this time with it, mainly because I'm battling not only fears, but also regrets. I'm worried about creating a pattern of tension between Lydia and I mostly. But I'm also regretting that John and I have developed a habit of answering her every whimper by replacing her pacifier. The best cure for lack of sleep? I have found that chocolate and sweatpants help. Megan

Rock n' Roll

Lydia is a quick, rolling wonder! Though she has been rolling for a couple weeks now, it still surprises me when I walk into a room and she is not where I sat her down last. So far, her favorite place to travel to is the cold, hard tile of the dining room. Megan

Happy Valentine's Day

This is the fifteenth year that John is my valentine. Whoa, that is hard to believe! I do feel extremely fortunate to have such a long history with John--one that began with shy smiles as we passed one another in the hallways of Rock Bridge High School. Megan

Separation Anxiety at Night

It has officially been a week since Lydia had a good night's sleep. Lydia cries, tosses and whimpers throughout the night, especially when we step out of her eyesight. I am at a loss for what to do. Move her crib back to our room? Sleep in her room with her? Keep bouncing between rooms to replace fallen pacifiers that will just fall out again in a matter of minutes? Lately I have been trying to trust my instincts rather than answer to baby books and websites. However, I bought this book out of desperation at about one in the morning. Fingers crossed that it will help us move past these sleepless nights. Megan

Grammy and Granddad Visit

Relaxed beach and baby days was the theme of Grammy Dana and Granddad Jim's visit last week. We spent lots of time chatting while taking in the crystal clear ocean views. During the daytime, Lydia wooed them with her laid-back attitude, vibrant smiles and slobbery raspberries (Note here how I specify "daytime." Nighttime was a different story). Overall, we had a spectacular visit and it reminded me how meaningful it is to spend time with family. Megan

The Toy Department

Our friends and family have been extremely generous in giving gifts to Lydia. In fact, Friday was the very first time I bought Lydia a toy myself. A normally dull trip to Walmart turned fun when I impulsively decided to wander through the toy section. Lydia has so much to look forward to! Apparently, so do I, as I had a blast picking out this musical walker for her. Megan

An Organized Cupboard

I know what you may be thinking...A blog entry about a boring cupboard??? The answer is yes! John was so kind and reorganized this cabinet over the weekend to make room for Lydia's foods and utensils. In the end, I thought it is a great example of where our priorities now lie. Lowest shelf and easiest to reach quickly is designated for Lydia's things. Next in line and importance is coffee cups. Top shelf and most unlikely to be taken out is fine china. I do not foresee eating many meals on fine china in the next few years. Megan

Early Spring Cleaning

I spent the majority of the day yesterday cleaning the condo. When I clean, nothing can stop me. I am intense--Steer clear! Around sunset, I found myself standing in a much cleaner condo with a baby who had spent the day being slightly neglected (sorry Lydia). To celebrate cleaning completion, I enjoyed a little happy hour with the best little happy hour buddy in the world. Megan

Coast Guard

John has decided to apply to the Coast Guard! If accepted, he will be flying search and rescue, which is extremely exciting. The duty stations and few deployments are also big bonuses. We won't know for over a year though if he has been accepted. It is going to be a lot of hoping, waiting, and watching episodes of Coast Guard Alaska. Megan

Red Blanket

Here is a very quick video of Lydia having fun with Lucy's blanket. Like Lucy, Lydia sees the blanket as the best toy. I guess I'm going to have to start washing it more often. Megan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbOJQeDfz_4&feature=youtu.be