My Take on the Debate

This is not a current photo! It was taken a year ago this time when Lydia's birth was on the horizon. All the recent debate in the media about Attachment Parenting Techniques has made me think a lot about our style of parenting. I am thankful that this debate is taking place now rather than a year ago. At that time, John and I did not know about Attachment Parenting. Had we known, it would have put pressure on us to parent in a particular way. Come to think of it, we have not used any of the techniques recommended by Dr. Sears. I tried breastfeeding but it did not work out for me. I wore Lydia sometimes in her baby carrier on dog walks but when inside we fostered Lydia being happy on her own. Lastly, we never slept with Lydia in the bed. Many people warned that this was unsafe and a difficult habit to break. I must say though that Lydia seems to be thriving and happy. She prefers playing and cuddling with John and I, but she can be on her own too. We all get decent sleep at night. Most importantly, Lydia is healthy. Do I think Attachment Parenting is for us? Nope. Megan

Baby Sea Turtles Coming Soon

I looked out the window today to find an area of the beach sectioned off. It is a sea turtle nest! Anticipated arrival of the baby sea turtles is mid-late July. I'm hoping to see them hatch. Megan

Baby Steps!

This photo was taken just seconds after Lydia took her first two steps in the bathtub! To me, her expression seems to say "piece of cake." Fortunately, both John and I were there to see it. Megan

The Lap Nook

When we read Lydia sits comfortably in my lap. Lately when I sit down on the carpet, Lydia will slowly back herself into the nook, indicating she wants to read together. Completely melts my heart. Megan

Lydia Helps Out

Lydia is quite the soux chef now that she can easily open cabinets. Here she is helping John make blueberry pancakes. Megan

Mother = Cheerleader

I have figured out a way to encourage Lydia to eat--praise and cheering. And by cheering, I mean extremely enthusiastic raves with clapping, dancing and kisses. You would have thought Lydia scored the winning Superbowl touchdown after tasting broccoli for the first time. Lydia didn't actually swallow it but she did chew it for a good five seconds. Megan

Sweet Dreams

"The moon is high. The sea is deep. They rock and rock and rock to sleep." My favorite line from The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton.

Lydia's Most Favorite Thing

Lydia's pool was on hiatus over the weekend while I figured out how to clean it. As soon as I brought it back out, Lydia's eyes lit up. Though empty and in need of air, she climbed into it immediately and began playing. Check out that baby standing on her own! Megan

Navarre Beach

To us, Navarre Beach is Florida's best kept secret. It is a wonderful place to live. Sure, it could also be called the Bud Light capital of the South and yes, I often find some "unique" characters weekday afternoons at Walmart. But quite simply the people are nice. Everyone rallies behind the beach, not just because it is crucial to our economy but because it is gorgeous. It is a rarity to meet a local who doesn't enjoy a day at the beach as much as any given tourist. Megan

Lydia at 11 Months

The count-down to Lydia's first Birthday begins today! At 11 months, Lydia is standing on her own for up to 30 seconds and has even made her first attempt at a step. She loves taking Lucy's bones from her while she is trying to chew on them. If you leave the front door open, Lydia will make a fast get-away and scare any bystanders waiting for the elevator on the breezeway (learned yesterday, a little embarrassing). Her favorite things are the beach, her pool and books. She has started watching Sesame Street but still prefers her Baby Einstein videos. Lydia gives kisses and cuddles. No attempts at a first word yet but it seems like she understands the word "no" as she has learned to not play in Lucy's water bowl. She has five teeth as of today, four on bottom and one on top. She likes to eat popcorn (broken into small pieces) and shredded cheese. Her schedule has changed to one nap a day in the late morning most days. We see a crabby baby around five but once she is in bed by seven, Lydia sleeps soundly through the night. Megan

John, I Appreciate You Too!

Tomorrow is Military Appreciation Day and John was featured in our local news! Click on the links to see (2 clips). He is in the green flight suit with the student in tan. Megan http://www.weartv.com/sections/community/features/military_salute/videos/vid_9.shtml http://www.weartv.com/sections/community/features/military_salute/videos/vid_43.shtml

Beautiful Little Girl

Someone once told me that he believed people take photos because it is difficult to fully appreciate the beauty of something in the moment. I sorta agree. When there is a vivid sunset, my first inclination is to run back inside the condo, away from the view, and hide behind my camera. When I look at Lydia, I have the same response. Her little body parts, perfect skin and expressive eyes are almost too much to take in at once. So I will continue to grab for my camera to capture my beautiful little girl. Megan

Not Too Bad, Aye!?!?

This photo was taken using a new lens on manual and I couldn't be happier with the way it turned out. The lens made it easy but it would have been even easier had my subject matter sat still. Megan

Looking Up!

I'm feeling well again and it is a beautiful morning here in Navarre that began with a family run. Work for the day is done and now we have the rest of the day to play. Megan

Bring on the Cow's Milk!

So I had an anxious-mommy-moment last weekend after reading that when a baby transitions to cow's milk at 12 months it is recommended to stop using bottles. My initial thoughts were "But Lydia still can't use a sippy cup on her own! Why can't anything just be easy!?!?" Not my most positive moment, I realize. Well, lo and behold, I picked up a cheap straw cup yesterday that Lydia knew immediately how to drink from. No need to worry, no repeated practice, and no frustrations. I will be sad to pack Lydia's bottles away but even more so thrilled to stop buying expensive formula. Megan

First Mother's Day

Yesterday I celebrated my first Mother's Day. I had greatly looked forward to the day but unfortunately spent the majority of it away from John and Lydia, sick in bed. This photo was taken a few weeks ago, as I was in no means "camera-ready" yesterday. My first Mother's Day was a reminder that you can't plan special days. In fact, high expectations are often the reason certain days are doomed to fail. In my experience, the best days are the unexpected, simple ones spent together as a family. Megan

Pool-date with Garrett

Well, as you can see, the pool is a real hit! Garrett even came over to swim with Lydia. A pool toy may have been "accidentally" dropped from the balcony to the pool deck. Luckily, no innocent sun-bathers were harmed. Megan

Balancing Act

Lydia has started standing on her own! She likes to practice in her pool. The heavy, wet diaper helps anchor her balance as well as cushion the fall. Click on the link to see the video. If you are wondering what Lydia is looking at, she is taken with adorable baby in the reflection. Megan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMl2SiDc_F4&feature=youtu.be

Match Point Goes to Lydia

I have been working hard to introduce Lydia to new foods--blueberries, peaches, sweet potato fries, buttery bread stick, banana chips, and scrambled eggs. In every case, Lydia rejected the food and fed it to Lucy instead. Seriously, what human being does not like fries!?!? Oh ya, my daughter apparently. I am working to let it go, not try to control it. We are going to take a break for awhile from trying new foods. Cheerios and yogurt it is...for now. Megan

We Love Blueberry Picking

We have been looking forward to the start of blueberry picking season for months. John was not scheduled to fly today so we headed to Beulah Farms where we had the patch to ourselves. We now have 2 gallons of blueberries which are so fresh that they will stay good in the fridge for about three weeks. The taste of these berries is no comparison to what is found at the grocery store. Thank you Beulah Farms! Megan

Balcony Day

Hasty sunblock application at the beach on Saturday (for John and I) influenced our decision to spend today in the shade. We agreed on balcony day! Lydia started out the day in a small splash pool which we quickly realized was not going to meet our needs. She easily crawled out of the pool, spilling water out onto the balcony. A trip to Walmart and Lydia had upgraded to a large toddler pool, which made everyone in our family quite happy. Megan

Easy to Please

I made chicken curry last night for dinner and the finished meal was disappointing. Luckily, it was much easier to please Lydia. Simply sharing a glass of cold water is enough to bring a big smile to her face. Megan

Dog and Baby Reunited

Lydia loves all dogs now. But of course her favorite is Lucy. They spent a lot of time yesterday catching up by playing together on the floor. It is nice to be home. When Lucy was scolded for chewing one of Lydia's toys, Lydia began to cry, sharing in her sadness. Megan

Celebrating 70 Years of Marriage

Lydia and I flew back to Kansas to help celebrate my grandparents' 70th wedding anniversary. This year John and I will be celebrating our 7th anniversary. I like to think that we are just one-tenth of the way through our marital journey as we hope to follow in the footsteps of my Grandma Ruth and Granddad Jack. I also spent time with my nephew, Nathan, who I had not seen since the day of his birth. This almost four month old is thriving, happy-as-can-be. He charmed me with his big smile and frequent coos. The downfall of living in Florida is not being closer to family. I wish Lydia and Nathan could grow up as playmates. For the time being, Nathan is probably relieved by the distance. While Lydia did not pull his hair as I had worried she would, she did make several attempts to steal his pacifier. Megan