Photography Fun

This first photo was taken using the knowledge I gained from my low-light photography class. At night, families often head to the beach with flashlights to look at sand crabs.

This second photo was taken at the blueberry patch and edited with a free internet program--Befunky.com. Megan

Peekaboo Queen

Lydia plays peekaboo with her hands, with blankets, with toys, anytime and everywhere! She also will bounce her knees when she hears music, a little dance that makes us smile. Lydia now weighs 22 pounds and falls at the 65th percentile for both height and weight. She walks everywhere and loves to follow us around the house. She doesn't seem to get frustrated that by the time she arrives at a room, it is already time to turn around and leave. As far as napping, we are back to the two-a-day schedule. Crabby baby in the evening was just not working for us. Some days Lydia eats a lot including scrambled eggs, pancakes and pizza. Other days, it is cheerios and purees only. No first word yet but John and I are working hard! Everything we say is either "Mama this" or "Dada that." Lydia is following more one-step commands. Today I asked her to bring me the ball and she did. Coincidence??? No way! Last little tidbit to share, we had our first poop-in-the-tub last night. I totally freaked out. Thankfully, John was the even-keeled one who "handled" the situation. Megan

Off and Running

I started this gratitude blog as a reminder of the blessings in each day. Sharing it with everyone has been absolutely wonderful. When friends and family follow our happenings, it shortens the distance between us. John and I feel so supported as we raise Lydia. THANK YOU! As you can see from this picture, my baby little girl is off and running. As Lydia speeds up, so does our life. My new goal for Dolphins and Dirty Dolphins is a weekly post sharing the highlights of our time in Navarre Beach. Megan

Birthday Photos

Lydia's Birthday celebration is complete! The cupcakes turned out wonderfully, though she was not interested in trying any (not too surprised). She did rub it all over her face though. The weather turned hot and sticky so we did not make it to the zoo. Truthfully, I probably was trying to do too much. The balloons and gifts alone made her day incredibly fun. Megan

Birthday Eve

Click me to view Birthday Slideshow

A year ago tonight John and I nervously drove to Pensacola Naval Hospital.  This has been the most memorable year of both our lives.   Simply put, being with Lydia makes me happy.  Seeing her do new things makes me proud.  Hearing her cry makes me feel anxious.  Hearing her laugh makes me feel weightless.  Best of all, hugging her makes me feel special.  Megan

Nest Turtles Nest!

We are having a record number of sea turtles nesting this year. Click on the link to see some video coverage from the news showing a turtle coming ashore. The Summerwind nest is due to hatch in mid-July, right during our trip to Chicago (bad timing!). Megan
http://www.weartv.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wear_vid_23121.shtml

3 Days To Big B-Day

Lydia's first Birthday is Thursday and I'm getting excited. Mom and Bob will be here and John is taking off work. It is fun to brainstorm ideas on how to celebrate--makes me feel like a kid again. The plan so far is as follows:
Cupcake onesie with tutu
Lots of helium balloons
Lydia's first trip to the zoo
Monkey cupcakes, vanilla with chocolate frosting (this is the photo from the recipe--we will see how mine compare)
Megan

First Father's Day

Happy Father's Day John! He was given a slightly-used (okay, more like roughly-used) Radio Flyer wagon, something that he has fond childhood memories of. Both Lydia and John loved their first wagon-ride together, just another wonderful way they are alike. One thing for certain, Lydia loves her daddy. Megan

Past and Present

One of the most thoughtful gifts we received to celebrate Lydia's birth was this double frame from Great-Aunt Peggy and Great-Uncle Jim. John's mom is pictured on the left. Along with the frame was the exact dress that Phyllis wore when the photo was taken, which Peggy and Jim discovered this past year while organizing Great-Grandma Sager's home, as well as a beautiful heart locket. Today we re-created the photo and made a keepsake Lydia will cherish her entire life. Thank you Great-Aunt Peggy and Great-Uncle Jim. Megan

Nighty Night Lucy

John and I like to kid that the reason we had a child is so that at some point we won't have to walk Lucy anymore. Honestly though, Lucy is driving me insane with her constant "more walks," "more food," and "more play!" So today I am thankful for some relief from the heat. We just got back from an hour walk with Lucy followed by some free time running around the parking lot. Lucy will spend the rest of her day passed out on her pillow. Megan

Lydia, Waking Up

My favorite time to snuggle with Lydia is first thing in the morning. She is the most mellow she will be all day. Following her naps, you never know what mood Lydia will be in. Most of the time happy. Sometimes upset. Today she was impatient for me to pick her up out of the crib. Megan

The Dangers of Blogging

John was perusing the Navarre Press online and came across this article (link is below). Remember this picture??? It was taken way back in March and posted on this blog. Someone stole my photo! I am amused and a little proud. Megan
http://www.navarrepress.com/news/15/4708-county-compromises-on-shark-fishing

Pizza Anyone!?!?

Lydia's confidence is quite admirable. She has only been walking for about a week and already finds new ways to challenge herself. Megan

Put a Lid On It

Lydia loves playing with jars and lids, seeing how they fit together and can be pulled apart. Baby toys don't get any cheaper than free! Megan

Our Lil' Jayhawk

John and I had a very proud moment tonight as we watched Lydia walk around and pass her beach ball. Click on the link to see the video. Playing ball seems second nature to her. Maybe we need to consider moving to Lawrence!?!?! Megan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdIiWDQsWPc&feature=youtu.be

And Then There Were Three

Lydia chucked a pacifier out of her stroller this morning. We started out with a dozen a year ago and now have only three left. We will not be buying more. In fact, we couldn't even buy more if we wanted, as they do not sell this model anymore. Time to start breaking the habit. Megan

Where Are We Headed???

I am an over-thinker. Because of this tendency, I can easily talk myself out of taking Lydia far from home, either "Gas is too expensive" or "The weather isn't good" or "It is not worth risking possibly getting into a car accident." The real downside of thinking like this is Lydia and I end up cooped-up at home. So today I went outside of my comfort zone by driving to the west side of Pensacola to pick blueberries, followed by breakfast at Cracker Barrel, just Lydia and I. It was a total success! One woman at the patch did comment aloud to her friend "That baby is going to get hot." I let it slide right off my back. The outing was worthwhile, even if it entailed a little sweat. Megan

This Highchair is No Longer a Battlefield

Lydia and I have come to a great compromise. She is trying more foods--apples, sweet potato fries, and blueberries. She swallows some bites and others she spits out after a few seconds. But hey, she is trying. She has also fallen in love with cottage cheese. Last night for the first time, Lydia ate a stage 3 (lumpy) baby food, Peach and Apricot Muesli. Megan

Lydia's "To Do" List for the Day, Everyday

1. Dump all toys onto floor.
2. Pull out towels, tupperware and cups from kitchen cabinet.
3. Empty spoons from dishwasher onto floor.
4. Dump all clothing baskets into bathtub.
5. Find toothbrush and toothpaste tube to chew on.
6. Close all doors in the house.
7. Topple over swing.
8. Dump all books and magazines onto floor.
9. Pull out wipes from wipe-warmer.
10. Keep Mom active and smiling.
Megan

Lydia Taking Steps

Here is a video of Lydia taking a few steps followed by a tumble. No worries, she was just fine. Megan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wV8_ZY_D1o&feature=youtu.be

A Weekend with Pops

John's dad came to visit for the weekend. He was wowed by Lydia's first attempts at walking, as she is now combining three steps at a time! A break from the heat and humidity on Saturday meant great enjoyment of the balcony views. Sunday was warmer so we all cooled off with a dip in the pool followed by some BBQ. Lydia was much more friendly with Pops this visit, though she was clearly not in the mood to get her photo taken this morning. Megan

Hey Dad, How 'Bout a Ride?

Only eleven months old and already training for the MKT Trail Ride. There is probably another five day ride in our future. Megan