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