She's Becoming a Mini-Me!

Strangely, Lydia is very much like me in her personality and tends to like the same things that I do. We are a perfect match and more often we are finding ourselves hanging out together as Jason does guy-stuff with the boys. She is VERY strong, and it takes all my strength to hold her down sometimes (like taking blood). She is a "people-person" and chatty, but also likes alone time. She is smiley, but also a thinker. She loves to sleep! And like me, she loves spicy food (esp. Mexican) and we are finding that she loves to go to Chipotle (I could eat there every day). She also loves shoes, purses, and jewlery (like me) and is becoming a pack-rat. Today, as we were out in a store, she found a bracelet and screamed her head off when we had to put it back. She had it on her arm, showing it to people (fishing for compliments). Alot of these things, most little girls like and do. But, for any Nature/Nurture debaters out there...it is something to ponder. We'll see how much more like me she becomes later in life!

Many people ask how Lydia is adjusting and also regarding her health/development. So, here is a little summary:

We have had her now for seven months. She runs, skips, hops, and gallops---she is very fast and can make it across the yard and climbing up into the fort before I even know what's going on! Her speech and language are nearly age-appropriate and gets better every day. Her fav words now are "no-no" and "mine", and (the most sweet) "home." It is so precious to hear her little voice say "home" ---like when she's had too much shopping or like today, when I picked her up from the church nursery--she greeted me with a squeal and then a soft "home" letting me know that she'd had enough there and that she loves her place with us. It melts my heart, especially when I think that previously she had no "home".

Her health at this time is very good. I haven't written much about it, because we actually often forget that she was a "Special Needs" baby! Hopefully, it will stay that way. Upon visiting the Cardiologist in the winter, we found that there is absolutely nothing wrong with her heart....what a blessing and a relief! When we applied for her, we were preparing for surgery or whatever it took to heal her...and now her heart is perfectly healthy! She continues to see a Gastroenterologist, and that is going well. We will visit him again this summer for more testing and to determine if a liver biopsy is necessary. I tend to forget that we may still have challenges in the future. But, I'm content to just "take things as they come."

In the area of attachment, she is doing great---however, will still go to strangers sometimes-but then usually comes back to me for a hug or reassurance.

It is amazing that it has been one year already since we found out about her---time seems to be accelerating. I'm noticing a couple more gray hairs and wrinkles (or crinkles, as I like to call them). I don't mind how old I am, as long as I don't look that old! It's beginning to get more difficult to appear young...no hair color or Botox yet though :)

Hangin' Out in the Country

We spent the last week hanging out with my parents in our little hometown. What started as just a weekend trip, turned into a whole week of fun in the country. It was great for the kids to enjoy being out of the city, and experience the exact things that I loved about summer. During the day they played in the sand, rode bikes on the gravel roads, chased each other with water guns, watched the farmers bale hay, and dug around in my Dad's huge garden. At night they caught lightening bugs, played flashlight tag, looked at the moon and stars through their telescope, caught a few frogs, and had a bonfire with roasted marshmallows, and for the most fun of all----went for lawnmower and tractor rides with Grandpa. I used to do all of these things when I was little and so it was neat to watch them play under the same trees that had watched over me as a little girl.

What did I do? I relaxed in the hammock or fluffy pillow swing, keeping an eye on Lydia. If she was napping, I caught a nap too, but under the old trees in our yard---not a sound, but the wind rustling the leaves or an occasional tractor going by on the gravel. It was wonderful to be carefree, floating in the breeze---just thinking about nothing, or recalling what all those trees had witnessed over the years. (perhaps that's a great story line for a poem or novel).

Lydia enjoyed the summer fun at Grandma's for the first time---she loved being able to wander around in the yard---there are some worries though, like the corn field that stretches forever that would quickly lose a curious 1 year old, or the 3-foot goldfish pond, which is deep and dangerous! So, it was not all relaxing in keeping up with her.

Our hometown was celebrating 150 years since its founding, so we participated in small town fun. Everything looks different since I was a kid, and everything seems so much smaller. We saw many faces from the past and the kids got to experience a small town celebration--even Grandma marched in the parade with her old twirling group! It made me feel old and returning to your past is always strange, as people seem to remember you for who you used to be, and the past can't be changed.

Comment of the week...while we are driving to Grandma's---
Sam: "Well Dad, I guess if you would just work a little bit harder, we'd have enough money to move to the country. So, I guess that's just what you need to do."

We laughed so hard! Jason laughed because of Sam's implication that he doesn't work hard enough and that just a little more money would get him someplace like Grandma and Grandpa's---a fun life forever! And I laughed at the thought of living in the country again---although that's how I grew up, I am now an absolute city-girl and the thought of being trapped in the country seems crazy. We love to visit and have some respite there, but to live there is another thing. Actually, we have the best of both worlds, a life in the city and rest at Grandma's in the countryside :)

More of the Country Bumpkins

Nearly every night, we spent some time looking through the telescope...my parents have the perfect spot for it---darkness, no city lights!





A favorite evening activity in our family is popcorn! After a day packed full of fun, we always have popcorn and t.v. to wrap it up. A rare pic of all four munchkins, mainly because they are busy stuffing their faces.







Sam found a toad and frog hopping through the night. That is something that I did NOT do as a kid, pick up amphibians! The boys loved it and Grandma was happy that they found boy stuff---until they brought it in the house! The poor thing got dropped several times and then tossed out into the yard when they were finished with him...as the kids ran around in the dark---I imagine he got smashed.


Lydia pushing around a talking Ernie---kind of freaky.



A serious look from Lydia as she wanders the yard. What beautiful eyes!




Sam has learned to stay safe on the gravel roads. On one long bike ride (with a jogging Dad), they brought home a stray dog---that's typical. Unfortunately it stayed around drooling near my hammock until my Dad had to drive it back to its owners property.

Grandmas

Jason's mom marching in the hometown parade with her twirling group.












My mom is always looking for fun new things to keep the kids busy---this time she hit the jackpot...a Chocolate Fountain! Now, not everyone has a chocolate fountain. Leave it to my mom to create fun, especially involving sugar. The boys loved dipping their fruit. But, when they were done, everyone was covered in chocolate and my Dad was chasing them around with papertowels. I don't think the chocolate fountain will come out very often!