5 Months

You're 5 months old now and I can't believe it! You are sitting up all by yourself, enjoy eating apples, bananas, sweet potatoes, pears, peaches, carrots and I just picked up some mango for you to try. I have an obsession with making your baby food, its really fun! You are working on your first two teeth. You have discovered you have feet, which you have been "eating" every chance you get. I went to get you out of your crib the other morning and put you on your changing table and you started flapping your arms like you were a bird trying to fly! You love animals, your favorite toy is a giraffe. You like reading with mommy. You try to turn the pages and love to try to eat your books. You are talking a lot, like to spend time in your bounce bounce because you are all about standing these days. You are rolling all over the place, getting your self up on your knees and just the other day you pushed yourself up on your arms. Its just a matter of time before you start crawling.

You pulled your first all nighter this week. Daddy unswaddled you because you had a fever and it woke u up after you had been sleeping for 4 hours so you were wide awake and happy from 12am-4am, that is not playtime my dear! Daddy stayed up with you while you hung out in your swing hoping you would fall back to sleep, he slept in the chair that night because he didn't want you to be out there alone.

You had your first Easter but since you stayed up all night we didn't get to go to church the next morning because we were so exhausted. You have been fussing in your sleep the last few nights, we can't wait for you to go back to being a solid sleeper, we could use the extra rest.

You went to the doctor to get a shot they were out of last month, you cried for 2 seconds and then were distracted and forgot about it. We started teaching you sign language this month and I swear you sign mommy all the time.

I really can't believe that next month you are going to be half a year old! Time sure does fly but I am thankful I get to stay home with you and watch you as you grow because it is all happening way too fast!

We still haven't come up with a nickname for your yet. Everyone refers to you as princess and your cousin Luca calls you Baby-ah. He loves you so much. You guys lay in your crib all the time and watch your mobile. When you are in your swing he brings a chair over and sits in front of you and talks to you. You two even carry on your own conversations at times. It so cute to watch you together. I am glad you will have your cousin to grow up with.

Now its on to see what things you will do in the next month. Maybe your teeth will pop through or you will start to crawl or maybe just for once you will slow down on this whole growing up thing, its kind of making mommy a little teary eyed.

I love you!

Love Mommy

4 months or 16 weeks or 120 days!

I've been a mommy now for 120 days, thats 120 days of the best calling God could give, being your mother. Oh Lydia Kate I can't tell you how much of a blessing you have truly been to your daddy and I these past 4 months. You are truly a delight to have in our home and have taught us so much!

You like to look at people as they talk, like you understand what they are saying. This was really noticed at your well baby check up when you stared at Dr. Mir the entire time she was talking. You can almost sit up by yourself with the occasional tilt to the side or folding yourself in half. You are 13.7lbs (50th %) and 24in (90th %) We think you are going to be a tall skinny little girl.

During tummy time you like to kick your feet like you are trying to go somewhere, you are rolling to your side but you haven't rolled to your tummy since the first few times a month ago.

We found your ticklish spots and heard your first laugh, LOVE it!

You had your first play date with Leah Schultz, her mommy was nice enough to take you for a few hours so I could get some things done being as you don't really take naps during the day and when you do they are catnaps but as I sit and write this you have been sleeping soundly in your swing for the last 2.5 hours! That could be because we started feeding you baby food yesterday. You have had sweet potatoes so far and I couldn't feed them to you fast enough, you got mad at me when they were all gone!

We moved you to your crib this weekend and you are sleeping through the night, getting about 10 hours of sleep a night. We still swaddle you despite your almost outgrowth from your swaddle blankets. You lounge with daddy and watch tv in the evenings. I love it because again, its like you know whats going on. You still like your Baby Einstein videos. You are currently learning your numbers! I am convinced that you have already said your first word ( HI) I swear I keep hearing you say it as you are cooing on the floor or in the swing when I look at you.

You went for your first walk yesterday and you slept the whole way to the park, while we were there and the whole way home. Your cousin Luca was sad because he wanted to see how you would like the swing. You love to sit on mommy's lap and read books. We think you are finally teething with the amount of drool that has been dripping from your mouth. Last night you were laying on your tummy and you reached for my hand and stuck it in your mouth. You are growing up so fast. You sit like a lady with your ankles crossed and your hands nicely folded in your lap like in the picture above.

You have already accomplished so many firsts and we can't wait for so many more!

Love,

Mommy & Daddy

* I do want to make note that at your 4 month check up you didn't cry when you got your shots! You were laying on your side sucking your fingers and when they poked you, you just stopped for a second and looked around like, wait a minute did someone just touch me and then you went about your business!

3 Months

We've hit the 3 month mark and some new milestones Miss Lydia. You managed to get your first cold the day before you hit 3 months old. I took you to the Dr. and you got put on antibiotics, a steroid to help with some congestion and you got your first nebulizer treatment. I wish I would have gotten a picture of how calm and cute you were. You slept through the entire thing while holding the mask with your hand. It made mommy sad that you were so sick but I am thankful you have such a wonderful pediatrician who knows what she is doing and is great at her job. We have learned that with you being sick, all you want is your mommy. You took your first trip to the emergency room this weekend because mommy didn't like the wheezing sound in your lungs. Everything turned out to be ok but we just wanted to make sure. You love to fall alseep on my shoulder these days then in your swing. Its ok, I like the extra cuddles.

You have almost mastered the art of rolling from your back to your tummy. Its kind of cute to watch you get so mad and frustrated as you try to get past your arm so you can make it all the way. When we lay you on the floor and you move yourself in a complete circle. You love your piano kicker mat, using your feet to make lots of music. Your new thing to do that I absolutely love is when I go to get you out of your bassinet in the morning or get you out of your swing, you kick your feet and laugh. You are so excited to see mommy and I love, love, love it!

You took your first "road trip" this last week to go see your grandma Sheri in Decatur. It was a round trip of 4 hours and you did pretty good. You slept most of the way home.

You still hang out in your swing talking to your birdies and I love listening to you coo. Your personality is beginning to show and I love it! We bought you oatmeal to start once you are over this cold of yours, can't wait to have you try it!

Love,

Mommy

2 Months

Dear Lydia,

I can't believe you are already 2 months old! It seems like just yesterday we brought you home from the hospital. You have changed so much since you were born. You are still a great stretcher and I see lots of yoga in your future. You are a master at holding your head up, you have actually been good at that for a while now. When you are asleep in your swing you put both of your arms out when I walk by like you are trying to give me a hug. It really is the cutest thing ever. You make the cutest sound after you sneeze. I like when you fall asleep on my shoulder and how you pat my back when I burp you. You aren't a fan of afternoon naps but you sleep through the night and take a nice morning nap but you do fight sleep in the afternoons and that makes you cranky. You get excited when daddy comes home. You mastered the art of nursing this last month which has cut down the amount of formula we give you to almost nothing. I am guessing thats because you wanted to prove the lactation consultant wrong when she told momma that at 5 weeks you probably wouldn't catch on the latching on and wouldn't nurse. Did you prove her wrong! You do this cute little thing when you nurse. You stop and this big grin just shoots across you face. The other day while you were nursing you actually put your fingers in the position of the sign for I love you. I took a picture with my phone because I thought it was so cool. I will show it to you one day.

You discovered the kickin coaster these last few weeks and you love it. We brought out your highchair and you sit in the while momma makes dinner and while daddy and I eat. You are cooing more and you have your own conversations with us, you really do the cutest things. I put you on the couch sitting up yesterday and you stayed up right all by yourself the entire time. You laughed and thought it was the coolest thing. You have learned that when momma points the camera at you that means you need to smile and that smile melts my heart.

Daddy and I thank Heavenly Father for you every night. We are so blessed with you being a part of our family and I love you pieces. I can't wait to see what you accomplish over the next month.

Love,

Momma

One Month

Dear Lydia,

You are a month old today and have brought so much joy to our home. You are such a good baby, letting us sleep through the night more than your average newborn. Some of your favorite things are your swing, pooping on mommy when she changes your diaper, sitting facing out holding that strong head of yours up, sticking your tongue out, sucking on your thumb and all your little fingers, being rocked to sleep while mommy sings to you, you seem to favor "You are my Sunshine" and "I am a Child of God" a song mommy played over and over again for you when you were in her belly, you like laying on your changing table and staring at your ceiling fan, staring at mommy while smiling and letting out these cute little noises, cuddling with daddy at night and staring out the window talking while you rock in your swing. Daddy thinks you are talking with angels or Heavenly Father when you do that, it really is the cutest thing. You were sitting there the other day waving your arms back and forth and just going on and on. You really have brought Heaven down to our home, a true blessing.

In your first month of life you managed to have your good share of diaper blow outs. Last weekend we had to change you in the rug department at IKEA, don't worry we used your changing pad. Too bad we didn't buy that rug as a souvenir! You got mommy good the other day when she was changing your diaper. I went to wipe your bum and you just let it all rip, getting poop all over the place. You even pooped out the back of your diaper all over Uncle Jerry as Aunt Tonya was getting your bath ready.

You can already roll to your side. You even try to sit up when we put you in your swing. You love to stretch, be naked and love bath time. You aren't afraid of noise, you actually sleep through the 8 boys mommy watches screaming and playing around you. You must get that comatose sleep from your daddy.

You are a joy to have as a Daughter and one of the greatest blessings we have been given. We look forward to watching you grow even more.

Love,

Mommy