playdough time

This morning Lydda Grace and I made playdough for the first time. She helped me mix up the dry ingredients and was very interested in it... until I tried to get her to touch it!! Eventually she warmed up to it but still hasn't quite gotten the hang of what to do with it. I'm posting the recipe over on my other blog, it was really easy and a great texture and pretty color.

we love you too baby girl!

This just melts our hearts!!
Lydda Grace has really picked up a lot of sign language lately and we have been working on "I love you." She can't say "love" so she does a combination. She crosses her arms (the sign for love) and says "I" then points and says "you." SO SWEET! Sometimes she'll just get on a roll and go back and forth saying to both of us pointing at each of us. It took quite a while to get her to do it for the camera though!

a wee bit excessive

I know, I know! Three videos of close to the same thing are probably a little much. But I couldn't decide which to post!! I also just love how much fun Lydda Grace and Dada have when he gets home from work every day, so maybe it's okay to over-document something that makes my heart so happy!!

visits with friends

Tuesday we had a visit from Meredith, Reagan and Rory. We played at the park and then came back for some dinner. It was so great to see them, meet Rory and catch up!!
Then today, Thursday, Lydda Grace and I took a little trip up to Hendersonville to visit with Janae and Abbie, friends from VT. We had a great time catching up and letting the girls play!

I am realizing that Lydda Grace does not smile on command... we've got to work on this. If I say, "say cheese," she would just think she was about to get one of her favorite foods! That might make her smile though now that I think about it.... is that where that phrase came from?
Now she's smiling! We were trying to get both girls to point to their toes at the same time!

day at the park

Monday we had a fun family day since Jon was off for MLK Day. We spent the afternoon at the park and had such a great time. Lydda Grace has really hit the age where she can climb and slide and truly enjoy the playground.





We ended the afternoon with a strawberry slush from Sonic. Lydda Grace loved it, of course, until she got her first "brain freeze," which she quickly got over and wanted more slush!

Aunt BekBek's and Uncle HaHa's

Lydda Grace had a great visit with Aunt BekBek and Uncle HaHa and we all survived her first night away from home!! Here a few pictures from her visit.

Helping Aunt BekBek unload the dishwasher

Outside with Uncle HaHa

On the swings with Aunt BekBek (and Gracie)

I love this sweet rocking chair. Lydda Grace joined Aunt BekBek and Uncle HaHa at one of their friend's houses for a Saturday morning pj breakfast.

And Mama gets a hug from her sweet girl!!

visit to Y-ville

This past weekend we went to Yadkinville to pick up some new (to us) furniture and visit with family. On Thursday we got to stop and have lunch and visit with Lydda Grace's Great Memama Wylie. It was so wonderful to see her and we all, especially Lydda Grace enjoyed a delicious lunch and then LG danced for her and we opened some Christmas presents. Sadly I totally forgot my camera. The rest of these pictures are from Debbie.

Saturday we visited Uncle Nick at the fire station where he works. Lydda Grace seemed a little shy of the fire engines at first but warmed up quickly. I think the highlight was the firefighting coloring book that Uncle Nick gave her when we left.

Sunday for lunch we got to go visit Great Grandmother Downey after church.
It was a VERY busy weekend what with packing and renting a moving truck and unloading, etc but we had such a nice time and are enjoying getting settled back at home.

lately

I have not been doing very well at posting regularly. It seems to come in spurts.

Lydda Grace is so much fun.... do I say that every time I post?! She really does seem to become more animated and her personality is coming through every day. She is talking a lot more and has picked up more signs. We are really starting to see how even though she can't always answer us or express herself she understands A LOT of what we say and ask her. She is also becoming more willful, like when I say, "Okay Lydda Grace we're going to go change your diaper now." She'll try to run away from me. She is also getting interested in the potty which is great b/c we're hoping to train her early and have heard that is sometimes possible, especially for kids who are in cloth diapers like she is. So far we have one episode where she asked to sit on the potty and actually went. Usually she just likes to sit there!

We recently had some of our University provided furniture moved out to make way for some hand me downs from family. We're trying to collect our own things so that we'll be able to furnish our own place when that "some day" comes! In the meantime Jon and I slept in the living room on the mattress from Lydda Grace's room. She had SO much fun playing on it and the next morning she ran out to see if it was still there!!

In pictures:

We have REAL pigtails!

Coloring at her new table.

Lydda Grace really got into helping me cook today!

All packed and ready to go!
Lydda Grace is spending tomorrow and tomorrow night with her Aunt BekBek and Uncle HaHa (Javier- she seriously calls him HaHa). This is her first time away from us overnight ever!! I'm looking forward to some focused time to get things done at home but am going to miss this sweet girl!! This is her trial run for when BekBek and HaHa keep her while we're in the hospital when the new baby comes.

please and thank you

This just makes our hearts melt!

Christmas in Chapin

We spent last week with my family in Chapin. It was great to all be together for a few days and then we had a few days with Gran and Grandpa to rest and relax which was really nice! Here are a few favorite pictures.
Lydda Grace listening to Grandpa read the Christmas Story before opening gifts on "Christmas Morning"
Mama and Lydda Grace both in new pjs.


Lydda Grace loves her new dollhouse from Gran and Grandpa.

With Gran and Grandpa before going out to dinner on New Years Eve.

Gran and Lydda Grace in hot pink!


Lydda Grace loved dancing to the music rings on Grandpa's cell phone. She had enjoyed it the night before this video and after breakfast she went straight to Grandpa looking for the phone again!