Palm Sunday

A friend from church just emailed me this picture of Lydda Grace waving a palm branch in the Children's Palm Sunday Processional. The girl carrying her, Grace, is always so sweet to Lydda Grace and LG loves her!

Mama's birthday

My mom (aka Gran... who Lydda Grace has decided to call "Bebe") came into town for my birthday and to watch Lydda Grace while we had both our dr. appts. in Greenville on Thursday. Wednesday was beautiful outside!!!

We looked for dogs, bubbles and played on the cannons. I think the best part of the day for me was the big hug I got from my baby girl. She loves to say "hugs" and "keess" now to ask for hugs and kisses and we are more than happy to oblige!



LG really got into finding the bubbles that landed on the grass and reaching out to pop them.

funny girl

Lately Lydda Grace has really liked to carry bags around. Today she was carrying around her little purse and told me she was going shopping and she picked up her baby doll to take with her and headed for the door. You have to listen carefully but when I ask where she's going she says "shop, shop."

In this video you can hear her say "uh oh" when her purse slips off her shoulder. Everytime this happens she comes to me to put it back up on her shoulder :)

Baby #2 update

Praise the Lord!

We had two great doctor appointments in Greenville today! Our first was an ultrasound follow-up which showed that the baby's kidney has significantly reduced in size since our last ultrasound six weeks ago! The second appointment was with a pediatric nephrologist who talked with us about the game plan for after the baby is born. It's really simple. The baby will have a renal ultrasound within it's first week. Depending on those results we may have to follow up with a VCUG. Either we will be able to just let things run their normal course or the baby may have to go on antibiotics.... that's it! The doctor made no mention of surgery as a possibility and he thinks that there is a great chance that this can clear up on it's own before birth!

This is all some of the best possible news we could get!!

And here's a picture of our precious new addition! We still don't know the baby's gender.... with all these ultrasounds we've been having it's been hard to not give in, but we're holding out for the surprise. Either way we think this baby looks a lot like his or her big sister!

mountain visit

This past week we went to the mountains, near Bryson City, with Granna Wylie, Great- Memama Wylie and Uncle Nick and Aunt Mandy (Jon's brother and sister-in-law). We went to this same house last year, it is beautiful and such a nice retreat. We got lots of rest and reading in. The highlight for Lydda Grace were the birds and "turks" (wild turkeys). Every morning when she woke up she would say "Bird? Turks?!!!" and run off to look for them. A few times she sat down in the driveway and clapped her hands and called for the turks trying to get them to come out. :)

Here is Lydda Grace hunting for Easter eggs- she got VERY excited when she spotted one (even if it was one she had "hidden" herself only moments before!)


This is a big stuffed bear they have at the house that Lydda Grace liked to hug.
Here she is with Granna Wylie coloring.

Hopefully I can get some more pictures soon to post from this fun week away!

belated post

I can't even remember for sure when this was... last week? Maybe? We took snack and a ball and books and strolled outside for the afternoon.
Lydda Grace LOVED the cannons.

She liked them so much we took a walk back out after dinner with Dada for her to play on them again!

spring fever

We are so ready for Spring! Today it's supposed to get up to 68 so I HAD to put a springy outfit on Lydda Grace! I made this skirt for her yesterday using this tutorial. And added the flower using this tutorial (except I sewed the whole thing together so it'll wash better). I was really happy with how it turned out and it was a fun project! After we took pictures I put some pants and socks on her under the skirt since it's probably still in the 40s right now :)

(on a side note.... she's getting much better at standing still to pose for the camera, though getting her to smile for the camera is still hit or miss!)

bath time fun

Lydda Grace LOVES the bath. A few nights ago we gave her a popsicle in the bathtub (I remember doing this when I was little). She was kind of skeptical at first but eventually really enjoyed it. Then tonight we put bubbles in the bath! Exciting times!!

(Please ignore all the marks on the bathtub walls! It's not dirt, it's bathtub crayons!)

Lydda Grace loves to sing itsy bitsy spider. We always pause to let her fill in "washed."

like mama, like daughter

Everyone comments all the time about how much Lydda Grace looks like Jon. Sometimes we even call her "little Jon." I'm so glad that she looks like him but I was happy to find this picture of me when I was little (13 months) as this is an expression that Lydda Grace makes a lot!! Apparently she's got a little bit of me in her as well :)

18 months

I wasn't really planning on doing a "this is what Lydda Grace is up to" post until her second birthday. But she is changing and growing SO fast I want to have these things written down to remember!!

Lydda Grace is talking up a storm. I can't even list all the words that she knows now, it is so amazing! It really just blows our minds how much she absorbs. Even words that she can't say she can often identify if we ask her to point to a picture. I love to hear her sweet babbling throughout the day and it's so great to sometimes even have a "conversation" with her!

Favorite foods right now:
- green smoothies (OJ, yogurt, bananas and a big ol' handful of spinach leaves)
- cheese
- crackers
- cucumbers (seriously... yesterday at lunch she polished those off before her grilled cheese and grapes!)
- blueberries/strawberries
- beans, any kind
- "bish" (goldfish crackers)

She still loves to read and I constantly hear "ree, ree" or "book" throughout the day ("book" has to be said in a very low voice with a strong oooo sound!)
She is constantly on the move, loves to play with her doll and stuffed animals and dollhouse and is in general very happy toddler!

One of Lydda Grace's favorite things in the world is to take a bath. EVERY morning when we're getting ready she will say bath or shower over and over again, just begging to get in the water!

Just today we had her 18 month check up and she is weighing 24 lbs. 10 oz. and is 33 5/8 inches tall! I think all the running she does is really slimming her down!

One of Jon's favorite things to do with Lydda Grace now is to sing Itsy, Bitsy Spider. He does this over and over while she does the motions and will sing "down came the rain and..." and wait for Lydda Grace to say "washed." It's the only word she knows in the song but she doesn't miss it when it's her turn to chime in!

we're back

We had a great week last week. Lydda Grace did GREAT staying with Gran and Grandpa while Jon and I were at a conference for his work in Williamsburg. He was busy during the days but I had some great time to rest, and read and smock and shop!! People keep asking if it was hard to be apart from Lydda Grace, we certainly missed her lots, but it was so nice to know that she was happy and having a great time... more than anything I was just curious what she was up to!! Thankfully Mom and Dad took lots of pictures :)

Tuesday Gran, Aunt Kay and Lydda Grace went to the zoo (LG's first time there!). She was apparently in total awe of a lot of it, excited about some parts, and a little hesitant about others. That afternoon Mrs. Jane came to visit!

She LOVED the "bish"


She was a little skeptical at the farm. Sliding on the playground at the zoo!

Wednesday Mrs. Susan and Mrs. Dixie came to visit and Gran and Lydda Grace had a day at home. Thursday, Gran took Lydda Grace to storytime at the library which she LOVED. She apparently got into all the motions for the rhymes they did and was just really focused and intent :) They went to mall and tried the carousel (LG was not too thrilled with it though).
Friday they went to Grandpa's office for a visit and got ready for Mama and Dada to come back that night!!
It was a busy and exciting week! Thanks Gran and Grandpa for everything!!!!!