Happy 1st Birthday Lydia!

Happy Birthday to Lydia! So much happened in February that I decided to split it into two posts and Lydia gets to be the star of this one. Unfortunately even though I tried almost every week in February to get some professional pictures taken of her, it didn't happen for one reason or another. Hopefully it will finally happen in a few days. Also, because Lydia didn't feel well on her actual birthday we didn't get any pictures of her eating her cupcake (which she threw off her highchair the first time we offered it to her, and two day later got a mild rash on her face the second time we offered it to her) or opening presents. Sorry about that, Lydia. I hope your birthday goes better next year!

However, in spite of not having great birthday pictures, I still got some fun pictures of her this month. So here is the Lydia update.

At her 12-month appointment, we found that Lydia's measurements didn't actually change much from her 9 month stats so consequently all of her percentile scores came down.

Height: 27 1/2 inches (5%)
Weight: 19 lbs 4 oz. (35%)

Lydia got a stomach bug just like the rest of us the middle of February and between that stomach bug and a suspected intolerance of milk and possibly eggs, she just plain hasn't felt well. Starting on Lydia's birthday I began a dairy-free diet and soon Lydia started feeling much better and acting more like her happy self. We're still in the process of tracking down possible food allergies etc. but in conjunction with starting a dairy-free diet I was able to get her off of the acid reflux medicine she had been taking, so I'm happy about that. She still wakes up once a night and usually wants to nurse, but her sleep and her appetite improved with the dairy-free diet. Hopefully we can get it all figured out.

Especially when Lydia is feeling well, she is a delight to have around. She loves to have fun and smile and interact with others. Her favorite "toys" this month have been ones that allow her to move, rock, walk, or ride. She turned the banana chair and car seat into toys and loves "riding" in them. She falls down a lot, but she laughs and tries again. She has been so brave and daring that she not only learned to walk this month, but she turned into a little climber that tries to stand up without hands on the car. When she does something "dangerous" she looks at me and just laughs. Each day I'm equally surprised, amused, and anxious about what Lydia gets into or discovers. Each day is a new adventure and she wants to be in the middle of it now.

On Lydia's birthday we introduced her to balloons

Playing on the banana chair

Reaching to play the piano like she sees Ethan do

Longing to be outside with Ethan

Such a cutie!

Always has crazy hair but still manages to be adorable

Loves to be outside and she kicks her feet when she's excited

Playing in her car seat

Standing on her own for about 10 seconds with her little lamb that she loves

Happy to swing, swing, swing

Lydia actually got a shopping cart for her birthday, but some friends of ours passed on this great kitchen set with food and a princess vanity set that Ethan and Lydia have enjoyed playing with

Ready to be a princess :)

I know it's blurry, but this is when Lydia actually took some of her first steps

Lydia loves pushing and being pushed on this car right now. Ethan loves to push her around and it's so super sweet and super frightening at the same time. :) Fortunately we haven't had any major incidents yet.

And yes, as soon as Lydia learned to stand up on the car she was immediately trying to balance without hands. I have to keep a close eye on her!

Oh Lydia, we love you! We're so glad you joined our family. Thanks for keeping us smiling, laughing, and on our toes!