Autumn

Lydia one year ago...

Lydia one week ago...


From a totally zonked 2 week old...

To a "neigh"ing, squirmy 1 year old!


Sitting in the pumpkin patch she was enthralled with pointing to the tips of the stems.



Of course, then she figured out that she could "ride" the pumpkins which was great fun!




Dear friends, Jen & Ryan, the newlyweds came for a visit on a gorgeous October afternoon.

Posing for the camera :)

A walk in the woods: Longpine Resvoir



Daddy decided to inaugurate Lydie into one of his family traditions: cream cheese on saltine cracker...

One of her favorite activities...this time she found all of her utensils. When one runs out of hands, employ the mouth!

Since Lydia doesn't walk and can't carry things in her hands, she figures the easiest way to transport items is by mouth.

What we call "free standing" in the kitchen. Look, no hands!

Almost dinnertime and I had emptied a bag of apples into the fruit drawer. One got away and Lydia snatched it up. Before I knew it she was munching away. Almost as if to say, "See, mommy, I really am hungry!"

Baby Sign

Lydie signing "eat" "more" and "finished". She also knows "please" "milk" and "sleep" Obviously she still uses her voice in addition to body language (like grabbing the booster seat tray and rocking obviously means, "Get me out of here!") :) What fun!

Parties

Lydia had two small birthday parties to celebrate her big first year.

Some of her friends joined her for pizza and cake. Boy, did they have a blast!
Our family

Adrian snoozes amidst the chaos

Happy Maeve with her daddy

Lydie and Owen "sharing" the farm animal book. They are racing to see who can say "ba" first.


The blue-eyed babies are struck by something while Riley is intently focused on those blocks.

Riley teaching Lydie how to dance to the choo choo song

These children are going to make one rockin' band one day!


Riley and Owen getting a kick out of a backyard football game

Sibs


"Um, Muh-ma, I'm not so sure about the fire on my cake"

"Oh, yeah, this is awesome. I think I'll dig right in!"

Lydie teaches Avery how to eat cupcakes in preparation for her 1st birthday in a couple weeks.

Ava instructing the girls how to open presents like a pro.


One pooped birthday girl

Riding Guinney into the sunset...


The next day we had our entire immediate family over for lunch.
I truly can't believe we all made it, and we all fit (except for Mark on the edge there ;)

Aunt Mere lovin' her babies!

Gabby pets the only dog that showed up to the party

Grandma with her girls

Uncle John and Grandpa Willson

Pushing her "Bay-ya-bee" from Grandma and Grandpa

The adoring audience for the present-opening

Mommy and baby collapse in exhaustion after the festivities. Whew!

One Year Old

Here are a couple of photos from month 11, then onto the 1st birthday!

Boogles in a box. She emptied it and hopped in while I was in the kitchen.

So proud of herself!

Love that grin..."I'm not supposed to be doing this, am I?"

Reading "Mere Christianity" No "Dr. Seuss" for her, she's jumping into C. S. Lewis

Lydie's first day of "school"

We started her first birthday by going out to breakfast - eggs and toast = Yummy!

Mommy and baby

Daddy and baby

Feeding the animals at Bender's



Lydie the scarecrow. She's playing the part.

See, everyone, I'm one, I'm a BIG girl!

Playing with the blocks daddy got her


She sure LOVED her cake :)

Super excited about this card. It's the little things for a one-year-old...

Precious Lydie