...Encouraging Young Things to Grow

Lydia's 15 Month Update! It's crazy to think that 15 months ago, Lydia Patience Pfeiffer was born! She was 7lbs and 3oz and 21 inches and born at 10:12pm, May 29, 2010! Now she's 19.5lbs (8% for weight) and 30.5 inches tall (50% for height)! So big! Here's a few things about Lydia in her 15th month:

- She has about 4 words - "mama", "dada", "yeah", and "jump" (and "dat" - if you consider that a word). The doctor says she should have between 5 and 15 words...so we'll be working on vocabulary from now on!

- She loves to watch Yo Gabba Gabba! Her favorite scene is when DJ Lance walks in at the very beginning. She can sit in her little pink chair, with a sippy cup of juice, and watch Yo Gabba Gabba for a long time. She still loves The Wiggles, but this changes it up a bit.

- I have introduced her to Disney Princess movies, but she's not all that interested. I guess they're not colorful enough for her - and there's not a continuous stream of songs.

- She loves to laugh! She "tells" jokes - she'll babble and babble and then start laughing. She'll cover her face with both hands and lean forward, thinking she is so funny! I love it! She's going to be goofy like her Daddy!

- Her favorite foods are pasta (spaghetti and ravioli especially), sandwiches, cheese, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, and macaroni. She's pretty good at trying new things, when she feels like it. She loves her snacks - lil crunchies, fruit and grain bars, cheerios, apple slices, yogurt melts, puffs, and graham crackers. She had her first Chick-fil-a kid's meal this weekend and did a good job eating it! I give her veggie and fruit mixed juice, but she still loves her lemonade and apple juice.

- She loves to swim! My parents have a backyard pool and Lydia loves swimming and playing (especially with Daddy who will throw her in the air). We put her in a small backyard pool that she could walk in. She liked laying down in the water and we told her she was swimming! Bath time is a fun time, too!

- She is very good at mimicking what we do. She pretends to text on the cellphone, brushes her hair, pretends to put on makeup, throws trash away in the trashcan. 

- She loves it when I sing to her! Her favorite songs are "Baby Bumblebee", "ABCs", "Special Special", and "Jesus Loves Me". She pretends to sign the ABCs, holds the baby bumblebee and then wipes it off. When she gets fussy, I just start singing and she calms down!

- Her bedtime is 7:00 right now, but I'm hoping to change that to 7:30 soon. She takes one nap at 12:30 to 2:00 at the Center, but I want her to change to an 11:30 to 1:30 nap and then a 3:30-4:30 nap when we're at home from now on.

It has been a blast hanging out and learning with Lydia these past 15 months! Brian and I are a very in love with her and enjoy watching her grow and learn.

I Don't Want My Wings Cut!

Three more days and Family Infant Home Care will be officially closed. I am excited, nervous, anxious, more-than-ready. After over a year and a half, our home business is closing and we are moving on to (better) things. Lydia is starting to pick up the vibe that I no longer want to be trapped inside Leah's house, waiting for children to be picked up. By the afternoon, she's constantly trying to get me to let her out of the Center, and is waving bye-bye to everyone. She has been quite a handful this past week - constantly whining and complaining. But, the end is in sight and we can move on to a Lydia-lead schedule.

I have had several Preschool meetings this week, so I have had to leave Lydia in Leah's care at the Center. She screams and cries and tries to hold on to me when I say goodbye. The first day, Monday, Leah had to distract Lydia with a toy in order to get her to stop. By the second day, Lydia stopped crying as soon as I closed the front door. It's all for show. She enjoys playing with Aunt Leah, and is so much better behaved when I'm not around. But, I also feel that perhaps she has been throwing more tantrums in the afternoon for me because I have been away from her for the first part of the day. Hopefully she is not traumatized by my leaving her and being away from her. It's something both of us will have to get used to.

I also have 8 - yes, EIGHT - piano students who are starting on September 13th (well, three of them are). I brought on two students after my first teacher meeting at the Preschool when a fellow teacher found out that I am giving lessons. Luckily, both of her boys have already had lessons. I got my 8th student when I went in for new-hire training. A new substitute teacher wants to further her piano education with me! Crazy! I am not taking any more students, although I have 2 more slots open, because 8 is definitely enough for right now. I am giving the first two lesson for free so that students can decide if this is really what they want to do. We will see how many of my 8 want to stay after the first 2 lessons (hopefully all of them).

I am excited, but nervous, about starting to teach piano. Luckily only 2 of my students have had no piano experience before. It's hard for me to think back to a time that I didn't know where the F key was located, or didn't know a sharp from a flat, or the bass clef from the treble clef. I am going to study and study my new lesson books and then "teach" Brian as if he has no idea what music notes are. We will see how I do.

I am also excited about the 6 day vacation I am going to have! I have Thursday the 1st through Tuesday the 6th FREE! Lydia and I just get to hang out and relax and get into the groove of staying at home most of the day. I am also excited about watching Brian teach 6th grade math. I am heading up to New Braunfels Middle School with him on the 6th to watch him teach and see his classroom. I have never seen Brian teach and am excited about this opportunity. I know he's a great teacher!

Lydia watching her first Disney movie - The Little Mermaid!

It Takes a Woman...

Brian started back at work today - in service for teachers (no students quite yet). I has been so nice having him home all summer. Lydia has enjoyed spending the mornings at the Center with me and the afternoons with Brian. Lydia and I have both been spoiled with Daddy home all day.

Brian has been amazing at keeping the house clean, doing the chores I usually ended up doing, and having dinner ready by 6:00 every evening. He's been great at running errands and taking care of Lydia. At the beginning of the summer I would have to remind him about Lydia's schedule - that she needs a nap or a snack - or give him ideas about things to do with her. Now, he's an expert on everything Lydia! They have been able to spend so much time together and it's been great watching them grow closer. We are both going to miss having him home all day.

I only have about 2 and 1/2 more weeks of working at the Center. We close on August 31st! I am sad to see my kiddos go (I have known most of them since they were about 6 months old), but excited to move on to something new...and not working 11 hours a day!

I start working at the Oak Hills Preschool as an assistant teacher on September 7th. I start teaching my first piano lesson to my first piano student on September 13th. I currently have 5 students, ranging in ages from 6 to 14. I am excited about becoming an assistant preschool teacher and a piano teacher in my own home.

This is going to be a great school year! I FINALLY have real vacations for the first time in several years. As a preschool teacher at Oak Hills, I have all federal holidays, Thanksgiving, Christmas break, and Spring Break off! Brian and I finally get to spend the holidays together, as a family.

I am also excited about getting to spend tons of time with Lydia! I have all day Tuesdays and Thursdays with her! I am so looking forward to getting one on one time with my baby! It is hard to share my time with her - when all I really want to do is play with her. Lydia will be spending lots of time with her Aunt Rekeisha and Cousin Abram on Mondays while I work. She'll go to BSF with Grandma on Wednesdays and spend time with Grandma on Fridays. I have piano lessons on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. This is going to be a great year!

The last thing I am excited about is being able to get all household chores done during the week so Brian and I have the weekends to have fun together. Since working all day, we usually saved chores for Saturdays, since we were too tired in the evenings to do much. Now I can gradually do chores throughout the week. Plus, I get to be the one who makes dinner for my husband and baby - something I am looking forward to (although Brian has done a great job).

Holy Cabooses!

I have recently been on a Jodi Picoult reading kick. When Leah first started reading her books, I refused to read any, thinking them "silly". The first Picoult book I read was My Sister's Keeper. This book, of course, was very, very good (the movie, not so much). It, however, did not convince me to read the rest of her books. The main reason I started picking up Picoult's books now is because I need something to read while I am at work at the Center (during nap time). Although I love borrowing library books, I don't really like taking them to the Center, worried I would forget them.

Here is a run down of Jodi Picoult books (in no particular order) I have read and am reading (just because...):

My Sister's Keeper: This was a very interesting read. A young girl, Anna, tries to sue her parents so she can have control of her own body. Basically, Anna was born to "save" her older sister, Kate, who has leukemia. There is the troubled older brother, the parents who argue over their sick and healthy daughters, and the sisters. They have an amazing relationship. As in most (if not all) Picoult books, there is a trial. Also, as in most Picoult books, there is a twist at the end. I really enjoyed this book! I love reading books about sisters and family relationships.

House Rules: This was an interesting book. Unfortunately, Leah had told me the story before I even read it, so I knew how it ended and what the "twist" was. This didn't make it any less interesting, though. A young boy, Jacob, has Apsergers and is interested in crime scenes. There is the single mother, the younger (troubled) brother, the lawyer, and the cop. This wasn't my favorite, but it was good.

Nineteen Minutes: I really, really enjoyed this book! It was about a school shooting and bullies. There is teenage girl, a geeky boy (who is the school shooter), the girl's jock boyfriend, and the parents. I really felt bad for the troubled boy's parents. This had a sad ending, but I really liked it.

Handle With Care: This is another one of my favorites. A little girl, Willow, was born with brittle bone disease - she can break a bone because of a sneeze! This is an interesting tale of how her family handles her disease. There's Willow, her parents, her older (troubled) sister, and the mother's friend. The trial is when Willow's mother sues her best friend - her OB/GYN. The ending is sad, but I really liked this book.

Change of Heart: This book was a different read. I feel super sorry for the mother, Claire, who's husband died in a car accident, and then she remarries, only to have her daughter and second husband murdered. The murderer is on death row. Miracles start happening when he's moved to a new cell block and many people think he's Jesus. Claire's daughter, Elizabeth, needs a new heart and the murderer wants to give her his. Although the ending is sad, and it's an odd read, it was a good book.

The Tenth Circle: This book made me worry about Lydia when she gets to be a teenager. The teenage girl, Trixie, gets involved with an older boy and goes to parties she shouldn't be going to. She claims her ex-boyfriend raped her, but she can't remember most of that night. She runs off to Alaska, and her father goes after her. Not my favorite book, but, once again, interesting.

Second Glance: This is the book I am reading right now. So far, it has me hooked! It starts off in the present with a ghost hunter, Ross, who is hoping to see the spirit of his deceased fiancee, Aimee. He meets a girl, Lia, who he starts falling in love with. The main part of the book is about Eugenics in the United States - which is very sad that we used to do this. I am currently reading the "past" part - where we learn about the spirit who is currently haunting a small town in Vermont. I am really enjoying this book and can't wait to find out what happens!

I have read all of these this year. Leah, supposedly, has all Jodi Picoult's books and I will probably end up reading all of them. We met Jodi Picoult earlier this year - we went to see her read a portion of her newest book, Sing Me Home, and answered questions. Leah had several of her books signed. It is awesome to be able to meet the author of your favorite books!

It's The Things That Come Gift Wrapped That Count!

July was an extremely busy month for us! The first part we were in Wisconsin, then it was the Dunlap girl's weekend, then we went to Austin for Leah's baby shower, then it was my birthday and another shower for Leah! August seems like it will be a bit calmer, which will be nice.

Leah had her Austin Baby Shower two weekends ago, put on by her mother-in-law. Brian, Lydia and I all went up so we could also visit with Brian's parents while we were in Austin. Lydia did well in her Bible Class on Sunday - she cried when I dropped her off and made the worker hold her the whole time, but wasn't crying the whole time! We had a great visit with the grandparents and with Aunt Tamara!

Last Friday, Leah and I celebrated our 25th birthday! We had our family over at my parents house and had a yummy dinner and cakes! On Saturday, Brian and I celebrated my birthday by going to see Crazy, Stupid, Love (because Josh Groban is in it!) and going to Applebees. It was a great birthday!

Also on Saturday, I threw Leah a Diaper Shower at my house. We played a song game where you guessed the title of the song by listening to a few seconds of music (all the songs had the word "baby" in them), and pin the diaper on the baby! It turned out great and Leah is stocked up on diapers and wipes!

We also have a PAIS volunteer from church staying with us for 3 weeks this month. He is in training and then will go back up to Arlington, Texas to work in the high school there.

This weekend, Leah has her THIRD baby shower (given by the center's parents) at Olive Garden. Brian and I also want to take Lydia to see the new Winnie the Pooh movie on Saturday.

Can you believe Lydia is 14 months old!?! Here's a brief update:

• Lydia is walking with her hands down at her sides (not held up in the air for balance)
• She is sleeping through the night - from 7:00 to 6:00
• No more bottles or formula! She made a great transition to no bottles at bedtime - we offer her a sippy cup of milk instead (sometimes she drinks it and sometimes she doesn't)
• She is eating very well - she is usually willing to try anything, but her favorite foods are pasta, bread, applesauce, and more pasta!
• She is signing "more" and "please" - she usually uses the "more" sign when she wants something or wants to do something
• She just started saying "da da" when she sees Brian
• She says "dat" when she points to an object (especially at the dogs and birds)
• She still loves The Wiggles, but also likes to watch Yo Gabba Gabba
• She has started picking her nose...
• She is still under 20 pounds and just about 30 inches tall
• She can still fit in 6 month pants and 9 month onesies
• She is down to one nap a day (most days) - for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours

A quick update on me:

We're closing the center at the end of the month. One kiddo leaves on the 12th, two on the 19th, and two on the 31st! I get a whole week and a few days off before I start working as an assistant teacher at the Oak Hills Preschool. I work Monday, Wednesdays, Fridays from 8:45 to 12:45! Lydia will be staying with Aunt Rekeisha (and Cousin Abram) on Mondays, she goes to BSF on Wednesdays, and will be with Grandma on Fridays. I am also starting piano lessons in September. I have three students so far! I am very excited to be starting this and hoping it will become my main source of income - how great would that be?!