Now, Dear, We Decided Pink Was Her Color!

I thought I would have had time on Friday night or Saturday morning to write about Lydia's birth story, but I definitely did not! Friday I did send out Lydia's 12 month e-mail update to the Pfeiffer family, plus I cleaned the house and Lydia and I went to the pool with my mom. On Saturday, I spent the whole morning packing and then we left for the beach! We had a blast, but I'll save that for another post.

Lydia's birth story is a pretty amazing and unique one. I am hoping for a COMPLETELY different birth experience for my future children. Lydia's story is all about God, miracles, family, and love. I have gotten a bit emotional leading up to Lydia's birthday, but I surprisingly was too happy for her to cry or think about the events that happened last year. I am glad we went on a vacation so I didn't spend my time thinking about last year's events. Anyway...on to the story!

Friday evening ended pretty normally. Brian got home early from school - his last day as a long-term substitute teacher at Canyon Middle School! He was excited to start his summer, but anxious about finding a teaching job for the following school year. Leah and Jessie left earlier that day for Port Aransas, so my mom came and helped me with the babies (as I was 38 weeks pregnant). My mom headed off once I was down to 2 babies, inviting Brian and me over to her house for make-your-own pizza night, and to visit with my cousins who were in town. The last baby left around 6:00. Brian and I did a quick clean of the center and I took a shower and changed to head over to my mom's house. We climbed into Grandy's mini van (that we were borrowing because Brian's car was in the shop - I had gotten into a minor accident a few weeks before when a truck backed into the front of the car!) and headed off to dinner! I called the house on our way, telling my little sister, Nellie, that we were on our way. I never got her text asking what we wanted on our pizzas.

I don't remember what we were talking about, but I knew I had been smiling and excited about the summer and my upcoming due date. We passed the Camp Bullis exit and were directly across from our church, Oak Hills, when it happened. I looked out the window and saw an SUV driving up the closed (due to construction) entry ramp and over the grass! I had time to say "Watch out!" to Brian and I closed my eyes, waiting for the impact. The SUV hit us on the rear passenger side of the minivan, causing Brian to drive off the road. We drove off the road and onto the grass, hitting a large pile of dirt (once again, due to construction), causing us to flip over a few times. We landed on the passenger side, facing the opposite direction we had been going on the access road. 

My windows were not broken, but Brian's were. I was hanging from the seat belt, so Brian had to undo his seat belt, then mine, and then hold me up so we could stick our heads out of the window and call for help. Lots of people had stopped on the side of the road to call 911 and to help. A man was able to get the back door open and practically carried me out of the van and brought me to a wonderfully helpful woman who supported me on the ground (I couldn't lay down - my chest hurt when I did). The ambulance arrived very quickly, as did several fire trucks (and I'm sure police cars). Brian was taken away to give a report on what happened, while I was trying to stay calm. Once I knew that Brian was fine (he was limping and said his ankle hurt), all I cared about was whether my baby was fine.
I was put in an ambulance and Brian followed. I was given an IV and they cut my pants (my only pair of maternity jeans) to check me out. I was given an oxygen mask and told to relax...yeah, right. I kept telling Brian to call mom, but he didn't have a cell phone (his was later found in the van by a firefighter). We went to University Hospital where I was rushed into an emergency room and Brian had to go to the waiting room to fill out paperwork (how I cried about that!). I was surrounded by doctors and nurses, all checking me out. I was given x-rays and an MRI. They gave me an ultrasound and I was reassured to hear the baby's heartbeat and was told she was doing great!
Brian finally rejoined me, and kept refusing medical care when the doctor's saw his ankle (it was very swollen). He wanted to make sure I was taken care of before he went to the emergency room. Even though it would have been better in the long run if he had seen a doctor right away and was admitted, he would have been taken from me right away, and I would have freaked to be by myself. Brian finally  managed to get a hold of his parents using a nurse's cell phone. They didn't have my mom's home number (I unfortunately don't have it memorized). My OB nurse googled/yellow-paged my mom and found her number. My mom and Nellie rushed over with a quickly packed bag for me. It was so reassuring to have my mom there!
I was put in a delivery room and had to be on a 24-hour watch. The doctor's were worried about the placenta detaching because of all the trauma. I found out that I had a broken right big toe, broken tail bone, bruised left ribs, a fractured sternum (that's why my chest hurt), a huge bump on my head, bruises from the seat belt across my chest and legs, bruises on my hands and legs. Brian had glass in his hair, but no bruises. He later found out his right ankle was broken (he had surgery three days after Lydia was born). It was getting late, after midnight, when things kind of calmed down and everyone had settled in - Brian in a chair, Nellie in a chair, and my mom on the floor. All of a sudden I had sudden pain in my abdomen that wouldn't go away. My mom paged the nurse and they decided to induce me, since they were worried about the placenta.
At 3:40 in the morning, I was given an epidural and pitocin and my water was broken. Then, we just waited. I was prepped for an emergency c-section in case anything went wrong. I was also told that a team of doctors had decided I was allowed to deliver vaginally, despite my broken tail bone (which could have caused problems). Only once did the baby's heart rate go down. The whole team of doctor's ran into the room, but they gave me oxygen and shook me a bit, and the heart rate went back up.
Brian's parents arrived on Saturday and we all played the waiting game. My epidural started wearing off on my left side, so I did get to feel some contraction pains, but they quickly fixed that...not enjoyable. Brian went down to the emergency room that day and got his leg x-rayed and wrapped. He told the doctor's they needed to be quick, since his wife was in labor!
Finally, at 9:00 Saturday night, the doctor came in saying that if I wasn't dilated to 10 cm, they would give me a c-section. She checked and I was at 10 cm! Yeah! I was prepped and started pushing. After about an hour, Lydia Patience Pfeiffer arrived, at 10:12pm, weighing 7lbs 3oz and was 21in long! Brian couldn't stop saying how perfect and beautiful she was. I loved holding her. I didn't care about the car accident or anything, just my baby!
We stayed the night, just Brian and me, with Lydia in the nursery coming to me every few hours to nurse. Sunday brought a few more x-rays for me, and visitors for Lydia. Sunday morning was the hardest. I woke up early with the baby and started crying. It had been a very emotional start to the summer! I was fitted for a hard walking shoe (for my broken toe), and we were finally able to leave on Monday afternoon! I was so ready to get out of there.
Despite the heartache of a car accident, and the pain and worry, we made it through! Lydia was unharmed, and Brian only has a small scar to remember his broken ankle. He was stuck in a cast and walking book most of the summer, but was still able to go for a job interview for New Braunfels Middle School - and was hired as a 6th grade math teacher!
God works in mysterious ways. Why did he let us get in a car accident when I was 38 weeks pregnant? But, if it had been earlier, Lydia would have been premature. If it would have been later, Lydia may have been hurt. We were given Grandy's minivan which protected us much better than Brian's small Hyundai would have. God showed us how much he can protect us; the firemen were surprised we had been able to walk out of the car! God showed us how much he loved us; he surrounded us with family in our time of need.
It's been a whole year since the accident. Lydia has grown and developed so much since then and we are constantly amazed!

Everything's So Wonderful!

Saturday morning Lydia slept in until 6:30 (an improvement from earlier this week when she was waking up at 5:30). I started cleaning the house and getting decorations organized. Leah came over around 8:40 to take Lydia to her gym class (Lydia didn't enjoy herself...maybe because I wasn't there, or because her teacher, Miss Jenny, wasn't there) so we could get things done without having to worry about Lydia. 

The morning started out really dreary and wet, so we didn't move anything outside. I was so worried it would stay that way and I'd have to have the party inside. Around 10:00 it started clearing up. Lydia came home and went down for a nap. I trimmed all the hedges (and did a pretty good job) and cleaned up the yard a bit. Brian was able to mow the lawn around 11:00. The sun was coming out and the weather website predicted no rain for Saturday!

Brian's parents arrived around 12:00, so I was able to take a shower and get myself presentable. We started cutting up the veggies and fruit and making the mini sandwiches. My mom, Thomas and Chris arrived and my mom started putting together Lydia's birthday cake. I had Thomas and Chris blow up balloons and hang them outside, as well as put ice in the cooler and put sodas and water in the cooler. Thomas made an awesome collage of Lydia's pictures on the table by the entrance to the yard.

Lydia wasn't allowing me to get anything done; she just wanted to be held. And my nephew, Abram, was starting to get fussy as well. So, Leah (the baby expert) put both babies down for a nap. They looked so cute laying on blankets on the floor of Lydia's bedroom! Lydia was able to take an hour nap before our first guests arrived. We quickly got her dressed in her homemade onesie and tutu. She also wore a tiara that Leah had purchased from Disney World two years ago. So cute!

Lydia was so excited when her friends arrived! I think she was surprised to see her friends from the center at her house! She rode around in the wagon with them, colored, and talked with them. The one thing I had forgotten was how hot Texas can be, even in May! The babies had red faces (Lydia gets hot really easily), and we were all sweating. But, the kiddos still had fun playing with the balls in the yard, going on wagon rides, and coloring princess pictures.

We sang Happy Birthday and Lydia got to try her cake - which she refused to do. She smashed it with her hand and smeared the cake in her hair (she wasn't eating much that day). Her friends thought the cake was tasty, at least. We headed inside shortly after cake in order to open presents (and cool off). Lydia loved opening all her presents and got quite a lot! She loves all the new toys and I love all the new clothes! She is set! So many cute outfits to wear next weekend at the beach!

All in all, her 1st birthday party (and my first party as a hostess at my house), went very smoothly! All of her friends showed up. I was so happy that Lydia was surrounded by people who loved her for her birthday!

Lydia ready for her party!

So pretty!

I love this picture!

Nellie got stuck pulling Lydia and Abram in the wagon.

Coloring princess pictures with friends.

Happy Birthday, Lydia!

She prefers crackers over cake.

Birthday girl!

Opening presents! Yeah, beach toys!

Lydia's "practice" cake made by my mom. The actual cake had no chocolate kisses and pink  cones. Love it!

Today we celebrated Brian's 25th birthday! Lydia definitely didn't let us sleep in this morning, but oh well. We went to the 10:00 service at church (Lydia did great in the nursery) so Brian could go to HEB afterwards to get hot dogs and hamburgers for his party. Everyone started showing up at 3:00 and we chowed down! My mom made home made ice cream as his "cake" - delicious! I am so glad Brian was surrounded by friends and family for his birthday! They helped make it a special day!

Now it's just one more week of teaching for Brian and he starts his summer vacation! And, I have a four day work week, and then it's time to head to the beach! I am excited for summer!

Oh, She'd Make a Lovely Flower

It's supposed to rain on Saturday! Of course, it was supposed to rain today, and it didn't. I know Lydia's party will work out just fine rain or shine, but I'd prefer shine.

Guess what?! Lydia is officially walking! Leah's definition of "walking" has always been that the baby chooses to walk more than crawl. And this week, Lydia did just that! She attempts to walk everywhere, and can do it really well. I need to get a video of her walking. I love how new walkers hold their arms up to keep their balance. Lydia also breathes really heavy when she walks. It's so exciting watching her grow up and learn and develop. It's amazing! 

Of course, watching her also makes me tear up. She has suddenly started loving her Uncle Jessie. She used to just watch him, but didn't want him to pick her up. But, now she toddles over to him to get picked up and thrown up in the air. Now she reaches for Leah a lot of the time and will walk over to her. Now she will play all on her own outside, exploring all over the porch and yard, without clinging to me. Now she has a mind of her own and makes her own decisions (like throwing her food on the floor instead of eating it). Now she goes where she wants to go, whether she has to climb over something or walk around something. It's amazing!

Every time I look back at pictures of her when she was teeny, I tear up. To imagine everything we went through before her birth, and to think that we're all safe and sound - it makes me want to cry, laugh, and praise God all at once! I know I'm going to cry and cry the day of her party and on her real birthday. To think that God brought us through so much pain and heartache and now we're happy with the most amazing little girl! God is so good!

My next two posts will be of (1) Lydia's birthday party and (2) Lydia's birth story.

The future pianist!

Good Gracious, Who Left the Mop Running?

Two weekends ago, I went to the public library and checked out three books: She Walks in Beauty, The Wives of Henry Oades, and Pilate's Wife. I have also been reading Jodi Picoult books at Leah's house, while working. I finished The Tenth Circle and am almost done with 19 Minutes. There have been tons of things that have kept me from reading - the one thing that I have always loved to do. But, now I make sure I read during nap time, and I always try to read right before bed. I have not had books that have kept my interest recently, which is why I decided to go to the public library. A friend's blog recommended a few books, and I love to research on amazon.com.

My favorite genre of books are historical fiction - I especially like books about the kings and queens of England. I used to only read books about Germany and the Holocaust (I loved Bodie Theone's two series). The book She Walks in Beauty, by Siri Mitchell, was about women in New York during the Gilded Age. I loved reading about a debutante learning everything she needed to know about high society - the corsets, how to eat and speak, how to catch a husband. Although I don't think I'll read another book by Siri Mitchell - her writing style was not my favorite - I enjoyed this read. The Wives of Henry Oades, by Johanna Moran, was extremely good! I couldn't put it down! I spent two nights reading this book for over two hours straight! I still can't decide what I would have done in Margaret's (or Nancy's) situation; to find that your husband had remarried, believing you had died. I loved Henry's love and adoration for his children, although I was a bit upset about how he treated Margaret on her return.

Leah has introduced me to the author Jodi Picoult. I, of course, first read My Sister's Keeper, which I loved! I was very disappointed in the movie's ending. The next one I read was Handle With Care, which was also very, very good. The poor little girl with brittle bone disease! What would I have done if I had been her mother? I always feel sorry for the siblings who are "forgotten". The brother in My Sister's Keeper, who was ignored because he had an ill sister and another sister who was suing her parents. In Handle With Care, the older daughter is forgotten because of her little sister's condition. In The Tenth Circle, I was amazed at teenager's behavior. I was never involved in the high school groups who partied, so I was shocked at what teenagers do! 19 Minutes is about a school shooting. I am having a hard time sympathizing with the main character, Josie, because I am sure she is hiding something; I just have to figure out what!

After I finish Pilate's Wife, which is about Pontius Pilate's wife (who had the dream about Jesus), I am going to get two books, one called Nefertiti and the other, the sequel, The Heretic Queen. The first is, of course, about Nefertiti, the famous wife of a Pharaoh. The second is about her daughter, who married Rameses, who is Moses' half brother. They seem like very interesting books. Plus, I'm also going to get Tracy Chevalier's new book, Remarkable Creatures. Chevalier has written one of my favorite books, Girl With a Pearl Earring. I have read all of her books and love this author!

Other than reading, piano playing has always been my passion. Lydia is starting to get more and more accepting of the fact that I enjoy playing the piano. She will usually sit and play on the floor while I play. Brian is good at knowing when I long to just sit and play for half and hour, so he'll take Lydia outside or into another room. Lydia loves to walk around underneath the piano and reach up and play the keys. She also likes to sit on my lap and bang on the piano. She won't let me play with her; she always pushes my hands away. Lorie Line's new book, Vogue, is so good! I love playing the song from TANGLED! Her second new book is Serendipity, which is full of solely her compositions. I don't usually listen to the way she plays songs; preferring to figure them out on my own and play them they way I feel they should be played. I truly hope to see her in concert again, soon! She is an amazing performer. My dream job is to play background music in a hotel, mall, store - anywhere - hours on end. How awesome would that be?!

Lydia spent the day with her grandparents and cousin Abram today. She left at 10:30 and didn't come back until 5:15 (fast asleep). She went putt-putting, to Chuck E. Cheese, and to Marble Slab (that girl loves her ice cream). She always has a blast when she hangs out with her grandparents, and loves her little cousin. This week she has started attempting to walk everywhere! She walked all the way across the room today! And, she can get up to standing without holding on to anything! I can't believe my baby is going to be one soon! It almost makes me cry! Tomorrow we are going birthday party supply shopping, leaving Lydia with Aunt Leah. I'm excited!

I'm Going to Make it 15 Layers with Pink and Blue Forget-Me-Nots

I can't believe it's already May! There is so much going on in May, including tons of birthdays! Five people in my family have birthdays in May. That would have been a lot of parties. Luckily, we celebrate all the May birthdays in one big party. Each birthday girl/boy gets to choose their own cake and we always do something super fun. One year, for the May birthdays, we had a Halo competition, with 4 TVs set up in the living room for the boys to play...plus a bounce house in the backyard! And one year, for the three July birthdays, we played relay games. Our family is pretty creative when it comes to birthdays, and this time was no exception!

We celebrated (in order of birthday) Rekeisha, Thomas, Brian and Lydia's May birthdays, plus dad and Grandy's June birthdays (since dad won't be here for his birthday). (The fifth May birthday is my sister-in-law, Sara, who is in Scotland). Sunday afternoon, everyone gathered at my house to open presents and have birthday cake. Rekeisha  had carrot cake cupcakes, Thomas had grasshopper pie (which he shared with Grandy), Brian had chocolate swirl cheesecake, Lydia had crown-shaped iced sugar cookies, and dad had Texas sheet cake. We sang the Happy Birthday song 6 separate times! Lydia loved her sugar cookies and had some ice cream, too. The good thing about having so many cakes is that there's lots of leftovers - yum!

We opened presents. It felt like Christmas since everyone took turns opening their presents. Lydia received bubbles and sunglasses, a new princess beach towel, an amazing wagon, star-shaped stackers, a drum, and a cute "I Love My Uncle" bib (from Thomas).

After presents, we all headed to downtown San Antonio to go on a riverboat dinner "cruise"! The restaurant, the Casa Rio, provided the dinner and the waitress, and we had a great boat "captain" who gave a funny tour around the river. Lydia had some of my enchilada, rice and beans, as well as her own sweet potatoes and crackers. She enjoyed the riverboat ride, but after about 40 minutes, she started getting tired and I had to hold her on my lap. She gets hot really easily, and it was quite warm that evening. The dinner cruise lasted one hour and was great! Brian and the captain shared several funny jokes, and Brian later found out that the captain was also a 2nd grade teacher!

Lydia didn't get to bed until 8:00 that night, but she slept until 6:40 the next morning! Now I have one more weekend to get ready for Lydia's big birthday bash.

11 Month Accomplishments!

At 11 months, Lydia has filled in all her "firsts" in her baby book. Word for word what I have written in her baby book.

Slept Through the Night: July 25, 2010 (almost 2 months), slept over 7 hours! From then on, Lydia slept at least 4.5 hours at night and then went back to sleep in her bassinet for another 2-3 hours! Yeah!

Smiled: July 15, 2010 - Lydia loves to smile at people. She smiles a lot while being changed or talked to!

Found Your Hands and Feet: 2nd Month - Lydia likes to suck on her fists all the time! 4th Month - Lydia likes to hold her toes!

Laughed Out Loud: 4th Month - Lydia laughs when Daddy gives her kisses and dances with her. She likes being tickled and cuddled.

Clapped Your Hands: January 5, 2011 (7 months) - she claps when really excited and we say "Yeah!" and clap our hands.

Rolled Over: August 31, 2010 (3rd month) - found you on your back twice during nap! October 20, 2010 (5th month) - rolled from back to tummy!

Sat Up: November 29, 2010 (6th month) - can sit for several minutes without support! Can even play with a toy while sitting! March 2011 (9th month) - can sit up on her own from laying down!

Crawled: January 9, 2011 (7th month) - started pulling herself across the floor on her tummy! April 2011 (10th month) - crawls on hands and knees all over the place!

Ate Solid Food: 4th month - Lydia is tasting rice cereal! She likes to suck on French Fries! 9th Month - starting table food.

Stood By Yourself: March 1, 2011 (9th month) - standing up from sitting in the little blue chair and standing for awhile.

Took Your First Step: "cruised" January 23, 2011 (7.5 months) - held onto the coffee table and moved halfway down! March 23, 2011 (9.5 months) - took 3 steps!

Waved Bye-Bye: April 21, 2011 (10.5 months) - waved bye to all of her friends after the Easter Egg Hunt!

Danced: April 2011 (10 months) - dances to all music. She gets excited when I go to turn music on at the center! Dances along with The Wiggles!

Spoke Your First Word: January 2011 (7.5 months) - says "uh-oh". April 2011 (10.5 months) - says "mo" when signing for "more". (March 2011 - signs for "more" by clapping.)

What Have We To Hide?

This past weekend was a blast! We were incredibly busy the entire weekend, and, although it was fun, I am looking forward to this weekend when we have nothing planned (other than a dinner/movie date!).

Thursday:

We had an Easter Egg Hunt at the center for the kiddos. All of the moms (and one dad) came to watch their child hunt for eggs for the first time! The kiddos did amazingly well. One would find an egg, open it, and play with the stickers inside before heading off to get another egg. Lydia found one egg and was done - I had to convince her to get another. Then, one little boy took Lydia's eggs and basket, and filled the basket up to overflowing with eggs! We had a blast! The best part was that all the parents took their little ones home so we were off by 4:00! It was great!

Friday:

Lydia didn't realize that we didn't have to go to work, so she still woke up at 6:30ish. We hung out in our bed with her until almost 7:00. Then, after I took a shower and got ready, we headed off to run errands. We picked up food we needed for the weekend at HEB, went to Best Buy for a new iPhone cover for Brian, checked out Ross and I got a new pair of shorts and Lydia got a princess back pack, and then to Babies R Us to get a baby gate. We then headed home, around 10:30, so Lydia could have some lunch and a nice nap. After she woke up, we went to Home Depot for wood and screws for the baby gate.

Brian's parents arrived around 4:00. Lydia, Karla and I went outside on the porch and played in a bowl of water with spoons and measuring cups. Lydia then had a snack and watched The Wiggles. Brian and his dad worked on putting up Lydia's new play area. Brian grilled hamburgers and hotdogs, so Lydia sat in her swing while he cooked. I got to play the piano (finally!) while I waited for dinner. Lydia ate 1/2 a hot dog and some applesauce, which was great. She then took a bath and went to bed. We played Guesstimation, which is a super fun game. It has (very) random questions and whoever guesses the closest to the number associated with the question, wins! Brian, of course, won.

Saturday: 

Lydia woke up at 6:00, and we hung out in our bed until 6:30. She had breakfast and I got ready for the day. We played in her play area most of the morning. Brian headed off to his dentist appointment at 8:30, and we headed off to The Little Gym at 8:40. We met up with my mom there and they had a blast watching Lydia play at the Gym! Lydia had huge smiles for her teacher, Miss Jenny!

We then went to Bass Pro to get Lydia's picture taken with the Easter Bunny. We had to wait in line for about 40 minutes, and then Lydia cried when the Bunny held her...but the picture still turned out cute! We then went to Chick-fil-a for lunch. Brian and Karla went to Home Depot to get flowers and plants for the pots out in the back yard, while Lydia and I went home to nap, and Al went to Starbucks and Borders.

After napping, we went to the pool! The big pool was cold and Lydia didn't want me to let go of her. We then went in the baby pool and Lydia had so much fun! She loved holding onto the bar and crawling up the steps. When we got home, she played in her play area while I got dinner ready. Halfway through, I ended up stabbing myself with a knife, causing a lot of pain and blood. I ran outside to tell Brian. This upset Lydia, and then seeing me crying upset her more. Karla took her outside so she wouldn't see me crying. Brian got the blood stopped up and my hand bandaged. No need for stitches, thankfully. I got Lydia calmed down and was able to finish getting dinner ready. 

Before cleaning up the kitchen, I put Lydia outside to watch Karla and Brian working. She ended up being carried around by Grandpa Pfeiffer the whole time (which was great to see). We had chicken enchiladas for dinner and Lydia loved it. We watched TANGLED after Lydia was in bed. I love that movie!

Sunday:

Lydia was up by 6:15 and we were tired! We played and hung out until 10:00, when we left to go to Einstein Bagels for breakfast. Church was at 11:45, but we got there at 11:10. We sat in the sanctuary with Lydia until 11:30, when Brian dropped her off at the nursery. My mom & dad, and Leah and Jessie joined us for the service. Lydia only had a good time at Sunday School because Uncle Thomas helped out in her class!

After church, we headed to my parent's house for sandwich ring and deviled eggs. Lydia found 2 eggs at the Easter Egg Hunt in the backyard and was done! The "big" kids got to search for eggs. Some had coupons and dollar bills in them! I found $3 and one coupon!

Lydia napped while we ate home made ice cream and carrot cake. The Pfeiffer's headed off and then we played Banana Grams (very fun) and then watched Lydia play and try walking. Brian and I had leftovers for dinner.

The whole group for Easter Lunch!

Lydia's first egg!

Hunting for more eggs!

Lydia likes to share her eggs.

Lydia didn't want to share with Denzel.

Grandpa held Lydia while the "big" kids hunted for eggs.

The Big Kids with their eggs!

 It was a great weekend! I love long weekends with my family! But, like I said, I'm looking forward to doing nothing this weekend!

I Gave You My Mind Blindly

We had such a great weekend! On Saturday, Brian took Lydia to Gym Class so mom, Leah and I could go to Concordia Lutheran Church's Rummage Sale! It started at 8:30, and we got there around 8:20 - and there was a super long line waiting to get in! By the time we got in, all the good toys (like Little Tikes outdoor stuff, cribs, dressers, etc.) were all taken! Leah was looking for a crib, but managed to get some cute gender-neutral baby clothes. My mom got clothes for Abram, a swimsuit for Lydia, and more toys. I made out with a ton of new summer outfits for Lydia (plus one of those cute swimsuits with the tutu), pants for this Fall, pajamas, and lots of cute shoes! We spent $70 and got a ton of stuff!

The line to get in!

Sunday we went to see Jesus Christ Superstar performed at the Woodlawn Theater downtown. Local singers/actors put on shows there and they're actually really good! I just love JCSS, especially during the Easter season! My little sister, Nellie, watched Lydia and Abram at my house while we were gone. Lydia napped, ate a snack, watched The Wiggles, and played outside. She had a great time with her Aunt and Cousin!

Lydia has been doing so much better with eating table food. She still won't feed herself the table food, but is enjoying trying new things. Today she loved the meatloaf we had for lunch (I was able to sneak some carrots in with the meatloaf), she liked the fruit, but she didn't like the mashed potatoes. For dinner she had our leftover spaghetti from last night, and even tried feeding herself (I couldn't put the food on her tray, she wanted to eat it from the bowl). I'm so excited that she's eating table food now! We're going through baby food jars a lot slower. I still give her Stage 3 fruits and veggies when she doesn't eat enough during meals. She can eat a whole jar of Stage 3 fruit, but not the veggies (fruit is yummier). 

We did two cute activities with the kiddos today that I wanted to share.

Easter Cards:

I wanted the kiddos to make Easter cards to give their parents on Thursday, during our Easter Egg Hunt. I painted one of their feet white and had them stand on construction paper. Then, I painted their thumb white and made their thumbprints into rabbit ears. I cut the foot-bunny out, glued it to cardstock, and put a cottonball for the rabbit's tail. Leah wrote "Some Bunny Loves Me" on the card. Since the kiddos are still pretty young, they needed a lot of assistance with this. We always allow them to paint and draw independently, but for something cute like this, we wanted to "help" them. They like to feel the texture of the paint on their feet (it tickled their toes) and watch their footprint appear on the paper.

Washing Chairs:

We needed to clean the kiddos' chairs, and the kiddos needed to go outside. It was in the 90s today, so we couldn't stay outside very long this afternoon. So, we brought their chairs outside, as well as their outdoor push toys (car, tractor), a bucket of soapy water and some sponges. I put everything in the shade then showed the kiddos how to "wash" their chairs with the sponges. At first, they were more interested in splashing the water in the bucket at each other (while I cleaned the chairs and Leah took pictures), but once the water was dumped out (by one of the kiddos), they started to clean their chairs and toys. This was a great way to keep everyone cool in the heat, and to entertain them while outside. Lydia got soaked because she squeezed her sponge on herself, but it was a great way to keep her cool. The kiddos got a little wet, but not so wet we had to change them when we got inside.
This will be a great activity with Lydia while at home. Just put a bucket of shallow water out on the porch. Provide sponges, cups, spoons, and other toys for her to play with. Also, blowing bubbles while she plays in the water will be fun to! Adding soap isn't recommended if your child will put the water in their mouths. Our kiddos are old enough that they don't do this anymore (we had to take Lydia's sponge away from her). This is a great activity if you're not ready to get the swimsuits out and have a soaking wet child!