Sydney Noelle Lyons
December 22, 2008
7:14 a.m.
6 lbs 11 oz, 19.5 inches
Sydney wearing Nana's flip flops
Cool chic
So cute in my jean skirt
Check out my pigtails
Sydney's ponytail
Sydney's hair in a ponytail
Sydney in her Minnie pajamas
Bedtime reading with Daddy
Sydney is beautiful! I am so sorry I haven't seen you guys yet but I have had a terrible cold for about a month. I will call you as soon as I get well. I am so happy for your family. My cell phone is still the same. Take care and look forward to meeting litt Sydney Lyons!
Robbie
Sydney is definitely turning into a little diva. She has her share of tantrums, fits and whiney episodes. But most of the time she is a real joy! She will randomly say, "Mommy I love you!" It just melts my heart. :)
We have been completely potty trained for a while and Ricky and I forget how nice it is not to have to buy and change diapers! Sydney will disappear and when I call her name she says, "Mom, I'm using the potty! I don't need any help!" Ha Ha...so I leave her be.
Mimi came to stay with us for a long weekend the first of November and Sydney had a blast. I was out of town for a wedding so Mimi, Ricky and Sydney went to eat pizza. They also went shopping, played at Broadway, made a bear at Build-a-Bear and had pancakes at Dino's.
This past weekend we were home visiting family for Thanksgiving. We had a great time seeing everyone and catching up. Sydney ate a huge helping of Thanksgiving lunch and even surprised me by eating a deviled egg! She played with her cousin Ginny and that evening we headed up to VA to see Mom's family. I think Sydney was on a sugar high because she wouldn't stop running around.
We also spent some time with Aunt Tracy and Sydney's cousins, Jacob and Olivia. They all had a blast playing outside in the warm sunshine.
On Saturday we did some shopping with Mom and Uncle Jeff. We got Sydney some new shoes, ANOTHER pillow pet, and had lunch with Papaw at his running store. Just before lunch we visited Santa. Sydney was so excited to sit on his lap and tell him that she had been a nice girl. All week she was planning what to say...she wanted Snow White and Jasmine dolls, a walking puppy, princess castle, etc. But when we walked into the room, she had a death grip on Jeffrey. He had to pry her off him and then she clung to me. I had to squat beside Santa because she wouldn't even look at him. Ha Ha...
Overall we had a wonderful weekend!
Sydney actually cried going down the driveway when we were leaving my parents. Made me so sad! Hopefully we can move back soon...especially with baby #2 on the way!
It's so hard to write down everything that happens within the month. Sydney says so many funny things...I could have already filled up a book with the many thoughts that come out of her mouth.
Sydney has learned all of her colors in spanish and her vocabulary continues to grow...as does her ability to remember things I say, some good and some not so good. She also has some of the same mannerisms I do and she gets frustrated the exact same way I do. My mom told me it would come back to bite me. :)
All month Sydney has been talking about her Halloween costume. It started off as Belle, then changed to Ariel, then Sleeping Beauty, and we finally settled on Cinderella. We attended her daycare Fall Fest on Saturday and she finally got to wear her dress and crown. She also had silver sequin shoes, which she referred to as her glass slippers. She walked so delicately with the dress on, it was so cute. She made sure all of her teachers noticed her dress and she did a turn for each of them. Just like a princess...
Sydney has taken a real interest in puzzles. Maybe because they have all of the Disney princesses on them. Yesterday while Ricky played golf, I sat downstairs and worked on the computer while Sydney played with her puzzle. She put it together and then took it apart 5 times in a row. Hey, whatever keeps her happy...
We are planning a trip to the Farm in Conway this Saturday. They have a pumpkin patch, petting zoo, corn maze, barn and offer hayrides. Should be a lot of fun. We have to keep her busy until Halloween because every day she asks me when she can wear her Cinderella dress again. Only 13 more days!
I can't believe in just a few more months our little girl will turn 3! How fast time goes by!
Sydney is growing and learning both mentally and physically. She is definitely going to be taller than me, which isn't saying much...and Ricky hopes so because that ensures a better golf stance. :)
It's so crazy that I can actually have a conversation with Sydney now. It used to be just questions and answers, but now she definitely understands what you are saying. She will listen quietly and then wait a minute before answering. I can almost see the gears in her mind working. And we definitely have to watch what we say now. Even if we whisper, Miss Smarty Pants can read our lips and repeat what we say. Occasionally I will tell Ricky something about the other children at daycare and Sydney will look at Ricky and say the exact same thing.
She even told on me! I opened the closet door a little too abruptly (after a long day of dealing with Sydney's tantrums) and the door came off the track. So I had to wait for Ricky to get home and fix it. As soon as Ricky walked in the door Sydney said, "Mommy broke the closet door!"
One day browsing through channels on the TV, I came across the HUB. This channel plays all of the old cartoons from when I was a kid. Fraggle Rock, Transformers, Smurfs, Jem, etc. When I was younger I was obsessed with Jem. She was a normal girl who transformed into a rock star. Well I was watching Jem for just a few minutes and Sydney became totally engrossed. Now she loves Jem and each evening she has to watch a few episodes before she goes to bed. She has memorized the theme song and sings it randomly throughout the day. Lucky me, I get to hear the song run through my head all day.
Last night Ricky and Sydney had a Jem concert. Ricky's microphone was a flashlight and Sydney had a hair brush. They sang Jem at the top of their lungs. Priceless!
Sydney is also obsessed with the Disney princesses. We have small dolls, books, movies, and a few shirts. I'm sure you can guess what she wants to be for Halloween! Yes, a Disney princess. We are debating between Belle, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. I'm hoping to wait a few more weeks before buying a costume in case she changes her mind again. And I know she will be wearing the costume every day from the moment we bring it home.
We've had a little difficulty getting Sydney to take a nap this week. Over the weekend we ran errands and she didn't get a solid nap. So you would think she would have been exhausted by bedtime. Nope! When Ricky put her to bed, she must have sang and talked for almost an hour before falling asleep. I wish I had her energy!
Until next time...
What a whirlwind month this has been! We spent July 4th weekend in Winston-Salem and had tons of fun with the entire family. We spent a day with Mimi, Aunt Tracy, Uncle Mike, Jacob and Olivia out on the lake and had a ball! Sydney loves being in the water (pool and ocean), but we weren't sure what she would think about the lake. That child has no fear! She put on a life jacket and jumped off the boat right into the lake. We couldn't get her out! She surprised us even more by riding the intertube, or huge float, for lack of a better word. It holds 3 people and she rode with Ricky, which Jacob and Olivia took turns. I rode with Sydney and Ricky also and couldn't believe Sydney liked it. It was pretty bumpy but she held her own!
She loves her cousins, Jacob and Olivia, and definitely did not want to leave. She said, "Mommy, I stay here with Aunt Tracy". She follows Olivia around like her shadow. :)
Sydney and Ricky had some quality bonding time while I spent a weekend in Raleigh visiting my college friends. We started potty training back in June but hadn't really been diligent with getting Sydney to go all the time. While I was gone, Ricky kept Sydney in panties all weekend in hopes of getting her customed to using the potty all the time. She was so proud of herself and as soon as I got home she said, "Mommy, I peepee in the potty!"
Each week gets better and better and right now she is probably 95% trained. She still sleeps in a pull-up at night to avoid wetting the bed, but all in all, she is doing great. Oh my gosh, I forgot what a pain it is to change diapers. Thank goodness for potty training!
Sydney moved from Toddler A to Toddler B at daycare (since she is now 2 1/2). She is counting, singing and talking a LOT more. It's amazing how much she can remember. She can sing songs in their entirety and even recognizes songs on the radio now. I will have to be careful what she listens to and repeats!
Her teacher asked me if she talks a lot at home and I said Oh Yeah! She is nonstop. Most of the time she is talking to herself or her stuffed animals. Just this morning on the way to daycare, I was enjoying a nice quiet ride. Sydney said, "Mommy talk to me. I can't hear you." I was thinking to myself, that's because I'm not saying anything. :)
She has her share of tantrums and drama, but I'm used to it by now. I'm sure I did the same thing. But overall she is a sweetheart and a very loving child. We are truly blessed!
How fast time goes by...Sydney is now 2 1/2 years old!
She continues to grow and learn every day. Sydney now says complete sentences, sometimes a bit lengthy run on sentences, but nevertheless she is trying to speak in more complete thoughts. Sometimes I can see the wheels in her brain turning as she tries to find the right words to say. She definitely knows what the word "no" means and uses it quite often to tell me things she doesn't want to do. This is often followed by me threatening time out or loss of a toy if she doesn't listen to me.
We are in the midst of full blown attitude and drama as well. Sometimes just offering a food for dinner that she doesn't want will result in crying or screaming. My mom told me I was a drama queen so I guess it's coming back to bite me.
But overall Sydney is a very sweet child. She often looks at me and says, "Mommy I Love You" and she hugs my leg. Or she will lay right up against Ricky in the bed and snuggle right beside him.
We are in the midst of potty training and it's going pretty well. She knows when she needs to use the bathroom, it's just a matter of remembering to tell us. Sometimes she gets distracted by her toys or something she is watching on tv and she forgets she needs to go to the bathroom. Other days she will go to the bathroom all by herself, climb up on the potty and do everything herself. Then she runs into the living room and says "I PEEPEE ON THE POTTY! I want a cupcake!" (We have been rewarding her with goodies for using the bathroom and she never lets us forget it)
Her latest phrase is "You member that?" Translation, "do you remember that?" She will say "Mommy, member when we saw that bug?" Well, we see a lot of bugs but I will go along with it. I say "Yes, I remember that bug." Then Sydney says, "I not like it."
Sydney will move into the 2 1/2 year old room at daycare starting the first of July. Another transition for our growing girl!
Our little princess continues to grow and grow. Or should I say our little drama queen. We have definitely seen several tantrums and meltdowns over miniscule things that happen or due to things we say. Simply picking the wrong color cup in the morning can result in a major fit. Geez...
But despite those times, Sydney continues to amaze us at how much she absorbs. She speaks in complete sentences and her vocabulary is quickly developing. Of course she can't read yet, but she has memorized some of the books we read to her. She will sit down with her stuffed animals and read the book just like I read it to her. She also knows several songs and sings them to "lovie" when she goes to bed.
Sydney is also getting a little attitude. Sometimes I expect to turn around and see a teenager standing there. She says "Mommy, you don't do that". Or "Mommy, you go in time out!" She is testing her boundaries for sure.
A few weeks ago I took Sydney home to NC to visit with family. She spent several days with Mimi, Tracy, and the twins, several days with my mom, and she also got to see my mom's parents in Virginia. She spent the evening with Nannie Carolyn and got to play with her cousin Ginny. Ricky and I enjoyed a week to ourselves with a little peace and quiet!
We look forward to warmer weather so we can spend time at the pool and beach. Sydney loves the water so it will be lots of fun for her!
I know I say it all the time, but I continue to be amazed by how much Sydney is learning and how much information she retains. Coming out of daycare yesterday she saw a red SUV in the parking lot and she said "Nana's car!" She hasn't seen my mom or her car since January.
At daycare she is learning to count in spanish and can say her numbers all the way to ten. She sings Rock-a-bye Sydney, Bringing home a baby bumblebee, and No more monkeys jumping on the bed. She obviously learned those at daycare because I didn't teach them to her. :)
She is starting to understand emotion and rational thinking, even at 2! I fussed at Bentley when he ran from me one evening and was obviously mad at him. She said "Mommy, what's the matter?" If only she asked me that when she was throwing a tantrum!
Her energy level is out of control! This morning she was running around like she had consumed a tall cup of espresso. OMG, I don't know what got into her! She was running circles around the living room, climbing on the back of the couch, singing, dancing, climbing on the kitchen bar stools, need I go on...
And she eats like she is a bottomless pit! She eats vegetables and fruit no problem and actually likes chicken and salmon (usually the chicken has to be dipped in barbecue sauce, ketchup or ranch). But you will never believe what she ate the other night. I cooked tilapia and quinoa and Ricky had salmon with sweet potato. We also had some steamed broccoli. Sydney had macaroni and cheese and green beans. So what does she want? She wants to try my "turkey". I said "That's not turkey, it's tilapia". Sydney says, "I try some of that tilapia". (came out more like flapia) So I put some on her plate and she ate it. I could not believe it. She ended up eating a whole filet and I had to cook another one. Then she saw my quinoa and wanted to try it. Let me remind you that it was completely plain, nothing on it. She scooped it up with her fork and said "Yummy, I have more!" What child wants fish and quinoa instead of macaroni and cheese!
I hope she will continue to be this healthy. We try to keep junk food out of the house so she will get used to eating fruits and veggies. We allow her to have sweets on the weekend, when we splurge. If I kept cookies around all the time she would never get any because I would eat them all. :)
We plan to take her to the children's museum soon because they are having a Dr. Suess exhibit and they currently have Clifford there. I just hope leaving the museum will not result in a wrestling match with her!
Little Miss Sydney is talking up a storm and getting too smart for her own good. Her vocabulary continues to grow and I am amazed by her comprehension. Now all we hear is "I do it myself", which is usually followed by "Mommy help" after she realizes she cannot accomplish what she originally thought she could. She can now brush her own teeth, attempt to put on her socks and shoes (usually on the opposite feet), use a fork and spoon no matter what she is eating, feed the dog, climb into the car and get into her carseat, put on chapstick, and the list goes on and on...
She loves to play with our dog Bentley, but that love is not always reciprocated. Bentley likes to lay under the dining room table because it's cool under there and Sydney loves to crawl under there with him. That usually results in Bentley moving and Sydney following. Now when I go into the bedroom or bathroom and Sydney follows me, she always says "Bentley get in here!" (Don't know who she got that from...ha ha)
She is still enjoying day care and learning more everyday. She can sing the entire alphabet song, although it's hard to distinguish the l, m, n, o, p part of the song. That's a little jumbled. She also knows Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star and Mary had a Little Lamb. Sydney is a big fan of the Llama Llama book series. (If you haven't heard of them, check them out. Really cute rhyming books) So I was reading Llama Llama Misses Mama to her today before her nap and I skipped a page (intentionally because I was ready to lay her down and eat lunch). :) She totally stopped me and said "no, choo choo train" because she realized I skipped the page with the choo choo train. Little stinker, she already memorized the order of the book.
My absolute favorite thing Sydney does now is hug me, and now I don't have to ask for it! Sometimes she just comes up to me in the kitchen while I am cooking and clings to my leg, then says "I love you Mommy". Oh my gosh, I never get tired of hearing that! She is the most precious gift and I am thankful for her every day.
Sydney have become quite the independent lady lately. Every time I offer to help her put on her shoes, turn on a toy or use her fork and spoon, she says "No, me do it!" I also can't eat anything without Sydney wanting a bite. Which means no more sweets during the week. If Sydney sees me eating something she says "Me have some". Today I was eating grilled chicken and brussel sprouts and she put down her goldfish in order to eat one of my brussels. I can't complain, at least she is eating her vegetables! She even eats yogurt and cottage cheese with me for our afternoon snack.
I can definitely tell she is learning and developing intellectually every day. She is speaking in sentences now, well almost. "Mommy read Sydney book" or "Sydney take nap with lovie" and her favorite, "Daddy bring Sydney cupcake now". :)
We are trying to start potty training but Sydney really doesn't have an interest in it. She will sit on the potty when I am in the bathroom, but I think it's more fun for her to be in there with me. She doesn't understand how to use the potty yet. She just likes for me to take off her pants and diaper so she can run around. She does tell us every time she has a dirty diaper, but it's always after the fact. I know she will start when she is ready...but I'm ready now!
Daycare will help with it, since other kids will start using the potty soon. Hopefully she will learn sooner than later.
Sydney is definitely growing by leaps and bounds...physically and mentally. I am simply amazed at her language and comprehension. Every day she amazes me by putting more and more words together and I can just see the wheels in her brain turning. Yesterday she wanted to get her piggy bank off the shelf in her closet and she said "too high". Then she looked at me and said "Mommy reach it". She has started saying "thank you" and knows how to help me clean up her toys. She can make a surprise face, sad face, happy face and mad face. She can almost sing the entire alphabet and Mickey Mouse clubhouse song. She is even repeating the spanish words when she watches Dora. She must get all her smarts from her mom. :)
This week Sydney had her first major illness. Well, not major. Just an illness that required a doctor's visit. She has had some colds before but this was much worse. She had a virus which caused an ear infection and wheezing. The doctor gave her antibiotics for the ear infection and an inhaler for the wheezing. I must have looked at him like he was crazy to think she was going to use an inhaler. He explained there is a large tube that hooks to the inhaler with a mask on the end that helps toddlers breathe in the medicine. I was thinking to myself, she is never going to use this! But when I got it out of the box I told Sydney how cool her new medicine was. I told her the doctor gave her a new toy and she gets to put it on her mouth. I also told her the pink medicine was just like the medicine Dora takes. She was actually receptive to the inhaler and enjoyed using it. We'll see how long that lasts...
Sydney had a fun-filled week of birthday and Christmas parties. We celebrated her 2nd birthday in Winston at Mimi's house with a family get together. We had yummy NC barbecue (they don't know how to make it in SC) and all the fixins. Mom made banana pudding for dessert and Mimi got Sydney a Minnie Mouse birthday cake (that was our theme). Sydney is obsessed with Minnie Mouse and Dora the Explorer and her presents didn't disappoint. There were tons of Minnie and Dora gifts. My brother got Sydney a Dora purse, complete with bracelets, lip gloss, nail polish and cell phone. She got a life-size Minnie from Mimi and it's so big Sydney could hardly pick it up. (When we brought it home, she wanted to put it in the bed with her but I told her Minnie was too big!) Sydney also received Minnie and Dora DVDs, books, a few games and of course, some Minnie clothes. She was so excited about her new shirt! As soon as Sydney opened the Minnie shirt she said "Put on!" and immediately took off the shirt she was wearing. Just standing there shirtless in front of everyone. It was hysterical. So she put on her new Minnie shirt and went back to opening gifts. The party was complete with a Minnie birthday cake (you can see it in the picture album).
Christmas weekend was a flurry of family get togethers, tons of food and wonderful gifts. Sydney received a stool for her bathroom so she can reach the sink and brush her teeth and hands. She loves it! She also got a Dora tricycle, Handy Manny toolbox, Leapster laptop, and Leapfrog reading system. Sydney got her first taste of buckeyes (peanut butter balls) which she loved, of course. I think her favorite word of the Christmas holiday was "candy!" She also rediscovered her love of sweet potato casserole.
But by far the biggest joy was seeing snow on Christmas day! Even I was thrilled to get a white Christmas. Since I didn't bring any gloves or boots home, we only let her out in the snow for a few minutes. But she thoroughly enjoyed it. I think she liked watching the dogs even more. They chased each other up and down the hill and Sydney would crack up every time they would run by the door. We ended up staying an extra night because we were snowed in at mom's house. It was by far one the best Christmas holiday's I have ever had.
Sydney continues to grow and learn so much it amazes me. Each day she says something new and I attribute a lot of her vocabulary to what she learns at daycare. I am so glad I decided to enroll her in the half day program. She can count to 20, say part of the alphabet, point out colors, and she knows all of her animals and animal sounds. She has started to figure out puzzles and shapes and can now match items. She even knows when she is about to fall or when she needs help because she quickly says "stuck!" and waits for me or Ricky to help her.
We are looking forward to the cooler weather so we can start our evening walks again. Sydney loves to ride in her stroller and hold Bentley's leash. I'm also anxious to take her to the playground so she can have fun on the swings and slide.
Last weekend we got to spend some time with Mimi (Mary), Aunt Tracy, Jacob and Olivia. Sydney had a lot of fun playing with them and we also got to do some shopping at the outlets. Sydney is getting so tall that her pants and even shirts are too small. Mimi bought her some new fall outfits and she will look so cute in her leggings and khaki pants. I just wish Sydney thought so! The first morning I put long sleeves and pants on her she had a breakdown. She pulled at her sleeves and kept saying "Off! Off!" The only way I could get her in the car to go to daycare was with chocolate milk. Not the healthiest breakfast beverage, but hey, whatever works!
Next weekend Sydney has a fall festival at day care. I'm getting her a Minnie costume for Halloween and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she will actually wear it. Since she is obsessed with Minnie Mouse, I'm feeling that confident that she will want to wear a "Minnie dress". Or at least that's what I'm going to tell her. I doubt she will wear the headband with ears, but the dress would be a success in itself. We are going to take her to a trunk or treat that our neighborhood is having the Saturday before Halloween. Since I doubt she will actually go trick or treating, I think she would enjoy this since it's for children 12 and under. I just hope she gets some candy to share with me!
Halloween pictures to come soon...
Sydney now has two new favorite words, poopie and potty. Yep, she now tells me when she needs to go to the bathroom. Her first experience with the potty was at daycare. A few weeks ago her teacher told me she kept saying "poopie". So she checked Sydney but nothing was in her diaper. A few minutes later Sydney said it again so her teacher took her and sat her on the potty. Within a minute, Sydney actually pooped on the potty. Yeah!
Well of course I called Ricky to tell him. Oh how our lives have changed...we used to call each other to talk about great things that happen at work. Now we talk about pooping. :)
So we got a potty for Sydney to have at home. She has sat on it more times than I can count but has pooped on it only once. She definitely knows when she needs to use the bathroom. She will stop everything she is doing and tell me. Sometimes that means it's already happened and we get a new diaper. Other times we go sit on the potty with no results. I really think she just likes to sit on it and play with the shower curtain beside her.
Last week I was giving her a bath and as I was drying her off she said "poopie". I told her to hold on just a minute and I would dry her off so she could sit on the potty. Well, I obviously took too long because the poopie ended up in the tub instead of the potty. Eeeewwww...that was not fun to clean up. But hey, at least she is learning. We look forward to more fun poopie experiences before potty training is complete! :)
Sydney is still loving daycare and learning every day. She can count to 20 (with assistance) and is starting to say her ABC's. She now can say 2 or 3 words together and repeats almost everything I say. It's just amazing to watch your child develop...they are like sponges absorbing everything around them.
I look forward to fall and the cooler weather so we can enjoy the outdoors. We have taken a few walks with Bentley because Sydney likes to hold his leash, but the heat has kept us inside most days. I'm excited about taking her to the park, playground and some fall festivals in the upcoming months. We definitely want to visit the zoo now that she is so familiar with animals and their sounds.
Until next time...
Sydney is growing by leaps and bounds and the amount of knowledge and information she retains never ceases to amaze me. I attribute a lot of her learning to day care and being able to interact with other children. She can count (with assistance) up to 10 and can repeat the letters of the alphabet when we say them to her. Each week at day care they focus on learning something new and each month is a new theme. Last week she learned about different foods and cooking (her craft projects included popsicles and a piece of pizza). This week she is learning animal sounds and I told her teacher she is already a pro at making those noises. We recently added the frog, elephants and rooster to our repertoire (rooster sounds more like an extended doodle, doodle, doo sound). It's so funny to see her facial expressions when she makes the sounds. Her favorite sound by far is the bear, she loves to growl and scare Ricky.
Sydney had her 18 month checkup several weeks ago and that proved to be a traumatic experience. Now that she is aware of strangers, she was not comfortable with the nurse or doctor. From the moment we walked back into the exam room, she sobbed. She didn't want the nurse to weigh her and she would not let go of me. The doctor had to look into her ears while I held her and the nurse let me hold her while she gave Sydney her shots. Not a fun day at the doctor! The good news is that Sydney is healthy and growing like a weed. She is in the 50th percentile for weight and the 97th percentile for height. Obviously she didn't take after me in the height category. Ricky hopes she is tall because that makes for a good female golfer. :)
A few weeks ago we took Sydney to the beach and luckily she liked it. Actually, she loved it! When we first got out there, she was a little skeptical about the sand and wasn't sure how to walk around in it. We took her down to the ocean and she wanted to sit in the water rather than stand. I think the current felt funny on her feet and she sat down in order to prevent from falling. I tried to help her build sandcastles but all she wanted to do was step on them and knock them over. Then she would run back to the water. She definitely enjoyed herself and was not excited to leave. Mommy and Daddy were worn out and when we packed up to go, she threw a fit. Imagine this as you drive by looking for beach parking: Mom and Dad with child in the back of their SUV, trying to remove a sandy bathing suit, change a wet diaper, get sand out of the crevices, all while child is having a temper tantrum. I'm sure many people were cracking up as they drove by us. I had to vacuum out the car after that trip because of all the sand Sydney accumulated in her diaper and bathing suit. But alas, she had a lot of fun and she took a very long nap that afternoon!
18 Months, What?!? My daughter is already 1 1/2 years old! I can't believe how fast time goes by and how quickly she is growing. Sydney continues to amaze me daily with new words and mannerisms. She is a little sponge, soaking up every bit of knowledge she can. You can tell she really listens and tries to understand what you are saying.
She is putting words together now and can almost count to 5. I must attribute some of that to day care because they read, do crafts, and learn motor skills every day. Ricky and I both count with her at home, whether it be her food, fingers or toes. I also tell her what color certain items are but if you ask her "What color is this?", everything is "pink".
Day care has been a very easy transition. She still is a little sad when I drop her off, but as soon as they give her breakfast she forgets that I even left. Her favorite friend is Jordan, and she gives him a hug each morning when she sees him.
The past 2 weeks have been a little trying because we have all been passing a sickness around. First Ricky was sick, then I got a mild cold and sore throat. Sydney has had a runny nose and cough for 3 weeks now. But we had an "A Ha" moment...she is getting more teeth! So I don't think her symptoms are from a cold, it's because she is teething. Her worst time is right around dinner and before bed. She gets fussy every night and starts chewing on her fingers. She has one molar coming in on the bottom and just the other day noticed 3 other teeth coming in. Whew, I will be glad when all of her teeth are in!
Last weekend we drove to NC to visit with family. We had a lot of fun with Nana and Papaw (my parents), Mimi (Ricky's mom) and my grandparents. We went to the Children's Museum on Friday, but that turned out to be a bad idea. I don't think Sydney is old enough to really understand everything there. The one thing she did like was climbing the stairs and when we removed her from them...Yikes! She had a major meltdown and temper tantrum. It was all Ricky could do to hold her. Later that afternoon she was much better after several diaper changes. So we attributed the episode to an upset tummy.
That night while Mom and I had some girl time to see a movie, Ricky took Sydney to Mi Pueblo with Mimi, Papaw and my grandparents. Sydney's first taste of mexican! She had a cheese quesadilla, sweet tea and bites of everyone else's food.
Saturday we played with bubbles, learned to color, gave the dogs some treats and then spent time with my mom's parents who drove down from Virginia.
Overall a great weekend with the family!
Sydney started day care this past Monday. Our little one is growing up before our eyes! My work load has increased significantly (woohoo!) so we had to adjust my working from home arrangement. When Sydney was small, I could work while she napped or played. She was easily entertained with blocks and stuffed animals. But now that she is a busy bee, she gets into everything and I cannot get any work done. I really don't like her watching a lot of TV, but here lately that is the only way I could keep her satisfied. At least she is watching Nogin or Nick Jr.
So day care seemed the only solution. I found a center that allows part time, so Sydney goes from 8-12 Monday through Friday. I thought she would be sad when I left the first day, but she found some new toys and didn't even see me leave. Then I knew she would pitch a fit when I picked her up because she wouldn't want to leave. But I said the magic words, "Want to go get lovie?" I brought her home, gave her lovie, and she took a long nap. Today was the only day she has actually not wanted to leave. So far so good...
I just loaded pictures of last weekend's adventure at Indigo Farms. We took Sydney to pick strawberries and had a blast. The weather was perfect and we had fun watching Sydney look for ripe, red berries. She quickly got the hang of dropping the strawberries in the bucket. A few times she tried to eat one, but we told her we had to wash them first. Well...we turned our heads for a few seconds and what do you know, Sydney had taken a big chunk out of one of the strawberries. All we heard was "Mmmmmmmmmm". You can hear it on one of the videos. It is hilarious!
We are now learning animal names and sounds. Sydney can meow like a cat (although it sounds like a cat in labor, kind of screeching), she can "ruf ruf" like a dog, "ooh ooh" like a monkey, "sssssss" like a snake, and "mmmooooo" like a cow. Her favorite toy is her stuffed Minnie Mouse and she has perfected the word "Minnie". Everytime we change her diaper she points out Minnie, who is on the front of her diaper.
Not much news in the food department. She still loves fruit and continues to eat broccoli and brussel sprouts. I'm still amazed by that. She had watermelon for the first time at day care on Tuesday and the teacher said she loved it.
Check the video link for strawberry picking.
We have a climber! Sydney has mastered the art of climbing on chairs, the couch, and my office chair. She likes to stand on everything, whether it be her musical chair, a stack of books, or a big box of diapers. Luckily she hasn't tried to get on the table yet. I'm sure that might be attempted soon. She has also fallen off the couch a number of times, but she just gets right up and does it again. She is a persistent one...
Sydney has also started repeating more of what we say and is a little echo around the house. She knows what milk and juice are when I ask her what she wants to drink, she knows most of her animals, and can now bark like a dog and moo like a cow. Just recently she started saying "Yuuummmm" when she eats her lunch and dinner. Especially yogurt and banana, these staples are still her favorite.
I guess I'm going to have to start watching what I say since she is copying everything. No more yelling at the dog!
I was recently asked to take on more work from a real estate company I have been freelancing for. They want me to do 20 hours a week and I am still trying to work 10 hours a week for the other companies. Which means...I need help taking care of Sydney. I can't work that much and entertain her. And I refuse to put her in front of the television the entire time I work. Luckily there is a lady in our neighborhood who keeps children in her home. An in-home daycare I guess you could call it. She only keeps 6 children at one time, and 2 of those are her children. I hope to meet with her this week and get Sydney started next week. We are going to try mornings Mon-Fri and see how that works. I will drop her off before 8 and she will have breakfast there. The children play, do crafts, etc. until 11 and then they are fed lunch. They nap around noon. I will pick Sydney up right before they go down for a nap so she can nap here at home. That will give me a few more hours in the afternoon to work. I'm a little nervous about putting her in daycare, but I know we both need it. She needs to socialize with other children and I need to get work done.
We have been experiencing a few more tantrums from Miss Sydney in the evenings. I think most of them are the result of being tired. Since we have switched to just one nap a day, she is getting sleepy earlier at night. Which leads to fussiness and more crying. Hopefully she will get used to the one nap pretty soon. Or she might be going to bed at 7:00!
We had a great visit 2 weeks ago with Mimi, Aunt Tracy, and Sydney's cousins, Jacob and Olivia. Sydney loved playing with them, even though they are much older than her. They were a little annoyed when she would take their toys or break the castle they had built, but we had to explain to them that she doesn't understand how to "share". As you can see in the pictures, they had a blast playing in the sprinkler outside and getting soaked! That led to a bath with all 3 children in the tub, talk about a full house...they barely fit in the bathtub. It was quite a sight!
Until next time...
Sydney has grown by leaps and bounds the past month. And not just physically. She is talking up a storm now and tries to repeat everything we say. I'm going to have to stop yelling at Bentley or next thing I know Sydney will tell him to "shut up". :)
It's amazing how many words and phrases she understands even though she can't verbally respond. I can ask her to do something and she knows exactly what I'm talking about. I ask her where her milk is and she goes to the fridge. I ask her to pick out a book to read and she goes right to the container all of her books are in. I ask her if she wants to go upstairs and she immediately points to the bonus room. As soon as she hears the garage door open in the evening, she looks at the door and says "Daddy" because she knows Ricky is home. Sydney is like a sponge, soaking in as much information as she can. She is learning and growing every day.
Not much has changed in the way of eating. She still loves her sweet potatoes and yogurt. Those are the two foods that don't seem to grow old. She also loves fruit and we often share pineapple, strawberries and oranges. I cannot wait for the farmers market to open so we can buy locally grown fresh fruit and produce!
Tuesday I took Sydney for her 15 month checkup. The doctor said she looked great and was impressed that she is still sleeping so well and talking so much. She weighed 23 lbs 9 oz, which is in the 50th percentile for weight. She is 33 inches tall, which is in the 95th percentile for height. Ricky keeps hoping she will be 5'8" or 5'9" because the taller she is, the better golfer she could be. :)
We had a blast Easter weekend with my parents. They bought Sydney a pool to put out in the backyard. I cannot wait to blow it up once it gets hot and let her splash around in it. As much as she loves baths, I may never get her out of the pool. When I mention the word "bath", she runs to the bathroom and attemps to take her shirt and pants off. She loves splashing in the water and playing with all of her toys.
Saturday night Ricky and I went to dinner to celebrate my birthday while mom and dad kept Sydney. It was nice to have a quiet evening alone where we could actually carry on a conversation. Later we met up with our friends and went bowling. It was so much fun!
Sunday we all had breakfast together and then did some shopping at Tanger Outlets. It was busy but the weather was wonderful. Overall a great weekend!
Sydney is now over 14 months old! She continues to make us laugh every day with her new vocabulary and mannerisms. Although she can't correctly say most words, she definitely repeats almost everything we say. Her standards are Dada, Mama, nana, doggy, papa, ball, mo (more), milk (comes out ma). She definitely understands more now as well. As soon as I ask her if she wants milk, she goes to the fridge. When we are ready to eat, she goes right to her chair and raises her arms up. When I tell her we need to take Bentley outside, she goes right to the door. And she knows what "no" means but occasionally she ignores me when I say it. We've had a few melt downs when I have taken her rocking chair away because she was standing in it. I told her "no" and to sit down, but she didn't listen. She grinned at me and stood up. So the rocking chair is gone for now. :)
Sydney continues to perfect her dance moves every chance she gets. Any time music comes on the tv, she immediately stops what she is doing and starts dancing. Right now that consists of rocking back and forth, squatting up and down, and raising her arms up. It is hilarious to watch! She dances to commercials, music channels, and yes, even the Weather channel music.
She's still eating like a champ, but I think we burned her out on the sweet potatoes. She continuously throws them on the floor so we are taking a break from them. She loves macaroni and most meat - chicken, salmon, turkey. She has recently discovered brussel sprouts and she cannot get enough of them! Yes, she has to be my child. :) I heat them and cut them in half and then peel the leaves off for her. I can't feed them to her fast enough. She actually ate the brussel sprouts before her macaroni. What in the world!
Bentley is becoming a little more tolerant of her. She wants to play with him so badly but he's pretty lazy during the day. Occasionally at night he will run around with her and she cracks up at him. I'm looking forward to this summer when I can take them outside and let them play in the back yard. I think they both will have a ball.
Sydney now has 6 teeth and continues to grow. Her hair is so long it is in her eyes, but she will not wear a bow. I'm taking her Tuesday for her first hair cut. Let's hope that goes well!
Wow, it really happened! It snowed in Myrtle Beach! We got between 4-5 inches and it was beautiful! Soft, white powdery snow and we loved watching it come down. Sydney called it "no" because she can't pronounce "s" just yet. Bentley barked at it last night when we went outside to watch it. He's such a chicken.
This morning we took Sydney and Bentley outside to play in the snow. Bentley was a little hesitant at first but all it took was one throw of the tennis ball to get him out in it. Then he loved it! He ran circles around the yard and dug his nose into the snow when he stopped to rest. Sydney thought he was hilarious and laughed at him while he ran.
Ricky rolled a large snow ball and sat Sydney on top of it. The snow was so soft she could easily pick it up and play with it. I made a small snow ball for her to hold and of course she tried to eat it. Sydney really liked sitting in it and kicking her legs around.
Since we don't own boots of any kind, we put plastic bags around her feet with rubber bands - redneck snow boots!
Over the past few weeks, Sydney has been talking a lot more and no longer walks around the house...she runs. And she is fast! As soon as she hears the pantry door or the door out to the garage, she makes a beeline for the kitchen. I have to run ahead of her to get to the door first to close it and she is hard to catch!
She says Mama and Dada a lot now. She can also say Nana, Papa, Mimi and makes sounds that represent Doggy, Nose, Eye, Minnie, etc. She recognizes all the names of her toys when we say them and it's amazing how much she is learning. Sometimes she will sit in the living room for 10-15 minutes and read books by herself. I wish I could tap into her brain and see what she is thinking.
Sydney is also perfecting her dance moves. She loves dancing to any kind of music that comes on TV. Songs in commercials, videos on CMT, even the Weather Channel music gets her dancing. She looks like she is doing squats sometimes...bobbing up and down. But now she has started to raise her arms up and here lately she has been spinning around. But too much spinning and she falls down, like she just played dizzy bat. :)
She never ceases to amaze us...always making us laugh and always ready for hugs and kisses!
Sydney had her 1 year checkup last week and she passed with flying colors! The doctor said she looked great and is a healthy young lady. She weighs 21.5 pounds, which is in the 50th percentile. She is 30.5 inches tall, which is in the 75th percentile. Ricky was super excited about that because he wants her to be tall (in order to be a good golfer!). The doctor said she would probably be taller than me...since I'm only 5'3" that's not saying a whole lot!
She is now drinking whole milk, juice and water and is completely off the bottle. Sippy cups only! We have tried new foods including eggs, broccoli, mushrooms and peppers. I gave her a few bites of asparagus yesterday at lunch but I had to cut it so small I doubt she really got the taste of it. She still loves salmon and chicken. But her favorite by far is yogurt and bananas. Anytime she sees the yogurt container, she says "yoyo" and when she sees a banana, she says "nana". She definitely got the banana bug from me because I eat one every day. But I don't know why she loves yogurt so much, neither me or Ricky like it at all.
This past Sunday I made Belgian waffles for breakfast with my new waffle iron, which was my Christmas present from my parents. The first waffle wasn't quite done, the second waffle was too done, but I hit the jackpot with the third one. Perfection! The fourth waffle I made for myself and added tons of blueberries. Yummy! I broke apart Sydney's waffle and put a tiny bit of syrup on it. She loved it. I'm sure it tastes way better than plain oatmeal. :)
This week I want to find some more vegetables that she will eat. She is burned out on green beans and sweet potatoes. Broccoli and brussel sprouts are just too hard to cut into small pieces. I cut up some peppers and mushrooms for her last night and she ate them, but it didn't seem like she was that fond of them.
Next I will introduce strawberries, pineapple and other kinds of seafood. She loves salmon so I hope she will enjoy snapper and flounder.
Sydney is definitely becoming more vocal and attentive. She points at everything and I try to repeat words as often as I can. She recognizes the light in her room, her sock monkey, her purse (including lipstick) and she knows most of the names of her toys. She is so smart...just like her mom!
What a whirlwind week & weekend it has been! It started off with Sydney's birthday party in Myrtle Beach on Tuesday. Wednesday we packed up the car with Christmas gifts, candy and goodies, our clothes (and even Bentley, our beagle, came with us) to head to NC.
After dinner, Ricky put Sydney to bed and I went out to Sam's and Walmart with Mom. We had to buy all of the food and order Sydney's cake for her birthday party on Saturday. I was exhausted by the time I got home and immediately went to bed.
Christmas Eve morning I met my grandpa at the YMCA for a short workout. Well, I was hoping to burn some major calories due to the amount of days ahead which would involve nothing but eating. But my run was cut short because I was getting some major blisters on my feet. Oh well, I guess I will have to try to indulge without the guilt. Yeah right!
We had brunch at Mary's (Mimi) house and Sydney's aunts, uncles and cousins came over. Sydney enjoyed chicken, macaroni and some homemade rolls from Mimi's neighbor. Sydney got a really cool puzzle from her cousin Jena that made animal sounds. She also loved playing with Jacob and Olivia and found the wrapping paper more exciting than her actual presents. Her favorite thing by far was taking Jacob's train off the tracks, which made him very annoyed. (You can see him in the background of one of the pictures with his head down.)
That evening we went over to Nannie Carolyn's house for dinner and more presents. We dined on barbecue, which tasted even better than I remember...you just can't get good NC barbecue in Myrtle Beach! Sydney loved the potato salad and roll but her favorite, by far, was Nannie's pumpkin pie. I must admit it was DELICIOUS!
Christmas morning we woke up at Mimi's house and opened our gifts from Santa. Again, Sydney was quite content with the ball that came in her stocking and cared less about all of the big wrapped boxes. Ricky and I ended up opening most of her gifts. She got her own Cabbage Patch doll, a glow worm, books, a huge house that she can crawl through, and some building blocks.
After we packed the car and loaded up, we headed to Nana and Papaw's (my parents). Mom had made a new recipe for breakfast - overnight french toast, which was awesome! Sydney thought it was quite tasty as did the rest of us. We let Sydney see her present from Santa, which was a car she could ride on that, of course, played music. It also has a horn she can honk. When she gets a little bigger, she will be able to push herself on it. She liked it, but was pretty tired from all the excitement that morning. When Sydney went down for her nap, we all exchanged gifts and just relaxed. That afternoon we let Sydney open the rest of her presents which included a sock monkey, barnyard animals that make noise, and a really sweet mug that Tia Deborah sent that had pictures of Sydney from birth until now. It was really special!
That evening we headed to VA to visit with my mom's family. It is chaos there because there are so many people in such a small space...but it is tons of fun! There is never a dull moment! Sydney was the life of the party going around making her cheesy smile at everyone. She got some really cute outfits, puzzles and books. The best gift was a homemade quilt from my grandma that had Sydney's name and birthday on it. I had no idea she made it for Sydney and it was really touching for her to give that to Sydney.
Saturday morning my mom and I got the food ready for Sydney's party and cleaned up the house. I was so excited to have everyone get together, not only for Sydney's party, but just to be able to spend time time together. We don't get to see our family and friends as much as we like, so I was glad to get to see everyone over the holidays. Again, Sydney was the star of the afternoon grinning and hugging everyone. She is such a happy child! She dove right into her cake and ate more icing than she did cake. Ricky and I helped her with it because the cake was so good! Sydney got more presents...and I kept thinking to myself, where am I going to put all of this? She received dolls, books, puzzles, a small puppy that she can walk (not real of course!), her own bowl and plate, blender, convertible car that she can ride when she gets bigger, and her own pearl bracelet.
Sunday we all slept in and enjoyed a late breakfast together. After Sydney woke up from her nap, we packed the car and headed back to SC. I wasn't ready to leave, but it was nice to be back in our own home. The unpacking wasn't fun at all...but it was all worth it to be able to spend the holidays with the ones we love. Miss you all!
Today my little girl turns one! I can't believe it was today, one year ago, that I was delivering her at the hospital. It is amazing how fast this year has gone by. We have truly been blessed by a loving and happy child and I can't express in words how much I love her!
We had a little get together tonight with some of our friends in Myrtle Beach. Our neighbor and her daughters, some coworkers, Ricky's boss, and some of our friends came by for pizza, wings, and of course, birthday cake!
Sydney got a corn popper, Winnie the Pooh stuffed animal, personalized Christmas ornament, and a musical purse complete with money, lipstick, a mirror and bracelet.
She had such a good time playing with Drew and Ryleigh and loved being the center of attention! She made no hesitation when I put her cake in front of her and she dove right into it with both hands. I think she got more icing on the chair and floor than in her mouth! Bentley probably cleaned up more cake off the floor than Sydney ate. :)
She had a fun day and was definitely worn out by the end of the night. After a bath and milk, she was in bed with lovie and put up no fight.
About a month ago I tried to get Sydney to drink out of a sippy cup. She wanted no part of it! Then I realized she couldn't get anything out of it. I tried to drink out of it and I could hardly suck any milk through the top! So we tried another cup. And another. We went through 5 cups before I gave up and gave her the bottle.
The next day we tried some Tupperware cups and she loved them! Drank her entire cup of milk with no problem. And from then on I started using the cups at every feeding, except right before bed. I let her have the bottle before bedtime. After a few days we were using sippy cups at every feeding. Yeah Sydney!
And now that Sydney is one year old, she can drink whole milk. No more formula! Woohoo!
The first few sips were a little tentative but I warmed it in the microwave and she likes it just fine. She is such a good girl!
Now if she would only get some more teeth so she could try new foods!
Today we took Sydney to JCPenney for her Christmas and 1st birthday pictures. I was so worried she wasn't going to get any good pictures because she will not sit still! Now that she is walking she doesn't sit for very long and I was wondering how they were going to get any pictures of her.
But she did so well! We got a few cute shots with her birthday bear and some beautiful Christmas pictures. She is so darn cute! And she even kept her red bow in the entire time! I think she was distracted by all the props and lighting to notice I put the bow in her hair. She sat on the chair next to the Christmas tree, she sat on the floor, and she even cooperated for our family picture.
I was so worried about today. Now I know I don't need to be because Sydney is definitely a ham in front of the camera!
...probably because I'm too young to know who he is!
Today we went to Christmas Towne, a small event held at the Convention Center where kids can eat goodies, have their picture made with Santa and Mrs. Claus, and play in the blow up bouncy toys.
Since Sydney is too young for the blow up things (and I wasn't about to go down the slide with her), we just enjoyed some hot chocolate and had our picture made with Santa and Mrs. Claus. She didn't even flinch when Ricky sat her on Santa's lap. We sat beside her and it was over before we knew it. Probably why she didn't cry...she didn't have time to see Santa's huge beard and hear his deep, boisterous laugh!
We'll see what happens next year...
Today we attended the Christmas party at Carolina Shores Golf Course where Ricky works. Sydney was the star attraction. Everyone just loved Sydney and couldn't believe at the last Christmas party that she was still in my tummy!
She ran around all night and loved looking at the Christmas tree. She even let Jaime, Scott, Karen, Dale and Katie hold her. She dined on green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, and macaroni. A nice change from chicken and yogurt!
When we got home I gave her a bath and then we had milk. She did not put up a fight when I laid her down for bed and I never heard one peep out of her until she woke up. She was definitely worn out after an exciting evening!
We have one very brave girl! Every day Sydney gets closer and closer to walking on her own! For the past few weeks she has been standing a lot and walking along the edges of anything and everything...the coffee table, couch, her bouncer, bar stools, etc. She has started to let go and stand on her own this past week. First for just a few seconds, but now she can stand for a while. It's so cute to watch, she is trying so hard to balance. It almost looks like she's surfing. :)
Just this past week she took one step, then two, and finally 5 steps! Ricky and I couldn't believe it! We both had cameras in our hands but they weren't on so we didn't capture the first steps. But determined little Sydney tried again and we got that on video. She has gotten very good and standing up on her own and taking 1-2 steps. I know it's only a matter of time before she's off and running!
Sydney has become little miss chatterbox lately. She is still squealing and yelling (normally when we aren't paying enough attention to her) and we often hear her grunting and groaning in the bed when she goes to sleep and right after she wakes up. But in the past few weeks she has started "talking" more and saying more recognizable words. She is very good at "dada" and "nana" and she is getting better at "mama" and "baba". I still don't think she realizes what she is saying but we are trying to teach her dada and mama more she will relate those words to us.
Sydney isn't walking yet but she is getting more brave by the day. She will occasionally let go of the couch or table and stand on her own for a few seconds, then plopping down on her bottom. She can walk along the table and couch by holding on and yesterday she climbed one stair. So I know it's only a matter of time before she's walking. Whew...
Last week we went home to Winston-Salem so we could take Sydney to the Dixie Classic Fair. Okay, so I probably wanted to go more than she did...but we all had a lot of fun. My mom, dad and brother went with us. We got there just in time to see the Swifty Swine race, where 4 baby pigs race around a tiny track for the prize of an Oreo cookie. I think Sydney got a quick glimpse of them as they flew by. Those pigs are fast!
Next we visited the petting zoo. Sydney like the llamas because they were at her height (Ricky was holding her). I didn't let her feed the goats because I was afraid they would nip at her hand, but she enjoyed looking at all of the animals. One of the camels almost gave her a lick.
We visited the antiques, crafts, and sampled lots of food! Sydney fell asleep for a little while and she missed our sampling of applie pie. Oh my gosh...it was so good! She woke up after a short nap and had a bottle and some yogurt snacks. I felt bad because she didn't get to sample any fair goodies, so we got some mini donuts. You could definitely tell they tasted better than her snacks!
Mom got some kettle corn and Ricky had some delicious pizza. I had a gyro for dinner and the meat was cooked perfectly! Then we got funnel cakes to go. Dad and I shared one later that night and it was heaven! I can't wait to take Sydney next year when she can play some of the games and actually pet the animals!
I cannot believe that Sydney is 9 months old! A few weeks ago I was updating her photo album and I looked back through her newborn pictures from the hospital. She was so tiny! She fit perfectly on my chest when she napped and snuggling with her was the best feeling in the world!
Now, she doesn't want to snuggle because she is so busy! She loves bouncing in her Baby Einstein jumper and loves any musical toy. She can clap and bounce up and down when standing, which we finally figured out was her way of dancing. Anytime she hears music she gets excited and starts bouncing. She also likes to look at books and magazines (magazines are better for ripping pages though). She especially likes the touch and feel books. We read Baby Animals and The Gingerbread Man a lot because the pages have textures on them. She also likes her mirror book because she can see me behind her when we read together.
Lately Sydney has discovered kissing and hugging. Or her version of kissing. She leans towards me after she has her bottle and rubs her head in my chest. I assume that is her way of hugging me. Then she leans towards my face with an open mouth and I assume that means she is kissing me. Now when we read her books, she kisses every page. Such a sweet girl!
Tuesday we took Sydney to the doctor for her 9 month check up. She weighed 18 lbs 14 oz and was 28.5 inches tall. I have a feeling she will surpass me in the height department. Which isn't saying much! They checked her blood, eyes, ears, heart, lungs, spine and head. Everything looked good. She should start getting teeth soon. And she's not walking yet, but she pulls up to everything in sight. She crawled up one step just last week. I have a feeling she will be walking by Christmas. We might have to forego the Christmas tree this year!
Sydney is a master of crawling now and uses her speed to get around the house and dig into anything within reach. I thought I had put everything away but Sydney quickly reminds me that anything on the floor is fair game!
I first moved the magazine racks into our bedroom because she loves pulling the covers off and chewing on them. But judging by the face she made, they can't taste very good. Then we moved all of Bentley's toys because she thought they were hers. The plant in the dining room is now blocked by a chair and we have her swing and walker in front of the tv to distract her from pressing all of the buttons.
She is definitely a curious child, but I can't complain because she will play by herself for a good amount of time without any interaction from me. While I cook dinner or wash dishes, she entertains herself with measuring cups, serving spoons, or the toy of her choosing. She likes her blocks that link together and her chewy toys. I am very blessed to have such a great baby.
Last week she started pulling up and can now stand up by herself (while holding on to something). She likes to stand and hold on to the fridge when I open the door to get food out. She also likes standing up next to her bouncer and playing with the toys on it. Last night she stood up next to me and held on to my shoulders. She is just getting too bold and brave and I'm not ready for her to walk yet!
This week we tried a new food - flounder. It said babies can eat fish around 8 months but to try mild, white fish. So I cooked some flounder for her and mushed it up. I was going to mix it with her vegetables because I thought she might like it better, but I decided to try it plain first. She ate the whole bowl! I couldn't believe it. She didn't eat her chicken that fast and I added cheese to it!
(We did spoil her and give her some homemade peach cobbler. We bought peaches at the local farmer's market and Ricky made a peach cobbler. Yes, Ricky made it! He used Paula Deen's recipe from Food Network and it was awesome! He served it with vanilla ice cream and we gave Sydney a few bites. It's an understatement to say she thoroughly enjoyed it!)
August has been a busy month for us!
We came home to NC the first weekend in August and spent some time visiting family and friends. Ricky and I went to the Rascal Flatts concert in Charlotte on Saturday, August 1st to celebrate our wedding anniversary (which was Sunday the 2nd). We met some friends that used to live here in Myrtle Beach. Even though it was incredibly hot we had a blast. The concert was great!
Ricky headed back to the beach on Sunday but I stayed in Winston through Wednesday. I did some shopping with my mom, visited my family in Virginia, and helped her clean out my boxes in the basement (I can't believe she still had my Raggedy Ann and Cabbage Patch dolls)! Some of aunts and cousins had never met Sydney so that was a lot of fun.
My mom and grandma brought me back to the beach on Wednesday and stayed with me through Saturday. We had fun hanging out with Sydney and shopping at the outlets.
3 days after my mom and Nannie left, Sydney started crawling. We were hoping she would start crawling while they were here, but no luck. I made a video of Sydney crawling and posted it below. She is now a pro and gets around pretty fast. She loves going into our bedroom and getting on Bentley's pillow. She also likes the kitchen floor because that's where her toys make the most noise. She likes playing with my spoons and cups more than her toys!
Last week Sydney had her 8 month pictures made at JCPenney. I was really worried that she wasn't going to sit still because she had started crawling. But amazingly she sat there for a few minutes in her cute dress, just long enough to get some really great shots. Then she was on the move...
We changed her outfit but she didn't sit still for long. But we did get some cute pictures of her crawling. They are posted below.
This past week Mary, Tracy and her husband Mike, and the twins came to visit. We spent Wednesday morning at the beach with them and Sydney had a lot of fun playing in the ocean. Luckily she didn't try to crawl in the sand. She sat in her chair and played with her toys. That night we had dinner with Mary at Bonefish Grill and it was excellent. Sydney was such a good girl...she sat in her high chair and played with my phone, her pacifier and toys until about 10 minutes before we were ready to leave. She is such a good baby!
Sydney has now had a large variety of fruits and vegetables, and I must say she takes after me because she loves them all. (Well, almost all of them)
I have been preparing all of her food myself (no canned baby food!) so she can eat as fresh and healthy as possible. I have a baby cooker that steams and purees her food and I love making it for her. She really is a good eater.
So far we have tried:
Vegetables - sweet potato (favorite), carrots, zucchini, squash, peas, green beans, avocado, baked potato
Fruits - banana (favorite), apple, peach, mango, pear, cantaloupe
The only foods she didn't really like were the avocado and baked potato because they are both pretty bland. She absolutely loves her sweet potatoes!
We are getting ready to introduce grains, cheese and meat this week. I'm pretty sure she will like cheese but I'm a little worried about chicken. I can't imagine that it will taste good when it's soft and mushy.
We'll see...
Sydney turned 7 months old on July 22nd. I can't believe she has been a part of our lives for that long. It seems like yesterday that we were bringing her home from the hospital!
She has mastered the art of rolling from her back to her tummy and from her tummy to her back. We call her roly poly because that's how she gets herself from one side of the room to the other. She rolls! She can push herself up and scoot backwards, but she is not going forward yet. Which is fine with me!
Sydney has also mastered sitting up. She can sit on the floor without help from us and play with her toys. It's so amazing to watch how babies develop and learn. She tries to mimic the sounds we make and she has become quite vocal when she plays. She can squeal and scream with the best of them! She also talks to herself in her crib when she wakes up from her naps. I don't know what she's saying but she is definitely carrying on a conversation with someone.
We are still trying out different foods. I am cooking all of her food myself because I want her to eat as healthy as I do! She loves sweet potatoes, mango and banana. Just this week she had green peas and actually liked them. (The first time was not so successful) She also likes pears, apples and canteloupe. I'm going to try some carrots this week and maybe potatoes with broccoli soon. I received a baby cookbook from a co-worker and I'm anxious to start mixing foods and seeing how she likes them. I look forward to many messy meals to take pictures of!
Sydney is such a happy baby and I love her so much! I can't wait to see what she accomplishes next!
This past weekend my brother and his girlfriend Nicole came to visit. We had a cookout on Saturday to celebrate Ricky's birthday, our neighbor Erin's birthday, and Nicole's 21st birthday. Jeffrey and Nicole watched Sydney on Saturday so Ricky and I could run errands and get party supplies. We started cooking in the afternoon while Sydney napped and by the time people started arriving, Sydney was dressed and in full party mode!
We let her party until dark and then I took her in to feed her and put her to bed. I can't believe in just a few more months we will be celebrating her first birthday. How fast time goes by!
We had a great time at the party. Ricky grilled chicken and steak and everyone brought side dishes. We had pasta salad, spinach dip, crab dip, shrimp cocktail, sausage and cheese dip, and veggies. And we had 3 different desserts since there were 3 birthdays. Yummy brownies for Ricky, rich cheesecake for Erin, and a big chocolate chip cookie cake for Nicole. Needless to say I got my dessert fix that night!
Jeffrey and Nicole hung out most of the day yesterday just playing with Sydney and watching TV. She enjoyed spending time with both of them!
The weekend of July 17-19th I was lucky enough to have a girls weekend with my dear friends from college. We had a great time just hanging out and catching up. We took Sydney and Reagan (my college roommate Sophia's daughter) to the pool on Saturday and let Sydney try out her new float. Sophia passed it on to me since her children are too big for it. Sydney loved it! She just laid back and kicked her legs around while we pushed her around in the water. I forgot her hat so she borrowed my friend Kim's hat. It was a little big but it kept the sun off of Sydney's face.
That afternoon we went to Broadway to buy some much needed chocolate at the new candy store. We munched on that as well as salad and pizza Saturday night. We watched movies and reminisced about college life. It seems so long ago...
Sunday morning we had breakfast and just hung out at the house. The girls left around lunch time so Sydney and I could go up to the golf course to visit Daddy. We didn't get to see him much over the weekend due to a golf tournament so we went to see him on Sunday and had lunch. All of the members thought Sydney was beautiful and looked just like her Mommy! Sydney is one lucky gal!
Sydney had her 6 month checkup on Monday, June 22nd. She was 15 lbs 13 oz and 26 1/4 inches tall. The doctor said she is right on track! She was in the 35th percentile for weight and above average in height. I made the comment that she might be taller than me and the doctor asked how tall me and Ricky are. I told him Ricky is 5'10" and I am 5'3". He said Sydney will probably be taller than me. What a shocker! :) I'm used to being the short one anyway.
The doctor checked her heartbeat, lungs, ears, and eyes. Then he sat Sydney up to see if she could sit unsupported. She can sit by herself if she is leaning forward. She gets a little wobbly if she leans back. But he said that was very good for 6 months.
She got 3 shots in her thigh but she only cried for a few minutes. Once we got in the car she was sound asleep. :)
The weekend of June 12th my parents came to visit me, Ricky and Sydney. We had a fun time shopping, playing at the beach, and just relaxing. Nana and Papaw got lots of quality time with Sydney and she really enjoyed seeing them. She is such a happy baby and smiles whenever anyone holds her. She really likes playing on her tummy on the floor and reaching for her toys. I know it's only a matter of weeks before she is crawling to those toys!
This past week, Ricky's family came to visit. Mary, Tracy, Jacob and Olivia came to visit with us and to spend time with Sydney. We went to the beach on Wednesday and the weather was so nice. It was in the 80's, much cooler than the 90's we experienced the rest of the week. Sydney and I only stayed for about 30 minutes because it was her nap time. Plus, I couldn't get her sun tent to stay up because it was so windy. Which meant she had to lay out in the sun and I didn't want her exposed to the sun for too long.
That evening after dinner we walked around Broadway and let Jacob and Olivia ride the amusement park rides. We planned to go get ice cream afterwards but Sydney changed that idea. Well, for me at least. I had to take her home and feed her before bedtime because she got really fussy. Everyone else went to get ice cream. Bummer!
Thursday and Friday morning we went to the pool in my neighborhood. Jacob and Olivia loved it because it was shallow enough they could walk into the water. They played with their toys and jumped off the side so Tracy could catch them. It was so hot during the afternoon, but as long as they stayed in the water they didn't care.
Friday night we went to Tanger outlets and did some shopping. It was really humid so the walking was good exercise for the ice cream we were about to eat! When we left the outlets, Sydney started crying and I thought I was going to have to go home and put her to bed. And miss out on ice cream again! Luckily she fell asleep in the car and didn't wake up until we finished our brownie sundae. Thank goodness!
We had a lot of fun seeing everyone and hope to visit with them again soon. As fast as Sydney is growing we need to see everyone once a month so they don't miss anything!
For the past two weeks we have been introducing Sydney to solids. Well, if you want to call them solids. More like mush!
While I was pregnant, I knew I wanted to feed Sydney real food that I had prepared. I was trying to avoid the baby food in a jar. I just prefer whole food with no preservatives, additives, etc. And since we eat most of the vegetables and fruit she would be trying, it just seemed easy for me to prepare her food for her.
My mom got us a baby cooker and I love it! You just wash and peel whatever food you want to cook. Then you dice it up and put it in the cooker. In 10-15 minutes it steams the food, then you pour it into the bowl and it purees the food. It also came with a tray so I can freeze the leftover in small portion sizes. I just pop out one serving and thaw it and it's ready for Sydney to eat!
Sydney's first real food was sweet potato and she loved it! We fed it to her 3 days in a row then waited a day in between the next food to make sure she didn't have any allergies. Next we tried squash, which looked like applesauce. I tried it and it tasted like water. But Sydney ate it! This past weekend we gave her bananas and she loved them. She ate an entire banana on Saturday and Sunday.
Now we are moving on to maybe a more challenging food, green beans and green peas. I know these don't taste as good as bananas and sweet potatoes but we are hoping she likes them. Then we might try carrots and applesauce.
I'm hoping she loves fruits and vegetables as much as I do. As much as I ate them when I was pregnant, she ought to!
Sydney is becoming a little wiggle worm. She discovered her hands a few weeks ago and now she tries to grab anything and everything in her reach. Which includes the spoon full of rice cereal! On numerous occasions she has stuck her hand right into the full spoon of cereal, which means her bib and my shirt get covered.
She loves my cell phone and the televisoin remote. She received a toy cell phone, which I gave to her when she started playing with my phone. Of course she doesn't want it, she still wants my phone. And she is learning way too early about the television remote! We will have to hide that from her!
Just this week Sydney rolled from her back to her tummy. It took a few tries and a lot of grunts, but she managed to figure it out. She just doesn't know what to do once she rolls over. Thank goodness she hasn't figured out the crawling yet. She kind of wobbles on her tummy just kicking her legs around. Even though she isn't crawling, she has learned how to scoot around on her back. She presses her heels into the floor and pushes all the way across the room. She is definitely on the move! I know in just a few short weeks she will be crawling and I will never sit down!
It's so amazing to watch her grow and develop. I'm blessed to be home with her and witness all her milestones as they happen. Just watching her reach and touch things, you can see her thinking so hard about what she is doing. I can't believe she is almost 6 months old. She is becoming such a big girl!
Sydney had her first cookout this past weekend! We had friends over Saturday evening for an early Memorial Day celebration. I didn't want to carry Sydney around outside because the mosquitos have been really bad, so we set up her sun tent outside on the grass. I bought the sun tent at Babies R Us to use on the beach. It is basically a baby tent. The front has a mesh cover that zips close to keep bugs out. And the top and back are covered to block the sun rays. Sydney didn't lay in it very long outside but everyone got to meet her. Ricky grilled hamburgers and hotdogs and we also had potato salad, baked beans, chips and dip, and a veggie tray. We had a good turnout and it was a lot of fun. The guys played cornhole while Ricky cooked.
My brother and his girlfriend were in town visiting and they really enjoyed spending time with me and Sydney. We did some shopping on Saturday at Bass Pro shop and Broadway at the Beach. We went to the candy store at Broadway, which Sydney loves because of all the bright colors. I love it because I can get chocolate in bulk!
We did some more shopping on Sunday and met our neighbors for pizza Sunday evening. After dinner we took Sydney to the beach so she could see the ocean for the first time. She got to experience her first beach frizz hairdo. As soon as we stepped on the beach our hair got frizzy, Sydney included. She had little curls blowing in the breeze!
Monday we went to Ripley's Aquarium to see the new baby exhibit and go through the shark tunnel. Sydney slept through the first half of the tour. She woke up in the tunnel where the large sharks swim and her eyes got so big. She really liked looking at the bright colored fish. I can't wait to take her back when she is a little older and can understand what she is looking at.
Overall we had a very fun weekend. Lots of food and fun!
Sydney and I went home to NC this past weekend to visit with our families and celebrate Mother's Day. Ricky drove up late Saturday night because he had to work.
Ricky's family threw a baby shower for Sydney on Saturday and it was lots of fun! They decided to wait until after I had Sydney because it was hard for me to drive to NC a lot during the pregnancy. And now that Sydney is growing, there are different things she needs. It was really neat having Sydney at the shower because she got to look at all the gifts and actually try out her toys. We got a new bouncer/stationary entertainer. It sits in the floor and Sydney sits in the middle of it. The seat spins all the way around and she can bounce up and down in it. There are toys all the way around it and it plays music. It also adjusts as she grows.
I put her in it yesterday but her feet don't quite touch the floor. So she kind of slumps over a little bit. She was still able to reach the toys but she can't get the bouncing going just yet.
Her Bumbo seat was the hit of the party. It allows babies to sit upright and helps them strengthen their back and neck muscles. And the best part is that they can't escape! It looks similar to a booster seat but it has a piece in the middle between their legs so they are stable. I put Sydney in it while I was making dinner and she loved it. She sat there looking around at the lights and everything in the kitchen and was totally entertained.
On Sunday we went to church to celebrate Mother's Day. Our church has a baby dedication service every year on Mother's Day. Sydney got her very first bible and was presented in front of the church. Afterwards we went out to lunch with my parents, grandparents, cousins, and Ricky's mom. It was so nice getting together with everyone.
We spent the afternoon on the porch swinging and napping. Sydney loved watching my parents' dogs wrestle on the porch. Everytime they would start running around she laughed. Her laughs are getting louder and longer, almost like a real person's laugh! That evening we all went out for ice cream and Sydney had her first taste of whip cream. I don't think she realized what she was eating!
My mom and I spent the next few days together shopping and going to lunch. It was so nice to be able to spend time with her, especially around Mother's Day.
When I took Sydney to the doctor, he told me to start feeding her rice cereal. And he emphasized that she has to eat it with a spoon so she gets used to being fed with a spoon. I picked up some Gerber rice cereal at the grocery store the next morning and decided to try it at Sydney's second feeding of the day. I didn't think we should experiment with it right after she woke up. She's pretty frantic about eating when she wakes up and I didn't want to make her mad!
I mixed 1 tablespoon of the cereal with 2 oz of formula milk and when I looked at it, it looked like I hadn't added anything. It was still really runny. So I added a little more, still runny. Is it supposed to be just like milk? I didn't know so I searched the internet for answers. You can find the answer to any question under the sun on Google!
Well, some other moms suggested 2 tablespoons instead of 1. I tried that and it thickened a little bit. So you know the runnier it is, the more it leaks out. I think half of the cereal ended up on the bib and Sydney's face! It was hilarious to watch. She was trying to suck on the spoon like it was a bottle. Poor thing, she was confused!
I continued feeding her the cereal once a day and some days were more successful than others. One day last week I waited too long to feed her and she was having a fit! Needless to say, she did not eat any cereal that day. I tried a few spoonfuls and they just remained in her mouth while she cried. :)
This past weekend I went home to NC to visit family and celebrate my first Mother's Day. I let Mom feed Sydney her rice cereal one morning but I accidentally made it to thick. It wasn't as thick as grits, but pretty close. Wow, I hit the jackpot!!! Sydney ate every bit of the cereal. I guess the thickness allowed her to realized she was eating something and not just drinking. Thank goodness I figured it out!
I just fed her a few hours ago and I made the cereal thicker...what do you know, she ate it all! Okay, some of it ended up on the bib and on me. Sydney has gotten really active lately and loves to grab and hold things. So of course that means grabbing the spoon while I feed her. She did that today and one spoonful ended up on her hand. Then she proceeded to put her fingers in her mouth! What a mess! But it's so amusing I can't help but laugh. Next time I feed her I will get Ricky to videotape it so you all can be entertained!
Today I took Sydney to the doctor for her 4 month checkup (Sydney is actually 18 weeks old though). The past two visits Ricky has gone with me so I was hoping Sydney would behave since I was by myself. Luckily we didn't have to wait very long until they called us back. I guess more children are sick in the winter time...her past two visits we had to wait almost an hour. Today we were called back within 5 minutes!
They weighed and measured Sydney and then we went into a room to wait for the doctor. She weighs 13 lbs 5 oz and is 25 inches long. The doctor said that is perfect, they are supposed to double their birth weight in the first 4 months. He checked her breathing, head, stomach, hands and feet. He said she looks great!
Then came the dreaded part...shots. Poor thing, I felt so bad for her. The first shot was fine, she didn't even flinch. Then the second shot...her bottom lip puckered and out came the tears. I scooped her up as fast as I could and rocked her. She only cried for 1-2 minutes. She found her thumb and all was well!
The doctor said we could start Sydney on rice cereal. This will definitely be fun! I think I will wait until Thursday when Ricky is off work so we can both experience it together. I'm sure one of us will be videotaping her first go with rice cereal. I will let you know how she likes it (or dislikes it)!
The best part of the day was snuggling with Sydney on the couch after her appointment. I was hoping she would take a nap this afternoon so I could get some work done. And she did...but she was so cozy on my chest I just couldn't put her down. I just felt like she needed her Mommy so I napped with her on the couch. Nothing compares to a baby nuzzled up against your neck...I love that feeling!
Sydney has recently discovered her voice! She loves cooing, talking, and squealing...and it doesn't matter who is around. She talks to me, Bentley, or the animals that hang above her when she is on her mat. I think she finally realizes she is making noise and she just likes to listen to herself...and see how loud she can get. I am amazed and how many different sounds she can make. This morning I heard her over the monitor...she was happy as she could be just lying in her crib talking to herself. It was so cute! By the time I got in there with the video camera she had stopped. Go figure!
Last week Sydney rolled over for the first time. By accident of course but she still did it! In fact, she rolled over 3 times. Luckily I was able to get one on video. We have increased her tummy time so she can strengthen her neck and arm muscles. She can hold her head really well now so we know it's only a matter of time before she is sitting up by herself. And then the real fun begins...food!
Saturday morning we had Sydney's pictures made at JCPenney. I meant to have them made at 3 months (then 6 months and 1 year) but the time kind of slipped by me. So these were her 4 month old pictures. I scheduled the session for the first time slot hoping she would not be hungry or sleepy. Too bad we couldn't have them made at 8 a.m. right after she eats. She is always happy then!
I bought a dress at Target that was pink with dark pink and orange circles on it because I thought that would look good against the white background. The photographer positioned her so she was sitting up but she quickly learned how squirmy Sydney has become. She doesn't sit still...at all! She started arching her back and kicking her legs and kept sliding over. As soon as the photographer would put the camera down to position her again, Sydney would smile. After a few minutes she did manage to get a few good pictures of her smiling. Then she took some of her laying on her tummy. Those turned out good as well.
But as soon as Ricky and I stepped in, she got fussy. I guess she didn't want us stealing her spotlight! We sat down to take some family pictures with her and she instantly started whining and crying. Ricky walked around with her and she calmed down but as soon as we all sat down again, she cried. We finally gave her a bottle to soothe her but when we took the bottle away, the crying turned into screaming. She was obviously not finished with her milk!
FINALLY, she stopped crying long enough for us to get a few family shots. I will post the link to the pictures once it is emailed to me.
The picture of her sitting up was worth the whole trip. She is grinning from ear to ear and she has her hands clasped in front of her. I can't wait for everyone to see it!
We changed Sydney's diaper before we left JCPenney and put some pants on her since it was a little cool outside. Well, she was all smiles then! She was so happy laying on her changing pad. Little turkey! I told her she should have smiled like that when the camera was on her!
Next time we will feed her right before we get there to avoid another crying fit!
Ricky was out of town over Easter weekend so my parents came to stay with me. I had asked my mom to come and help me take care of Sydney but my Dad ended up taking some days off work so he could come with her. I know he was desperate to see me again...yeah right! He missed his granddaughter!
We did some shopping on Friday and I finally bought my dad a birthday present. Only a month late! I prohibited myself from buying Sydney more clothes, even though the little girl clothes are so adorable! Mom bought me a purse and some tank tops for my birthday. There were some major sales going on...gotta love saving money! Sydney was really good while we shopped. Dad pushed her around while I tried on clothes and she slept the rest of the time.
Saturday we went down to Market Commons to see the Easter Bunny. They had a huge easter egg hunt but since Sydney was too small to hunt eggs, we just watched. I can't believe in just another year she will be out there running around! We did get a picture with the Easter Bunny, which could be our only picture depending on if she is scared of him next year. I was not a big fan of the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus when I was young. :)
After we left Market Common we stopped for lunch at Chick-Fil-A. While we were there, a lady stopped at our table to look at Sydney. She asked how old Sydney was and how much she weighed. I told her 4 months old and 13 pounds. Her little girl just turned 4 months old and weighed 16 pounds. So I guess Sydney is petite! No wonder none of her clothes fit! She is just now wearing her 0-3 month sleepers. Most of her 3 month outfits are still too big!
We did some more shopping after lunch and headed back to the house to take care of Bentley. He has major separation anxiety when we are gone. Especially when my Dad is around. I think he likes the attention my Dad gives him because he is definitely deprived of it when it's just me.
Later that evening we went to dinner then walked around Broadway at the Beach. The weather was so nice...finally feels like spring! We were going to make Sydney a stuffed animal at the Build-A-Bear store but it was packed! I forgot that it was spring break and Easter weekend...lots of visitors in town. We ended our night with some wonderful ice cream from Coldstone. Yum...
Easter morning we got doughnuts from Krispy Kreme. Love it when the Hot n Now sign is on! The Easter Bunny brought Sydney a book and some chocolate for me. My mom read Sydney her book and we pretty much lounged around the rest of the morning. I did some cleaning while Mom played with Sydney. I was sad to see my parents go, but I know we will see them soon. Nothing like family!
This past weekend Sydney and I took our first road trip together. We headed home to NC to visit family and left Ricky here with Bentley, our beagle. He had to work so it was just us girls! I decided to leave around 10:00 after I fed Sydney for the second time. At 10:30 I was still packing the car and at 11:00 I finally sat down to feed Sydney. We finally got on the road about 11:30 Friday morning. Who knew such a little person required so much stuff! I think I made about 20 trips back and forth to the car!
When I got to Winston-Salem, I stopped by my mom's work so she could show off Sydney. Everyone said she was beautiful and looked like me! Lucky girl! :) Mom was definitely excited to see us both and was very proud to show off her granddaughter. Sydney only fussed a little bit so I fed her while I was there. Then she was back to her happy self!
That evening my grandparents came over to visit as well as my mother-in-law. They couldn't believe how much Sydney had grown. She smiled at everyone and even cooed a little bit. She slept in her pack-and-play in the room with me and either she didn't make a lot of noise or either I was too tired to hear her. She was a good girl and slept until 7:30 a.m.
On Saturday my mom and I went to the spa. Oh wow, it was wonderful! My grandma kept Sydney and she wished we would have stayed gone longer. My mom and I both had facials and a massage and it was exactly what I needed. I'm definitely putting that on my Christmas list again this year!
When we got back from the spa, my great aunt and uncle and one of my cousins had stopped by to see Sydney. We laid her on a blanket in the middle of the floor and I leaned over to talk to her. I guess all the talking and commotion got Sydney excited because she laughed! It was her very first laugh! She did it a few times but by the time I got my camera out to videotape her, she stopped. It was so cute though!
We went out to dinner Saturday night to celebrate my birthday (early) and Sydney was very well behaved. My cousin Ally held her for a while and then my mom rocked her while she ate. She fell asleep during dessert and slept the whole way home. I know I need to take advantage of this time while we can go out to eat and she is quiet!
Sunday we went to church and everyone was so excited to see Sydney. Funny how they briefly say hey to me and then head straight for Sydney! She is definitely the center of attention! After church I had lunch with one of my high school friends. She saw Sydney in February when we were home and she couldn't believe how big she had gotten and how much personality she had developed. She smiled and drooled for my friend and then fell asleep on my mom when we were eating. After that we headed to the mall and Sydney slept the whole time in her stroller. She ended up napping until 4:30 when my best friend stopped by the house to visit. Good girl!
On Monday I took Sydney over to my mother-in-law's house to visit. My sister-in-law Tracy and her twins came by to see Sydney and we all had a good time. The twins still aren't sure what to do with Sydney. They like to look at her and touch her feet. She's not big enough to play with so they just watch her most of the time.
That afternoon my mom and I went over to Reynolda Village and walked around. The weather was great and we browsed through some of the shops before visiting my dad. We bought some chocolate toffee covered pretzels from Sweetie's and they were yummy!
Tuesday was a day full of visitors! My grandparents from Virginia came down to see Sydney around lunchtime and Sydney napped in my grandma's arms the entire time. My mother-in-law came by after my grandparents left and since it was feeding time, I let her give Sydney a bottle. Sydney was pretty content after that and showed off her cute grins. My other grandparents came by later so they could say bye to Sydney. I know they wanted us to stay another day!
We definitely had a great time and I look forward to more girl road trips in the future!
This past weekend my parents came to visit. They stayed Thursday night through Sunday. It had been over a month since my parents last saw Sydney so she had grown quite a bit. But they had 3 days to hold, snuggle, and love on her and they did plenty of that! Sydney has started smiling a lot so it was really special to see her smiling at Nana and Papaw.
Friday we did some shopping and Sydney was really good the entire time. I don't think she knew where we were or what we were doing because she slept in her stroller while we shopped. We visited the Nike store, shoe store, and of course Harry & David to sample their goodies. We went back the house to watch the UNC basketball game and to feed Sydney. Then we headed back out that afternoon to the Tanger Outlets. We shopped at Banana Republic, where I picked out some stylish new clothes for Dad. :) Then we stopped by Adidas and the Disney Store. They had the cutest costumes for children. I can't believe Sydney will be big enough to wear those in just a short amount of time. We met a friend of ours and his parents for dinner at Red Robin. We had never eaten there and I must say, their hamburgers are pretty tasty. Sydney slept the entire time we ate and I couldn't believe it. She never moved a muscle. She woke up on the way home so I fed her as soon as we got in the house. She was such a good girl!
Saturday we just hung out at the house and played with Sydney. We watched some basketball games and I did some cleaning around the house. There was a little accident on the changing table that created plenty of laughter. As Dad was changing Sydney, he didn't get the clean diaper under her quick enough. She peed all over the mat, her outfit, and that required a small clean up and clothing change. But that was just mild compared to the poopie diaper my mom was graced with. Mom could feel Sydney pooting while she sat on her lap. Then all of a sudden she got really still and a few seconds later...a very stinky smell coming from Sydney. My mom knew right away what she had done. :) And boy did she fill the diaper! The prune juice worked again!
That night we went to dinner, but Sydney didn't sleep through this meal. She woke up right when we sat down at the restaurant so I tried holding her and rocking her. That didn't work. When all else fails, feed them! After her bottle, she was pretty content but I had to hold her while I ate. At least it made me eat less at dinner! She fell asleep on the way home of course.
We had a great weekend with my parents. Sydney loves being held and cuddled and she got plenty of that this weekend. It was nice having help as well!
Today was Sydney's 2 month checkup at the doctor. We were not looking forward to this appointment because we knew she had to get her immunizations. :(
They first measured her head, length, and then weighed her. She is up to 11 lbs 2 ounces and 22 3/4 inches long. She is a growing girl! I asked if her weight and height were okay - was it enough or too much? The doctor said she was doing well. They want babies to gain 1-2 lbs a month and they should double their birth weight by the third month. So she is right on track! She is in the 65th percentile for height and weight.
He then checked her eyes and ears and examined her head, back (spine), chest, and stomach. Then he laid her on her stomach so he could assess her head and neck control. She held her head up the entire time! It was so cute, she looked just like a little turtle sticking her head up. :)
Then came the shots. The nurse came back in laid her on the table. She got 3 shots in her thighs. Poor Sydney! It was a slight delayed reaction. The nurse stuck her and about 2 seconds later you saw her bottom lip stick out and she started wailing. I felt so bad! But I know the immunizations are what's best for her. I held her for a few minutes and gave her the pacifier and she stopped crying. After a few minutes in the car seat, she was asleep.
I also asked the doctor about her bowel movements and he said she was okay. Some babies just don't go as often as others. As long as she's not constipated, we shouldn't worry. He recommended giving her water in addition to milk so I'm going to try 2 ounces a day to start with. If that doesn't work, we can always go back to the prune juice! I know it works!
I don't know if I should share this, but I just can't help it. Stop reading if you are squeamish at all. For any of you who have children, I'm sure you have been through this before.
Sydney has been having trouble with her bowel movements. She goes 4-7 days without one and I was starting to get worried. While we were home in NC, she had gone 1 week without one. Luckily, she cleaned herself out Sunday before we went to church. And let me tell you, there was a week's worth of you know what in her diaper. I'm sure she lost a few ounces that day!
Well, this past week we were on day 7 and still no bowel movement. So I called the doctor and she said to give her prune juice diluted with water, 2 oz of each. I thought that was a large amount to try, so we gave her 1 oz of each. This was Wednesday night...nothing happened. Ricky checked her diaper about 10 minutes after we fed her expecting to find something. I told him I didn't think it would clean her out that fast. :)
Thursday morning and still nothing. So I followed the doctor's orders and gave her 2 oz of juice and 2 oz of water. She slept for a little while so I took a shower and got ready to meet a friend for lunch. Right before we left I changed her diaper and finally, she had a bowel movement! And it was definitely a stinky one! But I didn't care, I was just glad she had one.
Well, that was the first of 5 diapers she soiled that day. Yes, 5 bowel movements! On our way home from lunch I stopped at Sam's to get gas and then I went through the car wash. I could hear her pooting, which is hilarious, because you don't expect noises like that to come out of such a little person. A few seconds later, I could smell her. Wow, not pleasant! As soon as I got home I checked her and she had definitely left me a present. When Ricky got home, she had messed again so I let him change her. I wanted him to experience the smell I had been dealing with all day.
Sorry for all the details, but it's the small things now that excite us. I never thought I would be thanking God for poop!
Sydney has officially learned how to smile! Now if I could only get it on camera!
Last week Sydney started to smile a lot more often, mostly when she's on the changing table. I don't know if that's because she is getting a clean, dry diaper or because she likes looking at the flowers and dragonfly decals on her wall. Either way, she loves laying on her changing table. Usually in the mornings I let her lay there a few minutes and stretch out while I talk to her. She makes a few noises like she is trying to talk back to me. I can't wait for the day when she says "Mama"!
This past week she has started to smile more often. Again, on the changing table, but also when Ricky and I talk to her and play with her. She is usually awake for a few hours in the morning so I use that time to talk and sing to her. We do "Pat-a-Cake" and "5 Little Monkeys" and I try to read her a story, but that depends on her attention span. Sometimes we only make it through 1 or 2 pages. Now that she is more alert, she loves looking at the different colors of the books we read.
She also loves her Rainforest play mat. Last night Ricky laid her on the mat and she was fascinated with it for at least 20 minutes. She watched the lights changing, listened to the music, and watched the animals from side to side as Ricky moved them. She is definitely alert and can follow any object you put in front of her. She watches me walk across the room and lets me know when she can't see me by screaming and crying. I don't get out of her sight for very long!
Hopefully I can get a picture of her smiling soon!
This past weekend Ricky and I took Sydney on her first road trip - a visit to see our family in NC! We had a blast and were thrilled to introduce Sydney to everyone. She was a great baby and slept the entire 4 hour drive from Myrtle Beach to Winston-Salem! It was actually snowing that morning so I took pictures to document the momentous occasion! I never thought I would see snow in Myrtle Beach. Of course it had melted by the time we left the house!
We headed home Wednesday around 2:00 and arrived at Ricky's mom's around dinner time. My parents and grandparents came over so they could see Sydney. We talked for a while and watched UNC basketball on TV. That night Sydney slept from midnight to 5am. Her longest sleep to date! Ricky and I woke up and looked at each other - did one of us forget to get up and feed her? I got up and changed her diaper then fed her. She went back to sleep from 6am - 8am. It was great!
On Thursday, Ricky's sister came over with her twins. We played with them, had lunch, then I ran some errands. The twins loved watched Sydney. I told them the last time they saw me Sydney was in my belly - they just looked at me very intrigued. Ricky's aunt and uncle came over that night for dinner and we all had a good time catching up.
On Friday, we went to visit with my other grandparents (Mom's parents) in Virginia. They had not met Sydney yet. Two of my cousins stopped by as well as my aunt. We had some homemade vegetable soup and chicken & dumplins that my grandma made. Yum! They had a lof of fun holding Sydney. They both thought Sydney favored me.
Friday night we went to dinner with my parents, Ricky's mom, and my brother. This was Sydney's first dinner out! She slept on the way to the restaurant but woke up once we arrived. I was afraid she was going to cry the entire meal, but the pacifier saved us. Well, for a little while. I cut Ricky's steak for him so he could hold Sydney while he ate. Then my dad held her once he finished eating. I didn't want her to cry and disturb the other people around us. On the way home she started screaming so my mom fed her in her carseat. Thank goodness we had a bottle ready!
On Saturday, Ricky and I met one of my high school friends for lunch. Stephanie and I have known each other since middle school and have kept in touch over the years. She was so excited to meet Sydney. After we ate, Stephanie fed Sydney and burped her. We got to catch up over lunch and it was great to see her.
That evening my Mom invited a bunch of friends and family over to meet Sydney. We had great appetizers and snacks, and of course, brownies for dessert! The last time I saw most of these people was before Christmas when I was still pregnant. So it was nice to visit with everyone again. I definitely miss seeing family and friends!
Sunday we went to church and hoped Sydney would sleep through the service. No such luck. She fell asleep right when we go to church, but as soon as we sat down she woke up. Ricky fed her a bottle during the beginning of the service but she started fussing shortly thereafter. He took her downstairs to burp her and change her diaper...and he never came back. :) He ended up staying downstairs with her because she was crying. He missed the entire church service! He brought her outside once church was over and everyone wanted to see her. We had a huge crowd around us...you would have thought a celebrity was there! It just goes to show you how much our church family cares about us. They all wanted to know how we were doing and they said Sydney was beautiful. Of course, she favors her Mom! :)
After lunch, we went back to my parent's and packed the car. Then it was back to Myrtle Beach. It was a busy, busy weekend but we had a lot of fun. I was glad to be back at our house so we could rest, but I definitely miss being home with friends and family. There's nothing like them!
This past weekend my parents (now called Nana and Papaw) came to visit and help me with Sydney. Ricky left on Wednesday to go to the PGA Golf Merchandise Show in Orlando, FL so I enlisted the help of my parents while Ricky was gone. They came Thursday evening so I had to manage Wednesday night on my own. Of course Sydney did not want to sleep in her crib. As soon as I laid her down, she woke up and started crying. It's like she has an allergic reaction to the crib! She can be in a deep sleep and as soon as you take her to the nursery, she wakes up. Since I knew I had to get some rest, I let her sleep in her bouncy seat and I slept on the couch right next to her. She woke up about every 3 hours to be fed, but at least we got some sleep.
So Thursday night my mom and I alternated getting up to feed and change Sydney. I was finally able to get 4 hours of sleep at one time. It was great!
On Friday, my Mom and I went to a movie and left Sydney with my Dad. It was his first time keeping her by himself. I actually think he was looking forward to it. I left him instructions on how to warm the bottle and showed him where the diapers, wipes, and pacifiers were located. Then we headed off to the movie. (We saw Bride Wars and I would recommend it to all the gals. Very funny!) We called my Dad when we left the movie and he was doing fine. Sydney slept most of the time we were gone and he had just finished giving her the bottle. My mom helped me again that night getting up with Sydney. She was actually successful in getting Sydney to sleep in the crib. It was only 2 hours of sleeping in the crib, but that's better than none!
On Saturday, Sydney had her first shopping experience. But she has no idea she went shopping because she slept the entire time. From the moment we strapped her into her carseat to the moment we got home, she never woke up. We walked throughout the Tanger Outlets and even let numerous people look at her and she didn't flinch. We went to eat lunch at Chick-Fil-A and she never moved, even though we were toting her in and out of the car. I even tried a pair of Skechers shoes on her (which were so cute!) and she didn't notice.
Ricky got back in town Saturday evening and then we all went to dinner. She actually sat in her chair and looked around and didn't start fussing until we were ready to leave. It only took 2 minutes in the car and she was alseep again. So you know what that means, she was up most of the night because she slept all day. Thank goodness my Mom was there to help me since Ricky had to get up early on Sunday to go to work. The help from Nana and Papaw was definitely needed and much appreciated!
Today was Sydney's second official outing. Okay, going to lunch and the mall is not very exciting, but I was going stir crazy in the house. I haven't even been able to go outside for a walk because it's been so cold. Even Bentley (our beagle) is having withdrawals from going outside. Poor thing, he picks out a toy and drops it at my feet so I will play with him. I'm hoping to be able to push the stroller and walk the dog at the same time. Then again, it could end up being something you might see on America's Funniest Home Videos.
Ricky and I took Sydney to lunch at McAlister's (again). I love their veggie pita. Lettuce, tomato, cucumber, roasted red peppers on a warm pita with parmesan peppercorn dressing...yummy. Anyway, Sydney behaved again and never made a peep at lunch. Those car rides really do soothe babies to sleep. After lunch we headed to the mall to walk around. We had her stroller canopy covering her so people wouldn't stop and touch her. Call me paranoid or a germ freak, but I wanted to avoid any sick germs that may have been floating around. I know some of you are thinking, why go to the mall then? Again, I was going stir crazy and needed to get out of the house! Ricky and I did a lot of window shopping and I even managed to turn down the 40% off sale at Ann Taylor. My only purchase was some cookies from Mrs. Field's. Yum!
Our next outing will actually be a road trip. We are headed home to Winston-Salem to visit friends and family. I am so excited!
Today was Sydney's second official bath in her bathtub. (Her first few baths took place in the sink). I bathed her today while Ricky was at work - partly because I wanted to see if I could handle it alone and partly because she had a major poo that no amount of wipes was going to clean up!
I put her tub in the bathtub instead of the sink because it was easier for me to hold her leaning over the tub. She enjoyed it at first and liked the warm water. Her tub has a sling that fits in it for newborns since they aren't big enough to sit in the actual tub part of it. She just lays back in the sling and lets her leg hang off the side. She really looks like she is relaxing. She let me wash her and rinse her, but once I got to her head she started crying. At least she didn't cry the entire bath! I dried her off, lotioned her up, and put a clean outfit on. I just love how babies smell, especially after a bath!
Yesterday Sydney had her first checkup at the pediatrician. They measured her head, body, weighed her, took her temperature, and listened to her breathing and heart beat. Then the doctor checked her neck, spine, hands, feet, etc. and he said she looked great!
She now weighs 7 lbs 14 oz (she weighed 6 lbs 11 oz when she was born). She is now 21 inches long (19.5 inches long when she was born). So she is definitely a growing girl!
We go back the first week of March for her next checkup and immunizations.
Sydney has her first doctor's appointment on Tuesday. We are anxious to see how much weight she has gained and how she is growing. We can tell she is a little bigger because her newborn clothes now fit her better. Ricky's mom had to go out and buy two preemie outfits for her to wear when we brought her home from the hospital because her newborn clothes were huge!
I am not looking forward to the shots she may have to get because I don't want to see her cry!
Just in case some of you didn't get to hear the labor story:
Our little girl finally made her debut! Sydney Noelle Lyons was born Monday, December 22nd at 7:14 a.m. She weighed 6 lbs and 11 oz and was 19.5 inches long.
I am still amazed by the entire pregnancy and birth and I must say that having a child is truly a miracle! A definite gift from God!
I started having contractions Sunday evening around 8:00. I didn't think anything of them. They were mild and were about 15 minutes apart. Felt like minor cramps. I called my college roommate Sophia (who is a nurse), and she said to wait until the contractions were 5 minutes apart for 1 hour before going to the hospital. I thought that would be sometime Monday morning because I know the first stage of labor usually takes a while. Plus, I had been to the doctor on the previous Thursday and was not dilated at all. So I thought this would be a slow process. Well, by 11:00 the contractions were coming closer together and were definitely starting to get stronger. I tried to go to sleep and was hoping to wake up later on in the morning when they were closer together. Then we could go to the hospital. Sleep was not an option. By 12:30 a.m. I was in a lot of pain and I told Ricky to start timing the contractions. They were 3 minutes apart!
I decided we should go to the hospital just to get checked out. I figured the worst they would do is send us home. We got there around 1:45 a.m. and come to find out, I was not dilated at all. I'm sure the nurse thought I was a wimp because my contractions couldn't have been that bad if I wasn't dilated. She said she would monitor me for a little while. She came back 45 minutes later and told me she would give me something for the pain and she was about to say "go home and come back a little later". But before she said that I told her that I was starting to feel fluid leaking. (sorry for the details) She checked me again and said "oh my gosh, you are 3 cm dilated, you aren't going anywhere". That was music to my ears! (Turns out I had some scar tissue that was preventing me from dilating. But once I started dilating, everything progressed very quickly.)
We were moved to a labor and delivery room and they took blood, hooked up my IV, and gave me some pain medicine. That didn't help at all, just made me a little loopy. After another hour, I was 6 cm dilated. By the time the anesthesiologist came by to give me the epidural, I was at 7 cm. She told me I was going to have this baby in the next 2-3 hours so they recommended just a temporary spinal block instead of an epidural. Basically it just numbs you for a short period of time. That worked for me! By 6:30 a.m. I was pushing and Sydney was born at 7:14 a.m. She did not waste any time making her way into the world! Which was fine with me!
Ricky and I are thrilled to be parents and can't believe she is finally at home with us!
I don't know what is about dogs, but she has laughed at all 3 dogs she has come into contact with. When we were at my parents Sydney watched Lucky and Annabelle wrestle on the back porch. They have early morning and late afternoon wrestling matches and we were swinging enjoying the nice weather. Sydney just started cackling at the dogs as they were running around and wrestling. It was so cute!
Then at our house the other night, Bentley got frisky and was running laps around our bonus room. Sydney thought it was hilarious!
Sydney has learned a new way to communicate...squeaking or squealing, not sure exactly what to call it. But she loves doing it! I think she can hear herself and that results in longer and louder shrills! It's so cute to watch!
Today Sydney rolled over for the first time! She rolled from her tummy to her back. It was so cute! Once she was on her back she looked around as if to say "What just happened?"
The video clip is about a minute long so you have to watch until the end of it to see her roll.
Just ignore my talking!