Oh no!

Hanging out with Uncle Nat, Grandma, and Otis

Riding the tractor

Trying out the icy waters of West Traverse Bay

Avoiding the rays in her heated swimming pool

Taking her first shower

It may be a little chilly, but a true beach girl never quits

"Wow, this is lots more fun than my sandbox at home!"

Having fun with Aunt Gina

Saying good-bye

"Oh no!"  This has become one of Lydia's favorite expressions, and I quote it here because I can't believe it's been so long since I last blogged.  Blame it on exhaustion.  Every time Lydia takes a nap, I tend to lie down myself.  I guess I'm in my third trimester now, so I'll blame that, but I think it's the late nights that are really taking a toll.  It's just so hard to get to sleep at a reasonable hour.  Don is a night-owl, as well, and he tends to tempt me into staying up later than I should.  Fortunately, Lydia continues to wake at a reasonable hour (7:00 to 7:30 am), so I can't complain about my sleep being cut short on both ends.

In honor of Father's Day, I'd like to discuss how lucky I am to have Don in my life.  He is such a wonderful friend and partner, and a loving and generous father.  We have been so lucky with  the way our lives have worked out in the past few years, with the gift of Lydia and our impending arrival.  I am so happy to know that Lydia is cared for and loved whenever I'm away.  No matter how good of a caregiver you get, even a grandparent, I don't think that anyone ever loves your child or watches out as carefully for your child as a parent can do.  

One week ago, we returned from a trip up north to my parents' place in Old Mission.  I drove up two days before Don, and returned one day later.  Lydia did pretty well in the car, though she barely napped at all.  I envy all parents who get those sleepy napping children in cars.  That is not my girl.  However, she fussed only minimally, and learned a new sound on her way up--she now can make a sound exactly like a seagull.  

It was so cold when we first arrived up north.  Cold and rainy.  Ugh!  We were stuck in the house, but fortunately there were lots of new toys to play with.  She helped me make cookies on Tuesday, which was so much fun.  She emptied all the flower and sugar into the bowl and helped me whisk things together.  The funniest part was after we added the dried cherries.  She just started digging in and gobbling the cherries.  She ate so many so quickly that I had to add more before finishing up.  Delicious!  Fortunately the weather improved, and she was able to enjoy some beach time in her pool, and even put her little feet in the cold lake.  Brrrrr...

It is rare that my whole family is together, so it was really nice for us all to get together and for everyone to have time to hang out with Lydia.

As I sometimes reference this blog to see what milestones we're hitting, I'll just run through some here.  She can walk backwards (so cute) and has started walking up her Daddy's legs when he holds her hands.  Her words include: Momma, Dadda, Mimi, choo-choo (train), vroom (car), broom, ball, balloon, bubbles, bear, baby, bee-bo (belly button), nummies (breasts) oh no, uh-oh, boom boom (ChickaChicka Boom boom book), apple.  She can make many animal sounds: dog, cat, horse, cow, sheep, zebra, elephant, snake, seagull, monkey, mouse, bird, penguin, bear, lion.  It is truly amazing to watch a child's development at this stage.  Her little eyes are like a hawk's.  As we walk or drive around, she finds balls, balloons, brooms, and birds everywhere we look.  As Don said, she's so alert and tuned in to her very limited world, that she sees things that we tend to ignore.  It really makes it exciting.

OK, I'll add some pictures to this post and get it up there.  Sorry it's been so long, if there are any of you readers still out there :)