I can't believe that in just a few days Lydia will be 6 months old. Really? It was 6 months ago that I was super duper pregnant and delivered Lydia? I feel like we know her so well that it must have been longer ago.

At 6 months old, here are a few of Lydia's favorite things:

She loves sleeping in her crib (finally).
She loves to roll over! We can't keep her on her back for anything. She prefers to sleep on her side or tummy. It's super cute.
She loves to practice standing! Oliver and I certainly aren't tryng to push that yet, but she loves the feeling of being flat on her feet. She smiles so big when she's standing! We do this with her a lot.
She loves to make noise! Sometimes she's quiet, but when the mood strikes her she goes on and on and on... So cute.
She loves to eat Mommy's nose. LOVES it. I always let her, of course.
She loves to grab Mommy's hair and DOES NOT LET GO for anything!
She loves to be sung to. Especially fun, fast songs like "I've got that joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart..." A good cure for fussiness. Her Omi sings german lullabies to her.
She loves her Baby Einstein DVDs. They're awesome because they're very low-key and simple. We show them to her when it seems like she needs some quiet time. (in other words, tired but fighting it!)
She loves her stuffed caterpillar. It's one of the few things that makes her laugh out loud.
She loves to look at herself in the mirror. Any mirror will work! However, she is particularly fond of the toy handheld mirror at Omi's house.
She loves to try to fit things into her mouth that are never going to fit... like the end of her rattle, for example.
She loves fresh air. Now that the weather is a bit cooler, we'll take her for more walks. If she's having a hard time, taking her outside is a great distraction. She loves to feel the air with her face.

Things she DOESN'T like:
Getting dressed! She causes such a fuss when we put her clothes on. Absolutely hates it.
When we put her in her carseat. Not always...but about 75% of the time she's upset with us when the fun ends and we more or less strap her into this chair. She gets over it really quickly though.
Gosh... I seriously can't think of anything else. Sounds like a biased parent, I suppose, but really Lydia is very easy-going ang sweet and smiles a lot. She's not hard to please. Sure, she'll cry a lot if she's overtired or hungry, but that's honestly it. Such a sweetie. I can't think of any other dislikes!

This week I'm in Salt Lake City for 2 nights. I hate leaving my precious baby and my sweet husband! You've seen them...they're SO CUTE! Hard to be away from them. Oliver does a great job on his own with Lydia. He's a very good Daddy. Meanwhile, I am trying to stop nursing now which means going as long as possible without expressing the milk which is very interesting! (all the nursing moms out there said "Amen!") In case you didn't know, there's not an OFF switch! You have to train your body that you don't need it to produce milk anymore, but until it gets the hint it keeps on producing! My personal commitment to breastfeeding was 6 months. It's actually such a routine now that it wouldn't be a big deal to continue, but it's getting harder with work. It's time. I felt a little sad like I would be taking this special thing away from Lydia, but then a friend reminded me that soon she'll get to eat fun things like pureed fruit and other solids, and that will be a fun new world for her!

We'll post more pictures and videos soon!

Lydia went to a birthday party today! It was a lot of fun. Her friend Gracie turned the big O-N-E! Gracie sure looked pretty in her party dress. And she received a lot of neat presents! Lydia can't wait for her own first birthday party one day. Won't it be fun to eat cake and frosting and smear it all over the place like Gracie did?

SEPT 29, 2008
Lydia's hair count: 27
(wink)

Lydia had a great weekend! On Friday night she went out for Tex-Mex with Mommy and Daddy's friends, and then watched the Presidential debate. On Saturday she went over to her cousin Liam's house to play, and on Sunday she watched football with Daddy for a few hours while Mommy went shopping. Oh, and she recently got a new toy! It's a baby grand piano! Oliver and I are still discovering all that it can do... The noises and songs seem to be endless. Lydia can already play Mary Had a Little Lamb! (Well, not really, but she's trying really hard! Look at that face in the first picture - full concentration!)

In other news, Oliver and I have a confession to make. Up to now, at 5 1/2 months old, little Lydia Grace has been sleeping in our bedroom in the travel bed. We really thought we would move her upstairs much sooner, but there was this long series of excuses not to....

1 month old: "What if she becomes unswaddled and the blankets cover her face??"

2 months old: "WAAAAAAAAA....!!!!" (That's the sound of Lydia screaming when we tried to put her to bed in her crib a few times. She hated it.)

3 months old: "Mommy is going back to work and it's just so much easier to soothe her during the night when she's right here next to us..."

4 months old: "But she's used to having a blanket over her and tucked under the travel bed mattress and the blankets aren't big enough to tuck under in her big crib but we can't not have a blanket on her because then she'll get cold - or will she? What if we put more clothes on her, but then what if she is used to the blanket and doesn't feel secure and cozy on top of suddenly being in this huge crib and what if her arms or feet get caught in between the slats of the crib sides, but we're not allowed to put up the bumper until she can move more and oh my goodness her bedroom is so far away from our bedroom - can we really leave her up there all by herself? Seems crazy. And it's just so much easier to comfort her during the night when she's right there next to us...

5 months old: "Wow, when we visited Lydia's grandparents she didn't have any complaints about sleeping in a new room with a new bed. We should totally move her to her crib in her bedroom now."

5 months, 2 weeks old: FINALLY did it and guess what? She LOVES her bed!!!! Loves it. Has probably had the best sleep she has had in weeks, in fact. Obviously we have the monitor next to our bed, but we haven't once had to tend to her during the night. She sleeps through like an angel. And boy does she move all around!! We lay her in the bed with her head at the north end and her feet at the south. In the morning she's the opposite, with her feet at the north end and her head at the south end! Or she'll be on her side... Or facing east-west... She's funny. She seriously loves her bed.

Now I should tell you that when Oliver reads this he'll be saying something along the lines of "I was totally prepared to put Lydia in her bed much sooner and just make her tough it out but I wanted to be sensitive to Nicole's sensitivities to Lydia's perceived sensitivities... But I always knew Lydia was ready for her big crib. I never doubted her."

But Mommy isn't so sure... Daddy's tough, but he's also a softy. :)

Check out her footwear! They jingle! As if her feet needed to be made more entertaining for her to thoroughly enjoy them... With or without fancy booties with faces on them, Lydia loves her feet!

A very sweet friend sent presents to Lydia this week! She especially likes this soft, stufffed caterpillar! Can you tell??

Lydia tried out her high chair this week! She's not eating solids yet, but it's nice to have her at the dinner table with us! And it's another great way for her to practice sitting up, as well.

Has my mommy told you about her fantasy football team, the Sugar and Spice? Well, they won their first matchup this weekend and I am their biggest fan! Go Sugar and Spice!

It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's SUPER LYDIA!

Lydia was such a sweet girl this weekend. She always is, really. Such a good baby. Sweet disposition. She had a great time with her Grammy and Grandpa in Hot Springs! She didn't complain about the long car ride or the different bed or the bath we gave her in the little bathroom sink... She blessed her grandparents so much with her frequent smiles and sweet cuddles. And they blessed her right back with all of their love and sweet care! It was a great weekend. And look - Grammy and Lydia have matching footwear!

ROAD TRIP! Tomorrow morning we leave for Hot Springs to visit Grammy and Grandpa. Lydia is so excited! Omi lent us her fun car mirror that has music and lights (complete with remote control) so Lydia will be entertained on the way. Truthfully she'll probably sleep most of the way... She usually takes a really long nap every morning.
More pictures to come soon...

Who doesn't love a naked baby!?? Always cute.
Lydia rolled over onto one side TWICE this weekend and a couple of times in her bed last night. Good job!

Family fun day at the mall!

Lydia loves her new Bumbo chair!

Lydia went to the Dr. yesterday for her 4 month check-up. Here's the latest:

Weight: 17.1 lbs (95%)
Length: 26 in. (95%)
Head: 16 1/2 cm. (75%)

What an overachiever she is! 95th percentile for both length and weight! She's very healthy and doing great. She received another 3 vaccinations this time. She was content and smiling at us as the nurse put the first needle into her thigh and then it happened... she became aware of the pain and her face and head turned bright red and the tears began to pour. So sad! The nurse quickly did the second one in the other leg, meanwhile Lydia was crying so hard that she stopped breathing for a second (which always freaks me out). Her face was nearly candy apple red. Poor baby! As soon as the nurse had applied the band-aids we scooped Lydia up and held her close. Oliver comforted her as I held her and she recovered, of course. Those were some monster-sized tears though! I think she receives another dose at 6 months and then she's through for awhile. We thank God for immunizations and good health insurance. We are blessed.

I haven't found time to write about it yet, but this weekend was the first time I left Lydia overnight. 2 nights, in fact! I traveled for work, and for now I'll just tell you that it was quite an adventure! The work itself was really good. Leaving my precious baby girl? Awful! (I cried multiple times.) And using the breast pump in the bathroom stall of the Denver International Airport? Double-awful! I'll share more later, but for now let me say that Lydia has a really, really wonderful Daddy who did a great job on his own this weekend.

Tummy time, followed by sitting up like a big girl, followed by playing with Mommy and Daddy... What a great Sunday!

A new game that seems to make her smile every time!

Looking at herself in the mirror...

Lydia has inspired Oliver and I to start our own business: toupees for babies. What do you think?

Look who's a St. Louis Cardinals fan, just like Daddy! (The backside of her outfit is my favorite part)

She LAUGHED! Lydia often makes happy sounds and gurgles and squeals from time to time (especially when lying on her favorite mat with the mirror and lights at Omi's house), but I haven't really heard her totally and completely giggle or laugh. Until last night! I was holding her upright (she loves to sit up like a big girl but can't do it on her own yet) on the counter in our bathroom in front of the mirror. She LOVES to look at herself in the mirror. I had my face right next to hers and was talking to her about what we could see in the mirror and suddenly she let out the BIGGEST burp I have ever heard in my life! It suprised me so much that I started laughing almost uncontrollably (seriously - this was an enormous burp for such a little girl!). Suddenly she laughed too! Oh my gosh, it was the cutest sound my ears have ever heard. She did it once...then again and once more. This wasn't just a happy quick squeal... it was a REAL giggly laugh and I loved it so much! What a fun moment that was. She looked very pleased with herself. Today I'm home from work and naturally I've tried to reproduce last night's event, but to no avail. Much like when she first smiled at me, she did it 2 or 3 times and I didn't see it again for a week or more. I've been eager for this little one to giggle... Oliver and I often fake a laugh and giggle for her and she smiles at us, but doesn't copy. She's getting there now though! Oh my gosh, I wish you'd heard it and seen her proud face... cutest thing ever.

Babies cry. They just do. And the lesson I keep having to learn over and over is that this is just what they do and they can seriously handle it. She won't harbor resentment, she won't be mad at me, she won't feel neglected or sad. She'll live. Case in point: This morning I was in the shower and over the sound of the water I could hear Lydia crying. She had woken up and was not feeling particularly patient this morning. I began to rush and quickly rinse my hair and finish my shower, all the while hearing poor Lydia cry louder and louder for someone to come and hold her. I jumped out of the shower, grabbed my towel and ran to her, hair dripping a bit, looked into her bed saying "Lydia, sweetheart I'm here!" and do you know what she did??? My poor sad neglected little baby... She SMILED at me. A HUGE smile. She totally recovered - instantly. What a chump I am! She was FINE! She was crying for attention - true - and she sincerely was ready to get up and wanted to know where we were - true - but was my little baby girl sad and feeling neglected and abandoned and unloved? She SO TOTALLY was NOT. The instant smile and ceasing of tears proved that. It was a funny moment. I love that smile. And the quickness of its arrival when I looked into her bed with wet, dripping hair may have almost convinced me now that she cries to communicate and nothing more about 95% of the time. I'm such a new mom.

We took this picture ourselves while waiting for Daddy to come home!

Ladies and gentlemen, we may have a thumb sucker on our hands. This is one of her new favorite things to do.

Lydia can hold toys now! She still needs a little help from us... She doesn't pick them up on her own quite yet. We place a toy or rattle in her hand and she'll instinctively grip it. She used to drop it right away, but now she holds it for a long time and moves it all around and seems to really enjoy it!! Go Lydia! Also in development news, she can also roll over on to one side now!

Well, Mommy started back to work last week and Lydia again proved she is the best baby in the whole world... She's been sleeping through the night!!!! It's like she knew Mommy needed more sleep. Such a sweetie pie. She still wakes up several times during the night and needs a little help getting back to sleep, but she does it every time! Altogether she's been sleeping about 7 hours a night (although all of the little wake-ups probably total a good hour of being awake, at least). I'm so proud and grateful! The morning routine is tricky, but Oliver and I are a good team and we're making it work. Here's a sample morning:

4:30 AM Lydia is stirring and thinking about breakfast. Mommy gives her the pacifier, strokes her head and begs her to go back to sleep for a little bit longer.

5:00 AM Alarm goes off. Mommy and Daddy each go take a shower. Lydia is stirring, making little noises and thinking about breakfast.

5:15 AM Mommy brushes her teeth, begins her make-up and hurredly tries to get as much accomplished before the forthcoming and inevitable cry that says "I'm finished being patient and I want to get up!"

5:30 AM Lydia is ready to get up. Daddy changes her diaper and her outfit. (Lydia is really happy in the morning. She smiles a LOT and is playful on the changing table. She's so happy to see Daddy!)

5:45 AM Mommy feeds Lydia. Lydia is happy! Daddy gathers Mommy's breast pump supplies, the diaper bag and the super important cup of coffee and makes sure everything is ready to go out the door. He's a huge help!

6:10 AM Lydia is propped up in her Boppy on our bed, hanging out while Mommy gets dressed and finishes her hair. Lydia loves to watch the ceiling fan...it's pretty entertaining.

6:15 AM Daddy puts all of our stuff in the car, kisses us goodbye and heads off to work.

6:30 AM Lydia is in her carseat and we're ready to leave for Omi's house! She usually falls asleep on the way there. She's ready for her morning nap.

6:55 AM Greetings to Omi! Guten Morgen! Lydia has arrived and is ready for a great day with her grandmother.

7:00 AM Mommy heads to the office and is there by 7:30.

Lydia has been doing very well during the day. Her Omi is doing a fantastic job and we have so much security knowing Lydia is in such good, loving hands. What an enormous blessing!

Oh P.S. I forgot to complete the timeline...

7:30 AM - 4:00 PM Mommy tries desperately to stay awake at work and figure out what the heck is going on there after a 3 month absence. Wow, and I thought I was tired before!

4:45 PM Oliver picks Lydia up and brings her home to me! I have missed her!!!

Sorry we haven't posted anything lately! Stay tuned! (I started back to work this week... Speaks for itself, right?)

So cute! Lydia was talking to us today. She's been making a lot of new noises lately, each of them very cute. (I never knew that babies actually say "goo-goo" and "ga-ga"!) This afternoon she "talked" to us for a good 10 minutes or so, fist in mouth. The above video is pretty short, because it's difficult to upload longer videos, but it's a sample for you anyway! She's such a cutie.

Lydia is a huge soccer fan. Or maybe it's her Daddy who is the big fan, but he's working on her. (She owns a pink soccer ball already.) Here she is "watching" the game with Oliver. (Go Germany!!)

Here's Lydia having her oh-so important "tummy time" to strengthen her back and neck muscles! She's doing great! (Please pardon our mommy and daddy voices...)

Lydia had her friend Gracie over to play yesterday! Well, Gracie played and Lydia slept, but it was fun anyway! Gracie's Mommy Shannon and I have been friends since the 6th grade! The tradition continues.