Heart, Soul, Mind & Strength: Lydia Latley

Another iPhone dump and some cute sayings.... Gosh, I feel like each stage of her life is my favorite, so I just want to remember it all!!!

My "list" started this morning when she said, "Mama, what comes on next, Kelly and Michael?" We really don't watch that much TV, but I do like GMA for the news and Kelly for my guilty pleasure.

Most mornings, she still tries to argue, "NO not Mommy's shows, Liddy's shows!" AND BOY, CAN SHE THROW A TANTRUM NOW?! I try my hardest not give in, even on the little things, because eventually she'll learn how to get her way. But it's so hard sometimes! She can throw her head back, fall on the ground, poke that lip out and produce real tears with a half a second.... all because I asked her what show she wanted to watch or something like, "Lyds, would like juice or milk?" Say it the wrong way and you will get the tantrum without even knowing it!

Her new favorite TV show is Henry Hugglemonster..... and Alan and I love it too! I think because after 2.5 years, it's actually something new! But Henry is funny and we like him around here!
She loves being a little mama.... she rocks her babies, tucks them in, sings to them, feeds them, and then will turn around to me and say, "I'm just a good mama." It's so cute!
Everything has to be a mama, daddy, AND baby! I don't know if she's OCD and needs 3 of everything or if she really just like family that much! It started with her wanting more cheetos... I gave her a little one and she informed me, "That's the baby one, I would like the mama, please." So I gave her another one and she informed me that she also needed the daddy one. I think it's cute she's always concerned about a mama and daddy being around.
She can give some good hugs and kisses..... even puckers up and makes the smacking sound now! It's precious, until we tuck her in at night.... she wants a million hugs and kisses and then when we finally walk away, she says, "Wait, I need a high five too!"
We still sing Jesus loves me every night when we put her in bed and I love it! I just told friend the other day how we sang that to her every time we saw her in the NICU and I couldn't sing any more once we got to the "Little ones to Him belong" part because her little 3 pound self sitting in that incubator would have me choking up tears the whole time while Alan finished the sweet song. It's hard to believe she all the way to 22 pounds now!
She LOVES her kitchen, or any play kitchen. If we go to someone's house and they have a kitchen, she runs to it!
Sometimes she asks for things nicely, but if she doesn't we stair at her until she does or ask her to say it like a sweet girl. She replies with, "May I have _________?" In her sweet little voice, it's super cute!
I guess she heard about "hurt feelings" somewhere because she will ask her animals and babies sometimes if the other one hurt their feelings! Then she'll come tattle on them and say, "Mama, that crocodile hurt the rhino's feelings!"
She's also always concerned about what I am doing. If I'm not in the same room or have moved in any way, she asks so concerned, "Mama, whatcha doing?"
Her little blessing she learned at school as become our blessing for almost every meal and I love it when she closes her eyes, holds her hands out (to hold ours), and sings away:

"God our Father, God our Father; We thank you, We thank you; For the many blessings, For the many blessings, Amen, Amen." To the tune of

Here's a sweet video, I tried to sneak up on her while she was "rocking" her baby!

I have subbed at school a few times, and this particular day she saw me while going to the playground and had to come play with us! So that made 7 kids!!

We still rock before nap and bed, before nap one day, she ran to the chair across the living room and told me she didn't want to rock anymore.... OUCH! At least she hasn't done it since then!

Loading her babies and purse up. She told me she was getting them ready to go to Kathryn's! Haha, no it's not a friend's house, it's a restaurant that KK and Troxy take her to!

Her school picture! So CUTE!!! How adorable are they?! And I've so enjoyed getting to know each of them and their parents!
L-R: Seth, Mrs. Krista, Lydia, Joey, Audrey, Ella, and Ivy.
Just had to name them so I'll always remember her first class!

FIRST HAIR CUT!!!
April 18, 2013
(If you count me, the couch, a TV show and some scissors!)
She's had this scraggly piece on the left for a while, but she's never still enough for me attempt cutting it, and I'm scared to take her somewhere because I don't want them to cute the curls off.....
She wasn't feeling well one afternoon and was VERY still, so I pinned it up and cut it! I was scared, but I think I didn't mess anything up and at least that one part is gone.

And then we all had the stomach bug, again!

She had a slight fever and did this for a whole day.... I knew something was up, but the doctor said to just watch her. Then the gross stuff set in and she was even more pitiful. She would just squat in the tub because her booty was so red and it burned her :(

More pitiful the next day....

I mean she barely naps anymore, so this sleeping on the couch all day was making me super worried!

So we made it to the Dr's office and me, being the usual "mom of the year" had let her accidentally get dehydrated. Note to self: No matter how difficult it is at the time, make sure she gets liquids!!!
*I promise I tried, but she refused and would sleep the whole time!

The Dr said if it last one more day, she'd need an IV drip for fluids and she'd already lost a pound. Being in the 3rd percentile, you don't have much room for losing weight! So we swung by Sonic on the way home for a Powerade slushy and she only had about 5 sips until she feel asleep again!

After nap.... still pitiful, but drinking more and even wanted a cracker... YES, these crumb on the couch and the blue drink made me nervous, but I did anything not have a drip put in the next day!

She would NOT drink the Pedialyte either, so I made it into popsicles and she did eat that... I can't blame her, that stuff is salty and not very good to me either!

Thank Goodness she came out of it soon! And we were back to feeding babies:

Everyone came to dinner that night too... she was upset because we didn't have enough chairs, guess I need a formal dining room for her "babies."

Every now and then, she doesn't eat in the highchair. But just because it's easier for me, easier to clean up, it holds her still, and she will eat more. I make her sit in it. But isn't she such a big girl at the breakfast table?! She cried because she wanted eat next to Daddy! How could I not let her sit in the big girl seat?!

Sunny day, walking to play with the neighbor and she wanted to wear her hat!

I think she's getting good at coloring in the lines!

At home pedi for her sandals!

A little park day with Baylor! I had to post the ones on the left with the smiles because of course the look like they are having zero fun on the right. How come they won't smile when you want them to?

Daddy and his girls on a date at Georgia Blue.... so yummy and kid friendly!

She always wants to prop her feet up on the ottoman if we have ours up there... precious.

Second dentist check up.... She's still perfect!

We love Dr. Wren!

KK got her a crown..... and she instantly said "Just like Sophia's tiara?" She's only see that show a few times.
KK left it in our mail box one night and I got it on our way out the next morning, when we got to the walking trail, she said, "But mama, I want one more piece of mail." I was totally confused because I had already forgotten about the crown in the mailbox. But she said, "No, lets go home and check the mailbox again and see what else is there!" HAHA, sweet baby!

Chillin while we stroll!

It appeared that the mother goose had babies, and there were two bigger ones by the lake also. She was so impressed that the Mommy and Daddy were there taking care of the babies together. She kept wanting to get closer, but this mama doesn't like to take it off road by the water where snakes may live.... plus those mama and daddy geese look really big and scary!