BIG NEWS!!!!

Hi everyone!  Before I get to the BIG NEWS, I really should post those pictures of Lydia’s birthday that I promised umm…..let’s see….about a month ago??!!  I am so sorry.  My running buddies have been holding my feet to the fire to post them.  So here they are   We actually celebrated Lydia’s birthday three times!  Once was with Jeff’s family:

Lydia with Aunt Lisa and Cousin Jessica

Aunt Shelley, Uncle Chris, Taylor and Eryn

opening presents

Lydia LOVES cake!

Then we celebrated with my side of the family.  My brother’s and Lydia’s birthdays are just one day apart!

Celebrating with Uncle Dave, Aunt Kim, Grammy, Rachael and Molly

Then….we had our own family celebration with a special candle that we purchased in China.  You light it and it pops into a large, pink flower and plays “Happy Birthday”!  The picture below is quite funny as the flame looks a little weird and Lydia looks pretty scared by the whole thing!!

Lydia will be a........chef??!!

The above picture is a traditional Chinese game that we have played with each of our kids on their first birthday.  The Chinese believe that children are born with natural tendencies and abilities and that, even at one year of age, those abilities shine through in their preferences with what they play with.  So the game is played by lining up a series of objects which represent various professions.  The trick is to pick objects which they are unfamiliar with.  Then put the baby on the other side of the room and whichever object the baby crawls to and picks up first will be their profession!  Lydia picked up the spatula, representing a chef!  Nathan picked up a calculator and to this day really enjoys math.  Lauren picked up a pen and has never really put one down since.  She loves to write stories.  Rebekah was indecisive and picked up a medal (athlete) and a microphone (actress).  Those two things have proven true in her life, too!  So we’ve always enjoyed that game in our family!

Now….on to the BIG NEWS!!!

LYDIA WALKED FOR THE FIRST TIME TONIGHT – YEAH!!!!  She has been standing for about four weeks now but tonight, she took about ten steps like a pro!  She has been crawling up the stairs as fast as she possibly can in recent days and loves investigating literally everything in the house

Lydia’s first steps!!!