Da-da, haircut, and more updates.

This blog is definitely due for an update. Lydia is growing and changing so fast. Babies learn how to do so much in just a few months. This past month she has really started to babble and make any noise that she can. It is so fun to hear her be so vocal- except one of her favorites is almost like a scream- still kind of cute but also very loud. She also loves to be heard during church meetings and anywhere else quiet. :) She gets really excited for almost anything and is so fun to watch as she jumps up and down and babbles/ screams with delight. She is also starting to get up on her hands and knees more. I've seen her crawl a little bit, but she doesn't do a whole lot yet (so my books on the lower shelves are still safe for the moment). I don't think it will be too long though before she is up and crawling everywhere. She also loves to pull herself up to her toy box and grab all her toys and throw them out. Sometimes she leans in too far- and ends up in the box instead. :)

The weather has also been nice quite a few days this month and we definitely take advantage of that. We love the outdoors and are so excited for summer! Here is a video of Lydia enjoying the sunshine early this month. (If I can get it to upload). This is also when she discovered she could make new noises with her tongue - so she spent most of the day practicing her new skills.

The next day she learned a new word- "da-da" and also practiced, non stop, all day. She was pretty happy (and so was Neal) when he came home and she greeted him with a big smile and "da-da-da-da"! It was too cute to not get on camera- so here it is. :) She still doesn't know what it means, but it is so fun to hear her say. Now if she would just say "ma-ma"...

We love Lydia so much and enjoy each day with her. She is so happy and we love making her smile, laugh and giggle. The other night she was being a bit fussy during dinner so Neal and I started pretend sneezing and she just giggled and giggled. It was so cute! Lydia also rode in the grocery cart for the first time this month (with out being in her baby seat). She was all smiles and loved being able to see so much more! Every day is such a blessing and brings new joy and happiness as our family grows and we are able to spend time together. Life is great!

We also got family pictures taken, but unfortunately we don't have the rights to them and can't post them on the blog. They turned out really cute and it was hard to just pick a few!

I also decided it was time for a change- so I cut my hair. Not just a trim, but a whopping 13 inches, which I donated to Locks of Love. Neal loves my long hair and has never seen it short before, so it is definitely a big change for him. He says he likes it (although he prefers it long) but it does grow fast and will be back soon. Meanwhile it is fun to have something new and different for a while- just in time for summer.

Photo shoot

I really wanted some pictures of Lydia for her 6 month mark (ok- by the time I got around to taking them she was 6 1/2 months)but didn't want to pay studio prices. I decided to take them myself so I pulled out the camera, found a fun chair and some fabric laying around (to make a backdrop) and got started. My friend Wendy also came over and helped a lot. It was so fun and we got some good pictures. I personally think they are as good as we could have gotten in a studio- and these were free! There were so many pictures I couldn't choose just one, so here are some of my favorites.

Our happy baby!

Lydia getting tired of posing for all of her pictures. Mom, are we done yet?

Projects and crafts

I really am not a very crafty person, but lately I have had a lot of fun with projects and sewing. I think a lot of the motivation came as I joined Pintrist a month or two ago. If I see cute ideas and projects that have already been done, I can copy the idea- making a few modifications with what I have and my style. Here are a few fun things I have made lately.

Wendy came over one day and we made this fun Valentine's wreath. Using wire coat hangers and scraps of fabric and ribbon that we had, it was an afternoon of fun at no cost!

After she left, I decided that my living room needed something for valentines day as well. This garland is just scrapbooking paper cut into hearts (once again- paper I just had lying around).


After Valentine's day was over and my heart wreath came down, the door looked bare again. I needed something colorful and springish to put up. After finding a plain wreath at D.I. for $1, I went home, dug out my fabric scraps, and make lots and lots of fabric flowers.

This project has also been on my "to make" list for a while. It is a bow/ headband holder for Lydia (made from an old frame, some paint, ribbon, and cup hooks). I am so glad I finally got it finished because it is so much easier to keep her headbands organized now.

Of course I made Lydia some fun new headbands. I love making a variety of bows and flowers for her- they are fast, easy, and so much fun! These latest flowers were more ribbon scraps and beads that I had.

My mother-in-law gave me a new sewing machine for Christmas and I finally pulled it out of the box and set it up. I have been wanting a new skirt for a while but haven't been able to find one that I like (that I am also willing to pay for) so I decided to make my own. It was the perfect project to test out the sewing machine out with. It is so nice, I love it! Now I just need to learn how to use all the cool buttons, functions, and stitches it can do. :)

After finishing my skirt I had even had enough fabric left to make Lydia one too.