My New Toddler

It's amazing how it seems like overnight I no longer have two babies, but instead have one baby and one toddler. Lydia is growing up....ahhh!

I lost her at the zoo for about ten seconds and when I turned around to find her I saw this blonde poof jumping up and down behind some tables. What was she doing? Jumping in a puddle of ankle deep stagnant water just having the time of her life. Gross.

She loves to throw away trash she finds on the ground. Actually, it doesn't even have to be trash, she just loves to throw things away. Funny, because as a baby, she loved to hoard things.
Along the same lines, we were sitting in a restaurant booth the other day and by the time we left she had wiped the whole entire thing down with a wet wipe (and I never do that 'stuff' so it's even quirkier than you'd think) And last but not least...Absolutely adores sweeping the kitchen. She even has her very own broom (mommy was getting pretty frustrated! problem solved)

Favorite toys? Empty trash cans. Any baby dolls or anything that looks like a baby doll. Strollers. Anything that remotely makes her look like a mommy.
I know, you're still stuck on 'empty trash cans'. I was taking the trash out and when I turned around to put a bag back in the can, it was gone. I'm pretty good at lost and found, I get lots of practice but this time in particular, not so much. This kid had hid the trash can from her mommy...how does a 1 1/2 yr old know to do that? Funny, funny. And yes, it was in the weirdest place when I found it 5 min's later!

She whispers all her animal noises. Nuff said.

"No" has a myriad of meanings. Yes, Maybe, I'm hungry, I'm tired, I want to go 'bye-bye', I love you, etc...
Not that she can't say those other things but why when "no" works so well.
"No" is also a source of entertainment...when in doubt or when bored, just go around saying it over and over and over again. Well, that is, if you're Lydia. ('apple' and 'chitty-chitty' also works)

She gallops and squeals when excited. It's just plain adorable. Well, maybe not the squealing part. Funny thing about this is that Samantha taught her to squeal. Yep, my 7 mo old taught my new toddler to do something. That's just cute.

One of the starkest moments to me was two days ago. Lydia loves to open and close doors. There is only one scenario when she is not allowed to do it and that is if her sister is in the room behind the door and we are on the other side. We were working on this concept the other day, I had told her no twice and the second time I went into more detail about how serious I was. The third time I told her this was her last warning and asked her if she needed to go to her room. She immediately left the room and disappeared around the corner. Not like Lydia, at all, to leave my two foot radius. I was so curious about where she went that I put my mascara down, peeked around the corner and my heart dropped to my knees...the kid had gone into the hallway and was sitting in 'time-out'. I hadn't even hinted at time-out. I know what you're thinking, "...well, she must go there a lot" but, no. Up to this point in her life she hasn't ever sat in time-out more than once or twice a week. If it's twice, it's just been a horrible week. She just decided that at that moment, that's what she needed. I felt limp I was so sad. Don't worry grandma's...I immediately went and got her out with a big hug and kiss.

All that to say, babies don't do those things...Lydia is no longer a baby. I'm sadder than I thought I'd be and yet happier than I thought I'd be too.

I guess it just means my Lydia stories will get better and better!

Samantha is just the cutest bundle of smiles. She's starting to pull her legs up under her, is threatening to crawl, loves Cheerios, green beans and sippy cups, isn't too sure about wind, has two teeth and is just so darn cuddly! She IS still a baby, yeah!