Month 13: Jiggle Bells in Vegas

 Dear Lydia, 

In December the West family went down to Vegas together to see Tyra in a cheer tournament. The day we drove down was the same day as the attack on Sandy Hook Elementary. So sad. I so hope to protect you from anything that could happen to you. Later that night an employee of our Hotel was shot and killed in the lobby and then the man who killed her killed himself. 10 min before we walked with you into the hotel. I am so sorry this world is so scary. There are somethings we can do to keep ourselves in safe situations. Our job is just to try our best to stand in holy places. Bad things will still happen to good people but we can lower our own odds. I love you girl. I want your life to be happy and safe. I will teach you by example the best I can and I will always hope and pray that you will make all the safe choices you can. Look how precious you are. You will always be that way to me. Here are some good things that happened that month. 

Those tricky boots

Learning to walk.

You needed a nap right in the middle of the cheer show. Your such a cute, and sweaty, sleeper.

Here we all are at the Venetian.

 One more.

 And then there was this one.

 Nice gang signs Lyds.

 You always play with books instead of toys. 

 And boxes instead of toys. 

Love you more than anything. 

Love Mommy

Christmas Cards

Dear Lydia, 

Here is what our family looked like when there were only 3 (ish) of us. It was a great Christmas.

Love you, Mommy

 

 

 

Month 12: Just a few

Dear Lydia, 

This is a picture of one time I gave you a bath and then your daddy gave you a sucker so you could get all that sticky drool all over your clean body. Thanks daddy.

 
This is a picture of you and my thumb.

here is your daddy tickling you. :)

And here is you and your boyfriends when we spent two nights at their house.

Love you, Mommy

Giving Thanks

Dear Lydia,
So around this time. Maybe a couple days after your birthday, our little family got some good news. Your going to be a big sister. I made you a cute onesie that i drew on, it said "Big sister" on the front and "July 2013" on the back. Your going to be about 20 months a part but only a year in school. I know there will be times when it will be hard to get along but the majority of your life you will be grateful not to be the only one. I hope you two will be best friends. That you will always be there for each other, even if you don't agree all the time. I am so excited to love you both and i know this will be such a blessing for you, for our family. Love you baby girl.

1st Birthday

Dear Lydia,
11-11-12 has come and you are one. What a great year. Probably my favorite so far of my 25. I love having you as my best friend. It's funny how every new word you say is like one more dab of glue that holds our souls together. I love so much, your sweet little personality. There is still so much we don't know know about each other and it is so fun to learn about you as you develop. So i went big for your first birthday, so big we had to have it at grandmas because our house is too small. I decorated the crap out of it. Balloons, table settings, cupcakes - all decked out. and i forgot to take pictures. It was a tea party - with your great great grandmas tea set as a center piece. There were doilies and i made you a headband with your great grandma's cameo pin. I made matching headbands for all the girls that came and they got play pearl necklaces. The little boys got mustaches and top hats on a stick. There was lots of yummy food. Fancy cheeses with fancy crackers. Little sausages wrapped in bacon with brown sugar glaze. Mini quiche. Sweet Tooth Fairy cupcakes.Daddy got a couple memories on his phone. Here they are.

You loved that cupcake all over your face. We bathed you and you got to wear a new outfit, instead of your tea party one, for the rest of the night. 

 You shared your new toys with Emery 

and rode an elephant. 

Here as some vid-e-o's

The after party - balloons.