Wednesday, March 20, 2013

My Little Picasso!

I just love Sydney's daycare - Annie's Children's Center, and I think they do such a great job with Sydney.  The staff is very attentive and caring and they spend a lot of time helping Sydney build skills like walking, drinking out of sippy cup, and eating finger foods Also, they have no problem with the babies getting down and dirty to explore their creativity.  Multiple times a week they do art with the babies, and send it home for the parent to "ooohh" and "aaaahhhh" over. Sometimes the staff use the babies feet and hands to create adorable pieces of art, and sometimes they let the babies go to town and finger paint.  I can't give enough praise to Annie's, and I would recommend them to any of my friends!!

Once we are in the new house (late next week - YEY!!!), Sydney will have her very own playroom - which I have big plans for.  There is going to be an area where I can do artwork and sensory crafts with her, and I am so excited for this.  Additionally I plan on having a special wall to display all of her wonderful artwork.  I am going to get a wall decal that says "Sydney's Masterpieces" and below that hang a bunch of frames with the glass covered in fun fabric, and a clip attached so that I can easily interchange artwork as she does more and more. I am so excited for this project and will definitely be posting pictures once it is complete!!


Sydney's latest Masterpiece!!!! I just LOVE this!!!!


Finger painting fun!!!


Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Waving Hello!!

Sydney can wave Hello and Good bye now and it is the cutest thing she has done yet!!!
She never ceases to amaze me!!!

Sydney's First Steps!!


This weekend was super exciting at our house! Sydney took her very first steps with the help of her walker!!!!!  It was so exciting for us to see her learn this new skill, and I can't believe that soon we will have a walker on our hands. She was delighted with herself, and once she figured it out, she cruised around the living room for a good 20 minutes!!!
Watch out world, here comes Sydney!!!


 

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Play Date!

Sydney is starting to become really interactive and animated.  Her favorite playtime buddy is my friend Megan's 2 year old daughter, Audrey.  We have play dates together 1-2 times a week normally, and everyone has a blast. Megan recently had her second baby, Leyton, and we joke that he and Syney are going to get married one day!!!  Leyton is 5 months younger than Sydney so we are really excited for him to starting crawling so everyone can play together!


Bouncing with Audrey!



Look at my cool socks Sydney!!!



Sydney's future husband ;)

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Sydney 8 Months

Shes getting so big so fast!!
 

 


 


 



Fun with Daddy!

Capturing a special moment between Father and Daughter, nothing makes me happier =)
 




Too cute!


Just a couple a cute pics for a morning Sydney fix :)


Bath time fun!!!!


Mark snapped this picture while we were sleeping, I just love it!!

Monday, March 11, 2013

I'm Back!!

Sydney and I have been off the grid for about two weeks now due to a stomach virus that really took it out of us.  We had been passing it back and forth over the last two weeks, and last Monday, we both wound up in the Hospital for dehydration.   While Sydney was in the pediatric ER getting IV fluids, I suddenly became faint and started throwing up (AGAIN!!) and the nurses took Sydney to the nurses’ station and I wound up in her stretcher.  I was transported to the Adult ER where I was admitted, while Sydney finished her hydration and got to go home.  It was a very scary day for both of us.  It was the first time Sydney and I were apart overnight, and I DID NOT like it!!!!

I would like to say a huge thank you to the following people who helped us get through this virus. 
~First, my Mom, who came up to help take care of both of us for the rest of this past week.  I couldn’t have don’t it without her and really appreciate her help and dedication to her family.  I can’t even begin to count the number of loads of laundry she did, the amount of messes she cleaned up between Sydney and I, and the way she kept our house running when I couldn’t.  The dogs were walked and fed every day, food was always in the fridge, and the house was always clean.  Thanks Mom!!
~Second, my husband Mark.  He was out of town for the first half of this virus (winning Big Ten Championships I might add =)), but the day he got back was the day I got admitted to the hospital and even though he was exhausted, he helped out BIG TIME and took care of Sydney all night for me when I couldn’t.  He also got all of her stuff ready for the next day, when my Aunt Julie came up to babysit until my Mom’s plane arrived.
~Third, my Aunt Julie, who came from Lansing and helped take care of Sydney while I was in the hospital and my Mom had not arrived yet.  She also made me AMAZING homemade chicken noodle soup, which was the first thing I was able to keep down in over 4 days. 
~ Fourth, my doula and friend Katy.  Mark was stuck in a meeting when I got taken to the ER and could not come to the hospital to be with Sydney right away.  So Katy came, and risked getting sick herself(which she did not – THANK GOODNESS), and took Sydney home to care for her once she was discharged until Mark could get home. I really appreciate her being such a great friend that day, and knowing my baby was with her made it a bit easier to be apart.
~ Fifth, the amazing pediatric nursing and medical staff.  I’ve never seen such dedicated nursing staff.  They went ABOVE AND BEYOND to help take care of Sydney and I and I can’t thank them enough.

Anyway, we are both better now and trying to get back into our routine. We have a lot of exciting things happening during the next few weeks.  We are moving to our new home, starting a music and dance class, and really looking forward to the weather warming up so we can get outside to play!

Of course, the photos did not stop even though we were sick, so here’s some Hill’s Happenings from the past few weeks….

snuggling with Mommy...

Riding a lady bug rocker from Grandma Pat!

Playing with Great Grandma, who came to visit at the start of our virus and got it too =(

Rubbing Molly's Belly

Hanging out with Grandma's dogs!

Playing with socks

 

Playing in her tunnel from Nana!

practicing standing =)

At lunch with Grandma

                                                        
             
Trying tomato soup for the first time.. YUM!!

Getting ready to walk the dogs
                                                                                                                                                                     
 

FEELING BETTER!!!!!!!!  and back to her smiley, silly self!!


Saturday, March 2, 2013

We're Back!!

Sorry the lack of updates this week.  Sydney and I have been passing a nasty stomach virus back and forth and it has been NO FUN!!  This morning is the first morning in over a week that we both seem to be feeling better (KNOCK ON WOOD!!!) So, heres hoping that we are both finally over it and get back to playing and laughing!!!