Fall - Winter 2012

Alright... hope you have some time.  There's a lot to go over and I don't want to overwhelm you all too much.  I'll try to keep it informative as opposed to wordy.  However, keep in mind that I haven't updated you all since the Step Up for Down Syndrome Walk in September.  Bear with me... here it goes.

After the "Big" Weekend I last enlightened you on:  Mom hasn't run once, I got to help with cleaning up the garden, I got into the swing of things at school, I got to be my favorite movie character for Halloween, I carved pumpkins, we celebrated Thanksgiving with Dad's parents, we went to several fun Christmas parties, we celebrated Christmas with Dad's family and then with Mom's family.  This year has started off with a couple of highlights as well... Dad and I attended the Dad and Daughter Valentine Ball in Louisville, CO and we've just been having an all around good time. (Sorry for the extremely long time between posts, Mom was confused a couple of months ago and thought we couldn't post the pictures we wanted to - oh boy)

Scroll through these photos and I'm sure you'll see some that will interest you:

Mom used foam rollers to ready my hair for the final look of my Halloween costume.

This is me as Annie! I'm copying the pose from the front of the dvd case!

Dad and I went Trick or Treating... I wanted to invite myself in to each house for a visit, but Dad reminded me that we needed to keep going for more treats.

This is my school picture... I do things on my timing!

In early December we went to the MHDSA Christmas party... we were getting ready to see Santa. I like Santa from a distance, but don't ask me to sit on his lap!

Daddy and I danced at the Christmas party - I love to spin.

The next week, we went to Colorado Springs to have a Christmas/Daddy's Birthday party with Grandma and Grandpa "Glasses"

My cousin Liv and I enjoying a movie together around naptime.

Then we headed to Christmas with Grandma and Grandpa "Mustache" and the rest of the family in Okoboji, IA... I shared with the cousins!!

It was another COLD Christmas in Iowa... we enjoyed some sledding on the warmest day of the trip.

Enjoying some sled time with Daddy.

I had another sleep study... I was a trooper and slept through the night and was in relatively good spirits despite the annoying wires.

Having a great nurse and the ipad (games as I call it) were key in having a successful sleep study. The result was being able to finally get rid of the oxygen tank that sat in my bedroom for a year following my other sleep study. 

For Mommy's birthday, we had a little party with some of the girls. My friend Ivy, her little sister and mom; And Andrea and Jillian came over for a fun time of cupcakes and playing... it was an unseasonable warm day for early February.

"Really Mom, another picture."

Daddy and I dressed to the nines for the Dad and Daughter Ball.

Daddy gave me a rose from Mom's birthday bouquet to pose with.

"Hustle up Daddy, the carriage is about to leave!"

I just can't wait!

On the dance floor... I cut a rug.

The December ultrasound picture of my baby brother or sister!

The recent ultrasound photo. Mommy is due July 19th!!
 

Okay, so I hope you all feel up to speed! To some of you, the last photos were not a surprise, but maybe to others it was. I am excited to share my home with a sibling - we'll see how I do with it all!

Thanks for not giving up on me and my blog,
Lydia

The "Big" weekend!

Hi friends... What a weekend!
We had a houseful of guests and spent quite a few hours in downtown Denver for a marathon and for the annual Step Up for Down Syndrome Walk.
Now, all our guests have left and Mom's looking at the house and thinking, "What a mess... maybe I'll get to that tomorrow."
Let me just give you the rundown of our last week or so.
Grandma and Grandpa Mustache (grandma's not too excited about that title, but that's how I identify them - my other grandparents are Grandma and Grandpa Glasses) came out to Colorado on September 12th and left again on the 14th for a week in Steamboat Springs.  We followed them out on Saturday morning and spent that weekend plus Monday with them.  G-ma and G-pa stayed there until the 21st.
In the meantime, Aunt Jenness and my cousin Marty flew into town on the 20th so that Marty could do a campus visit at CU the following day (they coordinated their trip with the rest of the weekend activities so that they could be a part of the action).
On Friday, the 21st, Aunt Julie flew into town in preparation for the marathon and half marathon on Saturday.  Later that day G-ma and G-pa drove back into town for the weekend.
Saturday's activities included the marathon and 1/2 marathon as well as set up for the Step Up Walk and then dinner out with all our guests.
Sunday looked like this:  Went to City Park, enjoyed all the activities of our 5th Step Up for Down Syndrome Walk, Vegged for awhile at home, brought Marty and Aunt Jenness to the airport, saw the last minute of Mom and Dad's softball game, had pizza with Scott, Andrea, Jillian, and G-ma Diann, and finally we were off to bed.
Yesterday we laid low in the morning then had a fabulous time at the park before we went to drop Aunt Julie off at the airport.
Now, I went to school this morning and G-ma and G-pa Mustache headed back to Iowa.
I enjoyed all of the extra attention this weekend brought.
Here are a "few" photos of the weekend (I could only narrow it down to about 30)!

One of the shots of fall color Grandma and Grandpa caught in the CO high country.

It was still warm enough to enjoy a couple hours at the pool - that doesn't always happen this time of year in the mountains.

I love hangin out by the pool with Daddy.

If there's a playground... I'm there!

We hiked with the grandparents to Fish Creek Falls... I've discovered a new found love for hiking.

Hiking amongst the aspens.

Grandpa letting Grandma think this will be their Christmas photo (looks like grandma's being the funny one, but grandpa's actually holding the branch in front of his face).

A nice shot of me with Grandma and Grandpa Mustache.

You have to stop and smell the flowers sometimes.

And other times, you just have to hug a tree.

G-ma and G-pa hiking through the forest.

All of us tried to hit the big rock in the stream with our little pebbles from the bank.

Enjoying a slide at Little Toots Park in Steamboat Springs.

Bonk!

Tada!

The times when it's ok to throw rocks.

Aunt Julie and Mom getting ready for the big run.

Dancin' to the music at the Denver Rock and Roll Marathon and 1/2 Marathon - I love music!

Aunt Julie finished the 1/2 marathon... she did Great!

Here's the fan club: Heather, Paul, Daddy, me, Scott, Andrea, Jillian (in the stroller), Marty, Aunt Jenness, Julie, Grandpa Mustache and Grandma Mustache (behind the camera).

Are they real?  Mommy finished the marathon.

Daddy and Mommy celebrating the finish of the marathon... yay for getting Saturday mornings back (Mom always did her long training runs then)!

I love enchiladas!

The whole gang celebrating the race accomplishment and Auntie Jenness's birthday coming up next week - you'll have to ask her what birthday it is.... she wouldn't tell me!

Mommy got a break from beautifying my hair... Auntie Nesser (another name for Aunt Jenness) has lots of practice with hair... my cousins Maggie and Maddie have lots of hair.

Team Lil' Lydia's headquarters.

I'm pretty sure this whole event was to celebrate me!!

The majority of our team - only missing Daddy (he's behind the camera) and maybe just a couple others.

My cousin Liv got a cool butterfly balloon at the Step Up Walk... Liv told my mom that she had a "Really good time at the Step Up Walk."

 

We took lots of pictures this weekend, but hopefully you feel like you can picture it all with the ones I've selected.

Thanks to everyone on Team Lil' Lydia for your enthusiasm and support!

Love you all,
Lydia