Liz's graduation

so the whole reason why i went to belgium was to see this cute girl graduate from high school:

i can't believe liz graduated high school! in just a few more years joe will be going, and i will really really feel old.

anyway here are some pictures from the big night. i didn't take any of her going across the stage or anything, because let's be honest. even though i've upgraded to an SLR, i've got the basic model and it was way too dark/far to get any good shots.

Oma and Grandad Siddoway with Sydney. Grandad walked around with Syd during the loooong, drawn-out ceremony. i mean really, did they need TWO musical numbers??

i love this one with Oma and Syd. so cute.

Enzo (Liz's boyfriend) and Liz. it was like pulling teeth to get a pic of them together, but i prevailed!

Joe and Syd. Joe likes to act like he doesn't like Sydney, but he is so good with her! and he's not hiding anything...he loves his niece.

Syd eating a tomato.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

love this family pic! it's only missing Sara (who is in Jerusalem right now) and Kirky (who was studying in Houston).

a couple of weeks after graduation, my mom insisted on taking some senior portraits of Liz at the ___ monastery. i didn't take a ton of pics (i was the prop helper and the genius behind it all...haha just kidding) but i did take a few.

ok i HAD to add this one.

so pretty!

mom had this great idea to bring her antique chair. unfortunately, it started to rain just as we began to use it. oh and i got this hat in belgium. i'm a little obsessed with it...i tried to put it in as many shots as i could, but liz was anti-hat so my mom just got a few. :)

Happy Birthday to my baby girl!!

 i cannot believe this day has come. i know every mother is shocked when her babies (especially the first one) turn one, but i seriously can't believe it.  at 1:48 pm one year ago, Sydney-bear was born.

our lives have changed so much with having her. now i can't travel with only a wallet and cell phone. we dumped out my baby bag last night and we found: kirk's tie, four diapers, a bathing suit (for Syd), three different types of food, two different onesies, two different kinds of diaper ointment, medication, two sippy cups, etc. etc. let's just say i travel with A LOT more stuff.

i looked through sydney's baby book this morning, and i deserve the bad mommy award for not filling it out. i only did a few pages. i recorded our lives more through blogging and occasional journal entries.  but ya know what? i'm ok with that. i figure i was too busy learning how to be a mom and simply LOVING this little girl!!

at one year old, sydney:

-waves to everyone we pass by in the store (very vigorously). i've noticed she gets more excited with women than men. ooo and if she sees another kid?? yay!

-crawls super fast

-gets very excited when we are all on the couch together. she'll jump up and down and bury her face in the soft pillows.

-has a special smile for Grandma Raelene. (don't worry Grandma Ramona, i am sure she will have a special smile for you too when she sees ya!!)

-claps when you come into a room, especially if you're rescuing her from her crib. she also applauds herself when she knows we're excited she did something.

-sleeps with her Carter's bunny (any time she has it in her hand, her thumb is in her mouth)

-when i let go of her hands when we are walking, she slowly sinks to the floor. she could stand if she wanted to because it's obvious she is not just falling down. it's deliberate.

-loves anything with music. she rocks from side to side and waves her hands back and forth.

-is the loudest child i know! i usually know exactly where she is in the house, and she likes to scream really loud with excitement.

-loves her baby spoons

-has turned into a picky eater. sometimes i think she lives on bread and milk.

-loves her friends miss Laura and Addie. she gets very excited when she sees them and even recognizes their house.

-when she sees her daddy and i'm holding her, she kind of bounces in my arms. special smile for that man, too.

-will occasionally cuddle. if she is really tired.

-gets panicky when i leave the room. maybe that's why she has turned into such a fast crawler.

-favorite song of all time: "the wheels on the bus."

-wrinkles up her nose when she is really happy.

-likes to take the spoon from me and feed herself.

-after today, will no longer be breast feeding!! (i have mixed feelings about this).

-takes one really good nap. the second one sometimes doesn't happen, but i'm trying to enforce it. :)

Happy Birthday my little Sydney-bear!!!