Summer Fun!

I have sat down to start this entry to the blog NUMEROUS times and because of one thing or another I did not get it started. This blog has been such a great way for me to connect with my family over seas and family long distances away. Selfishly this blog has also been about creating a story book for my kids of their first few years, so it frustrates me that I have not lived up to that for Sydney.
So I am back, and going to try and start to write more frequently (not weekly but more frequently.) The last few months have been wonderful at our house, with tons of visitors, trips, and 1st's for the Levy's.
Sydney has changed so much since I wrote last time. She has sat up, crawled, stood, walked with assistance, walked with a walker and now taken 2 steps. She took her 1st 2 steps last Sunday, September 23rd. She was in our bathroom and tried to walk to me and collapsed quickly after the 2 steps. Since that point she has felt that her walker and assisted walking is a much better way to go.
Sydney got moved up to the toddler room a few weeks ago and she is doing amazing. Since she started, she is now eating almost all table food. Sydney was a pretty picky eater at first but now likes almost everything. Vegetables are her favorite, but bread and cheese are a close second. The dogs have become her fast friends at meal time too since she takes a bite and then drops a couple for each of them.
My happy girl, is still as happy as can be. I am always amazed as how well she adjusts to anything. Now that she is big enough to want her own toys she does get a little "diva like" when her brother or someone else tries to take it away, so funny to see! She smiles at everyone, lets anyone hold her and laughs at her brother about everything. Her smile and giggle warms my heart and makes her daddy melt. A few weeks ago Sydney had a pretty bad accident and Ben sent me a picture (I was in LA) and only 30 minutes after it happened she was smiling again!
In the last month Samuel and Sydney have really become buddies. For months now Sydney would just watch Samuel and track wherever he went, and he would give her the typical hug and kiss before bed, but now they love to play together. Samuel is ALWAYS concerned about his sister, has she had her milk, shes hungry, she needs a toy or she needs a hug. If this is any indication he is going to be very protective of his little sister. Sam has to go in every morning and get Sydney out of her bed, never lets her get close to stairs  and give her a doll/toy.
Samuel is doing great too. Both kids are growing like weeds. Sam is wearing a 4T and Sydney is in 12+ month clothes! Samuel is a really smart little boy and has become a little manipulator and really likes to test his limits (doesn't fair well for Grandma and Jiji.) He talks all the time, and repeats anything anyone says. He never forgets anything. Ben and I try so hard not to laugh when he says some of these things but it is super hard! Samuel also loves his iPAD, and a few weeks ago Sydney tried to take it from him and he said no, but thought I should go buy Sydney her own iPad and I said how am I going to pay for it, and he went and got me 2 quarters and thought that would be enough, so funny!
He loves being outside with his friends, playing football, riding bikes/scooters, or just laying in the grass drinking his juice. We took Samuel and Sydney to the Chiefs 1st preseason game of the year and he loved it. Ever since he always asks if he can go to the BIG football game and wants to watch it on TV. Instead of going back to the Chiefs, Ben has taken Samuel to high-school football games, and Sam loves it just as much. This past Saturday when Nebraska was having an unexpected huge victory Sam was running around yelling "Go Big Red......GO BIG RED!!" - Very proud moment for dad.
We went to Okoboji for the 4th, Sydney took her 2 first airplane rides to Florida and Colorado and did great. We had a great time in Florida and Sam loved seeing the Dolphins! Grandma and Grandpa got to watch the kids for a weekend in Sioux Falls, Sam had an amazing time, and Sydney loved hanging out with Grandpa. Jiji and Papster have come visit and Sam and Jiji have great reading time.
I have also taken a new job which has required me to be out of town more than I would like (short lived for training) and Ben has done so much to keep everything going. Sometimes I forget how lucky I am and how much he does for our family. I see how amazing he is as a father every day but forget he has to be both parents a lot and it isn't easy, so really appreciate how much he does. In addition my mom and ben's mom have come to help. We are really blessed to have such an amazing family. A top priority for my kids was to have their family close and involved in their lives, and there is definitely no shortage of that. Finally, Sydney has 2 new friends, our close friends Mallory and Dwight had a baby girl Daisy, and Samuel's godparents Christy and Wade had their first child Kennedy!! Congrats to both families!
Here is a few of the hundreds of pictures we have taken over the past few months.

6 Months and Growing

Sydney is getting bigger by the day. I can't believe she is already almost seven months and I meant to write this when she turned six months. She is such an amazing little girl, nothing phases this girl. She smiles all the time, giggles at anything her brother does and eats like a champ!!
Sydney has started the talking phase or better known as the squawking phase. She is such a chatter box, she definitely takes after her mom in that. She seems to want to let everyone know she is here when she starts talking and then when everyone stops she smiles. My favorite is our morning routine. Sydney is addicted to pacifiers in her crib she has them all around her and often when I go and get her in the morning (yes she is sleeping through the night most nights) she will have one in her mouth and one in each hand. She quickly spits the one out in her mouth and gives me the biggest grin I have ever seen and kicks her arms in legs in excitement. I can't imagine there being any better way to be woken up in the morning!
Sydney has 3 teeth, fuzzy hair (its like a static ball), lean and lengthy, sitting, rolling and can take 1 or 2 army crawls before slipping. She tries to crawl then her arm falls out from under her after a step or two and then she just rolls to wherever she needs to get to.
We started giving her food a week before she turned six months because she seemed so interested in what we were doing at dinner. She likes her oatmeal better than rice cereal, LOVES vegetables, especially sweet potatoes and brocolli but hasn't been such a fan of fruits. I think I could have done a better job picking sweeter apples and pears but so far they haven't been much of a hit. It took her a little while to get puffs but now she loves them and will eat them by the handful.
Her brother and her are quite a pair. He sits and watches her and he dances, sings or plays with a toy to make her laugh and then he thinks hes pretty special. Its great to see them start interacting, and every night Samuel has to give her a kiss goodnight its sweet.
We took Sydney's six month pictures a few weeks ago and then turned out great. I have included a couple of them and the link if you want to see more.
I can't believe our little girl is already so big, the moments are going like double speed. Sydney has added such an amazing dynamic to our family, it warms my heart on how great this little girl is. Here are some of the pictures we have taken recently.

 Sam reading to Sydney, wonder what story he is telling her.

 Sydney with her typical open mouth grin

 Sydney with her aunt Gina. I think this picture is sooo precious

 Trying to pet Homer, she loves petting the dogs

 Fell asleep on the couch with dad, look how long and big I look!

 She thinks she already can feed herself.

 Sydney talking with her frog and sitting up!!

 Sydney's first foods

 Giggling with Papster

 First bath in my own bathtub!! 

Sydney finishing all of her food and clapping at herself she is so proud!