What it's like to be a Sydney-- a year and counting!

Sydney had her 1 year birthday yesterday. Ryan and I keep wondering how she could have turned from 1 month to 1 year overnight!!! I went through the possibilities in my head, which include:

1. An angel came down and made Sydney grow because her spirit was too advanced for her body. (Not too likely)



2. She somehow got her hands on some growing pills. (I wouldn't put it past her)



3. We live in a twilight zone.

I'm personally opting for scenario 3, but hey, it's totally up to you to decide. No matter what the explanation though, it has seriously gone too fast! Sydney is such a joy to be with. She is entertainment enough for anyone. It would be ridiculous to have a televison around with such a goof right in front of us. We constantly wonder what we must have done in the pre-existance to have recieved such a choice spirit. Which brings me to my next topic... because our little one is growing up so fast, we have decided to have another (for those of you who didn't already know). It--he or she, we don't yet know-- is expected to join the happenin' Hancocks on February 1, 2009. We are SO EXCITED. And nothing but. This one has made me more sick than Syd, but it's totally worth it! I've been blessed with a husband who does more for me than is natural, so you know, I've kind of made out like a bandit.

Here is a video that I made as a tribute to Sydney's first year. I was going to put it right on my blog, but it didn't want to load, so just click on the link instead...
http://www.onetruemedia.com/shared?p=65e405891876763a1f9399&skin_id=701&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url

These were Sydney's pictures from the last year, but I also wanted to make a brief note regarding the things we didn't catch on camera.

• Syd really likes to put things in her mouth...STILL! I've given up the battle. By this point she has eaten paper, half a black bug (I'm guessing some sort of beetle), half a sweat bee, 3 day old string cheese, grass, tree leaves, various flower petals (no need to worry--we made sure none were of the poisionous variety), chapstick, hair found on the floor, and many many other things. Needless to say, these are just the things that I have seen her eat. At least she has a pretty strong immune system.



• Sydney has a really high pain threshold. She has done the following without a single whimper: fallen and smacked her head, been pushed over by an oversized toddler, caught her fingers in a drawer, and been whacked in the face repetedly by our neighbor's dog's tail (if you can't picture that--trust me, it's hilarious!)



• Sydney is also an intellect. She has a drawer full of board books that she will go to on her own and sit down/read them. It's really funny actually because I'll be in the room next to our bedroom (of course the house is baby proofed) and I'll hear Sydney laughing and jibber-jabbering to herself. When I go in, there she is turning the pages and "reading" the book outloud. Who knows to whom? I have a feeling she's going to be one of those tea-party-with-stufffed animals kind of girls.



• Sydney thoroughly enjoys being chased. Even though she always gets caught, she still thinks that she can out-run us. Oh, blissful ignorance.



• Sydney thinks it's hilarious to untie shoes (mind you, one's that are actually being worn). The only problem is this: when you live with a 93 year old woman, and your baby can untie shoes, but not retie them, you spend a good portion of time tying old lady shoes.

• Sydney loves to play the piano. She'll get up on her tippy toes and plant her hands up on the keys. It's pretty funny to watch because she'll play a couple of notes and then look back at whoever happens to be there in need of approval. As soon as I say, "Good job, honey!" She gets this huge grin and goes back to playing.

• There is so so much more, but I don't have time to write it all.