Life with Sydney Harper: Sydney update ~ 9 to 12 months!

Ok, so once again it's been 3 months since I last updated what's been going on with us. I really enjoy updating all of our family and friends but time escapes me and before I know it Sydney is about to turn 1 and I don't know how the heck that happened so fast!? I apologize again for not keeping everyone updated more often. The following post has tons of pics to recap Sydney 9 months-12 months, since the last time I blogged. A lot has happened and in the past 3 months!

The below goes in reverse order starting with our recent trip to Hawaii a couple weeks ago. I went to support an event for work and since Seth has to take off when I travel anyway to take care of Syd, we decided to just all go and I am so happy we did! Seth hadn't ever been to Hawaii and of course it was Sydney's 1st time as well. I have been only for work but haven't ever extended my stay to sight see and experience the beautiful island. We stayed in Honolulu, at Waikiki for the first 2 nights which is close to the store where my account is. This area is very tourist driven and sorta feels like Rodeo drive on the beach. It's really nice, but you don't get the sense of what the real Hawaii, untouched by commercial buildings and sprawling hotels, is like there. It's more about the restaurants and shopping on Waikiki. The hotel was booked for Saturday so we had to move and decided to go to the North Shore of Honolulu which was a great idea. We stayed at a resort called Turtle Bay which was located on a small peninsula surrounded on both sides by the ocean. We got the true Hawaii experience and it was amazing!!! The sights were breathtaking and we definitely were far from the overcrowded overbuilt tourist part of the island. We stayed there for 2 more nights, extending my stay by one day so we got Sunday to explore and be together in the Hawaiian sun!! Here are the highlights of the trip.

This was actually taken at the airport on the way home. I really wanted a picture of Sydney with a Lei on so luckily we were able to do it before we headed home. She was happy too as you can see!

This was in a little town in the North Shore. This rainbow was huge and so bright in real life. It was a little rainy on Sunday, but we were still able to walk around outside. The temperature was in the mid 80's all week so it was perfect! We also had the best fish tacos in this town! I am craving them now as I type! Yum Yum!!

These next couple of photos were taken at the pool at Turtle Bay. It was so cute to see Syd just chillin' with her baba looking out at the beautiful ocean view. She seemed so content and happy!

This was amazing! We went to turtle bay where huge sea turtles habitat and saw several of them up close within a just feet of us! We met a volunteer there who is part of a group who are there morning till night every day volunteering to make sure the turtles stay safe as this is a huge tourist spot (some days he sees close to 1000 tourists!). There are laws that you have to stay at least 6 feet from the turtles and he makes sure people do so. He told us about 30 turtles live in the bay and range from 150-250 lbs. The females grow to be the biggest. At first the blended in with the rocks, but as you looked you could start to see them moving as they got closer to the sand and then eventually a few of them came up and munched on the algae. The "turtle guardian" said in the afternoon they come all they way up on the beach and lay out in the sun.

Mama and Syd checking out the view at our hotel in Turtle Bay.

This was our view at the Sheraton on Waikiki. It was pretty amazing too!

Dada and Syd hanging out at the local Aquarium while I was working on Friday.

This was at the International Market Place on Waikiki. Syd had that rattle for about 5 minutes before she dropped it and it broke. :-(

Halloween 2010!! As everyone knows this is the Goldstein's favorite holiday! We saw this adorable lamb costume for Syd and had to have it. Seth then had the idea to be a slaughter house worker to make her into lamb chops. I had to protest this idea so I dressed up as a PETA protester. Somebody had to be a voice of reason in our family!! We went to our dear friends Farrah and Eric's for a Halloween/Birthday party for their son Louis. He turned 2. His actual birthday was 11/16, which was Sydney's due date last year. So they are just over a year apart.

From left: Farmer Eric, Anti-dressing up Louis, Indiana Jones Kevin, 1920's madame Farrah, Seth the slaughterer, Syd the little lamby and me the PETA protester/hippie girl

Louis about to get his first real taste of sugar...

I'd say he liked it!!!

Louis, Syd and Molly

Our sweet little lamb baby!

Caught in the act!! Actually we let her have at it with a magazine. She loves to tear paper up so we just let her have fun with it. Amazing this tiny little person made such a big mess!!

A week before Halloween we went out to Moorepark (about 1 hour out from LA) which is a farm community and went to the Underwood Family Farm and Fall Harvest Festival. It was awesome! They had a petting zoo, hay rides, corn field maze, pig races and lots more. We went twice that week. On Sunday they had 8100 people come through!! These pictures are from Tuesday and there were hardly any people there so we kinda had the place to ourselves. It was great!!

Syd and Dada in the center of the corn field maze.

I wasn't sure if Sydney would be able to ride the pony's yet, but she was and she absolutely loved it!! There was a harness around her waist and the pony's were strapped to the walker, so she was secure. The girl walked with her the whole time except for this photo op.

Such a big girl!!!

Just chillin after a long day at the farm!

This little goat was only 2 weeks old and SO cute!! He was running and hopping all over the place, so he was hard to catch, but eventually she got to pet him.

I love this pic of Syd sitting back watching her Baby Einstein video. She has her favorite toy in her hand, her microphone.

Syd's nanny Kathleen dressed her up for fun and she was so excited! She matched her ballerina teddy from Nana!!

I just love this picture!!

Sydney and her friend Benjamin who lives down the street, hanging out at the park.

Louis and Syd

Syd in her first pair of big girl jammies, thanks to Auntie Elise!

The following pictures are from our trip back home to Indy at the end of Sept.

Syd and her Grandpa

with Pappy

with Aunt Tonja

Syd with her 9 cousins on my side. It was so great to see them all and have them meet their newest cousin too!

Syd with Aunt Sunny and her cousins Cassy and Gerald.

My niece Leah

Kristin, Syd and Leah

Syd with Grandaddy Roy

Seeing how many hair clips we can get in all that hair! She was a good sport.

These next pictures were taken by a professional photographer back in August on Malibu beach. Syd was 9 months old.

These next photos are from Allison and Pete's wedding in August, in Las Vegas. We took Sydney who was the only baby there, but she had a lot of fun at her first wedding and did a great job with being thrown off schedule staying up partying with Mama and Dada!