24 Weeks 01-31-08

Eating a "biter biscuit" (mommy calls them cookies) for the first time--I was SO careful! 01-30-08


I have found my tongue! 01-30-08


Eating my 1st cookie 01-30-08

24 Weeks 01-31-08

Lauren is doing a much better job of sitting up on her own. She's more steady, not leaning forward on her hands so much or tipping to the side. You can see how badly her poor cheeks look! I put Aquaphor on them in the AM and PM. They aren't so much chapped any more, but she does a ton of drooling. It doesn't matter if I stop feeding solids or not. They are typically pink.

Lauren has been trying to crawl more and more since her first attempts last Thursday. She's getting it more together. As she gets her front half to cooperate and moves her back end, the front falls down. I think that the cats are going to be her motivation to move place to place--she saw Jinx last night, started squealing, and just grabbing at everything in her path to move forward! (Jinx, true to form, tore out of the living room, pulling up hardwood floors on the way!)

Lauren will have her first fruit, bananas, tonight with her supper. I'm going to begin to introduce her to fruits to see how she does. She will be on stage 2 since that was what Sam's Club had tonight. I think she'll do fine. She enjoys her solids and tries (and succeeds at times) to steal food from my hands. So far she has gummed a saltine and a tortilla chip.

Little Leo

While reading a website for babies, I came upon the horoscope section. With Paul and I both being Leos, I think we pretty much know what to expect. However, this is what the website stated, my comments in italics:

The Lion
Your baby is full of joy and a real charmer. (Oh, yes!!) Expect lots of babbling, giggling, and banging as she tries to be the center of attention. (You mean that OTHER people exist?!) While it's fine to encourage these efforts, make sure you don't overpraise her. (That's a little hard...she's so cute!!) Your child needs to learn how to share the spotlight too (especially with her siblings). (Or cats.) Little Lions are big-time artists, so draw out your cutie's creative side. (Paul and I, not so much...Paul with his projects...) Give her crayons, finger-paints, and molding clay at an early age. (Just not in her bedroom unsupervised...)And make up stories and play dress-up to spark her vivid imagination. (Been there, doing that!)

23 Weeks 01-24-08

01-25-08 Sitting up in front of Daddy (who was there for support in case she started to fall)

01-24-08 23 Weeks

01-24-08 23 Weeks

At 23 weeks, Lauren is doing a LOT! She's trying to sit up on her own and actually has good balance. She tripods (puts her hands between her legs to keep herself up), but she's getting stronger. Lauren tried to crawl on Thursday for the first time! She propped her body up on her arms, then she tried to get her legs going. She pulled her bottom into the air while moving her legs--and her arms and uppper body fell to the ground! She's trying, though, and that is a really good thing!

Lauren found her tongue on Wednesday night. She folded it like a taco, made it pointed, stuck it out the different parts of her mouth, and even was feeling what she was doing with her tongue with her hand. She started to do all of this and try to talk, too. She's gotten more vocal again as well.

She's not been doing a good job of eating solids, so we've backed off for a while. I want to try again tonight.

Lauren has been rocking and rolling more frequently. If put on her back, it isn't long before she's on her belly.

Today at school, Lauren became very excited and interested in the family pictures posted in her crib. Apparently she was trying to pick up her Papa.

Snow Day 01-17-08

Snow Angel

Smiling in the snow!

I had a teacher workday today, Thursday, with a two hour delay. I got a call around 5:15 this morning from Lauren's daycare that daycare was closed, so we all slept in. When I got up and checked the internet, my delay had turned into a cancelation, so Lauren and I had a snow day! YES, a SNOW DAY in North Carolina!! After Lauren had her morning bottle, I bundled her up in her snowsuit, took Lauren out, and clicked a few pictures because it was starting to rain/sleet and I didn't want the snow to melt before we were able to get outside.

5 Months Old 01-16-08

Five months has passed so quickly! I can't believe how big Lauren has gotten! She has now discovered her feet and has been grabbing them. (She's also just discovered the keyboard on which I'm typing, and I"m trying to keep her hands from typing with me!) Lauren, for the past two weeks, has been able to pull out and pop back in her pacifier, but she cannot do this during the middle of the night. Her sleeping patters are still goofed up. She's been waking up about 4 times each night so we're having a hard time getting good rest. Lauren continues to eat well. She still eats cereal in the morning and a vegetable in the evening with a bottle. Lauren isn't quite adept at holding her own bottle yet, but she certainly tries.

Driving Miss Lauren

Driving along...

my face when I drive like Daddy...

I made it!!

21 Weeks 01-10-08

Lauren would smile and by the time the camera would take the picture, her mouth looked like she was simply opening it.

Lauren continues to blossom into such a fun young lady! She's constantly smiling and talking. She fusses in the morning when she wants to get up, but as soon as she sees either Paul or me, she starts to grin and talk. I think she's definitely a morning person like me.

We seem to be back on a schedule. Paul and I have been trading nights with Lauren. She's been going down to bed between 6 and 8:30, depending on whether or not she has an afternoon nap. She sleeps better when she does go down for a PM nap. Lauren typically wakes up around 2:30, 3:30, and/or 4:30, waking as early as 5 or as late as 7. We think it's her teeth that are affecting all of the changes in her sleep, so it makes getting a full night of sleep difficult. I'm also waking up automatically around 2:30, waiting for Lauren to wake.

Lauren still is doing well eating her cereal at breakfast and veggies at night. We tried to start veggies at lunch but she didn't do well, so we're going to wait another few weeks before attempting this again. I don't think that she was hungry enough between breakfast and lunch.

Lauren's new favorite thing is to pull my hair. She especially does this if I'm tickling her and my face is close to hers. She's also slapping everything with her right hand. And let me tell you, she isn't gentle! She smacked me across the face the other day when she was fighting sleep. Paul couldn't believe it!

Some of the talking that Lauren does sounds like she's mimicking us. It sounds like she says "hi" or "hey". The other morning, Paul held the gate for Lauren and me as we exited her room. I said to Lauren, "Tell Daddy thank you." And I"m telling it--it really sounded like she did! Paul's mouth dropped, as did mine, and we both said, "Did she just say thank you?!" She hasn't done this again.

Camera Ham 01-06-08

Well, it's true! Lauren has decided that she likes to have her picture taken! When she sees the camera (even when it's off, I tried), she'll grin! Here she is, wearing a little dress that she wore to church this morning. Not sure if she'll be able to wear the shell again, but she'll be fine with the shirt (both 6-9 months). Lauren was in a good mood when I decided to start taking pictures, but the big grins came when she saw the camera...we're in trouble!!

20 Weeks Old

20 Weeks Old 01-03-07. (Happy Birthday, Grandpa Wade!!)

Playing in her exersaucer. She loves those keys that are attached.
12-28-07

Just chillin' 12-30-07. She was just hanging out on her mat while Paul and I were having a conversation. She tossed her arms into the air, tucked them behind her head, and was content.

Eating her book 01-01-08

Cuddling with Mommy and Catlyn 12-31-07 (This was an exclusive picture for Justin!!)

Lauren has hit 20 weeks! She is growing too fast! I've been trying to watch and keep note of the things Lauren can do now. She has been eating cereal with bananas at school each morning and eats a vegetable in the evenings with a bottle. She really likes sweet potatoes, carrots, and peas. She still frowns at green beans, but if I give her a bite or two of foods she likes and pop in a spoon of green beans. She's now eating one whole container of baby food at a sitting.

Here are a list of things Lauren can do:

-Smile

-hold head up when sitting, standing, or playing on her belly or with her toys

-stand in her exersaucer and move herself around to play with different toys

-Help me turn the pages of her board books when we read. What is odd is that she tries to turn after I'm done

reading. It's as though she knows we have to turn the page to continue with the story.

-Resist sleep...

-Chew both hands at once

-Smile when she sees her bottle, spoon, or familiar toys, especially her butterfly

-Pitch a fit when she sees her bottle and has to wait for it

-Takes medicine well

-Smiles when she sees her inhaler for a treatment (and the doctor said to get her good and mad so that she's breath the medicine in deeply)

-Pet the cats without pulling their hair

-Pull my hair and Daddy's glasses

-Smile when she sees us, her teachers, or Aunt Suzy and Harris

-Flirt

-Shriek when happy

-Cry when Daddy sneezes or coughs

-Laugh silently when tickled

-Love music and rhythm

-Enjoys the sound of bells

-Get excited when seeing other children

-Look at the camera and smile when I tell her to

-Hold herself upright and steady when I carry her when I walk

Lauren is still growing like a weed. It's strange. On New Year's Day, I put her in 3 different outfits before I found one that fit her still! She grows out of the onesies because she's too long, but then the long sleeves begin to creep up her arms. Half the time she looks like she's wearing 3/4 sleeves! Her pants are getting too short. I need to continue to go through her 6-9 month and even 9-12 month clothing to wash in order for her to have enough clothes.