I stole this picture from Suzy's blog of Lauren and Nick kissing! We'll have our work cut out for us keeping these two apart!

18 Month Appointment

Lauren had her 18 month well-check on Wednesday. She actually lost a little weight from Jan. 31 to Feb. 18, but it wasn't much. She weighs 23 1/4 pounds and is 31 inches long. She had to get 2 shots yesterday (one in the arm and one in the thigh). Paul went with us and held her while she got her immunizations. Lauren was NOT impressed. She was really hot and sweaty afterward because she fought Paul and cried so much from the shots. However, once I held her and finished dressing her, she walked out of the examination room and stopped crying immediately. She had a good night and ate fairly well. Dr. V. said that Lauren is growing on the curve nicely, even though she's small, but we have to take into consideration that we aren't that big, either. We are good to go until August's 2 year old check (yikes!) unless any illnesses creep up.

Oh, How Quickly She Grows!

Feb. 7--We went over to the Cadwallader's to visit and see Cara. It was a really nice day, so we took the kids outside to run off some energy. Lauren and Harris found the dump trucks in the garage and wanted to play. When they got bored playing with the trucks, they chased Nick on his bike and did flips with me.

Feb. 7--Harris and Lauren were playing on opposite sides of the glass door, kissing each other. Nick got in to the game and the kids had a great time until they started banging on the door.

Feb. 7--Lauren and Harris, friends in yellow and blue jeans. It is extremely difficult trying to get two toddlers to look at the camerat at the same time.

Feb. 9--Lauren has fallen in love with the gnomes Grandpa McCaslin gave us for our 1st anniversary. Any time we walk up the front steps where the gnomes sit, Lauren goes over to the, puts one arm around each gnome, and kisses them. It's adorable!

Feb. 12--Lauren has become quite the climber! Paul tore apart our bedroom to care for the floors. He rolled up the bedroom carpet to put in the living room during his cleaning rampage. When left, it became Lauren's climbing tool for the couch. She's also managed to use the arms of the couch to climb up on the back like the cats. It's a bit unnerving at times because she moves quick!

Feb. 12--This is Lauren's more evil face. I see this face when she's calculating whether or not she should do something she knows she isn't allowed to do or when I discipline her and she doesn't like it. This is the face that is going to cause me trouble.

We went to Aunt Marsha's in South Carolina for Valentine's weekend. We had been trying to get down to see her and to help her around her house. This was a time when we all had a free weekend to visit. Here are some pictures from our visit!

Feb. 14--Paul was playing with his camera lenses and filters. He got this adorable picture of Lauren on the sly.

Feb. 14--After dinner, we made cookies. Lauren was so intrigued by watching them bake. Lauren enjoys watching food bake in our oven, too, so we're having to watch her closely.

Feb. 14--"MMMM! Cookies! Hurry up and bake!" Feb. 15--Aunt Marsha insisted upon getting a family picture of the three of us. Funnily enough, it was in the bathroom that we all congregated.

Feb. 15--Aunt Marsha, Paul, me, and Lauren, posing for a picture to send Grandpa McCaslin.

Feb. 15--Lauren and Aunt Marsha snuggling before we leave for home.

Feb. 15--On our way to Aunt Marsha's on Friday, we went through the town of Laurens, SC. Lauren was alseep when we drove through or we would have pulled her out to get pictures of this backdrop lit up against the night. Here's my little poser in front of her name.

Feb. 15--"Unca" Josh and Lauren snuggling. Josh was upset that Lauren wasn't just staying put like she did at Christmas (and two weeks ago) for him. But he got the lovin' he could get!

Feb. 16--AHH! My child is exactly 1 and a half years old! I cannot believe it!

Feb. 17--I stripped Lauren's usual bedding a few nights ago to wash. I pulled it out of the dryer tonight before bedtime. Lauren saw it, shrieked, and grabbed it from me. Here's a shot of her that says to me: "Can I go to bed now, Mama? Please?!"

Lauren goes for her 18 month appointment on Wednesday the 18. She's grown so much and is such her own personality. We're seeing temper tantrums daily (usually multiple times). She's gotten a pattern down with throwing herself on the floor and just opening up her lungs. It's a fun time.

Lauren's up to about 45 words now. She's putting two words together and babbling sentences (that are pretty long). Her favorite phrase is "Jinxy Cat".

Jan. 25--Lauren LOVES her Fridge Phonics. However, I'm worried that some of the 80's influence may come back to haunt us...here's Lauren jamming to the Alphabet Song on her Fridge Phonics! Yeah, ABC's!!! (Can you see the mullet yet??)

Jan. 27--Lauren has become an adept builder. However, she's much more effective and thorough when it's time for demolition!

Feb. 2--Lauren and I had time to kill, so I decided to polish our toes! We both have on one coat of lilac. Lauren thinks she's something special and just about loses it whenever her bare toes peek out!

Feb. 3--Mommy, Cara Cadwallader, and Lauren. Cara was born on Feb. 2 at 2:56 pm. She weighed 7 lbs. and 12 oz. and was 20 3/4 inches long! It's funny to think that Lauren and Cara were just about the same size. I don't remember Lauren being so tiny! Cara and her mommy are doing great and are resting at home with Nick, Chris, and Harris. All are getting along well together and enjoying their complete family. Cara is a great eater and sleeper, despite the noise from her big brothers! We're going for a visit on Sunday to go through Lauren's old clothes and things to see if anything will work for Cara.

Feb. 3--"I want Daddy's cell phone! I want a Pepsi!! I want to go!!" Lauren was ready to end our visit which was about 45 minutes long. For not being in a good mood and being stuck in a small hospital room, she did well.

Feb. 6--Lauren's first (and only) mohawk! Her hair was really spikey at first, but when I ran to get the camera, it had fallen. However, my little one was grinning away! Yea!

Feb. 6--Look at all of those curls! Lauren would not stay put for me to get a good picture of her hair, but you get the idea. However, I've found that if I brush her hair out,

her hair still curls but not well. Feb. 7--Lauren toting her new favorite book--a picture album with pictures of her older cousin, Alyssa. It's uncanny how family members can resemble one another! Alyssa would have been about the same age as Lauren in some pictures--I'll just have to scan a picture of Alyssa for comparison!

Lauren has just exploded lately! She's gotten so tall that she can now place things on top of the stove and that makes me incredibly nervous. She's able to pull things off of the table or counter tops if they aren't pushed back far enough. She's just so curious and gets into everything. We keep praying that she doesn't get hurt, but in the end, we know that will be the only way she'll learn.

Speaking of which, when I picked Lauren up from daycare on Friday, I was told, "Now, Lisa, don't get too worked up, but Lauren was outside on the slide today and did a backflip off. She came in to the office. We snuggled, she drank some of my juice and had a snack, and then she went back out to play." I had to stifle a laugh. Her teacher thought she'd broken her neck, but based on an evaluation of her, as well as her attitude, she checked out as just fine. I think the fall did her well because she ate incredibly well last night and this morning (she hasn't been for several weeks) and she's been happy and fun. Maybe something was jarred in a good way.

Lauren's a dancing machine! She loves to listen to any music and dance to it. Country, rock, classic rock, classical, toddler music, toy music--anything that catches her fancy causes her to jam. She's really learning how to swing her hips back and forth. She just cracks us up when she gets going!

Her language is really booming, too. We're up past 40 words and phrases.I 've been keeping lists of the words she has. Since my last post, she's picked up "Good God" (that was an enormous slip on my part), "eat it," "Jinxy Cat," "apple," "chocolate" (sound like 'cock-it), "chicken," "keys," "baby" (came just days before Cara arrived!), and "eat". I"m really impressed with her 2 word phrases. She also says, "Ha" when she sees food that steams for hot and when it's cold out, she says, "Brr!!" She's such a mimic! We're having to watch ourselves VERY carefully now!