The Birthday Party

It's been almost a week, but here are pics from Lauren birthday party! We had a great time! Grandma and Grandma Holm, Great-Grandma Holm, Grammy and Grampy T, The Siebrechts, The Harringtons, The Walls, The Burns - including Kendall and Dylan, The Rydstroms - including Lexi and The Kirwans all helped us celebrate. It was a great afternoon, unusually cool and not humid for July in Iowa. We got to hang out in the garage and play outside! Lauren thought it was BIG fun to get messy in her cake and she was a little leary of the presents until they got open! She got a lot of music makers, which is right up our Dancing Queen's little alley!

Here are some pics!

Tomorrow

Sunday is technically Lauren's last day of being a baby! On Monday she'll be one....where does the time go?

A year ago today we were at home, between hospital stays for the attempted and eventually failed induction. I remember being so tired from the night in the hospital, but yet feeling so peaceful because I knew that my baby was going to be here soon. It took another two days and some theatrics, but she got here safe and sound!

Now, the house is quiet - except for the roar of the tractor pulls at the fairgrounds. Mike and Lauren are sleeping and I am reflecting on the last year. It has been simply magical. Lauren was the ideal baby...need an example, the first night Mike went back to work after she was born was the first time she slept through the night. I find myself sitting just watching her. I like to watch her squat when she is playing...for some reason that just seems like such a big girl thing to do. I like to watch her watch things and drop things on purpose just so she can say "UH, OH"

The house is also clean and awaiting our friends and family that will be here tomorrow to help us celebrate. All the items are crossed of my list. I know that I forgot something...but if I did - who cares. Tomorrow is all about celebrating the life of my baby - Lauren Kathryne - who won't be a baby any more...

PS - there may be tears!!!

In the Fridge

I know, I know....2 posts in one day...but I caught Lauren in the act of standing in the fridge and had to share it with everyone!

Daily Changes

You would think with all the time I have off (haha) during the summer that I would be updating our blog more...but the time just seems to slip away every day. I think it is because I spend so much time marvelling in all the new things that Lauren is doing every day! It seems like every day a new thing is going on. Since we have been back from Ohio we have been very busy. Here's a list of things Lauren has done since then:

1) Standing up in the crib and playing and jumping like crazy...she just realized that you don't have to love flat on your back in the crib!
2) Saying dad and dadda - Mike can finally stop complaining!
3) Saying Hi - she paired it with mom this morning for "Hi Mom" - ESPN here she comes
4) Climbing - this morning she pulled herself up on the first ledge of the refridgerator by using the handle on the veggie drawer. The fridge is her fave place to play
5) Taking steps with a toy or sliding the chair across the floor!Eating Lucky Charms for breakfast - she actually ate the grain parts and only played with the marshmallows. They get very sticky (BTW) and we went directly to the bath tub after this one!

Now that the crib isn't just for laying down, this is how she fell asleep for her nap the other day!

Playing in the fridge and trying to step up on the ledge (mastered that this morning)! Blue ring fits between the top drawer and the bottom one - so glad I didn't spend 6 hours tearing the house apart looking for blue ring before I discovered that! I don't know if you can see it or not, but her "cerchunka" (aka thunder thighs) are also on display in the pic!!!

11 Month Update

We missed Lauren's official 11 month birthday because we were on our wonderful trip to see family in Ohio. We took the picture as soon as we got back on Sunday. She weighed in at 27 pounds! She changed so much this month. She now has 6 teeth - 4 on top and 2 on the bottom - and has two more bottom ones working through! She is completely mobile and into everything! She isn't walking unassisted, yet, but can with a toy or your hands! She is talking more and more. Lots of "momma" or "mommom" - whether she is referencing me or Julie. She also has "mamma" down pretty well to reference grammy! I have also heard things that sound like grandpa, please, thank you and up. Hope every one who is able to can join us at her birthday party on the 19th!

First Haircut!

With two snips of the scissors, Lauren took another step toward big girldom. She had two pieces of hair that were constantly in her face, so while we were at Christy's getting my haircut today we took care of Lauren's, too!

Look what I did at school today!

This week I have been taking a multimedia class. One of our projects was to complete a photostory. Of course, I chose to encapsulate Lauren's first year of life. Needless to say, its a work in progress and I envision myself frantically adding photos on the morning of her birthday!



Here it is: