Dirty

Our little girl was actually dirty for the first time this weekend. I know it is the first of many times that her hands will be black and her knees will be crusty. Until now, she was "dirty" under her chin from formula, on her bottom from, well, you know what, or on her face and arms from whatever food she was eating. The kind of dirt I am now talking about is actual DIRT. I cleaned her off with a wet wipe before she sat in her car seat. I wonder how long that will last. I bet not long. John is not a fan of his "little girl" getting dirty but I assured him that for about the next 15 years she would be dirty and to get used to it. I know what he means though. The thought of scraped knees and elbows, bumps on the head, dirt in the mouth. None of those thoughts thrill me either and I too want to protect her, but here comes the dirty finger nails, dirt in her hair and ears, stains on clothes from grass and very little we can do to stop the growing up process. Not that we want to entirely, but here comes a new stage again and just when we were trying to get used to the fact that age one is fast approaching.

The miracle of the sippy cup

Just a few days ago, the sippy cup was a big mystery. Now, Lauren is using it like a pro. Tipping it up and everything! When did it click? When did drinking start making sense? I just need to get used to the fact that she is growing up. One more thing, I am glad they don't spill. At least not much...

30 something

I always wondered what it felt like to be 30 and now I know. Not much different than 29 honestly. These are my thoughts: I have a wonderful family, handsome husband who is a great and loving daddy, handsome father, beautiful mother, gorgeous and "famous" sister who makes me laugh EVERYDAY and two wonderful brothers-in-law, a truly happy marriage, a beautiful, healthy, funny, awesome baby girl, a job that doesn't make me cry, a cute dog, fat cat, nice house, good health, great friends all over the country-side, plenty of food, drink and merriment to go around, a cell phone that doesn't let me down very often, "new" coke, pasta, dedicated readers of my blog and 60 or so years to go enjoying those things.
Life is good and getting better everyday.
Keep looking up, the best is yet to come.

OK. So I lied...

I thought I was done shopping, but apparently I was, until now, unaware of the pull that one-year toys have on parents. Books, clothes, puzzles etc. It's like a sickness. Truly. I am now done and will only be buying Christmas presents from now until December.
Unless...

Pictures/18 days and counting

Today Lauren and Daisie had pictures made and let me assure you, pictures went SO MUCH BETTER this time. Daisie doesn't like pictures in BIG studios. Private ones are fine. She did very well today at Sears. It is very hard to believe the girls are about to be 1. How?
Birthday shopping is getting out of hand. There are so many neat things and I am trying to not buy everything lest I leave no gifts for anyone else to give. I am done shopping. Since I put it in black and white, I must mean it. Maybe...

Meltdown...

Today we had our first public meltdown. We were at the store and Lauren, clever little devil that she is, decided that chewing on the strap, ment to hold in a baby, was the ideal chew-toy. (Kinda' makes her sound like a puppy. Sorry.) I disagreed. When I took it out of her hand the first time, I got an irritated grunt in return. As I did the second and third times. By the fourth time, I decided to unbuckle her, fasten the straps where she could not reach them and continue shopping. Little did I know that this was the breaking point for my normally wonderful shopper. She WAILED!! and Wailed and wailed!! I always wondered if parents were even the slightest bit concerned by what other shoppers think. Trust me. They are. But what do you do? I gave her something else to play with and all was well.
Truth be told, the meltdown was just a warm up for what is to come, but I will hopefully be ready...

Books & DVDs

Besides the standard "Good Night Moon" and "Monster at the End of this Book", we have started to read some others on a more regular basis. "What Floats", "Who Lives in the Pond" and "Water, Water Everywhere" all by Baby Einstein. She wants them read over and over and over. She smiles and talks and waits for you to read them again and again. I know I am repeating myself, but I am getting used to it. I am getting used to it. Also, she has a favorite DVD. Couch tate tot from the beginning. She likes Baby Galileo. She smiles and stops to watch the WHOLE thing. Amazing...

Scary!!

The little barrettes that people put in babies hair are DANGEROUS! I am talking about the barrettes that are metal and shaped with one end wider than the other and they snap and bend closed. Speaking as someone who now has experience having to beat a child on the back to make her breathe, two times in fact to get her to make any type of noise, made her spit up and then realized she choked on something I put in her hair. I am telling you, the barrettes are cute but so not worth a trip to the ER with a hysterical mother (that would be me). She had to have a chest x-ray to be sure the barrette was not in her lungs. I didn't even realize that was a possibility. I am glad I called the pediatrician. Although, before I talked to the nurse there, I was a lot calmer. John had to come home from work. I hope nothing like that ever happens again. I know it will, but a mom can dream can't she? The worst part, but really the best part; she was sitting in my lap when it happened. She just got really stiff and I looked at her and that's how I found out. What if she had been down the hall? What if...

How amazing!

I can ask Lauren where my nose is and she points to it, she says, "Itty" and "Oggy" (or what I imagine that's what she says) when the cat and dog walk into the room, mama and dada are also common. This little person who grew inside of me is now her own person. WOW!!! Walking won't be far behind then there will be no stopping her. Like there is stopping her now.
She is so fast and strong willed. The other day, she was beating the cat and I said, "Lauren stop hitting the cat." She looked straight at me and did it again. John said, "Lauren NO!" She burst into tears. That was the first of many times. Seriously, she had the saddest look on her face. I promise I will try to not let that sad face sway my discipline efforts, but seriously. Who teaches babies to cry so sorrowfully? Tugs at the heart strings I tell 'ya!

Baby "food"...

No matter how much I try to clean, pick up "stuff", and keep Lauren safe, she finds EVERYTHING and promptly puts it in her mouth. Leaves, sticks, fuzzies, fur, hair, pens, cords, the cat... EVERYTHING!!! I knew that would happen, I didn't know however how angry it would make her to retrieve the items out of her mouth.
That leads me to stress about our upcoming dental appointment in just a few months. June to be exact. Unless the dentist has some sort of magical trick, I have no idea how he will get her to open her mouth for a cleaning and flouride treatment. I bet I will be a very important part of that. I am not looking forward to holding her down for the appointment. John holds her for vaccines. Maybe I can get him to go to the dentist as well...