Tuesday, October 16, 2007

2 Months Old!


I can't believe she's two months old already! The last month has just flown by so quickly. Lauren's turned from a blob (adorable...but a blob nonetheless) into a REAL person that reacts and interacts. She smiles, she gurgles, she coos, and I swear she understands when Peter reads Lord of the Rings to her.

I love every moment I spend with her, but if I can pick a favorite it would be the 15 minutes in the morning when she wakes up and after she's nursed. We recount the previous day's adventures, and plan activities for the day to come. She's really responsive now and her vocabulary includes consonants (mostly gaaah, kaaah, and woooh. Sometimes she throws in a howuuh and a neh) and a wide variety of smiles. I especially love the smiles of the wrinkled nose and exposed gums variety. I'm going to make sure that we don't lose this time when I have to go back work. I'll sacrifice waking up extra early so we can have our morning conversations.

Her favorite game to play with her daddy is what we call "pull-ups" where she grasps his fingers and pulls up to a sitting position. She LOVES doing this and her neck and shoulders are so strong that she never tires of it. She also flashes a melt-your-heart smile each time she reaches the top of each pull-up so her daddy never tires of it either.

She's now mitten free so I have to keep up with nail clipping which I'm getting pretty good at. She still scratches at her face sometimes, but we want her to learn that she has fingers and allow her to explore. She's always rubbing the side of her head, I think she likes the fuzzy texture of her hair. She still sometimes freaks herself out when she accidentally sticks a finger up her nose or in her ear. We still have to swaddle her for sleep because she wakes herself up when she flails her arms about and she sometimes punches herself in the face.

Healthwise, she's doing GREAT! She just had her 2 month checkup and she's progressing nicely. Her acne has cleared up, but she's got a couple spots of eczema near her ear and on her neck. Her thighs are plump and delicious and she has a birthmark next to her belly button. CUTE! Oh, and her ears are still hairy! I even shampoo them when I give her a bath.

Here are her 2 month stats:
Weight: 12 lbs. 3 ounces (75th percentile)
Length: 23 inches (50th percentile)
Head Circumference: 37.5 inches (50-somethingth percentile)
Longest sleeping stretch: 7 hours. It only happened once. Her average sleeping stretch at night is 3 to 4 hours.
Longest car ride: Fairfield. About an hour and 15 minutes
First Restaurant: Strings Cafe in Auburn
First Party: Uncle Davy's birthday
Favorite Book: Very Hungry Caterpillar and the Lord of the Rings (or is that Daddy's favorite book?)
Favorite Songs: Sampung Mga Daliri (Tagalog song "10 fingers"), Baby Bach CD
More Favorites: Pink Binky, yellow Blanket from Jane, breast milk, her "Friends" (the mobile over her crib...she talks to them before her morning nap), tummy time on her Baby Einstein Activity Mat, Auntie Sarah's shoulder, diaper changes (yes, she actually enjoys changing time), ceiling fans, and spending time with Grandmas.
Dislikes: Vaccinations, baths, being swaddled.
She can: Smile, push up her head and shoulders when she lays on her tummy, drive her daddy crazy with her coos and gurgles.

Now if she can only fall asleep on her own (we usually have to rock her or nurse her to sleep)....hopefully we'll have that down for next month's update.

Friday, October 12, 2007

Resistance is futile

"They MADE me wear this hat!"

Big Day Out #2

Emboldened by the previous week's outing, we took Lauren to UC Davis on Columbus Day to visit my laboratory. Before that, we had lunch with Uncle Tim at the Flying Pig.

The newest member of the IR4 family!


Hello there little person!


Thursday, October 11, 2007

Big Day Out

I guess we've been overcautious since Lauren was prone to infection when she was brand new, so we've been reluctant to take her out into the public. The only places we had been were Grandmas and the Doctors office. Last week we ventured out for the first time and met up with Peter's officemates at a restaurant in Auburn. It was big day for her and she did really well. Despite the noise in the restaurant, she slept through most of it, and when she was awake there was plenty of cuteness to go around. Here's Lauren with her daddy's boss.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Cuteness

Been super busy lately so haven't posted much. Just wanted to share some cuteness from the last couple of weeks.
She can smile now! Not just gassy smiles. REAL smiles that make my heart go pitter patter.


Oh No! Humpty Dumpty had a great fall...


"I found my fingers...and they taste pretty funky after being in those mittens for 7 weeks."


I feel pretty!
Oh so Pretty!

Bedhead

Baby Zits!

About 3 weeks ago, little bumps starting popping up all over Lauren's face. Nothing to worry about, just a case of baby acne, a sneak peak of what's to come 13 years from now when puberty hits. Her cheeks, forehead and chin were covered in whiteheads and felt like sandpaper. Apparently, mommy's hormones that are still swirling around her bloodstream causes this and it bothers the parents more than it does the baby. We had to hold off on taking baby portraits but now that it's cleared up we can go to Sears to take a cheesy portrait and get our free 8x10.

Before and After (All clear!)


Friday, September 28, 2007

Fun with ribbons...

The things mommy does to amuse herself...