Rock 'n Roll

After trying all week, Lauren has finally rolled over. She had Mommy dress her in aerodynamic digs (love this cute onesie!) - and away she went. Her method: a little head tuck to the left, nose at the floor, arm under, and a steady swing of the legs. To see her in action, click here.

How much....

.... is that kitty in the window? I'm happy to report that the cats have stopped waking us in the middle of the night. Not sure what changed, but we won't question a good thing. Now we just need to curtail their jumping onto the counter tops.

A Real Page Turner

Lauren is catching up on her reading; though this book doesn't actually have any text... Lauren has received several wonderful books as gifts, and we are enjoying bed-time stories almost as much as she is.

Surf's Up

Bring on the boogie board. Lauren really loves being on her tummy these days. It also seems like she is just itching to roll over. When we lay her on her back, she often twists to the left and tucks her head. But alas, she can't yet make it over without a little push.

Hungry Hungry Hippo

There's nothing like a little pink hippo to help satisfy those mid-morning munchies. Lauren is taking a short break from her play time for a little snack. She is definitely staying awake for longer periods of time now, but she does still enjoy a good long nap here and there (as does Mommy). Oh, and a little bit of trivia: Do you know what year the Hungry Hungry Hippo board game was introduced? Click here to find out.

To Quilt or Not to Quilt

I'm finally thinking about starting on my first quilt. I purchased these fabrics (from Denyse Schmidt's Flea Market Fancy collection for FreeSpirit) last year, and they've been sitting on my desk ever since. This week while my mom was visiting, she helped me figure out the measurements I'll need, and I just finished washing all the fabrics. I plan to use a simple 4" block pattern for the piecing, and I'll figure out the quilting design later (I would like to try machine quilting). Wish me luck!

Say Cheese

Lauren had her first professional portrait taken today, at the local JCPenney's. (Here, you can see her practicing her smile at home.) We had a coupon for a complete package of photos for $8, so we decided to give it a go. Amazingly, she didn't cry a bit; even when the photographer posed her on her tummy in a bed of fake roses.... Lauren really wanted to do a few outfit changes during the shoot, but we told her she could only choose one - so she sported a pink polka dot ruffled onesie for the event.

Cunning Cats

The cats' naughtiness seems to be reaching an all time high. Not only have they continued to wake us during the night, but they keep jumping up on the counters. Gross. And the squirt gun doesn't even seem to faze them.

Sleepyhead

Lauren slept in till nearly 8am this morning! Simply incredible, and quite a change from her 4am wakings. And (!) the cats didn't wake us either. I wonder if this is just a fluke, or will become a trend. To be continued.....

Companionship

"So, let me tell you about my day....." Lauren had a fun-filled day yesterday. First, she went to dim sum, where she met up with some of Mommy's friends. Then, after some napping, she went to dinner at In-N-Out (Mommy's choice), and then on to some browsing at Lowe's and Home Depot (Daddy's choice). What fun :)

Rave Reviews

Two things really impressed me this week.... First, if you're in the market for some new running sneakers, you've gotta check out runningwarehouse.com. I was looking for some sneakers, and and had tried on several pairs at various stores. I decided on the Asics Nimbus VIII (oh, so comfortable!) and then did a quick web search to see what I could find. Running Warehouse had the cheapest rates by far, ~33% less than the major retailers. Plus free shipping (and returns), no sales tax, and I received them in less than 48 hrs from when I placed the order. How can you beat that?

Second, we made the recipe for the pacific pork kebabs from this month's issue of Everyday Food. I will definitely make them again - just a simple grilling glaze of honey and pineapple juice, over skewered pork tenderloin and red bell peppers. And the rice side dish, with fresh ginger, scallions, and diced pineapple, was the perfect accompaniment. Delish.

Fuzzy Wuzzy

Lauren's hair is finally starting to come in on the top of her head. Good thing, we were afraid she'd be a baldy forever :) Regardless, I can safely say she won't be needing a hair cut for quite some time.

A Recipe or Two

Tried 2 new recipes this week - both from the April '07 issue of Everyday Food. The first was for tabbouleh, which turned out tasty and very colorful. It was my first time using bulgur - pretty easy to prepare, and very healthy. The second recipe was roast chicken with potatoes, lemon, and asparagus. It was actually relatively simple to make with minimal prep work (just a long cook time), and I was surprised how flavorful it was. During the last 10 min or so of cooking, you lay lemon wedges on top of the chicken, potatoes, asparagus and amazingly everything is flavored perfectly with the lemon. Very good.