4 weeks and 40 necklaces later...

Last month Lauren started in a Montessori school. It was a little rough for her the first week, but she is now more comfortable and is enjoying herself. Her favorite school activities (aka 'work') are making bead necklaces, gluing, sweeping the floor, and 'nature' walks. And she also likes to find out what I've packed in her lunch box each day :)

Weights and Measures

Cole went for his 9-month check up last week, measuring 17 lb 2 oz (10%) and 28.5 in (50-75%) - up a pound and an inch from his last vist. We also learned he has an ear infection, which was the reason for a lingering runny nose/congestion :( That hasn't slowed him down much though - he's learned to sit, crawl, and pull himself up in the last month. He loves to grab anything in reach (e.g., Lauren's hair, a pair of sunglasses) and is quite squirmy when it's time to change his diaper or clothes. He has two teeth so far, and many on the way - what a drooler! He started day care last month, and continues to be a very happy baby - enjoying peek-a-boo, laughing with Lauren, and a good tickle.

On Second Thought....

Lauren wanted to wash Elephant and 'White doggie with black spots' along with her weekly laundry, so she tucked one on either side in the washer. But before we even closed the door, she changed her mind and pulled them out... That doggie is really due for a bath though.... it's probably time for a swap with one of the 2 backups we have on hand :)

Here Comes Trouble

Cole kicked off the new year with a bit of a forward crawl... and the rest is history. He's becoming quite speedy already, and is especially fond of the tile floor, the TiVo, and any of Lauren's toys (which usually results in 'No, mine!').

Santa Sighting

We went to the 'Winter Wonderland' event at work this morning, and everyone had a blast. Lauren was a little reluctant to sit on Santa's lap, but Cole was just plain curious, and grabbed ahold of the beard to verify its authenticity. Lauren decorated a cookie, got her hand painted, and did several craft projects. Cole got a reindeer-antler balloon hat, that he wore proudly - at least for a few minutes. The highlight for Lauren was 'seeing Santa', although she still can't seem to figure out what she wants for Christmas....

Chocolatey Goodness

I found this recipe for Double Chocolate Cookies earlier this year, while searching for a chocolate cookie recipe to use for ice cream sandwiches. They are delicious - crispy on the outside, chewy in the middle, and not overly sweet. The only modification I made was to subsitute dark for milk chocolate (just what I had on hand) and to reduce the bake time to about 12 min (found they were a little too crispy at 15 min). The only drawback is they tend to dry out after 3 days or so (even when sealed in an airtight container), so you'll either need to eat them all up or share with a friend :)

Checking In

Cole went for his 6-month check-up last week - logging in at 16 lb 2 oz (10-25%) and 27 1/2 in (75-90%). He has a healthy appetite, and has sampled a few baby foods now; peas and sweet potatoes are his favorites, green beans, not so much. He loves to roll over, has been practicing sitting up, and likes to say 'ba, ba, ba'. He just got some pictures taken at JCPenney (shown here), giggling all the way. And Lauren likes to greet him in the morning with 'Good Morning Big Boy!'

Pumpkins and Puppies

Halloween 2009 was a lot of fun. Lauren picked out the cat pattern for our pumpkin carving. She wasn't too fond of scooping out the pumpking guts though - 'Oh, man!' she said as she helped empty out the inerts (albeit very slowly, one seed at a time). She was excited to wear her dalmation puppy costume for her party at daycare, and for trick-or-treating on Halloween. Cole and I handed out candy, while Lauren and Daddy hit the neighborhood to collect some Halloween loot. Even though she practiced saying 'trick or treat' at home a lot, turns out she preferred to do her trick-or-treating in silence... Ah, maybe next year :)

Incentive

Getting Lauren ready in the morning is a long process... There's a lot of stalling, indecisiveness, and 'no's. So we gave her a little incentive to keep her moving along - the promise of a sticker when she finishes all 5 of her morning tasks (potty, change clothes, breakfast, sunscreen, and brushing her hair). We still experience a lot of stall tactics, but she does look forward to that sticker - which she peels off and sticks on her shirt right away. And amazingly, it usually remains stuck on all day.

Just 3 months left....

till Christmas arrives; I'm not sure I am going to finish this project. I have all the 'ornaments' completed (still one more set to post), but the calendar looks like more work than I thought. Plus, I want to do a slight redesign which will add some 'additional' time - which I don't have much of these days :)