'The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. So I sat in the house All that cold, cold, wet day.' 
These sweet potatoes aren't half bad! Lauren tried her first flavorful food today. She didn't offer much reaction, but nearly all that went in stayed in. However, about half way through, she decided she'd had enough and scrunched her face all up every time the spoon came near her mouth. We'll see what she thinks about tomorrow's menu.
Lauren tells Teddy all about her 6-month check-up last week. How she weighed in at 14 lb 9 oz (finally surpassing Chester), measured to 25 1/2 inches, set a new personal record for number of shots at once (5!!), and learned she now gets to eat real (?) food. What a day.
Lauren loves to sport her shades. This photo was taken during a recent outing at a local park. She had fun playing airplane with Daddy, and watching the kiddie train that circles the park. Next time we visit, Lauren wants to ride the train and the merry-go-round too. Yippee!
Over the last few weeks, Lauren has developed a taste for her thumb, and sometimes the other fingers work just as well. She's not that much into thumb sucking though - she's more of a nibbler. But regardless, the activity is normally accompanied by a good deal of slobber - ick :)
This is the third molten chocolate cake recipe I've tested (found it in a Kraft Foods magazine) - and it is by far the easiest AND best tasting. All you need is one mixing bowl and a whisk (no mixer needed), and I used a Ghiradelli chocolate bar (60% cacao). Recipe can be found here - enjoy!
Lauren's 'scary pumpkin' impression gets top marks. She had a fun time on her first Halloween, handing out candy with Daddy. Not a huge turnout of trick-or-treaters this year, but that just makes for more left-over candy!
She's not quite ready to crawl, and can't sit up on her own just yet, but Lauren seems very anxious to fly. 'Daddy, clear the runway. My wings are spread and I'm ready for take-off!'
Lauren demonstrates her stretching sequence. She and Daddy have been training for a 5K this weekend, by a daily morning jog (and stroll). She reminded us to load up on some carbs, and early to bed tonight - so we'll be at our best for the early morning race. She doesn't want us to hold her back; she plans to win (at least in the 0-1 year old age group category).
Would you look at this? There's all kinds of fun waiting for me outside the walls of this crib! Now I just have to plan my escape. Maybe my crib pals can hoist me over the walls? Hmm, maybe not; it's a long way down...
Lauren has been working on her new yoga moves. This is one of her favorite poses - any excuse to touch her toes. Next, she'll be working on the headstand, 'Salamba Sirsasana', but that may take longer to master.
Has anyone seen my other shoe? It appears to have gone missing. Riley and Chester sometimes roll around and rub up against our shoes in the shoe pile, but we don't usually find them trying them on. I think Lauren's shoes may be a better fit.
Lauren seldom laughs a typical laugh - she instead lets out really high-pitched squeals of delight. But yesterday, she saw Riley stroll by (while waiting for his dinner) and she thought it was so funny. She let out a long loud chuckle, that made us all laugh right along with her - ha ha ha :)
Gross you might say. Ah, but to them, this is brotherly love at its best. This is a rare moment, as these days I'm more likely to see them engaged in a brawl, than all cozied up on the couch. I suppose it was time for a bath.
measuring 25 1/4 inches long. She had lots of fun squirming and rolling around on the table while waiting for the doctor to come in. And, she took those shots like a trooper. Amazingly, she hardly cried a bit. We attributed that to the nurse's technique, which seemed a bit more gentle than (even though not as quick as) last time. Oh, and Lauren would like you to take notice of her cool purple dinosaur band-aids.
Mommy makes sure I fasten my seat belt when I swing in my baby papasan, or bounce in my bouncy chair. She may even start strapping me in when I get my diaper changed. That's because I like to squirm - it's so fun.
When Lauren is especially fussy and crying, she seems to respond really well when I sing to her. However, when the singing stops, the crying starts - but singing indefinitely is a bit impractical. So Stew came up with the idea to record my voice, and play it on a loop using the MP3 docking station. We tested it last night with 'My Favorite Things' (her most frequent late-night request), and it actually worked pretty well. I'm not sure I will use it though; it seems too sneaky :)
It seems Lauren has entered that stage where she is easily distracted while feeding. She sips, then looks around, talks a bit, smiles, then sips some more... Hopefully she'll outgrow this phase soon, and be able to eat and take in the world around her, simultaneously.
Awh shucks Mom, a little turtle won't spoil my dinner! For the last 4 nights, Lauren has slept for about 8 hours straight. We are all very happy :) And she usually ends up on her tummy - just can't resist that urge to roll.
This recipe (from Woman's Day magazine) for chocolate chunk cookies is quite unique. It is really simple, using a devil's food cake mix as the base. Add in an egg, butter, vanilla, some water, semi-sweet chocolate chips/chunks, and drizzle with white chocolate for a little garnish. I would probably give them 4 out of 5 stars - great chocolaty flavor, and very nice and soft in the middle, but they seem to dry out quicker than normal cookies. But, they were sure easy to make....
Gotta love those big pink lips... Fish lips (along with the requisite fish lip noises) always win lots of smiles with Lauren; as does one of her new favorite songs, 'On Top of Spaghetti'. Who knew it had 6 verses?!
The meal turned out quite tasty. Once again, cooking from one of my favorites, Everyday Food, I (we) made pan-seared filet mignon, creamy spinach, and slow-roasted tomatoes. For dessert, I tried to recreate one of Stew's favorites - molten chocolate cakes. While they turned out absolutely delicious (served with a side of vanilla ice cream), they were more souffle-like than I expected, so it was difficult to plate them, as the bottoms clung to the ramekins even though they were amply greased. Next time, I will try this recipe, which uses a little flour, and no egg whites.
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.
.... 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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.....
"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 :)
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?
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.
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.
Lauren usually drifts off to sleep gazing into the eyes of her little cow, Lola - a gift from Lauren's grandparents. These cute stuffed animals originated in Belgium, and there is a whole line of different Noukie characters.
The cats enjoy a good fight every now and then. It typically starts innocently, as a little game of pat-a-cake, and often both front paws end up off the ground for a full blown fight. May even see tufts of hair fly into the air...
Lauren had her 2-month check-up at the doctor this week. She weighed in at 10 lb 12 oz, and measured 22 3/4 inches. (She initially got measured at 23 1/2 inches by the nurse, but the doctor remeasured her and gave her a 3/4 inch deduction). She also got her first big round of vaccinations - 5 (!!) in total, which included 4 shots and one to drink. I was so impressed with how quickly the nurse gave those shots and applied the band-aids. I bet she's had a lot of practice.
What else, but a little more baking. While these blueberry muffins appear pleasing to the eye, I wasn't too impressed with their taste; they were a little dry. Not sure if it was the recipe itself, or if in my perpetual state of sleepiness, I mismeasured an ingredient... entirely possible :)
With trusty Sophie by her side, Lauren finds swinging all the more enjoyable. Sophie was a gift from my mom and dad, from their recent trip to France. This little giraffe is all the rage in France; apparently all the French babies have one. Oui, oui :)
The scene: Mid-morning tummy time on the Gymini, for a few rounds of head lifts to strengthen those neck muscles. The result: Lift my head? Forget about it, I've found my hands! Yum, yum - tastes good!? Every time Lauren stumbles across her hands now, into the mouth they go :)
Lauren loves her adorable plush puppy, which she got as a gift from one of Stew's former classmates. It's so soft and cuddly, and it's personalized too. No sneaking off with it Mommy and Daddy; I'll be watching you!
With the cranberry scones all polished off, it was time to bake again. Love these meringues (recipe from my mom) - with the added bonus of miniature chocolate chips. Mine turned out slightly chewy in the center, which is how I like them. According to the Wikipedia entry, meringue cookies are also referred as 'forgotten cookies', since they are usually left to dry out in the oven overnight. Too funny.
Lion? Elephant? Where did these toys come from? Lauren just discovered her bouncy seat has toys hanging from it - as she is now focusing on small, closer objects. She fixed her gaze on the yellow lion for quite a while.
Here is Lauren patiently posing for her photo shoot. Mommy, that's enough already! She is beginning to smile more and more. And she has also muttered her first 'coos'; we swear she said 'Laurrrr-en', when prompted. Hee hee - to judge for yourself, listen here :)
I think our cats are becoming a bit jealous of baby Lauren, as they seem to be seeking more attention. Their daily ritual typically includes the following: scratching on our bedroom door sometime between 3-5am, pulling open our shutters in each bank of windows to peer out, jumping up and sitting on the kitchen table and counters (yuck), and using the pack & play as a scratching post. Naughty, naughty.
Lauren is definitely becoming more interactive, following our voices, playing, etc. And she often seems quite intrigued by the big black camera we keep pointing at her. She requested for future pictures to please lose the bib though, as she doesn't find it very flattering :)
Woke up on Sunday and decided a nice batch of buttermilk cranberry scones would hit the spot. Love this recipe which I got from my mom - and we usually add some white chocolate chips or chunks to make it even better. Have been trying to resist the urge to eat too many at once....
Lauren seems to enjoy her playtime more every day, and for longer periods of time too. The Tiny Love Gymini is lots of fun, with a great variety of toys and sounds. Didn't have this stuff when we were growing up :)
Would you believe Lauren already has her own iPod playlist?! We just got an external iPod player (+ charger, radio, etc.) for the nursery. It's similar to the iHome, but a less expensive version from Costco. I like that it comes with a handy remote. Lauren's already got her favorite songs loaded up, so she can groove to the tunes from her crib.
