Just Random Days

Side By Side

My Little Twinkle Toes

Lulu's 1st Birthday

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

A picture is worth a thousand words, these say she loves ice cream cake!

Big Gift

The Piano

At least an hour past her bedtime and Nana couldn't wait any longer to open Lulu's gift for her. So after it was open I am pretty sure she was awake 2 hours past her bedtime, hamming it up as everyone applauded her playing. She's so cute!

The Cheese
Look at her go, kicking her feet into the air and playing feverously.

The Cousins

Lulu, Penny & Bell wishing they were allowed to play the new toy, but smiling for the camera anyhow.

A Week Goes So Fast

Last Sunday a Couple Hours at the Lake

She watched The Lumberjack* chop up some trees/branches and walked around exploring a little but never to far from Mama.

A Fish In Water

Once we walked on the dock that was the end, I could hardly hold her from jumping in the lake. So barely able to get off her clothes she jumped, cold water and all.

She wanted to walk all around and touch all the rocks and mud... eventually she got a leech on her foot and I had to call it quits!

Dressed Again But Not Happy About It

Breakfast with BB

She refuses to part with BB and Mac when she gets up in the morning... for the past week. This morning I could even get the bear away from the highchair! She's eating eggs, cheese and banana in case you wondered.

Practicing a Little B&E

Our kind friends pasted along some puzzles their kids outgrew. This board has a series of locks on it. We leave it in the bay window to occupy her time when we're eating (and she's done). Then last Sunday we went to Nick's birthday party (8 yrs old, WOW!) where in the go-home-gift-bag was a water pistol. What are the chances she held the pistol correctly and started playing with the locks?! I was lucky to snap a picture.

A Birthday Gift from Aunt JoanneShe opened the gift, sort of, and pulled out a few cute new outfits, a piggy bank, and a few other things.

5/27/10 Lulu starts to point when she wants things. Still not talking much, but is using consonants and vowels... not worried, she does have sentence structure mimicking. I can tell she knows a lot of words, and what they mean because I can tell her to look at things or pick something up and she can do it... she doesn't always want to though.

I was making pizza, so rolling the dough and patting/slapping the dough when she was eating in her highchair watching me. Then she stared to make the same patting motions... so I used that opportunity to sing Pat-a-Cake with her. It sure made the song make more sense to me after all these years!

She's such a ham, and will do anything to get a chuckle out of us.

I've been going through the animals on puzzles and pictures/books, etc. Trying to correlate sounds like "Meow, meow, I am pretending to be a kitty." So I was in the dining room with her when I asked, "What does a doggie say?" and she responded "huhuhuhu." LOL, she was panting like our dogs do! Guess they don't bark that much!

5/30/10 We were going to pick up some fence panels in Perham yesterday listening to the radio when a Joe Walsh song came on. Prior to that song she was dancing in her little swaying way and slapping her knee to the beat... but as soon as that song started she started yelling and putting her hands on her head while squeezing her hands from the top of her head to her jawline a few times. I didn't know what was wrong with her until she stuck her 2 index fingers into her ears to plug out the sound. She hates Joe Walsh!

5/31/10 Since Lulu was little I started using some sign language with her, trying to potentially make my life easier. Awhile ago she started to use the sign for finished/all done... but never does more than that sign until this morning. She ate a bunch of food and looked to just be playing with what was left on her tray so I asked her if she was all done... and she used the sign for milk. I thought she may have just confused the signs so I repeated the all done sign with words again... and she signed for milk again. So I gave her milk & she was very pleased with herself!

Later when I was eating she came over to be picked up (trying to get her to sign "up" too) so I picked her up and hugged her saying "I love you" and for the first time she said it back to me. Ok, maybe not in exact letters/words but she used the same syllables and letters very close to I love you since it was unmistakably like it. I then set her on my knee and was talking to her and said "who's at the window" to which she replied "doggie." She's very smart, just doesn't use many words the sinker!

In my effort to stop the running toward my legs and flinging herself whining I am teaching her to say "Up" (with words and sign)... she was giving me nothing! I mean she already points it's not that much different, gesh! So just when I was starting to think she doesn't pay attention to me whatsoever, she flings herself at my legs crying to be picked up and I say & sign UP as I pick her up... then as shes on my hip and immediately stops fussing she then signs UP... or she was pointing at the top shelf my bookcase!? Gez, who knows.

My Cookie

A Little Something Sweet Although she wasn't acting so sweet while eating the chocolate cookie I brought back from Aimee & Nick's Lemonade stand. Thank you for the wonderful snacks!

Lulu Runs Away
After the cookie she was pretty upset that I had to wipe her face and hands, and well let's face it at 11 months old she's acting a bit like a 2-3 year old having tantrums and scream fests... oh the fun! Anyhow after she was irritated with my picture taking (hence the pointing) I cleaned her off and put her down. Once her feet contacted the ground she made a B-Line for the front door and opened it.


Are You Kidding Me!

It was windy outside so it shut right away (and quicker than she walks anyhow) and then Mom locked it while she thumped on the door yelling I took was able to get this picture. Look at the stink eye I am getting! We've had a couple nice days outside and I am thinking she's pretty done with being on the inside looking out.


Meanwhile...

The Weatherman* was up on the 70 ft silo changing the battery in his anemometer.

Notice the black speck is a chicken.

The new red wagon for Lulu by the house. She put clothes pins in and out of the red wagon while The Mechanic* worked on the truck and I worked preparing the garden for the tiller.

And YES Penelope... it's your little red car by the tree! She was either tired or having a fit because she could figure out why it didn't steer as well as the golf cart so she didn't really play with the car.

Walking

She walks slow and deliberate.

It was last Saturday that she really started walking from chair to wall, to dog, to ledge, to window... but know she's cooking along. Yes I am bribing her to walk with Cheerios because when she sees the camera she seems to get angry... stinker.

A Summer Drive

We let her steer around the house, she likes it.

This week she's become fond of sticking her face under the water when she takes a bath. She also likes to stick her face out the window when we drive around the property. She has the same silly happy look on her face.

A Piece Of The Puzzle

Eating Cheerios and putting puzzle pieces into her snack cup!

Little Lulu has a new wagon.
Tata, Nana & Lulu at the airport.

Nana & Lulu during the car ride. They both fell asleep holding hands.

Lulu's front central incisors broke on Friday. Saturday morning she started walking to get from place to place... it's so cute how she takes baby steps.

Lots of tantrums this past 2 weeks, you'd think she's been taking queues from 2-6 year olds.

She's been saying a lot of new words too! Oh the fun starts now.

Sleeping Beauty

She sleeps like I did when I was a baby, on her tummy with her butt in the air.

I want to type so much more but I am too tired.

Lulu started blowing her little runny nose. I put a tissue to her nose and squeeze (gently) her nostrils and say "blow" and she does. So cute, and useful.

My Cinderella

Starting chores at an early age!

If she can stand, she can sweep... JUST KIDDING!

So

First Steps

Lulu has taken her first steps today. She took 3 steps at Day Care so unfortunately I have no pictures or video. Later at home she took one step for me, but again no pictures.

So.... coming soon, video.

Thankful For...

Standing Unaided

Happy Easter!

A Basket of Easter Fun

In no time flat she located the on/off button on the Bunny-In-A-Basket.

Brushing Our Teeth

Keeping Some Pearly Whites
She loves to copy what I do... which I figure there's no better time than now to practice good dental hygiene!

Trip to the Twin Cities

Down the River and Over the Bridge to Grandmother's House

J

Smiley Girl

New Walking Toy

Sesame Chase

While hanging out in the living room playing yesterday Lulu and I were petting the cat, Sesame. Lulu hasn't learned yet to be gentile with the cat so she'll take a few pulls, grabs from the Little One* but only for a few minutes at a time. Once Sesame escaped she went to lay under the chase lounge, when the Lulu crawled right over and with one had shoved her keyboard out of the way, then she began to crawl under the chase lounge after Sesame. She got a little stuck, but didn't seem upset about it... maybe because I was crackin' up.

A New Tune

Lulu's Dancing & Accompaniment

Zooming Back to Play Some More

As a surprise this I had the Music Man's* piano tuned today. So when he got home from work I had him play us a tune while little Lulu was dancing and playing.

A Quick Post

Little Lawnmower Lady

Lulu and I were looking for toys she could walk with when we came across this lawnmower, sure it's not very sturdy for learning to walk but the real lawnmower noises sold me... and her too!

So Happy Together

Just hangin' out together... yes I have black circles under my eyes. Lack of sleep from all the waking up to crying in the middle of the night... she looks well rested though!

I checked her stats at 9 months, 27 lbs & 29 inches.

Baby's New Balance Sneakers

We went out today and picked up these sneakers so that she can learn to walk with less ankle twisting. Size 6, but she was actually a perfect size 5 but that left no wiggle room.

Oh... 1:30 am and she cries out... I am off.

9 Months Old

Where has time gone? It was so slow when I was home alone learning to be a mom, but now it seems like everyday she does something new, and something funny.

Note to self: Just give it up and pack the 12 month clothes up because they are too tight on her shoulders!

Walking Hippo

Hungry, Hungry Hippo

Video is 2 min (approximately), she's been pulling herself up for a couple weeks. Improving her balance and letting go for anywhere from 10 to 60 seconds. She's been walking holding our fingers for awhile but now she's really trying to step out on her own. Tiffany found this hippo at a garage sale, and we had a dozen blocks and the girls gave us their blocks so now there are a ton, and only 2 duplicates. These were her first steps with a walker, versus me or Daddy* helping her.

This is my favorite jean jacket and her skull cap!

I Already Forgot

Ein Boot

Little Lulu Button can always be found with one missing boot (hence Ein vs Das but if you don't get my joke just don't worry about it, but she does have some boats)!

This is Lulu playing in the morning while I pack a lunch.

Toys, Toys, Toys

As usually it's been a really busy week, but whose hasn't right? It's been so busy that I forgot most of the things that went on but lets see if I can remember anything...

Lets start with the above picture. This is the general state of our living room, toys, toys, toys. I didn't realize that all her toys are now in the living room until she was in her room standing at the toy box reaching in to find it... empty.

She is pulling her self up on all surfaces such as: books, boxes, shelves, toys & dog hips. Some of these items don't provide her with much height but I don't think she minds. She sideways scales all the furniture, couch & chairs and moves cushions I use to keep her from the rocky hearth.

She's already figured out our baby gate, crawls right up to them, leans back on her heals and opens it up. Well I guess I was really trying to keep the dogs anyways!

She thinks is funny to pull my hair. She mimics words sometimes when we're talking to her. She laughs when My Handsome Man* and I are talking and start to laugh, you'd think she was in on the conversation. She started cuddling randomly, not just when tired.

Oh, the drool! I don't feel another tooth coming in but she's drenching bibs, so maybe?

Lulu was cruisin' in the walker this week. She was playing with her dog Scout when he fell to the floor (honestly she probably threw him down), in any case she decided she had to have him so she started chasing him with BIG steps as he was effortlessly clinging to the front of the walker from the kitchen to the dining room.

I have been looking for a new doctor, and in the first time in years it's made me miss Boulder, because I know that I can find a medical doctor who practices alternative treatments. And a little part of me misses that winter would be about over by now.

Girl Scout cookies arrived this week, so onto the money collecting part portion... it's never been easy, and I have high hopes for this year going smooth. Maybe we'll even collect money from the parent who didn't pay us last year?! I won't hold my breath. We're set for Sleeping with the Sharks at the Mall of America this April.

As for me, class this week was good... passed tests with A's. Yes, I am tooting my own horn. Not that anything is extremely challenging but the amount of work all at the same time takes quite an effort. I hope that is not insulting to anyone, I am sure the fact that I am now OLD helps me studying wisely (ie, I don't have to study things I know from life, or most Latin root words).

Met with the owner of the place I want to work, and I found out there will be some other complications beyond what I knew initially. I knew I needed a salon manager to work under, I was trying to come up with solutions besides working in an actual salon. During our meeting I learned that he's been meeting with the owner of the school I didn't go to... which means I would be a last resort employee, if one at all! I am trying to come up with other solutions, or trying to think if there is some niche or opportunity I can bring to the situation besides experience, skills and passion.

I've had a little sinus thing going on for about 10 days and I am hoping it is about over. Judging from the hacking fits I have... I think it's going well.

I love, love, love my Laptop! One thing I didn't think I would miss after IBM... wrong. Oh, just heard another 1000 in Rochester, MN were let go so I need to get on the ball talking to the state about a special program since there may be some people applying for help now.