Nap Time

The Stand

My poor Lulu threw up Linda Blair style yesterday. Thank God she's not like me when she's sick! Seems when I was little and sick I yelled "MY THROAT IS COMING OUT!" Ha, ha, ha, I try to convince myself that I am not as dramatic today, but the reality is I am a pain in the butt when I am sick. Anyhow, Lulu didn't even cry... she just vomited on me then laid in my arms. She didn't have a temperature or anything else. So we just took it easy yesterday. I didn't even go to my Girl Scout World Thinking Day event. She didn't eat much after that, a little egg and she also had a little water, she didn't want cereal. Then she napped for a good 2 hours. Then she was up for a long while, and this was my attempt to get her down for her afternoon nap... she's stand against napping. Two days ago she began to pull herself to her knees on the edge of the crib, then one day ago she started standing. We should have known it was coming since she stands at all the furniture, toys and dogs that come in her path. So before her 2nd nap yesterday Mr. Fix It* lowered her crib so that when she stands the bar is not at her stomach and we do not have a baby falling over the rail. She's less content with the bed being lowered, can you tell?

After Lulu finally fell asleep, I kept checking on her to make sure she didn't get sick again. At one point I was studying and I heard music. I went into her room to see what she was doing, when I found she scooted all the way to the top of the bed and hit the lullaby foot on Scout and went back to sleep. She was sleeping for so long that we ended up waking her up to feed her dinner, play a little bit and put her back to bed, which Daddy* does best. Before I forget to mention, we were telling her the colors of her stacking rings and say "yellow ring on" and "yellow ring off" as she plays putting them on the pole. I could swear yesterday she said 'yellow' and 'green' since she's been chatting more and sort of repeating sounds we make. A bit slow, but I think she's a lot like me very observant for quite awhile then makes the learning leap.

Growing So Fast!

Yesterday

Her little chubby cheeks are pink/red some days and normal others, I keep checking for more teeth but so far nothing besides the 2 in the top picture.

Today

I was holding her the other day on my lap at the table when she started playing her fingers on the edge of the table... so I have The Musician* take her over to his piano for daddy time.

I don't know where the time has gone, it seems like just a month ago I was complaining about how difficult she is and all the cluster nursing... then I blinked and although she is still a pill she's more and more independant by the week.

Crawling one day and pulling herself up to a stand about 10 days later. She's everywhere, opening & closing draws with the handles, spinning her top with the 4 animals and numbers, pots & pans in the kitchen... you name it!

On Sunday she was standing holding the chair, reached for her bottle and stood up with 2 hands on the bottle starting to drink, standing still... then she started to go over backward (I caught her). Walking soon would be good for me... easier for her to keep up with me walking from room to room, so she can pull at my pant leg.

We've been focusing on spending a good amount of time playing with her when we get in daily activities, and putting her in her crib around 7:30 - 8 pm. She's usually beat by then, and so are we!

First Word

"Ouch"

Sleeping with Mac (17 Febrruary 2010)

Lulu's first word was to say Ouch mimicking me! I guess she must hurt me a lot to have picked that word up of all the words used. She was pulling the little hairs on the nape of my neck on the 16 Feb 2010 and I said, "ouch" and then she said, "ouch" and then giggled. Of course it was cute and funny but so I will have to work on teaching her that it really hurts when I say it.

Oatmeal

Lulu's sleep schedule last night bed at 8 pm up at 12am, 2 am, 4 am and 5:30 am... what a rough night for us all! The next morning she was being a real pill, cranky and tired. She only wanted to feed herself, so she grabbed the spoon from my hand, and then as I was trying to get control back the oatmeal bowl had her other hand in it and she was stuffing her food in by hand then rubbing onto the hat and of course the high chair.

Oh boy, she's just like her Mommy!

Our Little Pianist

Lulu's Lullaby

Happy Valentine's Day!

Birthday Flowers

Thanks everyone for the flowers and all the gifts!

Valentine's Day Cards

Playtime

Fireside Dog





Lulu turned 8 mos old this past week, and oh what a joy she's been. She's finally into a healthy routine of eating with us, napping & regularly having a bed time.










Last Sunday she made her first crawling movements forward, but Monday & Tuesday she was mixing forward & backwards and becoming pretty frustrated. Now she's non-stop moving forward. She regularly loves to be in her walker and playing piano.










Her 4 favorite toys are her stacking rings, her Scout the Dog, her Mac the Monkey & her stacking cups. If music is playing when she's playing with her stacking cups she'll clap the cups together with a decent rhythm. She started pushing her ABC Snail around (it has wheels) keeping on all 4 wheels, but her wheeled aligator usually only makes it into her mouth.

She loves to drink water from her sippy cup, and to hold her 4 oz bottle on her own. She seems partial to having formula in a bottle and water in the sippy. I stopped nursing her 3 days ago, and she seems happy still.










She started giving the open mouth baby kisses too, it's so cute!





She's very chatty and I think I hear Mama & Dada... but I think they are just sounds to her.

She started pulling herself up to her knees at furniture a week or so ago, but yesterday she was attempting to pull herself to her feet and stand in a bent over fashion... but it's always for a short duration because then she crawls off to the next thing. Usually making her way after a cat or dog.

She's Growing So Fast

Thursday - Lulu has been going to bed early this week. This has been nice so that I can also get some things done. However, it also means she wakes up early... before me! So she's up and moving around at 5-5:30 am daily along with a certain amount of crying for being held and cuddled with. I am glad to have some extra time with her despite difficulties getting ready with a needy child. This cute purple outfit came this week via Auntie Reenie and the California Troop, thank you, so cute!

Friday - Sporting Puma wear and Blue & Pink Mary Jane's from Auntie Joanne, Lulu was up at 5 am ready to conquer a new tune on the piano while Mom made lunches to go.

Saturday - Waking up at 6:30 am in my ever so cute monkey PJ's from Nana, we watched a movie in bed (Whip It w/Drew Barrymore). Then we were up and doing things... I can't quite remember. However, I did put together this new mobile and finished reading some chapters with homework,.

NASA photo mobile

Saturday - One of Lulu's favorite places is in the walker. Since she gets around so well, and we pushed our kitchen table close to the front windows so that the walker doesn't fit in that area. It opens some floor space for the walker to make it all the way to the piano where Lulu has found her fingers and a little singing.

Other news...

Monday Lulu spent the day with Tracey and her boys, where they had a great time and I learned that I still don't have enough toys to entertain my daughter, gez! She played a fair amount of Peek-a-Boo and spent time getting pushed around in a stroller, and her little fuzzy head rubbed. I am so, so, so thankful for my friends!

Her second lower incisor started coming in and the other is more prominent (easy to spot now).

This morning Lulu woke at 4 am and didn't want to sleep. Eventually, I was playing airplane and holding her and I was BIT on my shoulder. She's been a lot of fun now that she can move around, so many things to do here: dig in the trash, pull out the newspapers, spin the office chair, chase the animals, lift the soup cans in her reach, play the piano again... she's so cute.

This afternoon we went to Tiffany & Dan's house to watch the Superbowl and she started to crawl forward!, yea! When we got home we had her crawl again for this posting... of course it took a little coercing since she has a mind of her own (so unlike her Mom!).

A Random Evening At Home

Can You See It?

Having a Fit... BUT Still Cute As Can Be!

Just Playing

Asleep At Last

Getting Around

Crawling backwards, sitting up, rolling to a new position... getting around is fun!

Lulu's 1st Tooth

My Tooth

Her first tooth came in Jan 21, 2008. It came in rather quietly without drooling, rashes, ear aches or crying... so glad! She wasn't so happy with my trying to get a picture of the tooth. You can only see the top of the tooth sticking though just a millimeter or so.

Friday 5am

A Little Texture

While I am making lunch she wanted to have some lettuce (it was cleaned). She of course couldn't really eat it with one tooth, but she enjoyed playing with it until I took it away to use.

Waiting for Mom

I put her in with her toys in the morning while I am doing things I cannot hold her to complete. She didn't mind yesterday, but some days...eek, the screaming!

Lovin' It!

New Carpet is Awesome

I tried to fit the pictures together so you can get an overall peek at the new carpet, but still the light from the window messes up the photo in the middle. Anyhow, it's great to have nice clean carpet, and a place that I know Lulu can play without me worrying.

Kid Approved

A long week for us. Lulu is still crawling around backwards, and rolling to get where she wants to be but she's lovin' the new carpet also. Lulu's broke a tooth this week, her lower incisor. I am so glad that she wasn't fussy or in any pain! She's been a lot of fun lately chattin' up a storm and diggin' eating meals at the table with us.

Happy Me!

First, of all I passed my mid-term with and "A." Second, I got my living room back, which also means I got my dining room back! I performed a couple facials, manicures and brow waxes this week, and got a few facials and manicures too... they are amazing! Third, I have been getting BIG dramatic hugs from my little girl (see cookie hand print on my shoulder), I love it!

Relaxing

The Carpenter* has completed the carpet, and is taking a well deserved break after taking care of Lulu all day today while I was at school.

Still loving the horse!

Tickes, giggles and gurgles.

The Woodsman & His Daughter

A Sled Ride Around the Farm

A balmy 20 degrees today Mr. Wilderness*, Lulu and I went out for a short xc-ski. Lulu's first sled ride in the Christmas sled from Grandma. She loves the outdoors. We started by taking a test run around the front yard before we went around the trails in our woods... next week we'll trek out on the lake.

Almost Through Week 1

A Week In Pictures... sort of

The Carpenter* worked on laying out carpet on Monday while I was in school, and Lulu was in day care... this was a few pictures while we were getting prepared to roll it out.

The carpet is down but not taped yet... cutting around the hearth is taking longer than expected, then The Carpenter* went back to work and we're still waiting on a floor outlet that shipped last weekend. The goal is this weekend to get it down this weekend, move the furniture out of the dining room and the baseboards out of the hallways/kitchen.

Lulu & Harvey both like laying around on the floor.

She is so close to crawling!!! SO CLOSE!

And she does the cutest wave, not quite sure if she's picked it up at Daycare with all the kids waving good-bye and hello... or if she's just still pretty into her hands. This week she's pretty into her feet!!! More than before, now she like to put them in her mouth when I am changing her diapers. It's funny.

After an evening with avocado fed by Daddy* she passed out in his lap. Of course she woke up when I put her in her crib!



The walker is one of her favorite places to be next to the horse. I inadvertently put her toys and books (thanks Tiff!) on a shelf at her reaching level. She scoots right up to the shelf and grabs what she wants and plays with it for a bit then tosses it over the side, watches it and gets something new.

AND unfortunately she also found the garbage can this week! She decided she liked to tilt it toward her and see what is inside, then close the lid, then open the lid, then close the lid... etc. I had to clean it when I couldn't get her to leave it alone.

Thursday 6 am in morning... we're up and playing before we have to run off to contend with the day. She really loves being on the floor nothing is there but her toys and the dogs and us... so 100% play time with her parents must be exciting. This evening we were playing with her and she was up on her knees again and she scooted forward both knees at one time.

This week besides nearly crawling, waving, she also has been playing a lot with her tongue. Sticks it out, rolls it, points it and makes clicking noises. I was worried that she wasn't using consonants often and she doesn't often babble... but now it's more regular and I think I hear her screaming Ma when she's frustrated. She does say Mmmm a lot when she eats, and gugugu.