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.

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!).