Scary isn't it? actually it's a little bit of frustration on her part when it came to trying to take the little dolls apart.

she was running around... running around when I got home today. Bethy said that she got a hold of the wipee container and pulled a bunch of them out. Apparently she had one of them and was wiping the sofa and the table in front of the TV.... maybe she's seen me do it a couple of times.

She has been turning things over lately and I've been trying to discourage that a little bit. Its a little different than her trying to see what is under it... I think she likes to see the motion of things fall or something.... not something I'm trying to encourage.

She was playing with some toys today and her berry book was in front of me... so I picked it up and started reading out loud. She noticed that I was reading it and came over to me. I plopped her down in front of me and finished reading the book while she sat between my legs. Quite a happy moment. I think she knows that we all enccourage the reading and she's taking a liking/interest to it too. some good quality time!

She had a bath today and is slowly getting better about having water in her face as we either wet or rinse her hair from washing it.

Bethy made the comment to me that 9:00 seems to be her bed-time... we might try to put her down before, but she seems to wind down to that time with a little bit of consistency. Of course, it still greatly depends on her nap schedule and level of activity during the day, but we'll mentally track it.

The truly scary part of it all is how fast she has grown up. Now I can actually see progress when I try to teach her individual words!

The Alaska Trip Part II

Here are some more pictures from our cruise.

Lauren was helping me unpack for the cruise and saw her sippy cup. The juice was in a bottle inside but it didn't stop her from trying to drink from it. She loved playing around the luggage and opening and closing it. She was playing as we were trying to dress her...


They had a play room called the Under 2 Zoo. It had a bunch of toys in it that all the kids could play with. There were 22 kids under 2 on board. We probably met about 7 of them throughout the cruise. Lauren was happy to play, steal toys, share toys and run around this room with the other kids.

Playing with a ball and some aquarium thing with Mommy.

The purple shovel was one of Lauren's favorite toys to play with. The orange shovel got some Lauren time too.

Stacking the farm animals takes a lot of effort.

Another picture of her later on in the cruise. I think this is on the way to Sawyer Glacier.

Here is Lauren helping Uncle Greg smell her flower. She doesn't know that it does not need to be up his nose to smell it.

A candid of me and Lauren in Ketchikan.

In Juneau we went to the Alaska History Museum. There was a little room for kids to play/learn in.

Lauren hopping out of the kiddie chair.

June fitting in the kiddie chair.

Auntie June and Grandpa on the deck on the way to Sawyer Glacier.

Sawyer Glacier from afar. The captain did not feel comfortable getting any closer to the glacier as the waters were icy.

It was cold in Skagway so I bought some cheap gloves. They didn't have any baby gloves so we just stuck them on her. She really enjoyed them and was singing and clapping with the gloves on.

Naptime on the ship.

shhhh....

More pictures from Prince Rupert Island.

Lauren picking up a flower.

Running around with Auntie June.

Giving love to Uncle Greg.

Laughing with Auntie June and Uncle Greg.

This last photo is Lauren playing with a matrioshka doll that Grandma and Grandpa got her. She opened it on the ship and kept asking me to show her how to open and close the doll.

The Alaska Trip Part I

Ok we are back from our cruise to Alaska. Well we have been back for a few days but I have been trying to catch up on things around the house. Here are a few pics (20) from the trip that Grandpa took. I will probably post some others that Eric took on the trip tomorrow.

Our first day on the ship as we are boarding. Still warm enough for Daddy to be wearing shorts.

Greg and June at our first dinner on the cruise.

Mommy, Lauren and Daddy at the first dinner.

The next few are of Lauren on the first sea day playing on deck with Grandma and Grandpa. She looks like she is having a grand old time.

Hi Grandpa! This lounge chair is kinda cool!

Is there change under the cushion? Lemme check...

Maybe underneath the chair?

Ok, there wasn't any change, Let's go and do other things!

Our first port was Ketchikan, Alaska. It was overcast and we had a little rain. I knew it was gonna be a little chilly so I packed some of the hats she used during the winter. Luckily she still fit some of them.

June, Lauren and Greg posing right outside the ship.

Mommy and Lauren in front of a fake black bear.

Grandma strolling with Lauren. Hmm, what happened to her hat?

Lauren cheesing it for the camera in front of the flowers.
She was spoiled this trip as her Uncle Greg would give her a flower each day we were in port. She would let everyone smell her flower and then go into a death grip to hold on to it. No dropping the flower!

The second port was Juneau, Alaska. Grandpa didn't send any of her from this port but she was asleep for most of the time we were in port.

From Juneau we went on to cruise to Sawyer Glacier. It was a slow cruise up and it got pretty cold on deck. Hence you will see Lauren with her two hats. But Mommy forgot to bring gloves for her! We stayed out there as long as we could but it was getting cold and it was time for Lauren to eat dinner so Lauren didn't get to see the glacier from outside.

Playing happily on top of Mommy's shoulders.

Yay! Yay!

Daddy, Lauren and Mommy braving it out in the cold.

The third port was Skagway, Alaska. It was a cute little town. It was very cold and windy there.

Lauren and her little wind blustered face and wearing a lot of different colors. Is that a another flower???

The last port was Prince Rupert, Canada. It was a very nice day, very different from the other days on the cruise. Lauren got a little vitamin D and had fun running around in a park.

These two lens caps are mine.

The family enjoying the weather right outside the ship.

Woohoo! I'm freeeee!

Come on Auntie June, let's run up and down the field!!

Mmmm, are those blueberries Grandma?? They are my favorite!

Let me get a closer look at those things. Maybe I can just eat them without using my hands!

Some July 4th photos

Yes, these are posted way after the fact, but I thought everyone might want to see them anyway.

I don't know why Lauren is sticking her tongue out at Auntie June.

Always great to see a pic of Lauren and Daddy.

Mommy numming Lauren in her Gators shirt.

1 Year Appointment

Stats:
Weight: 18 lbs 10 oz (12th percentile)
Height: 29 inches (5oth percentile)
Head Circumference: (5oth percentile)

OK she is a little skinny but the doctor said not to worry about it too much since she is still gaining weight and she is growing. She suggested we make sure to give her full fat stuff, no lowfat anything for her. :P

She had two shots today which she cried pretty hard afterwards. Really big tears! After we took her out of the room and showed her the office aquarium and the clocks on the wall she calmed down.

Lauren showed off her walking and language skills to the doctor today. Dr. Kenney thought she had been walking for months. She of course shook her head no to Dr. Kenney when she was doing the exam. Dr. Kenney also said that most kids either walk early or talk early but she does both so she was impressed.

Words/phrases in her vocabulary to date:
up, down, bubbles, blueberry, grandpa, mama, dada, daddy, ball, tick tock, flower, what's this, who's that, mao mao, woo woo, cat, over there, balloon, auntie, one, jeh jeh, mum mum, red, ball, yay, bye bye, hi, apple

and then she was 1....

Ahhh... how time flies...

For me, it actually worked out as a really nice break from work as I've had a incredibly brutal last couple of weeks, but my boss was sympathetic to my cause of having to leave early because he's a good guy, and he has a little one that is going to be 1yr in a couple weeks as well.

Anyway... I got off work early to come home and play with the little girl, and go have some dinner with grandma and grandpa... Fenton's, what a surprise :)

It started off with Grandma trying to feed her some costco hot dog and that just wasn't happening.

Bethy ordered some fish and chips so Lauren would have something to eat along with the potato chips she was munching on :)

Happy and smiling.. .but I think she's saving that fish for later....

With Grandma and Grandpa!!!


Cookies are good too!!!

Three very important females in my life....



Ahhh... a long day..

Thanks to everyone for helping us to our 1 year with Lauren. She truly has been fun and I can barely believe that 1 year is done already!