I wish I had known how much I was going to miss Lauren sleeping on me every night. I know I'm going to need to teach her to fall asleep on her own soon, but I'm just not ready to give up cuddling her to sleep yet.

4 months old

Dear Lauren,

You're 4 months old, baby! 4 months! You're getting so big! You have your 4 month checkup in a few days and we'll know just how much you've grown. But you keep growing into and then out of new clothes, so I'm excited to find out just how big you are! You've been learning so much and so quickly lately, and you just astound your father and me with how smart you are. Watching you discover new things makes us so happy.

Learning and playing: You are so smart, baby love! It seems like you learn something new every few days. And you get so excited when you discover something new! You love the tummy time toys we got you for Christmas, and as a result you actually enjoy tummy time now! You rolled over again on December 20, and when you saw how excited I got, you got the biggest smile on your face and let out the cutest giggle! You're kind of sitting up on your own now too! I say kind of because you can sit up without me holding onto you if you're on my lap, but if you're sitting on the floor you lean waaaaay forward for awhile, and then tip over. Seriously, you are so cute! Your favorite toys are your play gym- especially the butterfly, your pink giraffe, your bunny, and a little fish rattle. Your eyes light up when you see them and you get the biggest smile on your face! Speaking of things that make you smile... you've become great friends with both your aunts lately. You adore Emily and Jana, and it makes me so happy to know you love them so much. But you save your biggest smiles for your Daddy. I know you love me- I'm the one you want when you want to cuddle and I can still tell what you need better than anyone- but you are such a Daddy's girl. It makes me so happy to see how happy your daddy makes you. You just adore him!

Sleep: Well my love, you are finally CONSISTENTLY sleeping on your own! You sleep in your swing, and you sleep for about 10-12 hours every night, and generally take about 2 naps during the day. You usually fall asleep in my arms, but occasionally if you're really tired you'll fall asleep in your swing on your own. You're so grown up! :)

Eating: You are so strong willed and independent (well... as independent as you can be, right now, lol) You love to hold your own bottle! But if you get too excited about it, you start smacking your bottle right out of your mouth. It's made feeding you rather challenging. lol.

Teething: If I had any doubts before that you were teething, I don't anymore. You haven't had any teethe cut through yet, but the drool has reached a new level. You go through so many outfits every day because they're soaked through from drool. You have some teething toys that we keep in the fridge that you seem to like, but mostly you chew on your hands, or my hand, or my shoulder, or whatever is closest. You've had a few rough nights where I can tell you're in pain and it just breaks my heart. Tylenol and Orajel help, but they can only do so much.

Your Favorites:

1. Being nekkid! It's not that you dislike clothes, its that you love to be naked!

2. Baths. You are either super wiggly and playing, or you get so relaxed that you fall asleep! It's so sweet :)

3. The TV and the computer screen. Oh boy.

4. Kisses

Family Time!

A few days ago we got home from a super fun week with Robbie's family! It was so fun to have EVERYONE together. Lauren had so much fun playing with her cousins and soaking up some love from Grandma and Papa. She was so happy and just adored playing with Haylee and Rylee. I really do think Lauren and Rylee have some kind of special "hey, I remember you!" bond. They just adore each other and it is so much fun to watch.

Playing pat-a-cake with Grandma!


Throwing it in the oven!


Lauren and Grandma Mary


Me, Lauren, and Rylee


Lauren loves her new exersaucer!


LoLo and YaYa!


LoLo and Hayls!


Mommy and Lauren. I love this girl so much!


One night while we were there Grandma Mary watched Lauren so Robbie and I could go on a date! We had so much fun!!! Thank you so much!

2011 in Review

2011 has been the most eventful and exciting year of my entire life thus far. My experiences this year have changed me forever, and I have never been happier than I am now. Such a truly awesome year deserves a recap.

In January we found out we were pregnant (miracles do happen!)



In February I became licensed as a registered nurse. yay!

sorry, no pics of that....

In March I had a subchorionic hemorrhage and spent a week on bed rest.

.....yeah.... I don't have any pictures of that, either, lol

In April we found out our little miracle was a GIRL!



In May I worked on all the baby projects I had been planning for years and loved every minute of it!



In June Robbie took a trip to California with a few of his friends. They had so much fun! I quit my job as a rehab nurse so I could focus on my other job as a psych nurse. It is my dream job and I LOVE it.



In July Robbie and I took a trip to Washington to see his best friend from high school get married. We had a blast!


In August I started my last semester of school ever and got seriously spoiled at two awesome baby showers!



In September our amazing daughter Lauren was born and showed us just what pure joy actually feels like.


In October we cuddled our brand new baby and Lauren rolled over for the first time- quite the accomplishment for her 16 day old, barely 6 pound little self!( to tell you how tiny she is, thats a burp cloth she's covered with)

In November we took a trip to visit Robbie's parents, I worked liked a crazy woman to finish up school, and we loved every minute of cuddling our beautiful girl.

In December I graduated from college for good and we celebrated our first Christmas together as a family of three. I've never felt so blessed and so completely happy in my entire life.

Merry Lauren's First Christmas!

(pics coming soon)
I love firsts. Her first cry, her first smile, the first time she rolled over, and now her first Christmas! I think it's pretty safe to say Lauren loved Christmas! All the pretty lights have captured her attention all month long and it has been so much fun to see the excitement in her eyes when we turn the Christmas tree on. And she may not have cared as much about the opening presents part, but she sure is loving the playing with what she got part!
Christmas Eve: I worked all day Christmas Eve, but as soon as I got off we headed to my parents for a nice relaxing evening together. I love traditions, and one of my very favorites is opening new Christmas jammies on Christmas eve. Lauren got her first Christmas pajamas... I may cry.
Christmas Day: when I got off work at noon, I came home and Robbie, Lauren and I opened presents for the first time as the three of us :) Santa brought Lauren a crib soother that plays music and has pretty lights, and she absolutely adores it. From Mommy and Daddy she got some tummy time toys and a princess wand rattle. Loving it! After we opened presents we went to my parents where, as Robbie says, Lauren made out like a bandit! By far her favorite present that day- a baby play gym. So many baby giggles. So. Much. Fun!
Christmas continues!: after Christmas we were able to go to Robbie's parents house where, once again, Lauren made out like a bandit!she opened another favorite- her baby exersaucer! She's a bit tiny and needs a pillow under her feet and a blanket behind her back, but she is adoring it! I will do a whole post about this super fun trip soon!

Last Christmas I could only dream about what it would be like to hold my baby in my arms. It's so wonderful to know that dreams really can come true, and it can be even better than you imagined it.