8 Months

Dear Lauren,

Oh baby, this has been a big month for you! You have MASTERED some huge developmental milestones and I swear I can see you changing right before my eyes.

  Stats: 17 lbs, 15 oz

Awesome stuff you're doing: right as you turned 7 months old, you started crawling. One month later you are EVERYWHERE! It's like the whole world is at your sweet baby fingertips and you are bound and determined to get into whatever you can. Daddy and I are learning about baby proofing, and you're learning about how to get what you want despite it. Within days of mastering crawling, you started pulling yourself up to a stand all on your own! A few weeks later and now you are letting go of things and standing all on your own for a few seconds! And believe it or not, youre even WALKING along the sides of the couch or you'll hold onto the sides of our ottoman while you go around it! You are all about discovering anything you can, my sweet adventurous girl! You have no fear! Even when something scares you or causes you to fall down and bump your head or get hurt in some way, you want loved and cuddled for a minute and then you're right back doing the same thing again. And Lauren, you started talking this month! Your first word was "Dada" and your second word was "Ma!" sometimes I want so badly to freeze time and just be in this stage forever, but it's such a joy watching you learn and discover new things I don't know if I would if I could.


Eating: you still love everything you were eating a month ago, but now we've added carrots and oatmeal with various fruits mixed in to your list of yummy treats!

Teething: SUCCESS! All those months of teething (4 to be exact) have finally paid off and you have your first tooth! This is new just in the last couple days! You're so grown up :) its your bottom middle right tooth!


Sleeping: most of the time you sleep with me and daddy. You will sleep in your crib, but you wake up at least once an hour when you do... And since daddy and I don't mind having you in our room with us, and we all sleep better when you are... That's what we do 90% of the time. Your bedtime routine is still one of my favorite parts of the day. We spend about an hour having dinner, bath, story, and finally a bottle and cuddles. You fall asleep in my arms and I just love it. Every night I hold you for a few minutes after you fall asleep and just kiss your little nose and soak in some of the sweet joy of your babyhood.

A cute story about you!: Last night you and I were sitting on the floor in Daddy's office while he did some grading on the computer. I was trying to find something nearby to entertain you with, so I grabbed Daddy's toy T-Rex. Your eyes got HUGE, and you kept looking from it, to me, then back to it again. You wouldn't even touch it (a first, since right now you are grabbing anything you can and trying to eat it). I touched it to show you it was okay, and you burst into tears and hugged me. Seriously, it was so cute/sad/sweet. You're scared of T-Rex's. I love you, little girl!

Your first box- hours of fun! 

I love my Daddy! 

Mommy kisses!  

My First Mother's Day

Thank you so much Robbie and Lauren for making my very first Mother's Day so wonderful! Robbie made me breakfast and spoiled me with roses and some fantastic presents, and Lauren gave me sweet baby kisses all day long.  

Lauren is my greatest blessing and the very best part of my life. The opportunity the be her mommy is something I cherish every day. 

Dada!

Lauren said her first word!!! Robbie is involved with a research grant with one of his professors. Part of this involved going to a (not at all nearby) national park for a few days and gathering stuff for the lab. The park is in the middle of nowhere without cell phone access or anything, and Lauren and I both missed him a ton! Lauren has never had a night without her Daddy, and one of the nights he was gone I just could not get her to fall asleep. She sleeps with us in our bed 99% if the time, so I decided to just go lay down with her in our room, hoping she would take the hint and fall asleep, lol. Instead, she started crawling around our bed and whispering, "Dada. Dada. Dada. Dada." She was looking for Robbie. It was the sweetest thing I've ever seen. My baby loves her Daddy so much! 

And then about a week ago my parents watched Lauren while Robbie and I went on a much needed date! When we got back Lauren and my mom were walking around outside, and as I got out of the car Lauren said/yelled "Ma!" Oh how that just makes my heart burst! She says both "Dada" and "Ma!" all the time now, and I smile every single time. This girl is my whole world. I love her so much!