Our little outdoorswoman

Lauren’s first bike ride!

Sunday, April 20 was a sunny, warm day and Nick hooked up the bike trailer so we could go for a bike ride. We tease Lauren for having a “neutral” look; she’ll neither smile or cry when she’s in her swing, for example. Same deal with the bike: a few minutes and she was out for her afternoon nap. My friend L reminds me a helmet is missing from this picture, so I should check to see if they make helmets for infants.

The following Friday, we went in to the doctor for Lauren’s four-month check-up. (She’ll be five months old in a couple of weeks). She’s now 15 pounds, 4 ounces (more than double her birth weight) and 26 inches long (about 4 1/2 inches more than birth). Of course she cried through her shots, but I blew a few raspberries at her and she was her normal cheerful self. Mommy took Friday off for the doctor appointment, but also just for some extra time with Lor, and we had a great day!

The big news of the week: Lauren’s rolling over onto her sides! She’ll roll to the right side and reach for a toy, or roll to the left. Nick and I are showing her that the next step is from the side onto her stomach, but she hasn’t reached it on her own yet. How funny; last weekend family was here and we were debating whether sitting or rolling came first. Lauren can sit in a lap, but not on her own yet!

This weekend, the weather was cooler and on Saturday, the wind was sharp. I was participating in a five-mile run and we dressed Lauren up in her snowsuit and put her in the Baby Bjorn. I came in at 52 minutes, which I’m happy with. Afterwards, we walked around and enjoyed lunch and the rest of the day, just the three of us. I love my family.

New Pics!

Lauren with favorite toy, Matilda

Hanging out with the cat

She’s actually enjoying tummy time now!

This Week’s Milestones

Lauren at 2 1/2 months, taken by Grandma C. I have been taking more recent photos, but alas, have not uploaded them yet.

It’s a cute Lauren week. On Saturday, out of the blue, she taught herself how to blow a raspberry. Three days of soaking-wet shirts ensued. I love it; it’s like she’s saying, “Mama, slow down, just stick your tongue out at life!”

Maybe that’s too philosophical

By Tuesday, Lauren had control of the spit factor while blowing her raspberries. She’s also very entertained if you blow them back. Tuesday night, when she was close to a meltdown at the grocery store, I spent the time picking out items as fast as I could, blowing raspberries back to her, and jerking the cart so she was near to my face, then far. Near, far. This was hilarious for her.

Lauren’s almost got complete control of her head, enjoys tummy time more, likes being propped up for sitting but likes “standing” better. Kaye, her caregiver, called her “Marshmallow Knees” when she’d hold her and let her “stand” (this meant her knees would buckle). Now, her knees hardly buckle at all. She continues to coo, a lot of “aah, aahs” and “ooh, oohs.” The weather has really improved here and we’ve been walking together with the stroller. While Nick was away last weekend, the two of us went shopping and found Lauren’s first swimsuit on sale. I’m so happy this week, like life makes sense now that I have a child, despite periodic exhaustion.

I’m burned out today

I’m a regular reader of this online column, but today’s post made me depressed. It’s not even like I want to be at “the top of the ladder.” But I’m just sorry that this, IN HER OPINION, is the state of American families today. I can’t be too sensitive though; I’m lacking sleep, medicated by caffeine, and dropped off a crying Lauren at daycare. This too shall pass.

http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2008/04/10/advice-from-the-top-marry-a-stay-at-home-spouse-or-buy-the-equivalent/

The World in 2026

Lauren in a Winnie the Pooh outfit, complete with matching hat, on a happier, poop-filled day.

A tumultuous weekend for the fam: Lauren continued to be constipated Wed-Sat and on Saturday she was crying in pain. We were out of town, prune juice had produced no – um- results, and a call in to our pediatrician back home motivated a visit to urgent care. “With a baby that young,” he said, “It’s best to check it out. She might need an enema.” I freaked. Not to worry; Lauren received a clean bill of health, and probably two hours after we left, she had a bowel movement. The doctors there told me it’s “perfectly normal for a baby to go 6-7 days without a movement.” Wish my pediatrician would have told me that. Oh well.

Driving back home, stopped in to see my grandmother, Lauren’s great-grandmother, who I’ll refer to as GGG here. GGG was pleased to see Lauren, and posed a question she’s brought up before: “Do you ever think of what the world will be like when Lauren graduates from high school?” I hadn’t, and GGG thinks it’s a shame that she can’t find fresh fish at the store like she used to, so I knew she was referring to environmental factors in 2026. I’m certainly not wishing away her childhood. But here is a short list of wishes I have for 2026’s Lauren:

• That I’m still here. My mom didn’t get to see me graduate from high school.
• Teens can be tough, but I hope we’ll have a good relationship.
• I hope she’ll have a great sense of self-confidence.
• I hope the US has withdrawn troops from Iraq. You never know.
• Gas mileage will be more efficient.
• She’ll have grades good enough for college, or have a plan for the future.
• She’ll know money isn’t everything; time is just as precious.
• She won’t have killed me for writing about her constipation.

 

Lauren’s Photo Op

Lauren at 3 months old. Photo courtesy of Portrait Innovations

Coming soon: A blog about Lauren’s favorite toys, so you’ll see Nick and I have fun with her, and I don’t just make her do stuff I want to do! (See previous post about smuggling Lor into the movies.) However, her favorite toy, a pink fairy with crackling wings I dubbed Matilda the British Nanny, is currently at my friend L’s house, who is watching her over spring break. Yes, I named all Lauren’s toys for her, and I make Matilda “talk” in a faux British accent.

Let’s talk professional photos today. A friend recommended Portrait Innovations, a studio where you can get some snaps done, view them with a consultant, and get them printed within 30 minutes. I was motivated by the $9.95 special for one 10×13, two 8×10s, a few 5×7s and 4×6s, wallets, and six free photo cards. I dressed Lor up and got her to the studio in plenty of time to have a change and a bottle before her big moment. It was a Saturday, so the waiting room was abuzz with small children, their parents trying to keep them clean! With her full tummy Lauren was a little sleepy but managed a few grins.

Some 30 pics later, the consultant lead me to an oversized monitor to view the results. I must have looked like the naive first-time parent because they pushed me hard to buy almost all the shots. I was satisfied with the above shot but also purchased some of the two of us together. Another friend suggested that we get photos done at the 6-month, 9-month and 1 year marks, but I’m not sure when we’ll venture out next. I do love the pictures prominently displayed in my cubicle; it reminds me who’s waiting for me at the end of the day!

Developmentally, Lauren’s getting better at holding her head up and still smiling a lot. She hasn’t quite mastered grabbing toys but she’ll swipe at them! When she wakes up hungry, she coos “Ah-ah-ah-ah” instead of crying. My pediatrician recommended a daily vitamin but the iron in it makes her constipated, so we mix prune juice in her milk and I’m giving her a vitamin break.