On the Last Night of Three

On the last night of three, Lauren......went swimming with her cousin, Bubby.
...watched Curious George with her cousin, Ody.
...hung out with Hampa and Grammy.
...let Mommy comb her 'Punzel hair one last time.
...cuddled her Mommy Juju.
...asked her Mommy to lay in bed and watch "Annie" with her.

On the last night of three, Mommy sat down to think about the last year.  I remembered the things I wondered about on the last night of two, so I looked back at last year's blog to find...

…I wonder if she’ll be going pee pee on the potty full time. Yes, I know this will happen, but it seems like a long way off as we are in the potty training trenches.  I AM HAPPY TO REPORT THAT THIS HAPPENED AROUND CHRISTMAS TIME THANKS TO HERMAN THE ELF.

…I wonder if she will know all the letters of the alphabet. She already knows m, d, c, j, r, g and l.  I AM ALSO HAPPY TO REPORT THAT SHE IS ALMOST THERE ON THIS ONE...AND IS WAY PAST SINGING THE ABC SONG.  ALTHOUGH THERE DOES HAPPEN TO BE A LOT OF B'S IN HER ALPHABET.

…I wonder if her counting pattern will change from, “one, two, tree, pive, beleven” I ALMOST FORGOT ABOUT THIS.  SHE IS A MASTER COUNTER.

…I wonder if she’ll still dip her hot dogs in ranch. My guess is yes.  THANKFULLY, NO SHE DOESN'T.

…I wonder if she’ll still tickle the phone when she is talking to her daddy.  THANKFULLY, SHE STILL DOES.

…I wonder if she’ll still call my dad “Hampa”.  NOPE - HE IS FULL ON GRANDPA NOW.   SHE EVEN CORRECTS ME WHEN I CALL HIM HAMPA.

…I wonder if we’ll still share a bowl of Lucky Charms on weekend mornings.  YES WE DO.

…I wonder if she will still want to take her Bunny Bunny with her where ever she goes.  THESE DAYS BUNNY IS LIMITED TO THE CONFINES OF OUR HOUSE WITH THE BIWEEKLY TRIP TO DADDY'S HOUSE.  HOWEVER, HE STILL ENDS UP IN THE STRANGEST PLACES WITH OUR HOUSE.

…I wonder if she will still want to watch Wow Wow Wubbsy every night before she goes to bed.  THANKFULLY WO WO HAS THANKFULLY BEEN REPLACED BY THE OCTONAUTS AND ANNIE!!!

…I wonder if she’ll ever pick up the toy room by herself.  WE ARE BOTH WORKING ON THIS ONE AS IT WAS ONE OF MY NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS.

…I wonder if she’ll ever add the word “with” to her sentences, although I love to hear “Mommy, I lay you?” when she comes in my room in the morning.  HER SPEECH IS AMAZING.  IN FACT, WHEN I RECENTLY FILLED OUT HER PRESCHOOL SURVEY, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WAS "IS YOUR CHILD'S SPEECH SIMILAR TO SAME AGED PEERS?"  I CHECKED "NO".  IN MY EXPLANATION I SAID, I BELIEVE HER SPEECH IS BEYOND THAT OF HER SAME AGED PEERS.

…I wonder when she will stop thinking she is being sneaky when she takes my pop can and drinks it “all gone” when it was already empty.  SHE NOW ASKS FOR HER OWN...WHICH SHE DOESN'T GET HARDLY EVER.

…I wonder when she will sleep later than me.  YESTERDAY, JUNE 18, 2012 - SHE DID.  I WOKE UP AT 8:22 AND SHE WOKE UP AT 8:42.  GOTTA LOVE SUMMER!!!

…I wonder if her hair will be long enough to donate to Locks of Love.  WE HAVE AN APPOINTMENT TOMORROW WITH CHRISTY TO LET SOME OTHER GIRL WHO DOESN'T HAVE HAIR HAVE LAUREN'S 'PUNZEL HAIR.

…I wonder if she can get any cuter.  YES, SHE CAN.

…I wonder if I can love her any more.  YES, I CAN.

I wonder a lot, but I know one thing...we have each other and we are in this together.  Stay tuned for the picture tomorrow!!!

Cookies

Last night, Lauren and I read "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" before bedtime, so naturally Lauren woke up this morning asking if we  could make cookies.  I said, "Sure.  Why not."  Being Lauren, she had to do it in style...which means dressing up!!!

...and she went to the grocery store like this because we needed supplies.

She busied herself measuring out the shortening while I put in the other ingredients.  Then it came time for the important part...using the mixer.  We don't have a fancy Kitchen-Aid stand mixer.  We have a mother/daughter team.

 Then came the best part...

We only have two days left of being three and we are making the most of it.  Together.

The 42 Month Version

...to those of you that are mathematically challenged, that would mean that baby girl is three and a half years old today.  She came into this world in a stubborn, stubborm way.  The NICU doctors described her as the most easygoing and laid back baby they had ever seen.  Ever since then she has been that way.  To this very day, she is the easiest to get a long with.  She can go with the flow.  She is so adaptable.  She is my little love.  I couldn't imagine my life with out her.  We are in this together for many, many, many more of these to come.

PS - for those of you who don't know, I have took a picture of her in this chair every month on her birthday for the first year of her life.  Since then, we have marked the half and regular birthday with the tradition.  To see the entire progression of her growth, visit the album on my Facebook page.

Another Step Toward Bigdom

She had been talking about it for a few weeks.  Daily, she asked if she could wear her pretty girl dress that was hanging in her closet with the tapping shoes.  And who can leave out, "Do I getta go to school and sing today?"

Then, today, it was finally time.  Daddy brought her up and stayed for the event.  The tights went on.  The dress went on.  The shoes went on.  The hair was brushed.  Finally, off we went to the First Hour of Power Christmas Program.

We got to the church and Little Lauren marched herself down to the basement with all the other kids to get ready by getting her angel outfit on...leaving her mommy and daddy behind.  All we could do was go upstairs and sit and wait.  We watched the church fill up.  Then, the moment was upon us...

She marched her little self in, holding Maddie's hand, ringing and singing.  The second she saw mommy and daddy, however, it was done.  She wanted to be with us.  I finally got her up with the group and she sang a little bit.  Then the big kids started passing the microphone around to say their lines, to which Lauren responded, "I WANNA TALK."  Of course she did, she is mommy's girl after all.  Then she wanted to go in the tent with the Nativity Silhouette.  What can I say.  My girl knows what she wants and she's only three.  That's why we are in this together.

30 Days of Thankfulness

November is the month where we, as Americans, are especially aware of our thankfulness.  Again, this year I am taking the 30 Days of Thankfulness Challenge.  For each of the 30 days of November, I will be posting on Facebook about the things that I am thankful for.  I, of course, have to start with this...

The minute I knew of her existence, my life was changed.  And until July 20, 2008 at 2:45 in the afternoon I never knew how much it could change.  That day, I was just thankful that she was here...

And she has been there for me and I for her through so much.  She is my girl and I am her mommy.  How could you not be thankful for this...

I love you, baby girl and I thankful for everything that I am to you and that you are to me.  We are in this together.

Happy Halloween

Hope everyone had a safe and happy Halloween.  It was totally different with a three year old.  We did a little trick or treating and she was very outgoing and cute. Then had supper with family and friends. This is how new traditions start. Daddy even came up to go get candy with us.

And Mommy had to give the Monkey a ride home...

Another time full of fun and excitement...together.

3

The tradition that started on the day she was one month continues.  On the 20th of every month for the first year and then on the "big" ones after that, Lauren has gotten her picture taken in the rocking chair.  What a way to see her grow.  But it only shows her outward growth.  You can't see how she has grown in her thoughts, her actions, her words and her love.  The things she thinks of amaze me.  Everything she does amazes me.  The words she can say amaze me - my current favorite it flamingo.  Her love amazes me. 

What Could Have Been

Three years ago today, we got up extra early and headed to the University of Nebraska Medical Center to get the birth process started.  There was so much excitement at the unknown of what was coming.  We were one of the few holdouts who didn't know if we were having a boy or a girl, a Quinn or a Lauren.  Either way, though, we were beyond excited for what the day would bring.  Little did we know that the day wouldn't bring anything...and neither would the next day.  For those of you keeping count on your fingers, today is July 17th and Lauren didn't show up until midafternoon on the 20th.  That would be FOUR fingers you're holding up.  One for each day we had to wait to meet our little Lauren Kathryne.