Silk Yogurt

Thanks to the makers of Silk for making this tasty product. Lauren loves the Silk soy yogurt, it is literally the only food she allows me to feed to her with a spoon, otherwise she only eats food she can feed herself. It is really yummy, and more sour than dairy yogurt. The only downsides are that it is hard to find and kinda pricey.

Printer woes

I got a new printer, and it sucks. It is an HP photosmart wireless printer, and the quality is horrible and often the color doesn't work. I am trying to get HP to take it back and refund my money- will keep you posted on how that works out. Anyone have a wireless printer that they love? I guess I dont need wireless, we can probably hook through our wireless router too.

1 year photos

Here are Lauren's 1 year photographs. It was a very challenging photo session, to say the least. I really wanted more pics that were non-Christmas themed, but we had to take what we could get. Thank you to my mom- she talked me into getting a family picture and I love it. My very favorite shot is the one of Lauren reading a book.

Deck the halls

Last night we set up the tree. Lauren had a fun time helping. This year is the first time we are using an artificial tree. We will be in Wisconsin for Christmas and didn't want to leave a tree to get dry and brittle in our house the whole time we are gone, but didn't have the heart to throw it away before we leave. The fake tree isn't too bad, it is not quite the same- but my mom is getting a real tree at her house that we will enjoy.

 

1 year stats

Lauren went to her 1 year pediatrician appointment yesterday- here are her stats.

height 30.12 inches (82%)

weight 23 lb 4 oz (54%)

In summary, we are lucky to have a healthy, happy young lady who is right on track with her development. She stood up on her own and took a few steps in the doctors office, just to confirm how great she is doing.  The allergy issues are not going anywhere any time soon, but Dr Matt assured us that she can achieve good nutrition without eggs or milk.  She also got A LOT of shots- 5 in all, plus a heel stick for lead. Poor baby, she was tough though. Everyone keeps suggesting that we give her tylenol because of the shots- I am not really a believer in medicine without a reason, and she is doing fine without it. If she gets a bad fever or I think she is uncomfortable, then maybe. Otherwise I think babies are better off without drugs (unconventional wisdom from a pharmacist, I know...)

Poor baby has had a bad cold for over 2 weeks, though. Cough, cough, cough all night long.  She is past the fever and goopy eyes, but still with the coughing and crabbiness. Her pediatrician  just reassured us that she will be fine, and that is what kids do- but it is so tough to watch, you just want to help her. Last night was a bit better and we are hopeful that she will be as good as new in a few days.

Brrrrr

Yikes- it has been so cold here the last few days. Just like last year right after Lauren was born. I thought I moved to Denver to escape this!! I woke up this morning to a temp of  -2 degrees outside- THAT is not supposed to happen here. Tomorrow it is going to "warm up" to 30 degreees for a high. Poor Lauren hasn't gotten to play outside in a whole week!

Happy Birthday Sweetheart

This weekend we celebrated Lauren's first birthday. I cannot believe it has been a whole year, yet I can barely remember life without her. What a little angel she is- our lives are a million times better because she is here! I keep getting choked up remembering 1 year ago.

The little sweetie had a nice birthday party on Saturday, a bunch of our friends came over and a few kids, too. Grandma and Susie were here and helped with all of the party preparations. We had a cake (egg and milk free- didn't stand up as well as I would like) that I made and decorated in polka-dots. And I even found dairy-free ice cream for her.

The party was fun, we had many helium baloons and streamers and Lauren received all kinds of gifts! She was good at opening the gifts, and liked to share her cake with the other little boys who came over.  It was a great day- we have a couple videos to help us remember.

Grandma visit

This past weekend my mom and susie came to visit for Lauren's first birthday. It was a nice visit, and they were such a big help. On Thursday they watched Lauren while we worked, and Friday night they babysat so that Jeff and I had a night out- just the two of us. It was wonderful. They also helped with cooking, decorating and making crafts for Lauren's big party. We had a very nice weekend, and I so appreciated their help!

Hands-free advice

There is a new law here- no texting in your car while driving. Sounds like a great idea to me- I dont really text much anyway, so I can live with that. I cannot live with no talking on the phone, and that might be next. I agree that it is distracting, so I want a hands-free device for my car- anyone have feedback?? Is the blue-tooth the way to go, or should I get some kind of "in the car" thingy? I haven't done any research, so i dont know much about the options, but I would like some feedback pros/cons on any of these devices so I know what to put on my Christmas list. Thanks!