Kicking with Lauren

Check out this video- this is Lauren's game of "kicky" she likes to play under her mobile in the morning. You can catch a big smile...

Direct flights from Appleton, WI to Denver

Can you believe it? I didn't! My mom was telling me that she heard there were direct flights from Appleton to Denver, I was very doubtful. I thought it was probably at the best- a stop in Madison or Milwaukee. But direct flight? no way.
Well, I was wrong to be so skeptical- I just looked on the United website and sure enough, they have a 7pm out of Denver arriving at 10pm in Appleton (an easy after work trip). and the return flight is around 8am in the morning out of Appleton. This is incredible. The idea of bringing Lauren back to wisconsin just got a lot easier! I think I am going to go back to earning United FF miles with my credit card in light of this news. Finally United is expanding their options, not limiting them. And how nice to not have to go through O'Hare. Casey and I have run high speed through that airport in the middle of the night one too many times, he would love to not have to connect!

Reading the sunday paper

Lauren says thank you to Grandma V for this great idea. My mom told me she used to tape colorful parts of the newspaper to the wall when I was a baby to keep me interested/ stimulated. I have actually seen pictures of me as a baby in my swing with the sunday funnies taped to the wall. Sounds like a good idea, and today Lauren and I gave it a try. She tends to get mad and cry when I change her diaper, so I tried a little distraction technique. I taped the sunday comics to the wall next to her changing pad and read them to her while i changed her diaper and her clothes. IT WORKED! She didn't cry, she actually smiled and laughed. This is going to be a new part of our nursery decor- comics or fliers taped to the wall. She just stares at them, and when she kicks them it makes a rattling sound she likes. Cheaper than another mobile, not quite as classy looking... thanks mom for yet another great tip! What would I do without you??

A Smile...

Lauren is so cute- she smiles at Jeff and I and at her toys. She is especially smiley in the morning, so I get to see most of her cute little smiles. Up till today, I have not really been able to get a picture of her really smiling though. So here it is, a big smile from Lauren. And a couple other cute pictures of her playing on her baby einstein play mat.

Bye-Bye nice weather

We have had it good for the last week! It has been in the 60's and even low 70's since last friday, and sunny too! It was very nice for when my brother came to visit from Wisconsin. The weather in the midwest has been so cold and snowy, it was nice for him to get a taste of a nice January day in Colorado. Lauren, Casey and I have been taking nice long stroller walks and really enjoying this weather. But today we are brought back to reality- that it is actually winter. It is 33 degrees and supposed to snow later today. I like the snow, but for Lauren's sake I want a mild winter so I dont have to worry about her getting cold. We are hoping for snow in the mountains, because Jeff's family is coming to visit next week and they plan to do a little skiing.

Mustang

There is a new creepy sculpture out at DIA called Mustang. It is a 32 foot tall blue horse with red glowing eyes. It was commissioned by a sculptor named Luis Jimenez, who was killed by the sculpture while he was making it. I think that is creepy that they still put it up after it killed him, and those red glowing eyes make it seem demonic. I don't know why the city of Denver would want something so creepy to greet visitors. Yuck!

Bass Pro Shop

This is Lauren's first trip to Bass Pro Shop- likely not her last. She dressed up in her camoflage Cabella's outfit that was given to her by her great uncle Rick and Bob when they came out hunting in October. Doesn't she look cute hanging with the boys? This is my dad, brother and Jeff. They would have posed her with all of the wildlife in the store if we had enough time, I think. I put pink socks on her and a bow on her head so people would know she was a girl, although her outfit is all trimmed in eyelet lace, including lace ruffles on the but- precious!

Lauren's first brewery tour

So, Lauren went beer tasting at Fort Collins Brewery and on a tour at O'Dell's Brewery. She was a very good girl, and seemed to enjoy herself. We thought that she should start learning early, since she will be helping us with homebrewing in a few years.

Lauren loves Grandpa Bob

Lauren is such a lucky girl- she has two grandpa Bob's. My dad is in town this weekend to meet his sweetie, don't they look cute?