The Peanut Gallery

house??

2009-02-22T06:57:00.000-08:00

ok- so it's totally been a while ...ummm yah. I mean to post, but I just kinda forget. I'll be a little better about it (maybe). So, Lauren is almost 3!!!!! She is totally her own little person and walks around the house saying things like "i do it myself" and "thank you honey" - She calls everybody honey and wants to be aknowledged for it....she is a big girl now.

Wehave a chance to get into a home!!!!! I'm hoping everything goes smoothe and simple (yah, right). In any case, we still have negotiations to do so if you're the praying type- pray that it will happen the way it should.

a long time.....

2008-10-29T23:04:00.000-07:00

So...I know it's been a long time since I've been here. I think I'll stop making promises to blog more. I'm at my computer lots editing...but not much blogging...
I'm sure you all know through talking with me that I have a website now...

www.bornhoffphotography.com

and a photo blog.. www.picturethemoments.blogspot.com

You can see tons of Photos on there! This Photo I'd like to dedicate to Dean and Barb... I was thinking about you both as I was editing it. Love you!

Spring is Here!

2008-05-19T20:43:00.001-07:00

Lauren and I went out to the arboretum on Saturday and had some fun!

2008-04-19T11:04:00.000-07:00

Lauren is 2!!!

Here are a couple photos we took while having a picnic!

Business cards

2008-04-13T09:24:00.000-07:00

Here is a final draft of our business cards- they're at the printer now!!! My sis is awesome!!!! Thanks Jen!

The Front:

The Back:

At the Zoo.....

2008-04-07T08:33:00.000-07:00

So we went to the Zoo yesterday. Not the big Brookfield zoo..the little one in Wheaton. The kids can pet some of the animals (if they can get close enough). My Friend Wendi went with us.

Lauren was big on pushing the stroller....

Where's the Horse???

There's a Llama taking a nap!

I see a Horsie!!!

There he goes!

Horsie want a Chicken nugget???!

Look at me!!!!

posing....

sitting on the stairs of the triain...

Lauren and Wendi

Look! What is that??

Watching the birdies...

A little birdie...

Come on Momma!!!

what's in here???

This is when lauren started running in circles...

looking at the ducks...

she saw a little ladybug....

...the little ladybug..

It's official!

2008-04-04T11:02:00.000-07:00

Well fam...
It's true. I am attempting to start a photography business. I am slowly getting more and more referrals- that hopefully within one year from now, Photography will be my main deal. For now my "website" is

www.picturethemoments.blogspot.com

My sister Jennie is working very hard to design a business card for me. She's great at what she does and I am lucky to work with her on something like this. (plus- she's my sister... so I trust her!)

Here is a very rough draft of my first business card:

There is already one big change to this: I changed my phone number to 630.405.3500 ...so that will be changed on the card.
I'd love your input! I am married to a printer- so of course he will be printing my cards for me. He is a little worried about 4 photos being on there. I told him I thought i should just hand out my business cards on full size letter head paper! Looks awesome! Only problem is it's a little too big to fit into any normal size wallets!

In other news... Lauren is beginning to have an opinion about what she wears. She has these pink winter boots that go with everything (according to her!) Think it's cute! We went to the park yesterday. The days here are unpredictable. It's right on the edge of warming up- but still a little too cold to be outside for hours like we would like to! I miss those long walks we used to take last summer! But here's at the park yesterday:

These big blue eyes and this big purple binkie! Yes...we are in the process of slowly making it "disappear" but we are also going through some changes, we may let her keep it for a few more months. Mommy's going back to work....Not sure how she'll do. We are betting she'll do just fine. We are looking for a sitter with kids as well so she can play with them and be busy the whole time. I plan on working just some short shifts in the beginning. Nothing full time.

OOOOO...that's a big slide!!!

Here I go!!

WEEEEE!!! She really was happy about this..you just can't tell because of that plug in her mouth!

After this..she had to go several more time by herself!

..a day at the park..then the mall!

2008-03-17T13:15:00.000-07:00

It was warm enough for us to visit the park today. We had tons of fun! Lauren loved it- because there was a little park just her size! Her favorite thing was going down the slides! She has no fear! While we were there- it did get a little windy- so we decided to go to the mall and play indoors. As we were getting ready to leave- lauren had a little melt-down. oh my. it was as bad as putting her precious wubbies in the washer. totally unglued! we had to carry her to the car because she was just too sad to walk. She finally calmed down just as we were pulling into the mall parking lot. Then we started the process all over again. As she is getting more vocal about her opinions- she does tell us what we should be doing now. "GO NOW!" as she points to the little indoor park. "HELP PLEASE" as she needs help taking her coat off so she can run freely! "BYE BYE" as she runs in the park with the other kids! She does obey pretty well- today it took us twice before she willingly left the park when it was time to leave. No tears at the mall. we walked around a little more and after maybe 10 minutes of window shopping- lauren was passed out in her little stroller. How cute!
have a good day!
Oh- one other favorite sentence she has learned is "I WANT IT" - imagine how fun that is to hear it in the store every 2 seconds as we're going up and down the isles.! I'm not convinced she really WANTS to take it home- just to touch and feel every blessed thing on the shelves!

2008-03-10T17:06:00.000-07:00

2008-03-08T13:09:00.000-08:00

2008-03-05T19:20:00.001-08:00

changes

2008-02-27T11:50:00.000-08:00

Well- nothing major to report here other than I am exploring a new career as a photographer. Honestly- right now, I'm not sure what will come of it. Maybe it'll be a hit- maybe not. I take some great photos. But I also have so much to learn..
I really need to post more on here. here is the link to my photo blog. www.picturethemoments.blogspot.com

Time flies!

2008-01-13T21:33:00.000-08:00

Well- Time flies! Already the middle of January of a new year and so many things to report! We are coming up on our first anniversary. A big one! We have learned so much from each other this year. Tim has taught me the importance of consistency- especially when it comes to Lauren. I tend to let things slide with her when he thinks I should be a little more firm. Here's a good example: We got Lauren a new table (one that's her size) just before Christmas and put the high chair away. She has been eating at this table and doing all her little crafts and coloring here. I tend to Let Lauren get up from the table when she's in the middle of a project(or eating) and wander to something else. I have an extremely hard time focusing on one thing at a time, and if she's anything like me (which she is!) she has a very short attention span. This is also because of her age. Tim is more consistent with her in this. He tells her so stay put. she gets up- he tells her to go sit back down. She does! She may cry a little because it's not what she wants to do- but she obeys him. and then I think-- I spend 24/7 with lauren. She is rarely ever out of my hands. She does not obey me like the way she obeys Tim. Tim is at work during the week- so doesn't get as much time with her- yet, she responds a little better to him. Why? Because the times he is with her- he is consistent. I think it might be a little easier for him to be consistent with her because he's not around her ALL the time. I think SAHM's have a harder time being as consistent. Ever heard the term "choose your battles" ? yah. For me- it's because I get to doing something around the house, then I lose focus- then I do something else. I really need to set a good example for her and focus on one thing until it is completed. Over the last couple days I have tried my hardest to do so in the tasks I do and Lauren has really been noticing that. I see her now doing one thing until she is done- then moving on to another. She is very smart- even at her little age! So bottom line- I need to be consistent......... Lauren is about to potty train we think. She seems to be showing all the signs. So we are excited about that! We don't want to push it though. She is also starting to dress herself! Yea! She can get both legs in the pants, but doesn't pull them up. ....We are working on colors right now. Her vocabulary is getting bigger too! Today she said "where are we?" very clearly when we pulled up to my Marco's Birthday party. I told her where we were going and she said "Oh." cute.
....Tim is doing great. He is on day 14 of no smoking!!! Yea!!! I am so proud of him! He made a great decision to quit with very little pressure from me. I didn't want him to quit just for me- but I wanted him to be ok with not smoking. He is doing well and has been able to quit without the patch or gum- waste of money.
...me? I'm doing good. I am loving every moment I get to spend with Lauren and enjoy watching her learn and grow. I just love it when she cuddles with me and wants to help me in the kitchen! I am going to the gym now twice a day and really working on getting healthy and losing this weight. ..and it's coming off.
Our plans for this year? Moving!!!! yea! we are hopefully going to get out of the apartment living and into a home!!! Tim and I are both looking forward to that very much.
Timmy is doing well. He is getting pretty good grades in school. He is such a smart boy! I told him I was going to write in the blog and asked if there was anything he wanted people to know- He said that he is looking forward to getting his very first job this summer!
Travel plans?? - not really any right now. The next trip we take will be to visit my dad and grandma in Texas. This summer we will probably spend some time with my mom and sister at a lake cabin somewhere... Fun! I am trying to talk Tim into taking us camping! Cheap fun!!!!

2007-10-28T09:32:00.000-07:00

So i'm cleaning my house today- Thoroughly- and getting out all the junk that we just don't need. I will admit- I save all kinds of things....thinking that one day I may need them. Empty jewel cases, old tin cans (you know- the ones that you put christmas cookies in)- Toys that Lauren has grown out of, old shoes,...the list goes on-don't worry- I won't bore you. My point is that I really need to prioritize. I have never been one to keep my own room clean. Well, clean- yes- cluttered- yes. i can keep my house clean, but I like my room the way it is. So today- hopefully I'm going to change all that and clean my room. Tim just got done working 14 days straight of 12 hour shifts. He has off today and will most likely start again tomorrow working another 14 of 12's. Poor guy. I am so thankful for his hard work. I'm not helping much in the finance department, but I really like what I do and he is supporting that. He wishes I could be at home still, but knows that I need to work for a bit. I'm lucky to be able to bring Lauren with me to work every day. Well, I'm off to spend some QT with my hubby and watch the Bears!

don't mess with the bug!

2007-10-22T19:18:00.000-07:00

My family came to town this weekend. Here's a few pics of Lauren and her cousin Anna in their Halloween costumes! so cute! I think I need to find Lauren some wings before we go out trick-or-treating. :)

Finger Painting

2007-10-15T21:05:00.000-07:00

Well- I FINALLY got my computer fixed! Yea! I have a slight issue with one key still sticking though. It has been down for a while now and I have a stack of pictures to post and tons of stuff to catch up on. The most recent and sad news to report is the passing of one of my very close friends. Eric passed on Tuesday and the Funeral was this weekend. I have not had to deal with the death of a close friend like this before- so it's new territory for me. I'll spare the details- but it really makes you look at your own life when you have such a close friend pass who is almost the same age as you. Friday was the wake in the afternoon. hard. Followed by surprise tickets by my best friend to see my very favorite Rascal Flatts. It was a very good concert although it was bittersweet because it was such a sad day. Saturday night I went out with friends for my Birthday and came home to find my husband had cleaned the entire house and did all the laundry!! I'm so lucky to have such a helpful guy! Today- Tim made dinner for us. That's good for now. Sorry to all of you who called and left messages on my phone this weekend. Didn't feel like doing much talking and I'll get back to all of ya! Promise! Enjoy the Pics! Lauren finger painted for the first time!

please hold.........

2007-10-09T17:54:00.001-07:00

Pics should be up soon!

I need to get better at this

2007-09-07T20:34:00.000-07:00

Ok- I admit. I'm terrible at updating this thing. But for those of you who know me well, I'm terrible at keeping anyone up to date. I may not always return phone calls or answer e-mails, but I still think about it. Does that count? This week I started working for a new family and I love it. I have three kids plus my one so am very busy- but I rarely have all 4 at one time. One is always going somewhere. Next week I'm planning on bringing my camera with me. By the way- I would like to make an early request to santa to bring me one of those really nice semi-professional digital cameras! I have found that I love taking pictures. And since lots of them turn out great- I would rather invest in a really good camera than pay for a professional photographer(no offense to the three close friends of mine who ARE professional photographers). Busy this weekend. My good friend's B-day tomorrow evening, My sister-in-law's B-day tomorrow, and Sunday is the BEARS game!! I told Tim about a week ago that I got him a surprise for Sunday and it's killing him not to know what it is. You all will see pics. Can't tell you either. He reads the blog! Nothing big- just something I'll know he'll Love! I'm off to play with my new ipod nano.

Drew Barrymore and scrambled eggs

2007-08-24T21:44:00.000-07:00

Here I am getting ready to type on this blog- um.......wait. Let me start over. Here I WAS getting ready to type on this blog- I'm typing now- and Lauren is sitting across the room playing with her "Little People" Zoo. Right now, she's making up sounds that each animal makes. A giraffe roars like a lion, an elephant makes the sound of a monkey...etc! So, I have the tv on and am watching the Wedding Singer. Lauren stands up, points to Drew Berrymore on the Tv and says "mama!" It's nice to know that she thinks I look that good at 11:53 at night! Yes, it's 11:53pm and my daughter is not in bed. Sue me. I have hardly gotten one-on-one time with her lately! (well- it feels like it). I've been working 50+ hours a week for the last few weeks and am very lucky to be able to bring her to work with me 2 days. Unfortunately, I have to leave her three days. So sad. I'm not ready. She is. I'm not. She does great with anyone! She is very much a people person. Who knows where she got that from!!! hmmmm... Tim has had her in the mornings three days a week and does a fabulous job with her! It was a little rocky in the beginning though.....again...for me. Tim has always had things under control! He makes her breakfast and Lunch and gets her off to the sitter without a hitch! Well....there was one hitch once.... He called me one day to give me a rundown of how she was that day and what time he was dropping her off with the sitter and what she ate for Breakfast and Lunch. Lucky for me, he didn't tell me how many poopy diapers she had had. But I would have been ok with that too! Ah..the breakfast. "she ate 4 eggs, a banana and her juice." At first it didn't dawn on me what he had just said. I just thanked him, told him I loved him and then hung up the phone. WAIT!!!!! 4 EGGS!!? Wow! I called him right back to see if what I really heard was right. It was. "I made her 2 scrambled eggs with milk....but it didn't look like enough- so I made 2 more." Oh My gosh!!! 4 eggs is nothing to Tim, but How Lauren ate all that and a banana is unreal! And for all you other parents out there- every time she farted, it smelled horrible! like rotton eggs! Needed a gas mask to go into her room in the morning!!!! oh,my! All the same- Tim deserves a huge pat on the back for making sure she has her protein for the week in one meal! Job done!
...........In other news..........I'll begin working for a new family in September part time to start. I am really looking forward to it! Not only because I can bring Lauren with me everyday, but also because she is an artist. I love it!
Tim quit Edens. Hopefully he won't ever have to go back now that I am working and bringing in a little more money.
My mom sent a bunch of clothes and a couple other things for Lauren. the pics are of her going through the box and playing with one of the toys. The other pics are of Lauren watching all the rain that we have had lately. She loves to catch the water in her hand!

Gone Swimming!!

2007-07-26T20:24:00.000-07:00

We (Lauren and I) went to MN to visit family and we had fun up at the lake cabin. I got to see my Aunt and Uncle on Saturday night. We took Lauren to the park where she played a and Dean and Barb put her in the swing! She was tired from traveling during the day, but didn't want to miss anything! Sunday we went up to the lake cabin and here's a few photos from there. Lauren got to see her Cousin Anna and they got in a little pool together on the deck. What fun!

Picnic at Uncle Jerry's!

2007-07-26T19:59:00.000-07:00

We went over to Jerry and Debbi's last week- Lauren had a Blast playing with Bella, Jacob and Jerry! She got to see Uncle Tom too!!

2007-07-26T17:36:00.001-07:00

Fireworks and Horses

2007-07-02T21:57:00.000-07:00

Tim and I took Lauren to the Lislefest last night to watch the fireworks. Apart form the expensiveness of it all, we had a blast! Lauren was pointing to everything and telling us where to go (in her own little language). There were many shrieks and shrills this night! We brought the stroller, but Lauren was determined to walk among the big people! Thank God for stroller seat belts! There were TONS of people there, but we elbowed our way through the masses to safely arrive at the funnest ride there!! The carousal!! (duh!) Peanut just loved it. took a few pics. here ya go. the other ones are of us watching the fireworks. she was pointing and clapping the whole time. this little one has no fear!

She thinks she's a fish!

2007-06-14T17:05:00.001-07:00

So much to report since I posted a blog last. I am not used to posting these that often, but I'm trying to get better here. Meanwhile- Lauren has not stopped growing! She is always doing new things and loves making funny faces. A friend of mine taught her how to show her "pretty eyes" (she blinks them slowly while looking at you). She showed Lauren one time and Lauren picked it up right away! Lauren is starting to get words down better too. She now calls a ball a ball instead of a "baba". If you would ask her where her nose is right now- it's always on my or daddy's face Never hers! Ask her where her ears are and sometimes she goes into the bathroom and gets some bath toys to show, other times she pulls something out of her toy box! Her ears have not made it to her head yet! She Loves my car keys. She looks for them every day and loves to carry them around everywhere. I think that she knows if she has the keys, mommy can't go anywhere without her! It is very difficult to tell that she was even a preemie anymore! Lauren has done amazing and it's so fun for us to watch her grow and develop! She is most defitnaly a "daddy's Girl!" She loves to cuddle with daddy in our bed in the morning.
In Health news...Lauren made us worry a little when she woke up one morning a couple weeks ago with breathing issues. She seemed to have a terrible time getting a good breath and was wheezing pretty hard. After taking her to the doc that morning- we found out that she had bronchiolitis topped off with an ear infection. :( This is her first illness not related to her being so early. She's much better now, but still on a nebulizer twice daily. I don't like the nebulizer, but I do like the extra 40 min day I get to cuddle with her!! Usually she's running all over the place and does not want to sit still. She has gotten pretty good with the nebulizer- she now helps me hold the mask on her face. To top it off, she is very patient and will sit still until it's done.

We've been spending time outside as much as possible this summer- going to the zoo, parks, and pools! I recently got a bike trailer and have been taking her for bike rides every other morning. Lauren loves being outside and is a fish when it comes to the water! Today my friend, Patricia and I took our little ones to the pool in Glen Ellen. It has all kinds of fun things to do- even for 1 year olds! Every hour for 10 minutes all the big kids have to get out of the pool and "toddler time" begins. I took her into the deep end and stood her up on the side of the pool. She jumped right in to me! Lauren and Austin had so much fun! She cried today when I took her out of the pool! Enjoy the pictures! The little boy in them is her friend Austin! They are the same age and love to play together and chase each other!

Summer time!

2007-05-31T07:48:00.000-07:00

Well, Summer is here and we've been having so much fun spending time outside. My mom came this last weekend to visit and we had a good time. On Sunday, Tim and I went fishing and showed Lauren the Fox river in Aurora. Here's a few pics:

Waiting is so hard to do!

2007-05-16T22:19:00.000-07:00

So, I'm waiting and waiting for Lauren to take off walking and what do ya know? She starts really walking on Mother's Day!
Lets talk about Mother's day for a sec. Tim, my bestest friend- convinced me and a friend (who also has a 1 year old) to go out and have a good time Sat night. So, we did!!! It was a really good time! I almost sang Karaoke....But don't worry....I didn't! Tim put Lauren to bed and waited for me to get home. In the morning, I was awakened by Tim saying "honey, can you come here?!" Tim doesn't usually get up with peanut because he works so late, but he got up with her that day! Here I am thinking lauren pooped all over the bed, or he's having trouble getting her to eat her breakfast or something. So I get out of bed and into lauren's room. Both of them are smiling at me. Here is Lauren sitting in her crib and next to her is a card bigger than she is! (no kiddin') A mother's day card. On the other side of her in the crib was a HUGE bundle of flowers. All from Lauren! wow! I feel so special! My day was just awesome!! Tim took care of all the meals for the day (we had take-out!) but hey, I didn't have to lift a finger all day! I even got to take a nap in the middle of the day! This Mother's day was huge for both of us because both Tim and I have lauren HOME with us! Technically, I was a mother last year, but it didn't feel like it because Lauren was in the Hospital. It ended with me beating Tim in a game of Scrabble ( I think he let me..!) and Tim and I watching a movie together before he had to go to work.
All that said. Here's a few more pics and a Vid of Lauren taking a few steps. She does better when she thinks nobody is looking!

I couldn't help but TRY and put her hair in pigtails!

Lauren and her first best friend Austin

"What?"

The Cat in the Hat and Curious George

2007-04-28T13:49:00.000-07:00

We went to the new mall opening in Bolingbrook today. Packed! We went with Debi and Jacob. Jake couldn't wait to see the Clown make him a balloon Sword and Lauren was more interrested in the Cat in The hat. She was fine three feet away from him, but when she got held by him (and Curious George) she wasn't so sure. She wouldn't look at the camera- in fact, she wouldn't take her eyes off of them! She whined a little when the Cat was holding her, but clapped her hands when she saw Curious George. cute! Jake also got his hand print placed on a "wall of prints" he was very excited to show us where it was on the wall!

Great Gramma Visits

2007-04-21T07:47:00.000-07:00

My grandma came to stay with us for a week over Lauren's B-day and had a wonderful time here. She totally spoiled Lauren while she was here!! Here's a few of her feeding Lauren. More soon.

Fun in the Sun!

2007-04-21T07:22:00.000-07:00

So today was absolutly Beautiful!!! I just couldn't resist letting Lauren play out on the deck in her little duckie tub.
"here are my letters and numbers!"

"what is this?"

"where are all the ducks?"

Reflection Time

2007-04-19T10:57:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it has been a year that my life has changed. As most of you know Lauren was Surprise! And after a day of pure shock and several weeks of facing a tough decision -A very welcome surprise. I look at her across the living room (as she is walking in circles around the coffee table, talking to herself and stopping a quick minute to eat a cheerio or two that I have strategically placed around it) and I just can't help but tear up once in a while because I'm so proud of her- of all of us really. We have a wonderful, beautiful little girl who has been through so much already and she's only a year old! I realized the other day as I was telling someone the story of Lauren's emergency hospital visit, and was reminded again of how lucky we are to have her. I haven't told that story in a long time- but it did prompt me to get out some of Lauren's birth photos and look at them again. so for the sake of blogging, I'm just going to recap those events for a few minutes.

Lauren was born on April, 18 2006. The weekend before that I was visiting family in MN and was really sick. on the evening of the 18th, we went to the midwife's office and were directed to the hospital immeditally. Tim was asked if he could get me to the hospital faster than an ambulance could. He met the challenge! and succeeded with flying colors! (safely- of course!) Before we went into the hospital, I called my friend Wendi- and let her know the situation. Then the fear of the moment hit me and i had a few tears. Dried the eyes and Tim and I walked into the hospital hand in hand. Don't remember what was said, but we were laughing about something when we approached the nurse's desk to check in. Got in the room, got started on magnesium, and what do you know- my water breaks!?! wierd timing- so emergency c-section. Tim held my hand the entire time and we were talking with the doctor as he performed the c-sectin. Then the seriousness hit the room as Lauren came out with no movement and no breathing. Our hearts sank. I knew they were working on her over in the corner, but I couldn't see anything. I kept pulling the drape back so I could see, but they kept pushing it back. We knew at that point something was pretty wrong. It was a very tense 12 minutes. (yep- 12). I remember looking at the clock at the time she came out and it was 10:53pm. I looked at Tim's face to see if I could read his expressions and tell what was going on, but his face was blank. He was just starring at Lauren in the corner. Just when I couldn't take it any longer, I opened my mouth and was about to ask for an update, and the sweetest sound broke the silence! Lauren squeeked a little! That meant she was breathing (at least a little). The whole room seemed to exhale a sigh of relief. Sigh. And then- the moment I was dreaming about for months: I got to see my little girl!!! I cried- happy tears! This little part of me! I could have stayed in that moment for a very long time. I felt all this emotion inside, am I really doing this? Are we really ready? She is so beautiful! She's Mine? She's MINE! I felt like time stopped for hours. It was only for 2 seconds. The nurse brought Lauren over to me and told me to give her a quick kiss. I did, and then she was gone agian. I didn't even get to study my precious little daughter's features! I had to take a quick mental picture of her face, because I didn't know it, but I wouldn't be seeing her again for 2 whole days! I was so sick, I was placed in a dark quiet room, to avoid ceasures. Later that night, the nurse brought me a picture they had taken of Lauren and I never let that picture go. I knew Lauren was not in excellent condition, but was not prepared for the sights i saw when i saw her for the first time. I saw this little fragile person in her bed. A diaper way too big for her little 3lb body.With all that said, here are a few pictures of her in her first few days:

This was my engagement ring she was holding!

1st B-day Party!

2007-04-11T12:52:00.000-07:00

Well, Lauren had her first (of two)Birthday parties- we went to MN to celebrate with friends there. Lots of people showed up to celebrate. Lauren got TONS of gifts- thank you everyone!!! She asked for books for her b-day and that's what she got! Lots of them!
MMMM...Cake!!

Reading my books

Dean, Lauren and Anna

Birthday Cakes

Easter Bunny!

2007-04-05T17:11:00.000-07:00

We went to the mall today to get Lauren's picture taken with the Easter Bunny!!! We waited in a very long line and Lauren was so patient! As we got to the front of the line- she did not take her eyes off of the bunny. We were in line so long, Lauren started getting sleepy- which is why she looks sleepy in the photo. When it was our turn to get Lauren's picture taken, she didn't even get scared. She liked the bunny! And after the photo, she gave him a little kiss. Awwww.
In other news: She's getting two more teeth- on top this time. (that makes 4 so far).
We're getting ready to go to MN for Lauren's B-day party and Easter with my family.

Birthday Video Invitation

2007-03-30T10:25:00.000-07:00

For those of you waiting to see the B-day Video invite.... Here it is!!! We wanted to send this out in the mail, but had editing issues. (like- we tried to edit it ourselves!)Still a little choppy, but it'll do. Turn your sound on!

First steps...

2007-03-29T13:01:00.000-07:00

Well, today Lauren took her first steps! 11 months old! Granted there wern't very many, 5 to be exact, but all the same, we decided to chalk it up as her first steps. She was walking from me to daddy- classic. We both were so proud of her. She seemed to know that she did something neat, so she sat down and clapped her hands! How cute is that?!?! A few days ago-(when the weather was nicer) we were on the deck, and Lauren was watching the ducks.
I am amazed every day at how much she absorbs. She knows that when we go to the store, it's not because we need to pick up a few things, but rather to show herself off to people. Sometimes if we're standing next to someone and she wants them to turn and look at her, she'll let out a loud "Ba!". Of course it always works! She recognizes Ellen- the 70 year old lady who cuts the fabric we need at Walmart. cute.

What a little princess!

Meet the fam...

2007-03-28T12:44:00.000-07:00

So, this is me (Monika)taking over the blogging for now...Lauren is taking a nap. Just wanted to fill you all in on some updates with us and introduce the family...Most of you have already met Lauren, but not many have had the chance to meet Tim or Timmy. Both are wonderful men in my life. Tim, my rock and hero- works very hard so I don't have to right now. No, it's not easy and sometimes we stretch the wallet, but I'm not sure it should really be any other way right now. I want to go back to work, but at the same time, I can't find a job that fits. Tim is not crazy about me working, but also sees that I need to get out of the house once in a while and communicate with the outside world. :) Here is a picture of us about a month ago: My friend Kelly took a bunch of family photos for us. Tim is a Foreman for a large printing company here in Chicago. He is a Huge Cubs fan! Here he is in AZ for Cubs spring trainig a few weeks ago:(he's the good looking one on the right!)
Tim has a son, Timmy, who is 14 years old. He is incredibly smart and very charming. Timmy Loves Star Wars, Anime, fishing, and playing Video games. He is very much a part of my life. Next year he goes to High School. We have been trying to convince him to play Football, but I think he would just rather read a book. Here he is being silly with Lauren:

Well, that's the fam!

Why should I walk When I have mommy?!

2007-03-27T19:48:00.000-07:00

Hi everbody! My name Is lauren.. I am 11 months old! I can't wait because I am having my first birthday party ever next month! I like alot of things! I like cheerios, going to the park and swinging, cheerios, following mommy around the house, playing with all the toys in my toy box, sleeping, eating everything I can, I love cheerios! I like watching blues clues, I think it's silly! I like taking all the magnets off the fridge and helping mommy unfold all the laundry! So fun! I can crawl really fast..really, really fast! I can't walk yet, but I'm not in a big hurry to. My mommy carries me around everywhere! I got it made! Why should I walk when I got mommy?! But I'll walk soon, it'll make mommy happy. Mommy stays at home with me all day and we have lots of fun all the time! We play and read books together, and sometimes we take naps together! I like cheerios! My mommy types for me, but I have my own computer too...see?

This is me on my computer. I just love it!