Lauren (4 Months)

The Stats:

11 lb 14 oz (11th percentile)
24 in (40th percentile)
Head 39 cm (15th percentile)

Little Lauren Lou is a tad on the small side, but we love her anyway.  =)  I'm sure part of it comes from the fact that she is so sweet and sleeps through the night pretty well, and the fact that she doesn't protest if I get busy and I forget don't feed her in a timely matter.  That doesn't happen too horribly often, but with five kids that does happen as I try to juggle the daily craziness that just is part of life.  I have recommitted myself to doing better, so hopefully at her next check up we will see some decent weight gain.  If not, then I guess it just means she is just little, no matter what I do. 

Nicknames:

Lauren is known in our house as Pretty Girl, Princess, LaLa, and Lauren Lou.  Princess came from her Dad calling her than, and the other boys have quickly followed suit.  The boys came up with Pretty Girl. Today Ethan informed me if you sing "Pretty Girl" to her when you can't find a binky, she stops crying.  I think it was Jayden who started the idea of singing to her when she is crying - I love the help the boys give, especially when I am out of the room.  LaLa is what Austin calls her.  And I was the one who started Lauren Lou - it just popped out of my mouth one day.

Lauren is starting to really grab at things now.  She LOVES this little gym!

She is still a thumb sucker (a huge part of why she is sleeping so well in the night), and takes a binky.  Here and there I find toys tucked up next to her that one of the boys shared.  Here she has a monkey with her to help her sleep.

Back to School for Ethan

Ethan just couldn't wait for his preschool to start again.  I always think it is funny that preschool seems to start about two to three weeks after the rest of the kids start, and they are the ones that are the most excited to go.  It kills them to watch their older siblings to be going and they aren't. But, he did survive... barely!!

L to R: Austin, Ethan, Cade, Eden, and Cole
(I may have mixed up Austin and Cole, but I think I've got that right)



He wanted to ride his bike on the first day of school.  Sometimes we take the short cut through a neighbor's backyard, but this time he wanted to go all the way around the block on his bike.  It was fun to see all his neighborhood buddies coming for their first day, too. 

Ethan was so excited that he waited just long enough for me to grab this one snap, and then he was off to class!

He is sooo excited about his Phineas and Ferb backpack.  I was trying to get one more snap of him smiling at me, but he turned so quick after the first one, that this is all I got.  Also, this little walkway is a favorite place of his.  No matter where I drop him off, or pick him up (with the exception of when we go through the backyard shortcut), he always has to walk up or down this walkway.  He is so funny about it.  I love this kid!