birthday week

We're off.
For a week of celebrating a golden birthday of a very special girl.



Birthday week kicked off this morning with presents.
And she recalls how to open them.

We're also celebrating our last hurrah as a family of 3.
Our last plane ride when we fit in one row.
Our last big adventure with only one little darling to keep us on our toes.



Because when we come back, the countdown begins.
We've got a big girl bed to break-in, {just waiting on the mattress now}
names to decide upon,
infant bins to break out of the attic,
and general nesting to commence.
{although I feel as though I've had nesting binges since week 15}



Looking forward to sharing all the special memories we've made
and all that excites us for the future when we return.

week 25

two weeks from two

Two weeks from today,
we will be celebrating the golden birthday of a special little girl at the most magical place on Earth.



Next Friday her birthday week kicks off with a trip to Iowa to see grandparents, cousins, and celebrate with a  little birthday party.

So we're busy gearing up for lots of celebrating and memory making,
but in the midst of all that I can't help but get a little sentimental about two.



I remember last year leading up to that first birthday,
and all the thoughts of "last year at this time I was..."

But this year is different.



She is changing right before our very eyes.

And the last couple days,
as we approach the two week mark,
and prepare for lots of celebrating to come,
I can't help but stare at her and wonder if these are the moments,
the faces,
and the little memories that will flash back to me when she's older.



Will I see that same little smirk when she's a teen?
Will I remember the way she used to read intently by herself when I catch her profile?
Will I hear that little contagious giggle when she thinks something is really funny?

I hope so.
But just in case,
I'm going to keep soaking up all of the little girl goodness this almost two year old is giving.

week 24

Big sister got in on the fun this week...


Take notice of the color she is wearing.

Last year we let her choose to wear between Cyclone and Hawkeye gear...
so we did the same this year.

It's become a bit of a tradition.

So has Lauren choosing Iowa State...

Tiny Dancer

This week Lauren started dance.

I found out about this class through another mom at the library and was immediately intrigued when I heard that it wasn't a 'Mommy & Me' class, but a thirty minute teacher lead class.

While Mom waits outside the room.

As a stay at home mom, one of the things I worry about is making sure Lauren gets enough socialization, both with her peers and with other adults.

She took a couple minutes to warm up, but once the bubbles started she was all in. 

And appeared to listen quite well for her almost two year old self.

The plies are a work in progress.  

Okay, so maybe it was the little outfit and the teacher lead class that convinced me. 

Labor Day 2015

We've had a busy summer, but it seems to have flown by without too many getaways.
So a little getaway to Tennessee was the perfect way to celebrate the official end to the summer season.

Lauren still travels really well.

We feel well seasoned in traveling with a little, although with each stage things change slightly.
We now stock up on Daniel Tiger episodes and save them for the flight only.
Pack plenty of snacks.
Stickers & Crayons.

This is our equation for a pretty successful flight.

Lauren is still a 'lap child' and will be until we hit two and have to purchase an additional ticket. However with a growing belly and a growing girl, that additional ticket is looking pretty good. We got a dose of it on our flight down and the extra room was kinda nice.
I  did discover a new hurdle with this next phase,
keeping her seated and belted when necessary, when the lap is not an option, and she really doesn't want to be.

Our long weekend was a busy one that started out at the lake

with lots of sun, jumping, boat rides, tubing, and even a popsicle.


Lauren loved the water, like couldn't get enough of it.

I credit that to swim lessons.


After our little fish was finished swimming, we went for a boat ride and a McQuinn family tube ride.

Lauren was such a fan that she went to sleep about 2 minutes in.

Our boat ride continued and so did Lauren's nap.




The rest of our weekend was filled with fun activities out & about in Knoxville and right in Papa & Grandma's backyard.

Especially this one...
After seeing Lauren on the 'air track' at gymnastics, my mom found a little bounce house.



It was blown up daily and Lauren loved it.
Especially on the last day, when the hose got turned on and it became a water bounce house.
I am now on the hunt for a bounce house.

We celebrated Football Time in Tennessee.
Since Lauren has outgrown all of her UT gear, Papa & Grandma took her to find some appropriate game day attire.



Meet Otis.
He's a Bluetick Coonhound, which also happens to be the UT mascot, Smokey.
While my dad is an avid Vol's fan, he did not get a Smokey dog to show his devotion.
Otis belongs to Tyler and is on an extended dog sitting trip at Grandpa & Grandmas
as Tyler secures a better living situation for Otis {think apt to house}
... because Grandpa & Grandma are really good at that extended dog sitting thing.
We would know.

Other highlights of our weekend included:

Brunch, at one of our favorite Knoxville restaurants.
I can't get this place out of my head. There is an ahi tuna salad here that I'm obsessed with. I had it delivered to the hospital when I had Lauren.
Sadly, I have been racking my brain with what special meal I'm going to have delivered this time around.
I've yet to come up with anything.

Lauren would like a cake pop delivered.

Zoo Trip

with all her favorites.
Giraffes, elephants, monkeys, gorillas, lions, & tigers.


We even got to see some zebras.
And there was no trauma.
We made some progress since our Memorial Day fiasco.



Ice Cream
After our hot zoo trip, we cooled off with a shake, a first for Lauren.

She liked.
She also liked running off that shake in Grandma & Papa's backyard,

which is a great feature of my parents new house.

The Reading Chair
Before this weekend, this chair did not have a name.
But it appears Lauren left her mark on it and there was a lot of quality time spent here.





Did I mention he is a rescue who's former name is Clet?


It was a quick and busy weekend,
as they all seem to be,
but this one was full of memories.

One of my favorite things about traveling with Lauren is seeing things through her eyes.
The older she gets, the more she takes in. The more she notices. The more she talks about when we return home.  
Especially when we visit our parents and families.

This is the beginning of those special memories that she will have forever.

And it's pretty fun to see it through her grandparents eyes as well.

week 23

Knoxville, Tennessee

twenty-three

Here we are.
One month from today, she'll be two.
An whole new level of toddler
(i feel like we've been there for a while)
and counting the months will be over.

At twenty-three months, our little girl...



... is active and talkative. She runs and jumps wherever she can and likes to be heard. She repeats everything she hears and it seems like she adds another word to her own vocabulary daily.

...loves to laugh & giggle. Sometimes in a fake way to be part of a conversation. But most of the time it's a genuine little girl giggle. This can be heard quite often while playing with her dogs.

... still loves books. She has memorized a couple of the very simple ones and can 'read' them to us. She also still loves her dolls or babies. She becomes more and more imaginative in play and has really started to care for her babes, feeding them, rocking them, kissing them, putting them to bed. It's pretty sweet and we are hoping her love sticks around for her little sister or brothers arrival.

... has a thing for cows & horses. Seriously. Pretty random for the suburbs of Houston, but she loves herself some cow and horse sightings. And lucky girl, not far from our house we pass some land that has cows on one side and horses on the other. Also random. But maybe not. We do live in Texas.

... is currently obsessed with puzzles. And she's pretty good at them. It's one of the first things she does in the morning and we have strategically placed them both up and down stairs so they are available at all times.

... sings Wheels on the Bus, Row Row Row Your Boat, and Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes. Except for Head and Toes are the only lyrics sung. I've got a cd in my car of several childrens songs and every time we get in the car she requests the 'bus' song. Every time.

... says 'Bye-Bye' with a blown kiss to almost everyone we interact with.

... has recently discovered M&Ms and asked for them by name.

... doesn't eat as many greens or vegetables as her mother would like, but is a big fan of dip. Vegetable dip or greek yogurt helps with our veggie intake, but the ratio of dip to veggie is a bit off. She also likes ketchup, just like her mama.

... is sweet. She gives hugs and kisses, just because. She is working on her manners, saying please and thank you, and sorry when she needs to. And melts our hearts when we hear her say 'la you' in return.

... still has her Lola.