Firsts

One of the best things about the last week or so is that Laura has really been starting to smile a lot - and not just the gassy/involuntary smiles that babies do at first. I can't think of anything that makes me happier than when she looks right at me and gives me one of those big toothless smiles. It's just the greatest feeling! Last week on Friday she was super smiley and I got a lot of great pictures of her.

Besides her first real smiles, Laura's had a lot of other "firsts" in the last week: her first errand with mom (post office), her first shopping trip (Babies 'R Us), her first bath in her bathtub, her first trip to Target (I really wanted that to be her first shopping trip but it didn't work out that way), and her first time going out to eat (lunch at Champps in Burnsville). She's not wildly excited about a lot of these "firsts" and mostly sleeps through them, as she tends to do when we're out and about. I was really excited about taking her to Target, and tried to explain my love for that store and how momentous the occasion was, as we headed in from the parking lot - she did not share my enthusiasm yet, but she will come to love Target!!!

There's one more first which I cannot talk about because the last time I bragged it jinxed us, but I will say it has to do with sleeping at night and her crib. She is a champ.

I took Laura to the doctor's office for a weight check today. This is a very quick process - a nurse just puts her on the scale and that's it. No other measurements or information, but she does weigh 9 pounds, 5 1/4 ounces.