Laura is 3 Years and 4 Months!

This is the face of Laura at 3 years, 4 months.

Despite being a very sweet girl most of the time, "sassy Laura" has been in effect this summer for sure.  We are no stranger to the facial expression in the picture above.  This particular moment is a reaction to a polite request for picture-taking.  She was having none of it.

Likes: PRINCESS MOVIES - in particular, Little Mermaid and Princess and the Frog are in heavy rotation, smothering Ryan with kisses, playing with water and toys on the deck, watching Arthur and Caillou, reading Arthur books, princess stickers and stickering people's shirts - if you get a sticker from Laura, it's a sure sign she likes you, homemade lemonade popsicles, helping to water flowers and Daddy's garden, going to the park

Dislikes: Clearly taking photos unless it's on her own terms, falling asleep at night (although it's getting better)

What's new: Laura is becoming pretty proficient at drawing people in classic little-kid style: circle that is both face and body with two stick arms and two stick legs, plus a scribble of hair on top.  She'll write an "L" consistently but will claim other letters are "too hard," she had her first water balloon experience recently at a family event in WI and enjoyed them immensely although she didn't really grasp the concept of trying to "get" someone with them.

Laura's First Show

Laura and I attended her first musical "show" along with my mom a few weeks ago.  It was a community theater production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella," perfect for this princess-crazed girl!  Before the show, little kids could participate in a Princess Parade across the stage.  There were a handful of princes and many, many little girls in fluffy pastel princess dresses, wands, crowns, etc.

I procured a princess outfit but Laura wasn't a fan of the scratchy tulle, so she wore one of her favorite dresses instead along with her wand and crown.  Once she heard the deal about the Princess Parade - moms could NOT come up on stage with the girls, she was out.  So much for that.  There was a lot of anxious waiting for the show to begin, but once it did, she watched very nicely on Grandma Barb's lap.  Laura was entranced with the sparkly Fairy Godmother, and of course Cinderella and the Prince "in love."

Afterwards the characters were available for visiting, "Disney style."  We bypassed it at first but on second thought decided to return and wait in line for a little looking up close and some pictures, which turned out to be totally worth it.  You could tell Laura thought it was the real deal, and was pretty star struck talking to Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother. What a fun outing and good introduction to "the arts" for Laura!

Ruttger's 2012

Ryan made his first trip and Laura her fourth up to Deerwood, MN for our annual family vacation up at Ruttger's.  The weather was a little less than ideal, since we only had two nice sunny days - our first full day and our last!

Laura could remember some of the things she had done in years past, and was very excited about swimming since she had just completed swimming lessons.  Some old favorite activities were a pontoon ride, going for post-nap ice cream with Bapa, sitting in the swing overlooking the lake, visiting the other cabins, playing at the playground, and choosing a dessert from the buffet each night.  New things Laura tried this year were shuffleboard with Grandma, listening to a storyteller with mom, fishing with daddy, and attending Grandma's favorite...folk songs around the bonfire with Ted Fyder!

Ryan was a really good baby on vacation.  He slept well and was very easy at breakfast and dinner, falling asleep in his carseat so we could eat without having to juggle a baby.  Just like Laura, he was subjected to the puffy blue infant life jacket and experienced his first pontoon ride.  I'm sure next year will be much more fun for him; there will be so much more he can do!

Mike golfed most mornings and had a great round on the Lakes course that he was very proud of...he saved the scorecard for the fridge, something he only does when he golfs really well.  He napped in the afternoons with the kids, giving me some time to sit by the pool and read or visit the shops.  I should mention that I was on fire in our "Ruttger's Putting Challenge," three holes-in-one to tie with my brother for the win.  It's rare than anyone other than my dad wins this event so I was pretty excited.  All in all, another fun year.  We are so thankful for this time together!

Ryan is Two Months Old!

Height/Weight: Ryan has his 2 month appointment in another week or so.  He feels so heavy to me!  I am curious to see where he's at.

Likes: Eating small meals frequently, having his hair brushed, riding in the car or swing (any motion puts him to sleep), being awake in the early morning, smiling, having lots of room to squirm and kick

Dislikes: Not getting fed immediately when he's hungry, saline drops and the snot sucker to get his boogery nose clean, the baby papasan chair (unless he's really tired)

This past month Ryan has figured out smiling and rewards us frequently.  He has sort of a lopsided gummy grin with a dimple on one side that is pretty cute.  In the last week or so, he's even become a bit of a "talker" and is making baby noises, usually when he's smiling.  Some of his sleep patterns are becoming more predictable - he usually falls asleep every night around 9:30 or 10, and then wakes up about 3:30-4 for his first nighttime feeding.

So, Who Does Ryan Look Like?

People ask all the time who Ryan looks like, or they just say right off the bat that he looks like Laura.  Take a look; you be the judge!  Their heads are a little differently shaped, and Laura definitely had more cheeks than Ryan does, but I do think they look similar to each other.  The pictures alternate Ryan/Laura; both are taken of them at 7 weeks old.