4th of July

Oh, Wisconsin.
Land of my family, you have given us many wonderful things. Cheese, Leinenkugel beers, Noah's Ark waterpark....

But your easy access to fireworks for the home enthusiasts? Not cool Wisconsin, not cool. Little Miss Laura is NOT happy about going to bed tonight and we unfortunately live in a neighborhood where MANY people are happily setting off their own personal fireworks show.

Happy 4th, everyone!

Laura's Baptism

Laura's Baptism was back on June 14th. It was a really nice day; we had a lot of family celebrating with us and showing Laura their love and support. One of the most special things about Laura's Baptism was her baptismal gown - she is the third generation to wear it! My mom, aunts, myself, my brothers, and my cousins have all been baptized in this gown. I thought it was really neat that Laura got to wear it too.

The Baptism liturgy at our church was nice. Our musical friends John (who played piano for our wedding) and Jane were on hand and that was pretty meaningful for Grandma Barb and myself since they rearranged schedules to be the musicians for that day. At our church, babies are "dunked" naked in the font, and then they are dried off and put in their white garments. Although Laura likes baths a lot, this was a different story. The water in the font was lukewarm at best, and of course she shrieked when Dad dipped her in! She calmed down pretty quickly afterwards and looked so sweet in her gown.

We were very happy for Laura to become a part of her church family and especially thankful for the support of her godparents, Auntie Lynn and Uncle Scott.

Laura Is Three Months Old!

Height: 23 and 3/4 inches

Weight: 12 pounds (?) Unofficial estimate as there is no doctor visit until 4 months.

Likes: pacifier, giraffe toy, playing pattycake, sitting in the swing, talking (both nice and sassy), curling up in a little ball, watching people and objects, looking in the mirror

Dislikes: sleeping in her crib, people coughing. Also shows unhappiness by frantic rubbing of head and face.

Tummy Time!

We can't believe Laura is already three months old! She is so cute and brings us happiness every day. Just the other day we took her on a walk and we were amazed at how alertly she was looking at the trees. She also finally learned to lift up her head when she is on her tummy (a milestone I have been waiting at least a month for).

For at least the last two weeks, Laura has been sleeping miserably. She tenses and crunches herself up anytime we put her down to bed in her crib, and falling asleep takes more than an hour to get her to relax. Last night we were desperate for some sleep so we put her in the car seat instead...eight solid hours of sleep later, we all were much happier. I'm a little nervous because sleeping in the car seat is DEFINITELY not something that "the books say" is ok. But as Grandma Barb put it, there aren't any adults out there sleeping in car seats. So tonight we're starting out in the car seat instead of messing around in the crib for hours.

Sleep, I Love You!

Let me tell you about last night. I went to bed at 12:30 and didn't get up until 8:30 this morning. That's eight hours of uninterrupted glorious sleep. Father B got even more sleep; probably from 11:30 to 10! This is not because we have a perfect angel baby; this is because Laura had her first overnight at Grandma Barb and Grandpa Glenn's last night.

Father B and I attended a big 30th birthday bash for our friend Ginner last night. We wanted to be able to party it up and not have to worry about our little one, so we left her with the grandparents. Clearly, "partying it up" has new meaning when you are 30 and 29 - we left around 11 because Father B was getting too tired!

We both love our sleep and last night re-discovered what it feels like to sleep a whole night without any interruptions, something I haven't done since March 28! It was pretty nice to have a break from parental responsibility, but we were glad to see Laura's sweet smile when we picked her up today. Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa.

Father's Day

My First Father's Day
It was a weekend of emotional ups and downs. As Mom wrote in the previous post, with great sadness, we said 'goodbye' to a wonderful Dad, Grandpa, and Great-Grandpa. Sandwiched in the middle of his passing and funeral was my first Father's Day.

Father's day started off with Laura and I snuggling in bed. Couldn't have asked for a better start! After half-hour of snuggling (or putting in the pacifier every 30 seconds), Laura and I went downstairs to a surprise breakfast. Dad had an omelet, toast, and hash browns on his plate and Laura drank milk straight from the tap. What a great way to start off the day, eh?!?

After the delicious breakfast, Mom surprised Dad with a bag of goodies. Inside were gifts (even though he asked for nothing). Golf balls, clothes, and a very thoughtful card. I don't know who was more happy that I had an updated wardrobe, Mom or me? Let it be known...I am excited to blast some of my new golf balls into the lake, ponds, and woods at Ruttger's on Bay Lake later this summer!

Following breakfast and presents, we continued the celebration at my parent's house. Grandpa and Grandma B, Uncle Scott, Auntie Lynn and Cousin Lillian were all in attendance. Oh! And there were additional guests. Auntie Lynn's nieces and nephews were there too (Charlie, Thomas, and Allison) because Lynn's sister was in the hospital. (Get well, Sara!) Five children under 5 years old. If that wasn't a form of birth control, I don't know what would be. Truthfully, the kids were on their best behavior and our time down there was as usual, except a little louder.

Normally, our next stop would have taken us to Grandpa and Grandma M's house but this year our journey was rerouted to Baraboo, WI. We did not go to celebrate Father's Day, but we did go to celebrate a Father, Grandpa, and Great-Grandpa.



Here is a video of Laura laughing. In a matter of a week, she has gone from a little chuckle to a full-fledged laugh. Unfortunately, I didn't get to the camera on time as these are a couple of takes after she laughed really hard. The final clip is of Laura looking over Mom's shoulder. I added this because I smile every time Laura's "peanut head" peeks over someone's shoulder. I think she is so cute when she does that.

A Great Grandpa

This is Laura holding hands with her great-grandpa - my grandpa, my dad's dad. He passed away early Friday morning at the age of 87. Laura got to meet him just once. My grandpa survived quite a few health scares - heart attacks, a pulmonary embolism - but another mild heart attack in May really weakened him. Last week, Laura and I went to Wisconsin to say our goodbyes because we knew he didn't have much longer. She was a fantastic girl on the journey and traveled very well in the car!

I really wanted my grandpa to have the chance to meet his great-granddaughter. Seeing her brought the faintest smile to his face and he told me that she was "such a beautiful girl." I will remember that always. My grandpa was one of those guys who became more sweet and sentimental the older he got; he very strongly valued the relationship we shared as a family and continually spoke about it to us. Before he died I told him that he left a strong impression on me about three things: providing a special place and time for family to gather, loving and respecting one's spouse, and being there to support your family members at times that are important to them (my grandparents attended as many games, concerts, graduations, weddings, baptisms, confirmations, etc. as they could). I promised I would do my best to honor him by living these lessons and teaching them to my children too.

If your grandparents are still around, give them a hug and value the precious time you can spend with them.

Swamp Poop

Look at her; isn't she sweet?! You wouldn't think she is capable of producing...swamp poop! This last week Laura has started pooping Oscar the Grouch-green slime. Ew. My books tell me this is an ok thing but it's sure not pretty!

Speaking of books, everyone who's around me frequently is probably sick of hearing me say, "Well, the books say..." I've tried to stay off the internet regarding babies and parenting, because I think it tends to make people a little neurotic, and I'm trying my hardest NOT to be a neurotic mom. Instead I read books so I know the "right" things to do. My favorite is called Baby 411. I think I probably read something from it every day in her first couple of months, but now I'm easing up and only have to consult it from time to time. It is a really good book, though - I would totally recommend it for new parents.

If you asked Laura right now what her greatest ambition in life is (and she could reply), I'm pretty sure she would tell you it's to fit her entire fist into her mouth. She works on this all the time. She's learned to hold onto her toys now, but it only lasts a little bit and then it's back to the hand in the mouth. I wish she would quit this and just be happy with a finger or two because it makes her gag. Also, I don't want this to be her party trick someday when she grows up! Dad and I are certainly enjoying Laura right now; talking and smiling are so adorable - we've even heard a little bit of laughing which is the greatest.

Laura Talks, We Listen

The past week to two weeks, Laura has been talking up a storm. Both Mom and I have enjoyed every moment and we want to share it with you. Unfortunately, every time we turn on the camera...she stops.

Tonight was our lucky night! The video below shows Laura sitting on Mom's tummy and showing off her vocal cords.

I know the video is rather long (almost 2 minutes). Please stay tuned to the end, I know you will enjoy it. The same thing happened to me yesterday when I gave Laura a kiss...only it ended up in my mouth!

Kick It.

On the recent occasions that I have encountered Baby Laura I've noticed that she spends a great deal of time kicking and squirming. At first I thought she was uncomfortable or displeased about something, but after a while it became apparent that kicking and squirming is what she does. It then dawned on me that she's most likely doing this as a means of developing her muscles in order to use her limbs to walk, hold things, point, eat food, etc.

In short, this baby is training herself to become a functioning human being. No one told her to do this. She probably doesn't even really understand what she's doing, but she's working constantly none the less to become one of us. Her body and brain naturally just develop in order to transform this bundle of helplessness into one of us.

Doesn't that just totally freak you out!?

It freaks me out every day. The knowledge that one day my niece; who is currently immobile and speechless, will one day be someone like me: a complex being full of ideas, problems and aspirations going through some sort of existential crisis. Sitting in an apartment writing a blog post at 2 in the morning panicking about her own niece and what it all means.

If this is how I feel as an Uncle, I can't even begin to imagine how Father B and Baby B's Mom and anyone else who has ever brought a child into this world feels.

Keep kicking Baby Laura. Learn to talk. Then you can tell me.

Laura Is Two Months Old!

We're a little behind...Laura turned two months on Saturday. Today she had her two-month-old doctor visit and a round of shots, so we've got some stats for you!

Height: 23 and 1/4 inches (birth: 20 inches)

Weight: 10 pounds, 12 ounces (birth: 7 lbs, 13 oz)

Likes: the pacifier, smiling, Dr. Seuss stories (especially Green Eggs & Ham), listening to music (Raffi!), whistling, baths and washing hair, looking in the mirror with dad, and did I mention the pacifier?

Dislikes: when the pacifier falls out, bright sunshine, parties with crowds and noise

She is still working through how she feels about people other than mom...dad has had some success over the last couple of days, but she fussed this weekend when her great auntie and grandma tried to hold her too. Mom is hoping she gets over this soon!!

Above you can see a picture of Laura with her "battle wounds" from the shots today. She has Snoopy band-aids! She did pretty well - screamed as expected but not for too long, and was settled by the time we got in the car. Laura then slept the rest of the afternoon. To the left is a picture of Laura wearing a dress for the first time to Auntie K's grad party this weekend. Cute!