Running Girl

Here we see Lena using the combined technique of finger inside the Soothie for maximum chewing and sucking. I love how her legs are positioned to look like she's running. It won't be too long before she's up and about on her own. Lena has been sleeping in her own room in the crib for over a week now. She's doing great.

Milestones

As I mentioned in a previous post, Lena turned four months last week. Here she is all ready to go to swim class, then the doctors office. Below, you can see her after our busy day. Friday we went to Conduit Gallery and checked out Lena's new Baby Banz Retro shades on our way there. She didn't even act like she noticed them, but she had a firm grip on Binkie Bear.

Lena is grasping her toys better and seems more interested in things around her. She started sucking her thumb on Friday and seems to be keeping that up, as seen in the picture at the very bottom. She kicks her legs up higher and even grabs her toes. She continues to be very talkative and coo and babble. She can roll over from front to back and back to front. Last night we completed the transition to her own room. She slept in her crib in her room all night for the very first time. She had been in the Pack and Play next to our bed. She didn't sleep the whole night through, but I had to get up two fewer times than the previous nights. We're hoping that by being in her own room she'll sleep for longer uninterrupted stretches.

Desk Diva

Here are some photos Todd took of Lena sitting with me at my desk. I love these photos! Notice how she's holding her thumb between her fingers in the third picture. She's been trying out that grip for holding things, pinching toys between her thumb and middle finger with the first finger over her thumb.

First 4th of July

Max

The Rudnicki's came over for the 4th of July. Here's Max, Lena, then Max and Lena. We had barbeque at our house then walked over to Lakewood Library to watch the fireworks at Lakewood Country Club. Max seemed interested in the fireworks display. We're not sure if Lena noticed, but at least the noise didn't upset her - a successful first 4th of July!

Lena

Max and Lena

Mike, Regina, and Max

Waiting for fireworks to start

Anne and Lena watching fireworks

Happy Bath

Lena loves taking baths in her big-baby tub. She actually gets upset if I cut the bath too short. She loves to kick and splash and get me as wet as possible. I think going to swim class once a week has really improved her bath time. She loves water!

Uncle Mike's 65th Birthday

Todd's uncle Mike turned 65 in early July. Todd's mom Gail and aunt Karen both came into town to celebrate and see Lena. They bought a yummy chocolate cake covered in chocolate shavings that ended up everywhere. Our dark brown leather sofas + white pants = chocolate pants.

Mike and Gail with the chocolate cake

Mike and Lena

Mike, Lena, and lots of belly

Sunny Girl

Here are some more photos with Todd's new camera. Lena and I were making funny faces. She's such a happy girl! These photos were taken July 1, 2011. This last Wednesday Lena turned four-months! We celebrated with a visit to the doctor and shots. Our little miss weighed in at 17 lbs. 8 oz and measure 27 1/4 inches. If that seems big for four months -- it is. She's in the 97 percentile for weight and 98+ (literally off the charts) for height. She's a growing girl.

Rosy Baby

Here's your Lena fix for the day. I took this picture June 21 of Lena sitting in the green chair, looking thoughtful.

New Camera, New Photos

Hazel at home.

After a bazillion hours of research, scouting, and wishing Todd finally got a new camera. These are some of the first photos he took with it. Here we are at Josh and Jen's with Hazel after the Etsy Dallas Supplies Me! Art + Craft Supply Sale on June 25 that I organized.

Anne and Lena

Anne and Lena

Hazel looking skeptical

Todd and Lena

Lena, oh!

About That Face

These are possibly the funniest faces our beautiful daughter has made so far! We call this first set her Cabbage Patch face. She sucked her lips in and puffed out her cheeks. We couldn't stop laughing while she was doing it.

Then, just when you think that was the funniest, she does this.

Final Father's Day Picts

Grandma Gail (Gigi) and Lena

One more post from our trip to Houston! This was taken on Father's Day, June 19, and corresponds with the video Amy shot of Lena talking to Gigi. Finally, the last photo is of us on one of our many stops on the epic drive home.

Gigi and Lena

Gigi, Papaw, Lena, and Mimi

On our way home

Lounging Lena

Lena toes! Todd's hand

While at Amy and Pat's beach house in Galveston in June we took advantage of the amazing natural light and took lots of pictures of Lena. She was very comfortable there. The last picture is a photo of the wildfire from I45 on our way home. It was difficult to understand the scale of the fire until we realized how far away we were. Later we found out that the fire had started maybe an hour or two before this shot was taken. It grew much much larger. Multiple detours and stops for Lena made our normally 4 hour trip a whopping 8 hours. We were glad our adventure was over when we arrived home.

Todd and Lena

The wildfire from I45 before re-routing on our 8 hour drive from Houston to Dallas.