Lauren 2 Years 8 Months

What. A. Doll. Lauren is so much fun right now. It's like she knows that babies are naturally cuter and so she is compensating to overcome Jack's undeniable baby pull. And, much like Charlie Sheen, she is winning.

Lauren is talking up a storm. The girl talks like she's in her early 20s, not her late 2s. She says grown up thinks like "I'm not feeling well," and "may I eat?" She talks to us about her feelings, she is compassionate and can tell when we're not feeling well and says thinks like "I need to cuddle with you, it will make you feel better." And it does.

Lauren also sings. Oh lord, it's the sweetest thing when that child sings. Sometimes her ABCs, sometimes Twinkle Twinkle, sometimes the Itsy Bitsy Spider...and, my personal favorite, she makes up songs. Typically they're about what she's doing at the moment. Little sing songy diaries of her goings-on. She loves her brother. Sometimes she even shares with him (but only if he promises to give it right back). She takes naps (!!!) in the afternoons (see below for proof). She's a big girl and no longer cries/moans when we put her down at night in her big girl bed (so what if it involves a chart, stickers, and a prize at the end...you do what you have to do as a parent). In fact, it's at night and in the morning, while patiently waiting for her big girl sticker for not crying, that she makes up some of her best songs. Maybe I sometimes sit outside her door and listen to the songs for awhile before I go in to release her from her bed...that's my right as a mom.

Recently, after Aunt Arie referred to Lauren as "The Trash Heap" (I've always wanted to work in a Fraggle Rock reference) because she was sleeping with approximately 82 toys, we had to limit the amount of things she can take to bed with her to two. Pup pup doesn't count, he's a given. Current favorites are Buzz Lightyear and her Nemo fish (pictured above). And sometimes a Magna Doodle, because hey, you never know when artistic inspiration will strike in the middle of the night. Lauren is still a great sleeper, 8pm to 7am no sweat. Bless that child.

Lauren is wildly excelling in preschool. She is learning her alphabet and can identify most letters. She makes her own snacks at snack time, and she throws/puts away her own plate/cup/silverware. She takes gymnastics on Tuesdays, which she seems to love. It is so fun to see her doing all of these adult things in miniature. Picking her up (as well as Jack) is the best part of any day. We are so, so very lucky to have this little monkey.