We take tons of happy baby photos, but not enough crying baby ones. This is what Lola looks like when she's upset, a.k.a. when she's on the "fuss bus." Her eyes get really red and, if she cries for five-plus minutes, she gives herself a red bumpy rash from her eyes to ears. We're not sure how that's possible, but it has happened multiple times. Also, she's apt to stand stiffly and stick out her arms when she's really going; we call it "channelling her inner zombie."
Raina has been captivated by all of the baby toys that have re-emerged into the house. She plays with them more than her own toys nowadays.
Raina dresses herself each day. Here she's wearing a red and white dress over a leopard print pair of pants, topped off with a pink hoodie. Also, her socks don't match. Who cares? She's happy.
Raina loves her daddy.
Raina received a bicycle from a friend's neighbor and has ventured out a few times to test it out. She doesn't trust herself fully with it yet.
Neighbor Susan gave Raina this ladybug inspired outfit, which Raina never actually wore. When we decided to dress up Lola for brunch, Raina chose this outfit for Lola to wear. It's ridiculous. What's especially funny is that neighbor Susan came by the next weekend and gave Lola her own ladybug inspired outfit, which is almost identical to this one. It just didn't come with a hat.
We went kite flying in Tower Grove park on a VERY windy day. Raina held on to the handle and Eric launched the kite in the air. Unfortunately for Eric, Raina kept letting the handle go and the kite would zoom away and land in the water. A good time was had by all :)
When she was a baby, Raina would only take naps on top of a parent, although she slept in her crib at night without problem. Lola likes sleeping on a parent too, and there's nothing nicer than cuddling with a sleepy baby.
Poor Lola, she has so many crazy hats. This is a sleeper outfit, so this is an old-timey sleeping cap. She's rather cute in it, although she looks quite grumpy in it here.
Raina turned four, and she was ecstatic about it. She requested a chocolate cake and then proceeded to demolish it over the next three days.
Just a cute picture of the kid while we wait at Krystal's favorite Chinese restaurant.
Oh, the carousel. Raina loves carousels. There's one in a Saint Louis mall and Raina watches it, entranced, and then begs her parents to let her get on it. We never have. There's another carousel in Faust Park, which is much cheaper (only $2), and she saved up her money so she could go. It was adorable watching her trying to pay her fare with nickels from her fishy bank. This picture is of the zoo's carousel, which is free from 9 - 10 a.m. each day. If we're at the zoo, it's as soon as it opens, but we'd never taken advantage of the free carousel rides until recently. Raina, of course, loved it and rode multiple times. (Just looking at the rotating carousel is enough to make Krystal and Samantha nauseous, so Eric rode it a lot too.)
This Winnie-the-Pooh hat has ears! Plus it comes with a matching outfit somewhere, but we much prefer the blue puppy outfit she's wearing here. It's so soft and fuzzy and has paw prints on the feet. Very cute.
Little Lola has a daily exercise routine, which includes a fair amount of tummy time. She has grown to like tummy time a lot more, especially when she can look at interesting objects and/or suck on her hand.
Her exercise routine also includes playing in her baby gym, where she kicks, kicks, kicks in excitement. Her warthog lovey is accompanying here. She likes to grab him and shove him in her mouth. However, her favorite thing to do is stand. She can hold her own weight for multiple minutes at a time -- she just requires balance from a parent. Nothing gets a smile out of Lola faster than having her stand up and be proud!
Lola in her baby gym. Check out all the visual stimulation! Lola, though, is checking out the camera's flashing light.
Raina received a t-ball set for her birthday and she enjoys practicing in the backyard, at least until the mosquitoes come out. She'll play on a t-ball team this summer. Her very first team sport!
Lola is quite serene when in the bathtub.
Mama Jo made this dress for Raina. If you look closely, it has two mama cows on the bodice.
Lola has this intense gaze all the time. In fact, she's attended a few MICDS meetings with Krystal, directed her gaze at whomever was speaking, and never fussed. She's amazing.
We take tons of happy baby photos, but not enough crying baby ones. This is what Lola looks like when she's upset, a.k.a. when she's on the "fuss bus." Her eyes get really red and, if she cries for five-plus minutes, she gives herself a red bumpy rash from her eyes to ears. We're not sure how that's possible, but it has happened multiple times. Also, she's apt to stand stiffly and stick out her arms when she's really going; we call it "channelling her inner zombie."
Raina has been captivated by all of the baby toys that have re-emerged into the house. She plays with them more than her own toys nowadays.
Raina dresses herself each day. Here she's wearing a red and white dress over a leopard print pair of pants, topped off with a pink hoodie. Also, her socks don't match. Who cares? She's happy.
Raina loves her daddy.
Raina received a bicycle from a friend's neighbor and has ventured out a few times to test it out. She doesn't trust herself fully with it yet.
Neighbor Susan gave Raina this ladybug inspired outfit, which Raina never actually wore. When we decided to dress up Lola for brunch, Raina chose this outfit for Lola to wear. It's ridiculous. What's especially funny is that neighbor Susan came by the next weekend and gave Lola her own ladybug inspired outfit, which is almost identical to this one. It just didn't come with a hat.
We went kite flying in Tower Grove park on a VERY windy day. Raina held on to the handle and Eric launched the kite in the air. Unfortunately for Eric, Raina kept letting the handle go and the kite would zoom away and land in the water. A good time was had by all :)
When she was a baby, Raina would only take naps on top of a parent, although she slept in her crib at night without problem. Lola likes sleeping on a parent too, and there's nothing nicer than cuddling with a sleepy baby.
Poor Lola, she has so many crazy hats. This is a sleeper outfit, so this is an old-timey sleeping cap. She's rather cute in it, although she looks quite grumpy in it here.
Raina turned four, and she was ecstatic about it. She requested a chocolate cake and then proceeded to demolish it over the next three days.
Just a cute picture of the kid while we wait at Krystal's favorite Chinese restaurant.
Oh, the carousel. Raina loves carousels. There's one in a Saint Louis mall and Raina watches it, entranced, and then begs her parents to let her get on it. We never have. There's another carousel in Faust Park, which is much cheaper (only $2), and she saved up her money so she could go. It was adorable watching her trying to pay her fare with nickels from her fishy bank. This picture is of the zoo's carousel, which is free from 9 - 10 a.m. each day. If we're at the zoo, it's as soon as it opens, but we'd never taken advantage of the free carousel rides until recently. Raina, of course, loved it and rode multiple times. (Just looking at the rotating carousel is enough to make Krystal and Samantha nauseous, so Eric rode it a lot too.)
This Winnie-the-Pooh hat has ears! Plus it comes with a matching outfit somewhere, but we much prefer the blue puppy outfit she's wearing here. It's so soft and fuzzy and has paw prints on the feet. Very cute.
Little Lola has a daily exercise routine, which includes a fair amount of tummy time. She has grown to like tummy time a lot more, especially when she can look at interesting objects and/or suck on her hand.
Her exercise routine also includes playing in her baby gym, where she kicks, kicks, kicks in excitement. Her warthog lovey is accompanying here. She likes to grab him and shove him in her mouth. However, her favorite thing to do is stand. She can hold her own weight for multiple minutes at a time -- she just requires balance from a parent. Nothing gets a smile out of Lola faster than having her stand up and be proud!
Lola in her baby gym. Check out all the visual stimulation! Lola, though, is checking out the camera's flashing light.
Raina received a t-ball set for her birthday and she enjoys practicing in the backyard, at least until the mosquitoes come out. She'll play on a t-ball team this summer. Her very first team sport!
Lola is quite serene when in the bathtub.
Mama Jo made this dress for Raina. If you look closely, it has two mama cows on the bodice.
Lola has this intense gaze all the time. In fact, she's attended a few MICDS meetings with Krystal, directed her gaze at whomever was speaking, and never fussed. She's amazing.
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The other thing I can see from these photos is how much Lola and Atticus are cousins like each other. Atticus also sits in meetings with me patiently watching and listening to each person speak. Our garden meetings go on for hours sometimes! And he hangs in there like a trouper. In some of the photos, I think Lola looks like Atticus, especially around the eyes.
PS--I love all the hats :)