The week in pictures...

A photo of me with my new 'natural' hair...I am trying to break my uber-expensive highlight habit...so I opted for an $11 box of brown hair color en route to my natural color. We'll see!Playing with Grandma & Grandpa Pierse by pulling up on the walker!Sitting with Grandpa & her favorite Uncle Keith Bear. Crawlin around...
and clownin around...she is very entertained by laundry baskets.
Sitting in the laundry basket!
Her favorite table! Just her size!
Another day, dusting her favorite table with a burp cloth.

And yet another day...hangin at her table!
Socks in the mouth while crawling...she loves to put things in her mouth & carry them that way while she cruises around!

Well the last week has been a busy one. Grandma Pierse arrived last Tuesday and Grandpa Pierse joined us down here in SE Texas on Friday. We had a wonderful week with them and now that they've left Luci is looking at me as if to say, "where did everybody go?" She also seems to know that Clay's uniform means that he's leaving; she won't smile while saying goodbye and gets my 'emotion suppressing frown'. I can already tell it is only going to get harder & harder for Dad to leave.

Teething is the new disruptor of sleep and cause of fussiness. She's pulling on her ear & itching the back of her head a lot, which I've learned means her mouth hurts. We can clearly see her bottom left tooth, and we catch glimpses of white under the gum on the bottom right. I think the days of her big open mouth tooth-less grin are limited!

Seven Months

In her new walker from her friend Caroline's Closet (we are so lucky to have both Clara's Toy Store AND Caroline's Closet!). She is a bit tall for it, but she's so into at the moment I'm giving in.

Can you believe it? Seven months already...holy cow...time flies. On Saturday Clay noticed a little slit in her gums on the bottom left side, and on Sunday Amanda felt the start of a little tooth! She is drooling so much I think I need to keep a bib on her all day!

Notes at seven months...
-she's a crawling fool these days...and nothing scares her when she's movin about
-she can't wait to get to anything in the TV media stand (DVR, stereo, CDs, DVDs)
-she pulls herself up to her knees and now sits on one knee & bends the other
-she pulls up on her knees on furniture, toys, in her crib, on the humidifier in her room, your leg, pretty much anything
-she is very interested in the electrical outlets (yes we have them covered) and shoes
-she likes her veggies, but still doesn't love most fruits
-she still mostly plays with her sippy cup, but she does realize that liquid comes out of it
-she's eating puffs...but it is very hard work. 1 out of every 3 or 4 makes it into her mouth. tallulah eats the rest.
-when she is crawling & something is in her path it becomes wedged under her body. she either doesn't know how to go around it or move it, or it doesn't occur to her.
-she's in 12M or 12M/18M clothes
-she is drinking 4 bottles a day, about 7 oz at each sitting. if the last bottle is a bit early she'll have 2 oz or so before bed.
-she eats solids just once per day(although eating twice per day starts TODAY) and usually eats about 3/4 of the little baby food container
-she loves her Pedipeds shoes (she really just wants to eat them)
-she's discovering her individual fingers & thumb
-we just moved her crib to its lowest setting
-she's still sleeping in a sleep sack
-her feet are either cold & clammy or hot; when we fly they get hot so we take her socks off
-when we change her diaper we sing, 'change a diapee, change a diapee, change a diapee, diap diap diap! she likes it....trust me ;)
-she is very often poopy when we get her in the morning; i think it happens between 5a and 6a
-she likes teething tablets, hates ibuprofen, and seems indifferent to Tylenol
-her skin is still a mess...poor thing
-she likes taking a bath, but we keep it short given her skin
-she is delighted by the cats. she greets them with a ooh, ooh, ooh and promptly crawls over to them in attempt to get a fistful or mouthful of fur. milo runs far, far away, and tallulah sort of looks at her...then gets up & moves about 3 seconds away. luci crawls over to her new location & it starts all over again.
-in general I think her sleep is improving. she goes down between 7p and 8p, and may wake once or twice during the night but we don't usually go in anymore.
-she's usually up between 6a & 7a
-some days she naps only twice, some days three times. it depends on the length & timing of each. it is not uncommon for her to nap for 90 minutes at a time now.
-she is a great flier, but doesn't sleep well when away from home. she goes down all right, but when she wakes up & is unfamiliar with her surroundings she gets VERY upset
-we have a big girl car seat for her, but her dad HATES it....so we'll see what happens there
-she likes to go for walks
-she likes to swing at the park...she kicks her little feet with excitement. we went down a tiny slide the other day & she didn't think much of that.
-she LOVES to watch the big kids. if there are big kids in the park when we are swinging her eyes intently follow them around.
-she is a super smiley baby at home, but is very leery of sharing those smiles with anyone besides Mom & Dad. it takes her awhile to warm up to people. every member of the Lawrence Family can get a smile but they have to really work for it.
-just in the last week or so she makes it known who she prefers to be holding her by shifting her weight & body toward that person.
-in the airport this last week she was all about looking at the floor while we walked...it made it difficult to carry her.

-she is still in size 3 diapers

Picacho Peak

A view from the top of Picacho Peak! Luci stayed with Aunt Brooke while we hiked! Thanks for everything Aunt Brooke and maybe-someday Uncle Sunidh ;)
Luci in her new sun hat & adorable outfit from Great Aunt Brenda! We were off to shop at Clara's Toy Store!
Pardon the runny nose...it flows non-stop these days...
Playing with toys borrowed from Clara's Toy Store! Thanks for sharing Clara...you are a great friend!

We left on Wednesday for Arizona to do a bit of practice hiking...the big Grand Canyon hike is quickly approaching (April 2-6) and neither of us think I'm ready. The first day we hiked the Pima Canyon...and both Clay & I were worried about my performance on the short, relatively flat 6 miles (the Grand Canyon is about 11 mi each way with 5000 feet of elevation). My ankles really, really hurt & I didn't find any of it to be very fun. We just meandered about on loose rocks and I couldn't even enjoy the view because I was too busy watching every step trying not to break my ankle. The next day we decided to find a hike that had a good goal...I wanted to reach the top of something if I was doing all of that hiking...but that was shorter and had more elevation. Brooke suggested the Picacho Peak hike and after reading this summary we decided to do it!

Highlights: A short strenuous hike to the top of a spectacular summit
Near: Tucson, AZ
Distance: 3 miles round trip (it was actually 4 miles round trip)
Elevation Gain: 1780 ft
Hike Time: 2.5 hours (yeah right)
Difficulty: Moderate (a bit misleading)
Trail Condition: Well maintained trail
HikeType: Out and Back
Summary: You will enjoy a short strenuous hike to the summit of this isolated desert peak. From the start the trail gradually gains elevation until you reach the main saddle just below the summit buttress; once at the saddle, the fun begins. Expect short steep sections requiring hand-over-hand climbing aided by steal cables and handrails. When you arrive at the summit you will be rewarded with 360 degrees of breathtaking views of the surrounding Sonoran desert.

Clay described it as 'the most arduous 4 miles I've ever experienced'. And he's done some tough stuff. I don't think we fully appreciated what 'hand-over-hand climbing' meant...but I do now. Overall it was very, very tough, but gratifying...and Clay now believes me when I tell him that I'm really kind of sneaky tough...

Click here to see more photos of our hike!

http://picasaweb.google.com/Brittnee.Pierse/PicachoPeak

So Busy!!

Make a postcard - it's easy!

My little helper

Helping with the laundry...by unfolding it...

Playing under her toys is keeping them new! Her eczema is flaring up again on her poor bald patch. :(
Thank goodness we put the plugs in last week!
But she doesn't think much of our other child-proofing efforts...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Make a free ecard - it's easy!

Developments

She loves her Bass Pro Shop Bear from Uncle Keith!
First time touching the grass! And yes...we had sunblock on her :) I need to find her a sun hat!

Look at all of that hair!!

A few developments to report on...

LUCI: She's officially crawling! She legitimately crawled on Saturday morning...she made her way over to the DVR remote. And then to my dirty old shoe. And then to a piece of paper. Then to the computer. Then to the tile & the fireplace. Then to the ottoman...and then she tried to pull up on it! And by now, Monday, she's made her way to all pieces of furniture in the room & tried to pull herself up. Usually she ends up on her knees with arms fully outstretched to touch said furniture...with too much space between her & the furniture item...and then ends up falling & hitting her head on the way down. And then she cries. Given this new development the nights have been ROUGH again. And now today she has a fever...see CLAY for further details. At her 6 month well baby appointment she was 18lbs, 4 oz (90th percentile), and 27.5 inches (95th percentile) long with a big head of 17.5 inches (95th percentile).

BRITT: I am starving, grouchy & tired. My Lenten Pledge is to honor my body by eating well & exercising. To that end, I've joined Weight Watchers (online only). I track every teeeny orange slice I eat and have been eating very well...and still exceeding my allotted points. Boo. I do splurge on my morning coffee drink...and it takes up a whopping 6 of my 21 points...but seriously...most days it really motivates me to get out of bed before I'm ready (aka when Luci is ready...I know, her sweet sweet face is enough, but thoughts of a warm yummy drink help too). We've been going for lots of walks around the loop (about 2.7 miles) and I've got some tunes on my i-pod to help get me going. When I want to quit I listen to Justin Timberlake telling me 'I'm bringing sexy back'...and it keeps me going!

CLAY: Mr. "I never get sick" called in sick mid-way through his work day on Saturday. Apparently he had not been feeling well since Friday but didn't tell me because he didn't want me to worry...so I was super surprised when he came home early on Saturday. Turns out he had stomach cramps & a fever...which sadly, it seems our Pea now has. Clay started to feel a bit better on Sunday, but still "wasn't 100%" today. I'm just hoping I don't catch it...

four years ago

First time on the swings at the park! She's a bit perplexed...and then was very busy watching 'the big kids'.
Playing with her friend Rachel...that pony is just too adorable to resist!
Reading Dad's Mens Health...
Yummy teether...

Ash Wednesday is the marker of our first official date...as we sat in church on Wednesday night with Luci I couldn't help but think about our first date four years ago. We went to mass, and during the 'peace be with you' Clay kissed me on the forehead...it was such a sweet gesture. And now here we are...four years later...in Texas...with our sweet, sweet Luci. How blessed!

Weaned

It is with mixed emotions that I can report Luci is, for the most part, weaned. Over the last 3 or 4 weeks I've been cutting out a feeding every few days...and then I cut to down to just morning & night. I nursed her Sunday morning, and then again tonight while I counted to 100 on each side...knowing it will be our last session...trying to stop myself from crying. Since before she was born my nursing goal was to make it 6 months. In the first 3 weeks I wanted to quit every single minute. For the next 9 weeks I wanted to quit every morning at 4am when I woke up so engorged I had to pump...even though my sweet baby was sleeping...I couldn't sleep because I hurt so bad. Then around week 12 everything got easier...just like everyone said it would. And 12 weeks to 6 months flew by...and now I'm not so sure that I want to stop. In fact, I'm pretty sure right this minute I don't want to stop. But I know the reason I want to continue is not because I'm anti-formula, but because I want her to keep needing me...I kind of want her to stay dependent on me. And I think that is probably a bit unhealthy...so I'm stickin with my plan...despite some tears (mine). The worse part is that I know this is just the first of many steps of independence...I hope it gets easier.

The LONGEST week in a LONG time

But I sure do love this baby...
Hanging in her 18month jammies from Grandma Rosonke...playing with her favorite toy! It sings "I look in the mirror & who do I see...I see sweet little wonderful me!!!"

Ugh...Clay has been gone now since Monday on a stint with the Navy...thankfully he's back tomorrow around 4pm if his flights go well. Between the rash, re-washing everything we own 4 times (it is worth it if it gets rid of this rash), weaning (and therefore cleaning a seemingly endless stream of bottles & bottle parts), feeding solids to a baby who doesn't want them (twice a day now) and surviving a sleep strike it has been a long week. Luckily I have great friends to talk to & hang out with so I don't become too much of a baby talking blubbering idiot. I'm just realizing now that a brief political conversation on Thursday night over pizza was the intellectual high point of my week...thanks Lawrence Family! Luci also had a great time on Thursday night. She seemed to have discovered Clara! Sweet, sweet Clara grinned & giggled as Luci pulled on her nose, cheeks, lips, and yanked out her hair! In fact, Luci was so enthralled with Clara that I managed to sneakily feed her the most solid food she's ever eaten in one sitting...an entire container of bananas!

It is funny....when Clay is gone from 2-4 days I'm totally fine...I get random stuff done...watch TV shows he doesn't like, and eat junk he doesn't eat...and before I know it he is back! But this week on Thursday afternoon I really started to lose it. I guess all of that stir craziness made me pretty productive though; I purchased 'the only other car seat you'll ever need' for Luci (the Radian 80...it is good until she's 80lbs!), and some Target bookshelves for her room that I had to drive half way across Houston to find. I also put said book shelves together! We went for a long walk this morning with hiking boots (breakin them in for the Grand Canyon in April) and have been hanging out this afternoon doing more laundry. If she ever goes to sleep...and therefore wakes up pleasant...we'll hit the park for our first adventure on the swings before dinner. Although it is getting late so maybe that will be our pass-the-time activity tomorrow waiting for Clay.

Remember in my 6 month notes when I said she was going down for naps without crying?!?!? HA! I should have known it was a ruse....our baby...sleep!?! NEVER! She was just gearing up for a sleep strike! Who wants to sleep when there is endless sitting up that can be done!?!?! It goes something like this...tired, yawning baby...sleep sack, paci, books, song...squirming begins before I even put her in the crib...immediately upon being put down on her back she screams...she rolls over...she sits up. She squeals in delight. I've given up trying to get her to lay back down. I just make sure she can see her paci & a spare, and then I leave. Then for the next 30 minutes she hangs out...talks...plays her mobile music (mobile friends had to go back the farm...otherwise she'd be yanking on them & eating them)...and then cries. And then HOWLS. And then WAILS. After 5 to 10 minutes of this wailing I start to fear a leg is stuck or her rash is back or her head has fallen off...and I go in...and she is sitting up...always in the same corner...SCREAMING. She doesn't even stop when I lay her down & give her a paci...both of which..btw...have inevitably been flung to the floor in some hard to spot place...maybe under the crib...maybe not...maybe in the curtains...maybe not. Yesterday the fun started at 5a...she screamed off & on (more on) until about 6:20a when I gave her a bottle that caused her to fall asleep. A brief 40 minutes later she was ready to start her day while I was ready to call it a day.

So...for many, many reasons...I can't wait for my love to return. I miss his handsome face, seeing the way he looks at the Pea & giggles in delight when she does something goofy, his desire to take on the much needed mission of childproofing our home, his randomly intellectual conversations, his more & more frequent angry outbursts disparaging Hilary, and our daily discussions of what in the world we are going to do if Continental merges with United...or if they don't...or if they do...or if they don't...

HE = High Efficiency

Lots of questions regarding HE....we have a High Efficiency washing machine...which requires special High Efficiecy detergent (aka Tide Free HE) because it uses so much less water. I know...we are green wannabies...

Culprit???

Clay suggested I buy a new thing of Tide Free since the rash sprang up after we did a bunch of laundry using a jug we just purchased...even though we've always used Tide Free. So I did that today...and just realized this last detergent we've been using isn't HE!! I've read the regular Tide Free is for 40 gallons of water, and ours uses much less...leaving soap in the clothes!!

Needless to say I'm currently re-washing EVERYTHING with Tide Free HE!!

I should have known...I've been super itchy too...but thinking it was just sympathy itching!

Rash :(

All better Monday morning!
We might have a gymnast on our hands...this is her way of working into a seated position.
Monday afternoon...swollen eye :(
Booohoooooo
Tuesday morning...we are heading to the doctor!

Ugh...since Saturday we have been battling a terrible, red, bumpy, itchy, angry rash. Originally we thought it was just an eczema flare up...but it soon progressed and we were very confused. It started on Saturday morning...I noticed the fold/crease of her neck was bright red. It got progressively worse until Saturday night when we started to panic. Luckily some good advice from Dr. Brooke & Luci's grandma's helped. Sunday it seemed to be on the mend, and it looked even better Monday morning...so I decided an appt with the pediatrician wasn't necessary. So of course, at 5pm when she woke up from her nap her eye had a huge welt/hive under it. And by this morning our poor baby's eye was almost swollen shut. After 100 calls between 7:57 and 8:05, I finally got through and made an appt for 11:30a. Unfortunately her symptoms are a bit confusing, but Dr. Bhakta is treating it as 'contact dermatitis'. Aka an allergic reaction from coming into contact with something....but what?? It also may be a viral infection that is manifesting as a rash, but he doesn't think so. For now we are treating with Benadryl, a steroid cream for her body and hydrocortizone for her face until we talk again tomorrow. In the meantime I'm re-tracing my steps since Friday, trying to figure out what in the world may have caused this. The rash was just on her neck & up, but now it is all over her body with the exception of her diaper area...the part that is always covered.

And this is just funny....she is very adept at putting her paci in...unless I'm recording it! Pardon my baby voice...