Spring in The Woodlands

Luci loves her new toy baskets...as her friend Clara would say, Luci likes to 'dump it out'...or really, dump it all over her lap! Once we put the finishing touches on the playroom I promise to post photos. Sweet baby playing with her dad. She just loves to hang out with toys or socks in her mouth!

We had a wonderful weekend with Clay's brother Keith and my mom & sister Baylee in town. I even did some baking...in my Weight Watchers cookbook there was a recipe for a Boston Cream Pie...it took hours to make...and then didn't taste that great...BOO. Note to self...if taking the time to make a labor intensive Boston Cream Pie go for the real deal! Even though it didn't look so great, I was very proud of myself...as you can see here...even though the pie doesn't look so perfect...I crack myself up!
The men made breakfast on Sunday...it was wonderful! Much better than my pie!

Luci loved having Aunt Baylee, Grammy & Uncle Keith here to play. There were LOTS of kisses for Aunt Baylee...Luci really loves all of her Aunts & Uncles & Grandparents...but she seems to have a special fondness for Aunt Baylee. The feeling seems to be mutual! Sadly we didn't get any photos of Luci with Grammy or Uncle Keith! Shame on me!
Clay & Keith went saltwater fishing, but Keith had very limited luck & poor Clay came home with only a sunburn to show for the day. Maybe they'll have better luck next time! Mom, Baylee, Luci & I just hung out around the house & did a bit of shopping at Marshall's yesterday before they headed to Tucson to see Brooke & Sunidh. It looked like there was no way they'd make it to Tucson before Wednesday based on the stand-by flight availability, but sure enough they did! Selfishly...I'm a bit bummed!

In other news, it is our FAVORITE time of year here in The Woodlands! Look at all of the beauty my hard working husband has created around our yard...come on down anytime & see for yourself!!

Busy, Busy Me!

Clay calls this her punk face....she's looking at us as if to say, 'you punk, stop takin my photo'.

I love her in little hats!

Clay is home for the entire week! Each time this happens I get SO excited and look forward to all of the relaxing family time we'll have...and somehow it never happens. We always take on too much when he has big chunks of time like this. Our current projects list is 15 items long...ugh.

Topping the list is turning what used to be our office into Luci's playroom & turning the Harry Potter closet (our closet under the stairs) into our office. The dilemmas and complications are never ending...with the worst being what happens to all of the 'stuff' that was stored in the Harry Potter closet when it was just a closet? Purge & find new nooks & crannies...that is what we are trying to do anyway. We wanted the room to turn into our adult room...where no kids & cats were allowed. However after a bit of a reality check from our dear friends with little ones & visits to their playrooms, we realized this was just not to be in this smallish house. And so Luci will have a super fun playroom and we will re-gain a family room that isn't totally over-run with toys. We also want the playroom to function as a guest room in a pinch...like this weekend when we'll be blessed with a visit from my mom & sister Baylee as well as Clay's brother Keith. Clay & Keith are going saltwater fishing this weekend, while we girls are just chillin. So much to do!

A sudden, new addition to the list is some dental work for me. Double ugh. I had a regular cleaning scheduled (hoping to cross something OFF of the list), but I went too long between appointments and sure enough I have 2 cavities (my 2nd & 3rd EVER). I also have some early gum disease! So I'm freaked out & full of anxiety about the pain I'll endure tomorrow while getting all of this taken care of. I hate hate HATE going to the dentist. So my attempt to get something crossed off of the list actually added to the list. But at least they could fit me in tomorrow & I can just get it over with.

And on that note, I need to go load up the car with items for Goodwill.

Busy, Busy Bee

Sweet baby. Luci misses her dad...he's doing a Navy stint at the moment...each morning she kind of peers out the door as if to say, 'Daaaaddd....where are you???' Then when we walk out of her room she looks down into the living room expectantly...then she realizes it is just me...I think she might be bored with me!
She pulled up all by herself today!


Here she is climbing onto her table. My my our little girl is busy!!

Toothy grin

I left to run errands today for a few hours...and I came home to find that my baby now has a tooth that shows every time she grins. I swear...this happened over the course of a few hours! So our sweet baby girl has a front bottom tooth that peeps its pearly white top into her grin.


We (or maybe better said, I,) are (am) having a hard time transitioning from 3 naps to 2. Sometimes it is obvious if she needs that third nap...and some days it is questionable. For example, her 2nd nap today was cut a bit short, and she woke up at 2:20p after about an hour. Tonight at 5p she started yawning, rubbing her eyes. So I decide to bite the bullet & put her down for the third nap. She could have stayed awake until 6:30p or so and just gone to bed early, but then she's up at like 5:45a, ready to go. So I thought I'd put her down & just keep her up a bit later tonight. But now she's been crying for over 10 long minutes & I'm sitting here wondering...should I go get her? Maybe she doesn't really need to sleep. But all of that crying has probably made her more tired. Yes, she's asleep now. Ugh.

Anyway...here is another fun video. She LOVES to play with her socks, and has been beating things against her chest for over a week now...but usually just with one arm/hand. This was a first...

Clay's Daughter

Working hard before she even has her breakfast! And later in the day...same position.

Luci was super cranky today...I think that second front bottom tooth is pushing through...but she didn't let that get her down...this child has her daddy's adventurous spirit.

So tonight she was hanging out on her bedroom floor while I prepared her bath. She used to hang in her crib, but in the last few weeks she's been having NONE of that. So she's hanging out on her floor. There is a plastic container that we use to put trash in. It is probably 2 feet tall, and 14 inch wide and 4 or 5 inches deep. Before I go into the bathroom to fill her tub, I see her push the container over onto its side. Okay by me (the top clicks shut, she can't open it.) I go to fill the tub. I come back. BABY IS CROUCHING ON TOP OF THE CONTAINER!!! Like she somehow climbed up the 4 or 5 inch ledge and was crouched on top of it!! Good heavens!

Here she is checking out the door jam. I have another fun video but it won't let me post it...will try again tomorrow!

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...