Another Week of Firsts

What a jam packed week. So many firsts. Admittedly, we are not getting a ton of sleep, as Lauren has been waking in the night for reasons we can't quite figure out (it probably just goes along with being 2). But as my mom always tells me, it's just a phase and this too shall pass. She's still a happy camper so much of the time and keeps us in stitches, so we can deal with a few bags under our eyes.

First #1: Lauren's first ponytail! I've been waiting for it to grow enough and could finally get it into one. All of a sudden she looks like a little girl with no trace of our baby. Sob. Of course, she takes after me and would prefer not to wear the ponytail for more than a minute (I used to hate having my hair pulled tight into a rubberband or clip), but I really hope she gets used to it a little more because it looks so stinkin cute.




First #2: Gulp, we bought Lauren a big girl bed. We even took her to Pottery Barn Kids to show it to her before we bought it so she could climb around in it and feel like she had a role in choosing it. It will not be delivered for another week, but she is soooo excited. Even more exciting was the fact that while we were in the store buying the bed, in walked Lauren's Nana! Of course, she had no idea we would be there and vice versa. Lauren insisted that Nana join us for dinner at the mall. Even better, her Pop Pop Mark was also able to come to dinner, and she was in heaven. Of course we went to her favorite restaurant, Ruby's.



First #3: While Lauren loves the pool and bath, she has in the past been very leary about going in the ocean. Well that fear was quickly banished this weekend when we spent the entire day at the beach with Lauren's "girl" cousins (as she calls them) Jessica, Steph, and Ally, and her Uncle Greg and Aunt Stacie. They are renting a beach house in Newport for the week, and Lauren could hardly wait to spend time with them. It was a glorious, warm day and Lauren giddily dug in the sand with the girls, ran into the waves, and just had an overall blast. Of course, she refused to take a nap at the beach house and was so overtired by the time we got home that we paid for it dearly that night, but the memories created for all of us will long outlast some more lost winks.

Checking out the surf:


In her super cool rash guard:


Making sand castles with Ally:


Running into the surf with Jess and Ally:


And right back out again . . . .


All the girls making mudpies:


Taking a quick dip with Daddy:


Taking a rest with the big girls after a super fun session in the surf: