Happy Birthday Lauren!

2 years ago to the minute, I was heading off to the hospital with contractions. And now we have a happy, vivacious toddler running around. She is up to so much, I barely know which things to pick to write about. She's saying everything now and coming up with the funniest stuff. At my parents' house, she said "sweet dreams, Bert" to the cat before she took her nap. We don't say that to her (well, especially the Bert part!) so we don't know where she gets this from. And a few weeks ago when we were driving out of the parking lot at Vons, she said "Lets hit the road, Mom!". One day she said "My papa, what a funny guy! My guy! My funny guy, my papa!"and she made up a rhyme about Jake that went something like this "Jake, bake a cake! Wakey, wake, Jakey's cakey!"

She is very ticklish, and what's funny about that is she doesn't mind being tickled, and she'll even ask for more. If you're tickling one foot, she's been known to say "other foot. My new foot". She likes to make people feel good and she's discovered compliments in a big way. I am "pretty Momma" with "pretty hair, pretty eyes, pretty nose" and today, even "pretty toes".

She's been sick with a cough (she caught it from me) and we're taking her to the doctor tomorrow. On Friday when she first got sick, she took 2 chewable Tylenol which helped. The next morning, she informed me "I all better, no fever." (She's not all better, though, and has a barking cough which I'd feel better having her doctor check out tomorrow.)

She had a nice little party on Saturday at my parents' house, attended by the grandparents, Uncle Peach, and my parents' next-door neighbors, Bob and Trudy. Also our friend June came later on. I made the requested chocolate cake with strawberries and vanilla ice cream. My mom made pizza and there was a salad with lots of black olives (her favorite) and even some potato chips (a bad habit she's picked up).

She got a lot of gifts, let's see if I can remember them all-a big stuffed Elmo taller than her, a big stuffed St. Bernard, an inflatable chair and a...what are they called? the big ball you sit and bounce on, with a handle...a real soccer ball, a bathtub art set (from me & Ryan), a set of toy golf clubs, a stuffed animal puppy, a toy Elmo purse with accessories, a monkey backpack, a dress, someElmo & Zoe big-girl panties (for the eventual potty training, we hope!) and probably some other things that I'm too tired to think of.