Too funny not to share

towel head
Originally uploaded by ScottRL.

Rachel and I went swimming after Monica has left for class today. On the way home, I gave Rachel a towel to hold onto since it was a bit chilly for her. She got really quiet as we got close to home, and at a stoplight, I turned around to see if she had fallen asleep, and was greeted with this sight. I laughed really hard for a minute, then decided that I had to take a picture.

We're all better now, but...

We missed the Spurs winning the Championship. Rachel continued to be sick after four days, so we decided to take her to the ER. We waited almost two hours to get in, then another four hours to get Rachel her IV and start feeling better. She stayed awake the entire time (I would too if people held me down to stick a needle in my arm...) and it threw off her sleep pattern for a couple of days, but she is doing much better now.

Oh yeah, and she picked up a cold while we were in the hospital.

I looked all over last week for the transfer cable for my phone, but didn't find it until I cleaned out the garage this week.


Rachel with her first IV


Playing Peek-A-Boo with the puke tray. Classic.

Ick

First of all, I want to apologize to anyone who became sick after attending Rachel's party on Saturday. Everyone in the Laleman clan was laid up for the remainder of the weekend too.

It appears, at this point, that it had something to do with the hamburgers we served. If you came to the party and became ill, could you please let me know. We're trying to narrow it down, and I've contacted the Texas Health Department. Hopefully we'll get some resolution to this and find out what it was that made so many people sick.

Even if you didn't eat a burger, but still got sick, please let me know.

Again, we're very sorry, and we hope it doesn't deter anyone from coming to any of Rachel's birthday parties in the future!

Month Twelve

Dear Rachel,

Today, you turn one year old.

This is a big milestone for you, albeit one that you won't remember. It's also a milestone for your mommy and me, because a year ago, we didn't know anything about being parents. We still don't know much, but we think we've done a pretty good job with you so far.



You're going to have a big party today, and your Grandpa Rick and Grandma Connie even flew down from Illinois to see you on your birthday. Lots of our family and friends are going to come over and help us celebrate.



This past month has been one of steady progression for you. You're furniture surfing all the time now, and have even started going between furniture that's close enough to each other. You pull yourself up and anything that doesn't move, including the kitchen cabinets (which you just love to open and bang shut), the windows in the living room, walls, your closet doors, and your parents if we happen to be standing still. It's just a matter of time before you start standing on your own, and from there, walking. Then we're in big trouble.



You've gotten completely off the bottle in the last month, and it wasn't a gradual thing. One day you took it, the next day you screamed like I'd poked your eye out when I tried to give it to you. From then on, it's been sippy cups the whole way. Now, instead of laying in my lap in the morning drinking your bottle, you sit in your high chair and eat.



Speaking of which, you're feeding yourself now. While that gives us more time to eat ourselves, it actually makes more work for us with the mess you produce. Pretty much everything has to go on your tray so you can pick it up, but occasionally you'll let us give you things on a spoon or fork. With this new found freedom, you've also become very picky about what you want to eat, and fruits and veggies are not part of what you like to eat.



You are starting to communicate with us more, and you talk all the time...it's just that we don't understand what you're saying. You make noises in response to certain words or phrases, like when you see your milk, you'll go "Ahhhhhh" the same sound you make when you drink it. You'll bark (AH! AH!) when you hear the dog or we say his name, and I swear I heard you say "I love you" when I said that it to you last week. Maria heard it too, so I know I wasn't hallucinating. You also do things in response to certain words, like giving kisses (which I just love getting from you) and doing "ojitos." Your newest thing is imitating what you hear. We went for a walk the other day and the dog was panting, and you started panting just like him!



We can't believe that you've been with us for a whole year, and we're really looking forward to the next year. You'll learn to walk and run, talk and be able to tell us what you're feeling, and start to take care of yourself more. We never knew our lives could be so full.

We love you so much. Happy birthday, mija!