Maren gets a chair

Hi, I'm Maren.

I'm starting to like sitting up. Lying down is boring! So my parents got me this bouncy chair.

At first, I wasn't too sure about this.

So I chewed on my fist for awhile. This helps me think.

I bounced it a little.

It wasn't too bad.

I decided that I liked it.

That's all for now.

this week with Maren

Maren has been busy the last few days. Between her regular sessions on the playmat talking to the stuffed bees that hang over her head (she has long conversations with the bees), she has learned to suck her thumb! Mom and Dad are delighted by this. She's also close to rolling over from front to back, and is hating tummy time a bit less. (Visual evidence below.) She loves to make high-pitched squealing sounds and is still sleeping well almost every night. (Almost.)

Last night, she gave us her first real laugh, which came when we were tickling her while getting ready for bed. And she's developing a love for reading books - every night we read three or four before bedtime, including Goodnight Moon, which she seems to like best.

talking to the bees on the playmat

not hating tummy time (mostly)

hanging out with cousins Jenny and Matt

storytime with daddy

Goodnight room, goodnight moon. Goodnight light and the red balloon...

More conversation with Maren

week 11

It seems amazing to us that Maren is 11 weeks old! How did that happen?

Alas, we spent the afternoon watching the Seahawks implode in Chicago, so if you did the same thing and need some cheering up, here you go:

Continued fascination with the play mat

Hanging out in dad's chair in my first pair of jeans (unfortunately high-water in this photo)

A kiss from Daddy

Just thinking

Our favorite smile

chatty girl

Maren has started talking (smart kid!). Okay, mostly she says things like, "ah-goo," and generally she talks to the Girl in the Mirror who lives on her beloved play mat, but she's awfully fun to listen to. Most mornings she wakes up around 6:00am, eats, and then lays on the play mat for about an hour, chatting up a storm. She tells the Girl in the Mirror all about her day (they have a lot in common, she and this girl). To her great joy, the Girl in the Mirror is there every single morning! What a deal. She loves talking to other people best, however. We get wonderful smiles and giggles from her these days and we've tried to catch some of them on video. (For some reason, I can't get the video to behave very well, so it's at the bottom of this post.)

She's also starting to bat at the stuffed bees that hang above the mat. It takes some serious concentration, but she can really make those bees fly. Every time she does, she lets out a great squeal. Go, bees, go!

baptism day

We had such a great day celebrating Maren's baptism - lots of family and friends, beautiful sunshine, Christmas songs, delicious food, and a chance to give thanks for our much-loved gift. Maren, as usual for all momentous events (so far), slept through most of it. Never fear, Maren! We have taken enough photos to fill in the blanks in your memory.

Maren's baptismal banner, from Grandma Diane

Everyone in this photo has worn the baptismal gown Maren is wearing

Maren with her god-cousins (and Katie, there in spirit)

with Aunt Brenda and Uncle Bob...

...and all the grandparents

Welcoming Maren Grace, child of God

Beloved family and friends

Maren's baptismal candle, with candleholder from her god-cousins

Cake! Everybody loves cake!

Holding hands with cousin Sofia

Listening to Uncle Grant, Aunt Shannon, and cousin Wyatt on the piano