Lauren at 16 months

The best thing in the world these days? Having Lauren run into my arms to give me a sustained hug, patting my back all the while. She does it everyday to Matt too when he gets home. Her “run” is more of an ever-quickening walk but she’s steadier on her still-chubby legs everyday. She also loves to give kisses at bedtime, although she sometimes prefers to keep her personal space and just blow kisses.



Her emerging upright mobility has her very interested in the world outside our front door and in the world apart from my arms on the ground. She likes to bring me her shoes (“shh-shhs”) and after I put them on she goes and stands by the front door. I have to disappoint her sometimes because I’m not ready to leave the house as frequently as she would like.



But when we do go out, as we did to Tobin’s soccer game on a perfectly gorgeous afternoon this past Saturday, she squeals and points and squirms to get out of my arms. In past weeks, I’ve been able to keep Lauren safely in her stroller--plied with snacks and water--for most of the game, which allows me to watch the game. But this time she demanded immediately to get down, so I started following her around while Tobin’s team was still doing pre-game warm-ups. Following her around was more of a chase-and-scoop. My efforts to keep her focused on playing with a soccer ball or picking up leaves on the ground were largely unsuccessful. (Matt and Evan were out of town, so there was no they couldn't to help distract/corral her.) She was much more interested in trying to run on the field or figure out how to get through the net from the back of the goal. She adorably and boldly approached some of the other younger siblings on the sidelines. One was a three-year-old boy kicking a ball with his grandpa. He was concerned about why "that baby was pointing at [him]." Lauren just squealed and tried to take his ball, causing him to retreat elsewhere. Another person of interest was a four-year-old girl who was wearing a unicorn horn and tail, courtesy of just-finished birthday party. Much to her chagrin, Lauren never got to inspect the horn as thoroughly as she would have liked. While Lauren tends to be mostly shy with adults, she appears drawn to and fascinated by other kids.



One of the few times Lauren stayed in one place during the game was when Tobin sat out for half of the last quarter. She sweetly walked up to Tobin sitting on the sideline, patted his head and then plopped down beside him. They both drank from their water bottles snuggled on the sideline. It was an impossibly poignant moment that displays the tenderness of their relationship. Lauren adores Tobin, and he basks in that adoration and reciprocates. He’s her biggest fan, noting her walking (“Mom, she’s almost running!”) and talking (“She just said ‘Ta-Ta’ for ‘Tobin.’ Aw!”) accomplishments of late. Lauren’s attachment to her big-big brother is evident every school morning too. Her whining when he steps out of the van at school drop-off has progressed to full-fledged crying. It makes my mama heart swell and break all at once.



In addition to keeping tabs on Tobin, Lauren is keenly observing other things too. The other day Evan was telling Matt he wanted to play his favorite card game "Unos!" Lauren, hearing her brother's unique pronunciation, cleverly started pointing to her nose. At dinner last night, Evan was pointing out the number five on his water bottle and Lauren, without missing a beat, held up her little hand and said "high five!" She then proceeded to solicit a high-five from me after every bite of her beans and rice. In further efforts to cement her position as most adorable in the house, she's gotten in on a favorite late-afternoon/pre-dinner activity: tacklin' Daddy.



Lauren is literally and figuratively tackling her expanding world these days. Note here how she changes the game on Daddy. I couldn't be prouder!