We've been giving Lura a bath two or three times a week; she's just so darn cute in that hooded towel! Here she is at three weeks.
Lura likes to be held when she's awake; she doesn't mind lying down when Mommy is in the room, though, as long as she's able to see what's going on, so Cheryl is able to do things in between feedings even if Lura doesn't feel like sleeping. She likes her rattly ball, and Winnie-the-Pooh with a music box inside him; she's not so fond of Daddy's singing, though...
Cheryl's mom is a firm believer that it's good to read to children as much as possible, even before they can understand the words, in hopes that they will be more likely to enjoy books when they get older. Here she is reading "I am a Bunny," a classic children's book that Mark's grandparents gave him when he was two years old.
On 30 September 2003, Grandma flew back home; here's a last photo of the three generations (until our next visit!). We don't know what we would have done without all her help over the past month!
In order for us to function on our own, Cheryl has been using this specially-made sling (an Over the Shoulder Baby Holder) to carry Lura while keeping both hands free.
On 2 October 2003, Mark returned to the church choir, and Cheryl brought Lura in to meet all our friends there briefly at the start of the rehearsal. This is the group of whom Mark told Cheryl, when he was about to introduce her to them a few months after we started dating in 2000, that it would be very much like meeting a group of his aunts and uncles, all of whom wanted to see him married! Well, they've seen the changes she's made in his life, all for the better, over the last three and a half years; and here we see Lura (in car seat) meeting some of her "calabash aunties," as they say in Hawaii.
And more than a few "calabash uncles," too! Right in front of Lura is Auntie Nancy Jo, who knitted the blanket in which we brought her home; it was made with yarn that she and Cheryl had bought while we were on the choir's United Kingdom tour last year.
We mentioned that we try to give Lura some "tummy time" each day; since she doesn't particularly enjoy it ("I'm upside down!"), Mark usually lies down and holds her on his tummy so he can comfort her if she gets upset. We had to catch this shot in between some tears...
On 5 October 2003, Cheryl's youngest sister Gail flew in to meet her new niece. Here is the new aunty holding Lura for the first time; she'll be here for a week, and she's been helping us a lot. We hope she has time to enjoy the visit, too!
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