Chit-chat!

I thought it would be a good time for an update on the words Audrey is now able to say. Though they may not come out perfectly clear, below are the words/phrases she uses to communicate with us! It has been very fun lately watching her try to use more words! Looking forward to hearing her speech continue to develop!

Fun day at the mall

Audrey is almost 21 months old, and she says...

• Uh-oh (first word)
• Mama & Dada
• No (pronounced "mo!")
• Me ("meee!" especially when we show her a picture of herself)
• Maaax (my Grandpa's name, she says it, "Naaa!")
• Papa ("Baa-paaa")
• Help me ("ep me")
• Baby
• Bath
• Pee-pee
• Ball (she also says "Ball" for balloon)
• Juice ("juuu")
• Bye-bye ("Buuuuh-byeee")
• Jill ("Juull")
• Nice ("nii nii")
• Car
• Go
• Banana ("nana")
• Eat
• Look ("luuaaa")
• Church ("chuch")
• Walk ("wal")
• Tree
• Whoa!
• Shoes
• Up
• Down
• Night-night
• Peee---U! (When talking about a stinky smell!)
• Aiden ("Eee-Eee" - our sitter's little boy) 
• Yeah (2 syllables: "yea-yeah")
• Wiggles ("Lu lu")
• La (when she sings, she says "La!")
• Cookie

I am sure there more that I can't think of at the moment, so I'll add those later! She also has started singing ABCs ("A, B, A, B, A, B, B!" is usually how it starts), and she knows the tune very well! It's so cute!

Who needs toys when I have a box to play in?

She also is able to identify her nose, eyes, ears, hair, belly, hands, arms, feet, tongue, teeth, etc! She has some animal sounds down too! She can tell us the sounds of a dog, cow (which comes out more, "Mmmmm"), monkey, turkey (had to teach her at Thanksgiving!), and snake (sometimes duck and frog, too). She also knows that Santa says, "Ho, Ho, Ho!"

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

We went to the doctor again today for this cough, and they are beginning to seriously believe it is due to asthma. I had asthma as a child, so it wouldn't be surprising. The doctor gave us a new steroid for the nebulizer, and we're going to be seeing a pulmonary doctor soon as well. We certainly hope this can kick this awful cough once and for all, especially since we leave soon for the holidays. Other than that, we are just preparing for the upcoming holiday break and very anxious to have some time off to spend with family. Below are copies of proofs of the Christmas pictures we took. We are so happy for this joyous time of year!

Someone couldn't figure out why the cookies wouldn't come off the plate!

Family Photo

Oh so thankful!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We hope everyone has had a wonderful day giving thanks and being with those you love. The 3 of us have had a wonderful day just staying home! Last year was the first year we didn't go anywhere for Thanksgiving or spend it with anyone but "just us." This year, the "tradition" continued. We started cooking mid-morning, and boy oh boy; did we have a feast! As I said before, it was just the 3 of us, but we could have easily fed another family or 2! I was slightly nervous because last year, we just baked a turkey breast, but this year, we decided to go for it and cook the whole bird! It was a very good decision, because the turkey was amazing! It was so moist and flavorful! It also helped me to make some really good homemade gravy to go on our mashed potatoes and bacon dressing/stuffing (whatever you may call it!). Yep, I said bacon. Jerry got a recipe from someone for bacon stuffing, and he wanted to try it. It was pretty good! Besides the turkey, gravy, potatoes, and dressing, we also had broccoli, crock pot mac & cheese (mouthwateringly good!), and sweet potato casserole (which really could be called a dessert rather than a side with all those marshmallows and brown sugar!). We also made a loaf of "beer bread" that we had bought on a whim at Aldi of all places, and it was DELICIOUS! Our dessert of chocolate chocolate chip pound cake hasn't been touched yet today because we're still so full! We have leftovers that will last us DAYS upon days, and we know they'll still be just as delicious! It truly has been a day to give thanks!

Daddy busted out the guitar today, and Audrey loved "playing" along!

 So many people choose today to stop and recognize all they're thankful for, and we do the same. However, we also stay pretty thankful throughout the year. We constantly thank God for the blessings He has given us, including our home, church, jobs, and of course, our beautiful, healthy daughter. We are so thankful for each other and our marriage that has continued to grow, and we know we owe it all to our Father.

Who wouldn't be thankful for this beautiful girl?

The past month or so has been busy. We had to say goodbye to our neighbors and friends, but Audrey has done well with Mrs. Angela, the new sitter. So glad kids adjust so quickly! Audrey has also been fighting a cough/runny nose, so we've had to use the nebulizer again, but fortunately, she's a champ with it. We're hoping we've kicked it, but we're trying to stay on top of it at the same time. It is no fun to have a sick little girl, especially as the cold weather has been moving in!

From Halloween last month...She touched the pumpkin once or twice
then decided she didn't like the slimy feeling on her hands!

Our babysitter sent us this one day. Yep, she's a princess!

Nebulizer pro!

 As Thanksgiving ends and the Christmas season approaches, we are looking forward to more time off of work to travel and spend with family, seeing Audrey's eyes light up at the sight of Christmas lights and Santa Claus (She's already started saying, "Ho! Ho! Ho!"). Until next time, have a wonderful season!

Thanksgiving morning, watching the Macy's Day parade,
holding her baby, & eating a waffle!

Overdue updates

The past couple of months have actually been pretty eventful, so there's plenty to share (ya know, since we have so many avid readers of this thing!)

Audrey is now over 19 months old, and we just can't get over how BIG she is! Just the other day, Jerry said to her, "You are just not even the same child we brought home from the hospital!" and he's right! She's so big and grown and independent! Over the past couple of months, we have enjoyed visits from my parents and my grandparents, and she has really been able to remember them, which is sweet and special to them, since they live so far away. Last weekend, we even got to enjoy the fair with my parents. Audrey had a ball looking at all the colors, people, food, etc!

Our little cheerleader

YUM! The girl loves milkshakes!

As I wrote in our last post, we went to the doctor to see about Audrey's ears, and it was determined that tubes were necessary. On Oct. 8, she had her surgery to put them in. Jerry is taking her to her follow-up appointment this Wednesday, so we're hoping everything is going well with them. She did great for the procedure, and there were no problems. 

In her gown before her surgery

Over the past 2 months, we have also faced some trials and challenges. Last month, Jerry was in a fender bender (he was totally fine). The damage just outweighed the value of the car, so the insurance company declared it as a total loss. This left us to find a replacement in a pinch. With Jerry traveling multiple times a week for work, we had to find something fast, but it also had to be affordable, as this was a very unexpected expense thrown at us. Fortunately, we found a great deal, and Jerry now has a new (to him) car.

The past couple of months have also brought us some heartache and sadness. After suffering from health issues for quite awhile, Jerry's grandmother passed away last month. It was very sad news, but Jerry was thankful he was able to be there at the hospital with her during her final moments of life. While he is sad to no longer have grandparents living, he is thankful for the memories he has of them. The one thing he wanted to keep was his grandfather's old coffee thermos, covered in paint splatter, simply because of the memories it had for Jerry.

Another piece of sad news we were given last month was that our dear neighbors and friends, Charlie and Karen, were going to be moving back to Florida. Not only did this mean we were losing our friends, but we also have lost our childcare. Karen has kept Audrey ever since I went back to work after having her, and she has been WONDERFUL. She and Charlie have fit Audrey right into their family along with their own 3 children, and we always knew she was loved and cared for wonderfully at their house. This devastating news hit us hard, and we are deeply saddened as they actually leave today to head to FL. While no one will ever replace Mrs. Karen, we are fortunate that we found another neighbor down the street who was willing to take over. She also stays at home with her 1 year-old son, so Audrey has already adjusted pretty well having a new little friend.



Our family (9/22/12)



In the midst of all of this, we have stayed busy with work, family visits, and church. Our church, NewSpring, has just moved into a temporary location downtown while we wait on our new, permanent facility to be built. We are excited through this transition and have already been shown God's blessings to our church! We are thankful that we have jobs to pay our bills, family that comes to see us, and a church we love. Now, in this autumn season, we are enjoying the cool air, football games (Go Gamecocks!), and already looking forward to relaxing and spending time with family when the holidays arrive!

Just taking it easy one afternoon after Mommy got home from work!

Adjustments

School has started, and we're adjusting back to our routine. Audrey has adjusted pretty quickly and hasn't had any problems going back to Mrs. Karen's each day. Jerry and I are so thankful that we've been blessed with neighbors who love our daughter and take such good care of her!

Audrey is now 17 months old, and she looks at least 2 already! She's SUCH a big girl, and we love watching how she does things all on her own. She can easily climb up onto the couch, the kitchen chairs, and close doors all by herself. She also is just SO FUNNY! We laugh at her everyday for so many reasons. She will high-five us or give us "knuckles" (a fist pound) and then quickly look for someone (or something) else to do the same. Our dog has been given many high-fives and fist pumps, and so has Audrey's toys! We giggle as she sticks her tongue out to give kisses! She makes us laugh how she hides behind furniture privately in the mornings to fill her diaper. This is especially funny because my mom says that I used to do the same thing! We crack up at her as she puts on a pair (or 2 sometimes!) of sunglasses and laughs loudly at herself until we see her! She gets more laughs as she waves and loudly yells, "Buhhhh-Byyye" to people walking to their cars at the grocery stores or driving out of our neighborhood. Audrey adds such fun to our house and family!

Our little diva loves to wear her shades and carry her purse!

We are taking Audrey to the pediatrician this week to get her ears checked again since she has been dealing with an ear infection for awhile now. We are hoping we don't have to have tubes put in, but we also are getting sick of her being sick! Luckily, she is acting fine (other than a nasty cough that she and I are both fighting), but we are ready to have some answers. Also this week, my grandparents are coming down from Illinois! They are coming to spend some time with Audrey and watch her while Jerry and I head to Chapel Hill, NC next Saturday to go to a UNC football game. Jerry has always wanted to go to a game there, and a friend of his got us very cheap tickets, so we're all carpooling up there together next weekend! We're so thankful my grandparents are willing and able to come down, and we look forward to enjoying a few days together!

Silly girl putting pants on her head!

So mainly, our lives right now are just getting back into the swing of things with me being back at work during the day. I am fortunate that my 5th graders seem pretty sweet this year (hope I'm still saying that a month or 2 from now!), and Jerry's job continues to move pretty smoothly. Starting this upcoming week, we will have another adjustment to make as Jerry heads back to school! He will be in class 2 nights a week for the next 2 years to finish up his Bachelor's degree in Human Services! I'm very proud of him, and he is looking forward to getting it done. He's doing the program through Columbia College, so now we'll both be koalas; haha! However, his classes are held at Midlands Tech, so he's happy he's familiar with the campus. Audrey and I will definitely miss him on those nights, but we're glad he's doing what he wants and needs to do to progress in his career goals. Pray for him and us as a family as we make these adjustments!

I guess that's all for now! I just wanted to update since I actually thought of it! Hope our friends and family are doing well!

Everyday something new happens to make us laugh!

Gone before you know it

Yet another summer has drifted by more quickly than anyone wishes it would have! I go back to work on the 14th, so I am trying to soak up and enjoy every last minute home with Audrey. Yesterday, we did a lot of playing, especially jumping on the bed. This has become one of her favorite things to do!

Since my last post, Audrey and I made another trip to TN. We went up at the end of July to surprise my mom for her 50th birthday. We hated that Jerry couldn't join us, but he didn't have the time to take off work. Grandma Terri was very surprised to see Audrey and me! We enjoyed a great visit with family.

Audrey seems to be learning and doing more every single day! It is crazy to see her becoming this little person instead of a baby. Below I'll share some of the funny/new things she's been doing along with how big she is:

• Audrey weighs nearly 30 lbs (it was 29.8 when I took her to the doctor recently), and she looks bigger than several 2 year olds! Luckily, she's tall too!
• Her clothing size is all over the place. She is mostly wearing 24 months or 2T, depending on the brand.
• She's getting ready to move into a size 6 shoe, and boy does she love shoes! I constantly find her in her room with all her shoes pulled out onto the floor playing with them. Her Aunt Jill must have passed along the shoe loving trait!
• Walking is old news; now she wants to run! She especially loves to try to get Betsy, our dog, to chase her. Then, she gets to run AND squeal!
• She is still signing some ("milk," "more," "all done," "thirsty"), but she's stopped signing "eat." Instead, she tends to grab my hand, pull me to the fridge (sometimes opening it herself), and show me what she wants when she wants to eat!
• Speaking of food, she has become a big fan of Chick-fil-A (she even recognizes the bags now), pizza, and black beans. Those are definitely some of her favorites.
• She says a lot, but of course, isn't always understandable. Words she says pretty clearly are "Ma ma," "Da da," "Nigh-nigh" (night-night), "juu," (juice) and "nana" (banana). She also tries to say her own form of Jill (my sister's name), Wiggles (she loves dancing to the music on that show), and a handful of other words.
• She is SO affectionate! She gives hugs and kisses all the time, and boy - Are her kisses wet! It is so sweet though to tell her to go tell Daddy "night night," and hear her run down the hall to him going "mmmmmmm" as she prepares to kiss him! She also shares her affection with Betsy, giving lots of hugs.
• If climbing were an Olympic sport, she may have earned a gold medal by now. She wants to climb EVERYTHING! She climbs onto the kitchen chairs, the couches, and tries to climb onto our bed. One day recently, I walked in her room to find her sitting in her gliding rocker with a proud smile on her face!
• She still sleeps very well at night (usually about 11 hrs). Her naps during the day are usually about an hour long (sometimes shorter), but she's beginning to protest them a bit more, and she usually plays in her crib for quite awhile before finally falling asleep.

Only a few more days of summer left for Mommy to be home with Audrey, and I am certainly doing everything I can to cherish them. People say that it gets easier, but I disagree. And I also wouldn't want it to. I never want it to be "easy" for me to just leave my child all day with someone else. I love being home with her, even when she frustrates me, and I miss her like crazy when school starts!

I'm sure there are plenty of other things I should remember to post, but this is all I can remember for now. Jerry and I are loving being parents and have so many, "Wow, I love her!" moments (while there have also been a lot of "Oh my gosh, she's got to learn to listen!" kind of moments too!). Blessed doesn't begin to cover what we are, but we sure are thankful for it!

Staying busy & keeping cool!

Summer is in full swing for sure, and we are just hoping to beat the heat! Audrey and I just arrived back this week from a visit to Mattoon. We went so that I could attend my friend, Sarah's, wedding. Sarah and I have been friends since 5th grade, so I was so happy I was able to be there for her special day! We were also able to enjoy a nice visit with our family while we were there. Audrey was able to spend a good bit of time with her grandparents, great-grandparents, and Aunt Jill up in Illinois! We went swimming, took her to the park, and of course, ate a lot! Audrey has grown particularly fond of watermelon! She wanted it every meal at Grandpa Max and Grandma 'Laine's house!

Audrey has also been busy learning lots of new things! She now says, "Woof woof!" when you ask her what a dog says. She can also identify her nose, belly, toes, tongue, teeth, and sometimes eyes and ears! She continues to do a great job signing, "Eat," "more," "all done," and even, "thirsty" sometimes! She's extremely affectionate and loves to hug and kiss every kid she meets (and sometimes dogs!). Even at the grocery store, if she sees another child, she says, "Look!" and tries to wave at him/her! I have so enjoyed being home with her this month and watching how much she's learned and grown! Speaking of grown, when I took her to her 15 month doctor's appointment, her weight was off the charts! The nurse wrote, ">99%" beside her weight of 28 lbs! Her height, 32'' and some change, is at the 95% mark as well! At least she's big both ways I guess! The doctor was very happy with her development, and we don't have to go back until September for the 18 month visit.

June is ending, and I am wishing that the summer would slow down! This weekend, we'll have our dear friends James & Brandi stay with us, and then my mom will arrive mid-week for a visit to help out with Audrey so we can go out of town next weekend. We're looking forward to more family time and hoping that the hot temperatures break and allow us to enjoy some summer fun!

Here are a few pictures from our summer so far!

It's fun when Daddy throws me in the pool!

Hanging out with Aunt Jill in Mattoon

Great-Grandpa Max is so funny!

 

BATH MOHAWK!

Swinging at the park

On her new slide!

Swimming with Mommy

Hanging out at Lytle Pool

Catching Up

Audrey has had an eventful month or so since I've last posted. One of the biggest events that happened was, unfortunately, quite a scary one for us. On Monday, May 14, I took Audrey to the pediatrician after school because she'd had a fever all day. They diagnosed her with an ear infection (she's had several), and prescribed an anti-biotic and told me to use Tylenol for the fever. She was fussy when she went to bed that night, but who wouldn't be with an ear ache and a fever? She finally drifted off to sleep, and so did we. Around 1 something in the morning, I heard her fussing a bit. I waited about a minute, and she stopped. I knew she wasn't feeling well, but getting her out of bed wasn't going to do any good. Then, within the hour, I was awakened again, but this time, the noise I heard wasn't fussing. I heard more of a gasping/hiccup-type noise and instantly knew something was wrong. I jumped out of bed and rushed to Audrey's crib. What I saw next is an image that I will never forget, no matter how much I want to. She was stiff but shaking hard while making this noise. She was having a seizure. I immediately started yelling for Jerry, trying to wake him up. I had picked Audrey up and was holding her by the time he came into the room. I handed her to Jerry, grabbed my phone, and dialed 911. During the call, the seizure stopped, and Audrey began snoring loudly. I was so thankful for my past experiences babysitting a sweet girl we know who had seizures frequently. I knew that Audrey would be so physically exhausted after the seizure and was thankful she was sleeping, and more importantly, breathing.

When the ambulance arrived, the EMTs got her settled in, and I just sat there in the ambulance waiting to leave. Audrey had a few more seizures, but they were much less severe. The EMT gave her something to stop the seizures, and Audrey began to sleep. After what felt like hours, we finally arrived at the children's hospital sometime before 3 A.M. I believe (I would share more about the ambulance ride, but quite frankly, I am very disappointed in the EMTs, their lack of professionalism, and their lack of capability to treat a toddler, so I don't want to go on a rant!). The nurses and doctor there were fabulous, comforting Jerry and me, assuring us that everything would be okay. After taking an x-ray, taking some blood, and running some tests, we were told that Audrey's seizures were febrile seizures  caused by her temperature changing suddenly. They told us to keep her fever down by alternating Tylenol and Motrin every 3 hours, even through the night. We were discharged and arrived home sometime after  7 A.M. and were very sleepy. Thankfully, Audrey slept most of the day, allowing Jerry and I to nap some too.

Throughout the remainder of the week, we had Audrey back at the pediatrician's office 2 more times. Her fever wouldn't go away at first, but then it did. Then, her ear infection had returned, so we were given a different anti-biotic. She also developed roseola, which is common in children her age with a fever for that long. Thankfully, she was fine by the weekend, acting like her normal self. We praised God and thanked him countless times for keeping our precious girl safe and healthy. We were and still are so incredibly grateful to our family, friends, neighbors, NewSpring church family for keeping Audrey and us in their prayers during that tough week.

Now, to more positive things! Audrey will be 15 months old on June 15. She continues to grow and change so much all the time. She definitely keeps us busy, and it's going to be a BUSY summer for me, as I chase her around the house and do my best to keep her entertained! Here's what's been going on with her for the past month & a half:

• She weighs about 28 lbs or so (beast, I'm telling ya!)
• Wears a variety of clothing sizes, depending on the brand/item. She mostly wears size 18 months, but has a couple of 2T pairs of shorts, and swimsuits are always a crazy thing because I think they all run so tiny!
• Wears size 5 shoe, but is moving into a 6!
• Is in size 5 diapers
• She walks around like crazy and even tries to run some!
• Her new favorite word is, "LOOK!" which she exclaims as she points her finger any time she sees something that catches her eye
• She loves dogs so much, which is something we'll have to teach her boundaries about, as not all dogs take her "affection" as calmly as Betsy does
• She uses sign language to say, "Eat," "please," "More," and sometimes, "all done"
• She says, "Ma ma," "Da da," "Uh-oh," "Nigh-nigh" (night-night) and then several other words or phrases that she definitely understands, but I don't!
• Pushing things around is one of her favorite things to do, whether it be her toy stroller, the laundry basket, the kitchen chairs, or any other item that will slide across a floor.
• If music comes on, she dances!
• She sleeps about 11 hours each night and naps twice a day (the naps vary in length any where from 20 minutes to 2 1/2 hours!)
• Outside is her favorite place to be! She loves going on walks, us blowing bubbles to her, chasing a ball -- anything outside!
• If someone laughs in conversation, she laughs too, which is quite entertaining.
• She is such a ham! She constantly tries to catch the eye of people walking by if we're in a store or restaurant.
• She lets us know if we have done something she doesn't like by letting out a short, but loud scream. This is something Mommy & Daddy are not pleased about, and we're working on teaching her that we don't have to shout to be heard!
• We've taken her swimming a few times in the past week, and she loves kicking her legs and jumping in the water. She tries to be a bit more independent than she's ready to be, but she quickly sees that hanging on to Mommy or Daddy is a must!
• Climbing into and onto anything is something she loves, and it gets quite dangerous! I have had to show her that climbing into her toy stroller is not a good idea!

She certainly is a lot of fun at this age, and also a lot of work! We couldn't love our little girl any more than we already do! She's such a joy to our lives!

Summertime!

Every teacher's favorite part of the year has arrived: Summertime! The end of this school year is especially sweet for me because it's my first summer home with Audrey after working for a year. THIS is truly one of the best parts about being a Mom who teaches.

Our summer started off with a trip to Ohio! We left the day I got out of school to head to our cousin Rebecca's high school graduation. The week prior, my grandparents had visited, along with my parents. My mom and dad traveled to Ohio with us, and my grandparents met us there, as they had already returned to Illinois before school ended for me.

The car trip was much different than the ones I took Audrey on last summer. Now, she is a bit more difficult to keep entertained, and she is much more adamant about wanting out of her car seat after a couple hours! Thankfully, she did a great job sleeping in her pack & play at the hotel. We were fortunate to get a room right next to Mom & Dad's, so we just put her in her bed, walked next door, and kept an ear out using the baby monitor! That way, she was able to go to sleep, and we were able to stay up and socialize. The trip went very well, and we are so proud of our cousin. This was Audrey and Jerry's first trip to Findlay, so we had to be sure and visit Dietsch Brothers', which is my Grandpa Max's favorite ice cream. 

Audrey LOVED Dietsch Ice Cream!

While in Findlay, Jerry & I also had our 5th wedding anniversary! There were several, "Five years ago today, I was..." comments made by all of us in the family throughout the day. Jerry and I are so blessed to have had these 5 years together and look forward to so many more.

Post overdue!

Clearly, I'm well overdue for a post now that we have a 1 year old who will be 13 months old tomorrow! Being brief is not something I'm successful with, so I'm not even going to say I'll try! However, I will break the post down into categories (for my own peace of mind)!

Months 12-13
The past 2 months have been absolutely crazy to see all the changes in Audrey! She now walks EVERYWHERE and is trying to talk all the time! Her words don't really sound like anything too clear, but she sure thinks she's saying something! It's so funny! One day, a neighbor with a small puppy stopped to say hello, so of course Audrey petted the puppy. As the neighbor and her puppy walked home, Audrey shouted down the street at them! I'm sure she was saying something along the lines of, "Come back here and let me play with that puppy some more!" even though it sounded more like, "Lugga lurrggaa lugga daa!" (Yep, I said that out loud to sound like her!) Audrey has grown like crazy and changed so much! She is definitely becoming her own little person now, and we are loving it. She is absolutely full of personality, and honestly, we're a bit anxious about what may be in store for us with this girl! She's very strong-willed and lets us know the second she is unhappy or isn't getting what she wants. However, she really does behave and is soooo affectionate (we love getting our hugs and kisses from her daily!).

Birthday party!
Audrey's 1st birthday party was a success! The weather was perfect, the food was delicious, and she played in/ate the cake! We were so thankful that my parents, grandparents, and sister & brother-in-law were able to make the trip down to celebrate with us. They were also a huge help the weekend of the party in getting the house ready, setting things up, etc.! Audrey was, of course, more than spoiled with wonderful gifts from our family, friends, and neighbors. It was a very laid-back, simple party, which was just what we wanted!

Audrey's little ladybug cake and the cake for our guests! SOO appreciate that our dear friend, Tina (in IL) made the cake and that Grandma & Grandpa could bring it down!

Daddy & Mommy with their 1 year old girl!

Yummy!



Playing on a new toy from neighbors & friends!

 Now that Audrey's 1, she...

• Weighed over 26 lbs at her 1 year old doctor's visit (that's the 97th percentile!)
• Is still super tall for her age (90th percentile I think)
• Wears size 4 diapers but could fit into 5s any day
• Wears size 18 months clothes (except a cute new outfit I just bought was too small since some brands run small!)
• Wears size 5 shoe (and loves walking around in her shoes)
• Says "Ma ma," "Da da," and something that sounds sort of like, "Betsy" as well as "love you" (which really sounds more like, "laaa la")
• LOVES music and dances to it constantly
• Loves toys that she can push around (or just pushes the kitchen chairs around!)
• Is a huge fan of Elmo
• Knows how to sign "please" and "more" in sign language
• Is drinking whole milk (Yay for no more formula purchases!) out of a sippy cup (and yay for no more bottles!)
• Eats anything we give her! She eats a lot of baked sweet potatoes, green beans, carrots, grapes, bananas, strawberries, and LOVES cheese!
• Drinks white grape juice some (still trying to decide if apple juice was the cause of some breakouts, so we're waiting that out a bit longer)
• brushes her teeth (and by that, I mean sticks her toothbrush in her mouth and waves her head around like crazy; adorable!)
• sleeps roughly 11 hours each night
• loves being chased by Daddy & Mommy
• Plays "Peek-a-boo" (which we usually call, "Wherrreee's Audrey?") all the time
• chases Betsy down to hug her (and even tries to kiss her but usually ends up with a mouth of dog hair; Yuck!)
• Plays with toys but gravitates instead towards anything we don't want her to have, or just things that aren't there to play with (i.e. our closet full of shoes)
• is not a fan of having her diaper changed...probably because she has to lie still
• Isn't as crazy about baths, but again, she has to be still
• Tries to talk on the phone when we are talking to someone
• Loves stealing the remote away from the nightstand and carrying it around
• Enjoys opening and closing doors, cabinets, etc.
• Still naps well for Mrs. Karen most days but rarely sleeps for an hour on the weekends for us!
• Doesn't leave Mommy and Daddy quite as easily (like at church, going to Mrs. Karen's, etc.), but is fine once we leave
• Thinks (or knows!) she's a big girl that can do whatever the rest of us do!



1 Year Old Picture



1 Year Old Picture

At the portrait studio waiting to leave after her "photo shoot"







Lovin' on Betsy!



My what a year it has been for the 3 of us! Jerry and I couldn't feel more blessed and are so very grateful to God for giving us a healthy, beautiful, sweet girl! It's hard for me that I don't have my "baby" anymore, but watching Audrey become a little girl is so fun! I am so proud of her, thankful for her, and just absolutely in love with her! Looking forward to many, MANY more years of birthday celebrations, milestones being met, and just being her Mommy!

11 Months

Yet again, another month has passed, and now Audrey is only one month away from becoming a whole YEAR old! I'm overwhelmed with emotion (I have had to stop the tears from flowing the past few days as I think about it) and am amazed at how fast the year has gone! In some ways, it feels like just yesterday we brought her home from the hospital, while in others, it feels like we have always had Audrey in our family. Either way, we cannot imagine life without her in it, and we are so, so, SO blessed to have our sweet daughter!

Today was a HUGE milestone as Audrey took a few steps ALL BY HERSELF! Jerry and I couldn't be more proud. Audrey was also quite proud of herself, as she would grab us, hug us, and squeal with delight when she reached whichever one of us she walked to! We can't wait to get this on video sometime, but it was really hard to do tonight. Earlier today, our sitter messaged us a video of her just standing by herself in the middle of the room, so Jerry told me later, "I think we should try to get her to take some steps!" We wanted to be sure we were the ones who saw her take her first steps, since we are both at work all day each day. We are so thankful that we got to witness this special moment! It's so funny to be all excited over someone taking a step, but when that someone is a person that you helped make, it's a bit bigger of a deal!  We're now trying to prepare ourselves for what is next: walking EVERYWHERE!!! We have already moved and rearranged things in the house to acommodate for her crawling, so I can only imagine that it will get worse! Time to put some more safety things up! She's on the move!

We are beginning to plan Audrey's 1st birthday party, which will be next month. I've made invitations, and we plan on shopping for some decorations, etc. soon. We're looking forward to a small gathering of our family, neighbors, and a few friends to celebrate the wonderful year we've all had thanks to Audrey being a part of it! For now, we'll just enjoy our 11 month old girl!!!

Mohawk in the bath tonight!

Audrey is 11 months old, and she...

• Wears size 12 month clothes, but is on her way to size 18 month
• Wears size 4 diapers and shoes
• Would rather walk (along the furniture or holding hands) everywhere than crawl
• Crawls QUICKLY when she does crawl!
• Squeals with delight when Betsy walks in the room
• Says, "Uh-oh!" "Da-da" and "Ma-ma" along with several other nonsense noises
• Gets very excited when Daddy comes home from work
• Only uses her pacifier while sleeping (and we're trying a night without it at all tonight--so far, so good!)
• LOVES macaroni & cheese, graham crackers, chicken, cheese, hot dogs, Cheerios, carrots, and so much more! No more baby food for our big girl!
• Drinks juice/water out of her sippy cup
• Seems a bit less excited about bath time these days, but I'm thinking it's because she wants to be on the move
• Usually goes to bed by 7 (sometimes before 6:30) and wakes up around 6ish
• Naps well at Mrs. Karen's but not so much at home on the weekends
• Loves looking out the window as she stands by it and talking to herself

Our next post may very well be regarding a big one year old!

Another late update!

Keeping up with this blog is definitely not my forte! The day Audrey turned 10 months old, I thought to myself, "I need to remember to update the blog!" and that was over a week ago now. Ah, well!

The past few weeks have been full of ups and downs! Audrey's ear infection from before pretty much has never gone away. We thought it had, but it returned with a vengeance (and another sleepless night), so she's now on her 3rd round of antibiotic over the past 2 months! We're praying that when we go for her follow-up on Feb. 1 that it will be completely cleared up! The great news is that she seems to stay in good spirits, despite the sickness! Other than the one night that let us know we needed to go back to the doctor, she has continued to sleep through the night, and she even let us sleep until almost 8 this morning (seriously couldn't tell you the last time I slept until 8)!!! This past month has flown by with the holidays and everything. Audrey's first Christmas was so fun! We loved watching her stare curiously at the ornaments on the tree and pull the ribbons and bows off of presents with excitement (not that she cared what was inside! She just wanted the bows and ribbons!). We spent Christmas in Illinois (and then Tennessee a little too), and we were happy to be able to "show off" our sweet girl to my extended family up there who does not see her often. We also got together with my friend Lindsay, and Audrey LOVED giving kisses to her son, Will (who was born in May). Needless to say, Audrey was more than spoiled with presents. This Christmas was definitely different and so much more special than any Christmas we have experienced so far, since we were able to experience our first one as a family of three. SOME (of many) pictures of our holiday celebrations are on the links below:
Photos of Christmas Eve with extended family

Christmas break in Mattoon

A Couple of Days in Tennessee

We got back at the end of December and spent our "wild and crazy" New Year's Eve at home (watched the ball drop in bed then turned off the TV and went to sleep; wow, things have changed!) Since then, we have already been lucky enough to have visitors (Grandma Terri and Aunt Jill came down since they had a long weekend for Martin Luther King, Jr. day). That enabled Jerry and me to have a well overdue "date night!" Now we're back in the swing of being back at work (though the 2 week break was oh-so-wonderful!) and we're anticipating the plans God has in store for us for 2012!

Now that Audrey is 10 months old (!!!), it is amazing to see how much she is able (or at leas wants to be able) to do. So many changes seem to be taking place each and every week right now! Here are some things that are happening now:

• She is wearing size 12 month clothes (a couple of things are size 18 months, like pajamas). She's so stinkin' long!
• Over the weekend, we moved up to size 4 diapers!
• She wears a size 4 shoe (this whole shoe thing is crazy! Sometimes a 4 is big, sometimes small, sometimes a 5 is HUGE...I can never tell!)
• Her hair is crazy EVERYDAY! It's short enough that I can't brush it any specific way, but it's long enough that it sticks up often! We love it though!
• She loves drinking juice or water out of her sippy cup. Even more, she loves throwing it on the floor when she doesn't want it anymore!
• She has said her first word: "Uh-oh!" Mrs. Karen, her sitter, and I had both been saying it a lot when things were dropped, etc., and she's picked up on it and now says it too! She often sounds more like, "Uh!!! ..........OOooooooooooooh!" with a huge pause in between. It's very cute; that was my first word too!
• She is crawling EVERYWHERE now and follows us all around the house. We are not able to easily sit back and watch TV while she plays on the floor now, as we have to be prepared to follow her around or pull things out of her mouth that she "discovers." She's always on the move!
• She loves reading "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" with Mommy. It seems to be one of the only books she'll really stop and focus on.
• She still loves banging on everything with her hands and kicking her legs anytime she's lying down.
• She HATES getting her clothes or diaper changed. She doesn't want to have to lie down and be still!
• Looking in the mirror is SO much fun!
• She snacks on Cheerios or Puffs
• Yogurt is one of her favorite things to eat, along with green beans or pears.
• She doesn't nap too well on the weekends, but will nap 2-3 hours during the week at Mrs. Karen's! We think it's just that she wants to be up hanging out with us on the weekends! ha ha!
• She is VERY ticklish, and Daddy takes full advantage of knowing it!
• She does SO great every Sunday at church. Every week, the KidSpring workers mention something about how happy and well-behaved she is. It thrills us!
• She loves to try to walk while holding our hands. We swear she'll be walking on her own in no time; she really moves!
• She shakes her head "no" when she doesn't want something.
• She waves hello and bye bye (if she feels like it), but she definitely knows what it means!

I'm sure there are even more, but I'm telling ya - she learns so much every day, it's hard to keep up with it all!