4 months old

Audrey is 4 months old this week. How on earth did that happen?

She's rolling over like she's been doing it for years. I put her down on her back and while I blink she flips onto her tummy. She grins because she's so proud of herself and because I always sound startled when I see it (or don't see it) happen. Great...she already likes shocking her mother! In fact, the last few times I've put her to bed, either for a nap or for the night, she quickly flips over onto her tummy and sleeps best this way. I can practically watch the grey hair emerge from my scalp as she slumbers away in this "not recommended for a baby her age" sleeping position.

She is still a smiling, giggling happy pants most of the time and wants to be part of the action all of the time. Her hair goes about 5 different directions at any given moment. She belches, toots, spits up (with gusto) and drools constantly. It's ridiculous how many outfits this kid goes through in a day. Her poops are explosive. Corey says she should be an "outside baby" but we don't listen to him. We just do a lot of laundry and love the stinky little sweetie to pieces.

(don't they look like I just interrupted them while they were talking about me?)

Chewing on those fingers! They must taste great.

We love you, Audrey, and we're so happy you're here!

36

I had a birthday last weekend and I can't believe I'm 36. Corey likes to remind me that I'm now officially in my late thirties. Thanks, honey!

It was a great weekend. My parents came to town to help me celebrate and my sister was here to make it even better. We ate, talked about what and where we were going to eat next and then ate some more! Corey made me a totally delicious chocolate birthday cake (yummy!)and Natalie helped me blow out my candles. And earlier in the day, Grandma Lala kept Audrey happy so I could take a nap. You know you're a full fledged exhausted grown up when a birthday nap is a wish come true!

Thank you all for making my birthday such a special one, as always.

Swinging!

What is it with our kids and the baby swing? It's where Natalie slept best. It's where Audrey currently sleeps best. I remember when Natalie was a very chubby 6 month old and I asked the pediatrician if it was okay that ALL of her naps at home were taking place in the swing (I didn't want her to develop a curved "swing spine" or some such mommy invented condition) . The only concern the doctor had was what weight the swing was rated to hold. I broke into a sweat as the thought of Natalie OUTGROWING the swing came to mind for the first time and imagined myself reinforcing her baby swing with a bungee cord attached to the ceiling to buy myself some more months of swing napping. It didn't come to that...fortunately...she started napping in her crib before the motor blew!

I've been trying to put Audrey down in her crib for naps occasionally so that she's not quite so swing dependant. But if she'll sleep one hour in the crib, she'll sleep two in the swing. And not just lazily going back and forth. Oh no...she wants wind! Top speed is all either of our children would ever tolerate in the baby swing. Last weekend we had dinner with friends at their house and they were gracious enough to let Audrey swing herself silly in their baby swing. It was awesome...it went side to side in addition to front to back. She was in heaven. And she slept while we ate dinner. I'd really like to personally thank the inventor of the baby swing!

Pure joy!

Pure joy with a side of dizzy!

Delightful, apparently!

Natalie's vocabulary continues to amaze us. She uses big, colorful, juicy words. Correctly. It's wonderful. We think she's a little too smart for her own good!


The other day she was going through a bookshelf in our room, looking for a book with pictures, naturally. She found one colorful book and said, "this book is just delightful!" Delightful. What a great adjective...not "nice" or "pretty" or "neat"...but delightful. I love it.

And she's also a big fan of "apparently." I sent her on a hunt for her shoes and she returned empty handed to report, "apparently, my shoes aren't in the garage anymore." She's used "apparently" numerous times since then and always appropriately.

Apparently, this delightful kid is becoming a bit of a word wizard and we couldn't be enjoying it more!

Talk about delightful...look at these two!

Learning Experience

Natalie started school and she's really loving it. She came home the other day with a bright pink nose. I asked her why she painted her nose. She said, "I didn't paint it, I drawed on it." "With marker", she added. No biggie, I thought. Surely the preschool uses washable markers. Nope. Her nose was bright pink for a few days afterward.

The funny part was, when I dropped her off at school that very morning I was hoping that no one looked real closely at her nose...it was a little stuffy, a little runny and it seemed to present the first evidence that she might be coming down with a cold. I didn't want to keep her home but I also wasn't terribly proud to be the mom that sent her little germy one to school to potentially get everyone else sick. Not only did she, in fact, get sicker later that day and miss the next school day but there is no chance that any adult in the classroom didn't get a good look at her bright pink (and stuffy, runny, crusty, boogery) nose!

Today, while doing a project at home, she said, "Mommy, the three most important words are DON'T. GIVE. UP." I loved that. I thought, what a great lesson to teach preschoolers. I imagined her teachers telling the kids this as they struggled with a challenge in the classroom or on the playground. I asked her who taught her such an important lesson, just knowing she'd mention one of her teachers.

Her response: "TV".

TV? Yup. Turns out TV was the "who" behind the lesson. Apparently it was in an episode of Abby's Flying Fairy School on Sesame Street.

Audrey

I thought it was about time Audrey got a post all to herself. What a delight this kid is...she has her inconsolable moments, don't get me wrong, but overall she's a very happy little baby. She loves to be looked at and she'll never break a gaze if you're engaging her. She smiles with her entire body (you were right, Grandma Lala). When she smiles, her eyes glisten, she brings her hands together and then to her chest, kicks her legs and let's out a little bark/squeal sound. It's priceless.

Audrey could watch Natalie for hours (and that's good because Natalie could perform for hours), she wants to sit on my lap at the dinner table just to be a part of the conversation, she giggles, she's rolled over already, she can fit both fists in her mouth when she's hungry, she spits up all the time which I never seem to be prepared for (she already christened the carpet in Natalie's preschool classroom during parent orientation night...oh, Audrey) and she already needs her bangs trimmed.

What a lovely smile.
Did I mention it's already time for a trim?

Yes, this is Audrey in Tupperware in Nana's kitchen sink. It worked nicely and she actually really liked our little makeshift Japanese soaking tub.
These two really are in love with each other.

We're in love with every little pinch-able inch of Audrey Marie and it's actually difficult not to nibble on those juicy little arms and legs. We refrain, but it takes all the self control we have.

Trip to Michigan

We spent a week in Michigan recently and I'm just now getting the pictures posted. We always have a TON of pictures after a trip to Michigan because there are so many shutterbugs in the group!

We had a great time. Natalie picked a fresh bouquet of wildflowers every day (sometimes including a stem or two from a potted geranium...but the girl was just so excited to see so many flowers no one could spoil her fun!), went fishing with Daddy and Papa Franc, harvested a bushel of tomatoes from the garden, helped make Aunt Kristen's birthday cake, caught frogs in the lake, had her first sleep over (at Aunt Kristen's house), roasted a hot dog at a backyard cookout, wore a sweatshirt for the first time since April, and rode a tractor. It was a full week.

Audrey insisted on sleeping between her parents every night and dazzled everyone by day with her cute little multiple chin grins.


















Both of them travelled like champs! Hallelujah. We actually received compliments on their behavior from the women across the aisle from us on the plane when we landed in Michigan. That felt good.

Thank you all for a wonderful week. We had so much fun and we're missing you all.

First Day of School

Natalie started preschool today. Our little girl was all of a sudden looking very , very big. She loved it, of course! Why does she insist on growing up so fast?