Bubbles and the Park

So I got this bright idea a while ago that Audrey would just totally LOVE bubbles.  I happily put her in her Bumbo on the coffee table and ran and got the bubbles.  She could care less.  She was more interested in the dogs than me blowing bubbles her way.  Oh well, at least the dogs had a good time!

Mom, what are you doing?

What in the world are those things??

Hmmmm

Hi Mom!

Nom nom nom

Perfect picture!

So on Friday, before Sickly Sarah 2011 came about we had the opportunity to go to Mariposa Basin Park to try out the baby swings and feed the ducks.  We invited her buddy Tanner to join in the festivities!  Tanner loved the swings and was laughing the whole time.  Audrey looked like a little free bird with her arms out to the sides.  They both enjoyed feeding the ducks...as did we!

Not a happy camper!

This isn't so bad..I can dig this!

I love her!

Tanner and Audrey enjoying a beautiful Friday at the park!

Love how Tan is holding on like a big boy!

Let's feed the duckies!

Feeding frenzy

Happy St. Pattie's Day!

As usual, we bought a cute little outfit for Audrey to wear on her next big "Holiday."  She also has a shamrock bib that says, "My 1st St. Patrick's Day."  She looked so cute all day and no where to go.  I have been suffering from what I think is the flu so all my fantastic spring break plans went kaput.  I have been sick since Monday with a fever and various other ailments and poor Lady Bug has a low grade fever now and a slight cough.  She's taking Tylenol and otherwise is in good spirits.  Hopefully I'll have at least 1 decent day before going back to work where me and Audrey can do something fun!  We did get to enjoy the nice New Mexico weather and breeze out back this evening as we filled out the kiddie pool for the dogs.  Bruno appreciated it as he jumped in and out and then laid down in it.  Even though I feel icky, it's always nice to hug and snuggle Audrey.  We have to remember to hug, love, and appreciate or little one's each and every day.  They are true gifts, some get taken just a little too soon like dear little Maddie.  Here's to your Angel, Kellie!

Yes, life is just a little tough when you are this cute!

6 months

It's crazy to think that half a year has gone by since we had Audrey!!  It seems like yesterday that we were in the hospital waiting to take our little Lady Bug home!  Here is a look at her teeny feet with her birth stats!  Yes, I just realized that her left foot looks a little different from her right, but I can assure you that they are the same and that she does have 10 toes, not 9 like the stamp looks.  Haha!

Audrey lost over a pound from when we took her home to her first appointment, so we were required to go back until her weight evened out with her birth weight.  All we needed was 1 check.  She gained it all, plus some.  At 2 months old she weighed 10lb 14 1/2oz (50%) and was 23in long (75%).  Then at her 4 month check up she weighed in at 12lb 13oz (25-50%) and was 24 1/2in long (50-75%).  I remember reading on Babycenter how big other babies her age were and it was crazy.  These kids were like 27in long and weighed 20lb.  Apparently we have a teeny weeny lady, or they have off the charts kids who were born at 10lb.  God help me if I ever have to push out a 10lb baby.  Unlikely, since I barely got out a 7 pounder!  Here we are at 6 months old and Audrey is now 14lb 7.5oz (25%) and is 26in long (70%).  She is long and lean.  I wonder where she gets that from??  It's crazy to think that she has more than doubled her birth weight and grew a half a foot!!  Every morning after Audrey gets dressed we ask her to show us her "supermodel look."  She proceeds to stand up (with help) and pose or walk down the make shift runway that is our bed.  I think if we continue she may think she is the center of it all and will go walking into kindergarten saying, "look at me, I am a supermodel.  My parents told me so."  But hey, it's funny now.  And boy, does she love clothes and shopping.  We could change her 5-6 times to find the perfect outfit and she would never fuss.  Here are some interesting facts about our little lady.

Things I Love

*Playing in my exersaucer

*Riding on the back of my big dog brother, Bruno

*Playing with Mommy's Moshi pillow and fake suffocating myself with it

*cuddling with my daddy

*Being tickled in the ribs, feet, face...but only by Daddy because he is the only one who can really make me laugh

*Going anywhere like the store, park, Uncle and Aunt's house.

*Putting everything in my mouth

*Other kids

Things I Can Do Now That I Once Couldn't Do

*Roll over and over consecutively.  If my parents turn their head for a second I have rolled half way across the floor.

*Almost sit up on my own.

*Stand up and walk while my parents hold my hands (I may just skip the whole crawling thing).

*Says ba ba ba, raspberry.  Ba ba ba, raspberry.  I do say other things, but this is my new favorite.

*I now enjoy tummy time because I can pretty much push my chest off the ground instead of being a Jesus baby (flat on tummy with arms straight out to the sides) and cry like I used to.

*Eat solids.

*Sit like a big girl in the carts at the stores.

*Drink from a sippy cup, sort of.

*I can now manipulate EVERYTHING on my exersaucer, including that pesky penguin that you have to hit in order to make the balls go down.  Yay me!

*Cry when weirdos try to hold me.  Stranger danger is real folks!

*Sleep on my tummy because I like it better that way.  (*Mommy talk-I do not like this because it scares me, but the doctor said she is okay if we don't always flip her back over.)

Things I Wear

I can now wear 6 month clothes, but some of them are too short for me, because I am too tall.  I can wear 9 month jammies because who cares if they are baggy.  I can still wear 3 month onesies because I am just that cool!

Things I Eat

I still love me some boobie juice and will continue to love it until there is no more boobie juice to love!

*Carrots-a personal fav.

*Sweet potatoes

*Avocados

*Butternut Squash

*Peas-another fav.

*Bananas

*Golden Delicious apples and Gala apples

*Pears-a new fav.

*I also love candy and things of that nature that my mommy sneaks me every now and again, but I get to hyper so I think I can't have it anymore. (Mom of the year award goes to Sarah).

We are so blessed to have Audrey in our lives.  She brings so much joy to our household and all the animals adore her.  She has a wonderful Daddy that dotes on her and protects her and a Mommy who can't say no to a face like that.  Okay, sometimes I do...but it's real hard!  Cheers to every day we have you in our lives!!!

Laughter is the Best Medicine

On July 29, 1980 at 30 years old, my mother gave birth to me.  Who knew that exactly 30 years later I would give birth to my very own daughter.  As I went about my day I thought about my mom and imagined her getting to share in all the things that have happened over the last nine years because today is the day that my life was changed forever.  I was only 21 years old when she passed away-too young for anyone to lose their mother.  I was always close to my mom, but our relationship was changing to more of a kindred friendship than that of a mother/daughter ONLY relationship.  We would spend Saturdays shopping, walking through model homes, and eating out.  I was living with Elijah (in sin) and going to college and her and my dad were living a life with a child free home.  I so wish my mom could have watched Elijah and I walk down the aisle, but I am thankful that she got to know him before she left this world (we got engaged just 2 months before she passed).  As time moved on I got my bachelor's degree and then decided to pursue a career in education...following in her footsteps.  I went on to get my masters in education and miraculously got my dream job (it was fate) at the same school that my mom worked at until her dying day.  It was like coming home to a family of open arms and continuing the legacy of my mom.  It was a bittersweet day when Audrey was born, because a girls mom is usually there when her daughter gives birth.  She was there, but in spirit.  I so wish that she could watch me raise my child and give me advice on teething, walking, boys, etc. that I will have to figure out through friends and other family.  As I sat on the couch this evening, sort of somber in my day, I look over at my husband and daughter, bonding....and laughing.  Laughter truly is the best medicine.  Even if you are having a crappy day because of circumstance, your child's laughter is like no other.  It takes all your cares away and makes you realize how truly blessed you are to even have the chance to listen to your baby that you created laugh and enjoy life!  Life is precious and enjoy each moment, for you never know when it may be your last.  This is for my mom, my aunt, my grandma, my dad, and my brother, my husband, my cousin Renee, and my daughter for being able to be a part of my life and my mom's.  I love you.

Raspberry Bubble Blower

Yesterday Audrey reached another milestones.  As she was having fun in her "discovery center" otherwise known as her Baby Einstein Exersaucer, she started to spit and pierce her lips together.  We didn't know what she was doing until we started watching her more and more.  She was blowing raspberries!! She only does this while she is playing in her exersaucer and we tried numerous times to capture it on video yesterday, but every time we started videotaping she stopped....until today.  I caught her in the act and she had no idea I was taping her.  Poor thing pushes out more spit than noises, but it sure is funny!!  Sorry the video is sideways...I am still not that great at technology and just figured out I could post videos from my phone.  Next time I'll take a video facing the right way but you get the idea!!

Impartial Eater

So I have a ton of fun making Audrey's food and am so excited to see how she likes it...only thing is-she could care less!  So far we have only been giving her solids at dinner time and even then she will only eat a couple of spoonfuls.  I started off with carrots (see previous blog) and then  made them again, this time with a longer steam and more boobie juice.  They came out perfect!! Audrey is "ho hum" about them, but we tried her on them for about a week.

What is that in the mixer??

Excited mommy

Yay...food time.  Little does she know it's solids and not boobie juice.

No...not this again.

Pissed off carrot face.

I thought that maybe she didn't enjoy carrots...they were too bland or too orange.  Who knows!  So after her Great Aunt Janis came to town and dropped off some avocados from the family farm we thought that would be the next veggie to try. She really enjoyed them the first day...gulping them down.  The next few days, not so much.  She is really great at avoidance tactics, such as staring at the light fixture, turning her head towards the window, looking down at her Bumbo.  In general...looking anywhere, but at her food and/or me!

Mmmm avocodos

Whatchu looking at??

Whoa!

Our last stop on the road to solids is sweet potatoes.  I baked them and according to the cookbook it said if you bake them the natural sugar flavors come out more and it tastes better.  I thought this was a great idea because maybe it will be more flavorful for this impartial eater.  We sat her down again tonight hoping that she would like them more than the carrots and the avocados.  Fail again.  Not only does she not really like them, but her new thing is making gagging noises.  I can't believe that at 5 months old she can gag as if she is having bleach poured down her mouth.  This kid is turning out more and more like her mommy.  Cooked veggies...not so much.  Raw veggies...yum (not sure if she will be like this, but I sure am) and I'm pretty sure that she will just adore pureed fruits. Well, little lady...you are going to try EVERY veggie in the cookbook before we move on to fruits.  Hate to break your sweets bubble!

If I keep my mouth clenched closed, do I have to eat it?

Maybe I sort of like it.

Avoidance tactic #1...staring at the Bumbo

Her new way of getting out of eating...gagging noises.

Making Baby Food...Round 1

We decided that we wanted to make Audrey's baby food rather than buying it at the store. It's a personal choice and it does take more effort, but it is cost effective and it is very gratifying after making it and knowing that she will probably enjoy it.  Obviously this is the first time we have attempted to make her any food, and surprisingly it's not that easy.  I am such a better baker than a cook, so it may take a few tries before we get it right.  We planned on starting out with avocados since Audrey's Great Auntie Janis brought some back with her from the Grandparents avocado farm, but they are not ripe just yet and I am too impatient to wait, so we decided carrots would be first.  My friend Melinda was sweet enough to get us a steamer basket from Now We're Cooking (I couldn't find one ANYWHERE!) and I figured the blender would be a great thing to use to puree them.  I don't think I cooked them long enough because after I stuck them in the blender they just sort of mixed and then settled into the bottom and still had some tiny bits of carrots in them.  They weren't big chunks and I didn't know what the consistency should look like.  After adding water, pulsing, whipping, pureeing, etc...it was still slightly lumpy.  I figured she could handle it so I pulled as much out of the blender as I could. She looked excited to eat it, but after slightly choking and a mini mom heart attack later we gave up and decided to try again the next day.  After going to Walmart, Target, and then finally Bed Bath and Beyond we decided to buy a Cuisinart blender thing that actually says you can make baby food with it and it is BPA free.  Hopefully after steaming the carrots a bit longer....like mashed consistency and using this new fancy appliance we can get it right and Audrey can enjoy the new world of solids!!  Wish us luck!

Oh my gosh...what is this?

Carrot face.