Audrey's First Christmas

Audrey had an exciting first Christmas.  She was a big hit with family at all of the gatherings she went to.  She went to her first Christmas Eve church service and managed to stay awake the entire time.  She got two riding/push toys, both of which she has quickly learned to push around the house.  Now, she just has to learn how to turn them so that she doesn't hit so many dead ends. She also has a new collection of toys that play music, flash lights, and talk to her when she plays with them.  I never knew there were so many different ways to sing the ABCs!

This Christmas, I watched Audrey and remembered many of the good childhood memories I have of making cookies with grandma, wrapping gifts with mom, and decorating the tree as a family.  As much as we rush around during the holidays to visit friends, attend parties, and buy gifts, I want Audrey to have those same memories.  When I first started working, I never understood why all of my most tenured co-workers that got the first vacation picks always choose the last two weeks of the year.  Now I get it.  I know it is sad to say, but I am going to become one of those people that tries to take as much time off around Christmas as I can.  I want to have that time to make memories spending time with my daughter and husband. 

This morning we woke up to snowfall, which brings an exciting end to this Christmas weekend.  It makes for a nice cozy family day at home.  I am glad I already bought the ingredients to make potato soup this afternoon!  The beautiful white blanket the snow leaves also reminds me of the peace that the birth of Christ brings.  Jesus' sacrifice allows us to live with peace in our hearts, because we know that God loves us and is faithful.  I pray that all of you will find that peace.  I pray that we will raise Audrey to know that peace; that we will teach her to trust God and let him guide her through life.  

The Most Wonderful (and busiest) Time of the Year

Audrey has quickly become acclimated to the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.  She has been to two Christmas parties, one holiday happy hour, and a family Christmas gathering.  She has also learned to rip tissue paper.  I don't really think we can call it opening gifts, because she really just wants to rip and try to eat the tissue paper.  Last weekend, while I was wrapping gifts, she crawled over and started to rip the paper off of one of her gifts.  Fortunately, I had covered it in several layers of paper, so she only got through the first one.  She tried to open one her her dad's gifts last night. 

Audrey also seems to like the Christmas tree and lights.  I think she likes Christmas music, too, because she laughs and claps when I sing carols to her; it could also be that she just likes to see her mommy acting like a goofball.  I was singing to her while we were grocery shopping the other day.  It was the funnest trip to the store I've had in a long time, even if the other shoppers thought I was a weirdo. 

Tomorrow morning we will open gifts here at our house before driving to Greenville for family Christmas festivities.  With everything going on, it is always a challenge to remember the "reason for the season."  It is nice that we get together with family and exchange gifts, but we are celebrating the birth of our Savior.  We read a Christmas story book with Audrey to help her learn about Jesus and the story of his birth, but I know we also need to set good examples for her by focusing on Christ this time of year. 

We hope you all have a Merry Christmas! 

All at Once

It always seems like things happen all at once.  With the arrival of the holidays always comes an influx of family gatherings and friend's parties.  On top of that, my birthday is Friday, and that is just the normal activities.  This week, Jackson had to go to the vet because he has colonitis and Billy and I have each taken a day off work to stay home and take care of Audrey because of her double ear infection and pink eye.  I have to admit, however, that being home today was nice.  I have had some time to do some online shopping and to get a few things done around the house.  I know this weekend will be busy, so the more I can get done during the week the better. 

Even with all of this going on, it has been exciting to introduce Audrey to the festivities of the holidays.  We listen to Christmas music every opportunity we get; I want Audrey to like it as much as I do so we will outnumber Billy, and he'll have to listen to it more often.  We can already tell that Audrey likes the tree.  You can see that there are some pictures of her touching the branches and ornaments.  She has also tried "helping" me wrap gifts.  She is really going to enjoy ripping the paper off of gifts this year; I have a feeling she'll be more excited about that than the presents themselves. I'll try to keep up with posting pictures and information as we get closer to Christmas. 

A Time for Thanks

With Thanksgiving coming up this week, I thought it appropriate to list some of the many things we have to be thankful for this year.  Last November, we had just found out we were going to have a baby girl.  Now, she is over 7 months old, healthy and growing.  So much has changed, but through it all, it is clear that God is with us.  He has blessed us with so much.

• We have to give thanks for the wonderful family that we have to support us.  When we need babysitters, dogsitters, or just someone to help us clean the house, they have been there.  They have loved us through our worst and try to help us be our best.  Thank you, and we love you! 
• Our friends have been so valuable to us this past year.  From listening to me gripe during my last trimester to celebrating the joy of Audrey's birth with us, our friends have been there to keep us focused on what is important. 
• Billy and I are so thankful to have each other.  Despite the fact that we have been together for almost 10 years, we still have a lot to learn about each other.  During our four years of marriage, we've had ups and downs, but we have perservered.  I am so thankful that we share our faith and can love each other without judging. 
• Of course we are thankful for Audrey too.  She has brought so much joy into our lives.  Even though she is so small and can't even talk, she has great skill at bringing things into perspective.  We are thankful that she is healthy, growing, and is such a good natured child.  Thank you, God, for blessing us with this little miracle.
• While we are always thankful for our jobs, this blessing is highlighted this year because of the current economic situation.  We have several friends that have lost their jobs, but we have been lucky enough to not only maintain our employment, but to also feel somewhat secure.  We are thankful to be at good companies that care about employees and to have jobs that interest and challenge us.
• Despite the fact that we thought we needed a big house with a yard out in the 'burbs, God knew better.  Continuing to live in our condo downtown has been a blessing in disguise.  It would be nice to have a little more room, but that would just mean more to clean! 
• This may sound cliché, but our church has been such a blessing for us.  With the friends we have made and the programs that we have gotten involved with, Billy and I are learning so much about ourselves and our faith.  Audrey also has a great time in the nursery and will have a wonderful church family as she grows.  

Time Flies

I was looking at pictures of Audrey from the past 7 months today, and I am amazed by how much she has grown.  I know it should be no surprise, but when I see her every day, I guess I am not as aware of how much bigger she is getting.  Even her face is starting to change a little bit.  I know I have to enjoy those moments where she is cuddling up to me and climbing all over me, because all too soon, those moments will be distant memories too.  She is getting so big that it is hard to carry her around for too long.  More than that, however, she isn't content to be held much of the time; she wants to be down on the floor where she can crawl and explore. 

I am so excited to celebrate Christmas with Audrey this year.  Every time I see a commercial for a Christmas sale or see a tree up at a store, I am filled with excitement.  It makes me feel like a little kid again; I guess that is what having your own little kid does to you.  As busy as we are, I hope we find the time to enjoy it all.  I have no doubt that Audrey will be amused by the wrapping and tissue paper.  We will have to start teaching her how to rip open presents now, so she'll have it down by Christmas.

Talents

Audrey continues to amaze us every day with her new "talents."  I've included a list of some of our favorites for you to enjoy.  

• Last night, Audrey made her first phone call.  When Billy set his phone on her lap for a moment, she called a fax machine.
• Audrey has become more skilled at crawling.  Now, she can pretty much go where she wants to, as long as there are no large obstacles that she would have to climb over.  She uses this newly developed skill to make her way to the dog bowls every time she gets a chance.  No matter where she is in the house, she heads for the kitchen and the dog bowls.  Tonight, she got to them, and before we could get to her, she was picking up dog food and trying to put it in her mouth. 
• Audrey does not like taking medicine.  She currently has an ear infection and is taking amoxicillan to fight it.  She has figured out how to turn her head, flap her arms. and stick her tongue out so that it is nearly impossible to get the medicine into her mouth; it is an even greater feet to get the medicine to stay in her mouth so that she swallows it.  
• Audrey loves to eat baby food carrots.  She also enjoys sweet potatoes, squash and peas.  She hates green beans.  
• Grandma Rosie gave Audrey crackers to chew on.  She would get them completely soggy, and then drop them on the floor for the dogs to eat.  
• Grandma Lana gave Audrey Cheetos.  Audrey just likes to suck off all of the cheesy stuff.  
• Audrey is getting good at drinking water out of her sippy cup.  We don't have the spill-proof piece of rubber in it though.  She hasn't figured out how to hold it by herself, but she does try. 
• This morning, Jack was crouching down in front of Audrey while she crawled.  He kept moving back and forth with her; I think he's getting excited that she will be able to play with him very soon. 
• Audrey tries to pull herself up on anything she can find.  As soon as she masters that skills, she'll be walking to the dog bowls instead of crawling! 

Trick'o'Treat

Audrey's first Halloween is here, and for those that were wondering, she is dressing up as a monkey.  I found a flower hair clip that I put on the ear of the monkey costume to make it clear that she is a girl monkey.  She wore the costume last night to go on her first Halloween outing with the Dippel's, which we attended a wedding in Kansas City.  Audrey seemed to enjoy the evening, and was completely worn out by the end of the night. 

In addition to her first Halloween, Audrey had her first Mizzou homecoming experience (which you can see from the pictures).  She got to see the Phi Mu house where I spent my wonderful college years.  She also got to see some of the House Decorations and the Mizzou homecoming parade.  She was quite interested in the marching bands at first, but then found the beads Jennee was wearing, and decided those were more interesting.  This trip was also Audrey's first experience staying in a hotel.  She did well, although I wouldn't let her crawl around on the floor.  Needless to say, she couldn't wait to get down on the floor and move around when we got home Sunday! 

She's Almost Mobile!

It is almost time to baby-proof the house.  She is working so hard to get those hands and knees working in sync.  Watch the attached video to see her crawling. 

Science Experiment

We started Audrey's first science experiment yesterday.  It is a biology project that started when we were visiting Greenville this weekend.  I have an orange tree that my mom takes care of, and she found an interesting orange on it last week.  The orange had a leaf growing out of it!  So, she picked the orange and gave it to us to bring home and plant for Audrey.  We also found a couple of other oranges on the tree that had sprouts growing in them, too.

Last night, we opened the three oranges and found a total of 5 sprouted seeds.  We planted all of them and are hopeful that at least one grows into a beautiful orange tree for our baby girl!

Off the Charts

Today was Audrey's six month checkup at the doctor.  She is keeping up, if not ahead of the curve, developmentally.  She is sitting up on her own, rolls back and forth, and can even get herself up onto her hands and knees.  She hasn't started crawling yet, but who is in a hurry for her to do that?  She also started clapping last week.  When the doctor entered the room today, Audrey clapped for her.

Audrey is also continuing to get closer to speaking.  Right now, the only word she says is "mama."  I am not sure that she knows what it means, but she does say it a lot.  I don't really care if she knows, it still makes my heart melt every time she says it. 

Her diet of milk has been keeping her healthy and growing.  She is now 17 lbs 8 oz and 28 inches long.  She is so long, in fact, that she is litterally off the chart for her age.  She is in the 80th percentile for weight.  And because she is growing so well, we get to start her on baby food.  Tonight, she will dine on sweet potatoes for the first time.  We will also be able to start giving her a sippy cup of water to drink.  I can't believe we are already reaching this milestone! 

We are keeping very busy with Billy working on school and because it is a busy time for me at work right now.  We are trying to make sure that we don't let all of these fun times pass us by.  It is so nice to sit down with Audrey and let her try to pull herself up on me, or just watch her squirm around trying to get her hands and knees to coordinate enough to crawl.  We are so blessed to have her. She is sitting on her blanket smiling at me right now; I guess I had better go so I can play with her. 

Explosive Poo

That's right; it is a reason for celebration when we get through the day without any explosive poo.  For approximately 2 weeks now, Audrey has been coming home from daycare every day in her extra change of clothes.  At first, it was a little funny; however, cleaning the poo off of the clothes and pre-treating them for the washer is getting old.  Cleaning up clothes daycare sends home is nothing though, especially compared to getting first-hand experience with the poo explosions.  

We have had a few explosive poos in the past, but as she gets bigger and eats more, Audrey's poos get more explosive and yuckier.  Last weekend, we went to the Lake of the Ozarks to go to the boat races.  If you look at the pictures, you'll notice a bunch of different outfits.  That is because of the constant poo leakages that lead to wardrobe changes. We took a long weekend and drove home last Monday. We cleaned up explosive poo a couple of times at the lake house and twice on my parent's boat.   On the way home, my parents had some issues with the truck, and eventually decided to pull over at a Ford dealership in O'Fallon, MO so they could take a look at the truck.  When we got there, I decided to take Audrey out of her car seat for a little bit to let her stretch her legs.  When I picked her up, I could smell it.  I turned her around, and sure enough, she had a large yellow-brown spot in the middle of her back.  It has leaked out of the top of the diaper and through the onesie and the pants. 

With 6 months of parenting and diaper-changing experience, we are proficient with curbside diaper changes.  Explosive poo, however, throws even the most experienced diaper aficionados for a loop.  The back of the car was full of our bags and Audrey's pack'n'play, so we had to change her on the back seat.  My mom took the dogs to walk them around so we didn't have the added element of curious dogs sticking their noses in the poo explosion. 

If you've ever had to face explosive poo, you know that it works best to clean up the baby with two people.  My mom and I had perfected the routine over the weekend, but Billy wanted to help out this time. So, I held the baby while he undressed her.  Removing poo-covered articles of clothing from a baby is sort of like playing Operation; the goal is to avoid touching the baby with the poo-soaked parts of the clothes while you pull the pants off of her legs and the onesie over her head.  Unfortunately, the 20 mph wind gusts and cramped quarters on the car seat were not conducive to a clean clothing removal.  The poo was smeared up Audrey's back and all over her arm. 

I didn't even know how to begin to wipe her off.  My mom had a washcloth and some water, but it wasn't enough.  We needed running water.  So, we wrapped Audrey, now in only a diaper, in a blanket and walked across the Ford parking lot and around the building to find a bathroom.  Then, we basically bathed her in the sink at the Ford dealership.  She came out of that bathroom clean and happy, and I found a plastic bag to keep the smelly clothes sealed for the remainder of the car ride home.

Then, last Wednesday, Audrey came home from daycare in the backup outfit I had sent with her that morning.  We had church that night, and after I fed her, hopped in the care and hit the road.  I did not put another change of clothes in her back.  When I went to pick her up in the nursery after our classes, Audrey was wearing a dress, pants, and sweater that were at least 3 sizes too big.  I don't think my uncontrollable laughing was what the nursery person was expecting upon my arrival.   

With that experience, we decided to move up to the next larger diaper size.  I definitely thought the size 3 diapers were the solution, until yesterday.  We were planning to go to the last service at church, so we decided to run some errands before-hand.  When we got to Target, we discovered...what else but explosive poo!  For the next 15 minutes we took over the family restroom at the Target in Brentwood and managed to clean up the baby, and save her cute little pink dress and white tights from permanent discoloration. 

Audrey, we love you, but enough with the explosive poo already! 

Summer Fun

As the summer comes to a close, I look back and realize that we have been blessed to already have so many great memories with our beautiful daughter. As Audrey grows and begins to show more of her own unique personality, we are having more fun making new memories.  Audrey reacts so much more to everything around her.  Her favorite things right now are the dogs.  She will watch everything they do and especially loves it when they play fetch.  She giggles every time they bring the toy back to us.  She is also quite fond of "bouncy chairs."  She bounces and talks to us, which at this point can sound very similar to the sounds she makes when she is fussy. She also reaches out and tries to grab everything, including hair and jewelry. 

As much fun as we have had this summer, we are looking forward to fall, Christmas, and all of the other firsts that Audrey will have over the next 7 months.  The next big milestone will probably be eating baby food.  Right now she is on a diet of breastmilk with baby rice cereal once a day.  She is very close to sitting up on her own too; if we put her in an upright position, she can sit by herself for a long time, but she still cannot move herself into a seated position on her own.  She is also getting better at scotting herself around on her tummy.  It's only a matter of time before she becomes mobile! 

Summer Cold

Audrey has caught her first cold.  Last night, she was sneezing a lot, and then woke up at 4 am fussing a bit.  She wasn't crying like she was hungry, she was just making a lot of noise.  I didn't think much of it, until we got up this morning; then, I noticed her nose was running and her eyes were watering.  We took her temperature, and sure enough, 100.8 degrees.  So, we stayed home from church to take care of our baby girl.  This evening, she is still running a fever, and her nose and eyes are still running constantly. 

It is so hard to see her not feeling well.  She is actually surprisingly good for being sick.  She is not that fussy, except when she starts getting really tired.  Then she naps for a bit, wakes up, and wants to play. I know it's just a cold and that she will have many more before she even starts kindergarten.  It doesn't make it any easier to watch though!

Meltdowns

Yes, the meltdowns have begun.  Now, I am not just talking about baby, but mommy too.  That's right, I had a meltdown in the middle of Ikea yesterday.  So, here's what happened.

We went to Chicago this weekend to see Jimmy Buffet and left Audrey with my parents all weekend.  We were out in the heat all afternoon and evening on Saturday and were up late that night.  Sunday, we woke up fairly early to head home despite feeling exhausted.  Before we went home, we wanted to stop at Ikea to see if we could find something to put in the dining room that would coordinate and hold both a computer and china.  We spent 2.5 hours at the store trying to piece together what we wanted, while making sure we had enough room for all of it.  When we were almost done, Billy went to go get a flyer with info on the desk we were looking at, and I sat down to call my mom and let her know when I thought we would be home.  She told me that she was getting low on milk and might run out before we got home.  I was already tired and drained from walking around Ikea, and that was the last straw.  I started crying in the middle of the store.  I tried to contain it, but I couldn't.  So, I ran to the bathroom and calmed myself down enough to finish our shopping and get on the road.  Once in the car, I called my mom back and let the tears flow.  I was missing my baby girl so much!

After my meltdown yesterday, it was Audrey's turn today.  She had a checkup at the doctor.  Everything was going fine until I had to lay her down for the doctor to check her heart and breathing.  She started screaming.  She pretty much screamed through the rest of the exam.  I would hold her and calm her down, but as soon as she had to lay down, she let us know she didn't like it.  The last part of the visit was another round of vaccinations, which prompted uncontrollable screaming until I fed her.  I hope this isn't the beginning of a habit for doctor visits!

Despite Audrey's tantrum, we did manage to get her checked out.  She now weighs 14 lbs. 8 oz. and is 25.5 inches long.  That puts her in the 75th and 90th percentiles, respectively.  She is very healthy, growing and learning.  I think we knew that, but it is always nice to have it confirmed by a doctor!   

The Latest and Greatest

I didn't realize that it had been so long since we did a journal post.  We have been very busy with traveling to the lake, reaching milestones, and just hanging out with friends and family.  So, here is a rundown of some of the big events that we haven't written about over this past month.

1.  We made a trip to Lake of the Ozarks for the 4th of July.  Audrey slept through the fireworks, but did get to go on several boat rides and dip her toes in the water. 

2.  Audrey was baptized at Central Presbyterian Church, where we are members, on July 12.  She was just great during the service; the video is linked from the homepage in addition to pictures.  Billy's grandma knitted the gorgeous baptism gown, bonnet, and booties.  It was so touching to have friends and family there with us.  Audrey is a child of God; now the hard part is trying to live as an example for her!  Fortunately, God doesn't expect us to be perfect parents. 

3.  We made another trip to the lake for Billy's 27th birthday.  My parents and brother also made the trip, so Audrey got to go on her first ride on her grandparents' Sea Ray.  The most interesting part was trying to feed her down in the cabin while driving down the main channel at Lake of the Ozarks.  It was a bumpy ride! 

Other than those big outings, Audrey is growing and learning so much.  She is working very hard on her hand-eye coordination; she reaches out for things, albeit slowly.  When we read to her, she likes to slap the pages of the books, and she likes to hit the keyboard when we sit here with us at the computer too.  She is also rolling from her back to her stomach and trying to use her arms and legs to push herself up.  I know that she'll be crawling in no time!

And so it begins...Teething that is

That's right.  Audrey cut her first tooth today.  At 12 weeks old, I must say that I was surprised.  We had suspicions that she was teething when she started drooling relentlessly about 3 weeks ago.  However, her demeanor didn't change much, so we began to think that maybe it was a false alarm.  Then, yesterday evening, she was extremely fussy.  She was acting like she was hungry, but wouldn't eat.  So, I gave her a pacifier, and she was perfectly content. 

We forgot about the fussy spell when we went to bed that night, and everything seemed normal.  At 2:00 am, Audrey decided to remind us.  She woke us up with her fussing; I thought she might be hungry, because she seems to be getting a bit rounder lately.  I fed her, but she only ate about half of what she normally would.   She fell back asleep, and I went back to bed. 

Only 45 minutes after she fell asleep, she woke up and began fussing again.  All it took was the pacifier to calm her down, and she was asleep again in 5 minutes.  Then, only 45 minutes after that, she awoke once more.  This time, I let her daddy put her back to sleep.  At 5:30, she woke up for the day, as did her extremely exhausted parents. 

I described her behavior the previous night to some coworkers, and several of them mentioned teething as a potential culprit.  So, when I got home during my lunch break to feed Audrey, I did an investigation of her gums.  That revealed one little white tooth poking through the gums in the bottom-right side of her mouth.  I was surprised that it wasn't one of the front teeth, because most babies I know had those ones first.  Nonetheless, Audrey has a tooth coming in.  While it is exciting, I do wish she was old enough to know how to hold the teething toys in her mouth by herself!  

More Milestones

Audrey continues to show us new tricks every day.  This week, she began rolling over from her back to her tummy.  When she gets over, she hasn't quite figured out how to pull her arm out from under her.  That means that after just a couple of minutes, she decides that being on her stomach isn't that exciting.  She is also starting to reach for things.  It is so cute, because she has to concentrate so hard; it takes so long for her to reach for something that isn't even moving! 

Tongues

That's right...tongues.  The past couple of days, we have noticed that Audrey is learning to play copy-cat.  She tries to imitate actions that Billy and I do.  Yesterday, I would throw my arms up, and then bring my hands back in front of me to clasp my hands together.  When I threw my arms up, Audrey would do the same.  She struggled a bit with bringing her hands back together, but made the attempt nonetheless. 

Since we brought her home, she has always been fascinated by tongues.  When we stick our tongues out at her, she stares as if she is mesmerized.  Tonight, she put her interest in tongues and her new found skills at copy-cat together, and she learned to stick out her tongue.  She did it halfway a couple of times on the couch.  Then, when her dad took her in to give her a bath, he decided to look in the mirror with her.  He stuck out her tongue, and she did the same.  She stuck it out as far as she could in a clearly intentional act.  I don't know if all parents get this excited when their baby sticks out his or her tongue for the first time.  We don't care though; it is just as exciting as her first smile.  I know that in a couple of years I won't think it is as cute, but I am going to enjoy it while it still is! 

And Mommy Goes Back to Work

That's right, I started back at work this week.  To be honest, it was not as difficult as I thought it would be.  I think that was due to a combination of two things.  The first is that our friend Kim is watching Audrey for us at our house for the rest of the summer.  Since I know and trust her, it is much easier to leave Audrey and go to work.  I also think I was getting a little stir crazy being at home 24/7, so getting out of the house is a nice change of scenery.  I actually think I am going to have a harder time going back to work tomorrow after a nice weekend then I did last Monday. 

Audrey has reached a couple more milestones this past week. 
1.  She stayed overnight at Grandma Lana and Grandpa Bill's for the first time without her mom and dad.  We were at Jennifer Speidel's...Baker's wedding in Memphis. 
2.  Audrey stayed at home while mom went to work this week. 
3.  I believe Audrey has begun teething.  She is drooling a lot, is constantly putting her hands in her mouth, and is growing increasingly fussy for no apparent reason.
4.  Audrey stayed in the nursery during church today.  I felt so weird walking up to the sanctuary with not diaper bag or baby in my hands. 

Two Months

Audrey is two months old today.  That meant visiting the doctor for a checkup and her first round of shots.  The shots made her scream like I have never heard her scream before.  Usually, her cry is a loud "wahhh" noise.  This was a shrill scream that made it sound like she was being tortured.  It was so bad that I even teared up a little bit.  Make fun of me if you must, but I had never heard her carry on like that before. 

Other than the shots, the visit went very well.  She is healthy and developing well.  She now weighs 11 lbs 9 oz and is 24 inches long.  That puts her in the 75th and 90th percentiles respectively.  Her next checkup is at 4 months old; I think I'll make her dad take her to that one so I don't have to hear her scream like that again when she gets more shots!

The Adventures Continue

Audrey’s adventures continue.  She is going to be one well traveled little girl before she is a year old!  Last week, she went out to dinner with her Phi Mu aunties and even made her first trip to Ted Drewes.   The next night, she went to Hacienda with the KA bunch, and on Saturday ventured out to St. Charles for a BBQ.  She is constantly on the go, and her parents are learning that even with all of the outings, it is very important to keep her eating/sleeping schedule intact.  The schedule got off a bit last week, and she started waking up in the middle of the night again.  I know we shouldn’t complain, since many parents don’t get to sleep through the night for the first year, but we’ve gotten used to it! 

Audrey is continuing to develop very well.  Her next doctor visit is tomorrow, so we’ll find out the expert analysis then.  I can’t wait to find out exactly how much she has grown.  From what we have read though, Audrey is doing great.  She holds her head up on her own pretty well, even if it is still a bit wobbly.  She is starting to try to control movements with her hands.  When we put a rattle in her hand last week, she actually pulled it up to her mouth so she could suck on the rattle.  She coos all of the time.  Last night, her dad kept repeating “hello” to her, and after a bit, she began cooing “ehhh – oooooo.”  It’s not quite “hello,” but to parents of a 2 month old baby, it is very exciting. 

The next big milestone we reach actually has more to do with me than Audrey.  I start work again on Monday, June 8.  Kim, one of my Phi Mu sisters, will be staying with Audrey at our house during the summer.  That does put my mind at ease, since she’ll be right next door to work, and I’ll be able to run home if I need to.  I know that Kim will have a lot of fun with her, too!

Audrey's Springtime Adventures

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Audrey has gotten to have several adventures as of late.  We've kept up with posting pictures, but I haven't been doing a very good job of updating the journal posts.  So, I'll try to do a brief rundown of Audrey's adventures.  

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May 9-Audrey attended Uncle Brian's college graduation at Eastern Illinois University.  She slept through the entire ceremony, much to her parent's delight!
 

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May 10-My first mother's day as a mother brought some overcast weather, but an exciting day for Audrey nonetheless.  She went out on her grandparent's Cobalt on the lake in Greenville for her first boat ride.  She really liked it when the boat was moving, but got a little mad when Grandpa Pat slowed down. 
 

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May 15-Audrey went to her first Cardinal's baseball game...for an inning.  The game got rained out, but thanks to her dad's blackberry checking skills, we made it home before the downpour began. 

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  May 21 to 26-Audrey made her first trip to Lake of the Ozarks.  She went on her first pontoon boat ride, went to her first crawfish boil, and played on the boat dock.  She got to spend some time playing with the wave runners, but didn't actually get to take them out on the water.  She also dipped her foot into the lake for the first time; I guess that is a sort of baptisim for the Nance family.  It was a great weekend for the whole family!

Audrey's Day Out

For the first three weeks of her life, Audrey stayed close to home.  On Saturday, she finally got the chance to venture out of the house and experience some exciting new places.  First, she went to a KA rush barbeque at the house of Tom and Liz Schelmbauer.  She met some other little girls, including one just 8 weeks older than her.  Much to our surprise, Audrey, at three weeks of age, weighs almost a 1/2 pound more than Abigail and definitely looks bigger.  When we went to the doctor last week, she was in the 90th percentile for weight and the 95th percentile for height at her age.  I guess this was just a more tangible manifestation of those statistics. 

After the barbeque, Audrey got to go to the zoo.  She saw hippos, elephants and tigers.  We tried to see the monkeys, since Audrey has feet that clearly take after her primate ancestors.  However, the gorillas and apes thought it was too hot and were hiding out of sight.  After the zoo, Audrey had her first experience on The Hill at Zia's.  It was a busy day, but Audrey did very well with minimal fussing.  We are so blessed to have such a wonderful little girl and great friends that love having her around! 

Happy 2 Week Birthday Audrey!

It is hard to believe that two weeks ago around this time I was about to give birth to our baby girl.  In that time, we have had the chance to bond as a family.  Also in that time, Audrey has gained a pound.  That's right...she weighs 9 lbs 9 oz.  The doctor today told us that puts her in the 90th percentile for weight at her age.  It is a good feeling to know that she is healthy and growing.  Despite the lack of sleep and a schedule, Audrey has been pretty easy these first couple of weeks.  I pray that she will continue to be healthy and happy so we can continue on this way. 

We also want to say thank you to all of the family and friends that have been sending us gifts and well-wishes.  We are really enjoying dressing Audrey up in her little outfits! 

Baby's First Easter

Audrey's first Easter has come and gone.  We went to Greenville to visit family, some of whom had not yet met Audrey.  She got to meet her uncle Brian, great-grandma and grandpa Nance, and Louellen. Audrey wore her first Easter dress and her Easter sleeper complete with bunnies on the feet.  The newborn size sleeper made it clear that she is growing quickly and will soon be out of newborn sized clothes and diapers.  She is already getting lots of baby rolls that make her irresistibly adorable! 

Easter was also a special milestone for Audrey…her umbilical cord fell off.  We can’t tell if it’s an innie or an outie, which would make it an in-betweenie, just like her mom.  Now, we can give her a real bath.  Considering how much she dislikes the sponge baths, I am sure this will be an experience!

Adjusting to Life at Home

Since we brought Audrey home, we have all been adjusting very well.  The dogs are both very interested in everything she does.  Jackson wants to be her protector; he whines every time she cries.  Stella wants to sniff her, but that's about it.  I think she is more interested in making sure the baby isn't the only one getting attention.  She even warmed up to Billy's aunt today, while she was holding the baby.  As soon as Angie put Audrey down, Stella wouldn't go near her again. 

Billy and I are managing to get a decent amount of sleep.  That is not to say that we aren't waking up a couple times a night for feedings and diaper changes.  We had to wash the changing table cover 3 times yesterday!  It's a good thing we have two to rotate.  It is tough being on Audrey's schedule as opposed to our own.  We are managing to keep enough order in the house that we aren't going crazy, but we are definitely being tested on flexibility and patience.  It is all worth it though.  She is so beautiful and loveable.  I love having her curled up in my arms.  I love watching Billy rock her to sleep.  Even though this is a big change for all of us, it still feels like a perfect fit. 

Welcome Audrey!

Audrey Rose Nance was born on Friday, April 3 at 8:53 pm.  She weighed 8 lbs. 10 oz. and was 22.5 inches long.  She and her mom are both doing great.  The first thing her mom noticed about her was her extra long feet; she gets that from her dad.  No one can seem to decide for sure, however, who she takes after more, her mom or her dad.  Take a look at the pictures and see what you think! 

April Fools!

Well, we made it past April 1 without the birth of our baby.  I am somewhat relieved for her, because she won’t have to share her special day with all of the pranking and jokes.  For those that got my prank email, I hope you found it as humorous as I did.  I knew this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to play a really good April Fool’s joke, and I couldn’t turn it down.  After all, how many people actually have their due date on April 1?  

We are still hanging in there.  I will be working one more day this week (through Friday), and I begin my leave on Monday.  If I haven’t had the baby by then, I’ll have to come up with something to do so that I don’t drive myself crazy.  I am thinking a pedicure would be nice.  Maybe I’ll be able to motivate myself to do one last good house-cleaning before the baby gets here. We’re still hoping she comes on her own before next Wednesday though.  It is a bit of a relief that the final countdown has begun.  Only 6 days to go! 

Is it time yet?

After all of the progress I made during the past few weeks, this past week has been somewhat disappointing.  I have not progressed any closer to labor than I was a week ago.  We are so excited to meet our baby that it is getting harder and harder to wait.  I've been having regular contractions, but none of them are painful, which, according to my doctor, is the indicator that it is real labor.  So, we talked with the doctor this week, and she really doesn't want to let me go more than a week overdue.  Thus, April 8 we have an induction scheduled, if our little one doesn't decide to make an appearance before then.  We pray that God will give us patience to trust His perfect timing.  

In the meantime, we are trying to stay focused on spending these last baby-less days playing with our puppies and spending time with each other.  I would like to get as much sleep as possible too!  We know we'll be missing that once the baby comes, so we need to rest up while we can.  We'll let everyone know when the baby's here.  Until then, we'll all just keep wondering, "Is it time yet?" 

The Waiting Game

After months of preparation, we're coming down to the finish.  My body is showing several signs that it is preparing for labor and delivery of the baby, but there is no way to know when exactly when I will go into labor.  Every week when I visit the doctor, I leave wishing I had more solid details.  This week, the doctor even said "if I see you at your office appointment next week..."  Since then, every time I have a pain or the baby moves a certain way, I start to wonder if it's a sign of labor.  I feel like I am in an action movie that keeps dragging on without ever getting to the exciting part!
 
This weekend was good for us though; we had a chance to pack the hospital bags, run some last minute errands, and get a few things done around the house.  I even managed to get some quality sleep!  With that, the preparation phase comes to a close and the real waiting game begins.  You'll all be hearing from us when the waiting is finally over! 
 
If you're looking at the new pictures and wondering what you are looking at, it is a diaper cake!  One of my co-workers made it for me.  My department threw a surprise shower for me last Tuesday and did a good job of surprising me.  Audrey got some more clothes, toys, diapers, and a fleece blanket.  I will have some other pictures to add of the surprise shower once I get them from my coworker. 

Showers Galore

I have to say, last weekend made me realize just how blessed little Audrey is to have so many people that already love and care about her.  She will never want for love or affection from the family and friends that God has blessed us with. 

The first shower was all "Pickles and Ice Cream."  That was the shower dated 3-7, if you're looking at the pictures.  It was all about food, much of which included favorites of mine:  York peppermint patties, M&Ms, chocolate chip cookies, pretzels and cheese, and of course, pickles and ice cream sundaes.  No, I did not put any pickles on my sundae.  Audrey got some great gifts including a good mix of practical and fun items.  Billy had fun putting together the bottle rack and diaper genie the next day! 

The second shower was in Greenville with family and friends.  I don't think I've ever opened that many gifts at one time, even after our wedding!  Audrey got several hand-made blankets in addition to all of the cute clothes and other necessities.  After both of these showers, I am relieved to say that our baby registry is basically complete.  We are going to run to Babies'r'Us tomorrow to buy the few items we have left. 

I had such a good time last weekend seeing everyone and spending a little more time with you before the baby arrives.  It is hard to believe that next time most of you see me, I will probably have a little baby with me!  Thank you to everyone who helped to plan the showers; I really enjoyed them and am grateful to everyone for the support you've given us! 

Coming Together

Preparations for the arrival of baby Audrey are coming together.  This weekend, we crossed one big item off of the list...the crib!  Bill and Lana got Audrey a beautiful new crib that they came down Friday night to help us put together.  The mattress hasn't come in yet, but I have already the crib skirt in and the cute baby quilt lying inside of the crib. 

In addition to the crib, we are starting to get many of the other necessities as well.  At times, I think that we could have her tomorrow, and we would be prepared enough.  Other times, I look at the list of baby items we still need and preparations we still need to complete, and I wonder if 39 days is enough time (yes, I know that is only an estimate).  I am sure we will feel better after our upcoming baby showers, as we get more of the baby necessities crossed off of the list. 

Wow...39 days!  The hardest part is the uncertainty about exactly when she'll arrive.  I am pretty convinced, based on statistics for first time pregnancies and my progress so far, that Audrey is going to be a little bit stubborn and will wait until after April 1 to greet us.  The planner in me, however, wants to have everything in place by mid-March just in case she does decide she wants a March birthday.  I guess this is God's first parenting lesson on flexibility!

Dogs and Babies

As the time for Audrey's arrival gets closer and we accumulate more baby "stuff," I think our dogs are starting to catch on to the fact that something is happening.  As we get a new big baby item, we set it up and leave it out for a bit so that the dogs can acclimate.  This week, we got the pack'n'play (a.k.a. play-yard, hi-tech playpen, etc).  As we put it together, Stella found the place in the house that put the most space between her and this new item.  Even Jack was a bit freaked out by it, but I think that had more to do with the fact that Billy tried to put him inside of it.  Jack then discovered the mobile of plush teddy bears that came with the pack'n'play, which he just assumed were his.  He grabbed one of the bears in his mouth and proceeded to try to drag the entire mobile across the floor.  And so begins the game of "no, that is the baby's toy." 
 
It will definitely be interesting to see how the dogs do when the baby actually arrives.  Jack is so laid back after his experience living at the KA house, that after the initial meet'n'greet, I don't think he'll be phased at all.  Stella, on the other hand, will be much more interesting to watch.  She is extremely frightened by anything new or noisy.  She also gets jealous any time any person or dog is getting more attention than she is.  I just wonder how long it will take her to move from being scared of the baby to being put out by the amount of attention the baby gets.  The dogs will be fun to watch, and I am sure we'll enjoy seeing of our predictions are realized or whether the dogs completely surprise us with their reactions!

Our Very Audrey Shower

This past Saturday, my friends from high school threw a baby shower for me with a Breakfast at Tiffany's theme.  Everyone was dressed in black and white, and we had lunch at the most adorable tea room.  I believe we drank 8 or 9 pots of tea (decaf for Audrey and I), and we snacked on a tiered tray full of finger sandwiches, scones, and tasty desserts.  As you can see from the pictures, we even found time to glam it up with some pearls and diamonds for the camera. 

The most exciting part for baby Audrey was all of the goodies that she got.  Amongst them, Audrey received:

• Her first Old Navy fleece,
• Diaper disposal bags that I thought were doggie poop bags at first,
• Her first Dr. Suess book,
• A Willow Tree figurine to remind her of her mom (ok, maybe that's more for me),
• A froggie sleeper for the little Tadpole,
• And, her first gift from Tiffany's (a white and pink piggy bank). 

It was great to spend time with my friends and celebrate little Audrey's arrival.  Thank you to my friends for planning the shower! 

Inside the Mind of the Mom

It is hard to believe that little Audrey is due just over 2 months from today (65 days to be exact).  I think it seems like it is getting so close to everyone, except me.  My stomach feels so huge, it is hard to imagine it getting much larger, and the Braxton Hicks contractions have started.  Did I mention I can only fit my swollen feet into 4 pairs of my shoes?  I have completely given up on wearing boots or anything with a heel. 

Despite the discomforts of pregnancy, we are trying to stay focused on making the most of our 65 days.  We bought a changing table this weekend to go with the crib that Billy’s mom is going to refinish (it was Billy’s crib when he was a baby).  We have also narrowed our lists for childcare providers and pediatricians.  That leaves only a couple more administrative details to be completed, so then we can focus on the fun stuff!   I went shopping with my mom this weekend, and we couldn’t resist buying some baby clothes.  It is amazing how many adorable baby outfits are out there.  I absolutely love all of the brightly colored summer dresses and rompers!  I have to practice a great deal of self-control to not buy everything I think is cute.   I do have to say, I think this will be one fashionable baby. 

Baby Class

We have now completed 2 weeks of our 6 week childbirth class at St. John's.  Three hours a week seems like a lot, but it really goes by fast.  There is so much information, but even if we don't retain it all when the moment comes, at least it is giving us a level of comfort with the process that we wouldn't have had without the class.  We both thought we had a decent idea of what to expect, but we are realizing that what we had in our minds was the more glamorized Hollywood version of childbirth.  We thought everyone's water broke...I mean, it happened to Rachel on Friends, Charlotte in Sex and the City, and so many more.  What we learned was that only 12% of women actually have their water break before they are having noticeable contractions.  Labor has often been going on for hours before the water breaks, if it breaks without assistance at all. We have also gained so much knowledge about how labor progresses, when to go to the hospital, and ways to avoid problems.  To Billy, the most important lesson we have learned is actually in regards to the cafeteria at St. John's; they have gerbil ice.  For those of you that are scratching your heads, gerbil ice is our name for the small, soft ice they have at Lion's Choice and some QTs. 

I also think that going to this baby class has made us both more excited about the baby.  It is fun to be around a group of people that are also expecting and are going through the same experience that you are.  I have to say though, we are on top of it (as if you would expect anything different from us).  The class ends February 15, and there are couples in the class with due dates at the end of February.  It will be interesting to see if anyone doesn't make it to the last class or two before their baby comes.  That is just a reminder that the time is getting closer for us too...we can't wait!