Independence Days

Audrey celebrated her second 4^th of July in style…sleeping. We were at the Lake of the Ozarks, and she played all day in her little pool and her sandbox; she wore herself out so much that she was in bed by 8:30.  So, after she went down for the night, mom and dad and Nana and Papa watched fireworks from the boat dock.  We took a lot of photos, all of which are posted in the Summer 2010 album. 

As we celebrated our nation’s independence, I couldn’t help but be struck by how Audrey is growing each day in her own independence.  She is using a spoon to eat; half the time she gets frustrated and just uses her fingers instead, but she has the ability to do it if she tries really hard.  It is really cute to watch too, because you can see just how hard she is trying.  Audrey has also learned the two most basic words of communication, “yes” and “no.”  She can nod or shake her head accordingly as well.  Unfortunately, the “no” is more commonly heard than the “yes.” 

We are also starting to work with Audrey to hold the dog leashes.  She gets really excited she when successfully lets the dog guide her down the hallway to our front door.  Being that she is small and the dogs are stronger than she is, Audrey does get pulled down and knocked over during the process more often than she would like.  This usually ends the dog walking lesson for the day.  She is continuing to work on it though. 

The new expression of independence that I am most scared of is Audrey’s interest in phones.  She will pick up a phone, or anything that resembles one (like a remote control), put it to her face, and say “hi.”  From time to time she will also cock her head to one side and put a hand on her hip.  I don’t recall doing that, but she had to learn it somewhere.  I am extremely conscious of everything I do in front of her now, because of her sudden interest in imitating adult behavior.  While these actions may be cute now, I now they won’t be adorable anymore when she is 16 years old.  So, mommy and daddy are on our best behavior and praying God will help us set a good example for our little girl.