Word of the Day: Goodbye

The obvious reason that today we are saying Goodbye is because with the stroke of mid-night, we will say goodbye to 2011 and welcome to 2012. For our family, however, there is another goodbye that we must say. Our neighbors for the past several years, Javier and Nicole, are moving back to Chile, where they are originally from. They have the mirror unit of ours on the other side of the 11th floor, and they also have two little boys, the oldest of which was also born in April 2009. Augustin is in Audrey's class at school, and the two play together from time to time outside of school as well.

Most of us hate moving in general, but seeing Javier and Nicole go through this cross-continent move has really put things into perspective for me. We are so blessed to be surrounded by family and friends within driving distance that we can call on to help us pack, move, and entertain Audrey while we get things done. If and when we move again, remind me of this post so I can appreciate just how easy we really have it.

I know that we will miss their family, but we wish them well as they move closer to their families in South America. Here are some photos that we have of Audrey and Augustin decorating a Christmas cookie together earlier in the month.

I Hope You Merry Christmas

Audrey's favorite song during this Christmas season has been her own version of "We Wish you a Merry Christmas," which goes "I hope you Merry Christmas." She likes to sing it at the top of her lungs while spinning in circles, and then proceeds to make up her own verses about whatever is on her mind at the time. I think we have a budding song-writing in our midst.

Here are a few other highlights from the past few days, made all the more entertaining by our nearly three year old daughter.

• This year, Audrey recognized all of the gifts she got as soon as she opened them. This is the first year that she has really understood the concept of giving and getting gifts and been truly excited to open the gifts she got.
• Lana's Mexican food on Christmas Eve...enough said.
• Audrey "making" cupcakes with the new cupcake set Nana and Papa got her, putting the play candles on them, and singing Happy Birthday to Jesus.
• Audrey recognizing the box from American Girl with clothes for her Bitty Baby, and running over to the couch to get Bitty and inform her that she had received a gift and needed to help Audrey open it.
• Audrey stuffing her blanket, extra Bitty Baby clothes, her new chapstick, and her play telephone into her new backpack to take with us to Granny's on Christmas.
• Audrey unwrapping the pink St. Louis Blues jersey from her Grandma and Grandpa and immediately hugging it to her bosom like she would never let it go.
  
• My dad, my brother, his girlfriend Lauren, and my husband working late into the night building lego creations.

A huge thanks goes out to our family and friends for all of the thoughtful gifts, and for keeping Audrey's gifts small so that we can find room for them in our condo. Still, the best gift that I think we've gotten this year doesn't come in the form of something you can wrap. Instead, it is that kind of gift that is given unintentionally. That gift comes to Billy and me from Audrey in the form of potty training. While she still wears diapers at night, she generally makes it through the day wearing only big girl underwear and informing us when she needs to use the restroom. With the baby coming in less than 6 months now, it is such a relief that Audrey has started this process and is on her way to being fully potty trained before her younger sibling arrives. Thank you Audrey! This is by far your biggest accomplishment of 2011.

Audrey and The Grinch

Last night, Audrey got to go see her first live stage production. We went to the new Peabody Opera House to see the musical How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Audrey really enjoyed it. When we first told Audrey we would be going to a show, her first question was whether she would get snacks at the show. She got to wear her new brown shoes that we got to wear with her Christmas dress, so I took a picture of her by the tree. She looks so grown up! Audrey was very good for the entire show. She sat in our laps and watched intently. She really liked the dog, Max. Every time he would come on stage she would point and exclaim, "The puppy!"

Pregnancy

Thanks to everyone for the well wishes for Nance baby #2. I guess we're calling the baby shrimp now, since our facebook post made the comparison of the size of the baby to a shrimp.

I have heard people tell me that each pregnancy is different, just like they say each child/dog/cat/etc. is different from any other. Still, I went into this pregnancy thinking I had this down. Well, I guess God thought I needed a wake-up call, because man, is it different. Not only are our circumstances different: we already have a toddler, we both have more responsibility at work, and there is a greater need to sell the condo. That may not seem like that much, but it really feels like a world of difference. Pile on top of that the fact that my mood swings are out of control (and that is not an exaggeration), I think my stomach hates me, and my food aversions are stronger.All of that combined makes a royal mess. I know that I have been difficult to live with lately, so I thank Billy and Audrey both for bearing with me. Whenever I am "sad" (i.e. crying uncontrollably), Audrey comes over to me every once in a while and just gives me a big bear hug. It is the sweetest thing in the world, which only causes more crying. I remember having my moments when I was pregnant with Audrey, but nothing like this. I am just going to keep praying that this passes with the first trimester, and I soon enter some territory for smooth sailing.

Another Baby

For those of you that either haven't talked to us in a while or are not on facebook, this may come as a surprise. For everyone else, it's just a repeat of what you already know. We are expecting another baby around the first of June. We are all very excited, including Audrey. She loves to look at the ultrasound photo and tell people that is the baby. She is a little confused though when it comes to what gender she would like the baby to be. This is how the conversation typically goes.

"Audrey, what would you like to have, a brother or sister?"

"I want a brother," replies Audrey.

"So, is the baby going to be a boy or a girl?"

Insistantly, Audrey says, "it is a girl."

We have tried to explain that girls are sisters and boys are brothers, but she sticks to the same line. So, I theorize that she will be happy whichever one it is.

Audrey's Baby

About a month ago, we let Audrey start playing with her Bitty Baby. That is a baby doll sold by the American Girl company that has clothes and accessories. To this point, we have left the Baby's sleeper on her, and Audrey frequently takes it off to "change the Baby's diaper" and then puts it back on. So, yesterday, I decided to get out one of the outfits to put on the baby. Audrey LOVES it! Because the Baby's outfit has boots, Audrey had to get out her boots as well to wear around. Aren't they a lovely pair:)

Root for the Cardinals!

Audrey has caught Cardinal's fever with all of the World Series happenings going on right outside our window (literally). She recently learned a song to express her excitement. Here is a recent performance.

Looking for a condo?

If you are, we've got a great one in downtown St. Louis for sale. That's right, our condo is officially on the market as of today. It is hard to believe that we have lived here for 5 years now; we moved in just a few months after the Cardinal's won the World Series in 2006. If we do sell, it will be bittersweet. I have loved my short commute, the low maintenance, and having everything just the way we like it, since we picked everything out. I am excited about the future though, and I hope that we do sell the condo soon, so we can work on moving to a house with a little more space for our family and maybe even a yard for the dogs!

Our Little Tiger

Audrey got to experience Mizzou's 100th Anniversary of Homecoming this weekend. She especially liked the parade, but was really good all weekend. She got also to enjoy Shakespeare's Pizza for the first time, even thought it meant that she stayed up way past her bedtime. I think she liked the pizza too much to care though. Audrey also loved her cheerleading outfit. Her favorite part is the picture of the tiger. She was very dissapointed when I put a Mizzou sweatshirt on her that did not have a tiger.

We didn't go to the football game (we didn't want to push our luck), but it was still a fun and exciting weekend. Here are a couple of my favorite pictures.

Fall is here!

I am thankful to live in a place where we have seasons. Yes, I know that by the end of the summer I am complaining about the heat, and by the end of the winter I can't stand the cold. But right now, as we usher in a new season, I am struck by how wonderful it is each time we welcome a new season here in the Midwest. At the beginning of each summer, I am always glad for the warm sun, the time out on the water and being outdoors. By this time of year, however, I am excited for milder days and cooler nights.

This year, fall is bringing an exciting new element, because Audrey is at the age where playing dress up is fun and delighting for her. Thus, she is looking forward to halloween. We already have her costume; it is a sort of bumblebee princess outfit. We let her try it on this morning, and she was very proud of it. She was also singing the Baby Bumblebee song at the top of her lungs. That is somewhat of a norm around here these days (Audrey singing at the top of her lungs), but it just makes it more adorable when she is singing about bumblebees while dressed up like one.

Counting and Jumping

Audrey loves to jump on the bed, and we are using that to teach her to count. Unfortunately, she still doesn't remember all of the numbers. At least the numbers she knows are in order!

Chef Audrey

This weekend when we were at the lake, Nana was making scrambled eggs, and Audrey wanted to help. So, Nana showed her how to crack the eggs into the bowl. Audrey took over the task, and successfully cracked the rest of the eggs into the bowl without getting all of the little bits of shell in the bowl too. And she only had one egg that missed the bowl! I couldn't believe it myself, so I took pictures.

I Toaster Man!

After a long day at the Lake of the Ozarks annual shootout, Lana, Mom, Audrey and I headed back to the lake house by land while the boys stayed on the boat for the night. While we were eating dinner, we were talking about how tired being out on the water all day can make you. At one point, Lana described that, after a long day on the water, "I'm toast, man." Now, Audrey has recently started repeating many words and phrases that we say, and Lana's inflection caught her interest, so she decided to start repeating what Lana had said. However, Audrey's interpretation was a little off; she started repeating, "I toaster, man." Of course, the three adults in the room started laughing hysterically, which only prompted Audrey to repeat the phrase over and over again. She has continued to say it off and on since then, and each time I giggle to myself.

Long Day at the Shootout

Cupcakes

Life always gets a little crazy during the summer, because we spend our weekends away from home on a lake. It gets even crazier when I am travling for work and Billy and Audrey are left by themselves during the week. It has been such a huge blessing to have family close by that can help us out. This week while I was gone, Audrey got to visit both of her Grandmas and Grandpas and two sets of her great-grandparents. While she was with her Nana, they made some funfetti cupcakes with pink icing. Audrey LOVES cupcakes, and yes, she will tell you that herself. She prefers to eat the icing first and then nibble on the cake. Here are some photos of her in action...I am sure she'll love these photos when she is in high school.

Lake Rat in Training

As you can see from the most recent posts and pictures, we are in the middle of our summer routine of boating and “laking it” every chance that we get, which is typically every weekend. Billy and I both grew up around the water, becoming “lake rats” as a result. Audrey is headed for the same fate. She is already able to move herself in the water while she is swimming with her life jacket on. If we would let her, I am pretty sure she would swim all day without getting out of the water, but we do encourage her to take breaks to eat and nap. Since those are also activities that she enjoys, we have not received too much resistance to this point.

Audrey also likes to ride the wave runners (although, when she says it they are “way rudders”). However, she is very specific about who she wants to ride the wave runner with her. Her preferred riding partners are the women in her life. She refuses to ride on the wave runner with her daddy unless mommy is also along for the ride. I think she has seen him ride by himself, so who can blame her for not wanting to ride with him? I think it is also important to note that she knows the difference between the "way rudders" and the stand up, and she has not agreed to ride the stand up once so far this summer.

Another... Well you know!

Lake Time

At the lake again and could not be happier about it.

Another Lake Weekend

Equals a Happy Toddler!!!

Our New Addition

One question has been asked of us with increasing regularity lately. That is, "if and when are you going to have more children?" The short answer is, not right now. So, if our new addition is not another human baby, what could it be? Why, a fish, of course. That's right...Audrey got a fish today. He is a betta aptly name Blue. Audrey also tossed around the name Hockey Game, but since she picked him out, she has settled on Blue for his name. He has a posh new home with fake plants, rocks, and even a little cave. We are so excited to welcome Blue into our family!

Sing Song

See how quickly you can figure out which song Audrey is singing in this video. Why do I love watching her sing so much?

Audrey's First Cone

While we were dining out at Lion's Choice this week, we decided after finishing our meals that a $.10 ice cream cone sounded good. Naturally, I wanted the chocolate dipped one, which is actually $.28, so that is what everyone got. To our amazement, Audrey managed to eat her cone without any major messes. When we would see a drip start to form, we would point it out to her, and she would promptly turn the cone around and lick the ice cream before it slid down the cone onto her hand. She did coat her face pretty well, and she couldn't figure out what to do with the cone once the mound of ice cream on the top was gone. Nonetheless, Audrey thoroughly enjoyed her first ice cream cone.

"Happy Birthday Today"

Despite what the title of this post may convey, today is not any particular person's birthday. The purpose of this post is to share that Audrey has learned to sing a version of the Happy Birthday song. While we were at the Lake of the Ozarks this weekend with family, she continually sang the song. It is clear that she doesn't really understand the proper use of it, but she is very proud of her accomplishment. Here is a short clip of her performing her version of the song. After hearing it all weekend, her version is now stuck in my head!

Watering Flowers

While we were on vacation, Audrey visited with her Nana and Papa (Nance) and Ma-Ma and Papa (York) for a few days each. During that time, my mom was determined to start the process of potty training. We have let Audrey wear big girl undies a few evenings at home, but since she has never actually done anything in the potty, have not let her leave the house without a diaper. My mom's determination, however, overshadowed her fear of the potential (and practically inevitable) potty training accidents.

Monday night, my brave mother put big-girl undies on Audrey before strapping her in the car seat to drive to Wal-Mart in Highland, which is about 30 miles away from Greenville. The purpose of the trip was for Audrey to pick out some more undies and a big-girl potty to keep at Ma-ma's house. As my mom told me about the trip, I was astonished when she informed me that Audrey made it through the entire car ride without an accident. They went into the store, and Audrey took her post sitting in the cart. The first thing my mom picked up were some artificial flowers to put at my Grandma and Grandpa's gravesite. The pair continued through the store, until Audrey started saying "uh-oh." Initially, my mom said that she didn't notice that anything was amiss. Upon closer inspection, however, she noticed that Audrey had "watered" the flowers. Oh, the joys of potty training.

Where is Mommy & Daddy???

Well we just got back from a vacation and we had a great time.  One of Leslie's sorority sisters got married on Saturday in Mobile, so we went and then took a couple of extra days on the beach in Destin.  We really need some rest and relaxation on the beach.  Yesterday we hit up the Jimmy Buffet concert in STL to finish off our "fin!" But we are really ready to see our baby girl tonight when Leslie's parents bring her home.

Christ is Risen!

Happy Easter to all of our family and friends!  Easter is such an exciting time with spring in full bloom and summer right around the corner.  The traditions of Easter egg hunts and Easter dresses with hats are wonderful and fun, but every time I hear the hymn "Christ he Lord is Risen Today," my heart jumps with joy.  Here is one verse of that hymn that, as I sang it in church this morning, really resonated in my heart.

"Love's redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids him rise, Alleluia!
Christ has opened paradise, Alleluia! "

Because Christ died, we don't fear death, and even though we're not perfect, we can live with the hope that someday we too will be a part of that paradise.  With a message like that in my heart, it had to be a great day.  If that wasn't enough, I also got to see Audrey play in her Easter dress, hunt for eggs, and discover the hidden chocolate inside of them.  Here is one of my favorite shots of her, but there are many more on the Picasa website where we post our photos. 

Audrey Like Zoo

Audrey has learned to express her interest in her surroundings by using phrases like, " I see," "Audrey like," and "I want." Yesterday, we went to the zoo, where she had an opportunity to put these sentances to good use. Audrey saw elephants, monkeys, and bears. Audrey liked the lions, zebras, and peacock. Audrey wanted to walk as much as we would let her, which usually turned out to be more of a run. These are a few pictures showing her at the start of our trip, as we were leaving the zoo, and when we were walking to the elevator from the car at home.

Audrey is 2

It is difficult to believe, but 2 years ago today we were welcoming family and friends to the hospital to meet Audrey for the first time. Audrey celebrated being two a day early on Saturday with chocolate cake, a purple sequin purse (courtesy of the Mosses), a ride in her Barbie jeep and a boat ride. She has grown into quite an independent little girl with personality to spare. Thinking back through these two years, I am overwhelmed by God's grace and presence in our lives because of her. I thank God for giving us the opportunity to be parents and entrusting us to raise this amazing child. I also thank him for everything that we are learning about life, ourselves, and each other because of her.

Snow All Gone?

Near the end of last week, Audrey finally started articulating what I am guessing had been on her mind for a couple of weeks. She was riding home from school with daddy when she started repeating, “Snow, all gone” in a low, sad tone. At that point, we hadn’t had any snow for a few weeks, so I am sure that she was just now voicing her lament because she was finally able to put the words together to express it. I think that Audrey was quietly wishing for more snow each time she expressed her lament at the fact that it was gone.

Yesterday morning, much to the surprise of all adults in the area, Audrey got her wish. We woke up to snow falling from the sky. I’m not talking little wimpy snow flurries; I am talking about big, wet flakes that fell for several hours. We even had about an inch of accumulation on the dog park by the end of the day yesterday. I am sure it all melted today. Snow yesterday and 65 degrees tomorrow…welcome to the Midwest!

From Bouncing to Pouting

As Audrey has gotten older, she has become less and less cooperative when shopping. She used to be content in the stroller or sling for hours. Now, 15 minutes after arriving at the mall, she wants out of her stroller so she can run around, hide under the racks of clothes, and ride the escalators to her heart’s content. This weekend, however, we discovered one item that she really enjoys shopping for: mattresses. Billy and I had been discussing the fact that we would like to purchase a new mattress for more than a year. While he was in Israel, I found a new bedspread that I liked and determined that we also needed to paint the bedroom a different color. In trying out the new bedspread and reviewing paint samples, the fact that we needed a new mattress became painfully obvious to both of us. So, this weekend, we set out on a mission.

From the moment we walked into the first store, Audrey enjoyed the experience. She has always liked playing on our bed, so a store with at least 20 beds available for her to explore was a dream for her, I am sure. She couldn’t climb on most of them without assistance, but once she was on a bed, she would do somersaults, twirl in circles until she got dizzy and fell over, flop down on her back and kick her feet up in the air so she could play with her toes, etc. There were a few times when she almost flung herself off of the side of the bed, but we managed to catch her and avoid any injuries. She did prove to be a good test for how much you could feel another person moving around on the mattress. After visiting 6 stores, 2 of them twice, over the course of two days, we decided on a mattress that we both like. By that point on Sunday afternoon, Audrey was way past due for her nap, but still would not take a rest from rolling, bouncing, and twirling on the mattresses. We basically had to drag her out of the door.

As a result of Audrey’s lack of a sufficient nap yesterday, she was extremely fussy last night. That meant she would throw a fit and cry at the drop of a hat. At one point, she was sitting on her daddy’s lap and decided to kick him in the face. When he told her “No” and scolded her for hurting him, she started sobbing. The tears streamed for at least 5 minutes before she was calm enough to stop. Still, she determined to make it clear that the lack of tears did not mean she was happy; so, she did what any rational person does…she stuck out her bottom lip and pouted. She has done this a few times before, but this was definitely the most pronounced pout we’ve ever seen. I couldn’t help but laugh, and, of course, snap a picture of this priceless moment.

Where is Daddy?

Well I have been in Israel for the last week and I still have another week to go.  I really miss my girls, but was able to enjoy some site seeing this weekend.  Here a video of the Rosh HaNikra grottoes.

New Boots

Grandma Rosie sent Audrey some new rain boots that we received today. Audrey really likes them. She put them on and strutted around the house. Then she had to experiment with taking them off, putting them back on, and trying them on her dolls.

Attitude Adjustment

It is truly amazing how God can be at work without us even realizing it. By the end of this past week, I felt like I was losing it. After a busy weekend last weekend, preparing for Billy to leave for Israel on Thursday, Billy getting a flat tire on Wednesday morning that required us to replace two tires on the car, and a busy week at work for both of us, by Saturday morning I was at my wits end. In the span of a few hours, I allowed that feeling of being overwhelmed to overtake my better judgment, which lead me to be cross with Billy for not being on Skype when I thought we had agreed to talk, yelled at Audrey for being antsy when she was sitting at the computer desk waiting for her daddy, and was unnecessarily rude to my mom when she wanted to chat on the phone and I wanted to focus on making lunch. Each time, I prayed that God would give me patience and help me stop being crabby.

God answered that prayer by giving me a break from the fussy toddler and the constant running, and by allowing me some much needed time to relax and visit with my girlfriends. That, in conjunction with a fitting message on Psalm 103 at church, renewed my heart and mind. He helped me to take a look at my life through someone else’s eyes, which helped me to see that I was only feeling overwhelmed because of what I was choosing as my focus. I was letting my mind dwell on all of the tasks that I was not getting done because of my current single-mother status while Billy is in Israel. Now, I am trying to praise God for all of the blessings in my life. So, here is a list of just a few that are on my heart today.

• Praise God for giving me a husband that wants to serve God, loves me unconditionally and works hard to provide for his family. Praise God for using our struggles to make our marriage stronger and serve as a testimony to His power and grace.
• Praise God for entrusting me with a beautiful, growing, talking, singing daughter.
• Praise God for bringing me into this world as part a family with a mother that puts up with my attitude, loves me anyway, and continues to help me praise God.
• Praise God for making me part of the Nance family, who have accepted me and loved me for who I am, even if we don’t always see eye-to-eye.
• Praise God for my best girlfriends who will listen to me ramble endlessly about all of the little dramas in my life, when I know their hearts are heavy with all of the struggles that they are facing.
• Praise God for bringing Billy and I to Central Presbyterian Church almost five years ago and for all of the wonderful people that have become a part of our lives as a result.
• Praise God for giving me a job that challenges me, allows me to use the talents he has given, and helps me provide for my family. Praise God for the understanding and hard-working people with whom I work.
• Praise God for my two cute puppies that keep the bed from feeling empty when Billy is gone and greet me with enthusiasm every time I walk in the door.

I could go on and on…each time I finish a line, two more pop into my head. I pray that I will be able to maintain this attitude, or at least quickly return to it when my focus becomes diverted. I know God is at work in me, and the way he has turned my attitude around this weekend is proof. Even if I forget the gratitude that reigns in my heart right now, he won’t give up on me. “Praise the Lord, Oh my soul…who redeems your life from the pit and who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.” Psalm 103:2, 4

Where is Daddy?

Billy is currently on his fourth trip to Israel in the past 12 months. Each trip has kept him away for approximately two weeks. I have gotten the routine down to balance taking care of Audrey and the dogs with work and getting things done around the house without cutting into my sleep time too much. So, this first full day of the fourth trip, I feel like I am basically on autopilot. What I am struck by is how, as Audrey as grown, her interpretation of and reactions to this recurring situation have changed. Here is a quick recap:

April 2010: Audrey had just turned 1. I had gone on a couple of trips the month before and returned to a child that wanted only her daddy for the first couple of days after I returned. I expected the same for Billy, which wasn’t true at first. Initially, Audrey was excited to see him, but after that wore off, she was a mama’s girl for a long time after that. Audrey was a little fussy the first couple of days after he left, but quickly returned to her normal self. She also didn’t have much interest in talking to her daddy on the phone, which I think was harder on daddy than on her. Overall, her daddy’s trip went by without much notice by her.

July 2010: This time Audrey was more aware of the fact that her daddy was gone. From time to time, she would look around and say his name as if to say, “Where is daddy?” She was much more interested in talking to him on the phone too. After he returned, for the first few days, when he would leave the room or drop her off at school, she would start crying, seemingly out of fear that he would be gone a long time again.

October 2010: Audrey was definitely aware of the fact that her daddy was gone this time ‘round. Every morning when I got her out of bed, she would look up at me, shrug her shoulders and say, “Dadda?” Enter Skype. Before Billy left for this trip he set up Skype for us to use. This was a huge blessing, because Audrey could actually see him when she talked to him, which I think gave her a sense of security that she didn’t get from just hearing his voice over the phone. Despite the daily inquiries as to her daddy’s whereabouts, Audrey was largely unfazed by his physical absence.

Now, back to the present. Billy started telling Audrey Wednesday morning that he would be leaving the next day and would not see her for two weeks. From that point on, when he would leave her (i.e. dropping her off at school, getting out of the car at church, etc.) she would scream and cry. After he left her school yesterday, her teachers said that for the next few hours, she was distraught. Every little thing would set her off screaming and crying. Last night when we got home, each time she heard someone in the hallway, she would get excited and say “Dadda,” only to be disappointed when no one came to our door. It is clear that she is much more aware of what is going on and how it affects her. Even though she showed signs of awareness before, it is more constant. It always seems to be in the back of her mind, which I believe is a clear sign of her increasing maturity. She is not as easily diverted; she has lingered on this sentiment more like an adult than an easily distracted child. This is such a different reaction from that of the 1 year old Audrey from last April.

What's Your Name, Little Girl?

I now have that Lynyrd Skynyrd song in my head. I’ll hum it in my head as I write about Audrey’s latest fascination…her name. For a while now, Audrey has been able to say her own name and uses it to show possession (Audrey hat, Audrey blanket, etc.). Over the past few weeks, however, she has started to use her name to actually identify herself. Moreover, she has learned her last name. If you ask her what her name is, she replies with, “Audrey Nance.” Even if all of the syllables are not crystal clear, it is obvious that is what she intends to say. The cutest part of the whole interaction is the pride that beams from her face as she announces her name; she is so excited that she knows her name and how to say it.



Billy also started singing a song to her to the tune of Frere Jacques, that consists of her first and middle name repeated followed by made up lyrics that change each time he sings it. To our surprise, Audrey caught on quickly and now sings “Audrey Rose, Audrey Rose.” We tried to get a video of her singing and saying her name, and here is the result.

In addition to verbally communicating her name, Audrey is growing increasingly interested in writing. She drew valentine pictures this past week, and I noticed her making small marks in the corner of the page. I asked her what she was drawing, and her response was “Audrey.” She was trying to write her name. Granted, there are no identifiable English letters in her doodles, but the fact is that she understands that writing can communicate specific words and thoughts. It is truly amazing to see.

Super Bowl, Baby!

Last year was Audrey’s first Super Bowl. As I recall, she did not make it through the entire game, and I spent much of it trying to entertain her….Fast Forward to 2011…It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about how much our little girl has grown in a year. This past Sunday, she proved that she is developing her independence and can be entertained without constant attention from her parents. We took a few toys, but most of what she played with were things that you wouldn’t necessarily label as a toy: a rubber band ball, loose change she sorted using her hollow blocks, and her shoes and socks that she managed to put on her baby doll. She was busy the entire night and only really got fussy when we told her that she could not have any more chocolate.

At the same time, she is still my baby; when she started to get tired Sunday night, she still came to me for a little snuggle. I think that time she spent laying her head on my shoulder was really the only time she watched much football. She liked the commercials that had music though, and she danced to parts of the half-time show. It was a pretty tame party until she took her pants off during the 4th quarter. She really enjoys running around in her diaper these days, and I guess it is a compliment to Loom that she was comfortable enough at his house to do that. You would think she would be cold though! I am just glad at this point that she does not know how to take her diaper off.

Go Blues!!!

Audrey is really starting to enjoy going to Blue's hockey games.  I just love telling her in the morning that we are going to the hockey game tonight and then getting a report from her teachers at day care that she said "Go Blues!" all day.  As you can tell from the video her passion for hockey is growing.

Now it is only a matter of time before I can talk her into putting on the pads and lacing up the skates for some hockey.

Snow Day 2.0

Well Audrey was off of school for the second day and Leslie had to go to work due to the Federal Reserve's contingency plans.  That leaves me with Audrey and I think both of us are starting to get cabin fever.  Here is how the day started:

Daddy:  "Audrey what do you want to do today?"
Audrey:  "XBOX!"
Daddy:  "You want to play Xbox?"
Audrey:  "Yes!" (In running motion as she is trying to play the sprint game)

Today's Lesson:

The results:

She does a better job without me trying to hold the camera and give her instructions.  You should see it in person.  It is pretty impressive for a two year old.

Snow Day

Well Audrey and I are snowed in today, but we are enjoying not having to go to school or work (Boeing called off work today).  Today will be a Lego day!

Winter Weather

This is our first official post on the new blog. With the new setup, you can see who actually authored the post, because Billy and I have our own separate accounts. I have a feeling, however, that I will continue to do most of the writing.

We are becoming increasingly tired of these cold winter months. With the impending "winter weather" that we are expecting this week, it looks like we had better find ways to entertain ourselves, because it isn't going away any time soon. Billy is excited at the prospect of snow, whereas I am more ambivalent. There is a sense of childlike wonder at snow, which Audrey makes more apparent for us. At the same time, I live less than a block from my workplace. This is a blessing in that I do not have to get out and drive around in the ice and snow. On the other hand, I will not be getting any snow days. I guess that is a little bit of a positive too, because I am getting pretty tired of being inside of the house.

I think Audrey is looking forward to the snow. Most of the snow we got in the last storm has melted, leaving only an occasional pile on the edge of the sidewalk where it was once piled to clear a path for people to walk. Every time Audrey sees one of those piles, she heads straight for it and stomps in it, whether she is wearing boots or dress shoes. She can now say the word snow very clearly, which makes it fun when we are watching the snow fall outside of our windows. Maybe it's because our windows are so big, but the snow just seems so magical when we are watching it fall on the city streets. Living downtown does, however, make it difficult to go outside and play in the snow. The sidewalks get cleared quickly, the streets get salted and quickly become yucky brown mush, and the park is a few blocks away.

As I think about the contrast between snowfall in the city and the country, I am struck by the fact that we have experienced both sides of the coin. We are very luck to have lived in the country and seen the peaceful fields of untouched white extending for miles. We are also lucky to have seen snowflakes dance in the streetlights as they fall on tall, majestic buildings. Wherever you are, I hope you too can take in the beauty of God's amazing creation.

Cabin Fever

It is that time of year.  During the holiday season, I look forward to the months of January and February when I know there will not be a lot going on so I can spend some time at home.  I always plan to use the time to get a few things done around the house that I had been putting off.  Now, we are halfway through that span, and we are starting to get cabin fever.  Don’t get me wrong; it is lovely to be home with my family.  I just think we are all to the point where we would like to be able to go on a walk, to the zoo, or just to sit out on the patio of our building.  Here are a few telltale signs from our home that cabin fever is setting in:

-Audrey’s bedtime has been 8 pm for the last year or more.  The past month, she has started staying up later; many nights, she is still full of energy and running around chasing the dogs at 8 pm.  On Saturday, she had swimming lessons during the morning, and she could barely keep herself moving after 7 pm.  Thus, my conclusion is that it is no in fact a change in the amount of sleep she needs; it is merely a consequence of the fact that she is not as active since she can’t go outside to run around and play. 

-Yesterday, after watching (at points with his eyes closed) the Packers/Bears game and about 1 quarter of the Jets/Steelers game, Billy announced that he was tired of watching football.  Now, he isn’t a diehard NFL fan, but, when given the chance to lay on the couch and do nothing all day, he seizes the opportunity.  When Billy is tired of not doing anything and starts looking for things to do, there is only one explanation.

-Stella and Jackson are actually tolerating Audrey chasing them around the house.  Typically, they might follow her into another room, but as soon as she starts squealing and running after them, they retreat.  At this point, I think they are so ready to do something other than lay on the couch that they are willing to play with a hyper almost 2-year-old, even if it means their ears will get pulled and she will probably jump or lay on them at some point too. 

-I am tired of getting stuff done around the house. I know there are those of you that thought this was impossible, but it’s true.  Is everything crossed of my list?  No, but I don’t care.  I want to see some scenery other than my 1000 square foot condo and the snow covered roof of the building across the street.  I am to the point where I will sacrifice having all of the tasks on my to-do list with a neat line through them just so I can do something that requires me to wear something other than sweatpants and a sweatshirt. 

Despite cabin fever, we are managing to have fun.  Audrey keeps us entertained with all of the new words and phrases she is learning.  Much of the time, we have no idea what she is saying, but she is always very serious about it.  We have started to ask her questions to identify what she is saying, which we thought was working well, but at this point are convinced she nods yes to anything that she doesn’t know what it is in addition to the things that she is trying to say.  She continues to entertain herself playing with her baby dolls and Legos.  She is currently fascinated by taking clothes on and off of both her and her dolls.  Unfortunately, she is practicing that at school too, so we are trying to discourage her from practicing too much with her own clothes.  Having Audrey around does keep things interesting, which makes the cabin fever a little easier to bear. 

Reflecting on the Holidays

The 2010 holiday season has come and gone.  It was yet another reminder of how many wonderful people that we have in our lives. We had the chance to spend time with many of those people, and for those that we did not, we were still thinking about you. 
As much work as it can be to prepare for the holidays, we often find in our house that there is also a lot of work to be done afterwards.  Fortunately, Billy had the week off of work to complete much of that work.  He put away all of our Christmas decorations, reorganized Audrey's  room to make space for all of the new toys she got for Christmas, reorganized the storage unit to make space for all of the baby items that we are no longer using, and did a thorough cleaning of our house after he got everything put away.  Now, we just have to help Audrey learn where to put all of her toys when she puts them away. 
Much to Billy's pleasure, Audrey has taken a keen liking to all of the Legos that she got for Christmas.  She has almost an entire farm community, including two tractors, animals, and lots of Lego people. She is still very much a girl, as evidenced by her attachment to the 3 baby dolls she got for Christmas and her Bitty Baby.  She likes to put them in the shopping cart and stroller that she got and push them around.  On Christmas day when Audrey opened the stroller, she put her baby in it and refused to open any other gifts.  We did finally get her to open the remaining presents, but as soon as she was done she immediately returned to pushing around her baby in the stroller.  Since we got home though, Audrey has actually shown great interest in all of her new toys, which means we have toys all over the house by the end of an evening at home.  Santa brought Audrey a recorder, maracas, and a tambourine that she is starting to play with more.  The instruments are a good way for her to start learning about music, but they are also a good way to make a lot of noise.  I don't think Santa thought about that when he decided to bring her those gifts. 
A year ago, I wrote a post contemplating whether 2010 would be as big as 2009.  It definitely was a year that brought us many surprises, but I think I am realizing that it is silly to compare.  Each year is a gift from God that will bring new experiences, some good and some bad.  We will remember, learn from, and retell those experiences long into the future, but each one is valuable because it is the sum of them that makes us who we are.