18 Months Old

My oh my.  I cannot believe I haven't written an update post in three months!  I've put in little tidbits and stories and written a lot about our travels, but has it really been three months since I've detailed what AJ is into?  Oops!

So, with fair warning, here comes some major proud Mama bragging: 

I reread the 15 month post and it's hard to believe how much has changed just since then.  We are well past the point where I can list all the words she can say, because there are just too many to count!  I read somewhere that at 18 months they are learning and committing a new word to memory every 90 minutes.  I believe it!  She is surprising us with at least 3-4 new words a day.  And she repeats them over and over until you figure out what she's saying.  Sometimes we win, sometimes we have to try and distract her.  


Some of her latest and most adorable words and phrases are "pajamas" (this comes out sounding like pumjumoms), "Big girl" (when doing something "mature", such as sitting on the couch or taking a bath in the big tub for the first time),  "Right back" (she'll say as she's leaving the room), "Dare she is" (when she finds something or someone, regardless of gender) and “You alright” (she’ll tell herself if she’s bumped her head).  One of my favorite things she says is “All Gong” because of the soft “G” sound she puts on the end of “Gone.”  We work a lot on repeating pronunciation, but that one I’m leaving alone for now.  It’s just too cute.

Her comprehension of verbs, especially similar ones, is amazing too.  For example, she'll use bring vs. take, fell vs. drop, and have vs. do correctly most of the time.  And believe me, "Audrey do it" is an extremely common phrase around here nowadays!  Thankfully “Mommy do it” is still pretty popular, too.  She is also learning big vs. small and can tell you which object is big or "mall." 

With all of these new verbal skills, she has begun to put together simple sentences:  “Mommy change Audrey diaper” or “Audrey carry drink” or “Show Daddy _____” (baby, leaf, whatever), and “Mommy sit down.”  She also answers basic questions.  “What should Mommy wear today?” is usually answered with “Pants”.  The cutest is when she’ll request something repeatedly “Color? Color? Color?” and then we’ll say “Would you like to color?” and she’ll answer, “Okay!” or “Sure!” as if we came up with the idea instead of her.

She knows her alphabet A-Z and can say it and point/pick out all of the letters.  We had to work hard for about a week to get "LMNOP" all in without skipping any, but she's got it down now.  She can also make a lot of the letter sounds.  I hope to work with her more on those and lowercase letters after Christmas.

Animal noises are so old news.  Now she refers to most of them by name and will even note whether or not they have a tail, what color they are, if they're soft, etc.  She still loves watching our neighbors’ cats when they come through the backyard and will hold her sippy cup up to the window as if offering them a drink while telling me whether they're black or white.    

And speaking of colors - they came out of nowhere!  We have been naming them from Day 1, but haven't purposefully worked with her on them.  Nonetheless, it seemed like one day she just started saying them and now she knows about ten.  She even understands the concepts of "shades" as she proved when I was wearing a navy shirt under my light blue robe.  She pointed and said "Blue, blue.  One, two blues."  I think she already has most guys beat in that department!

She can name most shapes and can easily put them all into her shape ball now without much help from us.  She'll say "almost" to herself as she works to get them oriented the right way then usually gives herself a hand and a "Yay Audrey" when she's finished. (Sometimes if Mommy and Daddy are playing too, we'll get a "Yay Mommy!" or "Yay Daddy!  Good job!" from her.  So cute!)  She also knows numbers 1-13, though 11 usually gets skipped.  She loves counting so much that what begins as actual counting often ends up just reciting the numbers she knows.

Schedule-wise, she/I are still pretty rigid, but I feel that that actually allows us more flexibility and dependability.  I know when/where/what we can do because she's so predictable and she can handle the occasional interruption and flow with it because she knows it's temporary.  She wakes up at 8am, has a snack at 10:30am, eats lunch around 12:30pm, naps from 2 – 4:30ish, has a snack when she gets up, eats dinner around 6:30pm, and goes to bed around 8:30pm.

Like her parents, she enjoys most all food.  She still hasn’t had strawberries, chocolate, much seafood, or peanuts/peanut butter.  I also have yet to give her French fries, cookies, or many other treats and sweets, but she does love the occasional fried chicken nugget from Chick-fil-A or a lick of their ice dream cone.  She is getting better at feeding herself with utensils, but I must admit that we mainly stick to cut-up finger foods for the sake of time/cleanliness.   

Her favorite toys by far are still books.  She will get one and "read" it aloud which is hilarious hearing her make up words and sounds.  There are one or two that she really can name every word on every page (Sandra Boynton "Opposites").  We've read it to her so many times that she's memorized it.

She also loves her baby dolls and her Little People sets.  She has a nativity one and I cannot tell you how precious it is to hear her say "Jesus?! Jesus?!" as she's hunting for the baby Jesus.  The other day she was sifting through basket where we keep it and said, “trough” as she held up the animals’ feeding trough.  It took me by surprise and I cracked up, which got her cracking up, of course.  Apparently David had taught her that one.     

We do let her watch a little television now (bad Mommy, I know!  We really try to keep it to about one 20 minute show 3-4 times a week at most plus a few nights of Wheel of Fortune, of course.) Little Einsteins is her favorite and she requests it by name and quotes parts of it throughout the day.

Her manners are coming along well, too, thankfully.  I must hear "Up, please" at least a thousand times a day!  "Scuse me" is my favorite, mainly because she'll say it as she is lightly butting you out of her way.  We're still working on "Thank you" and are now introducing "Ma’am" and "Sir." 

I have continued to try and involve her in little chores around the house in the hopes that she’ll develop a spirit of service.  She loves to match socks from the laundry, stir things when I’m cooking, and (usually) to help pick up her toys at the end of the day.  Side note:  Baby Center.com posted the results of a study about toddlers helping that I found really interesting.  In the overwhelming majority of cases, if a toddler saw an adult struggling to complete a task (i.e. stacking books) they would quickly and eagerly pitch in and help.  If, however, the adult did it without a problem, the toddler was less likely to assist, even if asked for help.  Seems like we all need to be needed from a very young age!  So, though it may take two or three times as long, I really try to let her help me as often as I can. 

She is still a little shy when first meeting people, but warms up much more quickly than she used to.  She remembers faces very well, even if weeks pass in between visits.  We still hear quite a lot about Brian, Kimmy, and “Leese” from our Savannah trip and rarely a day goes by that all four grandparents aren’t brought up.   

Here are a few other cute quips about our big girl:

-      In the grocery store the other day, an older lady stopped by to fuss over her.  When she walked away, Audrey pointed to herself, grinned, and said, “cute.” 


-    Sometimes she gets on a greeting kick, saying hello to everything.  "Hi milk." "Hi sofa."
     "Hi chair."  "Hi brush."  When she's really feeling friendly, she'll throw in a little wave.

-     This morning, she asked where Daddy was.  I explained that he was at work, but that soon he was going to be off for vacation and would get to spend lots of time with us at home.  “Isn’t that wonderful?” I said.  She nodded and very clearly said, “Treat.”  Indeed, it will be a treat!

-      We’ve been singing a lot of Christmas carols this past month, with Jingle Bells being a common request.  She can’t quite keep up with all of the words, but she’ll say “Hey” and “Ha, ha, ha” at the appropriate times.  She also loves to dance to them...foot stomping optional.

-      In addition to hugging and kissing on her stuffed animals herself, she’s started to have them hug and kiss each other.  The objects involved don’t always make sense, though.  The other day she gave her coat a kiss and tonight her hat gave her lamb a kiss.

-      I can’t remember if I shared this one, but it’s so cute it’s worth writing again.  A few weeks ago, she had a cold.  One night I heard her through the monitor as she sneezed.  It was followed by a very faint and sleepy “Bless you” to herself.  Precious!

I've saved the absolute best for last:  About two weeks ago, she began saying "Yuv (love) you, Mommy" or "Yuv you, Daddy" totally unprompted and spontaneously.  It is the SWEETEST thing I have ever heard and it melts me.  

Yuv you, Audrey.  Happy 18 Month Birthday, Sugar.

(P.S. Check out the two newest albums in the gallery.  One is random pictures and visits with friends/family for her 16th - 18th months and the other is Christmas activities and family celebrations...more to be added to that one soon!)  

Thankful Thursday

1.  My Dad, whose birthday is today.  The older I get, the more I realize what a great Dad he was (is) and the more I appreciate all he's done (does) for me (all of us).  Though David has long taken over first place as the main man in my life, he's a very formidable and close second.  Love you, Dad!


2.  The cold weather.  (And indoor play dates!)  Yes, it's been a bit too cold for my taste, but I would much prefer these temps than to have it be warm at Christmastime.  I love it cold between mid-November and New Year's.  Beyond that, bring on the 70s!


3.  New pictures in frames.  I decided we were long overdue for updating some pictures around the house, so I replaced/put up 40+ new pics (most in collage frames) a little over a week ago and am currently working on updating our digital frame that hasn't had a new file in it in years.  I love walking around the house and seeing these cute and beautiful little pieces of art, even if I was insane to take it on during the holiday season.  It's finished now and it looks great!


4.  Being a part of a church where God is doing big things:  


http://www.ajc.com/news/gwinnett/lawrenceville-church-plans-to-771320.html 


5.  Enjoying the season!  I promised myself I was not going to be in the same boat this Christmas season as I was last year.  I think it was a mix of Audrey's age plus David pulling really, really long hours, but last December was a stressed-out, frantic mess that we barely enjoyed.  (I just reread the posts from a year ago and remember how nuts it was!)


So, this year I have busted my tail to be finished shopping/wrapping/decorating early.  Maybe not as early as I had it done pre-Audrey, but still early enough.  I have forced myself to turn down things and invitations that would've been fun, but that would've meant less family/down-time.  I've even taken a few short-cuts that no one but me noticed anyway.  My family may be a little disappointed in the lack of photo calendars and homemade applesauce (sorry, y'all) but I'm willing to bet they'd rather me spend that time and energy soaking up this most wonderful time of year.


All of this reorganization of priorities has resulted in an awesome season full of simple pleasures.  In fact, one of the highlights of my life was snuggling with David and Audrey, eating pizza, and watching the original Grinch movie the other night.  I've seriously dreamed of doing that since I was a little girl watching The Grinch myself.  I've gotten to have lunch with both my parents, dinner and a light show with my in-laws, and caught up with friends over meals and way-too-much dessert. We have even watched a few Christmas movies that we've owned for years and just now opened.


I am so grateful that we've had some real quality time to spend together doing fun things.  I know what a rarity that is this time of year.  Hopefully you're able to do the same these next nine days!

Thankful Thursday

1.  Visits to Santa...even if they are tearful and only yield a ridiculously over-priced picture that's not frame worthy.  She looked adorable in her Christmas dress and memories were made that we'll keep forever.


2.  Being reminded of the little things.  I went out with Audrey tonight, determined to finish up the last 3-4 things on my Christmas shopping list.  I came up empty handed and frustrated.  As I was buckling her in the car, I said "Well, Audrey.  That was a bust, wasn't it?"  She said "Dog!" and pointed inside Old Navy where I'd just let her spend a few minutes visiting with the mannequin dog.  Then she shouted "Moon!" as she pointed up to the gorgeous night sky.  I smiled and thought about the aisle of clocks we'd found in Hobby Lobby and how she'd gone crazy with excitement yelling "Tick Tock! Tick Tock!"  I remembered how loudly I'd sang carols in the car as she laughed.  To her, the night was not a bust.  We got out of the house and saw new and different things.  We spent time together.  The holiday to-do list will get finished, but I have to remember not to miss the special moments in the meantime.


3.  Soft Lips Chapstick.  Good stuff.


4.  AJ finally getting adjusted to a new nap schedule!  We started the one-nap-a-day schedule last week and the next day she got sick.  We stuck with it, but it was a rough week.  Since she couldn't breathe when she was lying down, the naps were short and there were a lot of tears shed.  I was seriously regretting my decision to switch.  This week, however, has been much better!  She even slept for 2.5 hours each of the past two days!  YAY!


5.  Family letter Christmas cards.  We send one every year and I'm sure we're the butt of many jokes because of it, but I LOVE them.  I love getting them from other people and I love writing ours and sending it out.  Start checking your mailbox now, folks...they're on the way!

Thankful Thursday...Thanksgiving Update

Thanksgiving already seems like it was a long time ago, so I'd better get in a quick update about it before I forget it all!  So, in lieu of a Thankful Thursday post, here is a summary of our holiday:

David took Wednesday off and we spent most of the day decorating and running a few errands.  I was thankful for the help with Audrey, because I was on day three with no voice.  I'd been to the doctor the day before and got some prescriptions for bronchitis and laryngitis.  I felt pretty okay, but sounded terrible.  That evening, I made a couple of side dishes and David finished putting lights on the tree to prepare it for decorating the next night (our tradition).  I sank into the couch after Audrey was in bed, reflected on all God had blessed us with since last Thanksgiving, and took a moment to whisper my thanks to Him for it.

On Thursday morning, we got up and dressed and headed over to my Mom's to have lunch with her, my brother, my sister-in-law, and my nephew.  Audrey fell asleep as soon as we were pulling off of the interstate, so we drove around for about 20 minutes to let her catch a little nap.  When we got to Mom's, we helped finish making/heating a few things and sat down to a huge, delicious feast that I only truly appreciated later when I had time to slowly savor the leftovers.  Watching Audrey enjoy all of the new foods was really cool.  I just kept thinking, "This time last year she wasn't even on solids!  I was her sole source of nutrition!"  Man, what a difference!  Corn pudding was probably her favorite (I may be biased, though, since that was one of my contributions). She also loved the sweet potatoes, rolls, and turkey.  

We cleaned up a little and went outside to enjoy the gorgeous, warm weather.  We tried to take some pictures, but the wind and the sleepy kids weren't terribly cooperative.  We did get in a few good shots (the album is in the gallery).  We went back in for some pumpkin pie, which was another first for Audrey and, like her Mama, she loved it!  We read books to the kids and hung out until about 3:30 before starting the trek home.  Audrey was so exhausted that she slept the entire way back!

When we got home, we attempted a few more family pictures and played in the backyard for a little bit before it got dark.  Then we headed inside to heat up some leftovers and enjoyed round #2 of that day's yummy meal.  When we finished cooking and I'd typed out a quick TT post, we decorated the tree while watching the Lighting of Macy's Great Tree.  Even Audrey helped by hanging a few non-breakables on the very bottom.  We snuggled together, read, and said our prayers, feeling especially grateful for such a sweet day.

On Friday we woke up at a normal time like normal people and did not fear getting trampled or mauled on our way downstairs.  I calmly and conveniently made a few online purchases in my pajamas (for which I still got early bird deals, applied coupon codes, and free shipping) and we hung out and decorated some more.  By lunch time, though, David wanted to venture out.  It cracks me up how much our personalities have switched over the years.  He said we'd just "go see how bad it was" and come right back if it was crazy.  So, off we went to Target on Black Friday.  Ugg.  Surprisingly, though, it really wasn't terrible.  We got a decent parking spot and found a few great deals we couldn't say no to (an 8GB SD card for $12 and Elf on DVD for $3.99).  We also bought hot dogs, buns, and chili for dinner that night.  I bet we're the only people in the world who bought stuff for chili dogs at Target on Black Friday.  We went home and worked on decorations (22+ boxes/rubbermaid containers and 3 trees take a loooong time) and even started wrapping some gifts.  I usually have some wrapped by Halloween, so to get to Thanksgiving without having anything completely ready was ridiculous for me.  I'm a freak.  I know.

I ran back out late that afternoon by myself to make two returns (I figured Black Friday was the perfect time to do returns because no one else would be...I was right!) and hunt for another gift or two.  An hour and a half and four stops later I called it quits and went home for time with my family and chili dogs.

We woke up Saturday morning, got ready, and drove out to David's parents' house for Thanksgiving celebration #2.  His parents, two sets of aunts and uncles, cousin, paternal grandmother, and maternal grandparents were all there.  I coerced his cousin into taking some family pictures of us before we ate, and she did a wonderful job.  It's so hard to get a picture of all three of us smiling because A) I'm usually taking the pics and B) If I'm in it, I can't be the one getting Audrey to smile.  I was desperate to get a smiling family photo for the Christmas card and, thankfully, we finally did!  After going in to warm up (major temperature change between Thursday and Saturday), we sat down to a huge, yummy meal.  Audrey ate just about everything we offered her, but David's Grandmother's banana pudding was by far her favorite.  She kept everyone entertained by showing off her ABCs, twirling in her cute sweater dress, and even played a little on Granddad's drums.  We took more pictures, packed up more food, and got back on the road around 3pm.  As with Thursday, she took a pretty good nap on the ride home.  

When we got to the house, we changed her into her Georgia Tech t-shirt and played, ate, and watched a little football.  She went to bed exhausted and we stayed up and watched the Tech v. UGA game until after midnight.  Unfortunately, we weren't rewarded for our time as they lost this year, but, there's always next year.  I stayed up long after David went to bed working on our Christmas card, finally finished it, and emailed it to Camille, glad to have that checked off the list.

Sunday is kind of a blur.  I think there was more decorating and cleaning up, then we went to church (and, finally, AJ did not cry about being dropped off at nursery!), then we went to small group that evening.  We were definitely feeling down about David having to go back to work after being off five days in a row, but it made us look forward to Christmas even more.

So, there ya have it - Thanksgiving 2010.  Lots of family, lots of food, lots of decorating, lots of fun.  

Hope y'alls was great, too!  Remember to check out the pics.

Thankful Thursday

We're about to start decorating the tree so the detailed post about today will have to wait, but I wouldn't dare think of skipping a Thankful Thursday post on THE Thankful Thursday!  I can't summarize my many blessings into a five-item list, and that in itself is a blessing.  My Savior, whose love and patience continue to amaze me, has poured out more gifts than I can count! For Him, my husband and daughter, our family and friends, our health, our home, and our freedom, I praise Him.  My cup runneth over.

 ‎"Give thanks to the Lord, proclaim His name; make known among the nations what He has done. Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts." 1 Chron. 16:8-9 

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

Thankful Thursday

The past seven days have held some highs (David coming home safely and early, our trip to Savannah) and some lows (a still-overwhelming to-do list and a few other "don't wanna blog about it" issues.  On top of that, Audrey received her first spanking.  After it was over we resumed our pre-nap routine.  As soon as I put her down and closed her door, I went to my room and bawled my eyes out.  I'm getting teary now just thinking about it!  Let's hope those are few and far between.)

In the middle of our ups and downs, though, God is still God.  He's still there, in charge, and ever-watchful over me and my family.  This week it felt good to praise Him in the blessings and to turn to Him in the struggles.  I've only just begun to realize how much I'm going to need Him and His guidance to be a good mom now that we're beyond the "keeping her alive" phase and starting to delve into discipline.  

I want to raise a young woman of integrity and character.  I want Audrey to walk with God and obey His voice.  Before she learns that, she must learn to obey the instructions of her earthly parents.  Man, what a huge responsibility.  What a scary, hard, and overwhelming task.  And yet, what an honor.  What a privilege.  What a gift.  

Thank you, Lord, for the blessing she is to us and for entrusting her to our care.  I continue to ask that You fill in the gaps of our shortcomings with Your grace.

Here is this week's list:

1.  My Mom, whose birthday is on Saturday.  Her prayers for me, worry about me, and pride in me are always felt and appreciated even if I rarely acknowledge them.  Love you, Mom! Happy Birthday!

2.  Beth Moore's Bible Study on the book of Esther.  Wow, am I loving it!

3.  Ziacam, Airborne, Vitamin C, gargling with warm salt water, and all the other homeopathic cold remedies I've tried this week.  For the most part, I'm feeling pretty good.  I think they're working! 

4.  Rich, chocolatey Riesens.  And I don't need to give you a reason why - ha!

5.  The approach of the holiday season.  It's all ahead of us right now.  The anticipation is mounting, the temperatures are dropping, an occasional Christmas carol sneaks in here and there.  In a few weeks we'll be in the throws of it and will be spending way too much time rushing around and stressing out.  (And maybe secretly tiring of the non-stop Christmas music.)  But for now, it's all high hopes and excitement of what's to come.

We have big plans this weekend that I'm really looking forward to!  Pray we stay well (and are super productive tomorrow) so we can enjoy!

Trip to Savannah

We just returned from a trip to Savannah to see my brother, sister-in-law, and niece (who you may remember is only 3 months older than Audrey).  We had a great time and before I forget, I wanted to write a little about our visit.

I should start out by explaining that David was scheduled to be out of town and Audrey and I were going to go down by ourselves.  He was in Israel (yes, again) and wasn't due in for another week.  We knew this when we made the plans, but decided that I could handle the drive alone and it was either go now or wait several months.  So, I had psyched myself up for 10 hours in the car alone with Audrey (round trip) and starting shopping for portable DVD players.  Then, God answered a prayer the day before we were set to leave and David was able to come home early!  We actually picked him up at the airport on the way down!  Talk about perfect timing!

So, we left Friday morning and had a very peaceful and uneventful car ride down despite AJ only napping about 20 minutes.  We got to their house, got the car unloaded, and watched the girls play and interact.  After a trip to the store, we ate dinner and put the girls to bed. We didn't stay up long after they were down.  Poor David was just coming off a 7 hour time difference, a 12 hour plane ride, and a 5 hour car trip, after all!  (I don't have as good of an excuse.  I was just tired.)

After a really restful night's sleep, we got up the next morning feeling much better.  I snuck in a little one-on-one playtime with Annelise while Audrey slept in (apparently Annelise has her Grandpa's early rising genes while Audrey has her Nana's late-sleeper genes).  She is so good with her building blocks and we made quite the impressive tower.  After everyone was up, we ate a delicious breakfast my brother cooked for us.  Audrey and Annelise played, read, and rode on Annelise's little toy trains.  Annelise would push Audrey around, stopping to pick up her cup for her whenever she dropped it.  Precious!

We got ready and headed to downtown Savannah for a children's book fair.  It was crowded, but the weather was gorgeous and it was awesome just to be outside seeing the sights.  After meeting and petting some "reading dogs", we made our way to a big playground.  We helped the girls on the slides (approximately three hundred times) before packing it in and heading back to the house.

We all lounged around while the girls took their (great, long, and peaceful) naps.  When they woke up, it was time for more playing, including fast laps around the house on the train, pretend tea pouring and drinking, and musical concerts on Aunt Kimmy's old toy piano.  At one point it got quiet and I heard myself say "Girls?  What are you up to?"  As I did, my mind flashed forward to seeing them in 4-5 years as they come running in giggling and explaining their latest game.  Hopefully Carson will be right behind them offering a male's voice of reason!  I pray that all three of them grow to be close over the years.

Before we knew it, it was time to feed them and put them to bed.  After they were down, we ate some yummy beef stew that Kim made for us, watched the Mentalist (okay, Kim and I watched while Brian and David dozed off) and went to bed.

We woke up the next morning, got ready, and packed up our stuff.  We ate our yummy pancakes and sausage balls and hit the road for a quick trip to the beach.  (It's about a 15 minute drive from their house.)  Audrey and Annelise had a blast chasing the birds and we took a ton of pictures.  Of course, I think there is only one of them both smiling at the same time, but such is the case with two at that age.  We strolled and talked and soaked up the beautiful weather and company.  We slowly walked back to our cars, stopping to take one more picture on the pier and point out a butterfly to the girls.  We hugged goodbye, exchanged plenty of blown kisses and "I love you's" and got on the road.

Audrey did great on the ride back, though she only took one very short nap.  We only stopped once for lunch and gas, but, as always, the trip home seems to take longer than the trip there.  We had to swing by the airport to pick up David's car and then the grocery store for a few must-haves.  Six hours after we left the beach, we pulled into our driveway and unloaded everything.  As we walked in the house, Audrey asked (for the millionth time since we left) "Bian?  Kimmy? Lise?"  Poor baby missed her buddies!

I'm thankful she (and we) had such a great visit and we appreciate our sweet hosts, especially the littlest one.  Getting to see how much she'd grown, how smart she is, and what a beautiful little girl inside and out she is becoming was so special.  We hope to do it again soon!  The memories we made and the pictures we captured are priceless.  Check out the gallery to see for yourself!

Thankful Thurs....ZZZZZ

First and foremost, Happy Veteran's Day!  Thank you to all who have served (including my Dad!) and to those who currently serve.  God bless you and your families for the sacrifices you've made for us and others!

I have plenty more to be thankful tonight, but I thought I'd mix it up this week.  In light of the recent time change that A) should have made me feel more rested since we gained an hour and B) should not take this long to adjust to, I'm going to post five reasons I know I need a nap/an earlier bedtime/a room with padded walls:

1.  After my iron started throwing sparks, I decided it must be time to get a new one.  After visiting several stores in vain trying to find a specific one, I settled for another option.  I got it home, used it twice, and hated it.  The next day I went back to the store for the sole purpose of returning it and purchasing a new one.  I returned it.  And left.  And didn't remember that I didn't get a new one until after I was back home.

2.  I went to the dry cleaners to pick up clothes.  Turns out I never dropped them off.

3.  Yesterday I shaved my left leg twice and didn't shave my right leg at all.  Nice.

4.  The amount of caffeine I've consumed this week is higher than average.  I wish I could say my productivity increased as well, but I think it just brought me back up to functioning level.  Now that I think about it, my concealer seems to have gotten a lot of use this week, too!

5.  My sleepy, dark-circled eyes are closing right now.  Must finish typi...

Pictures are Up!

I just uploaded a new album in the gallery titled Fall/Halloween 2010.  Enjoy!

Thankful Thursday

I had really hoped to have Halloween pictures uploaded by now, but this week has been crazy...and weird. There was a full-day's project on Monday (top-secret Christmas present), Tuesday was Election Day and David was sick, and Wednesday Audrey had a doctor's appointment and our downstairs bathroom and breakfast area makeovers began.  There were also a few lunch/dinners with folks, three (four? five?) trips to the paint store, taking down of Halloween decorations/putting up Thanksgiving ones, going to the library, etc. etc. etc.  It's just been busy with out-of-the-ordinary stuff!

Here is this week's list...

1.  My sister-in-law, Jenny, whose birthday is today!  She's a sweet-spirited, kind-hearted, excellent wife and Mommy who loves the Lord and can make a mean pot of chili.  Happy Birthday, Jenny!  We love you!

2.  Home improvement projects...especially when I don't have to do them.  David and I learned a long time ago that anything involving wallpaper is best left to the experts for the sake of our marriage.  We had bead board wallpaper put up in the breakfast area and lower half of the downstairs bathroom.  (It looks just like the real stuff and costs a whole lot less!  Especially since with wallpaper, we didn't have to have the chair railing and window sills removed and then replaced.)  We are also doing some other remodeling in the downstairs bathroom and I'm so excited to see the finished project!  (I'm also excited to have my house back and it'll only have been three days!  How on earth to people live with remodeling for weeks on end?!)

3.  Rain.  I love a good cold, rainy day.  I wish we'd get one once a week.

4.  Video and the latest technology.  I captured quite a few good ones of AJ this week and was able to quickly edit and share them (see previous post for an example).

5.  Family "tent" time.  Audrey LOVES getting under a giant "tent" blanket with David and I.  We'll grab a flashlight and read a book under there and I'm convinced her little world (and ours) is just about perfect in those sweet moments.

Please remember to pray for us as we have continue to have a lot on our plates in the coming weeks. Enjoy the Halloween video posted below and check back soon for updated pics!

Halloween 2010

Thankful Thursday

David got home today from a short business trip to California.  (Side note:  While at a conference there, he presented a paper he'd written and, from what I hear, did a great job.  I'm so proud of him!)  He took the red-eye flight last night and wasn't able to sleep more than about 20 minutes on the plane.  He crawled into bed at 7am, got up with Audrey and I an hour later at 8am, and went to the office at 10:30am.  He worked until 2:30pm, came home and napped for about an hour, and stayed up until 10pm helping me with some stuff.  What a guy!

So, of course this being TT and all, I am super, duper grateful for how hard of a worker my husband is.  These trips wear on Audrey and I for sure, but he's the one that's often thousands of miles away from home for days or weeks on end, eating weird food, putting up with different people and time zones, working his butt off, and then going back to a lonely hotel room.  

For each of the past several years, he has spent 2-3 months out of 12 living this way.  No, it's not as bad as many have it.  But, it's more than we "signed up" for...and it's dang hard sometimes.  Especially now that Audrey is old enough to know he's gone but too young to understand why or to be able to count down to his homecoming.  (When I let her "talk" to him on the phone this week, she said "Daddy, home".  How sad is that?!)

For a guy that could be content to never leave the state, that's a lot to deal with.  For a girl who didn't marry a military man on purpose, it's a lot to deal with.  

However, despite ALL of that, this is where God has us as the moment and we're learning to do the best we can.


In light of that attempted positive attitude, here are five things I'm thankful for when David travels:


1.  It racks up frequent flier miles galore.


2.  There is less laundry to do.  And less to clean up in general (no offense, honey).


3.  I don't have to roll The World's Worst Bed Hog back on his side of the bed several times a night.


4.  There are always a ton of shows stacked up on the DVR when he returns.


5.  We've learned not to fight about stupid stuff and to value the time he's home.  We've never been a couple that argues much, but I think his trips make us even more willing to let the little stuff go.  

So, yeah, I wish there were less good-byes, but it's a JOB.  And it provides for us.  And for that especially, we are grateful.

In closing, I'd like to ask you to keep up your faithful prayers for our family.  We have a lot on our plates these next few weeks and are a little overwhelmed about when and how to get it all done.  More details to come, but it's way past my bed time now.  Please just pray that God gives us the time, energy, and focus we need.  

Sweet dreams!

Thankful Thursday

What a day!  This afternoon was a rough few hours sandwiched on either side with some really fun times.  Let me start at the beginning.

Audrey and I had a great morning and got a lot done, including plenty of playtime.  After she took her morning nap and ate lunch, we went to the doctor for her second flu shot (the first time babies get it they have to have two) and her MMR (we'd held off on it because we were traveling to Baltimore and didn't want her running a fever).  She started crying the moment we walked in the door and clung to me for dear life.  So, apparently, she's familiar with the doctor's office now.

Once we were back in a room, she sat there with her head on my shoulder and said "Peas, peas, peas" as in "Please get me out of here, Mommy!"  Since she's had a cold, I wanted the nurse practitioner to take a look at her and make sure it was okay to give her the shots.  She came in and checked her out (with AJ crying the whole time) and said her ears and lungs were clear.  She told me it could just be a virus or it could be...drumroll, please...teething.  She said her nephew had a snotty nose for three months straight while he was her age because of those darn molars!  Anyway, we got the green light for her shots, got them, and got out of there.  Once she'd stopped crying and was buckled in her car seat she kept saying "Yay!"  I don't think that was a coincidence.

She seemed good so I thought we'd run over to Hobby Lobby for a minute.  We were walking the aisles, enjoying ourselves, when I looked back at her and noticed the floor was wet where she was standing.  I walked over and felt her legs.  Yup.  Her size 4 Huggies were filled to the brim and couldn't contain her waterfall output.  I grabbed her, threw a couple of tissues from my purse on top of the (minor) spill and rushed out, dumping my carefully selected purchases on a nearby shelf.  No, I didn't stop to find an employee.  Yes, I'm pretty sure we're banned for life.

After a parking lot diaper change, we drove home.  I unloaded her, cleaned both of us up, and set her down to play.  I was on the phone comparing rough day notes with my sister-in-law when I walked around the corner and found red crayon scribblings on the wall.  Our first masterpiece.  (Forgive me if I seem less than proud.)  I got off the phone, put Audrey in her usual post-doctor's-office bath, and then laid her down for a nap.  

Though I debated taking a nap myself, especially since David was taking customers out and wouldn't be home before 9 or 10pm, I decided to be productive and, after cleaning up the wall, worked on a few things around the house.  Audrey took an incredible nap and when she woke up, she was in a great mood.  

I fed her snack and we took off to JoAnn's to finish what I'd started in the afternoon.  (I just couldn't bear to go back to Hobby Lobby so soon.)  After making sure her diaper was completely empty and dry, we stopped by the pet store next door first.  We took our time walking around the fish tanks and bird cages.  She squealed with delight at the guinea pigs and mice (eww! NO WAY!) and we talked to the birds for awhile before heading over to JoAnn's.  We spent a long time in there and she had a blast walking up and down the aisles and pointing out colors (that's her latest thing).  We checked out and left (without incident) to go have Chick-fil-A for dinner.  Though I got her grilled nuggets and fruit cup, I did trade her toy in for a small ice cream and let her have a few spoonfuls despite the looks I swear I was getting from other parents.  Oh well.  Moderation and choices, right?!

We came home and played (not with crayons, though) before I got her ready for bed.  We read books and said prayers and she let me rock her and sing a little longer than usual before I tucked her in.  What an awesome night with my sweet girl.  Totally makes up for pee-pee in the aisle and red crayon on the wall.  

So now, as I wait to hear the garage door go up and signal that it's time for snuggling, Grey's Anatomy, and Oreos, here is this week's list...

1.  Christmas plans already being made for celebration schedules, gifts arrangements, and present ideas/projects.  Two of my favorite things:  Preplanning and Christmas.  Yay!

2.  Colors.  As I said, Audrey has really been into learning and naming them lately (purple is my favorite to hear her say.)  It has reopened my eyes to all of the beautiful colors God has painted all around us, especially this time of year.  

3.  Dinner with a sweet friend.  We usually meet for play dates with our girls, so to have a whole 90 minutes of uninterrupted conversation was wonderful!  Granted, a lot of the conversation was about them, but still...

4.  Grandmothers. I've said it before, but it's worth repeating - they're just that awesome.  Whether stepping in and keeping AJ so I can go to the grocery store alone or giving me a night off for the aforementioned dinner with a friend, they are always willing to help out.  Audrey (and David and I) really love and appreciate them!

5.  The garage door opening...goodnight!  :)

Thankful Thursday

1.  My father-in-law, whose birthday was yesterday.  He, like all of my in-laws, is a huge blessing to me, David, and AJ.  Happy Birthday, Ed!  We love you!


2.  Great gift finds!  I stumbled on an incredible Christmas gift idea for super cheap and crossed a few people off my list.  It's something I think they'll love plus I saved about 90% of what it would've cost full-priced.  Win-win!


3.  A clean garage.  I tackled ours this week and feel so much better now that it's checked off the "back-burner-list."  Sure, there were more pressing things to do this week, but I'm choosing to focus on how good it feels to have that one done!


4.  Brinner (breakfast for dinner).


5.  Friends and family who I can turn to for prayer.  For both big and small things, it's great to have people who mean it when they say "I'm praying for you."  I hope they know I mean it too.


Pictures from our Baltimore trip are posted in the gallery, so be sure to check them out.  Have a great Friday!  

Thankful Thursday

I just want to take a moment and point out that this is the THIRD post this week...the second one today, in fact!  Plus, I updated www.imperfectperfectionist.com.  I want to make sure you realized they are there, read them, and remember this rare occurrence the next time I get swamped and go missing for a little while.

Now, you'll understand as I keep this short and go straight to the list, lest I dare get something else done this week!

1.  Audrey's tummy finally seems to be getting back to normal.  We're going to stick to the probiotics and the bland/no-dairy diet for 2-3 more days, but I can tell she feels so much better.  Thanks for the prayers and keep 'em coming!

2.  Family time.  Audrey got to see her Great Grandma, her Grandmom, her Granddad, and her Grandpa this week. Coupled with all of her family time in Baltimore last week and the upcoming visits we have planned for this weekend, we have been seriously loved on lately!

3.  Less television and the benefits that come with that.  Not being impressed with several of their new seasons, David and I made the choice to "give up" on a few shows that we regularly record and opted not to add any new ones for now.  We decided we have plenty to watch and could use the extra time to do something more productive.  Could there be a direct correlation between that and my extra writing this week?  Hmm...

4.  A precious little nose.  Audrey had her first introduction to the pavement this week when she fell on the back patio and scraped up the bottom of her nose (don't ask me how, but that's where she got it!)  She was bleeding and crying, but I'm pretty sure David was more of a mess than she was he was so upset that he didn't catch her.  She's fine now and is back to smelling anything and everything she can.  It's not just flowers or things that are obviously fragrant.  She'll smell puzzle pieces, stuffed animals, hair brushes...whatever she can and she'll often bring it over for us to smell too.  It's hilarious.

5.  Clothes shopping!  David and I are going outlet shopping this weekend and I am so stoked.  Last fall/winter season I was 25 lbs heavier, the year before that I was in maternity clothes, and the three years before that I was working and needed career-type clothes. SO, I'm really excited to be updating my fall/winter wardrobe for the first time in 5+ years!!!

Happy Friday!

Oh Poo

Warning:  This post is gross, but I'm sharing anyway.


You think that once your baby gets a little older, your world will stop revolving around poop so much.  And I guess it does get better.  But all it takes is one little stomach virus and suddenly it seems that every conversation and thought is back to their little bowels (which can make very large messes.)  What did she eat?  What was the consistency?  When did she go last?  How many times did she go today?  How is her diaper rash? Is she staying hydrated enough?


As I mentioned last week, Audrey came down with a stomach virus of the southern variety (that's a nice way of saying diarrhea, in case you missed it) last Wednesday evening.  We put her on the BRAT (bananas, rice, applesauce, and bread/toast) diet for 48 hours and kept her very well hydrated.  By Saturday morning, she was fine.  Then I guess we rushed her back into a regular diet too quickly because since that afternoon, the frequency has been back to normal but the...ahem...substance...has not.


To make matters worse, I came down with it late Saturday afternoon and was pretty useless all day Sunday.  (Thank the Lord it was after the race and we were even able to squeeze in a fall festival that afternoon!)  Now I'm usually the "let it run it's course" type when it comes to being sick and taking medicine.  I've always thought that if your body is working that hard to rid itself of something, it needs to be allowed to get rid of it.  However, after almost 24 hours of taking trips to the porcelain throne every 2-3 hours,  I needed sleep and rehydration.  So, David took Audrey to the store and got me some medicine and crackers.  A few hours later, I was still weak, but felt much better.  (Side note:  The box of Imodium AD reads "Controls the symptoms of diarrhea."  What, exactly, are the symptoms of diarrhea, other than having diarrhea?)


Monday morning dawned and life was good again.  By Tuesday, I felt 100% better and we even went for a jog that night.  Just to make sure the virus knew who was boss, we ate fast food for dinner and then came home and cleaned, bleached, Lysoled and Clorox-wiped every bathroom, light switch, handrail, cabinet knob, remote control, and door knob in the house. Take that, stomach bug.


SO, in summary, David is fine, I'm better, but Audrey is still trying to get back to normal.  We've put her back on the BRAT diet with a few extras, got some powdered probiotics to mix in her drinks per the doctor's advice line, and have cut out all dairy for the time being.  Please pray her little tummy heals soon.  I know she's tired of it and, frankly, David and I are tired of nearly passing out at every dirty diaper change.  Plus, if this keeps up much longer, we'll have to break it to her that she can't go to college because we went broke paying for wipes.

To clue you in on just how much this has consumed our household this week, allow me to close by sharing a conversation I had with David on Tuesday night:


D: "I had a scare today at work."
Me:  "OH NO! Did you have a loose bowel movement?!"
D, laughing hysterically:  "Uh, no.  I meant I thought something was messed up with a presentation I was doing."
Me, slightly embarrassed that I just asked that as D is still cracking up:  "Oh."


In case there was any doubt, I've officially got Mommy-brain.

Trip to Baltimore

As I mentioned in my last Thankful Thursday post, David, Audrey, and I went to Baltimore with my Dad, brother Kevin, sister-in-law Jenny, and nephew Carson.  The purpose of our trip was two-fold:  We wanted to introduce the kids to their maternal great-grandparents and a great uncle and second cousin that they'd never met and we also wanted to help my Dad pack up some things in his parents' house (since they now live together in an amazing heavenly mansion.)


As is usually the case when you're traveling with small children, you have to make up your mind that you're just going to role with it before you even leave the driveway.  If the trip is going to be an enjoyable one, you've got to "pack your patience" as I so often remind myself and David.  SO, when the plane was delayed almost an hour on the tarmac and then, once in the air, the flight attendant woke Audrey up by slamming the armrest down on her little leg, I mentally tried to "unpack my patience."  Before long, we landed and I silently congratulated myself for not punching the flight attendant in the face.  First hurdle crossed.


As we got off the plane, my brother called my Dad (he'd gone up a day before us) and got the bad news that the air conditioning was out at my paternal grandparents' house, which is where we were staying.  No sweat (get it?!)  We agreed to go there first and then decide if a hotel was necessary.  By the time we wrangled the kids, got the luggage, wrangled the kids, took a bus to the rental car facility, wrangled the kids, got the car and installed the car seats (no more kid wrangling!), and fought construction traffic to the house, we decided that it was going to have to be pretty darn hot to warrant the inconvenience and expense of a hotel.


We finally pulled up to the house and caught our breath.  As we walked in and heard the sound of door brush against the wind chime that hung on the foyer light, I felt a lump form in my throat.  I hugged Dad and took a minute to block off the stairs for Audrey and Carson.  Then I took a step back, leaned against the wall, and let it sink in that neither of my grandparents were there.  They wouldn't ever be there again.  Every sight my eyes fell on was reminiscent of them.  Every smell I inhaled reminded my brain whose home I stood in.  But they were gone.  My Grandma Gaye was not about to poke her head out of the kitchen holding a dish towel or a spoon like I'd seen her do a million times before.  My Pop-pop was not sitting in his chair laughing his one-of-a-kind laugh at something on the television.  We weren't about to sit around the table, hold hands, pray, and eat one of her delicious meals.  We wouldn't get to do that this trip.  Or ever again.  I caught Dad's eye as the tears gave way and David came over and put his arm around me.


A moment passed before I snapped back into action (I'm sure it was Audrey's tugging at my leg that did the trick) and we started to formulate a plan for the evening.  The heat turned out not to be that bad (in fact, it got so chilly later that night that we needed blankets) and we elected to stay.  Jenny and I took a trip to the grocery store and got back just in time to eat delicious delivery pizza and get the kids ready for bed.


Once the little ones were asleep, we started going through things and helping my Dad pack up.  As we opened drawers and leafed through boxes, the stories started to flow.  We walked through rooms and listened as Dad told us about special pieces - the big clock he'd carefully chosen and saved up to buy them for Christmas, the beer steins from all over the world, the archery trophies, the military uniforms.  There were ornaments we'd each sent them for Christmas, souvenirs from their many trips to Hawaii, and photographs and slides spanning decades.  It was overwhelming.  We packed up a couple of boxes and fell into bed around midnight.


Around 4am, I woke up.  Suddenly the gravity of whose bed I was sleeping in (theirs) hit me full force.  We rarely went into their bedroom and now here my little family was, sprawled out all over it.  It felt strange.  I prayed and tossed and turned for almost an hour and finally fell back asleep.  Around 7am,  David and I crawled out of the room to avoid waking Audrey and met Dad in the kitchen (who knows how long he'd been awake).  We drank a cup of coffee and talked until the others woke up - Carson with the most adorable bed head ever.  Once everyone was fed, we got to work cleaning out cabinets and throwing away expired food and toiletries.


After we got ready and David returned from taking Dad to pick up the moving truck, we headed over to my mom's parents' house.  I was so excited as we pulled up and it seemed to take forever to get the kids out and walk up to the door.  (Of course we did have to haul two diaper bags, my camera bag, two backpacks full of toys, the pack n' play, and our purses from the rental van.  It must have looked like we were moving in!)  My grandmother greeted us before we could even get in the door and hugged and gushed over all of us.  It had been four years since David and I had been there and though we try to keep up through letters and not-frequent-enough phone calls, it was so nice to see them in person.  We walked in and were greeted by my grandfather, my mom, my Aunt Jill, her husband Paul, my Uncle Jim, and his son Dwayne.  We all pulled up seats and started scarfing down lunch, trying to catch up on each other's lives in between stuffing our faces.  We passed the kids around and Aunt Jill gave AJ a tour of all of the flowers in Great-Nana's garden.  Mom got out a sneezing baby doll that had belonged to Jill and cracked Carson up for a few minutes.  Audrey got a hold of it, set it on the ground, and looked like she was performing chest compressions trying to get the thing to make that funny noise again!  Before we knew it, they were ready for their naps.  We put them down in the bedrooms and enjoyed some uninterrupted conversation with the adults.  I took a minute to stroll around and snap some photos, then the kids were awake and ready for snack.


After a few quick bites, we gathered the whole clan outside and took a ton of group shots.  As is the usual, Audrey didn't smile in any that I was in and Carson grew rightfully impatient by the thousandth click (he always expresses what everyone else is feeling about my camera).  We called it quits and let them burn off their energy by running around the backyard.  It was neat to see them enjoy the same area where we had spent so many summer vacations.  As Audrey stood in one spot in particular I remember thinking, "I snapped peas right there."  (My grandfather used to have an extensive garden of vegetables...I miss the tomatoes the most.  He says he finally let the deer and the groundhogs win.)  As the sun started to set, we gathered them (and our 27 bags of stuff), said goodbye, and loaded up the van.


We arrived back at my other grandparents' house and the guys got a few things loaded just as a rain storm moved in.  After a quick dinner (where my Dad learned his lesson about giving Audrey a potato chip.  She begged him for more for the rest of the meal!) we bathed them and got them ready for bed.  Before going down, Audrey was giving out hugs and kisses (as best she knows how) and went running after Carson (whom she called "Baby" the whole trip) to give him his.  He leaned into her (his way of giving hugs) and tolerated her "Mwahh" noise.  We got them tucked in and, with very little productivity left in any of us, we sat around, ate oreos, and shared more stories of present and past.  One thing we kept bringing up was how used all of their stuff was...in a good way.  There were very few things that were put up "for special occasions".  They also didn't own a lot of super nice, fancy things.  They didn't care about fine art or expensive clothes.  What they didn't give to us, they put into living life.  As I've said before, they worked hard and played hard.  What an example.


The next morning the guys loaded the remaining boxes into the van and we said goodbye to my Dad and sent him on his way.  Not, however, before Audrey had made him her buddy and followed him around for the better part of the morning.  After he left and even once we got home, she said "Pa?" quite a lot wondering where Grandpa had gone.


After we got ready and she had woken up from her morning nap, we took a trip to the cemetery.  It was sad to see their names so boldly displayed.  I grieved at all they were missing...at all we were missing....by them being gone.  Then and now, though, God keeps bringing Psalm 84:10 to my mind, "Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand days elsewhere..."  They had a lot of really good days here, so that's saying something.  Just knowing that they are together again brings me more peace than I can describe.


We left there and headed back over to my maternal grandparents' house.  Mom made crab cakes (a must in Baltimore) and we chowed down on them and all of the leftover desserts.  When the kids went down for their naps, David and I went for a walk with my grandfather.  I loved listening to his stories and I must have asked a million questions just to keep him talking.  He spoke about everything from his construction business (I begged him to come build us a house, but he laughed me off) to his time in WWII.  Some of the things I'd heard before (he was in the Army Corps of Engineers and built bridges and roads all over Europe) and some were new (he lost his childhood best friend on D-Day).  I soaked in every word and tried to memorize his expressions, his laugh, his walk...everything about him.


When Audrey woke up, she spent more time in the garden, this time with my mom, and walked around the house with her for what must have been the equivalent of a 5K to her little legs.  I sat on the porch with Nana and talked about how much fun we'd have shopping together.  We caught up about life and talked about David's traveling and how tough it is being home alone.  She confessed she doesn't like it when my grandfather goes up to their cabin in Maine for a few days, so she couldn't imagine how I deal with weeks of his absence.  As I did with my grandfather, I tried to hang on every word and ask a lot of questions.  One of the most startling realizations was when she told me that by the time she and my grandfather were mine and David's ages, they had been through a war, been married seven years, had three kids, had just moved into a new house that he'd built himself in addition to starting his new business, and they bought a new car!  Boy, did I feel like a slacker!


As the afternoon turned into evening, we desperately tried to ignore how quickly the minutes were passing.  We walked and talked and took more pictures before heading outside to begin a long goodbye. Losing one set of grandparents certainly makes you cling a little closer to the other.  We gathered by the van and hugged, making promises about seeing each other soon that none of us knew if we'd be able to keep.  As I got into the van I looked back at my grandfather - a man whose strength I've always admired - and saw tears in his eyes.  He had told me earlier what a dream come true our visit had been for him and I can't imagine how tough it was to watch us go.  I closed the door and cried as we waved goodbye and drove away.


We ate dinner, put the kids to bed, did some more cleaning, and started packing up our tremendous amount of stuff.  David and Kevin loaded up the 8+ huge bags of trash and set out to find a dumpster to illegally dispose of it in. No trash service + lots of trash = a need for criminal activity.  They returned without a police escort.  The only problem they'd had was a small amount of chocolate syrup that had leaked on David's jeans.  Shew.  We went through pictures, talked about our visit, and climbed into bed that night anxious about the trip home.


The next morning we got ready and loaded everything into the van.  We went through the checklist that Dad had left for closing everything up (okay, truthfully, my OCD self went through it about five times).  We each posed for one last picture in front of the house and pulled out of the driveway sobered by the fact that we were leaving it for the last time.  The ride to the airport was quiet, despite my best attempt to try and find something on the radio to listen to.  David dropped us off at the airport and went to return the van while Carson pushed his cars around the benches and Audrey pushed her stroller around the empty check-in counters.  The shuttle bus dropped David off and we checked in, went through security, and found an empty gate to let the kids run and play around.  We ate lunch and, after two stores, I found toy stuffed crabs for Audrey and Carson to commemorate their trip.  We boarded the plane, took off on time, and thanked the Lord as Audrey quickly fell asleep in David's arms for the entire flight.


We landed and shuffled our crew to baggage claim.  We had made it, the kids had done way better than expected, and we were back on Confederate soil.  We hugged goodbye and parted ways, tired but all very glad that we had gone.  It was an emotional trip, but a good and necessary one.  As is the norm at her young age, Audrey will never remember it.  But the rest of us, especially her great-grandparents, will never forget it.

Thankful Thursday

David, Audrey, and I took a four-day whirlwind trip to Baltimore last Saturday-Tuesday with my Dad, brother, sister-in-law, and nephew.  We went up to see my maternal grandparents, my aunt, uncles, and cousins (my mom had gone up before us so she was there too.)  We also went to help pack up some things at my dad's parents' house.  After an emotional and memorable few days, I'm still trying to catch my breath (and do laundry, and clean house, and get caught up on Bible Study, and do the shopping, etc. etc. etc.  It's busy, but so are most of your own weeks, I'm sure!)  SO, this week, I'm mainly thankful that the trip went so well and hopeful that I get to blog about it very soon before I forget all of the details!

I'm also thankful for...

1.  My new Keurig coffee maker!  I have been wanting one of these for over a year now, and have diligently searched and shopped everywhere waiting to find one that was a deal we could afford.  I stumbled across one priced lower than any I'd seen and called David to ask what he thought.  He gave his blessing and I have been in a state of bliss since!  I can't begin to tell you the daydreams I've had about entertaining with the thing - people coming from miles around to brew their own special cup....my house being filled to the brim and everyone so cozy and comfy as they hold their specially flavored tea or coffee....yeah, I'm a dork.  But a dork with a really cool new coffee maker!  Bring your mug and c'mon over!

2.  COOLER TEMPERATURES.  THANK YOU, LORD!

3.  Redemption.  Check out this quote from my Beth Moore bible study this week: "You cannot amputate your history from your destiny." I'm learning that as much as we may want to do that sometimes, God uses the former to fulfill the latter.

Lastly, please say a prayer for AJ as she is having some stomach issues.  She doesn't have any other symptoms nor is she vomiting, thank goodness (the problem is farther south).  She's acting okay and we're keeping her really hydrated, but it's still no fun.  I'm going to give it until tomorrow mid-morning (which would be almost 2 days from the onset) and call the doctor if need be to see what they suggest.  We definitely don't want her to get worse over the weekend!  Pray for healing tonight and a better day tomorrow!

Thankful Thursday

Here is this week's list...

1.  That David is home safe and sound (and on time!) from yet another international business trip.  Thank you, Lord, for keeping us safe and me (mostly) sane while we were apart.

2.  Pedicures and long overdue catch-up conversations with a sweet godly woman, whose friendship I couldn't be more grateful for.

3.  Finding something you thought you'd lost for good!  This week it was my sunglasses.  Maybe next week it'll be my mind.

4.  Responding to God's gentle urging.  I had been putting something off and finally decided to step up and do what God was asking me to do.  The result was far better than I could have ever imagined and made me feel foolish for my delay in the first place.  But then, God usually does exceed my expectations when I do what I know is His will.

5.  A daughter.  There was a time in my life I wasn't sure I'd know what to do if I had a girl, but now I couldn't imagine my life without one.  Yesterday we went to the mall and even though she's only 15 months old, we had fun picking out clothes for her, eating in the food court, and walking through the big fountain outside.  She is so much fun and so amazed by everything.  I just want to freeze her at this adorable age!  I so cherished those moments and look forward to much more girl time in our future!

Lots going on this next week for us, so please be in prayer for our health and endurance!  Updates to come!

15 Months Old

Sorry about my lack of a Thankful Thursday post, but I just couldn't justify spending any more time on this blog last week than I already had.  Hopefully the Day in Pictures made up for it and gave you the fix you needed.  And, in even more of an attempt to placate you, I decided to write this post today in honor of Audrey's 15th month birthday.


Here, in no particular order, are 15 things our Sweet Girl is in to these days:

• Her vocabulary is astounding us.  Though her pronunciation may be difficult for the untrained ear to understand, she definitely knows and uses a ton of words.  In addition to baby, mommy, daddy, bye-bye, more, no-no, dog, and some facial features that she knew at 12-13 months, she has added hey/hi, sky, moon, plane, up, dink or gee (drink), bubbles, clock (this is hard to understand, but it's the same word every time she sees one), bow, leaf, flower, and go.  

• Her comprehension is even more amazing.  I would say she understands 60-70% of the nouns I use around the house (verbs aren't as high, but she pieces it together pretty quickly.)  Either that, or she's really good at faking the "yeah, I understand what you're saying" face like her Daddy does.  

• Her animal noise "vocabulary" has increased too.  She will now answer semi-coherently when you ask her what any of the following say: horse, dog, cat, rooster (dooo as in cock-a-doodle), cow, chicken (brock), snake (sss), fish (opens and closes her mouth), elephant (throws her arm up and says bbrr), sheep, lion, duck, and monkey (eee for ooo eee).  My favorite is camel, for which she makes a slight spitting noise.  She forgets bear a lot and pig holds her up because she can't say anything close to oink.

• She can recognize and point out and/or go get puzzle pieces of the capital letters A, B, C, D, E, F, G, M and Y.  The last two came about out of order because she sees them on some t-shirts I have.  She can pronounce A, B, D, E, & Y pretty well and F is "ffff."

• She still eats jarred baby food green vegetables a few times a week.  She'll eat spinach if it's in stuff or green beans with rice, but I must confess that sometimes it's easier to get them in her by popping open a jar.  As long as I'm not packing them in her lunchbox for school in a few years, I'm cool with it.

• She loves books.  She will constantly get one and come sit in my lap or squat down and flip through them herself.  I couldn't be happier about this!

• She has really begun to hate diaper changes.  I think it's because she can't stand to stop playing and lie down for that 60 seconds.  She's just so busy!

• Every time the air conditioning or washing machine cuts on, she says "Daddy?" because she thinks it's the garage door opening.  This is especially pitiful when he's traveling.  She misses him so much!

• At bath time, we "dance" her rubber ducky and little toys along the bathtub edge as we sing songs.  She loves it and tries so hard to sing along.  She also loves making her baby dolls and stuffed animals dance (imagine her holding the toy out and turning it like a steering wheel).

• The other day, I showed her a picture of a little boy in a wheelchair who broke his leg (the son of a friend of a friend). I told her we needed to pray for him & she looked at me & said "men" which translates "Amen."

• She has really developed a love of shoes.  I usually leave a pair or two in the car so I know where they are, but if they do make it into the house, she loves going to get them and trying to put them on.

• At a recent outing to Chick-fil-A, she not only wasn't scared of the giant cow mascot, but she was almost too distracted to eat because she couldn't stop waiting for him to come back.

• She loves dogs (She says "Do", as in, rhymes with "No") and is fearless around them, which worries me a little bit.  The other night we were outside talking to several neighbors and one of them had their little dog with them.  They said goodbye and continued on their walk, while I stood there talking to another neighbor.  I turned around and Audrey was already a house down toddling after the dog without hesitation.  As I went to get her and head home, she waved and said "Bye-Bye Do" over my shoulder the entire way back to our driveway.

• We have taught her how to tickle and she loves getting us.  And by tickle, I mean grab and jab at your flesh while you pretend to laugh instead of cry.  Still, it's so stinkin' cute.

And the #15 grand finale tidbit:  PICTURES ARE UP!!!  Check out the FOUR latest albums in the gallery and enjoy!