April Recap

With each month that passes I think our world can't possibly get any busier or crazier, and each month that passes I'm proven wrong.  I think it's time to stop thinking that and just brace myself.

This month held Easter and egg hunts, hosting a family lunch for the occasion, Luke's first trip to church (he sat with us in the theater), doctor check-ups for me and Luke, a trip to Alabama (Luke's first), my nephew's 4th birthday party in Villa Rica (practically Alabama), a mega family shower for David's cousin, and even more introductions of Luke to family and friends.  David and I also celebrated two important anniversaries - 13 years since our blind date and 12 years that we've been together (that year in between was me making extra sure he was the one.  He is, in case you wondered.)  And, of course, there was the major decision of putting our house up for sale and the insane amount of cleaning out and cleaning up we've been doing to prepare for that.  Throw in Bible Study meetings, small group sessions, and play dates, and that's where April went.  

Other memorable events?  I got a bad spray tan, but at least now I can say I at least tried the safer route. On a positive note, I have been doing well with losing baby weight.  I still have a ways (or weighs - ha!) to go, but thankfully I'm staying motivated and it's getting there.  My goal is to have it all off and be back in semi-toned shape by Thanksgiving/Luke's 9th month birthday.  

David hasn't had to travel yet, praise God, but did have some customers in the last part of the month which meant long hours and therefore made me realize how INSANE we will go if he does travel.  He snuck in two rounds of golf this month, so don't feel too badly about his load, though!  

Here are some more specifics on the kids:  (Two months in and it still seems weird that that's plural!)

At ten weeks old, Luke is doing really well.  He's down to two feedings per night, is smiling (but makes you work for it), and makes a few cooing noises that melt my heart.  He's on a pretty predictable schedule now.  He eats at 7:30am, goes down from 8:45-9:45, eats at 9:45, and then naps off and on while we have a play date or run errands from about 10:30-12:30.  He eats at 12:30 or 12:45 and then goes down for a nap when AJ does around 1:45 or 2.  He wakes and eats again at 3:15 or 3:30 and then sleeps off and on if we're out or goes down at 5 until eating at 6.  We keep him awake from that dinner feeding until bedtime at 8:30pm. 

He's a great sleeper and always goes down without a fight when it's time.  I am ready for him to learn to suck his thumb, though, because he likes having a pacifier in his mouth when he sleeps but knocks it out several times during the night.  He spent two nights in his room before I moved him back in ours because eight times was just too many to get up and go all the way down the hall just to stick a pacifier back in.  Plus, I ended up feeding him three times in an effort to keep him quiet so he wouldn't wake Audrey.  There was no way I was going to allow us to regress to three feedings, so back in our room he came and there he'll stay until he can figure out the thumb thing or drops another feeding.  

At nearly three years old, Audrey alternates between making me crazy and making my heart spill over.  Even when she's aggravating me to no end, she is hands-down the sweetest big sister I've ever seen.  She is nothing but kind and gentle with Luke all of the time.  One of her favorite "responsibilities" is to put his pacifier in if I have him lying down while I'm doing something and he starts to cry.  Often I'll peer over the kitchen counter or out the shower door to make sure she's being gentle.  He may be screaming his head off and it could take her ten tries, but she is nothing but patient and persistent until that pacifier makes it in and he stops crying.  One morning last week I leaned over the kitchen counter and saw her sitting beside his bouncer, holding his hand, swaying to the music to the radio.  They were both as content as could be just sitting with each other and I almost missed taking advantage of the full three minutes it lasted because it was so darn cute to watch!

She loves asking, "What do you think he's wondering?" and helping us dream up possible answers.  One of her favorite things to say to him is "I'm so sorry, buddy" anytime something comes up that he can't do because he's too little (i.e. eat ice cream, play with a certain toy, go down a slide...)  She can't wait until he's able to be her pal-around pal...or at least, she thinks she can't wait.  We'll see.  ;)

It seems like overnight she has become so much braver about many things.  She used to shy away from tunnel slides and bouncy houses, but she tackled them head-on one day and never looked back.  She's soaking up new things like a sponge and we're desperately trying to keep up!  She nows knows all of the spanish alphabet and a few spanish words, the planets, and the days of the week.  We've begun working on states thanks to her United States placemat.  David and I are hoping we'll pick up on some of the midwest geography that's always been a little hazy to us.  

Funny quotes and quips from AJ:

• Her toy phone "rang" and she answered it, then hung up.  I asked who it was and she answered, "Those television people."  "You mean telemarketers?" I asked.  "Yeah, telemarkers," she said. 

• We were talking about what goals were and what it means to meet them.  I told her I had a goal of finishing XYZ and she said, "I'm gonna meet my goals today too."  I asked her what her goal was.  She told me it was to play with Nana.  Check!

• As I was in the middle of praying aloud one day with her, Luke decided to fill up his Pampers.  Audrey immediately admonished him and said, "It's NOT polite to poopy during prayer, Luke."  

• One morning I told her we didn't have time to watch a show.  She said, "Well, then can I watch half a show?"  The answer was still no, but you gotta give her props for math skills and negotiation.

• She can sometimes go off on very dramatic, imaginary stories.  While in a clothing store, she was rambling about not having a hot-air balloon to reach something and put on her best "Oh no! This is awful!" act.  The overhead music changed to something melancholy at that moment and she said, "This is a good song to be sad to."  

• She is obsessed about guys taking their shirts off at the beach, pool, etc.  We passed a group of cross country runners the other day without them on and she kept going on and on about it.  After we finished our errand and were returning home, I smelled burning leaves and explained what that was.  She decided that nope, it was someone cooking something.  Then she decided it was those runners cooking and that they were going to eat inside, but still have their shirts off because they were still hot. 

• After I scolded her for something, she hugged me and said (no joke), "I love you, Mommy.  Thank you for working so hard on my good behavior."  HAHAHAHA.  I swear, just when you're about to kill them, they say something that saves their lives.  

• I told her we were having pizza one night and she went into great detail to Luke about how yummy it was.  She concluded by telling him, "I'm SO sorry you can't have any, buddy.  You just gotta hurry up and get big so you can eat some!"

• The day after her cousin's birthday party, she complained that her legs were sore.  I realized it was because she jumped and bounced her heart out on the bouncy house and was really amazed that she knew what "sore" meant and how to articulate it!

• I took her potty against her will (as is most often the case, even though she'll need to go).  She plopped down on the toilet, slammed her hands in her lap, looked up at me and declared, "This is SO exasperating!"  

• We usually get her fruit as a side in her fast food meals, even when we get fries for ourselves (You know, the good parenting rule of "do as I say, not as I do").  We do share some with her, though....at least, most of the time.  David forgot one day and when she asked for one, he'd already eaten them all.  She patted his hand and said, "That's okay, Daddy.  I still love you."  

• A few times a week she'll tell me, "These are busy, fun days, aren't they Mommy?"  Indeed, sweet girl.  Thanks for the reminder. 

Yes, pics are up.  Check out Carson's 4th Birthday Party and April albums.  Katie's bridal shower details and pics coming soon (hopefully before she gets married!)