Just for Nick

The shirt reads: "My dad's a geek."



And because I can't resist the cuteness in this picture:

A post NOT about Audrey

but don't worry; I'm about to do another one on her. You knew it couldn't last long.

A friend came over for lunch yesterday and I decided to make this quiche. It's called a sausage apple quiche and the recipe can be found here. As with all the other reviewers, I didn't make it exactly as written; I used ground sausage instead of links. But it was pretty good. I wanted to make it because of all the apples we have from apple picking, but also, I'm crazy and make new things when people come over. We also had some yummy banana crumb muffins and fruit. It was a fruity meal.

I am two months old today!!

In her Sunday best

Love this new fall outfit I got for Audrey:

A visit with Aunt Amanda and Cousin Owen

Amanda and Owen made the LONG trek to come see us yesterday afternoon and we had a great time visiting with them. Unfortunately, shortly after arriving, Audrey's alter-ego Captain Fussypants came out, so she went straight to the bed (where she napped for four hours - no wonder she was fussy!!). But I got to cuddle with sweet Owen and swap Mommy stories with my sister, so it was loads of fun. Owen is about a pound bigger than Audrey now, but she can still probably take him (considering he'd be asleep for the whole fight.)

They are such different babies, but equally sweet and wonderful. (Audrey looks bigger because she is in a giant cloth diaper which makes her have a big booty.)

Things I can and cannot do

Here are the things I can't do (without Nick around or a babysitter or a LOT of beforehand preparation):

1. Go sit at Starbucks with a book and sip coffee in the cool fall-like air for a couple of hours.
2. Go to the gym.
3. Go pretty much anywhere - she still doesn't love the carseat, though it's better than it was.
4. Stay out late (not that I did that before she came along).
5. Go see a movie.
6. Get a full night of uninterrupted sleep.
7. Count on a chunk of time to work on pretty much anything around the house; things come in spurts around here now.
8. Have movie night.
9. Know with certainty that I won't be touching poo on any given day.
   

Here are the things I CAN do:

1. Play pat-a-cake and get rewarded with smiles and almost-giggles.
2. Watch her get sleepier and sleepier and finally drift off in my arms.
3. Look at her big blue eyes get wider as she discovers something new about her world.
4. Dress her in adorable little outfits and take millions of pictures.
5. Feed her, take care of her, and love her.
6. Get excited about things like passing gas and dirty diapers (it means she's growing and eating well!).
7. Comfort her when she is upset and know that I've been the reason she has calmed down.
8. Get her back when anyone holds her because she is mine this time! I get to take her home with me!
   
9. Call myself a mother and answer the question "do you have children?" with a "YES!" :)

In my opinion, the second list makes the first one completely irrelevant and unimportant.

Moooooooooo!!!!!!!

First family vacation

We took our first family vacation up to the mountains to stay at a friend's cabin. We went with Dave and Emily and their kids. It was no small task adding an infant to the mix. She requires a LOT of stuff. I'm an overpacker to start with, but she made up at least 3/4 of the stuff we brought. But for all the trouble, she added so much to our trip and made it all the more memorable. Once again, I did not manage to take pictures of all three of us together, and I missed taking any pictures of the apple picking trip. But here are a few pictures of our time in the beautiful mountains.

Relaxing on the porch:

(I'm pretty sure Jordanna is trying to take Audrey from me in this one - have to keep my eye on her!):

She LOVED napping on the porch in the cool fall weather:


Making s'mores by the fire:
More baby holding - she would have babysat all weekend long, but watching her carry around her doll upside down (and drop it and kick it), I decided that would not be the best parenting decision:



I'm too happy to sleep, Mommy!

A day in the life of Audrey

This is Happy Audrey, which she is most of this time (and please note the beginnings of fat rolls on her thighs - just want to eat her up!!):


But this is her super alter-ego, Captain Fussypants:

Her "schedule" these days is pretty consistent. The times aren't always the same day to day, but for the most part, here is what she does:

• Wakes up between 5 and 7 to eat, goes back down for a 1 hour nap (usually exactly)
• Is awake and happy until her next feeding 2 hours later; usually I can put her in the Pack and Play while I get ready and she just talks to herself happily
• Eats, then goes down fairly soon after for a 1-2 hour nap (2 hours if I put her in the swing, 1 if I put her in the bed)
• Eats, then goes down within the hour for another 2 hour nap
• One more time of this cycle
• After the 4pm-6pm feeding, is awake and up for 1-3 hours, usually happy
• Eats between 8-9, gets swaddled and put to bed; she generally falls asleep within 10 minutes of looking around; if she has had a bad day, she might be fussy or cry, but still goes to sleep fairly quickly. If it's been a REALLY traumatic day, I rock or hold her until she goes to sleep and then transfer her to the PnP.
• Sleeps a good 6-7 hours until 2 or 3 am (this, unfortunately, doesn't change if we make the bedtime later; it's still 2-3 am, so we'll keep it at 8 for now)
• Eats, then goes right back to sleep for 3 hours
• Rinse and repeat

Of course her days aren't always that consistent if we are going somewhere. And now that I've figured her out somewhat, she'll change it up on me. But I'm figuring her out and what she needs/wants, so most of the time, I have Happy Audrey and not Captain Fussypants!!

Today

Today I walked for 30 minutes wearing Audrey in a mei tai carrier and pushing another child in a stroller (my calves will remind me of this tomorrow). Then I dropped off dry cleaning, changed a poopy diaper, did two loads of laundry, made ham and cheese corn muffins, and spent an hour on the phone doing a marketing research interview for which I earned a $50 Amazon gift card. And it's only 2:45pm.

Yesterday, I spent several hours bouncing and rocking a screaming baby who would not be comforted.

You just never know around here.

A visit with ________

Today Amanda and I went to our mom's library to visit. I think she enjoyed the visit with her two grandbabies and they were definitely shown off to half the school. We enjoyed lunch and meeting her coworkers and hanging out for awhile. We had a conversation about changing her grandmother name. The Grandmother Formerly Known as Gigi is going to let us know.

Cuddling with Caleb

Yesterday I was just minding my own business and lo and behold, a big giant boy came and cuddled up right next to me. It doesn't happen too often anymore since he's so grown up now, but it was nice to sit and cuddle with this sweet boy for a bit before he was done with it and told me "too bad" when I told him I was sad he was gone!

My baby girl and me!

What a difference a year makes

A year ago I bought this adorable outfit. We had just started the paperwork for the adoption process and I was feeling hopeful that day. Plus I had a $10 coupon at Kohl's and it only cost $10, so I figured I wasn't out anything if I never got to use it. You know me, I'm not one to pass up a good deal. :)


Well, today I got to use it!!!



Looks much better on her than the hanger, doesn't it!?

My heart is full.

Cuteness

From an unbiased opinion, of course.

First cold

I guess there is a first time for everything, and it's time for Audrey's first cold. :( She has been sniffling for a few days, and I can tell she just doesn't feel that great. I've been steaming up the bathroom, giving her baths, sucking out snot with the nasal aspirator, using the humidifier, and other very exciting things to try to help her breathe better. Poor little baby can't even get a good nap or eat well because of all the snot. Never thought I'd be so excited to see boogers come out of someone's nose, but there's quite a sense of satisfaction when I get some snot out! It must be hard to have a cold when you don't understand what is going on.

Mommy's Dream Come True

Fluffy post-bath hair and all!!

Audrey's baptism

Today my sweet daughter was baptized into the covenant at our church. It was truly a special day for me. For so many years, I have watched as families went up with their new babies and the sacrament of baptism was performed. I am praising God that today it was our turn and Audrey, though not born into the covenant, was adopted into it. Such a wonderful day of rejoicing. Here are the questions that we were asked and answered in the affirmative:

(1) Do you acknowledge that although our children are conceived and born in sin and therefore are subject to condemnation, they are holy in Christ by virtue of the covenant of grace, and as children of the covenant are to be baptized?

(2) Do you promise to teach diligently to Audrey the principles of our holy Christian faith, revealed in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments and summarized in the Confession of Faith and Catechisms of this Church?

(3) Do you promise to pray regularly with and for Audrey, and to set an example of piety and godliness before her?

(4) Do you promise to endeavor, by all the means that God has appointed, to bring Audrey up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, encouraging her to appropriate for herself the blessings and fulfill the obligations of the covenant?

Of course I cried my way through the whole thing, and I heard quite a few sniffles around the congregation as well, all of whom were rejoicing with us, just as they have prayed for us during this whole process. Here are a few pictures. We did NOT, however, get one with just the three of us, and I'm kicking myself for it.

Before the event, getting dressed in her outfit that my grandmother made by hand over 60 years ago:


After the service with the families:


Afterwards we hosted 19 people at our house for lunch and fellowship and to celebrate. Here are a few pictures of the "after party":

Adorable cloth diapered booty

The Great Cloth Diaper Experiment of 2011

It begins today! I bought a trash can and laundry bags needed to house the dirty diapers that little Miss Audrey produces. Here are the cloth diaper stashes:


They are mostly Emily's, so I plan to use them until December when her baby is due, and then when she needs them back, decide whether or not to continue cloth diapering. By that time I'll know what it entails and can decide to make the investment in more diapers for myself or not.

The laundry can and bag: