Audrey {21 months}

I feel there is so much to say about this past month.  First, with the pregnancy hormones, tiredness and constant morning sickness I have not been myself.  I have been an ill-tempered, impatient, cranky, just want to stay inside and not do anything version of my former self.  Audrey has been cutting several new teeth, I lost count, but I think it's something like six at one time.  We have been quite the pair.  She has been overall patient with me, but I still have struggled with a lot of mom guilt.  That I am not being the best mother for her, for baby #2...and how could I possibly be a good mother to both {when the time comes of course}.  Thankfully I have a very loving and patient husband who has been helping me through this time and I think {fingers crossed} we've turned a corner on my starting to feel much better.  It helps that my training is done and I am settling into my new role at work too.

Second, things that Audrey is into lately:

• Ring around the Rosie {her new friend Charlotte taught her that}
• Saying, "I love you" back to me
• Saying "sorry" more readily and "forgive you" for those times I need it
• Running around nudie {enough said, right?}
• Stripping down {see above} in her crib; one morning she had stripped and peed all over the crib: FUN
• Cutting teeth...poor baby
• She is a master eater; just like a big kid...she's eating peanuts now too
• Drinking from a big cup at meal and snack time, no more sippy!
• Continuing to work on potty training; with my aforementioned state of being I have become a bit lazy
• She loves pointing out sounds {she calls them, "noise!"} of trains, planes, buses, cars...anything that she hears really, but those are her favorites
• She loves music and knows how to turn the radio on {quite proud of herself too}
• She "swims" in the tub now...lays down flat on her back and then flips to her tummy and moves her arms around and kicks her legs
• She loves to say to the dogs, "c'mere! lap!" as she pats her lap; we find it adorable, the dogs not so much
• She reminds me that we get dressed in the morning, "dressed!" and pulls her stool over to her dresser to pick out her clothes
• Along the above point...she picks out her shoes when we're going "bye-bye"
• She loves her sunglasses and will wear them inside even; it's especially funny when we're out and about {the library, Target, the mall...}  I tell her she's a "diva" and she parrots it back to me.  hehe
• She has become quite naughty; I wonder if it's because she is bored and needs more stimulation...she is getting used to hearing, "no!" and "naughty" an awful lot; we're working on redirection and mommy getting creative with how we structure our time
• Coloring!  I broke out the crayons and paper this week and we have already created an entire fridge's worth of art...it seemed to click what to do and she loves it
• We are working on naming colors and counting and ABC's
• Settling down for bed closer to 9 p.m. and getting up around 7 a.m....I am hoping this is a phase {the teeth perhaps} because momma doesn't like getting up so early!  {spoiled, I know}
• She is getting past just repeating everything we say and is actually communicating on her own volition, it's awesome! 
• She has begun noticing when I am not in the room and will kind of whine-cry and want me to come back.  We are working on "using our words" to talk about how we're feeling and what we want.
• She's still not a huge cuddler, but some mornings she'll lay in bed with me {when it's still too early for me} and one such morning she was laying with her head on my chest and I said, "Audrey, mommy loves you" and without missing a beat she said, "lub you".  Awwww...my heart melts.
• Story time with daddy {before bedtime} has exploded.  We're into more lengthy books now {she actually sits still} and she is picking out the books she wants to read by name.  Name!  Corduroy, Sneetches {Dr. Seuss}, the Bible, Giraffe {Gerald the Giraffe}, etc.

Pictures {or lack thereof} from the past month are below.  The first picture is by a little pond near our grocery store.  It has gobs of ducks and geese that congregate there.  We went to feed them {and were} until a car drove by and a cranky old man yelled out the window, "it says not to feed them!".  We did not know this, nor did we see a sign that stated this...until we left and looked for it.  Sure enough, "Please do not feed the water fowl" was posted.  Oops.

Ducks & Geese!!

Go Vikes!

Practicing "swimming"

Dancing :)

Love this happy face!

Big girl bfast: oatmeal & raisins, blueberries & milk

Cheese face!

Getting so big!  21 months

Mr. Potato Head

Silly girls...

Happy 21 months, Audrey!  Mommy and daddy love you to the moon and back and back again.  It's hard to believe you'll be two years old in just three short months...sigh.

xoxo,

Momma