Snow Day!

Today was Audrey's first snow day! We got 12.5 inches of snow, and Eric and I both stayed home from work. Eric did get stuck later, twice, while making a quick trip to the grocery store. I was sooo excited to have a snow day, especially since Audrey hadn't yet got to wear her new snow suit. When she woke up, I showed her the snow outside. Her mouth gaped open in awe, but she still managed to keep in the all-important pacifier. Frisbee was not at all amused. She turned right back around when I opened the door to let her out. She did go out later in the morning and looked like a deer jumping from place to place in the yard. Audrey got to play in the snow and even Fris decided to come outside and play. Audrey learned just how good snow tastes, and just how cold it is! This was the most fun she'd had in awhile since she's been sick for about the past month. Croup, then a cold, then pink eye, then a double ear infection. We're hopefully recovering from our latest issue - full body rash due to a penicillin allergy. Poor kid! She definitely needed a snow day!

13 months!

I'm a few days late but better late than never.

These pictures are getting harder and harder to get!

This is what I've been getting lately:

I at least got a front shot here:

Gentle, gentle!

Audrey has been getting better at being gentle when petting Fris. She's even been learning the sign for gentle and seems to really understand it. Fris is pretty tolerant but we want Audrey to be as gentle as possible. Yesterday, Audrey was sitting down petting Fris really nicely. So nicely that Fris was loving it. What happens when Fris loves something? She wags her tail. Audrey happened to be in the line of fire and was getting whacked in the face. She typically just tolerates it, closes her eyes, and waits for the tail (and Fris) to move on. Well, when Audrey started crying, she stopped petting Fris. This stopped Fris from wagging her tail. Audrey was happy again so she started petting Fris. Fris enjoyed this, started wagging her tail. Audrey starts crying. Repeat. I eventually broke them up but it's going to take a while for Audrey to understand that concept!

It arrived!

What's the best way to end a week which involved pink eye and a double ear infection for Audrey? Curling up to read a book with Audrey as a main character! We received the awesome book from Aunt Christy and Uncle Mike on Friday night. Audrey was already in bed so I sat down to read it myself. When she got up on Saturday morning, I showed her the book. She loved it! She wouldn't put it down, wouldn't let me hold it. Or, um, read it to her. And she kept kissing it! We especially like that her friends are mentioned, too. So thoughtful! I'm sure Audrey will like the story, too, once she lets me read it to her!

Thanks Aunt Christy and Uncle Mike!

The Artist

Last week, Audrey came home from daycare with blue paint on her fingers. Hmmm.....what did you do at school today, baby? Her lips were sealed. The director sent me some pictures today of her painting, with blue paint of course! Ah, so that explains it. She looks like quite the serious artist. Well, except for apparently eating some of it. Hopefully, it was non-toxic paint!

"Her heart is perfect."

We got very good news at Audrey's cardiologist appointment yesterday. The hole in her heart has closed, and she has been discharged from the cardiologist's care. We had an EKG and ECHO done, and Audrey was very good during both procedures. I thought she was going to pull the doctor's glasses off him (you could just see the wheels turning!) but she showed some restraint. This is good since I work with him!

We also saw her pediatrician yesterday for her 1 year appointment. She is 29 1/2 inches long (75th percentile) and 18 lbs, 15.5 oz (19th percentile). The long and lean pattern continues. She needs to gain another pound before being able to face forward in the car - a disappointment for all of us. Her doctor bowed down to me, twice, when I told her she was completely weaned from the bottle. ("But no one actually listens to what I tell them to do at the 9 month appointment!"). Audrey clearly remembered the meanie nurse who administers the shots as she started crying as soon as she saw her. As is the case with each of her routine appointments, Audrey also wasn't feeling well. Her molars have come through, and she has been running a low grade fever and has been very congested. No doubt a combination of new daycare germs combined with teething.

The school report from her teacher at the end of the week was that she can't believe how well Audrey has adjusted to her new surroundings, and that she has been making new friends. Her teacher said she is also "such a joy" to have in class. Let's hope every teacher report is as good!

Settling in

Today was the first day of no tears at school. I have had Eric drop her off this week so I can avoid the trauma of Audrey crying. He said this morning she pulled up a chair to breakfast with the rest of the kids, and settled right in. (For her second breakfast, that is. She has been trying to climb into her highchair at home first thing in the morning, too. Growth spurt!) She seems to be enjoying her time during the day though this change to just 1 nap per day has been rough. She's exhausted in the evenings, especially now that she doesn't even get a nap in the car to and from school.

We have been getting teacher comments on her daily sheet, and yesterday's sheet said that "Audrey fits in really well in our classroom. And, she doesn't seem to mind being the only girl!" Lord help us!

1st Birthday Party!

Some pictures for grandma and grandpa! Enjoying my cupcake, and enjoying my Liam! Audrey has been going thru cupcake withdrawal and loves to point at her "ball-oons"! Parties are so much fun!

New school

Audrey had a big day today as it was her first day at her new school. She looks a lot different than the last time she went for her first day of school! I could prep her on the names of her new teachers but had no idea what the other kids' names were. I had been dreading this morning but knew this was for the best. When we arrived, the owner greeted us, and Audrey started crying when she tried to hold her. She then started crying when we set her down in the classroom. There were two little boys in the classroom, one was finishing up his oatmeal. I was told that he was sad because his girlfriend had just moved up to the older toddler room. Perfect! I told the teacher Audrey was going thru withdrawal from leaving her boyfriend. Maybe Audrey and Brody could befriend each other. Nah, neither of them seemed ready to give the other the time of day. Wouldn't eat her oatmeal or her raisins. Ugh, the waterworks. Eric tried to get me to leave her, and I knew that would be for the best. When I did leave, she had tears streaming down her face, and I knew I was going to cry as well. I reserved this for my car ride to work. I later received an email from the director with a couple pictures of Audrey playing. Eric checked on her around lunch time and she was napping with the rest of her class. Her teachers said she had a really good day and licked her plate clean for the remainder of the snacks and at lunch. She even got some homework! Not really, but some pictures with words and signs that they are focusing on this month. Overall, her first day was really good. Eric and I both felt good about our decision to move her.

We do miss Liam but I'm confident that Audrey will make lots of new friends and will do well at her new school.

This parenting thing is so hard.

First haircut!

I did it. Yesterday, I finally cut her beautiful red hair. Just the bangs. Over the past few days, I've come to appreciate bakers of layered cakes and now beauticians as just trimming her bangs was an adventure! She ate a banana (nana! nana!) to distract her. I think it turned out great although it made me sad to cut it. I decided later that I liked it so much I should have done it earlier! Eric loved that he was right about that one!