The scarf!

Audrey was introduced to the concept of a scarf today, and she absolutely loved wearing the scarf made by her Great-Grandma D. I asked if she would let me take a picture of her wearing it, and she immediately struck a pose on the stairs and said, "Cheese!"

I think she looks so grown up in this picture. Maybe the scarf adds a bit of sophistication. The following conversation didn't help the matter:

Me: Audrey, how old are you?

A: One!

Me: How old are you going to be soon?

A: Um, 14 years-old!

23 months

One month shy of 2 yrs. Hard to believe. Though she did use the word "probably" today so she's definitely not a 1 year old anymore.

Audrey had a great weekend with Grandma and Papaw P and Great-Grandmas D and B. She got lots of good food and was loved on all weekend. She was asleep within a few minutes of getting in the car to head back home, in part due to a hard fought fight the night before to try to avoid sleep. She's been having difficulty falling asleep the past few days, at least partly due to a new molar. She completely skipped her nap on Friday, much to Eric's dismay. Today, I thought for sure she would go down easy for her nap as she appeared ready to fall asleep in her spaghetti at lunch. But, she spent an hour and a half talking in bed, trying to problem-solve her way out of her nap. I told her she wasn't getting up until she napped, and I don't think she bought it. This was the last I heard over the monitor:

Mommy! Moooommmy! Daddy! Daaaaadddy! Suz! Suz! Suuuuuuuuuz! Eric! Eric! Ericcccccc! Oh, Eric working.

Silence. I can't believe how much I can get done in a 40 minute nap!

Early Morning Riser

Our little rooster continues to rise so early, even on the weekends. She knows somehow the difference between waking in the middle of the night, when she easily agrees to go back to sleep if her blankets or animals are adjusted, vs waking at 5:30 or 6 and being ready for the day. This is the case despite it being just as dark at 2 AM as it is when she wakes at 5:30 or 6 AM.

When she woke the other morning, at exactly 6 AM sharp, she greeted me by saying, "Hi, Mommy!" I knew there was no chance she would go back to sleep. I asked her as I scooped her out of bed:

"How do you know that it's 6 AM? How do you know what time it is? That it's time to get up?"

(thoughtful pause)

"Um, the clock."

Duh, mommy!

Scales

Eric was out of town for a conference and when he returned, an alligator returned with him. An alligator for which Audrey has completely fallen. She slept with her new friend, Scales, last night, and the alligator had quite a day today. He got to go potty, get some lotion, ride in the car seat, wait for an oil change, eat a snack, take a nap, go to the mall for some Christmas shopping, get thrown in the rain (oops!) and dried off by the mommy, read books, and finally fall asleep for the night. We got lots of comments about him, and Audrey would proudly tell people, "from daddy!" I hope Scales knew what he was getting into when he climbed into Eric's luggage!

Miscellaneous

A few short Audrey stories that I don't want to forget:

1) My usual name is Mommy. However, as of this week, if I'm in trouble with Audrey, I'm referred to as: "Mommy Pierson!!"

2) Belly button = Belly butt (makes me laugh every time)

3) Audrey likes things to be clean. I appreciate this side of her, at least most of the time. Not so much though when I hear her saying, "Vacuum, mommy" when she finds something on the floor. The other day, she spotted a few drops of water on the kitchen floor. She pointed them out to me, but I told her not to worry about it. The next thing I know, I find Audrey bent over, using the kitchen towel to wipe up the drops of water. "There, mommy!" I just thanked her and moved on...

4) I've noticed that when she has done something she shouldn't have done, her response to my asking her about it has become: "It happens." It really is a clever response to most things.

5) Audrey is getting quite good at playing catch. She's had a good arm for a while, but has really gotten good at catching the ball now, too. When she was first learning, and I would throw the ball to her, I often would say "Oh, bad throw!" if she missed the ball while trying to catch it. Well, recently Audrey has started to make her OWN decisions about the quality of the throws! "Oh, good throw, mommy!" or "Oh, BAAAAAD throw, mommy!"

The other day, Eric asked me very seriously if, um, Audrey corrects/critiques my throws. I knew exactly what he was referencing but considered for a second saying I didn't know what he was talking about. (You know, us Cardinal fans have excellent 'play ball' technique.) I didn't have the heart to though, and Eric mentioned that the last thing he wants to hear when he gets up before the sun's up (b/c our little rooster always does) is to hear such criticism!

All I Want For Christmas

Me: Audrey, what would you like Santa Claus to bring you for Christmas?

(thoughtful pause)

Audrey: Grandma and Grandpa!!

Me: Grandma and grandpa? Is there anything else you'd like Santa to bring you?

Audrey: Um, great-grandma!

No coal in her stocking this year, I bet! :)

Bath conversation

Me: Audrey, who's beautiful?

Audrey: Audrey's beautiful!

Me: That's right!

Thoughtful pause.

Audrey: And mommy is beautiful! And daddy is beautiful!

We'll see what she comes up with when she's negotiating her allowance!