just another Thursday...

Getting ready for summer

Baby sunglasses really cheer me up.  Audrey has another pair that are huge, and she always looks like a tiny Elton John when she wears them.  I can't control my laughter when they're on her head.

So, here's another week that's flying by, full of good intentions that keep getting put off... I need to get organized!  I feel like my brain is crazy and scattered lately, but it's a little bit fun.  The only time I really feel ON IT is when I've just had a huge cup of coffee.  At least we're getting a ton of sunshine lately!  I don't know what happened to the remainder of that sad excuse for a winter, but it's been in the 80s here lately.  Is it warm where you are?  Weather report!

Okay, carry on.  I have an exersaucer to assemble! 

jumble of thoughts [baby, baby, baby]

Thoughtful baby.

I blinked twice and a whole week passed me by!  But here I am!  Exhausted but happy on a Friday night.  Audrey started laughing this afternoon.  All week she's been building up to it; every once in a while when she was happy I'd hear a sort of half chuckle - a "huh!" sound between smiles.  And then suddenly today, there were giggles.  And life is all sunshine and lollipops now!  (Remind me of that when she wakes me up in a few hours.)

Bath time was also lovely today.  Audrey has enjoyed taking baths for a couple of months now, but she ALWAYS cries when we take her out to dry off.  We just expect a little tantrum.  But today, there were no tears!  No fussing at all.  I suppose we're both getting better at it.  I swear, if a baby senses your fear or anxiety, they freak out.  I was very calm with her and let her look out the bathroom window while I dried her off.  Getting her bathed and dried off and dressed with no crying?  Big breakthrough!!

Every new bit of her personality that shines through pleases me so much!  It's amazing how much she has changed and grown in the last three and a half months since she was born.  And it's amazing how quickly we adjust to each new phase.  Sometimes even prematurely.. she's slept all night 3 times so far and I keep expecting her to do it again - haha. Wishful thinking!

WHAT!?

I hope everyone has a lovely, restful weekend.  Check back here in the next few days for something a little more exciting than this!!

my two favorite monkeys

Practicing for warmer weather - sailor hat!

Helping make cinnamon rolls on Saturday morning.

There they go...

Sometimes I happen upon the most amazing scenes.  Yesterday evening I left Robert and Audrey to their own devices while I took a nice long shower.  When I got out, I found them in the living room... Robert was pushing Audrey around in her stroller, singing to her and watching Michael Jackson's This Is It.

I can't imagine anything more hilarious than that.  I love these two so much! 

portrait of a 3-month old

The saddest, cutest thing ever - a baby who doesn't want to play dress up.

"Pleeease don't make me!!"

"Okay, only if I can stand up."

I love the way she's already mastered sulking.

Audrey is OFFICIALLY 3 months (and 6 days!) old now.  She is becoming such a precious little beast!  I knew she was cute from the start, and I've always been so proud of her, but I would say that it's just in the last few weeks we've become really close.  We've finally settled into a routine and enjoy spending our days together.

Before she was born I wasn't sure how much I would talk about her here... For privacy reasons as well as the fact that I was planning on doing much more with this space, and not just falling into the category of "mommy blogger."  But as anyone with a baby knows... it's nearly impossible to think of much else, especially when you stay home all day with your little one.  So I'm just going to let it happen, though hopefully I'll continue to post on other topics occasionally! 

I'm planning to post her birth story soon, because I haven't really written it all down anywhere and I don't want the memories to get lost.  I know before I had a baby I was fascinated by birth stories, and eager to hear about all of the possible ways it could go.  I'm still fascinated with them, but now they either make me jealous if they sound easier than mine, or grateful that mine went the way it did.  So I hope it won't be a great bore to anyone, but if so you can just skip over the post.  :)

bad nights and good days

 
This baby is blowing my mind.  She'll be 3 months old tomorrow, and she can already do so many amazing things.  Yesterday she started cooing along when I was singing to her!  She's also been "working out" a lot lately - she likes to sit on my lap and hold my hands while practicing sitting up and standing.  These things seem so sudden.  It's really odd how quickly babies change; one minute it seem like they're going to just sleep and cry forever, and the next they develop a little personality and impress the hell out of you.  These things combined with magically soft skin (and little puffy cheeks that I could kiss FOREVER) make me wonder if babies are some sort of mythical creatures...  They've got powers, you guys.

Audrey has been such a delight lately.  Well, most of the time.  For some reason she's been having a hard time going to sleep.  I know I'm contributing to bad sleep habits, but so often I take the path of least resistance and just rock her to sleep.  She needs to learn how to fall asleep on her own without me putting her to sleep and then sneaking away!  I thought we were getting into some good patterns, but in the last few days it seems like she won't go to sleep unless I rock or bounce her into oblivion first.  I know I should start letting her fuss for a couple of minutes and see if she can settle down on her own, but it's just my habit to swoop in and try to quiet her down immediately.  (Anyone have any tips or ideas for making nap time and bed time easier?)

But even the worst night can lead into the best day.  If Audrey wakes up at a ridiculous hour and refuses to go back to sleep, I know I don't have to wait long before her first nap -- this kid can only stay awake an hour and a half before getting super sleepy and cranky!!  And when she does wake up from a nap, she's renewed and cheerful and just wants to smile and chat for a while.  Sleep is like a reset button for babies.