4 Month Stats

Audrey went to the doctor this week for her 4 month checkup.



Weight: 13 pounds 4 ounces
Height: 24 inches

Some of the latest pictures...

Oh wait, those last two are me! :)

New Me

I went out on Friday by myself...for the first time. I left Audrey with my mother-in-law. I was sad at first as I was driving to the salon. My hair was in desperate need of color and a cut! Once I was there, I was just fine. I definitely waited just the right amount of time to leave her. She's a big girl now. She even took a bottle with Grammy. I know they had fun.

Saturday, Brandon and I went out on a date. Audrey got to stay with Grammy again! I am so happy that I can leave her with her grandmother. It's good to know that she will be well taken care of.

Audrey is Thirsty

This video is a little dark, but totally hilarious! Watch Audrey taking a "drink."

Music to My Ears

My baby laughed today. Click here to see the video.

I just happened to turn on the camera, and she laughed! This is actually her very first laugh!

She Moved Out

Audrey moved out of our room to the office today. I am sad, and I miss her even though she's just in the next room.

Brandon said it was time. He is sad, too. He misses her.

I can hear her breathing on the monitor.

This is just another sign that my little girl is growing up all too fast.

Time slow down, please.

OMG...Almost Dead Dog

Hazel almost died today.

She loves those rawhide bones, especially when they get really small, the size of her trachea.

Brandon got home and asked me what she was chewing on. He couldn't tell what it was because it was so small. I said, "A small piece of her bone." So he walks over to her and says, "Give it to me. Ahhh, she swallowed it." This happens a lot.

But this time it was different. She started gagging trying to get it out of her throat. We quickly realized that she couldn't breathe.

Brandon pried open her mouth and tried to get the bone out, but it was really stuck in there.

All I can think to do is pound her on the back of the head. (How do you pat a dog on the back if they are choking, anyway?) But that didn't work. Brandon tells me to stop.

He asks me to help by holding open her mouth, and all I can say is, "I'm afraid she'll bite me." But I don't want to stick my finger in her mouth either.

I do need to help, so I begin walking in circles looking for the phone. I yell out frantically, "Where is the phone?!?" I suggest Brandon try to do the Doggie Heimlich, but I'm not sure how to do that one either.

Brandon tilts Hazel upside down and she gags again and the bone falls out of her mouth.

He goes off to wash his hands, and Hazel finds her ball as if she didn't almost die.

Brandon comes back and asks, "Who were you gonna call?" I reply, "I don't know. 911?"

Traveling Circus

Today the traveling circus went to the vet. Hazel has totally been hating me lately, and I figured I could win her affection back by taking her somewhere in the car. It is time for Hazel's vaccinations to be updated, and she has had some problems with her ear. I think it's really been bothering her lately. Also, it's bothering me when she flaps her ears constantly and wakes up Audrey from her 15 minute naps.

Well, we loaded up at 10:52 to make it to see Dr. Bethany by 11:15. First off, we were 7 minutes late getting on the road. Then there was a train. Bah. Oh well, I have resigned that I will be late for the rest of my life.

Hazel is a good car dog. She sits on the driver's leg and looks out the window. She's not good at holding on during the turns though. She usually slides off and falls down by the accelerator and brake pedals. She's not good at getting back onto the driver's leg either.

Well, we made it to the vet's office a few minutes late, but that was okay. I got a great parking space right in front of the door. It was starting to sprinkle so I needed to hurry and get us all inside. I jumped out and hooked Hazel's leash on her harness. She was soooo excited to be somewhere! She walked with me to get the stroller out of the back of the Tahoe. I got the stroller out (because I cannot carry the infant seat anymore...it weighs 79 pounds with Audrey in it). I have these cool hooks on the side of the stroller, and I hooked Hazel's leash to the stroller which she promptly started to pull through the parking lot. Hazel guided the stroller to the side of the Tahoe to get Audrey out.

Hazel parked the stroller right by the car door (she's a good mush dog) so Audrey wouldn't get too wet because now the rain was starting to come. I put the brake on the stroller so it wouldn't "wander" away with Hazel since she was still attached to the stroller. I had my bag on my shoulder, and I heaved and hoed the carseat out of the Tahoe. I finally got it out, and Audrey was a little shaken, like usual. I stepped down out of the Tahoe and my bag tipped the stroller over. I caught it before it hit the ground, but I needed it to move over a little so I could get out of the car. The stroller wouldn't budge because the brake was on. I can't tell you the details because I am not sure what happened, but I finally got the carseat snapped into the stroller with minimal damage to the baby, dog, and car.

Did I mention I had a parking space right in front of the door to the office? I am sure that everyone could see the drama unfolding outside. Thankfully Hazel didn't get squashed by a car in the empty parking space beside us.

Into the office we go. Have you ever tried to control a hyperactive dog, push a stroller, carry a bag, and open a door all at the same time? It's humorous if you're watching someone else do it, but if you're the one doing the controlling, pushing, carrying, and opening, it's not funny at all.

I open the door, and there is a HUGE black Lab waiting in the doorway to eat Hazel. She would be a nice snack for him. She backs out of the doorway (which she was not going in anyway...duh, it's the vet's office). Remember she is still attached to the stroller. I ask the lady with the black Lab if her dog is nice, and she says yes. She is not convincing Hazel.

The wheels on my stroller are backwards and I have to push really hard to get them to turn the right way (like a grocery-store basket). Hazel is pulling on the stroller, and I am holding the door open with one hand pushing Audrey with the other. All the time, three humans with working legs and arms (but not brains or manners) are sitting in the office watching me.

Then all of a sudden, unknown to me, Hazel escapes out of her harness. She runs to the car. No way is she going into that office. A lady sitting inside informs me that my dog has gotten loose. Thanks, lady.

What can I do, I am stuck. I'm in limbo. I am holding the door, otherwise it would slam into the stroller and shake up Audrey even more (since she gets a good shaking when I try to get her out of the car), and my dog is running amuck in the parking lot. Let's pause and think about what you would do? Would you leave the baby with the huge lab and brain-dead humans? Would you let the dog go (although I am at the vet because of the dog)?

I do what any sleep-deprived mother would do. I say to all who can hear, "I cannot hold this door, push this stroller, and control my dog at the same time!" By this time, one woman's brain starts working and she jumps up to hold the door while I run to get Hazel.

Luckily, Hazel is waiting patiently at the Tahoe. She wants me to let her in the car. She looks at me and says, in dog telepathy, "I'll wait in the car for you." I scoop her up and push the leash-dragging stroller into the office. I tell the lady thank you for holding the door.

No one will make eye contact.

I take the ONLY open seat (this is a small office), and put the harness back on Hazel. She's shaking and fidgeting because the teenager holding the black Lab's leash is letting him have free reign of the office. I look up at the adult with the teenager because that dog is getting too close to my baby. She says, "Pull him in because he's getting too close to the baby." So I say, "Yeah, lady, the dog IS too close and I'm a hormonal, sleep-deprived, new mother who is going to..." Nah, I didn't really say that.

Well, long story long, the visit with Dr. Bethany went just fine. Hazel and Audrey were both very well behaved. On the way out, a really nice boy dogsat Hazel while I put Audrey and the stroller back in the car.

Other than all of the above, we had a pretty uneventful trip to the vet yesterday.

Memory Card Full...WHAT!?!

I can't delete the pictures on my camera. What if my computer crashes and I lose all the precious pictures of Audrey? What am I going to do???? I guess I will have to buy a new digital camera.

Happy Birthday Jenni

My little sister turned 26 today. XXOO I love you nister.

OHHH The Cuteness...

What Routine??

Eat, play, sleep? Play, eat, sleep? Poop anyone? Whatever.

Happy Birthday Averie

Yesterday was the first birthday party for my precious neice Averie Aerin. Averie and her mommy and daddy came to Houston on Friday. They spent the night with us. It was so good to see my sister. I miss her so much.

GP (Grandpa) hosted the party at his house. All of Averie's great grandparents and great aunts and uncles were there. She was a perfect little angel at her party.


If you could have seen all the gifts!!! There were sooo many. Elmo toys and books were everywhere.

Jenni let Averie eat her own cupcake. She loved it. Jenni said Averie had never had chocolate before. And so a life long love affair with chocolate begins. She ate a lot of the cupcake, but I think she liked squishing it between her fingers more. At one point she was eating the cupcake wrapper!

By the end of the day, Averie was totally pooped out. She was so wonderful throughout the whole party. Everyone was so impressed with that adorable, sweet, and well mannered little girl.




Where was Audrey through all of this? She was taking a 2 1/2 hour nap in her GP's room. Thank goodness we brought her swing! She was pooped before the party started. I can't wait for these precious angels to be best friends.

Ache

ache n.
1. a dull persistent (usually moderately intense) pain

There are a lot of aches in life. Stomach-ache, head-ache, nervous-ache, foot-ache, back-ache. I have had all of these aches at one time or another. Heart-ache is something that I am accustomed to also. When I lost my mother in 1996, my heart ached. I had never felt that type of ache before. I didn't think that I would feel an ache in my heart like that again.

Today, though, I have another ache in my heart. I have a dull persistent pain, and it is moderately intense. Although it is a different type of ache than the ache of loss. It's an ache from love.

When Audrey looks up at me from her crib and her little lips open into a toothless grin, my heart hurts. It hurts because it cannot possibly hold all the love for Audrey inside. It is full. When I see Brandon holding her and snuggling with her, my poor heart aches.

When she desperately cries out, my heart aches. When she smiles and squeals, my heart aches. When she grows up everyday, my heart aches.

When does this dull persistent pain end? Love never ends.

"ache." WordNet® 3.0. Princeton University. 15 Jun. 2007. Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ache.

Ode to a Bissell

Oh lovely Bissell,
When Audrey is wailing like a ship whistle,
You are such a life saver,
Because you never waiver.

When she's on a roll,
You're there to take control.
With a flip of your switch,
Audrey loses her feverish pitch.

Thank you floor cleaner,
For your calm demeanor.
Before I discovered your soothing power,
My daughter and I were going sour.

Can't Quit

I don't know if people know this, but I breastfeed my little one. I have been thinking of quitting because we've hit a really hard place in the road. I need to do what is best for me and my baby. I couldn't decide what is best because I think either way (breastfeeding or bottle feeding) is good. I just didn't think I could make it one more day. Today has been really good, and now I think I can make it another day or even a week. Isn't it strange how you can change your mind so quickly?

I read this blog, and this is why I can't quit, I just couldn't put my feelings into words. I have this one thing with my baby that no one else shares with her. She smiles at everyone. She coos for them, too. But nursing her is my thing. And even though it's incredibly hard, I can't imagine giving it up...yet. I know that our last day will come...maybe sooner than later, but I will be ready for that day when it's time. It's not time yet.

So, here's the blog that puts these hard places into perspective...and it's why I can't quit. All Gone

Can't Fix It

I'm slowly learning patience. And I can't always fix my baby. She's not going to die because she cries for 30 seconds even though it feels like 3 hours.

This last week has only been 7 days but it feels like 7 years.

OOOh...she's so cute though.

Don't Waste Your Life

Bloon Game.

Don't waste your life. But if you have a few extra minutes or a whole day check out this site -- http://funny-games.biz/bloons.htm

You can't say that I didn't warn you.

Last night.

Last night was interesting. Audrey usually goes to sleep around 10:30 and then sleeps until 5:00. There was nothing different last night. She was out by 10:30, but for some reason she woke up around 2:45. I didn't realize that she was making noises until 3:00. I got up to feed her. She eats for all of 7 minutes and then fell back asleep. I thought that she was just needing some snuggle time. I was thankful that she didn't draw it out for 30 minutes. I put her back in the pack n play, but her eyes popped open. So I left her for 5 minutes (that's my rule...she goes down for 5 minutes, and she usually falls asleep). Five minutes later, she is still kicking and grunting. So I pick her back up thinking she is still hungry. She eats for a few minutes and then falls asleep...out cold. I put her back in the pack n play, and her eyes pop open again. So I leave her for 5 more minutes. This time she fusses a little.

Now, it's 3:30. When I pick her up, she burps really loud. I say, "Oh, that's what the problem was. Now you can go back to sleep." She smiles. Great...I broke another rule. Never talk to the baby at night. I rock her in my arms, and she drifts to sleep. I put her back in the pack n play, and her eyes pop open again. This time she looks at me and smiles. I didn't wait 5 minutes. I pick her up and go into the bathroom (where it is really dark). I rock her in my arms and sing her favorite songs: I'm a Little Teapot, Jingle Bells, Jesus Loves Me, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Rockabye Baby, and Hush Little Baby. Actually, they aren't her favorites. These are just the songs that I know all the words to. I make sure she is good and asleep this time. I put her back in the pack n play, and her eyes pop open again. It is now 4:00. I pick her up again, and she spits up all over me. Yuck. I lay her down on my bed to clean her up. Now she screaming! Brandon wakes up and asks if we're okay. I tell him to go back to sleep. I dont think he heard me. He is already snoring.

I calm her down, and wipe her face and my shoulder. She smiles and coos at me. So, I ask her, "Why aren't you sleepy? Let's go night night." All of a sudden, I hear a machine gun in her diaper. Great. I try not to change diapers in the middle of the night. Now I have to change this one. We go to the changing table. She is really happy. She is talking and smiling up a storm. I try to take her picture, but it is too dark in the room. I am breaking every rule.

I get the new diaper under her, and what does she do? More poop. Lots of it, too. And she has to pee! Great. At least it was in the diaper and not on the changing table. That will turn a happy baby mad in a minute. She is still really talkative and flirty. Okay. I give up. It's 4:30, and I decide that I'll just take a nap this afternoon. I am awake. I get her a new diaper, and put her pajamas back on. For some reason, she yawns. And yawns again. I lay back in bed and put her on my chest. She's out. It's 4:38. At 4:45 I put her in the pack n play. She's out. Nice.

Why not finish the laundry? It's 4:45. What a great time to do housework. I also make Brandon's lunch. He always wanted me to be a stay at home zombie, I mean mom.