Mommy's Big Girl

Audrey got a new big girl carseat a few weeks ago.
And because she doesn't sit the infant seat anymore, she gets to ride in the basket at the store!

New Camera...Great Pictures?

We bought a great new camera yesterday. It takes awesome pictures. Brandon really loves photography, so this is his chance to get started on a new hobby. Maybe I will learn a thing or two. My picture taking skills are blah, but maybe with a nice camera my pictures will not look so bad. So far, these are pretty good.


Brandon took this one with Hazel and Audrey. She loves Hazel sooo much, and Hazel loves that Audrey pays attention to her.
Audrey loves to look at the world upside down. She is so adorable.

Sweet Times with Sweet Potatoes

Tonight Audrey had her first taste of sweet potatoes. She seemed to like them right away.

Hazel is asking Audrey if she has any leftovers for her. Hazel is also fond of sweet potatoes.
"Thanks mom. Those were yummy."

Audrey's on TV

Tummy Sleeper

Audrey prefers sleeping on her tummy. I always put her on her back, and she ends up this way (no pun intended). And somehow she turns herself so that her feet will hang out the slats.

Tummy Time...Over

New Trick

You've Missed A Lot

Audrey started rolling from her tummy to her back on her four month birthday. I went into the kitchen to make some breakfast, and when I came out...she was on her tummy!!!

She is also sitting without our help for short amounts of time. She can balance all by herself for about 30 seconds. She went from holding herself up with her arms

to sitting with no help from us or her arms!

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...