Just Audrey

          I just had to post these two photos.  Audrey and her Daddy ... She loves Matt so much, and she's always excited when he's home.  She loves to make pancakes with Daddy, she loves to ride on his shoulders, she loves to play games with Daddy, and she loves just being with him.  As for me, I love watching the two of them interact, and I'm always amazed at Matt's never-ending energy level!  Even after he's had a 14 hour day at work, he still finds the energy to chase, play, and run with Audrey when he gets home.  They have a very special bond, and this picture of the two of them just touches my heart.

          I took the second picture one afternoon when Audrey and I were playing in the house.  She started off dancing and then began showing me her gymnastic moves (she is not in a dance or gymnastics class - she just makes the moves up).  Suddenly, she was walking up the wall!  This girl always makes me laugh!

Pre-School Peer Pressure?

     Since she was an infant, I have been trying to put bows, headbands, and pony tails in Audrey's hair.  As an infant, she would cry until I removed whatever was on her head.  Now, as a toddler, she'll usually only keep a barrette or pony tail in her hair if we're playing outside or painting.  When I send her to her day school with her hair pulled back, I usually pick her up with her hair free, wild, and down.  Now, don't get me wrong.  I love her wild blonde hair.  I love that it's wavy and has a mind of it's own.  I know she'll have many years ahead of her "fixing" her hair, so I don't push the girly hair accessories too often.

     Today, after preschool, Audrey came out of her bathroom carrying her purple bow.  She held it out to me and told me that she should have worn it to school today.  When I asked her why, Audrey replied that Kendall (a friend and classmate) had her purple bow in her hair today and she (Audrey) did not.   She then asked me to put the bow in her hair and said she wanted to wear it the next time she went to school!  I just laughed, put the bow in her hair, and wondered if she really will wear the bow to school on Friday.  We shall see.  (And, in case you are wondering, the purple mark under her lip is not marker or paint.  She was running at top speed in our house - racing, as she calls it - when she wiped out and face planted.  She busted her lip and has a nice little bruise under her lip as proof).

Getting Ready for Baby . . .

          We have reached the middle of October, which means I'm one month away from my due date! I can definitely say that I am ready for this pregnancy to be over. When I was pregnant with Audrey, I was in no hurry.  I was not uncomfortable, and I was so apprehensive about life with a new baby that I didn't want to rush her arrival. I still don't want to rush the birth of this baby, but if this little one decides to be born before the due date, I am more than ok with that. Being pregnant while chasing a toddler with never-ending energy has been more demanding than I thought it would. The hot South Carolina summer was draining, too. But, more than any other reason, we are ready to expand our family. Audrey is excited about a new baby brother or sister, and Matt and I can't wait to have two kiddos under our roof. It is still hard to believe that we'll have a tiny newborn under our roof this Thanksgiving!

Florida Family Time

In September, we once again loaded up the MV (mini-van) and drove to Florida to visit Matt's family. We started our week in Jupiter with Matt's mom. Our niece, Samantha, also spent a few days with us. Samantha is six years old, and Audrey is quite taken with her. The two girls play wonderfully together. We really enjoyed the time with Nana B and Samantha.

On the next leg of our trip, we spent a few days in St. Cloud at the Broken "R" Ranch with Matt's dad and step-mom. As part of our trip, we went to Disney World. The first day, Grammy and Poppy joined Matt, Audrey, and me for an Animal Kingdom adventure. We were also joined by our great friends, the Maclins. Kim and her two kids, Kaity and Ryan, also met us at the park. Audrey loves Kaity and Ryan and was thrilled that they joined us at the park.

The second part of our Disney adventure was a special Disney date night for Matt and me. Audrey spent some quality time with Grammy and Poppy while we spent a fun-filled evening at Epcot. We managed to ride a few rides (that allow pregnant women to ride), eat a fantastic dinner in Morocco, and explore more of the World Showcase before catching the night time fireworks/laserworks show. It was a bit over the top compared to our typical date nights, but we loved every minute!

Another great trip to Florida . . .