Friday, October 28, 2011

Audrey - 10 months

My sweet Audrey,

You are 10 months old! I am in awe every day at how smart you are becoming. Your little giggle melts my heart and that smile - oh that smile - it lights up my life!

Two more teeth this month brings your total up to 8! You don't seem to have any more coming right now and Mommy is very grateful! I don't think we've had a real break since you started teething. Your hair is also starting to fill in a little bit. It's so light that you still look like a baldy, but as the person who washes your cute little head every night, I know it's growing now!

We have started a new sleep routine since your 9 month well baby check up. Instead of Mommy nursing you to sleep, we nurse, then do tubby time, then read books, then Daddy puts you down to sleep awake. You are doing amazingly well with it and go down right away! You are still up twice during the night and Mommy is still nursing you back to sleep then, but that's next on our list to tackle. One thing at a time! You are sleeping in your crib all night for the most part though, which is wonderful!

Not only do you stand unassisted, but you took your first steps this month!! I still wouldn't call you a "walker" just yet, but on days when you're feeling brave (and definitely not when we're trying to get you to do it) you'll take a few independent steps! You love your little pushable lion too and push him around like a pro! Very, very soon you'll be cruising around on those twinkly toes.


Mommy loves the fall, so we spend lots of time outside this month. We hiked Mt. Greylock, played in the leaves and went apple picking! You were so cute trying to pull the apples off the trees and didn't want to leave.

When we ask you to clap your hands, you do so without being shown what to do. Mommy is amazed at how much you are showing us you understand. You can pick your baby doll out of a pile of stuffed animals when asked and you'll "shakey shakey" your sprinkles on command. You also love scarecrows and demand to be brought around Grammy and Grampy's house until you've seen them all!

You LOVE to read more than anything else! You'll pull every single book off your bookshelf, surround yourself with them and "read" them one by one. You will occupy yourself for long periods of time like this. You definitely show preference for any book with animals in it, so much so that Mommy wonders if some day you might have a career involving animals.
You love to get into things you aren't supposed to. You have learned to shake your head "no" to Mommy when she tells you not to do something and proceed to do it anyway. You also climbed all the way up the stairs (with Mommy following you to see what would happen). The house is now complete with baby gates, cabinets locks and outlet plugs!

You are silly,

sweet,

mischievous,
and curious,

and Momma loves you to pieces!

To the moon and back sweet girl!
Love Always,
Mommy

Monday, October 17, 2011

natural bridge

We are blessed to live in an area filled with natural beauty. Natural Bridge State Park is one of those places I love to go when I want to get outside. It is home to the only naturally formed white marble bridge in North America. A few weeks ago, my hubby and I strapped Audrey in the ergo and took her up there for her first visit and a nice little hike!
Cutie!
Shadow Family
She loves her Daddy!
Not bad for the self-timer!
Shoulder ride!
beautiful

my loves

Is she my mini-me or what?!



Sunday, October 16, 2011

pumpkin patch

A few weeks ago, my sister was here visiting so we decided to take the kiddos to the pumpkin patch! Blake is still too small to really enjoy it, but Audrey had fun! And of course, we got lots of pictures!

We saw goats...
 
...and sheep...
...and a pony!
Audrey just LOVES animals! She's not afraid at all!
Then we saw pumpkins bigger than she was!



It was an absolutely GORGEOUS sunshiny day and we all enjoyed the pumpkin patch!

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

the little details

I came across The Paper Mama's blog via Pinterest recently. It's such a fun blog that it has become one of my new favorites, so I decided to participate in her photo challenge this week. This week's theme is "the little details."

I love this photo of Audrey's hands just after she picked some of the petals off of Grammy's new mums! And I think it fits the theme perfectly!




Tuesday, October 4, 2011

team mommy

A friend asked me for some advice on getting her baby boy to sleep in his crib the other day and it got me thinking. As mommies, we need to be more supportive of one another. We need to ask for advice when we need it and give advice when asked. We need to remind each other with this advice that each and every child is different, and that what worked for us might not work for them. We need to encourage each other and reinforce that we are doing the best we can for that particular child.

We need not tear each other down or imply that we know better. We need not be close-minded to ideas that are unfamiliar to us.

We need to stick together. We need to do our research and share our knowledge. We need to encourage, uplift and support each other.

Too often I see Moms criticizing each other behind their backs. We are on the same team! We need to stick together. After all, it really does take a village to raise a child. We need each other!