December 31...and 2010 in Review!

We had (actually, we're still having) a New Year's Eve party at our house tonight. The party started at 8, so Audrey didn't get to hang out for long. But she got to spend about 30 minutes playing with and entertaining everybody, and she squeezed a lot of fun into that 30 minutes!

The rest of the evening we hung out and played lots of games. Now we're waiting for midnight, so we can go to bed! This is pretty impressive for me to up and functioning this late.

My friend Lizzie posted a year in review on her blog this morning, and I thought it looked fun. So here is mine: the first post of the first day of each month, along with the picture, for the past year. I'm not sure if it is really a good summary of our year or not, but it's kind of fun to look back at what we did and how much Audrey has changed!

January:

We got a new dryer today.

February:
I think crying pictures are so cute!

March:

And the Oscar movie countdown continues...I crossed movie number 8 off my list tonight, District 9.

April:

I have been so excited this week to pull out Audrey's spring and summer clothes!

May:

More garage sales today, more cheap VBS finds!

June:

Poor Audrey is still sick today.

July:

July--go away, I am not ready for you yet!

August:

Tonight we had the Lanters over for homemade ice cream and blueberry cobbler.

September: The Springfield school district has a program called Parents as Teachers.


October:

Tonight was a book club night!

November:
I was a little nervous that Pippi is too outdated, and people wouldn't recognize Audrey in her costume.

December:

Happy December!

December 30

First thing this morning Audrey wanted to play the same game of catch/run and sit in the chair/pose for pictures that we played last night!

December 29

Tonight I wanted to get a nice picture of Audrey sitting in the new chair she got for Christmas. She loves the chair and was more than willing to sit in it...but getting her to sit still in the chair, look at the camera and smile was a different story!

Our photo shoot soon turned into a silly game of catch with Daddy, combined with running back to the chair to sit and pose for a picture before getting up to throw the ball to Daddy. We had a lot of fun playing and laughing together as a family tonight!

December 28

We made it home with all of our stuff today. Daniel managed to fit everything in our car! It's hard to tell in this picture, but our trunk was completely packed.

Audrey was quite excited when she realized that all these new toys she had been playing with at her grandparents' houses got to come home with her to her house. As Daniel was unloading the car, she would get so excited every time she saw him bring one of her new toys inside.

As for me, I am anxious to clean out a bunch of toys and junk around here. I'm thinking we will have a big garage sale this spring.

On a side note, Oscar movie viewing season has begun! Heather and I again have a goal to see all the Oscar nominated movies. We don't know what is going to be nominated yet, but we already have a list of potential nominees to start watching. I got 3 movie theater gift cards for Christmas, so I'm all set! Tonight, we saw Black Swan. It was disturbing on several levels. I did not absolutely hate it, but I didn't really like it much either. I would like to see Natalie Portman get an Oscar for her role though. She was very convincing as an obsessed, psychotic ballerina.

December 27

We had our final Christmas celebration with Daniel's family this morning. This is Audrey's stack of presents!! I'm not sure how we are going to fit it all in the car to get it back home!

Tonight, we went over to the Bungards' house for dinner. Ava and Audrey's relationship was similar to the last time they saw each other. There were times when they played nicely together (see picture above), and there were times when they played not so nicely.

We also learned that Audrey freaks out when Daniel holds babies too. Daniel held Truett tonight (who is not even a little baby, he's 7 months old), and Audrey freaked out just like she did when I held Josiah last week. I was really surprised, because she normally isn't too clingy with Daniel. Seriously, we need everyone who has a baby, to come spend some time at our house before June. Audrey needs some major help getting used to this idea of Mommy and Daddy taking care of someone else!

December 26

Before we left Keokuk this morning, we finally got Audrey to hold Josiah. She seemed to like him from a distance and was always very interested in what he was doing, but she was never too sure about having him up close (and she really didn't like him close to Mommy!). But this morning, she laid down on the floor with him and held him and even gave him some kisses.

Then we got in the car and drove for 6 hours to Indiana. Audrey only slept about 45 minutes, but she did a great job in the car with very little fussing/crying/whining/screaming. Special thanks to the portable DVD player and Wonder Pets, Yo Gabba Gabba and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse for keeping her entertained and happy!

December 25

Merry Christmas!! Daniel finally made it through all the snow so he could spend Christmas day with us!

We had a nice day spending time with my family. Audrey seemed to enjoy opening and playing with her new presents...especially the Mickey Mouse music player that we got for her and the keyboard that my mom got for her. I'm worn out and ready for bed now! I have more pictures from our day posted on Facebook.

And now it is time for sleep! We are driving to Indiana tomorrow to celebrate Christmas with Daniel's family. The 6 hour drive is the longest we have taken with Audrey in a while...hopefully it goes well!

December 24

Today, Audrey made up for all of her grumpiness earlier in the week...she was the sweetest, funniest, most adorable little girl! I have a bunch of pictures and stories from the day. I'll post a few here, but I also started a Christmas Facebook album, so you can see more pictures there.

Nana put a fairy dress up outfit on Audrey this morning and gave her a magic wand. She also taught Audrey how to use the magic wand to make the red M&M on the tree sing (it has a motion sensor in it; it's not REALLY magic...just don't tell Audrey!). Audrey would hit the M&M with her magic wand, the music would start, she would dance all around the room, and then do it all over again. And again. And again...Tonight we went to Christmas Eve service at my mom's church. I wanted to get a picture of Audrey in her Christmas dress by the Christmas tree. She insisted on bringing the magic wand, so she could turn on the M&M and dance to the music while posing for pictures.
I let Audrey sit with us during the Christmas Eve service. She did really good, considering the fact that she is a two year old! The service was about an hour long. Audrey didn't quite stay silent the whole service, but I don't think she was too disruptive either. She loved the music. And she really loved the candle lighting at the end. I let her help me hold the candle. I wish I could have taken a picture of her face during that. She was in complete awe! And then she was even more excited to blow out the candle at the end. And then she got to blow out Seth's candle and Andrea's candle and Elisabeth's candle too...it was definitely a highlight of the night!

We also went over to Uncle Seth's house today for a little photo shoot. Seth is just getting started with a photo studio in his house, so he took a few photos of Audrey today to try out some of his new lights and backdrops. She did a GREAT job posing. She never, ever wants to sit still for me, but she was all smiles and poses for Seth. Later tonight, she wanted Seth to take more pictures of her at Nana's house.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!!

December 23

So I'm getting a taste this week of what life is going to be like when baby #2 arrives! Oh boy, it's going to be interesting!

On one hand, Audrey is definitely going to make a good little helper. She likes to bring things to you and put things where they belong (especially dirty diapers!). Whenever you change a diaper or do anything with the baby, she wants to do the same thing with her baby doll and Minnie Mouse. Like today, when Aunt Elisabeth gave baby Josiah a sponge bath, Audrey wanted to give her baby and Minnie a sponge bath too. It is pretty cute.

On the other hand, Audrey has always been very clingy and possessive with me. She has never liked it when I hold other babies, and especially now in this very opinionated stage that she is in, she really does not like it when I hold baby Josiah. I tried to hold him for a few minutes today, and she FREAKED out! We're talking hysterical screaming here, all because I held the baby. We tried again later, after I talked to her about how I was going to hold Josiah and told her she could sit next to me and hold her baby too. And it worked a bit better the second time when she seemed to understand what was going on. She cried for a little bit but soon settled down and started playing beside me.

Oh dear Audrey Paige...you have no idea what is in store for you in just a few months. I do have an idea of what is in store for all of us, and I think I might need to start praying now for patience! =)

December 22

Audrey was in much better spirits today, so that was a good thing! We went to visit Great Grammy Lois and Aunt Nancy in Quincy. Nancy gave Audrey lots of special treats, and that kept her happy...as evidenced by her chocolate covered face in the picture below! Audrey did learn one new thing today that was NOT FUN! She fell asleep on the way home from Quincy, then woke up when we got here and was a total grump. I tried to put her back down to sleep some more, but she kept telling me, "No, not tired!" So after a bunch of crying, I decided to give up on the idea of her getting any more nap time this afternoon.

But then at bedtime tonight, she remembered the whole "not tired" thing from this afternoon. And from the second I told her it was time to go to bed until I put her down in her bed, she kept crying and screaming "not tired, not tired". Fortunately, she only cried for about 2 minutes in her bed before settling down to sleep.

She has definitely become very opinionated about what she wants and doesn't want lately. I suppose it makes sense that she would be opinionated about bedtime as well. But, I miss my Audrey who would willingly skip off to bed whenever you told her it was time. I'm hoping this "not tired" thing is just a temporary phase and happy-to-go-to-sleep-anytime Audrey is back very soon!

December 21

Daniel headed back to Springfield today, leaving Audrey and I to hang out at my mom's this week. Audrey was a total grump today, and it was really not an enjoyable day at all. Hopefully, she will decide to be a little happier for the rest of the week, or it may be a long week for all of us.
I did manage to sneak a picture of my new nephew Josiah while he was napping with Aunt Elisabeth this afternoon. He is one month old, and SO adorable!!! I'm hoping to have a real photo shoot with him at some point this week!

December 20

We are getting ready to go to Keokuk. Audrey and I are going to spend the week with my mom. It is also our 7th wedding anniversary today, so Daniel is going to drive us over, then we'll drop Audrey off at my mom's and celebrate in the big city of Keokuk. I would have preferred to go to St. Louis or somewhere a little more exciting, but the free babysitter (aka Grandma) lives in Keokuk! We're actually going to stay in the same bed and breakfast where we stayed on our wedding night 7 years ago. So that is kind of sweet and romantic, I suppose! =)

So no picture for today, I'll be back tomorrow!

December 19

This morning our small group served brunch to the special needs class at our church. In the past, our group has attempted events like this that have not gone so well. But today was great! Everyone in the class seemed to have a good time and enjoyed the food. And we enjoyed serving them. It was a fun way to say merry Christmas!

December 18

Another busy day! Tonight I'm getting some decorations and baking done for a dinner our small group is hosting for the special needs class at church tomorrow. Since I am not feeling so great or energetic, I simplified my baking plans tonight. Instead of baking cookies, I made peppermint bark. And what a good decision that was! Peppermint bark is so quick and easy to make, and it tastes really yummy too!!

December 17

So I've already reached the awkward stage of pregnancy where it is difficult to find clothes that will fit. My pants are getting too tight. I can rubberband them and they are wearable, but then I have to be sure that my shirts are long enough to cover up the fact that my pants are not completely fastened. It's getting harder to put together an outfit that I like and that is comfortable to wear.

At 13 weeks, I'm already looking like I did at about 20 weeks last time. It's a bit sad, but I know I was spoiled last time around because I really never got that big. And I know that many women start to show earlier with their 2nd child. I know this is normal. But it's still a bit stressful for me...I have about 186 days ahead of me where I need to find some sort of clothing to wear. And I prefer for that clothing to fit me and at least be somewhat in fashion.

My goal last pregnancy was to hold out on maternity clothes for as long as possible. And I made it for a pretty long time...I didn't have to seriously start wearing maternity clothes until I was 6-7 months, and even then I was still able to wear several of my regular shirts. I'd like to make that my goal this time, but it is going to be kind of tricky. But I hate maternity clothes; they are expensive and rarely do they fit in a flattering way. So I went shopping today to try to come up with an alternative...or at least something to buy me a couple more months of regular clothes-wearing!

And my solution: jeggings! They are jeans, but they are also leggings, hence the name "jeggings". I'm not sure if I am really able to pull off the jeggings. I kind of feel like a 30 year old trying to look like a teenager. But whether I can pull it off or not, it's going to be my new look. They are comfortable and stretchy, and they have a low rise, elastic waistband...so hopefully they will fit for a while longer still.
I really don't have money to be spending on clothes right now, but I am declaring this a fashion emergency! I think a couple more pairs of legging/jeggings, a few more long tunics or sweaters, and maybe a new pair of boots, and I just might make it through most of the winter without maternity clothes! (Unless my faithful blog readers see these pictures and tell me that I am making a huge fashion mistake here. Then I will listen to all of your sound advice and seek another solution to my clothing dilemma!).

December 16

Oh my, what a day! I am completely worn out.

It was the last Sprouts day of 2010. And it was another good day for Audrey at Sprouts. She was being so nice to the other kids. Sharing toys and telling the other kids "hi" and "thank you". She normally doesn't want any other kids anywhere near her, so this new attitude was a welcome change.
Audrey got to make two crafts at Sprouts this morning: a candle (shown in the picture below) and a gift bag. She really enjoys crafts right now, and she was especially excited about this candle!

Santa also made an appearance at Sprouts today! Audrey didn't pose quite as well with him this time, but she was still excited to get to sit on Santa's lap again. And after seeing Santa, she got to eat a cookie, which was the real highlight of the morning.
I had a Christmas recital with my piano students tonight. In September, it always sounds like a good, fun idea to plan a Christmas recital...but when the time comes to actually do it, it's just a lot of work at a really busy time of year! I even played a song at this recital, which added to the stress of the day.

While I was prepping for the recital, Audrey got to go with the Lanters to a Christmas party at the Early Learning Center...where she got to make 3 more crafts!! She also got to decorate and eat a Christmas cookie. Then Lindsey brought her to the recital, where she sat and listened and clapped for everyone, before getting to eat yet another cookie. I'm surprised she went to sleep tonight after all the sweets she had today!

In the midst of everything else, I got my Nook in the mail today, thanks to an early Christmas present from my dad! I downloaded a couple of books this afternoon, but I didn't have much time at all. I'm so tired and icky feeling now, but I'm hoping to stay awake at least for a few more minutes so I can try it out. After I've had more time, I'll post a full review of what I think about this electronic reading device!

December 15

Today Audrey and I did not leave the house, and we stayed in our pajamas all day! I had several things to get done at home, and no real reason to go out, so we just made it a stay at home day.

To keep Audrey entertained, I pulled out some toys that she hasn't seen in a while...one being this duck board game. I showed Audrey one time how to play the game (pick up a duck, look at the color on the bottom, then match that color to the circle on the coordinating color of lily pad). And she figured out how to play right away! She pulled all the ducks off and then put them on the coordinating lily pads, all by herself! I don't know that this is really an advanced skill, probably most two year olds could match colors (though the game is for 3-8 year olds). But I was still impressed that she was able to play a game by following the actual rules of the game. Yet another reminder of how quickly she is growing up!

On a side note, our Christmas cards arrived today. They look great. Except for the one typo on the inside of the cards. And that one typo is driving me crazy! It is totally my fault, as I'm the one who typed it. And it's really not that big of a deal, most people may not even notice. But it is a misspelled word on all 60 of our Christmas cards, and it is going to bother me to mail them out to everyone knowing its there. I still will mail them out, but it is going to bother me. That's what I get for waiting to the last minute to make my cards, and then quickly trying to finish in time for the free deadline on a night when I was feeling tired and sick.

So if you get a Christmas card from us this year, let's make a game out of it! Kind of like Where's Waldo...Where's the Typo?

December 14

I made this banner a few years ago to hang up at Christmas time. It's not really all that exciting, but Audrey loves it. She is always pointing to it and asking what's that? So we tell her that it says "Noel". To which she responds, "No-ho-el", which is how she thinks noel is pronounced.

She got this idea from our friends, who have a little boy named Joel (pronounced "ho-el"). So, Audrey must associate the rhyming sounds of Noel and Joel and she puts them together to create "no-ho-el."

Since she likes the word noel so much, we taught her about the song "The First Noel." She will try to sing the chorus, and it is just so adorable: "no-ho-el, no-ho-el, no-ho-el, no-ho-el." A video would make this story so much better and cuter, but all I have for tonight is this picture.

Audrey is starting to talk so much now, I need to be writing down all the funny/cute things she is saying. So, for my records, here are some random things she has been saying lately:

*She is starting to use sentences. One of her first sentences: "I wanna see Mommy (or Daddy or Santa or someone else she likes) now."

*Sometimes her sentence structure is a bit off. Today, I was carrying a bunch of stuff in from the car and I wanted her to walk instead of me carrying her. She isn't a big fan of walking in the frigid temps and the snow, so she said: "no wanna walk snow Audrey", which means "Audrey doesn't want to walk in the snow" (pronouns are also still difficult, so she still refers to herself in 3rd person often)

*She likes to try to help you by bringing you something that she thinks you want, and then she says "thank you Audrey" before you have the chance to tell her thank you yourself.

*She loves McDonalds. I feel like a bad mom because she is so familiar with the place at the age of 2. We really don't go there THAT often, but she loves it. If you ask her about McDonalds, she will spout this off in a very excited voice: "Dedonalds (McDonalds). Nuggets. Tee Ties (french fries). Apples. Pepup (ketchup). Milk."

*Audrey has learned from us how to talk to Maggie. And that is probably not a good thing, because we are always annoyed with Maggie. Her newest phrase is "Naggie, go away." And she says it very clearly and seriously. She has also figured out that the phrase "go away" can be used in reference to other kids. When Lindsey was babysitting our small group kids the other night, she said that Audrey kept telling all the other kids to "go away". Oh dear!!!!

December 13

Tonight Audrey and I decorated a gingerbread house. It took her a while to catch on to the idea that we were making something and not just eating the icing and candy. But she eventually got the hang of it...sort of. I'd say for every one piece she put on the house, she ate about 4-5 more! We worked pretty quickly, because I was kind of afraid of her getting a stomachache from all the sweets.

Audrey and I also made muffins this morning. We make muffins quite a bit because 1. it warms up the kitchen, 2. Audrey likes to help with baking, and 3. I like to eat muffins! After we get the muffins in the oven, Audrey knows that we have to wait for the oven to go "beep, beep beep!" and then we get to eat one. So she insists that we sit right in front of the stove and watch them until the oven beeps. Every time we make muffins, she wants me to sit right there next to her on the floor and watch the muffins until the oven beeps.

December 12

Whew! What a busy day today! Fortunately, I was feeling pretty good and made it through all the festivities.
This morning was the church preschool Christmas program. All the preschools classes (ages 2-5) participated, which included Audrey! She was the youngest kid there, and I was nervous about what she would do during the program.

She did well for about 3/4 of the time. She never looked too excited to be there, but she sat in her chair and was quiet. She did some of the actions to the songs they were singing.
She held up her Bible during the B-I-B-L-E song.
She pretended to rock baby Jesus with everyone else during Away in a Manger.
She picked her nose. I was both afraid and certain that this would happen at some point during the program. Audrey is obsessed with picking her nose lately. (If anyone has any tips on how to get her to stop this, I'd be happy to hear them). Lindsey happened to be sitting close enough to get a picture of her in action.
And towards the end, Audrey decided she had enough of the program and started to cry. It was kind of a long program, so I don't really blame her. They quickly brought her over to sit with me, and that made her happy again.
She is such a big girl! I can't believe she is old enough to participate in a Christmas program already.

I also have another set of pictures from our small group progressive dinner tonight. But I'm not feeling like getting those all edited/uploaded tonight, so maybe I'll save them for tomorrow instead!