That's Rountree, No D

We've Moved!

2010-05-19T16:12:00.001-05:00

Mosey on over here for the new blog...

Stupid Brain

2009-09-29T15:49:00.000-05:00

Okay. Just writing for a minute to get a few thoughts out so they stop bouncing around in my head.

I have to have the routine one-year follow up test to look for cancer. It has been more than a year since my diagnosis and surgery, but at the time that I was supposed to get the test, I was pregnant with Audrey and then I was breastfeeding, and then I decided to move to Tennessee and basically life just got in the way of getting the test done. But now I have no excuses and it has to be done.

The test itself starts with a series of two shots, then I get a tracer dose of radioactive iodine, then I go for a full body scan to see if there is any cancer anywhere in my body. When thyroid cancer spreads, it usually goes to lungs and/or bones first, so the doctors need a scan of my entire body.

I’m currently on a low/no iodine diet, which I hate. It’s not that the diet is so bad, necessarily, but I am a grab-and-go eater. I hate cooking and this diet forces me to cook because I can’t eat anything that I haven’t prepared myself. I have to do this diet for about three weeks. I’m on day two and already feel stabby.

But the reason I’m sitting down to write is that for some reason I have tons of anxiety about this cancer test. I didn’t think that I did until yesterday and it just kind of hit me all of a sudden. I guess part of it stems from my track record with doctors and hospitals. My new endocrinologist (who I love, by the way), Dr. S., says there is nothing worrisome in my file and that this scan is just routine. Yeah, but every doctor I saw before told me that I probably didn’t have cancer in the first place. Dr. G. was as surprised as I was when the pathology came back positive for follicular cancer.

Not to mention my troubles when I had my appendix out when I was sixteen or when I had Audrey. It seems that if anything can go wrong, it will.

I don’t remember having this much anxiety when I was diagnosed with cancer. It’s probably partly because when I found out that I had cancer, I didn’t really have to deal with that knowledge for very long because I was in surgery just a couple of days later. And it’s probably partly (and maybe more importantly) because I didn’t have Audrey back then. I have a lot more to lose if the test results aren’t in my favor.

So those are my thoughts. While most of my brain thinks everything is going to fine, there is part of my brain that keeps replaying all the things that went wrong in the past and could go wrong now. Hopefully, over the course of these next few weeks, that doubting part of my brain will shut off, or at least quiet down to a dull roar.

Happy Feet!

2009-09-18T22:07:00.002-05:00

15 Months Old

2009-09-16T13:34:00.006-05:00

Today Audrey is officially 15 months old! Holy cow, where has the time gone?

Some fun facts:

New animal sounds-lion and (sometimes) elephant, complete with arm-trunk

She has 3 molars, with the fourth looking like it will be making it’s appearance in the next week or two. The first 3 molars came in altogether and she was miserable, although we’ve been so blessed that she hasn’t had a fever or ear infections accompanying new teeth. We’ve learned to alternate the Motrin and Tylenol all day for pain and to give some extra cuddles.

She’s still a thumb sucker, still takes a blanket to bed to with her. She still gets one bottle before bed. My theory with the bottle (at the moment) is that she’ll stop with the bottle when she’s ready.

Her favorite CD is African Playground from the Putumayo Kids series. She still LOVES dancing.

She just started spinning in circles for fun. So far, she hasn’t made herself too dizzy, but I expect that will be coming.

Her favorite meal is a tie between mac and cheese and ravioli. She’s beginning to want to decide what’s for dinner-she likes to go to the pantry and pick out her meal. She also has started trying to use the spoon on her own more often.

Her favorite snacks are bananas, yogurt, Nilla Wafers and Ritz crackers.

She graduated to the big girl tub (my bathtub) when we moved into the apartment (more on that later). She absolutely loves taking a bath. Starting around 7:00 every night she starts trying to pull me towards the bathroom and says, “Bah! Bah!” Her favorite part of bath time is at the end when she stands up and I pour water over her. She does not mind getting her face wet.

She recently started watching Wheel of Fortune. She dances to the theme music and claps along with the audience. I’m hoping she’ll be on the Wheel one day and take her old mother on a fabulous trip that she wins (and hopefully the prize trip is not to Austin, like it was a couple of weeks ago).

Audrey is, in a word, a joy. She is a happy toddler who has adjusted to her new life like a champ. She is now living in her third house in 15 months and she just goes with the flow.

Speaking of which…

Josh finally moved up here at the end of August and we three moved into our apartment the first of September. I hate apartment life. There isn’t anything good about it, except for the fact that we are saving money and giving ourselves time to look for exactly the right piece of land on which to build another house. I should mention that the apartment itself is really nice-it’s a decent size, has a fireplace and even has crown molding. But it is still an apartment and I know that just as I get everything unpacked, I will be packing up again and moving in a year.

Luckily, the apartment is still close enough to work that I can go home and eat lunch with Audrey and Josh every day.

I’ve attached a couple of pictures. In all of this moving madness, I haven’t been able to locate my camera, so all of these are from my phone camera (a/k/a the Crap Cam). The first two are of Audrey in the swing at the little playground here at the apartment and the last one is of Audrey, Gracie and Abby patiently waiting for Josh to come inside. So precious!

Notes to Self

2009-08-18T09:46:00.005-05:00

Audrey is now 14 months old.

She never crawls anymore-only walks. She has recently started randomly walking on her tippy toes.

She loves to be chased.

She now knows animal sounds for: pig, bee, snake, sheep, cow, dog, chicken, rooster, horse and fish.

She can point out her ears, eyes, nose and mouth and can do the same on my face too.

She loves to smell people's hair.

First sentence: "I want drink." Last night she said "I want down."

Her favorite meal is still mac and cheese and her favorite snack is a banana. She also likes yogurt as a treat.

Her favorite activity is going outside. She loves to mess around in the chicken house and feed and pet the chickens, but what she really goes out for is to go to the barn and sit on the lawnmower. After the tour of the back pasture, she likes to take a dip in her kiddie pool.

She collects rocks.

Her favorite toy varies from week to week, sometimes from day to day. Her favorite toy this week is the big bouncy ball. She also loves her lion that she can ride on. She still sleeps with her blanket.

She has 8 teeth with her first 2 molars coming through now. When she has teeth come in, she gets a bad diaper rash, is super cranky all day and doesn't want to eat. Tylenol helps.

She is the dancingest baby I've ever seen. If there is a beat, she's moving to it.

First Trip to the Zoo!

2009-08-15T16:30:00.003-05:00

Audrey and I went to the zoo this morning we both loved it!

Chuck E. Cheese!!

2009-08-08T17:52:00.003-05:00

Last weekend, August 1, Audrey and I met Daysi and Desi at Chuck E. Cheese. Wow. That place is loud. I mean really, really loud. But we all had a good time.

Desi, Daysi, Me and Audrey

Audrey and Desi

Audrey was obsessed with the rides

One more shot of Audrey and Desi

Playing with Picasa

2009-08-05T19:51:00.001-05:00

Uhhh...

2009-07-30T19:16:00.000-05:00

Just a test. Thank you. That is all.

Pictures!

2009-07-30T18:56:00.002-05:00

Pictures! Pictures! Pictures!

Below are a few of Audrey's one year pictures we had done last month. Enjoy!

Par-tay!

2009-06-28T18:00:00.003-05:00

Last Saturday, the 20th, we celebrated Audrey's first birthday with a small family get together. Josh and I decided early on that we aren't going to go crazy with birthday parties until Audrey is old enough to appreciate it! So this year, it was just family.

In attendance were Gandlady & Grandpa, Nana & Grandaddy, Uncle Brad & Sandra, and Mama & Dada. We were very happy that Josh was able to fly in for the weekend.

After a yummy lunch of cheeseburgers, Mexican salad, corn on the cob, green beans and beets (the beans and beets being from Grandlady & Grandpa's garden), out came the cakes! I made a butter pecan sheet cake with cream cheese frosting and we also had strawberry shortcake, which served as Audrey's smash cake!

After the good food and cake, Audrey spend the res of the day entertaining everyone. We all had a great time.

Things Audrey does at 1 year:
Signs "more" and "all done"
Answers the question "How old are you?" by holding up one finger
Answers the question "Are you hungry?" by smacking lips
Snorts when asked what a piggy says
First sentence- "Hi mama!"
Loves to be chased
Started cow's milk
Gives hugs

On the Eve

2009-06-15T20:34:00.004-05:00

One year ago tomorrow...

I remember her being born. I remember being told to smile when the nurse took our picture. I remember thinking how odd it was that I wasn't smiling and how it was even more odd that I didn't know I wasn't smiling. This was the greatest day of my life and I was completely numb. No feelings.

I remember my usually quiet and calm Dr. S. raising his voice. Then yelling. I remember Josh raising his voice. Then yelling. I don't remember what Dr. S was yelling, but I remember Josh yelling, "Somebody save my wife."

I remember being surrounded by voices. I remember bright lights. I was in a different room but didn't know where exactly I was, nor how I had gotten there. I remember more doctors coming in, surrounding me, asking me questions. I couldn't understand what they were saying. I couldn't respond. More loud voices.

I remember trying to pull my arm away from someone who was hurting it. I remember someone saying, "She's too out of it to consent-get her husband."

I remember waking up, being wheeled through a hallway. I remember a pain in my belly that was quickly encompassing my entire body. I remember crying. Because when I woke up, I remembered that earlier someone had said the word "hysterectomy" and I knew immediately that's what had happened. No one had to tell me, and no one actually ever did.

The next couple of weeks were the worst of my life. The physical pain and the emotional pain battled to see which would overcome me. The physical pain eventually subsided, although I still have pain some days. The emotional pain has never gone, and some days it feels like it all just happened half an hour ago.

Today, I grieve for the children I will never have and for the future that I had planned but was not meant to be. Because tomorrow I celebrate the life that has kept me going this year and on some days was the only reason that I got out of bed and put one foot in front of the other. Tomorrow is Audrey's day. But today is mine.

The Rascal

2009-05-31T20:42:00.002-05:00

Life with an 11 month old is interesting. Audrey is SO very mobile now-she is extremely fast crawling and is starting to cruise a bit too. So the days of putting her on the floor with a toy and running to another room (like the bathroom, if you must know) are totally over. To wit:

This is when I decided it was time to pull out the baby-proofing things for cabinets, but realized I didn't have any, so now all the cabinets have rubberbands around them. Totally ghetto, but whatever.

I will admit I am raising an exceedingly helpful little girl. She loves to help her Grandlady in the kitchen. However, randomly reaching into the pantry and pulling crap out is not Grandlady's idea of help.

Yes, this is the dishwasher. I really don't have much of a comment for this one because it is too weird. I would like to point out that the bottom rack, including the silverware tray, was already empty.

This is what happened when I turned my back to dry my hair one morning.

But this is the look I get after I say, "No!" I mean, come on-melt your heart! I have the hardest time not completely cracking up. At some point I'll probably need to stop that.

Lastly, just a few pictures from the park this afternoon. Today's lesson: Audrey hates swings. I didn't get a picture of that because it actually wasn't that funny. Instead, I got these:

Mother's Day

2009-05-11T22:00:00.011-05:00

My first Mother's Day. Where to even start?

Well, I suppose I should start with the beautiful flowers little Audrey sent to my work. I have a feeling she may have used her daddy's credit card, so thanks daddy!

I can't really explain what it felt like to read "Happy Mother's Day" on the card and to know that the mother was me this year!

And at church when the preacher asked all of the mothers to stand up and be recognized, I got to stand up! It was such a happy and emotional day for me. Although I always knew I'd be a mom someday, I had no idea that I would take the scenic route to get there!

And this year, for the first time in 10 years, I spent Mother's Day with my own mother. It was a great day.

And here's my Audrey Bean, the reason I am able to celebrate Mother's Day. She is my delight.

Do you see those curls?!

April Pictures

2009-05-11T21:35:00.009-05:00

Oy! I used to be so much better about getting pictures and videos loaded on here! I really don't have an excuse about the lapse in pictures...except that my job is still kicking my butt and I'm totally spent by the time I get home...and it's a pain in the rear to get online with my laptop, where my pictures and videos are stored...and frankly I just haven't been taking a lot of pictures or videos these days...and, and, and...

But less excuses and more pictures!

This is Audrey's new cheesy grin. She pretty much flashes this at us whenever we tell her "no" which is exactly what I was doing here-you'll notice she's using the oven to try to stand up.

The next 3 pictures are of Audrey dancing.

This kiddo dances anytime she hears music. She can't help herself-she has to groove.

This is Audrey deep in concentration. Notice how she pokes out her lips when she's thinking.

A very happy little girl!

So I was sitting in the living room watching tv and Audrey was crawling around exploring as usual. Audrey makes her own sound effects as she crawls, consisting of raspberries, grunts and all manner of squeaks and squeals, so it's not hard to keep tabs on her as she moves around the room. Suddenly, I realized it had gotten mighty quiet. I looked behind where I was sitting and found this...

Yup-that little rascal crawled over to the corner cabinet, opened the lower doors and was dragging out everything she could get her chubby little hands on! I've been pretty remiss on the whole baby proofing thing, but I'm thinking I'm going to have to get on the ball now!

Notes to Self

2009-05-01T11:36:00.004-05:00

First, I want to apologize for not keeping this blog up lately. I just got a job and it is kicking my butt. I'm completely lost and my brain is so fried when I get home in the evening that I can barely function. On top of that, in order to post pictures and video, I have to undo my parents' computer and hook my laptop up, which is more of a hassle than it sounds. I will get better though, I promise. I have a ton of cute pictures and a couple of videos I'm dying to get online.

Second, since Audrey's baby book is packed away, I've decided to create this "Notes to Self" category so that I can write down a few notes to transfer into her book when it gets out of storage. These will probably be just bits and pieces of thoughts and may not make any sense to anyone besides me, so you've been warned.

So, without further ado, Notes to Self...

8-signs "more"

9-moved to TN; crawling everywhere; pulling up to knees; makes flirty faces (throws head back, squints eyes, big grin); says mama and sometimes means me :); knows name; hair getting curls; points with whole hand to where she wants to go or what she wants to hold; plays peek-a-boo

10-waves bye/hi on command; pulls up to stand; walks with assistance-pushes diaper box around; 1st top tooth (3rd overall); favorite meals-breakfast: rice cereal with apples, cut up bananas, dinner: mac & cheese, mango fruit dessert

Easter

2009-04-13T12:55:00.003-05:00

Just a few Easter pictures-Audrey looked smashing, as usual, and I could have just as easily worn a burlap sack.

How do you know when a photo shoot is over?

Horse Barn

2009-04-08T22:27:00.009-05:00

Okay, last post of the night.

My parents volunteer with Maury Magic Riders. It is a horseback riding program for kids with disabilities. Tonight, I loaded Audrey up and went over to the horse barn to let her see the horses. She seemed somewhat impressed with the horses, but she liked the barn cat best of all. I have no idea where that comes from, but I'll change her mind soon enough. No true Rountree likes cats.

By the way, I think it's the law or something that you're not allowed to wear makeup to a barn, so that's why I don't have any on. It's not that I'm too lazy to bother, I swear.

Mule Day!

2009-04-08T22:11:00.007-05:00

I said I'd post pictures later, but I couldn't resist. These are from Mule Day this past weekend. (Click on the pictures for a bigger view.)

Audrey getting ready for her first Mule Day parade. She is excited!

Audrey and Granddad watching the parade.

Hm. This isn't nearly as exciting as she thought it was going to be.

"You mean it's just a bunch of mules?!"

Some volunteers.

(We're the Volunteer State)

Mule Queen

Shut up-it's an honor.

The flags

Mules...

And more mules!

Apparently mules are boring.

Tennessee, Tennessee...

2009-04-08T20:54:00.020-05:00

There ain't no place I'd rather be,
Baby won't you carry me back to Tennessee!
-Grateful Dead

I am writing tonight from Tennessee! The trip from Texas took about 13 hours over the course of 2 days. Below is a summary of our journey

Wednesday, April 1
Dad, Mom, Audrey and I left my house at 9 a.m. We hit Dallas a short time later and, as usual, it was a NIGHTMARE getting through Dallas. Hey Dallas-perhaps you'd like to fix it so that the signs indicating which lanes head to 30E actually match up with the lanes heading towards 30E!!! Just a suggestion. After we made it through Dallas (and after a Fed Ex truck nearly squished me), we had wide open roads all the way to Texarkana, where we met up with a couple of friends for lunch. We had a great time with Daisy and Allen. Of course I did not get pictures.

Minutes after getting on the road after lunch, we crossed into Arkansas.

I don't have much to say about the next 5 hours of driving. It was Arkansas.

We made it to my Grandma G.'s house around 7:00. It was her first time seeing Audrey and she was so happy she cried. Audrey is her first great-granddaughter, which is neat because I was her first granddaughter. We had a nice (late) dinner with my uncle and aunt. Below is the obligatory generations picture.

Thursday, April 2

We left Grandma G.'s house around noon on Thursday. We should have left earlier because it started raining the minute we pulled out of her driveway and didn't stop the rest of the day. I drove about 35 mph for a lot of the way and it was so bad at times that I couldn't see the road and had to pull off and just wait it out. A 4 hour trip took just over 5 hours. But we made it safe and sound. We all collapsed from exhaustion shortly after arrival.

So that was our journey at a glance. Now the real adventure begins. Audrey is adjusting beautifully to her new home (my parents' house). She is finding that tile floors are harder on her noggin than carpet! I am still trying to get settled. But I'm really excited about our new life.

The next goal is to get my house in Texas sold so Josh can get up here with us, and for me to find a job. I've been called to come in for an interview but have been playing phone tag with the interviewer for 2 days, so any extra prayers directed my way will be appreciated.

Well, I should probably close this out now. I have tons of pictures that I will be posting soon, so keep checking in.

M.I.A.

2009-03-30T09:29:00.002-05:00

I have been a packing machine in order to get moved to Tennessee this Wednesday, so I have not been posting lately. I packed away my laptop this weekend, so there will be radio silence for probably another week or so. When I get settled and figure out how to hijack my parents' internet connection for the laptop, I will start updating again.

Radio silence starts....

...

now.

More!

2009-03-23T18:45:00.004-05:00

I think Audrey is starting t0 try some sign language. The video below shows her sign for "more." She starts at about 8 seconds and she really gets going at about 18 seconds. It's not exactly the sign I've been showing her, but it's pretty close, especially considering she's only 9 months old. She's also been signing "milk" any time she's hungry, so milk has become a catch-all for "food."

The most important thing is that she is starting to communicate with us in a way that we can understand, so even if she's not using the exact sign I've been using, if she can get something close enough that I know what she is trying to convey, then I consider it a victory! It's so exciting to see her learn and use her signs, and I can't wait to show her more.

Saturday

2009-03-22T17:06:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I had a lunch and shopping day with Amy. Since it is very likely yesterday is the last time I'll see her before leaving, it was bittersweet. I wish I could pack Amy and bring her with me.

Luckily for me, Amy loves Audrey and so was happy for her to come to lunch with us. Audrey was dressed in a new dress her Granddad bought for her.

Chubby knees, anyone?

After lunch, I brought Audrey home so Amy and I could do some power shopping. 4 hours later and I'd only bought a pair of sunglasses and an Easter dress for Audrey. But we had a lot of fun and got a lot of girl talk in! Hopefully Amy will come visit and I've already promised to come back to Texas next year for a certain Big Deal Birthday.

While at home, Audrey got a quick change of clothes and spent the afternoon entertaining her Granddad.

Here she is multi-tasking - drinking her juice while playing with her Glow Worm.

Here Granddad tries to get Audrey interested in the Glow Worm, while Audrey is actually only interested in a sock she found.

And this is how we ended the night-all smiles!

Glow Worm (Good Night, Sleep Tight, Your Good Night Friend...)

2009-03-20T20:39:00.005-05:00

This is the Glow Worm from my childhood. Not my childhood, mind you. I never had a Glow Worm. But a lot of my friends did and this is what it looked like.

Cut to 20-some odd years later and here's the Glow Worm my child is forced to play with.

It's a little hard to tell from these pictures, but my kid is totally getting gypped. Her Glow Worm is about half the size of the original! It's only 2 segments long. On the upside, Audrey's plays music and I don't think the original one did. Of course, I wouldn't know for sure. I didn't have a Glow Worm.

A few pictures from yesterday

Look ma! No (chubby) hands!

Crawling is SO easy!

Crawling!!

2009-03-19T11:00:00.002-05:00

More Pictures from the Weekend

2009-03-15T19:40:00.003-05:00

Yesterday Dad and I went to Target. When we left, Audrey had on 2 socks and 2 shoes. When we got home, she had on 1 sock and 1 shoe. I had one shoe in the diaper bag and Audrey was holding her sock.

Today we mostly hung out at the house, playing-she still loves my old top

And the "big" remote

She's still trying to figure out the whole crawling thing (she went further today than yesterday, but still isn't sure of herself)

We went for a walk (I didn't make her wear her sunglasses this time)

And she ate her shoes

Breakfast

2009-03-15T12:23:00.005-05:00

Just a quick video of Audrey eating her yogurt melts.

Crawling

2009-03-14T20:46:00.003-05:00

We had some crawling today. Not much, but Audrey did manage to move forward a few paces before face-planting. She did it twice, so I'm hoping she continues to get better and we'll have a crawler on our hands in no time! I'll be sure to post video if I'm ever fast enough to grab my camcorder.

2009-03-14T13:23:00.002-05:00

This is Audrey's newest thing. She's still not crawling, but is doing everything she can think of to get some forward motion.

This is a top I had when I was a kid. My dad found it when we were going through some boxes today. Audrey loves it, even though it doesn't work on carpet. She still likes to hold it and swing it around.

Let's just hope that isn't lead paint.

Packing Up

2009-03-14T13:18:00.000-05:00

Before...
After...

2009-03-13T20:43:00.002-05:00

Granddad and Audrey playing

Audrey playing with my boots

All dressed up to visit me at work

Sitting Up

2009-03-11T20:58:00.004-05:00

This is a quick video of Audrey getting into a sitting position on her own. I grabbed the camera about half way through the endeavor but I think you can get the idea. She just started doing this a couple of days ago and is getting pretty good at it.

Pictures!!

2009-03-11T20:39:00.003-05:00

Is there such thing as being too precious?

Try to resist me. Go on-try.

Gimme that camera

Wanna see me clap?

Look at my tongue

Where'd my lips go?

Really? You want another picture?

Fine. One more. I'll even smile.

Baby Noises

2009-03-07T12:44:00.002-06:00

Another Walk

2009-03-07T12:32:00.002-06:00

We went for another walk today. It wasn't quite as hot as Thursday but it was very windy!

Going for a Walk

2009-03-05T15:10:00.004-06:00

Josh called me home from work today because he wasn't feeling well, so I decided to take Audrey for a walk this afternoon.

Josh "Helped"

2009-03-04T07:48:00.006-06:00

"Hey, Josh-do you think you could clean your vanity off in the bathroom?"

"Okay."

"I mean, it's just that we have that realtor coming over tomorrow and I really want this place as spic and span as possible, you know?"

"Yeah, I know."

"And I'd finish cleaning your vanity for you-did you notice I cleaned the mirror and fixtures and countertop and replaced that burned out lightbulb-but I need to get started on the rest of the house, so maybe during a commercial break, you could just finish..."

"Yeah, babe. Don't worry about it-I got this!"

This was the extent of Josh cleaning last night-stuffing my small bathroom trash can so full that the lid wouldn't even close. Um, remind me again why I even bother to ask for help!!

What a Trooper

2009-03-01T10:08:00.001-06:00

Here are a few pictures of my (almost) crawling baby. She is so close-she's getting on all fours and rocking...and then doing a face plant. But she's a trooper and gets right back up and tries again.

Pictures

2009-02-22T09:31:00.006-06:00

Talking up a storm

Audrey loves to prop her feet up on things. She does it in her bouncy seat, she did it in her swing. I have no idea what it's all about, but I think it's cute.

Little Miss has mastered that sippy cup

Audrey and Santonio Bear (um, is it weird we name her toys?)

Chubby legs, anyone?

Audrey and her very own remote (although she is infinitely more interested in any remote I have)

Eating canteloupe (it's in the green mesh)

Talking, Talking

2009-02-21T19:02:00.004-06:00

Just a little talking...

...and then something catches her eye out the window.

Audrey has started using consonants in her babbling, so I've heard "mama" and "baba." I'm not really counting these as her first words, however, because she isn't making these sounds to mean anything. But I have to admit it is a sweet sound to hear her say mama. And it's going to be all the more sweeter when she says it and means me!

2009-02-21T18:28:00.004-06:00

The shaky camera work is Audrey's mom trying to show her how to dance.

Romeo and Juliet (Taylor Swift)

More Dancing

2009-02-21T17:18:00.004-06:00

I got a couple of videos of Audrey dancing today. Unfortunately, whenever she sees me pick up the camcorder, she stops really grooving. But I think I got a few entertaining shots. I'll upload the videos one at a time.

Shiny, Happy People (R.E.M.)

Picture-ific

2009-02-17T20:30:00.005-06:00

Today we had to say goodbye to Grandlady, so I thought we'd send her a few pictures...

Impossible to resist, no?

Those monkey feet and legs come in handy when trying to reach a toy

Playing with my camcorder. I know I shouldn't let her do this, but did you see the first picture?! How am I supposed to resist that face?

Playing with her remote (I'm sure she's not trying to mute me)

Trying to figure out this new toy (from her great aunt E)

Looking at dad to see if she's supposed to like the new toy

Deciding the new toy can stay

And finally...

Bed time. Night night.

One More for the Night

2009-02-14T20:41:00.004-06:00

This video is a bit longer-just of Audrey hanging out with her mom and being entertaining, as usual. Grandlady's feet make a cameo appearance in the background.

Quick Video

2009-02-14T20:34:00.003-06:00

I'm going to go ahead and post this one, but it is super short. Just a quick shot of our Dancing Queen.

A Few Pictures

2009-02-14T20:19:00.003-06:00

Audrey hates socks. Hates them. So whenever I am silly enough to put them on, she immediately takes them off. One of us will give up the battle eventually.

Could she look more bored?

Yelling. No reason. She yells because she can. Her face is shiny because she woke up with a fairly severe eczema break out, so I had her lathered up with Elta all day.

This is Audrey reading. Yeah, she's really smart, but we try not to brag too much...

This is what Audrey wore to visit me at work yesterday. I love that my mom is here to dress her properly. With Josh, I'm lucky if she's even wearing pants when she visits. (Okay, it's not quite that bad, but he has brought her to visit without shoes or socks.)

Okay-I'm loading video as we speak, but it takes about 3 years to load, so it might be tomorrow before it's actually posted.

2009-02-14T12:04:00.000-06:00

I will try to get more pictures and maybe a video up soon.

Snug as a Bug

2009-02-11T09:00:00.003-06:00

I just could not keep this cuteness to myself-I had to share. ♥ I have no idea why Audrey insists on sleeping face down, but I'm guessing it's to give her mother a heart attack.

Another Tooth!

2009-02-08T19:58:00.003-06:00

Yes! We have another tooth! You can barely see it in the picture below, but I promise it's there! Fun Fact: When you press Audrey's nose, she opens her mouth (see below).

Fashion Plate

2009-02-08T11:21:00.004-06:00

Yup, we're raising a little fashion plate. Couldn't be helped-she's just so darn cute and everything looks so darn cute on her! Today's outfit is nautical inspired-yellow print dress with navy leggings. Thanks Grandlady for the cool dress!

Today is Josh's birthday, so we're off to the movies. I think we're going to see He's Just Not That In To You. Total chick flick-not sure how I convinced Josh he wants to see it too!! I'm just that good, I guess.

Dancing Queen

2009-02-06T19:22:00.002-06:00

Test 1, 2...Test 1, 2

2009-02-05T21:28:00.004-06:00

God Loves You And So Do I

2009-02-05T20:45:00.007-06:00

That was a favorite saying of Josh's grandmother, Emma Lou, who passed away this past Monday. She said this to everyone, strangers included. Although, come to think of it, I'm not sure Emma Lou ever met a stranger.

Emma Lou was a beautiful lady, inside and out and welcomed me as family the first time I met her when I wasn't family at all. Josh and I had only been dating for about 7 months when I flew to Texas to meet his extended family at Christmas time and she welcomed me into her home and even had a Christmas present for me (an electric toothbrush which was actually pretty awesome-I used that thing till it died on me).

Her funeral service in San Antonio was very sweet and I was blessed to have been able to fly down there for it. Although as her family we are sad for our loss, we are happy for Emma Lou because we know she has been reunited with her husband and a host of other relatives who have been waiting for her and she is now rejoicing with the angels in ways we can only imagine.

A Tooth! We Have A Tooth!

2009-02-05T20:29:00.007-06:00

Audrey's first tooth broke through about 3 days ago and she has another one trying to come in next to it. She's getting to be such a big girl!! It's a little hard to see in this picture, but you can see the tooth poking through on the bottom right side.

I'm not really sure what's going on with her hair in these next two pictures, but lets just be glad that she finally has hair and leave it at that, shall we?

Sorry it's been awhile between posts-I've been out of town for the last couple of days, more about that in another post. Anyway, I hope to have some video up this weekend. Audrey is a born dancer and may some day decide to be a professional patty-cake player. She's that good.

Don't Worry

2009-02-05T11:18:00.002-06:00

I'm jacking around with my blog a little, trying to find a new background. I want something that's pretty but not too twee, so it might change several times over a short time. I just didn't want anyone to think they were at the wrong blog because the background was wrong...

One More

2009-01-28T20:11:00.003-06:00

Playtime

2009-01-28T19:08:00.005-06:00

Audrey has figured out how to take the rings off of her Jumperoo. I was trying to catch her in the act, but she's too quick. Abby makes a brief cameo.

Snow Day

2009-01-28T14:07:00.006-06:00

Actually, Ice Day! North Texas was on the receiving end of an ice storm last night and since I didn't even think I'd be able to make it out of my driveway, and having endured one car wreck already, I decided to just stay home. Of course, as I sit here looking out the window, the cul-de-sac looks dry, so I'm wondering if I should have gone in at noon. Oh well. I seem to be trying not to work a full week this year.

The fun part about being stuck at home all day is spending the day with Audrey. She's so much fun and seems to genuinely like spending the day with me! Below are some pictures of her just hanging out. I might have some video later.

Just Because

2009-01-27T20:12:00.004-06:00

Sweetest Kisses

2009-01-27T13:06:00.004-06:00

After giving Audrey about a thousand kisses every day for the past 7 months, she has decided to return in kind! Last night I came home, picked up my sweet baby girl and she leaned in and planted her lips right on my cheek! I didn't realize what was up at first, so I started to pull away so I could look at her, but she just leaned in further, keeping her little lips on my cheek the whole time. I looked at Josh and he said she had given him a quick kiss earlier in the day, but his kiss hadn't lasted nearly as long as the one I was getting! I guess it is true-absence makes the heart grow fonder. Anyway, when she was done, she backed off and gave me one of her trademark smiles. She was SO proud of herself and she knew she had made her mommy's day. I love that kid.

Besides kisses, her other new trick is turning her tongue on its side. I'm waiting to see if she can roll her tongue.

Blech-I was a car accident this morning. I probably won't say too much else about it here until all of the insurance stuff is worked out and everything is completed (except to say not my fault this time!). I am sure it will get worked out and again, I'm just thankful no one was seriously hurt.

Wiggle Worm

2009-01-25T16:47:00.003-06:00

Help! We have a wiggle worm infestation!

Har!

2009-01-25T12:20:00.000-06:00

This cracked me the heck up.

Baby Signs

2009-01-25T11:36:00.007-06:00

Josh and I have started teaching Audrey some sign language. We're just starting out with a few words right now: milk, more and eat. We're using the Sign With Your Baby program, by Dr. Joseph Garcia. He says that 7 months old is the perfect age to start signing because it's just then that babies start to have memory. (Granted, it's about as long as a goldfish's at this point.) It will probaby take a couple of months before she starts trying to sign back to us to communicate. As she gets older and starts talking, she will use the signs less often, but it is beneficial for her to know certain signs that can be used from across the room if needed, like "cut it out!"

Here are the words we're working on right now:

Milk:

Eat:

Almost There

2009-01-24T09:03:00.003-06:00

Audrey is SOOOO ready to start crawling. She's got all the mechanics down but just can't seem to get them all working at the same time. But it's not for lack of trying on her part or cheering on my part!

Fun Fact: Audrey apparently likes elephants. Two of the toys in the last picture above are elephants that she picked off of various toys (one is from the bouncy seat and one is from her high chair). She had other options of animals to choose from, even had softer animals she could have chosen. But no-she picked 2 elephants. Coinsidence? Possibly. Smartest baby on the block? Probably.

High Chair

2009-01-22T17:27:00.002-06:00

Is this a high chair or a ride at 6 Flags?

Today Audrey tested her high chair out for the first time. It has more toys than should be allowed! I don't know how she's supposed to be interested in eating green beans when there is a tree that spins and plays music with animals attached on one side and another tree that has 4 more little animals on the other. And that's only half of it-there's an insert that can go on her tray that plays yet more music, counts to 10 and says the ABC's. Oh well-it fits right in here with her jumper, crawl ball, bouncy seat and various other toys that light up, play music or both.

What a Day

2009-01-20T12:10:00.002-06:00

Thank you Lord for our democracy.

Thank you Lord for a peaceful transfer of power.

Thank you Lord that “we will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.”

Thank you Lord that my daughter will not think that it is a big deal that a person of color is President.

Thank you Lord that each new generation gets it more right than the last.

Oh What a Difference...

2009-01-18T20:38:00.012-06:00

...a day makes. Today I was the mom to a happy little girl who smiled and giggled all day long, who took two loooong naps with no complaining and who is currently out cold again. No fevers, no bloody thumbs, no crying. Ahhhh. Now THIS is what I signed up for!

Today the three of us went to Babies R Us for 2 things and $100 later walked out with a cart full. That place is terrible if you are on a budget. The one thing I'm super happy about is the breathable bumper. We were always having to take her regular bumper off in order to change her sheet in her crib and it was such a pain to put back on that one day I just didn't. This would be no big deal except now that Audrey is a little more mobile, we wake up to find her arms and legs hanging out of the slats of her crib. And she has a new-found love of throwing her paci out of the crib. So the breathable bumper is made of mesh and is much thinner than her original bumper, so I don't think I'll even have to take it off to change the sheets. Score one for making mom's life easier.

Well, tomorrow I go back to work after having a week off due to an upper respiratory infection. I feel 150% better, but am not looking forward to work!! No new pictures or videos today, so I'll just post a few I haven't posted before. Good night!

What a Freaking Day

2009-01-17T20:34:00.005-06:00

So apparently we are in teething hell. I say "we" because even though Audrey is doing most of the work, Josh and I are miserable too. Audrey is so ornery these days: she doesn't want to be held but she doesn't want to be put down; she's hungry but she won't eat; she doesn't want any toys but gets mad when we put them away; and her thumb is completely raw from sucking it and rubbing it on her gums where her teeth are coming in. The whold world is her enemy (and has been for about 3 days now).

And this evening she hit her head and now has a red bump on the back of her melon.

Today we did manage to make it out to Target because we were short on food, Audrey included. While there we picked up some Orajel swabs. I tried one when we got home and WOW-it was like the Audrey we all know and love decided to reappear. She was laughing and smiling and even got in her Jumperoo for awhile (video below). All I can say is thank you Lord for the guy who invented Orajel.

On a happier note, I found Dublin Dr Pepper! At Target! Of course, it took 45 minutes to find our bottle opener and then I nearly spilled the whole bottle while trying to get the darn thing open, but who cares?! I'm trying to end on a good note so don't harsh the buzz.

Well, I'm off to bed, thankful that this freaking day is over and praying for a better tomorrow...

7 Months Old!

2009-01-16T16:26:00.006-06:00

June 16, 2008

January 16, 2009

Silliness

2009-01-16T13:35:00.004-06:00

Audrey normally rolls around front to back and back to front no problem. However, when she sees mom with the camcorder, it's a different story. She's like a turtle on its shell. You will notice at the end of the video she puts her thumb in her mouth and an arm over her eyes for a second. That means it's time for a nap!

Hangin' with Mom

2009-01-16T12:42:00.004-06:00

This is Audrey sticking her tongue out, which cracks her up.

Neener Neener

2009-01-15T17:12:00.011-06:00

Well, I can't seem to get any videos uploaded tonight, so it's strictly pictures this time. Today, Audrey was obsessed with her tongue. She just couldn't seem to keep the darn thing in her mouth.

Old Pictures

2009-01-11T15:19:00.004-06:00

This is what happens when the Premo girls get bored. Twizzler smiles. These pictures are from August of 2003, when we were in Fort Benning, Georgia for my brother's jump school graduation. We had a lot of down time waiting for him to jump and silliness enused, as usual. (Click on the picture to make it bigger, if you dare.)

Sippy Cup Saturday

2009-01-10T20:09:00.005-06:00

This is Audrey driving me crazy with her sippy cup. She drinks out of it for Josh every time. Not so much for me!

I Feel Like...

2009-01-10T19:35:00.009-06:00

Crap, in a word. I woke up around 4 this morning with a sore throat. I think it's a sinus/head cold/allergy thing. Stupid Texas with its stupid pollen.

Despite her mother feeling lousy, Audrey had a busy day. Josh and I have messed with her feeding schedule a bit, so she is eating a lot more baby food and less formula, which we are all happy with. We still need to tinker with the timing in the evenings, but so far so good.

The three of us went to McAlister's Deli for lunch today. It was fairly uneventful, except for all the people who had to stop and comment on how pretty Audrey is. We all three beamed.

We then made a Target run for Audrey stuff mostly. I did get a stick of deodorant for me. Fun. I bought Audrey some dissolvable snacks that I've heard rave reviews for. She proceeded to choke on them. Twice. So they are in the back of the pantry for now. We'll revisit them next month maybe.

Audrey has a new interest in our remote controls. We were letting her play with our satellite controller until she started programming channels on a screen that neither Josh nor I had ever seen before. So we gave her an old remote to play with, which she banged into her lip and now she has a little red mark above her upper lip. Sheesh. Poor Audrey is really stuck with amateurs for parents!

Well, I've taken some nighttime sinus medicine, so I should probably get off here before I start spilling family secrets. Here are a few pictures from today and I'll post a video a little later.

Audrey with her sippy cup

New pretty dress

Monkey toes!

Play Time

2009-01-07T22:06:00.002-06:00

Baby Noises

2009-01-07T20:09:00.002-06:00

Guess who learned how to blow raspberries?

Big Girl Bath

2009-01-06T09:56:00.003-06:00

Last night Audrey took her first "sit up" bath. She usually lays on a bath sling, but since she's gotten so much better at sitting, I thought I'd give it a try. She was a little wary at first and gave me a few "are you sure about this?" looks, but after I let her play with her washcloth for a while, she was fine with it.

Cutest thing she did yesterday: She put her her washcloth over her thumb and then popped her thumb in her mouth and started sucking away. She combined two of her favorite things-sucking her thumb and sucking on a wet washcloth. She's so darn smart!

I bought some apple juice to mix with water in her sippy cup. We'll see how that goes.

I also bought macaroni and cheese baby food! She's eating Level 2 foods and the mac & cheese is Level 2, so we'll see about that too. This is a kid who loves prunes and sweet potatoes, so surely she'll like the mac & cheese, right?

2009-01-05T20:32:00.003-06:00

Going to sleep

2009-01-05T20:28:00.003-06:00

This is what shoes are good for-munching on.

Audrey's version of heaven-a teething ring while in her Jumperoo. Now if we could figure out how to get some bananas in there too...

Audrey Is So Cool

2009-01-05T13:53:00.006-06:00

I'm sitting here thinking of some of the cool things Audrey does and just thought I'd share. First, she recently (like, this weekend) started using consonants in her babbling, so we're getting a lot of "maaa" and "baaaa." Josh is really working on trying to get her to say mama, but I'm fairly certain she's going to think he is mama, since he says it so often.

She also is trying out her first sippy cup. Now, she is not so sure about this new contraption. I tried putting formula in it, which was not very successful at all. AT ALL. I then tried water, with a little more success, but not total. When the sippy cup is empty, she puts it right in her mouth, no problem. Put a drink in it and she just stares at us. I guess it's just going to take a little more practice. I've thought about putting juice in her cup, but I'm not sure I want to start her on juice just yet. Maybe I can put just a splash of juice with her water and see how that works...

She also is now holding her bottle by herself, which is actually a huge help if I need to walk away from her for just a moment. She will even take the bottle out of her mouth, look around, make some noise, and then pop it right back in (most of the time). Now, if the bottle falls out of her mouth and she can't see it right away, then she still screams for mom and dad. Which I can't really complain about (too much) because it is nice to be needed.

One more thing-her newest obsession (besides her Jumperoo) seems to be frozen teething rings. She loves them, and thank goodness we have about 18,000 of them tucked away in our freezer. I know she's teething, but our pediatrician said it's a long, slow process and that she could be "teething" for several months before we see any actual teeth. She's been rubbing her gums for a little while now, but it seems like it's picked up a bit, so I offered her a frozen teething ring and she loved it. Same goes for a damp wash cloth. Looks like I might not be able to tease her about her gummy smiles for long!

2009-01-04T19:31:00.002-06:00

Video of Audrey in her Jumperoo (and Josh figuring out how to use our new camcorder).

2009-01-04T13:27:00.004-06:00

Here's a short video of Audrey sitting up on her own. (Ignore the hick talking in the background.)

I'm Back...

2009-01-04T02:11:00.031-06:00

So I'm still deciding if I want to blog again. It was fun when I was pregnant to post pictures of my growng belly, but now that the belly has popped, I'm not sure I'm even going to have time...

Quick update (since I'm already here and all): The last picture I posted was indeed my last bump picture. Audrey was born 3 days later on June 16. I was induced because my doctor didn't want me to go past 40 weeks and of course things did not turn out as expected. Long story short, I ended up having an emergency hysterectomy after Audrey's delivery. No explanation has ever been given to me as to why this happened and I haven't been strong enough to ask. Was it because I was induced? Was it because I had a lower-than-usual lying placenta? Was it bound to happen no matter what? I have no idea. I am somewhat conflicted about the day because although it did end up being the best day of my life, it also was the worst. And I have nearly no memory of it-just splashes here and there. So that's the Reader's Digest version of my labor and delivery. Here are the pictures:

Right after Audrey's birth. I knew something was wrong with me because the nurse had to remind me to smile for this picture. I was completely out of it because I was losing so much blood. I do remember thinking Audrey had perfect lips and that she smelled like Dr Pepper. (Massive blood loss, remember?)

This is Audrey's first of many smiles to come, taken just hours after her birth. Her nurses said they'd never seen a baby smile so early.

And this is her grandparents feeding her.

So now Audrey is a little over 6 months old. Wow. She is doing so much fun stuff now. She rolls from back to belly and belly to back all the time now. She sat up for more than just a few seconds for the first time on Christmas Eve. She smiles all the time. She laughs and talks constantly, like she is telling a never-ending joke. She thinks her feet are coolest things ever and as such, refuses to keep shoes on at all. ("Mommy, the world needs to see my pretty feet!!!") She loves sweet potatoes and bananas. I'm fairly certain that she is teething, but I haven't seen any white yet. She's just rubbing her gums and sucking her lips in a lot. She has the bluest eyes I think I've ever seen, which pleases my dad to no end. He is the only blue-eyed, right-handed person in our family, so he has high hopes for his granddaughter!

Well, enough for now. I'll post a few more pictures to get this thing up to date and then we'll see how it goes from there. I hate this layout and color theme, by the way, so I will be toying with it as I have time.

July, 2008 - 1 month old

August, 2008 - 2 months old

September, 2008 - 3 months old

October, 2008 - 4 months old

November, 2008 - 5 months old

December, 2008 - 6 months old

D-Day

2008-06-13T13:11:00.002-05:00

Hopefully the last bump picture for me.

Behold the horror of the 40-week belly.

Update

2008-06-11T10:51:00.003-05:00

So my due date is this Friday, the 13th. If I don't have the baby by then, then I'm on the wait-list for an induction on Monday morning. If I can't get in on Monday, then I'm definitely going in on Wednesday. The doctor says he doesn't think I'll have to be induced and thinks I'll have a baby before the weekend is out, and I hope he's right.

My mom has been here for a couple of weeks and what a gigantic help she's been. My dad arrives today, the nursery is complete and my bag is packed, so as far as I'm concerned, everything is in place for this baby's arrival. Now I just have to convince her...

Maternity Photo Shoot

2008-05-25T12:31:00.001-05:00

Just a few photos from my photo shoot last week (36 weeks)

2008-05-18T11:12:00.014-05:00

36 weeks

I think she's sitting a little lower these days.

2008-04-20T11:34:00.001-05:00

32 weeks

I've thought about it and I've decided this is as big as I want to get, so I think I'll stop growing now.

The View From Up Here

2008-04-05T16:15:00.004-05:00

30 Weeks

It's amazing the number of people who feel the need to comment about the size of my belly. "My! You're getting bigger!" Uh, yeah, and I will be for another 10 weeks or so. "Wow! You're too small to be 7 months pregnant!" Um, thanks?

The view from up here is that my belly is practically perfect in every way.

2008-03-22T15:24:00.003-05:00

28 weeks

I've cruised right into the 3rd trimester

(Don't ask what's up with the Premo snarl I'm sporting)

2008-02-22T18:34:00.003-06:00

24 weeks down!

16 to go!

I call these pics "too much jelly for the roll" which Columbia-ites will recognize as a certain realtor's slogan, but I think it's more fitting to describe me right now.

2008-02-04T18:34:00.000-06:00

21 weeks! We're half-way there!

I'm looking pretty tired in this picture, which I'm pretty sure is how I look most days now. It is a lot of work growing a person.

IT'S A GIRL!!

2008-01-22T19:01:00.000-06:00

New pictures taken today (we're at 19 weeks, 4 days!!)

Where'd That Come From?!

2007-12-27T13:18:00.000-06:00

Both photos were taken just before the 16-week mark on my Crap Cam (my i-Phone).

Where's the Beef?

2007-12-02T10:52:00.000-06:00

12 weeks, 2 days

I'm getting a little thick around the middle, but no bump yet.

Second Sonogram

2007-11-10T17:59:00.000-06:00

New sonogram pictures from November 9. The top one is of his heartbeat (171 beats per minute). The bottom is the kid. He's laying on his back looking at the camera (what a ham). You can make out a big head (for a big brain), his torso, two little arms and two little legs. The legs are a little harder to spy, but they're there! My doctor says everything is right on schedule and everything is looking very normal. "Normal" and "average" are exactly what I'm shooting for at this point! He can be extraordinary once he's here.

2007-11-04T11:07:00.000-06:00

8 weeks 2 days

Happy Halloween

2007-10-31T13:19:00.000-05:00

Oh look-that pumpkin has morning sickness too!

First Sonogram

2007-10-25T18:26:00.000-05:00

Since Josh is going to be in San Antonio for the next few days, we were able to move my first sonogram up to today. The doctor said everything looks perfect. The baby is measuring exactly where he should be and his heart is beating at 124 beats per minute. We were actually able to see and hear the little heartbeat. I couldn't stop giggling and Josh was pretty quiet for most of it, but a few times he grabbed my hand and just squeezed. I go back on November 9 for our second look, at which time the baby should be 3x the size he is today.

Wow. This has made it totally real.

(P.S. I'm using "he" because it's easier than typing "he or she" all the time. I don't know when we'll know the sex for sure, but I'm guessing I've got a while.)