Friday, January 28, 2011

We spent last weekend in Newton. Ryan and Mr. Butch went quail hunting Saturday morning and I babysat Huck and Audrey Grace. They were really sweet and played pretty good together. I was a little worried about keeping an 11 month old and 8 month old by myself and not in my house, but it ended up being just fine. Huck is trying to walk and Audrey Grace is trying to crawl. I shouldn't say trying because she does, well kind of. She pulls her self wherever she wants to go. She gets up on all fours and rocks and crawls 2-3 times and decides she can get there faster if she just pulls herself or rolls. They were all over the place but did well entertaining each other too.

He got her cornered

Ready to crawl!



Sweet Cole playing with Audrey Grace

Cutie!

Bath time


Sunday after church we went to visit Nan Nan







Back to an Everyday Routine...

well, almost everyday. I started work last week! I am working 3 days a week and Audrey Grace is in daycare. I really wasn't sure how she was going to handle going to daycare, but she seems to really like it. She has been going for 3 weeks now and has not cried one time when I left! She loves her teachers and goes to them with ease. She has made friends with all of the other babies. There is a 10 month old in there but she is the next oldest. She is very vocal and they tell me she talks to everyone all day. The only problem is she will not sleep there. She will take 1 and sometimes 2 catnaps...like 20 minutes. She is exhausted when I pick her up. As long as she will sleep at home I am not going to complain. They tell me she will get used to it and eventually sleep longer but she is so nosey. If another baby makes a noise she has to see what is going on. I meant to take pictures of her room and her teachers to post but haven't yet. I am learning how to get myself ready and her with all of her stuff, make the 40 minute drive to town, drop her off at daycare and get myself to work by 8 AM. This week I did much better but still not enough time to stop and snap photos. Maybe next week will be better.
I am enjoying my job so far. I am riding with the other field nurses right now just seeing how things are done. I hope to start the computer training soon. Once I have this down, I can start seeing my own patients.
Oh Yeah, we found a rental house! We are moving this weekend. Our house still hasn't sold but since we have been living at the lake for 6 months now, we decided it was time. We will miss the lake and Annie but it will be nice to have a house in town. I will post those pics once we get settled in.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Bath Time with the "Big Girls"

Audrey Grace had a "big girl" bath with Kennedy and Mary Morgan. We went to the Rowlands to watch Auburn in the BCS Championship game Monday night. We ate dinner and spent the night with them, so the girls got to take a bath together. Krisa was a little nervous about it. She kept telling me they are wild in the tub, I don't know if you really want them to get in there with her. They did great and Audrey Grace loved it! They love to play with Audrey Grace. They are so generous and sweet to her. They both always make sure she has a toy to play with and Mary Morgan always wants her to have her pipi in her mouth. I am sure we will have many more baths with our friends but since this was the first, I had to post pictures.








Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Happy New Year

This year we rang in the New Year at the lake! Our friends, Pam and J.O Smith built a cabin here and were so happy to have their first party for NYE! The weather was awful. Severe thunderstorms. tornado warnings and very muddy. We made the best of the situation though. We lit a huge bonfire and counted down to the new year. Nobody wanted to hang out around the fire because of the mud and rain. I guess Ryan and I felt free, because we didn't mind! Ryan, Joseph Gex and I sat around the fire and listened to music way too late. Annie was so sweet to let me and Ryan "hang out" without the monitor in hand. Audrey Grace did get to put on her NYE outfit and hang out for a little while before bed.

My sweet baby girl


John Ryan and Misty Lee came up for the New Year festivities!


me and J.O.

Dru, John Ryan and Ryan


J.O., Sarah Kate and Pam Smith


Cheering on the bulldogs in the Gator Bowl on NY Day




















































Friday, January 7, 2011

7 months old!

Audrey Grace turned 7 months old on Christmas Eve. She is growing so fast. I feel like the last 2 months we have really seen major changes. You know she has been changing and growing from day 1 but the last 2 months have been different. She has really gotten her personality. She really knows us when we walk in the room. Her little face just lights up and we get the biggest heart melting smile from her. She is sitting up, going to her belly and scooting all over the place. She is getting up on all fours and rocking but not going forward yet. She can go backwards and roll everywhere though. She talks all the time! She loves to hear her voice I think. She babbles ba ba ba ba most of the time. Sometimes she will say ma ma ma ma and just today she started da da da da. She is really enjoying her baby food now. She loves carrots, squash, sweet potatoes and mixed veggies. She will tolerate mixed garden veggies and does not like green beans or peas. She loves all fruit. We are pretty much back on a good schedule. She wakes up anytime between 7-8 am. She has a bottle first thing. She has a fruit between 9-9:30 and then takes about an hour nap. We play, read books and talk until about 12:30, then she has a bottle and takes a nap until around 4. Then she gets a veggie. Then we play some more and have a bath at 6:30 and bed by 7.

Of course, now that we are back in a routine, it is all about to change. I got a job! I am so excited. I have loved being at home with Audrey Grace but I am ready to go back to work. I think it will be good for me and her both. Audrey Grace will start day care on Monday. I am really not too nervous about it. I am excited for her to get around other babies and learn how to interact. I worry about her adjusting to napping and around people she doesn't know. I know she will be fine but after being with me for 7 months...it is going to take some adjusting I am afraid. The daycare said she will probably not nap for a week or so but then she will adjust. As long as she will sleep at night, I'll be ok. I might start my job next week but probably the next, so I plan to ease her in. I will probably only leave her half a day for the first day or two then a little longer and so on. I am going to be working 4 days a week so I will still get a long weekend, which I am very excited about. I will be working for Camellia Home Health and Hospice doing Home Health.

Also, during this 7th month of her life she was diagnosed with mild right lower lobe pneumonia. My biggest fear! She had a cold over Thanksgiving and seemed to get better but my guess is it never cleared in her chest. She woke up with a runny nose and then a cough a few days later. I started her on the meds prescribed by the doctor and waited 2 weeks as advised. She never seemed worse but not really better either. I did some breathing treatments and I think this is what prevented it from being worse. When I ran out of xopenex and albuterol I waited a few days (well nye weekend) and then made her a doctors appt. By Monday her cough was worse, nose was yuck and you could definitely hear a rattle in her chest. I feel like an awful mom as I type this especially since I am a nurse! Well, we saw the doctor and had a chest xray and RSV test. I wish I had a picture of the chest xray. I don't know how many of you have ever seen an infant have a chest xray. They put them in a trap! Really they strap them in this oval clear upright contraption and I had to hold her hands straight above her head. Needless to say this did not make her happy. She really did good though. I started talking to her and singing to her and she stopped crying and just looked at me. Her look was like" what is going on and why are you not getting me out of this thing". Thank goodness RSV was negative but the xray did show some a mild area of congestion. She got a shot of Rocephin and is on Cefzil twice a day for a week. She is already better...thank you God.

Christmas Card Photos






Just wanted to throw this one of my precious neices in.
Lores, Laura Lea and Lucy




Say What...

Audrey Grace said Mama!!!!! I won't deny that I work with her almost on a daily basis, but it is still so awesome to hear it from her mouth. I was determined she would say Mama before Dada. I have been home with this sweet angel for 7 months. I feel like if I stay home and take care of her daily she should say my name first!

The day after Christmas we went over to my sister's friends house, The Howard's. Elizabeth Howard is 10 and has cerebral palsy. She has a motorized wheel chair and loves babies. I decided to let Elizabeth take Audrey Grace for a ride. Her mother thought I was crazy at first but I thought Audrey Grace would love to ride around. We strapped them in and they took off around the house. When Elizabeth stopped in her room and Audrey Grace lost sight of me she got a little unsettled. When I came around the corner she saw me and said Ma Ma! Oh they were the sweetest words! Thank goodness I had witnesses or no one would believe me. Of course I know this doesn't mean she is going to start saying it all the time but she has said it twice since. Every time it is when she is upset and sees me, so I am convinced she knows what she is saying.
The quality of this picture is awful. I took it with my phone and the slightest move makes it blurry.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Christmas in Columbus

After lunch at the lake, we drove to Columbus to have Christmas with my Dad's side of the family. We ate our Christmas dinner before we opened presents, so Audrey Grace was exhausted and ready for bed by the time we were ready to open gifts. We videoed her so I didn't get many pictures of her opening. She loved pulling the paper and then trying to stuff it in her mouth!

Patiently waiting while we ate
Laura Lea taking Audrey Grace's toys!

Laura Lea got to open a gift early to keep her entertained.


Wasting no time...

Aunt Joyce and AG

Laura Lea is not wild about AG sitting in her chair. She wants to eat and drink whatever AG has. She had to stand guard of her chair

Sweet babies

Aww wee so sweet

Wii Dance!











Saturday, January 1, 2011

Merry Christmas

Audrey Grace was not nearly as excited about her first Christmas as Ryan and I were. We are so happy to share the holidays with our precious baby girl. Our lives will never be the same but we wouldn't and couldn't imagine it any other way. Audrey Grace was very appreciative of all of her gifts from Santa. She played with each toy and loved helping me pull from her stocking!
Santa Came!



Good Morning!


Daddy showing Audrey Grace all of her new toys


Christmas morning family picture





Miller had to watch over her
Mark, Dru, Hunt and Hank came over for Christmas Lunch. The boys and Audrey Grace exchanged gifts too. Hunt and Hank love Audrey Grace. It is so funny to see them love on her and interact with her. You wouldn't think a 10 and 12 year old boy would want much to do with a 7 month old baby.
They gave her a set of rattles that are fruits. She got a banana, apple, lemon and orange. She really likes the banana right now because it is easier for her to hold and of course naw on.


Hank, Audrey Grace and Hunt