Don't call it a comeback!

Audrey was sick for almost 2 weeks, but she is back to her lively self. We have been on a few play dates with her friends and she was so excited to be around other kids again. We have been preparing for the holidays by introducing her to Santa. She saw him at the mall and we had planned to get her first photo with him, but she thought it was best to admire him from afar. She clung on to me so tight that it actually hurt. I didn't want to force a photo, so we'll have to try again next year. Audrey loves Christmas lights and we have been going to Garrison Street in Point Loma to see all of the lights, decorations, etc. These people are not messing around! There are so many lights and it gets bigger each year. I have included some photos below, but you should really go and see them for yourself.

Little one down!

For the last few days Audrey has been sick and she is not sleeping. This is only the 3rd time that she has been sick, but it is by far the worst. She has had a fever, congestion, cough, runny nose, etc., and it is hard to see her so unhappy. Instead of being happy and smiling, she is sad and crying. We took her to the doctor today and we are doing everything we should be doing, so now we just have to wait it out. These last few days have been rough on all of us, and we hope she is back to her happy self soon. We have seen a completely different side of our little one. She has been irritable and demanding and even throwing tantrums. I remember seeing kids in stores, restaurants etc., and seeing their parents dreadful expression while their child does that lifeless melting thing, and now my little Audrey is doing it. I hope that is not here to stay.

Happy Holidays!

We had a great Thanksgiving with Audrey's grandparents, Jim and Lynda. We had fun baking pies and cooking a great meal. Audrey didn't eat any of it, not even the pumpkin pie. She is into pasta and pizza, or anything that involves tomato sauce. We had a mellow day and then on Friday we visited Audrey's other grandpa, my dad. We hung out on the beach and they went for a long walk. Audrey learned a new word, pier. She was so excited to see the pier and to walk along the beach. The pier made a big impression, so much so that she kept repeating the word and even woke up in the middle of the night saying, "pier, pier." I will have to thank my dad for that! Here are some great shots of Audrey with grandpa Johnny and grandpa Jim. Hope you all enjoyed time with your loved ones.

The Early Bird

For the last few weeks, Audrey has been waking up around 4:30 and 5 a.m. It has been a long 2 and 1/2 weeks and we have seen better days. It's amazing how old we look now; a child really ages you in the first year of their life. Now I know that I really should have listened to my friends when they told me to sleep in as much as possible before the baby. Dammit, why didn't I do that? Every few weeks she goes through a growth phase or a cognitive phase and we lose sleep. I am pretty certain that this is more of a cognitive phase since she wakes up when it is still dark and is ready to have a conversation. She wants to recite all of the words that she knows, colors, numbers, the Ghettysberg address, you get the idea. I wouldn't mind waiting until 6 to hear about these things. This morning she woke up and asked about her tutu, the little skirt she wore for Halloween. She wants to wear it now whenever possible and today at 5:30 a.m. seemed like the perfect time to her. Despite the lack of sleep, this is a really fun time and although we are exhausted, we are all happy and healthy.

Time Flies

The past months have gone by so fast and I can't believe how big Audrey is now. I am so glad that I am home and I can enjoy each and every day with her. I was looking through some of her photos and can't help but get a little emotional when I see how small she was. I realize that the last year and a half has flown by and she is not a baby anymore. Although the beginning of her life was stressful for us, being new parents and not really knowing what we were doing or what she wanted at times, it went by way too fast! I remember people telling me that I need to enjoy each and every minute because they grow up so fast and they were right. Here are some of my favorite photos of Audrey over the last 19 months.

Family Photos

We have tried to get some family photos taken every few months to document Audrey's growth and ever changing personality. This last time our friend Frank Rogozienski took some shots of us at our home. Our main focus to take pictures of Audrey in her home doing what she does best, having fun and entertaining us. We were not sure if she would be in the mood to have her photo taken, but she was fine. She welcomed Frank with a smile and played music and danced, shared toys, etc. It was a fun time and we are getting some great photos of Audrey. Check out the photos and Frank's new site here:
FRP Faces

Happy Halloween!

Audrey enjoyed her first Halloween and she was a great fairy princess. She never got the whole trick-or-treating thing, but as soon as we arrived at someone's door and they offered her candy, she knew exactly what to do. She never said trick-or-treat, but she did say "thank you." She loved seeing all of the kids in costumes and watching them walk around the neighborhood. We finished the night with "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown," which was always part of my Halloween experience as a kid and it's great that Audrey can enjoy that too. We look forward to next year when she really gets into it.