Sunny weekend pictures

This weekend has been beautiful and sunny so we spent as much time outdoors as possible! We threw in a little priming of the living room and dining room, too, so we can get our floors installed soon!

On Friday afternoon we did a little swinging and a little cycling...

Ellie told me she needed to wear all her necklaces to the playground so she could look like a mama :-)

Ellie loves riding her tricycle now!

Scratching her back on the tree like bear

On Saturday, another playground and Rita's....

Audrey likes it best when Ellie pushes the swing

It was 91 degrees so we didn't stay at the park long. Instead we headed to Rita's for cold ice in the shade.

Sunday morning at the beach!

"Mommy, the water almost got me!"

"Who's toe is that?!?"

Audrey hanging out in the shade

Audrey's first (freezing) dip in the ocean

Just chillin'

Ellie flying a helicopter!

Lori wanted me to show Ellie how the rides are done - she didn't understand how to pull the lever to go up. She figured it out and wanted to stay up the whole ride!

Ten months old!

Sweet Audrey is ten months old today! We have already started planning for her first birthday party, which just doesn't seem possible! Here is what she's up to these days:

- She started to officially crawl a couple weeks ago! She had been getting around by scooching herself across the floor (our pediatrician calls it "commando crawling") but is now going about it in the traditional way. There is a video of her crawling at the very end.

- Audrey can also pull herself to standing and go from laying down to sitting up. She is also trying to go from laying down to standing by doing the yoga position 'downward facing dog'! You can see this briefly at the beginning of the video.

- Audrey has two primary motivations: 1) Ellie and 2) food. She will find a way to get anywhere if it involves one of those two. If you notice in the crawling video below, we got her to do it by putting a bowl of Cheerios at the other end of the rug!

- Audrey is primarily eating table food now. She loves pasta, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, peas, green beans, carrots, Cheerios, Gerber Puffs, and soy yogurt. She is still nursing or having a bottle four times a day, although we will be trying to cut back on that soon. We have been working on drinking from a sippy cup for several weeks now and she is just starting to get the hang of it.

- Audrey finally got her third tooth. She has had her two bottom teeth since six months and recently got one on top.

- Audrey has figured out how to smack her lips. She does it to tell you she's hungry and also to give you a kiss.

- Another big transition has been that she now points with her finger rather than her whole hand. And she mostly does this to get the things mentioned above as her primary motivations!

- She is responding more to 'no' and answers 'no' as well.

- Her favorite things - the swing at the playground, the bunny that she sleeps with, the tags on her toys, books, her large table top toys, and baths.

- What Audrey does not like - wearing socks, having her nose wiped, having her face cleaned, and being told no.

- Audrey has a very "spirited" personality. She is assertive and lets you know what she wants (even more so now because she can point and she tell you no!). She appears to have a very different personality than her sister and is already giving Ellie a run for her money!

- Her growth is slowing down a bit. She now weighs between 22 and 23 pounds. She has been slimming down a little bit, especially in her face and neck, since she started moving more.

Happy Birthday to me!

I am one spoiled birthday girl today! This morning Lori took both girls to Ellie's gymnastics class and then to the grocery store so I had more than three whole hours alone!! I couldn't even tell you the last time I was home by myself and it was heavenly just to lounge around.

Lori and the girls brought back a bouquet of balloons for me and the fixings for a picnic. After naptime we all went to the park for an early picnic dinner and lots of playtime.

Audrey did not like the grass at all!

Ellie and Lori made me a delicious cake! My birthday gifts were a trench coat that I have been wanting for two years from Lori, beautiful weather, and Audrey's third tooth!

Easter weekend

Happy Easter!

We spent this past weekend at Mimi and Boppa's house to celebrate Easter and Mimi's birthday. We had a wonderful, relaxing time. The weather was beautiful on Friday so Ellie got to ride her Big Wheel up and down the street, which she loves. Saturday and Sunday were rainy and cold so Ellie had a lot of indoor play time with Mimi and Boppa. Audrey enjoyed all the extra snuggles and arms to hold her. She especially loved her nap times with Boppa!

Ridin' the Big Wheel!

Audrey watching her big sister racing down the street

Ellie decorated cupcakes for Mimi's birthday

Happy Birthday to Mimi!

Audrey helps Boppa with the entertainment part of our evening

Sharing a bowl of Cheerios and watching cartoons on Saturday morning

Easter morning

Easter egg hunt

All the hidden eggs have been found!

Ellie cracking open her loot

Cheerios?!?! Where's the candy?

Easter dinner