Audrey's Playground

Audrey is one lucky little girl. This past weekend, it was decided and agreed upon that Audrey should have a few elements of a playground at her disposal, so Gramps and Pappy assembled with Daddy and set to work on phase one: the swing set. They were actually able to crank out a really nice swing set frame out of cedar in an afternoon, and attach the boat swing that Audrey got for her birthday from Grammy and Gramps.

The swing set gets Audrey's "Weeeee!" of approval (photo by Linda Ware)

The unoccupied finished product

While the guys assembled the swing set, Grammy, Mimmy, and I went to Costco where we stumbled on the last of the pre-made sandboxes. Everyone pitched in, and the following day Daddy had a new project...

Naturally, it's the windiest and chilliest day of the weekend when assembly begins

The directions claimed this was a 2 person job, but Kyle did it all on his own

Despite the terrible directions, a shape takes form...

Getting closer...

Finishing touches

Sandbox!

The next day, Audrey checks it out, heading straight for the shovels

Next, a beeline for dirt (we haven't filled the sandbox yet)

Getting a closer look

Audrey figures out the edges are the perfect hight for sittin' ("Aaaaaah")

She sits on every side

Happy baby

Digging out the other sand toys

Audrey's sandbox and swing set turned out great, and all are just the right size... what a lucky girl she is! Now, bring on the nice weather!

Pink Sand!

Audrey loves digging in dirt so much, Mimmy and Pappy improvised a sandbox for her on their front porch. However, this box of sand is special- it's full of pink sand! Audrey really enjoyed her first sandbox experience, and it makes me even more sure that she needs one of her own!

Audrey makes her first move in the sandbox

She gets stabby with her shovel

Pink toes in pink sand

Finally all reservations were lost and she dug in!

Escape to Mimmy and Pappy's

This past weekend, Kyle had a LAN party, and amidst the 8 computers and their cords and corresponding gamers, there wasn't a lot of play room for Audrey, so we escaped to Mimmy and Pappy's on Saturday.

Sleeping Beauty

Audrey had tossed and turned all night Friday night, and was pretty tired by the time she woke up... at 6am. We got up at 7am, did our usual morning routine, were on the road by 9am, and she was out by about 9:15... and who could blame her? Thankfully, Mimmy had hot coffee and an amazing breakfast waiting for us when we got down to Cleburne. After breakfast, we danced to XM Radio while Pappy did the dishes, put Audrey down for her nap, and afterwards, headed outside...

Audrey zeros in on the messiest thing on the portch

You can't tell by the pics, but before the cameras made it outside, she was kinda skittish about digging in the wet dirt

In no time, Audrey was up to her elbows and loving it

"Doort"

Audrey figures out how really, really wet dirt will splatter

No matter how far away I moved, she found me

She tasted it, then thought I should, too

The final product

After digging out a decent amount of bricks and dirt, we decided it was time to get cleaned up and to start thinking about dinner! Alas, I had cleaned out the diaper bag a few weeks prior, and had realized the spare clothes in said bag were way too small for her... and had never replaced them. SO, while Pappy washed her outfit, Mimmy and I gave her a bath, and while we waited on the dryer, we rigged an outfit from an elastic headband and an old t-shirt. Audrey looked like a Grecian cherub.

The outfit from the back: Audrey lounges in the sun

Headstands with Mimmy

Side view of shirt-dress

Playing with Mimmy's keys

Hair slowly drying...

Hangin' with Mimmy and Pappy

Enjoying the scruffies on Pappy's face

Audrey's clothes ended up drying just in time to slip them back on, pack up, and head out to dinner. We stopped at a restaurant in Alvarado that had a live band made up of old men and older instruments, but they kept Audrey enthralled through the entire meal. We arrived back home just in time for Daddy to give Audrey a bath, put on her pj's, and tuck her in to bed. It was a nice little getaway for us, and it was even nicer spending a whole day with Mimmy and Pappy!

Fun with Jennifer and Ethan

On Friday, Jennifer and Ethan came down to spend the afternoon with us. Jennifer and I figured out that the last time Audrey and Ethan had been in the same room together, Audrey hadn't started crawling yet, and Ethan could barely sit up on his own. That is far too long, especially since they're supposed to be getting to know each other (and falling in love, since we joke that they're betrothed...)! To remedy this problem, we arranged a playdate, and I can honestly say it wasn't just Audrey and Ethan that had a good time... it was really good to see Jennifer, too!

Audrey plays ball while waiting on Ethan to arrive

(she had a great time chasing the kitty, too)

"Ball"

Ethan and Audrey get right down to business, and do a pretty darn good job of sharing toys, too

Happy Mr. Ethan

Lunch time

After lunch and naps, a trip to the park

Audrey stretches her hammies before heading to the gym (jungle gym, that is)

Audrey takes her "tik" and pokes the "wrok"

Destined to be at least good friends

What I Wish I Knew...

I have recently found out that an old friend of mine is pregnant. She will be a rocking stay-at-home-mom, and I also think she'll have a few of the need-to-have-an-answer, need-to-have-a-plan tendencies that I had (and, let's be honest, still have). One of the hardest things I encountered while pregnant was the challenge to sort through the amazing volumes of well-meaning advice that came at me from every angle.

I intend to now write a blog full of my own well-meaning advice, inspired by my friends' pregnancy, and by others around me who are expecting.

Disclaimer: I am in no way a pregnancy OR child care expert. The following tidbits are taken from my own experience and hindsight observations, in the hopes that they will offer some peace of mind and/or validation to friends and to myself if I am ever in this position again and in need of a few reminders.

What I Wish I Knew While I Was Pregnant

1. You will drive yourself crazy comparing yourself to family, friends, or media moms. It is cliche but true: everyone is different, and different is not wrong.

2. Your definition of spontaneity is about to change forever. Take the next several whirlwind months and build up some self-indulgent experiences to draw from once you have to start making all your plans around a little someone else.

3. It may seem like you're not sleeping well due to the pregnancy, but at least right now you can lay down when you want, for as long as you want, and totally zone out. Do that as many times as you can.

4. Nothing is wrong with your maternal instincts if you don't feel like nesting for 35 out of the 40 weeks you're expecting, or if you start cleaning, baby-proofing, and decorating like a madwoman from week 4.

5. Don't worry about your weight, beyond your health and the health of the growing wee one.

6. Borrow maternity clothes, buy used maternity clothes, and think outside the box- what is in your 'normal clothes' section of your wardrobe that offers extra room for a growing belly?

7. Don't be embarrassed about your belly. It's not taboo, even if it is new to you. Have photos done, go swimming, and wear clothing that is a little more clingy than it is billowy. Enjoy the change, and you'll set a tone for a more optimistic approach to all the other changes your physique foreshadows.

8. Don't let family and friends pressure or bully you in to or out of a baby name.

9. Read, read, read, read, read. Be open-minded about more than "how it was done when I was a kid" when it comes to child-rearing methods.

...aaaaaaaaaaand last...

10. There is more than one 'right' way to raise a kid. If you have an all-natural birth, an epidural, or a c-section... if you breastfeed or use formula... if you circumcise or not... if you utilize a schedule or not... if you co-sleep or start and keep your wee one in their own bed... if you have pets or not... if you separate their laundry or mix it in with yours...

Remember: if you're making your parenting decisions out of love, then that's all that matters. In the end, the parents are the only people accountable for the decisions made for a kiddo, so in the end, the ultimate decision is yours. Be gracious when advice is offered, but don't feel pressured or judged when you go to make your decision.

It's cliche, but it's true- time flies. It will feel slow at first, but all of the sudden, you'll have an almost-two-year-old, and you'll be wondering why in the world you stressed out so much when all you had was a squishy lump that slept all day. Enjoy every step for what it is, and you'll get by just fine (good advice for others and for myself, even now).

I'm Learnding...

As Ralph Wiggum would say, 'I'm learnding.'

Since my down-in-the-dump day of yester-blog, I have raided Barnes and Noble, and have selected a few texts to help shed some light on Audrey's newest toddler phase(s). Not only am I finding reassurance in the advice and general validation of the first book of choice, The Happiest Toddler on the Block by Harvey Karp, M.D., I am also seeing options for dealing with her tantrums and such from a new and interesting perspective.

I have yet to finish this book, but so far, it has been uplifting and has helped in making me feel like I haven't broken my baby; I have in fact nourished her so successfully that she feels safe and secure enough to act like a little cavewoman. Go me.

The second book I selected, Toddler 411 by Denise Fields and Ari Brown, M.D., has yet to be cracked, but it is touted by Parents Magazine (ooo la la). It will serve as more of a reference for the whys and what-ifs of this uncharted territory I've followed Audrey in to, and less of a suggested behavioral method for coping with toddler behavior.

I find it comforting to know that I now have backup when I desperately need answers, and all my conventional avenues have been exhausted.

To make things even better (for now, knock on wood), Audrey is 100% over her illnesses, and has regained her resiliency and sweetness... between tantrums, that is. This alone makes it so much easier to be optimistic, and stick to my guns when it comes to doing what I know is best for her. For example, we've resumed independent playtime in the play pen (we stopped when she first started feeling bad, about 3 weeks or so ago). I can't believe what a difference the playtime makes in that darned play pen. The toughest part is easing back in to the routine, because she doth protest! But after a few days, she quite enjoys herself, and can do 30 minutes or more and have a great time.

I've also started something new: about 45 minutes before lunch, I read out loud to her from a book I'm interested in. Nothing racy, but nothing that involves Sesame Street, either. I've noticed that this little ritual has started curbing her clingyness (is that a word?), and is encouraging her to play with her toys without bugging for participation from someone else. She'll fuss for the first 60 seconds or so as she realizes I'm not going to drop everything to shake a maraca with her or switch from my book to one of hers, but after that she does a great job finding things to play with near me.

Of course, she still has a few meltdowns per day, but that's nothing compared to when I last blogged, and it seemed like she was screaming and crying all day long. They say baby steps, right?

Today was a great day, with only one upset towards dinner time that was very short-lived. Pappy came to visit, we had pizza for lunch, we colored in the driveway, and we read stories with Dada until it was time to take a bath. Not too shabby.

Audrey having breakfast: whole-grain toaster waffles, boiled eggs, and blueberries

Independent playtime in the pack-n-play

30 minutes was up, but she kept on playin'...

Audrey and her favorite book

Sharing an oatmeal cookie with the kitty

Her newest trick: de-clipping her hair

Ending the night with the beginning of a new tradition: charting Audrey's height on the inside of the pantry door