Baby in a Box!

In the last year or so I remember seeing a list of the all-time greatest toys for children and do you know what toy topped that list? A box. Who knew a box could provide such entertainment. You can put things into the box like your blocks or your babydoll or you can practice getting in and out of that box for 20 minutes. Or you can sit in the box and have Daddy zoom you around on the carpet like it's a car. So, if you've got a large box and you're thinking about tossing it out let Audrey play with it first. We always have diaper boxes around, but they're not very big. Audrey would like a big box like for a washer or fridge. I may have to ask the next time we are at Lowe's.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

How can Audrey know and understand this word already? The answer to everything lately is "no!"

Do you want to eat?
"No!"

Do you want to play?
"No!"

Do you want to take a bath?
"No!"

It is rather hilarious, but I'm also wondering why Audrey decided to lurch into the "terrible two's" at 17 months old. She acts so grown up some days. Answering me with words (even if it is no!) or signs, folding her arms when she doesn't get her way, and putting her hands on her hips when copping an attitude. Gee, thanks Aunt Becky for teaching Auds that trick!!

Audrey's use of the word "no" also came packaged with other behavior such as hitting (me or the dogs) or just outright whining and faux-crying if Audrey doesn't get her way. Audrey always gets a first warning, but she's all about testing the limits these days so for her second offense she has a time-out on the first step of our stairway. I take her over to the step, sit her down, explain to her what she did wrong, tell her to sit there and I will come back and get her when the time is up. Afterwards we huge and kiss and Audrey is happy and ready to go play again. Thanks Supernanny! I can't tell you how wonderful time-outs are working for us right now. Even the mention of a time-out at the first warning has Audrey's saying, "Noooo, Mama!" and gets her attitude back in check. What a wonderful parenting tool!

Here's Audrey sitting on her time-out step. It's now a favorite spot to sit and play even when she's not in trouble!

For every beginning there is an end.

It's the bond between mom and baby that only they can share. Breastfeeding. Truly the most amazing and tiring experience of your life. If you think pregnancy is a haul then try breastfeeding.... a toddler! It was a commitment I made from the beginning of Audrey's life and while there were some struggles and defeats at the start I think it stands as one of my proudest moments as a mother. I made milk and sustained a life. How cool is it to say that? Talk about a super power.

When Audrey was a newborn I knew it was the best start I could give her. She grew right on track and it was so encouraging to hear at each weight check that Audrey was doing great. Bowing. Thank you, thank you! Just another mommy's cafe hard at work. Although, we don't give ourselves that much credit. I think we often forget all that we are providing to our babies. The wonderful antibodies, lots of delicious calories and fat and the most perfect food for baby. Audrey was one lucky baby and I was one lucky mama--no true illnesses to this date. (Now quickly knocking on wood!)

So, we approached that one year mark and I was slowly weaning Audrey down to just two nursing sessions per day. I was ready for some freedom and Audrey was learning all about the wonderful milk made by moo cow's that she could now enjoy. Then there was a night out with the girls one evening and after that we were just down to one session in the morning. I think this was my favorite time though. Cuddle time in the chair with Nutter while she woke up, looked at me, stared lovingly at me, then hit me in the chest, pulled on my pj's, tugged on my necklace and tried to grab my hair. Then with a flash she'd be off and running around her room calling for the dogs, hauling out books and yelling for Dada. At some point you just know and I knew that it was our time to be done. So with one last sweet morning together came our end. It was bittersweet. And just as I was about to be teary eyed over the whole ending she looks up at me and says, "Mama!"

Thinking ahead to Halloween!

Yes, folks, that's right! Halloween costumes already, because when you're a mom with a cute baby you can't wait to dress them up in an adorable little outfit. Last year Audrey was a flower, but she was pretty young and didn't get the whole costume or celebration. This year I'm thinking Audrey might be a bit more into Halloween and perhaps visit a few houses to get candy with Daddy. So, what do you think Audrey should be for Halloween?! Here are the options...

A pink poodle? The fact that Audrey is dog crazy puts this at the top of the list.

A butterfly? Audrey seems pretty fascinated by these flying creatures in our yard.

A princess?! I suppose that's what Audrey is, although we don't need her head getting too big!

I think we're leaning towards the pink poodle, but cast your vote to help us decide!! Audrey will be wearing this outfit for Halloween and also to our annual GRBaby Halloween Party at Chuck-E-Cheese!!

Darn you, Baby Gap!

If you don't have a baby then you are probably not aware how adorable Baby Gap's stuff has been lately. This past spring their collection was so cute I couldn't help but snap up all of the coordinating pieces when they went on sale for Audrey. I loved that everything was mix & match, fit Audrey well and has washed and worn great. Well, with fall upon us I'm already starting to think about her upcoming wardrobe, because as a baby who is always growing you're totally lucky and get a new wardrobe about every six months. It's not fair! So shop I must.

I think this fall we are going to branch out and try some bigger girl styles including jeans! Audrey has been such a skinny mini that getting jeans to fit her this past year has been a joke. They may fit her in length, but the waist always has inches to spare--if only I could echo that same sentiment. Anywho, I'm completely in love with the "Boho Baby" and the "Preppy Prints" collections and because I have a coupon and a few giftcards lined up I may just have to start snatching this stuff up before it's all gone. Then there's the shoes, but that may need it's own entry. Stay tuned to Audrey's style watch!

Playdate!

Now and then some girlfriends and their babes get together for some playdate fun at the mall! It's always an easy playdate location, because no one has to clean their house, prep breakfast or have 10 toddler destroying their playroom. It's fun and Audrey loves to run around with all of the kids and enjoy the activities. I can also get in a little shopping before or after! Our favorite play place is probably Centerpointe Mall, because their playspace is new and it has a slide just Audrey's size. She loves it!

Audrey going down the slide with Rainah.

Hopping on the fish.

Audrey going down the slide with Will.

Riding in the boat.

My baby loves babies!

Audrey got a baby for Christmas and I've bought her a few baby dolls along the way. Audrey squeals with delight and tries to leap out of the cart when we go down the baby doll aisle. She's completely obsessed with babies lately. So back in March for her birthday I bought her a little baby doll stroller to haul her babies around in and just recently she's really started to enjoy pushing her babies all around the house. But the whole ensemble wouldn't be complete without a purse to hang over the handlebar. Just like mom!!

Then there was the ride home!

There's just not much to say except we had an eventful trip home from New York! Our flight was delayed twice, then canceled and we were stuck in Laguardia with a fidgety baby who was nearing lunch and naptime. American Airlines was telling us we could try to fly stand-by out of Newark at 5pm or possibly get tickets on a 8pm flight out of Newark, but our best best was to fly out of Laguardia the next day at Noon! WHAT?!

At that point we all just wanted to go home and we knew there was no way all of us were going to make it on the same flight. So after realizing that we just couldn't sit around the airport (mind you we would have to leave Laguardia with our luggage and go to Newark) for eight hours to try and catch a flight home we decided to drive. Well, Jeff and I decided to drive and then my Dad proclaimed he was never getting on a plane again, so we grabbed our luggage and took the Budget bus back to the car rental station. The woman at the counter finally took pity on us and gave us one of the reserved minivans, so that we could drive back to Detroit. Looking back the drive wasn't all that bad. All in all, Jeff was back for court and my Dad was back for surgery on Monday, we didn't get in until late though (almost 3AM), but Audrey did great and caught plenty of Z's on the way! Here's some pics of what I saw through the car window!

Leaving NYC... thank goodness for our Garmin! It took us all the way home!!
A shot of Yankee Stadium for Jeff.
Crossing over the G. Washington bridge with Manhattan in the distance.
Nutter about ready for a nap!
We drove through PA for what seemed like forever, but it was really beautiful to drive through the Allegheny Mountains. If we were driving and taking our time this would have been a neat stop along the way.
As evening approached a fog started lifting up out of the valleys of the mountains. It was beautiful!
SOOOOO glad to be home!!

East Coast Baby!

We went to Long Island last week for my Aunt Louise's wedding. We knew it would be a blast. I'm not sure how a wedding in the Hamptons could be anything less. Louise and Ted love good food, good wine and had secured the Water Mill Beach Club for their nuptials and reception. It doesn't get any better than a laid-back, casual beachside wedding with the entire guest list wearing chic beach white!

I'm honestly not sure we thought we would ever see this day. Louise and Ted have been engaged for longer than Jeff and I have been engaged & married. Louise always told me I had to go first and show her how it was done. I obliged. Years later we were still asking Louise for a date. Then to our surprise last year Louise told us that the blessed day would be 8.8.08. Now if that doesn't make your day lucky nothing will.

So, we headed to the Hamptons with too many nautically-inspired sundresses and seersucker pants shoved in the suitcase and we were ready for a great time. The weather was fantastic, the shopping was worth drooling over (and frankly so were the cars and homes too!), the beach was amazing and we had a wonderful time celebrating the love and marriage of the happy couple.
We stayed at a wonderful Bed & Breakfast, The Pondview and we enjoyed our cottage on their grounds very much. It was nice to have our own space and kitchen and Audrey was happy to have a crib to call her own. Other perks? The family dog, Sophia who loves visitors. Sophia loved playing with Audrey and had no problems hanging out in our cottage on the couch! The 700 fish in the fully stocked pond was a hit. We fed the fish every morning to Audrey's delight. They also had a nice pool, a tennis court and our favorite, a very large putting green with chipping mound in the front lawn. Jeff and I were drooling. We totally need one of these at home. I told Jeff I could practice everyday while Audrey napped. Seriously!
Our cottage!
Audrey and Daddy waiting to go to dinner at Tide Runner's our first night in the Hamptons. Audrey was in love with the huge fishtank at the restaurant and squealed so loud with delight I'm rather surprised the tank didn't shatter!
Audrey killing time before dinner chasing Sophia, a puggle, down our brick path to the cottage.
The day of the wedding was beautiful. Well, right up until we were to head to the beach club. Then the thunder clouds moved in and so did the raindrops. Fortunately, the big storm missed us and the sun broke through the clouds, turned the sky yellow, there were a few raindrops and then a full rainbow broke over the ocean. I'm not sure your wedding ceremony gets any better than that! Between the rainbow, the raw bar and the champagne this party was off to a great start.




Audrey was the flowergirl who hated her flower bracelet. After some creative re-purposing of the flowers I attached them to her hat and sent her down the aisle. She made it half way before realizing that everyone was eying her. Then she collapsed and cried. Everyone laughed.






The rest of the reception was so much fun! Lots of toasts (seriously, like 10 toasts! this is what happens with 30 brits in town!), lots of wonderful food (tenderloin & salmon) and famous cupcakes from Tate's Bakery, which were to die for. My aunt had even hired one of her old grad students to nanny for Audrey the night of the wedding, so that Jeff and I could kick back and have fun. Audrey took to Nicole quickly and we were able to get Audrey off to bed after dinner and then have fun dancing, smoking cigars and drinking champagne the rest of the evening!


The next day friend's of Ted & Louise's had us over to their home for a lovely lunch. But forget the lunch, their gardens had me drooling. While everyone was by the pool giving more speeches about Ted & Louise I was traipsing through their gardens snapping pictures and dreaming of making over my yard. It was such an idyllic locations. Lush shade gardens, meandering paths, and a pool by which you sipped your tea. They even had a beautiful old colonial home to match, which fits the gardens perfectly.












Here's Audrey hanging out in the garden! She really enjoyed running around in the grass and putting her toes into the pool and splashing them. What a wonderful garden for children full of fun little hiding spots and lots of things to explore.












Afterwards, our hosts took us down to their private beach where the movie "Something's Gotta Give" was filmed. So amazing. The beaches on Long Island are some of the best around. Audrey enjoyed her first dip in the ocean (well, not really), but she liked playing in the sand and watching a dog down the beach run around. The undertow was really strong that day at the beach so we had to be careful how far we went out into the surf. The beach was packed though and what a glorious day to be at the beach! Look at that blue sky!












On our last night in the Hamptons we just had a low key evening. I think all of us were tired of running from one event to the next, especially little Miss Audrey who was showing us the sign for "sleep" not long after her nap post-beach. So, we ordered delicious take-out from La Parmigiana and dined in our cute cottage on huge pizza pies and yummy pasta dishes. It was a fun trip and a beautiful wedding. Congrats again Ted & Louise!

Peanut on a Potty!

The other day I bought Audrey a potty. It was a steal that couldn't be passed up and I figured we put it in our half bath to get Audrey used to the potty. Well, Audrey loves her potty. If you just happen to say the word potty she runs into the bathroom to open up the top and point inside. She even wants to sit on it. I let her sit on it if she wants during diaper changes. She loves to sit, but so far that's all that happens. Sitting. I'm just waiting for the first pee on the potty and the following potty party that will occur. Eventually it will happen. Audrey loves to run around naked before bathtime and Jeff and I have to watch her like a hawk or she'll pee on the floor. It must be that fresh air! If the dogs piddle on the floor they get in trouble. If Audrey runs through the house naked and piddles on the floor we have a chuckle (quietly). It's cute when Audrey does it. How can you not laugh at a naked baby running around. This is motherhood. The excitement over pee and potty and poop. No one told me this!

Boating Baby!

The other weekend we met up with my parents and went out on Wabasis Lake for an afternoon of fun. We don't get to go boating nearly often enough, so it wasn't too hard to convince my parents to haul their boat up our way and enjoy some aquatic recreation. After Audrey's initial concerns about the boat moving she did great. She loved the rocking motion of the waves and would try to rock the boat when the waves calmed down in the bay as we had lunch.



Here's Audrey boating with Grandma. Grandma was feeding Audrey baked Cheetos, so no wonder she didn't want to come sit with me up front!
The boys always go on these marathon tubing rides. It's insane! I think we pulled them around the lake for an hour and they only fell off two or three times. I'm not sure how their hands don't hurt after this. They're crazy for it and my Dad just flies and makes all these sharp turns to try and dump them off. They love it!

Eventually the tubing ended when the tow rope broke after my Dad floored it coming out of a big circle to create a bunch of wake. SNAP!

Audrey pointing at seagulls. There was a swan family on the lake too and they were so cute. The babies weren't quite white yet--they were a cute fuzzy brown.

It was definitely the most perfect day for boating!