Audrey Sophia - 1 Year Old!

I can't believe our Audrey is a year old!!!  What a wonderful, wonderful year it has been with this girl in our lives and part of our family.  I can't even imagine how we had a family without her!!

 We had a fun family cake smash to celebrate this girl's birthday.  Christa make a cute pink cake for her and we all watched her dig in.  At first she was kind of shy and just picked at the frosting, especially going for the pink candy balls on top, eventually she dug and just kept going, having a fabulous time.  It was such  fun, no-stress, all fun way to celebrate this girl who means more to us than words can say.  And since she is such a sweetie, nothing other than a sweet dessert celebration would have been appropriate.  :)  

After the cake smash it was direct to baths, followed by a pizza dinner.  Fun, fun, fun!!!

Personality:  Sweetie pie, go with the flow

Likes: Dancing and singing with music, making loud noises of celebration at totally unexpected moments, eating all on her own, Cheerios, swings, slides, eating rice cakes as she sits in a shopping cart, cell phones, Elijah, feeding us bits of food, being tickled and flipped upside down, getting a hold of my earrings and pulling (ouch!) 

New: Being able to hold unassisted if we prop her up, but when she realizes what's going on she shrinks down to sitting and refuses to let us do it again (goes all floppy), climbing up stairs, starting to do some things intentionally like move blocks into a container

Routine: Nothing new

Struggles: Red bumps around mouth that seem to be an allergic reaction.  We are trying to figure out what's going on and think it may have to do with milk so we're trying cutting out milk

Audrey is 11 Months

This month Audrey has been such a sweet, flexible girl even as we've traveled around and had many stretching situations with little routine while on furlough.  She has been nothing but a joy to have around.

Personality: Sweet, happy, easy going

Likes: Playing in a walker (sit in kind, not the walk behind kind), cruising, trying to get a hold of phones and remotes, dancing and singing with music

New: Trying to climb up stairs, causing, 6 teeth, saying "night night" or waving very occasionally, having fun with cousins and Elijah,

Routine: Trying a new routine of waking at 7:30, napping 9:30-11:30, napping again from 1:30-4, sleep at 7:30.  She has done amazing bouncing back to a routine even after weeks of instability and has been completely flexibly and sweet (never, ever cranky) even when we miss or delay a nap due to our furlough schedule.  This sweet girl was made for missionary life :)

Struggles: Dealing with bumps around her mouth that we can't seem to identify the cause of, but at least don't seem to bother her

I can't believe these are the last few weeks until Audrey is 1 year old.  We love you, Sweet Audrey!

Audrey is 10 Months

I can't believe Audrey is already on her way to turning a year old!  This month she showed off how flexible she is when we transitioned to life in the US for furlough.  We drove 10 hours to Manaus, then on a boat to visit friends living on an island in the Amazon, and then took 3 flights to Phoenix.  Despite a bad diaper rash, teething, a fever of 104, an ear infection, and crazy sleep schedule (or lack there of) she still did amazing considering the circumstances.  She bounced back quickly from everything and is as cheery and sweet as ever, loving every moment of crawling around and discovering everything new.  

Personality: Sweet, happy, flexibly, independent

Likes: Sitting in her high chair, being held, playing with toys, sucking on toys and toothbrushes, crawling around and between furniture like an obstacle course, everything she is offered to eat especially things she can gnaw on

New: Meeting cousins and really playing around older kids, pulling up every chance she gets though still not taking any steps while up or takings steps while holding our hands, crawling quickly and exploring all around houses on her own, scrunching up her nose in a goofy exaggerated way when she is really happy, a total of 5 teeth now and another one almost coming in.  I've also been surprised that in places where she has had to sleep in the same room as us that she has easily fallen asleep in our bed when necessary.  This is so different than Elijah who would only "party" and play around in our bed when we had to have him sleep with us.  Audrey has no problem cuddling up and falling asleep between us, which has been very helpful in a pinch while traveling.

Routine: Same as before but wake up time has been a bit earlier due to being in different places and sleeping in the same room as us

Struggles: Persistant yeast infection diaper rash that is only now clearing up after trying several prescriptions, intentionally throwing food on the floor from her high chair for fun

Here are a few pics of Audrey having in California this month:

Audrey 9 Months

 Our sweet Audrey is 9 months old already!

Personality - Sweetness through and through, flexible  (this girl is cheery even if she misses a nap on a crazy errand day!)

Likes: feeding herself, swinging, being held by anyone, exploring things in the house (inside open cabinets or anything left out),

New: Pulling up to standing, crawling (rather than just scooting) 80% of the time though she hasn't picked up much speed yet, hearty belly laughs (a very cute one on the back of her throat that comes out in little choppy eh eh eh sounds), one top tooth and other one coming any day - that's a total of 3 so far, giving high-fives,  a little clingy to mommy at times,  going un-swaddled at naps (would probably be ready for night time too but we have continued so she doesn't get cold with the a/c), lots of interaction with Elijah (Elijah and her play games, especially in the car such as taking turns making noise and both cracking up), standing up waiting for me in her crib, taking baths with Elijah, and most of all eating!!  This girl can sit in her high chair for an hour or more just eating and eating and eating by the handful or gnawing on a rice cake…happy as can be!!  In fact the other day I dropped her off in the church nursery with a container full of semi-smashed babyfood and asked if the nursery worker could feed her since we had been in a huge rush.  Later the worker told me she and the other worker had commented that there was NO WAY Audrey would eat the large quantity I had packed, but she ate it all and a cracker too and they were in shock!!  :)

Routine:  Continues on the same.  8 wake up, morning nap 10-12, afternoon nap 2-5 (approximately) sleep at 7:30pm

Struggles:  The only struggle we have was at Audrey's last doctor's appointment she had lost weight (about 1/2 lb)  We are focusing on giving her higher calorie food, treated her for worms since Elijah has them, and reweighing tomorrow.  Hoping she has put on some weight this time)

Happy 8 Months, Audrey!

Personality: sweet, smily, chill

Likes: Army crawling, putting all kinds of things in her mouth that she shouldn't (flip flops, stray things she finds on the floor, plugs, etc), sitting her chair eating - happily does this for 30 minutes or more feeding herself finger food, being held, papaya

New: Feeding herself almost exclusively, getting fast at army crawling and going places intentionally, trying to swifter crawl out the front door, acting like she is teething the top teeth but nothing has come through yet, moving easily between sitting and crawling

Struggles: Wanting to be held at times when I'm trying to get things done around the house, crying during diaper changes

A few pics from this month:

Audrey's two bottom teeth

 Elijah is all about interacting with and "helping Audrey".  Here he is trying to help me take this month's picture. 

 And giving her water after a meal…I love how he's so into it that he's making a drinking face :)  

Audrey 7 Months

Happy 7 months to Miss Audrey!

Personality:  Easy going sweetness through and through

Likes: Jumping, toys that make noise, playing on the floor, bananas, smiling at Elijah, sucking on her ring and middle finger now, sleeping only in her bed (no more sleeping on the go unless it's in the car), riding in the front of a grocery cart, trying to pick up food to feed herself, drinking only out of the take and toss sippy-cups, finding flip flops to suck on

New: Army crawling, sitting up sturdy without holding on, 2 bottom teeth, eating all kinds of things pureed and some things finger food style, drinking water from a cup, interested enough in certain things that she scoots to get to them, 

Routine: Trying to cut out her third nap of the day so the new routine will be - 8 am up, nap 10-12, nap 2-5, bed at 7;30.  This is successful most days unless we are out of the house which throws off the routine.

Struggles: First an update on last month's struggle of waking again for the dream feed.  Beginning solids completely resolved that!  Sleeps solidly through the night again.  Only new "struggle" is now having to put away all small toys that Elijah likes to play with since Audrey is officially on the move!

Here's a pic of Audrey's bottom teeth.  The one on the left is all the way up and the one on the right is through, but still coming up all the way.

Also, a funny side note, we can't go ANYWHERE without people commenting on her blue eyes - so rare for Brazil.They don't show up well in these pictures, but they really are a very pretty blue.  People comment, tell other people about it, and even ask to take pictures lol!

We just love this Girl!

6 Months

Happy 6 months to Audrey!  

 Personality:  I've gotta say, Audrey has got to be one of the calmest babies out there.  Even a older farmer in a cowboy hat came up to us in the supermarket and said that Audrey is as "peaceful as a horse under a tree!"  Lol!  I don't know about the horse part, but she really is SOOO peaceful!  She isn't one of those overly silly babies and definitely not a fussy baby.  Just so, so sweet and peaceful.  She seriously hardly every complains about anything, just contently and peacefully enjoys her surroundings and those interacting with her with happy coos.

Likes: People…she let's literally anyone hold her.  Jumping, being held standing/sitting up, playing with toys, interacting with Elijah, bucket baths, jumping, sucking on her ring and pinkie finger 

New:  Sleeping with her arms out of the swaddle (there was no point in it anymore because she kept wiggling out from the half opened zipper.  The transition has been seamless), her first mild cold, sitting up unassisted (actually we realized just days before she turned 5 months that she could do this and she has been getting progressively stronger, though still can't let go of her hands on the floor).  Rolling both ways, lifting up her bum to get on hands/knees, rocking like she's wanting to crawl, eating her first foods (banana, avocado, papaya, carrots, apples), playing for long periods of time of the floor with her toys

Routine:  Nothing new

Struggles:  Starting to wake up for a dream feed again.  I think she is just ready for more calories but still learning to eat, so I'm hoping this is temporary.  I do it around 10pm so it's not a problem, but if I skip she wakes up at night wanting to eat a TON so I've been opting to do the dream feed again for a while.   

This month Audrey also did GREAT on our trip to Goias.  She loved being held by all of the people on the Asas retreat and by her grandparents.

This is her characteristic happy and peaceful look…seriously looks like this  95% of the time

Starting to really interact with each other for the first time.  I asked Elijah to bring Audrey some toys…when I looked a minute later, ALL these toys were in front of her

First food…a banana from a village we fly to.  Perfect food for our little missionary kid!

Audrey is 5 Months

Miss Audrey is 5 months this week and I'm learning how hard photoshoots are that involve skirts!  Seems as soon as I get her true, irresistible smiles coming through, she throws modesty aside lol!  Hence the next two pics :)

 Between that and the fun of trying out her new sitting skill, this was the first session that was a bit challenging.

 I guess we'll make this one our keeper

Personality:  Continues to be very easy going, sweet, and flexible

Likes: Her jumper (can jump for over an hour!), practicing standing, chewing on things, sleeping swaddled but with the zipper down a few inches so she can suck on her ring and middle finger but still feel cozy.  Interestingly, these were the same two fingers E sucked on and me too when I was a baby!!

New: Sitting up using arms for support 

Routine: Solidly into a four hour schedule.  Sleeping 8 to 8

Struggles: Seems to have pain as bottom teeth cut, but still nothing coming through!

Audrey is 4 Months (a few days late :)

 Personality: Smiley, happy, easy going, sweet, flexible (She didn't have any trouble at all adapting to our lack of schedule and traveling with G-ma and Popi.  Slept through the night anyway and got right back into a routine when they left)

Likes: Jumping in her jumper, being held sitting or standing, looking at her doll, sucking on her fingers rather than a pacifier, spending time with G-ma and Popi

New: Starting to reach for things, wanting to teethe on everything, rolling over back to belly (Did it for the first time the day after she turned 3 months.  After a few times trying it out, she stopped doing it completely until she started again this week.  Doing it all the time now).  She actually gets the idea of jumping in her jumper and can do it for 45 minutes straight.  She also has great belly laughs, is very alert and interested, did awesome when she flew on an Asas plane and spent the day in a village

Routine: Moving to a 3 1/2 to 4 hour cycle.  Just dropped the dream feed last night successfully!  Consistently sleeping 8pm to 8 am

Struggles: Occasionally gets some trapped gas that bothers her for a few minutes, mom keeping track of her routine (much harder with #2!)

This little sweetie is getting more and more fun every day!  We love you!

Audrey is 3 Months

Personality: Go with the flow, social, easy going

Likes: Laying on the floor/her gym, being held upright, going in the tree swing Jeyson made and doorway jumper, attention, and smiles

New: Cooing/start of laughs, enough control to sit in the jumper, FINALLY less poop every day :)

Routine: Started getting to bed around 8:30pm, but this has resulted in the habit of now waking around 5:45am every day.  Sticking to a 3 hour routine during the day and giving a dream feed until the early wake up moves a bit later.  If it weren't for this early wake up, she seems ready for a 4 hour routine, but I want to make sure she's getting enough feeds in

Struggles: The early wake up has been tiring, even if I go back to sleep after.  Also she refuses bottles which makes leaving her a bit harder.  Looking into new bottle options

We all love Audrey being part of the family and I'm surprised how fun it is already to have another girl around the house which ha been so boyish up until now :)