Happy Halloween!

Audrey had a wonderful first Halloween!  She dressed in her panda costume but did not venture out of the house.  She let the 200 trick-or-treaters we had come to her.  She spent some extra time with Aunt Jade, who helped us answer the door and keep Audrey company.  Audrey did get to try her first taste of candy tonight--a sucker.  She loved it!  She had a hard time deciding what tasted better, the sucker or the bite she took out of a "little jack" pumpkin.  Tough choice!

Eleven Months

One more month to go, and Audrey will be a year old!  We have been warned by many that time with children goes quickly, and we definitely have experienced it this year.  Wow!

Audrey continues to gain in independence, confidence, and desire to learn.  This month was full of many cupboards being opened, items being tossed to the ground, and messes being made.  Her attention span with toys seems to be growing, and she loves looking at books.  She turns the pages well and enjoys books with animals. 

Her vocabulary mainly consists of "Dada" and "Mama," but we hear "kitty" and "doggie" on occasion, too.  She often imitates what we are saying, and one night we both thought we heard her say "pumpkin" after we did.  We doubt it, though!  She waves, is starting to blow kisses, points at objects, but refuses to clap.  We practice daily and know she can do it.  She has not walked yet, but continues to stand independently for longer periods of time.

We saw a little more toddler-like attitude come out this month, too.  She often cries when we come to pick her up at daycare, but she stops as soon as she is in the car.  If we take her away from something she shouldn't be playing with, we hear a cry and see legs kicking.  Luckily, these moments are few and short-lived, so we're immediately back to our beautiful, smiley little girl.

Her eating continues to be amazing.  We can throw any fruit, vegetable, or main dish at her, and she eats everything!  She's getting taller by the day, and her hair seems to be thickening up, too. 

We love our beautiful little girl, and we can't believe how close we are to having a one-year old. 



Audrey is the BEST at playing peekaboo!

 

 

 

Go Panthers!

Audrey attended her first UNI football game this weekend.  She loved seeing the lights, hearing the band, and watching all the people.  She wasn't as impressed with the game, though, as UNI didn't play very well.  You can tell by the look on her face what she thought! :)

 

Audrey definitely perked up after the game when it was time to eat at Doughy Joey's.  Food can solve any problem, even a bad football game!

 

Here is a flashback to Audrey wearing her first Panther gear back in February.  It's amazing how much she has changed!

Fall Fun!

Last night, we went over to our friends' house (which also is Audrey's daycare! :), and Audrey was able to participate in some fun pumpkin painting. She was very serious about her craft, and her careful planning paid off in the end. She painted a beautiful pumpkin, which is now proudly displayed outside our house. We have the cats guarding it through the windows, so no one will steal it!

 

Audrey had to study her pumpkin to decide how to paint it.

Once her plan was designed, she got to work right away.  She even added some paint to the stem!

We were so proud of Audrey's end result.  She painted her initials in Pirate/Panther colors.  We have a genius on our hands! :)

Photo Shoot

Audrey wanted to try a new feature when taking pictures.  She asked to have a fan turned on to blow her hair, like she has heard real models do.  In the end, she was left with mixed feelings about the whole experience.

Okay, turn it on.



I'm not sure what I think about that, Mom.

Whooooo's Fabulous?

I think we know the answer!

Pumpkin Patch

Audrey visited her first pumpkin patch this week, and we picked the windiest day to go. Audrey loved seeing the animals there, although the horse made her a little nervous. She was able to find some good pumpkins, and like her dad, she was able to find them in the pile that was reasonably priced. We'll have fun carving them soon.

These pumpkins are almost bigger than I am!

This cat does NOT look like Mila and Belle.

 

Addiction

Even at the young age of ten months, Audrey is already addicted to caffeine.  After a hard day of playing at daycare, she immediately opens the cupboard door and cracks a Mountain Dew open.  We don't know where she came up with this idea because no one in our house ever drinks Mountain Dew. :)

10 Months!

Audrey turned ten months a week ago, and I realized today I never did a post for it.  It is the busy school year I must blame!

Each month that goes by, Jeremy and I think, "This is our favorite month."  We especially said it this last month.  Audrey is now eating mostly table food, with some jarred food occasionally.  She continues to eat well, and now makes yummy noises throughout her entire meal.  We have to get it on video sometime!  She sleeps 11 or 12 hours a night and rarely wakes up.  She's been such a good sleeper for awhile now. 

When she is awake, she is constantly moving. She crawls quickly around the house, pulls herself up on whatever she can, and stands unsupported for a short time.  We definitely spend our evenings just following her around the house.  It's been fun to see her thinking develop more this month, as she doesn't forget when we try to move her away from something she shouldn't play with.  She continues to go back for it!  She stacks toys, opens cupboards, pulls out drawers, and never sits still. 

We hear her talking a lot, mostly saying "Dada" to anything and everything.  We do believe she knows it's for Jeremy, though!  I hear "Mama" every now and then, which is such a treat to hear.  We have heard a "B" sound when Belle has come closer to her, and we've heard words that sound very similar to "Bye Bye" at times, too. 

What a beautiful girl, even when she's getting into trouble!  It's hard to believe we are so close to one year already. 

"Do you think anyone noticed me in the cupboard?"