Audrey's a Star

This is a test to see if I know how to upload video onto the Blog. We thought it'd be nice for everyone to get to see Audrey smile!

We are all bums

This entry is really just to brag about my new favorite picture of Audrey and me. We're awesome and make the same facial expressions!

Instead of heading to Mt. Rainier this weekend, we decided to stay home and be bums. We even went out to get donuts in our pajamas on Saturday morning. Well, really it was just Audrey in her pajamas, but it was still fun.

Our new dining room table was delivered on Saturday too (It is super classy--I'll post pictures once I'm done repainting the dining room)

Most importantly, Audrey slept five and a half hours last night without waking up and I've already taken two naps today (wohooo!) John has started to suspect that I've "gone Ape-y" since I'm in an amazingly chipper mood from getting enough sleep.

Well, I'm off to go think about pies and decorating schemes for the dining room, oh yeah--and play with that baby!...it's a rough life.

This is John

Funny incident happened tonight that lead to Gillian demanding that I log on and post about it.

So I am working in the nursery and Gillian is sitting in our room. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the logistics of the Schweighardt complex, the rooms are right next door to one another. In fact, if a territorial dispute was to break out amongst the Schweighardt clan, the nursery and our bedroom would most assuredly be considered "our turf" and the three of us would defend it to the last man...or women...or two month old infant. But I digress. So, I am working in the nursery and hear Gillian exclaim...

"Oh no John! I think Audrey just saw a advertisement for Hannah Montana on tv!"

GASP

So I am forced to think quickly before the teenybopper poison is fully absorbed into my daughters developing brain...

"Quick! Start singing her some Johnny Cash!" I yell.

Now understand, the man is a legend, a lyrical genius with a uncanny knack for honesty, or so I say. Gillian could have picked one of 10 different songs that would have sufficed, but what do I hear coming from the other room....

"Early one morning while making the rounds..."

Yes, that is correct. The instinctive impulse of my wife was to sing "Cocaine Blues" by Johnny Cash to our daughter.

Hilarious. Welcome to our world.

So Old!!

Audrey is two months old today and she has officially graduated to sleeping in her own room. It's a little weird not being able to look over the side of her bassinet while I'm in bed to make sure she's still breathing because I haven't heard her grunt for five minutes. Don't get me wrong--we still are paranoid about her breathing, we just have to walk further now. (I'm happy to report that John actually does this more than I do) While I did appreciate the short distance to her Pack-n-play, I guess we have to start using that big hulk of a crib that we spent hours researching sometime. (just so you know, the deciding factor was that John could vigorously shake the floor model without anything jiggling or falling off. You haven't been crib shopping until you've gone with John.)

Of course, we're eating cake again today; why would we not? I don't think I ever found this much time to dedicate to baking before I had an infant, so this new found obsession kind of boggles the mind. I'm also still experimenting with pumpkin pies. (Tis the season!)

But, I digress! It seems like Audrey gets more and more aware of her surroundings every day which means that we get to actually have play time now! She may also think that trips to the grocery store are playtime too--I've never seen anyone get so excited about produce before. Aside from ogling endives, she's just recently started batting at toys, trying to grab them and she can actually hold on longer than five seconds once she gets them in her grip. Most importantly, she smiles ALL the time (sleeping and awake) and has started making noises like she's trying to figure out how to talk. Unfortunately, I'd say that the ratio of how often she tries to engage me in conversation is equal to how often she tries to talk to her stuffed animals.

Well, it's off to the park to see Audrey's Papa for lunch! I'll post again soon to update you about our day trip to Mt.Rainier this weekend.

Because I love Pie...

I have decided that I will definitely open my own pie restaurant when John and I strike it rich winning the lotto or playing the stock market. Why? Because pie is delicious and there's no reason not to spend one's entire day around it. Emily will also have to quit whatever it is she's doing at the time and come live near me so she can work there. I will pay her in Audrey smooches and Little Green Dragon squawks. (Yes, that is a legitimate currency)

That is all.


Except that you should be jealous of this pie



...and this one too for that matter

I Climb Now!

Audrey Climbs Mountains Now...She Just lets her Dad do all the work! We had a busy but fun weekend. John has really gotten his Dad and me into the hiking spirit and we decided that at seven weeks old, it was high time for Little A to climb Badger Mountain too. She slept most of the way up, insisted on a meal break half way down and when she got back to the car, was wide-eyed and looked like she knew something really cool had just happened. She also actually needed a bath after we came home--I can foresee a future of playing in the dirt for this kid.







Hiking must have worn both of us out today, because it's past 10am and Audrey's still sleeping...Don't get me wrong, this is FANTASTIC! We're planning on spending the day in today anyway. As some of you know, I've been working on getting my milk supply up (for almost two months now). We've been giving Audrey Breast Milk in the bottle and Supplementing with formula, but today I'm devoting entirely to staying home and breastfeeding to see how much more efficient she is than pumping and how much formula we really need to be supplementing with. If all goes well, I may decide to start Breastfeeding more exclusively, if not, it's back to the pump...gahh! It hasn't been easy by any means, but knowing how important breastmilk is for her development is what keeps me at it. That, and the fact that I'm a stay-at-home mom, makes me feel like it's just part of the job.

Well, the Dragon is awaking! Look out peasants!

...In the red corner

Weighing in at 11 lbs. 4 oz., we have....AUDREY ANN SCHWEIGHARDT!!!! Audrey had her one month check up Thursday, and she is a porker! She's in the 90th percentile for her height and weight...let's just say we're not starving her. She also grew an inch, so she's now 22.5 in. long and the doctor says she's looking great...she even commented on what a good baby she is. (That's right, mom--she's been diagnosed by a medical professional as a "good girl") Now all of your exclamations of "What a good girl!!!" are justified. This checkup was relatively painless since it was mostly a height and weight checkup...next time we get to deal with shots and I'm pretty sure I'll have a harder time dealing with that than Audrey.


True to form, we've been doing a lot of celebrating in the Schweighardt house this week. Not only was it Grandma Gamelin's birthday Thursday, but John also officially got his security clearance as well. We celebrated with cheesecake and champagne (why not?)


Grandma S. also treated us to some delicious fruit tart on Saturday because John, Grandpa S. and I CLIMBED BADGER MOUNTAIN! This might not seem like a major accomplishment to most since John does it pretty frequently by himself, but it marked the first official hike for me after having Audrey. My hips have been pretty out of whack for the past 6 weeks and I was worried that I was getting out of shape. Touche!! Now I'm actually flirting with the idea of training to hike to Camp Muir on Mount Rainier with John and Grandpa G. next summer. If you're thinking of taking bets, it's more likely that I will stay at camp and try to figure out how to make cinnamon rolls in a dutch oven or something.



As of September 1st, John and I have officially been in the Tri-Cities for a year. It's crazy to think how much has happened since then and a little daunting to think of what our lives will be like one year from now. The beginning of September officially marks the start of my favorite time of year in the Tri-Cities. Since we technically live in the desert, the nights have started to cool off enough to make the room feel cold if we sleep with the window open and the scent of grapes from our neighbor's yard drifts into the room during the night. Football season is starting, which means lazy Sundays spent with John and Audrey, watching the games and eating wings. I can't help but feel warm and fuzzy knowing that pumpkin carving, Thanksgiving and even Christmas are right around the corner too. Getting to experience it with Audrey for the first time is going to make it all the more fun. Really, John and I can't believe how blessed our lives are right now and can't wait to see what else God has in store for us.