4 months

Little miss Audrey turned 4 months old this Sunday. She had her 4 month appointment on Monday. She has grown two inches and has gained two pounds in the last two months! It's amazing that she's grown so fast! Even though I'd like her to stay tiny forever, she's making leaps and bounds towards being a big kid!
Here are some random pictures from the last week or so.

Visiting baby Seth, one day old!

More new experiences

This past week has been a time of lots of new things for Audrey. We went to Steve's mom's house on Tuesday and she tried out the Johnny Jump up for the first time! She is definitely way too small still, she kept sliding to the side. But she did pretty well in it! She is really starting to get into kicking a lot lately. After the workout from jumping, we went to the pool for a bit. The water was super cold but didn't seem to mind Audrey, she almost fell asleep in the water again! Some big girl splashed her and that ruined her peaceful sleep :) Earlier this week, I put her in her highchair for the first time. She's been trying to sit up straight in her carseat even though it reclines back a bit. It was much easier for her to get at her toys and keep them in sight. And then yesterday, we found a Bumbo chair online. For those of you who aren't familiar with a Bumbo, it's a chair that dips down a bit where her bottom goes and assists babies to sit before they can sit on their own. She looks like such a big girl but still so very tiny in it! Changing so fast everyday...

To the side

Getting going

After the pool

Watching the big kids in the baby pool

I like straps

What a fun chair!

Notice the tongue

And another fun chair!!

Look how tiny she looks

New toy, new friend

Audrey continues to grow and change daily! We are borrowing an exersaucer from the Blackburns and boy was she excited to see it! She loves it! She can barely touch her feet but touches enough so she can bounce a little. It sure is fun to watch her in it and the many expressions she makes. She's also enjoyed discovering Stella, our dog. They are both so interested in each other. Audrey holds her hands out and Stella licks them. I tried to keep them apart but they can't stay away!

Holy Cow! I'm super excited about my new toy! Thanks Auntie Eileen!

What is this awesomeness I see Mom?Kick kick!

Oh! Hi there friend!

Friends for life

A summer of leisure

Our summer has been so laid back, it's so wonderful. Audrey is so easy going, if something comes up, I just pack everything up and away we go! She's been on a schedule for 3 weeks or so, I'm still puzzled at her nap schedule. It seems to change each day. I think she's needing to sleep less and less, I'm learning as I go. The first picture is of her sleeping on the floor on her side. She's on the verge of learning to flip over. So close!
She had an eventful week last week. She went swimming for the first time! And then 2 days later, went again! Thursday we went to my friend Priscilla's family's house in Belmont. They had a beautiful home and pool area. Audrey LOVED the water! She kicked and moved her arms, like she knew what she was doing :) She even went in a little floating crab, leaned back and took in some rays! She got to spend time with her friend Silas too. Then on Saturday we went with my friend Kendra to her neighborhood pool. Audrey didn't last long, she was in the pool for about 10 minutes then started to suck her thumb and close her eyes! While she was in the water! Guess it was relaxing.
Sunday night, we had the Lucas' over for dinner with Steve's sister and her boyfriend. I used to work with Matt at my last job. He and his wife Tracie brought along their two boys and they tried to rebuild our tree house in the backyard that was there when we moved in. Pretty funny what they came up with. After dinner, we roasted marshmallows which is always a fun summer thing to do.

Spiked her hair with sunblock

First dip!

My little Audrey Bean

Not much time to add a long post today but wanted to add this picture. My happy, sweet, smiley girlie. She is such a gift to us. I am so blessed to be able to spend each and every day with her.
I love you Audrey Bean!

Our trip to Wing Haven

We went to a bird and garden sanctuary called Wing Haven in Charlotte this weekend with Steve's mom, sister and her boyfriend. If you haven't been there before, you must! It's in the Myers Park area, tucked away in the middle of an historic area. Steve didn't think it sounded too exciting and hadn't planned on going but changed his mind at the last minute! I was glad he spent the day with us, it was crazy HOT outside but we had so much fun! To tell you the truth, I'm posting these pictures to try to lure my mom and step dad to come visit :) They enjoy the outdoors so much and I know they would fall in love with Wing Haven. (Mom, tell Pez to get his bird book ready!)

The story of the history of the house and the owners was very interesting. I believe the guy was from Charlotte and his wife from Texas. He built the house from his wife's plans to specifically complement her garden that they would grow. The land had only one tree in the backyard. It's the biggest tree pictured, the one with the big white bench wrapped around it. The couple, especially the wife, had a love for the outdoors and for birds. Each special holiday and anniversary, they would give each other soil or bricks or a bird bath, something to add to the garden. After spending years and years growing it, it now looks like a beautiful jungle! I think she died in 1988 and he in 1992. The house and the garden will forever be there, it's protected by some conservation act. They are funded each year by a grant, the money depending on how many visitors per year. If you find the time, take a visit. Click here for their website.

The pictures look even prettier when you enlarge them, just click on each one.

Take a look at the big window in their living room. It used to have french doors but the wife changed it to a pocket door so she could roll her piano outside when they had guests. Pretty neat.

A tiny table and chairs I'd like to get Audrey someday

Steve had his Cheese extra cheesy, I wasn't ready :)