The Day We Forgot the Num Num

Before Audrey had even breathed her first breath, I swore I would get rid of the pacifier before her first birthday.  We waited until Ella was 2 1/2 and it was just not good.  Although she never complained, her napping was never the same since the day we gave those num num’s to the babies at the hospital (AKA our pediatrician)!  I swore I wouldn’t let Audrey get deeply attached like Ella. 

Well, May 20th came and went this year and I chickened out!  I couldn’t take away her precious num num!  I moved the date to 13 months.  Then 15 months.  Then never!  God knew I needed help and we happened to forget all num num’s on the day of Ella’s ballet recital.  Uh-oh.  Even though she missed a nap, Audrey did really well without it.  We even went to see the pond lighting.  Bravery, y’all! 

On the way home, I knew God was telling me it was time to leave it be and not give her another one.  I was telling him why we should.  As I was quietly having this conversation, Jonathan suddenly said, “What do you think about not giving her a num num when we get home?”  WHAT!  I hear you, Lord!

And folks, that was the easiest thing!  She has done phenomenal and is still sleeping just the same!  Here is the last picture of my sweet little girl with her beloved num num.  So bittersweet.

And here are some of the pond lighting!  It was so fun watching Audrey tumble around the hills and lights this year!  The train was by far Ella’s most favorite light display!

Ella Hits the Stage!

It’s official – Ella likes performance just as much as her parents.  This past Saturday we had one very excited and proud ballerina as she graced the stage for the first time!  It was time for Laura’s School of Ballet Christmas performance at the Hawthorne Festival and Christmas parade.  Ella Claire danced ever-so-carefully to 'Santa Claus is Coming to town.’ The unspeakable joy on her face when she came down from the stage was almost too much!  We were so proud of our ballerina!

Our ballerina getting her FIRST makeup for her FIRST recital!

Ella loves her Aunt Laura dearly.  They even look alike in this picture!

Audrey had to get in on the advertising action too!  We were waiting for our performance time by this old house.  Doesn’t it look great in pictures?!  The girls were mesmerized by the singers!

Ella and her fella! 

Sweet Weston so happy in his Mama’s arms!

STAGE TIME!

“You better watch out.”

“Santa Claus is coming to town.”

“He sees you when you’re sleeping.”

Following the performance was the grand Hawthorne Christmas parade :)  Ella loved yelling “Merry Christmas” and handing out candy to all the kids!  Her little legs were getting so tired by the end of the parade!

This picture sums up her total joy!  We are so proud of you!

Thanksgiving 2010

Feasting, Family, and FUN!

Bike Rides with Purvis!

Annual Basford Reunion:

Mama and Aunt Kathy prepping!

Dairy visiting!

eighteen months

My sweet, sweet Audrey Anne, I cannot believe you are a year and a half old.  You were JUST a little blue-eyed bundle who wanted nothing more than your mama.  Now you are a wide-open ball of spunk!  You amaze me everyday, baby girl!  I stand humbled that God would craft you into our family.  You are delight and joy!  Here are some important things I want to remember about this special age (it may just be one of my favorites)!

-You love stuffed animals and baby dolls.  You grab them up all the time and just squeeze them on your shoulder.  Even your head tilts!  You are usually found with one of them “on your hip!”

-You learned to jump around a month ago, so we all jump a LOT!  A few times you have gotten a bit of air!

-We call you our little “Shortstack.”  Besides at birth (when you were off the charts at 10lbs 1oz), you have remained in the 25-50% in weight and height.  Little, but mighty.

-You have lungs!  When you are mad, everyone will know it!  You have your Daddy’s lung capacity and can go for quite some time, sister!  Oh, and you may have my loudness too!

-You ask to go potty ALL THE TIME!  You will grab your diaper and want me to rip it off…ummm, I am just not ready for that yet…does that make me a bad mama? I will sit you on the potty a couple times during the day, and you stay there all proper for a few minutes.  Nothing has happened yet, but I sure do love looking at those chunky little legs all smushed on the seat!

-You have finally fallen in love with sitting and reading!  You ask multiple times a day to read.  Some of your favorites right now are Eric Carle books, “Jeese Bear, What Will you Wear,” “Everywhere Babies,” “Five Little Ducks,” “Moo Moo Brown Cow.”

-I just absolutely love that you are still such a cuddle bug!  All I have to say is “You go night night” and you lay your head on my shoulder and wrap your arms around me.  It makes me tear up just thinking about the sweetness!

-You still sleep with your blanket.  It was given to you by your Grandmama.  Her Mama made it for your Daddy!  It is a very special blanket and you make it more special!  I cover you with it and you immediately find the corner and rub it on your nose.  Back and forth it goes as you hold it tight with your little chubby fingers.

-You still hate bananas.

-You love to dance to music.

-You are still a better eater than Ella at this age, although you are beginning to show some opinion…can we say broccoli?!

-You have discovered juice this month.  I can’t believe it took that long with an older sister!

-You are still really good about sleeping in the car…hallelujah!

-You moved to one nap recently.  I still can’t get you to sleep past two hours. 

-You have fallen IN LOVE with your Daddy.  You prefer him all the time now.  I don’t mind too much as you were attached to me something fierce for the first year of your life!  You ask for him all the time when he is not around.  Your eyes just light up and sparkle when he walks in the room!

-You favorite toys are anything your sister has!

-You are finally talking more!  You say 30-40 words regularly and independently now!  (For memories sake: Ella, Mama, Daddy, mine, doggie, bird, up, down, juice, more, shoe, bow, eye, ear, nose, napkin, duck, Lee Lee, Pop Pop, Grandmama, bebo, meow, chair, water, cheese, bye bye, hi)

We love you sweet girl, the world over!

I’ll Meet You at the Corner of Tomato and Vine

While on a recent trek to Jackson County, we were yet again able to relish in some country life.  Exhibit A – picking as many tomatoes as your SUV can muster for only $5.00.

What a fun little outing with my Grandma and Dad!  Ella became an expert picker and Audrey became an expert thrower!  Daddy couldn’t stop laughing at Audrey, who thought the bucket of tomatoes was meant to empty with her pitcher’s arm!  Ha!  Mmmmm, my mouth is just watering thinking about those green tomatoes Grandma and I fried up just minutes after these pictures were taken.  Yummo, people!  Nothing says southern like picking your own vegetables, and then frying ‘em up in some Crisco ;)

Cheesin’ It

Our family loves to sing.  Almost as much as we love to eat, almost.  For about a year now, Ella has been singing the ever popular theme song, “Chuck-E-Cheese’s, where a kid can be a kid!”  In early November, we all sang it and loved it!  Nothing beats a few hours of family fun AND cardboard pizza for only 20.00!

Where one goes, the other follows!

Big sister is just so proud of her new climbing bravery ability!

Anybody want to play skee ball with us?!

I spy somebody who decided drinking out of a straw reaps sweet rewards!

Seeing as how we were the only customers in the mouse house, we were able to enjoy the blue screen, dancing, and singing for a long while!  Daddy even busted a few signature moves!

Does anybody else find Chuck rather freakish?!  To this day, Ella could care less about giving the furry friend a hug.  I’m right there with you, baby.  Audrey, however, would kiss that mouse all day long.  Baby girl is much less apprehensive when it comes to strange situations.  It is so neat to see how God created these babies so similar, yet so different!

Backyard Ball

These are the moments I want to bottle up and keep forever with my sweet, precious family.  Just having a ball…together.

My Pumpkins!

We had a wonderful fall with out little pumpkins!  We visited the local pumpkin patch as we have for a few years now.  It started raining no less than a few seconds after we arrived, so the year’s trip with quick.  Audrey thought all the miniature pumpkins looked a little too much like BALLS!  She had a blast throwing them everywhere ;)

And no fall is complete in our yard without at least 439,210 leaves!  It makes for lots of fun…for most anyway!  Audrey wasn’t to sure about sitting in those crunchy things!

A few days later we darted out of our neighborhood (otherwise known as the Trick or Treat Metropolis – we gave out two bags of candy in no less than 2 minutes…while trying to get into the car) to join the Moseley’s at a local church’s Trunk or Treat.  It was so fun to see Ella Claire playing the games this year!  She understood the concept and was eager to play!  Her favorite was the “Fishers of Men” game!

The two are something else ;)

It looks as though the little cowboy and prissy dalmation have nothing in the world to do but sit on a curb.  Good thing the adults are a lively group:

Poor things have no entertainment.