Hinton Family Adventures

June 2010

2010-07-01T21:19:00.002-05:00

We finally made it to the pool last weekend. Audrey had a great time playing in the water park.

Bikini Cutie

Not sure about this hat

Water Fountains

Splish Splash

Catch Up Edition - April 2010

2010-07-01T21:05:00.003-05:00

In early April, Wes and I went on a weekend trip to New Orleans for our 8-Year Anniversary. While we enjoyed a kid-free getaway, Audrey had a great time staying with Pops and Donah. They took her to the Blue Bonnet Festival in Chapel Hill, TX.

Benjamin Button House in the Garden District

Famous Trolley Car

Anniversary Dinner at Arnaud's

Audrey playing at the Park

On a Pony at the Blue Bonnet Festival

Catch Up Edition - Easter 2010

2010-07-01T20:58:00.002-05:00

We stayed in Houston for Easter weekend. On Saturday, we attended a birthday easter egg hunt for our neighbor. Audrey wasn't so sure about that hunt. But by Sunday, she got the idea and had a great time at Pops and Donah's.

Not so sure about the Egg Hunt

Easter Morning... what's in my Egg?

Pretty Easter Dress

Pops, Audrey, and Donah

Hunting Eggs with Mommy

Catch Up Edition - 2nd Birthday

2010-07-01T20:49:00.002-05:00

For Audrey's 2nd Birthday, we had a Dr. Seuss Party. I got pretty creative with the food which included Horton's Hamburgers, Green Eggs and Ham, Thing 1 and Thing 2 Cupcakes, and Noodle Poodle Salad. Six of Audrey's little girl friends came and played. It was a great party!

Dr. Seuss Door Greeter

Thing 1 and Thing 2 Cupcakes by Meredith

Birthday Girl with the Proud Parents

Silly Girl in the Bounce House

MMM... Cake and Ice Cream

Catch Up Edition - Holidays 2009

2010-07-01T20:38:00.004-05:00

Sorry for the lack in posting. We had a great holiday season, celebrating Thanksgiving in Dallas and Christmas in Maryland. Audrey got to see a ton of snow in Maryland and make her first snowman with her cousins. Audrey seemed most interested in eating the snow!

Thanksgiving at BeBe's House

New Baby Doll from Santa

Snow Baby

Snow Man and the Three Girls

Yummy Snow

Halloween 2009

2009-11-04T19:57:00.003-06:00

We dressed Audrey as an angel for Halloween. We did a minimal amount of trick or treating on our cul-de-sac. She was so amazed that people were actually giving her candy. We've had to hide the bucket of candy or else we'd be on a permanent sugar high!

Our Angel is ready to Go!

Good and Evil

Got Flashlight?

Check out my Loot!

Fall 2009 Catch Up

2009-10-25T08:48:00.006-05:00

I have been a bad bloggin' mama lately! Between work and all the fun fall activities, I haven't had a chance to update the blog. So this will be a free-for-all of our latest activites. First, we joyfully ushered in the start of college football by putting Audrey in her PSU cheerleader outfit.

Then, we visited our friends the Robertson Family in Beaumont in October. It was fun to catch up and visit a local pumpkin patch with them.

Audrey, Wes, and Charlie

Jenn and Mike having a "bump" contest

Audrey and the Big Pumpkin

And most recently, we visited the Houston Zoo Boo event. It was a gorgeous fall day in Houston where we enjoyed seeing the unusually active animals (it was finally cool enough).

At the Pumpkin Patch

With our Pumpkin and of course, goldfish

Daddy and Audrey with the Cheetahs

Mommy and Audrey at the Sea Lions

Always on the Go!

Kindermusik

2009-07-01T20:36:00.003-05:00

Audrey recently started taking a Kindermusik class at the local recreation center. According to our nanny, she is very dramatic with the scarves they use with some songs. Here are some pictures from their first session.

Latest Happenings

2009-06-08T20:58:00.005-05:00

We've been busy enjoying the summer weather in Houston. Audrey has been enjoying trips to the Children's Museum and the pool. Here are a couple of recent pictures.

Taking a thumb-sucking break at the Tot Spot

Chalk drawing on the Driveway

Playing in the Backyard

Now you understand why we strip Audrey

down to her diaper on Spaghetti Night!

Swimming on Memorial Day Weekend

Dressed and ready for the Pool

Some New Tricks

2009-04-14T08:53:00.007-05:00

So Audrey has finally started walking. Yea! The first video is of her walking. I couldn't figure out how to rotate the image so it's sideways... Sorry!

Audrey has also shown a preference for dancing and music. My mom gave her this egg from Hallmark for Easter that plays "Disco Duck". This next video is of her dancing to "Disco Duck". Watch out Star Search!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-14T08:44:00.006-05:00

We had a nice Easter celebrating our savior Jesus Christ. BeBe and Mack came to visit us. Audrey was very cute in her fancy dress and was a pretty good brunch companion. She also enjoyed digging into her Easter basket. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Look at what the Easter Bunny brought me!

I don't know what to look at first?

Mommy, Daddy, and Audrey

BeBe, Audrey, and Mommy

Goin' to the Rodeo

2009-03-15T14:05:00.003-05:00

This weekend Grandma and Grandpa Hinton came to visit. Although it has been a wet and soggy weekend, we still went to the Rodeo to introduce them to "true Texas" entertainment. Audrey and her grandparents enjoyed the petting zoo. That is until a goat started to eat Grandma's sweater!

Petting a Goat

Petting the Llama with Mommy and Grandma

Getting sniffed by a Goat

Mommy and Audrey

Daddy and Audrey... Getting a little tuckered out!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-03-15T13:48:00.005-05:00

Audrey had her first birthday party last weekend. We invited a few friends and family over to enjoy hot dogs, snacks, and of course cake and ice cream. It's hard to believe our little girl is now a toddler and not a baby. She continues to bring so much joy to our lives. We hope you enjoy the pictures of her big day.

The Birthday Girl

The Colorful Spread of Food

The Birthday Cake

Audrey with her Special Cake

The Destruction of the Cake

Messy Face

Opening Presents

(Note the change in clothes, cake is messy!)

Playing in my new Sandbox

I'm 11-months Old!

2009-02-09T20:26:00.004-06:00

Audrey is getting bigger and more interactive everyday. I can't believe we're planning her 1st Birthday Party already. This last weekend we went to the Houston Zoo. Audrey enjoyed the nice weather and seemed to notice some of the animals.

Chillaxin' in the Stroller at the Zoo

Playing with Mommy's camera case

Look at how tall I am!

January Update

2009-02-09T20:18:00.003-06:00

Here's some pictures from January. As you can see, Audrey is enjoying her toys from Christmas and her ability to stand up more steady. And of course the one day I allow Daddy to dress her, she ends up in Redskins clothes!

I'm 10-months old!

Look, only one hand!

Playing with my kitchen/living room toy

"Reading" a book

I don't know, she doesn't look amused

to be dressed as a Redskin....

Christmas 2008

2009-01-22T19:56:00.003-06:00

I know... it's almost February and I'm just now posting Christmas pictures. We spent Christmas in Dallas with BeBe, Mr. Mack, Noni, Grandaddy, Aunt Emily and Uncle Stuart. I think Audrey enjoyed ripping up magazines more than her Christmas presents.

Audrey reading with Grandaddy

Audrey playing with her big present from BeBe

The Family Photo

BeBe and Audrey playing with her toy

Audrey, Pops, and Nonah

Annual Christmas Party

2008-12-07T20:16:00.005-06:00

On Saturday, December 6, we hosted our annual Christmas Party. Normally our party is total chaos... kids running around, the house busting at the seams with people, food in abundance. This year we parred down the evening to an adults-only dessert party. It was so much more enjoyable since I could actually talk to our guests. The spread included yummy offerings of Apple Cake, Praline Cheesecake, Peppermint Chocolate Cake, Chocolate-Chip Banana Bread Pudding, and Grand Marnier Fruit Dip. We also enjoyed quite a bit of champagne... Tis the Season!

Our Christmas Tree

The Table was heavy with Yummy Desserts

Lauren, Sara, Nicole & Emily

Lauren, Me, Nicole, & Emily

Suzanne, Mark, Wes & Victoria

Jason, Bret, & Justin

Victoria, TJ & Meredith

Visit to Santa

2008-12-07T20:07:00.003-06:00

On Saturday, we went to the new Pearland Town Center for a visit with Santa Claus. We enjoyed a pancake breakfast and chance to sit on Santa's lap. I wasn't sure what Audrey would think of Santa. So many kids seem to be scared of the big guy in red. But not Audrey, she seemed to enjoy her chance to meet Santa. Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Smiles for Santa

It was a little cold!

I love this picture... it's like she's really asking for something.

Thanksgiving in Maryland

2008-12-07T19:52:00.003-06:00

Sorry for the lapse in blogging. It's been a busy couple of months. We went to Maryland to spend time with the Hinton side of the family for Thanksgiving. Wes's sister and her family came down from Pittsburgh so it was a full house with all the girls! This first picture was one of the few of all the girls together... it was very hard to get them all holding still and looking in the same direction.

Chloe, Noel & Audrey

Audrey really enjoyed her older cousin Noel.
I've never heard her giggle so much as when Noel was entertaining her!

The obligatory family picture in front of the mantle

Audrey really enjoyed pulling her cousin Chloe's hair.

Maybe she was jealous of all that hair!

While we were in Maryland, we got to meet up with Wes's best friend from college Ryan and his wife Erin and their daughter Grace. Grace was born in August and is so cute! It was fun getting to see them and watch the girls interact.

Fathers and Daughters

My New Hat

2008-11-06T20:38:00.002-06:00

Our nanny's big sister is a fashion merchandising major and is an excellent knitter. She made Audrey a cute apple hat. Here's Audrey modelling the newest fashion accessory.

Happy Halloween

2008-11-01T09:22:00.004-05:00

We dressed Audrey up as a ballerina for Halloween. I wasn't even going to dress her up but Aunt Cari couldn't resist buying this adorable costume. The first three pictures are from attending our friend Meredith's Halloween party a couple of weeks ago. And the last two are actually from Halloween. Although we were a little young to trick-or-treat, we sat on our lawn and handed out candy to the neighborhood kids. Hope you enjoy these pictures.

Trip to the Pumpking Patch

2008-10-25T14:13:00.003-05:00

We went to the local Episcopal Church to get our pumpkins for the front porch. It was a fun trip and we got some great pictures of Audrey. Hope you enjoy our little pumpkin!

I'll take this one, Mommy!

Let me down, Daddy... there are pumpkins to pick!

Ok, I'll pose for a quick picture.

The cutest pumpkin in the patch

Mom, I can't believe you made me wear this hat!

"Coloring"

2008-10-25T13:52:00.006-05:00

Our nanny Gillean has been planning new activities for Audrey. One of the new activities is "coloring" with food. Audrey would rather put her medium in her mouth than truly create art.

The Artist Getting her Paints Ready

The Artist Testing her Medium

The Artist Eating her Medium

Priceless Works of Art

They also tried creating artwork with crayons. Audrey is very consistent; she would rather eat the tools of the trade than use them. Thank goodness crayons are non-toxic!

"Hmm.. the blue one looks yummy.."

"Nope, the green one tastes better."

"Wait, they are for coloring, not eating?"

"Coloring is fun!"

We hope you enjoyed these pictures of our budding artist.

Penn State vs. Michigan

2008-10-22T20:05:00.003-05:00

Ahhh... what a wonderful game! We finally beat Michigan after 9 years of losing to them. And not only did we beat them, we killed them. It was the largest margin of victory ever in the series. Wes went to Penn State for the big game and participated in his annual RV Weekend. So Audrey and I stayed in TX and watched the game at Pops and Nana's house. Here's Audrey trying on Pop's hat... maybe it's a little big!

Devoted Fans... Go State, Beat Michigan!

Happy Girl

2008-10-15T19:58:00.003-05:00

Here are some recent pictures of Audrey.

As you can see, she is such a happy girl.

Latest Happenings

2008-10-04T10:15:00.007-05:00

Life seems to have settled into a pretty good routine after the hurricane adventure. Audrey continues to grow and try new things everyday. She is getting more stable at sitting up on her own which makes trips to the grocery store and dinners out a little easier.

Playing with Daddy

She is also becoming Mommy's helper in the kitchen. She will sit in her highchair and watch me get dinner ready. We "talk" about what I'm making and she holds the spoon.

What a good sous chef!

Another new talent Audrey has developed is holding her own bottle. She is so independent.

We recently took Audrey to the park for the first time. She seemed to enjoy the swing. And we wanted to take her on the slide but it was wet and dirty. We'll try that another time.

Getting a push from Mommy!

Waving Bye-Bye to the park!

Hurricane Ike

2008-09-20T09:45:00.004-05:00

We actually faired pretty well in the Hurricane. We followed the advice of the Houston Mayor and did not evacuate but instead "hunkered down" and rode out the storm. Not sure that was the smartest decision, but after the traffic jams caused during Hurricane Rita in 2005, we definitely did not want to get stuck on the road with Audrey. So we boarded up our windows and prepared by stocking up on non-perishable food and water. Here's our house all boarded up before the storm.

We lost power very early at around 8 pm on Friday night. We had already put Audrey to bed in the Packn'Play in our bedroom. So Wes and I hung out listening to the radio until about 11 pm. It was starting to get pretty windy but nothing more than a typical thunderstorm. So we decided to go to bed. Around 1:30 Wes realized that the storm was getting pretty intense and that the board had blown off our bedroom window. So he suggested we get into our "safe room" which was the downstairs powder bathroom. It was a very uncomfortable night on the floor with Audrey on top of me trying to sleep. Here's our "safe room".

We were glad when the storm finally abated and we could survey the damage. We didn't have very much damage, just a little drywall damage from sideways rain. And in fact, we were very fortunate to get our power back at 8 pm on Saturday. All in all, I'm hoping we don't have to experience this anytime in the near future.

I'm Six Months Old

2008-09-20T09:11:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the delay in updating. Not only did we have to contend with Hurricane Ike, I have also returned to work full time which leaves little time during the week for other endeavors. Here are a few pictures from Audrey's 6th month. She had a great doctor's appointment where she weighed in at 16 lbs 6 ounces and is almost 27 inches long. She's meeting all the milestones of sitting up on her own, rolling over, and grabbing at items. Here she is trying peas for the first time... She wasn't a big fan!

Here she is sitting up without any help. Our sweet nanny Gillean is in the background holding Audrey's light-up, musical toy.

We visited BeBe the second weekend in September for BeBe's birthday. Here are some pictures of Audrey and BeBe playing.

Our Little Nittany Lion

2008-09-02T08:07:00.003-05:00

Ah, yes... college football started this weekend. Daddy couldn't be happier! The months between March Maddness and kick-off weekend are very long and full of statements like, "There's nothing decent to watch on Saturdays!" So we celebrated this joyous event by putting Audrey in her game day outfit. I think she liked her Penn State bear (thanks, Aunt Kate) more than actually watching the game with dad.

What a cute little fan!

A little cheering, "We Are... Penn State!"

"Oh, Bear, you're so funny!"

"Stop taking my picture, I'm watching the game!"

New Tricks

2008-09-02T07:51:00.003-05:00

We've had a busy couple of weeks. Audrey has tried new foods, played with new toys, and is learning new tricks. Recently, we've added carrots to her meals. At first she did not like them, but now she can't get enough of them. Here she is with her beloved carrots. As you can see, they get everywhere. Oviously, we've had to invest in a lot more spray n'wash and Clorox 2 bleach!

Audrey has also finally figured out how to roll from front to back. She easily figured out the rolling from back to front but would then get stuck. Additionally, she is starting to sit up on her own. It's a little tripod like as you can see below.

Due to her new-found trunk control, Mommy decided it was time to put away some of the infant toys like the bouncy chair and get out the bigger baby toys like the exersaucer. I have a new appreciation for my parents. They always tell the story of having to put together the Barbie Dream House on Christmas Eve after I went to sleep and how awful the experience was. So many parts! Well, after having to put together the exersaucer, I now get it. You would have thought my engineering skills would have come in handy... no, it still took hours. But seeing the way Audrey loves to play in it makes it all worth while. Here she is in her exersaucer. And the best part of it is that the toys are attached and thus cannot be thrown off.

Audrey's Baptism

2008-08-18T08:38:00.004-05:00

On the weekend of August 8-10, Audrey was welcomed into our church family at Christ the King Presbyterian Church. Our church believes in infant baptism. While it does not save Audrey, it is a sign of our commitment as parents to raise her in the church. Here are a few pictures of Audrey getting ready on Sunday morning. She's wearing the same baptismal gown I wore as a baby.

For those of you reading who don't know what happens during baptism, I'll explain. During the service, we walked up to the front of the sanctuary. Then our pastor Rev. Robert Cook asked us the baptismal questions. We made promises in front of our church family, committing Audrey to God, acknowledging her need of our savior Jesus, and promising to raise her in the faith. Then they poured water over Audrey symbolizing our need of cleansing from our sins. Finally, Robert introduced Audrey to the congregation. The following pictures are each of these steps.

After the service, we took some pictures to remember this special event. Here she is with various family members that you'll recognize from earlier blog entries.

We were very thankful that all of our friends and family could join us. It was a very special time for our whole family.

Mommy's 29th Birthday

2008-08-07T08:17:00.004-05:00

Yes, I'm inching closer to that big milestone of the 3-0. It was a great birthday since my best friends from high school Cari and Lisa were on hand to celebrate. Lisa and her husband Richard are in town visiting for the week which has been super fun. Cari fixed an amazing dinner at my house. It was so special to celebrate with my friends and their husbands. And besides, I'm the second youngest so there are some folks already 30 and some who will soon be 30... you know who you are! Here are Lisa and me before we go for manis and pedis.

Here are the girls toasting to my birthday. Yummy daquaris! Of course, Audrey was included. And no, despite the second picture, we did not actually give Audrey a daquari... again, not that bad of a mother :)

Audrey didn't make it to dinner or cake. She was just too tuckered out. Here she is catching some ZZZs on Daddy's shoulder.

Good Lord, people! Let's not cause a fire hazard! I did say I wanted a cake with candles but this is ridiculous!

I'm 5-Months Old

2008-08-07T08:07:00.003-05:00

Audrey is now 5-months old. She is rolling over all the time and she has been gumming toys and my fingers to death. And all that gumming is for a good cause. I see two little teeth starting to poke through on the bottom gum. Soon my little girl will have teeth! It's so hard to believe. She continues to enjoy her rice cereal. I'm looking forward to trying some new foods in the future. Hope you enjoy these 5-month pictures.

Pretty in Pink

Eating my toes... even through my dress

Not too modest... showing our tummy

Notice the white trash quality of this picture; just a bib and diaper. But as you can tell from her face, she gets cereal everywhere. Therefore, why wear clothes if you're just going to get food on them :) Besides, it's bath time next.

Yum, Mommy. Keep it coming!

First Cereal

2008-08-06T08:48:00.002-05:00

While we were visiting Grandma and Grandpa in Maryland, we tried rice cereal for the first time. Audrey actually ate quite a bit of it on her first try. And since then, we've enjoyed rice cereal everyday for at least one meal. This first picture was after the first bite. She's not sure what to think of it.

Of course, by the end of it, she had more on her face than in her mouth. She's learned that she likes the feel of putting her hands or her feet in her mouth with the cereal. We're trying to discourage those bad table manners!

It looks like she's signalling for "More, please" in this picture! That or she's amazed by her own finger... who knows what's going on in that mind!

Vacation to Maryland - Part 2

2008-08-06T08:34:00.003-05:00

After spending a week in Potomac, Maryland with all the family, we drove to the shore to vacation in Ocean City, MD. Wes, Audrey and I had a few days at the beach alone and then Grandma and Grandpa came down. Audrey didn't last too long at the beach most days. She still naps alot and did not want to nap on the hard sand. I think she'll enjoy it more next year when she can run around. Here's Audrey soaking it in on the beach.

When Wes's parents joined us, they babysat for us one night and then we all went to dinner on the second night. Here's a few pictures of us all dressed up to go to dinner.

All in all, it was a great vacation. As you can see from the next picture, Daddy passed along a few bad habits to Audrey. She liked the cold can to teeth... seriously, we didn't let her drink the beer. We're not that terrible of parents!

Vacation to Maryland - Part 1

2008-08-06T08:11:00.004-05:00

We recently just returned from a 2-week trip to Maryland to visit Wes's parents and go to the beach. Audrey and I set out by ourselves on Tuesday, July 22. I was a little nervous about the flight but Audrey was a great little traveller. It was nice because the flight was pretty empty so we got a whole row to ourselves and Audrey could sleep in her car seat. Here's Audrey waiting in the boarding area at Intercontinental Airport.

We spent alot of time just hanging out with Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Marianne, and Cousins Noel and Chloe. Grandma invited some of her good friends over for lunch one day to meet the newest additions to the Hinton family, Chloe and Audrey. Here's Audrey with Grandma before all the ladies arrived for lunch.

It was interesting to see Chloe and Audrey interact. They are 1-month apart in age. They are both rolling around on the floor and love to eat their feet. I guess some pasttimes are universally fun! Here are the girls with Aunt Marianne and Daddy.

On Saturday, Wes's Aunt Nancy and Uncle David came over to meet the girls. We had to dress Chloe and Audrey in yet another set of matching outfits from Grandma. When the girls are older, I'm sure they'll rebel from being dressed alike. But for now, we just enjoy it. Here are the two littlest girls and then the next picture is all the cousins, Aunt Marianne, and me.

It was really fun to see all the family. I think Thanksgiving promises to be crazy with all the little girls scooting around!

Visit from BeBe

2008-07-14T14:02:00.002-05:00

BeBe (Les's mom) came for a visit this weekend. Although it was a short one, we enjoyed having her. Audrey just loves playing with her BeBe.

Me and BeBe

I am now able to put my toes in my mouth... what a talent!

Happy girl

I'm 4-Months Old

2008-07-11T14:14:00.004-05:00

Audrey turned 4-months old last Saturday. She is growing like a weed. She weighed 14 lbs 9 oz and was 26 inches long at her last appointment. We have a tall girl! Maybe she takes after Pops's side of the family. She is just such a delight to us. She giggles when we tickle her neck and tummy. And she continues to be mommy's little lunch date with mommy's friends. She's a great sleeper and eater. We're hoping to see her roll over any day now.

Look at my long legs...

Ok maybe they just look long b/c Mommy hiked up my pants.

I love my thumb!

I'm cute and I know it!

I've got plenty of smiles

Happy July 4th!

2008-07-07T07:53:00.005-05:00

We had a fairly low key 4th of July. We started the day with swimming at the Houstonian with Pops and Nana. As you can see from the pictures, Audrey enjoyed her swim time. She also was more interested in eating the American flags we gave her instead of posing with them. But hey, she's a 4-month old; they put everything in their mouths.

All-American Family

Swimming with Pops and Mommy

In the pool with Nana and Mommy

Daddy makes swimming fun

Ummm, yummy flags!

Flower Power

2008-06-26T08:40:00.002-05:00

I'm sure Audrey will hate me for taking this picture but it was too cute!

Pictures from the Sip-n-See

2008-06-20T14:56:00.003-05:00

So I finally got the pictures that Mack's dad took during the Memorial Day weekend. There are a few more from the Sip-n-See and from hanging around with the family.

Mommy and Audrey

Mommy, Audrey, BeBe, and Noni

Mommy, Audrey, and Aunt Cari

Just hanging out in Mommy's arms

Mommy's Little Angel

First Father's Day

2008-06-16T13:04:00.002-05:00

We had a great first father's day. Wes is such an amazing dad and Audrey just adores him. We were able to celebrate with my dad and Donah at the Grand Lux Cafe. As you can see, Audrey had a good time out to lunch.

Pops, Donah, and Audrey

Pops and Audrey

Daddy and Audrey

Mommy, Daddy, and Audrey

Three Months Old

2008-06-15T17:20:00.003-05:00

Sorry I've been delayed in posting Audrey's 3 month pictures. She's getting so cute and interactive.

Getting to be such a big girl

I'll take the camera, Mommy...

Oh, I'm just kidding...

Maybe I'll just eat my hands...

Ok, I'll smile!

First Penn State Outfit

2008-06-04T08:20:00.000-05:00

I've recently had to pack up all the newborn and 0-3 month clothes. Our little chunky monkey has graduated to the 3-6 month outfits. It's a little bittersweet to realize our Audrey is growing so fast. But the silver lining is that she can finally wear her first Penn State pajamas. Aunt Katie gave these to me at the shower in D.C. Daddy is pretty psyched to get Audrey in her first PSU duds!

Memorial Day Trip

2008-06-04T08:04:00.001-05:00

We travelled to Dallas to visit my family for Memorial Day. In addition to seeing BeBe and Mr. Mack, Audrey got to meet her great-grandparents, Noni and Papa. These are my mom's parents who drove down from Kansas just to meet our precious girl. She also got to meet Mr. Mack's parents, Carroll Mack and Juana Rea. Carroll Mack is a great photographer so he took most of the pictures from the visit. We are currently waiting to get those.

In the meantime, I can post the few pictures we took. My best friend Cari's mom hosted a Sip and See for Miss Audrey. Many of our extended family and friends attended. As you can tell from this first picture, Audrey was pretty laid back despite being passed from person to person.

Mommy, Sherry, and Miss Audrey

Mommy, Cousin Caitlin, Aunt Janet, Aunt Karen, Noni, and Aunt Emily

Cousin Caitlin holding Miss Audrey... check out that corsage!

Another new adventure for Audrey was swimming for the first time. She actually enjoyed the pool although the water was a little chilly. I just think she looks adorable in her swimming gear!

Mommy and Audrey in the Big Pool

Cuddling in the Pool Towel

Mother's Day

2008-05-12T08:02:00.000-05:00

It was my first Mother's Day this year and it was a great day. My mom Billie (aka. BeBe) and her husband Mack came for the day to visit. We went to church and then to brunch. It was really fun to see them interact with Audrey. Of course, I always think my child is so fun and social but it was exciting for me to see her smile and coo at them. I did learn that like mother, like daughter, Audrey would rather play than nap. She got so jazzed up with the new faces and people to play with that she didn't nap at all but crashed last night.

Oh, BeBe, you're so funny!

Big Smiles for BeBe

Out for brunch

BeBe, Mommy, and Audrey

BeBe, Mack, and Audrey

I love talking with my Mommy!

A very serious conversation with BeBe

Mom and Mack, thanks for visiting! Come again soon!

Miller Outdoor Theater

2008-05-12T07:56:00.001-05:00

We recently went to the Miller Outdoor Theater for a kids performance by the Houston Opera of Sleeping Beauty. We met up with our friends Emily and her daughter Ruby, Lauren and her daughter Lizzie, and Kim and her son Lucas. The older kids really enjoyed all the singing and then running around the park while we had a picnic. As you can see from the pictures, Audrey just enjoyed napping outside. We'll have to go again when she's older!

Emily and Ruby

Kim and Lucas... cool shades!

Ahh... naptime

Two Months Old

2008-05-06T08:38:00.000-05:00

Miss Audrey is getting so big these days! She was two months old on Monday, May 5. She is all smiles these days and I finally caught her sweet smile on camera. We are "talking" more, lots of goos and oohs. She is such a happy and content baby. She has her well baby visit on Wednesday so we'll find out how much she's grown. She also has to get all her shots... Mom is dreading that!

Mommy tickles me to make me smile...

But most of the time, I smile on my own!

"Sitting" up on my own... Ok, maybe I'm propped up.

Dinner with Pops and Donanah

2008-05-06T08:26:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, we had dinner with Pops and Donanah. We were suppose to meet them in Houston. However, my Mommy stuffed me with too much milk and I proceeded to reflux my entire meal in the car. I was like the exorcist baby... at least it wasn't pea soup. It didn't upset me but we did have to turn around and go home. I even fell asleep in my own mess before we got home! After a quick bath and a quick wash of the car seat cover, we went to dinner in Pearland.

Pops and Donanah wanted new pictures for the blog. So I obliged with some cute shots.

Ok, folks, I'm done with the pictures

Me and my Pops

Molto Italiano!

2008-05-02T09:12:00.001-05:00

This week Audrey and I met my friend Meredith for a book signing by Mario Batali, famous chef and author. It was a very cool outing. I'm already planning to make a few dishes from his new cookbook "Italian Grill". Audrey was a very good girl while we waited in line. I will post the picture of Meredith and me with Mario. The picture of Audrey is not great so I will not be posting that one!

Audrey's First Dinner Club

2008-04-29T09:12:00.000-05:00

I was able to take Audrey to our April Dinner Club and introduce her to all the dinner club ladies. She was a pretty good dinner companion... not too fussy. She entertained herself in her chair while we dined on a yummy Asian inspired menu that our gracious hostess Lindsey picked.

Audrey enjoys time with Ashley and Meredith

Ashley, Lindsey, Audrey, Kaete, Me, and Meredith

Aunt Katie Comes to Visit

2008-04-29T09:03:00.000-05:00

My best friend Katie came to visit Miss Audrey this weekend. We had a great visit. Katie confirmed our opinion that we have a perfect baby! Audrey was a great companion on our usual activities when we get together of outlet shopping and dinners out. Thanks for coming to see us, Aunt Kate!

Aunt Kate, the Baby Whisperer

Dad, Aunt Kate, and Audrey

Mommy, Aunt Kate, and Audrey

Could she be a future Kappa Kappa Gamma?

Visit to Pop's Office

2008-04-29T09:00:00.001-05:00

On our way to lunch at the Cheesecake Factory with my friend Meredith, Audrey and I stopped off to visit my dad (aka Pops) at his office. Audrey was a sleeping angel the whole time even though Pops was introducing her to all the office staff.

Accountng makes me sleepy!

Mom Dresses Me Like a Cabbage Patch Doll

2008-04-20T13:49:00.000-05:00

For our trip to church, we dressed Audrey up in a cute outfit borrowed from her friend Ruby Rose. I thought she was adorable in her sun bonnet. I'm not sure she was as amused.

Audrey is getting to be such a big girl. She actually looks at her swing mobile and gives us big smiles. It's hard to capture those gummy grins but we'll keep trying for her devoted audience.

Pretty in Pink

Staring at my swing mobile

A Half Smile... Mom and Dad are too slow with the Camera!

Big Night Out

2008-04-20T13:42:00.000-05:00

Mom and Dad got a big night out on Friday to celebrate our 6th Anniversary. Audrey got to spend the evening with Pops and Donanah (Leslie's Dad Tommy and Stepmom Donah). She was a good girl for her babysitters!

We had a really nice time at Brennan's Restaurant. We enjoyed crab cakes, turtle soup, redfish ponchatrain, shrimp and grits, bananas foster, and pecan pie. It was nice to get dressed up and have a night out without our sweet angel. Of course, we talked about her most of the time. When she gets older, we'll have to take her out to Brennan's!

Audrey and Donanah

Mom and Dad All Dressed Up

I'm One Month Old!

2008-04-06T20:36:00.000-05:00

Audrey was one month old this Saturday. She's getting so big! We had our first outing to church today. She was truly an angel and slept during the whole service. Of course that's not a statement on the sermon!

One Month Old Swinger

The Girls Dressed up for Church

Daddy showing me off in my pretty dress

Wearing my BeBe's fancy shoes for Church

Boy, this Church gig makes me tired!

It was great to be back at church; we've really missed worship and the fellowship with our friends. It's amazing how refreshed I felt after the service. At times when I feel like this mom job is so challenging, I try to remember how blessed we truly are. When I look at Audrey, I am simultaneously filled with joy and terror; joy at what a miracle she is and terror knowing we've been entrusted with this miracle.

Visit from Grandma and Grandpa

2008-03-31T11:51:00.000-05:00

Wes's parents came to Houston this weekend to meet Audrey. It was a great visit! We look forward to visiting them in Maryland later this summer. Audrey will get to meet her cousins Noel and Chloe and go to the beach.

Finally a picture of the three of us!

Hanging out with Grandma & Grandpa

A sly smile

No Swaddling, Thank you

2008-03-24T08:52:00.000-05:00

So our daughter does not like to be swaddled like many babies. She must have her arms free to sleep in what we have termed "The Great Cornholio" pose. I'm sure she'll hate to be compared to Beavis and Butthead but if the description fits... what do you think?

Happy Easter

2008-03-23T19:01:00.000-05:00

We had a pretty low key Easter since we're still staying close to home with Audrey. We did get a few good pictures.

Having a serious conversation with Daddy

Pretty in our Easter Dress

Happy Girl

What an Easter Angel

Welcoming Audrey

2008-03-14T07:32:00.000-05:00

I have decided to attempt blogging to keep family and friends up to date on our growing family.

We welcomed our precious daughter Audrey Adele on March 5, 2008 at 6:14 P.M. She was 8 lbs 1 oz and 21 inches long. She is a sweet addition to our family and we couldn't be more in love. We have had my mom "BeBe" visiting for the week which has been great. Audrey loves bath time and playing in her bouncy seat. We had our first pediatrician appointment and she is up to 8 lbs 2 oz. So clearly she's eating well!

I have posted a couple of pictures from her first week of life.

Milk Coma

Cuddling with Mommy

Sweet Girl

Tummy Time with Daddy

First Picture with Dad

Pillow Time