Here is what we have been up to over the past month or so...




...taking super cute pictures in the Bumbo

...meeting Great Gran

... going to church for the first time

...playing with Jenn and Ashley's kids

...swimming at Mimi and Papa's pool

...playing with Emily's kids

...celebrating my last official birthday (I have decided to go into a holding pattern at 29)

It has taken me about 4 days to get this thing finally posted. I really do wish I understood how to have enough time keep up with this! I love looking at other people's fancy blogs. Mine will never, ever be like that! Obviously, I don't care too much! Is anyone really going to blogstock me anyway?

Here's a thought I had the other day. I was thinking about Audrey as a teenager and young woman. I was praying that she would not struggle with sexual sin. I started thinking about how upset I would be if she does and how much it would break my heart. But wait, isn't this exactly how the Lord feels everytime we disobey him? What a change in persepective this little baby has given me! Really, it is The Lord helping me to see things through motherhood as he always does as our heavenly father. What a challenge to pursue holiness and purity in my own life for the pleasure of a God who deserves it!

Audrey's newborn photos- a few more

I had trouble getting these to upload yesterday. Here are a few more of Audrey's newborn pictures. I had way too many good shots to post all of them. She is a precious baby, but our photographer did an amazing job! This first one is my favorite! If you need a talented and reasonably priced photographer, Butch Dill is great! I'll be happy to pass along his information, just let me know. He did our wedding too. We couldn't be happier with all of our photos from him.

Audrey's newborn photos

We have had a busy past few weeks. I never expected that it could take a week to pack for the beach with a two month old! We also decided that we are going to have to get an SUV a lot sooner than we expected to be able to go out of town again!


Chris' parents rented a house in Sea Pines at Hilton Head for a week. Eight adults and four children under the age of three and half made for fun times! Mike, Chris' middle brother, and his family are moving overseas to be missionaries in a few months. It was nice to be able to spend time with everyone before they go. We are going to miss them!


Audrey's cousins adore her and especially her 3 year old girl cousin. Two of the cousins had a cold and since they love her so much it was impossible to keep them away from her! Every time they got in her face or kissed her hands, I immediately got in their faces and gave them a big kiss. Supposedly I can pass along any immunity I have to her since I nurse her. Well, I have been battling the cold for the past several days and she is doing just fine! Maybe her ability to fight it off was a little better than I thought! Let's hope I don't pass it along to her now!


I am sure many of you have been checking this several times a day to see if I have updated it, but, please don't waste too much time. I am really not very good at keeping up with this, Facebook or email for that matter. Please forgive me and enjoy a few more photos of Audrey. I am going to try to post her newborn photos that we got back from the photographer just before we left. Hopefully I will do that soon!

Chris took Audrey into the ocean for the first time. She just got her feet wet, but did not like it at all. We tried again a few days later when the water was a little warmer. She liked it a lot better!

Emily, my sister-in-law, bought coordinating outfits for all of the kids so we could take a cute photo of the cousins. It didn't really work with the grandparents, so you can imagine what happened before we added them in. Audrey looks like she is about to drop out of her Papa's lap!

Our family photo. Chris and I took a picture in this tree two years ago. I think we will make it a family tradition.

Me and my beach baby in the sundome at the beach. It was really useful to keep her out of the sun, but a pain in the rump to try to get back in its carrier. Chris called it the sundumb every time he took it down!

Emily brought a baby pool to keep out by the big pool at our house. I think Audrey loved it!

She was so precious in her little swimsuit and big hat! The hat is actaully 12-18 months and obviously a little too big, but too cute to pass up!

It has been a couple of weeks since I posted anything and for those of you who are terribly distraught over this, I apologize. I have learned several things over the past few weeks and I guess sharing them is half the point of having a blog...the more important part being pictures of Audrey, of course!

First, you can't really comprehend what it means when people tell you that you will not sleep when you have a newborn until you actually have a newborn baby and don't sleep. One night last week Chris looked at me with the sweetest, most caring look on his face and tenderly said, "You are starting to get bags under your eyes." He really was trying to be sweet and I did think it was funny! It could have been a bad situation. I am glad I found the humor.

On to a more serious lesson that I am learning. Do you want to know how to identify with Christ's suffering by laying down his life for us, become a mom! By no means do I mean to deminish the weight of taking on the sin of the world and dying a painful death so each of us could be reconciled to a Holy God. However, I understand a little better these days how we do not deserve what he did for us and how he did it anyway because he loves us. And he loves us eventhough we can do nothing to repay him for his sacrifice. Thank God for grace and mercy! I wish I could say that I think of when my little one is screaming her head off and I want to pull my hair out, but really it is only in those few quiet moments when she is sleeping. Realizing that there is a lot to learn here has really helped me to get through the past couple of weeks. The timing of Easter around all of this was pretty cool too! I even got to go to church for the first time since Audrey was born.

Audrey and I both had new dresses for Easter. Chris doesn't seem to understand the need for a new Easter dress, but I told him that it will always be a necessity. As for Easter bonnets, that is only a necessity on babies! I loved her little outfit! My Dad was having some camera difficulties...this one he did have the camera right side up, but he chopped off my head! But, it's all about Audrey anyway!

Larabee's second birthday was on April 14th. She got to have a milk bone and ice cream to celebrate! Last year we took her to Brewster's. They have free doggie ice cream (soft serve with a milk bone). That is where we got the idea, but we couldn't take her this year.

Audrey got a little confused when her daddy stuck his face near her mouth one day when she was hungry!

Audrey was one month old on April 16th! She loves her bassinet. It was mine and so was the dress that she is wearing.

I am composing a list of Audrey's firsts. This is her first outing...I think, but honestly don't remember. Much of the first week home is a blur in my memory. I do remember we were going to Shipley's. I sure hope that does not foreshadow the eating habits of my child. We drove by our old house too.

This is Audrey's first bath. She hated it until I washed her hair. I just had an idea...maybe tonight when she is up screaming at 3:30 in the morning, I will just wash her hair. It seemed to calm her down after the bath, maybe it will have the same magic powers in the middle of the night.

Audrey got to meet her doggy sister when we got home the other day. Larabee didn't know what to think. Audrey slept through a big wet kiss. She got a bath right after the kisses!

Yesterday, Larabee was in the house and Audrey started to cry. Larabee walked over the bassinet and when Audrey threw her hands up in a fit, she scared our 65 pound lab to death! Larabee darted to the other side of the room!

She took a nap in her crib for the first time today. I had just enough time to start to clean up our bedroom which is currently also functioning as the laundry room, Audrey's closet and storage area for all of the diaper bags full of stuff from the hospital. Maybe I will get it cleaned tomorrow, but I am not counting on it!

A Few More Pictures