Welcome!

Here she is:

Uh oh....no kids.

I try and take Aubrey to the park at the elementary school near our home each night. Tougher to do now that it's dark so early.

We pull up to the park to find it deserted:

Aubrey: Uh oh, dada.
Me: What Aubrey?
Aubrey: No kids.
Me: That's OK. We can play by ourselves.
Aubrey: No kids. Wanna go home.
Me: You want to go home? But you can just play with dada!
Aubrey: No. Don't wanna play with dada. Go home.

And...that's how dada's heart breaks.

I 'cared.

Aubrey and I went to the zoo saturday...and sunday...to see some animals. She's recently learned the word "scared" and found a few places to use it at the zoo. The spiders 'cared her. We fed the birds some worms and a few 'cared her. I thought it was cute and so I was quick to take her away from each situation where she was scared.

So sunday night she taking a bath and the mermaid makes her 'cared. OK. I asked her why the mermaid scared her? "I don't like the mermaid". Fine. No mermaid. But when I went to wash her hair, something that always upsets her, she busted out her new word. "no shampoo!! I 'cared!!". Too bad. She still got her hair washed.

Rocker Mama

Tracy feels big and cumbersome and creeky. She didn't have much fun trick-and-treating last night because she had to stop and rest each stop. Not to mention the extreme numbers of kids bussed into our area, requiring us to wait in line at each house. Yes....wait in line. Sometimes 15+ kids deep (which homes we just skipped....hah, pun....witch homes?).

So I thought I'd remind her that she was not long ago a soccer playin', swimming like a fish, jogging, kicking my but in pool, rock and/or roll band, bass playing mama. And she will again; sooner than she thinks (well...maybe not the band thing, she seems done with that.).

So since this blog is at least partly about us as well as the kid(s), here's a reminder of that Tracy's a roll and roller. Not so far removed, I think:

Click Here: FALL

One more cracker. I mean it.

A: I need more crackers, dada!

T: No, Aubrey, it's time for bed.

A: 1 more? 2 more? 1 more time?

T: No Aubrey. You just had 2. It's time for night night.

A: One more?

T: Nope.

A: Please?

T: Nope.

A: I NEEEEED more crackers dada!

T: No Aubrey. Let's get ready for bed.

A: Dada...one more time? Please?

T: NO Aubrey. It's time for bed.

A: Dada?

T: Yes?

A: I need food. I'm hungry!!

T: Aubrey, it's time for bed.

A: I'm HUNGRY! I MEAN it!

T: Aubrey...

A: I MEAN IT! I need food. Please??

T:.........

T:..........OK....one more cracker.

Some pics from party and Arboretum

We had lots of fun, ate some cake and listened to the lion roar.

Sunday we went to see the pumkins at the Arboretum.

Our beautiful almost not a baby anymore girl. Age 2.

Things she says at the age of 2:

Tracy was changing her diaper the other day when she said, "NO! MY poopies!". She's saying "my" a lot these days in taking posesion of her little world.

"See mommy?" What she says to me each morning when I go into her room to get her out of bed. She wants to go see mommy and give her a hug.

"Go IHOP?". What she asks for almost daily. I think we may have to give in and take her tomorrow for her birthday. We've gone there a few times and she thinks it's the best place on Earth.

"one more time???" We hear this MANY times each day.

"I got peepee. Need new diaper." Yep.

"No, no, no. hush, hush." To the dogs.

"Get outta here?" Whenever we've stayed somewhere too long for her attention span.

"smells beautiful!" Usually from sniffing a candle.

Favorite words:
rella (cinderella), rella (gorilla), rella (umbrella), IHOP, zoo, castle, mermaid, princess ("mommy princess!" seeing pictures of Tracy in her wedding gown), fwow white, bicycle (which means ether bicycle or fudgesickle), delicious, dumbo, throw high?, and many more I can't think of right now.

Big & Breech - YIKES!

I had my 32 week visit with my Dr. last week, and found out that baby no-name is "Big & Breech". This really is freaking me out. Needless to say I have been all over the internet researching what that means exactly and what I can do about it, but the Dr. said he is not going to worry about it now, most babies turn on their own, and we will re evaluate at 36 weeks. In the mean time I am debating doing handstands in the corner :)

Also, evidently this baby is BIG, over 5 lbs already and I have a little under 2 months to go. I love this kind of news.

More pics

Much easier to get into than out. "guck, daddy...guck!!".

"Are you guck?"

"yes! guck!"

I confess that there are some words that we repeat back to her incorrectly because they're so cute as they are. guck for stuck is one. bicycle for fudgesickle is another.

Chocolate milk and bacon. And yes, she's still in her jammies. This is her perfect breakfast.

This is her sleepy for a nap pose. Everyday around noon it hits her - usually as she watches Cinderella (which is a daily ritual). Thank goodness for naps! I've heard some babies are growing out of naps around this age. Aubrey seems like she's just now growing into naps.

Car Wash

Last saturday Aubrey took a few minutes to wash her car. She took the job very seriously.

Imagination

I don't know why I was surprised to realize that Aubrey is capable of understanding what "imaginary" is...but I was.

Aubrey hates guitar picks. Why? Who knows. If I play with my fingers...no problem. If I strum with a pick she screams "pick" and runs and takes it from me and won't let me play the guitar with it. It's now a game, but in the beginning she really did seem mad at the pick.

So I got a cool little early birthday present for myself off Ebay. It's a Yamaha EZEG electronic learning guitar. I thought it would be fun to play with it and let Aubrey bang on it. It has buttons on the frets and fake plastic strings on the body. The other day I was strumming away, not using a pick, but holding my fingers like I was. Aubrey screams "pick" and runs up to grab it. I explained that there's no pick and that I was playing with an imaginary pick. So she takes the guitar from me, holds her fingers like she's holding a pick, and proceeds to strum away. She even went off to show Tracy her "imini pick", which consists of her thumb and index finger in a pinch position. Her pick is pink, by the way. Or so she says.

When mommy's away....

Mommy was gone for the night having a nice get-a-way at a hotel. So Aubrey and I stayed up a little late and played with the flashlight. Yes, it does look like the Blair Witch Project.

Beauty

An interesting man once wrote: "Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated. For these there is hope. They are the elect to whom beautiful things mean only beauty." This is chopped out of the prelude to A Picture Of Dorian Gray, which I've been reading lately. The rest is quite useless (which sentiment he would approve of).

I think I bounce between the two sides. Sometimes I see meaning in beauty and seek to wrest it to fit my wants and ideals and expectations.

Other times, I look at my wife and young daughter, who are "beauty" to me, and see only beauty.

Tinkles

Aubrey used her little potty for the first time over the weekend. Twice! The first time scared her a bit because Tracy and I started screaming like loons. But the second, the next day, was better.
So, now she just starts using the potty all the time and will be in panties in about 1 month...right?

Belly

Someone asked me to post a picture of my belly, so here we are at the Arbo this weekend. I am 25 weeks and counting.

Monkey Dreams

Daddy post:

The other night I went in to check on Aubrey before we went to bed. This is how I found her - holding hands with her Gorilla. She sleeps with her 'golila' and her 'baby' - which is the smaller, or baby monkey. I just had to turn the lights on and snap this picture.

China Doll

Tommy brought back these adorable jammies from China. She is so adorable.

Sticker

I put this sticker on Aubrey's arm today. She took one look at it and said "MAMA". I think I should be insulted :)

WE MISS YOU DADA!!!!

Tommy is in China and we miss him sooooooo much! In the morning Aubrey asks for him with the saddest look in her eyes, and the rest of the day I try to juggle her and my job, and it is a struggle. I sure do miss how much he does for us every day, and I know Aubrey is confused and she clings to me more than ever. We cannot wait for you to come home!

She was sad, so I gave her an Oreo, which made her sadder when she wanted more!

Then I gave in....

Then she took some self portraits - please note the 'I love Dad' onesie.

We Love you and miss you so much - come home soon!

What's in a Name?

I am really struggling to name our second baby girl, since I feel her name needs to be as beautiful and special as Aubrey. It is such an important decision!!! Anyway - I am feeling Sappy and Weepy today for some reason. The following is in part the inspiration for Aubrey. Enjoy.


And Aubrey was her name,
A not so very ordinary girl or name.
But who's to blame?
For a love that wouldn't bloom For the hearts that never played in tune.
Like a lovely melody that everyone can sing,
Take away the words that rhyme it doesn't mean a thing.

And Aubrey was her name.
We triped the light and danced together to the moon,
But where was June.
No it never came around. If it did it never made a sound,
Maybe I was absent or was listening to fast,
Catching all the words, but then the meaning going past,

But God I miss the girl,
And I'd go a thousand times around the world just to be
Closer to her than to me.
And Aubrey was her name,
I never knew her,
but I loved her just the same,
I loved her name.

Wish that I had found the way And the reasons that would make her stay.
I have learned to lead a life apart from all the rest.
If I can't have the one I want,
I'll do without the best.

But how I miss the girl
And I'd go a million times around the world just to say
She had been mine for a day.

- Bread 1970

Below is the link to the song.
http://www.tommygalloway.com/temp/aubrey.mp3

Nap of all Naps

Aubrey is currently taking the longest nap of her life - 3.5 hours! Holy Cow! Of course the poor baby is sick, but still. I cannot believe it! I have heard of other babies doing this, I thought it was an Urban Myth.

Skinny dipping has become an every day ritual at our house. And what is cuter than a little baby's bottom?

4th of July

Evidently Aubrey thinks that parades are especially for her! She waved at everyone as we marched in the Little Forest Hills Parade. She LOVED it. I hope I am not raising a future 'Miss Peanut Festival' - YIKES!

Zoo

We go to the Zoo almost every weekend because Aubrey is obsessed about 'Nunkeys'. This is how she looked last weekend.

IT'S A GIRL!!!!!!

As you know we were not going to find out the gender of this baby, just like we did with Aubrey. Well, in the middle of the sonogram yesterday we just decided to find out! It was a really fun moment because it was so unexpected and Aubrey was there, and I of course burst into tears.

It was definitely a day I will remember.

Tracy's birthday!

Happy birthday Tracy/Bean/Momma!!!!! She turns....um....38 & 26/13ths today. Yay!! What we love about her? I love that after 8+ years she's more a best friend to me than ever. She's the best mother ANY child could ever hope for. Aubrey knows that. It's obvious. And she's the most incredibly beautiful woman I know. Not just for her age. Period. Happy birthday! Aubrey and I love you.

So smart. (daddy post)

We've wondered for a while just how much Aubrey understands and just how much of her babble we should understand...but don't quite get. Now it seems to be clicking. Yesterday she said "I see you!" as we played peekaboo. I think she's possibly been saying it for months. But now we get it.

This morning Tracy was in the shower and Aubrey and I were out at her fort chatting. I look over just in time to see Skootch fall into the pool. As far as I know, Skooth has NEVER fallen in. Luckily I was standing right there to help guide her to the stairs (we have a dog with very limited mental resources). Aubrey thought it was hysterical and tried to get in the pool then and there. So I strip to my boxers and take her jammies off and we get in. Last few times we've gone swimming Aubrey has had fun jumping off the top step into my arms. Same thing this morning...but with a twist. It took me a second to realize she was saying "one...two...three..." before each jump. I couldn't believe it. We've never worked on numbers with her. Not really. We say them all the time, I guess. But she just picked that up on her own. It was so cute. Genius.

Lately

Such a beautiful smile!

Aubrey really loves to play with the video camera.

We'll turn the camera so that she can see herself in the screen

and she'll smile and wave to herself.

Cones!! Cone. Cone. Cone? Cone? Cone?

That means she wants a snowcone. We make about 10 a day.

Her new fort!

Galveston

We went to Galveston last week, and I was looking forward to lounging on the beach for hours while Aubrey played in the sand. Well, it didn't turn out that way. Aubrey did not want to be at the beach, or the pool, or the hotel room, or outside of the hotel room......or anywhere else for that matter. She was miserable, and we ended up in a frantic mid morning packing session, cutting our trip short. We had run out of patience.