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I'm getting ready to start a scrapbook for Audrey and as I was choosing pictures to print out I felt such an amazing sense of wonder. Looking at the pictures of her first few moments of life I was just suddenly in awe that it all really happened and that I really am a mom. I kept saying to Andrew, "I just…I can't…I can't believe I had a baby. I had a BABY." I was the kid who played with dolls much longer than the average girl. I always insisted that my cabbage patch doll Camille Mia was a real baby. Sometimes I would play with her as if she would talk, but most of the time she was a baby to me who I would rock and sing to. I even have a very vivid memory of going to bed with her by my side and then sitting up a few minutes later and pretending to nurse her!!!! That one in particular was done really quietly so my sister wouldn't hear and make fun of me. I can't believe I just admitted that on here, but I guess I just want to illustrate HOW BADLY I have always wanted a real baby. And now I have one. And it's everything I dreamed it would be and more.
She is doing all the normal wonderful baby things. She is seven months old now and is enjoying solids more and more, especially fruit of course. She still doesn't take a bottle but we've pretty much given up on that. She sits up all the time, but also enjoys laying down on her back. Sometimes she prefers it. When we lay her down she will stare up at the ceiling with her little lips tucked inside her mouth and she'll hum and smile and propel herself backwards by arching her neck and pushing her legs against the ground. Sometimes she'll just laugh out loud as she is laying there, as if she has an imaginary friend on the ceiling. There have been a few times that I've turned around to look at her and she is across the room from where she started out! It's like she's crawling on her back, with her elbows, legs, and head. I tried to paint that picture for you the best I could…some things you just have to see to get the full cuteness.
She likes story time and play time and she loves looking at family pictures! We have a great nap time and bedtime schedule and she puts herself to sleep, which is just AMAZING. She tolerates tummy time more now because I think she's realized that it's a means to an end…crawling. She's very stable if we set her down on her hands and knees, but she still doesn't quite know how to use that position to get going anywhere. She stands against the couch if we put her there (don't worry, we never walk away) and she always seems to know when she's done something good because she gets this proud little look on her face and looks around hoping everyone sees what a big girl she is. Which is ironic because she is still VERY little for her age. Someone we passed said to me the other day, "Wow, she's holding her head up really well!" They were very surprised when I said, "Oh well she is 7 months old!" Most of the time people guess she's about 4 months. Which is also funny because she has some 4 month old friends who are bigger than her. I guess that's just the way it is being a Hanaike/Dobbins and we wouldn't have her any other way!
She also LOVES bath time. As soon as we start filling her little tub and by the time we are taking on the diaper she can hardly stand the excitement! She starts yelling and squealing with delight and rocking back and forth as hard as she can. She loves to splash herself in the face (weirdo!) and chew on the bath toys.
She also loves to go outside. She loves to see the cars pass by and she loves to watch the kids play at the park. She's pretty wary of other people when they come talk to her though
She is the most beautiful girl in the world to us. She is so loving and so fun. I love watching her learn about her world. Sometimes she'll just sit and watch the curtains billow back and forth when the heater comes on. She likes watching the trees move outside. She likes being carried around with me as I do chores and things. She's also become so cuddly when it's time to sleep and this is where she shows her love. Lately when I'm rocking her before bed she'll reach up and hug me around the neck and slowly open and close her fingers on my skin as she closes her eyes.
We sing certain songs for bedtime, certain ones for nap time, and different ones throughout the day. We're singing all the time, me and her. She likes the song 'Let It Go' from Frozen and so many other Disney songs. All our kids are going to be Disney babies, it's set in stone. She loves when Daddy comes home because that's when the real good playtime starts. He's the one who helps her try new things. If it was just me, she would still be laying on her back 24/7. They definitely have a special father/daughter relationship and I love to watch it.
She is my sweet baby girl and she always will be :) I love this life, and I'm so grateful to Heavenly Father for blessing me with a real live baby of my own, a perfect little daughter. Sometimes I still can't believe it's all real.
She is doing all the normal wonderful baby things. She is seven months old now and is enjoying solids more and more, especially fruit of course. She still doesn't take a bottle but we've pretty much given up on that. She sits up all the time, but also enjoys laying down on her back. Sometimes she prefers it. When we lay her down she will stare up at the ceiling with her little lips tucked inside her mouth and she'll hum and smile and propel herself backwards by arching her neck and pushing her legs against the ground. Sometimes she'll just laugh out loud as she is laying there, as if she has an imaginary friend on the ceiling. There have been a few times that I've turned around to look at her and she is across the room from where she started out! It's like she's crawling on her back, with her elbows, legs, and head. I tried to paint that picture for you the best I could…some things you just have to see to get the full cuteness.
She has SO much personality. She is a very strong-willed little person, always knowing exactly what she wants and always working hard to get it.
She likes story time and play time and she loves looking at family pictures! We have a great nap time and bedtime schedule and she puts herself to sleep, which is just AMAZING. She tolerates tummy time more now because I think she's realized that it's a means to an end…crawling. She's very stable if we set her down on her hands and knees, but she still doesn't quite know how to use that position to get going anywhere. She stands against the couch if we put her there (don't worry, we never walk away) and she always seems to know when she's done something good because she gets this proud little look on her face and looks around hoping everyone sees what a big girl she is. Which is ironic because she is still VERY little for her age. Someone we passed said to me the other day, "Wow, she's holding her head up really well!" They were very surprised when I said, "Oh well she is 7 months old!" Most of the time people guess she's about 4 months. Which is also funny because she has some 4 month old friends who are bigger than her. I guess that's just the way it is being a Hanaike/Dobbins and we wouldn't have her any other way!
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| this is audrey with my cousin karen's baby, chloe. she is a little younger than audrey and i'm sure she has surpassed her on the growth charts by now. |
She also LOVES bath time. As soon as we start filling her little tub and by the time we are taking on the diaper she can hardly stand the excitement! She starts yelling and squealing with delight and rocking back and forth as hard as she can. She loves to splash herself in the face (weirdo!) and chew on the bath toys.
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| watching basketball while waiting for her bath |
She also loves to go outside. She loves to see the cars pass by and she loves to watch the kids play at the park. She's pretty wary of other people when they come talk to her though
She is the most beautiful girl in the world to us. She is so loving and so fun. I love watching her learn about her world. Sometimes she'll just sit and watch the curtains billow back and forth when the heater comes on. She likes watching the trees move outside. She likes being carried around with me as I do chores and things. She's also become so cuddly when it's time to sleep and this is where she shows her love. Lately when I'm rocking her before bed she'll reach up and hug me around the neck and slowly open and close her fingers on my skin as she closes her eyes.
We sing certain songs for bedtime, certain ones for nap time, and different ones throughout the day. We're singing all the time, me and her. She likes the song 'Let It Go' from Frozen and so many other Disney songs. All our kids are going to be Disney babies, it's set in stone. She loves when Daddy comes home because that's when the real good playtime starts. He's the one who helps her try new things. If it was just me, she would still be laying on her back 24/7. They definitely have a special father/daughter relationship and I love to watch it.
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| DADDY'S HOME! |
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| short little hike where we were able to try out the super deluxe baby back pack from my Hanaike/Flemming relatives! |
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