Happy 23 Months!

Audrey, you are truly something else. Every day it's something new- an insight, a facial expression, a complete sentence, a revelation. It's non-stop entertainment, having you around.

One night, at dinner, Audrey had finished her meal and was sitting with us at the table. We'd put her dishes away, but left the fork for her to play with. We watched in amazement as she began a conversation with her eating utensil.
She patted it on the back and said, "Night night fork." She covered it with her napkin and continued to pat it gently. The cutest part was when she gingerly lifted the napkin to peek at the fork and say, "No see eyes, fork." "No see eyes."
I cried while holding back laughter.

She can sing you an entire song, word for word. She can even recite her favorite books from beginning to end. She has gotten really good at jumping on the bed. Ever since her tubes were inserted, her laughter frequency has increased tenfold. She cuddles. She gives kisses voluntarily. She loves to announce when she hears a toot (even if it's her own). She commands the dogs by saying, "HUSH puppies!" I could go on and on. She's so adventurous. I love it.

The only annoying thing about her developmental stage is that she has to listen to songs over and over again. We had to listen to the Dradle Song 30 times in a row.
"Dradle, dradle, dradle. I made it out of clay."
I'm sure she was memorizing it. So, next it will be, "Mommy, sing Dradle Song?"


The highlight of this month was being able to travel to Florida to visit Kelly and Joel. I couldn't wait to take you to the beach again. I was almost certain that, because you loved the ocean so much last year, this year you'd be terrified of the water. Luckily, I was wrong. You have some odd connection with the sea. I hope that never leaves you.

We had just gotten on the road and we're headed home from Clearwater Beach. We said, "Say good-bye to the ocean Audrey! We're going home." Her reply was, "Ocean, hold you?"
This translates to, ocean, hold me, which is what she meant to say.
We almost turned the car around so the ocean could hold her one more time, but instead promised her we'd come back soon.