I Can't Keep Up With Her!

Look at this sweet face. This tiny princess would never disobey Mama or dig in cupboards or play with outlets would she?.............

Or maybe she does look a little sneaky. I see mischief in her eyes.......

Yep, she's trouble. Well, more like just incredibly curious.

(PS: don't judge my lacy curtains, they're 80s, but hey they came with the place)

I turned my back for one second and there go my pajamas.
Oh fun, dish towels!

Plastic bags are the best!

"Pans are ok right Mom?"

"Look what I figured out!"

So, it's busy around this house, trying to keep up with Audrey. I have really loved watching her this month, her 11th month, she's grown into a little explorer. Now that she's an expert walker she's moved on to discovering everything around her. She opens every drawer, shuts doors, leaves the room for another room without us with her, and she loves to point. She points at pictures, trees, toys, everything she sees she points at. It's so neat to see her mind grow and change. There are some No-Nos though. The cd holder thingy, the TV, and the stereo are NO! I wish they were up off the groud so she wasn't tempted by them, but it's the best we can do. Generally she listens, but not always. Sigh, it's hard work, but I love her so much.

She also started her version of dancing this week. When music comes on and we prompt her to do it, she bend her knees up and down and smiles :) She loves to play peek-a-boo and "I'm gonna get you" games! She laughs or screams and tries to run away. She's also eating more finger foods. Yesterday she had noodles, oranges, cheese, and beans! So, there's a little update on my busy girl!

Too Awake To Sleep

I am blogging because I'm not tired.

It's 1:43am. I got home from my evening shift around 11:45p and I'm still wide awake. This is what usually happens after an eveing shift. It just takes a while for my brain to calm down after work I guess.

So, I peeked in on Audrey, gave Chris a back massage and tucked him in for the night (haha) and then I came downstairs to watch my recording of House, one of my favorite shows! Then I watched a bit of What Not to Wear. Finally, I checked all the things I check online, my email, facebook, and blogs. That took a good 1/2 hour. Now I sit here with nothing to do but go to bed. I can't stand the thought of lying there waiting to fall asleep, so I though maybe this would get my eyes sleepy.

I had a strange weekend. Usually my work weekend is Fri, Sat, Sun. But this time it was Sat, Sun, Mon. It's kinda a bummer because usally after those two loooooong 12 hour shifts, I get a break, but I had to come back in this evening. Saturday I had a busy day, it pretty much flew by. Sunday morning I was woken up @ 5:30a with a call from work. I had two thoughts before I picked up the phone: 1.Brianna, do you want an EA (excused absense=stay home) or 2. Brianna you're floating to 10-3 @ Methodist, sorry sorry sorry!!!! (this is ICU downstown to which we sometimes have to float if St. Mary's doesn't need us). Well, it was the latter. My charge nurse said when staffing told her I'd have to float there she said, "Really? Seriously, you want her to go there?" hahaha. So, yep, that's were I went.

We're a bit dramatic about floating to Methodist, like it's some horrible thing, but it's really not all that bad. Their unit is run similar to mine and I actually like it better than some ICUs in St. Mary's. It just takes a bit to orient yourself to another hospital. I had a nice assignment, almost too nice, I was extremely bored. I did all I could think to do, but my patient didn't need a whole lot. So, I watched the clock tick. After work I was meeting Audrey and Chris at Applebees for a late supper. Much to my surprise, Chris met me there without Audrey! Turns out, my parents had stopped over and told Chris to go alone and they'd hang with the baby girl. So, we had an impromptu date! Very fun!

Today I had a super lovely fast shift. It was my favorite kind of shift: I have one very sick, but generally stable patient. Lot's of things to keep track of and deal with. And, lots to learn. I love having one busy patient. One boring patient is, well, boring. Two busy patients is enough to drive me crazy and start looking at the job postings. But one busy-ish patient is just right. Enough stuff to do and I can focus all my energy on them and knowing all their business by heart! I can learn about what's going on with them, understand it and contribute to their plan of care. I hate when I'm so busy with 2 patients that it's all I can do to give them their meds on time. So, I'm blabbing, but yeh, it was a good shift.

Tomorrow....hmm...what shall I do. Groceries is one option and I dunno what else? Well, Chris and I shall watch Biggest Loser for sure, we love it. Then I watch American Idol which I will have taped so I can fast forward through annoying performances and judges who talk for too long :) Wed I work again and then I have 5 days off. I should really go make a grocery list right now, it's next to impossible to do in the morning with Audrey rummaging around the kitchen pulling the drawers apart :)

Oh, cute moment. This morning, I went to get her out of her crib, but I peeked at her for a while first, throught the crack in the door. She was standing up and pointing at different things in the room, pointing at the light, the windom, her toys.......it was so sweet, she just figured out recently how to point at things with her little pointer finger.

Ok, well that was a random blog for ya. I think I'm a teeny bit more tired. Shoot, it's 2am. If I go to bed now I'll get about 6 hrs of sleep max if I'm lucky.

~Brianna

The Great Apache Mall

Winter has become quite monotonous. I told Chris that I feel like a hampter in a cage with a few paths to specific places: Work, Culvers, Mom's house, church, and .....THE MALL.

Don't get me wrong, I love my life here in my lovely townhome with my baby girl, but the winter days have become a bit blah. So, Audrey and I frequently visit the mall for something to do.

Somtimes we go alone. We do a lot of walking and shopping if Audrey can tolerate it. I can walk the whole mall, going around each edge, around all the nooks and crannies in 9 minutes. You'd think it would take longer, but it only takes 9 mintues if you power walk. I see lots of other moms doing the same thing as me, but some have double stollers! I've visited the baby section of each department store which has reminded me of when Brice and I were little ane we got to ride the elevator up to the kid's sections in places like Sears with Mom.

Sometimes we go with friends! Lately, my partner in crime is a fellow mother and friend, Kelsey! She also understands the winter days, but she has a toddler and a baby! Our routine is lunch in the foodcourt, however much walking the babies will tolerate, and then off to the playland.

The playland is becomming a common thing now, but not so long ago it wasn't really an option for Audrey. Now that's she's walking around she really loves playing in there! I get a bit nervous and I cannot fully relax like the mothers of the bigger kids because my baby is the little tiny one walking into dangerous situations. For example, 5 preschoolers are jumping something repeatedly and Audrey wants to stand right were they are jumping. They are oblivious to her so I have to run to her rescue.

Mostly though it's just a lot of fun to watch my tiny girl toddle around, exploring everything in her sight, and interacting with other kids. Each time we've gone there's one or more older kids that take a large interest in Audrey, or as they say, "the baby". They come up to her and hug her, pet her hair, guide her to a toy, help her walk, help her up if she falls, and talk to her. Some mothers say, "don't touch the baby honey" and some just let their kids play with Audrey. Audrey just stares up at them and doesn't seem to mind. It's funny to me how Audrey is a baby to a child of any age, as long as they can say the word baby. Today there was a little girl about 13-14 mo old pointing to Audrey and saying, "baby, baby!" And she's only a few months older than Audrey!

So, sometimes I get a bit tired of going to the mall, but I am grateful that it's always there for us, a place to go and get out of the house. However, I cannot cannot wait for summer! Parks and walks and so many more places we can go!
Here are some pics from one day at the mall playland :)

Audrey making happy baby noises

Heather came along this day and held baby Sammy for a while, Kelsey is with David, and then of course you know me and Audrey :)

Audrey always goes to the duckie.

Playing in the canoe with her buddy David.


Another favorite spot to play. Note the girl in the backgroud. This was the girl that day that took a great interest in Audrey and followed her around.

And that friends, is my blog about the mall.

PS: Pretty sure my mom took me to the mall when I was a baby too :)