Lucky number 7

Sometimes it's so very hard to believe that a year ago right now I was pregnant and complaining about it. Even harder still, is the fact that this day feels as though it never really happened. Audrey feels as though she's always been here, a part of this family and my life? Well, it seems as though it's always been this hectic.

I've said it before but time really is flying. Audrey is 7 months old already. Didn't catch that? SHE'S 7 MONTHS OLD! I know, a little hard to believe. Even though it feels like she's always been here, it also feels like that newborn baby stage lasted about 30 seconds. She's growing and changing so fast, it's leaving my head spinning.

And the worst of it? I've hardly documented enough. When I started this blog, I was pregnant with Bethany. And then for 2 years we had just Bethany around so she was the star of the show. And while I haven't forgotten about Audrey, I talk of her often and I take as many if not more photos of her than I did her sister, there is much less talk of just her. Audrey, on her own is a pretty awesome kid and deserves the lime light too (although quite often Bethany does everything in her power to prevent that). Bethany is my clown, my entertainer and likes to be the center of attention, she's hilarious, says great things and when caught on video can often induce fits of laughter. So it's easy to blog about her adventures.

But Audrey's on an adventure of her own! A great one, she's in that hold-on-to-your-diaper-everything's-changing-before-you-know-it-I'll-be-ONE stage! And right now is one of my favorite parts of raising a baby. She's sitting independently now, eating solids (or the mushy, mashed up version of solids), she babbles and talks - a lot! (I hear "da, da, da, Da, Da, DA,DA,DAAAAA all day. No Mumumumum yet. But whatever! I'm not bitter *cough*) And she adores her big sister, watching her every move, crying when Bethany leaves a room. She's got 2 teeth and is threatening more, she's 20lbs and carrying her in the car seat is breaking my back. She sleeps pretty well, loves the top of her head rubbed and shoves everything into her mouth!

Audrey is my content little girl. She's happy to play on her own, watch the scenery and hardly ever cries. Well, hardly ever really cries. She makes a protest sound that's somewhere between a cry and a cough, just to let me know she's unimpressed with the situation and I should really do something about that. Now. And then, there is her fake cry.

I kid you not, my 7 month old little girl is a phony bologna. She's heard Bethany fake a good cry or two in the middle of a fit (trying to get her way. Which of course she hasn't figured out, does not accomplish said "way"). So the other day in the car, when Beth started up on "The Cry" I almost drove off the road when Audrey joined in, with her own version. I laughed so hard, they laughed and I may have almost peed (Don't worry I held it, I followed Beth's example and kept saying "don't pee, don't pee, don't pee!) . Are you kidding me, kid! You are waaaay to young to know how to do that!

We made the right choice naming her Audrey Joy, she really does bring constant joy to all of our lives. She's beautiful and sweet, quirky and funny. And her eyes, oh, her eyes! They are big and already brown, beautiful and full of emotion. I have never met a baby who's eyes are so expressive, who almost literally lights up with joy when she sees her Daddy. People stop us all the time to say hello and coo at her. She's always got a smile, or a HUGE grin to offer up and I love that.

She's my happy girl and she's growing up so fast! It's a few days late but Happy 7 Month Birthday Audrey Bell, we love you!

*The post title has nothing to do with believing in luck, I don't. It's just a running thing in our house that seven is "our" number. Corey and I were married 7 months after we met, there are 7 diamonds in my wedding band and my wedding dress was a size 7. Just F.Y.I