Surprise, Surprise!

The past few weeks have been very busy for us. I have been working a few days a week at school trying to get my classroom ready. The first two weeks that I went Aubrey went with me. She did excellent! My room had messes all over, but she played very well and I was able to get a lot done. This week, I took her to the babysitter again, so that she can get used to being there. She has done pretty well, although she cries when I leave and sporadically cries throughout the morning. This year, it is easier for me to leave her (I am more used to it), while it is much harder for Aubrey, as she realizes what is happening. I am confidant that once school starts and she gets into a regular routine, she will be fine.

The most exciting thing that has happened is that Calvin and I are going to have another baby! We are very excited about it. I am due February 14th, which is a great date, considering it is Valentine's Day. What a great gift that would be! I tell Aubrey about the baby that is in my tummy, but every time I talk about the baby, she thinks that I am talking about her baby doll. It's pretty funny. She still loves her baby. She carries it everywhere, and even sleeps with it at night. She gives it kisses and hugs too. It's very cute!

Cheese!

This week Aubrey surprised me by petting a cat! This is a very big step for her considering the fact that up to this point she has been scared of them. We went out to the barn to feed them, and as I was putting food in their pans, she walked over to a cat that was eating and started to pet it. I was shocked! She stood there and continued to pet it for several minutes. She touched the cat's body, tail, and ears. She can now say kitty, although it sounds like "titty", and she knows what a cat says ("mow"). She can also tell you that a cow says moo, a bear says roar, and a sheep says baa. Aubrey's vocabulary hasn't really changed too much, but she is gradually adding some words, like flower and fish.

Aubrey has begun to climb on things. She can now get on the couch all by herself. She also sat on the toilet seat and got on a kitchen chair. She has never been much of a climber until now. She also likes to stand on the side of her crib (when she is down on the ground). I have to keep a closer watch on her now. She's turning into quite the little monkey!

Aubrey is so proud. She got on the couch all by herself!

We went swimming this week to try to stay cool. Aubrey had a blast shoveling water into a bowl and drinking water from the shovel. She loved it!