Trip to Michigan

We took a break from unpacking to go to Michigan for a much-needed night away. Our friends have a beautiful cottage they "loaned" us while they were in Italy so we packed up Audrey and Rudy and went on a mini-vacation. Audrey and Rudy loved swimming...so much so that every time we tried to take her out of the water, Audrey had a tantrum, demanding to get back in. She loved the beach, burying her hands in the sand and chasing Rudy. A perfect weekend away!!

The "Long Short" Move

Who knew that moving such a short distance could take so long? We have just finished about 6 weeks of "moving". We are still not fully unpacked but we are in our new house and have sold our condo. We are loving having multiple floors (and multiple baby gates), a front porch (and porch swing) and back yard! Here are some pictures of Audrey working hard helping mom and dad move (and rewarding herself with a beer)...

Spring Has Sprung!

As a North Dakota native, people here think it is funny when I complain about Chicago winters. They are nothing compared to what I experienced growing up. However, they are long, cold and gray and though we are always ready for spring when it arrives, this year we have been looking forward to it more than ever! It has been the longest, coldest winter I remember in Chicago and we have been feeling very cooped up and anxious to get outside with Audrey. Today was not the warmest day we have had in the past few weeks but it was sunny and, most importantly, it was Sunday, which means we were home to enjoy it! We took Audrey to the park (she now hates the swings, loves the slide and is scared of grass, sand and wood chips - what a city girl) and then we had a picnic in the park. After eating her own food, Audrey hammed it up by grabbing some of our baguette and getting it nice and slobbery!

Our New Favorite Toy

We have a new favorite toy in the house. It was a birthday gift for Audrey from our friends, Eric and Sue (they have three kids and know a good 1st birthday gift when they see one!). Now when I say 'we' have a favorite new toy, I mean me and Andy. We have noticed that Audrey has a lot more energy and curiosity lately and she does not like to sit still. Walking up and down the hall with her new Radio Flyer wagon uses up plenty of that energy! Rudy is not such a big fan as he is often a victim of Audrey's maniacal driving. He has come close to being roadkill a few times this weekend.

Hanging Out in Rudy's Bed

Since we are trying sell our condo, we are frequently cleaning our way out of the house when people are coming to see it. We always take Rudy's dog bed down to the storage unit for showings. This weekend, we brought it back upstairs and left it in the living room for a minute and, when we turned around for a second, Audrey decided it looked like a fun place to hang out and she crawled into it. She sat in it for a half and hour watching a cartoon and then finally laid down as if to take a nap in there. We figure she must not have any pet allergies if she survived this escapade!

Audrey's First Birthday Party

I hesitate to even post this blog yet as I do not want to admit that Audrey is ONE five days before it actually happens. Where did a year go? The best year of our lives, to be sure! This weekend, we had Audrey's first birthday party and, at 9 pm on Sunday night as I write this post and she sleeps soundly, I am sure she has never been more exhausted and Andy and I are not far behind. She had an amazing weekend and we loved watching her have so much fun.

The party was at a French restaurant in Lincoln Park (note the berets on the kids in the pics). We had many special friends and family there and we are so lucky to have such wonderful people in Audrey's life. In addition to many Chicago friends, both grandmas and great grandma (GiGi) were there and Meredith, Andrew, Claire and Aven even flew in from Colorado! Here are some pictures from one of my favorite days ever...