Isn't this the cutest picture of him, he looks so innocent! I love him so much! 

Wow...time is flying by...

I can't believe that it's the middle of October and my parents will be here in two days! It seems like we just moved down here and getting used to the routine still! It's hard to believe that we've been here for almost four months!

Not much has been going on lately...although we did go to the zoo on Sunday. It was just a little zoo, but it was fun to go together as a family. The ride there and back was not as fun...Austin had some major screaming fits! He hasn't felt very good all week and I think that was part of it. If that's any indication how the ride home in December is going to be, we're going to be in trouble with a capital T! We might have to drive at night again! But about the zoo...there weren't very many animals (there are pictures of them in Austin's October photo album) and Austin fell asleep in the stroller after seeing the monkeys, the turtles and the bald eagles. But all in all we had a good time!

Congratulations Libby on your new job! All good things come to those who wait!

Hope everyone is having a good week!
Lots of love for everyone!
Andi

What is he reaching for???? 

He's reaching for the papers on the fridge! He must think that the pizza box is going to get him that much closer! He's so smart! 

Ha-caught him! 

The zoo was SO exciting for Austin! He saw the monkeys, the bald eagles, and the turtles and I guess that was enough for him!  

Well...feeding himself is going good...he also tried to feed the high chair, the floor and the refridgerator!!!!  

Doesn't he look like a caged prisoner wanting out!!! He loves to look out the front door when we have it open! 

So nice...

Austin was so nice to me this morning! We slept in until 8:00! Of course he got up at 4 but I put him in bed with me and after an hour or so of tossing and turning he went back to sleep! I swear that he is the biggest bed hog though! He turns sideways to sleep and kicks me! Hmmm...sounds like someone else I know...

Michael is coming home from the field today! He has been gone since Tuesday and we'll get to see him around 11 this morning. The FRG is doing a fundraiser so they are meeting all the soldiers at 11 to sell them pizza! Pizza will taste so good to them after eating MRE's all week!

Well, we better get around if we're going to meet him at 11. Hope everyone has a good weekend!

Andi

Brrrrrrrrrr...

It has been chilly today...it has only been in the low, low 70's! I know that seems really good to everyone, but it seems freezing to us! Austin and I are both wearing long sleeves with pants!

Austin is really grouchy right now! Great...we're getting ready to go to our meeting! Hopefully he will fall asleep on the way there so he's in a better mood when we get there!

Hope everyone has a good night!

Andi

Austin got some new shoes today!!! He had to get size 3! What a big boy! 

Here's a close up of what they look like! 

Made it until 6:30...

Well, Austin slept until 6:30 this morning. I don't know how he functions all day on as little sleep as he gets. I get the same amount and I'm exhausted in the mornings! I think he's going to stop taking a nap during the day! He doesn't want to go to bed until 10 pm lately and is up around 6 the next morning. I don't know what his deal is!

Oh well, we don't have anything big planned for the day. We do have to go to the bank and the post office but those won't take very long! Oh, we are going to the next FRG (Family Readiness Group) meeting tonight. I am the platoon rep for Michael's platoon. So when they go to Iraq I will be calling all the soldiers wives to check in with them every month. I told the ladies in charge that I would think about it at the last meeting, seeing how I would be in Michigan and all, and let them know at this meeting. Well...Michael came home from work last week and said that he volunteered me! How nice! No, it's ok because I was going to do it anyway!

Austin is so cute! He's in the living room putting things on the coffee table, knocking them off, saying "uh oh" then picking it back up and starting all over again! He does it on purpose and all I can do is laugh at him!

What's going on with everyone else? Libby, look for a package for Jackson to come next week sometime. I'm going to mail his Halloween package today! I hope he has fun with it!

Well... I better get Austin's breakfast around. He's going to try scrambled eggies today! He really likes pancakes for breakfast so we're going to try something new! Hope everyone has a good day!

Andi

Isn't he cute!  

One wish...

My good night wish is to get a full nights sleep without any interruptions...and sleeping past 6 am!!!!

Will my child be nice to me????

Good night everyone!

Andi

Lookout...here he comes to get you!!!!

Playing in the swing! We got it out so Devlin could swing in it and Austin wanted to play in it too! I'd say he's a little too big, wouldn't you? 

So many new things...

Austin has been doing so many new things lately! He now constantly cruises around the coffee table in the living room! He is starting to stand up on his own too! Sometimes he just lets go when he's holding on to things or if I'm carrying him and want to set him down he doesn't want to sit on his bottom, he wants to stand up! This is both exciting and scary at the same time! Next thing you know he'll be walking around getting into even more stuff!

Austin has also learned how to open the cupboard doors now too! He likes to stand up and bounce the door back and forth and make the most annoying sound ever! Of course he thinks it's so funny to make such a big racket! He also likes to help me unload the dishwasher whether it be clean or dirty!

And let me talk about him being all boy! Like my mom says, "it sounds like you guys are raising a heathen down there!" He puts his toys on the coffee table and then proceeds to knock them off with either his hand or another toy. I keep trying to tell him that he can't put his big truck on the table either and he gets mad at me! But the cutest thing is when he knocks his toys off on purpose and he says "uh oh!" I don't know why uh oh is the first thing he's saying because I didn't think we said it that much. Must be we do! But it's so cute! Although it's not always cute when we're at the grocery store and he keeps dropping his toy on the ground just so he can say uh oh then watch me pick it up! But, it keeps him entertained instead of fussing so I really can't complain that much!

He has been drooling really bad the last week too, so I don't know if he's trying to get more teeth or what. I can't see any yet, but I guess it's only a matter of time! Speaking of teeth, Austin is starting to feed himself now too! We are putting him in his highchair and putting little pieces of bread on his tray so he can practice picking things up. He loves bread and has almost gotten the hang of picking them up and getting them in his mouth! Last night he ate 3 bowls of cereal, half a jar of baby food, drank some milk then had half a piece of bread on top of that for dinner! I don't know what we're going to do when he eats food with the rest of us! I'm going to have a huge grocery bill!!! Oh well, it's worth it!

My parents will be here in 2 weeks to visit! I'm getting excited to see them and for them to see Austin! And only 10 weeks until we leave for Michigan. We're still unsure of how we are going to spend our days in Michigan. Really it's Michael's time to spend with everyone since Austin and I will be back a month later! We'll figure it out, probably not until the ride there, but we have over 20 hours to think about it!

Well, I better get going. Michael is having people over to watch football and have a cookout today so I better get the kitchen cleaned up! Plus, Angie and I are playing Michael today in fantasy football!!!! Hopefully we can beat him like we beat Ben last week!!!! Hope everyone has a good weekend!

Andi

All tuckered out!!! Story time must have been fun! 

Always smiling! Everytime I get out the camera he comes to get it so it's hard to get pictures of him! 

Playing with his swimsuit string. If there's a string, he's playing with it and chewing on it! 

Help! I'm stuck!!!! He hasn't quite figured out that he has to crawl around things to get what he wants! Although he is getting better about walking around the coffee table while holding on to it! 

Climbing the stairs to get my shoe string. He ventured up to the third step yesterday! Don't worry, I was right behind him!  

Wearing Mommy's hat. Even though I tried really hard to put a hat on him when he was younger so they wouldn't bother him, he won't keep one on his head anymore! Oh well...at least I tried! 

Beating the frog with his spoon! He loves to hit things with the spoon! 

Now he's giving the frog a kiss! He must have felt sorry for beating it with the spoon! 

What a hair-do! Looks like a job for Lisa! 

My opinion about The Bachelor

Well, it looks like this season of the Bachelor is going to be kind of interesting! I was really disappointed that he picked that Krista girl, she seems a little psycho! I think she will be like Trish from last season, really creepy! I like the idea of him living with the women though. It might give him a little more advantage at getting to know them better than any of the past bachelors. Did you watch it Aunt Jan, Libby or Mom? Let me know what you think since I'm not there to watch it with you!


On another note...

Austin stood all by himself today for about 10 seconds! I've been standing him up and letting go slowly and he stands for a long time before he gets down. He doesn't even fall down like he looses his balance, it's more of a crouch down to be able to crawl somewhere. He is really starting to cruise around the furniture too! I think he will definitely walk before he's a year old. He's so funny, he is constantly pulling himself up on things. He likes to pull himself up on the walls too, just for the simple fact that he can do it!

He was really banging his pan with his spoon while I was making dinner tonight. He loves to help me unload the dishwasher too! I think he just likes to stand up and take all the silverware out and throw it on the floor! Oh well, I think I've washed the same spoon several times without even using it!

Well, I'm going to head up to bed. I only got about 5 hours total last night in between Austin getting up! He only took one long nap today and a short cat nap so hopefully he will sleep all night tonight!

Good night!

Andi

Austin's craft project from story time today! It's a polka-dot caterpillar! Good job Mommy! 

I wish he would have slept this peaceful last night, ALL NIGHT!!!! I don't understand why he seems to think he needs to get up for a couple of hours during the night still. It's so frustrating!!!! 

First taste of popsicle! Now he won't let a lick get past his mouth! 

Story time

We went to story time tonight at the library. It was pajama night so Austin wore his jammies to the library! He was so cute, he loves to watch all of the other children and actually listens to the story! I'm confused on why he will sit still to listen to somebody read a book in a group but won't one on one with me! Whenever I try to read to him he wants to crawl all over and try to eat the book! I'm sure his patience will get better s he gets a little older!

Well I guess he thought differently about going to bed right now! I hope it's not another late night like last night! He wouldn't go to bed until 11pm! Oh well, gotta go get him!

Andi

Goin' Swimmin'

Just a quick note...

Michael left this morning for the "field" and won't be back until late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning. We have the car to ourselves until then, weeeeeeeeeee! So, therefore we are going to take advantage of it! We are going swimming today with Jamie and Devlin, then we're headed to the library tomorrow or Wednesday! So exciting, I know!!!! The little stuff excites me these days!

Have a good Monday!

Andi

We're going swimming today!