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I've really been a slacker with the blogging lately. I don't know why...I guess I just haven't been in the mood to be creative or clever. Life has been normal and lovely. Here are a few random tid-bits from the past few days.

The "one nap only" routine is working nicely. I've figured out that the best time for Aubrey's nap is about 11:00 or 11:30 am. She'll usually sleep for one and a half to two hours, and then will be fine until bedtime. It's been a real relief not to have her fight her naps or bedtime anymore, because now she's actually tired when I lay her down. And the best part is that she's sleeping so much later in the morning. Today she woke up for the day at 8:30, and I had already eaten breakfast and gotten ready for the day!

We had a really nice weekend. On Friday night Matt stayed home with Aubrey while I went out with some girlfriends from college. It was so fun to see them and catch up on everyone's life. It made me miss those old days spent cramming for tests in the library and sharing snacks, or meeting for group projects in the Old Main building that was my social work home for 4 years. On Saturday we spent the morning cleaning, and in the afternoon we ran errands and carved pumpkins. That night we found a really yummy Chinese restaurant not far from our house, and that made us really happy:).

I think I can officially say that Aubrey is crawling now. It isn't her main mode of transportation yet, but she does it quite frequently and it is almost always unprovoked (meaning we don't have to bribe her with something, she'll just do it on her own). It's so fun to watch! She certainly has gotten to the point where she is getting into everything and needs a lot closer supervision. At the end of every day I am so tired and sore from picking her up and moving her away from things she isn't supposed to get into. Also, Aubrey can find her nose, ears, and belly button when asked. She also folds her arms for prayers, waves hi and bye-bye to everyone she sees, claps, and is getting very close to signing mommy and daddy. This week she also learned how to give kisses, and she is very generous with them. But look out because they are open-mouthed and full of drool! (kind of reminds me of my first kiss!)(ha! look! i can be clever after all!)

Last night I made a new recipe for baked herb-crusted tilapia, and it was soooo good. I don't fix fish that often because it's usually so expensive. But then I realized that I've only ever fixed salmon before, and tilapia is much cheaper. So next time you're at the market check out the deals on tilapia. Tonight I am trying a new recipe for a potato chowder. Isn't it just a chowder kind of day?

Yesterday we met with an early intervention teacher and a speech therapist so they could meet Aubrey and figure out what services she could use right now. It was really great to meet them. They both are very sweet and caring women who have a lot of good knowledge. And best of all, Aubrey warmed right up to them both instantly. The teacher will work with Bree on pre-speech, toy manipulation, cause and effect, and fine motor skills. The speech therapist will obviously be working with Aubrey on making sounds and strengthening her mouth muscles. We're so thankful for all of these educated people. We would be so lost without them!

Also, Matt has a beard. A full beard. And it's pretty red. I don't know how I feel about it. wish me luck because I don't know how long it will last:)