Chicago Trip

Before I talk about our trip to Chicago last weekend, I just have to comment on how much fun Audrey is right now. Tonight she was just being so adorable and silly and funny, I didn't want to put her to bed (but I did put her to bed, because even though she is cute, I still had lots of things to get done without her around to distract me!). She is talking so much. Rather than just repeating words on command, she now uses words to communicate what she is thinking, and it's so much fun to listen to her!

Her newest word is "no". It took her a while to start saying "no", but now that she is saying it, "no" has become a quick favorite. Last night we had some people over for Daniel's birthday, and she said "no, no, no" to every kid who touched one of her toys. I have to admit that hearing her say "no" is really cute, but I know the cuteness will fade quickly as she turns into the selfish little girl who won't share her toys. So we're going to be working on the concept of sharing from now on!

Anyway, on to the purpose of this post: Last weekend we went to Chicago for a mini-vacation. On Friday we met my sister Elisabeth and went to Ikea. It was my first trip to Ikea, and I loved it! It was also Audrey's first trip to Ikea (obviously!), and she loved it as well. Her favorite parts were the children's area (she wanted to climb on every bed and play with every toy) and the bathroom (where they had a kid size sink so she could wash her hands all by herself!).


After several hours at Ikea, we went to the mall and out to dinner with Aunt Elisabeth. Then we took Audrey swimming at the hotel pool. Audrey and I were the only ones with swimsuits, so we went swimming while Daniel and Elisabeth took pictures. Audrey hadn't been in a pool since last summer when she was still a baby. So it was fun to see her react to the water, as it was like she was in a pool for the first time. She was a bit scared at first, but she seemed to really like it by the end. She especially liked climbing on the stairs and getting in and out of the water (with Mommy's help of course!).
On Saturday, we met my friend Katy at the Chicago Children's Museum at Navy Pier. Audrey was a bit timid and grumpy at the start of our day there, but she warmed up and had fun by the end. Her favorite exhibit by far was the water play area. Here she is in her too big and incorrectly buttoned raincoat, ready to attack the water.These water spouts were the best. She loves washing her hands, and here she could stand and wash her hands all by herself (just like at Ikea!). It was like heaven for her, I think! And the raincoat proved to be ineffective...she was soaked by the time we dragged her away from the water!

After the Children's Museum, it was time for Audrey to say good-bye to her new friend Katy.

And timed for one last picture in Chicago.And then Audrey completely crashed on the way home. She was asleep by the time we pulled out of the parking garage at Navy Pier! Poor girl...it was a busy weekend, but she was a trooper and cooperated wonderfully the whole time.