WE HAVE A BABY!!!!!

Well... WE don't have a baby, but Megan and Chris do!!!! Lincoln Michael Birke!!! He was born this morning at 4:11 am after 22 hours of agonizing labor. He was 9 pounds 3 ounces and 22 inches long. Basically Megan popped out a toddler... He was actually walking himself down the hallways of the hospital!!! Okay, maybe I'm exagerating a little, but what I'm getting at is that he was a big boy!!! And most definately the cutest baby in the world!!!!

I got to the hospital around 11:00am yesterday. It was a long day!!!! Brian came in the evening because he had a lot of stuff to do, but he still didn't miss much!!!! By about midnight all of us were so tired we were delerious. We were laughing at things that weren't even funny!!! When he was finally born everyone was so relieved that both baby Lincoln and mommy Megan were healthy and okay!!!

Megan and Baby Lincoln today when I went to the hospital to see them.




The proud dad and Baby!!!!





This is Megan's cousin Johnny sleepin with his mom's jacket over his head. He'd been sleeping laying down and changed positions to sitting up without even waking up!!!





Mike and Carl sitting in the hallway waiting for Lincoln to come.

Josh (Megan's brother) passed out in the hallway.

Kelsey passed out in the waiting room. She was so tired!!!

Poor Brian. Snoring in the waiting room. He was such a trooper hanging out with me until the wee hours of the morning!!!

Im putting the pictures on here of Maggie and Brian at Kansai that I promised Sunday!!!

Maggie can use chopsticks!!!!

Eating her rice and shrimp!!!

Maggie and Brian. She wanted to put those chopsticks in her hair!!!

Have a good one blog world!!!!

Peace!!!

WHAT A WEEKEND!!!

Okay... so here goes my weekly update for blog world...

This week flew by it seems!!!! I went by Megan's this week and took her lunch from Cheddar's... Its one of our favorite places to eat lunch. We usually switch off between Cheddar's and Olive Garden!!! But since Megan is 9 months pregnant and pretty much miserable I figured I'd just take lunch to her rather than taking her to lunch.

We talked for a while and she helped me bring my blog to the 21st century!!!! I now have music and a tracker.... so I know how many people view my blog and all that good stuff.... So if ya visit... leave me a comment!!!! I'd love to know what you think!!!

When I was there her Doctor called and she had to go in that day. They scheduled her to be induced at 6:3o TOMORROW morning!!!! Yay... I can't wait to be an aunt.... and Brian is just as excited to be an uncle (sort of)

Saturday was super busy!!!! We went to Greensburg for a cookout for Brian's friend Pat. He's in the military and was home on leave. It turns our Pat had just proposed to his girlfriend (now fiance) Blair that morning!!!! Congratulations Pat and Blair!!!! Maggie went with us and made some new friends. Maggie and Pat's neice were "digging for treasure" in Pat's parents yard!!! Talk about a mess!!!

Then we had to go from Greensburg, Indiana (about 1 1/2 hours away) to Clarksville for my mom's birthday dinner. We left about 45 minutes before we were supposed to be in Clarksville. Needless to say.... we were late!!! We went to Kansai the Japanese steak house. If you've never been there, they have some of the best Sushi chefs around!!!! There were 15 of us there for Mom's birthday and we had a blast!!!! Maggie loved it when the hibachi chef cooked infront of us, and she at ALL her shrimp. Then she took some of our chopsticks and put them in her hair like a Chinese lady!!!! It was so cute, and I have pictures but I'll post them later!!!

Today we woke up to Matt having fixed breakfast for us!!! Thanks Matt, you're the best roomate/land lord ever!!! ha ha!!! Then we took Maggie to her mom. Later after everyone else in the world woke up we went 4wheeling in New Washington on a friend of Brian's land. They have trails cut back through the woods. There were some nasty steep hills and jumps.... It was a blast. But I'm absolutely wore out!!!

Brian, Ryan and I picked up a pizza and now we're watching Role Models!!!! Apparently its halarious. So on that note, I'm out!!!!

Stay tuned tomorrow for stories from the waiting room of the hospital when little Lincoln is born!!! Good luck Megan!!! I love you!!!

Peace!!!

Its been a while since I've updated blog world on the life of Audrey. So here it goes!!!

Friday we went to Tuscaloosa Alabama to pick up a truck for Matt. His has been breaking down extremely frequently for like well... every since I've known him, so he finally decided it was time to get a new one that actually worked. He asked Brian to go with him so Brian could drive Matt's regular back home, and ofcourse Brian and I are a package deal so I went too!!!

My aunt lives in Tuscaloosa, so Brian, Matt, Paige and I stayed the night there Friday night and got up early Sunday morning and drove home- with the new truck. The truck was nice except for the god awful picture on the back window!!!

We have Maggie tonight. She actually just went down to bed. I swear, all you have to do is pop a kiddy cartoon in the dvd player and the kid goes to bed and passes out. When I was 5 my parents were reading me 5 books, rubbing my back... anything they could think of to get me to go to bed.

We went to Brian's mom's for a little bit today and he washed one of the busses. Of course Maggie had to help. It was so cute... the long handled brush probably weighed as much as her... but she was trying so hard.

Shes scrubbin so hard!!!

It's about to knock her over...

Maggie and Brian.... how cute are they???

After they were both basically soaking wet and filthy dirty, we went back to Brian's. I made spagetti... They both claimed it was amazing.... What sweethearts!!!

Last weekend I'd told Maggie that we'd make cupcakes. Then we ran out of time, so it never got done.... well tonight was the night for cupcakes!!!

Maggie with the cupcakes that are ready to go in the oven.

Licking the beaters!!!!

Decorating the cupcakes with pink, and princess sprinkles!!!!

The chef and her finished product!!!



This was mine.... it was soooo good!!!!

A Relaxing, Lazy, Restful Day....

Today was supposed to be a lazy day. Brian is still sick and I've been tellin him he needs to rest, but apparently he just doesn't have it in him. So today..... he was going to rest. As I'm sure you can guess.... that didnt happen!!! Well I guess it sort of happened. At 3pm today we'd made, eaten and cleaned up from breakfast.... and that was it!!!!! So I guess that counted for our resting for the day.

Out here at Matt's, they don't pick the garbage up. So we have a pile of plum full garbage bags in the basement waiting for someone to do something with them. Brian and Matt come up with the wonderful idea to burn it.... so Brian cuts the top of some steel barrell and hammers holes in it with some kind of skinny ax and starts burning our garbage.

In the meantime I'd decided it was time for all of Maggies clothes and toys that have still not been unpacked (Brian moved into Matt's in DECEMBER) to find thier place in Maggie's room. So I lugged her clothes up into her room, only to go through them and realized 87% of them will not fit her now or in the summer (if they were shorts). Do I hear donation to the daycare????

So I put away her clothes that the poor kid will actually be able to wear, and boxed up the ones we are giving away. While I'm in the process of this, I hear a chainsaw reving outside. I tell myself it must be Kenny- Matt's neighbor- cutting something up. I look out the window and see who but BRIAN cutting up a tree that has fallen in the yard. Please keep in mind that Brian has pnemonia.... Naturally I am thinking what a dumb***. So theres Brian, not only cutting up the tree with a chain saw but splitting it as well with this ax thing. *For those of you who have never had the pleasure of splitting wood by hand, its very hard work, especially for someone who can't even freakin breath* But thats just Brian, I guess in a way its good, one thing I can say for the guy is he's not lazy.

So I get Maggie's clothes and toys moved into her room and put away. I had found some things that you can sit hot pots on in one of the boxes so I was looking for somewhere in the kitchen for it to go. I open a few drawers, and this one has a clump of stuff it in. Like torn paper and what looks like hair balls. I though "what the heck in Matt doing with all this crap" as I pick up the wad of who knows what a freaking mouse jumps out of the drawer and on to the floor in the kitchen. Naturally I SCREAM, run to the window and hollar down to Brian and Kenny who are outside (still burning garbage) that WE HAVE A MOUSE!!!!!

So now Brian's in the shower, and I updating you on our relaxing, lazy, restful day. We're gonna go grab a bite to eat, pick up a few things from Kroger for Teresa, and get a bundle of mousetraps so I'll actually be able to sleep at night!!!

Peace

Fun Friday

Megan has been harrassing me for days to update this blog thing!!!! She knows Im new at this... I didnt know it was an everyday thing to do. Sorry Meg.... Ill work on that!!!!



At 7:30 this morning I woke up to a text message from my mom asking if Brian and I were going to come help her and one of her friends pick up a washer and dryer. Since we'd told her we'd help I woke Brian up and reminded him of our commitment. 7:30 is early for us to get up... especially on a Friday, but we sucked it up, got outta bed and went. I made sure he and I had the same plan of coming strait home and going back to bed when we were done, Brian agreed. About the time we got to the house to unload the washer we'd loaded Brian decided he'd make some coffee when we got home, and I told him I wasnt really even tired anymore. Brian said man, we got drug outta bed early, and now we cant go back to bed and waste our day, we can do something productive!!! My mom got a kick outta that....



So I'm sitting here with Brian and Matt, on our "productive day" watching A Baby Story.... its the one about John and Kate.... We've all decided that there is no way we'd ever be able to have 6 kids at once. Matt's biggest concern was naming them all, he said he'd have a hard time naming one. Brian's fatherly advice was to go outside and yell it 500 times and if ya still like the name.... use it... so there ya go Megan and Chris... try that. You're neighbors may think you're nuts, but apparently it works!!!!



Thats my advice for the day!!!



So I'll update you on our Lent plans...



Brian has pnemonia, so he hasnt been to the gym yet, and I'm apparently really lazy so I haven't been either. But I WILL go today... We haven't had a chance to miss church yet, so we havent blown that!!!! Megan offered for Brian and I to go with her and Chris to Southeast on a saturday evening, we discussed it and thought we'd try that.



We have Maggie this weekend... which always makes me excited. There is never a dull moment with her around!!! I always feel like we have to have something planned to do on the weekends. Im not sure why, I just like to have a plan. We were planning on going to Emily's tournament in Bloomington this weekend, but for some reason they are not playing in it, so now I'm lost.



Then I came up with the brilliant idea to take her ice skating. She saw my ice skates in the trunk of my car and has been wanting to go every since. Of course I told her that her Daddy and I would take her. For those of you who do not know Brian, he is 6 ft 6 inches, and not the most coordinated individual, so personally I think it'd be halirious to see him ice skating. He is refusing to go. He said he'd go, sit, watch and take pictures but there is no way in Hades that he's putting iceskates on his size 14 feet!!! Thats good news for you guys, you'll get plenty of pictures of Maggie and I busting our butts!!!!



Now I'm switchin to my most recent favorite subject: Megan, Chris and Lincoln

He's is coming... I just know he is coming... SOON!!! Chris says not till March 1st, and I hate to bust his bubble, but that boy is ready to be in the world and meet his Auntie Audrey... It's not gonna be much longer... My guess is by Tuesday there will be one more beautiful baby in our world!!!



Well I'm going to go, and hopefully do something productive with my day... perhaps go to the gym, clean my room and do some much needed laundry!!!



Peace!!!

Ash Wednesday

Well today is Ash Wednesday.... for all of those non-Catholics out there this is the kickoff for Lent. A period of 40 days and 40 nights (weekends not included) where we sacrifice something that we enjoy or decide to do something new in honor of Jesus. If you give something up you are supposed to use the time you once used to do the thing you are giving up and spend time with God. And if you decide to do something new its supposed to bring you closer to God.

Now that you've gotten a little background let me explain what this has to do with my blog....

Brian and I have been thinking and trying to decide what we were going to give up or decide to do more....

Here's our conclusion: We are going to go to church every sunday, and work out 4 to 5 days a week.

I've been raised Catholic my whole life, but have not been to church except on holidays for about the last year. Brian went to Catholic school through 4th grade but hasn't followed the Catholic faith since then for various reasons.

Apparently some people don't view the Catholic Faith as a credible religion. Some pass judgement on Catholics and say that we are worthless drunks who sin all week and ask for forgiveness on Sunday. I say to each his own and everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, but I know plenty of individuals who practice other religions and put on a wonderful show in the front row of church, but behind closed doors, the very same people in the front row at church are the ones passing judgement on others based on things such as the way a person looks, the house a person lives in, and the place a person chooses to worship. One of the people most loving, open minded, and welcoming of other individials' ideas is my grandpa. He's never sat in the front row of our Catholic church unless it was the only seat open, and he likes to drink a few beer or a glass of wine; however if there is ever anyone in need he is the first to be there to help in anyway he can. To me, that is the perfect picture of a Christian, someone with constant open arms and a loving heart.

Now that Im off my soap box, let me get back to the whole point of this blog to begin with: Explaining Brian and My decision to go to church every Sunday.

We havent been together very long by most people's opinion, and to be honest he and I both realize that. When I first met Brian he was at a point in his life where he wasn't as happy as he should have been. And me being the blunt individual I am told him, dang buddy you're in a hot mess!! Apparently my wisdom and lack of fear to share it shocked him, and it took a few months, during which I'd see him occasionally if he drove my sister's basketball team but never got a chance to really talk to him again, but he figured out his mess, got it straitened out, and made- according to me - the best decision hes ever made.... he got that "hot basketball coach's" number from a mutual friend and text me.... From that day on, we've been attatched at the hip. (Im actually at his house right now chillin on the couch, hes gettin fire wood it)

Yea... I went off on another tangent.... anyway.... I can not imagine my life without Brian in it, and to be honest its very hard for me to remember what it was ever like before we started dating. So we've discussed our future and where we think its going, and one thing we are both sure of is that we dont want to make the same mistakes that have been made- by both of us- in the past. One of the best ways we know to do this is by strengthening our relationship, not only with each other, but with eachther's families. Every Sunday, my family goes to church... so Brian and I are going to do the same, thats one of the things we decided to do for lent. To us its a win win situation, we'll get to be together, we'll improve our faith, and we'll make my family happy!!!

Now as far as the working out goes.... Lets face it, who couldn't afford to work out more???? We also believe that by us living a healthy lifestyle and making that change now, while its just us, in the future when we're married with children, we will implement that healthy lifestyle into our childrens' everyday life as well. With the growing trend of unhealthy lifestyles and obesity today, it is obvious the stuggles associated with an unhealthy lifestyle, we do not want that for ourselves or our children. It is well known that when an individual is unhappy with themself they may strive to make others around them unhappy as well. That is not an environment anyone wants to live in, and we definately don't want to subject ourselves nor any children we may have to that.

Now that I've given a little Catholocism lesson, ranted a little, and given you a little glimpse into our life.... I'm gonna see if my smokin hot boyfriend needs any help gettin wood it, no doubt he'll say no, but it never hurts to offer!!!!

Peace!!!

My Best Friend

Im sitting here talking on the phone to my very best friend of all time. The one who inspired me to start this crazy blog thing.... Megan...She is having a baby... soon, real soon!!! Shes due exactly 2 weeks from now, but personally I think little baby Lincoln is coming tomorrow... sorry Chris!!! I can not wait to be an Aunt.. that little critter is gonna be spoiled rotten!!!!



Im watchin Bethoveen with Maggie right now..... she just got a new change purse and some extra change that mom found laying around, so shes making a "driver's liscense" to put in it....



I have class in half an hour.... so Im jumpin off here and off the phone with Meggie... who I've decided has to be the greatest friend ever... and I just learned she is also the greatest wife ever... I hope I'll be as wonderful as her some day!!!!