Top ten things that Aubree's totally psyched about...

1. DOGGIES!! including her Misha, any doggie in a book, any doggie walking down our sidewalk, and any animal that remotely resembles a doggie, including pigs, kitties, and goats. If it has four legs, it must be a doggie!

2. Books (especially those containing doggies.) The other day after no success with Mommy, she began hitting the air conditioning repair man with her Sesame Street book in the leg and saying "Read! Read!" Grover's Guessing Game about Animals is getting read about 10 times a day, which is a lot, especially when she thinks all the animals are doggies.

3. Her shape sorter. She is obsessed with the red circle, and takes it out and puts it in over and over and over and over... you get the idea. The rest of the shapes are really just for decoration. Although, she is getting better at some of the others.

4. Her new little kitchen. She stands and stirs her pots and pans and delivers sandwiches (or at least parts of sandwiches) to Daddy and pizzas to Misha.

5. Eating... particularly her A.M. banana, smelly meat sticks and cereal bars. As soon as we get downstairs in the morning, she walks smiling over to the counter and says "niii-naw" (which means "Woman, you had better get me a banana now, or I will throw the biggest fit you've ever seen." It's menacing, but cute.

6. Toofers her blue dinosaur. He seriously cracks her up, especially when he is roaring and getting her belly. Giggle-fest!!! She's also a big fan of roaring and knows that Bears, Tigers, Lions, and Toofers the Dinosaur all say "rrrrawr"

7. Trying to hop around while saying "Ribbit, Ribbit!"... another sure fire crack up.

8. Her new ability to climb on to and off of the couch by herself. She also likes to get away with jumping on the couch. As soon as I give her "the look," she plops down on her bottom and smiles.

9. Her ever so frustrating ability to go into a crocodile roll in the middle of every single diaper change. My poor baby-sitters!

10. Last, but not least, seeing Mommy all day everyday. She has finally stopped calling me "Daddy." She has been calling a lot of other people and things "Daddy," however. Potentially awkward!

So, enough blabbing on and on about my girl. I hope you get the idea. She's a funny little peanut.

Mama's Top 10

So apparently we just shared our pictures with the fam' and neglected our dear friends, so here are a few of the "glamour shots" for all of you who were feeling out of the loop!

This one is my favorite. Love this little face, and it's the only picture with her full smile.

What more can I say? This is my fearless girl with places to go

and wondering what the hold up is.

I look fairly atrocious in this picture, but I love that maybe I was the motivation for her dreamy little smile, so it makes the list.

This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius...



This is a very Aubree expression.

This time her attention was being held by a the metal bolt that she found.

"What is this little anomaly? I must figure out its purpose."


I think she looks like my mom in this picture.

This is my mom's "Doug- you've- got- to- be- kidding- me-!"- face


"Big, strong Daddy, protect me from the scary man with the camera!"

I like this picture because it hides my chins! :-))

" Hurry, Joel, I may never look this tidy and happy at the same time ever again."

This is our Aubree --full of joy!

Tada...and there you have it folks. Mama's top 10 list.

If you're impressed with the shots, visit our buddy: www.joelcookston.com

"Unable are the Loved to die"

Great-Grandpa Louis Fark (1920-2009)

Rest peacefully and may your memory remain in our hearts.

We will miss you.

Some "extras"

So most of you you know and love us have already seen Joel's one year photo shoot of Aubree, but here are just a few that he didn't post on the website, but that were on the cd. I guess these are what could be called the best of the worst. Something about each one of these "extras" made its way into mommy's heart. What's all this cool green stuff (and can I eat it?)

Love this little moment with Daddy. I can hear her giggling.

Aubree= 21 pounds of innocent, inquisitive, & independent cuteness!

Fun outside!

We're pretty sure Aubree is enjoying her new swing set.

and for those of you who like smiles...

Drooling, but adorable!

a pretty nice pillow...

Things are pretty lively around here, folks!

A Round of Drinks

One for me.... One for Mish' Aubree's best buddy is her doggie. One of her first words of the day is usually "doggie," and when she's tired, she lines herself up with a napping Misha and reclines back onto Misha's tummy with her hands behind her head. You'd kind of have to see it to believe it, but Misha is a pretty accomodating pillow. Aubree also says "mi-ha." Tonight she thought Misha might like a drink of milk before bed. My apologies to all of you germaphobes out there, but this was just too cute. I promise we didn't give the cup back to her.