11 Months

This post is a little belated but things have been super busy with the Daniel family! Aubrey is doing great - she is a bundle of energy and keeps us on our toes for 12 hours a day! Here is what went on In month 11:

Food: Aubrey has decided she shouldn't have to eat baby food anymore. She wants grown-up food all the time and she is willing to try pretty much anything. She loves squash, turkey, stuffing - pretty much anything that you would think of as "Thanksgiving food". She also goes crazy for bread, pasta, potatoes; basically all things carbs. I try to buy organic, but sometimes it is hard. If it's not organic it is at least wholesome and not overly-processed. We also try to limit her sugar intake, so no sweets! Aubrey still enjoys baby food fruit packs, although I have a feeling she thinks they are fruit juice. She is drinking out of a sippy cup and also a straw which is good since we have to eliminate the bottle by 1 year!

Accomplishments: Aubrey became a full-time walker on Dec.8th. She had been taking a few steps and then crawling, but on Dec. 8 she decided crawling was for babies. She walks everywhere! She is constantly on the move. She got some big climbing toys that we thought she may be too young for, but she surprised us all by being able to climb up on them on her own. One in particular has a mini rock-climbing wall which she scampered up right away. She is amazing! Another big thing is that she can roll a ball back to you...this is a skill that the books say not to expect until they are 2! It is clear that Aubrey is brilliant...

Holidays: Aubrey had her first Thanksgiving and enjoyed every moment of it. We celebrated at Bitsy's house with great-grandma, Mr. Royall, Uncle Dennis & Aunt Martha, and Daniel and Michael. Aubrey showed off all of her toys, including her new white piano. Daniel was especially impressed with the piano (we were a little concerned he might take off with it). Aubrey was very sweet and let him play with it. I think what she loved the most was being the center of attention throughout the day. We all had a great day and a fabulous meal. We had so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving!

Favorite Toys: Small toys and balls that fit through the stair railings...she loves to throw her toys through the rails and watch them bounce down the stairs. I come home from work to see a huge pile of toys at the foot of the stairs - its actually pretty funny. Aubrey loves her new Fisher Price refrigerator...it is a refrigerator, oven, sink, and trash can all in one and she thinks it is amazing.

Because this post is supposed to be for month eleven only, I will be doing a separate post about the holiday season. Hopefully I'll get that up this week...with a video of course!

Aubrey Grace - Fall 2010

10 Months

Aubrey is ten months old! Crazy, isn't it? Here is what she is up to these days:

Food: Eats just about anything that is small enough - my pot roast, trout, salmon, chicken sausage, avocado, tortillas, bread, potatoes, pasta (even gluten free!), the list goes on & on! She prefers to have things that she can pick up herself, it makes her feel like a big girl. She is still allergic to milk, goats milk, and soy but we still have hopes that she'll outgrow these allergies.

Sleep: We finally hired a sleep expert - Angel Crow. She is amazing! She came out to the house for a personal consultation and then worked up a plan for us to try. Aubrey is now sleeping in her own crib upstairs ALL BY HERSELF! She sleeps from 7:30 pm - 6:15 am. She still wakes up in the middle of the night sometimes but she is usually able to put herself back to sleep. I had a hard time adjusting to her sleeping so far away but I do have to admit it is nice having a good nights sleep!

Favorite things: MUSIC - Aubrey loves to listen to music and dance and bounce around; she loves her stuffed puppy named sugarplums that used to be mommy's, envelopes/trash/magazines, basically anything that we want to keep her away from!

Accomplishments: Sleeping on her own and learning to self-sooth, no more pacifier, more definite sounds and words, standing on her own, and walking!! About a week and a half ago we were all at Bitsy's house when Aubrey took her first few steps. We were all so proud of her! We were so lucky that we all were there to see it - even great grandma was there! She still only takes a few steps but she is getting more confident every day. She has started walking holding on to only one of our hands, so I don't think it'll be long before she's off on her own!

October and early November were a time for celebration! We had Bitsy's birthday party, Caroline & Rosie's 1st birthday, followed by Daddy's 30th birthday in early November! I think Aubrey enjoyed the twins birthday the best - there were a lot of babies all dressed in costumes. Aubrey loves playing with other babies!

A day in the life of Aubrey:
-Mommy & Daddy wake baby up.
-Baby has stretch & massage time, followed by her morning prayer
-Drive to Bitsy's and spend the day with her playing, pooping, eating, pooping, napping, pooping, running errands, talking
-Mom comes home, Bitsy leaves, play time until daddy gets home
-Daddy gives baby a bath and puts on her pj's
-Bottle, book, sleep!!

We are already looking forward to the holidays with Aubrey. We are trying to remember old traditions that we had growing up while attempting to come up with new ones as well. We have several things planned for the holiday season but the one I am looking forward to most is Breakfast with Santa at Neiman's downtown. This is something that I grew up doing so I can't wait to pick up this tradition with Aubrey Grace! We are so excited for this next month!

9 Months

Our big girl is 9 months old today! Hard to believe 9 months ago I was giving birth to this little monkey! Here is what's up with Miss Aubrey this month:

Food:
Aubrey decided that she doesn't like food out of a jar, so we have switched to Plum Organic baby food which she LOVES. The meals come in pouches and the fruits come in bags with squeezable tops. They come in a variety of flavors and so far we haven't found one that she doesn't like. She is also eating more adult food, such as spaghetti, meatloaf, squash, bread...basically anything we eat as long as it is a tiny portion. Having her eat our food has definitely changed the way we eat. We are trying to eat more organic and less processed foods. We figured out that she is allergic to yogurt, so now we are trying goats milk yogurt. She seems to like the flavor and so far no worsening rash, so we may be safe! She is working on drinking from a sippy cup - she has the drinking down but hasn't grasped the concept of tilting the cup so the water comes out.

Sleep:
Ah, sleep...Aubrey takes about 2 naps a day - one in the morning and one in the afternoon. She goes to bed in a portable crib by our bed at 7:30pm and lasts there until about midnight. At around midnight she starts crying and is unable to go back to sleep. At this point, we give up and put her in bed because this is much easier on us. Once she's in bed with us she goes to sleep, however she continues to have moments where she cries in her sleep and she tosses and turns and grunts. She does this until it's time to get up in the morning - about 6:00. Needless to say, Justin & I are exhausted. I have finally given in and contacted a baby sleep consultant. She is coming out tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes!

On the move...
Aubrey is still crawling all over the place and getting into EVERYTHING. She is constantly trying to stand up and walk; I have a feeling it won't be much longer until she's running around. She is getting more and more sturdy on her feet, and can stand up for a few seconds on her own before sitting down. She runs around like crazy with her push toy, which would be cute if the toy didn't have such annoying sounds! She is climbing on everything - us, the couch, her blocks, her little tables...she also will push something (such as a block) up to the sofa so she can stand on the block to get on the sofa. She's too smart for her own good!

Teeth:
In addition to the two on the bottom it looks like she is working on a few up top. They haven't broken through the gums but it looks like there may be about 4 coming in at once. This is making her very grumpy. It is frustrating for us because nothing soothes her. Everything goes into her mouth, but nothing is satisfying. I hope once these come in we will have a little break from teething!

Favorite Things...
Her 3 nap mats (all called Henny), Ellie, her bunny pillow, board books (she's finally letting us read to her!), anything that makes sound, magazines/catalogs/envelopes that she can shred and then eat, her toothbrush, foam letters that are made for bathtime, cell phones, remotes, talking Elmo, foam building blocks, Gigi & Bella.

Skills:
Waving, touching her tongue to the tip of her chin, making Indian noises with her mouth and hand (even though she does her hand backwards), making a variety of interesting sounds, clapping. We are working on blowing kisses.

Places we went this month:
Austin for a memorial service and to visit grandpa, out to dinner (a lot!), lunch with Bitsy, Kate, and the old maids; the pumpkin patch, walks around the neighborhood, the nursery, hunting for outdoor furniture, mattress stores, Pottery Barn Kids, and many visits to Target!

A day in Aubrey's life - 8 months old

8 Month Baby Babbles

8 Month Pics!

8 Months!

I don't know where time has gone but Bitty is 8 months old today! Every day she is seeming more like a toddler and less like a baby. She now has two bottom teeth - they are almost all the way up. I miss her gummy smile but the teeth are pretty cute. I have a feeling the top ones will be in before long. She is crawling all over the place and is into EVERYTHING. Just when I think we have everything baby proofed she finds a way to bonk her head or pull something down. She has a toy that she stands up and pushes, which is helping her learn to walk. She pulls herself up and can stand holding on to something with one hand, and can even balance with no hands as long as she isn't thinking about it. She graduated to a big girl tub for bath time, which is kind of like a big float that fits into the regular tub. She loves that but Justin hates it, as it makes it much harder to hold on to her. She laughs and talks all the time. She is saying babababa, dadadada, mamamama and other various sounds. She claps her hands when she is excited, and has recently started raising both arms above her head in excitement. Aubrey is eating level 3 baby food, but has decided she likes grown-up food much better. She especially likes black bean dip from Gloria's with a flour tortilla, quesadillas, organic Sheppard's pie from Whole Foods, and spaghetti. She has a huge personality and a ton of energy, which is keeping us on our toes. I have not uploaded any new pictures, but promise to soon!

7 Months!

Little Miss Aubrey is 7 months old today! If I could use one word to describe her it would be CRAZY! She has more energy than any baby I've ever seen. She is constantly climbing on things, stomping her feet, kicking her legs, rolling over, giggling, talking, eating...anything you can think of, this baby is doing it. Everything goes in her mouth, including your body parts. She particularly loves to suck on a nose. She is teething but has no teeth yet, however, I swear I see a shadow of bottom teeth. She has started to like looking at books, she still LOVES bath time, still loves her walker, and is obsessed with anything electronic. She loves being in the pool and being outside, which has been nice for us this summer. She is still on formula, level 2 baby food, and baby snacks. She does not like food with beef or peas. She goes crazy over baby yogurt, hummus, and mango chicken risotto baby food. Aubrey is still sleeping through the night, however she does have bouts of crying that start at about 3 am. I think it's her teeth - poor baby!

Aubrey has been very social lately. She had a play date with my friend Deanna's daughter, Addison. Addison is only four months old but Aubrey was still able to enjoy her. Addy has a full head of hair, which Aubrey found fascinating. Last weekend we took Aubrey to meet the Daniel family in Amarillo. It was her first plane trip - she did great both ways! She had a bottle at take-off and then promptly fell asleep for the remainder of the flight. We stayed with Karen and Raiford, who generously offered to host the rest of the family. Aubrey got to meet Monda & Clifford, Kevin and his new family, Gary & Holly and their two girls, Meme, Jodie, Albert & Paige and their family, Sasha, Shauna & Shayla, and I think that's about it! It was a busy weekend but it was great getting to see everyone and catch up. Justin is already planning a trip back so he can play golf.

We are having a great time with Aubrey these days, and are looking forward to all the upcoming holidays with her! Enjoy the pics!

6 1/2 Months

Normally I only post once a month now, but so much has happened in the past two weeks I had to share!

A week and a half ago we had a pool party with several of our good friends...we weren't sure how Aubrey would do with a lot of people and commotion, but she did fabulous! She had pool time, napped, ate dinner, had more pool time, ate, went to bed! My best friend from high school came and brought her son Keagan. It was fun to see the next generation of "Mandy & Dana". Aubrey also had tons of fun with 8 year old Jett...I think she is in love! That same weekend Aubrey officially started crawling. We thought this would make her happy but now all she can focus on is standing up. She is half crawling, half walking. She is also eating rice puffs - she isn't quite sure what to think of them but I think they are growing on her. She is picking them up and putting them up to her mouth, but she has a hard time getting them in as they stick to her hand. This past weekend we had friends over for dinner and Aubrey got to play with two other babies. Rosie and Caroline are 9 months old, not much older than Aubrey. For some reason she was completely infatuated with Rosie. She immediately reached out to grab Rosie's face and give her a kiss, then later went to crawl into Rosie's lap. Poor Rosie looked confused but she was great with her. It was interesting seeing her interact with other babies, I think she really enjoyed it!

That's about all for now...Enjoy the pics!

6 Month Pictures!

Happy Six-Month Birthday Little Bit!!

Miss A is six months old today! On one hand I can't believe it was only six months ago that she was a tiny newborn but on the other hand I feel like she has been in my life forever. It hasn't been an easy six months, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. She is so sweet and has so much personality, she makes me smile every day. At six months she is definitely her own little person, I can't imagine how she's going to be at one year!
We went for her six month check-up with Dr. K this week...Aubrey weighs 16 lbs. (50th percentile) and is 26 3/4 inches long (75th-90th percentile). When Dr. K asked if she is rolling over and able to sit up a little on her own we had a hard time not laughing at her. Aubrey has been doing those things for about 2 months now. We told her that Aubrey is sitting up on her own, can get into a crawl position and rock back and forth, and can go from the crawl position to sitting on her own. Dr. Kennedy was very impressed, saying that Aubrey has the motor skills of a 7-8 month old baby. She said that she wouldn't be surprised if she was crawling any day, and may even be walking soon. She got two vaccinations and goes back in 3 months.
As for everything else, she is babbling and squealing up a storm and often gets the giggles. She is constantly trying to crawl but still thinks she can put both hands out in front of her and reach for something, resulting in her falling flat. She enjoys having us help her walk and has gotten much more controlled when placing her feet. She is also starting to pull herself up. Aubrey still enjoys her walkers, but is not impressed with her excer-saucer any more. She is beginning to like the more simple toys, such as a bucket full of little balls. She likes to dump the bucket over and then roll the balls back inside. She is reaching for everything, including food off of Bitsy's plate when we go out to dinner! Aubrey loves water, whether in the pool or in the bath. She is still drinking formula and is eating level two baby food (all organic of course) and is doing really well on this. Dr. K said to start adding soft foods, such as bananas and sweet potatoes, so we'll see how this goes.
Justin and I are enjoying watching her grow and change daily. She is constantly amazing us and making us laugh. We are working on a schedule were we can have more family time and so far this going great. Morning times in bed are a favorite time for all of us, as is bath time. We can't wait to see what the next six months bring!

**6 month Pic's to follow sometime this week!**

Christening

Last Sunday we had Aubrey christened in the Methodist church we got married in. It was such a special occasion - Aubrey looked beautiful in her gown and bonnet and she behaved wonderfully. I got her a special gown from strasburg children, it was beautiful! I am hoping one day her baby will be able to wear it. We were a little nervous about how she would do throughout the service but she was perfect. After the christening she sat in my lap and slept through the remainder of the service! She did wake up towards the end but she entertained herself by playing with grandpas facial hair. Bitsy and grandpa stood up front with us, while my grandmother and family friends sat in the first pews. Afterwards we all went to lunch at Fearings downtown.
Even though we didn't make a big deal of it, it was a very special day for us. We are so grateful that our close friends and family were there with us to celebrate Aubrey and share the moment. It felt good to be surrounded by people that love us as a family and who will also love and share in Aubrey's life.

5 Months!!

Our little Aubrey Grace is 5 months old! She is doing great! Her tummy problems are controlled on the prilosec, she is growing like a weed, and is becoming more of an individual each day. She is dying to crawl and I think it's going to happen soon. She can get herself in crawl position but can't really go anywhere yet. I think once her upper body is a little stronger she'll be crawling all over the place. She still likes to stand up and have us help her walk, the only problem is she keeps her toes curled up which doesn't help with balance very much. She loves being in her walkers (yes, she has more than one) and still enjoys her excer-saucer. She also has her first boyfriend - a Bert puppet from Sesame Street, only Bitsy can never remember its name so we call it "Bert-Ernie". Aubrey is completely infatuated with Bert-Ernie. She can't get into sitting position on her own but if you help her sit-up she can stay up. She has found her different voices and babbles all the time now. She is currently teething, which means a lot of drooling, putting everything in her mouth, and a little bit of fussy because of the pain. I know she needs teeth but I sure will miss that cute toothless smile! We have started having pool time and she loves it! We have a tanning ledge that is just a couple inches of water, so it is perfect for her to sit and play on. I have ordered her some pool floats so we'll see how that goes!

We really enjoy watching her little personality develop; she is definitely her own person. She is a total cuddle bug, which we love. Every morning I get her out of her crib and put her in our bed fifteen minutes before we need to get up. She stretches and rolls around and plays with our faces, it is so sweet. She loves lazy play-time in our bed, which works out great for us! It has been fun developing little routines with her that we all enjoy.

She is growing and changing every day, I can't wait to see what this next month brings!!

Week 18

Aubrey had her 4 month check-up with Dr. Kennedy today - she weighs 14.2 lbs and is 25 1/4 inches long. She is getting so big! Dr. Kennedy was very impressed with her motor skills, saying they are the skills of a 6 month old. She also said that it is a little early but she wants us to try to give Aubrey some water in a sippy cup next week. I can't believe our baby girl is ready for a sippy cup! We are also going to try to give her more real food, in addition to formula. We have been doing this occasionally but will try to be more regular about it. So far she loves sweet potatoes, peas, and bananas. She's not crazy about apples or carrots. Aubrey is close to being able to sit up on her own and she loves for us to help her stand. I think we aren't too far away from her crawling - she has started putting herself in "girl" push-up position and trying to inch forward. We are going to be in trouble once she starts moving! Even though she is so active she still enjoys cuddle time; I'm hoping she doesn't grow out of this! Her favorite toys right now are still her excer-saucer, her snail, a seahorse that lights up and plays music (we call her Sally), and a stuffed creature from Sesame Street named Zoe.

This weekend we are taking her to a friend from work's housewarming party. I am looking forward to getting to show her off! Maybe by next week's post she'll be crawling....

4 Months!!

Aubrey is four months old this week! I can't believe our baby is growing so fast! We have not had our four month check-up yet, but I'm guessing she weighs at least thirteen pounds, but probably more. She is very tall and is wearing 6 month onesies due to her length. She is finally getting a little chubby which we are grateful for, as we had such a hard time in the beginning getting her to gain weight. She is eating formula with oatmeal mixed in, she likes this much better than rice cereal. It has cut down on the spit-up and it makes her go four hours between feedings. On Sunday we tried banana baby food - she LOVED it! She was grabbing the spoon and pushing it into her mouth; it was so cute (and messy!) She has started to roll over more, which she thinks is great fun! Her favorite things right now are her excer-saucer, a rolling snail with a mirror on it, and a ball that lights up, sings, and moves. She also has a small blanket with an elephant head on it that she likes to sleep with; we call it Ellie. She is talking up a storm, constantly trying new voices. She is feeling so much better than she had been and we are so grateful for this. She is too much fun!

My first Mothers Day was perfect. Saturday night we took mom out to dinner at Ziziki's. We sat on the patio and enjoyed the food and the company. Aubrey looked adorable! Sunday we didn't do much - just opened cards and hung out with baby all day. Justin got me a necklace with Aubrey's initials, a glider for downstairs, and another necklace that holds my work I.D. and has a opening for a photo of Aubrey. He did so good I am feeling the pressure for the perfect Father's Day gift!!

More updates next week!

Week 15

This past week was much better than the previous week...it seems Aubrey got over her viral infection, so that was good. Monday we went to the GI doctor who was very nice and sympathetic as his son had the same issues. He said that he thinks her acid reflux is controlled on the Prilosec and that she has really painful gas. He said that the official diagnosis is "it's hell," and we have to wait it out. She should outgrow this at four to five months, so we shouldn't have too much longer. At least we know nothing is seriously wrong with her! She gained almost a pound this last week, putting her at 12 lbs, 4 oz. We are very pleased with her weight gain - she is starting to turn into a chunky monkey! Last week she was straining to sit up, this week she is able to sit up by herself from a reclining position. We are so proud of her accomplishment but at the same time miss the sweet baby who liked to recline against us and cuddle! She constantly wants to be sitting up or have us help her stand up - she can't wait to be independent! She has also been getting distracted by the patterns on her clothes and letters on our clothes...she pretty much wants to eat any polka dots or letters, so it's solids for everyone for awhile! That's about it for now...who knows what she'll be up to next week!

Week 14

This past week has been a difficult one for us...last weekend Aubrey started eating less, anywhere from 1 to 3 ounces at a time. We just assumed that it was because of her acid reflux, so we called the doctor on Monday and she told us to come in. The doctor said she can't increase her Prilosec any more and that we need to go ahead and go to the GI doctor. Then she noticed a pink spot on Aubrey's face and became concerned that she had a sinus infection. She told us to watch it over night and if it spread up to around her eye to call her on her cell. Well that freaked us out...so we watched her all night and while it didn't spread up to her eye she developed a funny pink spot on her arm and little spots on her cheek. So, we took her back to the doc on Tuesday and she said that it is a viral infection, not a sinus infection. Essentially there is nothing we can do about it except wait for it to go away. We made an appointment for the GI doc for Monday, so hopefully we will finally get to the bottom of what is going on with her tummy. Dr. Kennedy was happy with her weight gain though, she weighed eleven pounds, seven ounces. As of right now she seems to be feeling a little better but not quite herself. Needless to say, nobody is getting much sleep at my house and my mom is getting a lot of tearful phone calls from me!

On the up side...Aubrey is growing so fast! She is very alert and constantly looking around, she loves rolling around on the floor, she talks A LOT, and she is sticking everything in her mouth! The other day we saw her trying to get her knee in her mouth...I have to admit, it was pretty amusing! She is starting to hold things in her hands and has gotten really good at holding a ball between her feet and lifting her legs. She is too cute! The past two or three days she has started lifting her head and shoulders and straining to sit up. I swear she is dying to get up and run around! She also loves looking at picture books, especially ones that are brightly colored. She is changing and becoming more independent with every day.

Pics to follow...

Happy 3 Months!

Today is Aubrey's 3 month birthday! The past 3 months have been very emotional for us - we were so happy to meet her, scared to be new parents, tired from lack of sleep, frustrated with acid reflux, thrilled at each new milestone. She is definitely the best thing I have ever done and I can't imagine life without her!

Last week was my first week back at work and Aubrey's first week spending the days with Bitsy. Aubrey did great - We get up at 5:30 am and eat, get dressed, and head to Mr. Royall's. I spend about 30 minutes with here there before leaving her with my mom. They hang out and take care of Mr.Royall, and then they head to our house in the afternoon. When I come home mom leaves and Aubrey and I have alone time before Justin gets home. Once he gets home we eat dinner, do laundry (every day!), pick up around the house, feed Aubrey a few times, and then go to sleep at 11:30. Even though we've only been doing it for about a week, we have a pretty good routine going.

Aubrey is doing great - we have started adding rice cereal to her formula to help with spit-up. I'm not sure it's helping all that much but she seems to like it okay. It seems like her acid reflux is a little worse, but I've heard month 3 is the worst. I can't wait for her to outgrow this! She is getting longer by the minute and is outgrowing all her footie onesies. She is becoming more interested in toys and is starting to hold onto them. We have started reading her books with brightly colored pictures, which she seems to enjoy. She is changing every day!

We are starting to look into preschools for when Aubrey is 3...it's hard to believe that it's time to start figuring that out and getting on wait lists! I think we have picked one out but we still need to check it out in person. We finally scheduled her christening for June 27th at First United Methodist Church in downtown Dallas. It is the church we got married in so I am happy to be able to have her christening there.

Not much on the schedule for this week except for a play date with baby Dean, and maybe a little yard work...and a trip to the bookstore for more picture books...and maybe the Arboretum...

Week 12

This past week was a big week for us...on Sunday Aunt Martha, Uncle Dennis, Grandma, Michael, and Daniel all came for Easter lunch. Grandma had met Aubrey before, but it was everyone else's first time. Aubrey looked adorable in her Easter dress and made it through most of the afternoon without spitting up on it! Lunch was yummy and it was great being able to catch up with everyone. The very next day was my first day back at work...the tears started on Sunday and didn't stop until I got to work Monday morning. I knew that Aubrey would be fine but I wasn't sure how I was going to do it. I knew it was going to be a big change going from being with her all day, every day, to just being with her in the evenings and early mornings. It turned out that as much as I missed my baby on Monday it was good getting to be with my work friends. I did however appreciate the many updates and pictures that my mom emailed me throughout the day...that is a definite perk to having my mom watch the baby. We are so lucky to have my mom around and available to take care of Aubrey, I can't imagine what it would be like to leave her with a stranger every day. Now my only concern is that Aubrey will love my mom more than she loves me! Being back at work is okay, the days have gone by quickly as I have been pretty busy. I do look forward to coming home to baby - even though the past two days I have come home to a fussy, screaming baby. We had been adding rice cereal to her formula to keep her from spitting up as much, but it looks like it is making her fussy so we stopped that today. Other than that Aubrey is doing fabulous. She has really started talking and responding, and she has started to hold on to things when you put them in her hand. Bitsy has started a new game with her where Aubrey kicks up her feet and she kisses the bottom of them, then Aubrey pulls her feet back in, then repeat. It is pretty cute but Bitsy is now afraid that she might try that with a stranger and wind up kicking them in the face!
We don't have a lot of plans for week 12...maybe go to the Arboretum this weekend but that's about it. I can't believe little Miss Aubrey will be 3 months old next week!

Week 11

This past week was off to a good start when Aubrey started sleeping eight hours at night. The first night it happened I kept waking up and looking at her in fear that she had stopped breathing, but no, she was just sound asleep! Justin and I were so grateful to her! The past two nights however she has been sleeping an hour less each night, so I'm thinking we are going to be back where we started pretty quick, although I hope not. Over the weekend she got to see some more friends and she did wonderful. Her mood has been exceptional since we went up on one of her meds last week. She is happy and playful and loves rolling around on her mat. She is very alert and enjoys watching what is going on around her, which quickly tires her out. She is very engaged when we talk to her and we enjoy this very much. We went to the doctor today for a weight check and Aubrey has gained eleven ounces in a week and a half, putting her up to ten pounds, nine ounces. The doctor was very pleased with her weight gain and won't need to see her again until her four month appointment. Right now we are getting ready for Easter, which we will host at our house. My family from Austin will be coming up for lunch on Sunday and we are looking forward to spending time with them.

Week 10

It's been a busy week for Miss Aubrey - she got to meet a new friend, Ms. Leah, and tried to convince her that she needs a baby friend. She spent a lot of time with Bitsy...shopping, eating out, spitting up, sleeping. Yesterday she went for her two month check-up with Dr. Kennedy, where we found out that she weighs nine pounds, fourteen ounces, which we aren't very happy about. So, we are back to trying to put weight on Miss Aubrey. When the doctor asked about tummy time we told her that whenever we put her on her tummy she rolls onto her back. Dr. Kennedy didn't seem to believe us so she tried herself - she was very impressed by Aubrey's skills and said that she has the motor skills of a four month old! After the doctor we got her all dressed up and took her to see the Easter bunny...she did so well! We went home with an adorable picture and a rash from the bunny - oh well, what can you do?!

Besides holding her head up and rolling over like a four month old baby Aubrey is cooing and smiling and complaining on demand. She thinks it is hysterical when you stick your tongue out at her or make fishy faces. She loves to play and is happiest right after feedings (or pooping)! She is really interacting with us these days, which almost makes us forget the long nights and endless fussy moments!

Week 9

Week 9 got off to a good start when Aubrey got to meet her grandpa for the first time. Aubrey's "grandpa" is actually my Uncle Nando, but he is such an important part of my life that Justin and I decided he should be Aubrey's grandpa. He came up from Austin and had breakfast with us Sunday; as you can tell from the picture of the two of them they got along perfectly! It was great spending time with him and having him get to know his grandbaby!
Aubrey is doing pretty well...she is having a few more fussy moments and I wonder if it isn't time to increase her medicine. We go to the doctor for her two month check-up next week, so we will talk to the doctor about it then. She is smiling and cooing more, which we all find very rewarding. She especially likes to smile and laugh at her 2:30 am feeding, which is sweet and all but come on, momma just wants to go back to bed! She is still sleeping in her bassinet beside the bed which is working out well for now. Justin thinks I should move her to her crib but I don't think I am ready for that. I told him that would be fine if he moved our mattress into her room...he said no. It might be different if our bedroom was on the same floor as hers, but since it isn't I think being that far away from her would freak me out. Maybe next month...
We have big plans to see the Easter bunny this week, hopefully all goes well!

To: Bitsy Love: Aubrey

Dear Bitsy,

I want to thank you SO much for helping my mom and dad take care of me. You have been there since the moment I was born, lived with me until I felt better, stayed up long nights with me, and come to see me every day. You take me shopping and keep me in the latest fashions, and you also help keep me fed and clean. You help keep my mom sane so she can take good care of me, and you watch me so mom and dad can have date nights. Mom says you are going to take care of me when she goes back to work...I am sad she will be leaving me but happy I will get to spend that time with you. Thank you for loving me. I love you SOOOOOOOOO much.

Love,
Aubrey Grace