Aubree at 11 months

This past month has been a busy one for Aubree. Just when I think I'm figuring her out she throws me another curve ball...

Sleeping: I started sleeping upstairs again at the beginning of April. We moved Aubree into our closet when Steve and Steph came for a visit. Aubree miraculously started waking only once a night! Then by the end of April she sleeps pretty much through the night. If she does wake I don't feed her.  She still takes two naps (the morning nap is the best 1.5-2hours). I read to her before putting her to bed. She really likes Goodnight Moon right now. She points at things and turns the pages. If she is over tired she just wants to throw the book:)

Teeth: The beginning of April she got her first 2 bottom teeth.

Food: A huge change! The week my brother and his family spent with us was fun but I think it may have thrown Aubree off her game big time. Aubree has always been a Mama's girl but during this week she was pretty much on my hip. Then Sunday morning, the day after company left, she decided to go on what is called a "nursing strike". She just refuses to nurse! She cried constantly for Dan at church so I kept her with me throughout the 2nd and 3rd hour in primary. Any time I tried to nurse she would throw her head back, arch, and scream. Since she doesn't take a bottle, or really a sippy I decided to take her to the Pediatrician first thing Monday morning. Aubree did have her 5th ear infection and the doctor thought that, with a possibility of teeth, may have caused this nursing strike. I was told to just keep working with her and she'd return to nursing within a couple days. HA! Over the next week I went to or talked with the doctor almost daily. Aubree wasn't drinking and the ogmentin was causing diarrhea. Dan and I were really worried she was getting dehydrated. I tried multiple types of sippy cups, juice, formula (because my milk supply changed drastically), milk, a medicine dropper full of fluid, regular cup, and pedialyte push pops. I tried nursing her in the tub, dark closet, to sleep, when she was well rested, in bed but nothing has worked. So, I guess I'm done. She's had almost a solid 11 months of breast milk and that's good enough. I give her the 6oz of breast milk I can pump now and a little bit of cows milk, water, and pedialyte push-pops.  I do miss the cuddle time of nursing and really wonder why this abrupt stop? With the end of nursing has also come her complete disinterest in baby food. She eats what we eat now.


Moving: By the end of April Aubree started rocking on her hands and knees. She does't crawl but falls forward reaching for what she wants and rolls around. She can walk holding our hands but hasn't started pulling herself up to anything or holding on to furniture.

New tricks/words: Her first official word is Hi! She'll say it ovFive Little Monkeys and does the actions with us. er and over or just once when she sees you. She has started opening and closing her hands to say hi and bye. I'm trying to teach her to blow a kiss, she puts her hand to her mouth and it's the cutest. She loves the song

I can't believe Aubree will be ONE soon! And yet its been a tough and long first year!

Five kids and each one has been such a different experience!