Our Baby is ONE!

Aubree is officially "our" baby. She has finally connected with Dan. She adores her siblings and they adore her. She is not just my baby anymore.

Aubree babbles and talks constantly. Her first word was "hi" and now she says mama and dada. She's on the move every waking moment. She loves the walker and gets going fast and then lifts her feet and coasts. Super cute and funny to watch. She crawls and pulls herself up on furniture. She loves to walk with us and I love that Tess is her #1 walker, Abby enjoys it too. Unfortunately she still hates the car...which is the #1 reason Jake and I will be flying to Utah this Summer.

For her birthday the kids helped me make bumble bee cupcakes. We invited the Conovers' to come watch Aubree eat her cake. She had the same reaction as Jake on his first birthday...she wanted nothing to do with the frosting and wouldn't taste any of it. We all thought it was funny, Aubree cried.

She still takes two naps and sleeps through the night like a champ for the last month! Hallelujah. She eats constantly, though that may be my fault since I feed her to try to keep her happy constantly!

She is the cutest little chub ever and is adored by everyone that sees her. We love her "white" hair and can't wait until there is enough for a bow!

 Birthday Breakfast was Eggs. She loves eggs!

 Bree the Bumble Bee Birthday Cupcakes (the kids had fun making these).

The Conover's brought her a gift. She loves her cell phone.

 This is the traditional 1 year gift re-gifted...ever since Tess was born!

Aubree HATED her cupcakes. As we tried to force her to try it she cried and cried. Funny girl, the only time in her life she'll be crying in resistance of sugar!

Busy Season

Busy season for me happens about twice a year now--Christmas and the last month of school.

There are band concerts, piano recitals, parties, award ceremonies, graduations, projects, work corrections, grades to monitor and a whole lotta celebrating.

So, today was the last day of school, an especially exciting day for Tess who finished elementary school. Dan and I enjoyed going to her graduation and bringing her home early. Jake and Abby had an early release and we celebrated with cupcakes, Popsicles and water games in the backyard.

Then I headed to the airport,  on my way to surprise my parents for their 50th wedding.

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!

My Handful

I am so grateful to Dan for working so hard so that I can be home with our kids. Though this motherhood job is the hardest thing I've ever done it's the best job.

Jacob:
Is doing great in school. He is self motivated and stays on top of all his work. We've had several letters/emails about his attendance though. Jake still has 22 more weekly allergy shots to go before they become less frequent. I'm having a hard time knowing how to keep up with all the appointments for the kids without it affecting each other or their attendance. Jake alone has seen the dentist, orthodontist, dermatologist, and allergist in the last two months. At his Orthodontic appointment we learned that he needs oral surgery to get rid of 4 baby teeth that are stuck in his bone before he get braces. He has started to have small reactions to the allergy shots each week and we're doing Zyrtec daily and steroid creme to help his skin not react so badly to grass and pollen. He's a trooper, hardly complains. When he has a rough day I think it really is because he just not feeling well. After a couple months of waiting to see if the wart on his hand would go away Dr. Yeager decided to take care of it. He prescribed numbing cream which Jake caked on the hour leading up to his appointment. Unfortunately the cream didn't really do anything. It broke my heart to stand next to Jake holding his hand while he cried in pain. The numbing shot really hurt and lasted longer than I thought it would. I was fighting the tears as my little man cried. Poor Tess was there with me holding Aubree and became very quiet too.

Jake became a car rider in March and now only takes the bus occasionally.
Jake is enjoying soccer again. I'm grateful he's got such a great coach.

Funny moment-- I was laying on my bed while the kids were getting ready for bed. Jake came and plopped down on the bed beside me. I caught a whiff of his body odor! I smiled and congratulated him just as Dan walked in and gave him a high five. Jake was grinning ear to ear. It just made me laugh that this will probably be the ONLY time I'll be excited for him to be stinky by me! Ha!

Jake and Dan have been to the D.C. Temple twice now for youth temple trips. Jake was grinning ear to ear when he came home the first time. I think he felt the happiness that is present there and was glad it came home with him. He has taken on a mowing job for our new neighbors until they move in the Summer. He does most of the job with a little help from Dan.

Tess:
Is doing great in school. She is involved in a lot! She is doing the musical, 5th grade talent show act, Running Chics and Activity Day Girls. She wanted to do soccer with Abby and Jake but I knew her schedule was too full already. She stays after school 3-4 times a week. It's funny, Jake asks me on a weekly basis to stay home from school where as Tess wants to go no matter how she's feeling. She recently had a planer wart frozen on her foot. I offered to have her stay home that day but she wanted to go to school. Unfortunately she called me at the end of the day crying in pain.

Tess has a tender heart, she felt so bad when one of her friends wasn't invited to a birthday party that she was. When Dan left for his big hearing in Florida Tess asked him to come in and say good bye at 5a.m. before he left. She then started her stop watch counting the hours until she sees her Dad again!

Tess came to me after completing her assigned reading for school and asked if what she had just read was "inappropriate". I read it and sure enough, it was. I was proud of her for listening to her feelings and for talking to me about it! I hope it is always that way between us.

Update in June of Tess : Tess surprised me at her band concert.  When her instructor announced that it was time for the fifth grade solos the first one up with Tess. I had no idea she was doing a solo. She did a wonderful job and I was so proud. There was a big crowd to perform in front of and she sailed right through it.   She's has surprised me with her ability to perform in front big crowds. The fifth grade act she danced confidently and smiled the entire time. During the school musical she didn't stumble or forget any lines. Her hard work shows and I am so proud of her.

Abby:
Has lost her two front teeth. The one that wasn't as loose as the other came out first. Dan challenged her to pull her snaggle tooth and promised a $5 reward. Abby went into the bathroom and yanked it out eager to earn her money! Funny girl. I'm sad that her little girl look will change with her smile but it is adorable!  I love how she talks too! Abby is best friends with Hannah Smith who lives back behind us. The Smith's are a great family and I am so thankful Abby has that kind of a friend. Abby was the favorite again this year with her cousins Tate and Lucas. I was so proud of how well she played with everyone during their visit. I love that Abby can be so great at playing with Clara and allows her imagination to take over! She is a very artistic and musical girl. This year of school hasn't been the easiest because of her teacher.  I'm proud of how well she has done and am eager for a better fit next year.

"I call myself cracker-neck. Cause i can crack my neck" as she rolled her head around.

Clara:
Is getting so big! Her legs are stretching out and she's getting tall!
She loves to sleep with Daddy. While I've slept downstairs with Aubree I'm afraid Clara has taken my spot on a regular basis due to "bad dreams".  That'll be fun to fix.

Clara goes through a lot of underwear and cloths each day. Its her second bath and third outfit today and it's only 2pm!

 Clara is the sweetest at giving compliments and love. I have started to see a very unique gift she has of showing Christ-like love. At church last week stopped to talk with Amy Johnston several times and hugged and rubbed her arm. She is so quick to tell everyone she loves them and give hugs.  Her prayers of full of praise and love.

Funny things I've written down that she's said--
1. "This is kinda awkward!"--having to undress down to her undies at a doctor appointment. Yep it sure is!
2. "Can I tell you something?" is asked before saying anything these days.
3. "Ingenious" is the expression she used to describe her mountain of stacked shoes in the mudroom.
4. "Boy Dad, I sure missed you! Top to Bottom!!" This got a loving laugh from her adoring daddy.
5. " and Heavenly Father, I know that this is really hard for you to answer but, How are you doing today? And please bless that Siri will come down to earth."


Aubree: Is the center of our family right now. The kids still enjoy chanting "go Aubree" to see her happy reaction. Dan still love to whisper in her ear. And I have a 23lb attachment throughout most the day. She is growing and changing so quickly. We're gonna miss this!!

Easter

Aubree at 9 months

Weight: 21.13 91%
Height: 29.5 95%
Head:  47.5 cm 99%
(End of March)

Eating: No Teeth. She loves the pouches we timed her one day and she downed that baby in just over a minute! She eats baby food 3 times a day and nurses ever 3-4 hours. She wants to eat what we eat! I've tried the puff but if I don't put it in her mouth (to the side) she can choke on it which has scared me too much so we've stopped.

On the move: She is finally a pretty stable sitter. We pulled out the waker and she loves it. It is hilarious to watch her waddle back and forth. She's got it down now and can go all over in the kitchen and mudroom. She rolls around and does the bum-scoot thing a little. No where near crawling.

Fine motor skills: She can pick up pretty much anything and stick it in her mouth. I'm teaching her the sign for more and and milk.

Speech: She is saying da da da and ma ma ma but not associating it with us. She mimics our sounds pretty well now.

Sickness: It has been one thing after the next. The mild weather this Winter has been so weird and its made us continually sick. Warm then cold. Aubree finished her antibiotics for her 4 ear infection and then immediately started up with a green runny nose and cough. One more ear infection and we go to the ENT for tubes. I kinda wish we could so that I could finally really get her sleeping better. She got the flu the middle of March, it was awful. She wanted me to hold her constantly and only slept 30 minutes at a time.

Sleep: Is frustrating. She wakes 3-4 times a night. She won't take a pacifier, a sippy cup, or anything other than me. I'm her 24 hour comforter. I love snuggling with her but man am I always exhausted trying to keep up with everyone. She naps about twice a day. The best nap is in the morning usually from 9-1030. Then she's tired again by 1230- or 1 but sometimes only sleeps 1 hour and then that's all I get from her til bedtime at 7. She will take a third nap if we are home in the early evening but I'm chauffeuring kids up from after-school activities. If she sleeps in the car than the cat-nap is all she gets.

Her personality: She wants to be held and loves to be with us. Im so grateful for the older kids help with her. I have Jake and Tess who can hold her for me and Abby loves to play with her. I get the most done at the times they are home to hold her so I can do laundry and vacuum. She has the sweetest smile and the cutest laugh. She gets very anxious around other adults unless I am holding her. I hold her a lot! Oh and she still HATES the car. I do my shopping in between her two naps with Clara. Clara asked me today, mom, why do we always have to eat in the car,why can't we picnic....Aubree cries....I race to get shopping done and get home before Aubree's had it or she screams the entire way home. She starts dancing when music comes on. "Go Aubree" family chanting time she loves and she gets a huge grin on her face and starts dancing.

Aubree at 7 Months

At her 6 month well visit the Pediatrician told me to make her go through the night without feeding. But because of her ear infections and all the sickness going around I haven't been able to. It's gotten so bad that I have bleeding ulcers thanks to all the meds I've taken to cope with lack of sleep. 

Aubree has been on antibiotics for almost 2 months straight. Her poor stomach has been upset constantly and she isn't sleeping. Last week the pediatrician told me to do whatever I could to keep Aubree away from anyone who was sick (runny nose or cough!). So, I kept the kids home from church, cancelled play-dates and basically told everyone to keep their distance unless they were 100% healthy. After a week of that I started to sleep train Aubree. It was miserable, awful, and totally stunk. I hate to hear her scream. I stayed on the couch and tried to tune it out with a show. I'm not going to make her go all night. Just 6-7 hours. So after 4 nights that's where we are now. She doesn't sleep through the night but I can handle 1 or 2 feedings rather than 4 a night. I am on medication for the ulcers and can only take tylenol for any pain. She's worth it. I know this goes by way too quickly!

It only took 7 months for Aubree to roll! She is doing pretty well at sitting but spends most of her time in my arms. She is such a chunk and totally wears me out with all the holding. She wears 12 month cloths and her size 4 diapers are getting too small!  No teeth yet but everything goes in her mouth.

Dan doesn't get to see her much but she sure loves him.

Abby and her mini me.

She loves to jump!

Just started sitting in the buggy. Clara's my Costco helper.