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. 

Christmas 2016

This Christmas seemed more hectic and less organized that any in the past. Between the pressure of Dan's new position at work, the massive outbreak of sickness (at church and schools) and then my trip to Utah my Christmas plans didn't go as I'd planned. But we made the most of it.

We did gingerbread houses on our own this year.

We went for a very quick trip to see the D.C. Temple lights. We didn't stay for a performance and man was it crowded! Aubree cried most of the way there and the entire way home.

Tess and I had a lot of fun baking together all day on their first official day off. Taking our plates around was a bust though.

We miss Aimee. The kids all helped wrap presents so there were very few left to wrap by Christmas Eve. After getting the kids off to bed Tess and Jake snuck downstairs to help us and watch a movie! It made the night more fun having them be a part. Unfortunately I forgot to buy or check our yarn supply. So, at 840pm I was searching for an opened store. What's Christmas without yarn all over the house! Luckily I found one spool and we made it last for all the kids. We missed Aimee.

Christmas morning Aubree woke me at 615 so I enjoyed the Christmas lights and reviewed my speaking part for church until I heard feet upstairs. We drank our OJ and let the kids open gifts until 830 when it was time to get ready for church. Dan took Jake and Tess early to help set up the refreshments in the gym for after sacrament meeting. I hate to admit it but I was relieved when church was over. Dan was conducting and had the majority of the entire Christmas Sacrament program planning/carrying out on his shoulders. I was the narrator and sang in the choir. So, I tried not to speak to fast from nerves, enunciate, speak fast enough so that we could all get home, and not mess up. Dan did a great job conducting and then standing in the back with Aubree who did well until the closing song...she wailed through Joy To the World. Then cried while I tried to visit with a few people and then sped home with a screaming baby and an Abby trying to cope. Dan got home an hour late with Jake and Tess after cleaning everything up. Then we had our Christmas breakfast and did treasure hunts and more gifts. The last gift was opened at 7pm by Dan. I missed having my sister here. She is the life of the party here!

The best part of Christmas for me was watching the kids open the gifts they got for eacho ther. Tess helped Clara do the cutest treasure hunt that led to a tool kit for her to help Daddy with all his projects. Jake did a great job responding to his 4 year old sisters gift. Clara wanted a magical carriage for Christmas that would turn her into a princess and Jake into her prince. So, she picked out a kings crown and septar for Jake and a crown for her. Very cute, I hope she always things of him as a prince! Jake got Abby an easy bake oven!! And Aubree bought Tess some "grown up" earrings. I sent Tess on a treasure hunt that involved her doing things Aubree did. For example, eating baby food, drinking from a bottle, changing a diaper...

Jacob: SPHERO, books, clothes, a Makey-Makey (to share with Tess), glider, and some games.
Tess: POLAROID camera, books, cloths, jewelry, and boots.
Abby: American Girl baby doll, cloths, books, jewelry, shoes.
Clara: American Girl baby doll, cloths, jewelry,

I got a hot pink vacuum and Dan got a telescope.

I'm so grateful for Dan's job that allows us to spoil our kids for Christmas.

Ward Christmas Party

 Mall Shopping

 Lunch with Tess

 Jakes Band Concert

 Christmas Eve Elves watching a movie

 Tess's treasure hunt led her to change Aubree's diaper with earrings inside

 Over the break Dan surprised me by doing this:

 and this:

New hair cuts

Tangled locks made easy.

Dan's Poem

My Wish for Your Birthday

I wish I could give you the gifts you deserve;
ones somehow that equal just what you are worth.   
 I’d search out and give to you diamonds and gems;                                                                                 the things that are valued as treasures on earth.

Though these gifts may be precious they’d pale next to you,                                                                                      
even if they were numbered as sands of the sea.                                                                                                                
So what could I give you to show you my love                                                                                      
that’d somehow compare to the gifts given me?

You’ve blended your future and dreams now with mine.                                                                                               
You’ve traded career to establish a home.                                                                                                                                
You’ve given your health and your comfort and time                                                                                for gifts symbolized by these four little stones.

The topaz for Jacob, the ruby for Tess;                                                                                                      my first little gifts you brought into this world.                                                                                        Peridot is for Abby, alexandrite for Clara;                                                                                     
as sparkling and bright as these two precious girls!

I hope that this gift is a constant reminder of how much your sacrifice means to us too.                                                                                                                          
That each day you live is a gift to your family;                                                                                                                       
Happy Birthday, dear Becky, we’re grateful for you!

                                                Dan Barnhurst                  

Dan wrote this for me a couple years ago when he gave me my mothers bracelet.                                                                           

Aubree at 6 months

Yay for Aubree:  
              She's finally showing more personality and interacting with us which is so FUN!
              She is so close to rolling, but not quite.
              She is close to sitting up, but not quite.
              She loves rice/oatmeal, bananas, carrots, and sweet potatoes.
              She takes 3 naps (morning, afternoon, and quickie at night) but has to be so very flexible                     since we are always on the go!
              She loves her jumper.
              She puts everything in her mouth!
              She smiles and even laughs when tickled. Finally!
              She says MaMaMaMa (not really connecting the sound to me but I'll take it!)
              She is adored by all!

Not a Yay:
             She is on her 3rd double ear infection in 2 months. (She hates Ogmentin!)
             She wakes every 2-3 hours at night! Insert very tired sigh! I have ulcers again because of the                Motrin I take to cope!