Aubrey's Month-iversary Series- 7 Months

Dear Auby,
Seven months has past and again I cannot believe what a big girl you have become. You and your daddy are the light of my life. As every month passes, I have to say you continue to amaze me with all that you are doing. I love your sweet little personality, your smiles, our hugs and kisses, our "chats and all that makes you YOU sweet girl. With only weeks of school left, I cannot wait until I get to stay home with you this summer. I am so excited to see what God has in store for us and all the excitement we will have. So much has happened this month sweet girl. Enjoy all of your sweet updates.

Date: 5/7/14
Age: Seven Months
Measurements: I'll have to check at our next appointment. You weigh a little over 17 pounds.
Clothing: You are in 6-9 month clothes. I have officially removed all 3-6 outfits from your room as your little body is just too long for them. We are enjoying lots of summer outfits this month. We have had some uncharacteristically strange weather where we have had to wear a few light jackets. Mommy still loves little dresses, pants with cuffs, and of course lots of bows.
Eating:  We are enjoying lots of new foods this month. We have eaten sweet potatoes, carrots, oatmeal, apples, avocados, and even an apple slice. It seems like you are going through almost a full large can of Similac in one week. You love your food sweet angel. This month, we have also started you on puffs. You LOVE them. The first night, it was definitely a different texture and then once put into your mouth and spit out, they would stick to your arms. I hate to say it, but it was so adorable to see you sitting in your high chair with puffs stuck to your arms and even your toes. You quickly caught on. We also let you try a sippy cup with water this month. You love it (even if water does go everywhere:) You eye everything we eat and want to be just like us. What a big girl.

* You also have two beautiful pearly whites that are officially in. It is so fun hearing you eat, and letting those two little teeth crunch down. It's too cute!

Sleeping: You have really done pretty well unless you were sick. This month was really hard in the health department. The whole family has been sick for weeks. You have had two cases of ear infections. One a single and the last a double. You love to play with your ears and you didn't have a fever, but one night this month was worse than when you were a newborn. You were up every 30 minutes to an hour. We knew something was so wrong sweet girl. You were fine in our arms, but would scream when we laid you down. After you were on medicine, it was a completely different story. This month you did learn to sit up on your own. One of your favorite things during bedtime is to sit up, say yay, and play in your crib. You also had a few weeks where 4:30AM became your norm. This was a bit hard on mommy but we made due. You are just the smiliest baby (unless you are sick... and even then pretty smiley). Going up to your room and getting you from your crib is one of my favorite things to do. I love giving you kisses from in between the slats of your crib. We have also had to lower your crib this month. You have been busy. You've learned to sit and pull up. I caught you standing and looking over the side of your crib. Lowering it has helped your sleep minus a few times where your little foot gets caught between the bars. Overall we are all on the mend. At daycare is a bit of a different story. You currently taking one nap. This could be why you are sleeping so well at night? I guess only time will tell.

New Activities and Random Tidbits:
- sitting up
- saying what sounds like "yay"
- eating stage 2 foods and exploring new textures, sweet potatoes, carrots, puffs, etc
- open mouth kisses
- tried a sippy cup
- enjoyed our first Mother's Day with Oma, Mommy, and Daddy in College Station. We took family pictures under the century tree

- lowered crib
- pulling up and transferring to other objects (still a little shaky)
- biting on crib and pulling up to standing position
- sa ying bu-bu 5.8.14 and da-da 5.9.14
- sleeps with booty up and moves all around her crib while being asleep
- it is a challenge dressing baby girl and changing her diaper. I've gotten accustomed to putting clothes and diaper on backwards and in full turn
- learned to clap 5.1.14
- shaking head "yes"
- standing by Einstein toy and "dancing"
- continue to put arms up and pull shirt off when being changed
- more crawling. Crawled on all fours 5.16.14
- first time to sit in a high chair at a restaurant
- loves stuffed animals
- cried for the first time at a stranger (so strange and has never done it again)

Likes: stuffed animals- Ah Dog and Jake the teddy bear, solids, pulling up, dancing, making new sounds, baby Einstein toy, music, ABCs, Mommy and baby's morning songs, crawling, touching everything, mouth noises, flying like an airplane, splashing in the bath tube, chewing on everything, exersaucer, see and say, shape blocks, crawling under the exersaucer, and so much more:)

Dislikes: car carrier- it's hot, Nose Frieda and anything having to do with wiping your nose, if you cannot get a bottle fast enough, peas, barking that wakes you up, the garage door opening during nap/bedtime, changing clothes because it keeps you from moving.

Watch sweet baby girl grow!

ENGAGE Global Sunday Celebration

Today we had the privileged opportunity to celebrate what God is calling our church to do around the world. The Heights Baptist Church hosted an ENGAGE Global Sunday celebrating our footprints in Honduras, Uganda, Bulgaria and 17 missionaries that serve globally. We will continue praying for God's hand in those service areas and for the people around the world we serve. God is so good!

Here are a few pictures from the event. I sadly do not have the information for the photographer of these pictures. I love how he captured such an amazing moment in celebration of God's work.

I loved toting around this little cutie. She loved all the motion in the room including the packages being made for Honduras, the children's choir, the local food being served, the people, and of course the large blow up globe that showed the service locations.

 

We truly found our home at the Heights and are thankful for our journeys ahead.

Spring Blooms, Picnic in the Park, Sweet Potato Fun, & a Family Play Date

Provided by Facebook and Instagram

Hello Spring! Our rose bush survived! Looks like a start to a beautiful day!

 

Picnic in the Park with our ABF. Here is our selfie as I forgot to take our family picture.
Our group met at noon at Foxborow Park for our second annual ABF picnic in the park. We enjoyed pizza, chips and salsa, and brownies for dessert. Our afternoon included lots of outdoor activities, friendly chat, an exciting game of bocce ball, and a few too many bugs. Thank you to sweet friends for coming out and enjoying an afternoon of friendly fun. Here are a few pictures of our friends and afternoon park fun.

Attendants included The Ogles, Kennedys, Howards, Cooks, Anna, and the babes.

 

The men playing an exciting game of bocce ball.

 Our sweet babes enjoyed an afternoon of bubbles, balls, toys, and outdoor activities.

If you would like to read about last year's ABF Picnic at Foxboro Park, click here.

 

Once we got home, we tried to lay baby down for her late afternoon nap as she missed her mid day one. And of course after a bottle and very tired eyes, she sat straight up in her crib and was ready for more family playtime. While she was absolutely exhausted she was a ton of fun, lots of babbles, and fabulous baby cuddles. We also tried to take a few little sneaky pictures to show her pearly whites... but it was no good. She didn't want anything to do with that. Ha!



Mommy/Baby Cuddles

Loving on Daddy

 Time sure changes! Loving our big girl!
Tummy time looks different these days!

 

During play time we even had a fun little Skype date with my parentals. I know Oma and Opa surely loved our little impromptu chat tonight. 

I sure do love this sweet face!

 

Well...no mid day nap either. As 6:00 quickly approached, it was about time for her dinner at the table with mommy and daddy. I'm cheating a bit and borrowed this picture from a few days before. It was a very similar night filled with lots of happy faces as she LOVES sweet potatoes. We even gave her second little helping. I even have to admit that we got a few little claps out of her as well.

 

After dinner and a full park and play time, it was surely a bath night. I just love how her  hair "appears" curly in the tub. Her daddy had wavy hair as a baby and who knows what she may end up with. It is getting longer on top too. Gosh this little grin melts my heart. She surely does love her big girl bath time these days!

 



Beautiful little bit green/hazel eyed baby with two bottom pearly whites coming in.

 

So here's to fun weekends. Weekends were we have beautiful weather, great play dates, and picnics in the park. Spring sure is my favorite!

(...well minus the allergies. But we are officially on the mend!) Here's to many fun days ahead

Sunday Soup on Tuesday

It has been too long since my last Sunday Soup. Since I am enjoying a Stay at Home Mama day with my little and this may be the only time that I get an extra minute to catch up (as baby girl is taking a really good nap), I figure why not. So enjoy my Sunday Soup on this Tuesday. So without further adieu enjoy our little happenings as of late.

1. On Easter Sunday, the Prius battery died. We somehow made it to church and back, but then it died before our Easter afternoon brunch with the Ogles. Our sweet friends loaned us their car for three days until we could get a new battery. Being a one car family has its challenges. We are just so thankful for sweet friends who made such a huge sacrifice to help us.

2. I have enjoyed Mama Monday's with my sweet friend, Kristin. It is such a fun example of what my summer may look like.

3. I am counting down the days until I get to spend my days with my little. She and her daddy are my heart.

4. My two loves have been sick the past two weeks. Poor daddy had to take a few days off to feel better and then another to take baby girl to the doctor. Mommy took off on Tuesday to make sure all of her sickies were gone.

5.  My first grade teammate and new mama friend returned to school. I surely have missed her and can't wait for more play dates with her sweet baby girl, Miss Cassidy.

6. We celebrated our first Easter as a family of three. 

7. Ray and I helped host an Easter Party Service celebration with our ABF and La Mirada/Kidz Pointe. 

8. To celebrate Earth Day, I took 17 children outside to paint with water. They LOVED it!

9. We met baby Haley. She was absolutely perfect. 

10. Baby girl started officially teething. A little pearly white popped up this past Saturday, April 26th.

11. Aubrey has been army crawling for several weeks but is now pushing up on her hands and knees and is able to rock a bit. 

12. I did my first bit of baby proofing our house today. She definitely is interested in door stoppers and chords. Oh no. 

13. We are already making plans to do a College Station, Sugar Land, and Alabama trip this summer. I can't wait to spend time with our family.

14. I have loved spending our afternoons outside. It is the perfect weather. 

15. One of my worst nightmares came true this week. I fell down the stairs with Auby. Thank goodness I fell on my bottom and held tightly to her. She was absolutely fine but let out a big scream once she realized we had stopped. I simply scared her. While baby was ok, I sadly had multiple bruises all down my legs and backside. I guess a 4:00 in the morning adventure down the stairs to get more formula and an exhausted mommy was a bad decision after all. Loosing footing is never fun especially when you are carrying your little with you. But like I said... on a good note. Mommy and baby are fine and now I'm super careful with her!

I hope you have enjoyed this edition of Sunday Soup. Here were the ups, downs, and everything in between. Baby girl is starting to stir and it is time for more mommy/daughter play time. I wouldn't miss that for the world. I wish you a wonderful day and look forward to more Sunday Soups coming soon... even if they are on a random Tuesday.

Our Little Lady LOVES to EAT!

Who would have known that back when baby girl was four months old, all we needed to do was to let her sleep on her tummy and feed her rice cereal. We have come a long way from that. We have enjoyed a variety of foods, tastes, and textures. I sure do love that she is not a fussy eater (minus pees as they do not agree with her) Now please know that I am not saying what to do or when to do it... but I love those moments when you can go back and say man if only I had.... blah blah... whatever that blah blah was. Now that we are at the six month mark, I can easily say that our little lady LOVES to EAT! If you look at this progression of photos, it absolutely cracks me up. YAY food! Yum, I can feed myself mommy! The food is gone? Que the tears. Then mommy brings out her phone and all is good with the world... Cheese:) (the pictures from top left, top right, bottom right, and bottom left).

The past few days have been so beautiful, we have even eaten outside. I don't think little girl cares where we eat as long as she's getting her food:) But hey she looks cute as ever!

She sure does love to "feed" herself. Really she enjoys sticking her fingers in her mouth as well as when I twirl the spoon in circles and say woo woo. She's easy to please. But a mess she sure is. Oh how we love that sweet messy face. This picture reminds me of the story, Messy Meals. She can surely get her food on her nose and even in between her fingers and toes.

We love you sweet girl. I love watching how your sweet body keeps growing. You are such a big girl... a messy one for sure;)

Our Sick Baby

It absolutely breaks my heart to see my baby girl so sick. Being a daycare baby and really any baby is susceptible to catching little things here and there. It just isn't fun when it's your little one. This weekend, she was our typical happy baby, but by Sunday it was extremely apparent that she was not feeling well. I mean seriously look at this sad face. Again break your heart.

 

Monday, with baby girl snuggling in my arms, eyes puffy, and snotty nose with a cough, it was a definite that little one would not be making an appearance at daycare. We were also officially teething. Saturday morning, I saw our first little pearly white popping through. With all these little things against us, I would even have to admit that our Sunday night may have been the worse night since Aubrey was a newborn. She slept until 1AM then cried (not fussed). She was completely uncomfortable. There was no consoling sweet angel. We gave her children's Tylenol, baby Orajel, rocked, walked, sang, gave another bottle... nothing was solving the problem. The only way she would sleep is if we held her. She even let out small little cries every time she would turn her head. I loved the snuggles, but hated that it was because she felt so bad. Every 20 minutes she would wake up which meant a super long night for mommy and daddy. Monday was definitely a day  that I felt my mommy strings tugging at my heart. I hated to leave her but knew she was in great hands. Daddy was our superman and took little one to the doctor. She of course was all smiles when the doctor arrived, but quickly changed her tune when the doctor tried to look into her ears. Yep. Just as mommy thought. The dreaded ear infection.... our first. So here is the list of little ailments that poor baby has at this time.

1. Ear infection
2. Beginning Stages of Pink Eye and lots of goop
3. Fever
4. Cough & congestion
5. Teething
6. Diaper Rash

Monday I spent a good portion of the day trying to find a sub. It is next to impossible to find one toward the end of the year. I knew that I would be taking Tuesday off to be home with Auby. I am so thankful that I did. After much medicine and lots of napping on Monday (in my arms), she is doing so much better. She is all smiles, lots of new sounds, (I may even heard a da-da in there;), and lots of play time. I have loved spending my day with this little lady. From an early 4:30AM start, I have to say it's been absolutely worth it. I have enjoyed our snuggles, play time, babble talks, stories, laundry time (this may have been mommy doing laundry and Auby putting a few clean pieces in her mouth), and so much more. I could totally rock this stay at home mama thing. Regardless I will say whether I'm at home or not, I will absolutely cherish these special moments. Today baby girl also pushed up on all fours and began to rock. I feel a full time crawler will be in our near future.

Oh how I loved our hugs and special playtime in Auby's room. I definitely got a few sloppy kisses but lots of sweet hugs.

I have to say that I am totally counting down my days until this summer when I can spend all my days loving on our little lady. Until then, I get to enjoy these sweet moments. I mean really, is there anything more precious than this strawberry baby bum?!?

Easter 2014

 For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord. 

                                 Jeremiah 29:11

My heart was absolutely filled this Easter Sunday. Being a wife and a mommy has been my greatest love. I thank my heavenly Father today and every day for this gift and the grace that has been provided to me. Let His name be lifted higher and may we remember our true gifts this Easter Sunday.

After the arrival of the Easter bunny... (Mommy and Daddy shared a basket this year)

and a quick morning song with Auby, we were dressed and ready to go. That morning, the Prius was not in working order. I sent several messages in fear we wouldn't make service. But as our friends were about to head our direction to pick us up, our car began to work. Service was amazing. It was so fun to see all the families and children dressed up in Spring outfits. Talk about adorable. Our church also provided free family photos after the service. I love that Ray always talked about his family's church Easter picture each year. Now we have our very own little tradition as well.

We had been invited to share Easter this year with our sweet friends from church, The Ogles. Sadly once home, the car began to have trouble and the battery would not work. Erin came to our rescue and picked up my family of three. They are such sweet friends. 

For brunch, we had a beautiful array of brunch foods from egg casserole, bacon, grits, chicken salad sandwiches, fruit, and red velvet cake for dessert. 

After brunch we took a fun family photo opt. Here are some of my favorites from this afternoon with friends. 

 {Our sweet family of 3}

  {Ray and our beauty}

 

{The Ogles}

 {Richard, Ray and the girls}

 {Aubrey 6 months and Eva Mae 10 months}

 {Erin and I with our littles}

 {Erin and her beautiful blue eyed babe}

 Our babes enjoying the Spring weather. We were supposed to have bad weather, but it was a perfect afternoon. The rain waited for us until our return home.

This Easter season, we began a new family tradition. It is called our letter to heaven. Each year Auby will get a balloon on Easter and will "write" a letter to God and send it to heaven. We of course will write it until she's old enough, but I am so excited about this new little tradition. I am hoping this will be a great way to remind her that Easter is more than chocolate candy bunnies. Since we were sharing this Easter with friends, we decided to get their little girl a balloon as well. Let's just say that our first attempt at our notes to heaven was a bit more comical than I had imagined. Eva Mae loved playing with the balloon string while Auby thought that eating the note was more fun. These pictures absolutely crack me up. I love the sweet little relationship they are forming.

  The gents had to help us out.

Our letters were sent

We are so thankful for what God has done and is continuing to do in our lives, the people He places, and the paths that we've taken. If He is for us who could stand against us... I have always loved those words in the song. I also wanted to give a big thanks to our dear friends for letting us borrow their car for a few days. It was more than we could ever have asked for and exactly what we needed this week.

Today also marks 12 years of dating my husband. 12 years has taught us oh so much and I couldn't be more thankful that God has blessed me with both my best friend and husband as well as our daughter. Without Him, I wouldn't have them! 

I wish you a blessed Easter and all the days to follow.