Aubrey 23 Months!

Wow, I seriously can't believe that we have had almost 2 years with this little lady. She is 2 going on 12, but we just LOVE this one fiercely. I guess that's appropriate because she doesn't do anything that isn't fierce, from basically potty training herself, to fiercely loving her sister, to fiercely feeling emotions.  Yes, she is our spunky, feisty, fierce one and we love her to death. But in all her fierceness, she is also so sweet (out little "shwee shwee"), cuddly, and loves to be held...a lot!  We couldn't oblige more.

Happy 23 Months Aubrey Lynn!

23 Month Highlights:

-You have grown leaps and bounds this past month. You pretty much potty trained yourself in the past few months, so when Mama finally got her act together and decided to do a 3 day nakee boot camp, you called it a day after just 1. You had about 2 semi-accidents on that first day, and after that you were a champ. Day two we even went to Bella's soccer practice, and then to a friends house for dinner, and not a single accident. I am amazed at how easy it was with you! 

 

This is how we potty train...nakee Friday turned into her wanting to wear several bows, and of course, boots!

-You get a treat for telling us you have to pee, and then going pee pee on the potty, and you usually choose chocolate chips. I started with one, but one day you caught on, and started bargaining. Now you always say "Two mama, two!" Girl after my own bargaining heart : )

-Hearing you pray is the sweetest thing ever, mostly because you start by saying "Dear Guy...." A lot of the rest of it we can't understand, but man oh man, the "Dear Guy" gets us every time!

-We had our annual Fall Family photo shoot, and while there wasn't a single picture that we all were looking at the camera and smilling, we got some decent ones.  I know the day will come all too soon when everyone is old enough to get a great picture, and I will long for the days of baby squeals instead of smiles, or little toddler feet pattering away instead of staying put.

 -Halloween was a ton of fun this year! We did Trunk-N-Treat at Isabella's preschool which was a blast. Isabella's request was that we all be princesses, so of course we went with that theme. Never in a million years did Mama envision herself as Cinderella, but being a Mama changes you!  

-On actual Halloween, Mama had to do a bit of convincing, and a promise to wear "make-up" (AKA eye liner designs) to dress up as something other than princesses, but you two turned out SOOOO cute!! Our little leopard and cowgirl.

-We trick-or-treated in Tia's neighborhood, and only went to about 6 houses. It was awesome.  Then, we came back home and had an awesome family bonfire with the besties/neighbors (AKA the leflers). You all loved running around with glow sticks, and the parents enjoyed a glass of wine and the roaring fire. Best way to celebrate Halloween ever! Oh, and somehow, miraculously, you both loved filling your bucket with candy, but never asked for a piece, and when the bucket was empty the next morning, you never even batted an eye.  That being said, you both got to have your first s'more...which of course you LOVED!

-You and Bella have been all about wearing the same PJs lately which is just too cute! Thankfully, we get all the twins hand me downs, and thankfully they were not the same size! We also started doing bedtime together as a family which has been fun and much smoother, and maybe a bit quicker. We alternate whose room we get to rock in, and that person gets to pick the bedtime story. Then we sing 2 or 3 songs, and pray. Then off to bed where you both get one last song individually (Bella tries to squeeze in about 12 more, but that's a different story!).  

-We took advantage of the amazing fall weather in Georgia, of course matchy matchy dresses. It was fun decorating our porch this year, and you both LOVED getting pumpkins, picking out a little scare crow man at the dollar store, and hanging the fall wreath. I love how much you get into holidays at such a young age!

  What would all the pics be without an outake, bc the reality is there are about 500 of these for every 1 decent pic!

-We finished up the first season of Sprouts Soccer this month, and I have to say, I'm pretty sure you are going to be quite the little athlete. You weren't registered so you didn't participate in all of the drills, but you always kicked your soccer ball around every Saturday on the sidelines. And the drills you did participate in, you were good! Like, rivaling many of the bigger kids good. I'm impressed. It may be safe to say you will be our athlete, and Bella will be our musical one. I could be proven wrong, but we shall see...

Look at the camera girl!

 

Sleeping: Bedtime is 7:30 ish, so we usually go up around 7 each night. You sleep until about 7 or so, and we try to let you hang out and play in bed until 7:30 or 8 (hallelelujah on the days you make it til 8!). You nap around 1 (or 2 on the days Bella has preschool), and sleep for about 1.5 hours. Some days you get about an hour, and the very rare day you get 2 or 3, so it's kind of all over the board. I can confidently say though, you don't need as much sleep as your sister. However, while she wakes up with a smile on her face, you wake up with a scream. Just the difference in personalities : )

Eating: Picky, picky, picky! And opinionated! Favorites this month: fig bars, plain greek yogurt, strawberries, rotisserie chicken, mac-n-cheese, mimi's black beans. That's about it. Chicken nuggets are hit or miss. Oh, and the ALL time fav this month requested at almost every meal = "coldee nani" (AKA frozen banana). Oh, and still can't get you to eat a vegetable other than sweet potatoes.

 

Aubrey Loves:
-SHOES! slippers, socks, anything on your feet

-Doing things yourself "Aubee do it!"

-coloring with markers

-stickers

-Singing, listening to Pandora's kids silly songs in the car

 -Favorite songs: twinkle twinkle, baa baa black sheep, wheels on the bus, jesus loves me, and to go to sleep You are my sunshine (on repeat!)

-Being outside, going to parks, running around, and you ROCK at the scooter!

-Reading...you LOVE reading!

-"Shows" favorites include you tube kids silly songs, sofia the first, super why, dora

Aubrey Hates:

-Being contained

-You don't love your carseat, I think it's the whole being contained thing!

-Not being able to do something Bella is doing

 

23 Month Stats:

-Height: 33 in (approximately 38th percentile)

-Weight: 22 lb 13 oz (approximately 10th percentile)

*Wearing mostly 18 month clothes, but you are in some 2T things (mostly shirts, that are more like shirt dresses on you)

*Wearing size 4 or 5 shoe depending on the brand

*Wearing size 3 diapers with sleep

*Wearing size 2/3 panties that fall off or sag on your little booty...SO cute!

Aubrey 22 Months!

Oh man, if I could even describe our little A in just a few short sentences! She is a true joy, a little nugget, a performer who loves to make us laugh, feisty and can really throw a fit like the best of 'em, opinionated, stands up for herself even to older kids (here's to you Bella and DL!), a snuggler, lover of animals, and a total 100% mama's girl through and through.  We love you our little one!

Happy 22 Months Aubrey Lynn!

22 Month Highlights:

-I wasn't joking above when I said you stood up for yourself! You love to tackle your sister and tickle her, or wrestle her to get something you are play fighting over. 

-You got croup this month and it was so sad to watch you be so miserable! There were several days of cuddling, rocking, steam showers, and hearing that miserable half voice of yours. So happy when you were getting back to your normal happy self!

 

 -We took advantage of the summer-like fall weather and played in the sprinkers and water a lot! You love just running around nakee...yes we are now officially country folk : )

-Isabella started Sprouts soccer this month and you love it because you get to go run around with your own soccer ball and a private net and shoot over and over. Occasionally you will do the drills with the bigger kids. For your age, you are very coordinated, and I think you are going to be one little athletic lady!

Oh yeah, your favorite part is the lollipop that is given out at the end!

 -You keep doing a great job potty training yourself, and now almost exclusively poop in the potty. More and more during the day you are telling us when you have to pee pee as well. So yes, we are going to bite the bullet and just do a potty training bootcamp with you next month b/c I think you will love it and catch on really quickly!

This is your poo poo in the potty dance! You guys LOVE doing it together!

-We went on a few runs this month that ended with park time and some picnics. You love being outside, and love going on stroller rides, but really love swinging at the park! 

-We went to the apple orchard again this year and had a blast! We picked lots of apples, ate probably just as many, and went to the petting zoo. You LOVED the little goats at the petting zoo.

 

-You and Isabella have gotten a lot closer this past month, and you are actually playing together! While many times it just sounds like Bella telling you what to do, you guys love dressing up together, reading books to each other, playing doctor together, and just being silly in the playroom with each other. 

Dress up tea party!

 

Sleeping: Bedtime is around 7:30 and you are a TRUE JOY to put down! Daddy and Mama fight over who gets to do it...and Mama wins the most : ) You are just so cuddly and sweet, and love to sing along to the songs, and give great hugs, and then get very excited when it's time to be putin your crib, and go down SO easily! I know these days won't last long necessarily, so we are soaking them in now while we can! You sleep for about 11.5-12 hours, and we get you out of your crib at some point between 7:30 and 8 am when you start screeching! You generally are good for about 20-30 minutes in the morning in your bed, just playing with all your lovies. But then you realize you want your "Moo Moo" and start screaming for it!

You nap around 1 or 1:30 and sleep anywhere from just a little over an hour, to 3, and there is no rhyme or reason as to how long we get, and when. I'd say over the course of the week, you take 2 one hour naps, and 2 three hour naps, and the others are somewhere in between.  

We still rock you for bedtime, and sing you a few songs while you drink your "moo moo." We pray, and then you turn around to cuddle on our shoulder while we sing one last song. And then it's bedtime/naptime!

Current lovies you must have in your crib: Lambie x2, Dolly, Bear, "Face", puppy, and pink bear. 

Eating: Still picky. And then you surprise us by guzzling a bowl of spicy chili, or drinking salsa! Otherwise you mostly stick to: cheese, macaroni and cheese, ham, pizza, strawberries, apples, nectarines, bread (sometimes), squeezies, plain greek yogurt, avacado, and frozen bananas (which you call "nanies coldies" and we of course think is so cute!). You also started eating PB &J sandwiches this month, and while on some days you eat an entire one, other days you are done after 2 bites.

Still can't get you to eat any vegetable with the exception of sweet potatoes (some times!). You won't eat grapes or blueberries or blackberries, unless they are from our garden. Nuggets are a no go. As are most animal protein choices. So yeah, super easy to feed you healthy options over here! 

Oh and you just reminded me (b/c I just sat your down for your dinner)- something that I feel like is on repeat for you: "I No Yike It"! 

Aubrey Loves:
-Shoes!! She loves putting them on and off!

-"Shows" - aka watching cartoons

-Singing and listening to music

-Favorite songs: Baa Baa (still!), Twinkle Twinkle, Wheels on the Bus, Shake Your Sillies Off 

-Reading...you could let us read to you ALL day if we let you!

-Playing at the park, esp the swings!

-Being outside, chalk, bubbles

Aubrey Hates:

-Not being able to do something Bella is doing

-Having a bow in her hair!

 

22 Month Stats:

 Weight: 23.5 lbs (approx 15th percentile)

Height: 33.5 in (approx 55th or 60th percentile)

*Wearing 18 month clothes, size 3 diapers, and either a 4 or 5 shoe depending on the brand.