Aubrey 12 Months!!

Well, I knew this day would come sooner than I expected, and here we are!  Aubrey is ONE!  

It has been a pure joy to watch this little one grow up over the last year. She started out as a 5 lb 13 oz tiny little peanut, and has grown into quite the fun, funny, feisty, dance and music loving, crazy little lady!!  Watching her grow into her own personality has amazed us this year.  Watching her and Isabella develop a big sister/little sister relationship has been endearing. 

Aubrey Lynn, you are our most favorite surprise, and are so grateful you made us a Mama and Daddy again!  

Happy 12 Months Aubrey!

I mean seriously, I could eat up this little nugget! SO precious!

12  Month Highlights:

 -You have started repeating a lot of words lately, and now say about 5 consistently: Dada, Mama, Bye, Hi, & "AhDa" (all done). You still only sign "All Done" but we are working more on please and thank you. 

-We ran a 5K as a family, including Mimi, Pops, Tia, Uncle G, Dani, and the Leflers.  You hated being bundled up and kept trying to bust out of the stroller blanket, but you loved the Christmas Lights throughout the race!

-You have grown even more in your love for music, singing and dancing!  You shake your head and upper body as soon as you hear music you like which is too cute. Just mentioning "Boom Shakalaka" to you gets you moving like crazy! And I love singing and rocking you before bedtime lately because you just sing along (usually "Ahhhhhhhh" really loud) the entire time! So cute!

-We celebrated Thanksgiving this year at our house with Mimi, Pops, Tia, Uncle G and Dani.  For the first time in 3 years, the adults had a great time! It felt equal parts fun, relaxing, and of course tiring by the end (probably b/c of all the food consumed!).  We had Thanksgiving brunch at 10am and you gobbled up some spinach and artichoke quiche. We then put the big girls down for naps and ate Thanksgiving "dinner" around 2:30. You loved sitting in the high chair at the adult table, and while you didn't eat a ton (most of it got thrown on the floor), I think you just enjoyed being a part of the action while the other girls were sleeping!  Unfortunately this was the only picture we got...gheesh!

-The day after Thanksgiving we put up the tree while listening to Christmas music, and no surprise to us, you LOVED it! You just sat dancing to the music, and once we turned the lights on you were so excited! We are teaching you "touch with one finger" and so far you have done a great job (AKA no broken ornaments)...yet!  I have a feeling there may be some casualties this year with you around : )

 

Sleeping: You have gotten a bit more consistent this last month in the sleep department. You go to bed around 6:45 or 7pm and sleep until about 6:30 or 7am, with a 3am wake up to eat (and the occasional midnight feed prior to that).

Naps are still a bit irregular, particularly in the afternoon, and a few times I have been tempted to just try and transition you to one nap, but I still feel like it's too early for you. Most days you take your morning nap around 9 or 9:30 and sleep for 1-2 hours.  At least once a week though you decide you are good after 30 or 40 minutes. Lovely. Depending on the length of the morning nap you will sleep in the afternoon for 30 min to an hour (on good days!), usually about 3 hours after you wake up from the first. You are definitely NOT a good napper!

For as happy and easy going of a baby you are, you certainly wake up crying a majority of the time. You do NOT like to be in your crib for one minute after your eyes pop open, and you certainly make it known quickly!  This is particularly true after your afternoon nap, but really any wake up can go like this!  You still cry a few minutes occasionally prior to sleeping (mostly the afternoon nap), but for the most part this month you have been much easier to put down.

Breastfeeding & Eating: Oh boy, you LOVE your milkies.  As much as I am looking forward to weaning, I know you will probably boycot that move! You have been eating 4-5 times a day, and honestly would probably eat 7 or 8 if I let you still. However, we have been trying to encourage more solid foods in attempts to wean a little bit easier.  For now, we will keep your night feed(s), usually at 3 am and occasionally at midnight as well, just because it is easier for Mama to breastfeed you, rather than go downstairs and make a bottle!  But the 3ish daytime feeds will be eliminated one per week over the next 3 weeks. We shall see how that goes!

As for eating: you have gotten very picky this month!  You like about 4 things- avacado, greek yogurt, strawberries, & bananas. Otherwise it just depends on the day whether you will eat squeezies, cheese, nuggets, rotisserie chicken, eggs, or cheerios.  And pretty much on any given day you will promptly spit out or throw on the ground any vegetable I try to give you, including carrots, potatoes or sweet potatoes. Oh boy!

Aubrey Loves:
-Running, walking, trying to climb, and getting into everything

-Singing with us

-Dancing...she loves the "Boom Shakalaka" dance!

-Swinging

-Being outside, taking walks

Aubrey Hates:

-Having things taken away from her

-Being told "No"

12 Month Stats:

Height: 28.5 in (25th percentile)

Weight: 18.5 lb (10th percentile)

*Still in size 3 diapers

*Wearing mostly 9 month things, although still wearing some 6 months, and a few 12 months that are swimming on you

*No new teeth this month- still 4 on bottom, 2 on top

Aubrey's Firsts this Month:

-First baby tantrums/throwing fits AKA: throwing herself on the floor with face down when she is told "No" or something is taken away from her! 

-I think you have been waving for more than just this month, but you really got it down now!

-Clapping your hands!

This Month in Pictures:

 

 This may be a low quality cell phone pic, but it certainly epitomizes your crazy personality! We just love it!!

Isabella 29 Months!

What a fun age (almost) 2 1/2 is!  I feel like turning 2 was a shock to the system. The term terrible twos was no joke some days! But, finally we are settling into something a little bit more palatable, and it is fun : ) Isabella is one smart, funny, sweet and sensitive little lady, and we are grateful to call her Mama & Daddy!

Happy 29 Months Isabella Rae!

 I love this phase of "smile". She cracks me up!

29 Month Highlights:

-We went to BJ Reece apple orchard again this year, and you pretty much consumed your weight in apples again!  You loved it there, and we had a great time, filling our bags with yummy apples, going on the Cow Train ride, taking the hayride, and just spending time with family!

-We had a blast celebrating Halloween this year! You loved dressing up (several times!), going Trek or Treating (you were a lady bug!), and passing out Halloween Candy (as a princess, of course!). We also carved a pumpkin which you found equally gross and super cool!  I love that we can share the excitement of holidays that Daddy and I have loved together for so long!

-We took advantage of quite a few (AKA most!) 80+ degree sunny fall days! We went to parks, played soccer, had picnics, and just enjoyed being outside.  Too bad Mama could never keep up with the weather....we always dressed for the chilly weather in the morning, and by noon we were all sweating! Can't complain...gorgeous GA weather!

-You ran your second 5K and loved it : ) Actually, Mimi, Pops, Tia, Uncle G, Mama, Daddy and Nick & Christine Lefler all ran the Lanier Under the Lights 5K which was a blast! You loved being pushed in the stroller by Mimi and Pops, looking at all the people dressed in Christmas garb, and of course all the Christmas lights! And for some reason you sang "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" the entire time.

-We celebrated Dani Leigh turning 2 (how did that happen so fast!?) which was fun. We had BurriTWOs, chips & guac, and just enjoyed an evening celebrating Dani!

And just because we can get a close up...not even sure why she is making this face at that time, but it cracks me up!

Sleeping: You don't love sleep like you used to, but overall you are still a good sleeper. Bedtime is 7:30 (although we take you up by 7 b/c it's a good 30 minute ordeal), and you wake up around 6:30 am. We are working on getting you to play with toys quietly in your room til one of us comes and gets you, but inevitably, you come play with blocks in our room while singing, you open Aubrey's door to "play" (AKA wake her up!), or you just sing and dance in the hallway, lining up all your stuffed animals.  Either way, it means a whole lotta waking up for the rest of us earlier than we'd like.  Nap is still around 1 and you sleep for 2-3 hours.

Eating: You are a great eater, although more of a solid 3 meals a day rather than 3 meals and some snacks. You still love your oatmeal with fruit in the morning, and while I try to get creative with lunches, there are staples that just seem to be on repeat.  We try to feed you whatever we are eating for dinner, and sometimes you gobble it up, other times, we end up heating up a few GF nuggets for you.  Just depends on your mood.  

Favorite foods this month: fruit all day, any day!, squeezies, hummus, chips and guacamole, cheese, cherry tomatoes, & black olives. Also, you LOVE coconut water and sparkling water (which, yes, still comes out as "F**ky water b/c you cannot say the "sp" sound!).

Isabella Loves:
-Listening to music, dancing, singing

-Watching Dora & Daniel Tiger

-Coloring

 -Playing outside, swinging, and your favorite- SLIDES!
-Eating good food...such a 2 year old foodie!

Isabella Hates:

-Not being able to figure something out, having to ask for help

29 Month Stats:

Height: 36.5 in (approximately 55th percentile)

Weight: 29.5 lb (no weight gain this last month, approximately 55th percentile)

Wearing 24 month and 2T clothes, although some 2T pants just fall to your knees b/c you have a small waist and no booty! Wearing size 5 or 6 shoes depending on the shoe.

Wearing size 5 diapers at night, panties during the day (and doing AMAZING with it!)

No new teeth

This Month in Pictures:

The middle picture is probably my favorite picture of you EVER! I tell you to smile pretty, and there is not telling what comes out!!!

This girl loves her snuggles, and on weekend mornings she loves jumping into bed with us (when we give her the green light...AKA it's an acceptable hour to be awake!). Silly faces with my girl!