5 months

I vowed when she was born to try my hardest to post a picture every month. Here it is 5 months later with only her 1 month picture missing. It's hard to believe that the months are flying by. Before I know it I'll be posting her one-year picture and blubbering like a baby.

She's rolling over tummy to back but still not back to tummy (yet, SO close!) Her bottom two front teeth have come in and I believe an upper front tooth is slowly on its way. She's developed a connection with the johnny jump-up and has figured out how to grasp and pull the toys off of her floor-mat gym. Her smiles are priceless. But even more so, are the looks of adoration that she gives her loving parents. It melts my heart to see her look up at Joe as if he's the most fascinating thing she's ever seen.

I feel blessed to say that the fussiness that filled the first few months is all just a memory now. She's generally a very happy little thing with the exception of those "wow, that tooth is really cutting through, that must be painful" moments. And who can blame her... wouldn't you scream if a tooth was ripping through your gums?!

I'm just loving every minute and praying that it goes by just a little... bit... slower... Please, Lord let me enjoy this sweet innocence for just a little while longer...

Bicycle Built For Two

We knew when we moved to Central Oregon (essentially the outdoor playground of the state) that we'd have to invest in some outdoor gear in order to truly experience our new surroundings. Joe's bike was his Christmas present and he's been dying for some nice weather to test it out. And while Brendan, too, got a bike (tricycle) and helmet for Christmas, Joe's riding experience just wasn't up to par at Brendan's trike speed! So this last weekend the hunt was on for the bicycle seat. And within hours that seat was purchased, installed, and being tested. Next on the list is a bike for mommy and a trailer for Aubrey. Mother's Day IS just around the corner...

Sweet Baby

Child of Mine

So I decided to dig through some old photos, curious of which one of her parents our baby girl looks most like. Eerie similarities to the one on the right don't you think? (Aubrey is obviously the picture in the middle...) Not that I had any doubt at all. So it's Joe on the left and Annie on the right... there's a reason I titled it Child of MINE! :) (all my sweet husband had to say was... "at least we know she'll be good looking!... I love that man.)

Reaching A Milestone

The video is a bit long but I wasn't sure exactly how to shorten it. This happened last night as our baby girl reached a new milestone. She's been sleeping on her tummy for some time now (despite the guidelines to put babies to sleep on their backs.) So I laid her down for bed around 7:45 as I left to go get dessert for me and Joe. When I came back home Joe was rocking her in the rocker and had a smug smile on his face. He had gone in to check on her because she was crying pitifully and suddnely thought to himself "wait a minute... you're not usually looking up at me..." So he rolled her back onto her tummy to see what would happen. Sure enough she pushed herself back onto her back. My wonderful husband, thinking of me and how I'd hate to miss this moment (I'm assuming), ran to get the camera. So this was his attempt at recording one of many "firsts" to come...

Easter

My sweet little guy with one of the two "pity" eggs he got from the big kids whose moms made them give 'em up. I've never seen such a horrible disarray of an Easter Egg Hunt. Ages 1-12 with no limitations. 5000 eggs, big kids with bags FULL, and little kids like mine with sad faces when they realize there are none left for them...

And this is the sad sweet face that I had to look at after all was said and done. It truly broke my heart...

So mommy and daddy decided that, after our morning disappointment, a few hidden eggs at home was a MUST. This was the pure innocent excitement that I had been looking for. The look on his face was priceless each time he found one of those plastic eggs.

And this was my handsome boy on Easter morning, ready for church. Who could resist that sweet little boy face? Pictures of Aubrey in her Easter dress were a little harder to come by. Maybe next year...

Checkup

Although she passed her 4 month mark more than two weeks ago, I took Aubrey to her 4-month checkup just yesterday. The results are in... my "tiny" baby weighs a whopping 15 lbs 3 oz! Holy moly! No wonder it's breaking my back to carry her around in the carseat carrier! Only 24 3/4 inches long. Puts her in the 75th percentile for weight and the 50th for length. I breed short chubby babies! :) And most recently on the list of new developments is the cutting of her very first tooth (as the pediatrician said when she placed her finger in Aubrey's mouth "oh wow, that's not subtle at all!) Yes my dear friends, I have early teethers and it is SO not fun. She has taken to biting when she's nursing and it makes mommy sad. Not only does she "bite" but she bites and pulls as if it's a chew toy! OUCH!! Brendan cut his first tooth a few weeks earlier than this. So I guess I could just be grateful that she put it off a few weeks... but I have no doubt that she too will have 8 teeth by the time she turns 1! Fortunately it hasn't seemed to cause her much misery... it's just mommy who is suffering. :(

Here Comes the Easter Bunny!

I think the picture says it all. :) Will she hate me later for humiliating her in such a way? Maybe... but I just don't care. The part that you can't see is that her shirt, underneath the flowers, says "i can make you smile." Um... that's an understatement baby girl. Not only can you make me smile... you make me beam! Yes, dear, you can make me smile. :)