March and April 2012

The past two months have been quite eventful but I don't really have any pictures to document all that we have been up to! Need to do better....

Aubrey has really been enjoying Mother's Day Out. Every  day he runs in the room like "I'm here! Let's play!". It still amazes me that they get ten 1 1/2 year olds to lay down on a mat and sleep for an hour and a half. Aubrey is still in his crib so this was a BIG deal for him. I know he loves the activities, play time, crafts and friends there. 

A hat Aubs made at MDO

Aubrey has done better with the terrible two's after a week or two of some serious breakdowns (that includes child and parents, lol). I was so confused as to whether he was ill, hurting, or actually throwing a fit since he has been a happy, easy going child up until this point. (I even had an email typed to send to some of my friends who have degrees in Family and Child Studies as a cry for help in figuring out what was going on! lol) I soon realized that it WAS actually a frustration/power struggle he was dealing with. I had friends of ours laugh when I told them what was going on and our troubles. Some just laughed and replied, "Yeah, that's typical. Welcome to parenthood". After trying different approaches, we have been able to minimize the emotional breakdowns and handle the situations better. PTL! Now, we are praying more often for wisdom on this parenting journey.

Chillin' while watching "George"

We had Spring Break in March and Aubrey enjoyed a trip to Gulf Shores with Momsicle and Popsicle (Seth's parents). From what I hear, he had a great time chasing seagulls, playing in the sand and splashing in the ocean and pool. Seth and I were supposed to enjoy a nice weekend getaway to Dallas while he was away but I came down with a stomach bug. We still got to enjoy some good couple time which included me laying around all weekend and Seth checking off a bunch of tasks from the honey-do list. He was a machine - washed four loads of clothes in one day; weeded, planted pretty spring flowers, and put mulch in the front and back flower; mowed the yard; and cleaned up the house that was neglected from first trimester fatigue! Not to mention taking care of me and getting me chicken noodle soup and medicine when needed. 

 Aubrey's eating habits have improved since he started going to "school"/MDO. He is trying a wider variety of foods. He tried broccoli, olives, pasta/spaghetti, and other prepared dishes. Some he liked...others he did not but he still would try them without any push. We did switch to Soy milk since we found he is probably lactose intolerant. He did have peanuts (I have been super cautious about this since a friend of ours is highly allergic) and peanut butter a few times recently without any reaction. One day while I was getting ready, he came to see me in the bathroom and was holding a yummy World's Finest chocolate bar. I think he really wanted it or couldn't get it open because he ate right through the packaging! Needless to say, we now have a child lock on the pantry because he likes to go in and get whatever he pleases. Aubrey is wearing size 18/24 month tops, 12 or 18 month bottoms (his shorts from last summer still fit him!). He weighs 25lbs.

His vocabulary is pretty amazing. He talks and repeats what he hears A LOT. I often hear from his teacher at school that when all the kids lay down for their nap Aubrey is just jabbering away (which is typical for him when he goes to bed) and she will say, "Hush! We don't want to wake the other kids up" and he says loudly back at her, "Hush!". Every morning, I love waking up to the sound of him talking. Sometimes, I think he is singing.   When we told Aubrey he was going to have a little sister and her name was Kate, he said "Cake! Cake!". That boy loves cake and knows if there is a birthday then there is cake! We stopped saying her name to him for a few weeks so he didn't get confused and upset at Kate and there not being any cake! 

This was supposed to be his Easter outfit but he didn't get to wear it since he was sick.

We have been spending a lot of time outside enjoying the Spring weather. Aubrey loves to dig in the dirt, water the flowers, and anything else that involves being outdoors. He has become quite the helper and loves to "fix-it" or "work" with Daddy. He recently started to pretend he was making cookies. He loves it when I bake and is always very interested in the process, especially watching things cook in the oven. We took his paci away recently and he did well. I think he had a strong bond with it and misses it.  Next, we are moving him to a big boy bed and I'm not at all ready for that! I know he loves his crib and I'm scared to give him the freedom to get up out of bed! He is all boy and is growing up so much and so fast! 

We love you Aubrey and are so blessed to be your parents. You make us smile and laugh every day! 

Happy 2nd Birthday!