Aubrey's Watch Me Grow!

Well... sweet, Aubrey - With the best of intentions, I have managed to let our blog slip and with that, your monthly posts have slipped too. I've been mentally documenting all the things I want to record and have managed to take pictures, but life gets a little bit crazier with two kids and time seems to move faster. All that is to say, we love you more than words can describe and fall in love with you more with the passing of each month. You are growing and developing just as you should and we often wish we could press the pause button to savor each stage just a little bit longer.
You are the sweetest child. You go-with-the-flow and are happy to sit and just take in all the sights. You find your sister hilarious and when you used a walker you would chase her all over the house while she flew by on Lightning McQueen. Now that you can walk, you LOVE to grab hold of the back of her shirt and run around after her while you are both giggling uncontrollably.  You are almost always happy.... except whey you're in your booster seat and are hungry, then you grunt and yell at us and sign "more" until you get exactly what you want.
One of your favorite things to do is bonk heads. It's your way of showing affection. You love to lean forward to put your forehead on mine, or Kinsley's and you like to do it over and over again. Your whole face smiles after a good bonk, even if your forehead is all red. :)

Milestones:
Crawling - you were up on all four and starting to get the idea that being mobile was a possibility in late Sept/early Oct. You would scoot around on your tummy and push around with those back legs and could pretty much get to wherever you so desired. On our trip to San Antonio in October, you started to  "officially" crawl at 9 months.
 
Favorite Noises -  From about 8months to 11months, your favorite noise was clicking. You could click louder than any child OR adult I knew. You have since decided that you like to bark like a dog and squeal at your sister often.
Pulling up - You were a bit apprehensive about pulling up. You would crawl over to things but not quite know how to pull up past "standing on your knees." I'm not sure of the exact day but I know we were in the TV room in Charlotte and you pulled up using the couch. I hollered to your daddy in the other room and to Kinsley but no one seemed to be quite as impressed as I was... :) We knew it wasn't long until you took your first steps.

I kept pulling the camera out because I thought "Oh, oh, oh... here she goes, she's going to pull up!" You tricky little thing. :)

First word - Your first word is so fitting for your personality. "HI!" You like to tell everyone. You said this word for the first time to Papa in San Antonio just after New Years. You had babbled other words and sounds but this is the first time there was meaning attached. You had mastered the stairs at Nena and Papa's house and Papa shouted "Hi Aubrey" up to you and you happily said "Hiiii" right back to him. Not long after you said "uh oh."
First tooth - On your first birthday, Jan 8 you cut your FIRST tooth! I was soooo excited.... I was starting to think you were going to have a cute gummy smile forever.  I text the WHOLE family! :)
First steps - Right after Daddy returned home from a trip to San Antonio on Jan 31, you took your first official steps. Two steps from Mommy to Daddy. The whole family was there to witness it!! You continued to add to your step count and now as of March 15, you walk EVERYWHERE.




Nicknames:
Peanut - everyone calls you this... even your sister!
Cacahuete - meaning "peanut" in spanish. Your daddy calls you this often.
Aubrey la boca - Mommy calls you this ALL the time, but Kinsley came up with it. Daddy used to tell Kinsley "abre la boca," which means "open your mouth" in spanish, when it was time to brush her teeth, so one day you were fussing and I called out "Aubrey!!" and from the upstairs in our home in Rochester, I hear "LA BOCA!!!" from Kinsley. And it stuck. :) I sing it often to the Ave Maria song at the top of my lungs and you seem to like that.

Hair: Yep, you needed an entire section of this post just dedicated to your awesome hairdos. I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Rockin' awesome bedhead!

A little mac&cheese makes for a great styling product.

Another angle of the mac&cheese.

More bedhead!

Randomness: Here are a few random pictures of you that make me smile!

That sweet smile! I think this was around 7 months because your hair is so short.

Cuddle time with Mommy.

Striking a pose and flashing that gummy smile!

This is how you often watch me let the dogs out. I love to turn around and see you smiling and waving at me!

Sleeping so soundly with monkey right under your cheek. Oh how you love monkey.

First time I came in and you were standing in your crib. You were SOOO proud!

Next thing I know you're climbing up the step ladder. I had to quickly baby proof the house, including turning all the art table chairs on their side because you also climbed on top of the art table!

Breakfast the morning of your first birthday.

Goofing around with Kinsley. She loves to get in your bed or you get in hers first thing in the morning.

You wanted to put on Mommy's rain boots. I love how they come up to your hips and they are STILL too tall.

Wearing your "wows!" You like to put them on and look around at people to see if they notice you in your sunglasses. 

Trying to help daddy and Kinsley cook. "C'mon guys!! Pleeaasseee!!"

For some reason, you like to try and pick things up with your mouth... toys, balls, even your dinner. Silly girl!

But you can use your spoon too!

Sometimes you just want to cuddle with your daddy. 

Watch Me Grow:

8 MONTHS

9 MONTHS

10 MONTHS

11 MONTHS

12 MONTHS

 I can't believe a full year has come and gone! In fact, you will be 15 months in less than a month! How in the world did that happen?!? I love you so much sweet girl. Your loving, sweet personality brightens our lives more than you will ever know.
We love you peanut!!