The Hardest Thing I've Had To Do...

This past week Rob and I had noticed that Aubrey had been spitting up more than normal. This was a gradual change and we really began to get concerned when she started to have projectile vomiting (I know this is really gross). After talking with some experienced moms I figured this was just a case of acid reflux so I made an appointment to see her pediatrician.

On Thursday I took her to get checked out. The Dr. was a little concerned when she felt a knot on Aubrey’s Pyloric Valve. This is the valve that allows food to move out of the stomach and into the intestines. If this valve thickens and creates a blockage, the only remedy is surgery. Naturally I immediately began to worry when hearing this news. The Dr. suggested an ultrasound to get a look at it. So I followed the pediatrician’s orders and made Aubrey fast, except for a bottle of pedialyte when she woke up. Poor baby ate at 9:30 on Thursday night and didn’t have another meal until 4:00pm Friday. Yes that’s right 19.5 hrs!!! Aubrey was STARVING and let me hear about it all day long. This is by far the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. Every time she would cry and real tears were flowing I would tear up as well. Not being able to feed my baby was heartbreaking.

So Friday afternoon Aubrey and I arrived at the hospital for her ultrasound. Her appointment was at 1:15 but we were told we had to be checked in 30 minutes before her appointment. I don’t know why we had to be there so early when we sat and waited for 2 hours before seeing a Dr. I’m sure the receptionists were annoyed with me, because I kept reminding them that we were waiting and that my 3 month old has been fasting and is STARVING. Finally we were called back to the imaging center and the Dr. began the ultrasound only to find out that they were unable to get a clear view of Aubrey’s stomach.

The Dr. informs me that we are now going to have to have an Upper GI done. So we move on down to radiology and little Miss Aubrey was given a bottle of barium, yuck, while they x-rayed her stomach. She was such a good girl during her test and she inhaled that barium, like I said she was starving. After a few minutes of watching the barium enter her stomach we finally saw it empty, and I let out a sigh of relief when the Dr. said “everything looks beautiful, there is no blockage in the pyloric, she just has a bad case of acid reflux. She will be just fine.” Once we got home, the pediatrician gave me a call and confirmed the results of the UGI and called in a prescription. I was so happy and exhausted from our long and stressful day; it took most of Saturday to recover! Rob and I are just so happy Aubrey does not have a more serious problem and will have relief with the medicine and will most likely grow out of it within the next few months.

Praise God!

Easter 2011/ 3 Months!

I was late getting Aubrey’s 2 month update posted and now I’m late on my Easter and 3 month update. Oh the life of a working mommy.

Let’s start with Aubrey’s first Easter. We had a great time celebrating this exciting first. We began by spending Saturday evening with my parents, my brother and his family and my little sister and her fiancé. We had a great time just hanging out by the pool and eating great food. Easter Sunday, we woke up early and headed out to the Woodlands to spend the day with Rob’s Mom and Grandmother. We went to church then had brunch at the Woodlands Country Club. The food was delicious as always and I ate WAY TO MUCH! It is so fun to celebrate all of Aubrey’s firsts, but I really can’t wait till next year when she can actually participate in all the fun. So this year she received her Easter baskets and eggs and next year she will be hunting those eggs!

The week after Easter Aubrey had her 3 month birthday (on May 6)! Oh my goodness, my baby is getting so big! I know I say this all the time, but I really can’t believe how much she has changed from our first meeting on February 6.

Miss Aubrey,

You have brought so much joy and happiness to your Mommy and Daddy’s lives. Even though our lives have changed drastically since your birth we would not change a thing. In fact I feel like you have been a part of our family all along and I cannot image going a day without seeing your sweet smiling face.

This month, you have become even more vocal and “talkative.” So much so, that you had a “conversation” with Mommy for 20 minutes this evening. Your little personality is beginning to really come out and you find a lot of Mommy and Daddy’s silly faces, and antics funny. Every night you giggle so much, it is the cutest thing.

Just like last month, you really love to sit up and look at everything. Your bumbo chair and your boppy pillow allow you to sit and take in all the sights. You really don’t like to miss a thing. You are getting stronger every month. You have recently started trying to sit up when you are reclined. You flex your stomach muscles and pull your head up almost to where you are sitting upright. You have also gained more eye-hand coordination. You have started to hold your bottle when we feed you and you will even put your pacifier back in your mouth when it starts to fall out. You haven’t rolled over yet but you are getting really good at arching and pushing up.

Daddy had to return to work a week earlier than expected so we had to rearrange your daycare arrangements. You were shuffled between family members and friends for two weeks, Mommy thought this might be hard on you but you were not phased at all. You stuck to your schedule and had so much fun. Aubrey, you are such a good girl and all of your babysitters this month said you were a delight to take care of.

Sweet girl, Mommy and Daddy love you so much. You have such a sweet, calm and quiet personality and we so thankful for you.

Trying to sit up!

My first Easter April 24, 2011

2 Months!

Happy 2 month birthday sweet Aubrey!!! This has been quite a month for you! You slept through the night for the first time when you were 5 weeks old. YAY!!! Mommy was so worried when I woke up and realized I hadn’t fed you all night. I ran into your room to check on you and you were still sleeping soundly. Mommy and Daddy are so thankful you are a good sleeper.

This first night of uninterrupted sleep was actually the night before we left for Lubbock, which happened to be your first road trip. You were such a good girl on our long drive and you had so much fun meeting your Aunt Sarah, Uncle Paul and cousins Jonas and Collins. You and Collins were born just four weeks apart so it will be so much fun to watch you two girls grow up together.

Aubrey you are so strong and growing so fast. You are now able to hold your head up and turn both ways so smoothly. Sometimes your head still bobbles but most of the time you have great control over it. You also love to be on your tummy. You like to arch up with both your arms and legs showing us how strong and flexible you are. You also like to pull your knees underneath you while on your tummy. Sleeping on your tummy is technically a no-no, but you really love to take naps on your tummy.

Daddy took you to your 2 month Dr. appointment. Your visit went well however, you had to have four vaccines, one oral and three shots…OUCH!!! Daddy said you really did not like getting your shots, two in your left leg and one in your right, but you calmed down and went to sleep as soon as he picked you up. You really are growing so fast. You weighed in at 8lb. 13oz and 22 1/2 in. long. Dr. Ramsey said we should really watch you because you are already starting to try to rollover and she thinks you could soon.

You are also turning into a social butterfly. We have gone to several parties and get-togethers and you love to sit up and watch other people. You are so alert and bright eyed and you just love to interact. You are also becoming more vocal. You like to “talk” to Mommy and you love the sound of your little voice.

Aubrey you have started Daddy Day Care this month since Mommy had to return to work. You are having so much fun with your Daddy during the day. You guys play, read books and yes you even learn about ducks. You are your Daddy’s daughter after all. One day you two took a day trip to a boat and hunting store. Daddy said when you started to get fussy he took you to look at the ducks and immediately you stopped crying and you couldn’t take your eyes off the ducks. You are so lucky to have a Daddy who can stay home with you for a few weeks. You two are creating such a great bond.

Aubrey Elizabeth, Mommy and Daddy love you more and more every single day. I know that’s hard to understand but it’s true. You bring so much joy to our lives and we are so blessed to be your parents.

Hope

I’ve been planning to write this post for a while now but for some reason I just kept forgetting to! Back in December at my baby shower my sisters surprised me with hope cards. Instead of playing shower games they came up with the idea of having all of my guests write hopes for Aubrey. Kate, our sweet family friend, designed the hope cards to match Aubrey’s nursery theme and each card had a different hope prompt. With these prompts our sweet family and friends wrote beautiful, inspiring and encouraging hopes for Aubrey and they have made a beautiful keepsake for her. I like to read a different hope to Aubrey before putting her to bed at night, it’s just so nice to be reminded of how many people love this little girl so much. I truly appreciate every one of these hope cards and my prayer is that Aubrey grows to be just as Godly and lovely as the women who wrote them. So I thought I would share a few of my favorite hopes with you.

Hopes for Aubrey…

I hope you never forget…. “to say I love you Mommy and Daddy”

I hope you love… “JESUS ‘cause He sure loves you!”

I hope that you… “follow your dreams!”

I hope you aren’t afraid… “to ask for guidance when you need it. Someone will always be there to help you when you need it”

I hope you respect... “yourself, your mama and daddy and others around you"

I hope you become… “a lady of grace, integrity, honor, love, and faith"

I hope you grow… “in grace and beauty- filled with confidence and love, knowing you are loved and blessed.”

I hope you aren’t afraid… “because you know the great love with which you are loved. 1 John 4:18 'There is no fear in love, perfect love drives out fear’"

I hope you laugh… “easily at yourself and don’t take things too seriously. Be sure to laugh at least once every day.”

I hope you love… “The Lord as much as your mom, dad, and family do. Remember He created you for a special purpose and you are His daughter!”

I hope you never forget… “That Jesus loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life! Cling to Him!”

I hope you laugh… “with and at your mommy and daddy, and that your life is flooded with joy!”

I hope you become… “a person of integrity, a person who smiles a lot, a person who loves people, and a person full of grace for yourself and others.”

I hope you grow… “up to be just as beautiful as your mommy!”

From Lubbock to The Woodlands

The past two weeks have been super busy with traveling, and just the everyday stuff so here are some highlights.

• This Spring Break Rob, Aubrey and I went to Lubbock to meet a new member of our family, Collins Faith Maney. Collins was born on March 9 just 4 weeks and 4 days after Aubrey was born and I can’t wait to see these two cousins become great friends. I really enjoyed spending time with my sister Sarah and our two precious girls. It’s so fun to be going through this stage together with my big sister.
• On Thursday we headed to The Woodlands for some time with Mimi (Rob’s Mom) and Nana. Our jam-packed day included a visit to Forest Park to visit Bob’s memorial. This was the first time visiting since Aubrey’s birth and it was a very special day as Rob got to introduce his daughter to his Dad. Bob passed away a month before I found out I was pregnant with Aubrey and we all wish he could be here to watch her grow, I know he would have loved this little girl so much. After visiting the memorial, we headed to lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, so delicious, and then to see Aubrey’s picture on display at the photography studio we had her newborn pictures taken. It was so fun to see a huge picture of our pretty girl on display and some of her other photos on the big screen slide show. As we walked in the studio a lady with her little girl was complimenting Aubrey’s photo and one of the staff members just laughed and said, “There is the little model right there!” So we had to have a picture by her photo. We have a budding model on our hands. Then of course we had to stop by Potterybarn Kids and Janie and Jack for some souvenirs.
• Aubrey is 6 weeks old this week, which means I only have one more week of maternity leave. I don’t want to go back, I wish I could stay home with Miss A but I know I have to finish the school year. So Daddy will be taking over Mommy duty during the day for 4 more weeks. Yes friends, Rob has more paternity leave than I do! I’m so glad Rob will be able to spend so much time with his little girl, I just hope he doesn’t go overboard with the hunting brainwashing ;)

Cousins Jonas and Collins Maney with Aubrey

Sarah and I with Collins and Aubrey

(sometimes you just need a good cry)

Happy girls!

Our little family at Bob's memorial

Rob telling Aubrey about her Papa Bob

Posing by Aubrey's photo on display

Love those baby blues (Aubrey at 6 wks)

Welcome to Parenthood

In the one whole month I’ve been a mommy (I know I’m so experienced, Ha!) I have found myself saying one of two phrases, “Mama said there’d be days like this…” and “welcome to parenthood, Kelly”. In the past month I have been learning a LOT about my sweet baby and even more about myself. Some lessons are difficult and trying and others humorous and silly but all are lessons worth learning.

Here are just a few of my “welcome to parenthood” moments.

1. Babies need a sleep schedule the minute they pop out or else you spend four weeks with a baby that loves to sleep all day and be up screaming all night, literally. I love Aubrey but when she only sleeps for one hour at night, and that hour isn’t even a consecutive hour, you tend to think she must really hate her parents. Why else would she treat us this badly? Needless to say, we are working on sleep training to get this problem and it is a problem in check. Ahhh, welcome to parenthood, Kelly.

2. Moms and Dads beware, girls can pee and poop on you too! Trust me, it’s not just for little boys. Aubrey has successfully “anointed” Rob, Grandma and me more than once, for each of us! Seriously I think she gets joy out of it, especially from the poop incident of 2011, as we will always refer to it. One afternoon while I was changing Aubrey’s diaper, suddenly in an instant I scream and jump back as there is poop flying four feet through the air and landing on our living room carpet. Yes my friends, projectile poop. Good thing we have a great carpet cleaner that cleaned it right up. Rob and I couldn’t get upset; it was just too funny! So, I’ve learned to change her diaper in record time. A very messy welcome to parenthood, Kelly and Rob.

3. When planning to go somewhere decide how long you need to get ready and get your baby ready and then add at least 30 more minutes. Seriously I feel like we are late for everything! Simply because it takes FOREVER to get Aubrey and myself ready to leave. The reason being, that right before we walk out the door Aubrey will spit up on herself or me and a wardrobe change is in effect. So I’ve learned to wait till you are literally about to walk out the front door to dress the two of us. Which brings me to my next point, stock up on laundry detergent because I do a load of laundry just about every day! – “Tide”ings and welcome to parenthood, Kelly

4. Rob and I love taking pictures of sweet Aubrey. So much in fact that we are those parents who bring the camera everywhere! I never thought I would be this type of parent, but I totally am. Seriously folks we are going to embarrass Aubrey so much when she’s older because we are like the paparazzi. Totally out of control with the picture taking and I LOVE it! We will never have this time again, and she is growing so fast we just want to have as many documented memories as possible, even if we are completely obnoxious and obsessed with it. So thank you Hubs for my totally awesome Canon EOS Rebel XS, a serious camera for serious picture takers – again, Welcome to parenthood, Kelly

5. I never thought I could forget to eat. I mean I love food and I’ve always been very sensitive to my hunger pangs. Once my body says I’m hungry I need food and PRONTO. Well, not so much anymore. I guess being a new mommy = so busy you can totally forget to eat. I’m really trying hard to remember to sit down and eat something; anything and I give myself bonus points for eating something healthy. Seriously Kelly, remember to eat, it’s good for you and it will keep you from dying from starvation. Oh and once again, welcome to parenthood.

One Month

Happy One-Month Birthday, Aubrey!

My precious Aubrey, I can’t believe how quickly a month has past since your birth. You are already changing and growing so much! You are such a happy baby and you do so well when we are out running errands and visiting family. Everyday you show your Daddy and I more of your personality. You love to make faces and smile and I’ve even caught you giggling a time or two. You are spending more time “playing” with your toys and you love being on your tummy. You love to snuggle up with Daddy or me and sleep on our chests. You love to sleep; we are still working on getting you on a better sleep schedule so that you spend more time sleeping through the night. Within the first two weeks since your birth you have gained over one pound and I’m anxious to see how much you’ve gained since then. You have already began to show us how strong you are by pulling your legs in while you are on your tummy and kicking them out quickly making you scoot a little bit. Are we going to be an early crawler?

Aubrey, Mommy and Daddy love you so much and we are so blessed to have you apart of our lives. And, we can’t wait to see what this next month brings for you sweet girl.

Our little family at the Woodlands Rodeo Kick-Off Dinner.