Aubrey crawling with Maggie

Uncle Alex

Aubrey and Uncle Alex!

Cousins : )

Isabella, Aubrey and Alexandra... Adorable as can be!

Godparents

Over the weekend Cameron, Aubrey, and I made a quick trip down to California to be apart of the twins baptism. Cameron and I are so honored to be godparents to Alexandra and Isabella.

Our Tiny Little Dancer

During pregnancy Cameron and I used to always refer to Aubrey as our "tiny dancer." Cameron loves classical music and we both felt it was important to introduce her to music as early as possible. Each night I placed headphones on my belly for at least an hour. As soon as quickening began around 20 weeks I felt these movements to be very rhythmic especially when I played Beethoven's "Fur Elise." A few weeks ago when we were out shopping at nordstrom rack Aubrey reached out her little hand and grasped a pink tutu dress as we were squeezing through the clothes racks. Most likely a coincidence but I can't help but imagine she was choosing her first outfit. As soon as we got home I put her new tutu dress on and started another photo session. Aubrey loved the sparkles and the feel of the tutu! Here are some of the pictures.

Forest Park July 2010

Hawaii July 2010

Aubrey's reaction to her first taste of green beans... Love this expression... I couldn't help but laugh!

6 Months!

6 months already?!

Baby Blues

Aubrey's 6 Month Stats

Weight: 15 lbs 4 oz - 35 percentile

Length: 26.5 inches - 77 percentile

Head Circ: 16.9 inches - 66 percentile

To compare:

Aubrey's 4 Month Stats

Weight: 13.3 lbs - 40 percentile

Length: 24.5 inches - 60 percentile

Head Circ: 16.5 inches - 75 percentile

Aubrey did a lot better at her appointment this time around. Cameron was able to meet us at the doctors office for her big 6 month appointment. Everything went well and other than a short lived fever 6 hours post shots Aubrey bounced back quickly. We were able to re-confirm that she has a benign condition known as physiological anisocoria. Basically this means that she has unequal pupils (her left is bigger than the right) without a known cause or reason. I noticed this difference when she was about 2 months old. Since the phrase "pupils equal and reactive to light" (PEARL) is the basis of a healthy neurological assessment my nursing brain went into overdrive. In May Aubrey was seen by a specialist and all possible causes were ruled out. She did great during all the tests. She even had those eye drops put in to dialate her pupils for part of the exam. Ends up my little girl has character and will always have a difference in pupil size. Which is just another reason to fall in love with her "baby blues."

Daycare Visits

July 6th is the big day! I start back at work and more importantly Aubrey starts daycare. She will be 3 days shy of her 6 month birthday. Recently we have started visiting her daycare for a few hours at a time. July 1st and 2nd will be our "practice run" days. Although my feelings are mixed I know in the end 3 days a week will be good for the both of us. I also know that I have to remain strong for her. Last week she got very excited when interacting with the other babies and seemed to enjoy this. At the moment she is the youngest and the least mobile. This is a little scary sometimes because they are very interested in her and I seem to be constantly blocking them from crawling on top of her. On the plus side all the babies seemed very happy and the attendants are very experienced. Aubrey was EXHAUSTED when we got home I just had to take some pictures. Here she is passed out after our daycare outing. Also, notice how she is holding on to her favorite toy... I had to retrieve it from the other babies a couple of times during the visit. When I gave back to her she would not let go of it! : )

5 Months!

Aubrey's 5 month stats

Rolls over from tummy to back

Laughs when teased by Mom or Dad

Loves to talk and squeal

Loves to smile

Has 2 teeth

Can pull off her socks

Loves her daily reading hour with Mom

Is grabbing everything within reach

Pulls off Daddy's glasses right off his face

Arms move up and down when she gets excited

Still loves grabbing her toes/feet

Loves it when Mom sings the "wheels on the bus"

Morning Smiles

Aubrey wakes up between 7 and 8. She occasionally wakes up as early as 6:3o but this is the result of a much needed diaper change and returns to bed until 8. I wish I could accurately capture her AMAZING morning smile but the camera never does it justice! Being greeted with her smile is the most rewarding part of my motherhood journey so far. Here is a picture of her taken right when I entered her room this morning. By morning, both her arms become free of the swaddle but she still remains "my little burrito."

Bedtime

Her bedtime routine starts with changing her into her nightgown. She loves having her tops taken off. I pull her arms out of her top and gather up the material near her neck and smile while saying "1 - 2 - 3." I then quickly pull the top over her head. She loves this and giggles every time! We only use the crib for bedtime (she naps in the pack n play) so, she gets excited when I lay her down in it. I swaddle her tight but leave out her left arm so she can soothe herself (thumb sucking) back to sleep if she wakes up during the night. I sing her a quick song and then wind up her mobile which always puts a smile on her face. Night night Aubrey... I miss her so much during the night and become completely entertained by watching her on the video monitor. I always look forward to her first morning smiles.

More pictures of Aubrey's toe touching skills

How Aubrey became a Babywise baby...

Tomorrow Aubrey is 5 months old! I'm excited and can't wait to take lots of pictures. She is a true "Babywise Baby."

The last 1.5 months of pregnancy I went on disability due to my increasing severity of a common pregnancy complication called Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD). It is common for all pregnant women to experience some degree of SPD especially towards the end. However, I started becoming symptomatic at 14 weeks and the pain only escalated as the pregnancy progressed. The gap between my pelvic/pubic bones increased and became so uneven I could actually feel and hear my bones "crunch" with each step. I remember coming home from work at 20 weeks and experiencing intense, gut wrenching, I can't even make the few steps to my bed type of pain. I knew I was in trouble when at 28 weeks the pain started as early as my lunch break versus the end of shift and at 30 weeks it escalated to 24 hr around the clock pain. My doctor wanted me to stop working early on and as he put it "limit your steps throughout the day and remain seated as much as possible." Well, telling a nurse to stay seated is nearly impossible. At 34 weeks I finally saw the light... I remember waking up in pain, crying through my shower, and screaming as soon as I lifted my leg to put my scrub pants on. I somehow managed to make it to my car and and drove to work. When I realized that I wasn't sure if I could make the walk to "my office" it was time to throw in the towel. Luckily I have a very understanding boss and after loads of paper work I went on short term disability.

As soon as my papers were filed my pain became so intense I was by all definitions of the phrase ... bed bound. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my facebook visits did not increase but instead I read a lot. We do not have a TV in our bedroom and still unable to fall asleep until 3 am Cameron graciously retreated to the blow up mattress in the nursery. This bed became my desk and in addition to one over heated pregnant lady and one fat cat, it held all types of magazines and books. One of my main topics of focus became "how to get an infant to sleep through the night." I read up on many if not all of the sleep training philosophies which ultimately lead me to feeding philosophies which I discovered go hand in hand with each other. This is when I learned the principles "On Becoming Baby wise" which is commonly refereed to as the "Babywise method."

Aubrey has absolutely flourished on the Babywise schedule. She has such a sweet and calm disposition. Keeping her on a "feed - waketime - nap" schedule has allowed her to not associated sleep with feeding and vice versa. Parent directed feeding (PDF) has helped to set her internal clock which has given her the ability to self soothe during the later hours. At 5 months she sleeps 10 hours a night, feeds 5 times a day, and takes 4 scheduled naps per day. I believe it gives her s sense of security that she knows "what comes next" and rarely does she have to cry to communicate hunger. Thank Goodness for Babywise!

Her day goes something like this:

up at 7 or 7:30
feeding at 8:00

nap at 9:30
feeding at 11:30
nap at 1:30/1:45
feed at 2:30
cat nap at 4:45
feed at 5:30
nap 7:00/7:30
feed at 8:30
Night Night by 9:15

Wakes up 10 hours latter

Baby Teeth

The average timeline of teething is 6 - 12 months so when Aubrey started showing signs of teething at 3 months I just assumed it was the normal developmental stage of "mouthing." After a day or two of extreme fussiness a small bump appeared at the bottom of her gum line. Still unconvinced... I had one of my mommy friends assess the bump and she was quick to point out that she also felt a bump and was sure it was a tooth. Sure enough, a few days later at 3 months of age Aubrey's first tooth appeared. 3 weeks later, without any warning or fussing a second tooth appeared.

March 2010 Saratoga visit

We met the twins last March. Alexandra and Isabella are so adorable! It was Aubrey's first flight and she did wonderfully. Cameron was able to upgrade us to first class which is extremely helpful when traveling with a baby. We hope this does not ruin her ability to fly coach in the future. : )

Holden Beach, N.C.

Last April my oldest friend in the world Brian Deaton and his wife Yoshiko came to visit us in Portland. I remember holding Brian when he was Aubrey's age. I've been told that when I was 5 I used to tote Brian around like he was "my baby." I've even been told that I taught him how to walk. We were neighbors in Georgia and over the years our families have continued to vacation together in Holden Beach, N.C. I was so happy to share Holden Beach with Cameron last summer. 20 weeks pregnant Cameron, my parents and I traveled back to Holden Beach and shared a house with Larry, Patti, Brian, Yoshiko, Ashley, and Joseph. When we arrived we discovered that Ashley, due in March, was about 12 weeks pregnant also with a girl. Including the Boesenberg twins we will have 4 girls all within 2 months of each other. I cannot wait to travel back to the beach when all 4 girls are about 3 years of age! Holden Beach... over 25 years of wonderful memories!

Aubrey loves touching her toes! Spends at least 2 hours a day doing this.

Baby Smiles

The moment I laid eyes on my beautiful daughter I fell in love. However, the last 2 months this love has grown to the point where I feel like I could just burst! Of course I loved my newborn the minute she entered this world but, I clearly remember that feeling when she first smiled AT ME. I was changing her diaper when I looked up at her face and there it was... a big toothless baby grin her eyes fixated on mine. It was like a light went on inside me and in amazement I was like... ok... this is what I've been doing all this work for. From that day on her smiles bring me such joy. Every morning when I enter her room after I hear she has awaken I'm met with this gorgeous smile. It is almost like she is surprised to see me after 10 hours of sleeping. Never in my adult life have I been a morning person and smiling well... not before my morning coffee. Having a baby changes that. You can't help but smile at this little girl who already thinks the world of you and her smiles just melt your heart.

4 months - White Coat Syndrome

Aubrey had her 4 month baby well visit last May. We absolutely adore her pediatrician. She is very kind, down to earth, and most importantly has a relaxing affect on us. This is important especially for me because when it comes to health matters I can be a bit of an alarmist. This of course is not all my fault after all I was diagnosed with a somewhat rare autoimmune disorder ITP just 1 month after Cameron and I became engaged. Currently, I've been enjoying 18 months of treatment free remission. In addition to my health battles my occupation also greatly contributes. I work in Oncology/Hematology in infusion therapy. The majority of my patients are living with some type of cancer diagnosis. Whether or not they are receiving palliative or curative treatment they are all in my mind survivors. Their courage and strength amaze me everyday. Some of their stories can be a bit disconcerting especially those whose diagnosis were delayed ultimately leading to a poorer prognoses. I have heard many, many, stories. I have learned that an unexplained symptom should never be ignored. For example, some of my patients were continuously referred to physical therapy for that "unexplained pain" only to discover a large and poorly differentiated tumor months later. So, having a pediatrician that has a calming affect on us is just what the doctor ordered.

Aubrey's 4 month stats:

Weight: 13.3 lbs - 40 percentile

Length: 24.5 inches- 60 percentile

Head Circ: 16.5 inches- 75 percentile

Aubrey must have had some flash backs from her previous appointments because the moment the medical assistant (the same one who has given her her shots) started measuring her she started to fuss. One minute later (we haven't even seen the MD yet) she is in a full blown meltdown. Nothing was going to stop her from crying at this point. Her pediatrician came in and performed her assessment calm, cool, collected as usual. It did not seem to phase her that Aubrey was screaming her head off. She was even able to listen to her lungs through her stethoscope without hesitation. It was then the MAs turn as she entered with her 4 month vaccinations. 40 minutes had elapsed by then and Aubrey was still screaming. She had never cried this long, this hard, and in a public setting for that matter. As I left the office I saw little scared faces in the waiting room as I try to sneak out a screaming baby. We made it into the car and the crying finally ceased. Poor little Aubrey. Looks like we have an extreme case of the "white coat syndrome."

Ready to be a Mama!

The morning of January 9, 2010. Waiting impatiently for Aubrey to arrive. We were admitted on January, 8 at 8:00 pm to start the induction process. I was so excited I could only sleep for 2 hours even with the help of sleep aids.

1-09-10 at 5:35 pm 7 pounds 13 oz and 19.5 in

The Day Our Family Grew By Two Feet...


Aubrey Paige Jackson born with some strawberry blonde hair! The day our lives changed forever.