3 Month Pictures

Daddy finally gave in and let us get 3 month pictures taken.  :)  We didn't have a very good experience while getting them taken; however, Aubrey didn't let that stop her from showing off her smiles and giggles.  Of course she was getting annoyed and unhappy towards the end (I would too having a stranger handle you and pull you this way and that, trying to position you just right), but there were quite a few cute pictures!  She was a trooper the whole time.  Daddy and mommy ended up buying too many pictures because we could not decide which ones we wanted.  Guess that's how it goes though, right?

Aubrey seems to be doing really good at daycare and has adjusted well. They do a lot of rattle play at daycare, so Aubrey has taken a new interest in all of her rattles at home.  It's fun to see her face light up when we play with them!

 

Not Much of a Smile

 

A Little More of a Smile

Looking at the Camera

 

Happy Girl

Thinking Hard

Trying out the Swing

 

Big Girl in the Bumbo

Aubrey and Mommy

Sleeping Peacefullly

Loving Mr. Froggy

 

3 Month Update

Aubrey is officially 3 months!  Wow...where has the time gone?  It's amazing how much our little baby has grown and how much more she interacts with us now.  Grandpa Trost asked me the other day if motherhood is what I thought it would be and I told him No, it's much more!  Yes, we have sleep deprivation and it seems like one day runs into the next with no breather; however, no one can ever describe the feeling of being a mom no matter how hard they try.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, I cannot believe how much love I can have for someone who has only been in my life for such a short period of time.  I am more amazed each day with how God could provide us with such a perfect little baby who makes our life so much more complete.  I guess motherhood has also made me a bit sappier!

Aubrey's "loves" this month:

• People talking.  Aubrey loves people talking to her and even started talking back.
• Smiling.  Aubrey has started smiling so much more.
• Ceiling fan and TV.  They completely catch her attention and hold it for quite awhile.
• Putting Hand in Mouth.  Aubrey has always enjoyed sucking a finger or two, but this month she has started trying to put her whole hand in her mouth.  She is quite talented!

 

Happy Father's Day

Happy 1st Father's Day to the best Daddy in the world!!  Seeing Daddy interact with Aubrey each and every day makes me have a new-found love and respect for him.  He is such a hands-on dad and does so much for Aubrey and me.  It's amazing the things he does without complaining....middle of the night feedings, poopy diaper changes, baths, calming Aubrey when she's crying, making dinners, cleaning, and the list goes on.  I couldn't ask for a better husband or a better Daddy for our daughter.  We love you!

We went to Yutan to see Grandpa Trost for Father's Day and also were able to see Papa Cave and Great Grandpa Cave on Father's Day.  A busy day, but we were so happy to see everyone!

Grilling With Daddy

Bedtime Reading with Mommy

Giving Daddy His Father's Day

Snuggling With Grandpa Trost

Tears and More Tears

Well, my first week of work is done and over with.  Thank goodness!  While I loved seeing everyone at work and getting back to the last release of our 2-year project, I missed Aubrey every second of every day I was at work. Monday was horrible....there you have it.  I cried while running in the morning.  I cried getting ready for work.  I cried getting Aubrey ready for her first day at daycare.  I cried kissing her good-bye and had the hardest time leaving the house.  I cried on the drive to work.  I cried whenever someone asked me about Aubrey and I even cried sitting by myself at my desk.  I made it until 1:30 before calling daycare to see how she was doing and of course she was doing great.  I shot out of work at 3:30 on the dot to go pick up Aubrey and cried when I saw her.  I couldn't put her down when we got home...I just held her until Daddy got home, then I even cried some more.  Everyone says it gets better, so I was hopeful for Tuesday.  Well, it was worse than Monday!  I think it started settling in that it wasn't just a one-day thing and that it was going to be Monday-Friday from now on.  The week did eventually get better and by Thursday, I wasn't crying throughout the day.  I still got teary-eyed leaving Aubrey, but it wasn't nearly as bad as the first couple of days.  Daddy has made it much easier for me for the fact that he takes her to day-care every morning.  I couldn't bear the idea of having to be the one leaving her there.  He's much stronger than I am!

Aubrey is a very good baby at daycare and seems to really like her teachers, Ms. Pat and Ms. Becky.  They are so sweet and caring towards her, so that does make me feel better.  And seeing a smile on Aubrey's face when I go to pick her up makes my day.  Just hope it gets easier for me being away from her!  This is definitely harder for me than it is for her!

Grandma and Grandpa Trost also helped with the transition to daycare. Aubrey spent Friday with them and loved every minute of it!  It put my mind to ease knowing Aubrey was with loved ones the last day of my first week at work.  And it definitely made my day getting pictures of her throughout the day from them!  They are thinking of making this a routine, so we will see!  I know we would all love it!

Oh, and for that morning routine....I haven't made it out the door on time yet.  It's so hard leaving Aubrey's smiling face in the morning!  I'm so lucky to have such an understanding boss who knows what it's like coming back to work from maternity leave.  Maybe next week will be better.  :)

First Day at Daycare

Goofy Girl

Picture Before Heading to Work

Exhausted After Daycare 

Snuggling With Daddy

Friday at Grandma and Grandpa Trost's

Talking to Grandma Trost

Back to Reality

Tomorrow is the official dreaded day....my first day back at work!  I cannot believe how fast the 12 weeks went.  Before going out on maternity leave, I figured I would want to get back to work after 8-10 weeks at home, but I sure am glad I took all 12.  Everyone had told me to take 12 weeks if I could because I would never get back that time with Aubrey while she was a newborn and they sure were right.  I am so lucky to have such an amazing husband who had told me from day one of our pregnancy that I could do whatever I wanted and we would make it work (in regards to taking time off that is).  I also thought that I would have no problems going back to work.  Boy was I sure wrong!!!  I started breaking down 2 weeks before going back every time I thought about leaving our precious baby.  I am super excited to see all of my work friends and am even a bit excited to get into a work routine, but I'm sure going to miss spending every moment with our daughter.  I sure hope I'm not too much of a mess in the morning. We will see!

This week, Daddy and I decided to figure out our morning work routine and play it out each morning.  Well, I'm happy to say that by Friday, we finally made it "out the door" on time.  Just hope all this planning makes it for an easier transition tomorrow!  I just wonder how long I will be able to go waking up at 4:30 every morning to get everything done I want to before work.  I'm optimistic!

Aubrey went to her first wedding this weekend with Grandma and Grandpa Trost.  They said she was such a sweet little baby and everyone at the wedding loved seeing her.  Grandma and Grandpa Cave stayed at our house last night, so Aubrey was lucky enough to see both sets of grandparents in one weekend!

Exhausted From Playing with Her Jungle Mat

Loving Her Bouncer

Okay, One Small Smile

Making the Move

Daddy and I have been talking for weeks now about how we need to move Aubrey to her crib, but I just couldn't make the move.  I loved having our daughter close to me and I loved being able to just look over at her and see her peacefully sleeping (ok, maybe not peacefully....she makes more noises in her sleep than anyone I know).  Well, I'm proud to announce that finally, at 11 weeks old, Aubrey is now officially sleeping in her crib!  I guess I was just so nervous about her being on her own in a room across the house from us.  That's why there are monitors, right?  Jason and I discussed getting the video monitors, but I knew if we got them, I would just stare at her all night long on the monitor instead of getting some sleep for myself.  I got up almost every hour the first night to check on Aubrey to see if all was going well and of course she was snoozing away each time.  Why do moms worry so much?  Is it true what they say that moms never stop worrying from the minute their child is born?  

Man, I thought Jason was the worrisome person between the two of us, but I found that I have become almost as bad as him ever since Aubrey entered the world (I said "almost").  I need to toughen up....one worried parent is enough!

Sleeping at Hy-Vee

Sticking Her Tongue Out At The Camera

At Caleb's Baseball Game With Aunt Kristi

Not Liking The Camera

First Night in Her Crib

Girls Weekend at G & G Trost's

Daddy went to Arizona this weekend for one of his good friend's wedding, so Aubrey and I spent our first night alone together on Thursday, then went out to Grandma and Grandpa Trost's for the weekend.  We had such a relaxing weekend.  Grandpa and Grandma spoiled us...especially Mommy since Aubrey slept in Grandma and Grandpa's room and they would get up with her at night.  Even though we had such a great weekend, we missed Daddy and were so happy to see him today.  Daddy and I had debated about either Mommy going with him and Aubrey staying home or the three of us making the trip together, but I had decided to stay home with Aubrey and let Daddy make the trip on his own.  Neither one of us was ready for Aubrey to travel and I knew I didn't want to be away from her for a whole weekend.  Daddy told me that it was the right decision because he was missing us so badly after just the first night!

 

Smiley Girl

 

More Smiles

 

Is That the Camera?

 

So Funny

 

Loves Her New Toy

Hanging Out With Daddy Before He Leaves

Tired From Tummy Time

Snuggling Up To Grandpa Trost

Loves Being Outside, Except Could Do Without the Brightness