Aubrilynn Through the Months

I can't believe a whole year has come and went!! Even harder to believe it was just a year ago this lil' one came into our lives and has forever changed us! She is the joy of our lives and we are honored to have her in our family. Her smile is contagious where-ever she goes. People can't help but smile and wave to Aubrilynn when they pass. She has grown up so much, is so happy and friendly to everyone, and is so clever!! Blame it on being first time parents, but we are amazed at her growth of awareness and abilities to recognize, mimic and..... she took her first baby steps yesterday and has continued today!!! Yikes! So the walking will soon begin! We love you soo much Aubrilynn and look forward to all the precious moments we will be sharing and experiencing with you! Love, Momma and Dadda :)

More Movement~

Wow~ who needs a year for lots of changes to happen!! So our updates...

First off- We have been on the move again, its true. We now find ourselves in Missouri! -okay actually its Illinois and Marks' work is in Missouri, we're just living on the border basically. I've officially been here one day so I don't know much... but it is nice, clean and spacious. Weird without mountains and so much space and plain land. Its just 'simple'. We are getting ready to move into our little townhouse which is nice.. I'm SOO- excited to actually have a room separate from the little one- at least for a few months til the next one comes. But it will be a wonderful, well needed break! Anyway- what brought us out here was the contract work that Mark was doing- turned into a full time job offer that we found acceptable and let us stay together. So we accepted the new adventure :)

As for the pregnancy~ There is definite, now turned constant movement being felt. Gender is still unknown due to all our moving changes and need for steady insurance. Next time that I update the blog I'll hopefully have more knowledge of how we're going about everything. But as for me I'm feeling fine-- its the good 2nd semester where I have finally regained energy and can survive throughout the day on limited sleep and no nap!! yay! So its a good time to be dealing with all these changes-- although some EXTRA emotional episodes due to the pregnancy have crept thru I must admit!! :) But, all is well.

I suppose there is probably other stuff to update, but right now I am so scatter brained that I can't pinpoint what.. So, as the rest of this month progresses I'm sure I'll update the holidays and everything else will just come! :)

Trunk-or-Treat!

So this is AubriLynns' first official Halloween. :) We went trunk-or-treating with Auntie Kelsey at her ward. -Nate had to work :( (yes, we missed you!)- AubriLynn thoroughly enjoyed it tho! Started off with a dinner then went for the treats! Even tho Aubri doesn't do the trick-or-treating, she scored some candy for Kelsey and Nate, while she was able to reap the reward of getting all the attention from the people for her cuteness! :) The night was short but sweet!

On the Road Again!

Drive to salt lake!

Okay--- I figure I should at least give you an idea of what is going on -- even tho we are still trying to figure it out ourselves!!! :) We are moving to Salt Lake.... (New added on news at the bottom! Its a new addition aside from what I explain in the next paragraph!)

Now the details from here get complex! Mark is looking into joining the National Guard and going to BYU. We are looking for a six month lease in Salt Lake because we figure the training for the Guard will be approx. 9 weeks, then the training for the area he is looking at going into takes another 8 weeks. After that- because he is looking into learning the language Arabic, he will be going to their top school in California for up to a year. Therefore, we will be going back to Cali for the time being (luckily we will be able to accompany him!). After this time period, he will finally be able to pursue his desire to learn more at BYU. So we will be coming back to Utah again so he is able to finish his schooling! Its a lot of moving-- which will probably drive me crazy! But, I am excited for the new adventures it will bring.

The transition for AubriLynn has been a little rough, but she is starting to be her happy, smiling self once again! So- much-so that she was even feelin good enough to have the courage to stand up on her own. It was for just a moment that she was up.... but she pulled herself up without support and then sat back down. Anyways, this is all the 'rough draft' of what is going on. We're still waiting for a few pieces of information to be filled in so we know specifics. But that is what we know for now!! Its good to be back among friends and family tho! Although please know Mary that AubriLynn loves you very much and still holds her special smiles for you and Randi!!! (Sissy too)

haha! I almost forgot the update on me and the lil' one!!! So much has been happening in such little time I loose track. So, I left Tulare still waiting for them to schedule my ultra sound... and they scheduled it, but it wasn't 'authorized by my insurance yet so they couldn't do anything. I told them we were moving this weekend and all I was really concerned about was (sure the gender!) but also my due date because my pregnancy just seemed 'off''. Anyway- he understood and said he'd do a quick glance because I was leaving and with the insurance/doctor switch he knew it would be a time hassle. So- not much of a result, its too early to tell the gender because I was apparently only 18 1/2 weeks along!!! CrAzY! But I figured because where was my 'bump' that comes a month early!! Funny thing is- within a matter of days my 'bump' appeared out of no-where, but right on time being a month early :)
So- now, who knows how long it will actually be before I find out the gender. Depends on how nice doctors and insurance work with me... Maybe I should do what Bethany says and just let it be a surprise since all signs are against knowing! ;)

OKAY-- so things are always changing... such is life.... Mark has been thrown another (intense) wonderful opportunity that we need to look into. Its involving another company like Global Drug Testing.... Only its in Missouri! :O So, if that is a good opportunity, all of this could change and we'd just pack up and move out there! Crazy eh! I don't know much about it because Mark just talked with the guy in charge-- so now we need to figure things out. Lots to think about in a short amount of time!! So any extra prayers would be great! :)

Now you know as much as we do, haha! That is my update on our crazy lives! No stress! All will turn out :) I'm still glad to be in Salt Lake!

Lil' Miss AubriLynn

~ Officially I believe AubriLynns' first word is 'dog': she is able to recognize the bark and dog itself and says it affirmatively ~ She will wave at her own will ~ Climb over anything in her way ~ Pull aside anything in her way to get through ~ Loves to try new foods ~ Will giggle if you scare her ~Have noise contests of who is louder ~Mimics word phrases from people or television ~Rubs eyes when tired and peacefully puts herself to sleep (with bottle of course!) ~Loves little animals (dogs, cats, bunnies) ~Loves to stare at you upside down ~Can crawl like a beetle-bug ~Cutest giggles and laughs at Auntie Randi's funny faces ~Crawls to greet G'amma Mary with smiles and luvs ~Plays 'attack' game with daddy ~Loves 'people' food ~ Loves to hang upside-down and be tickled ~ Always Smiling ~Loves to explore ~Expects you to notice her!!! ~ (her red hair has brought her a lot of attention.... so now its just expected cuz it always happens...)!!!

Jus' Movin Along

So typically I update every two weeks which would have been my 'first' appointment date... But of course there were complications with switching doctors so now my appointment won't be until Oct. 5th. Good news- for me at least, is that I was able to get an ultra sound scheduled for that day too! So I'll be able to be reassured with the due date and find out if AubriLynn will have a brother or sister!!!





Otherwise, not much is happening. Mark is keeping busy with his work and were looking into moving out of my mother-in-laws- Yay! I am doing well, energy has slowly started coming back so that is well appreciated. AubriLynn is 10 months! I still am in disbelief! She is growing so quickly and getting so big! She is being stubborn with walking and prefers to crawl-- on Sundays she has a 'special' crawl due to her dress getting in the way... It looks like Mogli on Jungle Book when he joins the march with the elephants-- butt in the air, legs straight... so cute! Right now I'm in no rush to have her start walking :) She gets into enough stuff around the house without that freedom, so I'm okay with it! ;)

As far as everything else goes... Its just been amazing to see the Lords hand in our lives as He guides and directs us. This past year has been a year of some hardships but INCREDIBLE learning experiences that I oddly would not trade for anything. We have gained so much through our experiences and come to realize so much about faith, love, sacrifice, patience and spiritual growth. I know we'll always have these times to look back on to help keep our focus in the main purpose of life.

Okay, I just have to add on because apparently I have underestimated the thinking and processing skills of my lil' daughter!!! I should figure her observant skills are on 24/7... OK-incident: When I want her to stay in the living room I block off the exit using the couch which is stationed against the wall, and bringing back the rocking chair to the couch and stuffing a pillow in the gap it makes... And its worked-- but she has obviously observed when people need to get by or out they remove the pillow and squeeze by. So this morning I caught her in the act of pulling out the pillow then making her escape!!! So, looks like I am going to have to try and find another tactic (and she doesn't even walk yet!) yes, I'm still in awe! :)

Answers

Okay- so I have been pregnant the past 3 months (now 4) and I didn't even know it... I know, I suppose Im spoiled because I obviously don't have morning sickness-- otherwise I probably would have suspected something!! The thing that gave it away was my intense-abnormal emotional reactions which I realized were me acting rediculous over nothing :S (sorry Mark!) :) umm- then came tiredness- ALL the time (i thought it was cuz I was chasing the lil one all the time ;) but, what confirmed it all was the fact that I realized the movement I was feeling inside, that began to surface, was all too familiar! Wow- 3 months without realizing! Im crazy! So now that I am in my 17th week, my first appointment will be for tests and being able to find out what I am having will apparently have to wait possibly for another month! Im still struggling with the docs! I have an appointment on the 23rd... but will need to end up switching docs again anyway so we'll see how it goes.

But what I do know is that I'm due around Feb. 19th! So that is that for now :)

As for Dad, he is excited-- AubriLynn, she is just crazy-- so happy, so hyper... and yet so demanding to mommy when its nap time or eating time-- wow-- if you only knew. But if Im not there, she is flexible with her routine :)

I know they look like 'boy' PJ's.... but its SOOO- HOT down here... they are the best ones to keep her cool in her sleep!