8 month old Snuggle Puppy

Aubriella turned 8 months this week, and this past month has been a blast! She has so much personality, and I say it in the most humble way I can, my daughter is smart! She is a little copy cat and we have had fun teaching her to mimic us.

At the risk that I may sound like I'm training a puppy, I've got to update you on Aubriella's latest "tricks"- I don't call her snuggle puppy for nothing!

When she wants to make us laugh or clap she performs one trick after another. She sticks her hands in the air for "Touchdown!" then claps, waves, makes farting noises with her lips (or blows her mouth against her hand or Mommy's shoulder), then makes her signature sound of blowing her lips and making a car noise (I don't know how else to explain it), and lately blows kisses. She also loves to dance by tapping her foot and shaking her bottom, and loves to sing. She knows to clap when we sing "If you're happy and you know it", play paticake, peekaboo, and knows what an owl says. She says "mama", "dada" , "papa", baby "baabe", and bye bye "baa buh".

Of course Daddy's favorite is "Touchdown!" which she learned just in time for the first Sunday of the NFL season. The two of them have fun doing this while watching football or going to cousin Eddie's games.

She LOVES football games! She has no problem staying up 2 hours past her bedtime every Friday night. She claps and cheers with the cheerleaders, and is so entertained by all that is going on!

Since we are on the subject of football, check out how our little cheerleader has grown! Good thing we have a bigger cheer leading outfit for her to grow into. At 3 1/2 months old

And at 7 1/2 months

Aubri is always on the move! We finally got the stair gate up which will be a lot less stressful for me- even though she thinks it is a new toy!

She walks all over with her baby stroller, stands up for a few seconds unassisted, and will climb on anything she can.

A couple of days ago she pushed her Buzz Lightyear car to the couch, stood on it and climbed onto the couch. I really think she is going to be an early walker!

I lost almost 2 pounds this month even though I've had very poor eating habits...I blame and thank Aubriella for the extra boost in physical activity. Chasing around an 8 month old is hard work!

Cousins

We are so fortunate to live close to all our relatives. Aubriella is one lucky girl to not only be doted on by her older cousins, but to have so many second cousins her age!

Someone just asked us at the most recent family party why we are always taking pictures of the babies together. It is because they are growing up so fast and it will be so awesome to look back on when they are older!

Look how little Gulliana and Aubriella were the first time they met!

And them last month.

Guiliana is 2 1/2 months older than Aubriella, and Aubriella is 3 months older than little Jesse! The crazy thing is Veronica is 2 months older than Gizelle, who is 2 months older than Jose.

Little Jesse and Aubriella both talk and smile at each other. It is too cute!

It is really hard to get a good picture of 3 babies. Event though they aren't smiling I LOVE this picture!

Though we mostly have pictures of these three, they aren't the only new cousins! Little Amelia is a month old and will soon be keeping up with these three.

Baby Unger

Our dear friends the Ungers are expecting another miracle baby! We were invited to their "Reveal Party" when they would disclose the sex on their baby. Earlier in the day, Joy had her doctors appointment and ultrasound. She had the doctor write the sex of the baby on a paper, and seal it in an envelope. That night their closest friends and family met at Klondikes.



I asked everyone to make a prediction on the sex of the baby by posing for the camera with a sign language B or G.

Canaan is thinking "Baby? What baby??"

And the verdict is......

Daddy is so much fun!

I get a kick out of watching Aubri and Jose play around. Aubriella is such an active little one that she just loves wrestling with her daddy. It cracks me up that she is cautious around me, holding on to furniture, carefully reaching from one thing to another, but with Jose she is all daredevil! She lets go and dives, thinks she can walk, and stands up on her own. She doesn't even mind the tumbles and falls that usually result!

The other day I was snapping away, taking pictures of the two of them laughing and rolling around on the floor.

Can you see the drool dripping from her mouth?

This girl loves her daddy!

Pierced

Torture or Treat? I've read several articles on the merits of early ear piercing vs. letting a girl decide to get her ears pierced. I've gone back and forth, wanting Aubriella to have cute diamonds, and wanting to protect her from the pain. Being grateful for my early first hole as opposed to the nervousness I felt getting my second hole, and being thankful for my mom choosing to pierce my ears, rather then resentful Jose and I agreed to pierce Aubri's. The decision didn't come lightly! (From the articles and polls I've read, I know that 52% of you are

strongly disapproving right now!)

Last Saturday, with her Nana, Grammy, Tia Emma, and Cousin Adriana we took Aubriella to get her ears pierced! All of us were nervous! Most places wouldn't pierce infants ears, and the ones that did would only pierce one at a time. Of all the places in the mall, the Mexican jewelry store Don Robertos was the only one who would do both.

Aubriella is a very tough girl! She cried even before it happened because she HATES being restrained. Then her cry barely even raised an octave for the actual piercing, and within a minute she was distracted completely! My mom handed her a sealed candy bar to play with and she was content!

I think it will be a fun memory to tell her about all the special ladies (and daddy) who wanted to be with her, and that Tia Emma paid for it. And to top it off, I didn't think it was possible, but she looks even more adorable then she already was!

Yummy for my Tummy

Aubriella has not developed a large appetite for food even with the introduction of all sorts of yummy things. I continue to make her homemade purees and cereals, but most days she doesn't eat more than a few bites. I constantly remind myself how much $$$ we would be wasting if we bought little jars of pre-made baby food just to throw it out after a few bites. I think I have spent less than $5 for 2 months worth of baby food- how awesome is that??? $1 went to a package of organic brown rice, $2 for a bunch of organic carrots at the farmers market, 57 cents for a large yam, and a bit more if I count what she has eaten of stuff I already buy! I think the rest of her food was home grown by friends and family... nectarines, peaches, apples, avocado, and mangos to name a few!

The best way to get Aubri to eat is by letting her feed herself. Most days she loves munching on the sucky net thingy (don't you love how technical I am?) or picking up little bit sized pieces of fruit.

She loves feeling different textures and smushing things between her fingers. It is hard to not get uptight about the mess that gets all the place, but to relax and realize she is learning through these discoveries.

Sometimes she makes the funniest faces when she tries new food! The first batch of applesauce was a little sour!

Daddy takes his turn feeding Aubriella. I turned around for a bit and the next time I looked she was covered in carrots! I told him it looked as if he was purposely getting her messy!

He was!