Detoured

I have been meaning to write this post for a few days now, but I keep getting detoured. 

I have come upon this other blog that I keep looking at whenever I get on, which leaves me feeling that these things that I am wanting to write about are very insignificant. 

This blog has broken my heart. 

I won't go into a lot of details (it should be on my list, so if anyone is interested y'all can go read it) but basically this mother was pregnant and at 20 weeks found out that her daughter had some problems that were going to be fatal. There is a video posted of parts of the 2 1/2 hours she and her family got to spend with the little girl before she died. I just can't imagine. This story has just really made my heart heavy. Everyone always says when they are expecting "oh, I just want a happy, healthy baby!" But I think people really take those words for granted. I know I did. I look at Aubrey and I am just so very very blessed that I do have a happy and healthy baby and I don't ever want to take that for granted. At my work, one of the new babies in my class (whose mom also works there) has some issues, she has a track in her head to drain fluids around her brain. Every time I look at her I just think its so unfair. But there is a reason for everything, God knows what He is doing with every child and every family, so even though I may not understand why some moms have to have a child with an illness or have problems with their development, or why some babies go to be with Him after such  a short period of time, He knows what He is doing and I just have to trust that. 

I will continue to praise God for the child He has given me and pray, pray, pray for the ones they may need a little extra help. 

(sorry if this sounds depressing, this ladies story has just really touched me and I wanted to share how I was feeling about it. I encourage everyone to read it, her strength and faith is amazing!) 

I guess I will awkwardly transition now.. 

I have come across two things I am pretty excited about. 

1. These are amazing! 

They are rubber labels that you can customize with your child's name (or anything you want to put really). 

They are dishwasher and microwave safe. 

They fit EVERY bottle and sippy cup!!

2. I know its WAY early to be even thinking about this.. but I bought something for Aubrey's birthday! :) And it can be used for all birthday's to come! 

I think its really cute, I guess it's nothing that special, but I like it! It's made out of metal and you put it in your yard. I have a tradition that I think I'm going to do involving this little sign.. every year I'll have her sit (or stand, whatever) by it and have a photo album just for these pictures, so that you can see how much she changes every year on her birthday :) corny and dorky? maybe.. but I don't care :) 

Those are my latest finds :) 

I guess to end this (since I have forgotten some of the things I was going to say, and I need to get ready for my cousin's wedding shower! :) ) here are some cute-o pictures of my little bitty :) 

Love this little girl!! :)

Aubrey Kay :)

After I laid her down for bed one night, when I thought she was asleep, I kept hearing something, which I thought she was crying, nope, she was talking! She had kicked herself out of her blanket and sleep positioner and across the bed!! bad girl... :) needless to say, all the toys came out of the bed! lol! 

Someone found their fingers! 

Playing with her toy and watching her mobile, which she loves!

Look at those cheeks!! 

   

     Praying for sweet dreams? 

Tummy-time at school!  

 The sweetest sound! (and I promise I'm not hurting her! haha!)

Weekend Update with Laura Bond

Warning: This could be really long! :)

This weekend was a very busy one! I'll just start at the beginning:

Friday-

1. Aubrey was 3 months old!! my little baby is getting so old! haha. It seems like she has been around alot longer than that, but then when I think "wow, I had her only 3 months ago!" it puts it back into perspective :) 

She was not really cooperating with the whole smiling part, but oh well, that's babies for ya! 

I definite bonus to Friday was that I got off of work early! When there a more than 4 babies in our room there has to be 2 teachers, but since it was spring break week 2 of the babies were out, we have 7 in there, that knocked us down to 5 so my boss comes in and asks if I would like the day off, since if I take Aubrey that will put us at 4... of course I say yes! I went in at 6:30am and was gone by 8:40am!! :) We then met Lauren Coats at CFA in Rockwall for breakfast then me and Aubrey did a little Target shopping! Nothing like skipping work to spend money! 

Later that night me, Sarah and our friend Amber were going to go to the Dallas Museum of Art, apparently on the last friday of the month or something they do all this stuff, different exhibits and things, (not really sure), so we get downtown and decide we will take the Rail to the West End and eat at Cadillac Bar, which we did and it was yummy! After dinner we watched this guy do this crazy spray paint art, by this time the museum stuff was coming to an end! so we headed back to the Rail but it wasn't going to come again for 20 minutes so we figured we would walk back to the car.. not smart! Downtown.. at 11:00pm.. 3 girls. So we walked fast and kept our heads up! We then get a little turned around and worried, so as we are trying to figure out which way to go that won't get us killed we ask this lady if she knew how to get to Bryan St.. she didn't really, so she said she was give us a ride! thank ya Jesus! lol! Lesson Learned: be patient.. so you don't go walking and get killed!   

Saturday-

One of our old friends was having her baby shower in Grand Saline, so we loaded up and headed out! Her younger sister was one of my close friends when we were younger, she died when we were 13 from pneumonia, so over the years we have kept in touch with her family. Tricia is having a little boy at the end of April! She is very excited and I am very happy for her! We ended up staying out there for a while, they have some land so Collin had fun playing out there and going for a ride on the John Deer! haha. It was a very long day, but lots of fun!

On a sad note... my Coach sunglasses mysteriously went missing. I am very upset.. 

I am having to borrow some of my sisters.. I want mine back! :)

Sunday-

We have been trying to get together with my grandparents who live in Houston, but we just haven't had a weekend that all of us could go out, so we decided to meet up with them about halfway in Palestine for lunch and to go to a park to visit. It was their first time to see Aubrey and they immediately fell in love! :) Becky my grandmother (technically my step-grandmother, when my mom had Sarah she felt like she was too young to be a grandmother so she said we would just call her Becky! lol) but Nana to Aubrey, said she just loves good thigh meat, which Aubrey has plenty of! They got her a bunch of really cute outfits for summer. Here are some pics from our day! 

Me, PawPaw, Nana and Aubrey- I had just bought a pacifier clip but forgot to bring it.. about 30 seconds before this pic was taken her paci fell into the little stream below us! She was not happy.. good thing I had an extra in the bag! :)

                                                  collin- boys will be boys

Me and my sweetie pie ;)

Sleepy girl! 

This was a very eventful weekend.. Aubrey was on the go go go, which I think threw her schedule a bit! But it was great for everyone to get to see her (and for us to see everyone!), so I'm glad we went! I must say, all this running around would not have been a big deal before, but now that I'm toting around a 3 month old.. totally different story! Every day I felt like a was packing her back for a week long trip! You HAVE to be prepared for ANYTHING! lol. 

Hope I didn't leave anything out..? Oh well, that was the main gist of it all! I'm super excited though because my grandparents have a boat.. so this summer let the good times roll! She will get to use the super cute-o pink sunglasses I got her, they should fit by then! :) 

Alright, later loves! :)

Overdue!

I know, I know, its been wayy too long! Life has been super crazy! Oh, where to begin.. 

My little baby is getting soo big! Aubrey is 11 1/2 weeks!! Almost 3 months already! :( I must say, I am very impressed with her, I may be a bit biased though, but, she holds her head up so well, I mean even better than babies that are older than her! She has sat up by herself, although it wasn't for long, and she doesn't do it often, but hey, its a start! And, my favorite, she is "talking" all the time! I swear, its the best noise ever! It is just so sweet to hear her just chatting away in her bed or in the back seat, I love love love it! And in the mornings when we're getting ready she just gets so excited when she sees me, she just smiles and starts cooing! awww!! I can't get enough of her! :) 

All I have to say is that I am so lucky to be able to go to work and take my baby with me! Goodness, I would miss out

 on so much if she wasn't there with me, I feel so bad for the moms that don't get to be with their child all day, I can't imagine how hard that must be! You would think that I would like the break of not being able to take her to work with me, but so not true. I love it. I mean, when I'm home I don't mind someone else taking care of her for a bit, but even then I still like to hold her and feed her and all that. I start to miss her if I don't hold her after a while, even if she is just in the other room! haha!  

It is starting to get more time consuming and more involved, for lack of a better way to put it. Now that she is getting older she is awake more, so she needs more attention, which is totally fine, because she is more interactive now, which is way fun, but you get less time to get things done. 

I love taking her places. We still love going to the park down the street. This past Sunday, me, Aubrey, my sister Sarah and her son Collin, and my mom and Marvin, and my other sister Emily all went, we were there for hours! She took a nap, Collin played with this guy and his dog, me and Emily talked.. it was very nice. I just love getting her dressed and showing her off :) 

The nights are getting so much better! I usually feed her around 7:30 and then she goes to bed around 8-8:30 and then she is out till about 5 am when we get up for work! Granted, she sometimes fusses a bit during the night, but I just pop that paci back in and we're good to go! No more midnight and 2 am feedings! yay!! :)  

She is growing and gaining weight like a champ! She is in the 90th-95th percentile for babies her age! which is totally awesome! We were getting a little concerned because she was gaining alot of weight, but the Doc says she's A-OK! I have a very happy and healthy baby! No complaints here! :)

On a sadder note, my weight loss has seem to come to a stand still.. not good. I was doing really well for a while, then nada! I've really got to get in motion.. summer is just around the corner! My body has really seemed to be back to normal now, thank goodness! All these changes were really starting to bug me, but now its like I have never been pregnant! (except for those few extra lbs..) I must admit, I really do miss being pregnant! It is such a neat experience, and it has so many perks! lol! Its the weirdest thing, everyone has always told me that when you are in labor and delivery all modesty goes out the window and all the pain you just forget afterwards, if you didn't forget then no one would have children! But it is true, when you're in the moment you don't care who sees and what they see! And, yes, you do remember the pain and you swear you'll never go through all this again, but then as the weeks and months go by all those memories seem to blur and you don't remember it being all that bad. As  awful as I thought it was, I would go through it all again in a heart beat! :) 

I sure have rambled on about baby stuff.. but I just don't know what else there is to talk about?! haha, jk! :) Oh.. for all you die hard Bachelor fans, you may be interested in Dancing with the Stars! Our beloved Melissa is on there!! Check it out! :)

Ok, Well I guess that is all for now, if I remember something else I'll return! 

xoxo~ Laura

Recent happenings

Aubrey is 7 weeks old today! I can not believe she almost 2 months old!! It's insane how fast time has gone by! 

She has really started smiling alot! The first time I really got her to smile, I almost started crying! lol! I was in my room and my brother was in his, and when she started smiling I got real excited and told Robert to come in there and I was like "she's smiling! I'm going to cry!" he was like "why would you cry bc she's smiling?!" HAHA! my eyes did get watery though.. it was just sooo sweet!! :) Now she smiles all the time, and it is still so sweet! I just love it!

Out newest favorite thing is to go to the park down the street! Sometimes we have friends with us, and sometimes its just me and her. She loves it. Although, after about 15-20 minutes she falls asleep! I really love that the weather has been pretty nice so that we can go, helps with getting back in shape! When she is a little bit older I want to get a jogging stroller.. I think I might give her shaking baby syndrome if I get one now! haha. I can't wait till she can sit up so she can take pics with the little duckies- how cute would that be?! :) Our last visit, I met a really nice lady and her 2 year old daughter, Allie Claire (I really like the name Claire, that was on my list, but it doesn't really go with Kay). I told her that there were little chicks on the other side of the pond and she got real excited! so I was making my rounds again, and stopped at the little chicks again, so when she got there we started talking, and come to find out she knows one of the families whose son I graduated highschool with- small world! She was a super nice lady (a little older than I, almost 32, although I thought she was like 27 or 28!) I just loved that I met another mommy to talk to! I always wondered if that really happened, lol. She meet random people like that. haha. She says she comes there on thursdays usually, so maybe I will see them again! :)

Monday I started back to work! I have to be there at 6:30 am, so.. that means really early start to the day! The earliest I have gotten up this week is 4:15!! It just really depends on when Miss Thang decides she wants to eat! I was really worried about how all that would go, her needing to eat while we're getting ready and all that, but it hasn't been too bad. Although, by Thursday I was getting really tired really fast! Friday was almost a lost cause! haha. Once this all becomes routine again, I should be good! Well, as long as bitty goes to bed at a decent hour! haha. She loves it at work though! She usually will wake up at about 6:45-7 and stay awake to about 7:30 then out again for an hour or two. Once she's awake after that, she eats then is soo happy! She loves the swing, she just smiles and talks the whole time! I have layed her on the floor mat with the other babies a couple of times, she really enjoys that too! It's really cute. I'm just glad she isn't throwing a fit when I have to take care of another baby! All in all, so far so good! :) 

Hmm, well, I guess that's about it..? Everything is just going really well, I'm very blessed to have such a good baby! She sleeps during the night really well, she eats good (obviously! haha!), she's happy and developing really good! No complaints! :)

Love <3

Oh the Changes!!

My my my, is my baby even the same baby?! It's truly amazing how much a new baby changes in looks in such a short period of time! It almost makes me sad, because she does not look anything like the baby I brought home. The past 6 weeks are almost a blur. It has gone by sooo fast, its hard to really remember everything about her: what she looked like, how she acted. I was just thinking about how I can't remember getting up with her during the nights the first couple of weeks.. ?? I know that I was still in pain and sore, and I know that it was difficult getting up and down, so you would think I would remember having to get up and down alot to feed her.. but I really can't picture it at all! crazy! I know I did, because she sure has not gone hungry! I know she has gained a good 4 lbs since she has been born (I would say that's a lot!)! 

I just wish I could remember everything perfectly so that I won't ever forget these wonderful weeks I have had with her!

... Now its back to work! Work.. has it already been 6 weeks? Back to reality! As much as I have enjoyed sitting around and staring at my beautiful baby.. I'm feeling very unproductive! haha. Even though I am ready to get back to work, and that is only because I am fortunate enough to be able to take my baby to work AND her be in my class!- otherwise, I would be dreading it!, I'm a little worried how this first week or two are going to be?! Her feeding schedule is not always very consistent, so I'm afraid she is going to need to eat as I'm getting ready, or right when I get to work, which will make things difficult as there are things I need to do right when I get there! Hopefully it will go smoothly. And hopefully Aubrey will not be too jealous when I have to take care of other babies too :) 

So far, being a mom has been great! To be completely honest, for about the first 4 weeks, it didn't really hit me that I was a mom. Like, I knew she was mine, and I did automatically have a huge love for her, but.. it was like I was just going through the motions. I hope this doesn't sound awful, I have talked to some other moms, and some felt the same way. Its not that I didn't want her or anything like that, .. I don't know, its kind of hard to explain. But, its like all of a sudden everything changed. My love for her has gone a thousand times stronger (if that is even possible, since I already feel like I loved her to the brim!) I feel hugely protective over her, I just can't get enough of her. I really feel like a mom now. I guess no one tells you that you might feel different from the way you supposedly should. Your emotions are all over the place. I hope this doesn't freak anyone out, or think that I'm crazy or a bad mom.. its just stuff you have to adjust to I guess. But I am loving every minute of it!! 

So, I took her to the church nursery for the first time this past Sunday. My church is really big, so their nursery is pretty busy and full. They have this huge system and process of getting into the classes, I even have a photo ID badge! With all this said, you would assume the teachers should be well equipped... well, I will just say I didn't have the best experience. Once I was brought into her classroom the teachers introduced themselves and showed me which bed could be hers, so far so good, (by the way, Sarah is with me holding Aubrey) so while Sarah is getting Aubrey situated, the other lady is telling me what to fill out and a bunch of other stuff, the teachers ask how she likes to sleep, I say on her side or back (which babies are supposed to sleep that way until they are able to roll themselves over, no stomachs.) I tell them, and write down, when she ate and how much. I told them that she wouldn't need to eat, but if she woke up and was real fussy they could feed her. And on the sheet that clips on her bed, there is a place to write when she ate and was changed. ... So, I felt like there was alot going on as I was dropping her off and just kinda overwhelmed. But I figured everything would be good. So off I went. So, I come back to get her.. both teachers are sitting down, I know one was holding a baby but I'm not sure about the other one, anyway, they say "we layed her down after she ate.. I guess she's waking up now" they say this because she is laying in her bed crying.. on her stomach!! And her crying was not an "oh I just woke up cry" it was an "I'm so uncomfortable, someone help me!" cry! :( not happy! so I pick her up.. and her headband is missing, I start looking all around for it and the teachers never ask if I was looking for something, so finally I asked if they knew where it was, one teacher said she never saw it, the other one said she saw it but didn't know where it was. thanks for the help! So.. I grab the paper and go. I look at the paper, nowhere did they write when she ate or if she was changed! annoyed again. so we go to lunch after church and I go to change her.. she has leaked through her now 5 lb diaper.. there is no way she would have peed that much after that one bottle! so.. no diaper change?! ugh! As a first time mom, and being a first timer in that class, they did not do much to make me feel comfortable!! Perhaps I'm overreacting.. but I don't really think so! :) now, I don't know what to do, I don't really want to take her to sunday school and service with me.. but do I leave her there again? I may try one more time, but make sure I explain myself really well, and tell them to make sure they write down when she eats and is changed! .. sigh.. 

(I didn't think I was going to write so much, sorry! :) ) 

Ok.. On to a happier note, pictures! 

Well, I'm having some issues with these pictures.. I uploaded more, but they aren't on my post, and they aren't where I want them..? But.. these are from her first day to the park! she loved it! With her is her crazy cousin Collin, he wanted to push her the whole time! :) 

Ok, well, I will try to figure out how to get these other ones on her eventually. 

Love ya! :)

Going on's..

Things I've noticed since becoming a mom.. 

After you have the baby, your emotions go a little haywire! There have been several times I have just wanted to cry. not so much for any particular reason.. just felt like I needed a good cry. but I have kept my composure. well, except for once in the shower.. but that was after certain people were aggravating me! but anyway! :) Although, I am sad to a degree. I definitely don't think I have postpartum depression, I'm just sad that this past 3 weeks have gone so fast! really its been a blur! I can barely remember what day it is.. seriously! You don't have time to adjust to not being pregnant anymore (which I do miss!), then you leave the hospital, which is weird, then your baby changes, constantly! Its like she's a different person everyday! I just feel like I don't really remember her, what she looked like and acted when she was born.. its strange. its sad. at the same time, it feels like I just had her, but then it also feels way longer than 3 weeks! its very hard to explain... but you will you know what I mean once it happens. its just alot of adjusting. 

sleep. hasn't really been that bad. really, she sleeps pretty good at night (considering she sleeps ALL day!) its just kinda frustrating after a while getting up and down 5,000 times to put the pacifier back in! (I swear, she spits it out as soon as she hears me lay down!) So then I give in and put her in my bed. not good. I don't want her to get used to that. some nights, she will sleep perfectly in her bed all night (well, except for the 3 o'clockish feeding) I'm realizing, that after I feed her I can't just automatically put her in her bed afterwards, I have to hold her or rock her till she's at least halfway asleep before I lay her down, or its going to be a lost cause! lessons learned.. 

amazed at how much she can sleep!! alllll day.. 

bottles. all I do is wash bottles! lol! 

diapers. constantly!

who would have thought a baby would go through so much laundry!? craziness!

I don't feel like she has a name yet. or that Aubrey should be her name? I don't know? its weird.. 

i'm going to go broke on all the pictures and scrapbook stuff I will end up buying! ridiculous! (but worth it!) :) 

It takes a lot longer than I had thought to get me and her ready to go anywhere. there is so much involved. and you have to plan ahead for anything. there is no more just being able to run to the store, or just go somewhere real quick. you have to have a plan. and that plan my have to begin the day before! I think my morning showers are done. too much involved and time consuming to take a shower in the morning if we have to go somewhere, haha. 

 you will never love someone so much!! you will sit and stare constantly. think about what she will look like when she's older. what she will be like. all the things and places you can go/do with her. I can't wait to take her to the park.. or the arboretum! :) 

I have gone camera happy! 

your body changes like crazy! in soo many ways. my hips I think are wider now. no biggie, but I'm wondering if my jeans will fit right? well, once I lose a little more weight. as much as I would like to think I'm back to "normal".. I don't think I'm completely there yet. I'm just ready to be me again. 

Its the best when you are the one that can calm your baby down and make her happy. when you can tell she is most comfortable with her mommy. just the best. 

These 3 weeks have been very interesting, (for what all I can remember!), I can't wait for the next 3! (and all the rest after that! :) ) 

<3>