We haven't had much of a summer--it is the coldest summer on record here in Alaska. So we haven't gotten out as much as we had hoped this summer. But Aubrey has been keeping herself and her Mama busy anyway. Today she climbed up a couple of stairs on her own for the first time. I can't leave her alone or she will find something to eat or go for the CO detector. . . or perhaps the trash can. If you want to know how good of a house-cleaner you are, have a 9 month old crawl around for a little bit! Aubrey Ella is a handful, but SO much fun at the same time. She has gotten really cuddley. She snuggles her head on my shoulder--especially when she is tired or being shy. When she wakes up too early, I bring her into my bed and she snuggles up and sleeps with me. She just figured out how to wrinkle her nose--so now she does this silly little laugh with her nose wrinkled all the time. She LOVES baths, so we are doing those much more frequently. She has textbook crawling form--getting faster every day. And she stands up on everything and will walk around as long as she can hold on. Her favorite games are peek-a-boo, find the hidden block, and any kind of "I'm going to get you!" She has been very interested in dogs lately--a little nervous even scared, but very interested. She gets really excited when we watch our fish in the fish tank.
I think she takes after both her parents in that she doesn't want to miss out on any of the fun--but is a little more tentative (like her mama) of new people and situations. Brian was out of town for the weekend and Aubrey and I went to our friends' house to play board games Saturday night. The other babies went to bed, but not Aubrey. I tried to put her down, but I finally gave in and let her stay up with the grown-ups. She was perfectly happy to be up--until finally falling asleep in mommy's arms just before the game ended (at 1 am!) She bounced back very well from her late night--slept in late and took an extra nap the next day and she's back in business! I am thankful to have such a flexible baby.
We had her 9 month well baby exam last week. She's still doing great--though she has slipped down the growth chart a bit. Babies growth slows as they become more and more active--and Aubrey has been VERY active for quite a while now. She is now about 17 lbs 8 oz (25%) and 28 in tall (55%.) Overall she is hitting every developmental marker and doing great. We are going to start having her get a shot to protect her against RSV in October--something that they give babies who were born prematurely or have any kind of cardio/respiratory issues. RSV is pretty common and manageable for healthy kids, but with her heart condition we need to take extra precautions to keep her as well as possible. The medicine is actual antibodies for RSV, not a normal vaccine. She could still get RSV, but would already be well on her way to fighting it if she does, so she wouldn't get nearly as sick. The little boy in Texas we know with HCM like Aubrey's got RSV last winter and had to be hospitalized for it. She will have to qualify to get the medicine, but the doctor was pretty confident that she will qualify.
Our little family is doing pretty well most of the time. Brian and I both feel a sense of disappointment about Aubrey's heart condition. As long as I keep my focus on the present, it isn't too bad--she is perfectly healthy and a joy to all who know her. When I think about the big picture and what could happen with her health in the future--I am so scared. I have to immediately turn those thoughts over to the Lord and remember our future and her future is in His hands, not mine. But that isn't easy to do. Brian's work has him very busy and kind of stressed out. He is working a lot, traveling a lot, and when he's home is on the phone a lot or at least thinking about work. With such a busy past 3 months we haven't connected with friends as much as we like either. With such a cloudy summer and all that is going on, I almost feel like I have SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder--something very common up here in the winter.) Brian and I have had a really good conversation about all of this. He definitely needs prayer and wisdom from the Lord in how to prioritize his life right now to be there for his family, but still be a "good worker." It is sometimes hard for me to reach out--and especially when I am hurting, but I need to make more of an effort. So, along with other the things, please join me in praying for a Sunny August!
