80 degrees in September?

The above average temperatures are sure a surprise!  Aberly's summer clothes are getting a last hurrah.

I start my new job on Thursday, which is very exciting.  As much as I've come to enjoy being home with Aberly full time, there is a part of me that needs adult interaction and an outlet for my energy (besides household chores).  I'll start at two days a week, part time, and move up from there.

Aberly is on the verge of walking as she cruises the furniture and has become very good at balancing while standing and doesn't need something to hold onto.  The other day, she actually pushed up into a stand unaided (by a prop).  She is enjoying playing on her own more and is discovering how to use many of her toys.  She loves stacking the wood rings on her toy.  She also has become a climber and wants to get up on anything she can.

Crazy hair!

Practicing walking!

Playing in the neighbor's sandbox on a hot September day!

Our beauty!

A few new photos

Welcome Fall!  I plan to decorate for you tomorrow...

Before uber cute pictures of Aberly, I have to rave about my 24-hour vacation to Corvallis BY MYSELF while Colin took care of Aberly at home.  I enjoyed a wonderfully QUITE drive by myself, an evening without playing/entertaining a child, and a day of shopping and exploring the Farmer's Market and Fall Festival without a child.  IT WAS BLISS.  Thank you, my fabulous husband!

Okay, now cute pictures of Aberly:

Aberly loves her foam books and chewing on the removable pieces from them.

Looking at the animals at the Bend Fall Festival

Trying to climb up the slide at McDonald's

Looking out the window in one of the playrooms at McDonald's

Laughing while playing with Mommy

Good news!

It looks like I have a job!  I was referred for a part-time office job at a family-owned financial firm here in Bend by a former teacher's husband (who works there).  I met with the office manager today and as long as the boss confirms everything next week when he's back, I'll be good to go!  It's a great fit for us schedule wise.  I'll work 1-5 daily and they are super flexible if I need to change my hours one day or Aberly is sick and I can't make it in.

Besides that good news, Aberly is much happier today.  I think I've figured out the cause of her super grumpiness.  The last two days I've give her a little bit of Activia yogurt to help get good bacteria back into her system after the tummy issues the past month.  After a little research online, I found out that Activia can work the opposite in some babies/kids under 3 and disrupt their systems.  Good to know!

Baby for sale

Don't get me wrong, we love our child.  We do, really.  But she has been a pain in the rear end the past couple of days!  After a stellar end to last week and wonderful weekend visiting Grandpa and Grandma Schwartz in Corvallis, Aberly has decided to turn into Miss Grumpy Irritable Pants.

Everyone keeps telling us it's probably teeth but we don't see ANY sign of them.  I thought she must have some coming based on some "symptoms" last week, but nothing at all.  No irritated or swollen gums, no nothing!

Oh well, between her moodiness, she is still super smiley and fun.  It's not like she terrible all of the time!  Here is our sweetheart cheering on the Beavers last weekend!

It's been a rough couple of weeks...

Our poor little girl.  After a stomach bug, Aberly has struggled with unending loose bowels at the same time as having a bad yeast infection which then turned in to bad diaper rash.  The doctor thinks she has had a temporary lactose intolerance due to the stomach bug so she is currently on a special formula to let her digestive system get back on track, and we are also putting her back on a jar-baby food diet with small amounts of regular food.

For her diaper rash, we are doing baking soda baths, naked time to air out, and keeping her skin covered with creams and ointments to minimize irritation.  With her poop getting back on track and "firm", this should relieve the extra irritation she was experiencing from the runs and frequent poops.

And, on top of all of this, we think Aberly is getting her upper teeth which adds to her crankiness and discomfort.  We haven't seen them yet but her restless nights are a good indication.

Despite it all, she is being a trooper and continuing to play and explore.  She's getting into her foam and board books and loves to flip the pages back and forth.  Her foam books have pull out pieces which she loves.