Thursday, April 7, 2011

11 Month Milestones

11th Month Milestones - 4/4/11

Height - 28 inches??

Weight - 16.5 lbs

Sleeping - You usually go to bed around 8:00. You rarely wake up once a night to eat. You usually take 2 maybe 3 naps a day. 1 long one (2+ hours), 1 medium one (1.5 hours) and somedays a short one (45 mins).

Eating - The most common thing about this month is people keep telling me they can't believe how much you eat! Seriously you eat almost anything we put in front of you. Somedays its more like inhaling it than eating, but wow! And I really don't know where it all goes. You only weigh 16.5 lbs. Still have those chunky monkey thighs and cute round tummy, but other than that you are still little (compared to most your age). You nurse/take a bottle about 2-3 times a day. We're working on you taking milk from a sippy cup. Somedays you do, others you won't touch it. You did decide to take your bottle again so at least you are getting mommy's milk. You still love your baby food. You love Cheerios, puffs, apples, pears, your cereal, wheat Ritz crackers, avacadoes, cheese, ground turkey, steamed peas, carrots and BLUEBERRIES!!! You can't get enough of them. So much so, Daddy was afraid you were eating too much when he changed your diaper and it was blue. :) Still no teeth. We thought we could see one starting to come through, but not any more. I think they are all waiting on your birthday.

New discoveries - You make sounds mimicking our neighbors dogs. You love to say da-da-da-da-da-da over and over. Daddy doesn't even have to be in the room. We just ask where Daddy is and you go to town. You love to jabber and talk. Mommy is still hoping you will decide one of these days to say ma-ma-ma-ma, but I have to admit you are pretty cute no matter what you say.  We finally got all the baby-proof latches on the cabinets. It took you a few days to figure out why they won't open, but now you just go to the ones we left for you and leave the others alone. You also discovered the light switch. It turns out you probably figured this one out at Marilyn's. She said she would put you down for a nap and then when you woke up she would walk in to get you and the light would be on. It took her a few times to figure out that you were turning on the light when you woke up. Silly girl! She moved your crib away from the wall so you can't reach it anymore. But if we have you in our arms and walk past a light switch, you have to turn it on or off.

New accomplishments - You perfected drinking out of a straw now, both with your sippy cup and a real straw. Now Mommy has to make sure and order water when we go to Sonic or Chick-Fil-A so you can have a drink. You do it so well too, so many people are amazed you caught on so fast. You can stand up on your own now and have had us on the edge of our seats waiting for your first steps. Daddy even said you almost took a step when I was gone and he almost pushed you down so I wouldn't miss your first steps. That's why we love your Daddy!  You aren't afraid of anything. We put you in bed with us on the weekends and you crawl straight to the edge. I'm afraid we may have a little daredevil on our hands. You will definitely keep us on our toes! No is still something we are learning. Now when we tell you no, you grit your gums and make fists and shake them. I have to admit its hard not to laugh, but I'm trying to keep a straight face. You also learned to cluck your tongue and will mimick us when we do it. You also learned to "stand on your head." It really looks more like a yoga pose with your little bottom up in the air, but you love doing it.

Places you went - Nonna and Poppa came to visit us twice this month. It was fun to get to see you play with them. Poppa even shared his sweet tea with you (which you loved!). Then the last weekend of the month, Mommy had a women's retreat at church. You stayed all night with Daddy. He did such a good job with you. He said you two snuggled on the couch and watched movies. You were in a cuddly mood. I missed you so much, but it was nice to have some girl time.

Sadly, when I came home I found out you had been running a fever through the night. It was low, but you just weren't yourself. We cuddled on the couch with Daddy Saturday night, then went to bed. You woke up in the middle of the night, with your fever back at 101. We gave motrin, and you went back to sleep. We all stayed home from church, so we didn't share our germs. Sunday you just weren't yourself. Don't get me wrong I loved the extra cuddles and snuggles, but it wasn't the normal energetic you. Sunday night your fever spiked at 103. Monday morning I called the pediatrition and we went in that morning just before lunch. She checked you out and couldn't find anything wrong. Ears and throat were fine. Nose was clear. She said we could wait or go ahead and do blood/urine tests to make sure you didn't have an infection we couldn't see. I decided we'd go ahead and do the tests, because I didn't want you to be sick that much longer. They tried drawing blood but your veins are so small the nurse couldn't find it. So they sent us to the lab upstairs, which just happened to close for lunch as we arrived. So we waited. Thankfully Brenda and Tiffany offered to come wait with us and help Mommy. Miss Brenda held you still while Mommy held your arm so the lab tech could draw blood. I don't think Mommy could have done it by herself. We went back to the pediatrition's office for an antibiotic shot then headed home. You napped and your fever finally broke around 5. You were in such a better mood by the time Daddy got home. Tuesday I stayed home with you again. Around lunch as I was changing your diaper I noticed a rash on your tummy and back. I called the doctor and the nurse said it sounded like Roseola, which was actually a good thing. You seemed to feel fine, other than a little extra cuddly.  Thursday the doctor called with your labwork results. It turns out you did have an infection and needed a round of antibiotics. Hopefully this will clear it up and you'll be good to go. I do have to say we have been so blessed that you have been so healthy so far. 11 months and this is the first time you have been really sick.

We also met Angela, Vickie, Ezelle, Nina, Peyton, Ashley and her mom at the Dallas Arboretum to see the Dallas Blooms. You had fun playing in the grass with Peyton and looking at all the pretty flowers. Afterwards, we headed north to surprise Nonna and Poppa with a quick visit. Boy were they surprised! You had so much fun showing off your new tricks and exploring around their house.

Special Memories - Sharing yogurt with Mommy at BlueHeaven. Playing outside in the warmer weather. First night to stay with Daddy (without Mommy). Surprising Nonna and Poppa with a visit when they weren't expecting it. First trip to the Arboretum with Mommy.

I almost don't want this post to end, because that means we are one month closer to you turning 1! Already?! This time last year though, I was gearing up for your arrival - showers, moving, cleaning, we just about did it all. You are so full of life and your Daddy and I are so blessed to be your parents each day. Seeing you discover and try new things makes me look at life differently. I am slowly getting it that laundry and a clean house aren't near as important as splashing in the bath for an extra 5 minutes. I so loved all the extra cuddles and snuggles you gave this month, even though you were sick. Those are precious to me and each night I try to just soak you in and remember how you are now. I love you baby girl and Daddy does to. You are so special and we thank God he gave you to us.
Love you baby girl!

~Mommy & Daddy





Silly faces

First sweet tea

Sleepy head

I <3 my Poppa!

Playing with Nonna and Poppa

This is what it takes to get a picture with an 11 month old.

Arboretum visit

Peyton and Avery

Avery

Surprise visit to Nonna and Poppa's

Look what I can do!

Sweet smile

Love you punkin-doodle!

Friday, March 18, 2011

Avery Needs Your Vote!

So I came across the cutest little online shop that sells bows and such for little girls a few months ago, The SunshineShoppe.  They have a weekly contest called Free Clippie Fridays. I entered their first one and won! We got the cutest little crocheted flower clip for Avery. We put it in her hair when it arrived and surprisingly it stayed! She has really fine hair and most clips just slide out, but this one has a special grippy material that helps it stay in. It is my go-to clip now, since Avery won't keep headbands on any more. :( Anyways, the SunshineShoppe is having a model contest. I entered a picture of Avery and the voting is going on now. We need your votes!



To vote you can:


Go visit the SunshineShoppe's blog and leave a comment with Avery's name and number (#1).  http://mysunshineshoppetoday.com/sunshine-shoppe-march-2011-model-search/  The only requirement to vote is you have to "like" their Facebook page here or subscribe to their blog by entering your email address in the lower right corner of the page where it says "follow us via email."


That's it! Thanks for taking time to help Avery win!

Saturday, March 5, 2011

10 Month Milestones

10th Month Milestones - 3/4/11

Height - 27.5 inches plus a little

Weight - 16 lbs??

Sleeping - You usually go to bed around 8:00. You occasionally wake up once a night to eat. You usually take 2 maybe 3 naps a day. 1 long one (2+ hours), 1 medium one (1.5 hours) and somedays a short one (45 mins).

Mommy realized this morning as I got you out of bed that I've never blogged about you and your blankie. Since this is your baby book (of sorts) I had to include it today. Ever since we stopped swaddling you (around 4-5 months), you've been attached to one of your blankets. See Mommy has a soft spot for satin-y blankets (just ask Nonna someday) and Daddy still has a blanket he HAS to sleep with, so I guess there was no getting around it. We would give you your paci and blanket before we would rock you to sleep and it always went with you to the sitters or in the car. Not surprising is you LOVE your blankie. You can be as cranky and tired as ever and we put your blanket in your hands and you rub it all over your face and calm down. I love that it brings comfort to you and that it is something we have in common.

Eating - Still a month of change in your eating. You nurse/take a bottle about 3-4 times a day. We're working on you taking milk from a sippy cup. Somedays you do, others you won't touch it. You still love your baby food. You love Cheerios, puffs, apples, pears, and your cereal. New foods we've tried this month are wheat Ritz crackers, avacadoes, cheese, ground turkey, steamed peas and some chocolate cake that Nonna made. :) No teeth yet, I think you are waiting to turn 1 and get them all at once. Ha!

New discoveries - You can sniff now and blow raspberries whenever you want. You scrunch up your nose and mouth and sniff really loud. Not sure where or how you learned this but it is cute. You also blow raspberries at random times. Funny, until you do it when you have food in your mouth, as Annette, Tiff and Jess were witnesses to. Sorry! You also discovered the kitchen cabinets this month.  Your favorite is the one right next to the fridge. You can open it and love to pull out the cutting boards and cookie sheets. I guess we'll have to leave this one non-baby-proofed so you can have a place to play.

New accomplishments - You can drink out of a straw now and it makes getting you to use a sippy cup so much easier. You are perfecting the art of standing up and will stand without holding on to anything for a few seconds at a time now. You seem to get faster and faster crawling. The other night you followed me into the kitchen, I turned around and didn't see you. You had crawled into our bedroom and shut the door! Stinker! You still are testing out screaming. We are working on "no" but not sure we're getting anywhere.

Places you went - So we made up for not going anywhere last month this month. We met Nonna, Poppa, Uncle Daniel and Aunt April in Lewisville for Daniel's birthday lunch. Then the next weekend, you went on your first overnight sleepover. Mark and Brenda were heading to Marietta and offered to take you to see Nonna and Poppa for the night to give Mommy and Daddy a break and night out. I loaded you up and hugged you tight. Thankfully it was only like 28 hours your were gone cause I was so ready for you to get home. You had fun though with Nonna and Poppa and I think they enjoyed having you all to themselves for the day. Mommy did get lots done on Saturday while you were gone though. I ran errands and worked on shower stuff with Jami and cleaned. I was SO ready to see you when you got home. Then last weekend we met Aunt Tiff, Annette, Jessica and Sam in Ft. Worth to go wedding dress shopping for Tiffany. Note to self, don't ever go to David's bridal on a Saturday in Jan-April! It was C-R-A-Z-Y! We had fun though and got to meet Sam. You and Sam are going to be in Tiff's wedding so it was fun to see you guys play together.

Special Memories - Celebrating Daniel's birthday with him. You love your Uncle Daniel. Celebrating your first Valentine's day. You loved your giraffe and books. Your first overnight trip away from Mommy and Daddy. Meeting Sam for the first time. He may be bigger but you stood your ground. ha!

Its hard to believe in 2 months you'll be 1 year old. One year?! How is that already possible? I remember holding you at a few months old thinking how small you were and how much you couldn't do yet. You let me hold you, cuddle you, take lots of pictures of you and you didn't care. Now, life seems to start when you wake up and doesn't slow down until you go to bed at night. I do get a few cuddles and snuggles when you wake up and while you eat, but mostly you are too busy to want to be held. Its not a bad thing, just something I miss. When we take your weekly pictures, I have to take pictures quickly. I love how much you love to be on the move. It keeps Daddy and me on our toes. You love for us to chase you around the couch and into the kitchen. I love hearing your belly laugh when we catch you. You love it when Daddy picks you up and runs around silly with you.  You laugh with your tongue hanging out. It is the cutest picture and I love you and your Daddy more each time I see it. Please always know Daddy and I love you more than you know. We are praying for you daily, and know that God has some amazing plans for you. Can't wait to see you grow up, just not too fast!

Love you baby girl!

~Mommy & Daddy




1st Valentine's Day

Helping Daddy open his Valentine

Reading with Daddy

Enjoying the nice weather

Love this little scrunched up face

Sam and Avery's first meeting

With Aunt Tiffers

Learning to share with Sam

Can't get enough of this little smile!

Mommy & Avery

Eating like a big girl

Her new face

Using her sippy

We love supper time!

Can't look at this without smiling!

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

9th Month Milestones - 2/4/11

9th Month Milestones - 2/4/11



Height - 27.5 inches

Weight - 15 lbs. 13 oz.

Sleeping - You usually go to bed around 8:00. You occasionally wake up once a night to eat. You usually take 2 maybe 3 naps a day. 1 long one (2+ hours), 1 medium one (1.5 hours) and somedays a short one (45 mins).

Eating - This month has been a month of change in your eating. You went from nursing/taking a bottle 6 times a day to usually 4.  You still love your baby food though - pretty much everything except peas.  You love Cheerios, puffs, apples, pears, and your cereal. The doctor said you could start eating pretty much anything off our plates so this upcoming month should be fun. Still no teeth. You pretty much gum most things to death.

New discoveries - You can pull up now and "walk" around stuff that you can hold on to. You also rediscovered your tongue and love to roll it or curl it up in your mouth. It looks hilarious! You've also started screaming. Sometimes it is when you are happy, other times when you want something, and a few times when you are mad. We've been working on "no" and what it means. Not sure it is doing any good though! lol! You've also started to be more interested in books and actually let Mommy read them to you (most of the time). You still prefer to use them as a chew toy, but we occasionally get in a full story. I love it and hope you grow to love books and reading.

New accomplishments - You can wave bye-bye and clap now. You have said "bye" a few times, along with "da-da" and an occasional "ma-ma" but nothing regular. That's ok though, I'm sure you'll be talking our ears off soon enough. You like playing patty-cake and love it when we say "yay!" you wave your hands in the air or clap them. It is too cute. You also learned to "touch the sky" or raise your hands above your head.

Places you went - I think this section might be better labeled "places you didn't go to." See we got snow/ice for 4 days this month. That meant for 4 days, Mommy, Daddy, and you were stuck at home. Mommy had to work from home, so for most of the time - you got to play with Daddy. You weren't too fond of the snow, but it was fun to bundle you up and take you out in it. What you really loved to do was to crawl up to the patio door, stand up and lick it. I'm really not sure why you loved it, it was literally freezing cold!

Special Memories - The Super Bowl was in town this month. You saw your first REAL snow and got iced in for 4 days. You learned to pull up and love to crawl up to us and pull up on our legs. Nonna and Poppa came to visit you. Bella, Aunt Kristi and Uncle Andrew came too. And just for memories, it was the coldest it has been in 15 years this month. I think the record was 14 degrees with wind chills in the negatives!

You have been on the move this month. We turn around for a second and you are somewhere else. It is fun, but is definitely keeping us on our toes. It was neat to see you experience snow for the first time. You weren't crazy about being out in it, but loved looking at it through the patio door. You love to scream now when you are excited and "touch the sky" when you are happy. I love seeing you grow and change, but sometimes I get sad that it is going by so fast. I know its supposed to be this way, but somedays I wish you could stay little. Little enough for me to cuddle you close while we rock before bedtime. Little enough to fly around like an airplane and mommy's arms don't hurt afterwards. I love you more than you know, baby girl! You even became a Daddy's girl the week we all were snowed in at home. Daddy joked that he loved you more than Mommy because Mommy wouldn't play with you. Ha! Mommy had the blessing/curse of having to work from home! All the same, I did love getting to be with you all day, even if Daddy was on duty.  Looking forward to the month ahead!
Love you baby girl!

~Mommy & Daddy




Eating puffs/cheerios

Playing

More fun

Nonna & Poppa came to visit

It ICED/SNOWED!!!

You preferred enjoying it from the inside. :)