Thursday, June 30, 2011

Avery's 1st Birthday Party

Avery's yummy cake and cupcakes with decorations

Avery with Grandad West, Mommy and Nonna

Singing Happy Birthday to our baby girl



That cake was yummy!


Opening presents

Playing with Peyton

Pictures with Peyton

Happy birthday Avery Marie!

Trying out our new wagon, thanks Aunt Tiff!

Monday, June 27, 2011

13 month milestones

13th Month Milestones - 6/4/11

Height - 28+ inches

Weight - 17.5 lbs?

Sleeping - You usually go to bed around 8:00. You rarely wake up once a night to eat. You usually take 2 naps a day and these are getting shorter. Not sure how we'll transition you to 2, because you get sleepy about an hour or so after you get up each morning. Oh well. We'll cross that bridge soon!

Eating - Still a healthy appetite. The only thing you've refused so far is a grilled cheese sandwich and I think the texture was too much for you. Other than that, you eat anything we give you. Chewing has gotten much better this month. Maybe that's because you have 6 teeth now! 4 on top and 2 on bottom. You still nurse in the morning and at night and take bottle or cup of milk during the day.

New discoveries - You can walk everywhere now! It started the week after your birthday party. You just took off one day and haven't stopped since. You have great balance. You are learning more words, we think. We still can't understand most of them, but you respond when we ask you questions or talk to you. Oh, and we introduced you to the pool. I thought for sure you would love it. You love bathtime. But you aren't crazy about it. I think its because you can't touch the bottom and we have to either hold you or put you in your floatie. You would rather be on your own. :)

New accomplishments - Walking/almost running! This started the week of May 15th.

Places you went - To Ada, OK for Aunt April's graduation from ECU. To Grandmama and Grandad West's for a late Easter/Mother's Day celebration. Had your first birthday party with all your family and friends. Had a 2nd birthday swim party with more friends.

Special Memories - Watching Aunt April gradutate. Hunting Easter eggs with Peyton. Loving on Grandmama and Grandad West. 1st birthday party. Walking full time. Swim party with friends. Mommy and Daddy found out you were going to be a big sister the day after your first birthday. Hanging out with the girls for Tiffany's Girls Night Out party.

Sorry this post was much shorter than the last 12. Mommy has been super busy this month between chasing you, throwing 2 birthday parties, and finding out you were going to be a big sister. We are so thankful for you. Seeing you grow and change is so much fun. I find myself wondering how I could love you more. God has been so good to let us be your parents. To be honest, when I found out about your baby brother/sister, I was excited, but nervous at the same time. You are still so young. Would having a baby brother/sister mean I couldn't give you the attention you need/deserve? But then I remembered, God never gives us more than we can handle. So He must know that you and I (and Daddy) can handle this with Him. I'm so excited to see you as a big sister. We love you so much baby girl!

~Mommy & Daddy





Monday, June 6, 2011

12 Month Milestones

12th Month Milestones - 5/4/11

Height - 28 inches

Weight - 17 lbs, 2.5 oz

Sleeping - You usually go to bed around 8:00. You rarely wake up once a night to eat. You usually take 2 naps a day and these are getting shorter. Your doctor said we could transition to just one nap a day over the next few months.

Eating - Still a healthy appetite. The only thing you've refused so far is a grilled cheese sandwich and I think the texture was too much for you. Other than that, you eat anything we give you. We are working on chewing with your new teeth though. You prefer to inhale versus chew. We'll get there though. You have 3 teeth now, 2 on top and 1 on bottom. The top ones came first, which normally doesn't happen so I'm told. You still nurse in the morning and at night and take bottle or cup of milk during the day.

New discoveries - This is more of a Mommy and Daddy discovery, but we think you are saying words and phrases now when we ask you questions. We're the only ones who can understand you, but you do respond when asked questions. You like to ask "Who's that?" when the door bell rings. This is from me asking you that whenever Mrs. Marilyn or Frannie arrive at the door in the morning. You say "Thank you" when you hand stuff to us, probably because we say thank you to you when you give us stuff. You say "here" sometimes too. You can nod yes and no. You nod No when we tell you no. I think I've heard you say "what's that?" but still not sure on that one.

New accomplishments - You've taken as many as 6 or 8 steps on your own! Most of the time you have to be completely distracted when you walk, because if you realize you are doing it, you sit down and crawl. That's ok though, we aren't in any hurry. Your first steps were on April 29th. 

Places you went - Let's see, April was a busy month for us. We had Eddie and Michelle's wedding the 2nd weekend. Then Nonna and Poppa came down to celebrate Mommy's birthday the next weekend. We loved getting to see them. Easter weekend we went to Tyler to see Mim, PaPa, Uncle Andrew, Aunt Kristi, and Bella. We even got to have a picnic at Tyler State Park. We had fun, but lost a paci somewhere there. We went to church with them and hid eggs in the living room for you and Bella to find. The weekend after that, you and I headed north for Aunt Tiff and Uncle Brent's wedding shower in Ardmore. It was so fun to see everyone, plus all your baby friends were there - Sam, Ava, & Amelia. It was a busy month.

The one place that wasn't a fun visit was your trip to Cook Children's in Ft. Worth. See after you got sick last month, your doctor wanted us to have some tests run to make sure your kidneys and bladder were working correctly. We weren't sure, but after a 2nd opinion decided to go ahead. You were a trooper. We arrived early, like we were supposed to, only to find out they were running behind. So we waited, and waited, and waited. We finally got called back for the ultrasound. You were fine until the tech started moving the wand around on your tummy. We survived it and then were sent to another area for more waiting. I do have to admit, for a children's hospital, waiting wasn't easy. I know all hospitals are busy, but we were like an hour to an hour and a half late from our appointment time. Crazy for a almost 1 year old who hadn't had a nap or eaten anything since early that morning. Anyways, we finally got back for the VCUG and they had Veggie Tales for you to watch! Much better than the dark ultrasound room. We got the results back a few days later and everything is fine. Your kidneys and bladder work great! We were so thankful. God is so good!

Special Memories - Seeing Mrs. Michelle in her wedding dress. Celebrating with Mommy for her birthday. First Easter egg hunt with Bella. Playing with Sam and stealing his snacks (we're working on sharing!).

So what about your first birthday? I'm saving a whole post for that. Let's just say it was special and went by way too fast. I can't believe that you've been a part of our lives for a whole year, baby girl! Wow! Thinking back to how much you've grown and changed, it makes me sad. Sad that you'll never be that tiny again. But oh so happy to see you growing, healthy, learning new things, and becoming you. I love that. Your Daddy and I are so blessed to be your parents. Thank you for letting us figure this parent thing out. You've been a trooper. :) Here's to the year ahead!

Love you baby girl!

~Mommy & Daddy





Ms. Michelle's wedding

Mommy's Birthday

1st Hospital visit

Playing at Tyler State Park

Easter Sunday

Opening Easter basket

Hunting eggs with Bella

Loves to eat!

1st birthday present from Nonna and Poppa

Tiff and Brent's Shower

Sleepy head!

Birthday pictures with Bella

Silly girl :)

Sunday, May 29, 2011

This is Avery, I highjacked Mommy's blog for today...

Hey there, this is Avery. I highjacked Mommy's blog today. She's been a little busy lately and hasn't had time to finish my 12 month and birthday party posts. She told me she's working on them, so be on the look out for them soon.

Anyways, I've been spending my days playing, sleeping, eating and perfecting my walking. Daddy says I look like a little monkey cause I hold up my arms, stick out my tummy, and walk around. Walking is definitely better than crawling. I can get around so much faster. Um, let's see. I got to go swimming for the first time this weekend. It was ok, definitely not the same as the bathtub. The best part was Mommy let me "jump" in from the edge. That was fun. Mommy says I'll learn to love it. And that I'll have the best baby tan of all my friends by the end of the summer.

Oh, I just remembered. I have some big news.
Yep, come January I'm gonna be a BIG sister. Supposedly, its a big deal, but I'm not sure. Mommy and Daddy said I'd have to share my toys and be a good example and help take care of my baby brother or sister. I think I can handle that. Shouldn't be much harder than what I do now. Well, maybe ask me again in a year or so. Anyways, just wanted to let you know.
Thanks for letting me write my first blog! I'll be back again soon. :) ~Avery Marie

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Spring has Sprung!

So spring has officially arrived in Texas (if we can call it that). For me, the period from St. Patrick's Day to Memorial Day is Spring. It doesn't always feel like it in Texas when it hits 95 degrees in April. Spring is also one of my favorite seasons - Easter, my birthday, my anniversary, Avery's birthday, Mother's Day, and Memorial Day. Somehow my birthday, my anniversary and Avery's birthday are all within a month of each other. Crazy, I know. Along with all these happy days, comes the gifts, etc. that come along with them. Now that we have grandparents to give gifts to, I have learned quickly that photos are great gifts. Grandparents can't have enough of them. One of my favorite sites to order pics from is Shutterfly. I've ordered cards, photo books, collages, notepads and LOVED them all. Some of my favorite from their spring collection are these:

Mother's Day Cards

I also love these invitations.


These graduation announcements are pretty neat, and probably cheaper than the ones you could order from school.


So next time you are looking for a fun, unique gift, check out Shutterfly first. I've always been pleased with their quality and service.

Do you have a blog?  Sign up for a chance at 50 free cards from Shutterfly. I did. Can't wait to get them in.


Tuesday, May 3, 2011

This time last year...

As I'm gearing myself up for the fact that my baby girl turns 1 tomorrow, I took a look back at my blogs from then. Several of these were written after the fact, but they tell our story so well. Stay tuned for the BIG birthday post!

38 weeks

3 weeks in and loving it (part 1)

First hours

First visitors (part 1)

First visitors (part 2)

First visitors (part 3)

Going Home

3 weeks in and loving it (part 2)

3 weeks in and loving it (part 3)

3 weeks in and loving it (part 4)

As you can see I had to blog in bits and pieces. That's what having a newborn for the first time does to you. Enjoy!

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!