1 Year Ago Today....

 

We found out that we were expecting.  One of the top 5 most exciting days of my life for sure.  But you know what's more exciting than a stick with two lines on it?  A beautiful, precious baby girl.  A baby girl that I can cradle and rock to sleep, simply say "I love you" in a singsong voice to and see her break out into the gummiest, most perfect smile; a daughter that when I watch her sleep all I can do is thank God over and over for blessing us with this most incredible gift.  So, while two lines is great, being a mommy to Avery is a thousand times better.  

A Day in the Life of Avery

 A typical day for our baby girl looks like this:

5:15 AM- I start to stir in my crib, but on days when Mommy goes to work, Daddy comes in to give me a paci, and I go back to sleep.  On days when Mommy is home (those are my favorite!) I get to get in bed with Mommy and Daddy and fall back asleep for another hour or 2.

6:00-7:00AM-  This is usually when I get up to start my day!  If Mommy is gone, Daddy will play with me for about an hour until I start to get hungry.  He likes to sing me Acapella songs, read me books, and talk to me while he eats his breakfast.  Without fail, he ALWAYS takes a picture of me to send to Mommy at work so she doesn't miss me quite so much.  If mommy is home and I go back to sleep with her, I usually sleep until 8 or so, so she immediately feeds me. 

8:00AM-  Breakfast time!  Whether Mommy is able to feed me or Daddy is giving me a bottle... I LOVE to eat!

8:30AM-  If it's a school day, this is usually about the time Daddy takes me in.  If I'm at home with Mommy, we are probably playing some, or I'm hanging out in my baby swing while Mommy tries to take a quick shower.

9:15(30)- 11:00-  I take a nap.  Most of the time with Mommy :)  But if she needs to do things around the house, I sleep in my swing (not for nearly as long as if I was napping with Mom, can you blame me?!)  When I'm at school, I don't seem to nap nearly as long.  Most likely a combination of the noise and being used to snuggling up with Mommy :)

11:00-  Lunch time.  Since I have started day school, I have been thankfully eating and taking a bottle like a champ.  I usually drink all of the bottles that Daddy sends to school with me!

My favorite thing is going to meet Daddy for lunch at our favorite place, Ruggles Bakery!

11:45-12:30- I usually take an abbreviated post-lunch nap. 

12:30-2:00-  This is usually the time where Mommy tries to cook/clean/play with me all at the same time!  I usually switch back and forth between my playmat, bouncy chair, swing, and exersaucer.  I like to sit in my bouncy chair and watch Mommy cook in the kitchen :)

2:00- Afternoon snack. 

2:30-4:30PM-  I LOVE to take a long afternoon nap.  And when I'm at home, I know that when I get up from my afternoon nap, Daddy is close to being home!  When I'm at school, Daddy usually comes to pick me up between 5:00-5:30.  And let's be honest, a lot of days, it's earlier :)

5:00PM-  Early dinner.  Usually I eat, and then Mommy and Daddy chow down while I play in my bouncy chair

5:15-6:30PM-  This is when I get to hang out with Mommy and Daddy at the same time!  On work nights, they are usually running around like crazy trying to get everything ready for the next day.  But the other days, we get to hang out on the couch together.  Mommy and Daddy usually talk about how pretty I am, or try and get me to smile (which happens very easily :) 

Or... I play X-Box with Daddy!

6:30-7:00PM-  Splish Splash and I was takin a bath!

7:00-8:00PM-  Usually I start to get pretty tired/fussy around 7, and I am ready to go down for a nap.  So, I sleep for about an hour, Mommy wakes me up to feed me and I go down for the night around 8:30.

8:30- ???  SLEEP!

3 Months!

As of yesterday, our precious baby girl is 3 months old!  As in a 1/4 of the way to being 1 year old!  These last couple weeks have been challenging. With a trip to the ER,  Avery being put on a very strong antibiotic, her reflux coming back in full force, and as of Monday me starting back to work, this mommy was feeling the stress.  I'm not going to sugar coat it... it has been rough.  I knew it would be a big transition, but I definitely didn't think it would be this big of an adjustment.  I'm not going to sit here and pretend that it's been better than I thought, or say things like, "I'm sure I will get used to it".   I have a crazy amount of mom guilt for leaving her.  I don't know what I would have done without my mom being here this week.  There are just some times in your life when you need your mom, and this was definitely one of those times!  I know that I am neither the first nor the last mom who goes back to work, but it doesn't make it any less hard!

Anyway, on to happier things!

Avery, here are your stats at 3 months:

Weight:  11 pounds 14 ounces

Length: 24.5 inches

Sleep:  Your sleep habits are sporadic at best!  For 5 days straight 2 weeks ago, you were sleeping 10 plus hours a night.  That of course stopped a few days before mommy was supposed to go back to work.. I knew it would :)  2 nights ago, you only went 4 hours at a time, but last night you went almost 8!   Most nights now, you go anywhere from 5 1/2 to 7 1/2 hours right after we first put you down.  It's not too bad unless the 5 hour nights happen on the nights before mommy goes to work... Tuesday morning, you woke up at 3:40 and Mommy normally gets up at 5 to go to work... so I didn't get to go back to sleep.  Neither did Daddy for that matter.  Now that we are both working, Daddy now gets the nudge in the middle of the night when Mommy has trouble getting you back to sleep! :)

Likes:  You love being talked and sung to, your paci, baby swing, being swaddled, and since we have gotten back from vacation, you LOVE taking naps with Mommy.  Mommy doesn't mind it so much either :)

Dislikes:  You have a love/hate relationship with bath time.  If we put you in and you're remotely fussy, it sends you into a rage!  If you are in a good mood when you get in, you actually seem to enjoy it!  You also hate being put in your bumbo, and you still despise your tummy time. 

Diaper Size:  You are still wearing a size 1, but really it's only because we have a whole box of them left!  I'm convinced you are really ready for a size 2!

Clothes Size:  You have grown out of most of your 0-3 month clothes and are almost exclusively in 3 month clothing, but some of the 3-6 months stuff is too wide for your skinny frame.  You are just SO long!

Feeding:  You are still only getting breast milk whether it is in a bottle, or I am able to nurse you.  Honey said you did great taking your bottles during the day when Mommy was at work.  Since Mommy is working 3, 10 hour days, you are still able to nurse more than you are bottle-fed, thankfully. 

Hair Color:  Some days it still looks a little strawberry blonde, but I'm pretty sure the new hair growing in is either a very light brown or a dark blonde. 

Eye Color:  Beautiful dark blue!

Nicknames:  Nug, Nugget, Love, Lovie, Aves, Aves McGaves, and AG

Milestones:  You are talking/cooing up a STORM!  You LOVE to hear your little voice.  You have the sweetest little laugh I have ever heard.  You have also rolled over!  You have rolled from your tummy to your back numerous times, despite the fact that you hate your tummy time; it is apparently working!  Daddy said the other morning after mommy had gone to work, you looked close to rolling from your back to your stomach.  You've also discovered your hands and feet.  You love to stick your hands in your mouth. 

Avery Grace, you are the biggest blessing.  I cannot get over how much I love you.   It is so hard to leave you on days that I have to work, because you and I had gotten ourselves into a great little routine.  I will always cherish those 3 months that we got to spend together at home.   I would not trade a single sleep-deprived moment.  Daddy and I love you so much little Nug.  But seriously, if you can make time slow down a bit, we would appreciate it!

My sweet girl.

Mommy and Daddy's friend Katherine Garman, KG, came to visit us, or really you, here in Houston!  You were BIG fans of one another.  She is already spoiling you rotten :)

Thanks Aunt KG for my new outfit!

It says "I love my Aunt" and Daddy put a sticker that says KG!