Recent Notes on Life

1.  I am officially obsessed with Pinterest.  I know, I'm like a year late.  I'm never on time with these things.... I still don't really understand Twitter.  I have been using it like crazy lately to stock up on healthy recipes (rest of this baby weight has GOT to go), get ideas for Avery's first birthday party (it's going to be awesome!), and figure out fun/cute/educational ways to keep Avery preoccupied as she gets older. 

This is what I am making tonight.  Quinoa Mac n' Cheese.  I'll let you know how it goes :)

2.  Avery took her first plane ride recently.  She was a trooper on the way there.  I fed her as the plane was taking off, and she was asleep within the first 10 minutes.  She slept for about half the time, and was in a fantastic mood the rest of the flight.  When we got to the baggage claim, everyone kept commenting on how great she did, how cute she was, etc...  Way to go Aves.  The way home however, completely different story.  She did great until the last 30 minutes when she expressed her disdain quite vociferously.  Screaming...bloody murder.  Who could blame her?  It was her bedtime, pretty sure her little ears were hurting, and it became evident when we got home that her tummy was UPSET... We apologized profusely to everyone around us saying "I know people say this all the time about their kids, but she is really NEVER like this."  Thankfully, everyone was so understanding.

Avery in her beautiful French hand sewn gown that Honey got made for her for Andrew and Keela's wedding.  So beautiful.

Love my fam.  Gigantic fail for me.  I didn't take a single pic of the bride and groom.  But Keela looked gorgeous!

3.  Our Sam's Club just opened up right around the corner from the house.  I cannot contain my excitement.  Although, while it is not Costco, it is so close.  We went to the Grand Opening last night and were pretty much enthralled.  Apparently, so was the rest of Pearland; the place was packed.  Not gonna lie, I went back today with Avery just to get a Polish dog for lunch.  Unfortunately, I forgot that they do not take Visa Credit Card...that's all I had on me, that and a check.  It was $1.84.  I said to the lady, "It would be stupid to pay for a hot dog with a check, right?"  She just sort of stared at me...  So, I scavenged my purse for change...$1.71.  Really?!  I sat down stressed and contemplated my options... leave without my hot dog (really didn't like this option), go back out to the car and look for change (but I had Avery, and I had parked far away), or call Matthew simply to express my disgust.  Option 3 it was.  Apparently a good Samaritan overheard my phone conversation, and as I was getting off the phone handed me $1.  That hot dog was so worth it. 

4.  Pretty sure Avery is teething.  She has been fussy this week, which is not really normal for her, chomping on her paci like crazy, and drooling all over the place.  On top of that, she has recently started to think that 4AM is an appropriate wake up time.  Not so much. 

5.  Starting solids with Aves is going well.  We switched her from rice cereal to oatmeal, we think the rice was giving her tummy aches.  This girl LOVES to eat.  I will have to post a video at some point.

6.  I turned 26 this week.  Yuck... That's all I have to say about that.

7.  Avery is still the prettiest baby girl on the planet!

I mean.. am I wrong?

Happy Friday!  Apollo 13 is on.. Preceded by You've Got Mail...Enough reason for it to be a good day for me :)

4 months

This past Saturday Avery turned 4 months old!  As in 1/3 of the way to a year.  Your Daddy and I cannot believe it! Better start planning your 1st birthday party now!! :)

I know I'm a tad late in posting, but I wanted to wait until we went to the doctor today so we could get accurate stats on Avery's length and weight... and a little bit of the fact that Mon-Wed I'm barely surviving between getting up early, work, and coming home to take care of Aves.  Who has time to blog?! 

Avery, here are your stats at 4 months:

Length: 26 inches! (95th percentile)

Weight:  13 pounds 11.5 ounces (50th percentile)

Sleep:  About a week after you turned 3 months old, you started sleeping through the night consistently!  Oh happy day!  Currently, you are going down anywhere between 7:45 and 8:30 and sleeping until around 5:30.... Recently however, you have gotten into the habit of waking up in the middle of the night once, sometimes twice, and even a couple of times three times because you wanted your paci... Silly girl.  The pediatrician said today that starting you on solids might help you break out of this habit.  Soon and very soon, Mommy and Daddy might start letting you cry this out :(  Right now, it's so much easier to just go give you your paci and you're back out within 30 seconds.  But what's even more of an accomplishment is that you have finally started to learn to nap in your crib!  You used to only nap in it for about 20 maybe 30 minutes at a time.  You still do that sometimes, but you've had days where you have gone for longer than an hour multiples times.

Likes: You now LOVE bath time, you can't get enough of splashing your legs in the water, you think it's hilarious.  Also new this month... you love to go on walks with Mommy, Daddy and Lexi in your Baby Bjorn... facing outwards, you have to be able to see what's going on around you! Unfortunately this has been put on hold for now considering that the West Nile Virus has hit Houston.  Bummer.  You also love playing with toys, your pacifier, your exersaucer (thanks Mimi and Papa), hearing yourself talk/laugh, and having Mommy and Daddy read/sing to you. 

Dislikes:  You are a little co-dependent on Mommy and Daddy.  Sometimes it's so bad that you get upset when we turn our back on you!  But other times you are happy as a clam lying on your playmat by yourself.   Other than that you are pretty easy-going. 

Diaper Size:  2

Clothes Size:  This is interesting to me.  You have some onesies that are 0-3 months that you can still wear, others you are WAY too long to wear.  Mostly you are still in 3 months or 3-6 months.  We finally bought you some 6 months jammies... they fit you length-wise but swallow you whole width wise.

Feeding:  You are still exclusively getting breast milk.  And today we got the green light to start you on rice cereal!!  Very exciting stuff.  Which means Daddy needs to get down your high chair from the attic.  We will see how it goes.  No worries, we will get it on video for those who actually care to see it. When I talked to my sister today about how she was ready to start solids her reaction was, "I think you just need to put that off!"  I feel ya Ash, not ready for this baby girl to grow up!

Hair Color:  I had been planning all month to write, "I think her hair has officially turned to a dirty blonde"...until yesterday when M sent me a pic at work and her hair looked totally red again!  Who knows. 

Eye Color:  Dark blue.  Almost the exact same color as mine.

Nicknames:  We mostly call you Nug or Nugget, sometimes Aves.  We have been trying really hard to say your real name more frequently so that you can get used to hearing it!

Milestones:  This month you have really gotten the hang of rolling over from your stomach to your back.  Now we are working on back to tummy.  You are also starting to pull your paci out of your month and then put it back in yourself.  You grab onto anything and everything that you can get your sweet little hands on... And this month you really started to develop your laugh.  Before it was just a squeal, but now it's starting to sound legit.  Sweetest sound ever.

Avery, this stage you are in is just really fun.  Looking back to the first couple of weeks, I never imagined that at 4 months we would be here.  You are simply just an easy/happy baby.  You bring so much joy into our lives.  Your little personality is really starting to come out, you're a little bit of a ham, and a lot bit dramatic.. Gee, wonder where you got that from? :) 

We love you so much little Nug, I mean Avery. :)  

Let's just say that Mommy needs to buy you some Alabama gear for the rest of this year's football season... I don't think we can wear this until b-ball season arrives.  It's just too depressing.

I love walks!

Takes a lot of concentration

Can't get enough of that smile.

Not sure what she thinks about Buster

4 Years

4 Years of Marriage.  1461 Days.  35063 hours.  The best 2,102,400 minutes of my life.  This morning I woke up and thought of what I was doing on this particular morning 4 years ago... went to the gym, ate my dad's homemade waffles, relaxed a bit before heading to the church... But as good as that morning was, crawling into bed early this morning with Avery and Matthew is pretty hard to beat.

Matthew, I know our life used to consist of upscale food, sleeping late, impromptu trips and late nights out with friends.  It definitely looks a little different now that it's filled with diapers, burp cloths, and let's be honest, more baby clothes than Avery will ever wear.  As I watched you talking to our daughter this morning before you left for work, I was reminded of why I married you.  Besides being ambitious, handsome, intelligent, God-fearing, and outrageously funny, you have the biggest heart.  I love you Matthew.  Happy Anniversary!

September 6, 2008

Year 1- Headed to Flemings to celebrate! House sitting at Ed and Shawn's.  Our wedding cake topper tasted just as good as it did the day of the wedding!

Year 2- Cooked a fabulous dinner at "home".  House sitting again at Ed and Shawn's! Had just gotten back from our anniversary cruise.

Year 3- Spent a fabulous weekend with friends in Chicago.  Went to dinner just the two of us our last night there.  But the best anniversary gift ever that year... finding out we were expecting a few days before!

And today... A brief lunch out.  With an infant.. gotta improvise!