Week in Review ~ 7/31

This post will be a little shorter than normal (hip hip hooray you think!) because I haven't been working on it all throughout the week, and I can't remember much that we did.

On Sunday we all recovered from the big party and let Avery play with a few of her new toys. We still have 2 toys, a riding toy, and 2 sets of bath toys to open up. We're really trying to stretch out the new things, and with Avery's "must be moving stage" it's working well. We also have a toy to exchange and a giftcard to use, and by the time we do that our house will have surrendered to the toys. We also started Avery on whole milk. Because she had eaten yogurt and other items with milk we weren't too worried about an allergy but still started slow. We ended up mixing milk and formula, slowly increasing the milk and decreasing formula. We also took away her 3 o'clock bottle, and she drank some of the milk/formula combination from her cup. I would love to think I'll notice the extra $21 in my pocket each week, but I highly doubt it since I have noticed not paying the babysitter every other week. We had planned on taking Avery to the pool but Ned had a house fire. We still haven't made it there this summer.

By Monday Avery was completely on whole milk. She drinks it well from the bottle, especially warmed, but not so much from the cup. Our pediatrician had warned us that many babies will drink milk from the bottle but will toss a sippy of milk across the room, and her son is one of those kids. I'm relieved that I don't have to get her to drink milk. I'll continue to offer it but will make sure she's getting other forms of calcium. I'm not a milk drinker so I can't blame her much.

Tuesday was portrait day which I shared earlier. Mom was supposed to meet us there with Avery's main outfit and then take Avery home with her. She called when I was about 20 minutes away and said her car wouldn't start. Luckily my dad was off that morning so she used his truck, but I had to follow her home with Avery, thrwarting my plans for Chik-Fil-A. I dropped Avery off, went home, then went back to get her late afternoon. The few hours alone were nice but I did an awful lot of driving to get them.

We had a lazy day at home Wednesday. Ned got off at 12 but went off and did boy things. The only big news of the day was taking away Avery's lunchtime bottle. She doesn't seem to miss them, but she doesn't drink much milk from her cup. I offered her juice diluted with water and she sucked that down. I would prefer she drink just water but really I need her drinking something. Adding in milk plus decreasing her fluids has done a number on her already problematic bathroom tendencies.

On Thursday Avery and I met Kristin at the Mexican restaurant for lunch. I prepared Avery's meat sticks and green beans at home and took a peach cup. She did really well but had food and her plate going in all directions. I don't really remember eating my food. She will still eat some Stage 3 foods, but I'm trying not to give it to her, and many times she only wants to do it HERSELF. Things that I can feed her in public are so much easier though...

We enjoyed the cooler temperatures on Friday morning with a walk to see the ducks and to try and spot some kitties at a house that has a TON. Only one was out though and continued to sleep despite our calls. Avery loves cats and makes the same noise each time she sees one in person or in a book. It's so generic, but a kitty is in the running for Halloween costume. After Avery's nap we went to Peebles to look for shoes for me for the wedding Saturday but had no luck. We strolled down to Food Lion to get a few things for Avery. She is hilarious out in public now. She says something that sounds a lot like hi and waves at everyone. She is convinced they are all there to see her. We may have a future Walmart greeter on our hands! We headed to a yummy seafood restaurant Sharky's for dinner. Avery ate her dinner and then enjoyed my sweet potato fries. She did really well and again "spoke" to everyone in the place. We tried Belk for shoes and had some luck. By luck I mean I found a $50 pair of heels that would work but that I probably won't wear again because they hurt. By hurt I mean leave crippling blisters. This is the THIRD time I've gotten in a shoe pinch since Avery has been born and have wasted money on shoes I won't wear again. I could have a really nice pair by now...

On Saturday Ned and I attended the wedding of a girl I teach school with. We also squeezed in a dinner out since we were without Avery. We thought about riding around to kill a little time and get home once Avery was in bed, but we were ready to see her and arrived and she was drying off from her bath. She had taken a long afternoon nap and had had a really good time with Mimi. Before we left for the wedding, she had done a lot of cruising that only Ned had seen. She is also standing for longer and longer amounts of time, so we know what's coming soon.

Well, this didn't turn out short at all. I can find a lot of words to tell about a boring week! Sorry for a post without pictures, but I haven't taken many his week. I have only three weeks left of vacation, and I don't even want to think about returning to work. I still have lots of projects I want to complete and need to get many more kisses from Avery. Planning on doing some projects and lots of kissing in the upcoming week!

Picture Perfect

Yesterday Avery and I traveled to Conway Photo Shop to have her one-year portraits done. As I drove I couldn't believe that I was taking her for the 5th time - we started when she was 11 days old and have been every three months! I always look forward to going for weeks beforehand and love that it's like visiting with family (Carol also did my senior pictures, engagement session, and wedding, so we have a little history). We missed Miss Peggy and Miss Lynn not being there to chat and chase Avery, but somehow we managed. This visit was definately different from our first, when my biggest concern was getting Avery's heart monitor on and off. Now we have a little mover. I will admit that I had broken out into a sweat before the first outfit change. Avery did GREAT for a one-year-old, but there were times when I would get her positioned, and by the time I got out of the way, she was gone. When describing the morning to a friend, I related it to herding cats.

Drops of sweat aside, the photographs turned out beautifully, as the always do. You can look at Carol's fantastic work with Avery here. I always love that the photographs I get focus on my sweet baby, not a bunch of nature, props, or costumes. Those pictures can certainly be great too, but I think Avery is precious all on her own! I could sing the praises of Conway Photo Shop all day. Avery's nexts portraits should be at 18 months, but we can't wait that long. We'll be back in November for a Christmas card shoot and may squeeze in some family portraits before then!

It's Avery's Party...

...and she didn't cry a bit! Well, only once when I took her away from Lolli. We had Avery's party yesterday, July 24th, at our house. On the guest list were family and some close friends. Since Avery isn't at an age where she actually has friends, only one child was in attendance. I doubt I'll be that lucky next year. Avery chose party day to take an extra-long afternoon nap and had to be woken a little after 3 to get ready for her 3:30 party. We got her in her special birthday outfit and were ready to get the party started.



Not sure why this picture is crooked, but I wanted to show her cute paper products. This is the napkin on one of the larger plates. The large plate had a giraffe and the smaller cake plate had an elephant. I thought they were so sweet and not over the top. We added some pink, green, and yellow balloons inside and out, and that was the extent of our decorating. It will probably be the easiest of her parties to plan and was definately the way to go.



We did presents and Avery's cake in our seldom-used basement room. The pool table was moved out and my chair moved in just in time for the party. The room is very long and there is extra space that you can't see here. We brought down extra chairs but still didn't have enough seating for the 25 or so in attendance. The adult beverages were in the back of the room so those partaking didn't mind standing! We put the video camera on the tripod so that Ned could take pictures. Luckily Lolli thought to move the camera when Avery moved to her high chair. And, always remember to take note of your DVD length and watch your time. I spent most of the afternoon thinking that we had missed getting Avery's priceless face when everyone sang because the DVD had run out. We got it though!



Ned and I gave Avery the wagon and some play clothes for the babysitter. She also got an alphabet train to take to the beach which was kind of birthday too. As you can see, Felix wanted to make sure everything was in tip-top shape for our guests.





Avery got so many wonderful gifts...interactive learning toys, walking and riding toys, her first baby doll, toys for the bath, clothes, Crocs, and many other things. She should be set until Christmas. We've only brought up a few to play with and hope to stretch the newness out for awhile.



Once she got her hands on this ribbon, she had no need for presents. In EVERY picture of us opening gifts after she got the ribbon, it's either in her hand or in her mouth. I'm surprised our guests didn't take their gifts back! She certainly kept everyone entertained as she opened her presents...tearing paper, throwing tissue paper, tossing things aside when she was done with them, standing on her own, etc. I couldn't believe how happy she was and was not bothered a bit that so many people were around.



Avery couldn't figure out what in the world everyone was doing as they sang "Happy Birthday." Her face was so serious that we all laughed through the song. She broke out in this big smile when everyone was done though. I'm surprised she didn't break out with a dance. All she needs to hear these days is a little beat and she's dancing away.



Avery enjoyed picking at the icing flowers on her cake but never ate much of the actual cake. She had never had icing and had only had a small bit of cupcake before. She enjoyed digging in but didn't get too messy. After her cake we all went upstairs for our cake. The big birthday cake was made by Mrs. Kitchen, who has made all of my birthday cakes, my wedding cake, and even one of my baby shower cakes! If Avery ever wants a decorative one we'll just have to have two. We had cake, ice cream, and other snacks for our guests. My mother-in-law gave me the wonderful idea of freezing scoops of ice cream in muffin tins, and it was a great time saver. Avery enjoyed playing with Hunter, who will soon turn 5. She touched him, patted his head, and even scored a kiss on his way out. Avery also had to eat her dinner in front of some of the guests. She hadn't had her afternoon bottle, and I guess that icing wasn't very filling.

After everyone left, we went back to check out the gifts. Two of the toys had already gone upstairs and are missing from the picture. Some of the toys and clothes are hidden also. What a pile! She also got a giftcard to choose another toy, but I may have to go with books. I won't be able to do that for long! Avery did better than I had ever imagined during her party but was done by about 6 pm. Lolli and Poppa stayed for pizza and helped entertain her. She went to bed early but had to cry herself to sleep because her day had finally caught up with her.

I must admit, I get a little worked up about having one couple over for dinner, so almost 30 people in my house was a stretch. But Avery's party was the most fun I've had in a long time and definately our best entertaining experience so far. I'm not one to brag on how cute she is, and I can't always brag about her behavior because, well, she's a baby, but she was precious through the whole party. She'll never remember this special day, but we have lots of pictures and video to show her. What I really want her to know is how lucky she is to have so many people who love her who came to celebrate her life with us. It certainly was a celabratory year, and we can't wait to see what the upcoming year has in store. Now, if we can just find a place for all the toys!

Week in Review ~ 7/24

Isn't it amazing how quiet weeks feel just as busy as hectic weeks?

Sunday was spent returning from the beach. We had our traditional breakfast at The Jolly Roger. Avery is now convinced that people are in the same place as she is to see her. She "speaks," waves, laughs, and looks. She has also developed a habit of touching people close by and in some way or another touched all of our waiters and waitresses at the beach. We went home the quicker way, which is not my favorite way. Avery slept less than an hour and had 2 crying spells. Once we got home she ate lunch and took a long nap, even though it took her awhile to go to sleep. We had Chinese for dinner and were all happy to crawl in our own beds.

Avery slept until about 6:20 Monday morning. We celebrate small victories in this house! Our day was spent settling back into our home routine. Avery was happy to see her toys and I did lots of laundry. Avery got to grocery shop with me. Of course it had to rain on the way there and back. Avery does best in the store when the cart is in motion. I think she may have a future as a Walmart greeter as she greeted every shopper we passed. I picked the SLOWEST cashier, and Avery I both were happy to roll out to the car.

Tuesday Avery slept until 7! Did I sleep until 7? Of course not. Ned's pager went off at 4:45 am for a structure fire, and after listening to him bang the alarm clock thinking it was going off, I was up. I was in and out of sleep hoping Avery wouldn't wake early. Laying in bed that long was still nice. Avery and I stayed home all day finishing laundry and doing odds and ends. She enjoyed emptying her diaper bag, scooting our table chairs, and rolling the ball with me. Avery still isn't eating much and acts like both of her seats are killing her after 5 minutes. I tried her afternoon bottle in a cup and that didn't work out. She took good naps but was fussy by dinnertime. I packed up some of her baby toys to get ready for her birthday. She hasn't played with them in a long time, but I didn't want to put them away. I also tried to do some rearranging since our living room is starting to look like a Fisher Price showroom. I cooked slow cooker chicken and dumplings for dinner from this blog and enjoyed some quiet time while Ned was at city council (Facebook, Blogger, and Teen Mom on MTV...productivity at it's best!).

Wednesday was kind of a yuck day. I was tired and not feeling the best, Avery was a little fussy and not napping for as long as normal, and it was HOT. We stayed home and didn't do much. Ned was off for the afternoon and actually had to cut the grass after the few showers we've had. He had a hunt club meeting that night so it was Avery and I again. Avery fussed a few times after I put her down and then had a big crying spell around 10:30. She cried hard enough that I went to make sure she didn't have a fever. She was quiet as I stood there but tuned up again when I left. As hard as it is to listen to her, she is one that really just has to get herself straight and back to sleep.

Avery slept until 7 Thursday morning! After her morning nap she and I went and ordered her balloons for the party. We also stopped in to visit Ned and Mimi. We didn't do much again during the day. I cooked stuffed shells with spinach for dinner from the blog mentioned above, and they were pretty tasty. Drill was cancelled for Ned, so he went to Newsoms to get my chair from my old room. I hope my parents don't expect me to ever get everything from their house! The chair will go in our basement room but needs the pool table to move first.

Friday was sweet Avery's birthday! She slept until almost 7 again. I was a horrible mother and waited too long to change her doctor's appointment so she had to have a well-baby check on her birthday in the middle of morning naptime. She was not happy with anything they did with her today...height, weight, head measurement, listening to her heart, etc. Ears as usual were the worst. I have to hold Avery's arms down for the doctor to look, and she looked for a LONG time today. Something isn't quite right with her right ear, so we came home with a prescription we could fill if needed. Avery's had several instances of suspicious ears so I'm getting a little nervous. After all of that and two shots later, she was a puddle of sweat and tears. Lolli met us at the doctor and took Avery home with her so I could get ready for the party. I didn't bring a single bottle to send with them, and Ned had left his wallet at home. We were doing great! We stopped to get her smash cake and headed home. I spent the afternoon doing things I won't be able to with Avery tomorrow and also made a Walmart run. She came home happy and crawling 20 times faster. We went out for Mexican and had to stop at Food Lion for a few more party items. Once Avery went to bed, Ned got to work disassembling the pool table. The man who is supposed to buy it will not come and get it, but I need that big, open space for the party. I continued to run around doing as much as I could to get ready for party day.

Avery was up and ready to get her party started on Saturday. I was fairly calm except for the fact that the pool table still lay in pieces in our downstairs family room, where most of the party was to be held. Avery struggled to get to sleep for her morning nap and then didn't sleep long. I still don't believe she's ready to give it up. I know I'm not! After nap, Ned and a friend moved the pool table out into the garage. The garage is bursting at the seams, and Avery's toys are quickly catching up to Ned's. I so look forward to the day when I have a garage to park my car in, not a Bad Boy Buggy. We continued to work to get everything ready. By the time Avery went down for her second nap, I was feeling good about things. She slept a little over 2 hours and had to be woken up, which did not make her happy. Lolli and Poppa helped that mood right along. We got Avery into her birthday outfit and it was time to get the show on the road. I'll tell more about her party later, but it was so special and sweet, and she enjoyed every minute! Simple is the way to go for a 1st birthday. Our house is now halfway back in order, but everything else is going to have to wait because it's time for me to have a piece of cake!

Enjoy a few more pictures from Avery's actual birthday.

12 Months

The first picture shows Avery on the way to her first pediatrician appointment at 6 days old. You can read her heart monitor story here and here. The second picture shows her yesterday, the big birthday girl! What a wonderful, fast, hard, exciting, crazy year it's been. We've come a LONG way!

Avery had her 12-month check yesterday. She weighed 21 pounds 14 ounces and was 29 1/4 inches long. The doctor and I both agreed that her last height measurement was probably wrong, since I'm sure she's grown more than a half an inch. I'm not sure they're way of measuring height is the best, but I don't want to give it a try. She got 2 shots and a prescription for a possible ear infection. Although I worry about many things concerning Avery, I'm not one to worry too much about the milestones she's meeting, as long as she does it around the time considered normal. An email brought something to my attention this week that she wasn't quite doing, and a Google search got me all upset, made worse by the fact that my baby was turning one. Our pediatrician is wonderfully on the ball and laid back at the same time and quickly told me she's fine. The responsibility of caring for someone and making decisions that affect her life is so overwhelming. I loved reading this blog a few months ago when she said that after you find out you're pregnant "you automatically carry around, for the rest of your life, an increased likelihood. To have your heart broken. And it's a constant fear that we struggle to put to rest." So, so, so true! I'm working every day to put the what-ifs out of my mind, trust in God, and enjoy my sweet girl.

So enought of that...on to Miss Avery! She is still wearing 12 and 12-18 months clothes and a size 3 diaper. She goes to bed around 7:30 and is now sleeping until 6:30 or 7 am! She is still taking 2 naps, although sometimes her morning naps are short. Since we've been home from the beach, her naps haven't been quite the struggle, and she's doing them without the pacifier. She does talk and play before she falls asleep, sometimes for 20 minutes or so. Since her wake-up times change, it's hard to know when she needs to nap. If she's giving tired signals, she's way past due.

Avery has gone a little crazy with her eating this month. She's had days where she refused most of her bottles and ate solids like she was starving. She's had days where she drank all of her bottles and had a few bites of food. It seems like she just doesn't want to be still to eat. We are going to start whole milk Sunday, and I think that will help her eat better. She has been drinking better from her sippy cup this month but still doesn't drink a ton. I'm going to start cutting out the bottles one feeding at a time, and if she gets through it without becoming dehydrated I'll be thrilled. I think there is a bit of strong will in this child. She's still holding steady at four teeth.

Avery still loves to play with her Fisher Price Learning House. She got a push toy train to take to the beach and can push and walk behind it. She still doesn't do much cruising using the furniture, which is fine with me. She is standing on her own for longer amounts of time, crawls faster and faster, and loves to climb over anything in her way. The dog bed is now a favorite spot. She doesn't see our stairs here much, so she got good practice on the set at the beach. She has been waving and clapping for awhile but does it all the time now. She is sure the people on The Today Show are waving and clapping at her. She speaks to anyone passing in a store or restaurant and will touch them if she can. She leans in for a kiss if we ask and puts her hand on ours for a high five. She talks all the time, but I don't think we've heard her first word. A lot of things are dada. I turn on the TV for her occasionally when I'm trying to clip her nails or cook dinner. She seems to like most shows on Noggin and also Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I don't like her to watch for long, but I would love to find a good DVD that would guarantee a few minutes for cooking instead of chasing.

Avery took her first vacation this month and spent her first nights away from. I was a little nervous about how she would do, but she did wonderfully. I think napping in her Pack-N-Play at Jen-Jen's really helped her sleep in it at the beach. She quickly got on her schedule at the beach and returned to it when we got home.

Avery does not enjoy having her face or hands wiped, unless it is a baby wipe, which she will try to eat. She has no time for diaper or clothing changes either. She's not a fan of being confined in anything for too long. Avery is doing better with with people she is unfamiliar with but prefers they stay out of her face. Can't say I blame her there. She is also doing better when I leave the room, especially since she can follow along with me. This little girl certainly knows what she likes and dislikes.

This year has been such an adventure and has flown by so fast! We eagerly anticipate what's in store for us next but wish time would slow down just a bit. Each day a little more baby slips away and we get more glimpses at the big girl we're loving. Stay tuned for the big party post!

Baby Fever Anyone?

Because this will do it, at least for me. This is Avery before finally leaving the hospital...hands held tight at ther face, yellow head from being jaundice, and a slight point on that head that I didn't notice until these pictures arrived. Now she's almost one and is crawling around our office with a bite-size Snickers.

Not sure why it scanned so small, but I had to share.

Beach Fun

It happens to the best of us.

Poppa and Avery discovered every light and fan in the house, and it was so fun. Maybe we should have asked to cut the lights on and off during our super-long dinner at Kelly's.

Sandy Fun

Splish splashing with Daddy.



Our sweet strawberry

Crawling after her boat...look at all of our stuff!

This picture is a little foggy because my small camera fogs up at the beach sometimes, but I had to show how much we (and by that I mean Ned) toted to the beach each day. This doesn't include our beach bags, Ned's cooler, and the frame to our large tent. Next year we may need a trailer on the jogger!

Beach Week in Review ~ 7/17

What a fun week at the beach it's been! This was Avery's first time away from home, and she's done so well. This means some grandparent sleepovers and trips could be in our future.

We left for the beach Sunday around 9:30. I was a little nervous about the trip because sometimes I only get about 20 quiet minutes in the car with Avery. She couldn't have been better! She napped for about an hour then rode quietly for most of the way. She played with her carseat strap and checked out one of the new toys I had gotten for the trip. Almost 3 hours later we arrived at Sonic, still not quite at the beach. Avery was happy to see Lolli and Poppa so far from home. She didn't know we had been riding behind them. After lunch it was a short ride to our cottage. I hope by next year Avery and I can try to see who can spot the ocean water first! I love watching for that first glimpse! We got there just in time for Avery's nap that never happened. We took a quick walk on the beach, had dinner, and put Avery to bed. She went to bed easily, which I couldn't believe. I guess the tiredness won out over the new room.

Avery was up Monday around 6 am. That was a little earlier than at home, but I was thrilled she had slept all night in a new place. She had trouble settling down for a morning nap. We were competing with construction on 2 cottages and a new room. We went ahead and gave her the pacifier since naps had become a bit of struggle at home. After naptime we headed to the beach. Avery put her toes in the ocean water and sat in the surf with Ned The time between nap and lunch wasn't huge, but I really tried to keep her on her same schedule. Lolli stayed while she napped then we all went in to get ready for dinner. We ate at our favorite...The Lone Cedar. Our dinner was delicious and Avery behaved very well. Poppa got up and walked with her once right before we left, but that was needed because it was bedtime. All through dinner I was sure I recognized someone at the table beside us, and it turned out it was a friend of my good friend Courtney!

Tuesday was basically the same schedule, except that Avery came back out on the beach after her afternoon nap. Things were going well until a rain shower came along. I HATE to get rained on and I was less than thrilled that my poor baby was out in it. We crowded under our large tent but still got wet because of the wind. When it lightened up a bit, Poppa walked Avery back while we gathered our things. Those two certainly have become tight this week! He has kept Avery entertained by showing her every light and fan in the house. I hope he'll pay our electricity bill if we have to keep this up! After Avery went to bed, Ned and I ventured to the grocery store. Luckily for me, Cold Stone is right nearby, so we enjoyed a little treat.

Clouds and rain were in the forecast for Wednesday, so we decided to take a day off from the beach. It actually turned out to be a decent day, but we had already made plans to hit the outlets after Avery's nap. Avery decided she didn't want to shop or ride in the stroller. Thank goodness for Lolli and Poppa who sat with her and people watched. I picked up a few outfits for Avery. She always needs a larger size of clothing mid-season when they've already brought out things for the upcoming season. I'm looking for shorts and fall clothes are on the racks. We left the outlets headed for Capt'n Franks. This hot dog meal is tradition but seems to be preferred mostly by my dad and Ned. Avery made friends with the man in the booth behind us and performed all her tricks for him. I tried to convince him to join us for the rest of our vacation meals.

Thursday found us back on the beach. Avery was still getting up early, but her naps got easier and easier. She went down with the pacifier each time, so I'm not sure if we'll try to break that at home or not. Thursday night was date night for Mama and Daddy. Ned and I had a great meal at The Black Pelican and then did a little shopping. Ned and I realized that we hadn't had a date since our anniversary in March. We love taking Avery out, but it is becoming more and more work. We have decided to not let so much time pass between our evenings out.

On Friday we added another piece of beach gear to our collection...an inflatable pool. I have always vowed that I would NOT tote a pool to the beach and have to run back and forth to the water to fill it. Parenting is all about eating your words. Avery enjoying splashing in the few inches of water and playing with her sand toys in the water. She was a little unsure of the sand at the beginning of the week and never did a whole lot of crawling in it. I didn't mind so much...she never ate a bit as so many kids do. She did like to pick up small amounts of sand and throw it like she does her toys. That night we went to Kelly's. We didn't have to wait at all, but things seemed to slow to a crawl once we were seated. My normal bag of tricks and distractions did nothing for Avery. Even the little tree frog we found on our table didn't entice her! That's right, my dad discovered a little green friend on our white table cloth. He tried shooing him through the stair railings, but that somehow caused him to jump towards my mom. My efforts to not cause a scene went out the window as they captured him in Avery's cup top and slid him onto a napkin for Ned to take outside. Avery had to be walked a few times. She really wasn't that bad, but I don't want her to disturb others. It was late, she was tired, and we were there almost 2 hours. I took my yummy dessert to go and enjoyed it once she was in bed.

Saturday (today) was more beach time in between naps. Avery found some more of her favorite birds and waved at the people passing by. We went back out after her nap hoping to make the most of our last day. A dark cloud sent me in, and we arrived just as the rain and thunder started. Thank goodness for the jogger, which let me quickly roll Avery right back. Poor Ned and Poppa were left to haul back our beach camp in the rain. Dinner was another beach tradition...Papa John's pizza! Avery is now in bed and I am blogging instead of packing. Last Saturday we had almost everything in the car...today we have nothing.

Avery's first vacation has been quite a success. Two years ago at the beach, Ned and I were trying to decide if we should start trying for a baby. Last year I was very pregnant and delivered 4 days after we returned home. This year we made lots of memories with our sweet girl, and Avery enjoyed a full week with Lolli and Poppa. (She may never be the same.) She picked up several new tricks which I'll share in her 12 month post...can't believe I'll be writing that Friday! Tomorrow morning we'll pack up, have breakfast at The Jolly Roger, and hop in the car in time for Avery's nap, I hope. We can't wait to get home to our guys and start on birthday preparation!

Pictures to come once we get home!

Week in Review ~ 7/10

This week was our beach preparation week. I hoped it would be a little calmer since next week we'll be vacationing. Monday and Tuesday were spent at home. We didn't have any plans and didn't get a whole lot done.

On Wednesday, Lolli came and got Avery after her morning nap, a short nap I might add. I was not as productive as I was last time. Ned and I had lunch together, and then I came home and assembled the toys I got for Avery to have at the beach. I figured a few new pieces of entertainment would probably be a wise investment, but I'm sure a new house to explore will probably be a big enough adventure.

Avery and I met Kristin at the Mexican restaurant on Thursday. It was the first time I had taken Avery out to eat without Ned or my mom. She ate her lunch, did a lot of people watching, and behaved well. She might get invited out again!

On Friday we spent the morning at home. Avery did well for her morning nap but did not go down easily for her afternoon one. Two trips in later for the pacifier and rocking, and she slept for 2 hours. We do not rock her to sleep, and for the past two weeks no matter how drowsy she is when I lay her down, she is up and having a ball before I can get out the door. Avery has never napped or slept with a pacifier, and I'm not thrilled at starting that habit at naptime at 11 months. But, she needs the rest and I need a break! I'm still experimenting with the times I put her down, and any success we make will fly right out the window next week. So, after Avery's mega nap, we ventured to Walmart. I usually do that without her, but I wanted to get our things for the beach and get them packed up. Avery was fairly quiet and did not seem as shocked at the total as I was. Somehow I managed to spend my weekly average without buying any food to cook! Impressive I know.

Today it's been a mad dash to get things together. Avery rode with Ned to Bojangles to get our breakfast and then had trouble getting down for her nap. I woke her up to help with her afternoon nap and Ned took her to his mom's. At some point in time, Avery got hot and hungry, because when Ned arrived she was screaming and blotchy. She cheered right up with lunch then took 45 minutes to fall asleep for the afternoon...this child! I've made pimento cheese and brownies, traveled to the Farmer's Market, and done some laundry and packing. I still need to go to the UPS Store to return Avery's birthday outfit and do a few more errands. Whenever you know you're spending too much money on an outfit, it will come and be the wrong size. That should be a sign!

Here are a few pictures I snapped on Thursday.

Whatever is in her way gets tossed behind her when she is on a crawling mission. I have a feeling I'll be seeing a lot of this view next week as she takes off across the beach!

Fun on the 4th

In case you didn't know, my little hometown is the best place to celebrate Independence Day. We headed over to Lolli and Poppa's, fed Avery dinner, and strolled down to get in our usual parade watching spot. I was a little nervous about how Avery would do because a) her stroller would not be moving and b) the parade would be loud. We had to wait for a bit before the parade arrived, so Avery entertained herself with some of her silverware. Once the parade started, she was all squeals. The more noise coming from the float, the better. Ned made the mistake of giving her a Twizzler still wrapped in plastic. At one point I tried to take it away but lost 5 "Mom Points" for giving it back when a fit followed. The spitty Twizzler became Avery's flag. The more excited she became, the more she waved the Twizzler. Luckily for us, Newsoms' parade is double the fun...you get to see it twice! It travels down Main Street, turns around, and comes back again. We see both sides of the floats! My favorites this year: a truck pulling a trailer with a Dr. Pepper ~ a root beer float ~ and a trailer full of old men in recliners with a sign reading "2012 Olympic Swim Team."

After the parade, we headed to the community house/ballfield for a hotdog dinner. Because other towns had their celebrations Saturday or cancelled them because of dry conditions, there were lots in attendance. Avery got a little ansy during our wait for dinner, but once we found our spot to sit she was happy to munch on puffs and people watch. Lots of people came up to speak and she was full of smiles (I about turned blue from holding my breath!). She had her first taste of watermelon and enjoyed unpacking her diaper bag on the picnic blanket. There was a ballgame starting when we left, but it was already Avery's bedtime, so we headed home. Our fireworks in Emporia were cancelled due to lack of rain. We wouldn't have been able to go anyway, so I was glad they weren't booming to wake Avery.

I am so proud of my little town for holding such a fun, small-town celebration. I'm already excited about next year and being able to stay a little longer. As Avery grows older, I look forward to being able to teach her why we have such fun celebrations on July 4th, sharing hotdogs and watermelon, and waving Twizzlers!

*I hope to add some more pictures soon...having some Blogger issues.

Week in Review ~ 7/3

What a week this was! It always seems like we have nothing to do or way too much to do. Sunday was our preacher's last Sunday. We have really enjoyed her, even though we got a little slack while I was pregnant and totally slack once Avery arrived. We wanted to make sure we attended her last day, so we set off for church. Avery was in a tough mood toward the end of the week so I was worried how she would do. I was right. They had to come get me because she was crying so hard. She was tired, hungry, and just out of sorts. Because it was the preacher's last day, things got a little long. We were late getting home and even later getting Avery's lunch. She had a hard time going down for her nap and then didn't sleep well. The rest of the day was zero fun! We're going to take a few Sundays off (we'll be gone anyway) and try again. Our new preacher was one of my preachers from Newsoms UMC, so that should be neat.

On Monday we didn't do much, which was probably good considering the week we had ahead of us. I think Monday was the last day Avery took her naps without first having a party in her crib.

Tuesday was a day I had been looking forward to for awhile. Mom came to get Avery after her morning nap and gave me a little time to myself. How did I spend it? Vacuuming! Sometimes I feel a little guilty that we have help every other week except during the summer. I feel guilty no more. That afternoon I attended a bridal shower for Crystal, who teaches 2nd grade with me. It was great to see friends from school without kids, but we still talked about them though! Avery had a fun time with Lolli but had been a bit challenging with her nap.

On Wednesday we set out for Richmond. I had not been excited about the thought of having to carry Avery to and from the beach and looked into renting a jogging stroller. I also looked on Craig's List and found a used, older-model for the same price as renting for a week. We had an easy trip, and OnStar only had to tell us once that we were off-route. Although we left at Avery's naptime, she wouldn't go to sleep. We came back to Colonial Heights to shop...still no sleep. Then she wouldn't take her 3 0'clock bottle. By that point I needed a pill! She was a little fussy, and by 4 we had done all we needed to do. The only problem was that we were meeting my Kelly's Kids rep at 5:30 so I could get my party materials. We decided to head to the restaurant and eat before we were supposed to meet her. That 10 minute ride is when Avery decided to nap, so we drove around a bit. We had a yummy dinner at King's and got all my Kelly's Kids stuff. When we got home we did a quick test drive with the stroller and put Avery straight to bed.

Thursday was another out and about day. I took Avery to Newsoms after her morning nap, which again was a struggle. After lunch I left to run errands before my eye doctor appointment. I got Avery some new toys to have at the beach and a few new sippy cups, which have not been a hit either. I picked Avery up, and on the way home, we stopped at the Nottoway House to look at sofas. We had put ourselves in quite a pinch by wanting a new sofa by her party on the 24th. That meant I had to love something as-is in the store. I found a good option but was really worried about how it would hold up with the various stains that Sammy can add. They held it for me so Mom could go by and check it out.

Avery slept until 7 am Friday! We increased her nighttime bottle to see if that would help and it did. That just threw naps off even more though. The sofa met Mom's approval so we arranged to have it delivered right away...right in the middle of naptime. I tried to get Avery down before and had no luck. The boys were quick about getting the new sofa in and the old one out but left a bit of a mess. Avery finally got down for a little afternoon nap. She has been back to her generally happy self this week, but no matter how tired she is when I get ready to lay her down, as soon as she hits the crib she's up playing. Her later wake times have pushed naps back and I'm not sure when she needs to go down. I hate for things to be unpredictable! The sofa looks great. Sammy cannot jump up on it which is a blessing and a curse. We're going to get him a new bed and hope he will love it. He has always loved sitting on the back of the couch and looking out the window, and I think he's a little depressed.



Here's Dixie finally getting a turn on the old couch.

And here is what Avery, Sammy, and Felix will probably ruin within a week. It's actually green and cream stripe but it's hard to tell from the picture.

On Saturday Avery and I mailed her birthday invitations while Ned played golf. We also straightened up a bit because Lucas and Kristin were coming over to cook out. Avery only slept for 30 minutes in the afternoon and did not sleep as late as she did Friday. I was about to pull my hair out because I knew she would be horrible while they were there. She proved me wrong and did great. She ate a huge supper, played outside, and then sat nicely while we ate on the patio. She went to bed without a peep, so I had to end Ned and Lucas's cornhole game right outside Avery's window. We sat outside until 10:30 enjoying the nice night. Lucas and Kristin are having a baby boy in September, so Avery will soon have a playmate for dinner!

Other than our 4th of July festivities today, we're hoping for a slower week as we prepare for Avery's first trip to the beach.