Week in Review ~ 8/28

Yes, this is a day late, and probably a dollar short since I don't have pictures, but here it is anyway. I thought I would continue to do these in a much shorter version even though our summer vacation is over. I won't blog about school in much detail since I would like to keep my job, so I'll hit the high points of our week. These really help me record and remember what's happening in our lives, and when baby number 2 rolls around I may (or may not) want to remember if cutting molars totally threw Avery's naps off track. And, yes, it did. I do plan to usually include pictures and also hope to start doing Wordless Wednesdays. Picture uploading kind of takes a back seat after working all day though.

Avery and I got back into our school routine this week. She did really well after not staying at Jennifer's this summer. The only tears we had were leaving the first 2 days. One of those days she wanted to get down and kiss/smell the cat and I wouldn't let her. She was a little clingy with Jennifer and had horrible morning naps. I'm really blaming teething for all this and hoping one day we'll nap normally. She has one molar partially through, one about to break through, and a bottom tooth about to come through also. Thursday night she ran a little fever and really looked horrible. She was fine by Friday morning, but her appetite and drinking has not picked back up. She slept until 7 or 7:30 most mornings, except for the weekend of course.

As for me, it was back to school. I worked in my room all day Monday, although it really felt like spinning my wheels. Moving from 2nd to 3rd doesn't sound like a big jump, but so much more is expected of the students. Kid-drawn calendar sets, season trees, and animal chairs just don't seem appropriate for 3rd grade, so I was left wondering what to do with my room. Tuesday through Thursday all the county teachers were at the high school for workshops. I attended some productive sessions, but the days were long until almost 4. Leaving Avery was tough. Again. She's such a little person now, full of wonder, excitement, fun, and love. This is a fantastic stage (aside from the teething) and I hate to miss a minute. I am SO thankful for a fantastic babysitter who loves Avery and who Avery loves. Her face is always smiling in the afternoon.

On Saturday afternoon I went to a Cat's Clips bow party. If you are the mom of a girl or know little girls, you must check out this Facebook page. The bows are beatiful, great quality, and best of all, affordable. She has so many styles and is always willing to customize. I had picked out a few things and ordered ahead of time but also had to place an order yesterday. I'll have to take some pictures once what I purchased yesterday arrives. After a yummy dinner last night of steak, zucchini cakes, and strawberry shortcake, we watched Valentine's Day. I expected a little more from the all-star cast but thought the bloopers at the end were the best.

This week continues with workdays. I'm hoping to finish up my room quickly and move on to planning. We have open house Thursday afternoon so I need to at least appear ready. We should get to leave school Friday after lunch, and Avery may spend her first night at Lolli and Poppa's, which is also her first night away from me. We thought it would be a good idea since Ned and I are taking a little weekend trip this fall. Have a happy week as we welcome September...and payday!

13 Months

One year and one month....crazy! It feels like we just celebrated Avery's birthday. What a fun month we've had since then.

We have not been to the doctor, so we do not have new height and weight measurements. She's still in her 12 month and 12-18 month clothes and a size 3 diaper. Bedtime remains at 7:30 and she sleeps until 6:30 or 7. Hopefully that will continue as we get ready to go back to school. She still takes 2 naps but it seems like she may be trying to give up her morning nap since sometimes it starts late. I think she needs a morning rest and will probably really need it once she's back at the babysitter's. While I will miss the break in the morning, it will be nice to only have to work with one naptime. She usually naps with her pacifier but it isn't helping with the morning nap like it had been. Bedtime has involved some tears for the last few nights because we are bottle-free. Her bedtime bottle was the last to go, and although she didn't fall asleep with it, she must have really loved it. She has cried herself to sleep each night she hasn't had it except for one when we got home late and tonight. Hoping we've turned a page! She is also cutting her top molars which doesn't help. Other than the new molars she still has 4 teeth.

Eating is so much better this month. Avery would drink whole milk out of her bottle but will not drink it from her sippy cup. I'm working on adding something to the milk but so far we haven't had any luck. I think this has left lots of room in her stomach because she is quite the eater. She is completely off baby food and mostly eats what we eat. She likes to self-feed but lets us feed her also. She does like some of the Gerber toddler foods like Pasta Pick-Ups, shells and cheese, and meat sticks. They aren't the healthiest so I try to only use them when we're having something she can't. Avery loves bananas and spots them on our counter. She also likes peaches, canned pears, and mandarin oranges. She loves sweet potatoes and most of the vegetables she's tried except for carrots. I can't blame her, but she did eat carrot baby food. She can eat chicken, ground beef, and deli meat. She tries and likes most of the casseroles we eat. For breakfast she loves yogurt and cries when it's gone. She also has oatmeal, waffles, or pancakes. She drinks water or water with a splash of juice. If she is eating and we ask if it's yummy she says "Mmmm." She has definately inherited her parents' love of food. The only allergenic foods we're holding off on are peanuts and shellfish. There are still many foods she hasn't tried, but the new molars will be a big help.

Avery still enjoys her toys. She likes to walk behind her push toys and has taken a few single steps as she lunges for something. These days she is just busy...crawling quickly everywhere, pulling up to see what she can get into, standing alone for long periods, crawling and peeking under things, raising up on her hands and feet with her head on the floor, etc. She still loves her books as well, especially her new cat books. She enjoys being read to but also likes to look through the books herself. Her newest love is Mickey. She dances if we mention The Hot Dog Dance or when she sees his picture on her book set, and if it's on she's dancing, smiling, and clapping her hands on her knees. She loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and would watch it alot more than I let her.

Avery is just as easily entertained by your not so typical items like feminine hygiene products (sorry have to include or one day I'll forget) scraps of paper, paper napkins, etc. Everything is interesting and is waiting for her to discover. She still loves lights and fans and reaches out for the switches now as we walk by. Her whole face lights up as we turn them on. Every light in Lolli and Poppa's house is usually on when I leave. She also thinks it's fantastic when anyone puts on sunglasses. If only life's pleasures could remain so simple. Anything that's full must be emptied, and when she's done with it it's tossed behind her back. She's getting some good distance on her toss, which only lengthens my cleaning time at night.

Kisses are still freely given around here and are often initiated by her. I love to sit on the floor while she climbs and loves on me. She shares her food, drink, toys, and pacifier readily but doesn't actually allow you to remove the object from her hand. She is still everyone's friend in stores and restaurants and has realized that she can attract an audience easily. Avery and Giraffi are becomming tighter by the day. Sometimes I do find Giraffi on the floor when Avery's waking up, but if you ask where she is she quickly begins her search. One night as I checked on Avery before bed I found Giraffi hanging on the crib rail. Not sure what kind of monkey business had been going on there!

Avery certainly has a lot to say, but I'm not sure what she's saying. She started out strong with mamama but has abandoned that sound for new ones. For awhile, alot of things were dada but that is slowing down too. Sometimes I think she uses dada correctly. We also think we hear Doodie (my nickname for Felix - probably a poor choice), kitty, hi, uh-oh, and D (Dixie). We'll all have to watch out when her chatter turns to actual words. I hardly babbled until I fell on my head at about 14 months and talked later than that, and I turned out ok (at least academically).

Diaper changes and wiping hands and face are still not too high on Avery's list. She doesn't mind being told no and will usually shake her head along with us. She's not always happy when we take something from her that she's enjoying though.

Avery went back to the babysitter today and had a great day, other than being a little clingy with Jennifer and a little jealous of the baby. She amazed everyone with her new skills and huge appetite. She seemed to do a little better with good-bye than I did. She was happy to see me this afternoon but not happy when I wouldn't let her chew a wipe or get down to put her face in Jennifer's cat's fur. Sometimes life is tough.

I know this is a super-long post, but there are so many things I want to be sure I remember. I love the cuddly baby stage but this by far beats it. Avery and I had a fantastic summer home together and I'm already looking forward to weekends, holidays, and of course next summer. I know things will continue to get so much more fun, but I also wish we could freeze time right now. Ned and I are so lucky to have Avery blessing our life each day.

Week in Review ~ 8/21

This week marks the last of my summer vacation. Where has my time gone? Other than spending lots of time with Avery and doing lots of relaxing, I haven't gotten much on my summer to-do list completed.

Monday got off to a very strange start. I got up with Avery and when I put my contacts in, I noticed blood on my face. Upon further inspection, I found blood on my pillow, hands, tongue, etc. I will spare the bloody details, but it was enough to be concerned about. My initial thought was that I had a bloody nose that drained down my throught. That thought led me to the pregnancy thought...yikes! I realized it was not a nose bleed though and was a little panicky. I finally discovered it was a small cut in the top of my mouth that was still bleeding. I had done it Sunday eating a chip. I knew from the amount of blood it had been bleeding for awhile, and I had no idea how to stop it. I got Ned up so he could get Avery and turned to Google for some trusted medical advice. By then it seemed to stop. It never bled again all day, and I have NO idea what made it start in the night. I've never had that happen before. As I'm sharing with Ned all of my OCD thoughts about what could have happened, he tells me that I wouldn't have bled to death but I could have aspirated. Thanks dear.

Our day was very uneventful after that. Avery and I went out and got lunch for Ned then went and got groceries after her nap. When we got home I saw Avery take one step as she lunged for the couch! We had zucchini cakes again for dinner which seem to be a hit with everybody. The ingredients in them aren't terribly bad, but I doubt the frying does much for the nutritional value. Avery did a few more step-lunge combinations after dinner for Ned to see. I guess it counts as her first step, which is all I wanted to see before going back to work!

We didn't do much on Tuesday. This household is certainly ready for fall, minus the whole back-to-school thing. Ned is ready for hunting, but Avery and I are ready for temperatures more suitable for strolling and swinging. We also need those pesky mosquitos to go away. Even tiny bites on Avery get a large red area around them. We have seen a pile of them lately and have had to keep her inside. Ned had a city council meeting, so after I put Avery to bed, I worked on my picture order and an order for a bow party next Saturday. If you have a little girl, check out Cat's Clips (on Facebook) for the cutest, cost-friendly bows. I don't do many bows on Avery because she doesn't have that much hair on her head. Cathy makes smaller bows called clippies that are a good size for Avery's age, with or without hair. Sometimes big bows are cute on babies, but I think you have to really watch out that it doesn't make the poor child look like a present or take away from their already sweet face.

Avery and I worked around the house Wednesday morning. Ned had a lunch meeting so he got home after Avery was napping. When she woke up I ran out to get some squash for dinner. It was a cloudy, rainy day. Ned took Avery for a walk while I cooked, then he took her to Mimi's after dinner. It was storming again by the time they came home, and a huge limb fell on top of Ned's truck as he was driving home. Ned was very thankful that it didn't shatter the sunroof, and it ended up not doing any damage to his truck. My mom is always afraid of trees falling while she's driving, so I haven't told her this story yet.

Thursday was another dreary day. Avery was up by 6:30 and not pleased to stay in her bed until 7. Not sure why she's always up earlier on the days I get up with her. I put her down around 9 then heard her about 30 minutes later. I never know if she's been asleep or not. I let her sleep until 10:30 which was probably a mistake. She had been fussy on and off during the week, but entertained herself well while I got ready. We were going to Lolli and Poppa's for dinner, and I planned to go to school after her afternoon nap. After lunch I felt for teeth and discovered her top 2 molars breaking through. She has been chewing her fingers all summer, and the lumps from these teeth have been evident for awhile. I'm always happy to discover teeth after fussy spells. I put her down around 1:30 for a nap that never happened. I thought she was asleep once until FedEx came and Sammy went nuts. I tried going back in to return the pacifier and Giraffi, I tried Motrin, I even rocked her again. This kid wasn't sleeping. We hopped in the car and I was sure she'd nap then. Nope. I stopped at school to get a few things to help me wrap my head around 3rd grade, then we headed to Lolli's. She did fairly well through dinner considering she'd had no sleep. She was out within 5 minutes of riding home though. I had decided that she would not get a bottle. We gave up the other 3 quickly but I had really stretched this one out so she wouldn't be up hungry in the middle of the night. We had done 2 ounces for awhile so I knew it was time. I hated to do it while she was teething and when she wouldn't have her normal routine because we were coming in late. But, we got in jammies, read a book, and turned off the light. She started crying when I walked to her crib. She calmed down but got the sad lips when I zipped her into her sleep sack. There were tears before I was out the door, and on and off tears for about 15 minutes. This is not unusual when she's overtired, and now she has 2 gigantic teeth breaking through. Ned was at a dinner so I played on the computer and laid around. The blah weather had made me feel bad. I hoped for no wakings due to hunger or pain.

Friday was my last official day of vacation. Avery made it until 6:30 without having a bottle the night before. That will be her wake-up time on school days so I can't complain. I hope she'll either start taking some milk from a cup before bed, or we'll have to try a little snack since she eats dinner pretty early. We had another morning where I'm not sure if a nap took place. I heard a little noise every so often throughout the nap. My 13-months Pampers e-mail said sleep schedules take a beating at this age but to keep putting them down for regular naps. This restored a little of my faith in Pampers, since it was the 12-month e-mail that scared me to death. After Avery's "nap," we worked on labeling all the boxes with her baby items. I had everything packed away that she had outgrown/stopped using, but I hadn't written on the containers. I certainly don't want to give her things away, but I have to wonder how much I'll use if I have another girl. At any rate, our storage is filling up fast and each season brings one or two new sets of clothes. Avery couldn't even make it to 1 pm without laying her head on Giraffi, so she went right to bed and slept for over 2 hours without her pacifier. The pacifier isn't even helping the naps lately, but I think we'll try to stop it when she goes from one nap to two. After her nap we went to Walmart to get a baby shower gift. That place was a zoo. We stopped at the bank on the way home and the teller gave me cash back when I wasn't supposed to get it, so Avery and I got to visit inside the bank too. We had dinner at Applebee's where she discovered that her dancing got the attention of another couple. We have a show-off on our hands. Eating yogurt melts and playing with her Tiny Diner placemat were much more fun than eating her healthy pears. The tears started at bedtime when I turned the light off and only got bigger as I zipped her into her sleep sack. She cried harder than Thursday night but for a shorter amount of time. I guess that's why our pediatrician said to get rid of the bottles when we were done so there's no temptation to go back. Ned and I watched The Last Song. It was good but not as good as the book.


Ned played golf Saturday morning and Avery and I stayed home. She had another questionable morning nap but was quiet for a bit. She went down very easily for her afternoon nap, and I went to a baby shower for Ned's cousin. When I got home we left for dinner at Lolli and Poppa's. Avery ate well and enjoyed some of my catfish. After dinner we found the Hot Dog Dance on YouTube, and Avery showed Lolli and Poppa all of her moves. In addition to dancing she now pats both hands on her knees. I got Lolli's opinion on a fall and a Christmas dress for Avery while we were on the computer. We were past Avery's bedtime at this point, but I still played the piano for a bit before we left. Good gracious I am rusty. Avery had either found her second wind or doesn't need to go to bed as early as we think. She was constant motion and chatter. She slept on the way home, and I was nervous about getting her back to sleep. She got right in her pajamas and went to bed without a peep. Ned watched the race and I rested my eyes on the couch.

This will probably be the last of these detailed reviews (hip hip hooray you think). You may have been bored, but I'm glad I could do it to remember our summer a little better. And, if it's boring or silly, you really shouldn't be ready anyway, right? Blogging will probably slow down a bit as I make the transition to 3rd grade. I hope to still post weekly with pictures and anything exciting that happened during the week. Avery goes back to Jen-Jen's tomorrow, and I will head to school to work on my room. We have inservices Tuesday-Thursday, and Friday is still up in the air. I may work at school or I may take a mental health day while I can. Students don't come until the Tuesday after Labor Day. Think of Avery and I this week as we ease into our school year routine. She'll be thrilled. Me...not so much.

My Love for Kelly

Kelly's Kids that is! Yesterday I hosted my very first Kelly's Kids clothing show. There are so many home show companies that I love (Southern Living at Home, Longaberger, Pampered Chef, Thirty-One Gifts...I have a problem!) so I was excited to bring Kelly's Kids into my home. I even wore some Kelly's Kids as a little girl! I had a fantastic rep come from the Petersburg area and she transformed my living room into a dream world for me.


(You would think I would have picked up the toys, but I wasn't sure if we would do the party upstairs or down. It worked out well through because a sweet little boy came, and he played while his mom shopped.)

Her trunk of Kelly's Kids items consists of about one hundred items from the current Kelly's Kids line. I loved how there was a variety of styles and sizes for everyone to inspect. I always like to have the catalog too, but sometimes an item can really surprise you in person. I had a very successful show, due partly to the fact that I had taken about $1000 in orders before the show. I had several good friends plus Lolli come to the party.



It was hard to contain myself with my living room looking like this. I did manage to stay under-budget though. Getting over $220 in free clothes certainly helped! I'm very thankful to all my friends who made the show a success. We're going to have some fabulous looking kids!

Another great thing about these parties is that you get to eat and socialize. I wanted to share a few of the recipes I used yesterday. I've never done this before because I certainly don't proclaim to be a chef. I do love to cook and bake, and I've gotten some great recipes off blogs I read. The best part about these three is that they are super simple and really good, even if I do say so myself.




Sausage Dip (courtesy of my friend Alison)

1 lb sausage, browned and drained
1 small block Velveeta cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Combine all ingredients in crock pot and heat until melted, stirring occasionally. Serve with your chip of choice.

I love this recipe because it is not spicy. I use mild sausage but you could use whatever you prefer. I also double it for bigger occasions.



Cheese Ball (courtesy of my mom)

2 blocks cream cheese, softened
2 packets Good Seasons Zesty Italian Dressing Mix
1 package chopped pecans (I get the smallest pecans I can find...not sure if chopped is the right word)

Mix cream cheese and dry mix with hands until well blended. Form into ball. Roll in pecans and refrigerate.

This gets better the longer it sits. My mom always serves with Sociables.



Peanut Butter Fudge (courtesy of my mom who got it from school)

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons peanut butter
1 box powdered sugar
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 tablespoon vanilla

Melt butter and peanut butter until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and sugar. Spread in 8x8" greased pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm. Cut into squares.

Yesterday was the first time I made this. I was running around crazy and left it in the freezer too long. The texture wasn't as smooth but it was still good. I used Reduced Fat Jiff because that's what we eat. I think it's better than regular, and Mom said the fudge was better than when she used regular peanut butter. It still certainly isn't a healthy snack! I also used Pampered Chef vanilla, which you are supposed to use half of what the recipe calls for. I used a full tablespoon because it's a little old, but I still think it gave it a little extra vanilla taste.

If any of this sounds good, please come by for a taste. I've got a ton!

Week in Review ~ 8/14

*Pictures at the end if that's what you're looking for :)

Sunday was my morning to sleep in, and I made the most of it. I'm always the first to hear Avery, but once Ned got up with her, I was out again. I think it helped that he took her for a walk so the house was extra quiet. The next thing I knew, I was hearing The Hot Dog Dance and it was almost 8:30! I usually try to be up by 8, but that was good rest. Avery seemed to go down fairly easy for her morning nap, but after people slamming car doors 100 times at the road she was up fussing. I hope she had been asleep, but who knows. She fussed off and on before getting quiet again. I did the yucky Sunday shopping since I had been gone all day Saturday. After lunch Ned left and Avery was ready for another nap. She didn't talk for too long and stayed in her bed almost 2 hours. I did absolutely nothing productive with my time. We went to Ned's parents for dinner since his brother Rob and Rob's girlfriend Stephanie were in town. Avery enjoyed inspecting all of Mimi and Grandaddy's lights and looking at the fish in the goldfish pond. She also enjoyed a very extended dinner and ended up eating for almost an hour! We decided that since she had eaten so much, we would cut back her bedtime bottle to 4 ounces. I plan to cut this one out slowly so she's not hungry at 4 am. Once she went to bed I did some reading in my 2 new books....What to Expect the Toddler Years and The Happiest Toddler on the Block. Parenting is alot like teaching...nothing you read can actually tell you how to do it. I do enjoy reading parenting books, though, and picked up some good advice from the few I've read. I'd like to go back and read a few more about infants like Babywise just to what it's all about. You know, in all my free time.

Monday was a simple day at home. I had every intention of going to the grocery store for a few things, but I had to wake Avery up at 10:45 from her nap and didn't want to rush to the store then back home in time for lunch. We are s.t.r.u.g.g.l.i.n.g with the morning nap, pacifier and all. I refuse to believe she's giving it up. I put her down around 9:15, things were quiet, then BAM it's a party. Then there's the fussing and she finally gave up around 10. I have to wake her (usually earlier) so that she'll take an afternoon nap at a decent time. If we wait too long for an afternoon nap we might as well forget it.

Call waiting beeped in around lunchtime when I was talking to Mom and I saw it was my school. I knew immediately that wasn't good. My principal told me that I was moving to 3rd grade due to some changes she needed to make. She had mentioned this in the winter but by spring had decided to keep me in 2nd. After a few good cries and a short nap while Avery was alseep I at least felt somewhat calmer. I am thankful to have a job, but I was already dreading going back to school anyway. I am a much better wife, mother, etc. when I'm not working, and I didn't realized how the stress of school affected me until I got out for summer (very certain that lots of working mothers feel the same). I was very determined to make this a better year for the sake of my home, and this is a hurdle. Lack of time, lack of materials and resources for a new grade, testing stress, etc. are now major concerns, but it is what it is. We all enjoyed spaghetti for dinner and then took a little drive before picking up our Schwan's purchases that Ned had left at work.

We had another low-key day on Tuesday. I got out of the house that night to go to a Southern Living at Home party. I am a big fan, have hosted 2 parties, and have a house full of their items. They have now become a new company called Willow House but it seems very similar with many of the same items. I got the rain gauge which I had been promising Ned forever that I would get. I really wanted a tray and thought of a good location for it once I got home. I'm not sure why I'm a sucker for a tray. Ned had a large fire while I was gone (not at our house!) and called his mom to come sit while Avery slept. Avery rarely wakes up but I was nervous when Ned texted and said he wasn't at home. Our plan for when she cries at night is in my head only. We usually don't go in, we usually don't pick her up if we do, and we usually don't stay until she falls asleep. All of this is at my discretion and I either am the one to do it or I give precise instructions. When Avery started waking at night again at 4 months old Ned went in and changed her diaper. This caused her to be so awake that we had to feed her, leading to a month and a half of night wakings and learning to cry it out. The "Avery" manual really needs to be put into print for others.

Wednesday is Ned's half day so he came home and cut the grass. I ran to the grocery store when Avery woke from her afternoon nap to get some things Walmart doesn't carry. Ned went out when I got home, leaving Avery and I for her least pleasant time of the day. Between 4:00/4:30 and dinnertime around 5:30 can be a bit of a challenge. I have read books and blogs where mothers say the same thing, and I remember Kate talking about in on Jon and Kate Plus 8. After dinner I made some yummy zucchini bread that Ned and I sampled several times before going to bed.

Avery went to Lolli's on Thursday after her morning nap. I continued the very unproductive streak that I had been on all week. I knew it was a good possibility that this would be the last free time during the week that I would have, so I made the most of it. Lolli let Avery put her feet in mud puddles for the first time. I went to pick her up and fed her dinner there so that Poppa could see her. We got home just in time to see Ned before he went to drill.

Friday morning I started Avery on Milk of Magnesia again in addition to her prescription. Even though she is only getting 3 oz of milk in her bedtime bottle, her bathroom issues are really bad. In addition, she has recently started using the bathroom when I put her to bed. I don't want to wake her to change it, and luckily because of her issues there isn't much chance of diaper rash. It's just a bad habit that we need to get away from. I mixed the MOM with her prescription since there's no bottle to put it in, and she took it fairly easy. The prescription is basically a (green) simple sugar, so I guess that makes everything taste good. She took a really long afternoon nap, and I laid down too. I don't think I've taken a real nap since she's been born, because I think every noise I hear is her. I was in and out of sleep for awhile though and felt terrible when I woke up. We went our for Mexican for dinner. All the people who work there want to touch Avery's face. Thankfully she does tolerate them doing it and really seems to like them all. Others have gotten too close before and have been met with screams. I made sure I was in bed around 10 because I've been staying up way too late.

Avery slept until 7 Saturday morning. Her snoozing actually caused Ned to oversleep for his hunt club workday. It never fails that these are the mornings that things keep waking the up...Ned's fire pager, the dog snoring, the cat throwing up, and so on. Avery and I had breakfast and then got busy dusting and vacuuming for my Kelly's Kids party. She was ready for a nap at 9:30 and fell asleep really quickly. I straightened up downstairs since I'm hoping Ned will do some cleaning down there in the morning. When Avery woke up we went to Walmart to get our party supplies. When planning parties like this, you really have to consider the cost of food, etc. into your party profit, because party food can get expensive. Avery charmed everyone in Walmart, and I don't think there was a person in there that she didn't speak to. We played for awhile after lunch, then she was ready to nap. I made my cheese ball and brownies for the party. I also worked on my list of items for the party (trying to narrow it down!). A trip to the Franklin-Southampton County Fair was planned after Avery's nap.

I didn't get any pictures at the fair so I decided I would just add to this post. We met Lolli and Poppa there and stopped to chat with friends before we hardly got in the gate. We toured the building while Lolli chatted with her best friend from high school. Once she (finally) finished, we went through the barn because our Jen-Jen was there! Avery didn't seem to know what to think about Jen-Jen being away from her house. Or maybe she didn't know what to think about the smell and heat in the barn. By then it was past Avery's dinnertime so we went and got food. Avery had a plain hamburger, and I learned that pre-pattied meat doesn't make good food for gumming. She also enjoyed some fries, bun, and a yummy banana. After dinner we checked out the petting zoo which only consisted of 2 animals. There were some more exotic animals next door. Avery liked the big white bunny but could not understand why the large bird kept squawking. Ned and I shared some fried Oreos, Lolli and Poppa had funnel cake, and Avery had some puffs. It was a great night to be out, but we were quickly approaching Avery's bedtime so we decided not to push our luck. The fair isn't the same as it was when I was younger, and I hope one day it will make a comeback. I'm always sad when I know Avery won't experience something that I loved in the same way I did.

Here are a few pictures from our week.

Sammy has started guarding Avery's toys. It seemed to have started with squeeky Sophie the Giraffe (a big dud in Avery's eyes) and moved to all of Avery's toys. I think Sammy is ready for us to go back to school, and I'm ready for Sammy to go somewhere.



Felix stole a few minutes on the bed that used to be his. This horrible thing is Dixie's old bed; Felix enjoyed it while we kept it downstairs, but now that Sammy has been banned from the couch it's occupying a large corner of my living room. Sammy did not care to share his bed. Avery looks like, "Nope. I'm not poking the cat."

A Lot to Look Forward To

We took Avery for her first Bad Boy Buggy ride last night.



The buggy is the reason my car doesn't get parked in the garage. I try not to hold that against it.



I'm afraid it won't be long before she is asking to drive. She actually sat in my lap while we rode and never made a peep. I was pretty nervous and felt like a horrible mother. I usually like to hold on but I had both hands on her. We stayed in our neighborhood where golf carts are allowed. It was nice and breezy and a great night for a ride. There was a wedding going on in the neighborhood, and the hosts were using their buggy to transport guests from their cars to the wedding. I think we may have confused the guests a bit when we didn't stop to offer them a ride. I was glad that the other buggy was out, because I was starting to feel a little redneck. You know, like maybe Avery needed some Mountain Dew in a baby bottle as we cruised in our camo ride.




The destination of our ride was the lot we purchased in the winter. Here is the view from the road.

This is another view from the road.

This is the view from the tree line looking toward the road. I should say right now that we will not be attempting to "keep up with the Jones's." We stroll pass the lot often, and in the back of my mind I know it's there. But last night as we rode around on it I got pretty excited as I showed Avery where her swing set will go one day. We have no definite plans of when we will build. We want to make as much profit on our house as we can, and that involves some improvement projects and the housing market turning around. We have been looking at house plans more and discussing the pros and cons of the two top picks for right now. We complain about the layout of our house but know we are very fortunate to have it. So, we're not in a big hurry. Until we break ground, I'll dream of decorating for Christmas, and Ned will dream of his shop...to hold the buggy of course.

Week in Review ~ 8/7

Did you know there was a full moon this week?

It's been another pretty calm week with not much going on.

Sunday was an uneventful day that involved a trip to the grocery store. I hate to shop on Sunday, but many weekends it's do it then or on Saturday with Avery. I still haven't figured out what to do with Avery and a ton of grocery bags when we get home. It was also the first of the month which makes Walmart really festive. I'm very tempted to start driving the 30 minutes to Farm Fresh when I need to shop at the beginning of the month. Really I don't understand why it's so crazy. I get paid once a month also, but I don't load up 3 carts. I tackled my first food frying and attempted some zucchini cakes for dinner. I had no fires, but my trusty fireman was on hand, and actually made some pretty tasty cakes!

Avery and I stayed around the house on Monday. I tried to make some cookies while she had a snack and didn't have enough flour. We had to run out quickly to get some since I had already started the cookies. I let Avery try a little piece without a chocolate chip. She still hasn't had chocolate even though she can. I always like to try foods that can be allergenic when Ned is home. Ned had his officer's meeting for the fire department Monday. I hate 6 o'clock meetings. People who plan them evidently don't enjoy family dinners.

Tuesday morning I did not give Avery a morning bottle. I really thought she would be thirsty enough from the night to drink some milk from her cup, but she didn't. I'm thinking of ways to get her to drink the milk, but really I just want her to drink something. Missing that bottle made her ready for breakfast earlier. I'm trying to get her used to waiting so she can eat breakfast at the babysitter's when I return to school. After Avery's morning nap we went to Lolli's. She kept her for my hair appointment and I ran a few errands. On the way home we stopped by Jen-Jen's to see her. Avery will be going back in a few weeks and I wanted to make sure she remembered. She heard the roosters when I opened the door and was all smiles. Some of her buddies were there and had even been asking for her. I don't know that they'll be able to call her Baby Avery now. She may be giving them a run for their money. Jennifer is such a blessing to our family. It makes my jobs of mother and teacher so easier to know that she is safe, loved, and cared for while I'm working. After dinner Ned had a city council meeting. I put Avery to bed and caught up with my good friend Courtney on the phone.

Wednesday Avery and I stayed around the house during the morning. I've been letting her nap with her pacifier so she's not as talkative in her crib, and I think she's going to sleep quicker. I'm not sure though, because sometimes I'll go in to wake her from her morning nap, and Giraffi is already on the floor. It's times like this when I think a video monitor would come in handy. Not only could I see when she went to sleep, but I bet I would get a good show too. Ned got off at 12 and cut grass and washed both vehicles. After dinner he took Avery to his parents so that I could vacuum. She's afraid of the big vacuum I use on the rugs and sometimes isn't happy when I use the little Shark. I've tried really hard to follow a cleaning schedule this summer but it's SO hard to get things clean with Avery. She's either under foot or sleeping, and Ned will tell you that I hardly allow breathing while she sleeps.

On Thursday my mom came and got Avery after her morning nap. I ran an errand for her and picked up some Chik-Fil-A for lunch. Ned had dinner at drill so I planned to eat dinner with my parents. On the way to their house I stopped at school to see what I needed to pick up at the teacher's store and luckily didn't need too much. Avery had had a fun day with Lolli and was happy to see Poppa when he got home. She did have a slight problem with Lily the dog and has hopefully learned that she can't press her face into Lily's fur like she does the cat's. We went through a terrible storm on the way home and at times I was only going 40 mph. I hate to drive in the rain, and it's the worst I've had to drive in with Avery. We were glad to get home and in out of the weather.

Friday was another day around the house. I just have not been able to get myself motivated this week. We went to Cracker Barrel for dinner which is always yummy. Avery tried some of my catfish but had to miss out on the Coca Cola Cake. You must try this if you haven't before. Avery continued with her touching fetish and even got her fingers into my dinner as the waitress sat it down.

Mom and I went shopping on Saturday. Her main goal was the teacher's store while mine was Babies R Us. They had specials on feeding items, we needed cabinet locks, Avery needed a new sleep sack, and I needed a gift. I also found a diaper bag that I had been eyeing from Pottery Barn Kids and got it to use for the babysitter's and going out. We were using the Eddie Bauer bag that Ned HAD to have because he would NOT carry Vera Bradley, but Eddie fell to pieces. Babies R Us is a place that I could wander in all day. Did I need a carseat or double stroller? No, but I certainly did look at them. I LOVE baby gear and had to turn myself away from the bouncers and Pack N Plays. I also got Avery a set of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse tiny books. This kid is in love with Mickey. I don't let her watch a whole show, but I try to catch the Hot Dog Dance as many times as I can in the morning. We got so into it the other day that Sammy got to barking! Target was also on the list, and we hit up two. I'm very pleased with their up&up diapers and even more pleased with the price. The first store had no large boxes of threes, and the 2nd only had one. I really need to stock up since there is no Target out in the sticks, but Target let me down. Their very own brand of diaper and they have a tiny selection.

When I got home, Ned's friend Brandon and his fiance Brittany came for a visit. They brought Avery a sweet outfit for her birthday, and she thanked them with some of her tricks. Ned and I are excited to get to know Brittany and are looking forward to their upcoming wedding. We had yummy pizza for dinner and then took Avery for her first Bad Boy Buggy ride. More to come on that later!

My weeks of summer are slowly drawing to a close. We're looking forward to the fair this week and giving Avery her first taste of funnel cake. There's nothing like a baby covered in powdered sugar!

Sometimes....

...it's good, and sometimes...



...it's not. Slight mommy rant ahead. Something I've wanted to scream on Facebook for awhile. If you're not interested, stop right here with the pictures.

I've always wanted to be the mom in the car. The mom in the cool car, happy baby in the back, jamming to some cool non-mom music. That's one of the many visions I had...effortless, easy, fun, although I knew it wouldn't always be like that. The mom in the car turned into a mom in labor with high blood pressure who remained in bed with a catheter for a day after the baby was born, blood pressure spiking each time she sat up. A mom who had heart palpitations and near-faintings for a week after delivery, telling no one. A mom with a baby on a heart monitor for a month. A mom whose baby could sleep in the crib for 12 hours at night but had to nap in someone's arms after a lot of crying. A mom who didn't always enjoy it.

My Facebook news feed is full of stories of perfect babies and moms who love motherhood so much they never need a break (and tell other mom's they shouldn't either). I certainly don't think I'm a bad mom for taking a break one day a week this summer while Avery gets spoiled by my mom. These Facebook friends have pictures with captions telling how beautiful, sweet, and precious their child is. Bragging on a sweet baby is fine every now and then, but with some it's over and over and over. Maybe while they're telling us about their perfect life they're trying to convince themselves also. Do they look at my lack of captions like this and think I don't feel this way about Avery? I hope not. I'm not a gusher...about the good or the bad. We think Avery is precious. If someone else wants to tell us, great. These are the people who would never say they are stressed and are one of those "natural mothers." Motherhood stresses me out, and maybe people who aren't stressed are either lying or not taking it quite seriously enough. My baby slept through the night super early but also did a lot of fussing. Was that because I was/wasn't a natural? I think most of these things are luck, with a little reflux thrown in. Nothing I did made her sleep, and hopefully nothing I did made her cry.

Women (with and without children) are so hard on moms. It's constant competition. I'm a mom who wants to be honest about the good, the bad, and the ugly of parenting. I don't want to think that because I'm fussing about something aggravating that I'm a bad mom. I don't want to think that when I describe our early days or a rough day now, people are secretly happy because they (or someone they know) had it easier than me. It was TOUGH, still can be, and will continue to be. Parenthood is the greatest responsiblity ever, and no responsibility is ever without challenges. So while I might tell you that she's plucking my last nerve, I'm also waiting for that next big, open-mouth kiss. All I have ever wanted to do is to be a mommy, and I'm so glad that Avery (trials, tribulations, and all) is the one that gave me the title.

Out for a Spin

These were taken last Sunday (the day after Avery's party). I totally forgot I had taken them and certainly should have used them to spice up the weekly recap!

As you can see, the wagon is a hit! Since it doesn't have straps, we just go REALLY slow. I have high hopes for Trick or Treating in this ride.