Week in Review ~ 9/25

What a busy week we had in the life of the Lankfords. On Sunday Lolli and Poppa came to have lunch at Cracker Barrel...always a yummy meal. Since I had been shopping Saturday, Sunday was also filled with laundry, grocery shopping, and school work.

Our work week was just as busy. I had PTA Open House Tuesday and Ned had city council, so Avery had to stay with Lolli and Poppa until I was done. She did great for them, slept all the way home, and went right to bed. Late nights after a day at the babysitter's are always tough, though, and she was up at 5:45 am the next morning.

After feeling poorly since Saturday, I went to the doctor Wednesday afternoon and got an antibiotic for a sinus infection. And, since the week hadn't been hectic enough, we had a meeting at school Thursday and didn't finish until 4:30. I'm sure there are many days that I should stay later at school, but it is too crazy to get home just as Avery is ready to eat, get dinner prepared, and get her in the tub at 7. I think I'll stick with my 3:30 departure. Thursday night while Ned was at drill, I made a chicken breast dish and Paula Deen's banana pudding to take to the Vaughans on Friday night. What a day!

School seems to be getting busier instead of easier, so I was happy to see Friday roll around. Jennifer called school around 1 to say that Avery was running a low fever but seemed fine. She gave her medicine and put her down for a nap. She seemed ok when I picked her up but had really slowed by dinner time. Mimi came to stay with her while we took dinner to Lucas and Kristin and met sweet baby Emerson. I wanted to go without Avery so that I could hold the baby and visit. He is precious and so tiny and quadrupled the baby fever I'm already having. Baby Emerson is just going to have to tide me over for awhile though. After a nice visit we went home and found Avery looking horrible. I took her temperature and it was 103.7. It hasn't been that high since she had croup last December. I felt horrible that I had left her, but even worse that I had been around the baby. I don't think I did anything to spread germs but I still felt bad. Avery went right to bed and slept all night but did some talking between 1 and 2 am. I'm not sure if she was awake or not.

Ned woke Avery around 7:15 Saturday, and she was so quiet I got up also. Her temperature was already 100.7. She perked up a little after breakfast but could only play for about 15 minutes before wanting to sit with me. She was ready for a nap very early but I put her down at 9 and she slept 2 hours. She seemed herself after her rest and took another long nap. We thought we could make it to the Peanut Festival for awhile, but her fever was going back up after her afternoon nap. We missed Ned in the parade also. She ate a good dinner but was still running fever by bath time. I hate that she's sick but enjoyed staying in my comfortable clothes all day snuggling with her.

We're hoping that next week brings good health, cooler temperatures, and a slower pace. I'm particularly excited about payday since I'll get my first full paycheck since being on maternity leave! And, we'll say good-bye to Ned until February since bow season kicks off hunting season Saturday. Not good-bye exactly, but he will be frequenting the woods alot. Luckily we have Kristin and Emerson to keep us company now.





Poor thing not looking so great after a day at the sitter's and running a fever. And I must add, this is after a "bath" of four baby wipes and a fresh outfit. She makes her playing count at Jennifer's!

14 Months

Here is sweet Avery at two months...



...and here she is one year later at 14 months!

Our months keep moving along faster and faster. It is absolutely crazy that I've already ordered Avery's Halloween costume and have picked out what will be on her Santa list. It seems like just yesterday we were dressing a very hot little bee and taking our first trip to the Legendary Santa.

We have managed to avoid the doctor this month, even though it felt like each week I was writing that we needed to go. Since we've managed to stay away, we don't have a new height and weight. She is still fitting into her 12 and 12-18 month clothes. I'm buying 18 months for fall and they're a little big. Avery just got new shoes since cool weather and walking are just around the corner. She wears a size 4 shoe, and I am proud to say I came up with that measurement at home and it seems to be correct. She actually allows me to put these shoes on without screaming. I don't know what the problem was with the T-strap Keds this summer, but a pair will be going on her feet next year.

Bedtime remains around 7:30 or a little before. Avery gets up at 6:30 on weekdays and a little earlier or later on the weekend. She is definately one of the babies that sleep books talk about when they say "sleep begets sleep." If she becomes overtired she actually sleeps less. She continues to take 2 naps. Her morning nap has returned to about 1 hour, and we try to wake her around then. The afternoon naps last about an hour and a half at the babysitter's but can sometimes be 2 hours or so at home.

Eating took a turn for the worse this month with Avery responding to many foods put on her tray with tears. Breakfast foods are usually accepted well. For lunch she likes grilled cheese, chicken nuggets, turkey and cheese, or fish. Dinner is hit or miss because we try to get her to eat what we're eating, and sometimes she finds it unacceptable. By then I'm at a loss as to what to give her. Our go to foods at any time are Gerber Pasta Pick-Ups and shells and cheese (SO healthy), yogurt, mandarin oranges, bananas, sweet potatoes, and bread. See anything green in that list? Nope. She will eat butter beans but I don't cook them often, and broccoli is attempted occasionally. In addition to struggling with vegetables, we also struggle with meat. She cries at most any ground beef, meatloaf, etc. and will no longer eat chicken breast or tenders. I did get her to eat cottage cheese this month for protein, but I am concerned with her iron intake. Facebook is a mom's best friend though, and I see that lots of other little ones Avery's age are doing the very same thing. One new development in eating is that Avery can feed herself with the spoon if you hand it to her. Avery now has 7 teeth that we know about. She isn't so fond of me poking around in her mouth to check.

She has really cut down on her pacifier use in the last week or so. She never used it alot during the day but would want it at different times, or we would give it to her if she was fussy. She still usually has it for naps now but not many other times. I think one thing that helped was that after they got washed one night Ned sat them on her dresser where she couldn't see them. Then they weren't sitting around for her to pop one in. We also stopped giving it to her after her bath because she fussed when we took it before we laid her down. We still keep on with us just in case though! I am NOT against pacifiers and have no set time for when they'll go away for good. But, I figure if she starts to wean herself from them we should help. One less battle later on!

Avery continues to enjoy her toys and books, but mostly she likes to be on the move. She is so good at entertaining herself and is happy with her toys or a piece of mail. She has taken 3 steps at a time but still prefers to crawl and cruise. She's getting super-fast with her push toys and while walking holding our fingers. If she walks with the determination and speed in which she crawls we're all in trouble. She stills seems to try the same words and talks all the time, but I have no idea what she's saying!


Avery still loves to get in the downward dog position and "pee pie" through her legs. She also likes to peer under the bed, sofa, door, etc., where she can usually find Felix. She thought it was fantastic the other night when Mama pee-pied back at her on the other side of the bed.

She spent her first night away from Mama this month and had a sleepover with Lolli and Poppa. She went to bed early, slept all night, and took 2 great naps. Bathtime in the kitchen sink was a little questionable, but luckily Moses that cat sat in the window sill for entertainment. After all the fun Lolli sat down and ordered Bitty Baby and her entire starter kit for Avery for Christmas. I was planning on just the baby! I'm wondering how long it will take Avery to associate her preciousness with gifts from Lolli.

Avery still loves being at the babysitter's and plays hard judging by the dirt she brings home. Sometimes she will cry when I go to take her home! Just this week she started being a little clingier when I try to leave in the mornings. We haven't had any tears yet, but I'm sure they're coming, and I DREAD it. She has discovered the outdoor play houses, so Ned has been shopping around on Craig's List. Those things are ridiculous new. Avery also is interacting more and more with the other children, "talking" and sharing toys.

We are so excited to see the little person coming out in Avery, and there are so many things that we want to teach her and instill in her. Our lives are so full and blessed with her laughter, kisses, and love.

Week in Review ~ 9/18

Our week started off with a very busy Sunday. I had nursery duty at church, so Avery stayed with me. She didn't want to stray too far which made it hard to help. And, when we went in for the children's sermon, she wanted to crawl all around the floor. When other ladies have taken her in she never makes a peep. Must be a little more comfortable with Mama. Sunday afternoon is when the SNAKE was spotted in our basement. I must explain that since we have a split-level, our basement is not like the one in Home Alone where you might expect some critters. Our basement has bedrooms...NO place for snakes. (I must add...never have a basement, even fully finished, especially in this part of the country.) Felix the cat found the snake then I found them both. The vet told Ned this week that the snake wouldn't have killed Felix but would have made him very sick. After our reptile adventure we had dinner at Mimi and Vincent's, where Avery managed to throw most of her meal onto the floor.

Everyone had good weeks at work and at the babysitter. It was a LONG week for me being in school 5 whole days. We celebrated the end of our work week with a trip to the Mexican restaurant Friday night.

On Saturday Mom and I went shopping in Richmond. We started off at Short Pump so that I could visit Janie and Jack and see if Saxon carried any of the Stride Rite shoes I was looking for. I didn't realize you have to sign-in at these stores now, even if you don't have a child with you. That place was NUTS. I don't think I'll be able to get away with measuring Avery's foot myself each time, and I'm not really excited at the thought of taking her in. I grew a bit impatient and decided to just wait for Stride Rite at our next stop, because I was sure it would be calmer. Nope. Waiting paid off though, because they had a pair of everyday shoes I liked better than ones at Saxon. They didn't have her mary janes so I'll either have to order or wait for the outlet. Mom steadily pointed out the white high tops that babies HAD to wear when I was little. When I got home I managed to get the shoes on without too much fussing. She isn't too graceful in them though! I put them on her again while we strolled and she kept looking at them like she didn't know what to think. She must learn that shoes complete the outfit. I've fallen in love with the squeaker shoes too and think I need to try out at least one pair to check their quality. One pair would be precious with her Halloween costume. After we got Avery to bed, we watched Couple's Retreat.

This week will be busy with open house for me and city council for Ned. We also have the Peanut Festival to look forward to next weekend. Ned will be a big star riding in the parade Saturday so I'm trying to decide if Avery can skip her morning nap to go watch. You may remember from the 4th of July that Avery loves to wave Twizzlers at a parade. We also look forward to the arrival of baby Emerson this week. Since I'm posting a day late I can say that he's on his way now! Kristin was scheduled to be induced Tuesday but they are at the hospital now and we are waiting impatiently. I've got to get rid of a cold so I can snuggle him! We are praying for a safe delivery and healthy baby, and we're so excited to share the experience of parenthood with some of our dearest friends.

Always glad to have a helper in the kitchen.

Avery started using her spoon this week. She can't scoop things up yet, but if we get something on her spoon she can get it in her mouth. Yogurt is a big hit as you can see!

Utensil Operation

Week in Review ~ 9/11

Shew! 4 down...176 to go! School days that is!

School got off to a fairly good start this week. The 3rd grade as a whole looks like a fairly good class, and I'm enjoying my students from last year and getting to know the ones I didn't have. I already have some stories that could make you chuckle (alot) but I learned from dooce not to blog about work. Third grade is such a jump, at least to me. I'm sure many of you don't understand because it's still teaching and it's just one grade higher, but it's new content, new routines, new grading, new testing, etc. And speaking of routines, boy do we all need one, myself included. Once I have a routine down and once the students have the 3rd grade routine down we'll all be much better. My mom said she was happy because I hadn't been as down about it as she thought (actually I really have), but what she wanted to say was that I haven't been as pissy as everybody in the family was expecting. We'll see what happens when testing rolls around though.

Avery had a good week and is eating somewhat better. Naps are still a little erratic but generic ibuprofin seems to help. The poor child sometimes chews all 10 fingers at once. To say we have some teething issues is putting it mildly. One tooth beside the bottom front ones broke through this week. Jennifer kept a baby Friday that Avery hasn't seen much, and she said Avery tried to smell him. I had told Jennifer that Avery likes to smell Felix, but really I think she is giving him a kiss. Jennifer let Avery "smell" one of her cats after I told her this, so she was convinced she was smelling the baby too!

Avery spent the night with Lolli and Poppa Friday night and did great! She ate like a pig, slept and napped wonderfully, and came home looking bigger, more grown, and feeling heavier. I hadn't been away from Avery for the night, and Ned had only been gone one night, so it was a bit strange. We went to one of our favorite restaurants by the lake and ate outside as the sun set. It was so quiet in the house, especially with no sound machine on. Somehow I was still wide awake by 7 am but still enjoyed some nice break time. She returned home with the runny nose we're still fighting and somewhat goopy eyes. After a chat with our pediatrician Thursday, we'll be going to see her next if we can't shake whatever this is.

And, because no fall season would be without it, we have a little basement construction going on. Although we've known about his issue for awhile, it's the 2nd house repair in a few weeks. Ned said before the last issue that if one more thing happened we were selling. Kind of like in Father of the Bride Part II, except here we still sit.

This week will be more of the same, just hopefully a little smoother. I have been so appreciative of the encouragement I've received here, on Facebook, and through e-mail! I approached the start of this school year with dread, which was a low place for me. As I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about friendships, your support has not gone unnoticed!

Wordless Wednesday

Meet Our Newest Addition

How fast did you click on this? Thinking baby? Afraid not folks.




This fuzzy creatures lives in the folds of our patio umbrella. We had a bat last year in the same spot, but we are unsure if it's the same one or just a popular home. We do not usually keep the umbrella open, so I imagine it to be a warm and cozy place of rest. Our friend usually flies away quickly once we start cranking, so I had to move fast to get a picture. It should be stated that I do not like bats, or anything else that can fly, hop, jump, skip, etc. on me unexpectedly. Because we have a split-level, our patio is a good 3 1/2 feet below the side yard. I hovered carefully on the retaining wall while Ned and Avery waited for the show that would happen if bats and I mix. Thankfully, I was done with my photo shoot when our friend flew off. Hopefully we've made peace and he will keep his tiny feet out of my hair.

Week in Review ~ 9/4

We were so excited to welcome September this week, although for most of the week we were still waiting for the cooler September temperatures. It was school and babysitter as usual this week. Avery did better with her morning naps and eating for Jennifer. However, eating at home was a different story. The sight of meatloaf one night caused immediate tears, and while I felt that way about meatloaf at one time, Avery usually likes it. Mealtime is a constant guessing game unless you're providing Pasta Pick-Ups, yogurt, bread, or fruit. I could deal with the pickiness if she just wouldn't cry. Evidently she gets something on her mind that she wants to eat and is crushed when it doesn't appear on her tray. She MAY have gotten this from her mother, who will get a food on her mind and isn't happy until it's eaten. We don't always have tears though. If she starts eating something and changes her mind, it's spit from her mouth or tossed to the floor. Dinner is our biggest challenge. Avery's nose continued to run off and on, and there were times she just wasn't herself. Her top left molar finally broke through on Saturday and a bottom tooth is on the horizon. A trip to the doctor may be in order next week if her nose doesn't clear up.

School is rolling right along, and the students are coming Tuesday whether I'm ready or not. We had open house Thursday afternoon, and several students and parents seemed happy to be seeing me again. We unexpectedly had the day off Friday. Avery went to the babysitter so I could do lesson plans, but none actually got done. I did do lots of laundry, paid bills, and got some pictures printed. I'm so behind in printing, and the bill gets higher each time I do it. I did use Pampers points to get free Shutterfly pictures, and I ordered those Friday. I'm eager to see how they turn out. Pictures from my Rebel take too long to upload unless I do the quickest upload possible, and I'm worried that that will decrease quality. I'm partial to the Kodak kiosk. I wonder if I'm the only one who still prints out pictures for albums. I love to have them to look at.

We went to the Mexican restaruant Friday night with Lucas and Kristin. We stayed past Avery's bedtime but she didn't seem to mind. She loves that place and the people who work there. She is unfazed by the fact that they just keep touching her. She continues to enjoy touching them, and Kristin and I got a bit nervous about what Avery might end up touching at one point. We are so excited that we will soon need 2 high chairs when we go out with the Vaughans! I made sure that when we packed Avery's bouncer away that it could be easily accessed so that I can do some babysitting. I am just as eager to see Avery's reaction to me holding a baby.

I had to wake Avery at 7:30 Saturday. I'm always afraid that the longer she sleeps the less she'll nap. She spent the day with Lolli and Poppa while I worked on things for school. She was going to spend the night, but that didn't work out this weekend. Avery took 2 steps towards Lolli when we got her up for her morning nap! No other steps were seen during the day though. Ned dove hunted so I stayed for dinner when I went to get Avery. It felt so great outside that we rode home with the sunroof open and the windows down. Avery promptly fell asleep and went right to sleep when I put her in bed. I was so excited about the cooler temperatures that I pulled out my Pumpkin Pie Yankee Candle. This candle ties with Home for the Holidays as my favorites.

We are looking forward to enjoying the nice weather over the holiday weekend before hopping on the road with the school buses Tuesday morning.