We've Come a Long Way, Baby

Avery had her two-year portraits done last week at Conway Photo Shop.  It seems like just yesterday we were there for her newborn session at 11 days old.

(Not sure why it scanned pinkish).

Aren't most newborns sleeping for their first picture session?  Not this one.  She was awake the whole time.  We tried so hard to get her on her stomach all squished up and cute, but most of the pictures we got in that position looked like she was about to crawl away.  Last week at 2 we were dealing with running.

I've been thinking about her first session alot and how she and I have both grown since then.  It was the first time I had taken her anywhere without Ned, and I made my mom come and ride with us.  It was also the first time I had taken her heart monitor on and off by myself.  I did alot for Avery in those early days, but I really relied on Ned for most monitor issues. 

Boy, did we have some issues.  We were late bringing Avery home from the hospital because we had to do monitor and CPR training.  By the time we got home and had dinner, the lights went out.  We had no idea how much the monitor battery was charged and had the chief of the fire department ready to come set up a generator.  What a welcome home!  Then there were all the times that Avery would cry, which would raise her heart rate and set of the monitor.  The monitor beep would make Sammy howl.  Occasionally all of that would make me cry.  We ate dinner with my parents last night and were taking about a new little baby coming home on a monitor.  My mom said it felt like 20 years since Avery had been on hers.  Personally, I think the four weeks she was on it felt a bit like 20 years at times.  I really think some of our more laid back friends didn't "get" why we weren't more laid back as new parents.  They were the ones that didn't get that everytime Avery moved more than 8 feet, a monitor pack had to be unplugged and moved as well.  There was no diaper change, no walking to hush crying, no bath that didn't involve toting a baby and a monitor.  We were so fortunate that we knew early on that Avery probably didn't need the monitor, even though it remained on an additional three weeks.  She only had one time of it going off for her low heart rate, but there were lots of highs when she cried and lots of beeps for it being off position, usually in the middle of the night.  We are so thankful for how far we've all come in two years.

Here is the link to all of Carol's fantastic work at Avery's two-year session.