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.