Weekend Getaways

After our week full of germs, Ned and I were lucky to still be able to have our weekend in Williamsburg. Because we were unsure if we were going, we didn't do anything to get ready until Friday. Fridays are busy for Ned, so he wasn't able to get off, get packed, and leave as early as we had hoped. It was almost 5:30 before we got Avery dropped off at Lolli and Poppa's. I couldn't talk much at all Friday, and my throat really starts to hurt again at night, so I was feeling kind of bad on the ride. And, around the time it got dark, I started to miss Avery. We enjoyed our ride across the James River on the ferry at dusk and hit up the Olive Garden for dinner. We make the most of our dinners without Avery and try to have as many courses as possible. I was very happy to see pumpkin cheesecake on the menu. Neither of us knew our way around Williamsburg, so we had to use Onstar for the 2nd time to find our hotel. Thank goodness for the blue button! We met several friendly Onstar advisors this weekend.

Saturday morning dawned beautiful and COOL! We made our way to Merchant's Square in Colonial Williamsburg. They have a farmer's market every Saturday, and there were lots of booths, people, and dogs. There were also lots of babies. It looked like so much fun for parents to push their children around in double joggers. Leave it to me to get baby fever from a double jogger. I really wanted to buy some of the shiny, organic produce, but I settled for letting Ned buy me a gourd carved to look like a jack-o-lantern. We browsed the shops, and Ned found a coat while I found one of Avery's Christmas dresses. I'm glad to be able to scratch that off my list. We didn't actually do much historical sight-seeing, so we'll have to squeeze that in next time. After an early lunch at The Trelis we were off to the outlets.

The outlets were full of fun and fabulous deals, and I admit I got carried away. We did the necessities first like Stride Rite and Carter's. I made a few unexpected purchases at Hanna Anderson, but who can resist their pajamas for $15? Avery is still fitting into the 70s that she's had since May, and they have held up beautifully. I bought the next size up for when she does some growing. We also got her a playdress/leggings set and a winter coat, all on sale. It was in Gymboree that I lost my mind and forgot that I actually had to pay for the large pile accumulating in my arms. I told Ned adamently that I was done for Avery, walked outside, and spotted the new Janie and Jack. In Williamsburg it's an actual store with all their current items 25% off. That's worth many fun rides across the ferry! Ned and I did find a few things for ourselves and had to make a few trips to the car. We finished our shopping experience with an Auntie Anne's pretzel since dinner would be late. We went back to our room for awhile and then had a good dinner at a seafood restaurant back in Merchant's Square.

Sunday morning we were ready to get home to our girl. We had a quick breakfast at Cracker Barrel and made our way to the ferry without the use of the blue button. It was another beautiful day and the ride across the river was great. We were exited to hear all about Avery's weekend. It included...

Lily waiting patiently for someone to come and get the baby.



Clapping for sleepovers and being spoiled!



A visit from my aunt and uncle, who will undoubtedly ruin her as they ruined me.



Showing Lolli and Poppa how she can eat like a big girl.



Peering under the door looking for Odie the cat.



Avery got great report from Lolli and Poppa (shocking, right?). She slept well, napped well, and seemed to be feeling much better. The picky eating remained, which we are hoping is due to her antibiotic and not a worsening stage. I won't even ask all they did over the weekend. I do know that Avery has been pulling on my pants A LOT to be picked up. Lolli says that could possibly be their fault. Oh well, vacations are good for everyone's soul and we were all the more happy to be reunited. We missed our Avery terribly, but we're not sure if she felt the same. It felt so strange to be out without her. I kept telling Ned that no one knew that I was a mom (unless they looked at my bags!), and it was odd to not be in that role for a whole weekend. I think I enjoyed not preparing, serving, and cleaning up from meals the most. My mom always says that husbands came before children and they should be a priority. Time away definately makes us better spouses and parents, so another trip may be in order soon!

Week in Review ~ 10/15

Sickness took over in the life of the Lankfords this week yet again. We thought Avery was bouncing right back from her ear infection, so on Sunday we met my parents and my mom's three cousins from out of town for lunch. Avery did really well, probably because she ate the entire time.

Avery had a good day at the sitter's Monday but didn't nap well. Those days happen, and I really thought teeth were to blame. She seemed to feel well at home that night and did lots of walking, but she talked out in her sleep at night. When Ned got her up Tuesday morning I knew something wasn't right, and her temperature was already up. The pediatrician advised us to wait it out when I talked to her on Tuesday in the hopes that her antibiotic would start to improve things. On Tuesday night her temperature was 104.2, and I made another call to the pediatrician since I knew she was on call. Ned took her back to the doctor Wednesday. Her ear infection had not cleared and she had some type of viral throat infection. No medicine can be given for that, but she did give her a stronger antibiotic for her ears. Her temperature remained above 103 degrees for most of the time between Tuesday and Thursday. Our normally talkative, active baby didn't play, crawl, or even eat or drink much. It was a long three days filled with a lot of worry. We pumped her full of Motrin, and even set our clocks to give it to her in the middle of the night. Every time we would see a little Avery return, the fever would return also. We had lots of wonderful Facebook friends checking on her and wishing her well. It's always nice to know others are thinking of you. Ned stayed home again Thursday and I stayed Friday. We finally woke up Friday morning fever-free! Avery seemed much more like herself with just a very limited appetite.

The germs must have been prevalent because Ned lost his voice and felt horrible on Tuesday, and by Thursday my voice was going. We were holding our breath about our trip to Williamsburg. I was so looking forward to it but I just wanted my baby to be well. Even though she was staying with my parents, I didn't want to leave her sick. It was hard enough to leave her during the day. By Friday I knew we would be able to go. Then it was a mad dash to get everyone packed up and ready, but we did it. Avery was happy to see Lolli and Poppa when we dropped her off, and we headed for a late dinner in Williamsburg.

I'll blog about our weekend and Avery's weekend when I don't have grocery shopping, lesson plans, and laundry calling my name. I hope we all work and attend the babysitter's for a full five days this week (a very unusual thought for me). I haven't worked a full week in three weeks due to weather and sickness. We all need to get well/stay well because we're looking forward to Homecoming at Southampton Academy Friday night.

**Avery said no thanks to pictures this week while she was sick. We do have some of her weekend to include in that post.

Week in Review ~ 10/9

(On the way to the pediatrician. Evidently needing another sock.)

What a week! Somehow my unexpected time off last week did not prepare me for what was to come. Ned left Sunday with city council to attend and conference in Hampton and was gone until Tuesday. I'm used to doing bedtime alone with Ned's meetings and hobbies, but I enjoy a little help in the mornings to get us out the door by 6:45 am. We did just fine but were glad to see him Tuesday when we got home. I stayed up a little later than normal and then took awhile to fall asleep, so by Wednesday I was tired.

Avery's nose was a mess when I picked her up Thursday...never a good sign...and she hadn't napped well. I chalked it up to teething and kept all of our plans for a fun afternoon. We stopped at Kristin's on the way home and went for Emerson's first stroller ride. Avery didn't pay much attention to her boyfriend while we visited in the house and was very still and quiet. We made two laps around the block, and Avery was again unusually quiet for much of the trip. When I got her out of the stroller, her nose was horrendous. I was so embarrassed! Avery got sick 2 weeks ago after Ned and I visited the baby. Kristin probably thinks we're full of germs. Avery and I got a quick dinner and then went home to wait for the Whitleys (minus Blake) to visit. I babysat for them frequently in high school and college, and they hold a special place in my heart. Brooke, who is in the 9th grade and making me feel old, had a volleyball game close to our house. Avery was looking progressively worse, and when I took her temperature it was over 101 degrees. I warned them when they arrived, but they braved it anyway and we had a nice visit. They brought Avery If You Give a Pig a Party and the stuffed pig from the book. I know it will be a favorite one day. Avery went straight to bed after they left, and I called my principal to let her know that I wouldn't be at school Friday.

Avery cried several times in the night and was up around 6 am with a fever over 100 degrees. I drove 35 minutes to and from school to get everything ready for a sub. If it was a true emergency they would have to make due with my lesson plans, but because I'm anal and OCD I like to know I have everything laid out with lots of work for the students. Avery was in good spirits Friday but didn't nap long in the morning. Our doctor's appointment fell right in the middle of her afternoon nap so all she got was 30 minutes in the car. Friday afternoon is definately the time to go as no one was in the waiting room. Avery cried as soon as I laid her on the table and was in full screams as Dr. Applewhite examined her throat and ears. It's never good when you hear, "Whitney, can you lay across her legs?" as I'm already restraining her arms. She is STRONG and Dr. Applewhite didn't want damage done to her ears as she thrashed about. The diagnosis was an ear infection, typical after the viral throat issue she had 2 weeks ago. She calmed down enough for Dr. Applewhite and I to chat before we left. We were a few years apart at the same K-12 school. Oddly enough, Avery's weight had dropped from 21 lbs 11 oz in July to 20 lbs 8 oz. With the crying, it didn't dawn on my to ask about it then, but we go back in 2 weeks for her 15 month check-up. We may have to work on shrinking some of her 18 month clothes as this rate.

Saturday dawned a beautiful day, and Avery slept until 7 am. Ned was gone most of the day, so we did lots of playing and got outside to see her D (Dixie). After her afternoon nap we did our weekly shopping. Avery greeted EVERY person in the store with a "Hi" and a wave. A couple of them got a "Hi D" but didn't seem offended since they didn't know she was calling them a dog. It is a challenge keeping her appropriately occupied in the cart and another challenge getting the groceries in. Ned was still gone after dinner so we took a walk. The ducks were across the pond but we saw several kitties and waved at passing cars like we were in a parade. We also saw lots of birds, heard a goose, and heard several trains, all of her favorite things to point out these days.

Now she's in bed and Ned's at home. Our trip to Williamsburg next weekend will hopefully speed this week right along. Our adult-only trip will consist of sight-seeing, shopping, and eating in Colonial Williamsburg and also paying a visit to the outlets. I'm hoping to find big deals at Hanna Anderson, Gymboree, Carter's, and Stride Rite. Notice who all those stores are for? While we're away she'll be getting spoiled by Lolli and Poppa. Hopefully I'll remember what to do without a baby for the weekend!

Wordless Wednesday

*Courtesy of Conway Photo Shop

Week in Review ~ 10/2

Our week started much better than the last one ended. By Sunday Avery was feeling much better and stayed fever-free all day. We finally made it to the Peanut Festival after her afternoon nap. Many of the vendors had already packed up because of rain earlier in the day, but the petting zoo was still there. Avery didn't touch (or smell) any of the animals but had a good time looking. She thought everything that was Dixie's size was Dixie and proceeded to greet them all with a "Hi D!"

Even though Avery was back to normal Monday, Ned still took her in to see the pediatrician. She was concerned it could be strep and performed not one, but two throat swabs, causing a bit of spit up. It was not strep but something similar to hand foot and mouth disease, and she had only had it in her throat. One sore remained, and we'll never know how bad her throat really felt.

The rest of the week moved along nicely with lots of rain forecast for the week. Mothers should not have to venture out in the rain. There is just no way to hold an umbrella and unbuckle a carseat. We ended up missing school Thursday and Friday because of flooded roads. Thursday was a long day. Avery was up early, didn't nap as long as normal, and seemed to have touched everything in the house seven times by 3 pm. It was just a long, gloomy day and Ned had drill for the fire department and wasn't home for bedtime. Friday was better because the rain slacked off. I made the mistake of taking Avery to Walmart to buy lots of groceries on the 1st of the month. She did take a nice, long afternoon nap so maybe it was worth it. We strolled to check out our lot and found a soggy mess. Maybe we'll build our house on stilts. We went to Applebee's for dinner and were happy to be out of the house again.

You can read about our fun Saturday here. These two unexpected days off made the thought of returning to work a bit depressing. It will be a busy week of catching up and keeping up as our 1st 6 weeks will be ending soon. Hopefully the work week will fly by as quickly as my four-day weekend did.

Pumpkin Love

Today was just so fun it deserved it's own post. I fill in the blanks for the rest of our week later.

I'm sure Ned may tell you that today was fantastic because bow season came in, however that's NOT why I enjoyed the day. Avery slept until about 6:40, about the time I was falling back asleep from Ned getting up. Usually I'm able to go back to sleep when he leaves. Avery is usually good for 20-30 minutes in her crib after she wakes up, which is a big help. I'm not exactly sure what she did during her morning nap, but her longest stretch of quiet was only 20 minutes. When she got up, Ned got home, and the pool table finally was moved from the garage. Avery and I strolled to feed the ducks, came home for lunch, then she had an early nap. While she napped I kept the TV off and read for an hour straight before checking out some things online. Safe Haven already has me hooked.

We had plans to visit Lolli and Poppa for dinner, and I decided that I wanted to stop on the way there to get a pumpkin. We'll do a fun pumpkin patch next year when Avery can enjoy it, but I like to support our local farmers. Avery decided that she would wear her new pumpkin shirt and pumpkin Cat's Clip and looked awfully grown up in her fall attire.



Avery thought the large pumpkins were wonderful. There was pumpkin kissing....



...pumpkin loving...



...and an attempt at pumpkin climbing.



After we picked out our perfect pumpkin, we continued on our way to Lolli and Poppa's. Avery has a long list of favorites at their house: spotting all the lights for Poppa to turn on, the wind chimes in Poppa's duck room, and climbing the steps. She also likes to try to get in a few kisses/ sniffs with Lily the dog and Odie and Moses the cats, but none of them are too found of her nose in their fur. Avery seemed a little anxious for dinner so some outside time was in order. Lolli took her to visit her favorite tree, where shaking the branches always elicits a good belly laugh.

And, I got to meet the newest addition to the family. Molly was rescued from my aunt and uncle's house after she turned up about a month or so ago. My parents were firm in saying they wouldn't get another cat after having to put our Pepper, who was around 20, to sleep. After I told Mom I couldn't take Molly, she must have really worked on my dad, and Molly joined the family Friday. She's residing on their porch now but will gain inside access once her claws are removed. Had I known Molly had beautiful tuffs of fur in her ears and had great potential to be a lap cat, she would have been mine. Avery had to keep her cat-smelling nose on the other side of the screen door, but I'm sure it won't be long before she goes in for a whiff.

On our way home the air was crisp and smelled like fall. Now the Farmer's Market candle is burning and I'm still enjoying this beautiful day.

Welcome October!

After reading two blogs today about welcoming the new month, I thought I would share some things we are excited about in October.

*Continuing to use my all-time favorite fall Yankee Candle (Pumpkin Pie) and close second (Farmer's Market) recommended by Ashley. I love to light a candle at night after Avery has gone to bed and once Felix has settled. He once skidded across our coffee table and knocked a lit Yankee Candle onto the rug. It did get rid of Ned's horrible palm tree rug though.

*Starting Nicholas Sparks's Safe Haven and awaiting Nora Robert's 4th novel in the Bride Quartet. I also may steal The Help from my mom since so many have raved about it. I'm trying to do a little expanding from Where is Baby's Belly Button and How Do I Love You?.

*Becoming more comfortable in 3rd grade.

*Making the first batches of pumpkin muffins and pumkin cookies. We may even throw in Paula Deen's Ooey Gooey Butter Cake with pumpkin...delicious!

*Introducing Avery to baby Emerson. I see tea parties and mud puddles in their future by next year this time.

*Possibly attending our first group playdate and meeting new moms and babies.

*Enjoying quiet time with Avery while Ned hunts, although we'll be missing him too.

*Pulling out the turtlenecks, a feeling shared by my friend Courtney. I agree for 2 reasons: 1) I love a turtleneck and 2) I have nothing to wear now. The last time my wardrobe was majorly updated it was done in maternity clothes.

*Venturing away with Ned for our first weekend without Avery. We're still debating between Wilmington and Williamsburg. Wherever we go there will be eating, shopping, and sleeping in.

*Attending Homecoming at Southampton Academy and visiting with old friends. We had a wonderful time last year, and I was so proud to show off my new baby. This year I may be struggling to keep her in the stroller but it will be just as fun.

*Pulling out the Christmas music (I'm actually behind on that) and continuing to plan for the holidays, especially Santa's list.

*Putting our poodle skirt wearing girl into her wagon and trick-or-treating around Newsoms. She's going to look just precious in her black and white squeaky shoes and custom Cat's Clips bow.

October will fly by with all these things to look forward to. Even when there's nothing planned there is still a lot of excitement with our little tornado around. Hoping that you greeted October with as much excitement as the Lankfords.