Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Baby noises



It's amazing the noises that come from a baby. Such loud burps and room-clearing farts that impress even Daddy. One of the cutest sounds I've heard from A recently is her new affinity for snoring.



Saturday, December 25, 2010

Merry Christmas, Darling.

This is Avery's first Christmas. It's the first of many years to come of seeing Grandma and Grandpa Nunley on Christmas Eve, then having Christmas morning at home and Christmas afternoon at Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Gasner's house, then another Christmas at home with Grandma and Grandpa Mitchell.

I could write a novel about all that we've done in the last couple of days, but instead I will chronicle it in a series of photos.
  


Wednesday, December 22, 2010

20 Weeks!


MONTH: 5
WEEK: 20
WEIGHT: Likely close to 15lbs by now.
LENGTH: 27+ inches
HEAD: Spotted. We don't measure he head regularly but it is still covered in scabbed pocks. Hopefully they will clear up soon.
MILESTONES: She is rolling from back to belly now! Well, sometimes. Really only when there is something she can see better if she rolls. It took a few days after she first did it for Justin and Courtney for me to see it. We are on our way to full mobility!
OBLIGATORY ADORABLE PICTURE: She has started this new thing where she tightens all the muscles in her legs and squeezes her little thighs together. She is especially fond of doing this while you are trying to change her diaper.
EATING: She is losing interest in the bottle. In fact, she likes to play a game where she just moves the nipple around in her mouth until you play with her. I think she will be a food-thrower when we start table food. Good thing we have hardwoods. Carpet would be a pain to keep clean!
SLEEPING: A had a couple of nights where she woke up to eat this last weekend, but then went back to STTN (sleeping through the night) Sunday night. Perfect timing since we both had to work Monday. So much for sleeping in. 
VISITS/OUTINGS: Avery hung out with Grandma Denise and Grandpa Jim on Saturday while Justin and went Christmas shopping. It was fun to hang out just us two knowing she was having fun with grandma and grandpa. When we got home she was out like a light. They tired her out!
FAVORITE ACTIVITIES: She is still happy just to play with her feet. She even tries to sit up out of her swing to reach them. Good thing she is buckled in or she would be on the floor!
MOMMY FEELS: Great. I am so happy with where we are right now. I am loving our little family and just enjoying the days as they come. Every day is an adventure and one I wouldn't change for the world.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO: Exciting new opportunities to come in the new year. With Justin's job, and some exciting prospects we have a few changes in the works. Be on the lookout!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Christmas crafting.

I want to start a tradition of baking and crafting with A during Christmas time. I figure there is no better time to start than from the beginning.

I found this recipe and had to try it. It was so easy and something I could do while A sat on the counter and watched. When she gets older it will be a great one to do together.

Here's the short version of instructions with my personal photos.


Chocolate Candy Cane Hearts

Prep: Melt 1 bag of chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet because that's what I like.) in a double boiler. 

Step 1: While chocolate melts, lay out mini candy canes on a piece of wax paper facing each other so they form hearts. (I put the wax paper on a large cutting board so they were easy to move.)
Step 2: Let the chocolate cool a little then pour into a piping bag (or thick ziplock bag -- like the quart size freezer bag.) Cut a small hole in the corner of the bag.

Step 3: Pipe the chocolate into the center of the hearts making sure that the tops and bottoms are closed so it doesn't leak out.

Step 4: Decorate with sprinkles.

Step 5: Let cool to harden.

Step 6: Enjoy!

Deck the halls.

In my family we had a tradition of getting an ornament each year. I wanted to start the same tradition with A. I wanted to find the perfect "first Christmas" ornament. I was having a hard time finding one, until this last weekend.

On Saturday we were at Kohls and found the one. It is her (big!) footprint on the ornament.

We are officially done decorating. Check it out:
Merry Christmas from the Nunleys

Thursday, December 16, 2010

19 Weeks!

MONTH: 5
WEEK: 19
WEIGHT: 14lbs 9oz at last weigh on Dec. 12th.
LENGTH: 27 inches
HEAD: We don't measure it regularly but it's 90th percentile for her age and length.
MILESTONES: Nothing new this week. We are trucking along with making it through the chicken pox. We're 1 week in. 
OBLIGATORY ADORABLE PICTURE: "See my foot, Mommy?"
EATING: Avery is officially eating 3 bottles of 5oz and 4 bottles of 4oz. 
SLEEPING: We're officially sleeping unswaddled. It actually happened by accident. She did not want to be swaddled with the first set of pox and now she is happy as a clam sleeping with her hands above her head. The only downside is it takes a little while longer to get her to stop playing with her feet and actually go to sleep.
VISITS/OUTINGS: A stayed with Grandma for an hour on Wednesday while I went to my company Christmas party. Otherwise we are staying home while she is still contagious.
FAVORITE ACTIVITIES: A loves playing with her feet. They're her new favorite toys. Luckily they're always an arm's (or leg's!) reach away.
MOMMY FEELS: Better this week. I feel like I have a handle on the whole chicken pox thing. We have a routine going so she can be as comfortable as possible.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO: Since almost all of A's pox have scabs she is not contagious anymore so we are going to the mall and Babies 'R Us to finish up Christmas shopping. We have 3 gifts under the tree. All of which are for A. We need to get on it.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

It's love.

When I was pregnant I got all kinds of advice from other moms about what was a "must have" because their baby couldn't live without it. Now that I am a mother I have made a concerted effort not to push products, my opinions, etc on other mothers because all babies are different.

Case and point:
I was told we must have a swing. Being that we only have 750sqft we decided to get a travel swing for the sake of space. BIG mistake. She hated it. I couldn't figure it out. I mean a swing is a swing, right? Wrong. We were at a friend's house one day who has a son a month older than A. She fell asleep in my arms (A, that is. Not the friend.) and said friend suggested I put her in her son's cradle swing. She loved it and was out like a light! The next day we got one.

That was our first lesson learned.

The second lesson is documented here. We were given a play mat by my SIL, Carrie. A would lay on it for a bit and then get bored and fuss. Then we were visiting with my friend, Christina, and I saw she had this fantastic play mat with tons of toys that made all kinds of sounds. I decided I would give it a try and went and bought one the next day. Ever since then it's been a whirlwind romance between A and her beloved play mat.

Laughing like a fool.

"Why are you interrupting me, Mom?"

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Check me out

Since A is coming up on the age where she will start eating people food we are learning to hold utensils. Despite the fact that we will be doing Baby Led Weaning which skips the whole eating-purees-with-a-spoon step, but nevertheless we like the play with them.

Today while I was cooking dinner I showed A how to have fun with the purple spoon (we're practicing colors, too).
 Then later we were playing with the green spoon. Check out this video: (Don't mind the fact that I sound like a little kid. I swear in my head I sound like a real an adult.)

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Chicken Pox

We have hit an unsavory milestone. Her first big illness. She has the chicken pox. I notices a couple bumps on Friday night then on Saturday morning a couple more. So I called the advice nurse and she said it was likely a viral rash and that we should call the doctor on Monday.

By Saturday evening she had them everywhere. At least one on each limb several on her head and face -- even in her "diaper area". I called the advice nurse again and she said she would put in a call to the on-call pediatrician and he would call me in the morning. At 9:30 Sunday morning the appointment setter for the after hours clinic called and said they wanted to see us.

She gave us instructions on where to go since we had to go in a special door they called the "rash door" where all highly contagious patients go. This makes sense to me that they want to keep the other kids away, but seems silly to put all the contagious kids together. I mean their immune systems are already compromised by whatever illness they already have that it would be much easier to pick up another one. Luckily we were the only ones in that area.

Basically the doctor said he thinks it's chicken pox but just to be sure he popped one of the blisters and took a swab to have it tested. Basically he said just to make her as comfortable as possible and keep her home from daycare until every blister has a hard scab. It should take about a week and a half to two weeks.



My poor baby. These pictures look terrible but it looks even worse in person.

18 Weeks!

MONTH: 5
WEEK: 18
WEIGHT: 14lbs 9oz
LENGTH: 27inches
HEAD: perfect!
MILESTONES: Avery had her first major illness: chicken pox. We aren't sure where she picked them up but we went to the doctors this morning and confirmed them. She doesn't seem to uncomfortable except the ones in the diaper area, but she is a little whiny. 
OBLIGATORY ADORABLE PICTURE: This picture was actually taken today at 18 weeks 4 days because we had been so busy this week and she was pretty cranky.
EATING: Avery is moving up! She gets three 4oz bottles and three 5oz bottles a day now! It's probably why she gained 11oz in 12 days!
SLEEPING: The last few days have not been great sleep with the pox, but better than I thought they would be. A won't sleep swaddled and she won't sleep unswaddled laying flat so she will be sleeping in her swing until the chicken pox go away.
VISITS/OUTINGS: We visited Grandma and Grandpa Nunley and Uncle Trevor on Saturday for Uncle Trevor's birthday. Of course we also visited the doctor's office in Vallejo this morning to get checked out. 
FAVORITE ACTIVITIES: Snuggling with her mama -- which I totally don't mind, but I wish it was under better circumstances.
MOMMY FEELS: Helpless. There's little I can do to help her and she can't itch because she doesn't have that skill yet so she gets so upset sometimes and all I can do is rub her. We are going to try an oatmeal bath tomorrow.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO: Obviously this chicken pox going away. But more excitingly we are looking forward to Christmas with the family.

Friday, December 10, 2010

4 Months!

Where have the last four months gone? It seems like in the last trimester of pregnancy time moved at a sloths pace. And now that my beautiful miracle is here time is whizzing by a warp speed. So, Avery, I so enjoy watching you grow and get bigger, but I wish time would just slow down a bit. You have plenty of time to be a big kid. I want you to stay little for a while.

Here was A on Monday. She was not very excited to be taking pictures, but I like this one.
And thanks to my friend SSM, here is a monthly recap:



THIS MONTH YOUR BABY MAY:

  • squeal and laugh with delight. She does this all the time! It is the best part of the day when I get her out of bed in the morning and she looks at me like I could save the world and just squeals and laughs even during a diaper change.
  • make "raspberry" sounds with her lip. She is trying. It's pretty hilarious. She has making the sound with her lips down, now she's trying to figure out how to get the tongue in it so it makes the sound while she's sticking her tongue out. It's so funny when she does it and gets so excited!
  • experiment by making new sounds. She is definitely experimenting with her voice. Sometimes funny, sometimes not so much. Like after 20 minutes of the same sound over and over and over and over and over and over and... well, you get the point.
  • make sounds in response to you. A tries so hard to copy sounds. Sometimes it works, but most times not. I keep waiting for her to just blurt out a word like an adult, but alas, she is not quite there yet.
  • track moving objects as her head and neck development work together. She has been doing this for a while now. It's like teasing a cat with a laser pointer -- hours of entertainment.
  • roll over—usually from front to back—as muscles continue to develop. She will roll over belly to back if she feels like it. She usually doesn't when we have the camera out. Or when we are trying to show someone how talented she is. Le sigh.
  • raise herself up on straightened arms while lying on her tummy, looking all around as neck muscles strengthen. She does this for a few seconds and then goes back to her elbows. She is not a fan of tummy time.
  • grasp a rattle with stronger hand muscles. A is so strong! She will get a grip of my finger and turn the end of it purple from lack of blood circulation!
  • bear weight on both legs. A loves to lap-stand. She will even bounce a little if she's really energized.
  • start to sleep through the night. We are so lucky. Avery has slept through the night since about 6 weeks. I am told that sleep patterns will change as she grows and gets older, but they haven't so far and I honestly hope they don't because I love these great sleeps!
  • begin to show interest in solid foods by reaching for mom and dad's food at the table or other food in her line of sight. She doesn't really seem interest in our food, so we are waiting to start solids until she seems more ready. I am so excited for her to try new foods, but sticking to the bottle seems best for us right now.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

A tradition is born.

Being December, it is time to start decorating for Christmas. It's my favorite time of year and usually Justin is a huge Grinch. This year, however, is different. It's Avery's first Christmas. Whenever I ask him to do something holiday related instead of getting complaints he is totally on board.

Today we decided to go get our Christmas tree. Instead of just going to Target or even to a lot we wanted to have a full on Christmas experience. So we got in the Jeep and drove 35 minutes to the mountains just past Calistoga to Pochini Family Farm.

When we got there we got a saw and a cart and trekked up the mountain in the mud (with Avery in the Ergo!) to find the perfect tree. We got to a spot that had a great selection and as soon as we stopped Avery started wailing. So I walked back to the trail so as not to drop her when I took her out of the Ergo. From the trail I helped Justin pick out a tree that looked perfect. He cut it down and I calmed Avery down. Once he got the tree back to the trail we put it on the cart and headed back down the mountain.

He stood it up to look at it in all its glory and we realized that only half the tree was perfect. The other half looks like Charlie Brown's tree's long lost brother. It's so sad looking. I can't help but love the tree even more. It was so fun to go out, pick a tree and cut it down. It is for sure a new family tradition that I cannot wait to continue.

Friday, December 3, 2010

A month in photos - November

Mrs. Avery Claus...

At Thanksgiving Justin's Aunt gave us a gift for Avery. It was this adorable Santa towel. As soon as we got home I washed it so we could use it right away. Once it was clean I folded it, put it in the closet and promptly forgot all about it.

Until the other night. I got it out for bathtime. A loved her new towel! And I love how absorbent it is. I think we will use this well after Christmas.

Ho Ho Ho!

Thursday, December 2, 2010

1 year ago today...

One year ago today we found out I was pregnant. Notice I did not say 'we found out we were going to have a baby.' I make this differentiation because we know all too well that just because you are pregnant does not guarantee you will have a healthy baby 9 months later.

This time around we were lucky to be blessed 9 months and 2 days later with a wonderful, amazing, fantastic, beautiful, healthy baby girl. She has been the shining star in my world and I would travel to the ends of the universe for her.

In the process of trying to have a baby Justin and I have had some bumps in the road. But along the way I have met some amazing friends who have been through similar situations and from their support have found strength and the appreciation for all that I am blessed with. Unfortunately there are still some of my new-found friends who struggle to come out on the winning side of trying to conceive. For you ladies I send all my love and good mojo for healthy baby-making.

I can't think of a group of more deserving women to be mothers to earthly children.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

17 Weeks!


MONTH: 5
WEEK: 17
WEIGHT: 13lbs 14.5oz
LENGTH: 26 2/3 inches
HEAD: 16 inches
MILESTONES: No significant milestones this week, but she is growing so fast!
OBLIGATORY ADORABLE PICTURE: 17 weeks in daddy's chair. She's really starting to fill it in!
EATING: A got the okay to start solids whenever we feel she is ready!
SLEEPING: She is sleeping great. Last week she slept 4 nights in her swing because she was very stuffy and it helped her breathe to be semi-upright. Now we are back to sleeping in the bassinet and everyone is more comfortable. 
VISITS/OUTINGS: Avery had her 4 month appointment today. She is growing so fast. She is on track to be tall and skinny just like her daddy. (And cousins, Kayla and Maddie.)
FAVORITE ACTIVITIES: Sleeping, playing with her toys and listening to mommy read her books!
MOMMY FEELS: like there aren't enough hours in the day. I work all day and come home and I just want to play with Avery, but there are things to be done. Le sigh. 
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO: Even though the doctor gave us the go-ahead I am still not sure Avery is ready to start solids -- BUT I am looking forward to when she is ready and we can experiment. Until then, I am looking forward to getting our first Christmas tree together and making our stockings!

Monday, November 29, 2010

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Saturday was Justin's birthday. We went to an indoor go-kart racing track called RPM with his dad, mom, and brother. Here are some pictures from the day. (They're not very good because they're from my cell phone, but nevertheless.)

Before the race.

Avery wearing Uncle Trevor's head sock.
(worn under the helmet)



Friday, November 26, 2010

16 Weeks!


MONTH: 4
WEEK: 16
WEIGHT: Roughly 12 1/2 -13 lbs -- we'll find out on Wednesday!
LENGTH: 23inches-ish
HEAD: partly bald.
MILESTONES: She continues to roll over -- but only at her discretion. So if you want to see it you better hope she's in an amiable mood!
OBLIGATORY ADORABLE PICTURE: This picture was actually taken at 16 weeks 2 days, but with Thanksgiving we're lucky we got one at all!
EATING: Avery has been eating up a storm! Today she was even gnawing on my (clean) finger!
SLEEPING: We've been letting A sleeping in her swing the last couple of nights because she has a stuffy nose. If she lays flat she gets all congested and it wakes her up. The swing is at the perfect angle to help her sleep.
VISITS/OUTINGS: We had a fantastic week this week. Only 3 days of daycare and then a busy day with the entire family yesterday for Thanksgiving. (See the post below.) Tomorrow is Justin's birthday so we will be having another family day!
FAVORITE ACTIVITIES: Sleeping, playing on her play mat, and most of all: sucking on her own hands!
MOMMY FEELS: Excited for the holidays!
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO: All the holiday fun coming up! We're going to be getting our tree next weekend and I can't wait!

Happy First Thanksgiving!

Yesterday was Avery's first Thanksgiving. To me it was her first big holiday. (I don't really count Halloween since there is really no deeper meaning than seeing how much candy you can get from complete strangers -- but I digress.)

A didn't seem to think sleeping in was a great idea, so our day started at 6:45. We stayed in our pj's until about noon when Justin and I got ready to go to his Aunt Chris & Uncle Glenn's house. We were told to be there between 2:00 and 2:30 and being perpetually late now that we have a baby in tow, we made a concerted effort to be on time. Success! We were one of the first ones there!

It had been a long time since anyone in Justin's extended family had seen A and since she is the only baby on his side she was the center of attention. She was loving all the attention for a while until inevitably it got loud. And when I say loud, I mean loud!

So we found a quiet(er) place in the house to hang out. Some people came and visited with us one on one and we got some great photos.

One particular one I really like is one of A, Aunt Stacy, and Great Grandpa Delbert (who's 88!). We also got a great shot of Justin and I with A.

For your viewing pleasure.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Happy Birthday, Great Grandpa Raymond!

This Saturday was Justin's grandpa Raymond's 84th birthday. We went to their house for a late lunch and everyone got quite the kick out of Avery. She even showed off how she can now roll over!

Here's another collage of some photos I snapped there and at Justin's parent's house later that night.

A month in photos - October

A friend of mine, Christina, takes fantastic photos of her baby girl Lailah and posts them on her blog in these great collages. I asked her how she did them and she told me about this amazing photo editing program called Picasa that does it for her! I tried it out with a few pictures I took throughout the month of October. I will do them for August and September too and every month from now on! 

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

15 Weeks!


MONTH: 4
WEEK: 15
WEIGHT: probably around 13lbs
LENGTH: about 24 inches
HEAD: cute and round
MILESTONES: We have a roller! On Tuesday I set Avery on her tummy on the floor to help Justin with dinner. When I turned back around I saw she was on her back and I yelled at Justin for turning her over. He said he didn't. So I put her back on her tummy and before I could grab my camera from the table next to her she did it again! She's such a big girl!
OBLIGATORY ADORABLE PICTURE: She's really starting to fill up daddy's chair!
EATING: She is  still eating 7- 4oz bottles per day. 
SLEEPING: Avery is a  super sleeper. She sleeps from 9pm to about 6:30 or 7am .
VISITS/OUTINGS: Last Saturday finally met her friend Capri! (See the post below.)
FAVORITE ACTIVITIES: Avery has been spending lots of time on her play mat. She loves it!
MOMMY FEELS: Sad that I am missing so much with Avery being at daycare, but hopeful about some new possibilities that will allow me to spend more time with her starting very soon!
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO: Avery's first Thanksgiving is next week!

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Avery, meet Capri. Capri, meet Avery.

For months and months I have been chatting with a girl, Aly, I went to middle school with. We hadn't seen each other in years, but we found each other on Facebook (of course!) and reconnected since she was also pregnant at the time! It turns out she was only 4 weeks behind me.

Her daughter, Capri, was born 9 days after Avery (3 weeks early!) and we have been trying to get together for a while since our girls were born. Yesterday we were finally able to schedule a time that worked for both of us. While the girls are still too young to really know any different, I think that had fun "playing".
First meeting!
Instant friends.
She was exhausted.
(And Lola was only a little jealous -- NOT.)


Update!

I have been a bad blogger. We have been so busy I have so much to post about. Stay tuned for a few new blogs today!

On Tuesday we went to Babies R Us and got another carseat base for Justin's car and I convinced him Avery had to have a Bumbo seat. She is forever trying to sit up out of her bouncy seat, swing, carseat, and even from laying down.

As soon as we brought her home I put her in it before her bath.

First Attempt (I promise, she is wearing a diaper!)


Second attempt (with clothes!) She lasted almost 15 minutes!

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

14 weeks!

MONTH: 4
WEEK: 14
WEIGHT: 12lbs is my best guess.
LENGTH: I would say close to 24 inches. 
HEAD: Round like her mama!
MILESTONES: She is thisclose to rolling over! I really hope I get to see it and she doesn't do it for the first time at daycare. I would just kick myself if I miss it! She is also sitting assisted in her Bumbo seat! (See next post.)
OBLIGATORY ADORABLE PICTURE: Week 14 photo in daddy's chair. She is really starting to fill it up compared to the first one we did at two weeks!
EATING: Still eating 6-7 times per day and 4 oz at a time; however the first one we have upped to 5oz. Since she sleeps through the night she wakes up very hungry!
SLEEPING: Avery has slept through the night since about 6 weeks. And we are very appreciative. She also takes 2 long naps and usually one short one during the day. 
VISITS/OUTINGS: Avery will finally be able to meet her friend Capri on Saturday!
FAVORITE ACTIVITIES: Sleeping. (Still!) She's also discovered she has hands recently so she likes to see what they can do. So far she has mastered putting them in her mouth as far as they will go until she chokes herself, and staring at them for several minutes without losing focus.
MOMMY FEELS: Sad. I hate being at work because I feel like I miss almost the whole day. I drop her off at 7:30am and pick her up at 5:15. By the time we get home, cook and eat dinner, take a bath, and get her jammies on it's time for bed! 
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO: Hopefully I will be moving to part time very soon!

Monday, November 8, 2010

The picture perfect Sunday.

Now that I am back to work I try and appreciate all the time I have with Avery all the more. This Sunday it was rainy all morning and we had an appointment the photographer Christophe Genty. We were gifted 3 sessions, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months, by Justin's aunts, Nan & Chris. We got there at 9:00am and we're done at 9:45. It was super fast but from what I saw on his camera we got some A-MA-ZING photos.

After that we got home and all put our pj's back on. We snuggled up on the couch and watched football. Later that afternoon the sun came out and the light was beautiful in Avery's room. I decided it was a perfect time to take some pictures of Avery in her 3 month Picky Sticky.

Here are some of the pictures I took.



Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Back to work.

I hate it. I hate working. Not because of the job itself, but because I miss my baby girl.

I miss the days where we could snuggle on the couch in our pj's until 11am and take naps together. Days when we could go on walks whenever we felt. I miss trips to the fabric store and me attempting to be a crafty mama while my good little baby took her afternoon nap. I miss everything -- literally. I miss almost the entire day with her. She is only awake for 2 hours when I get home and maybe only 30 minutes before I leave.

I do not like it.

Not. One. Bit.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Halloween & Thanksgiving Professional Pictures

Last week Melinda  came with us to Stanley Ranch to take pictures for Thanksgiving and Halloween. I got the pictures back last night! Here are a couple of my favorites. 





12 weeks!

MONTH: 3
WEEK: 12
WEIGHT: Probably closer to 13lbs now.
LENGTH: I would estimate 23 1/4 inches
HEAD: Perfect!
MILESTONES: She is thisclose to rolling over from her back to her belly. She gets up to her side and then moves her arm and falls back to her back.
OBLIGATORY ADORABLE PICTURE: This picture was actually taken at 12 weeks 2 days.
EATING: 24-26oz per day this week!
SLEEPING: We are so lucky to have a good sleeper. She sleeps from about 9:30pm until 6:30am. Every once in a while we get a morning to sleep in until 8:00am!
VISITS/OUTINGS: Avery has officially been on her first shopping trip! We went to the mall in Concord to find me some new clothes for work and she did so well! She's a natural. 
FAVORITE ACTIVITIES: Playing on her mat. She can even make the toys make noise all by herself now!
MOMMY FEELS: Conflicted. I am supposed to go back to work on Monday and I am not looking forward to it, but we have been talking about it and it won't be for long.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO: Some big changes in the next few weeks! Be on the lookout for some exciting announcements!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Sneak Peek - Halloween Pictures

Today Justin and I took Avery to Stanley Ranch Pumpkin Patch to get her first pumpkin. Melinda came with us to take our Halloween & Thanksgiving pictures.

She is a much better photographer and the pictures we saw on the camera look fantastic. Here is a one I snapped really fast on my cell phone while she was adjusting her camera.

More to come soon!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

My Lucky Day

Last week I entered a contest on one of my favorite sites Baby Steals. They were giving away a great new product call the GoCrib by Guava Family. A couple of days later I got an email that I was a winner!

I have been waiting to receive the package so I could test it out. Today it arrived and I opened it up immediately.

I comes in this compact backpack for easy portability and inflates in just 5 minutes. I swear each side only took 5 pumps!

I put Avery in it and she had a blast! I love it because she can play in it by herself while I get things done around the house and I don't have to worry about the dog stepping on her or licking her in the face! 


I am so excited to be able to take this with us on trips this summer! It's going to be so convenient to just toss it in the car and go!


Saturday, October 23, 2010

Changes!

Justin has been miserable at his job for some time now. When he took the position it was never meant to be a long term job, so he has been searching for something that really appealed to him.  Last week he applied for a new job with Culligan. This Wednesday he had his first interview, then yesterday afternoon he had a second interview over the phone with the Western US Sales Manager. That night they called and offered him the position.

I am so happy for him. It has better hours, better benefits, a better working environment, and the best part? More than twice the salary. This job is going to provide so many more opportunities for our family. Since our plan has always been to move back to Idaho, this job will allow us to save money faster so that dream may be able to become a reality sooner than we thought.

I am so thankful for this opportunity. We are so blessed.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

11 Weeks!

MONTH: 3
WEEK: 11
WEIGHT: 10lbs 15oz (at last Dr. appointment)
LENGTH: 22 3/4 inches (at last Dr. appointment)
HEAD: 15 3/4 inches (at last Dr. appointment)
MILESTONES: It hasn't surfaced yet, but it seems like Avery might be starting to get her first tooth. (ALREADY?!) She's been pretty fussy, drooly and gnawing on her bottle nipples and pacifier. From what I hear she could be doing this for months and months before a tooth ever shows up though. 
OBLIGATORY ADORABLE PICTURE: Avery's weekly picture sitting in Daddy's recliner. She was trying - unsuccessfully - to grab her little toes!
EATING: Still 24-28 oz a day
SLEEPING: Avery has slept through the night for the last two weeks! We are so lucky!
VISITS/OUTINGS: We went to Avery's first football game last Friday. She met all kinds of new people and did great! She will be able to sleep through anything if she could sleep at the stadium!
FAVORITE ACTIVITIES: Avery has been loving her swing this week. She's been a little sleepier than usual and has been taking extended naps in her swing.
MOMMY FEELS: Nervous. I have to go back to work on Nov. 1 and I am so not looking forward to leaving my little punky. Luckily Justin will get to be home with her and have his bonding time, so that will be good for them. 
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO: Tomorrow our friend, Melinda, is going to do pictures for us. We are planning on going to Stanley Ranch Pumpkin Patch - if the weather allows - for Halloween/Thanksgiving pictures and then back to our house for Christmas pictures. If it rains, we will just do the Christmas ones at the house. Crossing our fingers that the rain holds out!