2011: Best of!

This year has been a whirlwind and I can't believe it has flown by so quickly. Here are our top 10 from 2011. *Note: These are in no particular order. 

1. Avery turns 1!











 
2. Brenda becomes a stay-at-home-mommy.
3. Cousin Kayla visits.













4. Finding out Avery will be a big sister in 2012!

 

5. Avery starts walking.

6. Auntie Mandy visits.












7. We took our first family vacation to Monterey, CA.













8. Justin and I celebrated great 3 years of marriage.

9. Aunt Audra & cousin Jess visit.

10. Avery took swimming lessons.










To bring everything full circle, here is "then and now" of Avery. We can't wait to see what 2012 brings us and meet Avery's baby sister.

23 weeks!

How far along? 23 weeks
Weight gain/loss: +9
Maternity clothes? Yes.  
Stretch marks? None yet.  
Sleep? Last night was a glorious night. Avery slept from 7:30pm until 8:15 all the way through. In her own bed!
Best moment this week? A full night's sleep is always a bonus, but Christmas was by far the best.
Movement: She has the hiccups all the time just like her big sister. Right now she is having a rave.
Food cravings: Birthday cake from Costco. Mmmm!
Gender: Girl!
Labor signs? Not yet and hopefully not for a while yet.
Belly button in or out? Still in.
What I miss? Eating by myself.
What I am looking forward to? Finding a new place to live and bring this little girl home to.
Weekly wisdom: If something doesn't work out the way you want you just have to trust that something better will come along.
Milestones: Avery's 2nd Christmas has come and gone and we survive.

Ho Ho Ho

Yesterday was Christmas and I have to say while Avery only sort of understood the concept of presents and opening she was mostly overwhelmed with the gifts. By about half way through she decided she was done and wanted to eat her bacon instead, so Justin and I opened the rest of her gifts and she was more than happy to play with them all once they were out of the wrapping.

In the afternoon she got to play with her cousins from Alabama and thought they were pretty cool -- especially Tessa who is just about a year older than her. We only had one fight over a toy between the two of them and I think that was pretty successful.

All in all I think Christmas 2011 was a hit!

22 weeks

How far along? 22 weeks
Weight gain/loss: +9
Maternity clothes? Yes.  
Stretch marks? No new ones so far.  
Sleep? It comes and goes. I wish it would come more often though.
Best moment this week? Baby girl has been moving up a storm and has had hiccups frequently just like her big sister.
Movement: I can feel her all the time. Now we are just waiting for it to be strong enough that Justin can feel it on the outside.
Food cravings: Sour cream.
Gender: Girl!
Labor signs? No, but I had my first braxton hicks contractions this week.
Belly button in or out? Still in... for now
What I miss? Being able to go more than an hour without eating or feeling nauseated.
What I am looking forward to? Still looking to find a bigger place. We have a few prospects though!
Weekly wisdom: I have nothing wise today. Just enjoy the moment.
Milestones: Feeling hiccups.

21 weeks.

How far along? 21 weeks
Weight gain/loss: +9
Maternity clothes? Yep.  
Stretch marks? Not that I can tell.  
Sleep? I am starting to need to be propped up by pillows.
Best moment this week? Nothing really exciting this week.
Movement: There's a rave going on in there. 
Food cravings: Marshmallows.
Gender: Girl!
Labor signs? Nope.
Belly button in or out? Still in!
What I miss? Sleeping well.
What I am looking forward to? Moving into a bigger place so I can start nesting.
Weekly wisdom: You will be tired at the end of the day regardless of how much you sleep.
Milestones: Nothing spectacular this week.

Forward Roll

Also known as a somersault.

Avery has been able to do these at gymnastics for a while now, but only on the wedge mat which gives her the leverage to get her booty over her head. She has been quite frustrated that she cannot do them on flat ground at home.

Until tonight. She successfully figured out how to push her legs up and over and do a forward roll. Actually, it looks more like a diagonal roll, but a roll nonetheless. She is quite proud and so am I.

20 weeks!

How far along? 20 weeks
Weight gain/loss: +9 (?!?!)
Maternity clothes? I have finally had to let my button out on my favorite pre-pregnancy jeans. I cans till wear them fully zipped and just cover the open button with my nifty BeBand.  
Stretch marks? I haven't seen any new ones, but I realized I probably won't be able to tell the difference between the ones I've had and any new ones anyways.  
Sleep? Even though sleep has been great I am still thoroughly exhausted at the end of the day.
Best moment this week? Today baby girl 2.0 is half baked!
Movement: This baby is a mover and a shaker. 
Food cravings: Nothing in particular, but I don't have an aversion to pork this time like I did with Avery.
Gender: Confirmed she is all girl with an ultrasound at my appointment today.
Labor signs? None yet.
Belly button in or out? Still in!
What I miss? Laying on my belly. It's already too big. <--- still true
What I am looking forward to? Christmas is coming and I am so excited to see Avery and how she will react. She has already done so well with the tree and all the decorations. I'm just afraid what she will do when we put wrapped gifts under it.
Weekly wisdom: If your doctor isn't worried about your weight gain you shouldn't be either.
Milestones: Being half way through this pregnancy.

Avery and Payton

This week Justin's best friend's wife came to visit with their daughter. We hadn't met Miss Payton yet, but Avery and I were lucky enough to get some time with her and her mama, Daniella today. She is just a doll. I can't figure out who she looks like, but she seems to be the perfect blend of her mom and dad.




Avery was so interested in the little baby and was so sweet to her. She wasn't jealous at all and let me hold and snuggle Payton for a good 15 minutes. She even gave her lots of gentle kisses. It was heart-melting.

Christmas Tree 2011

Today we went to the Christmas tree farm and picked out our Christmas tree. We love this place because it's the only place around here that you can still cut down your own tree. We took Grandma Nunley with us and it was so fun! Once we got home Avery took a nap since she was exhausted while Justin and I put the tree up and got it all set with lights. Once she was up she alternated back and forth from helping me decorate and watching the football game with Daddy. After the tree was all set up Lola snuggled under it to take a nap.

.

19 weeks!

How far along? 19 weeks
Weight gain/loss: +6
Maternity clothes? I need to find some pants soon because my normal jeans are starting to get tight and my old maternity jeans are too big because I lost so much weight after Avery.
Stretch marks? Not any new ones, but I have noticed my legs getting some more spider veins. Yay.
Sleep? Sleep has been great still. Thank goodness.  
Best moment this week? Nothing big around here as of late.
Movement: The little flutters are great. Today when Avery was on my lap the baby was kicking Avery in the back. Feeling the new baby kick while holding Avery felt a little like cheating on Avery.
Food cravings: Sour cream. Mmm!
Gender: A girl!
Labor signs? None.
Belly button in or out? Innie.
What I miss? Sleeping on my belly.  
What I am looking forward to? The anatomy scan next week. We will get a great long look at the little bitty!
Weekly wisdom: Enjoy it all and don't let it pass by so fast you miss it. 
Milestones: We are nearly halfway through!

18 weeks.

How far along? 18 weeks
Weight gain/loss: +6
Maternity clothes? I have finally bought several shirts that actual cover my belly and it is nice to have a nice warm belly again. 
Stretch marks? I haven't noticed any new ones yet. 
Sleep? Sleep has been great this week. :::knock on wood:::  
Best moment this week? We found out on Friday that Avery is going to have a little SISTER! Baby Nunley 2.0 is a girl!
Movement: This week has been great since I have been feeling definite movement. Even the ultrasound tech confirmed that the tiny bouncing I am feeling are indeed hiccups. Just like her big sister with the hiccups I tell you. 
Food cravings: Pizza this week.
Gender: A girl!
Labor signs? Nope.
Belly button in or out? In still. Ask me again in a few days. I have a feeling I will have an outie for a good portion of this pregnancy.
What I miss? Laying on my belly. It's already too big. 
What I am looking forward to? Feeling better. I have been stuffy and nasaly. I think I may have a sinus infection, but since I've never had one I am not 100%. If I don't feel better after the weekend I will be calling the doctor. I am also very excited about Thanksgiving tomorrow!
Weekly wisdom: Still sleep when you can.
Milestones: Finding out the gender and feeling movement.

Silly Girl

This is Avery's new trick and she just loves to do it.

Mommy love

Avery wanted to take a photo and this is what we got. It is one of my favorite photos we have so far. 

17 weeks!

How far along? 17 weeks
Weight gain/loss: +6
Maternity clothes? I need to start wearing maternity shirts because my regular shirts aren't long enough anymore. Weirdly, my regular jeans are just fine.
Stretch marks? I can't even tell if there are new ones.
Sleep? Avery has gone back to taking two naps a day. The morning nap is short and lets me eat lunch, pick up the house, etc and in the afternoon I am able to take a nap too. It's glorious. 
Best moment this week? We had a great, uneventful appointment last Thursday and got to hear the baby's heartbeat. We also scheduled the anatomy scan and gender determination for Dec. 7!
Movement: I am 98% the little flutters I am feeling are the baby.  
Food cravings: Pizza this week.
Gender: Still no idea.
Labor signs? No way!
Belly button in or out? In... for now.
What I miss? Eating a normal amount of food.
What I am looking forward to? Finding out the gender.
Weekly wisdom: It all goes fast so take advantage of every moment.
Milestones: Nothing major this week. 

16 weeks!

How far along? 16 weeks 2 days

Weight gain/loss: +6 (Yikes!)
Maternity clothes? Not needed, but I picked up some maternity shirts because I needed some long sleeve one for the winter anyways. 
Stretch marks? Same old, same old.
Sleep? Still the same and I am still exhausted by the end of the day.
Best moment this week? Feeling the baby for sure!
Movement: I am 98% sure I am feeling the baby moving. After pizza the other night he/she was having a little baby rave.
Food cravings: At this very moment I really want lemon and raspberry petit fours, but alas it is 9pm. 
Gender: Still not known. We scheduled the anatomy scan/gender determination on Dec. 7!
Labor signs? No.
Belly button in or out? Still in.

What I miss? Regular soda.
What I am looking forward to? Figuring out where we are going to raise Avery and this new baby for the long term.
Weekly wisdom: Everything in moderation. 
Milestones: Movement! 

Family park day!

Today was finally warm enough to go out to the park and since Justin was done for the day he came with us. She had so much fun going down the slide with Daddy and running around with him.

15 weeks!

How far along? 15 weeks 1 day
Weight gain/loss: +3/4
Maternity clothes? Not yet. Which is surprising because with Avery I was already 4+ weeks into wearing my maternity jeans.
Stretch marks? No new ones
Sleep? As much as I was before.
Best moment this week? Justin has been home most afternoons, so it has been fun to all hang out together. We even took Avery to see some goats and she had a ball. I can't wait to see how Avery will show her new brother or sister all these cool things.
Movement: Still unsure. 
Food cravings: Anything with large quantities of carbs. And Taco Bell.
Gender: Still unknown
Labor signs? Nope.
Belly button in or out? In.
What I miss? Letting Avery sit on my stomach when we lay on the floor and read books.
What I am looking forward to? Finding out the gender.
Weekly wisdom: Sleep whenever you get the chance. Even if you can't sleep laying down for some quiet time is almost as good.
Milestones: None pregnancy related, but Avery slept from 7pm to 7 am once this week and for that I am eternally grateful.

First trip to the library!

This afternoon Avery and I were itching to get out of the house, but it was too windy to go to the park. Since Avery was in the sleepy-but-not-cranky mood I thought it might be a good time to try taking her to the library. She did so well!

 She was so interested in all the books. And when we walked out she tried to run right back in. 

Once we were home she was so intrigued at all the books we checked out.

Happy Halloween!

This year Avery was Wonder Woman for Halloween. It started with the shirt we found at Six Flags this summer. I made the cape and the tutu and the shoes were courtesy of Aunt Stacy. She had so much fun trick or treating and even got some candy she can actually eat. She was even asleep in the car before we got home. 

Best Buds

Daddy and Avery are always such great buds. Thursday I was able to catch a great photo of the two of them.

Bananas

Avery's new word is

bananas.

It sounds more like "ma-nana" but she gets it. She will only actually say it when I have a banana or she is eating a banana. They are her favorite fruit.

Pillow Pet

Who needs one of these?

 

When you have one of these?

Smile!

My girl is so smiley and I just love seeing her so happy.

13 weeks!

How far along? 13 weeks 5 days
Weight gain/loss: +3/4
Maternity clothes? Not yet. I still fit into my skinny jeans. Yay me!
Stretch marks? No new ones yet
Sleep? As good as it was before. Avery still isn't sleep great but it has improved greatly. I am taking more naps lately. If only Avery hadn't decided to drop to one nap a day. :::sigh:::
Best moment this week? It's only Monday, so let's see what the week brings.
Movement: Nothing for sure yet, but if I didn't know better I'd say that I feel tiny flutters if I am laying on my belly. It's still much too early to tell anything for sure.
Food cravings: Nothing in particular, but I am very hungry all the time. 
Gender: Unknown
Labor signs? Nope.
Belly button in or out? Still an innie.
What I miss? Sandwiches that didn't take so long. I have been heating the meat before eating to prevent listeriosis and it's quite a daunting task to prepare it when I just want to eat it already.
What I am looking forward to? Feeling movement for sure.
Weekly wisdom: Sleep as often and as long as you can. 
Milestones: We're now in the 2nd trimester. It really is flying by. 

Oct. 21, 2010 vs. Oct. 21, 2011

When she was little people used to ask what happen in a shocked tone. For a long time I would look at her and ask, "Oh no! What do you mean?" Thinking in the 2.4557885 seconds I looked away she somehow sustained some major injury. In reality they were just referring to her hemangioma. I would always reply with the short answer that it was a birth mark, but that isn't exactly true. 

A birthmark is one that will not go away and this one will -- eventually. I have noticed over the last 6 months or so it has really lightened up and started spreading out as her face grew which makes it look even lighter. We are told that by the time she is 2 it will be completely gone, but truth be told I hardly notice it anymore. And we never get the comments we used to.

2010

2011

Pumpkin Patch 2011

On Friday Justin and I took Avery to the Stanley Lane Pumpkin Patch to get our pumpkins. It's the same pumpkin patch we took her to last year. This year was much different than last. She loved to run around in the corn rows and climb the hay bale pyramid. She really wanted to touch the pigs, but the sign said not to so she was a little disappointed when I wouldn't let her. All in all we got three pumpkins -- one for Justin, Avery and me -- and some small decorating pumpkins for the house.

Tomato Tomato

Recently we have discovered a secret weapon to get Avery to eat things she otherwise seemed disinterested it. Put a tomato - or any tomato derivative - on it and she will devour it. her two favorite tomato-based flavors right now? Tomato sauce and ketchup. She can even dip things in the ketchup all by herself. My big girl.

Introducing: Baby Squirt!

Since Justin cannot contain himself any longer, the secret must come out! We are excited to announce that Avery will be a big sister to Baby Squirt in April 2012. ♥

 

 

Train Town

Today Aunt Stacy and I took Avery to Train Town. They have real sized, old train cars that you can walk in and check out and a miniature ride-on train. The ride-on train even stops at a petting zoo and then returns back to the station.

Avery had so much fun making her way through the old train and checking out all the cool stuff. She was even sat down for the majority of the ride to the petting zoo just watching and taking everything in. She was not, however, a fan of the animals at the zoo. She especially didn't like the goats and their big horns.