Four Months

It seems like just yesterday I was typing up your three month post, baby girl!  You are officially another month older. 

Yesterday you had your 4 month check up and clocked in at 15lbs 9oz and 25.75 inches long.  Yeah, you're a big solid baby. 

Your month four milestones included increased neck strength (although your grandmother was convinced for like a week that you definitely had tortecollis), being able to stalk things with your eyes, reaching & grabbing and rolling from your front to your back.  And I'm not 100% sure, but I think you hit the 1 million mark for smiles as well.

Mostly, you are just becoming more and more of a person.  Sometimes it's like we can literally see you thinking as you look at a toy or something else that you want to stuff in your mouth grasp. 

"You're like hands... but bigger... I'd like to put you in my mouth."

People ask us all the time what stands out most being first time parents.  I always answer without hesitation, how much fun we're having.  We can seriously just sit and laugh at you for hours. 

You mean you're not laughing with me?

You're also an excellent drooler.

You love that baby in the mirror.

My favorite time of day is your bedtime.  Unfortunately I don't get to spend a ton of time with you when I get home from work, because you're pretty ready for bed soon after, but I love getting to put you to bed every night.  I nurse you and then give you a bottle (because, ummm, you're eating like 8oz at a time and Mommy can't quite keep up!) and then I put you in your pajamas and your swaddle blanket and we rock and read a book and say your prayers.  I rock you until you are drowsy and then put you in your crib with the mobile on.  It's the best part of my day, hands down.

The doctor did give us a little bit of disconcerting news.  You still have that heart murmur, and after the other doctor in the practice listened to it, we'll be going to the pediatric cardiologist on Friday.  We know that everything will be fine, as you're not exhibiting any alarming symptoms and your growth is at the top of the charts, but your dad and I will definitely be glad when the visit is over and done.

It's a privilege to be your mom and dad.  Love you times a million dillion.

I'm Boycotting Christmas...

At least until December.

You see, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, hands down.  It's an entire holiday based around hanging out with the people you love, eating delicious food, and watching football.  There are no presents to stress over.  It's always on a weekday, so you are guaranteed a day off (umm, unless your not, sorry, in which case let me know next year and I'll bring you a plate!). 

This year we have so much to be thankful for, that it just seemed wrong to jump into all things Christmas the very next day.  Seriously, I tried to listen to Christmas music, and it just didn't work.  So, for the next 3 days I'll be basking in the buttery glow of a heightened sense of gratitude, leftovers and fall colors. 

Our Thanksgiving day was fantastic.  We started out at my parents' house with tons of relatives and food and ended up at Sam's parents' house where Avery got to meet her Aunt Linda, Uncle Doyle, and Greatgrandpa Forbes for the first time.  Magic.  Well, almost magic. 

We had such a cute little "I'm Stuffed" Thanksgiving outfit for Avery to wear.  She managed to have a blowout in it approximately 5 minutes after getting to my parents' house, so no pictures in that. 

In case you weren't keeping track, that now makes the count:
Avery - 139 Alison's attempts to dress her daughter in adorable outfits for special occasions - 0. 

Luckily, there was enough cuteness going around to overcome the lack of fall themed fashion.

I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving!  Have you succumbed to the Christmas craziness yet? 

Three Months

Oh, Avery.  How did you ever get so big that we are counting your age in months and not weeks?  You are three months old now, and looking at you I no longer see a squishy faced newborn.  Instead, I see an actual almost-person human being!  Magic.

You didn't have a doctor's appointment this month, but we're guessing you're around 14lbs and 24.5inches. 

This month your personality exploded, and it turns out you are super smiley, laid back, curious, with a little dash of diva thrown in (you have perfected the "seriously-move-faster-you-guessed-wrong-on-what-I-want-dance-faster-monkey" scream cry). 

You are also super duper into grabbing at things in your activity jungle.

And looking at yourself in the mirror.

 "Does this onesie make me look fat?"

And stuffing your hands as far into your mouth as possible.

"Wanna see me shove this all the way in ma mouth?"

You have so much to say.  We hear a running stream of babble when you are awake.  Someday it will make sense.  I'm afraid you will be saying, "Why did you force me to watch the Twilight movies?  Those were awful."

I never knew it was possible for someone to smile with their entire body.  But when you do, it absolutely makes my day. 

You're a morning person.  Where the crap did you get that?

Mostly, you sleep through the nights, but lately you've been waking up around 4:30am for a quick snack.  I treasure the alone time with you, but wouldn't mind if you wanted to make it say, 10:00pm instead, k?

We finally put away all of your 0-3 month clothing.  Sometimes I get so sad knowing that you will never fit into them again, and I want you to just slow down and stay a cuddly little baby.  But it's so amazing to watch you learn to do new things.  One day you couldn't grab the monkey off of your jungle, and the next day we had to put it back up every few minutes.  I know these next few months will bring rapid growth and development, and we are just going to try and soak it all in.

You are still the best thing we have ever done.  Love you to the moon and back.

Catch Up

Things have been nuts lately.  But mostly nuts in a good way, so yay for that.

Here's what we've been up to:

Avery took her first road trip in October when we went down to Austin for a wedding.  She was great in the car, as usual.  I was also nervous about her sleeping in a strange crib without her mobile, but she did great with that as well and slept soundly through the night. 

On Saturday Avery had her first trip to Zilker Park.  This is where I hung out a lot as a baby, so it's kind of awesome that we got to continue this tradition with her.  We had a quick picnic and then just laid around soaking in the perfect day for awhile.

On of my college roommates and her husband kept Avery while Sam and I were at the wedding.  The wedding was a blast.  We got to see two of my all time favorite people get married, and celebrate with friends we had not seen in far too long.  We laughed, we cried, we had a beer chugging contest in the photo booth.  Pretty perfect.  Except that we took like zero pictures.  Fail.  Oh well, congratulations to Sarah & Aaron!



As mentioned before, we also swung by the pumpkin patch.  Avery was in no mood for pictures, or maybe she's just finally able to express her displeasure when her parents make her do stupid crap like this:

It was super cute when the parents of a very tiny baby did it.  Swears.

Most exciting, though, is that Sam's grandparents have been in town this week to meet Avery.  Love love love these three:

Sam and I really look up to Milton & Miriam and the way they have lived their life and marriage.  Watching them with Avery has been such a huge blessing and we are so glad they could come.

I'm also challenging myself to blog twice a week for the rest of November.  There is so much happening right now, and I know that I will totally kick myself if I don't get at least some of it down.  So until next time, know that we love you all! 

MIA

Sorry I've been MIA this week.  There's been a LOT happening around here, and all of it needs to make it's way over here to be documented at some point. 

Unfortunately, I went back to work this week, so that has ummm... sucked. 

Also, the Rangers are in the WORLD SERIES, so clearly we've been busy mentally willing this thing to happen!

We did make it over to the pumpkin patch before church one morning as well.  Here's a picture during the 5 minutes Avery tolerated it:

Sweet Baby Jesus (or Why Mary is My Homegirl)

Seeing as I am not, in fact, a Catholic I have never really paid too much attention to Mary outside of the Christmas season.  However, since becoming a mother myself, I have been thinking a lot more about Jesus's mom, and the baby Jesus, and I have so. many. questions.

For example, did baby Jesus:

• spit up down the back of Mary's 30 billionth fresh tunic right before they were about to leave for the market?
• wait until Mary's cart was full and then decide to go into freak out mode for no apparent reason?
• have dirty diapers so massive they made Mary say, "Oh, Jesus!" and call Joseph over to look?
• sleep through the night from birth?
• be all sweet and nursing and then grab Mary's breast with his baby razor claws?
• cry for so long Mary made Joseph strap him on the donkey and take a ride around the block?

They wrapped him swaddling clothes, though, so I'm guessing there was some screaming. 

Then the shepherds show up to check out her baby and discuss what the angels told them.  And "Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." (Luke 2:19)  Well, I'll bet so. 

See, this new mom thing is stressful.  (And I'm only basing this on my own personal experience, maybe the rest of you paid more attention in the how not to kill your baby prenatal classes.)  Those first few days with your new baby are unreal.  You are constantly worried you will somehow break them, or immediately scar them for life.  I never imagined there would be so many decisions to make in just the first few days, and no one will tell you what to do, they just keep giving you options and being all "It's your decision, mom!" while you frantically look around trying to figure out whose mom they are talking to.  Then they send you home and you Google like you have never Googled before.  And your baby is a normal human.

Then, there's Mary.  Whose baby is most decidedly not just a normal human.  But she does not freak out.  Instead, she treasures it all up and she ponders it. 

So, thank you, Mary, for reminding me to not freak out. Our situations are incredibly different for sure, but I can try to focus less on the unknown and spend more time treasuring moments with my daughter and trusting in your son.   Blessed are you among women, homegirl.

2 Months

Today Avery is 2 months old!  This month seemed to go a little slower than last, which I was so grateful for.  She did a ton of growing and changing this month.  Here are the stats from the doctor's appointment today:

Height: 23.25 inches

Weight: 12lbs 13oz

Head: 16 inches

Basically, she is one big ole healthy baby.  She's currently wearing anything from size 3 months to 6 months, and all of the newborn clothes have been officially retired.  Tear. 

Today was the first round of vaccinations as well, and little bit handled it like a champ.  Sam and I got our flu vaccines at the same time, you know, for solidarity.  Avery definitely screamed her giant little head off, but calmed right down once I was able to hold her again, and she hasn't really been fussy at all today.  We love love love her pediatrician's office, by the way.

Overall, this month has been all about awareness.  Following us with her eyes, smiling, and "talking" have all popped up over the last few weeks.  She zeroes in on us as soon as she hears our voices, and can follow us across the room.  I am also loving the megawatt smiles I get in the morning when I go in to nurse her.  The changing table is still her favorite place in the house and after she's changed we spend a few minutes just reveling in the coos and squeals. 

And then, there's the sleep.  So. Amazing.  We are now getting at least one 5-8 hour stretch per night, and it is fabulous.  Now, I just need to train myself to go to sleep when you do, so I can get the full benefit!

She's still loving the swaddle, "showers", her swing, ceiling fans and nursing.  A new development this month was tolerating the carrier.  Alas, Avery is proving to be kind of a yuppie baby.  She still will have nothing to do with the Moby, but loves her some Baby Bjorn.  (And yes, I have watched every tutorial there is for the Moby wrap, homegirl is just not having it!)  I think she likes that she can see out the sides of the Baby Bjorn better.  Now, instead of hauling the car seat in and out of stores, we just use the carrier.  Avery gets to see what's happening, and I get a little bit of a workout.  Win-win!

We seriously could not love this little girl more.  She brings joy to our hearts and purpose to our days.  Love you to the moon and back, Avery!