2 months old!

Our little munchkin was 2 months old on Christmas day. WOW... I cannot believe it! Avery has brought so much joy into our lives and we love watching her grow each day. These past two months have been absolutely wonderful. Chris and I have learned so much over these last few months about each other and about parenting. It's been a great ride so far and we are looking forward to the many months and years to come!

Things Avery is doing at two months:

-still rolling over from tummy to back (not always, but sometimes)

-cooing and ahhhing-- we love to hear her talk!

-smiling

-finding her hands-- her mouth found her hands a few weeks ago (I think she'll be a thumb sucker- those hands are ALWAYS in her mouth) but on Sunday, December 26th, her eyes found her hands. It's fun watching her watch her hands and discover that they belong to her.

-SLEEPING... the girl loves her sleep. She naps very well and doesn't cry when we put her down any more. Hallelujah! :) At 6 weeks she started sleeping longer periods during the night and by 7 weeks she was sleeping through the night. AMAZING! We generally put her down between 9:30-10pm and wake her up between 6-6:15am. Babywise, baby!! (Of course, this is when we are at home... we just spent a week in Douglasville for Christmas and she was WAY off schedule and not used to her environment....)

-she makes spit bubbles

-still not a huge fan of tummy time

-She is more alert during her wake times

-loves her paci

-absolutely LOVES to stare at lights

-the girl has great head control

-enjoys her swing

-she prefers to look to her right, and since she likes to sleep with her head facing the right she now has a flat spot on her head...

-she still loves bathtime!!!

On Monday, December 27th, I took Avery to the doctor for her two month well check-up. It was a tough appointment for her because she received her first round of vaccinations. Poor thing. She did absolutely fabulous. The first vaccine was oral for the rotavirus and she tolerated that pretty well. The tough part was the three shots in her thighs. She was NOT happy. It was interesting to watch b/c she had a delayed reaction to the first shot. It took several seconds for her to realize what happened and then the earpiercing screams came. Her entire head was as red as a tomato she was screaming so loudly. The nurse was so quick and I was able to pick Avery up immediately following the shots and thankfully the cries did not last long. She was asleep before we left the building. Avery slept for several hours once we got home and had one major meltdown. She fell asleep in my arms and I didn't want to wake her up so I held her and even drifted off to sleep myself. I think that is the first time I've ever slept while holding her and I have to admit it was a sweet time. I didn't go into a deep sleep but I really enjoyed just relaxing and holding my baby girl. The shots made her a little more fussy than usual, but we made it through the day.

Avery's stats at two months:

Weight: 9lbs 8oz (25%)

Height: 22 3/4 inches (50-75%)

Head circ.: 37cm (10%)

Overall, Avery is doing really well at two months. The only concern the doctor has is that she thinks Avery might have reflux. I was dissappointed in this because she gave me a prescription for Avery and we are to give it to her for the next two weeks and then I will have to take her back to the pediatrician to see if there is any change. Please pray that the reflux goes away so that we don't have to give her any more meds as I hate the fact that I'm giving my two month old medication already.

Road Trip and Babies!!!!

Avery went on her first road trip last week to south Florida. My cousin Jessi and her family now live up in Pennsylvania and came down to Florida for a week with her family. So, on Monday, December 13th, my mom, sister, Avery and I loaded up the car and made the drive to New Smyrna Beach to visit Jessi, Shelley and the rest of the family. Jessi has two children, Elijah (3 years old) and Anastasia (5 months old). It was so much fun getting Avery and Anastasia together while they are so young. Anastasia is 3 months older than Avery and it's so crazy to think that Avery will be that big soon. Time sure does fly by.

Avery slept most of the way and we stopped twice for feedings. So, what should have been a 6 hour drive was more like an 8 hour drive, but she did great! We got to Shelley's house in time for dinner-- she made us baked ziti and it was delicious! After dinner we had a photo op with Avery and Anastasia in their matching dresses from my mom and even got to iChat with Chris! Around 9pm Aunt Debbie, Uncle Chuck and David arrived and we all spent the evening playing with the babies and watching Elijah run around with all of the dogs. It was a great visit, just too short. Enjoy the pictures from our few hours in New Smyrna with the fam!

{Aunt Shelley and Aunt Amanda with their nieces}

{Jessi and me with our girls}

{Kisses from cousin, Elijah}

{Mike and Jessi with the girls}

{Avery- 7 weeks; Anastasia 19 weeks}

{COUSIN PICTURE!!!}

{Cousin David meeting and holding Avery for the first time}

{The sisters with their daughters and granddaughters}

Tuesday, December 14th was spent in Stuart, Florida with my dad's side of the family. My cousins, Ansley and Kimberly (sisters) both had babies this year also. Ansley had her little girl, Ali, just one month before Avery was born and Kimberly had her twins, Cole and Carlilye, 13 days after Avery was born. We spent the day at Will and Kimberly's house and were surprised to find out that Ansley and Ali had flown in from Atlanta. It was so much fun having all of these babies together for the first time. The living room was a sight to see with all of the baby gear and four babies laying on the floor.

{Ali-11.5 weeks old and Avery 7 weeks old}

{Cole and Carlilye- born on November 7, 2010}

{Amanda with Carter (3) and Cade (7)}

{Cousin Steven with Avery}

{Photo op with Ali, Carlilye, Cole and Avery}

{Avery and Cole}

{Avery and Ali}

{I love this! Ansley, Kimberly and me with our babies!}

I am absolutely thrilled that we were able to take this trip down South for Avery to meet her cousins. These are special times that I will always remember and I look forward to showing Avery these pictures in the future. What wonderful memories of her and her cousins. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful family and I am so thankful for our close relationships with each of them. Thank you Shelley, Kimberly and Aunt Nancy for having us!!! I wish we could have stayed longer, but I am THRILLED we had the opportunity for all of us to get together. Meeting Anastasia, Ali, Cole and Carlilye was so special.

Thank you, Christopher, for letting me take Avery for a few days to visit family. I know that had to be hard for you being away from your little girl for the first time, but I am so thankful that we were able to go and see family while Avery was still so young. I love you!!

3 amazing years

December 15, 2007... the best day of my life!

Chris, I love you so much and am beyond blessed to have you as my husband. I look forward to the many memories we will make as husband and wife and now as parents. You are my best friend and I thank God every day for placing you in my life. You are an incredible husband and an amazing daddy. I have loved watching you with Avery over these last two months.... it is so special seeing the two of you together. Your love for us is evident every day. Thank you for taking care of us and working so hard to provide for us. Your hard work never goes unnoticed. I love you and happy third anniversary!

Baby weigh day

The family birth place has a baby weigh day on the second Wednesday of every month. I decided to take Avery this past Wednesday and am happy to announce that she weighed in at

9 lbs 4.3 oz!! She has gained 2 pounds in her 6 weeks of life. It was such a great reassurance for me that she is indeed getting enough to eat. Over the past few weeks several of you have asked how breastfeeding is going. This might be a little TMI, so I won't be offended if you don't finish reading this post. :) Things are definitely getting better. We have our good days and our bad, but we are working through it and I'm so thankful that I am able to provide for my daughter in such a special way. She still prefers to nurse from one side only during a feeding, but I've really been working with her and maybe twice a day she will latch on to both sides during one feeding. Chris has been giving her a bottle once every other day and we are slowly increasing the number of bottles she will take. It's a great time for Chris to bond with her and again, it's a nice break for mommy. Thank you to all of you who have encouraged me through the difficult times of nursing and for your prayers. Praise the Lord for the improvements!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!!

Bath Time- 6 weeks old

Where does the time go?! Our little munchkin is 6 weeks old today and to show you how much she has grown I've posted a few pictures of her bath time.

[Avery's first bath- 2 hours old]

[8 days old]

[6 weeks old]

The Allen's visit!

The weekend before Thanksgiving our best friends from Birmingham came down to meet Avery. Luke and Chris met their freshman year at Samford and eventually figured out that their girlfriends would both be attending Samford the following year and were looking for roommates. Ali and I lived together our freshman year at Samford and she and Luke got married the following year. They now have two beautiful little girls, Mae- 4 years old, and Savannah- 1 year old. I love that we have all remained so close throughout the years. We are truly so blessed to have them in our lives and we look forward to the many memories we will continue to make.

{Mae and Avery meeting for the first time}

{Ali and Avery}

{Kisses from Mae!}

{Savannah going in for a kiss!}

{Luke and Avery}

{Savannah playing in Avery's crib- So cute!}

{I LOVE THIS ONE!}

{At the Niceville park}

{Avery's first trip to the park}

Thanksgiving 2010

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days of the year. It's the beginning of the holiday season and it's a time to reflect on all that we are thankful for. This year was very special because Avery was one month old on Thanksgiving day. Chris and I are so thankful for the wonderful blessing she is to our lives. We love you, Avery!

Every year, our family family from Miami comes to Destin and we celebrate Thanksgiving together. The Bowers are a huge part of our lives and I probably don't tell them enough. We have made so many memories over the years and I will forever cherish the times we spend together.

Chris and I alternate which holiday we spend with our parents... this year we spent Thanksgiving with my family. My grandmother and Aunt were also at my parents for Thanksgiving this year. I love spending time with my family and I thank God for them every day.

{Spending a little quality time with our little girl on Thanksgiving morning}

{Avery's first Thanksgiving!}

{Someone built a "Sandman" on the beach and of course we had to get Avery's picture with it!}

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with the ones you love! Chris and I are so thankful for you and so blessed to have you in our lives.