Nichols Newsflash

Fun At The Park (With Shoes)

2012-02-06T01:09:00.000-08:00

Avery loves to be outside. She would spend every waking moment outdoors if we let her. Now that the cold weather is setting in, days at the park are few and far between. Which really stinks because the Tri Cities really doesn't have any indoor playgrounds for toddlers. Jesse and I usually take Avery on a stroll through the mall when running around outdoors is out of the question.

The other day it was almost like spring weather so I grabbed Avery's jacket and shoes (which is another story) and we went to the park.

The story behind Avery's shoes is, since she's was born, there has only been 1 pair of shoes that she's been able to wear which were soft sole crib shoes. I've bought about 12 different pairs total; some I've returned (numerous times) because they wouldn't fit and some she flat out refused to wear and now they don't fit.

Now that she's a toddler (and in a size 5) I really wanted to get her into a REAL pair of shoes. Pretty simple task right? Wrong! Avery has the widest feet EVER!!! Jesse and I went into Journey's and tried to find shoes that fit her and nothing worked. Her feet are shaped like upside down teardrops; even extra wide shoes wouldn't fit.

Then we were strolling through WalMart where I saw a pair of Garanimals that looked like they might work so I grabbed her foot and they slipped right on (with a few tugs, pulls and wiggles)

So back to the park story, I thought this would be a great time to try out her new shoes! At first she walked like a cat with tape on their paws; which was kinda cute hearing her "clomp" through the kitchen. When we got to the park though, her feet hit the dirt and she was off!!

Posing for a pic

Taking a 1 second break

I wish I would have had the video camera to record her running and playing. Sometimes she looks like a total train wreck about to happen when she really gets moving but somehow she pulls it off and stays on her feet! She makes me laugh.

Wow!! Catch Up Time!!

2012-01-24T20:49:00.000-08:00

Ok, I've been lazy & haven't posted anything in 6 months so I thought I'd post everything (well, all the important things) that's happened since Avery's first birthday. Here goes....

HALLOWEEN

Avery was a cupcake for Halloween but absolutely refused to wear a hat. She hardly lets us brush her hair, I don't know why I thought she'd actually wear a hat. We went to my mom & dad's ranch and took some really cute shots of her in her cupcake costume.

We didn't take her Trick or Treating because we thought we'd keep the "freak out" level at a minimum this Halloween.

CHRISTMAS

For Christmas we went to mom & dad's again and this time Emily & Randi were able to come so Avery got some much needed Auntie time...

She loved opening presents & was spoiled rotten...as usual.

And Now...

The Holidays were wonderful this year but it's always nice to get back into the swing of things. We're all doing great. Jesse's work is going well and he enjoys what he does and who he works with.

Im still working a few hours a week just to get me out of the house and I've also started a couponing blog. No, Im not a crazy Extreme Couponer but the blog is mainly just a hobby and it's brought in some extra money so that's always nice.

Jesse took Avery to her 18 month well check visit, all by himself because I had to work and she was 35 inches tall and 25lbs 12oz...I wish her hair would grow as fast as she is!!

She's definitely coming into her own and she's so funny to watch sometimes. Her first word was "cow" (grandpa was proud) and I think she learns a new word everyday. The word of the day today is "no" and Im actually surprised she didn't pick up on it sooner. It seems like every time I turn around she's getting into something she shouldn't. We've definitely learned to pick our battles though.

Avery saying "Cow!"

I never really understood the saying "kids minds are like sponges" until you actually have a little one running around mimicking everything.

Time flies when you're having fun!!

Just born

6 months old

1 year old

18 months old

Has It Been 1 Year Already!?

2011-07-06T18:49:00.000-07:00

We just celebrated Avery's 1st birthday (a week and a half ago! Sorry, I'm late posting this). It was so much fun! She had a blast!

Her birthday outfit!

How lady-like

Opening presents

Cake time!!! She didn't like it as much as I thought she would!

Milk break!

Sticky frosting face!

"Bathtime!"

Playtime with cousin Ayla!

And of course I had to take 1 year shots. A friend of ours made Avery a tutu and I thought it would be perfect to take pictures of Avery in it in Grandma's flower garden.

Her 1 year well check visit was today and she weighs 21 lbs 4 oz and 33 inches tall!! The Dr. said she looks great but I'm wondering when her hair is going to come in :o/

The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly!

2011-05-27T17:49:00.000-07:00

Avery got her first war wound a few days ago. She gets into her own little world now that she can walk and she was babbling to herself and not paying attention to where she was going. Sure enough, she tripped and Wa Bam! Smacked her head on the corner of the wall creating an instant goose egg! As the seconds passed and the thing began to grow and grow, I thought for sure an alien was going to pop out of it! I picked her up, popped her bink (binkie) back in her mouth, grabbed her blanket and in a few minutes she was just fine. Back to babbling and walking around in circles. It's amazing how resilient kids are! I figure there's bound to be more bumps along the way & you know me...document EVERYTHING...the good, the bad and the ugly!

Good Old Vitamin D

2011-05-23T01:12:00.000-07:00

Since the weather has been becoming more enjoyable, we've been taking advantage of the parks in the Tri Cities. When I'm at work, Jesse has been loading Avery up in the stroller and taking her for a walk down to the nearest park. Being cooped up all winter long, there's no surprise that Avery LOVES being outside. At first she wouldn't wander beyond the boundaries of the blanket. The grass was icky feeling on her feet as you can see from the picture.

But with a couple trips to the park she soon came around when she realized the whole world is her playground now.

Now that she can walk, she's everywhere. Here's a video of her cruising!

Can't believe she's 11 months already. Next stop, her 1st birthday!

Winners Circle

2011-05-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

For those who may not know, I entered Avery in a Parents Magazine "Kid of the Year" photo contest. It was more for fun just to see what place she would get but on the 2nd day of voting she was #1 so I thought I'd take it more seriously and get my Facebook friends involved in the voting. After a long week of non-stop voting, asking people to vote and checking the website EVERYDAY at 8am, 9pm and midnight (because those were the times the votes were updated) to see if Avery was still #1, I was disappointed to see that when the voting closed, she was #2....BUT, I just got an email from Parents Magazine saying the votes were verified and Avery DID get 1st place and they would be sending the $250 prize shortly! I was shocked so I had to check the website and sure enough, she was 1st for week 17!

What a great "day after Mothers Day" present!

On an equally exciting note, Avery has begun to walk! She took her 1st few steps 2 weeks ago but I FINALLY got it on video yesterday! I think her personal best is 10 steps but she's practicing!

Happy Easter!!

2011-04-24T20:38:00.000-07:00

Our Easter was wonderful this year. It was just us three and it was filled with fun....and a lot of firsts.

1.) It was Avery's first Easter and the Easter Bunny spoiled her rotten! She got a stuffed duck, a new pair of shoes, a new snail toy (which she loves because it has a mirror on it), a basket full of goodies including "Are You My Mother" by Dr. Seuss (one of my favorites as a kid), The Care Bear Movie (another favorite of mine), bubbles (because she loves them), big girl cups (which may or may not be a huge mistake), a chocolate bunny (which will probably be eaten by mommy), and Gerber Puffs (her favorite snack and a substitution for traditional Easter candy).

2.) It was my first time cooking a holiday dinner...all by myself. I must say it turned out better than expected. I made a ham, mashed potatoes with brown gravy, cresent rolls, broccoli bacon salad and a funfetti fondant cake.

3.) The funfetti fondant cake (my biggest triuph of the day) was the first time I ever experimented with marshmallow fondant. I want to bake Avery's 1st birthday cake but haven't really had any reason to just back a cake so I thought Easter would be as good as any. I baked it, layered it and frosted it with funfetti icing the night before so it could crust overnight. Then I made the marshmallow fondant. All I can say is sticky sticky sticky but once I was able to nead it into a dough, it was a lot of fun. I think the end result came out pretty good.

All in all it was a wonderful (but busy) Easter Sunday. We hope you had a wonderful Easter as well!

Parents Magazine Cover Contest

2011-04-12T08:09:00.000-07:00

So I was on the Parents Magazine website the other day and noticed they were having a magazine cover contest for children 3 months to 6 years. I thought it was a shot in the dark but I uploaded the requested 5 photos and one of them made the cut to be voted on. This was the photo they chose:

There will be 10 winners who will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City to be photographed for an upcoming issue of Parents magazine! You can vote everyday until the 17th so VOTE VOTE VOTE!!! Heres the link: http://photos.parents.com/category/vote/photo/783992

Super Saver

2011-03-14T11:10:00.000-07:00

I love saving money, who doesn't now a days!? Coupon clipping has become one of my favorite things to do on Sunday. I just stumbled upon a really good diaper deal and thought I'd share. I've had this $10 off purchase in the Baby Store at Amazon.com coupon from Parents Magazine stuck on my fridge for weeks ready to expire at the end of this month and throwing it away would be like throwing $10 in the garbage. So, I put it to good use today! I went to the Baby Store at Amazon.com and searched for the best deal on diapers. I found a regular priced box of diapers (180 count) for $34.54. After my $10 off coupon, it went down to $24.54. Plus, I got 15% off the original price by applying for their Subscribe & Save option lowering the price again by $5.18. With free shipping plus tax, my total came to $20.97 for 180 diapers. Not bad considering I would have paid $35 at Walmart for the same item.

If anyone is interested in getting these coupons, you can subscribe for free to American Baby and Parents Magazine by going to http://www.parents.com/ and clicking subscribe at the bottom of the website. Also, Baby Talk Magazine has great baby coupon deals also. You can subscribe for free by going to http://www.opt-in-offers.net/bonnier/A1.asp

Cruising Along

2011-03-05T10:01:00.000-08:00

Once again, Avery is on the move. This time...cruising! She can now pull herself up on our furniture and is now trying to figure out cruising. Of course she needs a little motivation to get moving so I usually use my cell phone or the TV remote to get her going.

Avery just got over her first cold which was not fun. She had a runny nose which interfered with her being able to eat. I was lucky if I got 20 ounces in her a day. She wouldn't take naps so she was fussy and exhausted during the day and we had to switch between her swing and her carseat during the night just so she could get some decent sleep. Which meant we were both sleeping in the living room. I pumped her full of vitamins, invested in an electric nasal aspirator and now she's back to her old self...with a definite increased appetite.

I feel bad because I was the one that brought it home, making Avery sick. Amazingly enough Jesse dodged the bullet and never did get it. He says he hopes her and I never get sick again. Apparently I was a little on the grouchy side :o{ There is an upside to Avery getting sick, she is so cuddly now and will lay her head on my shoulder and fall asleep. Something she would NEVER do before. I love it!

Now that she's feeling better, she's reverted back to her old habits...getting into EVERYTHING! She has a basket of 5000 toys yet she wants to play with the stuff she isn't suppose to have; the TV remote, anyone's cell phone, shoes, cords, the PS3 controllers, the TV antenna, plug in air fresheners and our glass end tables. She loves crawling on our cheap, wobbly, glass end tables so we knew we had to get rid of them. We finally found these ones and surprisingly enough she has no interest in wanting to crawl on them. Plus, we were able to sell our old ones on craigslist for the same amount we paid for them! Can't beat that!

First (overreacted) Mommy Meltdown

2011-02-22T17:25:00.000-08:00

I've always been a very laid back, go with the flow, don't panic when Avery bumps her head kind of a mom, but over the weekend I had my first bad scare. It wasn't a swallowing of a button, or falling off the bed or an unidentifiable rash all over her body. No, it was a viral respiratory illness...AKA...a common cold. Here's the story:

Avery started getting a runny nose Saturday afternoon. I didn't think much of it but it was causing her to have trouble eating. She couldn't breathe and suck at the same time. So come Sunday, she wasn't eating a whole lot and naps had no meaning to her. My mom suggested taking her to an Immediate Care Clinic just to get her checked out to make sure everything was fine. After dragging Avery to 4 clinics and each one being booked solid, I decided to take her home and keep a close eye on her.

Everything was fine until 11:30 that night. She woke up crying so I picked her up out of her carseat where she had been sleeping (it's the only thing that will prop her up well enough). I walked her into the kitchen with me and by this time she wasn't acting like herself. Her eyes wouldn't focus and she was bobbing around in my arms. At this time I began to panic; "what is wrong with my baby!?" She also developed a congested wheezing cough, something I had never heard before and "whooping cough" automatically entered my mind causing me to panic even more. Jesse was at work so I got on the phone with her pediatrician hysterically crying so much he couldn't understand what I was saying. After I finally composed myself enough to explain to him what was going on, he recommended I take her to the ER. Panic even more! So we go to the ER and as I was registering her at the front desk they asked me what was wrong with her and again, the hysterical crying came. After I got my words out, we waited 2 hours, finally saw the doctor and everything was fine. She just has a viral respiratory illness (common cold) and her "not acting quite right" was because of her being exhausted.

Looking back I feel embarrassed that I overreacted to a common illness and acted like a total psycho infront of the entire ER as well as her pediatrician (which Im hoping he won't remember me come April when we see him again) but I know that if I hadn't taken her to the doctor, I'd still be wonding if something more serious was wrong.

As of now she's doing just fine. She has gotten over the runny nose but still has chest congestion so I've been using Vicks baby rub on her as well as a humidifier. Im hoping it will pass soon. She still isn't eating as much as I'd like for her too but I bought Poly-Vi-Sol to boost her appetite. She doesn't seem to care that much about being sick, I think she's actually happier.

All You Need Is Love

2011-02-14T09:51:00.000-08:00

Whether or not I had someone to share it with, I've never liked Valentines Day. However, in an attempt to not be such a Valentines Day grinch, I thought I would make Saint Valentine proud and get into the holiday that would otherwise be mocked. We exchanged cards a few days ago but I still wanted to do something special so I baked Jesse a giant cupcake with his favorite toppings; chocolate frosting and sprinkles. I definitely put all my love into it. After he went to work last night at midnight, I stayed up till 1:30am baking it, letting it cool and taking it out of the cake mold. This morning, after Avery woke me up promptly at 6:30, I frosted it and added the sprinkles. It actually turned out pretty good.

Little did I know, he had a similar idea and came home with flowers for me and an "I Love You" teddy bear for baby Aves.

Superbowl Fun!

2011-02-07T10:57:00.000-08:00

If there's one sport Avery loves to watch, it's football! I don't know what it is about football but she's glued to the TV when it's on. So naturally, the Superbowl was a big hit in her book! She doesn't seem to favor any specific team but I'm hoping she'll lean toward the Rams and not so much daddys stinky Raiders ;o)

She's mastering the art of crawling and now is teaching herself how to pull herself up on things. She's working on it but still can't get to her feet. I never realized how fast kids grow until you have one of your own but she's giving in to the idea of cuddling which helps me cope with her growing into an independent toddler. Every now and again I'll look through her photo albums and reminisce on her first couple months of life; the 2am feedings, sleeping on the couch, baths in the sink, falling asleep on my chest. Soon we'll be planning her 1st birthday party and it all seemed to pass by so quick but I'm looking forward to her first steps and first words. After that, I could stand for her to slow down a little.

7 Months Old & On The Move!

2011-02-02T14:37:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's true. Avery is officially on the move...and getting into EVERYTHING! I was so excited for this day to come but I definitely took her immobility for granted. Consequently, she's gradually learning the word "no." She hasn't quite wandered outside the living room but I think now would be a good time to invest in baby gates...and outlet plugs...and latches...and corner covers. Here's a look at her first crawling "steps"

We've also started her on more solid foods. Instead of the plain rice and oatmeal cereals, she's been eating Gerber Graduate snacks. She loves the mixed berry yogurt melts and the peach flavored fruit puffs. She's getting used to the mild cheddar flavored lil' crunchies. She also loves peach flavored Gerber yogurt blends. It's fun watching her discover new tastes and textures.

She's defintely growing up too fast but it's been so much fun watching her discover new things. Can't wait to see what the next few months bring!

6 Months Old...With An Attitude!

2011-01-10T15:41:00.000-08:00

We just got back from Avery's 6 month well check visit and her pediatrician said everything looks great. She weights in at 17lbs 5oz (although it feels more like 25lbs) and she is 27.5 inches long. Now, Avery has always been advanced and ahead of her milestones...but there's one advancement she's made that Im not too proud of...her attitude. Which she made perfectly evident of today at the doctors office! She was adorably chewing on Jesse's sweatshirt string (something she does often now that she's teething) very calm and content...being precious little Avery. Once the doctor layed her down on the table wanting to get a better look at her, causing the string to come out of her mouth, she turned into this spoiled rebellious 2 year old who was just told she couldn't have ice cream for breakfast!! High pitched screaming, kicking, turning over...the whole bit! The doctor said he had never seen this kind of behavior from a 6 month old before; usually just in older babies! How embarrassing is that!?

I don't know how she has developed such an attitude. Ok, maybe A LITTLE BIT was inherited from me, but mine was never this bad. We don't coddle her everytime she cries or screams but when she does we usually redirect her to something else. Which works a lot of the time. Now, we're just suppose to ignore it completely. We'll keep you updated :o{

She had two shots today and she took them like a champ. Only cried for about 10 seconds. She's strong willed and I think that's where her attitude stems from too. At 6 months she may throw a fit like a 2 year old but she can take the pain of shots like she was 10.

On a much happier note, Christmas just passed and Avery had a great 1st Christmas! She got so many cute clothes and toys thanks to our friends and family!

She also has two teeth now. I caught the first one but have yet to get a picture of the second one. Her teething is coming along great! Now that the first one has cut through, she could care less about the second one.

She's also started to get on all fours and wobble back and forth. She wants to move so bad but just can't get the actions down. I think she'll be crawling before we know it! Here's a video of her.

'Tis The Season!

2010-11-18T13:07:00.000-08:00

I know that Halloween just passed us and it isn't quite Thanksgiving yet but I'm already in the Christmas spirit...and in honor of the Christmas spirit, I decorated the apartment last week. It was hard taking the Halloween decorations down and seeing the empty hooks and nails on the wall. It felt like we had been robbed by the Halloween Grinch...and since the Rockefeller Christmas tree had arrived at NYC that day, I figure what more could officially kick off the Christmas decorating season!? So Avery and I decorated the apartment. I think it was more fun for me than her.

Our new tree topper. I broke ours last year :o/

Little Miss Avery is doing well also. She's in that stage where she rolls everywhere. She's also started eating "solid foods." Her first taste of something new was peaches. She liked them but I think she got more ON her than IN her. She's understanding how to eat and swallow though. She had squash last night and hardly anything got on her.

She's also starting to develop different sounds with her voice and seems to enjoy her "spoiled princess scream" the best. It's a high pitched scream. Something you might expect from a 2 year old girl when her mom refuses to buy her the candy bar she wants at the grocery store. Here's a video of it!

Happy Halloween!!

2010-11-01T18:04:00.000-07:00

This Halloween was Avery's first and we had so much fun taking pictures of her in her pink "funny bunny" costume! We didn't take her trick-or-treating but we had a great time anyway. I also got some fall pictures of Avery. Aunt Randi bought her an adorable sweater and a pair of jeans and it made the perfect fall outfit.

4 Month Checkup

2010-10-25T15:52:00.000-07:00

Today was Avery's 4 month well check. She's growing so fast we can hardly believe it. She weighs in at a healthy 15lbs 6oz and is around the 70th percentile for weight. She's above the 97th percentile in height at 26.5 inches. She definitely takes after her daddy when it comes to her height! The doctor was admiring how advanced Avery is (as she was trying to eat her foot). He says babies don't usually do that until 6 months of age. She's so smart! Me & Jesse tell her she's going to be a doctor and we can retire early, live in her mansion and she can take care of us! Ha! We just love her developing personality. Everyday she makes us laugh. She's mastering her raspberry sound and rolling from her back to her stomach. That's her new trick and she's getting pretty good at it! I put her on the floor so I could hang up some of her clothes and by the time I got back, she was on her stomach with her feet up in the air.

We've also been getting ready for Halloween! Avery's gonna be a pink bunny for her 1st Halloween. We always call her "funny bunny" so we thought it would be fitting for her to be a bunny! I love this time of year! First it's Halloween, then Thanksgiving and before you know it, it's Christmas! I have holiday photo ideas for Avery and I hope they turn out good. I just can't bring myself to spending $300 for the photographers around here. The woman who made Avery's hats in her newborn photos sent me a free hat in exchange for using Avery's photo on her website. I'm hoping I can use this in one of her holiday photos but her head needs to get just a little bit bigger!

I'll be posting Halloween pictures soon!

Random Videos

2010-09-09T12:38:00.000-07:00

Idaho Trip!

2010-09-01T07:18:00.000-07:00

We just got back from going on our first long road trip to Idaho with Avery. She did great! We stopped in Boise to see Auntie Em for a day before we headed down to Pocatello for our friends wedding. She was happy to see her Auntie!

She's a great little traveler too! She slept most of the way but I was able to catch a couple pictures before she dozed off.

Trying REALLY hard not to smile

...but I got it out of her

Then we went to Grandma China's house. She was so happy to see Avery!

The next day we had to go to the wedding rehearsal where Avery was able to meet a friend!

It was a pretty fun trip...fast, but fun. I wish I would have snapped a picture of Avery at the wedding. She had on a cute little daisy dress with matching shoes and a daisy headband. She looked adorable but it was too cold to unwrap her from her warm blanket so this is the best picture that I got.

She's such a good baby. Since we've been back from Idaho, we've finally started sleeping in our own beds too. No more sleeping on the couch. It's day 3 today but it's been going great! We've developed a routine: bath, pjs, listen to some lulluby music, then bed time. It seems to work. Avery falls right to sleep! Sometimes she'll squirm in her crib but she entertains herself and soon falls asleep. Of course I have to check on her about every 15 minutes but I'm realizing that she'll be ok...even when I'm not hovering over her crib making sure she's breathing.

2 Month Checkup

2010-08-23T23:52:00.001-07:00

Avery had her 2 month checkup today and is doing great! She is weighing in at 11lbs 15oz now and 24.5 inches. She's growing so fast! She recieved two shots today :o( but she did fantastic! She only cried a little but once her binkie was in her mouth, she was happy! She was actually smiling on the way back home...maybe because she knew we were leaving the doctors office! She smiles all the time now, especially after waking up in the morning or after a nap. She is starting to "talk" (coo) more and I think it shocks her when she hears something other than crying come out of her mouth because her eyes get really big. She loves standing and I can't wait to get her a jumparoo when she is able to gain full control of her head. She does pretty well now but every now and again she'll bob her head. She's still facinated with her tongue and loves licking things: her hand, binkie, fingers, whatever gets close enough to her mouth she tries to lick it! She's also realized that she has stomach muscles and tries her hardest to sit up. It's pretty cute; it looks like she's doing a mini crunch. She has the facial expression and everything!

We also moved into our two bedroom apartment this weekend and although it was no walk in the park, we're finally unpacked and settled and it is so great to have space! Jesse made the comment that he loves being in the living room and doesn't have to look at the kitchen at the same time! I was more facinated at the fact that we now have central a/c, a garbage disposal and a doorbell! Ahh...apartment living! You start to appreciate the little things in life.

All Smiles!

2010-08-13T05:09:00.000-07:00

First Outing

2010-08-10T21:39:00.000-07:00

Ok, so maybe I'm an overprotective parent, or maybe I'm a little weary of the "child screaming in public" scene, but today was Avery's first outing...besides Walmart, and even then I had Grandma Monet and Aunt Randi to help me if Avery was to have an emotional breakdown in the middle of a crowded Walmart. Today was such a nice day and I have been wanting to get some fresh air for weeks since Me, Jesse and Avery have barricaded ourselves in our apartment since Avery was born. So we grabbed Subway and headed to the park. It was perfect! The sun was shining, there was a little breeze and hardly anyone was there. We couldn't pass it up!

News, News, & More News!

2010-08-10T14:32:00.000-07:00

We have a bunch of wonderful news to share on the blog. First, Jesse got a new job working as a mechanic at the ConAgra Foods plant here in the Tri Cities. That's fabulous on so many levels!! (1) He has a job and isn't laid off anymore! (2) He's making more than he did at his last job! and (3) once he gets his feet planted at this job, he might be able to transfer to one of the plants in Idaho! So hopefully this will be our ticket out of Washington! YAY!! Secondly, we are moving into a 2 bedroom apartment. It's not quite a house but we're working on it. But yay!! No more stroller in the living room!! Our small 1 bedroom apartment has turned into Avery's large nursery/playroom. It just isn't working anymore so we're moving in two weeks to our new place in Richland. Can't wait!!

Now some news on baby Ave. She's still growing as fast as ever. She's hitting her milestones just right (sometimes sooner than most). It's really exciting when she does something new for the first time. Her newest milestones are turning her head to follow objects, bears weight on her feet (she loves this), smiles (which melt my heart), and she's still working on gaining full control of her head but she's almost there. She's also discovered her hands; more specifically, her fingers! She hasn't quite mastered it but she loves sucking on her hands. We think she might be left handed because she always roots and turns to her left to suck on her hand. She'll be just like Uncle Justin and Auntie Em!

She loves her dad!

Loves her bafs!

This swing is a godsend!

The happy grandparents

Rolling Over At 5 Weeks!

2010-07-29T16:03:00.001-07:00

For Your Viewing Pleasure

2010-07-24T22:45:00.000-07:00

Here's a short clip of Avery just wiggling around and making faces. Videos are so much better than pictures and I want to make sure that people don't feel like they're missing out on her growing up. I didn't record it with our video camera so there isn't sound but her facial expressions are entertainment enough! She has definitely discovered her tongue!

One thing I wished I would have caught on tape today was her rolling over. She was doing some tummy time and she rolled completely over from her stomach onto her back. She's so advanced and growing so fast! She'll be crawling soon!

1 Month Old

2010-07-23T12:34:00.000-07:00

Today is Avery's 1 month old birthday. She went to the doctor today and got her 2nd Hepatitis B shot. One of the most heartbreaking things a parent could witness is their child getting a shot...but it has to be done. She now weighs in at 9lb 10oz and 22.5 inches long. She's growing like a weed! She continues to be observant and is starting to love car rides because she can gaze out the window. She's starting to discover new things every day, one being her voice. She grunts and coos among the normal screams and cries. She has mommy and daddy wrapped around her little finger and she knows it!

The Many Faces of Avery

2010-07-18T09:37:00.000-07:00

Avery has so many different facial expressions that it's entertainment enough just to sit and watch her. Especially when she's sleeping. Here are a few shots I captured before, during, and after she was sleeping.

This is Avery's "observing" face. When she's looking around she puckers her lips. This might be one of mine and Jesse's favorite faces!

...and another!

Don't be frightened, she isn't screaming, just letting out a BIG yawn!

These are her "googly eyes." We also call this face her "exorcist" face. She makes this face when she's trying to fight going to sleep. Her eyes sorta wander around in her head. Its kinda creepy but still cute!

This is her "I've had such a hard day" sleeping face.

She sometimes makes this heartbreaking sad face when she's sleeping. She doesn't start crying and it soon goes away but it always makes me wonder what she's dreaming about.

This is Avery's "Im pushing out a poop" face!

This is her "I'm not getting enough attention so I think I'll cry" face.

Her precious "smiling" face

...and another

Her "shocked" face. She makes this face when she feels something unexpected on her body. Her eyes get really big and she flares her arms out really wide. She usually does this when she's being changed and feels the initial cold wipe on her bottom.

She has hundreds more but trying to capture all of them is hard to do. I should just video tape her one of these days.

2nd Photoshoot

2010-07-14T22:23:00.000-07:00

Yes, I attacked Avery again today for another photoshoot. She was sleeping so soundly and I knew she would have to be for the photos I wanted to get. I didn't get all the poses I wanted but here's what we came up with for now:

My Little Elf Baby

She's Showing Off A Little Grin

I love little baby bummies!

Has It Been 3 Weeks Already!?!

2010-07-13T15:24:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is actually Avery's 3 week "birthday" but we went to the doctor today and I thought I'd post an update since it's been awhile. We went to the doctor two weeks ago and the pediatrician was a little nervous at the fact that Avery had lost 8oz since birth. We struggled a little at the start with breastfeeding. Either she was too tired and would fall asleep during eating or we just weren't connecting but that soon resolved itself! Her appetite soon picked up and now it seems like I can't keep up with her! So today was just a check-up to make sure she was gaining weight and boy did she ever! She gained a pound and a half in two weeks! She now is up to 8lbs 15oz and she's filling out all over. The pediatrician was amazed to see just how observant she is. He was also surprised to see that she's smiling. He says babies don't usually smile until a month old and the fact that she is already shows intelligence. Aww, she must take after her mom ;o)

I also had a little amateur photo shoot at the apartment the other day and took a couple photos of Avery when she was asleep. I bought a few newborn hats online from a woman who crochets them mainly for photo props and thought I'd put them to good use. I only got 3 good pictures of her before she had enough and got mad at me :o)

(Not part of the photo shoot but just a cute shot)

She's an excellent baby. She has been getting a little fussy around 7pm but walking around the aparment with her seems to calm her down the best. She sleeps really good (almost too good) and if I'm not careful, we both sleep through feedings.

The weeks have been flying by and I'm really anxious about going back to work. It's going to be hard leaving her but I know she'll be in good hands with her daddy. She's a blessing to have around and sometimes when I look at her I'm amazed by her. To think that just 8 months ago, she looked like a little peanut in my tummy!

Can't Get Enough!

2010-06-26T11:43:00.000-07:00

...and Baby Makes Three

2010-06-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

As most of you may have heard, we welcomed Avery Jo into the world early yesterday morning. She is so precious and (as most parents say about their children) she's perfect. She was born on 6/23/10 (3 days early) at 6:56am at a wopping 7lbs 15oz and 18 3/4" long. The most surprising is that I was only in labor with her for 5 hours. I started having hard contractions around 2am Wednesday morning and they began at 4 minutes apart with absolutely no pain or clear warning of labor prior to my first contraction. We immediately left home and by the time we reached the hospital, I was already dilated to an 8. My contractions continued to be intense and by the time I received the spinal anesthesia around 5:30am, I thought I was going to die! They don't call it LABOR for nothin'! After I received the spinal and thanked Paul, the anesthesiologist continuously, Avery arrived on her own time right before 7am....only 5 hours from my first (felt) contraction.

These past few days have been a blessing and we can't wait to continue our lives with our new baby girl. Other than some breastfeeding trouble during the first day, Avery and I are doing quite well. We're slowly mastering the ART of breastfeeding and she continues to be a happy and healthy newborn who loves her daddy very much! It's only been 31 hours but her looks continue to change with every hour...looking more like her dad. Here are a few pictures of Avery and we will continue to post new pictures frequently.

Hurry Up & Wait...

2010-06-22T12:33:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've posted anything and now that we're getting closer to the due date I thought I'd bring everyone up to speed. We just got back from the doctor today and he said that I am dilated to a 3 which is exciting that actual progress has been made. I feel no different...no braxton hicks...no real contractions...no slight twinges...nothing. He says that if nothing happens by next week, he will induce me in the middle or near the end of next week. I think I need to invest in a yoga ball. Maybe doing a little bit of bouncing will irritate her just enough to make her wanna come out! Other than that, nothing is new. I'm feeling fine, other than having to waddle a little. We go back to the doctor on Friday and we'll keep you updated with everything. Wish us luck!

Maybe God Forgot About Us...

2010-06-06T18:14:00.000-07:00

...that's what I've been thinking lately. Even though it's still a little early for me (20 days left) people all around me are having their babies...even those who were due around the time I am. I can't help but think "Hey! It's our turn now!" I have 10 days of work left, then I'm on leave and the only thing keeping me going is the fact that I haven't reached the miserable stage yet. Occassionally it's been hard to walk but thankfully those days have fallen on my days off where I can relax at home. And now that the weather's been getting warmer, I swell easier. My feet were so swollen the other day I felt like Martin Short on the movie Pure Luck when he gets stung by the bee. I tried finding a picture on the internet but couldn't but if you've never seen the movie, it's worth watching.

I definitely have a few pre-labor symptoms and people have been telling me ways to get labor started but as of now we're both comfortable and I'm just going to let her be and come on her own time. That is, unless she chooses to be stubborn past her due date but I think our doctor will do something about it before then. We usually have our doctor appointments at the end of the week but he's starting to cycle me toward the beginning of the week incase he needs to induce me. He'd rather induce me on a Monday rather than a Friday so we don't have to worry about it over a weekend which is fine with me. I'm ready for anything!

Anyway, Jesse and I took a tour of the birthing center the other day and it's really nice. They've been remodeling it and the nurse said they should be done by Tuesday so it will be completely done by the time I give birth. It put me at ease because they have everything there that we could ever need including a pantry filled with snacks, a variety of gifts for the baby, a hide-a-bed for Jesse, a walk in shower with 6 shower heads, a jacuzzi tub, a full room service menu, and many extras. I just might not want to ever come home! And the nurses seem extremely nice also. Although I might have to hide Jesse's PS3 from him so he's not tempted to bring it to the hospital and hook it up to the flatscreen. And yes, he asked the nurse if she's ever seen that happen before. Shockingly, she said she had...but only by 15 year olds :o) We had to laugh at that one!

That's the latest news and we'll try and keep y'all updated on everything.

Baby Shower & More

2010-05-19T18:16:00.000-07:00

Jesse and I had our baby shower Mothers Day weekend and we've been waiting to post a blog about it because I stupidly forgot my camera and my mom was the one who took the most pictures but we cant find her USB cable to upload the pictures to our computer. But Randi was there for backup and we got some of the pictures from her camera. Here are just a few:

Avery's Cake

Dad, Kerry, Brigid, & Half of Emily

Aunt Chel & Cousin Cherie Made A Little Buggie Out of A Watermelon.

Me, Spraying Off Chairs

Cousin Aaron Playing The Guitar

Once we find her USB cable I'll be posting more because there was so many good pictures on her camera but this gives you an idea of the day. Avery got so many cute clothes. Actually, its a little rediculous how many clothes she has now. She's definitely set up until 6 months and I dont know if she'll be able to wear everything by the time she grows out of each size.

But nevertheless we are very appreciative of everyone who came and to all that gave us such wonderful things. We had a great time even though we never got to ANY of the games we had planned. Everyone was just having a good time visiting and eating.

Now for updated pregnancy news: I'm 34 weeks and 5 days along which means I have roughly 5 weeks left. For the past few weeks I've been putting together swings, bouncers, installing our car seat, reading and re-reading our pregnancy books to make sure I know the difference between real labor and fake labor. I feel ready, emotionally and physically. I guess I really won't know for sure until the time comes but right now I feel good. And unless Avery has other plans for us, I will start my maternity leave June 19th and that date can't come soon enough...what, with my irritability and hot flashes.

I've also been told by a lot of people that they want to be informed the second I go into labor and I was just thinking I'd send out a mass text message. If you'd like to be a part of that list just let me know and I'll add you.

Avery is getting bigger and bigger as the days go by. I feel her and now SEE her move a lot more. I can see my stomach roll with every move she makes. The other day she had her foot pressed up against the top of my stomach so I pushed it down to see if I could get a response and she pushed back. It was pretty cool. Usually she won't play my silly games :) and Grandma Monet, Aunt Randi, and Auntie Em got to feel her hiccuping...another movement she makes frequently. Most of the time she settles down lower and closer to my spine but last night she was up high crushing my lungs so it was difficult for me to catch my breath. She also enjoys using my bladder as a hacky sack. A trick of hers that I'm not too fond of. But all-in-all she's been an easy first pregnancy and I'm just hoping it will stay that way until the end.

Too Early To Be Irritable

2010-05-13T19:12:00.000-07:00

I've come to realize that I am at that stage of the pregnancy when it becomes oh so easy to become grumpy. Not that I want to, or it feels good, but that some people just choose to irritate me and push my buttons. Don't worry, if you're reading this thinking you might be one of those people, you're not...it's mostly people within my work or those who know nothing of this blog.

I never realized it before, but women who have had babies tend to feel that it is their maternal duty to become you're personal pregnancy guru when you're a soon-to-be new mom...whether or not you asked for their opinion. At first it was fine and now it bothers me. It's one thing to give advice but it's another thing to TELL me what I need to be doing. Whether it's telling me when I should be eating or critisizing when I plan to start my maternity leave. Sometimes I just want to tell people to back off. I make the choices I make because I feel it's the best for Avery and I, unless it seems life threatening in any way, LET IT BE!! I know without a doubt that once Avery is here, in one way or another, I will learn something the hard way, but that's what being a first time parent is all about and trying to push your values onto me only irritates me more.

And the question of the day that seems to be the most irritating is "how are you feeling." Since day 1 of this pregnancy I think I've heard that question come from someone at least once a day. Ok, I know people just care but I want to post a sign on me saying "I'm fine, I feel fat and bloated, I'll call you when things change."

This blog isn't just for the good parts of the pregnancy, but the not so good parts too and I just needed to vent a little. Some of you might be reading this thinking I'm a crazy irrational pregnant woman and others (ironically those who have been pregnant before) know exactly what I'm feeling.

My Masterpiece!

2010-05-05T18:26:00.000-07:00

We finally received our armoire for Avery yesterday and I just couldn't stand it; I had to take it out of the neat little box it was packaged in. Not the smartest thing I've ever done. There were box parts, styrofome, packaging material, and armoire parts strung from one end of our living room to the other. I tend to get into a little trouble when Jesse goes to work and I knew I couldn't just leave everything laying around for Jesse to trip over when he came home from work at 2am so I began the building process all by myself. Two days and 6 hours later, the armoire was finished and upright with only two screw ups during the construction. Not bad considering there were 30+ individual parts to begin with and the instructions were written by (I'm pretty sure) a two-year old.

It didn't come with a closet rod so I searched far and wide for one that would fit inside a childrens armoire and finally improvised with an adjustable curtain rod. It works right? Now I'm getting all of Avery's clothes washed so we can hang them. I'm thinking we'll put baskets under the shelf and store lotions and butt paste and all the baby goodies.

As far as the pregnancy goes, as of today, I'm 2 days shy of being 33 weeks. Which means only 7 more weeks before Avery comes....assuming she'll come on or near her due date. I had a doctors appointment today and all is well except for the fact that I have a mild bladder infection...booo! Not to worry, they're pretty common among pregnant women and mine has been pretty mild, other than the fact that I feel like I have to pee all the time. So the doctor prescribed me a 10 day antibiotic, told me to drink more fluids and sent me on my way.

Gettin Big!

The baby shower is also this weekend and I'm so excited about all who is planning on coming. I just hope the weather cooperates. Spring hasn't quite sprung here yet. I'll definitely be posting pictures taken during the baby shower and if we can figure out our new video camera, we might even post some funny videos of the men playing baby shower games!

Single Digits Left!

2010-04-26T16:50:00.000-07:00

Since Friday, I'm 31 weeks along, which means we only have 9 more weeks to go until Avery's due date. This pregnancy has gone by so fast we can't believe it! We know our lives are going to change dramatically once she comes and we're aware that there will be hard times along with the happy moments but we can't wait for her to finally be here. Every new item we get for her only makes us more excited...and there has been quite a few moments of excitement throughout this pregnancy.

I didn't realize how much stuff we already had for her and it was clear that we needed to do something about it. Since our closet is stuffed to the gills already, we thought it would be a good idea to get her something that would be only for her stuff...something that wasn't made of partical board (material Jesse and I have become accustomed to since we've been married). So, after much research I finally found a children's armoire that Jesse and I both like and I ordered it today. I can't wait to get it so we can finally get all these clothes washed and put away. I figure the more we can do now, the less we'll have to do later.

As far as the pregnancy goes, it continues to be a pretty mild pregnancy. We see our doctor twice a month now for routine checkups but everything has been normal. I still don't experience much swelling and I'm still able to work just as much as I used to, which has been nice. I've been getting to know all about the dreaded hot flashes though. I feel like the pregnant women on "Father of the Bride II" when they're dying of heat and the dad is in a winter coat and hat. Only in this case, the dad is everyone that steps foot in our apartment. In the past few weeks I've only turned the heat on once, and that was for Randi's sake.

As for Avery, she still continues to be stubborn about letting people feel her move. Randi, God bless her, has been trying to coax some sort of movement from her but she just won't give but Grandma Monet finally felt a small kick from her this past weekend. She tends to really get moving when I'm at the computer or just before bedtime although she has started to get a little active through the night. She's also started to get hiccups which I experienced, without a doubt, last night. She's been getting them for about a week now but they've usually been pretty faint...not last night though. I guess it's her way of letting me know she's still in there...although the jabs to the sides have been working too.

Week 31

Gettin' Ready!

2010-04-10T19:14:00.000-07:00

Jesse and I FINALLY bought a crib today. It wasn't the one we had initially picked out. I had picked one at at Walmart that I thought was cute, practical, and low in price (notice I didn't use the word cheap). Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a frugal (not cheap) but practical person. My theory is, "more doesn't always mean better." Jesse however, is just the opposite. He wants the best of the best so when we went to Walmart yesterday and saw the crib I had picked out, it shouldn't have been a surprise that Jesse wasn't too thrilled about it. So, we went crib shopping around town and found this one at Burlington which we both really loved. Of course it was more than the one I had picked out at Walmart but it wasn't outrageous and it's a convertible crib so we will be able to use it for years to come...hopefully. So today we bought it, brought it home and put it together. It only took us about an hour to put it together...without any swearing!

After we got the crib all put together, I started working on the bedding set. It still needs to be ironed out but we wanted to get the full picture. The bedding set turned out to be cuter than I expected and this collection has so many cute accessories so the next goal is to get matching decorations and definitely the music mobile.

I think she's slowly going to take over our room. The plan was to have HER crib in OUR room, but I think by the end of it, we're going to have OUR bed in HER nursery. Oh well, we're happy to sacrifice.

Now, when people ask what we've bought for Avery, we can finally say we have the crib all set up and ready to go. I was kinda feeling guilty telling people that I was in my 7th month and STILL haven't bought my daughter a thing...besides diapers.

Glucose Test Results

2010-03-22T15:28:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I had to take a 1 hour glucose tolerance test. Which is a routine test for many pregnant women from week 24 -week 28 to test for gestational diabetes. For those fortunate enough to not know what this test is, I had to fast for 12 hours (ok, I can do that), go into the lab at 8am (alright, I can roll myself out of bed), have the tech draw my blood (I'm getting used to being poked and prodded), drink 10oz of lemon-lime glucola in 5 minutes which is basically lemon-lime flavored syrup water (not the most appetizing drink when you have nothing in your stomach), sit there quietly and wait for an hour (longest hour of my LIFE), then have the tech draw my blood again. Then I was able to go home (Yay!). Glad I got that done and over with....or so I thought.

The nurse called last Wednesday and informed me that my levels were "just above normal but enough so that I had to do it again." This time, it was a THREE HOUR TEST!! Needless to say, I was not the happiest at that moment. Because my levels were just above normal on the first test, I wasn't worried of not passing this test...I just didn't want to do it...again...for THREE HOURS!! So last Friday I did it all over again....fasted for 12 hours, rolled out of bed and into the lab at 8, got poked for the first time by the tech, drank the nasty lemon-lime drink in 5 minutes, got queezy for the first 45 minutes, got poked by the tech for the 2nd time, waited an hour, got poked again for the 3rd time, waited another hour and then got poked again for the 4th (and with any luck) the final time. Then, I was able to go home and devour the Hersheys Cadbury egg Randi gave me the night before that I had been saving as my reward for surviving the test.

Well, today I called the nurse and heard the most wonderful 4 words a pregnant woman could hear..."Your levels are normal." So, no more glucola, no more waiting, no more blood tests (at least for now), and above all, no gestational diabetes!! Hopefully this was the biggest hurdle of this pregnancy...other than the labor part!

Unexpected Gift

2010-03-18T16:17:00.000-07:00

My client's neighbor, throughout my pregnancy, has been asking me (every time I see her) if we knew yet whether the baby was a boy or girl and today I figured out why. She crocheted Avery a beautiful baby blanket and beanie! I thought it was so thoughtful of her to do it and I thought I'd share it on the blog.

Let The Shopping Commence!

2010-03-12T14:29:00.000-08:00

These are some items I've bought for baby Avery. They have such cute stuff out there for little girls...and daddy's little girls.

I just couldn't resist buying this monkey suit! I love the matching beanie, bib, and booties!

Milestone For Daddy

2010-03-09T20:42:00.000-08:00

I'm a little late at posting this but Jesse was finally able to feel the baby moving on Sunday. I was laying on the couch with my head on Jesse's lap just relaxing and Avery was squirming all over the place. Now, usually when someone puts their hand on my stomach and tries to feel her moving, she automatically quits...stubborn...I know. But I thought it was worth the try and this time she continued moving around and Jesse was able to feel everything. He was a very excited and proud papa at that point!

Also, I edited our blog so anyone can make comments, not just those with accounts so feel free to add any comment you'd like. We'd love to hear from you!

Gifts From The Aunts!

2010-03-07T18:23:00.000-08:00

Aunt Randi and Auntie Em brought over a few gifts for baby Avery today. One things for sure; she's gonna be one stylish 0-3 month old ;o)

Jean jumper and pink onesie from Baby Gap

Shirt and jean skirt

Worth The Wait

2010-03-06T22:07:00.000-08:00

After 24 grueling weeks of waiting, we finally found out today that we are having a girl...despite many boy guesses. We couldn't be happier and can't wait to get out there and shop!! The ultrasound technician was amazing. He measured everything the baby would allow him to (which wasn't much). She weighs in at 1lb 8 oz and he said everything looked as it should and we are right on schedule...24 weeks, give or take a day or two.

Her heart rate was 150 BPM and the ultrasound tech said he knew right away that it was a girl. He said it's an old wives tale that if a baby has a heart rate of 140 BPM or less, it's a boy and if its higher, it's a girl but he said that he's been doing this awhile now and more often than not it's true. But...we checked the proper area first just to make sure, which took awhile. She didn't want to bare her secret!

I think she has the stubborness of her mom because she did NOT want to be photographed. Either her legs were up over her face or her arm was laying across her face but the tech did the best he could...with much jiggling!

Profile shot of Avery's face

Jesse says she has my nose

Another profile shot of Avery's face

kinda tucked back by her hand

She kinda looks like a "Who" baby!

The excitement has definitely kicked in and I can't wait to bond more with the baby now that we know it's a girl and not an "it" or "Chicken Little." Although Chicken Little will always be a nickname for her. This pregnancy is becoming more and more of a reality as the days go by and we all just can't wait to meet our bundle of joy.

As for me, I feel great. The morning sickness has passed and I feel as though I'm getting my energy back although I still have to sleep on the couch. For some reason I get nauseous if I sleep in the bed. I still haven't experienced any swelling but occassionaly I will have sciatic backpain if I sit for long periods of time and I have to constantly check my posture to make sure I'm not slumping. Overall, I'm trying to enjoy as much of the pregnancy as I can. Afterall, the weeks have been flying by and before we know it, she'll be here!

6 Months Already

2010-03-03T17:28:00.000-08:00

Today was our 24 week (6 month) checkup and everything went great. I am feeling more pregnant as the days go by. My stomach is getting bigger and harder as the days (not weeks anymore) fly by. I was a little shocked when I jumped on the scale and noticed I had gained the most from the last doctors appointment to this one. In total I've gained 14 lbs and owe six of those pounds to the last three weeks. It must be all those chicken McNuggets the baby has been craving ;o) but the doctor didn't seem concerned so I'm not going to worry.

I also have to go in Friday for a glucose tolerance test which Im not very excited for. First of all, I hate anything that has to do with blood...especially mine, and secondly, it seems like a very boring 1 hour. It's good that I've volunteered Jesse to be my buddy for that hour ;o)

And last but certainly not least, we finally got to schedule our ultrasound appointment. Its going to be for Saturday at 9am. That was the soonest they could get us in...I made sure of it. We're so tired of waiting. We want to know whether its pink or blue. After we scheduled the appointment, it was hard for Jesse to go to work. He said he wanted to go to sleep and wake up when it was Saturday. I think he gets more excited as the days go by for this baby to arrive. So, any last guesses before we know for sure?

Belly bump picture for week 24

First Baby Buy

2010-02-24T18:35:00.000-08:00

Today we got our carpets cleaned and I needed something to occupy my time after Jesse went to work. So, I went "baby browsing" with the full intention of picking up a bouncer or swing or something fun for the baby. Baby browsing has become my all time favorite thing to do yet, I never end up getting anything. For the first baby buy I wanted to get the best bouncer, or cutest playmat, or the most versatile swing but then there's so much to choose from that I usually end up leaving the store empty handed. Not today...nope...I actually bought something that I know the baby will appreciate...diapers!!

I've been told by many people now that when they were expecting, they bought a package or two every payday and they were so thankful they did, so that's what I'm starting to do (better late than never right?) Even though I don't know how many diapers of each size we'll need, I'm buying a variety of sizes and brands and keeping the receipts in case we end up buying too much of a certain kind. Diapers weren't exactly on my top list of items to first buy the baby but I think it's a smart choice! Now lets pray that s/he isn't allergic to disposable diapers :o{

Also, next Wednesday is our next doctors appointment when we'll be able to schedule the BIG ultrasound (boy or girl). We don't know if it will be the same day (doubtful), week, or if we'll have to wait another week but I'll keep everyone posted once we get back from the appointment.

Also, (and this isn't baby related) but I've started the process of getting Idaho certified. Last summer I came across a couple open secondary history positions in Twin Falls and Burley but wasn't able to apply because I wasn't Idaho certified. Bummer, I know. This year I'm hoping by becoming Idaho certified I'll broaden my opportunities and finally land a teaching job. It will most definitely be a hectic summer if I do but worth it.

5 Month Checkup

2010-02-12T14:37:00.000-08:00

Today was our 5 month checkup. Everything went as it normally does...blood pressure, urine sample, check the heartbeat, measure my uterus...tell us that we have to wait THREE MORE WEEKS FOR AN UTRASOUND!! We should get a record for the couple who had to wait the longest to find out the sex of their baby. Our doctor is extremely old fashioned and won't budge with this "not another ultrasound 'till 24 weeks." We had our fingers crossed just hoping he would give us an order for one and nothing. So we go back in on March 3rd for another checkup and then the nurse will schedule the ultrasound. I wasn't happy to hear the news but Jesse REALLY wasn't happy. We got in the car and he said "why even have an ultrasound that late....what's the point?" He's so rational when he's angry ;o) but despite our frustration, we're not going to be babies about it. I mean really, 3 weeks isn't going to kill us. Other than that, the appointment went well. Everything is as normal as it can be. S/he is still moving around in there everyday so I know s/he's ok.

Half Way There

2010-02-06T17:13:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I'm 20 weeks along already. An exciting thing happened....I FINALLY felt the baby, without a doubt, last night. I've been waiting and waiting and it finally happened. I was laying on the couch and felt a small "twitch." At first I thought it might just be gas :o} but it kept happening. It didn't feel like a flutter like the books said it would. It was more like a stomach spasm...kinda. I was just so happy that I finally felt Chicken Little and I know s/he is ok and moving around.

After this exciting milestone, I thought it would be a good idea to get a baby journal to log all of this stuff so we can share it with the baby later on. Jesse & I went to Hastings today and bought "A Wish Upon A Star" keepsake journal. There's spots to put sonogram photos, baby shower pictures, information about the pregnancy, the homecoming, etc.

I can definitely feel a difference from last week to this week. My stomach feels twice the size and much more firm. My back has also started to take a toll. I haven't experienced any swelling in the hands and feet yet but I feel those are the next to go! Here's a belly picture for week 20.

We've also been looking around at baby gear and finally created a registry at Walmart...well...I did, and just asked Jesse if he liked the stuff I picked out. Walmart seemed to have the best selection and the best prices but between butt paste and bottle warmers, we had no idea where to start so I asked the moms on Facebook to help me out with the essentials.

We go to the doctor on the 12th and we have our fingers crossed that he will give us an order for an ultrasound. We're getting impatient and want to know the sex of the baby...NOW!! As you can see from the last post, the gender poll is tied. Just as many people think it's a girl as well as a boy. I like the idea of both. I think it would be great to have a boy for Jesse to have a hunting buddy and for Grandpa Mark to have a farming buddy. I think it'd be great to have a girl because they're so much fun to shop for :o).

Either way we have names picked out for both. If it's a girl, we like Avery Jo (for Josephine, Jesse's mom) and Isabelle Monet. Avery is a name that Jesse came up with and has loved since we got together...and yes, it's after the hunting brand. We've struggled a little with the boy names but if it's a boy, we like Brennan Karl (after Jesse's dad). We have yet to find a first name that we like that goes with Mark but are open to suggestions!

Check Up

2010-01-22T20:40:00.000-08:00

Today marks the first day of the 5th month and I thought I would post a check up for everyone. Last Friday, Jesse and I went to the doctor for our monthly checkup and we were able to hear the baby's heartbeat which the doctor said was a nice and strong heartbeat. It was a wonderful sound to hear. I was a little worried (as I think most first time mothers are) because I want to know everyday that everything is fine in there and, other than the occassional morning sickness I'm still getting, I don't get much of a response from Chicken Little. I also had blood work done during that visit to check for birth defects and everything was normal so we are very thankful for that.

Frequently Asked Questions:
1.) How are you feeling?
          I feel good most days, aside from the occassional sick days and morning vomiting, but its much better than it used to be which I'm thrilled about.

2.) Have you felt the baby?
          No, not yet. I'm still patiently waiting and find myself poking my stomach just to get some kind of response from Chicken Little but s/he continues to be stubborn and won't play my game.

3.) When can we see "belly pictures"
          Here's One for week 18:

4.) Boy or Girl?
We're not sure yet. My doctor said that we won't have another ultrasound until the 24th week which will be late February/early March but our next appointment is February 12th and I will be 21 weeks along by then and we are HOPING that he will give us an order for an ultrasound. For the time being we have a poll that we'd like people to take whether they think it's a boy or a girl.

Life's New Adventures

2010-01-07T18:45:00.000-08:00

Well, Jesse and I have been married 5 months now and we're expecting our first bundle of joy 5 months into the future (June 26th to be exact). Since our friends and families are spread out across the U.S. we thought this would be a great way to keep them all updated with our lives and upcoming baby news. We've already realized that people like hearing about baby news....alot....even if there's nothing to report.

We had our first ultrasound about a month ago and the baby was a wiggle worm. It was hard for the ultrasound technician to get a good photo but we were able to get a photo of the front and the back. It was a great experience...Jesse was amazed at how active Chicken Little was. For those of you who dont know, Chicken Little is the nickname Emily gave for the baby until we find out if its a boy or girl. Which we won't find out till late February/early March. Jesse thinks its a boy but I'm leaning more towards a girl. We'll just have to wait and see!