Baby Dedication

Avery was dedicated in church last Sunday.  Baby dedication is a special time when parents make a commitment to the Lord to raise their children in church and to grow a meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ. We don't do a baby baptism because we believe it is the individual's choice to commit their life to Jesus.  And friends, sprinkling water ain't gonna do that (it's not biblical)!

I bought the sweetest smocked linen dress and was terrified of baby spit up-or worse, so I dressed her at the church.  She looked so precious and did so well until the prayer.  She may have made a "joyful" noise to the Lord at that time, but who can't not laugh at that?  She is our spirited child after all.  I don't have a great picture but she was wearing ruffle butt tights under her dress.  Because it's only fitting to wear our ruffle butt tights with our patent mary jane's and smocking.  

What a little girl!  I love to dress her up.

Avery and Mama

Avery and Daddy 

And it wouldn't have been an event without my child raising a fit.  She had had enough.  No more dress or ruffle butt tights or pretty blue hair bow.  She was done, and she let us know it!  This is when we know it's time to evacuate the premises.  It was fun while it lasted!

We are so grateful to God for allowing us to be her parents.  She is His child after all.  

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6

Lavender = Spring

Spotted these two pieces on the J.Crew Factory site yesterday.  The graphic print is so feminine and the lavender cardigan would look so cute with khaki trousers.  They make me feel inspired for Spring, what about you?  Remaining Christmas money, you are officially spent.  

5 Favorite Baby Things

Yes, I'm blogging.  Pick your chin up off of the floor, because I know it's shocking.

I bring you my favorite things for baby.  When I was pregnant I researched so many baby products, but no review is better than that of a new mom.  Over the past three months I think I've learned a thing or two.  Here are my must haves for baby.

What can I say, I'm a paranoid mama.  The Angelcare monitor system has been the best investment that we could have made for Avery.  I knew before I ever had a baby that I would be the kind of person who needed to check on baby every twenty minutes at night, just to make sure she was breathing.  This monitor took the worry away.  

There is a sensor pad that goes underneath of the mattress.  Every time the baby breathes, a very faint beep sounds and a little digital pendulum swings, so that you can see and hear that the baby is breathing.  Maybe that sounds too much for some, but my mind has never been more at ease.  It's truly wonderful.  Our individual receptors that go in our bedroom and downstairs even display the temperature so we know how warm the nursery is.  One of my absolute must haves for the nursery.  

When it comes to nighttime sleeping, swaddling baby is a must.  Many people say their baby hates being swaddled, but I believe it's a way to re-create a womb like feeling and calms them after they've been fussy.  Avery wasn't always an angel when we first swaddled her, but now she knows it's her sleepy time and she's very comforted by the tightness of the swaddle.  

Don't waste your time on expensive swaddling blankets, because babies will break out of them faster than you can say "screaming baby."  The SwaddleMe blanket by Summer has velcro tabs and ensures that, when done properly, baby will stay soothed until they wake up.  It's even one of the 5 "S's" per The Happiest Baby on the Block.  When in doubt, swaddle! 

Since I went back to work five weeks ago, Avery needed to learn early on how to drink from a bottle.  I even worked several days when she was only five weeks old, so we started her early on bottles with pumped milk.  I had several friends recommend Dr. Brown's bottles and they have worked wonderfully.  I've read complaints about having to wash extra parts, but it's really not a huge ordeal.  

These bottles are proven to reduce air bubbles and colicky fussiness in babies.  We have them in the four ounce size and just recently we purchased the eight ounce size.  It's always nice to have at least six of each size for various food amounts throughout the day.  Avery would give these her seal of approval! 

I've said it before and I'll say it a thousand times, I love our Bumbleride Indie stroller.  To me it was worth every penny.  It's such a smooth ride, going over curbs and gravel with no problems whatsoever.  It's easy to take in and out of the car.  Very easy, actually.  Indie's aren't the least expensive stroller on the market, but they make a great investment.  We have a Maxi Cosi Mico carseat, and although the Mico wasn't advertised as "compatible" with the Indie without a $40 attachment, we have had no trouble whatsoever placing it in the Indie.  It's a snug fit and I'm glad we tried it that way without dishing out the extra cash on the adapter.  

For nap time, there is no better item than the Rock n' Play Sleeper by Fisher Price.  We like to lay a fleecey blanket inside of it and place Avery inside for daytime naps.  She loves her Rock n' Play and knows that she can settle down for a good nap once she's laying down.  I've even learned to take a little nap here and there (let's face it, teaching is exhausting, especially with an infant) and it's so nice to rock her beside me while I'm resting.  

When my mom picks up Avery to watch her for the day, she also picks up the Rock n' Play.  We have all learned to love the power of nap time!  

Okay, I said 5 favorite baby things, but this must be added to the list.  For Christmas Avery's Nonni bought her this Tiny Love Princess Mobile and Avery just loves it.  It spins around and plays sweet, soft music.  She will lay in her crib for thirty minutes and watch the mobile go round so mama can get some things done.

Buyer beware, these things run through batteries, so have some extras on hand just in case!    

Other favorite things worthy of a mention...

Boppy pillow, Bumbo seat, white onesies, soft toys, wrist rattles, Medela pump and parts, fleece blankets, thick hooded bath towels and crinkly toys/books.  

Have a question on a baby product?  Please let me know and I'd be happy to pass a recommendation on!  

Avery's Growth So Far

I've never seen anything grow so fast in my life!  Stay small little girl, it's going by too quickly! 

From Avery

Hi blogger friends. My mommy is so busy educating fifth graders and taking care of me that she has no time to blog. She hopes to get it together sometime soon. Meanwhile, I am getting so big and mommy thought you all would like a new photo of me. I really am so cute.

Love,

Avery

First Day of School

Today I started my first real teaching job. I'm an official fifth grade teacher. It was overwhelming to even think of going to work while Avery was so little, but I'm really excited about it. I have spent the past few weeks preparing and working in my classroom. Here are a few pictures I snapped this morning before our busy day.

I also got my hair chopped off by an over zealous scissor stylist. I'm definitely shorter than I wanted to be but I worked my round brush this morning, and I worked it good. I'm also not sure about the darkness on the very bottom and underneath. Hmm.

Happy New Year

Happy 2012 friends! I resolve to blog more in the new year, like more than twice a month.  Ahem, December. My main excuse is this precious peach that keeps me on my toes 24/7.  But don't you worry, Christmas season recaps to come!

Our Christmas Card 2011

{via Tiny Prints}

Avery at One Month

Avery is one month old!  Here's what she's up to...

Weight:  10 pounds, 3 ounces (75th percentile)

Length:  21 5/8 inches (75th percentile)

One month checkup:  At our monthly checkup Avery got the Hepatitis B shot and screamed bloody murder.  I'm not sure who it hurt worse though, Avery or her mama.  I cried like a baby too.  The doctor thinks she may have some reflux issues, so we are elevating her a bit.  I'm still off of dairy and soy for the meanwhile to see if that helps with the colic.  Colic is so hard to deal with.  The child screams nonstop.  I'm actually looking forward to her being a little older and for the colic to subside.      

Sleep:  Avery is doing very well at night.  I nurse her around 10 pm and put her right to sleep in her crib.  She wakes up around 3:30 to nurse again and then usually sleeps until around 7.  There have been nights where she has slept a lot less (or maybe even more).  She must be swaddled with white noise playing in the room.  I change her quickly and nurse her all in the dark.  It helps her to stay very sleepy.  

Days aren't as great.  She fights naps like a champ.  It takes up swaddling her and rocking her in the FP Rock 'n Play sleeper to get her down for a nap.  She doesn't nap terribly long unless we are in the car and out and about.  Yesterday I took her to Nordstrom for lunch with my best girlfriend and mom.  She slept through our entire lunch and proceeded to scream the rest of the time in Nordstrom.  Now, I am not one to have a crying baby out in a public place but my mom was there and walked her outside and calmed her down while I got some shopping done.  

Eating:  Avery is a healthy little eater.  Sometimes she wants to nurse every hour and it's hard to keep up a supply.  I've started to supplement a bit of formula because sometimes she is so hungry she will scream until she gets food.  The doctor put her on Alimentum formula for fussy babies with milk sensitivity.  This is only a supplement and not for her main nutrition source.  She is still hurting me a bit when she nurses.  I hope this resolves soon because mama is sore! 

Play time:  Avery loves to lay on her activity mat and watch the hanging animals.  Sometimes I see her try to swat at them.  She is tracking very well with her eyes and is able to see a lot more than she did several weeks ago.  She likes to look at pictures in books and even a baby flashcard app I put on my iPhone.  She loves her Boppy newborn lounger and will move her arms and legs all around when she lays on it.  Although she seemed to like her swing a lot in the beginning, we don't use the swing much.  She will cry very quickly if we leave her in it for too long.  

Scariest moments of the month:

• We called 911 for her last weekend.  I was nursing her at my parents house and she started to choke and didn't catch her breath very well.  My mom grabbed her to get her to burp and she stopped crying and was very still.  Scary!  We think it went down the wrong way and it took her little body a few moments to get herself back together.  The paramedics came to listen to her and said she sounded okay.  Later on she spit up some bloody mucus, so needless to say my sleep was shot that night.  
• We use an Angelcare monitor and it went off last night three times.  I don't think I've ever lept out of the bed faster than I did at 1 am.  It was terrifying.  I ended up sleeping (sort of) in the nursery chair so I could be with her and so my husband could get sleep without me freaking out every five minutes.  My theory is that she was in such a deep sleep that her movements weren't detected.  I called Angelcare customer service and I've set it up to the highest sensitivity level and they want me to call back tomorrow and let them know how tonight goes.  

Best moments of the month:  

• We've enjoyed watching Avery grow over the past five weeks.  She is a joy, a very loud joy, but a joy nonetheless.
• Taking her to church.
• Cuddling up with her on these chilly fall days. 
• We have taken her out a lot because A) mama needed to get out of the house and B) I like for her to be out and used to the noises around her.  
• Halloween and Thanksgiving were very special having our sweet girl with us.  
• We even took her out to a Christmas tree lighting downtown but the night ended early because Miss Fussy wasn't having it.  
• At the Hanging of the Greens service at church Avery got to hang an angel ornament on the tree.  She was so sweet and good for most of the service.  

Christmas Tree Lighting 

Thanksgiving

And we learned that headbands aren't quite her thing.  Oh well.  

Tuesday Thoughts & Happenings

It's rainy and dreary here today and mama has got to get out of the house today.  We went to the mall on Saturday and strolled Avery around, however my husband got so nervous to have her out we went home in about an hour.  He goes to work and gets out and I need to do the same.  It saves my sanity!  So while she's napping I thought I'd blog a bit about what I'm thinking today...

• For starters, my husband started a blog.  Seriously, I think it's so cute that he did this.  I guess my years of blogging made him curious.  He is in law enforcement and enjoys competitive shooting with the occasional hunt.  He's started a blog for shooting enthusiasts, so if you know a guy who is into that kind of thing, forward him on to Shooter's Digest.  

• This whole Black Friday starting at midnight is completely crazy to me.  What happened to setting aside a day to give thanks and not go crazy at the stores?  I feel bad for the store employees who have to work at Wal Mart all day and not get their holiday off.  In the past few years my mom and I have thoroughly enjoyed going shopping early on Black Friday and having our annual Chick Fil A breakfast. If you want a good deal, I guess you need to get in line at 9 pm on Thanksgiving day to even cut a break.  No thanks.  

• We went to the pediatrician last week for Miss Fussy and the pediatrician has cut dairy out of my diet in case Avery has an allergy. She even wants me to eliminate whey, casein, and soy which are in basically everything.  I'm going to abstain from dairy products but if there's a bit of whey in something, oh well.  I gave up sugar and carbs for three months due to the gestational diabetes and now I'm giving up dairy.  Right before the holidays.  I guess you'll do anything for your children.  

• I'm not sure how I feel about Kelly Ripa without Regis.  It's different to see her in Regis' seat and how the opening credits are only pictures of her.Do you think she can hold the show on her own?  And who do you think her co-host should be?  I always thought she and Jeff Probst were hilarious together.

• We are going on our first official date night tonight to Juleps in downtown Richmond.  This date was supposed to occur on Friday night but we neglected to make reservations and of course they were booked.  My parents came over on Friday and we ended up going to Chili's and Barnes and Noble on our own.  It was nice to get out for a bit.  I'm looking forward to a really nice dinner tonight.  

• Do you watch The Sing Off?  I'm truly amazed by the talent of these performers.  I'm kind of sad that Afro Blue was voted off and that Urban Method is still there.  

• Avery actually slept well last night.  Praise the Lord!  She went down around 10, woke up at 1 and 3 to feed and went back down until 7.  Mama is so happy for nights like this.  If only she would not be so fussy during the day.  I think she's got colic. The cry is truly incessant unless someone is holding and rocking her.  Even then it's a struggle to get her to sleep.  I hear it gets better but right now I feel like we are never going to get over it.  

• On Thanksgiving we are going to Justin's parents for brunch and then I'm taking Avery to my parents for a late lunch.  He has to work on Thanksgiving but at least he's off for Christmas.  At my parents I plan on handing her over to Nonni and then I'm headed upstairs to nap on their amazing Tempurpedic mattress.  Can.Not.Wait.  

What are your plans for Thanksgiving?  Do you stay home or travel to visit family?  Happy Tuesday friends.

Avery's Birth Story

These are our last pictures as a couple.  Without a baby.  When we returned we would have a baby to bring home.  We could not have imagined how much our lives were going to change.  Here is Avery's birth story...

We left for the hospital on Wednesday, October 26th with bags in tow.  We excitedly went up to Labor & Delivery and immediately went to our birthing room.  The nurse handed me a gown and I walked into the bathroom with so much nervous anticipation.  I even locked the bathroom door, out of habit in a pubic place, not knowing that pretty soon an unlocked door would be the least of my worries.  

The nurses were great and they started the Cervadil medicine pretty quickly.  We had family visit us and around 8 pm I took an Ambien so that I could have a nice, last night of relaxing sleep.  Which actually didn't happen.  Even with Ambien I am the world's lightest sleeper and awoke every time the nurses came into check my monitors or do whatever nurses do during the night.  I woke up around five and took a shower.  Somehow I found it in me to blow dry and straighten my hair.  My sister was going to come do my makeup, but truly I never even cared about how I looked five minutes into my induction.  The makeup job was DOA.  

At around 6:30 the doctor broke my water and very shorty after they started Pitocin.  At first the contractions felt mildly like menstrual cramps.  Within an hour they.hurt.like.the.dickens.  Not having a very high pain tolerance, by 8 am I requested an epidural.  There were six women in labor at the time and they said if I wanted the epidural then I would have to speak up because it would take a while.  The contractions got to the point where I would close my eyes, put one hand up to my forehead and press on my temples while breathing.  I can't imagine how it would feel without an epidural.  The contractions were not for the faint.  

Yes, here I am in all of my painful glory.  And I was only three centimeters dilated.  Wimp.Of.The.Year.  But low and behold, my knight in shining armor (the anesthesiologist) arrived around 10:30 and quickly made me feel amazing.  The needle hurt and stung but within ten minutes I felt like a new girl.  I just remember saying over and over how great I felt.  My feet were slightly numb and I was able to still wiggle my toes, which I was happy about.  Epidurals are a God sent!  

Here's where the story gets good.  My sister and I started watching Days of Our Lives (an old favorite) together around one.  Anything to keep my mind off of what was happening.  I remember my mom, mother in law and husband all sitting around and talking.  Suddenly, I felt this incredible pressure, like I needed to push. My mom freaked out a little bit and called a nurse in.  She checked me and I was pretty much fully dilated.  It happened quick y'all.  This was around 1:30. 

We waited a bit (I can't remember why) for the action to get started but I was in shock that this was actually happening.  My L&D nurse, who was incredible, told me that she wanted to see how I could push.  At this point everyone left the room except my mom and Justin.  I started my pushes and immediately thought I was going to throw up.  Somehow, the feeling subsided and I was able to start my good pushes.  It's a bit uncomfortable to have two people holding your legs high in the air and you're laying back, completely awkward.  I did have one spot on my left side that didn't take from the epidural, which was good because I could tell when I needed to push.  

All of my coaches were so amazing.  Justin was so enthusiastic with his chants of push, push, push.  He could see Avery's head crowing and told me she had a full head of hair.  Soon the doctor arrived and as soon as she got there I knew I had to push even harder.  The excitement of everyone around me cheering me on was incredible.  There was no screaming or grunting, yelling or rude words called out.  In the words of my dear friend Ashley, I just put my chin to my chest and just did it.  

Before I knew it, her head was out and seconds later the prettiest little thing I ever did see was laying on my chest.  In a little under 45 minutes of pushing, our princess had arrived.  

Here is my, "I can't believe I just had a baby" face.  Wow.  

I was able to hold her for a short while and remember asking the nurses if I could touch her.  "She's yours," they exclaimed.  She was mine!  All mine.  And Justin's too.  

They took her to the warmers and cleaned her up and weighed her.  She swallowed some fluid as she was born so they made sure they suctioned her out well.  I kept asking if she was okay, and of course she was.  They asked how much I thought she weighed and I guessed 8 pounds.  I wasn't too far off because she was 8 pounds, 4.3 ounces respectively.  

Justin and I decided that after she was born we wanted to have time to be a family of three.  We had our family members wait a bit longer than they wanted to I'm sure, but we needed this time together.  Within about thirty minutes I was able to nurse her and she fed for thirty minutes total.  I was shocked!  It was so natural and beautiful and I wondered to myself why breast feeding was ever so scary to me.  It's a very special bonding time and I will never forget these moments with her in the hospital.  

As soon as the family came in, tears of joy were shed.  She was so adored from that first day by everyone.  Her grandmothers were over the moon.  It's a special kind of grandmother thing.  My mom is on the left and Justin's mom is on the right.  Nonni and Sugar love their sweet girl.  

  

This pictures of my sweet daddy and Avery is one of my favorite pictures of all time.  He is so in love with her.  She'll have her grandfather's wrapped around her little finger.  She may already.  My sister and brother were there too.  She is the first grandchild and first niece for everyone.  Aunt Sarah and Uncle Matty love her so!

My good friend Katy is a nurse at the hospital and she dressed up Avery's crib with lots of cute things.  My favorite was the pumpkin that they had foot printed.  All of the Halloween babies got a set of pumpkin footprints.  Does it get any sweeter?

One thing that makes me sad is that we don't have any pictures of Justin, Avery and me together after she was born.  I think because Justin was taking the pictures and I just didn't think about it.  Here he is helping the sweet nurse give Avery her first bath.  I sat in the bed and watched while snapping some photos.  He couldn't have been more proud.  I think he beamed all day long.  

While she was getting her first bath, her Pops came to the hospital to meet her.  

And let me tell you, girlfriend has some hair.  It's slightly wavy when it's wet and then we brush it straight.  She may have some wave in it yet, something we'll wait to see one day.  

Later we were moved to the Mother/Infant unit and Katy got to be our nurse.  She was so great!  We love nurse Katy.  This is a shot from the next day after I had showered and cleaned myself up some.  It felt so good to wash my hair and just feel like me.  I will say I truly was not prepared for how I would feel after the delivery.  These are things no one tells you.  I'd like to do a post about that soon(ish).  

We had such an amazing experience in the hospital.  Our nurses were amazing.  Our time there was amazing.  I have no horror birth story for you.  Even that part was amazing.  My mom told me I was her hero.

Justin loves his little girl so much.  He is so protective.  I'm not sure if he knew he would be able to love this little girl so much.  She has stolen his heart, and mine too.  I won't tell you that it's easy, but anything worth having it worth working towards.

And here we are.  Sleep deprived, excited and nervous all wrapped into one.  With our little bundle of joy.  Our lives will never be the same.

Headed home!