Avery 13 Months

So I decided I wasn't going to do "monthly" posts after she turned a year. I wouldn't have monthly pictures to show anymore, and I thought I'd just write when something cool happens. Well then I got the urge to blog on Oct. 7 - right when she turned 13 months. I guess I had conditioned myself? But then I haven't had a chance to actually write until now...

So here's her 13 month update - 

She still weighs right under 20 lbs. She now has two teeth on the bottom and two more that are trying to come through on top. 

She's not walking yet, but loves pulling up. That's almost all she does all day. 

I think I have a picky eater on my hands. I feel bad because I always feed her the same stuff, but it's all she'll eat! I even got some recipes for baby finger food and spent all this time making them and she wouldn't eat a bite. The only things I can count on her to eat are avocado, peaches, and yogurt melts. Then of course she loves the Gerber puffs and crunchies, which I'm sure she'd be fine with me feeding her all the time but I am trying to limit it.

She has also picked up some bad habits while eating. She likes to get her hands super messy and rub them all over her hair. Luckily she doesn't have much hair so it is sort of easy to wipe out.

She also thinks it is super funny to drop things, and the more sternly I tell her "no," the more she laughs. I have started ignoring her and that seems to be working better.

While we were in Wichita Falls, she went to her first wedding. My cousin, Keyton, got married. She actually did great during the ceremony, and it helped that it was super short. Here is a picture of her and my parents before the wedding -

She also had the time of her life hanging out with her BFF, Willie. 

Also during the trip we went to my cousin, Lindsay's, baby shower. Avery was napping when I left to go so she didn't join in that event. 

Here are a few more pictures of her lately. This is us before we went shopping one afternoon-

This is her eating at Gloria's with my mom and me - 

Avery 11 Months

That's right - Avery is one month shy of a year!

Her little personality is coming out more and more. She is quite the little ham. She definitely gets that from her dad. My mom, grandma and I took her to eat at The Cheesecake Factory a few weeks ago and she had a blast! I don't think she stopped eating from the moment she sat down. They gave her a "baby plate," which was bananas and bread, and she devoured that. I also fed her the food I brought for her as well as bites from our plates. She might have also had her first bite of cheesecake (don't tell her dad!). There was a station behind our booth where the waitstaff would put in their orders, and she loved showing off for all of them.

Then I had to take her to the doctor the other day. She has red bumps on her face we can't seem to get rid of. Come to find out she has perioral dermatitis...? Anyway while we were in the waiting room and there were people around, she was as happy as could be squealing and looking at them. But when we went to the exam room where it was just me and her, she got fussy. But then the nurse came and she was happy again and showing off.

She refuses to let me feed her anything. Last time I tried to give her something with the spoon she cried like I was hurting her. But the problem is she doesn't like dices of fruit or vegetables, so I had to get creative. I have to either smear baby food on bread or mix it with Cheerios and let her feed herself. It is so messy, but she loves it. I guess that's for the best since she still has zero teeth. This is her favorite way to sit...

I took the following video of her eating lunch, and I was tickling her feet. At the beginning you can see her trying to give me some of her pasta. That's her new thing - offering people her food, paci and bottle. She even tried to give Baloo her paci.  

She has also learned how to do several things this month. She knows how to wave bye bye now. Her Lolly (Rustin's mom) got her a recorder and she loves playing that. Rustin decided he wanted his drum that he got in Morocco on display, and she's learned how to play that too. Another one of her favorites is her sippy cup. She takes drinks as if she's dying of thirst then breathes really hard when she's finished. I've tried giving her juice, but she only likes water. But that works for me!

I'm surprised no one called CPS on me because for weeks she had Howard Hughes fingernails. I tried every trick in the book and she would not let me cut them. I tried distracting her with TV, teaming with Rustin to cut them, even sneaking in while she was sleeping. Nothing worked. But I finally figured it out - do it when she's in her high chair. She doesn't even notice.

I wish I had done this other months but I thought I would write down our little routine (times are approximate):

6:30 - wake up
7:00 - go for a 30 minute walk/jog (this is the only time of day it's cool enough)
8:00 - breakfast
9:00 - nap
11:30 - lunch
1:00 nap
3:00 - snack time
The time between when she wakes up from her afternoon nap and when we start bedtime is the longest and also the time when she's most prone to being fussy, so that's when we usually run errands. It seems there's always somewhere I need to go, and she is happy as long as we're moving.
5:30 - dinner followed by bath then bottle, books, and bed. I usually end up getting her down around 7pm and she rolls around and plays in her crib for a while before going to sleep.

Avery 9 Months

Avery turned 9 months on June 7. She had her check up with the doctor on the 11th and she weighed 17 pounds, 13.5oz and was 27.25 inches long.

Here are pictures from her 9 month photo shoot. It's getting harder and harder to take these because she is now aware of her bow and sticker and tries to pull them both off. I know it will only get more difficult once she becomes mobile!

She has started making this face that seems like she's thinking "what are you doing??" -

Here is what has been going on...

Bottles: She drinks four 6oz bottles a day, but she drinks them in little bits. This used to stress me out because I read books that warned against "snacking" but that is just how she eats. Even when she wakes up from sleeping 11 hours at night she only eats 3oz. The doctor told me that was good for her though because of her reflux. Both Rustin and I like to eat little bits throughout the day rather than large meals, so she may just take after us!

Solids: She has a love/hate relationship with solids. Sometimes she gets super happy while eating and eats a ton, other days (most days) I can barely get her to eat anything and she fusses the whole time. But she does love her puffs! And to her Daddy's dismay, I gave her a taste of the pineapple sherbet I was eating and she loved it! She kept opening her mouth and fussing for me to give her more.

Milestones: Nope - still no teeth and she's not crawling either. I would worry, but I've finally realized that babies are so different and do everything at a different pace. I feel like she's a few months behind when they say she "should" do things, so I'm sure crawling is no different. She gets up on her hands and knees and wiggles back and forth so it's just a matter of time. But she has learned how to sit up by herself in her crib.

Nicknames: A-Shae and LP. Her dad made both of them up. LP stands for Little Princess. I thought that was cute :)

Sleep: Her naps are still short. She just loves the 45 minute nap. Every now and then she sleeps longer. Most babies her age are down to two naps, but she still takes three naps - I guess because they're so short. Sometimes she doesn't want to take her third one even though she's really tired. I used to take her walking during that time, but now it's too hot so we run errands or just go driving and she always passes out in the car.
She's been sleeping through the night for several months now. She usually goes to bed at 7pm and wakes up at 6:30am. I love our time before I put her down to sleep. I call it our "cuddle time." I hold her facing me and she talks to me and plays with my hair, nose, shirt or anything else she can grab.

Her favorite toy by far is her paci. We have the wubbanub kind with an animal attached to it. Sometimes when I look at her at night, she's not sucking on the paci but just holding and rubbing the animal part.

She loves animals, especially my parents' cat Willie. Whenever she sees him she squeals really loud. If he walks by, she tries to grab him. She likes our dog, Baloo, too but only sometimes. She will see him all day and not pay attention, but then she'll randomly get really excited about him. Here are some pics of her and her furry friends -

When she gets a toy in her hands, she gets excited and moves her arms up and down. She also has been making a funny noise like she's trying to whistle. She really likes it if you try to make the noise too.

I'll close with a few more pictures of her -

Confessions Part 1

Sometimes I feel like every other mom but me has it all together. It seems they have perfect babies who never cry and sleep all the time. What has been my saving grace is my ONE friend who had a baby as difficult as Avery. Hearing her stories make me think that maybe I'm not such a bad parent.

Anyway I thought I would write this post in case there's any other not-so-perfect moms out there in hopes it might make them feel better. So here goes...

- Avery cries. Not too long ago a friend said to me that she can't remember the last time her baby cried. Avery cries several times a day. Not for long periods anymore (the first few months it was non stop), but it happens. I don't think a day has passed since she came home from the hospital that she hasn't cried.

- For the first 5 months of her life I had to bounce her on an exercise ball until she fell asleep, then put her (swaddled) into her swing which was already turned on full blast. Usually she would wake up and the process would need to be repeated several times. If she didn't sleep in her swing, she slept next to me. And no, it did not create a bad habit. Now she sleeps unswaddled in her crib every night and for every nap just fine.

 - Her naps are usually only 45 minutes. This used to drive me insane. I read every book and Internet article I could get my hands on. I tried everything they suggested. Nothing worked. To go along with that - she is not on a perfect schedule. I tried it. I'm not anti-Babywise, it just didn't work for us. Avery just does not have the temperament to be on an exact schedule. I started enjoying life a lot more when I stopped obsessing about it. 

- I was a hermit until the last few months because she cried at the top of her lungs any time I took her somewhere. I just got the guts to take her to the church nursery last weekend...at 8 months old. People who don't have difficult babies probably thought I was anal. But I just knew that she would cry and wouldn't stop until I got her home and put her down to sleep.

- I'm not a health nut. Yes,  I try to eat healthy but my diet consists of more than just organic fruits and vegetables. Growing up I remember eating "sugary" cereals like Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Fruit Loops and loving them. We didn't go out to eat or eat fast food much - my mom mostly cooked- but to this day she still cooks veggies with grease. But neither my brother nor I have been obese or had health problems. I like to eat donuts on Saturday mornings every now and then and nothing tastes better on a hot day than an ice cold Coke. Having Avery has made me want to eat healthier and of course I'm not feeding her McDonald's or anything, but will she at some point eat a Happy Meal? More than likely. Will we go out occasionally on Saturday mornings for donuts? Absolutely.
If God chooses to let me live a long life but I go at 87 instead of 88 because of my meal choices, so be it. Enjoying my food was worth it.

- I feed her formula. I talked in a previous post about why she stopped nursing so I won't go into it. But I feel like that's the #1 thing moms judge other moms on.

- I failed at making my own baby food. All my friends talked about how easy it was, but it was stressing me out. Also (this may sound weird if you don't know me) but I have this disease where my esophagus is really small and I choke easily, and I think Avery has the same disease. I couldn't get the food pureed enough and she started choking. I also don't buy the most expensive organic baby food. It's all Gerber in this house.

- She has a pacifier. She probably will for a while.

- I hold her when she wants to be held. Some of the books say it creates a bad habit. All I know is that there will come a day when she won't want me to hold her anymore. She's only little for such a short time. I already miss when she would take naps with me.

- I watch TV. I don't sit in front of it all day (who has time?) but I have it on while I'm playing with Avery. I guess since we're home by ourselves, the noise makes me feel connected to the rest of the world. I haven't let her watch TV - as in shows for her like Baby Einstein. I'm trying not to until 2 years (not sure that will happen) but after that, yes she will watch some TV. When I was little, I had all Disney movies memorized. I don't have ADD and I know how to interact with others.

- If we're in a public place and she's not happy - anything goes. She can chew on whatever I can find in my purse if the toys aren't fun anymore. I have also been known to feed her tons of puffs. But one serving is like 80 pieces so that's ok right??

- I am usually wearing no makeup, workout clothes, and hair in a ponytail. I don't have the energy to get dressed up to just be at home or go to the grocery store. Showers usually happen at the end of the day when she goes to bed.

- I nap when Avery naps. I know I should be cleaning or doing laundry or some Pinterest project. I don't. I sleep. 

That's all I can think of for now. I'm not sure there will be other confessions but just in case, I wanted to leave it open. Hopefully this encouraged another "not-so-perfect" mom out there.

Avery 7 Months & Easter

Avery turned 7 months old on April 7. I think I say this every time, but I can't believe she is that old! I feel like I am taking her monthly pictures every day!

Here are a few -

She didn't go to the doctor this month, so I don't have her official "stats" but her weight is about 16 pounds.

She has been moving right along with her solids. I tried to put off giving her fruit for a while because I heard they may stop eating their vegetables, but I finally gave her pears and she is obsessed with them! If you don't feed her fast enough, she fusses.

Still no signs of any teeth. My mom said I didn't get teeth until I was a year old, so maybe she's slow like me! She also still has very little hair (like her dad). I have friends who can put clips in their baby's hair. Ha...she's not even close to that!

She had a good first Easter. This is her picture with the bunny Grandmommy gave her.

She is hitting all of her milestones backwards. She rolled from her stomach to back in December, but hasn't since then...to this day. Then about a month ago she started sitting up - which she's been dying to do for a while. Then the other night in her crib she rolled from her back to her stomach for the first time. She HATES being on her tummy so she laid in there and fussed until I went in and rolled her over! I guess she's forgotten she can roll herself over! AND it's supposed to be easier for her to roll that way!

I really think she may not crawl and go straight to walking. I haven't been the best about giving her tummy time because she's always hated it with a passion. She's been so hard to keep happy that I don't want to do something to her that I know will make her mad! Plus, she just hates laying down. She always wants to sit up, and she loves us to hold her so she can stand.

I finally got a jogging stroller, and I think the favorite parts of her day are our jogs (ok ok it's really walks) and bath time. She loves splashing around and laughing in there!

I know Avery is much more interesting, but here is an update on me - I decided to start subbing at the school I taught at last year - which is literally one mile from my house. Even though teaching came with tons of headaches, I loved being around the kids and also the other teachers. I figured subbing was perfect - I only have to work when I want to and I get all the perks of teaching but none of the paperwork, grading, etc. Rustin's mom said she would watch Avery for me. I don't plan on doing it much, but at least I'll have a little extra spending money! I've had a lot of fun the few days I've done it and have especially enjoyed seeing my students from last year and my old team.

Also, I'm turning my hair back blonde when I go to Wichita Falls next week.

Sitting Up, Solids, and Reflux...Oh My!

The last week has been pretty eventful in Avery's world. She is still very fussy all the time, and I felt like it was getting worse.

I have thought she's had reflux for a while, but my old pediatrician seemed to dismiss everything I said. When I'd tell them how she was acting (like eating hurt) they would just say it's probably something I ate (when I was still nursing). Then when I would ask questions she seriously said one time - "let me think what I did with my kids." What?? If I want to hear what someone did with their kids, I'd ask my friends, but I want medical advice from you - a doctor! Anyway I switched pediatricians and have been very happy with the new one. As I mentioned in my last post, he suggested trying soy formula, so I did. But it made no difference.

Avery got to the point where she was only eating 1.5 ounces at a time, and one morning she threw up all over me and soaked me down to my underwear! I decided it was time to call the doctor again. When I called up there I talked to a super sweet nurse. When I told her everything, she said it definitely sounded like reflux and I needed to bring Avery in that day. (Sometimes I feel like nurses know more than doctors.) Long story short she is currently on Prevacid. She is still very fussy but is eating a lot more. They said it could take 2 weeks to show improvement so I guess we'll see. If this doesn't help I'll have to switch to the super expensive Nutramigen formula.

I'm trying not to be bitter, but I really think that if she had been correctly diagnosed with reflux several months ago and we fixed it, she would still be nursing. I am very sad that she stopped so early.

Enough about that...let's get to the good stuff! So Avery has been dying to sit up for a while now. She is not a fan of laying (or lying?? I still don't know the correct grammar on that one) down and will lift her head to try to sit up. It's so funny and she looks like she's doing ab exercises. Well she can finally sit up by herself (not lift up but stay there when I sit her down) now and she is loving it!

About to fall ahhhh! Don't worry - I caught her. 

Since she's gotten on her medicine she has been doing a lot better eating solids. Not sure if it's actually the medicine or if she's just learned how to do it, but she'll finally swallow something now! This is her eating sweet potatoes -

She looks a little scary in this one haha - 

She has gotten very grabby! Her daddy was letting me sleep in the other day and woke up with her, but it didn't last long because I heard a loud crash. Apparently she had somehow grabbed his coffee cup and dropped it on the tile!
When I sit her in her bumbo chair, the napkins are behind her and I have to move them because she always reaches for them. Well I forgot to move them today...

I love her to pieces!!