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 -
Last weekend we went on a girls trip to Broken Bow, OK to celebrate Annette's 30th birthday. Several months before, I kept going back and forth on whether or not I should go. Of course I wanted to, but the thought of leaving Avery for so long stressed me out (Friday night - Sunday afternoon). But in the end I figured she'd be ok with her Daddy and decided to go.
We joked and said we were "glamping." If you know me, you know this is the only way I prefer to camp :) Our "cabin" was huge (two stories) and super nice. It even had a hot tub outside! Here are a few pictures -
Us hanging out the night we got there -
The next day Sherrie cooked a delicious breakfast and we packed our lunches and headed to canoe. I've only gone canoeing three times in my life. The first time I was sick and my canoe capsized the moment we got in the river and all our stuff went floating downstream. I refused to canoe again, but when we went to Broken Bow for Andrea's 30th, I did (she should feel special) and it was a lot of fun so I wasn't too worried this time. We saw a lot of wildlife - fish, turtles, snakes, and more bugs than necessary.
That night we got cleaned up and went to the winery in town - Girls Gone Wine. I love that place! They offer free tastings and have great wines. All profits from one of their wines - Bark - benefits the local animal shelter, which I thought was really cool. We had a great time there as usual.
That night we went back to the cabin and Sherrie cooked another delicious meal then we got in the hot tub. They all stayed up later, but I went to bed. I was just so excited to get some sleep!
Then the next day we headed home. I was sad to leave but couldn't wait to see Rustin and Avery. As we were leaving the cabin, a cat came up to us. He was so sweet but didn't have a collar and looked really skinny. I was riding with Andrea and she wouldn't let me take him, but if I had my own car you can bet we would be cat owners! (I'm sure Rustin is thankful for Andrea's decision.)
So I didn't get up the courage to take Avery to the nursery until last week. She is just so difficult, I was scared to leave her with anyone who wasn't family. Plus our church only has one service at 10am and that is usually right in the middle of her nap.
Anyway when we took her we felt like total rookies. I tried to open the little half door and walk into the room. Apparently that is a no no. We had no idea what we were doing, and I (Rustin was ok I think) was super nervous. I told them several times to come get me if she got too fussy.
So we handed her off and she seemed fine.
I know this sounds ridiculous but when we went into the service I almost cried. I just kept imagining her in that room with strangers and being scared and wondering where her mommy was. I fought the urge several times to go check on her. At the end of the sermon I found myself shouting at the pastor (in my head) to hurry up and finish because I needed to go check on my baby!
Since it's a small building we could hear babies crying at the end and I was sure Avery was the ring leader. Well we walked to her room and she was sound asleep in a swing! The workers told us all the babies started crying at the end. But apparently Avery slept through it all. Perhaps she does love sleep as much as me :)
Also that night we went out to eat with a couple from our church who has a baby a month younger than Avery. They had fun eating their puffs together.
Sorry for the ton of blog posts lately. Don't unsubscribe! This usually doesn't happen. Avery has been randomly napping a long time the last few days (shocking I know) so I feel like I have TONS of extra time. When you're used to squeezing brushing your teeth, eating a meal, doing dishes, etc. etc. (or just taking a nap) into 30 minutes and all of a sudden you have an hour and a half, it's like an eternity!
This post is a little late, but at this point, I'm just happy if I ever post anything!
I think Mother's Day sort of snuck up on us. I didn't really think about the fact that I am a mother now so that day was also for me! My mom told me they were having a cookout at my Grandma's. But I had just been to Wichita Falls and my mom had just been here, and I knew Rustin wouldn't really want to make the "long" trip.
But Rustin's mom was in Seattle so we didn't have anything planned here, and I didn't want to spend my first Mother's Day sitting around the house. So I convinced Rustin to go to Wichita Falls.
I'm so glad we did. Almost my entire family was there, which was the first time we have been all together since my grandad's funeral, and we had a great time.
We were also able to meet my cousin Kenzie's husband, Eric Ward. He plays football for Tech and since Rustin went to school there (and is a huge Tech football fan), he was happy to meet him. I teased Rustin that he had a man crush on him haha. Here is the whole clan:
We wanted to get another picture with my grandma and her great grandbabies. We thought it would be best to hold them since last time when she tried to they were both crying! Soon we will have a third grandbaby! My cousin, Lindsay, is pregnant with a little boy.
Avery is still a little wary of strangers - especially men. Uncle Bruce made her cry a few times. Then we tried to get her and Jayric to play. They were both sitting there all sweet so I decided to get a picture. The moment I got the camera, Avery started crying!
And then we had to do another four generations picture.
We had a great time! I was so glad we made the trip!
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.
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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 turned 8 months old on May 7. It's amazing how much bigger she is getting every day. I call her a wild woman all the time. She is so squirmy and grabs everything. I have to tell myself "you are stronger than a baby" especially when trying to change her diaper.
Her favorite is still bath time. She loves slapping the water. If you're bathing her, you better plan on getting wet. She also loves running errands and riding in the jogging stroller. She basically is happy any time she is moving.
Uncle Colby came for a visit last weekend. She went with us to Chick-Fil-A, the Allen Outlets and Top Golf. Then her Nana (my mom) came to see her this week.
We tried to take her 8 month pictures on the 7th but she refused to smile. This was all we got:
So we tried the next day and she was a little happier...
I have finally gotten brave enough to take her out of the carseat and sit her in high chairs and shopping carts. This is her sporting her new sunglasses.
And one in the high chair...
She has also likes sticking her legs (or one leg) up in the air -
She is also "talking" a lot. We have no idea what she's saying but it sure is cute!
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.
