Avery is 5 weeks old today. I was loading all of her pictures on our Mac and it is crazy to see how much she is changing. I noticed today that her hair is growing in much lighter too than what it is now. It is just amazing to see her change before our eyes. She started smiling this week! I still can't get her to smile all the time but her smile sure is cute. I think that she will end up with one dimple on her right cheek!
Tonight is the first night that she is going to sleep in her big girl crib. When I woke up this morning I was happy and sad at the same time. Sad because from now on she will be in her own crib in her own room but happy because I am sure that I will sleep much better with her in her own room. I will miss waking up to her cute little noises but I am sure that I will still hear some of them from the monitor that we will use. Here are a few pictures from this week.
Using the bumbo seat for the first time.... Still working on those neck muscles.
As I mentioned before, the Julianel's came out for the weekend and it was Gwen (4 months) and Avery's first time meeting. We had a great time with them and the girl's were on their best behavior. We went to the mall and out to dinner and they both were great and not fussy at all. They slept the whole time believe it or not:) Here are some funny pictures of the two of them. We tried so hard to get a cute picture of the two of them but trying to get two babies to cooperate is a little difficult. We had a great time though and can't wait to see them again.
I can not believe that Avery is officially one month old. It seems that just yesterday we were in the hospital anxiously awaiting her birth. She is beginning to sleep very well which really helps me out! We started her night time routine of giving her a bath at 10pm and then her last feeding after and she is typically down for bed by 10:30 or so. She then sleeps till about 4 or 5 and then I feed her and then she goes back to sleep until 8 or 9. It is so nice to wake up before her and actually have a chance to get things ready for the day before she wakes up. I will say that when she sleeps that long I miss her terribly and want to wake her up. She is so cuddly when she wakes up and I just can not get enough of her!
This weekend our friends Christy and Ben and their daughter Gwen are coming in town. Gwen is 4 months old and although they don't know it yet, Gwen and Avery are going to be best friends:) I will be sure to post pictures of the girls from this weekend.
Wow, my little is growing up before my eyes. Each day I am amazed at how different she looks. I flip through pictures and I can not believe the difference that a few days makes. I am with her every day and I can see the changes occur. She is beginning not to look like a newborn anymore and look more and more like a little baby. It is so sad that she is growing up so fast!
Here are just a few things that I love about Avery
I love picking her up from her naps as she stretches out arms above her head and arches her back and sticks her butt out. She wrinkles her little forehead at the same time and looks like a little monkey
I love that she loves her baths now and is so peaceful while she is getting bathed
I love watching her sleep. Her eyes flutter back in her head and she giggles and smiles and gets an Elvis lip
I love when she holds my finger and squeezes so tight and won't let go
I love her little feet, and I am NOT a foot person!
I love that she is such a peaceful baby and just loves to sit there and stare at you
Each day is a new learning experience with her. I was so anxious for her to come and get to know her and over time, I have been able to differentiate her cries and moans. I know we both have a lot more to learn about her but she truly is a good baby and I feel blessed to be here mommy.
On a different note, many of you have asked how Sophey is handling all of this. Overall, I will say great! She is very worried about her little sister and has to know where she is all all times. We are still working on her licking her and sticking her nose in her diaper area. I know that will come with time too. Here is a little video of the day that we brought Avery home and Sophey met her for the first time.
To think that three weeks ago yesterday was the first time that we saw Avery is mind blowing. When I found out I was pregnant, I had just about every mix of emotion possible. I was in the Bloomingdale's bathroom in Chicago and yes, I know that is very random. Luckily Ben was just a few blocks away at our hotel so I was able to rush back and tell him the good news after I stopped in the children's department to pick up a few things:) Now that she is finally here and almost three weeks old, I can't help but think back about all of the things that have gone on over the past 40+ weeks.
As the weeks go by and your belly begins to grow and you begin to feel her for the first time those emotions become even stronger. I remember the first time I realized that she had the hiccups. I remember the first time that I felt the flutters which later turned into karate chops. I remember thinking at times that I didn't love being pregnant even though the entire experience is amazing and truly shows how awesome God is. Now that she is here, it makes each of those moments seem surreal. As I hold her now, I am amazed that I carried her for almost 41 weeks! I am amazed at how small she is yet so big in comparison to other 3 week old babies. At times I miss her being in belly where I can have her with my at all times of the day and I can protect her. I feel so blessed to be her mommy. I just want to hold her and cuddle with her all the time. I just can't get enough of how soft her skin is and how good she smells. I truly want to enjoy every stage that she goes through but selfishly I am looking forward to her sleeping through the night. While I love those 3-4am bonding nursing moments, I think I can live without them here pretty soon.
Avery truly is a good sleeper and typically goes about 4-6 hours at a time at night. Once I nurse her she goes back to bed for a few hours as well. In the AM, daddy gets her up and takes her downstairs for a little Avery and Daddy time. It truly is amazing to see him with her. He is so patient and just sits there and talks to her and makes faces at her and she tries to make them back at him. He also loves to get her dressed as well which I am sure does not surprise you for those of you that know Ben.
Yesterday we had a little photo shoot since Aunt Beckie was in town. There are some really cute pictures that I will post later but the best is that Avery projectiled pooped on Ben as we were trying to get a cute shot. I will always look at some of those pictures and laugh so hard knowing the story behind them.
Thank you Aunt Beckie for coming out and helping us out for the past week. We sure ate great food and little Sophey was spoiled rotten with her cousin Molly here all week. Beckie also babysat for us on Valentines Day so Ben and I were able to get out and go on a nice date! Grandma Rosenthal also came over on Saturday and Beckie and Krystal and I went to brunch. I did pretty well for my first two times away from her for longer than an hour. I do miss her when I am not with her but a little mommy time is always helpful.
Here are a couple of pictures from this week.
Getting ready for my photo shoot
My Valentines day outfit from Grammy that I peed through in less than a few hours.
I can not believe that our little girl is already 2 weeks old. It feels like just a few days ago that we came home from the hospital. My mom left on Friday and I already want her to come back. Things were just so much easier when she was here. Now it seems like the laundry is piling up and I am not eating as much since the thought of making dinner is something that does not even enter my head! My sister gets here tomorrow and she will be here until Monday so I am sure that will help.
We had Avery's 2 week check up today and she passed with a A+. She now weighs 9.2 lbs and is 21.5 inches long. She is in the 90th percentile for her height and 75th percentile for her weight. Her pediatrician was very impressed with how alert she was and the progress that she is making. Every day she truly does change and I love just watching her when she is awake. They soak in their surroundings and I can just see her little brain working as she watches things and focuses her eyes on new things. We truly are blessed to have a healthy baby!
Week 2 is going great. Avery is sleeping about 4-5 hours at night which is such a relief for me. We had our first mall trip today which she slept through the entire thing but I would much rather that than her crying. My mom leaves on Friday night and I am not sure what I am going to do! I am sure we will survive but having a extra pair of hands around has been priceless. My sister is coming out next Tuesday and Ben may have to go down to Cabo so hopefully we can coordinate him going while she is here.
Please keep my Nana in your prayers as she is not doing well at all and is most likely in her last days. I am praying that she can hold off to meet her great-granddaughter but it looks as though God may have different plans for her.
On a brighter note, here are a few pictures of little Avery!
