A Pleasant Surprise

Today has been a little stressful. I slept late this morning and then my straightener (yes mom, the one I just got for Christmas, went out!) Of course, it had to be on the one day that I actually had an important meeting at work. But a ponytail it was! Our phone has also been acting crazy lately so I had to buy a new one. You had to hit on and off 3 times before you could answer a call - how annoying.

Avery has also been a little grouchy today. It could be the constipation- which is an ongoing problem now, or the teething - or maybe she is just having a bad day like her mommy! : )

Well, after my lousy day I came home to find a package for Avery Grace. It was some adorable new outfits from Gap and Gymboree...from Aunt Bonnie. Bonnie has been sending packages full of clothes since I first found out I was pregnant. She sent girl clothes before we knew it was a girl- but Bonnie and I knew all along! : ) Anyway, the package made my night! I have pics below. We are going to Vidalia this weekend and I was thinking about going to buy Avery something new to wear to my friends bridal shower - but there it was on my doorstep. Thanks for the wonderful surprise Bonnie!!! Dewana also gave me a pink pair of sunglasses - Avery has green ones but I had mentioned to her we like everything pink so she got me some - so sweet! Here are some pics and a video from yesterday.

What a big girl!

Here is a shirt that was mine
It say CASEY Gatlinburg '87
It was from a vacation when I was 3!
Thanks for saving those, mom!

New clothes from Bonnie...love this onesie!

OK...at the end of this video it looks like Avery falls off the couch - but I swear she didn't, I was right there! : )

Learning to Sit

Since Avery has turned 7 months for some reason I really feel like she needs to learn to sit as soon as possible. So we work on it every day! Today she sat for 3 seconds before falling and I caught it on video...lol, does that count? I guess we will keep practicing. I wonder what age is the average age. I'm sure she's not behind yet if I count her as being her adjusted age of 5 months. When did your baby sit?

OK I give up...6 Random Things About Me

Usually I delete forwards in my email or cell before I read them. A working mom is very busy and at home it feels like I'm running a marathon every night to get everything done. So, when I was tagged for this blog I just kinda avoided it. Then someone else tagged me and then another and another. So, I GIVE UP! I just feel like people aren't really concerned about 6 random things about me. Now, 6 Random Things About AVERY would be something to blog about! hehe. But I realized I enjoyed reading the 4 blogs from the people who tagged me, so I might as well do my own! I was tagged by Shonda, Nicki, Brittany and Mallory (by the way Mal, you need a blogspot!) Here goes...

1. I used to be skeptical about having children. I remember a few years ago my theory was "For 9 months they make you puke and ache all over, for years they keep you up all night, then they turn into 13 year olds that hate you, then they start 'going out at night' which keeps you up all night for another few years. Next, they leave for college (which is gonna cost ya!), and they only call when they need something!" Well, I'm a very 'glass half empty' person so I still agree that those are probably all facts. But...since Avery Grace came into our life my perspective has changed 180 on having children. I feel like I know what I'm here for now. And there is this feeling in my heart that I get every single morning when I wake her up (or even when she wakes me up) that is indescribable. And you think after 7 months it would wear off and it would just be 'routine', but its not! And it even gets BETTER every day. (I know that sounds so cliche). So, I think if I had missed the chance to have a baby, for whatever reason, then my life would be so much less fulfilling.

2. I am a clean freak. I thought it would get better once I had a baby. Then I was off work for 12 weeks with the baby - so it got worse. Then I thought, "When I'm working full time and I have Avery, there is no way I'll be this obsessed with straightening the house or not having a dirty dish in the sink when I go to bed!" Unfortunately, it hasn't let up...Charlie is the same way...so I guess its here to stay!

3. Although I dreaded leaving Avery to go back to work, I have realized I really love my job. Some days I feel guilty that I can't stay at home with her, but it still doesn't change the fact that I love my boss, the people I work with, even the crazy days and I love what I do. Now, my boss is moving in a few weeks so I guess that could change...I'll keep ya posted!

4. I, like Brittany, am a reality TV junkie. Its crazy because any reality show advertised I immediately Tivo it. I'm not as into reality game shows (Survivor, etc.) as I am into 'just watching regular people live day to day' shows. And I realize I am becoming a reality show critic. I was watching Gene Simmons the other day and it officially got deleted from the DVR b/c it is sooo scripted. I'm sure they all are, but you can tell his is so set up. Ughh!

5. I hate hate hate Walmart but I can't seem to stay away. Avery is not allowed in Walmart, per Dr.'s orders (until she is much older), so I can't bring her. And, I started thinking: How germy does a place have to be before a Dr. decides to banish babies from Walmart!?! YUCK. I got on a kick for a while where I would go to Brookshire's for groceries and Target for the rest. But they are on two separate sides of town, so usually I end up giving in to the Blue Devil.

6. I am a huge fan of muti-tasking. Last night I cooked porkchops, rice a roni, mac n cheese, biscuits and sweet tea WHILE giving Avery a bath. (Of course, I did not leave her for even one second - I know that rule!) I really enjoy being able to do multiple things at once. I've tried to explain the concept of mulit-tasking to Charlie (for ex: "Look babe, you can watch ESPN AND fold the towels...all at the SAME time!") Unfortunately, he isn't catching on!

I am tagging Dewana, Nikki, and Jami. If mom and grandma had a blog, I'd tag them too!

Sorry this was so long, anyone who halfway knows me, knows that just like my daddy preaching, I am long winded. HA!

7 months Old...Then and Now

It is amazing to me that she is 7 months old today. It feels like such little time has passed since the day she was born. Avery has started teething! I couldn't believe it. She has been pretty grouchy the past few days and up all night so I inspected her mouth and her two front top teeth are coming in! She also rolled from her back to her belly the other night. Of course, as soon as she did it I ran to get the camera and she wouldn't do it again, I posted the video anyway to compare to the other video of when she was a few days old.

I really started thinking about how much has changed since she was born. I wanted to post a few now and then pics. Hope you enjoy. I've also uploaded the video that Charlie took when she was a day or two old. It is so precious to me. It really reminds me of how scary that time was and at the same time makes me fall more in love with both Avery and Charlie every time I watch it. Once you listen to the video, you'll know this little girl has had her daddy wrapped around her finger from Day 1! It also reminds me that she really is a miracle and that God has done such great things in our lives! We are so very, very blessed to have this little miracle in our life. WE LOVE YOU AVERY GRACE!!!

Happy Birthday to you...

Happy Birthday to you...

Happy Birthday dear Avery...Happy Birthday to you!

Avery about 3 days old...

Pictures from the 'scary days'...







And now.,,

Such a daddys girl!

Trip to Vidalia

WHAT A DIFFERENCE 7 MONTHS MAKES! :)

PS- If anyone hasn't seen her beautiful newborn pics by Jami Ainsworth make sure to view them by 8/27 -when they expire. Click here for instructions!

Avery Grace Pitched a FIT!

Avery pitched her first fit last night. I haven't done much research on fits, but I think she had one! I was eating supper and she was sitting on the couch beside me. There was a piece of plastic laying beside me. Of course she got it and started playing with it. Then she started bringing it to her mouth. I would say "No, no, no!" (Yes, I'm fully aware that she has no idea what no means, but its never too early to start!) She kept putting it toward her mouth so finally I took it away from her. And thats when it happened. Her bottom lip poked out and big crocodile tears just rolled down her cheek. I thought, "Hmmm...maybe she has gas or something?", but I tried giving her the plastic and she immediately quit crying. If I took it away it would start all over. And on and on. Charlie was home on his lunch break; of course his response was "Awwww....poor baby let her play with the plastic!!!" I really hope this is not an indication of the years to come! Oh well, I've always figured he'd be Mr. Fun Daddy and I'd be Mrs. No No NO Mommy! I've been bossy since I was 3. HA! She also discovered her feet within the past few days...and that is one of the cutest things I've ever seen!

Yummy, yummy!

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Avery says 'Ma'....and we bought a car!

Wow, what a weekend we have had! On Friday at work I decided it was really time to sell my car. It is getting too old and it is way too small! I figured it would take at least 2 weeks to sell it, so I would have time to find a new car and figure out how you actually sell a car (since I've never done that before). So I was very bored at work, everyone had left early and there was absolutely nothing to do. (Sorry Dewana, I went over my deliverables 18 times but there was NOTHING to do!) Soo, I listed my car on cars.com and 30 minutes later a man called and said that he was going to the bank to get a cashiers check for the car. I had not even posted a picture of it yet! He was from Jackson and wanted to buy the VW Beetle for his 15 yr old daughter. I was STUNNED. Since he called, 5 other people called within 24 hours after posting it wanting to test drive it. If you need to sell a car - go to cars.com and DON'T trade it in. I made thousands more in cash!!! (Wow, that really sounded like a commercial - hehe!) So long story short, I met him halfway between Monroe and Jackson in a smelly little town called Tallulah. My mom had to meet me there because her name was still on the title. We drove back and she babysat Avery while Charlie and I went car shopping. We figured we wouldn't find anything in one day, but we might as well get started. After test driving about 5 vehicles, I really wanted a Saturn Ion, but they wouldn't even let me test drive it because there was a girl signing papers for it before I got there. We were at the Saturn dealership and that was the ONLY Saturn Ion they had. (They quit making them in 07). So, we went to a little hole in the wall dealership b/c they had a Honda Civic. It was an '04 with 65,000 miles. I think I had convinced myself it would be ok. It didn't even have power windows or locks! So we test drove it and decided it was the 'economical choice'. We went back to sign the papers and they were taking their time. I was tired and hungry, so I convinced Charlie we should get some lunch while they got the paperwork together. We left and went to eat w/ mom and Avery for about 30 minutes. The second we pulled up to the dealership my phone rang - it was good ole Mr. George from the Saturn dealership. Apparently, the girl had a DWI on her record and couldn't get insurance for the car. We had to go in and break the news to the people we had been working with on the Civic - needless to say, they weren't very happy. Within a few hours I was driving away in my new 2007 Saturn Ion. Its great! It get's 30 mpg and has only 7,000 miles on it. I have a full warranty for 100,000 miles so its worry free too! : ) I couldn't be happier....here are some pics.

It was pretty sad saying goodbye to my baby for the last 4 years...my Bug!


Bye, bye BUG!


HELLO...SATURN!


This is not my car, but looks exactly like it...


Now for the important pic...Avery and her Jumperoo!

As I said earlier, mom took care of Avery and took this video. Follow the link below to see the video. Listen closely at the end and Avery says "Ma". I guess she missed me! : )

Avery Says "Ma"!

Kisses from Daddy

Avery and Charlie have a new game...he kisses her and she giggles. It is just precious. I caught a few seconds on video...watching this is a nice little vacation from this week. I drove through too much water and so my car is in the shop, Charlie's truck is squealing like crazy and is going in the shop as soon as mine is done and our computer keeps crashing and acting crazy...you know what they say - when it rains, it pours! But I'm just trying to focus on what really matters....my healthy family!

Here is the video!

Eating peas

I started feeding Avery her next food yesterday - peas! As you'll see from the picture below, not her favorite! Also she got her jumperoo and her daddy put it together today. I'll post pics as soon as I have time. Here are the ones from eating the peas:

"Did somebody say its time to eat? I'm game!"

Happy as can be...this is before the peas! : )

"Umm..what is that mushy green stuff over there?"

"Oh...yuck, yuck, yuck...this is terrible woman!"

Well, I guess I wouldn't be too happy if this was my supper, either!

Video of the peas...hope its not too dark!

A Blog on a Tuesday...aren't you proud?

Here are a few pics from this week. Can ya believe I'm doing a blog in the middle of a work week? Me neither! Avery is sleeping :) This may take the place of the weekend blog...we're off Friday and going to Vidalia. I'm helping with a baby shower for Calley, so I may be busy this weekend, but I'm sure we'll take some pics that I'll have to post!

I decided on a jumperoo instead of a walker, they're pricier but I think it will be worth it. I'm about to go to amazon.com to see if I can find a good deal! Also, my work schedule is going to change on Sept 1st. I'll be getting off at 2:30 on the days Charlie has to work. He'll have to be at work at 3, so some days it may be a tight squeeze, but it should be fine. I'll work 7-5 on Wednesday & Thursday, his days off. I can already see that we may need a backup for times when he has meetings, training and days when he just needs a break! So any recommendations are greatly appreciated. Basically it wouldn't be a set schedule, I just need maybe a high school or college student who I could call who would be available during the week when needed. I'm sure we'd end up using the same person when we go out to eat, etc. Thanks in advance for any suggestions! Here are some pics from Sunday and today...

Yep, that hats still a little too big! :)

All dressed for church and ready to go...until the screaming fit of constipation about 10 minutes later, that is!




I'd say Chase has found their newest model!



Smile if you love Chase!


Well, Chase may want to wash the onesie before they run the ads!
We changed shortly after these were taken!

Reeves Look-alike Meter

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebs - Collage - Morph

Pics and Video

Pics from today...

Half Smile







Poor Mr. Giggles, she drools all over him! : )


Avery in the sling, she's almost too big for it!




Here's a video from today, she was super excited about her new mobile!

A Rough Week

Well we've had a bit of a rough week. Avery had shots on Wednesday and ran fever and was up all night. Thursday she still had fever although we gave her Tylenol it would come back about every 4 hours once the Tylenol was wearing off. She was also throwing up her milk so we had to give her Pedialyte...I HATE SHOTS! And for the last 24 hours she has been doing something new - she'll be as happy as can be and all of a sudden scream in terror like something stung her. A few mintues later she will have a dirty diaper - but its not normal, I'll just put it like this - she is very constipated. This is the first time she's ever been constipated and its just terrible. I got some Apple Prune Juice and just gave her 4oz so please pray this will take care of it so we can get back to normal around here! My poor little Gracie just hasn't been herself since Wednesday - darn shots!

I went to Walmart early this morning before the crowds since its 'no tax day'. I spent $270 on basically nothing but groceries and diapers, wipes and formula! Ughh...! I was going to buy her a walker but with the old school walkers you can't really bounce in them and we have carpet, except for the kitchen so she won't be able to move around a lot on the carpet. I think I prefer the jumperoo so she can bounce in it. Those are a bit more pricey, the one I like is $90 so I didn't get it just yet. Anyone interested in selling theirs? Any suggestions on whether I should get a walker or a jumperoo? I'm uploading videos to photobucket, I'll probably post the links later.

Have a great weekend everyone!