The Elliotts

And Just Like That...

2012-01-19T20:22:00.001-06:00

She was potty trained! The title of this post is more in relation to how fast each milestone has come and gone, rather than how quickly she was actually potty trained. I remember putting her bottles up, then her pacis, and now we have a drawer stocked with big girl panties. Watching a little one grow really shows you how quickly time passes. While each moment of raising a child is not pleasant, they are all fleeting and I am thankful to get to experience this journey! So, for the memories...here is her potty training story!

Avery was the very last toddler in her class at school to turn 2. For her this means that she gets to watch all of the other older kids for cues on development. For us, the age difference has brought both good and bad behavior earlier than normal. We are definitely happy about the push it gave her for potty training. Back in May (20 months old), her teachers picked up on when she wanted to go #2 in the potty. She would do this a couple times per week and really liked the praise and silly bands she received as a result. This behavior never happened at home though. We decided we wanted to let her get very used to the idea of using the potty without putting pressure on her to be trained. This led us to buy a ring that fits in our normal toilet and to sit her on it while wearing a diaper. We would talk about how Mommy, Daddy, and other family all wear big boy and big girl underwear and put their tee tee and poo poo in the potty. We decided very shortly after she was born not to buy a separate potty and feel that it was a great decision for us. Our thoughts are that there will never be a separate potty at restaurants, other people's houses, or at sporting events, so why create a dependence on one?

We decided that potty training D-Day would come the first weekend in November (26 months old). Between home games and trips out of town and to conquer it with plenty of time left before baby boy arrives, it was the only weekend that would work. We made a commitment not to travel for at least 4 weekends after the initial training weekend. D-Day for us meant no more diapers (except for naps and night time). So, I ordered gerber cotton training pants that are just a little thicker than normal panties, from amazon. My mom actually used the same ones to train us and we too have been very impressed. Avery likes they way the feel a lot more than just regular panties. They are much softer and she notices the difference. We also had a couple of other packs of regular minnie mouse and hello kitty for back up. Avery's Aunt B bought her a potty stool which really got her pumped. We bought marshmallows and M&Ms for rewards, but didn't buy any other special gifts or treats for training. Lastly, we made a decision to not use pull ups at all. For our household, it is either a diaper or real underwear, no in-betweens. If the training didn't go as expected, we were going back to diapers...

Both Thursday and Friday were spent talking about how diapers were going to go bye-bye and that she was about to only wear big girl panties. We even let her wear the panties over her diaper on those nights. Saturday morning we woke up and immediately put on her panties in preparation for the day. We told her that when she needed to go tee-tee to say it really loud and take off running toward the potty. At the recommendation of a friend, we downloaded the potty training boot camp e-book. Just to document, we also ordered a travel potty for the car (it is basically just a hole that you can put a bag down in if you are at the park or leave open if you have to pull over on the side of of the road) and then a protector for her car seat is there were to be an accident in the car.

She told us a couple of times that she needed to go, but nothing happened. Then she had 2 tee tee accidents in her panties and one with nothing on. After this accident (I think seeing it in the floor really grossed her out) and lots of talk about keeping her panties dry and how awesome it is to put her tee tee in the potty, she started to succeed. Those were the only tee tee accidents we had at home during the three days of training. So, even though it is recommended to stay at home for the three days, we decided to venture out to church on Sunday. I packed her extra clothes and panties and off we went. When dropping her off in the twos nursery class, I found that she was the only one in there who was starting to train. Because none of the volunteers had any experience with taking little ones to the potty and watching for cues, I had serious doubts that she would make it through church without an accident. Sure enough, she tee teed and had to be changed. Once at home that day, she did great with tee tee the rest of the night and the entire next day

Now on to poo poo! Saturday, she had one accident that night. She went to the bathroom and used it next to the toilet without us knowing. When we found it, she helped us clean it up and we talked about how gross it is when we don't put our poo poo in the potty. Her next accident came on Sunday night in her pants and it was a big one. Again, we made a huge deal out of how stinky and nasty it was in her panties. She helped me dump it in the potty and then since she needed a bath anyways, I stripped her down and put her in the tub so she could help me wash her panties out. Watching the poopy wash off her panties and into the tub really threw her for a loop. She kept trying to back away from the faucet and was worried about it getting on her legs. It was just the event we needed for driving the point home (thanks potty training boot camp). On Monday, SUCCESS, no tee tee or poo poo accidents and when she had her first poopy in the potty, we went for an ice cream cone at Micky Ds! She stayed in her pajama top, but wanted to wear the ballet tutu over her panties! Her eyes are closed in both pictures, but you can see how happy she was herself!

Once back at school on Tuesday, she had one accident and since then no more. The next Sunday at church, she stayed with us during the service and Sunday School and went to the bathroom twice while there. We took her back to the nursery for the third Sunday and she did great with telling them when she needed to go. We were truly amazed at how much she wanted to use the potty. She loved and still loves the verbal praise she gets for going. I am glad we stuck to small rewards (a piece of candy, getting to watch elmo, ice cream cone, silly bands, and verbal praise) as incentive to stay dry. We wanted her to really grasp that this being a big girl means using the potty and to not associate it so much with rewards. We played on the fact that she likes doing what everyone else in our family does.

Our first long car trip was December 15th and she let us know throughout the trip when she needed to go. Between the two of us, I think we stopped about 6 times on the 4 hour drive to Haleyville. Levi was about to lose his mind! Who knows when we will move out of diapers at nap and at night...I am sure it will come developmentally at some point. Our main goal was to have her trained before little guy gets here and that is accomplished. I am interested to see if she will regress once he is here. We will deal with that when it comes!

Levi and I were at home together Saturday and Sunday and wow, did we need each other's support throughout the process. At different times we gave each other encouragement for how big this step really was and to ease up on ourselves and the expectations we had. We made sure to make the house seem as loving as possible and asked God to shower us with grace and strength to help Avery achieve this milestone. We also prayed for Avery. That she would be willing to yield to our encouragement and believe that she could do it. After doing this, we decided that if after three days there was no progress, we would pick it back up at Christmas. We really did try to take the pressure out of the process. In the end, Avery's journey was pretty short and a success. I will be interested to see what it like to train a little boy. We know everything could be different and hope to compare their development as little as possible.

The funniest moment so far came during December. When getting ready to leave for school, she told me her tummy was hurting. I asked if she wanted to go to the potty and she said "no, I want to wait till I get to school." Basically, she was holding our for a silly band reward :) Such a little mess she is!

Trick or Treating!

2011-11-09T18:32:00.002-06:00

We had so much fun watching Avery Trick or Treat for the very first time! We decdied several months ago on a Kitty Cat costume, which turned out really cute. After talking to several people about where we schould go, we settled on South Gay Street (past Amsterdams). It was a great spot for novice treaters. Not crowded, very little traffic, and porch lights on at lots of houses. She and Thad walked up to each house together like such big kids and only became scared at one house, that had skeleton decorations. It was so funny, Thad (17 months) saw the skeleton and immediatly made a 180 to his dad...Avery saw it and walked over to it for a look, but she wouldn't give it a hi-five!

After we got home, Avery was very anxious to dump her bucket of candy and explore her loot. You will not see a more happy child than one surrounded by all kinds of sugary goodness. She has come home every afternoon this week asking to look at all of it and select a piece to devour. We will not talk about how much of it mom and dad have slipped into our lunch boxes!

I have to add that it was a little surreal watching Avery trick or treating. It truely feels like yesterday, that my mom was running around trying to get me, Alex, and Beth Anne ready. On Monday I realized that wow, I am living life, and am watching my husband walking with my precious girl to each house for candy. I know this is cheesy, but it really was a moment in which I felt completely overwhelmed with gratitude. The here and now...I am trying really hard to live in it and not think or worry about tomorrow. I knowwithout a doubt it will come soon enough :)

Our Pumpkin (23 weeks)!

2011-10-26T20:15:00.000-05:00

Is growing and I am loving every minute of it! I have started feeling (and seeing) him move a lot. At my 23 week appointment they finally decided on a heart rate of 150. I say finally because they would only put the doppler on my belly for a short time before he would either kick it away or move, which made for a range of heart rates from the 130s to 160. I could not help but laugh at how active and stubborn he was being!

This pregnancy has been a lot like Avery's. Weight gain has been slow, but he definitely popped out faster. I felt nauseous longer with Avery but have been a lot more exhausted this time around. It could have something to do with chasing a 2 year old! I cannot believe that his anticipated arrival is only 4 months away. At my next visit (27 weeks), I have the glucose test and then start going every 2 weeks. I have a feeling the holidays are going to make it pass by really quickly. We have so much to do before February. Lots to be thankful for this holiday season!

A Little Boy!

2011-10-12T21:06:00.000-05:00

On September 7, 2011, Levi and I learned that we would be welcoming a baby boy to our family! Our ultrasound was at 9:00 that morning and we were both giddy with excitement over getting to see our baby for the first time. Well...actually I got to see the baby for a few minutes at 14 weeks to confirm that we were not having twins...but it wasn't nearly long enough! Obviously the main purpose of this ultrasound was to determine the health of the baby and glory to God, our baby was completely healthy. It is totally humbling to hear that each little intricate body part is just as it should be.

Unlike with Avery, she told us the gender at the beginning of the ultrasound. As we nodded our head in response to "So..do you want to know the gender?" She responded with a resounding "It's a Boy." Levi and I smiled at each other and as we later realized, both allowed our minds to race with thoughts of having a son. She even had to repeat a few of the things she was showing us on the ultrasound because we had both lost our focus from the news!

Since the ultrasound I have spent a lot of time letting our new development set in. I am overwhelmed at the blessing of raising a boy and girl (and hopefully at least 1 more of one or the other). Before finding out with Avery, I was convinced that we would have all boys...and of course after having Avery I became convinced it would be all girls (and because I only wanted to be a mom, I would have been happy with either scenario). But, oh what God actually had in store for us; the incredible opportunity and responsibility of raising both!

I am now 21.5 weeks and finally beginning to feel this little man move around. My placenta is at the front of by stomach, which has prevented me from feeling him move as early as most people do with their second. Time is flying by and unlike with Avery when I was wishing the pregnancy away, I am really trying to savor this special time in our lives as a family of three. I know that this pregnancy will be over before we know it!

Lord, I am overwhelmed at your goodness and faithfulness to our family! We ask that you will give us your wisdom and grace as we add your gift of a son to our family. Thank you for his and my health! Thank you for his amazing daddy and precious sister. We need You constantly on this journey and strive to have less of ourselves and more of You each day! Amen.

Avery's First Game Day

2011-09-05T13:09:00.000-05:00

One of Avery's birthday gifts was a trip to Jordan-Hare to see the Tigers play. She was super excited and as soon as she woke up Saturday, started chanting "Auburn Tigers and Auburn Football." She would just randomly burst into the fight song and Glory Glory. During the stroller ride to the stadium the cheers continued and everyone we passed smiled to see her enthusiasm.

Once inside and at our seat, she got a little overwhelmed with how loud everything was, but a few minutes in to the band crossing the field and she was acclimated. She loved looking for Aubie and listening to the band play. There were tons of kids around us, which she enjoyed watching. With how hot it was and it cutting into her nap time, we worried that she would get a little whiny, but our worries were for naught. We have a true little Auburn fan on our hands and we can't wait to experience many more Auburn victories with her in the future! We left a little into the third quarter and rode the Tiger Transit back to where our car was parked. I cannot imagine what she will look like sitting on the TT as a Freshman (Not that we are making the college choice for her or anything!).

Two!

2011-09-01T13:27:00.002-05:00

Two years ago today, we were introduced to sweet Avery! Watching her grow has been (besides marrying her Daddy) the biggest blessing that God has given me. The past few weeks have been a time of reflection over how much she has changed since turning one and on more than one occasion I have teared up over the little lady she has become. So, I want to capture the following for our memories...

Avery loves to sing....her favorites right now are Elmo's Song, Jesus Loves Me, Bah Bah Black Sheep, Twinkle Twinkle, BIBLE, Row Your Boat, Wheels on the Bus, Hokey Pokey, Happy and You Know It, Happy Birthday, ABCs, and Jesus Loves His Little Avery (a song mommy made up).
She can talk and sing very plainly, but she really doesn't do it that much in public. She is still pretty shy, so basically we are the only ones who get to experience all she has to say.
She has been able to sing the entire alphabet and count to 15 for about 2 full months now.
She talks about Auburn alot and if she sees the AU on anything (including tiger transits) she yell Auburn Football! Any football on TV is Auburn and she can sing most of the fight song and Glory, Glory. She will get to attend her first game this weekend!
Her favorite question is "What's that?"
She is really caring and if you look like you do not feel well, she will ask..."Does your tummy hurt?" If she hears a baby cry, she will ask "Baby crying...does it want her mommy?"
She is tiny and I must say, this pregnant lady loves it! Her drs. appointment is not until next week, but she weighs around 24 lbs and wears 18 month clothes still. We are slowly but surely moving to 24 month stuff. Her smocked summer dresses are still 12 month...
She just moved to a 4.5 shoe and almost everyone we see comments on her tiny feet.
For about 3 straight weeks (most of August), she was a Daddy's girl and didn't want to have anything to do with me. I contribute this to the pregnancy and being sick and exhausted all the time when I got home from work (I plan to blog more about this in a separate pregnancy update).The last week and half have been much better and she is back to doting on both of us pretty much equally.
Minus those three weeks, she is an extremely affectionate little girl who loves to give lots of hugs and kisses to pretty much anyone who will let her. Extended family just eats this up when we are visiting.
We have a game called "Avery pillow" where right before here bed time, she lays on our bed and opens her arms for Levi and I to lay our heads. She then wraps them around our neck as tight as she can and we act like we are asleep. Sometimes she does it with just one of us and it is extra sweet, because she will rub your back with the other hand. You would have to be there to understand how sweet it really is.
She has a great imagination! It is so much fun to watch her pretend with here dolls and animals. She has a plastic tea set and loves to play tea party with anyone she can get to sit and play. Since we told her about the baby, she will ask every now and again if she can hold it. I say yes and she takes her little hand and reaches at my belly as if to grab it. She then talks to it and even through it up in the air and caught it one time. We will make sure this action doesn't translate to when the baby actually arrives!
She is a breakfast and lunch girl and doesn't eat a lot at night. We still just do milk and water. As far as sweets go, she loves ice cream.
She does night night with Daddy. He is wonderful at putting her to sleep. They have a very specific routine that takes about 5 minutes. She is usually in bed by 8:30 and sleeps till about 7:00 am. She still naps from about 12:00 til 2:45 everyday. We are so thankful for her sleep habits and are really nervous about the one on the way!
Like every child I know, she loves Micky Mouse and Elmo.
She loves to play chase...doesn't matter if she is being chased or doing the chasing.
We started using timeouts around 19 months and we utilize them at least a few times per week. Her main issue is clingliness, neediness, and whining. Some of it may have to do with the pregnacy, but I think it mostly just her development. We talk a lot about using our big girl voice so that she is reminded of what whining sounds like. Although few, there have been nights where all we can think about is getting her to bed. Oh, the exhausion of parenting. A spanking or two has occured, but now we only have to threaten and her behavior changes pretty quickly.

Making Memories-Beach 2011

2011-08-06T19:29:00.000-05:00

Over Memorial Day weekend (Friday-Wednesday), Levi, Avery, and I headed down to Sand Destin for some much needed relaxation. Work has been quite stressful for us both lately, so we were ready for more than a weekend of not hearing the alarm clock sound at 5:15. While there, we split our time between the beach, lounging by the pool, taking naps, eating really great food, and of course shopping. My uncle's town house is just across the street from the outlets, so I buy a whole season of clothes for us all each time we go...you cannot beat the prices, especially on Memorial Day weekend. We are very thankful that Don is so generous and allows us to stay there when we visit.

Her first trip was back in September, right after she turned 1. She loved the waves and water then, but wasn't too sure of the sand. She has never really liked anything to stick on her hands, and sand as we all know, sticks to everything. This year she was a little more fond of the sand...once she figured out that it could be used to make shapes and to play in, all was good.

Ya'll she LOVED the waves. Though some may consider it bad parenting, we took her out with us (where the water was a little over waist high) and let her experience the roll of the waves as they came in. She laughed uncontrollably each time Levi or I would jump one...even the salt water splashing in her face seemed to make her giggle. I am so thankful for her laid back personality.

I have always hoped that Avery would love the water as much as I do. Since I grew up with a pool, swimming was a big part of my childhood. So far, she loves the pool too. Even jumping off the side to Levi or I wasn't too scary for her! She wanted so badly to jump out of our arms and swim on her own...I can't wait to watch her as she grows into a little fish!

A trip to the beach with Levi isn't complete without searching for sand crabs with only a flashlight and the glow of the moon. Avery loves bugs, amphibians, and well really anything that crawls. Since she isn't intimidated by creepy crawlers, we have had to really explain to let Mommy and Daddy know before touching anything that moves. This was an awesome experience for her. She was mesmerized with each little crab that was thrown into her bucket. She even touched them! After catching 6, we decided to call it a night and let them go back to see their mommies :) That is about the only way we can get her to let anything we catch go.

My mom and her friend Dale were down for the weekend portion of our stay and kindly watched Avery so that Levi and I could enjoy dinner out by ourselves. We have eaten at a lot of different places in the Destin/Ft. Walton/Sand Destin area and were looking for something new. I looked up reviews and found a place called 790 on The Gulf on Old Scenic 98. If you are down there, we highly recommend it. They have a happy hour menu from 4-7, with amazing prices. The outside seating is right on the beach (not above). Beautiful views and not a lot of people know about it yet.

Before we knew it, we were packing our bags and heading back to Auburn. I am truly convinced that beach time is faster than time at home during a work week! I amthankful for the memories we made on our trip...life is just so full right now!

I Know She Will Make A Great One!

2011-08-02T08:36:00.007-05:00

Big Sister that is! Avery will be the proud big sister to Baby Elliott #2, who is due to make his or her debut around February 18th, 2012. I am 11.5 weeks and still feeling pretty icky...I am not complaining though, as we are humbled that God has given another sweet baby to our family. Today was my 2nd doctors appointment and I got to hear the heartbeat for the very first time, it was 179. I am measuring 2 weeks ahead and definitely have a small bump. We will hopefully find out if the baby is a boy or girl when we have our ultrasound in 4 weeks, on September 7th! I am anxious to see if my due date stays the same, since I am measuring a little ahead.

If you asked Levi or I when Avery was born how long it would be before we started trying again, we would have given you a definite, they need to be at least three years apart. God changed our hearts and they will end up being 2 and a 1/2 years apart which is absolutely perfect for our family's needs! I know that there will be hard moments, but I am praying that Avery will just be crazy about her sibling! She already talks to the baby and pretends to hold it, but 99% of her day I would say the thought of occupying her space with someone else doesn't cross her mind.

We are excited to finally share our big news with everyone and ask for your prayers as we prepare for this change! I would be lying if I didn't say that I am nervous and a little scared of the transition. However, I trust that God is going to equip us to be the best parents possible to our little ones.

Where the Wild Things Are

2011-05-23T14:50:00.007-05:00

Avery loves animals and has been able to tell us the sounds each one makes for a long time. In my mommy planning, you know the kind where you say "when he/she is this old, we will take them to ____", fill in the blank with the destination, I thought she would be a little older than 20 months before she would enjoy a trip to the zoo. But several weeks ago, Levi and I realized that now would be the perfect time! As we visited each exhibit, she sweetly told each animal hi and bye. Hi giraffe, bye bye giraffe. Just precious :)

The blessing of getting to watch Avery take in the wonders of God's creation is sometimes a little overwhelming. Levi and I try very hard to not to take these sweet moments for granted and are really beginning to understand how short this season of our lives will be. With all the stress that results from our jobs and lives in general, it is refreshing to get away as a family to make memories.

This was my first trip to the Birmingham zoo since I was probably 3 or so and Levi was pretty young on his last visit as well, so we really weren't sure what to expect. I will say though after visiting Bush Gardens in Tampa when Avery was 4 months old, we were a little disappointed. Don't get me wrong, Avery enjoyed it, but after Tampa, the expectations are high.

We met Levi's parents, his Aunt Johanna, as well as little Taylor (Levi's 2nd cousin) there. It was a little chilly, but we all felt that we would rather wear sweaters than battle the smothering heat and humidity. Avery's favorite animals were the monkey's, the tiger, and the lizards/snakes. She wasn't that thrilled with the train and hated the carousel. I think the loud music and circler motion was too much! The next "go round" will hopefully be better!

Easter Sunday 2011

2011-04-25T22:01:00.009-05:00

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and belives in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

John 11:25&26

We had a very blessed Easter and after church, spent the day enjoying family and resting. As a Christian saved by grace...I cannot imagine what life would be like without the reconciliation that Jesus provided to us by his death on the cross. Apart from Him I am a slave to the wickedness of this world. Praise God, that it didn't end with His death, but that three days later, He arose from the grave! The ending was written, death and satan were conquered....Today, we can rest in the truth of His victory and anxiously await the day He will return to call his children home!

The look of exhaustion!

Her First Bunny Cake...She has a Mimi who loves all things Easter

Easter Basket!

2011-04-25T21:34:00.005-05:00

After the Egg Hunt, we headed home to give Avery her Easter Basket. When discussing what our Easter traditions would be, we decided to do baskets on Saturday...a decision that will hopefully make Sunday mornings before church a little less stressful. Easter for our children will involve dyeing and hunting eggs and a basket, but they will know that the basket comes from us. We don't want to play up the Easter Bunny, but they will know that bunnies are just like eggs and yellow chicks, they make the holiday fun, but are not the reason that we celebrate. We had a lot of fun watching Avery pull each gift from her basket! This year, it included several books, the one I am most excited about is the 'Jesus Story Book Bible.' Each story points to Jesus and the gift of salvation He gave when He died for our sins and rose again. Avery has already enjoyed several stories read to her by Levi. In addition to the books, it had an Elmo DVD, PJs, hairbows, a bug capturing kit, gardening tools, and an apron.
Her big gift was from Mimi...a water play table :) She loves it! I am continually amazed at how smart she is and that she knows exactly what to do with any new toy she is given. This is such a fun age with new developments almost daily.

Easter Egg Hunt 2011

2011-04-23T19:49:00.006-05:00

I have looked forward to taking Avery to her first Easter Egg hunt for several weeks now (See post below on practicing). The annual hunt in my town continues to be one of my favorite childhood memories. It was a big deal to try to get a prize egg...In all the years we went as a family, I think I only got one. They didn't separate the age groups, so all of the big kids ran ahead and took them all. So, I was excited to see that Opelika was going to separate the eggs by age and thought that it would make the hunt more enjoyable for Avery

After the stampede, Avery was actually able to participate in the hunt

Well, I hate to say it, but I was really disappointed in the set up of the hunt. They had the 3 and under section in a very small area and that was probably the majority of the children represented. I was with Avery during the hunt and really didn't have any intentions of helping her pick up the eggs, but oh my goodness, if had I not picked up the eggs for her, she wouldn't have got even one! Other people were scooping up every one in sight for their child and some kids had two or three people hunting with them. No kidding, 30 seconds after the announcer said go, everything was gone. I am not sure this will be an annual event for us. We will probably stick to hunting in our yard :)

Playing Mark, Set, Go with Mimi

Riding the train...possibly the most fun she has ever had!

All in all, we had fun and definitely made memories. Avery loved the train and side walk chalk. It is really nice to have some of our family here to share such special times.

Story Time with Ma Mize

2011-04-23T19:15:00.005-05:00

Avery is one lucky little girl, she has the privilege of getting to know all four of her great grandmothers! When visiting our hometown, she enjoys riding the mule (the motorized kind) with Granny Smith, seeing MaMaw Brown smile when Avery sweetly says her name, and chasing the cat at Grandmother Christine's house.

The last time we visited, her Ma Mize came over to Levi's parents house for supper. Afterwards, she and Avery read Come on Baby Duck!, which just happens to be Avery's favorite. She can tell you what is happening on each page and points out objects in it with great enthusiasm. I am thankful we were able to get these precious shots of the two of them together :)

Eater Egg Hunting Practice

2011-04-23T15:41:00.008-05:00

Early in April we made a weekend trip to visit our families in North Alabama. Before leaving Auburn, we made sure to pack Avery's Easter egg basket and a sleeve of plastic eggs. Our hope was that we would be able to get in a little practice before the real hunt on Easter weekend.

Sunday morning, we got up early for Levi to hide the eggs. Afterwards, and in our pajamas, Avery, Granmommy, and I headed outside to begin the hunt. To our surprise, Avery didn't need any instruction on what to do. She laughed and giggled as she happened upon each egg and then placed it carefully in her basket. She loved bending and looking under obstacles to see if one had been placed there.

Avery has such a sweet spirit and loves to try new activities. She really is an easy child and Levi and I feel blessed to call her ours!

Blogging Life Revived...

2011-04-12T20:43:00.007-05:00

So, we have been using the computer I got for Christmas in 2003...After 7.5 years, you can imagine that the relationship has become a little tumultuous. It is with a heavy heart that I must say goodbye to my"Dude, I got a Dell" era computer and say hello to this beautiful new piece of machinery. Thanks to it, my blogging life will be revived soon! Our wireless router is going to be installed Saturday...so excited I can hardly wait :)

Would You Go With Me

2011-02-14T12:16:00.000-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day Levi....I would go anywhere with you! I am thankful for the life and little family we have made together. I can't imagine taking this jouney with anyone else ;)

Your love forever and always,

Emily

Avery 12-15 Months

2011-01-22T13:07:00.007-06:00

The fall of 2010 was accompanied by Avery's first months as a toddler. We had a blast watching her grow and change from a baby into the sweet little girl she is. I am so happy to finally be writing down the memories from this period for her baby book.

Stats from 12 months: 19 lbs (45th percentile), 26 inches long (25th percentile).
Stats from 15 months: 22 lbs (50th percentile), 28 inches long (10th percentile).
With her short stature she is proving to be like her momma and meme. Since almost all pants in her waist size are too long, her Grandmommy helped us out by hemming them. She was in 9-12 month size clothes from 12-15 months. Her shoe size was 3.
Also due to her tininess, we decided to keep her car seat turned around through 16 months. She has been used to long car trips since she was born and travels really well, so it hasn't been bad at all.
Beginning in her 12th month she could identify all of her basic body parts (head, mouth, nose, eyes, ears, toes) and that list continues to grow and now includes arms, hands, tongue, belly, belly button, knees, teeth, hair, etc. She has her own unique way for showing you what each part is. For example to show you her teeth she taps them together in her mouth, to show you her hands she signs for milk.
At 12 months she really picked up on waving bye and saying hi. She started saying bye bye right after turning 15 months old.
She LOVES to read. This love has continued to grow each month. By 15 months she was able to recognize a story and go pull that specific book off of her shelf. She will bring the book to you, point to the floor and say "sit" in the sweetest little. Then she backs into your lap for you to begin reading.
When she sees an object on the page that she recognizes (ex. fish), she explodes with joy and yells the name of whatever she is seeing.
Speaking of short commands like "sit," she can also tell us "more," "no," "yes," and "all done." By the end of 15 months her word arsenal included versions of: owl, squirrel, hot (accompanied by holding her hand out like she is warming it at a fire), ball, bath, bubbles, fish, moon, up, Aubie, Auburn, car, key, cup, book, baby, Huck (our dog), & duck (pretty funny hearing her quack the night of the national championship).
There are really no words to describe this little girl's love for all things Auburn! She recognizes, says his name, and points to Aubie. She get down dancing to the fight song, and glory glory, she can tell you that an AU stands for Auburn and loves to shake her pom pom. She holds her hands up for touch downs and by the end of 15 months she cheered when football games were on, despite who was playing.
Her hide and seek abilities have increased from peek-a-boo to full fledged walking in a dark room at our house, finding a spot, and hiding there as quite as a mouse. This is a little unnerving, since she could possibly do this to us a store, but at home it is hilarious.
She is quite the little mommy and loves to take care of her dolls by feeding and rocking them, as well as wrapping them in blankets. She also likes to share her paci...just not for too long! She loves for me to say her baby doll wants her mommy!
She has a love for girls between the ages of 4-7. She will just randomly run up to them at stores and either hug them or hold their hand. Sometimes she even reaches her arms up for them to hold her.
Her sleeping habits have stayed the same, she usually goes to bed by 8:00 and then I wake her up at 6:40 each weekday. On the weekends she sleeps till 7:30 or 8:00. We are soooo blessed with a good sleeper.
She is addicted to her paci. It is going to be very hard to break this habit but we plan to at 18 months. It makes her feel so good and I would rather have to break her from a paci than sucking her thumb.
She enjoys giving kisses and high fives. She can't just give out one, anyone who is in the room gets them.
She can drink out of cup without a lid, but we don't let her take the cup by herself. She really likes using a regular cup with a straw. We cut the straw to her size, which works well.
She likes taking a bath and splashing whoever is giving it to her. She washes her baby just like we wash her. She helps us put her lotion on and enjoys looking at all of her clothes when we are picking them out for the next day.
She likes when I sing to her and at night when I rock her, signs and verbally tells me more when I am getting close to the end of a song.
Now that she is so active and such a fireball, it is definitely harder to go out shopping for anything other than groceries. If I need to be able to look at anything, I know that I have to leave her with someone. Who can blame her for wanting to explore?
She knows how to throw a fit and has zero patience. For each hard moment though there are at least 5 amazing ones.
She eats pretty much anything and LOVES milk. We only do milk and water, no juice. Why start the habit if you don't have to? Her favorite foods are cheese, green beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, grapes, cheese, apples, chicken any way, any kind of noodles, rice, cheese, chocolate, and anything Levi or I might be eating that she wants to try. Did I mention she likes CHEESE? Oh and something I find funny is her daycare has collards on the menu every so often and "all" is always circled in the how much she ate column :)

Snow Much Fun!

2011-01-17T13:55:00.005-06:00

The day after Christmas, we headed to North Alabama to for Christmas with my mom and dad's sides of the family, as well as Levi's parents, Samuel, and Alyssa. Even though everyone had called to tell us about the snow Christmas Day, we honestly were not convinced that it was that big of a deal till we got there. They got 5-6 inches and it stayed for 3 days. Fast forward to present day and we actually just returned from up there and from experiencing the remnants of the great winter blizzard of 2011! There was 7 in. or so still on the ground that fell over a week ago. Schools were closed all week due to the ice. I don't think there has ever been that much snow to fall within 2 or so weeks of each other in Haleyville.
The pictures are from the Christmas snow. I don't know if you can tell, but Avery LOVED it and only cried when the sled stopped and we had to drag it back to the top. I even got a picture of her signing "more" sledding. She also cried when we had to go in for a nap :)

Christmas Morning 2010

2011-01-03T20:52:00.006-06:00

Levi and I made the decision several years ago that when we had children, they would wake up from their own bed on Christmas morning and that we would spend the day relaxing, not traveling. We were both always at home on Christmas as children, the difference however, was that both sides of our grandparents lived a very short distance from our own homes. Thus, seeing them throughout the day wasn't terribly difficult. Although we missed being a part of Christmas breakfast with the Smiths and lunch with the Elliotts, we really enjoyed being together and seeing Avery wake up to presents under our tree!
We were blessed to have both my Mom and Sister with us to celebrate. When we took pictures in front of the tree Avery really hammed it up for the camera. It is so much fun to hear her say cheese and smile. You might notice a little bow in her hair. She finally has enough that I can slip in the smallest of small bows. If she sees herself in the mirror with one in her hair, she just smiles and coos at how pretty she looks. Such a little girl :)
Avery's big gift from Santa this year was a toy shelf. We bought it unfinished and plan to stain it very soon (I'll post pictures then). I think that Mommy was most excited about this gift since a lot of her toys had been stored in an empty Huggies box for several months :) She loved seeing all of her toys lined up neatly and really couldn't decide what to play with first. It was like all of them were new!
She also got the Weebles Little Tree House, crayons to use in the bath tub, two new sippy cups, clothes, and her favorite, an ornament with a tiger on it. Even though the tiger has a little bow in her hair, Avery immediately for the very first time said "Aubie," which in turn melted everyone's heart. Note the pictures of her hugging the ornament.
After presents, we made breakfast and talked to family in North Alabama about all the snow they were getting and how we were missing out. Little did we know that about 5 inches of it was going to stick and we were going to get to play in it while visiting with Levi's parents!
Loving Avery from the very second we knew she growing inside me and watching her grow and learn each day has deepened our sense of awe and complete humbleness at the thought that God loved us so much that He willingly sent His only Son to die for us and our sins. Amazing the love He has for all His children. Thank you God for the gift of life You gave to us with Jesus' birth, death, and resurrection!

Mize Family Christmas

2011-01-02T21:00:00.007-06:00

Saturday, December 18th, we headed to Birmingham to celebrate Christmas with Levi's mom's side of the family. It was a bittersweet time of fellowship, since we were missing his Daddy Mize. Sadly, he passed away earlier in the month from complications of heart disease. He will be missed tremendously!The day mostly consisted of lots of eating, talking, opening presents, and relaxation. Levi's Aunt Johanna makes the best hash brown casserole and of course there was ham, dressing, mac & cheese, and too many desserts to name. After lunch, we played Dirty Santa which never disappoints. I truly play dirty...my first one with his family I took $25.00 from his Ma Mize...Hey don't judge me, I was a poor college freshman! This year Levi and I came back with an Auburn Snuggie and a really awesome pot for my flowers this summer.

Christmas 2009

Avery, Taylor, and Graham

Christmas 2010

Taylor and Graham

It was a lot of fun getting to see how much all of the babies had grown this year. Ava Grace and Avery had a ball with each other. Avery was her little doll and she only referred to her as sweetie...it was too cute!Avery is really into reading right now, you finish one book and she has another one already in mind. Uncle Keith just loved reading to two of his favorite girls. Taylor and Avery have him wrapped around their tiny fingers!

For the first time ever, Levi's Aunt Pam was there to take part in the fun. She lives in MA, but due to the funeral she was able to join us.

Levi's Mom, Ma Mize, and Aunt Pam

Several years ago, she started the tradition of sending all of her nieces and nephews Christmas Ornaments each year for the tree. Levi and I have so much fun taking out the ornaments he received and hanging them on our tree each year. Since all of those nieces and nephews have grown up and many have kids of their own, she has extended the tradition to them. Avery got her first one this year...a Noah's Ark. She loved it and at least once per day after we put it on our tree, had to take it down to examine the animals!
After a long day, we said our goodbyes and headed back to Auburn for the night. Maybe we will get to visit with everyone again this July :)

Fun at the Pumpkin Patch

2010-11-03T21:44:00.000-05:00

Last Friday, Levi and I joined Avery and her class at Jack O'Lantern Lane. We had a blast and I am already looking forward to next year!

We were really surprised at how much there was to do. I had pictured just a hayride to the field to pick out a pumpkin...but they had inflatable games, and once out in the field up close and personal interaction with bunnies, a calf, a goat, horses, and chickens. Avery also loved sitting on the tractor.

Levi's Aunt Johanna and Uncle Keith gave us these Auburn overalls as one of our first gifts when we found out we were expecting. They said we could use them regardless of if we had a boy or girl. Let me just tell you that Levi and I both think Avery looks just precious in them.

Avery loved all of the animals, but to say that she loved the bunnies would be an understatement. I will let the pictures tell the story...

She is such a little dare devil. She wanted to look over the side of the trailor on the way to the patch and then wanted to stand at the front where the gate was on the ride back. I keep telling Levi that he is going to finally have a roller coaster buddy, since I am scared to death to ride them. I love seeing them together! We had a great time and feel so blessed to compile such great faimily memories!

It's Great to Be An Auburn Tiger!

2010-10-09T22:32:00.004-05:00

Avery says: It is nice to go to sleep with a W...even it if was closer than it should have been :) War Eagle...6 & 0!

Avery's First Birthday Party!

2010-10-04T20:23:00.006-05:00

We had a blast celebrating Avery's first year with lots of friends and family in town for the event. The theme was just all around summer fun and included hand made pin wheels (Avery sends a big thanks to MeMe and Daddy for those), a hand made birthday banner (thanks Grandmommy) sand toys, hotdogs, hamburgers, and all the fixings, plus super yummy cupcakes from sweet Tiffany. As a special touch, each cupcake had a miniature pinwheel on top for decoration.Avery was fabulous! The party started with her taking a short siesta. All of the adults took this time to relax and reflect on how wonderful this past year has been with her in our lives. When she woke up, the food was served and Avery ate her very first cheeseburger (cut in very small pieces). It was then time for cake! Boy did she love digging in. Avery is not shy when it comes to food. She will try almost anything without hesitation. Gourmet Tiger did a great job and it truly was delicious.
After Avery filled up on cake, we moved to the presents. I wasn't sure how she would react to opening gifts, but she loved it! She liked the gift bags better than wrapped presents and never tired of pulling paper out to find the gift. She took her time with each present and oohed and aahhed over what she found inside. Her cute little self even took time to look at the cards first. She was an absolute doll! One of her presents was orange and blue fabric for game day outfits from Grandmommy...she was just as excited about the fabric as she was any of her toys!
After opening presents, it was time to try a few out. She loved her cell phone, swing, and book the most. Her first party was a huge success. I tried very hard not to be stressed and to take each moment in to its fullest. Avery...Levi and I love being your Mommy and Daddy and we look very forward to many more birthday celebrations in the future! Happy first birthday to our sweet, smart, beautiful little girl!

525,600 Minutes

2010-09-08T17:16:00.000-05:00

How do you measure a year in a life? It came so much quicker than I could have ever imagined. Our baby girl, who it seems we just held for the very first time, turned 1 year old. Time is so funny to me. When you are in the midst of sleepless nights, tiny clothes, a baby who snuggles with you, it seems those times will last forever. But time is tricky like that, it passes ever so slowly throughout a week and then before you know it a year has passed! My mom reminds me, "just wait till you see her holding her baby, then you can really talk about how time has gone by":)

All I have ever wanted, was to be a mother. I love that I have the opportunity, along with her Daddy, to really mold and shape the woman she will one day become. To say that raising a child is a huge responsibility does not nearly describe the monumental duty we have as parents to instill confidence, compassion, independence, and an unwaivering faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, into our children. I know that being a great mom can only come from being completely open to God's will for Avery's life.

The past year has been incredible. Avery is so much more than our hearts or minds could have conceived she would be. She is beautiful and unbelievably smart. She has her momma's independent streak and lack of patience, and her Daddy's kind heart. We have loved watching her grow, learn, and change. Ours hearts are full of unconditional love for this little one who God so graciously gave us. There have been times of frustration and exhaustion, but oh how they were outweighed by the times of joy, fun, and excitement of this year.

Happy Birthday sweet Avery! We can hardly wait for the adventures that lie ahead in your life. Always know that you are loved by so many people, but especially your Mom, Dad, and heavenly Father. We are so thankful that He picked us to be you parents!

10 & 11 Months!

2010-08-23T21:15:00.000-05:00

Avery is so active, that I am having to cover two months in one! We have been having tons of fun with our little munchkin! Over the past two months, she has mastered waving bye, signing milk, clapping, and of course the biggest mile stone of all WALKING! She took her first steps at 10 months and was practically running by 10.5. She sometimes gets a little ahead of herself and stumbles, but she is an awesome walker. I love when she reaches up to grab my hand before walking down a step. Her little toothy smile just melts my heart!

Speaking of teeth, she has one more on top and another coming in. That makes a total of four. She doesn't really say words, although she jabbers all the time. She says "Doh" as in "Here you go" whenever she wants to hand you something. She has actually pretty much stopped saying Mama and Daddy. I think that she is so focused on how mobile she is, that she doesn't thinking about talking. She moved to a big girl car seat (still rear facing until she is closer to 30 lbs.) and loves being able to see out of the window on car rides.

She runs circles around our kitchen and dining room, under our table, and stops occasionally to climb into into my pots and pans cabinet. She can stand completely up in it and thinks it is hilarious. You can't tell by the pictures, but she is actually pretty tiny and short for her age. At 10 months she weighed 19.2 and at 11 months 19.14. We are constantly having people ask if she is 8 months old (they are amazed at first to see her walking since she is so small). One of the first things that Dr. Smith said after she was born was that she had really small feet (she takes this from her Mama...size 5.5). Well he was absolutely correct. She is still in a size 1, which is for 3-6 months! Her toes do not even come to the edge yet :) It is hard to believe her tiny feet can hold her up to walk!

She loves her shape sorter and does a great job making each piece fit in its designated spot! Right now she is really good at the circle type pieces, but is getting better with the heart, plus sign and star. Each time one sinks into the middle we say "Yea Avery" and she claps her hands and giggles. She like playing chase with Daddy and also loves to dance. Boy can this little girl bust a move! It is absolutely hilarious. I am so glad we have a video camera to catch her gettin down!

I stopped pumping at 11 months at which time she started full time on organic whole milk. As I mentioned in the last post, at 10 months we started mixing whole milk with my milk. By 10.5 months we were at 1/2 and 1/2 and by 11 months she was only on whole milk. The transition has been really easy and I do not miss being tied down with pumping at all. She still nurses at night before bed and I love this time we have together. Nursing has been one of the best experiences of being a mom. I am so thankful that I was blessed with the opportunity to have that bond with Avery.

She is slowly but surely growing more hair, but it is going to be a long time before we can use bows! She still loves being outside and touching the leaves and grass. She enjoys reading books in short bursts and loves looking at her clothes hanging in the closet! I know I have mentioned it before, but I love the way she crosses her feet. I think it is my favorite thing she does.

She has learned what giving love to her dolls and teddy bears means. You can say "Give her love" and she will automatically take the doll and hug it tightly with both arms and start patting it on the back. It is so sweet! I love having a little girl!

Avery, your Mommy and Daddy (and everyone else in your life) love you sooooo much! You are definitely the best thing that has ever happened to us. I cannot believe it has been a year since we first met you! We are looking forward to making many sweet memories in the years to come!

Country Road...Part II

2010-07-27T21:42:00.000-05:00

So after we returned from our early morning walk the second day, Levi's parents were waiting on us at his house on the front porch. Here are some of the highlights from the memories we made that morning on the porch! For the first time in a while, leaving to come back to Auburn without the family we love and miss so much was really hard. I know Avery has lots of fun times ahead of her back in our hometown :)

My embrace the camera picture! Early morning, no makeup, just simply me with my sweet little girl!

Avery loving on Grandmommy's turtle!

Walking with Granddaddy
Touching the Banana Tree leaf
Peeking through the railing
Waving to me

Country Road Take Me Home...Part I

2010-07-25T21:56:00.000-05:00

This year we spent the Fourth of July weekend with our families in North Alabama. We took Friday off and were also off on Monday, so it was a nice relaxing break. Both Saturday and Sunday morning, Avery woke up at the bright and early time of 6:00. I think that being away from her crib caused her to arouse long before her normal wake time of around 7:15. So, Levi and I took the opportunity to take her on a stroll down the county road he grew up on.
On a side note, I am originally from Natural Bridge and he is from Delmar. NB is officially the smallest town in Alabama, with a population of 28 in the 2000 census. Since that time, myself and three of my family members have moved to Auburn. So, that at least puts it now at 25, with still more than half being members of my family! Levi's hometown Delmar is not much bigger. We graduated from the town of Haleyville, which is around 5,000 and is the largest city in Winston County.
When people say they are from a small town, usually it does not compare to how small my home town is. I loved growing up there. Riding four wheelers, shooting guns, learning to drive at 9, and catching lightning bugs under acres and acres of star lit sky is an awesome way to spend your childhood. Levi and I both agree that there are aspects of it which we hate Avery will miss, but we love it here too! I say all of this to explain how tranquil it is to walk down this country road in the early morning hours. No traffic, only the sound of your footsteps!
I thought to take my camera along and snapped several pictures of the "Country" landscape. In addition, we were able to capture Avery meeting her first shetland pony! I think we will be back to visit him next time we are home. We look forward to many more sweet moments with Avery in our country hometown!

9 Months!

2010-07-23T16:58:00.000-05:00

She loves Graham Crackers!

Life is just so full right now! Avery is so much fun and we are loving watching her grow. She started taking steps right after she turned 10 months, so before long I am not going to be able to keep up with her!

Here are the highlights from her 9th month:

Weight: 18. 10, Height 26 in. This puts her in about the 45th percentile. So at 3 months she was in the 85th and now we are small for our age!

We are finished with the bottle! At 9 months 2 weeks, we went cold turkey to the sippy cup and she is doing great! She turns it up like a champ. I wanted to take the bottle before it became a comfort item and before I stopped nursing. I am so glad I did this. Side note: a great way to make sure they take whole milk from the sippy cup is to mix it with breastmilk, starting with 3/4 BM and 1/4 WM. Gradually it flip flops until they are drinking all whole milk! This has worked great for Avery.

In addition to oatmeal and most baby food, she loves graham crackers, cheese, and tortilla chips.
When sitting on the floor, she uses her legs to spin herself around in circles (this is really cute!)
Waves bye sometimes, but mainly points at everyone and everything
LOVES being outside. Gets excited when you are going and upset when you are coming back in.

Cruising around furniture, doors, drawers, and anything else she can hold on to.
Walks like a champ using her wide base push toy. You can tell she thinks she is such a big girl. I actually cried the first time she used it. It was like nothing to her and all I could think was wow she is growing too fast!
Hates slowing down for anything, especially having her diaper changed.

Still enjoys her bath and loves the pool.

When I wake her up in the morning, together we let the dogs outside for the day. She loves this and smiles as we walk toward the bathroom where they sleep. I say, "where are the puppies" and she smiles and beats the door.
For kissing, she opens her whole mouth and covers you with slobber.
Talks and jabbers all the time to herself.
She became quite the momma's girl this month. Didn't like when I left the room and wanted me to hold her more. Definitely more wary of people she doesn't know.
At night she and I laugh and play in our bedroom. I lay her down and as I call it "get her belly." She is so ticklish and laughs so hard. This is my favorite time of the day!

Levi's First Father's Day!

2010-07-13T17:40:00.000-05:00

I will start by saying that I have known for a long time that Levi was going to be an amazing Dad. Kids gravitate toward him and he loves being with them. He knows how to make them feel comfortable like no one I have ever met. I think it is how kind and gentle he is. They sense that they do not get on his nerves or annoy him like they do some adults.
With that said, he has been absolutely amazing since Avery was born. He loves this little girl with all his heart and her momma too! He took two weeks off when she was born and didn't miss a beat taking care of both of us. Don't get me wrong, my mom came by in the afternoons, and his mom was here the weekend after she was born. But Levi did it all, changed dirty diapers, rocked, swaddled, read to me from Babywise and Secrets of the Baby Whisperer, when I nursed at night...From the beginning, I never got up alone with Avery at night. It was a team effort. If she woke up, he unswaddled her, changed her diaper, and then gave her to me to nurse. Then when I was finished, he changed her again, swaddled her and put her back to bed (she slept in a co-sleeper next to us for the first 9 weeks). He did this all while working full time and never complained. Thankfully she started sleeping through the night at 5 weeks, but his view point was, this is our baby and our family and I want to be a part of it all. As a result, Avery has been attached to him from the beginning. Thank you Levi for being so selfless. Although I know you were exhausted at times you did such an awesome job of loving your girls!
Nursing Avery was very important to both of us. However, it takes a lot of energy and time. Levi has encouraged me from the beginning and probably kept me from quiting during two different bouts with yeast. He washes my pump parts, sits with me so I don't have to be by myself when we are back at home, and makes sure he tells any one who will listen how proud he is of me for making it this long. We are nearing the end of the journey, but I couldn't have done it without him. Thank you for your support Levi!
Most importantly, Avery thinks he is wonderful! He is so patient with her when she is fussy and can rock her to sleep like it is nothing. Each night after I feed her, he is the one who rocks her and puts her down for the night. She loves this time with him and I know he cherishes it too.

Levi you are an awesome Dad and Husband. Avery loves you so much and I am thankful to have such a wonderful man in her life. I look forward to watching our family grow with you!

Father's Day 2010

2010-07-13T17:29:00.000-05:00

This year, we spent Father's Day back home in Haleyville. We celebrated with both of our dads and waited until we got back to Auburn to give Levi his gift. It is a post all of its own. However, we enjoyed seeing family and celebrating our Dads, who are now Granddads! We love both of you very much!

Levi and his Dad (Granddaddy George)

The Elliott Family
A future great dad: Levi's bother Samuel

My Dad (Papa Tim) and Sister Beth Anne
Avery laughing with Papa

Memorial Day!

2010-06-05T09:53:00.000-05:00

We had such a fun and relaxing Memorial Day weekend. It was much needed, since this was my first holiday from work since January. We spent it working around the house and mainly just hanging out. On Monday, my Mom, Alex, and Tiffany came over to grill out chicken and shrimp. We also made homemade strawberry ice cream. What a fun way to celebrate the beginning of summer! Avery loves being outside. She spends a lot of her time staring at the dogs or looking at our flowers. Thanks Jenny Sue for the cute outfit...we figured two of the three colors of the American flag wasn't bad. Don't you just love her sandals?

Our Little Helper

2010-06-05T09:48:00.000-05:00

Avery has become quite the little helper around the house lately. She has been right there to help with loading the dryer, unloading the dishwasher, and helping me plan what to cook for dinner. Unbelievable for a little one her age you say...Well the proof is in the pictures!

Vintage

2010-06-05T09:34:00.000-05:00

The outfit the Avester is sporting was actually my sister's when she was a baby. It is a 9 month, vintage Carter's! My mom took such great care of everything we had, which is one of the reasons I wanted a little girl so badly. Avery has several things in her room that were originally mine...we also have some treasures for later, including some basket weave red slip on shoes. I can't wait until we can pull them out! Last but not least, the turtle that she is playing with, went through me, Alex, and Beth Ann. I am going to try and do a post of all the vintage toys Avery has a little later.

Just To See You Smile!

2010-06-04T22:08:00.000-05:00

I Love Sweet Potatos

2010-06-04T22:06:00.000-05:00

Enough Said!

8 Months!

2010-06-04T22:03:00.000-05:00

Avery was 8 months old on May 1st! She weighed in at 18.6 lbs. As you can see she is full of smiles and laughs a lot now. At eight months and three weeks, her first tooth peeked through. She has definitely been a little more irritable due to this fun stage of development. She is extremely ticklish and loves for us to blow on her belly. Getting her shot in the chair this month was a little harder, hence it being above her. Here a couple of the cute out takes from the photo session. She continues to bring so much joy and fun to our lives. Here are a few highlights from month eight:

Started feeding herself puffs.
Had her first fever of 101...one of those pesky throat viruses again!
Now that she is mobile, she is a wiggle worm when trying to get a diaper on her. Oh how we took those first few months for granted!
No longer will let just anyone hold her upon first sight. Has to warm up to them first.
LOVES being with other children. She is with Noble everyday and they are becoming great buddies. This reminds me, I need to get a picture of the two of them. Alli says he asks for his Avry (pronounced with a short a sound) every morning :)

Loves riding in the stroller and watching other people. She puts on a show for who ever comments on how cute she is.
She loves being outside and whines whenever we come in.
Although she has always loved taking a bath, she really started splashing her legs and arms this month. She also loves for us to pour water over her hand. Sometimes we still giver her a bath in the sink (after I have bleached it) and when we do this, she likes for us to squirt water in her mouth with the sprayer...are we terrible parents?

In addition to the dishwasher, she loves to pull up on clothes baskets, the bath tub, any drawer, Huck and Ellie, her Momma, and unfortunately the toilet.
Speaking of drawers, she loves pulling socks out of Levi's. We have a video to post of this.
She HATES having her nose wiped or sucked. She had an incessant runny nose for much of month 8, due in part to teething. She can throw a fit like nobody's business when she sees the tissues come out!
She of course wants to get into everything she doesn't need to, including the dog's food and water. Yes, we have caught her with a piece or two in her mouth :) Lesson learned. Now when the dogs are not eating, their food in not on the floor.
Last but not least she has started making the cutest high pitched noises that just melt our heart. It is a true sign of the little girl she is turning into.

7 Months!

2010-06-04T21:59:00.000-05:00

April 1, 2010, Avery turned seven months old! She was 17 lbs. 14 oz. Probably her biggest milestone during the month was learned to crawl. She had been getting up on all fours since the middle of her sixth month and took off at 7 1/2 months. She also started pulling up at the exact same time. It was incredible to watch her crawl toward me and pull up on my leg. Having a little one clenched to your calf takes feeling needed to a whole new level!

Here are the other headlines from Avery's 7th month:

The first week of April, she learned to sit up from laying down. This chaged the whole dynamic of laying her in the crib. After we laid her down, she could just sit right back up and look at us like where are you guys going? You don't think you can just lay me down and leave do you? After a couple of nights though, she started to settle back down and fall asleep on her own.

Sleeping While I Was Getting Ready One Morning

We celebrated our first Easter with Avery. As you can tell from my Easter post, she loved her basket. I can't wait until next year, when we do an Easter Egg Tree!

Easter Morning With Her Bunny

She caught the stomach virus in the nursery on Easter Sunday :(. That Monday when I went to wake her up, she was laying in throw up and was as white as a sheet. I don't think I have been more scared as a mom that in that moment. I stripped both her and the crib and then she started throwing up again. Traumatizing I tell you. I remember asking the Dr. early on how I would know the difference in spit up and throw up and he said "Oh, you will know." He was right, I had no problem telling the difference. The throwing up lasted for two days and then the virus passed on to me, her daddy, and my mom. None of us ever remember being so sick! Levi nor I literally had the strength to pick Avery up, plus our go to person, my mom, was sick too. Thank the good Lord for my brother Alex who came over at 5 am with Powerade and Seven Up and took care of Avery and us for the rest of the day.
She added Gerber sweet potato puffs, pickles, and banana pieces to her list of eats and treats.

Trying a Pickle For The First Time With Alex

Continued saying Mama and Dada, but a little more clearly.
Started to really recognize when someone familiar came in the room, particularly Momma, Daddy, or Mimi.
Started reaching for the person or object she wanted.
When sleeping in her seat or riding in her car seat, she crosses her feet. I think this is so sweet!

Became really attached to the sock monkey.
First time in Jordan Hare Stadium. We attended the A-Day game and also toured the new Auburn Arena. We look forward to many memories in both of these places!
Mastered crawling and loved chasing the dogs.

Mastered pulling up at the same time she started crawling. Her favorite thing to pull up on is the dishwasher.

Always tugs at her ear when she is starting to get tired. When nursing her before bed, she holds on to it too.
EVERYTHING goes in her mouth, but no teeth yet!
Still loves looking at herself in the mirror.
She learned to blow raspberries last month, but has now decided to do them while eating. She thinks the food going everywhere is hilarious ;)

I Just Can't Get Enough Of This Little Stinker!

Mother's Day...I knew I would eventually blog again!

2010-06-02T20:33:00.000-05:00

Life lately has been so incredibly busy. To say I am behind on blogging in an understatement. I have lots of upcoming posts though, so stay tuned! I plan to use the blog as Avery's baby book...so I am playing major catch up. To start my updates, I will begin with May 9, 2010...My first Mother's Day with Avery!

The day began with Levi making us cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Next to my plate he had two cards waiting. I love cards. Levi always does an awesome job with finding just the right one, that says just the right words. While I love the one from him, the one that Avery picked out for her Mommy was just precious. She even signed it with her tiny little hand (Levi brought home his engineer stamp and put her hand print on the inside cover). How adorable is that? Lastly, he designed our upcoming picture wall. We have a pretty large blank wall on one side of our living room. He knew that I was wanting to put lots of different pictures of family up on it, so he designed the layout using his rad auto-cad skills! He wanted me to be a part of picking out the frames and pictures, so the actual completion of the wall will not be for several more weeks (probably after Camp War Eagle is over). But, I love the layout he did and think it is going to be beautiful once he hangs all of the pictures.
To finish this post, I thought is would be a good time to document the time surrounding the day I found out I was going to be a Mom. Back in 2008, Levi and I kept going back and forth on if we were ready to be parents. One of us would be ready one day, and then the next have a change of heart. We were praying for God's guidance and knew that he had a plan. So Christmas morning 2008, we were at Levi's parents house getting ready for breakfast. While I was drying my hair, I turned to Levi and said, "Wow, I feel really nauseated. Could I possibly be sick again?" You see I have had really bad luck with having the stomach virus on Christmas. It has happened to me three times in recent years. So I just assumed it was happening again. I laid down and tried not to inhale the smell of the bacon that was frying! The feeling finally passed and we went on to have a really great day with family and friends.
The next morning we left to spend the night with Levi's Uncle Keith, Aunt Johanna and cousins Kelly and Zach in Birmingham. We had a great time eating at Olive Garden and catching up. It wasn't until the 27th that I started to think...something isn't right...I think I might be late. This led to a sort of joking comment to Levi in which I said, "I'm not 100% sure, but I think I might be pregnant. In the rush of getting through Christmas, I just realized that I am now 2 days late" To which he responded with something like: no way...really? I say: "Really, but I am not going to worry too much right now. We can talk more on the way back to Auburn." So we packed up the car and started our drive.
Once back in Auburn we decided that the next morning, December 28th, we would take a pregnancy test. We just happened to have one from an early marriage scare to use. I woke up and had it waiting in the bathroom. Once I finished taking it, I laid it on the counter and walked back to the bedroom. We held hands and waited for the longest 3 minutes of our lives to pass. I wanted Levi to be the first to know, so he walked in to check. Two very faint lines were showing up...it was POSITIVE! He came out and said, "Well it is really faint, but I think we are pregnant." We read back over the instructions which said, if both lines show up at all, you are pregnant. There is no such thing as a false positive. It only picks up on the pregnancy hormone, which is only present when you are pregnant. We laughed and cried, thanked God for this new little miracle, and spent the rest of the morning cuddling. I am so glad it was during the holidays and that we were both off of work. Like I mentioned before, the test we had was a couple of years old and was actually out of date. So, just to be sure we took another one the next morning and it too was positive.
The next couple of days were spent thinking about how our life was about to change and how we would tell family. There is always that part of you that wants to be cautious, but at the same time you are so excited that you just have to tell someone. We chose to wait until New Year's Eve to tell our parents. We thought that would be a really neat way for them to start 2009. Since they are not here with us, we told Levi's parents first and his mother just couldn't believe it. Just a few days earlier, she had told me that Levi's Grandmother Christine had a dream that we were expecting. So Levi said to her, remember Grandmother's dream...and she said "Oh yeah, the one where you were expecting!" And he said yes, well it came true. She was speechless but so excited. We had already made dinner plans with my mom and when she got to our house, we hit her with "you will never guess who is expecting a baby in Levi's family." There had been three announcements made within just a couple of months from his first cousins. She did her best to deplete all of the possible candidates, when I finally said "It's US." She immediately started crying and gave us both a hug. Both of our Dads were really excited too. We had everyone convinced that it was going to be a couple of years before we started trying, so it was a bit of a surprise to everyone.
It definitely was a surprise to us too! Our plan, which is never as good as what God has planned, was to be pregnant by April. Looking back I longed so much for September to get here that I don't think I could have waited until December or January. We call her our little love bug! I praise God for Avery and all the joy she has brought to my life. I love being her mom and feel that there is no great calling in the world than that of raising children. I am so humbled that God has allowed me to experience the amazing journey of motherhood. I know that there will be trials, but the triumphs will be incredible and worth every minute.

In closing, I would like to say thank you to my Mom and Grandmothers who have so tremendously influenced the person I am today. Thank you for all of the time and countless hours you have invested in my life. I have realized over the past year with Avery just how wonderful you are! Also, thank you Patti, Christine and Ava Jean for being such a wonderful Mom and Grandmothers to Levi. He is one amazing man, who loves God, me, and Avery with all his heart. While there are many days that I am exhausted it is so wonderful to be a mom this Mother's Day!

Avery's 7 Month Pictures

2010-04-12T15:11:00.000-05:00

We had Avery's 7 month pictures made with Suzanne Williams out of Montgomery. She is fabulous and a complete joy to work with. She worked so hard to make Avery smile and you can tell that she truly loves working with children. I highly recommend her if you need pictures and live in the area.

Anyways, for a sneak peek visit:http://suzannewilliamsphotography.com/blog/?p=346. They are wonderful!

6 Months!

2010-04-09T21:09:00.000-05:00

So, Avery is really 7 months now, but I have decided to post at the end of each month so that I can document everything that happened during that particular month :)
As far as weight and height stats go, she was 17.7 and 26 in. long. 60th percentile for weight and 50th for height. She was still right on track for gaining the standard pound per month. She has become quite the giggler and continues to steal everyone's heart with her sweet smiles. Boy does she love her Daddy!
This month her biggest milestone was getting up on all fours and trying to crawl. This occurred during the first week of March and by the end of the month she could "scoot" to pretty much any object she wanted. At 6.5 months we had her ears pierced and they couldn't look cuter. Since then, we definitely have had fewer "Is it a girl or boy?" questions! The last week of March, she learned how to blow raspberries and thinks it is hilarious when she does it :) While I am thinking great, our sweet little girl is now a spit blower! Last but not least, toward the end of the month she was able to hold her self up in the crib and as long as she was holding on when she fell, she could pull herself back up too. She is getting to be so strong!
In addition to oatmeal, she added sweet potatoes, green peas, and bananas to her diet. She absolutely loves the sweet potatoes, which is weird, since Levi nor I either one likes them. She grew even more aware of the dogs and loves to sit and pet Ellie. Huck doesn't really like the idea of her pulling on his fur so he kinda just sniffs and moves on, but Ellie is content to just sit and let Avery pet her. I think this comes from her having a couple of litters of puppies...plus a constant need for attention :) The picture below is just too funny... Whose boppy is it really?
Until next time...

He Lives!

2010-04-06T21:03:00.001-05:00

We had a wonderful first Easter with Avery. Although we didn't get any family pictures, we did get several of her with her baskets, yes baskets is plural...her Mimi (my mom) put them together for her. Since she did two, I decided to wait until next year to do one for our house. Thank you Mimi. I think Avery (and us) loved everything she got!
In sharing a few pictures of Avery from Easter, I wanted to also share one of our favorite childhood hymns; He Lives. As we were getting ready Sunday morning, we were singing it to her and even though I know the words well, I rarely stop to focus on what they really mean. Christ does live within me, within my heart. He is alive and active and moving in my life in ways that I will never understand until I get to see Him.
Thank you God for loving me so much that you sent Your Son to die for me. Having Avery this year has definitely given us a deeper appreciation for this sacrifice. The most amazing part, and the reason I and all Christians have hope and can manage to make it through each day is, that the cross wasn't the end! Praise God! He kept His promise and just as He said, 3 days after His death, He had risen...the tomb was empty! So to celebrate, join me in singing a couple of choruses of He Lives!

I serve a risen Savior,

He's in the world today;
I know that He is living,
Whatever men may say;
I see His hand of mercy,
I hear His voice of cheer,
And just the time I need Him
He's always near.
He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and He talks with me
Along life's narrow way.
He lives, He live, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives:
He lives within my heart.
In all the world around me
I see His loving care,
And tho my heart grows weary
I never will despair;
I know that He is leading
Thro' all the stormy blast,
The day of His appearing
Will come at last.
Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian,
Lift up your voice and sing
Eternal hallelujahs
To Jesus Christ the King!
The hope of all who seek Him,
The help of all who find,
None other is so loving,
So good and kind.

Sweet Spring!

2010-04-02T15:07:00.000-05:00

Here are a few pictures of Avery on one of the nice days we had over the last couple of weeks. I am so glad that the weather is finally more enjoyable. We are looking forward to many days of fun outside as a family!

We have been working hard in our yard and have planted a lot of flowers...in the ground and in pots. I love working outside, it is such a stress reliever. Tomorrow is Avery's 7 month pictures. We are taking them at Jasmine Hill. I have heard it is beautiful there. I know they are going to be cute. She is at such a fun stage!

Get Ready Cause Here I Come!

2010-03-18T20:20:00.000-05:00

Avery is getting so close to crawling! About a week ago, she started getting up on all fours and rocking. Now she will straighten her legs and arms out and move her legs back and fourth as if she is scratching off. I could be wrong but it sure seems like it will not be long before she is speeding all over the house...which means I am going to have to start keeping my floors a lot cleaner!

Having a Little Girl...

2010-03-17T15:02:00.000-05:00

It has been almost a year since we first learned we were expecting a precious baby girl. From the moment those words were uttered though, I have been planning and dreaming about all of the fun, girly times, I would get to have with Avery. I am looking very forward to all of the ribbons, bows, dresses, shoes, highlights, and makeup that will come in the days ahead... nevermind how much my pocket book might suffer :)

So, you can imagine how excited and anxious I was on Monday when we had her ears pierced! She is just adorable...look back up at the pictures to see them. Mine were pierced when I was about 6 months old and I have known all along that Avery would have hers done when she reached 6 months as well. Just for fun, here is a picture of me at 9 months old.

Levi and both agreed that we would rather do it now when she will not even remember it, than have her anticipate the pain when she is older. Not to mention that pretty soon, she will notice that her mommy always wears earrings and will want them in her ears too! I am actually in the process of ordering her little pearls so that we can match. All in all, I am so glad we had it done. It was a lot like when she gets her shots. Schock for about 10 seconds, then crying for a few more. After her Daddy got her and was able to provide comfort, all was well. She was laughing and smiling again within a couple of minutes. Here are pictures in sequence from Monday night.

I am such a pretty little girl!

Listening to the instructions :)

Cleaning her ears with the alcohol swab...this kinda tickles!

Using a pair of shiny earrings to distract her from the pain she is about to experience :(

Mommy and Avery with our earrings after it was all over.

Beautiful Baby!

2010-03-06T09:13:00.001-06:00

Last Saturday 2/27, Levi, myself, and his mom took Avery for a walk on campus. It was a little cooler than we had first thought and although I had her in thick clothes...I forgot to bring her hat. Not to worry though, we just took one of the blankets we had and placed it over her head to block the wind a little bit. It ended up being really cute and here are a couple of pictures to prove it. How can you not just eat her up!

5 Months!

2010-02-28T17:50:00.000-06:00

F stands for February and Five Months :) She weighed 16.6 lbs and was 24.5 inches long. This month was a big one for Little Girl. Here are some of the experiences she had and milestones she reached:
Week 1:

Mastering rolling over from front to back and back to front. She did it a couple of times during her 4th month, but really became good at this month.
Splashing during her bath.
Started back thumb sucking...not sure if this is a good thing!
Oh...that is me in the mirror!

Week 2:

SITTTING UP UNASSISTED (she can go for 15 min. without falling over)
Reaching for and putting her paci in her mouth.
Had her first accumulating snow fall!

Week 3:

Eating oatmeal and loving it :) She hated rice cereal...
Finally paying attention to the dogs, she smiles whenever they enter the room now.
First virus with a fever: Viral Pharyngitis, aka, a sore throat. In adults it is basically a cold.

Week 4:

First bath in the big tub (in her chair...pictures to come)
Sitting in a high chair at a restaurant for the first time...Olive Garden to be exact.

This month there are even more giggles and coos and tons of sweet smiles. Since she started eating her oatmeal, she has been taking a 3 (sometimes 4) hour nap during the middle of the day while she is at Alli's. She wants to crawl so bad and gets frustrated that she cannot move wherever she wants. We never use the swing anymore...she always wants to be either sitting on the floor or in her excersaucer. We definitely are having to keep more of an eye on her...I can't imagine what it is going to be like when she starts crawling. Spring cannot get here fast enough! We are looking very forward to being outside more for playing and walks. Yesterday, we took a walk on campus and she loved looking at all the people.

We are so thankful to be Avery's parents. By far, the fifth month has definitely been the most fun...we will see though what the sixth one has in store.

Snow Baby!

2010-02-12T17:03:00.001-06:00

Super Fun Super Bowl Party

2010-02-11T08:54:00.000-06:00

This year the Elliotts watched the Super Bowl from the Auburn University Recruiting Lounge! Even though I have worked for Auburn for the past 6 years (student time included) this is something I had not yet got to experience. To say Levi and I were beyond excited was an understatement! My husband loves Auburn Football and keeps up with recruiting like no one I have ever seen. A lot of you may not realize this about him, since he isn't the most extroverted person, but ask him sometime about football and you will find out very quickly he loves his Auburn Tigers!
The lounge itself is just past the gates of Tiger Walk and leads directly into the locker room. Being the opportunity that this was, we of course took the time for a photo opp in front of the legendary Bo Jackson's jersy display. I think it turned out really good...Avery looks genuinely excited! I wish she were a little older and could appreciate it more, but maybe we will get the chance to visit again sometime. She had her picture made with Aubie at 7 weeks (I never got around to posting it on here)but it is the small things like seeing Aubie on a regular basis and the big things like getting to be in the locker room that make calling Auburn my home so much fun!

Video's of Avery

2010-02-02T17:39:00.000-06:00

For Christmas I got the Sony Webbie HD. We had been wanting something to document Avery's milestones with, and since we had already spent a good bit on the Nikon I needed to fine something cost efficient. We looked at all of the reviews and went with this one. It uses a duo stick pro that keeps up to 9 hrs. of video and also takes pretty good pictures. It only cost $150 at Sams ($200 at Bestbuy. So that they would upload faster, Levi selectd a lower viewing quality. But rest assured when you are watching it on your own tv,the picture is crystal clear!

Anyways, here are a couple of videos we have done of Avery over the past month. They are mainly for family and might not be all that interesting to the rest of you. Granmommy, we especially hope that you enjoy!

4 Months!

2010-01-28T20:29:00.000-06:00

Ok, so I am doing Avery's 4 month post on her 5 month birthday...to say I am behind on blogging is an understatement! Hopefully, I will be able to catch up in the next few days.

Avery had a very busy and exciting 4th month of life. In fact, she celebrated it on New Year's Day in Tampa, with an Auburn victory! Yes, we took a four month old to the Outback Bowl. At the game, she was an absolute star and I hope we can attend many more Auburn games with our little tiger. I am going to blog about our whole trip in my nextfew posts.

At her four month checkup, she weighed 15.6 lbs. and was 24 in. long. This put her in the 75th percentile for weight and the 30th percentile for height. It looks like she is taking after her Mommy...enough said! We think she is ablsolutely georgeous and irresistably cute! She flashes her sweet smile to everyone and is such a happy baby. She literally is content all most all of the time. Only when she is hungry or really tired does she start to fuss and even then it is not hard to calm her. Lord, please let all of our children be like this!

This month, she really found her fingers and sucked on them quite a bit. She started to get tired of her swing and wanted to be put on the floor a lot more. She loves laying under her activity mat and looking at herself in the mirror. In addition to smiling all the time, she started laughing too. She especially loves for us to sing to her. Her favorite song is "Glory Glory to Ole Auburn" We were just singing it to her one day and she busted out giggling. It is super cute! Currently, the TV is really catching her eye...especially sports which flash on the TV so rapidly. She has not rolled over on her own yet, but is very close. She can sit up on her own though for short periods of time. The dogs are catching her attention now too. She has even started to pet them a little. Last but not least, she has finally started paying attention to her rattles and other toys...and giving her a burp cloth to play with occupies her attention for at least 15 minutes.

She continues to sleep really well and we continue to feel really blessed! We have not started cereal yet and do not plan to until she is 6 months or starts to wake up at night. Nursing and pumping are going great and my milk has not diminished since starting back to work. I am so thankful for this! Not only is it good for Avery, but it is saving us a ton of money :) I have to say that I love nursing. Prior to having her, I was nervous and worried that it would be hard, or I wouldn't be good at it. Overall though, I have had a great experience. Don't get me wrong, it is a huge commitment and very time consuming, but it makes me feel so much better at work knowing that she has me in that sense. Then, getting home to nurse her helps my emotions so much. I have heard from a lot of moms and my mom that it is hard emotionally when you start to wean. This makes since, since you are their source of nourishment for so long. I truly cherish this special time we spend together!

Avery is now staying with Mrs. Alli full time and she loves both her and Noble. In fact, she thinks Noble is hilarious. We are so blessed to have such a sweet, Christian friend and mother like Alli to take care of her while we are at work. I think I am going to start doing monthy recaps instead of blogging at the beginning of a new month. That way I can cover everything that happened throughout the whole month.

We love you Avery Caroline! You bring so much Joy to everyone's life...we can't wait to see what your 5th month has in store for us!

Alex and Beth Anne

2010-01-07T14:23:00.000-06:00

My brother (Alex) and my sister (Beth Anne) just recently celebrated their 21st and 22nd birthdays. I think they are pretty special and you know only really special people get blog time so I thought they deserved a post!

They were born only 11.5 months apart and in the same year. Alex came first on January 5, 1988 and Beth Ann on December 22, 1988. Amazing, I know. Even more amazing is how my mom survived it all. I was 3.5 when Alex was born and she had to be induced with Beth Anne to make it home for his first Christmas.

For Beth Anne's day we ordered domino's wings and pizza to celebrate. Since it was her 21st, she and a few others then went out for a little more celebration and late night karaoke at the Oyster Bar. Unfortunately, Levi and I went home to our "adult" life with Avery (that I love) and didn't get to attend that portion. I know they had an absolute blast though! Beth Anne is probably one of the hardest working people I know. She just finished her first semester of nursing school and totally blew it out of the water! She is super smart and super sassy at the same time. She is very protective of our family and is very tender hearted. I am glad she enjoys nursing, so that one day she can take care of our parents!!!

For Alex's Birthday we went to Outback to celebrate. It was a fun time with great food and family. The pictures are from his celebration. Alex is kind and compassionate as well. Who was it when I was starving after delivering Avery that went to get my food? Alex. In the past few months he has started to mature in to a really great man. He is winding down his degree in Kinesiology and plans to go on to physical therapy school next spring. Alex can make anybody laugh and he is a HUGE Auburn fan.

I can't imagine not having them in my life. They are great friends and even better as an Aunt and Uncle to Avery. She adores them and I know is going to love spending lots of time with them in the coming years. Since I have returned to work, with the exception of two weeks, Beth Anne and Alex (and Tiffany, Alex's girlfriend) have kept Avery during the week. A lot of people have said, ok we understand leaving her with your sister, but your brother...do you think he can handle it? I then have to let them know that Alex is just as hands on as anyone else. He changes ALL of her diapers...the wet and the dirty and doesn't even blink an eyelash. He knows how to feed and burp her as well. His specialty though is making her laugh. We don't exactly know what it is about him, maybe it is how funny looking he is, but Avery thinks he is hilarious. And because I don't want Kevin (Beth Anne boyfriend) to feel left out...you know Avery loves you too!
Anyways...here is to Beth Anne and Alex...We love you guys and are so glad you are here in Auburn with us!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T11:15:00.000-06:00

May God bless you this Christmas and the joy of the Lord fill your heart with gladness and cheer!

As my friend Alli reminded our Sunday School class this morning in an e-mail, "We can rejoice because Jesus came as a baby to live perfectly, die innocently, and ascend powerfully so that we could live eternally with him and be saved from the sting of death!"

Simply Pitiful...

2009-12-21T18:40:00.000-06:00

The past few days have been tough on the Elliott family. It started with Avery getting sick, then me. and lastly Levi. We have all just had run of the mill colds, but they put us out of commission every time. I have a terrible respiratory system and I am praying that Avery doesn't inherit it. Even though we thought it was just a cold, I took her to the pediatrician just in case and he confirmed it was a cold as we had suspected and that it was not RSV. RSV had not even crossed my mind...let alone the possibility that we could be in the hospital, if that is what she had. As of today though, I am happy to say that Avery is on the upswing of her cold and her mommy and daddy, although a little more slowly, are recovering nicely as well. However, you can tell from this picture taken the night before her drs. visit, she was one sick...but still really cute....little girl! The last one is from the day after...a big improvement! Looks like she will be feeling jolly for her 1st Christmas after all!

After the regular Drs. visit, we headed to the Chiropractor. Call me crazy, but I believe in it. Being adjusted throughout pregnancy is what I credit with having such an easy time and sleeping the whole 10 months. At 38 weeks 3 days, I was the furthest along pregnant lady my chiropractor had ever adjusted!

Any ways, I have been going for about 3 years and during that time, Levi and I read up on the positive effects that adjustments have on babies and children too. We learned that it can help with colic, acid reflux, ear infections, and colds. After talking with several people who take their kids, together we decided that Avery would be adjusted regularly and for sure when she is sick. Her first visit was at 2 months and she smiled the whole time. Since I am a patient, my Dr. doesn't charge for Avery. If you need a great chiropractor, Dr. Sean Lauratis in Auburn is who we use and I highly recommend him. If you need a great pediatrician we use Dr. Anthony Greer. He is a primary care physician as well as a pediatrician and loves to treat young families as a whole. I really like that he knows and treats our entire family.

Until next time...

3 Months!!

2009-12-10T21:09:00.000-06:00

We took two 3 month pictures on different nights...I couldn't choose so I posted both. On one of the signs, you can see where she drooled on it. Our little chunk weighed 13 lbs 10 oz. at her 3 month appointment. She is so stinking cute!

Where has the time gone? Now that I am back at work, it is really hard to find time to blog. When I get home, any extra time I have is spent with my two loves!

Avery is getting to be so much fun. She smiles at everything and everyone...but especially her momma. I love that when me or Levi walk in a room she hears our voice and turns her head. It is such a great feeling. My favorite time is when she first wakes up in the morning. As you can see from the pictures, she is all smiles, even before she opens her eyes.

She is constantly "talking" now too. She particularly likes the O sound. We say O and then she says it back to us, sometimes a resounding OOOOOOOOO. I think she really likes to hear herself and according to Levi, is going to be quite a talker like her mom! She loves her hands and has them in her mouth all the time now. She sucks her pointer finger and every now and then her thumb, but still enjoys her paci the most. She can see it coming toward her and lunges for it. I love how when she wants to go to sleep, you just stick it in her mouth, turn her on her side toward you and bam, she is out! It works no matter who is holding her :)

Speaking of sleep, she is a WONDERFUL sleeper. Praise the Lord for this. We started putting her on a schedule almost as soon as we got home from the hospital and while it was hard work, I don't regret one minute of it. We moved her to her crib at 10 weeks and it was a seamless transition. We accidentally left the co-sleeper at mom's when she stayed with her, so we decided just to leave it and move on to the crib. It was sad at first not having her beside us...each transition is sad and exciting all at the same time :) We are so blessed that she did not have colic or reflux...I can't even pretend to know what dealing with those two issues would be like.

At night, I nurse her at 9:30, Levi swaddles and rocks her, then lays her down in her crib. Some nights we might have to go in once or twice shortly after that to put her paci back in, but not often. Then she sleeps until we get her up in the morning. She has been doing this pretty much since she was 5 weeks old. This past Saturday, she slept from 9:30 p.m. until 9:00 a.m. Let me just say Babywise works and is AWESOME. One thing that works for us really well is letting her sleep on her stomach. I know this is not recommended, but that is how she sleeps the best. Not to mention that is also how pretty much everyone who reads this blog slept when they were babies too. Avery has really good head control and can move it back and forth at will, so we don't worry about her.

Throughout the day she still eats every 3 to 3.5 hours with the last time at 9:30 or so. I am pumping throughout the day at work and then nursing once I am back at home. We joke that I have enough milk to feed 3 kids! I really hope it stay this way, my goal is to continue until she is at least 9 months old. I am really blessed to have my own office and a very supportive boss, who just recently finished nursing her son for over a year.

We are so looking forward to celebrating Christmas this year and New Year's will be in Tampa! Until next time...

Smarty Pants!

2009-12-01T20:49:00.000-06:00

So Dad, you need help with #23 across?

Don't worry, I will help you...What is a five letter word for beautiful? Avery of course!

Avery's Dedication

2009-11-21T16:49:00.000-06:00

On Sunday November 15, 2009, Levi and I officially dedicated our precious baby girl to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Yes, it was a reason to get dressed up, to spend time with family and friends, and to eat great food, but more so than any of those reasons it was a time to celebrate the life God created and gave to us. It was a great day for celebrating!

Brother Steve, our incredible pastor, said it all when he prayed that God would continually draw her heart to Him, so that one day she will be tender to his calling and give Hm her life, just as Jesus laid down His for her and us so many years ago. Our wish for her is to crave closeness with God and to be in His word much more than either of us were in our early days (and now for that matter). Yes, she will make mistakes and we will too as parents...but we serve a merciful God full of grace for His children.

Lord, please be with Levi and I as we raise Avery toward your purpose. Help us to never deter her from the calling you place on her life, even if it makes us anxious. We know that all things work for the good of those who love You. I pray that above all else, Avery will always see our love for You. Protect our marriage and keep our eyes open to the evil that is lurking and wants only to tear our sweet family apart. To say thank you for her is not nearly enough to convey how rich our life is now that she is here. Amen!

Throughout the day of her dedication and this past week, the old hymn Draw Me Nearer has been running through my mind and I believe that it describes our prayer for her perfectly...

I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to Thee.

Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.

Oh, the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God
I commune as friend with friend!

There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.

Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.

2 Months Old!

2009-11-10T07:16:00.000-06:00

I am a little behind on Avery's 2 month post...I have been spending most of my time with her, soaking up her incredible cuteness and trying not to think about the time I will be spending away from her once back at work. Tomorrow is the big day. I am going to work half days through Monday and then will be back full time on Tuesday. Levi will be with her this week, and then his Mother is coming next week... If you think to, please remember me in your prayers. How did the time pass so quickly?

Look at that picture of Avery, couldn't you just eat her up. She has become quite the smiler lately. It melts my heart! Levi says I am the luckiest because she will give me smiles without being provoked. As in she just sees me and smiles, where as other people have to talk to her or prod her to smile. Anyway that you get one though, it is absolutely precious. I snapped these pictures the other day when she was laying in Levi's lap. You can tell she loves for her Daddy to play with her. Right now, she loves for you to sit her up and talk to her. She still loves her swing and it is probably by far my favorite thing we have. Well, maybe behind the paci :) She is so happy in the morning when she wakes up. Both at 5:45 and then again at 9:00. I love singing and talking to her when I change her diaper. When I stand her up after a diaper change, I have started singing and helping her dance to "Stand up, Stand up for Jesus." She really likes it!

She had her first Drs. Appt. on November 2nd. She weighed 11. 10 and was 22.5 in. long. This placed her in the 75th percentile for weight and the 50th percentile for length. So she started out in life, long and skinny and now she is moving more toward the short and plump! She is adorable. Because it has been awhile since I have posted... at 9 weeks she weighed 12 lbs, at 8 weeks 11.10, at 7 weeks, 11.5, and at 6 weeks 10.12. I look back at her pictures when she was first born and I remember how gorgeous I thought she was then, but we both think she gets prettier everyday!

At 9 weeks, she spent her first night away from us. This past Saturday, Levi and I had the day to ourselves and used it to go over to Columbus to shop. My sweet Mom kept Avery from 1:00 on Saturday until 11:00 on Sunday morning. When we got back I went and nursed about 9:15 just so she would sleep really well, and then we came home. The house felt empty without her here. We are definitely a family now and feel like we are missing a piece when we don't have her. However, it was nice to get some much needed rest, relaxation, and time together. Some people say that the first year of their marriage is the hardest. I would say though that the 2nd month of having your first child is the hardest. It isn't that we argue or fight more, it is just finding the right balance of time for everything that needs to be done and then remembering to save some time for each other. It is a learned process, one that we are taking one day at a time. Thank God I have a husband though who is selfless and helps me tremendously with Avery and our home. How did those moms back in the day do it without any help? It explains why so many middle aged women are on nerve pills now!

Until next time!

Avery's First Halloween!

2009-11-02T17:05:00.000-06:00

So even though Avery was only in her costume for about 5 minutes, we still managed to catch some sweet pictures. A lady who works with Levi let us borrow her ladybug outfit. I think Avery makes a very cute bug...what do you think? A very pretty witch (Aunt B) also stopped by to see our little bug. I can only imagine when Avery is in college dressing up for a Halloween party! I am glad I have many years to prepare! Next year should be more interesting. She will be a little over a year old and hopefully walking.

Avery at 5 and 6 Weeks

2009-10-19T09:58:00.000-05:00

Time has flown. I find myself saying this over and over again and I am sure it will continue to be a frequent thought that I have. Although it is bittersweet to see Avery get bigger, it is so much fun to watch her grow and become more interactive. In the past couple of weeks I have definitely felt more like myself and have actually been able to accomplish several things per day around the house. I have also gone out without her several times too, which has been nice. However, I am always super excited to get back home to see her! I am very nervous though about transitioning back to work. My first day back will be November 11th and I already starting to be anxious about its arrival. Please add this to your prayer list!

Avery sleeping through the night was no fluke. Since she turned 5 weeks old, she has been consistently sleeping from 11:00 until 5:30 (sometimes later) each night. Even the trip home did not deter her from doing this. A stuffy nose led to one exception in the routine, but that has been it. I am looking forward to 7 or 8 straight hours, but what a blessing to get 6.5!

Since she was born, she has done really well with holding her head up, but at 5 weeks she started keeping it up for extended periods and really began to want to watch everything and everyone. So at 6 weeks, we decided to try out the Bumbo seat. She loves it! Now she spends about 20 minutes of her wake time in it, just taking in the scenery. Since I can take it an sit her anywhere that I am, it has really helped me out too. She has watched me blog, dry my hair, fold clothes, you name it, from the Bumbo seat :)

Avery loves to be talked to. She gives the sweetest smiles and coos during our conversations. She doesn't save all of her sweetness for me either. Pretty much anyone who gives her attention is privy to her cuteness. She also loves her swing. Anytime she will not complete a nap or we just need to get some things done, the swing is out go to. She will sit and talk to herself in it, which for us is a lot of fun to watch.

Right now, she is good with everyone and doesn't fuss at all when being held. In fact she is so comfortable with other people, she will usually fall asleep if they hold her long enough. I hope this trend continues and she doesn't go through too much separation anxiety. Don't get me wrong though, this girl has thrown a fit or two...She isn't completely perfect :)

I can distinguish between her cries and loves her tired one the most. It is so very half hearted and melts my heart! Her eyes are still blue and oh, last but not least, at 5 weeks Avery weighed 9.11 and at 6 weeks 10.5. She is definitely a growing girl! She developed Baby Acne at the end of 4 weeks, but now at the end of 6 weeks it is clearing up. Avery is our little doll and we can't wait to see what the coming weeks have in store!

Grands, Greats, and Everyone In Between!

2009-10-12T15:32:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we made our first overnight trip with Avery to our hometown. We worried about how she would do during the 3.5 hr car ride home, but she ended up sleeping almost the whole way there and back. Since we have been back though, it has been hard to get her back on schedule due to her and us being sooo tired and then her having a very stuffy nose :(

She got to meet lots of very special people, as well as visit with a few she already loves. Levi and I are blessed to have all four of our grandmothers and one grandfather still with us. Little Miss was a hit with all of them this weekend! We both love showing her off to everyone. This is such a special time in our lives and we are trying to savor each moment. Avery also attended her first church service and was a little doll the whole time. It was fun to introduce her to people at church who have known Levi since he was born and some who even knew his dad when he was little. It was a whirlwind of a trip but a blast nonetheless.

Her MaMaw Brown (My Mom's Mom)

Four Generations of Extraordinary Women!

Her Granny Smith (My Dad's Mom)

Her Grandmother Christeen (Levi's Dad's Mom)
Her Maw Mize (Levi's Mom's Mom)

Maw Mize and Daddy Mize

Her Papa Tim (My Dad)

Her Grandaddy George (Levi's Dad)

Her Grandmommy (Levi's Mom)
(This picture is from when she was a week old)

Her Uncle Sam and Aunt Alyssa
Her Aunt Pam from MA (Levi's Mom's Sister)

Her Cousin Hayden

Her Cousins Brooklyn, Anna Kate, and Emma Sue
(We are missing Briley and Karrigan who were also born this year!)

1 Month Old!

2009-10-05T14:42:00.000-05:00

As hard as it is to believe, Avery is 1 Month Old! Just a little over 4 weeks ago, I was still pregnant and waiting on our little miracle to arrive. Now, we are spending our time in awe of just how awesome she is, and how fast time flies. Last Thursday when I weighed her, she was 8 lbs. 11 ozs. This girl knows how to eat!

While we have had a couple of rough nights, the overwhelming majority of them have been pretty easy. Although, I think it might be a fluke, last night at 4 weeks 5 days, she slept from 11:00 p.m. until 5:45 a.m. To say that we were blown away was an understatement. I cannot tell you how rested I felt this morning! We will see if it happens again. I don't think she is ready to skip that middle of the night feeding every night just yet. I will keep you updated...

At four weeks she took her first "real" bath, courtesy of Daddy, and loved it! She has had a couple since then and just looks so content. As you can tell, Levi is not in love at all with her :)

Avery gazes so intently at everyone as if she is taking everything about you in. We both really love just sitting and talking to her. She is also doing really well at holding her head up. She can still wear newborn diapers, but is getting very close to being in size 1. I am so sad, yet so excited and anxious to watch my tiny sweetie grow. To us right now, she seems so much bigger, but everyone else still thinks she is tiny. After all, some babies are born as big as she is (Levi) at 1 month.

Until next time...

Avery is 3 Weeks Old...Mom is 25!

2009-09-25T08:14:00.001-05:00

Today is my birthday...25 on the 25th. This year, I must say I have the best gift ever! Avery is 3 weeks old and growing so fast! I weighed her yesterday at the Breast Feeding Support Group and she is now 7.11, which means she gained a little more than a lb in a week! Her umbilical cord stump actually fell off exactly 21 days after she was born, so she is going to get to take her first real bath very soon.

She is a side sleeper, just like her Mommy and even sticks her butt out like me. She has hiccups at least 3 times a day but never gets upset with them. This isn't a surprise though, because she had them all the time in the womb. She also sucks her thumb when she can find it!
She is so alert and has started to really pay attention to the mobile and mirror on her swing. She is finally able to fit into some of her newborn outfits and she is absolutely adorable in them.

So far, she is still napping and eating well. Sometimes she fights sleep a little, but eventually goes down. She will take a bottle, but when we tried to substitute it for nursing at her 2:00 feeding she would not go back to sleep. We concluded that she liked the food, but needed the nursing for the comfort to fall back asleep. So, I decided I would rather spend an 45 min. nursing than 3.5 hrs. trying to get her to fall back asleep and all has been good since. Hopefully she will be sleeping through the night in a few weeks anyways. Sometimes we give her a bottle around 6:00 p.m. instead, just so Levi can enjoy feeding her too.

I had my first scary mom moment yesterday. My blood sugar plummeted and I had to call my mom to come over to help me and to take care of Avery. After I got home from the support group, I started feeling dizzy. I got through feeding Avery and thought that I better lay down. She needed her diaper changed and during that I continued to get more dizzy. I remember thinking that I wouldn't be able to carry her from the changing pad to our bedroom. Somehow I did, but when I laid down in our bed, the entire room was spinning and I felt incredibly nauseous. So, I called mom and she left work immediately. Avery started crying and I managed to get her up on my chest and she fell asleep; Thank God! When mom got there, I had stumbled to the bath room to get the garbage can and was leaning on the wall because I couldn't stand. She helped me back to the bed and got me a cold wash cloth. About 2 minutes later, everything came up. Mom then watched Avery and I slept for almost 2 hrs. After discussing my food intake for the day and activities, we determined it was blood sugar. I have a history of these attacks, but haven't had one since college in 2006. Being sick as a mom with a little one, is so different than being sick alone. I was so worried about her and worried that I was going to pass out. I am going to be a lot more aware from now on about eating.

Until next time...

9/1/09: The Day the Journey Began

2009-09-22T10:21:00.000-05:00

I want to write about the day Avery was born. Not so much for the blog world, but for us, so that we will not forget the details. It was a lengthy event, so it is a long post. Levi's comments are in blue. The pictures are from the very end of the pregnancy.

At 3:00 on Monday, August 30th I had my 40 week Drs. appointment. Dr. Smith checked and I was still right at 3 cm and 90% effaced. Avery had moved down a little more and was sitting right on top of my cervix, ready to come at any point. The week before we had talked about inducing and he had said that if all was well with this appointment, he didn't see any reason we couldn't go ahead with it. The 30th, we talked about it again and he felt like she was perfect and that Tuesday would be a great day to for us to welcome her to the world. As we left the office, we let the idea of being parents within the next 24 hrs. set in, called all of our family, and ended the night with final packing and Captain D's. When we laid down, Levi said a prayer for our new family and we got the last night of straight 8 hr. sleep we will have for a long while! Avery moved around lots that night, which made me very sentimental and happy. I think it was a gift from God to feel her move that much, one last time before she entered the world!

At 6:45, on Tuesday, September 1st, Levi and I arrived at EAMC to begin the process of meeting our baby girl. Before we got there though, I had to have an egg and cheese biscuit from Hardees. That was my favorite breakfast treat throughout pregnancy! Levi ate a few bites of my biscuit, but was a little too nervous about the day to eat one of his own that early :) When we got there, it was cloudy and it looked like it was going to rain. They got us set up in room 3129 and my nurse, Sharon, came in to explain the process of induction. I had hoped I would be able to walk around some during labor to help with the contractions, but soon realized, that hooked up to Pitocin I would only be able to walk to the bathroom and sit some in the rocking chair. That was a little disappointing...but I was still excited that we were on our way. Just as I was about to begin having my first child, on the Today Show, the Dugger's were announcing they were having their 19th...Crazy People!

At about 9:00, Dr. Smith came in to check me and do insert a Foley bulb to help effacement along. Right about the time he started to insert the bulb, my water broke on its own! (It was like Emily was sitting in a kiddie pool. I thought the ceiling might have started leaking right above the bed.) So it turns out we would have been there that day any ways! At this point it was raining really hard and steady. Dr. Smith said that rain makes for a perfect day for delivering babies and that all our room needed was a faux fire place to make it a completely cozy environment! When he starts to design delivery rooms he is certainly going to make that standard! It wasn't long until I was hooked to the Pitocin and waiting for the contractions to begin. Every 30 minutes, Sharon would come in and up the dose I was receiving, which increased the duration and intensity. By 11:30 I was practicing my breathing exercises and experiencing "Active Labor."

At about 11:45 Levi's parents arrived at the hospital and came in to see us for a little while. My family all arrived in the waiting room a short time later. Levi and I decided that we wanted the whole experience to be between us, so I did not have any visitors back in the delivery room after Levi's parent left. It was lunch time and although I couldn't eat anything solid, one of my family members went to get Levi Jim Bob's. (Possibly the best chicken fingers I have ever eaten. I skipped breakfast, remember?) The smell made me a little nauseous and I was glad when he finished eating. I had some orange jello, Sprite, and CranGrape Juice.

As my contractions started to get more consistent and regular, Avery's heart rate began to drop. It would go from 145 to 75 or lower without any warning. The nurses monitor your progress from their desk and come in when they see a problem. Upon seeing this they came in and first put me on my left side to see if it would stabilize. This worked for a little while, but then it happened again. You could see my contraction level go up, and then her heart rate immediately dip. This time, they stopped the Pitocin and put the oxygen mask on me. For the rest of the labor, she was completely intolerant of me laying on my back or right side.

After several hours of active, painful back labor, and only progressing to 6 cm, I decided to get an epidural. I asked for it at about 3:15 and struggled through contractions every 2 minutes until 4:00 when they finally got there to give me the shot. It was so quick and easy. (Apparently they call the anesthesiologist "Hurricane." I have never seen a medical procedure performed so fast. I thought Emily would never walk again.) I didn't have a contraction during it, which made me very thankful. Right before he got there though, I had a small breakdown. Levi was standing in front of me for support and I had a terrible contraction. I think I nearly pulled his shirt off and after it the tears just began to pour. (It would have been really akward for the doctor to enter the room and catch me shirtless...) I didn't think he was ever going to get there to give the epidural! For about an hour after though, all was great...then the shaking started.

I shook uncontrollably pretty much the rest of the the delivery. The oxygen would help to stop it for short periods and then it would return. It made me terribly sick to my stomach. They started the Pitocin again and my contractions started to get a little more normal. Avery's heartbeat continued to drop intermittently and I continued to get more sick. At about 7:30 I had progressed to 8 cm. Dr. Smith though was worried that she wasn't dropping more. He felt that if my contractions were as strong as the monitor was showing that she should be coming further down. He told me that there was a possibility that she may not fit through my pelvis and that we might have to do a C-section, but wanted to try a couple of things first. So, they did an Amnio Infusion, which involved putting more fluid inside my uterus to help cushion the baby. They also started monitoring my contractions and her heart beat internally. From here until she was born, the room was pretty much silent. I couldn't talk because I was so nauseous (I was nauseous because America's Got Talent was the only thing on TV that night) and Levi didn't talk because he was so nervous about everything that was going on. I cried a little more and Levi did what he does best, comforted me.

At 10:15 Dr. Smith came in and at long last declared that I was fully dilated, the baby was in perfect position, and that I could start pushing! We were not going to have to have a C-section afterall! My nurse, Beth, who was amazing, started preparing the bed and getting everything ready for the baby to arrive. Because I couldn't feel my legs, she and Levi held them while I pushed. (I remember thinking that I did not sign on for this!) I was nervous that I wouldn't push correctly, but apparently I did really well for being completely numb. Levi watched the whole thing and only got a little light headed a couple of times. I didn't look, but I will take his word for it on how amazing it was. (I guess the adrenaline started flowing at some point. I swore through the whole pregnancy that I did not want to see any of the action on that end of the bed and I would stay near Emily's head. The problem is that there is no escape and once I allowed myself to look I couldn't turn away.) Who could blame him, it was really intense! After 45 minutes of pushing and throwing up once (on Beth and me)...Dr. Smith arrived to deliver. I think I did three sets of pushing and then her head popped out. He suctioned her and then she just came on out without another push. She was born at 11:12 pm. We later learned that our families had started taking bets on if she would make before midnight!

As I relaxed from the hard work, I waited to hear the sound every mother is desperate for; her cry. At first it sounded like a little kitten, not very strong, which made me worry. I asked if she was OK and Dr. Smith said she was perfect, just to give her a second. Sure enough before long, she was screaming. Levi and I both agree that it was the sweetest sound! Finally I began to tear up. Levi cut her cord and then they laid her on me. (This was much easier than I thought it would be also.) I kissed her forehead and then Levi. Wow, such an overwhelming moment and representation of God's goodness! They took her and finished cleaning her...Levi followed to take pictures. He said it was when she grabbed on to his finger that he started to tear up. Dr. Smith finished with me...I didn't have to have an episiotomy and tore only a little. I just had two tiny stitches. (Somehow I turned around just in time to witness the stitches and afterbirth too...)

A few minutes later we attempted nursing for the first time...not much success but sweet none the less. Levi then went to get our family and the fun really began. Of course they didn't know her name yet, so they were thrilled to finally meet Miss Avery Caroline and then proceeded to pass her around joyfully to one another. I was starving and my awesome brother sacrificed his initial time to hold Avery and volunteered to go on a food run for me. Since it was mid-night, my choices were limited, but I finally settled on popcorn chicken from Sonic. Like Levi's chicken fingers from earlier, this could have been the best meal I have ever had.

Overall, I have never felt so many different feelings all at once. I was excited, scared, happy, nervous, overjoyed, nauseous and anxious. I was completely in love with Levi the whole time. When she was born, it was the most precious thing I have yet to experience with him. Our love and marriage reached a new depth and now has an even greater purpose...to see this beautiful gift from God grow to love Him with all of her being. People have asked, "Was it worse than you expected?" and the answer is yes...much worse! But it was worth every minute of pain, sickness, and effort it took to get her here. After only three weeks I can definitely say I look forward to doing it again...Some Day...but definitely not 9 months from now for sure!

Avery's Newborn Pictures

2009-09-20T16:48:00.000-05:00

Many of you have already seen Ashley Gentry's beautiful work with our precious Avery. If you have not though, visit her blog at www.ashleygentryphotography.blogspot.com to see a few of the priceless images she captured. Ashley you take amazing pictures. Thank you so much for sharing your gift with us!

2 Weeks Old and Reflections

2009-09-18T16:30:00.000-05:00

Avery is 2 weeks old and is already changing so much. After I feed her, we talk, sing, kiss, and cuddle and sometimes I can get her to laugh and give me a really big smile. I promise I am not lying about the tiny laugh. She loves her time with Daddy in the afternoons too. Levi loves to cuddle with her and read all the latest about Auburn football to her. She is so bright eyed lately. She sometimes sucks on her thumb when mama is trying to get ready to feed her and when she is content, she folds her hands together and lays them on her chest. She can sleep on both her side and her back. We love her more than we ever thought we could!

We went for our final lactation check up on Tuesday and she was back to her birth weight which was 6 lb. 10 oz. When we were discharged from the hospital she weighed 6. 5 and at our first check up 4 days later she weighed 6.3, so she did really well putting her weight back on!

Levi went back to work this past Monday and we are both tired from our first week of "real life." Thankfully, we have great friends and family who have been providing us with meals these first few weeks. I am not pushing myself to be super woman. I get up each day with a list of goals to accomplish in my mind and try to complete as many as possible. But if I don't get to a few, that is ok and I don't worry about it. Levi is a huge help. When he gets home, he goes on diaper duty and at night he changes her before and after I feed her, then puts her back to bed. We are definitely a team :)

Avery is truly a joy. I know I have said this before, but it is 100% true. She eats, looks around and smiles for a little while, naps and then starts the process all over again about 6 times a day. Her last feeding ends around 9:45 and then she goes down until about 2:15 and after I feed her, she doesn't wake back up till about 6:15. What a blessing! One piece of parenting that is absolutely amazing is the number of diapers you go through in a day. The best is when you change one and not two seconds later it needs to be changed again!

The first week we were home was really tough on me emotionally. The Baby Blues is a true term, and I have felt comforted by many moms who tell me they experienced the same feelings. It was really strange to be so happy and sad at the same time. I could think about anything...the birth, the pregnancy, our marriage, the future, the past, and I would start tearing up. Your hormones are just so crazy and everything transitions really fast, so much faster than you prepared yourself for. It was hard for me to deal with not being pregnant any more. No more weekly drs. appointments, no more updating people on when she would be here, no more feeling her move inside of me...but I focused on how much in those last couple of days we wanted her here and longed to meet her. Levi and my family were awesome in supporting and taking care of me.

Now, I am happy to report that I am feeling much better and almost back to normal. I was actually able to get through an episode of baby story without crying yesterday and today! It definitely feels like she is part of the family now and we are working to treasure every second of her being tiny. There again, it makes me so sad and happy at the same time to think about her growing up...

I am off to get ready for our date night. Mom is keeping Avery tonight so Levi and I can have some us time. Gotta keep the love flame burning!!!

War Eagle!

2009-09-14T16:25:00.000-05:00

Levi and I did our part this year to add to the Auburn Family! We can't wait till she can sing the fight song and shout War Eagle!

One Week Old!

2009-09-09T15:03:00.000-05:00

Everything around here is going really well. Other than me being emotional at the drop of a hat, I am doing great. Avery is eating like a champ and sleeping well too. Levi and I feel just so incredibly blessed. He has been amazing in every way. He is definitely putting in to action the love he has for his two girls :)

We had our visit with the Lactation Consultant on Monday and got a good report. Her weight was 6 lb. 3 oz. and her jaundice levels were good. Her discharge weight from the hospital was 6 lb. 5 oz. I know she is gaining it back a little each day because she is eating like a little pig at every feeding!

Levi took the pictures below of her soaking up some sunshine! Please continue to pray for me, especially for next week, when Levi goes back to work.

Avery Caroline!

2009-09-05T19:58:00.000-05:00

Avery Caroline made her debut on September 1, 2009 at 11:12 p.m. She weighed 6 lbs. 10 oz. and was 20 in. long. I will post lots of details about the labor later. Thank you for all of the sweet comments, thoughts, and prayers. Levi and I are so thankful for all of our friends and family and can't wait to introduce her to everyone! We got to leave the hospital at 8:00 Thursday night and have been settling in ever since. So far, Avery has been a complete joy and has done really well through the night. Nursing is going really well too! The hard part has been that we both have/ had pretty bad colds and haven't been able to sleep well due to them.

Wow, I am now a Mom...Levi is a Dad...We are Parents...and couldn't be more blessed and thankful for every moment we have with her! The pictures are in reverse order of how the events transpired. Notice in the last one the difference in my hair and overall appearance from when I first got to the hospital, to when she was actually born!

More to come on the experience later!

39 Weeks...She Will Be Here Soon!

2009-08-26T08:27:00.000-05:00

My 39 week appointment was yesterday afternoon and I am happy to report that there was more progress. I am 90% effaced and almost 3 cm dilated! Her heart rate was 150 and she moves around all the time. It is so neat to feel her little feet, knees, or other unknown parts slide across my stomach. What a little miracle she is!

With the threat of flu ever eminent, I talked to Dr. Smith about the possibility of inducing next week when I am full term. So, if she is not born before the end of the day Monday, we will meet our sweet baby on Tuesday! My choice would be for her to come on her own before then, but for scheduling purposes for Dad and Grandmothers who will be keeping her the first weeks I am back at work, I can't really go past my due date. Please pray for us during the last few days we have without her. Everything is pretty much done. Her nursery is finished with the exception of hanging her initials painting. Once we get her home, I will post pictures of the room. I absolutely love it! I have to keep myself from just sitting in there day dreaming about what it will be like to finally have her here with us.

I would be fibbing if I didn't admit that I am very nervous about labor. Please pray that these fears subside. I know that Levi is going to be amazing support for me and that I am designed to be fine. But none the less, it is intimidating.

By the way...for those of you who gave us a gift but haven't received a thank you card...please know that it is coming. I am waiting to send them along with the birth announcements in a few weeks. This little girl was definitely showered with many beautiful things.

Stay tuned for any late breaking news...hopefully more like late breaking water!

38 Weeks and the Waiting Game

2009-08-20T12:18:00.001-05:00

Hello All,

I would like to joyously announce that I am still pregnant and still at work! While there may be a hint of sarcasm there, I really have enjoyed getting to see my students who have been away since spring and spending the nights lounging with my hubby. Next Wednesday, August 26th is my last day at work. Even though I am not due until September 2nd, I wanted to take a little time to relax. I have the time built up, so why not.

Levi and I are both a little burned out as far as work goes. We rarely take vacation or sick time. In fact, Levi has only taken 2 days off this year...including sick leave. While I have taken a little more due to drs. appointments and pregnancy sickness, I still haven't taken very much...and I don't consider being sick on the couch or sititng in the drs. office a vacation. So, even though we are going to be very, very busy and tired the week she is born, we are looking forward to both being off work regardless.

As far as Miss Priss goes, my 38 week appointment was this past Monday. She had dropped more, but I had not progressed more. Her heart rate was 164 and Dr. Smith thinks she weighs 6.5 lbs. So, the update is it could be tomorrow, it could be 3 weeks, but either way we will have a precious baby soon! My next appt. is Tuesday, so maybe there will be more to report, but if not, Levi and I will enjoy our last few quite nights and mornings as just us :) It is funny, every night for the past week I have dreamed she was born...I am ready for my dreams to become reality. I can't even begin to imagine what it will be like to see her for the first time! Keep us in your prayers!

3 Amazing Years!

2009-08-16T20:49:00.000-05:00

Our 3 yr. anniversary was this past Wednesday...August 12th, 2009! It has been a hectic week and I neglected to post about it. Stop reading now if romantic posts aren't your style :)

I have to say that the past three years have truly been the happiest of my life. Beyond being an amazing husband, Levi is my best friend...I think that there are some couples who say this without it being true...but I feel like everyone who knows us can testify to the friendship we share. He is the one I can't wait to share good and bad news with, the one who makes me feel like I am the most beautiful, important woman in the world. He is an awesome husband who takes incredible care of me. Everyday God reveals more to me how He made us specifically for each other and how truly blessed I am to have Levi in my life.
Over the past three years our love has grown so much stronger. We are not perfect...far, far from it and we hurt each other more often than we should. But thank goodness we serve a mighty God and Savior who is perfect and our love is made perfect in Him. Levi and I strive to put each others needs before our own. Marriage is not for the selfish. I have to really brag on Levi for how selfless he has been over the past 9 months. While my pregnancy has been overwhelmingly easy, there have been some rough spots and he went above and beyond to meet both mine and Baby E's needs. He is going to be an outstanding father!

At dinner on Wednesday night, we talked about all that has happened in years 1-3... a few of the highlights include: Graduating with our degrees (we got married in college), buying a car, buying a house, and last but not least, learning we were expecting! Now, only 16 days away from my due date, I feel like this next year will be the best yet!

Thank you Levi for making me your wife...I can't wait to celebrate many more anniversaries with you!

37 Weeks and Progress!

2009-08-10T17:53:00.000-05:00

I had my 37 week check-up this afternoon and actually have progress to report! I am 1.5 cm dilated and 70% effaced :) Now, I know that I could stay exactly like that all the way until I am due, but it felt great to hear that we are moving toward meeting our little girl! Her heart beat was 164 and she is measuring not too big and not too small, so I assume just right. He said I definitely shouldn't expect a large baby, which makes this mama happy (you would understand why if you heard my 5 ft. 1 in. mom talk about delivering my 9.5, 23 in. long, wide shouldered brother). Baby E is also still head down, which was reassuring!

This past Friday, Levi's work had a surprise shower for him. Part of the surprise was me being there. The picture is from when he first walked in the room. We got lots of great gifts and Levi felt really loved and appreciated. It was a lot of fun. Thanks GKN for making us feel so special!Ok, I am off to packing our bags for the hospital. I have been putting it off, but feel like I should probably take care of it sooner than later. Keep us in your prayers as the next couple of weeks pass by!

36 Weeks = 9 Months!

2009-08-03T17:35:00.000-05:00

Today I had my 36 week doctors appointment and will continue to go each week until as Dr. Smith put it, "we raise the checkered flag!" I am so excited that we have officially made it to 9 months...although there are still a couple of weeks to go! The picture above is from 34.5 weeks.

At the appointment we learned that she is head down, which really shocked me. I thought she was transverse (sideways) because of where I feel kicking. Apparently, she deserves more credit for knowing directions than I thought :) Now, we just need her to stay this way!

I have not progressed at all, but that is to be expected. Hopefully in the next couple of visits there will be more to report. Her heart beat was 148 and just so I can remember later, at my 34 week appointment it was 153. Levi was with me today and got to hear the heartbeat in person for the first time since the ultrasound at 17 weeks. I am so glad he will be with me at the rest of the appointments...he makes the wait time so much less boring!

The walls in the Opelika office are paper thin and Dr. Smith saw the couple next door to us first. They were there because she had just had her second miscarriage. I told Levi there was a reason we were able to hear the conversation...to be reminded of how little control we have over any aspect of our lives...and how completely blessed we have been during my entire pregnancy. All of the Glory and Praise be to God for this miracle inside of me. I am reminding myself more and more often that this little girl doesn't belong to us, she belongs to God and we are here to help guide her toward his purpose. I pray that I will be able to maintain this knowledge throughout her life.

Please pray for us over the next few weeks as we prepare our hearts and home for our little girl. Pray for me to have energy and strength to make it through the first two weeks of classes (I will be 38 and 39 weeks). With as many students as I see during that time, there is a real possibility that I could go into labor with one in my office. Pray for Levi, I know these next few weeks will be exhausting for him too. Stay tuned for updates...we are very anxious to meet her and begin our life as a family.

Happy Birthday Levi...I've Got You On My Mind!

2009-07-27T08:04:00.000-05:00

25 years ago today, the world was blessed with one incredible man; my husband! I have to take a little blog space and brag on what a wonderful person God gave me. He is kind, understanding, selfless, and loving. All of which is going to make him an awesome Dad too :) Levi, I am so thankful that I get to spend each day with you and I look forward to celebrating many, many more birthdays as a family!

Does Anyone Need A Gift Bag?

2009-07-19T21:27:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was our hometown baby shower! Little Girl was showered with so many beautiful and much needed gifts. Say what you will about small towns, but the women who call them home really know how to make someone feel special. Levi and I are incredibly thankful for the family and friends who made the day so wonderful. We feel overwhelmingly blessed and loved. We miss seeing all of you more often. Enjoy the pictures from the shower, I was 32.5 weeks in them.

I am going in to week 34 and the 6 weeks left mark. Little bit makes it very clear most nights that she is running out of room! Levi and I are continually amazed at the movements she makes and love playfully poking at her to see if she will poke back (usually she does). It seems like she saves all the movement for Mom and Dad, because when other people want to see/feel her move, she refuses :) Now though, you can actually feel where she is without her moving. Goodness, we love this sweet baby!

My really cute cake!

One of the food tables

Me with Mom and Beth Anne

Me and Granny (My Dad's Mom)

Me, my Sister-In-Law Alyssa, Levi's Grandmothers Christeen and Ava Jean, and his Mom Patti

32 Week Appointment

2009-07-07T16:24:00.000-05:00

I just got home from my 32 week check-up and everything looked great! She is measuring right on track and her heart beat was 134. As for me and the pain I was having yesterday, the sharp pain left, but on my left side I feel like I have been punched--it is just very tender. Dr. Smith seemed to think I had pulled a muscle away from the bone over there. He named the muscle, but I don't remember what it was. It likely came from me lifting something or overworking myself one day. Apparently, I need to take it a little more easy. Thank you for the prayers!

Interestingly enough I have only gained 10 lbs so far. Now before I get a thousand comments, I know how thankful, lucky, and blessed I should feel. I do feel all of those things, but it has also made me somewhat emotional and worried about her growth too. Believe me, I eat when I am hungry, but have just not gained. It was awesome to hear him say she is measuring on track. Apparently as long as they are on track the drs. could care less about how much weight you gain within reason. On the other hand it is very frustrating when even the nurses don't realize how far along you are or when asked how much you have gained by friends/family they respond with "Is that healthy?" Of course I still have 8 weeks to go and a lot can change by the time this is all over.

My first shower is this weekend. I will post pictures sometime next week. I have to say I can't wait. It is going to be so much fun...I am most looking foward to the yummy cake...ok so maybe the presents will be nice too :)

Until next time...

Great Holiday Weekend...Interesting Monday

2009-07-06T14:31:00.000-05:00

With Camp War Eagle every week for the past eight, other work projects, and a third trimester baby baking, by the time I get home, blogging is last on my list. Sorry for the lack of posts! The last CWE is this Thursday and Friday, so that should lighten my load until August 17th when classes start again!

Levi and I had a wonderful holiday weekend. We didn't have anything planned except lots of relaxation and rest. Friday I had an acne facial at Spa Auburn. I have been getting these about every 6-8 weeks since my junior year at Auburn, so about 3.5 years now. Normally I am not very sensitive to pain with any sort of spa treatment, but I think pregnancy has changed my tolerance level. I could barely take the extractions, and she was not really even applying that much pressure. I wonder how that bodes for labor? To cap off the day, I went to Kids Closet fabric store to look at fabric for the bottom of Baby E's curtains and bought the nursery a lamp at Hobby Lobby. Later that night we went to see Transformers...which was pretty good, just really long. Megan Fox's role is just solely to be the sexy girlfriend, not to offer anything else to the plot or overall movie. Her role bugged me. If you watch it, you will see what I am talking about :)

Saturday, we lounged all day until about 5:00 when we cooked out burgers and hotdogs. Add baked beans, chips and dip, watermelon and air condition to the mix and to me you have the perfect 4th celebration. For most of my life, I have spent the fourth outside, in the burning hot heat with loads of family in North Alabama. This year, due to traveling less while pregnant and my North AL shower next weekend, we didn't make it home. Other than missing family though, I will opt for eating inside over outside anyday. We ended the night by watching fire works in Auburn, which was awesome!

So the reason for the interesting Monday part of the title was the unexpeted Drs. appointment I had this morning. About 7:45 this sharp pain started in my left side and wouldn't subside for 30 minutes at a time. After about 30 minutes it would go away for about 5, but then come back. It was so sharp, I couldn't catch my breath. So, I called Levi and asked him if he thought I should call the dr. and he was like... probably, I am not an expert, but it would make me feel better! So, I called and they asked me to come in. Long story short, they don't know exactly what was causing the pain. It could have been her turning and streching my uterus in an unusal way or nerve pain. They checked everything and it all looked normal. Her heartbeat was lower than it has ever been at 141 (it has never been less than 151), but again still completely normal. They sent me home to rest and to apply a heating pad to the area of discomfort. The pain lasted though until about 12:30 and I still feel soreness and some pressure in that area.

My 32 week appointment is tomorrow anyways, so instead of letting today count, they want me to come back just to make sure all is ok. Please say a quick prayer that the pain has stopped for good. Also, one for me not to worry too much about it either. Even though I am sure it is completely normal, it is the first time anything with the pregnancy has worried me. I will make sure and update again tomorrow after my appointment, it is not until 3:00.

Until next time...

28 Week Update

2009-06-12T12:31:00.000-05:00

Wednesday morning was my 28 week appoitment and glucose test. Goodness that stuff they give you is sweet, but overall it was bearable. The great news is I passed and do not have gestational diabetes!

Other happenings at the appointment included an interview about my pregnancy with an Auburn nursing student for her class. The office nurse asked if I would mind helping the student out and it actually was fun recapping everything for her. I of course heard the hearbeat again, it was 153. I took a tape recorder so I could play it for Levi and other family members. I just love hearing it...the sound never gets old! I will now be going to the doctor every two weeks...unbelievable how fast the time has passed.

This weekend we are picking up the crib furniture and hopefully going to finish painting her room and get her closet in order. I am working on having our carpets cleaned before she gets here as well. While we were at the beach I found some decoration for her room, so we are getting there, but just don't have everything together quite yet! We are so very excited to meet this little girl who flips and turns inside her mommy all the time!

28 Weeks at the Beach!

2009-06-09T20:12:00.000-05:00

So, I am now 28 weeks and officially in the third trimester! Only 12 weeks to go! I cannot believe how fast time is flying by. It just reminds me of how fast time is going to fly once she is actually here! I have my glucose test tomorrow 6/10 and will post an update about how it goes.

This past Thursday, Levi, my Mom, and I headed to Destin for an extended weekend stay. My Uncle Don and his wife Linda own a townhouse in Destin and graciously allow us to stay there at least once each summer. While it is normally just Levi and I, this year, Linda and some of my cousins were already there, so mom decided to join us too!

Even though we were not by ourselves, I guess you could say this was our babymoon. It was great and relaxing still and Levi and I did get to enjoy a walk on the beach and a romantic dinner out. Enjoy my belly bump pictures...I feel like I am growing by the minute ;)

Our favorite place to eat in Destin is the Crab Trap. We first ate there on our honeymoon, almost three years ago. The first picture below is from then and the second is from this weekend. What an amazing three years it has been! Then, Levi ordered chicken fingers and tried some crab...this weekend he ordered shrimp and crab cakes! I would say that is progress. Back then I had shrimp, but have since become more adventurous. This weekend I had Mahi Mahi topped with jumbo lump crab meat, shrimp, and lemon butter sauce! Needless to say, since our honeymoon we have grown in more ways than just food selection, but it is just a small example of how much we have changed.

We are really enjoying the time we have left before little bit arrives. I am not going to lie and say that Levi and I never have disputes or aruguments, but in all honesty, I do feel like we have an extraoridinary marriage. God has truly blessed me with an incedible husband, who will be an awesome dad too! In just three short months, our lives will change drastically, but for the better I know.

I can't wait until next year's beach trip with our 9 month old or so little girl. We definitely have some amazing memories to make!

25 Weeks and Crib Bedding

2009-05-18T19:43:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, I will be 25 weeks, which means there are only 3.5 more months to go! Over the past week and half, I have really started to feel and see her move. Mother's Day, was the first time Levi and I saw my stomach move with one of her kicks/elbow jabs...were not sure what body part she is using :) It was so cool though, definitely a great gift for the occasion.

Speaking of gifts, Levi did an amazing job with his Mother's Day selection. He always makes breakfast for us on Sunday mornings. Usually muffins, cinnamon rolls, or bacon biscuits - any of which really helps out with me getting ready and to church on time. Normally, I eat on the run between drying my hair and putting on my make up; however, on Mother's Day, he insisted that I come to the table to eat. When I sat down he had my gift waiting. As Baby E's first book, he gave her my favorite children's book, "Love You Forever." Inside the cover, he had written about how he can't wait to hold her and read to her, what an incredible mommy I am going to be, and how that he will also "love me forever." Needless to say there were tears. I knew this book was going to be bought for her at some point, but I hadn't got around to doing it. I think Levi picked the perfect time to present it! I Love You Levi!

This past weekend we started painting her room. We are almost finished and I will post pictures soon. Several have asked what her bedding looks like, so I attempted to take some pictures. I don't think they do it justice, but when her nursery is finished hopefully I can get some better shots. My favorite part is the bed skirt. I love the stiching on it. It is the second picture. I call it cottage chic!

Happy Birthday Mom!

2009-05-05T12:21:00.001-05:00

Today is my mom's birthday! The picture above is of me, her, and my sister Beth Anne at my wedding tea. I have to take this time to brag about what an awesome mother she really is. She comes by it naturally though, as her mother, my Grandmother is awesome also (more about her tomorrow)! It has been such a blessing having her in Auburn the last year or so. She is always there to help me clean my house, try a new recipie, or buy some groceries for us if we can't get to the store. Levi and I couldn't have done without her the first few weeks of my pregnancy either.

She is so excited about becoming a grandmother and I know she will be a star in that role too! Mom, hope your day is great! Thank you for always being there!

Crib Furniture!

2009-04-27T12:34:00.000-05:00

Wow, it was a beautiful weekend! I can't believe how hot it is already. I am not aclimated to the weather yet. I can only imagine how August will be during my 9th month of pregnancy! Alabama Power may have never seen a bill so high :)

A couple of weekends ago, Levi and I decided on nursery furniture. After looking on-line at basically every retailer, I could never decide on anything I wanted. After reading review after review on cribs/dressers and how drawers didn't work, how the wood scratched so easily, and how they hassled with returns/on-line shipping, we decided to go to a crib showroom to look around. We ended up going to Baby and Beyond in Columbus. We decided Columbus over Montgomery or Auburn due to the sales tax being 3% lower. The manager of the store was awesome and she took such great care of us. We didn't go in with a decision made, but when we left, we knew we would buy from them. It was a great experience!

We decided on a brand called Cocoon. It is made out of birch wood, which is awesome! A lot of others are made of pine, which is really soft and scratches easily. We bought the crib and 3 drawer dresser w/changing pad in the expresso color, which is the second picture below, but the first picture is more what her setup will look like. We plan to get the 5 drawer dresser a little later. The third picture shows what it looks like as a full bed. I Love it!

This past weekend, we bought the bedding and picked out paint colors. It will not be long before her nursery starts coming together!

Oh...We're Half Way There! 20 Weeks & Counting!

2009-04-20T18:59:00.000-05:00

So, with the Auburn A-Day game and my 20th week of pregnancy in progress, the Bon Jovi song by the title of this post, has been on my mind. As you all know the next line is "Oh, living on a prayer. Take my hand, we'll make it I swear." That pretty much sums up how we have been taking each day! The first half has been amazing, we have heard the heartbeat several times and know that a sweet little girl will be part of our lives soon. We are so excited to meet her! I am happy to report, that I feel a lot more like myself and have had a lot more energy. Neither of us have been sick and it looks like there will be sunshine for more than just one day this week!

We had a great weekend, Saturday, I met several friends for lunch at Niffer's, while Levi went to the game with my brother. Brooke, Shealy, Blakely, and I all had a great time chatting and catching up. For the most part we, and a couple of other girls who couldn't make it, met each other 2 1/2 years ago at church when we were all newlyweds/nearlyweds. Now, they all three have babies and I have one on the way. Wow! What a difference a couple of yeas can make! I am thankful for their friendship!

Saturday afternoon, Levi and I went shopping for crib furniture and think we found what we want. Now we just have to decide on bedding, which will hopefully lead to room colors. Everyone keeps saying that the next 20 weeks will fly by. We have so much left to do, but I am now worried so much about it anymore. I have a great husband and great family that will be there to help me get everything accomplished.

Until next time...

18 Weeks and Overwhelmed...

2009-04-01T12:13:00.001-05:00

Today I am officially entering the fifth month of pregancy! It is exciting that we are getting closer to meeting our little one, but it is also very scary. In the past couple of days, I have started to feel her move, not often, but I have felt it! Levi even got to push on my lower abdomen and wait patiently to feel her move. I didn't tell him when she did, I waited on him to look up and say "was that it?", to confirm.

So to the overwhelmed part. I am on my 7th day of being sick. It started last Tuesday night as a sore throat, turned into a severe head cold that caused me to take two sick days, and now, I believe, has turned into a sinus infection. Thank God for Levi and my Mom, without whom, I think I might have not made it. Because I have severe sinus issues anyways, (I wish I had the money that has been spent trying to solve them) I normally undergo pretty agressive treatment to head off the infection or to take care of the infection. Now that I am pregnant, according to the Dr. this is not an option. So, he said I could take Claritin D, rest, and drink fluids. It has been miserable. So, like I said, I am pretty sure it is now an infection...which means I will have to take antibiotics. Fortunately, he says there are some that will work with being pregnant, but I still cannot have a shot. Joy! Oh, and Levi woke up this morning with a sore throat. So he probably has it now too.

In addition to this, it is the most busy time it could possibly be in my office. I am averaging seeing about 25 students a day right now. Between being sick and going to the bathroom every 25 minutes (they tell you this gets better after the 1st trimester...lies) I am about to lose my mind.

Add to this:
--Backyard Drainage Issues
--Checking out daycares
--Feeling like I am a failue at ever making our house complete (i.e. decorating, painting, light fixtures, basically everything you need to make your house cute).
--Due to sickness, feeling like Levi isn't getting any of the good Emily
--Financial Decisions for the future.

I am probably being a little dramatic, but not much. So please pray for the Lord to send major energy and good sprits my way. I definitely need them. I know that everything will work out and I am relying on the Lord to keep me grounded. I just really needed to type things out.

The next post will be better :)

It's A...

2009-03-23T20:33:00.000-05:00

Girl! A precious, healthy, beautiful baby girl! Levi and I couldn't be more excited or blessed! Enjoy her first picture!

We had our first ultrasound this morning at 8:15. So, seeing the baby for the first time and finding out the sex, was double the emotion! The ultrasound tech goes through everything about the baby's body before telling you what the sex is, which they save for last. The experience didn't get emotional though until she brought up the side profile picture. When we saw it, both of us started tearing up. It was a "Wow, that is our baby" moment, which hit me harder than I expected.

Then when she said it was a girl, the flood gates opened! Both of us were hoping for a girl, but almost everyone else in our family felt like it was going to be a boy. Because of this, we were shocked when she said girl! The tech also told us that I was carrying her very low, and that she was laying directly on my bladder :) Today, she was head up, bottom down and her heart rate was 155. As far the name goes, it will be kept secret until the day she is born. We want that to be a surprise for everyone!

Tonight we celebrated with family and friends both in person and over the phone. We did cupcakes with my family (thanks Brooke and Sarah). My brother's girlfriend Tiffany makes the best icing and cupcakes and she was nice enough to make them for us. As you can see from the picture everyone was leaning more toward boy.

God is so incredibly good! Levi and I are overwhelmed that he has picked us to raise this sweet little girl!

New Family Member!

2009-03-13T12:14:00.000-05:00

Carrigan Hope Gurley was born this past Monday, March 9th, 2009. Her proud parents, Luke and Julia, are our first cousins on Levi's dad side. As you can see from the picture they both graduated from Georgia Tech. Carrigan was 5 weeks early, but both mom and baby are doing well! She weighed 5~2 and was 17 in. long.

She is the 2nd of five new cousins who will be born in Levi's family this year, with Baby E being one of the three yet to come. The first Briley Adelle was born in January, and we are expecting one more this month, one in April, and us in September. Holiday get togethers are about to be even more crazy than before! Both of us have very large families and we wouldn't want it any other way!

Congrats Gurley's on your new addition! Carrigan...we can't wait to meet you in person!

As Promised...

2009-03-08T21:25:00.000-05:00

My first baby bump picture! I am dressed up because we were actually getting ready to drive to Birmingham for a family member's baby shower. Weirdly enough, I am glad to finally be showing and for others to know, not wonder if I am expecting. I will say one thing though, maternity clothes are expensive...if anyone has any that they would like to sell or pass along, let me know...I just might take you up them! I have bought several pieces at Motherhood and a Pea in the Pod...all I can say is that everyone is going to get used to seeing me in the same clothes over and over again!

**Don't forget to vote for what you think Baby E will be. I posted a survey a few days ago. Our appointment is two weeks from today!

Let The Countdown Begin!

2009-03-04T17:33:00.000-06:00

In less than 3 weeks (March 23), we will have our first ultrasound and hopefully find out if we are having a boy or girl! We are so excited, that we can hardly take the wait. However, the most important aspect of the ultrasound will be checking to make sure everything is physically normal with Baby E. Please pray that everything is perfect and that Levi and I will not dwell on the things that could be wrong. Pray that we will continue to trust God, and rest in the knowledge that everything will be according to His plan.

Meanwhile, my 14 week checkup was Tuesday morning. Everything is progressing perfectly...and I have actually started to show! This time they found the baby's heartbeat almost immediately and kept it long enough to measure it at 169 beats per minute. Another highlight of the visit, was that I had lost an additional 2 lbs. That will probably be the last time that happens for several months :)

I will post a picture this weekend of my bump...I would tonight, but I look like I have had a long day. So I will wait till Saturday when I feel and look a little better.

Until next time...