Avery Rae's Blog

UPDATE!!!! Potty training and tricycles!

2009-08-09T11:41:00.003-06:00

We are horrible parents. It's only been almost 3 months since I last updated Avery's blog.

Let's see if I can remember everything.

Avery went to summer camp at her school (they follow the school schedule) 3 days a week and she LOVED it. She got to splash in the kiddie pool almost everyday. She kissed a boy. Seriously. She held his face and KISSED him. Daddy wasn't happy. She talks so much now so we are trying really hard not to say bad words. She really can say anything. Oh you should hear her say umbrella. It is something like brellumma. hehe. We have talked about the potty and panties all summer and finally, last Sunday, she asked for panties. So, she picked out the prettiest Elmo panties we had and off she went. There were a couple accidents, but I am seriously amazed at how quickly she caught on. I don't even have to ask her, she tells me she has to go. This has been my biggest dread as a parent for at least a year and it went so easily (for #1 at least).

Avery still sings all day. If she's in a "mood," she will say "NO sing Mommy" when I sing. She used to like my voice! haha! She still wants me to sing HushABye when she's tired, hurt, or scared. She is now scared easily. She talks about being scared of the dark so now she gets to sleep with her nightlight turtle that makes stars on the ceiling (thanks Uncle Scott!!!). The turtle has been a life saver.

And, now she has finally figured out how to make herself go on the tricycle! YAY! My back thanks her!

Speaking of tricycle....

Easter Weekend 2009

2009-04-17T00:19:00.004-06:00

Easter weekend was our last Saturday off until July, so Rae's mom and dad came over for a family sail. Avery loves her life jacket this year (finally) and had a great time playing when we got to the beach.

The ELMO party!!

2009-04-02T00:01:00.006-06:00

After lunch, some of Avery's friends came over to celebrate! We had ELMO cake, ELMO plates, ELMO balloons, ELMO napkins, he was everywhere!!

Baby Elmo and Baby Cookie Monster were there! These were the party favors for the little ones at the party!

I think Avery "tried on" every pair of pants or bloomers....on her head!

She really cracks herself up!

Our fabulous neighbor, Mrs. Therese (or Miss Atese as Avery says) gives such great gifts. Avery loves her Tinkerbell...so does Baxter!

These are the INFAMOUS squeaky shoes. THREE PAIRS of SQUEAKY SHOES!!!!! Thanks Patsy.

Opening gifts really wore her out.

Aunt Margie made this dress for Abby and I thought it would be cute for Avery's party!

Here it is. The Elmo cake made by ME!!! It was certainly no Betty Weber, but it was good. Since I decided to make a sheet cake underneath the Elmo cake, we had LOTS of cake. I think it turned out decent. I wonder if Betty is shaking her head. haha!

Avery LOVED it and that is all that matters!

2 years old ALREADY?

2009-04-01T23:50:00.005-06:00

We celebrated Avery's 2nd birthday this past weekend. Her birthday is actually 4/4, but we will be out of town for a wedding! Anyway, we invited our families over for lunch before the party. We also showed Avery her BIG present since it wasn't easy to hide it. Enjoy!

Oh yeah!! Avery has her very own slide! I swear she could slide for hours and hours!

Aunt Sara got Avery a tricycle. She is slowly getting the hang of it!

Getting ready for Easter!

2009-03-08T23:34:00.005-06:00

Avery and I spent the weekend in Mobile, AL hanging with my family. My sister and I moved around my mom's dining room and re-covered her chairs. Now Wesley knows I am capable of manual labor. EEK! We also went to a bridal shower! I haven't been to one of those in a while since I am usually at a wedding. Congratulations to Rob and Deborah who will be getting married in St Louis in May. Anyway, my sister always forces me into photographing her kids for every occasion. She owes me so much money for all these shoots. She bought Andrew and Abby some cute Easter outfits and couldn't resist getting Avery one to coordinate. They were cute, but Oh. My. Goodness....they wore me out. Photographing 3 wild kids was outrageous. Abby and Andrew were trying to out-do each other with their craziness. Avery was annoyed to have no shoes on. She wanted to play with the ducks (my sister has a pond) and she wanted to jump on the trampoline. Seriously, I should challenge other photographers to get 5 good images of these 3. Anyone interested? haha!

OH! Not only were the subjects difficult, the lighting was too. There were huge clouds in the sky that were moving fast. So, some photos were taken in bright, golden sun and others were taken in shade. Weird!

Avery at the Fairhope Pier

2009-03-03T02:18:00.007-06:00

We had to meet up Wesley's parents this past weekend, so we thought it would be nice to meet at the pier in Fairhope, AL. It's about half way between both of our houses, and we wanted to make some photos for Avery's birthday invitations. She will be two next month! It started out a little balmy, and within half an hour, that winter front that caused all of the snow up north came through and the temps dropped! That's why you'll see a big shift in clothing here...

The girl LOVES water..... that's all we have to say

Finally! Another Update By: daddy

2009-02-23T02:15:00.005-06:00

Let me preface this post with a little note.... In about two weeks, I am going to take the link to this blog off our main blog. Everyone who currently enjoys this blog is more than welcome to continue visiting. However, the only way you will be able to see it is if you already know the address or have it saved in your favorites. I have been racking my brain thinking about how to revamp this blog and update it more for Avery's sake. She is almost two now, and I want this blog to be something she can look back upon to see how she grew up and what brought her joy as a child (besides crackers). Therefore, I have decided that at least once a week, I am going to post at least a couple of snapshot photos of her doing her thing, and give her a little insight of what was going on in the world at the time. I want to give her a lesson here and there, along with some knowledge from both of us that we find important for her to know. I think we live in a time where the values we were raised on and even some we were not, are more important than ever to raise her by. I want her to look back through this blog in 10-12 years and allow it to reinforce the values we have so diligently taught her. While I will do my best not to bring politics into it too much, it is hard to exclude them all of the time. That is why I am taking the link off our main site, because mixing business and politics is never a good thing unless you have a good reason. If our politics do offend anyone....well, tough I guess. ;-) It's our personal blog. Besides, 99% of our friends, family, and even clientele seem to think like us, so I am not too worried at this point.

On a lighter note! Nana and Papa bought Avery the coolest play set for outside. She loved this thing from the moment daddy set it up! She even took her lawnmower and cut the grass through it. She loves to be outside now! She will wake up in the morning and the first word out of her mouth is "outside". Something tells me it's going to be a hot summer for us!

Who's tired?

Buckets are always entertaining too....

This is the, "Daddy can I go out in the grass face"?

Never mind... I'd rather have a snack.

Avery's Christmas

2009-01-12T01:35:00.013-06:00

Ok, I am finally ready to post some Christmas photos! We were eating Sushi two nights ago when one of our brides from 2007 (Hi Stacey) came us to us and said how much she and her friends enjoyed this blog. That put my bad blogging skills in perspective and I made it a priority to update asap! We had a great Christmas this year. I think we only had two or three broken ornaments from the tree that someone couldn't resist touching. Aunt Sara came home from Texas and that was really cool. We spent the week before Christmas in Disney on our way to Key West, and then Aunt Sara and Mimi brought Avery home and took good care of her while we were gone.

We started Christmas Eve night at Gran's house. Gran is Wesley's grandmother..... Avery helped hand out presents

Hangers are better than clothes!

What? Could it be?

Yes, it is the mother of all that is holy.... Elmo slipppers. Aunt Sara is the best. Let's see if Aunt Margie can beat that for the upcoming birthday.

Babies were a big hit this year...

You have already seen some of the sit and spin

Ride the horsey on mommy. ETA....The bow was in my hair for my daughter's entertainment!!

Fall off the horsey

She is very strong and likes to carry things around

Well, our plan was to wake up Christmas morning and really enjoy it with Santa's gifts. Unfortunately, Avery got a really bad cold Christmas Eve night and she was up most of the night crying. So was Rae I think.....We were all tired and crabby Christmas morning and we had to drive back to Mobile for the day, so we decided to have Santa come on the 26th this year. Mimi bought her this red gown which is almost identical to one Aunt Sara wore as a toddler. It is daddy's favorite!

Baxter got a snowman chew rope from Santa too!

She always has to sit on things including daddy's new boat radio...

Her new doll and stroller was a big hit

We had to call mimi and show her the broom Santa left because she loves to sweep!

Such a diva!

More to come with the coolest gift from Nana & papa

Drunk for Christmas

2008-12-30T20:16:00.003-06:00

Yes! We do have photos from Christmas. We are still trying to get caught up from our week in Disney, but I will be posting as soon as I deal with a couple of weddings that are patiently waiting. Here's a little peek of our Christmas Eve with Wesley's family.

Disney Giggles

2008-12-21T23:13:00.002-06:00

We were sitting at the Rainforest Cafe in Disney and we were doing the typical "entertaining" while waiting for dinner. I am so glad the camera was rolling for this one!

Avery Sweeps

2008-12-14T13:39:00.003-06:00

Sunday, 1PM, Avery wakes from her nap with frizzy hair. Suspect is well rested, and wants to go outside even though mom and dad are packing for Disney World. Solution, throw on mismatched outfit and let her go on the deck for her favorite activity.....sweeping. We have to thank Uncle Patsy for this fantastic portable webcam she gave us for Christmas to share these moments! More to come from Disney....

Stylish at 19 months

2008-11-20T21:49:00.006-06:00

Oh yes she is. She is stylish. Don't be jealous of her cool tights that Uncle Patsy gave her. They were perfect with her sweater dress!! Patsy wanted to take some photos of Avery so Wesley, Avery, and Mimi went out for a photo shoot. Oh...no...I didn't forget to mention myself. I was there, but I was hiding. You see, Avery doesn't "act right" when I am there. She is full of drama and whining when I am around so we thought it would be best for me to "not be there." It worked. She was a little angel. Here are some that Wesley got while he was 2nd shooting! haha!

Notice how all of her clothes are too long. Her pink shirt is hanging over her hands. Her sweater is rolled up. Her jeans (usually rolled up 2 times) are dragging under her shoes. Her tights are all bunched up. I thought she would have inherited some of her daddy's height. It's not looking good.

Do you love the hat? Avery LOVES that hat. She will wear it all day if we let her. So, it was fitting to have it in photos too. And don't try to turn the hat straight....she likes it just like she has it now! She is cool like that.

I want a sweater like this.

I haven't updated much about Avery lately, so I know you all are just dying to know her details! She is talking more and more. She chatters a whole lot, but it's "avery language." She says probably 20-25 words that Wes and I understand. There are times when she will say a phrase very plainly once....but not twice. Her favorite phrase is "no no no" which she says to Baxter while shaking her finger. She loves school. She is always so excited to be there and she has really come out of her shell lately at school. She recognizes about 8 or so letters. She can repeat several of them too although she prefers to say the same letter over and over. She thinks she is funny. She loves bath time and will remind us when bath time is near. She gets her own diapers when she needs a diaper change. She is also telling us when she wets. I see potty training in our future! She adores being outside. She will throw a nice fit if she asks to go out and we say no. I don't want to paint a perfect picture (even though she is perfect in my eyes). There are times that I think she hates me. Seriously, she has serious attitude with me. She is an angel for her grandparents and teachers and babysitters. She even is pretty good for Wes. Oh well...my mom said I tortured her in the same way. Sorry mom!

Anyway, she is growing and maturing and it is all happening way too fast. I thank God for giving us such a gift when he chose Avery for us. She makes me smile (most of the time)!

playing in the yard

2008-11-10T00:27:00.003-06:00

We were playing in the front yard and Avery was too cute to not photograph! I love her in this shirt and in pigtails and I know you all do too....so here is more!

The consensus is that Avery looks like both of us, but mostly Wes. She looks a lot like Sara too (hi Aunt Sara), but I love to share photos when she looks like me...so here goes!!

Here is a fun trio.

Our very own butterfly princess!

2008-11-02T20:42:00.004-06:00

How awesome is it that we get hand-me-down costumes from Andrew and Abby? SWEET! We really wanted to get Avery an Elmo costume, but we couldn't find one we liked. They were really heavy and fluffy and weird looking. So, we went the safe route and made our princess into a butterfly princess. She LOVED the costume. She wore it to school on Friday for trunk-or-treating too.

We started our evening at our favorite neighbor's house! Mrs. Therese had an extra large candy bag for Wesley (I mean Avery). hehe! Avery said, "trick or treat" and "Thank You" to Mrs. Therese. It was SO cute! Then we went to a different neighborhood and collected lots of candy for Wesley!!

Happy Fall

2008-10-29T23:16:00.005-06:00

What a busy week. We were going to the pumpkin patch up the road, but the rain we had last week attributed to the destruction of the patch. They had to pull up all the hay off the ground and a lot of the pumpkins were ruined. So...... we made our own little patch with 5 of the approximately 60 pumpkins used as decor' from our wedding last weekend. They were begging everyone to take them home!

Mama's been in Jacksonville all week, so daddy let her watch Elmo while eating her raisins....

And then they went out side for some swing time in the COLD!

Atlanta Snapshots

2008-10-23T23:20:00.003-06:00

A couple of snapshots at Aunt Rebecca's house in Atlanta last week. Thank goodness we do not have stairs or we would be battling constantly trying to keep her off!!

Beach Fun

2008-10-08T21:11:00.005-06:00

We had a couple of appointments in Destin this week, so we grabbed Wes's mom for babysitting and made the day out of it. Our afternoon bridal session got cancelled due to bad weather, so we decided to head to the beach and watch the sun set. It was just beautiful with the storm clouds clearing. It was a good way to wind down the day!

2008-10-08T21:11:00.001-06:00

We have a diva!

2008-09-30T19:02:00.002-06:00

So. Avery is a diva. She likes to prop her feet up. She sometimes sleeps with a foot propped up on her crib bumper. She ALWAYS tries to sneak a foot on the table (or the counter in this instance). At restaurants, I have to remind her that "toes go under the table." She knows exactly what that means. A few nights ago, she was at the counter watching me cook and I noticed her foot on the counter. I told her that toes go under the table and this is what happened. Both feet ended up on the counter! Notice the sweet yet defiant look in the 2nd one. She gets that from Aunt Sara. Please excuse the horrible quality of these images...they were taken with my phone!

hodge podge!

2008-09-25T22:27:00.004-06:00

I was looking through Avery's folder on our hard drive and I found a few that never got posted. I thought you all would enjoy seeing them.

These 2 were taken a week before her 1st birthday. She was eternally happy around that time. She's developed a little attitude lately, but back then...she was always smiling!

We went with Wes' family and his sister's in-laws to Destin for a day on a pontoon boat around the beginning of July. This is Avery sporting her life jacket.

This one was taken in May. I got my niece and nephew in a photo with Avery for gifts for my parents. If you see a Ford F-150 driving around Mobile, Alabama with a tag on the front that looks like this....it will either be my mom or dad. They gets lots of attention with these 2 cuties on their car!

Abby just started kindergarten and Andrew started 1st grade. Don't they have the best hair color ever?!

Avery, Baxter, & Baxter's kitty

2008-09-25T09:36:00.003-06:00

OK...SORRY! We have lots of photos, but we are too dang busy to blog. Avery absolutely loves school. She likes Ring Around the Rosey and If You're Happy and You Know It. Wes and I were forced to do Ring Around the Rosey with her. Wes loved it. heeehee!

We got this "kitty" at Mardi Gras. It was Avery's. Baxter claimed it as his own. He loves his kitty. I mean he LOVEEEESSSS his kitty. The kitty stays in the office, but for some reason, Avery felt the need to take Baxter his kitty. He wasn't in the mood for kitty, but she didn't care.

First day of school

2008-09-06T23:42:00.003-06:00

It's official..... Our baby has started school. It is just so hard for us to get work done during the day, so we decided to find a good part- time program for her. We were fortunate to find a church 2 miles from home with an opening. We didn't want a "day care", we wanted her to start an education and socialize with other kids and people. So she goes from 9-1 daily and they have music class every day and chapel a couple of times per week. She LOVES it. I think she was starting to get bored with us at home and has really come out of her shell in the last two weeks. The best part is that we get more time to work so that we can spend some quality time with her. More photos to come in the next day or two!

This is Avery sporting her cute green dress and pink lunch box..... she's such a diva!

Still in Texas

2008-08-17T22:23:00.013-06:00

Well, our second day in Texas we got up and had breakfast at Aunt Sara's house.

Then we hit the car and drove an hour north through Dallas to the area of Plano, TX (Home of the Southfork Ranch from Dallas) for some kick butt shopping. Daddy needed a new watch and some clothes!

This is Avery and Uncle Derek sporting her new ensemble.... A new dress, tennis shoes, and little white lamb. Daddy picked out the shoes while aunt Sara found the dress. Avery sort of found the lamb herself as she reached for it in one of the aisles at Nieman Marcus!

The next day we went into downtown Corsicana for some photos. This is the side of an old building that is now a burger joint and old time soda fountain.

Be cool!

A quick photo with dada...

And then one with Aunt Sara

Then back into the stinkin' car seat..

But then we went home and played in the sprinkler with Baxter's sister "Dixie". Don't even bother looking at these if you are some sicko looking for kiddi pics. Texas has the friendliest firearms laws in the country and these were made in TX if you get my drift!

Avery's road trip to Dallas

2008-08-15T22:29:00.005-06:00

Avery and daddy are on a little car trip to Corsicana and Dallas, TX this week to visit Aunt Sara. Wes only took the point & shoot camera so you will have to overlook the quality here. Most of these were made at the University of Southern MS during an excercise stop in Hattiesburg. More to come soon!

She loves water, so this is like the mother ship of fountains!

Unfortunately, her legs were not quite tall enough to get in.....

Pleeeeeeeeeease?

Sometimes things seem really big (or really small)

She has never been into tv, but this portable dvd player borrowed from nana with her Elmo dvd helped Wes keep his sanity....

Wes ran some errands the morning they arrived and came back to find Avery and Aunt Sara piled up in the bed after lunch. They both LOVE their sleep!

Avery's Beach Fun

2008-07-05T22:53:00.004-06:00

Avery LOVES the beach. We had her with us in Sandestin last week and let her play in the sand for a while with her new sand toy our gracious neighbor bought her. Unfortunately, the sand had some sort of weird black grain in it that stuck to everything (including her), so the hose was the last resort when we were done.....

A new post!!

2008-06-05T00:20:00.004-06:00

OMG! It has been 3 weeks since a post. We are bad parents. Actually, we are swamped with weddings!! But, we do have a few pics to post. Let me find them.

Here she is at 14 months and finally has pigtails!! They might be small, but they are pigtails!!!

Mommy and Avery were having lunch with mommy's friends so we dressed up a bit.

Daddy's girls

This is Avery on her first sailboat trip. She got really worn out so we wedged her in a tight space and she slept on a sail bag.

This is her first trip to the beach since she's been walking. She wore me out!! We went with Avery's cousins and she loved watching them play in the water. She wanted to try out the board too!

Look at all those chubs!! Sand was absolutely everywhere....everywhere.

This cracks me up! She was heading to the water to see what Andrew was doing and she losing her balance. She fell right after this pic was snapped. Then she got right back up and went to the water!

But, of course, she got worn out. She slept under this umbrella for an hour and a half.

I am proud to say that after all that time in the sun, Avery was only burned on 1 big toe.

Happy Birthday big brother!

2008-05-18T22:47:00.003-06:00

Avery would like to wish her big brother a HAPPY 3rd Birthday. Baxter got lots of kisses, chased several squirrels, stole baby toys, and went for a walk with us. It was just like any other day! He is a good boy and we love him very much. Even though Avery and I have a little allergy to him, we are gonna keep him! Thank God for Zyrtec.

Here's our boy on his 3rd birthday.

13 months

2008-05-11T20:18:00.004-06:00

Since we were slackers and didn't take any real 12 month pics, we went out for some 13 month pics. Avery was certainly not an easy subject. She was more interested in cars that went by, dogs that were being walked or barked in the distance, and the construction noise from down the street. Wes was in charge of the camera, but I grabbed it for a measly 3 shots. This was one of my 3 and I love it! She is such a stinker. You gotta love those blue eyes and those cute little baby teeth!

We will post more once we get a little more caught up on our work. Wedding season is kicking our butts!

April 2008 random stuff

2008-05-05T00:01:00.004-06:00

These are for Aunt Sara. She is in Texas and is seriously needing some Avery love.

Since we had her party a little early, we decided to make her actual birthday special. MMMM....

I have WHAT on my head?

Oh...it's a cheerio.

Whay are you laughing, mama?

Too many toys, not enough time.

Baxter...I was here first.

It's been a long day and I lost another barrette.

Daddy's in charge

2008-05-04T22:52:00.006-06:00

Sorry for the delay in posting!! We're in the middle of our busy season. Anyway.... I was out running some errands. Wes was in charge of the babies. (Baxter and Avery). Wes noticed that Avery was being really quiet. He went on a search and this is what he found....

She only gets her paci for night-night. She went to her room and found one that she had thrown from her bed. Then she went to the bathroom and got a roll of tp from under the cabinet. She quietly mutilated a few pieces before Daddy found her. This girl is too cute. She LOVES tearing up paper. Sorry about the shredded coupons Nana.

Mean Avery

2008-04-23T21:24:00.003-06:00

My friend, Deborah, sent me this picture of Avery. Avery and picked Rob and Deborah up at the cruise terminal and we visited with them a few hours since they live in St. Louis. They got engaged on that trip too!!! Anyway, I had to share this pic. It was over a month ago, but it's too funny to pass up. Avery is a walker now, so crawling is far behind her. She is too grown up to crawl.

These are one I took with our point and shoot camera.

Avery with Rob

Avery with Deborah

Deborah's big rock!! Good job Rob.

Birthday presents!

2008-04-13T15:21:00.006-06:00

Look at me!! I can walk...well sorta. But, don't you love my dress?! I had a bow to match, but I like taking bows out!
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YAY!!! Presents!!

I love leis! Aunt Sara gave me beach stuff including sunblock. She's so practical.

Here's Oliver and his daddy! There were lots of redheads at my party!

Speaking of redheads. This is Cat. She likes climbing into things. She likes my swing!

Check out my ball!! Unfortunately, Baxter thought it was his ball and he popped it. But, grandmama (mommy's g-ma) bought me another one! :o)

Check out these cool books from Oliver. Millie Moo and Rainbow Rob. These books are so silly!

These were all taken by Cat's daddy! Thanks Stephen!!

Here's Papa (mommy's dad) with his 3 A's. Andrew, Abby, and Avery. I told you there were lots of redheads!

Here's Cat with Baxter. Cat has doggies at home so she wasn't scared of Baxter. She loved on him and gave him kisses. She even shared her party hat. Silly Baxter.

Cat climbed over my presents to test out my new wagon from Mimi and Grandpa. It got Cat's seal of approval! Maybe Cat should come over and go for a wagon ride sometime. It even has cup holders!

This is one of my toys from when I was an itty bitty baby.

There's Cat trying to get in Oliver's car seat...with Oliver. Silly Cat!

Avery's birthday party!

2008-04-13T01:00:00.007-06:00

I know several of you are patiently awaiting the photos of Avery's party. Here are a few....

This is the party decor! I know...it's a bit much for a 1-year old. But, you're only 1 once.

This fabulous gem was made by the fabulous Betty Weber. Her cakes are so yummy and she just loves Avery.

Isn't this way cute?!

This is the table! I made party favors for all the kids using the little buckets. They had twirly straws and bubbles and a tub toy for the babies.

Here's Avery and Oliver playing.

Avery was pointing to the paper lanterns. She thought they were fun! Don't you just love her party dress?! So dang cute! Her bloomers were personalized with her monogram thanks to Aunt Margie!

Avery said, "where did my dress go?"

Avery said, "look daddy, there's fire on my cake!"

She was so dainty with it. She scooped up all the purple icing before any of the white was disturbed.

So serious.

YAY!!! "I love Betty Weber cake"

MORE CAKE PLEASE!

yep....the lanterns are still there.

what's that? ETA - Wes told me that she was offering cake to everyone in this pic. sorry...I didn't know!

She never actually demolished the cake, but she somehow still got icing in her eyelashes. I will post more from her day soon!

ONE YEAR OLD

2008-04-03T20:44:00.005-06:00

Oh my! My baby is officially a TODDLER! I can't believe it. The year has flown by and I know she will be a teenager in the blink of an eye. I can't even begin to tell you how much a blessing Avery has been to me, Wesley, and our families. She is so much fun and such a sweet, happy baby. Don't get me wrong...she has her moments and she is quite bossy and sassy at times. But, she is perfect. We couldn't have asked for God to give us a bigger blessing than Avery. We wanted a baby so badly and after several cycles of fertility treatments, we ended up trying IVF (b/c I over-produced eggs on a regular cycle). That was going to be our last try...we were just about out of money and steam. Most IVF cycles yield 10-25 viable embryos. Ours yielded one. The odds were not in our favor to get pregnant, but God was on our side. On July 23, 2006, Dr. Barry Ripps put that embryo in me and congratulated me on being pregnant. I didn't know if I would be pregnant the next month, the next week, or even the next day, but I was on that day. Amazingly, that one embryo developed into a perfectly perfect baby girl that has forever change me. This is Avery on the day she made me a mommy and Wes and daddy.

I am in complete amazement on how much she looked like me and my mom on the day she was born and now how much she looks like her Daddy and Aunt Sara!

Avery's Uncle Patsy made a sweet slideshow of Avery's first year!! CHECK IT OUT HERE!!!

Avery had a party!!

2008-04-01T12:45:00.003-06:00

We are super busy this week (I know...what's new), but I know you all are dying for a sneak peek of Avery's party. It was so sweet!!! She LOVED her Betty Weber cake of course!!

I PROMISE to post more soon!

Here's my pretty girl pre-cake!

She was clapping. I think she was clapping for that yummy cake!

Looks like we'll be getting a swing soon

2008-03-27T22:15:00.001-06:00

Oh MY!!

2008-03-26T20:31:00.004-06:00

Ladies and Gentlemen - we have a walker!! Avery took NINE steps to Aunt Margie yesterday. I have only been lucky enough to get 4 or 5, but she is on her way. Her birthday is still 9 days away so she might prove me wrong and do some real walking by then. Sorry for not updating Avery's Vegas post, but we have been swamped trying to get caught up from our week away!!

Avery's Las Vegas Adventures Updated

2008-03-21T21:17:00.006-06:00

So we all went to Las Vegas last week for an annual professional photography conference and of course we had to take the peanut. Aunt Sara who lives in Texas came along to babysit while we were in classes and Avery had a great time. One day in our room, Rae was trying to change a diaper. Well, in pure Avery form, she rolled over and started to crawl across the bed. Rae went to grab her and continue putting the diaper on when I said "WAIT" and grabbed a camera. Our beds had these pure white sheets with a red leather, wall mounted headboard. Add some sweet light coming through the window and it was perfect for a photo session. We bribed her with some snacks and had a lot of fun for about 10 minutes..... I am so glad we have the ability to capture these times.

This is the face she likes to dish out when she's getting in trouble these days.... and yes, it works to her advantage!

I think it's safe to say this is one happy child!

Our last day we drove to Utah for some sightseeing.....more on that later! Here is Avery with Aunt Sara.

Almost 1 and a tiny step!

2008-03-12T22:24:00.004-06:00

Mark your calendars!! Avery took her 1st tiny step today, March 12th. Wesley and I both got to see it. So cute!! I had tears. She has been getting more and more brave with standing and one-hand walking so it was bound to happen. I always said I didn't think she would walk by her birthday and I still don't, but she will be taking a step or 2. I truly can't believe how fast the past year has gone. So much happens in the 1st year...it's just a whirlwind. I miss holding a tiny baby, but I have several friends and clients due soon...I will get my fix!!!

Here she is about to take off. Sippy cup in one hand...Lion walker in the other. YEP...Avery is drinking and driving now. WATCH OUT BAXTER!!

She will go and go until she hits something. Then she tries to turn it or she waits for us to turn it. Look at Baxter on the chair in the background. He is safely off the floor...or so he thinks!

OH YEAH!

So many toys....not enough time.

She is inspecting her party decorations!

These last 2 are for Uncle Patsy. She has bought Avery almost as much clothes as Avery's grandmothers have!! This is a way cute denim dress. It shows her hiney when she crawls so we have to use bloomers!!

This came from Chinatown in San Francisco and she looks so cute!! She is definitely her daddy's child in this one! Can you tell she has gotten chubby again? LOL!

Next week we are going to Las Vegas for a photography convention and Aunt Sara is coming from Texas to be Avery's nanny. They are going to have a great time. They haven't seen each other since Christmas and Avery has grown a bushel since then!

Dinner Fun

2008-03-06T23:12:00.004-06:00

Wesley's mom and dad had dinner with us last week and someone was goofing off at the table. You'll see the fake cough, the babbling, the new clap, and just silliness.

woooohooooo!!!

2008-02-19T01:15:00.002-06:00

Guess who FINALLY clapped Monday? Yep...you guessed it. Avery clapped and it was so cute. I think it was all the Pat-a-cake Aunt Margie was playing with her this weekend. She also gives kisses. It's the tongue out kind, but they are kisses and she loves giving them.

Also - Avery took two two-hour naps. That is unheard of. She has slept through the night since she was 8 weeks old with some hiccups along the way, but she has never been a great napper. I am not complaining...I am just telling you.

I get a little sad when I look at her and see how big she's getting. She is starting to look like a little girl and not a baby. She has a whole lot of attitude....I mean a WHOLE lot. My mom says I wasn't like that, so it MUST come from her daddy's side! LOL!!! She has actually stomped her feet and thrown her arms back when she was mad. She is a stinker! Poor Baxter gets abused regularly. He is such a good boy. He lets her hit him, pull his ears, climb on him, and lay on him. He just lays there. He did get a little frisky one day and he knocked her over. She got pretty mad and needed some mama-hugs. She gets upset with loud, strange noises. She cries and looks EXACTLY like her daddy.

Speaking of looks. We still get a mixed review of who she looks like. Some say me, some say Wes, and most say both of us. My mom still calls her Wesleena. She is perfect to me and her daddy is in love.

Sorry for not posting pics. I have a cute one from the tub...I just have to find it. I still owe Suzanne and Jamie a pic...so I can't post any Avery ones until I get theirs off my camera!

More Avery!

2008-02-11T01:23:00.000-06:00

We headed back to our newest favorite photo spot for more Avery pics. I finally found a bow that would stay in her hair and the weather was too perfect to stay inside. This dress is so dang cute on her!! I actually bought this dress before Avery was even born. It is a Rare Editions dress and I just LOVE their dresses. The rear view is so precious!

This is her favorite toy (right now). It makes lots of sounds and music when his nose is pushed. There is some serious baby dancing going on! She gets her dance moves from her daddy.

Don't you just love those chubs?

This is her "I look like my daddy" face.

Is this AMAZING or what??? I LOVE LOVE LOVE this!! She was smiling at ME!

9-1/2 month update

2008-01-28T00:35:00.001-06:00

Okay, boy do we have a newly found respect for children's photographers. We were worn out after this shoot. She is getting so big and it's amazing how much you want to see them grow and learn, yet you are already starting to miss the days when they were smaller and less independant. She now has developed quite the temper to test her boundaries. She has also recently learned that it's fun to open the cabinets and repeat the words "no, no" over and over again. One day recently, Rae told her "no" and placed her knee against a cabinet she was trying to open. Avery immediately hit the floor, threw heard arms down, and proceeded with a grunt and a hissy. I think the line of the week is "no one is listening to you" during her temper tantrums. She also learned to drink out of straw recently which seems small, but is coming in very handy. She's an amazing child........ and we are looking foward to every new milestone.

Someone doesn't care for shoes yet so Rae had to get involved a little. You would think the shoes bite!

Look at the smile like daddy's.... okay, maybe a little of mommy's too.

I crack myself up!

Hey, what's with this stupid hat in Florida?

You two are funny.....

This was her Christmas dress Wesley's mom hand made....

Of course everything goes in the mouth these days!

But hey, she's getting around just fine!

Avery Update

2008-01-23T22:22:00.000-06:00

I was prepping the studio sofa for a boudoir session recently and caught a couple shots of the munchkin goofing off. She's getting harder to keep in focus as much as she moves around these days. It's hard to believe she's almost 10 months old now.....

Yeah.....update

2008-01-15T23:24:00.001-06:00

We are at Disney. See mommy and daddy's blog for the latest...

Avery's talented cousin, Andrew

2008-01-05T23:26:00.000-06:00

Thanks to my parents' neighbor, Cindy for capturing these way too cute images of my family. For those who don't know, my parents and my sister's family are neighbors. A 2-acre field separates their houses. My dad has been letting Andrwe (6 years old) drive the golf cart all over the place for a while now. Andrew mastered the golf cart (Papa only got a few bumps and bruises)and has now moved on to the lawn mower. You must know that my dad has not even "allowed" my mom to use the riding mower...just Andrew.

I looks like Andrew is taking boxes of Christmas decorations from the front yard to the backyard. Papa and Abby are along for the ride.

I think this is one of the best pics I have ever seen of Andrew. GREAT job Cindy!! Is he cute in those boots or what?! Hey - he lives on 4 acres with a pond (with fish), a dog, a cat, a lovebird, a turtle, chickens, ducks, and a goose....he NEEDS cowboy boots!

9 Months Old!!

2008-01-04T08:53:00.000-06:00

Sorry for taking so long to post! We were busy during the holidays gng to Mobile and visiting family and shooting THREE weddings during the week between Christmas & New Year's Day. They were all really beautiful weddings...look at our photo blog to see them. Also, we have great pics of Avery at Christmas, but we haven't even gone through them yet....we are bad!

Wow - I have a 9-month old baby today. I really can't believe how quickly the time has passed. Avery is such a joy and pleasure. She makes me smile so much. Let me brag on her a bit... she is getting more hair. I was bald for a few years, so she's ahead of me! She got her 2 front teeth for Christmas (actually the week before Christmas). But, she's already got an extra one on the top and bottom. She will probably have 8 teeth within the next week or so. She is a pro at crawling. She pulls up on everything and she has figured out how to get back down. She is thinking about letting go, but hasn't braved it too much yet. She dances when music plays. She laughs really hard when I eat her baby toes. When Baxter is lying on the floor, she uses him as a jungle-gym...she crawls right over him. And, he lets her. She has said BaaBaa (for Baxter), Hi, Mama, ByeBye, and a evil-sounding DaDa. She waved bye and said ByeBye on Christmas Day. It was so cute. Sometimes she uses her whole arm to wave and other times she uses just her fingers. Oh, and the funniest thing she does...she crawls around with a small toy in her mouth. She learned that from Baxter.

So, I know you all just want to see pictures. Here are a few. How do you tell it's time to move your baby from baths in the kitchen sink to the big tub??

They do THIS:

She's in the big tub now and loving it!! She crawls all over and plays with her toys. And, the water pretty much stays in the tub....for now.

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

2007-12-24T09:19:00.001-06:00

Avery wants to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas. This is our Christmas card....sorry if you didn't get one!

And this is what Avery wore to church on Sunday. The dress and the bonnet were made and smocked by Wes' mom....aka Mimi. She happily wore the bonnet until church was almost over. She snatched it off her head and was done with it!

A little of everything

2007-12-17T23:57:00.000-06:00

It's been too long since I posted about my sweet baby. She is growing way too fast. She can pull to her feet easily on us or Baxter, but she hasn't quite mastered pulling up on things yet. She loves to hold on to cabinet handles so it won't be long now. Her vocabulary hasn't changed too much. She has said, "Daa" but just won't say "Dada." She actually laughs when we say it. I think she knows what we are saying and she knows we are waiting for it! She crawls EVERYWHERE...I mean everywhere!! I love to hear the pitter-patter of her hands on the wood floors. So cute! She follows us and Baxter from room to room. Unfortunately, the poor baby has another cold. We are trying to figure out if she is suffering from allergies or just that unlucky to have 3 colds in 5 weeks.

Here are some random photos....

We were steaming with the hopes of breaking up some of her congestion. She got SO excited when Wes came in.

This is how she shops. She really gets annoyed sitting up for long periods, so we recline her stroller and she is happy for a while!

Yep....your eyes aren't fooling you. That is a pacifier in her mouth. At 8.5 months old, she now takes a paci and likes it. I got a little tired of being her "human pacifier" and I gave her one. She never liked one before. She got a cold last week and wanted to nurse FOREVER just for comfort and I needed a break. She loves the paci. She even tried to share it with me.

Is this the absolute cutest or what?? Our two babies looking for squirrels together!! Well, Baxter was looking for squirrels....Avery was just looking.

Crawling, Kneeling, and almost standing

2007-12-09T01:29:00.000-06:00

Avery is crawling everywhere...which includes the lower shelf of the coffee table. She is a pro at kneeling. She started doing it in her crib and now does it in the middle of the floor or when she needs to get some extra leverage over Baxter. She pulled to a stand on me twice today. Oh, it all happens so fast! She still loves her baths. She loves to eat. She loves her bottle...but doesn't like to hold it herself. She looks right at Baxter when we say, "where's Baxter" and she says "baabaa" (Baxter), "mama", and "hi." We are still waiting on "dada." She has a new carseat now because she was at the limit for both height and weight.

Do you like her fashionable outfit? LOL! I had to get her some pants since she was getting carpet burns on her knees. These were on sale!

Check out Mommy & Daddy's blog.

2007-12-05T22:21:00.001-06:00

Look HERE for some WAY cute pics of me. Don't be jealous of my fashionable hats!

The face says it all

2007-11-26T09:01:00.000-06:00

Avery is eating food now and she like most of the foods she has tried. She is not a fan of applesauce AT ALL. I sneak it in other foods since I have it, but if she tastes it, she gags. She used to like green beans, but recently decided to HATE them. I make her baby food, so it might just be that I got a batch of bitter green beans. They are the biggest pain to make, so I might just buy those from now on. Anyway, this is a series of photos I took when she was eating green beans.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2007-11-22T23:13:00.001-06:00

Avery had a good FIRST Thanksgiving despite being grouchy because of teething. Motrin was our friend!!!

Be sure to check our BLOG for more photos!!

She is CRAWLING!!!!!!

2007-11-17T00:32:00.000-06:00

I am so ashamed that it has been 2 weeks since our last Avery post. I have a few excuses...we are in a busy season and we have been pretty dang sick. Avery and I have both had 2 colds in the last few weeks. She was so pitiful and ended up with ear infections. Even though she was sick, she managed to figure out the coordination for crawling. I am so proud! She wants to crawl constantly and even has carpet burns on her tiny knees. Sorry for the low quality of these pics. I was not feeling well!!

The first smiles in two days!!!

Check me out!!

Whhhewww.....that was tiring.

Here I come, Mommy!

Look at the concentration on her face.

So serious.

She's got my eyebrows...one is rounded and the other is pointy! LOL!

Watch out Baxter....here I come.

Poor Baxter. He didn't know she was going to become mobile.

The cutest duck....EVER!

2007-11-02T08:32:00.000-06:00

I am not very objective, but I think she's the cutest duck ever! Avery had a great 1st Halloween. We went to the Pumpkin Patch for some cute shots. A couple of those are posted HERE on our photo blog. We got her in her costume and did some trick or treating so our neighbors could see her. Wes was quite pleased with Avery's treats. Then we went to a Halloween Party for kiddies at the Hendricks house. I will post some of those soon.

I have been avoiding the front of the camera for a while. I have obviously not lost any baby weight, but I can't hide anymore! Here I am with my sweet baby!

What a happy duck.

Baxter just had to nibble on the duck.

The duck loves Baxter!

Baxter's ear got a little love too.

Always happy!

2007-10-28T22:39:00.000-06:00

Here are a few of you Avery blog stalkers. She LOVES her bath still. She has outgrown the baby tub and I am not ready to break my back bathing her in the big tub, so we use the kitchen sink. It works for us!

I give you ONE guess on what is making Avery smile in this one.

Yep - you guessed it. Baxter came into the kitchen for bath time.

Here is my bright blue-eyed girl showing off her arm strength.

I'm a silly goose!

Stay tuned for crawling pics!! I am pretty sure you will be seeing some this week!! She is determined to crawl before 7 months!

Check our photo blog for cute pics with Andrew & Abby!!

Getting bigger every day!

2007-10-23T23:11:00.000-06:00

Sorry for taking so long to post some pics! We are bad!! Here are some pics of Avery playing in her Pack N Play. It is AWESOME! She loves playing in it and is happy in there for up to an hour sometimes. I love her. Check out all the great toys in there. Her favorite toy is the plastic rings. She shows the pink tiger (thanks Aunt Beth) love too, but the rings are the favorite.

Such a happy girl!

Here is Avery lounging on daddy watching Fox News. We see that tongue all the time!!

This is also a normal face. She likes to blow raspberries. She does it for hours on some days. I think this was in response to something political on TV. It's cute until she does it with a mouth full of sweet potatoes.

This is her "I look like Daddy" face.

This is her "I am pissed and look like Daddy" face.

PS - Avery's onesie was personalized by Karla. Check out her site HERE!

2007-10-22T01:40:00.001-06:00

I know, we're bad parents with no new updates lately...... October is our BUSY month. We'll have new stuff soon! I will say however that Avery looked at Rae and said "Mama" tonight. There's one update for ya.....I'm not jealous. Na, not me boy.

Wesley

Sweet Baby and Two Teeth

2007-10-11T23:38:00.000-06:00

I couldn't resist posting these two. She has the sweetest doll face!! I could absolutely just eat her up!!!!!

Check out those two pearly whites! I know it's not a good photo, but it shows the teeth.

Pictures of a 6-month old

2007-10-11T22:48:00.000-06:00

I know it has been way too long since Avery pics have been posted. Sorry! She is keeping us busy! We are working on her official 6 month pics, but these are too cute to keep to ourselves. Uncle Patsy gave Avery this very special onesie. Do you recognize that handsome furry fella on it? That's right...it's BAXTER! He was perfectly airbrushed on a onesie and it says, "My Hairy Big Brother." This little photo session was quite amusing. Avery kept squealing and yelling while pulling on Baxter. Baxter was licking her and rolling around. They are so cute together! Oh - I want to officially announce Avery has said her first word. Our predictions were right for her first word. She says, "BaBa" for Baxter. She has said Mama, but I don't think she knows I am Mama. She KNOWS who BaBa is. She says it all the time now, but she clearly says it when he comes near her or comes into the room. I love my babies! More Avery pics can be seen on our photo BLOG!

Poor Baxter...his hair gets pulled a lot.

There were lots of baby noises around this time.

She inspects Baxters teeth.

Baby yelling.

She is getting an ear cleaning while she sucks her toes.

Update for Six months!

2007-10-04T11:27:00.000-06:00

Avery had her well baby visit today. She weighs 19 pounds and is 27.5 inches long. That is the 95th percentile for both. That means that she is bigger than 95% of the babies her age. At least she's tall and chubby instead of short and chubby! LOL!

I also forgot to mention that she now rolls to get around. Why crawl when rolling works?

Oh - and that widow's peak came straight off of Aunt Sara's head.

Six Months and I have learned so much...Avery has too.

2007-10-03T22:11:00.000-06:00

Six months ago, I went from looking like this:

to having THIS:

I am having a tough time wrapping my brain around it. I can't believe that I am a mother and I certainly can't believe that I am the mother of a 6-month old. I guess I will feel like this for the rest of my life. I can truly say that I am completely in love with Avery. My heart aches with love for her. I love everything about her...even when I might not think I do. I now know that when I was hurting and my mom would tell me that she would do anything to take my pain away or take it for herself - she meant it. It's not that I doubted her, I just didn't understand the scope of it. I do now. I now know that hearing my baby cry is not nearly as annoying as hearing all the other babies cry. I now know that baby slobber, baby spit-up and baby snot is way less nasty when it's from my own baby. I vaguely remember the 1st few weeks of her life thanks to sleep deprivation. But, one thing I remember is rocking her in the middle of the night while I cried. Sometimes I cried because I was so exhausted. Sometimes I cried because she cried and wouldn't stop. But, there is a certain cry that makes me tear up today. I would sing to her and as I was singing, I would think about all the tears I shed because I didn't think I would ever have a baby. I couldn't sing through the tears of joy so I would hum. She didn't care. She loved me no matter what.

In case you didn't know....Avery has the sweetest giggle and she is definitely going to be a talker. If she giggles to much, she gets hiccups. She has the most beautiful blue eyes. They are a bit on the edge of gray like Nana's, but the blue comes through. Avery's daddy, mommy, and Grandpa have blue eyes. Her eyelashes are so long like Aunt Margie's that they touch her eyebrows when her eyes are wide open. She has the sweetest lips that look a lot like her daddy's. She has a little freckle birthmark on her arm. I thought she had my feet, but they are looking more and more like her daddy's and Mimi's feet. She has a butt chin (cleft) like everyone in her mommy's family, but Daddy has a small one. She has 3 red stork bites on the back on her head and neck. I think those come from Aunt Margie. She has a purply, pink birthmark on her forehead that looks like Papa's. She has her mommy's ears even though mommy was hoping she'd get daddy's ears. Sometimes she looks like me...sometimes she looks like Wes. But, she mostly looks like Aunt Sara to me. It is so fun to see so many traits in Avery that are obvious from her parents, grandparents, and aunts. No matter what....she is perfect to me and I will never be the same.

Here's some photos from her 1st day as our sweet baby girl.

Now she looks JUST like me in this one!

Avery's 1st boat ride!

2007-10-01T21:53:00.001-06:00

We took Avery & Baxter out on Blackwater River for Avery's 1st boat ride. She seemed to really enjoy it. Baxter had a fabulous time. It has been too long since he got to go on the boat and swim.
Avery loves being in water. She has loved her bath from the beginning and any other water is fine with her. It was a little chilly, but she didn't care. She loved to make splashes and eat sand and watch Baxter run around like a nut.

FYI - Avery's 2 bottom teeth are coming in nicely. She is getting a little more hair. Sometimes it looks brown and sometimes blond. She is sitting up fabulously. She is starting to tuck her knees under, so crawling will be coming soon (too soon if you ask me). She is a pretty good scooter though. She laughs and giggles so much. She could watch Baxter all day. She will be SIX MONTHS old on Thursday!!!! OH NO!

This is her relaxed pose. Her daddy set her up a cool lounger out of the float.

So BIG!

She fancies the taste of sand. She ingested a little more that she should have!

Avery & Mommy (and Daddy's boat)

Soooo sleepy! Swimming wears her out. Check out her long lashes and her cute birthmark!

Refreshed after her nap.

She laughed and talked the whole way back.

I love Daddy!

2007-09-25T23:46:00.000-06:00

Avery just loves her daddy. She laughs at him and gives him really big smiles. I can get her to giggle for several minutes at a time, so I guess she thinks we are both silly. She got her first tooth on September 15th and I think the 2nd one will be here soon. Avery is a little more grouchy than usual, but she is still a really good baby. She has also learned that if she makes loud grunting noises mommy will come get her. She has me trained very well. Anyway - she still thinks Baxter is great. She now grabs his face when he comes up for a kiss. We keep warning him about her becoming mobile. I don't think he fully understands the scope of it yet. She is great at sitting up, and scoots on her tummy. No signs of crawling, but I am not rushing her mobility (for Baxter's sake!).

Here's Avery and Daddy playing on the beach. He is totally wrapped around her finger!! She thinks he is pretty cool too.

This is her playing in her crib while sporting her www.raeleytham.com onesie courtesy of Uncle Patsy. Thumbs are yummy!!

We're back!

2007-09-20T22:45:00.001-06:00

We've been on vacation....see mom & dad's blog for photos.

My big girl is SITTING UP!!

2007-09-12T00:22:00.000-06:00

Avery is an official "sitter-upper" at FIVE months. Wow - Time FLIES. It really does. She has been balancing on her hands for a few weeks and last week she got brave and went hands free. Sometime in the last several days, she has mastered the whole balancing thing. She will even bend in half and pull herself back up. She has caught herself from tipping over and everything. I am so proud. Just when I think that I have the most talented baby ever, I remember that she still doesn't roll over! LOL!!! She CAN roll over and she has done it. She just isn't impressed with it. She hates being on her tummy and I think she knows if she rolls over on her tummy, she might get stuck that way. She moves all around in her crib during the night, but she is always on her back. Silly girl.

She LOVES Baxter....LOVES. She fake coughs to get his attention. She never cries when he licks her (which is often). And, she loves to touch him.

This is just before Baxter gets a kiss on his side. We used to have to wipe the dog slobber off the baby. Now we have to wipe baby slobber off the dog. Oh I hope she doesn't develop an allergy to him.

Apparently his nap was interrupted. He's not very impressed with us.

Look ma....NO HANDS! She can sit for several minutes before toppling over! I swear I could eat her up!

Avery meets some friends!

2007-09-11T20:55:00.000-06:00

We went to Mobile on Sunday to visit some friends that Avery hasn't met yet. Dr. Deborah is a Urology Resident in St. Louis and Dr. Jan is a Dentist in Mobile. I went to Spring Hill College with Deborah and Jan. We all have Biology degrees....and they are actually using theirs! LOL! They were all dying to meet Avery.

Here's Deborah with Avery...

...and Deborah's boyfriend, Rob, too. I am fairly certain that Rob would keep Avery if I let him.

Avery and me posing for Rob. I don't think my hair is really that red.

This is Jackson, Jan's baby. He is demonstrating the way to sit in the Bumbo chair. He thought it was pretty cool.

Avery is relaxing. I was finally able to get a shot that showed off her pretty eyes AND lashes.

Avery & Friends

2007-09-10T22:31:00.000-06:00

Avery and I were invited to a "mommy lunch" last Friday. It was so much fun to get together and share war stories with other first time moms. The kiddos were all so good I don't think there was more than 2 minutes of fussing the entire 2 hours. They really liked checking out each other's toys too. Most of you know Natalie. If you don't check out our photography blog several posts back. She was born in January and is the oldest of the kiddos. Next is Max who was born in the middle of February. Then my sweet Avery bug (the chubby pale kid with no hair). Last, but certainly not least, is Oliver. He was born at the end of June and has some gorgeous red hair thanks to his parents!

Here's the fabulous host, Oliver

and the way too cute Max showing off his pretty smile.

I think 10-week old Oliver is almost as long as 7-month old Natalie.

Max was trying to give Avery kisses. Her daddy has told her that boys are bad news and she listened.

Max is having fun with the ladies

Such good friends!!!

Avery said, "Can I have some of that hair, please?"

Avery Bug & Uncle Patsy

2007-09-05T22:34:00.000-06:00

I had a baby shoot on the beach the other day so Wes and Avery came with me to relax on the beach. We spotted Uncle Patsy working on the beach too. She couldn't leave without getting Avery kisses. yummy!

FIVE months....already???

2007-09-03T22:21:00.001-06:00

I can't believe it. Avery Rae is five months old today, September 4th. This time last year I was freaking out over every cramp and twinge for fear of a miscarriage. Avery was born when I was 2 months shy of turning 31 yet, I find it difficult to remember what life was like before her. Maybe it's because I now have an awful memory. Maybe it's that I don't care about my life before her. It's not that I don't care about it....it's just not as important. Anyway, I snapped a few pics of her this weekend as she enters her 6th month of life. It is staggering what a baby learns in such a short amount of time. She is almost a pro at sitting up, but she still doesn't roll over. I talked with her about it and she said that rolling over is for babies and she's a big girl. Seriously, I think she will walk before she rolls over.

This is Avery and her "big girl" pose.

Are they blue or gray?? And check out those lashes!

I know her thumb looks weird. She has figured out that she has control of her hand and she will put her thumb down and twirl her hand around and watch it move. Silly.

Bath time. She is officially moved to the "other side" of the tub. She hates to recline now that she is a pro sitter-upper.

Daddy snapped this one. Avery was sucking the side of the tub. Do you see the water drops on the side?? Bath time really gets messy. I need to move the tub to the big tub.

This is at the Rankin's pool. Avery is sporting her string bikini and loving the pool. Her daddy does not approve of this swim suit at all. I think it's cute and she will not be wearing one once she's older.

Baby in the Mirror

2007-08-28T11:25:00.000-06:00

Okay, so one of the new fun things to do is look at the baby in the mirror.... We LOVE the baby in the mirror. Unfortunately, neither one of these babies is napping well this week. I think we were up for 12 hours yesterday with two 15 minute naps somewhere in the middle.

This is Avery sitting up ALL BY HERSELF on her changing table. I was right behind her while Wes was taking pics. This means that my baby is working on sitting up but refuses to roll over. She is so silly.

Avery Giggles for Nana

2007-08-27T09:52:00.000-06:00

Don't Bug Me!

2007-08-21T20:05:00.000-06:00

We know you Avery fans are dying for some new photos! She is soooooo sweet. She is a chatty girl. She likes to hear herself squeal. Sometimes, she does long squeals until her breath runs out. So cute! She loves to giggle, but gets hiccups every time she laughs. She has no interest in rolling over, but can sit up unassisted for at least 20 seconds. She absolutely loves her baths and her big hairy brother. Sometimes she looks like me, but most of the time she looks like Wes. She has slept through the night since she was 9 weeks old, but seems to be regressing in that department! We are hoping that it's just teething problems. She's waking up right after being put to bed. One night she woke up 6 times from 9pm-12am. She hasn't had any cereal or solid foods yet...only breast milk and formula. Her Dr. said that she is gaining weight well (that's the PC way of saying..."you're baby is chubby") so she can wait on cereal until she shows signs of needing more food. Basically, she is a good baby and we feel so blessed to have her in our lives.

...having fun with daddy!

She hasn't really gotten the hang of the jumper, but she has fun moving in circles. And, Baxter likes to babysit.

She loves talking to the bugs in her crib.

Avery's Exersaucer

2007-08-17T22:19:00.001-06:00

Wesley's family in Tennessee brought Avery this exersaucer when they came to visit back in June, and it is her favorite pastime. She is techincally not old enough to be in it, but she has hit most of her milestones early so we decided to give it a try a couple of weeks ago. It is so funny watching her in it! She bounces and jumps and talks to all of the toys......She is quite a character!

Sometimes Baxter does a sneak attack from behind!

Hangin with family!

2007-08-14T07:54:00.000-06:00

We went to Mobile to hang out with our families on Sunday. We visited with Wesley's family because his aunt & cousin were in town from Texas and then we headed to my sister's to celebrate Abby's 4th birthday. Check out our main blog for pics of that! We had a good time and Avery was a good girl all day. We had to take her dress off at both houses because it was a little warm for my hot-natured chunk. OH...that reminds me. Avery had her 4-month check-up and she weighs 16 pounds 4 ounces and is 25.25 inches long. She is obviously well above average for her age in height and weight.

Here's Avery with her Great Aunt Lisa (aka Nanie)

Being silly with Mimi

Avery & Papa at Abby's party

Aunt Margie is telling Avery secrets. I am sure it was something questionable. Avery LOVES her fingers!!

Avery's holding her toes and drooling....two things she is very good at! Check out that drool...impressive.

Aunt Margie is painting Avery's feet to get a footprint. She's so mellow. Her fat rolls are way too cute.

Jamie Rae & Avery Rae

2007-08-08T21:07:00.000-06:00

This is my good friend, Jamie Rae. Isn't she cute??? She was actually our Bride in July 2006 and we hit it off and now we are good friends. Wes and Jamie's husband, Jeremy, get along pretty good too! Jamie & I think they were twins in a former life. They were both in the civil engineering field and so many other likenesses that woud bore most of you. Anyway, Jamie came over to love on baby Avery for a bit last week and I snapped this shot. Jamie is also only one of 2 non-relatives that have been Avery's babysitter. She is special! Jamie is a great person and I know all of her 1st-graders will love her this year!!! oh...and she has a FABULOUS middle name too.

August 2nd --- one year ago --- what a fabulous day!

2007-08-01T21:07:00.000-06:00

This is what I saw on August 2, 2006.

Two days before Wesley's birthday and 10 days after this photo was taken....It's a picture of Avery in a petri dish.

I was pregnant. I might not be pregnant the next day or the next week or even the next month, but on August 2, 2006... I WAS PREGNANT! I actually knew I was pregnant. Wesley and I tried to conceive for 2.5 years before this happened. I have PCOS or polycystic ovary syndrome. It is a nasty condition that affects hormones and causes infertility. Some women with PCOS get pregnant pretty easily and others never do, luckily I am in the middle. We did several other cycles of fertility treatments and ended up switching to in vitro fertilization after I produced too many eggs on a regular cycle. It was a costly decision as far as money goes, but it turned out to be the absolute best decision we have ever made. That cycle that made too many eggs only resulted in 1 good embryo. The other embryo in the picture was a day behind in development and those were the only 2 that survived. Anyway, those embryos were placed in me and I just knew I was pregnant within about 5 days. I just knew it. Baxter knew it too. He would not leave my side and he even started sleeping next to me. So...here we are 1 year later with a beautiful 4-month old and a lot less sleep. Yay for us, yay for reproductive endocrinologists, and yay for science!

The red-headed cousins!

2007-08-01T00:01:00.000-06:00

Abby and Andrew came over for a weekend visit and they had a good time. Abby got her ears pierced. We went to Flounders for dinner and they played on the beach and the playground. They made yummy cookies and Andrew ate most of them. But, we were still able to take a few photos. A little incite to the fashion in these images ---- Abby (who will be 4 in a week)was a chicken in her first dance recital and Andrew (is starting Kindergarten soon) loves his cowboy boots.

Swimming at Aunt Beth's & Uncle Steve's

2007-07-30T11:43:00.000-06:00

These are a month old, but I know you Avery lovers need your fix! We went to Beth & Steve's for a little swimming since Avery loves to be in the water. They even fed us and it was YUMMY! I really like sweet potato fries (random thought by Rae). BTW - I used to work with Beth at FDLE (they aren't really relatives). And yes...Avery is topless. She can't squeeze into her top AT ALL!

Beth let Wes and Avery test out her pool chair.

Beth gets some giggles!

Chillin....

Aunt Sara's Graduation

2007-07-29T03:33:00.000-06:00

We were in Mobile this weekend for my sister's "AKA Aunt Sara" college graduation (again). We did this in 2001 for her graduation from the University of Alabama (Roll Tide), but just to prove she's the smartest in the family, she had to go to P.A. school and kick some butt.... It's basically four years of med school compacted into two. Good news is, when I am 50 and in a body cast from rolling on the ground with a camera all of the time, she can write me a prescription for the meds I need!

Four generations here......

Me with my dad...what resemblance?

We has a few laughs during the ceremony....

Aunt Sara in the midst of ther 32 classmates....

All this could be yours for the price of a small country!

Sara, Avery and our Gran.... How hot are these ladies?

Avery Speaks

2007-07-26T19:34:00.000-06:00

I decided it was time to jump on board with the whole youtube thing, so I took a little video of Avery talking while watching me cook dinner tonight. This is for those of you who have never seen her in person.....

Cute Baby Contest!!!

2007-07-26T01:17:00.000-06:00

Avery has been entered in the Pensacola Baby Photo Calendar contest. Vote for your favorite Calendar Baby and help promote literacy! Check out the contest HERE! It does cost $5 for 20 votes, so I don't expect you all to spend your hard-earned money to vote for Avery. But, it's for a good cause!! And...I am sure Avery's grandparents and Aunts would be delighted to vote for her. HINT HINT!!! To see how many votes Avery has, go to the link mentioned above and click on the "L" and scroll until you see her cute chubby cheeks in the bonnet.

New Photos

2007-07-22T23:41:00.000-06:00

New photos are on mom and dad's blog..... click the link on the right!

Where's Avery????

2007-07-20T12:32:00.000-06:00

Our little peanut is a cat-napper during the day. She sleeps all night though so I can't complain. When she falls asleep during the day, it's best to not move her too much or she'll wake up. So, she fell asleep on me and I leaned down with her a left her on the couch. Every time I checked on her, the blanket covered more of her face until I saw this..... We got 45 minutes out of this nap!

And, then it was playtime on the mat. Baxter wanted to play too!! I know I have posted several like this, but I just love the way she is looking at her hairy big brother! Isn't it cute that he HAS to touch her?!

Awwwwwwwww....

Avery & Nattie!!

2007-07-20T12:25:00.000-06:00

When we have afternoon sessions, Avery goes over to spend some time with Jenni & Natalie. Natalie just turned 6 months old, but look at all that hair!!! Poor Avery lost all her hair and is sporting a head of peach fuzz. Oh, you should see Nattie with pigtails...she looks so grown!! Anyway, we snapped a few of the 2 cuties the other night.

We FINALLY were able to capture the pitiful lip sticking out!! How CUTE!!!!

Natalie gave Avery a kiss to make it better!

A tiny little smile for all you Avery fans!

Aunt Sara loves Avery

2007-07-16T07:21:00.000-06:00

Just read Avery's dress. "Aunt Sara Loves Me" I bet you can't guess who got that dress for Avery?! Aunt Sara has complained that she doesn't have any pictures with Avery so we has to squeeze in a few this weekend. We have to keep Aunt Sara happy. She cleans and organizes my office every time she comes over. Now we just have to get some with Aunt Margie.

Aunt Sara snapped this one of Baxter. We haven't forgotten about him!!! He is a good big brother. He makes sure Avery is clean a few times a day. It's a good thing she's not allergic to dogs because she is often covered with Baxter kisses.

I love my baby!

2007-07-14T23:20:00.000-06:00

Wes & I shot a fabulous wedding on Saturday and I met some die-hard blog stalkers. I think they spend more time on Avery's blog than our photography blog! I was told that I don't update Avery's blog enough, so I wanted to throw in a few for them. Cara, Mama McLean, Marcy, Brooke, and Melissa.....these are for you.

I know I have already posted a bonnet photo, but I LOVE her sweet face in this one. She really looks like an angel.

This is one Patsy took a few weeks ago. I love her cute smile and blue eyes!

So cute.

2007-07-12T13:07:00.000-06:00

Miss Avery was in a silly mood so we took advantage of it and snapped some quick shots. She absolutely hates tummy time, but she was nice to pose for us. She loves to show off her tongue now and we see it all the time. She has been sucking her hands since the minute she was born, but now she sucks our hands. OH - She started laughing out loud last week! It's so cute. Baby laughter is the sweetest sound in the world. She was only laughing once a day and she ended up with hiccups every time. But, today we got a few laugh sessions. One time she laughed so loud she startled herself. She cracks me up.

This is the Bumbo chair. It is for babies who aren't sitting up by themselves. It is a little pricey at $40, but so worth it for us. Nana still can't believe they cost that much!!Avery does not like to lie down by herself much. The Bumbo allows me to sit her on the kitchen counter while I make lunch or do the dishes. She can see me and she can easily suck her hands (her favorite hobby). Papa - I promise not to put her on the kitchen counter once she is more active. And, Bumbos come in really cool colors. This one is electric blue! I think the Bumbo people should use this for an ad.

Three months!

2007-07-10T13:48:00.000-06:00

Hard to believe, but the peanut is three months old now. We are in the process of slowly getting some nice photos for the family. We will post all of them on the proofing site when we are done, but here's a sneak peek.....

Happy 3-month Birthday Avery

2007-07-04T22:43:00.000-06:00

and HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!! I can't believe we have had our sweet baby for 3 months already. Time really does fly. I have learned a few things since becoming a mother. These are a few.... 1- sleep deprivation is a great form of torture. 2- moms don't require as much sleep as dads. 3- your own baby's cry is so much less annoying than other baby's cries. 4- it is possible to forget the terror of a difficult C-section.

That's just a few of my observations. Now, I will share some pics from Avery's 3-month birthday party. OK...it wasn't a party for her....I don't want to get threatening calls and emails for you not getting invited!! We went to the Brown's (you know, Patsy Brown of photography fame!) for some yummy food thanks to Scott and for some swimming. Avery has outgrown her swimsuit top, so we took her topless. Can you see why she has outgrown it?? Chubs everywhere!

Are those sunglasses cool or what?!

Avery at the Beach!

2007-07-04T22:15:00.000-06:00

We had a shoot at the beach last week and we took Avery with us. We got some great smiles to share with you all! I know I am bad at updating her blog as much as you all would like...sorry!

Avery is a great bubble maker!

What a handsome "baby daddy!"

I have a blue eyed baby!!! I think they just might turn gray like nana's!!

Mommy had a bad hair day! She got my lazy left eye!

Daddy gets the BEST smiles!

We even spotted "uncle" Patsy there!!

Also - Wes' best friend, Scott, came for a visit a few weeks ago and I forgot to post pics of him with Avery. You might remember Scott being mentioned in a previous blog post. He is the one that gave Avery her very own Bose Wave Radio!!

Family pics!!

2007-06-29T22:31:00.001-06:00

We have some pics to show you, but you have to go to Patsy's BLOG to see them!!

Wes has lost so much weight lately, but he doesn't look like it in these pics. Patsy didn't use her 'Jenny Craig' lens!!

Here's a sneak peak for you:

Best Friends!

2007-06-22T20:50:00.001-06:00

I knew they would be best friends one day, but I think it is going to be sooner than later! Wes had Avery on the floor for a little Daddy time and Baxter got beside her and laid his head on her tummy. How sweet is that??? She got a handful of Baxter fur too! Since I had the camera out, I figured I better take some shots of my chunky monkey for you blog stalkers! Sorry it has taken so long. This week has been crazy. Avery decided to quit sleeping through the night and was getting up at 4am. I work after she goes to bed and needless to say....I didn't get much sleep for several days. boooo... On a happy note, she slept for 9 hours from 11pm-8am last night - maybe we are back on track! ---fingers crossed--- I swear I have to cutest baby EVER. I know every mom says that, but I know I am right. ;o) --rae

Now, I know that Avery looked like me when she was a newbie. And, she still looks like me sometimes. But, this is Wesley, Jr. This looks like it could of come straight out of Wesley's baby book (minus the cute girlie outfit)!!

One itty bitty smile. Mommy is not as funny as daddy.

LADY....I SAID ENOUGH!!

If I straighten my legs and arch my back, will you get the point??

OK...ONE more.

It got pretty ugly after that!

Avery in Hawaii

2007-06-14T01:19:00.001-06:00

Well, Avery had her 2 month checkup today.....It was actually 2 months and a week, but the little booger is up to 12.5lbs already. This puts her in the 85th percentile for weight. Average is 50 percent. Her head size is also in the 85th percentile (big brain like daddy) and her length is right on target at 22.5". She got 3 shots and the only whimper was when they held her down to do it! She is maturing more every day and I swear sometimes she puts words into a sentence when she talks. She is going to be a blabber butt! I have so many more photos from Hawaii I will get around to sharing, but we really are busy this month with 7 weddings, a bridal show Thurs night, and Avery's uncle Scott coming in town this weekend. You can see from the time of this post how our schedule is going! Be sure to check our other blog on the right to see what else we are up to! Most of these were made with the point and shoot camera so please do not critique them for the quality!

Wes

In the Atlanta airport waiting to board.......

Swimming with pops...and yes,she was covered in sunblock before anyone asks hehe

Hanging out at the Dole Plantation....

Wait is almost over

2007-06-12T14:02:00.000-06:00

I know, wwe are slackers, but hopefully you have been checking our other blog for the Hawaii pics.... We are SLAMMED trying to catch up after being out of town for a week, but I have some new Avery photos from Hawaii coming soon!

Getting work done?

2007-05-29T23:38:00.000-06:00

So Avery has become a mama's girl this week. Rae is not able to put her down much since she screams when daddy holds her for more than 15 mins, so Rae put her in a sling that our friend Carnley loaned us. You can see how happy she is while looking like she is in the womb again....Whatever it takes right? On a second note, Bax is officially in protection mode. If avery is on the floor, he is right there beside her.

Really big smiles!

2007-05-23T12:19:00.001-06:00

Our peanut is 7 weeks old today. I really can't believe it...time is flying. She is starting to make little cooing sounds and our mornings are filled with really big smiles. She wakes up smiling. When we peek in on her during her morning nap, we sometimes catch her smiling at her mobile. Since she gives her daddy the biggest smiles, I grabbed my camera and caught a few. Is she cute or what?!

PS - check out Avery's cool new hairdo. It looks a bit like an old man's head. Don't make fun...she can't help it! :o)

Smiles & Grins!

2007-05-18T10:56:00.001-06:00

We have been getting smiles and grins for a few weeks now, but I have not been able to capture them on camera! I got a small one that I will post here, but the biggest one made it on Wesley's camera phone. Avery gives me grins, but she gives her Daddy BIG smiles. He is lots of fun! ---rae

Click this one to see Avery's expressions!

This is my "I look like Mommy" pose. Check out my "butt chin" - just like mommy's!

Daddy gets a little grin...he's so silly!

I'm getting sleeeeppppyyyyy.....

I'm a milk junkie!! This is what I look like when I am ready to sleep!

Family Portraits

2007-05-09T20:25:00.000-06:00

Well, the weather was finally ripe for some family portraits in the park today....Avery is 5 weeks old now and growing very quickly. She eats like her daddy!

Rae looks so happy here! It must be because she is married to Wesley.....

This is her "What up daddy?" face....

Wesley's sister Sara took this photo...not bad eh? Must run in the genes!

A little pee never hurt anyone......

2007-05-07T13:51:00.000-06:00

We made these last week, but Wes and Avery have both been under the weather so Rae had her hands full all weekend. Just so you know, Wesley did get peed on during the making of these photos. He finally got christened like a good daddy.....