Tail End

Well, here we are on the flip side of Hurricane Ike ... with power!! We are so lucky! Apparently we're very much in the minority. We lost it around 3:00 am and got it back about 10:30 this morning. It was such a great surprise because we were prepared to be without it for the long haul!

Avery and Ella slept in our room. Unfortunately we realized a little too late that we were probably in the scariest-sounding room of the house. As the wind grew stronger and the rain pelted the window, it sounded extremely bad from our perspective. There was also a really loud thumping noise on the roof over our bedroom that grew louder with each gust. (Of course at this point I'm wondering just how much longer we have until we completely lose our roof.) I was feeling pretty terrified, but trying to be brave for Avery as she clung to me, telling her, "It's just a little rain." Ben went into the attic to investigate (against my wishes!) and found a leak, so he did some damage-control up there.

Finally, after a few hours, we decided to move the girls into Avery's room because it felt MUCH safer and quieter in there. That side of the house was more sheltered from the storm. Man, I wish we would have thought to do that earlier, and we might have gotten a lot more sleep! By this point Avery was awake, and having a lot of fun playing with the flashlights. I think she thought we were sitting in a pitch-dark house just for her light-shining enjoyment!

Mom and Dennis, who were in the front of the house, slept through most of the bad part.

Ike only scored a few points against us: Leak in the attic, loss of our little Live Oak in the back, some water that came in under the windows and door, and a strip of shingles that blew off the roof. We're feeling pretty blessed right now.

Speech

Those of you who have spoken with Avery know that she has a speech problem and has difficulty saying some of her sounds. For example, love is yuv, three is fwee, cat is tat, etc. I personally think it's adorable, but don't worry, I'm working on getting a speech evaluation.

Anyway, she has this Hello Kitty doll that has been part of her sleeping entourage for a couple of years. Last night she was running around the living room shirtless (as she usually is) and having us feel how soft Kitty is. As she was doing this she announced, "Evweebody yuvs to touch my titty!!"

I think Ben grew 20 more gray hairs on the spot.

Baptism

Our precious baby was baptised yesterday. She wore the same dress that Avery wore when she was baptised, and was just a doll throughout the whole service. She even fell asleep during the sermon (no offense to the pastor, who gave a great message!)

Avery, as usual, stole the spotlight away from her, though. During the praise and worship singing, she danced back and forth in our row, jumping, turning, and throwing her hands up in the air as if to say, "Hallelujah! Praise Jesus!" It was pretty cute, although if you asked the other members of the congregation, they might not agree. Then, as Ella was being baptised and the four of us were all up on the stage, Avery found Nemaw, Grandpa, Mimi, Pawpaw, and Aunt Pat in the audience and couldn't resist the urge to wave enthusiastically at them several times.

Thank you to our wonderful, loving family for being there in support of Ella, and for our extended family, Doug and Leanne being there, too. We love you all.

Big Girls

It was a weekend of firsts for the girls.

Ella had baby oatmeal for the first time Friday. We did this in an attempt to help her sleep through the night. (It didn't work. I am sooo tired!)




Ben has been itching to take the rail off Avery's crib so I finally let him do it this weekend. (Yes, I know what you're thinking: What the heck is a 3 year old still doing sleeping in a crib? Well, I figure, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! We were ALL getting great sleep with her in it, and for all I cared, she could have stayed in it until she was 13!) Anyway, she loves it and calls it her "new bed". But what I think she really loves is the freedom she now has to climb into our bed at all hours of the night. (Needless to say, I'm not loving it quite as much as she is. Repeatedly walking her back to her room is getting old. Did I mention how tired I am??)




Here's the one I'm really excited about. Avery wrote her name ALL BY HERSELF for the first time last night! We've been working on her letters, and they're usually all over the place. But this time, she spelled and wrote her name all on her own, left to right, with no prompting by us. She was so proud ... and so were we!

TGIF

I went back to work for the full five days this week. It's been crazy with school, daycare adjustments, lack of sleep, stuffy noses and coughs, potty issues, a visit to the pedi, and yes, pink eye ... again! And that's not to mention the pumping, pumping, and more pumping. I think I have spent as much time doing that this week as I have spent sitting in traffic ... and that's a LOT if you know this area! ;)

Daycare

If anyone said a prayer for Ella today...it helped! So, thank you! Apparently it was harder on me than it was on her. Jackie (the sitter) said things went great. Whew!

I have this mental image of God just holding her extra-protectively in His arms all day. I shouldn't have worried. (As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you. Isaiah 66:13) I should have had more faith!

Going back to work

Ella has fever today. I guess it's from the shots yesterday. Even with her not feeling well, though, she is still being the sweetest little angel, bless her heart.

If she feels better tomorrow, then she will have to go to her very first day of daycare. My chest is tightening and my heart hurts just thinking about it. We had such a bad experience when Avery was a baby in childcare, and I just can't stand the thought of Ella having to go through that, too. (Hmmm...Would I be being a bad mommy if I hoped she would still be too sick to go tomorrow?? OK, OK, never mind!)

Ella is 4 months old!

Time flies WAAAY too fast when you have a baby! Was she really just a newborn a few months ago? Of course I love seeing her healthy and thriving, but now I completely understand why my grandpa always used to say he wanted to put a brick on my head to stop me from growing.

We had her four month checkup today, and she's looking great except that she seems to be slowing down on her weight gain. The doc thinks it's probably because of her severe reflux (not acid, thank goodness), so we'll continue to monitor that closely.

She's also discovered that her fingers taste yummy! She usually has at least two of them in her mouth at any given time. I think she liked chewing on them because they made her gums feel better, and then realized they're great for sucking on, too. Hey, better that than the boob, if you ask me!

Sisters

Isn't it supposed to be the little sister that bothers the big sister??

I guess in our family it's the other way around:

A picture is worth a thousand words!

Splish, Splash

One of the best things about this summer has been our many visits to the pool. Avery puts on her little arm floaties and "swims" all over the place. She won't let us help her at all. "No! I can do it!" she says. Ben is one of those awesome, fun daddies (just like mine was) that tirelessly plays in the water with her like a little kid. She loves it ... and I love the memories that they're creating together.

Ella went "swimming" for the first time last week! She chilled out in her float and was as happy as a clam. She was so relaxed, she even fell asleep! Let me tell you, a chubby 3 1/2 month old in a tiny little bathing suit has got to be one of the cutest things in the world!

I LOVE summer!

Laughter

Ella (who's 15 weeks now) has started laughing! Well, really it's more like a chuckle, but it's sooo cute. I can't wait for the full-on belly laugh that I know is soon to follow.

Ben and I will never forget Avery's first laugh. We were playing with her one evening, and all of a sudden, she just burst out laughing. We were so thrilled that we, of course, started laughing right along with her. Our laughter made her laugh even more, which made us laugh even more, until we had tears rolling down our faces. I can still remember how light my heart felt.

I am so thankful for moments like these that God blesses us with.

Smiles

What is it about a child's smile that makes it so incredible?

It's just unadulterated joy, totally unguarded, totally innocent. And when a child smiles, it's not just with their mouth, but their bright eyes, their cute little cheeks, their scrunched-up nose. It makes my heart melt, especially when it's my own doing it.

Ella has been smiling for about 5 weeks now, but every day she seems more and more happy. No, exuberant is the right word. She doesn't just grin. She opens her mouth as wide as it will go and looks absolutely euphoric. Can you imagine being that happy?

Here are some of my favorite smiling pics of Avery:

And of Ella (notice how her smiles get bigger the older she gets):

More of Ella to come as she grows ...

Rolling Over

Having the life of a baby really does seem idyllic. You know, being held and cuddled all day, sleeping when you want to, eating to your heart's content, being celebrated for getting fat and dimply. Must be nice, huh?

On the other hand, think about it: You were in this warm, soothing, protected environment for 9 months, and then just shoved out into a cold, bright, harsh world. Your body is like a limp noodle. You can't even hold your own head up! You have so much to learn and overcome.

I think about this a lot as I watch Ella grow. Her newest achievement is rolling over, but it's a struggle for her to get there. It seems so simple: Baby on the floor. Baby rolls over. Yay, how cute. But it's HARD.

Step 1: Pushing up b/c being face-down is no fun

Step 2: Rolling to one side so I can see better

Step 3: I'm stuck, tired, and frustrated.

Step 4: I did it! This is great! Relief.

But then we flip her over and make her do it all over again...

Gymnastics

Avery has been enrolled in gymnastics for about 4 weeks now, and she loves it. Cypress Academy is so awesome! They do such a great job with the little ones, and have a really impressive system.

The coaches have the patience of saints. This is what we hear coming across from the vicinity of the gym where Avery's group is: In a super sweet voice, "Avery, are you listening to me? Avery, watch me, please. Avery, where are you going? Avery, please go back to your area and do it again. Yes, Avery, I'm watching you. Great job, Avery! Avery, wait your turn. Avery, you're supposed to be over there on the beam. Etc." Oh, those poor coaches! Yes, Avery is THAT kid. I'm pretty sure that every parent in the gallery knows which child she is by the time class ends each week.

Good thing she's such a cutie and looks adorable in her leotard!1st day of gymnastics

Pink Eye, Oh My!

Well, Ella has her first illness of her short life ... pink eye. Poor baby. Fortunately we saw the doctor today, and everything else looks healthy. So we're doing eye drops, tons of handwashing, and trying to keep Avery away from her - which is proving to be next to impossible!

The Big 3

Wow! How can it be? Ella just turned three months old, and Avery is already three years old! I finally got around to taking both of their pictures.

3-month-old Ella is a pure joy. She is beautiful and sweet and melts our hearts when she smiles. She always seems so pleasantly surprised when we focus all our attention on her, and her face just lights up. She's a great sleeper, a great eater, and an all-around wonderful baby. She loves to just sit and watch everything going on around her (namely, Avery.)

3-year-old Avery is the most active little girl I have ever known. She is fun and spirited, and has a great sense of humor. On the rare occasions that she does slow down, she insists on being Mommy's "cuddle buddle". Her imagination is really kicking in, and she loves to make up games where she plays pretend (and tells you what to do). She's also really into writing lately. She can draw a square, a triangle, and write part of her name: A, V, & E.

4th of July

This was Ella's first 4th of July and Avery's third. It was also the first time we've watched fireworks on the 4th as a family.

Avery really enjoyed them, as long as they were far off in the distance. But if they were too close or too loud, she would hide her face and say, "I don't like firewurts!"
Ella chilled out the whole evening, and was happy to just be outside.

We had fun hanging out with friends, and after bubble, sprinkler, sandbox, and bouncy-house playing, (plus that close call with the Roman Candle!) it was time to call it a night.

Forgetting Something?

Tonight Ben and Avery went to Arby's to pick us up some dinner (healthy, I know). They decided to park and go inside. There were quite a few people in the line, and as Avery was bouncing around with her church dress on, she turned and announced in a loud voice, "Daddy, I need some panties on!"


Oops! I guess we forgot...

First Haircut

Yesterday I gave Avery her first REAL haircut. (Well, as real as it can be considering I did it, and not a professional!) I didn't shed tears or anything! Honestly, it was just getting too long and unkempt-looking, and was a pain to comb out, so it was time. She was great, and stood there in all her after-bath naked glory, watching in the mirror. I even got brave and tried to add some layers. Thank goodness her hair is wavy so you can't tell how uneven they really are!

before and after