June Recap

I haven't blogged in a while - I apologize.

These past couple of weeks have been wonderful - Avery has been sleeping so well! We have started a bedtime routine, and it's working wonders. :) Now it's like she knows... around 9pm she and I sit down for a long bedtime feeding. She nurses for quite a while, like she knows to store up! Then I swaddle her (best invention ever) and lay her in her bassinet. If she's already asleep she stays asleep, but if she's awake when I lay her down... she doesn't fuss at all! She just lays there and looks around for about 15-2o minutes, then falls asleep. She's been going 7-8 hours each night, then I feed her and she sleeps for another 2. It's wonderful - I feel so blessed. I'm beginning to almost feel normal again. :)

This past week has been a little rough - Avery has had some constipation. I feel like we got a quick initiation into parenthood when the doc said the word "suppository". That wasn't fun. She is still going quite a while without going, and it's painful for her as she tries. I hate it. I wish I could make her feel better! Hopefully she'll start going on her own again soon. We leave in less than 2 weeks for 2 weeks straight of traveling and I really hope she feels better by then! Thankfully, in the midst of her pain, she has still be sleeping pretty well - going about 6 1/2 - 7 hours, then eating and going another 3. I'm not complaining - at all. :)

So here's a few pics to re-cap the month of June...

Avery laughed out loud for the first time!  I ran for my camera as fast as I can... didn't get video, but snapped this pic (with no flash sadly) really quick:

So we ventured into new territory... bottles!  Here's a pic of Joe giving Avery her first bottle - which she took really well!  We only give her a little bit of breastmilk in a bottle a few times each week.  We just want to make sure she'll keep taking them if/when we need her to. :) Thanks, Daddy, for helping with feeding!

My Dad, or G-Pa (as he's now known) loves cuddling with Avery.  So sweet... here they are napping together. :)

I know I take a lot of sleeping pics... but that's what she does a lot of right now. :) Here's a sleepy Saturday with Daddy...

We got to spend Father's Day at the lake with my sister's in-laws and both our families.  It was fun!  Avery slept through most of that, too, but she looked cute doing it - in her swimsuit from "Aunt" Jacklyn.

I love the ruffles!!

One of my favorite things - in the morning when I go to un-swaddle Avery, I first lay her by Joe.  As I un-swaddle her, she does a little happy dance and "coos" like crazy.  She really loves talking to her Daddy. :)

Avery still completely loves bath time. :) She even loves the before and after time, thanks to Michele's suggestion to run hot water & steam/warm up the bathroom first!  Here's Avery's bath hair (and lovely blue eyes):

Here's a new little dress that she likes to wear - and yes, I've caved... I'm no longer anti-pink. :) I may not wear it anytime soon, but I love it on my daughter.

Here's a little video of Avery "talking" (and sneezing - ha ha) to me. :) Please ignore my cheesy-ness and enjoy her little voice.  I love it. :)

I'm loving being Avery's mom.  It is the hardest most wonderful thing ever.  Each day I wake up and thank God for her.  I am treasuring each day, each stage... yet find it fun to daydream about who she'll be and what she'll do.  My greatest desire is that she will love the Lord, the God of her parents, with all her heart.