Avery had her 15 month doctors appointment yesterday. I was dreading it because her 12 month one didn't go so well-she basically cried the entire time.
I got her undressed no problem. As soon as the nurse came in, the waterworks started. She got measured and weighed and had her head circumference done (which she hated the most). The doctor came in and she fussed a little when she saw him. He does all of the talking first before the crying begins which is nice. So while we talked, she was playing and being fine. Then when he started his exam, the tears started again. After he finishes, they send the nurse in for shots. I held her on my lap (they did her arms this time) and she cried-but stopped shortly after. She got interested in pointing out her "boo boos".
She ended up being 31.5" long which is in the 80th percentile and she's 19lb 15oz which is in the 10th percentile. She's still my tall, skinny girl! He said everything looks good and we got the OK to start any food she wants-eggs, honey, strawberries and peanut butter (the big no-nos for the first year). Of course at the end of dinner last night we had to give her a piece of toast with peanut butter! She was pretty full so she didn't show much interest in it. But she didn't break out in hives or anything so she must not be allergic which is good!!
Now she's in the clear for another 3 months!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Fifteen Months Old!
Yesterday my baby girl turned 15 months old! I can't believe it!
As of now, she has 4 more teeth coming in-so she'll be up to 16 now! The ones coming in now are her eye teeth (canines)-supposedly the worst ones pain-wise. She was up a few times overnight last week, but nothing crazy which is good. She's acting pretty normal during the day so I'm hoping they're not causing too much pain. I know one definitely came through-the others are hard to see! She doesn't let me look around too much and I don't dare put my finger in there or she'll bite it good!
She's eating well still. She went on a little food strike for about a week or so but now is back to eating like her old self which is good. The girl is obsessed with pasta lately-she loves it and seriously could live on that and fruit! She is all done nursing now and is strictly on whole milk these days. I missed it the first few days, but now that it's been almost a month, it's hard to remember what it was like to nurse her everyday! Strange, I know!
She's still sleeping well-11-12 hours overnight and 1 nap in the early afternoon. Can't complain about that! Our new bedtime routine is PJ's, sleep sack, stories then singing songs with either Gabe or I. No more bottle or sippy cup of milk before bed anymore! After songs, into the crib she goes with her favorite bear and she falls asleep.
She says a few new words now: "boo boo", "bow", "mole". She also nods her head yes and shakes it no! Her newest signs are "gentle" and "mommy".
She really loves eyes for some reason-she points to eyes on anything that has them! It's pretty funny! She loves tails on animals too and if you have your hair in a ponytail, she'll notice it! She is starting to climb on things-she can just get up on our one couch now and of course loves the stairs (what kid doesn't?!).
She is really showing her personality these days-she gets frustrated very easily and as a result will hit herself in the head or throw something. I call her my little bully-she has started hitting-us and other kids....something that needs to get nipped in the bud really soon! I have no idea where she picked that up from! She really loves listening to music! She knows where all of the speakers are and points to them so we'll turn on the music and she'll dance her heart out! It's so cute!
Here are her pics for this month-we did them right before bed so she's in her PJs:
Giving the giraffe a hug:
Waving:
These are my favorites from the bunch:
Nice shot of her teeth:
Pointing to the fish in her book:
I asked "Avery, where are your teeth?"
As of now, she has 4 more teeth coming in-so she'll be up to 16 now! The ones coming in now are her eye teeth (canines)-supposedly the worst ones pain-wise. She was up a few times overnight last week, but nothing crazy which is good. She's acting pretty normal during the day so I'm hoping they're not causing too much pain. I know one definitely came through-the others are hard to see! She doesn't let me look around too much and I don't dare put my finger in there or she'll bite it good!
She's eating well still. She went on a little food strike for about a week or so but now is back to eating like her old self which is good. The girl is obsessed with pasta lately-she loves it and seriously could live on that and fruit! She is all done nursing now and is strictly on whole milk these days. I missed it the first few days, but now that it's been almost a month, it's hard to remember what it was like to nurse her everyday! Strange, I know!
She's still sleeping well-11-12 hours overnight and 1 nap in the early afternoon. Can't complain about that! Our new bedtime routine is PJ's, sleep sack, stories then singing songs with either Gabe or I. No more bottle or sippy cup of milk before bed anymore! After songs, into the crib she goes with her favorite bear and she falls asleep.
She says a few new words now: "boo boo", "bow", "mole". She also nods her head yes and shakes it no! Her newest signs are "gentle" and "mommy".
She really loves eyes for some reason-she points to eyes on anything that has them! It's pretty funny! She loves tails on animals too and if you have your hair in a ponytail, she'll notice it! She is starting to climb on things-she can just get up on our one couch now and of course loves the stairs (what kid doesn't?!).
She is really showing her personality these days-she gets frustrated very easily and as a result will hit herself in the head or throw something. I call her my little bully-she has started hitting-us and other kids....something that needs to get nipped in the bud really soon! I have no idea where she picked that up from! She really loves listening to music! She knows where all of the speakers are and points to them so we'll turn on the music and she'll dance her heart out! It's so cute!
Here are her pics for this month-we did them right before bed so she's in her PJs:
Giving the giraffe a hug:
Waving:
These are my favorites from the bunch:
Nice shot of her teeth:
Pointing to the fish in her book:
I asked "Avery, where are your teeth?"
Sunday, September 26, 2010
First Weekend in Fall
Fall is officially here and we had quite a busy weekend!
Yesterday morning, Gabe went and got his haircut so I got Avery ready and fed her breakfast. She finished off with some puffs and we decided to have some fun with them at the end! She got a kick out of putting them on my nose and her nose:
I asked her where her teeth are:
When Gabe got home, we both got showered and then hit the road to Buffalo. We got there around noon and it was non-stop people coming over! My Aunt had foot surgery almost 2 weeks ago so she had some visitors and I swear we maybe had an hour all day that no one was over! Who came by? My Mom's friend Joanne, my Aunt's friends Sue, Bernie, and Kathy, cousin Gail, Megan and Noah, cousins Rachel and Taylor, my friend Renee. It was like a revolving door there!
Yesterday morning, Gabe went and got his haircut so I got Avery ready and fed her breakfast. She finished off with some puffs and we decided to have some fun with them at the end! She got a kick out of putting them on my nose and her nose:
I asked her where her teeth are:
When Gabe got home, we both got showered and then hit the road to Buffalo. We got there around noon and it was non-stop people coming over! My Aunt had foot surgery almost 2 weeks ago so she had some visitors and I swear we maybe had an hour all day that no one was over! Who came by? My Mom's friend Joanne, my Aunt's friends Sue, Bernie, and Kathy, cousin Gail, Megan and Noah, cousins Rachel and Taylor, my friend Renee. It was like a revolving door there!I tried to take some pics of Avery and Noah but didn't get any real good ones....this is them hugging-and they turned the wrong way!
Gabe was tickling Avery and Noah was checking things out:
Avery climbing the stairs....I love her little devilish grin!
After dinner, we drove home and got Avery to bed since she didn't nap at all at my Mom's house!
Gabe was tickling Avery and Noah was checking things out:
Avery climbing the stairs....I love her little devilish grin!
After dinner, we drove home and got Avery to bed since she didn't nap at all at my Mom's house!Today when we got up, we went apple picking at Green Acre Farms. It was pretty slow when we got there and it was a wonderful day for it! We started out picking some empires and cortlands....Avery was obsessed with the gross ones on the ground!
She would put them in the bag then want to take them back out!
An airplane is going by!
She would put them in the bag then want to take them back out!
An airplane is going by!
Running along:
I decided to try out an apple while we were picking and gave Avery a bite. She's really only had applesauce before, so a raw apple, core and all, was a new thing for her! And of course since it's fruit, she LOVED it!
Then we made our way over to the macouns. Unfortunately, it was near the end of picking for them so most of the ones left were way up high. Avery got a kick out of Gabe lifting her up high to reach them, but she had no clue how to grab them and pull them down!
And before we finished up, the family photo:
We were going to pick pumpkins while there, but the pumpkin patch was pretty thorny so we passed on that. They also had raspberries you could pick, but we didn't do those either. We got to the farm around 10:30 and by the time we picked apples, it was around 11:45 which is Avery's lunch time and close to nap time. Since we were a good 25-30min from home, we decided to look around the store real quick then head out to get her lunch and to bed. Of course we found some apple cider and "fried cakes" (aka doughnuts)...and Avery tried (and loved!) them both:
When we got home, Avery ate lunch then took her nap. I ran out grocery shopping then came home and started a monster batch of applesauce (which is SO good!). When Avery got up, we gave her a bath and when she came downstairs I gave her her baby sized apple she found. After carrying it around a few minutes, she figured out how to bite through the skin which totally shocked me! My little baby looked so big eating an apple like a big girl! Of course I had to grab my camera:
She's so stinkin' cute! Oh, and if anyone has any advice how to get apple juice out of clothing, let me know-that stuff stained the heck out of her outfit today! Yikes!
Happy Fall everyone!
I decided to try out an apple while we were picking and gave Avery a bite. She's really only had applesauce before, so a raw apple, core and all, was a new thing for her! And of course since it's fruit, she LOVED it!
Then we made our way over to the macouns. Unfortunately, it was near the end of picking for them so most of the ones left were way up high. Avery got a kick out of Gabe lifting her up high to reach them, but she had no clue how to grab them and pull them down!
And before we finished up, the family photo:
We were going to pick pumpkins while there, but the pumpkin patch was pretty thorny so we passed on that. They also had raspberries you could pick, but we didn't do those either. We got to the farm around 10:30 and by the time we picked apples, it was around 11:45 which is Avery's lunch time and close to nap time. Since we were a good 25-30min from home, we decided to look around the store real quick then head out to get her lunch and to bed. Of course we found some apple cider and "fried cakes" (aka doughnuts)...and Avery tried (and loved!) them both:
When we got home, Avery ate lunch then took her nap. I ran out grocery shopping then came home and started a monster batch of applesauce (which is SO good!). When Avery got up, we gave her a bath and when she came downstairs I gave her her baby sized apple she found. After carrying it around a few minutes, she figured out how to bite through the skin which totally shocked me! My little baby looked so big eating an apple like a big girl! Of course I had to grab my camera:
She's so stinkin' cute! Oh, and if anyone has any advice how to get apple juice out of clothing, let me know-that stuff stained the heck out of her outfit today! Yikes!Happy Fall everyone!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
New 'Do
I was due for a haircut and in another hair rut. Every now and then I just have no idea what I want done with my hair. It's hard for me to look at pictures of hairstyles because it's hard to know what will look good on you and what will work with your hair type.
I've been going to one guy for about a year now and while I like the cuts/color he has done, he's not the type to say "this is what you should do". The last time I went I told him I didn't know and was hoping he'd give me a suggestion, but he didn't. Instead he was like "I'll just trim it up until you decide if you want to cut it or grow it out."
So like I said I was due to at least get a trim and when I went for my pedicure a few weeks ago, I found something I was interested in...a hair model program. I decided to call and see if they were taking new hair models at all. Apparently they have 2 programs-one for coloring and one for cutting. And lucky me they were taking models for the cutting program!!
So yesterday was the day...my appt was at 10 in the morning. I met my stylist and she asked if I had any limitations for the cut. My only thing was that I did NOT want bangs. Long bangs that I could tuck or put up were fine, but no blunt bangs-I didn't want to go through growing those out again. As far as length, I didn't care. I told her I needed it simple and easy to style-blow dry and go. With having Avery, I don't have the time (or the desire) to spend forever doing my hair.
She went over her ideas for the cut with me then had her supervisor come over and she ran the plan past her...she approved and agreed that her idea would suit me well. So the cutting began and throughout the cut, her supervisor would stop over and see how things were going and give her some tips.
I found out that this is part of their training to work there. The girl who cut my hair had been doing hair for 8yrs and got hired at Scott Miller 2yrs ago!! Here she is 2yrs later still training! To me, that's insane, but she said their group got held up by the group before them and it typically doesn't take that long to get on the floor and see your own clients.
Anyways, I ended up loving the cut she gave me! I just hope it looks as good when I do it myself (doubtful).
(the pic doesn't do it justice!)
I've been going to one guy for about a year now and while I like the cuts/color he has done, he's not the type to say "this is what you should do". The last time I went I told him I didn't know and was hoping he'd give me a suggestion, but he didn't. Instead he was like "I'll just trim it up until you decide if you want to cut it or grow it out."
So like I said I was due to at least get a trim and when I went for my pedicure a few weeks ago, I found something I was interested in...a hair model program. I decided to call and see if they were taking new hair models at all. Apparently they have 2 programs-one for coloring and one for cutting. And lucky me they were taking models for the cutting program!!
So yesterday was the day...my appt was at 10 in the morning. I met my stylist and she asked if I had any limitations for the cut. My only thing was that I did NOT want bangs. Long bangs that I could tuck or put up were fine, but no blunt bangs-I didn't want to go through growing those out again. As far as length, I didn't care. I told her I needed it simple and easy to style-blow dry and go. With having Avery, I don't have the time (or the desire) to spend forever doing my hair.
She went over her ideas for the cut with me then had her supervisor come over and she ran the plan past her...she approved and agreed that her idea would suit me well. So the cutting began and throughout the cut, her supervisor would stop over and see how things were going and give her some tips.
I found out that this is part of their training to work there. The girl who cut my hair had been doing hair for 8yrs and got hired at Scott Miller 2yrs ago!! Here she is 2yrs later still training! To me, that's insane, but she said their group got held up by the group before them and it typically doesn't take that long to get on the floor and see your own clients.
Anyways, I ended up loving the cut she gave me! I just hope it looks as good when I do it myself (doubtful).
(the pic doesn't do it justice!)My next dilemma will be-what happens when I want my next haircut? The girl who did it today isn't seeing her own clients yet and to go there and go to someone else wouldn't be right either. And the guy I've been going to will totally know I "cheated" on him....(sigh)
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Banana Bread
I thought for some reason that I posted this recipe already, but when I went and checked, I hadn't! I just made some banana bread last week which made me think of it. Of course at the time I thought I already posted it so I didn't take a picture. This is a super easy recipe and turns out very good! I have no idea where the recipe originated-my Mom has had this for as long as I can remember.
Banana Bread
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1. In mixing bowl, mix butter and sugar until creamy.
2. Add eggs and mix well.
3. Add flour, salt, baking soda, and bananas and mix well.
4. Pour into greased loaf pan and bake at 350 for one hour.
Notes: This last time I baked mine for about 55min and it was just a touch overdone. Just keep an eye on it to make sure it's not overdone. I also sprinkled the top of mine with cinnamon sugar for a little extra something. You can also add some stir-in ideas: chopped walnuts, chocolate chips, etc.
Banana Bread
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1. In mixing bowl, mix butter and sugar until creamy.
2. Add eggs and mix well.
3. Add flour, salt, baking soda, and bananas and mix well.
4. Pour into greased loaf pan and bake at 350 for one hour.
Notes: This last time I baked mine for about 55min and it was just a touch overdone. Just keep an eye on it to make sure it's not overdone. I also sprinkled the top of mine with cinnamon sugar for a little extra something. You can also add some stir-in ideas: chopped walnuts, chocolate chips, etc.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Last Weekend in Summer
It's hard to believe this was the last weekend in summer. I'm sad to see it go. I do like fall though, but I also don't like it because I know that winter is right around the corner. YUCK!
Yesterday morning Gabe went for a run. When he came home, I went to the gym. While I was there, Gabe and Avery went to the public market to enjoy the nice day outside. After the gym, I came home and did some much needed cleaning and organizing so that was nice. After Avery's nap we decided to take her to the playground for a little bit since it was so nice outside. She had a lot of fun going down the slides and going on the swings:
I got a nice family photo of us:
When we got home, Gabe's parents came over to babysit so Gabe and I could go out for dinner. We went to Pier 45 again and sat outside. It was very nice.
Yesterday morning Gabe went for a run. When he came home, I went to the gym. While I was there, Gabe and Avery went to the public market to enjoy the nice day outside. After the gym, I came home and did some much needed cleaning and organizing so that was nice. After Avery's nap we decided to take her to the playground for a little bit since it was so nice outside. She had a lot of fun going down the slides and going on the swings:
I got a nice family photo of us:
When we got home, Gabe's parents came over to babysit so Gabe and I could go out for dinner. We went to Pier 45 again and sat outside. It was very nice. Today we were pretty busy as well. This morning, Gabe's family (parents, sister and kids, aunts, uncles and a few cousins) all met at Wegman's for coffee and to plan our upcoming clambake. We figured out the menu and who is bringing what. When we got home, Avery had lunch and napped. I went out grocery shopping. When she woke up, we played outside a little bit while Gabe mowed the lawn. Then we went to Panera for dinner and to Lugia's for some ice cream! Only a few good days left to do that this season!!
It was a very nice last weekend of summer!
It was a very nice last weekend of summer!
Friday, September 17, 2010
My Baby Girl
I feel like I haven't put up many pictures of Avery lately so here are a few random ones from this week!
Gabe and Avery were outside the other morning and I took this from inside the house. I have no idea what she's doing-maybe blowing kisses? I thought it was a cute pic!
Gabe and I were cracking up over this outfit she had on the other day. For some reason, it made her butt and belly look huge! And this silly face doesn't help either!
And some videos for your entertainment (with the same silly outfit).... don't mind the music blaring in the background-it's her current fave :)
Gabe and Avery were outside the other morning and I took this from inside the house. I have no idea what she's doing-maybe blowing kisses? I thought it was a cute pic!
Gabe and I were cracking up over this outfit she had on the other day. For some reason, it made her butt and belly look huge! And this silly face doesn't help either!
And some videos for your entertainment (with the same silly outfit).... don't mind the music blaring in the background-it's her current fave :)
A little dance:
And some nodding and howling:
And some nodding and howling:
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Pasta and Peas
My Aunt is an awesome, awesome cook. She's one of those people who can take anything and whip it together with some spices and makes it into an amazing dish. I'm totally not like that-I have to have a recipe to follow for the most part. I wish I was more like her because maybe then I'd enjoy cooking as much as she does! It's hard to get recipes from her too because most of the time she doesn't use one...she can taste something and know what's missing from it. It's a gift I tell ya! I did manage to get this recipe of hers though and I finally made it last night.
Pasta and Peas
olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp pepper
2 oz tomato sauce
1 cube vegetable boullion
1 can of peas, undrained
water
1/2 tsp sugar
cooked pasta (I used roughly 4oz of ditalini)
1. In a large skillet, pour in enough oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Add garlic, basil and pepper and saute a few minutes.
2. Add tomato sauce and cook for 2 mins.
3. Add peas, bouillion, and 1 can of water (fill the pea can with water). Cook 5mins.
4. Add sugar and pasta. Cook 5 mins.
Notes: My recipe said to use 1 tsp of pepper and I did and holy cow it was very peppery. I cut it down to 1/4 tsp thinking it would be enough. The dish should have a little bit of a spice to it, but 1 tsp was way too much. If you feel it needs more, by all means add more! And as far as the pasta goes-any shape will do, but I like the smaller sized pasta for this dish. When it comes time to add it, you want the end result to be pretty soupy. I made a half of a 16oz box and slowly added the pasta and mixed it up. The pasta will absorb some of the broth so keep that in mind as well!
This turned out very yummy! Even though it was a tad peppery, we all enjoyed it-Avery couldn't stop eating it!
Pasta and Peas
olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp pepper
2 oz tomato sauce
1 cube vegetable boullion
1 can of peas, undrained
water
1/2 tsp sugar
cooked pasta (I used roughly 4oz of ditalini)
1. In a large skillet, pour in enough oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Add garlic, basil and pepper and saute a few minutes.
2. Add tomato sauce and cook for 2 mins.
3. Add peas, bouillion, and 1 can of water (fill the pea can with water). Cook 5mins.
4. Add sugar and pasta. Cook 5 mins.
Notes: My recipe said to use 1 tsp of pepper and I did and holy cow it was very peppery. I cut it down to 1/4 tsp thinking it would be enough. The dish should have a little bit of a spice to it, but 1 tsp was way too much. If you feel it needs more, by all means add more! And as far as the pasta goes-any shape will do, but I like the smaller sized pasta for this dish. When it comes time to add it, you want the end result to be pretty soupy. I made a half of a 16oz box and slowly added the pasta and mixed it up. The pasta will absorb some of the broth so keep that in mind as well!
This turned out very yummy! Even though it was a tad peppery, we all enjoyed it-Avery couldn't stop eating it!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Eating and Sleeping "Fun"
One thing I've learned since Avery was born is that kids go through some crazy cycles.
Since she was 10 months old, she's been sleeping really well at night-12 hours straight usually without waking...and if she does wake, she puts herself back to sleep. She recently dropped down to 1 nap a day and depending on the day, it'll be short (1-1.5 hours) or long (2+ hours). This week we had an "off" sleep week. Wednesday was her surgery and that night she was up for 2 hours in the middle of the night then ended up sleeping in later than normal. Thursday night she did the same. Friday night she woke up twice overnight but put herself back to sleep like usual. Yesterday she took a later nap than normal (she went down around 2 instead of 1230ish) and slept for 3 hours! She didn't wake up until around 5pm so you can imagine that when bedtime came at 730, she had no interest in sleeping. She was up until 10pm then was up bright and early at 7am today! Today's nap stunk-only an hour long so by bedtime she was exhausted. It still took her awhile to fall asleep tonight, but hopefully she stays asleep all night and catches up.
Then there's the eating. Man, a few weeks ago she was a power eater! She would have several courses for each meal and would just inhale her food. She loves fruits and vegetables and we could count on her eating those for sure. This past week, she's been in a non-eating mode. She'll have 1-2 bites of something then it gets thrown on the floor. Anything we give her it's the same thing...I don't know if her rate of growth is slowing or what, but meal time has not been fun this week-she just doesn't want to eat and it gets frustrating for us!
Hopefully these things are just phases she's going through...another crazy cycle of Avery!
Since she was 10 months old, she's been sleeping really well at night-12 hours straight usually without waking...and if she does wake, she puts herself back to sleep. She recently dropped down to 1 nap a day and depending on the day, it'll be short (1-1.5 hours) or long (2+ hours). This week we had an "off" sleep week. Wednesday was her surgery and that night she was up for 2 hours in the middle of the night then ended up sleeping in later than normal. Thursday night she did the same. Friday night she woke up twice overnight but put herself back to sleep like usual. Yesterday she took a later nap than normal (she went down around 2 instead of 1230ish) and slept for 3 hours! She didn't wake up until around 5pm so you can imagine that when bedtime came at 730, she had no interest in sleeping. She was up until 10pm then was up bright and early at 7am today! Today's nap stunk-only an hour long so by bedtime she was exhausted. It still took her awhile to fall asleep tonight, but hopefully she stays asleep all night and catches up.
Then there's the eating. Man, a few weeks ago she was a power eater! She would have several courses for each meal and would just inhale her food. She loves fruits and vegetables and we could count on her eating those for sure. This past week, she's been in a non-eating mode. She'll have 1-2 bites of something then it gets thrown on the floor. Anything we give her it's the same thing...I don't know if her rate of growth is slowing or what, but meal time has not been fun this week-she just doesn't want to eat and it gets frustrating for us!
Hopefully these things are just phases she's going through...another crazy cycle of Avery!
Friday, September 10, 2010
To Build...or Not To Build...
...that is the question!
We are definitely thinking of moving within the next year or so. Ideally, it'll be next spring/summer.
Why?
Well...we live in the city which would eventually mean city schools for Avery (and other children we may have). We also don't have a garage which really sucks in the winter. And it also means we have very little storage for outdoor things. Avery's strollers are stored in our car trunks right now. And when she gets a bike? Yeah, no clue where that would go! And lastly, we have 3 bedrooms. We could obviously fit another kid in our house if we had to, but it would be tight. Our third bedroom is set up for visitors right now-our old bed is set up in there for when my Mom stays, etc. It's just nice to have an extra room that you can put stuff in.
So...we decided it was time to start looking. I've always wanted to build a house-I just think it would be awesome. Gabe wasn't too hot on the idea at all for some reason-I think he had a feeling we couldn't afford it.
But then his mind changed when we went to the home show in Buffalo. The houses (for once) were affordable and they were very nice. I think he could actually see us living in one of those homes which usually doesn't happen at those home shows. Typically you leave depressed because the houses are so over the top that you could never think of owning it.
So after the home show, Gabe really got into the idea of building. We went to the Rochester home show as well and from that we got a pretty good list of builders in the area. Over the past month or so, we met with 3 different builders in the area.
It's sort of a hard process because we have never done this before so we have no clue about anything that's involved in it. We're learning as we go-some things good, some things not so good. I think the thing that will hold us back is the deposit issue. Some builders require an insane deposit before they'll even break ground on your new house. The only way we could afford that deposit would be to sell our house first. The problem? You'd be homeless until your new house is built, which could be up to 5months! So basically you'd have to move twice and find interim housing....can we say PAIN IN THE ASS?! So...right now we're trying to find someone who will take less of a deposit to break ground. Ideally we would like to sell our house while the new one is being built and maybe rent our house back for a month or so until the new house is done. That's the plan at least!
We've been busy going through floor plans and picking out things we like and don't like. We're hoping to meet with a builder next week to try and price things out to see if this is really doable for us.
I'll keep you posted on things and will reveal more as we go...I'm just crossing my fingers (and toes) that this works out for us!
We are definitely thinking of moving within the next year or so. Ideally, it'll be next spring/summer.
Why?
Well...we live in the city which would eventually mean city schools for Avery (and other children we may have). We also don't have a garage which really sucks in the winter. And it also means we have very little storage for outdoor things. Avery's strollers are stored in our car trunks right now. And when she gets a bike? Yeah, no clue where that would go! And lastly, we have 3 bedrooms. We could obviously fit another kid in our house if we had to, but it would be tight. Our third bedroom is set up for visitors right now-our old bed is set up in there for when my Mom stays, etc. It's just nice to have an extra room that you can put stuff in.
So...we decided it was time to start looking. I've always wanted to build a house-I just think it would be awesome. Gabe wasn't too hot on the idea at all for some reason-I think he had a feeling we couldn't afford it.
But then his mind changed when we went to the home show in Buffalo. The houses (for once) were affordable and they were very nice. I think he could actually see us living in one of those homes which usually doesn't happen at those home shows. Typically you leave depressed because the houses are so over the top that you could never think of owning it.
So after the home show, Gabe really got into the idea of building. We went to the Rochester home show as well and from that we got a pretty good list of builders in the area. Over the past month or so, we met with 3 different builders in the area.
It's sort of a hard process because we have never done this before so we have no clue about anything that's involved in it. We're learning as we go-some things good, some things not so good. I think the thing that will hold us back is the deposit issue. Some builders require an insane deposit before they'll even break ground on your new house. The only way we could afford that deposit would be to sell our house first. The problem? You'd be homeless until your new house is built, which could be up to 5months! So basically you'd have to move twice and find interim housing....can we say PAIN IN THE ASS?! So...right now we're trying to find someone who will take less of a deposit to break ground. Ideally we would like to sell our house while the new one is being built and maybe rent our house back for a month or so until the new house is done. That's the plan at least!
We've been busy going through floor plans and picking out things we like and don't like. We're hoping to meet with a builder next week to try and price things out to see if this is really doable for us.
I'll keep you posted on things and will reveal more as we go...I'm just crossing my fingers (and toes) that this works out for us!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Surgery Day
We got the call yesterday that Avery's arrival time for surgery was at 10am with surgery scheduled at 11am. I was hoping it would be earlier, but oh well. They do the youngest kids first and their first one was at 7am so there must have been a few kids younger than her there today. She was to have no food after midnight, no milk after 4am and no liquids after 8am.
Of course she slept until about 7:50 so we didn't give her anything when she woke up. We knew it was going to be hard not giving her anything this morning but luckily she's one of those kids that doesn't beg to eat when she wakes up. Around 9am she started asking for a drink and we had to keep distracting her. That was a long 45min before we left the house because she kept asking and we had to tell her "not now-later." She probably was wondering why we were ignoring her request!
Here she is walking around in her Pjs before we left:
Jacket on, ready to leave!
We got there just before 10am and I had to sign a few papers, show them my ID, and pay the copay. We were told they'd be with us shortly.
Here she is in the waiting room:
By 10:15 or so we were taken upstairs to the pre-op room. As soon as we got up there, they took us to a closet full of toys and said Avery could choose one to have. I had no idea what to pick for her, but chose a doll they had that had animals all over her outfit. That was a nice gesture that they give the kids a toy!
(and as of now, she hates the doll-I think it reminds her of being there!)
They asked us a few health questions and Avery had to be weighed and have her temperature taken (which she cried through the entire thing!). We took her out of her clothes and put her in a hospital gown. The nurse told us Avery would be inconsolable when she woke up from anesthesia and that it was completely normal. They warned us that nothing would soothe her and she might get sick as well. The doctor came by and reviewed the procedure with us and had us sign consent forms. Then the anesthesiologist came by and reviewed his role and had us sign consent for that as well. He said she would be "asleep" roughly 5mins for the procedure. After some tearful hugs, the anesthesiologist took her and carried her down the hallway.
I was surprised that she didn't scream her head off. She whimpered a bit, but it went a lot easier than I expected. We were told it would be about a half hour to 45mins until we saw her again. Time check-10:30am
We went back downstairs to the waiting area. My Mom and I got a cup of coffee and as soon as we sat down, our name was called. They told us to go back upstairs. Time check-10:35am (not joking!)
I have to admit I was a tad worried-they couldn't be done already could they? We were told it would be 30-45mins until we saw her and it was only 5mins!
We were told to sit in a room and the doctor would be in any minute. Sure enough, he came in and said she was finished and did great! He reviewed a few things-she might have a bloody nose, blood tinged tears, be tired/cranky. He went over her eye drops and to have her try not to rub her eye. After about 5mins of talking with him, he left and said they would come to get us momentarily to see her.
Within 2mins or so, a nurse came in and said we could see her. We walked down a long hallway and I didn't hear anything-I was waiting to hear her little scream down the hall! Once we got right outside, I could hear her crying.
Of course she slept until about 7:50 so we didn't give her anything when she woke up. We knew it was going to be hard not giving her anything this morning but luckily she's one of those kids that doesn't beg to eat when she wakes up. Around 9am she started asking for a drink and we had to keep distracting her. That was a long 45min before we left the house because she kept asking and we had to tell her "not now-later." She probably was wondering why we were ignoring her request!
Here she is walking around in her Pjs before we left:
Jacket on, ready to leave!
We got there just before 10am and I had to sign a few papers, show them my ID, and pay the copay. We were told they'd be with us shortly.
Here she is in the waiting room:
By 10:15 or so we were taken upstairs to the pre-op room. As soon as we got up there, they took us to a closet full of toys and said Avery could choose one to have. I had no idea what to pick for her, but chose a doll they had that had animals all over her outfit. That was a nice gesture that they give the kids a toy!
(and as of now, she hates the doll-I think it reminds her of being there!)
They asked us a few health questions and Avery had to be weighed and have her temperature taken (which she cried through the entire thing!). We took her out of her clothes and put her in a hospital gown. The nurse told us Avery would be inconsolable when she woke up from anesthesia and that it was completely normal. They warned us that nothing would soothe her and she might get sick as well. The doctor came by and reviewed the procedure with us and had us sign consent forms. Then the anesthesiologist came by and reviewed his role and had us sign consent for that as well. He said she would be "asleep" roughly 5mins for the procedure. After some tearful hugs, the anesthesiologist took her and carried her down the hallway.
I was surprised that she didn't scream her head off. She whimpered a bit, but it went a lot easier than I expected. We were told it would be about a half hour to 45mins until we saw her again. Time check-10:30am
We went back downstairs to the waiting area. My Mom and I got a cup of coffee and as soon as we sat down, our name was called. They told us to go back upstairs. Time check-10:35am (not joking!)
I have to admit I was a tad worried-they couldn't be done already could they? We were told it would be 30-45mins until we saw her and it was only 5mins!
We were told to sit in a room and the doctor would be in any minute. Sure enough, he came in and said she was finished and did great! He reviewed a few things-she might have a bloody nose, blood tinged tears, be tired/cranky. He went over her eye drops and to have her try not to rub her eye. After about 5mins of talking with him, he left and said they would come to get us momentarily to see her.
Within 2mins or so, a nurse came in and said we could see her. We walked down a long hallway and I didn't hear anything-I was waiting to hear her little scream down the hall! Once we got right outside, I could hear her crying.
We walked in and a nurse had her wrapped in a blanket and she didn't look like herself at all-you could tell she was really out of it. She was crying on and off and shaky and almost gasping for breath from crying. Her face looked puffy to me-she just didn't look normal to me. Gabe took her first and held her and then she reached out to me. I sat in the rocking chair and held her-just hugging her and holding back the tears. I felt so helpless like there was nothing I could do for her. She was just in her diaper and all wrapped up in a blanket-we decided to keep her that way for the ride home to make it easier. They let us leave whenever we felt comfortable doing so. We felt like she just wanted out of there and to get home as soon as we could.
She dozed off briefly on the way home and once we got home, we gave her some water and some cheerios.
She was still pretty out of it and just relaxed, sitting in our laps. After awhile we got her in a comfy outfit. She went down for a nap around 1 and slept until 315.
She dozed off briefly on the way home and once we got home, we gave her some water and some cheerios.
She was still pretty out of it and just relaxed, sitting in our laps. After awhile we got her in a comfy outfit. She went down for a nap around 1 and slept until 315.
Once she got up, she was really hungry-the child ate nonstop until she went to bed!
She walked around and played and was acting pretty normal until around 630-then she got really whiny for some reason. We decided to take her up to bed early (7pm) and sure enough, she was sound asleep by 720. I think the day was rough for her and tired her out. Hopefully in the morning she'll be back to her usual self!
I'm just relieved this whole thing is over-I hope it ends up being successful so we don't have to repeat this again!
She walked around and played and was acting pretty normal until around 630-then she got really whiny for some reason. We decided to take her up to bed early (7pm) and sure enough, she was sound asleep by 720. I think the day was rough for her and tired her out. Hopefully in the morning she'll be back to her usual self!
I'm just relieved this whole thing is over-I hope it ends up being successful so we don't have to repeat this again!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Tomorrow is the Big Day
Tomorrow Avery goes in for her eye surgery.
If you haven't followed recently you might want to read this first to get yourself up to speed.
I'm a little anxious about it still and will be until it's over. I think the hardest part will be handing her over to someone and having them just walk away with her and there will be nothing I can do to comfort her. It'll be a very helpless feeling. And I hate that she'll be woken up with no one there she knows either. What a scary feeling for her!
I'm just relieved that she's young enough that she won't remember any of it.
Please say some extra prayers that all goes well and the surgery is successful.
If you haven't followed recently you might want to read this first to get yourself up to speed.
I'm a little anxious about it still and will be until it's over. I think the hardest part will be handing her over to someone and having them just walk away with her and there will be nothing I can do to comfort her. It'll be a very helpless feeling. And I hate that she'll be woken up with no one there she knows either. What a scary feeling for her!
I'm just relieved that she's young enough that she won't remember any of it.
Please say some extra prayers that all goes well and the surgery is successful.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Labor Day Weekend
Gotta love long weekends!
An extra day off of work, another day to sleep in (what's that?), more time to relax and be with family....
Saturday Gabe went running then I went to the gym. We were going to try to go to a hot air balloon festival with my Mom, but it got cancelled due to the weather. It was very cool out and windy with on and off rain. So, instead we just did a run to Sam's Club then we went to Bill Gray's for dinner. We haven't been there in a long time and figured it was kid friendly. Since it's getting cooler out, Avery has some new outfits to wear. I have to say that on Saturday she looked so darn cute. Not that she's not super cute everyday, but Saturday she was extra cute in this outfit!
Yesterday we made a day trip to Buffalo. We haven't been since July so we were overdue for a visit. We started out at my Dad's-they made us lunch which was very good. Here's Avery and Colleen on the swing:
After that we went to my Mom's house and relaxed. Avery played outside a little bit and 0f course we had a very good dinner. Avery didn't nap much so she passed out in the car. She woke up when we were about 20min away from home and cried. Getting her to bed was a chore too-she just was overtired and cranky! I think she finally fell asleep around 930 which is very late for her.
Today we wanted to do something fun and summery since we had the day off together. We planned on going back to Seabreeze so we could take Avery in the waterpark there. Yesterday they forecasted sun and 80 degrees so it looked like a perfect day for it. Of course today when we woke up it was dark and gloomy out. We checked the weather again and it had changed to mostly cloudy with showers and a high of 77. So, we decided against Seabreezee which is a bummer. Avery is napping right now so I think when she wakes up we're going to go to Strong Museum again and then maybe out for a bite to eat. We'll see what the day brings us!
An extra day off of work, another day to sleep in (what's that?), more time to relax and be with family....
Saturday Gabe went running then I went to the gym. We were going to try to go to a hot air balloon festival with my Mom, but it got cancelled due to the weather. It was very cool out and windy with on and off rain. So, instead we just did a run to Sam's Club then we went to Bill Gray's for dinner. We haven't been there in a long time and figured it was kid friendly. Since it's getting cooler out, Avery has some new outfits to wear. I have to say that on Saturday she looked so darn cute. Not that she's not super cute everyday, but Saturday she was extra cute in this outfit!
Yesterday we made a day trip to Buffalo. We haven't been since July so we were overdue for a visit. We started out at my Dad's-they made us lunch which was very good. Here's Avery and Colleen on the swing:
After that we went to my Mom's house and relaxed. Avery played outside a little bit and 0f course we had a very good dinner. Avery didn't nap much so she passed out in the car. She woke up when we were about 20min away from home and cried. Getting her to bed was a chore too-she just was overtired and cranky! I think she finally fell asleep around 930 which is very late for her.
Today we wanted to do something fun and summery since we had the day off together. We planned on going back to Seabreeze so we could take Avery in the waterpark there. Yesterday they forecasted sun and 80 degrees so it looked like a perfect day for it. Of course today when we woke up it was dark and gloomy out. We checked the weather again and it had changed to mostly cloudy with showers and a high of 77. So, we decided against Seabreezee which is a bummer. Avery is napping right now so I think when she wakes up we're going to go to Strong Museum again and then maybe out for a bite to eat. We'll see what the day brings us!
I also have to add that the baby stage is officially over....today I packed up my breastpump and all of Avery's bottles for good. Another bittersweet moment...
Happy Labor Day!
Friday, September 3, 2010
1 in 10
Today starts a nice stretch for me.
In the next 10 days, I only work once.
My typical schedule is Mon, Tues, Thurs each week. With this being Labor Day weekend, I have Monday off-so there's my 4 day weekend.
I work on Tuesday next week.
Avery has her eye surgery on Wednesday.
It just happened that Thursday next week there are no doctors in our office so we were all able to take a vacation day if we wanted. It worked out perfectly so that I could stay home and keep an eye on Avery to make sure she is doing ok after her surgery Wednesday. The doctor said she should be fine, but we just have to watch that she doesn't rub her eyes, etc. So I took advantage and used a vacation day. Then of course it'll be the weekend again.
It's like a vacation and I only used 1 true vacation day! And the best part is that for most of it I don't have any plans. It'll be great!
In the next 10 days, I only work once.
My typical schedule is Mon, Tues, Thurs each week. With this being Labor Day weekend, I have Monday off-so there's my 4 day weekend.
I work on Tuesday next week.
Avery has her eye surgery on Wednesday.
It just happened that Thursday next week there are no doctors in our office so we were all able to take a vacation day if we wanted. It worked out perfectly so that I could stay home and keep an eye on Avery to make sure she is doing ok after her surgery Wednesday. The doctor said she should be fine, but we just have to watch that she doesn't rub her eyes, etc. So I took advantage and used a vacation day. Then of course it'll be the weekend again.
It's like a vacation and I only used 1 true vacation day! And the best part is that for most of it I don't have any plans. It'll be great!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Bittersweet
Last night and tonight have been the start of something bittersweet....
If all goes according to plan, last night was my last time nursing Avery at bedtime (or anytime for that matter!).
I just decided it was time....
She has been down to nursing only once a day for at least a month now. I know she's not getting much anymore because I don't really hear her swallowing much. I have a feeling she wants it more out of habit and routine and to help her fall asleep.
I figured it would be easier to break it now then to wait until she's ready-heck, that could be months from now! And I thought the older she got, the harder it might be to break her of it.
So last night was it. Why last night? Well, I wanted to have a few days after at home in case I get engorged or uncomfortable at all. I think the chances of that are slim, but didn't want to take a risk. I had to work today, but am off the next four days for the long Labor day weekend so I thought it would be a good time.
It's been emotional though I will say. Last night while she nursed I tried to drink up every last second of it. I didn't rush her or anything and I just savored the time with her. I shed a few tears (and am shedding some now) while looking at that sweet face and thinking of our journey.
I went into breastfeeding very open-minded. I knew I wanted to try it, but if it didn't work out for us, it wouldn't have been the end of the world. It's probably one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life. It's stressful, time consuming, painful, and exhausting. But the rewards are countless. No matter how hard it was, I would do it again in a heartbeat. I honestly didn't think I would be so emotional about it ending, but I am.
I'm going to miss my bonding time with her-but I keep telling myself I can still bond with her, it'll just be in different ways. Plus, now Gabe can look forward to doing bedtime with her as well.
Tonight was the first night of not nursing her. I wasn't sure how it would go for either of us. We gave her a bath first, then Gabe got her dressed and ready for bed. I went in and we all read a story together. Once it was done, she started signing milk and looking at me. I picked her up and gave her some hugs and a kiss and Gabe told her he was going to give her milk tonight. She went back to him and drank out of her sippy cup (which is also new-she usually does a bottle if not nursing). He rocked and sang with her then put her to bed. About 10minutes later, she was sound asleep. It went so much easier than I anticipated. And I held up ok until I started writing this. I just hope it continues to go this smoothly!
I am finally going to have my body back....it's been almost 2 years since my body has been my own.
It will be mine.
And I will feel free.
And I'm proud that I nursed my baby for 14 months.
If all goes according to plan, last night was my last time nursing Avery at bedtime (or anytime for that matter!).
I just decided it was time....
She has been down to nursing only once a day for at least a month now. I know she's not getting much anymore because I don't really hear her swallowing much. I have a feeling she wants it more out of habit and routine and to help her fall asleep.
I figured it would be easier to break it now then to wait until she's ready-heck, that could be months from now! And I thought the older she got, the harder it might be to break her of it.
So last night was it. Why last night? Well, I wanted to have a few days after at home in case I get engorged or uncomfortable at all. I think the chances of that are slim, but didn't want to take a risk. I had to work today, but am off the next four days for the long Labor day weekend so I thought it would be a good time.
It's been emotional though I will say. Last night while she nursed I tried to drink up every last second of it. I didn't rush her or anything and I just savored the time with her. I shed a few tears (and am shedding some now) while looking at that sweet face and thinking of our journey.
I went into breastfeeding very open-minded. I knew I wanted to try it, but if it didn't work out for us, it wouldn't have been the end of the world. It's probably one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life. It's stressful, time consuming, painful, and exhausting. But the rewards are countless. No matter how hard it was, I would do it again in a heartbeat. I honestly didn't think I would be so emotional about it ending, but I am.
I'm going to miss my bonding time with her-but I keep telling myself I can still bond with her, it'll just be in different ways. Plus, now Gabe can look forward to doing bedtime with her as well.
Tonight was the first night of not nursing her. I wasn't sure how it would go for either of us. We gave her a bath first, then Gabe got her dressed and ready for bed. I went in and we all read a story together. Once it was done, she started signing milk and looking at me. I picked her up and gave her some hugs and a kiss and Gabe told her he was going to give her milk tonight. She went back to him and drank out of her sippy cup (which is also new-she usually does a bottle if not nursing). He rocked and sang with her then put her to bed. About 10minutes later, she was sound asleep. It went so much easier than I anticipated. And I held up ok until I started writing this. I just hope it continues to go this smoothly!
I am finally going to have my body back....it's been almost 2 years since my body has been my own.
It will be mine.
And I will feel free.
And I'm proud that I nursed my baby for 14 months.
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