Dear Avery, 6 Months

Dear Avery,

Are you really half a year old already? That must have happened while we were playing. Time flies when you are having fun, and my little peanut, we sure do have a lot of fun together. You just LOVE to play! Your favourite game right now is peek a boo, and you could literally play it all day long and not get tired of it. This is just one thing that  I don't ever want to forget about you at this age my baby. There are lots more though. You started giving kisses this month! This is my favourite thing you have learned to do so far. My neck is covered in little scratches from your little nails grabbing me and pulling me in for kisses. Big slobbery, sucking kisses! And I wouldn't trade it for the world! You know they are kisses now too. I can ask you for a kiss and you do it. I love the way you get so excited when you haven't seen me for awhile. You have just started screaming excitedly when you see me and I LOVE it!! You said "dada" for the first time this month, and even Addison heard it the same way I did. You love your new found vocal skills and are "dada'ing" all the time now. It is the cutest thing baby girl.

You have gotten really good at sitting up. You don't really need anything behind you anymore, but you are so used to having the boppy behind you, that you flop backwards on purpose all the time. Of course you don't realize when it is gone so you end up banging your head on the floor. So we will keep the boppy out for as long as you need it.

Every morning when you wake up, Daddy grabs you and puts you into bed with me. You usually play for awhile until Addie comes in. I love when you see Addie in the morning. You grab her and give her big hugs and kisses. You always have huge smiles for her too. I hope you are always close to each other like this.

You have been very busy increasing our grocery bill this month! I can not believe how much food you eat now! You already eat more than Addison, and you love to eat. It is so much fun cooking all your food for you, making you new things to eat and even feeding you is fun. You start bouncing around and kicking your feet as soon as we put the bib on you. If you are in your highchair and see the bowl of food, you start yelling at us until you get to eat it. I have to make sure it is the right temperature before you see it now so you don't get upset. We cannot spoon it into your mouth fast enough either. I am trying to teach you to sign "more" but you get mad at me for putting the bowl down for a second to show you the sign.

You are hit and miss with the sleeping these days. You absolutely will not nap unless you are home in your bed and Addison is not around. If you see Addie you just want to play with her. And if you are in your carseat, you will only sleep while the car is moving. As soon as we stop, you are awake and want out. You still aren't sleeping through the night anymore. You are pretty much up every two hours. You nurse for a few minutes and go right back to sleep though, so I don't mind getting up with you. There have been one or two nights that you have slept for 5-6 hours straight, but that is when you skip your afternoon nap, or are very tired after swimming lessons. We stopped swaddling you this month at nap and bedtime, and I think you are adjusting to that. You still love to be swaddled, but it is just too cold for it now. You need your sleep-sack now so we had to stop swaddling.

You do love going swimming. I am so happy that you love to swim sweetheart. It is so much fun taking you swimming. You kick both your feet at the same time, and you look like a little dolphin in the pool. Daddy and I love watching you swim! I wish I had some pictures, but the YMCA won't allow us to take any.

Music is another thing you love right now. You can sit and listen to your mobile, or the musical crib toy for hours. Any toys that make music or sing are your favourite toys right now, and you smile so big and dance when you hear them.

We just got our family pictures back, and everyone (including the photographer) is commenting on how gorgeous you are. Even Aunt Nikki showed some of her friends at school and everyone thinks you should be a baby model. I agree, you are stunning. After Christmas, I would love to have a portfolio made for you and see where it goes. It would be so much fun having your pictures done.

You are now in 6-9 month clothing, and your sleepers are getting a little short. I just started putting you in 12 month sleepers, they are too big, but better than having your toes squished in the 9 month ones. It won`t be long before you grow into them.

I have already started your Christmas shopping, I am so excited for your first Christmas! Avery, you just light up my life. I am so happy to have you, and to be blessed enough to have this time off to spend with you. I love you so much my little peanut.

Love, your mama
xoxoxoxoxox

Dear Avery 5 months

Dear Avery,

We are thinking of changing your name. Don't worry, we probably won't actually do it, but it is very tempting, especially since you don't even respond to Avery anymore.  Addison can't say Avery, so she started calling you "Aralee" as a combination of Avery Leigh and it's stuck. We seem to call you "Aralee" more than anything else, and you respond to it, I think you like it. We even get a lot of compliments on it when we are out in public and people ask Addison what your name is. No matter what we call you though, you are always answering with smiles and giggles. And those eyes.... Oh Avery your eyes are absolutely stunning!! I cannot look at you without being in awe of your beauty. Everyone that meets you comments on your eyes, and how captivating and beautiful they are.

You are so beautiful, and so chubby! I can't get over how adorably chubby you are. You are only 14lbs, which is the 46th percentile for weight, and you are in the 94th percentile for height. So you are really an average sized baby, but since Addie was so tiny, I am thrilled to have my chubby little baby. You are already wearing size 6-9 month clothing, which is what Addison wore when she was about 8-9 months old, so we had to buy you all new clothes for your first fall and winter. I was really happy that we got to get you all new clothes. I love that you have all your own things. We even got you your own Halloween costume. I didn't want you to have to be a duck just because Addie's old costume would fit you, so we got your own costume. You are going to be the most adorable ladybug we've ever seen!

I can hardly believe that we are already preparing for your first fall. In many ways, it feels like spring just started and you were just born. On the other hand though, I feel like I have known you all my life, and have loved you forever. You just fit so perfectly into our lives.

It's been another busy month for you. You sat up all by yourself this month! You have only been doing it for a week but are very sturdy and love to sit up and play with your toys. You absolutely love playing in your exersaucer, you grab all the toys and pull down what you can to chew on them. Addie is always bringing you new toys to play with too, so you never get bored. You also love jumping and rocking around in it. We just put your swing away today because you don't have any interest in that any more. Now that you can sit, you want to be around in the action, not in the swing all alone.

My favourite thing to watch you do right now is play with your sister. You follow Addison around with your eyes all day long, and she just adores playing with you. You give her the biggest belly laughs, and the way you rock and reach toward her shows us just how much you want to be mobile so you can run around and play with her. If we put you on your belly, you even creep forward already. She is the best motivation we could have to get you to crawl, and I have a strong feeling that you will crawl earlier than Addie because you want to be with her.

You have decided that you no longer want to nap when we are out of the house. It's pretty cute. You fall asleep in the car, but the second the car stops and the door opens, your big blue eyes pop open and you are as alert as you could possibly be to check out the sights wherever we are. No matter how long you go without a nap though, you are always happy, and never fussy. At home, I have to babygate Addie in the livingroom and put a movie on for her so I can take you up to your room to put you to sleep. If you see Addison, you just turn your head to follow her and smile and laugh. You are only 5 months old and we are already separating you two so you can sleep. I can picture you both as you get older, Daddy and I having to yell up the stairs to go to sleep as you are whispering to each other and running back and forth between your rooms. It brings me such joy to see how much you love each other already, and Daddy and I hope so much that you will always be best friends growing up, and will always be there for each other. Avery, no matter what happens, no matter how much you may fight, or disagree about something (even everything), no matter how much you may hurt each others feelings along the way, know that you are sisters forever, and you will always have each other. Addison will always love you, as you will love her.

My baby girl, this goes without saying for your Daddy and me as well. We will love you unconditionally, and support you unconditionally all our lives. You mean the world to us, and there is absolutely nothing that could ever happen, nothing you could ever do to change that. We will always be here for you.

I love you more than anything my sweet girl.

Love your Mama
xoxoxoxox

Dear Avery, 4 months old

My darling little Avery Leigh. Words cannot sum up the love I have for you. You are by far the sweetest baby ever. You are just always so happy and never miss an opportunity to have a smile on your face. Your little smile brightens up my day every time I see it. 

You have been busy this month! We have been keeping busy enjoying the summer weather as much as possible and you have been enjoying all the new sights and sounds. We've been going to storytime at the library; you coo and bounce through all the songs and listen quietly through the stories. We went to the zoo, and you watched all the animals intently. We went to the cottage for a week, where you played in the sand for the first time, went for your first hot tub, spent time with your grandparents and Aunt Nikki, and went on your first boat excursion to the Umbrella Islands! 

Not only have you been a busy girl enjoying your first summer, but you've also been a very busy girl growing! You are now up to 14lbs and are developing quite the little personality. Everyone who meets you says the same thing about you. You are such a happy girl and are sweet like a little doll. You love to be held and played with, you love to snuggle and are happy to go to anyone who will pay attention to you and snuggle you close. You think your sister is the funniest thing you have ever seen, and give her tons of smiles and belly laughs when she plays with you. Addison absolutely adores you, and I am sure you two will have a special relationship as you get older. You have started screaming this month, and it is really cute. You get all excited and scream at the top of your lungs either to get attention or to have a "conversation" with us. 

We just got out the jumperoo for you, and I was shocked that your feet already touch the floor in it. You are just starting to outgrow your 3-6 month clothes and are filling out your cloth diapers really well. You are getting better at rolling around, and have discovered your toes recently. You love to catch your toes and try to get them into your mouth. You have a little trouble with that sometimes though, because of your rolly little belly. You absolutely love your bath, and Addie loves that you share a tub now. You have outgrown your baby tub, so we put you in on your bath sling and Addie loves having you in there. You are a really good sleeper. You sleep from 8pm-5am, get up to eat and then go right back to sleep until about 8am. You have a morning nap from 9-11am then an afternoon nap from about 1-3, a catnap around 6 and in between the naps, you just love to play. 

Avery, you have added so much to our family. You are so beautiful, and so happy and loving that everyone falls in love with you immediately. I am really enjoying spending my days with you and Addison, and am looking forward to watching you grow more and seeing how your personality develops. 

Happy four months sweetheart. I love you!

Love, your mama

xoxoxo

 

sister love

Sister love... could it be any sweeter?

Dear Avery, 3 months old

Dear Avery,
You are growing and changing so fast every day, that I am struggling to keep up with the pictures so that I don't miss anything. I am trying my best to make sure that we capture every moment with you, but you are very difficult to catch on camera. As soon as you see the camera, you stop doing whatever cute thing I am trying to take a picture of, and just stare at the camera. Haha my sweet girl, there are a lot of pictures of you staring at the camera, and just a few of you smiling. I am probably going to start chasing you around a lot more with the camera so that you get more used to it.

Let's see what you've been up to this past month. You can hold your own head up completely by yourself, and you love to do it. You are sitting up supported in your boppy pillow or bumbo chair, and you absolutely love to sit up and see what's going on around you. You are grabbing onto toys now, and it is amazing to watch you exploring and learning simply from holding a toy. You have started sucking your fingers.... the same two fingers that mama sucked when she was little. You will even put your fingers in your mouth and hold them there with your other hand, it is sooo cute! You have also just realized that when you cry, someone will come running, so you are enjoying getting our attention when you are bored. I spend more time entertaining you during the day than I do feeding and changing you now. It is wonderful though, you have started smiling all the time and just learned to laugh! The sound of your laughter never gets old, I can listen to it all day long.

You are already 13lbs, I can hardly believe it! You are wearing all the clothes that Addison wore for her first winter already, so we will have to buy you all new clothes for your first winter. I am very excited to get you your own winter clothes though. I love having an excuse to get you all new things!

Baby girl, I cannot express enough to you how happy I am to have you, how deeply I love you and how much I enjoy spending my days with you. You are such a happy baby, and you are already sleeping through the night, you could not possibly be more enjoyable if you tried. I am so in love with you my beautiful girl. Everywhere we go people stop to tell me how gorgeous you are and how captivating your big blue eyes are. I couldn't agree more, you are stunning.

I am looking forward to seeing what this month brings sweetheart. I feel so very blessed to be your mother, and I love you with all my heart and soul.

Love Mama
xoxoxoxo

Dear Avery, 2 Months old

Dear Avery,

These last two months have flown by! I am having so much fun staying home with my two girls, and getting to know you. You have changed so much this month. You are starting to look more like a baby instead of a newborn, and as sad as it makes me that you are growing so fast, I am so excited. You have already had your first smile, your first giggle, you've rolled over and you are cooing up a storm! One of my favourite things to do now, is grab you out of your bassinet when you wake up in the morning. You are so happy! I love lying with you beside me on my pillow in the morning. You are so full of smiles and coo's and it makes me feel so very blessed to have you for my daughter. It's such a special time we share when everyone else is still sleeping, and your beautiful little smiles make it so worth waking up so early.

You are by far the sweetest baby I have ever known. You rarely cry, you are always so happy and content. You love to be held and snuggled and you are only waking up once in the night now. You are so enjoyable to have around and are such a wonderful addition to the family. I cannot imagine life without you in it, you make everything so perfect.

I am really working hard to get your nursery finished. I feel awful that it wasn't ready before you were born, but it is coming together and it is beautiful. I finished your mobile and hung it over your change table. I love watching you enjoy it every day. Your little face lights up and you are so intently focused on the little owls and trees that it brings such a smile to my face knowing I made you something you like so much. Daddy is almost finished your crib, and I am very eager to get it put together with your bedding in your own room. I still have the bookshelves to make you, but your very own book collection is really starting to come together already.

You are so good with Addison. She definitely loves you! Every morning, she asks to see you, and smothers you with hugs and kisses. She can be a little aggressive, but you don't complain much. She can be very loud, which startles you sometimes, but for the most part, you are happy to see her. I think you two will be very good friends as you get older.

You are still eating really well, and growing so quickly. You are already wearing your 3-6 month clothing, and are almost too big for your size 1 diapers. I am hoping you are almost big enough for your cloth diapers. During the day, you love going for walks in the stroller. You have a hard time staying awake in there, but you seem to enjoy being out in the fresh air. You also love your swing. You will sit in your swing for an hour and just smile watching everything around you. I love how different you are from Addison, you are already your own little person with your own personality and I am looking forward to watching it develop even more as you get older. I cannot get over how beautiful you are. Every time I look at you, I am amazed. Avery you give me faith in God, you are such a blessing in my life that you simply must be a miracle from Heaven.

Avery, I love you so very much,
keep growing strong little one,
Love always and forever,
Your Mama
xoxoxoxoxox

Dear Avery, 1 month old

Dear Avery,

I absolutely can't believe that you are already a month old. My pregnancy went by so quickly with you, I hope your infancy doesn't go as quickly. I am so absolutely in love with you, I want to enjoy every moment with you.

You have fit right into our family, in a way, it seems as though you have always been here, always been a part of our family. I look so forward to seeing you every morning and spending time with you during the day. You are such a good baby, always content and your eyes are always smiling. You are so beautiful, you have the softest down like brown hair and stunning big blue eyes. I'm sure you will grow into those huge baby blues soon, but I love them so much the way they are.

Avery, Addison adores you just as much as your Daddy and I do, and I am so happy that you are so tolerant of all her hugs and kisses.

My little doll, it's been a busy month. We've been busy going for walks and seeing the doctor a lot. You were so tiny that the Dr. wanted to see you almost every day to make sure you were gaining enough weight. You just had a Dr. appt though and are already 9lbs and 22 inches tall! You are eating so well, and I love that time we share together while you're drinking and we're snuggling in the night. You only wake up twice a night, and you sleep so well in your bassinet. You rarely cry, but you do grunt a lot. When you wake up, you sound like a little billy goat, and Daddy and I laugh and wonder how long you will do that. It is the cutest sound, and I hope you don't grow out of it too fast.

Baby girl, you will never know how much I love you, how much I wanted you and how I will always be there for you. You are the sweetest baby, I can't wait to watch as you change and grow, don't grow too fast though.

I love you so much my little peanut,
Your Mama
xoxoxoxox

Baby Announcement!

I am proud to announce Miss Avery Leigh!

 

Our baby girl arrived April 19th, at 8:30am, weighing 6lbs, 1oz and 19 3/4 inches long, born at 39 weeks and 1 day. She is such a good baby. She only cries if she is hungry or has gas, and she is so beautiful!

Addison has been amazing with her. She tells her "I missed you" every morning, gives her hugs and kisses constantly, tells her "I love you" and is so helpful telling us when she is crying or getting clean diapers ect. She loves being a big sister, and we are so proud of her!

Addie's Easter Bunny Shoot!

I took Addie girl to have some pictures taken with real bunnies a couple weeks ago. It was possibly the cutest thing that I have ever seen. She was mesmerized by the bunnies, and was so proud that she got to hold one! She was so sweet and gentle with the bunnies, it was too cute. Here are a few of my favourite pictures. 

Y3W: 35 Weeks Along

 Well we're finally in the home stretch! I am now in the last few and I do mean FEW weeks of my second pregnancy. It has really been such a great pregnancy too. I have had no complications, have been very comfortable and other than being tired all the time, I have had no complaints. Here's where I'm at at 35 weeks:


                                                     Here is me at 35 weeks with Addison

And 35 weeks with Avery

I feel so much better this time around! I think the bumps look about even, which makes sense since I was two weeks behind with Addie and am currently two weeks behind with Avery. But the swelling I had with Addison is yet to show up (fingers crossed that was a one time deal..) And I guess Avery is sitting just a little higher because I am not feeling the pressure and pain in my back that I had with Addison. 

How far along: 35 weeks and 2 days

Baby size: I just had an appt yesterday and the Dr. is estimating 3.5-4lbs (about 2lbs small)

Total weight gain: 35 lbs... yep.. that was supposed to be the limit this time, but Dr. isn't concerned so neither am I. 

Belly Button: It popped! Last week. I totally thought that since it never popped with Addison it wouldn't this time. 

Stretch marks: None yet

Maternity clothes: I am so thankful to my sister in law for being pregnant in the summer and lending me her clothes. Her summer clothes from the end of her pregnancy are the only ones that fit now, and it has been summer weather here lately so I can get away with them!

Sleep: I can actually get comfortable at night still when I am really tired, but unless we have the window open, I get too hot to stay asleep. Luckily Ryan's been a good sport about sleeping with the window open in March. I have a good man. 

Symptoms: Not much this week. Avery had a growth spurt last week that left my belly feeling really stretched out and uncomfortable, I couldn't sleep and my back hurt. But this week I feel fine. Tired as usual, but other than that I feel great this week.

Aversions/cravings: I want ice cream a lot right now. I think it has more to do with the nicer weather than the baby though

Best moment of the week: My appointment yesterday. Getting to hear that beautiful little heartbeat, and making sure my girl is doing well always makes my week!

What I miss: I REALLY miss being able to put Addison to sleep at night. I cannot lean over her crib to put her in after her stories anymore so Ryan has taken over. I've done it for so long now and I miss that special time of day with her. 

What I am looking forward to: I get an ultrasound on April 3rd to check Avery's position. She has been trying unsuccessfully to flip over, but the Dr. wants to be absolutely sure she is still breech before doing the c-section since I would REALLY like a VBAC if the baby will co-operate. It will be the first appointment this pregnancy that Ryan is able to come to, and I can't wait to see his face when he sees his baby girl for the first time.

Nursery Progress: We have just about everything we need now! But... it is all piled up on the guest bed that we never removed from the nursery. We have all the small things, but still haven't bought a crib, dresser or bedding. Avery will be sleeping in her newborn napper in our room so I am not that concerned about the crib yet, but we REALLY need to get a dresser for the poor girl soon! 

And assuming baby girl is going to stay breech (it is near impossible for her to turn now) the c-section is booked for April 19th at 8am. That's less than four weeks away!!

A Day at the Park!

It's been too long since I have done Addison pictures!!

Today was almost 15 degrees! It was the first day that it really felt like spring, so we spent the afternoon playing in the backyard and going to the park. Here are some pictures from our afternoon:

32 Week Belly Update

                                                                Belly Update Week 32!

                                                        32 weeks pregnant with Addison

                                                             32 weeks pregnant with Avery

How far along: 32 Weeks 2 days
Baby size: approx. 19 inches long and 4-4.5lbs About the weight of a honeydew melon!
Total weight gain: 31.5lbs which isn't too bad.
Belly button: Still an innie
Stretch marks: Not a one!
Maternity clothes: You bet! and even those that I wore at this point with Addison are getting pretty snug!
Sleep: Starting to lose more sleep lately, I am starting to get up to pee in the night and cannot get comfortable when I come back to bed. Ryan is convinced I am moving around so much just to have some company being awake. At least Addison is finally sleeping through the night.
Symptoms: I am getting to that "whale" stage... I feel enormous, and am shocked when I see my picture and realize I am not as huge as I feel. I can officially not zip my snowboarding jacket or reach down to get my boots on anymore. I am also starting to swell in my legs. It started this time with Addie too, so I was expecting it, but it's not that bad yet. Most of the time Ryan doesn't see it when I do and it's not every day. I am also absolutely wiped out by 6pm. I've been going to bed not long after Addison lately.
Aversions/Cravings: Aversion to greasy food, and cravings for anything sweet and salads. I cannot get enough Greek salad lately (don't worry, I found pasteurized feta!)
Best moment of the week: Getting all of Avery's clothes ironed and hung up (8 hours of ironing and that's only the 0-6 month stuff!) All the little ruffles and lace look pretty and seeing those tiny little clothes hung in her closet makes me so excited. Her nursery is just starting to get put together.
What I miss: Feeling energetic and being able to accomplish what I want. I get so frustrated that there are so many things I want to do, but I either don't have the energy to do them, or it takes me forever when I do get to something.
What I am looking forward to: My OB appt on Tuesday! I will be getting the c-section date for Miss Avery and I am soo excited to find out when this little princess's birthday will be and make plans for Addison while we are in the hospital.
Nursery Progress: The paint is on the walls, the closet is full of washed and ironed ruffly, tiny little clothes. We picked out everything else, and are slowly starting to buy what we can when we can. We have realized we had much more disposable income when I was pregnant with Addison!
Best thing Avery did this week: Stuck out her little foot so clearly that I could see the little tiny foot outline and rub it. SOOO cool!

Oh, and one more thing that was awesome this week. My Dad took it upon himself to be the first to gift Avery with something special. By this time with Addison, we had received so many wonderful gifts for her. We really don`t need a lot this time, and it hasn`t been that long since we had Addison, so Avery hasn`t gotten anything gift wise. I thought it was so sweet that my Dad went out by himself and bought her a travel sleep sheep (that Addison has completely claimed..) and the cutest little onesie and matching hat. Thanks Dad!! I can`t wait to see Avery in that little outfit.

So much to do, so little time!

I can hardly believe it, but our SECOND baby girl is almost here!! About 8 weeks left to go, and we are soo not prepared! By this point with Addison, we had pretty much everything finished in the nursery and stocked up. So far, all we've done for Avery is get her room painted. We still have A LOT to do, and while Addison is visiting family in New Brunswick this week with my parents, we are hoping to get a lot of our checklist completed.

Here's the list of things we need to get finished before baby girl arrives:

• Touch up the ceiling paint in Avery's room 
• Finish staining and sealing our staircase (this should have been done months ago, but I would'nt let Ryan do it with Addie in the house)
• Iron all the baby clothes that I have washed from storage, and hang in the closet
• Write birth plan
• Finish the mobile I am making
• Make the bookcase I want to make
• Make plans for Addison during my c-section
• Buy and set up crib and dresser
• wash all the baby blankets and put away
• Inspect breast pump and buy replacement tubing ect.
• Set up baby swing, bouncey seat and get carseat out of storage
• Do another hospital tour (because the hospital has a new labour/delivery wing and I want to check it out before I go in to deliver
• Call insurance to confirm private room coverage
• Organize our hall closet and bedroom closet (just because I need to capitalize on these nesting instincts)
• Fill my freezer with freezer meals!! (I was sooo sorry I didn't do that when I had Addison!)
• Renew Addison's health card. So much easier to do toting ONE baby down to the office instead of TWO!

And since this is my running list to go by, I am sure there will be more added as we go along. 

But then there is also the list of things we need to BUY for Avery. We really haven't bought anything for her yet. This is what we still need"

• Crib/crib mattress
• Dresser
• Curtains/Blinds
• Crib bedding
• Cloth diapers (we need to add some smaller fitting ones to our stash)
• Swaddle blankets
• Baby book
• Glass bottles
• Double stroller
• More newborn clothes (since I know she's going to be another little peanut like her sister)
• Co-sleeper
• Change pad cover
• Bottle warmer (something I wished I had bought with Addison)
• Diaper bag (my old one is falling apart!)
• Bottle drying rack (love the Boon grass ones!)
• Ear thermometer
• Clothes hamper
• Night table and lamp (two more things I am still missing for Addison's room)
• Newborn size pacifiers
• Newborn diapers for the hospital

Quite the list eh? ya... So far all I've bought the poor girl are 3 cloth diapers, a newborn sleeper, and some hangers. But, I am almost done the mobile I've been making her, and am hoping to get the sling book shelves  made next weekend. 

Y3W: My Sick Baby

Is there anything sadder than a sick baby? yep. YOUR sick baby. It breaks my heart that my girl isn't feeling well right now, and isn't her regular happy, energetic self. Poor baby. She's been all snuggled up on the couch asking for "snuggle"(s) for the past two days now. The only change is when the Tempra kicks in and she has a half hour run of forgetting she's sick. Then comes the crash and we're back to sick baby.

Speaking of Tempra, this stuff is amazing. We've tried Advil and Tylenol, and they both make Addie gag. The banana Tempra tastes more like juice and Addie slurps it right up. The only problem seems to be that I can't find the banana flavour anymore. I have been to numerous stores and can only find cherry (which she refuses entirely, and I cannot even bribe her with chocolate to take it).

Does anyone know if they stopped making the banana flavour?

29 Week Belly Update

                                                  Here is my 30 week picture with Addison

                                                        And 29 weeks 1 day with Avery

I'm not seeing much difference either. Good, I was still relatively small at this point with Addie and hadn't gotten fat and swollen yet. Not there with Avery yet either thank God!

How far along: 29 weeks 1 day
Baby size: Butternut squash 15-17 inches long and 2.5-3lbs
Total weight gain: 29lbs according to my scale.. ouch!! My Dr. appt for last week got bumped out to the 22nd, so we'll see what their scale says then.
Belly button: still an innie
Stretch marks: none yet!
Maternity clothes: definitely, and starting to get a little tight in the size small's!
Sleep: sleeping ok. I do sleep fairly well at night, but once I've been up for an hour and a half, I find myself exhausted again.. oh the joys of third tri.
Symptoms: aside from being exhausted constantly, the baby brain is really getting to me these days. I am forgetting everything that I don't write down, and if I forget to make a list.. forget about it. Other than that, nothing I can really complain about.
Aversions/cravings: no oatmeal, craving sweets a lot now
Best moment of the week: Avery is MUCH more energetic than Addie was when she was an inside baby. Avery moves all the time, and I love feeling her poke her feet out one side, and her head out the other side of my belly. Oh ya, she is definitely breech again, so hello c-section #2.
What I miss: Being able to get my boots on and off without all the huffing and puffing. Is it flip flop season yet?
What I am looking forward to: My next Dr. Appt. Feb 22nd! It is my first appt with my OB this round, and I am eager to ask him if we can go ahead and book the c-section date now that we know for sure I will need one.
Nursery Progress: We have painted the nursery. It is a very pale pink. I would post a pic now, but there really isnt much to see. I am working on a mobile for her that will match her bedding. It has owls, trees, stars and a moon hanging from ribbons. I just started it last weekend and it is turning out really cute so far. As soon as I am done that, I am going to make her a bookcase and do her name letters. One project at a time. We still don't have furniture for her yet, but we are saving, and hopefully we will have it before she is born. I'll post pics as I get the projects done. Getting home at six, then making Addie dinner, then us dinner, then starting the bath/bed routine plus my exhaustion limits my time to work on things. I have the best luck when Addie is either at her grandparents on Thursday nights, or during her nap on the weekends.

Potty Training Progress Report

Do you remember back in July, when I posted this blog post about potty training?

I thought I would give you an update on how that all went.

Well we started off REALLY well. I mean she got the hang of it really quickly, as in was having only one to two accidents per day after day 3, and was excited about getting all the applause and attention from everyone. She was doing so well in fact, that everyone thought she was going to be fully trained in a matter of weeks.

 What we didn't account for, was that we started potty training during her daycare's summer vacation, when Addison was with her grandparents for two weeks straight. Once I brought her back to daycare, her daycare provider refused to commit to training and so we came to the compromise of letting her wear "pull up's" at daycare. I was super hesitant about the idea, but I didn't really have much choice, unless I wanted to find another daycare (which I didn't considering that this daycare is amazing otherwise) I would have to deal.

Guess what. Picking up Addie at 6pm and trying to train for an hour before bed (when she also has to eat dinner and is at her crankiest) and trying to catch the one morning pee before daycare didn't go well. It went exactly as I assumed it would. Addison saw the pull ups as diapers (cus that's exactly what they are) and her daycare provider pretty much stopped even trying, so Ryan and I playing catch up just wasn't working. We stopped trying in October and relented that we would have to wait to try again. We tried in the morning, and we offered and asked  her if she wanted to go to the potty, but we left her in the pull up's.

Towards the end of Novemeber, Addison really started to pick up an interest in the potty again. And since she was showing interest on her own, we started putting her in underwear at home, and even taking her out in underwear to the grocery store and other shorter errands. By the middle of December, she wasn't having any pee accidents at all anymore at home or at Grandma's, and we knew she was totally ready to train. So I told the daycare provider that she was taking a week off at Christmas, and would be returning in underwear. I didn't give an option, and the daycare provider didn't argue. Perfect.

So on December 27th, we took away the bottle (it was time for that to go anyway) and started full time potty training. Addie has done wonderfully. She held pee right away, and would hold it until we took her (which was about once an hour) but she didn't start asking to go until this week.

This week, she has even been getting up in the night to ask to go to the potty.

She is still working on poop though. She doesn't like going in her underwear and comes immediately when she has an accident, she knows poop goes in the potty, however, she is having trouble with the timing. She will come tell me she has to poop either immediately before she goes (as in she is going as I am running her to the potty) or she tells me immediately after. I have just upped her motivation by giving her chocolates for poop in the potty. It would be much easier if she was a really regular kid, but she poops at completely random times so it's hard for me to catch.

We are still on the journey, but I am thrilled with the progress we've had so far. The trick was definitely taking away the pull up's. If she is in a diaper, she will pee in it every time. She does not like wet underwear though. We took her to the mall for two hours last Saturday morning and she was out for a total of 3 hours and stayed dry, then in the afternoon, took her to a birthday party for 4 hours and went twice at the party and came home dry. I am so proud of my girl, she is officially "pee trained". The poop training will follow.

At what age did you potty train? How'd it go? Was it a quick weekend project, or a lengthier process like ours? Any tips and tricks?

Baby Ta has a name!

Guess who can't keep a secret? haha apparently Ryan! After getting some not so good feedback on our short list of baby names from family, Ryan and I decided not to share Baby Ta's name until she was born. Turns out however, that Daddy couldn't help himself and not only did he tell my parents her name, but also his parents. I am not upset though, I think it's really sweet that he is so excited about his little girl's arrival that he can't help himself from talking about her. So, now that the cat is out of the bag, we may as well tell the world!

World, we will be welcoming our daughter Avery in April. 

Now that that's settled, we are still working on a middle name for this little princess. We haven't officially decided yet because we are stuck on three different ideas. Here's what we're thinking:

1. Avery's middle name completely unique to her. Her daddy picked Reese, and I do love it. 

2. Avery's middle name the same as mama's: Leigh

3. Avery and Addison's middle names both have a biblical meaning. Addison's middle name is Grace, not just because it is pretty, but as a reminder of God's grace. We thought it would be nice for the sisters to both have middle names that are reminders of the fruits of God's love. Idea's for Avery's middle name are: Joy, Hope, and Faith. 

We'd love your opinions, follow the link to vote!

Vote on Avery's middle name

Baby Update Week 24

This pregnancy is going by so much faster than my first. I can hardly believe it's already the middle of January and our baby girl will be here in April.

Here's a little update:

                                                      23 weeks pregnant with Addison

                                                        23 weeks pregnant with Baby Ta

Here's last week's belly picture. I don't see that much of a difference in the belly, but I do notice a difference elsewhere. I have gained more weight faster this time around, and I am seeing it in my hips, arms and face.

How far along: 24 weeks 6 days
Baby's size: An eggplant approx 14 inches, 1.5-2lbs
Total weight gain: 22lbs so far (19-20 is recommended by week 25)
Belly button :still an innie. It never popped with Addie, I don't expect it to this time either
Stretchmarks: None yet!! None with Addison, let's hope Baby Ta is easy on me too!
Maternity clothes: definitely the only thing that fits me now. And I've moved more into the small's than the extra small's in my mat wardrobe already (only a couple weeks earlier than with Addie)
Sex: Baby girl!
Movement: Baby Ta is more active than Addie was, but still not incredibly active. She kicks more, and usually wakes up around lunch time and 9pm. I LOVE feeling her movements. It is definitely one of my favorite things, and makes me smile every time I feel her.
Sleep: At this point with Addison I wasn't sleeping much at all, but this time I am so exhausted working, and running around after Addie that I am sleeping very well.
Symptoms: Nothing too bad actually. Tired, but usually the nesting instict takes over. My house is still clean, the laundry is still done, and work on the nursery has been started! My hips and lower back have started to ache by the end of the day, but it's in part because I am doing too much, and know it.
Aversions/cravings: Absolutely nothing either way
Best moment of the week: Baby Ta reached her first milestone. Her week of viability. If she was to be born at this point, she would have a 50% chance of being ok. Which is amazing considering last week it was around 0!! Every week above this week the percentage increases substantially.
What I miss: Being able to play more actively with Addison. I have a hard time bending forward already, and so playing at her level and letting her bounce on my belly are hindering our play time.
What I am looking forward to: My next Dr. Appointment on Friday. I am really eager to find out if she is still head down!!