My First Chistmas

While Mommy worked on Christmas morning, Daddy and Avery had fun posing her with gifts under the tree. Jon called me at work to tell me to look at the blog and I cried (not an unusual occurrence since Avery arrived) when I saw her all dressed up under the tree and me not there with them. It made me work even faster to be out by 230 pm to get home to the family for an afternoon of gift unwrapping and enjoying and napping and frozen soup unthawing. All in all it was a beautiful first Christmas for Avery Mae and next year there will be no working for Mommy whilst Avery enjoys her 2nd Christmas.

Charlotte - A New Friend

Avery has a new friend, adorable, sweet Charlotte, born 12/21. She is 1 day old in this picture. Deirdre looks amazing for having just given birth the morning before! We are so excited that mom and baby are healthy and happy. Avery also has 2 other new friends, Maddie, born 11/24, whom she got to meet a couple of weeks ago and Riana, also born 12/21 in Bangalore. She hopes to meet Riana sometime soon! So many babies to be loved.

Sleepy Jogger

It's a miracle! After 9 long (but ever improving) nights of sleep training, Avery slept through the whole night 12/21!!! We are so thrilled. To celebrate, we went for a nice jog (mommy's first since bedrest a long, long time ago) along venice and santa monica beach in our fabulous baby jogger. Avery wore her sweet little hat from Miss Mary, which keeps her nice and warm (and cute). She slept the whole way. Here's hoping for another full night's sleep for all :)

Holiday Happiness

After being a great sport for holiday pictures, Avery still has the patience for one last smile with Daddy.

Discovering Quincy

It only took 5 months for Avery to start really seeing Quincy. She has recently started to reach out and grab handfuls of fur. Despite his issues with jealousy, Quincy is very tolerant of her "affection" and always sweet to her. Sometimes when I come home with Avery, I can almost hear him say "oh I was hoping she might stay away so I can go back to being the center of this universe". Poor Quincy! Once Avery starts eating and dropping half of it on the floor, we are sure they will become best of friends! Until then, he will keep stealing her socks, pacifiers and washcloths, out of love, of course.

Holiday Card

If I had found the time to make a family holiday card to send out, it would have looked a lot like this. And it would have said something like "May your family experience all the joys of the holiday season". Maybe it would have been a little clearer somehow that she is holding a stocking and a dreidel. But this pretty much captures my vision. Maybe I shouldn't publish this, because next year I could actually make it happen.

Who do we look like?

Picture this: Avery snuggled under Daddy's jacket, walking the streets of Venice with Quincy our yellow lab pulling them along. As many of you know there are many "interesting" characters in Venice and now Jon who looks like Barney in his purple parka and Avery who looks like a fraggle in her adorable new hand-knit red hat (thanks Nerissa) add nicely to the local flavor. And they say Venice has freaks, surely they aren't talking about our family!!

5 months and sleeping

Cozy PJ's help in our recent pursuit of sleep. For Avery and for us. We started "sleep training" a few nights ago and Avery is being a good sport, following the books. She is so very close to sleeping through the night! She goes to sleep around 7 and wakes up around 6 or 7. She only cries a little in the middle of the night and it is less and less each night. And thank goodness, she is just as smiley as ever, apparently unscathed by this process.

Exersaucer Heaven

Thanks GG and Poppy for the coolest new toy in town. Avery can spend lots of time exploring each of the 50 toys attached to the exersaucer. She especially likes the cell phone, which scares us a lot. She also loves to bite the chair edge, we think she is very advanced :) It is so fun to watch her explore and learn and grow. It is hard to believe she is almost 5 months old.

Baby's First Hanukah

Avery enjoyed her first night of Hanukah.
GG called just as we were about to light the menorah and so she said the prayer and was able to share in Avery's first Hanukah celebration. Avery got a really cool new stroller. Mommy is working on learning the prayers and Daddy is working on refreshing his memory as Hebrew school was quite a while ago.

Cozy morning

Granted Los Angeles mornings are not as cold as elsewhere across the country but it still gets a little chilly in Avery's room. So to warm up those little hands (extra cold after being sucked on all night long) we welcomed her into bed to get all cozy under the (non-SIDS proof) down comforter. She remains smiley every morning and most of the day. Her eyes have gone from grey to brown and her smiles and giggles still warm our hearts.

Video: Rolling... I think I can, I think I can... I can!

The Birthday Smooch

Just Like Daddy Does....

11/16/07 - A Baby's Best Friend

11/16/07 - 4 Month Birthday

Video - The "Smiley" Theory

Video: Happy Holloween Costume Contest

No, we did not buy a sheriff costume for Avery. It was found in the bottom of the closet from Jon's old Halloween party days. Yes, mommy thinks the baby doll idea was better than the sheriff. No, we are not pro-gun. Yes, daddy thinks the sheriff costume was better than the baby doll. Yes, Avery would like to pick her own costume for next year.
Thanks Maya for the pretty baby doll dress. Thanks Daddy for hanging on to the sheriff costume all those years. It sure came in handy.

Really, do I have to go?

"Yes, Mommy, we have to go." On Avery's 3 month birthday, I woke her up at 5:45 AM to join me in the car for the commute to work and her first day of daycare. She did great, I didn't see her cry at all. It was my second day of work, so I did better only crying when I left her, instead of 3 times in the first hour like my first day of work. Also, her daycare is across the street from the hospital. So I get to go over at lunch time to feed her and see her sweet face. Jon surprised me and was at the daycare when I came over to feed her. He came and spent 2 hours with her on her first day of daycare. Thank goodness for Daddy! He also picked her up early on Friday, her 2nd day of daycare. Clearly we are having a bit of trouble adjusting to real life post-maternity leave.

Rolling, rolling, rolling

So even though my pediatrician said my head is so heavy and it's an accident when I roll from tummy time onto my back, everyone was really excited to see me roll right over. Whoo, what hard work! GG and Poppy were watching me on the video cam and daddy was there in person to watch my first roll. Mommy got to see me roll over the next day since she was catching up on zzzzzz's for my first time.

Hand me down

Thank goodness for hand me downs (thanks Leslie and London). Mommy loves this shirt, a la Dirty Dancing. Clearly Avery loves playing dress up with mommy. It's kind of like having a Cabbage Patch Kid, only they wouldn't cry when shirts were being pulled over their heads.

Total Heartbreaker

Thanks Brett, Angelike and Maddie for my cool shirt. I am 12 weeks old today and I have figured out that with these 2 looks I can pretty much get anything I want from my mom and dad.

Love those aunties

Avery with her Auntie B and Auntie K (sister of Karen). This picture concluded our trip to meet the triplets. Mommy was so sad to leave, not only because coming home meant a return to work was looming ahead, but also because life on the farm is extraordinary and any time with the 5 of them is wonderful. It is no fun being across the country from Avery's aunties and cousins. Maybe someday we'll do something about this!

Video: Which One Doesn't belong?

Avery hanging with her cousins

Avery kicked poor little Mazie in the head to get the photo below, but these demonstrate remarkably well how large 11 week old Avery is in comparison to her 2 1/2 week cousins, as always, Lucia, Elliott, Mazie (left to right). Notice how well behaved the triplets are whilst Avery throws herself around the crib having her own little party. Soon enough they'll all be in party mode at the same time.

Video: Triplet Home Tour

From zero to four in 7 weeks

Jon and Karen, Holly and Katie, Grandpa Ray and Nana Linda, Avery and Lucia & Elliott and Mazie. Four new grandkids/cousins to be loved.

Video: Triplet Time 10/1

Oh those precious babies!

On September 30th, Karen and Avery drove with Grandpa Ray and Nana Linda to meet Avery's 3 new cousins, Elizabeth "Lucia", "Elliott" Kimbrough and "Mazie" Bell. Born September 7 at 34 weeks, they were remarkably healthy (and I can say this since I take care of sick babies for a living) and all were home by 36 weeks. We got to meet them when they were 3-1/2 weeks old and Avery was 11 weeks. They are the sweetest little siblings that you ever did see, all sleeping together in a row, still 3 peas in a pod.

More Atlanta Pix

Above is Libby, Grancy, Karen and Avery (in her pretty purple dress). To left is great aunt Nancy and sleeping Avery. She has the magic touch thanks to lots of practice with her four grandsons, Drake, Drew, Drennon and Evan.

More Atlanta Pix

This pic is of great aunt Anita, Grancy, Karen and Avery. The lighting is only slightly affected by my 89 year old grandmother's first attempt at using a digital camera, I think she did great considering! Below is Karen's dear college friend, Karla, who now lives in Decatur with her husband Jim.

Meeting Great Grandma Libby

What a pleasure to have Avery meet her Great Grandma Libby. Libby is Karen's beloved grandmother Elizabeth who lives in Georgia. Karen and Avery flew for the first time together in order to meet Libby. Avery was 9.5 weeks when we flew. She was so good on the airplane. Despite some tears, she truly enjoyed her time with Libby. She also got to meet lots of other family, like great aunts and great uncles and cousins, plus some new friends. The other picture above is Grancy, Libby, Mommy and Avery at the County Fair!

Two months old!

I decided to celebrate my 2 month birthday in my denim dress from Auntie Daynie and getting to know my brother/doggie a little bit better. We have limited interactions aside from Quincy wagging his tail at me and stealing my washcloths and toys. I look at him but I seem to stare straight through him. But in no time now I will be grabbing his tail and smiling in recognition.

Old friends, new babies

We never would have thought way back in junior high that we would be introducing our babies and hanging out in Santa Barbara for the day. Jenny and Kira (1-1/2 weeks) and Karen and Avery (8 weeks). We are so happy that Jenny, Tyler, Kylie and Kira are now living only a couple of hours away after living too far away for too long!

somebody learns to smile

Avery loves her daddy

Auntie Daynie meets Avery on 8/17/07 & GG meets her on 8/18/07

Video of a momentous meeting...

Bunny Bath

Bathtime ends peacefully within the bunny towel.

Sooo boring

It is so tiring posing for her birth announcement picture 8/10.

Mommy and Avery back in MDR for sunset 8/5/07. Avery spent her first few weeks of life in the summer ridiculously overdressed for fear she might get cold. She never did. And she eventually gained weight and mommy was able to stop with the super hat, blanket, etc.

Grandpa Ray and Avery

Avery hangs with her Grandpa Ray August 7th. She is 3 weeks old and happy to know him.

Video: Grandpa Ray & Nana Linda meet Avery on 8/4/07 and it is love at first sight

My 2 favorite birthday presents

Avery, daddy and Quincy at the beach, Marina del Rey, enjoying the pending sunset on 7/27/07. Quincy's favorite place in the world, although he'd rather be swimming than posing for a picture on a bench.

Video: Grancy Meets Avery on 7/21/07 and it is true love

This tastes really good!

Only 48hrs old and sucking her thumb, we thought she would take after her thumb sucking parents, but alas, this was also the last time she found her thumb. But it sure tasted good that day, just before leaving the hospital for home.

July 18, 2007 - A very good day to leave the hopsital...