Do I look sick to you?

Happy Baby!

Does this look like the face of boy who is sick? I took him in to the doctor yesterday, thinking that I was just going to be told it was a cold, but it is a little more then a cold. He is “fine”, but he does have some swelling back in his lungs and a touch of bronchitis. He is being treated with an antibiotic, Prednisone (for the swelling) and he has nebulizer treatments every 4-6 hours. The nebulizer for those not familiar is just a machine that is turns his liquid steroid into a mist that he breaths in, we only have to do this when he sounds wheezy which is right now. His doctor tells me that his breathing issues just could be how he deals with a virus at this age and he could grow out of it. So yes he is sick, but you really cant tell by looking at him, he is still as happy and smiley as ever. With his medications in tow we are going to set out for a big adventure to visit/meet his cousins up north, with doctor’s approval of course.  

Little Piggys

Avery has discovered his feet, sure he knew how to kick them before but now he sees them and can touch them and hold on to them, it’s a very fun game. 

This little piggy......

Another fun foot game Avery plays is stick my feet out between the crib bars, some thing I guess my brother did when he was a baby.

Escaping piggys

Avery’s crib wasn’t new, we got it used, it is actual wood, and I love it, and yes it has a drop side, and yes I know that is a big no no now but his is in really great condition and if I am every concerned about the side falling down we will just modify it so it can drop anymore, it’s that simple. Once it was a great feature to have a crib with a drop side or two, and even thought the bars were far  apart a baby couldn’t get their head between the bars because the bumpers were in the way, and babies slept on their tummies. Now when it comes to crib bars the standard is that you should not be able to pass a pop can between them, and bumpers are bad and babies sleep on their backs. Avery won’t be able to get his head between the bars because they are too close but that doesn’t keep him from sticking his little piggys out the same way his uncle did. Products designed for babies sure have changed since I was a baby, I wonder how things will change in the next 30 odd years.

151 Days Later

151 days or 4 months, 3 weeks and 1 day after Avery was born his room is done. I had good intensions of having everything it’s place before he was born, but that didn’t happen. 

The way Avery's room looked
days before he was born

Another look before Avery was born

Sure he was a week early, but seeing how long it actually took to get done that one week really mattered. Before he was born I painted and we did have the crib and changing table assembled, rug on the floor and chair in the room so it was totally functional, it just wasn’t done, we still had art to had a dresser to finish, shelves to be put in, but the room was functional and really that is all that matters. 

Fully functional....(the day Avery came home)

But this weekend Jon helped me put the finishing touches on Avery’s little room. I love it, it’s perfect.

151 Days later,  it's done!

Letters on the wall, and dresser painted 

Art on the walls

functional and complete!

Memorial Day Weekend

Friday
We started our long weekend off getting together with some friends, some having never met Avery so it was fun to show him off to more of our friends. He got passed around to a few people before he got to his daddy, who has been working a lot this week and hasn’t had much of a chance to see him (with his eyes  open anyway) but time with Daddy was short because he is good to share and let someone else hold him. When Avery had just about enough excitement for the night and was back with Daddy, he gave the group the signal he was ready to go home with one big yawn, and it seemed all at once everyone in the group was aww-ing about how cute he was, but I must admit baby yawns are pretty darn cute.

A tired out after meeting new friends

Saturday
We all slept in, and we took advantage of the knowledge we had an extra day to our weekend by just relaxing and spending some time doing nothing.  It was great, a well needed rest for everyone. Next we packed up and headed out to have a “trash can turkey” with some friends. The sun wasn’t out but it wasn’t raining either so we got to be outside and enjoy the fresh air. The food and time with friends was great.

Hanging out 

I almost fit in this chair

I prefer my chair

Party is over for this little guy

Sunday
We were invited to lunch with grandma and grandpa. Both sets of grandparents have something we don’t have at home, a toy that Avery can jump and bounce in, the Exer-Saucer that we have at home has springs and he can bounce in that but it is not like a real bouncer/jumping toy. My parents have been storing one for us until we move some other things around to make room, for such a small guy he sure has a lot of big things.

I love my new toy...jump jump jump

I jumped until I could jump no more

***New Trick Alert***
After leaving Avery to nap and play and grandma & grandpa’s while Jon and I went to the grocery store, I came back to pick him up and we decided to play a little more, and since we had not had much tummy time because of all the bouncing we had done earlier tummy time was needed. So while playing on his tummy he looked up and over he went, he rolled from his tummy back to his back, three times. Way to go Avery! 

Rolling over is hard work I need a nap

Monday
Last year Jon and I went to watch a friend’s dad as part of color guard ceremony in St. Clair so that was our  play again this year on Avery’s first Memorial Day. Dressed in an Army fatigue inspired outfit we headed out. Avery decided to use the car ride to the cemetery to take a little cat nap.

Car ride cat nap

It was a nice day, windy and starting to get muggy but it was early enough that it wasn’t unbearably hot, the wind moved the leaves in the trees and Avery seemed to notice that more then the seven guns shooting three times. He didn’t even flinch. After the cemetery the ceremony is repeated at bridge in town and that time the shots sounded louder and this time Avery jumped a little at the first shots but he did cry and didn’t seem to be bothered by it at all.

Not sure what to think

Daddy had to go work for a little while so Avery and I used our time to play, he figured out that if pushed on the buttons on his Exer-Saucer that made noise, it was great, he would look at the buttons and push them, you could really tell he knew that he was doing.

I push the button and it makes noises, I get it!

The rest of the day we just spent relaxing and playing as a family, weekends take a lot out a boy and he just needed relax with mommy and daddy, so we ordered pizza and played with toys that didn’t light up, or make noise, and he was happy, and then was hungry and then he was sleeping.  It was another weekend of firsts, and another great weekend.

Another full day

New Toys

Checking out his new play center

As Avery gets stronger and stronger he is able to play in toys that he sits upright in. He still needs to work on his arm, neck and back strength and being on his tummy is how that will happen so I try to give him every opportunity to play on his tummy but it hard to resist letting him play in those big fun toys, he has so much fun with them.  

So much to play with!

Favorite Things

I don’t know if Avery has any favorite toys yet, he plays with some more only because I give them to him more.  
I think if he had a favorite things list his jungle gym would be on it, and his little blue tag blanket, 

Favorite thing: Jungle Gym

Favorite thing: Blue Tag Blanket

funny face stuffed hanging toy, various books (fabric and paper), 

Favorite thing: Funny Face Toy

his crib side Rainforest peek-a-boo soother, and his mobile, and now Bun Bun a little white stuffed bunny that was mine. 

Favorite thing: Crib Side Soother

Favorite thing: Bun Bun

It’s so fun to watch him play with his toys, it seems like everyday he is adding a new thing to his favorite things list, cause when your a baby and all the world is new you love everything you can get your hands on....Oh yeah I forgot his two favorite things....mommy and daddy!

My Baby the Pin Cushion, Part 2

Yesterday was the second half of Avery’s 4 month well baby visit... Time for his shots 

Waiting in the Doc office,
not knowing what was coming

Like the last time he had to drink one "shot" and 2 others went into in little legs,  he let out a cry with each poke of the needle, but one cry and he was done, no tears, he took the shots like a champ. 

Post Shots

Not having had an afternoon nap and now having had his shots I thought for sure it would be nap time, but he wasn’t ready for that yet, but 45 minutes later it was. 

Avery taking a cat nap

After his cat nap he was ready to play until  bed time, sleeping soundly from 10:30 pm to 6:00 am Avery had a great night,. He still had some swelling in his leg from one of his shots but other then that, with Band-Aids removed he was ready for another day full of new adventures.

Want to see how much Avery has grown...check out the March Post "My Baby the Pin Cushion" 

All Smiles

All Smiles!

At least for the moment.... Today is round 2 for Avery and his shots.

It wasn’t the end of the world...just another weekend

This weekend Jon, Avery and I had the opportunity to go to another of our friends wedding. Saturday the day began with rain but cleared in time for the wedding, so dressed in shorts Avery went to his 2nd wedding. 

Party Time

The first wedding he attended was a month or so ago and he cried (very unlike him), but this time the results were different, he slept thru the ceremony, but Grandma G was ready and waiting (she was the church’s wedding planner) just  incase Avery just wasn’t a wedding fan. 


After the ceremony Jon and I decided that Avery would most likely have a better time playing at my parents house rather then at the reception (and so would we), so I dropped Avery off to play.  

Play Time

Jon and I helped celebrate with our friends and Avery played, it was a great night. After the reception we got Avery and headed home for bed. It really was a great weekend. 

Bed Time

Every weekend is so great, we get to see how much he has learned during the week, cannot wait until the next one and it will be a long one too.

Take me out to the ball game

Sleepy Avery with Daddy

     As the days and nights get nicer we get more and more opportunities to spend time outside. Last night Avery and I took advantage of the nice night and we set out to go to Jon’s softball game, Avery’s first softball game....we were late, Avery wanted to eat before we went, so we only saw 2 innings but that was enough for the first night, it was warm but windy. A little fresh air and our baby was all tuckered out so after the game it was bed time, and Avery didn’t mind because he was out cold before we got home.

4 Month Well Baby

Yesterday Avery had his 4 Month Well-Baby Visit. He weighs in at 14lbs 13oz and is 26in long, he is in the middle of the pack percentage wise, healthy and happy. He was suppose to have his shots yesterday but we decided not to because he is still getting over what remains of his cold and his Doc thought he could use one more week before we introduced foreign things into his body, so next week we’ll go back and have round two of my baby being a pin cushion.

Waiting for the Doc

Playing with my toys

Look what I have, :)

Avery the Artist

Heading off for another fun day at Daycare

 One thing that I really like about daycare is that they do fun projects, fun art projects. And if you know me, you know that I like art  projects, especially art projects that my baby made. In the past month Avery has painted two beautiful projects, one was my mother’s day flower and the other is a toad or frog with google eyes that was hanging up on an “Infants are Toad-aly Awesome!” bulletin board. 

Avery's Art

Eat, Play, Nap!

All tired out after a hard day of play

We had another busy weekend, Friday night, we had dinner with friends, Saturday morning, I did the Golden Heart 5K, Jon went fishing and Avery went to play at my parents. After an afternoon of playing we got ready to go to a college grad party, dressed and ready we went out to help a friend celebrate, then we came home and crashed. 
Sunday morning we got up early and had breakfast and played, played so hard and for so long that Avery fell asleep under his jungle gym, the rest of the day went the same way, eat, play, nap...it was a great day, what a great weekend. Ready for the week ahead.

Faces Are Fun!

According to all the information out there, one of Avery’s favorite things is faces, faces on toys, faces on people, just faces in general. Usually he just looks but yesterday he decided looking at Daddy just wasn’t enough, it was time to reach out and see what he would find.

Playing with Daddy

Besides the fun of discovering Daddy’s face with his hands, he spent some time on tummy, something he doesn’t seem to mind so much anymore. He now props himself up on his arms to get a better view.

Checking Things Out

Kicking Up His Heels

Sunny Days

Mr. Cool with sunglasses on top of his head

     There has been some wild weather lately, we start out May with snow and then we have a day hotter and more humid then some summer days. Now we have had a stretch of rainy days but when the sunny days come  back Avery will be ready. We can’t use sunscreen until  Avery is 6 months but when the sun does finally come out to stay we will be ready, sun screens for the car windows, hats to shade him, shades that attach to the car seat, and sun glasses.

Daddy and Mr. Cool

Family Photo

Happy Mother's Day to Me!

First Mother's Day

My first Mother’s Day was great. Friday I got my first gift, Avery had been doing some painting at daycare, he painted two paper plates that combined with two hand prints for leaves turned into the perfect flower, with a picture of my baby in the middle, what is not to love. 

Mother's Day gift Avery made at daycare

Sunday Avery got me flowers and Jon made me breakfast.

Mother's Day Breakfast

After breakfast the three of us did a little art project for the my and grandma’s mother’s day presents. Getting the perfect little hands to print on clay was not the easiest task, but I figure no matter how they really turn out they would be cherished because they love him and he made them.

Mother's Day Gift for me and the Grandmas

Let the craft project gifts begin, I am so lucky to have a happy healthy baby to love.
Had a great first Mother’s Day, with many more to come.