CLICK HERE FOR FREE BLOGGER TEMPLATES, LINK BUTTONS AND MORE! »
/

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Christmas

Our Christmas was spent at home just Josh, Avery and I because we didn't want to get Avery out. It was great though. We were thankful to have her here with us. We just enjoyed being together and played with Avery's toys.
We sure wished we had Adison here too for her first Christmas. I had a tough time but I decided I could either be sad and cry all day or enjoy Avery's first Christmas. I chose to let myself be sad and cry only for a bit then sucked it up and enjoyed Avery. I still have her and I couldn't be more thankful. She put huge smiles on our faces, as always! She is an absolute joy and the happiest baby.
Of course we remembered the reason for the season and are thankful for the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. He's what got us through this year and who will continue to mend our hearts.

Here's the Princess in one of her two Christmas dresses :) We have some family pics too but I look like crap so those aren't getting posted! lol




Thursday, December 23, 2010

It's Beginning...

to look a lot like Christmas :)

Avery's first look at the Christmas tree. She was mesmerized!

One of Avery's baby's first Christmas ornaments
Adison's angel ornament

Avery's very first ornament on her very first Christmas tree!




Tuesday, December 21, 2010

6 Months


Yesterday our Princess turned 6 months old (2 months 3 weeks and 1 day adjusted). Time has just flown by! She's getting so big so quick. I'm glad she's growing and doing so well but time needs to slow down just a bit.
She hit a huge growth spurt. In a little over a week she went from being able to wear a few newborn outfits, pretty much skipped 0-3 months and now she's in 3 months! I can tell she's grown exponentially in length, which is exactly what she needed to do. She is a shorty like her Momma.
She laughs, smiles, and giggles more than any baby I've ever seen. She is always happy.
When she wakes up in her crib she "talks" and she'll yell to get our attention. She doesn't cry very much at all, only when she's hungry and I'm not getting it fast enough or if she has a dirty diaper or needs to burp. Other than that she never cries!
Everything she gets her hands on goes directly in her mouth. Her hands themselves are no exception. She sucks her thumb, fingers, and fist. She sometimes gags herself trying to put her fist in her mouth.
Not only does she like to try and eat her hands she loves to stare at them. Every time she sees them it's like she's discovering them for the first time. It's so cute.
Her favorite thing is to be read to and talked to all while being held of course. She loves to hear our voices and she loves the pictures in her books.
She also loves the Christmas tree. She will stare at it so long she falls asleep :)
Her reflux is being managed wonderfully with Zantac. We've had no problems since she started it. I'm very thankful for that.
She's around 11 1/2 #'s. She'll get weighed again in 2 weeks so I'm not 100% sure of her weight but she's somewhere around there. She's just growing and doing great!
I couldn't ask for a better baby. She's amazing in every way!







Sunday, December 19, 2010

Mirror

Magic mirror on the play mat who is the fairest one of all :) Avery Faith of course!!


Friday, December 17, 2010

Just What I Need


This face makes everything better. I wish my family that's grieving could come over and see this beautiful baby girl. She's been nothing but smiles lately. It's like she senses something's wrong and just wants to make it all better....she does!





This is her famous serious look. She's had this same pose several times :)


Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Heavy Heart

This post isn't entirely about Avery but I just need to release all these emotions and ask for prayers. I know all who read Avery's blog believe in the power of prayer and are faithful in praying for her.
This year has been by far the best and worst year of my life. From May until October was the most stressful, sad, happy, mad, grateful, I've ever been. It was always extreme highs and devastating lows. The lowest point was the death of Adison, the highest is the fact that Avery is asleep in her crib at HOME.
"They" (whoever "they" are) say it takes 3-5 years to get over the death of a child. I'll never get over losing Adison. Losing her took a part of me I'll never get back. There will always be this void that can never be filled. I'll never be the same person I was before all of this happened. Not that life doesn't go on or that I'm not happy, there will just always be something missing.
The loss of Adison is enough loss for a lifetime. It's unnatural to lose a child, your children are supposed to outlive you by decades. My heart is so heavy, at times I feel it might explode. Though I know we pretty much live to die she didn't have her chance to live a full and happy life. She was taken way too soon. On top of that the life she did live was pure hell. Always being poked and all the tests that had to be done. All the failed attempts at an IV because her veins were so tiny and she was so sick. She hated to be touched and messed with she would squirm and do her version of a cry. It was and still is heartbreaking. I believe the only joy she got was when her Mommy and Daddy held, kissed and snuggled her while she was dying. She was so peaceful, drugged of course but I know she could feel how much we love her and that we always will. I feel she held on long enough to know that Avery was going to be ok.
At that point Adison and Avery were at two different hospitals. The day Adison died Avery was the sickest she'd ever been that day and the next. I remember the nurse who had Avery the night Adison died told me she just kept praying and telling God "this baby has to make it". That's how sick Avery was.
All the prayers, wonderful doctors, and amazing nurses are the reason Avery is still here and doing so well. She's my miracle and a true testament to God's work. I would give anything to have Adison here with us. I know that one day Josh, Avery, Adison and I will all be together as a whole again.
Two months after the loss of Adison I lost my Granny. While nothing can top the loss of Adison the loss of my Granny was heartbreaking too. We were very close and she was an amazing and strong woman. She herself lost 3 children. All 3 losses were horrible deaths as well. I can't imagine losing 3, the loss of 1 almost did me in. If it weren't for Avery I would probably still be in bed with the blanket over my head. She didn't get to see either one of my girls here on earth, but I know she's holding my beautiful Adison Grace and looking down on Miss Avery Faith.
My Granny was loved by many and it was a great loss for our family, especially my Mom.
As I'm typing this I'm losing another wonderful person in my life. My Granddad aka Papaw will be with Jesus anytime. He's led a long and full life but it's never easy letting go. He's been declining in health since his lung cancer diagnosis 7 years ago. We could have lost him then, so I'm thankful for these last 7 years.
While I was pregnant he would always ask "how are my babies doing?" He was so excited about me having twins. Unfortunately he didn't get to meet Adison. I did take Avery to see him while he was in Vanderbilt. When we walked in I told him I brought a very special visitor. I had her covered with a blanket, when I pulled the blanket down and showed Avery to him he lit up. It was so sweet and I'll never forget the look on his face, He said "oh there's my baby!" It was priceless and I'm so glad I took her to see him.
There's several little one's in our family and they all adore him. The adoration goes both ways. When he found out he was dying he said he was at peace with dying, but the one thing he's upset about is not seeing all his babies grow up. I believe he'll see everyone of them grow up, just from a different angle.
I can't be with my family because a few of them are sick and I can't risk getting sick or giving something to Avery. While I know they understand it's still hard not being able to be there for everyone especially my Dad. My prayer is that my Papaw goes peacefully and that my Granny, Dad, Aunt, Uncle, Sister, all our family and myself find some peace and comfort in knowing he's in the most glorious place.
I'll have lost 3 of the greatest people in my life this year. I'm heartbroken over all 3. I've never healed from the first and hardest loss, yet I keep losing people I love. When I walked in my Granny's funeral I had to walk out because it was the same funeral home Adison was at. It was like pouring salt on a wound. That's how I feel now, like salt keeps getting poured on my wounded heart. I know God has a plan and purpose but I just don't know or understand it.
I ask for prayers for my family and for myself. Please pray that God continues to wrap his arms around us and comforts us. Please pray that I can make it through another funeral. Also while you're at it say a pray for Avery. She's doing just fine but just pray that she continues to do well, thrive, and grow. I don't just want her to be ok, I need her to be ok. She's my everything and I couldn't be more proud or thankful for her.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

First Snow


Today Avery saw her first snow. She was only outside for maybe 3 minutes but we were able to snap a few pics in those few minutes. We took more time getting her and us ready than we spent outside! She didn't really have an opinion she looked at it and didn't seemed to be too impressed. Our pics aren't that great but at least we'll know that was her first snow!

All ready to go...
Avery and Mommy (in her pj's)
Our one and only attempt of a family pic... FAIL!!
Avery looking at her Daddy
Inside all warm and cozy

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Rattles

I've been playing with Avery with her rattles for some time now but she's never shown a lot of interest in them. Before when we would play with it she would look at it and smile or giggle but never grab at it. This week however has been a different story. She loves to play with it herself. She just grabbed it one day and that was all it took, now she's hooked. She goes crazy with it. She shakes it so hard I'm afraid she's going to give herself a black eye! lol She flings it across the room, but her favorite thing to do with it is to try and eat it! The one in the pics is her favorite. I think because the handle is thin and and she can hold on to it easily.





Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Meditation

oohhmmmm...

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Cutie Patootie

The cutest baby in the whole wide world!!!



She loves her play mat...



Praising Jesus while she sleeps :)






Sunday, December 5, 2010

Reflux Sux


Avery has recently been having reflux issues. Last weekend she started projectile vomiting and spitting up all the time. I was so worried she was going to dehydrate because I felt like she wasn't keeping anything down. When she was eating she wasn't taking very much so that concerned me even more. While eating she seemed miserable and I had to force feed her. She would grunt, cry and arch her back. I did my research and she is a classic reflux case.
Everything I read said to let them sleep elevated. I started letting her sleep in her boppy which is a big no no. The tag says not to let a baby sleep in it but you gotta do what you gotta do. I do put a blanket over it very tightly so she won't sink through the middle, and wrap her up with another blanket so she won't slip out through the bottom like she did in this pic...

Elevating her helped but she was still projectile vomiting and spitting up. I called her Dr. and told her what all she was doing and she agreed she has reflux. She's now on Zantac and so far it seems to be working. She's not vomiting as much, she hasn't at all today so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. It takes up to 2 weeks for it to work completely so hopefully that's all she'll need.
Also she no longer sleeps in her bassinet because she likes to smoosh her nose against the sides. That freaks her Momma out so no more bassinet for this girl. She has a crib in her room but she's not about to sleep away from me yet. We bought her a mini crib that we are going to put in our room starting tonight. The crib has been in the living room unused.
She's been sleeping in her boppy on the couch and I've been sleeping underneath her (if that makes sense?). Tonight for the first time we'll all three sleep in our bedroom, and I can't wait. I miss my bed. I hope she does well in her new bed. We shall see...