Hello Blog...Nice To See You Again

 Hello Blogger Friends! I've been on a blogging hiatus....obviously! Not purposely but life tends to get in the way. In the most wonderful way of course.
Blogging has been the last thing on my mind lately. Well more like over the past moth and a half, but who's counting? Right? I hate that because I really enjoy it and I like having a place to keep all my Avery stories. I write everything down but it's just the facts. Avery said Mama the first time on this day, or Avery took her first step on this day. Very basic stuff with no pics or a story. I in no way think I'm a good writer, but I know one day I'll appreciate this and I hope Avery will too.
I plan to do better, but we'll see. Avery is such a busy body now, she's into everything. She would rather grab the computer cord and shake it than play with a toy. She loves to take off like a rocket into the kitchen to see how far she can get before I catch up to her, and she loves to get any tiny spec of anything off the floor and eat it. While eating the things she's supposed to eat she wants to do it. When I try to spoon feed her she slaps it and makes a mess all over both of us or she shakes her head no. She then gets whatever was on the spoon on her fingers and licks it off. We both could use a bath at every meal and that's 3 times a day not including snacks if they're messy ones. I always thought people who say they lost their baby weight by chasing after that baby were crazy but I believe them 100%. She is a ball full of energy and she's completely happy. I love every minute of it and seeing her smile or hearing her laugh is the greatest thing, even if we are both covered in peas.
She takes 2 naps/day. The morning nap is usually a 30 minute power nap. During that nap I have a decision to make do I want to shower, eat, clean, or blog. The first two choices win out every time! Yet another reason for my blog hiatus. Her afternoon nap is usually longer so I'm able to get some things done that are impossible to do while she's awake. When she wakes up from both naps her battery is fully charged and she's ready for some serious playtime. I love to play with her. She gives everything kisses while we're playing. She gives Violet her (stuffed) dog kisses, her babies get kisses but Mommy and Daddy get the most. My favorite kisses are when she just leans over without me asking and gives me tons of kisses, just one right after the other. It warms my heart and I truly feel my heart could explode from all the love I have for and from this child. There's nothing in this world better than being a Mommy.
I have tons to update this blog about. Avery is just growing and reaching all her milestones so far and doing so many cute things. I need to get to posting because she's not slowing down one bit!

Look at those baby blues :)

Enjoying a good read on our way home from Nashville

Reading makes her sleepy

Pure Joy

Sneaking over the the computer cord

What Mom? I'm not doing anything!

Favorite Pastime

 Here lately there's nothing Avery enjoys more than strolling her toys. She's not satisfied until every single toy is out of the bins. Once she's emptied a bin and has played with everything or at least licked, chewed, or threw it, she goes on to the next bin and does the exact same thing. After a while I put all the toys back in then she starts all over. It's a game to her and it keeps her occupied for long periods of time. It frees Mommy up to do things such as this blog post or eat breakfast :)

Sweet Summertime

 We are really enjoying our Summer. It was much anticipated so that we could finally get out of the house and not really have to worry about catching some sort of sickness. We've also had tons of fun just being home. We just recently got our new house all together and we're so glad to have more room and a huge yard.
Avery has just took off in her development to this Summer. She crawls everywhere, pulls up, while she's standing she'll let go of what she's holding onto for seconds at a time. She walks behind her walker, and she says so much. She says Mama, Dada and Daddy, hi, baby, bye, bubba (even though she doesn't have one! lol) I believe she's trying to say Nanann which is what my sister is called. She says Nan or nanana so my sister and I like to thing she's trying to say Nanann. She waves and shakes her head no. She's eating bits of food now instead of all pureed food. I could go on and on. She's getting so big and doing so wonderful. I'm such a proud Mama :)

She's having her first "popsicle"

I pureed mango and a bit of prune juice to make her popsicles

She ate every bit of it

Having some summer squash and zucchini from my Mom's garden

I had some too, it was delicious!

playing in her baby pool :)

1st Birthday

Long time no post. I'm back and have lots of things to post. I've actually started to write posts and got too emotional so I would just quit typing. This past month has been such an emotional roller coaster and so stressful. We moved, Josh had to have an MRI of his brain (normal results thank God), had Avery's birthday party, and the 1 year anniversary of losing Adison. I've just been a ball of emotions. All I know is that God won't give me more than I can handle, but I sure wish he didn't trust me so much.

While Avery's birthday was so exciting and lots of fun it was missing one beautiful little girl who also shares this special birthday. Adison is missed everyday but I couldn't get past the fact that she wasn't here to celebrate as well. I took it lots harder than I expected to. I still managed to enjoy Avery's birthday and her birthday party, I'm so glad about that. Anyway...moving on to happier things.

Avery's party was fun and she got to meet lots of people for the first time. She really didn't want anyone holding her and if she let them it was short lived. Everyone understood and was really good with her. She did really well and we didn't have a single meltdown so I would say it was an excellent 1st birthday party. So thankful to be able to celebrate this wonderful miracle God gave me. 

When her party was over and it was just Josh, Mom, Meg, Ethan, Avery and I we did a balloon release for Adison. Avery even helped :) It was so special and oddly therapeutic, it was just what I needed. This will be something we do every year for our Angel in Heaven.

This is Avery's 2nd outfit and she kept pulling the bow off! lol

smash cake

her cake/gift table and a poster I made with a picture at birth and every month

her 1st outfit (this pic refuses to be moved to the top not sure why)