Wahooooo

"What did you say?  That a ton of our family and friends are coming into town in 2 days for Eric and Jenny's wedding????  Are you serious???  I am so excited!!!!

............now what am I going to wear?"

You can take the girl out of Texas...............

.............But you can't take the Texas out of the girl!

Avery found one of her birthday presents (to be fair I didn't really hide them very well- i need to get used to how fast and sneaky she is!) yesterday and we just HAD to try them on. Her first pair of cowboy boots!!!! And of course they are pink!

I found these adorable pink cowboy boots at this fabulous baby consignment boutique and knew that I had to get them! They are a little bit big but I know she is going to love wearing these and playing dress up in them for years to come!

A Look Back: Avery's Birth Story

Like before, this post is mainly for my records and Avery's baby book so feel free to skip ahead if you don't feel like reading all this mush!

Sidenote: If you are wondering why I am typing all this stuff its because you can actually turn your blog postings into a book, so I want to eventually turn this into a book that I can give to Avery one day.  It will be the bestest baby book ever! :-)

Since Avery was a breech baby we had a scheduled c-section for 9Am on March 21, 2008.  My Mom and Steve came in the day before so that they could be here for the birth.  The night before we all went out to eat at Rosa Mexicana as kind of a "Last Supper."  I remember sitting there that night, thinking how things were about to change more than I could even comprehend.  I was such a mix of emotions that night- elated, scared, worried, disbelief- that I barely slept.  It was like those nights when you aren't sure you really even fell asleep at all.  

Our alarm woke us up at 5:00AM (we had to check-in at the hospital at 6AM)  and I remember trying to hard to keep myself together and not get emotional as I was getting ready.  

These were taken the morning of March 21st, right as we were about to leave for the hospital

We got to the hospital and checked in on time.  They immediately brought me into the Operating Room holding area to prep me.  I got into the beautiful hospital gown and they hooked me up to a billion machines.  

They did another ultrasound on Avery to make sure that she was still breech- which she was (I have absolutely no idea where she gets her stubborness from......).  I was so nervous that I kept having to go to the bathroom- seriously I probably went like 5 times and the poor nurse kept having to unhook me and help me to the bathroom everytime!  Matt also got all suited up in his OR outfit.  I was so amazed by him because he wasn't nervous AT ALL to be in the OR and see his wife get cut open.  Or if he was he never let on to me!

Right at 9AM we were wheeled into the OR.  Matt had to wait outside until after they had started my epidural.  That was probably the worst part for me.  That was when I got really scared.  I was wheeled into the OR (and I have been in lots of ORs before) and it just seemed SO scary.  So sterile, with all the scary equipment, and all the nurses in hats and masks.  And the fact that Matt wasn't able to be with me made it all even worse.  Luckily I had an amazing Nurse Anesthetist, who has an even more amazing assistant, and the epidural was relatively pain free.  Once I laid down on the table after the epidural Dr.Smith and the rest of the nurses all came it.  I was really nervous at this point and thankfully they let Matt in to be with me, which made me a little better. I should add here that this was also the time that our camera ran out of batteries. Matt got one picture right after they made the first incision (which is totally gory and yucky) and then the camera completely died.  Luckily there was some angel of a nurse, who I will never know her name to thank her, that ran and got her camera so that we could have those "first baby" pictures.  Thank you Nurse Angel!

The entire process of a c-section is so weird because you can feel them yanking and pulling on you but you have no idea what is going on.  Matt watched the entire thing and wasn't phased at all by the blood.  I started crying at this point.  Just silent tears because I was just so anxious with anticipation to hear my little girl take her first breath.    

At exactly 9:22AM on March 21st, 2008 Avery Kathryn Winston entered this world. 

They held her up for me to see and then took her to be weighed and measured while they sewed me up.  She weighed 7lb 12 oz and was 19 inches long.  Matt went to go see the baby and I just tried to wait patiently until I got to see her close up.  They brought her to me and held her by my face but I couldn't hold her because my arms were still strapped down.  That was a horrible feeling because all I wanted to do was squeeze her and kiss her all over.  

About 2 seconds (or at least it felt like 2 seconds) later, Matt and Avery left to go to the nursery.  I mean, seriously- I know GOD made it this way because men are too weak to endure childbirth but it does seem ridiculous that women endure 9 months of pregnancy and  excrutiating labor/c-section but yet the DADS get to go be with the baby initially after birth.  Ok back to my story.....:-)

I went to recovery and tried to wait patiently until they brought Avery down to me.  This took about 30 minutes to an hour.  My mom came and showed me pictures she had taken and told me all about Avery's dimple on her right cheek that perfectly matches her Nana!  Finally Matt, Avery, and the security guard that had to accompany Avery showed up.  It was complete love at first sight.  It was just Matt, Avery, and I all alone in the recovery room and it felt like we were the only people in the world at that moment.  She was so beautiful and I could not believe that she was finally here.  I held her in my arms for the first time and just couldn't stop looking at her.  She was so precious.  She didn't cry very much and caught on to breastfeeding pretty fast. 

We ended up waiting in recovery for 8 hours- yes EIGHT hours!- until we finally got to go to our room.  I guess the hospital was crowded so that is what took so long.  The first night went really good- i couldn't do too much because of the c-section so Matt stepped up and did all the diaper changes.  Avery was such a good baby from the beginning and slept and ate well.  They let us go after 48 hours and we took Avery home on Easter Day- talk about blessings!  

11 Month Birthday

Happy 11 Month Birthday Sweet Baby Girl!!!!

You are a true blessing to us and we love you more than words could ever explain!

A Look Back:My Pregnancy with Avery

Since I started this blog when Avery was already a few months old I wanted to document some of the earlier times so that I would not forget.  So this post is basically for me so I can put it in Avery's baby book one day so you guys can just fast forward through this post if you want- I wouldn't blame you!

We found out we were pregnant sometime in late July.  We can't pinpoint an actual date but I am pretty sure Avery was conceived sometime between July 4-10, which was exactly one week after our honeymoon!  We were completely surprised and thrilled at the same time!!!

I had been feeling really weird and had been craving cherries for like 4 days straight, which was really odd for me.  When I realized I was two days late I knew immediately that something was going on because I am never ever late.  Matt and I were at Target and I convinced him that we should buy a test, although he thought it was "too early" and we should wait a little longer.  But I had such a weird feeling so we ended up getting the tests and we went home immediately and took the test.  We counted down the minutes until the test was done and Matt got to the test first and just turned around, looked at me and said "It's positive."  I have never ever seen him smile so big in his life.  He started jumping around and laughing and I just sat down on the bathroom counter.   I was in complete shock.  It just didn't feel real to me.  I could not believe it.  I think I was scared to believe it.  It took all of 2 minutes before the shocked passed and Matt ran up to me and gave me a huge hug.  Of course I immediately began crying tears of joy.  It was such an amazing, private moment for us and I hope I never forget that look on Matt's face when he realized we were pregnant.  All our dreams came true at that moment.

We were only 6 weeks along when we found out so we wanted to wait a little longer to tell our families.........that only lasted about a week and a half!  We were just too excited and told our families when we were about 8 weeks along.  Everyone was so surprised and totally thrilled.  I think the most excited person was my sister Jessica because she was 5 months pregnant at that time.  She just started bawling.  It was such an amazing moment and so wonderful to be able to be pregnant the same time as my sister.  

My first trimester was pretty easy.  I did feel slightly nauseated but never actually got sick, thankfully.  I had an aversion to meat though and was worried about not getting enough protein so I ate lots and lots of protein bars throughout my entire pregnancy.  I never really had any cravings, except for maybe smoothies, but nothing really else.   I really didn't start to show too much until almost 20 weeks and then I just popped right out. I am not sure exactly how much weight I ended up gaining, I stopped looking at the scale after 30 lbs!  

I wasn't too sure I wanted to find out the gender of the baby but Matt was 100% positive he wanted to know.  I thought that it was a boy.  I have no idea why I thought that but I was totally convinced, but Matt knew all along it was a girl.  At 20 weeks we found out the gender and that day Avery Kathryn got her name.  Avery has always been a favorite name of mine and I always knew I wanted my daughter to have that name.  And Kathryn is a family name that belongs to my grandmother and is also my first name (Nicole is my middle name).  That day also began my obsession with anything and everything PINK!!!!  :-)

The rest of the pregnancy went really well.  I got to have some extra sonograms because initially I had a low placenta (which resolved on its own) and then I was watched for low amniotic fluid at the end.  Thank God I had to have the extra sonograms because the doctors we able to track that Avery was breech.  I could have told them that because her big head was waaaayyyy up in my ribcage all throughout the last 2 months!

At our 36 week appointment when they realized Avery was still breech, they let us go ahead and pick the date for our scheduled c-section.  It's so weird to be able to pick you child's birthday!  We almost chose March 20th, which is my friend Leslie's birthday, but instead picked March 21st, which was Good Friday.  I mean could there have been a better day??!!!

Overall I was really lucky and had a relatively easy pregnancy.  The 39 weeks that I was pregnant seemed to drag on at the beginning, and then speed up until I got to about 34 weeks, when it slowed down to a snail's pace.  I was really impatient at the end because I just couldn't wait to meet our little miracle!  She was most definitely worth the wait! 

Here are my bump pictures- its so weird to look back on these now.  Makes me miss it a little bit............only a little bit though! ha!

Whiny Baby Blues

Avery started running a fever on Sunday and was initially her normal happy-girl self, but then it happened.  She turned into a crazy, whiny, crabby baby on Tuesday and has not looked back since.  She finally broke her fever on Wednesday night, but now the poor girl has this terrible rash all over her body.  The MD says that totally common after a fever and it the viruses way of getting out of her system- but ouch!  She seems so miserable and is super clingy.  She wants me to hold her all day long but then once I hold her she starts crying again- like she can't get comfortable.  I feel so bad for her but its so frustrating as a Mommy because there is literally nothing I can do that will make her feel better.  I think we are nearly at the end of this whole thing, hopefully only another day or two.............hopefully.

The Little Red Balloon

Avery and I had to go to the hospital yesterday to get a hip x-ray.  Since she was a breech baby they have to do a routine x-ray every so often to make sure there are no abnormalities in her hip development.  Its pretty standard and the MD said she doesn't expect any negative results but this way we are 100% sure.  Still there is nothing worse than seeing your child with a hospital bracelet on..........no matter what it is for.
But after the x-rays (which Avery thought were hilarious, by the way!) the sweet radiology techs gave Avery this adorable Valentine's Day balloon.  Well you would have thought Avery won the lottery.  It was like the best gift she had ever gotten.  She carried it with her all day long and carried it behind her whenever she was crawling or walking.  It was never far from her sight...........

"I can walk and pull my balloon at the same time!"

Showing off her new toy

Giving her balloon kisses

Still playing with her balloon after nap time

And she even learned the word "balloon" and when I would say "where is your balloon?" she would look up at the balloon, point to it and go "EEEEEEEE" Its hilarious!  You can sort of see her pointing to it on the video below, as well as see how good her walking is getting!  My big girl keeps getting bigger every day!!!!

And in case you were wondering, YES the little red balloon is still with us and Avery is just as amazed by it today as she was yesterday............she is going to be VERY sad when it deflates!

Best Valentines Day Ever

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!!!!

We had the best Valentines Day today!  We took Avery to the beach today and it was the first time we let her play in the sand and dip her toes in the ocean.  It was so much fun and she loved every second of it.  She liked digging in the sand (and she didn't even try eat any!), and wasn't scared of the ocean at all!  The water was a teensy bit chilly so we didn't go in much further but you could tell she is going to be a water baby, just like her momma!  It was a beautiful, warm day and it was so wonderful to get to spend it together as a family!  Hope everyone had a great day!

H20 Review-Day 1

I got the H20 Mop today and so far I am happy with my purchase.  Its super easy to use and doesn't use any harsh chemicals so there is nothing extra to buy so it was ready to go as soon as I opened the box.  Does it work like it does on the informercial?  No, of course it doesn't but does it work better than the Swiffer or mop/bucket combo?  YES!!!  And its so much easier!  And I feel like my floors are clean(er) and more sanitary.  I havent tried it on carpet yet but so far I am happy!  If you are interested in it- please keep in mind that I really didn't expect miracles out of this thing- I just wanted to to wipe up the dirt and paw prints easier than the Swiffer......and it does so that makes me happy!  I'll let you know if I change my mind about it.....hopefully I won't!

Totally Random Tuesday

I was looking through all 6,000 pictures in my IPhoto, looking for a specific picture, when I realized I have some really great old pictures that deserve posting on my blog.  Enjoy!

My sister Allison and Macy having a moment

There are no words...........Matt and his brother Drew

Me and my sisters- such a cute picture!

I think this picture was taken in 2002 0r 2003 at our senior year at Texas A&M at one of my sorority date parties- don't we look like babies!

OK your turn- take a look through your pictures and post some of those old random, but still excellent pictures!

H20 Steam Mop

Have ya'll heard of this H2O mop? I treated myself to a pedicure today (first one in 11 months!) and the informercial for the H2O mop was on and I was totally amazed (I am such a sucker).

www.thane.com

Our house is complete tile and then wood in our bedrooms- I don't think they like carpet in South Florida, maybe because of the hurricanes....anyway with 2 dogs, tons of rain, and clumsy me spilling stuff all the time our floor is disgusting and it seems like no matter how much I vacuum and Swiffer and/or mop its still really gross.  And it really makes me sick to think of Avery crawling on our disgusting floor.  

So I happened to come across an old giftcard to Bed, Bath & Beyond the other day and was surprised that they happen to carry the H2O mop so I thought I would give it a try.  I mean a giftcard is not "real money", right?????

I have high hopes for this thing, but anything has to be better than the frickin' Swiffer, which just spreads the dirt around everywhere.  Anywhooo, I think I will get it this week and will let you all know- but if you can't tell I am super excited- which is really sad.  Does that mean you are old if you get excited about a steam mop?  Don't answer that.

Gimme More

I had always intended to teach Avery sign language but was kind of slacking on it but after going to Dallas for Christmas and seeing how much sign language my niece Emersyn knew and how cool it was that she could convey her thoughts, I have been trying to teach it to Avery.  So far she is able to do "more" and "all done."  We are working on "juice" next.  But I think she is doing pretty good and actually picked up on it pretty fast.

Jessica (my sister)- what words should I do next?

As for an update on the walking front: we are getting very, very close ladies and gentlemen.  She is up to 5-8 steps at a time and she is getting so balanced.  She is able to maintain standing alone for over 3 minutes.......so lots and lots of walking is sure to follow!

Snap Happy

Oh, yeah I got my charger! Yippeeeee!  So here are some much overdue pictures and get ready for lots of posts this week because Avery wants to show you all her new tricks!

my lil' diva

just beautiful

she LOVES bubbles!

"wooohoooooo!"

my silly girl!

I am so lost (without my camera charger, that is)

My camera charger is officially lost.  I have scoured our house and torn it apart and still can't find it.  Go figure that this is the week that Avery really starts walking by herself, starts repeating more words, is doing the signs for "more" and "all done" and I of course don't have my camera.  I am sure Avery is glad that the "paparazzi" is gone for a while but its killing me not to be able to catch these moments on camera/video.  So I ordered another and it was shipped from New York yesterday so now the waiting game begins, and you know I am going to find my old charger the minute my new $50 charger arrives.  Ah, such is life!

So get ready for video/picture overload in approximately 5-7 business days!!!!!!!

Great Day Houston

I had to post this video of my adorable brother-in-law on Great Day Houston.  He looks so cute and clean shaven!  Love you Eric!!!

www.khou.com/greatday/video/?nvid=327070

Busy Beaver Baby

Please forgive the terrible video quality because I STILL cannot find my camera changer (I had to order another one, I expect it in 5-7 days........) so all I have is the camera on my phone. BUT you can see how good Avery is good at walking. And this video doesn't even do her justice- she is getting so much more stable and coordinated every day. So exciting- I wish I had my camera!!!!!!!!!!!

And on a less happy note my sweet precious little angel of a baby turned into a beaver/wood-chuck after her nap today and demolished her beautiful crib with her FOUR TEETH!

Can you even believe that?  I mean seriously, she only has four teeth.......

So we found this horrific rubber padding at Babies R' Us and we will see how it goes tonight.........  It makes her beautiful crib look disgusting but at least she won't be whittling wood with her teeth anymore.....hopefully!