Stuffy & Spoiled

We're surprised it's taken this long for the stuffy nose to make its appearance, but it's here! Avery Claire woke up last night {or really this morning, I guess} around 12:00. She stood up and cried, so I knew something must be up. I went to check on her, and I could tell immediately her nose was stopped up. Dusty found the humidifier, I got the nasal aspirator and we fought her to suck some of that mess out of her nose. By the way, I know some of you don't like them, but we love that thing!!
I loaded her feet and chest with Vicks and we laid on the couch, with my pillow, for a few minutes. She kept sitting up, pointing to things in the living room. I'd ask her if she wanted to go to her bed and she'd shake her head no. I'd tell her to lay down, then, and she'd plop back down. When she tried to get up to go play, I laid her in her bed {with my pillow}. She fell back asleep in a few minutes...without a fuss, which surprised me!
She woke up again at 5:00. Same thing....This time, after I greased her down again, we laid in our bed. She kept pointing to her Daddy and trying to sit up. I took her back to her bed, and she fell asleep again. She hadn't moved one muscle and did NOT want to get up when I woke her up at almost 6:30. This Mommy and Daddy are used to getting our sleep, so we were dragging this morning!

Here's what she looked like when I laid her down a few minutes ago...just a giggling and greased from chest to feet with Vapo-Rub!! I think I'm gonna have to go buy her her own bamboo pillow tomorrow so I can have mine back!

And just because....can you believe how much our girl has grown and changed over the past year? We found her first tooth a year ago tomorrow!

18 Months {a day late}

Avery Claire, at 18 months you:

- are a ball of energy. Where all of that energy comes from I'll never know.

- are still such a great sleeper. See above comment - you need your rest! You go to bed about 8:15 on a school night. {You'd go earlier, but then we wouldn't get much time to play with you.} Mommy wakes you up at 6:25. On the weekends, you stay up until 9 or 9:30 and sleep til around 8. You usually take a good 2+ hour nap.

- love to be outside. You've met a new friend {a 5th grader from down the street}. Gracie rides her bike and you think she is somethin' else! She talks to you and will sit on the ground with us and just hang out. She asks all kinds of questions about you and says she just loves little kids. You give her a hug every time you see her. You would stay out 24/7 and hate it when we have to go inside!

- think you are just as big as the kids who play in our neighborhood and don't understand why you can't just go with them. Neither do they...I need to post about those kids sometime!

- look less like a baby and more like a big girl every day...so bittersweet for a mommy!

- jabber constantly. You can say hey, bye, bite, bow, bowl, ball, uh-uh, mama, daddy, papa, bubba {daycare friend!}, be right back, ready-set-go, and out-shide {outside}. You understand everything we tell you. There are things I don't think you'll know, and you do! For example, Becca was visiting and I told you to show her your Bama shaker. I really didn't think you'd know what I was talking about. You went right over to your toy box and pulled it out. You surprise me {and make me so proud} all of the time.

- are loving pepperoni. You want me to open the fridge, you get out the package and open it, and I cook it.

- are not patient. When you want your pepperoni {or whatever else}, you want it right then.

- are stubborn! You know where time out is and you don't like it.

- love to answer yes or no questions by nodding your head. You crack me up when I ask you questions about your day at daycare. You always tell me you did not take a nap and you did not eat lunch. You will tell me yes when I ask if you played with _______ {insert name}?

- are so friendly. You met another neighbor, Erica, last week. Erica is probably 40ish. You reached for her that day. When you saw her again outside, you took off running towards her and she scooped you up. You made her day.

- love daycare. I ask you in the mornings if you're ready to go to Mrs. Brittany's and you nod and go towards the door. I love it that you love it there. It makes sending you so much easier.

- have been Miss Cranky Pants in the afternoons lately. We don't know if you're cutting teeth or if you're just ill. We hope it's a phase that passes quickly.

- love shoes and clothes and jewelry!

- get a bag and sometimes a bracelet and tell us "bye" and pretend you're leaving.

- are an awesome pretender! I love to see you pretend in your kitchen {this is proof for Daddy that I must cook enough that you know what to do!}. And when you play with your babies, my heart melts! Precious!

- have more hair than we know what to do with. It's growing so fast and stays in your eyes. I don't think they make you wear your bow at daycare, which I'm glad I can't see 'cause it'd drive me crazy.

- love that paci. I know we'll have to think about taking it away at some point, but I don't think I'm ready! Waiting to see how our blog friends Rosie and Gavin do with that one!! ;-)

- have a gazillion toys and play with about 2 of them. You'd rather have a water bottle with the top so you can pretend to drink it and put the top back on.

- copy everything we do. A few of the things you've done that cracked us up that you knew how to do from watching: pretend to swish mouthwash, blow your nose, turn up the water bottle, and pretend to unscrew the cap off the vitamin bottle and "pop" that vitamin! You are too funny!

- are a squealer. I think ya'll must do that at daycare....do you notice a pattern here? Blame it all on daycare!! You really do learn so many great things, there, too!

- want to sit in your high chair. It was at Nana's for awhile because we forgot it. Now that we have it back, you point to it and want to sit in it to eat/snack.

- love to race. At daycare, all of the kids race down the hill every day. Mrs. Brittany says "Ready. Set. Go." and you all run down the hill. She says you're a fast little booger. And you all of a sudden started saying it at home and taking off running. So now we race down the hall or to the door.

- are such a great kiss-giver. I love to get kisses and hugs from you. You're quick about them, but they are so precious!

- can give five {and sometimes ten!}.

- hold up touchdown arms when we're watching a game.

- have started sleeping with a blanket, which thrills your Papa. He was worried about you getting cold this winter. You don't keep it on you very long, though, but maybe you will soon.

- are still not that interested in TV. You seriously don't slow down long enough to watch it. You'll watch if we point something out to you, but you could care less. You do love the Chick-Fil-A commercials.

- are still obsessed with cows.

- wearing size 4 diapers.

- love white milk! I let you have chocolate a couple of times and you barely touched it. You love apple juice, white grape juice, apple/prune juice, and strawberry/banana V-Fusion. You don't care for orange juice.

- will tear up some chicken! You like it grilled or fried. You don't like hamburgers. You are loving the Gerber cheese/spinach ravioli again lately. You also love bacon, pancakes, waffles, okra, squash, pizza, chips, FRENCH FRIES, and 100 calorie chocolate chip cookies! You see us dipping things in ketchup or bbq sauce or cheese and you pretend to dip, too. You love it when we dip something for you and let you eat it!

- are the very best that's ever happened to your Mommy and Daddy! We cannot imagine life without you in it. We thank God he sent you to us to love. You are perfect in our eyes and we are so proud you're ours. We love you so very, very much, our sweet baby girl!










I managed for 17 months to take Avery Claire's monthly pictures on the 25th. I haven't always posted on the correct day, but the pictures have always been accurate. Until today.
Yesterday, I thought at least 11 times about how tomorrow {Monday}, I'd need to take her pictures. I located the frog and even thought about typing the post so all I'd have to do today is take her pictures. I realized when I woke up this morning that today is the 26th. So, instead of backdating my post and pretending I'm completely on top of things, I'm being honest. This definitely reflects the business of life right now.

I do, however, have pictures of her at breakfast on the 25th, so I'll share those, too. If you can't tell, I'm having a hard time letting go of my mistake. But I'll get over it. C
Couldn't you eat that cuteness up with a spoon?

Roll Tide

When Dusty and I got up this morning, we both commented on how awful we slept...because Avery Claire did not sleep well last night. She never stood up and she never cried, but she was awake a lot, just talking and mumbling and jabbering. And if you have or have ever had a small child, you know it's never good to disturb them during the middle of the night if they aren't crying!

So, when I got Avery Claire up to get ready for school, she was burning up. Poor baby had a fever and we didn't even know it! So Mommy stayed home with her today.

I let her take a quick nap this morning. I woke her up after about 30 minutes. I know that seems mean to wake her up. If you have or have ever had small a small child, you know that if she takes a long nap early, it's going to be harder to get her to take one later. And if she doesn't take one later, she's going to be sleepy early. And if she's goes to sleep early, she is going to be up really early! And she really hadn't seemed to feel that bad prior to her first nap - she was just sleepy because she didn't sleep good last night. Needless to say, she did not want to get up...especially because she got to nap on Mommy's pillow!



As I type, she is taking a good nap. She still had a fever before her nap, but I've been rotation Tylenol and Motrin and she seemed to feel pretty good before nap time. I HATE that my baby is sick, but I've enjoyed getting to be home with her today. The house is clean, the sheets are clean, the clothes are washed/washing, and I'm about to iron for next week. Yep, I'm getting ahead. Unheard of in our house!! Maybe I can get caught up on school work this weekend, too! Say a quick prayer that our girl feels 100% better asap!
Every time she gets sick, we are reminded of this time last year...and we're thankful that she's not in this pitiful shape!

The Fair

Tonight, we took Avery Claire to the fair. We knew there wouldn't be anything she could really ride, but we knew she'd love the people watching....and she did!



She got to see some animals - up close and personal. She could have touched them, but she didn't try to and we didn't encourage it!


So what if the cow might have had SIX legs? {It did, but two were slung over its back....yuck!!!!} She didn't care.


And check out this midget bull...look closely at its teeth!!!!


The 4-horned sheep had really soulful eyes...it was like he understood what we were saying about him. Or maybe he just thought we might feed him?

According to these signs {even though these animals look like they're really sad}, the "fair people" really love them. The animals only travel 4 months out of the year and get to roam freely {in a fence} the rest of the year. I felt the need to let you know that.

We even found a ride that Avery Claire could ride {with Mommy}! She could have ridden the children's boat ride because she is 30 inches tall. But Mommy was prohibited from riding with her. I think NOT!

She loved "driving" this train! Chambless, you really should have met us!

Life is Precious

Avery Claire has gotten in the habit of laying on the couch before bedtime while she drinks her milk. It's one of my favorite times of the day...all three of us in the same room, relaxing and just being together.

Doesn't she look like such a little girl {and not a baby} in these pictures?!

Even if it means I stay up too late to work on school stuff, I try to put it off until after she goes to bed so we can just play {and fix dinner, handle bathtime, get ready for tomorrow...}.

Life is short. It's precious. It's sweet. That hit close to home again last week when my Uncle Dale passed away. He left behind my Aunt Tammy and their girls, Anna and Blair. Please say a prayer for strength and peace for each of them. They have been so strong, and it's truly because they have so many people who love them and are praying constantly for them.

Times like this make us stop and remember what's really important.

It's her...

Happy Birthday, Uncle Matt!

We're working on singing "happy birthday." Some times sound more like the actual words than others.


We hope you have an extra special birthday. We wish we could see you today! Maybe you can come see us this weekend? And we'll come see you the next?! We love you lots and wish you the happiest of birthdays!

Expect your cards a day late....see post from last night: Hectic life + random post + mixed up dates = I thought the 13th was Wednesday {even after I knew yesterday was 9/11}.

Hectic Life = Random Post

I know that the laundry and the dishes and the ironing and the cleaning never have or never will end. And I'm okay with that. But since I've had Avery Claire, I'd really gotten in the habit of leaving school at school, which is exactly how I like it.
However, since I got this new job, I absolutely cannot get caught up. I am planning day-to-day just to keep my head above water, so I spend way more time at home worrying about and working on school. And I still have to keep up with the never-ending laundry, dishes, ironing, and cleaning. Not to mention that I put a lot of it on the backburner until after my little one goes to bed...which is exactly how I like it.
So forgive me if I just can't seem to get a blog post done. And forgive me for the randomness of this one. I know that I will eventually get it somewhat together at schoool {I pray I do, anyway}.

We are glad the rain is gone. And we are loving the cooler, more fall-like temperatures. Here are my loves on Labor Day, watching the rain.


Wouldn't you love to know what they're talking about?

The cooler temperatures caused us to pull out the warmer pj's, which I love!! Oooooh, I could eat her up in those footed pj's!!





Surprise face because she heard something outside:


Uncle Larry and Aunt Sheila were in town for a conference, and we had the pleasure of eating dinner with them last week! We enjoyed our time with you two and hope you can come visit us again when you can stay longer!

Thanks for the doggie you brought Avery Claire! She loves it!

We went to Homewood's football game Friday night. It was great to visit with friends. And Papa and Nana met us there, too!! Avery Claire slept most of the way home and then couldn't wait to get in her bed when we got home! Why did we even doubt that she'd do awesome? She always does!


Us girls went on a quick shopping trip Saturday. Avery Claire had a little work to get done while we shopped {really I was just entertaining her to keep her in the cart}.

Excuse the paci, please. I could do a whole post on that one! Maybe I will sometime.


I wish I'd gotten this on video...I asked her to dance and she busted a move.



My heart melts every single time she pretends with her babies. Even when her poor baby looks like its legs are broken.


And this is her time out spot. Don't let that look fool you. She's knows it's a bad thing and cries when she has to go to time out. I took this picture after I threatened to put her in time out for standing up in her chair. She took off and put herself there and then grinned. Not sure if this is the appropriate reaction to that threat...

Excuse that paci. Uncle Matt always wants to know why she has a paci. She knows there are extra in a box under the sink. She sometimes goes there to find one.

Last week, I was feeding Avery Claire something with a spoon. She took the spoon from me and proceeded to feed herself. That's not something we've worked on. I guess I wanted to avoid the mess and that was just a little bit of "baby" I was hanging on to. I am having a hard time even thinking about 18 months. Guess she learned this big girl behavior at daycare. It is kind of nice to be able to sit her in her chair and let her have at it while I get something else done.

We just got the high chair back from Nana's house. It's working out pretty well in the floor. Maybe we'll move it to an actual chair at some point. Or maybe we won't.

As I type this, Avery Claire is in the corner working on a nasty diaper. She hides to do it {and has for awhile}. I know potty training is in our future, but that's another "baby" thing I'm not ready to let go.