all for the little ones, christmas joys

As I type, we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of baby Nelson into the world. It’s amazing how much faster the time goes by while on this side of the induction “waiting game.” Imagine that.

A new baby in the family has made me think all day long about the day that Avery arrived, how long ago that was, and how very very quickly the year has flown by. It’s funny how life’s greatest gifts are usually surrounded by lots of hard work and waiting. But after you arrive at what you were so longing for, you inevitably forget most of the trials and tribulations it took to get there. The happy always wins over the headache. Especially when it comes to babies.

About once an hour I ask Avery, “Lolly- where’s the pretty tree?” She looks at me, draws a soft n’ sly smile, leans her head toward the Christmas tree and points with her little chubby pointer finger toward the sparkly lights. I smile. And, then- she claps for herself.

The Christmas season is upon us and I’ve already gotten everything I wished for.

howl-o-ween

There's a certain lull in the Halloween spirit for a few certain years: those after the fun college days of being ridiculous when dressing up in costume to attract boys and drink beer, and before the ones where you actually have a new little 'someone' to dress up and teach the whole tradition of what the holiday actually brings.

I know that my blog posts have increasingly become more and more about my baby and less about me. But, in a lot of ways, she IS what I do each and every day. She is exactly what I think about almost every minute, who I plan the future toward, and who I hope for a truly magical upbringing. I can just feel it beginning...the living-vicariously-through-my-children's-colorful-and-imaginative-world syndrome. And, I absolutely love it! Not to mention, it's a great excuse for over-doing every holiday decoration/birthday theme/vacation fun. It's not for me, it's for the kid.

Halloween was a great start. While I probably wouldn't have taken Avery trick-or-treating at this age, it was great fun to join our favorite neighbors as they took their babies door to door. We only hit about 10 houses, but it was surely worth the pictures. As usual, my baby bird (chick to be exact) was cuter than ever. It was also so nice to have grandma Finch and papa Campbell here to spend the night. Thai food, wine, a warm fire, trick-or-treaters, and football. Twas a really nice night for Avery's first Halloween.

Here are all of the pics.

3rd annual mcdiffett sister's reunion

It was back to Houston again this year for our annual get-together. The rule is that you have to be 21 to attend. Luckily for Bethany, she juuuuust made the cut this year.

This pretty much sums up the entire weekend: Going out, eating cupcakes, attending Dana's baby shower, fun dressing up, lounging & talking, and oh yea- eating some more cupcakes.

These weekends have really become a nice way to get some good 'ol laughing-until-your-stomach-hurts IN with the sisters. If I've learned anything, it's that your sisters know you better than anyone else. They are comforting, mean, and a fabulous reminder of home.

For more pics, click here.

eight point five months old

These days, it's almost harder to find a picture of Avery where she is NOT smiling. While she has always been a super-smiler, I feel like it's only been in the last month or two that her personality has been set to super-show! She has an "I'm trying to be slyyyy" grin, the "I'm so happy I can't stand it" smile, the "Did I just hear daddy come through the front door" face, and the oh-so-loved "mama, I just love you" smile.

As my grandma would say, it just really "gets ya where ya live."

For day two of crawling, click here.

east coast trip

The thought of catching up is exhausting. But the thought of catching up a few more months from now is really scary. So, here it goes. Our trip to the east coast was one of the best vacations in a long time. We toured D.C., lounged in Martha's Vineyard, and had fun in Boston.

D.C.
Jonathan showed me all of his old haunts around his alma mater George Washington. I'm really kinda glad I didn't know him as a college student. We hit up all of the fabulous monuments, and my family has nick-named Avery "traveling Avery", like the "traveling Stanley" character. He's the paper cut-out that you send around the world to your friends and family to have his picture taken in front of famous city-specific venues. We will surely drag out these pics when Avery is studying American history around the 5th grade. Maybe she'll appreciate where she's been. We loved spending time with family and getting re-acquainted with old friends.

Martha's Vineyard
Might quite possibly be the prettiest little spot in the world of relaxation. The island had all of the ice cream, clam chowder, beautiful beaches, quaint boutique shops, and pretty houses you could ever want. And the fact that we stayed at an Inn that shared a wall with a mexican cantina, close enough so that Avery's baby monitor reached the front porch filled with the best margheritas in the world didn't hurt! Mama and baby were both happily sleepy!

Boston
Our whole east coast trip started with the fact that we were going to a friend's wedding in Boston. My sister Bethany, a junior at KSU, flew in for a few days to nanny for Avery. Best money ever spent. Avery was so well taken care of, I had complete peace of mind leaving her for half nights at a time, and Jonathan and I really enjoyed some much-needed adult conversation/wedding reception dancing/not worrying about who's driving/having to get home to feed the baby/ remembering what a Saturday night was like before baby time. We rode the duck tour around the city, and put some serious miles on the BOB.

Getting an 8-month old on the bus, onto a ferry, into a rental car, through a 6-hr flight, back into the car, way past her bed time, and finally home was a fun ordeal. Totally worth it...but needless to say, we were SO glad to be home.

THE END

For more pics of the entttttire trip, click here.

and then there were three

Whidbey Island fun. For more pics, click here.

make-believe nap time

Avery only takes two naps a day. Right now, she is lying in her crib for a make-believe 3rd nap. My video monitor shows her every move. So, even though she is not sleeping, and only playing with the blanket and making funny noises, I’m going to pretend she IS sleeping and not go get her for a while.

I don’t know where the summer went. Somehow, it snuck on by- probably somewhere between the going to the park, strolling around the neighborhood, and nursing Avery for the umpteenth time every day. Ever since not working outside of the house, and never really having to write the date down, I kinda forget what the day is, even the month. I know…I know—but when my days consist of almost the same routine in and out of a week, things are bound to reach a certain mundain-ness. It’s not a bad thing. It’s just strange. Today I thought to myself, “hmmm…is it August or September? Yes- it has to be August. I know July ended…but I’m not quite sure I remember August beginning. Oh, what the hell—who cares if I remember it or not. I’m quite certain it’s here. Or, did it just turn September?” I’ll leave it at that. To go on would just be embarrassing.

Our days are busy. And, my time is limited. So, here is the bulleted version of what my post was really going to be about:

1. The weather has been so hot lately. We ALL sleep in the same room with a portable AC unit.
2. The apples in our tree out back are getting so big and round and red.
3. Avery’s cheeks continue to get chubbier and chubbier.
4. I need to get my hair trimmed and layered and highlighted, and shampooed and looking healthier and looking new-er. This post-pregnancy pulling it back into a ponytail has got to stop.
5. Jonathan and I cherish the post-7pm-Avery’s-bedtime-hour where we watch movies, drink wine, and debrief our lives.
6. Avery is starting to put things together. This isn’t good. Smart-ness is not what you want in a 6-month old.
7. We are loving the amount of travel we’ve gotten to do this year. It’s tough with a baby, but so nice to get away so often.
8. Jonathan is an amazing husband and an amazing father. He just gets it. And, I’m so glad.

That’s all folks! It’s about that time…for the age old question of “what’s for dinner?” Besides, Avery’s make-believe nap was up about 7 minutes ago.

lolly

I’m waaaay behind. So, here’s the update:

I’m starting to feel like we have a schedule around here. Or, at least, a somewhat predictable run-of-the-day. And it only took 6 months. Everyone says it happens. The time will fly by and you’ll miss your baby being so little. It’s true. I feel like we just brought her home yesterday…ok- well maybe more like 4 weeks ago. Still, she is growing up before our eyes. And, at this age, there are so many milestones to record. It’s actually a bit ridiculous, but every day brings with it a new “first” for our baby bird.

Oh, by the way- we call her Lolly. Probably about 80% of the time. Poor girl won’t even know her own name. I think I started calling her my dolly lolly when she came home. Then, it became Lolly. Now, it’s “the Lolls” or just “Loll” or “baby bird”, or “chick-a-dee”, maybe “baby baby”, often “umpa loompa”, and sometimes “sweetie pie”, or other times “lovey”. But, mostly- it’s just Lolly.

Avery runs our life. We love it. She is the happiest little munchkin I have ever seen. She’s pretty much all-smiles 97% of the time, has mastered rolling over as many times as it takes to get from one side of the room to the other, ate bananas for her first solid food, is just on the vvvvverge of saying daa daa, and now has hair long enough to put into pigtails. Yes- at 6 months old.

Every time our Charlie-cat walks past her, she follows him with her eyes, tries to reach out for him, looks at me, and gives me one of her famous silent laughs—with her mouth wide open, her eyes as squinty as can be, and her nose all wrinkled up. It’s one of my favorite occurrences. I think she and the “kitty kitty” will become fast friends. Well, if the Lolls has anything to do with it. Charlie, on the other hand, rolls his eyes (if cats can do that), re-positions himself just out of her reach, and goes back to sleep.

Avery knows our morning routine down pat. She wakes up, feeds, and goes back to sleep for 2 more hours. This is mostly just because I have trained her that mom is still tired. When it’s finally time to get up, we sing the good morning song, and she sits quietly in her chair until mom has made coffee and taken approximately 3.5 sips. That’s fine with me though, because I can drink the rest while feeding her yet again, and watching The View. Love the show. Can’t stand some of the hosts. Hense, the love.

Sidenote: Heather, I really miss debriefing with you in the mornings at work about our shows the night before. I think we’re going to have to schedule a weekly conference call. Lord knows we need to catch up on much more. I miss you.

Back to the Lolls. She loves riding in the stroller. I’ve even started jogging with her. She looks especially happy to go “more” when I am completely worn out….which is usually after only 20 minutes or so. I’m telling you- getting back into pre-baby shape is going to take a lot longer than planned, especially with all of the late nights staying up drinking wine with Jonathan. Hey- after a full day with the baby bird, a nice round glass of zin is everything a girl ever dreamed of. It’s all worth it.

Last but not least, I’d like to mention how happy I am. I mean, really happy. I didn’t always think I would or could be this happy…being a stay-at-home-mom. And, sometimes, I still plot out my next career move. But, most of the time, I am very content keeping our home, planning our trips, making the meals, doing the shopping, and watching the Lolls.

This story has been brought to you by Starbucks Verona Bold. The only real way for a mom to post to her blog way past bedtime.

fun in the sun

We had the best time in Maui for a much-needed vacation, and Megan & Matt's wedding. Avery had her first dip in the pool, in the ocean, and in the condo kitchen sink! I think she's definitely going to be a water baby if her dad has anything to do with it. Jonathan's the one that grew up in San Diego, and is all about surfing, snorkeling, and scuba diving. I, on the other hand, having grown up in Anchorage (land of indoor-only swimming) am much more content to snorkel a bit and then lie out on the warm beach.

It was the first time that all of my sisters got to meet Avery. She absolutely loved it! So much so that she now insists on being held 24-7. This is not a good thing.

Here are our pics from the week!

i heart crocs

I am in love with my new Olivia walking crocs! They are one of my better finds in a while, and I can't stop marketing for them. I think I've already convinced 3 people to buy them as well. Super comfy. Super light weight. Goes with anything from casual to dressy to sporty. Has a perfectly girly rhinestone, and a peak-a-boo window for your baby toe.

Happy summer walking!

all-star baby

The following was taken before and after I asked Avery the big locker room question.

"Are we going to beat daddy at basketball today?"

Even babies know what kind of a question that is! Just. Plain. Silly.

we do marshmellows

My friend Heather wrote a fabulous post about sugar cereal, and how she lets her kids eat it, along with licking the spoons when baking. I concur.

She wrote of her love for Captain Crunch. I, on the other hand, have had a 20-year affair with Lucky Charms. Jonathan and I have had "the sugar cereal" discussion SO many times. Mr. Healthy says there will not be any in the house. I say otherwise. And, moms pretty much always win when it comes to kids, and food in the house (since I shop for it). I grew up with sugar cereal and I think I'm fine. Probably better for it! Oh yumminess! Really, what is childhood without a bowl of Corn Pops or Coco Puffs?

When my sister Megan was here visiting last month, we had "the sugar cereal" talk again. Megan was on my side. Jonathan said, "Well, why don't we compromise and just get frosted mini wheats?" Megan and I just laughed.

Haaaaaaa...Weeee don't do wheat. We do marshmellows. Only. Thanks for playing though.

all smiles!

easter

Easter was pretty low-key this year. Avery is still too small to eat peeps, mom was too tired to make a big fancy meal, we saved some money on baskets and straw hay and plastic eggs, and enjoyed a movie and popcorn instead! I'm just gearing up for next year, when our little chick can sit up by herself and actually focus on and pick up a stuffed animal. It will most likely yield a much better return on my investment!

Besides the getting all prettied up for church, we spent the entire day in pajamas. It. Was. Fabulous. Here is Avery is her big 'n fluffy (yes- polka dot) Easter dress. Also, a big thanks to aunt Meredith for some extra cute baby bunny ears!

baby string bean

Jonathan says he can't help but think Avery looks like a string bean when she wears this outfit! I'm going with sour apple jolly rancher.

Here she is smiling for her aunt Meredith. We had a great time with her visiting us this weekend and can't wait for her to move to Seattle after she graduates from Ohio State! Meredith is the last of our looooong line of visitors since the string bean was born. Both sets of grandparents and 4 aunts down. And, only ehhh 7 aunts ta go!

the bumbo chair

Avery looks like she's turned into a toddler overnight in her new chair for plopping. The Bumbo chair was not on the original list of things to get today. But, lets face it- have I ever gone to Target and come home with just the things on my list? We all know the answer to that question. Aww Target, the land of candy-colored wonderfulness. I just couldn't resist! I really just need to steer clear of the kids department from now on. What is it about new, shiny kids stuff that looks so appealing? I think we get so used to the prices of adult clothing, so when you see a cute infant dress for $4, you say to yourself, "Hey- that's less than my coffee cost this morning!" And, then you put it in your cart. And, then you put more in your cart. And, then you go to check-out. And, then you look at the total and wonder if that could ever be correct. "Are you sure it's that much? I didn't buy one piece of adult clothing!"

I'm starting to realize how quickly Avery is going to grow out of everything...and need many more everythings in just a bigger size! I've already started a box of stuff that I can ship to the first sister that has a baby themselves. We'll just send all of our cool stuff back and forth to each other. Ya know, the things that you really want, but don't want to spend the money on for just 1 months use.

Now that the Bumbo has arrived, we officially have more seating for Avery in our living room than for adults. Anything wrong with this situation? I think our pediatrician was right when saying, "Well, it's obvious this baby isn't loved very much."

happy mornings

Avery is the happiest little giggle bug in the mornings! And, this is one of my favorite pair of pajamas. I know- polka dots - who woulda guessed? Makes me think of a candy store! Very fitting, since I call her my "lolly", like a dolly lolly, or a lolli-pop! So sweeeeet. I nibble on her allll day loooong!

2 months old

Our baby chick is 2 months old! I really really can't believe it. Avery stats are as follows: 11 lbs, 10 oz, and 24 inches long. Jonathan and I suffered through two more shots at the pediatrician's office today. Avery, on the other hand, if just fine. She's beginning to get some real chub on the thunder thighs, double chin, and kankles. She's more like a tiny sack of potatoes now, and pretty much smiles on demand. Here is our little munchkin with one of her new, much-needed slobber accessories!

st. patrick's day

This year, we have been so lucky. I'm so thankful for a healthy family, a cozy house, a stable income, and an incredible husband. But, I'm most thankful for our teeny tiny good luck charm! She makes everything happy... everything sunny...everything sparkle!

the blankie

My friend Holly is one crafty lady! She made this beautiful patchwork baby quilt for Avery! It is one of my favorite gifts she's gotten! Complete with my favorites, (bird and damask prints) it is backed with a super-soft white chenille. And, the large embroidered monogram on the corner makes it one-of-a-kind. Thank you so much, Holly! I have a feeling that this could be the blanket...the one she can't go to bed without...the one we need to wash a million times...the one that needs sewn back together after about year 2! (Click on pic to enlarge.)

the mood chart

I couldn't resist! Avery has some of the cutest facial expressions ever. The raised eyebrow, the curled lip, and the squinty eye. Pick a mood- any mood! Sad, happy, confused, surprised, tired, irritated, playful, or mad.

avery's baptism

It was so nice to have Dana and Tom here in town for Avery's baptism. They will make fantastic godparents! The great thing about having family here (especially sisters) is that they love Avery like we do. They love her like she's theirs too.

Tom and Dana gave Avery the most beautiful silver tea cup engraved with her birthdate and baptism date. It is one those "special" items that she'll keep forever. I'm thinking of hanging in from the tiny chandelier in her room with a ribbon. I have no idea what it is about having a baby that has turned me into a Martha Steward wana-be. Keepsake boxes...lullaby soundtracks...new traditions.

If I can create even half of the magic in our house that my parents gave me growing up, I'll consider myself a success. The birthday frosting and the Easter Bunny...Santa Clause and the Tooth Fairy.

Here are all of the pics from her baptism weekend.

rainbow bright!

soft 'n snuggly

Avery is almost 7 weeks old. She makes whiney puppy sounds in her sleep. Her soft, frizzy hair cannot be tamed. Her big round eyes make my heart melt. I love her fake cry, and her curled little lips when she's pouting. She giggles when we kiss her tiny toes. She raises her eyebrows when Jonathan makes his scary faces. And she loves to lie on her tummy.

It seems like the days are just passing oh so quickly. I'm starting to get scared that I'm not recording enough of my thoughts of her. I have so much to say, but no time to say it. To me, Avery is the sparkle in a crystal chandelier, the feeling of warm towels just out of the dryer, and the happiness in a hundred colorful balloons.

one month and counting

We ventured to the pediatrian's office for Avery's 1 month check-up, and here are her stats: 9.75 lbs (95%), and 23 inches (70%). I have no clue where she's getting her height from...definitely not mom!

a whale of a time

We gave Avery her first official bath last night in her baby whale tub. And, she absolutely loved it! After many a screaming sponge baths, I was surprised that she did so well. I'm sure it was the warm warm water and shampoo head massage that sold her. I'm sure most parents tend to think that their baby is the cutest thing that ever lived...and I have found myself to be no different. There is something about Avery girl's teeny tiny button nose, big butterfly eyes, and soft smile that get me every time. I can just feel my heart melting!

What an amazing 4 weeks we have had with her! I love every single one of her faces: the pouting face, the fussy face, the sad & tired face, and the poor me I'm hungry face. I especially love the unexpected moments of love I find for her. Getting up in the middle of the night is oh-so-horrible until I look at those glittery eyes staring up at me.


I find myself wondering how this whole ordeal ever started, how I ever came to have a child, to be a mom, or how on earth I could ever love something so much! Here she is at 1 month old- my wet and slippery baby seal.

Here are some more pics!

avery taylor

It's a girl! Our little miss Avery Taylor was born via cesarean on Thursday, January 21st at 9:32am. She was 8lbs, 14oz, and 21 inches long. We've had her for just under 3 weeks now and can't imagine our lives without her!

Looking more like her daddy, she was born with crazy hair, big big mermaid eyes, long fingers, a button nose, and pixie-pointed ears! I never knew how much I could love something so new and little.

Here is the ever-growing album of favorite pics!

alice in wonderland

I simply can't wait to see Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland! It's going to be a fabulously magical date night!

Watch the trailer in HD here. Releases March 5, 2010!

fashionably late

Like mom- like child. That's the excuse Jonathan is giving anyway. This little one just wants everyone to wait a few more days. Ya know- make an entrance. Baby Finch is now 2 days late and I have officially given-in to the "whatever...whenever" mindset. I'm getting so excited to meet this little nose; these tiny fingers; this wrinkled chin.

I looked through Jonathan's baby pics last night to mentally compose the potential facial profile of this little girl/guy. It's really just an imaginery game of Mr. Potato Head. My pointy ears? Jonathan's pug nose? Let's give em some lips from dad. I have absolutely no lips to speak of. 75% chance of blue eyes. Let's throw in some of Jonathan's dimples- I like those. But, please, let's accidentally lose the toy piece that looks like Hannah's forehead. Not a good combo on anyone!

I keep telling Jonathan that, "All great things come to people who wait for them." He's in quite a state of excitement these days. And while he doesn't dare say it out loud, lest it not come true, he's hoping with baited breath that the stars are all aligning this month. And when stars align- magical things happen. What magical things you ask? Well, I'll tell you. The Chargers win the the Super Bowl.

Oh yea, and he gets to be a dad too. ; )

the waiting game

It's all a huge rush to the door, and then a nice long wait before it opens. Don't you just love it. This baby's due date, and birthday, just can't seem to get here any slower. All of the nervous nights I've stayed up going through lists in my head of whether or not I have everything I need seem so ridiculous now. I could have been taking my sweet sweet time with everything.

People are starting to call on a daily basis now to check-in and see if there's any action. Believe me. You'll know. We have our text and call list established for any and all "we're headed to the hospital" alarms. I have my bags neatly packed outside our bedroom door complete with slippers, enormous nursing bra, ipod, and reading material. Actually, I have to say that I DID have reading material...a few fabulous celebrity gossip magazines. But, last week I was bored and said to myself, "Self- this baby may not come for another three weeks, by which time this gossip will be so out-dated. I better just read them all now and get new ones later." So, I did.

Add to my list: Get new gossip magazines.

Today's report: My toes and fingers are so massively swollen. I'm now applying body butter to the impending stretch marks at least twice a day. I bought a few bottles of wine in anticipation of my sipping freely again in a few weeks. And, the biggest outing so far today has been waddling to the mailbox and back. No worries- I'll continue to keep all of my avid readers updated on such excitement!

nursery land

I finally got around to taking some pics of our work-in-progress (almost finished) nursery. The pastel blue/green color is starting to dominate my life, but I do love it! We're still looking for a white set of sitting furniture to go in here as well: a couch, chair & ottoman. And, eventually, I'd like to fill the entire wall with cubbies where the media space will be. Then, an animal rug and white kids table and chairs. (Not like I have a whole master plan or anything.) Oh, and small storage doors will hopefully be made into Alice in Wonderland fort get-aways. I would love this to turn into the kids space for watching movies, playing with friends, and staying out of mom's way. Then, the ajoining room (via pocket door) can serve as the bunk-bed sleeping quarters. Kind of like a quad dorm in college. Nothing like planning for 7 years and three babies into the future!

This one baby just can't get here fast enough! Due in 6 days, I'm hibernating long into the noon-time mornings, cleaning cleaning cleaning, packing my hospital bags, baking baking baking, taking long baths, and feeling the extreme calm before the storm!