Avery Then And Now

4 Months Old!

Can you believe it? Avery is already 4 months old! I personally cannot believe that 4 entire months have passed since we made our way to the hospital and welcomed our baby girl into the world.

We had a full circle moment yesterday when we went to Dekalb Medical to meet our friends' (Andrew and Daniella) baby, who was born on Tuesday (very precious, by the way). At the time, Baby Diana weighed 6 lbs 9 oz - just one ounce bigger than Ave when she was born. And yet, neither of us remember her being so tiny. It's only been 4 months and we've forgotten that already!

Avery has finally started laughing this week. I am happy to say that both Ed and I have been successful at making her laugh in the past two days. It's quite adorable - kind of like the sweetest chuckle you'll ever hear. She's also been very vocal lately. I got some video of her playing today and she was just squealing and cooing like it was nobody's business. I love it when I lay her down to play in her play gym and she spends the entire time talking like that. She really is a happy baby. It would be an understatement to say that Ed and I have the easiest time making her smile, too. She brings a world of joy into our little house.

Anyhow, the laughing is her big accomplishment for the week. She's also started figuring out times to incorporate a fake cough into our interactions. She drools so much now (we're quite positive she's starting to teethe) that she makes it sound like she's choking a little when she does it. She got Ed once tonight with it, but we're on to her, so we can spot a faker when we see one most of the time.

Well, I guess it's high time I get to bed now. I just mainly wanted to put it out there that I can't believe how much time has passed since our lives were so blessedly changed. I thought I'd get over the constant reminiscing by now, but I can't seem to help myself. She makes our world turn. I wish I could slow it all down, even just a little. I hate the thought that I'm going to wake up one day soon and she'll already be five years old and going off to school. It makes me want to capture every moment to remember them by, but you can't live your life behind a camera. So we'll have to settle for our memories and hope they don't slip away as easily as our recollection of how tiny she was those first wonderful days.

Avery's First 4th of July

I know we're terrible about blogging now (and I'm sure some of you can understand the full extent of why), but I thought I'd throw a few pictures at you to get us through to the next entry.

First things first, I FINALLY painted Ave's name on her wall. I did it by hand, literally (I had to use my left and right hand), with no tape. It was quite tedious, which is why I'd been putting it off for so long. But I love the way it turned out. As you can see, it looks marvelous.



Next, we just had to throw in this shot of Avery in her layette and matching hat. We rarely put her in hats, but since we have so many, I decided to pull one out last week. It made for a really cute photo, if I do say so myself.

And then there was Ave's first 4th of July. Like last year, we spent it at Amy and Griff's house on the lake. We had a good day, but I must admit that it didn't feel so much like the 4th since we didn't watch fireworks. When everyone left to go into town to see them, Ed and I started our drive home. We figured that they'd scare Ave, so we missed out this year. Maybe next year...

We actually got a picture of Avery with Amy when she wasn't frowning, but this one was so cute that I just had to include it. As you can tell, she really knows how to poke out that lower lip. She hasn't figured out yet how this can work to her advantage, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time.



Anyhow, must get going to bed now. Avery will be up in no time, so I need to get some sleep while I can. I'll try to give a decent post sometime soon, I promise. Have a great rest of the week.