Peanut(s).

February Update

2012-02-09T11:19:00.002-06:00

John Mills went to the zoo for the first time last week. He slept through most of it, but I think overall he had a nice time!

Avery LOVES her little brother. She is such a good big sister! She wants to hold him all the time!
Riley came over last Monday for an afternoon play date. Did you know that Strawberries love Santa?
John Mills had a play date with Liam, Mary Pace, and Currey Elizabeth. Here he is with big Liam.
Look at my baby blues! He is the happiest baby! Such a talker! He might just out talk his sister!
Don't you just want to eat him up??? I do!

A Quick Update

2012-01-24T14:58:00.003-06:00

Avery went to the Moo-seum on Friday. She loved it! Ride'm cowgirl!

And John Mills is super SMILIE!! He is such a sweetie! I already can't remember life without him! Doesn't this face just scream KISS ME???
Life with 2 is hard. But so worth it! I am getting more efficient every day, but my mind still seems a little lost most of the time! One day I will get it all together, I hope!

I almost got the smile!

2012-01-12T13:25:00.002-06:00

He has started smiling! I haven't quite got the whole toothless grin with the camera yet, but its coming! Here is as good as I could get yesterday!

This guy is just a big sweetie!! He loves to snuggle and is getting seriously chubbily! He is such a smoosh ball. He is eating great and making cooing noises and starting to look people in the eye! John Mills even slept 6 hours straight 2 nights in a row. We only did 3 1/2 last night, but maybe tonight he will go back to 6!

He checked in at 10 lbs 14 and a half ounces on Friday at his one month appointment. That falls into the 75% category for weight and was 22 3/4 inches which is 90% for height!!! He may be a basketball star!

Sorry for the delay...

2012-01-03T12:18:00.003-06:00

As you can imagine, it's been a bit crazy around our house! John Mills is growing so fast!! He is already a big boy! These photos are a few weeks old, so he is bigger than this, but he is oh-so-cute! I just love him!

Avery wants to hold him all day long! She is such a sweet big sis, I am so proud of her! We take John Mills back to the doctor on Friday, so I should have some statistics on just how big he is then.

In other news, I am back to work today. Hence the time to blog! No big thing since I am still part time, and headed home to feed the baby in an hour! Breastfeeding does have its perks! I am forced to go home and relax with the baby every three hours! Anywho, I should be back in the swing of things in no time!! If only it didn't take me 2 hours to get out of the house in the morning! More photos to come!

John Mills Williford

2011-12-12T11:51:00.005-06:00

John Mills made his debut a few days early, much to everyone's surprise. Here's the story minus all the gory details.

Mom and I took a little trip to have lunch with Grandma on Thursday December 1st up in Valley, Alabama. On the drive up I started having contractions, and about half way there, I realized they were pretty constant and getting stronger. So I started timing them. By the time we sat down for lunch an hour later, I had counted 16 contractions. So I called the nurse, to see what I should do. She called back a few minutes later and sent me to Triage (which I had been to twice already for different reasons). It took us about an hour to get home, but we went straight to the hospital, and into Triage. The first nurse checked me and said I was only one centimeter dilated, and that if I didn't have any cervical change in an hour, they would send me home. Of course, at this point, that was frustrating. I decided I had an incompetent cervix, and that was never going to dilate naturally. I was not comfortable because of the contractions, my blood pressure was really high, and I was a hot mess of sweatiness. At this point, Mom started to worry something was wrong. The same nurse came back in with Dr. Desautels, who decided to check me again. Wouldn't you know, that incompetent cervix of mine had dilated another centimeter! In a whirl wind of questions and answers and changing out of my clothes, I found myself 20 minutes later in an icebox of an operating room, hunched over a very sweet South African nurse, getting a spinal block.

About 10 minutes later, TJ comes in, all cute in his scrubs, if not a little green around the gills. Doctor Waller comes in, and just a few short minutes later, John Mills Williford takes his first breath, begins to cry, and pees all over Dr. W.

TJ got it all on video, and its pretty exciting to watch. But don't worry, its not going on youtube or the blog. I'm not that crazy.

8 pounds, 9 ounces

21 1/2 inches long

My big boy is just perfect. We are so in love with him! Oh, and he looks a heck of a lot like his big (and very proud) sister.

Didn't Holland do a fabulous job on his newborn portraits?? I love them! www.hollandwilliamsphotography.com

Compliments of Allison...

2011-11-30T10:25:00.002-06:00

I received this beauty of a photo from Allison yesterday from our Halloween hayride. I think its appropriate as our time as a family of three is numbered. Ha. Bad joke. But seriously folks, 5 days to go. It's surreal! And for future reference, yes John Mills, Avery is sitting on your head. It's her favorite thing to do! I hope that changes when you get here! Also, as a side note, I put this photo in black and white because Avery had a blue ring around her mouth from all the candy she had been eating. It's a little more classic without that I think.

First, the bad news...

2011-11-29T09:57:00.003-06:00

So I show up at the doctor's office, all ready for a happy, see you in a week appointment with Dr. Desautels. But, he isn't there. Strange. They are normally so good about scheduling around the doctor's conflicts. When I see his nurse, Tamara, the sweetest gal you've ever met, she says, "I have some bad news, but go ahead and get me a sample and we will talk in the exam room." So I have 3 minutes to worry that (A.) Joe got hit by a train, or (B.) struck by lightening, or (C.) lost in the stacks at the library (we pregnant women are a tad dramatic, or at least I am.) or (D.) worse. She comes in and in a very overly sensitive way says, "There has been an accident." Again, worst case scenarios are running through my sleep deprived brain. "Dr. Desautels had to have surgery on his hand and will not be able to perform your c-section." Oh. But he is ALIVE? "Yes, he just will be unable to do any deliveries or surgeries for 4-6 weeks." Geez woman. I thought he was swarmed by killer bees or decided to leave his family and obstetrical practice for a "drink the Kool-aid" kind of ride to the moon.

Nope. Nothing nearly that dramatic, but when left to my own devices...

So, Dr. Phillips will now be delivering John Mills, and the time has changed from 12:30 pm to 7:30 am on Monday. Not so bad after all. But, I had you wondering, didn't I.

So ready for this little boy to be here!!!

Last Doctor's appointment today!

2011-11-28T10:17:00.002-06:00

TJ and I are headed to see Dr. Desautels for the last time before John Mills gets here today. I am a little nervous. I am so ready to meet this baby, but I am a little skeptical about my mothering skills for TWO kids.

I just about lost it yesterday and had to call for backup. Avery refused to take a nap, was seriously rambunctious, and would not settle down regardless of the activities I tried to impose on her. When she belly flopped off the couch onto me and then stomped on my foot about 3 minutes later, I was done. I called Ma, who apparently can read minds, and graciously offered to come get her and let her have a spend the night party with her. I don't think I could have said "yes" any faster. This is such a rare occurrence for me, to actually need a little down time, that I had some Mommy guilt over it. Hormones a blazing I think.

When I woke up this morning though, the clouds had cleared (figuratively, not literally, as it is still yucky outside) and I was once again happy to see my little monster and I smothered her with kisses. She didn't even complain. Maybe absence really does make the heart grow fonder. Anywho, I will post with any updates after our appointment! Wish me luck!

37 week update

2011-11-22T12:28:00.003-06:00

I went to see Dr. Desautels today, and we had a little ultrasound to check John Mills' size. Looks like he is right on target weighing in at 6 lbs, 14 oz which should put him at just about 8 lbs by December 5th (only 13 days away!), our scheduled C-section date. Sounds pretty good to me! The only odd thing the ultrasound tech noted what that his hair was very visible and long! I was a baldy when I was born, so it was such a shock when Avery came out with a head full of dark brown hair! So, no telling what John Mills may look like. Genetics are such a crap shoot. As for the rest of me, my blood pressure is normal to low, my gestational diabetes was probably a misdiagnosis (even says Dr. Des now), and I feel pretty good, with the exception of the occasional mood swing. What a different pregnancy this has been! I am still walking around the block, albeit slowly, a few days a week, and I am still under the 30 pound weight gain mark, which is absolutely miraculous (praise the Lord)! With Turkey Day coming up, however, I may blow that last one before he gets here!

I am so thankful for this baby, and I can't wait to spend some quality family time before he gets here! Happy Thanksgiving!

Allen Law Center Ribbon Cutting and Elmo

2011-11-16T09:55:00.004-06:00

The Allen Law Center officially opened yesterday with a Chamber Ribbon Cutting, and wonderful ceremony and reception in honor of the one and only JGA. We are so proud of him, and I told him it was truly remarkable to have a building named for you when you are still alive. Avery was pretty impressed with the whole shindig. She especially liked GiGi's painting, and the scissor shaped cookies (which I totally bribed her with, to stay seated and quiet through the ceremony-bad mommy confession of the day).

This girl loves her GiGi!
She was really excited the he wanted her to help cut the ribbon, but she took a long time getting up the stage because she had to gather all her rocks she had collected from the parking lot during the ceremony.
Whew. Black sure is concealing. Can you even tell I am nine months pregnant? If you see me waddle, I mean, walk you can! 19 days to go, by the way! (In other John Mills news, Dr. Desautels seems to think he may be a big boy. After palpation of my belly on Monday, he said "larger than average" and we are only at 36 weeks! I just hope he is good and healthy!)
Here is JGA giving his very gracious speech.
Go check out the Allen Law Center at Jones Law School! So proud of my Daddy!

Last thing of note today, was the father/daughter date TJ and Avery went on last night. Sesame Street Live! Thanks to Jason and Carolyn for the invite for the 2 of them, who even got to go backstage and meet ELMO!!!!!!! Avery was a little hurricane of excitement when she got home last night!

Bob the Builder and the Cupcake Princess.

2011-11-08T08:56:00.000-06:00

Twick or Tweet

2011-11-01T11:20:00.004-05:00

She got the hang of this trick or treat business pretty quickly. Daddy put some hay on the trailer and loaded up the Princess and her buddies Jake and Riley (and all respective parental units) for the evening. More photos to come of the actual hayride and trick or treating (hint, hint Carolyn and Allison, send me some, since I am the slacker Mom who didn't take any!!!). Twas a good time, had by all (and I managed to only eat 1/2 a mini bag of peanut M & M's and one mini peanut butter snickers. That, I think, is pretty impressive for this gal.).

I would like to title this one "Let them eat cupcakes."

Avery had a trial run on trick or treating at the church on Sunday night at "Trunk or Treat". She was more into the puppets and the characters in costume than the candy.
On a side note, there are only 34 days until John Mills arrives! Oh, and congratulations to Kim and Thomas! Baby Annie was born yesterday afternoon at 1:30pm 7 lbs, 2 oz.

Syrup Soppin', Pumpkin Patch, and the strange morning...

2011-10-26T10:53:00.003-05:00

Avery and I went with several other mom's and tot's to the Pumpkin Patch down in Union Springs. They had so much to do! We didn't even make it down to the actual pumpkin patch, because all the other stuff was so much fun! There was a petting zoo (Avery named all the goats, Brownie, Whitie, Shortie, just to name a few), a tube maze, hot dogs for lunch, and a really exciting corn sand box (for lack of a better term). This was Avery's favorite. She came home with enough corn in her shoes to make a decent batch of cornbread.

Yesterday, I woke up to find Avery and Hank asleep in her bed. Hank was supposed to be in the back yard, but apparently, he gave up on that idea, and after TJ left to go hunting, he came right in the front door. They were both pretty happy to see each other. I asked Avery how long Hank had been in her room and she responded, "Since Wednesday." Hmmm. I do apologize for the poor quality of photo. It was dark and they were still sleepy. Oh, and I should mention, that Hank got a haircut on Monday. He had a rough weekend, so we thought a little grooming and a bath would be good for him. Turns out, they scalp you if you have really curly hair since they can't brush through it. Poor guy. He will have to wear a sweater all winter long.
Lastly, the Syrup Soppin' in Loachapoka, Alabama was delightful. Sounds a little red, but don't knock it, til you try it! We went last year, and Avery enjoyed it so much, we thought we would go back. This time she enjoyed the old timey school house where she could draw on the little chalk boards. That, and all the cool food they let you taste! (Corn fritters, fire baked bread, fresh honey, fresh sorghum, cane syrup, even pecan pancakes.) There are lots of other vendors there, but we stuck to the original stuff. Avery picked cotton, pulled up peanuts and sweet potatoes, and rode a tractor. Very country. She had a hard time understanding why I wanted her to wear jeans and boots (she wears little smocked dresses most of the time at home). She pretty much pitched a fit as I wrestled her into them Saturday morning, but on Monday, she didn't want to wear a dress! She only wanted her jeans. I don't think she is country as a turnip just yet, but a few more weekends in Notasulga (Gigi is actually growing turnips at the mill, so she got to pick some) and she might turn into one.

Ace

2011-10-19T10:39:00.003-05:00

Avery does not remember giving herself the nickname "Ace". She will still respond to it, but no longer refers to herself as Ace.

Does it make me sad? Not really, but it does make me a twinge nostalgic for the days when she butchered her words (so sweet), and it was a game to decipher what she was saying. She is very verbal these days, in case you haven't seen her in a while. She uses full sentences and mostly proper grammar (with the exception of the occasional "him's toy" rather than "his toy" to show possession). She can easily carry on a conversation with just about anyone, including Mayor Strange, who she walked right up to and asked to "hold this please" while handing him her blankie. Yeah. Never met a stranger. Although, to her credit, they had actually met once before.

Other things she's into now:

1. Her brother (who she refers to as "my baby john mills"). She kisses my belly and tells him goodnight before she goes to sleep. And she has a present waiting on him when he arrives (a blue blankie that she tested to make sure was up to her standards in softness). Other mom's out there have an idea about a present to her from her brother on D-day? I have read its a good idea to get the older child something from the baby so she won't feel left out. Something relevant, but we already have the big sister t-shirt and all the books. Ideas would be appreciated!

2. School. The kid LOVES school. I hear about her friends, her teachers, the playground, art time, music time, potty time, you name it, she talks about it. I have never seen a kid so happy to go to school.

3. Friends. Jake, Chappell, Riley, George, Liam, Frances, et al, are constantly on her mind, and in her conversations. Her imagination is growing too. She pretend talks to her "friends" and they respond when she is laying in bed. They are the funniest little conversations. She is starting to play pretend doctor and house. So cute. I get to be her patient and sometimes its her daddy or BeBe.

4. BandAids. The child is obsessed with band aids. We have been through a giant box of them because she thinks she needs one hourly.

5. Heaven. I told her that Maggie (dog that died back in January) went to heaven, and that she isn't coming back. This must have just now clicked with her, because she tells me all the time that Hank is sad and wants his friend back. So now, when anything is missing, (my phone, her hair bow, pink blankie, etc.) she tells me it's in heaven. That heaven must be a junky place if all our random lost stuff ends up there.

Avery got to meet and hold Mary Pace on Saturday:

I think she will be a super big sister!

Welcome to the World!

2011-10-06T13:45:00.002-05:00

Liam made his grand debut Tuesday morning. J and C are super lucky parents, cause this guy is a cutie!!! He will be stealing hearts in no time! 8 lbs, 11 ounces of love!

I made Allison take one last photo before she went to the hospital to deliver her sweet girls.
Mary Pace and Currey Elizabeth made their entrances Wednesday morning and are 6 pounds 2 ounces and 6 pounds 4 ounces respectively. I got to hold them today, and I am smitten. Seriously, my friends could not have delivered cuter babies! I just love all three of them! I can't wait for John Mills to meet his buddies!

In other news, Avery and I made Polka Dot Pumpkin muffins yesterday, and I think my little friend is going to be quite the baker (if I can keep her from eating all the batter before it gets cooked!). She loves helping dump in the ingredients.

And wearing the apron.
Special little thing. I just love that kid.

Surgery is scheduled and other unexpected news...

2011-09-29T13:55:00.002-05:00

The nurse called yesterday to schedule my c-section. Apparently, December 5th is a popular day to have a baby. She could not get me on the agenda until 12:30pm. So put it on your calendar! Normally they do them first thing in the morning. It doesn't really bother me, though. That's one last day to [attempt to] sleep in. I show up at the hospital at 10am, and before 1pm, the world will have its newest person! Now, my history is that it will not go this smoothly, but since I am an eternal optimist (who am I fooling, here?), I think this is how it will go.

However, what might throw a little kink in my plans, is my new diagnosis...

gestational diabetes.

I am not happy about this diagnosis, but when she told me my glucose number (206), I agreed that maybe it was accurate. Well, not at first. At first, I fought her on it. And rebelliously told her I would not come back in for another screening and that I wanted to talk to someone else. Funny thing about that is, after convening with Dr. Desautels, he agreed. He is sending me straight to an educational class to get some learnin' and a glucometer. Yay me.

It's not that big of a deal. But it could mean a really big baby. Which could mean an earlier, surprise, delivery. Anywho. I won't think about that now. Now, I have to focus on limiting my carbs (really hard) and sweets (not as hard) and increasing my protein (easy!) and veggies (easiest!). The best news is that cheese has lots of calcium and it seems to be pretty diabetic friendly! Wa-hoo! That's a diet I can live with!

I've got a nautical themed pashmina afghan!!

2011-09-27T14:40:00.005-05:00

Parker turned 2 last weekend. We took the boat down the river to his birthday party! (Hence the lyrical title in the words of the great T. Pain from the song "I'm on a boat".) Avery had a blast! The hayride rocked! She was such a little trooper, but was pooped by the time we left. Happy Birthday Park!!

Yesterday, we went on a Mommy-Daughter date to Chicken-Play, known by the rest of the world as Chick-fila. Either way, its her favorite lunching spot! She pitched a small fit when we left, and pitched a MAJOR one when we got home. Too much fun=a not happy Avery. I think this is part of being two. (Does it go away by three?? Holy Moly, I hope so!)

Hello? Hello?

2011-09-16T12:36:00.001-05:00

Me: Who are you calling?

Avery: GiGi. On my foot phone.

Duh.

Some Avery Stories:

2011-09-15T09:13:00.005-05:00

1. The other night, Avery saw a tiger in a store window. She pointed to it, and I told her it was "Aubie" the Auburn Mascot, who she had seen the weekend before at the season opener. She said, "Yeah, Mama, Aubie has the best job!" I was a little confused. So I asked what job he held. She said, "The walk!" Clearly someone has been talking to her about the Tiger Walk. I don't know who. But someone.

2. Last night, Avery and I were picking up Zoes for supper. She had made friends with some rather muscular looking ladies (who were super nice, but wanted to buy her some chocolate milk after I clearly stated she couldn't have any because she hadn't eaten dinner yet) who thought she was pretty cute and funny. We were all sitting around waiting on our food, and Avery kept making them laugh. But really the best moment was when she passed gas (which of course reverberated off of the plastic chair she was sitting in, oh so lady like) and then announced to everyone (kitchen staff included) "I TOOTED!!!!!" and then she said it over and over again after her audience (everyone but me, that is) giggled and smiled at her. MORTIFIED. So thanks, to the 3 or 4 important people in her life that would applaud this behavior. You know who you are. I am in massive never-let-this-happen-again mode. Avery and I had two discussions about when and where potty language is appropriate. Ugh.

3. I (mistakenly) asked Avery's teacher if she bosses around the other kids. She smiled so sweetly and said, "No, she isn't bossy, but she is very outspoken. We never wonder what she is thinking about." Not sure what Avery has been telling them, but I am sure its interesting. At least she added at the end, "But we never have any behavior problems with Avery!" At least we have that going for us.

Here she is discussing the finer points of gummy bears with me.

And here, she is helping clean the fridge. I got desperate for an activity! Mom used to let E and I "clean" (shaving cream) the appliances on cold rainy days, so I thought I would try it on a 95 degree day when I was 7 months preggo and couldn't even begin to contemplate going outside to push her on the swing. Anyway, she had fun...not as much as I remember having, but I think next time we try it, she may get more into it. The house was pretty cold, and I made her strip down so she wouldn't get her dress messy. She may have been more concerned with keeping her body temperature up than making a big squishy mess.

In honor of 9/11

2011-09-13T10:40:00.004-05:00

Thank you for your sacrifice to our country, all the men and women who served and who died 10 years ago.

I dont have much to say.

2011-09-06T11:54:00.002-05:00

Between potty training, sleep deprivation, mommyhood, wifedome, and work, I don't have a lot of time to think up creative blog posts. I am in get-it-done-so-I-can-rest mode. Third trimester started yesterday, along with the aches and pains of carrying around additional weight and the emotional strain of wondering how in the #$%* I am going to be a mom to an infant and a Dora crazed toddler who won't sleep, but shows great aptitude in a number of other areas. That was a run-on.

It's not that she won't sleep. It's that she won't go to bed 2 nights a week. For whatever reason, and it seems to differ each week. One night, she's scared, the next, she's cold and needs water. And last night, she just couldn't settle down, even after her soothing lavender bath, reading time, and rocking routine were complete. Any moms out there know what I'm doing wrong? We have got to get this thing under control before John Mills gets here!

Speaking of John Mills, he is doing great, hiccuping, dancing, and jujitsu-ing his way into my ribs and heart. I think he is going to be an active one. I meet with my new-new doctor (Desautels) in 2 weeks, and then I start the bi-monthly visits with him. Not sure if I mentioned that Dr. Sullivan and I didn't jive, but lets just say it was bad.

I got the moves Mick Jagger...

2011-08-30T10:27:00.002-05:00

Avery cheered for Peep (Pete, our next door neighbor) at his football game on Friday night. Clearly, she needed an MA cheerleading outfit, at least according to CiCi (Peep's mom). The kid is OBSESSED! She loved watching the cheerleaders dance, cheer, and build. She was imitating their moves and getting some of them right! It was joy to watch.

Here she is modeling her new outfit and practicing "two bits"!

Lately, she has had some awfully funny things to say:

1. "I'm the Avery, and we're watching Dora!"

2. "Ma! My hands are getting a brain freeze!"

3. Uncle Cam likes "cam"oflauge!

4. "Chair"ub Church because of the tiny chairs

5. "Mommy, look! It's a por-tato (tornado)!" This was while watching the water drain out of the bathtub.

play time with chaps!

2011-08-25T10:56:00.003-05:00

Avery and Chappell had a little playdate yesterday! They were in hog heaven! Activities went something like this:

1. swing

2. slide

3. sandbox

4. slide some more

5. dress up!!!!

6. Chaps gave Avery a new 'do

7. coloring

8. "chicken play" known to the rest of the world as Chick fila.

SOOO Fun!

The beauty shop (didn't get a good shot of this, but Chappell was insistent on brushing Ace's hair):

The dress up box:
Love them!!!

Houston, we have a name!

2011-08-07T15:01:00.002-05:00

After several months of debate, we finally have a name for deuce. It has been an arduous process to say the least! Drumroll, please...John Mills Williford should be here in approximately 17 weeks. This was one of the initial names we had on the table, but we had a round about way of getting there. I feel very confident that this was divine intervention on behalf of this well loved baby.

Duece

2011-08-04T11:23:00.003-05:00

The kid is growing. The ultrasound showed 2 kidneys, 2 brain hemispheres, a big fat belly, and reiterated the announcement of "it's a boy"! He is cute, and stuck his little finger up and gave his Daddy a #1 sign. TJ swears this is a sign that Bama will win the championship this year! He weighed in at 14 ounces and was measuring about a week ahead of what he is. So, my prediction of being a big boy seems to be right on target.

We have decided to go ahead with the scheduled C-section so I don't end up in the same predicament as last time with Avery. Although my dear OB, Dr. Connor, has decided to stop delivering babies. While I admire her decision to spend more time with her family (she has two young children), I wish she would have waited until Christmas. There is a new female coming to the practice that I am meeting with next visit. I am interested to meet her, and I hope I like her as much as I like Dr. Connor.

In other news, my beautiful sister in law Hannah married her long time sweet heart JJ last weekend (Avery was the flower girl-AVERY-ESK is the best word for her performance), we are hosting a baby shower for Allison tonight, TJ and I are going to Mitchell's birthday party tomorrow night, and then Laura's wedding weekend in 2 short weeks. This pregnant lady is tired just thinking about it all! Not too much longer that I will feel up to doing all this stuff, so I will enjoy it while my energy lasts! I hope everyone had a great summer! We have! Anyone else really ready for FALL??? My favorite season!!!!

Chicken Head, LuLu's, and the beach

2011-07-26T11:04:00.002-05:00

Avery had the pleasure of staying with her Daddy last weekend while Mommy went to an engagement party for Laura and a Brittney Spears concert, don't judge me. That weekend sealed the deal for Avery being a Daddy's girl! They had a blast!! He took her to the Biscuit's game, the book store (hence the chicken hat??), and played so much in the back yard, that she turned into a mosquito bite! She didn't even miss me!

This weekend, we took her back down to the beach for a work/play weekend. TJ has aquired a new property to manage down there, so he worked, and we played. Ace got to try her first strawberry daquiri (virgin for both of us!).
And, we helped Daddy pull the boat out of the water. This was down by the docks. She was very impressed with all the bait fish under the pier. It's the little things!!!

In Junior News:

We are 20 weeks now, and he is kicking up a storm! Babies at this stage are supposed to be 10 inches long and weigh 3/4 of a pound. We go Thursday to have the anatomy ultrasound, and hopefully everything will be looking good and we will get his actual measurements! My guess is that he is big! My belly feels big at least!

Deep Sea, and GiGi

2011-07-14T14:22:00.002-05:00

Avery had the pleasure of going on her first off shore fishing trip last weekend. Are we crazy, you might ask? Yes. We are. But, she loved it! Not many 2 year olds can withstand 4 hours on a boat, but she did. She had a blast! The other older girls helped. Some got sick. Not Avery. By the time we got back to the dock, she had her sea legs. Had it not been naptime, she would have been fine to keep on fishing! But boy was Momma tired. Still not sure why I agreed to go, but I am glad we did! Hopefully, lil deuce enjoyed his first fishing trip too.

GiGi brought Avery breakfast from Chick-fil-a Monday morning. You would have thought he brought her diamonds. Chicken Nuggets for breakfast???? The kid was on cloud nine! Sometimes, its the little things!
Cute, aren't they?

TJ Junior. Deuce. Peanut 2.

2011-07-01T10:09:00.002-05:00

Here he is! Cute little guy! Look at that big round head!! So glad he will be c-section!! The ultrasound tech said she was 100% sure he was a boy! Now, to find a name TJ and I agree on.

Names that are NOT on my list:

1. Davery

2. Dick or Richard

3. Tommy or Tammy (whew!)

4. Ricky

5. Randy

6. Dale

No offense to anyone who has one of these names. I love NASCAR, I just don't want to put any unnecessary pressure on the little guy. Such big shoes to fill. (I do hope you are catching my playful sarcasm at this point.) But any non-racing related names are welcome! Suggestions should be posted or facebooked.

IT'S A...

2011-06-30T19:30:00.000-05:00

BOY!!!! He is super cute and looks healthy so far! We will know more at our next appointment when we get the big ultrasound. I will post photos next week!

Gone Fishing!

2011-06-29T11:10:00.002-05:00

Avery's first day of School, plus some extras

2011-06-20T10:42:00.003-05:00

First Day of School!!! So proud of her backpack (thanks Kim for the precious monogram!).

I really can't believe she is 2.
I just downloaded all my photos, so these are from the beach a few weeks ago.
DADDY'S GIRL!!
Pretending to nap.
Hanging with Ma at the pool!
Breakfast! Look at that bed head!!

Madonna, Popcorn, and cowboy-girl

2011-06-16T14:29:00.002-05:00

Avery and I went to see Yogi Bear, her first movie theater experience last Wednesday. The movie was good, but the popcorn was AWESOME! I really don't think we would have made it through if we hadn't bought popcorn. Little popcorn sneak-er.

This is Avery trying out for the role of Mary in the Christmas pageant this year. Also known as procrastinating before bath time.
Same thing here, except for this one she told me she was a "cowboy girl". Whatever that means.
As you can see, she is growing up way to fast, but she definitely has a sense of humor. Today she told BeBe she would take a good nap, "I Prrrrromise". Yeah...right.

In other news, Junior is doing well, we find out if its a girl or boy in 2 weeks. I hope regardless of sex, that its healthy. Any thoughts on gender this time around???

Debut #2 Helicity Event

2011-06-07T11:01:00.002-05:00

Avery's Musical Debut

2011-06-07T10:00:00.002-05:00

12 week Checkup

2011-06-02T12:57:00.002-05:00

The bebe is doing well! We met with Dr. Connor this morning, and we heard the little heart beat. So cute and so fast! Everything sounds good in there! Dr. C said that we are right on track, and we will find out the sex June 30th!!! That's so soon! This pregnancy seems to be going so much faster! I swear I was pregnant with Avery for 3 years. BUUUUUUT, I may be singing a different tune by December.

In other news, we took Ace to the beach this past weekend, and she had a blast!! She had trouble sleeping, she had so much fun! There was just too much going on!

A few more photos.

2011-05-24T10:48:00.002-05:00

Here are some more from Zoo day...Avery looks like she is trying to strangle Chappell, but its all in love.

And one from Avery learning to postpone bedtime by playing dress up...this night she was "Avery the Deer Hunter".
Playing outside in the sandbox.
Avery informed me the other night, that the baby in my belly is a "brudder" and his name is "Bo". I have no idea where she got that, but I am happy that she is at least open to talking about it now.

Day at the Zoo

2011-05-18T13:57:00.001-05:00

I need a vacation from my body.

2011-05-17T13:30:00.003-05:00

The new bed worked well. She was pretty excited. See the video below!

The potty training didn't happen. I was too tired. Can I please take a siesta for the next 7 months??

9 weeks 5 days and some lists

2011-05-13T15:18:00.005-05:00

Sorry for the lapse in blogging. I have been a bit under the weather. This week has been better. As long as I eat about every 3 hours, I feel ok. If I don't, I get sick. But that's enough about that. Right now, peanut number two is the size of a kumquat, a little over an inch long head to rump. It's funny, this pregnancy seems to be going by much quicker than last time! I don't have nearly as much time to think (or worry) about it!

Avery is still pretending there is no baby coming! But she is in for some major life changes in the next few weeks.

1. She has been climbing out of the crib on a daily basis for the last 2 weeks. Change numero uno is her big girl bed. She is getting a cute little wooden trundle bed so that I can "sleep" next to her to train her to fall asleep without the confines of rails. (If anyone has a better idea, I am ready to hear it!)

2. Obviously (this should have been number one, but I am lazy), she's getting a sibling in a few months.

3. Potting training is about to commence. She has been intrigued with the potty for a while now. She will tell me she needs to go, but has just gone in her "biper". She reads her potty book, and gets really excited when it comes to the part where the little girl finally goes in the potty, and she shouts, "I DID IT!!!" with great enthusiasm. Soooo, all that being said, I think its time to drop the drawers and make it happen. I have been thinking she would just "get it." But, we've waited, and tried, and waited, and tried, and with the new one on the way, I'm looking at changing 2 sets of diapers each day. No thanks. There is a method that parents swear by, where you take the diaper and pants off and let them run naked waist down for a weekend (preferably a warm one), and every time they go, you rush to the potty, so they get to feel and see what happens when they go.

You may be wondering why do all this now???? You still have several months...

1. I am tired, but I will be more tired the bigger I get and the closer to delivery.

2. I don't want her to associate all these difficult changes with the baby, and to assign anger or resentment unduly to it.

3. I want her to be totally over the baby bed by the time we need to use it again.

4. I am not buying a new crib or changing table, nor am I carting Avery into a sleeping baby's room to change her. ( We ALL know she can't be quiet for 5 seconds, much less 5 minutes)

5. I want the new baby's room/guest room done well before I might be in labor.

6. I am a planner. What can I say?

Will all this work like I have planned??? Heck no. Will it be a start?? Hopefully!

Now for the good stuff! Avery photos (bought a new camera charger! yay!)!

This is Ace riding a lion.

This is Ace pushing her baby.
This is RoRo laughing at Ace.
And this is Ace's get-outta-my-way-you're-blocking-Dora-the-Explorer-face.

That is all.

"Him's so little!!"

2011-04-28T10:22:00.003-05:00

Avery has been diligently working on her pronouns. She can almost use them in the correct sentence structure now. However, she still occasionally misses one, i.e. " Him's so little!" (what she said about one of her stuffed animals). Throw in something that doesn't have an assigned sex yet, like our newest addition (BABY #2), and you really get her confused.

Sorry I can't figure out how to put it right side up. Not that you could really see much anyway. We are very excited about this new little person (one centimeter long on Monday with a heart rate of 154)! We won't know for a while whether its a girl or boy, but he/she is due December 12th, but will be born no later than December 5th, since we are scheduling a cesarean on that day. So, Avery's going to be a big sister! Ask her where the baby is, and she replies, "right here, in me" and points to her belly. That's all she will say though. She won't actually talk about the baby, or if she wants a brother or sister. I'm calling it "baby denial".

Amazing Ace. How Sweet the Sound. Sort of.

2011-04-19T13:17:00.002-05:00

Gingie!

2011-04-13T07:28:00.002-05:00

Avery got to meet "Gingie" from Shrek in Fairhope a few weekends ago. Enamored really doesn't describe it. She was smitten. I mean, how could a cookie get so big?? And he can talk, too??? Wow. Move over Easter Bunny and Santa Claus.

Someone once asked Avery is she was ready for a baby brother or sister. She replied, "no baby, want BUNNY!". That would be because of this little guy.
Rosemary let Avery hold her first baby rabbit, and again, smitten is the word. Who doesn't love bunnies? Any dreams Hank may have had for a friend of the canine species may have died on that day. Poor Hank. That's all I have for now. Soon to upload the video of Avery singing "Mazing Grace" (if TJ will email it to me, hint, hint).

An update.

2011-04-07T14:47:00.002-05:00

Avery and Jake have had some adventures lately. Two weekends ago, they went to the museum! That was all good and well, but the cabinets in the gift shop really made the trip! We almost couldn't get them out.

Then the next weekend, we went to Chappy's for breakfast and then off to the zoo! Avery doesn't yet believe that Mardi Gras is over. She won't take off those beads!
Avery had a little date night with Daddy last night, and they watched Pooh Bear, sang all of Avery's favorite songs (currently no. 1 is "Mazing Grace"), and read about "Lowly" the worm. I'm not sure if you remember how funny Lowly is because of his one foot, and subsequently his one shoe. If you don't, you probably didn't have a Richard Scary obsession like Evan and I did! They sent me this cute photo of their date!

And finally, what fabulous weather have we had lately!?!?! I am loving the warm air and sunshine! Avery is too, because now she can get out and play on her "pway-gwound"!

Hope you are all enjoying it as much as we are!

It's a tough life.

2011-03-24T14:21:00.005-05:00

Some days I think Avery lives in a dream world. Maybe not a dream world, but a fantasy land. Where everyone loves her, and most everything goes her way. So I edited these blackberry photos to reflect that.

Eating ice cream in her fabulous back yard (thank you Daddy!). This is her "cheese" face.

Hanging out in Fairhope with Uncle Floyd, headed to go feed the horses.
AAAAND, lounging around in the front yard, without a care in the world.

See what I mean? A very charmed life for such a little girl.

What's been happening around here:

2011-03-17T09:57:00.005-05:00

Hello again. Miss me? I have been so busy at work, that I have not had time to play on the Internet and update! Sorry! This being spring break and all, gives me a little bit of slack in the work area, since most people are not trying to view the Alley.

So, that has left time for a little AU/AL baseball game. Avery was much more interested in the dippin' dots and the playground than the game, but, let's be honest, so was I.

The one second we stood by the field instead of the jungle gym.
Friday night, we had the pleasure of a family outing to the rodeo! The little cowgirl told me before we left the house, that she did not have a cowboy hat to go with her boots. First stop after the purchase of a pink hat was to "ride" the bull.
That's a fake bull for those of you that think I have lost my mind. But wouldn't David Smith be proud. Then we watched the steer wrestling, bronco riding, and then we lost interest. I do think the singing of the national anthem was the most exciting for Ace. They turned all the lights off in the Coliseum (it gets really dark in there) and had a mini light show with horses and flags and sequins, oh my!
Then Monday afternoon with the extra hour of afternoon daylight, we played in the mud. Truly, Avery's new favorite past-time.

Avery and GiGi at the mill, after he ground his first fist-full of corn! Yeee-ha!

And, lastly a little photo montage from the beach trip a couple weekends ago.

Aren't they sweet.

It's worse than wearing sunglasses at night.

2011-02-22T14:09:00.003-06:00

She wears her heels in the yard! Even on the slide and in the sandbox. I don't know what to do with her!

Down on the Corner, Out in the Street.

2011-02-17T13:13:00.004-06:00

Earth Fare opened yesterday. We went, like idiots. It was a mad house. Avery LOVED it! They had a baby calf out front for the children to see. Avery had lots of questions.

Then they had this neat contraption set up to teach kids how to milk a cow.

She found it to be awfully interesting, too. She milked her first (plywood) cow.

It was pretty good entertainment for a mid morning in East Chase.

Oh, and the food is wonderfully organic and I am sooooo happy we finally have one, even if I do have to drive 20 minutes to get there!

We gonna pah-ty like its ya birthday...

2011-02-15T13:07:00.003-06:00

It was her 2nd birthday. She knew it. She liked the presents. She loved the cake.

Actually, this photo wasn't from her birthday cake. But it is such a funny little face, I felt the urge to post. That, and I forgot to take any still photos from her actually birthday. BAD MOM OF THE YEAR, right here.

TJ, stellar person that he is, did at least remember to grab the video camera. She looked so cute with all that hot pink icing on her face!

We have all been sickly this week, its currently her turn. I am ready to feel good! All of us! Especially with all this happy early spring weather! I love it!

Things Avery is doing at 2:

1. Telling everyone what to do.

2. Assigning ownership to everything and anything (i.e. Daddy's bed, Mommy's Hank, GiGi's "sasses"-glasses etc.)

3. Stealing the hearts of anyone she meets. (newest conquest-Rocky -but Avery calls him Robert)

4. Sliding, swinging, playing in the fort.

5. Hugging and knocking down her friends and Hank.

6. GETTING MESSY!

Avery's first guitar lesson

2011-02-01T10:36:00.002-06:00

Mister Sam came over last night! We were fortunate enough to have him stay for dinner, and he gave Avery her first impromptu guitar lesson! She was loving it!! My little musician in the making!

Avery and Riley have a date (a play date that is).

2011-01-28T11:54:00.002-06:00

I am on a proverbial roll. I have been posting like mad.

See our latest happenings below:

That was the awkward first minutes. They soon remembered how much they enjoyed each other.
This was the dress-up portion of the evening. Giraffes love strawberries if you didn't know.

So cute.

PEEKY BOO

2011-01-26T11:19:00.004-06:00

Avery played "Peeky Boo" with me last night in the car (don't worry, I was not driving).

I SEE YOU!

Snug as a bug in her sleeping bag her Great Aunt Patty gave her for Christmas! Love it!

My child, the priss pot.

2011-01-25T12:53:00.003-06:00

Hello again. It's me. Maybe we've met, maybe we haven't. I'm not really the type of gal who played princess or wanted makeup at an early age. (I do tend to overuse contractions, though.) I played in the mud, I built forts, I rode bikes barefoot. When I was pregnant with Avery, Allison swore that Ace would be a little prissy girl. I dismissed this notion as ridiculousness. Clearly, from the photo below. I was the one who was ridiculous.

Now, in all honesty, I should point out that is is entirely a fluke. She is not protesting her delicious breakfast, nor requesting a facial, but had just woken up and I just happened to catch up with her little hand posed. She loves to get dirty and climb things. She also likes to play dress up and already has a mild addiction to shoes. So I suppose she has the best of both worlds. Just like the Miley Cyrus theme song.

Please note her "art" on the calendar behind her. That's all.

I don't have much to say.

2011-01-17T15:23:00.002-06:00

So instead, I will give you something to look at.

Avery icing her back (like Daddy).

Belated Christmas photo.

Avery pushing Jake out of the mud. Atta girl.

The Stomach Bug

2011-01-12T08:52:00.005-06:00

Illness stinks. Literally. I picked up a stomach bug Monday, and felt pretty bad until I woke up this morning. Avery woke up with similar symptoms, and a smell that was undeniable. Out came the disinfectant, and the diaper cream, and things are better already. I hope TJ doesn't get it! I am about to go stir crazy though. This is day 4 of being at the house! Sunday, we came home after church and I have only left to go pick up meds(and got my nails done while waiting for them to be ready at the pharmacy) and watch the auburn game at the Godwins since. I am thinking I may need a date night after today! Hint, hint.

In other news, I got my nails shellacked on Cristin and Cameron's recommendation. So far, no chips, no wear, no tear. They look as good as they did Monday. I am really shocked. I am very hard on my hands, especially with all the hand washing I've been doing lately! [UPDATE: Nails, fail. Day 3, and 2 hours after I typed this, 2 of them had chipped completely off. Maybe it was done wrong? Going back to have them fix them!]

I have only one photo today-my babies cleaning up the front yard. Sorry the neighbors house is in this one... such an eyesore!

I hope no one else gets this bug!

the trip...

2011-01-05T14:29:00.006-06:00

So I haven't said much about our trip to Grand Cayman. It was much more commercial and touristy than most of our trips were growing up. This was a blessing and a curse. There were so many things that Avery could do, we had no trouble keeping her entertained at all! The prices were exorbitant, though. I'm talking really high. And the Cayman dollar is 1.2 to every $1 USD. So it looks like it was expensive, and yet, it really is more expensive than you think! Other than that one fact, it was an incredible trip! Dad, Uncle E, and TJ got to dive:

Avery danced and sang and sword fought with some pirates (and now all she wants to do is {pirate} dance). That's what she told me on the way home from church. Out of the blue, "pirate dance momma!". Ok, sweetie, later. We will pirate dance.
She road my suitcase throughout Atlanta, Miami, and Cayman airport. I got in trouble if the line stopped and consequently, so did her ride.
She met the "scawee berd" upon arrival, but had conquered her fears and made friends with "Echo" by the time we departed.
This one is "Romeo". Aptly named, as he is a handsome fellow and recites Shakespeare...kidding...but it sure does make this boring post more interesting.
Anywho, I am still piecing together the rest of the photos from our trip. It was glorious. I forgot how much I like to vacate.

Must do it again soon...

A photo post...dahling.

2011-01-02T15:43:00.006-06:00

I FINALLY got a new camera. Obvious.

My Thankful List and Resolutions

2011-01-01T15:59:00.003-06:00

What a year it has been. We are so blessed to have wonderful friends, family, and well, life, in general. This is my now annual list for things and people I am thankful for:

1. Avery. She is truly the best thing ever. How could I have ever known what a wonderful, special, healthy little being I was growing 2 years ago? I didn't. I couldn't. But now I do. I am more than lucky to be her Momma.

2. TJ. Thank you for letting me be crazy when I needed to be, listening (or pretending to) to me, and having faith that we would and could make it through anything.

3. Mom, Dad, Mimi, Paw Paw. You have been so helpful this year. You took Avery when we needed a date night, played games with her when we were too exhausted, and held our hands when we were sick. Thank you for the insight, gifts, and wisdom you impart on us.

4. Searcy. Thank you for keeping me grounded. Thank you for putting up with my antics. Thank you for your undying friendship in a world where it is uncommon. Thanks for humoring me when I give you advice.

5. Allison, Carolyn, Angela. Ya'll are great friends who I could not live without. Thanks for all the parties, laughs, and tears. We have been through a lot in a short amount of time! (Al-where is my mustard?? I have your hot cocoa waiting on you when you get back...)

6. Haha, LuLu, Hope, Uncle E. Thanks for helping out with Avery and loving her as much as we do! We are looking forward to Hannah's wedding!

7. I am thankful for our healthy family. Avery had tubes put in her ears in June and what a difference that has made! I have since gotten enough sleep since then, that I can actually function normally! Perhaps 2011 will give TJ some back relief.

8. TJ's business has grown so much this year. We are thrilled to have Graham, Jenny, Reg, and Trey on board! Thanks for all you do!

9. Alley Station. I love my job. For the first time I am finding balance with work and home. I am so thankful for my time home with Avery, but I love getting to go to work on a project I believe in!

10. I am thankful for new friends. Avery has made some, and so have TJ and I.

God has been so good to us. Frazer UMC is growing in so many ways, and I love where we are headed.

Now, for the resolutions:

1. I will be more involved at church.

2. I want to have a bigger garden this year.

3. I will be a better wife and mother.

4. I will learn to do something I have never done...not sure what yet, but I'm sure it will make the blog in 2011.

5. I will go to bed on time!

6. I will say "I love you" more often to the ones I love, and "thank you" when I am thankful!

7. I will be quiet more and absorb the stillness.

8. I will ask more questions.

9. I will not be a "know-it-all".

10. I will give more, and shop less(the hardest one for sure!)

Thank you to all who read my blog. You give me good feedback and let me vent my thoughts! Finally, in the spirit of new years resolutions...Is there anything you wish I would write about? Would anyone like to guest blog, and let me listen more?

Christmas Cards

2010-12-05T15:07:00.002-06:00

Ace and I had a little photo sesh last weekend at the mill. It is my goal to get our Christmas cards out early this year! I am positively thrilled with them, but I thought I would show off some of the shots that didn't make the card!

Is she cute or what??? (It helped that I borrowed Dad's camera, else we would not have had any photos for cards at all!)

Kiss my cheeks!
Look at her little toes all pointed! Allison, she may be a ballerina after all!
Searcy snapped this gem as we were about to leave.
We are shopping for a camera currently, so more shots of this caliber should be headed your way! Yay for Christmas!

Serenbe and Leaves

2010-11-16T14:05:00.005-06:00

Mom and Avery and I took Grandma on our annual trip to see the leaves change. If you know my Grandmother, you know this was an interesting trip. I will leave it at that for now. I am sure you can draw your own conclusions. We went to Serenbe, Georgia. It is a cute little farmhouse and a community in the middle of nowhere! It is truly beautiful, but not the most exciting of places. We did feed the animals on the farm including chickens, lamas, goats, sheep, horses (Ace's fave!), cows, and the largest domesticated pigs I have ever seen! One weighed 1200 pounds!

They also had these super cool in-ground trampolines that Avery and I fell in love with! I am thinking 5th birthday present! We have GOT to get one! It is great exercise with much less risk of bodily harm!
We had afternoon tea. Avery and I found a secret fort while RoRo and Ma sat around and drank tea.
But first, she took down a plate of grapes. Is it me, or does she look just a tiny bit scared of who or whatever is right across from her?
Our swanky modern loft we stayed in. You can imagine how many times Grandma said the words, "strange. weird. odd." I don't even want to discuss the Buddha statue on the sofa table (not pictured). Let's just say Grandma left feeling like all of the inhabitants of Serenbe were practicing Buddhists.
Avery entertaining herself in the stark modern kitchen.

It really was a fun trip. Grandma even enjoyed most of it. Girls weekends are nice, but I am glad to be back home with Teej. Avery and I went to the park this morning. The leaves were everywhere. I couldn't get Ace interested in the leaves, because she was waaaay to excited about the dina...sore [dinosaur] slide.Have a great week!

Zoo and first photograph

2010-11-11T12:50:00.002-06:00

Avery, Ma, and I went to the Zoo yesterday and rode the train! Ace is obsessed with trains, cars, trucks, and anything else that moves! She loves the animals too, but the train really stole the show!

Last Friday morning, Avery and I were laying around watching early morning cartoons, like we always do until it is actually light enough outside to get up (time change fixed that!). She was playing with my phone and somehow took her first photograph. See below.
Technically she did a good job. There is visual interest, diagonal lines, proper lighting, et. al. Proud Mama over here. They say to photograph what you like and know, and Ace definitely knows about her "juice". BTW, all drinkable liquid is known in her world as juice. Milk, water, she knows their proper names, but when it gets put in a sippy cup, its all juice to her.

Did anyone happen to see me in RSVP magazine this month? If so, you would know that I am a "closet photographer" whatever that means. Anywho, I digress. Ace is a marvel. I love her!

Here are some things she can do these days:

1. Use a spoon or fork with great precision.

2. Ride her trike.

3. Say "rrrrRRRROOOLLLLL Tide, Hey!" and "eagle, HEY!" which she does in her crib at night.

4. list cars, trucks, trains, and their colors.

5. count to 3.

6. say tank you mama when appropriate.

7. sing! Not words yet, but she does croon out some vowel sounds!

8. tell us when she has gone number 2 in her diaper. I guess we are on the right track to potty training? Experienced moms-Any help with this feat??

That's our life in a nutshell. TJ is hunting in South Dakota this weekend, say a prayer for his safety!

Exciting News!! (No, I'm not pregnant!)

2010-10-27T11:37:00.002-05:00

Exciting News:

I sold my camera, ya know, the one I have been complaining about since this time last year, on ebay yesterday! And I totally got more than I anticipated! I cannot tell you what this accomplishment feels like! I am even more thrilled that I can get a new one, a more researched one, now. I am debating between a new concept camera (Nikon does not have one on the market currently) that is a mirror-less SLR, and is very small and sleek OR the Nikon D3100. If anyone has any [knowledgeable] comments as to which one I should purchase, I would love the insight. Now that so many of my friends have gotten into photography, I feel like I might actually have a shot of getting a response on this! YaY!

No I'm not pregnant!:

Does anyone else find it odd that complete strangers think they know the appropriate time for me to have another baby? Ask any mom of one, and she will probably tell you that it is MUCH harder to decide when or if to have another baby than it was the first one. I love Avery, and I want her to have siblings, but is it anyone else's business when that happens? It seems everyone has an opinion, from the guy at the flower shop on Monday ("She's how old?" me-"she'll be 2 in February" flower man-"Yep, 'bout time for another one, huh?" me- incredulous blank stare), to the lady at the March of Dimes benefit dinner last night ("Take it from an old pro, wait until she is 30 months to have another baby!"), and of course all the sweet ladies in the nursery at church are ready for us to do it again. There is just so much more to it than they make it out to be!

My Concerns:

1. Can we get pregnant again anyway?

2. What if we have another miscarriage?

3. Isn't Avery enough?

4. We really want a houseful.

5. How many is too many?

6. Avery will be a spoiled brat if we don't go ahead and get her a sibling!

7. I sure would like to have Avery completely potty trained before we do it again.

8. IS there a best time of year to have a baby?

9. Is there a best time of year to be pregnant?

10. (THE BIG ONE) Can I actually love another baby as much as Avery?

11. Will Avery adjust?

12. Can TJ and I handle 2?

The answers are probably obvious to anyone with multiple children. And I probably will get on the bandwagon soon regardless of my apprehension. Thanks for letting me vent.

On a less frustrating note, here are Ace and I counting fish at El Rey last week.

Allen Law Center, Hunting, etc.

2010-10-19T11:37:00.002-05:00

Avery was as excited as her Dada that hunting season opened! She hasn't been yet, but is anticipating her debut in the woods, as any young debutante would. Check out her "I'm watching you!" face and crouch.

In other news, the Allen Law Center broke ground on Friday, named after my dear old Dad. Mom even made the photo!
Here is GiGi giving his speech to the surprisingly large crowd.
The FAM. Aunt Allison made it down from Atlanta, Roro, Eeee, Ma, GiGi, and this girl.
MiMi got Avery a lady bug costume for Halloween. She now can go to two parties, with her two outfits!

We are looking forward to Halloween, and my favorite holiday, THANKSGIVING! And yes, I just shouted that! I cannot wait for the food!

Top Ten Favorite (some new) recipes for Turkey Day this year:

1. Mushroom Bread Pudding (puh-lease send me the recipe Allison)

2. Pumpkin Cheesecake!

3. Squash Casserole

4. Fried Turkey

5. Stuffing

6. Allison's Pumpkin Tourene (sp?)

7. Sweet Potato Casserole

8. Garlic Green Beans

9. Aunt Patty's Chocolate Cake

10. Asparagus Casserole

So excited! Only 37 days to go!

The past few weeks...

2010-10-14T09:55:00.002-05:00

Have been a bit crazy around here. We went to Auburn for Avery's first game on the 2nd. She loved it!! We were tickled that she had such a good time! I think she is going to be a lover of all sports regardless of team colors! She played, sat still when she needed to, ate a stadium dog (of course!), cheered at the appropriate times, watched the eagle do his thing, and we left at halftime to accommodate nap-time. It was great! She always surprises me with the things she can handle!

This past weekend, we took the drive up 65 for Suelin and Phillip's wedding weekend. The festivities began with a Thursday night BBQ with all the wedding party. It was great food, and even better to visit with all my girls! Friday, we had the lovely bridesmaid luncheon at Chez Lulu! I am positive that the elderly lady sitting next to me thinks that Laura, J-bo, and Reba, and I are at the very least on drugs. We could not stop laughing. Between Laura's half swollen and very red eye from her allergies and the 36 ounces of coffee she consumed, she had us rolling for 2 hours.

Friday night was the rehearsal dinner, and Laryne came into town to keep Aves. She brought her new boyfriend, Courtland, who is presh!! I should point out here that Avery is now referring to herself as Ace. Anywho, they kept Ace while we went to the dinner. Some of the stories we heard about Phillip were hilarious, there are truly some comedians in his group. Of course the stories about Suelin were funny. We all knew they would be. I am currently regretting the decision to not talk. If I had gotten up to make a toast to the happy couple, it would have been this:

Suelin, I love you. You are my favorite person to catch up with, because I can get the scoop on everyone else with one phone call. Whenever anything ridiculous happens to me, I know you will laugh, and vice versa. To Phillip, be mindful that Suelin has "ailments". You will need to be her sounding board for when to seek medical treatment when:

1. her tooth is about to fall out.

2. she is nervous and is sure she needs to take imodium.

3. she is positive she swallowed a fly without using her mouth.

and God help you when she finds out she is pregnant! Best of luck to both of you. Love you much!

Ok, on to the zoo trip! Rebecca, J-Bo, Laura, TJ, and I took Aves and Raughley to the Zoo. They were super cute together!

Here is Avery feeding Raughley her snack! So cute!!! Raughley is adorable Reebs. So glad the kids finally got to meet!
The wedding was beautiful, Suelin was a gorgeous bride! Unfortuately, I did not take any pictures, nor do I have any to pirate from anyone else's blog (yet)...Thanks for the pics of the kids Reba. All in all, it was a great, but tiring weekend. I am glad to be home and back in our routine! Although, its Fair week in Montgomery, and we had to take Aves last night. She LOVED it. I have never seen her smile for so long and so big as she did on the little cars she rode around and around in (ALL BY HERSELF). TJ and I were kind of freaking out! But she did great! TJ has video that I will have to upload as soon as he sends it to me! This photo is of Avery in the pineapple under the sea with spongebob (not pictured).

Here she is riding a pony. FYI GiGi, she's gonna want one pretty soon.
Hunting season starts tomorrow, so I am sure the majority of our travel from here until Christmas will be to the farm to see Dada. Its that time of year where I get to be a single parent again! Kidding honey.

What We've Been Up To:

2010-09-28T13:41:00.002-05:00

Today, Avery is 13 days away from 20 months of age. While it somewhat saddens me that she is growing up so fast, I am also encouraged by the future for our family. Obviously, Avery is the shining star of our lives. She has been very busy lately:

1. Cheering for Auburn and Alabama each Saturday, and dressing accordingly.

2. Swimming at the Dwyers, she can go under, and is starting to figure out this whole "kick" thing.

3. Riding around the neighborhood in the stroller with Mama and Ma in the mornings, and in the afternoons she rides the ranger with Dada.

4. Playing until she drops with Bebbie, MiMi, and Ma on their respective days.

5. Learning the names of everyone in the family, now extended family, and friends.

6. Memorizing animal names and their sounds.

7. Taking great pleasure in dumping all of the UBEE eyes on the floor, daily.

8. Pooping on the potty (first time yesterday) :).

9. Reminding everyone to keep up with their shoes.

10. Trying on everyone's shoes when they "lose" them.

11. Repeating words!!!! (Remember to mind your P's and Q's around this little regurgitator!

12. She is finally sleeping through the night! You have never seen a happier Mama!

13. Protesting every time Mama changes her clothes or diaper or shoes or hair bow, or mind!!!! (She absolutely would not put on a swimsuit at the lake on Saturday???)
14. Convincing Dada, GiGi, and Bebbie that a "pop pop" is the only remedy to a bumped head, skinned knee, temper tantrum, et. al.
My little toddler is becoming her own little person. I love who she is, and I can't wait to see who she becomes! Can you tell I am feeling a bit sentimental today?

Waaaaaaater, Playground, RoRo

2010-09-16T14:21:00.002-05:00

Aves went swimming at the Dwyer's again over the weekend. She loves her swimmy floats, but loves the hose even more! Thanks to MiMi for the new sunglasses!

We went to the park on Tuesday, while BeBe was out sick. She adores the slide!!! All I heard the whole day was "side. side. sing!" Which translates to Slide, Slide, Swing!
Grandma (RoRo) is in town again this week for her cataract surgery. So Avery and I took her to get her hair "fixed". RoRo is on the left, and random woman, who thought Aves was hilarious, is on the right. Avery was obsessed with those big old timey hair dryers. Not sure what that's all about, but it made for a super cute photo!
Aves has come up with a new name for some family members:

Ama- "Ma"

G Daddy- "G.G."

Evan- "E"

Cameron- "Woonie"

Grandma- "RoRo"

MiMi, Hope, HaHa, PawPaw, LuLu all kept the same names.

She keeps it simple. Gotta hand it to her for that!

Avery has so many new words under her belt now...It absolutely amazes me. Everyday, she is saying something new! I love it, and I love her more than I ever thought possible!

Tea Party, Fire Truck, Dress Up-What More Can A Girl Ask For?

2010-09-10T13:35:00.003-05:00

Avery has had many a tea party with her Ama, who she is now referring to as simply "Ma". But this was her first with Mommy. We enjoyed a hot afternoon on the front porch with our tea, and watched the cars go by until Daddy got home. You can tell from this photo how thrilled she was. No really, it was fun! She had a real tea cup and everything! Sometimes she just won't smile on cue!

Yesterday Mom and I took Avery to Target, one of our favorite things to do on a lazy afternoon. The hard part was getting Avery dressed to go. It was Auburn's Thursday night game versus Mississippi State, so we thought it was appropriate to dress in theme. She had just gotten a super cute Auburn Cheerleader outfit from Ms. Sharon, but it was a smidge too big. So I was going to throw on the one from last year....BIG mistake. She threw the mother of all hissy fits. I am sure you can guess who won. That would be the girl with the arm cleavage (see photo).
Yay little homeless looking baby in the Tar-jey. She found that hat and microphone all by herself. Yup, a regular mic-woman. You would think with all her enthusiasm for the outfit, she would want to watch the game. Wrong. She wanted to play in her hidie-hole at Ama and G Daddys. Any guess who is in there with her??

Its Aunt Cam!!! Uncle E went to the game, so Cam, TJ, Mom, Avery, and I ate Indian (all orange foods-in theme of course)and watched the tigers try to give it away.

These next two are from this morning. Avery met Townes (My parent's next door neighbor's grandson)before our walk. There just happened to be a fire truck down the street. Hence the attention no being on the camera.
After the ambulance and fire truck were gone (say a little prayer for the elderly lady down the street), they were on to bigger and better things. Like sharing a pine cone, and saying "dog" over and over, every time "Sam" (neighbor's dog who coincidentally looks a heck of a lot like Heidi) walked by. You can imagine Avery's confusion when Sam comes by and Avery says "Heidi", and we all say "no, not Heidi, SAM."
End of Photo Montage. Wish I had some awesome music to sync it to. Like something from "Wet Hot American Summer". Do they have a soundtrack??? LOVE that movie. And no, its not a porno. Get your mind out of the gutter. If you haven't seen it, and you love quirky humor, you have got to netflix it now!

Popsicles and Omelets

2010-09-07T13:48:00.004-05:00

Avery and TJ are on a HUGE Popsicle kick right now. I have been buying the Edy's fruit popsicles, but when we ran out again, I decided I needed to get a little healthier if we are going to consume a box a week. I bought some new kind that is just frozen pureed fruit. I will give their critique after super tonight. But for now, enjoy Avery enjoying a blackberry popsicle!

I am back on the diet train again. I am so tired of dieting, but I am more tired of feeling fat. It is time to get motivated.

Day One I made an egg white veggie omelet:

3 egg whites

1/4 cup green pepper-chopped

1/8 cup red onion-chopped

1/8 cup fat free shredded mozzarella

1/4 cup organic chicken stock

1. Put chicken stock, peppers, and onions in small pan, cook until tender. Remove from heat.

2. Spray pan down with Pam.

3. Mix egg whites, cheese, veggies, and s & p.

4. Add to pan, and cook 4 minutes.

5. Flip one side over the other to create the half moon shape. Cook an additional 4 minutes, flipping half way through.

EAT!!! It was so good, and very filling!

We shall see how long this lasts!

Missing G Daddy

2010-09-01T14:22:00.002-05:00

Avery and were missing our G Daddy on Monday, so we played with his legal stickies and sent him this photo:

This is how I make dinner most nights...Avery finds anything she can to "cook". Today's special? DOG FOOD! Notice how more is on the floor than in her pot. Eh, whatev, at least we got to eat a home cooked meal (We ate cuban food, picadillo and homemade salsa with empanadas---not dog food!)
The Williford house is pretty normal these days. We are blessed to be healthy, happy, and satisfied. I am looking forward to the weekend though...Carolyn and Allison's birthday bash at the lake! Photos to come of that!

Piggy Tales and Lobster Tails

2010-08-23T14:16:00.003-05:00

I'm in love....there is something about pig tales that makes me wish I was 3 and carefree again. I don't like them on anyone over the age of 6 though. It always seems odd when girls of high school age braid, ribbon, and poof their hair for softball or volleyball games. Soccer girls do not do this. We wanted our hair out of our face, because we were serious(-ly pretentious) athletes. :)

Sorry Kara and Searcy, that's just how I feel. (I think it is probably a similar feeling that TJ has when comparing soccer to (in his opinion) the more manly sport of football.) But I digress....look how cute my kid is with piggy tales!!!!

Lacey and Justin came over Friday night for a lobster dinner. Thanks to Mom and MACOA (Montgomery Area Council on Aging), we got to partake in "THE MAINE EVENT". Twas a great day for our tummies, not so great for the little guys who got eaten. I am sad that Avery didn't get to stay up and try any lobster (we only eat it this one time a year since TJ had his near fatal lobster accident-a story which needs its own post)but hopefully next year she won't be so worn out from the day.
CLAAAASSSSY. Bibs, White ZIN, and no silverware in sight!

Avery's Half Birthday / Baby Bucket List

2010-08-12T11:30:00.001-05:00

Aunt Hannah and Ama pausing for a photo! Check the babe in the background.

Child abuse?
Chillin' out, maxin, relaxin' all cool.
Yup. That's my kid in a bucket. Thanks "E".

Bama Babe

2010-08-03T14:48:00.003-05:00

My baby is turning into a 'Bama fan before my eyes. TJ has been teaching her to "roll 'em up", and our sneaky next door neighbor threw in this gem with the other cute hand me downs from Helen.

FROYO!

2010-07-27T16:40:00.001-05:00

A little photo montage...

2010-07-15T13:36:00.003-05:00

Mimi and I took Aves to the museum yesterday. Avery loved the kids zone "Artworks", she especially loved the computers. She got mad when I tried to help her. So she colored all over my face.

Then we "hopped" into a painting by Edward Hopper (Kate- you have got to come to MMFA! you would love it!)...again, Avery is upset (in 4 seconds after this photo was shot) with me for trying to help her answer the phone! I just need to lay off with the helping apparently!
This is a few weeks back at the mill. This is what happens when TJ puts your sunscreen on for you. (or when he puts it on himself for that matter- as I am sure Ellis P. would testify to.)
7am Lake Martin-Avery has been awake for 1.5 hours at the time of this photo.
Father/Daughter go to work day. And yes...she is singing her heart out. Isn't that what you do when you put on those neat-o phone headset thingys? She is so about to drop a fist pump.
We are boring. I have nothing else to report today. Oh, but MEGHAN got engaged on Friday!!! Congrats Meggie and Fancy Lancey! That makes 4 pledge sistas getting married in the next year! So happy for all of you! Hugs and sloppy wet Avery kisses to all!

Almost 17 months!

2010-07-06T13:01:00.003-05:00

She is growing up so fast! I can't believe she is 17 months old! That is one month shy of a year and a half. She is talking up a storm if I can get her "baa, baa" out of her mouth (paci) for one freaking minute. She is teething, again...canines this time, so she is absolutely obsessed with chewing on things. Better the paci than other things I suppose. Here she is trying to call her Mimi at the lake. She was so proud of herself.

At the mill with the Allen side (plus Cam). Thanks Rosie the Great for making an appearance.
Learning to grind corn...
Stick in hair, eating a brown eyed susan, sitting in the creek. Yep, that's Avery's life.
Good shot of the waterfall behind G Daddy and little Monkey. She spent a lot of her Independence Day weekend with out any clothes on! She got so mad at me when I made her wear something! Luckily she got over it!

First Sentence?

2010-06-29T15:33:00.002-05:00

Avery said her first sentence...sort of. We took her to the Auburn water park on Saturday. She splashed and played, and we left after about an hour due to nap time! This is not the classiest place on the block, but it is exceptionally toddler friendly. Splash town has a foot of water with toddler water sports like a see saw that splashes each child back and forth, a mushroom with cascading water fall, and a slide that kids can ride with their parents. Then we checked out the wave pool, and finally the lazy river. Aves had a blast. We put her shoes back on as we were leaving, and as soon as we got in the car, she was trying to undo the velcro. About five minutes later, I look back at her, and she looks at me with very sincere eyes and says "shoes off." She repeats it about one hundred times until I finally get what she is saying and help her pull her shoes off. She was so proud that she said it and that I got it, and the shoes came off! We were both pretty pumped. Here she is with her shoes AND shirt off.

Uncle Floyd ordered Avery seconds of red Jello at Geno's at the beach. Thanks Floydo.
I do want to mention how good Geno's is, and if anyone is supporting the gulf coast this week and winds up in Orange Beach, go check it out! They have great sushi, seafood, and salads. Happy Independence Day!

Another Photo Post

2010-06-15T21:12:00.002-05:00

We went to Telluride, CO for the weekend...Eric and Eliza's Wedding. It was awesome. More on that tomorrow. So tired. Just wanted to get in a few for the mid-week slackers...

Avery and TJ at a Biscuits game a few weeks ago. Love that smile!

TJ caught two fish in Colorado...this brown trout and one rainbow.

Lastly, we went to an oxygen bar when the altitude started getting to us. Locals made fun of us, but it was pretty neat. Mine was Gardenia scented.
More tomorrow. Night!

Can you hear the words that are coming outta my mouth?

2010-06-03T11:25:00.007-05:00

I was about to post on Avery's tubes when an email came in from Ama that summed it up quite succinctly.

"One would think she is going to be a Diva except that she is not very selective in her choice of shoes-male/female,high heels, flip flops, any kind will do. Isn't it great to see our baby feeling so good after her tubes?"

Dad forwarded the following pre-op photo to Floyd who, of course, had something to say. "She even has designer hospital clothes?? What a tough life!"

Apparently there is a clinical term for what happens when children/babies wake up from anesthesia. It is called Post Operative Agitation, which doesn't sound too bad- like she might throw her bottle down to see if you will pick it up for the 10th time-but in actuality is the worst thing I have ever experienced!!! Well, not really, I'm being dramatic, but Avery totally freaked out...for 20 minutes! She writhed in pain, screamed, tried to bang her head, wouldn't accept a paci, bottle, or even tylenol, and then, as fast as it started, she fell asleep. "It's normal", the nurse kept telling us, but not convincingly enough for me. By the time we got her to the car, she was fine! Like nothing had happened. She ate her cheerios, drank her milk, and acted normally! Her naps were right on schedule (I even got her to snuggle with me for the afternoon nap in our bed! Ahh, heaven!), lunch went as planned, and then we turned Jack's BIG Music Show (compliments of Aunt Searcy) on repeat all afternoon. And here is the big kicker...Avery sang, danced, and chattered ALL DAY LONG! The doctor told us he sucked out a ton of fluid from behind her ear drum, and he said she could probably hear MUCH better now. I agree. She was happy, energetic, talkative(we may be regretting that part later! Kidding!) and back to being my sweet kid! Yay for tubes!

All the photos I have been hoarding.

2010-06-01T09:57:00.004-05:00

Avery and Cousin Taylor watching SpongeBob at the lake on Saturday. They were loving each other's company!

Playing in her jewelry box! I have been saving up costume jewelry since I found out I was having a girl. I used to love playing dress up! Check out those fab purple heart earrings. Most appropriate for Memorial Day.
Guacamole sauce...Hi, my name is Avery, and I am addicted to avocado.
Just like Daddy! She loves to help cut the grass...or what's left of it...the backyard is looking a little sparse!
Learning to share...GERMS! "Here Mags, try my delicious banana Popsicle!
BEACH!
On the way to the BEACH! Me and Ama fell asleep.
Sorry for the bra shot in this one, but I had to document Avery's first "outside-the-exit-doors-of-Walmart" ride! Actually, this wasn't at a Walmart, but at a much classier establishment...Lambert's. Home of the throwed [sic] rolls.
Me and my buddy Charlie!

Look at me! 2 Posts in 24 hours!

2010-05-19T11:12:00.002-05:00

Cameron, Denise, and I threw Mom a little birthday party(I will be discreet about which birthday for her sake, cause she is a GRANDMA now.) Regardless of her age, she still looks great! See the photo below...

It was Kentucky Derby themed, hence the julep cups, roses, and big hats! We had great food (thanks to Cam and Denise) and delicious, although very strong, mint juleps!

Yesterday, Avery and I went out to water the garden, and I made her put on her sunglasses, because it was so bright! How fly is my baybay? She is learning new things everyday. I just love that little sponge. She has been shaking her head (since I try very hard not to say the word "no") mimicking me for several days now. Its really hard not to laugh when she does it. I will try to capture it on video. She is eating well again, and taking on new words every day. She said Bible on Monday, and duck and juice are getting their suffixes added now, so it actually sounds like duck and juice rather than "duh" and "jue" respectively!
Uncle Evan will be done with his last final of his first year of law school today. Congrats on this milestone Ev. We love you! That's all today.

The beach, the backyard, it don't matter to Avery!

2010-05-18T14:05:00.002-05:00

Mom and I took Grandma (and Avery) on her annual trip. We went down to Orange Beach, and no, we did not see any tar balls. We didn't go near the actual ocean though. It was a great 2 days and I wish I had more time to stay. Avery adored everything we did! She loved the sand, and the playground at the Crab Shack, the "throwed rolls" and the train at Lambert's, and the indoor pool at the condo. She had a blast playing in the splash pad and riding the carousel at the outlet mall (see photo below for how she clued me in that she wanted to ride it!). Most of all, she was thrilled to see her Uncle Floyd and Aunt Linda and eat meatballs at Geno's. It was wonderful...even the car ride wasn't too bad. Which for us, is a big accomplishment!

Avery and Cameron at Evan's birthday dinner!
Aves playing in the backyard with Hank and Maggie. I love that little outfit!

Where the Indian shot me.

2010-04-29T11:34:00.003-05:00

When I was little, my Pa (G Daddy's father) called me Possum, and taught me a song (which I sang regularly, and still to this day don't know what it's called) that went a little something like this:

"Eighteen men on a dead man's chest, yo ho ho and and a bottle of rum." I just want you to have background info into what hanging out with Pa was like before I get to how this all applies to Avery and this photo:

Pa swore up and down that the "hole" in his belly (and mine) was where "the Indian" shot us. The Indian never had a name, I don't know if he was from India, Indiana, or the Poarch Creek Reservation, but I do know that he had a death wish for Pa and little Possum. (I think I should also point out here (for dramatic effect) that with every new grandchild, the nickname possum was passed down like a backwoods Olympic torch ceremony.) Long story short, I thought for quite a while that I was a victim of inter-racial violence and decided it would be a wonderful way to continue Pa's tradition to the future generation. And yes, she is wearing a headband of mine, and yes, she put it on herself.

In other news, we went up to the lake a few weekends ago, and of course, Avery woke up at dawn. So I took her out on the porch for breakfast. Isn't she a treasure?

I love that kid! Even at 6am!

Updates from the Homefront-Avery 14 1/2 months

2010-04-24T15:16:00.003-05:00

Busy doesn't accurately describe our past few weeks. More like an ant farm on crack and coffee. We are constantly working and moving and doing. Avery is loving school, but had some "incidents" last week. She hit Will in the face, stole Finley's blankey, and got put in time out for the first time. Eeeek. When did my kid become the bully? She is not even the big girl anymore! Everyone else has caught up! Whew. I just knew she was gonna be huge forever. Turns out, she's normal! YAY! She has realized how much she enjoys being outside with all this nice weather. Anytime the front door opens, she runs to it, and tries to squeeze out into the yard. She loves eating dirt, washing rocks in her mouth, and anything else that irritates the stew out of me. She's obsessed with the hose, picking off leaves of my best looking plants, splashing and stomping in puddles, and blowing kisses to lucky passer-byers. Here are the words she can say with some consistency:

1. duck

2. dog

3. Boo (my moms dog)

4. ball

5. uh oh

6. juice

7. bye bye

Words she says occasionally:

1. mama

2. da (that would be daddy, but she just says "da")

3. baba

4. hie (Heidi)

5. Hi

6. hot

Words we have heard once or twice:

1. squirrel

2. puppy

3. g daddy

4. flower

She is currently eating all food and has no desire to eat anything for babies. She only wants what we eat! Which is good and bad. Because sometimes I just want a french fry and she is not allowed to eat those yet. We are sticking to mostly organic and home cooked foods for her right now. She gets lean meat, fresh fruit and vegetables, and legumes or potatoes everyday. I send her food to school since they eat all kinds of processed food that I don't want her eating. It is my goal to teach her as early as possible about good nutrition. We have been watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution and it has made me even more aware of the growing problem with our diets. I think Allison has posted somewhere on her blog about this too. It is truly an epidemic. I won't get on my soapbox today, since you have heard it from me before, but I am recommitting to eating organically, locally, sustainably, and healthily. I hope you will, too.

And now, a quick photo montage of our past few weeks:

After Grant's 6th place finish in the ARCA race at Talladega and a 3rd place finish the week before at Texas. TJ and I ended up not going, but we watched both raced from the living room on Speed Channel.

Avery at the park, again. The obsession continues!
The day we took 5 neighborhood kids to Hobby Road to fish, and I almost lost my mind. You can't go from one toddler, to 5 children under 13 in an afternoon, and keep your sanity. Although TJ somehow managed to.

Swine Flu

2010-04-01T08:56:00.006-05:00

I thought this whole H1N1 thing was about over, and WHAM, somehow I end up with it. While I would never have self diagnosed this, and neither did WebMD, Dr. K guessed it right away, ordered the incredibly evil nasal swab to test, and positive it was. Fortunately, it is not as bad as I would have thought. Mostly feels like the worst sinus infection/chest cold ever. No fever, body aches are mild, so I would never have guessed it to be the flu. I texted TJ as I walked out of the Doc in the Box simply, "swine flu". Immediately, he called back (I think he thought I was joking), and his first question (which was mine as well to Dr. K) was what about Avery and I. I regurgitated the response of "cross your fingers". EEK. That's it? Cross my fingers that my little 14 month old doesn't get freakin' swine flu? Well, as I may have posted in the past, I think she has already had it. At this point I hope she has already had it.

As you may have guessed by now, I have been quarantined at home today (hence the time to blog) and tomorrow, but pending how I feel, I may be breaking out of here and headed to Birmingham for a shopping trip. Did I mention Saturday is my birthday? I would really like to be feeling good by then! Plus, I have to dye Easter Eggs and cook some stuff for Easter Lunch.

I have been holding on to some good photos of Ms. Avery since the last time I posted. Here you go:

Aves with her new toy duck.

First time to play in the sand, did I mention she LOVES IT?
At the Easter egg hunt.

With the Easter Bunny
On the boat at the lake.

Daddy fished one day last week. I thought he deserved a photo on here too.

YAY WEATHER!

2010-02-22T10:31:00.002-06:00

Can anyone be as excited as me? I heart warm weather, and yes, I know it will get cold again before the marvelous warmth decides to stick around, but I just have to begin my celebration now! We hosted an engagement party for Lacey and Justin on Saturday in our backyard. The weather was great for our setup, the party, and even our breakdown yesterday. Avery watched from her bench:

I am looking forward to the beach, and the lake, and the warm weather in general! I swear I have been a much better mood because of the sunshine on my face! I will post photos of the party later...I took a million!

Lastly, I want to wish a special CONGRATULATIONS and BEST WISHES to Suelin and Phillip!!!! They got engaged on Saturday! I am so excited for yall! TJ, Avery, and I wish you the best, and are looking forward to that wedding in October!!

Avery's Birthday Party

2010-02-09T14:17:00.002-06:00

Avery will officially be 1 year on Thursday, but we had a little pre-game party (literally, right before the super bowl) to celebrate the momentous year it has been. Not only does my kid L-O-V-E cake, she thoroughly enjoyed all the extra attention! She slept like a rock when the sugar high wore off. I am posting two videos for your enjoyment. The first one is of some of her other guests at the party, and one of her with the mostly eaten smash cake. (video would not upload, so I will try again later!)

Thank you to all who came and we missed those who couldn't be there! It has been an exceptional year for us. I love my little monkey more than I ever dreamed I could, and TJ and I are so proud of her!

In other news, TJ has merged Partners with Graham C's Source Holdings and is now a lean mean machine of real estate, land sales, and property management.

Go Shawty, It's ya Birthday.

2010-02-05T16:47:00.002-06:00

I cannot believe Avery is about to be a year old! How quickly the time has gone by! And by comparison, how long the previous 9 months were to get her here! In honor of this momentous occasion, she and I had a little photo session in Party City the other day.

Yep...I love that kid.

Her newest accomplishments?

1. Pointing to, and saying the word "duck", while looking at the lovely specimen on our mantel.

2. Using every possible item in our house as a "phone". She tries to call "dada" on her sippy cup, her brush, my shoe, the remote control, and my actual phone turned around backwards. She has all the right motions, but can't seem to figure out why no one ever talks back.

3. Tries to put her shoes on, but can't get them on just yet. Boy does she love her shoes. She says "shhhhh" for shoes, and "saaah" for socks.

4. Can sometimes point to Heidi when I say "Where's Heidi?"

5. Grew two new teeth last week for a grand total of 8.

6. Is a wonderful, beautiful sleeper!! Hooray!!! (seriously, this is the best of all, because it means that Dada and Mama get to sleep until 6:30 almost every morning!)

We are most excited about the small birthday party we are having on Sunday! It is Backyardigan themed! She loves the Backyardigans. Check them out on Nick Junior if you have no idea what that is. Photos of that to come!

My favorite time killer...I miss her!

2010-01-27T12:05:00.004-06:00

The last few weeks have been so hectic around the Williford house. I am rockin' and rollin' with the Alley, so much, that I am having trouble keeping up with laundry, dishes, and general cleaning at home, and I am missing out on a lot of special time with Avery. The other stuff I can deal with, but I hate that my part time turned full time job is cutting in on my mommy daughter bonding time. I can't keep up with the phone calls! It truly is a great problem to have though. I am not complaining about that part! But I sure to love this face:

Her latest obsession is a little statue of a lamb that Searcy and Alicia gave her (what she is holding in the picture if you can make it out). It is freaking heavy though. She just carries it around with her. Cracks me up. The other favorite object she carries is a satin blanket. That thing gets washed all the time because of the abuse it takes being drug around on the floor several hours a day! She is a funny little girl!

I know this photo is crappy...I couldn't get her to sit still long enough to get the helicopter bow on her head. It was super cute. Boo on my blackberry camera.

WARNING: this post may be boring!

2010-01-14T12:52:00.002-06:00

I have been so busy this week! I have gotten back on the weight watchers train (AKA "rehab"). I know that it is proven to work, but I feel so strange in there. Apparently, I am the only person my rehab meeting that actually cooks. (FYI-85% of the women in there are over 50) So I just find it strange that they aren't out searching for new, fun, and delicious recipes like I am! My philosophy is -If I'm going to do this torturous thing to my body, then I will at least gain some new recipes!

I also rejoined the Y, but this time as a family. I did this for several reasons.

1. THEY HAVE DAYCARE!!!! So I can get up, grab big A, and head to gym before I take her to school (She is only signed up for Mother's Morning Out, which doesn't start until 9 and ends at 3, which left me pretty scrapped for time to work out!). And, I know I am totally about to creep someone out, but I can take a shower, get ready, and fully dressed without interruption in the locker room! I think this is a revelation in the world of worker outers! Maybe everyone else has been using this system forever, but it is incredibly wonderful to me, even if I am forced to use a semi-public shower (and revert back to the days of freshmen dorms with the shower shoes!). Speaking of shower shoes, Kara- you will be proud, mine are High School Musical 3. They were the only ones that fit me at Wal-Mart. (EEEK! It must be a recession for me to be shopping at walmart-I am not trying to be a snob, but I generally feel it is important to support our local small businesses! In this case, I needed too many things in a hurry, but I digress.)

2. My parents filled in their pool last summer (bummer). It was totally wasted space! They never used it, and when Avery was born, Ama was pretty concerned that Aves might drown. Reason number two-Pool!!! We need a place to swim this summer, so, now we can do that.

3. Swimming Lessons for Miss Avery. I would like her to be very comfortable in the water as early as possible! She tries to swim in the bathtub all the time! I am hopeful she will at least master "blowing bubbles and drinking water" like her Uncle E did not too many years ago.

Not only am I on a weight loss, get in shape mission this week, but ever since our NYE party that Emerge threw at Alley Station, my dang phone has been ringing off the hook! Which is great, but Scotty and I are having trouble keeping up! And, to top it all off, Scotty is leaving us after Friday!! We are looking for a replacement if anyone knows an organized, fun, smart person looking for a J-O-B in Montgomery!

Last thing I will throw at you today: Jessica McAzar has been posting photos from high school on facebook. They are hilarious, but have got me thinking about all the dumb, yet funny sayings we used to have. I leave you with a few, and let you reminisce if you were a part, or you can ask, what-the-H-E-double-hockey-sticks is she talking about.

1. Let me see yo cubby hole. (my personal favorite, but is not meaning anything dirty, get your mind out of the gutter!) Dave Yate, Jess Mac, Big Bude, Trace Al, et al

2. That movie's off da chain! (random kid Kara and Meggie picked up late night)

3. Money over beaches. (meggie's thug bf)

4. I'm the number four stunna in the stunna club. (Roberto, AK)

I know there are more, but I just drew a blank!

Williford, out!

Hurricane Avery Strikes Again

2010-01-07T13:53:00.003-06:00

We all know Avery is an avid eater. She, like her mother and father, enjoys good food. But this really takes the cake (pun intended).

Just for clarification, that is hazelnut cocoa. I made it. It WAS a present for Allison and Michael for Christmas. I will take partial credit here for this big mess. It was after Christmas (of course I didn't deliver it on time), and the only thing left under the big ole tree. So it was easy picking for Little Miss Giant-Mess-Waiting-to-Happen. I left her sitting in the living room to grab her socks and coat, and my shoes. Literally 45 seconds, and I come back to find that! She was licking her fingers and running them through the carpet trying to get more in her little mouth. I was laughing so hard, I couldn't be mad! She was so proud of herself!

Aves is also learning new things all the time. She has learned to "click". TJ or I will make that clucking noise with our mouths and she will repeat it back to us. Pretty cute, but will probably get pretty darn annoying if she keeps doing it! That is how she woke us up one morning last week. Just clucking away. She also has added some words to her now expanding vocabulary. She said Eh-bin (Evan) last night. Uh-oh is one we hear on occasion. The Ki-kat (kitty cat) lives at Ama's house, and Mom is devastated she has said that and not Ama yet! She also has said Jay-Tee (that's what Justin has asked her to call him-another killer for Ama). Speaking of Ama, here is shot G-Daddy got of her last weekend at the mill with his big old goober of a dog, Luke.

He was trying to push her out of "his" chair. Anywho, that's an update in our world for now. I will keep you posted!

Walk like an Egyptian

2009-12-29T10:32:00.005-06:00

I shot some video of Avery walking this morning while we were getting ready to leave the house. She has been getting pretty good, but I put shoes on her and it totally messes up her balance!

In other news, we had a great, but very busy Christmas! Avery met some of her Williford relatives she hadn't seen before, and we ate a lot! Avery got a baby Karaoke machine (from me, of course!) We haven't gotten it out of the box yet, but I can already tell she has an aptitude for singing and acting a fool! Since I got my new handy dandy flip video recorder from Uncle

E, I can now upload video in a snap and will be posting some Avery performances very soon!

AND...some Christmas photos:

This is the load of toys we delivered to needy families for the Sunshine Center.

A close up of that muscle man!

Avery in our bed this morning.
And finally, another subtitled photo by Floyd.

Christmas and Commentary

2009-12-23T15:26:00.002-06:00

Obviously, this is not my commentary on the first ones. Fortunately, Floyd added his own, and is much funnier than me anyway!

Santa came early to the mill.
And here is Uncle Evan taking Avery's new paci for a test drive. He was a paci baby himself and still hasn't quite given it up yet. Here's to a great New Year's Resolution E-man.
We took Avery to the Zoo last night to see the lights, and we took our photo with a Capuchin monkey. I will try to scan that one in and post it later. Avery also met Santa for the first time last night, and that is another I will have to get on here at a later date. Merry Christmas Everyone!

Getting Ready for Christmas!

2009-12-13T19:48:00.000-06:00

10 Honest Things

2009-12-08T12:15:00.004-06:00

Thanks to Olivia, you (my readers, or whoever is left, and not totally board with baby talk) are so fortunate to get to hear 10 things about me. Let's see:

1. I love rain at night, but HATE it during the day. I also wish everyday were 85 degrees, but I love wearing winter clothes. Too bad you can't have both.

2. I used to be seriously obsessive about germs. Thanks to having a baby, I get snot bubbles rubbed into my shirt and don't notice until a stranger mentions it at the grocery store. Shouldn't it be the other way around?

3. I miss book club in B'ham like whoa. I joined an all male book club to try to fill the void. First meeting is January 14th. I'll let you know how that goes!

4. I have a bizarre fear of saying the wrong thing, and I say the wrong thing all the time!! I am not a wordsmith! Please forgive me if I have ever offended you. TJ even bought me a book called "How to Say it Best". Still, I insert my foot on a daily, if not hourly, basis. I mean well, I really do.

5. Inside Jokes make my day. ("Shut up gul, you ain't got no pants on!")

6. Loves Montgomery! Even the not-so-nice areas.

7. I have no problems doing laundry, but I hate doing dishes. I love a clean house, and my mood is usually reflective of how tidy things are.

8. I love to give baby advice, so if you have any pregnancy, baby, or otherwise strange questions, I'm your Wo-man. I will research and find out if I don't know. It makes me happy that Liv wants more!

9. I love my job! I have time for TJ & Avery, me, and work! I wish everyone could know this feeling!

10. I love acronyms. Seriously, my favorite is USAMRIID (Unites States Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases) Yea, I know, I am huge dork.

And, I am going to add an 11th one, since I just thought about it.

11. I hated being pregnant, but I am ready to do it again! (Hold your horses, there is no baby on the way yet, but when the time is right, I will endure the torture all over again, to get a product as wonderfully messy, time eating, sleep destroying, perfect baby Avery.)

What Happens When G Daddy Babysits:

2009-12-08T11:54:00.003-06:00

The Mill and Thanksgiving

2009-12-04T17:32:00.003-06:00

Dad's Mill Project is almost finished. So close that we stayed there over Thanksgiving. Here are some photos:

The Update:

1. Avery can WALK! I am so proud of my kiddo. She is learning and growing so fast! And now, I don't get to sit down. I chase her all over the house!

2. Christmas Tree is up! Yay me for making that a priority!

3. Getting back on Weight Watchers didn't happen. No surprise here.

4. TJ is hosting Justin's bachelor party at Clearview this weekend, so Avery and I are on our own.

5. I am boring these days...sorry for this pathetic post. Maybe I'll be more inspired tomorrow.

Hiatus Over!

2009-11-20T10:06:00.003-06:00

Sorry for the delay. We had our first official event at Alley Station last night. Here are some photos of the finished product. Call our office if you would like a tour! 334-277-1077 or go to www.alleystation.com

Avery is doing great! She finally got over the stomach bug she had, and is scooting all over the place. She will probably be walking soon, as she can pull up and let go, but no steps have been taken yet. She is eating finger foods and has said Mama, Dada, Baba, and she is positively obsessed with her stuffed penguin that her Great Aunt Patty gave her. She hugs it and tries to kiss(stuff the whole thing in her mouth)its beak. It gets a big smile out of her every time! Here is some photos to hold you over until I can take some more!Maybe I should have led with this one:

New Camera has Arrived!

2009-11-12T17:22:00.002-06:00

Be looking for new and updated photos, as my "new" camera came in today! Get ready for some 9 month pics!

Aves has been sick for the last week, and I have been crazy at work, so I will be back to blogging soon, I promise!

I was right.

2009-11-03T12:50:00.004-06:00

Guess who got another tooth, and messed up her sleep schedule? That's right. My little strawberry. Lucky she is back on track now.

Here are some of the photos from the Anne Geddes dress up party:

This first one cracks me up. I edited it to be an old movie still. I love that you can't tell if Avery or Riley made Jake cry, but now they both want to help him! Love those three little musketeers.

Grrrrrr.

2009-10-30T17:01:00.003-05:00

My little lioness:

Mimi got Aves this outfit, and I love it! The bow cracks me up.

I wanted to post Avery's schedule at 8 1/2 months so that for the next kid (hopefully) I will have something to compare to. So this is really for my own benefit, but feel free to read anyway!

7:00 wake/6 oz formula bottle

8:30 breakfast (oatmeal & fruit or yogurt)

10:30 6 oz formula bottle

1:00 lunch (vegetable)

2:30 6 oz formula bottle

4:00-6:00 nap

6:00 dinner (meat & veggie or pasta)

6:30 bathtime

7:15 night night bottle (4-6 oz formula)

7:30 bedtime

Shew... that seems like a lot of eating. Love that kid. She is so sturdy.

Sleep is Good

2009-10-28T12:19:00.004-05:00

So I had a dream the other night that Avery got her top teeth in (we knew she was teething in real life anyway) and they were HUGE! I woke up terrified that my baby was going to be the kid who gets made fun of because of her gigantic buck teeth. So over the weekend, we really began to get a peak at those little teefers peepin' through. They are perfectly proportionate to her head (whew!), and should be fully visible in about 2 weeks. Which is great. She won't be able to sing that annoying song about "all she wants" for Christmas. So that is a total of 5!!! I still don't quite know how she went from a baby to a kid who can almost walk and can totally bite your arm off in like point 2 seconds.

In other news, we went to the Grand Opening Celebration of SaZa's in Alley Station on Monday night. Avery did not get to go (thank goodness, because it was crowded and we stayed out late!). Did anyone happen to see me on the WSFA giving tours of the Ballroom? G Daddy was on there too talking about the scope of the project. I made the camera man promise not to put me on the news, so thanks for honoring that there Buddy. Anywho, SaZa's is now open for Lunch and Dinner, so go check it out. The pizza is delish. Here is the link: SaZa's.

The title of today's blog is all about Avery learning to self soothe at bedtime. Yes, we are re-Ferberizing. I swear we have to redo it once a week, because something happens and destroys everything she has learned. I suppose that is what parenthood is all about; adaptation, growth, and re-adapting when necessary. (Kara, did I use that semi-colon correctly?) I digress, she has once again taught her self to sleep, and now I am going to get overly excited about 2 nights in a row of good sleep, and then tomorrow night, she will get a cold, or another tooth, or whatever, and we will be back to square one. But for tonight, I am loving my sleep. She slept until 8:15 this morning. It is a beautiful thing.

AAAAND, lastly, a little Avery to make myself happy. That is a flower pinned to her head. Love. It.