Merry Christmas to All

Our little Avery must have been a very good girl, because Santa brought her all kinds of goodies today. Here are some highlights from her first Christmas.

Christmas Morning

Avery's New Baby Doll

Dada's Christmas Present

You're a New Mom at Christmas When...

... you wait until the last possible moment to put on your party dress for fear you'll get spit up on.

... all you want for Christmas is a long winter's nap.

... you wrap presents, knowing full well the baby will like the wrapping more than the present.

... Christmas is better than it's been since you were eight years old.

Visiting the tree at the Hotel del Coronado

Makin' nice with the big guy

Holiday shopping with our friend Lexi

Back to Work

I’ve had my share of adventures. I’ve traveled through jungles and forests, deserts and canyons. I’ve slept in castles and in tents. I’ve had sushi in Japan, kava in Fiji, Guinness in Dublin, pasta in Tuscany and coffee in Costa Rica. I’ve seen the Crown Jewels, the Faberge eggs, and the fireworks over the Potomac. I’ve shopped on Rodeo Drive and met cowboys in Texas. I've kissed the Blarney Stone in Ireland and a pair of dice in Las Vegas. I’ve been serenaded by a Venetian gondolier, a chorus of rain-forest dwelling animals, and an Englishman in a London pub. But none of my adventures have been as challenging, as rewarding, or wonderful as the past six months I’ve spent being a mom to our beautiful baby girl.

Day at the Zoo

Avery loves the zoo! Here are some shots from our trip today.

Happy Half-Birthday, Baby!

Avery is six months old today!

Maybe I Should Start a Franchise

Our living room has become a baby Curves. Just walking from the hall to the front door requires deft maneuvering through the circuit course created by Avery’s Exersaucer, Baby Einstein gym, Johnny Jump-Up and cradle swing.

Now that Avery’s nearly six months old, she craves constant sensory input. So I spend a lot of time at home shuttling her from one apparatus to the next, frantically folding laundry or putting away dishes before she reaches the limits of her 30-second attention span and starts fussing in protest. It actually works out great. She has fun, I get the house clean, and we both get plenty of exercise.

Little Stinker

Avery had a great Halloween, trick-or-treating through her dad's office, our neighborhood and at her grandparent's house. Everywhere we went, people said, "What a cute little stinker." And they were right.

Bouncing Baby

We're pretty sure Avery's going to skip crawling altogether. She wants to stand (with our help) all the time. And she may skip walking and go straight to dancing. Check out the little tap dance she did this morning while hanging out in her new Johnny Jump-Up.

Ready for Halloween

Avery wouldn't swallow her teething tablets this morning. I think she's trying to tell me she wants to go as a vampire...

Something to Smile About

When Avery's happy, she smiles with her whole face. She sticks out her tongue, her eyes light up, and her little dimples appear. And when she's really tickled, she laughs with her whole body. She kicks her legs, waves her arms and flashes her little toothless grin. But as of today, that toothless grin is no more. She has her first tooth, and that gives me and Michael something to smile about.

The Little Things

I woke up this morning with the imprint of a teething ring in my cheek, and vowed to check the bed more thoroughly for toys before laying down tonight. As I shuffled toward the nursery, I could hear the baby already awake in her crib, farting and laughing. And as I looked down at her little face smiling up at me, I thought to myself, "Man, being a mom is awesome."

Pumpkin

Last weekend we headed to the pumpkin patch at Bate's Nut Farm, an annual Simcox family tradition we've been enjoying as long as I can remember. Here are some shots of our little pumpkin at the patch.

Such a Big Girl

I hear it all the time. "They grow up so fast," other parents say to me, looking wistfully at Avery as though they can see their own babies in her stroller. And yet, the pace at which Avery is changing still amazes me. She reaches new milestones seemingly every day.

This week's milestones included rolling over (she can now flip from her back to her tummy faster than you can say "wiggle worm") and eating solid food for the first time. Granted, the solid food was runny rice cereal, but it was the first time she ate from a spoon and it was a pretty big deal around our house.

So yes, I know she's going to grow up fast, but nonetheless I find myself wispering in her ear from time to time, "I love you my little baby. Don't grow up too fast now."

I'll be crawling any day!

Best Seat in the House

It's little. It's green. It's squishy. It's Avery's new Bumbo. And it's her favorite seat in the house.

Baby's First Football Game

It’s Sunday afternoon and the leaves on the trees are just beginning to relinquish their green to tones of amber and scarlet. At our house, that means one thing: you can find Michael and me plopped on the couch, watching the game. Our little Chargers girl donned her team onesie for today’s season opener, an outfit which I’m pretty sure consists of exactly the same amount of fabric as an actual Chargers Girl uniform. And, as the Panthers scored a final touchdown in the last two seconds of the game to beat the Chargers 26 to 24, Avery learned the first rule of being a San Diego sports fan: despite the fact that they inevitably lose, we always, always root for the home team.

California Girl

Michael has always said that one of his reasons for moving here from the Midwest was that he wanted his children to experience all California has to offer. So it was with great pride and excitement that he dipped his new daughter's toes in the Pacific Ocean for the first time last weekend. Grandpa Joe and Grandma Linda, visiting from Idaho, were on hand to witness the momentous event, just one highlight of a great weekend spent enjoying the sights of San Diego.

Little Cutie

It's not like I don't realize that every mom believes their child is the sweetest, cutest thing ever. But when Avery and I were in the back yard enjoying the fresh air the other day, I couldn't help but think that in my case it's actually true. I mean, really. It made me want to sop up her cuteness with a sponge and bottle it and save it for later, like when she's a teenager and not acting quite so cute. I did the next best thing; I grabbed my camera.

Planes, Trains, Automobiles and Strollers

We returned last week from Avery's first summer vacation, a trip to visit Grandma Lynn and Grandpa Rich in Wisconsin. She did great on the planes, sleeping almost the entire time. And she was fascinated by all the people and sights in the airports.

Mercifully, Avery reached an important milestone on the trip -- her first time sleeping through the night. I awoke feeling better than I have in two months. While it has only happened one time since, I'm encouraged to think full nights of sleep are right around the corner.

In the end, it's tough to tell who enjoyed the trip more. Avery and her grandparents loved visiting with each other, and Michael and I got some much-needed rest (and a couple jumps off the rope swing).

I'm Losing Sleep

It's difficult to quantify the depth of exhaustion I've experienced over the past two months. But it's been worth every minute of lost sleep, especially when I get to take naps with Avery and wake up to this.

Our Nest Is Complete

It's been a little busy around our house lately. I've been meaning to post pictures of the completed nursery for a while, but haven't gotten around to it until now. Here are some shots of our cozy little nest. With the arrival of our beautiful little chick, it's now truly complete.