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.