3 Month Photos

A few weeks ago, we had Avery's 3 month photos taken. She wasn't the most cooperative little girl that day. We think she has started teething and that just happened to be one of those days that it bothered her. Here are a few shots from that day. Laurel Pankratz always does a wonderful job despite the situation! You can check out more of her photos at http://www.eilasblog.com/.













My sister made this super cute ruffled diaper cover and flower headband for Avery. You should definitely check out her blog http://littlesprinklesoffun.blogspot.com/.

Avery's 1st Easter

Avery and her new friend Jeanie the Giraffe

4 Months

This past Monday, Avery turned 4 months old! I can hardly believe it! She is growing so fast.
Here are her 4 month stats:

Weight — 11 lb. 4 oz.
Height — 23.5 in.

If I could use one word to describe Avery, I would use the word STRONG. Not only is she strong-willed. (I think she got this from me.) But Avery has really good muscle tone. Her sitter, Sarah, always says that she is going to be a gymnast. I guess we will see. Here are some examples:

Whether she is sitting in the swing or laying on her play mat she is constantly trying to pull herself to a sitting position.

When she is sleeping she often turns 180 degrees. Somehow she scoots her little self around; we call her our little Houdini. One time she even tried to escape from her gown.

She NEVER rests her legs. They are always up in the air or in motion. Matt and I wonder if she is going to be a swimmer. She makes some BIG splashes in her bath tub every night.

She has been doing push-ups lately when laying on her tummy.

She can stand on her two feet (straight as a board) when held upright.

When the girl gets mad, she uses those muscles to straighten herself out so that you can not do anything but hold her.

In the last four months she has brought such joy to our lives with her smiles, laughs and sweet personality. I now can't imagine life without her.

Marathon

I feel like I am in the midst of a race right now—a marathon to be exact. Slow and steady wins the race they say. But I seem to be running at full speed—stopping only to catch my breath for a second. Will I cross the finish line or have to stop because my legs turn to jello and can't hold the weight any longer?

So, this is my season of life right now. Today I completed my second week of being back at work since my maternity leave ended. It hasn't been the easiest of transitions. Actually, it is much harder than I expected it to be. I really got used to my role as a wife and mother.

Most of you know that I am a 1st grade teacher. I had only been teaching for one year before I had Avery. Prior to that I worked in children's publishing at LifeWay Christian Resources. During my last year and a half at LifeWay I went back to school to get my Master's of Arts in Teaching. That was a marathon too! I worked 40 hour weeks and went to class all day on Saturday during that time.

Many people who don't understand the education system would say that my job is easy. I mean, I get off on all the major holidays and eight weeks in the summer. I used to be one of THOSE people! :) But, my job doesn't end at 3:30 when school is over. No, especially now when I use my breaks to carry out my "mom duties." I still have stacks of papers to grade, conferences to prepare for, evaluation paperwork to complete, lessons to plan, supplies to gather, construction paper to cut for those cute TN state symbols hats that the kids will make, brainpower to figure out how to get this or that student to master all 50+ standards before the end of the year, parents to communicate with, things to rearrange so that the classroom is more functional, field trips to coordinate, papers to file, and the list could go on.

And then ... find the time to be a good wife and mother ...

Forget the housework, grocery shopping, laundry ...

This is my season right now. It isn't an easy one. And yes, there will be more like them I am sure. I do love that I get to be a part of teaching 17 seven-year-olds each day how to read, how to treat one another, and to motivate them to love learning. But, I miss being able to love on Avery and help her learn, see her smiles, and hear her giggle.

This marathon will be over soon (8.5 weeks to be exact). Then I can catch my breath. Be still before the Lord. Love on Avery. Spend time with my husband. Live. No running. None.

A Butterfly Surprise

Last week Avery received a beautiful butterfly quilt in the mail. It was made by a long-time friend of Matt's family, Marcie Thompson. Avery has already enjoyed snuggling with it!













Isn't it beautiful?! Marcie even included Avery's name, birth weight, height, and place of birth on the quilt. I am always impressed with those who have the patience to make something like this with so many details. I know Avery will treasure it!

A Visit From Mimi and Pappy

My parents were in town this weekend to see Avery. They usually come on Saturday and leave on Sunday, but Matt and I were without a sitter on Friday and both of us had to work. So, they came a day early to keep Avery! Lifesavers! They stayed until Sunday and spoiled both Avery and her parents (Matt and I). My mom cleaned, graded papers, and did tons of other things to help out. My dad repaired some things on our car. (The car that desperately needs to be replaced with another one very soon!)

Matt and I actually went on a date Saturday night. It included both dinner and a movie. That is a big deal because we have never been away from her that long at the same time. It was fun.

3 Months and Lots of Fun

This past Friday Avery turned 3 months old. She is so much fun these days. She smiles a lot, coos a lot, has learned how to laugh, and really wants to roll over. Her favorite spot in our whole house is the changing pad on her dresser. She LOVES it up there and calms down almost immediately if she is upset. She has also been developing some really strong abdominal muscles. If she is in her swing, she tries to lift her upper body forward. I am certain that she is going to be on the move and hard to keep up with!


















This past weekend we tried out her Bumbo seat for the first time. She did a good job for a minute but is not quite ready for it yet. I think she liked it though.


















I love watching Avery and observing how she is growing and changing each day. I think that is one of the hardest things about returning to work. I just feel like I am going to miss out of those little bits of sunshine! Mrs. Melinda (one of Avery's sitters) has been writing down their daily activities. I LOVE that. It just makes me feel like I haven't missed out on as much of her day. But that is for another post. Maybe I will entitle it "The Challenges of a Working Mom."