Knierim Family

McWane Science Center

2012-01-10T19:38:00.000-06:00

We received money to go toward a membership to the McWane Science Center for Christmas for the girls. We went today to check it out and sign up for our membership. It was Matt's last day before he starts back for the spring semester, so he got to come, too. The girls really enjoyed it. Even though there aren't any pictures of Ansley, she really enjoyed herself as evidenced by the two hour nap that she took afterward.

Avery thought most of the exhibits and hands-on things were really cool. Here she is with Matt making really big bubbles. This was really fun. They even have a place for you to stand and get inside of a bubble!

This was a floor that lit up and you could play a game on it. We never quite figured out what you were supposed to do, but Avery couldn't have cared less. She thought it was so fun!

And the Touch Tank...a big hit for everyone! They had rays and mini-hammerheads to pet. Avery squealed with delight every time one passed that she was able to touch. A few times, I thought that she was going to jump in the tank herself.

There was a water table to play with, too. She spent a lot of time here. These kind of things really test my patience as a parent watching other kids and their parents interact. Avery doesn't go to preschool yet, and Ansley is just now getting old enough to take things from her, so she's not quite sure what to do when kids take things from her. When it happens, she stands completely still and looks at me with these puppy dog eyes and her face reads "why would he/she do that?" Of course the other parents don't do anything about it...thus my patience issue. I'm not sure what, if anything, I'm supposed to do about it. I mean, I know what I do if Avery takes something, but what do I do when my child is constantly the one having things taken from her?? Ok, enough of my soapbox...moving on...

This was a place where Avery could squirt here daddy with the water guns...again, a big hit!

Thanks, Papa, for helping us enjoy McWane for the next year to come! We had a blast!

Roll Tide!!

2012-01-10T18:43:00.000-06:00

In case you didn't know, The University of Alabama recently won its 14th National Championship. And, in case you didn't know, we say "Roll Tide" in our family, so it was a pretty big occasion. The girls got new Alabama jerseys prior to the game (they've never had jerseys, just cheerleading outfits, tshirts, or little custom outfits). I have to say, they were adorable in them! Avery had dance class on Monday evenings, so the Monday of the Championship game, she wore her jersey over her leotard to dance class and thought she was big stuff. Here are some pictures of the girls during our little at home tailgate party....

(This last one is my favorite)

Bath Time Fun!

2012-01-09T20:24:00.000-06:00

My kids have always loved the bath, and they still do. I used to do quite a few posts about bath time, and I haven't done one in a while, so I thought it was time :)

Sweet sister kisses in the tub. Ansley is still in that sweet age where she kisses with a wide-open mouth.

Aerial shot of the girls playing in the tub. They really do have so much fun.

Accidental artsy shot...

Love these sweet blue eyes....

And this sweet little smile....

Ansley is standing on her own now...even in the bath tub!

This was too funny to me....this is what I got when I asked the girls to say "cheese" to the camera...haha!

CHRISTmas Overview

2011-12-30T08:57:00.000-06:00

We have had a great Christmas this year! Despite Lauren having to work over the Christmas weekend, we have enjoyed our time during this Christmas season. I think that one of the main reasons why this Christmas was so special was because Avery seemed to understand a little bit more about the "reason for the season" this year. She knew it was Jesus' birthday, and would tell us that "Santa brings presents, but Jesus bring eternal life." It was also Ansley's first Christmas, and we have been fortunate to have children in the spring so that they are at what we consider the "fun age" at Christmas (although we don't know any different). Our Christmas schedule changed a bit this year, and we did not make the trip up to Nashville. Instead, my family came down and stayed with us at our house. It was so nice having family here during the holidays...we could just wake up, and they were already here; we could stay in our pjs all day and never had to get in the car. We missed our Nashville cousins, but we are looking forward to seeing them in a few weeks! Another holiday schedule change had to do with Lauren working over the holiday weekend...Santa visited our house on Friday night (a night early). Our Nana came over Friday night, and we exchanged gifts with her. Santa came Friday night, so Saturday morning was full of opening presents. Lauren worked Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and then our Nashville family came in town and stayed with us through Thursday.

"All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth"

Ansley received her two front (bottom) teeth (finally visible in pictures...if you squint) just before Christmas arrived.

We went to the Zoo Light Safari Friday night...another holiday tradition in our family. After the zoo, Avery wanted to eat at Tazikis---nothing says Merry Christmas like Greek food :)

So proud of herself after just putting out the milk and cookies for Santa.

Saturday morning after Santa had come...first look at all of the presents. By the way, I absolutely LOVED their matching Christmas morning pjs this year! Also, we Santa had divided the presents into a side for Avery and a side for Ansley (big girl presents and little girl presents). Ansley's side was on the right side of the picture and Avery's side was on the left. I think that Avery played with Ansley's "baby" toys for hours before even starting to play with her own. One of the many funny moments on our Christmas morning was Avery coming downstairs, just staring at all of the toys, and then exclaiming, "Hey! That puppy dog (talking about the Laugh and Learn Puppy in between A&A in the picture) is from Target!" ~~We are~~ Santa is going to have to be more discrete about shopping next year!

Certainly a highlight of this Christmas was Avery receiving Woody and Buzz from Toy Story (a ~~movie~~ trilogy that she has been obsessed with for the past little bit). She's sitting on a green blow-up dinosaur from my aunt to Ansley that she decided was Rex from the movies. We also have Mr Potato Head, a regular slinky that she thinks is Slink from the movie, a small Little People pig that she calls Hamm from the movie, a baby rocking horse that she calls Bullseye from the movie, and I'm sure there are other characters that she plays with that I'm unaware of. Woody and Buzz have now joined the ranks of Lovey in the bedtime line-up.

Ansley got this little bee from Gigi and Skip, and she loves it. She likes to sit in it, she likes to push herself backwards in it, and she likes to use it as a walking toy (although it moves pretty fast and sometimes she ends up doing the splits). It is the compliment to Avery's Cozy Coupe. This summer is going to be so much fun when we can move this party to the driveway!

Another toy that Avery is obsessed with is this kid-friendly digital camera that she got from my grandmother. She has been taking pictures of everything...luckily it holds 2000 pictures! Please notice the Toy Story rug that she is sitting on...another present to feed to Toy Story obsession this year! Thanks, Gigi and Skip!

We hope that all of you had a very Merry Christmas with your family and friends. We are truly blessed beyond measure and are overwhelmed, especially this time of year, with gratitude and joy.

Callaway Gardens

2011-12-21T06:44:00.001-06:00

I just upgraded our blog stuff, and this is the first time using it, so please look the other way at mistakes!

We went to Callaway Gardens in Georgia last week to stay the night and see their Fantasy in Lights. Huge success. The Fantasy in Lights involved riding a Christmas trolley through the park that was decorated in all kinds of lights. Both girls loved it and wanted more when the one-hour ride was over! Of course, we took no pictures that night, but it was perfect. Our ride started right at sunset, so we got to watch God's light show first. The weather was perfect, a little unseasonably warm actually. And, if you want pictures, maybe you could find out who the people were who sat behind us; they took pictures of every light bulb, I believe--full flash photography (I was more blinded by their flash than the bright lights of the exhibit).

One of our goals while at Callaway was to try and get some sort of Christmas card picture. I had literally taken over 600 pictures since Thanksgiving in various Christmas outfits and only had one that was a possibility. Needless to say, I was OVER getting a Christmas card picture. The issue is no longer getting them to sit together, it's getting them to look at the camera at the same time while looking somewhat pleasant. See example below....

(And yes, it did cross my mind to just use this picture and say something about being naughty)

Another big hit was the butterfly exhibit. On that particular day, the butterfly count was 4000!! Avery and Ansley enjoyed seeing them all fly around and play hide and seek. Outside they had one of these....

(One of Avery's highlights from the trip)

We tried to get a picture of the two girls together in it....this was the best we could do...

And then it happened....a Christmas card photo op. No Christmas clothes, no bows, no brushed hair, no Christmas backdrop, dirty mouths, sweaty hair, etc. But we got one, or at least a version of this is what ended up representing the Knierim family this Holiday Season (see the current picture at the top of our blog).

After taking a "hike" as Avery called it (probably about 1/2 mile), the girls agreed to pose with Mommy for a picture.

Sweet Avery....Daddy trying to get fancy with the black and white :)

An early attempt for a picture, but pine needles are just too much fun to even think about looking at the camera or not throwing them or eating them....

Sweet Ansley...always so content

Ansley is 9 Months Old!

2011-12-14T06:02:00.003-06:00

It's hard to believe that this little bundle of joy turned 9 months old on the 2nd of December (late post, I know)! She is growing up so fast! I love watching her learn and grow...she's a smart little booger!
We went to the doctor for our 9 month check up, and she was right on target. However, our little chunky monkey isn't so chunky any more! She has slimmed up, and we can tell. Our doctor reassured us that everything was fine and looked great. She actually did better with the shots that with the stethoscope...ha! Here are her stats:
Weight: 17 pounds 7 ounces (30th percentile)
Height: 27 1/2 inches (60th percentile)
Head: 30th percentile
Here's what she can do at 9 months:
-cruise around without any effort
-stand on her own (if she doesn't realize it)
-feed herself finger foods
-drink from a sippy cup
-clap
-says a few simple words, but her first word was definitely "uh-oh"
-cut her first two (bottom center) teeth two days ago
-transitioning to two naps per day rather than three
-has started waking up early in the morning...ugh!
-loves taking things out of boxes, carts, baskets, etc
-loves anything with little buttons to push
-interacts with shows
-no allergies so far and we've pretty much tried everything
-loves her sister so much
-thinks everything is funny
-loves using the puppies as jungle gyms
-has started to show a temper when she's redirected...yikes
-can climb up the stairs all by herself in about 10 seconds...she's fast!
-has started becoming a little clingy and wants to be held more
-prefers food over the bottle
-loves the bath still
-hates the first two minutes of being in her carseat still
-loves all of the Christmas decorations

Here she is with a new finger food...eggs! A success! What an easy breakfast food! Scramble an egg, dump it on her highchair tray, and let her go to town...
She thinks she's big stuff when she uses a sippy cup. Right now we're just doing water from the sippy cup, but she's enjoying that. Water is still one of her sister's favorite drinks, so hopefully the good ole, budget friendly water will be a hit for Ansley as well.

She really likes getting into tight spots and getting stuck. Any barrier that we set up stands no chance against this persevering baby! She loves to climb...through, over, or under!

Have I mentioned that she LOVES table food and is the happiest when eating it? You can tell that she is just so proud of herself! Here she is enjoying some peas...yummy! Any ideas for finger foods for babies?? I know it hasn't been too long since we've been at this stage with Avery, but I can't seem to remember!

Happy 9 Months, Ansley!

Good Morning, Sisters!

2011-12-05T16:08:00.002-06:00

The girls stayed in Nashville with my parents for the week following Thanksgiving, and I picked them up on Friday. I had big hopes and plans of attempting to get some Christmas cards photos the following morning before going to work, but we spent it being lazy in our pajamas instead. Here are some pictures to enjoy....

Ansley:
Oh, and another reason why we postponed the photo shoot is because Avery ran full speed and crashed into the corner of our piano bench Friday night right before bed, and it left this on her poor little face (can you tell it's swollen?)...

Then we thought it would be fun to put the girls on the little church pew and try to snap a few pictures of the two of them together (expectations not set high since I haven't gotten a picture of them "together" before). There was mainly a bunch of talking to each other rather than looking at the camera as well as paci swapping and playing with loveys. But, the fact that there wasn't screaming or crying, I was overall pleased.

Then we started playing a game. I would ask Avery, "can you put your ear on Ansley's ear?" or "can you put your cheek on Ansley's cheek?" It worked very well as you can see below. Of course, Avery has that shiner on her cheek and both have pacis in their mouths and Avery is doing something weird with her lip, but this is the "first" picture that I have gotten of the two of them together....woohoo!!!

While the Kids Are Away....

2011-11-29T14:16:00.003-06:00

....the elves will decorate!

Christmas is one of my favorite holidays for many reasons, but one of those reasons is definitely the decorating! I love pulling out my totes year after year and seeing old decorations full of memories and new decorations that are like a new present! The girls stayed with my parents for the week after Thanksgiving, so I have gotten to decorate without worry! The plan was to have the girls come home to a fully decorated house, and so far so good! Below are a few pictures of our winter wonderland in progress. Enjoy!

The fireplace...complete with a stand next to it for cookies for Santa (this is our first year to do Santa!). I love the hanging ornaments--you will be able to tell as most of the rooms in our house have ornaments hanging.
Another wall in our living room. The big star in the middle will probably go away for the Christmas season...he's a normal decoration in the room, and I think that the Christmas stuff is starting to take over! See, more ornaments :)

Dining room chandelier with my Snowbabies hanging from it. Still working on the dining room table and the buffet/sideboard.

Christmas explosion in the kitchen...

And, thank you, Pinterest! Another great Christmas DIY decoration featured on our front porch! I love our wreath snowman! He goes so well with the window wreaths.

Just another view

I love Christmas decorations! The only thing that I don't like about Christmas decorations is their short lived life. I wish they could stay up longer!

Thanksgiving

2011-11-28T20:42:00.004-06:00

We headed up to Nashville for Thanksgiving this year, and while we were there, we continued a tradition of going to Opryland to see the Christmas lights. This year Avery was really into it. She carried a pretend camera with her to take pictures of all the festivities. Here she is in front of the giant Christmas tree, just like in years past.
This was the best shot that we got of the girls together. Ansley wasn't so sure about standing up against the rough brick, so she sat down instead.

On Thanksgiving day, we went to my grandparent's house for Thanksgiving dinner. Because their house isn't exactly child-proof, we contained Ansley in her bumbo seat for part of the evening. She hasn't used it in so long that she seemed to have forgotten how to get out of it! The girls wore matching turkey dresses, but of course I was unable to get a picture of the two of them together.

This was the best shot I could get of Avery in her turkey dress. There were far too many "new" things to play with and see for her to be still and take a picture!

See....they do play together! Dad was sneaky with the camera and got a shot of it before anyone realized :) Any suggestions of what to do to get Avery to take pictures with Ansley? Bribing doesn't seem to work well. I'm starting to think that we're the only ones with this issue...

Sweet Ansley

2011-11-17T19:04:00.002-06:00

Because I don't feel like there have been many pictures of Ansley in the last few posts, here are some of her from this afternoon playing around at home....

Happy Birthday, Matt (Part 3)

2011-11-17T17:17:00.004-06:00

For a while now, whenever you ask Avery what she wanted to do with her daddy for his birthday, she would say "play golf with him." Not sure why or where it came from, but I went with it. So, today, we headed out and played a round of putt-putt for Matt's birthday after lunch. It was a huge success. She had a great time...for about the first 8 holes; then she became more interested in the landscape and ducks and such. It was our coolest day and the wind was a bit much at times, but we had a great time. Ansley stayed in the stroller while I took pictures and enjoyed the scenery.

Avery had quite a few different stroke types...all equally hilarious. Let's just say, we clearly have a budding golf pro on our hands...look out LPGA!

Quite the backswing, huh?
Using her hands to roll the ball into the cup...who needs a club?

Matt and Avery watching to see where their balls would end up....hole in one?

She also used the club to funnel the ball into the hole. Very good ingenuity.Sweet picture of daddy and daughter taking a break from putt-putt to pose for a picture

She was confused about the last hole when it eats your ball. She kept pointing in the hole and saying, "it fell down there!" She was very concerned about the ball's well-being.

Inside at the arcade area. She found a honey bee game where you earn points by stepping on the honey bees when they light up.

Playing "whack-a-mole" with daddy (only it's a Batman game)

Happy Birthday, Matt! Hope you enjoyed playing golf with Avery...I know she did! We love you so much! Here's to another great year!

Happy Birthday, Matt! (Part 2)

2011-11-17T17:01:00.003-06:00

Good morning! We woke up this morning to the kitchen still decorated from our festivities from last night. Ansley seemed timid around the balloons last night, but this morning was a different story. She grew quite fond of them!
Avery was taken out onto the deck and sprayed with silly string that Matt received for his birthday. Love the little reaction that she's showing when she first got shot with it!

Smart girl knew not to turn around....did I mention that it was probably 40 degrees outside this morning??

She was so scared to turn around to look at the camera because every time she turned around, she got silly string in the face! Sleepy eyes.....what a great way to wake up!

We did an art project this morning during Ansley's morning nap. Thanks to Pinterest (I was totally skeptical at first but am now a die-hard fan), we have lots of great Christmas projects including this one that uses handprints to make a Christmas tree. We did the tree part with Avery's hand, and I'm going to use Ansley's finger with red paint to make ornaments. Paint on a star at the top and a trunk at the bottom, and voile. Although the perfectionist in me came out a little, I have learned to love the smudges and drippings. Can't wait to make our next project!

Happy Birthday, Matt!

2011-11-17T11:11:00.004-06:00

Matt's birthday was yesterday, and we celebrated some last night, and we will continue the celebration today. Here are some pictures of Avery enjoying the decorations and festivities...

She LOVED all of the balloons. She was very patient while I was blowing them up. She helped put them all in the kitchen. And, she waited until her daddy got home before she ran and jumped in them. She thought they were great...actually, she kept saying that they were "marvelous"! There were 36 balloons total, and I was quite proud of her being able to wait and be patient to play with them until Matt got home.
We made a door out of streamers. Again, I was very proud of her because she didn't pull on it or tear it up before he got home. In fact, it is still intact downstairs right now!

Nana brought over some noise makers, and she thought they were wonderful, too!

Caught her quite a few times sneaking sprinkles and icing chunks off of the cake :)

This sprinkle cake seriously had so many sprinkles! She was amazed by it!

Happy Birthday, Matt! We love you!

Our Lives Recently

2011-11-15T08:09:00.004-06:00

One morning, everyone was being very photogenic....Avery even wanted her picture taken with her sister!! Here we are at breakfast time...
This sweet baby is so happy!

She does get extremely serious at times which is quite funny, but for the most part, she's smiling, giggling, and talking.

They decided that they should make a fort under the kitchen table. Avery has decided that, for the most part, it is fun to play with Ansley now.

Ansley loves being an Indian these days....her "new" trick (she's been doing this for a while now, but this is the first time I've posted about it, I think)

Like her Mommy and sister, Ansley has an affinity with the Swiffer...

Bath time!

Closest I could get of the two of them together. When they get to take their bath in Mommy's big bath tub, they are usually too busy playing to pause for a picture!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T22:11:00.003-05:00

Our Halloween festivities actually started one week ago at Avery's dance class. Last Monday night, the dancers wore their Halloween costumes to dance class. They had dance class for the first half of class and then a Halloween party for the second part of class. Here's Avery (the pirate) with her little dance buddies (minus at least one little girl)...
And here's Ansley (the pirate's parrot) at dance class last week...

Here are the girls about to head out to go Trick or Treating tonight (actual Halloween night). Avery is checking out her self-made treasure map to find out where to go first. Ansley stayed in the wagon (aka: pirate ship) the entire time and had a blast!

Avery did very well this year (our first real outing that wasn't Trunk or Treat at church). Matt and I were very surprised. She walked most of it, but rode in the wagon when there were stretches of houses with front porch lights not turned on. She said "trick or treat" for the most part, but sometimes said it as she was knocking or ringing the doorbell and then was confused if I asked her to say it again. I also think that this was the first year that everyone knew exactly what she was (the first Halloween she was a duck, the second year she was a giraffe), so I was very excited about that! And, if I do say so myself, she was a very cute pirate! She played the role quite well using "pirate language" at times....like telling a group of older children, "it's Halloween, me hardies!" She did not get scared at all, even when houses were designed to be scary or older kiddos were dressed up in scary costumes. She would just say, "that's spooky because it's Halloween" and then laugh.

And here's one last picture when we were back at home before the costumes came off. Avery had not dug into her candy yet, so we bribed her with the candy to stay still and sit near Ansley for a picture :) We let her pick out three pieces of candy to eat tonight, and she picked out a pack of fruit snacks, a snickers, and a dum-dum lollipop. The rest is stored in her pirate treasure chest....except the skittles---Matt ate all of those :)

All in all, we took 115 pictures, so there are many, many more. But, I spared you all and tried to find the ones that seemed to capture the moments. Hope you enjoyed Halloween with your families! Happy Halloween from the Knierim Family!

Pumpkin Patch #2

2011-10-19T12:24:00.002-05:00

Ok, I apologize for the terrible pictures that are about to follow. We realized as we were leaving the pumpkin patch (the real one) that we had missed many opportunities for photo ops. The main photo op would have been the hay ride down to the actual pumpkin patch which wound through a spooky forest....didn't even have the camera with us because I left it in the bottom of the stroller which was parked at the little drop off point of the hay ride. Awesome. We did have a great day. We went after lunch in the late afternoon/evening time. There were very few people there (from previous experience, it seems that maybe most people go in the morning). And, instead of it being cool in the morning and then sweltering in a few hours, it was warm when we got there and then a very comfortable cool when we left. We will have to remember this timeframe for the next few years to come!

Also, the following TWO pictures are the only pictures that we have of Ansley. She's in her stroller and in front of an Indian tee pee (apparently she's at least 1/32 from Matt's side). When you see the pictures of Avery later on, that the exact outfit that Ansley has on (since you won't be able to tell from the pictures of Ansley).

Love the little smirk on Avery's face....she's very excited about getting to ride the "Twactor Train." You'll notice that in the background are all of the inflatables. She wanted to go down the big slides but never mustered up the courage to do it. She did spend a lot of time in the bouncy houses though.

Definitely a highlight for Avery was the adult-dressed-like-a-dog who was at the Humane Society's fundraising booth. He gave her a sucker and a necklace. She also got to "play Wheel of Fortune" and won a coupon for a free Cherry Limeade!! Avery called it Wheel of Fortune, but it was really just a wheel thing that you spin to see what prize you've won after making a donation to the Humane Society.

So, this is the only picture of Avery with pumpkins that's in color. She enjoyed playing in the "scratchy grass" and trying to pick up all of the pumpkins.

Pumpkin Patch #1

2011-10-06T21:16:00.002-05:00

"Pumpkin Patch #1" because this wasn't the "real" pumpkin patch, but you'd never be able to tell Avery that! There is a little church that we drive by every day that hosts a pumpkin patch each year to benefit the Shelby Safe House. We buy most of our pumpkins from them each year.

The picture below is of Avery...jumping. She was so excited when we first got out of the car that she was literally jumping around. I love the joy that she has!
Here's sweet baby Ansley. She enjoyed sitting in the grass, trying to pull up and climb on the pumpkins, and being held as we wound our way around all of the pumpkins.

I wanted so badly to get a picture of the girls (my pumpkins!) sitting amongst the pumpkins. Out of 50 shots, this is the only one that they are both looking at the camera!

And then this moment happened, and my heart melted....

We are planning on doing the "real" pumpkin patch (middle of no-where, fun and games, hay ride, etc) next weekend. So, more pictures to come shortly!

7 Months Old!

2011-10-05T14:38:00.002-05:00

Ansley turned 7 months old on Sunday, so I'm a few days behind on this post. She's just a-growing like a weed! She has such a personality and is very adventuresome. She loves watching her big sister, and her big sister has started enjoying playing with Ansley. In fact, last night when Matt took Ansley out of the bathtub (leaving Avery in the tub "alone"), Avery said, "oh no; there goes my sister. I miss her so much." They have quite a good time together. When she's not playing with her sister, Ansley enjoys crawling over to the glass door and just watching. Right now we're somewhat decorated for Halloween, so there's quite a bit for her to look at. Sometimes she sits at the door, but most of the time she's on her knees like this....
She also doesn't really smile any more. It's just a wide-mouthed grin now....

She rarely cries, even when she seems to have gotten hurt. Since she's climbing up, down, and over things now and trying to pull up on anything she can get a hold of, she usually has something on her forehead like the red mark below....

She is such a sweet baby and so easy going. And like I said before, she seems to be achieving all of her milestones months ahead of Avery. Who knows, maybe she'll be potty trained before Avery :)

Growing Up....FAST!!

2011-09-29T17:03:00.003-05:00

Ansley is growing like a weed. She's not just growing in length and weight but also in milestones! I meant to look at previous blog posts to see when Avery was doing these things, but I forgot...oh well! In the pictures below, she is only in a diaper. That is because when we went to bed last night as well as the morning hours, it was quite cool outside. After nap, it was back being hot, so the long pjs came off, and we stayed in just a diaper to cool down. Gotta love the crazy Alabama weather!!

Ansley is still 6 months old...will be 7 months old next week. She has been sitting, and I mean no support, no falling, competent sitting since before she was 6 months old. Here she is playing with the light-up/singing mirror that both of the girls love...complete with witch hat (we're getting ready for Halloween!).....
Last week, she started pulling up on the mirror, but would only get on her knees like the picture below....

A few nights ago, Matt found Ansley standing in her crib. Thinking it was a fluke, we wrote it off. That is, until she started doing this....

Seriously??!! We're not mentally or emotionally ready for this!

Oh, and I may not have mentioned before, but she's also really good at doing this....

Legitimate, efficient crawling. Holy cow! This child is growing up way too fast!

Around Here

2011-09-16T14:32:00.003-05:00

Let's start with Avery. I have realized that I have been posting more about Ansley lately, and there is a good reason for that. One, Ansley is smaller and changes daily. Two, Ansley is much more photogenic these days...ie: doesn't run from the camera. And three, Avery is in a PHASE right now...whoa my. So ready for this phase to be over!! So sweet and caring one minute, and the next minute, I want to put her out on the curb in the garbage can. She also hates getting her picture taken recently. We went to the zoo today, and of approximately 50 pictures that I took of Avery, here is the ONE that she's looking at the camera with somewhat of a smile.
It's started getting cooler (meaning not 100 degrees any longer...some days it's in the 70s even!), so I have gotten out the cooler weather clothes tubs. One small issue....nothing of Avery's for the winter months is going to fit Ansley! Below is Ansley wearing an outfit that Avery wore last summer and fall at age 18 months, and Ansley is wearing it at 6 months! So glad it's consignment sale season because we are in need of some winter clothes that fit!

She thinks she's so funny when she puts her lips together and breathes heavy from her nose...we think it's quite funny, too, but mainly because of the face she makes....

Hilarious, right???

6 Months Old!

2011-09-02T13:39:00.002-05:00

Ansley is 6 months old today! So hard to believe....

She is such a pleasant baby...smiles all the time--unless she is letting out a cheerful shrill. She only gets whiny when she's sleeping or hungry; she never actually cries.

She sleeps through the night (yea!). We have recently dropped her middle-of-the-night feeding; yes, I could have done this sooner, but with the two girls sharing a room, I wanted to wait until the perfect time for her to start crying it out (like when her big sister went to Gigi and Skip's house for a week!). I still give her a "dream-feed" according to Babywise. She goes down between 7:30 and 8 each night, gets her dream-feed whenever I go to bed, and wakes up around 8 in the mornings. She still takes 3 naps each day: 10am, 1:30pm (same time as her sister!!), 5pm.

She is a sitter now. Unassisted unless she falls over and we put her back up. She can sit for very long periods of time before toppling over.

She eats her bottles very well but is still unsure about the foods that we are introducing. She's ok with baby oatmeal and sweet potatoes, but anything else, and she has the funniest sour face!

She's a babbler. Still not sure that I've heard any consonant sounds, but she's quite the noise maker. She's very good at raspberries and snorting---all very fun in public.

She loves watching her sister and the puppies.

Her stats from her doctor's visit (yesterday) were:
weight: 15 pounds 6 ounces (40th percentile...down from 80th last visit)
height: 27 1/4 inches (90th percentile...same as last visit)
head circumference: 20th percentile
We think her weight and chubbiness must be evening out :)

Sitting in her bed...
Too long for her baby tub now...

Close up of those sweet blue eyes...

We still aren't sure what color her hair is going to turn....it looks blonde sometimes, red sometimes, and brown sometimes. Who knows!

Avery's Dance Class

2011-09-02T13:27:00.002-05:00

Avery started dance class last week. It's a class for beginner dancers, starting at age 2. They do ballet for half of the class and tap for the other half. Tap is her favorite right now. I tried to snap some shots of her before we left for our first class, but she was not interested. I'm pretty sure it's because of the attitude she's started having recently of not listening, but for now, I'm going to say that she was uncooperative because she was so excited about going to dance class :)
This picture (above) reminds me of one of me from when I was little...dressed as a cat for Halloween and plastered to the wall like I was being interrogated (remember it, Mom?)

Did not notice until we actually got to dance class that she had on the wrong kind of tights...oh well! Also didn't have her shoes or dance bag labeled for the first class---slacker Mom for sure!

"Together" at the Beach

2011-08-24T11:53:00.002-05:00

Here is the closest thing we got to the two girls being in the same picture at the beach. It was taken in my parent's condo in front of a mirror (hence the glare). Here's a funny tidbit....they are wearing the same size dress--12 months! Avery is actually wearing the same dress as she did in her beach photos from last year.

Beach Vacation 2011

2011-08-23T20:36:00.007-05:00

We went to Orange Beach, AL last week for a beach vacation, and we had a blast! My parents came down, too, and stayed at a condo on the beach. We stayed at The Wharf (highly recommend!) which is not on the beach but on the bay/canal. The amenities at The Wharf were amazing. Check out one side of our pool!

Waiting for the trolley to take us to the pool on our first day....

Ansley's first day at the beach!

Give this kiddo her paci and lovey, and she'll nap anywhere!

Snack time! Cheetos!

At Gigi and Skip's pool. Love this picture---she has so much fun playing with her Daddy in the pool and going "way up high and tall"

Snack time again---Doritos!

Sweet girl in her stroller
A pre-photo op, photo op in Gigi and Skip's condo. We think she looks like she's telling a story.
Here are my little beach babies (and no, we did not really get a successful picture of the two of them....going to try my handy-work with cropping later on!)

Sister toes covered in sand

We also got to see some of our friends, the Knighten's, while we were down there. They have a little girl named Mallory who is 6 weeks older than Avery. The pictures are pretty funny, and I'm not sure anyone but us and the Knighten's would actually appreciate them---the girls have so much fun together that they are always wide-mouthed, mid-scream in the pictures! I think that Sarah got some pics with her camera that might have turned out better?? If you follow their blog, too, check it out to see if there are some posted there!

My Girls

2011-08-12T21:42:00.004-05:00

Oh my...where to even start. I am filled with so much love when I start to think about these two girls! It makes me want to jump up and down, scream at the top of my lungs, throw up, and cry all at the same time---you know what I'm talking about. There is so much joy that comes from these girls....and they are growing up way too fast!

Ansley is so pleasant. She'll literally smile at you every time you talk to her, smile at her, or even just walk in the room from the time she wakes up in the morning until she goes down for the night. Now laughing, that takes a little more effort. She's doing a version of crawling already, at a snail's pace anyway. She's very close to sitting unassisted. She's still a primarily bottle baby, but she's expanded to baby rice, oatmeal, and sweet potatoes. She's wearing 6-9/6-12 month clothing (really??). She's still on the same schedule that she was on when she was 2 months old...not sure when it's supposed to change or if I'm supposed to change it (can't remember). She loves her sister. She already whips that head around when she hears the theme song for Little Einsteins--quite funny! She's got such a loving personality. She's not a complete cuddle baby, but she's much more cuddlier than her sister ever was. And, I have to admit, I've been feeling a little guilty about her falling into the typical "second child syndrome." She definitely has fewer pictures (maybe 1/4?), and some days she stays in either a onesie or even just diaper all day long (why get all dressed up just to sit at home all day long?). Many of her "first" things were because she was tagging along during a meant-to-be Avery adventure. We are heading to the beach on Monday, and I am making a vow to myself and to Ansley that I will capture Ansley's first trip to the beach the same way that I captured Avery's!

Oh, Avery, Avery. What a crazy child! No "normal" pictures any longer. This is her sticking out her belly to show me the A on her shirt that stands for Avery. She's 2 but heading for 12, and I can't handle it! She's so smart and forgets nothing. She's been working on sight words this past month, and she's picking up on it so quickly. She's starting to potty train. She has complete 15 minute conversations with herself and her Little People sets. She has catch phrases. She's starting dance class in a few weeks. She's finally showing her love to her sister and interacting wtih her which totally melts my heart and brings me to tears sometimes. She has such a tender heart and hates being told to apologize (the apology brings more tears than the discipline). She is go, go, go all the time. She is my little helper, and I couldn't get through the day without her!

This isn't a great picture, but it's when the two of them were playing on the floor together. You all may remember that at one point, Avery would not get near Ansley, so this playtime is priceless to me! Especially when it's followed by a kiss and an "I love you, Ansley."

Happy 5 Months, Ansley!

2011-08-02T15:27:00.003-05:00

Our little Ansley is 5 months old today! She's such a big girl...literally :) She's getting so close to sitting on her own. She's had some battles with allergies, so she's on one of those "fancy" formulas which means expensive. To try and decrease the amount spent on formula, I've already begun introducing her to some baby foods. However, she'd eat the baby food and then take the same amount of bottle! NOT the plan that I was looking for :) She is such a pleasant and easy going baby. I take her everywhere with me, and she's hardly fussy. Her nickname has been "Critter" which is so appropriate now that she's becoming vocal...very vocal! She's quite loud with her cooing and talking. She's also like clock-work as far as her schedule goes. Her first morning nap is at 10am, then her afternoon nap is at 1pm, and her evening nap is at 5pm. About 5 minutes before either of those times, she starts rubbing her eyes and dozing off. She eats every 3 hours (still!) but she only takes 4 ounces at each feeding; trying to get her to take more at one feeding so she can go longer between feedings, but it's not quite working out. For the most part she still wakes up once each night (usually between 3am and 4am), takes a bottle, and goes right back to sleep. She loves her lovey and likes her paci. She smiles all the time, but it's a little harder to get her to laugh. Her sister is a pro at getting her to belly-laugh. She weighs about 16 1/2 pounds right now (Avery weighed 15 pounds, 3 ounces at 6 months). They still don't really look alike. And, we're not sure if we're just getting used to the way that she looks, but we think that Ansley is looking more like us now than she has in the past.
Smiling at Daddy. She's distracted very easily these days.

Her hair cannot be tamed. Looks either like a toupee or a comb-over depending on the day.

Avery Lately....

2011-08-02T15:12:00.002-05:00

Avery is turning in to quite the handful lately! She's got such a funny little personality. She used to have such good manners *sigh* but we're working on getting those back on board. She's quite funny and repeats everything and wants to know what everything means. She's very nosey and is always trying to figure things out. She's a good helper most of the time. We've started working on potty training, but we're not going to start that fulltime until after our beach trip in two weeks. She's very quirky and particular and has the memory of an elephant. She's fun and energetic. She's got a contagious laugh. And, she's 2....everything about her lately says that she's 2. Right now, she's got a fascination with pirates for some reason. Here she is with her "pirate hat" on saying "Rrrrrr!"
Here she is saying "cheese" during her picture. This morning we went to the Birmingham Children's Theater and saw Jack and the Beanstalk. It was really cute, and she enjoyed it quite a bit. Recently we've been doing many "big girl treats" like going to plays or to the movies. She does really quite well. We're starting to have trouble listening to grown-ups, but I'm hoping it's a phase of being 2!

She's really excited about our upcoming beach trip. She's been swimming in the pool all summer, and can "swim all by herself" with the assistance of her floaties. Without the floaties, she sinks like a rock but continues kicking---she thinks that it's hilarious and that she's really swimming. She is so brave in the water that it scares me! We can't wait for this end-of-the-summer vacation! Last year she was not a fan of the actual ocean/beach, so we spent most of our time by the pool (fine by me---I'm not a fan of sand!). We'll see if this year is any different.

Good Morning!

2011-07-22T13:35:00.003-05:00

Ansley is so happy after waking up. She always has the biggest smiles to give out. I couldn't resist snapping a few photos this morning when I went in to get her up. We just love her big, opened mouth, toothless grin!

Now here's a funny shot....

Whenever there is a sudden movement, loud noise, or camera flash, Ansley gets this alarming wide-eyed look that's quite humorous. She doesn't get upset, just really serious. Seriously, her eyes get HUGE and her face goes emotionless....until she sees a familiar face and then she starts back with that sweet gummy smile. Here's her first picture from this morning (camera flash gets her every time!). HILARIOUS!

It's as if she's saying, "Oh my goodness....what's happening to me???"

Chattanooga Aquarium

2011-07-15T13:45:00.005-05:00

This past week, we all traveled up to Chattanooga to visit the Aquarium and meet up with my parents. After the Aquarium, my parents took the kiddos back with them to Nashville, and Matt and I stayed in Chattanooga for the night and then headed back to Birmingham to next day. The girls will stay the week up in Nashville with my parents, and we will meet back up next Monday to get them back. They are having a blast up there, and Matt and I are making it ok down here---it's a little lonely (and quiet!) around here!

Once we told Avery that we were going to the Aquarium, she talked about it non-stop. She was so very excited about seeing all of the fish and seeing her Gigi and Skip. I promise that Ansley was there, there just aren't any pictures of her...poor second child!

Here's Avery at the first touch tank. She jumped right in...literally; well, she would have. We stopped her.
Unfortunately she's a little too small to actually reach the sting rays and crabs and whatnots. But that didn't stop her from pretending that she had actually touched them.

Special...

Here she is in front of the penguin exhibit...probably one of my favorites. That blur going by her is a penguin. They were so fast!

And this is Avery in one of those bubble things within a huge, spider-like, gross-looking, creepy crab exhibit....she loved it.

This is Avery's third aquarium to visit. Not too bad for a 2 year old! Here are the links to previous visits that we've made:

Atlanta Aquarium (May 2010....yes, wearing the same outfit in 5/2010 as she is in 7/2011)

Charleston Aquarium (September 2009...not sure if there are actually any pics from the aquarium)

July 4th

2011-07-06T13:30:00.005-05:00

Our first Independence Day celebration was actually on July 2 here in the little town of Alabaster. I work on Saturday nights, so I helped get the girls ready, and I headed to work, and Matt took them to see the fireworks all by himself! They both did great, and Avery really enjoyed it! Below is a picture of them in their patriotic attire, ready to go see some fireworks (that started 2 hours past bedtime!)....
And just because I'm using this blog as a memory book and want to be able to bring this picture out whenever I might need it :)

On Monday night (Independence Day proper), we headed into Birmingham and went to our traditional spot to watch the firework display called Thunder on the Mountain. We go to Homewood Park with our camping chairs and have a great time. It had just finished raining, so it was very wet and actually a little chilly for July; not near as many people at the park as in years past. We all had a great time. Again, 2 hours past bedtime.

This picture really captures Avery's sheer excitement...

A group shot of the girls. Ansley laid back against me and watched the fireworks so calm and intrigued. Both fell asleep in the car on the way home.

View of the fireworks from our spot. We figured we were probably about 2 miles from where they were being shot off, as the crow flies. Some of the noise and all of the beauty.

Happy 4th of July!!

Ansley - 4 Months!

2011-06-30T12:31:00.008-05:00

Sweet baby girl went for her 4 month check up today (a little early because our doctor is going on vacation). She did great--met all of her milestones and received 3 vaccinations. Here are her stats from her visit:

Weight: 13 pounds 4 ounces (down a bit since we've swapped formulas and she's not eating as much of the new kind); this places her in the 50th percentile

Length: 25 1/2 inches; this places her in the 90th percentile

Head Circ: 15 3/4 inches (we haven't gotten a percentile on this in a while...maybe they don't do that anymore?)

As compared to Avery, she's two inches longer and a pound heavier at the same point (technically minus a week because of the doctor's vacation).

She's talking...a lot! She's also a drooler which grosses me out...Avery was not a drooler. She's in size 2 diapers (Avery is currently only in size 3!!) and wears a solid 6 month in clothing. She has a great schedule, if I do say so myself! In the mornings she wakes up during the 8 o'clock hour, naps at 10am, naps at 1pm, naps at 5pm, and we start getting ready for bed around 8pm (bath, bottle, etc) and she's in bed by 9pm. She is consistently waking up once each night for a feeding (between 3am and 4am), takes her bottle and lays right back down. We are all enjoying her sleeping in until a little past 8 (or 8:45 like this morning!)! Avery knows that we don't start the morning until Ansley wakes up, so Avery tries to quietly play in her room until she hears Ansley wake up...she's adjusting quite nicely! She is easy going, like Avery was, and I can take her anywhere even during a naptime--she'll sleep anywhere as long as she's got her lovey!

Gotta love that crazy hair....

...and sweet smile!

Together...Kinda

2011-06-22T13:11:00.002-05:00

Many of you may or may not know that we have yet to get a picture of the two of the girls together except for the picture featured at the top of the blog. Avery loves her sister so much, but she will not get her picture made with her. She plays with her, kisses her, hugs her, etc, but as soon as she sees a camera, she runs. So today, I bribed her. With what, you might ask.....with corn on the cob. Yes, that's right, corn on the cob. And, for one promise of corn on the cob, I got this awful-angled, poor timed picture of my two girls. But, it will have to do for now. At least until I can get to the market and get some more corn on the cob :)

Ansley Lately...

2011-06-22T13:07:00.004-05:00

I realized that I hadn't posted any pictures of Ansley in a while...mainly because our internet is in and out here lately. So, I snapped a few today while she was playing on her playmat. They actually capture her quite nicely.

Here she is smiling but with her hand in her mouth. She's a drooler, and she's becoming a thumb-sucker, so her hands are usually near her face. Check out her hair puff!
Smiling with her tongue sticking out. She's quite vocal these days, and is constantly learning new ways to use her tongue to make different noises. Very entertaining!

This is her serious face which is a rarity these days. She is actually more laid back and more pleasant than Avery was, despite a rough beginning. I have to admit that Matt and I were both very worried about our quality of life with this little one early on, but she has turned out to be quite the little joy!

And this is her pleasant face. This is what you get most of the time while she's playing with inanimate objects. Sweet blue eyes. We just love her to pieces!

Trains at Cheekwood

2011-06-22T12:48:00.005-05:00

We went up to Nashville (just the 3 girls!) for a week in June. Avery enjoys spending time with her Gigi and Skip, and on one special day, she got to go to Cheekwood with Skip and look at the train exhibit. It was really neat, and totally catered to children. She was fascinated by the intricate train tracks and the little trains. Every time a little train chugged by, she got very excited and sometimes screamed!

Here she is looking through a peep-hole in a tree stump so she can see the train going through the mountain.

Here she is with Skip watching the train go by. Within the train tracks were tiny exact replicas of "famous" houses in Tennessee made from sticks. Very neat.

There were track systems everywhere...even way up high!

I thought it was so cute when she would say "Look! Look!" and point to the trains.

Sweet girl posing in front of part of the train exhibit.

3 Months Old!

2011-06-03T13:40:00.005-05:00

Can you believe that Ansley is 3 months old already??? We can't!

I love this face....it's here "you're trying to make me smile, but it's just not working this time" face.Weight (according to our scales): 13 pounds on the dot

**I feel like she's so much bigger than Avery was, but when I went back and looked at Avery's 3 month post, it said that Avery was a little over 12 pounds, so there's not as much difference as I had thought.

Clothing size: 3-6 months, some 6 months (for the length)

Diaper size: 1 (probably could move up to a 2, but why rush it when we still have some 1's left)

Bottle size: 3-4 ounces every 2.5-3 hours (this has not changed in a long time; she did take 6 ounces in one feeding yesterday, but that was the first time)

Activity: she smiles and talks a lot; wants to laugh but just can't do it yet; she sleeps through the night every now and then, but she usually wakes up once to eat; she has found her hands; she's a drooler; she loves watching people but especially her sister and the dogs; she will stare at and talk to the ceiling fan for 30 minutes; she likes her swing, bouncy seat, and exersaucer; she takes 45-1 hour naps except the afternoon/lunch time nap---that one can last 2-2.5 hours; she is very content as long as she's not hungry or tired--if she is, her crying escalates very quickly and without any warning

We're not sure what's causing it, but she's got what seems to be eczema all over her little body, from the top of her head to the top of her feet. It doesn't necessarily seem to bother her, but it looks like it would/should. We've been trying everything we can think of to get rid of it, but nothing seems to do the trick; some stuff makes it look a little better though. If you have any suggestions, send them our way!

More from the Unattended Child

2011-06-03T13:20:00.005-05:00

If you think she's napping.....think again!

She had emptied out her swim bag and put it on her head. You can barely see that she also has her lovey in the bag with her. She was saying, "Where is Avery? I don't see her. Where could she be?" Please notice the baby powder on her legs...yep, she had gotten into that, too.

Here she removed one of the plastic drawers in one of her storage bins, and she is sitting by her gate reading. She said she was in a boat and had to read a book while she was driving.

All the while, this child is supposed to be napping!! Haha!

Bring on the Exersaucer

2011-06-03T13:14:00.004-05:00

We got the Exersaucer down from the attic the other day. Ansley loves it. It keeps her very entertained, and it's fun to watch her interact with the toys. Here are some pictures from her first experience in her new toy.

In the photo below, it looks like she's been caught off guard by the giraffe and is like, "Whoa! Hey now! What are you doing?"Then she noticed the zebra with the red background and never looked up again. This child could definitely win a staring contest!

The Pool Opened!

2011-06-03T13:03:00.004-05:00

Our pool opened the weekend before Memorial Day, and we couldn't have been happier! It is getting so hot down here! We all loaded up and headed to the pool the first day it was open. I was little nervous at first because Avery (who loved the water last year and had no fear) was being very reserved. As you can see in these first few pictures, she was being very timid...tip-toeing in the water, not splashing, not wanting to much other than stand in the water or sit on the side.

Occasionally she would squat in the water and make little bitty splashes, but nothing like what she did last year. I kept trying to get her to blow bubbles in the water or sit on her bottom or lay on her belly, but she didn't want to do any of that this year.

When I said that we were leaving in 5 minutes, that's when she decided she would actually really play in the pool. My little fish is back to normal!

sprinkler time!

2011-06-01T13:20:00.006-05:00

It has been HOT here recently! Before our pool opened, we needed to escape the heat, so we brought out the sprinkler. The photo above shows you just how interested Avery was in playing in the sprinkler. Please notice how far away she's standing. It was actually hard to get her and the sprinkler in the frame together.

Then she thought it might be ok to get a little closer. But she still had such a serious look on her face...see below.

Then Daddy helped out. She thought it was fun for him to make her fly through the sprinkler. Soon she began to play in it by herself.

Toward the end, she thought it was lots of fun. So much fun, in fact, that she started running really fast, tripped, fell, and skinned up her knees, tops of her feet, hands, and upper lip. Needless to say, our sprinkler time was over, and we have not ventured near it again. At least it was fun while it lasted!

another trip to the zoo

2011-06-01T13:05:00.004-05:00

Why would she pet the goats that are INSIDE the petting zoo exhibit when there's a mini horse outside of the exhibit???

Styling in her swimsuit, sandals, and sunglasses!

Our zoo recently opened up the Trails of Africa exhibit, and there is an interactive play area for the kiddos....the drums were a huge hit (no pun intended)!

We are zoo members, so in order for us to get our money's worth, we have been going at least once each week here recently (although, to come out even, I think you only have to go like once a month...but it's a good excuse to go!). Our zoo has fountains that run during the summer for the kids to play in and escape the heat, and with the heat index reaching almost 100 already, we dress Avery in her swimsuit when we go to the zoo so she can play in the fountains. But, for some reason, this year she's not such a fan of the fountains. She says things like "I can't want to play in the water right now" or "I need to go see the animals first" and so on. But still, I'm trying to be prepared because goodness knows that if she's not in her swimsuit, that will be the day that she would want to play in the fountains!

An Unattended Child....

2011-06-01T12:49:00.004-05:00

Is never a good thing :)
She was supposed to be laying down, taking a nap!

New Park

2011-06-01T12:41:00.004-05:00

There's a park that we pass by almost every day that is very close to our house, but we have actually never stopped there. Avery's friend, Parker, had a birthday party at the park last weekend, so we actually stopped! She had a blast! The picture above is of her riding the "real" firetruck at the park (it is located directly behind one of the town's fire stations....since their firetrucks are yellow, she's convinced that the red wooden one is the real firetruck). I think we'll stop by this little park more often!!

Just a little comparison!

2011-05-12T15:07:00.001-05:00

So these photos are not taken at the same angle or on the same scale, but I wanted to give you all a little comparison of our two girls. Very different...

Below are photos of the girls wearing the exact same outfit, size newborn. In these photos, Ansley is two months old and the outfit is tight around the armpits and the leg holes (this is the last time she will be able to wear it); Avery is four months old and still has room to grow (yes, a four month old wearing a size newborn)!

Ansley, age two months:
Avery, age four months:

And again, Ansley, age two months:

Avery, age four months:

My photo shop automatically did something strange to the coloring of Ansley's photos...I promise she's not hypothermic!!

Mother's Day

2011-05-09T22:32:00.002-05:00

Here are our sweet girls on Mother's Day (no, still no good shot of the two of them together). They wore coordinating purple dresses and looked so pretty! Here's Avery (we just redid our kitchen, and she seems to really like the new appliances; she insisted that I take her picture in front of our new stove)....

It was about to be Ansley's morning nap time, so she's snuggled in her carseat so she can fall asleep on the way to church (she's wearing a bow for the first time!)....

Love her big blue eyes...

The Playmat

2011-05-09T22:21:00.002-05:00

Laid Ansley down to play on her playmat the other morning, went upstairs to get her some clothes, and came back down to find this....

Avery showing Ansley how to play with the toys on the playmat...

The Bumbo

2011-05-09T22:02:00.002-05:00

We have started using the Bumbo with Ansley, and she seems to like it. She'll just sit and watch the world around her.

The two sisters watching Baby Einstein together...yes, BABY Einstein. Avery had decided that they're quite the funny dvds. Actually, there are many baby, age-not-appropriate things that she's rediscovered.

Ansley

2011-05-04T15:12:00.002-05:00

We left our windows open last night and woke up to a 60 degree house! Brrr!! So, instead of turning on the heat, I bundled up the kiddos. Here are some pictures of Ansley from today. She's starting to become a camera charmer! The quality isn't the best because I didn't use our good camera, but they are cute nonetheless!

Love this little smirk!
Love her big blue eyes and big chubby cheeks! Note: her cheeks are shiny, not from slobber but from either aquaphor or vaseline. She has sensitive skin (self diagnosed), and it's either very very dry or covered in raised red bumps. Not sure what to do about that.

Getting sleepy...

More from Easter

2011-05-04T14:21:00.002-05:00

I found these pictures that I had forgotten about. The girls had "coordinating" smocked Easter dresses that they wore to church the week before Easter. I, again, attempted to get their pictures. Unfortunately, the more uncooperative one was Ansley this time. I hope that you all are enjoying these photos and the shear frustration that comes with them :)

2 Months Old!

2011-05-02T18:57:00.002-05:00

It's hard to believe, but Ansley is 2 months old today! She sure has grown! She's much bigger at this point than Avery was. She's already in 3 month clothing! She's smiling and cooing, and I think she wants to laugh---she seems to try. She seems to have sensitive skin, but I can't isolate what causes her breakouts/rashes yet. We go to the doctor on Thursday, so maybe he can shed some light and offer suggestions. Her eyes are still blue, and her hair is still brown. She has rolls on the top of her legs, and they are quite plump! She isn't sleeping through the night yet, but for the most part she only wakes up once (around 4am) to eat. Because she's not sleeping through the night, she hasn't been moved into her crib yet (the girls are going to share a room), so she's still in the bassinet. She gets swaddled at night, and she's started liking having a lovey near her face and hands. She still has a fondness for her paci. She takes 4 ounces at each feeding, and eats every 2.5-3 hours. She needs to move up to size 1 diapers, but we're trying to use the couple dozen newborns that we have left...it's quite a stretch! She likes being outside, and she likes being held. She also really likes her baths and doesn't scream when she gets out like her sister did/does. Overall she's a good baby but does get grumpy when she's hungry, overly sleepy, or over stimulated. Below are some pictures that I took today of Ansley in her swing....

Smiling at the mobile overhead....

She's really starting to play with her little hands....

Check out those chubby little cheeks....

Happy Two Months, Ansley!

Easter Dresses

2011-04-27T10:38:00.004-05:00

I wanted so badly to get a good picture (I'd even settle for almost good) of the girls in their Easter dresses. Didn't happen. Avery still doesn't want to sit with or hold Ansley during a picture. I did figure out a way to get her not to be sad though....make funny faces. The only problem with that is that Avery tries to imitate the funny face that you are making, so there's only a smile/laugh for a second before she's attempting the same face. Also, this was after opening her Easter basket, and she ate one piece of candy. It was blue. It is still stuck in her teeth in these pictures. When does it become easier to actually get a picture of the two of them together???
Here she's just stopped crying and trying to imitate making moose ears with your hands...

Sadly, this may be the best one...

Easter Basket Time

2011-04-27T10:14:00.004-05:00

We did Easter baskets AFTER church which worked a lot better than trying to cram it in before church, for us any way. We didn't talk much about an Easter basket leading up to Easter; we talked about Easter was when Christ rose from the dead. We would ask her what happened on Easter, and she would reply "He has risen." We know she has no idea what that means, but we wanted that to be a foundation for the Easter holiday. We talked about Easter baskets in the car on the way home from church, so she was a little confused as to what she was supposed to do with it. But she quickly figured it out! Her Easter basket consisted of:
candy-filled eggs
Milo and Otis dvd
bunny ears
bubbles
Sesame Street paint soap for the bath
book about an Easter egg hunt
miniature (but real!) kitchen tools

Putting on the bunny ears. She thought this was quite funny...

There were some candy filled eggs in her basket. She would open them and then give the candy to us (she's not really a candy-loving little girl....bummer for her!)...

Pointing to and naming all of the animals on the Milo and Otis dvd... (we, of course, watched it immediately!)

Found these miniature kitchen tools at Bed, Bath, and Beyond while shopping for a wedding gift. They go great with her kitchen and are the perfect size for her. Best of all, they temporarily keep her out of MY kitchen tool drawer!

Build A Bear Workshop

2011-04-27T09:24:00.006-05:00

We took Avery to the Workshop for her birthday. This was her first time to be in the store (ours, too), so it took a little while for us to figure out exactly what to do and where to begin...there were so many choices! We had this ideal situation in our heads that she would walk in, find a stuffed animal that she loved and had to have, and we would begin assembling it. Didn't happen. She was too excited about all of the different choices. She would go to one bin, choose that animal, say she loved it, and then drop it on the ground so that she could go to a different bin, grab that animal, say she loved it, and drop that one on the ground in order to grab another animal from another bin...you get the picture. So, mom and dad had to narrow down her options for her and let her choose from three animals rather than thirty. She really liked this experience, and overall had a great time! It was smack in the middle of nap time, so there was a small act of rebellion when it was time to leave, but other than that, she did great and followed all the directions and steps.

Here she is first peaking into the bins and realizing that there were animals in them...
That quickly became her favorite thing to do. She liked being able to climb up on the shelf and peak into the bins...

Here's the deflated bear that she ended up choosing...

Watching the stuffing machine...

Getting a heart to put in her bear...

Stepping on the pedal to stuff her bear and watching the stuffing stuff her bear...

Getting to see and kiss her newly stuffed bear for the first time...

Then it was time to give her a bath and a brush at the grooming station...

Next it was time to pick out her clothes in the Dressing Room area...

Lastly we filled out the personalized birth certificate for the newest member of our family, "Little Bear"

Ansley--8 weeks

2011-04-27T08:17:00.004-05:00

Hard to believe, but Ansley is 8 weeks old today! Here are some pictures of her from the past week....

She has started focusing on objects and interacting with them somewhat. She enjoys laying on her playmat for short amounts of time.
Concentrating...

Giving her toy a little smile...

We took Avery to Build A Bear for her birthday. Ansley was very serious the entire time...maybe because of all the bright lights, colorful objects, and screaming children, but who knows...

This is a solo picture of her on Easter Sunday. She's really good at the little side smirks.

Bath Time!!

2011-04-27T07:55:00.002-05:00

We broke down and did it....we bought another baby tub. We had kept the infant tub from Avery, but we threw away the sling insert. Bathing Ansley in a sink was getting a little hard, so we went out and purchased an entire new set up. Here are some pictures of Avery and Ansley's first bath together and Ansley's first bath in her new tub...

Please notice the art on the tub walls. Avery loves using her tub crayons!
Solo shots....

Twins

2011-04-18T21:03:00.002-05:00

I will never deny or try to hide the fact that when I found out that we were going to be having another girl, the thought of dressing them alike has been nothing short of a priority. It's a little tricky to find their sizes in coordinating outfits though. Many of Avery's clothes are consignment or hand-me-downs from friends, so finding the match is challenging. However, I have managed to find matches to some of Avery's clothing....sometimes a perfect match! Trying to get a picture of the two of them in their matching pink and green flamingo bubbles....not looking forward to Christmas card pictures!! Here's a sampling of the failure...

This is by far our favorite....literally makes us laugh out loud every time we see it.

This is when I thought it might be a distraction to the misery of having your picture taken if she held her little sister's hand. Also funny.

Someone's Turning 2!!

2011-04-18T20:26:00.003-05:00

My little girl is growing up! Avery will turn 2 on April 21 (Thursday). I have NO idea where the time has gone. I look at these pictures, and she is a child now....not a baby or an infant. She doesn't even look like a toddler any longer! She sure doesn't act like it either. She's so big and so mature for her age (I may be biased!). She is such a compassionate, caring little girl, but she's also got a streak of tom-boy, dare-devil in her. She's a joy to be around, and I can't get enough of her. She has a sweet little personality and has developed a funny little sense of humor. She's so smart and witty.

We haven't been to the doctor for an official check up, but we know she's quite a bit taller. Check out what happened when we put on her pjs tonight....think that we need to move up a size?!?

We had a birthday party for her this past weekend. With her birthday being so close to Easter, we celebrated with an Easter egg hunt, and we had so much fun! We had the party at her Nana's house. We had it all set up and ready before Avery arrived. When she got there and saw everything, she literally ran around laughing and saying "Oh my!" for at least 15 minutes...with the sheer joy in her little face, I knew that no matter how the day panned out, it was going to be perfect! (I was a little worried because it was cool, windy, and we had had major storms the day/night before)

Doesn't she look so old??? Please notice the 50 cent (price, not rapper-inspired) necklaces that she insisted on wearing :)

This is what she did all morning long as she screeched with excitement...precious!

Again, she looks so old!

Saying "cheese"

Found some Easter eggs! There were 500 stuffed Easter eggs scattered around the yard...it was so pretty!

One Month Old!

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

Ansley was one month old this past weekend and will be 5 weeks old tomorrow. Time seems to move a lot quicker with the second child! Ansley is very different from Avery. They don't really look alike; although, I can see similarities when sleeping. Ansley has a head full of brown hair and lighter blue eyes while Avery had blonde hair and almost-black navy blue eyes. Avery was already on a schedule/routine at this point, and Ansley is on somewhat of one but not where she needs to be or where I want her to be. She has quite a temper. Avery rarely cried as a baby, and Ansley cries quite a bit. Avery was not a cuddler, and Ansley prefers to be held close. Avery was small at birth and is still small today while Ansley was a tad bit bigger at birth and seems to be gaining weight much more quickly. She is already out growing her newborn clothing (because of length) and is just about to out grow newborn diapers (but we're going to try and use up what we have!). She sleeps well at night...wakes up 1-2 times to eat. She's smiling already...mostly at the ceiling fan or television. She is beginning to coo, but this is very inconsistent and sporadic. She has already endured a head-to-head collision with her sister and didn't even whimper! Avery is growing to like the idea of having a sister more and more each day. Avery is more interactive with Ansley now, and it's fun to watch her have compassion for her sister or be concerned when she is crying or share a very special toy with her. I think that they will be great friends! Sadly, one of my and Matt's favorite pictures from both children is the all-out screaming crying face. Here's what we've got of Ansley so far.... Her hair cannot be tamed! It is crazy all of the time. A little curly on top and straight as a board on the sides. Poor thing....

She already loves her paci! Of course, I bought all Nuk pacis with Avery, and she ended up preferring Mams. So, I bought all Mams for Ansley, and she prefers Nuks. Typical!

They do hold their little hands the same way. We have multiple pictures of Avery holding her little hands like this...

Pooped

2011-04-01T10:39:00.002-05:00

No, I'm not going to show you graphic pictures of how well Ansley's digestive system is working... but I will show you how pooped she gets during the dreaded tummy time...

3 Weeks Old!

2011-03-25T13:34:00.002-05:00

Hard to believe, but Ansley was 3 weeks old on Wednesday! We went for her well baby check up, and boy has she grown! We didn't receive any of the percentages associated with the weight, length, etc, but the doctor seemed thrilled at her growth!

When we left the hospital, she weighted 5 pounds 9 ounces and was 19 1/2 inches long. On Wednesday, she was up to 7 pounds 8 ounces (almost 2 whole pounds!!) and was 20 3/4 inches long (growing 1 1/4 inches!).

Let me just say that I can totally believe that weight because she eats non-stop...especially at night! She is not the good sleeper that her sister was, that's for sure. I'm so ready for her to eat more at each feeding so that she might sleep a little longer between feedings!

Below is a picture of her in just a diaper. She's starting to fill out her thighs, belly, and cheeks.
Here's a photo from today while she sleeps in her swing. Look at those cheeks!! (and the fluff of hair that sticks straight up on top of her head!)

Around Here Lately...

2011-03-20T12:57:00.003-05:00

Here are some pictures of what we've been up to lately....

My favorite part of the newborn phase is all of the sleeping that the BABY seems to get. Somehow I'm not getting as much as she is :) Probably because I use this "free time" to blog rather than nap....
Avery shared her sunglasses with Ansley the other day...

We have been frequenting the zoo quite a bit because the weather has been amazing lately. Here's Avery willingly touching/petting/squeezing a snake. The zoom is in full use here as I have no intentions of getting anywhere near a snake, much less a snake of that size!

After some inspiration from some friends, I decided to cut Avery's hair. After bath the other night, I brushed it all back and took some scissors to the ends. All in all I cut off about 3 inches. It is much more manageable now and doesn't get stuck in her food nearly as much! It's a fun summer do (since it was 86 degrees here yesterday!) I don't really have any official before and after pictures because this happened totally on a whim....

Another look at her new hair cut...

Avery asked to hold Ansley the other night (this is just the second time this has happened!). We tried to snap a few photos of this momentous occasion....

...but it was very short-lived (doesn't this picture make you want to jump in your car and come to our house as fast as you can?!?!)

My brother stopped by to see Avery and meet Ansley on his way home after Spring Break...

2 Weeks Old

2011-03-17T17:23:00.001-05:00

Little Ansley was 2 weeks old yesterday. We had her newborn photo session yesterday with Jen Stewart. She did a great job, and below are a few pictures of the cutest little 2 week old! Enjoy...

The First Week

2011-03-15T14:39:00.002-05:00

Smiling while dreaming...or while gassy. Who really knows?
Resting on Daddy's shoulder. This is how she holds her hands while she is having tummy time or on someone's shoulder.

This is her one week old picture with her little lion that Avery gave to her.

Going for a walk in our new double stroller. Avery thought it was so cool!

Ansley Nolan Knierim

2011-03-15T14:15:00.003-05:00

THE INTRODUCTION

Here are some pictures of A1 ans A2, as they have been nicknamed for shorthand purposes.

Avery wasn't (and still isn't) completely sure what to think about this new baby sister.

This is my very first time to see Ansley; Avery was able to stop by the nursery while I was recovering. She's got that pointer finger ready...
Just wanting to look...

Not quite sure what to do or think of her baby sister...

This is Avery showing us how she can be gentle and use one finger to touch baby Ansley (something that we've been talking about for months)...

Trying to get all of the girls together is not easy; this is the best that we did...

Ansley Nolan Knierim

2011-03-15T13:29:00.004-05:00

THE FIRST FEW DAYS

Here are some pictures taken of little Ansley during the first few days of her life while in the hospital.

Her very first picture of her by herself...
She will have her hands in her face all the time...this is always what she was doing during the ultrasounds.

Sweet little dream smiles...

Here she is with no hat. Look at all of that dark hair! Where did that come from??

Daddy trying to get a little artsy with the camera. We are suckers for b&w photos!

Ansley Nolan Knierim

2011-03-15T12:33:00.002-05:00

THE ARRIVAL

Oh goodness....where to begin. Many of you know that Ansley was to be a scheduled c-section on the morning of Thursday March 3, but she had different plans. On Tuesday March 1, I thought my water had broken in the late afternoon. I had plans that evening with a friend (a last hoo-rah before our babies were born--she was expecting also), so my friend and I decided that it wouldn't be a bad idea to call labor and delivery to see if they thought I needed to come in and be checked. Of course they did. So, I left, on my own, and headed to the hospital. I knew that there was not going to be any news, so I asked Matt to stay at home and watch Avery and that I would be home late since I was swinging by the hospital on the way to meet my friend for coffee and dessert. When I got there, they immediately put me in a room and checked to see if my water had broken. First test (the rapid test) was negative---see, I was right: no news. The second test (the longer one), however, indicated that my water did in fact break. The doctor said that it was probably just a small tear, but it had broken nonetheless. Therefore, I would have to stay overnight, and they would reschedule my c-section for the following morning (a day early). Now, if you know me at all, you know that I had everything planned to a T. This whole business of the baby coming a day early threw all of the plans out of whack. I had many phone calls to make. Matt needed to find somewhere/someone to watch Avery that night and the next day. I called my coffee and dessert friend to cancel our plans...we ended up sharing Dr Pepper in the hospital room that night. Around 8pm, my water really broke...I mean like in the movies. Thus my actual labor started. I was not prepared to go into labor; I was a scheduled c-section!! I did not handle the labor and contractions very well, and I'd like to say that it was because I was not mentally or emotionally prepared for it. The night was agonizing, and I will spare you any details, but the next morning made it all worthwhile. A beautiful baby girl was born. Ansley Nolan Knierim entered the world at 7:51am weighing in at 6 pounds 1 ounce and 19 1/2 inches long. She was so alert immediately after birth. She had very dark blue eyes (although not as dark as Avery's), a head full of dark hair, and sweet little facial features. 10 fingers, 10 toes. Her APGAR scores were 9 and 9. She was perfect! Below are some pictures of little Ansley right after her birth, but none of the gross ones :)

Getting hooked up to the warmer in the NICU:
Little sun bather...(by the way, I think that this picture makes her look like a big baby, but she is anything but big!)

So alert; showing off to the NICU staff...

Looking around and taking in everything about this big, new world....

Sweet baby feet...

**All of these pictures were taken during her short stay in the NICU. At my hospital, it is protocol for c-section babies to go to the NICU for 2 hours or until they have warmed up.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T19:25:00.002-06:00

We remembered to wear our Valentine's Day red to church yesterday....we totally forgot about anything red or pink for today, actual Valentine's Day. Oh well!

Avery has gotten very good at posing for cameras. Here she is before church yesterday in the kitchen, posing against the wall. She says "cheese" and "take a picture" and then follows that with "see the baby" meaning that she wants to see the digital image of herself.
Looking out the window in the living room at the beautiful day. We've been waiting for this weather for a while now. Avery LOVES being outside, and while she doesn't seem to mind the bitter coldness that we've had recently, I can only stand it for so long!

After church, while lunch was cooking, she played in the backyard or "Avery's woods" as she calls it.

I love this little profile picture with her serious face.

She loves climbing, and what else would she do on a Sunday afternoon in her church clothes but climb around on the tree stumps?

Zoo Trip!

2011-02-06T14:47:00.003-06:00

Last weekend, the last weekend of January, the temperature was in the mid-60s, so we headed outdoors to the zoo. We had a great time! Our morning started off with homemade blueberry and cherry pancakes, then the zoo, then frozen yogurt, then lunch by the water at The Depot in Helena. Avery fell asleep in the car after lunch on the way home for a nap. It was a great day!

Her favorite area of the zoo has always been the Petting Zoo area. However, this winter and since it's been cold, there haven't been any animals out in the petting area. But, today, it was full of goats! She also realized that there were plastic rakes that she could play with, so that stole most of her attention.
Trying to get her to look at me and smile. Didn't happen.

Ok, this picture is tricky. Look closely. The goat and Avery are looking at each others' faces at eye level. Yes, she kissed that goat right on the mouth!

We have had our bouts with corners and the such. She can't seem to keep the puffy lips, scabs, and bruises away from her little mouth. This isn't the best picture, but her little mouth actually looks the best it's looked in a while! Only one tiny scab right above her top lip.

Washing her hands at the washing station after playing with the goats. She's getting so big...she can actually reach the water by herself now! No more lifting and hoisting!

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

2011-01-23T19:06:00.004-06:00

It has been freezing down here in Alabama...literally. And, what better way to wait out the freeze than to build a fire in the backyard and sit by it. Now, this does not sound fun to me...I hate being cold. But, much to her father's delight, Avery enjoys being outdoors at all times during the year as well as being outdoors with her Daddy. So, he set up her little camping chair, I bundled her up, took her outside, and I stayed out there just long enough to snap some photos. Enjoy!

By the way, if I can't even get my husband and daughter to look at the camera and have eyes open at the same time, how in the world am I going to get two small children to do that???

The New Cheese

2011-01-23T18:52:00.003-06:00

Here's another example when Avery wanted me to take her picture. You'll be happy to know that sometimes there is a new cheese face around...
The original cheese face.

The new side-cocked cheese face.

And again just to emphasize that it's here to stay.

Early Birthday Present

2011-01-23T16:57:00.004-06:00

For those of you who know me and Matt well, this next posting may surprise you a bit. Avery's birthday is in April, and I bought her first official birthday present from a friend at work in December (not surprising yet, I know). But, what I purchased was a Power Wheels. It's a small purple Tinkerbell 4-wheeler. It doesn't go very fast, and it is very low to the ground. Also in this agreement was the fact that she would also receive a helmet for her birthday to go with the Power Wheels. Now, I bought it with the intention to hold on to it until April (when the weather is warm and it could be used outside). It stayed in our garage all of about 2 weeks before Matt brought it upstairs for her to "try." Since we have not purchased her helmet yet, she was forced to wear Matt's mountain biking helmet. Here are some pictures from her first time with the 4-wheeler.

Not sure about the helmet....in case you can't tell by her face.
Sitting on the 4-wheeler for the first time.

So proud, but still not grasping the concept. Just sitting still for the time being....

This is her sheer excitement face when she learned what that little red button did :)

And here she is coming around the corner....of the couch.

Christmas #4

2011-01-23T16:05:00.004-06:00

Our fourth and final Christmas celebration was on Christmas Day at my grandparents' house. Avery got another favorite toy there...her baby doll. For the past couple months, as you can expect, we have been telling Avery about a baby sister that is going to come and play with her. When she opened the present and pulled out the doll, she began to exclaim, "Baby sister! Baby sister!" It was quite funny. Here she is showing my Mimi that the doll has eyes, a nose, a mouth, and hair just like her! At times she still calls this doll her baby sister, although we are trying to come up with a different name because Avery calling a doll her baby sister creeps me out just a bit.
Here she is giving the baby "pounds" or "booms." This is when two people punch fists together and then their hands blow up (open with spread fingers) and say "boom!"

And here she is being very sweet...giving the baby kisses and saying, "I love you!" For the most part she's very sweet with the baby doll....as long as you look away when she carries her by her hair or uses her to gain leverage or that extra height she needs to climb on things.

While we were opening presents on Christmas evening, it began to snow again. So, outside we went and took many pictures. Here she is with my brother, Houston. We've been trying to get her to say "Uncle Houston," but it comes out as "Cuwee." In fact, as I type this, she's sitting here

saying, "Cuwee...I see him!" Sadly, I think that this is one of our only family pictures from Christmas. It's amazing how pregnant women can avoid the camera!

We were all so excited to see the snow at Christmas! It may be a while before that happens again, so we tried to enjoy it as much as possible. Lately, down here in Alabama, there have been numerous snow-scares, but so far, no snow for us.

Snow Day!

2011-01-23T13:59:00.002-06:00

On Christmas morning, we woke up to this.....
This snow suit may look a little dated and worn, and that's because it is. It was mine over 25 years ago. It fit Avery pretty well. She thought she was hot stuff! It reminded us all of the movie A Christmas Story because she was not able to walk up steps because of all of the layers. She really liked the snow, however, she was very upset about getting it on her shoes and making a mess.

Matt made snowballs and threw them at me and her the entire time. I like to look at snow, but I don't like being cold. I deemed myself the photographer and stayed on the porch as much as possible. Here's Matt trying to talk Avery into taking a bite of the snowball. She didn't want to at first, but after about 10 minutes of convincing and Daddy eating a few, she gave in.

See, I can do it all by myself!

Then, we couldn't stop her. If Matt threw a snowball, and it didn't bust completely apart, she would go get it, pick it up, and start chomping down!

Christmas #3

2011-01-23T13:45:00.002-06:00

On Christmas Eve night, we celebrated another Christmas; this time with the Sanders family (just my parents and brother....a Sanders family tradition to do a small Christmas on Christmas Eve night before the big, extended family Christmas on Christmas Day). Avery was all decked out in her Christmas pjs and was so proud of them.
Here she is with Daddy opening her big girl bed sheets...with monkeys!! This was a big hit and made the transition from crib to bed a little easier...at first :) More to come on that in a little bit!

And then there was another one of her favorite toys....the kitchen! Oh my this was a hit, and still is! She played and played and played with that kitchen! And, I am proud to say, she has kept up with all of the "extras" so far!

Christmas #2

2011-01-23T13:29:00.002-06:00

On Christmas Eve eve, we packed up and headed north to Nashville to spend the remainder of the Christmas holiday with our families up there. On Christmas Eve morning, we spent the majority of the day with our Knierim family at Josh and Jenn's house. Avery has two cousins, Isabel and Will. Avery and Will are 5 months apart, so it's fun to watch them play together. It's also fun to watch the girls interact and form bonds. Somehow we didn't even attempt to get a picture of the three cousins this year...not sure it would have worked very well :)

Here's Avery opening one of her favorite toys, her brand new doll stroller!
Wait, they have a Magnadoodle, too??!! The new toys quickly became a nuisance once she realized that there was a Magnadoodle that needed to be played with.

This is one of my favorites because Avery definitely did not get the present part of Christmas. Who needs more presents/toys when you have a Magnadoodle (that belongs to her cousins) and a new stroller? This is Izzy and Will opening Avery's present for her. She had not a clue. Good news is that it was the Little People Nativity (which I was wanting!), so hopefully by next year, along with the many books she received, we can realize the difference between Jesus and Santa!

Christmas #1

2011-01-22T20:09:00.004-06:00

Ok, get ready...Christmas posting (almost a month LATE!) is happening. It was a whirlwind this year. Avery is a year older, obviously, and we weren't sure how responsive she would be to the whole Christmas season. She didn't quite get it. In fact, at one point, I think that she thought Santa and Jesus were the same person...yikes!!

Our Christmas holiday started on Christmas Eve eve evening (December 23). Matt, Avery, and I celebrated at our house that evening as a family. We stuck to the three gift "rule" this year, and frankly, I think that we could have done one present (or even NO presents), and she wouldn't have cared/known.

Here she is sitting with two of her presents (her stocking makes #3). I think that she looks so old in this picture!
She got a Magnadoodle! I had to include this picture because she was obsessed with smelling the magnets. Not sure why...

Opening her stocking....

Playing with all of the "loot." She got a Magnadoodle, Tag Reader system, and her stocking was full of books, Elmo slippers, flashcards, and bath crayons.

After all of the excitement was over, she went to the recycling bin and got this out to play with. Of course, after receiving new toys....the best thing of all is obviously the cardboard roll of wrapping paper. She thought it was hilarious to stick her arm in it and have an arm extension. This picture was hilarious to me because she looks gangster.

Just Because

2011-01-22T19:53:00.002-06:00

Sorry I haven't updated this in quite some time....way too long! But, I must warn you, I have a goal to get this updated tonight which means lots of posts as many things have been changing around here.

Avery is a little goof ball these days. She loves getting her picture taken, whatever the circumstance. Here are a few while we were in the guest bedroom/study looking at our friends' blogs...of course she wanted her picture taken since we were looking at other "babies."

This is a different time, but same scenario...

Big Girl Bed!!

2011-01-02T13:54:00.002-06:00

I apologize for the seemingly disinterest in blogging recently. We, like most of you all, have been very busy. We went out of town for Christmas, and when I'm at home and have some spare time, I've started nesting. But, I am going to do a post today because we've hit a milestone! Avery has moved out of her crib and is in a big girl bed! It's slightly temporary because the two girls will be sharing a room, and in my mind I have exactly how I want their room to look, but that can't happen until Little Bit #2 is about Avery's age. So for now, Avery's big girl bed is my old twin day bed from when I was little. We haven't bought bedding for it (mainly because I didn't think it would be such an easy transition!). Avery did get some monkey sheets for Christmas that she is using, and we had a spare blanket to throw on top of that. We didn't do the safety rail, but she uses her Pillow Pet (another Christmas present) as a "wall." She has been so good about the transition. We started doing sporadic naps here and there, and then this weekend we jumped in with both feet! She fusses a little more than usual when it's time to go to bed, but I think that's because she doesn't have toys or books in bed with her like she used to in her crib. She hasn't fallen out yet (knock on wood), and in fact, she hasn't even attempted to get out of the bed once she's tucked in (this is something that we're wondering if she'll figure out....that she could actually get out of the bed and play instead of going to sleep). So, we've had three successful nights and four successful naps...all in a row. I'm thinking this is a permanent transition. You can't really see her in the picture below, but here is Avery all tucked in and sound asleep in her big bed!
I promise I will do a Christmas post, but the amount of pictures that were taken is a little overwhelming. Whoever told me that I would start taking less pictures LIED. I think we took more this year!

Thanksgiving

2010-11-30T19:43:00.003-06:00

We had a great Thanksgiving spent with family and friends. We spent a majority of the holiday break up in Nashville. The weather was unseasonably warm for most of the time, so that was a little strange. We did some shopping on Black Friday (at 10am....all of the things on our short list were still at the store!!) and went to Opryland to see the Christmas lights on Saturday. Avery was very much into "Giving" (Thanksgiving) and turkey and all of the festivities that come along with it. On Thanksgiving night, there was some pretty serious Just Dance going on, and she was right in the middle of it showing off her skills!

Avery attempting to use her spoon and fork. Notice the concentration on her brow. This is a skill that I have put off on purpose...quite simply because I prefer to feed her for time's sake, both quickness and mess clean up. We're working on it though!
Avery got to sit with a friend, Lyla Beth, and share the Thanksgiving meal with her at their own little kids table. So sweet!

Avery at Opryland enjoying all of the sites and sounds. She LOVED it! This has been a tradition of Matt and me for many years now, and we were so excited to include her this year.

She was so proud to stand in front of the big tree and have her picture taken.

Just trying to give a little scale to the size of the tree. Those present ornaments are large wrapped boxes, and the round ball ornaments are the size of soccer balls. As you can see, the green bow is the same height as Avery!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Christmas Card Pictures

2010-11-21T19:11:00.003-06:00

This posting goes out to anyone who has ever tried to get a 19 month old to pose and act appropriately on camera....more specifically, for a Christmas card picture. And, just like with anything in life, the bloopers are sometimes better than the actual end result......

Merry (early) Christmas!!

Trick or Treat!

2010-11-05T14:01:00.002-05:00

This year for Halloween Avery was a giraffe. We had intentions of making it to Boo at the Zoo, but after finding out that our zoo membership didn't cover the admission, it slipped further down the list of to-do's this October. We did make it to our church's Trunk or Treat on Halloween night. The pictures make it look like it was during the afternoon, but it got dark quite quickly. We practiced saying "trick or treat" but all she would say to get candy from real hander-outers was "treat." Makes good sense to me :)

Here we go.....

Typical

First Purchase for the GIRLS!

2010-10-31T13:30:00.002-05:00

Since the day that we found out we were expecting another little miracle, and we started talking about "what if it's another girl," I have been selfishly thinking about dressing them alike. They will only be 22-23 months apart, so many clothing stores offer the same little outfits in a very small size and a very big size. Yesterday Avery and I went to some new outlet shops that had just opened. She really likes shopping and riding in her stroller, and it was a beautiful day, so we loaded up and headed over. I am proud to say that my only purchase was from one store! Because of it being so packed with eager shoppers, I had to look very quickly and pick out something that I thought Matt would like also (you'd never know it, but he is very particular about what Avery wears). In the picture you will see a Big Sister and Little Sister matching combo and a set of matching dresses! I consider this a success! On a side note, compared to the shopping extravaganza that occurred when we found out that Avery was going to be a girl, poor baby #2 will have to settle for hand-me-downs. This is the first purchase for Baby#2!!

18 Month Check Up

2010-10-28T18:46:00.002-05:00

We went for Avery's 18 month check up today. She has met all of her milestones, and the doctor said that she was very advanced :) Here's her stats:
weight: 19 pounds 14 ounce (33%)
height: 31.75 inches (50%)
head circumference: 75%
Yes, we're still under 20 pounds and technically should be riding rear-facing in the car. Hilarious. And, if you have ever been around this child, you know that she eats like she's never been fed before!

Baby Stuff

2010-10-25T21:00:00.002-05:00

We had given most of our baby stuff/equipment to friends to borrow, and slowly it has all been trickling back to our house. I have debated breaking it apart and putting it away, but I then I thought we'd just leave it out, let Avery get used to all of the stuff that comes with a baby, and not have to worry about putting it all back together later on. One afternoon, as I was sitting on the couch, I heard something that sounded like Avery taking very rhythmic steps behind me. I turned around, and this is what I saw (poor quality due to snapping the picture with my camera phone!). She was sitting in the bouncy seat, drinking her juice, and rocking herself. Hilarious.

Small Spaces

2010-10-25T20:36:00.002-05:00

Recently Avery has had a fascination with trying to get as many things/objects crammed into small spaces as possible....sometimes including herself. Many times after nap or when waking up in the morning, she's used her bumper to make a smaller section within her bed. In that smaller section she will have put her lovey, all of her pacis, her pillow, whatever stuffed animals and books she can grab, and herself. When I say small space, I mean literally 12"x12". It's pretty funny. Here she is using a photo storage box as one of those small spaces. You may not be able to tell from the picture, but the box is crammed full of books, golf balls, blocks, and even Tupperware.

Pumpkin Carving

2010-10-25T20:13:00.002-05:00

You didn't think that we'd go to the pumpkin patch twice and not make it home with a pumpkin for my oldest child, did you? Matt picked out the perfect carving pumpkin, and promptly got to work on it as soon as we got home. Avery thought it was fun....at first. She did not care for the pumpkin "guts."

Here's a picture of her playing with the "pumpkin hat" before she realized that the pumpkin guts were near.
She decided that she would contently play with her little pumpkin trio and check on Daddy every now and then.

This was basically as close as she would get to the pumpkin while the carving was in progress.

Daddy's accomplishment:
His proud moment as he shows off "Death Skull."

It is actually extremely detailed and very neat looking with the candle glowing inside. By far the spookiest Halloween decoration on our front porch!

Pumpkin Patch #2

2010-10-25T19:43:00.004-05:00

Have I accurately described the obsession with pumpkins?? Well, there is a small pumpkin patch that we pass at least twice each day, so this past weekend, we finally went to "see them...pumpkins."

Can you tell that she is so happy by the sheer delight in her little face??
This isn't anything more than us wanting to remember how cute and funny she looks wearing jeans at this age. Like she's a big girl....

She liked touching every single pumpkin but was especially drawn to the ones that weren't smooth or orange.

This ended up being the souvenir that she took home. The little church gave it to us for free!

In the car on the way home...making that wonderful "cheese" face.

18 Months Old!

2010-10-21T19:16:00.003-05:00

Avery is 18 months old today. Very hard to believe. It is so strange to think about her right now and look back and compare her to this time last year when she was just 6 months old. She is so very independent now. She's extremely smart and very pleasant to be around. We love her so much and can't imagine life without her! She is very social after the initial shyness wears off. She loves animals and reading. She plays very well by herself and with other "buddies." I can't wait to see what happens next!

My parents were able to come down from Nashville to visit today, and we all went out to eat for dinner. Needless to say, when Avery's around, there is no shortage of entertainment. Thanks for dinner, Gigi and Skip! It was so great to see you guys! We love you very much!

It's a .....

2010-10-21T19:14:00.001-05:00

GIRL!

Avery will be a big sister to a little sister at the beginning of March. We will be having a scheduled C-section, and most likely will be scheduled for March 2. We are very excited about having two little girls!

The Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-13T19:22:00.004-05:00

We went to the Pumpkin Patch last weekend and had a great time! Ever since a small pumpkin patch has "opened" near our house, and we have to drive by it every day, Avery has been obsessed with pumpkins. So, needless to say, she was in her own version of Heaven when we arrived at the Pumpkin Patch and she was able to run free amongst all of the pumpkins! She did not take her little grin off of her face until the very end. It was extremely hot last weekend....92 while we were there. It was hot, lunch time, and nap time all at the same time. But, we made it through and made some great memories. Here's the link to the journey to the Pumpkin Patch last year.

I think that this is the only picture that we got where she is actually looking at the camera and not obsessing over the pumpkins. She couldn't keep her hands or eyes off of them.

She also couldn't keep her mouth off of them. Somehow she knows that pumpkins are food. For the longest time, she would say "pumpkin" followed by "yummy, yummy." One taste of this weird looking one, and she didn't try again :)

Again, very distracted. So many pumpkins and crazy children to watch!

Getting a little tired of being asked to say "cheese." Did I mention how hot it was???

It's Been a While

2010-10-10T16:24:00.003-05:00

It has been well over a month since my last blog post, and I swore that I would never be one of "those people" who blog once a month. Sorry! It has been very busy around here lately, and we really haven't even had time (or the thoughtfulness) to take pictures. But, we made a conscious effort to take some last weekend. So, here goes...

We went to the zoo because the weather was amazing! The temperature was in the high 60s/low 70s the entire time...perfect for me! We could have stayed there all day. And, only in Alabama is there a University of Alabama or an Auburn "exhibit" to choose from for a photo op.....
We have a new camera face. This one is the cheese face since she says "cheese" while making it. Lovely.

I finally found her a slide. Not that I couldn't find one before, but I couldn't find one for the price that I wanted to pay :) It's consignment season again in the Knierim household, so that means lots of great deals like a Little Tikes slide for $10. She loves it and has only fallen off (followed by tears) once.

This is Matt's favorite. He's trying to mold her into an LPGA tour player. She's working on it, but is so darn cute when she says "golf."

Labor Day and a Boo-Boo

2010-09-07T20:17:00.002-05:00

The day before Labor Day, we went to the playground in our neighborhood to play, and Avery got so excited and tried to run on the concrete sidewalk. She tripped over a crack and landed smack on her little face. It was quite pitiful, but not much crying compared to what it looked like at the scene of the accident. Here are some pictures of her in her patriotic Labor Day festive attire as well as a picture of her little chewed up bottom lip, upper lip, and nose.

It's hard to get her to look at the camera when Elmo is on :)
Not the best picture, but I think that she looks so much like a little girl rather than a baby in this one....

Here she is front-on and sucking in her bottom lip. It doesn't look so bad in this picture, but it's the one that captured the lip wounds the best. Her nose actually has a scab on the underneath, end side. We're still not completely sure how all of those parts were affected with one fall. It was pretty pitiful!

Roll Tide!

2010-09-07T20:00:00.002-05:00

As everyone knows, the reigning National Champions took to the field for the first regular season game this past Saturday, and we had to show our colors off!

Sometimes playing with pine needles is much more fun than cooperating for a picture!

To some this might be a "mess up" picture, but to me this screams "miniature Matt Knierim!"

Beach Trip!

2010-08-14T10:24:00.002-05:00

We took a short family vacation last week, and we headed down to the Gulf Coast. We stayed in a family member of a friend's condo, and it was perfect! It was located on Okaloosa Island, an island situated between Destin and Ft Walton. We had a great time, and cherish the time we were able to spend together! This was Avery's first time to the beach. We went to the coast of South Carolina last September, but the coast and the beach are completely different in our book. Avery wasn't a fan of the sand (neither am I, though!), so we spent much of our time at the pool. From our balcony, you could see the beach, and Avery would stand and exclaim, "BEACH!" or "OCEAN!" or "WATER!"

One of Avery's favorite things was the sliding glass door and screen door that led to the patio. She thought it was hilarious to be on one side and to look through and make faces to the person on the other side....
Here she is during a lunch break playing with the sliding glass door.
This is Avery ready for a dinner out, complete with flamingos (since we were at the beach). This is actually a top/pant set that was passed down to us from cousin Isabel, but we used it as a dress since it was so warm.

At the end of our trip, Matt took some quintessential beach pictures of Avery in her white beach dress that I bought a long time ago...almost two years ago, actually, when we found out she was going to be a girl! I can never resist a sale :) Here are some of my favorites:

Big Sister

2010-07-31T12:34:00.002-05:00

Matt and I tried to get a little artsy and take some pictures of Avery with her new sibling. Here's what we got...

Water Day at the Zoo

2010-07-31T11:24:00.004-05:00

Our zoo has a water park. We have not ever utilized this feature until the other day when it was going to be 100 degrees. We loaded up and headed to the zoo, complete with swimsuits! Avery loves the water, but she had never experience water that shoots up from the ground. She was by far the youngest child playing in the water by at least 4-5 years, but that didn't stop her! She followed around the older kids and mimicked what they were doing. She learned to stand on the water, sit on the water, grab the water, and look for the sprinklers that are in the ground to wait for the water. She had so much fun chasing around the moving water!

Just beginning....getting used to it.
Getting the hang of it.

Not holding anything back!

She had so much fun!

Loving every second of it!

New Little One!

2010-07-31T11:17:00.002-05:00

It is with immense joy that we announce that Avery will be a big sister next year! Our official due date is March 9, but we will have a scheduled C-section the week before....we get to pick the date! Now, of course, this is assuming that I will be able to make it that long. You may remember that Avery came a few weeks earlier than her planned/scheduled C-section. But, we are all praying that I can go a little longer with this one! I apologize that the picture is upside down and not good quality---we had to use our scanner. The top picture shows the baby (blob on the right) and the yolk sac (circle on the left). The bottom picture shows the little arm buds and leg buds (the small white dots around the baby blob). Matt thought that Avery at this same point looked like a chicken nugget, hence the nickname Nuggles. He thinks that this one looks like a gummi bear. We'll see what nickname he comes up with :)

15 Months Old!

2010-07-22T17:02:00.003-05:00

Hard to believe, but Avery turned 15 months old yesterday! We went for our 15 month check-up today, and the stats are confirmation of our little runt :)
Weight: 19 lbs 1 oz (5th percentile)
Height: 30 inches (40th percentile)
Surprisingly, the doctor was very happy with those statistics. Avery only has 6 teeth, and he was happy about that, too. He very much eased our minds and told us that teeth were overrated for small children because all they do is increase decay; they don't need front teeth for tearing because we already break up the bites; they don't need molars for chewing because their gums do that perfectly for them. I was definitely nervous about his comments regarding her lack of teeth and lack of weight, but he made us feel much, much better.
We fill out a milestone sheet at every appointment, and today was the first day that confidently answered "yes" to all of them without having to twist any of the questions to fit her. She is growing up so quickly. She already has an extensive vocabulary, and she uses her words appropriately. She had good manners. She's learning the difference between right and wrong very quickly. She climbs, runs, and rides her self-propelled cars. She helps put her clothes on in the morning. She eats anything and everything that we put in front of her. She likes to color. She takes one or two naps each day. She loves the zoo, the park, and the pool. She enjoys her stroller and taking walks. She laughs at herself. She interacts with her toys and dolls. She will sit and watch an entire hour-long episode of Sesame Street or a 30 minute episode of Angelina Ballerina and laugh at the appropriate times. She knows how to be gentle. She knows how to kick, throw, and "catch" a ball (or anything for that matter). She points and says "No ma'am!" to things that she knows she can't play with or touch. She likes to pretend to talk on the phone. She attempts to say any word that you ask her to repeat (and some she overhears).
There is so much more, but that's enough for now. She's a joy to be around, and we couldn't have asked for it to be any better. I'll post pictures later :)

Our Little Monkey

2010-07-18T10:28:00.002-05:00

For those of you who say "you have it so easy because you have a girl who doesn't get in to things or climb on anything..." This one's for you :)

Hair Styles

2010-07-04T16:15:00.003-05:00

On July 2, we went to the zoo. We had a great time despite the crazy heat. This is Avery's typical hair style these days. Bangs pulled over to the side with a bow clip. Most of the time this bow does not stay in very long. Her hair is getting more and more out of control, and with the heat setting in, she needs some way of keeping her hair out of her face. So, we got a little creative this weekend (PS....I'm not quite ready to give her a haircut; plus, I want her bangs to grow out).
Oh, and this is her rhino along for the ride. He was a gift from the zoo when we got our membership. She likes to make him look at the animals, too.

On July 3, our little town celebrated with a party at the park complete with fireworks show. Avery was very festive. She even tried a new hair style....pigtails! Well, sort of. One of them stuck straight up, and the other one poked straight out. No doubt the "stickiness" was caused by the ponytail holders that were a little too big. It was so cute though! She thought she was big stuff, too!

Another view of the pigtails.

So, because the pigtails looked a little ridiculous, I decided that we would try just one side-pony today...complete with ponytail holder. Success! Also, very cute! Please excuse the dirty mouth.

A little later after Mommy figured out how to keep all of those bangs out of her face. Doesn't she look so old? I believe we've found our new hair style for a while.

We are going to a bigger fireworks show downtown tonight. Hopefully it will go like last night. We took our fold-out camping chairs (Avery has a miniature one...adorable) and set up in a neighborhood behind the park where the show was happening. It was the perfect set up with not near the amount of traffic had we gone to the actual park. The fireworks show started a little after 9:30, so we were past bedtime. At the beginning, they probably shot off 10 or so as a little teaser, and then they National Anthem was played (fireworks shot off during "rockets' red glare" and "bombs bursting in air"). Avery had no problem with the first little part or during the Anthem. BUT, when the real show started immediately following the conclusion of the Anthem, she was not happy anymore. My non-cuddler wanted in my lab and cuddled with me most of the show. Toward the end, I talked her into sitting in her chair, and she sat in her chair and was completed entranced....no blinking or noises. One big success from the night is that Avery now knows all about stars. We had a bit of time to kill in the pitch black night while waiting on the show to begin, and she noticed all of the stars in the sky. If you ask her, "where are the stars," she'll look straight up and point and say, "sars."

New Trick

2010-06-23T22:15:00.003-05:00

I love that she gets just as tickled as we do when she learns new tricks. She's so smart; too smart. She sure keeps you on your toes. Matt walked around the corner the other day to find this. He then got me to come watch (and record). Again, how does she learn these things?