tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27414020406482323162024-02-22T09:12:02.722-05:00The Spice RackSarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04166501586320535397noreply@blogger.comBlogger144125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2741402040648232316.post-66296636193963561222014-03-21T12:12:00.001-04:002014-03-21T12:12:17.202-04:00First Day of SpringA couple weeks ago I started planning a little celebration for the first day of Spring with Avery. Ryan and I decided that for our family, we would rather take the bunnies and eggs and activities that are usually associated with Easter and enjoy those at another time instead. The first day of Spring seemed like a good time to do that. And now Easter is reserved to celebrate Christ's resurrection and focus on what that day means for us.<br />
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Since Avery loves helping me in the kitchen, I knew she'd enjoy baking cookies. I also found a couple cute crafts to keep her busy throughout the day.<br />
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For breakfast, we made banana whole wheat pancakes shaped like butterflies and flowers. I only had one cookie cutter of each shape and I didn't have the patience to make pancakes for hours, so there were three cute pancakes, and the rest were normal-shaped. But Avery loved them and ate all three of her "special pancakes."<br />
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After breakfast, we started working on a batch of sugar cookies. We had made the dough the night before so it could chill overnight. Avery loved using the rolling pin and helping to cut out the cookies. I also caught her sneaking quite a few little bites of cookie dough. Like mother, like daughter! I had bought a box of gel-based pastel food coloring for this project. Apparently I used a little too much of the gel because the colors are obviously not pastel. I guess it's better than Christmas colors, though.<br />
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While the cookies were cooling, we dyed eggs for our table centerpiece. I removed the tops of 6 eggs, cleaned out the insides, and placed them in a bowl of water with purple food coloring. The eggs ended up being more of a mauve color, but Avery thought it was the coolest thing to see the eggs turn a different color. She even brought one of her bowls and her pretend eggs into the kitchen and told me she was coloring her eggs as well.<br />
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Once the eggs dried, I placed them in my brand new porcelain egg carton that I found at Bed Bath & Beyond for $1.99. We filled the eggs with water, placed a small flower in each one, and spread moss around the edges. It turned out to be a pretty and inexpensive spring centerpiece for our dining room table.<br />
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While Avery napped, I worked on the next baking project - coconut "nest" cookies. When Avery woke up, she helped me fill the nests with homemade nutella (which, by the way, was super easy and delicious) and peanut butter m&m eggs. Avery was very particular about which colors she used. But I think her favorite part was licking the nutella off her fingers.<br />
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Our final craft project was making small stained glass window pictures. The night before, I ripped up colored tissue paper into small pieces. Then we spread Elmer's glue on a piece of waxed paper and let Avery place the tissue paper pieces on the glue. After gluing another sheet of waxed paper on top, we let it dry for several hours. Finally, I cut various shapes out of dark purple card stock and glued the waxed paper / tissue paper to the templates. They are currently hanging in our dining room window. I couldn't believe that they actually looked like stained glass when the sun shines through them!<br />
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We had planned to have a picnic in the park for dinner, but the weather was a little too chilly and windy to eat outside. But before dinner, Avery got to open a few gifts. Grandma and Grandpa even sent her a special surprise. We gave her a necklace and bracelet, lip gloss, and a new Madeline movie (mostly because I was tired of listening to the same ones over and over in the car). Her grandparents gave her an adorable stuffed bunny, a new book, and a pair of orange jellies. She was in heaven!<br />
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After dinner, Ryan and Avery brought the baked goods to our friends and neighbors. The best part of enjoying the fun of baking all day is sending it all away so I'm not tempted to eat it all!<br />
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I think Avery enjoyed our new springtime tradition. I know I'm already looking forward to next year!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04166501586320535397noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2741402040648232316.post-50524695925759772852013-10-11T16:45:00.000-04:002013-10-11T16:45:02.009-04:0015 Months OldI thought that after Avery turned one, I wouldn't post monthly updates anymore. But I found that I looked back at this blog often to remember little details about her life that I otherwise might forget. So while these posts may not be strictly every month, I will try to update as things change (or as I have time).<br />
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She has turned into even more of a chatterbox than she was before (if that's even possible). We hear non-stop babble most of the day. She loves to pull toys and books out from her bins, and usually will put them back in if we ask her to. Her favorite thing to do these days is carry things from one room to the other. I found a sweet potato in her room yesterday when I put her down for a nap. And I often find clothes from her hamper in other parts of the house.<br />
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Avery's favorite time of day is if I let her watch Barefoot Contessa while I'm getting dinner ready. She gets so excited, yells "Ina!" and will watch an entire episode. If I am in the kitchen cooking, she has to be right in there with me mixing and stirring with bowls and spoons as well. If she sees me near the oven, she will bring me an oven mitt. I can't wait to start baking and cooking with her! We might have a little chef on our hands.<br />
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She also loves to eat, and has a pretty sophisticated palette. She prefers sweet potatoes roasted with paprika and garlic to plain baked sweet potatoes, and loves a mushroom, onion and Swiss frittata instead of plain scrambled eggs.<br />
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Avery can say "grandma" and "grandpa" and knows who they are. I showed her a picture of my parents the other day without saying their names, and she pointed to them and correctly identified them. She can also say "Rachel" and "Beka." Her favorite food to say is "apple." And while she can say words for milk, banana, applesauce, yogurt, etc. they don't sound quite like they should yet. When we read her Bible story each night, she says, "Jesus." She has been doing the signs for "please, more, and all done" for quite a few months now. It is extremely helpful to cut down on some whining and interpret what she is asking for. She tries as hard as she can to imitate what we are saying. She can usually get the right inflection and the right number of syllables. I'm sure we'll start hearing more real words in the next few months.<br />
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The memory and imagination of a 15-month old never ceases to amaze me. She walks around the house with her play phone saying "Hi, Dada." And she often puts bowls or clothes on her head and yells, "hat!" My mom sings "Jesus Loves Me" to her all the time and has been teaching her the hand motions. It's been a few weeks since she has heard it, but yesterday I asked if she wanted to sing a song (she loves singing solos) and immediately started singing something that clearly included the word "Jesus" and pointing to herself.<br />
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Avery constantly makes us laugh - more often on purpose these days. She has discovered she can be the center of attention, especially around strangers. She is becoming less and less shy and will wave and smile at anyone who talks to her.<br />
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She is still an excellent eater and sleeper. She often sleeps over 12 hours at night, with a 3 hour nap in the afternoons, and she'll eat almost anything we put in front of her. We have been blessed with such a good, easy baby, and yes, we have been warned that we might not get this lucky with our next one. Avery, thank you for the best 15 months of our lives! We love your silly personality and the slobbery kisses we get many times a day.<br />
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04166501586320535397noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2741402040648232316.post-15422459651299078492013-10-11T15:52:00.000-04:002013-10-11T15:52:17.588-04:00Weekend Trip to PAMy Mom flew home with us from SC to NJ in September and was able to spend a couple extra days with us. She was scheduled to speak at a ladies' meeting in PA on Saturday, so Avery and I drove down with her to see some of our family that lives in the area. Ryan was in the last couple days of his studying, so it was perfect timing. We drove to Mom's cousin's house for lunch. This was Avery's first time meeting her, and she loved chasing the cat around! Carol made a delicious meal for us, and it was wonderful catching up with her again. We're looking forward to her staying with us in November while she is in town for the weekend!<div>
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From there we headed to my Dad's aunt and uncle a few minutes away. Avery went down for her nap shortly after we arrived, and we relaxed with a cup of coffee for the afternoon. After dinner, Mom took us to one of her favorite stores in Pennsylvania. Avery's grandma spoiled her with lots of yummy treats for the weekend!</div>
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The next morning, we drove to our friend's church and had a wonderful morning with her and the sweet ladies we met. It was a beautiful fall day with cool, crisp air, and great fellowship. Shortly after we arrived back at home, Ryan finished his 8-hour long test and arrived home as well. Mom had offered to babysit Avery so we could go out for dinner, but we opted to order sushi and watch football at home instead.</div>
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Our little weekend away was the perfect ending to our vacation!</div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04166501586320535397noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2741402040648232316.post-56265337493946388012013-10-11T15:16:00.000-04:002013-10-11T15:16:02.086-04:00Our Month AwayAvery and I recently spent about 4 weeks back home in Greenville during August and September. Ryan completed his third year of medical school in August and then studied hard-core for his Step 2 exam in the middle of September. During that time, we decided it would be better for all of us if Avery and I were out of town. Ryan had a great study plan lined up and met with a couple classmates every day to study for 10-12 hours. He didn't need the distractions of having us around, and Avery and I needed a little more activity. I baked and cooked for a couple days before we left and loaded him up on lasagnas, casseroles, chili, bread, cookies, and tons of snacks.<br />
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I just have to say how thankful I am for my super easy (and adorable!) travel buddy. Avery has flown 8 or 9 times already (most of those with just me) and has never had a meltdown. When she was a little younger, she slept for all the flights. But now that she thinks she's a big girl, naps are no longer a guarantee. Thankfully, she was content to sit on my lap, read books, eat Cheerios, and look out the window.<br />
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Those weeks at home were some of the best we've ever had. Avery is just crazy about her grandparents and aunts. She is happy to go to them immediately without any crying or hesitation. In fact, she often would rather have them hold her than be in my arms.<br />
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With all the family around, I never had any lack of babysitters. My mom offered to stay home with Avery almost every day during her naps so I could go out shopping by myself or spend time with friends. Rachel came over most days during her lunch hour to play with Avery. And Rebekah and Dad spent hours with her in the evenings and weekends. She is one blessed girl!<br />
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Shortly after we arrived, Avery learned the word "apple." So naturally, Dad decided he wanted to take Avery to the mountains for apple picking! That weekend we had the most beautiful weather, so Dad, Rebekah, Avery, and I headed up to NC for a fun morning together.<br />
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The next weekend, Avery and I spent the morning at the pool with other moms and kids from church. We had such a great time together. Avery loved the pool, and is always happy to spend extra time with her sweet cousin, Halle.<br />
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While we were home, Avery also learned how to go up and down the stairs at my parents' house. We don't have steps at our house, so she has never tried them. But one evening, Rebekah and I realized it had been a few seconds since we'd heard from her, and when we found her, she was half way up the steps! After that, we kept her safe with a baby gate, but when we allowed her to go up, she acted like she had always been doing it! She loved to say "up" and "down" as well.<br />
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One weekend, we celebrated my mom's birthday with a surprise party at our friends' house. We had the best time with all our friends and family, and Mom was so surprised! Avery got to stay up way past her bedtime, but was so sweet and happy the whole time. She walked all around the house "talking" to people and not the least bit concerned with where I was. Several times I looked over at her and she was being held by different people. At the end of the evening, we sang happy birthday to Mom. After everyone stopped singing, Avery began singing, looked around at everyone (looking at her) and proceeded to clap for herself. She certainly loves attention!<br />
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The weeks were full of evenings with family, lunch with friends, and lots of food, as they always are when we're at home. Avery and I missed Ryan, but we loved every minute we got to spend with loved ones.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04166501586320535397noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2741402040648232316.post-60793561844782600392013-08-06T11:03:00.000-04:002013-08-06T11:03:46.851-04:00Three Down, One to GoI realized it's been a little while since we've updated you on where Ryan is in the medical school process. It's exciting to see his progress and to realize there really is an end to all this schooling! As of next Friday, Ryan will have completed his third year of medical school and his first year of clinical rotations. He will take the next four weeks off to study for and take his Step 2, the second part of his boards. During that time, Avery and I will be spending a few weeks with my family in Greenville. A small apartment with an active one-year old does not provide the best study environment for Ryan, so we'll get out of his way. He has a good study plan in place with his friend, Neil, and I know they are going to do great. I'll be sure to have plenty of food for him. And my mom has already loaded him up on snacks for those weeks.<br />
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Once the test is over, Ryan will apply for residency programs. This fall will be extremely busy as he flies all over the country (hopefully just the east coast) interviewing at various programs. During that time, he will also be completing elective rotations in different specialities, including ones that he is interested in pursuing. We have a weekend trip planned to NH in October with my family to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the church my Dad started in Dover. We also plan to be in Greenville just a few weeks later for Thanksgiving and my 10 year high school reunion. After Christmas, we'll have a couple weeks of vacation during one of Ryan's less-stressful rotations. I think a beach trip with my family is on the schedule, as well as maybe some sight-seeing in Washington, DC.<br />
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Ryan will find out where he matched for residency in March of 2014. Just a few weeks later, he will complete the remainder of his rotations, and we will move back to Greenville until he begins residency. Those couple months will be quite busy as we search for a place to live in our new location, move all our things, take an incredible trip to Turkey with my dad, plan an amazing graduation party for Ryan, and fly back to NYC for his graduation in June.<br />
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Thank you all for your continued support and encouragement. We would greatly appreciate your prayers for Ryan and his Step 2 on September 14. We're so excited for the next step in this journey.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04166501586320535397noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2741402040648232316.post-14800114843559397152013-07-03T08:30:00.001-04:002013-07-03T08:30:13.089-04:0012 Months OldToday our sweet little baby turns one! They aren't kidding when people tell you how quickly the first year will go. We love looking back at how Avery has grown and changed in this past year. I can't say that I remember all the little moments throughout the year, but I have tried to consciously enjoy them at the time. She truly is such a joy to us, and we love seeing more of her fun and silly (and often quite strong-willed) personality.<br />
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In the past month, she has really mastered the art of walking. This skill was perfected at my parents' house for the two weeks we were there. Within a couple days of being home, she was done with crawling. She loves playing outside and wants to walk everywhere we go. This presents a few challenges in places like the grocery store, or when we're running late for an appointment. She has also moved on to running (usually when she hears her Daddy in another part of the apartment).<br />
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Avery is eating a lot more finger foods, including chopped-up versions of our meals. There is not much she has tried that she doesn't like. She loves drinking milk at her meals and sipping on water throughout the day. She knows the signs for "more" and "all done" and uses them quite effectively.</div>
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She can point to her own hair, tummy, and toes, and ears and nose on someone else. In addition to saying "mama," "dada," and "amen," she can also say "doggie." She says the "sh" sound for shoes, and is quick to point out shoes anytime she sees them. She also tries to say the "s" sound, but it comes out sounding more like "sh" again. We'll often see her play with her hair if she hears us mention that word in passing. When we were at home, my dad made some comment about milking a cow, and from across the room we hear Avery start "mooing." Last night when I prayed with her before bed, she tried to repeat the word "sins" when she heard me thank Jesus for dying on the cross. It still surprises us when she understands what is being said, even when it is not being said directly to her.</div>
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We love watching her entertain herself either by reading books (usually out loud) or carrying items around the house from room to room. I often hear her in her room making herself laugh.<br />
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We love you so much, Avery, and we thank God for every day that we get to spend with you. Happy first birthday!</div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04166501586320535397noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2741402040648232316.post-89904260797180215162013-07-01T15:08:00.003-04:002013-07-01T15:08:55.777-04:00Summer Food ObsessionsI have recently started buying and eating more avocados than I have ever eaten in the previous 27 years of my life combined. It started out as an easy baby food for Avery a few months ago, and then became our first homemade guacamole. After that, we chopped avocado onto a spinach salad with strawberries and balsamic vinaigrette. But then I was kind of stuck. So we ate a lot of guacamole.<br />
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Then I saw a recipe online for an <a href="http://www.californiaavocado.com/recipe-details/view/31647/california-avocado-yogurt-key-lime-pie" target="_blank">avocado key lime pie</a>. I usually have a bag of limes sitting on my counter because I love squeezing a slice into a glass of water or adding fresh lime juice to chicken. And key lime pie is one of Ryan's favorite desserts (and it has been an embarrassingly-long time since I have made him one). So last week, Ryan had to work the evening shift in the pediatric ER, and I got to work on the pie after putting Avery to bed.<br />
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The avocado pureed with yogurt makes for a thick, creamy base, and gives the pie a beautiful green color without adding food coloring. The addition of the chopped almonds to the graham cracker crust was amazing. In the end, you taste a creamy, tangy lime pie that is secretly a little richer and healthier thanks to the avocado. This is a must-try recipe!<br />
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Thanks to that recipe, I have tried a variation on the avocado-yogurt combination for a couple other dishes. First, by adding a little chopped cilantro, garlic, and lime juice, we made a cool and tangy topping for sweet potato and black bean enchiladas. And we improved our guacamole recipe by adding Greek yogurt to the avocado.<br />
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But back to the enchiladas...I can't remember where I heard about this idea, but we added baked sweet potato (mashed) to refried beans, black beans, and salsa to make a delicious filling. Ryan and I both loved it, and Avery even enjoyed a few bites.<br />
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Sweet potatoes are definitely our other newest obsession. They are pretty inexpensive up here in NJ. It has literally been months since I've bought or eaten a white potato. We have made sweet potato hash browns (saute the potatoes with onions then add a little crumbled bacon and a dash of maple syrup just before serving). And a couple nights ago, I added caramelized onions, crumbled goat cheese, lime zest, and garlic powder to mashed sweet potatoes and stuffed jumbo pasta shells with the mixture.<br />
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So here's to a summer of new twists on old classic recipes and trying something different for dinner tonight!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04166501586320535397noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2741402040648232316.post-17907098416627634742013-06-28T14:39:00.002-04:002013-06-28T14:39:33.335-04:00Avery's First Birthday PartyWhile we were back in Greenville a couple weeks ago for my sister's wedding (post coming soon!), we decided to squeeze in a birthday party for Avery. Ryan was only in town for a couple days, and my family from MA was in town, so it seemed like a good time to do it. It made for a busy weekend, but it was so much fun to spend extra time with family and close friends.<br />
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I decided to go with a nautical themed party in navy blue and hot pink. My sister, Rachel, designed these gorgeous invitations for us.<br />
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Over the past couple months, I had been finding little things online and sending them to my parents' house where they were waiting or me when I arrived. We ended up having the party in the fellowship hall of our church because we needed a large air-conditioned space for 45 people! After the wedding reception, Rebekah and I dropped Avery off at home with Mom & Dad and headed down to the church to begin decorating. My sweet cousins, Jason, Olivia, and Meghan came and helped us as well.<br />
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I found an inexpensive pink and white banner with stickers to let you personalize the words. The navy blue and white chevron fabric was a steal off eBay.<br />
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The silverware was rolled up in navy and white striped napkins tied with string and a white lifesaver candy.<br />
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The photo collage was an idea I found on Pinterest a few months ago. And it is hard to see in the picture below, but we had the cutest navy/white and pink/white straws on the drink table.<br />
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Avery and the other little kids loved playing with the balloons before dinner. Grandpa is never far away!<br />
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We were so happy to finally meet Rebekah's boyfriend, Brett. Ryan and Brett were able to go golfing together after the reception and before the party. Avery loved Brett and actually put out her arms for him to hold her (a rare occurrence for her).<br />
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A sweet friend from church offered to come cook hamburgers and kielbasa for us. Everyone brought delicious side dishes, and the meal was absolutely delicious!<br />
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We had a small cake for Avery, and she actually blew out her candle after we sang to her ... and then clapped for herself! We decided to forego letting her smash the cake and eat it, mostly because it was the end of the evening and I didn't want to clean up bits of cake and frosting from the carpet for the next several hours. Plus, she hadn't slept much during the day, and I didn't need all that sugar interrupting her nighttime sleep. :)<br />
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I tried a new technique called the Frozen Buttercream Transfer method to decorate her cake. It obviously needs some more work, but it made for an inexpensive, personalized cake.<br />
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For everyone else, we served frozen raspberry lemonade pies (with cute wooden spoons) garnished with raspberries and fresh mint, and mini fruit pizzas (sugar cookies with cream cheese frosting topped with blueberries, strawberries, and kiwi).<br />
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This was the first time that all the great-grand kids on my side of the family were able to be together. Tanner, Halle, and Avery are only 6 months apart, and I know they will continue to enjoy playing together and become great friends!<br />
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We are so thankful to everyone who came to celebrate with Avery and for the impact that they have on her life already. I had little cards for everyone to write a note to Avery since she won't remember this birthday. She has the sweetest collection of memories and prayers for her to cherish as she gets older.<br />
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04166501586320535397noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2741402040648232316.post-5670697976663414302013-06-03T09:13:00.000-04:002013-06-03T09:13:26.200-04:0011 Months OldWe've almost made it to a year! It's hard to believe how many changes have taken place in our lives over this past year. And even more amazing are the changes that Avery has experienced this last month. I feel like I say this every month, but she really seems to have grown up so much in the last few weeks.<br />
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First, she finally learned how to eat small finger foods. I'm not sure what finally worked, but I think I just started giving her a couple Cheerios each day, and she eventually picked it up on her own. Once she learned that skill, there was no stopping her! She loves eating peas, pieces of whole wheat bread or pasta, scrambled eggs, cheese, bananas, and of course, Cheerios. She's really good about eating one piece at a time, but she usually doesn't eat enough finger foods for a whole meal. So I still give her mashed sweet potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, beets, plums, etc. I found that turkey meatloaf was a healthy finger food option for her which she loved.<br />
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Avery also started walking this past month! She has been pulling up and cruising around on the furniture for about 3 months now. We continued to encourage her to let go and walk on her own, and eventually she realized she could do it. She usually gets going so fast that she trips herself up, but she is getting much braver about letting go of the furniture on her own and takes many steps each day. She has even started standing up on her own or bending down to pick up a toy and standing back up again without holding on to anything. I have a feeling that once she gets more proficient at walking, she'll be running all over the apartment!<br />
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Avery also had four top teeth pop through this month. I'm so thankful to have such an easy teether. For each tooth so far (or group of teeth), we notice one or two days of clinginess and being a little more sensitive than usual at random times. For example, a couple weeks ago she burst into tears when the ball rolled away from her. But other than that, it doesn't seem to affect her eating or sleeping.<br />
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She is still sleeping 12 hours at night. I thought she was about to give up her morning nap, but this past week, she's back to sleeping for about an hour in the morning. She sleeps from 2-3 hours each afternoon, depending on whether she's had a morning nap or not. Thankfully, she is very flexible and can easily skip her morning nap without any fussiness if we are out somewhere (shopping, at church, etc.).<br />
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Speaking of church, she has recently started letting anyone take her from me or pick her up from the nursery. Several of the teen girls love bringing her down to the nursery or getting her for me, and Avery loves it, as long as she doesn't see me. I'm grateful for such sweet girls at church who take good care of her.<br />
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Avery has become much more vocal this month, and talks almost non-stop throughout the day. She laughs often, and enjoys playing and "wrestling" with us on the floor. She still loves looking at books and will pull them out of her bin and look that them by herself for quite a while. I love hearing her giggle as she pulls off all her stuffed animals and pillows from the top of her toy chest. She will say "Amen" at the end of our prayers, and does her best to copy sounds and words that we say. She can usually say the correct animal sound for the cow, sheep, and owl. And she knows the motions to "If You're Happy and you Know it, Clap Your Hands" and "This Little Light of Mine." I am so blessed to get to spend my days playing and laughing with her!<br />
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We're looking forward to celebrating her first birthday while we are home in Greenville with family in a couple weeks. But for now, we are truly enjoying each moment and trying to hold onto the memories of this stage of Avery's life.<br />
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04166501586320535397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2741402040648232316.post-71404343972676852212013-05-02T11:03:00.000-04:002013-05-03T11:48:11.691-04:0010 Months OldRyan and I both have commented many times over the last couple weeks that it seems like Avery has grown up almost overnight. She is losing a lot of her little baby features and looking and acting more like a toddler. I remember holding her as a newborn and wishing she could stay that size forever. But at each new stage that she entered, we honestly thought, "Okay, we like this stage the best!" Then she would grow and change a little more and we said, "This age is definitely the best!" I loved her tiny newborn stage. I adored her sweet, easy-going personality from 3-6 months. I loved watching her learn new skills almost daily and interact with us more and more from 6-9 months. And now we are enjoying her fun-loving personality and hilarious antics at 9-12 months.<br />
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Here are a few updates from this past month:<br />
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At her 9 month appointment, Avery weighed 16.5 lbs and was 27.5". She continues to be long and thin. The doctor has no concerns, though, and said she is just as healthy as can be. She still has just her two bottom teeth. But the doctor said her upper gums are swollen and her top teeth should be coming through soon. I have noticed her being a little more clingy than usual this week, but still just as happy as ever. Hopefully the teeth will pop through soon! Avery loves getting to brush her little teeth each night before bed. She happily sits there with her mouth open and hands clapping while I get her toothbrush ready.<br />
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Avery continues to walk around the house holding onto the furniture or walls. She can walk while holding on to us with just one hand, and has even taken 1-2 steps on her own (if she doesn't realize I'm not holding onto her). She loves using her walking toy and can navigate it quite well. If she does run into a wall or furniture, she'll back up and turn in the right direction. It is so much fun to watch her little mind at work.<br />
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Avery's favorite activities are doing anything out of the house. She loves to be at the park, the mall, or even just the grocery store.<br />
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She alertly watches everything going on around her, and is becoming much friendlier with people who say hi to her. She'll wave, smile, and even carried on a conversation with the nice lady behind us at the grocery store check-out this week. She loves going to the nursery at church. The last couple weeks, friends at church have taken her down to the nursery for me while I'm busy with other things, and she is as happy as can be with them.<br />
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There are quite a few dogs in our apartment complex, and Avery giggles and waves if we see one of them while we are out walking. If it wasn't for the work a puppy involves, we'd love to get one for her. I'm sure we'll give in one of these days!<br />
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Avery will spend 30-45 minutes every day looking at her books. She loves being read to as well, and has recently started turning the pages for us (usually at the right time).<br />
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She is still sleeping 12 hours each night, and taking 2 good naps each day (between 1 1/2 and 2 hours). Her favorite foods are still sweet potatoes and peas, but she loves beets, hard-boiled egg yolks, and asparagus as well. She is doing better with feeding herself, and I'm sure it will get easier to eat table food when her top teeth come through. She loves drinking water from her sippy cup throughout the day.<br />
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We are so blessed to be able to spend our days with this almost-one-year-old. We pray every day that she will grow up to love God with her whole heart.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04166501586320535397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2741402040648232316.post-19377283535227874092013-05-01T11:07:00.002-04:002013-05-01T11:07:34.830-04:00Post-Call BrunchFor the past 8 weeks, I have been introduced to a wonderful thing called "taking call." This happens every five or six days when Ryan is at the hospital for about 28 hours in a row, helping with surgeries and following up with patients. The next day (post-call day), he usually gets home between 8 and 9 am, eats breakfast, and sleeps until early afternoon. The upside is that we have the rest of that day together to take Avery to the park, shop, or go out for dinner.<br />
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This morning was one of those days. And last night while I was home by myself, I decided to try a new recipe and make brunch when Ryan got home. I saw an episode of Giada on Food Network where she made a <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/frittata-with-peaches-and-cherries-recipe/index.html" target="_blank">peach and cherry frittata</a>. Avery and I made a quick trip to the grocery store after dinner to pick up some fruit and eggs. I couldn't find cherries, so we used raspberries instead. It was extremely easy to throw together this morning and and although it sounds a little different to have fruit in a frittata, it was actually quite tasty.<br />
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I paired the eggs with my new favorite homemade cinnamon roll recipe from my cousin, Olivia. I added toasted hazelnuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the filling this time to try something new.<br />
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Our little brunch was a big hit with Ryan, who had seconds, and requested for this to made many more times in the future. It was a fun start to our day!<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px;">Homemade Cinnamon Rolls</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px;"><br /></span>
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<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
3/4 cup water, plus <span style="font-size: 11pt;">2 tablespoons water</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
1 teaspoon salt</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
1/4 cup granulated
sugar</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
2 tablespoons
unsalted butter, softened</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
2 1/2 cups bread
flour</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
1 teaspoon bread
machine yeast</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
FILLING</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
1/3 cup granulated
sugar</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
2 teaspoons ground
cinnamon</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
2 tablespoons
unsalted butter, softened</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
GLAZE</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
1 cup powdered sugar</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
1/2 teaspoon vanilla</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
1 -2 tablespoon milk</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Directions:</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
1 Place water, 2
Tablespoons butter, bread flour, 1/4 cup white granulated sugar, salt and yeast
in the bread machine and start on dough cycle.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
2 Once dough is
complete, roll out into a 9" square on a lightly floured surface.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
3 Mix 1/3 cup sugar
and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon together (I mix it in a measuring cup).</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
4 Spread 2
Tablespoons softened margarine over the dough and sprinkle with the cinnamon
mixture.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
5 Roll up tightly
into a log and pinch the edges to seal.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
6 Cut into 1"
slices and place in a greased 9"x9"x2" square pan (brownie pan).</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
7 Cover loosely with
plastic wrap and let rise 1 hour or so until double, OR in refrigerator
overnight if making for breakfast.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
8 Preheat oven to
375°F and bake 20 minutes or until golden brown.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
9 Mix powdered
sugar, vanilla and milk to make glaze, drizzle over rolls and serve warm.</div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04166501586320535397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2741402040648232316.post-86539704456367883372013-04-16T11:40:00.002-04:002013-04-16T11:40:35.889-04:00Avery's AuntiesA couple weeks ago, my sisters were able to come up and visit with us for a few days. Based on their work schedules and flight availability, they both arrived and left on different days. Rebekah came on Tuesday night, Rachel arrived Thursday night, Rebekah left Saturday morning, and Rachel left Monday night. It was perfect because we got to spend time with each of them separately and had a whole day with all of us together. We hadn't seen them since Christmas, which is definitely too long!<br />
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Rebekah's flight was a little delayed, so Avery was already in bed by the time she arrived. The next morning, Avery was so happy to see her aunt. There was lots of giggling and playing after her breakfast. While she napped, Rebekah and I made apple-brie stuffed French toast and enjoyed catching up with each other. After lunch, we went out for a little shopping. I found some cute headbands for Avery and a bathing suit on clearance at Target for her!<br />
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The next morning, Rebekah and I worked on a project for her, then went out again that afternoon. Avery just loved all the attention and extra play time with Rebekah. That evening, we made a delicious pizza for dinner - homemade crust topped with a creamy alfredo sauce, roasted sweet potato slices, roasted corn, black beans, red onions, cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. This is definitely one of our new favorites!<br />
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Ryan picked up Rachel from the airport that night. It was so good to see her again! We sampled some homemade orange ice cream and talked for quite a while. The next morning, Rachel got Avery from her crib when she woke up, and Avery could not have been more excited to see her. Rachel was greeted with lots of smiles and laughs and hugs.<br />
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We headed up to Ikea for the morning and then stopped at Panera for lunch on the way home. When Ryan got home later in the afternoon, we headed up to the park to take a couple pictures before dinner.<br />
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Rebekah treated us to dinner at a Japanese steakhouse that night. Avery was mesmerized by the chef and the fire<br />
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I love this picture of Rachel reading to Avery before bed. She sure loves her books!<br />
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We were so sad that Rebekah had to leave the next morning, but thankful for the wonderful time we had while she was here. Ryan brought her to the airport then headed to the gym. Rachel and I got ready for the day and packed a bag for NYC. After a quick lunch, we decided to try driving into the city. It was a beautiful day, and I think everyone must have been taking advantage of the nice weather. We hit a lot of traffic, but we didn't have any specific plans, so everything worked out fine. We parked near Central Park and took Avery to FAO Schwarz. She loved looking at all the toys, and I'm sure she'll have even more fun in a few years.<br />
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We spent the next couple hours walking through Central Park, 5th Avenue, and Times Square.<br />
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After arriving back at home, Rachel offered to babysit Avery so Ryan and I could got out for an early anniversary dinner. She was so sweet to spend her evening with Avery - feeding her dinner, bathing her, and playing with her. Avery had so much fun, and was as happy as could be even though we arrived home quite a bit after her bedtime.<br />
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Ryan was on call the next day at the hospital, so Rachel, Avery, and I went to church and relaxed in the afternoon. On Monday morning, Rachel and I took Avery and went to the grocery store and bought lots of good food for Avery's meals and for our dinner that night. Neither of us had ever cooked lamb, so we decided to try it that night. We bought a couple shoulder steaks and marinated them in lemon juice and olive oil for the day.<br />
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After Ryan rested, we drove to Hoboken, NJ to visit the Cake Boss' bakery. We could not have picked a more gorgeous day to be outside. But the wait to get into the bakery was over 2 hours long. So we just walked around the little town, admiring all the local shops and restaurants.<br />
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We found a cute little frozen yogurt shop, and Rachel treated us all to amazing sundaes. I gave Avery a little taste of a banana frozen yogurt (organic, and no sugar added). She wasn't quite sure what to think of the cold, but loved the taste!<br />
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<br />On our way home, we passed a beautiful park with amazing views of the city. I know we'll be coming back to this town again very soon. Back at home, Rachel and I roasted beets for a salad and added goat cheese rounds topped with panko bread crumbs baked in the oven for a couple minutes. We grilled the lamb on our indoor panini grill. We made a lemon-dill yogurt sauce, and the lamb was delicious. Eventually, it was time to bring Rachel to the airport.<br />
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I am so thankful for the amazing week we all had together. It was such a blessing and a treat for me to have extra help around the house, playing with Avery and keeping her occupied. And we especially loved the fact that Avery warmed up to her aunts immediately. She certainly is blessed with the sweetest aunts anyone could have!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04166501586320535397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2741402040648232316.post-90644570902697177522013-04-08T22:29:00.002-04:002013-04-16T11:40:50.191-04:008 & 9 Months OldI started Avery's 8 month update early last month but never got around to finishing the post and publishing it. She certainly keeps me busy these days! I feel like she has grown up so much these last couple months. We love watching her learn something new almost every day.<br />
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8th Month:<br />
Avery got her first tooth just a couple days after turning 7 months old. And she finally started crawling on Valentine's Day. Once she realized she could do it, there was no stopping her. She loves exploring around the house, but she especially enjoys being able to pull her toys out of the bin in the living room. She can play for 30-45 minutes by herself now that she can reach all her toys.<br />
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After just a couple days, she began pulling up on the furniture. She quickly learned how to stand up in her crib, but it took her a couple more days to learn how to sit down. Once we learned that skill, life was much happier for all of us.<br />
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About a week later, she began to show an interest in walking while holding onto our hands. We found a good deal on a push toy for her, and she loves walking around the house as fast as she can.<br />
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By the end of her 8th month, she was able to wave and was becoming much steadier while standing.<br />
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9th Month:<br />
Avery's second tooth appeared just after her 8 month birthday. Apart from a little fussiness, we hardly noticed it was there.<br />
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She continues to love eating solid food. Apart from having oatmeal for breakfast, she eats all fruits and vegetables. Her favorite food is peas, with sweet potatoes still a close second. She will only eat squash and cauliflower if I had a few spices to them - cinnamon, nutmeg, or garlic powder. Apparently she is getting tired of bland food. She loves eating little puffs (although she only gets them as a snack when we are out somewhere), but refuses to feed them to herself. We practice often, but she just doesn't seem interested in finger foods. We'll continue trying this month and hopefully she picks it up soon!<br />
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Early in February, Avery gave up her evening nap all on her own. She continues to nap for 1 1/2 hours in the morning and afternoon and to sleep 12 hours at night.<br />
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She continues to love crawling and "walking" around the house. She learned to clap and blow kisses this month and can do them both on command. She also loves imitating sounds we make and she will cluck her tongue, scrunch her nose, and blow bubbles after us.<br />
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She also has started laughing whenever she hears us laughing (whether or not we are laughing at her), but she especially loves doing things to get us to laugh at her. It is so much fun being able to interact with her more and more.<br />
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Avery got to ride on a swing for the first time this month. I recently found a park about 3 minutes from our house, so we will be spending a lot of time swinging this spring.<br />
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Avery loves animals and adores the puppy that lives in the apartment above us. She giggles and waves anytime she sees a dog walking near her. And she gets quite excited when we review different animals and the sounds they make with her. (The cow is her favorite.)<br />
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I am thankful that she continues to be a very easy baby, both at home and out in public. We can take her anywhere from a restaurant to Ikea to church to NYC and never worry about how she will act. It doesn't bother her to miss a nap entirely or for a meal to be a few minutes late. She is learning to be adaptable and pleasant in all kinds of situations.<br />
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We are truly blessed with a sweet, funny, and personable little girl!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04166501586320535397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2741402040648232316.post-38372335581193439952013-03-31T21:54:00.000-04:002013-03-31T21:54:29.533-04:00Easter WeekendOne of the reasons we were excited to move to NJ last year was because we would be closer to my family in MA and our good friends, Dan & Brenda in PA. However, despite being only a couple hours away, this past weekend was the first time we have been able to visit with them since our move. Ryan finally had a free weekend, so we drove down to their house first thing Saturday morning.<br />
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Dan & Brenda have been some of our closest friends since we were first married and living in Greenville. Our apartments were only a couple minutes away from each other, and we were always getting together for an impromptu dinner or movie night or Wal-Mart shopping run at 10:00 pm to buy more Christmas lights. I love that we can always pick up right where we left off every time we see them. They have two little ones, and another baby due any day!<br />
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The weather was absolutely beautiful, and Avery did great in the car on the 5 hour (round trip) drive. She slept for about an hour each way and spent the rest of the time talking to her toys and giggling to herself. We couldn't ask for an easier baby!<br />
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Avery loved playing with Carter and Elli and thought they were hilarious! Elli was so sweet to Avery and wanted to sit by her at meals and share her toys. After lunch, we walked to a nearby park and let the kids play on the slides and swings. Avery greatly enjoyed her first ride on the swing. I think she would have been happy to swing for the rest of the day.<br />
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After a relaxing afternoon and pizza for dinner, it was time to get back on the road and head home. Although we wish it could have been longer, we are so grateful for a great time of fellowship with such sweet friends.<br />
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Resurrection Sunday was pretty low-key for us. We had great services at church, and Avery slept for 2 1/2 hours this afternoon, so that makes for a good day! Our Easter outfits were actually coordinated this year. I needed a little sweater for Avery's sleeveless dress, and I found some yarn I bought a year ago that just so happened to match a dress I got last month. Add a new tie for Ryan, and we were set!<br />
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04166501586320535397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2741402040648232316.post-26887077115515626402013-03-29T15:27:00.003-04:002013-03-29T15:27:44.428-04:00Cadbury Cream EggsSeveral months ago I found a recipe for homemade Cadbury Cream Eggs. This is Ryan's all-time favorite candy. He starts asking about them in February every year, and I usually buy him some when they come out in the stores around Easter. But this year I surprised him with a homemade version. I've never been a big fan of the candy, so I wasn't sure if they would taste similar to the name-brand or not. Last night he tried one, and gave them a big thumbs up. I even tried a small one today and was pleasantly surprised. Plus not having the extra chemicals and artificial flavors makes me even happier.<br />
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There is a lot you could do with flavoring the filling - mint, caramel, coffee, etc. But I just left these ones plain. Although the filling softens very quickly and is kind of messy to work with, the overall recipe was very easy to follow. Oh, and you have to look closely to notice that mine are (somewhat) egg-shaped. I don't have a hollow egg mold, so I had to do these by hand.<br />
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We don't typically celebrate Easter with eggs and bunnies and candy. But I heard a great idea from another mom that we plan to implement next year with Avery. We'll celebrate the first day of spring with candy, pastel sugar cookies, flowers, and chocolate eggs and keep the focus of Easter on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.<br />
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And now that we can make these delicious treats ourselves, there is no reason to wait until next spring to enjoy them!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04166501586320535397noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2741402040648232316.post-31385276830253814912013-03-11T14:35:00.002-04:002013-03-11T14:35:36.868-04:00Weekend with GrandparentsWe had been counting down the days until my parents would visit ever since we left them at Christmas. They were scheduled to arrive on Thursday. But Wednesday morning, I was watching the weather report early in the morning and saw a big winter storm headed our way. I called Mom and Dad and they were going to reevaluate their flight schedule and be in touch later that morning. Avery and I headed out immediately for the grocery store and were able to beat the crowd and bought everything we needed for the weekend. As we were leaving the store, Mom called to let me know that she was going to arrive that night! Dad had graciously offered to change her ticket so that just in case the weather was worse on Thursday, she would at least be able to still make it up for a visit.<br />
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Avery and I spent the day cleaning and cooking in preparation for their visit. Mom was originally scheduled to arrive at 7:00pm, but due to the heavy winds, her flight was delayed until 9:30. So I put Avery to bed at 7:00 as usual, and woke her up at 8:45 to head to the airport. Although a little less cheerful than normal, she didn't fuss at all during the trip. It was my first time driving to the Newark airport by myself, but we made it and picked up Mom without any trouble. After arriving back at home, we put Avery to bed and stayed up until after midnight talking and eating. Ryan was on call that night, so he didn't arrive home until the next morning.<br />
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Mom and Avery had so much fun playing together in the morning. While Ryan slept that afternoon, the girls went out for a little shopping. We were getting a little rain and snow mix, but nothing was accumulating. Dad's flight arrived on time at 8:30 on Thursday night, and Ryan and I drove downtown together to pick him up. We had a great time catching up with each other that evening before heading to bed.<br />
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Ryan was back at work on Friday, so we spent a fun day at home watching the snow and relaxing. Dad and Mom loved playing with Avery, feeding her, and making her laugh. I loved watching them together! I was especially glad to see that it hardly took her any time at all to warm up to them. She sure loves her grandparents! Avery's second bottom tooth also popped through on Friday. She was slightly clingy and took a 2-hour nap in the afternoon, but other than that, she seemed fine.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">On Saturday morning, we packed up and headed down to Princeton for the day. Our friends, Eric and Clarissa Brown, are at a church in South Jersey, and Eric asked Dad to preach at his church on Sunday. We met the Brown's and the Wagner's (also friends from our church who are now on deputation) for lunch.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">The weather could not have been more perfect - 60 degrees and sunny. It was a beautiful day to walk around the city and the University. Avery took a little nap on Dad while we were touring Princeton.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">We still have a few little shops and restaurants that we want to take Mom and Dad to some day, but we did get to visit the Princeton Cemetery and saw where several famous people are buried, including Jonathan Edwards and Aaron Burr. Mom and Avery spent a little extra time together while we walked around the cemetery. Avery has started smiling with her mouth closed, especially when she sees a camera.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">We joined the Brown's at their house for pizza that evening. Then Ryan, Avery, and I headed to our hotel while Mom and Dad spent some more time with the Brown's and other members from their church. We had an adjoining hotel room with Mom and Dad's, so we put Avery to bed in her pack'n play in our room, plugged in her baby monitor, and watched TV in Mom and Dad's room for the evening. She was so tired after her busy day, and slept until 8:00 the next morning. We had breakfast with Mom and Dad at the hotel and then drove to the Brown's church for the services.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">It was wonderful to hear Dad preach again. We have really missed being at Cornerstone. Avery loved playing in the nursery and even took a 2-hour nap while we were there. After lunch and an afternoon service, we took advantage of the beautiful weather and snapped a few pictures.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Finally, it was time to say good bye to Mom and Dad. We were sorry to see them leave and definitely wish their visit could have been longer. But we are so glad for the time we had together, and especially that Avery was able to enjoy her grandparents for a couple days. She burst into tears as soon as we got home that evening, so I think she missed them already. And Ryan said he is really hoping for a residency in Greenville so that we can be close to them again soon. We can't imagine Avery growing up without her family close by. </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">But my sisters will be here in about 4 weeks, we'll (hopefully) be visiting my cousins at the end of May, and then heading down to Greenville in June for my youngest sister's wedding. And Mom and Dad are already making plans to come back up in July. So while we hope to live near them in the future, we are thankful for the many visits we can have in the meantime.</span>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04166501586320535397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2741402040648232316.post-67659947504400590862013-03-05T14:19:00.001-05:002013-03-05T14:19:08.421-05:00In the DetailsToday, I am especially grateful for a God who not only cares about the small things in our lives, but is powerful and gracious enough to answer prayer. Ryan began his 12-week surgery rotation yesterday. From what he had heard, the hours would be pretty long, and he would be on call for 30 hours every five days. On top of that, my parents are flying in Thursday night, and will be with us until Sunday afternoon. Plus, we have friends coming in a couple weeks, and then my sisters will visit in April for a long weekend. It would be nice to have Ryan around for these events.<br />
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Yesterday, I prayed specifically for this weekend that as Ryan got his schedule for the month, he would be on call this Wednesday (so he would not be on call again until Monday). And sure enough, when he got home last evening, that was exactly his schedule! I hadn't prayed for this yet, but he also is not on call during the other two weekends when we will have company. As an added bonus, he is only on call once a week this month, and will be working with one of the least-intense surgeons, so he will have much more normal hours. The Lord truly does provide above what we can ask or think.<br />
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Just to update you on Ryan's medical training, he is currently in his third year of medical school which is the first year of clinical rotations. He spends 6-12 weeks working with doctors in each of the five main specialties (internal medicine, psychiatry, surgery, pediatrics, and ob/gyn). On September 14, he will take the Step 2, which is similar to the big test he took in July on the day that Avery was born. Then he will begin applying to residencies around the country and setting up interviews for that fall. In March 2014, we will find out where he will be placed for residency. He graduates from medical school in June 2014 and begins residency in July. Some people have asked if we have to fly back down to Grenada for graduation. But since St. George's University is technically an American school and is headquartered in NYC, the graduation ceremony will actually take place in the Lincoln Center. We will most likely have a party for Ryan back in Greenville following his graduation.<br />
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I'm so proud of Ryan's hard work and the progress he has made so far. We are looking forward to what is ahead of us in the coming years. (And since I don't have any recent pictures of Ryan, here is a picture of Avery from a couple months ago dressed in the little scrubs I gave Ryan when I told him we were pregnant.)<br />
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04166501586320535397noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2741402040648232316.post-92027938080445773522013-03-01T15:13:00.001-05:002013-03-01T15:13:10.905-05:00Valentine's TraditionsI have somehow been so busy recently that I couldn't even get this post written during the month of February. I will attribute it to the fact that Avery is now crawling, pulling up on everything, and cruising between the furniture. On top of that, her wake times are extending and the evening nap is officially a thing of the past. So all that activity means a lot less of getting things done during the day and a lot more time spent on the floor stacking toys, cuddling stuffed animals, making music, climbing, and giggling. Nap times are filled with things like eating and cleaning instead of knitting and sleeping as in previous months. But I wouldn't trade this time for anything. There is nothing more enjoyable than a happy baby growing and exploring her little world.<div>
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Back to Valentine's Day . . . When I was growing up, Mom and Dad always made Valentine's Day a special occasion for my sisters and me. We woke up to a gift bag outside our door in the morning from Mom, filled with candy, jewelry, or other little gifts. And at every Valentine's Day dinner, Dad always left the table early while we pretended not to know where he was going. A few minutes later he would come back with bouquets of flowers and boxes of chocolates for each of us. He would walk around the table handing out the treats and ask each of his girls to be his Valentine. I think this is one of my favorite traditions from my childhood.</div>
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This year, my mom - always one to plan ahead - sent up a bag of Valentine's goodies for us with Jason and Olivia back in January. Ryan has been enjoying his huge container of almonds, and Avery was spoiled with new outfits, an adorable polar bear cub stuffed animal, and a beautiful wooden toy (and three gorgeous outfits from Aunt Rebekah who can never resist the opportunity to buy her niece new clothes). And I opened a bag with heart-shaped cookie cutters, red and pink sprinkles, and candles, and some candy. All of those things were put to good use when I made Ryan a special Valentine's dinner.</div>
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On Valentine's Day, Avery wore one of her new outfits from her sweet grandparents, and I decided to try painting her toe nails. I put her in the highchair for breakfast, and quickly painted them before she realized what I was doing. It was the perfect place to do it because she couldn't reach them, and they were dry by the time she was done eating. I just love the way they turned out!</div>
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This has nothing to do with Valentine's Day, but this was also the day that Avery started crawling. She had been close for a while, but here is a short video clip of her first time actually crawling.</div>
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When Ryan got home from work that evening, he surprised us with beautiful red roses, chocolates (for me), and a little teddy bear (for Avery). I love that he continued our family tradition! Avery is blessed with such a sweet and loving father.</div>
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Our dinner later in the week was so much fun to plan and prepare. While looking in the meat section of the grocery store, I noticed a package of two bacon-wrapped fillets that were on sale. I couldn't pass that up, so I bought some asparagus and a few other things to go with it and planned the menu from there. We ended up having the steak topped with caramelized onions and mushrooms, oven-roasted asparagus, twice-baked sweet potatoes with ricotta cheese and brown sugar, and tomato slices topped with fresh mozzarella, basil, and balsamic vinegar. We had heart-shaped cinnamon biscuits topped with strawberry butter as well. The candles and candy hearts from mom and our gorgeous flowers from Ryan were put to good use as table decorations.</div>
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Ryan and I ate dinner after Avery was in bed, and stayed at the table talking until after 11:00! I loved having a quiet evening to spend time together in the midst of our busy schedules. This was our fifth Valentine's Day together and I am so thankful to be married to this amazing man that I grow to love more and more with each passing year.</div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04166501586320535397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2741402040648232316.post-24676892145368755052013-02-13T18:04:00.000-05:002013-02-13T18:04:02.404-05:00Snowed InWe have been looking forward to my cousin, Jason, his wife, Olivia, and their daughter, Halle visiting us for a couple months now. This past Thursday, Avery and I went to the grocery store after lunch. I was quite surprised to see that not only was just about every parking spot was taken, but there were no carts in sight. I found a nice lady loading her groceries into her car and asked if I could take her cart. She told me it was crazy busy inside because of the upcoming snow storm. Apparently living in the south for 15 years hasn't rubbed off on me, because it never occurred to me to stock up on groceries for a snow storm of less than 12". But Avery and I braved the crowds and loaded up on lots of good food for the weekend. She ended up falling asleep in the cart since the trip took a little longer than normal.<br />
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While I was shopping, Jason called me to talk about our weekend plans. They were staying with some family in PA and had planned to drive up to our place on Friday afternoon. But with the snow coming, they were afraid they might not be able to make it up on Friday. I told them they were welcome to come that evening, which they decided to do. Fortunately, Ryan was able to take the afternoon off, and he helped me with a few last minute details around the house before they arrived.<br />
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I had originally planned on Ryan and I having leftovers for dinner, so I was thankful that Jason & Olivia are very flexible and were okay with having pancakes that evening. We had the best time catching up with them and watching the girls play together. Although, they mostly just spent the evening yelling across the table at each other.<br />
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The next morning, the snow began falling pretty early. So we settled down for a cozy day with cups of hot coffee. When Ryan got home, we took the girls outside to play for a couple minutes. The snow was still coming down very hard, and the wind made it quite cold. But we still had a great time and the girls seemed to enjoy the snow as well.<br />
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On Saturday morning, the girls played for a while before we went out to Friendly's for lunch. Jason and Ryan spent about an hour digging out our cars before we left. They decided to leave after lunch and head back to PA for the evening. We are so thankful for a fun and memorable weekend and for having family that loves spending time together!<br />
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04166501586320535397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2741402040648232316.post-3774498621384927662013-02-11T14:00:00.002-05:002013-02-11T14:04:10.112-05:007 Months OldWe finally made it to the doctor's last week for our "6" month appointment. At 7 months, Avery now weighs 14 lbs (20th percentile) and is 27" (80th percentile). It looks we're going to have a tall, thin little girl on our hands! She has grown and changed so much in these last couple months. We love playing with her and watching her learn new things.<br />
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We are especially thankful for the good health God has given her. Other than a brief cold that she had for just a couple days back in September, she has been in perfect health. We just love her sweet, happy personality. She is constantly smiling and laughing at us, at her toys, or just life in general. Avery continues to sleep 12 hours at night (something she has done consistently since she was 12 weeks old). She takes two naps during the day, and is in the process of dropping her third (evening) nap. In the past month or so, she has started talking and giggling to herself in her crib before and after her naps. I love listening to her little conversations and hearing excited squeals coming from her room.<br />
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Her favorite time of the day is seeing Daddy walk through the door after work. She gets so excited she can hardly contain it. Daddy gets lots of shrieks and squeals during play time, and then Mommy has to calm her down before bedtime. Avery loves getting a bath each evening before bed. Baths have an amazing ability to stop any fussiness and put her in an instantly good mood. I think some bath toys are going to be on my list to buy her pretty soon!<br />
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Avery can say "mama" and "dada" although she doesn't do it on command. "Mama" is usually heard when she is done with her nap. And she says "dada" when Daddy is making her laugh. In the last few weeks, she has started saying "ni-ni" when she is tired and ready for her nap or bed. At first, I thought it was just a coincidence or something I was imagining. But after hearing it consistently for a few days, I started putting her down when she said it, and she would go right to sleep. Sometimes she will lay in her crib saying "ni-ni" over and over to herself as she falls asleep.<br />
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She can sit up by herself very well now, and can even go from playing on her stomach to completely sitting up all by herself. She still has not started crawling, although she can scoot anywhere she wants to go. She can push herself up very easily onto her feet and loves climbing on our legs while we are on the floor with her. In the last couple days, she has started pulling herself up while holding onto us. Maybe she will skip crawling and go straight to walking!<br />
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We are still in the process of introducing new foods to Avery, but so far she has eaten everything we give her. Peas and applesauce are back on the list of favorites. Sweet potatoes are still her top food, but she'll eat a whole avocado or a banana at one meal as well. Beets and carrots are on the menu for this week! She also loves drinking water out of her sippy cup (although she only gets a couple ounces of water each day).<br />
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Avery is one of the easiest babies to take out in public. She is so interested and curious about everything that is going on around her. She loves sitting in the cart at the grocery store. Although this last trip took a little longer than normal since everyone was stocking up for the snow storm, and she fell asleep. I saw her yawn and the next time I looked at her she was sound asleep.<br />
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She loves playing in the nursery and doesn't cry anymore when we hand her over to the workers. She'll smile at almost anyone who talks to her, but she especially loves watching the older children play in the nursery. We gave up on trying to get her to sleep at church because there was too much else going on around her! Thankfully, she is pretty adaptable and can handle missing a nap or two throughout the week.<br />
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We love being parents to such a sweet, happy girl!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04166501586320535397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2741402040648232316.post-19869181475378883232013-01-30T10:09:00.002-05:002013-01-30T10:09:58.653-05:00Eating Like a Big GirlI just realized that I never posted Avery's 6 month update. This was probably due to the fact that we were still in Greenville on her 6 month "birthday" and I can never seem to find the time to blog while we are back at home. Then, when we came back to NJ, I called to schedule her 6 month doctor appointment, and they couldn't fit her in until February 6 - three days after she turns 7 months! So I won't have her height or weight for another week. I'll post a more complete update then.<br />
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But one of the biggest accomplishments of this past month has been Avery's introduction to solid food. I started her on a little bit of rice cereal when we came back from Christmas vacation. She did great eating from a spoon right from the start. Within a couple days, she was eating like a pro. Her favorite foods are sweet potato, bananas, and avocado. We have also tried peas and applesauce, but she is not as excited about those. Yesterday, I gave her green beans for the first time. She acted like she was gagging on them (followed by lots of giggles when I laughed at her). Once I hid them in her sweet potatoes, she was more willing to eat them. She is eating 3 ounces at each meal, but I'm about to increase that amount as she still seems like she could eat more. I still nurse her before each meal and once before bed.<br />
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I didn't really plan to make all her food, but I realized that it was surprisingly quick and easy to use vegetables and fruits I had on hand for her meals. I love that I know exactly what goes into her food. And saving money is also a definite bonus. I had been using my blender to puree the food for Avery, but a couple weeks ago, a mom at church gave me a Beabo BabyCook that someone had given her and she never used! I can now steam vegetables and fruit right in the same container where I puree them. It's been a great little appliance, and an unexpected blessing.<br />
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I need to get on a better schedule for making her weekly food. So far, I just cook up a few sweet potatoes or scoop out an avocado as needed. I usually wait 3-4 days in between introducing new foods, so it's a little slow-going at first. But I'm looking forward to making all kinds of foods for her to try. My mom used to make all her own baby food and freeze them in ice cube trays when my sisters and I were little. I read somewhere that each ice cube compartment is 1 oz, so that makes it very easy to determine how much to give her. Once the food is frozen, I pop them out and put them in a freezer ziploc bag. Currently in our freezer, I have avocado, sweet potato, green beans, peas, and bananas.<br />
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As much as I loved when Avery was a newborn, it is so much fun to watch her grow and develop and learn new things. I can't wait to introduce her to all kinds of yummy foods and let her experience lots of new tastes.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04166501586320535397noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2741402040648232316.post-81622020632852239012013-01-18T14:28:00.001-05:002013-01-18T14:28:40.632-05:00Christmas Vacation (Part 3)Our final week of vacation began on New Years Day. Ryan's flight was scheduled to leave at 5pm, so he spent the morning packing before we headed to my aunt and uncle's house for lunch. I know I say this for every family occasion, but we really do have so much fun together. There are now more "kids" than adults when we all get together, so we got to have the dining room all to ourselves this time. It is so much fun having so many cousins and siblings that all enjoy being with each other as much as possible.<br />
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We try to get a picture of all the cousins each year at Christmas, but somehow we forgot this year, so we took the picture on New Years Day instead.<br />
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Avery was sound asleep during this picture. She started to show signs of being tired during lunch, and I laid her down on the floor in the guest room and she slept for over 2 hours. In fact, I had to leave to bring Ryan to the airport before we woke up, so my sisters brought her home for me.<br />
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Just after dropping Ryan off at his gate, I got a call from him saying his flight was delayed which would cause him to miss his connection to Newark. The agent rebooked him on a flight for the same time on Wednesday, but it was a direct flight this time! So I happily turned around and picked him back up. It turned out to be such a blessing to have an extra day together. Rachel offered to watch Avery so Ryan and I could go out for lunch. And on top of that, I had to run to the DMV and he was able to go with me for that errand.<br />
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Finally on Wednesday afternoon, I brought Ryan to the airport for the second time, and he had an uneventful flight home. Avery and I had planned to fly home on Friday evening. But after coming home from church Wednesday night, I started to feel achy and was running a fever. My parents were at a conference in NC, but Rebekah took great care of me. I started taking Tylenol right away and drank lots of water. After a good night's sleep, I felt a lot better, but didn't have much of an appetite and was pretty weak.<br />
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We decided it would be best to postpone our flight home until I was feeling a little better. Ryan was kind enough to let me stay until Tuesday, so I could be at our church's ladies meeting on Tuesday morning. Avery and I loved having a few extra days with my family and church family.<br />
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As I was packing to leave on Tuesday, I realized there was no way all our stuff was going to fit into the one suitcase I had with me. I left a few things behind for my cousins to bring up in February. Mom and Dad brought us to the airport, and Dad walked us to the counter to get checked in. I was quite surprised to see that my suitcase was 15 pounds overweight. And on top of that, it would cost $100 to fly with an overweight bag. We walked back out to the car and started pulling things out of the suitcase to lessen the weight. After a couple tries, we finally got it back down to 50 lbs. Mom and Dad's trunk was now full of random clothes, books, shoes, and jewelry, but we made it on our flight!<br />
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This was my first time flying with Avery by myself, and I was a little nervous about navigating the airport and airplane with the stroller, car seat, and bags. But the experience went as smoothly as it could have, and the Lord sent many unexpected blessings.<br />
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First, we were a little later arriving, but that meant there was no line at security. A kind officer walked through with me and folded and unfolded the stroller and helped get everything to the elevator for me. When we got to our gate, everyone else had already boarded, so we didn't have to wait in line again. Another nice man folded up the stroller as we got the plane, and the flight attendant told me we had plenty of room, so I could bring the car seat on with me. We were originally booked on the last row of the flight, but she moved us up to row 7. There was no one within 2 rows of us, so we had plenty of room for both of us, the car seat, and our bags.<br />
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Avery was as happy as could be, and played for the first 15-20 minutes of the flight in her car seat. After I fed her, she was content to look out the window and try to get the attention of the man sitting a couple rows in front of us by staring at him then laughing and giggling over and over. As we waited for everyone to exit the plane, she thought she was the center of attention as people stopped to talk to her. She was happy to smile and talk to all of them. I think 90% of the other passengers were men, and most of them stopped to say hi to Avery. So funny!<br />
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As we exited the plane, another kind gentleman offered to carry my bags to wherever we were going. It turns out we were both headed to baggage claim, so it wasn't out of his way. He waited with us while I found out suitcase on the carousal and called Ryan to let him know where we were. Ryan pulled in at the exact moment that we walked outside, so once again we didn't have to wait. I was overwhelmed with the way the Lord worked out every detail of our trip. And the best part was being with Ryan again. Avery was extremely excited to see him and would have been happy to play all night (although we put her to bed soon after getting home). It was the perfect end to our wonderful Christmas vacation.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04166501586320535397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2741402040648232316.post-5237628331779928352013-01-17T12:06:00.001-05:002013-01-17T12:06:06.182-05:00Christmas Vacation (Part 2)The second week of our vacation began with all the Reimers girls going out for breakfast together. My mom, Grandma, and aunts celebrate each others birthdays with breakfasts throughout the year. My aunts both have birthdays in December, and since my sister and cousins are out of school and work at that point, we all get to join them. I left Avery at home with my dad so she could get a good morning nap. We had the best time together!<br />
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Our Christmas Eve service at church was actually on the Sunday night before Christmas. This special time with our church family includes members singing or playing Christmas selections or giving a reading. As far back as I can remember, the Reimers cousins have always sung a song during this service. Last year, we convinced my parents and Aunt Laura & Uncle Jay to join us. And this year we decided to continue the same tradition. We had even more people this year with Halle and Avery. They both did very well, although Avery thought it would be fun to touch my lips while I tried to sing.<br />
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Christmas morning began as usual with my grandparents coming over for breakfast. I love this picture of my Dad teaching Avery about the Pyramidenkerzen he bought in Germany.<br />
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Avery slept through breakfast and gift-opening, but we saved her gifts for when she woke up. I'm sure she didn't understand what she was doing, but she loved ripping the paper off the boxes and playing with all her new toys. She certainly was spoiled by her sweet family. Come to think of it, I don't think Ryan and I even bought her anything!<br />
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We loved our first Christmas with Avery! After we cleaned up from our family gift exchange, we started preparing for all the family to arrive in just a couple hours. The cousins all exchange names, and the adults exchange names among themselves, and we have the best time discovering who had who's name and opening gifts together.<br />
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A couple days after Christmas, Ryan, Rebekah, Avery, and I headed up to the outlets near our house for a little shopping. On the way home, Ryan started to feel a little sick. As the day progressed, he realized he was coming down with the flu. It was not a fun couple days for him, but fortunately it was just a stomach bug and didn't last as long as the influenza virus that is going around. He rested for a few days, and our family enjoyed a Lord of the Rings marathon for a few nights.<br />
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Although it turned out to be a quieter vacation than we had planned, we are so thankful for so much time with family and friends. And it was a blessing that Ryan's injury and illness occurred during his break and not during rotations.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04166501586320535397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2741402040648232316.post-84427622986171763692012-12-30T16:00:00.002-05:002013-01-16T21:30:43.715-05:00Christmas Vacation (Part 1)Our Christmas vacation began on Saturday, December 15, when Ryan, Avery, and I flew from NJ to SC in the afternoon. The trip was an interesting one, as Ryan had hurt his knee on Wednesday night and couldn't walk at all on Saturday. On top of that, we had only brought one small suitcase and one carry-on suitcase up with us when we moved. So we filled up the carry on with as much (heavy) stuff as possible and sent it back with my parents who were up visiting that weekend. We brought as many carry on bags on the plane with us as possible. So we were quite a sight getting through the airport. Ryan was in a wheelchair holding several bags and I was pushing Avery in the stroller while carrying a couple bags as well. Thankfully, we had a direct flight to Greenville, so once we were on the plane, the trip was pretty easy. Avery ate as we were taking off, and slept the rest of the flight. What a blessing to have an easy, adaptable baby!<br />
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We enjoyed a wonderful evening with my family our first night home as we caught up with each other over delicious sandwiches and soup. The next morning at church, we had so much fun seeing our church family again. Avery loved getting to meet so many new people and was quite happy to let anyone hold her.<br />
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After the evening service, mom invited my extended family to come over and celebrate Ryan's birthday (which was coming up the following weekend). We had meatball subs and Ryan's favorite dessert - carrot cake. Every time we get together with our family, I am so thankful to have so many aunts, uncles, and cousins living in town and for the fun we all have together.<br />
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Our first week home was full of Christmas parties, shopping, and lots of good eating! Mom, Avery, and I spent an afternoon at the mall together, and Avery loved her first shopping trip with Grandma. I'm sure there will be many more of those in the future.<br />
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On Saturday, we headed over to my cousin's house to celebrate his daughter's first birthday. Her party was A Very Hungry Caterpillar-themed, and the table looked so pretty! We loved watching Halle open and enjoy her presents, and laughed as she debated about whether or not she should get her fingers into the cake. Avery slept for most of the party in Halle's crib, but before she left, the cousins had a great time playing in Halle's new bouncy castle together.<br />
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Later that evening, my parents took us to our favorite Chinese restaurant for Ryan's birthday dinner. And we had another of Ryan's favorite desserts when we got back home - chocolate cake with a coffee-cinnamon buttercream - while he opened his gifts. I love this picture of Ryan and Avery from that afternoon.<br />
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Our first week at home went by too quickly, but we thoroughly enjoyed spending time with family and preparing for Christmas.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04166501586320535397noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2741402040648232316.post-40744159474081900322012-12-03T11:05:00.001-05:002012-12-03T11:05:34.638-05:005 Months OldToday our little girl is 5 months old. It hardly seems possible that we have had almost half a year with her. We could never have imagined how much fun it is to be parents. Avery makes us laugh every day with her silly faces, funny noises and never-ending curiosity. Here are a few stats and highlights from this month:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Takes 3 2-hour naps during the day</li>
<li>Sleeps 12 hours at night</li>
<li>Rolls over from tummy to back and back to tummy, but prefers to play on her tummy</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>Sucks her thumb while sleeping</li>
</ul>
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<li>Sticks out her tongue on purpose</li>
<li>Imitates noises that we make (cooing, blowing bubbles)</li>
<li>Laughs and giggles at funny noises or funny faces we make to her</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>Does not like when Mommy hands her to the nursery workers at church, but does fine if she is playing on the floor when Mommy leaves.</li>
<li>Smiles at anyone who talks to her</li>
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We thank the Lord for each day He gives us with Avery Lyn. Happy 5 months, sweet girl!</div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04166501586320535397noreply@blogger.com0