Funny Words

I've gotten a lot of laughs from Abby Kate's vocabulary lately. She knows so many words and speaks very well, but sometimes she hears them incorrectly and what comes out just cracks me up!

My favorite ones:

We were playing "I Spy" in the car. We passed a Hilton Inn and she said, "Mommy I spy a Ho-and-Tell!"

Often she tries to be funny at the dinner table and pretends to eat really fast saying yum, yum, yum, DONE! She giggles, then laughingly says, "Mommy and Daddy, I was just choking." She means joking. :)

They had movie day at preschool on Tuesday. She was so excited when I picked her up, telling me, "... and we watched 'Bugs-Ta-Life' (A Bug's Life) on the big TV scream!

Avery at Five Months

Avery's personality is really shining through at this stage, and there is only one word for it: HAPPY! She's a perpetual smiler and laughs at the simplest efforts by us. She's so laid back and easy. She eats well and goes right to sleep for every nap and at nighttime. She's a finger-sucker, so that puts her right to sleep every time. As you can see here, she LOVES her fingers. Any and all are fair game and she makes time for each including her thumbs. She usually has them lined up - one hand in there and the next on standby just behind it. Or sometimes she just shoves them all in there at the same time as you see here!

We don't deserve such a sweet and calm baby, especially after AK who was considerably easy as well. Maybe we'll be paying for it when they're 12 and 15. :)


Avery is long and lean, measuring in the 25th percentile for weight and 95th for height. She rolls over and over, sleeps 10 hours at night and is really enjoying her baby oatmeal. It seems to be going by MUCH faster than with AK. Too fast, in fact. I can't believe she'll be eating baby food next month! No signs of teeth yet. Or hair for that matter! But that's no surprise since she's a blondie like her sister. She looks more like Abby Kate everyday.

She does still spit up however. Almost as much as she smiles. :) The doctors still say it's nothing to worry about since she's steadily gaining weight and in no pain. We sure hope she'll grow out of it soon!

Oh, and I don't dress her in the same outfit everyday (clearly the spit-up issue would make that impossible even if I wanted to!). I took all of these pictures today because I realized that I haven't taken nearly the amount that I took of AK when she was a baby, and I'm feeling really guilty! Sorry, Avery, I promise I'll do better.

I Remember the First Cell Phones

... the big hunking things that were five inches thick and six pounds. My dad brought one home one day and I thought it unbelievable that you could call anyone from anywhere. And look at us now. You can call, email, text, send videos and documents, browse the web, buy a pair of shoes or book a flight... and much more all from a tiny little device. Technology is truly amazing!

I got a new computer a few months ago and I made sure I got one with the built-in video camera. During Mike's upcoming dets and deployments it'll be invaluable. With Skype's awesome (and FREE!) video/audio tool, we'll be able to see and hear Mike when he's so many miles away. And equally exciting, he'll be able to see AK and Avery's growth. Seven months is a long time and I can't even imagine how much they'll (especially Avery) grow and change in that time. And now he won't have to miss seeing their faces as much.

Of course it's great for being able to see faraway family and friends as well. We've tested it out a few times recently with my brother's family. Abby Kate loves being able to see her cousin William live on the screen. It's so neat! So if anyone wants to Skype us, let me know... hint, hint... you know who you are... haha, kidding. Sort of. :)

Hello 2010

Our friends Jaime and Shea came to visit on New Year's Eve and we were so happy to be able to spend some time with them. Shea is one of our best friends from college. We traveled to Raleigh last July to watch him marry Jaime - who we have come to adore as much as Shea! They love the girls and spent time playing all of Abby Kate's new games with her. We ate some delicious appetizers and then lasagna before putting the girls to bed and playing some board games ourselves. We had a great time just relaxing at home instead of trying to go out and fight the party crowds. Mike had to work New Year's Day, so Shea, Jaime, the girls and I all went out for breakfast before they made the trip back home to Raleigh. Thanks for coming guys, it was fun! Looking forward to seeing you again soon!

Last year came and went. I won't say it went fast because I was pregnant for well over half of it. And that part did not go fast for me. But Abby Kate's growth was certainly fast and the first few months of Avery's life have really flown by. The year brought us many good things. Avery topped our list of course! Other good things included Mike finishing his training and being promoted to Captain. We made that unforgettable trip to Disney World. AK started preschool and turned three. Mike and I celebrated eight years of marriage (and 16 years of being together...wow, can that be?!) I turned 30, Mike turned 32. We were blessed with several visits from family and trips to see them as well.

It was a good year, and I have high hopes for 2010. We already had one great blessing just today, in fact. We had a dedication ceremony for Avery in church this morning. It was a beautiful and perfect service. Mike and I were joyful in standing up to present our daughter to God and promising to raise her according to His word by teaching her the ways of Christ and by living godly lives as an example. The support of our church family here has been tremendous. We give thanks to God again and again for both of our precious daughters!

Cheers to a new year and hopes for many blessing to all of you in 2010!

Christmas in Kentucky!

We had a great time in Kentucky this Christmas! Thanks Mom and Dad for having us. We spent the holiday visiting with family and a few friends. It always goes by way too fast, however. I'm looking forward to going back in a couple months to see friends I didn't get to see while home.

AK and William had a blast. They play so well together with their big imaginations. They were off playing pretend all over the house the whole time. They're so funny and cute to watch. Here, they were playing "picnic" and chose the healthiest of food from Mimi's pantry: Doritos and Tostidos! :)

Avery just sat back and took it all in this Christmas. Next year, she'll be tearing into the gifts along with her sister!

Abby Kate was all about Santa this year. She helped Mimi bake some cookies for him on Christmas Eve. She got them on the plate, poured the milk and went to carry them to the table beside the fireplace and... well, you can see the cookies in mid-air... Good thing we baked more than enough!



We went to my Mawmaw's house after church on Christmas Eve. Mawmaw played Silent Night and Jingle Bells on the organ. It was special to watch AK stand beside her as she played because I spent so many moments of my childhood in the same spot.

The holidays came and went so fast. I hope each of you had a Merry Christmas!