Wow. Did anyone get the license plate number of the Mack truck that just hit me?! Sweet Baby Avery is 3 weeks old already, but it just feels like it's been one VERY long day to me!! That probably has something to do with the fact that I'm averaging 4 hours of sleep a night (and NO, those aren't consecutive hours people!) and taking care of a newborn, 2 year old and 4 year old while also trying to get everyone adjusted to new fall back to school schedules and activities. It has been rough, but Mama's got her "Mommy Mojo" back and we're finally getting used to our "new normal!!" I may have to wake up at 4 am every morning to get everyone nursed & fed/bathed & showered and out the door on time, but at least we're doing it! (and I'm sure our local Starbucks has noticed an increase in revenue at the same time!)
Avery's first few weeks have been busy, but not because of her. She is such a great baby! She's eating well (she gained a pound in one week!) and is sleeping about as good as you could hope for a newborn who was born 3 weeks early! Sweet Avery Claire has been blending into the chaos quite nicely. I'm sure she's used to all of the noise, screaming and temper tantrums (from the girls and from Mommy!) because she has been sleeping right through all of the insanity! I'd be lying if I said I haven't forgotten where I put her from time to time because she's so quiet!
No, Avery isn't the one that's been keeping Mommy busy these days. It's her big sisters who have been the handful. The day after Avery was born, the girls started school, which meant Meet the teacher meetings, random Phase In schedules and new gymnastics and ballet classes. Throw in a few weeks of spoiling from both sets of grandparents and that makes for some pretty tired and rambunctious girls! And let's just add a trip to the doctors office for three stitches in the middle of the night too, just for kicks!
I'm just thankful that I haven't checked myself into the nuthouse! I'm not going to lie. It sounds quite appealing...a full night of sleep, hot meals, uninterrupted showers...
Aside from the stitches in Hailey's chin from falling in the bathtub, and the constant business and noise in our home, I would consider these past 3 weeks a success! Avery is perfect, and her sisters haven't killed her. Lainey LOVES her preschool class, the Purple Room ,with Ann and Jody and she loves her new gymnastics class. Hailey loves the Green Room with Marcie and Nancy, her new gymnastics class and her new ballet class (because she is taking it with her best friend, Maddie!)
We also found a great babysitter, a University of Richmond student, who is going to come a few hours a week to help with the girls, and Doug and I are closer than ever. I have to give a major shout out to my man. He was a rock star these past 3 weeks. He slept on the uncomfortable bench in the hospital for 3 nights, when he could have been home in our comfortable king size bed. He brought me food everyday at the hospital and for the weeks after I got home. He woke up to keep me company during the middle of the night feedings. He went to the grocery store, took the girls to meet the teacher meetings and preschool carpool, kept my car filled with gas, did the laundry, dishes and cleaned the house! Yes, I'm bragging, but seriously?! I lucked out with this one!
Finally, I'm thankful that, in the midst of the chaos, I can still find time to realize and appreciate how truly blessed we are.
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| Avery Claire, 2 weeks old. |
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| Ave has been sleeping her way through her first few weeks. |
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| Headed to carpool with my row of girls! |
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| Lainey was very proud to show off her little sister to her gymnastics teachers. |
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| Bonding with her big sisters. |
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| Biggest sis Hailey. |
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| Big sis Lainey. |
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| Lainey has taken on the nurturing motherly role. She loves "Baby Avery Claire." |
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| Lulu always has to be no more than a foot away from her little sister. She's obsessed and very protective. |
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| Hailey was not happy that it wasn't her turn to hold Baby Avery. |
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| Taking a break from bug hunting to inspect her baby sister with her magnifying glass. |
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| The girls wanted Baby Avery to watch the big truck repave our road. |
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| Lainey got a little too brave for her own good. The trucks got a little noisy and she got scared! |
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| Avery's first bath (1 week old) |
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| Hailey's first day of preschool in the Green Room. |
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| Smiling before preschool. |
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| Green Room girl! |
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| Lainey at her meet the teacher meeting. She played with the baby's the whole time! |
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| Lainey's first day of preschool in the Purple Room. |
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| And off she goes...Purple Room today, College tomorrow. |
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| Great first day in the Purple Room! |
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| Getting her tote bag from her locker. |
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| I think she had fun! |
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| More Purple Room pics. |
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| Excited to finally have a preschool bag like "Sissy." |
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| Girl talk with Teacher Ann. |
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| How can this little firecracker be old enough for the Purple Room already?!! |
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| Love her!!!! |
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| How cute is this?!! Dress up in the Purple Room! |
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| First full day of preschool 2013. Hailey, Green Room. Lainey, Purple Room. |
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| First full day of preschool for both girls!! |
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Remember when. It seems like yesterday that Buggy was starting her first day of preschool in the Red Room.
Hailey's first day of preschool 2012 |
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| More before school porch pics! |
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| "Let's do this Sis!" |
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| Off to rule the school together! |
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| First day of her Pre Ballet class at the Village Dance Studio! She was more excited about seeing her best friend Maddie than she was about the ballet class! |
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| Future ballerina? |
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| Grandma and Grandpa came to help after Avery was born. I think they managed to do a little Auburn brainwashing while they were here too!! |
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| Our first date night and Avery wasn't even 2 weeks old yet!! Heck yeah! I needed it! |
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| Eight years and 3 kids later and we still got it! Go Team Dolly! |
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| We left the crazies at home with Grandma and Grandpa and enjoyed way too much food and wine! (It was on Harris Williams, so we had to go all out!) |
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| Making necklaces with Gigi on the back porch. |
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| The "Before" shot. Poor Bug. She wasn't even standing up in the tub. Just reaching for her Tinkerbell doll while she was putting on a "show" for me while I was nursing Avery. |
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| The "after" shot. |
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| She was such a good girl in the waiting room. And boy did wait a long time!! Of course all of this happened hours after all of my "help" left and after Doug got on an airplane for work! Thank goodness for my amazing neighbors!! |
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| Still waiting...the nurses printed out Ariel pictures from the internet for our Ariel fan to color. |
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| You would think that I was the one who had the stitches because I was sobbing like a crazy person! I even had to step out of the room while Bug was getting stitched up because I didn't want her to see me upset! She was so brave and even said to the doctors, "I'm not even going to be scared because I'm such a special girl!" She seriously must be the sweetest 4 year old on the planet! Not a single tear shed by this little girl and she walked out of there with 3 stitches, 4 stickers and some serious bragging rights! |
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| So proud of her! |
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| After a long night like that, she definitely earned a night in bed with Mommy. |
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| Happy girl the next morning! |
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| Lulu had to have a sympathy boo boo too! |
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| Showing off their boo boos. |
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| Even Baby had to get stitches! |
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| We skipped school and just stayed at home the next day. |
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| It was nice to just spend some time alone with my girls. |
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| Lulu and her path of books. |
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| After such a traumatic night, the girls were happy to get a cookie bouquet in the mail from Grandma and Grandpa! |
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| Now that we're finally settling into our new routines, we can relax and enjoy this beautiful time of year! |
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| Welcome Fall in Virginia!! Oh how I have missed you!! |
