Christmas 2010

This will be a post of mostly pictures to recap our Christmas this year.  It was a special Christmas this year as it was our little Avery's first one.  She is too little to know any different, but her mommy and daddy will tell her all about it one day.  We have had a wonderful holiday season celebrating with our family and friends.

Christmas 2010 Recap:

Christmas Eve was spent at my mom and dad's house with my dad's side of the family.  This has been a Paces' family tradition as long as I have been alive.  We change location each year...it rotates between my dad and his sister's homes.  There were 3 baby girls there this year all between 2-3 months old.  Each year there seems to be more and more babies!  After eating some good food, opening presents, and just hanging out we decided to go to the 11:00pm service at church.  Jason and I had originally planned on going to the 5:30 service knowing that the girls would not make it through the late service, but that changed due to Avery wanting to eat at that time. :)  Lily was the ONLY little kid at the late service, but the nursery was open and she played in there and did just fine.  When we got home Jason and I had to make sure Santa had room to leave their presents so that took some time before we could head to bed...finally got there around 1:30am. 

Christmas morning was extra special for me as it was my first one in 6 years that I got to wake up in my own bed (usually working) and I got to see my girls open up their presents.  It was so fun to watch Lily this year...she really got into it!  Santa suprised me too this year with the ENTIRE Willow Tree Nativity scene!  I couldn't believe it when I walked into the family room.  Jason "Santa" had it all set up for me!  I collect the Willow Tree figurines and Jason has given one to me the past 3 Christmases.  After opening gifts we packed up for the trip back to Newcastle, but before heading up North we celebrated Christmas at my Grandma's with my mom's side of the family.  This has also been a tradition as long as I have been alive.  We arrived in Newcastle just in time for some yummy home cooked food on the farm!  On the 26th we had another Christmas celebration with Jason's family.  We don't get back there as much as we would like, so it is always nice when we do.  Lily had a blast playing with her Kneifl cousins!

What is that now...3 Christmas celebrations?  We had a 4th and final Christmas celebration on January 1st in Lincoln at Jason's Aunt LouAnn's house.  Once again, lots of yummy food and some much enjoyed time with family.  Family...that is what it is all about this time of year. 

I am always so sad to see this time of year come and go.  It happens so quickly.  I am extra sad this year because it means my maternity leave is coming to an end.  I have really enjoyed these past 12 weeks getting to spend so much time with my girls.  Lily and Avery are my biggest blessings in this life.  I am so lucky to get to be their mommy.  

So much for a "quick" recap!  Now...onto the pictures! 

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season!

Gingerbread House

 We have made it a tradition in our home to build a gingerbread house each year for Christmas.  We have done this since Lily was born.  It is something fun we can sit down and do as a family....too bad this years house collapsed soon after it was built!

Happy 2 Months Avery Grace!

Dear Avery,

Happy 2 month birthday baby girl!  You are doing so well and growing so fast.  Mommy, Daddy, and big sister Lily love you so much.  Mommy is sad to only have one month left of maternity leave at home with you.  I am going to miss you and Lily terribly when I go back to work.  You will both be in good hands with Daddy though while Mommy is at work.  Christmas is right around the corner and we are all excited as this will be your first one.  Mommy is super excited because we will all get to wake up together on Christmas morning as a family for the very first time.  Daddy wrapped all of your's and Lily's presents today and placed them under the Christmas tree.  I wonder what Santa will bring you this year???  You have been such a good little baby, so I'm sure Santa will bring you something extra special!

What you are doing now:

~holding your head up better by yourself

~nursing around 8 times a day

~sleeping better at night...sometimes you wake up twice and sometimes you will sleep for 6-7 hours

~you only take "cat" naps during the day

~smiling all the time...especially in the mornings

~cooing and saying "ah goo" and you like when mommy and daddy say it back to you

~you like your baths a little bit better now

~your big sister loves you so much and first thing every morning when she wakes up she asks mommy "where's Avwee Gwace"

You are loved so much sweet Avery Grace.  You put a smile on my face and in my heart...always.

Love,

Mommy



Avery's 2 Month Check-Up

 Avery's Birthmarks (strawberry hemangiomas)



Hard to believe my baby will be 2 months old tomorrow.  Avery had her two month well baby visit today.  I have been waiting for this for a while now as I have had a few things on my mind...I know worrying doesn't make things better, but how do you help it when you are a mommy?  I went in with 3 main questions today...

1.) Her head

2.) Her birthmarks

3.) Her blocked tear duct

As far as her head goes...Avery was in very "tight" quarters for 9 months (aren't all babies?) and positioned with her head squished up against my uterus and possibly hip bone.  This caused her forehead to be slanted up slightly to the right, and the back of her head is also slightly mishaped (I didn't notice the back of the head like I did the forehead).  My concern is that she would have to wear a helmet to correct the shaping of her head.  Dr. Russell is not concerned at this point as Avery's head circumference is growing normally and she is developmentally appropriate and on track.  The goal for right now is to just watch it and re-evaluate it at her next appointment (4 months).  Dr. Russell is confident that is should correct itself with time as her brain grows and as she grows.  We cannot exclude the possibility of her having to wear a helmet at this point though.  If she has to wear one it has to be done before she is two years old...I prefer it as a baby so she messes with it less...but we will see how things go.  Please pray that it just fixes itself with time!

Avery has two strawberry hemangioma birthmarks on her back.  At birth they were very pale and barely visible.  Now they are hot pink in color, raised and have tripled in size.  This type of birthmark will continue to grow for a while and then start to fade and go away over time.  It should be almost gone by the time she is 5 years old.  There is no treatment for this, and they cause no harm with it being on her back.

Her blocked tear duct is just a nuissance.  It is not harmful in any way.  It is just no fun having to see her little eye all gooped up all the time and matted shut when she wakes up in the morning.  It should open up on its own between 6-12 months or hopefully sooner.  If it does not it requires a simple procedure to open it after she is 12 months of age.

Otherwise...she is a healthy, happy, and BEAUTIFUL baby girl!  She will always be perfect in her mommy's eyes.

Avery's Two Month Stats:

Weight~ 11 pounds 9 ounces (73rd percentile)

Length~ 22 3/4 inches (65th percentile)

Head Circumference~ 15 1/2 inches (63rd percentile)

She is my little peanut and I love her so!

Lily's First Christmas Program

Today my little girl made her momma so very proud...so proud it brought tears to my eyes.  This morning Lily sang in the Church Christmas program.  I wasn't sure how she would do because she had only practiced a few Sunday mornings while at Church.  She has never been up in front of a lot of people...who has at the ripe old age of 2?  I thought that she might get scared and come running for mom and dad or that she would just act goofy and mess around.  She did neither.  She stood up front the whole time, she sang the songs, she did the actions and she made her mommy and daddy very proud!  GaGa and Boppa were very proud of her too.  I practiced some of the songs with her at home, but she showed no interest in it at all and she never did any of the cute little actions.  I didn't think she knew them.  She had me fooled.  I was so surprised when she actually sang (she didn't know all of the words but she tried) and did the movements.  AND...she looked so BEAUTIFUL in her Christmas dress!  Love you Lily Rose!

Bumbo!

 Lily at 7ish weeks

 Lily again

 Avery at 7 1/2 weeks

Avery lost her "lunch"

I see some similarities, but I still think they look different.  Definitely like sisters, but they each have their own look.