Smiles!

Just can't get enough of this smiling face!

Averie is One Month Old!

Averie is one month old! It seems like just yesterday we were wondering when she would make her appearance in to the world, and now, here we are wondering how we ever lived without her! Parenthood has definitely been an adjustment. It has been both everything we ever wanted, yet nothing we ever expected. Gone are the days of doing what we wanted, when we wanted to. We are no longer in charge- Miss Averie is. I have been enjoying my time off, spending each day doing exactly what I did the day before- feeding, snuggling, and playing with our princess. I have also been extremely grateful to have had my mom visiting for several days, helping us get situated and using her "baby whisperer" skills to soothe our little one, and helping me keep my sanity on days when I'd like to pull my hair out. If I've learned anything, I've learned that parenthood is the hardest job on the planet. But, it is also the most rewarding. All the stress melts away when I see Averie's cute little face. It still amazes that the little person I hold is the same little person that lived in my belly for 10 months. It is a true testament to God that two people could create a perfect little person. Amazing!

As I write this, Averie is actually 6 weeks old (wow!). Here's what she's up to:

-At her last Dr. appointment, Averie weighed in at 9lbs,6oz. She is also getting longer, although the doc didn't measure height this visit. She is finally starting to outgrow her newborn clothes, and is making her way in to size 0-3. Last night, Jerome and I were getting her jammies on, and it was so sad to see that all of the cute little newborn jammies are too short for her now. Some of them were so tiny, and it's crazy to think she's already not that tiny anymore! It brings a tear to my eye, which I know will be the first of many, considering she will only grow and grow from here on out.

-Poor little thing has had a rough few weeks with what looks to be acid reflux and some painful gas. We've had many "melt downs" around here, trying to figure out what the issue was. I took Averie to the doctor for it last week, and Dr. Pepek believes it is silent acid reflux (she doesn't spit up every time (typically babies with reflux do), she is not good at burping which in turn leads her to keep swallowing the acid that she would otherwise expel. We started her on Zantac, and are hoping for better days for our baby girl.

-She loves bath time! Daddy has become a pro at bathing her. She just lays (can't sit just yet) in her tub, happy as ever. She especially loves having her hair rinsed under the shower nozzle. It's so cute!

- I still cannot keep up with her eating demands when it comes to breastfeeding, so we continue to supplement with formula when it's needed. She can be quite the "piranha" when it comes to getting her food. We have given her the silly nickname of "Milky" for her love of milk. I'm sure someday when she's 18, this nickname will come back to haunt her, but in the meantime, we will keep using it :)

-She loves sitting in her bouncer, swing, baby bjorn and being carried through the house so she can see everything. She has been very alert since birth, and is always looking around at everything. She loves the bright lights of the tv and the mini fish tank on her Baby Einstein play mat.

-She is starting to smile, and oh my is it cute! I find myself snapping pictures of her cute little face all day long!

-Loud noise does not phase her. The dogs can bark to their hearts content, and Averie barely budges. I chalk this up to her constantly hearing them for the 10 months she was in my belly.

-She's sleeping pretty good at night. Usually gets a four hour stretch to start, followed by a couple 3 hour sessions. She usually fights going to sleep at night. She gets this from me. I am notorious for finding other things to do instead of going to bed, even when I'm exhausted. Not the best trait to pass on to my child!

-Some nicknames we have for her are: Avie, Avs, Milky, and Rooty (because at birth she was always rooting for food). I call her a zillion other names throughout the day, but these ones seem to stick.

Everyday is an adventure with Averie, and we look forward to the long journey ahead with her :)