3 months

I'm a bit delayed in getting the 3 month blog out, but we've been kind of busy. In getting back from Oregon, we enjoyed our last week together before I had to go to work. We kept it busy by going to Farmer's Market, play dates and an attempt at the beach. We also met Jason for a mid-day lunch and a couple last shopping trips. I also enjoyed having Avery in bed with me in the mornings because I knew that would also be coming to an end. Labor Day we had dinner at my sister's, which we had realized we had only been there one time over the summer. Quite sad when we used to go over there weekly. Aly and Jake got a kick out of seeing "baby Avery".

On Labor Day night I put Avery to bed. I was rocking her and feeding her and started bawling. Why? I was going to work the next day. I mean, it was like streaming down my face bawling. I really didn't want to go back to work but it wasn't really an option for us. It was so sweet because while Avery was eating and I was crying, she grabbed onto my finger and held tight like saying, "It's ok Mommy". It made me feel a bit better. I know she would be in good hands.

I started work. Waking up at 5:30 is not ideal. I don't get to really see her in the morning unless she wakes up. I like to go peek on her and see her smile in her sleep. It's so cute. The first week I was blessed in that I only had to work 4 hours. With the change of schedule, I was gone before lunchtime! It was so weird! Now this week I'm on my normal 7-3:30 schedule.

Entrusting others to watch your child full-time has been interesting to deal with. The first couple of days they would report that she did great and tell me about their daily activities. Then on Thursday/Friday they'd make comments like, "She's doing SO much better!" I'd think to myself...was she doing bad?! They never really said so. They also made a comment about her being big for her age which kind of bugged me. Oh well. I'm also hoping that by her being in daycare that she might get on a more consistent nap schedule. So far she's only sleeping between 30-50 minutes at a time. Hopefully they'll get a bit longer once she settles into being comfortable there. I still don't like that I can't be with her most of the time. I really missed her today :(.

As far as stats, I won't have them until 4-months. I'm thinking she's about 13lbs now. She's grown out of her 0-3 month clothes and fits in 3M clothes...some she is still swimming in though. She's happily cooing away, talking to us all of the time, she's taking close to 6oz bottles, she's becoming more interactive. She just rolled over from tummy to back on 9/10. I was very excited to get it on video :). She's very strong! She can hold her head up without any problems. She often stands on my lap and can support her weight pretty well. I also think she's teething a bit. She often gets fussy w/ her pacifier, spits it out, but wants it back to be soothed. It's a sad cycle to go through. Hopefully she can find some comfort.

Things to look forward to:
- rolling over back to tummy
- visit from Papa Richard
- riding in the new jogger stroller
- 4 month appointment!

Oregon

This past weekend we went up to Yachats, Oregon for a family reunion on Jason's side of the family. None of the family had met Avery yet so we were all looking forward to it. We purposely chose a flight that left at 6am because it was one of very few that had a direct flight into Portland. Avery looked as us weird when we woke her up at 4am to leave. She was happily compliant and took her bottle as we took off. She slept for most of the trip, which was convenient since it was her naptime anyway. We then braved the 3 hour drive to Yachats. I felt bad that we had her in the car for so long. Again, she slept most of the way and was a trooper. We tried to take breaks for food, stretching her legs and cooling her down before getting back on the road.

When we got to Yachats, it seemed like she was the star of the weekend. There was no shortage in arms that wanted to hold her. She got to meet her grandma and great grandparents for the first time.



She also got to experience her first rain and visit to the aquarium.



On Sunday Jason wanted me to go kayaking with him. I suited up in a wetsuit and braved the chilly water. We set out in the river and paddled towards the ocean. Once out there, Jason was like, "Did you see we caught that wave?". Seriously? I missed it? I saw waves that were a bit further out and suggested that we go out and around and try to get one of those waves so I could actually tell that we caught a wave. He goes along w/ my idea and I find the wave I'd like to catch. Problem is...a kayak doesn't turn around as fast as a boogeyboard. Needless to say, the wave hit us sideways and pitched me out into the chilly water. Brr. I managed to climb back in but then we noticed that Jason's Uncle Mark had also overturned his boat, losing his glasses and his hat. In order to look for them, he didn't pay attention to the fact that his boat washed away. We paddled to go get the boat. By then my hands were so numb that they hurt and I couldn't bend them. I was hoping that I hadn't banged and hurt them because they hurt so bad. Jason's other uncle waded out to us, let me switch boats into the one person boat, he took the 2-person and Jason helped drag me to shore. My hands hurt so bad that I couldn't even paddle. Once we got to shore, I walked the rest of the way back (which I couldn't feel my feet either...probably a good thing) and Jason paddled the rest of the way back to our cabin. We went straight into the hot shower to thaw myself off. It actually took several days for my fingers to feel normal again.

The return trip wasn't as lovely as the trip there. Avery was up way past her bedtime and was way overstimulated by the lights and noise of the airplane. It took her a while to settle down. Once she was asleep we layed her on the seat between us (Alaska let us have the whole row!). She stayed asleep for about 45 minutes then was up and crying again. I felt so bad for the people around us because I didn't want to be one of "those" parents. Luckily we were surrounded by a bunch of older adoring ladies who just looked at us and smiled. When I mouthed "so sorry!" to them, they were like..."she's so cute! no worries!". Luckily she fell back asleep and I didn't dare let go of her after that.

All in all it was a great trip. The family loved her and she loved being around them too!

Brain fart

Every so often, I'll be driving or in the shower etc, and something brilliant pops into my head. Doesn't happen very often...but something I think "That would be cool to write in my blog". I get down to write and it's like I flatline. I think of witty, thought provoking things to say...then I get a chance to write it..."what was I thinking of again"? I have no idea. I think this is the symptom of being a new mom that will stay much longer than the pounds I gained. If so, I'm not a fan. I used to be an intelligent person with things to say!! Now I'm like, "huh"? It's embarassing trying to struggle in finding words that used to be everyday words. I'm not a fan. I'm a bit worried about it since I'm returning to work on Tuesday and it requires me to put thought and action when making decisions. Hopefully it's something that will come back over time.

That's another subject...going back to work. I'm NOT looking forward to it for many reasons. I've been home for 4 months, and let me say...I could get used to this. While I don't want to be a full-time SAHM, I was hoping to find something part-time. I like the fact that Avery will be able to socialize around other babies and people...but I love being around her everyday. I love seeing her cute face in the morning as it is the smileiest part of her day. Jason will be taking her to daycare in the morning so I will miss that. I will also miss pulling her into bed with me in the morning and sleeping a few more hours. I'll miss our afternoon walks, going to the park, meeting up with friends and taking naps in the afternoon together. Granted, I know I can do some of these things on the weekend, but it's just not the same. For those that work with me...be nice to me next week as I'll probably be a wreck!