Avery's First Sensory Bag!

I'm an advocate for offering kids different experiences that help them to figure out this big 'ol world they're living in - even if that means letting them get a little messy. Thanks to my favorite website obsession, Pinterest, I have found some amazing ideas for all kinds of fun play that engages kids by allowing them to experiment with different things. 

My ultimate favorite is Growing a Jeweled Rose. If you're looking for fun activities to do with your kids that are sensory, educational, and cheap (most of them are made out of things around the house), this is a great site to browse around! I seriously want to repin EVERYTHING she posts and I'm so excited to try out all the neat things she has that I'm almost excited for Avery to get a little older to enjoy them. Avery is getting to the point where he's old enough to experiment with Sensory Bags, so I whipped one up for him the other day to try it out. He did love it, mainly because it looked like something fun to put in his mouth. Like everything else within arm's reach. :)

He especially loved watching the little characters move around when he hit the bag. It worked great on his tummy too because that's where he had the best angle to latch onto the surface :)  

I used a gallon-size freezer bag filled with water (I did buy some hair gel to use as 'goo' inside, but I thought I'd start with water just in case it leaked. I'll be using the goo in another bag down the road) and just filled it with stuff I had around the house - some yarn (which looks really neat flowing around in the water!) and some little foam critter stickers. I used duct tape to seal around the edges (for extra reinforcement). I wanted to keep the contents pretty simple for my first one, but there are SO many other cool things that I've been thinking of to put in future bags!

Here's a link to Sensory Bags if you want to try one out for yourself. (they're a GREAT way to keep toddlers busy, too!) and here's where you can find  50+ play activities for babies. Seriously, people, there aren't enough hours in the day to try out all these amazing things, but I'm going to give it my best shot!  (I see colored spaghetti noodles in a baby pool in our future!)

Our Little Caterpillar...

By introducing him to books early, we figure he should be reading in a few months...
ha ha!! :) He's so intellectual!

While going through Avery's closet the other day, I realized he has SO many cute outfits that he won't fit into for much longer... and I've never taken his picture in many of them! 

This one is really special because, as many of you know, 'Eric Carle' is the theme in Avery's nursery (you can check out the nursery reveal here) and at our baby shower back in April, he received this super-cute outfit from my step-aunt (step-aunt? Well, my step-mom's sister, anyway... she rocks.) that she had bought years ago when Carters had an Eric Carle line of clothing and had just held onto... it was fate that she and I should meet and Avery should come along and have an Eric Carle themed room! Perfect!! 

Not only are they overalls (my FAVORITE article of clothing for little boys!), but they have a line from the book on them and he even has matching socks with a little caterpillar on the side! (When Avery was first born and all swaddled up so cute, we called him 'Our Little Caterpillar' :)

Since receiving this outfit, Avery has also gotten 2 more outfits from the same Eric Carle line (thanks Sally and Lisa for being such good scouts!) and I'll be sharing them as soon as he fits into them!

Happy Wednesday!!

Avery: 4 Months!

How is my baby 4 months old?!  I'm still convinced that I have the fastest growing child of all time. I'm sure no mother has ever said that... ;)

Avery had his 4 month well-baby checkup the other day and is doing awesome. He weighs in at
16 lbs 14 oz,
(in the 85th percentile)  and is
26.5 inches long, (in the 97th percentile!) Surprise, surprise... I know :)

He's developing a strong personality and is oh-so-sweet. He's so content and so alert, taking in everything around him. He's become more vocal this month and gets stronger by the day.





What Avery is up to at 4 Months:

• He FINALLY has a napping routine/schedule that doesn't include the nap-and-nurse all day in my lap

• Nighttime is still pretty hit-or-miss. He usually goes down great, but how long he stays sleeping is another story. Some nights he will get up 6-7 times to nurse, other nights only once. He slept better his first weeks of life than he does now... Sleeping is definitely our biggest challenge.

• He enjoys play sessions on the floor and is so content just hanging out and 'talking' to (and eating) whatever colorful object happens to be nearby.
  
• He's much more tolerant of 'tummy time' and reaches for things while on his tummy.
• He loves to sit up in his high chair at the table with us and play with toys while watching us eat.
• He prefers to chew on his index and middle fingers
  
• He loves to go on neighborhood walks with his BFF, Max :)

• He can SIT by himself for short periods of time, and will sit supported forever and play. Sometimes he even gets frustrated when we leave him on his back too long
• He pulls everything into his mouth.
  Everything.
  And then he drools on it.
  So much drool...
• He blows raspberries :)
• He can get his feet up in the air and roll onto his side, but stops there
• He notices Bella and Jasper and watches them intently 

• He's gotten 'spooked' by a few men he's encountered over the last few weeks. We aren't sure if it's their voices or their facial hair or what - hopefully it's just a phase!
  
  
• He had his first giggle-fest with daddy over the weekend. He's been giving little 'chuckles' for a while now, but this is the first time he's straight-up giggled. I'm so lucky to have gotten it on video (even Grandma Connie got a laugh out of it!)

This past weekend, Grandma Connie and Grandpa Delbert came to visit and hooked Avery up with some Packers gear! He spent LOTS of time playing, talking and reading with Grandma and even warmed up to Grandpa by the end of the weekend :)

On This Day...

One year ago today, I took a test that would forever change our lives. It was such an incredibly exciting feeling watching those two pink lines appear... the first of many amazing feelings and experiences that were to come- 
What a difference ONE YEAR can make.

I very much enjoyed being pregnant and I will look back on that 9 months as some of the greatest of my life... until Avery made his appearance. Now my life is so full and so happy I can barely stand it. 

Avery is almost 4 months old and charming as can be. He's developing such a fun personality and watching him change every day brings us so much joy. Even when I wake up after a night of little sleep and peer over the side of the crib at the little Sleep-Thief himself, he uses his magical powers (transmitted through his sweet morning smile) to make me forget all about how exhausted I am and actually make me think about how much I missed him while sleeping. It's amazing. 

I'll be posting his '4 month' post shortly, I just wanted to drop in and share the significance of this day - what a crazy, beautiful, wonderful year it's been.

I realized that I usually share photos of Avery smiling, which he does most of the day, but he makes so many other faces now that he 'talks' and interacts more, I just had to share :)

Wear a Helmet...

A week ago today, Justin, Avery and I set off for Indianapolis for a day full of baseball. Justin was going to play, Avery and I were going to watch. Justin plays on a 'Vintage Baseball' team - The teams wear uniforms, use equipment, and play by the rules/regulations of 1863 baseball. It's considered a 'gentleman's game' and is fun to play - and watch!

We arrived at the park and a friend of mine and I set up 'camp' for our babies on the side of the field. Right before the game started, we decided to move to the opposite side of the field where there was more shade and there was a tree to 'protect' us. (These games are just played in wide open -and often uneven- grassy areas, not traditional baseball fields) Justin met us when we made it to the other side and I handed Avery to him so I could spread out the blanket on the ground. 

I laid out the blanket and as I was opening the shade umbrella, *BAM* - the second hit of the game went foul right into my face. I just remember lots of pain to the face and lots of commotion all around. Avery started crying (I found out later it was because Justin laid him on the blanket to come to me) and I looked down at my hands and saw lots of blood everywhere, pouring from my face. Super scary! 

I had no idea if it was my head or my cheek or my eye... it was just a mess of blood and pain. Thank God for my friend Amy (who is a nurse) for a putting ice (wrapped in a burp rag, of course!) to my face right away, for Justin for rubbing my back and getting me a piece of gum to get the taste of blood out of my mouth, and for the woman who picked up Avery and comforted him during the whole ordeal. 

Justin called 911, the EMTs came (really quickly!) and flushed out my eye to make sure there were no pieces of my sunglasses in there. I had no vision out of the eye and was somewhat in shock, I think. They bandaged it up and after a quick snack for Avery (he stared at the white bandage on my face with a pretty confused look while I fed him in the backseat of the car before we took off!) we found our way to the ER. 

They were such troopers!

After a super long day (10 hours...) with an infant in a tiny ER room, two different doctors attempted to stitch up my face (come to find out, there was actually a hole gouged out by my broken glasses, so there really wasn't any skin to pull together), my vision slowly came back (the blood that was in my eye was what was blocking the view) and I've been visiting the doctor's office pretty much every day since. 

Putting lots of trust in Amy,
who took my stitches out -at home!

My Ophthalmologist put me on bed rest all week (quite the feat with a 3 month old in the house!) for fear of dislodging the clots that had formed inside my eye, which could cause permanent vision problems and/or blindness. After visiting a plastic surgeon, he determined that since the cuts were already scabbing over, it wouldn't do any good to cut into it and disturb the healing so I will just have to accept the scars and hope they aren't too noticeable and fade quickly! The human body is an amazing thing, though, and I'm so happy with how much better my face looks just one week later after the swelling has gone down and the stitches have been removed ...

 

Although I would've rather this just not happened at all, I am so incredibly lucky because it could've turned out so much worse than it was. 

I'm so thankful that I was wearing my big sunglasses, as they took the blow of the ball and miraculously saved any of the bones in my face from being broken. 

I'm so thankful I happened to hand Avery over to Justin less than a minute before the ball came our way. It hurts me to think of what that ball could've done to his little body.

I'm so thankful for the kindness and prayers from friends and family.

I'm so thankful that our insurance deductible was already met for the year after having Avery. :)

I've been thinking so much about fate and God, how precious life really is and how things can change so drastically in an instant. So hug a little tighter, don't hesitate to say 'I love you', and for heaven's sake, don't attend a baseball game without wearing protective gear - including a helmet.

A Fun Avery Moment...

Avery loves mirrors. Whenever we walk past the one above our fireplace, we have to stop and have a giggle. (Avery giggles at himself...I giggle at him, giggling at himself :) So during tummy time the other day, I pulled out a mirror to see if he would enjoy it. 

I'll let you be the judge on whether he did or not... 

 

 Best. Faces. EVER.  How can you not giggle (or laugh 'till you cry like Justin and I do) at that sweet face?! This child just gets cuter by the day, I tell ya. My cup runneth over.

...And to top off this overload of cuteness, later that evening, we found Bella making herself at home on the Boppy pillow, gazing at herself in the mirror, too!  

Who knew a mirror I found for 25 cents at a garage sale could bring this much enjoyment?!

3 Month Photos!

Yesterday morning, I snapped some photos of Avery on his 3 month birthday! He's so sweet and smiley in the morning - I just want to kiss him all over!  (which is probably how he and I ended up with colds today... boo.) But - we did get to spend some time as a family yesterday checking out the 'Tippecanoe Battlefield' near our house and got some good exercise at Happy Hollow Park! 

 

Avery @ 3 Months!

This month has been full of visitors and adventures! 
Avery got snuggled by lots of family, got in a couple of bike rides, took a trip to the beach (for the second time!), grew out of his 3 month clothes (and some of his 6 months already...), ate lots (growth spurt again?), drooled all over the place,  sat up in his bumbo seat and jumped around in his exersaucer, and can hold his head up all on his own!

We've introduced Avery to a couple new things this month - his Bumbo seat and his Exersaucer.
He's still trying to figure them both out but is enjoying them so far! 

Now that Avery is 3 months old, I'm SO grateful that I'm able to continue to stay home with him and not go back to work.  Although I often miss teaching (especially now that it's back-to-school time), It's been a dream of mine to stay home to raise my babies and since moving to Indiana, that dream became a reality.  Avery's getting to a point developmentally where he enjoys looking and batting at toys and I'm looking forward to more 'play time' with him in the months to come. I'm glad to be here with him as he's learning new tricks, which happens all the time these days :)

That said, we've definitely had to make some adjustments to living on one income. We're trying to find ways to cut back and conserve money the best we can so we have enough in our account for the basics (mortgage, student loans, groceries, etc.).  It's going to be a challenge and we're going to have to get better at budgeting, but we think it's definitely worth it to be able to be home with Avery.


Avery's 'Milestones' This Month:

• He sits up in his Bumbo seat and likes to bat toys around on the tray
• He spends some time in his exersaucer and loves listening/staring at the toys
• Tummy time is becoming more fun now that he can hold his head up! He enjoys staring at toys and mirrors set up in front of him (especially the ones that make noise)
• He chews his right fist all day - we think he's working on fitting the entire thing in his mouth! (the chewing leads to lots of drooling!)
• He's getting good at lifting his feet up when laying on his back - he's so close to rolling right over!
• He greets us every morning with a smile and has the cutest laugh/giggle!
• He 'talks', squeals and 'coughs' at his toys when laying on his play mats
• He met his first GREAT grandpa and took part in a 4 generation Olive men photo! :)

Fun Fact:  The blanket that I took Avery's 11 week photo on was the very same one that my mom took a photo of me on in back in the day. I was about 8 months old in this photo!

And since we're cracking out the baby photos, here's one of Justin at 3 months! :) I can definitely see some Avery in that sweet face!

Recipe Round-Up: Our Favorite Meals

The Quick, The Easy, The Delicious!

After having many visitors over the last couple of months and having a newborn in the house, I am so grateful that we've had so many frozen meals ready to cook with little to no preparation at all. They've been great to feed our visitors, but many of them have been frozen in single-serve portions so they're perfect to pull out just what Justin and I need to feed the two of us without having leftovers for days! 

I've gotten so many positive comments about our meals out of the freezer and the crock pot - how delicious AND how easy they are - that I thought I'd share a few of our tried-and-true favorites. Many of these came from Pinterest (seriously the greatest website of all time!), others came from friends or from me browsing the internet. Many of the recipes also have a Mexican theme...I guess we just love it so much, we can't get enough!  Just click on the name of the recipe and it will take you to its source! Enjoy!

Crock Pot Hits

Chef Mommy

Salsa Chicken

This is probably Justin's favorite meal  of all time. I love it too, so it gets made pretty often at our house. It's SUPER easy to make and all the ingredients are things I have on hand all the time. It makes quite a bit so it's good to feed 4-5 people, but we don't mind eating this for 2 days in a row. It is also great rolled up in tortillas on day 2!

I add black beans in toward the end of the cooking time with the sour cream and cheese (so they don't get mushy) and skipped the cilantro.

Chocolate Therapy

Chicken Tacos

"Three ingredients and almost zero work" Exactly. These are way too good to be this easy. They are great to feed a crowd or to make and freeze for future meals.

The last time I made these, I had crunchy shells for the first time in years - and forgot how awesome they are! (But this chicken would be good wrapped in pretty much anything  :) They were also a hit with the kids we had over for dinner!

   

Freezer Favorites 

Annie's Eats

Cheesy Chicken "Benchiladas'

These aren't traditional enchiladas at all, but we think they're way better. Ranch dressing + Chicken + lots of cheese. What's not to love?! I'm not a huge fan of traditional enchilada sauce so this is a delicious alternative. 

As is, they're very mild (kids would probably love them) but I think the next time I make them, I'll add some green chilies for a little more 'kick'.

Taste of Home

 

Pepperoni Lasagna Roll-Ups

I got the idea for this recipe from a friend - and it gets a '10' for taste AND ease. Instead of making only 3 noodles like the recipe calls for I use whole box, quintupling the recipe. It's SO easy to freeze them and just pull out just what we need instead of having leftovers for a week! 

I just use shredded mozzarella cheese instead of swiss because it's what I usually have on hand. I also wait to add the spaghetti sauce until right before I bake the rolls.

Picky Palate

Chicken Wild Rice Casserole

This recipe is great because it makes a LOT of food. I freeze it in 4 separate containers because it's enough for 4 meals for us. It also worked out great to serve when we had visitors because there was so much of it! Also -the website it's listed on is called 'Picky Palate', so this is a great one for kids or picky eaters!

When I thawed this one out and baked it I thought it was a little dry, so I added an extra can of chicken broth before baking.

All Recipes

Stuffed Green Peppers

I usually double this recipe to freeze. If you have leftovers (we usually don't because I only pull out what we'll eat) they're great reheated, cut up and served on tortillas for a new twist on day 2!

I use ground turkey instead of beef and I use different types of tomatoes - sometimes fresh, sometimes diced in the can - they all cook down equally well.

Freezer Staples

 I like to have these things ready to go in the freezer to help throw together a meal in a hurry! 

Cooked Shredded Chicken 

I fill my crock pot up with chicken breasts (usually frozen) and let it cook on low all day. In the evening, I shred it up, bag it, and throw it in the freezer. It's much easier to pull out and add to a dish rather than taking the time to cook the chicken before each meal.

Chopped Fajita Veggies

When I find peppers and onions on sale at the farmers market or the grocery store, I stock up, wash and chop them, and freeze them in bags to pull out for an easy meal. All I have to do is throw a couple of pieces of chicken on the grill and lightly cook the veggies, and fajitas are ready to go! I even use these veggies if I'm making a pasta or something - they're really easy to just throw into anything!

Hamburger Patties

If we're grilling for just the two of us, we obviously don't need an entire pound of hamburger, so I buy a few pounds at a time when it's on sale, season and patty it and freeze. This way, all we have to do is pull out 2 patties to thaw instead of messing with a whole pound of meat every time.

Cookie Dough

We often get a craving for some cookies after dinner so instead of baking a whole batch at once, we just pull a few pre-made dough balls out of the freezer and bake them as we need (ok, WANT) them.

**An important tip to remember: when freezing single-serve items (the 'benchilladas', lasagna rolls, hamburger patties, cookie dough, etc. lay them out on a cookie sheet and put in the freezer for a few hours to harden them up. THEN put them in a freezer bag. This way, they're individually frozen and therefore easier to pull just a few out at a time (instead of them all freezing together in one big clump. Like most things, I learned this the hard way!)

Simple Organized Living

Delicious Baked Sandwiches

These sandwiches can't really be frozen or thrown in a crock pot, but they are so delicious I would be cheating you if I didn't share. (another Pinterest find!) They take a little more preparation but they are great because they are easy and can be made ahead of time. I usually make them when people come to visit because they're always a hit, but sometimes I just make a smaller batch for just Justin and I. (He wouldn't mind if I made them every day he loves them so much!) 
I skip the poppyseeds (because I never have any...) and cut down on the butter a bit.


There are many other meals that I have pinned on Pinterest that I haven't yet tried yet but I'm sure are equally as delicious - follow my 'Recipe' board for more ideas. If you haven't browsed Pinterest yet for new recipes, I HIGHLY recommend it - it's changed our life! :)  

Avery at 2 Months!

(Click pictures to see them larger)

Avery is already 2 months old! His weekly photo shoots have been so much fun and we love comparing these photos to the ones taken his first four weeks!

This month...
We went to Michigan City and introduced Avery to Lake Michigan,

Avery took in his first baseball game (dad's vintage baseball game in Frankfort!)

Avery sleeps 4-6 hour stretches every night (woo hoo!)

Avery has gotten to meet all of his grandparents (except Grandpa Richard!) 

Justin & I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary and we all spent the beautiful day enjoying Whyte Horse winery,

Avery has so much more personality and character - he smiles, coos, giggles, and wiggles so much more - and is getting so strong!

Avery went on his first bike ride with mom and dad! He slept through the whole thing!

Avery does take a pacifier every once in a while  (it comes in super handy in the car or at the store)


Avery LOVES:
bath time
eating
being able to lay flat on his back to punch and kick at the air
going to sleep when he's all balled up on daddy's chest 
music
his play mats
when mom and dad get in his face and do goofy things to make him smile
being in motion 
being swaddled and held tight

Avery is not so fond of:
Getting out of the bath
taking naps (he gets over-tired sometimes and fights sleep!)
being in the car seat for too long
the swing (I thought all babies loved swings?!)
having mom suck out his boogers
allowing mom and dad to have dinner together... at the same time
middle-of-the-night diaper changes
tummy time (it usually only lasts 10 minutes or so...)

The Top 10 Things That Helped Me Survive The First Month of Motherhood (and beyond!)

Avery is almost 7 weeks old and I've been doing a lot of counting my blessings and looking back on the first weeks of his life. In doing so, I realized there are so many things/people that helped me through this vital time that I had to share the 'Top 10'...
10. Lanolin
Breastfeeding has been wonderful, but has only become comfortable in the last couple of weeks. Before that, lanolin brought sweet relief from the often excruciating pain that accompanied every feeding. 
9. Gaucho Pants
My maternity clothes have become too big, my pre-pregnany clothes are still a bit too small.  Gaucho pants are a comfortable, COOL happy medium! :)

Avery at bedtime, all swaddled up
listening to his womb-sounds box

8. Swaddles 
During a meltdown, swaddling is often the only sure-thing that will calm him - and it is immediate! At night, we LOVE the type that velcro closed (not unlike a straight jacket...) because our little 'Houdini' can break his way out of the tightest blanket swaddle and wake himself up but with the velcro, he stays snug all night!
7. 'Slumber Bear' by Prince Lionheart 

Or, more importantly, the noisebox inside that makes womb sounds. We received this as a gift and started using it shortly after we were home from the hospital. Avery loves it and if he wakes himself up, the white noise will lull him back to sleep. (unless he's hungry of course... there's no delaying that!) He's already sleeping 5-6 hour stretches every night!
6. Music
When we want to sit down to eat or throw in a load of laundry or when Avery needs a break from us and his toys, we put him in his pack-and-play and turn on the music box that vibrates and he'll just entertain himself kicking and punching to the music for a few minutes to give us some hands-free time. Music calms him and gets him excited to dance all at the same time! (Singing works too - he doesn't even mind that his mommy is tone-deaf!)
5. Baby Sling

Avery snoozin' in the sling,
reminiscing about his
womb days!!

When all else fails to get Avery to sleep during the day, I strap him into the sling and walk around the house (or take a walk outside, if its cool enough!) and he's out in 5 minutes flat. It gives me a chance to do things around the house that require using TWO hands while Avery peacefully snoozes.
4. Frozen Meals
In the final days of my pregnancy, my nesting instinct turned to the kitchen and I prepared a bunch of meals to throw in the freezer for easy dinners once baby arrived. 6 weeks later, we're still enjoying them! It's so much easier to thaw out food, put it in a dish and bake it than to make it from scratch at the end of the day - I think I may make this a regular routine!
3. My Cell Phone
To help pass the many hours spent feeding Avery every day, my phone (and its internet capabilities) has been my trusty sidekick. From playing Wordfued to browsing Facebook and reading baby articles, my phone is exactly what I need most days to make hibernation in the house more tolerable.
2. Justin
What can I say... the guy is amazing! My wonderful husband has been so supportive, helpful and loving, I KNOW I wouldn't have survived the first few weeks without his calm, reassuring demeanor keeping me sane. He always seems to know when I need a few extra hours of sleep or pizza delivery for dinner and watching how awesome he is with Avery is one of the greatest joys of my life.
1. Mommy friends!
I've been blown away by how invaluable the mommies in my life have been since Avery has been born. Phone calls, Facebook messages, a million texts, dropping in with resources and encouragement; the many lovely -and experienced- ladies in my life have been my knights in shining armor and I'm convinced having them in my life is an ESSENTIAL part of motherhood and a simple THANK YOU doesn't quite seem to cover it. It really does take a village!

Here's a short video of Avery enjoying his 'downstairs' play mat (especially the parrot/toucan/bird!) It's so fun to see him becoming more aware and interactive, and his smiles melt his mommy's heart!

Avery at One Month!

Avery is already one month old! It's a surreal feeling having him here with us - it seems like he was born only yesterday, yet it's hard to imagine life without him! He's pretty much taken over our lives and we're loving every minute of it. (Even at 2 am :)

Here's some of the highlights of the last month:
Avery has grown considerably (probably due to all the quality feeding time he and I share... for most of the day!) It's so fun to see him becoming more and more aware of the world around him. His big eyes take in so much!

We started using cloth diapers during the day, and we've been loving them so far! (at least I have... daddy hasn't quite come around to the cloth diapering way of life yet) Avery has had a diaper rash that we've been battling for quite a while, so we've switched to cloth diapers and cloth wipes (along with plenty of diaper cream) and the changes seem to be helping!

We've had lots of visitors that have come to see Avery. We're so lucky to have such amazing family and friends that spoil Avery like crazy already!

Avery started smiling... on purpose! He especially loves his tummy time/play mat and playing on it in the mornings is his happiest time!

On the flip-side, Avery has gotten much LOUDER in the last couple of weeks - he's got a good set of lungs, that one! :) 

We got in a little photo shoot at my office when Janessa and Jenna came to visit - I'll be sharing them soon! (Thanks for all the help aunties!)

Since his umbilical cord fell off, Avery's been able to have tub baths in his infant tub with a hammock. He loves bath time!!
It's such a welcome change from the screaming days of sponge baths! (Please excuse the baby nudity... I couldn't resist!) 

Here's a video of Avery enjoying his first 'Jungle Safari' - he loves his play mat!! (and any type of music- He likes to 'dance' with his arms and legs!)

**FYI, the laughing child sound is NOT Avery, but his 'super-happy invisible friend' in the music box :)