Big Dog, Small Space

I started back to work today, helping my brother out with his newest business venture. It's definitely a lot to learn, but I think it's going to be a great experience and I am very lucky to have an opportunity like this. Avery will be staying with her Gigi on the days that Jim and I both work, which is a huge help for us and everyone seems to benefit, a definite plus there too! On the days that Jim is off, however, he gets to play Mr. Mom. I must say, deep down I am really scared to think about what I will be coming home to, although it can be no worse than what met me this afternoon!

I got off work at 5:00, drove to my mom's house to pick up Avery and home we went. Since I left first this morning Jim was in charge of making sure things were picked up and that Jack was put in his room, aka the bathroom. For some reason, I suppose, he decided to give Jack a change of scenery this morning and move him from our big bathroom to the smaller hall bath. He put up the baby gate and off to work he went. Well, apparently this was NOT ok with someone else. I don't know if it was the fact that he didn't get a vote, or that he just didn't have prior notice enough to mentally prepare for this change. Anyhow, this is the scene that was waiting for me as I turned the corner. I left him like this until Jim came home about 5 minutes later. Looks like he will be back in the master bathroom tomorrow with a sturdier baby gate!

As you can see he destroyed every bit of plastic he could get his teeth into (notice the shreds on the floor behind him). I guess we will be buying new baby gates this week!

Today's Lesson: To ensure the proper holding space for an animal, with minimal structural damage the simple formula is: Multiply the animal's weight by 50. That number is the MINIMUM square footage an animal should be left in unattended!

Summer Fun

Yesterday Avery and I went to visit a very good friend of mine, Jaime, at the condo her family rented for the week at St.Augustine Beach. Avery had so much fun playing in the sand and waves. Unfortunately, we have no pictures of her fun in the sun! I am a bad bad mommy and forgot my good camera in the condo and when I grabbed the other from the diaper bag, wouldn't you know, the battery was dead! It started getting dark and stormy so we went back inside for a little while to play. Hunter, Jaime's 15 month old little boy, and Avery had such a good time playing with each other. They jabbered back and forth, although Hunter was more understandable; Avery even got some sweet kisses from Hunter (but don't tell her daddy). When we finally got in the car to go home she fell asleep before we even got out of the condo complex! She played so hard and was completely wiped-out!

Hunter getting fresh with Avery

Playing with shoes

It was a good thing she got a good nap though, because we had a very busy night as well! After we got home and changed, we jumped back in the car and headed to my parents' house for a yummy dinner with the whole family. Avery and Caden did some more swimming and playing. While the rest of us snacked on bread and the absolute best Greek olive oil I have ever had! Seriously...YUM! In grand tradition of family get-togethers there were several hold onto your sides laughing moments; one involving distinguishing a real cuckoo from my dad, another having to do with a previously unnoticed crack about a miniature whale. Good times, indeed, as always!

Got your nose Cay Cay!

Cheese!

Come on Everybody! Let's Sweat!!!

So this morning, during Avery's nap I decided to stop thinking about working out and actually do it! So I joined my long lost friend, who was adorned in his best candy cane striped hooters shorts, white high top sneakers and red tank top; hair perfectly coiffed and smile beaming. You guessed it! My old pal Richard Simmons! And let me tell you...he kicked my butt! It was good times though; me, jumping around the family room flailing my arms and kicking my legs like a marionette controlled by a drunken puppet master!

If you want to enjoy some top entertainment the next show will be tomorrow at 11am. Tickets will be sold at the door. No video cameras or flash photography, please. Refreshments will be available for a nominal fee.

Parenting Lesson #263

Never leave dog bowls on the floor!

Today when I was cleaning Avery's highchair out from her wonderful morning mess of waffles and applesauce, she was busy crawling around the kitchen, looking for treasures,terrorizing Jack, and other fun games that babies like to play. She crawled over to Jack's bowls, I assumed to play in his water bowl (also a fun pastime). When I turned around to get her and remove her from said "bowl of big wet fun" I noticed she was drooling...a LOT..big puddles of yellow drool. My first instinct was to check her mouth so I did and fished out a piece of dog food! YUCK! I put her back down and noticed she was STILL drooling like a starving dog with a steak in front of his nose. I checked her mouth again, and actually stuck my finger along her gum line next to her cheek. Low and behold, what did I find? 2 more pieces of dog food stuffed in her cheeks like a little chipmunk! Apparently it was very good, since she was not happy with me for removing her findings from her new special hiding place!

8 months!

Wow! I can't believe it's been 8 months already since we welcomed Avery into this great big world! She changes so much and learns so many new things each month that it's amazing to just sit and watch her.
This month she really mastered crawling even though she's been rocking the army crawl for quite some time. She's really picked up speed too.
She has also started pulling up on anything that will hold still for any amount of time; including, but not limited to: the bed, the sofa, the chair, and Jack.
She's slowly increasing her vocabulary to "ga" and "ba" and "neeeee" as well as other high-pitched gurgling.
She also managed to sprout 2 teeth! The first one erupted 4th of July weekend and the 2nd not too long after! She was a champ through it. I never even realized they were coming up until they were there!

Sharing is Caring!

I am sure in this case Jim wishes that I had kept it to myself! Somehow or another I ended up with a cold (how you can catch a cold without ever leaving the house is beyond me). Avery caught it, poor thing! I feel so bad for her since we can't give her anything to help but a humidifier and an inclined mattress! Well, she decided to be so sweet and share it with her daddy! It's a joyous time in our home with all of us snorting, sniffing, hacking and, my personal favorite, dripping (although the last is mostly describing Avery, who has developed an intense hatred of the booger-sucker and all things remotely shaped like it). Let's hope there is a cure for the common cold in the works, but until then I will continue to sing the glorious praises of the makers of Zicam, Sudafed and NyQuil! Thank you, thank you, and thank you!

On a not so snotty note, we met Frances and Jimmy for dinner at Outback on Friday night. Can you say "Yummy!" It was so good. We haven't been since before Avery was born, which is crazy to me, since it was on the weekly dinner rotation for quite some time prior to her arrival! Everyone was well entertained by our little bread eating machine. I know she enjoyed her time with her grandparents as much as they enjoyed their time with her! She got her first taste of a lemon, unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me. Her face was priceless, even for though it barely touched her tongue.

Rockin' & Rollin'

...in the most literal sense! Avery is a bouncer and a rocker. Those who have tried to hold her know this first hand; if you don't have a strong grip she'll get away from you quick!

Every time I put her in her highchair she rocks. Most of the time she rocks so hard that her highchair actually rolls across the floor if the wheel locks aren't on! I finally managed to catch her on camera today doing what she loves best! Rocking!