Avery's 6 month pictures

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Easter Pictures

Avery is almost 6 months!

So I have been threatened within an inch of my life to update this blog! Things have been very busy around here lately. Avery, Nathan and I have been spending more time trying to visit some of our shut-ins at church and getting to know more people that we worship with. It's amazing how much fun it is! I have also been baking like a fiend. I got a Betty Crocker 70 recipe book in my email and I have been finding any excuse to bake! I'm turning into a regular suzy homemaker!
Check out my gorgeous new flowers! These are courtesy of my wonderful in-laws...just a little gesture to support me in my new venture starting next week. Friday was my last day at the Center. It has been a good 3 1/2 years there and I have learned so much. It was much harder than I anticipated to leave, but things ended very positively. I start with some orientation things next week at St. Joe and we have lots of appointments going on. Then the following week, I start at St. Joe and Windsor. I'm excited and nervous, but really looking forward to spending more time at home with my beautiful Avery.
Look at my sweet girl! Thursday it was 80 degrees out so Avery and I went down to Highland Park and found some swings. She loved it! She just laughed and laughed. We might have stayed out longer, but neither of us had sunscreen on. I can't believe that we needed it! Last weekend, we were still wearing sweatshirts!
Avery is all smiles now. She laughs and smiles all the time! Friday night, her cousins had her laughing constantly. She really finds kids funny, especially her cousins. She also really likes being outdoors. We've been finding every opportunity in good weather to get out and about. She is also enjoying being out for strolls around the neighborhood in her jogging stroller. One of these days, I'm actually going to jog with her in it!
I guess the big deal now is she is sitting up all by herself. She mastered it so quickly! We had kind of been working on it, but then she decided to go for it. She went from being able to sit about 5 minutes to being able to sit and play and reach for toys at her leisure. She sits in highchairs now in restaurants, and in shopping carts in the stores. She likes the view much better!
I got her a little Baby Einstein piano that plays classical music and talks in 3 different languages. It is one of her favorite toys and she is quickly learning how to push the keys to make it work. I hope she follows her momma's footsteps and plays the piano!
My little barefoot baby in her bibs... Nate wants to make sure she stays in touch with her southern roots.
We're moving right along with foods and she is eating stage 2 foods now. This is her prune face, but we probably won't be feeding her prunes anymore because they kind of stir up her little digestive system too much. She liked them though.
This is yucky green bean face. Believe it or not, she actually really likes green beans (and peas too). The only thing she isn't enjoying right now is her rice cereal, but we are going to try oats next week. We finally bought her a highchair tonight because she is starting to figure out how to get out of the Bumbo. That has been so handy though.

Well, I have to go change over the laundry, but I am going to try to post some Easter pictures later this week. Have a great holiday and a blessed week!

Back from Nashville

Avery had her first road trip to Nashville this past week. We drove partway to Louisville, KY and stayed the night. We got up and took our time getting ready. We even got to go for a dip in the indoor pool...Avery's first time! We had it all to ourselves. She is going to be my little waterbug!
So we made the rest of the trip down to Nashville. This is a picture of the championship game of the Mississippi State Bulldogs and Kentucky Wildcats. It was the most intense game I've ever been to! State lost by 1 point (75-74) in overtime. It was wild (and loud!)!
Our hotel was a mile away from the arena and we had to do a lot of walking and taking cabs. It was a major experience for Avery. The weather was pretty nice, a little cool and drizzly some days, but we were really lucky to be able to be out. We have cabin fever. Hello spring!
Avery got to spend time with her Gram and Pops, her great aunt and uncle, and several cousins on the Seago side. We had a really good time with everyone...it is always so great to catch up with family we may not see often.
Showing off our Bulldog pride...
Can't you tell Avery just loved the games? (Check out our seats....awesome!)
Avery got decked out in her "Baby Bulldog" gear...
One big Bulldog family! We had a great time and Avery did pretty well, although the time changing multiple times while we were there has done a number on her schedule. We have a lot of acclimating to do this week!

Hope everyone has a blessed week.

5 blessed months!

Look how big our little stinker is getting! She is probably crossed the 15 pound mark by now. She is going to be 5 months on the 5th, the same day that Nathan's dad, Calvin, turns 70! Happy birthday Pops! We are getting ready for our road trip to Nashville for some SEC basketball!
Avery got to play with older cousin Ethan while mommy and daddy got to play some euchre. It's so great to get to see them grow up together! It seems like we've been so busy and all have been sick so it was nice to visit the land of the living.
My blue eyed girl. Would you believe that people follow us around in stores and restaurants, just to get a peek at Avery? It's flattering, but also very annoying when you've got a squirming baby with poo everywhere and people are trying to check her out! The other night we were out to eat with my parents and some family friends when Avery decided to "go number two." She was sitting in her Bumbo, so it squished out everywhere, on the tablecloth, on my lap, on her clothes...everywhere! So much fun!
She loves to play and goof around with daddy. She just adores him! It's so cute to just watch her stare. Something new and fun.... now if I hold out my arms and say "Come to mommy", she will hold out her arms and lean towards me! She loves her momma!
Bananas...
Sweet potatoes...
and carrots...oh my!

We've started some more solid foods and so far, she loves everything! We should be ready for green veggies next week though, so we'll see how it goes. She knows now when she sits in her bumbo and gets a bib and sees the spoon, what's coming. She also likes to help, as you can see in the last picture.

Avery has also started rolling back to front in the last couple days...which she really seems to like a lot more than front to back. It's not nearly as scary to her. She has been sleeping in her big girl bed every night now, although her waking varies from night to night. Naps are a different story...she hasn't seemed to make the connection to be in her bed during the day yet. Oh well, they are only small for a little while though so I don't mind holding her too much. Baby steps! That's what I keep telling myself.

Anyway, it's time for the little one to eat and get ready for bed. I'll be posting basketball pictures soon!

Mom Rant

I am plain exhausted. EXHAUSTED. I have spent the better part of the day with a very fussy baby. I'm sure she isn't feeling well still, but finally today she is sounding better. We seemed to have made some serious progress with her sleeping and eating in the past two weeks and all the sudden, the last two days we have taken some big steps in the backward direction. I am emotionally and physically drained. It almost feels like when we first brought her home from the hospital...the type of exhaustion I feel. Up over and over in the night, constant nursing, crying every time I put her down and just bursting into tears for no apparent reason (both of us). I am sure this will pass and things will get back to "normal" and we will continue to make progress. I really hope I can just chalk all this up to her being sick this week.

Today I have been pooped on, peed on, puked on, screamed at, hit, clawed, and kicked. And then I have been smiled at and I wonder why in the world something so precious can be such a bear. For some reason, it seems as if she behaves differently with me than anyone else. She will have two or three good naps for my mom or Nathan, but doesn't want to sleep for me...especially without nursing to sleep. It's so frustrating and I wonder if I've started some bad habits with her that are going to be hard to break. I was really hoping that she would consistently be in her own bed by the time we go to Nashville in a few weeks, but I'm not sure if that will be realistic or not.

I am so ready to lose this baby belly, but in order to do that, my baby has to actually let me put her down so I can exercise or make a good meal!

OK, I am done. Whew! Nathan took her so that I could take a long shower and paint my toenails. It's amazing what a little red nail polish can do. Let's pray for a good night's sleep tonight!

Milestones!

A Valentine's photo of the Seago family. My, how things have changed since last year! Nathan and I went to the Cirque du Soleil show "Alegria" for our birthdays/Valentine's. It was great! We enjoyed getting to spend a little time with just the two of us.

I guess it has been made public now so I have some news... I am going to be changing jobs and working closer to home. I am going to be working less days, not commuting (the facility is less than 1/2 mile away) and getting to spend more time at home with Avery. I never realized how life changing it would be to have a baby and that I would want to stay home so much. I do love my profession and still enjoy what I do though. It was also a tough decision to leave where I am currently, as I feel loyalty there and enjoy my coworkers and patients, but we ultimately decided this was best for our long term goals as a family. Please pray for us, especially me, as I embark on this new venture.
In other news, Avery is now sleeping in her own bed! We were so prepared for her to cry it out, but it was about 5 minutes and then silence! She does wake somewhat frequently, but goes back to sleep fairly easily and then wakes once for a feeding. She sleeps from about 10pm-7:30am. We are still pretty tired because we are sleeping lighter, waiting for crying, but I'm sure that will improve. Right now, she has a cold so that is no fun either. Runny nose and nasty cough...yuck!
Aunt Shelly got Avery an exersaucer because the doctor said she needs to stand and play more on her own. Happy early birthday and Christmas present that is going to be really handy in the coming days!
Avery is also now experiencing some rice cereal. We've given her about 1-2 tablespoons at night and she really likes it. She was showing signs of being ready so we went ahead. We will probably start stage 1 foods in another 2 weeks or so. She will love it!
We were bummed about the Colts' Superbowl loss, but Avery looked super cute supporting them!
Anyway, as you can tell, there's a lot going on in the Seago household....lots of positive things! We are looking forward to a trip to Nashville in a few weeks and Nathan's dad's BIG 7-0! Have a blessed week!