Pressing On: October 2012

Our Avery turned three months last week! Just today I was looking at some photos and videos we took the week she was born- it's crazy to see how much she's grown and changed.

Here are a few things she's been up to this month:

- vocalizing more and more, adding different noises and sounds to her "vocabulary"

- laughing, intentionally, especially when her daddy makes funny faces

- holding her head up and looking around during tummy time

- the occasional roll from her tummy to back

- kicking lots during bath time

- batting toys on her activity mat

- lots of hands to her mouth activity

- holding her hands together

- sleeping average 6 hrs at night (although she recently took a week and a half hiatus...silly girl...must have thought she was a newborn again)

A few weeks ago we made a little day trip to Waco so Avery could meet her Great Grandma Anderson. Zach's grandma lives in San Diego so it was a treat to get to see her in Texas and have her meet Avery. I think you'll be able to tell by the photo below that Grandma Anderson had a good time too. :)

We also had a fun week with a visit from my mom, Avery's Grandmama- all the way from Iowa! We ran around Fort Worth a little- went to a few art museums and got started on some crafty projects for Avery's room. My mom taught me how to sew in something else besides a straight line...the doors this will open...

On the Fort Worth front, we've now found two favorite places. One is the Fort Worth botanical gardens. Such a lovely pocket of open grassy spaces, symmetric gardens, tall trees. A perfect spot for a great walk followed by a picnic. The other place is St. Stephan's Presbyterian church. It's just up the street from our apartment on a hill top. There's a perfect perch with tree cover and a bench at the top of the hill with a view of downtown Fort Worth and more. The church is really a beautiful building, an Old English style of sorts. Zach captured it well by saying it's the kind of place you could imagine C.S. Lewis walking around the corner at any moment. As far as the foodie in me, we ate a local cafe and bakery called McKinley's right before we took my mom to the airport, and it was yummy. Great sandwiches, creative salads, and any kind of delicious baked goodness you could want...pies, cakes, cookies, brownies of all kind. My kind of place.

Zach continues to work out West every other week or so. The practice there continues to progress, slowly but surely. He continues to be excited about the opportunity and potential out there. When he heads out west for work, Avery and I continue to ride along with him- at least until the halfway point and spend a few good days with Avery's gammy, Uncle Bailey and Bear and Luna.

So that's the latest. With the recent change to some cooler temperatures we're looking forward to some fall adventures ahead...