Pressing On

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Avery goes to the Rodeo

February was filled with some fun events...We spent a Sunday in Dallas getting to see several great friends. We took Avery to the Fort Worth stock show and rodeo- this event is definitely for the true cowboy. Avery had a good time seeing all the animals- but we have to admit she might have been more mesmerized with the ceiling fans. We all took a trip out to Midland and Andrews with Zach over the week of Valentine's. On the 14th we had a romantic mexican dinner in Andrews with Avery and split a pint of Bluebell's Happy Tracks. (Have you tried this new flavor?...it is amazing!) Zach continues to be encouraged by the growth of the practice in Andrews as well as the growth and construction in Midland, making traveling weekly worth it. We're looking at making the move out to Midland, hopefully in the next 2-3 months. If we could just find a house! We've looked at several houses in Midland...the market there is crazy. Many houses sell the same day they come on the market...if they already haven't sold before they even come up on MLS. We're found ourselves discouraged by this several times and have to keep reminding each other that God knows we need a place to live and He'll provide.
Avery continues to be a joy. She's overall happy, smiley, vocalizing, playful...Nighttimes are still a struggle...we continue to try different things...I'll be sure to post when I find the "secret" (although I'm beginning to realize there probably isn't one.)

Here's what Avery's been up to this month:

Attempting to push up to hands and knees position ( the PT in me is sooo ready for her to crawl, however the housekeeper in me is soooo not ready...let the childproofing begin...)

Banging two toys together, one in each hand

Starting sitting in the shopping cart...this has made grocery shopping a fun new adventure

Babbling...lots and loudly

Took her first of many swings in the park swings

Favorite song: Six Little Ducks has nudged Turkey Tom out of the top spot

Favorite toys: Sophie, her rings, her piano...but really she is most entertained by things like empty plastic water bottles, shiny granola bar wrappers, anything paper....and her all-time favorite is the iphone, especially looking at photos of herself

Favorite game: dropping toys from her high chair and watching Zach and I pick them up

Her two bottom teeth are much more visible now

Happy 8 months!

Hanging out at her dad's office in Andrews, TX

Cowgirl Avery- at the Fort Worth Rodeo

Not so sure about the petting zoo at the rodeo

Rodeo girl

Sunday Fun day with Luke!

Attempting the sippy cup

Fun at the grocery store

Modeling the sweet smocked dress from her great Grandma Dot

Swinging

Bundled for a walk

Getting ready to go to the park

A photo of just Zach and me?..that's weird

Valentine's date with Zach to the park

Happy Valentine's Day!

Showing off her teeth

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Hello 2013

After having a lovely dinner with our friends, Jacob and Tara and their kind family, we rang in the New Year at home with a glass of champagne and then promptly went to bed- for a little bit. Apparently Avery was very excited about 2013 arriving and due to her excitement she just couldn't sleep. It was one of the most restless nights to date. Instead of it being a sign of things to come, I'm hoping it was her having one last hoorah at this sleeplessness bit, with her New Year's resolution to be a better night time sleeper....right Avery?!?
Though sleep might still be evading us, Avery has been a delight this month. It's been so fun to see more and more of her personality and her sweet disposition. Here are a few of the things she's been up to:

Sitting independently

Lots of pushing up to "upward dog" position

Laughing and smiling lots

Lots of verbalizations, increasing in VOLUME as well

Scooting around on her tummy

Eating solids- so far she's tried- bananas, sweet potatoes, peas, carrots, spinach, green beans, pears, avocado...she likes it all so far!

Introducing the high chair

Lots of grasping toys, and transferring from one hand to the other

Her favorite toys right now are her new ipod/phone cover with some fisher-price apps, her stacking cups, bucket of blocks and rings.

The biggest event of this January for us has been the closing on the sale of our home in San Antonio. Wow. Although it is bittersweet to saw goodbye to a house full of so many good memories, we are beyond thankful that the stressful ordeal has come to an end. Such an answer to many prayers!
We've been out and about in Fort Worth a little this month. We had a really nice brunch at Cafe Modern and then toured around the Modern Art Museum on a Sunday. It's such a beautiful building and display for interesting art. We continue to travel. Zach more than any of us. He's going out West every week now. The construction of the building continues. It has been exciting to see the progress, although not surprisingly the construction seems to be going slower than we had hoped. 2013 looks as though it will hold many new things God willing- a new home, a new practice, surely many new adventures. We confess it is not hard for us to become anxious about these things to come, and especially all their timing. But we continue to remind ourselves of the truth- that our God is a Good Shepard...and he goes before us (John 10:4)...even to West Texas :).

Upward Dog!

Forward facing in the Bob

Fun new ipod cover from Laura!

Good times in the new high chair

Wandering at the Modern Art Museum

Sitting!

More sitting!

Spinach beard

Miss Independent

So good to see my sweet friend Courtney and her cute twin boys in Abilene! It had been so long!

7 months!

Midland office construction

Monday, January 21, 2013

Christmas in Cowtown

We have a sweet family. For the past four years both Zach's mom and brother and my parents, brother and aunt have come to us to celebrate Christmas. This year we continued the tradition-everyone made the trip to Fort Worth. It was definitely a cozy Christmas mostly celebrated in our 2 bedroom apartment...with a snow falling outside. There weren't any pretty table centerpieces or elaborate menus. But we did have one sweet baby (who still isn't loving to leep at night...hence the lack of centerpieces and elaborate menus). Avery's first Christmas was a great one...and a white one! She received many fun presents...stacking cups, rings, a jumper, PJs, stuffed animals, clothes...and loved trying to unwrap the gifts. There were lots of hands that were happy to hold her and love on her. She was one happy girl...and I was a happy momma-thankful for the help!

I must confess...my excitement for Christmas wasn't in abundance this year. It seemed to come in the middle of a stressful time with Zach's practice, with trying to sell our house in San Antonio, with Avery not sleeping well...my heart wasn't in a celebratory state. I'm thankful for the words of our pastor in Fort Worth who right before Christmas reminded me why Christmas is so important...how it is in these stressful times that even more so we can celebrate Christmas. Because Christ came. To a sinful, broken world. That by belief in Him we are given life abundant. That doesn't mean that life in this world will be easy or great fun all the time. But it means we have hope. That ultimately Christ will be victorious. That He loves us and is working for our good. That ultimately we will be with Him in His glory forever. That is something to celebrate.

Here are a few of the things Avery has been up to this past month:

-Prop sitting

-Started some solids- she's a big fan of bananas!

-Pushing up to "upward dog" during tummy time

- Vocalizing more and more...and louder and louder!

-Loves her jumper (for all my PT friends- only for limited periods of time :)

-Bearing weight through her legs in standing

-Still loves her owl, sophie and antique silver rattle