3 Months...

It's the 24th, so somebody is three months old today!

We decided to commemorate this day by trying out the Bumbo Seat for the first time.  Think she likes it?


Bumbo Seat from Beth Bruce on Vimeo.

Avery, I was thinking last night about how quickly you are growing and it makes me a little sad!  You're probably about twice the size you were when you were born, and I can't believe how fast it's gone by.

However, I am so excited for all of the things that you are doing and for all the happiness you bring to me every day that I get to spend with you!

You are grabbing onto things now!  You will grab onto your rattle and yesterday, you were shaking it and laughing while you did it!  I have to get it on video because it is just so cute.  And I am so proud of you!  You are changing every day and I just can't believe it!

You are happy pretty much all the time.  You are full of smiles and laughter is becoming a regular occurrence, too!  You love to play on your activity mat and just kick your legs, wave your arms, and grab onto your hanging toys.

We love you so much and we are so thankful for you!

Wrapped Around My Finger...

I am working on getting Baby Girl to take her daytime naps in her crib.  She'll nap for about 30 minutes and then is wide awake, but really just wants me to hold her while she sleeps.  Although I sometimes do just hold her, since I am treasuring these few days when she is still small, my back is not happy with me, and Baby Girl needs to learn to sleep in her bed during the day.


Waking with a Smile from Beth Bruce on Vimeo.

In this video, you can see why it is so hard for me to give her back her paci and just walk out of the room!

And please excuse my unmentionables hanging from the doorknob...sheesh, so embarrassing!  Ha!

How to Lose the Baby Weight...

Just do what Avery does whenever we turn her mobile on!

Kicking to the Mobile from Beth Bruce on Vimeo.

I love how at the end, she lays so still and stares at her daddy because she noticed he was standing next to the crib.

A Day at Home...

When we have days when we get to stay home all day, we get to do things, like practice grabbing things.

And watching the singing bear that hangs up above...

And I get to dress Avery in mismatching clothes that I think are so cute.

Onesies...

That say cute things...

Homemade booties...

with Baby Legs legwarmers...

Love those chunky legs!

Forehead to Forehead...

I try not to be vain, so I'm going to go ahead and post this picture.

I think Avery must be going through a growth spurt because for the past couple of nights, she has been waking up every three hours to eat.  And, it's killing me.

But the other morning, after I fed her, I brought her back to bed with me and put her in the Boppy so that I wouldn't roll over on her or anything.

Huzz came upstairs and found this scene and took a picture of it to document it for all time.

I'm just kidding.  Although it's not a flattering picture of me, it is pretty dang cute.  We slept like that for a couple of hours!

143 Million...Minus One

My friend Becky and her husband, Mark, are going through the process of adopting a baby boy from Ethiopia.  Since this is a very costly process, they are selling reusable grocery bags to help raise money.

Go here to read all about it, and if you feel led to, please purchase some bags to help them out.

She is also having a giveaway for the bags, if you want to enter that.  Go here to see what to do!

Belly Laughs...

Little Girl is learning to like tummy time more and more.  Especially when it's on her Boppy pillow ~ it's much more tolerable.

Yesterday, when I put her on her Boppy, she immediately started laughing.

I mean, we are talking from the belly laughing!  I grabbed my camera that was on the coffee table and tried to get some good shots.

And I did get some.  My video camera was in the camera bag, though, and she was done with the adorable laughing by the time I got it out, of course!

So today, I tried to replay the scenario exactly the way I did it yesterday, but I had the video camera ready this time.  Even though she didn't have any belly laughs, the video is pretty cute.

And at about 1:49, she lets out a healthy burp.  Ha!


Laugh Attempts from Beth Bruce on Vimeo.

Please excuse my obnoxious voice throughout the whole thing.  I think I must've said "hi" a billion times...

I realize that this video will probably be mostly enjoyed by Avery's grandparents, and maybe her great-grandparents will like it, too.

Avery is bringing so much joy and smiles into our family now.  I love this little girl so much!

Gevalia Coffee...

Gevalia is having their promotion: 3 half pound bags of coffee, plus a travel mug for 3 bucks.  Seriously.  No shipping, that's it!  Obviously, I spent $3 today.
Click here

* Edited to add*  This enrolls you in their automatic sending program, but you do not have to do it.  When you get your $3 of coffee, just call the number on your receipt and cancel your "membership."

Avery's First Valentine's Day...

Happy Valentine's Day, Avery!

What?  It's Valentine's Day?  I had no idea!

Well, in that case, I love you, Mommy and Daddy!

And now, I'm going to go back to chewing on my hand.

My dear little Avery,

I've never been a big celebrator of Valentine's Day in my life.  And then, I married your daddy.

*photo courtesy of Brad Walters Photo

And when that happened, I realized that the love that your daddy and I have for each other is different than any love I have experienced before.

And then, you came along!

And once again, I found out that there was another kind of love that I had never experienced before.

You and your daddy have taken my heart.

I love you both so much and I am so blessed that I get to spend the rest of my life with you!

$2 Restaurant Gift Certificates...

I had read on a couple of different blogs about the promotion going on at restaurant.com only until Valentine's Day. 

You can get $25 gift certificates for only....$2.  That's TWO BUCKS, folks.

Just use the promo code HEART when you check out! 

We bought $100 worth for only $8 to a fave restaurant near us, Washington Park Grill.  Yum!

And, you're welcome.

Read This...

I just finished this book last night and it has made it into one of my top reads.  I highly recommend it!

I am working my way through all the books that I got for Christmas.  Next book that I'll start tonight:

Avery Action...

We've been taking some video, just with my old point and shoot camera, so the quality isn't amazing, but it'll do.  This first video is of my mom singing to Avery.

Untitled from Beth Bruce on Vimeo.

The next video is of Avery when she first wakes up in the morning.  She is on the changing table, which is her favorite place to be.  She just kicks her legs and talks away when she's on there!

Untitled from Beth Bruce on Vimeo.

And last night was bath night, so we took some videos of that.  The first one is just before getting into the bath.  Just before Huzz hit record on the camera, she laughed when I asked her if she was ready for her bath.  But, I couldn't get her to laugh again.  The second video shows how much she likes to kick her legs in the water.  And the third video shows how ticked off she gets when you take her out of the water!  I don't think it's because she's cold, but because she just loves the water.

Untitled from Beth Bruce on Vimeo.

Untitled from Beth Bruce on Vimeo.

Untitled from Beth Bruce on Vimeo.

The Last Week or So...

Saturday:

Bompa makes me smile

Sunday: All dressed and ready for church, in my only dress!

Monday: Reading with Daddy

Tuesday: Snuggling with Mommy

Tuesday night: More snuggling with Mommy - it's my favorite!

Wednesday: In my cupcake jogging suit that my Auntie Alexis sent me.  My cousin, Hannah wore it when she was my size!

Thursday: Just swinging...and filling my diaper.  I basically sounded like a helicopter and made Mommy and Daddy laugh really loud.  I stayed serious because I'm not sure what was so funny!

Last night, I set a personal record and slept almost EIGHT HOURS!

When I finally woke up, I was hungry and ticked my Mommy didn't wake me up to feed me!

Baby Shoes...

Avery (I) wants these.

And these.

She (I) is a sucker for brown and pink.

And Avery (I) would like these.

But, SOMEBODY doesn't work and have a job and doesn't have $30-$40 to spend on adorable baby shoes like these.