Our Christmas Break

Happy New Years Eve! I can't believe how fast this year went by, and how quickly this break is flying by as well. Only a few more days off... 

Here's a link to my flipagram slideshow of our 2014 highlights. http://flipagram.com/f/OJsdMET35h

As you can guess, we've been busy bees this holiday season and there's never enough time to get it all done. It's really hit me that this is pretty much the last break that it'll be just Avery and me. We will have spring break, but that's going to be more about prepping for baby. Then she'll be a big sister before summer vaca!  So exciting!!

We started off our break with Avery and I both getting colds for a few days, which was not fun, but it was nice getting some snuggle and movie time in. 

This year we had an elf come to our house to keep an eye on Avery and report to Santa each night. I was afraid she wouldn't get it this year, but she totally did and was way excited to find where Twinkle would be each morning. It worked like a charm to say "Uh oh, Twinkle, did you see that?" when Avery would be throwing a fit or not listening to us. I may or may not have cried when it was time for Santa to take Twinkle back to the North Pole with him on Christmas Eve. We had too much fun with him. 

She had to hug our blow up Mickey and "snowman that's not Olaf" every day! 

At the Lewisville Christmas parade where Daddy helped drive Cheyenne's Girl Scout troupe. 

I've been majorly slacking on taking pictures during our Christmas activities, but we have gone out to look at lights several times, which has been SO MUCH FUN! Avery's excitement is just too dang cute. 

Enjoying candy canes from Santa at a friend's Christmas party

We also went back to the Gaylord for the ICE! Exhibit this year,which was a bit of a disaster, but it was worth it to see her reaction to a Frosty themed wonderland made of ice. We went on a Friday night, because it was a "non-peak" day, but it was crowded as all get out. You buy your tickets in advance, in 30 min time slots. They were sold out of everything before 9, but with my experience it takes only a few minutes to walk through, so we got the 9 o'clock tickets thinking it wouldn't hurt to let Ave stay up a little late anyway. Well, we got to the hotel at 8, thinking we could grab dinner before. Nope. All the restaurants were so crowded and had long waits, so we thought we wouldn't have time. So we settled for a bag of $12  trail mix and some Gatorade on a bench while we waited for our time slot. Then it was time to line up, where we waited over an hour to get in for the 10 minute exhibit. Avery was such a trooper through it all, that it was bearable, but Jon and I were less than thrilled. Next year we've already decided that we will go during the day on a weekday! 

I also took Avery to the Trains at Northpark this year with Alex and Delaney, and she was in complete awe. It was really neat and she loved it so much! We will definitely go back! 

We also went to Christmas Eve candlelight church service, where Avery goes to preschool, and it was a fun a beautiful event which I hope to make a new tradition out of. Jon couldn't get off work in time but Ave loved going with her cousins and seeing some of her school friends. We then came home and got ready for Santa, and we went ahead and let Avery open her presents from us, since she would likely be overwhelmed the next day. 

Christmas morning, we had to wake Miss Sleepyhead up (which she usually hates) but she didn't mind because she was so excited to see that Santa had come. He brought exactly what she asked for, a new baby, which she named Sarah, and dinosaurs, along with some play doh, stuffed Elmo and some accessories for Sarah. Santa also brought Jonah a Mamaroo baby swing which I am so excited about! I will say Santa did good, because Sarah and her car seat seem to be the favorite! 

We had 4 Christmases this year, between our own at home, my parents, Jon's family and my grandparents house. Avery was so completely spoiled but also so grateful that it was just the sweetest! Some of her favorites gifts have been Disney play doh kits, play food, her Hello Kitty CD player for her room, a hairdresser kit and doctor kit. 

While at my grandparent's farm in Oklahoma we got some snow which was so much fun. It was gone by afternoon but it was enough for some snowball fights. 

We had to all three share a bed at my grandma's because preggo brain here forgot the playpen, along with other things, and during our pillow talk Avery said, "I so excited it's Christmastime. I hope I get some bears. I love bears! What you want for Christmas, Daddy? Some new hats?" And we all just cracked up laughing. She always gives him a hard time about always wearing a hat and when he doesn't have one on, she will highly suggest it to him. And when anyone else wears a hat they are "just like Dad!" It amazes us even more that she could string all those sentences together for that conversation! 

I'm so sad that all the excitement and festivities of Christmas are over. This year was the most magical, with seeing the excitement in Avery's eyes, and seeing her truly understand Santa and get over her fear of him. I have a feeling next year will be even better with 2 kiddos though. 

In Jonah updates I am 22 weeks now! I feel him moving all the time now and Daddy can feel him too! It's the best feeling. I officially have an outie again and am pretty much in maternity pants or leggings at all times. The heartburn is becoming more constant, but the backache/hip pain that was so bad a few weeks ago has eased up for now. Probably because I haven't been on my feet in uncomfortable shoes all day for the past week and a half. We have barely started on cleaning out the office/drumroom to become his nursery but we have lots of ideas for decorating! The countdown is on...just 4 more months until we meet our little guy!!

Messy bathroom selfie :)

Avery update

I realize I never wrote about our Thanksgiving and Christmas is only 4 days away but we've been incredibly busy the last few weeks! I wrote about Avery's birthdaybut never did a milestone post, so two months later here it is!

At 2 years Avery is speaking so clearly and in complete sentences. She not only repeats and remembers everything but she forms her own opinions and even tries to tell jokes. She tells us stories from her day and has excellent recall of events usually, too.She speaks in funny voices and sings all the time. Being around her is so much fun! 

Right now she's about 80% potty trained. She only wears a pull up for nap and bed, but hasn't quite got the hang of the timing with #2 though. She does pretty good at staying dry in big girl panties during the day but still needs reminders to go every hour or else will usually have an accident instead of telling us she needs to go. She also needs help with pulling her pants up and down and getting on and off the big potty. So, that's a work in progress but she does pretty well and makes me so proud! 

She can indentify her letters and numbers most of the time, and does well with colors and shapes too! She can count to 10 but typically skips 6.  She loves reading books,doing puzzles, flash cards and watching TV, to which I attribute all of this knowledge, along with having an amazing memory. 

Some of her favorite things right now are

baby dolls, her play kitchen she got for her birthday, her dollhouse, stuffed animals, playing dress up, play doh, helping mommy cook, playing trucks or drums with daddy, making Abby play fetch, being outside for bubbles and chalk, the park, iPad, painting, instruments, watching movies, going to "school" and playing with her cousins. 

Her favorite foods are Mac and cheese,  chicken nuggets and pizza...the toddler staples. She loves ordering for herself at restaurants too and it's so cute! She also has a major sweet tooth (imagine that!) and is constantly trying to sneak cookies and candy. She loves fruit and cheese just like mommy does too. 

Her favorite movie, like all little girls right now is Frozen and her favorite character is Olaf. She knows almost all the words to Let it Go, and even holds the long notes. She sings almost all the kid songs that I know and also loves All About That Bass and Shake It Off. Now that it's Christmastime her favorite is Jingle Bell Rock though!

So Avery has become quite hysterical and I want to document the funny stuff she says and does. 

She asked Jon to make her something specific (I can't remember) to eat then took like 2 bites and wouldn't touch the rest. He said "you are being a wasteful child." She responded with, "Well this child must eat!" 

In the car she's a great backseat driver. She makes sure we know we either have green or red lights and we can go or stop. She also says things like "c'mon dude!" Or "get out the way, car!" And when we are in traffic she says "too many cars, mama!" 

The other day she just randomly told me "You are the best Mama ever in the world!" That was the best. 

She is starting to notice everything, like if I don't have my "Avery" necklace on that day  she will ask where it is, or when I get a new zit, she'll tell me "You have more boo boos on your face, Mama"

She also likes to say "either" all the time and in the completely wrong contexts. Like "I wear pants either!" When she is mad that she can't pull up her pants, or "you want cookies either?" When asking me if I want a cookie. 

She called Jon's no shave November beard a "rash" on his face and when he shaved it she told him "daddy has a baby face" every time she saw him for a solid week. 

She tells me she's so proud of me when I go potty and even reminds me "you're so lucky you're my Mama" because she hears me say those things to her all the time. 

She has also noticed that we call her Jon Junior when she loses her temper over small things, and has said "I Jon Junior" when she wears his hat, because he always wears one. He has an adorable video of her doing this. 

She asked me the other day while hugging my belly if Jonah was her friend, and when I responded "of course" she said "he's our best friend, okay?" It doesn't matter that everyone is her best friend, that was super sweet!

Tonight she was speaking jibberish and I asked her what "fafafa" meant. She told me "fafa means one. Nahnah means number 2" I had just been teaching her about how pee is number one and poop is number 2. Haha!

The other night at dinner she told me she has lice in her hair...she doesn't and never has. Then immediately told me I have a fat arm and started calling people around us fat. I'm not sure where she gets this stuff. It's funny but also concerning since I am very careful about having a positive body image around her. It just shows me even more how observant she is and how she is literally learning every second. She is constantly asking what everything is, and now what words say. 

We absolutely love life with this little girl and watching her grow and change each day. We can't wait to see her become a big sister in a few months! 

It's a...

BOY!! 

We had so much fun at our gender reveal  party last weekend!! We were pretty split as to what we were guessing baby would be. Jon was swearing since before I was pregnant that we would have a boy next, but boys are pretty rare in my family so I had just been picturing a little sister for Avery! My pregnancy so far has been almost exactly the same as the first time which was the biggest thing sending me girl vibes. 

Last Friday we went to Storkvision in Frisco, a place where you can get optional ultrasounds to find out the sex a few weeks earlier than they offer at the doctor and 3D ultrasounds later on. We told the tech that we wanted to be surprised for our party and she was awesome! She made us close our eyes while scanning the tushy so we wouldn't even guess. Then she called Moncia, our lovely cake lady and told her the gender over the phone instead of us having to give her a secret envelope. Then she mailed us the money shot photo this week after the party. So at the party we found out with everyone else, when we cut the cake and saw blue candy spill out everywhere! It was such an awesome moment!! Finding out the gender of your baby is one of life's best surprises, so finding out with all of our family and friends was truly special! All morning it felt like Christmas! I'm so thankful for Jamie throwing such a cute party for us. 

          Aunt Kera got to Skype in!! So fun

Everyone kept asking which sex we were hoping for and honestly we wanted either  equally. I wanted another girl so I could so all of Avery's most precious outfits all over again. And there's also just something special about the bond between sisters. Then again, sisters fight about those adorable outfits and have drama like no other when they get older. If it is a girl I'd also have to stop telling Avery that she's my favorite girl in the world. 

We wanted a boy because we don't have a boy! I want a little lovie to be Momma's boy, and Daddy's buddy. Just like Avery is my mini me and Daddy's snuggle buddy. Plus when they're older they hopefully won't have as much competition and drama as two girls would. Even though he will be younger he can still look out for her in the high school years too. Plus now it's just one wedding we'll be paying for. Ha! The benefits are endless. 

It's a good thing we went gender neutral with the big ticket items when Avery was born, so we really won't need too much besides clothes and diapers! I'm so excited now to get started on the nursery. We are going to get all the baby stuff out of the attic this weekend when we get the Christmas stuff out. We have a lot of work to do though. 

We are seriously so blessed! I'm 16 weeks now and feeling great! I'm finally getting my energy back. I'm enjoying this break between the 1st trimester nausea and the nonstop heartburn that's right around the corner to enjoy eating what I want. The heartburn has already popped up a few times but isn't severe yet. I am having some aches and pains in my belly but they are over pretty quickly. I am also feeling baby boy flutters at least once a day or so now, too! I'm looking forward to feeling him more and more. 

I'm so grateful to have this week off to spend with my growing girl!! We have both been needing some time together and she's had some serious meltdowns in the last week or so, and the only cure is Momma snuggles so I know it's because I've been working so much. That makes me feel terrible but even more thankful for this break!! We are going to have such a fun week and are hitting the potty training hard starting today. Wish us luck!! 

Another crazy week!

Check-ups, Halloween and a Birthday party--oh my! Oh and Daddy contracted the Hand, Foot and Mouth disease and was sick as a dog, plus a busted hot water heater to top it off..but onto the positive. 

I'm 13 weeks along and  had a prenatal appointment for babe #2 this week, and got to hear the heartbeat for the first time!! The rate was a little slower this time than at 8 weeks, in the 140s, which could mean boy, but Avery's did the same thing! I also got a ton of bloodwork done, and everything looks great so far. I also got to feel and see this baby's first movements on Friday morning. This is super early in pregnancy to feel movements, but this was without a doubt  the baby! It was kind of bizarre, because it actually woke me up that morning! I must have been laying just the right way, also with a very full bladder pushing a visible, baseball sized baby ball protruding to the side of my stomach and  was moving all around. Even Jon could see it. It was so neat and weird, because I haven't really felt any other movements since then, either! I'm excited for them to become more persistent. 

Avery also had her 2 year check up on Friday. We did a lot of priming her by talking about doctors and check ups and watching shows about these things for a solid week or more before her appointment, because she's been known to be a total basketcase at the doctor. She was actually excited to go, and loved the toys in the waiting room. As soon as we got called back to get weighed though, she starting freaking out. She tried so hard to be brave, but was genuinely terrified. Her little lip would tremble and silent tears would roll down her cheeks as she got poked and prodded at. She eventually calmed down and got comfortable towards the end, just in time for her flu mist and shot. Then she lost her cool again. She was excited for her sucker though, and she didn't cry for long. The best part is she doesn't need anymore shots until she is 4! But sadly, because we love our doctor so much, we don't have another check up until she is 3. 

Avery is 34 inches tall, and 24 lbs (fully clothed) which has her on the same growth trend she's been on forever...tall and skinny. She is in the 65th percentile of height and 16th for weight. She is very advanced verbally and cognitively, but we have some physical things to work on, like dressing and undressing herself, balancing on one foot, and finishing potty training before she is three. 

Friday night was Halloween too, and Avery and I dressed as matching witches. Poor Daddy was sick so he couldn't trick or treat with us which was sad, but we made the most of it. We went to my friend Whitney's house so Avery could trick or treat with her daughter Harper, just like last year. Whitney made her an adorable squirrel costume, but we didn't get any decent pictures of them together. The flash on our phones was being so goofy that it made all the pictures blurry and terrible. They were the cutest trick or treaters on the block though! Avery absolutely loved it. She held my hand and wanted to run from house to house. She was so good at saying "trick or treat" "thank you" and "Happy Halloween!" But sometimes would just say "I love your pumpkins/jack-lanterns/skeletons/costume!" Haha she would dig her hands in the bowls and grab as much candy as they would let her. She was a hoot! And she only got scared once, of a 6ft witch decoration. 

Saturday was Avery's party, since it was rescheduled from last week. Luckily lots of people were still able to come, and although on the chilly side, the weather was nice. Our birthday outfit was originally shorts, but we had to layer tights underneath and a jacket. She still looked adorable, of course. She really had a great time seeing all of her favorite people in one place. She didn't want to leave. I was kind of caught up and forgot to do a few things, like pass out bubbles and glow sticks I had bought for the kids, drinks for the adults (cokes and bottled waters) and to take pictures. Luckily Alex and some other people got some good shots of her when opening presents and eating cupcakes. All in all, the party was a success! Avery of course got tons of presents and had a ton of fun too. 

Today Avery was so busy playing with all her new stuff, and couldn't stop talking about her birthday party. Tonight, while rocking her and singing our nightly songs, she folded her little hands and completely unprompted, starting saying her prayers. She said "thank you, God for these songs" and "thank you for my birthday party!" And repeated that last part about 10 more times then said "Yaaayyy! Amen." Tears were streaming down my face, as I thanked God for her. 

Making pancakes at her request this morning! 

Big things happening!

Hard to believe our precious baby is now two years old!! She is hilarious and mischievous and has a heart of gold. She's ornery, witty, insanely smart, helpful, well-mannered, polite and caring. She's becoming more and more independent, assertive and determined by the day. She's very innovative when it comes to getting what she wants, too! She's really got the hang of carrying around her stool to help her reach things instead of even asking me for help. She can't quite open the fridge yet, but we are in trouble when that day comes!

Over the past couple months it's been so fun to see her imagination come to life. She is starting to get into dress-up and pretend play, she LOVES play food and serving it to us, and acts out little conversations with her toys. It's so so sweet to see her love on and care for her baby doll. She pushes her around in her stroller, gives her a "ba-ba" and paci, burps her, rocks her, puts her in her high chair to feed her and even says " Your food weally hot. Gonna let it cool off a minute, honey." It's seriously the cutest. I know she's going to be such a great big sister, and good thing because Baby Mercer #2 is due in May!!!

We are so thrilled for this addition to our family! I'm 12 weeks along and due Cinco de Mayo, so they will be about 2 1/2 years apart. It's perfect timing, because we always wanted our kids to have close-in-age siblings, something neither of us had, and with being a teacher, as my maternity leave will roll right into summer vacation. 

So far this pregnancy I am feeling pretty good. It's almost exactly the same as when I was pregnant with Avery. I had a few early weeks of extreme nausea and loss if appetite, but luckily never really got sick (well I did get a stomach bug around 7 weeks which was terrible but not pregnancy related). I have just been extremely tired and easily exhausted. I've been trying not to drink caffeine but a couple times a week during this first trimester, but some days I don't think I'd stay awake on the drive to work without some coffee! The only big thing that's different this time is my skin is extremely broken out, where as with Avery, my skin was actually clearer than before I got pregnant. Jon says that means it's a boy, but the old wives tale says it's a girl that steals your beauty. We can't wait to find out!! 

This week has been absolutely crazy and an emotional roller coaster at school and at home. We were supposed to have a genetics screener and 4D ultrasound with a specialist  on Thursday, where they also give a gender prediction. We did this with Avery and they told us at 12 weeks she was a girl! Well long story short, teacher's insurance is now a major joke and doesn't cover jack, and my deductible is sky high, so this was going to cost $800 plus lab work...something I couldn't justify. With Avery we found out my chances for chromosomal abnormalities were very, very low and that part wouldn't have changed much in 2.5 years. So although it's disappointing, I'm at peace with not having the testing, and also finding out the gender in a few more weeks.

On top of that, Avery had a fever Sunday, which we dismissed as teething because she cut one of her two year molars, turned into hand, foot and mouth disease and caused us to cancel her birthday party for tomorrow. Hopefully we can reschedule and not lose too much money though. The worst part is, this tricky little virus starts as a fever, then it GOES AWAY and your kid acts totally 100% normal so you send them to Mother's Day Out, TWICE during the week, before realizing they have broken out into a rash complete with blisters on their fingers and toes. THEN you realize you've exposed every child in her little classroom and preschool. They are going to hate us. But that's life I guess. It could be a lot worse. You can hardly tell Avery even has it, unless you are looking for it, and I've seen some poor babies that get it so much worse, and she isn't in pain which I'm so grateful for. 

I have my 12 week ( really 13th week because it got cancelled this week too) appointment this week, Avery's 2 year check-up on Friday, and fingers crossed, a birthday party next weekend too, so I'll update on those, Halloween and more very soon!! 

Avery with her birthday presents from Mommy and Daddy.."A supermarket cart just like Momma!!" ( she got the term supermarket from Bubble Guppies. Hahah)  And lots of play food, pots and pans! I couldn't get a good picture because she was too busy concentrating on her the new goodies. Love her!!