Avery's First Catalina trip

This past weekend we were excited to take Avery over to Avalon for the first time. We took the Express out of Dana Point on Friday and she slept the whole way in her carrier on my chest. The weather was just beautiful, the warmest and least windy it had been all summer, according to Alex's grandparents who spend their summer there every year.  Pat and Al were nice enough to let us come over and spend the weekend with them at their condo, and we had a wonderful time. First thing we did was go to Casino Dock Cafe and get lunch and a pitcher of beer with Grandpa Al.  Saturday, Alex tried out the new zip-lining tour they installed recently and he loved it! Then, we hung out at Descanso and watched the outriggers get loaded up on the grass from the Female Outrigger Catalina Crossing Championships. We took a walk around town to get some pictures with our new camera, and we came home Sunday afternoon.
It was a wonderful and relaxing weekend and we can't wait to do it again! Thanks SO MUCH, Pat and Al it was great spending some quiet time with you both.
Enjoy the pictures!

She did great on the boat, slept the whole way there and home!

Cheers!

Me and Grandpa Al

Catalina Baby

Gorgeous views on the zip line

Look honey, no hands!

Lounging at Descanso

Avery loves to dance!

Colorful outrigger boats

Lovers Cove

Happy 57th Wedding Anniversary!!

Thanks for having us :)

Labor Day weekend!

True to form, we had quite a busy weekend and took advantage of 3 days off together.  Friday, after Avery's 2 month appointment in which she got her vaccinations (she did a great job! No bad reactions, thank goodness), we hit the road and made our first stop in Valencia to have dinner with my brother, his fiance Lauren, my dad, and Courtney and her 13 month old daughter, Abbie.
The next morning we drove up to San Luis Obispo for a wedding, stopping first in Santa Barbara to visit with Val and her 3 1/2 month old daughter, Zoe.  Sarah and Matthew's wedding was absolutely amazing! She did such a great job planning it and putting so many personal touches on it, check out this link to a video summary of their special day: http://www.vimeo.com/14709412
It was pretty cold so we couldn't stay at the wedding very long, but we were able to spend some time with Mr. and Mrs. Hames and other friends the next day before starting the long drive home. (Special thanks to my mom for spending the weekend spoiling Griffy!)
On Labor Day, we BBQ'ed with the Cann family and turned in early.
We had a wonderful weekend visiting with friends and family, and of course, took lots of pictures. Enjoy!

Court and I with our baby girls, Abbie and Avery

Avery got a new toy from a friend that didn't need it anymore!

She is still too small for it, but we wanted to try it out :)

The bride and groom @ Flying Caballos Ranch

Avery made sure everyone knew she was there by crying right in the middle of the ceremony!! 

Alex did a good job quieting her down quickly, but we were quite embarrassed!

The only pic of Avery at the wedding all bundled up, it got pretty cold!

Beautiful face, 2 months old

Avery is 2 months old!

Our little girl is not so little anymore! She is growing so much and we are enjoying every moment.  Here are a list of her "accomplishments" and of course, a LOT of photos of our favorite subject! Enjoy
Our baby Avery is:

• Still wearing size 1 diapers but they are fitting pretty snugly!
• Weighing in at 12 pounds and is 23 inches long
• Looking SO CUTE and fitting well in all her size 0-3 months clothes that have been hanging in her closet for months (Mommy is particularly excited about this)
• Smiling all the time! It is hands-down the cutest thing we have ever seen and our hearts melt when she does it on cue (which is usually an elaborate nose-kissing, neck-tickling process that Daddy is best at)
• On a predictable schedule of nursing every 3 hours, playing for about 30 minutes and napping for about an hour during the day.
• Sleeping 6 hours at night regularly, waking only once to nurse
• Making adorable "baby sounds" which are giving us a glimpse at what her adorable voice will soon sound like
• Going on her first big trips this month: First to San Luis Obispo for a wedding, followed by a trip to Catalina!  (I am sure there will be LOTS of pics to share of both these events, so stay tuned!)

2 month photo shoot

Cute smiley girl

In case anyone wasn't sure, she is 100% loved by her grandmas (and her parents, her neighbors, her Roo, random people in the grocery store...)

Tummy Time

Mommy loves to dress her up, and she is (mostly) cooperative

best buds

Avery is 7 weeks!

I know it is not an "official" birthday but she is just too cute for words, so you know what they say about pictures...Enjoy!

Daddy feeding Avery her first bottle (of breast milk)

Avery and Roo are best buddies!

Lots of smiling going on this week, SO CUTE!

Babies everywhere!

Ready for her close-up

Awesome faux-hawk hair

Babies and Engagements and Beer, Oh My!

What a weekend we had!!  On Saturday August 14th, I helped to shower my good friend Hailey and her baby boy due in October in Corona Del Mar.  It was so much fun to help plan and throw a shower for a little boy!  Love the transportation theme she is going with and we had a great time catching up with friends and talking about all things BABY (my favorite topic these days, for obvious reasons!) Alex jumped at the chance to hang with Avery while I was helping out with the shower, and they both enjoyed some daddy/daughter time. 
After the shower it was off to Valencia to celebrate the engagement of my younger brother Corey and his wonderful bride-to-be Lauren. She already feels like my sister, but it was really great to get to know her friends and family and for our family to meet hers for the first time.  We had a great time and of course, Avery enjoyed being held and fussed over by everyone.
Finally, on Sunday we went to Stone Brewery with our good friends Kenji and Jessica.  I was able to enjoy some delicious beers (finally!) and we all had a fanstatic lunch.
Enjoy the pictures from our crazy weekend!

Hailey practicing with her friend's son, Aiden

Val and little Zoe (11 weeks)

Tine and "Brayden's Best Friend" sweet baby Logan (4 weeks)

Hailey opening gifts (must have been a good one!)

Alex on daddy duty

Lauren (bride-to-be) Mom (mother-of-groom) Sue (mother-of-bride) and me (sister-of-groom)

Alex, Mike, Corey and Russ (groomsmen, minus Alex M)

The Happy Couple!

Aunt Kathy, "the baby whisperer"

Alex feeding Avery at Stone

Jess and Kenji

baby girl

ROO!!

One Month!!

August 2, 2010 marks one month since sweet little Avery arrived and joined our family.  Alex and I agree that it has been the most wonderfully exciting and tiring month of our lives!  Avery has changed so much in the past 4 weeks and continues to capture our hearts.  Below are some things our little girl can do now and some pictures to illustrate her development.  Enjoy!

• Avery has graduated from size N to 1 diapers, which is very exciting because we have LOTS of size 1 diapers in the garage that family and friends gave us!
• She tracks toys and people with her eyes and seems to enjoy laying on her activity mat and "learning" about ocean wonders!
• She is wonderful when friends and family hold her, which they love to do so much sometimes mommy gets a little jealous!
• She spends more time awake, alert and happy between feedings and naps
• She is growing right on track according to her pediatrician and now weighs over 9 lbs and is 21 inches long
• She is sleeping very well during the night and only wakes once to nurse
• Avery has received her Social Security number and has a 529 savings account established in her name already! Such a responsible baby we have, haha!

So cute!

Her pensive look

Post-nursing belly!

Sophia and baby Avery

Social Security card! "She's a real person now!"

At the pool with mom and dad, safe from the sun in her tent!

Pretty baby!