MOMMY I AM NAKED!

Kevin HATES naked baby pictures... I on the other hand LOVE them... so here are some nakey pics of Averi!

More Zoo pictures

THE ZOO

Today Averi had her first trip to the zoo! A friend of mine who has two babies (emma and Jane) met us there and we spent two hours walking, chatting and SWEATING it was HOT HOT HOT! It was so fun to get out of the house with another mom!

Brooke and Brians shower!

Last saturday Kevin and I went to a good friend of mines dfirst wedding shower... she is getting married in sugust and I am one of her bridesmaids...it was so much fun... her are some pictures:






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Prayer request/ announcement

We have a prayer request/announcement...Rachel is venturing into creating her own Nanny business out of our house. It is actually a very lucrative business...much more so than I would have ever thought. Gone are the days that you pay your neighbor's child $5/hour to watch your children :). I am amazed at what some people offer to pay for good child care.

She has done a lot of preparation work, and I am very proud of her. She has registered on several nanny-websites and taken an ad on Craig's list...and is in the process of creating guidlines and a contract for these mothers to sign. She has already "signed" three clients that will begin in July, which is the maximum allowed by law for just her to watch.

As many of you know, she has been working at a nursing home as a CNA for several weeks doing 16 hours shifts overnight...she will continue to work her required one weekend a month there to keep her status as an employee in case we ever have a month when she does not have a child to watch. That is actually where the prayer request part comes into play...for a continued influx of clients. One of the children that she will be caring for in July is for only a two month stint. Rach would like to keep this going to avoid having to work third shifts at the nursing home as well as bring home more money. If this goes well, we would like to look into expanding it into a larger business someday.
~Kevin

Two month check up!

Averi had her two month check up today (I know a week late!)...she is doing great, 11 pounds 4 ounces (75th percentile) and 23 inches long (aslo 75th percentile) Thank God for a healthy baby girl!

ONE YEAR!

Praying with my bridesmaids
Getting me in the dress

The handsome groom

Kevin and his groomsmen

Tomorrow Kevin and I will have been married one year! WOW time flies! It seems like only yesterday I was walking down the aisle to my handsome groom and NOW we have a child together!
As I remember that beautiful day (well it actually poured rain, but inside the church it was beautiful!) I smile! I was a bundle of nerves but never more confident that I was doing the right thing! I knew that Kevin was the man God had chosen for me and I was thrilled for the opportunity to be his wife! I remember those doors opening and trying so hard to control my emotions but as soon as I saw Kevin wiping off a tear and saw a tear drip down my daddy's cheek I was a goner!
I remember looking at Kevin as he said his vows to me and trusting that every word of commitment he said, he meant! I remember counting down hour by hour until the wedding finally began and treasuring ALL of my bridesmaids as we enjoyed the day together! I remember finally putting on my dress and my sister and Lindsay lacing me up...ensuring that I looked perfect! I remember my flower girl screaming as she was pulled down the aisle in a wagon and making everyone giggle! But mostly I remember lighting our unity candle and Kevin praying over our marriage and thanking God for the git of marriage... and tearing up as he thanked God for giving him me as his wife!
We have had a CRAZY first year but I would not have wanted to take this crazy ride called life with anyone else! Kevin is truly my leader.... He knows when to hold me and when to comfort me... but he also knows when to encourage me to take that extra step and do something on my own so that I may grow and mature! Kevin I love you...in good times and bad in sickness and health til death do us part!

Averi with hair

Last night we thought it would be funny to see what Averi looked like with a full head of hair... here are some pictures!

Girls night!

Last night a good friend of mine, Abby, had a "girls night"! We had so much fun and together... I don't think we had all been together since my wedding last year! The highlights of the night were:
~Abby making home made spaghetti sauce which impressed us all!
~Deciding for my one year anniversary on monday we should all get togther so they could all wear their bridesmaids dresses and I could TRY to fit in my wedding gown, like that would happen!
~Watching a mexican horror movie... with subtitles and all! It was suprisingly good!
~Eating Jessicas AMAZING peanut butter dessert!
~Sarah and Lindsay R...wink wink!
Lindsay R, Lindsay K, Jessi B, Abby, Brooke, Sarah, and Amber I Love you girls thank you for always being there and for always having a good time with me!

sleeping!

Averi sleeping in her crib for nap time

Kevin and i have worked VERY hard at helping averi learn to sleep through the night. We loosley followed the guidelines in the book "baby wise" which claimed we would have our baby sleeping through the night between seven and nine weeks. Last night at eight weeks and two days Averi went to bed with no tears and slept through the night and all day today she has gone down for nap time without fussing.
Since she slept through the night we have decided to let her have nap time in her crib in her own room so that she becomes more used to it... hopefully she will keep up sleeping through the night and in the next month she can move to her own room! She is doing great and growing up so fast... part of me is happy she is growing up and part of me wants her to stay little forever!

TWO MONTHS!

Averi turned two months on monday! We can not believe she has been here two months already! We thank God daily for the opportunites to be her parents! A few things Averi has accomplished this month are: Occasionally grinning, staying very alert for long periods of time,holding her own head up, holding her head up during tummy time! Also during her second month of life mommy went back to work so daddy has started to keep her two nights a week by himself which he has done a very good job with! Averi also got her vaccines which she handled like a pro ( a little crying but as soon as I picked her up she settled down) mommy on the other hand was a WRECK... I was more upset then her! Thank God for our healthy little girl... mommy and daddy love you!

HAPPY FATHERS DAY KEVIN

As today is fathers day I wanted to take a second and tell Kevin how much Averi and I love and appreciate him. It has been so amazing to watch Kevin mold into a great daddy... Kevin was excited during our pregnancy but I think the quote "women become mothers when they discover they are pregnant and men become fathers when they hold their babies for the first time" held true. The look on his face through out our pregnancy was mostly one of stress... as much as we prayed we were both anxious over finances, my health, Averi's health and just the huge event of parenthood that was quickly approaching... the look on Kevin's face during my labor and delivery was one of pity for my pain as he held my hand, rubbed my back, prayed and read the bible with me, it was also one of excitement as we both began to realize that in a matter of hours we would finally meet our baby girl!
Finally the look on Kevin's face (which is the same look I am privileged to see every day) when he held Averi for the first time was one of pure love for her and humility to our amazing creator for giving us such a beautiful and healthy baby girl. Kevin has quickly learned the little things like diaper changing and rocking, but he has also quickly learned the big things like patience, appreciation, devotion, and love!
Kevin you are an amazing husband and father and neither Averi or I could ask for better! Thank you for your hard work to provide for our family and your love, support and sense of humor... I am privileged to be the mother of your daughter and can not wait to watch you with her as she grows! WE LOVE YOU!

Back to work

our family!

I went back to work tuesday before last, and started working my regular shifts this week... two doubles a week monday and wednesdays... I go in at 2 in the afternoon and dont get off until 6 the next morning! My new job was truly a God send as they allow me to set my own schedule and work as many or as little hours as I choose but it has been challenging working all night and then coming home and being a mommy all day!

Kevin has done great staying at night with Averi, and we were blessed to havea friend who lives right around the corner to watch her from 1:30 in the afternoon until he gets off at about five. Please pray for me as I work in a nursing home and struggle with getting attatched to my residents, please pray that God will give me patience and compassion for the people
I serve at work, a good attitude towards work, an easy adjustment to little sleep for both Kevin and I and an easy adjustment for Averi as she isn't used to being away from me!

Reds game!

GO REDS!
GREAT AMERICAN BALL PARK!
KEVIN

AVERI WATCHING THE GAME INTENTLY

TRYING TO TEACH HER THE YMCA ME AND AVERI
AVERI SAYING HI TO DADDY AS HE CATCHES A PICTURE
SHE PASSED OUT AT THE END OF TH GAME!

For a cheap family trip kevin and I took Averi to her first baseball game... it was a great time! Kevin and I got to spend some much needed catching up time on the car ride there and back, the Reds won which was awesome and Averi got a kick out of all of the excitement at the ball park... well except when they hit a home run and shot off fireworks, that was a little to much stimulation for our little girl!

Black and white!

Tonight Kevin and I tried to get some black and white pictures of Averi...



Daddy and Averi
Mommy and Averi
Mommy and averi

I love those chunky cheeks! Me and my girl!

Daddy holding Averi
Just chilling!
Bright eyed!
Stretched out!

Is it time to sleep yet???

Alayna's meets Averi

Alayna and Averi
Rachel, Alayna and baby Averi
Kisses!

Today my God daughter Alayna came to visit, her family moved to TN a few weeks before Averi was born so Alayna had not got to meet Averi yet. It was such a thrill and a blessing to get to introduce alayna to averi...especially since she was around for almost the whole pregnancy and talked about averi being in my belly non stop! She was so good with Averi, holding her kissing her and telling her she loved her. We hope and pray that we will always keep contact with Alayna as she means so much to Kevin and I!