THE BLAND FAMILY: 10 and 11 weeks

I'm behind again on blogging.....I have to combine weeks again because I can't remember what happened when. :) I blame the leftover pregnancy hormones (and lack of sleep) for my memory problems..... ;)

We've had a busy couple of weeks. Avery's tenth week started with her doctor's appointment. We had lunch dates, play dates, shopping trips, a trip to the zoo and a trip to Farm Park. Trying to make the most of our time before going back to work!

Avery Update:
Avery has started cooing. She drools all the time and gnaws on her left fist. The latter was my main hunger cue for her so that threw me off for a while. :) She pretty much eats every 3 hours though, so not to hard to figure out when she's truly hungry. She tries to lean forward, almost to sit up sometimes when she's in her bouncer and swing. She's so strong. Her head control continues to get stronger too. She's now wearing 3-6 mos. clothes! I switched all of her clothes out last week. It's sad that she never wore some of her outfits or some were only worn once. But she's got some cute 6 mos. outfits that I'm excited to put her in. Some already are small though! I can't get over how quickly she's growing! She's so tall/long! I have to remind people that she's only a baby. :)

Nom Nom - Good Fist: That fist is pretty much always in her mouth now. Which is another reason I hate it when people grab her little hands! :) With the fist chewing comes all the drool. And "bubbles". As Carson asked me, "Why is Avery filled with bubbles?" :)

Visit from Fletcher - more interested in hand ;)

Smiling: I was so worried that she didn't smile enough and that she wasn't a happy baby. But I think I just didn't wait long enough because she smiles all the time now and I love it! I get big smiles when she wakes up in the morning. And when she gets ready to eat. So cute. And I even got a laugh! She laughed for the first time on 5/18! That's the only time I've heard it, although she's cooing quite a bit. I was so excited to actually experience a FIRST anything! I missed all of Carson's. They seemed to all be at either daycare or with daddy. :( But her laugh is pretty adorable! Not much better than smiles and giggles!

This was right after her first laugh! :)

More tummy time: We're still working on our tummy time to try to avoid a flat(ter) head. She's getting better at it and tolerating it for longer. Depending on her mood. :) I'm trying to lay her on her side a bit too for naps. Still not ready for at night. She moves her head well to both sides though and sleeps with her head turned both ways. So hopefully the spot will go away. Or with our luck, it will just extend to the entire back of her head. ;)

Outings: We were out and about quite a bit our last couple of weeks before going back to work. Trying to take advantage while we can. :) We had a lunch date with daddy one day. Another day, we went over to Fletcher's house to visit! We had a couple of shopping trips to Target and a visit with Nana and Papa.

Lunch with Daddy!

Hanging out at Fletcher's house!

Love this picture!

I think Fletcher's trying to hold her hand ;)

Papa

Nana

Hair, Fingers and Kicking: Avery's finally discovered that she has all that hair! She pulls it constantly while she's laying around or eating. My mom thinks it's a sign of some sort of mental disorder or something. Thanks a lot Grandma. Haha. I think she just likes her hair. :) She also found her finger (but obviously prefers her fist - see above!). She also starting kicking at her toys. So cute.

Kicking!

Carson Update:
Carson continues to be going through a whiney phase. We've had several tantrums. I think that he just gets so tired during the week. We can tell a definite difference during the week compared to the weekend (when he takes really long naps). We've been trying to put him to bed earlier (starting bath at 7) and that seems to help, but it's so hard to do that when we work. We'll barely get to see him! I'm dreading going back to work and not being home when he gets home.

While he's had his grumpy moments, he's had a lot of cute ones too. He always balances it out and you can't help but adore him.

Quotes: He's had a bunch the last couple of weeks!
- "Pluto's my best friend. Mickey? Where are you? (Looking at Pluto) Pluto - Where's Mickey?"
Carson got a new baby Pluto on one of our trips to Target. He LOVES him. :)

- "Hey, leave me alone, OK?" :)
- "Hi little girl!" - He loves to go up to Avery and talk to her. Usually it's when she's in her carseat and he goes up and starts talking to her and rocking her.

- "Back off my mommy guys! (With hand palm!) "Hey guys, that's my sister, OK! Don't touch my sister!" I started picking Carson up from daycare and we would get mobbed by his little friends. He is VERY protective of his little sister! He constantly tells me, "I told my friends not to touch my sister. Maxi, Dashiel - Don't touch my sister."
- "I need to kiss her belly" - We hear that one a lot. :) Here's an example...

- "My Avery peanut. He's a little baby!" - I call Avery peanut and apparently Carson has caught on. She's now HIS peanut. :)
- "Goats don't eat Avery. Daddy, Mommy, Carson protect Avery". He's very into "protecting" (or as he says "tect". We had to protect him (and the neighbors) from the storm the other night. He's so cute! This one was totally unsolicited though and as we were leaving to go to the Farm Park with Aunt Mandy and Uncle Fletcher.

Farm Park. Note the sunglasses upside down. ;)

- "I going night-night, cape". - We bought Carson a new pair of Batman pajamas and they have a cape. He LOVES his cape. Loves. It was too cute though when he actually told the cape good night. :)

Carson showing off his cape

"Avery, you see my cape?" Real quote. Haha.

- "I no eat woodchips". This was after he told me one day that he and Hayden (at school) ate woodchips (playground). Sigh. So we've had many discussions since then on NOT eating woodchips. Think he's got it down now. :) Oh - and there are woodchips all.over.our.house. Ugh.
- "You wash my junk Mommy?" I couldn't help but laugh. I assumed this one came from Lucas but he was surprised with it himself. Maybe I said it..... :)
- "I gotta hurry and lay down! A storm's coming!" There was indeed a storm coming that night and we were trying to rush through his bath. But he was obsessed with that storm after that!
- "Who's that guy? I don't (know) what his name." Every person we see in a store, on TV, in a book. Anywhere. LOL.
- "That's my sister. Avery's too pretty". Sweet brother.
- "Mommy, that's a beautiful shirt". HAHA. Everything is beautiful and pretty lately. :)

Loves: We bought the best of the Wiggles CD at Target. I seriously love the Wiggles. And now Carson does too. ;) He's started singing in the car. Love it.

Pics from the last couple weeks: