One Month Old!

Our little gal turned one month old on Monday. We can't believe it's been a month already...how time flies when you're having fun (and when you're in a sleep-deprived haze!). Here are some pictures of our big girl!

Jeremy and I think she's grown quite a bit in the past month - I notice it mainly in her hands. They are not the teeny tiny baby hands they once were. We still can't believe she's actually here and she's ours! Every little face she makes seems cuter than the last, and we always make the other come look at her when she's napping. She has the most adorable sleeping positions.

Avery Grace, in honor of your One Month Birthday, here is a recap of your life so far...

Week One: You were born on February 8th, 2010 at 10:03 a.m. in Searcy, Arkansas, during the biggest snowstorm in recent history. You weighed 7 pounds, 4 ounces and measured 20 inches long. When Dr. Citty first saw you during delivery, he said "Oh wow, look at all that hair!" He told us later that your long, dark hair was just swimming in the amniotic fluid and he could see hints of blonde highlights. Your dad peeked over the curtain as you were being delivered and told me that you were so beautiful and perfect. He was right!


All of the grandparents waited anxiously to catch a glimpse of you as Daddy held you up in the nursery. From Day One, you have amazed us. You began trying to hold your head up while still at the hospital! When we brought you home from the hosptial on Wednesday, you weighed 6 pounds, 10 ounces. Our first few days at home were wonderful, especially having your Grandparents there to share our joy and excitement. Grandma Cindy and Grandma Darla helped Mommy give you your first bath on Thursday...you seemed to like being bathed, and especially liked having lotion put on afterward!

You met your Uncle Cody, Aunt Emily and cousins Silas and Daphne on Friday. Silas thought you were pretty cute (although he was more interested in the Nintendo Wii) and Daphne wanted to hold you and pat you all the time. We had a "Birthday" Party for you on Friday night, and Aunt Emily took some beautiful pictures of you on Saturday - your first photo shoot! Sunday was your first Valentine's Day...we were so thankful for our new little Valentine! Grandma Cindy stayed home with you and Mommy as the rest of the family went to church. Daddy told us they announced your birth at church and said a special prayer for you. Daddy gave Mommy a special Valentine's Day gift - a necklace with three stones, representing our new little family of three.

Week Two: One night during Week Two, you slept great overnight for the first time (Mommy really appreciated this!). On Monday, February 15th, your Daddy had to go back to work. But he missed you so much that he came home from work during lunch just to hold you! We took some pictures of you in the pretty white dress your Great Aunt Ruthie gave you.

You made your first big mess this week (you went potty all over your Pack'N'Play, Mommy and the carpet during a 3 a.m. changing session). Grandma and Grandpa Beauchamp flew home to California on Wednesday, and you were sad to see them go!

You had your first outing on Wednesday afternoon - you lunched with Mommy and Grandma Cindy at Doc's and then on to Dr. Citty's for Mommy's appointment. It was a stressful trip that left Mommy and Grandma pretty exhausted! On Saturday, Grandma Cindy (thank you!) babysat you while Mommy and Daddy went to see a movie...it was so nice to spend that time together, but we missed our little angel while we were gone. We watched a lot of Winter Olympics during this week - watching Figure Skating, Downhill Skiing and Curling will now always remind me of this time in our lives!

Week Three: We enjoyed home-cooked meals, courtesy of our Church family. We worried you might have colic because you had several fussy evenings. You had your first appointment with your Pediatrician, Dr. Moore. He said you were precious and gave you a little kiss. :) Your first big weigh-in showed that you had only gained three ounces since leaving the hospital two weeks earlier (6lbs 13oz). The doctor was concerned and told Mommy to make sure you ate every 2-3 hours, even waking you if necessary (and Mommy said goodbye to any hope of sleeping at night!). He called you a little rascal and told you to shape up! We really like Dr. Moore.

Grandma Cindy stayed to help Mommy and Daddy adjust to life with a baby. It was such a blessing to have her here and we appreciated all of her help! (We think she enjoyed spending the extra time with you, too!) Grandpa Perry came on Thursday night to pick her up and take her back to Kansas. You must have missed Grandpa because you took a long nap on his chest that night.

You had some more visitors on that Saturday - your Great Aunt Ruthie and Cousins Terri and Brandi drove all the way from Lavaca to see you. They thought you were pretty little thing, and brought you two more adorable dresses to wear! Sunday, March 1st was your first time to attend Sunday morning church services. We dressed you up in your pretty white dress and relished showing you off to everyone. We could barely walk down the hallway for all of the people clamoring to see the beautiful new baby with all of that hair! We thought we would only make it through worship before you would be ready to go - but you surprised us with a marathon nap and allowed us to go to Bible Class and even out to eat afterward!

Week Four: You began this week with a follow-up visit with Dr. Moore. You had gained some weight and were almost back up to your birth weight! This was our first week on our own as a family of three and we loved every minute. Your Mommy and Daddy really started to settle into our new roles and everything just seemed so natural and wonderful. This was your last week to sleep in our bedroom; on your one-month birthday we moved you into your crib and you handled the transition wonderfully. We think you're a pretty special little girl.

You had another big outing as we visited Mommy's co-workers at First Security Bank. They let us eat lunch with them and everyone wanted to hold you. You wore your first bow in your hair that day - what a cutie!

We had some nice weather this week, so Mommy and Daddy took you for your first walk around the neighborhood. It put you right to sleep - just like riding in the car. We tried to give you some "Tummy Time" to help you build your neck muscles, but laying on your belly either made you cry, spit up or fall asleep. We think we'll save Tummy Time for Month Two. We love you, little bean!