Another Month with Avery

These are the quintessential Avery faces.  That sweet little bottom lip (usually with a bitty drop of sweet baby drool), that stare (usually at her noisy big sisters), that wayward curl that always sticks straight up on the top of her head... I just want to eat her up.  And I do eat up her little cheeks when I get the chance.  

I can tell that I'm just going to keep gushing if I don't stop myself.

Anyway, after much effort on our part, Avery is now back to accepting a bottle.  So, we've been supplementing her meals with a bottle to see if she's still hungry.  Most of the time she'll drink some additional ounces of formula.  Despite feeling a little melancholy about "not being able to produce all the calories that she needs" myself, I am happy that she might chunk up a little bit before her next weigh-in.  We want to be sure that she's growing as much as she needs to.

Avery is very talkative and can say all sorts of different things like "baa" and "maa" and "ehh" etc etc.  She rolls and slides around on her tummy and kicks like crazy.  Still no inclination to practice standing.  Why bother when there are two big sisters that want to hold you and roll around with you on the floor?

Irene

She's here.  The big girls and Steve are out for one last frolic in the warm rain that just started about an hour ago.  I just finished up the dishes; last load of laundry is in, down in the cellar which is sure to flood; water containers are filled; candles and flashlights are ready and waiting; storm windows are down; I think I'm going to take a shower and then fill the bathtub with water.  It's getting pretty windy outside now.

A 5.9 earthquake on Tuesday and a hurricane on Saturday...what a week!

The First Day

We like growin' girls 'round these parts

Happy Birthday Leah Anne!

Leah is three!  We had a lovely party yesterday with family and dear friends, and this morning the birthday girl requested donuts for her birthday breakfast (with no complaints from anyone else in the family).

Three year old Leah is a smart, sweet, and very funny girl.  Her sense of humor is really developing into something that sets her apart as the witty one in the bunch!  She's always laughing and absolutely loves being a big sister to Avery.  Next week, as we send Grace off to AACS, Leah will be starting preschool at home with some friends from church.  She's SO excited and I can't wait to have this special time with her this year.

We thank God for three special years with Leah Anne!

Stats

She's 24 inches long (25th-50th percentile) and only up 2 oz. from her two month appointment...10 lbs. 9 oz.  This puts Avery in < 3rd percentile for weight.  We're trying to determine if she's just designed to be little or if she's not getting enough calories.  She hasn't been interested in drinking supplemental bottles, and as always seems to be satisfied and full after nursing, so the jury's still out on that one.  We'll do a weight check in about a month.

Most importantly she's happy and healthy!  Avery loves to sit up (with help) and is constantly grabbing and patting and squeezing faces and noses.  She is getting very vocal.  She loves it when we sing "skittamarinky-dinky-dink" (Of The Elephant Show fame) and will stop fussing as soon as she hears it.

Thoughtful Shopping

Grace, November 2006

Usually I'm not a very thoughtful shopper.  I most likely buy, without realizing it, clothing that was produced in a sweat shop and food that was grown or bought in an unfair or unsustainable way.  I've been trying to be more intentional with some of our food purchases (especially after watching Food, Inc.) but that's as far as it's gone.  I mean, I still shop at Wal Mart, even if it's killing small business.

The other day at a play date I was minding my own business, enjoying some small talk, when a friend mentioned that her father sent her a list of companies that support Planned Parenthood.  Companies that give millions of dollars to fund, among other things, the practice of abortion.

Leah, April 2008

My conscience was pricked.  Maybe stabbed.  Together, we moms lamented that one of our favorite places on earth, Trader Joe's, funds Planned Parenthood.  I'm only slightly joking when I say that there was wailing and gnashing of teeth.  That's where I do about 90% of my grocery shopping...

And the list goes on... AOL, Olive Garden, Hilton and Hampton Inn hotels, KOHL'S!, Staples, Toys 'R' Us, the GAP, Nike, Time Warner, Bank of America, Disney, Johnson & Johnson Co., Chevron, PayPal, eBay...

Avery, November 2010

I'm trying to decide what to do about this information.  It's probably only the tip of the iceberg;  of course any company whose brands I use or restaurant that I visit or store that I frequent sends money to a variety of organizations that I may or may not want to indirectly support.  Am I willing to be a more thoughtful shopper?   

* edited to add:  My local Trader Joe's does not donate to PP!  Yay!