What we have been up to...

Boy, another week has already passed. Time is going by TOO quickly. Things are going great in the Holt household. We have been SOOO busy!!

Last weekend we had a graduation party for Nick's sister Lindsay. She just got her MBA from Westminster and is a nurse practioner. Congratulations Linds. We hosted the party at our Salt Lake house and completely forgot to whip out the camera. :(

During the week, Avery and I started working on a new routine. She is responding to it really well. I used to put her to bed at 11PM so I could get more rest...but come to find out, she likes going to bed earlier! Yay! She is now going to bed between 9PM and 9:30PM and she will wake up at 5AM to eat, back to bed, then will wake up for the day at 7AM. I love this schedule. Nick and I are finally getting some US time before we hit the hay.

This past weekend we went to a birthday party for Nick's dad Dale. We had a BBQ at Dale's house by the pool. The kids had fun swimming and the adults just chatting away. It was alot of fun. We hope you had a wonderful birthday Grandpa Dale. We love you!

Handsome men!

The cousins: Davis, Alex, Hayden and Mia.

I can't get this to rotate, but look at Jess and Brett in the background singing Happy Birthday. The Holt Family are the next American Idol(s)!

Aver's Two Month Dr. Appointment

Today was the day to receive three shots and a spoonful of yuckiness. I have been dreading this day. I even rescheduled it once. I hate shots and I assume my little Aver's does too!

She weighed in at 11 Pounds 6 Ounces and is 23.25 Inches Long! She is 70th Percentile in weight and 75th Percentile in length. She slept most of the day and was wide awake and chatting away to her daddy and Dr. Bell until the time came. Nick made me be the bad guy and hold her while the two nurses made her cry. (It was more like a whailing!) I felt SO bad. I even teared up while she was screaming. Poor baby!

She did pretty well through the night. I gave her some infant Tylenol and she was in and out all night long. She woke up at 1 AM, 3:30 AM and we got up at 6:45. Needless to say...I am EXHAUSTED!

PS: Than you Sarah for the Swaddle Blankie! It is our favorite! We don't leave the house without it and she sleeps in it EVERY night. :-)

Happy Two Month Birthday Avery Lynn!!

Dear Avery,

Happy 2 month Birthday!

My oh my how time is flying by! I can't believe you are already TWO months old now! In the past month you have changed so so so much! Last Friday you weighed 11 pounds 5 ounces. Your two month check up is on Monday, so I do not know all of your stats yet. BUT, I know you are growing. Too fast might I add. You have now outgrown your newborn clothes and are wearing size 3 months! Your PJ's are size 3-6 months! Slow Down little one!

You have learned how to smile. You love to smile. You are ALWAYS smiling! When you wake up in the morning, you are the happiest little girl I know. You must get this from your dad, because mom has never been a morning person. I love my sleep. The past two nights, you have slept almost 8 hours in a row! Thank You!!!

We are FINALLY getting a routine going! After you wake up, you tell me lots of stories and we play for a while. Then its breakfast time. I always ask what flavor you would like and you always request pancakes. ;) You are such a good eater too! You now take 3-4 ounces. Impressive! After breakfast, you love to sit in your swing. I try to keep you up, but you love to take an hour nap after your food coma. This works out great because it gives your mommy time to get ready for the day. After your nap we play some more on your activity map and play with your mobile in your crib.

During the day, momma usually totes you around while she runs errands. You're not the biggest fan of your carrier. I don't blame you. But you do pretty well. After our errands are done, we PLAY! You love your nurseries! You love to lay on your changing table, stare at the lights and talk. You now say the word "Ah-Goo!". It makes your mommy so happy when you are telling her stories! You are the best story teller I know. You ALWAYS get fussy for about an hour around 7-8 PM. I don't know why, but it never fails. I still love you to pieces though!

At night, we give you an oatmeal bath. You have such sensitive skin and mommy has figured out that this helps. ALOT. The Dr says I caught your cradle cap really early and we are now treating it with Head AND Shoulders. Who would have thought! After your bath, we eat and then you are off to sleep. Like I said, you have been sleeping from 9:30 - 6:00 AND you are sleeping the whole way through in your bassinett. Hopefully by three months, we'll have you in your crib. (I love having you sleep next to me though!)

Avery, your mommy and daddy love you so much! I can't believe how beautiful you are. You are always getting compliments from strangers saying how beautiful your big blues are. You are blossoming everyday. Just when I thought I couldn't love something so much, the next day my love for you has multiplied! You bring me such joy, peace and happiness. I couldn't imagine not having my "Mini Me" by my side at all times. You are an absolute angel and my best friend. Thank you for making me so happy. I Love You LOVE BUG!

Love,

Your Mommy

You on your play mat.

Playing in your crib.


Look how big you have gotten!!

Hanging out with mom.

You were NOT a fan of this outfit! Sorry Grandma Teri!

Congratulations Emily and Matt!!

My best friend and her husband welcomed their daughter Grace Isabelle Woods to the world yesterday, May 18, 2009.


She weighed 7 pounds 4 ounces and was 18 inches long. She is a beauty! It was so weird holding a newborn compared to my Avery. My Aves almost weighs 5 pounds more! My oh my how time flies.


Emily and Matt, CONGRATULATIONS!!! We are so happy for the both of you. You will be such wonderful parents. You have such a beautiful little angel! We can't wait for our little girls to grow up to be the best of friends. We love you!

Not much happening in L-Town

This past weekend was fun and relaxing. Nick and I decided to stay in Logan for the first time in a LONG time. We were a littled tired of traveling every weekend. Plus, when we go to Salt Lake, we are going 100 miles an hour. So, it was nice to sit home and enjoy our surroundings.

On Saturday, Emily invited Avery and me to The Mount Ogden Dog Show at the fairgrounds. I have never been to a dog show, so I was stoked! Nick had a Harley trip planned to Lava with some friends, so it worked out perfectly. When we got to the fairgrounds, I had missed the English Bulldogs by 30 minutes. DARN! We walked around for about two hours. It was fun to hang out with Em and her mom, Janet. Avery started to get fussy, so I decided to head home. Ave and I took a LONG two hour nap together. So nice! Nick got home around 5:00 PM and said he had so much fun.

That night we headed out to dinner at Le Nonne. It is an Italian Restaurant tucked away off Federal Avenue. (I do not know why I never heard of this place while up here for college. That and The Italian Place, which is my favorite lunch destination.) The restaurant was so cute. We sat on the back patio and listened to two men playing their guitars while enjoying real pasta and Italian beer. We then headed home and watched a movie together.

On Sunday, I rushed our family out of the door at 8:30 so we could watch the finals for the English Bulldogs at the dogshow. (Yes, I am THAT dork!) I am so glad we did. We got to meet some awesome bulldogs and befriended their owners/breeders. These dogs were amazingly gorgeous! We stayed for about two hours then went to breakfast. (At Angies, in our pj's. Memories of college much?) We also went and hit a bucket of balls. My ribs are paying for it now. My swing is crap now, but I am going to work on it. Nick, of course, can hit it out of the park. I will soon show him up!

The rest of the day was spent sanitizing our entire house. (I am obsessed as of late!) Avery has broken out into a rash. It started on her scalp and has traveled across her face, neck and shoulders. The doctor on Friday couldn't explain it. He said to watch my diet. ??? I don't know how much more bland I can go! So, we are now watching and waiting. All the while, I now soak Avery in an oatmeal bath at night. It seems to help the swelling. I hope it helps any potential itching she has too. Poor Baby!

I am so happy the weather has been so nice! It's about time! I love being able to take Avery on a walk in the morning, then go on a walk with Nick and the dogs at night.

Here are some pictures from the dog show. Both days. :)

Me and Emily. Love you!

Yup, she was still in her pj's.

My FAVORITE! He looked like my old dog Meika.

Avery looks thrilled. ;)

Sorry for all of the posts...here is an explanation!

Sorry for bombarding you all with mutliple posts. (By posting another post...I know...Nick just pointed it out to me.) I had to get a new computer. Our internet provider decided to stop working, so I got a new laptop with an aircard built into it. See ya crappy T1! Plus....having a baby makes it hard to find time to sit and write.

Here are some things we have been up to:

We had breakfast with some friends.

Julie and Mike. They just got married last Tuesday.

Went to Sean and Erika's Baby Shower!

Sean was SOOOO excited for Yankee gear. Not! Check out his Bloody Boston hat.

Aver's loves Erika!

Clucker was so scared to hold her....but was a NATURAL. Shocker!!

She got Ave to sleep by doing this!!

Had a Farewell Breakfast for Smash. She's off to SLC for the summer. :(

Witnessed MANY explosions! YIKES!

Saw two rainbows at once.

We have been traveling back and forth between Logan and Salt Lake ALOT. We have become pros at packing the car for the weekend. I should document it, but will spare the details.

Mother's Day 2009

A few weeks ago Nick asked me what I would like to do for my first Mother's Day. I had told him Ruth's Diner and the Zoo! It has been YEARS since I have been to either, and I thought it would be a fun new tradition to start as a family.

We tried to get out of the house as early as possible, but we were on Aver's schedule. We got out of the door at 10 AM and headed to Ruth's. When we got there, it was closed for remodeling! It had a sign on the front door saying it was to open the following Wednesday. Dang, what are the chances?

We decided to head downtown to see what we could find. We are all about trying new places. I blurted out we should try The Oasis Cafe on 5th and 2nd. I haven't been there for a long time. When we got there, there were tables available! Bonus!! We had an awesome breakfast. It was buffet style, but was still so yummy!

By the time we got to the zoo, it was packed! We had to park at the top and wait in line for almost 40 minutes. When we got in, the crowd seemed to have thinned and actually wasn't too bad. Ave started to get fussy in line and I was worried that she wasn't going to cooperate. But, we put her in the Baby Bjorn and she was OUT!

The zoo was alot of fun. The people watching was a blast too. We have never seen so many tattoos in our life! I'm all for tattoos, but man....people had their entire bodies inked. Not my cup of tea.

After the zoo, we packed up to head to Logan after visiting Nick's mom. Ave got to meet her Great Grandparents on that side for the first time. It was fun to see.

While driving back to Logan, Avery started to scream in Brigham City. Nick was driving the Smart Car while I had the dogs and Ave to myself in the Toaster. I tried all I could do to console her. I gave her her bink, listened to Baby Einstein (full blast non-the-less) and even held her hand. Nothing! I had to pull over in Sardine Canyon by Dry Lake. She was purple from crying so hard. I took her out and held her for 20 minutes. She was frantic and didn't seem to want to calm down. Nick even came back to meet me to help. (Imagine a man in a Smart Car going reverse in the canyon to rescue his girls! That is how much he loves us!) We put her back in her car seat and let her cry the rest of the way home. I locked myself in the bathroom and gave myself a pedicure for a little relief. (Thank you Nick!!)

Regardless of my little one screaming (I think she just likes the sound of her voice), I had an absolute wonderful first Mother's Day! I don't think I have ever given my mom enough credit. I never knew how hard it really was! My mom was only 19. I don't know how she did it, but she did. Thank you mom! I hope you had a wonderful Mom's Day as well. (Dee Dee, Sheri and Vickie...we hope you had a great one too! You are all AWESOME moms and we love you!!!)

Here are some pictures from our first trip to the zoo. We are headed to the San Diego Zoo in July! Woo Hoo!!

We are SO in love with her. (This was the only time she was awake....to EAT!)

Ephalunts!

She slept almost the entire time!

Our family LOVES the monkeys!

The Biggets Monkey of them ALL.

Round Eye!

Can I handle All of this?

Have you ever asked yourself Can I handle ALL of this? I have found myself asking this question as of late. Not just once a day, but multiple times a day! Up until two weeks ago, I thought I could. Then my baby decided to become a fussy monster. The first day I thought that I had eaten something the night before that had upset her. Then this behavior repeated itself EVERYDAY!

My baby cries and cries and fusses, then cries some more. I have had to place her in her crib and walk away because of the crying. It makes me feel like a bad mother. I have talked to other mothers, asked nurses questions, bugged my mom and I finally got some recommendations on books to read.

I have been reading The Happiest Baby On The Block. It talks about The Cuddle Method. It makes sense. I'm still newly into it, but some of the advice has helped me. I also purchased The Baby Whisperer. I have yet to open it. (Can't find the time.) But, I will let you know what I think once I get to it.

Soooo, bear with me. I am trying to keep up with the blog, but it seems almost impossible.

(To put the icing on the cake, Gracie went into heat last Tuesday. Aaahhhh!!!)

Princess Avery

I was playing with Ave this morning and she started to talk to me. I grabbed my camera and caught the end of it.

She is the best thing to ever happen to me! I get to wake up and spend my entire day with this little ball of fire!

I just LOVE her SO much!!

(She starts to talk at 12 seconds. Please ignore my voice.)

Happy Birthday Aves!

Dear Avery,

Today you are 1 month old! Holy Cow. That went by quick. Too quick. You are such an angel to us. We ask ourselves what our life was like before you were born. The only answer we can come up with is we never knew how to live before. You have blessed our lives in more ways than we could ever have imagined.

You are such a strong little girl. Since the day you were born, you have been able to hold your head up by yourself. We can't explain it, but you seem to not want to miss what is going on around you. Sometimes when you are taking a nap, you will jolt yourself awake. Even if you have only been asleep for five minutes. You are such a night owl too! You started to sleep from 11 PM to 4 AM. But last night, you went to bed at 10 PM. Woke up at 1:30 and stayed up unitl 3:30, then were wide awake at 5:30. I don't know how you do it. Because your Momma is TIRED!!

You have the most beautiful eyes we have ever seen. They are bright blue and so BIG! I love watching you explore what is around you. You have begun to recognize our voices too. When someone new is holding you and we start to talk, you look around feverishly trying to find us.

You love the pupper dogs too! Yesterday you had a REALLY bad tummy ache and cried ALL DAY LONG. Monte is such a protector and would come lie his head on your feet to try to soothe you. Gracie hasn't figured you out quite yet.

You have also begun to smile in the last couple of weeks. It is such a beautiful smile. You make your mommy so happy when you do it. We think you will be a model, since you make so many faces. Even while you are asleep.

You also have begun to talk and tell us stories. We love when you tell us stories. You are so innocent and see the world in a way we never will.

Little Avery Lynn Holt, you will never go a day without being loved. You have such a loving fan base and have each and every one of us wrapped around your long skinny fingers. We love you so much and can't wait for the new developments we will witness in the upcoming minutes, days, weeks, months and years. But please....don't grow up too fast!!