who just turned 1 year old?? Avery Jane!

It is sooo hard to believe that Avery is already 1 year old, weighing it at just under a whopping 17 pounds. :) It seems like just yesterday that we were holding her in the palm of our hand. And now she is our little girl who loves to crawl all over the place, loves to get into the kitchen and explore (those pics to follow soon), loves to be outside and swing and walk and play in the sand, loves to put everything into her mouth, loves to listen to music and watch mommy and daddy dance...and so much more.

Happy Birthday, our sweet girl!

On her birthday, we went back to the NICU for a visit...

how big is Avery? ...SO BIG!

her first cake...

now, her birthday party...and more cake

some of her good friends...

lets go hiking!

this past weekend, we went for a hike and i cannot even tell you how much Avery loved it! if she could be outdoors 24 hours a day, she would be the happiest baby around! she was just laughing and smiling the entire time... the best.

a little late...but, my birthday...avery and i go to disneyland!

we had a great day at the happiest place on earth! i took avery on all the rides...dumbo, jungle cruise, pirates, winnie the pooh, the carousel... she loved it! and we had such a good day together. later, josh was able to join us and i truly had the best birthday a girl could ever ask for!

A very tired little girl after a fabulous day!

Part Two...Our Weekend Getaway

So, Nana came all the way out to CA to stay with Avery so Josh and I could go away for the weekend...Seriously, how great is she?? This was my first time away from Avery overnight...let alone, for 3 nights. And lets just say that the day or two before we left, I was a nervous wreck! But...I knew she'd be in great hands with Nana. The perfect situation.

So, Josh and I headed down to Newport Beach for some sun, relaxation, good eats and good times. We got there Thursday night...and to be honest, we didn't know what to do for a second. We had no baby to put to bed or bottles to wash or diapers to change. Kinda funny...

We had an amazing time...and I discovered I wasn't as stressed as I thought I'd be! Funny how a lounge chair by the pool in 80 degree weather and a good book and a pina colada will do that to a girl. ;)

our pool

now the other view...looking at the ocean

and yes, my husband played in the ping pong tournament...and won first place. i was so proud. and no, this wasn't a retirement resort!

he won the blue ribbon...and a mug. loved it.

Sunset, Dinner with friends and a dip in the hot tub...made for a great night

Birthday Extravaganza...Part One

Yep, I turned the big 3-0 yesterday...not too sure how I feel about that yet. I'll get back to ya.

However, I was able to celebrate with a fabulous weekend! My mom (aka Nana) came out from OH last week and stayed with us for a few days. She and Avery had a great time together...it was so fun to see them play and hang out.

So, my mom being here in LA...that was "part one" of my birthday celebration...I am such a lucky girl!

Avery admiring the GORGEOUS roses that Bob sent my mom while she was here...is he sweet or what??

Our trip to the beach

Too cute...