Getting to Know You

The last week or so has definitely been an interesting one at the O'Brien household. Our little Avery has been changing so much. His alert time has increased tenfold, and unfortunately his sleep time at night has decreased at the same rate.
I think I have been averaging about 3 to 4 hours of sleep per night.

Last night,out of nowhere, our little guy slept 4 hours straight. I woke up so confused, wondering why Avery hadn't cried, I actually went to his door and listened to make sure he was still breathing! Let's hope he keeps this up. It was heaven!



Avery has definitely been developing a personality. He loves to smile at familiar faces... especially at his Nanny and Oopa. Today, during their weekly visit, Nanny and Oopa received many "coos" from our little guy. He wasn't completely a dream though. He refused to fall asleep during our walk, and was fighting to keep his eyes open even though he was quite tired. Thus, he was quite a cranky baby. I guess he can't be perfect all of the time!



It seems as though each week we learn a little bit more about Avery. I have a sinking suspicion that there is a mischievous boy emerging in our son. Time will only tell!

Mirror Images

Pat and I have always had trouble deciding who Avery looks like. We actually can't see any resemblence to either of us. Avery definitely has Pat's arms, legs, fingers and toes... but that's as far as it goes.

Last week when my parents visited, my mother brought me my baby photo album. I was beside myself when I opened it and saw the mirror image of Avery on the page. Just look below and judge for yourself! I can't wait to see if he continues to look like me as he develops more distinct features.






I can not believe another weekend has gone by. Saturday, I stole some alone time to get a pedicure with my sister (mom needs the occassional pampering too!). Yesterday evening we went to a BBQ at John & Ann's. Avery was extremely well behaved until just around 9pm - when he began wailing. We ran the little guy home as fast as we could while it was pouring rain. It definitely is not easy trying to fit two adults and a baby under an umbrella while speed walking! This afternoon we had a visit from Aunt Kim. While Avery enjoyed resting in Kim's arms, Pat and I devoured the DELICIOUS Moe's burritos Kim brought us for lunch. What a lovely way to spend a rainy afternoon.

Saying Goodbye

On Saturday, Pat's parents and sister had to start their trip back to South Carolina. Boy, we were all sad to see them go. It's so nice they were able to come up and visit for as long as they did...but we still wish they could have stayed longer. They promised to be back soon - hopefully in September. We can't wait!



While they were here, we wanted them to see Avery take a bath. What a change from the last time! He absolutely loved it. He didn't fuss once. I hope he wasn't just showing off for the crowd.



Avery has begun making a few "cooing" sounds. It's such a pleasure to hear him trying to find his voice. I can only imagine the joy I will feel when he says his first word.

Today we had a special visit from Aunt Camille and her son Jay. Jay was such a sweetheart - he kept giving Avery kisses on the forehead. Aunt Camille was too generous and brought us some much needed groceries. Hand it to the mom's to know exactly what is needed. Thanks again!

Our Big Guy

Today, Pat and I took our "big guy" in for his 4 week check up. We were so anxious to see what he would weigh in at. We were hoping for around 8lbs. You can imagine how thrilled we were when we saw the scale stop at 9lbs 4.8oz! That means in the span of two weeks Avery gained 2lbs 6oz. Crazy! I wonder what he'll gain in the month before his next appointment!



Having our family in from South Carolina has been wonderful. They have been helping us out so much and we have really enjoyed being able to spend so much time with them. Yesterday we took a trip out to Vaughan Mills and spent the evening watching the crazy thunderstorm from our apartment. We definitely needed it to help cool things down. I think today we will take them to Sherway Gardens. It's nice to spend the afternoon in the air conditioned mall instead of our hot apartment.

The Outlaws

The evening of my last post, Avery's umbilical cord finally came off. We were so excited to give him his first bath. However, Avery did not share our enthusiasm. As you can see from the picture, he pretty much hated it. Hopefully this is something he will learn to enjoy. We also started our "tummy time." Avery's father and I are so impressed with how he can lift his head and turn from side to side.

On Friday, my outlaws... um, I mean inlaws, came to town. Grandma KK, Grandpa Ray and Aunt Leighlo were so excited to see our little man. Leighlo brought about a truckload full of goodies for Avery - including the most adorable pair of chocolate brown Uggs.


I feel a little bad because it seems as though Avery is going through a growth spurt and is spending about 80% of the day attached to my chest. That has left limited time for the family to cuddle with him.

Saturday, Joel and Laura came to visit. They brought us the most adorable Arsenal outfit. Pat was beside himself (it's his favourite soccer team). We can not wait to see Avery kicking around the ball wearing his new uniform. Aunt Michele, Uncle Jerry and cousin Truman came over for a visit as well. We went down to High Park and had fun in the playground where Truman fixed us hamburgers made out of sand.

Yesterday we took a road trip to Ajax for a family BBQ. What chaos at my parents house! Truman was, of course, showing off for the O'Brien's, specifically Leigh (I think he's got a bit of a crush on her actually). It was a fabulous meal and before we knew it, it was 9pm which is normally the time we put Avery down for the night. It didn't matter not getting him to bed on time, since he ended up waking every two hours to eat.

We are so anxious to see how much he weighs when we take him to the doctor on Wednesday. We wouldn't be surprised if he tips the scales at 8lbs based on his feeding over the last week.

Happy Canada Day!

What a nice weekend at the O'Brien household. Daddy had four days off which was wonderful for Avery and myself. We enjoyed the weather as much as we could, taking lots of walks and BBQing every chance we got. As you can see from the picture, Avery finds our walks quite exciting.



We went on our first outing - to Square One. Avery was wonderful and didn't fuss at all. It gave me an excellent chance to jump into the change rooms and buy some post pregnancy clothes!

Today Nanny and Oopa came for a visit, once again bringing delicious food for us to eat. We can't thank them enough.



Friday Avery's Grandma KK, Grandpa Ray and Aunt Leigh are coming to town. We are so excited for them to finally meet little Avery. Hopefully the weather will be a bit cooler for them - they are used to the humidity of South Carolina - although I imagine no one really gets used to that much heat.

Avery's umbilical cord is finally on the verge of falling off. It is taking every ounce of my being not to pick it off. It's taken such a long time and we are anxious to start a few new activities that require it to be gone - such as tummy time and his first soak bath.