Walk'n the Walk

I know it has been forever since I have last posted about our Avery, but things have been out of control over here!
So much has been going on; unpacking, trying to negotiate day care spots, a wedding and a whole lot of walking.

Our little man is really on the move these days. He is walking whenever he can, resorting to crawling only when lazy ;) I think it has made him a happier baby. It's as if a whole new world has opened up to him.



I also can't believe his intellectual development. The other day he helped me by trying to put on his own shoe (so cute). His understanding of feeding is what gets me. He constantly tries to give his stuffed bunny water from his sippy cup. He loves putting things into his little plastic bowl to carry around the room. And today, as we were both eating a bagel, he would rest his piece on my plate between bites. It's too much. He is really like a little boy!



I think what's thrown me is seeing Kim's new niece. Molly was just six days old at Kim's wedding. It brought my mind back to bringing Avery home from the hospital and how tiny and vulnerable he was. Now that Avery is walking, he is more independent than ever. While it makes me incredibly happy to see my baby growing, I can't help but feel a little sad.

Eggs-elent Easter!

What a wonderful Easter weekend! Our only complaint is that it went by too fast.
We started our weekend out with a trip to Ma Maison with Truman and Michele. Those pastries are just too delicious. The wonderful ladies at the cafe gave Truman a Madeline cookie for being so well behaved!
The weather was so nice that we had to take advantage by going for a long walk through High Park. Since Truman adores animals, we thought nothing could be better than strolling through the zoo. I must say it was an adventure. With all of the kids running around, it was hard to tell which side of the fence the animals were on!
It was so nice seeing how well Truman and Avery played together. Well, it's more like Avery sits and watches Truman in awe... close enough.





Saturday was another day spent in the sun. A new bakery opened up in Bloor West Village (yes, another one!), so we had to check it out. It's a good thing we didn't buy too many items because when Aunt Kimbo came over to see our new place, she brought us the most delicious pastries from the Flaky Tart.

Sunday was almost a blur. We started out the day with a walk to La Crema, our normal Sunday morning tradition, but were sad to find out that it was closed for the holiday. We headed to Ajax early in the afternoon to help prepare the feast, with the help of Misty. As usual, the dinner was fabulous - and Avery was able to partake in the feast as well! He too enjoyed the turkey and mashed potatoes.





Avery was especially surprised to see that the Easter Bunny had travelled all the way to Ajax to bring him his first Easter surprise. No chocolate this year, but he was treated to a new outfit, a stuffed animal, a pinwheel, and a cellphone (that has been ringing off the hook; ladies, give it a rest!).



Avery treated us to a wonderful surprise as well. He took his first steps all on his own. We were blown away to see him walk about three paces, as he distracted himself with a toy. It seems as though whenever he isn't paying attention, he's able to take a few steps without scaring himself into falling. I think it's only a small matter of time until we have a little power walker on our hands!

Home, Sweet Home!

Well, we have finally started to settle into our new abode. I must admit that it took Avery quite a while to adjust. In fact, he still isn't 100% comfortable yet. The first night was the worst. The only way Avery would sleep was on my chest. Since this is something we are not used to (I can only remember one other instance of this happening), I can't say I got much sleep at all. It made the next few days quite challenging for all of us.



Avery has found joy during the day investigating his new pad. He doesn't know what to do with such a big room. We have been taking advantage of being right across from High Park; we take a least one long walk through it each day.



I have to say one of my favourite things about this building is how smitten all of the trades workers are with Avery. Whenever we are on the elevator, at least one of these gruff looking men bend down and start cooing at our little guy. It is just adorable!



Next week, Avery will be celebrating his 10 month birthday. As happy as I am to see him growing and developing, it also reminds me that our days alone together are coming to an end. Even though it wasn't always easy, I am going to miss our endless hours spent together. However, I promised myself I wouldn't let that get me down. We still have over two months of fun left. And, with the weather ever improving, our days are sure to be packed!

Avery in Wonderland

No, not Canada's Wonderland. Think Alice in Wonderland. That's how I imagine it feels like for Avery right now.
We are literally a few sleeps away from our big move, and as such, our place is one topsy-turvy mess. I can sense how uneasy its made me feel with nothing being in its proper place, I can only expect that it would have a similar effect on our little man.

He has enjoyed investigating the boxes scattered throughout our apartment; he certainly has managed to navigate quickly through the maze its created. Aunt Misty has generously been spending her evenings entertaining Avery so that we could get more packing completed. It is simply impossible to do it alone. I will never complain about having such a curious son, but it requires all of your time and energy. That doesn't leave much room for anything else!



On top of all of this, Avery has been struggling through the emerging of not two (as previously thought) but four teeth. I've got to say that he has been handling it quite well. Of course he is a bit fussier than normal, but that's to be expected. We can finally see all four nubs coming out of his gums, so I think the worst of it is over.

I think Avery's pain subsided with the celebration of his first St. Patrick's Day. Of course he had at least a few beers to commemorate the event. As you can see from the picture, he had one too many, and spilled all over his shirt. What a lush!

9 Months and Two More Teeth

We went for Avery's 9 month doctor's appointment yesterday, which involved another much anticipated weigh in. Our man is a "whopping" 18lbs 14.4oz. I couldn't believe he came in under the 20lb mark, but, what do I know? He is a lengthy 72cm, which is great! But the biggest surprise from yesterday was how little he fussed when he got his vaccination. He cried more when he spilled water and got his socks wet (I'm not joking).

We started on dairy products yesterday. I brought home some cottage cheese from a food show I went to in the afternoon; one small thing among bags worth of delicious treats I had. Avery was not impressed with his first taste. I thought that maybe it was a texture thing, so I took my hand blender to it. That didn't help. Avery would not eat it. This morning we had some yogurt, which he took an immediate liking to. Thank goodness. It would be ludicrous for a child of mine to not enjoy dairy products! Although, I am sure ice cream would've swayed him if that were the case!



Once again our little Avery seems to be sprouting a few more teeth, which would account for his crankiness as of late. I can see two nubs about to cut through his upper gums. I am almost certain I see a break in the skin on his lower gums as well. Poor guy. He has been having a rough time with it. I have heard from other moms that the top two teeth are second only to molars in terms of pain when coming in. I feel so bad for our little guy that I have been letting him chew on things I normally would not want him to, including my elbow. Whatever helps him through the pain.

P.S. I wanted to add more photos, but blogger is being temperamental. I will keep trying, so check back soon for more pics of (as Kim would say) Avery, Male Model.

Now We're Movin'

I was hoping that Avery wouldn't start being incredibly mobile until we moved into the condo. I know it was naive of me to think this; he is approaching the 9 month mark after all. Well to say he's become mobile is almost an understatement. This kid can move.
I also didn't realize how quickly he would become interested in getting into everything. When my parents were over earlier this week, I had brought out a plate of cookies for us to noche on. Not two seconds after putting them on the table did Avery pull himself up and grab a fist full! It was nuts.
If he's unhappy about being left in the living room while I go to fix him some food in the kitchen, he just crawls after me. It's nice to know that he's able to get to where he wants to go! He certainly has shown us that he doesn't like sitting still.
Next week, Avery has his 9 month appointment - weigh in time again.



Pat and I really have no idea what to guess with this one. Normally we overestimate, but the way this kid eats, I really have no concerns on how much he's grown.
And on the subject of moving - The O'Brien Clan is starting to get packed up for our relocation to our new condo. It's been such a long time coming that it seems surreal that it is finally happening. Luckily in the condo, it's one giant open space, so I'll always be able to have my eyes on my mischievous fellow!

 

What a Weekend...

I am finally getting to unwind; I poured myself a nice glass of wine, I am in my pajamas and I am watching the Oscar Red Carpet. I think I deserve it after the weekend we've had. Let's just say I started out the weekend sick and it hasn't gotten much better.
Friday was the worst. After a grueling day (Avery wasn't napping very well and I was just exhausted), Pat came home early and I was in heaven! However, after Pat played with Avery and put him to bed, the nightmare began. Avery would not stay asleep; he had unfortunately caught whatever sickness I was carrying around. He woke up almost every couple of hours. Since I needed some rest, we resigned to bringing him into bed with us. That bought us about 4 hours of sleep, but then Avery decided it was time to get up and play. Pat stayed up with him from 4 to 6am, at which point we switched off and it was my turn to entertain the little hellion.
So, needless to say, Saturday was a write off. We were just zombies and had many Starbucks runs. I can't even say what we did today, but it seemed to just fly by. You wouldn't think that the day would seem short if you've been up since 5:30am.
However, you quickly realize that when you are spending time with the ones you love most, you always wish you had more.

Here's some pics of Avery before our crazy weekend, reflecting his normal, happy demenor.