And I Shall Watch The View Every Day

I have decided to stay home.

I gave notice at work yesterday. I will not be returning and I will be accepting the title of Stay At Home Mom. It's been a huge weight lifted off my shoulders too. I'm excited to be able to remain by Avery's side, to watch her grow and help her reach her milestones. I'm excited to be able to spend more time with Ryleigh, to be able to have breakfast together in the mornings and to be able to make dinner together in the evening. Ryleigh will continue to stay in school part-time, as she has since Avery was born.

Jeramy and I have been toying with this idea since last summer, however with his company going through a merger, we just didn't see it as a good idea until we knew what was going on with his job. Last week he was offered a promotion within the new company. This sealed the deal and made our decicison very easy.

We had a great time in West Texas. Avery has started to make lots of cooing noises and follow objects with her eyes. She especially loves to talk to her bugs that Sara and Kalman gave her that hang from her car seat. She has also started smiling a lot. People, her smile could melt the polar ice caps. She is certainly all girl and Jeramy and I were just talking about how we haven't had a single person mistake her for a boy.

Our family computer is temporarily down, but as soon as we get a new battery, I will be posting lots of pics from our vacation.

Conversation

Mom: "Ryleigh, where did you get those scratches on your arm?"

Ryleigh: "Hannah's cat did it."

Mom: "What did you do to the cat?"

Ryleigh: "I didn't do nuthin', she's jest mean."

Mom: "We've officially spent too much time in West Texas, you's talkin' like Grandma."

Why I'm Here

We've now been in West Texas for five fantastic days. The girls seem to really be enjoying their bonding time with their grandparents, uncle, second cousins great aunts and uncles and great grandparents. Ryleigh has spent a lot of time with Papa Dale (my mother's father). He even took her to a basketball game in Ft. Stockton. It's so great to have her at an age where she can kind of do her own thing. She begs everyone she comes across to play with her and usually wins them over with her big smile. There have been many, many bear hunts and lots of hide and go seek. Avery is just hanging out, doing her thing. Her thing includes, eating, sleeping, filling her diaper and puking on my shoulder. Daddy should get her tomorrow and then Aunt Becca and Uncle Blake on Saturday. We're going to really have a full house. Here is our crazy schedule:

Saturday Night: Wood Family Christmas in Midland
Sunday Morning: Church in Monahans
Sunday Afternoon: Robinson Family Christmas in Odessa
Monday Evening: Steen Family Christmas in Monahans followed by the annual viewing of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Tuesday Morning: Presents at my parent's house
Tuesday Afternoon: Combined family dinner for 30 at my parent's house
Wednesday: 6 hour drive to Granbury to visit Richey Family
Thursday: 4 hour drive home to Sugar Land

Merry Freakin' Christmas Everyone!

love, the montgomery clan

Updates

Avery went to the doctor last Thursday for her 2 month check-up. She weighed in at 10 lbs. 3 oz. and measured 21 inches in length with a head measuring at 15 inches around. All her measurements are right where they're supposed to be on the growth curve. Everything else about her checked out just fine as well. I got a little more lecture on why I shouldn't let her sleep with me. However, the doctor at one point looked at me over her glasses and said...you and I both know that babies have been sleeping with their mamas for thousands and thousands of years...yes ma'm, I promise that I am very safe.

On the same day, Ryleigh went and had her eyes checked. All is stable on that front as well. She has a small change in her prescription and we can ease up on the patching a little bit. Of course, the best thing about the appointment is that another surgery was not mentioned. So long as she has her glasses on, her eyes are staying straight.

Currently we are out in West Texas, visiting lots of family. Ryleigh is driving everyone crazy and Avery is winning over all the relatives. The plan for the week is to pretty much just hang out. On Friday we're going to have a birthday party for Jeramy and he should be in that day. I have some pictures that I need to get uploaded, but not today, maybe tomorrow.

Happy Holidays to all...jenn

Reapin' What We Done Already Sowed

As I dropped Ryleigh off at school this morning, her teacher pulled me aside to tell me a little story. Yesterday Ryleigh informed her teacher that she no longer has to do what her parents tell her to do because she is a big girl. Ms. Jo told Ryleigh that she has to do what her parents tell her to do to which she replied that, she is three and that she doesn't have to listed to what her parents say.

At this point the teacher's assistant chimed in, explaining that God teaches us that we must respect our parents and do what they tell us to do, to which Ryleigh replied, God is in heaven and has nothing to do with us.

Ms. Jo just smiled at me to which I replied, we've definitely got our work cut out for us with this one.

Thanksgiving Recap

We just enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving week! Jeramy got home last Monday and has been off work since then. That's 6 days straight of just the four of us hanging out, with the exception of Thanksgiving Day when we went up to Montgomery to see Jeramy's family. (Yes, the Montgomery family lives in Montgomery...charming, I know) We spent a lot of time just hanging around the house and getting the nursery set up. Avery's room is really starting to come together. I need to do a few more decorating type activities, but for the most part it's put together. We also got the tree up last night. And by tree, I mean tree. The lights and ornaments, not so much. Actually, I'm supposed to be on light checking duty right now, but instead I've been taking care of some household secretarial type activities. Seriously, how does anything get done when I'm working!

Avery is still growing like a crazy. Every day she changes and last night we put her mobile up in her bed which she really seems to like. It will keep her happy for a good 10 minutes or so. She's starting to fit in to her 3 month sized stuff. She's our little fat-so!

Ryleigh has been eerily good the last few days. She seems to be getting a bit more girly and must always dress as a princess these days. That means wearing pink and/or a head band. Her favorite thing to do right now is go on a bear hunt. This means that she and her hunting partner each take a flashlight and go looking all over the place for a bear. I stuck a stuffed bear under her covers the other night, thinking that she would find it fun to actually "find" a bear. When she found it, she just looked at me like, silly mom, this is a stuffed bear...don't you know that we're after the real deal???

Time to get the barking dog back in the house and to feed the baby, do some laundry, check the Christmas lights, make some bread, pick up the toddler....seriously, how is it that I manage to squeeze in work? I guess I'll find out in 6 more weeks!

Avery One Month Stats

Weight: 8 lbs. 15 oz.
Length: 20 inches
Head: 14 3/4 inches

Everything looked really good at her one month check up. The doctor wasn't real happy to hear that she's been sleeping in our bed and she gave me some ideas to try and get her in her own bed. Avery gags and coughs and every time I lay her on her back, so the doctor suggested creating an incline out of her mattress. She may have some very mild reflux issues, but nothing to be too concerned about. I love her sleeping all snuggled up next to me, but it is a good idea to start trying to get her over in her own bed.

Check out the new pics!