Happening lately

I'm finally getting over my third (THIRD) cold in the last two months. This one was all in my chest - coughing & sore throat. To be honest, it was an easier cold than the first one that was all in my sinuses because I could actually breathe. But still not fun. I lost my voice for a few days too. Dr. Google says breastfeeding does not reduce your immunity, but I guess being awakened 4-10+ times per night for eight months straight does take its toll. I seriously never get sick. And now three times in the span of six weeks... ugh. I hope I can stay healthy for a while now.

Speaking of Avery sleeping... she slept six straight hours without a peep last night. It was a miracle. I have been putting her down in my parents' room and last night she went down at nine, woke briefly at 10 and then slept until FOUR A.M.!!! I hope this trend continues. We've now graduated to putting her down in her own bed to start the night. I'm hoping she'll go longer and longer in there until she's in there on her own all night. I started this the last time I was here by putting her down in my parents' room (mom brings her to me when she wakes up) and she was sleeping a couple of four hour chunks. But then when we got back home it all kind of went out the window and she went back to waking every 1-3 hours and coming into our bed usually before midnight. Is it something about their room? Or her room at home? Who knows. Getting her into her crib to start the night has been something of a reprieve for me. I can go back downstairs and have a cup of tea and talk to my husband for a little while before going to bed. Then I can usually sleep on my own for an hour or two. It makes a big difference in how rested and refreshed I feel, just getting those few hours of personal space. Of course, I'm always a little bit happy inside when she wakes up and I get to snuggle her up next to me in bed!

We survived another trans-Pacific flight and Avery did really great. I was lucky enough to have an A/B seat all to myself. We sat next to an Australian family on their way to Utah to go skiing. They had five kids!! And from what I could tell they were all under the age of 10. The little five year old girl noticed Avery towards the end of the flight and said in her adorable Australian accent, "Mommy! Can I talk to the baby?!" And then, "Mommy! She looks like a dolly!" Haha, it was cute. By the end of the flight, all the children were crowded around my seat talking to Avery and showing her toys.

We've been having fun with Yaya getting ready for Christmas. We've been shopping, wrapping, decorating and planning meals. It's nice to be in chilly weather again, though I have no winter clothes that fit me at the moment. The last time I was in cold weather clothes I was wearing a size 6 and now I'm in a 10/12. (Ok, mostly a 12.) Avery didn't have any cold weather clothes either and had to get some new warm outfits. Sadly her chubby baby thighs are no longer on display all the time!

Avery is crawling all over the place now and pulling up on everything. She has to be supervised constantly. I turn my back for one second and she falls and starts crying. Or is getting into something she shouldn't. She is learning new things every day. She learned how to put blocks into this little bin that's covered with felt so you can't see what's inside, and to take them out again. She is also babbling now too. It started out with ba-ba-ba (still a favorite) and then ma-ma-ma, which has now been replaced by da-da-da. It's so cute - she wakes up first thing in the morning and looks over at me and says da-da. I wonder what consonant she will figure out next?

Adam is joining us soon, along with my sister and her husband. It's the first time my whole family will be together for Christmas since my sister and I were in college!

I guess that's about all the news I have. What's going on with you?