Home of the Havens

We've moved to facebook....

2009-10-13T23:07:00.002-05:00

I'm sorry that I've dropped the ball on my blogspot. I just found that I never had time to update it. Please look me up on facebook as I am now using that instead (mostly because I can do it from my phone and it is so much faster and easier). Thanks for checking our site!!

Catching Up...

2009-03-12T22:37:00.008-05:00

Somehow two weeks has gone by since I last posted - how did that happen?!? We went to Avery's 4 month dr.'s appt and she weighed 14lbs and was 26 in. long. She is in the 95th percentile in height and still in the 50th percentile in weight. Tall & skinny - that doesn't sound bad huh?

She is really growing up and is doing so many fun things. She is now blowing raspberries (a.k.a. sticking out her tongue and spitting all over everything). She is still smiling at everyone who will make eye contact with her and she is just the belle of the ball wherever she goes. She really is a lot of fun and we are enjoying her SO much!!

Just a few days ago, I started tickling her and David and I got to hear her REALLY laugh - like a deep, hard laugh. It was so great! She hasn't done it since then but we're really looking forward to the next time we hear it - it is such a great sound!

Avery is now rolling over like she's been doing it for years. She is loving "tummy time" (she sure didn't at first) and is even making some progress toward crawling. I'm sure it will be a while but hey, it's progress. She has also figured out that her toes can reach her mouth and occasionally we'll catch her sucking on them. She is just so adorable and we can't get enough of her.

I think that should catch everyone up. I've posted some pics below. I hope you enjoy them!!

Avery got to snuggle up to the Bearcat a few weeks ago at an SBU basketball game. She really liked him (as you can see)! Avery was given an SBU t-shirt so of course she had to model it. (spit up, drool and all!!)

Here we are at the doctor's office for Avery's 4 month visit. We were waiting for the doctor to come back in the room. (As you can tell, this was before she got her shots. :)

Here's our little "bear". She is still "growling" a lot and it's extra cute when she does it while she's wearing this coat! :)

Milestones

2009-02-24T16:15:00.004-06:00

Not too much has happened these last few weeks. Since ,y ;ast post however, Avery has reached a few milestones in that she is now grabbing her toes, she's almost rolling over, she's sleeping in her own room, (okay, you got me - she's only sleeping in there for her naps - yes, she's still in our room at night. ) Her room just seems SO FAR AWAY! I'm afraid though that we'll be making the big move in the next week or so. *sniff* Can it really be time?? (I can't even imagine what I'll be like on her first day of school!!)

I've posted a few pictures from the last few days. (grabing toes, after a bath, posing for mom, etc.) Avery is really growing up as you can see. -she is so long! We go to doctor on Thursday for her 4 month visit. She'll get some more shots :( and we'll get to find out how much she weighs and just how much she'grown.

We'll let you know how it goes...

Happy Valentine's Day!!

2009-02-15T13:51:00.002-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day from the Havens! I let Avery play with one of my belts and before long, she had disgusied herself as the "Valentine Ninja"! We've gotta watch this girl! Hope you all had a WONDERFUL day!! Happy Singles Awareness Day (a.k.a. Happy SAD!!) to all of our single friends out there!!!

Tea Time

2009-01-31T14:57:00.006-06:00

Avery went to her first tea party today. Her friend Emma (wearing black shirt with pink & white polka dots) turned 5 this week and her mom Brittany invited everyone over for tea. It was so cute and Avery had lots of fun with her little friends!

Baby Einstein

2009-01-29T23:00:00.005-06:00

Avery has really been interested in the tv lately so we thought we'd give a Baby Einstein video a try. She really liked it...

When I took this picture of her, she was sure to let me know that I was interrupting her! :)

Caught in the act!!!!!

2009-01-26T13:43:00.003-06:00

Avery has just started sucking her thumb. It's been hard to catch her but we know she's doing it. She doesn't do it very long each time but she has figured out that when her binky falls out, her thumb is a good substitute. Yedterday I finally got a picture of her doing it. I don't think I want her to start that but it is just so darn cute isn't it?? :)

Hanging out with Grandma...

2009-01-26T13:24:00.003-06:00

Due to my mom's work arrangement she only gets to see Avery on the weekends (right now she's working in Canada - until March). Last night she came over to see us and while she was holding Avery (see picture below) we all discovered that Avery loves watching the Food Network - that's our girl!!!

Saying goobye to Papa Bill...

2009-01-26T12:33:00.003-06:00

Papa Bill was here for just a short visit (3 days) but we're so glad we got to see him and that he got to meet Avery!!

Papa Bill is in town from Colorado!

2009-01-23T21:41:00.004-06:00

Avery loves her Papa Bill!

Breakfast in bed...

2009-01-16T13:41:00.002-06:00

This morning, Avery demanded to have breakfast in bed!! :)

A few days ago, Aunt Amber introduced Avery to the piano. She really enjoyed it and actually hit the keys a few times without any help.

Bath Time with Daddy

2009-01-16T12:45:00.007-06:00

Two of Avery's favorite things are her Daddy and her bath time...

She really enjoyed this morning's bath!

The Avery Interview

2009-01-16T12:10:00.006-06:00

Avery is quite the talker. We're still not sure what she's trying to say but we felt like if we asked her some specific questions that might help us learn her language. :)

Growing Up...

2009-01-10T11:53:00.006-06:00

A month ago, Avery didn't even know she had hands. (photo taken on 12/3 - the sweater is now way too small and no, we don't have to roll those pants anymore. :)

Two weeks ago Avery discovered her hands and wouldn't keep them out of her mouth!

And now, she's figured out how to use her hands and she's started clutching her silky!! She is growing up SOOOO fast. What will be next?

Oh, she's holding up her head very well too. She tends to drool a lot in this position though. :)

Cousins

2009-01-09T12:18:00.005-06:00

Here are a few more pictures of Avery with her cousins Arianna and Josiah. They visited us in mid-December (I had trouble remembering where I'd saved these pics. :) Arianna was "tickling" Avery in one of the pictures. It was pretty cute to watch. :) The pictures of Avery with Josiah were tough. It seemed like every time I got ready to take the picture, one of them started falling over. I'm sure it was funny to watch me constantly propping them back up. :) We just can't wait to get them all back together again!

Cutie Pie

2009-01-05T18:14:00.001-06:00

Cute church outfit from yesterday that I thought you'd enjoy...

Happy New Year!!

2009-01-01T23:50:00.011-06:00

Well, we made it through the holidays - what a busy time it has been for us! We have done so much these last few weeks. David's sister, Kendra, brother-in-law Ryan, and their kids Arianna (2) and Josiah (8 mos) came to visit for about a week and we had such a great time with them! Avery got to meet everyone for the first time and she and her cousins had a lot of fun together. (see pictures below) It was sad to see them go but we're thankful that we had such a great time together (we even got to see the lights at Silver Dollar City!).

Some other highlights from the last few weeks...

We celebrated Christmas with my (Erin's) mom and dad's side of the family and Avery got to meet lots of her relatives
My brother Elliot was home from college
We celebrated Christmas with David's aunt Connie, uncle Gary and their kids and grandkids and watched an SBU basketball game together (Go Bearcats!)
David got to play football on Christmas and had so much fun (even got some grass stains on his jeans -now that's serious :)
Avery got lots of cute clothes and toys and really enjoyed "opening" her presents
We celebrated the New Year with our Life Group. We had a lot of fun with them and we are so thankful to have such great friends!!
We've both had this whole week off and have had several opportunities to hang out with friends and family

Okay...now for the pictures - what you've all been waiting for... :) Avery is now smiling so much and interacting with us - cooing and gurgling and such. She's changed so much over the last few weeks and is just so much fun. We just can't get enough of her!!!

Updates on Avery...

She is now 9 weeks old
She had her first shots (5 of them) on Tuesday and handled it so well. She's a little trooper!
She is now 24 inches long and weighs 11 lbs 10 oz. She is in the 50th percentile in weight and the 95th percentile in height. She is just so long!!
Her eyes are looking like they probably will be either hazel or brown
She still looks more like her mommy (although there are hints of David starting to show up)

Okay, enough text, I know. Enjoy the pictures and I'll try to be a better blogger in the future. :) Merry (late) Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Faces of Avery

2008-12-07T19:38:00.001-06:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Decorating for Christmas

2008-12-07T18:06:00.003-06:00

My brother Elliot and my mom came over after Thanksgiving and helped us decorate our house. Elliot helped with the decor and mom helped with Avery (big suprise huh? :) hehehe - she just loves her granddaughter!!) Elliot was home from college for the week and it was great to see him. It was a short visit but he'll be back again for Christmas in just a few weeks. Maybe he'll help take the decorations down too. (crossing my fingers) :) Here are a few pics. Avery loved the lights - David helped her get a closer look. :)

Turkey Day

2008-12-07T17:47:00.005-06:00

It's Avery's First Thanksgiving!! (you can tell she's thrilled :)

We are so thankful for our little girl! We just can't believe that last year at this time, it was just the two of us and now this wonderful little person is a part of our family. We have truly been blessed and so thankful for her!!

I know this post is very late but, better late than never huh? We had a great Thanksgiving. We ate lunch at my mom's house in Springfield and ate dinner at my Grandma Easterly's house in Fair Grove. It was great to see everyone and Avery got to meet more of her family. I've posted a picture of Avery with her Aunt Amber and one with her Grandpa Tom. My dad got teased for sleeping on the job. We're not sure if he'll get asked to babysit again. :) just kidding!!!

Big weekend....

2008-11-25T23:57:00.006-06:00

If you can believe it, Avery turned 4 weeks old yesterday. Where did the time go?

Last week was pretty uneventful but this past weekend was pretty exciting. Grandpa and Grandma Havens (from CO) were in Oklahoma for a convention so we drove down to see them on Saturday (11.22). We stayed with Uncle Bob & Aunt Debbie in Muskogee. We got to see all of David's cousins (Michael, Andrew, and Lori) and their spouses (Jenny, Tara, and Louie) and ALL OF THEIR KIDS!! Aren't they all so cute......

David and I got to see several new faces and everyone got a chance to meet Avery. Grandpa informed us that she is their 16th great grandchild. Whoa! Here's a few pics of Avery with her great grandparents....

We really had a great time with the family but our visit was way too short!! Avery traveled very well in the car and in fact, that car seat is like a sedative to her. We put her in it and she's out like a light. It's so great!! :) So, where can we go next??

Elliot got home from college on Sunday and got to see Avery for the first time. I don't know if I've ever seen Elliot hold a baby. It was pretty funny to watch him with her but I have to say that in just two days he's already improved tremendously. He's going to be a great uncle!!

Corrections & Updates

2008-11-15T13:36:00.006-06:00

Well, I said that my days were blurring together didn't I? Avery had her 2 week check up yesterday (Friday), not on Thursday like I thought it was going to be. The appt went very well and the doctor said that she was very healthy and growing exactly like she should be.

When she was born she weighed 8 lbs 5 oz. By the time we left the hospital she weighed 7 lbs 12 oz. Yesterday, she weighed 8 lbs 12 oz. She's gained a whole pound! We were very happy to hear that. And, I was obviously WAY off when I said she weighed almost 10 lbs! I tried to weigh her on our bathroom scale (weighing myself with her then without her) and I did it very quickly. I should definitely double check my math huh? :)

They also said that for height, Avery was in the 90-95th percentile and for weight, she was in the 50-75th percentile. Her head at birth was 14 inches and yesterday it measured 14 1/2. She's definitely growing!!

My mom came over today and we took a lot of pictures of Avery. You'll notice that we got quite a few funny ones. Enjoy.....

What day is it anyway??

2008-11-12T19:21:00.005-06:00

I've not done a great job of blogging these last few days. We've not had too much going on and to be quite honest, the last few days have just kinda blurred together. We get up, Avery eats, she sleeps, we read some books, she sleeps, I sing to her, David is home for lunch, she sleeps, etc. We really haven't had too many exciting events to write about this week.

One thing that we did do this past weekend was that we went out to David's Aunt Connie's house in Bolivar for Thanksgiving (yes, a little bit early). The food was wonderful (as always!! ) and we had a great time with our family. I posted a picture of Avery in her car seat on our way to Bolivar. She doesn't seem to mind it at all (which is nice!) Maybe it's because she was half asleep. :) She looks pretty tired doesn't she?

Today I got Avery's activity mat out for the first time. She seemed to liked it. She can't really reach for things yet but the little toys hanging down did seem to capture her attention for a while. I'm sure we'll have lots of fun with it in the future when she can "play" a little bit more.

I posted a picture of Avery in her diaper so you could see just how long she is getting. I don't know exactly when it happened but she has really grown!! I just can't believe how big she is! According to my very unscientific measurements (using our bathroom scale) she weighs just over 10 pounds. Can that possibly be right? Avery has her 2 week doctor's appointment tomorrow (she was 2 weeks old this past Monday) so we should know for sure after that. I don't know how Avery feels about it but I'm excited that we'll be doing something outside of the house tomorrow. David will go with us to the appointment and maybe we'll even go out to lunch. Whoa! This could end up being a really big day for me and Avery!! :)

Lazy Day...

2008-11-06T17:26:00.003-06:00

Avery and I have had a few lazy days. Not much going on, so not much to post. I did take a video of her today. It is just so cute how little babies can't control their facial expressions -one minute they're frowning, the next minute they're smiling. I just love watching her!

2008-11-03T21:04:00.006-06:00

Today was a fairly uneventful yet wonderful day. David went to work for a few hours and then went to work out afterwards. He feels so good when he's working out on a regular basis and he is so glad to be getting back into that routine. He's been feeling a bit under the weather (maybe allergies) so he's not been able to cuddle up to and kiss Avery as much as he would like and it's been hard on him. He just loves her so much and he is so anxious toget over this!

Avery and I stayed home today and we just bummed around the house. We sat in the sun (in the living room with the windows open) and just listened to the leaves rustling in the yard outside. It was so nice and relaxing! I spent about 3 hours on the couch with her, feeding her, reading, singing to her, etc. and I just kept thinking that eventually I would turn the tv on. I had so much fun watching her little facial expressions (as she slept, as she was awake, etc.) that I just never turned it on. I couldn't believe how hard it was to take my eyes off of her. She is just so precious and I don't want to miss a minute of her! (I have a feeling that its going to be hard to get anything done around here! :))

We didn't end up giving Avery a bath yesterday but gave her one today instead (and David got to help!). I got the water a little warmer this time and it went so much better. I think she is going to LOVE bath time (once her umbilical cord falls off and she's able to have a real one).

Bronco Day (yesterday) was a lot of fun too (except for the fact that the Broncos lost) and Avery seemed to enjoy her time with daddy. (well kinda - she looks like she was enjoying her sleep doesn't she?) I slept through most of the game too but would still consider it a great afternoon (I love my sleep). Maybe next week we'll get naps AND a victory.

I don't know what we did to deserve such a perfect little girl but we are so thankful for her!! She is such a great baby, she is soooo mellow, and she very rarely cries. The dog barks, she doesn't budge, we change her diaper, she doesn't budge. She is just perfect! (we might be a bit biased) We are truly blessed!

It's Bronco Day!!

2008-11-02T13:34:00.003-06:00

It's a big day at the Havens home -it's Broncos Day!! We went out and got the mail today (yes, I know it's Sunday) and David got a package from my cousin Laura. When he opened it he was pumped to see some more Bronco gear for Avery!! It was a nice surprise and we have them in the washer so they'll be ready in time for the game today at 3:00 p.m. :)

Aunt Carrah and Grandpa Tom are here today for lunch and we're all going to watch football and just relax. Avery will have another sponge bath today and we hope that this one is a little less eventful. :) Other than that, we're just resting today (mine and David's favorite thing these days!).

Friday & Saturday Update...

2008-11-01T20:04:00.008-05:00

It's been a crazy last couple of days. David and I have taken a little bit of time to get some rest and I've not had much time for our blog:( We went to the pediatrician yesterday. We had completely forgotten about Halloween until we got to the office and all the receptionists were dressed up (we've been a little out of it :). The doctor said that Avery was doing GREAT and David and I were very happy to hear that. We went home and spent a good chunk of the day napping (all 4 of us, including Mr. Bones - this is hard on him too). We dressed Avery up in the only Halloween attire that we had and she was less than thrilled about that. Not long after that, she got her first bath (or sponge bath) at home. She wasn't too excited about that one either. Right after we wrapped her up in her nice, clean towel, she unloaded her dinner with gusto. Needless to say, she also got her second bath last night. It was a big day for Avery and as a result, we had a great night. She slept so well and so did mommy and daddy.

Today, Avery spent a lot of time with daddy while mommy rested. Avery learned how to play Madden on the XBOX, David sang her nursery rhymes and lullabies, told her about Jesus, read Proverbs chapter 1 to her, and watched college football. I went out to lunch with Grandma Connie and Aunt Amber and enjoyed a little time out of the house. I bought Avery a new swing that David and Aunt Amber put together (which was fun to watch) and David was soooo anxious for her to use it. When we put her in it we quickly discovered a diaper malfunction (a.k.a it somehow wasn't even latched on one side) and she soaked her swing. Oops! It's in the washer now. She's really good at breaking things in! What a day it's been! :)

Tomorrow is another very big day for daddy and Avery (David calls their time together "Dave & Ave Time" - it's very cute.). It will be the first opportunity for the two of them to watch the Broncos play. David is calling this special time "Bronco Day" and has asked me to commit to helping Avery get excited about it each week. Maybe she and I can work on a cheer. Papa Bill and Nanny Chris gave her a Bronco cheerleading outfit last week and although it's kinda big right now, maybe we can have our cheer down pat by the time it fits. :)

A few more pictures...

2008-10-30T16:31:00.011-05:00

Mommy and Avery, getting ready to go home from the hospital...

Some Daddy and Avery time at home...

Avery in the hospital doing her favorite thing - SLEEPING!!

Feeding time (before she learned to nurse)

We just can't help but call her our "Sweet Little Monkey". Can you see why?? She has so much hair!!!!

More pictures...

2008-10-30T16:25:00.007-05:00

This is a picture of Avery's first meal. We had trouble getting her to nurse at first so we pumped and this was her first taste of milk (or colostrum).

Our sweet little bundle of joy...

2008-10-30T13:43:00.006-05:00

David and I had our first night at home last night and we are all adjusting SO well (very tired though :). From the very beginning we've had trouble keeping Avery awake for feedings (and just about everything really). This girl can sleep through anything!! However, last night, we had a breakthrough and she told US that she was hungry unstead of us having to tell her. :) That was quite a relief for David and I. She is now nursing very well and everything is going great!

I (Erin) am feeling GREAT and really can't complain. I'm taking it very easy and I'm not doing much. David has already proved to be such a GREAT DAD!!! He has changed every diaper and has done SO MUCH to help me. He is a great time/schedule keeper (for feedings) and he's keeping us all on track.

Mr. Bones is still trying to figure this all out. He didn't react to her too much but you'll see in one of the pics I'll post that he's just kinda like "Uh, I'm not sure how I feel about this. Is anyone going to pay attention to me?" We all (including Bones) got very little sleep last night and he is really tired today. Every time I look at him he is sitting there trying to keep his eyes open and he just keeps nodding off. It's pretty cute.

David and I just cannot believe that we get to keep this adorable, perfect, little girl. She is such a gift and we just feel so blessed. God is so good!!!! And, we've been so blessed by our friends! Thank you to everyone for the gifts and the goodies and all the help and the surprises we found in our kitchen when we got home!! We feel like we have recieved the best gift in the world and then there are all these other little gifts that we just keep getting. We are so thankful and feel so blessed!!

I'm kinda obsessed with pictures and don't feel like any of them do her the justice she deserves. I'll keep posting more as we take them - she just gets cuter every day! We'll be sure to keep you updated as we continue on this amazing journey......

She has finally arrived.....

2008-10-28T10:13:00.005-05:00

Avery Nicole Havens is finally here!!! She was born yesterday at 6:49 pm and was 8 pounds 5 ounces. She was 22 1/4 inches long (whoa!) and has a full head of jet black hair. We just cannot get over her hair!!!

Labor was great and very fast. We were admitted at about 3:00 pm and had her almost 4 hours later. We didn't sleep much last night so this post is pretty short (we're so tired!). We've attached a few pics of Avery (at the top)and then one of me (Erin, at the bottom) as a baby. Avery is practically a spitting image of me as a baby! (Well, she has quite a bit more hair than I did!)

We'll be sure to post more info later after we've had some rest....

Still waiting...

2008-10-26T18:28:00.005-05:00

Well, we really thought that today might be the day but there's not much of the day left huh? I've had stronger contractions today and I've even been feeling them in my back (a very good sign). It appears as though I've definitely started the labor process but we're learning firsthand (as all you mothers out there know)that this is not a very quick process. :) David wore an orange shirt with blue stripes today just in case we did have her. He wants to make sure that she gets acclimated to the Broncos colors just as soon as she possibly can and thinks that if she sees them immediately after she's born, it can only help to instill that Bronco loyalty and pride within her. Papa Bill and Nanny Chris gave us a blue and orange Bronco cheerleading outfit and a pink hooded Broncos sweatshirt today. David very intentionally placed them in a specific spot in her nursery so they'd be the first thing she sees when she comes home. :) I can only imagine what David would be like with a son!! :)

I've included a picture that we took today. I think I'm ready to have a baby don't you?!? We will continue to keep you posted as we know more

Latest Baby News...

2008-10-25T00:13:00.003-05:00

Forty weeks today! We had an ultrasound this afternoon and they estimated that Avery weighs 8 lbs 9 oz. (give or take 1/2 lb). We got some pretty good views of her face and it looks like she has David's nose (it turns up a little)and kinda chubby cheeks. The ultrasound tech said that she was "loaded with hair" and she "sure wasn't going to be a baldie!" I'm so excited that we'll be able to use all these hair bows we've received!! :) Our doctor told us that she was in about the 88th percentile (can't say we were too surprised) and that I was dilated to a 2 and 70% effaced (same as last Friday's appointment). I am scheduled to be induced next Wednesday, October 29th at 7:30 am if she doesn't arrive before then. Please be praying that she comes naturally (we'd sure prefer that over inducing!) We've spent so much time waiting for Avery to arrive - it's so crazy to know that we get to meet her in 5 days or less. We are so excited!!!

Oh, and please make sure to vote in our latest poll (on the right side of the screen).

Hope to have more news to post soon...

No baby just yet......

2008-10-21T15:23:00.002-05:00

I'm not due until the 25th (only 4 more days!!!) but David and I are so ready to meet this little girl!! I'm feeling great - just kinda big and awkward. :) I've had lots of contractions over the last 3 or 4 days but they're not really painful ones - just my belly tightening up all the time. (a.k.a. Braxton-Hicks) We've got everything ready - hospital and diaper bag packed, the car seat installed, the nursery done - now we just need a baby! We'll be sure to post some pictures of Avery just as soon as we possibly can!!

Welcome to our blog!!

2008-09-21T00:25:00.003-05:00

I can't believe it but we've officially jumped on the blogging bandwagon! We hope you'll find this to be an easy way to keep up with us and our newest addition - Baby Avery!! Although she's not here yet we expect her in 5 short weeks!! We are so excited and can't wait to meet her. Stay tuned for more....