Playing at the mall

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We took a trip down to the mall yesterday and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to hang out in the kids’ play area while Mom did some shopping. Avery had fun and it was an nice opportunity to enjoy the nice weather.

Smart cookie

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Yesterday, in an attempt to tire Avery out so that she’d have a nap, we spent time talking about the “people” on her onesie – a carton of milk holding hands with a cookie who’s saying “I love you.” By the end of our conversation, I had Avery saying “cookie”.

Eventually, Avery tired out and went down for a short nap. After she got up, Mom came home from shopping and we were talking about what we did while she was gone. I didn’t think Avery would remember much from our conversation, but much to my surprise, she did.

Where’s Dora?

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For Avery’s birthday party, Mom (a master party planner and decorator) got Avery a bunch of Dora the Explorer balloons, including the one you’ll see in this video. Since the party, Dora has spent most of her time floating about 12 feet above our living room.

Last night, Dora floated into another room and had a grisly encounter with a ceiling fan. Her body punctured, Dora now she floats using only the helium in her head. She can’t achieve escape velocity and this puts her well within Avery’s reach. This scene played out a few times before I finally decided to take some video.

Busy morning

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I took this video a couple days ago. In it, you’ll see Avery fighting to grab the camera (my phone), walking, and harassing the cat.

Typical morning.

Patriots good luck charm

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One of Avery’s birthday gifts was a Patriots cheerleader’s outfit. So, coming off two consecutive losses with a big game against the Jets looming last night, we had to try it out and see if Avery could bring the Patriots some luck.

Patriots 37, Jets 16. I think she’ll have to wear this on game days for the rest of the season.

Go Patriots-1

One year ago today…

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We welcomed Avery into our lives. Since then, time has flown and we’ve never been happier. On Sunday, we had a party to celebrate Avery’s birthday. Nana, Papa, and Amma were there, along with a bunch of friends. We had cake, opened presents, and played with a bunch of new toys.

Click on any of these to view a larger version.

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Here’s a series of photos that I combined to show how much Avery has grown and changed in her first year. The first photo is from week one. The second photo is at six months old. And the last photo is at one year.

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Thank you for an amazing year Avery. I love being your dad.

First Halloween

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Avery celebrated her first Halloween last night… sort of. We decided that we weren’t going to go door-to-door, because when you only have 3 1/2 teeth, there’s not much point to collecting a bag of candy (well, except to put more weight on Dad).

Instead, we hoped that Avery would enjoy getting dressed up and answering the door when the neighborhood kids came by. Unfortunately, Avery didn’t like her costume much. She looked adorable, but the ruffles, the glitter, the wings… all a bit too much. And the novelty of answering the door wore off quickly.

Mom and I had to work fast to get a few pictures and some video. Click any of the photos below to view a larger version.

1st Halloween

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Avery at the park

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Mom went on a business trip to San Diego and Los Angeles today and I wanted to make sure Avery was still up when she got home.

After I finished up my work day, Avery, Eli, and I headed down to the park around the corner to kill some time and have some fun. I brought some geeky photo equipment. Avery brought her personality, her smile, and a desire to pull every single blade of grass out of the ground. She almost achieved her goal. While she worked on it, I snapped a few photos.

Click on any of these to view larger versions…

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The San Diego adventure

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Last weekend, we made a family trip to San Diego, California. Once again, Avery was an excellent traveler and made the best of a six-hour car ride that included truck stops in the middle of nowhere and US Border Control checkpoints (Note to self/mom: We should probably bring her birth certificate next time. Just one of the joys of living in Arizona.).

We stayed in Ocean Beach, which – not surprisingly – has an awesome beach for people AND a separate awesome beach for dogs. I’m not sure which one Avery liked better. On Friday, we took a stroll down to the beach and checked out some of the local culture. On Saturday, we started the day back down at the beach to taste some of the local sand (yuck!), then we headed downtown to walk around and check out the Gaslamp District. Saturday night, we headed up to Del Mar to have dinner with my friend (and former boss) Maria – now affectionately referred to as “Auntie Ria”. They hit it off immediately and Maria has kindly offered trips to Sea World and the San Diego Zoo when we have a chance to make it back. I’m sure it won’t be long.

Photos below. Click any to view large…

Playing peek-a-boo with Dad at a General Store in Tacna, Arizona (aka "The Middle of Nowhere")

Playing in the bathroom on Saturday morning.

Mom and Avery at the Beach

Wiped out after the beach.

The Massachusetts Vacation Mega Post – Part 2

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Avery’s Papa (Ed) took a bunch of photos on our recent visit to Plymouth. He was kind enough to share them with us over the weekend, so I thought I’d put them up here for everyone to see.

Thanks Papa!

Papa and Avery

Party dress for Grammy's 90th birthday party

Chow time

Big smile

Hanging out with Marc and Mike

Bath time

Playing with clothes pins

Play time with Amma

The Packard family

Family dinner