Look-a-like contest

What is your vote?

Does she look like brother number one...

Or brother number two...

1 month

Avery Anne,
You've had a busy first month of life. You've had lots of people come to love on you, had your belly button cauterized twice, you sported your first bathing suit (see picture #2 above), I'm quite sure you've gained almost 4 pounds (mostly cheeks and chins), been to the beach (at less than 2 weeks old), been on vacation to Duck Lake (at 3 weeks old), and gone to Arcadia for the 4th of July (at almost 4 weeks old), and just last night you slept for 7 hours in a row! What a lovely surprise for me. :)

I'm guessing that you weigh close to 10 pounds, you can still wear newborn clothes but now fit in the 0-3 month outfits too. You wear a size 1 diaper, and still sleep for much of the day. You are often awake in the morning and again in the evening, but the afternoon you reserve for snoozing. You go to bed around 10pm and I usually feed you between 2 and 3am and then again between 5 and 6am. You've started giving us your first smiles which we LOVE. You have beautiful blue eyes and haven't really lost much of your hair. We are working on developing a love (tolerance is maybe a better word) for the car seat but are glad that you take a paci. Your brothers love to hold you and they often laugh at the silly faces you make. Jackson likes to help you out by covering you up and giving you your paci when you spit it out. Will has been renamed "Captain Obvious"..."Mom, she's crying", "Mom, she spit her paci out", "Mom, she just pooped".

We are more in love with you every day little girl and we are so glad you are part of our family!

p.s You might not know it yet, but you have the best big brothers in the world.

The proofs are in!

Oh how I wouldn't love to stop the hands of time. It is hard to believe that it is the middle of July already. I'm not sure where the days go, but somehow summer is half over and my baby is already 5 weeks old. I'm quite sure we were just in the hospital!

We had a newborn picture session done with Avery when she was 2 weeks old. The proofs are hot of the press so head to Photos by Kaity and check them out. (Go to Client Proofs, our password is avery). I especially love the pictures of all three kids together. These make my heart swell just a little. And my word has the girl gotten bigger since these were taken. Like I said, I'd love to stop the hands of time.

Soon to come, some pictures of the big brothers (no, I haven't forgotten about them) and pictures of the the chunky cheeks we have acquired in the last couple weeks.

A day in the life of a two week old

Our sweet princess has had a busy two weeks. She spends most of her day sleeping. I think the record for being awake (in one stretch) is about an hour. She is also growing like a weed. She is now weighing in a whopping 7 pounds, 4 ounces! This is the girl everyone was so worried about because she was busy loosing weight when she should have been gaining. She is up a full pound in one week. Good work, girl! We are loving on her every minute we get and feel so blessed.

A big brother update. Jackson is totally smitten with her. He loves to hold her and to give her kisses. He has transitioned into the role of big brother times two quite easily.

Then there is William. While he loves "sissy", he's a bit put out at the same time. He too loves to hold her but he's had his fair share of tears as well. He likes to play house and wants Avery to be the big brother and he wants to be the baby. He still calls her Sissy because most of the time he can't remember her name. I even heard in the middle of prayer, "Thank you God for Mommy, Daddy, Jackson, Me, Fudger and...Mama, what do we call her again?...oh yeah, thank you for Avery Anne Engbers. Amen."

Avery Anne

Introducing...(a tad on the late side, but so it goes with a newborn...)

Avery Anne Engbers
June 7, 2010
6 pounds, 12 ounces
20 inches



God has truly blessed us and we are filled with joy!

Fearfully and wonderfully made

While I am more than excited to meet our littlest one, my heart is heavy for my friend Katie and her family. They received news at their 20 week ultrasound that their baby Gabe is very sick. You can visit Katie's Blog to read more about their story here. I know they covet our prayers. I believe in the God of miracles and want to ask you to please join me in lifting their family up in prayer.

Katie, Kevin, Gavin, Anne Hope and Gibson, you have our prayers and our love. May you feel yourselves in the grip of God's mighty hands.

"For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be."

Psalm 139:13-16

Family picture

This is quite possibly my favorite family picture ever! Thank you Jackson.