Showers and Parties Galore

Now that the house is finally set up, it's time to entertain!

Our first get together was dinner with Andrew's cousin Ethan, brother Reid and his wife Demetria. Ethan was in town for just 2 short days, visiting from New York. We only get to see Ethan once a year if we're lucky (considering he used to live in Paris), it was a treat for us all!

Last weekend I helped host a baby shower for one of my best friends from Tech, Karen Blackburn. Karen and Carter are expecting their first baby just two weeks before our little one is due. It's been so much fun being pregnant with all of my college friends (the first time around it was Sara, Paige and me. Now it's Karen, Paige, Emily and me)! Also, I couldn't have been more excited to have the shower at our house considering Karen has hosted many showers for Andrew and I here in Austin.

Here are a few pictures, courtesy of Paige!

Our second party was to celebrate Mom's birthday! It was a fun night and the weather was nice enough to sit outside for a bit! The only pic if have from this night is actually a great summary. Cupcake, Avery and Elise! There was a lot of running around playing, football and plenty of food!

The Austin Children's Museum

This past Sunday we took Avery and Elise to The Thinkery, the Austin Children's Museum. It was our first time to go and wow, we're MUST go back as there was so much to do there. The girls were so entertained we didn't even make it through the entire museum (after a 2 hour visit). Luckily with our Bank of America cards, we get free admission on the first weekend of every month. Looks like we'll be headed back to The Thinkery come October.

My Little Fish

We've had so much fun this summer! One of our favorite Activities has been swimming.  This summer we signed Avery up for swim lessons at Emler Swim School, which she has loved! She's always enjoyed the water, but since we've been in lessons, her confidence in and around the pool has grown tremendously. Her lessons are on Monday evenings for half an hour,then we practice what we've learned throughout the week in my parents pool.

Some of her skills include: 

- sliding off the wall and going under the water

- holding her breath for up to 6 seconds

- hang man (holding onto the wall) by herself then crawling with her hands along the wall to grab a toy

Below is a picture from our last day of class.

Splash Day!

Avery has so enjoyed her new daycare. She's grown up so much this summer and I think a lot of it is that she's exposed to more kids and activities. She's also a tad bit younger than the rest of her classmates which has pushed her to excel even more.

Her vocabulary grows everyday. She's saying three word sentences and understands most everything we say. She's also being exposed to the potty and is interested in it so I think we'll be potty training her in the near future.

But, the best thing about Avery's school is that every Thursday they do Splash Day. This is where all the kids put on a swimsuit and play in small pools and with water toys. Avery loves it. The teachers do such a great job of posting pictures each week. Here are a few of my favorite pics.

Beach Babe

A few weeks ago we made one final trip back to Boston to pack up our condo. We were lucky enough to squeeze in a day at the beach. Avery was a little skeptical of the cold water at first, but she finally warmed up to the idea of splashing around. Her favorite part was playing with the sand.

Zilker Hillside Theater

Attending the Summer Musical at the Zilker Hillside Theater has been an Austin tradition for Andrew and I. The production runs throughout the summer every Thursday through Sunday night. This year the musical was Oklahoma! 

Before the play began, we took Avery for her first swim at Barton Springs Pool.

 

  Kelly, Mark and Elise met us for a picnic dinner. Luckily Mark brought the iPad so the girls could watch "Frozen."

Our New House

We couldn't be more excited to move into our new home in less than two weeks!

After browsing Austin homes since the day Andrew and I got married, and more seriously searching over last 2 months we are so excited to have finally found the ONE! Andrew and I are in love with this house for many reasons.  The number one reason being the neighborhood, Lost Creek, where Andrew and I both spent much of our childhood years. Andrew grow up in this neighborhood so he knows it like the palm of his hand. Right after we visited the house for the first time, Andrew drove me all around pointing out the homes of each of his friends.  The neighborhood county club is not only where Andrew proudly swam on the swim team, but also where I took tennis lessons as a kid and where I was a lifeguard throughout high school.

Here are some pictures of the house as it looks now. Can't wait to give another update once we are settled in!