Avery Kathleen Recker

I haven't forgotten about you, blog!

2010-12-20T17:42:00.000-08:00

The 4 of us :) Avery got a "grand piano" from Nana and Papa! She LOVES it! She loves singing Twinkle, Twinkle into the working microphone. It's soooo sweet :)

With her pal Papa John

Aves and Nana Marti

No, I didn't quit the blog, we have just been BUSY!!!! We are all settled into our house in Coralville, IA and READY for baby #2 any time now! He's due in less than 2 wks, but we're ready for him today! We'd love to spend Christmas as a family of four in 2010! Our move was very smooth, and we already feel so at home here. Our neighborhood is awesome...we really lucked out in that department again.

I have to note a couple funny things Avery has said lately:

1.) At the dr.'s office: "Mama has no pants on! Avery has pants on. Avery take pants off too?"

2.) Today she sang "Tinkerbell, Tinkerbell, Tinkerbell Rock!" to the tune of Jingle bell Rock.

3.) "You make me laugh, Gigi!"

4.) Every time she has to go to bed she says "2 minutes!" and hold up her 2 little fingers for effect

5.) She named some of her stuffed animals: Lucy, Justin, and Chuck (who knows where she got those from!)

She cracks us up every single day. What a blessing this little person is to our life.

Month in review

2010-11-01T16:18:00.001-07:00

Ready for trick or treating with Dad. She actually preferred being at home answering the door for the kids. She loves answering the "ding bell"...especially as snow white!

Snow white (the blond version!)

At Paige's birthday party with Abby and the birthday girl.

Nana Marti put rollers in Avery's hair. She loooved it! She's alllll girl!

We have been busy, busy, busy these past several weeks, and it isn't going to slow down anytime soon! The highlights of the month include: buying a house in Iowa, Luke starting his new job, trying to sell our house, a trip to Indiana, Halloween, and oh yeah, growing a baby! ;) So far Luke is really enjoying his new job. He is BUSY and learning a ton each day. We found a great house in Coralville. It's in a lovely neighborhood and just a couple minutes from Iowa City. The movers are coming Friday morning, and it's so long Sussex. We are really going to miss the wonderful people here, but are very excited about the change.

My pregnancy is cruising along. Only 9 wks til due day! We cannot wait to meet this little guy!

Moving on...

2010-09-29T06:02:00.000-07:00

We went to Chuck E. Cheese last weekend. We all had a blast! It has definitely changed from it's Show Biz days! (the pizza is still terrible though!)

Catching up with my good friends Steph and Lindsey in Tucson.

This was the highlight of the game...it was pretty much downhill from here. We had a great trip despite the loss.

Our little Hawkeye. She says "GO HAWKS!" when any football game is on!

Fall and winter '10/'11 will bring big changes to the Recker family. As if welcoming another member to our family isn't enough, we are moving too! Luke recently accepted a new job in Iowa. He will be selling surgical instruments (i.e. drills and other equipment) for spine, neuro, and ENT surgeries throughout the entire state of Iowa. It is a wonderful career opportunity for him, but we are SO SAD to leave our wonderful neighborhood. We have been so lucky to meet such awesome people in Sussex. I wish we could move the entire neighborhood with us! Luke starts mid-October, so we are hoping to make the move asap. We are setting up shop in Iowa City. It'll be so weird to be back there as non-students! It's such a great, family-friendly city. And growing up in a college town myself, I am happy to provide those same fun experiences for my kids. So, we have A LOT on our plates right now, but it's all positive and exciting. We are very grateful!

Move over pink!!! Baby Recker is a BOY!

2010-08-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

The cake for our "gender revealing party" It said "10 little fingers, 10 little toes, Which one will it be? Only Gigi knows"

The BLUE cake! We were SO excited!

In Omaha at a family wedding last weekend. Avery was 0-v-e-r picture taking! Early flight+no nap+the hokey pokey= 1 exhausted little girl! She did awesome though and had a BLAST dancing with all of the kids.

First bump picture! 22 weeks

We, along with several of our good friends, learned that baby Recker is a boy at the "Gender Revealing Party" that my mom threw us on 8/20. My mom came with us to the ultrasound (on a Wed) and was the only one to find out the sex at that time. She then ordered a blue cake to be made for the party on Friday. The guests wore pink or blue to match their guess on baby Recker's gender. There were definitely more blue's than pinks (including Luke and I). We were so excited to cut the cake to reveal BLUE cake! It was really fun and special to share that moment with friends. We are thrilled to be having a boy, but mostly just incredibly grateful to know that baby is healthy. We are sooooo blessed! Uncle Matt will have to give this baby boy some advice as to how to deal with a big sister! I kinda feel sorry for him already! ;) Avery is excited about "witto bruder" (little brother) and told me that he can use the baby swing on her swing set and she'll use the big girl swing! Awww!

Summer Fun!

2010-08-10T06:29:00.001-07:00

My little beach bum can't get enough of the sun, sand and water.
Making silly faces with cousins Paige and Caden

Checking out the cows at the WI state fair

"Are you sure about this Dad?"

Taking a turn on the big pig slide at the fair

We're having such a great summer. I can't believe it's coming to a close...it's gone so fast! Despite being in the States for well over a year, I still have to remind myself at this time of year that we aren't back to Europe! We've been keeping very busy with lots of visitors. The Pettis family came to see us a couple weeks ago, and Nana and Papa Pepple came to town last weekend. Uncle Matt even stopped by for a quick visit. It's been so nice to see everyone.

We're quickly approaching the halfway point in my pregnancy. Hooray! I am feeling baby move more and more. It's just as amazing the second time around. We find out if Avery is getting a baby bro or sis on the 18th...we'll keep you all posted!!!!

Great America

2010-07-22T06:50:00.000-07:00

She LOVES merry-go-rounds, a.k.a "up and downs"

Her favorite part of the day was the water play area (I mean, it was 95 degrees...I contemplated getting in!)

She loved driving the big red car she has been singing about for months!

I laughed watching them on this ride because it looked like Luke was riding solo. This huge guy in this tiny airplane alone just tickled me!

She loved Tweety, but more specifically his big feet...she is still talking about Tweety's feet!

We took a trip to Six Flags Great America last week. Avery had the time of her life! She loved "Wiggles World," an area in the park made just for toddlers. She wanted to go on all of the rides and wasn't scared a bit. Dad had to accompany her on all the rides since pregos aren't allowed even on the kiddie rides. Plus, spinning and jostling isn't exactly my thing right now. We had such a great day, despite temps in the mid 90s! Avery was POOPED after our big day...I think she was asleep on Luke's shoulder before we even got to the car!

Adee's Park

2010-07-12T13:27:00.000-07:00

Avery LOVES the park so much, that we decided to get her a big swing set for her birthday. She was so excited when she saw it and calls is "Adee's park!" I actually have to keep the blinds to the back of our house down in the morning, or I don't think this kid would eat breakfast before wanting to go out and play!

We had a full house last weekend when 4 of my very best girlfriends, and their husband/fiance/boyfriend came to visit. It was so great to see them and catch up. We had so much fun...I can't wait til the next time. I have the best friends in the world!

My pregnancy is moving right along. I'm 15 weeks now. I have gained back a lot of energy, thank God, and am feeling really good. I feel very grateful to be experiencing another enjoyable and healthy pregnancy :)

Birthday Girl!

2010-06-25T06:57:00.000-07:00

Snuggle bug
About to create a masterpiece. She is quite the artiste these days.

She didn't pass on the cake this year!

The balloons were a huge hit. She liked them better than any of her gifts!

This is the look I get when I tell her to say "cheese!"

We celebrated Avery second birthday last Sunday. We had a Minnie Mouse themed b-day party for her at my parent's house in Madison. Uncle Matt and Aunt "Wesey" (Lesley) were there to help us celebrate. It was so much fun. Avery loved every second of the festivities. Nearly a week later, every time I ask her what she wants to do today she says "birthday!?!" She was very in to the whole birthday concept. Her mantra all day was: "birthday. bazoons (balloons). cake. candles. blow. presents. open."

I'm sure most of you reading this already know by now that we are expecting another baby! Baby Recker #2 is due on January 2, 2011! We couldn't be happier or more grateful to be expanding our family. I know Avery will be an excellent big sister and a great little helper to me. I've been feeling pretty good. I have been extremely tired, but now I'm gaining some energy back every day. I had an ultrasound about a month ago and saw the little "bean" in there growing away. And at my most recent appointment I was able to hear the heartbeat, which was just as miraculous and amazing as the first time around. Such a reassuring sound...I could listen to it for hours. The HR was 160, so according to the old wives tale, it's another girl! We find out for sure August 18th. Can't wait! So...maybe a Christmas baby? a New Years Eve baby? Or perhaps a 1/1/11 baby!

Miss Independent

2010-06-06T07:16:00.000-07:00

My mom, Lesley, and I on Matt and Lesley's balcony (40 stories above Chicago!) before our night out for a bachelorettey party. Fun, fun!

Avery is so independent these days. She wants to do everything by herself. She points to herself and says "Adee!, Adee!" (that is how she says Avery...it's so cute!) She is so over us feeding her anything (which results in giant messes), she's trying to dress herself, brushing her own teeth, and she's even started to help herself to food in the pantry. She came walking out with a bag of pretzels the other day (that were subsequently dumped alllll over the floor!). She looooves telling us no, even to things she actually wants (i.e. cookies, going bye bye, etc). We give her choices of food, drink, etc, and she chooses one, then as soon as she gets it, says she wants the other one. She is definitely exercising her newly discovered independence! I wouldn't have it any other way! ;)

We are loving every second of this amazing weather. Avery loves being outside, especially playing in her little pool. Her favorite activity is picking grass, looking at her hands, saying "messy!" then washing them in her pool, drying them on her towel, and saying "all clean!"

Poor Aves had strep throat last week. :( A couple days on antibiotics and she's good as new. She's such a little trooper.

Trip to Indiana

2010-05-21T06:23:00.000-07:00

We had a great trip to Indiana last weekend. It was so fun seeing everyone. Avery had an absolute blast. Her highlights include: several trips to the park, the zoo, an early b-day party with cousins Caden and Abby, and Nana's cookies! All the kids with Nana and Papa
She loved the drums at the Ft. Wayne zoo. She was also a big fan of the mongoose exhibit. We could hardly tear her away from it.

Swinging with Paige and Caden. Girlfriend could swing for hours on end.

Enjoying her cool new bike from the Pettis family. Now if she could only learn to make it go forward!

This time around she wasn't missing out on the cake portion of a birthday party. A year older and a year wiser!

I forgot to mention in previous posts that we are rockin and rollin with potty training! She is going several times a day, and even waking up from her naps dry most days. We're proud of her progress, and fingers crossed we may have a fully trained girl by 2! It's hard to believe my baby is out of her crib and almost out of diapers. She is growing up so fast!

2010-05-09T16:07:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we attempted to take Avery to a live theater production called Nickelodeon's Story Time. We thought she would LOVE it since it was the live version of all her favorite characters (Dora, Kai Lan, Wonder Pets and Backyardigans)....we were wrong. She was so WILD the whole time and would not sit still. She was just tearing around the theater, barely checking to see if we were following her. We lasted about 20 minutes before Luke and I looked at each other, gave the "let's get the heck outta here" nod, and we took off. I think her attention span is about 6-12 months too young. Oh well! Before the show...she was very excited about the water fountain

Sooo happy to be spending Mother's Day with my mom and daughter

Buppa, Aves, and Gigi

I had such a wonderful Mother's Day!!! My parent's came over to spend the day with us. Luke arranged for us to go to an awesome brunch. It was delicious. I am so thankful today, and every day to be a mother. It's the greatest gift in the world!

It's about time!

2010-04-28T06:29:00.000-07:00

It's been way to long since I've updated. Here's what we've been up to:

Avery has been escaping from her crib for weeks now, but she never did it at night...til last week. We decided, ready or not, it was time for a big girl bed. The first week was rough. She had a tough time getting to sleep, was waking up crying, and getting out of her bed several times per night. We felt like we had a newborn in the house again and were exhausted! Thankfully, I think we're over the hump, and nights are much more restful in the Recker house this week!

Her facial expression pretty much sums up how she felt about her big girl bed the first couple nights!
What a big kid! Hard to believe my baby is out of the crib...long before I was ready for it!

Painting (w/ water) at Buppa and Gigi's house

Helping Dad rake

Our friends, Tim and Gina, along with their adorable son Donovan came over a couple weeks ago. Avery and "D" had a great time together. They were so busy that this is the best pic I could get of the two of them!

We were so happy to have a visit from Aunt Annie and cousins Abby and Jacob. Avery looooved having them here. She still asks me everyday about them! Can't wait to see you guys again soon!

We were also lucky enough to have a visit from Nana and Papa Pepple. They took care of Avery on Saturday and Sunday so Luke and I could attend my very good friend Kit's wedding in Des Moines. It was such a beautiful and fun wedding. We had a wonderful time, and I know Aves has an equally wonderful time at home with Nana and Papa. She cried and cried when they left :( Good thing we have a trip to Indiana scheduled in a couple weeks!

Allo!

2010-04-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

Getting a quality family shot is increasingly difficult these days. Here's the best we could do on Easter morning.

Such a Daddy's girl. They don't look alike at all...

"GiGi" is Avery's bestest pal

All the 3 and under kids lined up (minus our little straggler) ready for the neighborhood Easter egg hunt to begin! It was soooo cute watching the kids!

She found an "ellow" one

Nooooo...you eat what's inside the egg, silly!

She loooves her new bunny "hoppy" so much that she wants him to sit with her while she eats. She even offers him a couple bites.

Being adorable and silly on our bed

We had such a wonderful Easter weekend. It was kicked off on Friday evening with a neighborhood egg hunt. It was so fun for the kids and adults alike! We are very lucky to be in such a lovely neighborhood with fun and friendly people. Avery had a ball and we found out that she loooooves jelly beans! My parents (a.k.a. Buppa and Gigi) came over to spend Easter with us. The Easter bunny left Aves a basket with lots of goodies. She was so excited to find it on Sunday a.m. We went to church, had a feast, played outside, and relaxed...just how I imagined Easter to be while spending it in Europe for the past 6 yrs. It was a far cry from last year when Luke was on the road, I ate a frozen pizza, and Skyped with my family!

Avery is getting more verbal by the day. She has too many word to count these days. She is obsessed with "owies" or as she calls them "oukies." She has so many oukies all the time. Bruises and bumps and scrapes are all part of the reckless toddler eperience, I suppose! She is also trying to say "I love you," which comes out "allo." It just melts my heart each time!!

Spring has sprung (for a week anyway!)

2010-03-23T08:48:00.000-07:00

Getting the hang of this bubble blowing thing
Sometimes she gets a little too close to her mouth...yuck

Buppa and Daddy are getting her started early!

Carefully selecting her club

Last week mother nature teased us with some wonderfully warm days. Then, in true Midwestern spring fashion, the weekend brought rain, snow, and freezing temps. Shorts one day and a snowsuit the next! Gotta love it!

Aves loves playing with her balls, bubbles, the neighborhood kids, and "ga co's" (golf clubs) in our backyard. We are going to have such a fun summer!

Florida

2010-03-11T05:41:00.000-08:00

Big hat +SPF 1000 and we're ready to head outside!
It was pretty chilly in FL for the first couple days, but the sun was always shining which was wonderful.

Avery's favorite part of Florida was not the beach...it was the park. Hurry up spring so we can get outside!

Back to reality...at least it's melting! 50 degrees yesterday...I'll take it!

She kept saying "Brrrrr!" when she touched the snow

This is what 99% of my photo attempts turn out like. She is SO BUSY these days.

We had a great trip to Florida with my family. Lots of sunshine and laughs. Poor Avery was diagnosed with an ear infection the day before we left, so that made for an uncomfortable plane ride for her on the way down. Unfortunately, her awful cough and runny nose lasted for the whole week, and is still lingering. So, she wasn't herself, but was a trooper and loved being outside after being so cooped up all winter. Thankfully, she was a superstar on the plane ride home, since it was just her and I (Luke went home on Sunday). So, now we are just counting down til spring and enjoying watching the snow melt!

Monkeying Around

2010-03-01T10:42:00.000-08:00

Avery is a slide enthusiast
Surely bossing Daddy around

Maybe convincing him to go on the big slide

Toddler area= too boring for our little daredevil!

We discovered a wonderful place to wear Avery out. It's basically a warehouse full of huge inflatable slides, jumpy things, games, etc called Monkey Joe's. She had a ball, and I have to admit I did too! We'll be frequent visitors to MJ's!

Out little chatterbox is trying out new words every day. She attempts to say her own name now. It comes out "A-Eeeee!" She gets an A for effort and cuteness! ;) Her letter and number recognition is improving all the time. She is big into stacking things and then destroying her creations. Her stacking skills are impressive, and sometimes seem to defy gravity. I think we may have a little engineer on our hands!

We are headed to Florida on Wednesday. I'll have tons of pictures to post when we get home.

Prankster

2010-02-14T08:11:00.000-08:00

Think she liked the slide?

With big cousins Paige and Caden
We had SO much fun with you guys!!!

We had a wonderful weekend! Aunt Wendy, Uncle Scott, Paige, Caden and Papa C all came to see us. It was so fun and we appreciate them making the trip. Avery's big cousins were such great playmates/babysitters. She had a ball with them. I wish we lived closer so we could see them more often. We went to the Betty Brinn Children's Museum yesterday and it was awesome. Avery was such a big girl and climbed up the stairs and went down the slide all by herself (no fewer than 50 times!) I think we'll be spending many afternoons there in the future.

Looks like we have a little prankster on our hands. Avery set the alarm on 3 clock radios to go off in the middle of the night last week. She is obsessed with music, so is always messing around with radios to get the music on, and inadvertently (or not???) , set the alarm to go off at midnight and 1am (twice). I was so confused when I heard music through the monitor and thought "well, she's finally gotten out of her crib, I knew this day was coming." But, when I went upstairs I realized the music was coming from the guest room. I was so confused, but remembered her messing around with the clock radio earlier that day. The next night I hear a buzzing from the monitor and flew upstairs. This time she had set the alarm in her room! Somehow she slept through it (which is a miracle with our light sleeper). THEN the next night the alarm went off in our room at 1 am!!! Can you believe it? I guess I shouldn't be surprised she can set alarms considering she figured out how to unlock an ipod touch (I can barely do it) and somehow uninstalled the sound on our laptop!!! Oookayyyy Rain Man!

Winter fun

2010-02-04T06:22:00.000-08:00

She has learned to smile on command...only problem, she closes her eyes with the smile! Silly girl!

"Really? Another picture, Mom?!?"

Winter is growing on our little Sconnie girl

I fell down

So I guess I'll make a snow angel!

Our second foray in snow playing went much better than the first time. Avery loved it out there! She cried her eyes out when it was time to come inside. She would have stayed out there til we were frozen solid.

Avery now knows the color purple (along with yellow and blue). We're working on letters and numbers, but those are pretty slow going--every number is "twooooooo!" and every letter is "eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

2010-01-25T08:55:00.000-08:00

My little "helper"
Syrup+hair=sweet mohawk

Aves insists on wearing her boots allll the time! Whatever, right?!

Matt, Lesley, and my parents came to visit last weekend. We celebrated Matt's b-day and had THE BEST time! Can't wait to see everyone again!

I have been the most delinquent blogger lately! We've been so busy and all of us have been under the weather this past month. Luke and I got the WORST FLU EVER (thank God Avery was spared) and Aves had a cold and ear infection. Ugh. Hurry up spring!

Avery is becoming quite the chatterbox. She says 'I want that' (pronounced: I aunt dat) and 'what's that' (pronounced what dat) no fewer than 20 times per day. She's so curious and loves "quizzing" us on what stuff is, especially our own body parts. I know it's early, but I seriously think she knows the colors blue and yellow (or should I say "booooo and ellow"). She LOVES music more than any other human being I know. She says "Muuuuuuuu!" until we turn on some tunes, and then she wants us to dance with her. It's so cute.

I promise I will get back on track and try to post once a week! :)

Christmas '09

2009-12-27T17:51:00.000-08:00

All the cousins with Nana and Papa--this doesn't happen very often!
Pure, unadulterated Christmas joy! What fun to watch.

Do we have a ballerina on our hands?

With Papa C, Paige and Caden

She loves her new car from Santa

Holy Cuteness!

Ahhh! Pig tails! (They aren't that uneven...I swear it's the angle! Adorable either way ;))

To say that the Recker's had a merry Christmas is a complete understatement! We had such a WONDERFUL holiday. We went to Indiana to celebrate with Luke's family. It was the first time since 1999 that Luke has been home for the holidays! Avery had a blast with her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. She was totally spoiled by everyone. It was so fun. We came back to Sussex on Christmas Day and had our own little family Christmas. It was nice and cozy, and in true Wisconsin style, the snow fell the entire day. My parents came over on Saturday for the rest of the weekend to continue the celebrations. They had to take their SUV, not only because of the weather, but also to fit all of Avery's gifts! The girl like quadrupled her toy inventory in 3 days! Thanks everyone for the presents...they are gifts to me too since she will be occupied for weeks and months to come! The only people we didn't get to see was Matt and Lesley :( BUT...I can't feel too bad since they are currently on a beach in Mexico! JEALOUS! I hope everyone reading this had a GREAT Christmas as well! Going to play DJ Hero on the Wii now (a gift from my awesome husband--not the turntables I've been asking for for 8 years, but close!) I'll be back in 2010!

Winter Wonderland!

2009-12-14T09:57:00.001-08:00

This is kinda cool!
But, I'm cold and stuck in the snow...

Ok, Mom that's enough, I want to go back inside the warm house!

Luke and I enjoyed a baby-free night to go to Melissa and Eric's wedding. We had a blast!

We (along with the rest of the Midwest) were buried under a ton of snow last week. I haven't spent a winter in the Midwest since 2001, so this was a brutal reminder of all Wisconsin has to offer in December! Luke was out of town, and we hadn't gotten around to purchasing a snow blower yet, so thankfully we have awesome new neighbors that cleared our driveway for us. Before it got too cold, I wanted Avery to experience some fun in the snow. I thought she would love it, but no. She couldn't move with all of her gear on and was pretty much stuck in one spot. She lasted no longer than 1o minutes before she was whining to go inside. So much for Aves being a true Wisconsin girl! Maybe with time...

We're in!

2009-11-29T15:36:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving dinner at Buppa and Grans' house, yum!

Daddy's girl

Avery had so much fun with Matt and Lesley

This is what happens if I turn my head for one second...she's an explorer, climber, and has NO fear...a scary combination!

We've only been in for a week and it already feels like home! Moving went very smoothly, and we are quickly settling in. We adore the house and the neighborhood is awesome. So many friendly people and tons of kids. Sussex is such a cute little city, and we have access to anything and everything being so close to Milwaukee. We feel like we belong here, which is something I haven't always felt in the past 7 years! Avery is busy exploring every square inch of our new digs. I think she loves the new house as much as we do.

We had a great Thanksgiving at my parents house. It was so wonderful being in the States to celebrate this year. We have more than ever to be thankful for!

2009-11-19T06:20:00.000-08:00

Enjoying one last trip to the park before winter strikes

Baller!

We were within high-five distance of Tony Romo at the Packers/Cowboys game on Sunday!

We (along with about 150 other people) held a GIANT flag across Lambeau before the game. It was SO COOL! The flag was like 100 yds by 50 yds.

In the endzone pre-game! So fun!

Best seats in the house! Thanks to CT for the AWESOME day!

Avery turns 17 months old tomorrow! Where does the time go? She is busy, busy, busy! She is talking all the time. The language she's speaking isn't always clear, but she's trying! Her latest decipherable words are apple and button. She looooves going "b'bye" and will try to put on her coat and stand by the door and wave bye bye to me. She is NOT at all shy and is incredibly social, even with perfect strangers. She's so fun and seriously the funniest person I've ever met!

We close on our house in Sussex tomorrow and move on Saturday! Ahhh! We are so excited! We still have a lot of packing to do before Sat. Luke is really enjoying his job so far. He's been at it for almost 3 weeks. He isn't missing basketball one bit...yet! Stay tuned :)

Halloween (and lots of other stuff!)

2009-11-03T14:05:00.000-08:00

The lady trick-or-treaters

Ducky Avery, Puppy Donovan Marco, Minnie Alex Lazaridis, Tinkerbell Jaelynn Kemp, and Lion Johnny Lazaridis

They were all SO CUTE!

Daddy and Aves

"Buppa" and Ducky

Rollin' in her wagon in between houses

After she ditched the duck suit, she was very busy playing with her friends' toys. I'm pretty sure this little crib wasn't meant for a 16 month old!

Our new house in Sussex, WI! I LOVE it!!!!

SO much has been going on with us! We sold our condo, bought a house in Sussex (17 miles outside of Milwaukee), took a trip to Chicago, Luke started his job, AND we made a couple trips to the ER with Avery. I'll start with the last thing...2 Fridays ago, out of nowhere, Avery came down with a super high fever. No cold symptoms or anything. The fever got up to 105.4, so the after-hours nurse recommended we take her to the ER. They suspected it was H1N1, so started her on Tamiflu. She appeared to be a little better on Sat, but by nighttime she had another raging fever, so back to the ER we go. This time it was much more serious. Avery was extremely lethargic, basically nonresponsive at times. She didn't even flinch when they pricked her finger to check her glucose levels. It was terrifying. She got an IV and a gamut of tests. Thank God her blood work and other various tests (including the suspected H1N1) came back normal, but we were still left wondering what was making this little girl so sick. It was so stressful and heart-breaking seeing my angel suffer so much. Luke was so strong and the only reason I was able to keep it together. Several hours later, she was perking up, so we were allowed to take her home for the night. On Monday night the fever came back, Tuesday too, and FINALLY on Wednesday she was fever free! POOR, POOR little thing! She was such a fighter! I guess it was just some very serious, unusual virus. Thanks for everyone's thoughts and prayers throughout the whole ordeal. They were definitely felt and we appreciate it so much!

We are totally excited about our move to Milwaukee in less than 3 weeks! We have an accepted offer in on a gorgeous house in Sussex. We just love it! It's perfect for us and I envision many happy times there for the Recker family! AND the fact that our condo sold is the cherry on top!

Luke started work yesterday and is already very busy. He really thinks he'll love it and is excited about this new career. It's a huge departure from playing basketball for a living, that's for sure!
We celebrated Halloween with many friends. It was so fun and the kids couldn't have been cuter! Avery didn't know what to make of trick-or-treating or all of her candy (she doesn't like sweets...weirdo!) but she loved playing with the other kids. It was fun to be in the States for Halloween this year. We are SO looking forward to being here for Thanksgiving and Christmas 2009!

The next chapter...

2009-10-20T10:39:00.001-07:00

Playing in the balls at open gym
I love this one...she looks like she's about to do a sweet tumbling pass!
Are you proud Auntie Courtney???? ;)

Had to throw in one of Matt and I celebrating the Hawk win on Saturday (7-0 AHHH!)

Well, it's official! Luke is a retiree. He decided to hang up the sneakers after 7 wonderful professional seasons. The decision did not come easy, but it's definitely the right one. It's time for us as a family to settle down and establish some roots. Our globe-trekking days are over (until we're empty-nesters!) and we're ready and excited to start our 'normal' American life. Soooo, it's on to career number two for Luke. He recently accepted a position with a terrific company in Milwaukee. He will be a selling medical devices for spinal surgeries. We feel incredibly fortunate for the opportunity. We are very blessed!

First trip to the pumpkin patch

2009-10-05T19:18:00.001-07:00

My pumpkin's pumpkin!

Right after I took this she decided she wanted to lay down on the ground in the vines and mud. She thought it was hysterical. We thought it was...interesting.

Not so sure about the hay ride. Luke and I enjoyed it though!

She loved the corn sand box

We took a trip to Treinen farm to pick our pumpkins on Sunday. It was so fun! We took a hay ride out to the pumpkin patch, fed the goats, played in the corn, ate caramel apples, and got very dirty! While Avery was a little too young to fully enjoy the experience, Luke and I had a ball! Ahhh...autumn in Wisconsin! It feels good! Pumpkin carving pictures to come... :)

End of summer and trip to Indiana

2009-09-28T10:10:00.000-07:00

The next Annika Sorenstam?

Grandpa and Daddy are starting her early!

It's waaaay better without shoes!

Look what I found!

She snuck in the dryer the other day. The look on her face says "this is awwwwwsome!" She wasn't happy when I took her out and she tries to get in every time she busts me doing laundry!

Ode to Kurt Rambis.

A duet with Nana Marti

Playing in the leaves.

We are LOVING being home for fall for the first time in 7 years!

Cousin Abby helping me swing

With big cousins Jacob and Abby

...and Caden and Paige. Enough pictures already Mom!

Last one with Papa Clair

We had a great trip to Indiana to visit Luke's family. It was so great to see everyone. Poor Avery was sick, but was such a trooper. She did excellent on the long drive there and back, thanks to Blue's Clues and company! :)

Avery is running around like crazy these days. She is sooo busy. If she's awake, she's on the move!

Too busy to blog!

2009-09-13T10:34:00.000-07:00

Dancing Queen!

Action shot--Avery loves to get down!

Sweet shades, dude!

Katie, Erin, and Joanna came up to Madison to help celebrate my birthday. It was SO great to see them and a perfect way to start year 29. Aves soaked up all the auntie lovin!

We took a trip to Iowa to visit Avery's 4 great-grandparents.

Here she is at my aunt's house enjoying her favorite toys, balls! Think she takes after her dad?!?

This is FUUUUNNN!

4 generations of McCormick/Welch/Recker girls! How special!

A and her BFF

I know, I know! I've completely neglected the blog! We've just been so busy and enjoying these past couple weeks of GORGEOUS weather. It's so fun to be here to enjoy the Wisconsin fall. Luke is making up for 6 years of college football withdrawal. It's so fun to be able to watch the Hawks in HD on a tv rather than blurry and slow on a laptop!

We had a nice trip back to Iowa to visit all of my grandparents. Avery was so great in the car (thank goodness for the DVD player!) and had such fun with her great-grandparents. It was so special to have 4 generations under one roof!

I cannot believe how much Avery has changed in the past couple of weeks. She understands so much and is communicating constantly. Her latest words are 'nana (banana), clock, cracker, and car. She continues to make many animal sounds. Her latest and favorite is to oink like a pig. She is so independent and has a mind of her own! Walking is a breeze for her now, and she's nearly running. She is a full fledged toddler now!

Summertime and the Livin's Easy

2009-08-26T17:31:00.000-07:00

Splish-Splash!
Running into the pool. She loves the water and have absolutely NO fear. Gulp.

Avery loves "trying on" my headbands

Another one of Daddy's outfits. The shirt is a size 3T and says "Sweet Child O' Mine" (courtesy of Uncle Matt), she has no pants on, and found one of my old hats to try on. Awesome. She seriously kept the hat on for an hour.

We continue to enjoy our summer in Madison. Luke is usually already overseas by now, with me following close behind, so it's very strange to be here at the end of August not packing, saying goodbyes, and mourning the end of another summer. Luke hasn't signed any contracts to play this season, and we're still unsure of what the future holds for us. We are in a state of limbo, but thoroughly enjoying it!

Fun with the Fam

2009-08-16T20:01:00.000-07:00

At the park with Paige, Caden, and Papa C
A and her Godmother

The kids playing in their house

Ridin' a cow at the Madison Children's museum

Cousins at the park

Swingin' with Nana and Papa

We've been lucky enough to have many visitors the past couple of weekends. Grandma and Grandpa Pepple came up 2 weekends ago and Grandpa Clair, Aunt Wendy, Uncle Scott, and cousins Paige and Caden just left today after a fun-filled visit. Avery loved having everyone around. She is so social and loves having an audience. She especially enjoyed hanging out with her cousins. Trying to keep up with them really improved her walking. She is cruising everywhere and getting so comfortable on her feet. She is also attempting to say more and more words. Her favorites are baby and ball. She also learned how to blow kisses, which is absolutely adorable!

Summer fun

2009-08-02T14:51:00.000-07:00

The Smith's and the Recker's...the gang's all here!

Avery showing her bf Carson some love

Avery looooves blackberries, the only problem...she ends up looking like this!

We had a great time visiting with the Smith's in Bettendorf last Thursday. It was so fun to see Carson and Avery interact. They definitely hit it off! Carson was a total gentleman on their second supervised date. Their first date was when they were 6 and 13 weeks old, and this one was almost an entire year later. Hopefully the lovebirds won't have to wait another year for date #3!

Avery's walking is progressing every day. If she really wants to get somewhere in a hurry she still crawls, but she now walks without our prompting. Her record is about 15 steps before falling. I imagine we'll be chasing after her very soon!

We have lift off!

2009-07-28T16:30:00.000-07:00

As of last night, we have a walker on our hands! Avery has been taking a couple of shaking steps for weeks now, but last night she took more than a couple and I think the only person more proud of her than we were was herself! She was so excited!

i heart s.d.

2009-07-14T09:16:00.000-07:00

Avery was a huuuuuge fan of the beach. She even loved the (coooold!) water.
Cruisin' in the surf

View of the marina from our balcony--so beautiful. We only half jokingly discussed moving into the hotel til we ran out of money.

Our little water bug

She cried every time we took her out of the water.

Avery has conquered her fear of grass and now can't get enough of it

Luke and Xavi (the groom)

At the wedding rehearsal. It was SO gorgeous. What a beautiful place for a beautiful couple to get married!

We got back yesterday from a wonderful visit to San Diego. We had an action-packed trip! The purpose of the trip was to celebrate the wedding of Xavi and Jessica Lopez. Luke and Xavi were teammates in Bilbao 2 seasons ago. Luke was honored to be a groomsman in their wedding. The wedding took place at Point Loma University, in a park overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It was the most amazing view and a beautiful wedding. Congrats to Senor and Senora Lopez!

We also went to Sea World and the San Diego Zoo. Both were so cool. Avery didn't really care about either. If it were up to her we wouldn't have ever left the pool! The biggest hit according to Avery was Mission Beach. She just loooooooved it! She immediately took off crawling directly into the water and basked in the surf. She didn't even mind the 65 degree water. She was shivering and had blue lips and was crying to get back in! I think we may have a little surfer chick on our hands!

Cheeeeeese!

2009-07-02T19:25:00.000-07:00

We had Avery's 1 year pictures taken last weekend. They turned out so great, which is hard to believe considering how WILD she was! She hardly sat still for a second, so it's any wonder how the photographer ended up with these gems! There was just too much for Avery to explore and play with for her to stay in one place! I was exhausted after our session from wrestling with and retrieving her every time she took off. Needless to say, we're thrilled with how they turned out. I was tempted to buy every single shot, because even the "bloopers" were adorable to me ;)

She is getting ever so close to walking. She took 4 wobbly steps the other day, so I know she's close!

The Big One

2009-06-21T16:23:00.001-07:00

Our little girl turned one year old on Saturday! What an amazing year it's been! We had a wonderful weekend celebrating her.

From this on 6/20/08

To this on 6/20/09

She was very excited to dig into all of her presents

Poor thing didn't get anything for her birthday.

I think Avery is the first one year old to ever reject her cake! I was fully prepared for a sugary, sticky mess, but this girl wanted no part of it! She took one small bite, and didn't want any more. How can a child of mine not like cake?!? I suppose it's a good thing, but I doubt it lasts for long!

We went to the zoo on Saturday. Here's our little polar bear

With Nana and Papa Pepple at the zoo

Summer Lovin'

2009-06-12T08:01:00.001-07:00

In her new chair from Great-Grandma and Grandpa Welch! It is SO cute and she loves it! Thank you so much!
She finally has enough hair to put in a little bow! FUN!

Avery (along with Luke and I) met the adorable Donovan Marco this weekend. He is the sweetest little boy! At first Avery tried to play it cool by ignoring him...

but eventually she couldn't help herself. Donovan looks pretty interested himself. I think he's into older women.

Avery looooves sunglasses! Here she is wearing mine. We think she looks like Elton John with her shades on.

Boxes: the hottest toy of the season

I loooooooove my new wagon from my "aunties" Katie, Joanna, Kit, and Erin! Thanks girls! You're the best!

We've been home for 3 weeks already! Where is the time going? Avery's Godfather Matt (my brother) and his girlfriend Lesley came up to Madison last weekend. We had such a great weekend. It was SO great meeting Lesley for the first time. She is an awesome girl!

Avery has a couple new tricks this week. She is now giving hugs on command (when she feels like it!) and gives her little baby dolls hugs too. It's very cute. She also can "find mommy" in photos (again, only when she wants to!). She says "pup pup" when she sees any dog and is pointing at everything.

I thought Avery was on a hunger strike this week, but I think she's getting some more teeth, which is affecting her appetite. It's also messing with her sleep and has made her quite crabby at times. Those dang teeth! Bust through already!

IN love

2009-06-02T19:08:00.000-07:00

Avery loves Nana and Poppa Pepple
With all of her cousins: Paige, Caden, Jacob and Abby

LOVING the pool with mommy

and Daddy too

With Godmama Wendy

We got back last night from our long weekend in Indiana. It was such a nice trip and wonderful to see all of Avery's aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Avery was such an angel. She just LOVED everyone! She wasn't nervous or overwhelmed by all the people (4 aunts, 4 uncles, grandparents, and 4 cousins all at once!), which is kind of surprising considering it was mostly just Luke, her and I in a small apartment for 9 months of her life! I know she felt all the love coming from everyone. She got the biggest kick out of all of her cousins. They were very exciting and entertaining to her, since she hasn't really been around other little kids in her life. The cousins were all so sweet and good with her. She had so so so much fun!

Avery went swimming for the first time on Sunday and she absolutely loved it! She would have stayed in the pool all day. We have a little Avery Fish on our hands!

Home!

2009-05-25T13:21:00.000-07:00

I came through on my promise...Avery is now the proud owner of her first 'My Little Pony'

On our trip:

We laughed...

We cried...

We listened to music...

We walked...

We made it!!!!

I never thought I find a cuter #9 til I saw this one!

We made it! It's SOOOOOO great to be home! Avery was a rock star on the trip. I can't thank her enough for being such a good girl on our journey. She took a couple short naps, but didn't sleep much. She enjoyed our walks up and down the aisles and made friends with a little German girl. There were no major meltdowns, and she only fussed a bit. So, overall it went very smoothly, and I couldn't be more proud of my good little traveler!

Getting her adjusted to the US time has been a bit challenging. Spain is 7 hours ahead of Madison. So far she's doing pretty well, but I think it will take a week or 2 to get her completely back on track.

Avery is having a blast exploring the house. It's a whole new world for her! She loves climbing the stairs and cruising around the coffee table. She is getting quite comfortable on her feet, so we could have a walker by her birthday!

Another one in the books...

2009-05-21T00:54:00.000-07:00

Avery is incredibly busy these days. She pulls herself up to stand on everything. She is getting so strong. No signs of walking on the horizon, but her balance is improving every day.
My first Mother's Day. What joy this person has brought to my life!

European season #6 is a wrap! Bilbao lost in the playoffs on Tuesday, ending a great season. It was the most successful season in Bilbao Basket history. They made it to the playoffs and the final 4 of Eurocup. We leave tomorrow for the States. I am thrilled to be starting our summer, but a little sad to be leaving Bilbao, our home for 3 seasons. Luke and I have lived in Bilbao longer than we've lived anywhere since we met 8 years ago. We have come to love the city and the people, so it's a little hard to say good bye. It's also a little hard (understatement of the year) to fit 3 years of stuff into 4 suitcases! We're still working out the logistics, but it's not looking promising. I have a feeling we'll be spending a small fortune on excess baggage charges!

Avery and I had a sit down about what is expected of her on the 20+ hour journey. She is not to fuss, cry, or scream, bother other passengers or crew, sleep for 5 (or more) hours, and sit still on our laps for the duration of the flight. That's not too much to ask of an 11 month old, is it? I swear I will buy her a pony if she does just one of those aforementioned items!

Avery's Got Talent!

2009-05-08T05:41:00.000-07:00

Avery showcases two of her talents in the video clips below. The first is of her showing us where her nose and ear are, followed by us cheering wildly, then her saying "yay, yay, yay!" The second is of her displaying her unreal foot skills as she picks up a ball and puts it in between her feet over and over again. Europe has definitely worn off on her...I think she's gonna be a little "footballer!" I know we're biased, but this little chick's got talent! :)

Buh Bye!

2009-05-06T08:35:00.000-07:00

Riding the Merry-Go-Round for the first time! Not so sure how much fun it is...

Ok, it's kinda fun! (But mom and dad were getting pretty dizzy by the end of our ride!)

Tights go on your legs, not your head, Silly!

Avery had her 10 month check up last week and she got an A+ from the doctor! She is getting so big...she tipped the scales at 19 lbs 6 oz, and is over 29 inches long. She is off the Spanish chart for length (95th percentile on the American charts) and is right around 50th percentile for weight. So, I think she's inherited her daddy's height!

She is getting stronger, faster, and smarter by the second. It amazes us how much she learns and changes each day. She is getting really good at pulling herself up on furniture, but isn't so great at balancing once she's vertical! I can't say I'm in a big rush for her to walk though, so take your time Avery! Her vocabulary has grown to include "bye, bye" which she says alllll the time. She will be crawling out of the room and turn back to us, wave and say "buh bye!" and then goes along her way! It's so cute!

Avery the Explorer

2009-04-23T02:17:00.000-07:00

"Hi guys!"

This shoe store had these cute seats for babies to try on shoes.

"What, I was just helping with the laundry"

Under the bed

Avery is quite the explorer these days. She crawls all over the apartment, stopping to check out anything and everything that catches her eye. Needless to say, we've had to do some serious baby proofing. She is starting to pull herself up on furniture and can even stand alone for a couple of seconds. She turned 10 months old last Monday, which is so unbelievable to us!

Funny story: The other day I bought this gorgeous book of photos of Bilbao. I thought it would be a nice souvenir of our time here. I barely flipped through it before purchasing it, but saw it had beautiful and very representative of this wonderful city. When I got home I looked at it more thoroughly and saw...A PICTURE OF LUKE!!!! There was a couple pages of the sports of Bilbao and a photo of a basketball game. I looked closely to see it was a picture of Luke shooting!!! How random and cool! I guess it proves how integrated we have become into this city in the past 3 years!

The cover of the book

The sports page

Luke shooting!!!!

Soooo Big!

2009-04-13T10:22:00.000-07:00

Grans wasn't kidding when she said she was gonna pack Avery in her suitcase and bring her home! Good thing I caught her!

Army crawl action shot

So sweet!

My mom left last Thursday after another wonderful visit. It was so great having her here, especially since Luke was in Italy for 4 days. We were so spoiled with Grandma here. Luke and I went on several dates and got to sleep in a lot! I wasn't as bummed as usual to see her go knowing that we will be home in less than a month (YESSSSS!).

The team lost by 6 points in the semi-finals to a team from Moscow. They played great though and have a lot to be proud of. Only 5 more regular season games to go! I can't believe we are nearing the end of European season #6!

Avery is crawling like crazy, still army style, but she's been rocking up on her hands and knees a couple of times this week, so I'm sure she'll take off in full crawl mode anytime now. She loves playing "sooo big" as evidenced in the clip below. I can't believe how clever she is!

The other clip is of her "dancing" to her favorite DVD, "The Curious Buddies." She looooves the Buds!

Phone-y

2009-04-02T02:15:00.000-07:00

Avery has added a new trick to her growing repertoire. She holds her cell phone (an old one of ours without the battery) to her ear. I thought it was a fluke the first couple times, but now she does it every time! She even sometimes tries to say "hello," it comes out like "ooooo!" It's so funny and cute!

She has also mastered the army crawl. No more ducking out of the room for a few minutes to throw in a load of laundry...this chicky is fast! The days of her playing contently on a blanket are long gone! She scans the floor for any crumbs/dust/hair to sample. At least it encourages me to keep the floors clean!

My wonderful friend Katie left on Tuesday after a super visit. It was so enjoyable having her around, although then I realize how much I miss having access to all of my great, funny, fun friends in the States. Luckily my mom arrived the day after Katie took off, to keep my spirits up. We loooove having Grans here! Too bad Gramps couldn't join her this time. Luke left this morning for Torino, Italy for the Final Eight Eurocup tournament. They play tomorrow night in their first game. Fingers crossed that Bilbao Basket can take home the trophy!

A clip of Avery on the phone

Katie and I headed out for dinner (it's been a loooong time since I've been able to enjoy a night out with a girlfriend!) We had lots of fun and laughs (and wine)!

Faker

2009-03-24T07:18:00.001-07:00

Avery and I were in the local paper last week. The caption said "Megan Recker took her daughter Avery to the basketball court"
Sitting is growing on me, especially if I have some books to read (i.e. chew and pound on!)

Avery is doing a couple new and hilarious things this week. A fake cough, cry, and laugh! It is so funny! I think we may have a little actress on our hands! I keep trying to get it on video, but I always miss the good ones. I got an ok one, and I posted it below. The other clip is her real laugh! :)

She is getting so close to crawling. I think she's just a couple days away from taking off!

Bubble Trouble

2009-03-16T02:16:00.000-07:00

Avery's new favorite toy...the toy basket!
Enjoying a beautiful day in Bilbao. "Look at me mom!" She got herself under her play center via rolling! I'm curious to see where she'll end up once she's crawling!

Daddy and his girl in the park

The weather has been awesome in Bilbao this past week. It was 80 and sunny last Thursday! What a treat! Sorry to rub it in, Midwesterners! We've been spending a lot of time outside in the park. Avery loves being outside.

The other day we discovered Avery's biggest fear...chewing gum! More specifically, bubbles! She was playing with Luke, having a great time, and all of the sudden, her lip came out and she started to cry. We were wondering what happened to upset her and Luke realized he had blown a bubble and it popped, and must have scared her. So, he did it again to see if that was it, and sure enough, she started crying again! Then she got scared at the mere sight of Luke chewing the gum! This little girl hasn't flinched at airplanes, fireworks, screaming fans, drums, and LOUD music, but GUM terrifies her! LOL! Check out the video below. The other clip of her saying dada and just bein cute ;)

T-Minus 2 Months!

2009-03-11T01:45:00.000-07:00

"Daddy...can I come on the next road trip with you?"
Looks comfy, huh?
Hi Blue Eyes!

The season continues to fly by. Only 2 months until the end of the season. We are anxious to get back home. We really missed having Grandpa and Grandma around, especially since Luke was on the road for most of the week. We're happy to have him home for a couple of weeks.

While the team didn't win in Germany last week, they still qualified for the Final Eight of Eurocup. The tournament is in Torino, Italy in early April. Bilbao went 10-2 in the first two rounds in Eurocup, and finished in the top spot in their group both rounds. Pretty impressive for their first foray in European competition!

Fun with Grans and Gramps

2009-03-02T06:30:00.000-08:00

One of our many lunches out in Bilbao

Especially cuddle-riffic in her fuzzy coat!

My parents left today after a wonderful visit. As always, I hated to see them go. We had such a great time. It went waaaay too fast! They loved hanging out with Avery and she soaked up all of the extra lovin'! I think she has chapped cheeks from all of the kisses! Grandpa and Grandma got a huge kick out of Avery's rolling and foot-handling skills, amongst other things. She is quite a little character these days!

Luke's team won 2 big games last week, which was very exciting and fun. The team is currently on the road in Germany for a game tomorrow night. If they win, they will advance to the final 8 teams in the Eurocup. It would be major for Bilbao Basket, as this is their first season playing in the Eurocup. So, good luck guys!

I tried to capture her foot-to-hand-transfer, but she gets distracted by the camera...you get the idea though. The second one is of her giggling at Luke.

8 Months Old!!!

2009-02-19T09:52:00.000-08:00

Avery's first trip to the park. She was mildly amused. I think she was thinking "dude, can I get some shades?"

Practicing walking. I'm pretty good!

"No, seriously, can I get some sun glasses?"

Somehow Avery turns 8 months old tomorrow! Where has the time gone?! I can't believe how much she changes and learns each day. She started saying "Dada," which of course makes Luke beam. She also has started waving hi and bye (or hola and adios in these parts). She uses both arms and waves them wildly. It's so adorable. She looks like a little bird about to take flight!

Avery's laziness has reached new heights this week. She has started picking toys up with her feet and then transferring them to her hands to play with. All to avoid sitting up, or heaven forbid, crawling. It is actually very impressive. I will post a video of her in action as soon as our flip video camera arrives with Grans and Gramps Welch (AHHH! I can't wait to see them! 2 more days!!!!!)

Aves had her 8 month check-up today. She's 28 inches long (90th percentile) and almost 18 lbs (50th percentile). I mentioned Avery's animosity to sitting up to the doctor, so she had me sit her on the table, and of course, she sat there, perfectly, smiling, like a champion sitter! Seriously, why do kids always make a liar out of you?!?! Needless to say, the doctor was far from worried about her progress. She was actually quite impressed by her standing prowess.

My Funny Valentine

2009-02-14T02:35:00.001-08:00

Daddy and his little Valentine with the flowers he got us

She loves her new drum, but it'll have a to be a bongo for the time being.

Drumsticks+7 month old= bad idea!

Poor Avery has been sick this week. She picked up a nasty cold. And to makes matters worse, her top 2 teeth are plowing on through. Somehow she has managed to be her sweet, smiley self though it all.

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'!

2009-02-02T03:02:00.000-08:00

Super Stander!
Proof I can sit up

But I prefer to stand

Or better yet, lay down!!!!

Aves in a slightly snug vintage shirt. It's 25 years old and used to be Uncle Matt's! It says "I love Wisconsin."

Luke let me sleep in the other day and I woke up to find my daughter dressed like this. A too small sweatshirt with too small tights! The only problem Luke saw with this outfit was that the tights weren't black. He he even looked to see if she had any! I had to explain to him that tights are an undergarment, not to be wore in place of pants. Gotta love dads! :)

Our little lazy bones still refuses to sit up. And still no signs of crawling. She is, however, and champion roller! She rolls and rolls, and covers an unbelievable amount of space. I try to entice her to crawl by putting her favorite toys just out of her reach (her favorite "toy" being the tv remote!) and instead of creeping toward it, she just rolls every which way until she gets it! It's really unbelievable! She's like, "why would I crawl when I get there twice as fast rolling?!" If rolling were an Olympic sport, I think we'd have a contender for the 2024 Games! She continues to be a good stander. For Avery it's only horizontal or vertical...nothing in between! I think she may skip sitting and crawling all together and go straight to running!

My usually incredibly laid back lady had her first tantrum yesterday. I was reading her a book (her fav "Where is Baby's Belly Button" a gift from Auntie Kit) and it was finished so I closed it and went to put it away and she got super mad! So, I opened it back up and voila, happy baby returned! It was pretty cute and I loved that she showed some spunk, but I also saw my future in that tantrum, and got scared...

Laid back or just lazy???

2009-01-26T01:39:00.000-08:00

Can you handle this cuteness?!?!

Her onesie says "no autographs please!!"

DJ Avey Aves and Mommy at Daddy's game on Sunday.
(Thanks for the picture Patricia!)

Little Miss Avery is somethin' else! I used to think she was just a super laid-back, chilled-out baby, now I'm starting to think she may just be lazy. For example, if a toy is just out of her reach, instead of attempting to crawl (which she has shown no signs of) to get it, she just goes "eh, too much work...this one right next to me is good enough" Also, she basically refuses to sit up. She totally can, but she just prefers not to. If something captures her attention while sitting up, (like the three ring circus Luke and I put on for her to distract her from the rigors of sitting upright) she can do it unassisted for minutes on end. However, she much prefers laying down or better yet being in a reclined position. I swear if they sold baby Lazy-boy recliners, it would be on the top of her wish list! We really encourage her to sit and even like mold her little body into a sitting position, but she pushes as hard as she can against our hand on her back and scooches her butt out until she's laying down! This one's got a mind of her own! I just hope she grows out of this phase by, say, kindergarten!

Fruititarian

2009-01-16T01:08:00.000-08:00

What a cool dude in Daddy's shades!

Snoozin with Dad

Chillaxin with mom

If it were up to little Avery, she'd eat nothing but fruit and water. (I wish some of that would rub off on mommy!) But, since that isn't gonna fly, I've really been trying to get her to eat other stuff. A surprise winner is pumpkin with cereal, and another dark horse is chicken coated with banana. I know, sounds nasty, but whatever works! Also, yogurt has been accepted into our repertoire. Ahh...progress!

Avery had kinda outgrown her little baby bath, so we got her a little ring/seat that secures her in a sitting position in the tub. Well, we gave it a go...and she freaked out! She started crying (mind you, this is abnormal in the Recker household!) so I grabbed her out of the tub and she clung to me for dear life! So, we've been trying to re-introduce it, but every time she sees the dreaded ring, she panics! So, the baby tub stays for now!

In a fun development, Avery has started to say "mama" this week! We're 90% sure she doesn't know the meaning of what she's saying, but it's still so sweet and melts my heart each time I hear it! So, needless to say (for everyone who knows Luke) daddy has REALLY stepped up his game in trying to get Avery to say "dada!" She's like "ma ma ma" and Luke immediately tells her "DA DA DA!!!!!" It's hilarious!

2009: The Year of the Avery

2009-01-06T04:24:00.000-08:00

Looking happy with Grandma and Grandpa. She loves her "Bitty Baby" American Girl doll!
My sweet pea :)

Looking like such a big girl in her high chair with her sippy cup (btw...she loooves water! go figure!) We play "Uh oh" whenever she sits in her chair...she drops stuff (measuring spoons are her favorite) and waits til I say "uh oh!" and she smiles her head off.

Too much partying

Happy New Year everyone! 2008 was the best year of my life, so I'm wondering how 2009 can possibly top it!!!?? We rung in the new year with Luke's mom and step dad, who were here visiting. It was great to see them. They enjoyed spending time with their granddaughter. Avery loved all of the extra attention and kisses (not to mention all of the Christmas presents!). They left last Friday, and Luke has been on the road every day except Sunday since then, so Avery is looking at me like "Where did everyone go? You're kinda boring, mom!"

We are enjoying Avery more than ever! Her cute little personality emerges more each day. She smiles all the time and is "maa, baa, gaa, daa-ing" nonstop! She has two little teeth on the bottom and I think the top two aren't far behind. Mealtime is still kind of a struggle. She has accepted fruit, but veggies are a no-go. Her eyes water, she gags, and then refuses to open her mouth if I offer her any type of veggie. I try to sneak some peas or carrots in with her fav avocado, but she usually catches on by the third bite, and then it's uh-uh, no way!

Feliz Navidad!

2008-12-25T04:19:00.000-08:00

Move over Rudolph! There's a new reindeer in town!!!
The Recker girls

I prefer to eat my presents!

My first dolly! I love her! Thanks Grans and Gramps!

Already a Daddy's girl at 6 months old

Just when you think she couldn't get any cuter...she goes and wears this outfit. Thanks Uncle Matt!

Merry Christmas everyone! We're really enjoying our first Christmas with Avery. She is such a joy. I feel like everyday is Christmas with this little angel in my life (I'm allowed to be corny...it's Christmas!) Luke's teammate, Quincy, came over for dinner last night, and later today we are going to the home of an American family (actually from Indiana) that we've become friends with over here. It will be nice to celebrate with their family.

I realized today at mass that in the 8 Christmases that Luke and I have spent together, we've been to 8 different churches, in 7 different cities, and heard mass in 6 different languages (and a partridge in a pear tree! haha!)! The cities include Madison, Asheville, NC, Roseto, Italy, Girona, Spain, Livorno, Italy, Paris, France, and Bilbao, Spain. And the languages have been English, Italian, Catalan, French, Spanish, and today's service was in Basque!!! What a tour we've been on! It's been an amazing experience. We're so thankful for the opportunities we've had over the years, and we're excited for those to come.

What's up Doc?

2008-12-14T10:39:00.000-08:00

Avery's new teething ring...a carrot stick! She loves it and gets mad when we take it away! Bugs Bunny's got nothin' on her! (BTW...can you guess who dressed her? A Hawkeye sweatshirt with pink pants...so hot right now!)

Da Recker's
Her latest "trick"...sticking out her tongue!

Looking majorly cute (and kinda like one of the seven dwarfs) in Daddy's hat

Avery is cuter and funner (I know that's not a word, but it should be) than ever! She's still a big fan of standing. She is getting better at sitting too. I think she was encouraged to sit from her baths, because she likes to sit up and splash, splash, splash!

Luckily the avocados went down much better than the apples. While she doesn't love eating anything, she neither shuddered nor gagged, so I'll take that as a go on the avocados! She also didn't detest pears mixed with cereal. I have a theory that she doesn't really like sweet foods, but who knows!

I can't believe Christmas is nearly upon us! It will be especially fun celebrating this year with little Avery. I'm sure she'll be much more interested in the wrapping paper than the gifts inside! Luke's mom and step dad arrive in Bilbao on the 26th, so it will be fun to celebrate a belated Christmas, and ring in 2009 with them. It's always a little tough to be so far from home over the holidays, so we are thankful we will have visitors this year.

2 foot 2

2008-12-01T00:41:00.000-08:00

Look at all of my new hair coming in!

Do these ruffles make my butt look big???

(Note: she doesn't stand alone...Luke just moved his hands away for a second while I snapped the pic...she crumbled shortly thereafter. But she's a much better stander than sitter, she is kind of averse to sitting at the moment!)

Mom, I'm getting too old for these baby toys!

Avery had a check-up with her pediatrician last week and she's now 2'2" (26 inches...but we think it's hilarious to think of her in feet and inches!) and over 17 pounds! She's in the 90th percentile for baby girls her age. It's crazy because she really doesn't eat much at all. She's on the low end of what most babies her age and weight eat per day. She loves her cereal, but as I've started introducing new foods, she's less than excited. I tried bananas last week: Yuck. No thanks. And moved on to apples a couple of days later, which sent a shiver through her body and she promptly spit out. I keep trying (since I peeled, steamed, and mashed about a week's worth of apples!) but every day it gets rejected. Up next: Avocado. So, we'll see if she takes after me with my love of avocado!

Yesterday, as she was gnawing on my finger, I noticed something sharp in her mouth. Her first little tooth is making it's way! She's been drooling like crazy and chewing on everything for months now, so it doesn't come as a surprise, but still very exciting to us! (I'm sure it's like yawn city to most of you! haha!)

Luke is currently in Montenegro (in the former Yugoslavia) for the team's second game in Euro Cup. They won their first game last Tuesday against a Serbian team. They also won on Sunday in the Spanish league. And Luke's been playing really well. He's had a couple 20+ point games and is shooting much better. So, all good news to report on the basketball front!

We had a very low-key Thanksgiving. No family, no turkey, and two practices. So, a pretty standard European Thanksgiving for the Reckers! Although we didn't celebrate properly, we have so much to be thankful for! Our gratitude for our wonderful families and friends is immeasurable. We are truly blessed!!!!

Avery esta muy famosa!

2008-11-18T08:42:00.000-08:00

Avery is famous! She was in the paper last week for being the best baby EVER BORN! No, it was actually because she looks so darn cute in her ear protection at Luke's games. The caption translates, "At not even 5 months, Avery Recker accompanies her father, Luke Recker, to work, like this. With headphones to preserve her sleep, the youngest child of the team dreams of little angels playing basketball!" Cute!

In other news...I had a minor surgery yesterday. Without going into detail, I had some complications with my healing after Avery's delivery. Luckily, I have a doctor here who I know and trust (the same OB/GYN that did most of my prenatal care) so I felt very comfortable and in good hands. Don't get me wrong...having surgery in a foreign country is especially anxiety-provoking, but everything went very smoothly. I had an epidural and conscious sedation, so they made sure I didn't feel/remember a thing! It was strange getting an epidural this time around...I was less than enthused about getting a needing in the spine when I hadn't been having contractions for 27 hrs! Also, they didn't numb the area before the big prick. A different experience indeed! So, I'm tired, slow and a little sore, but I have the best distraction in the world: My Aves!

My mom left this morning. Wah wah. We had such a great time with her and I miss her already. I am already counting down the days til she comes back, and she's not even halfway across the Atlantic yet!

I'm still standin'...yeah yeah yeah!

2008-11-14T13:33:00.000-08:00

This is what Aves looks like after Daddy feeds her!

Toes...yummy!

Looking adorable in the outfit from Luke's teammate, Drago

Avery has become a big fan of standing this week. She stands, then looks around to make sure everyone is looking at and cheering for her! Who does that sound like....???? ;) We bought her some new mini-Nikes this week, and they have really inspired her!
While it's been great to be back in Bilbao, it has been a challenge getting Avery back on Spanish time. It's been 2 weeks since we've been back and she's just now getting to bed at a reasonable hour. I don't think Avery and I will be making that journey again til the end of the season in May. You never realize how darn long that trip is until you've made it with a 4 month old!

It's been SO GREAT having my mom here! We've been having so much fun, despite the horrible Bilbao weather. Luke and I have taken advantage of having a live-in babysitter and gone on a couple of dates. We won't have another sitter til Luke's mom and step-dad come at the end of December.

2008-11-03T11:21:00.001-08:00

Ladybug!
This was Avery's "skycot" on the plane...it was very convenient, but she wasn't crazy about it.

Big smiler!

A little messy after eating her first cereal meal. She wasn't sure about it at first, but she loves it now.

CUTENESS! :)

I have a lot to report since the last blog! We had a wonderful visit from Luke's mom 2 weeks ago. Avery and Grandma Marti had a lot of time to hang out while Luke and I took advantage of having a babysitter and went out on several dates! It was so nice! Marti accompanied Avery and I on our voyage to the States. It was SOOOOOO helpful to have an extra set of hands on the long trip. Avery was awesome and adjusted to the time remarkably well. While in the States, I took a trip out to Vegas for my very good friend Molly's wedding. Avery stayed in Madison and had some quality time with her babysitters, Grandma and Grandpa Welch. They reported that Avery was a total angel...never crying once! I had a great time in Vegas, but I was SO ready to get back to my little Aves! I missed her like crazy! The wedding was FABULOUS! SO much fun. Molly was a stunning bride. I'm so happy I could be there for her and Jason's special day. Congrats to Mr. and Mrs. Hughes!

On Halloween my mom and I came back to Spain. Again, Avery was so great. She was a ladybug for Halloween, and I'll have to say that she was the cutest darn ladybug EVER! She wore her little costume on the plane. It was so funny. She got lots of attention, but the candy will have to wait til next year!

Avery's on a roll!

2008-10-15T08:58:00.000-07:00

Pre-roll
Almost there!
She made it!
Still not quite sure about her Baby Einstein Play Center

Last week's roll over was no fluke! This week she's been doing it like crazy, but only from her back to tummy. She has yet to master the tummy to back roll, so she gets stuck on her tummy. I call it the reverse turtle syndrome! She has to cry to let me know to turn her back over, so I'm in and out of her room a lot during nap time. It was so funny to watch her master the roll. It took her a couple of days to get it down. She tried SO hard! She was out of breath by the time she actually made it all the way over. The funny thing is, she can only roll to her right, so we're calling her Zoolander, because she "can't go left!" Even so, we think she is veeeeery advanced. Next week: potty training! ;)

DJ Avey Aves!

2008-10-09T08:41:00.000-07:00

Avery survived her first Bilbao Basket game thanks to her awesome Palco ear protection! They worked great...my evidence: she slept through the whole game, and it was LOUD! She opened her eyes for a second, got a glimpse of the commotion, and checked back out. She was probably thought she was having some wild dream! Everyone was trippin' out about her muffs! People were like "are those for the noise?" I think some people thought she had some hearing issue, and other thought she was groovin' to tunes! She looked SO CUTE! She looks like a little DJ! I love it!

In other news...Avery rolled over yesterday for the first time! She went down for a nap on her back and when she woke up, she was on her tummy! It may have been a fluke since babies don't usually roll from back to tummy til around 6 months, and she hasn't done it since, but it was still very exciting to us!

By the way...Bilbao won and we are now 2-0...yay!

2008-10-02T03:07:00.000-07:00

Snug as a bug after a bath...she looooves her baths!
Hanging with Dad in the hotel room in Zaragoza
Her little smile just melts my heart!
Action drool shot!
We call her Ricky Stanzi (the sometimes Hawkeye QB, for all of you non-Iowa fans!) when she attempts to stand

All is well for the Recker crew. Luke was in Ibiza all last week for a tournament and some more pre-season training. So, Avery and I had some good mother/daughter time. I think she was actually sick of me by the end of the week and was just as excited to see her dad as he was to see her! We took a little family road trip to Zaragoza last weekend to watch Luke compete in the ACB 3-point shooting contest. Unfortunately, Luke didn't win, but it was still fun to get out of town for a couple days. Avery took her first of many trips to the gym. She was a little scared by the buzzer, but eventually fell asleep amidst all of the commotion. I ordered her some awesome hot pink headphones (a la Apple Martin) just in time for the first home game on Wednesday. I'm afraid I would damage her hearing for life without any protection. La Casilla (our home gym) gets super loud when it's really rockin'! We'll see how it goes. Luckily, we live about a 5 minute walk from the gym if she doesn't tolerate it.

3 months old!

2008-09-21T02:00:00.000-07:00

Excited about going for a walk

Faster than a speeding bullet...it's SUPER GIRL! Her and Daddy's latest trick.

Daddy's girl
Mommy's girl
Smily girl

Avery turned 3 months old on Saturday! She has changed from infant to baby, and is getting such a cute little personality. She loves to "talk" and is starting to grab at and hold on to her toys. She has one particular favorite...a monkey that she just smiles and smiles at. It's hilarious. She's so happy to see him each time. We go for lots of walks and Avery just looooves to be out and about. I swear she gets bored at home with me, and is happiest in her stroller out in the world!

First week in Spain

2008-09-14T12:26:00.000-07:00

She loves her Bumbo chair!

She watched the Hawks with mommy and daddy in it this weekend!

Laughing at dad
Bundled up for a walk on a cool Bilbao day

The Recker family is settling back into Bilbao. It took about a week, but Avery and I are finally adjusted to the new time zone. Avery has been sleeping really great. She usually sleeps about 6 hours straight at night, so we are excited about that! She has also perfected the Spanish siesta, but she pretty much had that down in the States!

Here we go again!

2008-09-06T21:53:00.000-07:00

We're back in Bilbao, and it sort of feels like we never left! It's great to be back here and to begin our sixth season in Europe, and third in Bilbao. It was a looooong trip over here for Avery and I. She was a champ, it was just so difficult by myself. But...we made it! Just as she started sleeping through the night, she'll get all turned around with a seven hour time difference. Fingers crossed that she adjusts well. Daddy was SOOOO happy to see his little girl again. And for as exhausted and cranky as Avery was after such a long journey, she gave him a huge smile right away!

Avery is now 11 weeks old and doing GREAT! She is smiling and cooing all the time these days. We just can't get enough of it! I promise to update the blog at least weekly now that we're here and things will be slowing down for me. Adios for now! ;)

2 months old!

2008-08-18T20:39:00.000-07:00

Chillin' with cousins Paige and Caden
All ready for her big day
With Godparents Matt and Wendy, and Father Dushack
Daddy and his little girl
Enjoying tummy time

Avery will be 2 months old tomorrow. I can't believe it! She's growing SO fast. At her 2 month check up today she was 11 lbs 9 oz and 23 1/2 inches long! She had to have her immunizations today and it was so sad! It was the first time in her life we've seen her really cry! It broke our hearts! Poor thing!

Avery was baptized last Saturday. She had lots of family and friends there for her big day! We threw a combo baptism/going away party, which was a blast. Thanks to everyone who made the trip to help us celebrate. It meant a lot to us! :)

2008-08-06T06:22:00.000-07:00

At Brad's wedding (Avery's second wedding!)
The lovebirds...Aves and Carson
Proud mamas Court and Meg with our babes!
Avery and Isaiah with Smitty and Sarah
A big 6 weeks old!

The Recker clan has been on the move lately! As soon as we returned from our trip to Indiana, we hit the road again. We went to Ames to visit Avery's great grandparents, and then on to Omaha for my cousin Brad's wedding. It was so nice to see everyone and catch up. We had a great time. Avery traveled like a champ once again. We also managed a trip to Las Vegas to see our wonderful friends, the Smith's and the Oliver's. It was so fun to see them and to introduce our little ones. Avery will have a tough choice between the two little studs, Carson and Isaiah, in the future! They are both such special boys. I'm so happy to have finally met them. Avery was such a trooper on her first plane ride. We're so proud of her and thankful for her easygoing personality. She is so cooperative of our nomadic lifestyle! In her six weeks of life she's been in EIGHT states!!!!! (WI, IL, IN, OH, IA, NE, TX (a layover...but it counts!), and NV).

One month old!

2008-07-18T05:45:00.000-07:00

Avery and "Papa C"
Looking pretty comfy with Godmother Aunt Wendy
Cuddling with Nana Marti
Cuteness with Pappa John
Fun with cousins Jacob and Caden
Taking a snooze on "Lulu the Lamb", an adorable gift from Sam, Luke's agent

Avery Kathleen turned one month old on Sunday! We can't believe how fast this month has gone. It's been so amazing! I loooooooove being a mom!!! Avery is such a sweetheart. She is still sleeping a lot and very rarely cries. She is a loud baby though...making tons of of funny noises, even in her sleep. She loves "tummy time" and has mastered turning her head while on her tummy. I know...she's soooo advanced! ;)

We have been very busy lately (thus the lack of blog entries!). We spent time in Chicago and Indiana. We had a great time and Avery loved seeing her grandparents and meeting all of her aunts, uncles, and cousins. She was showered with lots of love and kisses! She's one lucky little girl to have so many people who adore her. She was such a great little traveler, which is veeeery important for our lifestyle!!!

Update...

2008-07-09T09:25:00.000-07:00

Uncle Matt and his God daughter
Avery's favorite...the "koala"
Koala close up...what a cutie!!!!
Avery with her piggy bank from Uncle Matt
Cuteness in her car seat

Avery had her 2 week checkup yesterday (a little late because of the holiday) and everything looked great! She's growing a TON! She gained almost 2 lbs and grew an inch and a half! She is now 8 lbs 3 oz and 21 1/2 inches long. I thought we'd set some sort of world record for growth! She is in the 50th percentile for height, weight, and head size. So, we were told we have an average baby...but to us she's anything BUT average!!! ;)

2 Weeks Old!

2008-07-03T09:54:00.000-07:00

Blue Steele

Hello!

Hmmmm, I think I like this!
Snug as a bug!
Our little koala baby!

Avery is two weeks old! What an amazing couple of weeks it's been! She continues to be the best baby ever. She's definitely a night owl...she sleeps all day and likes to watch infomercials with mommy or daddy during the wee hours! She makes the cutest faces and funniest noises. She likes to suck on her fingers and makes a little "oinking" sound, so I've been calling her piglet. I don't think she'll appreciate that nickname in her teen years!

Our Weekend

2008-06-29T21:24:00.000-07:00

Deep thoughtsAll ready for my first party!

A happy family
Avery, Mommy, and bride Christine

This weekend was a big one for the Recker family. We had Christine and Scott's wedding on Friday and their reception on Saturday. It was super fun! Avery got to meet lots of our friends at the reception. She was SOOOOO good! She is SUCH as sweet baby, we can't even get over it! We feel incredibly blessed to have this little angel. She's grown and changed so much in her 9 days of life. She is eating a ton and really starting to fill out, but newborn size clothes are still too big on her. Such a peanut!

Cuteness!

2008-06-25T21:44:00.000-07:00

She's got the siesta down!

Enjoying her first bath at home

Avery chillin' in her swing...one of the rare times she has her eyes open!

Sweet Dreams...

She found her thumb!!

Avery is doing awesome! She is such a great baby. We are truly enjoying every second with her. She had a doctor's appointment last Monday, and all is well! The doctor thinks she is a very healthy baby. We continue to count our blessings!

Introducing Avery Kathleen Recker!

2008-06-22T19:03:00.000-07:00

Hello World!!!
Our family
Grandma and Grandpa Welch with the proud parents and Avery
Grandma and Grandpa Pepple
Avery cuteness! :)

Luke and I would like to welcome our beautiful baby daughter to the world! She arrived on Friday, June 20th at 4:25am. She was 6 lbs 13 oz and 19 inches. She is very healthy and such a great baby. We are completely enamored with her! We are enjoying settling in as a family at home. We are so thankful to have this amazing little girl in our life. She is such a miracle. Enjoy the pics...there will be many more to come!!!

38 1/2 Weeks

2008-06-15T14:24:00.000-07:00

Any day now little lady! We continue to anxiously await her arrival. She appears to be moving into position little by little. We took a tour of the birthing center last week, which made it seem very real! It was exciting!

Happy Father's Day to all of the Dad's out there! Luke is already an amazing father...and he hasn't even met his daughter yet! If how he is as a husband is any indication of how he'll be as a father...our kids will be the luckiest kids in the world! :)

37 1/2 Weeks

2008-06-08T20:22:00.000-07:00

Me, Christine, and Molly at Christine's shower

I've been very neglectful of baby Recker's blog this week! It's been a very busy week. I, along with my friends Molly and Melissa, hosted a bridal shower and bachelorette party for our friend Christine (who is getting married on my due date...and I'm the matron of honor, so I'd appreciate if this little one came a little early for mommy!). The parties were both so fun.

Baby still has some room to move around in there and continues to be most active at night. So, between that and my 4-5 trips to the bathroom at night, I'm not sleeping very well! We are dying to meet her. We're ready whenever she is! She's the boss!

36 1/2 Weeks

2008-06-01T06:57:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it's finally June! The month that I'm due! Yay! I had an appointment last Tuesday and all was well. Her heartbeat was healthy and strong. I have appointments every week from here on out.

Her nursery is finally complete! It's been so fun! I love how it turned out! Although, I've been having dreams that she's actually a he...so if that's the case, I hope he likes pink!!!

35 1/2 Weeks

2008-05-24T05:51:00.000-07:00

European season number 5 is officially in the books! Barcelona ended Bilbao's season last Sunday. Luke got home on Wednesday and I couldn't be happier to have him here! We've been having so much fun these past few days doing tons of baby stuff. Luke and my mom painted the nursery, we bought all of the furniture, and finally decided on a car seat and stroller (after a ridiculous amount of deliberation!)

I am feeling good, but getting pretty uncomfortable. My back has been really sore, so Luke's been on back massage patrol since he stepped off the plane! I can't believe we only have about a month to go until we meet our baby girl! We cannot wait to begin our adventures in parenthood!

34 Weeks

2008-05-15T19:23:00.000-07:00

Only 6 weeks to go! It's getting SO close! I had an appointment last Tuesday, and all was well. Her heartbeat was strong and she's still in the head down position, which is very encouraging. I took a tour of the birthing center at the hospital during my childbirth class. I was impressed. It's so exciting to think Baby Recker will be making her grand entrance there in just 6 short weeks! Ahhh! I cannot wait to meet her! :)

Luke's team begins the playoffs against Barcelona tomorrow (Friday). It's a three game series. So, depending upon the results, he could be home as soon as this Tuesday, or as late as...I don't want to think about that!!! Good luck to my hubby and Bilbao Basket!!!

33 Weeks

2008-05-09T10:13:00.001-07:00

It just keeps growing and growing! She's still quite active in there, especially when I'm trying to sleep! (I suppose I should get used to that!) She's been getting the hiccups lately. It cracks me up to picture her in there hiccuping away! I've been trying to rest and lay low before this little gal makes her grand entrance, but the nesting instinct is so hard to suppress! I've been preparing, cleaning, and organizing like a mad woman! It's actually quite a useful side effect of pregnancy!

32 1/2 Weeks

2008-05-04T17:33:00.000-07:00

I've been majorly slacking on the blog lately! I've been so busy doing fun baby stuff that I have neglected the blog! I am feeling awesome and my bump is growing by the second! Baby discovered my ribs with her feet just the other day, so she's having fun kicking mommy!

I met my Midwife last Tuesday and she is really great. I feel very comfortable with her and she seems so calm and knowledgeable. She listened to the baby's heart and said it sounded perfect. No matter how many times I hear it, it still amazes me!

I was in Iowa City for a sorority reunion last weekend. It was great to see old friends and catch up. My wonderful friends Katie, Joanna, Kit, and Erin threw me a surprise shower! It was so sweet! Thanks! You guys are the best!

Today, my mom had a shower for me. It was so fun! It was such a beautiful day and my mom threw such a nice party. My friends and family completely spoiled us with such awesome gifts! I feel so blessed to have such great friends and family. Thanks to my mother-in-law and sisters-in-law for making the trip from Indiana to help me celebrate. And thanks to everyone else who could make it, it meant a lot to me!

In other news, Baby Recker's future boyfriend, Carson David Smith was born on May 2nd. We cannot wait to meet the little guy! He is so gorgeous! Congrats to Courtney and Jason!

31 Weeks

2008-04-24T17:51:00.000-07:00

I'm officially down to single digit weeks remaining! Ashes and I had an uneventful trip home. He was such a trooper on the plane. He didn't make a peep til we pulled into our driveway. I owe him some new toys and treats! It's so great to be back in the States. I have been enjoying all the American food I've been missing for 8 months. It's probably a good thing I haven't had access to all this deliciously horrible food for the first 7 months of my pregnancy...I'd be as big as a house by now! My belly had a big expansion this week (go figure!). Baby girl is moving all the time. She's waking me up several times during the night, and seems to be most comfortable right on my bladder, making my trips to the bathroom very frequent!
Sadly, Luke's grandmother passed away last Friday. She died peacefully with all her kids at her bedside. Thankfully Luke's team is very understanding and let him have a couple days off to come home for the funeral. It was a very quick trip for him (less than 48 hrs in the States!) but he was so happy to be able to be there with his family.
I have my first appointment here scheduled for Monday, so I will update early next week!

30 Weeks

2008-04-16T14:24:00.000-07:00

I'm officially 3/4 of the way there, which is very encouraging! We had our last appointment in Spain on Monday. Thankfully everything looks great with our baby girl! We tried another 3D ultrasound, but again, she didn't give us any good shots. She must be shy...just like her daddy! lol! The half of her face we did see was pretty adorable, I must admit! :) She weighed in at 3 lbs. 5 oz. and is about 14 inches long.

I leave for the States tomorrow. I am really excited to get back to the US for a long summer, but I will miss Luke a lot for the next month or so. We had a little goodbye dinner the other night with the team. It was fun. They are such great guys!

Well, I better get to sleep. I have a loooong day tomorrow travelling halfway around the world! My next entry will be from the good ol' USA!

29 weeks: April 10, 2008

2008-04-10T15:24:00.000-07:00

My bump is getting "muy grande," as my Spanish friends would say! I continue to feel great, but the tiredness that I experienced in the first trimester has come back. It's so overwhelming at times I feel like laying down on the sidewalk and taking a nap while walking home from the store! She is moving constantly these days. It's so amazing and reassuring to feel her in there.

Baby Recker's Spanish nursery is shaping up. Unfortunately we can't paint the walls since the team rents the apartment. We just need a chair and a rug (and a baby!) and it'll be complete! I can't wait to start her American nursery when I get home. I leave a week from today! I can't believe our 5th season in Europe is coming to a close. It'll be a great summer!

28 Weeks: April 3, 2008

2008-04-03T14:50:00.000-07:00

These were taken atop a tiny church on a little island about 20 minutes from Bilbao. You have to climb over 200 steps to get to the top. I had to take a couple breaks, but baby and I made it all the way! The views are unbelievable.

I've officially entered third trimesterville! Time is really flying! We had a great time with Luke's mom and step dad. We did a little sightseeing, and lots of eating! It's always fun to have visitors.

In other news, Luke's team got a much needed win last Sunday. They are one step closer to the playoffs. Only 6 regular season games left!

27 Weeks: March 27, 2008

2008-03-27T12:50:00.000-07:00

My bump is getting bigger by the second it seems! Baby Recker is due 3 months from today. I can't wait to meet the little lady that has been making such a commotion in my belly!

Luke's mom, Marti and step dad, John are visiting right now. Here's a shot of us after the game last night. It's a wonder that any of us managed a smile considering the result of the game. We lost by 1 point (for the second time in a row, and the 4th time this season!) on an illegal block. Luke went for a layup with like no time left, and a Madrid player swiped it, and it was clearly a goaltend. The players, coach, and crowd went nuts with the no call. The team is protesting the call and trying to have the loss overturned. The league and officials admitted it was a goaltend after reviewing the tape, and the basket should have counted. But, we're quite certain the loss will stand. Such a crummy way to lose a game. I would have hurt less to get beat by 30!

26 Weeks: March 21, 2008

2008-03-21T02:29:00.000-07:00

Her profile. I think she was giving "Blue Steel" in this one!

A good shot of her little nose and mouth

We had another appointment on Monday, and thankfully everything looks completely normal and healthy with our baby girl! She is almost 2 lbs. and over 10 inches long! Unfortunately, we weren't able to get any good 3D shots because of how she was positioned. She had her head leaning up against the placenta, so there was no fluid on one side of her face, and I guess the fluid in the background is what gives such great images. The doctor tried to get her to move, but apparently she was pretty comfy as she was and refused! The doctor said we could try again at my next appointment April 14th. We still were able to see her with the standard ultrasound, which was amazing as always. It was cool to feel and see her move simultaneously. She was opening her mouth and the doctor said she stuck out her tongue! I guess that's what we get for disturbing her!

In other Recker news, Luke's shoulder seems to be healing nicely and he has started practicing again. He may even try to play a little in the game this weekend. He's really anxious to get back. I just hope he's not rushing it.

Luke 6 weeks (of not playing): Sunday, March 16 2008

2008-03-16T05:50:00.000-07:00

My friend Courtney blog-tagged me to answer some questions about my baby daddy for the blog. So, here goes...

What is his name? Lucas Andrew Recker

How long have you been married? 5 years on July 19th

How long did you date? We were engaged after 5 MONTHS of knowing each other! So, not long, but we were engaged for a year and a half. It didn't take long for us to know that we were meant to be (awwwww!)

How old is he? He turns the big 3-0 on June 17th! Perhaps he'll be sharing his b-day with our little one!

Who eats more? Luke...hands down! I would take Luke any day in an eating contest! He may even give Kobayashi a run for his money! Don't believe me? He once gained 19 pounds in 3 days after a season!

Who said I love you first? It was Luke, but not before making me suffer a little! He would look at me all sincerely and say "Meg, I love........basketball!" Then one day he substituted you for basketball just when I was about to give him a smack down!

Who's taller? Me by a hair! lol!

Who can sing better? Simon would say that we're both rubbish, but it doesn't stop us from trying!

Who is smarter? Luke is very smart, but I do kick his butt in Jeopardy nightly!

Who does the laundry? Me...fo' sho'! After he Barbi-sized one of my shirts, he's not allowed near the washer or dryer!

Who pays the bills? Luke. I'm no Suze Orman!

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Luke

Who mows the lawn? Some dude with sweet tats and a cig hanging from his mouth from the condo association.

Who cooks dinner? Me

Who is a better cook? I would say me, but Luke makes a mean omelette!

Who drives? Luke does the majority of the driving over here. At home we both drive.

Who is more stubborn? Me!

Who kissed who first? He kissed me in the Jimmy (with the sweet Luke24 license plates!).

Who asked who out first? Luke asked me out, and I had to confess I had a boyfriend. I still gave him my number as "friends" and he called me 4 days later wondering if I still had that "problem"! I told him no and the rest is history!

Who proposed? Luke, at 9a.m. on a Tuesday morning of finals week, in my apartment in Iowa City! How romantic! I didn't hesitate for a second and wouldn't change it for the world!

Who is more sensitive? I knew Luke was more sensitive when I saw tears streaming down his face during Extreme Home Makeover!

Who has more friends? Probably Luke.

Who has more siblings? Luke has 4 sisters and a step brother, so he wins. I only have one brother.

So, Court, with all due respect, I think I have the best husband in the world! He's the greatest partner, friend, and future father a girl could wish for! He makes me laugh every day, even when I feel there is nothing to laugh about. I respect and appreciate him more and more each day and feel so blessed to have him in my life!

25 Weeks: Friday March 14, 2008

2008-03-14T08:54:00.000-07:00

T-minus 15 weeks! I'm still feeling great and counting down the days til we meet our little lady! She has very active days where she kicks and moves all day, followed by some lazy days where I can hardly tell she's in there (til I look down at my ever expanding belly!!). We have a 3D ultrasound scheduled for Monday. I hope she cooperates and gives us some good shots!

My Buddy

2008-03-07T05:58:00.000-08:00

Since Ashes was too busy napping to make an appearance in my last picture, I thought I'd post this one of him in his new cat tent! I saw it at IKEA and couldn't resist! He absolutely loves it!

24 Weeks: March 6, 2008

2008-03-06T14:36:00.000-08:00

Getting there! We've started looking at nursery furniture and baby gear and are completely mind boggled! We're such novices, we don't know where to begin! Just the array of possible stroller features blows Luke's mind! And our situation, living on 2 continents, makes it that much more complicated! We need to set up a nursery here in Bilbao before I go home, so it's all ready for her when we return next August, and we need to set one up in Madison for the summer. She's already a diva needing 2 of everything!

23 Weeks: Feb 28, 2008

2008-02-28T07:59:00.000-08:00

My belly has definitely experienced a growth spurt this week! Two strangers asked if I was pregnant, so it must be pretty apparent these days! I'm feeling awesome. The baby is kicking so hard at times I am able to see my stomach move! It's so amazing and strange! I tell her to "Party on, baby!" I love it.

22 Weeks: Feb 21, 2008

2008-02-21T05:28:00.000-08:00

We had our 21 week scan last Monday. Thankfully, everything looked great! The doctor assured us that she is indeed still a she, and developing normally. Most deformities and abnormalities can be detected at this point, so we feel very blessed that our little one is healthy! She was moving around a lot and even gave us a "thumb's up" at one point! She is almost 9 inches long and a whopping 1 pound!!! Her little feet are 4 cm long already, so no wonder I am feeling her kick like crazy!

Our friends Christine and Scott were here visiting last week. It's always fun to have familiar faces around. Unfortunately, they weren't able to see Luke play, as he's still recovering from his injury, but they did get to see a nice Bilbao Basket win!

Week 21: Feb 14, 2008

2008-02-14T06:44:00.000-08:00

Getting bigger! She's definitely movin' and groovin' in there these days! She gave me a big kick the other day when Luke was talking to her. He talks to her everyday. It's so funny because it sounds like he's leaving her a message! He says "hey little girl, it's daddy!" and one time he even said "I'm just calling to say..." We all got a "kick" out of that (pun intended!).

Luke's feeling better, but looks like he's still going to be out for 6 weeks.

Baby Daddy Down!

2008-02-08T07:30:00.001-08:00

Last night was the first game of the "Copa del Rey" (King's Cup), a mid-season tournament of the top 8 teams. Bilbao played Barcelona, and they won, but that's where the good news ends. Luke went for a loose ball during one of that last plays of the game, he landed on his shoulder, dislocating it. He was in excruciating pain for several minutes as they tried to get it back into the socket. He was taken from the court on a stretcher and later transported to the hospital for X-rays via ambulance. Thankfully I was at the game, (because the tournament is being held in a city about 45 minutes from Bilbao) and was able to accompany him to the hospital. I even got to ride shotgun in the ambulance with sirens blarring! Luckily the X-rays showed no damage to the bone. He had an MRI today that showed some ligament and muscle damage. He will be sidelined for a minimum of 6 weeks. The doctor, who happens to be one of the best Orthopedic surgeons in Spain, said he has about a 40% chance of it dislocating again in the future. If it does happen again, he will have to have surgery. He'll be in a sling for a couple of weeks and then he'll start rehabbing. So, kinda a bummer, but c'est la vie. We continue to count our blessings.

P.S. acb.com, the league website, asked me to do a blog during the tournament. They are doing blogs from all different points of view (fans, cheerleaders, an analyst) and wanted one from a wife's persprective. So, I'm a bloggin' fool these days! Check it out if you want (it's in Spanish...I wish I could say I wrote it that way, but they translated it) http://blogs.acb.com/. You have to scroll down a little. I have 2 entries so far. (BTW...I did not post that heinous picture of myself in the blog!)

20 Weeks: Feb 7, 2008

2008-02-07T02:29:00.000-08:00

Halfway there! Woohoo! I'm still feeling fab and enjoying being pregnant. Our little chick is definitely moving around a lot more this week. I feel little twiches throughout the day and night. It's the coolest feeling in the world! We still haven't decided on a name yet. We have it narrowed down to 3: Taylor, Madelyn, and Camryn. We may have to meet her before we decide for sure. You should see how the Spaniards react when we tell them the names we are thinking of...they just stare at us blankly, crickets chirping in the background, like "you must be joking." Obviously, these aren't popular Spanish names! In fact one guy made like a disgusted face when we told him Taylor was on our list! LOL!

19 Weeks: Jan 31, 2008

2008-01-31T07:23:00.000-08:00

Almost halfway there! I continue to feel great, and expand a little more each day! I have begun to feel the "flutters" of the baby moving, but still no definitive kicks yet. Speaking of kicks, baby Recker attended her first soccer game; Athletic Bilbao vs. F.C. Barcelona last weekend. A photo of us at the game (along with Luke's teammate Marcelinho Huertas) was in the newspaper the next day.

17 Weeks: Jan 19, 2008

2008-01-21T09:23:00.000-08:00

My bump is growing!!! I can no longer squeeze into any of my jeans, and finally bought some maternity jeans. They are still a little too big, but they are AWESOME! I seriously don't think I'll be able to go back to regular jeans!

I feel great and am really enjoying being pregnant. 23 weeks to go!

It's a...

2008-01-21T08:49:00.000-08:00

GIRL! GIRL! GIRL! GIRL! GIRL! GIRL!

We are soooo excited! We would have been thrilled either way, but it really feels real now that we know it's a little lady in there! It was so amazing to see her in real time on the ultrasound. We got to see her little face, arms, legs, etc. We even saw all chambers of the heart beating away. She is about 6 inches long right now, and developing completely normally. We are so thankful and just in awe of this little miracle! She was moving around like crazy, but I haven't felt any distinct movements or kicks yet. I can't wait for that! The doctor was pushing on my belly to get her to move, and we could see her little head moving from side to side as if to say "Dude, I was trying to sleep!" Nice to see she already has a little attitude!

The experience was made even more memorable because my mom was able to come to the appointment with me. My family was in Bilbao for 9 days. It was so wonderful to have them here.

15 Weeks: Jan 1, 2008

2008-01-21T07:53:00.000-08:00

Luke and I spent New Year's 2008 in London. This picture was taken before we went to "Hairspray" in the West End. We had such a nice trip...the first of many "babymoons"!!! Right around 15 weeks is when I started feeling "normal" again. The nausea completely went away, and I got some energy back. What a relief! I was beginning to think this was going to be a loooong 9 months!