Slumber parties, pneumonia, and getting older

Our friends, the Houstons are expecting their third daughter, so we offered them a break from children overnight before the chaos. Macy and Harper spent a Friday night at our house. I actually wouldn't call it a slumber party because not much slumbering occurred. Avery and Macy slept in the same bed and Harper kept escaping from the Pack 'n Play in the guest room. (We all thought she'd be the easy one.) Nevertheless, we all survived.

Avery and Macy settled in for bedtime stories.

All the girls got musical Saturday morning and entertained Chad and me on the piano.

Don't let her fool you with a sweet face. Avery's full of mischief.

The following week, we started dropping like flies. Stuart went down first with a high fever and was diagnosed with an ear infection and pink eye. My symptoms started then, too, but I powered through. Avery started coughing on Tuesday night and her nose and eyes started running Wednesday. We went to the doctor first thing Thursday and she was also diagnosed with an ear infection and pink eye, but she also had pneumonia. Lovely. Chad and I were both put on antibiotics for ear infections within a couple of days, but after 14 days of being sick, I was SICK of being sick. I returned to the doctor for a cortizone shot and an antibiotic switch. It worked!

Poor Avery had a TERRIBLE hair day before we went to the doctor with her. We have no idea how she slept rough enough to wake up like this.

Stuart thought Avery's hair was hilarious!

Avery managed to get well enough to go out for pizza with friends on her birthday at Joey's House of Pizza in Brentwood. We closed the place down.

Avery probably only had one bite of her pizza. She was more interested in running around in circles and having cake.

Avery was thrilled with her Tinkerbell cake. It was almost too pretty to eat.

She seemed so timid while we sang to her.

Yes, she is dangerously close to the candle!

Obviously, she decided that while the cake was beautiful, it wasn't too beautiful to eat!

Daddy brought a balloon home for Avery on her birthday.

She got a TON of mail, so we stayed up late opening all the fun birthday cards.

The highlight of the day was Avery's new SUV for her dollhouse. She (and Stuart) can't get enough of it!