NATCHEZ — Friday was one of the worst days Natchez resident Mary Waller has had since she moved here almost three years ago with her husband Mathus.

Her 5-month-old daughter Avery was sick, and Mary could not find a doctor to see her child.

The Wallers used to live in Baton Rouge where finding a doctor may have been a little easier, but living a simpler life was out of the question.

“Everything here moves at a lot slower pace,” Mathus said. “It’s quieter and just a good place to raise the family.”

And when The Dart landed on Brightwood Street in Natchez, Mary was watching Avery and waiting on Mathus to get home from work.

Mary took a job as a guidance counselor at Vidalia High School before the school year began in August, but before she could get adjusted to her new career, her new life as a mommy took center stage.

“I had worked maybe two weeks when Avery was born,” Mary said. “So I then got six weeks off right when I first started working.”

While Mathus does have another daughter, 12-year-old Gabby Morace, Avery is the couple’s first child together and Mathus said the first five months of her life have been very busy for the family.

“We have both gotten a lot less sleep,” he said. “And I never knew something that weighed 15 pounds would cost so much to feed.”

Mary said even her two dogs, Sam and Diesel have been affected by the birth of Avery.

“My dogs are both jealous and sad they are losing their attention,” she said.

Lack of sleep and jealous dogs aside, Mary said Avery has been a blessing every day she has been alive.

“She is a very good, happy baby,” she said. “It took two years for us to have her, and we are so happy she came into our lives.”

Mathus said he can’t wait to see Avery get older.

“I’m just ready for her to get up and start walking around,” he said.

Until that time, Mary and Mathus said they are going to continue work on another project they have been working on since they moved to Natchez.

“We bought this house so we can remodel it, sell it and move to a house with some more land,” Mary said. “We already have some land ready to start building our next house.”

Mary said both her and Mathus love to go to be outside, and that was part of the reason they moved back to Natchez.

“We are always steadily on the go,” she said. “We don’t sit at home. We go out and do things.”

Until the Wallers get to move into their dream house, they said staying at home with Avery and Gabby and finishing up their remodeling project was just fine with them.