Ava 25 mos....well...almost 26 months! :)

So, I'm a huge blog slacker. I can't help it. I'm too busy for this thing anymore. Is anyone even still reading???

Ok, ok...well, so Ava is 25 months now...although, she's just about to be 26 months! Ooops! I know you're not supposed to do the whole "month" age thing past age 2...but I can't just say, "she's two" on every post for the next year!! So...I'm sticking with the months!

Anyway, we've had a super fun past couple of weeks. Although, things are CRAZY hectic. But, they're good...so I can't complain!

Ava's doing great! She's talking up a storm...in fact, I think she's finally starting to wear out her grand parents eardrums!! And her vocal chords! The child DOES NOT STOP TALKING!! Ever. Even random strangers out and about will comment on how much she just talks and talks and talks. Truly, my ears rarely get any peace. The very rare car ride sans child is about all I get! I guess it could be worse! We still haven't entered into the temper tantrum stage yet...although, I know SOMETHING is bound so come my way! Ava is a firecracker with an incredibly independent (and sometimes bossy!) personality! It can't just be all flowers and rainbows for too much longer! ;)

Ava's getting much more used to our new schedule...school included! She usually still cries a little either when I put her school clothes on in the morning and/or when we pull into the school parking lot saying, "no go to school." :( Even if she isn't crying when we get to her room, as soon as she sees it, she starts again. BUT, she usually stops crying even before I leave the room. She gets a report sent home with her everyday about what she did, what she ate, how she acted....and her favorite teacher, Ms. Kristen, has recently been writing things like, "Ava was very cheerful today!" I really love her teacher, and she seems to understand Ava's personality very well now. Ava talks about her all the time at home and even "God blesses" Ms. Kristen during our nightly prayers! So cute. One of her favorite parts of the day at school is music class...she really opens up in there and sings and dances away! On days that she doesn't have school...she KNOWS it! On Monday mornings, she'll say, "no Ava go to school on Monday! No mommy go to work on Monday!"

So, it's been raining a ton here...basically since we moved from Florida! So, we've had to be creative with inside play....or, a little puddle play where there's a break in the rain!But, on the rare ocassion that we've gotten some decent weather- we've hit the park several times. Ava really misses being able to be outside all the time. In Florida, we had a fenced in back yard that was just a step out the kitchen. She spent HOURS out there...almost daily! She hasn't gotten to do that much here..so, when we get to go to the park, she gets REALLY excited! Here are her and Keegan at the park together for the FIRST TIME EVER!!! It was just about to rain the entire time, but it held off! They had a great time together!!They've gotten to play together several more times at other various parks in the area. She loves going by herself, but she really loves it when she's got a buddy to play with! Here are some super sweet pics!
Keegan, wanna kiss?? :)They played in the mulch under the playground for like 30 minutes!


There was an charity softball event that Patrick played in (with my brothers Pat and Ian and a bunch of his baseball buddies from college), and we all went to the ballpark on Friday night. It was a blast! Ava had the best time! Can't wait 'til local ballparks are a part of our life on a regular basis (whether is be with one of my kids or Keegan)!! Here's Patrick and Ava having a blast!Patrick teaching Ava how to run the bases!
Patrick showing Ava how to run the bases!
Rounding third...almost home!!
Now what, mommy?After a forward roll. Loved playing in the grass!!
Sorry again for the delay...but that pretty much catches you up. Life is great! Here's more pictures of Ava at 25 months if you didn't get enough!! :)

SOLD!

Well....we sold our perfect little house in Florida.

I went down this past weekend to get the rest of our stuff moved out of the house. I flew down on Saturday, rented a moving van, and drove it back to Georgia on Sunday.

When I got there, I was reminded of one of the reasons I loved living there so much...the weather was awesome- hot and sunny- not a trace of rain! The house still looked like our house...when I went inside, I felt like I was home. It was a weird feeling because when I arrived there, I felt like I was going back home. I always used to say that I was "back home" when I got back to Georgia. Of course, I love Georgia. But, I really loved our life there, and I have so many wonderful memories.

So, farewell to our first home. We'll never forget you!

Bilingual Baby???

Isn't Dora great?! :)

Cantaloupe

A morning video for your viewing pleasure! :)

Sorry about the quality...I'm still getting the hang of this iMac!!

Mermaid Birthday Patry

Two birthday parties for the two year old! Her actual birthday was a Wednesday, so we just had a very casual dinner at Barb's house with my and Patrick's parents. Ava's "real" birthday party wasn't until Saturday, and I didn't want her to have nothing to open on her actual day, so I got her a few things. Well, I should have known!! Everything else did the same thing! She had TONS of stuff to open!

Bobbi made some cupcakes, and we sang Happy Birthday (which she now sings to herself almost daily)! She got lots of good stuff----the nosiest gift from Uncle Pat- a keyboard! Just wait 'til HE has kids! ;) I got her a few bracelets and a "princess skirt" (tutu) which she has renamed the "mermaid dress." I love it! So cute! Here she is swishing it around showing it off!


I also got her a necklace with a cupcake on it. I called it her birthday cupcake necklace, and she loved it! Here she is checking it out! I love this picture!The sweetest birthday smile in town!
Uncle Pat teaching Ava how to get ready to catch a ball!

YAY! We did it!
For her birthday party- I did another cupcake pull-away cake. I like them, cause you can make it whatever you want! I showed the lady a picture of her invitation, and she made this for us! Ava loved it!
Ava didn't really know what to think about that big 'ol cake in front of her with everyone singing!!But, she adjusted right away! She requested the "red one!" Then the blue one...then the pink one. Had to try them all! ;)
Enjoying a cupcake with Grandpa Mike!Cousin Keegan was so nice to bring this amazing blowup slide thing! They had such a fun time sliding and bouncing!!

One of Ava's big presents- from Grandpa Mike and Bobbi! A dollhouse! She loves this thing and was so sweet when she unwrapped it and realized what it was! She would play with this for hours in a day if she could!

Her other big gift- from Michee and Pop- a Wiggle Racer (which she calls her "wiggle race car"). The outfit was her Mermaid Dress she wore while she opened her presents! :)
Uncle Steve gave her a great present (and very appropriate in the baseball family)! It took her a few tries, (and Daddy had to help a little!) but she eventually it the ball! You can tell baseball is in Keegan's blood! He had NO problem figuring that out!!
Cousin Keegan was so nice to bring his new toy- this gigantic blow up climbing wall and slide!! Ava LOVED it and has not stopped talking about it since!!! She calls it the "sliding board," and keeps saying, "go on Keegan's sliding board again!!!"...followed by a giddy giggle! :) Here they are playing on the slide!!We had a great time! Ava has been singing Happy Birthday to herself ever since! Haha! :)

First Day of School!

So.....she started pre-school a few weeks ago. It was slightly traumatic...for the both of us. Her official first day was a Wednesday (when I had to work), but I took her for a trial run on Tuesday- I went with her and hung out for like 30 min and left. She didn't cry when I left, but was standing still and looking overwhelmed. When I went to pick her up 2 hours later, when she saw me she fell to pieces. It was terrible. But I didn't cry then...cause I could take her with me. :)

The next morning was terrible!! I dropped her off at 7:30 and she was supposed to stay until after nap time, around 2 or 2:30. Wellllllll.....they called me at work....at like 9:30am! NOT a good sign. They suggested that, if possible, it would be good for Ava to be picked up before nap time to try to ease her into this new place. They also suggested a "transition schedule" for the next 2 weeks. Basically, we were taking her everyday to desensitize her.....she started off with shorter times and increased over the next week to staying a full day (which is until around 2:30pm- still a 7 hour day). :( It was really hard for me. It was terrible knowing that she was there crying (still) after being there for 2 hours! She cried SO hard and so instantly the second I told her I was leaving...she reached up and said, "Mommy, hold that baby" ("that baby", of course, is her). I had to turn and leave and the tears came so fast. I couldn't even help it. I had to go to the front and still have the director lady teach me how to use the stupid security code pad...I felt retarded...but I couldn't stop. I mean, I was that mom they probably talk about after I leave- teachers I didn't even know were hugging me. :( And I didn't even bring any touch up makeup for work!!

Well, I did the next day...and I needed it. The next day, she cried as we pulled into the parking lot and said, "no go to school." We went it, her teacher took out puzzles for her (since apparently that was the only thing she wanted to do the day before), and she looked at me and said, "Mommy, sit down" and pointed to the table with the puzzles. She knew I was leaving and she was trying to get me to stay. :( I had to go and she cried again....ugh. And so did I. It was really terrible...I was so thankful for the weekend when I didn't have to take her anywhere and walk away. Thank GOD for Barb that week. Since she didn't start school until the following week, she was around and available to stop by preschool and check out the monitors and pick Ava up early (since I was working. And my mom was in Guatemala at the time). She was so wonderful and spent a lot of time talking to all the teachers and directors...she's so positive with Ava and a total blessing. I would have been a mess if it wasn't for her help.

BUT, I am SOOOOOO happy to say that, since all that yucky stuff...Ava is doing MUCH better now! The transition schedule really, really helped her. She'll still wake up on the weekend or on a Monday or Tuesday and say,"no go to school," but when I do take her now, she doesn't cry, and she actually goes to her teacher willingly...from my arms!! What a HUGE relief! For the first time- I didn't leave distraught or crying! The font desk lady even clapped for me as I left after our first successful drop off!!! :) Yipee!! I was smiling from ear to ear! Such a relief to know you're baby is ok. :)

Here we are before we left on her very first day...before she knew what was coming! When she was still smiling even though I put her "school dress" on! (Now, when I put any of her school outfits on-they wear uniforms- she'll start to get upset and say, "no go to school." Although, she's pretty easily distracted toward something more fun)!! I'll keep you posted!!

24 months!

Finally! I know...I'm so sorry. I thought life would get easier, calmer, and less busy when I was done with school...but I was mistaken! :) Anyway, sorry for the delay...

So, Ava's TWO! Wow.

I keep thinking she's still my little baby...and she is, darn it! But, she just seems so grown up sometimes! I feel like she's really changed a lot in the past month- she's doing so much, understanding everything, having real, honest-to-goodness conversations with me, singing, talking in amazing sentences, and getting SO looong! ;) She's a total handful! But, I think we're pretty lucky, because even though sometimes she really pushes my buttons, for the most part, she is pleasant, happy, and willing and wanting to please! We haven't really seen any "tantrums" to date. Every now and then, she'll let out a squeal, but it's mostly to see if we'll look at her and give her the attention she, obviously, wants! Little stinker. :) Though, we have started to implement the "time out chair." She gets 2 minutes (a minute for each year of her age)...but she doesn't seem to quite get it...or care! She'll stand up in her seat, and I'll tell her that if she does it again she'll have to go to time out. Then she'll start to stand, and I'll say, "Ava...do you want to sit in time out??" And she says...."yes." Ugh. And when she does sit there, she just sings, talks, plays with the wall...she just really doesn't care yet. I guess one day she probably will....but it doesn't make for a very effective "time out" quite yet! :) Ha!

We've really settled in quite nicely to the Lakehouse. We're enjoying it up here, and we've taken Ava out on the boat several times, which she loves! The only down side is that there's really not a good place to play outside, and I now she misses that! It's not too bad right now, because it's pretty hot, and when we're outside we're usually down by the lake or on the boat...but when the weather starts to cool off (like it kinda did today!), she's gonna want to get out and PLAY! We'll have to find a local park!!

Her little ponytail is trying to grow! :)Here she is having a lunch picnic on the screened in porch just before heading down to the boat!Loves to play Hide-and-Seek...this is her most favorite place to hide. She goes here every time!!
So, for those of you who don't already know, Ava started PRE-SCHOOL a few weeks ago! I had every intention of posting on her first day with pictures and the summary, but life got in the way! So, I'll just mention that it was a rough start (for her AND me!), but things are going much better these days! I'll make a separate post for that one! :) Promise!

She had her 24 month check up, and she's doing great! Still a total peanut, weighing in at 23lbs with clothes! That's the 8th %!! Her height, however, is in the 40th % at 33.75 inches! Then they started asking me thinking like, does she have 20-50 words, does she socialize, does she stack things, etc. The nurse (who was asking these questions) didn't have to wait on my answer for most of them since Ava WOULDN'T SHUT UP IN THERE!! We weren't really paying her a bit of attention (trying to get through all those questions!), but she didn't care!- she pointed out (and named the colors of!) all the tiles on the floor, the desk, the walls...and when that was done, she just continued to talk to herself while occasionally interrupting me to tell me about her new sticker! Needless to say, the child can SPEAK!! :) Anyway, everything looked great! We're lucky to have such a healthy little girl. Very rarely do I go many days without thinking about how blessed we are to have a healthy baby. :)

So, on to the fun stuff...I have tons of videos, but honestly, I'm too tired and too busy to figure out how to get them on my stupid computer and post them here (I just got an iMac, which I LOVE, but am still figuring out)!! But some of my favorite sayings lately are: "no like that", "no do/say that" (when we're doing something she doesn't want us to), "luh you so much too", "more blackbabies/bluebabies/strawbabies peese" (HILARIOUS!!! I mean, come ON! How can you not laugh at that?!), "put on the baby suit" (bathing suit!)....I could go on and on with the things that come out of her mouth! So innocent and sweet. :) Patrick recently downloaded some children's songs on my iPod ("iPot" as Ava says)...she sings then ALL THE TIME now and requests them when we're in the car. Her #1 requested song is the "Baby Bus Song" (which is, "The Wheels on the Bus")! She's got a great rendition of Twinkle, Twinkle and the ABC's too...I'll have to try to get them on video. For the ABC's- my favorite is the "L,M,N,O,P" part- she says "Elmo- P"!! So freakin' cute!! :)

She's also learned how to spell her name...just ask her! (Ok, so it's not like it's a hard name to spell...but I thought that was pretty good)! Her name is written on almost all of her books, and I always read it to her and then spell it out....and it just stuck! Now, when she plays with her magnet letters or her little letters in the bucket, she always searches for A-V-A! In fact, tonight, she had the 'A' and the 'V' and said, "take these in the crib!" She didn't want to put them away! So cute! She's also finally starting to say "Kindregan" and it sounds pretty good...something like 'Kin-de-gin'. One of the things that I was SHOCKED by, though, is that she freaking counts to 10 in SPANISH!! No joke. Not even kidding. One day, we were making dinner and she was watching Dora and they were counting in Spanish...they got to five, and before they said it, Ava said, "cinco." Patrick and I looked at each other like...did she really just say "cinco?" We thought maybe it was a fluke...but the next day (I didn't hear it the first time, but Uncle Ian and Uncle Pat did), she just straight up counted to 10...in Spanish! She actually counts in Spanish a little better than English! Thanks very much to Dora for that!! :) Smart little booger she is...my little bilingual baby! ;)

Laslty- we just had her 2nd birthday party last weekend...I had it at my parents house again- poolside. It was nice and chill- family only. It was a Mermaid themed party, and Ava couldn't stop talking about her "mermaid bir-day par-tee" ever since she saw the mermaid invitation! I just had too much going on to have a big to do! So, it was really nice. Ava talked for an entire week about her "racecar" she assumed she was getting (since Keegan got one for his 2nd birthday the week before). It's a Wiggle Racer...we discovered it when we went to Kiawah- they had it there and Ava loved it! So, I told Michee and Pop about it and suggested it as a b-day gift. We got one for Keegan for his b-day too. Well, Ava loves it and rides it all over the house. Her other big gift was a dollhouse from Grandpa Mike and Bobbi. She adores that and plays with it several times everyday. Really loves it. Bobbi pulled out Aunt Sarah's old dollhouse from when she was little, and Ava just couldn't get enough...so, now she has one of her very own here at the Lakehouse! I WISH I had her face on video when she realized what it was. It was so, so sweet. Then she turned around and ran right to Grandpa Mike and gave him a huge hug. A very sweet 'thank you.'

A few pictures for you!

Her pout. :) I swear she looks just like me in this picture! I've got to find some old pictures of me and post them side by side. Kinda scary sometimes! Since she loves to put all my bracelets on, she got a few for her birthday. She's tryin' em out! (Doesn't she look especially grown up here)?? :(

Loves to pretend to be like mommy, too! She's been loving to walk around in my heels. For as clumsy as she is, she's pretty good at it!
Ava has started to show interest in taking a shower instead of a bath, so I let her in with me. Now, every night, she says, "Ava take a sha-wah!" She thinks it's such a treat when she gets to get in the shower! After we get out, she likes to sit on the counter and try on my bracelets!
The perfect picture of a two year old! Tiara, Christmas PJ's (she'll cry for these!), a broom, her princess skirt, and a minivan from her dollhouse. I think she's just about got everything she needs! Here is is trying to avoid my ever-present camera! Poor thing. She's very much enjoying a left over birthday cupcake, though!

So, anyway...that catches you up (kinda)! I hope all is well with everyone! Here's a link to (quite a few- shocking!) pictures of Ava from her 24th month- it include first day of school, birthday party, and just regular pics all in one! It's a new link...I'm trying to post my pics on my MobileMe page now...instead of Picassa. One of the switches from a PC to a Mac. Let me know if it works!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AVA!!!

Happy Birthday to my little bunny!! She's TWO!! SO crazy to think that 2 years ago, she was just a brand new sleepy little baby. It's really amazing how fast time flies! We kinda had a last minute birthday get together with the grandparents and a few aunts and uncles today to celebrate! Ava's "real" birthday party isn't until this weekend (which is also pretty chill due to the craziness of life right now!), but we had to do a little something! So, we all went to Bobbi's house for dinner, cupcakes, and ice cream cones! Ava got to open a few gifts today, which she really loved doing! She loved pulling off all the paper and got some pretty cool stuff! I'll make a bigger, better post after her party this weekend! I'm SO tired tonight and I can barely think! But I just wanted to write a little something! Thanks for all the birthday wishes from everyone!!

Here's just a sneak peak at some pictures! They're from Aunt Sarah's phone!

I promise I'll post a good one soon! I've still got to post about her first week of PRE-SCHOOL!! Lots to tell! :)

The Happy Girl

Doesn't get much cuter than this!!

23 months!!

So it's been a crazy, busy month! We're finally all moved in and getting settled down here in Gainesville, GEORGIA!! Kinda weird- moving from one Gainesville to another! :) But things are going well. I've had a few weeks off, and we went to the beach for a week, so I feel like I've had a good break! I start my very first day of work tomorrow....Eeeek!! I'm really excited...not too nervous yet, but I'm sure I'll wake up tomorrow with a stomach ache...and I'll now exactly why that is! :) But, I'm sure the day will go fine! I'll keep you posted!!

So, Ava's developing like a freakin' weed. She must say 10 new words everyday...she basically repeats, very willing(!), everything we say. It's a little scary! The other day, I cut up some cantaloupe for her, and all of a sudden, as if she'd been saying it for years, she said, "more cantelope." In perfect diction!!! She also repeated Patrick when he said, "Holy Crap" while watching the Home Run Derby! She walked about for five minutes after that.."holy cwap, holy cwap!" We've got to be SOOO careful!

She's totally turning into a little girl- she likes bows in her hair- kinda like the gigantic pink bow in the first pic! (We thank Aunt Sarah for that purchase)! Bobbi came with new bows, and she wanted ALL of them in at the same time! Ha! She looked completely ridiculous! She's also finally gotten the hang of blowing bubbles without getting it all over her lips!

She's been loving to put on our shoes (mine OR Patrick's) and walk around in them. She brings us the shoes and says, "Ava put on" then immediately follows that with "too big!" I've got a pretty good video of her walking around in my heels! I'll try to post it soon! Ava's gotten into songs now. For a while- she would ask for songs by name, her favorite being "boom boom!" No joke, she actually WANTED to hear the Boom Boom Pow song by the Black Eyed Peas! So Patrick bought her some toddler songs off iTunes, and she LOVES them. She wants to listen to them in the car, in the house, outside...wherever! Her favorite is "baby bus" (which is "The Wheels on the Bus"- she calls it "baby bus" because it talks about the babies on the bus crying)! She'll sing a long and do the motions too! The second we put the music on, she gets this big, giddy smile on her face. Very cute! :)

When we were coming back from the Kiawah (posting pics soon!), she finally learned how to say her name correctly! She used to say "Atha" and do a weird tongue thing, but now she's learned to say it perfectly! We're working on spelling it now! Although, she is getting a little confused, she'll say, "A-V-C-D..."! She gets the first two letters right, but then she thinks it's the alphabet after that! :) I know, we're being a little ridiculous...it was Patrick's idea! :) Just for fun, though! I've got some good videos of her lately, I'll post them when I get a chance!

Below is a rare moment for Ava- stillness! I'm pretty sure she was probably mesmerized by Dora here!

Ava sees. Ava does! Wanting to be just like Aunt Sarah....

Here's a picture of Ava sitting on the window sill with her 2 princesses ("Cindawella" and "Sleeping Booty") and her mermaid. She misplaced the Cinderella one the other day, and came to me holding the Sleeping Beauty one and held up her empty hand and said, "Cindawella in other hand, Cindawella in other hand!" We eventually found her under the couch, and I told her she was hiding under the couch. For the rest of the week, she kept saying, "Cindawella play hide seek, hide under couch!" So freakin' cute. :)

Sorry for the half a**ed post this month...I had to make it quick, or it would be forever before I got to a long lengthy one! I feel like I didn't really portray how cute she's being or any good stories! Maybe I'll try to remember some.... :) Here are just a few :) pictures of Ava during this past month! I've got a ton from the beach, and I'll get to those ASAP! The next time I do a monthly update- Ava will be TWO!!!! Totally, totally crazy to me. I'm trying to hold onto my little baby for a while longer, but she just keeps growing and growing. :( It's fun...but it's going WAY too fast! Now that I'm done with school...I wish time could stand still for a while!

Well, I'm off to get a good night sleep before my first official day of work EVER!! I'm so glad school is over...and I'm so glad to be home. It feels better than I thought it would! I hope you are all doing well!!

Fishing with Daddy

Tonight, after dinner and before bath, we all went down to the dock for a bit. Ava was so excited that Patrick was bringing the "fishy pool" (fishing pole!) and wanted to be the only person to hold it! :) She kept getting so excited each time she saw the bright green bait! She thought it was a fish and would yell, "FISHY, FISHY"!! So cute. :)

The Talker

So, we just got back from Kiawah yesterday...we had a great time! I'll post some pictures soon, I promise! I took some video while we were at Kiawah- for the longest time, I've been trying to get video of Ava just being herself. Talking, playing, etc., and I finally got some good stuff!! It's way too much to post all of it here, but I played around with some of the videos on Patrick's new Mac computer, and I put this little video together! It's about 5 minutes, but well worth it (if I do say so myself)! :)

Enjoy!

Rain Rain Go Away

So, we've been vacationing this week and visiting family on Kiawah Island. We've been here for 4 days and will likely stay through the weekend. The first half of the week has been really fun- we've gone to the beach, swam in the pool, and Ava even had her first bike ride (on the back of my bike)! But, on most days, it rained at some point, and Ava would sing for us....here's a little video! :)



The last part may be hard to understand, but she's saying, "Little Ava wants to play!" Her version of "Ava" is more like "Ab-tha." It's very weird She sticks her tongue out a little and says it that way. We've been working on it, but it is what it is for now! I'll update with pics from the last month when we get back home and settled in!

Enjoy!

Goodbye and Thanks

So...today's the day.

My last day of residency.

It's been a bitter sweet day at work. I've been taking pictures of everyone in clinic- staff, faculty, and residents. Lots of hugs...and lots of teary goodbyes. I've met some amazing people and had some amazing opportinities during the past two years.

So, thank YOU so much! To my friends and family who have supported me during the past several years- I am forever grateful. I wouldn't be where I am today without your support.

And to Patrick. There isn't a doubt in my mind that I would be lost it if weren't for you. You have taken care of me and looked out for my well being...and my sanity! :) You are the reason I can be strong. Thank you for loving and supporting me.

Ode to our House

We've loved many things about living here in Gainesville. But our house is probably one of the things I'll miss the most. I feel a little childish talking about leaving the way I do...like it's a great friend that I'll never see again. I've cried about leaving this house. I've lived in lots of different places, but none that have been this special to me.

Everything about it is perfect...I love it's openness, love that it's one story (especially when getting up with a newborn!), I love that it faces west so we get that fabulous natural morning light in the back of the house and that pretty, warm colored light in the evening in the front, it's got great (almost!) floor to ceiling windows (again....all that natural light!), love the neutral paint colors with the exception of the two orange colored accent walls, the yard is amazing...the best in the neighborhood, the back yard makes you feel like you're relaxing at a resort, loved having a fountain in the back yard to listen to over glasses of wine and jazz music at night, love that the patio if right off the kitchen with no steps which meant Ava had the freedom to walk in and out and enjoy the outdoors as she pleased, it also made it possible to enjoy our great backyard...even from the kitchen! LOVE the weather- hot as hell in the summer, but the most perfect winters you could imagine- a totally great combo, and I love that it's on the smaller side...just perfect for the three of us.

And I also love this house because it's where Ava was born. It's where she had her first 2 years of life. She spent her first night here...in her brown and pink room. It's where she woke up every two hours...cause she just couldn't stand to be away from her mama any longer ;) , it's where she learned her letters by writing on the bathtub wall with (washable!) crayons, it's where she learned to crawl, learned to walk, learned to eat and talk. It's where her love for Elmo and The Little Mermaid started. It's where she had long afternoon naps and slept 10 hours a night. It's where she had her first babysitter. It's where she learned to watch birds, it's where she learned to entertain herself by exploring around the backyard for an hour at a time. It's where she had her first Christmas Tree...even though it was 70 degrees outside, it's where she first dyed Easter Eggs and had an Easter Egg hunt. It's where she first learned to dance and "raise the roof!"

It's where Ava grew up. She became a little girl in this house. Sadly, she'll never remember this place...but I'll remember it for her. She'll hear lots of stories about our time here and how it was the most wonderful two years. While living here, we realized that it's the only place that made Patrick and I even consider not returning home and keeping our fabulous life here.

Two nights ago, I put Ava to bed for the last time in her perfect little pink and brown room. After I placed her in her crib, I was playing with her hair and talking about our house. We talked about how great the house has been and what a great room she has. I asked her is she loves her room, and she said, "yeah." We kept talking about how it's been a great house but that she was gonna go to her new house the next day...I started to tear and cry a little, and Ava looked up at me and said,"Mommy, cry." She was so sweet and I explained that I was crying cause I was sad. Her innocence and naiveity about leaving was perfect. She may not have memories from this place, but I'll never let her forget our time here.

We have much to be thankful for, and one of those things is this fantastic house. I only hope that I'll find a house one day that can compare. It'll be very hard.

So, we raise a glass for a toast to this house...To our little Gainesville home- we love you and will never forget the amazing memories that were made here.

Here are some pictures of our house it you wanna see! They're the pictures we took when we put the house on the market.