HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Ava's first Halloween....she decided she wanted to be a pumpkin! We had a fun night. Apparently our neighborhood is the place to be...we had TONS of kids come by! Patrick had the first trick-or-treater at 4:30!!! A little insane! But that was just one, then the rest started at about 6 and went until a little after 8! Patrick, Ava, the doggies and I sat out in the front yard and hung out while the kiddies came by. Everyone loved the dogs...and they, of course, thought Ava was super cute. (Although, Patrick was a little distressed that everyone thought "she" was a "he"...but orange is hard to tell)! So we had a fun time! Here are some pictures from Ava's Halloween week.

She had this super cute outfit!! I just love those little pants!
We wonder how long she'll let us do whatever we want to her!
Big smiles for her Halloween get up!
Mommy and Ava. I was pretty weak and "dressed up" as a kid...pig tails and drawn on freckles....as if I needed any more!
Click here for more pics...

11 Weeks!!

Eleven weeks of cuteness! I'm having such a wonderful time with Ava! She's smiling more than ever and I can't wait to hear a little laugh come out of her mouth soon! I enjoy our morning time together. I usually wake her at about 6:45 am since I've got to leave by 7:30. She's usually "itching" a little, on and off, by then. She's so cute and stretches so big every morning! Since she has been sleeping through the night, I've started waking at 2:30am to pump to increase the amount of milk that I'm storing. So, with the 2:30am pump and the lunch time pump, I'm very close to keeping up with her daily milk intake...which is really good. I was getting sad b/c she was drinking so much more than I could pump in a day (since I was only able to pump once a day)...but the nighttime pumping is helping! So, I need some good milk vibes! I'm not even close to wanting to stop nursing yet!

Anyway, everything else is going well. We'll weigh her again sometime this week to see how she's growing! We're gearing up for our trip to Athens this weekend. It's the first time we'll be able to make it to Athens for a game this season. I've actually got this Friday off from school/work because it's Homecoming here too...and I guess campus kind-of shuts down for the activities. So, we're heading to Athens on Friday morning for the weekend! Bobbi and Michee are both coming to hang out with Ava (and us) for the weekend. It'll also give Patrick and me a chance to get to the game. It'll be a fun weekend! So, that's the update...hope all is well with everyone! Here are some pics to enjoy!

Here's Ava's sweet smile!
Ava and Sarah had a good time hanging out during the Georgia/Florida game (which we won!) this weekend!

Another sweet close up...
This was just too funny....it's takes a good Aunt not to care about this!One of her many faces!
Catcher and Ava hanging out...he can't help bu be sweet with her!
Click here for more pics of Ava's 11th week!

It's Great to be a GEORGIA BULLDOG!!!

YAAAHHOOOOOOOO!!!!! GO DAWGS!!!! What a fun and fabulous game! 42-30!!! Gooooooo Dawgs!! We had tons of fun and lots of company. Steve, Sarah, and Walter came down from Atlanta. Tim, Nicole, Addison and their 2 dogs came up from Tampa. And two of my co-residents came over to watch the game as well. (They were the lone Gators of the group)! So, 9 adults, 4 dogs, and 2 babies! It was a full house...we had such a fun time...and it really rocked when we won! We had tons of food...Patrick made chili, Nicole made cheese dip, Walter did a shrimp boil (so good!), Tim made brats, and Bobbi sent Steve and Sarah with an entire Quick Trip worth of snacks! Here are a few pic from the day...

After the win, Ava and I were having a celebratory dance! (Check out her super cute socks that she finally fits into)! My girls (some of them)...Maigrely on the left and Maggie on the right.
Walter and Ava dancing...Ava's not so sure about Walter.... :)
The happy Bulldog family! What a great win!!

More pics of our tailgaiting day are here if you're interested!

10 Big Smiling Pounds! :)

Fun weekend! Bobbi came for a visit....and weekends are just always fun! We weighed Ava, and she was 10 lbs! Two months and ten days and she's growing so fast! Getting super long too! We've had to pack some of her newborn stuff away! We've been getting lots of smiles and coos these days....they totally make my day! She's just so sweet! Can't wait to hear a laugh come out of that little mouth! She's still sleeping through the night...usually about 8-9 hours! It is total heaven! She wakes (or I wake her) in the mornings before I leave for work to feed her. I really enjoy my morning time with her....she's such a happy waker-uper! :) I'm very lucky...my baby is just perfect! ;)

Here she is hanging out in her fancy big girl chair that my aunt and uncle (Toni and Michael) gave her! I think I'm going to try to take this picture every week to compare how she's growing! She is so happy on her changing table. She lays there and we talk and smile together for 15 minutes at a time!
Here's Bobbi and Ava hanging out. You wouldn't know it from this picture, but Ava gave Bobbi lots of smiles this weekend!
This was Ava at 7 am this morning...right before I left for work! I mean, seriously, what baby is this perfect, smiley, and beautiful this early in the morning?!?! Okay, well, maybe I'm a little biased. :) But, come one! Don't you think she's just the cutest?! :)
There are a few more pictures here! I hope all is well with everyone!

...Hope you're all getting ready for the big Florida upset this weekend! Go Dawgs! :)

Loving Life

Hello! Here are some more pics of Ava at two months! Sorry it took me so long to get them up! I keep thinking I'll get less and less busy, but it just doesn't happen! So, anyway, things are good! I'm looking forward to the weekend! Bobbi is coming for a visit! She'll come Saturday morning and be leaving on Monday. We love to have company down here...we're all alone otherwise! So, we're very excited!

Here's a sweet close up of our girl.
This was Ava getting ready for bath time! I mean...just the cutest naked baby ever! This is just before she peed all over my hands. Baby pee isn't too gross though! :) And coming from that face?!?! Worth it!
Now, I'll give you one guess as to who is responsible for this picture!
Mommy and Baby hanging out before bed time!
We get lots and lots of fabulous smiles now! She's starting to coo and talk too! It's still so exciting when I talk to her and get a smile back! I just love it!
Patrick thought it was about time Ava learned to walk...so, here they are practicing!
Last weekend, Ava was very fussy. We think she was sick since both Patrick and I were sick earlier in the week. We were trying everything to calm her, and Patrick finally put her in th stroller and ZOOMED around the house. I'm talkin'....seriously zoomed! He was almost running! It worked though...for a little while. He decided to walk her around the block to see if that would help...I was sitting in our kitchen with the screen door open....and 10 minutes after they left...I heard a very faint screaming baby sound...I ran outside, and sure enough...there they were...walking back...and Ava was screaming! I guess she wasn't up for walking. But good news....she's feeling much better this week and has been Miss Smiley Face!
So, anyway, that's the update. I've got to run, though....more articles to read! Click here for A LOT more pictures of Ava's second month!

Happy 2 Month Birthday Ava!!!

Two months today! Crazy, huh?! We decided to celebrate by going to OctoberFest! It was a lot of fun...we got to hang out with all my girls (my co-residents). I'll post some pictures later.

Well, I didn't want to jinx myself by saying this too early...but oh well....Ava has been sleeping though the night for about the last week and a half. It is HEAVEN!!! She goes to bed at about 10-11pm and sleeps until 6:30 or 7am! Many mornings I have to wake her up to feed her before I leave for work. But what a HUGE difference it makes...my, how I missed the days of sleeping all night! Even if she's not totally consistant, I'm thankful for what I've gotten! So, pray that she continues to sleep well! I'll update with some pics tomorrow!

Have a great weekend!

PS. For those who maybe didn't notice...I recently put up TWO new posts with pictures....the Seattle trip pics and also her 2 month checkup post. So, scroll down so you don't miss one!

Growing so big!

Well, Ava had her 2 month check up today! It's hard to believe it's already been two months since Ava was born. She officially turned 8 weeks on Sunday; she'll turn 2 months old this Friday! I knew she was really growing...I can tell a difference in the way her clothes are fitting. She's outgrown some of her onesies!

So, her official weight today was 9 lbs 8oz!!! So, at the age of 2 months, she now weighs what Patrick did at birth! (He weighed 9lbs 9oz)! Her length is the amazing part...she's now 22 1/4 inches long...over FOUR INCHES LONGER than she was when she was born (18 inches). That just amazes me! I can't believe that a baby can grow so fast! So, WOW! She's getting so big! After they weighed her, she (of course) pooped on their table! She has done this every time!! She must have pooped on their table every time because she knew what was coming....the shots. They gave her 3 shots and one oral vaccine....one in the left leg and one in the right. :( She was just so happy and smiley before that...cooing away...and then they stuck her. It was horrible, and she screamed. They did it pretty fast, though, and I scooped her right up. It took her a few minutes to calm down...but she's been just a sweet little girl since then. Ugh. We've got to do it again at 4 mos, 6 mos, 12mos, and more after that! I'm glad she doesn't remember all those yucky shots....I wish I could forget.

Everything else is wonderful...I am totally enjoying my time with her. She is becoming such a happy, sweet girl (not that she wasn't wonderful before, but her personality is coming out more now)! We're getting lots of smiles these days...and coos too! It's so wonderful when she just looks right at me and smiles so big (and talks to me too)! It puts an instant smile on my face...I can't resist her. I just want to kiss those perfect, puffy cheeks all the time...which I do. :) I just love her so much...I'm so lucky to have her.

Michee was here the week before last and got to spend lots of time with Ava. Michee couldn't reisit when she saw this cute-as-can-be Halloween outfit!
Michee and Ava hanging out...
Click here for a few more pictures of Ava's week with Michee.... :)

Back from Seattle!

Okay...I have the WORLD'S BEST BABY! Ava was so wonderful in Seattle! She was especially wonderful on the plane there and back! We spent 10 hours in airports and on planes on the way there and about 13 hours on the way back!!! She was angelic the entire time! Couldn't have asked for a better trip! People would see us getting off the plane and say, "I didn't know there was a baby on board!" Seriously, she was wonderful! I couldn't imagine what it would have been like to have an irritable baby during an already stressful airport/airplane time!

So, we stayed in the same hotel that the course was being taught, so I was able to see her during my breaks throughout the day! It really was such a treat! Even though I was in a class all day, I got to see her much more than I usually do when I'm at school. I was able to feed her on my breaks, and it worked out perfectly. She's getting to the point now where she can wake up and wait a while before eating. She used to have to eat right away...but I guess her belly is holding more now...so, she could pretty much wait for me to have a break to eat! So, it really worked out very well! Here's a view from our hotel room!

So, it was pretty cold in Seattle, so we bundled Ava up pretty good! She had thick, fuzzy footed jammies that she wore during the day...plus mittens, a hat, a big thick blanket, and (if it was windy) the cover drawn on her carrier! We wanted her to feel right at home...nice and warm! She wasn't always that excited about bundling up, but once she was on the move...she just loved it! She really enjoyed walking around in her stroller...her and Patrick did a lot of that while I was in class! She got to see more of Seattle than I did! Here are a few pics of her being so cute and warm!

We got to go to the aquarium while we were there! Not sure Ava remembers going :), but we've got pictures to prove it! I look forward to taking her to the Georgia Aquarium when we get back to Atlanta. She'll be able to enjoy it a bit more then! But here are some pics anyway...

This one is outside the aquarium...it was just starting to rain!

We also visited the famous fish market! It was very entertaining to see them tossing all the fish around! I wanted to hold Ava up to one of the huge salmons (they were TWICE as big as her!)...but she was sleeping....and you know the rule....Never wake a sleeping baby!! This guy was just about to toss that fish to the guy behind the counter...

Lastly, thanks to Keeling for getting us to and from and airport! He's been in Seattle for two years but actually moved yesterday! We got there in the nick of time to visit him! Here he is with Ava! I'll post another later...Ava had her 2 month check up today!

More pictures here...

Greetings from Seattle!

Yep! We're in Seattle! Dr. Megme is taking a CE course here at the Westin in downtown Seattle. Since she also doubles as a human baby bottle, we decided to bring baby Ava along for the ride! Unfortunately, Gainesville has the worst airport ever (stupid Gators), and we missed our connection in Atlanta. Fortunately, they were able to book us on a flight 2 hours later. Ava had her very first Crown Room experience! She did so very well during the 4 hour 45 minute flight that we received lots of compliments from fellow passengers!

Our hotel room sits on the 41st floor with a great view of the Space Needle, Puget Sound, and the Olympic Mountains. Here's a pic looking out our window (Space Needle in the background).


Here's Ava getting ready to brave the 45 degree temps...


While Mom is busy learning, Ava and I plan to walk down to the Pike's Place Fish Market to see the flying fish and maybe the Seattle Aquarium (we'll see how well she does)! Later tonight, I'm going see my college roommate Keeling's band, Gryphon, play a gig!

Sorry for the poor picture quality (these were taken on my phone). More to follow...

GAME DAY!!

It's Game Day today! We're all tailgaiting and listening to the Georgia game on the radio since it's not on TV this week. Ava is wearing her usual Georgia Game Day attire, and I (of course) have lots of pictures to prove it! We're hanging out outside today, so it was a little bright for Ava. So, we decided she needed some shades to keep the sun out of her eyes! She is seriously the cutest thing! (Thanks to Lauren for the super spiffy shades)!

We've had a fun and very busy week! Work was really busy for me this week; I've been on call and had to go in one night this week and then ended up being in the OR until 11pm last night! Needless to say, it was a very, very long day!

Grandpop also came for a quick visit last Sunday. Ava was so excited to see him...she hasn't seen him since she was one day old, so that was fun. Grandpop thought she was so beautiful and really enjoyed holding her as much as he could!


Michee has been visiting us this week which has been really nice. She's been a huge help with Ava, and of course, we've had some yummy dinners! She was going to take the night off from cooking last night and go out, but that plan was shot with the whole OR-til-11-thing! Michee and Ava went on their first shopping trip (to the mall) this week! Apparently, Ava told Michee that she wanted some new clothes....so, Michee said okay! ;) She got her some hats and mittens because...SURPRISE...we're headed to Seattle next weekend! I'm heading out there for a CE (continuing education) course for pediatric sedation. And since I'm breastfeeding...everyone's coming along! The highs out there are in the upper 50's and lower 60's....so, Ava needs some mittens and hats! :) The tag said "Newborn"....yeah right!!

A sweet pea hat for my sweet pea!! How cute!
Michee also witnessed Ava rolling over...TWICE! :) Now...I'm thinking she was just pissed from being on her belly when she didn't feel like it...so she pushed with her arms and squeezed her butt and flopped herself over! It must just be because she's so advanced! ;) Lots of smiles this week too!

Quick update on her weight! She's 8lbs 14oz! Growing like a weed now! So, she's really doing just great. I'm starting to miss her a little more during the day now. I really, really crave seeing her when I'm at work. Some days are better or easier than others. But, my dad reminded me yesterday why I'm doing all this....so I can take care of Ava. So, I just have to keep that in mind when the going gets tough! It's all worth it for Ava.

Well, there's LOTS of pictures this week....so, click here to see more pics of my sweet little thing!