Couch Potato

Ava is just getting so sweet and so cute and so enjoyable....I don't want to miss a minute! Things are going great! I'm LOVING bedtime with no swaddle! Makes life much easier! She's still working on sitting up...although, she usually falls over when she smiles really big or laughs! Very cute. I hate to admit it, but she loves to watch TV. It's like she's mezmorized...as long as it's a show (cartoon) with lots of colors, she wants to watch it. I can be feeding her on the couch, and she'll actually pull away if she hears something interesting on the TV...then her head is just hanging all backwards and sideways trying to see it. We don't want a couch potato, but, man! She really loves it! She's also making tons of sweet sounds...she looks like she's really concentrating when she's doing it....I guess trying to mimic us. I've been trying to get a video of it, but she always stops as soon as the camera comes out...guess she's distracted.

So, here are some pics! Here she is sitting on the ottoman ....watching TV! Michee bought her this shirt for Valentine's day...but it's too cute...I couldn't wait!
Hanging out with Dad in her PJ's...getting in a little tummy time!
The sweetest profile ever...sitting on Dad's lap.
Ok, see what I mean?! Completely mezmorized! She was watching Nemo here...LOVES it!

She goes though just about ever emotion while watching a show...she looks scared here...but it wasn't a scary part. And I don't really think she was feeling scared; I think that's just what her reaction was to whatever was happening at that time. She recovered quickly!Hanging out on her mat with her doggies.
With Catcher. He's so good with her. She's starting to reach out to him when he is close enough. He just puts up with being poked in the ears and eyes!
More tummy time on Dad's lap. Uh...the eyes!
Here she was sitting in her highchair OUTSIDE while Patrick made dinner. The weather here is just crazy, but I totally love it. It's going to be something I miss about Florida when I move back "up north!" (That's what people down here call Alpharetta)!
Big smiles for Mommy!
One last tummy picture with Dad. She's definitely a Daddy's Girl! So, good news! Remember my little camera that I used to use for the short video clips that was ruined by breast milk?!?! Well, I figured out that the only thing that wasn't working was the lens wasn't opening automatically...so, I tried to open it manually and it worked!!! So, I've got my little video camera back! YAY!!! I'll try to post a video or two in the next few days...but no promises (grandparents!), weekdays are very busy! Another update, we weighed Ava this past weekend, and she was a hair over 15 lbs. I think she may be a little over 25th %, but we'll see for sure at her 6 month check up in a few weeks. Still no solid food yet...doing just great on breast milk alone. Her pediatrician said we should give her solid food by about 6 months, though...not really sure what the reasoning is since I wasn't able to be at the last check up. So, I guess we'll be doing that sometime soon. :( I'm kinda sad...don't want to feel like she's growing too fast and isn't a baby anymore. Not ready for those first teeth, either....she's much too young for that!! ;)

Alright, that's about all! Here's some more pics of her at 5 1/5 months part 2!!

Leaps and Bounds!!

Let me just tell you that it is so fun to watch my daughter grow and develop! It seems like things are moving so fast now! She is getting so good at sitting up all by herself! She doesn't get to the sitting position on her own, but if we plop her down and start to balance her, she'll stay up for a while! As long as she doesn't get too excited...cause when that happens, the balancing act is all over! She also talks a ton and really interacts with people now. She's very easy to make smile! Supposedly, this is the time that stranger anxiety starts to set in, although we haven't seen any of that yet. I have to admit that I'm sure I'll secretly love the day when she wants only me! :) Here she is being such a big girl and sitting up all by herself!
We had such a fun past two weeks! One thing we got to do is watch Patrick play in a tennis tournament (which, by the way, he won second place in)! It was the coldest day all year, and Ava was seriously bundled! She looks like the kid in A Christmas Story with those arms sticking straight out! She was so comfy that she decided it was nap time. Michee has been visiting us for the last few days which has been great fun! Here she is on Michee's lap...getting in a quick snooze!
More Michee and Ava while watching Daddy play tennis!
Ugh!! Just look at those beautiful eyes....and those sweet cheeks...and those pouty lips....Oh man! I just melt.
We LOVE her new high chair. She loves to sit in it while we do all sorts of things! Here she is in the kitchen hanging out while Patrick cooked! Just today, she sat outside in her high chair while we all did some yard work! The 5 point harness cracks me up! It seems she's strapped in good enough for take-off!
Here's her sweet laughing profile!
We also got such a wonderful treat, and Grandpa Mike was able to come for a day visit on his way to some business work! He must have played with Ava for 3 hours straight...and she just loved him! Here she is showing off her new skills!
Mommy and sweet Ava.
Ava still loves to look at herself in the mirror!
While Michee was in town, we all went to the mall and did a little shopping! Check out this SUPER cute green sweater she got!! It went just perfectly over her cute pink chord overalls!
So, I was a little sad, but we lowered Ava mattress in her crib by one level. :( We know she can't get herself to a sitting position yet, but we know it can happen overnight and we don't want any surprises! I'm a little sad...I'm just not ready for her to become a little girl instead of a baby....and I know she's still a baby...but, geez...it's going too fast!

Good news! Ava has graduated to sleeping without a swaddle! We just decided to try it since Ava was showing signs of not wanting to be swaddled anymore. We put her down on her back without a swaddle and she did alright. She woke up several times but was easily soothed back to sleep with a tummy rub or pacifier (for the 10 seconds that she holds on to it)!. Then, in the middle of the night, she screamed!!! So, we swaddled her back up and she slept the rest of the night. Well, just just kept trying night after night, and now she can sleep though the night sans swaddle. It took about 3 nights for her to totally adjust. ALTHOUGH, we had to put her to sleep on her belly for her to be able to sooth herself back to sleep. I was really nervous at first and checked the monitor a million times a night and didn't sleep well at all! But, she's very comfortable that way and if more than able to pick herself up and flip over to her stomach if she wants to. So, I'm feeling a little better about it now! So, anyway, it was a big accomplishment for me (in my mind)! It's so nice just to lay her down when she's sleeping instead of waking her back up trying to swaddle!

Still no solid food for Ava yet. She still seems totally satisfied with breast milk alone, although we are watching for those "signs!" I'll keep you posted!

Now for the bad news! I broke BOTH of my cameras in the past 2 days!!! I'm not even kidding! I dropped my digital SLR on the sidewalk at Patrick's tennis tournament and then spilled breast milk all over my little one that does the videos! Ugh! I can't believe they both are ruined at the same time. So, I had to go one day (today) without taking pictures...and it KILLED me! Sooooo....Patrick ordered one for me online and it's being shipped overnight. Thank GOODness! I wanted to take 45 pictures today of cute Ava, but no camera....I'll just have to make it up tomorrow!!! :)

Oh dear...that was a mouth full....sorry for the long winded-ness! Hopefully most of y'all are at work and bored and wanting to do something else for a moment! Talk soon!

As always, here's more pics of Ava at 5 1/2 months!

I stand corrected...

So, Patrick was right! He wasn't just exaggerating! Ava must have sat on her own today 30 times! The longest time was probably close to one minute! She's so cute sitting straight up like that! I just can't believe how quickly she's growing! I took a video of her sitting up (shocking, I know), but it was on the real video camera as opposed to my little digital camera...so, it's more of a process to get it online...but maybe Patrick will do it for me! If not...I've got pictures too! :)

Happy 5 months!!

Officially 5 months today!! And, oh how she's grown!

Todays weight and length: 14lbs, 1oz and 23 1/2 inches!
Birth weight and length: 6lbs, 6oz and 18 inches!

25th % for weight and 10th% for height! (Although, Patrick pointed out to me that "she got shorter" since her 4 month check up. So, maybe I'm a little off with the height...it's a little tricky to measure her length accurately with what I've got! So, lets assume she hasn't shrunk)!

She's changing everyday now! Just in the past few days, she's begun to sit up by herself for a few seconds at a time. (Patrick said he counted 10 seconds once, but I haven't seen that...and we all know his problem with exaggerating)! :) She also vigorously shakes a rattle, loves to watch TV (even if it's the news! I guess it's all those colors and lights!), and has started doing this spitting thing! It's actually called "razzing." It's like blowing bubbles and/or spitting through closed lips. Sometimes she does it when she's totally happy, but she'll also do it when she's upset or frustrated. I really think it's just her version of communicating, or talking, with us! I think it's just the cutest! :) Here's a little clip!



As I mentioned before, we go lots of tummy time these days. Here's a little clip for your viewing enjoyment! If you listen very closely...you may hear something funny...twice!



And just one more of Ava cuteness...I just can't get enough of her!



Well, we're just having a blast with her. She's growing so fast, and I just can't believe she's been with us for almost HALF A YEAR!!! Competently NUTS! Hope all is well with everyone! Talk soon!

WOW! 5 months!

Oh my gosh....FIVE MONTHS OLD!!! I remember when I had one month left before Ava was born, and I couldn't even imagine finally having her...much less her being here for FIVE months!!! Totally crazy!

Well, Ava is getting some pretty big biceps with all this Tummy Time she's enjoying! It was like all of a sudden...she liked it! I think her muscles just weren't big enough to hold her up for very long, so she got pissed and frustrated. But now, she's pretty much all smiles with tummy time!!She's also talking like crazy! She's making tons of noises and is actually starting to make a "duh" sound. (We've been saying "da-da" and "ma-ma" 678 times a day)! So, I think she's trying to immitate us. She really focuses on us...like she's concentrating when we're talking! She's so smart! She's constantly blowing bubbles and whispering also. It's very cute!

We've moved up another size in her diapers! She's such a big girl at a whopping size 2!! I weighed her about a week ago, and she was 13lbs, 13oz. I'm a total nerd and looked that up on the growth chart and saw that she's smooth sailing right along at the 25th percentile for her weight...which is where she's been since she was about a month old! I haven't measured her length, but I will on her actual 5 month birthday (Jan 12th). Don't worry....you know I'll let you know!! :)

So, GO DAWGS!!! (pre-season #2!) We had our coldest day of the year about a week ago, so Ava got to wear her Georgia sweat suit...once! Patrick went to New Orleans to see the Dawgs play over New Years...so, Bobbi came down to spend some time with Ava and me before she had to get back to work. It was so much fun, and I know that Ava misses her already! Ava and Bobbi!

Well, we take a bath every night. Ava is very used to them now and gets so calm when it's bath time! She's usually very mellow in the bath, but we were able to catch a smile!
After her bath, we always spend some time on her changing table. She gets all lotion-ed up and smelling nice which she just loves. It's her few minutes of naked time every day! She's just the cutest thing I've ever seen!!! And look at that behind! My how it's filled out since she was born...maybe she got Patrick's hiney after all! ;)More tummy time...from a different perspective! Notice there aren't bumpers anymore. :( We thought it was about time to take them off...she's pretty close to rolling over and I don't want her getting wedged in! The crib looks so naked without them, but I'm getting used to it!
All that tummy time is tiring! What a sweet sight!

Like mother, like daughter! No, your eyes are not fooling you...these are BABY SCRUBS!! Brigette got these for her...they're "newborn" size ...or 5 months...whatever! Aren't they maybe the cutest item of clothing you've ever seen?!?! I mean....draw string and straight leg pants?!?! Oh, this is just too much! Super close up of tummy time! Her lips...I just can't get enough!

Ok, for some reason, Patrick has been doing this to Ava lately. Taking her pants off and putting them on her head!! Her little ears are mushed! Poor Ava just has no idea yet....just you wait, Patrick...As always....more photos! I have two sets of pictures because I'm a little nuts...so, here's a link to the first set, and here's a link to the second set. They're from the last 2 weeks or so! Don't worry...it's actually not that many pics! Check back in a day or two...I'm going to try to put up a video or two. They're taking forever to upload!

Hope all is well...talk soon!

We're talking now!

Ava is changing so fast these days! She's so much more aware of her surroundings! She's holding objects with both hands and bringing them to her mouth, she's enjoying tummy time more, and she now responds to us by making sweet noises and talking! Here's a little video of her talking. The minute she saw the camera, she was very focused on it, so she didn't talk as much, but at least you can hear her sweet little voice!

Ho, Ho, Ho!

Merry Christmas everyone! We had a great Christmas and a WONDERFUL break from work! We're back in Gainesville now since I'm on call for New Years. It's actually nice to be home...didn't think I'd want to be back...but there's something about being in your own house that makes everything just a little easier. We got to spend lots of time with our family and friends....and everyone got to see just how cute Ava is in person!!! ;) (I'm sorry, I can't help myself)! :) Ava got tons of new stuff for Christmas! A high chair, a jumperoo, many new battery powered toys that make noise (!), clothes, and more! (The grandparents are a little nuts). So, her first Christmas was really fun!

Here we are Christmas morning opening up some of her gifts....she wanted the bow in her hair. :) She was actually pretty entertained by the whole process! Okay, so, I kinda wanted to bring Ava to see Santa....I mean, I felt like I'd be depriving her of one of those "first time" experiences.....and I didn't want her to miss out. But, life was too hectic and I didn't even make it out to the mall until Christmas Eve (to shop!), so I wasn't able to get Ava to see Santa. Soooooo, Sarah's boyfriend Nate has a Santa suit....and PATRICK DRESSED UP AS SANTA!!! I was shocked! But, he was such a good sport....so, now I didn't have to be sad about Ava missing that first time visit to Santa! Here he is with Ava and Keegan (my nephew).
A family picture on Christmas Eve.
The fam on Christmas day with Santa!! :)
A big smile on Christmas Eve....so excited for Santa!
She's taken up a new habit...biting her lower lip. I think it's SUPER cute. By the way...check out those beautiful eyes!
More biting the lip! All snug and ready for a ride in the Bob!

Okay, I just want to bite those cheeks! I mean, they start right under her eyes and go all the way down to her chin! ....And that upper lip!! ....And that nose!!! Oh dear...I just love it all!
Daddy playing "zerbert" with Ava! Keegan and Ava hanging out on Christmas morning. The photo shoot here was ridiculous! I think there were 4 or 5 different cameras flashing every 3 seconds for a good 2 minutes! I got many pics, but I just thought this one was hilarious!
My little snow elf....with ridiculously plump lips and cheeks! She'll never need an ounce of botox! :) This is probably my most favorite winter dress! And those blue tights (really they're long-johns)....just too cute!
So, anyway, that's the update! A few other things... She can roll from her belly to her back, but I think she's getting very close to rolling over from her back to her belly! She's talking like CRAZY now...tons of babbling noise and lots of spitting/bubbles! She's also laughing much more! She thinks her reflection in the mirror is just the funniest thing ever! Still loves to read (or at least look at all the bright colors)!

Bobbi drove down with us to spend a few days here before she has to get back to work. Patrick is leaving to go to New Orleans tomorrow to watch the Dawgs play in the Sugar Bowl; so she's hanging out with me while he's gone! We'll have lots of fun! So, that's what's going on with us!

As usual, I took 3 million pictures over Christmas, so here's a link to them if you're interested in looking at even more!!

Ava's First Christmas

Merry Christmas everybody!! Ava really enjoyed her very first Christmas. She received lots of great gifts from her aunts, uncles and grandparents!! We hope everybody has a wonderful day!

All bundled up

Patrick took Ava on a run in the Bob...I was at work when they left....but was home when they got home...and THIS is what I saw come in! Ugh! SOO cute! ...just can't stand it! All bundled up for 1 of the 2 cold days!



Just in case you can't get enough, here's a link to another video!

4 month check up!

Well, Ava had her 4 month check up yesterday, and everything went very well. I was really sad, though, cause I wasn't able to get off work to go with her. Patrick and Aunt Sarah took her instead. But I sent them with a list of typed out questions to have answered...so, I was remotely satisfied! :) Sarah was great and actually took notes for me!

So, here are her stats: She is 12lbs 11oz and 24.2 inches long. So, she's almost doubled her weight and has grown in length by a little over 6 inches! She's in the 25% for her weight and 50% for her length/height...which is right where she was at her 2 month checkup. She got 5 shots and one oral vaccine. Patrick said she was so happy on the table the entire appointment, talking away...until the shots. Although, he did say that she recovered almost immediately when he picked her up to comfort her. Her doc didn't recommend that we start cereal yet. She said that it's best to wait as long as possible (as long as she's growing) to decrease the chances of developing allergies. Plus she wants her to be able to take the cereal with a spoon...which I don't think she'll have a problem with...but she's really happy just with milk for now. So, we're going to hold off. So, Her next visit to the doctor wont be until she turns 6 months old! Yikes! I just can't believe she's going to be that old that quickly!

Here's Ava and Patrick in the waiting room. She looks pretty cozy!
Here she is just talking away to Patrick while they were waiting for the doctor!
Look at this sweet, sweet profile! I think those lips are my favorite!
Awe...that sweet smile. She's such a wonderful and happy baby!
Getting in the Christmas spirit...hanging out with the tree!
She's got her Eurkle pants on here...but she's just so cute! Doesn't she look so big here!?
We've been so lucky to have Sarah with us for the past 10 days! She has been a huge help and has really enjoyed taking care of Ava and getting to know her little personality! Patrick keeps convincing her to stay longer, but she is actually leaving tomorrow. :( We will miss you Sarah! Hopefully, we can convince her to come back and live with us for the summer! What great fun that would be!
Patrick Ava hanging out. "What, mom, this is how everyone hangs out!"
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this little dress that Ava finally grew into! Some friends of ours gave it to us before Ava was born....and it just hung off of her forever...but finally it fits! It's been 80 degrees outside, so she's been able to wear all her cute summer stuff that was too big this past summer!
Ava's (half Asian) Aunt Sarah had her all bundled up one day...they were playing outside and it became really windy! So, Sarah made her nice and cozy!
So, we're all doing well! I'm really looking forward to getting home for a nice break from work/school! Can't wait to show Ava off some more at home! :) Other tidbits: Ava is still sleeping though the night; her bedtime is around 7:30 now, and she sleeps until I wake her at 6:50am or 7:30 (if I don't have to wake her). So, I'm super happy about that! She's drooling like crazy; we put a bib on her during the day otherwise her clothes would be soaked! She's talking a lot and interacts a ton with us...smiles all the time and gives us a giggle every now and then. (We're practicing the giggle to show people at Christmas)! We're starting to establish a bedtime routine- bath, book, prayers and a snack. It works really well for her and helps her wind down. She keeps getting cuter and sweeter everyday...I just love looking at her. She's just such a joy...I have the world's greatest baby, and I am so lucky. So, things are good! Hope they're good for you!

Click here for a few more pics of Ava during her 4th month!