January, February, Moach....

Patrick had Ava in the car a few weeks ago, and out of the blue, she started saying the months of the year....he asked if I taught her those. I told him no, and that we'd been working on the days of the week...maybe Bobbi or Michee?? We asked them, and they both said no too...so, by the process of elimination, we assumed she learned this at school. We were pretty impressed! Enjoy!!





A belly/pregnancy update will be coming soon! Promise!

First Trip to the Dentist!

So, I took Ava in to my office for her first official trip to the dentist. I couldn't believe how cooperative she was! I thought for sure there would be NO WAY she'd lay in that chair and let me look at her teeth! But she did! And she was perfect!! These pictures were taken by Patrick's phone, so that's why they're not very big!



When we brush teeth at home, we talk about brushing the "sugar bugs" OFF and then brushing the sparkles ON! So, when we were at the office, I told her I just needed to count all those sparkles....and she just let me! I told her she had 20 sparkles (20 teeth!) and she was so excited!
Well, I also had to take an xray of her top front teeth. About a month ago, Ava had her worst fall yet (one of her 546 falls to date)! And a few weeks ago, Patrick asked me if I'd noticed her gray front tooth. WHAT?!?!? A GRAY TOOTH?!?!? And sure enough! I took a look, and there it was....her upper front left tooth was DARK!! Check it out in these pictures:

You can see it a little better here...so sad! :(
So far, the xray looks ok, but I'm not that hopeful that it will stay asymptomatic forever. But, we can hope!! Best case scenario- nothing ever happens and it comes out many years from now when it's supposed to. Worst case- it becomes infected, I try to save it, it's not savable and has to be extracted. :( Did you hear that?!?! Extracted!!! Oh no. :(

Keep your fingers crossed and I'll keep you posted.

More updates to come!!

Baby Layla Grace

Layla Grace was a 28 month old sweet, perfect, and very sick little baby. She was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma about a year ago. I just recently started following her story- and it was completely heart wrenching. For the past 2 1/2 weeks, I've been checking Twitter 10-15 times a day for updates. And, finally, after 2 weeks of hospice care and pain that could not be completely controlled (due to an allergy to Morpine and all its family members), Layla Grace is finally healed and pain free. She's in Heaven with God. I have been brought to tears countless times as I try to comprehend what Layla and her family have been going through...and I just don't know how you live through something like that. But her family has an incredible faith that has helped to guide them through the worst possible thing a mother and father could have to live through.

It has made me think a lot about how lucky I am to have Ava...and that she's healthy and happy and pain free! I want to hug her a little more, cuddle her a little longer, and try to enjoy every second I have with her.

About 2 weeks ago, I woke Ava up and had her on her changing table getting dressed. I looked at her, smiled, and said, "Ava, I love you so much. I'm so glad you're here with me."

And she looked back at me with a smile and a giggle as if to say "silly mommy!" and said.... "I'm not going anywhere!"

Dear God, if I am the luckiest mom alive, that will be true.

Layla- May you rest in peace, you sweet sweet baby.







You can follow the latest news via Twitter at: http://twitter.com/laylagrace

You can read her entire story at her blog (although, it's very busy right now): http://www.laylagrace.org/

Snow Day Fun!

Ava got to play with Aunt Sarah in the snow!! Don't eat the yellow snow!! :)

Fat Mama

Ava wanted to talk to me about something...here's a little video...it's super short!






Sooooo...yes, it's true!! :) I'm pregnant!! Although we're unsure of exactly how far along I am, I have a due date of September 22nd which makes me about 11 or 12 weeks along by now!!! This pregnancy hasn't been anything like Ava's. Everything is different...including my constant nausea morning, afternoon, and night. There's other stuff that isn't so fun either, but I'll spare you those details. ;) With Ava, I had relief from being sick as long as I ate breakfast before I got out of bed. And that only lasted a few weeks. This time around, it started from the very beginning...around week 5!! Which is very soon after I found out. Since then, my doctor has prescribed me some anti-nausea medicine which I call my "magic pill." It rocks. It gives me a chance to work and feel as close to normal as possible. I would NOT be doing good without my magic pill!!

Well...with Ava, I wasn't in maternity clothes until about 6 months along. And I didn't really show until about 5 1/2 months....so NOT the case with baby #2!! I'm already showing, already have a belly, already using the ole' rubber band trick so I can unbutton my pants. Had to get the maternity stuff out of storage. Of course, I don't have any maternity clothes that are winter...so, I'll have to improvise a bit until it gets a little (a LOT!) warmer! I looked back at the blog to see when I started with my weekly belly pics with Ava- and it wasn't until week 16! And I had NOTHING!!! Granted, I did gain a few pounds in the 2 or 3 months just prior to getting pregnant, but damn! I didn't think it would be this different!! So, I took one of me about 2 weeks ago to start the documentation of "the growth"...

So, here's me at about 10 weeks (2 1/2 months) now:

And this is me at 24 weeks (6 months) with Ava:
Dude. I'm gonna be HUGE!!! It's not lookin' good! ;)

So, that's the good news from the Kindregan clan. :) Please keep us in your prayers for a safe and uneventful pregnancy and a healthy baby! I'll try to update as much as I can! Hope everyone is having a great day!

Heaven

Last night I was putting Ava to bed, and we said our prayers together. After prayers, Ava asked, "What does Jesus talk about?" So I said that he talks about being nice and kind and friendly and generous. I went on to say that he also talks about God and how He's God's son, and He came here to Earth so we can go to Heaven.

Ava: "When do we go to Heaven?"

Me: "When we're done being on Earth, we go to Heaven so we can be with God. But that wont be for a long time."

(pause)

Ava: With a big smile, "Then we'll come right back to the lakehouse!" :)



Kids are amazing....and perfectly pure. What a blessing they are. I am incredibly lucky.

Under the Sea

Patrick ordered Ava a "big girl" puzzle from an awesome company, Melissa and Doug. She's got tons of puzzles from them and some other hand-made, high quality toys that she'll enjoy for years! Anyway, Patrick got her this one! It took us all day to complete- but we finally did it. It took her a while to understand the "match up the straight line" concept (for the edge pieces), but toward the end she was getting pretty good! She'd sometimes get frustrated if the pieces didn't go together easily...had a lot of reminders to be gentle. But she was SO PROUD when it was done! Here she is showing it off!! Thanks Daddy!

Sorry about the poor quality photo- it's from my phone! It's no iPhone!! :)

Mary Poppins and her Valentine's Day Umbrella!

Courtesy of Aunt Sarah! :)

Snow Day!

So, everyone knows that we got quite a bit of snow last week! Ava was excited when it started coming down. I was amazed, though, at how FAST it began to melt the next day when the sun came out. So, we had to run out real quick and play before it was all gone!

I wanted to take her picture here, but she wouldn't stop talking long enough for her to smile...so I just had to snap it!
Here's Ava with Catcher. He's such a sweet boy. He lets her climb all over him! He was having fun too... fetching the tennis ball!
Look Mommy! I made a snow ball!! It was a little hard to make good snow balls since the snow had already melted so much...they usually ended up with some dirt in them.
Ava and Salsa



Here she is exploring with Salsa. They're a cute pair. :) Ava really likes to eat the snow. Patrick had to teach her that you only eat white snow...not yellow snow. I guess that's good advise with dogs around. ;) Salsa giving Ava a little lick. :) Maybe she had snow on her face!When I came downstairs to get Patrick and Ava to go outside before the snow melted...this is what I saw. Ava makes Patrick lay in this tent thing (which he barely fits in) while she plays. Here, she requested a "bassage." (Which is a massage). She'll say, "Daddy, bassage me"
She'll lay here for a long time while he rubs her back. She loves it! Who wouldn't?!?

Dr. Ava

My mom just sent me this picture! :) Ava listening to Keegan's sweet heart. She says, "take a deep breath" then moves it to another place, "take a deep breath." :) Aren't they just perfect?!

Stay tuned- an update within 24 hours! Promise!

2 1/2 years old!!!

For those of you still following- I am SO sorry for the lack of existence! I cannot seem to find the energy to get on here and get an update up! I tried really hard to take the advice of a fellow friend and blogger, Carmen, and to do shorter, easier updates- but that didn't work either. So, here I am...with Ava at 2 1/2 years old....with an update! :)
So, I have totally spawned a monster! A cute, sweet, loving monster- but a monster none the less!! :) As she's gotten older and her personality has become more prevalent, we all have noticed something- she is TYPE A!!! She doesn't like to be dirty- her hands, her clothes, her shoes- nothing. She constantly asks for a wipe to clean her hands, mouth, etc. When she has a snack in the car, you better have a Wet-One ready for her when she's done...cause she wants CLEAN HANDS!

Every now and then, she'll get a treat of M&M's in a little bowl...well, she eats them in order according to their color. All the reds. Then all the yellows. Then all the greens. Don't even think about getting them out of order!

One of her favorite things to do is line up all her toys, animals, babies, etc....she puts them all in a line (sometimes stretching all across the entire room). It's usually a curvy line that goes all over....she calls is her "crazy line," and she's so proud of it! At nap and bedtime, she has a specific order in which she requires the blankets be laid on her. First her "taggie" (her version of a "blankie"- she sucks on the tag, though, which is why it's a "taggie"), then the big blanket (but "only cover my feet"- this blanket is not allowed above her waist, then the fuzzy one on top of them all. If they aren't in that order, just go ahead and start over again with the taggie! She's cute. Crazy cute. ;)

Everything else is pretty good...she's talking like crazy, although, at this point that's no surprise. In fact, she never really stops talking...or moving. The child is very busy. Sometimes I make phone calls when I'm driving home since it's really the only "free time" I have in my day- and almost everyone makes a comment about the fact that she's in the background just....talking. To herself. (Usually) Happily! She's usually pretty great in the car (thank GOODness!)- I keep a good pile of books in there for her, so she's entertained by those for quite a while!

She's got her favorite books recently- she loves all the Fancy Nancy books and is into a few of the Dr. Suess books as well (The Tooth Book, Green Eggs and Ham, and Honey Bunny Funnybunny). She can fill in any of the words to these stories. It's actually kinda amazing. Makes me realize how-many-times-we've-read-the-darn-things!! But, she loves them, so I just keep reading them- over and over and over! :)

I'd have to say her favorite toys are:
1) Her rubber duckies (she knows which ones are the mommies, babies, daddy, and grandpas)! She brings them into the bath with her, then at the end of bath time, she lines them up so they can dry. OCD?!?
2) Her babies/barbies/animals (treats them all like babies)- she is constantly putting them to nap time and covering them up. It's a little morbid since she covers their entire body (including their face), but she's very nurturing with them. It's super cute. She even puts them in time-out sometimes! :) Covered from head to toe...
3) Her dollhouse- she plays with her doll house and dollhouse family everyday. She talks to them and carries on complete conversations with them. She has quite an imagination!

School's going great. She moved up to the next class. She'll be in this class for about 6 months and will move up again at age 3. (OMG! Age three)!?!! We do very much miss her first teacher, Ms. Kristin. She was wonderful and kind and so soft spoken. Ava loved her (she even told her so)! There will never be another Ms. Kristin. It's bad when you start with the best. It's kinda like I know we'll never have anyone quite as special as April. (We miss you Loop)!
Well, she's still in the mommy phase. She pretty much wants me all the time. I'm still cool with that (...for the most part. Sometimes, I do want just a little break). :) Sometimes I try to get Patrick to do bedtime, and that works....until it's actually time to get in the bed. Then the tears start...until I get there. (Now, she's very smart, cause if I'm not there, then it's no problem...but if she knows I'm there...not a chance)! So, not much rest for the weary...but I signed up for this, right?! :)

Sweetness...peaking from behind the chair.


Her hair is getting pretty long. It's still semi-rat tail'ish, but I can't bring myself to cut it yet....then her ponytail wont look this cute!
So here's some cute stuff she's said:

A while ago, Ava and I talked about going to get pancakes at IHOP one day after church...but she didn't end up getting them. Well, the next day, she asked me for "canpakes!" I mean, come on! Freakin' cute!!

One morning, I went to get Ava up for school and she was still a little groggy- eyes kinda closed with tired face. When I was changing her diaper, (warning, graphic!) ...she farted. :) She didn't react at all and then a few seconds later (eyes still closed), she said, "I toot." I said, "Yep, you sure did." Then she said, "I a toot machine!" Now, WHO taught her that one?!?! Daddy??

We went to Waffle House one morning after church, and Ava got some toast. I asked her if she wanted jelly or butter, and she, (of course!), chose butter (she's a butter-holic! Thanks Grandpa Mike)! Well, the next day, we were driving in the car, and she said, "Mommy, I don't care for jelly." Huh!?! I mean, really?


I know there's so much more going on with Ava, but I don't want to overwhelm you! ;) I'm gonna try to post more smaller, more often updates. We'll see.....

I hope everyone is going great! I promise it will not be a month and a half before I update again!!

Whiskers

So, Ava and I were hanging out this morning and the sun was shinning through the windows....so, I laid down on the floor right where the sun was coming in to enjoy it's warmth. Ava came over and laid next to me and noticed something shimmering in the light.....

Ava: "Mommy, do you have hair right there?" (pointing to my upper lip).

Me: "Yeah, I have a little hair there."

Ava: "Mommy, you have whiskers!"

Guess it's time for a wax. :)


.

Merry Christmas!!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful and super fun Christmas!! Ours was great!! We went to Bobbi's for Christmas Eve and woke up there Christmas morning. Ava got to open a trillion presents from Santa and Bobbi/Grandpa Mike!

Then we went over to Michee and Pop's for the rest of Christmas Day!! Ava had so many toys/presents to open on Christmas that she ran out of juice when only a few were left!!!

Here she is making her way through the presents....
A princess may not open her gifts without her tiara.... (thanks to Michee for that one)!
Today- Patrick and I didn't waste any time taking our tree and the other Christmas decorations down...including the Nativity scene. Well....Ava notice I had put that away and was very concerned and said, "Mommy- where did God and Baby Jesus go??" :) I mean- could she be any cuter?!! I had to explain that I'd take them out again next Christmas and she seemed to be okay with that!

I forgot my camera- so these are the only pictures I have as my dad was kind enough to take a few and email them to me!

Anyway, I hope everyone's Christmas was great!!! Enjoy the rest of the year!!

PS. Other exciting news....I got my braces off!! Yay!!!

Candy Sticks and Jingle Bells

SANTA'S COMING!

Ava's reaction when she heard Santa would be coming to her house. :)


Well...ok, not really, but isn't it cute? My mom had some Christmas pictures taken of all the kids (Ava, Keegan, and Emery) and this is just one of them. The photographer was great, her name is Amie and is the owner of Amie J Ledford Photography. She was so great...and patient!!