A new yummy Christmas tradition...

I love trying to think of family traditions for Ava to remember as she grows up. I've decided one of those traditions will be making homemade cinnamon rolls for Christmas. AM and Izzy came over last Friday and helped make them. The nice thing is you can make them ahead of time and freeze them, then just reheat for a holiday treat! We used the pioneer's woman reciepe. I think they turned out pretty yummy!

8 months old

Today our sweet girl is 8 months old! She's come so far in so many area's... just when I thought the smile and then the laugh could melt my heart like nothing else she does, then came along "the reach" and none of those have anything on that, when she extends those sweet little arms up in our direction, ah there is nothing like it! While she make advances in many areas, her sleep has regressed to newborn phase over this month, things have been better the last few nights with only a 2-3 wakings but after the holidays we will be implementing some of the sleep lady techniques (I'm reading her book that a friend loaned me, she seems to be in the middle area, not for straight crying it out but also steps it up from responding to every waking with rocking and holding, all about knowing your baby and her cues to help you make an appropriate plan for improved sleeping.) to help all of us get back on a better sleep schedule as at this point, I've ruled any medical issues, including teeth, think its more related to the separation anxiety that comes along with this developmental phase that maybe carrying over into night. Well thats my latest theory anyways. She says "ma ma ma" alot and "Da Da Da" while its not purposeful yet, I love hear her try to talk to us. I've started modeling some baby sign language for her so that we will have some of the basics down when she's ready to communicate that way. Can't believe this time last year she was in my tummy and I tried to imagine what the next Christmas would be like with an 8 month old. Its of course better than anything I pictured.

The fun things you get to do...

when you and one of your best friends have baby girls only months apart! Aren't they sweet in their matching Christmas outfits! Of course getting a picture of them both smiling at the camera is almost impossible here's the best shots we got before our Christmas shopping trip.

Ava meets Santa!

So she lasted a few seconds before she was like "Wait a minute....who is this guy!?"

We had our children's Christmas program at church Sunday night. so she got to meet Santa and Ms. Claus...

Holiday photo shoot

Over Thanksgiving Daicia was sweet to do a holiday photo shoot for us. I love her work and love how these turned out!! Here's a few favorites:

Thanksgiving

We had a lovely Thanksgiving before the stomach plague of 2010 hit us. We enjoyed a relaxing time with friends and family. My Thankful thoughts over these days include my girl friendships. All my dear friends that were my bridesmaids I am still close too and know we always stay connected through our life long friendships and most importantly through our bond in Christ. I love how they all are so familar and so easy to get along with and have warm converstaions with even when we haven't seen each other for awhile. I also love how they are different and I appreciate very different things about each those friendships that I cherish.

Here's all the girls from the holiday get together:

Q is such a sweetie to share with Ava and show her the ropes. These two are getting to enjoy each other's company more and more with each visit:

24 times

That is the number of times someone in this house has thrown up over the past 72 hours. Poor Ava started out puking like crazy starting Saturday night. I called our doctor twice because I was so concerned at how much and how long it was going on. I was so sad for her, she would dry heave and I would cry. Such a helpless feeling and she is too little to take any of the meds. As she was finally getting better, I started. Ryan stayed home from work on Monday to take care of us. Then later that day it over took him as well. It ended up actually 5 other family we were with on Saturday came down with it too. My brother ended up with a hospital visit for IV for hydration. We've all been better here most of today but stayed home from work to make sure we don't infect anyone else.

As bad as all this was I can come up with lots of thanksgivings during this time to cover days 27-30:

1) I am so grateful for Ryan, He was so helpful and comforting in taking care of me and Ava. When I think back about this terrible crazy sickness that is one thing I will remember and love him for how sweet and care taking he was.

2) I am grateful we didn't all come down with it at the exact same time. It was spaced so that as each of got better the next one came down with it. I don't know what we would have done if it was all of us at the same time.

3) I am thankful it gave us today all together, we were feeling better, we slept in, put up Christmas decorations and enjoyed an unexpected extended day all together.

4) I am thankful dogs can't get people virus! Rory was fine but very confused why Ava was getting to sleep in our bed.

Stomach flu of 2010 is in the books! Glad to type that! I will cover the rest of our Thanksgiving holiday at another post.

Thankfulness catch up...

Catching up on my attitude of gratitude, days 15-21...

15 - My New laptop! Ryan got me a new computer. I am so thankful for his thoughtful research and selection, he wants me to have what will work the best for me. Very sweet and thoughtful.

16- I am going to leave this one mysterious: I am thankful when those we love surprise us in the best, most unexpected ways.

17- My in-laws. I feel blessed I very much enjoy the company of my in-laws. They've always treated me as one of their own.

18- Cheeseburgers, enough said.

19- The library, there aren't many things for free these days, I love that I get to check out books for free! I know my tax dollars fund this so its not "free" but its a very worthy use of community funds.

20- My parents are visiting as Ryan is out of town. So nice to spend a relaxing weekend together just visiting and enjoying entertainment.

21- Matt and Lori staying with us for a few days!

7 months old...

Out little Ava Bear turned 7 months this weekend! So many signs she's getting big: As you can tell from these pics she's now a pro at sitting on her own. She will quickly eat napkins, paper and anything else she can get her hands on. She can get where she wants to go with lots of rolling. She is much more expressive letting us know what she thinks about things. I'm so excited to share her first holidays with her that are just around the corner. Love this sweet girl more than I have words to say!

Some recent Ava Pics

I've been in an intensive training most of this week, so I'm too wiped out to do a very long post so I bring you some recent pictures of Ava. Bath time and johnny jump up time...

Day 13 & 14

Day 13- I am thankful for hot bubble baths on cold days. One of my favorite things in the world is a steaming hot bubble bath, accompanied by a good book, a cold drink and a nice candle on a winter night. So relaxing!!


Day 14- I am thankful for snugly naps with my baby girl. It doesn't get much more peace filled and content then snoozing with a little one in your arms. I just woke up from a nice Sunday snooze with her snuggled next to me, its so refreshing and renewing in many ways. I am always so surprised when I choose to be still instead of working on my to do list that I am always glad I did.

Day 10, 11 &12

Day 10 - I am thankful for my house. Sometimes I catch myself thinking a step ahead, you know a bigger, newer, nicer place sometime down the road but it only takes me a moment to remind myself this house has everything we need and all the warmest memories that truly make it a home. Its the house I brought my baby home from the hospital to, where Rory spent her puppy days, where we've had get togethers with friends and visits from family all this and more remind me what blessing it is to have this place.

Day 11 - I am thankful for financial security. Even with addition of baby and me going part time. With so many out of work all over the country the past couple years, I am thankful the Ryan and I both having good jobs the provide us with the life we have. When you think of a global view of the world, we are truly wealthy and do not want to take that for granted. My prayer is we will live within whatever means we are given at any point in time, be content where are at and bring glory to God by how we steward what he has entrusted.

Day 12 - I am thankful for our caregivers for Ava. The friends that babysit Ava while I work are wonderful. Trusting them and knowing she is getting one on one attention while she is still so tiny is such a blessing. They are so responsive to her needs and really care about her. Ava always has big smiles for them when she's them!

Day 5-9

Day 5 - I am thankful for Ava sleeping longer at nights. The time change was perfect timing to move her bed time up without her really knowing it and the best part is she still is waking up at her regular 7:15 time. (I should make a disclaimer she is still most nights waking up once to nurse but still, so thankful for the extended sleep time!)

Day 6 - I am thankful for books. I should post a picture of my night stand. I usually alternating between about 3 books at time. I get so excited I can't decide which one to start with so I start going back and forth between multiple ones. I didn't love books till after college and graduate school, I had been in school every year for 18 years straight at that point and when no one made me read anymore I feel in love with it!

Day 7- Happy hour at sonic. The genius design of those cups are like mini-coolers. They ice stays good in there for hours! I need not say more about the wonderful pick me up of sugar and caffeine at half prices in the late afternoon.

Day 8- people who do whatever job they have with joy and kindness. There use to be a little ceaser man that for over year I could see out my window at work every day. He held his little cesar pizza sign with the most energy and enthusisam, he would bring his ear phones everyday and play his sign like a guitar, lip singing for hours. I miss him. I knew he would go on to greater things with that work ethic but I still love it when I see it in others and I think to myself now thats like playing your air guitar with your little cesar's sign.

Day 9 - I am thankful for my Tuesday lunch bunch. I eat lunch every Tuesday with some great gal pals. The lunch bunch started when we all worked together in the same office and now that I the only one still at the office the weekly get together carries on, It has been meeting for over two years now. In fact when Ava was born, it was Tuesday at lunch time, the lunch bunch didn't miss a beat they were there to meet Ava at our regular time. These girls I can bounce anything off of and they give me honest feedback, uplift me spiritually and are the best listeners (they can't help it, they're therapists!).

30 day challenge...

I am joining the blogging challenge set by friends and fellow bloggers A&M, 30 days of thanksgiving! Each day I will try to post a blessing in my life I am thankful for, I might not be able to post everyday but I will post 30 things for sure!

Ready, set, go!


So Day 1 gets the obvious I am so thankful for our baby girl! She's changed our lives forever in the best possible ways. Getting to love her and have her is truly one of the biggest blessings of my life. I am so smitten by her bright eyes, adorable chuckles and toothless smiles. God has been so good to our family in blessing us with her. specifically also I am truly thankful for her health. Being a parent I can't imagine the shear terror that goes through parents of sick children. I am so thankful that she appears to be healthy and developing as she should to this point. What a blessing that I don't want to take for granted.


Day 2 - I am thankful for my book club. Its a great group of 7 girls that get together once a month to discuss our book for the month. We each take turns picking the book. We have girls with different back grounds, some spiritual some not, some moms some not, some grew up here, some not, some like the humanity of tragic endings, some like happy endings. You get the picture, we aren't all a like but that's the best part. The club has now been around for two years and its such a pick me up at the beginning of each month.


Day 3 - I am thankful for my job, a job that I really do love. I am so loving part time work. My job has been so flexible with me, I get to work still directly under my mentor, whom I have the deep respect and appreciation for. I love my co-workers, none of them are there for the money, they all have a heart for helping others and the are just the best colleagues you could have. To be honest I always pictured myself a stay at home mom back in the day but now that I can choose, I don't feel guilty saying I would be sad to leave my work all together. I feel like I get the best of both worlds, making my own schedule and working part time and being home the rest of the time. I truely couldn't ask for a better situation for the first year of mommyhood!

Day 4- I am thankful for my parents. They have loved me unconditionally my whole life. Being a parent now truly does open my eyes and heart to the sacrificial love that comes with each moment of parenthood. I am thankful for the solid foundation and the fulfillment of knowing that kind of love from such tender ages. I wish every child could experience that!

more to come!

Could her first Halloween beeee any more fun!?

We've had a fun weekend celebrating Ava's first Halloween. We got to wear our fun festive outfits and enjoyed trunk or treat at church. Our trunk was garden themed to match our sweet little bumble bee. The picture to the right is Ava all ready for church this morning.







Here's our little bumble bee! all ready for the fall festival...

We've had along week of Ava reverting to waking up every 2-3 hours at night, teeth maybe? As I type the post everyone is taking a nap but me. I should probably join them. but its hard to know what to do with an all quiet house, read my book club book, play uniterupted on the computer, catch up on chores, the possibilites are endless! Hope your having a fun and relaxing Halloween too!

New Mexico!

Steak at the big Texan - $15

Souvenirs at the Cherokee outpost - $5

Time in car round trip - 17 hours

grandma and grandpa's faces when we surprised them - Priceless!

Chloe, Allie, Ava and I surprised my grandma and grandpa last week in New Mexico! They knew my dad was coming but he suprised them by bringing the us in tow. I can't get the video of the moment of the surpsie to post but we defintly pulled it off, you should see grandma's reaction. Ava was a pretty great traveler again! It was a fun time by all! Roswell is the UFO capital of the world so of course we had to see the museum.

It's her half birthday!!

This week Ava will be 6 months old! Its hard to believe we are half way through her first year! She is starting to sit up on her own more and reaches for us. She smiles, laughs and talks to us all the time. She is doing great with sleeping at night. She goes to sleep at 10:00 and sleeps till 7:00, we can lay her down now and she will put herself to sleep pretty easily, sometimes just needing a little patting on the back and the last two nights needing nothing at all, just quickly feel asleep on her own. My favorite things right now is the big smile she gives when I peek my head in her crib to get her out in the morning. She's just ready to greet the day with such a cheerful spirit. Here's some pics over the past few weeks:

Dog park first

So the weather has been just perfect here. It was good day today to take Ava for her first trip to the dog park. She was pretty unimpressed by it, playing mostly with her sun hat while we there but occasionally she would look on curiously at the other dogs there, she definitely knows her dog and gives a big smile when Rory comes by. It was a fun family outing.

In case you hadn't heard...

Ryan passed the CPA exam!! all 4 sections!! I am so proud of him and I know the amount of hours and hardwork it took and it reminds me one the things I admire about Ryan is is hard working nature and his ability to conquer any challenges before him. This was just wonderful news for our family!! No more studying!!

That now leaves room for some down time:

and Ryan and I went out to celebrate we went the historic Kyle's 1025 for dinner, followed by some pink swirl. (Thanks aunt Amy for watching Ava for us!) This was our 2nd date night since Ava's birth, we really enjoyed it!

Ponderings on Parenthood Vol. III

Goals. Well I love setting and acheiving goals, even if its a small as a to do list for the day or something that takes much longer to acheive. One of the goals I set for new years was to run a 5k and 10k this year. Well the 5K I signed up for is next saturday, I've only been getting in about 2 runs a week so I'm not building much endurance just yet past about a mile and half. Even though I plan to run more, life happens and being a parent life isn't on my schedule as it use to be. There's plenty of things as a mom we might feel guilty about falling short on, I decided this isn't worth any of those negative feelings, so I will just adjust my expectations. So my new goal, is simply to finish a 5K and 10K, that might involve some walking and interval running but I am still going to proud of finsihing both these races knowing I'm doing the best I can with them and proud to do them in the same year I gave birth to my baby girl. Another goal this year I set in mind was my initial goal for breast feeding would be 6 months, I decided I would re-evaluate then if its working for both Ava and I to continue from there. This was based on reading research on breastfeeding that seemed to state in the long term they really can't tell a big difference between breast feed and formula feed babies after the 6 month mark. Since this is going well I am extending this goal to the one year mark. So as a parent flexibility and adjusting expectations is more important than ever, sometimes I can do more than what I thought and sometimes I have to break it down to what is achievable.

Also speaking of goals, Ryan past his CPA Exams!!! This has been a four year process and I am so very proud of him, this will be its own post later as we are going out tomorrow to celebrate, it will be only our 2nd date since Ava's birth, we are excited to celebrate on the town! pics to come!

hair and hoodies

While summer is for sure my favorite time of year, I'm ready for the change to fall. It was cool enough today that Ava got to wear her first Hoodie!! Also I got my hair cut this weekend so here's pic to showcase both events!

Welcome to the World!!

Sweet Isabella was born!! Her parents are dear friends as we've shared so many life milestones together: college, weddings, starting careers, birthdays, vacations, international adventures and now babies! I couldn't think of much else while her mommy was in labor with her from 7 in the morning till she arrived at almost 11 that night. The morning after her birth I woke up at 6:00am and couldn't go back sleep because I was so excited to see her and her parents later that day!! We love you and your family Isabella and we welcome you to the world!

This is the whole family!

I get to meet her!

retro pic from when Ava was born!

Ava and Isabella are only about 5 months apart and destined to be great pals!

5 Months

Guess who's 5 months!?

Here's a short run down of the new things that 5 months brings. Everything goes in her mouth and if there's nothing available no worries she will use her own finger, fingers or her entire fist. She's also facinated by her recently discovered feet. So funny how long she can play contently with them. Some of the things that I'm real excited about she can now go 4 hour between feedings and after the last week I can say she sleeps 8 hours all the way through the night more nights than not. She laughs and smiles more and more all the time.

Common sight these days with the finger in the mouth.

Still those lovely bright eyes!

First pair of baby shoes that are now too small...