0812Lane

2011-09-05T07:31:00.000-05:00

(playing catch-up)

Here are some of the priceless pics that my brother Brandon (BRS Photography, also married to http://schultzpartyoffour.blogspot.com/ ) so graciously took for us. He waited with us from about 9:30am and on until baby Bella made her 1st appearance. In the mean time, he captured these images for us, similar to when we had Ava, and these will now and forever be some of my favorite photos ever. Come to think of it, I probably owe him big time.

Sisters

2011-08-12T20:53:00.001-05:00

I never had a sister. But if I had, I hope we would've been best friends. That's what i hope for my sweethearts here. Ava is pretty sweet with bella, and bella is too young to reciprocate but I pray that they will be confidants some day, best friends, secret keepers for each other, shoulders to cry on and midnight gigglers. I hope they do hair and make up and nails and dress up together. And I hope that they love each other.

That's not too much to ask, right??...

maybe someday. MAYBE.

2011-08-07T19:47:00.000-05:00

somehow this lady whom I've never met, most likely will never meet, and will never know that I know that she exists, put my thoughts exactly into her own words:

http://www.havingthreekids.com/decision.html

we definitely haven't gotten to her last paragraph yet. just saying, we're undecided. probably will be for a while, especially while my stitches still remind me of that day 2.5 weeks ago. God blesses us with a forgetful memory of that beautiful, aweful day commerated as 'birthdays'.

thoughts on the unexpected

2011-08-04T06:40:00.000-05:00

Something I wasn't expecting with this pregnancy, that I didn't see coming at all actually, was GUILT. Guilt for Ava. Somebody told me at one point that it is normal and this friend had felt that same way, but it just hit me like a ton of bricks. Some nights (during my baby blues) I found myself crying just for Ava because I felt like I was not giving her the attention she needs. While she in no way lacks attention and basically wants for nothing, my heart still broke for her. Especially during the healing process of my body when I'm not supposed to pick up her 30lb little body yet, I had to explain to her that until my tummy gets better I couldn't pick her up, but yet she would see me holding her sister. I've tried to specifically have her snuggle me on the couch or in bed, but it never felt the same to me, so I know it doesn't to her either. This I'm still working thru...

She is an amazing big sister. And it's been interesting to watch the birth order play a roll in her personality. She now is a little more outgoing. A little more talkative. And a lot more protective and helpful with her baby sister.

Mostly I'm amazed because my fear (like a lot of moms I think) is you ask yourself, how can I love someone else as much as I love you? The love for your child is second to none. Yes, I love my husband dearly. With my whole heart. But, it's a different love. The love for my children just bleeds out of me. It's so instinctual, like breathing. And sure enough, when Bella was born, I was proven that I CAN love more than one child with all the love in the world that I thought was not possible. WHEW!

mom of the year...

2011-07-30T17:48:00.000-05:00

I definitely missed taking a single photo of my child when she was a week old. I'm so lame. so here's some from all last week, and, sorry bella. you are still my sweet though. I also will apologize in advance if your baby book is less than full, like everyone always says about kids after the 1st...doesn't mean I love you any less.

Labor and delivery

2011-07-28T17:47:00.001-05:00

Background: due date was Fri 7.29.11
First induction date: Wed 7.20.11
Second induction date: thur 7.21.11
Third and final induction date: Fri 7.22.11

God's timing is perfect in everything. Even tho my hopes were up then down by the delayed date, even tho my Dr wasn't the one to deliver, we feel truly blessed how everything went. The Dr did a phenomenal job. And sometimes people come into your life and make a special impact -- that's how it was with my main nurse Linda. Linda and us (me and Sam) bonded almost like family. I will admit that each night I have a spout of 'baby blues tears', but partly last night was due to missing Linda. As dumb as it sounds, I love Linda and am so thankful she is part of our delivery experience.

So on to the story...

Thursday night i couldn't fall asleep until 1am. My alarm was set for 330am, planned to leave by 4, get ava to my moms by 430 and at st lukes east hospital by 5am. So, needless to say, I was tired but excited.

They didn't waste much time at the hospital, got me checked in, hooked up, and ready for delivery in no time flat. I was discouraged because they said I had to wait until I was dialated to a 3 before giving the epidural. I was discouraged because previously at the Dr they said i could get it immediately, but, again it worked out perfectly.

Dialated Progress report:

1 at 530am
3 at 1130am
Epidural at 1145am
5 at 1230pm
10 at 130pm
Had to wait to push for her head to come down...
Pushing at 230pm
Delivery at 321pm

Bella was a trooper. Once born she had to get a little oxygen, and during delivery I was given oxygen because her heart rate kept dropping during contractions. I heard her making noises but didn't hear her really cry until they gave her the wash cloth bath around 545pm.

The rest of the hospital stay was great. I love that hospital.

We've been home all week recovering. Sam has been incredible, making me breakfast, lunch and dinners, making grocery store runs, doing dishes and laundry. I feel so blessed, and God speed for those single moms because I don't know how its done without a helpmate. I love you husband.

Ava is such a great big sister. She helps with the Paci, and she reminds me that she's not hitting her sister. (Previously she received good instruction from her cousin Julia on how to be a good big sister, and one thing is to never, ever, ever, ever hit your sister.) I love you ava.

Bella and I are working to be a good team at breastfeeding. We've had a couple struggles, but (knock on wood) I think we are about over the hurdles. Praise God!

I love you family.

Can't make any promises that we're going to do this again...but that's not to say we aren't...in this kind if pain I don't feel comfortable making that decision. I just know that one look at her and its all worth it.

Introducing...

2011-07-24T21:33:00.000-05:00

name: Bella Marie Lane

born: Friday 7.22.11

time: 3:21pm

weight: 9 pounds 13 ounces

height: 21"

We love you Bella.

We thank God for you.

You are right where you belong.

twas the night before bella...

2011-07-21T22:51:00.000-05:00

...and I can't fall asleep for the life of me. My alarm clock is set for 4.5 hours from now, and when I know I'm needing sleep the most, it just vanishes.

I've been thinking a lot over the past two days of how our lives are about to change, though in reality I have no clue until we're back at home, just the four of us, and we are actually living it out.

Ava was literally bouncing on our bed tonight with excitement! We've been prepping her all week for FRIDAY, the big day. Her sister's debut. She asked to "borrow" Bella's blanket a couple of weeks ago, so we said she could, as long as she knew she had to give it to her sister once she got here. Tonight I reminded her she needed to put Bella's blanket in her pink bag so we can take it with us tomorrow and she did so without one argument. I think she just might make the best big sister ever.

I am so thankful for my family. God has so richly blessed us with each other, and I just feel like the luckiest person on the planet.

Truth be told, I'm nervous about tomorrow. But we said our prayers tonight and are in our Maker's hands. no place I'd rather be.

Sisters

2011-07-03T17:07:00.001-05:00

She said she wants to give nemo to her sister. She said she would share her pink bag with her sister. And she says that her sister can come to Disney some day with her.

In a 2 year old's mind, I wonder what she thinks her sister will be like. But does it really matter, when she already loves her without even having met her? How precious she is.

False labor / induction date!

2011-07-03T10:30:00.001-05:00

It was Thursday night, after work, after dinner at chipotle, and I thought 'this could be it. This could be the real deal! And, this sucks.'

With ava I was induced so I never experienced the quick, grab the bag, my water broke, thundercats a goooooo! Moment. But the other night I was definitely mentally preparing myself for a possible hospital trip.

I called my own Dr and I called my brother/dr. Turns out, I was dehydrated. I sat on the couch for about 2 hours, dozing in and out of sleep and drinking lots of water. Sure enough, next morning I felt like a million bucks and Bella was right where she should be, still inside. Plus, I didn't have to get hooked up to monitors just to be told it was a false alarm. At least not yet.

My actual due date is Friday 7/29. At my last ultrasound (with 4 wks to go) they confirmed she is already appx 8lbs. My Dr has decided it acceptable/appropriate to do an early induction due to her size and not wanting to risk her getting TOO big to deliver naturally.

Induction date: Wednesday 7/20

So although she may be a good 9-10lbs still, hopefully we can still have a successful natural delivery. (And by natural I do NOT mean without drugs...).

2011-05-21T08:56:00.000-05:00

FLORIDA: MAY 2011

It went by way too fast, as we were only there less than 3 days, but it was fun and worth it, and Ava loves to fly!

Things we learned:

*Ava hates the sand

*Ava hates cold water

*Ava LOVES the hot tub

*People walk more in FL than we {personally} do

2011-05-16T20:50:00.002-05:00

self-diagnosis: I have Aerosinusitis, and it makes flying miserable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerosinusitis

baby bella update

2011-05-16T20:45:00.000-05:00

well, we are in week 30. week 30 of 40. doesn't even seem possible or real that in 10 weeks we will have two children.

baby bella is working on her brain development this week. seems like she is about out of space in there...so these next 2.5 months should be fun!

and that's all the energy I can muster for an update. more Florida pics to follow!!

2011-05-15T10:07:00.001-05:00

Ava flew for the first time this weekend! We took a 3 day vacation to Florida. Also her first time to the beach, the Atlantic Ocean to be specific. Unfortunately, she is NOT a fan of the sand between her toes or the cold water. What she did love was the hot tub and sitting on our hotel balcony in the warm breeze.

We got here Friday afternoon, and are now at the airport waiting to board out flight. She is being such a good girl, watching tinkerbell and drinking her juicy.

This weekend we just relaxed, went at our own pace, and have loved it! She did great on the flight, didn't sleep but stayed happy so we are happy. Hopefully the flight home is just as relaxing.

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2011-04-30T08:00:00.001-05:00

Off to a great Saturday morning-headed to the vet with rexy, then buying flowers and stuff for landscaping (if we can agree...:) )

Hoping for some nice weather all day so we can plant our new purchases and add some color to our front yard!

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2011-04-30T07:56:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the world baby Zachary!

Born to my cousin Jennifer and her husband Matt, live in Dallas tx!

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2011-04-27T16:29:00.000-05:00

and WELCOME TO THE WORLD!!

beautiful Leisel Jane Schultz!

2011-04-27T16:03:00.002-05:00

Happy (late) Easter!

2011-04-23T10:25:00.001-05:00

...and we thought pooh was big!

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2011-04-23T08:55:00.001-05:00

Last night we had a date night. A relaxing dinner and a movie at home. Ava on the other hand partied hard with her cousins and grandparents! Won't be long before Ava has her own little protege following is her footsteps!

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2011-04-14T19:16:00.001-05:00

Pregnancy update: Friday is 25 weeks, 15 weeks to go!

I fell down the stairs the other night...but all is well.

Ava likes to snuggle Bella at night sometimes, which might be what I will miss most about being prego. That and feeling Bella move.

I really do enjoy being pregnant, except I'm so dang tired. But baby is healthy and so am I so all is well!

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test post from my phone

2011-04-10T19:03:00.001-05:00

Because it seems easier than my computer sometimes...and because I just figured out how to update from my phone!

If this works, it might just revolutionize my blog updates. Here's to hoping!

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2011-03-23T08:12:00.000-05:00

Baby Girl's Name: Bella Marie Lane

ETA: July 29, 2011

first sonogram pictures to follow...

2011-03-16T16:17:00.001-05:00

IT'S A GIRL!!!!!!!

We are thrilled, Ava knew all along, and more to come soon, I promise.

2011-02-03T09:33:00.000-06:00

we are going to have another baby :) 15 weeks prego tomorrow. here is the baby's heart"beep" (according to ava)

2010-12-08T14:52:00.001-06:00

2010-11-24T08:21:00.000-06:00

2010-11-20T23:18:00.000-06:00

we were lucky enough to get to go on an amazing vacation this year, just the two of us! earlier this month we went to cancun. and, aside from missing ava a TON, it was very awesome just to have some time he and I, to relax on the beach, and our only worries were about her. though, when she has two sets of grandparents who love and adore her almost as much as we do, it's easy not to worry TOO much, though that worry never really does fade away.

and, if I hadn't broke our camera while we were on vacation, we would have more than just these few good pictures to remember it by. (well really we've missed the entire month of november in pictures.) too bad I broke it when I did really - I could've gotten that great shot of the old man on the beach with a thong...

and then below you'll see how much fun ava was having while we were away - I don't think she minded at all having the week to do whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted., since every day revolved around her :)

2010-11-07T10:04:00.000-06:00

it's been awhile. it's always been awhile it seems.

sam and I just returned from a fantastic vacation and left ava for the first time ever.

harder than it looks, but it was a fantastic get-away and are glad to be home to our sweetness that we missed so much. yes I did cry every day, so what? but she probably had the best week of her life, with both sets of grandparents taking turns doting over her. she is so lucky.

we are getting so excited for family, two new babies will be saying hello to the big world next spring! my sister-in-law sue (in Columbia) and my cousin Jen (in Dallas). yay for babies!

and Ava just talks and talks and talks these days, with full sentences even! I can't comprehend how time can go by so fast. this month will only support that what with birthday parties and thanksgiving right around the corner! THEN AVA TURNS 2!

2010-10-03T11:34:00.000-05:00

Piano Lessons 101: who needs lessons?!

family photo from the zoo last weekend

family fun at the apple orchard yesterday

learning how to grow up way to fast from her cousins:

2010-09-13T21:47:00.001-05:00

Halloween Line 2010: Ava is Tinkerbell

(the outfit arrived in the mail and I couldn't help myself!)

Still to add to this wardrobe are the appropriate shoes plus tights.

And this is me, eating my words. There once was a day that I didn't think my daughter would be the 'princessy' type. I know, foolish right?! and then, I don't know, I guess I didn't know how much fun it would be to see the sheer joy on her face to be all 'princessy'! and that's what really makes it. that's all it took. it's irresistible. so, we've let down our guard and we embrace the princess personailty and all that it entails.

I think also I didn't do much princessy dress up when I was younger, so I think maybe I wasn't too used to it. I played with barbies and all, and dressed up in my mom's heels and clothes (I think), but never did I have the princess dresses that are available so easily to little girls like it is these days.

so, tinkerbell she is!

2010-09-12T21:19:00.000-05:00

nothing is sweeter to my eyes than this:

and these are from a couple of weeks ago - at church the fire alarm went off so we all got sent outside for safety. turns out someone burnt the popcorn. but we used our time wisely and took pictures of aves.

and really, why wouldn't you rock a cowboy hat AND bunny slippers at the same time? I mean, come on.

fall is almost here! fall is my very favorite.

fall means baking cookies galore, cooking homemade (beanless) chili with cornbread muffins,

and these days it means increasing my nonexistant sewing skills {I haven't posted any samples yet because they definitely are not up to par yet. but I'm practicing on my new (old) used-to-be-grandma's sewing machine that I got from my grandpa!}

It ALSO means pumpkin patches and apple orchards that are yet to be had!

and here is a picture of what is to come this Halloween 2010 - I know what you're thinking, and I agree. It will be much cuter once ava has it on. TINKERBELL!

2010-08-21T10:15:00.000-05:00

FUN IN THE SUN!

When it's hot out, and even when it's not, Ava likes to eat these mini-ice cubes that we make. probably not good for her little kid teeth, but good for her happiness and helps keep her cool in the summer so we do it anyway.

2010-08-12T21:27:00.001-05:00

Dear 4 years ago:

How the heck did you fly by so fast?!

4 years ago today I became Mrs. Sam Lane.

4 years ago I married my very best friend.

And 4 years ago I can honestly say was the best day of my life.

(and now I know you might be thinking - but Jami, what about when ava was born? and any mom's out there can tell you that birthing a child in-and-of-itself makes it not the best day. best addition to your family - yes. best day - no. the thing is, I used to actually think that - that the day my kids were born would tie with my wedding day as my best day. but back then, I had no idea what birthing a child actually meant. boy was I an idiot.)

Happy anniversary baby. I love you.

And now, four beautiful, messy years later:

and just for fun every year I wear my fancy wedding earrings no matter where we go. this year we went to Cafe Verona.

maybe last year too come to think of it...

Mainly I do it because they're my favorite and they're one of those things that makes you feel pretty simply by wearing them. sounds dumb and superficial, I know. but I'm just being real.

2010-08-11T21:43:00.001-05:00

PIANO MOVING 101:

1. purchase piano

2. bribe strong men with food

3. done

we are happy girls in our home!!! I've been waiting since Friday to post this post! thanks to a strong and willing husband (who goes along with my crazy ideas!) and strong familiy/friends, and tacos!:

thanks SO much to my husband (Sam), my dad (Jim), my brother-in-law (Nathan), my cousin (Erv), and two good friends Chris and Kevin. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MOVING MY PIANO! We apprecaite it so much, really!!

Ava's 1st piano!

Ava and her grandma playing the piano

She's warming up to the ivories!

I started taking piano when I was 5-ish and played until at least 18. Ava hasn't quite turned two yet, but I figure it's never too soon, right? AND - it was $50. Yep. $50. Craigslist baby. And other than those crazy craigslist killers out there, craigslist is a beautiful thing!

next project: paint the piano bench and ask my mom to refinish the top cause this thing doesn't match at all!

2010-08-08T21:54:00.000-05:00

Ava is a working girl. she works and works. she has many work stations. this one is mobile, it's just a yellow chair and she will stand next to me while I work at the computer.

this is a little kid-sized desk, as I'm sure you could tell by the picture. this is where she writes with her pencil, and sometimes colors with crayons. except when she got in trouble for coloring on the trash can...but that could've been much worse.

and here at home is where she gets serious about her crayons. she has a Pooh coloring book and conveniently plenty of pooh animals to look at so we get our colors right. AND a great one-of-a-kind piece of pottery from my uncle in TX. it's perfect for her colors!

2010-08-05T07:13:00.000-05:00

this is somewhat of a back-dated post...ava was lucky to spend a little time with her two boy cousins sam & joel this past weekend. we went to a little store called bass pro, maybe you've heard of it? GREAT outdoor park and trail for kids and dogs alike.

and...comletely unrelated: here is the product of our latest project - we stained our deck! it's was my husband's motivation that led to it, and my dad's power-washer that made it possible. it feels good to have done it ourselves.

2010-08-02T20:40:00.000-05:00

just another day in paradise

2010-08-02T16:04:00.000-05:00

If I were a "tweeter", I would tweet this: my daughter has been taking a nap since 8:30am. It's 4:00pm. that's a 7.5 hour nap. I've checked on her twice to make sure she's okay and each time she's been in a new sleeping position. maybe she is growing.

as a general rule, she is awake for 2-3 hours and then goes to sleep. It's like she's reverting to her infant days.

...maybe I should ask my dr. brother if I should be worried...but I really think she is okay, she's not lethargic or anything during the day. she plays and plays, she eats and eats, and is a super happy kiddo.

ah-ha -- it's like she knew I was talking about her...there she is now crying her little wake-up cry. I love her.

2010-07-28T21:51:00.000-05:00

one thing I've learned. well, two things. no, three.

one, no matter what anyone says, you WILL think your own kids are the cutest on the planet. that is true across the board.

two, accessorize, accessorize, accessorize!!! (partly because it's super cute, and partly because it makes for more fun pictures.)

and a third thing I've learned as being a mom to a little girl is to embrace and encourage the pricess within. God knew what he was doing when he made girls exactly the way they are.

just perfect and awesome!

2010-07-27T06:48:00.000-05:00

If we all could be this real.

If we all could be this happy.

If we all could be this honest.

If we all could wear lasagna on our face and

not care what people thought,

I feel like the world would be a better place.

2010-07-23T21:37:00.000-05:00

our mornings start here around 6:30am, give or take 30 minutes.

so today started out with a tea party and some coloring.

fastforward to about 8:30pm and we ended up with shades, beads and a cowboy hat...

nothing to update on the potty-front...because the first time she went was the only time she's went on her potty chair. bless her heart she loves to sit on it, but that's' about it. so, patience it is.

2010-07-21T21:06:00.000-05:00

SHE DID IT!
SHE WENT POTTY ON THE POTTY CHAIR!
1st TIME EVER!!

I know you might not be as excited as we are, but we are pretty stoked about this.

It was this morning, we were getting ready for work. she sat on the potty...and just sat...and sat. so I started the water for a bath so I could wash her hair before work. I wasn't looking at her, I was making sure the water wasn't too hot. then all of a sudden she stands right up, looks down into her chair, and then in goes her hand. yep. that happened. but I was so distracted by the pee in the tiny pink chair that it really didn't matter that she still had pee on her hand--she peed in the freakin potty chair!

so that's our house :)

2010-07-20T21:03:00.000-05:00

it's all in a day's work, and here's a glimpse at our day:

okay well this last picture didn't get used today. but it's a start.

she got to pick out her own potty chair last night and she was pretty excited.

well mainly she gets excited any time we put something in the cart at the store,

and especially when it plays music. and MOSTLY when we tell her it's for her.

so, from here on out any potty-training advice will be appreciated.

thanks in advance...

2010-07-19T21:57:00.000-05:00

8 months later...

we've been busy, very busy living and loving life and teaching our little girl all sorts of new things.

here are a few updated pictures of her. more to come...

ava is one...

2009-12-07T22:03:00.001-06:00

It came, it went, and now Ava is 1. ONE. uno. tomorrow she'll be 20. the party was great, the guests were so sweet and fun, and mostly she is the best thing ever. and thanks to my brother, I have some extra-great pics to remember it by. My very favorite might be the bottom one where you only see the cake and candle and her little innocent finger pointing at it. precious.

and, I would like to point out that I did make her cakes :) mostly just because the AVA cake took 2 takes. my first try was a FAIL. I couldn't get the cake out of the letter molds. I didn't even think about the difficulty that I would face getting it to come out. so round two (and it was going to be my last if it didn't work) involved lots of Pam spray prior to cooking. I made the icing too, my mom helped me ice them. there was actually one more cake, a big "1" but those are in my other pics, not uploaded yet. but it's a 1. who doesn't know what that looks like right? anyway, everything turned out great, what a blessing, and mostly I have a healthy, happy 1 year old girl and I couldn't ask for more.

halloween 2009 = trouble in a carebear outfit

2009-11-05T16:21:00.000-06:00

yay for councilman Schultz!

2009-10-19T22:19:00.001-05:00

we have the internet at our house again! and us girlies are almost over being sick for the past 2 weeks. so having those two odds against us is most of the reason why we've been M.I.A.

what have you missed in our little lives? ava walks now. not so much from point A to point B, but defintely lets go of everything and takes 1-3 steps without holding on to anything. she'll walk all around our kitchen while pushing her high chair though all day long. and she walks up our staircase all by herself (with me/dad VERY CLOSE behind). she hasn't figured out going down them yet. that'll be the day...

the thing that intrigues me is she has no fear. she doesn't know what negative consequences are and that just amazes me. she, in her innocent and sweet life, doesn't know that harm could come her way if she takes one too many steps off the couch. she 100% trusts me and sam that no matter what everything will be okay. (deep thought): what if we would just trust God like that? how our lives could change if we would allow Him to be in full control. if we just let go of the control that we "think" we have. and since I'm not spiritually mature enough to do that myself, well I guess I need to learn from my 10 month old how to do it. She'll be my best teacher yet I bet.

enough of the deep thoughts. below are two relaxing pictures. ava spent some quality time with her friend Rachel tonight. they hung out at borders bookstore together. ava trying her hand at sharing by loaning her blanket to rachel and stealing her butterfly in the meantime. she'll get the hang of it some day...

and over the weekend ava, grandma and I went to Columbia to visit aunt sue, uncle bj, and cousins sam & joel. us girls and the boy cousins went to the Chestnut farm in Booneville. I learned more about chestnuts that day than I ever thought I'd learn in my lifetime. I mean, have you ever actually tried 'chestnuts roasting on an open fire'? DONE. I have. and it's not half bad. not really half good, but not half bad either. the chestnut pancakes, now those were good. aunt sue should make those for us :)

here are ava's 2 boy cousins posing with her while she's all bundled up for a closing picture of the day:

story time

2009-09-30T22:49:00.001-05:00

so I was headed to my small group tonight at church. me and 7 other girls get together, talk about life, etc. (a friend oh-so-nicely put it as 'group therapy'. it's whichever really. therapy is probably the more HONEST term if you want to go that route, and I think I like that better. but it's really meant for friendship and spiratual growth.)

so on my way I called my love to see how baby girl was doing. all was great. she's not to the stage yet where she fully understands when I leave the house, what that really means. that I'm GONE. as in, not just in the other room anymore.

so I called him, and he in his sweet self thought it would be cute if he put me on speaker phone so she could hear my voice. mind you, this game has worked more in the past, and is usually more enjoyable for the person with the baby, because all she does is look at the phone, tilt her head, maybe smile, and then put the phone in her mouth. the person on the other end of the phone just feels like a real goof saying sweet nothings to someone who you know can't talk back. still a fun game none-the-less.

this time was maybe THE MOST UNSUCCESSFUL attempt at a game we have ever tried to play with her and we failed miserably, crashing and BURNING like no other. she screamed so loudly at the top of her lungs it's like I could hear the tears rolling down her cheek thru the phone. he promptly had to fix the situation and get my voice to stop coming out of the other end as soon as possible. he did whatever he needed to heal the broken heart(s) - mine included - and both girls were happy again. what a great dad he is.

all is well when I got home. she is asleep like an angel should be and I will not wake her to apologize for the earlier upset. I just won't do it. we do go in every night to check on her though, usually about an hour after she's asleep, and it has to be one of the sweetest things to see. (for you non-moms you're probably thinking LAME-O. but you just wait.)

food for aves

2009-09-28T22:23:00.002-05:00

ever wonder to yourself what 10lb of organic carrots looks like?? allow me to enlighten you...and ironically enough my friend erika is on the same push I am for homemade babyfood.
Costco sells carrots 10lb for $5. $5 for 10lb!
here's what that looks like and what that equates to =
(1) stage 2 jar of baby food costs something like $0.82.
I usually feed ava (1) fruit & (1) veggie, plus some wheat bread with her meal. so that's $1.64 per meal (excluding the bread). that's $3.28/day, $22.96/week!

now take 10lb of carrots. I only had time to make 1/2 that tonight, so 5lb of carrots makes (21) ziplock bags worth, each contains the appx. amount that (1) gerber jar would hold. 21 bags! so 10lb would make appx. 42 bags.
42 x $0.82 = $34.44 that I would have spent on carrots alone at the store, and I only spent $5. you do the math. but to save you time, I saved myself nearly $30 just on carrots. (lucky for us Ava likes carrots...)

granted, every meal isn't that cheap. but for the ones that aren't as good of a deal as the carrots, well it's okay because remember? I just saved $30! it's like I made $30 tonight by making her food for her. AND it's ORGANIC! So I know that what she's eating is carrots, with some butter and thyme and that's it. no excess salt, no excess corn syrup, no nothing.

take cantelope for example. I bought (2) halves of cantelope tonight, $1.34/half. I say half because I hate cutting and de-seading them and for $0.50 more per 1/2 of a cantelope I can buy it pre-cut and pre-seaded. and since I saved $30 on carrots I can spend and extra $0.50!!. and if we're gonna be real for a sec, I would dread cutting up the cantelope so bad that more than likely it would go bad before I cut & blended it. SO, it's just better this way.

anyway, here is a visual of the carrot-making tonight:

(pre-cooked on the right, post cooked on the left)

(I lined my freezer door with aluminum foil JUST in case they leak...)

1. wash

2. cut

3. boil

4. blend

5. freeze

DONE.

and then when it's time for her to eat we let her snack on cheerios or

her wheat bread while I fill the sink with hot water,

stick in her (my) entre of choice and it's as easy as that!!
- and, if you time it right, you can leave the carrots to boil while you're feeding baby a bottle, or getting her ready for bed. it's super easy to multi-task when it's just on boil.

2009-09-27T20:50:00.000-05:00

cousin time on saturday with the girls - Jules set up a great backdrop for a stuffed-animal & little girl photo session...but ava was having no part of it.

They all did great, and Jules especially loved it!

here's a great one both sisters...

Ava had other things to tend to. she couldn't be spending time taking pictures. she had work to do...with the dog's leash...

but she sure did cheer them on!

2009-09-26T00:37:00.000-05:00

ava & her nana

ava has words!

2009-09-26T00:28:00.002-05:00

almost 10 months old, and she has words:
dada
mama
kitty

this is no exaggeration either. I know what you're thinking. that we are just hearing syllabols and giving her more credit where credit is due. but we're not. dada and mama is a loose interpretation, I'll give you that - I'll say "give your dada kisses", or "where's your dada?", or even "dada's making your bottle". she knows who dada is, she'll look over in his direction, though she doesn't look at him and say "dada" as if it's his name. same for mama, but she just started saying mama the other day, and mainly just practicing her M's, but she still definitely says it.

but kitty? she knows what the heck she's talking about. first it was at her grandma's house and said kitty over and over again to their white cat, seniorita. then when we got home we let jaxon out and she did it again, several times.

so, not just exaggerating, she knows.
she also knows what "bottle" means, though she doesn't say it yet. she gets SUPER excited if we ask her if she wants one. and HEAVEN FORBID we offer her one and then get distracted by something else, like changing her diaper, or turning on the tv, or taking the dog outside. no no. once we utter those words, we MUST follow thru immediately or else all hell breaks loose in our house and she goes NUTS. I mean she YELLS at us. so, for now, we play by her rules. it's best that way.

9 months

2009-09-22T21:14:00.002-05:00

2009-09-22T20:55:00.000-05:00

Cousin Time! this is Ava's cousin Haiden. he's just about 1 year older than she is. we went to the Blue Springs Fun Fest this past weekend. Why? Why NOT! {because Santa Cali Gon is already over and we need to fit as many of these fests into one summer as possible :) }

Yes, those are plastic twist tie things that my child is playing with. in the back of this golf-cart thing.

and yes, it does appear that Haiden is going to drive off with Ava standing up in the back seat...

but this is exciting: DOCK DOGS!! that, and to visit with family, were the real reasons for attending this years Blue Springs Fun Fest. as seen on ESPN, Dock Dogs = dogs leaping off the platform into the air to grab this thing that's hanging and see how high/far they can jump, and land in this 26,000 gallon tank of water. I bet rex could do that. oh but wait...he's A.D.D. & psycho...

2009-09-19T22:03:00.004-05:00

this is off-topic of ava. I know, bear with me. but it is so good I had to share. I check this mom's blog a couple times a week (SHE'S BRILLIANT WITH HER BAKING!) and got some really good ideas for ava's birthday cake(s)/cupcakes that I'm planning to bake myself (once we fix our oven). anyway, check this out: CINNAMON STEAMERS http://www.tongue-n-cheeky.com/2009/09/cinnamon-spice-and-apples-are-nice.html

it's SO simple and delicious. here is the excerpt on the Cinnamon Steamers that I'm referring to, tried first hand tonight and can almost TASTE winter and christmas and all the goodness that comes with that time of year (my FAVORITE time of year)!

Cinnamon Steamers
Drizzly days notoriously invite a warm book and a hot read.
Spice up your regular rainy-day routine with this simple, succulent beverage.
4 cups milk
1/2 c sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon extract
Dash of cinnamon
In a medium saucepan, mix all ingredients and heat just until steaming. Do not allow to boil. Serve in mugs topped with whipped cream or a sprinkling of cinnamon.

*I threw in there some white chocolate chips while I was heating the milk so they melted in and that was devine. not called for in the above, but certainly an added bonus*

**important to note: it's imperative that you use cinnamon extract, not only cinnamon spice. makes all the difference in the world**

and no, mine did not turn out that pretty. so rather than trying to come up with a competitive picture, I'll just borrow hers.

2009-09-18T22:00:00.005-05:00

reminiscing...

do YOU remember what you were doing on 12/1/08 for 13 straight hours? I do. and I got to thinking today more about when we want to have baby #2. NOT anytime soon...no worries. But I was just thinking of our family and our future and what that might look like.

and then, it hit me. baby #1 weighed 10lb 2oz. usually babies get bigger as they go. and I was 3 days early! good gosh what's going to happen to me when it's time to deliver baby #2?! what if we happen to have 3? or 4? (just kidding.) but SERIOUSLY! what the HECK am I gonna do? I love our baby girl, and I definitely want her to have sibling(s), but I'm pretty much scared to death to deliver another baby! especially when, yes, TECHNICALLY I had an epidural but when it still literally feels like you can feel EVERYTHING, back labor included, and rolling over to stand on your knees and elbows doesn't relieve the pressure nor is it any fun at all while having contractions, and all you can think about is getting thru the next 45 seconds, I'm not super excited about pushing another 10lb+ (albeit bundle of joy) weight out. then again, I wouldn't vote for a c-section either. SO. that's where I'm at. thankfully I'm not pregnant again (yet) so that it's not like the count-down has begun or anything.

just voicing my thoughts and insecurities and HUGE FEARS. I mean, yes, we did set the record @ st. lukes east for the biggest V birth thus far at their hospital. so that's saying something. but I definitely don't feel the need to break that record now either.

regardless, I wouldn't change a dang thing.

2009-09-16T19:42:00.010-05:00

I feel like she's saying "what? you DON'T eat like this? what's wrong with you?"

here, she is content in knowing she already successfully has her daddy wrapped around her finger. and the next 16 years of her life are going to be a breeze because of it.

and here? well we just read tonight about Joseph and his beautiful colored coat that his father gave to him. we read that his brothers hated him and he still continued to love them and forgive them even after they tried to have him killed. we learned that God has bigger plans than us all, and God follows thru. we wondered aloud what God's plans are for ava. and here, well she might just be wandering the same thing, too.

2009-09-15T19:21:00.003-05:00

2009 apple picking that could have been...had there been any apples.
but that never stops anyone from having fun as long as you can take PICTURES!!

fun times included: sam, me & aves; b, k, c & j schultz; matt, jodi & john turnbough

WE LOVE FALL!!!

2009-09-11T23:42:00.003-05:00

I don't write nearly enough about the rest of our family. they play very intricate and key roles, though thru-out the mundane-ness of life we just brush them aside. they bring us much joy and laughter, frustration and worry, and mostly smiles.

rexy is our almost 3-year old yellow lab-mix-runt, and jaxon is our 5 year old (russian blue maybe?) cat.

I adopted jaxon back in august of 2004 when he was only 6 weeks old. he was at the Independence Animal Shelter. he was crazy in the cage with his brothers & sisters, literally climbing sideways on the bars of the front door to their seemingly unappealing jail-cell. I was single, living at home, and thought this kitten would make for just the right companion. and so he did. he is still crazy, or spastic might be a better word, but he still loves to snuggle. and his belly is tickelish. my mom got to the shelter before me, and I remember distinctly her saying 'there is one cat that you definitely do NOT want'... :) meet jaxon.

and then there's rexy. T-rex. sexy rexy. REX! (when he's in trouble). sam and I got rexy our first christmas that we were married, december 25, 2006. he was about 8 weeks old. he (& 2 others who were adopted later by a neighbor & a friend) followed my brother's dog home and my mom found them. she called us, we came right over. sam already had his name picked out before we saw any of them. and they've been best friends ever since.

they're both good with ava, but we're also over-protective parents still super cautious with our 9-month-old baby girl so they don't get too many opportunities to knock her over. when she's strong enough to hold her own better then we'll let her give 'em hell. but until then, we mainly stay between the dog & her. don't get me wrong, he loves her (and her cheerios!), he's just a loose cannon when the cat is out too. all sanity goes out the window when this dog's personal chew toy comes running in the room. she loves jaxon though. he's pretty patient with her, for about 2 seconds. then he bounces about 20 feet away until she follows. he's quickly learning that she's picking up speed.

and jaxon's only saving grace right now is that baby gate at the top of the stairs that the dog has to sit behind while ava is practicing her mobile skills. who knows what happens during the day when we're at work and they both have free reign of the house. they somehow must have acclimated to each other when we're gone because usually nothing is broken and neither are dead when we return home at night. but it's like the second I walk in the house the dog feels the need to prove his dominance and the cat's head goes in his mouth. no joke.

but today, they're both alive so all is well :)

TEETHING

2009-09-11T15:00:00.009-05:00

I was going thru ava's pictures last night and found several that had something strickingly in common. I think it's safe to say that she's teething...

here are some of the teeth-soothers that she's most fond of~
her paci, her shampoo lid, and her swing tray:

a plastic egg, a purple lid, and the same purple lid again:

people, people and more little people:

her bath tub, a block letter book, and that same purple lid:

more people, a toy bus, and a hard hat:

her bath tub again, another block book, and a green plastic thing:

I hope for her sake these are helping because she's sure working hard at getting these teeth to come in!!

2009-09-10T22:12:00.005-05:00

have you noticed on the left side of my blog the "my honey-do's list"? for a while now there has been a 'making ava a quilt' note on there. feat accomplished! no thanks to me though...this is ALL in thanks to my mom. and I love it. and her. this was our project for ava that she successfully put together. THANKS MOM!

the center square is her name, AVA MAE. then in each corner are her nicknames that we toss around all the time. those include: Little. Skinny Minnie. Sugar Plum. & Love Bug. and the colors are nothing that coincide with her room, but I love the girlie-ness of it and the softness. it's perfect for her. the backside of the quilt, though you can't see it, is super-soft white goodness. I might need to ask for a large version of it for myself :) (just kidding mom) but really, it's great.

and as for the rolled-up blue jeans? they're definitely size 18 months. they're too big. but not TOO too big, they have a tightening string thing on the inside, and really I like the cuffs at the bottom, and what drives me CRAZY are highwaters. so much so that I'd obviously rather dress my daughter in too-big-of-pants than the size 9 month that fit her around the waiste with the cute princess crown on the butt because they're already starting to ride up around her ankles. and, that drives me crazy. I hope that doesn't do some kind of negative, reverse psychology on her so that some day all she wears are clothes that are baggie and always too big on her. not that there's anything wrong with that...

2009-09-09T20:05:00.002-05:00

yes, her new favorite thing is to get UNDER her farm toy, not play in it. playing IN the toy like it was made for is SO for babies...she's a big girl...

...and yes she is rockin' a leopard-print-fur-vest.

2009-09-06T07:29:00.003-05:00

while I'm busy at work, ava stays busy, busy, busy herself. while I'm emailing, faxing, calling, and more emailing, she is discovering, trying, climbing, learning, and practicing at little life. she is looking in the cord hole from the outside of my desk in, so I heard her laughing, I look under my desk (where my knees are) and sure enough she just thought that was the funniest thing. It's such a blessing learning her personality, even if she does end up being a little dorky :)

9 MONTHS OLD!

2009-09-01T21:05:00.003-05:00

I still don't see how it's possible. and wouldn't you know, you'd think I would've taken a picture of her today to celebrate this big birthday, but as it turns out, it's 9:05pm, she's asleep, we're in bed, and the camera is in the car. It's just gonna have to stay there tonight.

so in lieu of my laziness...here's a pic of our little love bug before she was 9 months old. before crawling, before 2 teeth (which include knawing on the crib), before eating solid foods, and before pulling up to everything possible. I miss her tiny-ness. (if you consider 10lb 2oz tiny...but it IS tiny compared to 22.5 lb 9 month old.)

2009-08-30T20:36:00.004-05:00

oh the fun that can be had just walking and talking in downtown lee's summit with a good friend and our kiddos. me & rowan's mom had a blast just chit-chattin away while the misters were away at play. here are some cute moments in time of aves & rowan hanging out:

why yes I will share my cheerios with you...

and rowan shared her teething snacks with ava. (christina warned me that they could be messy.) I severely underestimated the warning...

stunning photo of a little boy...

rowan and his mommy:

me and my sweet, my lovely:

2009-08-28T20:48:00.003-05:00

the day has finally come, and I caught her in action, feeding herself. We were at work, I made her the bottle, I had stuff that I just HAD to get done so I put the bottle in front of her so she could reach it. I figured she' d play with it for a minute and then get sick of me not feeding it TO her that she'd bring it to me, or at least crawl to me and look sadly in the direction of her beloved bottle.
nope.
Not even 5 minutes had gone by and I turn around to find an empty bottle lying on the ground, a baby girl playing with her little farm toys, and quite possibly the best milk mustache I've ever laid eyes on.

gosh I love this girl.

2009-08-27T21:04:00.002-05:00

fun times with the girl cousins were had today, Aves here with Jules & Carebear

and Ava here spending some quality t-i-m-e with Sam's brother, her uncle Nathan

2009-08-24T20:50:00.004-05:00

along with raising children, job-sorting, and a vast variety of other things I hope to do with my husband in this lifetime, looking back to what we've done is also fun. we started dating in october of 2005. we went to hawaii with some family friends in december of '05 (see below). were engaged in april '06. married in august '06. that's only 10 months. I never thought about that until just now. wow.

when I say it like that, I can hardly believe that it all happened so fast. at the time it felt like everything took F-O-R-E-V-E-R because I couldn't wait for our wedding. at the same time, we had a little more history than just 'started dating in october'. we went back further, being classmates, to friends, to sweethearts, to enemies, to friends, to sweethearts again, and finally to soulmates. and that's our story in a nut-shell... and I love it.

ferber

2009-08-23T20:36:00.002-05:00

I think it's safe to say that we have a little sleeper on our hands! Last night Ava slept all night in her room, waking up once around 2am (to which Sam went in, put her paci back in & she went right back to sleep). It's 8:30 and she's down for the evening. She might wake up once in the night, to which we will go in and comfort her, but really I don't mind that at all. We even bought ourselves an additional 2 hours this morning when she woke up around her usual time of 6:30am and I did the normal routine to see if she'd go for it and it worked!

this is so cool. knock on wood that it stays this way...
thanks ferber. you do actually know what you're talking about. way to go!

2009-08-23T07:47:00.001-05:00

2009-08-22T20:40:00.003-05:00

I sit here, an every day saturday evening, and I am so thankful. thankful for my life. for my healthy family. for my happy daughter. for our safe home. thankful for the hope and security of what awaits us after this life (ie: Jesus). for food in our bellies. for all the things we could ever want and need that are already here in our house. other than keeping food in the pantry, there's not much more we could want for. and yet we still waste money on such trivial things. I'm thankful for our jobs. 6 months ago our lives looked a lot different on the job front. sam wasn't happy where he was, and I wasn't sure if my current job was even an option due to the economy sucking and work being so slow. like many americans, that was (and very much is for some) a normal fear in this day and age. today it's a completely different picture for our family. sam enjoys what he does, and I, well I get to take my daughter with me to a job that I already loved. I couldn't ask for more. to get to see my child grow, learn, laugh, sleep, and the list goes on.

I was going thru some blogs that I've found inspiring in the past and I know God is at work in their lives, and they're not looking for sympathy, but my heart goes out to them. me and my nieve self with the 'ignorance is bliss' mentality. these families have so much on their plate, I can't imagine being in their shoes. yet these women do it with such grace and honor. my heart goes out to them.

nienie
carol decker

I'd give you a run down on their lives (from what I know from watching their blogs), but I don't want to make either of them seem so trivial. so I won't. but it is worth your time.

2009-08-22T11:49:00.005-05:00

we went to the farmer's market today...grandma, mom, and baby girl:

and here's her first words...uh-oh (I don't know if by standards that counts, but in our house it does)

I know what you're thinking, and I COMPLETELY agree. she's brilliant.

(apparently her mother is NOT because I can't figure out to always turn my darn camera so you don't have to turn your head sideways to watch a simple video...)

ferber

2009-08-22T07:04:00.003-05:00

night 3? SUCCESS! bedtime was around 8:30pm. She actually fell asleep on the car ride home from grandma & grandpa's house, so it wasn't IDEAL according to ferber since you want them to be awake when you lay them down. she still woke up around 10pm and needed a few consoling visits. Then thru the night she did wake up a couple/few times, we went in, laid her back down, and to sweet-dreaming-abyss she went. I'm so proud of her. she's doing so well.

and this is from yesterday's play time in the nursery with buds hayden & alec.

2009-08-21T15:09:00.000-05:00

she was a worker girl today with her hard hat on and the shirt plenty drewl-filled

ferber...

2009-08-21T15:02:00.002-05:00

ok ferber MIGHT be on to something, but not wanting to jinx myself, the jury is still out. I will say this though:

night 1 took about 45 minutes of ava crying, us checking on her, laying her down, telling her we love her, kissing her, and leaving the room over, and over, and over again.
night 2 took about 15 minutes of ava crying, us checking on her maybe at most 4 times, doing our routine, and she was asleep. AND, when she awoke at 3:30am this morning it took only 1 time for us to go in, lay her down, and she went right back to sleep.
nap time is (knock on wood) a breeze so far. I still usually have to check on her once and lay her back down, but then she goes to sleep seemingly happy.

I'm hoping that this weekend we can seal the deal. here's to hoping. they say that babies can have relapses though so I'm still skeptical, but last night baby was in her crib and we were in our bed, everyone where they should be.

*I forgot to mention the reason we started this. It's not because we are tired of snuggling with her at night time. Quite the opposite actually. I love it when Sam would go get her in the middle of the night, he'd lay her on my chest, she'd slowly snuggle in and slide to the side and there we would lay. however the other night she was awake, I wasn't, and apparently was 1 step away from crawling right off our kind-of tall bed. by the grace of God sam woke up just in time to grab her and bring her back. and it's not just the floor that awaits her, it's our wooden foot-bed thing at the end of our bed that she would've hit on the way down. So we really had NO other choice but to nip this in the bud immediately.

2009-08-20T19:49:00.003-05:00

This is long overdue...nonetheless I'm super excited. We changed up Ava's closet, revamped it if you will. We had a cute changing table in there, which was good for at first, though I'm not sure we EVER changed her on it...mostly it held stuff. In speaking with my sister-in-law the other day I was mentioning how I wanted to get some cute cubbie-type-things for Ava's closet to get more organized. her reply? "come with me". and voila! She gave me the cutest cubbie-cabinets ever! her girls were done with them and they were just waiting for a new home.

and going along with yesterday's post about my brother's painting expertise...see below

My pictures don't do it justice because he actually did the tree EXACTLY like the below, high tree branch and all. and this is all we gave him to go off of, along with asking him to flip the tree to the other side, and not add in any characters...we think he did an amazing job. He's out for hire by the way :) want to spice up your kids' room? gives 'accent wall' a whole new meaning!

Lastly, and completely unrelated, here's Ava playing with a picture of my grandma Purdy, her great grandma, who she was never fortunate enough to meet. actually, I bet they were friends in Heaven. either way I know she would've loved her just as much as I did. so her picture is in her room in a little Ava-sized frame and sits on her night stand.

2009-08-20T19:17:00.002-05:00

ferber schmerber...
we'll see if this guy knows what he's talking about.

Ava used to be a good sleeper. Ava still is a good sleeper, when in my arms, or next to me sharing my pillow. When she wakes up all alone in her crib is when she is not such a good sleeper. The Ferber guy says that the most common type of sleep problem is: when your baby falls asleep in one environment (ie: your arms, being rocked, etc.) and wakes up in another (ie: her crib) this upsets them and they cry. Once they get used to their environment being the same then it's not so bad. bed time = happy time...once we get to that point. According to Ferber & other websites, it should take between 3 days and 2 weeks...but mostly within the first week they understand that throwing a fit/crying will not get their way. we still go in and tell her we love her, pat her back, and in some instances have to lay her back down because she is standing up in her crib ready to get out.

so, here we go. last night was our first attempt. we made it thru bed time, it took about 45 min to an hour of us going in every 5 minutes and then so on. at some point tho in the night one of us got her and she slept the rest of the night with us. I feel certain that's not in the Ferber rules. So we're trying again tonight.

2009-08-19T18:48:00.003-05:00

I'm so proud of my brother - see for yourself why:

http://brsphotography.blogspot.com/

1. He's a great painter.

2. He's a fantastic photographer.

3. HE HAS A BLOG!!

(pictures of his work will be posted in another post)

2009-08-16T15:08:00.002-05:00

feats just this week:

1. scaled her first 2 stairs successfully & on her first-ever attempt out of my office.
2. ate & loved cheerios for the 1st time (and certainly not the last).
3. says UH-UH-OH while playing her new favorite game of "throw the paci on the ground and say uh-uh-oh like it was an accident and make unsuspecting parent pick it up". it really was cute, the first, oh 10 times...now it's a little cute & more tiresome.
4. her other favorite game is to crawl away right before I change her diaper, and looks back for me to chase her, all the while giggling non-stop. so naturally, I encourage this behavior because I can't help but chase the cutest giggle on the planet until we are out the door.

2009-08-16T14:59:00.002-05:00

AUGUST 12, 2006

AUGUST 12, 2009

YOU'RE STILL MY HERO. I LOVE YOU MY HUSBAND.

2009-08-10T18:31:00.003-05:00

If she could talk, and I mean really talk, I wonder what she's day...

She would probably tell us that we are wasting our money on these cute-sie toys when all she really wants is the remote, our cell phones, and the dvd's that she can now get into. everything else is really worthless at this point.

and I bet she'd say how thankful she is to her daddy for feeding her tonight, because he lets her paint her face with her food.

and she would probably be mostly excited about her new blue jeans. a) because of the princess crown. but b) because it doesn't look like she's getting ready for a flood anymore!

2009-08-02T14:09:00.004-05:00

I swear she gets busier and busier every day.

first it was rolling over (which I thought she would NEVER do...)
then it was the giggling and laughing (which is music to our ears)
now it's pulling up to stand in her crib, drinking out of a sippy cup, palming her snack ball, clapping her hands like a big ole girl, and crawling EVERYWHERE!

and below? well below she's just doing a little learning, that's all. don't worry about that.

and after all that hard work, she just couldn't make it to the crib to crash. nope. the high chair suits just fine.

2009-08-01T15:12:00.003-05:00

a story of 2 friends with pictures

AVA & ROWAN

2009-08-01T15:11:00.002-05:00

Happy 8 months baby girl!

2009-07-30T21:31:00.008-05:00

can she really be this big? almost 8 months (on saturday) already?!?

at night time sometimes she chooses not to cooperate. (I know what you're thinking: no way! an infant? difficult at night time? that's not normal...)

anyway, there are times I can lay her in her crib, she'll fuss a round or two, and give up and doze off into blissful sleep (for a few hours...). and there are other times that it requires a bottle and mommy to snuggle as bribery before she'll go to sleep for the night (or for a few hours...).

She's a pretty good sleeper. She just likes to snuggle at about 1:45am. every. single. night.

and there are those times like early this morning when I woke up at 4:45am to her sitting up right next to me - just starting at me. and you can't ration with an 8 month old. so she just kept playing. finally we had to bribe her back to sleep with a bottle. (like you've never bribed your infant. come on. don't judge.)
and who knows even what time I went and got her from her crib to lay in our bed to begin with. I certainly don't. that got lost somewhere in the night. and once we got her back to sleep (c: 5:15am-ish) I didn't want to move her. so last night we had a slumber party for most of the night.

oh well.

baby girl got a new hat...

and this evening when I was cooking, we laid her down for a nap. all this time we thought she was sleeping... (tilt your head to the left)

nope. wrong-O mom. play time = all the time.

and Ava's newest feat: she knows how to clap! consciously too, not just accidentally so I'm bragging like she's a pro. She really IS a pro!

I don't know how mom's, working mom's especially, but even non-working mom's with more children than 1 get ANYTHING extra-curricular done. I say more power to you. I am exhausted.

2009-07-19T21:14:00.002-05:00

I found this to be very insightful:

"Love in the purest form comes from a willing and open heart to make your life about someone else."

see philandlacy for more

Sam & I are doing the "Love Dare" book together (though it will take us much longer than 40 days to complete, seeing as how we've had it a week and are thru day 3...). (and the "Love Dare" book comes from the movie FireProof). But it gives you much to think about when truly thinking about HOW we are supposed to love our spouse. I am no expert, but I am excited about our 3 year anniversary coming up next month. and I want to be one of those marriages that truly was made to stand the test of time. This is a fun, somewhat challanging journey we can do as a couple. and I find it in good timing that Lacy posted the above quote because pretty much that's exactly what we need to do. so, thanks Lacy.

2009-07-19T14:29:00.006-05:00

2009-07-18T09:17:00.005-05:00

just for fun...here is a picture I found this morning of me and my brother when I was only a couple months old (if that...). my brother, also known as Brandon, B, and "Handsome" (nicknamed dubbed by his wife of course...see her blog here)

2009-07-18T08:48:00.004-05:00

what else to do on a saturday morning when your daughter wakes you up at 6:30am...

here is a collage (click here for a larger picture of it) of some of ava's best friends so we can look back at when she was 7 months old and remember who her crew was. (grandparents and the rest of the family was mainly excluded for no other reason except that of course we know you are in her life and love her. some other day, maybe next saturday at 6:30am I'll make a family one...we'll see.)

From left to right: cousin Joel. friend Connor. friend Rachel. friend Hayden. cousin Julia. (her one true love) daddy. aves herself. (her BFF) mommy. friend Rowan. cousin Carolyn. friend Alec. cat Jaxon. friend Haley. dog Rexy. cousin Sam.

I'm excited to see how her circle will expand as she gets older. Too bad we can't ALWAYS pick her friends for her. What happened to the good-ole-days when parents could choose the girl's husband? I think I would like that opportunity. Then again, probably not worth the trade-off of her possibly hating us for the rest of her life.

2009-07-12T09:55:00.004-05:00

just us girls listening to a great song and hanging out

2009-07-12T09:40:00.005-05:00

(turn your head sideways for this...I'm still learning about our new camera 2 months later...)

ava has learned how to laugh and snort at the same time. it might be the funniest thing I've seen in my whole 26 years of life. this barely catches the end of it, so it doesn't quite do it justice like the in-person version does. mostly she laughs at her puppy dog, but sometimes she thinks we're funny enough to deliver a snort. anyway, it's at the very end of this video. and if you really get her going, sometimes she'll snort 3 times in a row. priceless.

and then a couple of our weekend projects are here: painting her bathroom. the color is technically the washington redskins football color. looks more red in the picture, but really it's a maroon-ish. and the idea is that it will be her shabby-chic bathroom once we're all done with it.

and (drum-roll please) the ceiling fan is finally in!! We've had this thing since probably february. and now it's in. doesn't it look great?! this is the handywork of my wonderful husband and my very helpful father-in-law, who I'm told did most of the work. Either way, I'm proud of them. I'll have to admit I was very skeptical when the electrician was a no-call, no-show and sam said "no problem. I'll do it."...

and he did :)

thank you dear.

new work at my old job

2009-07-08T20:12:00.004-05:00

I am blessed enough to be back at work where I can take baby girl with me. oh I am so thankful. the trials of figuring out jobs has come to an end. THANKFULLY. Sam & I both love what we do and have been truly blessed.

so, on that note, our baby girl has been quite the busy little bee...

I was sitting at my desk working...

and let's just say one man's trash is another man's treasure

and, to get caught up from last week...HAPPY 1ST 4TH OF JULY BABY GIRL!

2009-06-30T09:24:00.008-05:00

6.28.09 sam's baptism

as I went down to the river to pray, studying about that good ole way and who shall wear the robe and crown, good Lord show me the way

oh sinners lets go down, lets go down, come on down, oh sinners lets go down, down in the river to pray

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1FQqSGxBso

matthew 16: 24Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 27For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.in his kingdom."

2009-06-27T06:45:00.002-05:00

Ava's new feats:
1. out of all her stuffed animals & toys, it's really the boudreaux's butt paste that she's after.

2. child prodigy at an early age with her piano skills...or she just has an uncontrollable twitch in her left hand, I can't tell which yet.

3. she is so close to crawling, and yet, she refuses. but she can stand on all four with her butt way in the air and seems to love that. so, we'll celebrate it!

and I have a fantastic video of her laughing her head off, but I can't get it to load. so while she practices her piano skills, I'm practicing my computer skills and trying to get this to share her laughter with the world...stay tuned

2009-06-25T08:24:00.002-05:00

and to get back to the idea of being responsible enough for another human being. this has been on my mind a lot lately for some reason. and it's not because I wouldn't do anything for her on the planet, I would. I would lay down my life for her if that's what it takes.

my concern is keeping her teeth clean. We don't brush our dog's teeth EVER. and I know he's a dog, and she's our baby, so there is an ENORMOUS difference there. I just don't want to let her down.

but is it really necessary to brush their two teeth and gums daily? that's my question.

2009-06-25T08:19:00.002-05:00

I don't have a link to this song because I can't access youtube from work. but if you have it, take a sec. this is called "My Sweet, My Lovely" by Plumb. They also have another song called "In My Arms". I'm thinking she might be a new mom. These both are going on the cd I'm making for Ava's baby book. and for me & sam to listen to in the car. Among those songs will also be Darius Rucker's "It won't be like this for long", Taylor Swift's "The Best Day" and Carrie Underwood's "All American Girl".

here's My Sweet, My Lovely:
I tip toe, hush, hush
Pitter pat goes my heart
Your beauty, your innocence
Joy is found with every kiss

My sweet, my lovely
My sweet, my lovely
So sweet, so lovely
Close your eyes, close your eyes
Close your eyes, close your eyes

I stare into the bluest eyes
Time stands still in your smile
You aren’t there, now you’re here
I dreamed of you but I never knew

How sweet and lovely
My sweet, my lovely
So sweet, so lovely.
Close your eyes, close your eyes
Close your eyes, close your eyes

My sweet, my lovely
My sweet, my lovely
So sweet, so lovely
Close your eyes, close your eyes
Close your eyes, close your eyes

2009-06-24T22:29:00.003-05:00

are we really responsible enough for a baby? I mean REALLY? Is anyone ever responsible enough for another human being? as it turns out, now that ava has teeth, and seeing as how we are her parents, we are the ones responsible for brushing them. all 2 of her precious, pearly whites. and don't get me wrong. I do hope that she has good dental hygiene. I just don't know if she's going to get that from either of her parents...but here's to hoping! (we do brush our teeth, just in case you're wondering...) We at least got her the tools to set her on the road to success. Target got the best of me again. Good for them and their dang good marketing skills.

here's to hoping!

2009-06-24T12:40:00.001-05:00

looking forward to show this world a thing or two...

2009-06-23T08:26:00.003-05:00

on the note of not keeping up with the baby book, I should also say that right around 6 months she started sitting up on her own, and pulling up to her hands and knees. no crawling forward still, but much backing-up and doing 360's. and somehow ALWAYS ending up OFF of the blanket we put her on, no matter how big or small the blanket.

she jabbers a ton, which I could listen to all day long instead of the radio because it's so cute. sometimes I think she's trying to sing along with the songs. she just goes and goes. one of these times we'll get it on video.

and she is getting more and more bashful. if sam or I are holding her and someone comes up to talk to her, she'll turn and bury her face into our chest. It's just priceless. Other times she charms them with her smile and dimple. and when she gets REALLY excited she starts jumping in our arms, with her legs and arms flailing every which way and she can't really contain her excitement. It just has to get out.

yeah, she's pretty darn cool.