Ava's Blessing Weekend

On Sunday January 15, 2012 we had the opportunity to bless Ava at church. It was such an amazing experience to have family and friends come to join in our special day. We are so happy to have Ava in our lives. She is growing up more every day. I remember always hearing my parents talk about how we all grew up right before their eyes, and now I know what they were talking about. It seems as though Ava learns something new everyday. Today Dave and I both noticed that she has the preference to stand when you hold her, and she will talk little steps. It is bizarre because she is only 2 months old (9 weeks to be exact)! She also has started to smile at us, coo, and loves to be read to. Her grandma holley got her some books and she just loves the pictures in the books. She is so patient as I read them to her in the evenings...or during the day if she lets me! We are working on tummy time with her, but she happens to hate tummy time. I mean our little miss goes into ticked off mode if you leave her there longer than 2 minutes. But knowing how important tummy time is, we have had to get creative. I just place her propped on my knees facing me, and if she wants to look at me when I talk to her she has to hold that little head of hers up. We also carry her around facing our shoulder so she can look around and use those muscles in her neck as well.... and then last but not least I have her sit in her bumbo seat, or just sit on my lap! I naturally want to pat myself on the back a bit, because it has really worked! She holds her head up like a pro! (alright, I will get off my high horse now) I love being a mommy...what can I say? :) I have spent the last 4 years studying about children, and now I get to apply it. It is a blessing in a way, but also at times my Achilles heel. Because of all the things I have been educated on with children, I am quick to worry about the smallest things!!.... But I am learning that the worry is not worth it!

On a complete separate note, my mother in law read Dave and I a blog entry from someone she works with about the things that they do for their little one to meet their babes needs. It was really unique and perhaps something I don't want to forget, and so after a couple of months I thought it would be fun to do the same:

1. Ava has a love hate relationship with swaddling she will go into a completely red faced cry, and make you think she is miserable, but then sleep 6-7 hours throughout the night without a peep! Thus, she will continue to be swaddled! :)

2. Come 9:30 she has caught on to the fact that her bedtime routine has begun! We read, change into jammies, and then do everything we can to soothe the poor girl as she cries and tries to fight her sleep to the death!

3. Just tonight we were looking up why babies cry (we have totally reached a new level of desperation) and there was a neat fact on the mayo-clinics website (I should send them a thank-you letter) that said some babies cry from over stimulation, or because they have too much energy still built up at night. So to try white noise like running water! You best believe I was up for anything... and let's just say our landlord might not be happy with the water bill next month! running water = one out cold baby


4. Ava loves music, especially to be sung too. She also likes Chuck Mangione which was quite the surprise! In all reality though, you can sing that girl anything, and she just eats it up!

5. She loves bath time. She would stay in the bath for hours if we let her. We set her bath up by the mirror and she just stares at herself. She recently learned to kick in the bath and make little splashes... I can't help but thing it is quite cute!

6. She likes to be bounced on a the exercise ball.... but is slowly starting to grow out of becoming relaxed this way. I can only bounce her for so long. My back is beginning to hate me! Thank goodness for our running water discovery.

7. Ava loves books! Grandma Holley would be proud....

8. Mornings with Ava are the best! Dave and I just oogle over her in the mornings. She is SUPER smiling in the morning. We un-swaddle her and she just stretches her little body our and grins ear to ear at us.... (almost like she is thanking us for letting her arms free!!)

9. Ava is a momma's girl.... but at times momma would love for her to learn to be a daddies girl. I think once she stops breastfeeding I will no longer be preferred....let's face it, anyone who knows Dave knows that he is way funner than me!

10. Ava is the most beautiful little girl we have ever seen... don't believe me? Come hold her, she will make you think that exact same thing. She is just so darn cute....


Here are some pictures I have been promising to put up form her blessing (I will put up videos soon too):