Things We've Been Up To

My sweet girl is growing up so fast! Here a few things we've been doing:

Holding on to our toys

Talking up a storm!

Throwing our paci out of the crib

Sucking on our thumb! Ah!

Growing out of all of mommy's favorite outfits

Sleeping through the night! :)

Trying to watch TV (tisk tisk)

Smiling when mommy comes to "rescue" me

Blowing bubbles

Puckering our lips

Making TONS of new faces

Kicking in our crib until we're all the way to the top with our head in the corner

Responding to either my name or mommy's voice, haven't decided which one yet haha

Trying to pull up when mommy holds my hands

Trying new hair styles (aka mohawk)

She woke up with a mohawk and it would not go away...kind of cute haha

My little princess will be 3 months old on Saturday! I love you Ava!

Much Needed Prayers

Just wanted to make a short note to everyone. I could really use some prayers. School started this week and I have really been diligent about staying on schedule with readings and work. Balancing everything else is where it's falling apart. I'm already starting to feel the strain of all that I am trying to juggle at once. I'm also really having a hard time trusting that God has a plan for my life. I pray continually that I wait on His timing, but sometimes I really just wish I could get a glimpse of the future.

I had my child support meeting today, and in my opinion, it did not go so well. I'm really struggling with the thought of letting her go, and from what I understand, it could be as soon as she's a year old that standard custody would begin. I'm terrified and I can't handle her being over at his house. I know God is watching out for us and will not give me anything more than I can handle, but sometimes I lose sight of just that. Your prayers would be much appreciated!

God Bless! Hope everyone is having a good week!

Ava is 2 Months!

My sweet baby is already 2 months old! I can't believe how fast time flies by.

She went in for her 2 month check-up yesterday. She is: 12lbs 12oz and 23.5 in long! Her head measured at 40.8 (cm?). I forgot to ask about how she compares to other babies this time.

She's been extra cute lately. I'm going to miss the newborn stage but I am loving all her new sounds and smiles. Every time I rescue her from her crib, she welcomes me with a huge smile and "coo" for her mama. She's getting really good at holding her head up but can't quite do it all the time. She is definitely an on-the-go baby. She loves to be moving and walking around. I'm so glad she's finally getting used to the Baby Bjorn. It has come in very handy when I have things I need to get done!

I'm so glad to finally have a cousin picture that Ava got to be in! Ramsey did such a great job holding her.

I'm glad Abigail liked Ava's bow so much! haha!

All Clear!

I went for my 6 week check up today and got the thumbs up! Everything is back to "normal" haha. I was so scared and nervous all through my pregnancy that recovery would be so hard for me. Given the genes I have, I was almost certain something unusual would pop up, so I prayed very hard that God would bless me through the whole experience. That's just what He did. Once I realized that the pain prescriptions were not necessarily a "just in case," I returned back to comfortable living quickly. Not only has everything shrunk to its appropriate size, but I have also already lost more than just my baby weight :) Total, including Ava, I have lost 40 pounds since June 11th! Although some of my pants are still fitting just a little off, I feel so much better. God has really blessed me with everything. I couldn't have asked for a better pregnancy or recovery and I thank Him every day for the sweet gift He has given me. I know I have a long road ahead of me, but I have never been more at peace with the way my life is headed.

Please keep praying that I find a church I can dig into. Ava and I finally made it out to church this week to a place down the street called Highpoint Fellowship. I pass it a lot to and from the house and wanted to visit. I was not pleased with the experience, but I think I'm going to give a different service another try. The pastor made a note while talking that the service we attended was the "rowdy" group. There was a lot of verbal shout outs in the middle of the service (a small service) and it was just a little on the distracting side. I will say, however, that the people of the church were very friendly and welcoming. :) I'm planning on returning to Hill Country this fall for another bible study on Corinthians and I'm looking forward to it for several reasons. It's at 6:30 in the morning, so I'm hoping it will encourage me to get up early and stay up so I can get focused on homework and also so I can come out the other side more knowledgeable of God's Word. I know general knowledge of the more known stories, but I would like to be able to know where to turn when I need some guidance.

Ava had her first taste of Starbucks today...

...not really, but Grammy and I had a good laugh!

She got this way all by herself :)

Ava and I at my birthday dinner. Thanks to Dustin and the fam for meeting up with us that night!

Swim Time!

Ava put on her cute lil swimsuit and made her first dip in the pool! She wasn't the biggest fan of the water but she sure looked sweet! She was the center of attention from several pool-goers!

Grammy holding Ava in the pool

After a nice long walk, Grammy, Ava and I went for a dip. It made for a refreshing walk home :)

Ava has picked up putting her thumb in her mouth, so we made a compromise. She puts her finger in her paci, and then in her mouth! Haha clever mama!

Grammy reading Ava her mama's favorite book as a kid!

She was so interested in the book! She's gonna be a reader just like mama!

Lucy playing protector...hiding under Ava's bed!

It's Been A Month!

I can't believe it's already been a month! Little Ava is growing so fast! She has just about outgrown all her newborn outfits and it makes me sad! She had some really cute ones that I'm going to miss seeing on her!

I have really enjoyed this first month of motherhood. Ava is such a wonderful baby. She sleeps very well at night and has gotten a lot better at going right back to sleep when she wakes up to nurse. We've been pretty lazy these days, mostly sleeping, eating and hanging out. Watching her sleep is better than any tv show or movie i've ever seen!

Ava is becoming quite the traveler. She made her first trip to Arlington just a couple weeks old and did very well with the whole experience. We visited with Logan and the family and stayed with Mrs. Crane and Elise. Last week we decided to go visit Granny so she could meet Ava. It turned into a trip to Granny's, a trip to Emil's, and then a trip to San Antonio to visit with Yvonne Giles and her daughter Kristen. After staying in San Antonio, we went and visited Grandma and the George family at the hospital. It was fun getting to catch up with everyone but I was sure happy to be home in my own bed.

Granny burping Ava

Ava taking a nap in PawPaw's chair

Aunt Jan holding Ava

Becca holding Ava

Grandma visiting with Ava

This weekend Ava is once again on the road! We will be going to Houston to help Jason and Steph out with the new house and then going to Ruggle's for dessert for my birthday! With my little chunky monkey taking up all my time, I hardly realized until this week that my birthday is coming up! Can't wait to taste that sweet goodness at Ruggle's.

It's been a month since we've been home, and we have yet to make it out for church on Sunday. Please pray that I find a church that meets both mine and Ava's needs. I would really like to find a place that I enjoy and feel comfortable at. I'm really in need of some good Christian friends who I can turn to. Thank you for everyone who has been here for Ava and I. Every word of advice and kind gifts have been extremely helpful! I would be lost in this world of motherhood with it!

All About Ava

Proud Mama Before the Hospital


I thought that moment would never come. After June 5th came and went, every day seemed to drag on. I spent all day watching the clock and counting down the hours until I got to leave for the hospital. As much as I dreamed about my little girl, I never knew I could feel this way about anyone.

Sweet Baby Ava Renee
Born 8:56 PM, June 11, 2010
8 lbs 3 oz
20.5 in












Ava and I would like to thank everyone who came to the hospital to visit. It meant a lot to have family and friends there. I know it was a bit out of the way for some of you, but it was very much appreciated.

Since we've been home, Ava has adapted very well to living outside my tummy. I still can't believe she fit inside me. Some nights are better than others, but for the most part she's letting me get at least 5 or 6 hours of sleep. I'm so grateful for that and hope it lasts. Apparently, at some point I missed the part where I became an all-you-can-eat buffet. She eats like crazy! I have a feeling she'll be packing on the lbs in no time at all. Other than sleeping, eating, and of course pooping, she has really shown a cute personality. She's got the cutest smiles (I don't care if they're from gas or not) and I love just holding her and spending time together. I can't wait to see what the years ahead look like, but on the other hand, I wish she would stay this little forever.