Crazy BedHead

This morning, Ava woke up with crazy hair. I put her in the bed with Josh so I could go and get ready for the day. In the time it took me to shower and come back she had developed a little mohawk. I still can't believe she has enough hair to even make a little mohawk!

Super Model in Training

I have come to realize that taking care of a newborn is a lot easier than I had anticipated. Ava pretty much sleeps, wakes up to eat, then stays awake for a little while before she falls back to sleep and starts the cycle all over. So what do you do with her while she is awake? I have read her books, put her underneath her little play gym, played with some toys, but really she is still so little that it all looks a little silly. Not to mention she really can't focus on any of it yet. So I have discovered the perfect activity to do with her when she is awake. . . photo shoots. Ava is such a good sport to let me dress her up and take pictures of her. This was our first photo shoot that we did the other day. It was fun, I just wish I knew how to take better pictures. Maybe I will take a class.

Three Pups and a Baby

Everyone was pretty worried how our puppies would react to having Ava around. We were a little nervous too. We sent a blanket that had Ava's scent on it home with the McDaniel's, who were watching our dogs while we were at the hospital, in hopes that they would start getting used to her. Well, much to our surprise, all three of the dogs have been really great. Buster pretty much just ignores her. He has always been my little baby so I think he is definitely having the hardest time, but more and more he has started paying attention to her and has even licked her a few times. We were just so relieved that he didn't try to nip at her. Sophie is totally in love with Ava. We have to watch her the closest because she loves to lick her and sometimes is a little overbearing. Lola has been the most surprising of the three. She has turned into a little mom. She gives Ava the tiniest kisses and really keep a close eye on her. She is very gentle with her. I think after having her home for two weeks, all three of the pups are really starting to adjust.

Bath Time! So Much Fun!

Our least favorite activity is bath time. It always seems like a race to the finish, at least so far anyway. Hopefully it gets easier. Ava's favorite thing to do once we put her in the warm water is to poop. Without fail, every time we have bathed her she has dropped it like it's hot. So we have to empty the tub, clean it out, and start over. We are always going as fast as we can to bath her before she decides to poop, but she always seems to be us to the punch. The best part of the bath is wrapping her up in the towel afterwards and cuddling with her. She is always so sweet. I love to put lotion on her afterwards because she always smells so great and clean.

My Blankee

Ava is already living in luxury. She owns the softest and silkiest blanket ever! It is called a My Blankee and she recieved it from her Papa (my dad). These blankets aren't cheap, in fact they are quite expensive, but Papa is already spoiling her rotten. My siblings and I all had a blanket growing up with the silky edge around it and so it was very important that Ava have one to grow up with too. Well, the day we brought her home from the hospital, Ava recieved her very first Fed Ex package, a My Blankee. We wrapped her in it one night and sure enough her little hand went right to the silky edge and held on tight. It was the sweetest thing. Looks like she is already growing an attachment to it. Thanks Papa!

The Best Daddy Ever!

Well, it was bound to happen, Josh McDaniel has become a dad! Did you ever think it would happen, I don't think he did. But of course, he is a natural. We took a bunch of classes to get ready for Ava and good thing I took him along because I don't remember very much from any of them and Josh seems to be an endless well of baby knowledge. He is the one that gave Ava the first bath at home, in fact he has given her all of her baths and I am just the assistant. I think he had actually changed way more diapers than me too, but with him going back to work this past week I am finally catching up. He has even perfected swaddling Ava.

Josh was great to sleep on the uncomfortable chair bed in the hospital room every night that we were there and he even gave it a run sleeping without his precious ear plugs, but I have noticed that they have conveniently appeared in his ears the past few nights. He has already come up with a few nicknames for Ava, the lastest being Aves. I am so excited to watch him with her as she grows up and is able to respond to him a little bit more.

New Mom/New Blogger

Well, I guess I ought to stop postponing the inevitable. It is time to become a blogger. Being clear up here in Boise, has made me realize that I need to have an easy way of keeping my family and friends up to date on our lives and of course our new little girl, Ava. She is only a week and three days old and already she has changed so much. We have been blessed with a really easy baby, keep your fingers crossed she stays that way. She sleeps for three to four hours at a time and is feeding great. I can't believe how in love both Josh and I are.

We are trying to figure out what normal is again. After five years of being just Josh and I, it has been strange to have someone else occupying our time. My parents were up here for the first week of Ava's life and it has been hard this week trying to keep up on everything, plus become comfortable with caring for a newborn without the help and support of my parents. Luckily they will be back up in a couple of weeks for Ava's blessing.

Well, keep checking my blog site because I am going to get really good at updating it.