Merry Christmas

Who's EXCITED for Christmas?...

PROVE IT!

Excuse all the slobber, story of our life lately.

2009 Edition- Naughty or Nice

I just couldn't choose!

2008 Edition here

A Little Naughty But Mostly Nice...

Ava has figured out who Santa is this year...apart from the times she confuses him for Jesus.

She was pretty excited to meet the jolly old man.

Dex was happy to just be along for the ride.

Our Newest Addition!

He's almost a week old...

Where has the time gone!

Dexter Joshua surprised us by popping by to say hello on Thanksgiving Day.

He reminded us that we have so much to be thankful for.

He is PERFECT and we are TOTALLY in love!

A quick run down of the events...for those who wanted to know.

Wednesday night my water broke, not a gush just some trickling.

We went to the hospital around 1:30 a.m. Thanksgiving day.

They had us walk around the labor and delivery unit from 2:30 a.m. to 3:30 a.m. to see if contractions would start on there own...BRUTAL! I'm so not a night person.

Then we were able to "sleep" until 6:30 a.m. when they started me on pitocin.

I didn't have to feel very many bad contractions before they were offering me an epidural.

After receiving the epidural I progressed very quickly.

After 45 minutes of pushing, Dexter arrived posterior...and perfect.

He arrived at 1:05 p.m.

Weighing in at 7 lbs. 1 oz. and 19 inches long...and perfect.

Ava met her baby brother later that night, but she was more interested in showing off for the nursing staff than meeting Dexter. She has been very sweet with him, especially when nobody is looking.

Josh did the honors of Dexter's first bath at home. He is a pro. Parenting comes naturally to him, at least it does for one of us.

We are enjoying every minute of our time with our new little family member. We are already having a hard time remembering what life ever felt like without him.

We love him so much and...he's perfect.

Trick or Treat

She ruled the neighborhood last night...and to think it was her first time out on the streets trick or treating. You never would have guessed. While we were waiting for our friends to come over and join us, she decided to take herself to a few houses. Then, when our friends showed up, Ava decided to show them the ropes. She was a pro the rest of the night and in complete heaven, out with the big kids. She had quite the basket full by the end of the night and even treated herself to an Almond Joy...wrapper and all!

It was everything I was hoping it would be and more. She has become quite independent which is so fun to watch, but also hurts my heart a little more than I would like to admit. She has changed so much in the past year and now I know what they mean when they say, they grow up right before your eyes. After Ava went to bed last night, Josh and I looked at pictures from last Halloween, comparing them to this year and we hardly recognized our little girl, she has grown up so much! I guess this is part of being a parent, and I probably ought to get used to it. Dangit.

When Does It Stop?

When do things stop getting better?

It seems like everything we are experiencing with Ava keeps getting more and more exciting, fun, and rewarding.

This is our third year going to the fair with Ava and each year has consistently been more fun with her. Last year we thought it was so great, but this year was even better. As we walked around this year I wondered if next year would be even better or if it would be the same as the year before. Josh was really wanting to take Ava on a few rides, but we agreed to hold off for one more year so there is something new and exciting to look forward to next year.

Last year, Ava wasn't walking yet, but she thought the petting zoo was so much fun. We bought a cup of animal food and put it on her stroller tray and the animals would eat it right off her tray. She would laugh hysterically.

This year, she was holding her own. Walking and holding the food in her hand to feed the animals and she loved it. She thought all of the "puppies" were so much fun to feed and pet and play with.

It was so much better than last year!

Last year we saw the pony ride and thought Ava would enjoy it, but we decided against it. We didn't think her little body was quite ready to handle it.

But this year...

She was ready and she LOVED it!

That grin didn't leave her face the entire time.

She was in heaven and we were in heaven just watching her.

We both agreed that it was well worth the outrageous $5 it cost to ride.

Will it be as priceless next year?

Josh couldn't leave without taking Ava on one ride, and we thought the carousel was the perfect one.

Sure enough, she loved it, laughing and smiling the entire time.

I loved being able to stand back and take it all in as Ava and Dad rode.

I was glad she went on the carousel and excited for next year when she gets to experience many more rides.

It will be something to look forward to that will probably be better next year.

Of course, no trip to the fair is complete without a souvenir and besides the extra 5 pounds we each took home from eating fair food, Josh bought Ava this light up ball. She got one last year too, and she loved it last year. She loved when we turned it on and she could watch the lights, but this year...

She could do it herself!

She thought it was so exciting to turn it off and then on and act surprised. Her expressions were priceless!

I look forward to going to the fair next year and experiencing more new things with Ava. I just hope that it keeps getting better and better every year.

Praying...

This is Ava saying our family prayer a month or so ago. Sadly, she lost motivation around the end because she has the best way of saying "Jesus". She says it in a really deep voice and it sounds like she is speaking spanish because she pronounces it "hey-soos". We love the way she folds her arms for a prayer. Look for it after Josh says, " Heavenly Father". Ignore the hiccups, she gets them all the time. This girl is keeping us going lately and loves to get a laugh out of us, and she is pretty dang good at it.

Catch UP!

Sorry for the late posts...but here are a few things that happened during the month of July that are too important to pass up. ENJOY!

Ava turns Two!

Ava's second birthday came and went so quickly! Her big day was pretty low key, but I think she still felt special. We went to breakfast at one of our new favorite places, Rockies and then headed to Costco to pick up cupcakes.

I think Ava felt extra special because Grandma and Papa came up to spend some time with her.

Papa really enjoyed the party!

She received some great gifts including, a shopping cart with food, a Betty Crocker kitchen set complete with apron, oven mit, spoon, etc., a cute red chair, some moolah, a baby doll, a couple of books, a dress, and a mommy kit containing everything she could need to take care of her new baby.


Her favorite present was her new kitchen!

I didn't know how much I would loathe this kitchen and the mess it makes for me to clean up every day, but she thinks it is great and that makes it worth it!

She wasn't loving opening the presents, but she did love having everyone sing happy birthday to her and blowing out the candles.

...and of course eating an entire giant cupcake all by herself!

4th of July

The 4th of July was go, go, go this year! We got roped into helping clean the church bright and early ;) and then we were off to the parade down town. Ava picked herself up a little American flag and thought it was great, she also enjoyed making friends with the hundreds of other people enjoying the parade.

We ended up leaving early because it was so dang hot, and prego wasn't handling it very well. The perfect solution was to head over to the Cromar's 4th of July Celebration. We enjoyed the pool again this year and had an awesome barbecue, it is seriously the best...looking forward to next year!

We were a little bummed because last year we had the perfect view from the Cromar's party for the fireworks at Eagle Island, but this year they didn't do it. So we were daring and headed downtown to let Ava experience the downtown fireworks for the first time. We did a few sparklers, courtesy of the Grantham's...and got in trouble, courtesy of the security! They let us off easy and I think it was worth it because Ava held her very first sparkler that night.

The fireworks were AWESOME! Ava LOVED it, and we decided to make a new tradition of it, however, I keep forgetting I will have a six-month old next 4th of July...We may have to rethink that.

It's A...

I am behind on posting...again. I still need to post about the 4th of July and Ava's 2nd birthday, but first things first...

On Wednesday, we found out that we are having a baby boy! It was an exciting day! We were so anxious as we waited to find out if everything looked okay and to find out if it was a boy a girl. Then we were so relieved to hear that everything looked perfect, and surprised as we heard "It looks like a boy...here's the 'part'." We were immediately excited, but also a little sad as we realized it wasn't a girl...not because we weren't excited we were having a boy, but because once we learned it was a boy, it couldn't be a girl and we had been entertaining both possibilities all along. Does that make any sense?

We have a name in mind, but we still aren't set, so we will keep it to ourselves right now. We have a lot of decisions to make, room changes, decorating a nursery, buying lots of boy stuff, etc. It is an exciting time!

with Terrible Twos comes Exciting News!

So...it's been a while. I have a couple of excuses, but truthfully, they are probably just excuses. I'll go ahead and use them anyway.

Excuse #1...Ava has been making up for lost time. Remember our sweet little girl...she hit the terrible twos and HARD! Some days I think either she or I will not make it through the day alive.

This is a fit she was throwing because I wouldn't let her play with my cell phone. She is really good at calling people, and lets just say that my service plan does not include international phone calls.

This is Ava trying to make herself throw up...just for fun, to see if I will give her my phone. NOT A CHANCE! I am learning to play hard ball.

Did you spot Excuse #2 in the pictures above?

If not, maybe you can figure it out from the following picture...

And if you are not quite functioning at full capacity today and still didn't figure it out, let me spell it out for you...

Baby #2 is on the way and hopefully making an appearance on or before December 16th and let me tell you, this tiny little creature has not been very nice. I have been sick, tired, and experiencing nearly daily migraines. I am finally starting to enjoy life again.

Hopefully, come December, the naughty little princess will realize the world no longer revolves around her.

Here's to hoping!

T.R.O.U.B.L.E.

'Nuff Said!



actually...let me just say that I did not ask Ava to be a part of these photos. I was merely taking photos to show Josh when he got home from work and she wanted to be in the picture with her masterpiece.

Time Out, So Much Fun?!

This is Ava in her Time Out corner...

and THIS is what Ava thinks about time out...

I'm at a loss...

Feeding Group Graduate

Ava has been going to a group once a week for over a year now to help her learn how to eat. When we first started going, Ava wouldn't touch food at all and would not eat much more than baby food. Today was her last feeding group. She now eats just about anything and with her own hands. Today was a bittersweet day for me. Ava has loved going to this group and loves the kids and therapists she plays with every week. However, I am so relieved that we no longer need this service. The majority of the kids in this group all have feeding tubes because they have such extreme food aversions. Often times they are still not consistent eaters by the time they turn three and have to leave the program because of age. The first part of the group is play time. There was so many fun things that Ava loved to do. Her favorite was the ball pit, but over time she grew to love being thrown around in the large balloon.

The second part of the group is the feeding time. The kids sit around a little table and play with/eat different foods. There are never any expectations placed on the kids so they feel very comfortable with the food. It was amazing to watch many of the kids in Ava's group go from totally non-eaters to eaters.

The group ends with the kids sitting in a circle and singing a bye bye song. Ava loved this part and tries to initiate the song at home all the time.

These two women are angels in our eyes. Amy and Joan are the therapists that hold the group every Thursday. The patience and love they showed to Ava was priceless.
Luckily, we get to keep seeing Amy every other week for Ava's therapy sessions as well as at Tumble Time every week. We love them!

Walking Machine!!!

Well, this video is already a little outdated...she is figuring this walking thing out faster than I can video it. She no longer has to pull herself up using things like the coffee table or the window seal. She is doing it from the middle of the floor...She walks 95% of the time now, she looks a little drunk while doing it, but she is doing it. The crawling days are over and I am a little sad. I can't believe how much more trouble is available to her at her new eye level! TROUBLE! I can't complain though, she has worked so hard to get here and she is loving it. Way to go Ava!

Easter 2009

This Easter was so much fun...Ava could finally participate in the Easter Egg Hunt. She managed to find herself a few eggs before they were all snatched up. I think she really enjoyed being one of the big kids. Easter Sunday was nice and mellow. We started off with 8:30 a.m. church followed by some pictures and little nap and then a visit to the park...oh, and maybe a stop at a diner on the way home. What, we were hungry!

Little Miss Thang!

Gotta Love Her!

Ava Walks!

This video is from a few weeks ago when we were down in St. George. My mom and the Grape (my grandpa) were keeping Ava occupied while we packed the truck up and this is what I came back to. She is now taking a few more steps than in this video and has pretty much mastered the one handed walk (holding one of my hands). We are so excited to have a walking girl this summer considering she has pretty much worn holes on the knees of all of her pants. She has now figured out how to get back down the stairs after going up which has been a huge relief. She is coming right along and we couldn't be having more fun or be more proud!

Little Leprechaun Spotting...

Remember THIS little leprechaun from last year...

Well, she's back...

Just a little bigger, with a little more sass.

Happy Saint Patricks Day!

L.O.V.E.

Nothin' Better!

It just doesn't get any better than this!

Because I promised a post...

...and if I don't post something TODAY, I may not be alive tomorrow. So if you can't get ahold of me tomorrow, not that it would alarm most of you considering I never answer my phone, you may want to call the cops and let them know I may be dead, and there's a good chance the name of the killer is...GRANDMA.

...and because I am going through some kind of a blogger's block and I can't think of anything interesting or not so interesting to blog about, I have chose a few random thoughts that have been consuming my mind lately.

Thanks for tuning in...ENJOY!

So, not much has been going on because this little girl has been...
SICK, and....
MOODY!
We been dealing with a cold for a week and just got the verdict from the doctor this morning...
EAR INFECTION!
FUN!
Antibiotic...check! Hopefully we are on the mend.
She's not napping and I am going CRAZY!

But that's pretty boring, so let's move on...

I put ava's hair in pigtails about a month ago. I couldn't decide if I liked them or not. Her hair is so curly that you could barely tell they were in pigtails. However, looking back at these pictures, I am thinking they were pretty cute and might try again soon.
She looked so grown up!

Next bit of randomness...
This is Josh's older brother, Jason, and his wife, Callie. We sure do like them. They came up a while ago to visit and we took some pictures of them for their adoption portfolio. They have been trying to have a baby for a long time and finally made the decision to adopt.

This is Josh posing with Jason to show Callie where he wanted her to be for the next picture.
I thought it was so cute.

This is how their picture turned out...

Good call on the pose Josh... anyway, the reason I bring this up is a couple months later they found out they were HAVING a baby! We are so excited for them, and for Ava to have a little cousin to play with in a few months. Congrats guys. We love you and baby.

Speaking of moms and babies. Here's a heart warming story and because I don't have any pictures from it, here's a little visual for you...

back in September, Ava and I, along with my friend Sunny and 15,000 other women participated in a 5K walk/run to celebrate women and raise money for women's health. It was an incredibly rainy day, so I don't know why we decided to go ahead with it, STUPID, just plain stupid. Anyway, back to the story. I loaded Ava up in her stroller and draped her blanket over her stroller to shield her from the rain and we were off on our really STUPID adventure. We were having fun though, Sunny and I were chatting away, listening to the bands, I'm sure we threw in a little trash talk too. We reached the top of a hill and I heard someone's baby screaming. I'm looking around for the culprit when Sunny notices Ava's body hanging out of the front of the stroller. I throw the blanket off and realize her entire body is being suspended in air because her giant head has remained trapped in her stroller by the stroller tray. I freak. throw the tray open and hold on to my screaming little girl for dear life. She rest her head on my shoulder and quiets almost immediately. I am almost too worried to pull her off my shoulder to check to see if she is alive and breathing, but she is and we are safe. She had fallen asleep and must have slipped down because she wasn't buckled in. It was a big stoller...I never buckled her in. Lesson learned. I may not have won the 5k that day, but I did win Mother of the Year.

Back to the diagram, basically the same thing but Ava was turned around facing forward, screaming for her life and not one of the 15,000 women ever noticed or bothered to say something. LOSERS!

Moral of the story: BE GRATEFUL FOR CHILDREN WITH REALLY BIG HEADS.

She also wasn't wearing socks, just shoes that got so soaked from being left hanging in the rain for who knows how long that they wouldn't stay velcroed or on, so I took them off and let her ride barefoot in the stroller... and THEN the 15,000 women begin to notice and give the most disgusted looks because, "who would let there daughter be out in the rain with no shoes or socks on?" GET OVER IT! If you thought that was bad you should have seen what happened about five minutes ago at the top of the hill when this same baby almost died by hanging.

Gotta love women, joining together for a good cause, supporting other women and making them feel like CRAP!

We were glad to get home and both take really long naps.

Can't wait until next year!

Mother/Daughter traditions are the best!

GOOD TIMES!