yes...i know i am a bad mommy blogger :)

We have been super busy this month!!  We helped celebrate Ava's besties birthday.  Sweet J turned 1 and Ava had such a fun time at her party.  I love watching these girls together!  They are such sweet friends and we love our lunch dates with her and her momma!

We also had an old friend of mine take some 6mo pics for us.  Thanks Carie for such great photos.  Carie is an awesome photographer in Ft. Worth.  Check out her website: www.monkeyhousephotography.com

There were so many great pics to choose from but below are a couple of my favs--

Ava's biggest accomplishment this month is learning to crawl!!  5 months old and crawling....this is not supposed to be happening.  She had a hard time trying to figure out what she was supposed to do.  So funny!  Most of the time she she tried to get up on her hands and feet and bear crawl but couldn't make that work either.  It didn't take her long to figure it out though!!

So many fun things happening these days.  I just can't believe my sweet girl is almost 6 mo old!  Time is going by way too fast.  We are just trying to enjoy the journey and cherish each moment we have with this special little girl!

ABSOLUTELY the most amazing giveaway!!!

Ok...you guys have got to check this out!!!  I mean really.....over $2600 worth of goodies all going to one winner???  I have done every possible entry...well...except for twitter and that is only because I don't tweet!!!  These are some really talented mommas that are giving away REALLY cute things.  Please hop over and check out their shops and facebook pages!

http://laurawinslowphotography.com/blog/2011/02/07/2600-61-shops-1-winner-the-awesome-photog-love-giveaway-from-laura-winslow-photography/

I will have another post tomorrow but for now I am one sleepy momma.  Work was a little busy today but tomorrow I will fill you all in on what I am spinning around in my head and having some serious talks with the big man upstairs about!!!

talk about a teaser!!!!  love you all---

Time Flies When You're Having Fun!!

First let me say I am SOOOOO sorry that it has been so long since my last update and this post may be a little on the long side.  I have just been trying to keep up with my ever changing, fast growing girl!  She is going to be 5 months old tomorrow people!!!  How did this happen?  It was just yesterday that we were bringing this sweet girl home and now she is sitting up, eating (and trying to feed herself at that), and almost crawling.  I'm afraid my baby is very quickly turning into a very big girl.  This makes me so sad and so happy all at the same time.  It is so fun the way she is so interactive with us now.  Such a very social girl---hmm, I wonder where she gets that?!?!

I guess the easiest way to catch you up is to start with our 4mo stats from the doctor--

** 12 lbs 15oz

** 24.5 in (mommy measured 25 but oh well!)--mute point now because I measured her today and she was 26in folks!!

**  we are now in 6mo clothes if they have feet in them because she is too long.  Otherwise she is still in 3-6mo with plenty of room!

** Dr. Mehendale asked if she was starting to try and roll over and as if on cue, Ava rolled over on the table and put her chin on her hands like she was posing!!  The dr. looked at us and asked if we realized that she was going to do things early!  Yep...we sort of figured that one :)

Christmas was SO amazing this year.  We went to Amarillo for a week to see Nana and Papa.  Erin, Brad and the kids came at the same time so it was tons of fun.  Ava LOVES her cousins so very much.  I think they enjoyed opening all her presents for her.  Here are a few pics from that week--

Happy Girl!

Just a little nap with Papa

Not terribly interested in the whole present thing....yet!

Macie showing her the new music toy

one of the many bows placed on her head this day

"tasting" her new wand

lovin on her baby

my favorite of her Christmas outfits!

all smiles with Nana

Ava, Nana and Papa

Nana, Papa and all their kiddos!

our only family pic from Christmas

nappin with my Mimi--she came to Dallas after we got back from Amarillo

The next biggest transition for us was mommy going back to work!!  My first 2 days back were new years eve and new years day.  Ava got to really spend some quality time with daddy---12 whole hours for 2 days straight.  I think he realized just how hard it is to keep up with her ALL day and never asked again what i did all day!!  The next week she started going to the sitters house for the 2 days I work.  Her name is Cheri but we all call her Yaya.  Let me just tell you....Ava LOVES her Yaya!!  We had been visiting before I went back to work just so she would be comfortable there and she had no trouble at all.  Yaya also keeps her granddaughter and one of our friends little girl.  They are both 1 so Ava is having a blast playing with the big girls!  We are so blessed to have found such an amazing person to keep Ava.  I too transitioned back to work pretty well....just glad it's only 2 days!  She changes way to fast to be away from her any longer.

Her newest tricks have really just started this past couple of weeks.  She is finally getting the hang of sitting by herself.  We still have a few face plants but she just rolls with it and laughs!

She also is finally up on her hands and knees, rocking back and forth but not going anywhere just quite yet!  So close though.

We have also been attempting cereal for a few weeks but have been completely shut out but last night she ate cereal and some pears and liked it!  Not eating a ton but better than spitting it back on me :)

ok I think I'm ready

after a few bites she took the spoon herself!

hue gave her this bread from yaya to play with---she ended up sucking on it!!

wore herself out eating

first try with cereal at nana and papa's house

not a fan at all

So...that is what we have been up to!  Having play dates is also pretty high on the list as well as brunch with the girls and seeing Macie and Beckett as often as we can.  Just loving life and trying to take it all in.  Here are a few more pics of her because she is just too darn cute!!!

her friend J--trying to stick her hand down her pants!!

J licking her---guess this is the new way to get to know each other :)

sweet face

i found my feet--yea!

pretty girl

chillin with daddy

big girl in a high chair for the first time :)

so happy

just love this one--she fell asleep while i was getting ready one day

The Joys of being a Mommy

I must say that in the past 3 months I have found such an unbelievable joy that I had lost somewhere along the way.  How is it possible that one little person can do this?  It is to me like looking into the face of our Father.  My cousin Kerri put it best when she said that Ava still has Heaven in her eyes.  What a beautiful and telling statement.  I think about how much I love my sweet girl and I am struck by the thought that God loves us one hundred times more.  WOW!  I love this girl with every beat of my heart and every inch of my being and my God loves me more than that.  I am more than blessed and humbled by this thought. I know that there will be trials among the joy but I hope to always look back and remember those sweet smiles that Ava wakes with on her face.  I have never prayed so fervently for anything as I do for my child.  I pray that I can bring her up to know Christ and to always take the narrow road.  It is not the easiest but oh the amazing prize that is waiting at the end.  I love you my sweet angel and cannot wait to see what amazing things God has planned for you!

Ok...enough heavy talk...let me tell you what little tootsie is up to these days!  She will be 3 months old this Friday.  How is that possible??  We have had a few firsts in the last couple of weeks with more to come soon.  We went on our first road trip to Oklahoma.  It was just us girls--mommy, Ava and Aunt Erin.  It was Erin's 10yr reunion at OBU so Ava and I tagged along to see some old friends.  I was a little nervous to see how she would do and I must say--I have the BEST little traveler out there!!  She slept the whole way there and back.  She only took little cat naps here and there but was never fussy.  I am so blessed that she is so happy!  Tomorrow is another big first--our very first plane ride!  I am hoping that she will love it as much as she does riding in the car.  We are headed to Kansas City for a few days to spend some time with Hue's mom for Thanksgiving.  Ava's Mimi has not seen her in person since she was a week old so she is really in for a treat!

The other big news is that she is sleeping in her big girl crib in her fabulous room!  She absolutely loves it.  This baby turns herself all over that crib.  I guess she got a taste of that freedom and loves it because she sleeps from about 8 or 9pm until about 4:30 and then goes back to sleep until 7:30 or 8!  It has been really great to be able to turn over in bed without worrying that I was going to wake her.

That is pretty much the new happenings in our lives right now so I will sign off for now with a few pics of Ava and her sweet cousins--Macie and Beckett.  Stay tuned for blog updates and pics from our trip :)

I hope you all have a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving.  Enjoy this time with family as it is so short but such a time to be treasured.

Macie and Ava

The Three Musketeers

She sure loves her Macie

Oh this boy melts my heart!

morning naptime--love her holding the pillow!

modeling one of our turkey shirts from Nana

worn out after our trip to OK

my big girl loves to lay out and stretch!

Much love to all of you!